Home is where the Hanyou is

This one happens during and after Kagome returns to the feudal era after manga chapter 558.

Over the last three years, Inuyasha stayed with Sango and Miroku and helped the village and the surrounding area when a youkai decided it wanted a human snack. With the birth of the twins, he became even more protective of them and the two mini Sango look-alikes who constantly played with his ears.

"Inu. Inu," the girls sitting atop his shoulders said, giggling. It had been three years since the well had sealed and now Sango and Miroku had a son birthed only a few days ago.

"You're a toy," Shippo gloated, quite content to watch Inuyasha get abused by the miniature Sango's while he stayed to what he deemed to be a safe distance away.

"Hey, can you do something about the twins?" Inuyasha asked wincing as one ear was given a particularly hard yank. He would be glad when the twins grew up and would stop pulling so hard on his sensitive ears. Miroku looked over from the laundry he was hanging and sighed.

"Not the ears, kids," he scolded.

"Gomen, Inuyasha," Sango called from her place by the wash bucket. Shaking his head, Miroku took another piece of sopping clothing from his wife. Despite all his complaining, the monk had a feeling that the hanyou liked the attention. Sometimes he would even catch Inuyasha smiling, something the hanyou had apparently forgotten after the well had sealed three years ago.

Inuyasha sighed as the girls began to somehow climb up and down his long hair. He'd never let on the fact that he liked it, but being with those girls did give him a sense of hope, a hope that one day, Kagome would return to him.

And within the span of his next breath, his wish seemed to come true. The air was suddenly filled with the smell that Inuyasha had been missing for the last years. The hanyou picked up a twin in each hand and gently dumped them onto Shippo, who had moved into the danger zone to try and torment him even further.

"Go slay the kitsune." He ran off, ignoring what Shippo was yelling at him as he tried to fight off two girls his size with Yugi watching from the tree above where he had sat five seconds earlier.

Kagome's scent…

Was that really her scent? Had the well opened, or was his mind just playing tricks on him? Inuyasha ran to well in record time and stopped, just at the edge of the clearing, inhaling again.

The scent was there and it was strong, too strong for it to just be something she'd touched. His footsteps were slow as he walked to the well, afraid he was dreaming or hallucinating or any of the million reasons that his mind came up with. He was almost to the edge of the well where he could see inside, when he realized that it was his heartbeat that was pounding in his ears.

Without another thought, he took that last step and reached into the well. Their eyes met first and then her hand slid into his. It took no effort for him pull her out of the well; he'd forgotten how light she was.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry. Were you waiting?" she asked. He had to fight to keep the tears from filling his eyes as well.

"Kagome…" Something in her eyes sparked as he said her name. He pulled close, barely giving her feet a chance to meet the ground. "Baka," he said, as he let the sound of her heartbeat envelop him the way her scent had. "What have you been up to?" She didn't say anything, just wrapped her arms more securely around his sturdy body.

"Kagome." He said quietly to Kagome when they had gotten outside. It had been hours since he had pulled her out of the well and although it was night, Kagome could still see his bright gold eyes softly gleaming at her and only her in the darkness.

"Inuyasha." She said with a smile as she slowly slipped her hand into his. Kagome could feel his fingers tighten around her instantly and she smiled

"Could you come with me?" Inuyasha asked softly, and Kagome gave his hand a squeeze in response.

"Of course." she told him, and began walking side by side with him. She felt so at peace while she was with him that she knew this was exactly where she belonged. Time and time again she felt his golden eyes flicker towards her while they walked along, Inuyasha gazing at her out of the corner of his eye, just like he had when he had pulled her out of the well.

Though she wanted to say something about it, she knew he'd be embarrassed if she did so she simply let him led her in a direction she knew well… towards the Goshinboku. Feeling so completely content, she leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked along and secretly watched his expression. A small shiver instantly went down her spine when she saw him smiling softly at her hesitant intimate actions.

"Kagome." He murmured quietly, breaking the silence between them when they finally reached our destination. To Kagome's complete and utter shock, he then suddenly pulled her into his arms, and held her once again like he would never let go. "Kagome." He said again, but this time to Kagome's puzzlement, she could hear desperation in his tone.

"I missed you." she heard him say shakily. "I missed you so much." Inuyasha said as he pulled Kagome even tighter, pressing her head against his chest so that she couldn't move even if she had wanted to. Trembling against her, he then buried his face against her neck and she could hear him breathing in her scent.

"I missed you too, Inuyasha. Every day." Kagome whispered back as she entwined her arms around his neck. She could feel tears beginning to burn at her eyes and they stood there, simply holding each other. While they did, he continued to tremble against her and she knew she was shaking herself.

"You're back though, right?" He asked softly. "You are going to stay here now with me? Forever?" She lifted my head and saw him staring down at me with such love and hope in his eyes that she nearly burst out into sobs. Instead she just laid her head against his chest, nodding and feeling the tears slide down her cheeks.

"Inuyasha." Kagome said with a soft smile as she lifted her hand and laid it against his cheek. His eyes fluttered close serenely as he leaned into Kagome's touch. "Didn't I promise I'd always be with you?" she asked.

Suddenly, Kagome could feel him crushing her against him once again, holding her so tight that she could barely breathe. "Inuyasha…" Kagome huffed out as she could hear him repeating something over and over again into her neck as he buried his face there once again. After a few seconds, Kagome was stunned when she recognised the words he was whispering were "Aishiteru Kagome, Aishiteru."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed in surprise, as he lifted his head up from her shoulders to meet her eyes. "Aishiteru Kagome." He said again, louder this time. "I….I really really love you." He stuttered, and Kagome could feel herself trembling once more.

"I wanted to say it before... I wanted to say it for so long." He began to blurt out, talking very quickly and nervously. "But I couldn't. I just couldn't. I didn't know how things would turn out and I was scared. I know I should have said it before. I thought I'd have the chance when we finally killed Naraku. But…but with the Shikon no tama…and I had to let you go. And then well closed…and….and…" He was hardly making any sense at all but it was easy enough to tell Kagome what he was trying to say.

"I made a huge mistake!" He said, burying his head against Kagome's neck once again. "And for awhile there…I thought I'd never be able to fix it. So I have to say it now. Aishiteru Kagome. I really do." By the end of his rant, his voice had dropped to a mere whisper and he was clearly finding it difficult to look her in the eye.

For awhile, Kagome just stood there, still in his arms, absolutely stunned. For so long she had wanted to hear these words, but she had been so sure it would only happen in her dreams. Knowing this was the greatest moment of her life, Kagome closed her eyes, never wanting it to end. Eventually though, she felt Inuyasha stir restlessly and she knew what he was waiting for.

"Inuyasha." Kagome murmured as she softly put her fingertips on his cheeks and slowly began to trace the contours of his face. At her touch, the lids of his eyes fluttered closed as a peaceful, dreamy expression appeared on his face, reminding her of the first time she had seen him when he had been sleeping so peacefully.

"Aishiteru, too. And I have for so long." Kagome told him with a gentle smile and saw him softly smile in return. "That's why the well reopened for me. That's why I was able to come back through." she told him. "It's because it must have known we were meant to be together….I think it has always known."

As Kagome spoke, he lowered his head so that their foreheads were touching. "So, you're going to stay here? You really are going to be with me?" He asked so innocently and so full of hope that Kagome felt herself falling even more in love with him.

"Always." she replied, and his lips descended down eagerly upon mine, solidifying the promise I had just made.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome asked later as they watched the forest around them slowly brighten with the morning sun.

"Yeah?"

"I was…wondering…if I could"

"If you could what?" Inuyasha asked, staring down at her raven hair.

"If we could continue to travel like before because…I'm not quite ready to settle down in a village just yet" she said.

"Sure" Inuyasha said, eyes softening.

"Thanks" Kagome mumbled as she allowed sleep to overtake her once more.