Star
Inuyasha had stayed with the nervous Miroku in the small shed room behind Kaede's hut. It had been made clean and comfortable for them with fresh straw, a couple of futons and a small brazier on which they could make tea. Sango and Rin had also supplied some sweet dumplings to go with it in a clean cloth.
Inuyasha could hear the girls chatting happily and giggling with Kaede through the walls of both huts, but before he could barge in and demand they shut up, the sounds died away as they settled down to sleep. He wished Miroku would go to sleep too but the obdurate monk, insisted on talking endlessly about Sango and their travels, reminiscing over the journey they had all shared.
It would have been alright if Inuyasha could have tuned him out, but it was impossible, his brain homed in every time his ears picked up Kagome's name which of course popped up frequently in the monk's rambling. Partly it was nerves talking and partly it was the gift of Mushin's sake that Miroku had started and would have finished, had not Inuyasha forcibly removed it from him.
On the other hand Inuyasha might have tried it himself, but there was not enough to make him even tipsy, he needed the whole vat. Besides he didn't think he could face an angry Sango in the morning and not to mention that if Rin was upset with him too, Sesshoumaru would also get angry and Inuyasha didn't fancy a fight anymore.
Thankfully soon the exhausted Miroku gave in to the tension and keeled over asleep and mainly silent. Inuyasha made sure the monk was comfortable before sitting down in a corner to wait out the night. He didn't really begrudge the fact that his only male friend was soon to be married; he and the monk had often spoken seriously together and Inuyasha knew of the deep fear and sadness that Miroku hid from everyone else.
Miroku had thought that the curse of his hand would devour him in the same way it had his father and grandfather before him, and he would not put someone he loved through the ordeal of losing him. When Naraku had been destroyed and the Kazaana sealed there was so much to still do that the reality of his future had not been fully appreciated.
It was only when Inuyasha had found Miroku sitting beneath Goshinboku alone that he'd finally understood the depth of his friend's relief. Miroku was in tears as he stared at his hand and whispered over and over 'freedom'. Freedom to consider a normal future with wife and children he loved and Inuyasha had felt bitterness in his heart for a few minutes that he had been denied the very same things.
The next day, Inuyasha stood beside Miroku along with Mushin and Hatchi while Sango was supported by Rin and the wedding was taken by Kaede. The day was lovely and everyone happy, no one remembered that Inuyasha was alone and that was the way he liked it. For once the pity had stopped leaving him alone to deal with his loss and that was fine by him.
Inuyasha kept Rin company until she left to go back with Kaede and then he leapt up to his favourite hilltop to contemplate the village below. He certainly wasn't going to stay in the village where the usual embarrassing shenanigans were already underway for the new bride and groom. He knew no one would harm the two and he certainly didn't want to be around when the roar went up that informed everyone that the pair were truly one flesh.
Suddenly he was overwhelmed by loneliness and he glared at the night sky with his eyes overly wide to stop tears falling and breathed deeply to calm himself. The sky was alight with stars but the sight was not beautiful to his eyes as he remembered Kagome all to clearly lamenting that she couldn't see them in her modern sky.
It just made it more obvious to him how different everything was between their times and by extension themselves. Did she miss him as much as he missed her? Or was she getting over the loss of their friendships by re-forging her bonds with the friends of her own time. She had the wish she wanted, the jewel knew that in her heart Kagome wanted to go back and live her normal life; after all it had tempted her with it. It would not have been a temptation if it was not her wish.
She had family who loved her, not the mockery of the one he had; a brother who adored her, a mother who cared enough to guide her child in making her own way and a grandfather who provided the history to the family with his legends. Family, friends and a future, she deserved it all, not the poor substitute he could offer.
Damn, he thought as a few tears spilled and he angrily wiped away the evidence of his self pity with his sleeve and looked up once more at the stars and his heart jumped a beat as one large star seemed to wink at him. Then Inuyasha smiled, how could he forget? Kagome had said that she recognised that star as one she could see in her time, it was so big and she thought it a friendly star. He had scoffed at the notion but now he gained comfort thinking of a timeless star gazing down on them both and winking that everything would be alright.
