Wistful

"Was anything else damaged?" Kagome asked of the woman as she surveyed the broken wall of the structure.

"Ah, good news there. It doesn't look like it," replied the husband as he stood back with his hands on his hips.

"I'm just glad no one was hurt," added the wife as she looked around the area. Kagome sighed and stroked the hair of the sleeping boy she held on her hip.

"Have you got anyone to stay with while we work on repairing your house?" Winter would be coming sooner than one might think. The man gestured in the direction of the rice paddies, indicating he had a brother that lived on the other end of the village. She watched them pack a few items before handing the child off to his mother. The couple and their boy left off towards their relative's house, so Kagome wondered back through the rest of the village, seeing if anyone else needed help.

Other than a few scrapes, the populace of the village had escaped unharmed. The rest of the property damage was minor; broken doors, smashed gardens, and wood splinters littering the ground. Two houses had holes around the doors, and would need major repairs. As Kagome ran back and forth between the rows and houses, she wondered why she had never noticed how large the village had become. She had seen a few families she did not recognize, but she had not noticed the general expanse of the village had gained a bit. Curious thing, the village growing after Naraku's defeat.

Inuyasha finally crept up behind Kagome as she applied a bit of medicine to a young boy's arm.

"Kagome-sama? Is it going to leave a scar?"

Kagome bit her cheek. The scrape hadn't been deep, but it was long enough that it would most likely leave something of a scar.

"Bah," Inuyasha scoffed, "if it does, you can tell everyone you're some tough guy—got it during a demon attack."

"But it happened when I fell running away," the boy pouted.

Inuyasha snorted. "Tch. Well you ain't gotta tell 'em that." The boy's father chuckled and Kagome pulled the boy's sleeve down. The man and boy wished Kagome well as she set off back down the road.

"So what's the damage report on Sango's house?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha fell into step beside her. He and Miroku had managed to get both doors back on their tracks, but one was busted and holding with a temporary fix. They would need to replace that one, but they could hold off for a few days, since some of the other houses were more badly damaged. Which brought up another suggestion.

"We should put a better door on the house," Inuyasha commented, almost absentmindedly as his head weaved, looking about the village. A few of the houses had sliding doors, as well.

"What's wrong with our door?"

"Hm?" Inuyasha blinked at the question. "Well, it's more of a doorway than a door..." He scratched the back of his head, continuing, "It'll be gettin' cold soon. Get pretty drafty, you know."

"Well...I suppose, but we're hardly at home when we're not sleeping or eating, I should think we'd just wrap up in blankets when we're home." She didn't hear Inuyasha's muttered 'and there's another thing.' Some people he knew, and knew well, didn't understand the concept of knocking. He thought back to the morning previous. He had no doubt Miroku wouldn't have just barged in on his sleeping friends if he thought the matter was urgent enough. Well, maybe not, but he would rather not chance it. What if a villager couldn't find Kaede and went up to Kagome instead? At least with a sliding door, he could have a fairer warning. Plus, winter was truly on its way.

"Do you think it's a good idea?" Kagome asked.

"Why would it be a bad idea?"

Most of the villagers kept the mats secured winter nights, and she really didn't want to differentiate herself too much from the rest of the village. She had had a hard enough time learning some of the vernacular, and having confused glances when she spoke differently. She really didn't want everyone to think she was so odd and different from them. Even having a different sort of door.

Different? Her? A Miko who married a dog hanyou? Well...

"Bah, don't worry about it. Me and Miroku put in their door, after the house was standin', we'll have no problem doin' the same for our place," Inuyasha went on, guessing incorrectly. Yes, well, Miroku and Sango did have a wooden door, themselves. Kagome touched a knuckle to her lip and eyed him curiously. He and Miroku did that? It was unsurprising, since he had done a good portion of work on his an Kagome's roof. Didn't grandpa have him fix the cupboard when the elderly man couldn't reach? Curious thing, thinking about Inuyasha taking care of these sorts of tasks. If he had lived in her old time, would he have made an handyman out of himself, fixing leaky pipes, sealing cracks in the tub surround, that sort of thing?

Wow, that was a weird thought.

Kagome shook her head and asked if he wanted to do that. He gave an affirmative grunt and she shrugged. What would it hurt. He could work on it only if he still felt like it after they had the rest of the village cleaned up...only if he really felt up to it...

Inuyasha heard Kagome yawn and suggested she go sleep at home, where Sango and the kids were staying temporarily. Kagome shook her head. She had to head back to Kaede's house to return the unused cloth she had borrowed.

"Bah, it's just a few cuts here and there. Ain't nobody got hurt bad enough to need all that fussing," Inuyasha said, shaking his head.

"Inuyasha, infection is a killer in this era! You know that. You can't let a single papercut go unchecked."

"Yeah yeah." Inuyasha scratched the back of his head again. They parted ways after a while, him to help with repairs and Kagome to head back to Kaede's house and the shrine. Kagome patted her face when she stumbled on the path…maybe a nap wouldn't hurt. She stretched her arms over her head to look at the clouds when she caught the unexpected view of her brother-in-law quickly shrinking away from view. When had Sesshomaru gotten here? She rounded the bend to Kaede's house when she heard talking.

Rin's voice…and…an unfamiliar man's voice?

"I guess I had better be going too," the man said. Kagome crept along the bushes to the back corner of the hut.

"Ah, you really don't like it here, do you?" Rin asked. She almost sounded downtrodden. Kagome got a little closer to the front of the hut. She crouched low and poked her head around just enough to see the two figures standing near the far corner of the hut. One was Rin, in her orange kimono, and the other…was Kohaku? Where was the man that had been talking just a few seconds ago? Kohaku blushed and opened his mouth to speak.

"Well, I wouldn't mind as much but…I always get put on babysitting duty, and, well…"

Kagome blinked in disbelief. That voice belonged to Kohaku? That-that deep voice? Well, it wasn't exactly a baritone, but it didn't match the little boy it came from, and it certainly wasn't what Kagome remembered his voice sounding like. Wow, puberty did strange things to kids. Although, the hormones didn't seem to effect his growth any. Rin was small, four years his junior, and came up to his nose. Poor kid would have a hard time getting a girlfriend if he lived in Kagome's time.

"You don't like kids?"

"Well, I…" Kohaku rubbed the back of his neck. "Not really…"

"Oh. That's… When you get married you'll have to learn to like them, won't you?" Rin asked, clasping her hands behind her head…had she learned that from Inuyasha?

Kohaku's hand froze on his neck as his eyes widened. He blinked rapidly before glancing away, an expression one step down from a trapped animal, looking to escape the conversation, suddenly.

"I-I really don't think-"

"You were a kid not that long ago, how come you don't like kids?"

"What? I'm sixteen this coming spring. I haven't been a kid for a while," Kohaku declared, dropping his hand away from his neck.

Rin shrugged.

"Well, maybe, but I was a kid, and you never had a problem with me." Kohaku's lips pursed.

"You're still a kid," he said, shrugging. Rin frowned, glaring off somewhere. She was still a kid. Getting bossed around like she often was, only without the fun of playing with other children from time to time. She shook her head with a sigh.

"Besides, we were both kids, I had time...to get used to you…" Kohaku trailed off. He took a deep breath before calling for Kirara. The cat trotted out in front of the boy, transforming for him to climb on.

"We really should get going," he said as he got settled on top of Kirara. Rin dashed in front of the cat.

"But visit soon, okay? Your sister misses you." She paused. "I miss you, too."

Kohaku cocked his head to the side.

"What?"

"I'm glad Lord Sesshomaru visits, but seeing you really reminds me of the old days…when we were both kids. It makes me really happy."

Kohaku blinked. "Uh…I'll come to visit my sister soon, and I'll visit with you too…"

Rin nodded, content with that answer. She scratched Kirara behind the ears before letting them take off into the air. Kagome stood after a second, taking a deep breath before making her presence known.

"Oh, I just missed them, didn't I?"

Rin nodded, but just kept on watching Kohaku and Kirara getting further and further away. She came up next to the girl, looking over her face carefully. Wistful? Kagome stared on even after the young girl felt her gaze, turning her eyes up to the young Miko.

"What?" She squawked with sideways grimace. Kagome waved her hand at her.

"Oh nothing, it's nothing…um…Sesshomaru was here as well?" She quickly countered.

Rin's expression dropped out of accusing and more into annoyance as she sighed. He had been here, but he hadn't stayed long, loitering about the roof of Sango's house as he stared off into the valley. When Sango returned he accompanied Rin and Kohaku back to Kaede's house.

"He made us wait inside while he talked with Kaede about something, then Kaede left, then he left." The girl sighed. "I guess he just wanted to make sure everyone was okay here."

Kagome blinked. 'Probably not everyone…' Kagome kept her thoughts to herself.

"Well, at least you got to see him."

Rin nodded. "Yeah, him and Kohaku must be really busy nowadays. Kohaku visits even less than Lord Sesshomaru. Have you talked to Sango?" Rin giggled suddenly. "She said she only makes him hold the baby to make sure he doesn't take off without telling her when he does visit—so he'll stay longer. I wonder if that's having the opposite effect?"

Even with such a short visit, Kagome was glad to see that Rin was in a much better mood. While Kagome was putting things away, Kaede returned to the hut, surprised that Kagome had already checked the expanse of the village for injury and damage. Everywhere Kaede had gone, Kagome had already visited. Ah, youth. Kaede was quick to send Kagome up to the shrine to check for damage as well, and also to make sure it was cleansed and proper, just in case.

'Oh no,' Kagome thought as she spotted her husband in the distance. He was standing before one of the damaged homes with an older man, making gestures with a scowl on his face. The man started making gestures over to the damaged home as well, arguing his side. Inuyasha put a hand to his hip and shook his head, glaring in the direction of the house as he argued in return.

Kagome sped her gait so that she might race into the middle of the argument before things got much worse. The man crossed his arms over his chest…then both men broke into laughter. Kagome stopped, squinting in confusion. Inuyasha gestured back to the house, nodding before turning to say a word to the man when he caught sight of Kagome. The older man turned his head to see what had distracted the hanyou mid-sentence. He gave a brief wave to Kagome, taking a half-step to the side. Kagome cautiously approached the men, only catching the last few words of the conversation.

"Yeah, use what you already have, first, but I'll get a tree down to replace what we use, it'll take a bit before the wood dries out with the recent weather," Inuyasha gave.

"So then that's that," the older man nodded, crossing his arms. He looked over to the Miko, guessing she had something to ask her husband by the way she was waiting with her hands clasped together. Kagome blinked and finally asked if Inuyasha wanted lunch, since Kaede was offering. Inuyasha shrugged, telling the man he'd come back after he ate.

Kagome was quiet when her husband told her he wouldn't be home for dinner that night. He and the village men wanted to get as much work done as quickly as possible, even if that meant working late into the night. The men all had work in the fields, and would like to return to that quickly, but it was understandably difficult when you had an unkempt house. The man Inuyasha had been speaking with earlier happened to have a bit of lumber stored under his house, and was offering it up for repairs. The house he shared with his family had been one of the more severely damaged, but there was probably enough for all the minor repairs for most of the houses in the village.

It didn't really dawn on her how significant this was until she was walking home alone in the near-twilight that...she couldn't explain it. She could tell that Inuyasha still felt like the odd one out most of the time. He wouldn't engage the village men in conversation, and they wouldn't talk to him either, unless they needed something done around the place. She had started noticing the wide berth the men gave him when he walked about the village only recently, and it annoyed her, but Inuyasha never seemed to notice. The women were nicer, sometimes asking him in passing if the weather was going to change, or if the mushrooms were up in the forest. Inuyasha gave 'Yeah' or 'Nah' as a reply, which seemed sufficient for the women. Always short conversations, never like the ones Kagome frequently found herself in. Not that she minded, the conversations were always pleasant, and she had learned at least one good recipe she wanted to try from the chats.

Again, no one seemed to talk with her husband. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. Inuyasha did usually keep to himself, after all. She supposed, with the expression he wore all the time, he might seem unapproachable to begin with. Even when the moon appeared absent, that halfway-annoyed expression was ever-present.

As she watched the men working from afar, she spotted her husband with his sleeves tied behind his back. He was working with the man who owned one of the more-damaged houses, hammering planks into place. The man said something to Inuyasha, and he tossed a new plank over to the man, and they worked in what Kagome could only assume was silence. Like any of the other men making repairs. Right after Inuyasha's revival, no one would think to get so close to him, or turn their backs on him, but now they didn't seem bothered to care. He wasn't a stranger, and he certainly wasn't a monster. They weren't scared and they weren't angry, like they had once been...This was really something.

A cool wind stirred Kagome's hair and goosebumps rose on her skin. She turned into the wind as it howled across the hill, the pitch changing as it brushed through the trees and the yellowing leaves. It almost sounded like a voice whispering...or even calling out for something-someone... Yes, the wind does that, sometimes. She stared on for a second more, watching a number of leaves departing the branches to float a ways, before landing softly on the ground. She bent to lift one. She twirled it by the stem and her eyes went fuzzy-her expression wistful... the breeze swept through again and the beautiful young woman closed her eyes to meet it, shivering only slightly as it tugged on her clothes. She opened her eyes when the breeze passed, and she knew the direction she was looking.

She tossed the leaf up in the air. Her eyes fell upon the village again - her husband. He was no stranger to the ways of the village, Kagome shouldn't be either, but sometimes...sometimes she felt like...

'Oh, it doesn't matter,' she thought. She belonged here.

...

I don't actually have a comment for this chapter, how rare...I lied. Next chapter should be more fluffy stuff.