The waiting is the hard part.
That's something he has learned over the last few centuries. The waiting is always the hardest part. He just hopes he's found his courage enough that he'll actually be able to approach her when their time comes around again.
Sometimes he wonders.
His friends are long dead, dust in the wind, save Shippo, and the kitsune is no more a constant in his life than anything else. He comes and goes as he pleases, and goes more than comes. Koga's around, too, somewhere, but he doesn't count the wolf prince among his friends and never has. Sometimes he's a good guy to get together with and have a drink with, because if you pour enough sake into him he always agrees to pay the tab. At least until Ayame comes and drags him home, ripping into him verbally, making him slouch and mumble apologies as Inuyasha laughs hysterically behind him.
He and Sesshomaru cross paths on occasion, but there's another person he's never counted among his friends, although, like Koga, he no longer actively considers the elder demon an enemy. Although they do, on occasion, fight.
When word reaches his ears in the early twentieth century that Sesshomaru has taken a wife, he chokes on his sake and leaves the tavern in a hurry, immediately seeking out his brother to see if it's true.
Hell, it'll break up the monotony.
His brother meets him outside of the place where he now resides, Tokijin at his side, still wearing his regal garb. Inuyasha says the first thing that pops into his head. "Don't tell me somebody was actually crazy enough to marry you."
Sesshomaru arches an eyebrow. "I fail to see how it's any of your concern."
"Well, I'm curious," he defends. "Besides, I can't imagine anybody being nuts enough to marry you. What'd ya do, get her drunk?"
"No. Unlike you, little brother, I don't need to damage a woman to attract her."
"Hey! All right, that's just offensive. Kagome wasn't damaged!"
"Perhaps not. Merely brash and offensive. It is entirely possible that you were all she could attract. Is this why you came here, little brother? To exchange insults?"
Inuyasha crosses his arms and sulks. "No. I told you, I was curious. I thought I wanted to meet this woman, but on second thought, she's probably just like you." Something like horror dawns on his face. "Tell me it isn't Kagura. Being related to you I can handle, but not her."
Sesshomaru merely arches an eyebrow, and says nothing.
"You didn't. Oh, gods, you did. Are you damaged?"
"I fail to see how this is any of your concern, little brother."
"You are. You're not just damaged, you're broken."
Sesshomaru sighs, turns his back, and starts to walk away.
"You're gonna regret marrying her."
Another sigh. "Inuyasha, you are being foolish."
"Me? Who's the one married to Naraku's incarnation?"
"I would say that fate is far more likely for you than I, little brother."
Inuyasha just stops, and stares. Sesshomaru reaches the house, and Inuyasha yells, "Whoa, whoa! What -- huh?" A pause. "Did you just call me an idiot?"
"I see your deductive reasoning has grown stronger."
"All right, now you're gettin' nasty. Well, if it ain't Kagura, who the hell is it? She's the one who's spent the last five hundred years pantin' after you!"
Sesshomaru stops, looks at him, then goes inside and shuts the door.
Inuyasha just stands there and gapes.
"Hey, Sesshomaru! Do the world a favor and never breed!"
End
