Epilogue

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this, Kagome." Inuyasha complained, trying valiantly to not fiddle with the stupid hat squishing his ears. He was supposed to keep his hands hidden as much as possible too.

The intended target of his complaints was unfortunately dragged away before she could properly respond.

"Inuyasha my man," Miroku clapped him on the shoulder, sending an exaggerated wink his way. "I can think of quite a few ways she might've persuaded you."

The hanyou growled, throwing a hook at the annoying face in front of him, but Miroku ducked expertly out of the way, chuckling the entire time. Since Kagome was distracted, Inuyasha was actually considering clocking the monk a real one. But, to be honest, he kinda owed Miroku.

When he'd found out the daimyo of Kyo still had Inuyasha's sword in his collection somewhere, Miroku took it upon himself to retrieve it by non-violent means. Though Inuyasha would never tell it to his face, the monk had some impressive conning abilities. All it had taken was an afternoon, some 'dark curse hanging over your castle' bullshit, and Tessaiga was removed to be 'destroyed safely'. The dumb lord even gave Miroku a handsome tip for his troubles.

It was how said sword was now back at his side, him in his usual fire-rat garb and a straw hat on his head at night mind you. Oh, and get this, a dog mask was secured to his face. Har har.

Frankly, he looked ridiculous.

The end result of this, and Kagome's expert pinning of his mane of hair under the hat, was that he, a hanyou, walked fairly incognito in a large town of humans. With the excitement of the night's festivities, no one paid him notice.

Initially, Kagome had been vehemently opposed to hiding his nature, but under some gentle reasoning from Sango and Miroku that they were going to a festival where everyone was in disguise, the girl complied. She also knew that there was very little chance that Inuyasha would be undisturbed, let alone be able to remotely enjoy the evening if he walked around in his usual glory.

And stupidly, Inuyasha wanted to do this so Kagome could enjoy herself.

Speaking of, said girl was rushing back in his direction, with Sango laughing, trailing behind her.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome came to a stop in front of him, gushing excitedly. "Look how neat!"

A swirl of hardened sugar syrup in a pattern of sorts stuck on a stick was thrusted in front of his face.

"It's a sugar drawing of a dragon, don't you see!" Shippou piped from his spot snuggled in the crook of Kagome's other arm. He was in disguise as a human boy and wore a fox mask. Funny, right?

"Keh. So what, it still tastes the same."

"Awww, Inuyasha, you're such a grouch." Since her cat mask only covered half her face, Inuyasha could see her pout prettily.

"It's ok, Kagome." Shippou patted her arm haughtily. "We can't expect him to appreciate art."

"Why you little…"

It only took him raising one fist menacingly before Shippou leapt out of her Kagome's arms and made himself scarce in the crowd of festival goers.

Sango snorted at their antics, before commandeering the girl's attention. "Come Kagome-chan! There's more I want to show you."

Inuyasha only allowed himself to crack a grin once Kagome had turned around. He watched as the two women dressed in simple patterned kosode walked arm-in-arm to another confection selling stall further down the street.

It was surprisingly nice to see Kagome out of her normal uniform of green hakama, and Sango, her taijiya gear. Though none of them were under any obligation, it was only when the chaos after Masae's fall settled that they could breathe easier.

Miroku and Sango had opted to stay in Kyo, more as physical back up for Kaede than anything. The monk took care of the spiritual aspect, along with any diplomacy needs and Sango was priceless in terms of her demon wrangling skills. The reinstated head priestess needed people she could trust while trying to root out the snakes from the now repentant masses.

Thank fuck he and Kagome wasn't there for that. Inuyasha had no patience for playing nice. For all he was concerned, most of the rich bastards that bought slaves had it coming for them. The ones that weren't killed by those said slaves couldn't outright demand compensation for their monetary loses. But that didn't mean they didn't try to stir up shit some other way.

Kagome, like the stupid girl she is, made it her personal mission to take the shattered piece of jewel to the capital. Good thing he was with her too, because whatever the shit it was, the artifact attracted trouble like flies to cow dung.

Turns out though, that Kagome had her head on right, because they didn't end up staying at the capital for too long. To put it mildly, he hated it there. It was too big, and while perhaps slightly more under control, there were still youkai slaves and he couldn't openly trail after Kagome without attracting unwanted attention. It wasn't she could just keep telling everyone 'oh no, he's not my slave, he's actually my husband'.

Fuck.

How the hell does his own thoughts make him blush? Fucking annoying. Yes, Kaede did end up giving them conjugal blessings. But to be honest, things were still the same with Kagome, comfortable and natural. They were definitely on the same page, but just taking it slow.

All in all, they spent a good moon traveling from Kyo, then staying for some time in the capital. Kagome met with the other miko, and helped with some things. Stupid girl felt guilty about not involving herself more, instead taking her leave from the dealings in the capital. That other priestess seemed to have things well under control anyways. She had allies and plans to take out the court spiritualist—Naraku or whatever.

He could tell how much Kagome loosened up though once they left the city walls. Her smile came a lot easier and truer. As long as he's around, Inuyasha wouldn't let Kagome force herself do anything else again out of 'obligation' at the expense of her own wellbeing.

Keh.

Inuyasha went to see where the two women had wandered off to, and easily spotted them sitting at one of the numerous benches by the lake. Miroku and Shippou were still off doing their own thing.

He drew closer, making sure to keep very quiet and inconspicuous. One fuzzy ear perked up at the sound of Kagome's voice.

"Never mind that, Sango-chan. How's life back home? Did your family forgive you for running away?" Kagome asked.

"Well, father was angry that I told no one," Sango sighed. "But he understood why I needed to go. And now that Kirara's back and we're both safe, it's ok. I'm glad to be home again."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

"And..." Kagome's voice took on a higher pitched teasing tone. "You brought someone extra to help with the family business, hmmm hmmm?"

Sango swatted at Kagome's repeated attempts to elbow her meaningfully.

"Oh come on, Sango-chan! Tell me how Miroku's doing, and more specifically how you two are getting along!" Kagome gushed, unable to wait for Sango to divulge the information at her own pace.

"Houshi-sama," Sango began hesitantly. "Is adjusting quite well. You know him and his smooth talk. The clan has taken to him. Not to mention he does have some practical skill when it comes to youkai slaying, so he's earning his keep."

"Ohhh! That's so great!"

"Y-yeah. And weirdly, father doesn't hate him. Even Kohaku seems ok with him. It's funny because he's the little brother, but he can be more protective of me than my father."

"Awww." Kagome fidgeted excitedly on the bench. "Ok, but what about you and Miroku, specifically?"

"Kagome-chan..."

"What? I want to know!"

"We're good. I think he's trying to court me?"

"Ehh? How do you think—he is or he isn't right?"

Sango cleared her throat, clearly wanting to change the topic. "Ok enough about me. You," She poked Kagome on the shoulder. "Haven't told me what it's like to be a wife yet."

At this Inuyasha almost fell over, and decided then and there he was going to stop eavesdropping. Suddenly, he's damn glad he's wearing a dumb mask that hid his traitorous face.

"Inuyasha!"

The hanyou was very, very close to jumping at the call of his name.

"My...you certainly look guilty." Miroku appeared at his side, smiling a disgusting smile, very in keeping with the weasel mask he sported. "Spying on our lovely ladies, were you?"

"S-shut up. No." Inuyasha crossed his arms tight across his chest, shoving his hands further into his sleeves.

The monk had the gall to wink salaciously at him, before sauntering up to the two women.

"Sango, my love!"

Kagome ducked, hiding her wide grin at Sango's reddening face, and gracefully slipped away from the couple, thus removing herself as the third wheel. Miroku seemed to be regaling Sango with a gift of sorts he'd gotten and though the slayer was doing a half decent job of looking peeved, she made no effort to remove her hands from the monk's grasp.

Inuyasha tried to maintain a casual pose as Kagome skipped up to where he was still standing under a tree.

"Hey, you." Her smile was small, but it held a quality that was unique to only when directed at him.

"Oi." He reached to tuck a stray wisp of hair behind her ear when she got into range.

Pulling back, he scanned her carefully, like he seemed reflexively to do. Checking her over, always. Kagome was beaming and very happy. He knew she'd missed their friends. Suddenly, he was glad he'd caved and came with her to this stupid festival, where all the humans ran around all night in animal masks.

It hadn't taken very many village pass-throughs for Kagome to experience the sort of cruelty humans were quick to dispense to his kind. It bounced off him like armour, but he hadn't been prepared for the hurt Kagome felt for him. He was suddenly very grateful to have been able to give her this time to enjoy normal human life.

Inuyasha shook away the melancholy thoughts. He was determined for Kagome to enjoy their night. He blinked, just noticing that said girl was peering at him while he'd zoned out.

"Want to try some?" She implored, lifting the large leaf folded into a small plate of sorts in her hands that he hadn't noticed before.

Inuyasha bent to take a bite of mochi while she held onto the stick. It tasted almost nauseatingly sweet, just like the display of affection he found himself currently engaging in. They were probably a bit too open even for human standards, but then again, him and Kagome, would always be at odds with the norm.

Who would've thought that him, Inuyasha the hanyou, a loner for the bulk of his life, would find himself here, with his mate and humans he could sort-of call friends, at a human festival in a town near a taijiya village.

Life sure was unpredictable.

"Kagome! I have the boats!" A short, stubby blur zoomed into Kagome's legs, making her laugh aloud in delight. "Come on! Let's go set them on the water!"

She turned back towards him, grinned and shrugged a little apologetically before letting herself be dragged towards the water's edge by Shippou.

Fricking fox had the worst timing.

Inuyasha stayed at his spot under the tree and watched as Kagome bent down beside Shippou at the shore, tucking the ends of her kosode between her knees to avoid it getting wet. She kept laughing at the kitsune's antics, as they set each of the boats onto the water. They were weaved from the dried leaves of rice plants, and the humans celebrated this harvest festival, making wishes on them.

Her slim arm reached out over the water, giving the tiny boats a little boost, as they bobbed along. Inuyasha watched Kagome's face soften as she closed her eyes, bringing her palms together and looked to be making a very serious wish.

Inuyasha wondered what she wished for. And he wondered if he could make it come true for her.

As if able to read his thoughts, Kagome looked up, met his eyes and smiled that soft smile she reserved just for him.

–-–-–-–-–

Unlike the temperate climate of the coastal village, the winters in Kyo were frigid. Being at the foot of mountains meant that snow was not a stranger throughout the season, sometimes making an appearance even well into spring. As an apprentice, Kagome remembered those winters of being dominated by icy hands and feet, even indoors.

Taking pity on her, Kaede had installed a small brazier inside the sleeping room, set on a large flat slab of slate to protect the tatami mats. During the night, they would keep it heaped with embers to heat the room while they slept.

For old times sake, this winter, Kagome insisted on setting it up too, but she soon discovered there really was no need. Buyo, however, wholeheartedly approved and claimed the immediate vicinity around it as his territory, where he was currently curled into a ball.

On the other hand, Kagome herself was half covered by a woollen blanket and half by an inuhanyou. 'Snug as a bug' would be an understatement. Who knew that hanyou would be so warm? What's even better is that Inuyasha, much to her amusement and delight, turned out to be quite the cuddler.

Though they had put together two futons to sleep, he was sprawled over her and near deserted his own side. One leg was curled around one of her own, while his arm and torso draped over her top half. His head was resting just under her chin, with his nose buried in her neck.

Kagome was so warm, and just so content. Being married was so much nicer than she'd ever imagined. Well, being married to Inuyasha that is. Right now, she was extra grateful he was actually sleeping.

At first, when they were still traveling to the capital and during the time there, she'd noticed he hardly ever slept. He was always sitting up, guarding her, to the point of being hyper-vigilant. Kagome had chalked it off to being somewhat appropriate since they were on unfamiliar territory and Inuyasha kept telling her he normally slept little as is. But when she'd started to notice the faint shadows under his eyes, Kagome knew it wasn't normal.

Inuyasha was strong, stronger than anyone she knew, but he wasn't invincible, and he certainly was mortal. Mortals need sleep, demon blood or otherwise. After carefully observing for a little while longer, Kagome realized what it actually was—Inuyasha was afraid to sleep.

Kami knows she'd tried—directly and subtly encouraged him to share some of his worries. Kagome also wanted to know what actually befell him during that last month he was kept from her, what Masae did. To know would be to share in his burden and maybe, she could figure out how to help.

But he wasn't forthcoming at all, and he would hide behind his angry facade every time she approached it from the wrong angle. Kagome knew Masae had physically abused him—she saw it—and as much as it hurt, she was fairly certain the dead priestess had sexually abused him too. The most Inuyasha had ever said about that subject matter was 'She gets off from the power trip. It would've been beneath her to actually fuck us.'

Even recalling his words made Kagome want to dig Masae's body up, and revive her just to tear her into little pieces again. Never mind the fact that the freed youkai had actually done this already, such that there wasn't anything left to bury.

The rhythmic puffs of air against her neck that was Inuyasha's soft breathing suddenly hitched. His body tensed against her, and he let out a very quiet whimper.

Oh no.

Kagome eased herself back a little in order to lay eyes on his face. She brushed his messy fringe aside to reveal furrowed brows and a frown. He made the same noise again.

Decisively, Kagome pulled Inuyasha back towards her, tightening her arms around him. His nose twitched against the skin of her neck. She hummed, something nonsensical and calming, as she smoothed one hand over his back again and again. The other hand buried itself in his silver mane to find the base of a furry ear and began to rub little circles on the back of it. Its twin twitched, tickling her cheek.

It took some time, but thankfully, Inuyasha began to calm again, growing lax against her body. His breathing evened out as he drifted back into peaceful slumber.

Letting go of a breath she'd been holding, Kagome smiled and pressed a kiss against the crown of his head. She earned another flick of a puppy ear against her cheek as a reward.

Thank kami he didn't wake up.

It was soon after they decided to return to the house in the forest to spend the winter, that Kagome put all the pieces together. Inuyasha was having nightmares, and that was in part why he wasn't sleeping. The other, she assumed, was perhaps that he feared being taken off guard again, enough to be captured. And this time, endangering her too.

The familiarity of the house, coupled with the barriers surrounding the premises, seemed to help. Kagome had been sorely tempted but talked herself out of putting some herbs in his tea that might induce sleep. She'd even tried different scents, like lavender that calmed humans, but that made him sneeze, even in really small amounts. Finally, it took the one tried and true remedy for these things—time—to work its magic.

After they'd settled back in for another few weeks, coupled with the same sleeping arrangements as they were in currently, Inuyasha finally was able to sleep again. And Kagome didn't mind going to bed extra early, if that meant Inuyasha would get some rest. It was rather nice to just reflect on her life while he snoozed in her arms.

Sometimes it still felt impossible that Inuyasha and her was married. But they were, married by Kaede herself and gifted this house as their wedding gift. Kagome'd even been brave enough to make a few decorative changes in the house now that it was actually going to be their home. It was perfect actually, because it is where her and Inuyasha began.

As for the two of them, they were growing so much closer emotionally, to the point where Kagome couldn't remember how she was before he came into her life. As for their physical relationship, that was slow. They'd shared many more heated kisses, which have advanced to more ardent activities now that they had consistency of place and a home.

But the heartbreaking thing is, that when she made to ease aside his robes or touch skin that wasn't normally exposed for her contact, Inuyasha would flinch involuntarily. Then panic would flood his golden eyes for a brief second when he'd realized what he'd done and force himself to relax for fear of putting her off. Of course he'd pretend nothing had happened, and for his sake, Kagome would usually just double the affection she showered on him.

That too, was getting better, happening less and less often. Last night, she'd almost managed to get both of them topless. Kagome loved Inuyasha very much, all of him, and it didn't matter that they were going slow for a married couple. There were no rules to these things anyway. She was more than happy to let their relationship evolve organically.

Perhaps sensing her emotions, Inuyasha mumbled something against her collarbone, nuzzling against her neck. She felt him take a deep breath and sigh back out happily. His arm moved down to curl around her lower back, promptly drawing her flush against him.

"'Gome."

She grinned. "Yes, Inuyasha?"

"Ya' smell nice."

"As I've been told, yes."

"Ya' also..."

What she also was or wasn't, Kagome wouldn't know because her hanyou husband had fallen back asleep again, his words lost in a light snore.

When spring comes, they'll be off to travel the countryside, just like they wanted to. Hopefully, the winter rest will be nourishing for them both. Inuyasha would heal. And she would be here beside him. Always.

Turning her head towards the pillow, she pressed her lips against the downy fur of the puppy ear that was previously smooshed against her cheek. Inuyasha murmured something into her skin, making her smile. Kagome snuggled up closer to him and closed her eyes, soon following him in slumber.

Outside, the snow drifted lazily down in the darkness, landing in soft drifts on the dormant garden. The house, that was once built with care by a woodcutter in love with a priestess, now welcomed its new inhabitants, a couple just as unlikely—a hanyou and a human.

.

.

.

.

.

.

A/N: I'm so full of emotions about the completion of Kintsugi. I finally finished something that my teenage self wanted to do. Only the bones of the first scene of Chapter 1 was written in 2006, and I didn't actually commit to writing this until Nov 2019. Looking back, Kintsugi would not be the story it is today had I wrote it younger. The main theme is writing a reasonable version of the 'one of the MC's is a slave' trope that was popular back then. What I didn't expect is the secondary theme in Kagome's character arc. The learning that what you thought you wanted in life, is not necessarily always what you think. This part, is the contribution of my 'adult' self.

Thank you so much for experiencing this with me this entire time! I can't say enough how much your comments and encouragement made my day more times than I can count. I appreciate you all so much. 3

If you feel inclined, please drop me a vote at the Feudal Connection (Tumblr) 2021 2nd Quarterly Inuyasha Fandom Awards between April 29th and May 13th.

As for future projects:

- If Kintsugi gets a random update, it's because I get inspo for some other indulgent domestic InuKag scene

- Firsts will still be updated sporadically

- Newest project If We Fall Anyway, is a story told in snippets, basically a 'what if' Kagome fell down the well but there was no Naraku, no Shikon-no-tama, but around the time Inuyasha came across Kikyou in the village near the well.

- And a much more future project, will be a 6-part InuKag centric story set in a loosely East-Asian imperial setting. It will be hella angsty and I am especially pumped for it. Lots of world building goodness and gouge-your-heart-out feels.

That's all from me for now! 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. However, this plot, the exact sequence of words and any original characters described therein, I reserve all rights to.