"How long does a honeymoon last?" Shippo asked.
"However long it takes for a mated pair." Sango sighed.
"How much longer are we gonna be here! It's been forever!" The kitsune wondered.
"However long they want to take." Kagome sighed.
"It might take them a little longer because they had to put a pause to the honeymoon to help us all get out of the mountain. Then Naraku didn't help matters." Miroku explained.
"Can they be done by now? It's starting to get boring here." Shippo whined.
"Yeah well we can't just barge into their room and demand that Inuyasha be returned to us." Kagome reasoned.
"It's not fair!' The kitsune was almost crying.
"Heh! Maybe I should drag Sesshomaru back into our room if all you guys are doing are complaining."
"Inuyasha!" A number of voices said at the same time.
"What, did you miss me that much?" He raised an eyebrow. His question was answered when everyone pulled him into a hug.
"Hey! This feels weird! Why is everyone hugging me!" Inuyasha struggled to get away.
"We missed you!" Everyone chimed.
"Okay, okay, I get it! Can we cut it out now?"
The first to pull away was Shippo after he sniffed Inuyasha's scent. He even looked around to search for the reason why he was scared.
"Your scent! It's no longer yours!" Shippo claimed, still afraid.
"You're gonna have to get used to it because it's permanent." Inuyasha felt proud knowing that his scent would forever be mixed with Sesshomaru's.
"So do we have to stay during the negotiations?" Kagome asked as everyone finally let him go.
"No. Sesshomaru told me we don't have to stay. He's fine with letting me go. The catch is that I have to say goodbye to him." Inuyasha explained.
"Then whenever you're ready." Miroku stated.
"Hmm. How about tomorrow? If you feel like you're okay with that I mean." Kagome suggested.
"Yeah. I suppose." Inuyasha didn't mind. Although he couldn't hide the fact he would be leaving so soon.
He began to question this decision that night as he saw the stressed state Sesshomaru was in upon his return to their room. Wordlessly Inuyasha wrapped his arms around his mate. He felt Sesshomaru sigh softly as he relaxed.
"Is it that bad?" Inuyasha wondered.
"Trade routes effected their ability to keep their role as the reining family of this region. They're facing a possible war between themselves for the seat of the north. My negligence and outright refusal to Asahi's proposal earned little to respect me."
"...Has anything been said of me?" Inuyasha expected it.
"Not to my face. I imagine they are talking behind our backs. Despite the lack of respect they still fear me. Our fight against Naraku and Magatsuhi showed them we can easily take them all down if we wanted to." Sesshomaru suspected that there were talks.
"Do you need me to stay? The others want to leave tomorrow. But I can stay if you need me." Inuyasha hated bringing this up. He had spent all day with his friends since Sesshomaru couldn't even afford a short break.
"I will be fine. I can't speculate how long these talks will last. The majority are old men who remember Hiroshi, and view Asahi as weak for stepping down to Kenji. However they remember father, and heard stories of me. At the least they're wary enough not to argue too much while placing myself as Kenji's ally."
Even as he spoke they both knew they didn't want to separate. But so long as Naraku was out there, and now Magatsuhi as Naraku's ally, was the bigger threat. Sesshomaru understood he had to stay to ensure Kenji wouldn't be outright killed. And if Inuyasha stayed then they would all be sitting ducks for Naraku to strike again.
"I've been wondering. What will happen after Naraku?" Inuyasha asked, out of curiosity.
Sesshomaru contemplated for a moment. He hadn't thought that far ahead. However some ideas came to mind.
"I suppose Rin should live with humans. I can't trust her safety within my home. As for you, I believe you will be accepted. If you wish to stay with me, that is." Sesshomaru didn't understand why he felt apprehensive. He knew Inuyasha never really had a home, and like him they never could handle staying still for long.
And yet some part of Sesshomaru was tired of wandering. The pregnancy with Hinata showed that he can't wander aimlessly with a child. He accepted his mistake for not immediately returning home or to his mother's castle.
"You really think I will be accepted? Even though I'm a hanyou?" Inuyasha blinked in surprise.
"Most of them at my home served father. He gave mother the old castle to build a new and better fortified one. And he took those most loyal with him. I imagine they would be surprised to see my return with you next to me, but they will be quick to accept us." Sesshomaru knew it so. They were so loyal to father that they sworn loyalty to him quickly.
"Here I thought you would always want to wander and never settle somewhere. I don't mind it, I'm just surprised." Inuyasha smirked.
"...I want to try again." The daiyokai earned a shocked stare. His mate knew what he meant.
"Really? You really mean that?" Inuyasha's voice was soft.
"I wouldn't suggest if I wasn't serious, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru stated calmly. "But only after Naraku is gone. I will not allow another of our blood be used by him again."
And Inuyasha smiled fondly. Sesshomaru blinked, unused to this. While yes, Inuyasha was easy to read with his emotions, he never expected to be smiled at like that. The shock must have given him away, for Inuyasha initiated a kiss. It was tender and soon the shock gave way to content.
"I expected you to want to wait a while before trying again. I won't argue, making them is fun." Inuyasha chuckled as he pulled away. For the first time there was faint blush on Sesshomaru's cheeks that wasn't related to his heat.
"Hey, you're actually blushing!"
"Inuyasha, shut your mouth." Sesshomaru glared.
"What you gonna do to make me, huh? If you're gonna say I don't get any tonight that means you can't either." The hanyou almost laughed at the torn expression.
"You're impossible."
"It's called love, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha laughed that time.
It was soft and breathy and unlike his usual barks of laughter. And for some reason the sound entranced Sesshomaru. He wanted his mate to laugh like that more often.
"And yet you're the only one to irritate me so much." Sesshomaru commented, his usual ice in his voice wasn't even present.
"You know? The feeling is mutual. But I love you anyways." Inuyasha smiled, this time a slight curve of a smirk mixed in. His eyes bright and mischievous.
Sesshomaru opened his mouth, but the words died in his throat. And for some reason that troubled him. Why couldn't he say such a simple phrase? The amount of power in them held a weight he never felt before. Inuyasha made it seem so easy.
Sensing his distress Inuyasha hugged him in reassurance. He even nuzzled against the mating mark, a gesture he hadn't done before. It made Sesshomaru shiver as he felt the warmth flood through the bond.
"How about you show me instead? I know you have trouble with expressing yourself with the deeper emotions." Inuyasha offered, hoping it will put his mate at ease.
That night they shared was tender. And when Inuyasha awoke the next morning, he was surprised to see Sesshomaru was still there. Although the pained expression in his eyes said it all.
"I take it you'll leave soon?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Yeah. But I promised to say goodbye to you." He meant to keep it.
"Then it might as well be now. I don't know if there will be any breaks for me to get away." Sesshomaru hated this.
"Don't look at me like that, damn it." Inuyasha sensed through the bond the distress, the fear of letting him go, and the expression in his eyes made it all more real.
"What I mean is, it hurts seeing you like this. Are you really sure that I can go?"
"Inuyasha, Naraku is still a threat."
"But you're the bigger target with Kohaku!" The hanyou snapped.
"Inuyasha. Enough. If he hadn't taken Hinata, if he hadn't just crippled an entire region of their ruling Lord, then I would demand you to stay. Don't make this harder than it should be." As he spoke his voice shook. His eyes hardened, and yet there was a sadness in them.
Those ears pressed back. Inuyasha was visibly torn. It was no wonder Sesshomaru wanted to originally wait for them to become mates until after Naraku was dealt with.
Sesshomaru hadn't count on seeing him often and finding that he couldn't stop thinking of those three days. He hadn't count for a lot of things that went wrong. And yet strangely he never regretted accepting the mark in the end.
Inuyasha breathed in to calm himself. When he exhaled, his expression softened. Through the bond he knew Sesshomaru was deeply troubled, more than he already expressed. He couldn't bear to be part of the pain.
"I'm sorry. I know you can handle yourself, and I know you won't let anything happen to those kids. You practically adopted them. As your mate I can't help but worry." His voice was still pained, but he wasn't angry anymore.
Sesshomaru visibly relaxed. Although the trouble was still present in his eyes he was more so relieved. Inuyasha reached up to brush his hand against a pale cheek. The action surprised them both, but Inuyasha changed his hand to cup the side of Sesshomaru's face.
"See you at the final battle?" Inuyasha hoped that he would. Their chances were far greater in defeating Naraku together.
"I assure you I will be there." Sesshomaru promised. "You better not die on me, Inuyasha."
"Heh, the same goes for you. Otherwise I will make Tenseiga bend to my will." Inuyasha chuckled.
"You have the Meido Zangetsuha. You can search for me and drag me out of Hell." Sesshomaru snorted at the idea of Inuyasha trying to forcefully use the Tenseiga. It was unlikely that the sword would submit to him.
"You don't believe yourself to be next to father? Next to Hinata?" The hanyou tilted his head.
"After all I've done? Do you honestly take me for a holy man? I've ended many lives for no reason. Even toyed with some of them out of pure boredom. All so I can strike fear before I ended their miserable lives." The daiyokai didn't believe his chances were great. No, he belonged in Hell.
"But you've saved lives. You changed for the better. Doesn't that count?"
"A small hill in contrast to a mountain."
Inuyasha almost laughed at the symbolism.
"Then that settles it, I will search for you in Hell and drag your ass back." Inuyasha promised as he pulled his hand away.
"Hm. That is if anyone can actually kill me." Sesshomaru knew the only hand that can end his life was none other than his mate.
He supposed it would be fitting enough.
A/N: should I follow the example of the original series that just keeps going and make the next pregnancy and drama as a part two to this story, or just end it and write a sequel?
I ask because the last time I did a sequel, even saying it's a sequel and name the title of what it was a sequel to, the majority of the original followers of that first story didn't read the next story. And this was roughly a month or so ago. Or even if they did I didn't get any reviews of the same people so I wouldn't really know? I just want to make whatever is easier for my readers.