Inu-Yasha: Home Sweet

A/N: I know that Miroku wouldn't have been able to use his wind tunnel anyway. What I meant was in the setting that they were spread apart, and Miroku was far apart from everyone else.

*Disclaimer: * It would be great if I owned Inuyasha. Unfortunately, I don't. So please don't sue me.

I just finished reading Volume 12 of Inuyasha in the Viz Graphic Novel form, and I was wondering if there's more in English, or do I have to get it in original Japanese manga, or is it not even written yet? And sorry I haven't been able to update even though I did promise a reader I would. I've been having a ton of problems with fanfiction.net: first I couldn't even access it for a week, and when I could it wouldn't link me to log in or to update.

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Kagome sobbed.

She looked up into the dark-velvet night sky, but even the twinkling stars gave her no comfort. She played with the half-completed Shikon jewel hanging around her neck. If she went back, Inuyasha would never be able to complete the Shikon jewel and achieve his dream. If she stayed, she would never see her mom, or Souta, or her grandfather with all his crazy stories…. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, curled up into safe and familiar fetal position. She stayed that way until she felt arms around her.

"Inu- Inuyasha?" she whispered, looking up into his faintly illuminated face. Wordlessly, he picked her up and flew with her, deep into the forest, until they reached a brook. He climbed up the tallest tree and rested in the fork of two branches. He placed her in his lap and took her face in his.

"What's wrong?" he asked, in a gentler tone than he normally used.

She snuggled closer into him and sighed. "Everything," she said, the tears still pouring down her face.

"Tell me," he urged quietly.

"I have to make the decision whether to stay here, in Feudal Japan, or go back to my own time," she cried. "Inuyasha, can you understand my choice?" She continued without waiting for an answer.

"I really want to help you complete the Shikon jewel," she admitted. "But I have a life in my own time: friends, family, school… and all the stuff! Shampoo, conditioner, hot baths whenever you want; thick winter coats; entertainment straight from America…" Inuyasha let her ramble without really knowing what she was talking about. Suddenly, she stopped. She glanced at him suspiciously.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing… it's just," she replied, staring at him. "You haven't said anything."

"Was I supposed to?" Inuyasha replied warily.

"Usually, you'd say something like 'There's no choice. You're gonna stay with me here and help me find Shikon shards! Now c'mon, there's no time to lose,' Kagome answered, mimicking Inuyasha's impatient, insensitive manner.

"When have I ever said that?" demanded the half-demon.

"Oh, I don't know, just about ever time I want to leave for home!"

"Sorry," he muttered.

Kagome turned away for a while, listening to the forest sounds. The brook gurgled and chuckled happily beneath them. The wind whistled through the trees, giving a chill edge to the night air. After some time had passed, she turned once again to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha," she said. "I can't do this. I can't make this decision! Sure, I used to hate Fuedal Japan. I used to love my own modern world better. But now-" she waved a hand around "- I love Fuedal Japan so much. The people, the customs… but how can I say good-bye to my family?"

"I guess you can't," Inuyasha murmured.

Kagome opened her mouth to continue, but then she promptly closed it. "Wait- you're actually sympathizing with me? What's wrong here?" she said, the last part sarcastically.

Inuyasha turned away from her for a long time. When he turned back, his eyes were half-closed, their amber hue softened and gentle, velvet in their softness. "Kagome," he whispered, his hair blowing out slightly to the side in the wind. "I- I only want… what would make you happy."

"What?" breathed Kagome, scared to believe it, but wanting it to be true.

"Kagome," he whispered again, "I can't keep you here… if you won't be happy. I just can't. Go ahead- do whatever you want… as long as you're happy. Don't feel any attachments toward me or the Shikon jewel. If you want to go back-" he turned away again "-go."

Kagome starting sobbing again. "Do you- do you want me to go, Inuyasha?" she asked anxiously.

"No," he said, pulling her close into him, letting her sob into his shirt. He cradled her head in his hands and laid his head close to hers. "No," he repeated in her ear. "I'll respect either one of your choices. I don't want another girl unhappy or killed because of me. And I want you to be happy." This sentiment just made Kagome sob harder.

"This is one reason I want to stay here, in Feudal Japan," she said through her tears. "I'd miss you too much I if I went back- forward," she whispered, almost inaudibly. However, Inuyasha's sensitive ears cuaght her remark.

"What- what did you say?"

"I'd miss you too much, Inuyasha," she said quietly. Inuyasha pulled her away from him for a moment. He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, her face in his hands once more. Slowly, he traced the curve of her face with a silver claw, careful not to puncture her skin. The sensation sent thrills down Kagome's spine.

"You would actually… miss me?" he repeated, as if not believing her.

Kagome only nodded. Inuyasha leaned forward, their faces hardly centimeters apart. Kagome felt his breath tickle her face. He whispered his confession.

"I love you, Kagome."

"What about Kikyo?" Kagome asked fearfully. "Don't you still love her?"

Inuyasha was silent for a moment. "My first duty," he replied, "is to help Kikyo. My heart points to you. And Kagome," Inuyasha's eyes searched her face, hardening again, like a piece of amber, "I don't care that she betrayed me, just that she would think that I could betray her…. Would you doubt me, Kagome? Would you ever doubt me, like Kikyo doubted me?" His eyes bored into her face and Kagome did not wait a second to reply.

"No," she whispered earnestly. "I would never doubt or betray you… I'm not Kikyo."

"I know," the half-demon replied softly. Then Inuyasha tentatively closed the distance between their faces, giving her a sweet but soft, tender but swift kiss. He pulled away only slightly, half-opening his eyes to see her reaction.

"You love me?" Kagome queried rhetorically. She buried into his shirt. "Inuyasha… I love you too…" Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her; and Kagome, inhaling the scent that was a mixture of earth, sweat and something more that was Inuyasha's own, fell into a deep, restful sleep.

**

Inuyasha was the first to awake the next morning. He reluctanly shook Kagome awake and carried her carefully down the tree. Placing her on his back, he once more flew over the forest floor, bathed in early-morning sunlight, to Kaede's hut.

"Ah, child, ye are here," was Kaede's greeting. She said nothing about their obvious abscense the last night. Miroku and Sango looked at Inuyasha and Kagome half-questioningly, half-knowingly; and Shippo hurled himself at Kagome.

"Don't go back to your time!" he pleaded. "Stay here with us, please!" Kagome hugged the fox pup but didn't say anything more.

"Now, children, group yerselves together," Kaede instructed. The assembled group did as as they were told. She muttered some arcane verses, sitting down, furrowing her brow in concentration. As a dark bubble surrounded them, Kaede's muttering turned into a high sing-song.

There was a flash of light; then Kagome and all her friends were in a dark, endless sphere. Across from them was Kagome's family.

"Quckly, Kagome!" shouted Kaede, still in her sing-song, as if the words were part of the verse.

Kagome took a few steps forward, away from her friends and toward her family. Mrs. Higurashi was crying, and even Souta looked upset. Her grandfather was trying to hold back his tears. Kagome hugged all of them for a long moment, holding each family member close. Then she stepped away, her hand lingering on Souta's head.

"Mother, brother, grandfather," she said, crying again. "I love you all so much." She stepped back even more, into Inuyasha's arms. She stood with her back to his chest, his arms encircling her. "But I have to stay here… with my true love. I'm so sorry. I'll miss you a lot." Her mother cried more but smiled.

"Send me a picture of my grandchildren!" she called, even as she and the other members of her family began to disappear. Kagome and Inuyasha blushed but nodded. In the blink of an eye, they were gone. Kaede's sing-song turned to muttering once more, and they found themselves in Kaede's hut once more. Sango and Shippo hugged her, Miroku giving her a friendly, quick embrace under Inuyasha's watchful eye.

***

One week later, Kagome stepped out of the hot springs and dressed in traditional clothes. They fit comfortably on her and Kagome willingly gathered her long, dark hair into the miko's style. As she walked out of the copse that the springs were situated in, she was greeted by Inuyasha. He stepped up to her and kissed her deeply and passionately. As she melted into his warm embrace, her heart felt contented.

'I'm truly home now,' she thought. Then she turned her mind to her love who was kissing her.

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I have gotten wonderful reviews, I honestly didn't expect them.Thanks! I originally intended for this to be the end of this fic, but if any of you want me to continue it, please say so! And also please give me suggestions on what to write if I continue this fic. I will make sure to properly credit you!!