The leaves let sunlight tinkle through to fall in random patterns on his face. He winced a little as a stray beam hit him directly in the eye. It was late summer now and the afternoons weren't as balmy as they'd used to be.

" InuYasha," a soft voice said from the bottom of the trunk, " I know you're up there. Come down and have lunch."

He looked down at Kagome in concern. She was dressed in a miko's outfit, her hair pulled back and her right sleeve flapping limply in the breeze and despite being seated in a small metal chair contraption she wore a small smile on her face.

Time had passed since the battle and InuYasha still wouldn't smile. He couldn't. He turned his gaze upwards and stared at the sky reliving the events in his head.

Kagome continued to look up at him for a few moments and mustered a stern tone.

" I know you're not going to make me come up there after you," she said in her old bossy tone.

" What a gentlemen, not coming down when his lady asks him...and nicely too!"

He slid off his branch to land lightly on his feet next to her and knelt at her feet. She reached out with her left hand and stroked his cheek.

" You don't take care of yourself," she said softly, looking at him with concern. " You've worked so hard and then you don't eat and you don't sleep."

He leaned foreword and kissed her, pressing his lips softly against hers for a few long moments before pulling back and standing up and taking hold of the handles on the back of her chair. " You're right," he commented as he started pushing her back towards the small house he'd built in the weeks while she'd been in the hospital and then while she was staying in her time recovering. " I'll have to be careful to not cause you to worry."

" That's right," she smiled a bit, " because in a few days I'm going to graduate to a crutch for my ankle and I'll be able to chase you down and kick your butt if you do."

" You wouldn't be able to catch me like that," he commented absently as he steered her around a bumpy section of ground. " You'd still be slow as usual."

Kagome looked up at him happily. She'd been able to get her grief over the deaths of her friends out while staying in the hospital and with her mother but InuYasha'd been alone and refused to talk with her about it in even the slightest sense. The ability to banter a little was a good sign.

" Oh I don't think I'll have to worry about that," she reached up and stroked one of his hands absently. " After all I can s.i.t. you any time I please."

" Woman!" He looked at her in fake shock. " Only a demon is capable of such cruelty."

The entered the house, pushing aside the hanging bamboo screen and blinking against the sudden change in light. " Speaking of cruelty," she wrapped her arm around his neck as he lifted her from her chair and walked to settle her on their bed, " you're going to have to have more ramen."

" How is that suffering," he asked as he picked up the kettle and filled it with water, setting it on the stove to heat.

" You would consider it good eating," she wrinkled her nose at him. " Come over here," she beckoned to him before patting the spot next to her. As soon as he was in reach she reached her arm across his chest and fell backwards.

" What the..." he resisted for a brief moment before lying back with her. Turning he looked up into her large brown eyes looking directly at him. He blinked back tears that still threatened every time the thought entered his head.

So close

" I am," she carresed his cheek and looked down at his chin before looking back up into his eyes, "happy that I am here, right now, with you." She moved her hand up to smooth his forehead. " To make a home with you and have the moments we have right now makes me happy."

He stared at her for a moment before moving to wrap his arms around her and crush her as gently as he could against himself.

" Kagome..."

As soon as Kagome's mother had assured herself that his cracked back had healed he'd left their time to start building the house. He'd been assured she'd live but he still driven himself to build it as if to give her another reason to return sooner. But the fear, buried by the overwhelming grief, that she would secretly wish to be in her time had grown and festered under the weight.

She kissed his forehead despite the hair that was in the way and nuzzled it with her nose. He looked up at her and then moved to kiss her just as the tea kettle started to whistle.

He frowned over at it before she started to scoot back from his hold. " Go, that must be more torture on your ears then it is on mine."

He poured the water into the styrofoam cups and pushed the seals back down before carrying them over and setting them down next to Kagome. Retrieving the chopsticks he came back and whapped the back of her hand gently when she pealed it back to peak at the progress. He pulled them apart for her and caught her looking up at the top of his head. " What?"

" I hope she has your ears."

" What!"

VvVvVvVvVvVvVvV

I'm free I'm free!

Again!