Title: What the Future Holds
Word length: 1669
Rating: PG13
Squicks and Warnings: Took a slightly off-scewed view on Kagome's personality. No character bashing is at all implied on the behalf of any characters.

Summary: Inuyasha must choose between Kagome and Kikyou and ends up catatonic. In dreams, he finds the answer.

Inuyasha's eyes were glazed, unfocused and drool was starting to pool at one corner of his mouth. Kagome shot a glance towards Kikyo's ever impassive visage. Choosing between the two of them shouldn't have sent the baka into a catatonic state! Kagome began to tap her foot impatiently, determined to wait as long as the undead woman beside her. She would not cave in first!

'Still,' she thought, glancing back at her love of three years. 'I wonder what he's thinking…'

-/-/-

The welcome sensation of muscles coiling tightly was as equally anticipated as the sting of limbs snapping, pushing against the ground to send the silver-haired hanyou soaring through the air. Bouncing off the side of the trunk, the lithe body hurtled higher until the man grabbed a branch in passing, causing his body to jerk before changing his body's flight to land lightly on the thick branch. Easily settling his body into the crook of the tree, he closed his eyes blissfully.

Peace and quiet.

Relaxing deeper against the hard wood, he marveled at the turn life had sent him. After Naraku's defeat, he followed Kagome to her time, helping her family with the shrine. He was even one of the star attractions during festival season. Everyone wanted a look at a demon from five hundred years ago. Of course, no one ever realized he really was a demon from the past. They only laughed and pointed, thinking he was an actor. He grimaced, a poorly trained actor at that. Still, it helped the family, and the extra funds went towards salvaging what was left of Kagome's education.

Pushing thoughts of money and trouble away, he let the sound of the wind in the branches lull him into a half-doze. Nearly asleep, he jerked to awareness, his heart lurching in anticipation of battle. Jumping lightly to the ground, he turned sharply, looking for danger, for the thing that woke him up.

Kagome blinked at her mate, her husband of a year, and smiled. "There you are!" she cooed. "I made ramen for you, so you better come inside before it gets cold!"

Inuyasha nodded, his heart gradually settling back to normal. "Keh," he mumbled, turning back to the tree. "You didn't have to go and wake me up you know!"

Kagome's brows dipped in irritation. "Well, then I guess you don't want any!" Huffing, she turned and marched into the house.

Inuyasha glanced wistfully at the Goshinboku tree. He really wanted that nap. It wasn't often he had a moment of solitude.

"Inuyasha!" came her shrill tones from the open window the kitchen. "If you don't get in here on the count of 3, there won't be any ramen for a week!

Ears pinned back, shoulders hunched, he turned his back on his old friend and marched sluggishly into the house.

-/-/-

Kagome leaned back against his shoulder, the night sky murky above them. It was another smoggy kind of evening. Inuyasha's hand snaked through his wife's hair, smoothing and petting the heavy locks. "Don't you just love looking at the stars?" she sighed, entranced with the vision above her.

Inuyasha looked away from the tantalizing view of dark hair and half bared neck. Checking out what so captivated the women next to him, he half-heartedly murmured a "Yep" before turning back to her bare neck. There were only about five visible stars above them, the rest either drowned out with the lights of the city or obscured by the smog. The moon itself was barely visible, a haze against the sky. He snorted negligibly. Those dim little lights in the sky probably weren't even stars but those satellite things Souta tried to explain to him once.

"I'm so happy you came back home with me. I love you, Inuyasha." Kagome turned her face up towards Inuyasha's and pulled at his with a free hand. Lips barely an inch apart, she murmured, "We should do this again tomorrow night."

Inuyasha groaned, as her lips played gently with his, causing the woman to smile and slip her tongue into his mouth. He really didn't see the point of looking at the sky when there wasn't anything to see. It was just the same thing, night after night. Clouds, clouds, and yet more clouds. He just couldn't wait for tomorrow.

-/-/-

"Get back here you brat!" he yelled, chasing after a laughing two year old while a nine month old baby girl gurgled happily on his hip. He swore underneath this breath, as his foot slid out from beneath him sending his body crashing into the floor. If it weren't for his reflexes, he'd have a half-crushed baby underneath him rather then a squealing one sitting on his stomach. He closed his eyes briefly and groaned. He slipped on a damn skateboard.

"Hey!" came the gruff tones of his eight year old son. "Don't touch my things!" he attempted to snarl, his voice squeaking on the end note. Stalking forward, he snatched the culprit from the ground, stopping the singing sound of the wheels spinning angrily.

Inuyasha laboriously got to his feet and glared at the hellion of a son he somehow managed to sire. "Well, I wouldn't touch it if you didn't leave it in the middle of the floor!"

Keito growled softly, showing the glint of a slightly dull fang. "I wouldn't argue with me about where I put my stuff. I'd be more worried about what Saichan is up to. From what I hear, she's got herself a boyfriend!"

Inuyasha swore again and tore through the house towards his daughter's room. Turning the knob, he found it locked. Knocking, he screamed through the door, "Open up this door now you little scamp, or I'll break it down!"

An equally shrill voice screamed back at him, "If you break down the door, I'll never speak to you again!"

"Then open the damn thing up!"

"No! I'm busy talking on the phone!"

Inuyasha stared, slack-jawed at the door. His sweet and innocent girl was talking back at him. Swiftly recovering, he kicked open the door, sending it crashing into the wall. "You better not be talking to any boyfriends," he wheezed, nostrils flaring.

A young girl snapped to attention on top of her bed, staring mutinously at her father. "So what if I am? It's not like you can do anything about it!"

Inuyasha took a step forward. "I can take your phone away!"

Saichan gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

He grinned. "Just try me," he nearly begged. He wouldn't mind shredding the phone with his claws. It had been a while since he last got to tear something up.

"I hate you!" she cried, slamming the phone down the receiver and turning into her pillow to cry, kicking her heels in the air.

Shoulders drooping slightly, he marched out of the room, gurgling baby now crying in sympathy with her sister. He had really wanted to rip the phone apart.

Another crash sounded in the house, followed closely with a call. "Inuyasha?" came Kagome's tired sounding voice. "Where are you?"

Inuyasha cringed and shuffled his way to the den where he knew Kagome always gravitated to first. "I'm right here, wench," he muttered jostling the baby to quiet her.

"Inuyasha," warned Kagome as she took the whimpering baby from his arms. "I told you not to call me that!"

Inuyasha shuffled from foot to foot. "But, I've had a rough—"

"Oh, don't get me started on rough!" she said, collapsing on the couch. "We had a case come in today. She was only twelve year old little girl, and her heart gave out. It was all we could to get it pumping again. Nothing's certain yet, but we think she'll suffer permanent brain damage."

Kagome sniffled as she cuddled her baby closer to her. "I just couldn't stand it if it happened to one of my own! I just couldn't!"

Inuyasha groaned before sitting down next to Kagome. Engulfing both woman and child in his arms, he leaned his forehead against her own. When would the day ever end?

-/-/-

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said, impatience winning out at last! "Will you just tell us who you want to be with and end it already! We've been waiting for an hour now!"

Inuyasha's head jerked up, spittle flying through the air. "What?" he mumbled incoherently.

Kikyo's calm voice filtered through the hazy images still running through the hanyou's brain. "Naraku is dead, Inuyasha, and it is time for you to make a choice. Are you, or are you not, coming with me to hell?"

Inuyasha looked between cool, impassive Kikyo and fiery, passionate Kagome. He flinched slightly at Kagome's impatient face. Turning to the other, he looked a little closer.

She never asked much of him. Just to go to hell, really. She didn't really say much either. Still, looking back at Kagome, the wench did have some good points. She had promised to stick with him, to always believe in him which Kikyo failed to do once long ago.

"C'mon Inuyasha!" Kagome sighed again, hoping to prod him into ending this endless waiting. "Just choose already!"

Inuyasha sighed and turned to look at the miko's long suffering face. "I'm sorry, but I have to honor my promises, Kagome. I told Kikyou a long time ago I would go to hell with her. I wouldn't be much of a hanyou if I didn't keep my word."

Kagome frowned. "Are you sure?" she asked, wishing he wouldn't do it.

Inuyasha nodded solemnly.

"Very well," said Kikyou as she stepped forward to wrap her arms around her love. "It is time." As she leaned in to kiss the hanyou with the kiss of damnation, she nearly pulled back in shock. A look of pure, blissful relief lit up his face. From the corner of her eye, she could see Kagome's pouting, disappointed face. Smiling herself, she locked her lips with Inuyasha. Yes, perhaps being damned was the better of two evils.