Say Goodnight
a/n: I do not own Inuyasha. A note: no he does not always wear dress shoes. Don't you think that maybe he was doing something else? And, I may want to mention that I have not seen the whole anime series or read the whole manga, so some things I write may be impossible according to later Inuyasha canon. I apologize for that. This chapter doth contain fluff, and lots of it! Beta-ed by my dear dear reviewer AngelaScarlet, who may be new to the world of Inuyasha, but is still a damned good beta.
Chapter Four: It's All Coming Back To Me
"Yeah, silly wench. It's me," Inuyasha gave a slight smirk. Only a slight tightening around Kagome's eyes let him know her mood had changed from wonderment to a state of high dudgeon.
"YOU! Oh….you! YOU ARE LATE! I THOUGHT….I THOUGHT….DEAD! YOU DEAD! SHIPPO DEAD! GOT MARRIED, HAD KIDS, FORGOT ABOUT ME! HATED ME, WISHED YOU HAD NEVER MET ME…OH! I CANNOT BELIEVE I TOOK THOSE BEADS OFF YOU! OH, IF I COULD SIT YOU NOW! I WOULD SIT YOU INTO THE GROUND OVER AND OVER!" Kagome yelled and waved her arms in absolute anger.
"Glad to see you too," Inuyasha mumbled.
Kagome threw her arms around Inuyasha's neck and buried her face in his t-shirt. By the smell and by the way she was shaking, Inuyasha knew she was crying. Actually, bawling would be the word for it. Kagome moved her legs and climbed into Inuyasha's lap, in an effort to get so close to him that she was sure he could not get away from her again.
Inuyasha was not one to cry, usually. There had only been three other times in his life that he had shed a tear. Once when he was sure all his friends had died. Once when his father came back thanks to Kagome's wish, and once when he completely realized the well was sealed. Tears threatened to escape now, but he held them back. His tears would not help Kagome. He just held her close to him, inhaling her scent and enjoying this time embracing her.
Kagome could feel that it was all falling into place. They were here. Most of all, Inuyasha was here. He had come back. He had not forgotten her. When she had promised to be by his side forever she had meant it. Now, she could do that until the day she died. For those years she would enjoy every second she could spend with Inuyasha.
"Will you stop crying?" Inuyasha whined, "I'm here now, right?"
"Three years I have been waiting! And you ask me to stop crying? You're such a jerk!" Kagome wiped her eyes and sniffled as she started to move away from Inuyasha. The half demon let her go, and she settled back onto the bed.
"I just don't see any reason for you to cry, that's all," Inuyasha shrugged.
"Do you even know what I went through?" Kagome asked.
"Have you even asked what I went through? Kagome, it has been three miserable years for you. It has been about five hundred miserable years for me. I spent five hundred or so years wandering this planet, waiting for you to be born, and then waiting for you to get back from the feudal era. I...," Inuyasha stopped, and took a deep breath, "Kagome, we have been apart for a long time, no matter how you look at it. And we are spending our first ten minutes together arguing?"
Kagome laughed, "Seems some things never change. Except we don't have Sango and Miroku here to break it up or make fun of us"
"We were together until the end, you know. All of us. We all stayed in Kaede's village. I built Shippo, Jungo, and Akana a hut near the well, and I sometimes slept there. Most of the time I did not need to. I built my father and mother a hut near the well also. They were happy there. Miroku's father chose to stay in the village as well, to be near his pervert of a son. Miroku stayed with him until he and Sango got married. Sango's family went back to the demon slayer's village, to rebuild. Sango stayed in her own hut in our village. When Miroku and Sango got married they moved into her hut. Kaede passed on about ten years after your left. We buried her bones next to Kikyo's. Since we were around, there was no need to find another priestess. Then, one day, I found Mei," Inuyasha smiled for once. Kagome noted that the smile was filled with pride, and love. Inuyasha really had matured in the time they had been apart.
"She told me you found her in a tree trunk," Kagome commented.
"Yeah. She was alone. I moved her in with Shippo and his parents. I should have known he had spent too much time with the monk. It took about one hundred years, but they finally got it over with. I knew it had to be some kind of fate thing," Inuyasha sighed.
"I missed so much," Kagome whispered.
"Your wish did so much for all of us. But of course, some of us had to go eventually. Kaede went first, but I already told you that. My mother, she was the next to go," Kagome went to open her mouth, but Inuyasha held his hand up, and she closed it, "She went peacefully. It was her choice, I think. My father had time to say goodbye, and I did too. Then, Miroku's dad passed in another peaceful goodbye. Eventually, Sango's mom and dad went also, in their sleep. Kohaku outlived Sango and Miroku. They lived to see their grandchildren, though. Kohaku never married or had kids. He was content to run his village and be a good uncle. Sango and Miroku's eldest child took care of the village when Kohaku passed on. Eventually, their whole family moved back to the demon slayer's village. Shippo, Mei, and I constantly visited, to keep Sango and Miroku's tale alive in some way. It was important to us that they live on. So, all who survived after about one hundred years were Shippo, Mei, Jungo, Akana, my father, Sesshomaru, and Kagura," Inuyasha said the last name slowly, and watched as Kagome's eyes perked up in interest.
"Kagura? The wind sorceress?" Kagome asked, shocked.
"Sesshomaru made her his mate, can you believe that?" Inuyasha shook his head.
"Does he still want to kill you?" Kagome asked.
"More than likely. The mangy dog. But, since father did not challenge Sesshomaru for his lands, Sesshomaru decided that as long as father was alive still, we would try to be civil. I do not know if that will change when Shinigami takes father once again. I can only go by what is happening now. At least Kagura doesn't hate me. They have a boy, Ryuu," Inuyasha grinned then, "He doesn't mind me so much"
Kagome laughed then. Inuyasha had never talked so much. She was glad that her wish had done some good, but she was sad that so many had to go so soon. She had not even thought of that. She frowned as the melancholy thought crossed her mind.
Inuyasha saw the frown, "What's wrong Kagome?"
"So many of them had to go. I didn't think of that when I made my wish," Kagome said softly.
"Kagome, we were all so glad to have what time we did get. My mother got to see that I turned out okay. She said she was proud of me, and proud of you. She wished she could have met you. That was what she told me near the end. She said, 'Inuyasha, I am so glad you met Kagome. I only wish I could have met her'," Inuyasha moved to hug Kagome close. Kagome let his arms come around her, and she felt safe and warm in that embrace. She let him hold her, in silence.
Inuyasha had waited for this moment, the moment when he could hold Kagome again, and tell her what she meant to him. The words were just not coming out.
"Inuyasha? Do you remember the last thing I said to you before I jumped into the well the last time?" Kagome asked him.
"You told me you always loved me just as a half demon, and that that would never change. And you told me to find you and tell you that I remembered. I did remember Kagome," Inuyasha said softly.
"That you did. You never forgot. That alone makes me so happy, I wanted you to know that," Kagome smiled.
"I called your mom. I told her I would bring you back until tomorrow. It's getting a little late. Do you want me to leave you so you can get some rest?" Inuyasha asked her, not wanting to go, but wanting to give Kagome some space if she needed it.
"No. You are not going anywhere, Inuyasha. You might as well change into some pajamas, and get into bed with me, because I do not plan to let you out of my eyesight anytime soon," Kagome stated with attitude in her voice.
"Do you really think that's such a good idea?" Inuyasha asked her.
"Why not? We used to sleep next to each other all the time," Kagome asked curiously.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and decided to give up. He may love the girl, but he would not force himself on her. He pointed at a bag in the corner, "I bought some things I thought you would like, shampoos and soaps. And I bought some pajamas that looked like they would fit. This bedroom has a bathroom attached, right there," Inuyasha pointed at a door on the south wall of the room, "So, why don't you get cleaned up, and then we can talk some more if you want," Inuyasha suggested.
Kagome nodded and started to stand. She walked around the bed and stood in front of Inuyasha. He looked at her quizzically. Kagome threw her arms around him and hugged him tight, standing on her tip-toes.
Inuyasha hugged her back happily. He knew it was something he would never tire of. Touching her, embracing her, smelling her. He knew that after five hundred years, his feelings had never changed. He still remembered everything about her, and he still loved everything about her. He knew he always would. As he hugged her he found her ear, and put his mouth near it.
"I've always loved you, Kagome," Inuyasha said softly, and Kagome gasped in surprise. She moved back slightly.
"Did you say that...," Kagome trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
"I love you. I have waited five hundred years to say that to you," Inuyasha told her. Kagome hugged him tight once again, and then looked up at his face. Those soft ears, those amber eyes, more like liquid gold now than they ever had been.
Neither one would ever remember who started the kiss, whose lips moved forward first, but secretly, they both would always think that the other was the one who did it. Neither of them would ever admit to it though.
Kagome pressed herself close to Inuyasha, kissing his lips for the second time in her life. He tasted, oddly enough, like coffee. She didn't mind though. He could have tasted like he had not brushed his teeth in days, and she would not care one bit. All she cared about was Inuyasha. His lips pressed against hers with passion she had never felt before. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, and she had never been this happy.
The other thing neither of them could remember was how long that kiss lasted. It didn't matter how long it lasted. All that mattered was that it happened at all. When they finally broke apart, Kagome was flushed, and Inuyasha was panting slightly.
"Shower," Kagome said, and she grabbed the bag Inuyasha had brought in for her.
"Ramen," Inuyasha gasped as he left the room.
&&&
Mei and Shippo watched with amusement as Inuyasha came out of Kagome's room, looking as if a hurricane just hit him. He walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He put on a pot of water to boil just as Kagome turned on the shower.
"Everything okay, Inuyasha?" Mei asked innocently from the leather sofa where she sat.
"Shut up, Mei," Inuyasha growled.
"Is Kagome alright? You didn't, uh, disturb her or anything?" Shippo asked just as innocently.
A growl was his only answer. This sent Mei and Shippo into a fit of laughter.
"Shut up!" Inuyasha jumped over the black granite countertop and ran at the pair. They both jumped up and ran towards their bedroom on the third floor of the large house. A slammed door was the only thing that stopped Inuyasha. He went back downstairs to finish his ramen.
Mei and Shippo collapsed on their futon, laughing outrageously. When they had finally stopped laughing, Mei cuddled up next to her husband, and ran her fingers through his hair.
"When do you think we should tell her that my mother and father are still alive?" Shippo asked his wife as he kissed the top of her head.
"Soon. She will love meeting them," Mei told him, then she smiled coyly, "You know, we have finally found her. We can do that thing we have been thinking about doing now"
"What? Having kids?" Shippo asked as he smiled.
"I think Inuyasha and Kagome will be wanting some alone time. I don't see any reason, with having this loft all to ourselves, that we cannot make very good use of that time," Mei fiddled with Shippo's shirt and smiled slyly.
Shippo grabbed his wife and kissed her. He was happy as he had been in years, and he spent hours showing his wife just how much he loved her.
&&&
Kagome came out of the bathroom feeling much better, if that was possible. She now wore a cotton tank top and shorts in a shade of royal blue. They felt nice. She pulled her hair back into a bun, and sat back down on the bed. Then she got bored, and opened the door.
"Inuyasha?" she asked inquisitively as she looked over the balcony she stood on.
"I'm coming up! Do you want something to drink?" Inuyasha asked her.
"Some water?" Kagome replied. Inuyasha came up the wood stairs, carrying two bottled waters and a bowl of ramen. Kagome giggled at the sight of the ramen.
"What?" Inuyasha asked.
"Some things never change," Kagome smiled as she shook her head.
Inuyasha was no longer wearing a t-shirt and khakis. He now wore flannel pants and a white undershirt. The flannel pants were baggy and had a pattern of surfboards on them. They made Kagome arch an eyebrow. The white t-shirt though, it was form-fitting enough to show off Inuyasha's muscular chest in pretty good detail. Kagome blushed as she thought of kissing him earlier, and blushed harder with the dirty thoughts she was having now.
"Everything all right?" Inuyasha asked her as he went into her room.
"It's fine," she squeaked, "Inuyasha? Whose room am I invading here? Won't they be expecting it back?"
"This is your room," Inuyasha told her quietly.
"My room?" Kagome asked, a little incredulous.
"When I bought this house, I designated this room as yours, and decorated it myself. Shippo and Mei live on the third floor, in the big loft room. Your room is this room, and I live next to this room, in the master suite. There is one other bedroom, but that is the guest room," Inuyasha explained.
"It's a beautiful room," Kagome stated, "But why did you do this for me?"
"Well, we were kind of hoping you would come live with us?" Inuyasha let the weirdly proposed question hang in the air.
"Who is 'us'?" Kagome asked, with a little edge to her voice. Inuyasha gulped.
"Shippo, Mei, and I, of course," Inuyasha replied.
"Jerk," Kagome stated.
"Hey, what did you want me to say?" Inuyasha shouted.
"How about, 'I want you here Kagome'?" Kagome shouted.
"But I do want you here!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Well, good!"
"Good!"
Kagome started to laugh at that point. It was all too much to take. She had them all back now. Everything was going to be okay now. She just knew it.