Absently rubbing her chest, she missed the frown on her mother's face. "Are you alright?"
Kagome blinked, refocusing on their meal. "I'm fine. My chest hasn't hurt in a long time." She smiled sheepishly, then shrugged. "Guess it's just a habit now."
She thought she saw Emiko's eyes flicker towards their guest, but her mother returned her smile, then tapped her bowl, the women finishing their meal in content silence.
Though the winter nights were long, spring came early, buds forming on the rose bushes surrounding their home as the twittering of birds greeted the day. Rays of sunshine warmed Kagome's face as she stepped out of the cottage.
"Even without the wake-up call, it just smells different," she said, sighing happily as she ran her fingers over the dew-covered plants.
The beast huffed in agreement. With how much time he spent on the floor, she sometimes forgot how large he was, his height matching hers when standing.
He'd been antsy the last few days, tail twitching as youki flowed towards the doorway. Kagome had thought it was from being cooped up for so long, hoping that a stretch would do him good, but the way his eyes remained on the horizon told her otherwise.
"You're leaving, aren't you?" She tried to keep smiling, but her lip trembled, mist filling her vision. She was being stupid; this was a wild animal—a wild youkai—not some domesticated pet. There was no way he'd—
Something soft brushed her cheek, Kagome hastily wiping her eyes to find a rosebud sticking out of his teeth. Letting out a warbled laugh, she accepted the gift, sliding her fingers up his muzzle before wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Don't be a stranger, okay?"