Incense.

One-Shot

Rating: K

Summary: A year after being freed from the black pearl, Kagome, InuYasha, and Moroha take a visit to Kikyo's grave to reflect on time, family, and most importantly - love. InuxKag.


InuYasha is sure of it now, it was incense he was smelling as he came closer to the village. As he rounded the rice fields he could see Kohaku waving alongside Kirara.

"Hey Lord InuYasha!" Kohaku smiled. InuYasha slowed to a stop in front of him. He hadn't seen Kohaku in a couple of months, the man had been away in the west fighting a couple hordes of demons. As he neared, he thought, for the first time, how much Kohaku had grown. Gone were his youthful smiles and baby fat. Now stood a tall man with a strong jaw and a stronger heart.

He remembered the young boy who cried whenever his sister was away for too long, who fed the birds outside of Kaede's hut every sunrise – then the young man who helped raised Sango's and Miroku's children, who took them under his wing any chance he got. Who became a fierce demon slayer. A young, scared boy who grew into a strong, kind man.

"Hey Kohaku, visiting your sister?" Kohaku nodded and stretched his arms above his head.

"I figured it was about time, I've been away for too long. Hey, do you know why it smells so strongly of incense?" InuYasha shrugged his shoulders, crossing his arms. They started an easy walk down the main dirt path towards his hut, only as they came closer did he realize the overwhelming sent of incense was coming from his own home.

"What the hell…" He started to the hut before he watched Kagome push their daughter out the door.

"Moroha! That's way too much incense! Where did you even get all these!" Kagome plugged her nose with one hand. Moroha continued laughing as she held two huge handfuls of incense sticks and waved them around.

"Haha, woops! You said it was a special day! Special means more!" She shouted as Kagome took the majority back inside.

"It's fitting that it would be your daughters fault." Kohaku whispered as he waved the air away from his nose, his eyes watering.

"Keh, you're telling me." InuYasha came over and picked his daughter up by the waist, spinning her around a plume of incense smoke before setting her down. Moroha laughed and slapped at his shoulders.

His daughter. He never knew he was able to love some one so much. The idea that this being, this strong, hard headed, clever, fun, happy girl could be someone he created. Everything she did made him proud. Everything she said made him smile. His daughter.

"Heya Dad! Are you ready to go?" InuYasha raised an eyebrow.

"Go? Where?" Moroha tilted her head.

"Mom, you said this was a special day for Dad, but he clearly has no clue." She shouted back into the hut. Kagome came out holding a basket of flowers and incense.

"InuYasha, it's today, remember?" Kagome pointed towards the shrine at the end of the road through the village. InuYasha blinked in surprise, he hadn't forgotten, but he had no idea Kagome had remembered.

"Tell Sango and Miroku and the kids we say hi, Kohaku, and come by later so I can give you that medicine you asked for this morning!" Kagome gave Kohaku a ruffle of his hair and took Moroha's hand as she walked towards the shrine. InuYasha followed quietly behind her. He listened to his wife and daughter laugh and tell stories and swing their held hands between them and his heart tightened.

This was the first time they would all go and pay respects to Kikyo's shrine together. She had died, decades ago, on this very day.

He watched Kagome sway her head back and forth as she listened intently to Moroha's story about her latest bounty hunter conquest, and laugh.

Kagome.

He wondered why she was coming with him today. He hadn't had a chance to visit Kikyo's grave for decades when they were trapped in the black pearl. This was the first year he had been free to visit, and it had nearly slipped his mind.

The truth was, he had thought of Kikyo less and less as the years went on, and a part of him was pained by that. She had been his first love, his first friend and a part of him had felt guilty for not honouring her memory with every breath he took. She had lost her life, after all, because of him. How could he be allowed to be happy and healthy and alive, while her bones lay buried beneath his feet.

"So this is Kikyo, huh." Moroha asked as they neared. The shrine stood tall before them, wild vines growing near the base. A fresh set of incense was already burning, most like Keade had already stopped by.

InuYasha didn't know what to say. When they were young, and chasing demons and fighting Naraku, every time Kikyo had been brought up, he could feel Kagome's heart breaking. He thought of all the times he had chosen his duty to Kikyo over his feelings for Kagome and something caught in his throat.

He had loved Kikyo once. More than he could have thought possible. In a life that resembled a dream, he could almost remember how it felt to love her.

And how little it compared to his love for Kagome. The woman who fought demons to hell and back for him. Who cried for him. Who sacrificed the only life she had ever known for him. Who waited beyond the well for him. The one person who never left his side. She had taught him how to trust and love and laugh. This life, a life of safety and love, one he never thought he would ever be allowed was because of Kagome.

Kagome had always put him first, had always shown him how much she loved him. And for years, he had held her at bay, held her at arms length, afraid to love again. He had been stupid then, to have ever thought he stood a chance against falling in love with her.

"Yes, this is her shrine. And today we pay our respects to her." Kagome answered. InuYasha turned a stunned face towards her.

"She was a strong and fierce priestess. The protector of the Shikon jewel. And a dear friend of your dads." Kagome said to Moroha. Moroha took his hand in hers, squeezed it tightly.

"Alright Moroha, show me what I taught ya!" Kagome gave her a pat on her shoulder. He watched as Moroha sat on her knees in front of Kikyo's shrine, bowed her head low and tap the license between her hands three times in the air.

"Kagome…" InuYasha started as Moroha prayed.

Kagome smiled at him, leaning into his arm, he instinctively moved and wrapped her in his arms. His lips pressed to her temple.

"Kikyo was an important person in your life InuYasha. I spent a lot of my youth wishing I could be her, hurting because I never thought I was enough – merely an imitation of her." InuYasha was about to say something when she laid a hand on his chest.

"But now, looking at Moroha, I couldn't help but let it all go. This life we have, this village and home, with our friends and family, this daughter who burns too much incense because she wants things to be special for you…this wouldn't have been possible without Kikyo's sacrifice. She was a big part of your life, InuYasha – she's a big part of mine too. Our souls were destined for one another and without her giving up her life, I never would have found a way back to you. I don't have any ill will towards her – only gratitude that we were able to find each other across time."

InuYasha felt his heart squeeze and then relax.

Kagome. This girl who leapt through time and space to find him and release him from his slumber. This girl who learned to fight demons alongside him. This girl who opened his heart and mind and made him lifetime friends. This girl who grew into a woman, who taught him to love and gave him his daughter. How could he have been so lucky, to find her and love her.

"Alright, your turn!" Moroha stuck out a handful of incense towards them.

"How…how did you get more?" Kagome asked as she took them from her. Moroha shrugged her shoulders and grinned. InuYasha shook his head and looked to Kagome. They both sat on their knees, bowed low and prayed.


"InuYasha! Kagome! Moroha!" Sango greeted as they came near their hut.

"Sango! Finished sharpening the weapons for today?" Kagome ran into her hug. Sango laughed and nodded.

"We wanted to invite you guys over for dinner tonight! Setsuna and Towa just came back from Sesshomaru's and so we thought we'd have a big family feast!" They chatted away while Moroha ran ahead of them to go see the twins. As the group neared Sango's hut, he could hear the chaos that ensued inside – Setsuna and Hisui whispering among themselves outside. Kohaku busy stoking the fire. Towa asking to help. Sango and Miroku chatting and laughing. Kin'u and Gyokuto teasing Shippo about something. He could hear it all, the sounds of his family coming together as usual. He watched the sun fall behind the mountain, slowly pulling the darkness down.

He watched as everyone crammed into the hut and looked over to Kagome. She laughed as Miroku said something that made Sango smack his shoulder. She looked back at InuYasha. She moved towards him, as if her spirit was drawn to him. As it always was.

He brought her in close, kissing her lips gently.

"I love you." He whispered. She smiled against his lips.

"I know."

Then there was nothing but laughter from a tiny hut, twinkling stars beyond them, and the faint smell of incense in the air.

Authors note: Its been over a decade and I'm rewatching InuYasha as well as YashaHime. It made me nostalgic so I thought I'd write something that reflected how I feel about everything now. Thank you for taking the time to read.