Confession

Kagome awoke to the press a warm kiss against her brow and the smell of cooking fish. Eyelids fluttered open to watch Inuyasha leaning back away from her and towards the fire to test the cooking fish. Kagome smiled, rubbing her eyes, then stretching out. She dressed and sat with her husband for breakfast in companionable silence. The fish wasn't seasoned in the slightest, but she'd grown accustomed to eating her husband's cooking again. As they ate, a Shippo came wandering in, rubbing his eyes, enticed by the smell of the food. As they all ate together, Shippo questioned the silence of the morning, and the couple just shrugged. It just felt like a quiet sort of morning.

The population of the village was increasing, yet, the atmosphere was calm. More people were coming in form villages further away, coming in hearing rumors of the safety of the village. Kagome knew that part of the reason that this village was so safe was because it was under her husband's protection as well as her own, Miroku and Sango's. She couldn't help but wonder if the whole reason Tokyo flourished was because of them. The village was even becoming a haven for half demons, and it seemed to flourish. Infant mortality was down thanks to the blessings of the spiritualists in the village as well as minor medical knowledge that Kagome brought additionally tonthe table.

The catch with all this was that these people all needed a place to live. Inuyasha was helping in those efforts to construct those homes. A lot of families were doubling up until the homes could be built. Inuyasha wouldn't admit to it, but building was something he'd grown to enjoy. The men he worked with weren't hesitate around him for the most part anymore. He also wouldn't admit to enjoying the company of others.

The morning was the same as always, but there was a quiet calm over the entire village as Inuyasha and Kagome traveled down to Kaede, only to meet Sango, Miroku and the little ones along the way. As Kagome and Miroku were chatting about the upcoming market day, all four of their heads perked up as they caught wind of a demonic aura and scent from the North. Inuyasha huffed.

"I knew something had to give," he grumbled, watching as a shadow crossed the low-lying clouds.

"What the hell does he keep coming here for? He's not wanted."

"Inuyasha stop that, when was the last time you fought with Sesshomaru?" Kagome chastised. Inuyasha only answered with a low growl. Kagome and Sango both rolled their eyes before the four of them parted ways. Kagome asked that Inuyasha stay away from his brother if he was going to be in a sour mood about his stay, which they always knew were going to be brief. He snorted. He had better things to do than heckle his brother.

When Kagome got to Kaede's house, she was already in her garden, weeding. Her legs were feeling weak, she told Kagome, since she had made a few more trips than she usually would have the day before, she she asked that Kagome tend to the shrine today. Kagome gladly took on the majority of duties for today so that Kaede could rest her legs. After all, when Kaede passed-an unfortunate inevitability-she would then become the sole Miko of this village, unless she took on an apprentice young. The likelihood that Kagome's children would possess any of her abilities was...near impossible. She had already discussed it with the older Miko. As rare as half demons were, it was unheard of that such abilities lived inside a being with much more than a drop of demon blood in their bodies. The whole point of spiritual training and the powers which live inherently in select individuals was to keep the balance. A child could not be born in possession of both youki and reiki. At least, as far as had ever been demonstrated. In order for a child of Kagome's to possess the potential to become a Miko, they would need to be born fully human. Given that paternal line, it was unlikely at best.

Kagome wasn't hurt by this fact. She would be quite happy if all her potential children took after Inuyasha. Silvery hair, golden eyes, and those adorable ears aside, if they grew to be as strong and feisty as, well, either of them, Kagome would be happy. Although, perhaps they could do without their father's stubbornness...or hers...or their temper...boy, the toddler and teenage years were going to be fun for Kagome and Inuyasha.

When she came down from the shrine, she found Kaede talking to Hana, who had Rin for the day. Hana looked upset and was talking in an animated fashion to Kaede.

"Is there something wrong?" Kagome asked, cautiously.

Hana huffed, crossing her arms.

"You haven't happened to see Rin come by here, have you?" Hana put her hands on her hips, sighing.

"Uh, no...is everything okay?"

"Well, see, I don't know. She wouldn't tell me. She just got upset when I asked if she had a nice talk with Sesshomaru and she ran off. I don't suppose he said something to upset her?" Kagome quirked a brow. Sesshomaru wasn't the conversational type. Everyone knew that, even Rin. Although...

"If you see her, try to talk to her?" With that, Hana headed back down to the river to help her daughter with laundry. A preteen running off was different than a younger child, and so there was less concern. Rin was exactly mild-mannered, but running off like that was still out of character for her, so it still worried Kagome. Whatever had happened must have been really upsetting to the little girl.

When she went around to the other side of the village, she took a sort of scenic route in through the forest. She wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for, but when she spotted a flash of pink in the trees, she knew. She paused, taking a deep breath. She stepped directly under the tree, looking straight up, spotting the girl she was looking for.

"Rin?" She called up into the tree. She saw the girl shift, tucking tighter against the tree.

"Rin, I can see you up there." There was a pause.

"Kagome I...I just want..." She trailed off, her voice soft and strained. She sounded like she had been...she really must have been upset. She pulled her arms through the slits in her sleeves, tying them together around her waist. She grabbed around the limb Rin must have used to hoist herself up and Kagome began to climb up after the girl. Rin shifted again, this time, her face coming into view.

"You don't have to come up!"

"Oh, I'm already started," Kagome countered. She was sure Rin had an easier time of it by hiking up her yukata than dealing with baggy Miko clothing, but Kagome made her way up into the tree slowly. Rin didn't say any more as Kagome came up to her level, standing on a lower branch and looping her arm over the one she was sitting on. Rin was curled up, clutching around the trunk.

"Do you want to talk about what happened with Hana?"

"No." Rin's response was clipped, sharp. Kagome was taken aback by the tone. Rin sounded like teenager who was angry with her mother. It didn't seem like Rin at all. In the following silence, Rin looked back at Kagome, an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry..." she sighed, turning her head back towards the tree, "I'm so stupid..."

" Oh, Rin.. " she patted the girl's knee.

"I've met a lot-A LOT-of stupid people in my life, and you're not one of them." This got a humorless chuckle out of the girl, but she didn't even smile.

"No...I really am. I...I thought that..."

"Thought what?" Kagome leaned up a little more on Rin's branch. It didn't look like it could support both their weights, so her feet remained firmly on the lower branch.

Rin swallowed thickly. She squeezed her arms tighter around the trunk.

"I know I'm still a kid, but I felt so...I'm not going to be forever, I just wish Sesshomaru- sama could see that I'm not...little anymore."

Kagome blinked. Was this..?

"Sorry, it's so stupid."

"Rin...I...I know you have a crush on Sesshomaru. Is that what this is about?" Rin's brow crinkled with a glare directed forward, at nothing. Her silence spoke volumes. Kagome had figured that the little girl had had a crush on Sesshomaru from early on. These preteen girls do tend to crush on much older guys, but nothing ever came of it. She'd caught on when Rin had said that she never wanted to marry a village boy, meaning instead of never wanting to marry, or preferring girls, that she had someone else in mind who wasn't a village boy. With her fondness for Sesshomaru...

"Did he say something to you?"Kagome

"Sesshomaru-sama doesn't say anything." There was that clipped tone again.

"But..he doesn't need to say anything for you to understand him, right?" She heard Rin sigh again.

"You want to talk about what happened with Sesshomaru today?"

"Not really, but..."

As Kagome had suspected, Rin had chosen that day to tell Sesshomaru that she wanted to stay with him. She wanted to be with him, forever. She wouldn't tell Kagome what words she had used exactly because she didn't remember them. The words had come out in a blur, but when Sesshomaru looked at her, there was no doubt in her mind that he had caught her meaning. And the look he had given her meant so much to her. It told her of his exasperation, his dismissal of her feelings, his...Rin was so upset with his rejection. She thought she meant something more to him, but he...Rin was just a common human girl, and Sesshomaru was so magnificent. She was foolish to think she would ever measure up.

"Rin," Kagome interrupted, "he...he cares about you a lot, and...I think you might be right that he..." she attempted to choose her words wisely, "...look, Rin...maybe he does remember the little girl he first met. I don't think that's just now. I think he'll still see you like that until you're old and grey."

"How is this supposed to make me feel better?" Rin sniffled. Kagome rested her cheek against the limb, beside the little girl.

"I guess I'm not really helping. But there's something else too. I don't think it's any sort of...'not measuring up' but...I don't think Sesshomaru will ever marry or partner up. He doesn't seem interested in forming relationships of any sort, so it has nothing to do with you."

Rin rubbed her sleeve over her eyes.

"You're a smart, strong, beautiful young lady, Rin. If you really do want to find someone, you will. Or, you're already so smart, you can go on to be a village doctor. Help me out."

"But I..." Rin whimpered, "I wanted to be with him." Kagome hadn't ever really been turned down before. She knew what it was like to fall out of a crush, but she still couldn't relate to Rin's...then again, there was a time in her relationship with Inuyasha where she thought they were over. It had been devastating. She had been so much in love with him that the thought of never truly being with him had crushed her. This wasn't quite the same, but...

"It was still stupid for me to run away from Hana like that."

"You were upset. I can understand it."

Rin nodded.

"I'm ready to come down ."

Kagome moved, climbing down first, and letting Rin follow her back down the tree. When Rin's feet touched the ground, she leaned into Kagome for a hug, wiping her eyes on the Miko's chest.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Oh, you didn't do anything, you don't need to apologize." Rin just sniffed and hugged Kagome tighter.

...

Looks like short chapters are going to be the norm.