The moon was high in the sky when Sesshōmaru and Kagome finally reached their home in Otsuki, having refused the Prince and Lady Kochō's invitation to have a late-night tea. It had been a long day, and Kagome yearned for nothing more than to lie down in bed with Sesshōmaru and his mokomoko wrapped around her.
Their house was cloaked in darkness, illuminated only by a single lamp left burning on the porch. Sesshōmaru entered first, his fingers finding the light switch as easily as if it had been during the day. Kagome peeled off her coat and let out an exhausted sigh. The bed upstairs called for her, but she soon found herself with an insatiable craving for something sweet and creamy.
She should go upstairs, but she wandered into the kitchen instead, her mate following not far behind. Sesshōmaru's eyes softened when her gaze lingered on the fridge for too long, and he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice, "Ice cream?"
She turned to grin at him. "Yes, please."
"Yuzu or adzuki beans?"
"Surprise me."
He gave her a flash of a smile before grabbing a tub from the freezer and preparing a small serving for her.
At the first signs of her cravings for ice cream, Sesshōmaru had gone out of his way to provide her with an abundant variety of homemade frozen treats. He made her ice cream himself, hand-churned, using only fresh, natural ingredients and avoiding refined sugar. This time, he had picked two flavours: yuzu for its vitamin C and antioxidant-rich properties, and adzuki beans for their folate, fibres, and various minerals to enhance the nutrition for their growing pup.
The first time he served his creation to her, Kagome had savoured it, the creaminess and perfect amount of sweetness coating her tongue and prompting her to renounce store-bought ice cream.
Tonight, she sat at the kitchen counter as he placed the bowl of homemade adzuki bean ice cream on the counter before her. A fond smile crept onto his face as he watched her take the first bite.
Suddenly, Sesshōmaru froze, his spine stiffening like a rod. He felt a gentle tug on the back of his neck, like a magnet had been activated. His senses sharpened, and he inhaled deeply to detect a faint scent that was so familiar to him, and he knew immediately who it was.
Kagome must have sensed the tension in the room. Carefully setting down her spoon, she directed a worried glance at him and murmured his name hesitantly. "Sesshōmaru? Is everything alright?"
He carefully placed his warm hand over hers and motioned with his thumb for her to stay put. His voice was a gentle, reassuring melody. "Stay here and wait for me."
Sesshōmaru stepped out onto the back porch, his eyes riveted to the shadowed corner of the garden. The feel of this energy was nostalgic. So long it had been since he last sensed it that he'd almost forgotten.
He spoke to the darkest corner of the garden, "You didn't make your way here like that, did you?"
The inky darkness stirred, and Inuyasha's golden eyes emerged from the shadows. His long, silver hair whipped around in the wind like a wild halo, and his fur-tipped ears twitched as he surveyed the garden, still sleeping and waiting for spring.
"Yeah, I did," he said, sounding oddly satisfied.
Sesshōmaru stood in the doorway, one arm propped against the jamb. His face had a hint of amusement, but his voice was stern. "You know what the police could've done if they caught you."
Inuyasha thumbed the tip of his nose, the gleam of white fangs flashing in the darkness. "Keh. For the first time in a long time, I didn't really give a shit."
A spontaneous smile tugged at the corners of Sesshōmaru's lips. He cocked his head towards the door. "Come inside."
Inuyasha slowly stepped into the house, taking in his surroundings. He glanced at the spacious living room, at the cozy furniture arrangement in front of the fireplace, and then at the dining room that could easily fit twenty people sitting down comfortably.
It was a house made for a family. Sesshōmaru followed Inuyasha's gaze and wondered what his brother saw as he stood frozen. Inuyasha stared at all the changes Sesshōmaru had made to the house since he'd prepared it for a life together with Kagome, at all the changes she herself had made since she moved in — new furniture pieces here and there, framed pictures on the walls, shelves filled with books, coasters on the coffee table, candles on window sills. All signs that life and softness were breathed into this home of theirs, one that would also be made ready to welcome a new little one into it.
"Nice house," Inuyasha commented. "Sorry, I never got around to visiting until now."
"Kagome and I moved in here when we married. That wasn't so long ago."
Inuyasha's eyes were still taking in the sight of their cozy home. "I'm still sorry I didn't come earlier."
Sesshōmaru gave a slow, curt nod and strode to one of the couches in front of the fireplace. He stood at its side, gesturing for Inuyasha to sit down. "Have a seat."
Inuyasha crossed the room and sank into the seat opposite Sesshōmaru. His brow furrowed as he glanced around, searching for Kagome's familiar face. "Where's Kagome?"
Kagome stepped out from the kitchen doorway. Sesshōmaru knew she had been there since Inuyasha entered, probably not quite knowing what to say or do, or how to deal with Inuyasha's sudden presence in their home after the dramatic evening they just had.
"I'm... here," she said softly.
She stared at Inuyasha as though she had not seen him for years, and in a sense, she hadn't. They might have had dinner together tonight, but it hadn't been Inuyasha who sat at that table — it had been half of him, which might as well not be him at all.
She stepped closer. There was a glimmer of tears in her eyes as her gaze seemed to linger on every line of Inuyasha's face. Sesshōmaru followed the movements of her throat as she swallowed a few times before she managed to speak.
"It's good... to see you at last, Inuyasha."
Kagome gazed intently at Inuyasha, her eyes drinking him in. He was in the same clothes he had worn earlier that night, but this Inuyasha wasn't the one she had shared a meal with hours earlier. Instead, that Inuyasha had a vacant expression and mechanical movements that made it clear he had mentally shut himself off from the world.
Earlier that night, it seemed he had left most of himself behind. She had felt the five hundred years between them stretch out like an abyss.
Earlier that night, she couldn't bring herself to look away, wondering if the old Inuyasha would ever return.
Now, it seemed he had. In form, at least. The long, unruly hair cascaded down his back, silver in the moonlight like a pile of metal strands. The fuzzy ears were perched atop his head, just as she remembered them.
The yōki-suppression bracelet was gone from his wrist, which was to be expected as he had taken his true form, free at last from the chains that kept the yōkai part of him leashed.
"I'm sorry," Inuyasha began as he rubbed the back of his neck. "About dinner."
Kagome approached and sat beside Sesshōmaru. Her lips stretched into a tremulous smile. "I dare say it wasn't how both of us imagined it would go."
Inuyasha did not answer. He perched himself on the edge of the couch, his elbows propped up on his knees. His hands were held together by interlaced fingers placed against his lips. His legs trembled as if it was a way to stay grounded in place.
The living room was filled with an awkward silence, the kind that came when two people were waiting for some weighty words of truth. She and Sesshōmaru sat on the same side of the couch, both intensely aware of Inuyasha's inner turmoil.
Sesshōmaru's face was cautiously blank; his posture rigid as if he'd steeled himself for whatever unpleasantness Inuyasha was about to reveal. Kagome sat quietly, hands folded in her lap and eyes trained on her dog-eared friend, ready to offer comfort or understanding but knowing neither would be enough to break through the barrier of silence.
Finally, Inuyasha slowly reached inside his shirt pocket and carefully withdrew an old photograph; its paper was faded to a yellowish hue along the edges and creases that had formed over time.
He placed it on the coffee table in front of them, revealing a black-and-white image of Kikyō and himself. Kikyō was smiling and sitting down, dressed in an elegant kimono, while he was in a handsome haori coat — his long hair loose, a proud expression on his face.
Between them stood a little girl wearing a kimono with a cheerful floral pattern, like the ones girls would wear on Children's Day. She was clasping her hands together and grinning as if eagerly awaiting that moment.
Inuyasha said, "Ichirō isn't our first child."