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Summer Afternoon


The warm sunlight of late summer’s afternoon filtered through the leaves of the great tree, dappling them with sunlight.  It was quite warm, and very little was moving.

InuYasha leaned against the trunk of the tree, his suikan spread out underneath him, his eyes closed.  Kagome sat nestled between his legs, her back against his chest, her eyes also closed.  His cheek rested on her head, and his arms circled around her protectively.   A bee drifted by, buzzed one white triangular ear, which flicked at the noise.  He shifted slightly, readjusting his arms around her midsection.

“Don’t move,” she muttered.  “I’m too relaxed to want to move.”

“Keh,” he replied, leaning forward to nuzzle the edge of her ear.  “Tell the bees to leave my ears alone.”

She sighed, opening her eyes.  “I bet it’s the plants I was gathering for Kaede,” she said, turning her head to look at the basket sitting next to them.  The bee that had droned around InuYasha’s ear was busy investigating its contents.  “Maybe we should go back to the village?” she said, with a touch of regret.

Kagome stood up, smoothing the fabric of her kosode and straightening out her wrap skirt.  She vaguely longed for one her light cotton sun dresses like she used to wear on days like this, something sleeveless and short and not linen, but she shook the thought out of her head.  That was for the girl she used to be, not for the woman she was now.

InuYasha watched her quietly, not saying anything, as she gathered her things.  He loved watching her.   Since she had returned to him, she radiated such an air of peace and happiness that it sometimes left him amazed.  But at times, he could see something bubble up, like now, and he felt a hurt inside that  he could not erase the loss of all she had given up to be with him.

Soon she was finished, and he stood up, grabbing his suikan and shaking it off before shrugging it back on, even though it was still quite warm.   He stepped next to her, and took her hand.  “What is it?” he asked.

“What?” she said, surprised.

“Something, you were thinking of something,” he said.  “Something about your home.”

She smiled, shaking her head, and giving her hand a little squeeze.  “This is my home, InuYasha.  Here with you.”

He pulled her close.  She tiptoed up, kissed his lips lightly.  “I want to be with you, now and always.”

He returned her kiss, deepening it to say what his voice wouldn’t let him say.  “Always,” he replied.


She pulled away, and with a twinkle in her eye, said, “Did I tell you?  Myouga popped in while you were out this morning and told me he ran into Shippou-chan about a week ago.  Shippou told him that he was planning to pop up for a visit next month.”

“Feh,” InuYasha said.  “Hope he doesn’t show up here when Sesshoumaru drops in to check on Rin.  Last time, I thought he’d kill the runt for the kitsune magic games he pulled.”

“I thought Kaede was going to purify the both of them, doing that in her hut.  But your brother does seem to approve of how Rin is doing with Kaede.”

“She does the old woman good,” InuYasha said. “She might get a normal life out of everything after all.”

They reached a point in the road where the path dipped down towards the village.  From here, they could see the light glinting off the rice paddies, the huts scattered among them, the torii gate of the shrine.  Kagome stopped, and took a deep breath.  This was the place she loved,  and wanted to be, surrounded by the people she loved and cared most for. Such an amazing life, to let her find something that for her was just so right.

“Let’s go home.  I’ll make you some noodles,” she said.

“That better be a promise!” InuYasha said as they headed down the path together.