What Kagome thought would be the low point of her day—maybe even her life—was only the beginning. Inuyasha’s high spirits that morning had only sunk her into a deeper depression. When he’d kissed her and left the house, she hadn’t felt better exactly—just not worse. 

She whiled away an hour or so around the house, pretending to do chores but not really doing them, half-hoping Sesshoumaru would show up. She talked absently to Shin, who did his level best to talk back to her in his unintelligible baby-speak. Kagome knew she made about as much sense to him as he did to her. She sighed, picked him up and held him close. She closed her eyes as she nestled her nose into his soft dark hair, breathing in his scent which was so sweet and warm and pure.

She knew her love for him was the only thing keeping her sane, even if it was just by a thread. Her baby needed her, and she needed him. Without one another, they were both lost. They were each other’s beacon in the darkness. Their bond was their shelter against the deadly storm of circumstance which surrounded them, threatening in its gales and brooding in its calms. 

After a while, it became clear to Kagome that Sesshoumaru wasn’t going to show. She put Shin into his carrier sling and went about her day. She searched for Sesshoumaru with her senses wherever she went—to no avail.

Increasingly, she started to worry. She felt silly for worrying, because it wasn’t as if he was remotely likely to be in some sort of mortal danger. It wasn’t as if had nothing better to do than hang around waiting to fuck her, either. But for some reason she couldn’t place, his absence unsettled her. There was a quality to it that felt strange to her—

Glaring.

Still distracted and anxious over it, Kagome tamped down on her unease as best she could. She went on to Sango’s home to check on her, as she did often now.

Kagome wasn’t alone. As she rounded a bend in the dirt road, she saw Kohaku standing there on the porch, gazing away from her. Between the direction of the look and the wistful expression on his face, she knew he was gazing toward Rin’s home.

He was so lost in thought, even his sharp taijiya senses didn’t catch on to Kagome before she’d caught on to him. There was a hint of pink on the high bones of his cheeks as he turned to her and greeted her. Kagome responded mildly, pretending not to notice.

Since Miroku’s death, Kohaku had been coming around Edo frequently. Kagome knew he was trying to persuade Sango to relocate to his new slayer’s village—so far without success. For reasons that weren’t very clear to anyone, Sango remained unwilling even to consider the idea of leaving Edo, much to her younger brother’s consternation and frustration. Kagome could see in a glance that Kohaku’s latest attempt to persuade her had yielded the same disappointing result.

Kagome knew Sango’s reluctance wasn’t because she lacked confidence in her brother and his vision. No one would. When Kagome looked at Kohaku now, she saw no trace of the shy boy he’d once been. Tall and strong and self-assured, he was his own man now in every sense, a village headsman and the leader of his clan.

Kagome had happened to catch him in an unguarded moment, that was all. Briefly, it seemed to her, he’d been transported back to another time, another version of himself. Kagome could see from the slight tension in his frame that being back in Edo troubled him, made him doubt.

Kagome felt for him, in more ways than one. She’d been reluctant, too, to consider the idea of Sango and her family moving away from Edo. But after mulling it over with not a few tears, Kagome had arrived on Kohaku’s side in the matter. As much as she would miss having Sango here with her, Kagome knew it would be better for her and the children to go on with Kohaku. To have a fresh start in a fresh place with their own taijiya kin.

“She’ll come around eventually,” Kagome said, smiling gently to set the young man at ease. 

Kohaku’s answering smile was more like a grimace. “I’m not sure. It seems like her heels are dug in more firmly than ever. I don’t understand it.”

“I’ll speak to her and see what I can do.”

“Thank you, Kagome-sama.” Kohaku inclined his head to her, though the polite formality in his tone suggested he had about as much faith in her attempts as his own. “Is Inuyasha around? I’d like to speak with him.”

“No, he’s not, sorry. He won’t be back until nightfall at the earliest.”

“That’s a shame,” Kohaku said, frowning. “I have an extermination job I could use his help with—several, actually.”

“I understand,” Kagome said, frowning back, “but his mercenary work is keeping him very busy these days.”

“It’s a waste of his abilities,” Kohaku said curtly. “And deplorable besides. Fomenting war and slaying his fellow man—that sort of bloodwork is beneath him.”

For obvious reasons, the notion of human-slaying for hire struck a nerve with Kohaku. Kagome could sympathize. 

“It doesn’t sit well with me, either,” she said, “but for him it’s easy, high-paying work. I’ll let him know you asked after him, though.”

Kohaku thanked her again. As he called Kirara to him, Kagome felt she had to say something else.

“You know, Kohaku-kun, I’m sure that Rin-chan would love to see you.”

She couldn’t tell if Kohaku was blushing now, because he wouldn’t meet her eye.

“Another time, maybe,” he replied.

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Revised 1/2/24