I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi



Sending Him Off


“How long to do you think you’ll be gone?”  Kagome asked.    

InuYasha and Kagome sat down next to each other by the fire pit.  There was a tub of rice sitting on a mat in front of her.  She carefully formed an onigiri, then wrapped it  in a fresh bamboo leaf  and placed it on a cloth.  

“From what Miroku said, I doubt we’ll be gone more than a week.  Are you sure you don’t want to take Atae and come with us?” InuYasha watched her deft fingers shape another rice ball and wrap it up.  “The people who came for help, they think it’s a youkai.  Miroku thinks it’s a ghost.  Either way, it shouldn’t cause too much trouble.”

Kagome gave InuYasha a rueful smile, and passed him a sliver of smoked fish.  “I’d love to, but Rin’s getting so far along I hate to leave her alone.”

“You don’t trust my brother to take care of her?” InuYasha stole a pickle from the pile she had on a plate on her work table.

“It’s not that I don’t trust him,” she said, smacking at her husband’s hand. “It’s just that he’s a man.  And this is Rin’s first child.”  She wrapped the last of the onigiri in its bamboo wrappings, rinsed her fingers,  and then tied up the brightly colored cloth.   She handed it to him.  “This should at least save you from Miroku’s cooking for a day.”

They stood up.  InuYasha slipped his hand through her hair, and drew her close to him, taking a deep breath, breathing in the smells that meant so much to him and said home – especially the sweet scent of the woman in his arms.  He kissed her forehead.  “I’ll get us back as soon as possible,” he said.

“I know you will,” Kagome replied, then brushed her lips gently across his.  “Bring back some salt,” she said.  “And a treat for your son.”

“Yeah.”  Suddenly he pulled her to him, hard.  “Be safe.”

“You, too,” she said.  “Keep Miroku out of trouble.”

“Feh,” he said, walking towards the door, holding her hand.  “Do you always ask the impossible?”  He slid the door open.

“Maybe,” she said, with a little smile. “Don’t forget the salt.”

“I won’t.”  He stood in the doorway a moment, looking at her, then with a deep breath, slid the door closed.

Kagome sighed and went to sit back down by the fire pit.  Putting on the tea kettle, she muttered, “I bet he forgets the salt.”

A week later, she was pleasantly surprised.