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

The Long Way Home

The wind caught her hair as he ran billowing it out behind her. Together, they were a flash of red and white as he ran with her riding on his back, he of the silver hair and red fire rat, and she in the white chihaya and red hakama of her calling. Only her dark hair added a note of contrast.

Suddenly, he leaped, and her voice shrieked with laughter as the ground came up and they landed and he stopped, letting her down.

"Oi, woman, so you still like that," he said, smiling at the delight in his wife's eyes.

"I had forgotten what it felt like," Kagome said. She straightened out her chihaya sleeves. "I remember I liked it, but I had forgotten how amazing it is. Why haven't we done that sooner?"

InuYasha looked away and shrugged, his face suddenly serious. "This is the first time we've had to get away from everybody. I don't think most villagers would approve of a hanyou running around with a shrieking miko on his back."

Kagome, unhappy with the look in her husband's eyes, stepped closer to him, rested a hand on his chest. "But I approve, InuYasha."

He lifted his face up, looked down on her with amber eyes of affection. "Then we'll have to find more excuse to go into the wilderness."

She tiptoed up, and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'd like that," she said. "So where' s this village Kaede sent us to?"

"It's right around the bend," InuYasha said, pointing to the curve in the road east of them.

"Let's hurry up and get this thing done," she said. "If we do, we can take the long way home."

InuYasha smiled.