Kagome dropped her bag next to the well. "I don't know, maybe we should wait another day."

"Your mom doesn't expect us to hang around for them to get back. She even said so," Inuyasha leaned back against the doorframe of the well house. "Anyway, you left a note."

He had a point. She just wished she could quell the nerves in her gut running rampant. She felt his arms slide around her from behind.

"You alright?"

"Yeah."

"Kagome…" Inuyasha knew she wasn't fine. The morning after, she had expected to go back within the hour. They stayed the remainder of the holiday, opting to go back to the past that afternoon. She had seemed fine up until they packed, and now she was stalling.

"Alright! Alright… What…what's everyone going to say?"

"That's what's got you like this?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes upward and prayed to every higher power to give him strength. "I doubt anyone outside our group is going to know unless we shout it from the rooftops. Any youkai we cross will know without seeing the mark, but there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Miroku will probably run his mouth, and Sango will hit him if I don't get to him first." At the sound of her laughter, Inuyasha kissed her temple. "We good now?"

"Yeah." As she climbed onto the edge of the well with Inuyasha, she knew they'd be okay.

Miroku, for once, was being good.

When Shippo announced that Inuyasha and Kagome were back, he assumed things had progressed. After the kit commented that not just Kagome's but Inuyasha's scent was also different, he knew. As soon as Shippo dove through the doorway to greet them, Kaede and Sango had fixed him with a look.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb. We saw your look."

"My dear Sango, whatever do you mean?"

"It would be wise not to draw attention to Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship unless they deem it fit to speak of."

"Ladies, I can assure you both that I've no intention of embarrassing our friends. After all, we're all adults here. What they choose to do or not do in their personal time is their business. If they wish to share any developments, I will be respectful in my reaction."

Okay, so the disbelieving looks he got might have been justified. He had laid it on thick, but he meant every word. Even if every fiber of his being was dying to know the details of what happened in the future.

When the pair appeared in Kaede's hut, he couldn't see any physical differences. Inuyasha was one person again, they learned. It was interesting to hear that it was a gradual shift this time, but when he inquired as to how they spent their time in the future, both shut down. Kagome brushing off the question by saying that she spent it catching up on schoolwork felt too forced.

It wasn't long before Sango wanted Kagome alone for "girl talk", which left Miroku alone with Inuyasha. Shippo had gone to assist Kaede in the field with herb-collecting, which gave the monk the perfect opportunity.

"How are you really feeling, Inuyasha?" Instead of going back to the shared hut, they had spent some time walking the outskirts of the village, away from nosy villagers who thrived on gossip.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've been split three ways for a month. You don't feel…off, now that you're back to normal?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Feh. You make it sound like I got used to seeing my human and youkai sides run around."

"But you did come to an understanding, otherwise you wouldn't have changed back."

"Yeah." Inuyasha stopped walking, dropping down to sit under the closest tree. "It was Kagome," he added, "It's always been Kagome. I just didn't have the balls to tell her."

Miroku sat down next to him, laying his staff on the grass. "Does she know?"

A snort and a smile crossed the hanyou's face before he could stop himself. "Oh yeah. She knows alright."

"I don't wish to pry, Inuyasha, but out of curiosity…did you both…profess your feelings…intimately?"

Miroku half expected to get hit, if not chewed out for such a question. To see Inuyasha's eyes widen and a blush to quickly cover his face was interesting. 'So they have,' he thought to himself. There would be other times to tease Inuyasha, he decided. He clapped a hand on his shoulder and told him, "I am happy for you, my friend."

Whereas Miroku had been reserved, Sango was not. Kagome should have seen it coming when Sango led her down to the stream to bathe. They had settled into the water, and Sango must have spotted the mark, because she asked, "So…how was it?"

Kagome blushed, slapping a hand over her mark on reflex. "What?"

The slayer couldn't contain her grin. "You and Inuyasha completed the mating ritual, right?" She moved closer, grabbing Kagome's wrist to pull it away. "I want to see the mark. It's not every day I get to see such a thing."

As she pulled her wet hair over her left shoulder, Kagome replied. "It was wonderful," she gushed. Before she knew it, she had given a nondescript recount of what they got up to during their absence. Sango had wanted to know her dirty secrets, and she delivered.

A small part of Sango regretted asking in the first place, because she wasn't sure how she was going to look Inuyasha in the eye now. "I had no idea that Inuyasha could be so…" Words escaped her.

Kagome knew what she meant. "I know," she laughed. "He told me to wait to give him my answer when he told me everything about the ritual."

"How long did you wait?"

"The next day."

Both had dissolved into laughter after that. Kagome was glad that Sango had brought her out here to catch up. She hadn't realized how much she missed these talks, but then again… she felt her face heat up as she remembered why she had been distracted.

A soul collector breezed past her cheek as they were dressing, and any heat that was still in her face drained with the movement. 'Why do I feel guilty?' she thought as she pulled her shirt on. 'Inuyasha chose me, or was it his youkai that made the connection first?' As Kikyo stepped out of the trees that overlooked them, Kagome told herself that she had nothing to apologize for.

"Has Inuyasha discovered the solution to his problem?"

Kagome arched an eyebrow. "You haven't spoken to him?" It was weird that she'd come find her when she could just as easily look for him.

Kikyo smirked. "I felt that it would be simpler to ask the solution herself."

'Don't blush, dammit!' "He did." Absently she scratched her shoulder that carried the mark. She missed the way the undead miko's gaze followed the action, nor the look when she caught a glimpse of the mark.

'It is true,' Kikyo thought. 'I thought that I would be the one to change his heart. I see now that had I lived, it would not have been.' She knew what that mark meant, and while she knew that she could never have lain with a youkai, it was a reminder of what she'd never get to have herself. And that sucked, to put it bluntly. 'My purpose is to stop Naraku, or I'll never find peace. My time looking for what I cannot attain is at an end.'

Sango had finished dressing, observing the silence between the mikos. 'Kikyo looks…sad? I guess I can't blame her for that. She did miss out on a lot.' "Um…" she fished for something to say. "If you're looking for Inuyasha, I'm sure he's still in the village with Miroku."

"That is not necessary," Kikyo said softly. "I only wished to learn of his current state." She turned to leave, only to pause and speak to Kagome. "Is he happy?"

Kagome was surprised by the question. 'Is this the Kikyo that Inuyasha once knew? Kaede said that she used to be so kind.' "He is," she answered. "I think Inuyasha's relieved…to be able to solve the problem. Like it's given him a peace of mind." There, that didn't sound like she was gloating that she got to sleep with him, did it? She hoped not.

"That is good. I am…happy to hear that. It would not do to face Naraku with a clouded mind."

'And there's the Kikyo I know,' Kagome thought, watching her disappear into the trees. She turned to Sango, who had begun to collect their belongings. "Was that strange to you?"

"A little. I think she understands that she's not Inuyasha's priority anymore and has accepted it."

Kagome grabbed the remainder and they started back for the hut. "That may be, but I think he's always going to have a place for her in his heart. Inuyasha did love her, and I think she loved him to an extent, even if it wasn't the kind of love they were hoping for."

"I'm surprised, Kagome. I figured knowing that would upset you."

Kagome shrugged. Once upon a time it would have crushed her, but now… "I know that Inuyasha loves me, and I'm his mate."

"So no more getting jealous if she summons him?"

"Weeelll…" the miko drew out, winking. "I might say it once, just for old time's sake." She laughed at Sango's expression. "No really, Inuyasha would have to make me really mad before he left or when he came back before I would do that. It might be funnier to watch him squirm when I do nothing, actually."

Inuyasha might have given away more in his actions than he ever said in words to Miroku. When the girls returned to the hut, Inuyasha had shot to his feet to meet Kagome halfway, pulling her to him as he returned to his seat. Now that they were back together, it was easy to see the differences. Kagome didn't threaten to sit Inuyasha when he got into it with Shippo, and he was quick to let it go and ignore the kit's baiting. Inuyasha was more physical around Kagome. He had kissed her cheek when he pulled her to his side, but it was the small touches that said a lot. Normally he'd keep his hands tucked away in the confines of his sleeves.

A kettle of water had been set to boil for ramen as they talked, catching up in detail about the things that had been missed. Of course, neither felt that their private time was meant to be public – Kagome would have to tell him that Sango knew – they did confess that they were mated.

"So that's why both of you smell different!" Shippo blurted out.

"Yep, and I can't wait until we cross paths with Koga again," Inuyasha stated proudly. It would do the ookami some good to have a reality check.

"We're really happy for you both," Sango said to Kagome mostly. With Kikyo's appearance earlier, she forgot to tell her.

"Does this mean you're staying here?" Shippo asked.

"It does," Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "As long as the well is open, I want to visit my family from time to time, but yes. My home is here."

"Perhaps we should plan to build a separate hut then?" Miroku proposed. "After all, I imagine you'll want to start a family-"

"When we've destroyed Naraku-"

"-And I've finished school. I also told Mama that we'd have a ceremony at our shrine before that." Kagome leaned into his shoulder and asked him, "Have you told them about that thing we talked about?"

"What are you – oh!" Inuyasha rubbed his neck. "Something came up when I was split. Now that all sides of me are in sync, I'm wondering if it's possible to tap into my youkai side when I'm not about to die."

"You mean intentionally letting him out?" Sango asked. "I can't say I've heard if such a thing is possible…" She wondered if a trip to see Totosai and Myoga wasn't in order.

"We've seen Inuyasha do a number of things that didn't seem possible," Miroku pointed out.

The hanyou started to look proud again, until Shippo mentioned "Sure, like getting up after a long string of sits." After that he just looked annoyed.

"No really," the slayer nodded to Kagome. "Shippo has a point. Without Kagome, a lot of things wouldn't have been possible. We'd have likely never met and become friends. You would still be pinned to the Sacred Tree. And even if you weren't, you probably wouldn't be as strong as you are."

"And to travel five hundred years from the future, such a thing should be impossible."

Kagome lifted the steaming kettle and prepared the ramen cups. Now that she thought about it, was it really being Kikyo's reincarnated soul that brought her back? "What are you guys getting at?"

"You're an impossible girl, Kagome," Miroku said. "You do the impossible without even realizing it, which allows those around you to accomplish things they didn't think possible otherwise. With you by his side, I'd be amazed at what Inuyasha couldn't do."

Inuyasha slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her back to him. "You hear that wench? You're my impossible girl."

Kagome settled against his warmth. "I can live with that," she said with a smile.

A/N: And that's it guys! Did you enjoy it?

This is the first time I've stepped this far out of my comfort zone when writing, so believe me when I say that I surprised myself rereading my own fic. It makes me sad that it's over now, after planning and writing the last couple of months.

What do you think about a sequel of sorts? It'd likely be a oneshot, and I'm not sure when I'd write it. There's only a niggling thought there now, but if y'all would be interested, I'd see what I can do.

I have another story in the works (among many) so don't think I'm disappearing into the void after this. I haven't had this much fun writing in a long time, so something good's come out of 2019 :)