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

An Evening in Blue

InuYasha sat by the fire pit, staring into the flames, his face hidden by his bangs. He had shucked his hakama and suikan. They were folded neatly and resting on the clothes chest, along with Tessaiga, but he made no move to bank the fire and come to bed.

Kagome frowned a little as she watched her husband withdraw into himself. It had been an unpleasant day, but he had done nothing wrong to have caused it. Pulling back the cover, she got out of bed and walked across the room. Kneeling behind her husband, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Miss you," she said.

He sighed, and reached up and rested his hand on one of her arms. "Sorry. I was thinking about that storekeeper who kicked us out of his shop today."

"I wouldn't worry about him. He's just a petty man with a petty little business. There's plenty of places I can get salt from," she said, planting little kisses along his neck.

"You know, while you were buying your sewing supplies, he had grabbed the local shrine priest, and had him shaking his purification wand all around the front of his store, like we contaminated it or something. I heard the shopkeeper telling him about the black miko and her pet youkai." He pulled his arm down and stared at his fingers. "It's not like that's the first time I've been in that area. Miroku and I chased a really nasty youkai out of a village just a couple of miles away."

Kagome started rubbing his shoulders. "It's not the first time people have reacted badly. You're the one always telling me that's just the way the world works."

"Yeah," he said, at first resisting, but eventually succumbing to the power of Kagome's fingers working on the tension in his back as he slowly let himself relax. "I just don't like it when they talk bad about you."

"It'll happen sometimes," she said. "But I'd rather have the occasional stupid jerk say something rude and call me a witch than not spend my life with you."

He turned around and looked at her, and his eyes, still sad and broody, studied her face. "Sometimes I just wish . . . "

She kissed him gently before he could finish that statement. "Sometimes, I just wish my husband would come to bed so I could show him what he means to me."

He sighed, but kissed her back tenderly. "But what if he's just not in the mood?"

"But haven't you heard? I'm a black miko with all these powers, spiritual and youkai." She reached up, and gently rubbed the base of his right ear. "I have secrets I could use." InuYasha closed his eyes as her fingers worked their soothing magic on him and wrapped his arms around her. "And if those don't work, I'll just hold him and let him know how much I love him."

"So, woman, you have it all planned out," he said.

"Yes," she replied, kissing him on the chin. "I definitely do." Standing up, she offered him her hand. Rising, he took it, and following her, went to find out just how well her plan would work.