InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Flower Girl ❯ Bonds of Affection ( Chapter 99 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

---oOo---

Kagome played idly with the petals of the sprays of pink flowers that were sitting in vases all around the room, and smiled, a distant look in her eyes.

It was easy to tell that her thoughts were a million miles away.

She sighed deeply as she inhaled the spicy scent of the pretty flowers, and her mind drifted even further away; her scent soon overrode that of even the strong smelling blooms all around the room.

A scent of melancholy, and sadness.

Sesshoumaru took all of this in in one moment, and glanced around the room as a slight furrow appeared between his brows - the room was too strongly scented for his comfort, though the scent, in smaller doses, would be pleasant.

After perusing the room, his eyes once more landed on his wife, and, dulling his senses a bit, he stepped into the room, and headed to her side.

"You are unsettled," he said, and waited for her to explain.

She glanced up at him, then back at the flowers, still running her fingers over the petals.

"I just miss everyone, that's all," she finally sighed, and her husband nodded, not surprised.

"Things have changed - everyone has taken up new lives. It will take time for you to adjust completely, little one. But your place is here, now - and their places are where they are. Things cannot be the same as they were." He eyed her, then looked down at the blooms she was fondling.

"Tell me, koi... is there a reason for all of these flowers?"

"They make me feel a little better, I guess," she said, though her expression remained sad, and Sesshoumaru sighed, and taking her hand, led her from the rather distracting room.

"Tell me - would you enjoy having them all come and visit?"

Not that he really looked forward to having everyone descend on his home, but if it made his wife happy, he was willing to tolerate it.

She brightened almost immediately, and he shook his head, amused. I should have known that was all it would take.

"Yes! But..." she looked up at him, eyes narrowed suspiciously, "are you sure you wouldn't get too annoyed with having them all here at once?"

He tilted his head and cocked a brow at her. "Do you think me incapable of dealing with them? Did I not do so for months while we searched for Naraku, wife?"

"Well... yeah, but that was necessary. This isn't. You're just doing it to make me feel better," she said softly.

"That is where you and I differ in opinion, Kagome. I see your happiness as necessary. Now, worry no more about this subject. I will see to the details."

She smiled at him, then, a brilliant smile, and he eyed her, bemused.

"Okay."

And she didn't bring it up again.

A week and a half later, Kagome was once again in the same room making sure the pretty pink blooms were fresh, when certain friends were announced, and as they stepped into the room, one after the other, Kagome's eyes widened with joy, and she rushed over towards the group of people slowly filling up the room, hugging them all and laughing happily.

She threw a soft look at her husband as he entered the room behind the others silently - he always did what he said he would, and even though she'd temporarily forgotten the conversation they'd had before, he obviously hadn't - and had acted on her desires to see her friends again.

He tilted his head slightly to her, acknowledging her unspoken feelings, moving to stand beside her as she finally finished greeting their friends.

"Oi, wench," Inuyasha's nose wrinkled, and he held a hand over his face, "did'ya have to have so many flowers in here? I'm surprised the ice Lord over there can even stand it - it's killin' me, and as he always says, I'm only a hanyou."

Kagome frowned at him as Kanna turned and gave him a set look - and Kagome giggled under her breath as his ears snapped flat to his head and he slunk off into a corner, a "sorry" floating behind him.

"Please excuse him, Kagome - Sesshoumaru-sama," she said in her soft voice. "We are working on his manners - but it has occurred to me that it will be a long road."

"Oi!" Inuyasha snapped out, offended, as everyone in the room save Sesshoumaru laughed.

Kagome finally got everyone settled comfortably on thick pillows, and soon, the entire group was deep in conversation as the daiyoukai watched his wife contentedly. She was truly happy - almost glowingly so, and with an internal sigh, he knew that he would have to make room in his life for not only her, and the kit - but his brother, the void youkai, and the slayer and monk as well.

It seems I did not marry one woman, but an entire family.

He listened in as she began explaining why there were so many flowers in this particular room.

"... pink gillyflowers - they stand for bonds of affection." She looked sad for a moment, but then smiled. "I come here when I'm missing all of you guys..." she broke off as the children came blasting into the room, followed by a slightly more decorous Kohaku.

The room broke out in laughter, then, even Inuyasha snickering in his corner of the room, and Miroku asked, "I don't know, Kagome... how do you even have time to miss anyone when you have those three to deal with?"

She laughed along with everyone else, but her thoughts were once again on something else.

I miss them so much when they're gone... but they really aren't ever truly gone, are they?

Looking around at the flowers again, she sighed.

Sesshoumaru was right - things have changed, and I guess that was part of the problem. I never did like dealing with changes. I just don't want to let go, I guess.

But I... know that I have to, no matter how hard it is.

She came back to herself as Sesshoumaru stood, and began to lead the group out of the room, and she stood to follow suit - but was stopped as a red-clad hanyou halted in front of her...

Bearing a single stalk of the pink gillyflowers that she'd stocked the room with.

She took it, staring at it for a moment, then looked up into his eyes questioningly.

"You know, wench," he started softly, "just because we aren't always here, doesn't mean that we aren't always here," he placed a gentle hand against her heart," and... the same thing goes in reverse. You're always here," he finished, with a hand to his heart.

Bonds of affection, she thought, as tears trembled on her lashes, before slowly sliding down her cheeks.

She reached out with her other hand, and hugged him, a little awkwardly, now that they both were married to others, but still, with a great deal of love between them - love that would always be there, just like it would be with the rest of the group.

They pulled apart after a moment, and Inuyasha smiled at her, a small, but sincere smile, then turned and left the room, and Kagome stared down at the flower in her hand...

She plucked one bloom from it, and put it behind her ear, before replacing the stalk in a vase. When she was done, she looked around the room again, then turned and left, determined to catch up with the others.

As she stepped out the door, though, she came face to chest with her husband, and looking up at him, she smiled, then asked, "You left us alone for a minute on purpose, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"Why?"

He turned and began walking, and she kept pace at his side. After a few moments, he said, "You and Inuyasha started the journey together - it was only fitting that you ended it together."

Kagome didn't say a word - there was no need to.

He'd just proved how well he knew her heart - and everyone's place in it.

She reached down and took his hand in her own, and they walked on, heading to rejoin their friends...

No... their family.

---oOo---

A/N: And that says it all, really. I could end it here, but that would still leave me shy of one hundred chapters, so I will do an epilogue... and then it will be over, the end, fini, and all those other sad things that mean owari.

Amber