Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.

Aftermath

The howling wind was tearing the autumn leaves off the trees, but Inuyasha didn't care. He was in his brand-new hut, curled around the warm, naked body of the woman who had abandoned her world for his. Who had chosen—him. Feeling again the wonder he'd felt that first day, when he pulled her up from the well, Inuyasha shifted his head slightly and snuffled her hair. The smell of her hair had changed, as she used the herbs and soaps of this time, rather than the "shampoos" she had left behind. But it still smelled good. It was the smell of Kagome, the smell of love, and it made him so happy that his eyes burned sometimes, as if they wanted to shed tears.

Which was silly.

And he'd never admit the feeling.

He sighed in contentment as he felt her fingers twine among his. Life was good. Life was so good—

The harsh clang of the watchtower's bell sliced through the wind's tantrum. Swearing, Inuyasha bolted upright, then threw the cover back and scrambled to his feet. Kagome yelped as the colder air hit her backside. "Inuyasha!"

He pulled on his clothes with rapid haste. "Something's wrong—they're ringing the bell."

In the very dim light of the banked embers, he saw her sit up. "Youkai?" she asked, with just a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Un-uh." He shook his head, fastening his hakama. "They use a double-beat for that. Something else." He grabbed Tessaiga, slid it through his sash, started to turn towards the door, then hesitated. "Uh…"

"Go on," she told him, reaching for her own, discarded clothes. "I'll be there as soon as I can." He still hesitated. "They may need you—go!"

He went.

… … …

The cursed wind was still blowing, late in the afternoon. Standing in the back of the crowd, Kagome took advantage of their position to rub her hanyo's stiff back in gentle circles.

Six buildings were gone, including two of the granaries. The fire had begun in one of the huts, and the fierce wind had whipped embers onto the others. The loss of the rice in one granary was total, as the roof had collapsed, shattering the jars. Inuyasha had saved some of the grain in the second building, sending his meidou blades straight up, disintegrating the burning roof before it could fall. His speed and strength had kept the fires from spreading more than they had.

But, three children had died in the first hut, along with their mother. Two men had died fighting the fires, and more had been injured.

She knew that Inuyasha was feeling guilt, feeling that he should have, somehow, prevented those deaths.

And, she suspected, he was also feeling fear.

Kagome listened to Miroku's hoarse, cough-plagued voice as he led the villagers through the prayers for the dead. Her own heart squeezed as she listened, unable to see what was going on, for the taller people in front of her, and fresh tears slid down her face. Baby Akio, little Kazuko, and their older sister Hikari. She'd met them, cuddled the baby, helped watch them during the harvest season. And now, they were just—gone. Along with their mother Kazumi, and the men. She had gotten to know all of them, over the past few months. Had started to make progress against the mingled attitudes of respect and even reverence for her status as a miko, and the uncertainty, wariness, and suspicion of her open relationship with her hanyo. She had liked Kazumi.

And now they were dead.

Inuyasha stirred, pulling her hand off his back, taking it in his own. Kagome glanced up, met his haunted eyes, and tried to smile. It will be all right, she wanted to tell him. Wanted to, but couldn't.

Because she knew the source of his fear.

Symbolically, the cause was directly in front of them, being riffled by the wind.

They were not at the back of the crowd. They were behind it, outside of it. They were outside the low, warded prayer-strip decorated lines that protected the burial grounds.

Kaede and Miroku both had asked Inuyasha to stay outside the bounds, unwilling to test the villagers' level of acceptance of their hanyo neighbor after such a tragedy. Kagome had wanted to protest, had been angry that even his closest friend would want to discriminate against him, and at such a time. But, a glance at Inuyasha's smoke-smudged face and darkened eyes had silenced her. She had seen that non-expression once before, and she flinched inside to think that he might be feeling anything as he had after learning his youkai self had slaughtered the bandits. Though choosing not to protest, she made it clear that she would also stand on the outside. If my husband isn't pure enough to stand on sacred ground, then neither am I, she had been ready to argue.

They hadn't even attempted her change her mind, which nonplussed her for a moment, before she shrugged it off. So, now, she stood beside Inuyasha, as she had promised her always would. And when they were private, Kagome would tell him: It wasn't your fault. And she would keep telling him that.

Until he believed it.

… … …

"Inu! Inu!"

The twins, predictably, tore free from Sango's hands as soon as they sighted Inuyasha. Feeling a lift in his spirits, despite the pain, Inuyasha smiled and half-crouched to receive them, as he rarely did. Squealing, they ran to him and swarmed up his arms, totally oblivious to the irritated glances of some of the adults walking by on their way to the stairs. "Ride, Inu, ride!" "Mama said!" "We were good!" "Ride, Inu, please!"

Inuyasha glanced over at Sango, who gave him a somewhat embarrassed smile. "I told them they could ask you for a ride, if they were good and kept quiet," she explained quietly, walking up to his side. "You—don't mind, do you?" she added, lowering her voice, her eyes pleading. "I can help Miroku down the stairs, but then I'll need to feed Toshiaki, and I promised to help with the cooking…"

He sighed, and looked to his other side. "You probably want to help Kaede check out the injured." Kagome nodded, and he looked back at Sango. "Where do you want them back?"

She smiled warmly. "Thank-you, Inuyasha-kun. Take them to the house: I left a couple of rice balls for them. Then bring them down to the headman's place: we'll probably have everything set up by then, and you can turn them over to whoever is watching the children."

"Keh." Nodding his understanding, Inuyasha turned and walked away from the stairs and the crowd, shifting his grips to make sure he had secure holds of the two girls. "You two hold on tight, okay? Wouldn't want to drop you."

They giggled, and Inuyasha could feel their hands gripping his firerat. "Jump! Jump!" "Wanna go high!" "Go high! Go high!"

Expertly stuffing his sad and guilty feelings into the back of his mind, Inuyasha surveyed his surroundings, flattened his ears in what he knew would be a vain effort to minimize the squealing that would reach his sensitive hearing, and leapt into the air.

… … …

There are advantages to being a miko. Kagome used them to full advantage, excusing herself from Kaede and their last patient, as soon as she sensed the youki. Kaede waved her on, an understanding glint in her single eye, and Kagome hastened towards the center of the village.

Her timing was impeccable, as Inuyasha appeared on the path that led from the northern, hillside houses, where it crossed the river path. Kagome spotted him, and couldn't help laughing. The two girls were sound asleep, both of them with one hand clinging to his clothing, while the other clutched random bouquets of red and yellow maple leaves, and flowers both yellow and white. More leaves and flowers were peeking out from where they'd been stuffed between his fire-rat and his inner shirt. And there was one leaf, of a red that came close to matching the red of his robes, sticking out of his hair.

She wasn't the only one amused. Smiles and a few guffaws rippled around him, and he was starting to blush as he continued to walk. His blush deepened as he saw , it was a good blush, and she saw, as she drew closer, that his eyes were warm, and his posture was relaxed. Taking the girls for a run had done him an enormous amount of good, Kagome realized. It had given him something he enjoyed doing, something away from watching eyes, something he could do for the two little girls that she knew he cared for deeply, despite his grumbles. Silently, she thanked Sango for her cleverness and her understanding, resolving to find some way of returning the favor.

"I thought you were just taking them for a ride," she commented, smiling teasingly, her eyes drifting up to the top of his head. "You have a leaf in your hair."

He rolled his eyes up to peer through his bangs. "I was hoping they would all come out when I jumped," he admitted, his ears canting back slightly. "They wanted to pick 'pretties' to cheer up Miroku, but then they decided that I needed some 'pretties', too."

"And did they succeed?" Kagome asked, very quietly.

"Huh?"

"In cheering you up?"

Inuyasha blinked at her, eyes losing focus for a moment.

"Keh!" he proclaimed, as if to deny her suggestion.

But, she saw the tiny smile that flickered and then vanished.

And knew that all would be well.

Author's Note: This was written for the prompt "Autumn Leaves", for the FirstTweak community on LiveJournal. It took first place.

This is currently a one-shot, but it may end up being the first chapter of a longer story. I had some ideas, but didn't have time to explore them. Perhaps after "Blood Unbound" is finished...