A Feudal Fairytail

Chapter 27

The next morning, Kagome felt as though she was being carried back to wakefulness on an enchanted carpet. A long slumber without nightmares was a magnificent thing. It was early, judging by the weak light shining through the curtains. Inuyasha still slept soundly on his futon, the rise and fall of his chest slow and deep. She beamed, glad she had been able to persuade him to sleep on proper bedding instead of propped against the wall. She watched him for a few moments, then rolled over and dozed off again.

She awoke to the clattering of plates as breakfast was brought in. Inuyasha had already been up, and was now thanking the servers at the door. That was surprising in and of itself, but how could one not be in a good mood with those delightful aromas filling the room? Especially with the memories of the previous day still fresh in their minds. They had spent at least a couple hours walking among the artistically-groomed gardens, and the small, family owned shops. They hadnt bought anything, but it was wonderful to do something a normal couple would do. They had even run into the woman Kagome had spoken to in the hot spring before dinner, who told them they looked positively adorable together, then proceeded to babble something about young love.

The next several minutes had been kind of awkward, but not in a bad way. Inuyasha hadnt seemed upset at all by the comments or the pretending to be married, just a little embarrassed. So was she, truth be told. But his silence in that regard was encouraging when the old Inuyasha would undoubtedly have said something to hurt her feelings and ruin the evening. Even if his feelings hadnt changed, his level of maturity certainly had. And perhaps, just perhaps, his feelings truly had changed after all.

Breakfast was as delicious as dinner, with grilled fish and eggs as the main course, complemented by salad, rice, and tea. At last it came time for them to check out, and both of them reluctantly made their way to the lobby, where they were served a last cup of tea while Kagome paid the bill. Their hosts bade them a warm goodbye, brightening even the guests who were disappointed about leaving. Kagome swore that if she ever had a chance to take a vacation in the modern era, Peakside Village Ryokan would be one of her stops.

The birds seemed to be cheering them on as they walked through the forest away from the small mountain community, with full bellies and contented hearts.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," Kagome said sincerely. "That was a great idea."

"K-keh!" Inuyasha stuttered, and Kagome knew the next words out of his mouth would be an attempt to deflect her gratitude. He was still not entirely comfortable acknowledging that he had done something nice for someone.

"I-it was nothing, wench. You paid for it."

"It was our money, so we paid for it. And it was your idea in the first place. You could have just ignored that village, but instead you thought of me. Thats what Im thanking you for."

Inuyasha swallowed, turning away with reddening cheeks. Kagome smiled but said no more, satisfied that hed gotten the message. The next few minutes passed in peaceful silence. Then, without warning, Inuyasha spun around and tossed a shrieking Kagome into the air, catching her on his back and taking off.

"Inuyasha!" she cried breathlessly. "What are you doing?!"

"Keh! We lazed about all yesterday," he replied with a smirk. "Gotta make up for lost time."

Kagome shook her head and leaned into his back, forgoing the argument before it started. They had indeed taken a much needed break yesterday, so she shouldnt be surprised that Inuyasha wanted to make twice as much progress today. He would push them hard; they would definitely be on the move until sundown. But somehow, she didnt mind.

Taking newfound joy in an activity which had seemed mundane only two short days ago, she pressed her face to the wind and held on for the ride.

Chapter 13