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Hanyou's Best Friend

Inuyasha sighed deeply, his eyes never leaving his glaring point: the bone eater's well. He wondered if maybe he had done something wrong.

Probably. I always do something wrong.

He didn't deserve a girl like Kagome, which was one of the reasons he kept telling himself so he wouldn't jump her one day. He sighed again and made sure no one was around like a certain perverted monk or demon slayer.

Kagome had been gone for a whole week now. She said she had to study for one of her damn tests, but she was never gone this long unless she was mad or he had upset her. He figured it was both. The last thing he expected, though, was to hear Kagome's sweet bubbling laughter coming from the well.

His ears suddenly felt tingly all over and he twitched them a few times to try and get the sensation to pass, it wasn't working very well.

He stepped back a bit as Kagome climbed out of the well on her own with something in her big yellow back pack moving around. He sniffed the air quickly and growled suddenly.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome seemed to just notice him. She had on a bright smile. "I'm glad you're here."

He gave her a confused look. She ignored it opting to turn around and pull something out of her bag that made her giggle. He growled again. And she brought her surprise in front of him.

Speechless.

He was absolutely speechless. She was replacing him. With… with, well a pup it would seem. He opened his mouth and no words came out instead he just left it like that hoping it would form words on it's own.

"Inuyasha meet Koda." The puppy squirmed around in her arms and she giggled as it licked her hand. Inuyasha didn't know why his pride was hurting so bad but he ignored it for a moment. "Inuyasha?" He looked her in the eyes and she cocked her head wondering what was wrong.

"Why'd you bring him here?" His tone was emotionless and Kagome thought for a spilt second he sounded like his brother.

"Umm… I wanted to show him to you." The hanyou nodded his head and turned his back to her before walking off. "Inuyasha?" He either didn't hear her, which she doubted, or he was sulking and ignoring her. Again.

"Kagome!" She turned to the sound of Shippo running towards her but he stopped short at the puppy in her hands. "Who's that?" He took a sniff of the air and grinned jumping up and down suddenly.

"This is Koda." Kagome said forgetting Inuyasha's sudden mood swing for the moment. "You wanna hold him?"

Shippo nodded esthetically and Kagome handed him the squirming puppy who began to lick at the demon's face, becoming submissive suddenly and when Shippo barked something at him Koda stopped and barked back. After that they seemed like they were long lost brothers.

"Good to have you back Kagome." Miroku said kindly while starring off in the direction of his hanyou friend. Kagome shook her head when he looked at her.

"A puppy!" Sango suddenly squealed and Koda looked up at her and she scooped him up in her arms. "Aww you're just too cute. Yes you are." Kagome and Miroku watched with open mouths as Sango babied the puppy.

When Sango noticed they were starring at her she coughed and sat Koda back on the ground. Koda yipped at her and wagged him tail.

"So," she drawled. "What's with Inuyasha?" Two shrugs were her answer as she watched Koda chase Kilala in circles.

The Shiba Inu hid behind Kagome's leg as Kilala transformed and growled at him. Shaking and whimpering Koda made her think of Inuyasha whimpering from fear of the big bad cat and she couldn't help but laugh. Luckily, her friends just thought she was laughing at Koda.

"It's alright bubby." She scratched behind his ears and patted his head. "Guess you won't bother her again will you?" Koda licked her cheek and Kagome swore she heard a growl off in the trees but ignored it. "Let's go back to the village. I want to show Keade."

Kagome skipped ahead Koda following at her feet and Shippo chasing after them. Sango and Miroku followed behind them shaking their heads as they listened to the hanyou behind them that was trying to be quiet, but his growl was giving him away.

"Keade! Keade!" Kagome found the priestess quickly gathering herbs at the edge of the village.

Inuyasha watched from his tree branch as Kagome showed off the pup to the hag. He just couldn't stop the growl that kept coming from his lips. He let out a breathe as he noticed that Kagome and the others were walking away, into the village.

He just couldn't understand why his heart was hurting so much now. Maybe it was because he had figured out that one of the reasons he had always said would keep him and Kagome apart had just been thrown out the window.

She obviously loved dogs, so there was no way she would hold being half dog against him right?

Exactly.

So now he was left with one less reason to keep his love for her hidden. He was slowly but surely being overpowered with reasons to tell her and not to keep it hidden.

Instead of following, he looked away and up at the sky that was quickly filling with shining stars. He stiffened at the unwanted scent of Kikyo and her soul stealers. They danced around in front of him, begging him to follow, but for once he just didn't have the energy to.

After all, she would just blabber on about how his life belonged to her, sure it had about 50 years ago but now it belonged to the girl from the future not his past. Kikyo might even throw in that he was pathetic for getting replaced and putting up with it. Maybe she'd say he and Kagome were more alike then she thought.

After several failed attempts to get the hanyou to follow them, the soul stealers slinked away through the sky to inform their mistress. He closed his eyes against the strange burning in the back of them.

'Maybe my heart shouldn't belong to Kagome either.' He knew it was futile though.

He could never take back something he had never willingly given away. He looked down at the tinkling sound of water to see that same damn pup taking a long leak on his tree. He let out a loud, deep growl causing the pup to yelp and jump away laying on his stomach.

Inuyasha jumped down and Koda rolled over exposing his tummy to the older inu. Inuyasha squatted down next to him listening to the "sorrys" he was whimpering out.

Inuyasha sat down and the pup slowly crawled over and licked his chin. Inuyasha yipped once and Koda backed off and sat down as well.

"Koda! Koda!" Inuyasha listened carefully to the worried filled voice of Kagome and couldn't help but envy the pup. "Oh thank gosh." Koda wagged his tail but didn't jump up like usual scared of the alpha's wrath. "Inuyasha?" He couldn't take this any longer.

"I can't do this." It was just a breathy whisper that was so soft that Kagome's ears couldn't pick it up.

"Thank you so much for finding him Inuyasha." He stiffened not wanting to hear her thanks. "Yuka would kill me if anything happened to her new baby." Kagome walked forward and picked Koda up. "Wouldn't she buddy?"

"What?" Inuyasha tuned around focusing more on her face than Koda.

"Oh, right. You ran off before I could tell you. It's Yuka's birthday and her boyfriend got her Koda. I'm babysitting while they 'celebrate.'" Kagome watched the play of emotions go across Inuyasha's face.

She had seen those eyes before.

They mirrored hers after she had found out Inuyasha would always come back after going to see Kikyo.

She slowly pieced together what had been wrong with her hanyou.

She walked forward till she was right in front of the frozen Inuyasha. Before he could say anything she leaned forward and kissed him. It was sweet and brief and before Inuyasha could deepen it she pulled back with a pretty blush staining her face.

"I could never replace you." Before he could say he'd never thought that she rubbed his ear drawling a soft purr from deep in his chest. Officially shutting him up. "You'll always be my one and only puppy."

Koda chose this moment to squirm between their bodies where he was currently being squished. Inuyasha grabbed Koda and sat him on the ground.

The pup got the message and didn't move from his spot, except to scratch his ear. Inuyasha suddenly pressed his lips to Kagome's causing the tension to leave her body immediately. He pulled back panting slightly.

"I'd better be."