A/N: This was for the IY Fanfic Contest. The theme was "Second Best". Hope you like!
Giving Up
Where are you? Determination pulsed through Kouga's veins, adding power to his legs and increasing his speed. His sharp nose had recently caught the scent of his beloved, but also the scent of her poorly chosen company. The thought of her being even ten feet close to that Inuyasha sickened Kouga to his stomach. He could never understand why she even considered traveling with the mutt. He was nothing but an ingrate and a nuisance. And though he'd seen her close to him plenty of times, showing obvious emotions, he was never giving up.
Kouga ran through the trees, pushing aside branches and jumping over shrubs before he came to an abrupt stop. Through the trees, he could just make out the colors of the mutt's worn-down outfit and Kagome's foreign one. Huh? The moon was high in the sky and Kouga swallowed, as its light fell to the earth and colored the part of the forest he was nearing. His heart beat fiercely in his chest as the young wolf tribe leader crouched down and parted the leaves of a bush. What he saw nearly ripped his heart out.
In the middle of the moon's white haze was Inuyasha and Kagome. They were standing very close together and when Kouga looked harder, he knew why. Their lips were pressed together in a fierce kiss. His hands were wrapped around her waist and she had her fingers in his hair. Pain unlike any other shot through Kouga's heart. He could smell their passion, their need and desire for one another. He could feel their heartbeats accelerating with every breath, with every sigh, with every time they moved closer together. Their bodies were a sight to behold, one perfectly molded with the other. Kouga stumbled back, trying to escape this newfound pain, and making more noise than he intended.
"What was that?" He heard Kagome say. But he didn't answer. He was still dazed in the dizzy feeling of sorrow as his world came crashing down. He would have to stand up; he would have to show himself to them. But how could he? How could he face the girl of his dreams; the girl he just lost. Every time before there had always been hope, hope that maybe she would chose him. But now that hope was extinguished, along with the flame of his heart. And fighting every fiber of his being, he stood.
The air grew heavier as he met the eyes of the apparent lovers. Inuyasha's eyes were filled with a mixture of pity and sympathy while Kagome's were filled with devastation. Kouga stood silent as she whispered something to Inuyasha and he nodded his head and left. Kagome neared him, but he took a step back, surprising them both.
"Kouga I'm… I'm sorry." Kouga shook his head and smiled; a warmth so fake he couldn't even convince himself.
"Don't worry about it Kagome. It's no big deal." She shook her head and tried once more to approach him. Soon she was right in front of him and she placed her hand on his cheek and peered into his eye. Kouga was doing something he hadn't done in so long. As the pain clogged his throat and choke him, he tried to hold back his tears. But Kagome didn't. She knew she'd hurt a friend and it was tearing her apart. Kouga sighed and grabbed the hand that touched his cheek, pressing his face into its warmth.
"I've spent all of this time chasing after you believing, knowing, that you would choose me. I was so confident. But no matter what, there was always that little voice that said it would be him. And that voice was right, I was just dreaming... When I saw you two together, I hated Inuyasha for holding you like that; I hate myself because I would never hold you that way." He dropped Kagome's hand, backing away and she didn't try to follow. A wind blew through the forest and swept his hair, which was undoubtedly outlined in silver, into the air. Kouga turned his back to her and staring at the moon, he continued. "Perhaps it's time I gave up. Perhaps, when it comes to anything with you, anything for you, I'll always be second best."