Jin had been acting odd lately, and Touya could guess why.
"You're in love, aren't you?"
The wind master looked up, startled, from where he had been staring out the window.
"Excuse me?"
"You. You're in love." Touya repeated patiently. "Well? Who's the lucky demoness?"
Jin flushed, a strange color that clashed with his red hair.
"Ah'm not in love."
Touya shrugged, unconvinced, but decided to let the matter drop.
***~~~***
Jin hadn't exactly been lying to the ice master. What he felt right now wasn't exactly love. And it sure as hell wasn't with a demoness.
She was a miko. The natural enemy of his race, and yet he was drawn to her all the same.
But, no, it wasn't love.
Not yet, anyway.
He simply watched her. Not in the stalker-ey sense of the word More of a he wanted to protect her sense. And, to protect her, he had to see her.
The tiniest things about her enthralled him.
Her love of oden.
Her patience with her elderly grandfather's stories.
Her loving teasing of her little brother.
How she put up with her so-called 'friends'.
And, oh, how he wanted to kill that...that…Hobo guy. Surely, Koenma wouldn't notice one unimportant ningen, say…disappearing off the face of the earth?
She'd been hurt by love before, but, she was still like the wind, wild, unrestrained, free, and maybe that was why Jin found her so alluring.
But, no, it wasn't love.
Not yet, anyway.
***~~~***
Touya looked over at his friend, who had sighed yet again.
"So, have you talked to her yet?"
You'd think Jin'd stop being surprised by the ice master's question by now.
"Hmmm? Who'm Ah talkin' to, now?"
Touya rolled his eyes.
"That girl, the one who has your heart. Do you even know her name?"
He did.
He just wasn't telling Touya that.
Her name was Kagome.
What a joke that was. It was like her very name was warning her away from him.
'Stay away, miko. Stay away from the nasty, dangerous youkai. They'll kill you, you know.'
"You should at least meet her. Maybe she'll return your feelings." Touya continued.
But he wouldn't.
He wasn't worthy of her, of her kindness, or her purity.
Not yet, anyway.
And until he was, Jin was content to watch his miko from the shadows, protecting her.
"So, what's she like?"
"Oi! Would ye stop askin' me about the lass?!?"
"Okay! Okay, Jin, calm down!"
There was a moment of silence between the two masters.
"She's something real special, isn't she, Jin?"
The wind master allowed a small smile at his ice master friend.
"She is indeed, Touya. She really is."