Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Beyond Mimicry
She peers at him from the corner of her eyes. Neither boy nor man, neither human nor demon, he is split.

She wonders if she really understands him, really loves him and all he entails, but she knows with every ounce of herself that she does, even before the treacherous question is formed.

Her eyes trail to the wounds he still bears- wounds she caused through her frailty. She can still see the demon swooping down with his talons ready to tear through her, and then...Inuyasha.

This man-child who is as precocious as he is immature; her walking contradiction.

Still, she cannot rid herself of the nagging voice echoing his hurts were her fault.

"Nee...Inuyasha..."

She is rewarded with a turn of his head.

"How's the ramen?"

"Fine." His answer is clipped.

There is something unreadable in his eyes – something she is familiar with, something that always makes her heart skip a beat and her stomach fall. That something that makes the blood rush to
her cheeks and her hands shake. She cannot name it, but she knows it, oh how she knows it. Timidly she moves closer to him willing herself to brave up and say what she wants to say.

"I'm terrible, aren't I?" she smiles apologetically.

He turns flicking his ears.

"Keh! Nothing I can't handle." He looks away to hide the words written across his face. "I'll put up with you..."

It is most tenderly spoken, and the candor exuding from it is more exquisite than any sonnet or haiku; it makes her heart expand like a soap bubble until she thinks she'll just float away in the breeze. Moving closer still, she rests her head on this shoulder silently thanking him - her closed eyes guard her from the truth reflected in his surprised expression and soft blush. He smiles to himself and draws her closer.

Those words never cross his lips. They don't need to – she hears his heart.

AN: . Yes...well, this goes to my friend, Sam, because frankly without him there wouldn't have been a story...well, there would have been a story, just not this story, kind of like if Inuyasha had no Inuyasha character in it: it would be a story, but not the Inuyasha story...but I digress -.-' Thank you very much! Not just for your inspiration with this story but for everything. :) You are a wonderful person, and a veritable real-life Inuyasha (how lucky am I?!) . -///-

Secondly, Neish, I hope you're feeling better, and enjoy the fluff!