A/N: written for my roleplay group again. Just something I liked and thought I would share here too. Something short and well...short.

Start Over

Nights had become dangerous for the hanyou. He spent far too many of them awake, over thinking nothing, tossing and turning, and wishing he could just sleep.

It had gotten worse as the years went by, with finally knowing who and what he was as a person, as he slowly was pushed into the background. His friends were busy with their family, Shippo had left to train, the villagers hardly paid attention to him unless fire wood was needed, and there was no one ever around to just listen to him. To entertain him, or talk to him, or do anything. He was just there. He barely existed.

He needed out.

He needed away.

Especially when Sesshomaru came to visit.

The hanyou thought that after everything that the demon would just accept that they were equals and they could sit down and restart. Even if he thought it was impossible, he wanted to just try. He needed someone to notice him, to acknowledge that he was still here. Inuyasha just needed someone to see him standing there and move him away, take him away from the realization that no, he didn't matter, not unless Kagome was around. Everyone was too busy for him, everyone was living their short lives and he was stuck.

So when his brother came to visit Rin, he thought maybe he'd try to talk to him, to make him see that he was still here.

But when he saw the demon walk towards the village, he ended up being nothing but a stone, his heart breaking with every step Sesshomaru took towards him. He was sure that he could do it, that he could speak up, and when he was right in front of him-

Sesshomaru brushed past him.

Walking swiftly away.

Not even noticing that he was there.

Inuyasha turned and watched him walk toward Kaede's hut, stepping inside and listening to Rin chatter on and on to him. It was then that he realized he had no place here. He needed a new home.

As night fell again, Inuyasha decided to bathe instead of toss and turn in his own hut. Stripping down after lighting a fire close by, he slid into the cool water and dunked his head under. He felt like he was suffocating. He didn't have a place among humans, he knew this. He didn't even know why he thought that he did. He should have left when Kagome was gone, but instead he stayed in hopes that she would pop back out. He had spent countless nights sitting out by the well before, waiting, watching, and seeing that his hopes were false.

Coming back up for air, he was surprised to see a pair of black shoes connected to white, billowing hakama pants. Looking up, he snarled as he saw the demon staring down at him.

"Do you intend to sleep out here, little brother?"

"Who fucking cares where I sleep? It ain't like it matters," Inuyasha growled, pushing his hair back out of his face as he looked away.

"You looked lost today,"

"Keh! What's new about that?" He chuckled, "I don't belong over there,"

"Yet you stay?"

"I have no where else to go, Sesshomaru. What does it matter to you where I go and where I belong? It's obvious that you really don't. You're probably just waiting for me to drop dead."

"You think so ill of me, Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru seemed to frown, but his face never really changed in expression. He was always so cold and stiff looking…

"Oh yeah? And how am I supposed to think of you?"

"I watched you by the well…She won't come back, little brother."

Ouch. As much as he needed to hear that…Inuyasha really didn't want to.

"Yeah? Well whatever…you're fucking creepy if you do that…"

"I watched you standing around today, watched you by the well…I'm positive that I saw you curled up in the forest, shaking like a babe in the col-"

"Shut up! Why are you here!? Huh!? To rub it in that I'm too human for my own good? That I can't let go of someone I didn't love because she made me feel so wanted!? What's wrong with being weak once in a while? To show emotion!?"

"You don't show anyone…that's the problem." The demon glared down at him, "Do you expect everyone to just know your turmoil? That you're lonely and afraid? Being a man, being human, does not mean to hold your emotions in."

"Oh, and you know all about that don't you. How about you fuck off and meddle in someone else's life!" Inuyasha snapped, turning in the water.

He was stopped though by a hand wrapped around his wrist, but he easily slipped through it. Climbing out, he grabbed up his clothes and continued on as if the demon wasn't there. But he stayed there, he could feel him there, and when he laid down in the grass to sleep, the fire dying down, he felt Sesshomaru sit beside him the whole night.

"Inuyasha!"

The hanyou turned, looking back at Kaede's hut one morning, only to see Rin running over to him, Sesshomaru dragging behind her by his hand.

"Kaede made tea and stew! Come!" She grabbed his hand as well, now pulling both dogs towards the old woman's home.

Inuyasha couldn't help but grin as he was pulled along and dragged inside…But he did not notice the smirk on the demon's lips as he watched him smile and listen to Rin chatter.