My Inu

Hey everybody! This is a little one shot I did when I took a break from Across A Land, but I just now got to typing it up. I will have a new fic coming out soon, I promise… so don't think I dropped off the face of the earth just yet. Please enjoy, and leave me a quick review to tell me what you thought of it. Thanks!

Myst

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns the Inu gang, not me, no suing, thank you.

Nothing but a flash of red, sometimes you might even be able to see the glint of silver among the green. He's always sniffing the air, even if sometimes he hides it. He must think about her a lot, always looking up at the sky, just hanging out in a tree.

But that doesn't matter to me. I'll sit at night, just watching him, as he watches the sky, his nose looking for her as his leg swings off of his branch. Sure, sometimes it hurts worse than usual, like when he rushes off to see her, but I just have to hope he keeps coming back until our journey is over.

I love him. I love him more than the breath that sustains my life. That's why I can't leave, and I can't hold it against him if he loves another, if he cares for Kikyo more than he does me.

"Kagome?" Inu-Yasha's voce breaks into my thoughts.

"Yes, Inu-Yasha?" My head does not turn up to him in branch above the camp. I feel him jump down and move to my side.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Just not really tired." I still don't turn to look at him. He shifts and a lone clawed finger touches my chin, slowly pulling my gaze to meet his molten gold. I can see the confusion hidden there; he does not understand my awareness at this time of night. I smile softly, but not in assurance as Inu-Yasha thinks, I smile in fake self amusement at how I still love him and sit awake at night, thinking of how he'll never love me back.

"Kagome?" He calls again. He moves his hand from my chin, opting instead to wrap his arm around my shoulders and pull me close to his strong chest. His chin rests on the top of my head as I sigh slowly. My left hand moves to rest on his chest as his claws stroke through my hair. "What's wrong? You know you can tell me, Kagome." The hanyou whispers against my ear, his breath hot against my skin. I repress the shiver that runs through me.

"I know, but there is nothing to tell." We fall silent again. I have to go back to wondering what he's thinking about as I lay against him. How often did he and Kikyo used to just sit like this? I'm sure more times than he and I do.

"Why did you do it?" Inu-Yasha breaks the calm. I lift my head slightly and turn to look at him.

"Do what?"

"Purify Kikyo." His voce was a mere whisper, the silver bangs of his hiding the golden orbs from my view.

"What am I Inu-Yasha?" I ask instead of answering as I lay my cheek against his chest again. I feel the slightly sharper intake of breath.

"What?"

"What do you think of me? Do you think I would let anyone die if I could save them?" I speak calmly, but my heart pounds in slight fear of his answer.

"Well…no, but it was Kikyo and you—"

"Inu-Yasha," I cut him off, pulling out of his embrace. Where was he going with this? I stare intently at him as emotion dances in his depths. "What am I?" I ask again. He doesn't answer. "Who am I?" He continues to stare silently at me. After a minute I smile, hiding the pain I feel that he can't even say I am me, not her.

I get to my feet and walk a few feet away. I cross my arms over my chest and lower my head. The wind picks up suddenly and I shiver in the cold. I jump slightly as his haori is draped over my shoulders, his arms quickly wrapping around me too. His chin rests on my shoulder and his clawed hands rest over my own.

"You are Kagome Higurashi." His hot breath says against my ear. I shiver in pleasure, but he takes it as cold and holds me tighter.

"Inu-Yasha's Jewel detector." I whisper back. His body tenses at my words.

"My what?" He growls. The tears come then, and I can't hold them back.

"You heard me. But would you like me to say it again? I'm Inu-Yasha's—" His hand covers my mouth, silencing me.

"Friend, light, hope." His voice comes instead. "Kagome… is this why you've been so quiet? Do you truly think you are nothing but a Jewel detector to me?" His hand slowly lowers, allowing me to speak.

"I come in second in a race of two. I am nothing but a Jewel detector, and when the Jewel is complete, I will be a nothing, a nobody." I snap in anger. My tears have long since dried now as the anger and pain overwhelms me. His growl comes again at my words.

"What in the hells is your problem, Kagome? You could never be a nobody. Sango, Miroku, Shippo… me, you mean so much to all of us." His nose nuzzles into the crook of my neck, where my shoulder turns upward. "I need you, Kagome, and not just to find the shards."

My composure shatters at his touch and I melt into him, crying again.

"Oh, Kagome…" He shakes his head as he turns me around, holding me close to his chest and running his claws through my hair. I cry for what could have been hours or just a few minutes, and he stays with me, just stroking my head and back.

I lift my head as his hand stops. My eyes are filled with question as I watch him silently. His golden gaze is turned from me and I follow the path. My heart sinks again as I see the two Shikigami floating in the distance. I pull out of his embrace, my movement bringing his attention back to me. "Go to her." Someone whispers.

"Kagome…" His clawed hand reaches out to me.

"Go to her, you wouldn't want to keep her waiting because of me." I spit out as I throw his haori back at him. I march back to my sleeping bag and crawl in.

He does leave, and I cry silently again until I fall asleep.

I don't know how long I slept, but later I wake up to movement behind me. I stay silent and pretend to sleep as I recognize Inu-Yasha's presence. Now what is he doing? I have to force my heart and breath to calm as his arm wraps around my waist and he lies behind me. His warm, muscular chest and stomach rest against my back as his head lies next to mine.

Sometimes it hurts worse than usual, like tonight, but I love my Inu, so I can't leave his side. I'll put on my happy front, no matter how deep the cut, and move forward. After all, you have to breathe to live, and without Inu-Yasha in my life, there is no such thing as breath.