Half Breed's Song

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I feel I must warn you, there is major…I dunno, sweetness, in this chapter. It may make some of you puke. Then again it may make some of you go "Awwwwwww……." Anyway, just a heads up

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Sunlight streamed in the open window by Chiyumi's bed. When one particularly ambitious beam of light fell upon her face she stretched her arms, rolled over and opened her eyes.

"YOU-YOU-HENTAI NO BAKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The door slammed open and Inuyasha ran in just as Miroku ran out.

"What the hell is goin' on?" Chiyumi pulled the sheets tightly around her slim frame.

"I'm going to kill him the next time he tries that!!" she exclaimed, Kagome poked her head in, under Inuyasha's arm.

"What's going on? Why are you screaming so loudly?"

"Miroku must've spent the night in here," Inuyasha told her.

"Doing who knows what," Chiyumi said. Kagome gave her a sympathetic look and walked away.

"Shoulda hit him," Inuyasha tried unsuccessfully to hide a grin. Chiyumi glared at him.

"Out."

"What? What the hell did I do?" Chiyumi's glare intensified, then she dropped her sheet. Inuyasha went very pale, then very red, then closed the door very quickly. Chiyumi smirked to herself then began dressing.

"That wasn't funny!" Inuyasha called through the door, a couple of moments later.

"It worked didn't it? I see no problem with using whatever tools I have at my disposal," her voice became muffled as she tipped her head upside down to put up her sliver tresses, "As long as I get the desired result in the end."

"So you flash people to get what you want is that it?" Chiyumi opened the door, "Put some clothes on!" she glared.

"I have clothes on."

"Ok the skirt is fine, but, the shirt," she looked at it, then at Inuyasha, then down, then back up at Inuyasha, "You're kiddin' right? One good breeze and your breasts are out in the open." Chiyumi smiled and squeezed Inuyasha's nose.

"I know what I'm doing, trust me."

"Trust me says the half naked girl,' Chiyumi grinned and walked past him.

"C'mere Miroku-san," she said and grabbed the monk's ear. Once they got to the hot springs she released him.

"Why did I find you in my room, in my bed."

"I had no idea—"

"That excuse won't soothe me next time ok? You almost died today."

"I believe it."

"Secondly I wanted to thank you for last night."

"You—I—What?" Chiyumi twisted the ring around her finger, trying to get it off.

"I knew it wasn't Takeru talking to me when he…you said my name. He never called me Chiyumi. I was Yume-Chan to him."

"His little dream…"

"Right, but no one knew that."

"So it tipped you off."

"Yes," she got the ring off and held it out to him, "This ring is very old. It must've been in your family for generations. You really didn't have to—" Miroku covered her hands with his own.

"It's yours."

"What?"

"It's yours. My grandfather was to late. By the time he had gathered his courage…you were gone. Please take it. It was meant for you," Chiyumi's eyes misted slightly, "Oh no I made you cry. That wasn't my intent."

"I know," she wiped her eyes with one hand, "Excuse me," another eye wipe, "I have to go talk to Ashi," she bowed politely and ran off.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Chiyumi found Ashi lying back in his hammock. Not sleeping or anything, just kinda hanging out.

"Hi Ashi," he glared his beast death glare at her then rolled over, "Can I sit too?"

"No." she leaned over him, one silver pigtail dropping over her shoulder, Ashi stood up.

"Oh come, talk to me Ashi-kun," she stepped in front of him, he turned, "Ashi," she repeated the step and he turned again, this time closing his eyes as well. Chiyumi growled in frustration and grabbing his wrists pulled him close so he was two centimeters away from her body. Ashi 's eyes snapped open, probably to tell her off, and came face to face with…well, shall I say cleavage? Yes, cleavage works. The half demon sputtered incoherently, face turning an alarming shade of red.

"Lemme go!" he finally managed to shout.

"Tell me you'll talk to me."

"Fine, fine."

"Promise me Ayashi."

"Don't call me that!"

"Ashi!" she pulled him closer and he began squirming helplessly, "Promise me."

"Alright. All right! I promise to talk to you."

"Right now, the minute I let go."

"Fine."

"Say it."

"What?"

Say it!" Ashi sighed, embarrassed because he was in such an awkward position. Embarrassed because he could do nothing and embarrassed because Chiyumi wasn't.

"I promise to talk to you—"

"A full conversation."

"—A full conversation, immediately after ya let me go," Chiyumi released him and took a step back. Ashi glared at her for a moment, "Were you crying?"

"A little."

"Sentimental pain in my ass," he moved closer and wiped a tear that had managed to escape, then, hesitantly, reached up to touch Chiyumi's dog ears. With unabashed curiosity he was completely absorbed into checking out the once human girl. It was times like these that Chiyumi was forced to remember that he was only ten years old. Somewhere in his young life he grew up before it was time, she thought sadly, Poor Ashi-kun. She saw his nose quiver and realized that he was taking in her scent, memorizing it in case he need to find her later.

"Well," she said finally as he examined the bandage covering last night's wound, "What do you think?"

"I hate it," he picked up one of her hands and examined the claws, so similar to his own, "Ya looked better before," he let the hand drop, "I guess you're leavin' now?"

"Soon."

"Good."

"So young and yet so unpleasant."

"Yeah, whatever," Chiyumi pulled him into a sudden hug. The boy squirmed, trying to get free.

"It's because of your mother, right?" the squirming stopped suddenly and Chiyumi waited for the explosion.

"What did you say about my mother?" he asked very dangerously quiet.

"It's because she died that you refuse to allow yourself to get close to anyone. You're only a little boy, Ashi, and even though you act as one who is much older deep down you're still a scared little boy."

"Shut up."

"You're afraid that if you begin to care about someone or let them care about you, you'll lose them too. So you're mean and nasty and claim that you don't care. That way you'll drive everyone away from you, but that's not what you really want is it? You want your childhood back, you want to act like the little boy you are, but most of all you want someone to make you feel secure again."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!!" Ashi pushed himself back with so much force that he almost fell over.

"Ya think ya know me so god damn well?!? Ya don't! I don't care about anyone or anything, I don't need anyone to care about me, and I sure as hell don't want to act like a little kid!" he shouted before running off. Chiyumi sighed and sat down on the hammock.

"5…4…3…2…1," as if on cure Ashi came stomping back.

"Who the hell asked you to care so damn much anyway?"

"No one," she replied calmly, "I just do. You're the little brother I've always wanted and there's nothing I love so much as my brothers."

"I'm not your brother!" he stomped off again. Chiyumi rolled her eyes and put up all five fingers on one hand, one by one. Ashi stomped back a second time and glared at her for a full minute before he began shouting again.

"I don't want you to love me!" he slammed himself down on the hammock, the action almost causing it to tip over, "It ain't fair!" he slammed his face in his palms and after a moment his shoulders trembled. Chiyumi gave a mental gasp. If she didn't know better she'd say that he was crying. Chiyumi wrapped her arms around him and this time he leaned into her, though he kept his face hidden, "It ain't fair."

"Isn't."

"Shut up," Chiyumi giggled and began rocking him. He was a little chocked up, if not out and out crying.

"What isn't fair Ashi?"

"Everything."

"You're going to have to be more specific then that."

"Everything you said is right! How the hell do you know these things?"

"Easy, Inuyasha was a lot like you. He probably still is. The only person he loved besides mother was I. But while he had to carve his niche by force I got in on cuteness and it drove him deeper and deeper into an attitude very similar to yours. It's ok to love. I love just about anyone who's kind to me. Hell, Hoshi loves anything that stands still long enough for her to glomp it."

"The only person I ever loved left me and now you're leaving to."

"Ah, so the little kit does care. Perhaps he should use his head once I a while too."

"What?" he pulled back.

"You think I'm gonna let you out of my sight? If I leave you to your own devices you'll be mean to poor Hoshi-Chan."

"So it's not me you're concerned about it's Hoshi?" Chiyumi grinned evilly.

"That's ok 'cause you don't care about me either. Besides, if you come with us you'll be that much closer to getting the jewel from Shippo," she flicked his necklace.

"Fine, I'll go. Not 'cause I want to or anything. Only because I like your cooking," he looked around, as if checking for eavesdroppers, "And if you say anything about what just happened or what I'm about to do, I'll kill you in your sleep," Chiyumi tilted her head, confused.

"What you're about to do?" Ashi threw his arms around her neck and kissed her cheek, then let go and ran off a good deal redder than before. Chiyumi smiled happily for a moment, then clasped a hand to her wound as if she was suddenly pained there. When she pulled her hand away she gasped, the bandages, as well as her hand was soaked in blood. Chiyumi quickly wiped her hand off and went back inside.

*~*~*~*~*

"I'm glad you decided to put some clothes on," Chiyumi glared swiftly at her brother then smiled sweetly.

"I was dressed before Inuyasha-kun. I just happen to be more dressed than before. I was worried that Miroku-san would get a nosebleed," she had borrowed one of Kagome's turtlenecks to wear under her long blue vest. Since the vest really did look as if a strong breeze would open it, and thereby revealing her chest, it didn't hide the blood soaked bandages very well. Chiyumi had changed them but was worried that they might soak through again, so she had asked for a dark colored shirt.

"I wouldn't get a nosebleed," Miroku protested, "I was just fine being close to you before."

"Right," Chiyumi said sarcastically, "You were red. Tomato with hair and earrings in fact."

"I was—you were—we had—," Chiyumi giggled, covering her mouth with one hand as Miroku went completely crimson again.

"Are we leaving now Chiyumi-sama?" Hoshi crawled on top of Chiyumi's head.

"Yes, I suppose so," she sighed, "I'm going to miss my pretty house…"

"It seems like a good place to raise children."

"What?"

"Leave her alone Miroku. Say goodbye Chiyumi, it's just a house," Chiyumi threw a fan at him. It took off some hair, turned around, took off more hair and came back to thunk gently into Chiyumi's palm.

"Where do you keep them?" Kagome asked, "I never saw it come out."

"Ever hear of Hidden Weapons?"

"Isn't that a technique that Mousse uses in Ranma ½?"

"What??" Kagome chuckled.

"Forget it, I'll explain some other time."