A/N: An extremely short little interlude, a companion to Jezunya's 'Demon Blood'. I highly suggest all of her works, as they are very good.
Fire
A One Shot
Inuyasha stared at the fire. He sniffed carefully ,reassuring himself that everyone was asleep. He jumped down from the tree, never taking his eyes off the fire. It danced for him, leaping and crackling.
Inuyasha knelt before it, his head resting on his knee. His gold eyes reflected the fire's glow. His skin was bathed in it. Even his hair took on a golden quality.
"Miss me?" His voice was low, the question nearly whispered. The fire lunged towards him, a few sparks flying into his hair.
"Missed you too."
Inuyasha stretched out a hand, placing it in the fire. He felt a tingling warmth, as he always did when fire came in contact with his body.
The flames curled around his hand, as if in greeting. Inuyasha pulled a bit out, the flame seeming to burn on nothing. He played with it, rolling it around his hands, squeezing it through his fingers.
The hanyou sighed in contentment. He had definitely missed fire. His counterpart. It was a part of him, as deeply and surely as his blood was.
Inuyasha stood and stepped into the fire, feeling the fire's joy. The flames licked and his thighs, his knees, his calves. He crouched, and the flame engulfed him.
Inuyasha could've slept this way, but he didn't want the others to see. This was his, and only his.
He felt as if he had slipped into a warm bath. He felt his powers regenerating, his energies restoring.
"Thanks, love."
He could feel the answering happiness. The living flame curled around him, like a blanket. Or a lover.
Inuyasha absently stroked a log, closing his eyes and concentrating on the feel of it. The flame was an entity, and it welcomed him into it's heart.
Inuyasha stared at an ember. It glowed brightly, blushing a bit. Inuyasha smiled. Truly smiled. There were few times he was as happy as he was when he was with fire.
Inuyasha started as he heard Kagome shift in her sleep. He stood up quickly, regretting it almost immediately and the fire's sudden sorrow. It crackled loudly.
"I have to go now. I'm sorry."
The fire swept away from him, creating a path for him to leave. Not that he really needed one. A matter of courtesy, really.
"Thanks again," he murmured before jumping back into his tree. The fire jumped in an answer and then settled, ready for sleep.