(A/N-Rating may go back up. R&R please.)

As normal, Inuyasha was the first to awake. Though he was in a rush to get moving, he decided to let his traveling companions rest for a bit longer. He realized it was still rather early. It wasn't their fault that he never needed much sleep.

In fact, in his entire life, Inuyasha only knew of two people who sometimes beat him in awakening—Sesshomaru and Kikyo.

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Flashback

Inuyasha, still a "pup" of around 2 in human years, left the hut he shared with his mother. No one else in the village was awake, including his mother, so Inuyasha saw this as the perfect time to go investigating, without fear of being "in the way" of others, as they often pointed out for a reason he was yet to understand.

Outside, one of the children had left a small red ball unclaimed, so Inuyasha ran up to it happily, picking it up and tossing it in the air, being careful when he caught it. His nails were so long...he was always very careful when handling things that didn't belong to him.

It was just one of the things that made him different than the rest of the villagers. Made them hate him.

Though he wondered why, he never asked...at least he hadn't yet.

Bored with simply throwing the ball in the air and catching, Inuyasha tossed the ball down the road this time, and then ran after it so fast, that he was actually in front of it, and caught it before it reached the ground. His ears flopped with pride, and then he turned around, about ready to repeat the process.

But as he faced the new direction, he found a pair of legs in his view. He dropped the ball quickly, hoping that he didn't get yelled at, or teased...or even hit, like he usually was by one of the villagers. But when he looked up and saw the face attached to the being in front of him, his fear disappeared. His ears twitched with glee as he smiled at the young "teen" who reminded him of himself.

Inuyasha did not yet know who he was, but he was usually there in the mornings while everyone else slept. And Inuyasha liked him.

Sesshomaru looked down at his younger brother. "Your speed has improved."

Inuyasha nodded proudly. Sesshomaru bent down and picked up the ball, ignoring his brother's stare as he added, "But you still could not tell I was here."

Inuyasha bent his head, ashamed. "I'm sorry."

"Your apologies mean nothing to me."

Inuyasha felt his eyes tear, so he kept looking at the ground.

Sesshomaru did not really want to be here. But he knew that he was the only one who could adequately train Inuyasha...and, for some reason, Sesshomaru wanted his little brother to grow up to be strong, a good fighter.

Sesshomaru told himself that it was so when they one day had thief final battle and he killed Inuyasha as he had planning since Inuyasha's birth, that Inuyasha would at least be a semi-formidable foe.

But sometimes....

Inuyasha smiled as Sesshomaru patted the top of his head.

Sesshomaru wondered if he was lying to himself...

"Ready?"

Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru once more. "Yes."

Sesshomaru threw the ball, watching as Inuyasha chased it down. He caught it just before it hit the ground, and looked over at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru made one nod in approval and Inuyasha smiled.

Flashback End

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Inuyasha sighed quietly...he hated it when he would remember things like that about Sesshomaru.

It made the fact that they hated each other so much now bother Inuyasha.

It was easier to just hate Sesshomaru...Inuyasha didn't want to have to be bothered by the fact.

Sango turned, but, to Inuyasha's happiness, she did not wake.

Inuyasha stood, leaving Sango's hut to go outside. He did not want her to know that he had slept in there where she was.

Really, he did not care so much if Sango knew. He just did not want to know that she knew.

He did not like it when people realized that their existence mattered to him.

Once they knew that their existence mattered, they started to expect more from him. More that he had felt unable to give since Kikyo.

Inuyasha understood that was part of why Kagome left. He could not give her what she wanted.

And he wished that she had never known that he had started to care about her beyond her ability to detect jewel shards. Then she wouldn't have expected more from him, and she would still be here.

So, Inuyasha was determined not to repeat that mistake with his remaining comrades. Let them all think they were only needed to help him destroy Naraku.

Everything was safer that way.

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Flashback

Inuyasha's nose twitched, waking him from his sleep. "What?!" he called loudly.

In a few moments, Kikyo appeared. "Good morning, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha jumped down from the tree branch. "There won't be a good morning until I take that jewel from you" he smirked.

"Oh...of course." Kikyo smiled....she actually had the nerve to smile at him?!

"What's so damn funny?!"

"Nothing, Inuyasha." Kikyo's grin grew and she moved closer to him. "It's just that when you sleep, you look so beautiful that no one would be able to tell what a scoundrel you are."

"Feh." Inuyasha crossed his arms.

Kikyo watched him when he slept?

Why?

And even more important, why did that piece of information make his heart...warm?

"Have a nice day, Inuyasha." Kikyo turned and headed back towards her village.

Inuyasha watched as she left...and he found himself realizing, that when he finally made his move for the jewel, and Kikyo put up a fight as he knew he would...

He would not be able to hurt her.

When the hell did that happen?

Flashback End

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Damn her...damn Kagome...damn everyone to hell.

Once feelings, even just of friendship, got in the way, everything became way too messy.

"GET UP!" Inuyasha barked loud enough for everyone to hear.