Fireflies Light

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed
Kagome sighed as she tucked Shippo into his futon. Kouga had left to the room next to her room. Kagome's eyes scanned the surrounding hut with a look of sadness. Her orbs strayed to the window and she watched a wisp of yellow light fly by. A small smile made its way to her face as she watched another wisp of light fly by. She stood up and walked outside of the hut. She inhaled the cool night air and began her descent into the forest. A leaf crunched under her foot as she watched another light fly by. Her blue eyes followed the light till it landed in the branches of a tree. A small smile came to her face as she saw Bankotsu standing under the tree. His own sapphire eyes were watching the fireflies with interest.

Bankotsu turned and gazed at her for a few moments before his eyes traveled back to the fireflies. Kagome walked closer to him and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. Her own eyes watched the fireflies dance in the sky. She noticed that they would stay lit for a second and then go blank for two or three seconds.

"So," Kagome whispered.

She didn't want to break the sadness of things in this moment. The fireflies always reminded her of the longing she felt. Bankotsu picked his Banryuu up from the ground and placed it on his shoulder. He then looked to Kagome from the corner of his eye. Kagome watched as another firefly blinked out.

"Are ya ready to go?" Bankotsu asked.

"Yeah," Kagome whispered as they vanished into the night.

Kagome bit her lower lip and stared at the ground in thought. Her eyes focused on Bankotsu's feet before they rested on his long braid. Fireflies flicked around her as she released her lower lip from her bite. A soft sigh escaped her as she watched the braid bounce up and down.

'Things are not meant to last,' Kagome thought. 'Everything is but a fleeting moment.'

Kagome finally noticed they were in a clearing. Bankotsu placed his Banryuu on the ground and sat next to it. Kagome studied the surroundings in thought while wondering what they were doing here. Her eyes landed on the dark blue water of the calm surface of the lake. She sat next to Bankotsu and gazed at the lake sadly. Bankotsu glanced at her and rested his elbows on his knees. It was such a serene moment; he had no clue what to say. Kagome softly chuckled at the how ironic the situation was. Bankotsu watched as she leaned back onto the palm of her hands and stared out at the lake.

"This is one of those moments," Kagome softly spoke. Her face remained neutral as she whispered this.

"What type of moment?" Bankotsu curiously asked.

"It's one of those moments where everything comes to make sense. It's where you make a realization and nothing will be the same ever again," Kagome clarified.

"What did you realize?" Bankotsu asked.

Kagome remained silent as she gazed at the lake's surface. Fireflies blinked in and out of existence as she danced above the water. Kagome softly smiled at the light and sighed once again. She sat up and stared passed the lake and fireflies. Her mind traveled to that night when she watched Inuyasha and Kikyo.

"I finally realized that nothing lasts forever," Kagome finally answered. "There is no eternal love, there is nothing that lasts forever. Everything is a fleeting moment."

"A soul lasts forever," offered Bankotsu; he was no good at serious conversations.

"It depends on what you believe," Kagome whispered. A firefly flew over her and landed on her hand.

"What do you believe?" Bankotsu asked.

"I'm not sure," Kagome quickly said. The firefly flew off and joined the others above the lake's surface.

"When I was little," Bankotsu began, "I used to catch fireflies in a field near my hut. I would then watch them fly around the river. My mother used to tell me that they were souls."

"Do you believe that?" Kagome questioned.

"Maybe," Bankotsu whispered.

"I think fireflies are beautiful," Kagome whispered into the night air.

"They seem solemn," Bankotsu added.

"They show that nothing lasts forever," Kagome sadly said as she turned toward Bankotsu.

Bankotsu looked over at the Miko and watched as she stared at the flickering fireflies. Kagome could feel his gaze upon her. She turned her head and gazed at him with no emotion.

"Do you believe nothing lasts forever because of what happened?" Bankotsu softly asked as he leaned closer to her.

"It is not a belief, it is a truth I've dealt with," Kagome clarified.

"What if I could change that?" Bankotsu whispered.

"What if you couldn't?" Kagome questioned.

"What if I tried?" Bankotsu quickly asked.

"What if…what if I like my fleeting moments?" Kagome's challenged with a hint of annoyance. She didn't want another male fighting for her attention. Granted, Inuyasha was gone and Kouga was finally moving on. But she was a Miko that had duties that went above her own needs.

"Would you let me make your fleeting moments last longer?" Bankotsu seriously asked. Kagome stared at him.

"No." She simply ended it.

"Then I'll be happy to try," Bankotsu challenged with a smile.

Kagome stared at him careful to keep her emotions hidden. She felt like smacking him for acting so honest. It wasn't right that he could act so childish about this situation.

"You don't understand," Kagome angrily said.

"I understand that you're afraid to feel," Bankotsu answered.

"I can feel anytime I want, but I don't need my fleeting moments to last longer," Kagome warned.

"But it's wonderful to have a moment that lasts forever," Bankotsu argued.

Kagome sighed and stood up from her spot on the ground. Bankotsu quickly followed suit as he watched her. Kagome looked toward the water and began to grin inside her mind. She grabbed Bankotsu by the arm and swung him towards the water. His arms flapped around in the air as he struggled to regain his lost balance. Kagome walked over to him and poked his chest. He fell into the water with a loud splash. The fireflies flew away from the lake as she grinned.

Bankotsu stood up in the water and glared at her. Kagome noted that he looked cute with his bangs plastered to his face. She glared at him for making her mind betray her. He stepped out of the water and she watched as the water poured down his pants and back to the ground.

"What the hell was that for?" He shouted at her.

"Aren't you glad that was only a fleeting moment?" Kagome questioned. "It'd be a shame if it lasted longer."

"I wasn't talking about bad moments!" Bankotsu growled.

"I'd say it was a good moment for me," Kagome mumbled with a small smile.

"Whatever," Bankotsu mumbled as he squeezed his braid dry.

"Sorry," Kagome softly muttered as she looked away.

Bankotsu watched as she continued staring into the forest. He grinned and placed a hand on her shoulder. Kagome tilted her head and looked over at him with a questioning gaze.

"At least I don't have to bathe tonight," Bankotsu commented.

"That's gross," Kagome growled as she began to walk away.

"Hey!" Bankotsu yelped as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him. Kagome softly blushed at the contact. She moved her free hand to his chest so she could push him away.

"You want to get together tomorrow?" Bankotsu softly asked.

"Sure," Kagome nervously said as she noticed his eyes closing. Her hand clenched in his haori and she watched his face come closer to her. He seemed to hesitate before he gently brushed his lips against her forehead.

"See ya tomorrow," Bankotsu whispered.

"Just remember that I'm a Miko," Kagome tried to warn, but it came out like she was teasing.

"Who knows…maybe you won't be a Miko anymore with me around," he joked as she blushed.

'That didn't come out right,' Bankotsu thought.

"Pervert," Kagome mocked as she vanished into the forest.

Kagome listened to the gentle breeze as she continued her trek back to the village. A sigh escaped her lips as she stared at the ground.

'Why did I want that moment to last longer?' Kagome questioned.

Author's Notes:
This was a kodak moment, I wanted fireflies in my story, and they do represent something, I just didn't go 'hey I want fireflies!'(In a way I did)
I'm going to be starting a new story and I'm trying to decide the pairing. The fic is called Embracing Darkness and it is about what would happen if Naraku absorbed Kagome. I just can't think of a decent pairing(sigh)
Anyways thanks to the reviewers I love writing for you all!