Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor any of the characters affiliated with it. I own Hirosuke, the poem that gave the title to this piece and the idea. The gory scene is er...a by-product of too much looking at geki-ga (especially Kamuiden - thanks for that Shirato-sama. :p)

A Burden Shared
Before she has realized moons have melted into seasons and the cold forces them to spend more time together. Kirara cannot understand why this makes her somehow giddy, but puts it down to the effect of the season on her human body. Something she does understand, however, is that her companion is being ailed, though she has yet to learn what. With the waning of the days shadows have begun to overtake him, slipping around him, chilling him to the core, slithering into his dreams and dripping their poison until she can hear him scream. She has not asked him why that is, trusting that he would tell her if he ever decided to; instead she contents herself with smoothing his hair away from his damp face and holding his hand while he sleeps on tortured by unseen demons. At such times her heart lurches painfully in her chest wishing it knew how to soothe him and cursing its ignorance.

When he finally awakes, dazed and still tired, she reassures him with soft words, never demanding, never inquiring. His eyes focus on her with such intensity – as though his sanity depends on her being there. Unbeknownst to her, it is so. Her gestures, her words, her shy-but-still-not-quite-honest smiles have slowly been altering him as much as he has been changing her.

"Kiyoko.", he whispers one night when his heart feels it will burst under the heavy shadows. She looks up from her knitting and regards him curiously.

"Kiyoko..." Her name on his lips sounds like an incantation of sorts, a prayer. "Will you not come nearer?" She obliges.

"Kiyoko..." Fear alters his scent quite markedly and she worries of what he is about to speak. "Have you ever loved someone?"

She cocks her head. She ponders for a moment: she's had no parents to speak of, both having died before she was old enough to have strong recollections of them, and the nearest thing to such an emotion had been...

"Yes." She speaks softly. "Yes...once"

He nods understandingly.

"Kiyoko...I...I, too, loved someone...once." He does not understand why he is telling her – why he feels the need to tell her, and even more so: why he craves her acceptance…

"She...She...was to become my wife." His eyes glaze over with memories. "We had been childhood sweethearts and although she wasn't of high-breeding I had decided to make her my wife, against the wishes of my parents – or rather, their advisors." He smiles bitterly. "They...they had her killed." He spits out. "…made it look like a random brigand attack, but I knew. I knew! And..."

Her breath stops in her throat. Such cruelty. She had always thought humans were more emotionally inclined, though hadn't considered that the same trait could lead to insensate behaviour.

"I..." She is barely aware he is still talking. "I...killed the man who'd ordered her death. I can still feel my sword going through him, the blood on my hands..." He stops, trying to calm his ragged breathing. "But she was still dead...They exiled me...for ten years. All I could do...All I could see was my beloved as I had known her. I would wake each day pining for her voice, and go to sleep each night envisioning her in my arms...and then...I would always dream of finding her...dead...her body cut up...her eyes staring unseeingly and her mouth...her mouth calling for me." He puts his hand over his mouth stifling something that sounds suspiciously like a sob. "Little by little I began forgetting, but even that hurt. I didn't want to forget her – didn't want to pretend she never existed...but I did." He raises tortured eyes to her. "I did!"

Kirara is torn between sympathy for him and pain at her own memories; however, she softly places her hand over his in what, she hopes, would be a comforting gesture. Hirosuke clutches at it.

"I...was meant to protect her! She died calling out to me! She died because I couldn't protect her...she...she..."He stops abruptly when something wet lands on his hand. Kirara hadn't been aware she was crying until she tried to speak.

"She loved you." The words feel foreign on her tongue. "She loved you...and she trusted you...and...she understands it was not your fault." With each word she begins to be more convinced of her own forgiveness. Yes, there were things above and beyond the ability of being prevented. "She...would forgive you...she wouldn't want you to hurt like you do." She is certain Midoriko had wanted her to live. "Because she loved you...and she wanted you to be happy." He looks a bit confused at what she is saying, but then nods ever so slightly.

"Forgive me, Kiyoko. It must be a pathetic scene to witness a man cry." His voice is bitter and she shakes her head.

"You grieve. If there is something I have learned...it is that to be honest with one's feelings is the sure-way to being strong. Pretences fall apart like a house of straws."

"Thank you, Kiyoko, very much so. Forgive me for burdening you, forgive me for making you cry." His hand comes up to brush away her tears.

"I..." She wants so very much to tell him about everything but she cannot. He had loved this mystery-woman and she has no idea why the very thought sends a pang through her. "What was her name?"

She is surprised at her own question.

He smiles sadly: "Shizuka."

She smiles in return, unsure of what else to say.

"Thank you." Her hands are safely cradled by his again. "Thank you for listening, Kiyoko."

The coldness in her heart dispels a little.

"You are welcome."

"Kiyoko...I don't think I want to see you go." The breath she is taking sticks in her throat. "I...would you consider staying a little longer?" She nods mutely then squeaks when she is pulled into his arms. "After Shizuka I had lost all hope. I could see myself at most just surviving...then gradually not even that; but...you...you gave me hope again. You made me feel like I could still carry on, even if for no other reason than the fact that I'm still alive. Thank you." The pounding in her head subsides enough for her to mumble that it had been him who had saved her. Silence then spreads softly around them enveloping them with its comfort.

"I...am sorry for your loss." Kirara's murmur seems to echo in the small room. He tightens his arms around her.

"I apologise again for my outburst. An innocent girl, such as yourself has probably never met with such atrocities...it must be rather disturbing." She smiles bitterly in her mind thinking about her 'innocence' from such 'atrocities'.

"No."

"No?"

She breathes in deeply.

"I loved too once...that person was killed before my eyes." She hears his gasp, his heart speeding up: "I, too, blamed myself and wanted nothing more than to end the pain, but...I had a mission – one I still haven't completed."

"Is it to do with that jewel you carry?"

She bites her lip. Yes, she trusts this man.

"Yes."

"Is there any way I can help?" His concern is truly touching.

"No...it is something I must do on my own."

He does not respond for a while, then:

"Kiyoko...if you desire to leave I won't detain you."

Her heart skips a beat.

"I want to stay." I want you to never let me go!

Lying wrapped in his arms, his head resting softly on her shoulder, she allows herself to surrender to the comforting warmth. Somewhere inside her heart, a fragment she had believed to be dead begins to blossom again.

Author's Note: I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D I admit I am curious as to the low hit count of this story...is it unpalatable, or just merely unpopular because it's not canon (per se)? I would dearly appreciate some thoughts on the matter. Is it a hard read? I know it is more mature in terms of phrasing and style than what I usually write, but do let me know if it is actually too hard. I am very interested in hearing your opinions on the matter. Kind thanks!