Theme 27: Foreign

"I am remembering" he said softly, so as not to startle her. That seemed to do something as she stopped crying "Really? You're not putting my leg?"

He decided to forgo the lie "Only a little" he said, for it was true, he was seeing Inuyasha's memories. "But I am not able to make much sense of them. I see them as if they are the memories of someone else. So I fear you will never see 'your' Inuyasha in me."

This human side was even more troublesome than he thought.

Why? Why was he comforting her, why did he care if she cried or not, if her eyes were full of sadness, if she looked so heartbroken.

Why did his own heart feel strange?

"Really?" she said again, quieter "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wished to keep it to myself" Was his answer.

She was quiet, then "So he won't ever come back?"

"He might" Sesshomaru said, for if his plans succeeded, Inuyasha would return "He will."

She was quiet for a time more. Then suddenly she said "I've been a real idiot, haven't I? You're taking this even worse than I am, that's why you didn't want to say anything, right?"

Sesshomaru said nothing as she wiped her tears, though her assumption was incorrect, he wasn't 'taking this hard' as she said.

"I mean, why wouldn't you" she continued "You wake up with no idea who you are, see memories that mean nothing to you, and deal with people every day who mean nothing to you. Why wouldn't it affect you too?"

She was correct in a way, so he nodded.

Suddenly, she laughed "Mama was right, I've been focusing on how I feel, I forgot how you must feel. But you know, even now, when I think about it, it doesn't change anything. I still…even though you're different, I still care about you Inuyasha, you know that…right?"

Sesshomaru did not know how to answer this time, his heart felt strange. He'd never felt it do this before, constrict on itself and let go at her every word. He didn't think much of her desire to 'care' for him, yet why…why did he feel so much about it? It was something so foreign he couldn't even think about it, so he allowed it to run its course. Did he have any choice, he was human now, he had no control over his heart.

But then, he remembered the dreams and memories from earlier.

She gave Inuyasha so much loyalty, but he did not want her 'care', he had chosen another. So why… The fact was something he did not understand.

"Miko, please answer me this, for it confuses me." he found himself saying before he could stop himself, "I have seen memories of your devotion to Inu…I, and my cause, and I also have seen memories of my returning in kind." For Inuyasha did care for the girl, he had protected her many times from Sesshomaru's wrath.

"My affections towards you in these memories are apparent." He said "However I also seem to hold strong affections for another, perhaps even stronger affections, for the one Kikyo." At these words, she flinched slightly, an action he did not miss.

"Why do you remain with me while you know this? What is your reasoning? It seems in the past, I have even tried to push you away to spare you, yet you return to my side and aid me in my quest. Why? For the jewel?"

She looked at him and smiled "Because I love you too."

He did not understand.

"I know you love Kikyo," she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and continuing to wrap the bandage around his chest ", and really, I don't blame you for it. You two shared something that I can't comprehend, something that happened years ago. You fell in love, she opened your heart."

She tore the bandage and stuck it with a strange tape. Pulling back, she sighed "I know…your heart belongs to her, and if it weren't for Naraku, I know you two would still be together. But even so…" she paused then looked at him with sad unwavering eyes "Even so, just as your heart belongs to Kikyo, my heart belong to you Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru's heart skipped a beat. He absentmindedly touched his chest. His heart had never done this before, he'd never allowed it to do something so pointless and as a Youkai he had more control, so now as a human, he did not know what it meant.

"I love you too," she said, still looking at him "perhaps the way I feel is not as strong as Kikyo or perhaps it's even stronger, but still, just as you have chosen to give your heart to Kikyo, can't I be allowed to choose to give mine to you?" she crossed her arms over her legs and gazed up at the stars "Cant I just be allowed to stay beside you, to love you? That's why I return, I just…" she was quiet as she smiled softly at him "I wanna be with you Inuyasha. Though thick and thin. Yeah, I'm jealous, but I'm only human and you know that too, but I decided long ago I was going to follow my heart, and my heart is with you."

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