Title: Hillside Companions

Author: landofthekwt

Rating: G

Word Count:817

Prompt: kmoaton (Inu/Kik pre Naraku happy)

Universe Canon

Warning: None

Summary: Inuyasha and Kikyou ask questions about their relationship

A/N A giftfic for Kmoaton celebrating 1 year at ffnet and 200 stories

When she arrived he was there as he always was lounging in that tree which afforded him a view of the entire hilltop and that valley below. From this vantage point he looked so relaxed. It was no wonder that Tsubaki had referred to him to him as "that worthless hanyou" Some months ago she might have thought so too. But things had changed between them. Even Tsubaki had noticed.

She wondered whether she should sit down in the meadow as she usually did or walk up to his tree. Better to stick to the script that they had established for their meetings. She sat down in the grass carefully arranging her hakama. Her bow was laid at her side. Others might think it strange that she would expose her back to him, but she knew that he would never attack her in that manner.

After a few minutes he joined her on the grass. She turned to acknowledge his presence. He crouched in a manner not unlike a large dog sitting back on his haunches. She stifled a giggle. It bothered him to be seen as an animal. Although everyone else in the village saw him as a monster, she had never seen that way. To her he was another lonely traveler. He was the only one who could possibly understand how alone she felt because he was as totally isolated from humanity as she was.

" You're late."

"I was detained by one of my fellow priestesses."

He gaged her answer for truthfulness. She smelled of cherry blossoms and snakes. Sometime recently she had used a very powerful magic. The aura still remained on her bow. He was unsure how to proceed. Delicate conversation was an art that he had lost when his mother died. Few humans talked to him. Most oni simply yelled , "Die hanyou." before they themselves died.

" It would seem that you were victorious seeing that you are still alive. Why did she bother you?"

" She seemed to think that my relation with you made me weak and made me unqualified to guard the Jewel."

" Why would our relationship make you weak?"

" Mikos are supposed to lose their powers as they fall in love with a man. This particular miko cursed me some time ago telling me that I would die if I ever fell in love with a man."

"Why would she think that we are in love? We have never kissed or touched each other."

" How would you describe us, Inuyasha? Are we friends, companions or persons who simply meet everyday in the same meadow to talk."

Inuyasha had not expected this sudden turn of the conversation. He had come to view their daily meetings as natural. Being with her was now part of his daily routine. Today he had come an hour early and simply surveyed the hillside for her until she arrived.

He knew that he did not want to harm her. Everywhere she went outside the village he was her shadow. If she played with the children, he was her lookout. If she stalked youkai he was there watching her back.

He had told himself that he was there to prevent any other youkai from seizing the Jewel Was this the truth or simply a cover for deeper activities. The idea that she might be injured by youkai had began to affect him.

He had began patrolling his forest at night for evidence of youkai approaching her village. Once he had not cared whether or not the youkai attacked the village so long as they did not attack him.

Somewhere along the line she had entered his field of protection. He could not imagine allowing a youkai to hurt her. It was not because she was the Jewel guardian. He had long ceased to attack her to seize the Jewel.

It was not because she was human that he wished to protect her. Only she and her sister fell into this circle of protection. Something about her made him want to protect her and to be with her.

"Inuyasha, are you still there. Are you going to answer my question?"

Inuyasha looked at her blankly. Her question had so ensnared him that he had forgotten about her. He scrambled to his feet.

" I have never had a friend before or a companion. You are first person that made me think of someone other than myself. You are the first person who has been willing to sit down and talk with me since my mother. Only you treat me as if I was human instead of a monster. I come here every day because I want to be with you. If we ceased to meet, I do not know what I would do."

Kikyou looked up him and smiled.

" I like being here with you, too, Inuyasha..".