Growing Affections

It had been a few days since Hotaka had kissed Amaya. She was very shy and timid about it, and she didn't know what to do. Amaya had been kissed many times before on the cheek by her parents and sometimes by her brother, but this was very different and Amaya couldn't understand why.

She heard a knock at the front door and went to investigate, when she opened it, yet again, like every day since the kiss, she found something waiting for her at her door step. The first day it had been a spinning top, the second a bow, today there were flowers waiting for her from the meadow.

Amaya had not seen Hotaka since that day, it had been three days now, and when she and Kazuki went to the meadow to play he was not there waiting for them.

She wondered if she did anything wrong? Did she upset him? Or hurt his feelings? Amaya just couldn't grasp what was going on between them.

Walking into the lounge room towards the fire she gazed at the flowers in her arms, a sad look on her face. They were beautiful, but she would much rather be with the one who gave them to her.

"Mumma." She called softly to Kagome. "Why is Hotaka doing these things?" She raised the flowers up so Kagome could see them better. Kagome stopped knitting the jumper she was working on and looked at her daughter. She smiled and replied "He likes you."

"But... Mummyyyy I know he likes me." She whined. "That's why we are friends."

"Amaya my sweet." She softly patted her daughters head. "This is a different kind of like."

Amaya frowned at her Mother feeling confused, and frustrated. "But, mumma... I don't understand."

Kagome's hand slid gently to Amayas right cheek, "You will someday." She smiled gently and reassuringly.

"And why isn't he talking to me?" Her eyes started to water. "If he 'likes' me then why won't he talk to me?"

"Why don't you go and ask him yourself." Kagome replied softly, "He is just outside the window over there." Amaya went to look but Kagome gently pulled her daughters face back to look at her. "He has been watching us this whole time, when you go out there, make sure to be quite or he will run away." She winked.

Amayas eyes lit up. This would be the first time she'd get to see him in three days. She was truly excited.

Kagome directed Amaya towards the kitchen to make it look like she was not going outside, but sneakily Amaya walked quietly out the back door and tiptoed around to the front where Hotaka was peeping through the window.

She hesitated for a moment, looking around the corner of the house, she was watching Hotaka pushing himself up with his feet to meet the window. He was too short to stand there at full height and see through the window. Amaya blushed, why was she feeling this way towards Hotaka? It was so unnatural yet natural at the same time. She couldn't get herself to walk around the corner; she feared that he would see her. Amayas heart was going to explode, but she had to do this, or she might not see him again!

Amaya took a deep, quiet breath, and walked around the corner. She decided that if she didn't capture him now, that he would just run off. So instead of just nudging him, with full force she pounced on him and held him to the ground. Dirt shot up everywhere as he face planted into the bushes.

"ARHHH WHA-T –T-T-T-T-HE H-H-ELL?" He shrieked.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Amaya barked at him angrily.

Hotaka's whole body froze when he recognised her voice, and Amaya felt it.

She asked again, "Why have you been AVOIDING ME?" Hotaka slowly turned his head to look at her sideways while still pressed to the ground. Amaya was now starting to sob.

Hotaka's eyes widened and he began to shriek "GET OFF ME WOMAN!"

Amaya released his head while now occupying her hands with wiping away her tears, but she wouldn't get off of him. "GET OFF ME!" He yelled again. Amaya only cried louder.

Hotaka began to frown, he didn't want to be near her for some reason, and he didn't understand why. He felt like he wanted to be near her always, but at the same time he couldn't stand to be near her, and now, watching her cry, he felt like hot irons were burning his chest. He just wanted to get away. He began to sob. "Get AWAY from me." He cried. Hotaka began to give up on squirming out from under her. She had him stuck face down and he just couldn't do anything about it. Hotaka let his face fall straight into the dirt, his arms falling above him, and continued to sob.

He wanted so desperately to get away from her, but at the same time he just wanted her close to him. Hotaka couldn't understand it at all.

"Wh-h-y?" Amaya sobbed, her tears were now clearing up a bit, but Hotaka gave no answer. All Amaya could feel was his body twitching with every sob he gave out.

She stood up and ran away crying. Amaya honestly believed that Hotaka didn't want to see her again. Hotaka suddenly shot up from the ground, but instead of running where he had planned, he sped towards the meadow where he knew Amaya would go. Amaya had a secret path of her own that she sometimes took to the meadow. She often used this path to trick Kazuki and Hotaka, and to beat them to the meadow. This time she was using it as an escape route. She didn't want Hotaka following her, and she didn't want Kazuki to find her for Hotaka. Amaya just wanted to sob alone.

She stopped at a special part of the path, a tiny clearing that was near a creek. Amaya sat down on the dry dirt, raised her legs to her chest and held them tightly while her head rested against them. Amaya felt so hurt, her heart felt like it had been stretched and torn slightly. Over the wind she suddenly heard something. It was a voice calling from the meadow. She peered through the trees and in the distance she could see a tiny figure running around in the clearing.

"AMAYA!" The voice on the wind called again. It was Hotaka. "AMAYA!" Every time the voice was heard it sounded more desperate and miserable. She then saw another figure move into the meadow; silver hair flickered in the hoarse wind. "What did you do IDIOT!" It barked. The voice belonged to her brother Kazuki. "Where have you been?" Kazuki scolded.

The first tiny figure in the distance collapsed to the ground, not because he was attacked, but because he was in pain. Amaya could see that Hotakas head was in his hands. Kazuki stood there, looking down at Hotaka, his arms on his hips, but he wasn't yelling at Hotaka anymore. The rest of the conversation was too quiet for Amaya to hear. All she could hear were the occasional wheezing gasps of Hotaka.

Amaya felt terrible, she had a feeling that her running away was the cause of Hotakas pain. She stood up and walked along the path, always keeping her eyes on the two figures in the meadow. Amaya wanted to be close enough to hear what they were saying. A snapping sound echoed, it was a stick that Amaya had stood on. Both of the boys gazes snapped towards where the sound had come from. She gasped and then she saw Kazuki walking towards her, a curious frown on his brow.

Amaya ran for it, her legs were tripping slightly on the path as she avoided every rock and stick in front of her. Any ordinary human wouldn't have heard her, but her brother, like herself, had superior hearing and he knew it was her. Kazuki shot through the trees and was hot on her trail. Amaya was scared; she wouldn't know what to do if she should have to face Hotaka again.

Hotaka was still on his knees in the meadow, his own senses were better than that of the twins due to him being a full blooded demon, while the twins were only one fourth. Hotaka ran for the path to join Kazuki in pursuing Amaya. "AMAYA" He cried. Before he could reach the path he paused when he noticed Amaya running out of the forest. She was looking behind her at Kazuki, she feared that he would catch her so much so that she didn't realise that she was heading straight for Hotaka until she smashed right into him.

Hotaka held his ground, only just avoiding plummeting into the ground. Amaya froze, her eyes widened, she could smell his scent and then tried to get away. It was too painful to be near him after she felt rejected by him earlier that day, but she couldn't budge. He was too strong for her. She shoved at his chest trying to break free, and when she couldn't, she did what she feared most. Amaya hesitantly looked up into his light hazel eyes, and he was sobbing. She wanted to get away, but when she met his gaze she froze at once and couldn't look away no matter how hard she tried.

Hotaka held her to him with his left arm, while using his right to wipe away his tears. There was no need to hold her though, even if Amaya wanted to get away, she couldn't budge. He went to use his left hand as well, because he couldn't contain the water flowing from his eyes. Without Hotakas arm for support Amaya fell to the ground and onto her backside. "Ouch!" She whined, rubbing her bottom.

Hotaka fell down to his knees to meet her gaze, but she turned away from him. Kazuki walked up behind her and frowned at Hotaka. He then crossed his arms, "So what you gonna do now?... Stupid idiot!" Kazuki stared at Hotaka who looked up at him, his eyes glassy from the tears. "I'll go then." Kazuki walked away, "you better make it up to my sister," He punched his fist into the palm of his other hand, "or else!"

They sat there in silence for about ten minutes, Hotaka turned away from Amaya, with only occasional glances at her to see if she was looking at him, but she was always turned away.

Those ten minutes of silence were the most agonising ten minutes of Hotakas life. Amaya started to occupy herself with making a daisy chain, while occasionally glancing at Hotaka without him noticing.

"Ouch!" Amaya yelped, she had cut herself with one of her claws. Kagome warned her the other day that this would happen if she didn't let her trim them, but Amaya didn't listen. She went to put her finger in her mouth, but found her hand clasped in two of Hotakas. She met gaze with him for only two seconds and then blushed and looked away.

Hotaka wiped away the blood and then pulled out a bandaid from one of his pockets. He then pulled out a file –that he normally used to sharpen his claws for battles with Kazuki that are quite forbidden by both their parents because of damages involved – he used the file to make her claws blunt so she couldn't cut herself again.

"T-thanks." Amaya muttered embarrassed.

Hotaka didn't say anything, he just stayed silent. Amaya turned to him and noticed him staring right at her. She suddenly felt the urge to feel that kiss on her cheek again, but instead Hotaka went straight for her lips. It was a sweet blissful kiss that lasted only a few seconds before Hotaka blushed and turned away to hide the shy grin on his face.

Amaya blushed and giggled, Hotaka peered at her from the corner of his eye, his face beetroot red.

She turned to him and giggled, "Do it again!" Hotaka felt startled and flinched from surprise, but he was happy to hear that. At least she wasn't mad at him anymore. He went in slowly for the second kiss; Amaya's face was now blushing a rose pink. Something hit Hotakas head before he could accomplish a second kiss.

"NO YOU DON'T YOU LITTLE MUT!" They turned and see Inuyasha yelling from the bushes. "IF A FILTHY MUT LIKE YOU LAYS ANOTHER HAND ON MY LITTLE GIRL I W-" before he could finish his sentence, Hotaka kissed Amaya again cheekily and they both ran away together into Amayas secret path, Inuyasha trying to chase after them yelling insults at Hotaka.