Chapter 5

The new rays of light had just begun to glance off the top of the trees, making the canopy shine a brilliant fresh silver. Inuyasha launched himself into the dawn sky, taking in a deep breath of the crisp air around him.

It was arguably his favourite time of day, when the world seemed fresh, full of possibilities. And for few moments he could pretend that he could be the only being in this world. That way there would never be what he was or was not or not enough of. He would just be.

Despite the fact that it was still a bit too early for the villagers to be milling around, he skirted the main road that led to the shrine. Even though he couldn't give two shits what those idiots whispered amongst themselves, Inuyasha wasn't a masochist. Listening to insults was not his idea of a good time. Especially if he couldn't punch anyone's lights out.

One of these days though…

Skimming effortlessly up the side of the hill, he quickly honed in on the cluster of buildings hidden in the trees beyond the torii. His steps slowed, as golden eyes caught sight of the red and white robes, the long, straight line of her bound hair. It had become a familiar, but still somewhat disconcerting silhouette.

Inuyasha landed on a low bough of one the giant elms close by. They had built up this unspoken routine. But still, it was against his instincts to be sloppy. It was always better to be on higher ground in the presence of anything that had the capacity to pose a threat. A miko was, for sure, one such thing.

For a while he remained silent, ears twitching to the rhythmic sound of her sweeping, as he watched her push a small, neat pile of dirt and twigs around the courtyard. It seems like that almost every day, without fail, she was sweeping the shrine grounds at the same time, weaving the exact same pattern around the smattering of structures.

In the moon or so he'd tracked her, not once had he seen her enter the biggest building, where the kami was enshrined. Where he was certain, whatever powerful artifact she guarded, was kept. If it wasn't for the goddamn barrier around it, he would've long sussed out the place and been on his way ages ago.

"Inuyasha." The placid tone of her voice breached the morning birdsong around them. The swish of the broom paused.

"Kikyou." He muttered back at her.

At that, the priestess turned just a fraction around, but not enough to actually face him, merely showing him a little more of her profile. She paused like this for a few breaths, and then the rustle of the broom resumed.

"Kichi-san's leg is finally on the mend. It's the third time I have adjusted the splints," Kikyou mused. "This time, I think, should do it. And Miki's pregnancy is coming along." She came close to the tree line to sweep the pile of dirt off the paving stones and back onto the forest floor. "I was concerned for a while, given how she'd lost the previous one."

Inuyasha grunted, not certain she could really hear him given their range. He never replied to her really, and she never seemed to expect him to, simply speaking to the space around them in her calm, quiet voice.

Kikyou walked the broom back to the place it usually lived, then moved towards tidying the rows of paper charms, fluttering gently in the breeze.

"What does worry me though," She continued, as her thin fingers moved along to the next talisman. "is that child, Kagome. The villagers have all been very patient, but it seems she is struggling to pick up simple, every day tasks."

He had no idea what possessed him in that moment, but the words had spilled out of his mouth, tinged with a hint of indignation before his brain could even register it. "Well, it ain't like she's not trying.

Her hands stilled, and the priestess turned to actually fully face in his direction. There was an almost imperceptible arch of one brow.

"Oh?"

Dark eyes searched his with mild interest.

"They don't mean any ill will. I presume the villagers are still somewhat unsettled with the arrival of two strangers in such a short period, is all." Kikyou looked at him for another moment before turning back to her work.

In response, he jammed his hands further into his sleeves thoroughly annoyed and bit back the obscenity laden retort he was about to spew. Saying one stupid thing was enough.

Strangers. Hah. As if those fuckers actually used that term for him. Oh, he heard every word alright, of the mutterings of how kind and merciful their miko was to try so hard to enlighten something as vile as a half-breed.

Inuyasha breathed a slow inhale, trying to willfully lower his bristling youki. He laid back on the trunk, resuming the accustomed routine of watching Kikyou.

She moved through the usual morning roster of chores, interspersing the quiet with periodic updates about Kaede and something about a request to visit a nearby village.

It was a strange kind of peace in a way, lounging in a tree and listening to her talk. It felt almost like she was talking to him. Sort of. Companionship he did not want to admit he wanted to maintain. It was this delicate balance, him and Kikyou.

Then, the sound of footsteps drifted up from the stone steps, along with the muffed sound of humans speaking. Inuyasha sat up, attention going back the miko.

A few more minutes and the sound reached her too. Kikyou's shoulders pulled back slightly, her back tensing.

That was his cue to leave.

Her dark eyes catch his once more.

He nods once at her, and the next moment, he is gone.

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Torii - the gateway that symbolically marks the entrance to the sacred boundaries within a shrine.

A/N: Ok, so this is very little words to show for how much I agonized over this chapter. I want to really flesh out what kind of relationship Kikyou and Inuyasha would've had. I think what stands out to me the most, are the pre-Naraku manga snapshots of him in a tree and she on the ground further away. Or when they do sit by each other they are quite a ways apart, Inuyasha usually perched somewhere slightly uphill. And they kinda mostly look in the same direction but not really at each other. So that's the feeling I want to bring through.

Let me know what y'all think :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. However, this plot, the exact sequence of words and any original characters described therein, I reserve all rights to.