Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of the characters. Attempts to sue are ultra vires! Ha!

Author Notes:Ok, so I decided to put them up here, in the hope that for once pepople will pay attention! Firstly, thank you to all of you who read my stories. It's very nice to know you like them...or rather guess at it, since a LOT of you are being extremely lazy as to letting me know what you think.

Anyways, rants out of the way...thank you and a great shout out to Neisha, Spirit of Innocence, THE-REAL-MYSTIC,bakabaka135,meatballheadedprincess14, sailor star super, Simply Alex, Sxc-Saphire, Es Arr, Jasmin Kaiba, gottaluvjoey, tear-drowned-angel, lore, martyrdom, insane serpent, waffles4eva and all who have ever left me a review. You know who you are and I'm deeply greatful for each one of you. Now, on to the story we go.


Brusque


Inuyasha was...undoubtedly a boy- a strange, head-strong and undeniably handsome boy...in his own way, Kagome mused, laying on her bed, exhausted after another eventful day.

She was glad to be back, and not have to worrying about demons for a couple of (begrudgingly allowed) days off.

Her mind kept wandering back to Inuyasha: the walking contradiction.

She thought about how he had to survive on his own for so long, to kill or be killed, how the woman he had entrusted with his heart had shattered it, and killed him!

Was it any wonder he had issues with trust?

She sighed. For all his harshness, Inuyasha was quite tender.

She had seen it again and again: when she got hurt, when their friends were in danger...when he met Kikyo...

It was there in his eyes: concern, comradery...love; exposed for the world to see, if only they knew how to look.

She sighed again remembering what she had seen, and learnt of his past. He didn't speak often about it...and never much if he could help it.

He heart tightened painfully, part in anger and part in sadness, at what Inuyasha had always faced, what he always had to face and all he felt he had to face. On his own.

It hurt her to see him hurt, so he hid from her...which only ended up hurting her more. Did he really think she didn't want to know? That he couldn't rely on her?


She turned onto her side and stared at the wall, another sad sigh escaping her lips. Amber eyes haunted by unspeakable sadness floated before her.

Inuyasha had always been alone in a way...

Perhaps that's why he always tried to stick to expressing safe emotions like boredom and anger...indifference...

Perhaps that's why his embraces were always so sudden...so needing...because he had already reached his breaking point.

Perhaps, she mused, that same reason was behind his unexpected bouts of confession, almost child-like in their wording, and always raw, as though his very pain was flowing through

those words, and he was ashamed of it.

She hated the look of bitter heartache that sometimes lingered after he had met Kikyo...or the pure shame reflected in his eyes after he had just exposed part of his emotions for her.

She cringed inwardly. Didn't he know he didn't have to be ashamed? Hadn't she told him, showed him...in every way she knew how...that it didn't have to be like that?

"Oh Inuyasha..." she mumbled. Tears slid down her face scaring her skin with silver.

"You silly puppy!"she half-giggled at the thought.

"Oi! I am not!" Kagome chortled, and stood up automatically.

"Uh...Inuyasha...Osuwari!"she gasped despite herself.


Thunk!
"What was that for?"

"You surprised me that's what." she tried to wipe her tears off but, before she could do so, Inuyasha had already peeled himself off the ground and was staring at her intently.

"Kagome...what's wrong?"his face darkened betraying his actual question: What did I do Kagome?

"Nothing's wrong...I was just tired. You scared me a little..." seeing his eyes widen slightly in horror she quickly back-tracked "I mean...I didn't expect to see you..."

He peered at her, trying to fathom whether she was telling the truth.

"So..."he stood back a little "why am I such a 'silly puppy'?"

Kagome blushed to the very roots of her hair.

"Uh...that is..." She didn't want to scare him away, the last thing he needed was another scar. "Because..." she took a deep breath "you don't talk."

"I talk plenty wench. What are you on about?"

"You don't...not about yourself...I meant it Inuyasha. I want to know the sad you and the angry you... not just the happy you."

"Kagome...don't make me out to be a whiner." he huffed indignantly.

Her eyes flashed. "I am not. I..." she looked away.

"I want to know how you feel...when you're angry, or upset...or scared, hurt...when you don't want to be alone...I want to know...even..." she half-mumbled "...even if...if...it's about

Kikyo..." There, she had said it!

Inuyasha stared at her floored.

"You...want me to tell..."he choked "and..." It was all too much for him; he grasped Kagome's arms, drawing her to himself.

"Kagome...there is nothing to say..."

"Of course there is." she murmured in his haori. "There is so much I want to know...so much I want you to know you can tell me. Don't hide. Please..."

"Silly wench." he whispered softly."Very well...there was a time when I was despised, hunted and alone...I got stronger...I loved..." the words trembled on his lips imitating Kagome's

very own motions. "...I got my heart broken...slept for fifty years...then I woke up and this time I wasn't alone anymore...and that's all there is to know."

"Inuyasha..." her eyes questioned him gently.

"Kikyo...you have to understand, Kagome...not many people would willingly be kind to a half-breed" the word was spat out. "I owe Kikyo that much..."

"Inuyasha..." she smiled "you don't have to lie to me."

He bent his head letting his bangs cover his eyes.

"When Kikyo's arrow pierced me...I broke...seeing her resurrected again, filled with hatred towards me...I wished the seal would've never been broken."

Kagome grasped his face gently, urging him to go on.

"But...Kagome, when...when..." his voice was raw and he didn't dare look at her

"Go on Inuyasha..." she whispered tenderly.

"When I saw you...lying there, and I thought I had lost you I wished...I wished I would die too, because I just...just need you..." he sounded ashamed of his own words. Kagome

drew his face closer and kissed his bangs lightly.

"Why are you ashamed?"

"Because someone like me doesn't deserve someone like you." he sighed softly, still not meeting her eyes

"You deserve all the happiness in the world...and as much as it's within my power I want to give that to you..."

"Kagome..." his eyes glistened with tell-tale signs of tears.

"You do Inuyasha..." her voice washed over him, and he pressed a swift kiss to her cheek.

Jumping back as though he had been scalded, he stared at the floor, embarrassed by his actions, a soft blush blossoming on his cheeks.

Kagome grasped his arms gently and whispered under her breath.

"O-su-wa-ri." the spell forced him forwards, and he ended up on top of her.

"...What...?" he stiffened trying not to crush her.

"I wanted to hold you. I wanted you to hold me." He regarded her disbelievingly. "If that's what it takes to make you understand, I'll do it again." she warned shyly, almost, her own

blush developing.

Inuyasha let out a strangled gasp, then buried his head in the crook of her neck.

"Kagome...you...you're...thank you" his warm breath tickled and she strengthened her hold on him slightly.

Shyly, tentatively he raised his head and pressed his lips against hers. When he stood back again, he still looked half-afraid and Kagome flinched.

Raising herself she kissed him sweetly.

"You don't have to afraid of me Inuyasha..."

A boyish lop-sided grin took over his face as, this time, he initiated.

"Silly wench...that's my line..."


Yup, so I hope you all liked that. Tell me. If you didn't...tell me. Are you seeing a pattern here yet? ;)Grazie. Anyone else think Fluff should be a genre for fanfiction? O.O