InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Nowhere ❯ The Fight ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: Inu-Yasha is not mine. It's probably best this way.

A/N: Once again, Media Miner isn't letting me see all my reviews. I'll respond to the one I can read… the others next time.

Kagome14: *hugs back* Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it! Here's the new chapter, Hope you enjoy! Keep letting me hear from you. Thanks again!

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Kagome woke slowly, savoring every last moment she could in her warm bed. She opened her eyes cautiously; afraid that her pleasant dreams would erupt into a nightmare if she moved too quickly. She kept her hands tucked underneath her head and pulled her covers tighter around her face so the cold air would not nip so violently at her sensitive skin. As the light began to filter in through her lidded eyes, she noticed her surroundings were not as pleasant as she had hoped. Though her covers smelled like Inu Yasha, she felt cold and uncomfortable. As dawn broke through her last remnants of peaceful slumber, she found that she was lying on a pile of damp leaves with Inu Yasha's haori thrown on top of her. She groaned and slowly sat up, wrapping his haori tightly around her shoulders.

As she pulled herself up and uncovered her nose, a strong and rather distasteful odor hit her. She made a face and put her hands over her mouth and nose.

"That's disgusting…" she muttered, looking up to see Inu Yasha sitting by the campfire cooking

Her eyes widened for a moment at her surprise to see Inu Yasha, deadly hanyou, preparing breakfast. Her surprise quickly turned to annoyance when the smell hit her again.

"What are you making? It reeks!" she yelled, snapping back to her frustrating reality.

"Huh? Oh, it's breakfast." He replied, as though it was a normal occurrence.

"I know that, but WHAT is it?" Kagome questioned, still pinching her nose.

"Oh… well, I got…"

"Never mind. I don't want to know", Kagome said waving him off. She stood up and stretched, lifting her eyes as she looked to the gray sky framed by the bare tree branches.

"That's going to make me sick. How are you staying conscious?" Kagome questioned, wondering how is greater sense of smell was withstanding such torture.

"It smells fine to me." He said simply.

"Yuck." Kagome replied, scrunching up her face. "I'll be back in a minute. And don't follow me!"

"Then don't go too far." Inu Yasha answered absentmindedly, while turning his attention back to the food.

When Kagome returned, Inu Yasha had set his strange concoction out for her to eat. He sat behind it, crouched on his feet, leaning on his hands, as he watched her expectantly, inspecting every emotion that crossed her features.

"I'm not going to eat that." She said, looking at it in horror. She thought it looked as though it had been some kind of animal at one point, but she wasn't sure.

"Why not?" Inu Yasha asked, his tone becoming slightly agitated.

"You eat it! You made it!" she yelled.

"I made it for you." He said, pushing it in her direction.

Kagome eyed it suspiciously. It had been sweet of him to think of her, but sometimes he just really shouldn't have. She poked at it, making sure it wasn't still alive.

"You know… you could take me back home and we could get some ramen." She said sweetly, hoping it would get his hopes up. She smiled and tried her best to look sweet and innocent, hoping it would sway his judgement.

"We're not going back. You have to eat that. It will help you get your strength back." Inu Yasha insisted, pushing it even further in her direction.

Kagome sighed. He had given her medicine before and it HAD worked, only the taste almost made her even more sick. She frowned and started to pick it up.

"I can't do it!" she said, dropping it in the leaves.

"Stupid wench. It's dirty now."

"Please, Inu Yasha. I don't want to eat that."

"Fine." He said angrily. "You'll just have to be hungry then."

Kagome made a face and decided to ignore him. She leaned back and pulled his haori back around her body as a shiver worked its way up her spine. She let her mind slip and wondered when she would get a chance to take another bath.

"Do you sense the jewel anywhere, Kagome?" Inu Yasha asked, bringing Kagome back from her peaceful dreams of warm running water, with his agitated voice.

"Uhh… good question…" she put her hands on her hips and thought for a minute. "Nope."

Inu Yasha shot her a dirty look. "You do realize this is all your fault."

Kagome didn't humor him with a response. She slipped out of his haori and handed it back to him.

"So, great one," Kagome said sarcastically, "What's are next move?"

"Aren't you still cold?" Inu Yasha asked, avoiding the question.

"Yeah. But I thought you might like to stare at my chest some more. It might put you in a better mood." She said, stretching her arms above her head with her back facing him.

He growled and gave her back a death glare. "Wench. Why would I want to look at your body? It's nothing worth seeing!"

"Ha! Boy, you should take what you can get." Kagome said playfully, turning her head over her shoulder to smile sweetly. Her teasing seemed to be working him into a better mood. She decided that, at the rate she was going, she might have a dip at a hot spring by the day's end. She would just have to be careful not to over do it and piss him off again.

"Stupid wench." He muttered under his breath. She was acting even weirder than usual.

Kagome shivered and rubbed her arms with her hands. She squinted up at the sky, wondering if it might snow. So far, winter had been fairly mild, but it did fill extra chilly that morning. The sun was hiding behind a blanket of clouds and a strong breeze was whipping through the woods. She scrunched up her bare toes, knowing she would have to go home soon, or she'd get sick. Inu Yasha would just have to live with it. She also thought about the passing months. She had graduated junior high by the assistance of some supernatural power, but with her mother's advice she had not applied for High School. Kagome worried that she was making a big mistake, but her mother had insisted that a High School career would be useless if she was not able to put forth all of her time. With her circumstances, it was just not logical. She had to choose between High School and her adventures in the Feudal Era. She chose Inu Yasha.

It felt good to not have to worry about algebra homework, but she wouldn't mind a few nights in her warm and cozy bed. Maybe Inu Yasha could come and hang out with her like he had a few times before. Since they didn't have the jewel, she figured he would regardless. He'd want to make certain she made it back. She smiled at the thought.

"What the hell you grinning like that for?" Inu Yasha questioned, growing suspicious that something else was deeply wrong with her.

"Mm… nothing." She replied and turned to him. "Ready to go?"

"Uh, yeah." He replied, effected strangely by her radiant smile.

"So, where to?" she asked, climbing on his back.

"We'll travel around the area and visit some of the other villages. Tell me if you sense anything." He said while she situated herself. He tried his best not to concentrate too hard on the feel of her warm body pressed against him. She seemed to be holding him much tighter than usual, and it was making him nervous.

"Right." Kagome said in mock seriousness. She wondered why he was so quickly dismissing the original village. How could he be so sure that the jewel was not still there somewhere? She didn't feel it nearby, but she had not felt that shard until right before she started hurting. As they ran through the woods, she tried to figure out a possible connection.

Her thoughts strayed quickly, however. She couldn't help but wonder about the kiss Inu Yasha and her shared. She hadn't had much time to think about it since it happened and she really wanted to ask him about it. Yet, she knew it would be unfair for her to do so. Reminding him of the kiss would most likely remind him of Kikyou, and that is the last thing Kagome wanted. She knew he was still hurting, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, but she really didn't want to confront him about it either. He probably wouldn't even talk to her about it if she tried. She only worried because she knew there was no one else he would talk to.

She squeezed her arms around him a little tighter. She couldn't imagine how lonely he must feel with no one to talk to about what he was going through. He had just lost the love of his life for the third time. And this time she wasn't coming back. As much as it hurt Kagome to think of Kikyou as his love, it hurt worse for her to see him in such pain. She felt guilty about her petty jealousy, but she knew it was only natural. She loved Inu Yasha and she would do all that she could to prove that to him. It didn't matter if he ever returned it to the same extent. All that mattered was his happiness. She nestled her face in the back of his neck in an effort to let him know that he was not alone. She would stay by him, no matter what. Even if it killed her, which she cynically thought was possible as her heart wrenched in her chest.

By the time they reached a stopping point, Kagome had started to drift off on Inu Yasha's back. He nudged her up with his shoulder and she groggily opened her eyes.

"We're here." He said in surprisingly gentle voice.

"Where's here?" Kagome said, rubbing her eyes while she glanced around to figure out her whereabouts.

"It's the first village I saw. There was nothing weird on the way here either." He said, letting the dissappointment show through his voice. "I don't suppose you sense anything."

Kagome paused and shook her head.

"Great." Inu Yasha mumbled. He watched Kagome yawn as she stumbled around, trying to gain her bearings. "Don't tell me you're already ready to go to bed?"

"hm... No, I'm just really sleepy for some reason." She said with another yawn.

"It's because you wouldn't eat anything, stupid." He answered as he started to get frustrated again.

"Oh." Kagome said as she giggled. "I guess you're right."

"A DEMON!"

Inu Yasha quickly grabbed Kagome when the shrill voice rang through the air. Kagome "eeped" as she was drawn into Inu Yasha's protective grasp. He looked for this `demon' only to discover that it was he. Four village women were pointing in his direction, and one was running off to get help. Inu Yasha blanched.

"Please let go of the girl. What is it you want here?" one of the women asked, her fear showing clearly on her face. She remained a good distance from Kagome and Inu Yasha but stepped in front of the other two women. She was young, but her slightly plump figure made her appear bolder than the frail women behind her.

Kagome made another noise as Inu Yasha's grip tightened with his growing frustration.

"Tell them I'm not evil." Inu Yasha urged quietly into her ear.

"Oh, why?" Kagome asked calmly. "I thought you were."

"They think I'm holding you hostage." He complained, still keeping his voice low.

"Well, are you?" she asked, glancing up at him. She wasn't entirely sure why he was still holding her.

He spun her out of his grasp and turned toward the growing crowd in front of him.

"We're staying here tonight!" Inu Yasha yelled. "Give us somewhere to sleep, and we won't cause any trouble. And get her some clothes!"

Kagome looked up at him, surprised by his words. She thought they were just passing through to see if they could find the jewel. She shifted her gaze to the nervous villagers, who were holding various objects and farming equipment as weapons. She sighed and decided to take another approach. She put her hand on Inu Yasha's shoulder and gave him a look that told him to shut up.

"Listen," she said, "We've been traveling, and we need a place to sleep if it isn't too much trouble. We're after some really bad demons, and we'll protect your village while we stay." She said, casting a look back at Inu Yasha to make sure he didn't interrupt. "This Inu Yasha isn't going to hurt you. If he does, I can just say `osuwari'." She beckoned at the lump of Inu Yasha on the ground to prove her point. "See? No worries."

She turned toward Inu Yasha and mouthed `so sorry'. He shot her a death glare. He started considering all the ways he could get back at her without actually hurting her.

The villagers looked skeptical, but one man approached them and said they could stay in one of the smaller huts. Kagome pulled Inu Yasha up and tried to hold his hand in compensation but he didn't respond to her touch. She frowned and sighed. So much for her hot spring.

The family that owned the hut moved out for the night, not wanting any part of the demons using their home. They eyed Kagome carefully in her brightly colored clothes. After muttering a few choice curse words, they left to the hut next door. Kagome frowned, noticing their hut was set apart from the others. She guessed they didn't trust them much.

One of the original village women who saw them, returned, accompanied by her husband, with some clothes for Kagome. They said something about mercy and walked off. Kagome massaged her head, wishing she could be treated as a normal human being for once. She turned to Inu Yasha, but he turned his head. He still wasn't talking to her.

"Would you get over it already?" Kagome asked, irritated. When he didn't respond she muttered something under her breath and examined the clothing she had been given. It was nothing overly impressive. Just a pair of socks, a hakama, and a large kimono top. She was relieved that the hakama was black rather than red, as Kikyou's was. She cast a quick glance back to Inu Yasha to see he was still ignoring her. She quickly changed into the clothes and turned back around.

"I look stupid." She said, looking down at herself. The sleeves went well past her hands and it bunched up around her waist.

Inu Yasha didn't turn to see her. "You always look stupid."

Kagome gritted her teeth. She battled with the sleeves of her hakui without much avail. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to shoot an arrow with the sleeves constantly falling in front of her hands. Inu Yasha only made her temper flare more violently.

"I'm going to go wash my clothes." Kagome said, picking up her discarded pajamas. She expected Inu Yasha to forbid her to go off without him, but he simply waved her off without turning around. She balled her hands into fists and stomped out the door.

She made it to the river and put her clothes in the freezing water. She jerked her hands back, stung by the frigid water. She shook her head and began ringing out her clothes, wondering how much good it would do without any soap. She looked off into the horizon at the setting sun.

"Gee, what a mess you've gotten yourself into." she said to herself. All this time collecting the jewel and now it was lost again. She obviously wasn't going to see her family for a long time, and Inu Yasha wasn't talking to her. She rang out her clothes more violently with her growing frustration. Her fingers were growing numb and sharp pain shot through her hands as she kneaded the soaked fabric. She laid the clothes out on a flat rock to dry while she leaned back and stared at the stars. The sky had finally cleared up, but it was a dark night. Twilight filtered through the trees, casting eerie shadows all around her. Pieces of broken light scattered across the surface of the water, as it danced in reflection on Kagome's face. She would have worried about finding her way back to the hut, had she not been so upset at herself.

She was so busy concentrating on her bad luck that she nearly missed hearing someone sneaking up on her. She thought it was Inu Yasha at first, but she realized that whoever it was, was on the ground. Inu Yasha would have been watching her from the trees, and wouldn't have done anything to let her know he was there. The hairs on the back of her neck stood and her heart race quickened. She realized, with regret, that she had not taken her bow and arrows with her.

She whipped around violently, wishing she had some sort of weapon with her. She looked shocked for a moment, then put her hand over her racing heart.

"Inu Yasha! Don't scare me like that!" she screamed, having forgotten he was human that night.

"It's dark." He replied in an icy tone as though that explained everything.

"So. I can take care of myself." She said, turning back to pick up her clothes. His angry tone was tearing her to pieces. She had not meant to be so cruel to him, but she realized she had. No matter how much she tried, she was still hurting him at every chance she had.

Inu Yasha walked over and grabbed her hand. If she didn't want to listen, he'd make her. He pulled her through the woods, surprised that she wasn't fighting him. She hit him a few times with her wet pajamas but gave up quickly. He turned back to look at her and was surprised to see her looking at the ground, while wiping her eyes.

"You're not crying, are you?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

"No." she said stubbornly, refusing to meet his gaze.

"What's wrong now?" he asked, coming to a complete stop.

She looked up at him and muttered something close to `I'm sorry'.

"Forget it." Inu Yasha replied. He turned to continue his way back to the hut, but he felt her tugging at his sleeve. "What now?"

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked.

"Yes. Now, come on." He said angrily.

"But…" she held her ground. "I said I was sorry."

"I'll forgive you. What's your deal, anyway?"

"Can I ask you something?" she said, studying the ground.

"Sure…" Inu Yasha stated against his better judgement.

"The other day… why did you kiss me?"

Inu Yasha stared at her, shocked. Where had that come from?

"You ask too many questions!" he scolded. "I don't know why. I just did. Okay?"

"Okay." She answered in a small voice. She wondered if he honestly didn't know. She also wondered if he would do it again, but she decided not to press the subject. "Do you think this looks stupid?" she asked holding out her arms to demonstrate her outfit.

"It's a little big." He said, wondering why she kept changing the subject.

"Can you fix it?" She asked, hope gleaming in her eyes.

"How?" he questioned, furrowing his brows.

"Here." She said, holding her arm toward him. "You just cut the sleeves. Tomorrow, since you're human tonight. Do you think you can?"

He grabbed the fabric and inspected it as though it made a difference. "Sure." He muttered.

Kagome smiled joyfully and leaned forward to lay a kiss on his cheek. "You're the best, Inu Yasha!"

For some reason, his bad mood completely evaporated. He just couldn't stay angry with her. He smirked and thought about kissing her back, just for the look on her face. He decided against it and a small blush lit up his face.

Kagome smiled coyly when she saw the blush. Just what was he thinking? She pushed him backward, and he stumbled backward until he fell. Kagome laughed.

"Someone is distracted, hm?" she teased.

Muttering curses under his breath, he lunged at the girl. Kagome screamed and landed underneath him. She didn't have any time to be embarrassed by their position though. Kagome squealed when he started tickling her sides. She struggled as best she could, kicking and flailing about underneath his heavy body. Eventually, though she figured she had some assistance, she pushed him off and attacked back. He didn't seem nearly as effected by the assault, but smirked as Kagome managed to get herself into another interesting position. She ended up straddling him, her face inches away from his.

He tried his best to remain unaffected by her hot breath upon his skin as she tried to catch her breath. It wasn't working, but he knew in their current position it would be painfully obvious if he didn't control himself.

"How… did… you know… I was ticklish there?" Kagome asked, out of breath.

"I… guessed" he said, suddenly looking slightly uncomfortable.

She would have excepted his answer were it not for the guilty look that spread across his features. She frowned and cupped his face in her hands, making him look at her.

"Tell me again. How did you know?" she asked more forcefully.

"Give it a rest, will you?" he said pushing her hands of him.

Kagome pressed her lips together, trying not to show the hurt she felt. He turned his head and scowled off to the side. She thought he had spied on her or something, but maybe not. Her expression darkened.

"It was Kikyou, wasn't it?" she asked venomously, feeling guilty the moment it left her mouth. Why did she have to ask that?

Inu Yasha didn't reply, but he flinched slightly. Kagome glared at him, trying to hold back her tears. She tried to get up, but Inu Yasha held her down. She wished she could hate him. She really did, but the guilt in his eyes melted her heart.

"I'm sorry." He said. Without another word, he kissed her. It was a gentle and sweet kiss this time. As much as her mind protested, Kagome's body couldn't help but give in. When the kiss broke she started to push herself off of him.

"I can't do this, Inu Yasha."

"Why?"

"You're just kissing Kikyou's reincarnation. Not me."

Inu Yasha's face fell. "That's not true!"

"Yes it is!" Kagome yelled, letting the tears finally fall. "I would do anything for you… just don't make me do that… please…"

"Kagome…"

"I don't want to be Kikyou for you… don't make me… please…"

Inu Yasha held onto her arms, though she tried to get free. The broken sound of her voice was tearing at him. He pulled her into his embrace, wishing he could explain everything. She didn't understand.

"Enough!" he said as he held her head against his chest. "I NEVER asked you to do that. Don't you dare say it again!"

Kagome quieted down as he held her. She didn't completely trust him, but she wanted it to be true. More than anything, she wanted to believe those words. She refused to let herself look into his eyes, sure that she would find uncertainty looming in their depths.

"Sorry." She said quietly. "I guess I'm just emotional… so much has happened in the last few days."

"I know." Inu Yasha answered. He shifted slightly, trying to find a comfortable position on the forest floor without moving Kagome who was still held firmly in his lap. They both remained like that for a long time. Inu Yasha kept one of his hands gently holding her head against his chest, while the other rested on her back. He waited in silence for her sobs to completely die out. He wished he could explain to her how much he cared for her, but it was impossible. There was no way he could make her understand without hurting her. He didn't even understand it.

A cool wind brushed through the forest, scattering dead leaves across the clearing. Inu Yasha watched the leaves float around in front of him while the girl lay still in his arms. He felt her warm breath through his clothes and he instinctively held her tighter. It may have been wrong for him to keep her so close when he could never truly have her, but he could not resist. He ached to know that one day he would have to let her go. It was that pain that had kept him from bringing her close to him in the first place. There was no point in prolonging the inevitable.

He pushed her back slightly to look at her face. "Ready to go back?"

Kagome gave him an odd look, and squinted as she looked into his eyes. She did everything she could to bury all of the hurtful things that had ruined their moment. She swallowed the last of her pride and decided to win him back. She felt something close to an electric shock traveling through her veins, and it made her want to fight to keep Inu Yasha as her own. Before coming to the feudal era, she had never felt so strongly about anything. Her biggest worries had been along the lines of falling down the stairs and making a fool of herself on the first day of school. She was unsure of when she had felt so violently linked to someone. She had once promised herself that she would do everything she could to make Inu Yasha want to live. He was alive, but not by his own choice. It was as though part of his soul still remained asleep, sealed to the Go-Shimboku. She decided she would have to change that.

She looked to the side briefly before giving him a smile. "Not quite." She said mischievously.

Inu Yasha cowered slightly under her look. Something in her voice worried him. She was acting weird again. His nervousness only increased when she ran her index finger along the collar of his haori, lightly brushing his skin.

"umm… Kagome?"

"So…" she started, "you still like your ears touched as a human, or is it just your demon side?"

"Kagome?"

Without answering him, she leaned forward and kissed his neck right below his left ear. He stiffened, surprised by her change of mood, but didn't stop her. She moved up, blowing onto his ear and kissed his ear lobe, letting her tongue dart out to caress his skin for a moment. Her lips were soft on his skin, and her warm touch left him aching for more. Her heavy breath trailed over his neck, pushing him into a stupor.

Inu Yasha was in shock. No one had ever done anything like that to him. He tried to shift himself, so that Kagome wouldn't feel his growing erection but it didn't help. From their current position, his movements only increased the problem as Kagome innocently rubbed up against him to resituate herself as he tried to move out from under her. Kagome continued to blow on his ear, laying random kisses along his skin and leaned back to look him in the face.

She grinned sweetly at the flustered look on his face. She could not see clearly in the darkness, but a soft light gleamed in his gray eyes. She tousled some of his hair with her fingers, observing the contrast between his black hair and her pale skin. She thanked the darkness that prevented him from seeing the crimson coat her face as she fought to ignore her own boldness.

"Guess it's just you then, huh?" she said, innocently as she leaned forward to continue her actions. She moved her left hand to caress the rim of his right ear and smiled as he sucked in a sudden breath of air. For the thousandth time, she mentally cursed herself, wondering exactly where she had been going with her little game. The only point she seemed to have proved her herself was that Inu Yasha was attracted to her. She knew that. Her question was `why was he attracted to her'. For that, her game was not providing her an answer. She tried her best to ignore her confused emotions and followed her instincts, not wanting to break the delicate band of pleasure that had tied her away from reality.

She gasped when one of his hands moved upward and rested right below her breast. She wondered if he was waiting for her permission to touch her, or if he just didn't know what to do. She felt too embarrassed to ask him.

"Inu.. Inu Yasha?" she asked, looking at him, thankful once again for the shadows concealing her blush. Though, she was sure he could feel the extent of her reddening face from the heat drafting off of it. Her moment of bravery had slipped away and she once again felt shy. She broke the ties pulling her away from the real world and broke the spell.

"Hm?" he asked in a daze.

"I… um… think we should maybe go now."

Inu Yasha opened his eyes and thought about yelling at her. He could barely see her face in the moonless night. For as long as he had known Kagome, he had never wanted her so badly but he knew it would have to end. The unsteadiness of Kagome's voice brought him back to the truth that kept him separated from her. He began to help her up, when a sudden gust of wind shook through the clearing.

Kagome shielded her eyes from the flying dirt whipping around her face and hoped it was not who she thought it was.

"Get your filthy hands off MY WOMAN!" an irate wolf demon yelled from behind the couple.

Kagome let out a sigh and Inu Yasha growled as menacingly as he could in his human form.

"I'm not YOUR WOMAN!" Kagome yelled as she stood up, spinning around to face Kouga.

Inu Yasha repeated her movements and prepared to fight the delusional demon.

"Inu Yasha! Stop it!" she yelled. He didn't listen. He prepared to attack Kouga.

"You really think you can fight with that body, dog-crap?" Kouga taunted.

"I could rip you to pieces, human or not!" Inu Yasha bellowed. "you're nothing without your jewel shards!"

Kouga shot a glance at Kagome. "Why does she have tears on her face? Were you trying to force yourself on her?" Kouga asked, getting angrier.

Kagome started waving her hands. "No! Kouga you don't-"

"And what if I was?" Inu Yasha interrupted. Kagome's jaw dropped. Did he want to be killed? "She's mine and I'll do with her what I please in good time."

Kagome stared, too shocked for words. What was he saying?

"In your dreams, dog-breath! Kagome belongs to me!"

Kagome continued to look on, dumbfounded. Did Inu Yasha really just say she belonged to him? She almost missed her chance as the two prepared to attack.

"STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!" Kagome screamed as loud as she could. Both turned to look at her.

"Inu Yasha! Don't you dare fight him like that!" Kagome yelled, and Inu Yasha started to retort, but was cut off. "And Kouga! I AM NOT your woman! I am not, never was, never will be. You're a good friend… but I don't like you that way. If you can't get that through your thick skull then I will personally make sure that Inu Yasha rips your head off!"

Both stared at her as though she had lost her mind. Kouga spoke first. "Don't let your little crush cloud your better judgement. Inu Yasha can't give you what you need!"

"It's not a CRUSH! I LOVE HIM!"

**

A/N: another chapter. Yay! I'm on a roll. Hope you like Inu/Kag fluff. There sure is a bunch of it, eh? If you don't like it, you're reading the wrong fic. I'm kinda obsessed with it. That and Inu Yasha's ears.

Hm… it's getting a little too sappy for my taste though. Next chapter… angst.