Inuyasha waited for the miko to come.  The tall grass lapped at his ankles as he sat, waiting for her.  It had always been the same… every day he waited for her to take some time out of her busy schedule to come be with him.  

“Inuyasha…”  Her soft voice greeted him as she made her way into the clearing.  

His eyes followed her as she came to him, unafraid of his nature.  A small smile crossed his face as she collapsed rather ungracefully at his side.  “Had a rough day?”

The miko nodded, smiling brightly.  “I didn’t know it would be so much work.”

“That’s what I’ve been told.”  His eyes focused on her throat and the gleaming jewel that hung there.  “It looks like…”

“It’s getting smaller… yes.  Apparently by having it with me, it’s becoming purified.”  Her fingers lightly touched the Shikon no Tama.  “Soon your duty will be over… the Shikon no Tama will cease to be.  You won’t have to protect me or the village anymore.”

Inuyasha’s eyes stared at the grass at his feet.  His face contorted with something unreadable.  “That’s not why I…”

A soft smile touched her lips.  “I know.  The villagers have offered to let you stay in the village.”

“I can’t do that.  I can’t confine myself.”

“So… when your duty is done…?”

Lightly his hand reached out for hers, entwining their fingers together.  “Demons still search for the jewel.  Until it is gone… this is the safest place for you.”

“Inuyasha…”  Her hand tightened against his.

“When it is gone… you don’t have to go home.  You could still stay.”  Keeping his eyes on the grass, he didn’t even glance at her to gauge her reaction.

“I promised my mother…”

“I know.”  His hand pulled away from hers as he drew up his legs, resting his head on his knees and arms.  

“Do you want me to stay?”  

“It doesn’t matter what I want.”

“These past few years have been… wonderful.  I don’t mean the fighting or all the hard stuff.  But the friends I’ve made… you.  I don’t think I’ve ever been so alive.  And yet… it’s like I’m still living under Her shadow.  Look at me.  Living in Her village… being a miko like She was.  Purifying the jewel as She intended to do.  It’s like I’m living Her life.”  Her hands rubbed at her arms, staring out at the gently swaying grass.

“She wasn’t going to purify it… it was too much for her.  That’s why she offered it to me.”

“I offered it to you.”

“I don’t need it anymore.”

The wind blew around them, catching their hair and making their robes sway.  “What do you need?”  Her words trailed away in the wind.

Finally his head turned so he could look at her.  In an instant his body pressed against hers, pushing her down into the grass as he sprawled on top of her.

“Inuyasha…”

Carefully keeping his weight on his elbows and knees, he regarded her.  The look in his eyes held intensity she had so rarely caught glimpse of in the past.  “You’re safe like this.  If someone came along they’ll have to go through me to get to you.”  

“That’s not what I meant.”  Her eyes stared into his with perfect trust and longing.

For a moment a frown crossed his face as his thumb lightly caressed her cheek.  “You are at an age where you can marry.  I know one day you’ll leave and go home… and perhaps find a guy who will love you as much as I d-… as you deserve.”  

The grass gently bowed around them, hissing softly in the wind.  Her eyes caught their movement before staring back at the hanyou above her.  “Inuyasha…”

“I remember the night we defeated Naraku… and Kikyou went on to the afterlife…”  His voice broke and he looked away.

“I remember that night too.”  

“I never asked you.  You were only trying to comfort me and I gave you no choice.”

“I…”

His body rolled off of hers to sprawl out next to her.  “I’m sorry… I took that from you.  I was afraid you would say no.”

“I wanted it too.”

The grass hissed around them, ruffling their hair.  “Don’t leave me.”  His golden eyes pleaded with hers.  “You are my home.”

Her hand gently caressed his cheek.  “Is that what you want?”

His eyes looked away from hers.  “Kagome…”  Her name on his lips was merely a sigh and yet it held all his fears and frustrations.

“Is it?”

“I can’t leave you even if I wanted to.  That night I gave you… everything.  If you leave me… I’ll have nothing.  Sure, I’ll survive.  I always have.  But it won’t be a life like I’ve grown accustomed to living… like I want to live… and share with you.”

Kagome sat up a bit, looking out over the high grass.  “You never wanted to talk about that night.  I was afraid you thought it was a mistake.”

“It was… in the sense that I didn’t ask you.”

“I would have stopped you if I didn’t want it.”

“How?”  His eyes flashed on hers.  Laboriously he sat up beside her.  “I’m stronger than you are.”  For a moment the old Inuyasha was back in his body, bitter at the world.  “You bitch, I…”  Amber eyes softened and were closed to hide the emotions they held.  “It was my only chance to keep a part of you… before you disappeared forever.  I don’t think even I could have stopped myself from… that.”

The miko sighed and leaned against him.  “I still wanted it… wanted you.  It didn’t matter.”

His eyes stared dully at the grass.  “In the past I wouldn’t have cared what you thought.  They were MY thoughts, MY desires.  To hell with what anyone else…”

Her hand lightly touched his arm.

“Sango will give birth soon, won’t she?”  

The miko blinked a few times, startled at his sudden change of subject.  “Yes… any day now.  Miroku is a nervous wreck.”

“That bastard is finally getting what he wanted…”

“Be happy for them… they deserve it after all they’ve been through.”  The young woman answered from against his side.

“Some stories don’t end so happily.  Some stories never end.”  A deep sigh escaped him as his body fell back to the ground, taking her with him.  

“How do you want your story to end?”

“I don’t.”  

“Don’t?”

“Either way it means loss.”

They were silent, watching the grass wave above their heads and the clouds move across the sky.  Time was measured by heartbeats.  The miko could hear his heart pounding in his chest as she rested her head against him.  “What we did… did it feel good?”

“I never felt anything like it.”  For a moment his body twitched and stretched as if reliving the desperate struggle he had made to fill her completely.  After the struggle came release and then… “You purified me.”

“What?”  

“You do that… purify whatever is tainted.  I was tainted.”

“Don’t talk like that.  You were always pure, Inuyasha.  You were always good.”

“Was I?  I didn’t want to be.  That meant becoming weak.”

“I’ve never seen you as weak.”  With a smile she rolled over on top of him, effectively pinning him to the ground.

“Careful, Miko.  I may defile you again.”  Inuyasha whispered with a soft smirk as he felt her position herself over his hips.  

For a moment she rested there, leaning forward to dangle the Shikon no Tama before him.  Slowly she eased forward and touched his lips with her own.  

Inuyasha immediately wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her close and protecting her with his sleeves.  

How long ago had it been since they held each other like this?  That night… But after that she focused on her training as a miko, leaving him alone to wonder what he had done wrong.  At least she didn’t return home, as he feared she would have.  It had been her decision to stay until the jewel was purified.  It had been his suggestion that they meet every day to be together.  Without her he felt more loneliness than he had when his mother had died.

The winds shifted and for a moment another scent came to the hanyou’s nose.  One he couldn’t exactly place.  Quickly he sat up and pulled the miko off of him, tucking her safely behind his back.  “Youkai…”

Together they waited in silence, keeping an eye out for the intruder.  Nothing appeared out of place.  Nothing came out to attack them.  Finally the miko shifted against the hanyou’s back.  “I must return to the village.  Are you sure you won’t come with me?”

“I can’t.”  A scowl crossed Inuyasha’s features even as he hugged her goodbye.  “Come back soon.”

“I will.”  Her lips touched his for a moment before she stood to leave.  “Take care.”

Inuyasha watched her go, careful to keep all his senses open to everything around them until she reached the relative safety of the village.

“My lord…”  Myouga whispered from somewhere in his master’s clothing.

“What is it?”  Inuyasha breathed, not even bothering to look at his servant.

“Your mate lives without you.”

“I know.”  The hanyou’s body relaxed against the soft grass.  “But she’ll come back.”

“Is that enough for you?”

“No… but I can wait.”  The hanyou lounged back in the grass.  The miko would come again after a full day… and he would be waiting for her.

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