The Emptiness

For a long time in his life, the only touch that InuYasha had known was when someone tried to strike him or he struck another. Anger, fear hate.

His skin, his heart, his soul knew better. He remembered the soft warm acceptance of his mother's touch, and had hopeless longed for something like that for a long time And yet now that Kagome was a part of his life, with her sweet scent and amazing touch, the sensation panicked him. Afraid, he so often kept her at arm's length, worried that the magic of her acceptance would go away.

Yet how he hungered for it. He needed it. Without it, he would feel a pain so wide that it caused him to cry out sometimes. When she was gone, part of him worried about going back to that emptiness forever.

He sat by the Bone Eater's well, wallowing in that ache, sighing.

Suddenly, there was a flash of blue light. He looked down into the well, saw Kagome and her big yellow pack. He jumped in beside her, wrapped an arm around her waist, inwardly sighing as they touched.

"Oi, woman, what did you pack in your bag this time? It must weigh nearly as much as you!"

Smiling, she said, "Lots of ramen!"

He leaped out of the well with her still firmly in hand. Kagome was home. All was right with the world.