Two figures stood together near a large tree in the outskirts of an unknown forest, their forms outlined by a large, full, silver moon.
Lips interlocked, and clothing was eagerly shed.
Hands aimlessly roamed, passing over every inch of exposed flesh.
Fingers slowly raked across a bare chest.
A moan escaped as a pair of legs wrapped themselves around hips.
Mouths were moving as the bodies united again and again, but all that could be heard was a heartbeat, its rhythm and speed quickening.
And then, a face appeared, the porcelain features laced with lust, satisfaction, and happiness.
He bolted upright with a gasp from under the sheets and covers he was using for the night. His face was coated in a thin layer of sweat. His hands slowly dragged over his face, wiping the perspiration away. A fist made contact with the ground.
"Damn it…" drowsy, lidded eyes slowly surveyed his surroundings.
That's right… I had convinced the owner of this Inn to let us stay the night.
"You okay?" a hoarse voice fixed with sleep interrupted his train of thought and his head turned to the man sitting up against the wall on the other side of the small room they had been given, and one of his eyes was cracked open.
"Huh?" lazy shoulders preformed a sad excuse for a shrug. "I dunno... you look as white as a ghost. Figured you were having a nightmare."
Miroku shook his head. "Nah… I'm fine. G'night…"
he laid back down in his futon and rolled onto his side, his back towards Inuyasha. He couldn't bring himself to look at the hanyou in front of him, although nothing had ever really happened, he felt at fault as guilt was already riding heavily on his conscience.
Wait a second… guilt? Shame? That… that was new. A frown marred his features as his brows knitted tightly. I'm a skilled con-artist! I don't need emotions like shame and guilt! And yet… He sat up again, fully aware of the pair of molten gold eyes boring into the back of his head. …And yet here I am, working up such a fuss, over nothing that's truly ever happened!
He stood up. "I'm… I just need some fresh air."
On his way out of the Inn they were currently staying at, he passed the girls' room. Movement caught his attention and a body rose up, the identity of which was shrouded by shadows. He leaned against the doorframe, and as the figure grew nearer, Miroku could make out the face.
"Kagome… what are you doing up? Shouldn't you be in your futon?" a deliciously seductive grin danced across his face, the one that drove the village women wild. "Or… were you too excited to see me pass by that you decided to come over?"
The girl replied with a tired poke or two at his shoulder. "Sheesh… your perversion really never does come to an end, does it?"
Said monk shrugged, still smiling. "I couldn't sleep either, so I decided to go out for some fresh air."
He couldn't stop his eyes from quickly roaming over her. She had changed out of her school uniform and into a pair of pink pajamas (that seemed to be two sizes too big), with big red hearts littered all over it.
She noticed his action. "Since we were going to sleep someplace decent, I decided it would be a perfect time to wear my pajamas."
The monk nodded. "Interesting." Then he spotted them; big fluffy pink bunnies. Which were on her feet. "Err… rabbits?"
Kagome smiled brightly, her flawless, cherubic features emphasized in the light of the moon as it peeked though windows to the hallway they were currently standing in. "Yeah, rabbits! They're soft and comfy and I love 'em!"
Miroku's eyebrows raised a fraction as he shook his head. Such a naïve, innocent thing… I still can't figure out how she really makes it in the Warring States. Oh, wait… that's an obvious answer. Inuyasha.
A slight frown found his way across his face as his thoughts turned to the hanyou. He tugged awkwardly at his white sleeve. She leaned against the doorframe, rubbing her eyes as she yawned.
"You seem pretty tired… you should get some sleep, Kagome-sama."
She nodded, barely keeping her eyes open. "Yeah, you're right. I'll see ya in the morning, Miroku-sama."
She pivoted on her heel and then practically fell into her nice down comforter and pillows. The monk, on the other hand, didn't feel like returning to his sleeping quarters just yet.
He walked out into the garden, settling down near a pond teeming with large koi. He ran a hand through his unbound hair, sighing. "You're pathetic. You need to choose your women more carefully! Honestly, she's drop-dead… adorable… but its wrong! She's too much like… a little sister to be looked at like that. Hello, Inuyasha."
The hanyou's ears twitched, and he officially made his presence known. "Interesting. Not only have you just officially proved that you're completely gone in the head, you sound like… you're guilty. For womanizing, no less! Are you sick, monk?"
Inuyasha peered suspiciously into the monk's eyes, which harbored a blank expression at the moment.
Miroku scoffed dramatically. "Honestly, Inuyasha… the only reason I talk with myself is because I'm the only good company I can find right now."
The hanyou frowned. "I could be seriously misguided, but it sounded to me like you were reprimanding yourself. Because of a girl." Inuyasha's eyes narrowed even more. "You better not pull any of your perverted little stunts on the village girls around here, ok? It's bad enough that they feel edgy with Shippou and I around. One wrong move and we're outta here."
Miroku stood up, feigning offense most dramatically. "Really, Inuyasha. What do you take me for?" Inuyasha opened his mouth to pass a snide remark, but Miroku quickly stopped him. "Wait… don't answer that. It was a rhetorical question." He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Miroku, the sun's gonna be up in three or four hours, so if you want any decent amount of sleep at all, I suggest you get some now."
Miroku nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Good night!"
He got up, taking his time in getting back to the room he and Inuyasha had been given, and Inuyasha sat down where Miroku was just minutes before.
The hanyou didn't know why, but he was uneasy. He had heard the conversation between kagome and the monk.
And although it (thankfully) lacked miroku's saucy innuendos and jokes, there was a certain undertone to his voice. And then after hearing the monk's conversation with himself, what more could he do but feel uneasy?
He suddenly jumped up. "Damn, what am I thinking…? Miroku may be a lecher, but he's not stupid. He has at least some moral values racked up in his head." Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest. "I hate paranoia. Annoys the fuckin' hell outta me."
He stood up, noisily making his way back to the room.
He passed by the room that Kagome, Sango, and Shippou were residing in. Without even trying to, he picked up the scent of Kagome and Miroku, now intertwined as the air had been disturbed since the monk and miko reincarnate had talked. A growl escaped from deep in his throat, and his fist lunged at the doorframe.
He walked the rest of the way back to his room muttering little obscenities under his breath.
As soon as he walked through the door, Miroku sat up abruptly again with another gasp, catching the hanyou off-guard. Inuyasha's central nervous system shorted out.
Miroku pounded on his forehead with the bottom of his palm. "Arrrghhhh…. Out, you demonic curse!"
Inuyasha took his offensive pose, getting ready to strike. "What, I'm a curse to you now? I can't sleep here anymore?"
Miroku's eye cracked open and looked in his general direction. His dark blue eye told of an unfamiliar confusion. "I didn't mean you, Inuyasha."
"Yeah, I thought so." The hanyou straightened up again.
He peered down at the monk through suspicious, slitted eyes. "You've reached a whole new level of insanity, monk. Got something on your mind?"
Miroku's voice had an unexpected twinge of annoyance to it. "Yes. I do. Thank you for noticing." He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a few deep breaths.
Inuyasha dropped down to a squatting position, staring directly into the monk's cloudy indigo orbs. "Why don't ya tell me 'bout it?"
Miroku shook his head. "No. stop making such a fuss, Inuyasha." He bopped him slightly on the head with his staff.
Inuyasha sneered as the monk's staff came in contact with his head. "Fine. Didn't really wanna help anyways."
Miroku nodded. "Exactly."
Inuyasha just snorted lightly and took his position up against the wall in the corner. "So much for a good night's sleep. Not that I really needed it, anyways. But I can't say the same for you, monk."
Miroku just lay back in his bed "It's not gonna happen. Stupid dreams prevent me from sleeping properly."
Inuyasha leered at Miroku through slitted eyes. "You better not be talkin' about anything perverted..." Miroku snickered. "If I were having these so-called 'perverted' dreams, the last thing I would wanna do right now is be awake."
Miroku stopped to think about what he was saying. Wait… what am I saying? My dreams ARE perverted… something of a half-growl, half groan escaped the monk's lips as he ran a slightly shaky hand through his ebon hair. His brows were tightly knit together.
Inuyasha frowned at the monk in front of him, and his ears pressed down against his head ever so slightly. "You sure you're not sick, monk? You're kinda scaring me. You've never been this edgy."
Miroku's pallor decreased and he shook his head. "I'm fine. It's just that the lack of sleep is getting to me, and so I'm on the verge of a nasty headache." A clearing of the throat brought their attention to the doorway.
Kagome was standing at the foot of the open door. She smiled sweetly. "I heard voices, and I couldn't sleep. Can I join you?" Miroku nodded slowly, still a little out of it.
Inuyasha just shrugged. "Sure, if you want."
Kagome wrapped her pink terry cloth robe tighter around her. "So… what are you guys talking about?" she plopped down next to Inuyasha. She turned to smile at Miroku, but then noticed how horrible he looked.
His face was covered in a sheen layer of sweat, and his pallor was an unhealthy shade of white. His cheeks were flushed, and his jaw was slightly slack. "Oh my god, Miroku, are you sick or something? You were fine just a minute ago…"
She crawled over to where Miroku sat. He was currently leaning against his staff for support. She leaned over, putting her hand subconsciously on his thigh for easy access to his forehead.
Not unable to ignore this action, his eyes widened in disbelief as his mind wandered back to reality. Dear Buddha, is she really this naïve? Or is she just clueless?
Her hand pressed gently against his forehead, and then was quickly pulled away. "Jeez, Miroku! You're burning up! You lay down; I'll go get my medical supplies. Hopefully I have some Tylenol or something left…" And with that, she ran off to get her First Aid Kit.
Inuyasha pulled Miroku's staff away, and the monk immediately fell back against his down pillow. "I knew you were sick! Maybe there's a bug going around in this village? Because Kagome was right; you were completely fine a little while ago." Miroku just moaned, too dizzy to process words.
Kagome returned, medicine box in hand, with Sango on her tail and shippou perched sleepily on her shoulder. The Taiji-ya frowned, noticing the poor shape the monk was in. "Kagome-chan told me he was sick, and so I decided I should help. Is there anything I can do?"
Kagome shrugged, kneeling besides the monk who was now coughing up a storm. She dug into her open First Aid box, and pulled out a bottle of dark liquid, a thermometer, and bottle of rubbing alcohol.
They all watched as she dipped the metal end of the thermometer into the bottle of rubbing alcohol, sterilizing the medical instrument.
She held it to Miroku's mouth after wiping it off with a clean hand towel. "Can you put this under your tongue?" he opened his mouth and she placed it correctly. "Close your mouth." He obeyed.
"Umm, Kagome-chan? What's that?" Sango pointed to the strange, white, beeping thing protruding from the monk's mouth. Kagome smiled. "That's a thermometer. It takes your body temperature. You can tell if someone's sick by using it."
Inuyasha snorted rudely. "We already know he's sick. Look at him!" he gestured to the pale man in front of him who had recently slipped into some state of sleep.
A frown marred Kagome's features. "Yeah, but we don't know exactly how sick he is." The argument was cut off by a loud, repetitive beeping, to which the monk awoke again. "Oh!"
Kagome pulled the thermometer out of the monk's mouth and examined the readings. "Aww… he has a fever of about 101 degrees! That's pretty bad… the usual body temperature is 98 degrees. He may need more than just some Tylenol."
She got up to get the village priestess, but a clammy hand stopped her. "It's ok, Kagome-sama. I think I just need some rest… I've been avoiding sleep lately, and the stress has been getting to me. That and the fact that there probably is a bug going around have probably put me in this position."
Sango frowned. "Are you sure, Houshi-sama? I mean, shouldn't we get a priestess just in case? They have very helpful healing knowledge." Sango sat down next to the miko reincarnate and monk.
Kagome got a small plastic cup from her bag and poured the right amount of Tylenol into the container. "This should be the right amount. You're twenty, right?"
Miroku shook his head weakly. "I'm seventeen." Kagome almost dropped the bottle of medicine. "WHAT! You certainly don't act like you're seventeen!" she re-measured the amount of medicine poured, and then gave it to him. "It certainly won't taste good, but… it will help. Just drink it all down at once. I'll get you some water if you want."
Sango helped Miroku sit up and he drank down the dark liquid. He couldn't hide the expression that befell his face, nor could he hold back the gagging. "You're right, Kagome… that stuff is really putrid…!" Kagome handed him a water bottle. "Yeah, I thought you'd say something like that. Here, this will be your water while you're sick."
She took out a permanent maker and marked his name on the cap and on the bottle label.
Shippou admired Kagome's work from afar. "Wow, Kagome! You're really good when it comes to taking care of people… you remind me of how my mom acted whenever I was sick in bed."
Kagome just smiled cheerfully. "I'm just acting how my mom would act. I've had enough sick days in my time." She put away her medical supplies and stood up. "I guess all you have to do now is just wait it out. There's not much else we can do for right now."
At that, Inuyasha snorted.
"All of these interferences… we'll never be able to find Naraku! You know, he's probably re-constructing his body right now as we speak! He could be ten times stronger by the time we finally get to him!" Kagome grabbed Miroku's staff and bopped the complaining hanyou lightly on the head." You know, you're really getting on my nerves. It's not like he wanted to get sick!"
Sango, Miroku, and Shippou laughed quietly. "Thank you for defending me in my time of need, Kagome." He placed her delicate hand in between his own. She quickly pulled away. "Now, don't you go getting the wrong idea, Miroku. I'm just helping you out. Once he gets better…" she turned to the hanyou, a slight frown marring her porcelain features, "…then we can continue our search for Naraku."
She got up to put her medicine box away when the sun peaked into the shaded windows. "Hmm… well, so much for a decent sleep." She then placed a finger on her chin, her head tilting up in thought as a contemplative look fell across her visage. "Well, since Miroku's sick, I can probably take the day to rest and stuff. We've been needing a break for a while now, anyways."
Miroku nodded, feeling well enough to sit up on his own. "Maybe my fever is a blessing in disguise?"