Disclaimer - I do not own Inuyasha.
A/N (NEW!) - So... confession time. I always knew that Inuyasha and Miroku were made for each other. At least, when it came to The Wedding Ring. However, when I was younger (let's say thirteen or fourteen?) my inner yaoi fangirl had not yet been awaken. I was still "OMG KAGS AND INU 4EVERRR!" and now I am not that way. Now I kind of adore Inu/Koug and Inu/Mir. Anyways, I made, in the original The Wedding Ring, Inuyasha and Miroku related so that nothing could happen there. You see, I was already seeing them as more than friends and at that time in my life, that was not RIGHT. Now, in The Wedding Ring (Yaoi Version), anything is possible. What I WANTED in my very core is possible. Enjoy my loves, enjoy.
-Liz
Chapter One - 28 Degrees
A very chilly Inuyasha stood, his back stiff and straight, in the freezing cold weather with his hands in his jean pockets, his gray hoodie all the way zipped and its hood on his head. He had his back turned away from a tall business building which was casting a large shadow upon him and the street. It made things even icier than usual. Soft and fluffy white snowflakes gently kissed his pale, but lightly pink with cold, cheeks. They only succeeded in angering him more and he did not find comfort in their beauty which, sometimes he did. At least his black backpack gave him some warmth from the cold but even then it was beginning to feel like a large block of ice and the very fact it was a heavy large block of ice made things all the more fun.
"Iiiit's fucking cold out..." he said bluntly to no one in particular and that was when he thought of Miroku. "Where the hell is he?" Then, out of the corner of his eye, Inuyasha saw Miroku's tall figure chatting up some girl (probably). He regretfully squinted over at his best friend across the street to find that he was not only talking with one girl but he was talking to two pretty, young, and cold girls just looking for trouble. "Jeez man, now? In this weather?" He made a face of complete disgust and yelled out Miroku's name to get his attention. "Yo, Miroku!" Miroku turned his gaze away from the girls and smiled at Inuyasha sheepishly with a shrug. From what Inuyasha could see, Miroku asked the girls to hold on for a moment and then quickly made his way over to Inuyasha's side to see what was up.
"Yeah?" he asked with a grin and Inuyasha just gave him that same disgusted look. His back was now hunched over in annoyance.
"Whaddya mean 'yeah?' You're an idiot! No, no, I'm sorry. You're not an idiot. You're a pervert!" Inuyasha threw his hands up in the air with anger while Miroku rolled his eyes and frowned at Inuyasha's immaturity.
"You're the one that called me over here, remember?" Miroku achieved a calm and annoyed tone at the same time and this was almost enough to push Inuyasha over the edge.
"Yeah, I remember! It just happened, Miroku. I, unlike some, have quite the memory. I was calling you over to let you know that the bus'll be here in a few... ya freakin' lecher." Inuyasha pretty much muttered that last part so it went over Miroku's head completley.
"Okay, okay. I'll just give those girls my number and come wait with you because I know you can't be alone in public." Miroku quickly jogged back and forth between his two destinations before Inuyasha could say anything. When he settled on Inuyasha's right he took his hands and blew in them for warmth. He gave the girls a quick wave goodbye before they left. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed heavilly. "Hey, what's your problem?" Miroku asked and Inuyasha looked at him out of the corner of his right eye.
"You're a pervert." he said simply and Miroku snickered ignoring that comment.
"But why weren't you right there with me? Those girls were... wow! Know what I'm saying?" Inuyasha laughed sarcastically.
"Ha, ha, ha. You DO make me laugh, Miroku." Inuyasha growled. "To answer your question, though: I don't want to talk to anyone in ten degree weather! Ya know, that's just not me." Inuyasha screamed.
"Correction, 28 degree weather." Miroku said with a pointed finger in the air. Inuyasha began to twitch a little.
"And yet, it feels like ten! Do you want to go back and forth with this some more? Do ya really wanna do this now? Cause I can and, oh, I will." Miroku put his hands up in surrender, his dark green backpack almost falling off. A few minutes later the bus arrived.
"These things are gross." Inuyasha said as the bus door opened and they both gave their 50 cents. A woman in the front seat caught Inuyasha's eye and smirked. Inuyasha smirked back with a quick wink and then went back to his angry self.
"I never knew you cared about personal hygiene, Inuyasha." Miroku said sarcastically as they went to the back of the bus which held the only empty seats.
"I don't, it's just I think they're gross." He said as if the discussion was over.
"Um, Inuyasha, that's caring about personal hygiene last time I checked." Miroku retaliated. Inuyasha gave him a scathing glare that shut him up. Five minutes went by and an awkward silence had passed between the two. "Think we should stop for some coffee before we head home?" Miroku asked and Inuyasha shrugged.
"S'long as it's hot." He said, rubbing his hands together. "How's it cold in here? Aren't busses supposed to have heating?" He asked in a pissed off tone.
"How is it that you can get angry at the cold?" Miroku asked, amused. The two were going home for Inuyasha's mother's birthday to catch up. Izayoi, Inuyasha's mom, had asked them to come, said she wanted to see her little boys all grown-up again. They'd, of course, groaned in annoyance but agreed to go. When they were younger they were neighbors and from that their odd friendship was born. Inuyasha and Miroku went to the same College so, since they both didn't have a car, they decided the cheap busses would have to do.
"Piss off." Inuyasha said and Miroku bit his tongue to keep from laughing. It was early October and for some strange reason, the weather had been going all over the place: 28 Degrees in October was pretty much unheard of in Tokyo. They were heading to Kyoto. The trip would take 7-8 hours, maybe more if they stopped.
"Sooo, now we gotta make a very, very serious decision." Miroku commented.
"On what?" Inuyasha looked rudely confused. Miroku sighed, Inuyasha was near impossible.
"What are we going to get your mom for her birthday?" He answered tiredly with a yawn and a stretch. Inuyasha quickly shrugged.
"I don't know, when we stop for coffee we can check out the stores around I guess." It was Inuyasha's turn to yawn and stretch, accidentally or otherwise whacking Miroku's face.
"Sure," Miroku bit out. But, he quickly found his cool again. "Now, that's the second thing. Where we gonna stop for coffee? Starbucks or Dunk's?"
"Hmm, that's a tough one." Inuyasha said seriously. Miroku nodded his head vigorously in agreement. "Eh, let's go with the one we see first." Miroku agreed. They came across a Starbucks first. Miroku pressed the long yellow button that told the bus driver someone asked for a stop.
"I hate when they just continue to drive." Miroku said.
"Yeah, pisses me off." Inuyasha commented and Miroku rolled his eyes.
"Everything pisses you off." He muttered and Inuyasha gave him a quick punch in the arm.
"Hey, we signaled for a stop!" Inuyasha yelled up to the front.
"Too bad, it ain't at a regular stop yet! The next one's just up ahead!" The bus driver yelled back. Inuyasha and Miroku glanced at each other then nodded. The two got up, walked over to the front of the bus, then Inuyasha got in the poor guy's face.
"Stop the bus, or suffer the consequences." Inuyasha said menacingly. The guy wasn't impressed.
"Oooh I'm shaking." He continued to drive, a slight smile playing at the corner of his lips.
"Fine," Inuyasha pulled out his cell phone. "Then I'm just gonna have to let your boss know what a great guy you've been." The bus stopped the moment Inuyasha dialed a number.
"Please don't, I need this job. I got 3 kids at home and I can barely feed 'em." He said desperately. Miroku frowned and nudged Inuyasha.
"Come on, let's go." Miroku said quietly. Inuyasha shut his cell phone and looked at the driver.
"Thanks." He said to him, not meaning it. "Now, how do I get my quarters back...?" Inuyasha played around with the machine that he'd put money in to catch a ride on the bus and Miroku grabbed one his arms with a soft tug.
"Are you serious? Let's go." Miroku's hand gently touched Inuyasha's and then he quickly remembered himself. The driver, not seeing this, smiled slightly; evil-like.
"Yeah, whatever. Get outta here." He told them, his tone angry but the smile never leaving his face. "Heh, they'll get what's coming to 'em." The moment he opened the door, the cold air hit them hard. They both stepped out and wished they were back on the bus.
"Where was that Starbucks again?" Miroku asked, the wind stinging his face.
"Uh, I think it was back that way." Inuyasha said as the bus drove away, making an awful noise and leaving them to taste its exhaust. "Ugh..."
"Yeah, probably because the bus is going that way." Miroku roared over the wind. The sun had already set and the sky was dark and the streetlights gave only so much light. But, for some reason, the snow that began to fall was comforting. They crossed the busy street to the other side where the restaurants and sidewalk were. A few minutes later, they were at the Starbucks.
"Finally," Inuyasha said, his ears frozen and red and his patience level wearing thin. When was it not?
"Two coffees and two bagels with the cream cheese on the side." Miroku told the woman at the register.
"Do not order for me." Inuyasha said quietly as the girl's voice overlapped his.
"Sure, be done in a minute." She told him with a flirty smile.
"Yep, no problem." Miroku winked, bored but not letting anything on.
"You disgust me." Inuyasha said once she was gone.
"And your point is?" Miroku asked as she came back with their coffees on a tray along with their bagels which were cooked perfectly.
"Ya know, we have other flavors." She said, beginning to twirl a strand of her hair with her two fingers.
"Excuse me?" Inuyasha asked. What he was really asking was, "What the fuck?"
"Well, there's strawberry... and ummm there's blueberry.. and uh there's also.. I forget the rest." She giggled in a ditzy manner.
"Oh, you forget?" Inuyasha mimicked and she didn't catch his sarcastic tone.
"Yeah, but those two.." She blew a bubble from her gum. "UGH they're to diiie for!" She sang and Inuyasha and Miroku bit the side of their cheeks to halt their laughing.
"I think we'll pass. Ah, don't quit your day job." Miroku told her.
"Huh?" She cocked her head to the side.
"Never mind." Inuyasha snickered.
"Well, any way, you're missing out! Talk to ya later boys." She quickly bat her eye lashes and blew another bubble. The two walked away with their tray and sat at a table which was far away from the register.
"Crazy bitch." Inuyasha laughed. "Wooow."
"Wow is right. Hey did you even want a bagel?" Miroku asked.
"No, not really. That was why I told you not to order for me. But, I'm kinda hungry now so I should thank you." He told Miroku, taking a sip of his coffee. Miroku waited for his thanks but never got one.
"Good?" Miroku asked and Inuyasha nodded. "Thank God," Miroku took a sip and rolled his eyes up towards Heaven. It was very good.
"So, any ideas on the present?" Inuyasha asked, his mood lighter.
"Nah, but we'll find something."
"Yeah, you're right." Inuyasha and Miroku both began to spread their cream cheese.
"Hey," Miroku said as he took a bite of his bagel. "She gave me an onion bagel." He said, delighted.
"Ew. How can you even like that stuff?" Inuyasha said in disgust, his was luckily regular. "You're gonna stink..." Inuyasha said. His backpack was still on and he pulled it off to look at the contents within it. "'Least I got toothpaste." A few minutes passed by and they were both done with their bagel.
"What did you pack in there, anyway?" Miroku asked, his mouth still full with the last of his bagel.
"Just stuff." Inuyasha gave a shrug. "I packed some fresh clothes, money, shit we need I guess. What did you put in yours?"
"Same stuff."
"We should ask that girl when the next bus leaves and where the stop is before we go shopping for the gift." Inuyasha said, thinking logically for a change. Miroku was bemused but nodded his head in agreement. They both took the last sips of their coffee, went to the restroom, and walked up to the counter to ask the girl when and where the bus would be.
"Oh, just at the end of this street and the next one leaves at... Let's see." She looked at the clock behind her, it was 9:15. "10:35. So, you boys on a road trip or somethin'?" They nodded.
"We're headed to Kyoto for Inuyasha's mother's birthday. I've known the woman my whole life. She's like a second mother to me." Miroku told her. "There was this one time I fell, right? Inuyasha and I had been playing or something and I fell. I was really beat up. You see-"
"He fell down a hill." Inuyasha helped him finish the story. "My mom helped him with his cuts. Yay! Can we move on?" Miroku laughed and said yes.
"So, I don't get it. Is this woman special to you or somethin'? You were just neighbors right? I never got along with my neighbors... always so much yellin' about cats and what not. I had to make sure mine never got in the other one's hairs. One of my neighbors called me Silly Lilly but that's taken it far I think! I meant don't you think that? I ain't silly he was just old." She smiled at something from her past and Inuyasha's eye twitched. "Any whooo, what was I sayin'?"
"Let's go before she say's something else." Inuyasha linked arms with Miroku and they left, leaving the poor girl to ponder over what had just happened.
"Huh?" She asked, her echoing throughout the room. "Y'all is crazy. I ain't need none o' my neighors. 'Cept that old man. He was a nice one... Yep, he was a nice one." And then, she quietly went back to work.
A/N - Mmk, that's it for chapter one. Now, please review if ya liked it! lol.