Chapter 1: A Monk's Confession
The monk smiled at his partner. He still couldn't believe this was the same person who he had first met, and yet in a way he liked it. He smiled thinking of how he had got to this position laying next to the Hanyou that seem so strong and now so weak. He smiled brushing some of the hanyou's bangs out of his face as he slept soundly, and remembered before he was able to do so without being clawed out.
It was a sunny day like most days with the wind blowing the gentle breeze that danced across the fields. Everything was quiet as a few birds chipped here and there, and a few small animals roamed around in the forest. The villagers were doing their normal chores like harvesting in the fields, gathering the rice in the rice fields, and shopping at the village markets. Miroku slowly climbed a small hill that over looked the village letting his eyes scan the surrounding area. The group had once again stopped at the village to restock on a few things, and let Kagome go back to her time to catch up on her school work. Everyone was off doing their own thing as well as the monk. Sango had headed back to her destroyed village to make some repairs to her Hiraikotsu, her hidden weapon that had broke off during a battle with a demon along with her sword, and to get more poison powder and a few other powders to wourd out demons. Of course, Kirara went with her as well as Shippo who claimed he wanted to help Sango any way he could. Kagome helped around the village before herself went to her own world claiming to have atleast four test and three exams. Miroku sighed once he heard her mention all the test and exams, and once again asked her why she wouldn't just flunk a grade. Once again her answer was no, and off she went to her world to do all the school work leaving behind the monk and the hanyou.
The wind whipped at his face as he slowly decended the hill towards the village. He slowly came to part of the forest that blocked his path to the village, and couldn't help but smiled at the name of the forest that matched the hanyou's. He made his way through noticing no small demons that would usually scurry away, the ones that usually stayed close to the village. He smiled and figured that the hanyou must have slayed them all out of fustration like usually when Kagome left. He paused for a moment and looked up into the trees as the few rays of sun that broke through the trees fell on his body then to the ground around him as the wind blew. He slowly looked back to the path heading on ways to the village. He seemed very troubled the past few days about something that destirbed him about his feelings. As he got to the edge of the forest that met with the village he stopped once again and leaned against a tree letting his mind fall back to what happened a few days ago at a near by village.
The group had been walking as they passed a small village when one of the villagers spotted Miroku. Of course they stopped to see what was wrong to find out that the village had been plauged with a demon that had been attacking every night. They accepted at once agreeing to help despite the angry rejection from the hanyou that bosted about finding Naraku instead of a stale old demon who was getting a kick of to scaring the villagers. The villagers promised to house them in the near by inn for free if they helped destroy the demon. Sure enough the demon showed just as the villagers had predicted, but this time it had company. Turns out the demon was a mother and the previous attacks on the village was to show it's young how to hunt in the villages. The hanyou of course went after the mother as the rest of the group took care of the thirty to fourty young that tried to prey on the villagers. Within a few minutes the younger hand been killed, but the mother enraged with the fact that it's young had been slaughtered infront of it went in to a rage making it hard for the hanyou to tackle on his own. Before the demon could land a good blow on the hanyou the monk was able to knock him out of the away as the demon slayer's Hiraikotsu cut through the demon with Kagome's sacred arrow behind it finishing off the demon.
The victory had been won by the women this time and of course the hanyou wasn't too happy about it. They kindly helped the villagers clean up the mess of the demons even though it was just putting them in a spot together and letting the monks windtunnel to suck them in. As promised the villagers lead them to the local inn just as the moon made its way to the center of the sky showing it was close to about midnight. The women were sent to one room as the men were sent to the other. They took turns using the bath house then were offered the yakama outfits for bed. The hanyou growled at the outfits as he just changed back into his normal attire. The monk shook his head at the hanyou as he stood up walking towards the door to look at the night sky like he had been doing before the hanyou looked in his direction.
"Hey monk where the hell are you going? You better not be going to spy on the girls." The hanyou warned as his eyes narrowed at the monk.
"Not at all Inuyasha. Just going to sit outside the room and look up at the sky. Don't worry you will know if I leave or not." Miroku smirked walking out of the room.
As he stepped out of the room he looked down from the flooring to see a woman on the lower ground. She seemed to be close to her late fourties, but had the look of the wise elders in their eighties. The monk smiled at her as the woman smiled back before climbing the small staircase next to him and had a seat. The monk sat next to her as he looked up at the sky his mind filled with thoughts of his friends. The old woman smiled and gently touched his arm catching his attention.
"Young man you are troubled by something." She said with almost a raspy voice removing her hand from the monk.
"I am not trouble by much miss just thought of a friends relationship." Miroku smiled at the old lady.
"Yes because you fear the thought on your mind may ruin it or cause you death if another problem isn't dealt with corret?"
The old woman smiled as she stood up walking down from the stairs and walked across the garden that showed infront of him. He froze for a moment at the old woman's words before slowly gazing down at his right hand which possessed the windtunnel. He closed his eyes at the thought before his eyes met the moon once again staying there for a while before standing up and walking back into the hut seeing the hanyou already asleep against the wall in his usual position. The monk smiled at the hanyou before laying down in his futon.
Moments later the monk was snapped back to reality as he looked down to see a few village children looking up at the monk. The children slowly held up one of the dogs that roamed the village that had died from old age. Once again his prayers were needed for the berial of the old dog, and to help the children who loved the dog most to be able to accept the animal's death. Once finished he stood up from the dogs grave and out of the corner of his eye he saw the long silver hair he knew quickly turn and walked away. It was rare to see the hanyou take part in what he called a trivial thing yet is showed him that he cared enough to at least show. Soon the children had run off to tell their parents about the grave, most likely encouraging to come and pay respects to the dog. Miroku slowly made his way to Kaede's hut to see her preparing dinner before she shooed him out to fetch the hanyou knowing he was starving.
The monk walked towards the scared tree knowing that would be the spot were he found the hanyou. Once again he made his way through the forest til he stood right under the tree. He slowly looked up into the tree expecting to see him only to fine a empty tree with a few birds sitting in it. He slowly looked around before figuring that he might have got to the well to sulk knowing that he couldn't go to Kagome's time due to the threat she made to him if he showed up. He slowly made his way to the clearing to see that he wasn't there either. He sighed mostly not knowing anywhere else he might be other than he had indeed gone to Kagome's time. He slowly walked back over to the sacred tree before falling against it and sliding down to a sitting postion. He mind was still clouded with thoughts of his problems and the words of the old woman. He slowly lifted his head only to be hit with a ray of the setting sun. It warmed his face as it made him close his eyes, and he listened to the sounds around him. It was a perfect place to just sit and think, and he figured this was why the hanyou alway sought this spot out when he was angry or upset. He sat there for a while til something blocked the ray of sun from his face. He slowly opened his eyes to see the hanyou standing there with a pure look of innocence and curiosity.
"Oh Inuyasha there you are. I have been looking for you." Miroku said with a soft smile as he stood up whipping the dirt from his behind.
"Keh, looking for me looks like you were sleeping." Inuyasha shot back placing his arms in his kimono.
"No just thinking Inuyasha, well anyway let's head back dinner is almost done." Miroku said walking off.
The hanyou slowly followed behind the monk before catching up to him. He had a confused look on his face as he just seemed to stare at the monk.
"Yes what is it Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he came to a stop.
"You've been acting differently monk. What's up its not like you. I mean you havn't fondaled any women in who knows how long. Are you sick or something?" He asked showing worry in his voice.
"I am fine Inuyasha. Just alot is on my mind, but what about you? I have been wondering you question for a while, but you really havn't got anywhere with Kagome or Kikyo. What are you waiting for?" He asked as he himself leaned on a tree.
"I'm not waiting for anything. I can't just choose you know. If I choose Kagome then I will be abandoning Kikyo...but if I go with Kikyo then Kagome...I just can't do that to her. They both mean alot to me, but..."
"Listen Inuyasha, I am not trying to sound like a bad person or anything but your hurting both of them anyway. Kikyo is hurt because your with Kagome pretty much 24/7, and Kagome is hurt because Kikyo is the only thing on your mind. You know Inuyasha, women arn't always the answer to everything."
With that the monk quickly started to walk back to the village leaving the poor confused hanyou behind. This made the hanyou wonder what was wrong with the monk. He had never seen him this upset about his own decisions. Why would the monk be conserned if he chose one or the other? He slowly followed the monk only for him to have made it back to the hut and eat his share of food before rushing back out of the hut. Inuyasha cocked his head unsure of what was going on with the monk with no help from Kaede when he asked her. Later that night Inuyasha got in his usual position for bed before realizing the monk still wasn't back. He felt his ears flatten on his head before shaking away the feeling. He knew the monk could take care of himself, and if he wanted to stay out later than usual it was ok.
In the morning the hanyou woke to see Kaede fixing herbs she had pulled from the herb garden. He stood up and stretched before looking around and not seeing the monk. Upon asking Kaede she claimed that he hand never returned that night. Inuyasha quickly walked out of the hut looking around for a sign of the monk to no avail. He started to ask the villagers one by one, but none of them had seen the monk since the day before. Inuyasha began to worry that he might have offended Miroku some how with the conversation they held the night before, but it wasn't normal for him to get that mad. He continued to walk around until he got to the edge of the forest. He looked up at the sky as it seemed a storm was heading their way. The dark clouds creeped closer til they covered the sun completely, and the villagers started to head back to their huts to keep dry from the rain that seem to be coming. Just as Inuyasha was about to head towards Kaede's hut a gust of wind blew from inside the forest carrying a scent he knew very well. It was the scent of blood, but it was familar to him causing him to race through the forest towards the scent.
Once he got to the scent the rain had begun falling showing what looked to be a pool of blood. Inuyasha froze as he matched the scent of the blood to the monks blood. How could this happen right under his nose? He was the monk's blood but where was the monk? He began to question if this was the reason the monk had not returned. Had he been attacked by a demon or worst by Naraku who's scent was practically invisible thanks to the orb in which he carried? He felt the pain of thinking one of his friends had been kill or is near death and he wasn't there to help him, and not thanks to the rain it would make finding anything harder that it should be. The hanyou hung his head as his bangs covered his eyes, as the pain in his chest began to grow. His fist contacted with the tree as he felt his knees give in and he fell to the ground. He felt this pain too much mostly since knowing Naraku nearly killed Kikyo dropping her over a cliff, and the time he almost lost Kagome, Sango, and the monk from Mukotsu's poison gas combined with Renkotsu's fire inferno.
Inuyasha now found himself leaning against a near by tree with his head in on of his hands as the other beat the ground below him. As he continued to pulverise the ground he barely hear the footsteps heading his way. The hanyou slowly looked up to see the monk staring down at him with a confused look on his face. At that moment the hanyou stood up almost in shock as he stared at the monk.
"Mi-Miroku! But your blood? Its so much!" He shouted to the monk.
"Blood? Oh you mean from this thing?" He asked pointing out a cut on his cheek. "I got it from Hachi. It wasn't alot but I guess the rain made it look that way." He said with a soft sigh.
In a furious rage the hanyou grabbed the monk by the front of his robes pulling him a few inches from his face. As a crack of thunder sounded in the distance.
"You idiot where the hell have you been? Do you realize how worried I was? I thought some demon killed your ass!" He shouted.
"Whoa calm down Inuyasha! I only when to a near by shrine with Hachi! I needed some time to think ok!" The monk shot back.
"And you couldn't fucking tell me! Damnit I though you were dead! If anything I thought Naraku got a hold of your damn ass! Don't just go running off like that!" The hanyou continued to shout as it seemed tears were forming in his eyes. "Damnit I am tied of seeing everyone close to fucking death and for you to pull a fucking stunt like that."
He continued to shout as he bangs covered his eyes again as his voice came close to a whine and his gribbed loosened on the monks robes. Miroku looked down at the hanyou noticing for the first time that he was actualy taller than him by a few inches. He looked at the hanyou's face to see a few drops slide down his face that didn't look like rain drops. He was crying. He was actualy crying out of fear that he had lost the monk. Miroku frowned knowing he was the one who cause his friend to cry out of worry for him. Before he knew what he was doing his pulled the hanyou close to him, and brought him into tight embrace. At once the hanyou tried to pull himself away from the monk only to be held tighter. It seemed as if all of Inuyasha's strength had left him til he just wasn't able to struggle anymore.
"I am sorry Inuyasha. I didn't mean to make you so worried that you'd cry." The monk said looking down at him.
"I'm not crying you damn monk it's the fucking rain." He shouted as he acted as if he was whipping away the rain drops, but actualy hiding his tears.
Miroku frowned at the hanyou before lifting his chin to face the monk as he continued to hold the hanyou in a tight embrace.
"Are you sure? If that was the case your eyes wouldn't be red and this little tear wouldn't be falling down from it."
The monk said as he gently kissed the corner of the hanyou's eye just as a tear fell from it. A small blush ran across the hanyou's face as he felt the monks lips on his on his face. For a moment they stayed like that before the hanyou was finally able to pull away from the monk. It felt strange that the monk was acting so loving towards him, expecially since he was a man not a woman. Inuyasha quickly looked away from him as the monk took a few steps towards him. He started to wonder if this was why the monk and been acting so weird the past few days. He froze at the thought that the monk could be in love with him. Inuyasha slowly turned only to see the monk infront of him again. Instictivly he back up only to run into a tree behind him. The monk quickly placed his hands to the side of his head pretty much telling him he had no where to run. The monk just stared at the shocked hanyou as the rain continued to pour on the two til the monk finally spoke.
"You know something Inuyasha, I have been troubled for a while, and it is because of you." The monk said as his violet eyes ment with his amber eyes.
"What are you talking about?" The hanyou asked with a shaky voice.
"For some odd reason your the only thing that has been on my mind." The monk replyed moving his body towards Inuyasha's.
"But why I thought you loved Sango? You proposed to her right?" He shouted trying to fight his way away only for his strength to leave him again.
"That's what I thought, but lately the thought of having a woman by my side has felt wrong, and everytime I tried to change it you always showed up by my side. To be honest I hated it, but the more I started to pay attention to you instead of the girls I found more I like about you more that all the women counting Sango. The only problem is that you want to be with either Kikyo or Kagome. It drove me nuts trying to figure out which one you wanted, and I found it would be easier if you just would choose a man over two women who really only want you around so they could piss the other off." The monk hissed at his own words as he spoke.
"The only problem was I didn't want to face the facts that I was falling for you, and the more I wanted you to be mine. I even thought about if you were to choose me, but the thought that if we never kill Naraku I wouldn't have an heir to carry on that struggle. That is why I left to the shrine, to think that over, and to me I rather be with you than with Sango and only end up dieing and leaving my child to carry on the burden of killing Naraku, and carrying this wretched windtunnel."
The hanyou just stared at the monk unable to say anything to him. After a moment of silence the monk slowly grabbed the hanyou's chin once again, but this time pulled him into a deep kiss.