Last time on Cursed
Sesshomaru approaches Inuyasha and company for Miroku. After some posturing and back and forth between the brothers, Miroku finally leaves with Sesshomaru. A sutra seal has been placed on Rin accidentally, it was meant for Sesshomaru. After removing the sutra, they return to Kaede's village so that Rin can rest, but not before Sesshomaru and Miroku start to wonder about each other.
"Now what-" Inuyasha stopped when he saw the little girl Sesshomaru was carrying in his arms. He narrowed his eyes but remained quiet.
By now Kagome was fully awake. "What's wrong?" she asked Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru, preferring to have as little contact with these people as possible, nodded at Miroku. "Kagome, Rin has a fever. Do you think it's possible that you and Kaede can treat it?"
"I'll go get Kaede." Kagome jumped up and ran to the hut next door.
"So what did you do to her?" Inuyasha sneered at his brother. Sesshomaru didn't answer; he simply narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, was that necessary?" Miroku asked in defense of his new…whatever he was. Associate?
Inuyasha opened his mouth to respond but shut it as Kagome and Kaede walked back in.
"So the young lady has a fever?" Kaede asked, reaching out to touch Rin's forehead. Sesshomaru, on reflex, recoiled instantly.
"Hey, what's your problem?" Inuyasha demanded. "You asked us to take care of her."
"I didn't ask you anything," Sesshomaru replied with his usual stoic tone.
"Then what the hell-"
"Sesshomaru, it's Ok. Rin will be safe in the care of Kagome and Kaede. I guarantee it," Miroku soothed.
Sesshomaru relented. After all, it didn't make much sense to bring her all this way and then refuse to have her tended to. He handed her to Miroku, who placed her on the sleeping bag, another modern convenience brought to the era by Kagome. He nodded at Kogame and Kaede, who rushed over to Rin.
Sesshomaru eyed the modest hut in silence. His expression remained as blank as ever, but still managed to ruffle Inuyasha's metaphorical fur. He opened his mouth to say something but was halted by a sharp nudge from Miroku.
"Ow! What did you do that for!"
"Quiet!" Kagome hissed. She began digging though her bag for some medicine.
"Inuyasha, please. Rin needs peace and quiet. This is not the time to start an argument," Miroku chided.
Inuyasha stared at his friend in shock. Was Miroku taking Sesshomaru's side? Just what the hell happened between them anyway? Sesshomaru noted his brother's expression with satisfaction. So the monk…Miroku…had put Inuyasha in his place so that he didn't have to. He did not relish the idea of being cooped up in this tiny hut with his idiot brother and his human associates. He knew that the humans were not fool enough to let something happen to Rin. Besides, the monk…Miroku…would look after her.
"Miroku." Everyone jumped, and turned to face Sesshomaru. Had he just addressed Miroku by his name? He had never extended any of the others that familiarity. Hell, he didn't even use Inuyasha's name half the time. Sesshomaru felt their eyes on them but didn't care.
"Yes?" Miroku answered, turning to give Sesshomaru his full attention.
"You will watch over Rin. Do not leave her side."
Miroku was flattered that Sesshomaru would allow him such an honor. He was becoming aware how protective he was over Rin. "Of course."
"He's not your damned babysitter." Inuyasha retorted, no longer able to contain himself. Just who the hell did Sesshomaru think he was?
Sesshomaru ignored Inuyasha. "I will return in the morning." He strode out of the hut. Miroku's eyes followed him; both relieved that he was going so as to avoid any further conflict with Inuyasha, but also a little disappointed. He was actually starting to enjoy Sesshomaru's company and sought to learn a little more about him.
Inuyasha turned to face Miroku as soon as Sesshomaru left. "What the hell was that about?" he demanded.
"Shhh!" Kagome hissed.
"Fine! Outside!" Inuyasha ordered his friend.
Miroku shook his head. "I promised I would stay with her."
"What are you, his fucking servant now?"
Miroku's eyes narrowed. "Please watch your language around Rin."
"Whatever. She's sleep anyway. Now what the hell is going on?"
"There's nothing going on, Inuyasha. What are you talking about?"
"You two acting all chummy and shit. And you're taking his side on stuff. And why is he calling you Miroku?"
"We're not 'chummy', Inuyasha. And I'm not taking sides, just trying to keep the arguing to a minimum. And Miroku is my name."
Inuyasha let out a growl and stormed out of the hut.
Sesshomaru's sharp ears caught most of the conversation as he left the village. So Inuyasha was upset, was he? Sesshomaru's mind worked through all the ways he could use this information to his advantage and make his brother seethe with indignation. This was going to be…dare he say it…fun? He would accomplish two purposes. One would be to unsettle his brother some and the other would be to sate his curiosity about the monk…Miroku. Sesshomaru found his easygoing nature intriguing, unlike the defiant Inuyasha or the eager-to-please Jaken. It was…soothing, he concluded, thinking back to how he had calmed Rin's restless energy. Just who was this monk?
As he approached the edge of the village, he found Jaken snoozing on the back of Ah-Un. He woke his servant with an unceremonious kick, sending the little demon reeling.
"Jaken."
"Huh? Oh! Lord Sesshomaru! You have returned. How is Rin?"
"Rin will be fine. But I want to know something."
Jaken swallowed hard. "Yes, my lord?" He hoped he wouldn't ask him what Rin was doing out there by herself, when he was supposed to be watching her, but the girl had a bad habit of wandering off!
"Tell me what you know of this monk…Miroku."
Back in the hut
As promised, Miroku kept a watchful eye on Rin. He watched as they gave her a cool bath and changed her clothes so that they could wash her little kimono.
"How is she?' Miroku asked Kagome.
"She will be fine. When she wakes, I can give her this," Kagome held out one of the small white 'pills' that she sometimes gave them for pain or fever.
Rin stirred in her sleep. "Lord Sesshomaru…" she mumbled.
Miroku raised his eyebrow. "That girl has a one-track mind," he commented.
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.
"That's nearly the first thing she said when I removed the sutra," he replied, thinking back to those few hours ago. He had always wondered why she accompanied him, or why he allowed it. He seemed to dote on her, contrary to his nature. One of his fellow monks had told him that she turned down a home in a village with other children to roam the countryside with Sesshomaru and his grouchy but harmless sidekick Jaken.
"Why do you think that is?" Kagome asked.
"I don't know," Miroku replied. "I suppose we could just ask her."
Back in the woods
"Where to start, my lord," Jaken sighed.
Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow impatiently.
Jaken cleared his throat. "Well, according to Shippo he's a huge hentai…"
The whole story spilled out; about how he had met his brother, that miko, and the kitsune Shippo. Apparently he happened upon them and stole that damned Shikon no Tama that the fool Inuyasha and the rest of his band of idiots spent so much time looking for. This led to a run-in with Inuyasha where he introduced his brother to his Kazaana, that void that was formally in his right hand put there by Naraku. Apparently, the Kazaana was supposed to be the shield for his lecherous behavior, as he would grope nearly every woman he met and ask her to bear his child. Some kind of romance had developed between he and the slayer, but the slayer had recently rejected him.
Sesshomaru stood on a hill and stared at the creamy moon, digesting everything his gossip of an assistant had told him. His mind was restless tonight, thoughts of the monk swirling through his mind. He didn't concern himself with Rin; he knew that she would be safe in Miroku's care. Thoughts of the monk danced in and out of his head. Why does this lowly ningen occupy my mind so? he thought to himself. Surely he is not worthy even to stand in my presence. He is nothing. Weak, amorous, and sentimental. Nothing. Yet Sesshomaru wanted him. He wanted Miroku in his pack, to accompany him on his journeys. It might be pleasant to have someone other than Jaken or Rin to occupy his time and hold a decent conversation. Wait, what was he saying? Conversation? Was there anyone alive who deserved the privilege? Perhaps now there was. I will have him, Sesshomaru vowed to himself.
In the hut
After waking in the middle of the night and receiving the pill from Kagome, Rin had much to say about her precious Lord Sesshomaru.
"So how did you meet Lord Sesshomaru?" Miroku asked the little girl. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"I was attacked by a pack of wolves and he saved me!" she exclaimed proudly.
"So he fought the wolves off?" Kagome asked.
"No, they killed me. He used his sword to bring me back to life!"
They all stared at her in shock. Everyone knew that Tenseiga was a life giving sword, but somehow Sesshomaru had forged it into a weapon. They had no idea that he had actually used it for its intended purpose. The others were convinced but Inuyasha wasn't buying it.
"No way," he said stubbornly. "I don't believe it."
"It's true!" Rin insisted. "Jaken tells me almost every day 'how grateful I should be for his lordship's mercy' and I am!" They all laughed, she did an excellent impression of the little imp.
"Hmphf," Inuyasha muttered.
"So what else do you do with Lord Sesshomaru?" Miroku asked.
They all listened as she described her 'adventures'. It seemed that Rin had a knack for finding trouble and Sesshomaru was always there to get her out of it. Miroku recalled several times when Naraku tried to use her as leverage to manipulate Sesshomaru into action. Miroku found himself wondering what it would be like to travel with their little odd group. A great demon lord, his tiny minion, an orphan girl that he adopted and he, a simple human monk. He could imagine it: keeping Rin out of trouble, baiting Jaken, and carrying on conversations with Sesshomaru, but what would they talk about? It's not like they had anything in common. He supposed that would be the interesting part. What a minute, what was he thinking? He couldn't just abandon Inuyasha and the others. But what had they been doing? Now that Naraku had been taken care of, there was little else to do except settle the occasional demon skirmishes. It was enough to almost wish for old times.
Rin kept all of them up with her constant stream of chatter. Miroku found himself dozing occasionally but she was so entertaining that they all did their best to indulge her. Most of her talk was of Sesshomaru. In her eyes, he could do no wrong. He was her savior; he was kind and generous, not ruthless and cruel. Even when she witnessed him ripping off another demon's head it was always for a good reason. 'They started it,' she would insist.
Dawn approached. As Miroku drifted off, visions of the silver haired, angelic faced demon danced around in his head. He had always been a little awestruck by his friend's brother, a fact that he admitted to no one. His face, so calm and deceptively serene had often caused such fear to course through his veins that it had been exhilarating. He moved with such gracefulness and speed; and he had also never admitted that he…enjoyed watching him fight, be it Inuyasha or Naraku or some other enemy. And that accessory, which he later learned was his tail, wrapped around on his right side. He had only seen it unwound once or twice; trailing behind him as he flew, with Jaken clinging on for dear life. Miroku, who always had a fetish for backsides, wondered what it would be like to touch it…Wait, what! What the hell was he thinking? What would Sesshomaru do to him if he knew that he had even imagined it? Not even in your thoughts! he admonished himself. Miroku had never been one to deny himself the small pleasures of enjoying a firm derriere but he knew this was one that he would never have the pleasure of caressing. What the hell? I said don't think about it! he cried out desperately in his mind. Besides Sesshomaru was a demon, and a male, and his friend's brother; but most of all Sesshomaru was…Sesshomaru.
"Sesshomaru…" he muttered in his sleep.
"I'm right here," he heard a familiar voice reply.
"Yikes!" Miroku exclaimed as he jumped up. Had he said Sesshomaru's name in his sleep? And now he was standing right there in front of him!
"Sesshomaru!" Miroku exclaimed, a little too much animation in his voice. "What are you doing here?"
"I told you I would return to check on Rin this morning," the demon lord replied, eyeing the monk intently. Miroku blushed furiously. So I did say his name, he thought. Damnit.
Miroku's little outburst was enough to awaken the rest of the house, including Rin.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" the little girl exclaimed, leaping off sleeping bag and running to her protector. However, she wasn't well enough, and stumbled due to her lightheadedness.
Before Miroku could react Sesshomaru had caught the girl. "Rin, you must lie down. You are still not well."
"I'm sorry!" Rin apologized.
"How is she?" Sesshomaru directed his question at Miroku, as if he had been caring for her. Miroku looked to Kagome.
"Her fever is down," Kagome reported. "As long as she rests and eats properly she will be fine in a few days."
Sesshomaru nodded. "You have removed her garments."
"Well…we wanted to wash them," Kagome explained.
"I see. Rin, I will return for you in a few days. You will behave yourself and try not to talk everyone to death."
Miroku and Kagome laughed. Since when did Sesshomaru have a sense of humor?
"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!"
Sesshomaru turned to the monk. "I will speak with you outside."
Miroku swallowed hard. He knew what Sesshomaru wanted. He walked slowly towards the door, preparing himself for the answer he knew he would give.
He stepped outside. Sesshomaru was facing west, towards his lands. The golden sun cast a glow on his silvery hair and pale skin. When the great demon lord turned to acknowledge him Miroku was sure that his knees were going buckle. Had Sesshomaru always been this sexy?
"You said my name earlier."
"Well…"
"You were dreaming about me."
"I…"
"You will tell me of this dream."
"Um…" Miroku shifted uncomfortably
Sesshomaru eyed him curiously. So the little monk was dreaming of him after all. He was determined that he was going to find out what it was about. Since the monk had a reputation for lechery he could just about guess.
"You seem to be at a loss for words," Sesshomaru observed, stepping closer and dangerously invading Miroku's personal space. He wouldn't have minded had it been for any other reason. "You will tell me of this dream."
"I…I…cannot…no, will not," Muroku stammered out, taking a step back. His heart was racing and beads of sweat were popping out on his forehead. Why am I so worked up? he wondered to himself.
"You will tell me." Sesshomaru stepped forward as he delivered his imperative, closing the gap between the two of them again. Their eyes locked; liquid gold and deep violet.
Miroku felt a rush of adrenaline. "I will not."
The look in Sesshomaru's eyes sent shivers down Miroku's spine. He had no idea that denying Sesshomaru of something as simple as this would feel so…exciting.
Sesshomaru's facial expression did not change but Miroku detected the slightest movement in his tail, sort of a twitching as it tightened around his shoulder. Miroku's eyes made a beeline for the fluffy appendage before he could avert them. Sesshomaru missed none of it; but wouldn't be satisfied until he had a full admission from the amorous monk.
"We can do this one of two ways. Either you can tell me what I want to know or I will force you to tell me what I want to know. Either way, I will find out."
They locked eyes again. Miroku's eyes sparkled with defiance. He opened his mouth to speak again before they were rudely interrupted.
"What the hell are you two so deep in conversation about?" Inuyasha demanded.
"Nothing," Miroku insisted.
"Nothing my ass. You were staring each other down. You about to battle?"
"No Inuyasha, it's nothing like that."
"Bullshit. But obviously you aren't going to tell me." Inuyasha turned to his brother. "Why do you keep coming here starting shit? Leave us alone."
"I haven't 'started' anything, idiot. I asked a question and the monk refused to answer."
Miroku raised his eyebrow. "So I'm back to 'the monk' eh?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru. "What the hell did you ask that was so damned important?"
Instead of answering, Sesshomaru simply turned and headed back towards the edge of the village. Inuyasha turned to Miroku. "What the fuck was that about?"
"It's nothing really…" Miroku trailed off, scratching his head.
"You're full of it, just like he is. I don't know what the hell is going on between you, but you've been acting funny ever since you got back. I shouldn't have let you go in the first place."
"Inuyasha, it's not like I needed your permission."
Inuyasha growled and muttered something inaudible before storming off into the hut.
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, there was the continued stream of Rin's talking, Inuyasha's sulking, and Miroku's distracted daydreams. That evening, they received a visitor.
Jaken.
"I am to stay here with Rin. Lord Sesshomaru requires your presence."
Miroku sighed.
Uh-oh! Will Miroku reveal the subject of his dream? Can He escape alive? Find out as Cursed continues!
OK, I hope I made this chapter a little more interesting than the first. I know a lot of it was just rehashing history but in both cases the other side was uninformed. It is important to how the relationship will progress. I know that in the manga and the original Japanese version Sesshomaru refers to himself in the third person most of the time. I have elected not to do that here, unless you all think it is essential. Let me know.
OK, I'm just a small time writer so I appreciate every review. I'm not expecting like 30 reviews every chapter and I'm not the one who refuses to post unless they get a certain amount of reviews (I find that very childish and immature, one of my biggest pet peeves) but I DO agree that it is encouraging.
ENJOY!
NG714
