Chapter Thirty-Eight: Congested Quarters
"What are you doing Inuyasha?" Mirouku continued angrily. "Why are you way out here? Why did you leave the village? Why did you take Shippo?"
"Err, I came on my own," Shippo tried to explain.
"And most importantly-WHY THE HELL IS SESSHOUMARU HERE?"
Sesshoumaru stared at the monk and raised an eyebrow. A look that normally garnered some trepidation but considering that Sesshoumaru had found Inuyasha's own basket of nuts and berries and was currently stuffing his face, lacked its usual impact.
"Mirouku," Inuyasha said calmingly. "I can understand that you're confused and do admit that I owe you some explanation-"
"You're damn right you do," Miroku grumbled.
"-and I'll give you one." Inuyasha finished. "I will explain everything-" Sesshoumaru shot Inuyasha a fierce glower as he popped another berry into his mouth and Inuyasha quickly finished his sentence with a "that I can."
Mirouku looked between the two Inu Brothers, not once missing the shared glance. His scowl deepened.
Snago glanced nervously at the two scowling men and slowly moved closer to Inuyasha, "Er, have you been alright?" she asked the hanyou. "I mean, when you left you were looking-"
Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru shot the girl a withering stare. "-er, not yourself." She finished lamely.
"I've been healing," Inuyasha cryptically replied.
"Oh," Sango blinked. "Well, that's good…"
"Indeed," Sesshoumaru commented between bites.
Sango regarded the youkai for a moment, her own gaze mirroring Miroku's between the two brothers, minus the hate filled glares at the Taiyoukai.
"Did Sesshoumaru force you to leave the village?" Miroku suddenly demanded, his glare never leaving the taller youkai.
Inuyasha gapped. "What?"
"Was Sesshoumaru keeping you away by force? Is he holding you prisoner?" Miroku continued
"Now hold on just one moment!" Inuyasha growled. "You actually think that Sesshoumaru kidnapped me? ME? What the fuck?"
"We didn't even receive word by letter that you were alright." Miroku argued. "We just haven't heard from you period. It's as if you dropped off the face of the earth!"
"Okay, as if Sesshoumaru could actually beat me-" Inuyasha ignored Sesshoumaru's increasing growls. "Why would you think that he would hold me hostage?"
"Well how do I know how far his insanity runs?" Miroku snapped back.
Sesshoumaru sniffed in offence before picking up the basket and calling to Rin to accompany him back to the cave.
Inuyasha relaxed some when he realized that Sesshoumaru wasn't going to attack Miroku outright for the monk's assumption of him. Not that Inuyasha blamed Miroku's worries. Though Inuyasha had to admit that some of Miroku's guesses were way off target.
Inuyasha shook his head in answer to Miroku's accusations before angling his body so Shippo fell of his shoulder. "Go with them, we'll be right behind you," he told the kit. Shippo didn't look happy about leaving with the other Youkai, but after noticing that Kuufuku was trying to pounce on Sesshoumaru's trailing Fur the kit let loose a wicked grin and sprinted to catch up.
Turning back to the two humans who he still considered his friends, he wandered over and hoisted Kagome's limp body over his shoulder. "Look, you two. It's not what you think. Sesshoumaru and I just ran into each other and he kinda stuck around."
"Inuyasha," Sango placed her hand on his free shoulder, "he's always tried to kill you before. Why are you-?"
Inuyasha sighed and waved a hand, cutting off Sango's concerns. "I'll explain it all when we get to the cave."
Miroku gave him weird look, "cave?"
"Er, yeah." Inuyasha scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Well, it's been an odd couple a months."
"You could say that again," Sango muttered.
Inuyasha glanced back but shrugged as he moved onward towards the others. Miroku quickened his pace to match Inuyasha's ground eating steps, even with the extra weight of the comatose Kagome on his back the hanyou was damn fast.
They walked in silence for a little while, only Inuyasha's snicker occasionally breaching the silence as Kuufuku pounced onto the trailing end of Sesshoumaru's Fur and was hitching a ride, his little claws digging into the thing to hold on.
Miroku's continued side long glances at him were starting to drive him batty though.
"Inuyasha-" Miroku started.
"So how's Kaede-baachan?" Inuyasha interrupted.
Miroku kept up with the shift in topic pretty well. "Kaede-sama's is doing fine. …wondering where the hell you went to but fine."
"Feh," Inuyasha huffed. "She probably just want's me to fix that fence she's been harping about 'fore I left."
Miroku glanced at him. "You fix fences?"
Inuyasha shrugged. "Had to do something when everyone left for their whatever's."
Miroku thought of this for a moment. 'Kagome down the well, me on my pilgrimage trips, Sango visiting friends …' he glanced back at Inuyasha. 'I didn't realize he would be lonely.'
"What else did Kaede-sama have you do?" he asked honestly curious.
Inuyasha shot him a suspicious look but went with the flow. "Fixed that hole in her roof from the summer rains."
Miroku's eyes lit up. "I wondered who it was that fixed that after you left." He paused a moment, "didn't think it was you though."
"Figures," Inuyasha sulked.
"No, I mean I knew you could fix it if you wanted!" Miroku countered, rapidly back peddling. "I just didn't think Kaede-sama could convince you!"
Inuyasha shot a menacing glare at the monk and Miroku slumped slightly, noticing that Sesshoumaru had glanced back to scowl at him.
Miroku glared back then smirked as Sesshoumaru noticed his extra passenger.
Frowning, Sesshoumaru took his Fur in his hand and with a quick flick of the thing, set the rat flying into the air. Grinning in satisfaction, he ignored Inuyasha's cry of protest and continued forward.
Sesshoumaru had been eavesdropping on the conversation behind him and didn't like how it sounded one bit. At all. It sounded as if they had been taking advantage of his brother! And making him do all the manual labor at that! It wasn't as if he was ashamed of the hanyou's domestic skills. If anything it proved Inuyasha will to survive. And the cave's interior was a testament to it.
'Manipulative ningen's,' he thought angrily with each stopping step.
Suddenly noticing that he was now in the lead of the mixed matched heard, Sesshoumaru slowed his steps ever so slightly; causing the girl and the bounding kitsune to move ahead of him and in turn, basically lead the way.
Sesshoumaru frowned as he heard the monk try once more to strike Inuyasha up into an explanation and Inuyasha's blatant change of topic.
'Damn humans,' Sesshoumaru groused. 'I suppose I'll have to be "nice" to them, HAH!'
He glanced back again noticing the monk was walking with hunched shoulders, 'well you should be depressed you pathetic ningen,' as well as the female human who was currently looking between Inuyasha and himself.
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the girl when their eyes met before turning back around, totally disregarding her inquisitive look.
His delicate ears suddenly heard the sound of the girl moving to catch up with him, her steps loud as they plowed through the deep snow. She came shoulder to shoulder with him and quickened her pace to meet his.
He spared a glance at the girl but said nothing as she had yet to say anything to him.
They both could hear Inuyasha quicken to catch up and Miroku hurrying behind him.
Unfortunately, neither person was speaking so Inuyasha had no clue as to what Sango's motives were catching up with his brother. Inuyasha shot Kirara a confused look and the cat gave him a feline equivalent to a shrug.
The small group, continued on silently, only Shippo's small giggle when Kuufuku reattached himself to Sesshoumaru's Fur breaking the silence but even that didn't last very long.
Arriving at the cave Sesshoumaru and the children quickly ducked into the entrance as Sango and Miroku gave An and Un a rather surprised stare. The Lizard looked over his impromptu paddock with a bale stare before continuing to munch on a branch that had obviously been yanked off a nearby tree.
Sango and Miroku shared a worried glance before both ducked into the cave.
Allowing their eyes to focus, both humans gapped at the scene before them. The cave was actually… homey. They took note of Sesshoumaru setting down at the little scratched table, soon joined by the children as Inuyasha deposited the comatose Kagome onto a futon on the far side of the room.
Inuyasha gestured towards the little table and Miroku visibly balked at Sesshoumaru's challenging gaze. Sango however, studied the Youkai's reclining figure for a moment before taking measured steps and seating herself between Sesshoumaru and Shippo's seat, Kirara immediately jumping into her lap.
Inuyasha sat on the taller youkai's other side and raised an eye brow at Miroku, unconsciously mirroring his brother.
Miroku shuddered. He had to remind himself that they were brothers after all and that it really shouldn't be surprising if they had a few quirks in common. 'That has to be the most important point we always forget,' Miroku mused. 'We always forget that they are brothers.'
Steeling his nerve, Miroku walked calmly to the table and sat himself down between Shippo and Rin.
Inuyasha's posture immediately relaxed and he gave the monk a grateful smile that Miroku unconsciously returned.
Sesshoumaru continued glaring at the two humans who shifted uncomfortably under the intense gaze.
They all stat there; staring at each other. No one dare saying a single word.
Rin and Shippo were easily bored but Shippo knew that this was a serious situation and Rin was content to stroking Kirara who had mysteriously appeared in her own lap.
Miroku coughed nervously, his former bravado somewhat subdued now that he could plainly see that Inuyasha had in fact been alright and had apparently made a home for himself.
Inuyasha looked between the two groups, knowing that he was the only connection between them. He knew it would have to be he who broke the silence but Inuyasha was still dreading the coming conversations.
He went with a neutral topic instead.
"I'll go make the tea."