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Writing on the Wall

Chapter 20: Knock Knock

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Inuyasha knows that Miroku has a tendency to just, show up, unexpectedly. He knows because the asshole still manages to walk into his apartment even though he's never given him a god damn key. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that he hears Miroku calling his name right in the middle of him tiling.

Closing his eyes, Inuyasha struggles to find patience, but he's still got three quarters of the floor to lay and he doesn't feel like taking a break to bullshit. But when Miroku calls him again there is an odd squeak to his voice that sets off alarm bells.

The wall.

Inuyasha curses.

Kneeling on subfloor the past two hours has been murder on his knees, but it doesn't stop Inuyasha from practically running to the living room. When he gets there, Miroku is pointing with a shaky hand toward the wall that is still covered in Kagome's handwriting. "What is this?"

Inuyasha rolls his eyes – trying to play it off like it's nothing – but he's internally scrambling for excuses and coming up with jack to show for it. Instead he leans on the door frame and answers like a god damn idiot, "What does it look like?"

The incredulous look he receives is confirmation of his stupidity. "What does it look like?" Miroku echoes, voice teetering on panic. "It looks like a scene out of a horror movie!"

He cringes. "It's more like… Casper." Inuyasha tries not to stare at the writing appearing on a blank space of wall (because if he doesn't look then maybe Miroku won't think to) but a quick glance is all he needs to read it.

'What's a Casper?'

Miroku still looks like he's on the edge of a psychotic break, but by some small mercy he's too busy drilling holes into his friend to see the fresh strokes of chalk. "Casper," he repeats, his voice an octave higher than it should be. "Casper."

Inuyasha shrugs, laughing weakly. "You know, the friendly ghost?"

A strained, hysteric, laugh bubbles from the young man's throat. "Ghost. Ghost! How do you even know it's just a ghost! It could be a demon for all you – " The chalkboard eraser hits the back of Miroku's head with a fwap that is quickly drowned out by Miroku's startled scream.

If Kagome hadn't just made his life a hundred times more difficult, he probably would have laughed at how high the bastard jumped. As it is, Inuyasha can only offer up an irritated sigh as Miroku scrambles behind him – using him like some kind of human shield – while he points frantically to the words being scrawled out on the wall.

'I am not a demon!'

"I-it wrote! It used the chalk, and it wrote!"

The response is immediate and – judging by the amount of force exerted – livid. 'She. Not it!'

Apparently Miroku is either blind or scared stupid, because he doesn't heed her correction. "It did it again!" He punches Inuyasha's arm. "I told you! I told you this place was haunted!"

Inuyasha growls. "Will you calm the fuck down?!"

Miroku whirls on him, the finger that was pointing toward Kagome's wall only a moment ago now directed accusingly at his friend. "You should be freaking out. Why aren't you freaking out?!" His eyes widen and his hand moves to cover his horrified expression. "Oh my god are you possessed?! Did it –"

Inuyasha grabs the shorter man by the lapels of his suit. "Calm. Down."

"Right. Right. Calm." Miroku darts a sneaking glance to the wall, his voice dropping to a hushed whisper. "Can I talk to you. Er, outside."

Inuyasha rolls his eyes. "You know she can still hear us there, right? Kagome's got the whole shrine."

"It has a name!?"

"Of course she has a fucking –" He sees the eraser raise from the floor, ready to strike. "Kagome put it down," he snaps. Even though he can't see her, he senses she's pouting just by the way it bounces off the floorboards. Inuyasha drags a palm down his face, groaning.

Fuck his life.

AN: Thank you all for your support and patience! RL has been taking up a lot of my time, but rest assured I still have every intention to see this to the end :)

Word Count: 678