What happens in this episode: Myoga's scorned ex-bride tries to win him back by possessing the bodies of the Inu-gang. What happens in this chapter: not that. Warnings for this chapter: violence, mild injury, threats of death.
*Note that this is going to be the first chapter depicting content of a sexual nature. As always it's going to be the last part of the chapter so you can skip over it if you want (though there is one false start mid-chapter first). Details will be posted in the end notes. Feel free to message me if you want more information
Sango sighed and glanced outside the cave entrance, where the late morning sun was shining through the light snowfall. "We should probably get going soon."
Inuyasha groaned loudly and buried his head further into Miroku's shoulder. None of them were, strictly speaking, enthusiastic about being back to wandering around the countryside. However, after spending so long at Kaede's village, they didn't feel safe staying in one place for any longer. They had been walking for two days already, keeping a slow and steady pace in deference to their old injuries. The humans had been particularly battered following their last fight with Tsubaki, and Inuyasha had been on edge ever since. Thankfully, both Miroku's ribs and the wound to Sango's arm were healing well, and they had yet to stumble on another battle. They had a little money set aside from what the villagers were able to sell of the goods that Sango brought back from her village. It would be enough to buy them at least a few nights at a modestly priced tavern, or – as was more likely – medical supplies the next time they were torn to shreds.
"Can we get some sweets at the next town?" Shippo asked, tugging on Sango's sleeve with wide, innocent eyes.
The humans and Inuyasha all muffled a laugh as they gathered their supplies for the road. After much debate and even more pleading, they'd agreed to let the kit continue on with them. As much as they hated to admit it, he'd proven himself by guarding Kaede against Tsubaki, and had managed to keep himself out of harm's way thus far. They had all agreed that he could stay until Naraku revealed himself once more – after that, they couldn't guarantee his safety.
"Here we go," Miroku groaned, pushing himself to his feel stiffly. Something in his hip popped a little as he did so. He saw Inuyasha's eyes widen, his ears flick back and his gaze snap up to find the source of the sound. Miroku caught Sango's eye and they shared a knowing smirk. Miroku stretched out his arms, producing a loud cracking sound from each shoulder. Sango maneuvered her neck from side to side, creating several definite clicks. Miroku twisted his back to achieve a cascade of popping sounds down his spine. They then burst out laughing at Inuyasha's horrified, open-mouthed gape.
"What the fuck?" he finally asked as they grabbed their weapons and headed nonchalantly to the cave entrance.
"This is what you get for having human travel companions," Sango said, patting his shoulder as she stepped past him.
"I will never understand how you're still alive," Inuyasha grumbled, following after them.
xXx
"You must help us!" the Headman said, on his knees before them. "The demon has burrowed through our fields, devoured our horses- I don't doubt that it will soon come after my people!"
"There is no need to fear," Miroku said calmly. "My companions and I have much experience slaying demons. We will see to it that your town is kept safe."
"Can you show us where the demon has appeared?" Sango asked. "Do you know what it looks like?"
"I can show you where it frequents, but none of us have seen it directly," the Headman said, already leading them through the town. "It mostly comes out at night. A few believe that they have seen it burrowing during the day, but it is difficult to tell with the snow. It seems to flee whenever anyone gets too close."
They winced against the strong winds which dashed the falling snow against them as they followed the Headman through the rice paddies, into a large, empty field beyond. Inuyasha sniffed the air and nodded.
"We can take it from here," Miroku said. "I suggest that you all stay safely out of harm's way."
The Headman bowed and scurried back to where several other townspeople were watching nervously. Inuyasha unsheathed Tessaiga, resting it on his shoulder as he looked around the field, ears pricked. Miroku and Sango also grasped their weapons, both feeling the presence of youki but unable to sense exactly where it was coming from.
"There's something in the air," Inuyasha muttered. "Some kind of powerful miasma."
"Can you tell what kind of demon it is?" Miroku asked.
Inuyasha shook his head with a frown. "Its scent is weird. I can't describe it."
"Something's coming," Sango warned as the ground shook slightly.
"So much for it only coming out at night!" Inuyasha scoffed, lifting Tessaiga. "Alright, show yourself, you bastard!"
They moved slowly into a circle, their backs turned to each other, eyes darting around the field. The earth began to shift below their feet, and then a centipede demon burst from the ground. It hissed wildly at them before striking in an instant. They all leapt out of the way of the demon's gaping jaws and regrouped as it swung back around. The centipede reared upwards and spewed forward a shot of acid. Sango snatched Shippo off the ground and threw him onto Kirara's back before vaulting on behind him, watching carefully as Inuyasha and Miroku both jumped back, the acid burning through the ground where they had been standing a heartbeat earlier. She threw Hiraikotsu at the centipede, but it was already disappearing back underground.
"No you don't!" Inuyasha shouted, leaping after the demon and plunging Tessaiga down after it. The sword struck the ground and nothing more.
Sango caught Hiraikotsu and watched carefully from the air for any sign of the demon returning. It didn't take long. "To your left!" she shouted at Miroku, who dove out of the way as the demon shot from the frozen earth once more. Miroku ran alongside the demon for a few steps before he hurled himself onto its back, digging his staff in between two of the armoured plates to gain purchase. He reached into his robes and drew out a handful of sutras, muttered a quick prayer before throwing them up at the centipede's head. The demon screeched and thrashed, flinging him and his staff off of itself. Inuyasha growled and lifted Tessaiga, but the demon spewed more acid out in an arc and he was forced to jump back, wrinkling his nose at the acrid scent. Miroku snatched his staff from the ground and ran. He leapt into the air and brought his staff down on the centipede's head, connecting with the sutras. The centipede went rigid and then slowly fell to the side. It had barely crashed to the ground before it began disappearing in a pulse of spiritual power.
Inuyasha glanced between the demon's skeleton crumbling on the ground and Miroku, who was calmly walking towards him. "Hey!" he protested mildly. "I was gonna do that."
Miroku smiled and winked at him, and he suddenly couldn't remember what he'd been complaining about in the first place. They looked over the demon's bones and then turned back to the townspeople, who were cheering at them on the edge of the field.
"I'm surprised that the centipede was so aggressive," Miroku commented as they walked. "I had expected most of our time being spent on tracking it down."
Inuyasha shrugged. "Weak demons aren't always smart enough to know it. I just can't believe we didn't even get a good fight out of it!"
"You don't suppose we stumbled on a nest of some sort, do you?" Miroku asked thoughtfully. "Something that the centipede felt it had to defend?"
"I don't sense any other demons in the area," Inuyasha said. "I guess we just pissed it off."
"Thank you!" the Headman said, running up to them with a group of other townspeople trailing after him. "Thank you all so much! You have saved us! We had been tormented for far too long."
Inuyasha stared at the man incredulously. "By that demon?"
Miroku surreptitiously elbowed him as he bowed to the Headman. "We were glad to be of service."
"Come," the Headman said excitedly, catching onto Miroku's arm and waving Sango and Kirara over. "We shall have a feast in your honour to show our gratitude!"
"There's no need," Miroku said calmly, while Inuyasha and Sango shared a knowing look. "We were merely doing our duty."
"Nonsense!" the Headman exclaimed. "I insist!"
Miroku carefully hid his smile. "You have my thanks, Headman. We will follow to the town after we bury the remains."
The Headman nodded. "I will have some of our young men help you, hoshi-sama. Please, find me at my house when you are ready!"
Sure enough, several young men soon ran over, holding various tools and bowing respectfully before them. Inuyasha shrugged and walked over to stand by Sango and Kirara as Miroku directed the men on digging down to one of the centipede's tunnels so that they could bury its bones. Leaning against Kirara's flank, Inuyasha looked around warily and sniffed the air – but there was still no trace of anything amiss. Was it really going to be that easy? Not that he was complaining, but all their battles recently had been so intense that he'd forgotten how to fight normally.
"It looks like we're going to be able to relax tonight," Sango said, mirroring his thoughts. "I wonder if they have a bathhouse."
"And some sweets!" Shippo said insistently, jumping off Kirara's back to climb over Inuyasha's shoulder. He tugged gently on a handful of the hanyou's hair. "Right?"
"I'm sure if you pester 'em enough, something will come of it," Inuyasha said sagely, poking the kit in the stomach.
After Miroku had said a prayer over the burial site, the young men accompanied them back to the Headman's house. They all hunched their shoulders against the winter winds as they walked through the town, and gratefully stepped inside the house to where a fire blazed in the irori. Miroku and Shippo dusted the snow from their hair while Inuyasha and Sango wrung theirs out over the fire. Upon Sango's inquiry after a bath, they were directed to an elegantly designed house in the middle of the town. There was a group of three women stepping outside as they approached.
"Thank you again for everything you've done for us," one of the women said, bowing at them.
"It was no trouble," Sango said, and waved after them as they left. She shook her head and smiled as she followed the others into the bathhouse. Their reception from any town or village, regardless of what they'd done for the people, was varied to say the least. It had taken her a while to see it, but Inuyasha still blushed whenever any human thanked him for anything. It didn't surprise her that he was doing so now, nor did she miss the broad grin that Miroku continually bit down. She stripped down, carefully peeled the bandages off the wound on her arm, and stepped into one of the two pools, leaving the other for Miroku and Inuyasha.
None of them had realized how cold they were until the heat of the baths hit them. Miroku and Sango immediately began shivering as they submerged themselves in the warm water, though both were careful to keep their injuries elevated. Inuyasha helpfully wrapped himself around Miroku, making a soft noise of protest as his well-intentioned efforts to keep his partner warm turned into several increasingly deep kisses. Kirara padded around several times before she lay down between the two pools, stretching out to warm her belly on the heat of the floor. She growled softly as Shippo's overenthusiastic splashing sloshed over the edge of the pool near her.
As much as they were tempted to spend forever in the warm water, first Inuyasha and then everyone else gradually picked up the scent of something amazing cooking. They climbed out of the pools and dried themselves out, and then stopped just in front of the doors to the bathhouse. They could hear the wind howling outside. By silent agreement, they threw all thoughts of dignity aside and ran from the bathhouse back to the safety of the Headman's irori. They didn't expect, however, to be met with what must have been half the town gathered around the large room, chatting amongst themselves. Some turned to greet them with a smile as they stepped inside, while others took no notice. The Headman soon caught sight of them and rushed over to greet them with a large pot of tea. He led them over to their seats on one end of the room.
"We've never cooked for demons before," he explained hurriedly, shooting Inuyasha a worried look. "I hope what we have prepared will be satisfactory."
"Don't worry about it," Inuyasha said, his cheeks colouring. "I eat human food, and Shippo'll eat anything. If you have any meat for Kirara, you're all set."
"Oh, of course!" the Headman said, nodding vigorously. "We have several dishes to choose from. You must excuse the grandeur – my wife has a tendency to be a bit overzealous, and she's whipped the whole town into a frenzy!"
Inuyasha could just hear a woman's voice barking orders somewhere deep in the house, so he simply nodded. The Headman poured them all tea and left them to it. They were seated far enough away from the townspeople that no one tried to draw them into conversation, but the easy chatter around them created comfortable surroundings. A cluster of old women sat just to their right, deep in discussion about sewing, while several young children played together in the middle of the room, occasionally breaking through the din with an enthusiastic squealing. It didn't take long for Shippo to scamper over to them. Though many of them were comparatively much younger than he was, he quickly pulled out some of his magical objects and soon had a captive audience. The few faces of the gathered parents that had become pinched as a demon approached their children soon melted into smiles and appreciative cheers.
A few moments later, the Headman's wife burst into the room, a small army of women following her, each carrying trays piled high with food of all varieties. She herself had several trays balanced on her arms and even atop her heavily pregnant belly. She directed them all over the room, some heading to the gathered townspeople while others she set down in front of the guests herself.
"You must excuse me for not having met you earlier," she said a little breathlessly, placing bowl after bowl in front of the group. "It has been a hectic time."
"No need to apologize," Miroku smiled. "I hear that you all have had quite the winter."
She huffed and shook her head. "You'd better believe it. We've been trying to expand our fields further west, but every time we try to clear away some of the forest, something goes awry. I'd go out there and do it myself if I could!"
Inuyasha looked mildly horrified at the suggestion, eyeing her swollen belly carefully as though she was about to pop out a baby right in front of him.
"Now let me know if there's something that's not to your liking," she said firmly, rising stiffly and looking over the vast quantities of food that had been arranged around them. "There's always more if you want some."
They thanked her profusely and she waddled off to rejoin her husband. Miroku laughed a little as they took in the sheer amount of food before them, and the way that Shippo's eyes were glued to some of the dishes even as the Headman began his toast.
"I cannot describe how grateful I am to our honoured guests this night," he said, and the other townspeople nodded enthusiastically at the sentiment. "It has been a long winter, and it will be longer still before it's through, but now I know that my family will be safe."
Everyone cheered and he settled back down next to his wife, giving his young son a tight squeeze as he did so. None of the group was surprised when Shippo deemed it fit to start the meal, and as he absolutely inhaled the first bowl within reach, everyone else dug in as well. Inuyasha surreptitiously rearranged the dishes slightly – grabbing Miroku's fish and giving it to Kirara, giving his and Shippo's beans to Miroku, taking the bowl of sweets from in front of Shippo and placing them as far away as possible in the hopes that the others might have a chance to have some before the kit devoured it all. To his mild horror, the Headman's wife kept on arranging for more and more food to be brought.
"I just don't know what I should focus on more," Miroku said, his voice dripping in honey. "The wonderful food, or the beautiful women who deem me worthy of delivering it to me."
The young woman who had just brought over some more soup for them all blushed deeply and laughed quietly. Inuyasha pointedly raised his brows and Miroku bumped their knees together reassuringly. He turned back to his food, resisting the urge to grab the monk's ass like he might do if they were alone – or even back at Kaede's, if he was being honest. But as welcoming as the townspeople had been, he didn't want to push their luck. He glanced up warily as another young woman approached to refill their cups with tea.
"Such service!" Miroku smiled. "I feel so honoured to be in the presence of such exquisite beauty."
"Oh, you flatterer!" one of the old women said from just behind the young woman, turning to face Miroku. "I assure you, young man, that I can be as hospitable as you like."
Mioku spluttered a short laugh and then bowed as deeply as he could from his seated position. "I would be proud to receive it, my fair maiden."
"Aha, you've got him now!" one of the other old women said gleefully.
"How come you always get the handsome ones?" another asked grumpily.
"Ladies, ladies," Miroku said placatingly. "I would be remiss to deny anything from any of your most gracious selves."
The old women all laughed appreciatively and waved him off, while Inuyasha quietly smirked into his bowl of rice. That was his monk, alright. He shifted just slightly closer so that he could press the length of their thighs together and innocently tucked into his food, ignoring the warm smile that Miroku sent his way. He regretted his decision some time later, when the townspeople delivered yet another bowl of sweets in front of them, and he couldn't so much as look at it without feeling vastly sick. Even Shippo had to think for a long moment before tentatively reaching for another sweet cake, his stomach already sticking out like a ball. Kirara had long since fallen asleep on Sango's lap, the bones of three fish left sitting in her bowl. Miroku and Sango had been nursing their tea for some time, and were both blinking sleepily and contentedly out at the townspeople. Several of the young children were slumped against their parents, snoring gently, while the adults had grown increasingly boisterous as the sake was passed around.
"You all look about ready for bed," the Headman's wife said decidedly, hands on her hips as she looked them over. "I've prepared two rooms for you. If you'll follow?"
Inuyasha heaved himself to his feet, rubbing his belly and blowing out a long breath. After deeply conflicted consideration, he grabbed another stick of dango and shoved it in his mouth. Miroku and Sango were slower to push themselves up, both too full to even look at the remaining food. Sango picked up Shippo, who was just staring blankly at the remaining half of the sweet cake still in his hands. They stumbled after the Headman's wife out onto the en, and walked along the length of the house's garden until she showed them to two finely furnished rooms, each piled high with blankets. She told them one last time to let her know if they needed anything else. Miroku requested that some paper and ink be brought to his room, then quietly added that some more sweets wouldn't go amiss.
Inuyasha said goodnight to the others before he followed Miroku into their room and unceremoniously flopped onto one of the futons, frantically undoing the ties of his robes as he did so. He sighed in relief as the pressure against his stomach was released. Miroku laughed heartily and sank down beside him.
"I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my life," Inuyasha said breathlessly, grinning up at the ceiling.
"I can't move," Miroku reported dramatically, immediately proving this to be untrue by scooting over to rest his head on Inuyasha's chest. The hanyou's fingers immediately buried into his hair. "I could get used to this," he murmured, a little quieter.
"So could I," Inuyasha sighed, pressing his nose against the top of Miroku's head. "This could be our lives one day, you know."
"Mm," Miroku said noncommittally, closing his eyes. They stayed like that until the sound of footsteps outside their door made them separate. The Headman himself had come to deliver the goods that Miroku had asked for and to wish them a good night. He settled down again with the paper spread out before him and the bowl of sweets nonchalantly placed beside him. Inuyasha scooted over and rested his chin on the monk's shoulder as Miroku pulled the sutra that he'd taken from Momiji and Botan from his robes. He began copying variations of the characters onto the various pieces of paper, enough for them to test out later on. Inuyasha eyed the bowl of sweets dubiously. He resisted for the first two sutras, told himself that he'd have just one after that, and by the time Miroku set aside the ink and laid the sutras out to dry, he was chewing on the last of the dango and regretting his life choices.
His move was improved dramatically when Miroku tangled a hand in his robes and dragged him forward so their mouths collided. He hummed appreciatively, pressing them closer together. Their hands wandered over one another, lazily at first but slowly growing in purpose. Inuyasha shifted his attention from Miroku's lips to the side of his neck, scraping his teeth along the skin, earning a small gasp. Miroku's hands pushed deeper into his robes, the fingers trailing lines of fire down his skin. He began to push the robes off of Inuyasha's shoulders, kissed his way down the newly exposed skin. Inuyasha impatiently tugged the rest of the clothes off, turned his attention onto untying Miroku's kesa and tugging it free. He started in on the rest of Miroku's robes, but was quickly distracted by Miroku nipping at his jaw. Inuyasha pulled the monk further on top of him, ran his hands up and down Miroku's back as the monk devoured his mouth. Just as Miroku's fingers were winding into his hair, Inuyasha froze, his eyes darting to the en outside. With the light of the lantern shining through the paper walls, they could easily make out a short figure standing outside their room. The door immediately began to slide open. Inuyasha rolled to the side, taking Miroku with him, aiming for where the Tessaiga lay.
A child no older than four stepped into the room, blinking sleepily at them. "Need to pee," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Just wait a moment," Miroku said, hastily shrugging on his hadagi and shooting Inuyasha a slightly flustered but amused look as he struggled to catch up with the situation.
"I thought that kids were only supposed to interrupt their parents with this kind of thing," Inuyasha hissed, though he couldn't hide his smile as Miroku took the boy's hand and guided him back outside, still dressed in nothing but his undergarments. Inuyasha was in nothing but his fundoshi and not about to change that fact. He crawled to the doorway and stuck his head outside to watch Miroku patiently deal with the child and escort him safely back to his room. It probably didn't hurt to be kind to the Headman's son, but Inuyasha still found it particularly hilarious. He shot Miroku a filthy grin as he returned and dragged him back down to the ground, wrapping him up in his arms.
"It's freezing out there," Miroku hissed, and Inuyasha obligingly draped the blankets over them. He considered picking up where they'd left off – it was one way to warm the monk up, after all – but truth be told, the warm, rich food was steadily convincing him to fall asleep. So instead he pressed a kiss against Miroku's temple and curled around him, tangling their legs together. It didn't take either of them long to drift off to sleep.
A scream sounded from outside. Inuyasha's eyes snapped open and he grabbed Tessaiga, immediately tearing the door open. All around, doors were opening along the en, anxious faces peering into the darkness. Sango emerged from the room next to theirs, dressed in her amour, Hiraikotsu in her hand. She stiffened and Inuyasha followed her gaze to where a giant beetle demon was flying over the Headman's house.
"Kirara!" Sango called, and jumped onto the twin-tail's back as they shot into the air. Inuyasha pulled Tessaiga from its sheath and leapt onto the roof of the house, keen to follow them. Miroku ran out after him, his staff in his hands. Inuyasha growled and shoved his hair out of his eyes as the wind tossed it to and fro, obscuring his line of sight. The beetle veered at them, diving into the garden before Hiraikotsu forced it back up. Inuyasha lifted Tessaiga, ready to pounce after it.
"Watch out!" Sango called down at them. "It has a venomous stinger!"
Inuyasha nodded, not understanding why she was looking at him so worriedly. Another glance at Miroku made his half-asleep mind finally catch up with the situation – he was still in his fundoshi. Miroku was a little better off with his hadagi, but neither of them were exactly battle-ready. The beetle dove for him and he swung Tessaiga, driving it back, but it only went after him again. He leapt back along the roof, reluctant to use the Wind Scar and cause damage to the Headman's house.
Sango closed her eyes and sighed. "Go put some clothes on!" she called down to him. "We're going to draw it away from the town."
Inuyasha ducked as the beetle soared over his head once more and then flew along the en. The various members of the Headman's house cried out and disappeared back into their rooms, while Miroku batted the demon away with his staff. He darted back into their room and emerged with a handful of sutras, his robes slung over his shoulder. He threw one at the beetle, driving it further into the sky, before he ran down the en, slapping sutra after sutra on the wooden poles supporting the roof. With the townspeople safe for the moment, Inuyasha dutifully ran back inside to pull on his robes. The beetle began to furiously attack the barrier formed by Miroku's sutras, undeterred as Sango threw Hiraikotsu at it again and again, catching one of its wings. Inuyasha frowned. What was this thing's problem?
He raced to Miroku's side. The monk nodded and pulled off the nearest sutra, allowing him to jump off the en and slam into the beetle, sending them both crashing into the ground. He plunged Tessaiga through the thick plates of its back, and when its frantic struggles subsided, lobbed off its head for good measure. He stepped back, eyeing the body warily as his pack joined him.
"Two bugs in one day?" he frowned. "That can't be a coincidence."
"Two different kinds, though," Miroku said thoughtfully, kneeling down to get a closer look at the beetle.
"Oh no," Sango gasped, and then she was snatching Miroku's arm, pulling him sharply back. "Put on your masks, both of you!"
"What's going on?" Miroku asked, already digging his mask from his robes.
"Do you see that?" Sango said, gesturing at a thick white substance oozing from the demon's back. "Those are the spores of a demon plant. Quickly, we need to burn it before it-"
The demon's body began to shift ever so slightly, and then the length of its back cracked open, and hundreds of small white spores shot into the air. They were quickly snatched up by the swirling winds.
"No!" Sango shouted, real panic in her voice. She spun around and began shoving Kirara back towards the en. "Hurry, get Shippo and get away from this town. Don't come back until we call you!"
Kirara shot her a worried look but complied, jumping into their room and snatching Shippo up in her jaws before she took off through the sky.
"What do we do?" Miroku asked tightly.
"Keep everyone inside!" Sango ordered, raising her voice so that she could be heard by all the people peering out from their rooms. "Don't breathe in the spores! Tie a piece of cloth over your mouth and nose. Don't let-"
She froze as one of the men began to shudder, stumbling further out onto the en as he did so, his hand pressed firmly over his mouth. He braced himself against the wall for a moment. A young woman stepped out from her room and reached for him. He spun around and struck her to the ground before flinging himself on top of her, raising a fist. Inuyasha crashed into him, tackling him away from the young woman. He pinned the man down, at a loss of what to do next.
"Knock him out!" Sango called. "Listen, all of you! The spores cause uncontrolled aggression. If someone attacks you, knock them out and put cloth over their mouth and nose!"
Inuyasha obligingly knocked the man out cold and tore off the man's sleeve to fasten it over his mouth in a makeshift mask. And then the young woman threw herself at him, clawing at his eyes. He swore and pushed her away before knocking her out as well, but he could hear a commotion emerging from all over the house. All along the en, people were being overcome by spores and attacking those around them. Miroku and Sango were already moving to help, batting the aggressors away and helping the others get away. Those who hadn't yet been affected by the spores were busy ripping apart their blankets, tearing them into long strips to form masks. Inuyasha growled and knocked another man unconscious before he landed at Sango's side and helped her separate two more struggling townspeople.
"How do we fix this, Sango?" he asked sharply.
"I've come across this before," Sang said grimly. "I can make an antidote to combat the spores, but it will take time. You and Miroku will have to manage the people until then. Once the spores are inhaled, they enter the bloodstream and can spread through the air or through open wounds."
"Go!" Inuyasha told her. "We'll hold everyone off!"
"No!" a voice shouted from the Headman's quarters, and Miroku immediately took off towards them. He burst into the room just in time to see the Headman's wife looming over the fallen man, a knife clutched in her hand and poised to strike, while their son was huddled in the corner, terrified.
"Please, my love!" the Headman begged, his hands held out protectively in front of his face.
Miroku knocked the woman off balance but kept her from falling, wary of harming the child inside of her. He knocked her out swiftly and carefully lowered her to the ground.
"Make yourselves a mask," he told the Headman firmly, nodding at his son. "Get yourselves somewhere safe."
He tore a strip off the woman's kimono and secured it around her mouth, painfully aware of the spores already clinging to his robes. They would have to be careful not to spread the spores even further – though, with the winds blowing wildly through the town, it may already be far too late. He ran back out onto the en, where he saw Inuyasha making his way through a throng of people trying to kill him and each other. A few had emerged from the house wielding various tools and weapons. Inuyasha growled and threw himself at them, knocking them out as soon as he reached them. A woman lunged at him with a knife and he blocked it with his forearm, the blade snapping against the robe of the Fire Rat. Miroku fought his way to his side, striking out at the townspeople with his staff. Inuyasha shot him a worried look and moved closer. It wasn't long before they began to hear shouts emanating from around the town.
Inuyasha swore. "We can't risk it. Knock everyone out! We can't let it spread!"
Miroku ground his teeth, but he couldn't argue. He pushed away the awful feeling that spread through him as he began to strike down every person he came across. It wasn't as though they had a choice – even those with strips of fabric tied around their faces were beginning to attack them. Screams continued to rise around the town, and Miroku waved down Inuyasha.
"I'll finish up here! You start on the rest of the town!"
Inuyasha looked deeply troubled but he nodded and took off, jumping over the roof and landing outside the Headman's house. What he came across was worse that he'd been dreading. People were fighting in all directions, some with weapons, some with their bare hands. Some already sported deep wounds. He swore and took off, trying to aim for those posing the most of a threat or those who couldn't defend themselves first. Although, it was increasingly difficult to judge who was at the most risk, especially as one of the old women lunged at him with a kama and almost took his head off. He began using less and less restraint, throwing one human at another to knock them both down, risking causing a little pain to save their lives. But he was still frantically aware of his actions, absolutely unwilling to do any real damage. He refused to be the one to let these people die. Not when he could help it.
Their blood wouldn't stain his hands.
He sprang from hut to hut, tearing into them and slamming humans into walls, focusing on the rapid heartbeats around him. He burst into yet another house and stopped dead. There was only one human inside, and that was an infant left lying on the floor. Inuyasha stared at it. What the fuck was he supposed to do with that? It was a baby! He couldn't hit a baby! Hesitantly, not knowing what else to do, he picked the thing up and held it at arm's length. Should he…leave it? What if one of the townspeople found it and tried to kill it? He could try and hide it somewhere, but that posed the same problem. But he couldn't take it with him…could he? Humans were already so damageable, and the new ones practically broke just by looking at them wrong!
Footsteps thundered towards him and he leapt out of the way as a woman burst into the hut, wielding a thick branch like a club. He kicked her away, clutching the baby to his chest. He knocked her out and ran outside, trying to see how much of a mess he still had to clean up. The baby was wailing and thrashing in his arms. He grimaced and stared down at it. Was it caught up by the spores as well? Or was that just what babies did? Was he doing something wrong? Was he hurting it? He growled and leapt back as more townspeople appeared. For now, at least, its chances were better with him.
xXx
Sango tore through the town's storehouse, gathering all the herbs she could get her hands on. There were a few different plants that could combat the spores – the problem was scale. She didn't have enough time to go out and gather large quantities of any of the plants that might make a difference, so she'd have to make do with what she had. She gathered the bundle of herbs and ran outside, pushing away the townspeople aiming for her as she did so. She ran to the middle of town, where an old wooden wagon rested. She pulled Hiraikotsu from her back and slammed it into the wagon again and again, breaking it down into pieces. The wood was damp and cold from the snow, but she didn't have any time to waste in coaxing a fire to life. She pulled a small metal box from her robes and dumped the contents onto the wood, ran into the nearest hut to grab an oil lamp and some of the bedding. She set the sheets alight on the dying irori and ran back outside, throwing the burning blanket overtop the wooden mess and pouring the oil from the lamp on afterwards. First the oil caught alight, and then the explosive powder. Sango carefully stepped back as the remains of the wagon sent a fireball high into the air.
Sango gathered the bundle of herbs from the ground and threw them onto the flames, barely waiting to see if they'd caught alight before she turned and ran back to the storehouse, swinging Hiraikotsu to knock out another townsperson as she did so. She snatched all the roots and plants that she could find that even resembled the ones that might combat the spores, and chucked them onto the fire as well. And that was it. That was all she could do. She had no idea how quickly the smoke might take effect. She had no idea if it would be enough.
A loud yowl came from above her, and Sango blinked through the smoke to see a flash of yellow overhead. Her heart dropped – oh, not Kirara! Why had she come back? She was supposed to keep herself and Shippo safe from the spores! But as the twin-tail dove down to her, she could see the fox still on her back. More so, she held a bundle of herbs in her mouth, and Shippo clutched several long roots in his arms. They both dropped the plants onto the fire as well, circling around once more before they landed beside her.
"I'm so glad to see you!" Sango exclaimed, hugging Kirara close. "You found the herbs?"
"Kirara tracked down a patch right away," Shippo said, tugging a strip of cloth down off his mouth to speak to her. "We gathered as much as we could!"
"Well done!" Sango said, pulling him in for a hug. After a few more moments, she pulled the mask off her own face, taking a few deep breaths of the smoke. It burned her lungs, but the familiar smell calmed her. They had done it. "Right. We need to make sure the people breathe in as much as possible. Shippo, help me go around the town and take off any masks you see."
xXx
Miroku circled around the outskirts of the town, looking for anyone he might have missed. He came across another wounded townsperson, a man with a deep gouge taken from his shoulder. He was unconscious but thankfully still alive. Miroku knelt by his side, pulled another strip of bandages from his robes and fastened a quick bind. Once he was relatively sure that the man wouldn't bleed to death, he grasped the man under the arms and dragged him into one of the houses, hoping to get him out of the snow. As he stepped back outside, an explosion sounded from deep within the town. He frowned, craning his neck to see a light piercing through the darkness, the fluid shape of smoke spilling from between the houses. Well, that could either be a very good or a very bad thing. He started towards it when an ominous presence touched the corner of his mind. He glanced up to see a dark shape moving rapidly through the snow towards him. He barely had time to throw himself to the side as the centipede struck.
He didn't have time to bother worrying about whether this was the same centipede as before. It was driven mad by the spores, and was throwing itself after him with no regard for its own safety. He knew that he couldn't risk using the wind tunnel – he wasn't about to lose his mind and try to kill anyone again – so he pulled another handful of sutras from his robes and leapt back. He batted the centipede's head away as it lunged at him and threw the sutras after it, landing them all down the demon's back.
"Miroku!" Inuyasha's voice sounded from behind him and he glanced over his shoulder, expecting to see Tessaiga flashing. What he didn't expect was the wailing child cradled in his partner's arms. Inuyasha landed beside him and Miroku immediately pushed him back.
"Watch out!" he shouted as the centipede swung around to go after him again. He pulled a packed of poison powder from his robes and threw it right at the demon's mouth. Thankfully, it snapped at the small bag, bursting it and sending its contents all over its face. The demon shrieked and reeled back. Miroku ran after it, staff raised.
"Inuyasha! Miroku!" Sango called out as she emerged over the rooftop, riding Kirara. Inuyasha frowned immediately upon seeing that she no longer wore a mask. "The smoke will stop the spores!"
Inuyasha growled. "That won't make a difference to this demon. That's the centipede's mate and now it's only doubly pissed-off!"
Kirara and Sango landed beside him and he immediately shoved the baby at them with a muttered "Here!" before he leapt after Miroku. The monk saw him coming and changed his trajectory, plunging his staff into the centipede's jaws. He dragged the centipede's head down to the ground after him and pinned it there with the pole of his staff while Inuyasha darted forwards and cut off its head. Shippo immediately scampered over and threw a ball of foxfire at the severed head, burning away the spores just to be safe.
Inuyasha sighed deeply and tugged his mask down. He then spun around, hand reaching out automatically. "Miroku, you good?"
To his surprise, the monk's answer was to crush their mouths desperately together. Inuyasha made a soft noise of surprise before leaning into the kiss. When they pulled apart, Miroku grinned a little sheepishly. "I had to."
Inuyasha absolutely agreed with this very sound explanation, and darted in to press their lips together again before looking around the slightly battered town. "Sango, you good?"
The slayer watched them with disdain as she held the baby. "Do I have to kiss you, too? Or is that just Miroku's thing?"
"You're hilarious, Sango," Miroku called out to her in a sing-song voice.
"I know," she called back in the same tone.
xXx
It didn't take long for the townspeople to start waking up. Inuyasha dragged most of them over to the fire so that they could clear away the spores from their lungs, while Kirara and Shippo went to get another batch of herbs, just to be safe. Miroku and Sango made their way through the various unconscious forms, treating the worst wounds and explaining what had happened as people woke. Though there were some serious injuries, it didn't look like anyone had been killed in the adventure. Those who were in slightly better shape after all the fighting soon began to join in with going through the town and seeing what needed to be done most.
As it became obvious that the effects of the spores had gone, Inuyasha began to move through the throngs of confused and hurt people, sniffing out who smelled most alike to reunite couples or parents with their children. He shouldn't have been so surprise when a woman ran at him with a wild cry, her hands outstretched for the baby tucked in the crook of his arm. He shrank back instinctively before handing the child over. The young mother's desperate thanks were almost lost in her tears. Inuyasha shrugged and moved on to the next person.
Inuyasha and Miroku led a small procession back to the field to dig up and burn the first centipede's carcass. As they did so, they were horrified to see several of the spores that had burrowed deep into the earth. They gathered torches and scorched the ground. They went back and did the same to the bodies of the other centipede and the beetle demon. Miroku then moved around the village, sending wave after wave of spiritual power along the length of the houses, trying to purify any spores which may still be lingering on any given surface. They had realized that the sutras he had used on the first demon must have prevented the spores from emerging. He would have to leave them with a pile of sutras, and would place several around the town just in case.
Everyone ended up back at the Headman's house, where they had set up most of their medical supplies. Miroku and Sango joined several other physicians or old women who knew how to sew as they patched up the townspeople one by one. The Headman's wife took charge of the proceedings, organizing who went where and who did what, her son practically glued to her side the entire time. When Kirara and Shippo returned, the Headman's wife sent several people over to go study the herbs to ensure that they would know what to look for in case this happened again.
"The spores likely came from a demon plant in the forest to the west," Sango told her as she explained how to use the herbs most effectively. "You probably disturbed the plant as you began to clear away the trees."
The woman shook her head balefully, but her expression was set in a determined line. "I won't let this happen again. You can be sure of that."
After they had brewed a truly astounding amount of tea with the herbs and passed it around to everyone in the town, just to be safe, the Headman caught Miroku's arm. "I cannot thank you enough for all you've done here," he said quietly and earnestly. "Please, stay here for at least another night. And should there be anything that we can do for you in the future, please do not hesitate to ask." He blinked up at Miroku with tears in his eyes. "You have saved my family. You have saved my people."
Miroku gave him a gentle smile. "This is what we do. Believe me, it is as gratifying for us as it is for you."
"You've done this before, haven't you?" the Headman asked, a little sadly.
Miroku shrugged. "Not this exact thing, but close enough. If it's alright with you, we might stay in the area for another few days. I have no idea how far the spores might have spread. We can ensure that no more demons attack, and find and destroy the plant."
xXx
It took them forever to escape supper that night, as every step they took to their rooms was met with fervent thanks from the townspeople. Several men proposed to Sango. Several women asked Miroku if he would stay. One of the old women tried to adopt Shippo. Sango pulled both Miroku and Inuyasha in for a brief embrace before wishing them goodnight. It was still relatively early, but after such an eventful two days, they were all dead on their feet. Inuyasha and Miroku stumbled into their room and plopped down heavily.
"What a time," Miroku sighed, leaning deeply against the hanyou. "I knew it couldn't be that easy."
Inuyasha snorted and pressed a kiss against his temple. "I'll say. I don't think anything we've done has been easy!"
Miroku chuckled quietly and he shifted his head so that he could look up at Inuyasha with soft eyes. "I can think of one thing," he said gently. "Loving you has been the easiest thing I've ever done."
Inuyasha's eyes widened and he blinked furiously as he dragged Miroku closer to him with a soft whine. They pressed against each other, movements firm with the lingering fear of seeing each other in danger – but it was more than that. They needed each other. They crushed the length of their bodies together, hands freely roaming across each other's sides and backs. Miroku pulled back for a snatched breath, heady with arousal. He saw something darken in Inuyasha's eyes, the hint of a predatory smile spreading across his lips. Miroku grinned in turn, grinding forward. Inuyasha gasped. Surging closer, Miroku gently caught Inuyasha's lower lip in his teeth, worrying it gently and earning a moan in response. One of Inuyasha's hands tangled in his hair, crushing their mouths together.
"Want you," Miroku gasped when they broke apart, pressing open-mouthed kisses down Inuyasha's neck.
Inuyasha let out a high-pitched whine, his hips jerking forward. Miroku carefully tugged his robes open, latching his mouth onto the hanyou's chest. Inuyasha threw back his head and groaned, holding Miroku to him and gasping out a heady "Yes!" Miroku hummed and continued his ministrations, tasting and touching and teasing. He knew very well where this was heading, and also the small problem that had been gnawing at the back of his mind ever since they arrived. They hadn't prepared for this. They didn't have any oils, and Miroku was certainly not going to let their first time be anything but perfect. It didn't matter. There was no rush, and there were other, equally pleasing things they could do in the meantime.
Inuyasha's hands were working in his robes, untying his kesa and letting it fall to the ground. He brushed his hands across Miroku's chest, sending his koromo sliding off his shoulders. He buried his nose into the hollow of Miroku's throat, along where his neck met his shoulder, and inhaled deeply. The rush of scent, of happiness and arousal and Miroku made his head spin. His hands couldn't seem to stay still, wanting to be everywhere all at once. Urged on by the tiny, breathy little noises Miroku was making, he let his hands wander further, brushing along Miroku's stomach and dipping down to his slender hips. Miroku's eyes flashed then he was pressing forward, his hand tangling in Inuyasha's hair and gently guiding them both down to their knees. Quick, skillful fingers untied bows and cords until Inuyasha's robes were pooled around his legs. Not to be outdone, Inuyasha tugged at Miroku's clothing until they were both clad in almost nothing but their fundoshi.
The overwhelming scent of Miroku's arousal crashed into him, mixing with his own. Inuyasha groaned and pressed their bodies together, mouths and chests and hips touching and oh. He gasped, breaking the kiss, and Miroku threw back his head and laughed delightedly. Inuyasha growled playfully, kissing and mouthing his way down Miroku's neck. He let his teeth graze along the delicate skin, drawing a low moan from his lover. His hand reached out, unintentionally snagging on the mala beads. Miroku stilled, and a little of the rushed, carefree excitement between them faded away. Inuyasha blinked slowly, looking deep into those beautiful violet eyes, and gently brought their lips together again. He kept his left hand where it was, gently resting on cloth and wooden beads that he longed to brush away. With his right he reached for Miroku's face, knuckles caressing his cheek before tangling in his hair and staying there, guiding them into a deeper kiss. One of Miroku's arms wound around his shoulders, hugging them close together.
What had been grasping and urgent mere moments ago became softer, more tender and controlled but no less needed. Miroku caressed his way down Inuyasha's side, curling around his hip for a moment before brushing the head of his arousal. Inuyasha gasped and jerked, looking startled.
"Yes?" Miroku breathed, hand hovering over his fundoshi.
"Please," Inuyasha whined, his hips shuddering forward despite trying to keep still.
Brushing his knuckles along Inuyasha's length over the white cloth of his fundoshi, Miroku drew repeated whines from his lover. He began caressing him more firmly, watching his face carefully all the while for when the teasing became too much. Slowly, he pulled out the ends of the cloth of Inuyasha's fundoshi until it fell away. He tried not to salivate. He carefully wrapped his left hand around Inuyasha's flushed cock, enjoying the weight of it in his hand before he set a slow, steady rhythm. Inuyasha's head fell to his shoulder and he pulled in a ragged breath. His hands came to rest on Miroku's upper arms, holding on to him as he groaned and writhed, overwhelmed while urgently needing more. It felt so good, so right, that Inuyasha almost forgot that Miroku must be equally hard. A wave of arousal in the monk's scent reminded him.
Inuyasha's hand curled around Miroku's erection, his thumb brushing up and down his length. Miroku gasped and stopped his own administrations, earning a playful grin from Inuyasha before he reached in for another kiss. They pressed needily into one another, occasionally breaking off for a gasp or deep groan.
"Yes," Inuyasha said, his voice dark and husky. "Yes."
Miroku hummed and gently brushed Inuyasha's hand aside, taking them both in his own grip. He ran his thumb over their heads, smearing pre-come along their lengths and setting a faster pace. He could feel his release building in his abdomen, in the tightness and heat coiling in his groin but he didn't want this to be over. If only they could stay in this moment forever, lost in their lust and each other. But it wouldn't be over forever, he reminded himself firmly. Inuyasha would still be there once they were done, and they would have many chances in the future to explore each other even more. A long, high whine from Inuyasha drew Miroku back to the present. His lover's fingers were clutching along his side, twitching, and Miroku knew he was close. That simple thought was almost enough to drive Miroku over the edge. Then Inuyasha leaned forward, winding his hand into Miroku's hair and tugged, gently, just once.
Miroku was spilling over his palm before he even realized what happened. He came hard and fast, didn't stop his hand the entire time, revelling in Inuyasha's hardness pressing against his own. Inuyasha gasped, shuddered, and soon he was coming as well. They stayed like that for a moment, heads resting on each other's shoulders as they hovered in time. Inuyasha's hands were at Miroku's waist and buried in his hair. Miroku's free hand was still wrapped loosely around Inuyasha's shoulders, helping to hold himself upright through the aftershocks.
Eventually, Miroku released them, and Inuyasha mourned the loss of contact. He slowly lifted his head, blinking lazily at Miroku. His love smiled back at him, warm and glowing, but there was just the smallest hint of apprehension in his eyes. Inuyasha's brows twitched and he reached out to brush the hair from Miroku's eyes. His fingers came to rest on Miroku's cheek as he found himself lost in the other's gaze. He brought their lips together, one last delicious slide before they parted, sharing the same air.
"I love you," he murmured, their lips brushing as he spoke.
Miroku melted against him, any trace of uneasiness lost in loose-limbed bliss. He grabbed his kesa and gently cleaned them both before tossing it aside, reaching for the blankets to drape over them. Inuyasha wrapped his arm around Miroku as they lay down, tangling their legs together. They ended up with Miroku's head resting against his chest, Inuyasha's nose buried in his hair. Miroku's hand moved lazily up and down Inuyasha's side, tracing patterns into the skin.
"I love you, too," he murmured, a little rushed as though he only then realized he hadn't said it earlier.
Inuyasha chuckled to himself and drew back so he could press their lips together before curling his body more tightly around Miroku's. It was warm inside, sheltered as they were from the howling winds outside, and he was more than content to stay wrapped around his love. He knew that in the morning they would wake sticky and grimy and probably not smelling very nice. They would wake and be back to their mission, to a long day of working and searching and possibly fighting. They would have to face the many challenges thrown at them day after day. And Inuyasha didn't care. For the moment, Miroku was in his arms, and everything was perfect. He breathed in deeply, taking in the smell of sated satisfaction, warm happiness, and home. Tomorrow could wait.
Well, there you have it. I'm sorry this chapter came late. I got pretty sick and then the power went out at my place.
Over the past few months I've been trying to edit this monster a bit, but I haven't gotten the time. I started off trying to go chapter-by-chapter and do a complete edit, with added scenes and such, but then never made it past chapter 2 due to timing, which is why the in-between chapters are formatted so weird. I'm still hoping to do so at some point soon, but for now I'm just going to go through and fixing typos and obvious mistakes. I'll try to get around to that soon, so apologies if you get a swath of notifications of me reuploading chapters. My apologies for all the mistakes, as I know that it can really distract the reader and pull them out of the work. I struggle with dyslexia a fair bit and sometimes my brain just decides to skip over a word instead of actually writing it. As I don't have a beta reader (because I'm disorganized) the blame rests solely on me
Sex in this chapter: a fairly explicit scene of Miroku and Inuyasha give each other handjobs/manual stimulation
