The Miko and the Retainer
Kagome left the small gathering in her living room. Outside, what had been a hot afternoon an hour ago was now a sudden downpour with occasional thunder. This was some relief, a strong wind cooling the area more than the warm rain, that only made the ground slippery.
She walked into the kitchen, hoping that her short absence wouldn't upset the balance of the living room. Hiro was playing Go with the monk Miroku, who had lost all his drive to fight Inuyasha after learning that the hanyou was not a threat to humanity. Kagome smiled;, her grandpa was clearly enjoying himself, because unlike Inuyasha Miroku had only a couple of years experience playing the ancient game. He was clearly clever, the monk, but it didn't warrant him a win against the seasoned shrine keeper such as Hiro.
When she'd left the room, Inuyasha and Sango sat near the shoji leading to the engawa and the yard. Buyo was sprawled on Sango's lap, taking advantage of a cat person who didn't play rough with him while Kirara was in the youkai world with Sango's younger brother. The young woman had been casting wary glares at Miroku ever since his awakening.
Kagome filled the kettle and put it on the stove, preparing a new serving of tea for everyone, her mind wandering back to the living room, from where - thankfully - no noises of battle could be heard.
Miroku was still holding an ice bag to his head where Sango had hit him. It was his own fault, really, even if in Kagome's opinion Sango's hand had been a tad too heavy. Really, it was very interesting (and hilarious) to observe the modern time flirtatious wandering exorcist trying his 'moves' on a battle-hardened, pragmatic, but also shy woman born and raised in the youkai world.
So far all Miroku had gained was a couple of snappy replies along the lines of 'stop this nonsense' and glares that clearly indicated that if Miroku really wanted them to be friends or more he should change his tactics. Soon.
Actually, Kagome was willing to give him some tips. Miroku was nice to Inuyasha and for some reason after the first few cheesy lines toward her and growls of annoyance from Inuyasha, Miroku had lost romantic interest in her. Which was great, because he definitely wasn't her type. But - Kagome grinned arranging cookies on a plate - judging by how often Sango glared his way, he was her type.
She was a benevolent miko. And a writer, who never said no to a romance side plot in her story. In other words - she was curious if these two could make it work. Besides, it'd be a great distraction from...
"What is your relationship with Master Inuyasha, miko?" asked a sudden, aged voice. Kagome gasped and looked towards the opened kitchen shoji. A squirrel sat on the engawa close to the entrance, glaring at her. It looked just like any other normal squirrel, really, but... "Well?"
"Um..." Kagome started, lowering the last cookies onto the plate mechanically. "I... I'm sorry, but I'm not used to discuss my relationships with forest animals."
The squirrel straightened its stature and fluffed out its tail.
"I'll have you know, that I served the royal inu family of the West for generations!" it sounded self important. "And if you used some kind of human trickery to control the youngest son of my late master, I..."
She finally recognized the voice.
"Myouga?" she whispered, surprised. When she'd met the flea youkai, he'd been using a crow as a means of transportation. He'd found Inuyasha, Hojo and her in the middle of the thick forest covering the mountain in the youkai world, but after they'd reached the Sacred Tree Kagome had forgotten about him.
"Yes it is I," said the aged voice of the flea from beside the squirrel's ear. "I've found you and saw that Master Inuyasha is well and back to his hanyou self again, so I am willing to be lenient and not..."
"Are you threatening Kagome?" growled an annoyed voice from the kitchen entrance. The flea made an impressive leap from the head of the tiny animal to Inuyasha's nose, where he tried to bite him while exclaiming happily.
"Master Inuyasha!" Inuyasha's hand came up to grab the old youkai and pull him away from his nose and scowl. He squeezed his fingers. "Oh, master, don't squish me again!"
"He just came in," Kagome took the kettle from the stove without thinking about it and stood with it in hand, watching her hanyou. Steam rose from the kettle in soft coils. The squirrel scurried away. "He is worried for you, Inuyasha."
"Keh!"
"She is right!" Myouga nodded, blinking his huge round eyes. "I've been looking for you, master. I was so concerned, finding you injured and devoid of your youki, but then you not only gained your energy back, you performed a perfect Wind Scar! And you can assume a true form! Truly, Lord Touga would be so proud of you! You must accompany me to the West!"
Myouga sounded so happy, so excited, that it was jarring to see Inuyasha's reaction. The hanyou threw the flea away from himself as if he was a burning coal. He lowered his ears and bared his teeth.
"I'm not going back there!" he barked, youki rising around him.
"Inuyasha, calm down." Kagome soothed. "You don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to."
"But, it's your home!" Myouga argued from where he landed between coffee mugs on the cupboard, not really fazed by being thrown across the room.
"Damn, this shrine is my home!" Inuyasha stated and glanced to Kagome, who beamed at him in affirmation. This made his youki settle and his ears perk a bit. That exchange didn't go unnoticed by the aged man.
"Has she enslaved you, master?" he asked, eyeing Kagome suspiciously.
"No!" they both practically yelled, but it was Inuyasha who continued. "Kagome is my miko and I'm her protector. If you have some loyalty to me, as you say, you will not tell anyone about us. About me having Tessaiga, true form, shit, even being alive. Not a word, you understand?"
"But, my lord..." Myouga tried to reason with the hanyou.
"If you do, I personally will hunt you and tear you apart," the hanyou growled darkly. "I swear."
'Inuyasha...' Kagome tried to soothe again, hoping that her mind voice could be more effective. She touched his mind as she'd lay a hand on his shoulder, rubbing his stiff muscles.
'He has to promise,' Inuyasha growled, tense, focused... scared. 'He led me there when I was a pup. To claim my heirloom and place, he said. Fuck, I was lucky I got outta there alive.'
Her heart squeezed when she sensed how much old pain was behind his mental words. She could sense the dark memories welling inside him, even if his barriers kept her from actually seeing them. She knew that whatever had happened to him in his father's house had left deep scars.
She reached out her hand and really touched him, pouring whatever positivist she could into her mental voice.
'It will e fine,' she promised. Golden eyes looked her way, narrowed, but not defiant.
"I..." Myouga spoke and grabbed their attention again. "I will not tell your lord brother about your existence, master," the old flea sighed and sat on the shelf he was standing on, resting his back against the mug with cat Garfield on it. "But, master, the West could really use your aid. Things have changed. People have changed."
"I changed too. I'm not hat naive pup anymore," Inuyasha growled.
"I'm still your faithful retainer," Myouga assured honestly, even if with less excitement than he'd shown earlier. "I will heed your wishes. But, if you ever change your mind, I will be the first one to welcome you in the Western Castle."
"In your dreams" Inuyasha said grimly, but he was relaxed now. It seemed that Myounga's assurance of silence wiped away his tension. Kagome stopped running his shoulder, glad that her hanyou was himself again. Seeing - and feeling - Inuyasha scared was strange and worrisome.
"Oh, I will make tea now," she remembered the kettle in her hand. "And make some for you too, Myouga. Your steed is gone and I imagine that travel in the rain is not to your liking."
"Appreciated, lady miko," the youkai smiled graciously.
"Kagome," she went to pour the water into the prepared cups. As she rummaged in her cupboards for a vessel for Myouga's drink, she didn't notice that Inuyasha stepped closer to her, his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Myouga, who merely smiled with a twinkle of smug understanding in his eye as he observed the pair interact.
.
In the living room Miroku and Sango stood on both sides of the door, eavesdropping.
"The youkai is still alive," Miroku remarked.
"Inuyasha probably didn't see it as a real threat," Sango shrugged. "Or Kagome talked him not to do that."
"She is truly a remarkable miko. Fair and kind," Miroku said and added under his breath. "And already taken."
Sango glared at him. "Hush! I want to hear what they're talking about in there!"
"Inuyasha sounds angry," Miroku pointed out at the raised youki of the shrine guardian.
"But not angry enough to properly yell, so we can hear, so shut up!" Sango grumbled.
Behind them Hiro stroked Buyo's back and smirked at the two young people, who suddenly sprang back towards their seats. It seemed the tea was on its way.