Reunited
AN - Thanks again to those of you who have followed this story all these years.
"I haven't asked you because I didn't want to bother you, but I have to ask now - do you have a plan on how to handle this?" Sango asked, glancing over at Jade for a brief moment before looking back at the road.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, where is he going to sleep?"
"I was going to let him sleep in my bed."
"Where will you sleep?"
"The couch, I guess."
"What about when you go to work? Is he just going to stay in your room? I don't want him there alone."
"I understand that, but if it has to happen, it has to happen. I guess he can ride with me during my deliveries."
"So, you didn't plan this out, is what I'm hearing."
"I can only plan so much. I don't know how he's going to be. His attorney said his therapist insisted Naraku has made a lot of progress, but I don't know what that means. There might be certain things he can't handle, so I'll have to adapt."
"I guess we'll find out soon." Sango said with a heavy sigh. "I don't see how a few months of being institutionalized would break a lifetime of…whatever he is.
"I'm not trying to be an ass when I say this, but this was your idea."
"I know, I know. That doesn't mean I can't complain about my own dumb suggestions."
Jade didn't respond. She was nervous enough as it was. It was the reason she agreed to let Sango drive. The most frustrating part was the assumption that she knew Naraku well enough to know how he lived. Jade knew very little about his lifestyle before his mental breakdown, so she imagined she knew even less after. All she knew was that his apartment was clean and organized and that Naraku practiced good personal hygiene. Beyond that, she didn't know what he did for fun outside of the lab, nor what all he cooked and ate - he did artwork and grew weed. That was all she knew.
The waiting room caused Jade's anxiety to skyrocket to the point there were moments she felt light-headed. There were various other people waiting - parents, spouses, siblings. She didn't know for sure, obviously, but she felt like the only one there who was just a friend. The facility only allowed one person to exit at a time. She understood security being a priority, but it almost felt like waiting for someone to be released from prison or jail.
"Jade, your bouncy leg is driving me nuts." Sango whispered, tapping said leg.
"If I don't, I'm going to explode! Please, just let me be annoying!" Jade replied in a harsh whisper. Her eyes tried to spot if anyone heard them or not.
"Try breathing! You're holding your breath!"
Jade did as Sango asked, sitting still and forcing out a steady breath.
"Now, in through your nose, slowly,"
The door opened once more and a tall man with long, white hair walked out. For a moment, she thought it was Sesshomaru, but she knew it wasn't him. It couldn't be. The face was Naraku's, but even that didn't hold a familiar expression. He looked tired, almost sad. He placed his bag strap over his shoulder and finally looked up.
Jade was walking up to him, trying not to sprint. She stopped in front of him and opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She hadn't thought of what to say. Frantically, she dug through the countless phrases in her mind, trying to find one that wasn't inappropriate or stupid, but that seemed to make up the main bulk of her vocabulary at that moment. She settled with pointing behind her and asking the deep thoughtful question, "Are you ready to go?"
He didn't smirk, roll his eyes, look away, or glare - he just nodded.
"Cool." She wanted to smack herself. Cool? That's what she came up with? It didn't seem to bother him, so she just rolled with it. When she turned around, Sango was standing with her arms crossed, waiting patiently by the door. Sango followed them to the car and when she had a chance, she held up her phone so only Jade could see, insinuating that Jade look at hers. She pulled hers from her pocket and opened the text.
'What did they do to him? His hair is all white! I can tell he's lost muscle mass!' Sango's message read.
'I know.'
'Did he say anything?'
'No.'
'Are you sure it's him?'
Jade glanced back, almost unsure even though she knew it was him. Then she typed, 'I hope I'm doing the right thing.'
'You are. Wow. I actually feel bad for him. I'm legitimately shocked and disgusted.' With that, Sango turned on the car and Jade decided to play some music.
"Do you have a preference?" she asked Naraku. He had been staring out the window until then. He looked at her only to shake his head, "No." Then, his gaze returned to the window. The sickening pit in her stomach grew deeper.
"How about that podcast of the guys talking about terrible books?" Sango suggested.
"Sure." she agreed, searching for it. Hopefully, Naraku would find it entertaining since he was an avid reader.
Naraku said not a word the entire time. Whether or not he enjoyed the podcast, Jade wasn't sure, because his expression remained constantly stoic the entire time. The only sign of life from him was when he decided to look out a different window or even close his eyes for a rest. When they returned to the apartment, Jade led Naraku to her room and told him to make himself at home. He simply sat on the edge of her bed and nodded to confirm he heard her. Jade decided to give him some space and walked into the kitchen where Sango stood. Her expression turned to horror when she saw her.
"What the fuck?" Sango asked in a harsh whisper.
"I don't know!" Jade answered, matching her tone and raising her hands up to signal she had given up.
"I almost want him to be unpleasant. This-This…complacent silence is not good. Is that what they consider progress? Completely wringing everything out of him until he's catatonic?"
"Maybe he's just really, really fucking tired." Jade's suggestion felt more like prayer.
"Jade, I'm not so sure about this anymore,"
"I can't just kick him out! Give him time! Please!" she begged, almost dropping to her knees.
"I'm just…I'm going to watch TV." Sango shook her head and walked to the couch. She called for Kirara to join her.
Jade headed back to her room and walked in, finding Naraku in the exact same place and position as when she left moments before. She left a small gap in the door, finally admitting to herself that she was frightened. When she looked back at him, his eyes were fixated on the door she left ajar. Then, he closed his eyes and lowered his head.
"Hey," Jade sat on the floor in front of him, pushing her fear aside for a moment. "Do you understand me? You're not just a zombie, right?"
He gave a slight nod.
"Okay. Well," she paused, trying to figure out what to say and how to say it. "I need you to communicate with me. If you don't, this is going to be much harder than it needs to be."
A sigh escaped his mouth and he turned to look at her pillows. Then he looked back at her, motioning to her that he was tired.
"It's cool. I'll just check on you later."
He gave no answer. Suddenly, he fell onto his side and remained motionless. Jade carefully reached for him, thinking that he would lash out at her when he felt her hand, but he didn't. She gently shook him a couple of times and received no response.
'He's…sleeping.' Jade finally realized. It was so sudden and unnatural, but she remembered similar behaviors when she was going through the same thing. She pushed his legs onto the bed so he could sleep comfortably and that was when she noticed his now-white hair had a purple iridescence. 'I bet he absolutely hates it, but it does look cool.' left her room again to sit with Sango. Her friend looked at her expectantly.
"He's sleeping now."
"You look-"
"I'm unsure of what all he's going through, so I'm out of my element here. I'm not good with emotions and being gentle and attentive. He probably needs someone who can do that and I'm not it." she explained.
"I don't think he would want anyone else but you to be here."
"What he wants and what he needs aren't the same thing." Jade retorted.
"He needs to put his mind and energy towards something. He's gone from being a grad student heading up his own project and living on his own to nothing." Sango pointed out. "I know he really enjoyed working out, so maybe we can see if he wants to do that."
"Right."
"Uh, what else? Oh! You said he likes drawing, didn't you? We can grab some supplies for him."
"Yeah, he might like those." Jade agreed. She was still going to wait before asking him what he wanted to do. A paw smacked her face lightly and Jade reached over to satiate Kirara's hunger for attention by petting her.
Once Kagome arrived home, she and Sango ordered dinner and Jade could barely eat due to how upset her stomach was. She took food to Naraku, but he was still asleep, so she left it on the nightstand by him just in case. He would wake up eventually.
That night, she tossed and turned on the couch. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable; she just couldn't shake the images of Naraku trying to choke her from her mind. They hadn't haunted her until now. It was the first time in years that she deeply questioned herself. Was she really doing the right thing? Was helping Naraku right, even if it cost her the remainder of peace she had? Was now the time to be selfish? Instinctually, she told herself no. She agreed to take him on, knowing he had nowhere to go and no one to help, so taking him from a hospital where they gave him shelter and food just to kick him out onto the streets was wrong. She knew that. She believed that. Still, though, the small, selfish part of her insisted that she was more important than him. She needed to prioritize herself for once. A compromise would have to be found and Jade reassured herself that one would be found once the dust settled.
The next few days were simultaneously uneventful and stressful. Sango and Kagome returned to their jobs. With campus being closed and classes being restricted to online only, it gave them more opportunity to pick up extra hours to pay for whatever fun they planned to have during the summer. Jade decided she wanted to wash her hands of the orb situation as much as possible. As much as Sango and Kagome disagreed with her, they didn't push the issue.
Jade took time off from work to stay home with Naraku. It played out much differently than she had anticipated. She was prepared to spend time with him, maybe even stream some games with him, but Naraku had fallen victim to similar symptoms she had when she was under the effects of the orb. Most of his days and nights were spent sleeping. He ate, but very little, and was able to perform basic hygienic habits, but did it when she wasn't paying attention. It almost seemed like he was avoiding her. Perhaps he was. Whenever she tried to talk to him, he was back in bed. This bothered her and her two friends. Every day, they waited for him to do something, say something, but he didn't.
Between her days of making sure he was alive and her nights making sure he was asleep, Jade wasn't sleeping much herself. So far, every night boiled down to her arguing with herself, then quieting down, and then every time she was on the brink of sleep, she would hear something and immediately think it was Naraku coming for her. She promised Sango and Kagome she would limit her drinking, which was what she used to help herself sleep and stay calm. Now that she was mostly sober, her mind was free to do what it wanted - imagining things.
Even though he hadn't done anything except sleep, bathe, and nibble on some food, Jade found Naraku to be even more terrifying in that state than when he was being his normal asshole self on a bad day. She hadn't forgotten the last time Naraku's consciousness sank into the depths of his own mind. Throwing the blanket from her body, Jade let out a muffled, irritated groan.
'Storing the jewel elsewhere was a good decision on my part. It could probably easily take control of him right now and I would be dead.' She walked carefully down the hallway and opened her bedroom door. Naraku was still asleep in the same position she had left him hours before. She waited to see if he would stir, but he didn't. Jade opened the bottom drawer of her desk, finding her, "emergency joint," at the back. She grabbed a lighter and closed the drawer, looking over at Naraku again. Still nothing.
Jade took the blanket out onto the balcony with her. She sat on the bench after wrapping herself like a burrito. She lit the joint, holding it between her fingers in one hand and holding her phone in the other. She began to search for videos to watch. She didn't want silence and she didn't want to read anything - she wanted to turn off as much of her brain as possible.
She tried watching a few videos of fighting games, but it didn't generate any relief within her. Next, she tried watching play-through videos of various adventure games, horror games, open-world games, but none of them helped. She decided to venture into the part of the website where content creators reviewed movies. There were a handful she had met at conventions, so she searched their libraries for familiar movies. Those videos were a bit more calming, so she watched a couple. When she finished her joint, only then did her mind decide sleep was acceptable. Jade didn't even bother moving back inside. She would take what she could get.
"Jade?" a voice called out as a hand shook her gently.
"Hm?"
"What are you doing out here? Did you sleep out here?" Sango asked urgently.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"I was tired."
"Oh my- come on. Inside." her friend insisted, herding her from the bench and back into the living room. Jade was about to sit down on the couch, but Sango grabbed her arms and led her down to her own bedroom instead. "Sleep in my bed. I'm going to work. I'll be home early since it's only half a day for me."
"No, I'm-"
"You're not fine and I'm not stupid. Lock my door, if that will help, and get some sleep." With that, Sango left before Jade could argue any further.
Without a second thought, Jade did as Sango suggested and it did offer her a higher level of comfort than the open living room. She fell back asleep rather fast and without arguing with herself.
She slept a couple more hours. It was enough for her to feel a little better. She figured a shower would help her feel more like herself, so she hopped into one, closing her eyes to feel the warmth wash over her body. She heard the light jingle of Kirara's bell on her collar going crazy and guessed she was having a zoomies episode throughout the apartment. If she couldn't sleep on someone, she would throw fits and do zoomies.
When Jade walked into her room, she froze. Naraku was awake. He was on his side on her bed, watching the two guinea pigs play around on her bed in front of him. His eyes found her, widened slightly, and he slowly stood from her bed. He tapped his chest and then pointed at the doorway, indicating he would give her privacy.
"Thanks. I'll only be a minute." She said to him.
While she dressed, she kept an eye on Dab and Ume to make sure they wouldn't get brave and run off the bed. They mostly seemed concerned with bickering with each other. If Dab sat in a spot, Ume wanted that exact spot. If Ume began chewing on a toy, Dab wanted to chew on that toy. Jade thought it was funny, so did Kagome, but Sango thought it meant they didn't get along. After hours of reading and tossing the occasional question to the vet, Jade concluded it was just typical guinea pig behavior. What they lacked in size, they made up for with attitude. As long as they didn't bite each other, it was fine.
Jade sat on the floor next to the bed and called Naraku back in. He sat beside her and held out a carrot. She took it and offered it to Ume and Naraku offered the second one to Dab. A few bites in, the pigs switched places because they believed the other pig had the better carrot.
"Have you been watching them?" She asked with a smile.
He nodded with a hint of a smile on his lips.
"Aren't they ridiculous? I think they're funny."
Naraku responded by pointing at each pig and then to himself and Jade. It took a moment for her to figure out what he meant.
"They remind you of us?"
An enthusiastic nod told Jade that he had been thinking about that one fondly. He wasn't wrong. She remembered how they both did things to get a one-up on each other.
Dab and Ume began to make rumble noises and slowly wave their butts back and forth.
"Maybe we should just be rumbly and wave our asses back and forth instead of arguing." Jade remarked.
Naraku snorted and nodded.
Once the pigs finished their treats, Jade walked into the living room to find something to do. She was so used to being busy that she didn't know what to do with herself when she wasn't. Naraku actually followed her, but he didn't make it to the couch. He automatically fell to his knees.
"Oh sh-" Jade cut off when he held his hand up to stop her. His efforts to stand amounted to nothing. He let out a slow, loud exhale.
'He's frustrated.' she realized. At least, it seemed that way to her. She couldn't help but to remember how she felt and acted when she was recovering. Three steps and suddenly, she was winded and needed another nap. It must have been infinitely more annoying for someone as athletic and proud as Naraku. Finally, he gave up, and turned onto his back, panting and staring up at the ceiling.
"H-Hey," Jade began, but as she approached him, she saw his entire body go limp and his eyes shut, indicating he had fallen asleep once again. "Goddamn it." she grumbled. She couldn't lift him, especially as dead weight, so she placed a pillow under his head and a blanket over his body to give him some semblance of comfort as he slept.
Jade sat on the end of the couch closest to him to watch over him. Kirara mewed softly as she strutted over to Naraku. She immediately leapt onto his chest, folding her paws beneath her and closing her eyes. Jade snickered and didn't even try to shoo her away from him. As long as she wasn't lying on his face to suffocate him, she could enjoy the warmth of his unconscious body.
Jade sent Sango a picture of the scene.
'Awww, my cat is the cutest.'
'I like to pretend she knocked him out and claimed him.'
'I'm so proud of her. I'm shocked to see him out of bed.'
'I was like that for a while. I still don't like that he won't speak to me, but he still communicates and listens. He actually interacted with me a little bit ago.'
'Maybe take him out somewhere when he wakes up? That might get his blood going and help him a bit.'
'I guess I can take him to the store later.'
'It's something. You never know.'
Jade became absorbed into planning out her next few streams, texting Koga and typing her ideas out on her phone. Koga actually encouraged her to do more solo material since she had been mentally MIA during group streams. He felt that if she was by herself, she would become revitalized and confident in her skills and then could return to group streams once she was feeling better. Jade wasn't sure it would work, but she wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to make money she didn't have to share.
'If I can get enough material going, I might not need to deliver anymore. This can be my main source of income for now. I need to broaden my game library. Maybe I can do review and reaction videos.'
At one point, Naraku reached up and stroked the cat's head, but he didnt move or speak. Kirara didn't leave Naraku's body until Sango returned home from her short shift. Naraku stood slowly, brushing his now-white hair back into place with his hand. He tossed the pillow and blanket back onto the couch.
Jade pointed to him. "I'm going to the store - want to go?"
To her surprise, he nodded and walked back to her room to get ready. While she waited, Sango brainstormed a list with her. Jade pretended to study the grocery list to distract herself from her nerves. She wasn't necessarily scared of him anymore; she just didn't know how to interact with him when he wasn't being sarcastic. She was a pro at handling his arrogance and spitefulness; she was at a loss with his defeated silence.
Naraku walked out in a simple outfit of running shoes, blue jeans, and a T-shirt with a gray jacket zipped up over it. He struggled to place his hair in a ponytail and gave up, allowing his mane to drape around his shoulders and upper-back.
"Are you sure you still want to go?" Jade asked him. He nodded tiredly in response. Witholding a grimace, Jade waved goodbye to Sango and walked out with Naraku close behind her. The drive to the store was quiet, but not as uncomfortable as she expected. Naraku seemed more responsive than he had been most of the week. He even went as far as making small noises to indicate he heard her.
"If you see anything you want, toss it in the cart." She told him.
As she expected, he hesitated with picking out things he wanted. If she spotted him looking at something, she put it in the cart herself. An idea sprouted in her head which led her to the arts and crafts aisle.
"Grab some stuff." she insisted, pointing to the wall of various art supplies. He stepped forward, but immediately turned to look at her, shaking his head. Jade waved her hand at him. "Go on. It's okay."
He walked back and forth slowly, studying different sketchbooks and drawing utensils. Finally satisfied with his choices, he walked back to the cart and placed a sketchbook, a couple of pencils, and pens inside it. Jade suspected he was holding back on her wallet's behalf. She would have none of that.
"Would you be willing to paint something for me?" she asked quickly.
He hesitated, but eventually nodded and turned back to the paints, brushes, and canvases. Naraku would hold up different canvases to her and Jade chose a handful of random ones. Finishing up with paint and brushes, Naraku appeared to be content with the supplies, so they left that aisle.
"I need some sauce. We are having Mexican food tonight, prepared by me."
Naraku made a noise that sounded like he approved. When she found the sauce, the jars were set too high on the very top shelf for her and even the much-taller Naraku. He still tried, though.
"Aw, why do they put it so high up?" Jade asked with a whine. Naraku lowered his arm and sighed heavily. "It's okay. I'll find an employee."
He grabbed the cart with one hand and kept it in place. For a second, Jade thought he was going to hop inside it and use it to boost himself up to reach the jar. Instead, Naraku looked around quickly and held his hand out, catching the jar they couldn't reach from its fall. He turned to her, his gaze locked with hers.
'Did…Did I just see that happen?' She knew she did. She watched the jar move on its own and Naraku caught it expectantly. He then placed the jar of sauce in the cart and kept his gaze aimed down.
"So…uh…are you going to explain?"
He shrugged in response.
"N-Naraku!" Jade restrained herself from screaming. "You just- you're going to explain when we get home! Got it?"
He nodded.
"Okay." Jade said with an exhale of annoyance. She didn't want to be frustrated with him, but he wasn't helping. It didn't shock her that he had strange abilities - she developed some temporarily - but the fact that he developed something as outrageous as telekinesis? Her abilities could've been explained away. Telekinesis was an actual superpower…and she was jealous. Part of her was also hurt that he didn't tell her sooner.
The return home was quieter and faster. She wanted him to show the other two. The groceries didn't even make it out of their bags before Jade turned to Naraku.
"Show them!" Jade insisted. "They won't tell anyone!"
"What's going on?" Sango asked, fully turning around on the couch. Kagome had waved to them, having returned home herself not too long before them.
"I'm not even going to bother saying it. Naraku, show them!"
Instead, he made a disapproving noise and attempted to walk away. Jade blocked him and held her hands out and pressed them against his arms. Naraku let out a sharp breath and Jade felt a force wrap around her torso. For a split second, she thought he grabbed her, but instead of being pulled closer to him, she was pulled into the air gently.
"Shit!" Kagome spat in surprise.
"What the fuck?" Sango shouted, vaulting over the back of the couch and grabbing Jade's arm. Jade didn't budge from the air.
"Well, I never said not me," Jade said to Naraku, trying to get a read on his mood. He didn't look mad, just exasperated. He held his hands out and caught Jade to make sure she landed on her feet. A line of red began to flow from his nose. Thinking fast, Jade grabbed a napkin from the holder on the table and offered it to him before the blood dripped onto himself. He cleaned his nose and made no eye contact.
"Can you do that?" Sango asked Jade, poking her arm.
"No. For a while there, I was physically stronger, and my reaction timing was super fast. I healed faster too, but it's worn off, I think. I definitely didn't get fucking Mewtwo powers. I'm kind of jealous, actually." she answered with a smile, hands on her hips. She looked up at him and asked, "Do you have telepathy?"
Naraku shook his head in the negative.
"Okay, cool, so you're going to eventually have to talk to me right?"
He nodded earnestly.
"Why aren't you talking?" Sango asked accusingly, now poking Naraku in the chest. He looked completely offended by being touched by her. It was the first time he looked like the normal Naraku.
Kagome reached out to her friend. "Sango, don't-"
"I'm not scared of him."
"Maybe you should be since he just lifted a whole human with his mind?"
"Jade, didn't he promise to be better?"
"Yeah. I'm with Kagome, though. Don't push him."
Naraku gave her a look that clearly said, "Did you really just say that?" It was then that she remembered she had done the same moments before to force him to show off his power. Before Jade could say anything, he sighed with annoyance and started taking groceries out of the bags.
Jade grimaced when Sango and Kagome stared at her. 'Ah, fuck. I'm not handling this very well at all.'
She helped him stash all of the groceries, but Naraku didn't remain by her side to help with dinner. She didn't blame him. Once dinner was safely in the oven, Jade found him on her bed, seemingly meditating.
"I'm sorry about earlier." She said. He waved his hand at her as if to say it was nothing, but it wasn't nothing to her. "I think I'm just really uncomfortable with everything. I haven't had time to process some of this. I know everyone likes to think I'm good at this and that, but I'm not good at being solo. I'm better as part of a team. Right now, I'm just flailing."
Naraku disagreed, pointing to her and then himself.
"We aren't a good team right now, though. We aren't on the same wavelength."
There was no disagreement this time. He sighed and looked down at his lap.
"To be a good team, communication is number one. You aren't speaking to me and it's one thing if you can't, but if you won't, that makes me feel like I don't deserve it. If we aren't equal, we can't be a team."
A few moments of silence fell between them. Naraku lowered his head and exhaled. "How could I possibly be equal to someone like you?"
Jade gasped. 'He's speaking to me? Finally!'
Quickly, she regained her composure. "We don't have to be the same to be equal. You don't have to be a saint to be equal. Just…we can make this work, but I need you to respect yourself first."
Naraku snorted softly and looked to the side with a smirk. "You sound like my therapist."
"Then I know what I'm talking about."
"You do. You are wise beyond your years." He said. "If hearing me helps, then I will break my…vow of silence."
Jade couldn't help but to smile. He sounded just like the Naraku she remembered. The familiarity was soothing. The uneasiness was fading away. Though, she noticed his voice sounded weak, as if it hadn't been used in a while.
"I appreciate it. If it doesn't work for you, then we can try your silence again. Can I ask why you took a vow?"
"I was being facetious. The quieter I was in the hospital, the better. It just became a habit."
"Oh. That sucks."
"A certain someone once told me my mouth is what ruins my image."
"You can take that vow again anytime you want." Jade replied, eliciting a chuckle from Naraku. Then she added, "Asshole."
"There we go. That sounds more like us." He let out a soft breath. "I was also…scared…to speak to you. I know I agreed to this, but when I saw you, I felt awful. I just needed time. When you started joking with me, it helped."
"I'm just happy that you're feeling even a little better. I'm still sorry for forcing you to use your powers."
"I am over it."
"Okay."
Naraku stood from her bed and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Jade returned the gesture. He wasn't the type to hug, so he must have felt terrible.
"Thank you." He said.
"Yup. We've got this." she replied. When she heard him snort, she asked, "What?"
"Nothing."
"I'm going back to work tomorrow. I won't force you to go with me. I feel like you're fine to do whatever you want."
"Alright."
000000
"Hey," A demanding voice tore through Naraku's foggy sleep. He felt his face twist with annoyance as he finally opened his eyes. Sango towered over him with her hands on her hips. She was dressed in tight clothing. "Come work out with me. I could use a spotter."
Naraku cleared his throat. "Is that all I'm good for or do you have other intentions?"
"Not like that."
"I wasn't inferring that."
"I also want to talk to you about some stuff that I know Jade won't bring up because she…is Jade." Sango shook her head and crossed her arms. A hint of a smile pulled on her lips. "I'm sure you know what I mean."
"I do." he replied, sitting up. "Give me fifteen minutes."
"I'll be waiting."
The gym was alive with people, but it wasn't the busiest, either. As Sango prepared to bench press, Naraku readjusted the drawstring on his sweatpants for the third time. His waist was smaller now, so the pants were too big. Even though he knew he would get his body back to its prime once more, it still bothered him that none of his clothes fit and that his body didn't look as lean. Seeing Sango's muscles made the jealousy within him burn. He tried to remedy the burn by telling himself she would be good competition and to keep things civil. Naraku took his place behind the bench, holding his hands out to catch the bar in case she slipped.
Sango finished her first set and sat up to rest. "I know about everything that happened. They have campus shut down because of whatever you were working on."
"I know."
"Have you ever heard of the Shikon no Tama?"
"I have."
"Did it ever occur to you that it's real and it's the thing you were keeping a secret?"
"I don't believe in fairytales."
"You don't-" Sango looked at him incredulously and stood up. "You can lift things with your mind! Jade healed super fast and apparently was super strong!"
"That does not mean a magical wish-granting artifact exists!"
"That is the legend! I'm talking about the real thing! Difference!"
Naraku looked away. He hated that she was probably right. As much as he wanted to tell her to shut up, he promised Jade he would not antagonize her friends.
"Go on - threaten me."
"No. Are you ready for your second set?"
"Yes." Sango gave him a look of pure suspicion, but she laid back down and cranked out her second set without a hitch. She continued once she sat up to rest again, wiping sweat from her face with a towel. "Anyway, there's obviously an ongoing problem. Do you have any idea how to stop it?"
"No and even if I did, there are other players in the game currently that would lock me up the first chance they get."
"Is that part of how you got out of punishment?"
"If you think my time served being institutionalized was not punishment-"
"It wasn't enough and you know it."
He almost agreed with her. He almost insulted her. The urge to grin and mock her was strong. Instead, Naraku let out a breath of impatience. "Third set?"
"Sure." Sango grabbed the bar and pumped her third and final set. Her determination was even stronger now. After, she wiped down the equipment and then motioned to him. "Do you want to give it a shot?"
"I…suppose so." Naraku found the weights he needed. He knew he couldn't lift what he normally could, so he tried to calculate how much he could do now.
Sango spotted him for his three sets and to his surprise, she didn't comment on his weakened state. The more he thought about it, though, the less surprised he became. Sango was equally as serious about fitness as he was. Jade had said multiple times that it was probably the only common ground they had. They cleaned the station and moved on to work on their arms.
"I've tried to get Jade to come workout with me." Sango said as she began her arm curls. "She doesn't seem interested."
"I think it bores her," he responded. A loud bang was followed by a group of men cheering and high-fiving one another.
"Wow. They can lift heavy things. It's almost like we're at a gym." Sango quipped sarcastically. "I don't know how Jade keeps her physique with how bad her drinking and eating has been lately."
"Her metabolism,"
"That won't last forever."
"No, but it will be something she has to want to deal with. Nothing anyone says to her will change her mind."
"She knows it's a problem."
"If she isn't ready to change it, then she won't." Naraku placed his weights down to rest. "The more you push her, the less she will move. It's best to either let her go and do what she wants or entice her."
"So, you didn't force her to do anything?" she asked accusingly, setting her weights down, too.
"Barely. I tossed some cash her way and her loyalty sold the rest of her."
"Should I pay her to work out?"
"I think it would be better to find something she would enjoy."
"I don't know what she would-"
"Dancing, perhaps? She does a lot of lip-synching and dancing at the beginning of her streams."
Sango's eyebrows rose after she lifted her weights for another set. "You're right! She's the only one who gives me a run for my money with DDR! Huh. I wonder what kind of dancing, though?"
He bent over to lift his weights, too. "Or, and this is just me brainstorming, some kind of workout that is synched with music might work. It doesn't have to be dancing. Maybe challenge her to DDR a few nights a week?"
"I'll ask the front desk and see if they have anything like that. She's smart enough to catch on to the DDR thing and might not go for it." she said. "Honestly, you're right, but I still can't imagine what kind of dancing she would be into - hip-hop, maybe? Rave? Is that a dance style?"
"Pole-dancing," Naraku suggested as seriously as he could. For the first time in his presence, Sango laughed a genuine, happy laugh.
"And you know she would find a way to be uniquely good at it, too!"
"Absolutely. That is the trick with her; if it interests her, she will do all the work."
"Alright, so now I have to ask," she began, her tone playful, but with a slight edge of seriousness. "You two aren't a thing?"
Naraku almost died of exasperation on the spot. He had to remind himself to keep his hands wrapped around the weights so they wouldn't hit the floor. "You live in the same apartment as we do. You would know."
"You guys could be quiet or do it while Kagome and I aren't there,"
"I am not quiet when the occasion calls for me to fuck someone and you have a good second point there. You're just going to have to trust me when I say we aren't fuck buddies."
"When the occasion calls for you to fuck someone?" she repeated with a sly smile.
"Sex is an excellent tool of manipulation."
"So, you really don't care for it - it's just there."
"Correct."
"Jade hasn't really been in a great mood lately, so either you're a lousy lay or you're telling the truth."
"I've no reason to lie." Naraku stated strongly. "About this."
"Hmm,"
"My dear, the truth is often far more powerful and compelling than lying. I will lie if I need to, but it isn't often I find myself needing to."
"You needed to lie to Jade?"
He ignored the obvious attempt to rally a rise from him. "In my mind, to keep her as a friend, yes,"
She nodded and placed her weights on the floor. "Then you do care about her; you're just really warped,"
"Yes." Naraku replied through gritted teeth. She wasn't wrong; he just detested her trying to instigate a fight with him when he was trying to remain civil.
"I guess I just don't understand how you can treat someone that way when you care about them. Weren't you taught to treat people the way you wanted to be treated?"
There it was. It was the disconnect between Naraku and nearly every person he had ever met. It was at that moment that his anger dissipated. It was ignorance, not malice…at least, he hoped it was.
"No. I wasn't." he finally answered softly.
"Really?"
"My earliest memory in life was burning myself with hot water because my mother decided I was old enough to prepare my own meals. She cooked for herself and my sister, but not for me. Everything I know is what I taught myself. Forgive me if I am a little misguided."
"But you knew it was wrong."
"I knew I was right because it is what worked for me, even if everyone else considered it wrong. I did what was best for me because no one else would. If that meant someone else was doomed, so be it. It was not going to be me." Naraku spotted a couple of people walking over to also work on their arms. "We can speak about this more later."
"I-It's alright. We don't have to." she replied nervously. She rolled her eyes when there was another outburst from the loud gym bros. Naraku motioned for her to wait and when the next guy in line to lift the heavy thing tried to lift, he forced the bar to stay on the floor. It didn't even budge. It gave the group of men a laughing fit, and while they were still loud, it amused Naraku more that they weren't celebrating. Sango seemed to also find it amusing.
Naraku decided to wait on the sidelines while Sango ran laps. He was certain if he burned anymore calories, he would turn into a stick. He drank a specialty protein shake that the gym offered instead, watching Jade's friend show up every other person on the track.
Sango was as agile as ever. It was almost like she was engineered to be an athlete. He wondered if she ever considered the Olympics. He figured the rampant sexual assault throughout the organization was enough of a deterrent and there was always the possibility that Sango had other aspirations. Naraku knew he could have made the Olympics in any category he wanted, but he didn't care for it. His face plastered on every food, beverage, and piece of related equipment would have been enough to even drive him mad.
When Sango made another lap, she gave him a look of exasperation, then slightly jerked her head to the side. There had been another runner that was keeping pace with her. The more Naraku watched them on the next lap, the more her exasperation made sense. The man seemed to be trying to show off or show her up. He easily could have done his own regiment in a lane farther away. Naraku focused on weighing the man down and within seconds, Sango was gaining enough of a lead to enjoy the last few laps of her run alone. When she stopped, Naraku let go of the man and checked to see if his nose was bleeding. It actually wasn't this time. Was his practice paying off and making him stronger? It had taken months in the institution for him to lift small objects, so maybe he finally was making progress.
Sango waved as she approached Naraku. "Alright, I think that's enough for-"
"Hey, you're really fast!" the other man blurted as he jogged up to her. Naraku didn't move. He simply took another drink of his shake.
"Uh, thanks." Sango replied in such a careless manner that Naraku almost choked from laughter.
"I was just trying to see if maybe I could get-"
"My number? No. I'm taken."
"I mean, we can still be workout buddies, right? I see you around here a lot and-"
"I already have one." Sango interrupted as she marched up to Naraku. He stood up, hoping his stature would cause the man to back down.
"Alright, damn." The man held his hands up submissively as he walked away, grumbling about being nice.
"I hope he doesn't trip over his giant cock on the way out." Naraku remarked.
Sango snorted. "You know, I think I understand what Jade means now. You are kind of funny."
"I am glad I could be of service."
Naraku waited for Sango to join him at her car. She stayed behind to inquire about any classes to get Jade involved in. He finished his shake and found a trash can to toss the cup into. Sango came jogging up to him moments later with a wide smile on her face and several flyers in her hands.
"She has to like one of these!" she insisted, laying them on the hood of her car. "You should join us if she does!"
"What? Why?"
"Because she has this weird dynamic with you where she feels like she has to compete with you. If you agree, she's more likely to agree."
"I suppose you have a point."
"Also," Sango giggled as she slapped a flier down. "They do have pole-dancing."
"Perfect. She will jump right on that one, I'm certain."
"Nice pun."
"Thank you."
"Seriously though, do you think any of these have a chance?"
"They have a better chance than weight-lifting."
"True. Let's see what she says tonight."
Sango wasn't kidding, either. It was later that evening that Jade couldn't even make it to the hallway before Sango pounced like a cat and spilled the flyers out on the table. Right before Jade was about to either decline or deflect, Sango pointed at Naraku.
"He said he wants to if you do!" she blurted quickly.
'You lying little bitch.' Naraku remained silent and when Jade looked at him, he shrugged. She seemed to interpret that as he didn't mind if she did. There was no harm in Jade taking up a physical hobby. If she truly didn't want to, she would say no.
"I mean, if you guys insist, belly dancing it is." Jade stated semi-sarcastically. Naraku could feel the challenge oozing from her body like an aura, though.
"Great! I've always wanted to try it!" Sango replied. They both looked at Naraku.
"I've done it before." he answered.
"Wait, hol' up!" Jade held her hands up as if trying to physically stop any further statements. "You're shitting me."
"No. I have taken several different dancing classes throughout my life."
"Why?"
"What good are muscles if they aren't agile? Being strong is one thing, but if the slightest tip in weight topples or crumples you, what good is your strength then?"
Sango very clearly agreed with him before she even said, "Excellent points, Naraku."
Jade shrugged. "We got fucking Sun Tzu of the Art of Muscles over here spitting bars and you're openly agreeing with Naraku with no sarcasm attached, so I guess I can't argue. This is amazing."
"You just cannot hold back your racism, can you?" Naraku asked her slyly.
Sango pointed at him again. "She only does this with you, I've noticed. I think it's a you-problem."
"The wise warrior avoids the battle." Jade stated in a tone that said, "Try me." Her eyes were locked on him.
Naraku couldn't hold back his smile. He was simultaneously amused and irritated. The fact that she actually knew even a single quote of Sun Tzu just made her joke even more powerful. Her wit knew no bounds…and he was suddenly tired.
"The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent." Sango recited gracefully, planting her hands on her hips.
'Clever.'
"Yeaaaaaah, fine. I'm going to shower now. I feel like my very essence is pizza right now." Jade said as she walked away.
"Thank you for covering for me." Sango said in a low voice once Jade's door shut.
"You are welcome." he replied. Sango walked away to her room and Naraku was left alone. He rubbed his arms and let out a breath. He wasn't cold, so he wasn't sure why he had chills.
'Am I anxious? Why?' He looked around and within seconds, Kirara sprinted toward him and leapt into his lap. The cat had been obsessed with him as of late. He wasn't quite sure why as he usually ignored her. When he removed her, she disregarded him entirely and crawled back onto him and looked him in the eyes. She even mewed.
Naraku relented. "Fine."
