A/N: Ahh! :X I'm so sorry that this took so long! *hides
from wrath of the readers* Now, everybody go and thank Ice
Puppet for both being the fiftieth reviewer of this fic and
reminding that baka Sunfreak to get off her lazy ass and work in
it again. ^_^;;
Miroku's POV.
"An Odd Sort Of Beauty"
"I had no time to hate, because
The grave would hinder me,
And life was not so ample I
Could finish enmity.
Nor had I time to love; but since
Some industry must be,
The little toil of love, I thought,
Was large enough for me."
~ Emily Dickinson
Shou is a strange kind of man; beautiful in an odd way, though this is the first time I've ever really thought of a man as "beautiful." I feel rather responsible for him, I suppose. In a way I guess I am, since I saved him.
I would like to make sure he remains safe.
Inu-Yasha doesn't seem to care much for him though- he keeps giving him the strangest looks, as if he can't quite put a finger on something about him. I can't either, to be honest; there's something oddly familiar in Shou, and at the same time my mind screams "something's wrong!" my very soul whispers "he needs you."
I'll give anyone who wishes one guess as to which I listened to. After all, I live under a death curse; there is no time to refuse my heart's desires, however unusual they may be. So I will protect him for as long as I can.
On my back, he stirs slightly- he has already slept away all the afternoon, but I am careful not to wake him all the same. He needs rest. Besides, this state of repose makes him beautiful- in an odd way, that is.
Am I repeating myself?
"Mi . . . roku?" he murmurs sleepily, eyes blearily opening. And oh, what eyes they are . . .
"Yes, Shou-sama?" I inquire, smiling back at him.
He frowns and rubs at his eyes with the heel of his palm. "Where are we?" he mumbles.
"I'm afraid I've no idea," I reply cheerfully. "We're looking for our last two companions- they've been gone a while now, you see. As in, long enough to assume that they've run into a fix of some kind or another."
"Oh," he says, and licks his lips slightly. He has a fascinating mouth. "Um, do you think . . . is there any water around here?"
"No idea," I repeat with a guilty chuckle. "Inu-Yasha?" I call ahead.
"That way." Inu-Yasha points but does not turn to face us. "Weak humans- always needing to stop every five minutes," he adds in a low mutter.
I smile good-naturedly, more than used to his rough manners, and then blink in surprise as I feel Shou bristling in anger on my back. I glance back to him, and he is glaring at Inu-Yasha and digging his nails into my shoulders.
"Ow?" I suggest calmly and he looks back to me, seeming just to realize what he is doing.
"Didn't mean to," he murmurs, and loosens his grip. It's no apology, but it's something.
"You puzzle me," I tell him thoughtfully, and he gives me a bemused look. His cheeks are red. "Are you cold?" I ask.
" . . . maybe," he 'admits,' tone grudging.
"Inu-Yasha . . . " Kagome gives him a meaningful look, briefly tugging at his sleeve.
Inu-Yasha snorts, disgusted. "Why am I always the one loaning my clothes out to strangers?" he demands, though already resigned and shucking off his outer shirt. He throws it back at us and it hits Shou in the face. "Can you stand up long enough to put that on, or does the bozou need to dress you?" he asks sourly.
Shou's eyes narrow and he shoves away from me, nearly toppling over in the process. I barely catch him in time, and as soon as I have, he pushes away again and falls anyway.
"You don't have to take everything he says so personally," I say in exasperation, leaning over to grab the dropped shirt.
"Yeah, Inu-Yasha's just a jerk by nature," Shippou adds, crossing his arms and glaring at said hanyou.
Inu-Yasha bops him upside the head reflexively. "Shut up, you little bastard!" he snarls.
Shou draws himself to his full height and looks down his nose at Inu-Yasha. I'm surprised to see that this lordling is actually taller than him. "Watch your tongue, boy," he says sternly. "Did your mother raise you to be a brute?"
Dangerous territory. Very, VERY dangerous territory. Inu-Yasha looks ready to take Shou's head off.
"Come on, let's get you that drink," I say quickly, giving Shou a cheerful smile and leading him away from the fuming hanyou. "And put on that shirt, would you? Your skin is practically crimson with the cold."
"I need nothing from that arrogant little child!" Shou snaps, and tries to shove the offending article away when I offer it to him.
"You'll get sick," I scold as we approach the water- a lake, rather well sized. I think I'll take a bath later. I've a few wounds to clean, and I think I may have reopened the few I did have patched up from carrying Shou for so long. I'm sure we both reek of both youkai and our own blood.
Shou takes the shirt, but doesn't put it on. He just kneels carefully by the water and leans down to lap it up, doglike, clutching the shirt to his chest. Stubborn bastard.
I sigh dramatically and plop down next to him. "Just wear it, Shou-sama," I advise. "Even if you're angry with him, you need better clothes- yours are absolutely mauled."
"I need nothing," Shou says in a low voice, but he shivers as a cold breeze comes in off the lake. So I do the first thing that comes to mind.
I pull him into my lap even though he's a bit taller than I am and wrap my arms around him for warmth, burying my face in his neck. He gasps in shock and stiffens for a moment . . . and then he absolutely melts against me, shivering again.
"So damn COLD . . . " he hisses helplessly, frustration evident in his tone. "I've never been this cold in my life. I- I just can't believe how weak this body is!"
"But just because the body is weak doesn't mean the soul is," I murmur, pulling Inu-Yasha's shirt up around him. "You don't have to hide it when it hurts. We wouldn't think less of you."
"You don't understand," Shou says tightly. "I can't show weakness. Not ever."
I sigh again and release him. "If you say so," I reply, getting to my feet.
"Y-You're leaving me?!" Shou cries, jumping up and nearly stumbling.
"Eh?" I blink at him. "No, of course not. What gave you that idea?"
"N-nothing," he says quickly. "Just- nothing."
"I'm just going to get cleaned up," I explain, reaching to untie my robes. "You should too."
"R . . . right," he says slowly, and shucks the remains of his own in one fluid motion. I raise an eyebrow. That could prove to be a rather useful talent in certain circles.
He really is beautiful, in an odd sort of way.
* tbc . . . *
. : 'tis the season to review : .
Miroku's POV.
"An Odd Sort Of Beauty"
"I had no time to hate, because
The grave would hinder me,
And life was not so ample I
Could finish enmity.
Nor had I time to love; but since
Some industry must be,
The little toil of love, I thought,
Was large enough for me."
~ Emily Dickinson
Shou is a strange kind of man; beautiful in an odd way, though this is the first time I've ever really thought of a man as "beautiful." I feel rather responsible for him, I suppose. In a way I guess I am, since I saved him.
I would like to make sure he remains safe.
Inu-Yasha doesn't seem to care much for him though- he keeps giving him the strangest looks, as if he can't quite put a finger on something about him. I can't either, to be honest; there's something oddly familiar in Shou, and at the same time my mind screams "something's wrong!" my very soul whispers "he needs you."
I'll give anyone who wishes one guess as to which I listened to. After all, I live under a death curse; there is no time to refuse my heart's desires, however unusual they may be. So I will protect him for as long as I can.
On my back, he stirs slightly- he has already slept away all the afternoon, but I am careful not to wake him all the same. He needs rest. Besides, this state of repose makes him beautiful- in an odd way, that is.
Am I repeating myself?
"Mi . . . roku?" he murmurs sleepily, eyes blearily opening. And oh, what eyes they are . . .
"Yes, Shou-sama?" I inquire, smiling back at him.
He frowns and rubs at his eyes with the heel of his palm. "Where are we?" he mumbles.
"I'm afraid I've no idea," I reply cheerfully. "We're looking for our last two companions- they've been gone a while now, you see. As in, long enough to assume that they've run into a fix of some kind or another."
"Oh," he says, and licks his lips slightly. He has a fascinating mouth. "Um, do you think . . . is there any water around here?"
"No idea," I repeat with a guilty chuckle. "Inu-Yasha?" I call ahead.
"That way." Inu-Yasha points but does not turn to face us. "Weak humans- always needing to stop every five minutes," he adds in a low mutter.
I smile good-naturedly, more than used to his rough manners, and then blink in surprise as I feel Shou bristling in anger on my back. I glance back to him, and he is glaring at Inu-Yasha and digging his nails into my shoulders.
"Ow?" I suggest calmly and he looks back to me, seeming just to realize what he is doing.
"Didn't mean to," he murmurs, and loosens his grip. It's no apology, but it's something.
"You puzzle me," I tell him thoughtfully, and he gives me a bemused look. His cheeks are red. "Are you cold?" I ask.
" . . . maybe," he 'admits,' tone grudging.
"Inu-Yasha . . . " Kagome gives him a meaningful look, briefly tugging at his sleeve.
Inu-Yasha snorts, disgusted. "Why am I always the one loaning my clothes out to strangers?" he demands, though already resigned and shucking off his outer shirt. He throws it back at us and it hits Shou in the face. "Can you stand up long enough to put that on, or does the bozou need to dress you?" he asks sourly.
Shou's eyes narrow and he shoves away from me, nearly toppling over in the process. I barely catch him in time, and as soon as I have, he pushes away again and falls anyway.
"You don't have to take everything he says so personally," I say in exasperation, leaning over to grab the dropped shirt.
"Yeah, Inu-Yasha's just a jerk by nature," Shippou adds, crossing his arms and glaring at said hanyou.
Inu-Yasha bops him upside the head reflexively. "Shut up, you little bastard!" he snarls.
Shou draws himself to his full height and looks down his nose at Inu-Yasha. I'm surprised to see that this lordling is actually taller than him. "Watch your tongue, boy," he says sternly. "Did your mother raise you to be a brute?"
Dangerous territory. Very, VERY dangerous territory. Inu-Yasha looks ready to take Shou's head off.
"Come on, let's get you that drink," I say quickly, giving Shou a cheerful smile and leading him away from the fuming hanyou. "And put on that shirt, would you? Your skin is practically crimson with the cold."
"I need nothing from that arrogant little child!" Shou snaps, and tries to shove the offending article away when I offer it to him.
"You'll get sick," I scold as we approach the water- a lake, rather well sized. I think I'll take a bath later. I've a few wounds to clean, and I think I may have reopened the few I did have patched up from carrying Shou for so long. I'm sure we both reek of both youkai and our own blood.
Shou takes the shirt, but doesn't put it on. He just kneels carefully by the water and leans down to lap it up, doglike, clutching the shirt to his chest. Stubborn bastard.
I sigh dramatically and plop down next to him. "Just wear it, Shou-sama," I advise. "Even if you're angry with him, you need better clothes- yours are absolutely mauled."
"I need nothing," Shou says in a low voice, but he shivers as a cold breeze comes in off the lake. So I do the first thing that comes to mind.
I pull him into my lap even though he's a bit taller than I am and wrap my arms around him for warmth, burying my face in his neck. He gasps in shock and stiffens for a moment . . . and then he absolutely melts against me, shivering again.
"So damn COLD . . . " he hisses helplessly, frustration evident in his tone. "I've never been this cold in my life. I- I just can't believe how weak this body is!"
"But just because the body is weak doesn't mean the soul is," I murmur, pulling Inu-Yasha's shirt up around him. "You don't have to hide it when it hurts. We wouldn't think less of you."
"You don't understand," Shou says tightly. "I can't show weakness. Not ever."
I sigh again and release him. "If you say so," I reply, getting to my feet.
"Y-You're leaving me?!" Shou cries, jumping up and nearly stumbling.
"Eh?" I blink at him. "No, of course not. What gave you that idea?"
"N-nothing," he says quickly. "Just- nothing."
"I'm just going to get cleaned up," I explain, reaching to untie my robes. "You should too."
"R . . . right," he says slowly, and shucks the remains of his own in one fluid motion. I raise an eyebrow. That could prove to be a rather useful talent in certain circles.
He really is beautiful, in an odd sort of way.
* tbc . . . *
. : 'tis the season to review : .
