Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi is the owner of Inuyasha and all of its characters.
A/N: Hurrah! I updated!!! Thank you to all those who pressured me to update...or else I would have never gotten past this chapter...hahahaha...thank you so much, reviewers! Happy reading!
PS: Hope you like the new format! I thought it would be easier to follow the conversations, this way. ^__^;;;
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rising With the Sweetness
Chapter 7: Sudden Approaches
Sango nearly ran into Miroku as she came up the stairs holding a bowl full of ice water, just as he was about to exit the bathroom with a towel.
"Oh, sorry. Gosh I hate these narrow spaces..."
Sango bustled past the ex-monk as he trotted after her.
"Ah well, it just makes things cozier, doesn't it?"
After Inuyasha had returned home with a limp Kagome in his arms, they'd managed to fix her up in time to have her eat a little bit of dinner. She'd been looking fine with her knee bound in a large bandage, and an ever-faithful hanyou obediently at her side to help her walk. But after beating the snot out of Miroku for offering to assist her with her bath, Kagome consequently collapsed in the tub, just as she'd entered the water before passing out and releasing a splashing calamity. Hearing this, Inuyasha was unfortunately the first to enter the scene (being worried as he was), and ended up a sad victim to Sango's harsh pounding to his misunderstood perverted nature. Within minutes, she had Kagome's body neatly wrapped in a large bath towel before she had the hanyou take her upstairs to her room.
Evidently, Kagome was running a fierce fever that made her sweaty all over again after her nice long bath. After dressing her up in a pair of PJs, Sango immediately began the healing process bustling around for needed materials and giving commands to the boys. And now here they were, running around the house to give their dear friend all the comfort they could possibly offer.
"Inuyasha, soak the towel in this water and wipe down her face, okay?"
Inuyasha nodded as he took the towel from Miroku and placed it in the bowl held in Sango's hands. He wrung it out tightly and tenderly dabbed the cold cloth against her brow and cheeks as her sour expression softened.
"Aw shoot, she's burning up big time..."
"Quick, Miroku, could you get the bottle in the pantry that's labeled 'Fever'? It's Kagome's medicine."
The night proceeded likewise for several more hours. Finally, although it was still outrageously high, Kagome's temperature was beginning to steady itself...
...at 12:30 AM.
Sango yawned and stretched, looking down at the electric thermometer with her eyes half-closed.
"100.5 degrees...this is going to take a while... But for now, she needs sleep."
She set the gadget down on the floor and rose to head for the door.
"You guys can head on down to bed now. I'll give her one last check-up after my bath."
Miroku hesitated before exiting the room himself, watching Inuyasha as he sat motionless on the floor, next to Kagome's futon.
"Aren't you going, Inuyasha?"
His white ears twitched a little, but returned to stillness as he spoke.
"I'll keep watch."
"Inuyasha, you will find no demons here. I assure you."
"Stupid monk. Of course I know that."
"Well, then...?"
Inuyasha stubbornly sighed and stretched out on his side, parallel to the bed.
"In case she needs anything, at least I'll be here."
Miroku nodded his head for the hanyou's admirable sense of protection before retreating back to his room.
"Suit yourself. Good night, Inuyasha."
"'Night Miroku."
Once the priest had gone, Inuyasha stood and switched off the light, then laid back down next to Kagome's sleeping figure on the floor. With a free hand, he pulled the covers up to her shoulders to provide more warmth. Then tenderly, he took her milky white hand in his, carefully avoiding his claws to scratch the smooth flesh, and closed his eyes.
They both slept placidly until dawn broke out across the black backdrop of night.
"'Night Kagome."
*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*
"Inuyasha. Inuyasha."
He felt a gentle hand shaking his shoulder as he slept, curled up on the floor without a blanket.
"Mm...Sango, I'll catch up with you later...go on without me..."
"Inuyasha, Sango-chan isn't here."
He recognized the voice more clearly as his eyes opened wider. He lying down on his side, with his legs tucked into him to keep warm. Abruptly, he looked over his shoulder to see Kagome hovering over him as she had slowly slipped out from beneath her covers on the futon.
"Huh? Ka-gome~? Are...you feeling better~?"
His talk was slurred from his drowsiness. She smiled slightly and nodded, still looking weary and weighed down with fatigue.
"A little bit. Were you sleeping here the whole night?"
He lazily sat up, rubbing his eyes and scratching himself behind the ears sleepily.
"I think so...all I remember was being cold the entire time..."
Laughing, Kagome pulled the covers up around her as she sat up, not wanting to feel the cold air beyond her bed.
"Inuyasha, Miroku-sama and Sango-chan left to go work at the café about an hour ago."
Sighing, he stood up and began to walk out the door.
"Well, that means I'm your temporary parent for today."
She looked up at him, surprised.
"Why? Aren't you going to work too?"
He huffed and headed towards the bathroom.
"Yea, and leave you here with a fever? Don't be stupid."
Kagome blushed crimson as she heard the bathroom door close, and she silently rejoiced to herself for the chance of having some quality 'private' time with her good friend, hanyou, though she would never admit it to anyone else.
*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*
Miroku finally finished the last of the finishing for their newly made furniture. The tables were now rich with a dark coating, almost to the point of black. He could easily see Kagome's preference of cherry wood.
"Hey, look who's finished!"
Sango walked over with her hands on her hips, examining the tables. He grinned as he tapped his brush against the top of the can.
"Do you like them?"
"I think they're quite lovely."
Sango sighed as she looked around the room, searching for finishing touches to be added. The walls were painted, the floors were inserted, the furniture was painted...now what was left was a large canvas to be mounted onto the large space on the wall, for visitors to doodle on it all they liked. She eyed the canvas on the floor, openly exposing itself, begging to be put up. Pulling on her gloves, she knelt down and measured its dimensions.
She suddenly paused, in the end seating herself on the ground with her body hunched over the canvas.
"Miroku~"
He looked up from stroking one of the completed tables.
"Yes, Sango?"
"I'm thirsty. Can you get something to drink from the vending machine outside?"
She tossed him her coin purse, and he caught it with ease. He smiled as he walked out the door.
"With pleasure."
*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*
Inuyasha returned minutes later, clothed in a comfortable pair of baggy jeans and a bright red t-shirt. It was close to noon, and in his hands he carried a tray of steaming rice porridge and bowl of miso-soup.
He found Kagome flipping through a new issue of a fashion magazine, raising her eyebrows once in a while to something that caught her interest. She looked up at him, and gave him a surprised look at the sight of his tray.
"Hungry?"
He came to her bedside and she savored the soup's scent.
"Did you make me lunch?"
"Who else? Our invisible robot?"
She smiled slightly at the comment, and took up the chopsticks.
"It looks fine. Thanks a bunch."
She shakily reached out for the bowl, but before her fingers could brush against its wooden rim, her chopsticks went clattering to the floor. Her drowsiness still hadn't gone away.
Inuyasha sighed, and glanced at her sympathetically before picking up the chopsticks and placing it back on the tray. Instead, he took the spoon beside it and lifted the bowl with his other hand. Scooping some of it, he brought it close to Kagome's mouth.
She stared at him for a moment, somewhat dumbfounded at his actions. Her one and only was offering to feed her.
She opened her mouth to protest, embarrassed, but he slipped the spoon cleverly into her lips before she uttered any sound, and she drank. He removed it and scooped again.
"Go on, eat."
"Inuyasha...this is so embarrassing..."
"It's better than making yourself look like a fool, trying to eat with shaky hands. Let me feed you."
Her blush from the fever thickened as she opened her mouth again, and she continued to eat in silence.
In a way, it felt so warm and fuzzy inside.
"Can I try?"
Kagome asked after a while, savoring the soup's light flavor.
"Try what?"
Inuyasha paused from scooping another sip.
"Feeding you?"
He dropped the spoon and gaped at her like she'd gone into hysterics.
"You NUTS?!"
"I'm not! I...just want to try..."
"No. Just eat."
"Please? Just one-"
"No."
"But...but..."
"Just shut up and eat, Kagome."
She sighed, looking disappointed, and he felt his heart sink at the same time her lips curved slightly downwards.
"Man...Kagome, it's just a freaking-"
"Please?"
He looked at her skeptically, and then slowly reached out the spoon to her. She energetically went for it with her hand, and then...she saw the spoon wasn't there anymore. It was behind Inuyasha's back.
"At second thought..."
She frowned, this time, and them leapt out of bed with a pounce and jumped the hanyou straight on. He yelped, and wrestled her until she was awkwardly seated on his lap. He continued to fondle the spoon in his other hand.
"I can't trust you with this thing..."
There was one problem. He hadn't really paid attention to the bowl itself that contained the soup.
Before he knew it, its rim was being shoved into his mouth, and hot soup went plunging down his throat like Niagara Falls. She grinned at him happily as he began to panic.
"I didn't say I had to feed you with the spoon, did I?"
*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*
Miroku heard the pounding of a hammer as he returned with drinks in both hands. Sango was mounting the canvas onto the wall, and seemed to be struggling with a nail.
"Sango, is this what you wanted?"
She turned abruptly, and her sweating face looked relieved at the sight of a cold can of juice.
"Ooh, yess~!!!"
She was about to leave the nail to retrieve her drink, but realized that if she let go, the canvas would go crashing down. She'd even placed the canvas in the exact spot she wanted it, and it had taken her a while, so she didn't want to set it down and re-adjust everything either. She sighed miserably and looked at Miroku with pleading eyes.
"Can you open the can for me and let me drink?"
He casually did, and she gratefully drank from his hand that held the can. Breathing with refreshment, she turned back to the wall.
"Stupid nail...another favor Miroku-sama, can you hold it still while I hammer it in?"
He steadied the nail with two fingers as she began to hit its head. But one slip, and he felt the hammer head hit his fingertips.
"Augh!"
"Oh no! Miroku, are you alright?!"
She took the hand that he cradled tenderly and examined it. With sudden swiftness, she brought her lips to his fingers and kissed each tip in comfort.
He just stared. Astounded.
She looked up at him shyly and patted his wounded hand.
"I'm really sorry...you can hit me back if you want...?"
He held in the laughter that began to creep up his throat. Out of nowhere, an idea came to mind.
She looked down at his fingers a second time and cringed.
"Oh man...you might have bruises building...I wonder if there's any way I can..."
She looked up, and her heart skipped a single beat as she saw him approach another step closer. He was dangerously near.
"Mirok-"
Her lips were suddenly silenced.
*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*
TO BE CONTINUED...
Sorry, I know you're probably feeling murderous right now! (^__^;;) Forgiveness! Mercy!! But hope you enjoyed it anyway!!
A/N: Hurrah! I updated!!! Thank you to all those who pressured me to update...or else I would have never gotten past this chapter...hahahaha...thank you so much, reviewers! Happy reading!
PS: Hope you like the new format! I thought it would be easier to follow the conversations, this way. ^__^;;;
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rising With the Sweetness
Chapter 7: Sudden Approaches
Sango nearly ran into Miroku as she came up the stairs holding a bowl full of ice water, just as he was about to exit the bathroom with a towel.
"Oh, sorry. Gosh I hate these narrow spaces..."
Sango bustled past the ex-monk as he trotted after her.
"Ah well, it just makes things cozier, doesn't it?"
After Inuyasha had returned home with a limp Kagome in his arms, they'd managed to fix her up in time to have her eat a little bit of dinner. She'd been looking fine with her knee bound in a large bandage, and an ever-faithful hanyou obediently at her side to help her walk. But after beating the snot out of Miroku for offering to assist her with her bath, Kagome consequently collapsed in the tub, just as she'd entered the water before passing out and releasing a splashing calamity. Hearing this, Inuyasha was unfortunately the first to enter the scene (being worried as he was), and ended up a sad victim to Sango's harsh pounding to his misunderstood perverted nature. Within minutes, she had Kagome's body neatly wrapped in a large bath towel before she had the hanyou take her upstairs to her room.
Evidently, Kagome was running a fierce fever that made her sweaty all over again after her nice long bath. After dressing her up in a pair of PJs, Sango immediately began the healing process bustling around for needed materials and giving commands to the boys. And now here they were, running around the house to give their dear friend all the comfort they could possibly offer.
"Inuyasha, soak the towel in this water and wipe down her face, okay?"
Inuyasha nodded as he took the towel from Miroku and placed it in the bowl held in Sango's hands. He wrung it out tightly and tenderly dabbed the cold cloth against her brow and cheeks as her sour expression softened.
"Aw shoot, she's burning up big time..."
"Quick, Miroku, could you get the bottle in the pantry that's labeled 'Fever'? It's Kagome's medicine."
The night proceeded likewise for several more hours. Finally, although it was still outrageously high, Kagome's temperature was beginning to steady itself...
...at 12:30 AM.
Sango yawned and stretched, looking down at the electric thermometer with her eyes half-closed.
"100.5 degrees...this is going to take a while... But for now, she needs sleep."
She set the gadget down on the floor and rose to head for the door.
"You guys can head on down to bed now. I'll give her one last check-up after my bath."
Miroku hesitated before exiting the room himself, watching Inuyasha as he sat motionless on the floor, next to Kagome's futon.
"Aren't you going, Inuyasha?"
His white ears twitched a little, but returned to stillness as he spoke.
"I'll keep watch."
"Inuyasha, you will find no demons here. I assure you."
"Stupid monk. Of course I know that."
"Well, then...?"
Inuyasha stubbornly sighed and stretched out on his side, parallel to the bed.
"In case she needs anything, at least I'll be here."
Miroku nodded his head for the hanyou's admirable sense of protection before retreating back to his room.
"Suit yourself. Good night, Inuyasha."
"'Night Miroku."
Once the priest had gone, Inuyasha stood and switched off the light, then laid back down next to Kagome's sleeping figure on the floor. With a free hand, he pulled the covers up to her shoulders to provide more warmth. Then tenderly, he took her milky white hand in his, carefully avoiding his claws to scratch the smooth flesh, and closed his eyes.
They both slept placidly until dawn broke out across the black backdrop of night.
"'Night Kagome."
*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*
"Inuyasha. Inuyasha."
He felt a gentle hand shaking his shoulder as he slept, curled up on the floor without a blanket.
"Mm...Sango, I'll catch up with you later...go on without me..."
"Inuyasha, Sango-chan isn't here."
He recognized the voice more clearly as his eyes opened wider. He lying down on his side, with his legs tucked into him to keep warm. Abruptly, he looked over his shoulder to see Kagome hovering over him as she had slowly slipped out from beneath her covers on the futon.
"Huh? Ka-gome~? Are...you feeling better~?"
His talk was slurred from his drowsiness. She smiled slightly and nodded, still looking weary and weighed down with fatigue.
"A little bit. Were you sleeping here the whole night?"
He lazily sat up, rubbing his eyes and scratching himself behind the ears sleepily.
"I think so...all I remember was being cold the entire time..."
Laughing, Kagome pulled the covers up around her as she sat up, not wanting to feel the cold air beyond her bed.
"Inuyasha, Miroku-sama and Sango-chan left to go work at the café about an hour ago."
Sighing, he stood up and began to walk out the door.
"Well, that means I'm your temporary parent for today."
She looked up at him, surprised.
"Why? Aren't you going to work too?"
He huffed and headed towards the bathroom.
"Yea, and leave you here with a fever? Don't be stupid."
Kagome blushed crimson as she heard the bathroom door close, and she silently rejoiced to herself for the chance of having some quality 'private' time with her good friend, hanyou, though she would never admit it to anyone else.
*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*
Miroku finally finished the last of the finishing for their newly made furniture. The tables were now rich with a dark coating, almost to the point of black. He could easily see Kagome's preference of cherry wood.
"Hey, look who's finished!"
Sango walked over with her hands on her hips, examining the tables. He grinned as he tapped his brush against the top of the can.
"Do you like them?"
"I think they're quite lovely."
Sango sighed as she looked around the room, searching for finishing touches to be added. The walls were painted, the floors were inserted, the furniture was painted...now what was left was a large canvas to be mounted onto the large space on the wall, for visitors to doodle on it all they liked. She eyed the canvas on the floor, openly exposing itself, begging to be put up. Pulling on her gloves, she knelt down and measured its dimensions.
She suddenly paused, in the end seating herself on the ground with her body hunched over the canvas.
"Miroku~"
He looked up from stroking one of the completed tables.
"Yes, Sango?"
"I'm thirsty. Can you get something to drink from the vending machine outside?"
She tossed him her coin purse, and he caught it with ease. He smiled as he walked out the door.
"With pleasure."
*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*
Inuyasha returned minutes later, clothed in a comfortable pair of baggy jeans and a bright red t-shirt. It was close to noon, and in his hands he carried a tray of steaming rice porridge and bowl of miso-soup.
He found Kagome flipping through a new issue of a fashion magazine, raising her eyebrows once in a while to something that caught her interest. She looked up at him, and gave him a surprised look at the sight of his tray.
"Hungry?"
He came to her bedside and she savored the soup's scent.
"Did you make me lunch?"
"Who else? Our invisible robot?"
She smiled slightly at the comment, and took up the chopsticks.
"It looks fine. Thanks a bunch."
She shakily reached out for the bowl, but before her fingers could brush against its wooden rim, her chopsticks went clattering to the floor. Her drowsiness still hadn't gone away.
Inuyasha sighed, and glanced at her sympathetically before picking up the chopsticks and placing it back on the tray. Instead, he took the spoon beside it and lifted the bowl with his other hand. Scooping some of it, he brought it close to Kagome's mouth.
She stared at him for a moment, somewhat dumbfounded at his actions. Her one and only was offering to feed her.
She opened her mouth to protest, embarrassed, but he slipped the spoon cleverly into her lips before she uttered any sound, and she drank. He removed it and scooped again.
"Go on, eat."
"Inuyasha...this is so embarrassing..."
"It's better than making yourself look like a fool, trying to eat with shaky hands. Let me feed you."
Her blush from the fever thickened as she opened her mouth again, and she continued to eat in silence.
In a way, it felt so warm and fuzzy inside.
"Can I try?"
Kagome asked after a while, savoring the soup's light flavor.
"Try what?"
Inuyasha paused from scooping another sip.
"Feeding you?"
He dropped the spoon and gaped at her like she'd gone into hysterics.
"You NUTS?!"
"I'm not! I...just want to try..."
"No. Just eat."
"Please? Just one-"
"No."
"But...but..."
"Just shut up and eat, Kagome."
She sighed, looking disappointed, and he felt his heart sink at the same time her lips curved slightly downwards.
"Man...Kagome, it's just a freaking-"
"Please?"
He looked at her skeptically, and then slowly reached out the spoon to her. She energetically went for it with her hand, and then...she saw the spoon wasn't there anymore. It was behind Inuyasha's back.
"At second thought..."
She frowned, this time, and them leapt out of bed with a pounce and jumped the hanyou straight on. He yelped, and wrestled her until she was awkwardly seated on his lap. He continued to fondle the spoon in his other hand.
"I can't trust you with this thing..."
There was one problem. He hadn't really paid attention to the bowl itself that contained the soup.
Before he knew it, its rim was being shoved into his mouth, and hot soup went plunging down his throat like Niagara Falls. She grinned at him happily as he began to panic.
"I didn't say I had to feed you with the spoon, did I?"
*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*
Miroku heard the pounding of a hammer as he returned with drinks in both hands. Sango was mounting the canvas onto the wall, and seemed to be struggling with a nail.
"Sango, is this what you wanted?"
She turned abruptly, and her sweating face looked relieved at the sight of a cold can of juice.
"Ooh, yess~!!!"
She was about to leave the nail to retrieve her drink, but realized that if she let go, the canvas would go crashing down. She'd even placed the canvas in the exact spot she wanted it, and it had taken her a while, so she didn't want to set it down and re-adjust everything either. She sighed miserably and looked at Miroku with pleading eyes.
"Can you open the can for me and let me drink?"
He casually did, and she gratefully drank from his hand that held the can. Breathing with refreshment, she turned back to the wall.
"Stupid nail...another favor Miroku-sama, can you hold it still while I hammer it in?"
He steadied the nail with two fingers as she began to hit its head. But one slip, and he felt the hammer head hit his fingertips.
"Augh!"
"Oh no! Miroku, are you alright?!"
She took the hand that he cradled tenderly and examined it. With sudden swiftness, she brought her lips to his fingers and kissed each tip in comfort.
He just stared. Astounded.
She looked up at him shyly and patted his wounded hand.
"I'm really sorry...you can hit me back if you want...?"
He held in the laughter that began to creep up his throat. Out of nowhere, an idea came to mind.
She looked down at his fingers a second time and cringed.
"Oh man...you might have bruises building...I wonder if there's any way I can..."
She looked up, and her heart skipped a single beat as she saw him approach another step closer. He was dangerously near.
"Mirok-"
Her lips were suddenly silenced.
*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*-.,.-*
TO BE CONTINUED...
Sorry, I know you're probably feeling murderous right now! (^__^;;) Forgiveness! Mercy!! But hope you enjoyed it anyway!!
