Dedicated to Kat. Smile, love, I was thinking of you as I wrote this. :3 I'm sure you'll see why. ^.~
Announcements: I've got a new one-shot fic that you can only find on my webpage (http://www.katachresis.net/fanfiction) under the name "Sunset Effect," as well as a mailing list for those of you who were interested, which can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/katachresis.
Thanks to Ophelia and Xin for the beta-services ^^ And thanks to all who read and review! You make me happy and sparkly!
--==--
"Shhhhh!" The girl, Rin, held her finger to her lips, suppressing a giggle. "Don't wake him up!"
Miroku stared up at her, feeling himself smile in spite of himself. The child had a contagious grin. He nodded, then looked down at Sesshomaru, and back up to her. She pursed her lips thoughtfully for a second, then smiled again, deviously.
Rin tiptoed down to the foot of the futon, and pulled the covers up slightly, exposing her guardian's feet. She caught her lip between her teeth, and reached down to lightly tickle his feet.
Miroku watched, incredulous, as the youkai muttered something in his sleep and kicked his feet slightly, rolling to his back. He sat up as Sesshomaru's arm slid off of him, and slid cautiously out of the futon. Rin giggled softly, and dashed silently to the door. Glancing at Sesshomaru, Miroku followed her.
The little girl caught him by the hand as he met her outside the door, pulling him through the palace expertly, giggling the whole while, and shushing him every time he tried to ask her where they were going.
Finally, she opened a door that lead outside, and sighed happily they walked out. It was a large garden, which Miroku found surprising. Did demons even keep gardens? Or palaces, for that matter? Who even took care of this place?
Rin lead them to the side of a small pond, overhung by graceful cherry trees, and flung herself down on the ground to stare up through the green leaves.
Miroku sunk to the ground next to her. It felt good to be outside. He looked up at the tree, wondering how it would look when it had blossoms on it. "So... can I ask you questions now?"
She looked at him and hummed under her breath, then nodded. "If you ask the right ones, yes!"
"Fair enough. Where's your keeper?"
She pointed at him triumphantly. "Right here!"
Miroku laughed at that, shaking his head. "No, silly. Your other one, the ugly one."
Rin winked conspiratorially. "Rin didn't wake him up either. He's no fun, he never lets Rin play." She pouted. "He's mean. And he smells funny too."
"Let me guess. Mud puddles?"
The girl just flushed slightly and nodded.
"I bet Sesshomaru wasn't too happy with that one either."
"It's not faaaair!" she wailed. "They never let Rin have any fun!"
He chuckled and reached over to tousle her hair. "Well, I wouldn't mind, but I think if I let you, I'd get into trouble too."
Rin frowned, thinking about it for a second. "Miroku-sama? What's a..." She paused, searching the word. "a... concubine?"
Miroku coughed, blushing. "I..."
"Because Sesshomaru-sama is kind of my new daddy, so does that make you my new mommy?" She looked up at him, the picture of innocence.
Feeling vaguely horrified he stammered out the only response that came to mind. "B..but... I'm a guy. I can't be a mommy."
Rin looked crestfallen, and Miroku winced. "Don't worry. I may not be your new mommy, but I can be... something else!"
She blinked at him through tear-blurred eyes. "What?"
"I... could... uh... be your uncle?" He gave her a weak smile.
She launched himself into his arms before he could even register that dazzling look of relief and joy that broke out on her face.
He wrapped his arms around her, smiling softly.
--==--
Sesshomaru stood next to one of the trees in the garden and watched Rin and Miroku, frowning.
Why was Jaken not there? He had given explicit orders to his servant to keep his eye on Rin at all times. If the priest hadn't been there, he would have already dragged her back into the keep with a lecture.
That, of course, was another sore point. How had the human managed to get out of the room - never mind out of the bed - without him noticing? And hadn't he made it perfectly clear that he was to stay in the room?
He wasn't used to having his authority ignored, and it angered him deeply. They were making everything so terribly difficult, questioning him at every turn when they should both be thanking him for saving their worthless lives. He growled, noticing that he had carved deep grooves into the tree's bark with his talons.
This couldn't continue. He wouldn't allow it.
--==--
"But -why- would Sesshomaru be involved with Miroku of all people?" Kagome frowned as she juggled Shippo, her schoolbag, and her bows and arrows, while trying to piece things together.
Inuyasha and the group had finally found the trail, though it was relatively cold. Inuyasha had immediately picked up his brother's scent, and after following it for a while, identified Miroku's also.
"Feh. Hell if I know, woman." Inuyasha rolled his eyes, sniffing at the air.
"Kagome has a point, Inuyasha. Don't you want to know what we're getting ourselves into?" Sango raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha.
"I don't care! It doesn't matter what my asshole of a brother wants, I can kick his ass no matter what!"
Kagome, Sango, and Shippo all rolled their eyes.
Inuyasha hadn't told them yet that Miroku's smell was different, that it had changed and that was why he had trouble locating it in the first place. He didn't know how to, and honestly, he was scared.
He could be slow, but he wasn't stupid, and he had more-or-less put all the clues together. Miroku -had- died in the rockslide up on the mountain. And then Sesshomaru must have found his body and brought him back to life with the Tensaiga. The only thing he didn't know was why his brother would have done something like that. It constantly nagged at him, and was his only doubt.
Perhaps he should tell them, if only to prepare them. He didn't want Sango to be confronted with another dead loved one out to kill her. Perhaps he should have sent them back to the village.
Yea right, like they would have listened to that anyway. Inuyasha kicked himself mentally.
He was worrying far too much. Sesshomaru didn't rely on brainwashed slaves to do his dirty work, he was fonder of doing it himself. It was the one and only thing he could say that was halfway decent about his half-brother. Sesshomaru usually fought with a modicum of honor.
God, he didn't know quite what to do. He shot a carefully controlled glance over towards Sango. She hid it well, but if you knew what you were looking for, she seemed so terribly fragile. The monk meant more to her than she would admit.
And Kagome was worried too, so worried that she hadn't 'sat' him in days, or yelled at him for keeping her from playing at that stupid crazy 'homework' she had to do, or one of those annoying 'tests' she had to take. Not that he missed the pain, mind you, but it was strange, having her so subdued.
Who was he kidding? He really wanted to hug her, to comfort her and tell her that it would be okay, that everything would be back to normal. He just wanted things to -be- back to normal.
He just sincerely hoped that that was still a possibility.
Announcements: I've got a new one-shot fic that you can only find on my webpage (http://www.katachresis.net/fanfiction) under the name "Sunset Effect," as well as a mailing list for those of you who were interested, which can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/katachresis.
Thanks to Ophelia and Xin for the beta-services ^^ And thanks to all who read and review! You make me happy and sparkly!
--==--
"Shhhhh!" The girl, Rin, held her finger to her lips, suppressing a giggle. "Don't wake him up!"
Miroku stared up at her, feeling himself smile in spite of himself. The child had a contagious grin. He nodded, then looked down at Sesshomaru, and back up to her. She pursed her lips thoughtfully for a second, then smiled again, deviously.
Rin tiptoed down to the foot of the futon, and pulled the covers up slightly, exposing her guardian's feet. She caught her lip between her teeth, and reached down to lightly tickle his feet.
Miroku watched, incredulous, as the youkai muttered something in his sleep and kicked his feet slightly, rolling to his back. He sat up as Sesshomaru's arm slid off of him, and slid cautiously out of the futon. Rin giggled softly, and dashed silently to the door. Glancing at Sesshomaru, Miroku followed her.
The little girl caught him by the hand as he met her outside the door, pulling him through the palace expertly, giggling the whole while, and shushing him every time he tried to ask her where they were going.
Finally, she opened a door that lead outside, and sighed happily they walked out. It was a large garden, which Miroku found surprising. Did demons even keep gardens? Or palaces, for that matter? Who even took care of this place?
Rin lead them to the side of a small pond, overhung by graceful cherry trees, and flung herself down on the ground to stare up through the green leaves.
Miroku sunk to the ground next to her. It felt good to be outside. He looked up at the tree, wondering how it would look when it had blossoms on it. "So... can I ask you questions now?"
She looked at him and hummed under her breath, then nodded. "If you ask the right ones, yes!"
"Fair enough. Where's your keeper?"
She pointed at him triumphantly. "Right here!"
Miroku laughed at that, shaking his head. "No, silly. Your other one, the ugly one."
Rin winked conspiratorially. "Rin didn't wake him up either. He's no fun, he never lets Rin play." She pouted. "He's mean. And he smells funny too."
"Let me guess. Mud puddles?"
The girl just flushed slightly and nodded.
"I bet Sesshomaru wasn't too happy with that one either."
"It's not faaaair!" she wailed. "They never let Rin have any fun!"
He chuckled and reached over to tousle her hair. "Well, I wouldn't mind, but I think if I let you, I'd get into trouble too."
Rin frowned, thinking about it for a second. "Miroku-sama? What's a..." She paused, searching the word. "a... concubine?"
Miroku coughed, blushing. "I..."
"Because Sesshomaru-sama is kind of my new daddy, so does that make you my new mommy?" She looked up at him, the picture of innocence.
Feeling vaguely horrified he stammered out the only response that came to mind. "B..but... I'm a guy. I can't be a mommy."
Rin looked crestfallen, and Miroku winced. "Don't worry. I may not be your new mommy, but I can be... something else!"
She blinked at him through tear-blurred eyes. "What?"
"I... could... uh... be your uncle?" He gave her a weak smile.
She launched himself into his arms before he could even register that dazzling look of relief and joy that broke out on her face.
He wrapped his arms around her, smiling softly.
--==--
Sesshomaru stood next to one of the trees in the garden and watched Rin and Miroku, frowning.
Why was Jaken not there? He had given explicit orders to his servant to keep his eye on Rin at all times. If the priest hadn't been there, he would have already dragged her back into the keep with a lecture.
That, of course, was another sore point. How had the human managed to get out of the room - never mind out of the bed - without him noticing? And hadn't he made it perfectly clear that he was to stay in the room?
He wasn't used to having his authority ignored, and it angered him deeply. They were making everything so terribly difficult, questioning him at every turn when they should both be thanking him for saving their worthless lives. He growled, noticing that he had carved deep grooves into the tree's bark with his talons.
This couldn't continue. He wouldn't allow it.
--==--
"But -why- would Sesshomaru be involved with Miroku of all people?" Kagome frowned as she juggled Shippo, her schoolbag, and her bows and arrows, while trying to piece things together.
Inuyasha and the group had finally found the trail, though it was relatively cold. Inuyasha had immediately picked up his brother's scent, and after following it for a while, identified Miroku's also.
"Feh. Hell if I know, woman." Inuyasha rolled his eyes, sniffing at the air.
"Kagome has a point, Inuyasha. Don't you want to know what we're getting ourselves into?" Sango raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha.
"I don't care! It doesn't matter what my asshole of a brother wants, I can kick his ass no matter what!"
Kagome, Sango, and Shippo all rolled their eyes.
Inuyasha hadn't told them yet that Miroku's smell was different, that it had changed and that was why he had trouble locating it in the first place. He didn't know how to, and honestly, he was scared.
He could be slow, but he wasn't stupid, and he had more-or-less put all the clues together. Miroku -had- died in the rockslide up on the mountain. And then Sesshomaru must have found his body and brought him back to life with the Tensaiga. The only thing he didn't know was why his brother would have done something like that. It constantly nagged at him, and was his only doubt.
Perhaps he should tell them, if only to prepare them. He didn't want Sango to be confronted with another dead loved one out to kill her. Perhaps he should have sent them back to the village.
Yea right, like they would have listened to that anyway. Inuyasha kicked himself mentally.
He was worrying far too much. Sesshomaru didn't rely on brainwashed slaves to do his dirty work, he was fonder of doing it himself. It was the one and only thing he could say that was halfway decent about his half-brother. Sesshomaru usually fought with a modicum of honor.
God, he didn't know quite what to do. He shot a carefully controlled glance over towards Sango. She hid it well, but if you knew what you were looking for, she seemed so terribly fragile. The monk meant more to her than she would admit.
And Kagome was worried too, so worried that she hadn't 'sat' him in days, or yelled at him for keeping her from playing at that stupid crazy 'homework' she had to do, or one of those annoying 'tests' she had to take. Not that he missed the pain, mind you, but it was strange, having her so subdued.
Who was he kidding? He really wanted to hug her, to comfort her and tell her that it would be okay, that everything would be back to normal. He just wanted things to -be- back to normal.
He just sincerely hoped that that was still a possibility.