Miroku's Bedtime Stories
Chapter 16
Ladies Choice
(AN: I love all the reviews, and not one flame, really. I'm doing the dance of joy.)
It was the night of the new moon. Inuyasha awaited sunset with a slight feeling of unease. Certainly, things were different now than when he was small and weak, but being stripped of his youkai senses and strength for one night a month was still unsettling.
His only consolation was that Kagome seemed to enjoy seeing him temporarily become a ningen. Silly onna. He shook his head.
"I want you go come home with me," she said, coming up behind him and tugging on his haori like a child.
"Why?" he asked, digging in his feet as she tried to pull on him.
"You know why, it's the new moon," she said, "you'll be safer in my time."
He was being difficult, again. She gave him an equally stubborn look and put her hands on her hips. He looked down upon her from his superior height and folded his arms.
"I think you're beginning to like ordering me around too much," he said, pulling his brows down into a V and narrowing his golden eyes.
"I invited you, I didn't ORDER you to do anything!" she exclaimed, pointing her finger at him.
His ears flattened against his head slightly, a sure sign he was getting angry.
"I think you're getting too fond of coddling me, too!" he said with a growl in his voice now.
"Coddling you! Is that what you call it when I stay up all night taking care of you so you don't die!" she said, stomping her foot in frustration.
"I've lived through worse without your help or anyone's for that matter," he said arrogantly.
"Fine, go off and get killed for all I care, you big jerk!" she yelled at him.
"I'm going home."
"That's right, things get a little tough for poor Kagome and she goes running back home where it's nice and safe." He mocked her in a grating tone.
"I'd 'sit' you but you're still a little sick from that poison," she said, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. "I wouldn't want to hurt you while you're so WEAK!"
He growled. "I've never been weak, bitch. Even with an arm full of poison I brought down the Tengu!"
"Yeah, you don't need us at all, you arrogant asshole!" she spat at him.
"I'm leaving!" she announced, flinging her backpack over her shoulder.
"Good!" he shouted, jumping up into the God Tree and turning his back as she walked off towards the Bone-Eater's well.
She arrived at the entrance, her face stiff with the effort to control herself. She wouldn't give the hanyou the satisfaction of seeing her wail. Now sobbing, she flung herself over the side and the sparkling darkness surrounded her once again.
Arriving in her own time, she found herself on her hands and knees in the bottom of the shrine, and there were tears running down her face.
"Inuyasha!" she sobbed, hugging her knees and rocking her body back and forth for a few minutes. Hiccuping she looked up and saw Sota looking down at her with a worried look.
"Kagome-ane!" he said, helping her climb out of the well. "Where's Inu-o-niisan?" he asked looking down into the well again.
"He-he's not coming this time, Sota-chan," she said wearily. "I'm sorry."
"Is he sick?" asked Sota anxiously, looking up at her and taking her backpack.
"Well, he did get wounded a few days ago, but he's almost healed, now," said Kagome. "It's not you Sota, he's just not feeling right, still."
Sota hung his head and held back tears of disappointment. "I understand," he said, and ran into the house with her pack.
Kagome sat outside next to the God Tree and put her head in her hands. She hated Inuyasha at that moment for upsetting her and now her little brother.
"What did he ever do to you!" she thought, pounding her fists against her thighs.
"Kagome!" her mother's voice came from the front door. "Are you coming in?"
"In a minute, Ka-chan!" yelled Kagome, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
She called him every horrible name she could think of in more than one language as she tried to turn her sadness to anger. At least angry she wouldn't be crying like an idiot.
Finally, she sneaked into the kitchen, and upstairs to her room where she flung herself on the pink comforter and sobbed again until she fell into an fitful sleep.
Her mother came in and seeing Kagome had obviously cried herself to sleep, sighed and pulled off her socks, then drew a blanket over Kagome's bare legs.
"Poor child," she said, bending over and kissing her softly on the head. She left quietly, closing the door.
Outside in the God Tree, amber eyes gazed sadly upon the sleeping young woman through her window.
"I really screwed up this time," Inuyasha thought remorsefully, hanging his head, the long silver strands covering his face.
"She hates me, now," he thought, thinking of the names he'd heard her call him while sitting underneath the tree.
"But, who wouldn't? I treat her like shit!"
He saw the setting sun on the horizon and knew it wouldn't be long until the new moon rose. The perfect ending to this miserable day, he thought.
He waited quietly, holding his head in his hands and closed his eyes.
The strands of silver began to change to dark in his fingers, which were now claw-less, and he jerked up his head. He felt his senses become damped down, muffled from their usual highly sensitive state. He was human again.
Carefully, he jumped over from the tree and landed quietly outside of Kagome's window.
He tapped on the glass. "Kagome!" he said sharply, trying to wake her. She stirred under the blanket and he tapped louder. She sat up, looking a little dazed as she finally noticed where the sound was coming from.
"Inuyasha?" she said, peering at him through the glass. He nodded, motioning for her to open the window for him.
She flipped up the latch and opened the window so he could climb inside.
"So, you came after all," she said, not looking at him.
"Yes, I couldn't let you leave so angry at me," he said, also averting his gaze.
"I don't understand, why did you accuse me of those things? You know I've never felt that way about you," she said in a rush. "I don't like ordering you around and I was only too happy to help you when you were injured!"
"I was... scared."
She almost didn't hear him, his voice was so low.
"I've never seen you frightened of anything, Inuyasha!" she exclaimed.
"I can't be weak," he murmured, sitting on the floor and holding his head in his hands, shaking it back and forth. "If I'm weak, I'll die," he said, looking at the floor between his legs.
"And I called you weak," Kagome said, remembering. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I was just...upset... about what you said."
"I know," he said miserably.
She knelt down on the floor beside him and put her arms around him.
"I guess if I didn't care about you, I wouldn't get so angry," she said, kissing the top of his head. It seemed a little strange not to have his familiar fur covered ears there thrusting up through the silver locks.
"Come on," she said, suddenly standing up and offering him her hand. "As long as you're here and you look like everyone else, we're going to go out and have some fun!"
He looked up at her. "I don't know..." he said slowly.
"Please, Inuyasha!" she begged, pulling him up from the floor. "Remember that time we went to the movie? Would you like to do that again?" She smiled beguilingly at him, tears momentarily forgotten.
He nodded, smiling faintly, remembering. "Like a tapestry, only it moves."
"Yes," she said. "Just change into some regular clothes and we'll go out and walk and talk. You loved the park, maybe we'll go there afterwards."
"Kagome," he said, reaching out to take her hand. "I'm sorry," he gulped. "I had no right to say those things to you. You've never been anything but kind to me. I don't know what gets into me sometimes." "Inuyasha, I forgive you." She said it with a smile on her face.
"I know you only say those things because you're angry and you don't realize how it hurts me."
He shook his head. "That doesn't matter. I shouldn't be angry at you for how other people have treated me, or what's happened to me in the past. Its not fair."
"No, it isn't," she said seriously. She took his face between her hands and looked at his now dark eyes. "But I understand," she said, reaching up and kissing him lightly on the lips.
He pulled back. She'd never kissed him before while he was in his human body. It felt different, in some undefinite fashion, yet the same, as his skin tingled with excitement.
"You don't mind me... like this, do you," he asked, looking at her reaction to the kiss.
"Of course not," she smiled at him, puzzled. "Why would I mind you being a human?"
He shrugged. He's always associated his human form with self-loathing, so it came as a little surprise that Kagome's feelings hadn't changed.
"I do miss the ears a bit," she giggled, running her hand lightly over the top of his head.
"So do I," he admitted, smiling faintly back. "I feel like I can't hear anything like this."
"That's what its like for us, Inuyasha, all the time, but we manage somehow."
He looked at her thoughtfully for a second.
"Let's go downstairs and get something to eat, and then we'll go somewhere, what do you think?" she went to open the door to her room.
"I think that sounds good. I'm starving!" he said, following her downstairs.
"Some things never change, do they?" she grinned as they went to the kitchen.
They were alone. It was a rare moment and although he'd often hoped for it, Miroku felt slightly uneasy also. Self-control wasn't exactly his strong suit.
Sango was kneeling in front of the small fire left over in the brazier from the evening meal, mending something.
"Quit staring at me."
"Hm?" he queried, her voice breaking his reverie.
"I asked you to please quit staring at me." Sango shifted uncomfortably.
"You have a knack for making difficult requests of me," he said smiling at her.
"It's rude to stare, you know."
"I'm not staring, I'm admiring, there's a difference."
"Not to me, there isn't." She frowned slightly at him.
"I suppose I shall have to find other ways of showing my admiration, then."
He stood up, walked around and sat down next to her.
"Now, I won't have to stare." He gave her a large hentai grin.
"You're incorrigible," she whispered, her face flushing slightly.
"Ah, you know me so well." He bent over and kissed her cheek.
"Stop that," she said unconvincingly. He took her hand and lifting it to his lips, kissed the palm lightly. "Okay," he agreed, turning it over and kissing the back.
"Please," she whispered.
"I hope to please," he said looking up at her through his lashes.
He took her hand and placed it against his chest so she could feel the thudding of his heart.
"You please me," he said huskily, bending to kiss her neck.
She lifted her chin to allow him better access to the tender flesh.
She closed her eyes and made a small whimpering sound. The vibration against his lips made him moan in return.
"Sango, my Sango," he whispered as he gently pushed down the top of her yukata and skimmed his lips along her collarbones.
"Yes," she breathed into his ear. "I'm yours."
Their eyes met and held as he slowly lowered her to the floor.
Chapter 16
Ladies Choice
(AN: I love all the reviews, and not one flame, really. I'm doing the dance of joy.)
It was the night of the new moon. Inuyasha awaited sunset with a slight feeling of unease. Certainly, things were different now than when he was small and weak, but being stripped of his youkai senses and strength for one night a month was still unsettling.
His only consolation was that Kagome seemed to enjoy seeing him temporarily become a ningen. Silly onna. He shook his head.
"I want you go come home with me," she said, coming up behind him and tugging on his haori like a child.
"Why?" he asked, digging in his feet as she tried to pull on him.
"You know why, it's the new moon," she said, "you'll be safer in my time."
He was being difficult, again. She gave him an equally stubborn look and put her hands on her hips. He looked down upon her from his superior height and folded his arms.
"I think you're beginning to like ordering me around too much," he said, pulling his brows down into a V and narrowing his golden eyes.
"I invited you, I didn't ORDER you to do anything!" she exclaimed, pointing her finger at him.
His ears flattened against his head slightly, a sure sign he was getting angry.
"I think you're getting too fond of coddling me, too!" he said with a growl in his voice now.
"Coddling you! Is that what you call it when I stay up all night taking care of you so you don't die!" she said, stomping her foot in frustration.
"I've lived through worse without your help or anyone's for that matter," he said arrogantly.
"Fine, go off and get killed for all I care, you big jerk!" she yelled at him.
"I'm going home."
"That's right, things get a little tough for poor Kagome and she goes running back home where it's nice and safe." He mocked her in a grating tone.
"I'd 'sit' you but you're still a little sick from that poison," she said, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. "I wouldn't want to hurt you while you're so WEAK!"
He growled. "I've never been weak, bitch. Even with an arm full of poison I brought down the Tengu!"
"Yeah, you don't need us at all, you arrogant asshole!" she spat at him.
"I'm leaving!" she announced, flinging her backpack over her shoulder.
"Good!" he shouted, jumping up into the God Tree and turning his back as she walked off towards the Bone-Eater's well.
She arrived at the entrance, her face stiff with the effort to control herself. She wouldn't give the hanyou the satisfaction of seeing her wail. Now sobbing, she flung herself over the side and the sparkling darkness surrounded her once again.
Arriving in her own time, she found herself on her hands and knees in the bottom of the shrine, and there were tears running down her face.
"Inuyasha!" she sobbed, hugging her knees and rocking her body back and forth for a few minutes. Hiccuping she looked up and saw Sota looking down at her with a worried look.
"Kagome-ane!" he said, helping her climb out of the well. "Where's Inu-o-niisan?" he asked looking down into the well again.
"He-he's not coming this time, Sota-chan," she said wearily. "I'm sorry."
"Is he sick?" asked Sota anxiously, looking up at her and taking her backpack.
"Well, he did get wounded a few days ago, but he's almost healed, now," said Kagome. "It's not you Sota, he's just not feeling right, still."
Sota hung his head and held back tears of disappointment. "I understand," he said, and ran into the house with her pack.
Kagome sat outside next to the God Tree and put her head in her hands. She hated Inuyasha at that moment for upsetting her and now her little brother.
"What did he ever do to you!" she thought, pounding her fists against her thighs.
"Kagome!" her mother's voice came from the front door. "Are you coming in?"
"In a minute, Ka-chan!" yelled Kagome, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
She called him every horrible name she could think of in more than one language as she tried to turn her sadness to anger. At least angry she wouldn't be crying like an idiot.
Finally, she sneaked into the kitchen, and upstairs to her room where she flung herself on the pink comforter and sobbed again until she fell into an fitful sleep.
Her mother came in and seeing Kagome had obviously cried herself to sleep, sighed and pulled off her socks, then drew a blanket over Kagome's bare legs.
"Poor child," she said, bending over and kissing her softly on the head. She left quietly, closing the door.
Outside in the God Tree, amber eyes gazed sadly upon the sleeping young woman through her window.
"I really screwed up this time," Inuyasha thought remorsefully, hanging his head, the long silver strands covering his face.
"She hates me, now," he thought, thinking of the names he'd heard her call him while sitting underneath the tree.
"But, who wouldn't? I treat her like shit!"
He saw the setting sun on the horizon and knew it wouldn't be long until the new moon rose. The perfect ending to this miserable day, he thought.
He waited quietly, holding his head in his hands and closed his eyes.
The strands of silver began to change to dark in his fingers, which were now claw-less, and he jerked up his head. He felt his senses become damped down, muffled from their usual highly sensitive state. He was human again.
Carefully, he jumped over from the tree and landed quietly outside of Kagome's window.
He tapped on the glass. "Kagome!" he said sharply, trying to wake her. She stirred under the blanket and he tapped louder. She sat up, looking a little dazed as she finally noticed where the sound was coming from.
"Inuyasha?" she said, peering at him through the glass. He nodded, motioning for her to open the window for him.
She flipped up the latch and opened the window so he could climb inside.
"So, you came after all," she said, not looking at him.
"Yes, I couldn't let you leave so angry at me," he said, also averting his gaze.
"I don't understand, why did you accuse me of those things? You know I've never felt that way about you," she said in a rush. "I don't like ordering you around and I was only too happy to help you when you were injured!"
"I was... scared."
She almost didn't hear him, his voice was so low.
"I've never seen you frightened of anything, Inuyasha!" she exclaimed.
"I can't be weak," he murmured, sitting on the floor and holding his head in his hands, shaking it back and forth. "If I'm weak, I'll die," he said, looking at the floor between his legs.
"And I called you weak," Kagome said, remembering. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I was just...upset... about what you said."
"I know," he said miserably.
She knelt down on the floor beside him and put her arms around him.
"I guess if I didn't care about you, I wouldn't get so angry," she said, kissing the top of his head. It seemed a little strange not to have his familiar fur covered ears there thrusting up through the silver locks.
"Come on," she said, suddenly standing up and offering him her hand. "As long as you're here and you look like everyone else, we're going to go out and have some fun!"
He looked up at her. "I don't know..." he said slowly.
"Please, Inuyasha!" she begged, pulling him up from the floor. "Remember that time we went to the movie? Would you like to do that again?" She smiled beguilingly at him, tears momentarily forgotten.
He nodded, smiling faintly, remembering. "Like a tapestry, only it moves."
"Yes," she said. "Just change into some regular clothes and we'll go out and walk and talk. You loved the park, maybe we'll go there afterwards."
"Kagome," he said, reaching out to take her hand. "I'm sorry," he gulped. "I had no right to say those things to you. You've never been anything but kind to me. I don't know what gets into me sometimes." "Inuyasha, I forgive you." She said it with a smile on her face.
"I know you only say those things because you're angry and you don't realize how it hurts me."
He shook his head. "That doesn't matter. I shouldn't be angry at you for how other people have treated me, or what's happened to me in the past. Its not fair."
"No, it isn't," she said seriously. She took his face between her hands and looked at his now dark eyes. "But I understand," she said, reaching up and kissing him lightly on the lips.
He pulled back. She'd never kissed him before while he was in his human body. It felt different, in some undefinite fashion, yet the same, as his skin tingled with excitement.
"You don't mind me... like this, do you," he asked, looking at her reaction to the kiss.
"Of course not," she smiled at him, puzzled. "Why would I mind you being a human?"
He shrugged. He's always associated his human form with self-loathing, so it came as a little surprise that Kagome's feelings hadn't changed.
"I do miss the ears a bit," she giggled, running her hand lightly over the top of his head.
"So do I," he admitted, smiling faintly back. "I feel like I can't hear anything like this."
"That's what its like for us, Inuyasha, all the time, but we manage somehow."
He looked at her thoughtfully for a second.
"Let's go downstairs and get something to eat, and then we'll go somewhere, what do you think?" she went to open the door to her room.
"I think that sounds good. I'm starving!" he said, following her downstairs.
"Some things never change, do they?" she grinned as they went to the kitchen.
They were alone. It was a rare moment and although he'd often hoped for it, Miroku felt slightly uneasy also. Self-control wasn't exactly his strong suit.
Sango was kneeling in front of the small fire left over in the brazier from the evening meal, mending something.
"Quit staring at me."
"Hm?" he queried, her voice breaking his reverie.
"I asked you to please quit staring at me." Sango shifted uncomfortably.
"You have a knack for making difficult requests of me," he said smiling at her.
"It's rude to stare, you know."
"I'm not staring, I'm admiring, there's a difference."
"Not to me, there isn't." She frowned slightly at him.
"I suppose I shall have to find other ways of showing my admiration, then."
He stood up, walked around and sat down next to her.
"Now, I won't have to stare." He gave her a large hentai grin.
"You're incorrigible," she whispered, her face flushing slightly.
"Ah, you know me so well." He bent over and kissed her cheek.
"Stop that," she said unconvincingly. He took her hand and lifting it to his lips, kissed the palm lightly. "Okay," he agreed, turning it over and kissing the back.
"Please," she whispered.
"I hope to please," he said looking up at her through his lashes.
He took her hand and placed it against his chest so she could feel the thudding of his heart.
"You please me," he said huskily, bending to kiss her neck.
She lifted her chin to allow him better access to the tender flesh.
She closed her eyes and made a small whimpering sound. The vibration against his lips made him moan in return.
"Sango, my Sango," he whispered as he gently pushed down the top of her yukata and skimmed his lips along her collarbones.
"Yes," she breathed into his ear. "I'm yours."
Their eyes met and held as he slowly lowered her to the floor.