CHAPTER NINE
*
"Are you even supposed to drink that stuff?" Inuyasha asked.
Miroku carefully set down his sake cup and crossed his arms. "Far be it from me to deny myself simple sustenance. I am merely a humble monk."
"That ain't SUSTENANCE, it's booze."
He glanced over at the other side of the campsite. Kagome and Sango were giggling and whispering as they painted one another's fingernails. Miroku smiled slightly.
"Can I have some?" Shippo asked, eyeing the sake bottle hopefully.
"No," Miroku said, sipping from his cup again. "Maybe when you're older." He picked up the sake bottle and held it out to Inuyasha. "Do you care to try it, Inuyasha? It's of excellent quality, especially considering what a small village I bought it in."
The young half-demon looked at it out of the corner of his eye. "Don't want any," he said gruffly, before adding, "No thanks."
"Oh come now," Miroku said, smiling. "Haven't you had it before?"
"No."
"Then how do you know you don't like it?" Miroku argued, pouring the sake into his cup.
"Kagome says that when I don't like my dinner," Shippo announced. The little fox-demon was sprawled on his stomach, playing with Kirara's fluffy striped tails.
"Except that sake doesn't help anybody, unlike Shippo's dinner," Inuyasha argued. "Besides, I saw that monk who raised you. I could smell the sake on that guy from a mile away. Literally." He folded his hands into his sleeves and wrinkled his nose.
"Oh come now," Miroku said, holding out the sake cup. "Don't tell me you're afraid..."
It did the trick -- as Miroku had known it would. An affront to his courage or strength was one thing that Inuyasha couldn't ever stand. Inuyasha's golden eyes widened, and he shot the monk a searing look. Before Miroku could say anything, he snatched the cup away and downed the contents in one gulp. Then the young half-demon made a small, strained face. "Happy now?" he demanded.
"Have some more," Miroku said, pouring more into the cup. Inuyasha seemed about to protest, but then seemed to remember the perceived affront to his dignity. He took a hesitant sip.
"I thought this would be a good way to bond," Miroku said conversationally.
"Bond?"
"Yes, the way the girls have. You and I started off on the wrong foot, and it's affected our friendship ever since."
"We started off on the wrong hand. YOUR hand. On Kagome's body," Inuyasha said bluntly.
Miroku winced. "Yes... well, erm, that was regrettable."
"You're tellin' me," Inuyasha said. He took another sip of sake and contemplated the inside of the cup. "If you did that now, I'd still pound you to a pulp. If Sango didn't first."
Miroku smiled as he took a second cup from inside his robes and poured himself more sake. Inuyasha wasn't drinking particularly fast -- all the better, since he wouldn't expect to get tipsy very fast. Miroku took a deep breath and began, "So, Inuyasha, let's talk about Kagome..."
"What about her?" Inuyasha said with a hint of suspicion.
"Well, I haven't heard much about your early days together. She hasn't spoken much about them. Tell me, were you interested in her from the start, perhaps because of her resemblance to Kikyo? How soon were you... ahem, THAT way?"
Inuyasha stared at Miroku, then downed the rest of his sake. "I don't even know what you're talkin' about."
Half an hour later, Miroku glanced over at the girls, who were now cooking fish over the campfire. Inuyasha, despite his initial sullenness, was now more relaxed and had mellowed noticeably. But, Miroku noticed with chagrin, he still seemed in full command of his insecurities and shyness.
When offered more sake, Inuyasha held up his hands. "I've had enough, thank you," he said. He stood and wandered over, a bit unsteadily, to crouch by Kagome's side.
Miroku frowned. Though he was sitting closer to her than he usually did, Inuyasha seemed uninclined to make the first move. Well, there's only one thing to do, he thought. He picked up the sake bottle and went over to Inuyasha's side.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Are you even supposed to drink that stuff?" Inuyasha asked.
Miroku carefully set down his sake cup and crossed his arms. "Far be it from me to deny myself simple sustenance. I am merely a humble monk."
"That ain't SUSTENANCE, it's booze."
He glanced over at the other side of the campsite. Kagome and Sango were giggling and whispering as they painted one another's fingernails. Miroku smiled slightly.
"Can I have some?" Shippo asked, eyeing the sake bottle hopefully.
"No," Miroku said, sipping from his cup again. "Maybe when you're older." He picked up the sake bottle and held it out to Inuyasha. "Do you care to try it, Inuyasha? It's of excellent quality, especially considering what a small village I bought it in."
The young half-demon looked at it out of the corner of his eye. "Don't want any," he said gruffly, before adding, "No thanks."
"Oh come now," Miroku said, smiling. "Haven't you had it before?"
"No."
"Then how do you know you don't like it?" Miroku argued, pouring the sake into his cup.
"Kagome says that when I don't like my dinner," Shippo announced. The little fox-demon was sprawled on his stomach, playing with Kirara's fluffy striped tails.
"Except that sake doesn't help anybody, unlike Shippo's dinner," Inuyasha argued. "Besides, I saw that monk who raised you. I could smell the sake on that guy from a mile away. Literally." He folded his hands into his sleeves and wrinkled his nose.
"Oh come now," Miroku said, holding out the sake cup. "Don't tell me you're afraid..."
It did the trick -- as Miroku had known it would. An affront to his courage or strength was one thing that Inuyasha couldn't ever stand. Inuyasha's golden eyes widened, and he shot the monk a searing look. Before Miroku could say anything, he snatched the cup away and downed the contents in one gulp. Then the young half-demon made a small, strained face. "Happy now?" he demanded.
"Have some more," Miroku said, pouring more into the cup. Inuyasha seemed about to protest, but then seemed to remember the perceived affront to his dignity. He took a hesitant sip.
"I thought this would be a good way to bond," Miroku said conversationally.
"Bond?"
"Yes, the way the girls have. You and I started off on the wrong foot, and it's affected our friendship ever since."
"We started off on the wrong hand. YOUR hand. On Kagome's body," Inuyasha said bluntly.
Miroku winced. "Yes... well, erm, that was regrettable."
"You're tellin' me," Inuyasha said. He took another sip of sake and contemplated the inside of the cup. "If you did that now, I'd still pound you to a pulp. If Sango didn't first."
Miroku smiled as he took a second cup from inside his robes and poured himself more sake. Inuyasha wasn't drinking particularly fast -- all the better, since he wouldn't expect to get tipsy very fast. Miroku took a deep breath and began, "So, Inuyasha, let's talk about Kagome..."
"What about her?" Inuyasha said with a hint of suspicion.
"Well, I haven't heard much about your early days together. She hasn't spoken much about them. Tell me, were you interested in her from the start, perhaps because of her resemblance to Kikyo? How soon were you... ahem, THAT way?"
Inuyasha stared at Miroku, then downed the rest of his sake. "I don't even know what you're talkin' about."
Half an hour later, Miroku glanced over at the girls, who were now cooking fish over the campfire. Inuyasha, despite his initial sullenness, was now more relaxed and had mellowed noticeably. But, Miroku noticed with chagrin, he still seemed in full command of his insecurities and shyness.
When offered more sake, Inuyasha held up his hands. "I've had enough, thank you," he said. He stood and wandered over, a bit unsteadily, to crouch by Kagome's side.
Miroku frowned. Though he was sitting closer to her than he usually did, Inuyasha seemed uninclined to make the first move. Well, there's only one thing to do, he thought. He picked up the sake bottle and went over to Inuyasha's side.
TO BE CONTINUED
