CHAPTER FIFTEEN
*
"I told you, I don't need a nap," Inuyasha slurred, glaring at Miroku and Sango. Draped over his back, Kagome mumbled something in her sleep and snuggled against the back of Inuyasha's neck.
Miroku barely restrained a sigh of exasperation. Inuyasha was being his usual stubborn self, refusing to accept that he wasn't invulnerable. The monk was starting to suspect that tying him down and hitting him over the head would be the only means of subduing him.
Their journey had not started off well. First Inuyasha had frightened half the girls in the inn by carrying an armful of dead rats to the door. Now they were travelling by a back road, were quite possibly lost, and Kagome was fast asleep on Inuyasha's back. Inuyasha, after a night of rodent-chasing, was in a foul mood, and seemed fairly close to falling asleep standing up. Not to mention that his virginity was firmly intact.
But I'm not giving up. I have one more trick up my sleeve, Miroku thought. He was starting to suspect that the universe itself was working against his goal. What were the chances of rat infestation on that one night, of all nights? Although perhaps destroying the incense was to be expected.
"Inuyasha, you look like you're gonna die," Shippo piped up from Miroku's shoulder.
"I'm fine," Inuyasha mumbled, his eyes half closed.
"Really?" Miroku said dryly. "You look rather tired." The half-demon promptly stumbled into a tree, staggering to the side. He frowned at the tree, then carefully navigated around it. He won't last long, the monk thought, sighing deeply.
"Do you know what is ahead of us, Miroku?" Sango asked. "I've never been to this place before?"
"Yes, I stayed here for a few weeks perhaps... oh, three years ago," Miroku said. "One of the ladies there is a good friend of mine, and I'm sure she will find a good inn for us to stay in."
He recognized the eerie, searing silence coming from Sango. "No, no, no," he said hastily. "It's not like that. Sango, really, she is old enough to be my mother. There is not, nor has there ever been, anything improper."
Sango thawed visibly. "Oh."
Miroku turned back to Inuyasha and sighed. The young half-demon was on his knees, leaning with his face against a tree, snoring softly. On his back, Kagome snuggled against him and sighed deeply. At the rate he's going, Miroku thought darkly, that's all the sleeping together they'll be doing.
"Let's make camp right here," Sango said, letting her boomerang fall. "I don't think those two will be up anytime soon."
*
"Another day, another village," Inuyasha said, stifling a yawn. The sun was setting in the west, flooding the sizable village below them. "We gotta
Miroku glanced over the buildings as they passed through to the nearest inn. Then he saw the sprawling building he was looking for. It had seen better days, but tendrils and vines were painted on the walls, and the smell of incense and wildflowers wafted from one of the open windows. It brought some very pleasant memories to Miroku's mind; he closed his eyes and smiled.
Someone punched him lightly in the back. "Hey, Miroku, don't hold up the show," Inuyasha said. "Some of us are tired here."
Shippo, snoring on Kagome's shoulder, turned over and scratched his head.
"Ah, of course," Miroku said quickly. He rapidly went down the road to the inn, and after a brief haggling session with the surly innkeeper, managed to secure the largest and best room. Inuyasha passed out almost immediately upon arriving. Kagome sat in the corner, drowsing with Kirara in her lap.
One way or another, I need to get him to drop his guard, Miroku thought, lying back on the bedding. Last night must have been a fluke -- if those rats hadn't been there, surely he would have taken advantage of the situation. Perhaps I need to expand my sights to help him...
He smiled at the ceiling, as Sango snuffed out the lamp. And I think my lady friend will be more than happy to assist Inuyasha...
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"I told you, I don't need a nap," Inuyasha slurred, glaring at Miroku and Sango. Draped over his back, Kagome mumbled something in her sleep and snuggled against the back of Inuyasha's neck.
Miroku barely restrained a sigh of exasperation. Inuyasha was being his usual stubborn self, refusing to accept that he wasn't invulnerable. The monk was starting to suspect that tying him down and hitting him over the head would be the only means of subduing him.
Their journey had not started off well. First Inuyasha had frightened half the girls in the inn by carrying an armful of dead rats to the door. Now they were travelling by a back road, were quite possibly lost, and Kagome was fast asleep on Inuyasha's back. Inuyasha, after a night of rodent-chasing, was in a foul mood, and seemed fairly close to falling asleep standing up. Not to mention that his virginity was firmly intact.
But I'm not giving up. I have one more trick up my sleeve, Miroku thought. He was starting to suspect that the universe itself was working against his goal. What were the chances of rat infestation on that one night, of all nights? Although perhaps destroying the incense was to be expected.
"Inuyasha, you look like you're gonna die," Shippo piped up from Miroku's shoulder.
"I'm fine," Inuyasha mumbled, his eyes half closed.
"Really?" Miroku said dryly. "You look rather tired." The half-demon promptly stumbled into a tree, staggering to the side. He frowned at the tree, then carefully navigated around it. He won't last long, the monk thought, sighing deeply.
"Do you know what is ahead of us, Miroku?" Sango asked. "I've never been to this place before?"
"Yes, I stayed here for a few weeks perhaps... oh, three years ago," Miroku said. "One of the ladies there is a good friend of mine, and I'm sure she will find a good inn for us to stay in."
He recognized the eerie, searing silence coming from Sango. "No, no, no," he said hastily. "It's not like that. Sango, really, she is old enough to be my mother. There is not, nor has there ever been, anything improper."
Sango thawed visibly. "Oh."
Miroku turned back to Inuyasha and sighed. The young half-demon was on his knees, leaning with his face against a tree, snoring softly. On his back, Kagome snuggled against him and sighed deeply. At the rate he's going, Miroku thought darkly, that's all the sleeping together they'll be doing.
"Let's make camp right here," Sango said, letting her boomerang fall. "I don't think those two will be up anytime soon."
*
"Another day, another village," Inuyasha said, stifling a yawn. The sun was setting in the west, flooding the sizable village below them. "We gotta
Miroku glanced over the buildings as they passed through to the nearest inn. Then he saw the sprawling building he was looking for. It had seen better days, but tendrils and vines were painted on the walls, and the smell of incense and wildflowers wafted from one of the open windows. It brought some very pleasant memories to Miroku's mind; he closed his eyes and smiled.
Someone punched him lightly in the back. "Hey, Miroku, don't hold up the show," Inuyasha said. "Some of us are tired here."
Shippo, snoring on Kagome's shoulder, turned over and scratched his head.
"Ah, of course," Miroku said quickly. He rapidly went down the road to the inn, and after a brief haggling session with the surly innkeeper, managed to secure the largest and best room. Inuyasha passed out almost immediately upon arriving. Kagome sat in the corner, drowsing with Kirara in her lap.
One way or another, I need to get him to drop his guard, Miroku thought, lying back on the bedding. Last night must have been a fluke -- if those rats hadn't been there, surely he would have taken advantage of the situation. Perhaps I need to expand my sights to help him...
He smiled at the ceiling, as Sango snuffed out the lamp. And I think my lady friend will be more than happy to assist Inuyasha...
TO BE CONTINUED
