CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
*
"How long are you going to sit in there?" Miroku called.
"Forever," came the muffled reply. "So why don't you go off and do whatever you're plannin' with those sluts and just leave me alone. I ain't moving."
Miroku stifled another sigh. He seemed to be doing that a lot this afternoon. Inuyasha hadn't budged from the closet; in fact, he wasn't even willing to open the door. And Miroku had spent the afternoon sitting on the floor, trying to coax an unwilling half-demon out. So far, he hadn't even convinced Inuyasha to talk to him.
"Come now, Inuyasha, is it really that bad?" he called, tapping on the door.
"The way you do it, YES."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not like you, and dammit, I'm proud of that! I'm not just gonna sleep with any pretty girl who lies down in front of me. So get lost! And keep me out of your sick little plans!" the half-demon bellowed. "I--am--not--like--you!"
Well, that much was true, Miroku thought, scratching his head. Two of the young women had ventured into the closet, determined to earn their fee from Inuyasha. Miroku wasn't entirely sure what had happened, or what the girls had seen, but they had stayed inside only a few seconds before fleeing, shrieking at the top of their voices. The closet door had slammed shut.
He really does need help, Miroku thought wryly. And not just with women.
"Are you gone yet?" Inuyasha shouted.
"No, I'm not," Miroku said heavily. "Inuyasha, maybe we should just go back to the camp." He had spent hours crouching by this little closet, and he was starting to get nervous. What if the girls came looking for him? He didn't want to consider their reactions, if Sango found him in a brothel. Particularly a brothel occupied by several lovely, half-clothed girls.
"I ain't coming out until everyone clears the way between me and the exit."
"Inuyasha-"
The sound of light footsteps reached his ears. "Miroku, we need to talk," said Madame Ayaki sternly.
Miroku twisted around to look at her. His "face of innocence" was firmly in place, but he suspected Ayaki would be as immune to it as Inuyasha was. "Yes?"
The older woman glared at the closet door, as if she expected Inuyasha to come out any moment then. "Your young friend is frightening the girls. They're afraid that he'll lunge out and kill them if he stays here. So if he doesn't plan to do anything, I'd like you to please take him away."
"Fine with me!" came the voice from the closet.
Miroku wanted to groan, but managed to smile instead. "Of course, of course. Um, just please clear the hallway so my friend can leave with no obstructions." He dusted himself off and followed Madame Ayaki into the side room that Inuyasha had fled from.Two of the girls were sobbing hysterically, being comforted by the others. Miroku felt for them, but his immediate concern was getting Inuyasha's behind out of that closet, before they both ended up in very serious trouble. "Inu-" he started to call.
A blur of white and red shot past the doorway, and broke down the door on his way. Miroku apologized profusely to Madame Ayaki. But her hard, angry face lingered with him as he followed Inuyasha outside.
*
"That was very embarrassing for me, Inuyasha," Miroku said loudly.
"FOR YOU?" Inuyasha snarled. He glanced witheringly over his shoulder at the monk, then resumed his fast walking back to the inn. "You dolt, how do you think I felt? Don't think I'm gonna forget this in a hurry."
The half-demon sank into a sullen silence, and Miroku felt slightly relieved. Even so, he didn't want to contemplate what was going to happen if and when Sango and Kagome heard what had happened. And, worst of all, he had run out of plans to use on Inuyasha.
When the two young men returned, Kagome and Sango were examining their colored fingernails and giggling. "Oh, you guys are finally back," Kagome said.
Inuyasha turned red and looked away.
"You were away for a long time," Sango said. "Were there any problems?"
"Not really," Miroku said dryly.
"What were you guys doing all that time?" Kagome asked.
"NOTHING! Nothing happened! Nothing at all!" Inuyasha shouted, clenching his fists. Before anyone could speak again, he stalked over to the open window and leaped up into the tree.
"Relax, I was just asking," Kagome said, frowning.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"How long are you going to sit in there?" Miroku called.
"Forever," came the muffled reply. "So why don't you go off and do whatever you're plannin' with those sluts and just leave me alone. I ain't moving."
Miroku stifled another sigh. He seemed to be doing that a lot this afternoon. Inuyasha hadn't budged from the closet; in fact, he wasn't even willing to open the door. And Miroku had spent the afternoon sitting on the floor, trying to coax an unwilling half-demon out. So far, he hadn't even convinced Inuyasha to talk to him.
"Come now, Inuyasha, is it really that bad?" he called, tapping on the door.
"The way you do it, YES."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not like you, and dammit, I'm proud of that! I'm not just gonna sleep with any pretty girl who lies down in front of me. So get lost! And keep me out of your sick little plans!" the half-demon bellowed. "I--am--not--like--you!"
Well, that much was true, Miroku thought, scratching his head. Two of the young women had ventured into the closet, determined to earn their fee from Inuyasha. Miroku wasn't entirely sure what had happened, or what the girls had seen, but they had stayed inside only a few seconds before fleeing, shrieking at the top of their voices. The closet door had slammed shut.
He really does need help, Miroku thought wryly. And not just with women.
"Are you gone yet?" Inuyasha shouted.
"No, I'm not," Miroku said heavily. "Inuyasha, maybe we should just go back to the camp." He had spent hours crouching by this little closet, and he was starting to get nervous. What if the girls came looking for him? He didn't want to consider their reactions, if Sango found him in a brothel. Particularly a brothel occupied by several lovely, half-clothed girls.
"I ain't coming out until everyone clears the way between me and the exit."
"Inuyasha-"
The sound of light footsteps reached his ears. "Miroku, we need to talk," said Madame Ayaki sternly.
Miroku twisted around to look at her. His "face of innocence" was firmly in place, but he suspected Ayaki would be as immune to it as Inuyasha was. "Yes?"
The older woman glared at the closet door, as if she expected Inuyasha to come out any moment then. "Your young friend is frightening the girls. They're afraid that he'll lunge out and kill them if he stays here. So if he doesn't plan to do anything, I'd like you to please take him away."
"Fine with me!" came the voice from the closet.
Miroku wanted to groan, but managed to smile instead. "Of course, of course. Um, just please clear the hallway so my friend can leave with no obstructions." He dusted himself off and followed Madame Ayaki into the side room that Inuyasha had fled from.Two of the girls were sobbing hysterically, being comforted by the others. Miroku felt for them, but his immediate concern was getting Inuyasha's behind out of that closet, before they both ended up in very serious trouble. "Inu-" he started to call.
A blur of white and red shot past the doorway, and broke down the door on his way. Miroku apologized profusely to Madame Ayaki. But her hard, angry face lingered with him as he followed Inuyasha outside.
*
"That was very embarrassing for me, Inuyasha," Miroku said loudly.
"FOR YOU?" Inuyasha snarled. He glanced witheringly over his shoulder at the monk, then resumed his fast walking back to the inn. "You dolt, how do you think I felt? Don't think I'm gonna forget this in a hurry."
The half-demon sank into a sullen silence, and Miroku felt slightly relieved. Even so, he didn't want to contemplate what was going to happen if and when Sango and Kagome heard what had happened. And, worst of all, he had run out of plans to use on Inuyasha.
When the two young men returned, Kagome and Sango were examining their colored fingernails and giggling. "Oh, you guys are finally back," Kagome said.
Inuyasha turned red and looked away.
"You were away for a long time," Sango said. "Were there any problems?"
"Not really," Miroku said dryly.
"What were you guys doing all that time?" Kagome asked.
"NOTHING! Nothing happened! Nothing at all!" Inuyasha shouted, clenching his fists. Before anyone could speak again, he stalked over to the open window and leaped up into the tree.
"Relax, I was just asking," Kagome said, frowning.
TO BE CONTINUED
