Disclaimer: Still most definitely not mine. I'm not that creative
A/N: Omigod! Could it be?! It's an update! Ring the bells and sound the alarms! There's a new chapter up! I am sosososososososo sorry it took so long to get this written. I had the most ginourmous case of writers block I have ever experienced though. Here it is though, in all its glory. I must thank me friend Emily for helping me with this. If it weren't for her it would have probably been a really boring chapter. Anywho, read and enjoy
Drown It Out
By: Taiji-Ya
Chapter IV: An Hour Prior
"Alright chicka. We have a Christmas party to plan!"
Sango groaned at the all too familiar idea of Kagome's Christmas party.
"Can't we skip it this year? You always put too much nog in the egg nog"
Kagome snorted as she walked back into the living room, carrying a bowl of popcorn.
"That's not true. You just drink too much"
"Same thing"
These nice quiet times were greatly appreciated in both girls' lives. After the day's happenings Kagome had quickly called a girl's night, sending Shippou to Miroku's to which he gladly obliged. In the short time Miroku had been in the building Shippou had tried to be near him at all times. Kagome had thought maybe he was getting in the way but Miroku insisted that it was fine; he was helping him fix up the place. Though if that was true Heaven only knew.
Days and weeks and even a month had passed since the first day Miroku had entered the apartment building, as well as their lives and somehow because of it, things couldn't have gotten much more hectic. Naraku had gotten even nastier than before. Keeping Sango under a tight watch and Miroku on an even tighter one. Since the first day Miroku was shown how the building worked Sango had been brutally abused to almost twice as much as before. Apparently Naraku didn't like the idea of "his girl" falling out of line. Just to see it happen hurt Kagome to the very core, especially what happened just an hour prior.
She had been walking down the hallway with Inuyasha after school and having not seen Sango in class that day she decided to stop by her apartment and see if she was sick or something. From outside, though, Kagome heard the usual shouts and quickly opened the door to hopefully stop something that had already gone too far. In the doorway they appeared to be unnoticed.
"I swear to you he only gave me a ride to school!" only Sango was visible from where they were standing and she was up against the wall, her face swollen and bloody as she screamed at someone who must have been in front of her.
"You expect me to believe that, you miserable little wench?!" from in front of her they heard the sound of heavy breathing and the monstrous yells of what could have only been Naraku. Their suspicions were proven correct as he came stomping towards her, his eyes ablaze and his raven hair a flurry of anger in his face. He looked quite menacing in a way that snake might look to a mouse that's about to be devoured whole. In his hand he held what appeared to be the leg of a chair, which didn't seem all that unusual seeing the state the apartment was in. He stopped before her, mere inches away and glowered down at her quivering form, "He's been ogling you ever since he entered the building. And you expect me to believe that he gave you a ride out of the pure kindness of his heart?!"
"It wasn't from any kindness! I asked him and he said yes! I would have asked you had you not been passed out with a hangover on the couch!"
"How dare you!" At these thundering words he brought the leg down hard across the side of her face, the pure force of it knocking Sango to the ground. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the blood of a dozen scratches and scrapes. She whimpered but didn't fall. Her shaky arms the only things keeping her face from landing in the carpet. "How dare you speak to me that way?! After all I've done for you! I gave you a home to live in after your parents died!"
"You gave me a wonderful home!" she screamed back, glaring up at him. In her eyes most would have mistaken the fire to be of hatred, but anyone who knew Sango, knew that the look was the one she used to cover up despair. She loved this man and everyone knew it, why though no one could ever tell, "And because of this home I didn't get to keep my brother! He got sent off to some foster parents all because of you!"
"You hold your tongue, bitch!" he quickly brought up his foot, giving her a good hard kick in the ribs. Knocking the wind from her lungs and causing her to fall onto her side. She curled up into a ball at his feet, shivering and whimpering, trying to bring air into her burning lungs.
At this point Kagome was clutching the front of Inuyasha's shirt, tears running down her face to see her friend in such a state. To see her strong, brave friend beaten down by the man she loved. She hated being so helpless. In such a way Inuyasha did as well, but he intended to do something about it. He pulled Kagome off his shirt and entered the apartment, for Kagome's sake and Sango's as well. By the time he got to the two, Naraku had already walloped her hard in the head with the wooden leg once again, as he brought it up for another attack, though; Inuyasha grabbed it and wrenched it from his hand.
"That's enough! You've proved your point not stop before you kill her!" he tossed the leg to the side and glared down at him, trying to look as menacing as possible before the angry terror before him. Never out loud would he admit, but Naraku scared even him sometimes.
Naraku looked up, breathing hard and practically glowing with fury. He watched the man before him, before straitening up and nudging Sango with his foot.
"I wasn't gonna kill her. She's weak, that's all." He looked down at her and took a deep breath, "I'm going out tonight. You get on over to Kagome's in case I come home drunk. But so help me. If I hear you were anywhere near that bloody Miroku guy again I'll kill you both."
With that he brushed roughly past Inuyasha and headed towords the door. As he got closer Kagome cringed away. He looked at her for a second and nodded before leaving the mess behind him. Kagome and Inuyasha took his advice and helped Sango over to their apartment, despite her complaints that she had to clean up. Once there Inuyasha decided that he'd head over to Miroku's for a while and help out. Give them some time alone.
Now, a good hour from then, Sango sat on the floor in the living room of Kagome's apartment, sporting a few band aids on her forehead and an ice pack for her left side of her face where he had hit her with the chair leg. They had cleverly warmed a bag of rice and wrapped it about her middle for relief to her ribs. As usual, Sango was laughing and cheerful as ever, obviously pretending nothing happened. The poor girl had gotten very good at acting as though everything were all right.
Kagome laughed and took a seat on the couch above her friend throwing another piece of popcorn at the back of her head.
"It is not the same thing. Last year you snogged almost every guy in the apartment. Including Inuyasha who is still traumatized by the way. And not to mention the fact that we all then got to watch you and Naraku make out on the couch all night."
Sango looked down and bit her swelling lip, sadness growing once again in her eyes, "Yeah...he's always so sweet at your Christmas parties...sort of like he used to be..."
"I know what you mean..." Kagome sighed and watched her friend's heart being broken yet again. It had been like this for so long, it was hard to remember what they used to be like, "He used to be so social and cheerful. You know he actually used to baby-sit Shippou while were at school. No joke! You two were so in love...we thought for sure you'd be married in a week..."
"We still are in love!" Sango leapt at her relationship's defense causing a slit in her lip to reopen, "Ow...I mean...we still love each other...it's just not as important anymore to share it with the whole world anymore..."
"I hate to be so blunt but...tell me one romantic thing he's done for you lately."
"Lately?...well...the sunrise."
"The sunrise?"
She nodded dreamily, "Yeah, the sunrise. Early in the mornings sometimes he wakes me up and tells me he wants to show me something. So I groggily get up and let him lead me out of the apartment. I do say I get some odd looks, dressed up in an old white nightgown that I'm awfully close to not fitting in anymore, being led by a man with pale skin and oddly black hair"
Kagome sat back and watched sadly as her friend remembered the small things he's done for her within the last couple of years. It seemed to her like the only thing Sango had of holding onto anymore.
"We get into the elevator," Sango continued, "and he waits there with his arms wrapped around me as I shiver in the early morning cold until we reach the roof. He walks me out into the wind, his arms still around me until we reach the edge. And there he holds me, making sure I don't miss a minute of the light rising over the horizon..."
"But..." Kagome watched as Sango was sucked right back into her only happy place left, leaving her to think that Naraku was just as he always had been. But that wasn't the case anymore. He had changed. Drastically and dangerously into an abusive, pain bringing monster. There had to be some way she could get Sango to realize that she needed to move on, "how many times has he done this sort of thing in the last year?"
"Well...um...I'm sure we went up about a month ago..."
"Sango, don't you see it?! He's hurting you! Mentally and physically! It hurts us all to see this happening to you! You're a strong person, Sango! Think about high school. Remember when that upper classman was messing with your brother? You let him have it then! And he never messed with you or your brother again! You can stand up for yourself! I've seen it!"
"I wasn't standing up for myself...I was standing up for Kohaku..."
"Even still! Remember kendo?! Remember track?! Remember everything we did in gym class?! You left everyone else in the dust! I hate to see you acting so weak over some guy"
"He's not just some guy! He's...I love him Kagome..."
"Yeah?" Kagome sighed and watched her battered friend get lost inside herself again, "Well, I think Miroku loves you..."
"What?!" a great blush quickly spread across Sango's cheeks as the old trick fell into place. Every girl knew that if something was wrong you could always get some blood rushing by talking about guys, "He does not!"
"I dunno..." Kagome grinned at Sango, acting innocent as she twirled a lock of black hair around her finger, "When you asked him for a ride this morning he had had his keys faster than you could blink"
Sango picked up a pillow and lopped her friend in the head with it, "Shut up! He does not like me!"
As if on a cue a small knock could be heard from the door, soon after followed by Miroku poking his head in the door.
"Erm, excuse me but...does Shippou have some sort of a bedtime? Because he claims he doesn't."
"Hmph. He does does he? Well, you tell him to be in bed by nine or I'll personally come over and tuck him in myself"
"Can do. Thanks Kagome. I'll see you two tomorrow." He quickly slipped back out the door, but a second later he was back and carefully not staring to hard at Sango's face, "Oh, by the way. Sango if you need a ride to school tomorrow I'd be happy to give you one."
With a click of the door, he was gone again leaving Kagome to smirk at Sango.
"Oh, by the way," Kagome threw on a high-pitched, dreamy mimic of his voice, "If you need a ride I'd be very very happy to give you one"
Sango grabbed the pillow again and smacked her friend silly with it, "Shut up. Now, about that egg nog..."
A/N: Huzzah! There it is! Isn't it beautiful! Probably the longest it's ever taken me to update anything! I'm hoping the rest of the chapters will be longer like this one, so stay tuned, and as usual e-mail me or R/R I LOVE comments. Some Miroku and Sango lovin is comin up real soon I promise. As well as a Christmas party
A/N: Omigod! Could it be?! It's an update! Ring the bells and sound the alarms! There's a new chapter up! I am sosososososososo sorry it took so long to get this written. I had the most ginourmous case of writers block I have ever experienced though. Here it is though, in all its glory. I must thank me friend Emily for helping me with this. If it weren't for her it would have probably been a really boring chapter. Anywho, read and enjoy
Drown It Out
By: Taiji-Ya
Chapter IV: An Hour Prior
"Alright chicka. We have a Christmas party to plan!"
Sango groaned at the all too familiar idea of Kagome's Christmas party.
"Can't we skip it this year? You always put too much nog in the egg nog"
Kagome snorted as she walked back into the living room, carrying a bowl of popcorn.
"That's not true. You just drink too much"
"Same thing"
These nice quiet times were greatly appreciated in both girls' lives. After the day's happenings Kagome had quickly called a girl's night, sending Shippou to Miroku's to which he gladly obliged. In the short time Miroku had been in the building Shippou had tried to be near him at all times. Kagome had thought maybe he was getting in the way but Miroku insisted that it was fine; he was helping him fix up the place. Though if that was true Heaven only knew.
Days and weeks and even a month had passed since the first day Miroku had entered the apartment building, as well as their lives and somehow because of it, things couldn't have gotten much more hectic. Naraku had gotten even nastier than before. Keeping Sango under a tight watch and Miroku on an even tighter one. Since the first day Miroku was shown how the building worked Sango had been brutally abused to almost twice as much as before. Apparently Naraku didn't like the idea of "his girl" falling out of line. Just to see it happen hurt Kagome to the very core, especially what happened just an hour prior.
She had been walking down the hallway with Inuyasha after school and having not seen Sango in class that day she decided to stop by her apartment and see if she was sick or something. From outside, though, Kagome heard the usual shouts and quickly opened the door to hopefully stop something that had already gone too far. In the doorway they appeared to be unnoticed.
"I swear to you he only gave me a ride to school!" only Sango was visible from where they were standing and she was up against the wall, her face swollen and bloody as she screamed at someone who must have been in front of her.
"You expect me to believe that, you miserable little wench?!" from in front of her they heard the sound of heavy breathing and the monstrous yells of what could have only been Naraku. Their suspicions were proven correct as he came stomping towards her, his eyes ablaze and his raven hair a flurry of anger in his face. He looked quite menacing in a way that snake might look to a mouse that's about to be devoured whole. In his hand he held what appeared to be the leg of a chair, which didn't seem all that unusual seeing the state the apartment was in. He stopped before her, mere inches away and glowered down at her quivering form, "He's been ogling you ever since he entered the building. And you expect me to believe that he gave you a ride out of the pure kindness of his heart?!"
"It wasn't from any kindness! I asked him and he said yes! I would have asked you had you not been passed out with a hangover on the couch!"
"How dare you!" At these thundering words he brought the leg down hard across the side of her face, the pure force of it knocking Sango to the ground. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the blood of a dozen scratches and scrapes. She whimpered but didn't fall. Her shaky arms the only things keeping her face from landing in the carpet. "How dare you speak to me that way?! After all I've done for you! I gave you a home to live in after your parents died!"
"You gave me a wonderful home!" she screamed back, glaring up at him. In her eyes most would have mistaken the fire to be of hatred, but anyone who knew Sango, knew that the look was the one she used to cover up despair. She loved this man and everyone knew it, why though no one could ever tell, "And because of this home I didn't get to keep my brother! He got sent off to some foster parents all because of you!"
"You hold your tongue, bitch!" he quickly brought up his foot, giving her a good hard kick in the ribs. Knocking the wind from her lungs and causing her to fall onto her side. She curled up into a ball at his feet, shivering and whimpering, trying to bring air into her burning lungs.
At this point Kagome was clutching the front of Inuyasha's shirt, tears running down her face to see her friend in such a state. To see her strong, brave friend beaten down by the man she loved. She hated being so helpless. In such a way Inuyasha did as well, but he intended to do something about it. He pulled Kagome off his shirt and entered the apartment, for Kagome's sake and Sango's as well. By the time he got to the two, Naraku had already walloped her hard in the head with the wooden leg once again, as he brought it up for another attack, though; Inuyasha grabbed it and wrenched it from his hand.
"That's enough! You've proved your point not stop before you kill her!" he tossed the leg to the side and glared down at him, trying to look as menacing as possible before the angry terror before him. Never out loud would he admit, but Naraku scared even him sometimes.
Naraku looked up, breathing hard and practically glowing with fury. He watched the man before him, before straitening up and nudging Sango with his foot.
"I wasn't gonna kill her. She's weak, that's all." He looked down at her and took a deep breath, "I'm going out tonight. You get on over to Kagome's in case I come home drunk. But so help me. If I hear you were anywhere near that bloody Miroku guy again I'll kill you both."
With that he brushed roughly past Inuyasha and headed towords the door. As he got closer Kagome cringed away. He looked at her for a second and nodded before leaving the mess behind him. Kagome and Inuyasha took his advice and helped Sango over to their apartment, despite her complaints that she had to clean up. Once there Inuyasha decided that he'd head over to Miroku's for a while and help out. Give them some time alone.
Now, a good hour from then, Sango sat on the floor in the living room of Kagome's apartment, sporting a few band aids on her forehead and an ice pack for her left side of her face where he had hit her with the chair leg. They had cleverly warmed a bag of rice and wrapped it about her middle for relief to her ribs. As usual, Sango was laughing and cheerful as ever, obviously pretending nothing happened. The poor girl had gotten very good at acting as though everything were all right.
Kagome laughed and took a seat on the couch above her friend throwing another piece of popcorn at the back of her head.
"It is not the same thing. Last year you snogged almost every guy in the apartment. Including Inuyasha who is still traumatized by the way. And not to mention the fact that we all then got to watch you and Naraku make out on the couch all night."
Sango looked down and bit her swelling lip, sadness growing once again in her eyes, "Yeah...he's always so sweet at your Christmas parties...sort of like he used to be..."
"I know what you mean..." Kagome sighed and watched her friend's heart being broken yet again. It had been like this for so long, it was hard to remember what they used to be like, "He used to be so social and cheerful. You know he actually used to baby-sit Shippou while were at school. No joke! You two were so in love...we thought for sure you'd be married in a week..."
"We still are in love!" Sango leapt at her relationship's defense causing a slit in her lip to reopen, "Ow...I mean...we still love each other...it's just not as important anymore to share it with the whole world anymore..."
"I hate to be so blunt but...tell me one romantic thing he's done for you lately."
"Lately?...well...the sunrise."
"The sunrise?"
She nodded dreamily, "Yeah, the sunrise. Early in the mornings sometimes he wakes me up and tells me he wants to show me something. So I groggily get up and let him lead me out of the apartment. I do say I get some odd looks, dressed up in an old white nightgown that I'm awfully close to not fitting in anymore, being led by a man with pale skin and oddly black hair"
Kagome sat back and watched sadly as her friend remembered the small things he's done for her within the last couple of years. It seemed to her like the only thing Sango had of holding onto anymore.
"We get into the elevator," Sango continued, "and he waits there with his arms wrapped around me as I shiver in the early morning cold until we reach the roof. He walks me out into the wind, his arms still around me until we reach the edge. And there he holds me, making sure I don't miss a minute of the light rising over the horizon..."
"But..." Kagome watched as Sango was sucked right back into her only happy place left, leaving her to think that Naraku was just as he always had been. But that wasn't the case anymore. He had changed. Drastically and dangerously into an abusive, pain bringing monster. There had to be some way she could get Sango to realize that she needed to move on, "how many times has he done this sort of thing in the last year?"
"Well...um...I'm sure we went up about a month ago..."
"Sango, don't you see it?! He's hurting you! Mentally and physically! It hurts us all to see this happening to you! You're a strong person, Sango! Think about high school. Remember when that upper classman was messing with your brother? You let him have it then! And he never messed with you or your brother again! You can stand up for yourself! I've seen it!"
"I wasn't standing up for myself...I was standing up for Kohaku..."
"Even still! Remember kendo?! Remember track?! Remember everything we did in gym class?! You left everyone else in the dust! I hate to see you acting so weak over some guy"
"He's not just some guy! He's...I love him Kagome..."
"Yeah?" Kagome sighed and watched her battered friend get lost inside herself again, "Well, I think Miroku loves you..."
"What?!" a great blush quickly spread across Sango's cheeks as the old trick fell into place. Every girl knew that if something was wrong you could always get some blood rushing by talking about guys, "He does not!"
"I dunno..." Kagome grinned at Sango, acting innocent as she twirled a lock of black hair around her finger, "When you asked him for a ride this morning he had had his keys faster than you could blink"
Sango picked up a pillow and lopped her friend in the head with it, "Shut up! He does not like me!"
As if on a cue a small knock could be heard from the door, soon after followed by Miroku poking his head in the door.
"Erm, excuse me but...does Shippou have some sort of a bedtime? Because he claims he doesn't."
"Hmph. He does does he? Well, you tell him to be in bed by nine or I'll personally come over and tuck him in myself"
"Can do. Thanks Kagome. I'll see you two tomorrow." He quickly slipped back out the door, but a second later he was back and carefully not staring to hard at Sango's face, "Oh, by the way. Sango if you need a ride to school tomorrow I'd be happy to give you one."
With a click of the door, he was gone again leaving Kagome to smirk at Sango.
"Oh, by the way," Kagome threw on a high-pitched, dreamy mimic of his voice, "If you need a ride I'd be very very happy to give you one"
Sango grabbed the pillow again and smacked her friend silly with it, "Shut up. Now, about that egg nog..."
A/N: Huzzah! There it is! Isn't it beautiful! Probably the longest it's ever taken me to update anything! I'm hoping the rest of the chapters will be longer like this one, so stay tuned, and as usual e-mail me or R/R I LOVE comments. Some Miroku and Sango lovin is comin up real soon I promise. As well as a Christmas party