Houken-Jidai
Signs
By Seabreeze
A/N: Apparently no one reads this story. Ah, well. Merci beaucoup to my few but loyal reviewers. Warning for this chapter: fluff! Mixed with plot! Fluff!
Disclaimer: See chapter 5 for details.
*~*~*
Miroku crept quietly out of his room to the door next to his. The lights in the house were out, and it was perfectly silent. But Sango's light was still on, and it could be seen through the bottom of her door.
"Sango?" he asked softly, opening her door just enough to peek his head in. No response. He soundlessly pulled the rest of himself inside of her room. Her lamp was on, and her things were still packed. She lay, still dressed in her black jeans and black cap-sleeved t-shirt, curled around the tiny body of Kirara. Miroku found himself smiling warmly at the sight. He moved quietly over to the bed, and, lifting the heavy cardboard boxes, set them to the floor. He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, making sure Kirara lay uncovered, and turned off the lamp. Silently, he crept out of the room again.
*~*~*
When Sango woke up, she was considerably more comfortable than when she had gone to sleep. Her light had been turned off and her blanket had covered her. She blushed to think of how those things happened, and busied with getting herself ready for school. She chose a black mini over tight black pants, and, to spice things up, a dark pink sweater. She tied her hair loosely down her back with a white ribbon and put on her usual black eyeliner. Checking her watch, she squealed and threw her backpack over her shoulder, bursting from her room in search of Miroku.
Miroku looked up in surprise as his new guest skidded to a stop in front of the dining room table. His hair was mussed, running every which way, and his surprised look made him seem innocent and lost. Sango held back a warm giggle and set her backpack down, face stolid.
"I'm not late?" she asked in a rush of breath. Miroku slid her a bowl of warm, plain rice drizzled in honey.
"I drive fast so I can take my time in the mornings." He explained. Sango sat across from him. "And how was your first night in my humble dojo?" he asked seriously. Sango blinked, wondering if he was teasing her, but nodded.
"It was fine. Your home is very comfortable." Sango ate a spoonful of the rice and looked at him again. "Are you sure you're fine with me moving in?" she asked. "I mean, are you sure it's not an inconvenience?" Not wanting to stare intently, Sango continued eating her rice. Miroku closed his eyes solemnly for his answer.
"Of course you're not an inconvenience, Sango. I invited you, after all. You are my guest, and a very, very attractive one, at that." Miroku didn't see that Sango's face pinched in embarrassment. He went on. "If you don't mind, I thought we'd leave a little early this morning so I can talk to Ms. Yura about my paper." He stood and lazily slung his backpack over the crook of his elbow. He lead the way to the door, yelling, "We're leaving, Mushin," before he locked them out.
Miroku's car was a small, black, sleek suv. The inside was covered in black leather and had all the furnishings of an expensive car- wood grain borders, installed cd player, navigator. Miroku, as he said, drove fast, but somehow not fast enough to ever get pulled over. Sango wondered how people like him got away with things like that- it was as if he was made of water, slipping unnoticed by the authorities and leaving a good impression while he was at it. She shook her head.
When they arrived at the school, Miroku dropped Sango off in front of the school and waved jauntily before speeding off to the senior parking lot. She watched him drive off, clutching her books tightly to her chest and blushing a bit. WHY did he have to have that affect on her?!?
Scowling at herself, Sango entered the school and walked down sophomore hallway to her locker. She set her bag and books on the floor (the hallways virtually empty) and stood to get her locker combination.
"Kuso," she muttered. Twisting the numbers (20, 7, 13), she held her breath and tried to open her locker. It didn't budge. She jiggled it, trying again. Nothing.
"KUSO!" Sango let go completely and kicked it with all her might. Nothing. Silent as night, a pale fist tapped the locker door lightly and it popped open. Sango jumped defensively to the side, only to find her young, dangerous Geometry teacher standing inches from her.
"Miss Sango," Lord Sesshoumaru began smoothly. "Having locker troubles?" Sango let out a large breath, relieved that it was only her teacher.
"Lord Sesshoumaru," she breathed. "You frightened me." Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly, stoic and beautiful and terrifying as he always was.
"I gathered this." Sesshoumaru examined her, his amber eyes scanning her face. He said nothing more.
"Um," Sango began, unsure. "Thank you for opening my locker." She waited for Sesshoumaru to leave, or say she was welcome, but he surprised her.
"Sango." He said solemnly. Sango blushed out of pure uncomfortable ness. "Have you ever been to a small town just to the west of Tokyo?" Sesshoumaru's sharpness in voice and eye contact, along with what he said, caught Sango off-guard.
'Does he know???' Her heart stopped beating as she feared Sesshoumaru knew her secret. . . how could he know? Was he the one who had the Shikon no Tama? Had he killed her family?
"I, well," she began nervously. "I have never been out of Osaka, until now." She wondered briefly if Sesshoumaru had the same effect on her as Miroku did, for all the trouble she had speaking. Sesshoumaru frowned.
"Hm. Very well. But if I find out you have been lying, miss Sango," he lifted her chin with a clawed finger. "I could have you expelled." He stroked her cheek dangerously. "or worse." He was gone before Sango could clear her mind enough to watch him go. When she did clear her mind, though, Miroku stood down the hall, watching her with an odd look on his face. People were beginning to arrive at school, so she glared at him as he approached her.
"What was that all about?" he asked, leaning against the locker beside hers. She threw some books from her locker into her bag, and vice versa.
"What do you mean by THAT?" she demanded, flushed. Miroku frowned seriously.
"That's not what I meant. He asked you about your home town, did he not?" He watched her face intently. Sango's eyes darkened.
"Yes. Do you think he's. . .?"
"Of course."
Sango shook her head in slight disbelief.
"It's all a little hard to take," she said. "I mean, the Faculty being in on it. . . it just doesn't make sense." Miroku nodded.
"You know something's going on when your geometry teacher hits on you." He turned nonchalantly and began to walk away. Sango fumed, glaring and clenching her fists.
"Why, you-"
Miroku felt a book hit the back of his head.
*~*~*
Kagome sighed as she realized she'd have to sit in the back in geometry again. She brightened, almost immediately, when she realized that she'd be sitting between Sango and Inuyasha again.
"Hi!" she mouthed, grinning and giving them a mini-wave. Inuyasha stared at her, in disbelief.
'She's. . . she's happy? To see me?' he wondered, amazed. Shaking himself out of it, he glared at her.
"I'm surprised you're speaking to us in public, Kagome." Inuyasha smirked in a satisfactory way, waiting for her response. Kagome blinked at him.
"Why wouldn't I speak to you in public? You're my friends now, aren't you?" she smiled and moved gracefully into the seat next to him.
"I'm glad to see your popularity is spreading, Miss Kagome," a cold, authoritative voice from the front of the room came. "But I prefer you don't share it so obviously." Upon the reprimand, Kagome shrunk a bit in her seat and blushed.
"Sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome cringed a bit and Inuyasha's lip curled as a small, continuous growl rolled from his throat. Sesshoumaru nodded offhandedly at Kagome, but his sharp focus was now on Inuyasha.
"Do you have a problem with this, Inuyasha?" he asked haughtily. Inuyasha's eyes flashed and he shivered slightly in repressed anger.
"She didn't do anything to hurt anyone!" he snapped. Sesshoumaru only narrowed his eyes, but it sent half the class cowering.
"Are you so arrogant as to address me this way, half-breed?" Sesshoumaru demanded quietly. Inuyasha grinned recklessly.
"Considering half of this blood is yours." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes further and turned to the board.
"I have no attachment to that blood." The bell rang, and Sesshoumaru turned around coolly. "Now open your books, because if your test from last Friday is any indication, you all have the intelligence of a pack of wild dogs." The intercom beeped, and Sesshoumaru looked ruffled.
"Yes?" he asked testily. The Principal's sinister voice flowed through the speaker in the corner of the classroom.
"Could I please have Higurashi, Kagome in the office now?" the voice, always seeming to grin in malice, asked. Sesshoumaru sighed.
"Fine. As long as she does not interrupt my class by returning in the middle of it. Kagome," he jerked his head toward the door gracefully. "Go." Kagome quickly (and in relief) gathered her books and hurried out the door. Sesshoumaru let the door bang loudly behind her after she left.
"As I was saying-" he began, but Inuyasha's hand was in the air. He sighed. "Confused already, Inuyasha?" he growled. Inuyasha scowled.
"I need to use the bathroom." He sneered. Sango stifled a giggle- for one thing, he sounded so serious about using the bathroom. For another, he WASN'T going to use the bathroom. He wanted to check on Kagome, and it was dead obvious. Sesshoumaru pointed at the door in disgust.
"Make sure you don't come back either." He ordered.
"Not a problem." Inuyasha called from the hallway. Sesshoumaru glared at his retreating back, and then at the rest of the class.
"If anyone else wants to disrupt my class, please take the opportunity to do so now." He cracked his sharp-nailed fingers, and the class paled.
*~*~*
"Sit down, Miss Higurashi." The Principal said smoothly. Kagome shivered- she hated being around him. He seemed so, so- it was hard to explain. She really didn't like him.
"Yes, Principal Naraku."
*~*~*
A/N: Ooh, cliffhanger. Or not, but hey. This chapter was a whole lot longer and less fluffy than I originally imagined- like, it was supposed to have about 3 or 4 more scenes in it. But then I got to this part I thought to be evil, so I did. And am evil. Muahaha. Buaha.
To my one (count 'er, ONE) reviewer, who coincidentally is one of my best friends:
RK-128- thank you, as usual, for your review and enthusiasm. I'm glad you're enjoying my story, because I'm having a ball writing it. It may be the longest story I've ever written, it's that fun. And "those things" * should * happen next chapter, unless I get too into the writing and expand everything. Then I'll have to chop 'em up.
Next chapter: Naraku and Kagome's meeting (plus, where did Inuyasha go?) and then Miroku has a surprise for us all. And maybe more. I dunno.
I'm a bit disappointed that so few read this story, because as I told RK, it's soo so so so much fun to write. But I guess that's my gift with this one- I love writing it. * thinks * Yeah. I don't need yo' stinkin' reviews! Just kidding. . . come back, I love you all! * cries *
Ok, you know what? I'm odd.
Signs
By Seabreeze
A/N: Apparently no one reads this story. Ah, well. Merci beaucoup to my few but loyal reviewers. Warning for this chapter: fluff! Mixed with plot! Fluff!
Disclaimer: See chapter 5 for details.
*~*~*
Miroku crept quietly out of his room to the door next to his. The lights in the house were out, and it was perfectly silent. But Sango's light was still on, and it could be seen through the bottom of her door.
"Sango?" he asked softly, opening her door just enough to peek his head in. No response. He soundlessly pulled the rest of himself inside of her room. Her lamp was on, and her things were still packed. She lay, still dressed in her black jeans and black cap-sleeved t-shirt, curled around the tiny body of Kirara. Miroku found himself smiling warmly at the sight. He moved quietly over to the bed, and, lifting the heavy cardboard boxes, set them to the floor. He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, making sure Kirara lay uncovered, and turned off the lamp. Silently, he crept out of the room again.
*~*~*
When Sango woke up, she was considerably more comfortable than when she had gone to sleep. Her light had been turned off and her blanket had covered her. She blushed to think of how those things happened, and busied with getting herself ready for school. She chose a black mini over tight black pants, and, to spice things up, a dark pink sweater. She tied her hair loosely down her back with a white ribbon and put on her usual black eyeliner. Checking her watch, she squealed and threw her backpack over her shoulder, bursting from her room in search of Miroku.
Miroku looked up in surprise as his new guest skidded to a stop in front of the dining room table. His hair was mussed, running every which way, and his surprised look made him seem innocent and lost. Sango held back a warm giggle and set her backpack down, face stolid.
"I'm not late?" she asked in a rush of breath. Miroku slid her a bowl of warm, plain rice drizzled in honey.
"I drive fast so I can take my time in the mornings." He explained. Sango sat across from him. "And how was your first night in my humble dojo?" he asked seriously. Sango blinked, wondering if he was teasing her, but nodded.
"It was fine. Your home is very comfortable." Sango ate a spoonful of the rice and looked at him again. "Are you sure you're fine with me moving in?" she asked. "I mean, are you sure it's not an inconvenience?" Not wanting to stare intently, Sango continued eating her rice. Miroku closed his eyes solemnly for his answer.
"Of course you're not an inconvenience, Sango. I invited you, after all. You are my guest, and a very, very attractive one, at that." Miroku didn't see that Sango's face pinched in embarrassment. He went on. "If you don't mind, I thought we'd leave a little early this morning so I can talk to Ms. Yura about my paper." He stood and lazily slung his backpack over the crook of his elbow. He lead the way to the door, yelling, "We're leaving, Mushin," before he locked them out.
Miroku's car was a small, black, sleek suv. The inside was covered in black leather and had all the furnishings of an expensive car- wood grain borders, installed cd player, navigator. Miroku, as he said, drove fast, but somehow not fast enough to ever get pulled over. Sango wondered how people like him got away with things like that- it was as if he was made of water, slipping unnoticed by the authorities and leaving a good impression while he was at it. She shook her head.
When they arrived at the school, Miroku dropped Sango off in front of the school and waved jauntily before speeding off to the senior parking lot. She watched him drive off, clutching her books tightly to her chest and blushing a bit. WHY did he have to have that affect on her?!?
Scowling at herself, Sango entered the school and walked down sophomore hallway to her locker. She set her bag and books on the floor (the hallways virtually empty) and stood to get her locker combination.
"Kuso," she muttered. Twisting the numbers (20, 7, 13), she held her breath and tried to open her locker. It didn't budge. She jiggled it, trying again. Nothing.
"KUSO!" Sango let go completely and kicked it with all her might. Nothing. Silent as night, a pale fist tapped the locker door lightly and it popped open. Sango jumped defensively to the side, only to find her young, dangerous Geometry teacher standing inches from her.
"Miss Sango," Lord Sesshoumaru began smoothly. "Having locker troubles?" Sango let out a large breath, relieved that it was only her teacher.
"Lord Sesshoumaru," she breathed. "You frightened me." Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly, stoic and beautiful and terrifying as he always was.
"I gathered this." Sesshoumaru examined her, his amber eyes scanning her face. He said nothing more.
"Um," Sango began, unsure. "Thank you for opening my locker." She waited for Sesshoumaru to leave, or say she was welcome, but he surprised her.
"Sango." He said solemnly. Sango blushed out of pure uncomfortable ness. "Have you ever been to a small town just to the west of Tokyo?" Sesshoumaru's sharpness in voice and eye contact, along with what he said, caught Sango off-guard.
'Does he know???' Her heart stopped beating as she feared Sesshoumaru knew her secret. . . how could he know? Was he the one who had the Shikon no Tama? Had he killed her family?
"I, well," she began nervously. "I have never been out of Osaka, until now." She wondered briefly if Sesshoumaru had the same effect on her as Miroku did, for all the trouble she had speaking. Sesshoumaru frowned.
"Hm. Very well. But if I find out you have been lying, miss Sango," he lifted her chin with a clawed finger. "I could have you expelled." He stroked her cheek dangerously. "or worse." He was gone before Sango could clear her mind enough to watch him go. When she did clear her mind, though, Miroku stood down the hall, watching her with an odd look on his face. People were beginning to arrive at school, so she glared at him as he approached her.
"What was that all about?" he asked, leaning against the locker beside hers. She threw some books from her locker into her bag, and vice versa.
"What do you mean by THAT?" she demanded, flushed. Miroku frowned seriously.
"That's not what I meant. He asked you about your home town, did he not?" He watched her face intently. Sango's eyes darkened.
"Yes. Do you think he's. . .?"
"Of course."
Sango shook her head in slight disbelief.
"It's all a little hard to take," she said. "I mean, the Faculty being in on it. . . it just doesn't make sense." Miroku nodded.
"You know something's going on when your geometry teacher hits on you." He turned nonchalantly and began to walk away. Sango fumed, glaring and clenching her fists.
"Why, you-"
Miroku felt a book hit the back of his head.
*~*~*
Kagome sighed as she realized she'd have to sit in the back in geometry again. She brightened, almost immediately, when she realized that she'd be sitting between Sango and Inuyasha again.
"Hi!" she mouthed, grinning and giving them a mini-wave. Inuyasha stared at her, in disbelief.
'She's. . . she's happy? To see me?' he wondered, amazed. Shaking himself out of it, he glared at her.
"I'm surprised you're speaking to us in public, Kagome." Inuyasha smirked in a satisfactory way, waiting for her response. Kagome blinked at him.
"Why wouldn't I speak to you in public? You're my friends now, aren't you?" she smiled and moved gracefully into the seat next to him.
"I'm glad to see your popularity is spreading, Miss Kagome," a cold, authoritative voice from the front of the room came. "But I prefer you don't share it so obviously." Upon the reprimand, Kagome shrunk a bit in her seat and blushed.
"Sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome cringed a bit and Inuyasha's lip curled as a small, continuous growl rolled from his throat. Sesshoumaru nodded offhandedly at Kagome, but his sharp focus was now on Inuyasha.
"Do you have a problem with this, Inuyasha?" he asked haughtily. Inuyasha's eyes flashed and he shivered slightly in repressed anger.
"She didn't do anything to hurt anyone!" he snapped. Sesshoumaru only narrowed his eyes, but it sent half the class cowering.
"Are you so arrogant as to address me this way, half-breed?" Sesshoumaru demanded quietly. Inuyasha grinned recklessly.
"Considering half of this blood is yours." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes further and turned to the board.
"I have no attachment to that blood." The bell rang, and Sesshoumaru turned around coolly. "Now open your books, because if your test from last Friday is any indication, you all have the intelligence of a pack of wild dogs." The intercom beeped, and Sesshoumaru looked ruffled.
"Yes?" he asked testily. The Principal's sinister voice flowed through the speaker in the corner of the classroom.
"Could I please have Higurashi, Kagome in the office now?" the voice, always seeming to grin in malice, asked. Sesshoumaru sighed.
"Fine. As long as she does not interrupt my class by returning in the middle of it. Kagome," he jerked his head toward the door gracefully. "Go." Kagome quickly (and in relief) gathered her books and hurried out the door. Sesshoumaru let the door bang loudly behind her after she left.
"As I was saying-" he began, but Inuyasha's hand was in the air. He sighed. "Confused already, Inuyasha?" he growled. Inuyasha scowled.
"I need to use the bathroom." He sneered. Sango stifled a giggle- for one thing, he sounded so serious about using the bathroom. For another, he WASN'T going to use the bathroom. He wanted to check on Kagome, and it was dead obvious. Sesshoumaru pointed at the door in disgust.
"Make sure you don't come back either." He ordered.
"Not a problem." Inuyasha called from the hallway. Sesshoumaru glared at his retreating back, and then at the rest of the class.
"If anyone else wants to disrupt my class, please take the opportunity to do so now." He cracked his sharp-nailed fingers, and the class paled.
*~*~*
"Sit down, Miss Higurashi." The Principal said smoothly. Kagome shivered- she hated being around him. He seemed so, so- it was hard to explain. She really didn't like him.
"Yes, Principal Naraku."
*~*~*
A/N: Ooh, cliffhanger. Or not, but hey. This chapter was a whole lot longer and less fluffy than I originally imagined- like, it was supposed to have about 3 or 4 more scenes in it. But then I got to this part I thought to be evil, so I did. And am evil. Muahaha. Buaha.
To my one (count 'er, ONE) reviewer, who coincidentally is one of my best friends:
RK-128- thank you, as usual, for your review and enthusiasm. I'm glad you're enjoying my story, because I'm having a ball writing it. It may be the longest story I've ever written, it's that fun. And "those things" * should * happen next chapter, unless I get too into the writing and expand everything. Then I'll have to chop 'em up.
Next chapter: Naraku and Kagome's meeting (plus, where did Inuyasha go?) and then Miroku has a surprise for us all. And maybe more. I dunno.
I'm a bit disappointed that so few read this story, because as I told RK, it's soo so so so much fun to write. But I guess that's my gift with this one- I love writing it. * thinks * Yeah. I don't need yo' stinkin' reviews! Just kidding. . . come back, I love you all! * cries *
Ok, you know what? I'm odd.