Awww…..you guys make me feel so loved! I worked hard today and got out this chapter just because you all gave me so many reviews! I send you all pocky and cookies! (fully baked so none of you have to go through what I went through. I was so dumb, yesterday I came home and ate brownie batter and got sick again. I got to stay home from school though, so that's a plus.) On with the story though!
~_~
"Saaaangoooo! I'm booored!" Kagome whined as she lay on her friend's bed. Sango sighed.
"Me too. What do you want to do?"
"I dunno. What do you want to do?"
"I dunno. What do you want to do?"
"I dunno. This little exchange of words could go on for days. Hey, do you know tae-bo?"
"I love that tape! Want to go work out? We have a gym with a big tv."
"Sure!" Kagome leapt up to get changed into her work out clothes. After both girls had changed into their shorts and tops, they headed off through the maze of halls to the gym. It was just as large as Sango said and filled with equipment. Sango popped the tape into the vcr and got into her stance.
~_~
"Where do you think the ladies went? I haven't seen them all day." Miroku leaned on the door frame to InuYasha's room. His friend shrugged and got up off his bed. "Want to go find out? It'd beat sitting around up here." InuYasha merely followed Miroku in silence, still trying to think about what to do with the Kagome situation.
They searched for what felt like, and most likely was, hours. "I dunno what they're doing, but they hid themselves well." Miroku said.
"You hear that?" InuYasha's ears perked up and swiveled around independently.
"I don't have your hearing, remember?"
"Oh, sorry. It's coming from the gym." He lead the way to the gym and found Sango and Kagome punching and kicking away to the commands on the tv. "What the-" He stopped midsentence as he took in their work out clothes. Both girls wore black spandex shorts and sports bras, hair tied up into pony tails. Miroku's jaw dropped on sight.
"OH? You guys found us! We were just doing some tae-bo." Kagome said cheerfully, despite the fact that she was covered in sweat and her arms felt weak.
"Ah, sissy boxing." InuYasha mocked. Sango frowned angrily.
"Hey, we could kick your asses with our hands tied behind our backs!" Sango called.
"Is that a challenge?" InuYasha replied, seeing as Miroku was still staring lecherously.
"I think so! Bring it on!" Kagome waggled her finger invitingly. Soon the fight was on. It only took one kick for Sango to take out Miroku since he was still off in la la land. Kagome tried to land a hit on InuYasha, but he easily caught her wrist every time.
"What are you? Something from the Terminator?" she gasped as he neatly caught her ankle.
"Hmm, maybe. And down she goes!" he swiftly knocked her onto the mat.
"I'm never finished." Kagome said and tripped him so that he lay on the floor next to her. "Since I obviously can't take you for punches, I guess I'll have to get original." She rolled over and began to swiftly tickle him, running her hands over every possible sensitive spot she could reach. Tears rolled down his face as his sides cramped up from laughing.
"Please...stop! Ka..Kagome! You're..you're k-killing me!" InuYasha gasped in between laughing.
"I guess learning how to torture a little brother paid off!"
"Wha- what can I..do to...to make you stop?"
"Hmm...let me think..."
"Take your..time!"
"Apologize to me for calling tae-bo sissy boxing."
"Done! So-rry! Sorry!"
"And one more thing!"
"Any..anything!"
Sango and Miroku watched with baited breath to see what she'd do next. InuYasha looked ready to die. His face was turning red and was covered in tears and his laughs were turning into gasps.
"How much you want to bet she doesn't stop 'til he wets his pants?" Miroku muttered. Sango giggled. It seemed like something Kagome would do.
"Okay! I have my second condition! You owe me one favor, redeemable at any time!"
"Fine! Now get off! Please!" he gasped. Kagome stopped her torture and ruffled his hair.
"I guess. Now you'll think twice when you flip me like that." Kagome walked out of the gym to take a shower, leaving InuYasha to lay on the floor and recover from the attack.
~_~
Sango rolled quietly out of bed. She was sore from the previous day's activates and needed to do something stress relieving. She got up and dressed in a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt. A walk on the beach would do just fine. She forsook her shoes in favor of feeling the sand between her toes and left the house. The beach was just in their back yard, making the mansion almost perfect. The tide washed upon the sand quietly. There weren't any tourists or beach bums out yet, allowing her some time with nothing but her thoughts.
'I wish I knew what Miroku thought of me. He treats all women the same, grope, will you bear my child, how you doin', it was always the same. I think I love him, but he's always so indifferent. I'm just a friend and nothing more. Maybe I should give it up and find some other guy to go head over heels with. No, I could never let him go, even if he is a total lech at times. He can be really nice though, and thoughtful. Like that one time he brought me flowers and a movie when I was sick and then watched the movie with me. I just don't know what to do.' Sango sighed and wandered out into the salty water. She splashed through the little waves until a sharp blinding pain shot through her foot.
"Dammit!" She screamed and fell into the sand. Her foot was already turning a strange pinkish red. "Stupid jellyfish." She moaned and tried to stand up. The pain made her vision blur, but finally she got up the nerve to withstand it. Sango hobbled slowly back to the mansion, the pain growing with every step. She half crawled to the back door that opened into the kitchen. She got up the will to stand and pounded on the door.
Miroku's face popped out of the door and took in Sango's state. "What happened?"
"A jellyfish stung my foot and it really hurts! Can you help me?" Sango pleaded. Miroku opened the door all the way and scooped her up into his arms. He carried her carefully to the living room and deposited her on the couch. He found a foot stool and propped up her foot then took off for supplies.
Miroku returned with a wash cloth, a basin filled with warm water, allergy cream, bandages and meat tenderizer. He sat down on the stool and placed her red foot in his lap gently.
"May I ask why you have the spices? Planning to eat my foot after you cut it off?"
"No, it makes the sting feel better. Trust me." Miroku said as he began to wash the salt water and sand off of her foot. He carefully applied the meat tenderizer to the area then placed some allergy cream over it. After he finished with the cream, he bandaged her foot and stood up. Miroku began to clean up the mess and returned with a glass of coke and an ice pack.
"I thought you might be thirsty after hopping your way up the entire beach and then up the lawn to the door." he explained. His violet eyes locked with and he leaned down to swiftly kiss her on the lips. Sango merely sat there in shock as he pulled away. "Sorry." he muttered and began to walk away. Miroku had kissed her and she hadn't done anything?! He must have thought she was some kind of emotionless freak! He must have thought she was Sesshomaru!
"Miroku!" She called after him He stopped in the door way and turned around, hanging his head shamefully.
"Yeah?"
"I would do the whole run to catch up with the guy and try it again thing, but my feet are kind of out of commission right now. If you want to try again you'd have to come to me. I'd like to try again if you don't mind." She added as an after thought, blushing furiously.
"You weren't angry? But why didn't you do anything?" Miroku asked densely.
"You really, really, reeeaallly caught me off guard. It's not every day that someone doctors your wounds and then kisses you. At least, not everyday in the real world. The movies are a different story." Sango smiled at him and shrugged.
"You sure?"
"Why would I be offering?"
Miroku walked back over and sat down next to her on the couch. He leaned and gently kissed her. Sango actually responded this time, her lips pressing passionately against his. She locked her arms around his neck, closing whatever space that was left between them. Finally they came up for air, gasping.
"Much, much better." Sango sighed. Miroku wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest. Sango leaned back happily, despite the fact that her foot was still burning.
"And to think that when I was walking on the beach I was worried that I would never have you." she muttered into his chest. He rested his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes.
"You were worried about me? I'm touched, really."
"Been worried for a long time. You like so many women and there's only one of me."
"That's because I thought you'd never see me as anything but the lecherous drummer and your house mate. And one of you is far more than enough when you up and hit me."
"We're both very dumb and need to accept that." Sango wrapped her arms around his waist and lay there contentedly. She silently thanked that jellyfish that stung her since it had brought them together. The pain was sufferable.
~_~
Sango loped up to her bedroom, a sloppy grin plastered to her face. They had watched a movie, ate lunch together and indulged in more than a few kisses. She threw open the door to Kagome's room and lay down next to her on the bed. Kagome looked up from her reading and thrust the book under her pillow.
"What's got you looking so wrecked? Are you okay? Sango? Earth to Sango!" Kagome called as her friend drifted off into space.
"He likes me. He really, really, really likes me."
"Who? Miroku?"
"Oooh, Miroku. Miroku, Miroku." Sango looked as if she had floated out of her body. "Kami bless all jellyfish, for they bring people together. In veeery good ways." Sango sighed. Kagome was beginning to worry. Sango was never this drifty. She looked her over carefully before noticing a smudge of lip-gloss across her mouth.
"He kiss you? Your lip-gloss is everywhere if not."
"Oh yeah...god said let there be love and it was good."
"I don't think that's a real verse. Do tell though."
"What is there to say? He kissed me! And what book was that?" Sango reached for the novel and found her hand being smacked away ferociously. After a small struggle she wrestled the book form Kagome's grasp. "Master of the Night? Kagome, you read smut?"
"Shut up! I stole it from your room! I just wanted to see what was so great about them!"
"Have you gotten to chapter three yet?"
"No! Don't ruin it! Now describe the kiss! Why'd he'd do it? What was going on?"
Sango launched into a description of what had happened, Kagome sighing at all the right points. It sounded absolutely romantic to her. Kagome inwardly wished she had someone to kiss her. She accidentally allowed that thought to slip from her brain and out of her mouth. Sango looked smug.
"Bet I know who you wish would kiss you." She smirked as Kagome threw a pillow at her. "You know he likes you a lot. He'd definitely be willing to do that with you."
"How do you know?"
"Miroku told me. At the same time you were talking to me, InuYasha was talking to him about the same thing. Now all you need to do is wait for slowness to make or a move, or for an opportune moment to make one yourself." Kagome groaned loudly.
"And when would we find time to do that? We're always all together and he seems a little shy about doing anything romantic. Maybe because of Kikyo, huh?"
"Probably. Me and Miroku are going out on an official date this weekend. Maybe you and InuYasha could get to know one another. Talk or something. It's an idea." Sango shrugged at Kagome's stoic look and rolled over onto her back. "I think Miroku's the one. Maybe his lechery will...improve, I think is the word."
"Yeah, right. He'll just be more inclined to be lechy towards you. Ah, think of the gropes he'll lay on you! You'll be attached hand to bum!" Sango looked distraught at the sheer idea of that happening. "I was kidding! Kidding! I think he'll get better. Just don't worry about it. I'm the one that needs to worry." Kagome slid the book back under her pillow and got off her bed.
"Where you going?"
"To wander aimlessly and think about how romantically challenged I am."
~_~
Kagome ended up back on the boys' floor. She walked down the hall, looking for nothing in particular until she noticed a new door was open. It was usually locked up tight. She'd tried to enter before and found the industrial dead bolt did its job very well. She poked her head in the doorway and peered in.
InuYasha sat in the middle of a fair sized room at a large desk, guitar and polish in hand. The entire room was filled with guitars, some new some vintage. Many were signed by a previous famous owner. He had what looked like an older one in his lap, polishing away fervently. His long, white hair was tied back to keep it away from his face, sleeves rolled up exposing strong biceps. He looked lean but was actually packed with muscle.
"I've never seen a collection this big." Kagome said quietly. InuYasha swiveled around on his stool to face her.
"It's a hobby. Want to come in and look around?" Kagome took him up on the invite, figuring it might be the only time he would extend such a courtesy. "I've been collecting since I was about thirteen and decided to become a star if it killed me. I'm still alive, so I guess I achieved my goal." He shrugged and grinned before returning to his work.
"Heard the news?"
"Miroku's a little bit of a lech and just got to a higher level of romance so why would he hold it in?"
"True." Kagome looked around the room as an awkward silence began.
"Um, you can take some down and look at them if you want." InuYasha choked on his own words as he began polishing even harder than before. Kagome's mere presence drove him insane lately and the feeling was getting stronger as the seconds ticked by.
"Where did you get them all?" She attempted to make small talk, trying desperately to ignore the flips her heart was doing in her chest.
"Online auctions, flea markets, dealers, even guitar shops. You can get any instrument for a good price if you look around a bit. You only have that one guitar, right?"
"Yeah. I worked hard to earn enough money for it. There's one I've been looking at the guitar place for months, but there isn't a chance I could ever afford it."
"Which one?"
"You know, the sea foam green one, white pick guard."
"The signature series one." An idea formed in his mind as he polished even harder. Suddenly the entire bottle of liquid spilled onto his shirt. He let out a string of curses that would have seared a sailor's ears as he threw off the now ruined article of clothing. Kagome's eyes widened at the sight of him shirtless and she began to stare. He was built like an athlete, six pack and all.
'He must work out a lot.' she though before noticing she was still looking at him. She blushed madly and turned her eyes away. "I-I need to eat something. Later." she said and fled the room. InuYasha looked up, not hearing a thing she said and saw that she had gone.
~_~
Review Replies! (haha, my computer hates all of your screen-names. It capitalizes them and tries to tell me they're all spelled wrong! Nad it hates the tickling scene! It tries so hard to tell me it's all wrong. Anyways…)
Does it REALLY Matter: Thanks! Kagome and InuYasha haven't known each other as long as Sango and Miroku, so they'll be a while. Quite a few more chapters.
Jonathold: *blushes insanely* Your fav? No way! You're kidding! I know you have to be! I think I've heard some of MC5's songs, I usually forget the names of most bands. I'm just, "Oh that's that song! By those guys!" I know, world peace and cocaine do not mix. No, I never get to hear Howard Stern. They only play him on the radio here at 5 am and then he's on tv at like, 4 am and NO CHANCE of me being up at those times. You're taking german? Cool, I have a german friend. In the news paper they'd advertised these german things as muffins, but when I showed her the word she said that it wasn't muffins, it was snails. Blech.
Scottiedog: Are you trying to kill me? More cookie dough? If I eat cookie dough I'll get sick again! But thanks for the review!
Anubaka: You play bass? Kick ass. I play a little guitar myself. I'd love to play bass though! I think I did okay with the instrument matches, I just did what I thought worked.
TheOneAndOnlyPeach: You guys make me blush so much! I didn't think I was that good…
Blackcat92: Kikyo? *laughs nefariously* Oh yes! She can't be gone! Wuhahahahaha!
Punkprincess666: Thanks!
Kirei-kitsune13: I feel much better! Thanks!
LadyCatBailey: I feel so loved! I send you hugs. Did you ever get the novel back? Did you finish it? What was it about? Email me about it if you want. That rooster sounds scary! Glad you got the eat the sucker. Hooray for hick-iness! I think we're all a little perverted at times. Just read the quote of the day. ^_~
Shaeya Sedjet: Thanks! I love Simon too, he's the best! I just couldn't help having InuYasha make Simon like remarks! Simon rocks. He's tells it like it is.
Someone: Penguins kick much butt! Thanks!
Sparrow of the Damned: Thanks! Here's the update!
BlueDragonBoarder: Thanks! Inu/Kag rocks! I like San/Mir too, but Inu/Kag forever.
TRunK-loVEr: Aww! As always? *blush*
Foxshadow: You got my email, so you got your reply early! Thanks again!
Anonymus_girl1_: Don't go crazy! Here ye be!
~_~
Quote of the Day!
"If you have a dirty mind, you'll see dirty things. Obviously we are very perverse." Me, talking about a joke t-shirt and where to wear it.
Here's another 'cause I can't resist.
"…some people take the manhood out of the frog on accident. They're not going to jump out and say 'here are the testes!'" My science teacher. (we're dissecting frogs)