A/N: I just finished watching Meet Joe Black. I love that movie. It's so bittersweet and cute. So now I'm in a girly mood and hence this story gets updated. Oh, and if you'd like to see what Tasuki looks like I have a picture of him on my profile webpage. He's a real cutie. ;-) Enjoy! Belle
Number One Priority: Chapter 9
Miroku arrived back at work, out of breath as he rushed through the doors to the lab. Inside Tasuki was trying to reassure the boss that Miroku would be there at any moment. The boss looked past his red haired, fiery tempered employee to see Miroku gasping for air.
The older man approached the youth worriedly. "Miroku, son, are you alright?" Eyes as golden as the sun shined down on Miroku from the towering height of his boss.
"Yes, Professor Suzaku I'm alright. I'm just feeling a little under the weather," Miroku told him breezily, hoping to avoid any deep interrogation by the man. He didn't need to know of Miroku's recent preoccupation.
Professor Suzaku scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, so I hear." He clapped a hand on Miroku's shoulder, rather forcefully, causing the young man to flinch slightly at the weight. "Look here boy, I want you to see a doctor this afternoon. Tasuki can wrap up the work here, I'll help. We can't have you contaminating our work. So don't come back until after that checkup, you hear?"
"Of course sir, I'll go right now. I have a friend that can probably work me in at the hospital." Miroku flashed Tasuki an apologetic smile of Suzaku's shoulder, earning him an annoyed glare and the finger as a parting gesture.
"Go on then." Suzaku urged as he shoved Miroku back out the door. "Don't come back until after you've seen the doctor!"
Miroku couldn't believe his luck. He owed Tasuki big for convincing the professor that he was ill. If he hadn't done that he'd most likely have been fired. Sometimes he wondered if Tasuki had been some sort of con- artist in a past life. Everyone knew that Miroku had to have been.
It was time to call in a favor to old Sherie at the local hospital. She was a receptionist that Miroku had taken out on a date before. She was a real looker, but she had the personality of a snail, not that Miroku was that picky about personality when it came to the women he dated.
Hopefully she wouldn't hold it against him that he never called her back.
A short time later, he had finally walked to the hospital ER. Even if he wasn't in any need of emergency assistance, if they weren't busy perhaps Sherie could work him in to see a doctor. He spotted her behind the receptionist desk, she smiled in greeting. It didn't appear that she held any grudges.
"Ah, my lovely Sherie, how are you this fine afternoon?" Miroku greeted as he reached for her hand to place a gentle kiss on the back of it. She giggled at his attention. She definitely didn't seem to be holding a grudge against him.
"Miroku, you never called me," she pouted when he released her hand.
"My apologies, I was forced to dedicate myself to my studies. It is important for a man to receive a fine education so that he might attain a good job to support his beloved future wife," Miroku explained.
Sherie giggled again. "That way you can afford all those children she'll bare for you?"
"You know me so well." Miroku crossed his arms before his chest before making his request. "I need a favor. My boss requested that I see a doctor today. I haven't been feeling well, is there anything you can do?"
Sherie looked down at the schedule to see who was present. She chewed on her pen cap thoughtfully as she analyzed the list. "Well, I think the medical student should be able to see you." She looked up at him. "I think you may know Suikotsu."
Miroku nodded. "Yes, he's the older brother of my frat brother, Bankotsu."
"Well just hold on a moment and I'll hand you the paper work to fill out. He should be able to see you within the hour," Sherie smiled as she handed him the clipboard with all the papers.
#################
Kouga glared at the maintenance men for their incompetence. He had shoved them out of the way to open the elevator door himself. They had assured him originally that the fault was in the electrical wiring, but when that didn't open the doors and their attempts with the crow bar failed he took matters into his own hands.
He could hear the screech of the metalic doors. He couldn't leave Kagome alone with that Inuyasha. Who knew what sort of bewitchment that white haired, ill mannered, neighbor of his would pull on the defenseless young lady? Her honor was at stake here!
"You better not be trying any funny business you hear me dog-breath? If you do I'll personally strangle you with your own intestines! You got that!" Kouga growled through the cracks between the doors, certain that the two inside heard.
"Keh! As if I would try anything on someone like her!" Inuyasha shouted back. A distinctive slapping sound could be heard following that statement. That sound brought a smile to Kouga's lips as he continued to try and force the elevator doors open.
A shuffling of feet could be heard behind Kouga and the now lounging maintenance men who decided to observe instead of help. "What's going on here Kouga?"
Kouga turned to see his roommate standing behind him, a tired expression marring his normally exuberant features. Tasuki ran his fingers through his wild red hair, his exhaustion evident in his movements.
"It seems that dog-breath and Kagome are stuck in the elevator together," Kouga answered as he placed the crow bar back to prying open the doors. Tasuki kneeled beside him and took the bar from his hands to contribute his effort to the task.
They could hear laughter coming from inside the elevator. Tasuki couldn't keep the scowl off his face. "Inuyasha, why don't you do something productive and try to open these doors from your side."
"Keh, why should I?" Came the muffled reply.
Tasuki looked over at Kouga and the two shared mischievous grins. "Because we don't know how much oxygen you have left. You don't want to die in an elevator do you?" Tasuki told him, fighting the laughter that wanted to burst from his tired lips at the panicked voice of Kagome from the inside, obvious shaking Inuyasha around. If that's not incentive he didn't know what was. Tasuki may have liked Kagome, but most women got on his nerves but they were good for rising a panick.
"Besides," Kouga added, "you'd hate to die a virgin wouldn't you." Kouga and Tasuki high fived at the comment when more cursing ensued from the inside.
"Damn you!" Inuyasha yelled. "You don't know anything about me!" He shouted, his voice sounding inches from the crack in the doors they were trying to spread.
"Really? You're not a virgin? What will your mother think when she hears her son has been having sexual relations outside of wedlock?" Kouga exclaimed back.
It was all the two roommates could do to keep from laughing when they heard Kagome comforting Inuyasha. She was telling him not to be ashamed about such things. It was really quite honorable to wait until marriage. That's what she intended on doing.
Tasuki and Kouga's laughter died at her words. She was comforting Inuyasha about being a virgin? Wow, she didn't know him at all. If there was a playboy other than Miroku, it would be that boy.
#####################
Miroku sat upon the examination table with his friend Suikotsu standing before him. They were both frowning over the results of the tests just run over Miroku's blood.
"I'm sorry man. I've never had to deal with this sort of thing before." Suikotsu apologized.
Miroku wiped his bangs away from his eyes. He couldn't believe this. There had to be some sort of mistake. "Are you sure? Maybe you mixed up the results." He suggested hopefully.
Suikotsu's frown deepened at the suggestion. "I am not so careless as to mix up the results."
Miroku hands fisted against the medical's student's lab coat. He drew his face within inches of the other man's. "But there must be a mistake! Don't you understand? I can't be dying! I have so much to live for! I'm so young, you have to be mistaken."
Suikotsu calmly removed Miroku's hands from his coat lapels. "I am sorry Miroku, but the tests do not lie. If these results are accurate, you only have three months to live tops. I truly regret being the one to tell you this."
Miroku pushed past the student. "You're wrong! You aren't even a doctor! You don't know anything." He pushed back the curtain that had given him privacy from the other patients in the ER. He marched out of the ER, no goodbyes to the receptionist. The words of Suikotsu were the only thing on his mind.
He only had three months to live, tops.
He shook his head, tears of frustration welling in his violet orbs. There had to be some mistake. He should turn back around and demand to see a real doctor, but what if he was wrong and those results really were his? He was going to die!
The streets of Tokyo were crowded, but never before had Miroku felt so alone. Women giggled as he walked past them, blushing when he glanced their way. Was his life so meaningless? Was he just another handsome face? The only thing he ever really wanted to accomplish in life was be a good father. Now he wouldn't even have time to create that child.
Sure, he could probably find plenty of women willing to do the act of creation. However, he wanted a woman of integrity, honor, intelligence and compassion to bear his child. His list of women who fit that bill was few and far between. And he had only three months to live.
His apartment complex soon came into view and he walked through the lobby, surprised at the sight before him. Tasuki and Kouga were busy prying open the doors to the elevator. They had them pulled apart by about five inches. There were several maintenance men sitting idly beside them watching their work with amusement.
"What's going on?" Miroku demanded as he came to stand behind his two neighbors and friends.
"Miroku! Is that you?" Kagome's voice cried from inside the dark elevator.
"Kagome? What are you doing in there?" Miroku called back.
"Hurry! You have to help me out of here! Inuyasha doesn't want to die a virgin and I'm the only other person stuck in this elevator with him!" Kagome called out with lots of grumbling in the background from a certain silvery white haired individual no doubt.
Miroku knew that Kagome didn't have to worry about such a thing, but the fact that she was stuck in an elevator with his friend of less than reputable behavior was enough to send his blood boiling. Forgetting that he was a weak man with only three months to live he stole the crow bar from the other men and pried the door open himself.
Where he attained the strength to do such a thing was beyond all those who had been working on the metal doors all afternoon. Within moments, the doors were open wide and Miroku had quickly pulled out Kagome and embraced her against him.
Miroku and Inuyasha stared the most deadly glare imaginable as Inuyasha crossed his arms and calmly walked out of the elevator. "I wouldn't want anything to do with a dog like her anyway." Inuyasha replied with a sneer.
That statement caused Miroku to tighten his hold on Kagome and pull her into an even closer embrace. She didn't need to be called such things. He didn't know that she would be able to handle such statements after all the insulting crap that Hojo jerk put her through.
"You will apologize," Miroku warned.
"Keh, I will do no such thing." Inuyasha declared.
Kouga and Tasuki then flanked Miroku, each resting a hand upon Kagome's back. It was a silent gesture of comfort and strength.
Inuyasha turned around and walked away, taking the stairs, not uttering another word.
Kagome pulled away from Miroku. "I'm over reacting, sorry guys. I just don't like small places, like elevators. He wouldn't have tried anything anyway, I am rather plain and ugly." Her self-esteem had plummeted about fifty degrees.
Three sets of jaws had fallen at her declaration, including some bewildered stares by the maintenance men. "That's not true," Tasuki argued.
She smiled sadly at them. "It's all right, don't worry about it. But, I don't think I want to go back up there if I have to see him again."
"You can come back to our apartment," Kouga suggested.
"I think that would be a good idea," Kagome agreed. Miroku placed his arm around Kagome's shoulders to guide her towards the stairs and the floor that their apartment was located.
"Kagome!" A masculine voice shouted, drawing their attention. Kagome instantly brightened at the young man.
"Hotohori! How wonderful to see you!" Kagome answered back, a cheerful smile brightening up her features making the melancholy girl of the past seem a distant memory.
Hotohori laughed at her enthusiasm as he swept her into his arms and twirled them in a full circle before placing her back on her feet. He leaned down and gave her an eskimo kiss, brushing the tip of his nose against hers. "We've got great news!" He reached into his pocket and procured a set of keys.
"What is this?" Miroku demanded. He didn't like the look of this action at all. From the looks of things it would seem that Hotohori was giving her a key to his apartment. This was completely unacceptable.
Hotohori frowned at the man before answering. "It's the key to her and Kikyo's apartment." He looked back at Kagome before continuing. "She came by the photoshooting today and dropped them off. She said you can start moving in immediately. Her things are already there."
Kagome looked down at the keys in shock. "This is all so sudden." She looked over at Miroku and gave a half smile at him. "I didn't even get a chance to tell you that I agreed to move in with Kikyo in the apartment below Tasuki and Kouga's."
Miroku was watching her closely, an odd expression on his face. "When are you leaving?" He asked quietly.
"I guess as soon as possible. I'd rather not deal with Inuyasha any more than I have to," she answered honestly.
"Well lets have dinner over at our apartment, then we can help you move in tonight," Tasuki suggested.
Kagome gave the man an impromptu hug at the suggestion which he didn't hesitate to return. "That's a wonderful idea Tasuki!"
Kouga covered his mouth moments before a jaw popping yawn escaped him. "It's a good thing the place is already clean. You want to call Chichiri and Nuriko too? I know they were over at your place the other day." Kouga asked Miroku.
Miroku nodded silently as he continued to watch the interactions between Kagome and these men. She seemed especially close to Hotohori, but then the way she so casually hugged Tasuki also bothered him. The feeling of a knife in his gut caused him to wonder if the words of Suikotsu held truth, maybe he was dying after all!
"Is something wrong, Miroku?" Kagome asked him, her expression worried as she placed her hand on his forehead. "Your face is very red and you feel a little feverish."
Miroku pushed her hand away. "I'm fine." He happened to see over Kagome's shoulder. Sango stood in the doorway of the lobby watching their exchange with a hurt expression.
Kagome seemed to notice where his gaze was directed, as did Hotohori, Tasuki, and Kouga. Kagome stepped away from Miroku and tugged on Hotohori's sleeve, gaining his attention immediately.
"Yes Kagome?" He smiled down at her, his golden eyes danced with compassion.
"Isn't that the girl we ran into the other day? After we left the bookstore?" Kagome asked quietly. Hotohori nodded. "What was her name?"
"Sango." Miroku muttered, not hearing Kagome's question but answering it anyway.
Kagome looked from him towards Hotohori who nodded his head in affirmation at the name. Kagome looked back towards the girl and waved at her. "Sango- chan! Come on over here. We were about to enjoy a relaxing dinner together. It would be great if you joined us."
As Sango slowly closed the distance between herself and the set of friends, Kagome nudged Miroku in the ribs. He turned towards her, an unreadable expression on his face. She wasn't sure, but it seemed as if his eyes held some sort of unspoken pain, she'd have to ask him about that later. "I don't want to have all you boys fighting over me at dinner," she winked at him playfully.
Miroku returned the gesture with a twitch of the corner of his lips. He couldn't bring himself to smile. There was too much truth to her statement and the feeling in his stomach was not easing. He redirected his attention to Sango. He wasn't so sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that she would be joining them for dinner.
On the bright side, at least Inuyasha wouldn't be there too.
TBC