Chapter Five: Into the Shack
No one had really spoken to each other after Inuyasha's little outburst towards Kouga. After the incident had actually happened, everyone had totally gone mute for several hours, not wanting to cause any more problems then there already were. Everyone was just trying to think things through.
Miroku sighed. They hadn't come across a mansion in weeks. If he was going to become useful, he might as well try to find a decent place for them to stay. Sure, his comrades may find his antics of lying to the richest house in a village just so they could spend a night inside, childish and unfaithful, but in the end, they all would get a good nights sleep no less, correct? He sighed again, reluctantly giving up on finding a nice place to stay the night.
Miroku stopped dead in his tracks. He gazed around the air, feeling the presence of something out of place. Not noticing that Miroku had stopped walking, Sango ran straight into his back, making her almost fall over onto the dirt. "Ow!" She squealed out in frustration from losing her concentration. (hah! that rhymes! frustration, concentration? get it? HAH!) "Why'd you stop, Miroku?" She questioned, rubbing her temple from where she came in contact with his back.
He peered up at his staff, the soft jingles echoing throughout the air. Realizing where he was sensing the danger, he turned his head so he was facing a large wooden shack up ahead, and if he wasn't mistaken, then that shack would be the answer to all their problems. "There." He said. "Up ahead. That shack needs a quick exorcism. Maybe we can all stay there the night as well. I'm sure the people wouldn't mind." He told them all. 'Perfect.' He thought. 'Now I've found us a place to stay and I don't even have to lie to get inside.' He grinned.
"Don't tell me you're lying again Miroku, or I'll punch you clear in the face." Came the bark of a restless canine. Miroku turned to face his "dearest" comrade.
"Now, now. Even if I was lying, you shouldn't complain that I'd give us a decent place to stay. Not to mention it would be free and wouldn't cost us a thing." He told him. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.
"So you mean, you ain't lying?" He asked him. Miroku nodded. "Wow. That's a first." With a quick swipe of his staff, Miroku bonked Inuyasha on the top of his head and left him confused. "Hey! What the hell was that for! You idiot!"
"Just be quiet and let me do my job." Miroku demanded and headed off to the shack. Everyone followed hopefully after the wise monk.
Miroku rapped on the door twice quite loudly. Since it was such a large shack, which appeared to have at least two bedrooms, he at least wanted to make sure someone could be able to hear him knocking. He knocked again, this time, louder than before. "Hmmm..." He sighed. "I suppose this place is abandoned or something." He queried. "But, for payment, or no payment, I still have a bad feeling about this place." He cautiously opened the door, peering through the wide range of area. The other's followed behind closely, giving each other looks of confusion.
"Hello?" Miroku called out. "Hello, is there anyone here?" He scratched his chin. Silence. "I see, so my predictions are correct after all." He decided. Miroku turned his head slowly to the water basin to the left of him and furrowed his eyebrows. He steadily walked toward the basin, glaring at it as if forcefully trying to pry something out of there. 'I'm not totally positive,' He thought. 'But it seems as though there are the presence of two other worldly creatures, not just one. I just can't seem to pinpoint where exactly the other one is...'
The others stared in amusement, gazing at the changing emotions flashing about on the monk's features. Sighing in boredom, Sango studied the room they were in. She peered over at the fire pit in the middle of the room and decided she would start a fire for the night since they would probably be staying there anyways. As she kneeled down to the wood floor she rubbed her finger in the remaining ash from what seemed like it was from a fire that had been burning a long time ago. Sensing danger, she stood up cautiously. "Miroku... in the fire pit..." She told him.
Quickly Miroku knocked the water basin over with his staff, then turned around quickly, eyeing the fire pit before he thrusted his staff forward, landing directly in the middle of it, sending clouds of ash among themselves. Everybody coughed in unison as two demons, a water demon, and a fire demon sprung from the ground. "Damn creatures!" Miroku shouted as he flung numerous scrolls and sutras from his sleeves and hit them both. The demons fell to the ground in a huff and disintegrated, leaving only steam from their where they had fallen.
"Okay. Now that your job is finished, is it okay if we set up our beds? I'm tired and we've been traveling all day." Inuyasha huffed and clambered into one of the two bedrooms.
"Good idea. Sango, you and I will sleep in the opposite room beside Inuyasha and Miroku's bedroom." Kagome agreed and her and Sango fled to the remaining room, leaving Miroku staring quite lustfully at the young woman's rears. He sighed for the eleventh time that day and walked to where his other male comrade had gone.
Later, after everyone had made their futons with sheets, comforters, and pillows, the friends were left to have a chat with one another.
Sango eyed her friend suspiciously as she changed into her short, silky white nightgown. She then peered down at her own robes disappointedly, wishing she could look as half decent as Kagome did. Kagome turned around to find Sango staring at her clothing. "Do you like it Sango?" She asked her. "Isn't it pretty?"
Sango frowned, but nodded in assurance. "It looks so great on you Kagome. I wish I could wear something like that... but..." She trailed off, and gazed toward the sheets she was sitting on. Kagome looked thoughtfully at her friend.
"But what Sango?" She asked her. Sango's face turned red.
"Well... I have always wanted to impress Miroku... I guess... yet, I have nothing flattering like the clothing that you have Kagome." She shuffled her feet through the sheets.
"You really like him... don't you." Kagome questioned. Sango's face turned beet red.
"Umm... yeah... I do..." She confessed. "I just wish that he'd see me more than just a pretty face with the right accessories, you know?"
"Sango... you must be blind. Miroku thinks of you more than that. In fact, I think he has feelings for you as well. You should ask him." Kagome told her. Sango gasped.
"Are you serious?" Sango gaped at her friend. Could it actually be that easy? Does he really like her as well?
"Sure I am! Hey, I'll even let you borrow one of my nightgowns when you go see him!" Kagome exclaimed excitedly. Sango gasped again.
"Huh? You mean, tonight? Right here? Right now! Oh my gosh, what do I say? How do I say it? Oh no... oh no!" Kagome raised her eyebrow.
"Sango, calm yourself down. Don't worry, I'll teach you what to say and what to do." Kagome sat down on the futon beside her friend. Sango gasped once again.
"How do you know so much on this topic?" Realization hit her. "Oh my God! You... you told Inuyasha you loved him, didn't you?" Kagome blushed and nodded furiously. With that, Sango hugged her gleefully.
"Oh Kagome! You're the best! Thank you so much!" Sango told her friend happily.
Meanwhile, in the other room, Miroku had changed his velvet colored robes into his longs white one. He peered at Inuyasha. He had his hakema and haori off, yet, he still had his red pants on. "Inuyasha, I have a question for you." Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of question monk?" He asked him, sitting down on the futon beside him. Miroku looked thoughtful for a moment, and then peered back at his friend who was waiting anxiously for him to ask him his question. Inuyasha was beginning to get uncomfortable with the look he was giving him. "Well?" He asked impatiently.
"How far have you gone with Lady Kagome?" He questioned. Inuyasha fell over onto the floor in shock. He quickly got back up, thrusting his fist in his comrade's face.
"What the hell Miroku!? Don't ask me that!" He shouted. Miroku motioned for him to be quiet with the 'shushing' sound and a finger to his lips. "Why did you ask me that, you pervert?" Inuyasha asked curiously.
"Just wondering..." He trailed off. "But, seriously... you two should think about getting closer together..."
"What!? We're close enough already as it is! What do you expect me to do, claim her!?" Once again, Miroku 'shushed' him and motioned to be quieter.
"Inuyasha, think. She's having fantasies about you right?" Miroku asked him.
"And how the fuck do you know something like that?" He asked angrily.
"I have my ways..." The monk trailed off.
"Yeah... the ways of eaves dropping... bastard..."
"Inuyasha, that's not the point."
"What is the point then?"
"Inuyasha, the point is that I over heard her say she doesn't know how to keep her dreams from getting further into it. Think about it. The only way to stop her dreams from getting further every time is for it to actually happen." Inuyasha was speechless. Sure, he wanted Kagome, more than anything, but... he was just too damn nervous, not to mention pride worthy to do a thing like that. "What I'm saying is..."
"Damnit, I know what your saying, I just don't want you to give me details!" He shouted. Miroku stood up from where he was sitting.
"Listen. I know you're nervous, but you have to face the facts. Number one, you love her. Number two, she loves you. Number three, she's having fantasies about you. Number four, your pride shouldn't be ruined if you do this. For the most part, you should be proud of having Kagome as a mate." Inuyasha blushed at the way that he called Kagome his mate. "So, are you gonna do this, or are you gonna chicken out? Hmmm?" Miroku asked.
Damnit! That stupid monk was just way too persuasive and perverted to be doing this to him. Inuyasha thought hard for a moment. Sure, he wanted her. He had always truly wanted her. What was holding him back from making him hers? Maybe the it's the fact that she would never even consider loving a half-breed... but... she did. She loved him. Inuyasha grunted. How could this be so damn hard? What was holding him back?
"I know what's holding you back." Miroku answered, almost as if he was reading his mind. "You're nervous, aren't you?" Inuyasha blushed and nodded profusely. "Well, I can help you practice what to say and what to do. Do you have any experience with sex?" Inuyasha gasped.
"What!?" He shouted. Miroku smirked.
"I'm just asking a very simple question. For example, have you ever kissed Kikyou before, you know, with tongue?" Inuyasha blinked a few times in shock.
"Ahh... no..." He confessed. "I never really have done anything with her except like... kiss... just not with tongue... and we hugged and stuff but... nothing else." He dropped his gaze to the ground in embarrassment. Leave it to the monk to bring out this side of him: the side that admits to everything. He cursed himself mentally.
"I see. Inuyasha, there is no reason to be ashamed of this certain thing. It's perfectly natural." Inuyasha peered up at the monk hopefully.
"So, you mean, you've never done that stuff either?" Miroku laughed half heartily.
"Well... of course I have done that type of thing. How could I not be the way I am and not get any action?" He chuckled.
"Feh. Whatever." Inuyasha sighed. "So... umm... you gonna help me out, or what?" Miroku smiled at his friend's helplessness.
"I thought you'd never ask!" Miroku jumped up from his seat on the bed and scrambled over to sit next to hid dear friend. "Okay... first you..."
After Miroku was done explaining the techniques and what not to Inuyasha, a knocking was heard at the door. "Come in." Miroku said happily, having just explaining his favorite topic to one of his friends.
Sango and Kagome stood in the doorway of their room wearing short, silk nightdresses. Kagome was dressed in white, while Sango was dressed in a creamy beige colored nightgown. Miroku also noticed that Sango had a faint blush on her cheeks. He immediately got up off the bed and greeted the two young ladies. "Hello Sango. You look positively stunning, as do you Kagome." He complimented them both, all the while not taking his eyes off of Sango. "Is something wrong? Why did you two come to see us this late?"
"Well... I needed to speak with you Miroku..." Sango told him. "Do you mind if us two could talk alone in Kagome and I's bedchamber?" Miroku nodded with a slight smirk. All he could think about was him and Sango... alone... on a bed...
Miroku peered back at Inuyasha and cleared his throat. Inuyasha perked up a bit in his position on the futon and blushed, looking at Kagome. "Ahh... Kagome? I need to speak with you about something too. Do you mind?" Kagome smiled at him and walked over towards the bed. She sat down beside him.
"Of course I don't mind." Inuyasha gulped.
"Kagome? Umm... you know how you told me about your fantasies... and how you didn't know umm... how to... you know, make them stop?" He peered up at her, blushing madly. She nodded. "Well... umm... maybe if it ummm..." Inuyasha stammered. He was trying his best, but when the girl he loved was in heat and was suspiciously well clothed, it was extremely hard to concentrate.
Out of nowhere, Kagome rested her hand on Inuyasha's, squeezing it hard. "Inuyasha. You can tell me anything. You know that right? Don't be embarrassed." She gave him one of her smiles that said it all. He gulped again.
"Do you think if what happens in umm... your fantasies becomes true, do you think they'll stop?" Kagome looked surprised by his question. Inuyasha was just about ready to crawl into a corner and die.
Kagome thought hard for a moment. She had heard different opinions like this one. In most cases, if one had a repeated dream as such, it meant it was either going to happen, or it had to happen for the dream to stop... or something like that. Kagome smiled again. "Sure Inuyasha. It's quite possible they'll stop... but..." Kagome blushed. "Are you sure you actually want to go through with something like that?" Inuyasha smiled back at her.
"Kagome... I... I..." The words couldn't come out. Instead, he lightly placed his lips on top of hers. Kagome's eyes grew wide as he brought her closer to his form. He tenderly wrapped his arms around her. Kagome gasped at the situation. Given this moment, he gently slipped his tongue into her mouth, lightly lapping against hers. The intensity in the kiss sent shivers down her spine all the way to the tips of her toes. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to kiss him back.
Miroku sat down on the bed, patting for Sango to come and sit down beside him. Sango did as was pleaded and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Miroku smiled warmly at her. "Sango. Whatever it is... you can tell me." He assured her. Sango smiled back at him weakly.
"I'm not sure if I really can tell you. I mean, I've told myself tons of times that I could, but... now I just can't bring myself to say the words. Doesn't that sound stupid?" Sango dropped her gaze to the wood floor. She was just about to completely give up hope when she felt an arm gently place it's self around her shoulders. She peered back at the monk, about ready to slap him when she noticed his facial expression. It was like no other she had seen before. Instead of the smug, perverted expression he would normally have, he had a comforting, gentle, and serious depth to his blue violet eyes. "Miroku..."
"You are anything but stupid Sango. I believe I know what it is your trying to tell me." Sango looked shocked. "Sango... I... I..." Miroku stammered on his words and blushed, for the first time in a long time.
"I love you." Sango told him. Miroku gasped. He was correct, and best of all, their feelings for each other were mutual. Miroku embraced her with his strong arms, pulling her body up to press against his.
"I love you too, Sango." He told her, and they stayed in that position for several moments.