Chapter 16: Drunk Again

Miroku sat at the kitchen table his head down and his tongue lolling out. After downing seven shots of tequila he wasn't feeling any better than he had an hour earlier. He searched the liquor cabinet, looking for another drink since his tequila bottle had been emptied. He found nothing of much interest, but took out an unmarked flask, determined not to quit until his frustrations were drank down the drain. He took a swig from the flask, and was greeted by a sickening taste he couldn't identify, but was too drunk to notice how it tasted. The telephone began to ring, but was left unanswered until Miroku's migraine flared up because of the relentless ringing. "Hello?" he asked with a slur. He was greeted by an annoyingly perky voice on the other end.

"Hi! What's up?" It was Eri. She often called with no reason to back it up, just so she could talk to him and if the opportunity presented itself, get in some surplus flirting. Probably the last person he needed to talk to right now, but his intoxication prevented him from caring.

"You have any alcohol?" Miroku asked the flask near empty.

"Probably. Why? Eri replied, perplexed.

"It doesn't matter. I need a drink."

"You don't sound too good. Are you alright?" Eri asked, actually concerned.

"No. I feel awful."

"You want some company? Maybe I can help." she offered. Once again, the effect of the tequila and whatever was in the flask blocked any sense of judgment, and he accepted.

"That would be nice. Come on over." Miroku said, hanging up the phone. Eri arrived several minutes later.

"Hey." she greeted.

"Hi." Miroku replied. Eri wrinkled her nose at the stench of alcohol, which was thick on his breath.

"You're drunk." Eri stated.

"Yep. What's it to you?" Miroku asked. He made to take another drink from the flask, but Eri snatched it from his hands. "Hey give it." Miroku made a feeble reach for the vessel, but Eri held it as far away from him as she could, causing him to stumble and trip right into Eri in his drunken haze. She struggled to support his weight.

"No more for you." she informed him as she dragged him into his house and laid him on the couch. "We need to get you sober."

"Coffee is in the cupboard upper left of the sink." Eri put some on the roast and returned to the living room. She laid Miroku's head on her lap.

"Comfy?" Miroku nodded in affirmation. "What could've possibly made you get yourself in such a sorry state?" Eri asked.

"I was sad." he simply said.

"Whatever happened couldn't have been this bad."

"Sango dumped me. I deserved it though." he told her.

"What did you do?"

"I cheated on her." Eri frowned at this. She went through all this trouble to have Miroku to herself, and now she learns he had another girl on him?

"Damn straight you deserved it. Who with?"

Miroku looked at her as if she were crazy. "You."

"Me? He must be drunker than I thought. I hate to contradict you, butif you did cheat on her, it wasn't with me." Eri said.

"You sure? So she just dumped me for no reason?" Miroku asked.

"'Afraid so."

"But why would she do that? It's irrational."

Eri rolled her eyes as she stood up and walked to the kitchen. She came back with a mug. "If you haven't noticed, people tend to do irrational things when they're angry. Drink this. You'll feel better." It cleared his head a bit, but the cheap brew did little else. "So," Eri continued after a moderately long pause, "what are you going to do about all this?"

"I'm not going to do anything." Miroku replied taking a long drink from his coffee mug.

"So you're giving up on her? Eri asked hopefully.

"I didn't say that. I'm still going to try and get her back."

"But why? She dumped you! She doesn't trust you! She wouldn't even let you give an explanation! It's her fault you're up for grabs!" Eri frantically complained. "Besides, how do you plan to get her back if you aren't going to do anything?"

"Just because I'm not doing anything, doesn't mean you aren't." Miroku said with a grin.

"Me? What do you want me to do about?"

"Simple. Tell her I didn't cheat on her."

"She probably won't even listen to me. She must hate me now. She thinks I stole you from her."

"Can't you at least try?" Miroku pleaded. "She definitely won't listen to me!"

"Fine. If you really want her back that badly I guess I can give it a shot." Eri said reluctantly.

"Have I told you I love you lately?" Miroku asked.

"No actually, you haven't." Eri replied with a smile miles wide. (Hey, I made a rhyme!) Even though she knew he didn't mean this the way she would've like, she could pretend, couldn't she? "I love you too."

"Good to know. So you promise you'll tell her first chance you get?"

"I promise. I'll try." Eri sighed; "But I'm not promising she'll let me."

"Yes!" Miroku caught Eri in a bone crushing hug, unknowingly cutting off her air. "Anything I can do to make it up to you?" he asked as he let go.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something." she said with a wink.

"You know, as much as I'd love to flirt right now, it probably wouldn't be the best time to tempt me. The last thing I need to do right now is make Sango right." Miroku pointed out.

"Damn!" Eri thought. "True. I'm going to go now."

"Thanks for helping me out."

"No problem you loyal, devoted bastard." She said the last part under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Miroku asked.

"Nothing important. I'll let you know when I talk to Sango." Eri told him as she left. All she could do now was pray Sango either wouldn't believe her, or wouldn't let her speak. Miroku, on the other hand was ecstatic. The first thought that came to his mind was "Yes, I'm going to get her back!" The second was: "Mushin is going to kill me when he finds out I drank some of his liquor. Hopefully he'll be too wasted to notice it's gone."