Chapter 20: Excuse Me, but May I Marry Your Daughter?
Months had passed since the liberation of Kagome and the defeat of Naraku. Since Miroku had destroyed a good portion of the shikon jewel along with Naraku, the group no longer needed to quest to recover the shards and restore the entire gem. All the members of the group went back to their lives previous to the destruction of the jewel. Sango went back to slaying demons for profit. Miroku preformed exorcisms, also for profit. And Kagome of course, had gone back home to finish high school, but often returned to visit her friends.
Since Inuyasha had spent the fifty years prior to Kagome's arrival pinned to a tree, he became a bum of a demon spending most of his time with Sango. The two had become pretty good friends. Since Kagome and Miroku often wanted time alone, the huntress and the hanyou hung out with one another often, and learned they actually related to each other in more ways than one. When Inuyasha wasn't chilling with Sango, he was complaining either to Kagome or Miroku, Kagome for not bringing instant Ramen noodles or to Miroku for stupidly destroying the jewel. "Why'd you have to go and absorb the jewel, you damned fool of a monk? Now I'll never be a true demon!" he would shout. Though Inuyasha would never admit it, he had abandoned the prospect of become a full-fledged demon after nearly getting killed by Sesshomaru after defeating Gatenmaru. He just wanted an excuse to yell.
Right now, Miroku was searching for Inuyasha and Sango. He had a very important question for his friends the considered him and Kagome, but Kagome couldn't know about it until the time was right. He found the pair in the sacred Bhodi tree. Sango and Inuyasha both sat in a low hanging branch, chatting with each other. "Ahoy! Could you two come down for a second? I gotta ask you something." Sango and Inuyasha heard Miroku, but were much too interested in their conversation to bother with Miroku. "Hey, lovebirds! You listening?" Miroku asked. The word 'lovebirds' got the attention of both Sango and Inuyasha. Inuyasha dropped from the branch and seized Miroku by his throat.
"Listen to me monk and listen well. If you ever call me and Sango lovebirds again, I will see to it personally that your death is nice and slow." Inuyasha growled intimidatingly.
"Oh yeah?" Sango interjected, also dropping to the ground from the branch. "Not if I get to him first."
Miroku grinned in spite of his situation. "No need to hide it. I'm glad that you two were able to get over me and Kagome and move on. My congratulations and blessings go to you both."
While Inuyasha and Sango had both warmed up to the idea of Kagome and Miroku being a romantic couple, the former were far from being in love themselves. "You can shove your congratulations and blessings up your ass! We don't want them!" Inuyasha shouted.
"Let's change the subject to what you were going to ask us before Inuyasha loses his temper with you." Sango suggested.
"A brilliant notion!" Miroku, still held by Inuyasha took a small jewelry box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a lovely ring of white gold, set with several precious stones. A twenty-five gram emerald flanked by a smaller diamond on either side.
Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow, looked at the ring for a moment, and then at Miroku, his expression still a quizzical one. "Miroku, if you are asking me to marry you, prepare yourself for disappointment." Inuyasha forewarned the priest, releasing him from his tight grip.
Miroku bopped him over the head with his staff. "It's not for you, you lunatic! It's for my dear Kagome of course."
"You're going to ask Kagome to marry you?" Sango asked in bewilderment. "Are you sure about this? I mean you've only been together for a few months."
"I think it's a great idea!" Shippo, who was also about, butted in with exclamation. "Miroku and Kagome are in love! Why shouldn't they get married?" Shippo looked down for a second, as if just realizing something and turned to Inuyasha. "Then again, you and Sango are in love, and you aren't getting married."
Inuyasha slapped his forehead with a groan. "Miroku, what kind of twisted thoughts have you placed in this poor child's head?"
"Of course I'm sure!" Miroku answered Sango's question, as if Inuyasha had not said anything. "I've been with her long enough to know that I could never be happy without her. Besides, I've saved every copper I've made from my exorcism's to buy this ring, and it would be a shame to have to have to hawk it just because if a little uncertainty."
"Well, if there's no changing your mind, then I wish you luck with your proposal." Sango said. A moment of silence followed, and Miroku, Shippo and Sango all looked at Inuyasha as if expecting him to say something. It took the dense dog-boy a moment to notice the stares and decipher what they meant. The look he gave in return said 'What do you want me to say?' "Do you have anything to say Inuyasha?" Sango led him.
"Oh." Inuyasha replied, finally realizing where this was going. "She'll never say yes." Sango stomped on his toe, sending Inuyasha the clear message that he had not said the right thing. "I mean good luck with that." Inuyasha tried again, biting back a cry of pain.
"I know she'll say yes." Shippo encouraged Miroku, defiant to Inuyasha's opinion. "She'll be delighted. I bet she's been waiting."
"Thanks." Miroku said to all. "I'll be going to her time now. I need to ask her family with the proper formalities of course." Miroku went to the well and passed through the now familiar gap in the ages. After exiting the well house he saw Sota playing American football with some friends. Upon noticing Miroku, Sota called a timeout and asked the monk what he wanted.
"Hey Miroku! What's up?" Sota asked cheerfully. "Kagome is up in her room."
"Actually, I didn't come today to speak with your sister. I came to speak with your mother and grandfather. I hadn't planned to ask you, but I suppose you are she family too."
"Ask me what?" Sota pried.
"Well Sota, I plan to ask your sister to marry me, and I wanted to have your permission." Miroku said rather plainly for such a serious topic.
Sota's eyes widened at this, as would the eyes of any brother who just learned a character from five hundred years ago was about to ask his sixteen year-old sister to marry. "Are you serious?"
"Indeed I am." Miroku replied. "Do think I would lie about something like this?"
"No, I didn't mean to offend. If you married my sister, it would make you and me brothers, right?" Sota inquired.
"In-law, yes." Miroku answered.
"That would be awesome! Then I'd have an excuse to go to the feudal era to see you and Inuyasha all I like! You should totally marry my sister!" Sota shouted.
"So I take it that means you approve?" Miroku questioned, not completely understanding the modern slang.
"Hell! You bet your ass I do!" Sota said happily, demonstrating the dirty mouth he had picked up from a certain half dog-demon. "Go in and tell my mom. I have the feeling she'll be all for it."
Sota's feeling however, was wrong. Kagome's mother reacted to Miroku's bid of permission of Miroku much like Sango did, except a lot worse, since it was her daughter they were talking about. "Marry my daughter?" she shrieked. "Have you lost your mind?"
"Miss Higurashi! Not so loud! Kagome's right upstairs and I don't want her to know yet!" Miroku reminded his hopefully mother-in-law. "And a simple no would've sufficed."
Miss Higurashi pulled herself together and sat down again, trying to simmer down from her initial outburst. "I'm sorry I yelled. Now look here Miroku, I'm not saying I don't want you marrying Kagome. In fact, under different circumstances I would love for you to marry Kagome. But she is only sixteen. She is too young to get married!"
"Really? In my time period, any age above fourteen is considered old enough to marry." Miroku explained.
"My daughter isn't from your crazy time period! She is from the modern world!" Miss Higurashi suddenly shouted. She quickly calmed and apologized. "I'm sorry, that was very disrespectful and intolerant of me. Please don't feel offended."
"None taken." Miroku assured her.
"Now Miroku, even if Kagome was from your era, whose cultures are very acceptable by the way, you've only been with my daughter for several months. Don't you think you're being a bit hasty?" Miss Higurashi asked.
"No. I know Kagome and I haven't been an item for very long but I love her more than anything or anyone I ever have. Your daughter is the most beautiful, kind, sweet and loving girl I have ever met, and I believe I have been with her long enough to know I could never live a happy life without her." Miroku recited, resorting to poetry to try and win over Miss Higurashi.
His silver tongue had the desired effect as Miss Higurashi's eyes began to tear up. "That's very beautiful, and I can tell by your face that you meant every word of it. Miroku, you have every level of permission and right to marry my daughter."
Miroku's expression brightened into a smile. He now had only one more family member to receive permission from. "Miss Higurashi, would you be as kind as to tell me of Grandfather Higurashi's whereabouts? I wish to ask his permission as well before I make my proposal."
"Grandpa is outside, tending to the shrine grounds. And you needn't call me Miss Higurashi. Please, call me Mom." Miss Higurashi replied.
Miroku made a small bow of thanks. "T'would be my pleasure Miss H-…I mean Mom." Miroku left to go find Kagome's grandfather.
A/N: I managed to update quickly due to many days that I get off from school this week. The only school day I have this week is Tuesday. No, I'm not rubbing it in O. I had originally planned to make this chapter right after the Naraku battle, but it just wasn't flowing so I did this instead. And it worked out favorably. I also was going to put Miroku's conversation with Grandfather Higurashi, but the chapter was getting long so I decided to save it. Tell me if you think I should've taken this chapter a different direction, I might change it. At least 5 reviews for continuation so get to it! I hoped I wouldn't have to threaten to coax reviews, but I need to know people are reading this! No reason writing something no one is looking at, right?