All that Time Allows

By Mishi

Chapter 8

It's No Secret

It felt odd being back in his time, because of the modern clothes. At least he wasn't wearing the shoes. That was the one thing that he knew he would never get use to. He didn't see the necessity of wearing shoes. He really hoped that he would not be given any reason to fight while he was dressed like this. His Tetsusaiga wouldn't hang on his body right in these clothes. He wondered how much the clothes would slow him down if he needed to draw it. He was almost tempted to give up and carry the sword in his hand.

The village seemed peaceful enough this morning. Everyone was busy doing their work to notice him walking up to the path. Entering the village was another thing entirely. He had never had the girls looking at him like this before. Did the clothes and clean hair really make that much of a difference? Once again he realized how special Kagome had to be to notice him the way he was.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo yelled joyfully. The moment that Inuyasha entered the hut the kitsune was in his arms. "Where is Kagome?"

"She is resting in her world," he turned his gaze up to see everyone. They were looking at him with strange looks on there faces, "She will be fine. The damage was not as bad as it looked."

"How could that be?" Sango was amazed, "we all thought we were going to loose her."

"Something healed her. I can't explain it. She wasn't in any danger of dying from what they told me."

Kaede looked at him for a long uncomfortable moment then mumbled, "Youkai…?"

"What?" Inuyasha asked hesitantly.

"Could you have wanted her to live so badly that you were able to will your youkai blood to heal her?" She asked. "Your aura is different. It looks softer and more controlled."

"There is something different about you," Miroku insisted.

"Sex has done good things for your appearance, Inuyasha," Kaede said glancing to the pot that was over the fire and then back up at him.

Inuyasha flinched and turned red. "We have not had sex, hag!" He snapped.

"Well, you have done something close enough. I can tell by the way you stand. Your stance is of a man who is sure of himself." She stood up to get a closer look at him, "Kagome always has to fight to make you see any good in yourself. I would have to say that sex would be the only way to get it into your stubborn head."

He swallowed hard. He looked down and past Shippo to focus on the floor, "What would you know?"

"That you would never believe she loved you without it."

"We found the shards after you left," Miroku spoke up trying to get his friend out of the corner he seemed to be trapped in. Although it might have been fun to watch him fidget, Miroku still felt bad about peeking on him and Kagome. He wanted to try to make this easier on him. "The youkai must have been using them to keep him self from our sight. Your strike must've hit him at some point and forced the shards out." The monk pointed to Kagome's backpack, "I put them in the small jar that she keeps in the front pocket."

Inuyasha had never been so glad to have Miroku around. "Good we might have to use them soon," Inuyasha said as he put Shippo down and walked over to pick the picked it up.

"What do you mean?" Kaeda asked with her one good eye opened wide.

"We are going to have a wedding and we might try to use them to take you to Kagome's time."

"Wedding?" Miroku was not familiar with the word.

"It appears to be a ritual that involves everyone we know. She said she can't be my wife without it."

"You mean a bonding ritual? I have heard of such rituals, but I have not seen it. It is a Shinto practice, not a Buddhist one.

Sango jumped to her feet and embraced him, "that is wonderful Inuyasha!"

"Would that work?" Miroku wondered aloud.

"Huh? Oh…we don't know." Inuyasha was caught off guard by Sango's display of affection a. "We are going to try what we can. Kaeda do you have any ideas about why Kagome and I can pass through the well, but others can't?"

"If Sango has the history of the jewel's origins correct, then it could have something to do with your intentions. The souls that are battling inside the jewel might have more of a play in the use of the shards then we think," She looked at Sango.

"But I was trying to escape and get to Kagome when I tried to use it," Shippo spoke up, "I didn't intend anything bad."

"Maybe not, but it might not have been your decision to make. The Shikon no Tama might have needed Kagome to return to Inuyasha on her own."

"If the Miko' soul is till fighting inside Shikon no Tama, she might work with us. Maybe using it in this way could purify the shards that you have. It might make them impossible for Naraku, or any other youkai, to manipulate them in the future," Sango added.

"Feh, I still don't think the jewel has any control over anything we do," He placed the backpack on his back, "I am going back to Kagome."

"Wait, Sango and I will walk with you back to the well." Miroku rose to his feet.

"You are talking for Sango now?" Inuyasha asked with wide eyes.

Miroku put his arm around her shoulders and looked at her with a small smile, "Sometimes." She returned his smile with a bit of red on her cheeks.

That was all the explanation that Inuyasha needed. It was nice to know that he wasn't the only whipped puppy he knew.

The walk back to the village was a quiet one for Sango and Miroku, but not an awkward one. They had discovered long ago that they could walk together in silence and be perfectly content to just be with each other.

Sango was very impressed with how Miroku had been acting since they returned to the village. 'If he doesn't act like a pervert the remainder of the day, it will be a full two nights and two days without being a pervert. The girls have even been trying, but he seems to be ignoring them pretty well. I don't think I like how they all keep looking at me, though. If I didn't know better, I would say that they are jealous of me,' she smiled at the thought. 'Wait, he hasn't even tried to put his hand on my butt. He must really be trying.'

She didn't realize that he was watching her. 'I wonder what could be making her smile like that? It is nice to see it. Maybe I should ask Inuyasha about this wedding ritual. She seemed to like the idea for Inuyasha and Kagome. Maybe she would like it for herself. She's not Buddhist after all. She might have been raised with this kind of thing in mind.'

As they entered the village Miroku noted another abandoned hut. He had noticed three of them since they returned and was thinking about claiming one for him self. They always returned to this village. Inuyasha and Kagome would have to start thinking of some more private accommodations after they returned. Traveling would make it difficult for a couple to be alone, but not having a home to return too would make things intolerable.

He had suddenly taken her hand, which made her stop as he did. "Miroku-sama?" She started blushing because she thought that she was about to be attacked in front of everyone.

"There are some abandoned huts in the village, and I was thinking that I might see if we could fix one up for Inuyasha and Kagome. What do you think, Sango?"

'I am so stupid! He only wanted to talk to me.'

"That sounds like a good idea. I am sure they'd like that." She started to laugh which released the tension in her shoulders. She was hoping that he wasn't noticing how stupid she being.

His eyes narrowed then, and he placed his hand on the side of her face, "Sango, did you think that I was going to do something other then talk?"

"Miroku-sama, I…"

That was his que to slip his other arm around her waist. "I thought you were going to call me Miroku now." He was using that low voice that made her knees turn to mush every time she heard it. The look in his eyes matched the voice. "I could do something if it would make you happy."

"Um, that…no! No, there are people watching us." She forced herself to show some willpower. She put her hands on his chest to keep his lips a safe distance from hers.

"Are you worried that you might make some of the girls jealous? They are already. We could let them all know for sure that I'm yours."

Her mind went blank as his other arm found its way around her waist. Her arms did not seem to have the strength at the moment to keep him back. He waited for her reply before going any farther. He knew that her emotions were very fragile even if her body wasn't. He was willing to take his time, but he wanted to know how far she was willing to go.

When she was able to think she took a step back. He took it to mean that she wasn't ready to move on, but she surprised him by removing the boomerang bone from her back. Without a word her hands started to glide across is chest to his shoulders and she moved in close to him. All the while their eyes never strayed from each other's gaze. He was shocked and he let it show on his face. However he didn't let that shock keep him from putting his arms around her.