DISCLAIMER: Not mine.
WORDCOUNT: 1354
SUMMARY: "That chapter was over. Except that sometimes it really wasn't."
PAIRINGS: Kagome/Inuyasha, Kagome/Miroku
FEEDBACK: Send it. I'll take good care of it.
THANK YOU: to numisma and shiinabambi for answering that 'what's Inuyasha's jacket-like garment called?' question. smooches them edit: okay, I'm sorry, but since the fandom can't seem to agree on a single term for the robe, I'm going to take the coward's path and use the most accepted. Again, my apologies.
And thank you so much to Sharon (evillittledog) for the edits! hugs
DEDICATION: To Faith (tragicamente). She asked for Miroku/Kagome - 'sometimes' I tried to write the pairing, but this is the most I could believe in. Sorry, sweetheart. Hope you like anyway.
UNSPOKEN
by Leni
The heat was killing her. After a day of helping Kaede, Kagome was ready to drop down onto the nearest surface and sleep for a day or two. Forget Naraku and the quest for the Jewel. Doing housework in this age, without electricity or running water, was beyond exhausting.
In all the time she'd travelled through the well, Kagome had never actually stayed around the village for a considerable length of time. The only exception had been when she'd just arrived, and in those three days she'd been too shocked to do more than try to reconcile her knowledge of the world wit her new reality. Afterwards, she'd been too busy heading off with Inyasha, and later with the whole group, or too worried with her own studies to do more than bid Kaede a quick goodbye and then jump down the well.
But this time, she was on summer vacation, Naraku actually was laying down and they'd decided that their best course of action was to stay in one place and wait for news of the Jewel to reach them. So Kagome had thought that helping out Kaede would be fun. Big mistake. Now she understood why Sango had looked at her in bemusement and immediately excused herself off claiming that she had to train to keep her sharp aim. Kagome couldn't blame her friend. The most demanding session with the Hiraikotsu counldn't compare with the day she'd had. Right now Kagome felt ready for a well-deserved rest. But not before a bath.
Stepping into the fresh water, cleaning herself of the dust and sweat that clung to her skin and feeling decently presentable again.…
The idea engulfed her and poked at her mind until Kagome decided that a bath was worth the sun-beaten walk to the river. She briefly considered inviting Sango along, but the thought of having to head to the taijiya's practice ground – in the direction opposite to the river – stopped her.
Leaving her towel and soap on a nearby rock, Kagome took great care to have no witnesses before taking off her clothes. Just as she'd thought, the cold water was heaven. She sighed blissfully and reached for her soap. The deeper she went, the more contented she was as she felt the soothing coldness reach up her legs, her abdomen and breasts. She stopped before her shoulders were fully covered and then submerged her head, making sure to wet every strand of her hair. Oh yes, she thought as she closed her eyes underwater, pure heaven.
She rose straight again and lathered the soap over her arms and chest. She was happily bending her head backwards to let her hair soak in the water, when she heard it. It sounded like rustling leaves. Kagome stood to attention in the middle of the river, suddenly fearful of an attack. Besides their friendship, this was another reason why she'd first wanted to call Sango. These days, one never knew when a youkai would come for the fragments. Damn it, Inuyasha would be pissed if he had to run in to save her again - not to mention when he discovered that she'd left her weapons at Kaede's - Damn! And what if he wasn't around? She'd sat him every time she'd discovered Inuyasha lurking around their bathing places. He did only to protect them, of course, and that had only made her the angrier.
Then Kagome realised that she'd been letting her thoughts drift for quite some time, and still no attack had come. Unless this was some complicated strategy – and youkai rarely bothered with those - this was a wholly different sort of threat. Which was another reason why she'd thought to invite Sango along.
"Down, boy!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
There was another rustle of leaves, but no accompanying cry of pain or protest of innocence. No Inuyasha, then. And there was no disappoinment in that, really! Anyway, that left….
…in that moment, Kagome's thoughts took an unexpected turn. She didn't picture a lecherous monk between the bushes, but instead a man who actually appreciated her body. In that moment, she felt flattered. In this age, compliments didn't abound and they never came from the source she'd have wanted them to. In that moment, it felt nice to know herself admired.
Then the moment was over. She blushed bightly at her own reaction, and could feel the heat reddening her cheeks. Next she paled at the ramifications of those thoughts. Wasn't she in love? Yes. Hadn't she always be loyal to Inuyasha? Yes. Then why had she contemplated such a thought about Miroku? Because…
Because…
She stayed quiet in the river, barely daring to breathe so that she wouldn't disrupt the mad race of her thoughts. After some self-searching, she relaxed. Her feelings hadn't changed; she still loved Inuyasha with all her heart. That love was as deeply ingrained within her like her memories or her powers, and just as unshakeable. But in the end, she was still a woman, and women in love could appreciate another man's appraisal, especially if the loved one didn't do the honours. And God knew that the closest Inuyasha had come to commenting on her looks had been when she'd doned Kikyou's outfit.
The look she felt over her now whispered of more than what she could hope from Inuyasha's lips. She stood straight in the water, and looked in the direction opposite to where her stalker hid. "How strange," she said loudly, "I thought I heard something…." And then she turned around and slowly headed back to the bank. For a long moment there was no sound but the swirl of the water as her body cut through it. Her upper chest raised gradually above the surface, and when her nipples made contact with the air, there was a loud bang, as if someone had plopped down on their behind in pure shock.
Kagome had to turn, she couldn't possibly not have heard that. Her eyes and Miroku's met, and an instant understanding crossed between them. Then she had to scream; she couldn't possibly not scream at such audacity. A few seconds later two voices screamed her name as they rushed towards the river.
Inuyasha arrived first. His eyes widened as he looked at her, and she took a second to save that look in her memory before submerging herself back in the water. Inuyasha's haori floated to her, and she snatched it and wrapped it around her body before coming out again. Inuyasha nodded at her covered body, and then he practically swept her out of the water and back to dry ground. After a quick check to make sure she was alright, he whirled towards Miroku, who was still sitting a little dazed on the ground. The monk only seemed to blink at the deep scowl in Inuyasha's face, no other reaction at the hanyou's obvious anger. Kagome took Inuyasha's elbow to make him turn back to her. He did, and properly screamed at her for being out without any protection. Then she was too busy arguing with him about being able to protect herself fine, thank you very much. Soon they fell in their usual back-and-forth flurry of half-meant insults, too engaged in each other to notice as Sango arrived. The tajiya took a quick inventory of the scene and, without further question, half-buried her Hiraikotsu on Miroku's head.
That was the end of it. Inuyasha eventually calmed down. Miroku begged for Sango's forgiveness and Kagome finally went to sleep. That chapter was over. Except that sometimes it really wasn't.
But only sometimes.
Sometimes, Kagome believed the heat would kill her if she didn't find a quick solution. Sometimes, she thought of taking her towel and soap and heading to the river. Sometimes, she didn't feel like calling Sango along. Sometimes, she wanted to stand alone in the water and feel an admiring glance upon her again. Sometimes, she would meet Miroku's eyes and there she would find the secret sealed forever between them.
Sometimes, Kagome dreamed of dark eyes instead of golden ones.
But only sometimes.
The End
02/12/05
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