-1GOMEN! I'm so so so so so so so SO sorry for the long wait… it was a combination of really bad writers block and pure laziness. And thanks to all those who reviewed… your all too kind TT. Oh well, on with the fic…. And I don't own Inuyasha.
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It was before dawn, and Inuyasha stood in a small clearing at the edge of Kaede's village in front of an invisible enemy. He held his Tetsusaiga at ready, facing his imagined foe. His face showed anger and determination. He held his sword with difficulty, the new weight heavy in his hands. He seemed to use all of his energy just to hold it up.
Then, in an instant, he moved, as swift as he could, and swung his sword with all of his might. He stopped and turned, an swung again. He repeated this action for an hour as the sun rose to his left.
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Miroku walked out of Kaede's hut to find Inuyasha fighting against what seemed to be air. He looked strained and at the end of his leash. Miroku was even able to walk up to Inuyasha without being detected.
"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked after his presence went unnoticed for about five minutes.
Inuyasha tensed for a moment, then kept swinging his sword as he answered.
"Why should I tell you? So you can go tell Kagome?" He yelled.
Miroku looked upset for a moment before his face took on an expression much like a mother trying to reason with an unruly child. " Inuyasha… I'm not sorry I told them. You know Kagome would have gotten fed up with you if you had not told her, and, Buddha-forbid, she 'osuware'ed you, she could have re-opened a wound. Plus, having someone understand what you went through might …" He was cut short as Inuyasha sharply cut-in.
" Not ONE of you understands what I went through!" He yelled angrily.
Miroku looked hurt. He looked at the ground, eyes darkened by his bangs.
" G-Gomen Nasai Inuyasha, you're right. I shouldn't have said that"
For a moment, Inuyasha was completely taken aback. He didn't expect the monk to actually sincerely apologize to him, much less look ashamed. Not knowing what to say, he turned around and started swinging his Tetsusaiga again. Then the sword unexpectedly came down upon something hard. Inuyasha looked around and saw Miroku holding his monk's staff against the blade.
"You won't get any better training against air" Miroku stated before he jumped back a little ways out of the Tetsusaiga's range. Inuyasha looked stunned for a moment. Miroku smiled playfully. "Lets spar" he suggested.
Inuyasha's senses finally caught up with him. He smiled a genuine smile and brought his sword into a ready stance. Then he dashed forward and brought his sword down towards Miroku. Miroku blocked with his staff and jumped back again. They continued in the same manner for an hour. When they were satisfied with their training efforts (most of it taunting and playing around), they walked back to Kaede's hut.
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Miroku poked his head into the hut. He turned around to face Inuyasha.
"They are Not home" Miroku joked, stating he obvious,
"I never would have guessed" Inuyasha said flatly, a joking tone to his voice as well. He turned around to sit on the hut's porch and looked at the setting sun. Miroku sat down next to him.
"I believe Kagome mentioned going to a nearby hot spring with Sango and Shippou today. Kaede said she would be going into the forest to collect herbs and the like. So I'd say we're alone for quite a while more. Would you like something to eat?" Miroku said looking at the sun, then turning to face Inuyasha as he mentioned the food.
Inuyasha looked thoughtful for a moment. His eyes lit up as an idea came to him.
"Did you see Kagome's bag inside?" he asked Miroku while getting up to look in the hut.
Miroku look up at Inuyasha. " Yeah, I believe I saw the bag in the corner. Why?" he asked, also getting up to follow Inuyasha inside. He saw Inuyasha rummaging inside Kagome's impossibly large bag. Inuyasha paused his searching.
"Aha! Found it!" he yelled as he stood up and turned around holding two containers of ramen. "Make this Miroku, it's really good. Kagome has it all the time" He handed the cartons to Miroku. Miroku just stared at the boxes.
"Alright…how do we eat it?" Miroku asked, poking the container.
Inuyasha paused for a moment. The thoughtful look on his face almost made Miroku laugh, or go 'awwww'.
" I think Kagome puts hot water in it…and I think you have to wait forever for it to be done." Inuyasha explained slowly, as if he still wasn't sure of himself.
"Well," Miroku started, "I'm not willing to wait forever to eat. Why don't we make something else. Something one of us would actually know how to make."
Inuyasha practically pouted. "I'll find out how to make it. Just give me a few minutes" Saying that, he grabbed the containers that Miroku was holding and went back into Kaede's hut. Miroku followed him, with the intent to put out whatever fire Inuyasha cause while trying to boil the water. He was relieved to find that Kaede had left a small fire burning and had kept a pot of water over it before she left. Miroku just sat and watched as Inuyasha made the ramen, doing everything he had seen Kagome do to make it.
While they were waiting for the ramen to cook, the two sat in a slightly awkward silence. Inuyasha had just checked on the ramen for the hundredth time that minute, when Miroku broke the silence.
"Inuyasha?" He asked, not looking away from the small fire inside the hut.
Inuyasha turned to look at him. " What?"
Miroku sighed and turned to face Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, I am very sorry. I didn't want you to be angry with me. I guess I just thought I was helping. I suppose I didn't help much at all."
Inuyasha looked into the fire. After a moment, he looked up at Miroku and smiled. "No, you were right to tell, don't blame yourself. I was being stupid when I got angry at you, I'm sorry" He looked into the fire again.
Miroku sighed. Inuyasha was right, which was a rare occurrence. He had only done what he felt was right, and Miroku was glad that Inuyasha understood that. He was lost in his thoughts when Inuyasha told him the food was ready.
"Miroku? Oi, Miroku?" Inuyasha waved his hand in front of Miroku's face. "Miroku, are you there?"
"Hm?" Miroku looked up from his thoughts.
Inuyasha smiled and handed him the ramen carton. "Food's ready" They both ate in silence.
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Miroku looked up from his place on the porch. He had fallen asleep sitting on the porch after he and Inuyasha had eaten and he had just woken up when he heard the girls approaching. He briefly wondered where Inuyasha was when he stepped out of the hut to greet the girls. Miroku smiled and got up as the girls approached him and Inuyasha.
Kagome faked an innocent smile. "Oh, Inuyasha, your up! Are you…feeling better? You were sick last night." She said as she tried to not mention what Miroku had told her.
"Feh, I know you know Kagome, you don't have to fake it." He gave a slight frown as he walked back into the hut.
Kagome looked quizzically at Miroku. "Did you tell him…that we know?"
Miroku nodded. "And honestly, lady Kagome, I highly doubt he wants sympathy. Try to act normal around him, he'd be angry if you acted oddly because I told you"
Kagome looked worried. "But I can't just ignore it, Miroku, I…"
Miroku cut her off. "You can, and you will. I told you, the last thing he wants is pity"
Kagome pouted. "I still wish I could help him." She looked towards the hut before suddenly looking at her digital watch. The date read January XX 19XX. Her eyes widened in panic. "Ohcrap! I have mid-term's tomorrow in school! This is twenty percent of my grade!" She turned and ran towards the bone eaters well. She stopped for a moment at the edge of the forest and yelled back to Miroku and Sango. "Watch out for Inuyasha while I'm gone!" And with that she turned and ran into the forest.
Miroku smile. "Sango, how long do you think it'll take her to realize she forgot her backpack?" Sango laughed as Kagome ran out of the forest, into the hut, and ran back into the forest, her bag in tow.