(Sorry 'bout the delay guys. Some stuff has been really coming up right lately and I have been really busy. As a reward though I currently have another fanfic in the works along with a sequel to broken. The other Original fic should be coming out really soon.) Look for it . And now, Chapter 7, "Frailty".
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Chapter 7(Frailty)
Morning came in the form of birds and sunlight along with a dewy fog that was making Inuyasha's sides slightly cold. He shivered slightly and grasped onto the sleeping form on top of him. Wake up damnit, its morning! A little voice inside of his head screamed, alerting him more fully to the world around him which was now fully awake. Inuyasha opened an amber eye lazily in the early morning sun and gazed down at the monk who was snuggled up tightly on his bare chest.
"Heh," He chuckled and smiled at the half opened mouth and innocent expression on the monks face, "Damnit monk, how am I supposed to wake you up?"
Inuyasha got a wild hair and bent slightly forward, placing his tongue on the man's forehead and dragged it across, tasting dew mingled with sweat. A slight groan was emitted from the man as he opened an eye halfway, looking around and smiling as they fell upon Inuyasha.
"Ung- Morning…Inu…Yasha…" he said as he opened his mouth and yawned.
Inuyasha smiled a little and looked around at the dewy moss that had been their bed for the night. It was sparkling in the morning light and far off across to the other bank a fog hung lazily in the air, glowing orange from the dawn.
"We should get back before they suspect something." Inuyasha said, his eyes darting back to Miroku who nodded.
Both men got up and found their respective garments and put them back on. Occasionally Inuyasha would sneak a glance in the monk's direction, disbelieving the past nights activities and further questioning himself as to why, not that he regretted it. In point of fact Inuyasha disbelieved the very fact that he might have actually found someone who finally cared about him, despite his gender. He slowly cast his top kimono on and tied it up, finishing almost exactly at the same time as Miroku.
Inuyasha approached Miroku who bent down and grabbed his staff and caught his lips on the way up. The kiss was just as enticing as it had been the previous night, lulling Inuyasha's legs and stomach into a pleasant but nervous trembling.
After a minute or so the two pulled away and hugged before finding their way back onto the beaten path. The magical place of open woods and moss covered sparkles was gone, giving new perspective on what was really there. The never ending woods were really very close to the water and what had seemed an infinity of magical space was now nothing more than a few steps away from their campsite.
"That's odd." Miroku said as he looked ahead, not more than a couple of yards away from the moss covered bank that had served as their resting place.
"What?" Inuyasha said as he turned and looked towards the monk who had a puzzling expression upon his face.
"Nothing, its just…" Miroku said as he looked forward spotting through the trees their campsite and looking back making out the moss bank, "It seems like this was much farther away from our campsite.
Inuyasha looked ahead and then back and suddenly had a puzzling expression on his face as well.
"There's no way." He said as he kept looking from forward to back. "Our minds are probably just tired from last night, it's probably nothing."
"Yea I suppose your right." He said as they began walking again, making their way into the campsite, finding the girls huddled around a fire with Shippou at their side.
"Morning." Miroku said as he emerged from the woods, Inuyasha at his side.
"Morning yourself!" Sango said as she looked at him with anger and worry. "Where the hell were you two all night!"
Inuyasha glanced in Miroku's direction and cleared his throat turning back towards Sango.
"Well, we were looking for more shelter." He said as he looked straight into the demon slayer's eyes.
"Whatever…" she said giving in to the obvious lie, "Breakfast is done anyways."
Inuyasha eyed the fish on the stick. It had been almost a whole day since his last meal, yet he still didn't seem too hungry. He knew though, of course, that he had to eat otherwise he would become sick. Inuyasha sat down and smiled looking around, grabbing his stick of fish.
"You're in an unusually good mood today Inuyasha." Kagome said.
Inuyasha simply smiled back at her and said replied back.
"You're talking again today."
Kagome pursed her lips as though she had done something wrong and went back to munching her fish.
"It was meant as a good thing." He said and took a bite out of his own which was oddly salty and buttery.
Breakfast went unusually well and it wasn't too long before the remnants of the morning faded away into blazing summer sun, which beat down upon their heads and screamed that they needed to get a move on. They saddled up and meandered out of the clearing that had been their home for the past few days and climbed the hill. Inuyasha turned his head and looked behind him, his amber eyes focusing on the tree line. He had walked much farther than Miroku had described to get to that place and this morning it hadn't been but a few lengths away.
"Something wrong Inuyasha?" Miroku said walking up beside the hanyou, looking at him intently.
"What? Oh… no." Inuyasha said snapping out of his trance and picking up his pace to find his usual spot up front.
They walked for a ways down the field, resting only once on the forest edge for lunch. Miroku and Inuyasha showed no signs change other than moral, but deep down they could feel the passion that they shared in secret every time they smiled at one another or talked. The day passed silently as they walked until about afternoon time they reached a small village towards the edge of a lake which stretched on into far off mountains.
"Yes! A bath!" Kagome said perkily as they came into the edge of town.
"Now hold on Kagome," Miroku said turning around too her and looking a little surprised, "We have to find a place first."
Kagome and Sango both looked at each other and giggled slightly.
"What?" Miroku said slightly annoyed.
"Just do your vanquish all evil thingy!" Kagome said as she tried to keep herself from busting out laughing.
"Yea Miroku," Sango said piping up and trying not to laugh herself, "After all you can make them appear whenever we need them too right?"
"Thanks for the gratitude." Miroku said now very annoyed.
They headed into the town which was bustling with activity, only something didn't seem right. Inuyasha was first to sense it and quickly turned, his eyes frantically searching the surrounding landscape.
"You sense it too?" Miroku said who was also on guard.
"Yea." Inuyasha said back, his hand on his sword. "Something's amiss here and it reeks of demon."
"You guys!" A voice called as a middle sized man called out to them. "Your visitors right?"
Inuyasha and Miroku looked at each other, Miroku smiling just enough for Inuyasha's eyes to catch.
"Certainly my fellow brother." He said stepping forward .
"You must get inside quickly then!" he said as he looked at them, a hurried and frantic expression on his face.
"Why?" Inuyasha said stepping forward also.
"The herds will surely destroy you if you do not." He said his eyes searching the dimming skyline with a look of slight fright.
"Herds?" Miroku said curiously.
"Yes." The man said, his eyes never leaving the skyline and his nearly shaking stature never faltering. "Many demons that fly by and feed on their prey here."
Miroku shot a glance in Inuyasha's direction who nodded back.
"You know," He said towards the man, "We can help with that."
The man's eyes left the sky and his expression changed as he finally laid eyes upon everyone. After careful studying, mostly on Inuyasha's behalf, the man relented and gave his reply.
"Very well," he said turning, "Follow me."
They ran after him through the village, until they reached a large mansion up on the top of the hill where he stopped and turned to face them.
"Come inside." He said as he led them through the main entrance way inside the building.
Inuyasha and Miroku entered first and Inuyasha looked around, noting exactly how much space there was. The room was huge and in the middle was an old man who sat in a decorated chair. The old man's eyes rested upon Inuyasha and remained fixed upon him as they entered.
"Master," The middle aged man said bowing slightly, "These travelers say they can aid our problem."
The old man raised his eyebrow through silvery locks and many wrinkles, his eyes still fixed upon Inuyasha who felt as though his mind were being searched.
"Hmmmm." He said as his eyes moved from Inuyasha and swept past the rest of the crew. "Very well."
The middle aged man seemed to perk up slightly and bowed once again towards the old man, whose now brilliantly blue eyes were fixed upon Inuyasha once again.
"Follow me." The man said again who walked timidly out of the door, Inuyasha at his heels. Damn that gives me the creeps! He thought as he rounded the corner, his eyes finally leaving the old man whose eyes followed him all the way around the corner.
The man led them to a separate part of the mansion which was compose of two buildings, one larger than the other, connected by a small hallway only. They walked around the building, Inuyasha looking towards his right and taking in the vision of many distant villages and the mountainous region. Such a beautiful view, he thought as his eyes surveyed the sunset which fell upon the land and caused it to glow in the fiery sunset.
The rounded the corner of the building, which turned out to be raised off of the ground and arrived at the door which led inside. The middle aged villager walked inside and motioned for them to follow, which Inuyasha and the rest gladly obliged to. Upon entrance Inuyasha noted that the space was divided into two separate rooms by a sliding divider which was currently rolled upon, exposing a fire pit in the center of the room.
"This will be your room." He said. "Girls on one side and guys on the other for your convenience."
He then proceeded towards the back where a bamboo curtain hung which led into a hallway separated by another bamboo curtain. They walked into the bigger of the buildings and Inuyasha felt his eyes widen and heard Kagome gasp slightly.
"This will be your bathing quarters." He said motioning towards the indoor natural hot spring which bore a small spring running through the far end of the room and a waterfall which was trickling water into the hot spring..
With that the man bowed to them and left, leaving the group standing in the room. The floor was not completely wood but rather was wood until it reached the banks of the hot spring which was natural grass, a small bamboo curtain hanging around the entire spring which was illuminated by many various candle holders mounted upon pole amidst the bamboo. A heated mist hung in the air and it was causing Inuyasha to fall asleep slightly.
"I know what I'm doing first." Kagome said excitedly hurrying back to the main room.
"Same here." Said Sango hurrying after Kagome.
"Wait up guys!" Shippou yelled running after them back through the curtain and down the hallway.
Inuyasha looked after them, a look of utter bewilderment on his face.
"Have they forgotten that we're supposed to be outside defending the village?"
"Somehow I don't think that it's a mistake that we got left behind." Miroku said, his face turning to Inuyasha's who looked back at Miroku.
They both sighed and made their way out of the intoxicating room and out of the hallways, making their way onto the porch.
"I'll keep watch." Miroku said walking forward.
"I'm coming too." Inuyasha said following him out of the door.
The dusk had descended rapidly upon them, leaving behind only illuminated stars which hung in the sky lazily. Inuyasha sat down, facing his back towards the building while Miroku turned his back towards a pole, his face facing the sky, illuminated slightly by the slightest of orange glows from what was left of the sun. They sat at the very end of the porch as to better keep watch at the sky.
It was very peaceful as a wind blew and the far off laughs and conversation of their comrades slowly disappeared, no doubt headed down the hallway. Inuyasha gazed towards the sky and his eyes darted around the skyline and the surrounding wood line all the way to the edge of the steep hill that overlooked the village, the moonlight and sunset mix illuminating his eyes.
"Hey, Inuyasha." Miroku said, his head never leaving the dusky, starry sky.
"Yea?" Inuyasha replied his eyes darting towards the monk and then resting upon a wooden plank in the porch.
"Do you think it's Naraku?"
Inuyasha pondered the question for a second.
"You mean the demons?" He asked, his amber eyes looking up towards the monk.
"Yea." He replied his eyes meeting the hanyou's.
Inuyasha thought about it for a moment before replying shifting his eyes elsewhere into the sky.
"Probably…" He said shrugging, "More importantly…."
Inuyasha brought his eyes back to the monk again.
"Have you noticed the aura?"
Miroku nodded his own eyes turning towards the now dark valley.
"It's faint, it's dark, but it's definitely here." He said.
Inuyasha nodded as another wind wrapped itself around the building and ruffled his silvery bangs. The night had finally descended upon them and the moonlight lit up the surrounding trees and grass with the mysterious light that a moon always provided.
Inuyasha had thought that it had been quite weird that no one seemed to remember what had happened with Naraku, especially after they had fought him in that field. Apart from them fighting him it seemed almost as though no one cared at all about it, almost like it never happened which, in itself was weird enough.
"Hey Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha turned his head so that his eyes could meet that of the monks.
"Yea?" he replied, his silvery bangs swaying in the wind.
"I never told you…" Miroku said, his eyes nervously shifting to the starry landscape.
"Told me what?" Inuyasha said calmly as he felt himself become at ease.
"Told you…" Miroku's hair blew softly in the wind as he continued, "Told you how much I loved you."
Inuyasha felt the weakness ignite inside of him again and spark an inner fire.
"I love you too…" He said, bringing his eyes back towards the monk's face, which he could tell was blushing even though it was faced in another direction.
The night was calm and steady and alerted the couple too nothing as it continued. The moonlit breeze and steady quiet continued even though words failed the couple. Each one knew exactly how the other felt and felt the connection so deeply that neither felt the need to speak, it was there and it was deep, comforting from the ominous and far off stench that filled the air like faint poison.
They continued keeping watch until they heard the pitter patter of feet behind them and several female voices chuckling. Inuyasha watched Miroku get up and walk inside, his amber eyes following his every step. How long could they keep this up before someone noticed? How long would it be before both of them had to quit playing games like this?
There were several loud shrieks and a loud thud as Inuyasha heard Miroku slam the door right as Sango yelled her usual "perverted monk!". Inuyasha felt his eyes wander more, into the starry sky. How long could it last? How long would his happiness be allowed to linger…? Inuyasha mingled these things in his head for quite a while as another wind blew into his bangs. Miroku, never leave me…
(((T)))