Disclaimer: This is work of fan-created fiction and not affiliated with the creators of the Inuyasha anime or manga in any way.

Rating: M (no sex, no kissing even, but it is Miroku after all!)

Challenge: Entry for the July 2006 MonkandMiko deviantart club contest, "Line Art." Yeah, so it's not actually a drawing, but there's a drawing in it! I also managed to fit in a couple of the drabble challenge words just because I felt like it.

Author's Note: This takes place before Sango joins the gang. So, anywhere in the time of episodes 17 to 23 basically.

THE ASSIGNMENT

"Oi! What's keeping you?" Inuyasha called back to Kagome. She was lagging behind the others more and more as the afternoon wore on.

"Are you tired already?" The half-demon began his usual mutterings and grumblings about how frail humans were, and females in particular. Kagome briefly considered sitting him, but decided that she didn't feel like giving him even more to complain about. At least his grumbling meant that he was going to stop for the night. This evening in particular, she had other things to worry about. Like the assignment that was due in two days.

She caught up with Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo as they began to discuss the evening's arrangements. Instead of making suggestions and attempting to steer the group to a suitable campsite however, Kagome simply dropped her pack and sat where she was.

"Is something wrong, Kagome?" Shippo asked, inserting himself between Kagome and her backpack. "You look upset."

Kagome's face softened at the little fox demon's obvious concern. "I'm fine, Shippo. I just have a school assignment I need to work on, that's all." She ruffled his hair affectionately, earning a scowl from Inuyasha who had begun to build a fire.

"Oh, who cares about school?" Inuyasha snapped, "Let's get some dinner cooking!" Kagome glared at him and pointedly turned away to dig though her backpack. She pulled out a box of Pocky for Shippo and some snack crackers for herself. They settled down to eat in companionable silence.

"I think we're on dinner duty tonight," Miroku chuckled. Inuyasha glared at them all in turn, then bounded off, muttering about searching for game. Miroku tended the fire until it was going strongly, then set up a spit in anticipation of Inuyasha's successful hunting.

Kagome spent the time staring at her assignment book in growing consternation. Stupid art class! Every student was required to take an art credit, and Kagome had chosen Introduction to Drawing this semester. She had little talent to begin with, and being absent so much wasn't helping. She had missed the entire last month of classes, but still had a chance to pass if she turned in this assignment. All it said was, 'Figure Drawing.' Something that complicated, already? I must have missed a lot more than I realized!

Kagome wondered if there was some specification for a male or a female figure to be drawn. She had no way of knowing, and they wouldn't be back to the well till tomorrow. There wouldn't be time to ask for clarification when she got back to her own time since it was due the day after tomorrow. She had to do the drawing now.

Here in the middle of the woods, in the feudal era, her choices of subject were severely limited. Kagome looked at where Shippo was finishing off the pocky. Sighing, she decided that a furry fox child would probably not count as a figure. That left only one choice. Or two rather. Inuyasha and Miroku.

No amount of desperation for a good grade could convince Kagome to ask either of them to bare his chest for her. She would have to be sneaky. Fortunately, they had been traveling along a river that day and now there was an opportunity for bathing. She began her campaign during dinner.

"Since we're next to a river tonight, why don't you take a bath, Inuyasha?" she asked innocently.

"What the hell would I want to do that for?" the dog demon asked, clearly shocked by her request.

"Well, it's not often that we have this chance, and I know I certainly need a good scrubbing!" Kagome said, blushing a little at even talking about such things in the presence of two boys.

"My dear Kagome," Miroku said, suddenly appearing over her shoulder. "There is no need for pretense! If you would like some assistance all you have to do is ask!" he continued magnanimously.

Before she realized what he was doing, he had slipped an arm around her shoulder and his low voice was in her ear, "You don't need to rely on someone as obviously reluctant as Inuyasha to help you. I would happily scrub your back for you and then perhaps you could . . . " He was stopped by a clawed hand at his throat.

"Back off, pervert!" Inuyasha snarled. "And you!" he said, turning to Kagome, "Why the hell are you even talking about something like that with him around? Don't you have any sense? He's . . . " Inuyasha was stopped by the quiet command that brought him to the ground at Kagome's feet.

"I am taking my bath now! I'll go upstream so you two can use the pool in the bend there. I expect to sleep tonight without having my nostrils assaulted by unpleasant odors!" Kagome delivered her ultimatum then stalked into the trees along the river, carrying her backpack and books with her.

Shippo, knowing he was safe for another few moments, danced around the immobilized dog demon, singing, "Inuyasha sti-inks! Inuyasha sti-inks!" Muffled thumps and whining spurred Kagome's feet on toward the river even faster.

After walking a little way upstream, Kagome washed herself hurriedly, not bothering with her hair. After getting back in her clothes and taking out her pencil and sketch pad, she hoisted her pack on her back and carefully crept downstream. She didn't know how the wind was blowing, but she hoped Inuyasha wouldn't notice her scent. She also hoped it was Inuyasha who would bathe first, if he bathed at all. Somehow it just seemed less embarrassing to draw him rather than the monk, whom she barely knew still.

Luck was on her side and she soon caught a flash of red through the bushes. She moved a little closer to the bank and stopped in some dense bushes that had a convenient gap in them. Inuyasha was already stripping off his clothes and Kagome was afraid he would strip all the way. Fortunately for her, he left his fundoshi on. She picked up her pencil and was about to begin sketching when he jumped in the river and ducked under the water. After a moment his head popped up, then he was leaping out of the river again and shaking water everywhere. Before she had time to even realize what he was doing, he was dressed again and stomping back to the campsite.

For the first time in her life, Kagome felt like cursing. She sat back on her heels and threw the pad to the ground. "That Inuyasha is soooo annoying!" she grumbled to herself. The sun was low in the sky and among the trees and bushes the light was fading fast. She didn't have time to do much more tonight. Lost in her own petulant thoughts, she barely heard the footsteps and jingling sounds approaching. When she did notice, Kagome ducked lower in the bushes. She knew this would be Miroku come to take his turn.

He rested his staff against a tree next to the bank and bent to take his sandals off. Kagome was suddenly very nervous. Somehow, watching Inuyasha undress hadn't been so bad. He just took his clothes off and dropped them on the ground. Miroku was more methodical though. He carefully untied his outer robe, then folded it before placing on his sandals so it wouldn't get dirt on it. Parting his kimono, he let the top of the garment fall around his waist. Kagome caught her breath. He stretched his arms over his head and she forgot to breathe at all.

She was simply fascinated by the masculine beauty before her. Where Inuyasha had been pale and silver and white, Miroku was all swarthy skin, dusky shadows and mystery. Instead of smooth, round arms like her own, his were made of all sorts of intriguing bulges and valleys of muscles. Her eyes traced the lines of muscle on his chest and abdomen and she felt her face growing warm. Who would have guessed what he had hidden under those shapeless robes! she thought, nearly giggling.

Miroku brought his hands to the tie at his waist and began to strip the rest of the way. Kagome closed her eyes in embarrassment. The soft sound of the fabric being removed was curiously enticing and she found herself imaging what he looked like just then. Finally, she heard the splashes of him entering the water and after a moment she carefully opened her eyes and peered though the leaves.

Perfect! He was sitting on a rock in the water, facing away from her. While his back was also strongly muscled, it was much less embarrassing to look at. The way he had his arms braced behind him was making the muscles even more prominent. He seemed to be content to just relax there, unlike that annoying Inuyasha. She took advantage of his stillness to begin her work.

For a time she forgot all about Miroku as a person and just concentrated on his body. Glancing up from time to time, all she saw before her was line and shape which she attempted to recreate on her paper. She was working on the braided hair against his neck when she realized that something had changed. Blinking, she refocused on the whole figure before her and realized that his head had turned. Turned all the way around. Toward her. Suppressing a squeak of surprise, Kagome scooted back a little into the bushes.

Miroku didn't seem to have noticed anything as he began his ablutions. He was entirely facing Kagome now with his upper body exposed from the waist up. She thought for a brief moment that she ought to be sketching, or maybe even close her eyes again, but found that she had no desire to do so. Every movement of his body seemed to highlight new muscles that she hadn't known existed.

Then Miroku lifted his arms to undo his braid. Kagome stared, fascinated by the tufts of dark hair under his arms and how they seemed to emphasize the breadth of his chest. He suddenly ducked underneath the water and Kagome found herself holding her breath, waiting for him to reappear. He leapt up out of the water and she caught a glimpse of more dark hair leading down his abdomen before the water covered it again. With a quick shake of his head, he flicked the water out of his hair, spraying droplets all around.

The setting sun's angled rays were creating all sorts of intriguing shadows in his wet, muscled chest and Kagome told herself she was just studying anatomy as she drank her fill of the sight. Yes, one has to study a figure to do a figure drawing correctly of course! She studied some more and her eye wandered downward to where his bellybutton was a small pool of black against his tanned skin. Below it was that fascinating, curly hair again . . . Wait.

She shouldn't be able to see that! It was underwater! Or rather, it had been. More and more of Miroku was appearing before her shocked eyes. He was coming out of the stream. Unlike Inuyasha, he had removed even his underclothes Kagome discovered. She was horrified, yet aware of a peculiar feeling of curiosity as well. Curiosity won out.

It wasn't until after she had quite thoroughly examined Miroku that she noticed that he was now standing still. In fact, he was standing directly in front of her and pushing a branch aside to reveal her hiding place.

Dimly, Kagome was aware that she ought to be yelling 'pervert' at him, or screaming for Inuyasha to come and rip his guts out, or running away, or something at least somewhat productive. Instead, she took the route of countless other virtuous maidens of yore and fainted dead away.

Miroku, heedless of his current state of undress, swooped in to catch her fall and proceeded to awaken her as any young man in a fairy tale ought.