Alright, people, I have typed a total of 95 pages for this thing, more than I've ever typed before. Scary, huh? Anyway, I know how much you hate to wait, so, even though I managed to type like, twenty pages today, I've given you half of it in this chapter. Hope you guys like!
Deds:
Daoina - Yep, she sure is after Fluffballs, she's got it for him baaaad! Lol! Like Water Kunoichi said, he needs love too! Whether or not she's working for Naraku...we'll see about that, but I doubt it.
BoundxByxDeath - I'm glad I'm causing an uprising in your house, it flatters me! She is pretty cool, I drew a sketch and, well...it turned out great! Maybe you'll see it soon...maybe, heeheehee! PS - Come on, love at first sight, your going into battle, wouldn't you want to make the most of your time together, 'specially when the feelings are mutual?
Water Kunoichi - Oh my God, I have finally located someone with a scanner, and soon, very soon, my friend, I will be sending my sketch to you! Yay! Do a little happy dance, woot! I'm so excited, can't ya tell?
Disclaimer: Why is this necessary again? Oh yeah, rights. Damns rights. Anyway, you know the drill, no money, no ownership, only ideas. Bite me.
Every Time We Touch
The following morning, Sesshoumaru was the first to rise. He went to wash his face as Kitana opened her eyes, and watched him walk away. Silently, she got up, and followed him.
Miroku , the last to wake, found Inuyasha with Kagome in his lap, whispering in her ear and watching her face turn pink. When he noticed Miroku's approach, he said something to her and she got up, looking for Sango.
Miroku sat down, and Inuyasha said, "What's on your mind, Miroku?"
"A lot, actually," Miroku confessed, and turned to face his friend. "Inuyasha, can you explain your inner demon to me? Why don't you turn all rabid when Kagome's time comes? Why do they?" He was referring to Sesshoumaru and Kouga.
Inuyasha scratched his head. "I know that Tetsusaiga controls my demon," he began, trying to figure it out himself. "I don't know why I don't freak out, though. Maybe it'd because I'm not a pureblood like the others. Kouga, though, well…his behaviour wasn't surprising; I've seen it happen before, but that was a long time ago."
Kouga turned his head from over by the fire, and glared in Inuyasha's direction. "I heard that!" he yelled. His legs were still frozen.
"Wanna come and see if I give a shit?" Inuyasha yelled back, then laughed; the wolf couldn't move yet if he tried. Kouga only glared as Inuyasha turned his head to the sound of someone clearing her throat.
"No more fights," Kagome mouthed, and Inuyasha sulked, but only for a moment before turning his attention back to Miroku, who had raised an eyebrow in his direction. Inuyasha frowned, and it went down. Kagome walked away then, to pack up. They were leaving today; they'd spent more than enough time resting, she thought, and it was time to get the hell back on the road and after Naraku again.
"There's not really much more I can tell you," Inuyasha confessed, and Miroku began to nod, but then Inuyasha added, "except that I believe that the inner demon is governed solely by instinct. Kouga may have no control because he's never practiced to keep it under wraps. Sesshoumaru, you know, before you and Sango came along, battled me in his full demon form, but he seemed to be able to do that at anytime he wanted. When we battled the Panthers, he seemed to have a hard time controlling it, but it never came out; I don't know if that's because Tensaiga gave him an idea to use it, or because his discipline was so refined that he could keep it in."
Miroku rubbed his chin, nodding. "Well, it definitely gives me something to think about," he said as he rose, "Thanks, Inuyasha."
"No problem."
"What were you guys talking about?" Kagome asked, returning as soon as Miroku had gone.
"Just about what happened yesterday," was all he said, and he watched her covertly to see what she would do. The blood drained from her face, and her shoulders lumped forward slightly. She was quiet.
He put a hand on her shoulder, and drew her close. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, and she nodded, turning to nuzzle his neck as he brought both arms around her in a protective hug. She let him hold her for a few minutes, then backed up, saying, "Well, we won't find Naraku if we stay here. Shall we finish packing up?"
He smiled at her. "That's my girl," he said, and, following her, flung her bag over his shoulder and bellowed that it was time to go, so everyone hurry the hell up.
"And someone bring the fleabag," he said, gesturing to Kouga, who still could not move. Kouga growled, but Miroku poured hot water from the fire over his legs, and though he got burned, he could move again, and the first thing he did was walk purposefully toward the mutt.
When he got within ten feet, Kagome said, "Kouga, please don't. There is enough tension among us as it is. If we even hope to defeat Naraku, we have to stay united, as a team. If he senses any discord between us he'll use it against us, and I really don't want that to happen."
Kouga stopped, and looked at her feet. She was right. Turning, he walked back to where he'd been standing all night, and began to help Miroku roll up the sleeping bags.
Kitana peeked through the bushes. Her heart rate sped up as her eyes beheld a very sensual sight.
Sesshoumaru, waist deep in the pond, dunked his head under the surface; when he came up, he shook the water from his hair, sending crystalline droplets flying in every direction. She'd never seen a man so…so…beautiful. He was handsome too, but one couldn't help but use the word beautiful to describe his face. He was the picture of perfect masculinity, save the long hair, but that could be easily overlooked when one was gazing upon a shiny six-pack, a bulging bicep in his good arm, and a narrow pair oh hips that disappeared beneath the water, so she couldn't see what he was hiding down below.
She smirked to herself. She had no doubt that he wouldn't disappoint her. The fact that he was missing a limb made no never mind to her; she knew the goods when she saw them, damaged or not.
Sesshoumaru dunked his head and thought about blue hair…Damn, she was plaguing him worse when he was awake than when he had been asleep. All night he'd dreamed of taking her, making her his woman, and marking her. Over and over again, the same images had flickered through his tired mind, and he'd awoken this morning with a terrible headache and a hard-on he didn't dare let anyone see.
The blue-eyed woman had followed him, he knew; the wind shifted slightly, bringing her scent, but he made as if he didn't notice.
Kitana thought that know would be a good time to make her presence known. Stepping out from behind the bush, she leaned against a tree and said, softly, "Very nice, Sesshoumaru. Very nice indeed."
He did not turn to face her, but he replied, "Like what you see, do you?" and he stood, walking from the pond, baring himself for her complete viewing pleasure. He took satisfaction in her inarticulate jaw-drop when she saw him, naked, walking toward her.
He came close, right in her face. She backed up a step, right into the tree.
"Are you interested in this?" he gestured at his body. She was quiet.
"Well?" he prompted.
"Maybe," she allowed, wondering where he was going with this. Last time she'd checked, men loved to be admired. What was he up to? Was he trying to scare her off?
"Maybe? I don't believe you," he said, his voice like silk as he brought up a wet hand, and stroked her cheek. Seeing her eyes close in delight, then snap open to watch him, he smiled inside. Did she want him? He'd have to ask to find out.
"This doesn't bug you?" He looked at his left arm, or what was left of it, anyway. Moving her gaze from his face to his arm and back, she let loose a chuckle and a small smile.
"You know what?" she said huskily, leaning toward his face, "that doesn't bug me at all."
He watched her eyes, looking for deceit; finding none, he leaned in toward her, and brushed her lips with his own. She shuddered at the first touch of his lips upon hers, and they pried hers open, skilfully, and kissed her like she'd never been kissed before. He knows what he's doing, she thought, before she thought no more and followed her body's instincts, and wrapped her arms around his neck, his wet hair soaking her sleeves.
One of her legs was pried open by one of his knees, and she brought it up to entwine around his own. He broke for air, and began to lick inside her ear, growling her name over and over again, moving his hands up and down her ribs, slowly, holding her still as he ravaged her. He'd been ready when he left the pond under her scrutiny, but he ached for her now, and she could feel his need growing between them, and he growled louder when one of her hands slowly made its way down his chest, over his abs, past a smooth, muscled hip, and inward toward him.
As soon as her hand grasped him, he brought both hands to rest upon her breasts, palpating and memorizing them. Their little tryst was about to be cut short; he could hear Inuyasha coming, quickly.
Kissing her hard, he released her, and said, "Go. We are no longer alone." and disappeared, using his demonic speed. She turned around to head back, when she ran into Inuyasha, his hands on his hips, before he suddenly crossed them, a frown growing on his face.
She smiled. "Good morning, Inuyasha," and passed him, a big grin on her swollen lips. Inuyasha sniffed her as she passed, and confirmed his suspicions. His scent was all over her.
He watched her leave, then walked around the tree. Sesshoumaru sat on a rock, tying his sash, then put both swords in it. "You done?" Inuyasha asked belligerently.
"You have eyes. What do you think?" he passed his brother, in an effort to put him behind him, but Inuyasha came abreast, looking at him like he'd grown another head.
"You like her, don't you?" he said, raising a brow.
"What makes you think that that is any of your business?" he asked frostily.
Inuyasha put up both hands. "Don't get your knickers in a twist, I was just asking."
Sesshoumaru frowned. Where had he heard that phrase before?
"My affairs are none of yours. I will do as I please." He walked away, leaving a skeptical brother behind. Inuyasha suspected that there was more going on between his brother and the new girl than either was letting on, but he supposed that that was fine; why should he care?
He was just amazed that any woman would find him attractive, he was so cold and stand-offish. His words were sharper than his swords, and as far as he knew, Sesshoumaru had no experience with women…except Kagome. His anger rose, then fell.
He thought it more than likely that Sesshoumaru had experience, but he wouldn't know because he never told him. He never told anybody. He guarded his past more closely than he seemed to guard the little girl he allowed to follow him. Inuyasha wondered what Sesshoumaru was trying to hide.
When Kitana emerged from the bush, Kagome smiled and waved her over. They were all ready to go.
"You were the last person to see Naraku, Kitana," Miroku said, coming to stand next to Kagome.
"Which direction was his castle?"
"He wasn't in any castle," she said thoughtfully. "I was walking through the forest, looking for my brother. He appeared out of nowhere and asked me to assassinate someone, and that he'd pay me. The amount he offered was enough that I couldn't refuse," she recounted, ashamed of her lack of funds.
Miroku frowned, but Kagome said, "Well, it's a start. Which direction did you come from? Maybe if we backtrack, someone will pick up a scent we can follow."
Kitana turned Northwest, and pointed toward a mountain range in the far distance. "I came from that way," she said, "but I doubt we'll find him, I saw neither a castle nor smelled him until he was practically on top of me, so I don't think we'll get much info. But, like you said, it's a start."
As soon as Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were spotted coming from the same bush Kitana had emerged from, the group moved out, Kitana in the lead. Sesshoumaru came up behind her, and then came abreast, and said, "Are we following your direction?"
She nodded, and when he glanced at her, gave him a secret smile.
"I see," he said, revealing nothing, though she could smell his arousal still, though very faintly. A female's nose was extremely sensitive to a male's arousal, but not her own, and vice versa for males. That was why Inuyasha could only smell Kitana's scent on Sesshoumaru, but not his arousal. He was blind to the scent. He did, however, smell Kitana's, and it made him all the more suspicious, and he had a feeling he'd interrupted something back there in the forest. It gave him a little burst of pleasure, knowing that he was cramping his brother's style. Serves him right, the bastard, he thought maliciously, through the smile on his face.
Kagome sidled up next to him, and took his hand in hers. He smiled at her, all thoughts forgotten.
"What are you smiling about?" she asked, curious.
"Nothing," he answered. "Am I forgiven for earlier? I'm sorry I flew off the handle like that, but he just makes me so mad!"
Kagome rubbed her hand up and down his arm, soothing his ruffled feathers. "Yes, you are forgiven, but remember, you and Sesshoumaru have to put your differences aside for now. Naraku will surely try to use your hatred for each other to his own advantage, and the last thing we want to do is give him more advantages than he already has." She fingered her fraction of the jewel at her neck. It was very small compared to what Naraku had collected, and she feared the worst when they finally tracked him down.
Inuyasha sighed, "I know," he mumbled, "but he just makes it so hard. Maybe someone should be telling all this to him, not me."
"You need to hear it. Sesshoumaru already knows, and besides, it takes two to tango; it wasn't completely his fault. We're all tense, and it makes us touchy. Neither of you can solely blame the other."
He grunted this time. Kagome decided it was time to change the subject.
"So, what do you think of Kitana?"
"Kitana? She's alright, I guess. We haven't seen her fight; only Sesshoumaru has, and I don't hear him showering her with praise. She couldn't even kill him, and she calls herself a mercenary for hire? Obviously she's not a very good one."
Kagome replied patiently, "Maybe she hasn't be at it for very long. And it's a good thing she didn't; we need him."
He said nothing, only stared at the blue-haired girl and his brother, leading the way, and barely speaking.
"You know," he confided, lowering his voice, "I think those two are hot for each other."
Kagome whipped her gaze to his face and let out a guffaw. "What? How do you know that? They only met yesterday!"
Inuyasha grinned. "When I went to find Sesshoumaru to tell him to hurry the hell up, I passed her, and she was coming from the pond, the scent of arousal and my bastard brother all over her."
Kagome's eyes widened at this juicy tidbit.
"Really?"
"Yeah, and Sesshoumaru was just finishing getting dressed when I found him, and her scent was all over him, too. When I asked him about it, he got all cold and was like, 'My business is none of yours', and some shit like that." He was nodding his head.
Kagome giggled. "Definitely suspicious," she agreed, and he laughed.
"Glad to know you agree. I thought for sure everyone would think I'm losing it. I mean, come on, who'd believe that Sesshoumaru could even like a woman, let alone make out with her?"
There was an awkward silence as Inuyasha's words sunk into his brain. Kagome just got red. Yeah, about that…she was thinking. They were quiet and couldn't look at each other until Kagome nudged him.
"It's in the past, and it means nothing. We should just forget all about it."
"Good idea," he said, though he knew that was easier said than done. Just the thought of Sesshoumaru kissing Kagome made him see red, but he restrained himself - for her sake.
They were quiet again for a moment. "You know, maybe you're right," Kagome said, thinking out loud.
"Right about what? Them?" He pointed to Kitana and Sesshoumaru.
"Yeah. I mean, she really seems to like him. I can't help but feel this…vibe…from her, and I really think you're right about them having it bad for each other. Sesshoumaru can't reveal his feelings, right? I mean, if we go into battle and he's real friendly with her, Naraku will know right away and use it against them, but she doesn't know that, and it's obvious when she looks at him what she's feeling. Maybe someone should enlighten her about showing her emotions."
"Well, if anyone knows about that, it's Sesshoumaru. I've never seen anyone remain so stone-faced for as long as he has. I've never seen him act any differently."
"Well, you know Inuyasha, maybe there's a reason he is the way he is. We really shouldn't judge a book by it's cover."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that we shouldn't judge Sesshoumaru if we don't know his whole story. He may not have always acted like this."
Inuyasha thought about that. She was right, he realised, and looked at her lovingly. She was so thoughtful. He shook his head. She continued.
"I'm willing to bet that he was just like any other normal person until something happened in his life to make him as hard as he is."
Inuyasha widened his eyes. He knew what had made his brother this way!
"It was his Mother," he said, deep in thought, and Kagome said, "His Mother? What about his Mother?"
He decided now was a good time to share with Kagome his experience in the Afterlife.
"That night, when I died, I saw my Father, and we talked. He said something about Sesshoumaru not being the same since his Mother died, but he didn't tell me what happened to her. I never even thought to ask."
Kagome hugged his arm tighter. "How come you never told me?" she asked.
"I'd forgotten about it, till now when you brought it up," he replied, and she said, "No, I mean why didn't you tell me you'd seen your Father?"
"Oh," he shrugged, "I don't know. I wasn't ready to talk about it I guess. Are you mad?"
She smiled, "No, I'm happy for you. I know you'll never admit it, but it meant a lot to you, seeing him again, didn't it?"
He only looked back at her, the look on his face unreadable.
"Just as I thought," she sighed, "stubborn to the very core. God help us if our children turn out anything like you. Though these ears are to die for." She rubbed one between her fingers.
He looked at her, trying to discern what she meant. "What do you mean by that?" he finally asked, point blank.
She giggled. "I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're implying. Not yet, as far as I know anyway."
She winked.
He felt himself begin to panic. He had no idea what Naraku would do if word got out that Kagome was expecting his child.
"You're sure?" he stopped her and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her, as if he could shake the truth from her.
"I'm sure," she said, slightly annoyed at his behaviour, "let go, will ya? We won't get anywhere if you keep this up!"
"Maybe we shouldn't have sex for a while," he muttered, and she said indignantly, "And why not? I thought you loved me more than that!"
"I do," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close, his eyes on the ground that passed beneath them. "I just don't want you to get hurt. If Naraku knew, and tried to hurt you to get to me, or just for the sake of hurting us both, I don't know what I'd do."
She was touched by his concern, and her anger melted away.
"Alright," she agreed, "we won't have anymore unprotected sex. Not until Naraku is dead. But no later!" She smiled, and he got the feeling she had something planned.
"Unprotected?" For some reason an image of Tetsusaiga flashed through his mind when he said this.
She dug into the bag on his back, and pulled out a little box.
"What's that?" he asked, taking it from her and sniffing it.
"Medication. My mother made me go to the doctor and get a prescription for it last time I was home," she said, and he shook the box; a tiny rattling could be heard inside.
He opened it, and a foil package fell into his hand, several yellow pills dotting its surface.
"What are these?"
"Pills. In my time you can take pills that prevent you from getting pregnant. They help your skin too, or so I'm told. It's called Birth Control."
"How does it work?"
"I eat them, one every day, and we can have as much sex as we want, and I won't get pregnant!"
He looked at her. "Are you serious?" he was liking the sound of this better all the time!
"Completely. Isn't that convenient? Now we don't have to worry about Naraku finding out a thing, because it can't happen as long as I'm on those pills!"
He leaned over and kissed her, then popped one of the little yellow lumps out of the foil, and handed it to her.
She raised a brow at him. "Eager, aren't we?"
He only grinned.
She grunted, but ate the pill, taking a swig of water from her water bottle when it got stuck in her throat.
Putting both the water and the pills back in her bag, she took Inuyasha's hand once again and followed the others, smiling as he stuck his tongue in her ear. He was going to be hard to resist until tonight, there was no doubt in her mind.
Sango looked behind her, where Kagome walked next to Inuyasha, his face in her ear. Behind them followed Kirara, Shippo sitting on her back, Ah-Un carrying Rin, and Storm, Kitana's silver dragon.
She nudged Miroku, and whispered, "Look at those two back there, carrying on as if no one's looking."
He smirked her face, so close to his own. "Are you jealous, Sango?"
Her cheeks flamed as she glared at him, and she spat, "No!" turning away to hide her smile.
Okay, so what if she was jealous? She remembered her plan to grope Miroku from a few days ago, and snickered. All she had to do was wait for the right moment…
It came when she felt his hand slide over her backside, and she stiffened. Immediately he drew it away, knowing what was coming. He braced himself for the slap and the screamed, "Hentai!", but neither came.
Instead, he jumped and yelped, "Holy monkey!" as her hand found it's way over his behind, squeezing what little of it she could find. He has no ass, she thought disappointedly. She smiled at his reaction though, and Kagome pointed and laughed, Inuyasha extracting his face from her ear long enough to add his two cents.
"Way to go Sango! How does it feel, Miroku? What a schmuck." His face returned from whence it came, but this time Kagome had turned her lips to meet him, and soon they were deeply absorbed in one another once again.
Kouga followed behind them, in front of the animals. Show-offs, he was thinking, disgusted at the lack of attention he was getting. First, Kagome snubbed him, and then the new girl embarrassed him in front of everybody. I must be losing my touch. He laughed though when Sango groped Miroku. That was funny.
He sighed. Where were those two dumasses, Ginta and Hakkaku, when he needed a little company? In your dust, still following your trail somewhere, he reminded himself. He felt so depressed. Everyone was getting some love but him; even Sesshoumaru, though he tried not let on that he was madly in love with Kitana. Kouga suspected it; she seemed to prefer his company over anybody else's, even the girls'. Whether or not Sesshoumaru returned her sentiments, only time would tell, but Kouga suspected nonetheless.
Soon the land began to slope downward. They would approach a deep ravine within the next hour. It was dark, and the territory unknown. They slowed their progress.
Sesshoumaru held up his hand, indicating the group behind him to halt. They did, and crowded in close to hear what he had to say.
"I don't like this ravine," he said, keeping his voice low. "Anything could be lurking in there, just waiting to pick off one of you helpless humans." His gaze settled on Kagome as he said this. She covertly gave him the finger, and Kitana smiled; Sesshoumaru had set himself up for that one. He snorted.
"I agree," Kouga spoke up, looking to see Kitana's reaction. She ignored him.
Inuyasha turned to Kagome. "They're right. Let's check it out first. Shippo, you and the animals watch the girls and Miroku, okay? Don't abandon them either. I know what a coward you can be."
Shippo stuck out his tongue at the hanyou; Inuyasha didn't notice. Kagome ruffled his hair, soothing his ire.
"Let's move out," Sesshoumaru exclaimed, and all three demons took off in a different direction, planning to meet on the other side of the ravine, to confirm that it was safe to pass through.
The rest of the group sat down to wait.
Sesshoumaru reached the designated meeting point first. His stroll through the dankness of the ravine had been uneventful; the only thing he'd seen was a squirrel. His nose twitched as he sniffed the air. It was faint, but it was there. He'd picked up the scent of their nemesis, Naraku.
He waited slightly impatiently for the others to show.
Kouga came next. Looking disappointed. He'd hoped to run into some evil demon and take out his pent-up frustrations on it, but none were to be found. He shook his head at Sesshoumaru's inquiring look. "Safe," he confirmed, and Sesshoumaru nodded curtly.
Kouga stood next to the Lord, and eyed him covertly. He was handsome, he supposed, but he felt himself to be better looking in a rugged, outdoorsy sort of way. He felt he had much sex-appeal, but reactions lately proved otherwise. He wished he had a mirror. Was his face dirty or something?
His mind strayed to the new girl, Kitana, and her attachment to Sesshoumaru. He decided to do a little probing.
"That new girl's really something, huh? I mean, the bod on her is excellent. I wouldn't mind a piece of that."
Sesshoumaru wanted to growl a warning, but to do so would only confirm what he was sure the wolf was angling for - proof of his emotions, his feelings toward the girl.
Sesshoumaru shrugged, nonchalant. "She's not bad," he allowed, his voice void of any feeling whatsoever.
Kouga frowned; even his interrogation skills were slipping! Godammit!
"Even so," he tried again, "that's a choice piece of ass, right there. If she were my woman she'd have no complaints in the love department, if you know what I mean."
Sesshoumaru turned his head, and Kouga backed up a step, fearing he'd gone too far, but the cool look on Sesshoumaru's face told him everything he needed to know. The demon Lord may be made of stone, but Kouga had just managed to squeeze blood from him, in a manner of speaking.
Unable to stop himself, he smiled, and Sesshouamru's eyes flickered; he was pissed off.
"Listen, wolf," he hissed, moving so that his face was scant inches from Kouga's, "you say a word about this to anyone, especially her, I will kill you. If you come on to her in any way I construe as a threat, I will kill you. If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I will kill you. Do I make myself clear?"
Kouga swallowed the lump in his throat. Once again, the demon Lord's eyes were right in front of his own, and once again it had been a terrifying experience.
"Yeah, no problem, that's cool," he said quickly, realising that he was bent over backwards, and that Sesshoumaru was towering over him, a monolith of huge proportions, powerful enough in his state of mind at the moment to take on Naraku and an entire horde of demons, and come out victorious. "I don't know nothing about it," he added, trying to soothe Sesshoumaru's ruffled feathers.
"See that it remains that way," Sesshoumaru growled fiercely, as Inuyasha came bounding toward them.
Kouga watched with awe as Sesshoumaru managed to compose himself so that Inuyasha would suspect nothing amiss, his face so calm and serene that it revealed absolutely nothing that had just occurred between them.
Now that takes training, he thought, impressed. Maybe if he kept quiet, Sesshoumaru would agree to teach him how he did that. Kouga knew he could really use some lessons in self-discipline, and this guy seemed to have it in spades. All he needed was a little persuasion; maybe a little blackmail would work if the demon Lord didn't see things his way.
"Nothing that way," Inuyasha puffed, skidding to a halt before them. Sesshoumaru nodded.
"Good. We can safely retrieve everyone and begin to follow that bastard hanyou."
Inuyasha and Kouga exchanged a glance, and sniffed the air, hard. Kouga widened his eyes; he smelled it! But it was so faint, he would have missed it unless he'd been looking for it. Now that he'd found it, though, it became slightly stronger, and more potent. In fact, it seemed to be getting stronger by the minute.
Inuyasha was still sniffing as Sesshoumaru commented, "He is leaking his scent. He knows where we are. We must hurry."
Taking off, he retraced his steps back to the group, Inuyasha and Kouga hot on his heels.
Kitana watched as Kagome and Sango, with little Rin in front of them, finished their dance routine, and she clapped when they stopped, thoroughly impressed.
"Whoo! That was great!" she hollered, and Shippo glanced idly over at them, sucking a lollipop and reclining back on Storm's head, where he could watch the whole camp. If one were to watch him closely, they would see his eyes were half shut, and he occasionally sniffed, the very picture of male confidence. He was so relaxed, in fact, that he'd drifted off several times already, but was continuously re-awoken by Kitana's shouts and whistles.
Kitana jumped up off the boulder she'd been sitting cross-legged on and said, "Okay, teach me!"
Kagome and Sango smiled and rolled their eyes at each other. "We might as well," Sango said, spying Miroku returning from his potty break, "who knows how long it'll take them to get back?"
They'd shown Kitana their routine while he was gone, because they weren't ready to show the boys the results of all their practicing just yet.
So, when Miroku looked up after freeing his robes from a tenacious thorn bush, all he saw were the girls grouped together, listening to their music and teaching a new step to Kitana. Rin watched tiredly as Kitana quickly picked up the step, and she yawned as they moved onto another while he sat down and kept a wary eye for the demons' return or any stray demons they were not familiar with, for Shippo was once again sleeping on the job.
His lollipop fell out of his mouth and landed with a click! on the rocks beneath Storm, cracking into tiny pieces. Shippo didn't even wake up when Storm lowered his head and began to lick up what was left of the shattered candy, chewing it up and licking the roof of his mouth for the next couple of minutes.
Miroku soon grew bored; there was nothing to do. What was taking them so long? Reaching over, he picked up Shippo's bag of candy and began to peruse its contents. Grinning, he dug out a Mars bar and said, "Eureka!"
Kirara rolled her huge head to watch him as he ripped off the wrapper and began to eat. The smell of the chocolate attracted her, so, transforming into her kitten form, she bounded over and planted her butt right in front of Miroku, and gave him her 'kitten eyes', begging for a bit of the chewy chocolate bar.
Ah-Un, watching the whole scene with great interest, lumbered over and sat behind the monk, wrapping his tail around him and looking mournfully into his chocolate-covered face from over his left shoulder.
Miroku noticed nothing as he enjoyed the candy bar, his eyes closed as he savoured the caramel and nougat inside the delicious milk-chocolate coating. Kirara mewed, loudly. Ah-Un rumbled, and soon Storm, having licked all the lollipop fragments out of his molars, also came over to complete the little circle of demons around the monk.
When Miroku finished, he opened his eyes to the sight of three new best friends, who all looked at him hopefully. Shippo, still sleeping, snored loudly atop Storm's massive head, so Miroku shrugged and thought, He's got so much junk in here he won't notice if we eat some of it. Besides, he'll thank me later, for saving him from getting fat.
"So, you all want some candy, do you?" They all nodded in response.
"Well, let's see what we've got here." Rummaging in the bag, he came up with a Tootsie Roll.
"Who wants this?" he asked, and Storm snorted loudly, after he'd passed the candy beneath each demon's nose.
"Okay, this goes to Storm." Storm ate the candy, wrapper and all, and would chew it for the next half hour, then proceed to lick the roof of his mouth - again - for another hour after that.
Next, Miroku pulled out a Snickers bar. Kirara claimed it, so, this time, making sure it was unwrapped before feeding it to her, he placed the chocolate bar on the grass where Kirara sat, and she daintily began to lick at the chocolate, occasionally stopping to clean her face with her tiny paws.
Lastly, Miroku studied Ah-Un carefully and, after the dragon huffed on him impatiently, he decided on the perfect piece of sugary confectionary for the beast.
Pulling out a giant box of orange Tic Tacs, he fed the entire thing to the two-headed dragon, hoping to at least make its breath smell better. He looked around; Jaken, as he'd hoped, was over by the girls, prodding Rin to wake up before Lord Sesshoumaru came back for them, and was paying no attention whatsoever to his activities.
Chuckling, thinking that this had been a clever idea (the idea being that he would kill two birds with one stone here (satisfy the dragon and freshen its terrible breath)), he was totally unprepared for the small ball of orange fur that attacked his face, screaming, "You dummy! Those were my Tic Tacs! Fox Fire!"
He rolled out of the way just in time, but he didn't escape altogether. His rat-tail was on fire, and he patted it out, hissing as he burned his hand.
All the commotion had scattered the little menagerie around the monk, and everyone who had been previously ignoring him now stared open-mouthed; what was he doing over there?
Shippo ran to Kagome, and climbed up her leg to her waiting arms, bawling his little eyes out. She rubbed his back and made soothing noises as he sobbed out, "Miroku fed my Tic Tacs to Ah-Un, Kagome, and he knew they were my favourite!"
Miroku turned a shade of crimson Sango didn't know he was capable of. Her heart went out to the little fox-boy; they all knew how precious the orange mints were to him; how could Miroku do such a thing?
Stalking over to him, she said, "That was a terrible thing to do to Shippo, you asshole! Apologise!"
Miroku, scared for his life, ran to Shippo and said, "I'm so sorry Shippo, it's just that that dragon's breath was so bad that I thought maybe if I fed it some Tic Tacs would make it bearable! It wouldn't leave me alone, I was dying from the stench, can't you understand?"
Shippo only howled louder, and Kagome glared at Miroku, and his heart sank. Sango stood behind him, and gave him a hearty whack! off the back of his head, stunning him.
Shippo laughed, and all the girls smiled.
"Do it again!"
Again, Sango smacked Miroku, her own smile growing.
"Let me try!" Kitana wound up her arm and delivered a smack! to end all smacks. Still Miroku didn't go down, but he was so stunned he never saw what was hitting him.
"Feels pretty good," Kitana said, and Sango nodded.
"Makes me feel pretty good, too!"
Kagome wondered out loud, "I wonder if we've retarded him. That many smacks can't be healthy."
"Who cares?" Sango said, smacking him once more when it looked as though he was coming around. "As you would say, Kagome, 'it's therapeutic!' "
"You don't even know what that means!" Kagome giggled, and Rin asked, "Can I try?"
"Sure, sweetheart. Give him a good kick in the shin. Shippo still feels cheated. I think Miroku needs to learn this lesson, but good. Go ahead, kick him."
Rin drew back her foot and was about to connect it with the monk's shin when he seemed to regain his senses, and jumped out of the way, bumping into Kagome, who flew into Kitana, who was pushed into Sango, who landed under a teetering Rin, her foot having been flung out from under her with the momentum as she missed the monk. Soon, there was a pile of writhing limbs on the ground, and it was all Miroku's fault.
Being the first to fall, naturally he'd landed on the bottom of the pile. He winced as an elbow was jammed into his ribs, and a foot squashed his ear. His face was forced into the dirt by someone's knee, and all the while he thought, Penance is such a bitch. I knew this was gonna cost me.
Haha! Miroku made a mess of everything! What a schmoe. Anyway, yeah, review, it inspires me to keep going, especially when the plot is thickening and I have no choice but to delve deep into Sessy's past...damn, this guy's complex. What a bum! Anyway, I'll be receiving my scanned sketch on a floppy on Sunday night, so keep your eyes peeled, especially you, Water Kunoichi! Later!PS - If you want to see my work, email me, and I'll send you a copy!