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The Break Up
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"I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY FUCKING TIMES I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU ASSHOLES! I CAN FUCKING HEAR YOU. I. AM. NOT. DEAF!"
Miroku set his jaw and gave the demonic version of his friend a long glare. There had to be some ulterior motive for why this version of Inuyasha was hanging around, whether it be by Kikyo's design or his own. From what he had seen of the full blooded Inuyasha in the past and from all that they had learned, his youkai blood was unstable. Tessaiga was what kept him on control, yet to hear this one talk the only reason that it was an issue at all was because the human half was just a giant coward. It just didn't add up.
"Well, perhaps you can answer a few questions and put our minds at ease," Miroku offered as he settled down near the campfire, "You have offered up your side of the story and now you should have the decency to hear ours."
"Fine," the demon spat back as he plopped down and rested his chin on his palm, "Fire away."
"You wished to become a full demon and were prepared to steal the jewel from Lady Kagome. Indeed, you threatened to kill her and Lady Kikyo as well if I understand correctly. Why, exactly, would you do such a thing if your human half feared you?" Miroku asked bluntly as Sango clutched Kirara to her chest and sat down beside him.
"First off, if I really wanted to kill them I easily could have but I didn't. I could've stolen the jewel while they slept but I didn't. Why am I being interrogated here? You guys know me!" Inuyasha spluttered angrily before his face faltered when Miroku clicked his tongue and kept a neutral expression.
"We knew who you used to be. You, however, are unfamiliar and you are avoiding my question," Miroku stated flatly, "Why would you wish to become a full demon if your human half feared this part of you?"
"Ever heard of low self esteem?" the demon snorted sarcastically as his smirked at the two humans, "Or being afraid of being alone? Or wanting to belong somewhere?"
"We understand those things," Miroku replied simply, his expression stoic, "Yet what I do not understand is why you offer those reasons so willingly. The Inuyasha we knew would never do such a thing. Why offer up such information?"
The demon merely snorted and rolled his eyes as a wolfish grin played on his lips, "I'm just being honest. He may act all confident and be a dick but it's because he's afraid if we told you the truth you guys would dump him... us... me... whatever, if he showed any weakness. I, on the other hand, don't really give a shit because I know I've got nothing to gain by lying to ya or making shit up and I want you guys to trust me. The truth is easier. I mean, instead of answering these stupid questions, I could've just kicked your asses if I really had..."
"So you are saying you've lied to us in the past and are willing to inflict harm upon us if necessary?" Miroku asked steadily before his lips twitched downward when the demon merely looked outraged and Sango whipped her head towards the monk with a horrified look on her face.
"The fuck?! That's not what I said!" the demon cried indignantly as he gave his friend a seething look, "I'm not saying I've lied to you! I'm just... I'm just telling you how it is so you'll get off my back!"
Sango chewed the inside of her lip for a moment before casting a glance over at the sleeping Kagome who lay a safe distance away cuddling Shippo to her chest. All Miroku had accomplished was making things much, much worse and driving a wedge between them that didn't need to be there. This whole process and Miroku's response was borderline cruel. She needed to intervene.
"Do you love Kagome?" Sango asked quickly, cutting off Miroku before another question could come out his mouth.
"Yes," the demon answered with a quick shrug and without hesitation, seemingly relieved at this change as some of the tension radiating off him relaxed visibly.
"So you've told her?" Sango inquired shrewdly. Avoiding answering truly personal questions was his forte and if it was indeed Inuyasha, there was only one way to react. Cheering inwardly, when his ears drooped incrementally and he cast a wistful glance at her sleeping friend, Sango couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"She...she knows," the demon answered quietly, his earlier vibrato slightly lessened before it came back with a vengeance at the same time a soft blush bloomed under jagged purple. Scoffing loudly, the silver haired demon shook his head as he folded his arms across his chest and scowled, "Don't need to tell her something she already knows."
"Perhaps," Sango mused playfully as she cast him a knowing look.
"She knows dammit" the demon huffed as abruptly stood and turned away, "Enough questions. I'm going to do a perimeter run. Don't let him get killed. I'll be back."
And quick as a flash, he was gone in a blur of silver and red.
"Sango, what was that?! I had it under control! He was..." Miroku began before Sango cut him off.
"You were being cruel. Unforgivably cruel," the slayer hissed, "All he said was he was didn't want to to tell us before that he was afraid we'd turn on him and then you threw it back in his face! We all have our own insecurities that we..."
"How do we know if that's even him in there?!" Miroku hissed, effectively cutting her off, as he threw his hands up in frustration, "This could all be a trap!"
"Even if it is a trap, I'm staying," Sango answered firmly before visibly deflating, "How many traps have we fallen into because of me? I've stolen Tessaiga and betrayed all of you for Kohaku yet you stood by my side. I'm not going anywhere especially because I know you're wrong. So very wrong."
"That's different, Sango. Kohaku is your brother. This...this demon could..."
Shaking her head, the slayer rolled her eyes at the monk's blatant stupidity as he continued to list all the reasons Inuyasha would likely turn on them at any moment. Miroku had known Inuyasha even longer than she had and yet clearly, didn't know him at all.
Inuyasha hadn't told a lie per se but he did tell a partial truth. Even his demon form was afraid to be alone, although the demon acted like it was very much one sided - a defense mechanism if she had to guess and security for himself should something go sour before they merged back together. Throw out the pity factor as a safety net just in case one of the halves did something incredibly stupid. It wasn't like his human half would remember.
All in all, Miroku's assessment was one blinded by prejudice. Inuyasha could've easily given over his human half to Kikyo and taken off but he didn't. He could've easily refused to answer their questions but he didn't. Hell, he could've killed them all but he didn't. No, he stayed with them and was going out of his way to ingratiate himself. He wanted their trust and their friendship. He admitted he loved Kagome but was obviously still too scared to tell her even in his much more confident demon form. It wasn't suspicious, it was actually quite sad to think about deep those scars must go that even his demon half had them on his soul. With a gentle, long, exasperated sigh, Sango ran her fingers through Kirara's fur.
"Did you know," she began softly as Miroku finished his tirade and ran his fingers through his hair, "that Inuyoukai take pack very seriously, it's not a word they just throw around and he's repeatedly referred to us as such. They live and die for their pack's wellbeing."
"Oh yes, Sesshomaru clearly lives and dies for Inuyasha," Miroku quipped back sarcastically as Sango rolled her eyes.
"Inuyasha is not part of Sesshomaru's pack but Rin and Jakken are. How many times has he risked losing a battle to keep them safe?" Sango paused her hand and frowned before continuing slowly, "Actually, now that I think about it. Do you remember when we battled Sounga? Sesshomaru took a full on blast for Inuyasha and another time, he came to save Inuyasha from his demon half after we fought that moth demon. Perhaps Inuyasha is his pack."
"Perhaps or perhaps Sesshomaru had to address Inuyasha's demon half after it killed about thirty bandits with its bare hands and was raging out of control because it was bringing dishonor on the family," Miroku mocked exasperatedly and groaned when Sango merely gave him a pitying look.
"We are his pack. He will not harm us. And...and when they're together, I do agree they are unstable but they aren't fighting each other now," Sango answered plainly before sighing dejectedly and turning a sympathetic glance at the human Inuyasha laid out next to her sleeping friend, "They're what they could've been if their lives had been different. They don't have to be afraid of each other and we have no reason to fear them."
"I think you're seeing thing that aren't there," Miroku clipped, "That demon isn't our friend. Our friend is gone."
In the treeline, hurt, almost mournful crimson eyes watched as his friend walked over to lean against the tree, actively scanning the forest for the perceived threats or more accurately, for him.
XXXXX
"He still hasn't woken up," Kagome whispered anxiously to the demonic Inuyasha, "something's wrong."
"Yeah, maybe you need to take him to..." Inuyasha began before Miroku knelt down beside them and addressed the demon beside him, "What did you do to him before we arrived?"
That. That was the breaking point of Inuyasha's patience.
In that moment, he was blinded by a five-course serving of rage that tasted bitter, yet deliciously satisfying as his fist collided solidly with Miroku's jaw. He knew he should reign it in, apologize before he made it worse, but he just didn't have it in him. His instincts were screaming at him to punish the possible usurper and before he knew what he was doing, he'd tackled the monk to the ground. With one hand, he pinned both of his arms above his head while the other placed light pressure on the monk's throat as he growled menacingly and his chest heaved up and down.
"SUBMIT!" the demon growled as he slightly increased the pressure on the monk's wind pipe. Miroku narrowed his eyes angrily at the demon towering above him and defiantly remained silent. The silence only served to make Inuyasha angrier as he desperately tried to quench the desire to rip his still beating heart from his chest, "SUBMIT!"
Inuyasha's whole being shook from the effort of holding back and the muscles in his jaw jumped sporadically from the effort of remaining silent. Finally, after several tense minutes, a soft hand touched his shoulder and Inuyasha flinched back instinctively.
"Inuyasha, let him up," Kagome whispered placatingly as she gently rubbed his arm and gave him a forced smile, "He didn't mean anything by it. Let him up."
As she knelt down, Sango grimaced. Given this turn of events, she would bet Hirakostu that the demon had heard every word last night and the not so subtle accusation that Miroku had just thrown out there had pushed the demon over the edge. As Inuyasha's crimson eyes met Kagome's blue, he sighed and took a deep shuddering breath. Far be it for him to ignore the order of the alpha female, especially when he knew she was right. Swallowing thickly, Inuyasha leaned back on his haunches, ripping the grass up with his claw that had been holding Miroku's wrists as he continue to growl low in his chest at the insubordinate beta. Miroku's hand flew to his sutras but he slowly pulled his hand out of his robes upon seeing the accusatory and irate glares from the others.
"You all may stay with this demon but this is the final straw. My time with you has ended," Miroku hissed as he stumbled to his feet and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. As he brushed himself off, he huffed and began walking away only to pause.
"Sango, you're coming with me," Miroku ordered sternly as he turned a severe gaze her way, his resolve faltering slightly at the withering glare she gave him in reply.
"You're making a terrible mistake. Don't you see that? Don't you understand what you..." Sango began angrily as she stared him down before she trailed off knowing a lost cause when she saw one.
"Fine. I see you've made your choice," Miroku spat out angrily as he managed to muster a cold and superior look, "This is goodbye. I pray you will not regret your decision."
And just like that...Miroku was gone.
