I do not own the show/manga of InuYasha. Nor do I own the characters.
I do own the creativity that has forced me to write a fanfiction, however. D:

Author's Note: I'd like to take this moment to celebrate the story taking on its tenth chapter! We've gotten into double digits people! Yay! Now, back to your regular reading

It Is Not True
Pairing: MriokuXSesshomaru
Side Pair: InuyhashaXKouga
Chapter Ten: Truth

~It Is Not True~
/StartSideStory

"And he just handed it over?" Kagome held the jewel shard in her hand like it was toxic. She just couldn't believe someone would just handover a jewel shard.

"He's your boyfriend. . . and he's got one in each leg and another in one arm. You'd think he has enough." Inuyasha was currently digging through Kagome's empty backpack for something to eat.

"He's not my boyfriend! Still, I'm not—Inuyasha! There's nothing in there. You ate it all already. This is why I'm headed back so soon, you realize this don't you?" Kagome snatched the significantly empty backpack away. "And I was saving that last bag of chips for Miroku when he woke up. He skipped breakfast, no thanks to youagain. . ." She paused for a second. "Which reminds me, what did you say to him this morning? He was awfully upset when he came back. . . And then Sesshomaru came. . . Why do you think Sesshomaru wanted to talk to Miroku anyway? Sango told me that he saved Rin. . . Do you think Sesshomaru's indebted to Miroku now? OH Maybe he's on our side now. He did save Kohaku. Wouldn't that be-"

"Will you shut up and jump down that well? All you do is talk-talk-talk." Inuyasha turned his back on her.

"Humph. And to think I thought you were walking me here to be nice." Kagome huffed and started to climb over the well. "Tell Shippo I'll bring him back some candy." With that she jumped down and disappeared from this time.

Now if only he could find something for Sango, Kohaku and Shippo to do while Kagome was gone, then he could openly deal with this 'problem' with Sesshomaru and Miroku. He still didn't understand what was going on between the two. Even if it was possible for two men to love each other, Miroku was his friend. There should be no way in hell he'd drop his guard and mate with Inuyasha's enemy. He scratched his head in thought as he made his way back Kaede's.

~It Is Not True~
/SideStory

"Oh, Inuyasha, I'm glad you're back. Kohaku and I are going to the village. We're going to get him a weapon." Sango said to Inuyasha when she stopped him walking up to Kaede's.

Inuyasha made a face. "Are you sure he should be fighting. . .?"

"I know. He said he wants to help us. Make up for what happened to Father and the village. . . I honestly don't know if he's ready. I'm not Father. . . If it was up to me, I'd say he was never ready and that he should just live here with Kaede and live a normal life. We're not Demon Slayers anymore. There's no such thing." Sango really needed someone to talk to, but she could tell Inuyasha wasn't the person. She wished Kagome hadn't of left so soon.

Inuyasha got an idea and quickly asked, "Would you mind taking Shippo?"

Sango looked confused. "If.. he must?"

"Well, Sesshomaru's showing up. . . I can't keep an eye on the twerp myself."

"Ah! That's right. Miroku went off with Sesshomaru. . . I wonder what's going on. Why is Sesshomaru talking to him? . . . But yes. Shippo can come with us." Sango sighed, "I hope Miroku's going to be okay."

"Me too, Sango…. Now when do you plan on leaving?" Inuyasha looked around, but didn't see Kohaku or Shippo anywhere around.

"Really soon. Kaede is giving Kohaku some food for the journey. . . Oh! I'll have to tell her to add more, since Shippo is coming. We'll be back as soon as we can." Sango ran off inside Kaede's and left Inuyasha alone. All he had to do now was wait for Miroku to stop talking to Sesshomaru and he could openly deal with this problem.

~It Is Not True~
/EndSideStory

"Do you love me, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru had been eerily silent for a long while. It made Miroku nervous. He wanted to know what the Demon Lord was thinking. Maybe he shouldn't have asked this question. It was going to ruin everything. He could live with just being a toy for Sesshomaru, couldn't he? Miroku tried to mull this thought over in his head while Sesshomaru was silent. Just what was he thinking about? The Monk would give anything to be able to understand the Demon Lord's way of thinking. . . and even to read his thoughts. This was pure torture for him.

Sesshomaru took to silence as soon as he could. How could he answer a question like that? How do you answer a question like that? Did he lovethe monk? What was love? Sesshomaru had never felt it before. Was that feeling what he had for the monk? Was that what the monk had awoken in him? So many questions this monk brought up in his head. No one else did so. No one else had the power to make him question everything about himself with only four words. "It's annoying." Sesshomaru said out loud. He clenched his fists and glared at nothing in particular. He wasn't even looking at the monk anymore, he had turned his head to the side.

Miroku, for just a second, let hurt flash in his face. He was annoying? Inuyasha was. . . right? He really hadjust been used? Miroku felt his heart literally stop.

"Only you can ask something so ridiculous." Sesshomaru looked back at Miroku. "Was it something Inuyasha said?" Miroku winced as Sesshomaru hit the metaphorical nail on the metaphorical head, "What do I have to do to make you understand? What happened to the confidence you once had?" Sesshomaru looked away. "Did that slayer take it away when she rejected you?" His fist clenched again. Did that slayer still hold the same power over him? Would he have to kill that slayer once and for all so that her hold on the monk would finally let go?

"W-what?" Miroku was taken aback, again. It was unreal how this beautiful creature could do that to him. Say so much with only questions. "…. Say it." Miroku decided that he'd only answer one for now. To tell the truth, he wasn't sure what happened to him. That say Sango died everything changed. Nothing was the same and everything was different, uncharted territory. He'd just have to answer what he knew. "Say that you love me, and I'll believe it." Miroku was determined to hear it, even if it was forced. . . and wouldn't mean anything genuine.

Sesshomaru shook his head, and maybe for a second Miroku thought he was telling him he didn't love him. "I don't know what love is. I don't know if I want to feel love." Sesshomaru closed the space between him and the monk. He was just action on instinct now. "But if it's what you're making me feel or what you're giving me, then yes. I do love you." He brought his hand up and caressed the monk's face. Sesshomaru knew, at this moment, he'd have to work for Miroku to have his confidence back. He was still quite broken. He was mending, little by little. "Inuyasha knows. Let's tell the rest of your friends. . . We should all travel together."

Miroku had closed his eyes at Sesshomaru's touch. Sesshomaru accepted him. He accepted him and his love. Even if he didn't know what it was yet. He wasn't discarded for someone else and he wasn't alone. On the note of telling Sango and Kagome his eyes popped back open with fear in them. "Inuyasha knows, but he doesn't agree. . . The others…" Miroku wasn't sure what to say. Would they follow Inuyasha's lead? Or would they make up their own minds. It was almost as if everything he's ever known about his friends was useless. Did he really know them at all?

"Inuyasha did not force me away. He did not force you away from me. He must have already accepted this in some way." Sesshomaru paused. "If not, I'll show him that he cannot force us apart."

With all the force Miroku could muster, he pushed Sesshomaru away from him. Being so close did slow his brain a little bit. ". . . If we are going to. . . be together. You have to understand that Inuyasha is my friend. He's important to me. This brotherly feud between you two. . . You've got settle it with a little violence as necessary. Especially, if we are all going to travel together."

Sesshomaru was rather upset he was pushed away from his mate, but soon understood why. This was, apparently a big thing to Miroku. A think he had not thought about. If every second Inuyasha was trying to start a fight with him, then he wouldn't have time with Miroku. This caused a problem. He would have this settle this. . . thing. . with Inuyasha. But what was it he would settle. . .? "Fine." Sesshomaru said. "I'll have a talk with Inuyasha."

"I mean talk. . No fighting?" Miroku asked. He didn't want the 'talk' to ruin more things between the two.

Sesshomaru closed the space between him and Miroku again. "No fighting." Sesshomaru leaned in and almost muttered, "I promise." Before giving Miroku a kiss. All of Miroku's thoughts before thing had drifted away as he let himself get lost in the kiss.

~It is Not True~
/StartSideStory

Inuyasha had just said goodbye to Sango, Kohaku and Shippo when he started to wonder what was taking Miroku so long. He didn't dare go out and look for them in case something was going on. Exactly what, he didn't what to think about. He figured while Miroku was still busy with Sesshomaru, he'd go and clean up. It'd been a long while since he last took a bath. His hair was collecting nice piece of dirt. Inuyasha would never admit it to anyone, but he was quite particular about his hair and ears. He walked a little ways out of the village and found the stream nearby. He wasn't worried about peekers, since naturally when they saw he was a half-demon they'd run off or something similar. He stripped his clothes and took them into the water with him. He gave them a nice good scrubbing before laying them out to dry. Then he took to the water himself and started to clean his hair.

"Did you give her the shard, Mutt?"

Inuyasha jumped. "Kuoga! Are you stalking the village now? That's a little beneath you, don't you think?" Inuyasha would have picked up on his scent and not been surprised by him, had he not been so intent on his hair. He was well into the water, so he didn't have to worry about covering up any nudity.

"Did you give her the shard?" Koga asked again. He was laying sideways on a elongated boulder that Inuyasha could have sworn he put something on just a few-

"Hey! My clothes were over there." Inuyasha quickly looked around to find them, and sure enough, Kouga had them thrown on the ground.

"I needed room to sit. They were in the way. Now. Did you-"

"Yeah, yeah I did. Stop repeating yourself and put my clothes back up there." Inuyasha went back to scrubbing his hair clean.

"You're gonna break it like that." Kouga said, not moving.

Inuyasha ignored him, since he wasn't sure what he was talking about.

"I said, you're gonna break your hair off like that, dumb mutt. Use your claws." Kouga jumped off the boulder. "Oh well, if you go bald what's it matter to me." Kouga started to walk away.

"Argh!" Inuyasha had had enough. "I thought I told you to put my clothes back, idiot." Inuyasha walked out of the water started to pick up his wet clothes.

"You never said-" Kouga turned around to say something smart, but his voice caught in his throat. What exactly was it he wanted to say? Did Inuyasha always have those scars on his back? Was he always that buff? How could Inuyasha's wet body make his mind momentarily blank? This wasn't good. What wasn't good, did he already forget? "…."

With the clothes picked up and back on the rock, Inuyasha walked back into the water as quickly as he could. "Whatever, wolf. I don't care."

The words brought Kouga back to himself again. He quickly high-tailed it out there.

~It Is Not True~
/EndSideStory

This time it was Sesshomaru who stopped things before they got too worked up. "The next time I take you, Monk, it will be proper." Sesshomaru kissed his forehead. "I'll go get Rin and we'll talk to your friends. I will see you soon." With that Sesshomaru walked away.

Miroku wasn't even sure what "be proper" meant, but he wasn't going to worry about it. Let this thing be the least of his worries. He still had to get pasted Sango and Kagome's reaction, and then the whole Inuyasha and Sesshomaru working things out, which he dreaded as much as he looked forward to it. He sighed and then started his way back to Kaede's.

When he got there, Inuyasha was gone, Sango was gone, and Kagome was nowhere to be seen. Even the little Shippo was gone. Was this how they felt when he disappeared for that long while? Fear stuck him as he realized that maybe something did happen and even Lady Kaede was gone. When he entered her place, he was happy to see her taking a nap. He could see she was alive by her breathing, but he didn't want to disturb her and ask her where everyone was. Maybe now it was his time to wait. The food was prepared, he could tell. Maybe he'd just eat a little bit. . .

~It Is Not True~

Sesshomaru found Rin exactly where he had left her, with Jaken and Ah-Un. She took to not wandering off too far since that run in with the snake demon. The one Miroku killed, almost dying the process. Sesshomaru found it ironic that the thing that brought them together was the monk's life. Either the snake demon was going to take it or Sesshomaru was going to take it the day that he kissed him. Sesshomaru still couldn't believe that all this was going on. Why should he feel so attached to a human like this?

"Lord Sesshoamru!" Rin yelled as she noticed the Demon Lord walking toward her. "I picked these for you!" Rin was always picking flowers of some sort. Sesshomaru just assumed she liked flowers a lot. Was it because Rin traveled with him tha-. . . Was that how the attraction to human's started? Now that he thought about it, he'd felt the same way toward Rin. He would kill anyone who tried to harm the young girl.

"You foolish human! Lord Sesshomaru has no need for flowers. Drop them." Jaken said with his screechy voice.

Rin wasn't expecting Lord Sesshomaru to take the flowers. He never did. She just wanted to do something for him. He was always looking out for her, but she was still just a kid who couldn't really do anything. She had gotten in trouble once, and Miroku had saved her when Sesshomaru wasn't there. She dropped her hand to her side, about to tell Jaken that she understood when Sesshomaru moved and got her full attention.

Sesshomaru bent down and took the flowers from her. "Come on, Rin. We're going to visit Miroku."

Sesshomaru watched her face light up. "Mister Miorku! Alright!"

Sesshomaru stood up and started off back toward Kaede's. He was sure Rin and Jaken were following. They walked quite a ways before he heard Rin make a noise. He turned back to see Jaken and Rin a few feet back. He heard Jaken's yell at her,"Watch where you're going, girl!" Jaken seemed to be helping ring up, maybe because he noticed Sesshomaru watching, or maybe because somewhere deep down he really did like the little girl. No one would know for sure, but Jaken. Sesshomaru stayed where he was and waited for Jaken and Rin to catch up. When they did, Sesshomaru noted that Rin was limping just a tad. "What's wrong, Rin?"

Rin didn't want to answer Sesshomaru, but she knew she had to. "I've got something in my foot, my lord." She lifted her foot and tried to look at the bottom of it without tripping. She was shocked when Sesshomaru lifted her up and started to carry her.

Unbeknownst to Rin, Sesshomaru carried her often enough. How else would the Demon Lord be able to travel long distances in a such a short time? Sure he'd put her on Ah-Uh sometimes, but mostly he took care of her. He gave her food to eat and a place to sleep. Rin clutched on to his outer robes as he cointuined the journey back to Kaede's.

~It Is Not True~

Humans be damned, Sesshomaru was visiting his lover. He walked confidently up to the old priestess's house. He was about a foot away before the old woman walked out.

"Miroku is inside. If yee want him, go ahead and enter." The old woman started off, to what Sesshomaru guessed, was deeper into the village. For what, he wasn't sure and to be honest, he didn't care. Even if it was to mount an attack, he was strong enough to take on a few weak humans.

He didn't bother to answer her as she walked away. Instead he walked into the hut and saw Miroku shoving food into his face. Miroku looked up from his bowl. "Kaede said you were here. I wondered how she knew. . ." Miroku then noted Sesshomaru was holding Rin. He put his bowl down. "Are you okay, Rin?"

Rin smiled, "Mister Miroku! I'm fine, just stepped on something. Lord Sesshomaru can… put me down…" She was happy he was carrying her still, but. . . maybe this was awkward. When Sesshomaru put her down she stood there awkwardly for a second before Miroku motioned to her.

"Well, come here and I'll look at your foot." Miroku watched Rin limp the three steps to him. "Sit down." She sat down beside him and he took a took at look at her foot. "Oh, there we are. Just a thorn. Must have stepped in a bush or something." He looked up. "Rin! What is that!" While she turned away to look at whatever it was that made Miroku freak out, she didn't feel anything when he pulled out the thorn.

"What? What is it, Mister Miroku?"

"Hmm. Thought I saw a cat. My mistake." Miroku grabbed another bowl. "Are you hungry?" When she nodded he handed her the bowl after he put food in it. "Would you like.. something to eat, Sesshomaru?" Miroku didn't know how demons ate, or even if they did. The ones he knew did feasted on human flesh… and he hoped Sesshomaru wasn't that type of demon.

Sesshomaru knew humans ate every day, thanks to Rin, Sesshomaru didn't eat every day, he didn't have to. But it would be nice to share a meal with Miroku, he was sure he would be able to in the future, but right now didn't sound like a bad idea. "Alright." Sesshomaru sat down beside Rin and took a bowl of food to eat as well.

Jaken stayed outside. There was no way he was going inside a human home. What was Lord Sesshomaru thinking?

Hi!
I've added InuKoga as a pair.
If you don't like you, you can skip it. xD
I tried to make it easy to tell when their storyline popped up.
Is it Koga or Kouga? o_o
I've always spelled it Koga, so I'm sorry if I mess it up.

Meh, lots when on in this chapter. So please don't get confused.
I tried not to make it confusing. But do enjoy. XD
Next chapter will be better! :]

Also, Lawll. DarkAngelJudas. I love you and your reviews.
Please continue reading and be happy. Miroku and Sesshomaru
are meant for each other. Now that Sesshomaru has him, he doesn't
Plan on letting him go, ever. Even if Miroku wants out. (Which he doesn't)

Thanks for the R&Rs.

:3
Much love,
Maddening Shroud