Chained: In More Ways than One
Unfair
Farther down the river a half-demon and monk were bathing.
"This is so…o…oo unfair." Miroku said as her shivered holding himself trying to keep warm.
Sango had banished them to the cold river to wash off the purified ogre after claiming the hot spring for herself and Shippo. 'Why do women always get all the good things. I should've just gone and used the hot spring anyways. Why didn't I again... because Sango's scary that's why.'
Usually the two male companions never bathed together and always waited till the other was finished for their turn. As they washed they avoided eye contact at all costs and faced in the other direction.
"…And the excuse she used. 'That we can't waist any more time in our search for Kagome so we all have to bathe at the same time'. What a joke." Miroku making his voice higher to imitate the female demon slayer the way that most men do.
"Stop being such a woussy! It's not that cold." Berated Inuyasha trying to get Miroku to stop complaining but he just kept on going.
"Well maybe not for you with your demon capabilities but for us humans it's close to unbearable…. And if you'd just look at me you'd see." When Inuyasha actually did he could swear the monks lips were turning blue.
"Ok maybe I can't feel the cold but at least you don't have to deal with getting that stuff out of this amount of hair… And If you're freezing to death why don't you just get out?" He questioned the monks sanity at this point as Inuyasha noticed his whole body had begun to shake. At this rate he'd get what Kagome called Hypothermia not actually remembering what she called it but only the signs of catching it.
"I would but I'm not clean yet. God, it's every where! I wish I had some of Kagome's magic cleaner." Miroku wined as he tried to scrub the goop off his skin with little success as his hands shook.
"Get a hold of yourself! You can't stay in here any longer." Inuyasha berated him as he tried to talk some sense into the monk.
Miroku looked at the hanyou in shock as he shook his head in confirmation. "You're right."
Inuyasha immediately released Miroku after remembering their nude states and jumped away from him only to have something cold and metal bump into his waist.
'What is that?' Inuyasha looked down in confusion only to see a copper cooking pot. That looked like the ones Kagome used to cook him his ramen. Which must've floated down the stream with the current after someone had dropped it. He picked it up to examine it.
"Hey Miroku! I think I just found Kagome's birthday present?" Inuyasha yelled to the monk who was just finishing climbing out.
"That's nice." Miroku yelled back before he quickly grabbed his robes.
Without even bothering getting fully dressed began to run in the direction of the hot springs. Not caring whether Sango was finished bathing or not. He was coming in no matter what.
"This is a nice pot." Inuyasha whispered to himself in disbelief at how lucky he was to have found it. If only he actually knew the significance his find really had but the water had washed away the scents of Kagome and his older brother.
So Inuyasha didn't retrace where the pot had originated from and found Kagome and Sesshoumaru in a fight at the side of the river… because where'd the fun be in that if he found them so early on in this story.
Luckily for Sango she had already finished washing herself and was making her way back to the agreed upon meeting spot when the half clothed Monk ran by her and jumped into the hot spring she had previously just been enjoying in the nude.
Shippo had seen Miroku coming and had covered Sango's eyes as he was already sitting on her shoulder until it was safe to look again.
"Thanks Shippo. I really didn't need to see that." Sango spoke her gratefulness as she could hear Miroku's sighs of pleasure.
"What do you think that was all about?" Asked Shippo in confusion.
"I'm not sure but I don't think we really have time to wait for him to finish bathing? The more time we waist the farther away Kagome gets and the more her trail fades." Sango wondered.
"Don't worry about the Monk. We can just circle back and pick him up after we've picked up on Kagome and the bastard's trail again." Inuyasha reassured as he fished putting on his outer kimono and walked up to the pair.
Inuyasha joined the rolling of eyes and lifted a disbelieving eyebrow after hearing the noises Miroku was making on the other side of the bushes in the hot spring.
"Don't you think we should tell him before we leave." Sango's words stopped the hanyou in his tracks as he had already turned to leave.
"Oh yah… Miroku, we're leaving and we'll be back to pick you up later just wait here!"
Inuyasha waited for the response he received in the format of 'can do' and turned to leave again. Sango shrugged her shoulders and followed after Inuyasha blindly not even knowing where to start looking first.