Author's Notes: This is going to be a longer chapter. It started out as one chapter and I had to split it up into two which I will post next week with luck. I hope you enjoy.
Thanks for reading.
Chapter Eleven: Mysteries at Midnight
Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
The following day, as the sun rose, Inuyasha was waiting at the doorway of Kaede's house. Kaede was an early riser, so Kagome had reluctantly fallen into the same habits. Without all the stimuli of a modern world, Kagome found it easier to fall asleep and wake early, barring certain occasions such as the night before. Though, she did miss sleeping in some days. Unfortunately, her new life was unrelenting and demanded her time, just like Inuyasha now demanded they leave early in the morning.
The night prior was one of the few where Kagome had difficulties drifting off. Her mind kept going back to the battle. She'd had trouble falling asleep after each time a demon had tried to kill her. Who wouldn't, she'd wonder? When the sound of movement outside had roused her, it seemed as if she'd only just closed her eyes. She dressed and packed things into a modern bag she'd brought as she moved around. The futons where Kaede and Sango had slept were already put away, indicating that Kagome had slept in compared to their standards. She sighed and hurried outside.
Everyone was prepared and waiting for her. Even young Shippo cast her a look indicating it had been for a while. "Why didn't anyone wake me?" she questioned. Their annoyed looks were grating on her. Sango was the one to respond, leaning close to Kagome.
"I told them to let you sleep. You seemed to be upset once we'd returned."
Sango wasn't wrong. She had been upset, but she couldn't tell anyone why. "Thanks," she said in return.
The group departed after Kagome had grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. Kaede issued a farewell, and they began their trek westward. Miroku had picked up a rumor of a yokai in a larger settlement towards the west.
The journey was relatively uneventful. They traveled, making good time, with Sango, Miroku, and Shippo on Kirara's back and Kagome riding on Inuyasha's. The trip only took a little over half a day, and they arrived on the outskirts of town as the sun began descending. Stopping in a field, the rises of rooftops could be seen from a distance. Kagome slid down from Inuyasha's back and watched as Sango and Miroku jumped from Kirara's. Shippo jumped from Miroku's shoulder over to Kagome's. The nekomata transformed down into her smaller form, mewing happily.
Sango was not wearing her exterminator's uniform yet. Opting for the comfort of her kimono. Plus, she said she wanted to avoid raising any alarms within the town. Miroku agreed, and they all looked to Inuyasha. "What?" he asked. "Why is everyone looking at me?"
Kagome looked at his ears. "Well, you do stick out like a sore thumb."
Inuyasha threw his arms together. "What about him?" he nodded toward Shippo, who was still perched on Kagome's shoulder.
"I'm cute. People like me. And I don't have ears on the top of my head," Shippo replied. He stuck two fingers up and put them on the sides of his head, mimicking Inuyasha.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "It'll be fine," he grumbled.
Miroku shrugged and began to lead the way. "Perhaps it is best if I take the lead on this one? We don't want to scare people."
"What is the rumor you heard during your travels, Lord Miroku?" Sango inquired. She walked directly behind him, Kirara padding along happily at her side.
"Just that people are disappearing at an alarming rate. It is the type of rumor that I usually act upon and offer up my services. I'm hoping that one of these leads is Naraku," he declared.
The settlement ahead bustled with people. The houses and businesses were all situated along the main route in and out of the town. Once they had gotten close enough, a castle could be seen, shrouded by trees, built into the hilltop to the west. Kagome vaguely wondered what lord lived there and governed a town plagued by some evil threat.
Miroku, congenial to the townsfolk, inquired at each peddler's stand and any passerby of the rumor. Many confirmed the rumor; people were disappearing and never seen again. No one had yet mounted an investigation with this being a post town. Many travelers came through the town, and no one would bat an eye at the disappearance of a stranger. Towards midday, a particularly haggard old woman approached the group and began lamenting. "I hear ye asking about the disappearances, eh?" she croaked.
Miroku nodded sagely, "Yes, Obaasan. Do you know anything about it?"
The old woman nodded and clasped Miroku's hands, "Please Houshi-sama, my granddaughter…"
Miroku seemed intrigued, "Your granddaughter, yes? Is she in trouble?"
"Nay," the woman replied. "Please follow me, Houshi-sama." She still had Miroku by the hand and pulled on him urgently. He looked back at his companions miserably and followed. The woman dragged Miroku down the road and over to a stall where a young woman stood over her wares. The young woman had dark smudges on her hands and the sleeves of her clothes. She reached into a bowl and pulled out a dark lump of charcoal to show to passersby, calling out to them. As they approached, she turned and exclaimed, "Baba! Have you brought customers."
The old woman shook her head fervently. "Nay child, nay. I have brought a houshi that has promised aid."
"Oh, thank you!" The young woman cried and ran around the stall to embrace Miroku. He stiffened at the gesture, and his hands began to drift down her back. Kagome caught the movement and interjected, "Miroku!" Hearing his name snapped him to attention, his wandering hands pulling back up, and he stepped away from the young woman.
"Ah," he stuttered, "what assistance is it that I have promised? I did not catch your name."
"I am Cho, pleased to meet you Houshi-sama. Baba, you did not explain before bringing him?!" She asked, scolding the older woman.
"We don't have time for this monk!" Inuyasha growled. Kagome shot him a look, "Hush!" Inuyasha bristled but settled down with an annoyed sigh.
"Nay, child. Ask now," the old woman implored, ignoring Inuyasha.
"Gracious monk, it is my fiance," Cho began.
Miroku seemed to droop a little at the mention of a fiance. The young woman, Cho, was quite pleasant looking. To find that she had a fiance was not what the monk had wanted to hear.
"He disappeared days ago - my fiance Hisao. He was on his way here and we were to travel back to his family with Obaasan to be married, but he never arrived," Cho told him. "I fear the worst with the rumors…" she trailed off, looking around. "It's either that or he caught one look at my face and decided not to continue with the wedding," she began to tear up.
Miroku grasped her hands, similarly to how her Obaasan had held his moments ago. "That cannot be true. For any man foolish enough to refuse you is a fool indeed. Perhaps if he does not return, you would do me the honor of bearing my children." Cho blushed and pulled her hands from Miroku's. She shook her head politely.
There were some groans from Shippo and Inuyasha while Sango looked on with a sneer. Kagome rolled her eyes, having had enough of Miroku's lechery, and stepped forward, "What exactly are the rumors? All we've heard is that people are disappearing."
Cho looked from Miroku to Kagome. "Is this your woman, Houshi-sama? She's quite pretty."
Kagome felt her jaw drop, and she sputtered, "N-no!" Miroku also put his hands up defensively. "I'm afraid you are mistaken, miss."
"I see," Cho said. "In any case," she directed her speech to Kagome, "It's only men that have been disappearing. Young men."
"Attractive young men," Cho's Obaasan interjected. "Cho's Hisao was quite the looker," she cackled. "Almost as cute as you, Houshi-sama," she added. Miroku chuckled nervously. The older woman began to fawn over him, grabbing his hand and kissing it reverently. Cho looked at Miroku pleadingly, "Please Houshi-sama, I beseech you to help find my fiance."
Miroku gave a sage nod, pulling his hand from the grandmother, "I will do everything in my power to find him, my lady." Cho smiled and gave a slight bow.
He questioned the women for a few more minutes before thanking them and reconvening with his friends. They walked down the road to find a wakihonjin, an inn for travelers. The sun had begun to set at this time, and the people lining the streets were starting to dissipate for the day. No one usually stayed out past dark in these post towns. Once Miroku had procured rooms, they settled in one of the rooms.
"It is not a coincidence that it is only young men that are disappearing," Sango told them. "Especially that they are considered attractive. That fits the mode of operating for many yokai, though I am unsure if it fits for Naraku."
Miroku put a hand to his chin in consideration, "No, it does not. He is not discriminatory in that matter. It must be something else then."
"Then why are we hanging around here?" Inuyasha asked. "We should be outta here looking for him." Unusual for him, he paced about the room. It seemed he was in a rush to be out of this place.
Kagome felt for him and stood to soothe him. "Inuyasha, these people need our help. We can't just walk away from their pleas."
Inuyasha let out a low grumble from his throat, "Egh!" He continued to pace.
Shippo had been snoozing by Miroku's side but felt interrupted by Inuyasha's pacing. "Just go outside already. You're making me dizzy with all the walking back and forth."
With a growl, Inuyasha stalked from the room. Shippo asked out loud, "What's his deal?"
"I don't know…" Kagome said softly, following his exit with her eyes. She stood up, smoothing her skirts, before following. She paused at the door, "I'll try to find out. Let me know if there is anything more you can glean from your speculations." She received nods from Miroku and Sango, acknowledging that she was leaving.
It took her a few moments to locate him. The sun's rays were suspended in time, embracing the twilight. She felt out for his unique yoki using her spiritual powers and found it moving off towards the outskirts of town. She followed, picking up her pace to try to catch up. Where was he going in such a hurry, she wondered. He'd wandered down the path to a secluded area with many trees and nothing else. Kagome watched as he jumped into the branches of one of those trees. She walked to the tree and saw a clawed foot hanging down. The branch he had settled on was overhead, so his foot dangled within her reach if she stood on her tiptoes. A smile crept on her face, and she reached up to tickle his exposed footpads. He quickly pulled his foot back up but did not call out.
"What are you doing up there, Inuyasha?" she called up to him. This behavior was unlike him. Usually, he stuck near to her. Today, he was more grumpy than usual. He ignored her calls to come down, so she decided to go to him. Finding a branch she could reach and wrap her hands around; she scaled the tree. Probably not too gracefully, either. Finally, she reached the branch where Inuyasha lounged with his back against the tree's base. Using a branch below, she hoisted herself up, using her upper body strength to pull up. She'd nearly gotten her knee below herself before slipping on her hakama's fabric. Kagome's arms wheeled behind her, but she did not fall backward. Inuyasha had moved with his quick speed to stop her fall. He pulled her close and then released her. She let out a breath she had not known she'd been holding. "Thanks," she uttered, confused by his behavior. "Is something the matter?"
"No," he said without looking at her. He'd returned to his position against the base of the tree.
"Sure there is," she told him. "If there wasn't you wouldn't be out here on your own."
He responded with a "Keh. You should go." Kagome wanted to throw something at him. Why was he being so difficult right now? Fine. She'd leave him out here if he wanted to act like a child. If he wanted to talk, he would talk. She threw her legs over the branch and prepared herself to leap down. However, it had grown dark. The dying rays of the sun were snuffed out over the horizon, leaving the only light in the night sky, the stars above. Under the shade of the tree, Kagome could see nothing below her and began to second-guess jumping. She could not remember where the branches she had used to climb up, and the last thing she wanted to do was break a limb unnecessarily. Usually, the moon's light would provide enough illumination to view the surroundings, but tonight was different. Tonight was a new moon.
Kagome looked over at Inuyasha, barely making out some of his features. The darkness washed out everything. His usually warm amber eyes that seemed to glow on a normal night had diminished. His silver hair nearly always shone brightly, reflecting any light that may have touched it. Now there was darkness. Had she not known any better, she would have sworn a different person was in front of her. "Inuyasha?" she called tentatively.
He shifted and sighed, running a hand through his hair. At this point, Kagome noticed that his ears were missing from the top of his head. She gasped, "Inuyasha! What's going on? You-you're human?" she declared in a questioning tone. "I don't understand."
"It's my human night," he said blandly. He threaded his fingers together and put his hands behind his head, pillowing them against the tree. Kagome scooted as close as she could on the thick branch in the darkness and knelt before him. Using her hands to see, she felt his face, pushing her fingers back to where two human ears now rested. Inuyasha removed his hands from behind his head and grabbed hers, taking them away from his face. She could feel his fingers hardened with callous but lacking the sharp tip of claws. She looked back to his face to see his dark eyes scanning hers. "Being only half yokai, I have a night where I turn human once a month. The night of the new moon is my human night."
Kagome felt incredibly sheepish that she had not noticed in the months she had known him. But then, she usually did not search him out after dark, and it was not out of the norm for him to disappear for the night. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.
"This is my night of weakness. I can't protect you...or even myself as a human." He steeled himself, his face turning towards her and looking her square in the eyes.
She felt a small smile creep on her face. He was so concerned with protecting her that he had hidden on the nights when he thought he was not a worthy protector. "You know, us weak humans can take care of ourselves sometimes. I mean, look at Sango. She's human, and she can wield that huge weapon. She can even hold her own against demons. I don't think you earn the title of demon exterminator by being weak."
"It's not the same," he said. "If I become a full demon I won't have to worry about being weak, or anyone else taking advantage of me."
He'd never pulled his hands from hers, and she squeezed them, "I'll protect you." Inuyasha gave her what she thought might be a skeptical look. "I may be human, but I can defend myself. I've become quite a good shot with my bow." She heard him chuckle. Her smile deepened, and she was happy to know he had trusted her with this information. He could have done more to send her away, but he hadn't. Still, she wondered how his human nights had affected him in the past. "What was it like? Before..." she asked.
Inuyasha pulled his hands from hers swiftly. She instantly regretted asking, and they sat in silence for a moment. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.
"No," he replied. "There's nothing much to say…" he stopped. "My masters kept it a secret. They knew that my weakness could be exploited if anyone knew. That didn't stop them from exploiting me themselves." Kagome could hear a sneer in his voice. "They used that night to punish me for whatever they thought I did wrong or just to amuse themselves." He said with malice. Then his voice softened, "I nearly died once…" He broke off and turned his head to look at nothing. Anything but her.
Kagome felt pity and anger swell through her. Feeling nearly overcome with sadness, she launched towards him, pulling him into a hug. He went rigid again from the contact, just like he had done before when they had discovered Naraku. He was so accustomed to this type of contact that he reacted with unease. She felt tears well up in her eyes, thinking about all the cruel things that had happened to him. Hurts and wrongs that none had ever paid for. Some of those tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry you had to go through those things, Inuyasha...it's-it's not fair."
"Are you-are you crying, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. She had her head against his chest, and she stifled a sob against the fabric of his suikan. A blush crept into her cheeks, and she pushed away from him, furiously wiping her cheeks.
"Well, yeah," she responded. "Am I not allowed to care?" she asked defensively.
Even in the darkness, confusion was clear on his face. "Wha? That's not what I'm saying. I-I just…" he gave up, losing the words to say.
Kagome moved her arm up and used her shoulder to wipe the excess wetness from her face. There was only a hand's span of distance between them. Looking up into his eyes, she could see that he looked into her own with disarming intensity. Why was he looking at her like that? Why was she looking at him? Even without his distinguishing yokai features, he was strikingly handsome. Had she not noticed before?
Another tear slipped from her eye, but before she could wipe it away, Inuyasha raised his hand to her face. Gently, he used the pad of his thumb to remove the tear. Now her cheek burned along the trail his thumb had taken, and she truly noticed how close their faces were. His lips looked so inviting in this instant, slightly parted, and she was not sure if she imagined them moving closer to her own. A part of her wanted to lean into those lips and claim them. That part of her blocked off rationality and reason, but the feeling in her stomach could only be described as delicious longing.
She hadn't noticed that she'd leaned her face into his hand, her face tilted, and her breathing suddenly hitched. Kagome jerked back and cleared her throat. "We..uh...I should get back," she choked out, scooting away. She couldn't see Inuyasha's face after pulling away; she couldn't see the flash of pain that crossed his features at her recoil.
What was going through her head, she wondered. She mentally chided herself for having such unpure thoughts. Perhaps the monk was proving to be a bad influence. This time she was going to jump down from the branch and test her luck. Preparing to slide down, she was stopped by Inuyasha's hand on her shoulder. "Wait," he called. He'd moved to his knees and knelt before her.
She did not dare turn her head and risk him seeing her face burning red. She waited but did not look at him. "Stay. Here with me...just for a while," he said.
Kagome turned, her fear of him seeing her face dissipated by his sudden plea. "What?"
He sat back and had drawn his knees up, crouching against the tree's base. His stance seemed very primal and animalistic, despite his now human features. "It's soothing...having you around," he told her.
"Okay, I'll stay," the words tumbled out of her mouth before a second thought. Carefully, she moved back from the edge and shifted towards him. She thanked the gods above that the branch was wide enough to move on without fear of losing her balance. Inuyasha let his legs drop, and Kagome leaned her back against his chest. Feeling his chest's steady rise and fall was soothing, a mutual feeling, she supposed. "What if we fall asleep and I fall?" she asked suddenly.
"I won't let you fall," he told her. His voice coming from above.
She smiled to herself. "See? You can still protect me. Even as a human."
Kagome felt, rather than heard, the "hmph" come from his chest. She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding and settled into her position against him. Her eyes felt heavy, but her mind raced with questions. 'What was she doing?' 'Was this right?' The difficulty reconciling her feelings did not hinder consciousness from slipping away.
The sounds of morning woke her. Birds chirped happily in the distance, and the gentle rustling of leaves permeated the area. The rays of dawn's light broke over the horizon and caused Kagome to pull from slumber. The steady rhythm behind her and warmth encircling her attempted to pull her back into that carefree place of darkness. A snap of a twig close by caused her eyes to snap open. Somewhat disoriented, she jolted awake. Just as quickly, she realized she'd just spent the entire night with Inuyasha and made to move, but a pair of arms stopped her before she could unseat herself and fall several feet.
With a steadying breath, she swiveled around, the arms falling away. Golden eyes regarded her solemnly. "Good morning," she said. "I guess I fell asleep." She moved to the edge of the branch and looked down. It was only several feet drop. Looking at it now, she realized she could have made the jump with no trouble last night. Mentally chiding herself, she pushed off and landed below. She'd need to hurry if she could get back reasonably unnoticed. Although the others would have definitely noted her absence by now.
Another branch snap was heard, and she could hear footsteps approaching. She looked to her right and saw Sango emerge armed with her boomerang, Kirara at her side. "Oh!" Sango exclaimed. She gave Kagome a once over, noting her disheveled appearance, and then up at Inuyasha, who took the opportunity to jump down at that moment. "I was wondering where you two had gone off to, but Lord Miroku said not to worry. I suppose I should have taken him at his word." Much to Kagome's horror, a small, knowing smile crept onto her face.
"It's not what you're thinking," Kagome said quickly. She smoothed her hakama out nervously. She glanced over at Inuyasha, whose face gave no tell.
"It's none of my business," she shrugged. "I came out to fetch you with Kirara's help. It seems Lord Miroku has promised himself to another woman." Sango rolled her eyes and implied she had already grown tired of his behavior. "I find it troublesome that a holy man can offer himself out as a courtesan."
Kagome waved her off. "He's fairly harmless. He asks everyone to 'bear his child'," she said in a mocking town. "But perhaps we'd better go save this woman from his advances before she agrees to something improper."
"I fear it has already gotten to that point. Let's hurry, though I would be certain he is right where I left him. Shippo is with him. I hope the kitsune can keep him in check."
Kagome began walking back towards the village, following Sango's lead, with Inuyasha tailing quietly behind. The distance to the town was pretty close, but the trek allowed her to reflect on the evening prior. She risked a look back at Inuyasha to see if his face gave away his thoughts. Just as she suspected, he seemed relatively stoic, and she cursed herself for letting her thoughts and feelings run rampant. She didn't have long to chastise herself. Once they had rounded a corner that marked the road leading through town, Kagome spotted Miroku chatting up a remarkably attractive young woman. The pair stood near a bridge that spanned over a small stream that ran parallel to the town. The bridge had to be crossed to exit the road continuing west, and it seemed as though the woman had just returned from the trail as she was carrying bundles of sticks in her arms and strapped to her back. As they drew closer, Kagome confirmed the woman's allure. Her dark hair cascaded down her back, a stark difference from the other women seen dotting the streets whose hair was worn up or covered. Her large chestnut eyes gleamed in the morning sun alongside her exuberant smile that shone for Miroku.
As they approached, she erupted into giggles at what Miroku said. Even when Kagome, Sango, and Inuyasha were standing in front of the pair, neither took their eyes off one another. Inuyasha groaned in annoyance and cleared his throat, finally breaking his silence this morning. "Monk. Whatdya do with Shippo? Bore him to death?" Miroku scowled and waved him off.
The woman gave him an annoyed look, and Miroku seemed to notice the group for the first time, "Inuyasha, there you are! I was wondering what had detained you and Lady Kagome yesterday evening." His eyes twinkled with delight, and he gestured to the woman in front of him. "Meet Aiya," he said.
Inuyasha gave the girl the barest nod of acknowledgment and crossed his arms. He looked down his nose at her before crumpling his nostrils in an auditory sniff. Unsatisfied with the situation, he stalked off to where Shippo sat dazed, leaning against a wall. Inuyasha leaned against the building wall beside him, crossing his arms and watching them through narrowed eyes. Shippo did, in fact, look bored to death, and he made several audible groaning noises to emphasize his boredom.
Kagome looked at Aiya and could have sworn that the woman had a sneer on her face for a second, but once Miroku offered an introduction, her features transformed into a jubilant expression. "Pleasure," she said softly. "I am grateful to have met your Houshi-sama."
"Please, call me Miroku, Lady." Aiya had taken the opportunity to set her bundles down, and Miroku took up her hand.
Aiya did not pull her hand out of his grasp but smiled. "I could never assume such familiarity Houshi-sama. Though I would love nothing more than to treat you to dinner this evening in thanks for your help."
"What help? Did something happen?" Kagome interjected. Sango had not mentioned anything.
Aiya fanned her face to exemplify the woes of her beauty. "Your friend staved off unwanted attention," she batted her eyelashes. "I seem to get too much of it these days since my husband passed away."
Sango put a hand to Kagome's ear and whispered. "Poor thing. It must be such a misery."
Kagome felt her own face go deadpan alongside Sango. Miroku was infatuated with this woman, but they had work to do. "Tell your new friend you will see her later, Miroku. We have important things to attend to. Remember?" she said, putting emphasis on the word. Miroku responded by staring into Aiya's eyes, drinking into her smile. When he didn't move, Kagome walked up to him and shook her head. She'd seen this done on television but had never witnessed it in real life. It was worth a shot, so she firmly grabbed Miroku by the ear and began to lead him away. The pinching seemed to pull him out from the spell he was under, and he reeled back a bit before exclaiming to Aiya that we would find her for the dinner she promised.
"She's a widow," Miroku commented as they walked the path through town.
"You said that already," Inuyasha mumbled.
"Did I?" Miroku asked, genuinely confused.
"Yeah," Inuyasha replied sarcastically. "Just like how her hair is so nice and her eyes are so beautiful, blah blah blah."
"It's true, I've never seen such beau..."
"Oh, my ga….just stop! Nobody cares that much, Miroku. Jeesh!" Shippo complained. The kitsune had taken to riding on the shoulder of Sango when he was not walking rather than Miroku's for obvious reasons. The monk finally quieted for the moment, content to live in his own imagination.
They had traveled the perimeter of the large settlement, looking for clues and hoping Kagome would pick up on the larger Shikon fragment. However, whatever rumor had brought them here was likely not Naraku. It had been decided that they would rest for the night at the town again and depart to the south, where more rumors of unrest were unfolding.
Miroku continued to speak incessantly of Aiya to the point where Shippo began throwing things at him at the mere mention of her. To say that Miroku was infatuated was an understatement. He was smitten, and it was a bit out of character for him, but maybe he had fallen in love with this woman. 'A love at first sight-deal,' Kagome contemplated with skepticism. But who was she to deny him that? Even if he had grown more annoying as the day progressed.
Towards the end of the afternoon, they arrived back at the town. Miroku had procured their lodgings for another night and said they should try the hot springs nearby. It was the first time he had not mentioned the new woman all day, and the group was thankful for it. Weary from a day of walking on foot, they made their way to the springs.
The hot springs were an attachment of the inn where they were lodging and had separate areas cordoned off for men and women. The man-made divider were large rocks mined from the surrounding hills and brought to the springs. Large wooden poles had been embedded into the stones with fabric draped on a line that ran along the tops of the poles, creating a primitive privacy fence. The illusion of privacy was granted, but anyone could still hear the conversations from one side to the next if they sat close enough to the divider.
"Honestly, Miroku probably just wants to bathe so he can be fresh for tonight," Kagome remarked. The sun had not begun to set, allowing the group natural light to see by. She peeled her clothes off and folded them, setting them aside and clear of the water. She would not risk another scenario where she had soaked clothes again. She took a toe, stuck it into the steaming water, and tested it. "Ahh. Perfect." She took a quick peek around and submerged into the warm, soothing waters. Sango joined her, removing her layers, folding them neatly, and placing them beside Kagome's pile. The woman sighed unison, allowing the hot water to soak into sore muscles. They giggled at their coinciding sigh and cringed when a tailed cannon ball plummeted into the spring, soaking them with warm water. "Shippo!" Kagome scolded. "Is that necessary? What are you doing over here anyway?"
Shippo grimaced and groaned. "There's no way I'm staying over there with moon eyes. Though Inuyasha did promise to drown him if he kept it up. That could have been entertaining," he said. Kagome narrowed her eyes at him and pushed her hand through the water, splashing the kitsune.
Sango eyed him, too, but shrugged and smiled. "Is he always like that? The houshi?"
Shippo swam around lazily on his back, "Yep."
"Is this the first time he's asked women to bear his children? So uncouth and unbecoming of a holy man," Sango questioned tentatively. The attempt to cover up her curiosity with a jab at Miroku's behavior was a testament to her true goal. Kagome wondered if they had spoken the night prior or immediately retired after she'd left.
"Nope. He asks every lady he meets," Shippo said. He'd stopped doing the backstroke and was now floating near Kagome, staring at nothing and enjoying the hot springs. His small belly protruded from the water while his arms stroked the water gently to keep his body afloat. Kagome glanced up and saw a face that Sango made. Miroku hadn't asked her to bear his child, she'd noted, and that seemed to make Sango question herself or, at the very least, her physical appearance. The exterminator didn't seem like the type of woman to let vanity rule her, but she was attractive enough - Kagome thought - never to worry about being considered homely. Kagome doubted that Miroku thought her unattractive. She'd seen how he'd eyed Sango's backside the first day they'd met. Kagome casually reached out to Shippo's head and shoved it underwater. He was usually better at reading the situation, but things were going over his head this time. The kitsune flailed for a moment, then popped up, "Hey!" Kagome and Sango laughed at the young boy.
Inuyasha lounged at the other end of the hot spring. Miroku had finally quieted, and they enjoyed the silence companionably. It was true that Inuyasha had threatened to drown the monk in the springs if he brought up that woman again. Mirkou only chuckled and said something under his breath that Inuyasha did not care to catch with his heightened senses. He could hear the women chatting and splashing from beyond the divider, and Miroku had mildly suggested that they see if the divider's cloth was sheer enough to see through. Inuyasha's face was a sufficient response that Miroku threw up his hands in mock defense.
"Sorry," he apologized. "I realize you've never truly been with a woman before. You are so timid around them."
Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and began to regret coming into the springs with the monk. "What makes you think that monk?"
"So, you and Kagome? Last night?" Miroku implied.
His face heated, and he sat up in a quick motion. "Nothing happened!" he exclaimed defensively.
"Well, well, well...Someone seems particularly paranoid over their nocturnal activities. So you didn't go all the way." Miroku threw his arms behind his head and leaned back against a rock.
"I'm not paranoid…and I don't know what you mean. I'm not a lecherous monk." Inuyasha was rigid, his face still burning.
Miroku laughed. He was really having fun poking at Inuyasha. "Going all the way means that you…" he pulled his arms from behind his head and began to make obscene gestures with his hands.
Inuyasha felt his jaw go slack at the insinuation. "No, you sick fuck!"
Miroku only snickered. "Calm down, Inuyasha. I'm only teasing you." He quieted for a moment, and Inuyasha allowed himself to breathe and settle back into the water. The mind of the houshi was obviously plagued with perverted thoughts. It would be a lie for Inuyasha to say that he did not have unchaste thoughts of his own, but he wasn't sure if he could talk to the monk about them.
"I suppose you are interested in her though," Miroku asked.
Inuyasha looked at him out of the corner of his eye. Miroku was not going to let this go, it seemed. "What's it to you?"
"Nothing. I'm merely curious. I see the way you look at her," he explained. "I just thought you may like some pointers seeing as how you are a virgin."
"I'm not a virgin," Inuyasha blurted out angrily before he caught himself.
Miroku sat up, intrigued. "Oh, this is too good. You're not, eh? Tell me...who was it? What was it like?"
"I don't wanna talk about it. Drop it."
"That bad, huh? Well, you could probably use some pointers anyway."
"Get it out of your head. I don't need any of your pointers."
"You say that now, but it doesn't seem like Lady Kagome is as interested in you as you are her. She's a miko, a holy woman with spiritual powers much like myself, and it will take more than you silent, brooding, puppy-like behavior to woo her."
Inuyasha's ears perked at the mention of Kagome not being interested in him. Was it that obvious, he wondered, that he thought about her like that? He knew he cared for her safety and enjoyed her company, but he'd never thought it would extend beyond that. Love was a luxury and not something afforded to him during his lifetime. He could only remember his mother. He'd loved her surely, but he was afraid to feel. It was taken away from him whenever he'd grown attached to something, usually in some cruel fashion. And any time he'd rebelled, he'd been punished in a heinous manner. Memories of those punishments crept into his mind. He closed his eyes and pushed them back.
Miroku noted Inuyasha withdrawing into himself, "I can tell this comes as news to you, my inexperienced friend. Never fear, I will provide the utmost guidance."