InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Intertwined ❯ Bathing and cramps... ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: All characters are products of Rumiko Takahashi, and Togashi Yoshihiro's minds, not mine.

 

Thank you all for your reviews!!

 

moonsharmony-ooh, well you'll see soon enough. Note that there is still someone missing…

Jadedragon24-Good. That makes me feel better about the next chapter, too. :P

DYquem-Ahh, I'm a step ahead of you there. ^_~ But thanks for the head's up. Yes they are only parallel to his land, but he is only helping them in secret. He wants it to last longer with the trip around his marked area, so he doesn't interfere.

Lil Rin, Fox Vixen- Wonderfully glad you were intrigued…I hope I can keep you interested.

Sam Sama Death- Unbelievable? Like how? [/curious] And thank you for the commendation. ^_^

Lillian9-I'm tickled that you like it. The pairing is actually kind of a mystery to me too, but I will say that both girls come in one package (refer to the bond I mentioned in the summary ^_~)

Elemental Dea- *blush* Thanks!!

Honebar- Well, we'll see how my muse decides to write it…*shrug* With the girls' situation, (once it happens anyway) it'll make things interesting I hope.

 

The Intertwined

 

 

 

Chapter 3

 

 

 

They'd been walking slowly since the start of the day when he'd had to be awoken by everyone else for a change. The last thing he'd expected was to sleep as hard as he had the night before. The only time he ever slept that soundly was on his human nights when he couldn't avoid it…though he tried every time.

 

Inuyasha mentally counted the nights he had left at the thought, `Dammit,' he cursed. His human night would be approaching in about a week. He hoped they would have made it to Jinenji's by then. The half-demon horse and his mother would understand, he knew.

 

The early morning hours were usually when his body had had enough rest and he would awaken, but he hadn't been awoken until nearly mid-sun. They'd lost so much ground, but he was reluctant to carry Kagome anywhere just yet. His physical state at the time he'd awoken had yet to disperse and he was lost as to why, exactly. Yeah it had happened many times before, but it was usually gone in no time with a little control. Glaring down toward his traitorous flesh that was hidden beneath his hakama, he resigned himself to a painful day. Turning around, he caught everyone's attention; they had to get moving if they wanted to make it there before the new moon, “Okay, guys. You ready to move it? We got a schedule to keep, ya know,” he said more roughly than he'd intended.

 

“I'm ready! Kirara!” Sango answered first and summoned of her long time companion. She mounted with Miroku, after giving him the requisite warning glare, and caught sight of Shippo joining Kagome and Inuyasha for the day's travel. Secured that everyone was accounted for, they took to the sky.

 

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Kagome had a quick mind and figured up why Inuyasha was in such a hurry. This had been the reason she nor anyone else put up an argument when they didn't stop for a break the entire day. Inuyasha had announced that they'd nearly cleared the territory responsible for their detour as darkness threatening rain began to roll in.

 

This being the case, Youko took the liberty to move ahead of his little group and prepare a suitable spot along his territory with lush grass and a nearby river. He also went far enough as to manipulate the canopy to block out any potential rain. Again, humans had that habit of complaining often…Kami forbid one of them gets sick.

 

Looking back on his work, he nodded with appreciation, `That should suffice,' Rejoining his rank beside the quickly moving party, he noted when Inuyasha slowed and caught scent of the minerals in the air coming from the hot spring near the area he'd prepared.

 

Youko took the opportunity and scented the air as well, again catching Inuyasha's scent first. The smell of arousal hadn't left him the entire day and had only increased when Kagome had climbed onto his back for faster travel. Grinning widely at the situation he'd escalated from the night before, he followed the movements of the hanyou as he made his way to stop for the night. His fingers must have been itching to travel farther up the lovely thighs he held onto. He wouldn't last too long…

 

“Come on, I think there's a spot over here where we can stay for the night,” he predictably informed. Inuyasha touched down in the prepared dell and Kirara followed suit. As everyone stretched from the long day, he spoke up to the girls, “There's a spring over there, you two. Take Kirara with you and don't stay long, okay?”

 

“Can I go this time, Kagome?” Shippo pleaded, turning his turquoise eyes toward her.

 

Kagome turned to him from the bag she'd just unloaded from her back to the ground, “Hai Shippo, you can come this time. It won't be a full bath anyway,” she allowed permission to the nearly too-old kit. She still allowed him to bathe with them every now and then for play, but they were generally clothed on such trips.

 

“Kagome, do you have those second skins with you?” Sango shyly asked about the swimsuits they wore when Shippo joined them. She felt terribly exposed in them, but it was better than being fully unclothed. She would rather use those even when they weren't accompanied by the fox child…especially with a hentai houshi to consider into the mix.

 

“Yep I sure do, are we ready to go now? We can get that bath in before we start some dinner tonight,” Kagome suggested as she recollected her bag back from the ground.

 

“You guys need to hurry with it, though. It's going to rain soon. I don't want you getting sick too,” Inuyasha informed the girls, once again showing his concern through unknowingly.

 

Kagome smiled softly, “Yes,” she answered, gaining his approving nod in return, “We'll be right back Inuyasha,” she added as the trio began to head in the direction that Inuyasha had indicated.

 

 

“Is it just me, or has he been rather tense today?” Sango quietly voiced her concern when they were far enough away, “I can't believe he slept so late this morning. I wonder if the new moon is the reason,” she said with her finger tapping her chin. She saw him in much the same state whenever the time neared for his human side to take over for the night. Sango didn't think Inuyasha knew of it, but she never slept on those nights. She never could since she'd joined them. Focusing her attention back on Kagome, she patiently awaited an answer.

 

“I'm sure that's part of it, but…” Kagome trailed off, a mad blush threatening her pale flesh.

 

“But? But what?!” Sango pressed, sensing the opportunity when she saw the blush and telltale signs of embarrassment.

 

“Well…I still wonder if I imagined it,” Kagome's voice dropped a bit as they arrived at the watering hole, “Inuyasha's hands were riding awfully high as he carried me today. He didn't seem to notice it, but I think he copped a feel,” she blushed even darker at her admission.

 

“He did not!” Sango nearly fell over. She'd always wondered if Inuyasha ever took advantage of hand placement during their mode of travel… “Wait, has he ever done that before?”

 

Kagome didn't answer that outright and stiffly turned to rifle through her bag nervously, “Well, how about that bath, huh? Heh, heh…”

 

Sango was more than aware of the signs. She stood in place and raised a dark brow, unconvinced, “Kagome. Really, do you think I'm blind honey? He really does fondle you, doesn't he?” she continued excitedly, barely keeping her low volume, “How often does he do that?”

 

Straightening from her poorly attempted escape to her bag, Kagome didn't notice the young kit stash the pink pocky box from his vest back into it, “Not that often. Though it does tend to correspond slightly to my cycle,” she said so quietly that their silk-clad onlooker couldn't decipher it.

 

Sango's face dropped in astonishment, “Once a month?!” she exclaimed in a quiet shout, unknowingly making Youko privy to what had been said.

 

Kagome nodded, “At least. It does last for a few days…usually about a week after the new moon,” she snuck her sister a coy look, “I really don't mind it, you know,” she supplied before returning to her bag to fish out the necessary items for their bathing.

 

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It never ceased to amaze him; the things females would admit to each other when they thought they were alone. By all intents and purposes the entire group of adults here, not counting that neko of course, should be all over each other! What on Kami's green earth was keeping them?!

 

Lowering himself smoothly to a more convenient branch, he silently applauded Shippo with a grin on his handsome face for his very deftly executed disposal of the damning pocky box into Kagome's bag.

 

When Kagome whispered an answer too quietly, he unconsciously leaned in while hanging onto the branch above him to try hearing her answer. He almost pouted when he couldn't make it out until Sango shouted it for him. `Ahh,' he sat back with satisfaction, `He is swayed as her scent changes to that of a fertile one. Of course.' Knowing from his sample of her scent the night before, she wasn't exuding the musk of such a time. This spoke to him that his little indulgence on Inuyasha's ears last night had done its job. Oh, how good it was to have them stroked…

 

His attention was regained on the women below as he heard Kagome's quick confession. He nearly growled with satisfaction when he heard that; it would seem that the miko had a bit of a naughty streak.

 

The women took their unusual garments and took places undercover of the trees to change. As they did this, Shippo softly woofed out the equivalent of an admonishment that Youko knew was angled at him for his audience. His dark granite eyebrows shot up when he heard this, `Ballsy little kit…' knowing Inuyasha was too far away to pick it up, he promptly answered with a low authoritative growl that would more or less be understood as, `Watch it.' Followed by his own woofed reassurance of his intentions. Never mind that his intentions right now also included two wet bathers in the fading daylight.

 

Kagome and Sango reemerged from their temporary spots behind the trees to seek out Shippo, “Did you hear something, Shippo?” Sango asked him, seeing the look of slight apprehension on his face.

 

Jumping at being caught communicating with someone who shouldn't even be there, he smiled weakly at Sango, “Uhh, no. I was only listening for Miroku,” he knew that would distract Sango's line of thought from the possibility of discovering the truth. Seeing her shaded eyes narrow and immediately search the bushes, he could tell that it did just that.

 

Even though he'd warned what was obviously an adult male from watching the girls, said male still scared him witless with his youki signature in the area claimed, so he wouldn't tattle. No sir, not him. `Besides,' he amended, `they do need more protection when they bathe,' he concluded with a look to a worn out Kirara.

 

“Okay, Shippo,” Kagome unknowingly interrupted his thoughts from the water, “hurry and get in if you want that bath, we aren't going to be in here long. We don't want to tax Kirara any more than necessary,” she considered for the firecat. Though she didn't need much sleep, Kagome wanted her to get some real rest rather than have to stand watch over them all night.

 

Sango and Shippo were familiar by now with Kagome's unusual speech patterns and slang, but having only followed them for one day, Youko was not, `The miko speaks of tax as a physical endurance? Unusual, but oddly accurate. Who is this woman?! He stayed in his chosen location for the duration of the short bath, admiring the `second skin' garment the women wore that Sango had referred to. They didn't leave much to the imagination, but they quickly held a high regard with the kitsune.

 

Once the women began preparing to leave the spring, Youko sprinted back to camp prematurely to catch any talk between the men. Of course he knew men generally weren't as prone to gossip as females were, but you never knew what you might catch in confidence. Settling himself in an ideal crook of a nearby tree, he peered down toward the fire.

 

“…for the new moon. If we don't hurry, monk, you know what'll happen. Shit always comes to us on those nights,” Inuyasha was talking in a nearly defeated tone as he leaned forward to turn one of his prepared meats around the fire. Youko tilted his head, `What nights? The new moon? It's been mentioned twice now,' he pondered on Inuyasha's words shortly, but also noted with disappointment that the scent of arousal on him had dropped away since he'd been away with the women, “Don't get me wrong Miroku, I know you guys do the job on those nights, but what's the point when we can avoid it altogether? We are in a hurry.”

 

“Indeed, Inuyasha. You're anxiety is understood; we will do all in our combined power to get there before then,” Miroku had suspected that to be the reason for the tension coming off of his friend when he'd asked. As much as he hated to admit what he'd said, the fact was that Inuyasha was right. Anything that could go wrong on the night of Inuyasha's vulnerability, can and did. Damn near every time.

 

Offering support to his friend in the form of a rap on the back, he stood as he heard the women approaching, “Ladies, we took the liberty of providing the meal for the night while you bathed,” Miroku charmed to the still-damp women without a hitch, not noticing Inuyasha roll his eyes amiably as he pulled the prepared rabbits he'd caught earlier away from the fire.

 

Sharing another of their looks, Kagome and Sango silently agreed that Miroku probably let Inuyasha do all of the work on their dinner…at least they hoped he did. Miroku was a shoddy cook.

 

 

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Sitting higher in a tree than he usually did, Inuyasha had resolved not to sleep overnight. Already so much time had been wasted on sleep; his own, no less. Gazing through trees in the direction they were headed, he estimated that they had nearly bypassed all of the claimed territory. And, he judged, their next day would break in only a couple of hours…give or take. The travel they'd just undergone the day before had been trying for him if he were going to be completely honest with himself. He generally had a hard enough time keeping his hands in place while he carried Kagome on his back. Yesterday was no better…worse…in fact. Crossing his arms as he considered this; he thought it might be prudent to run aside Miroku today while both women rode Kirara.

 

Inuyasha twitched his downy ear. He wondered if he might consider carrying Sango sometimes. He'd carried her once or twice before, but nowhere near the amount of time he's carried Kagome on his back. `Although…' he realized with a start that he would be hit far too many times with her convenient tool if he did carry her more. Wincing at that thought, he retracted the idea. Miroku would never let him hear the end of it if he were suddenly on the business end of Sango's Hiraikotsu…Never mind that he very much liked carrying Kagome, anyway.

 

He knew that Miroku was aware of the unavoidable feelings toward both Kagome and Sango that he held. Just as Inuyasha was well aware of Miroku's. While Miroku had voiced that his yearnings leaned a bit more toward Sango as his own did with Kagome, both admitted with difficulty of course, the men understood each other when one caught the other looking. It didn't keep him from thinking about having both for himself, though…he was male…

 

As the crying clouds above him began to lighten and show the day's emergence, he dropped his position another ten feet or so to a branch close enough to make out the three sleeping forms around the dead embers in the center of the clearing. He'd felt pretty lucky coming across such a lush area that provided adequate shelter from the rain that still trickled from the sky. And to have it directly next to a hot spring, even. He wondered why this desirable area wasn't a part of the fox's territory of which the perimeter was roughly five or so of his leaps away. About a “ri”, according to Kagome's odd measuring system.

 

He chuckled as he thought back on that. Some time ago, she'd brought through the well a really long metal bar that had a wheel on the end of it. It took a good five or six times of her stomping her foot before he'd relented to go along with her weird “test”. What could he say? He liked it when she stomped her foot.

 

So, after he'd agreed, she had him leap as he normally would down the dirt path leading toward the next village over. He would leap once, wait for her, leap again, and so on. When she had finished rolling the bar on the ground, she had determined that it took five of them to reach a ri. The measuring didn't mean much to him, but she did have a better handle on her sense of distance now that she had the translation. Although, her measurements of time proved to be useful sometimes.

 

He focused back down at everyone. He should wake them up, but figured he could stand to give them a little more sleep before he needed to wake them up. They'd been traveling well he supposed, and they were quickly rounding the territory they'd run into two days ago. He guessed he didn't really have to get them up at the ass-crack of dawn. He knew very well how much Kagome hated it when he did that.

 

 

By the time Inuyasha left his branch to wake up his company, the drizzle of the early dawn hours began falling harder. Lifting his head to let the droplets hit his face, Youko appreciated the rain as everyone else packed up their belongings to begin their day. Bringing his face back down when Inuyasha made the sound for departure, he frowned lightly at their arrangement as rain dripped from his bangs onto his face.

 

`Odd…' Now he was slightly intrigued; both women took to the skies on the cat as the males each ran alone on the ground. He hadn't witnessed them take this mode of travel yet, and wondered what had caused the switch. Jumping along behind them, he was struck with the thought that Inuyasha had initiated the change in positions, `Poor thing can't take a little torture,' unable to keep himself from doing so, he rasped out a throaty chuckle that was lost to the wind as he leapt along the trees with the group.

 

 

 

 

 

After another three days of travel, Youko found himself waiting through the night on his own outside of a little abandoned cottage in a clearing. He didn't really mind per se, at least he wouldn't have to expend energy to ensure concealment all night long. Even as the ones aware of his company around his land had stopped trying to spot him, this telling him that they no longer knew he was there, he entertained the thought that he might show himself to them during their little…trip…er, whatever it was they were doing.

 

While he spent his time around them, he'd come to understand a bit of what made them into what they were. He had learned that they'd started out banding together to defeat a common enemy. He'd heard the name enough to recognize it when they spoke of him. Naraku was no small fry if one went by the rumors that continually circulated. But why were they so closely affected? Oh, he imagined it did have something to do with the famed jewel shards Kagome always held, yet somehow he knew that was not the only reason.

 

The sound of laughter coming from the hut momentarily drew his attention before he returned back to himself. Yes, he knew of the pieces currently in the group's possession. With Kagome being a miko, he wasn't terribly surprised with the purity of them. Though he'd never encountered any so pure.

 

He was certain, with the conversation he was catching, that they generally had much more interference during these trips. Apparently, they did it a lot of traveling. They were a little nervous of their reprieve, but Youko was simply bored with it. Seeing them in action was something he very much hoped for in the near future.

 

 

---SIT!!---

 

 

The loud sound of crunching floorboards after that yell very nearly shocked Youko out of his relaxing position in the tree. Fortunately, he was quick to secure his perch before disgracefully falling off. He would've landed on his feet of course, but that's beside the point.

 

Looking toward the hut everyone else had occupied this night, he was quite expectedly overcome with the need to see what in all hells had happened in there. Good thing he was incomparable at spying on people undetected thanks to his thievery skills. Slithering down the tree and quickly snaking his way on all fours to the small window of the structure, he very tenderly eased a peek into the one-room dwelling, unable to keep his tail still from his interest.

 

What he saw almost made him give away his position. Almost.

 

Kagome stood behind the still seated Sango and Miroku as she glared rather impressively at Inuyasha who lay amidst several fractured planks on the floor. With one look at Kagome's flaming face, he wondered what was said or done to elicit such a response from her. And how, by all means, did she send him that hard into the floor?

 

“Kagome, that wasn't what I meant by it!” Inuyasha shouted after he'd taken his sweet time to get up. Kagome `humphed' and spun her pretty nose into the air toward his window.

 

“I do believe his meaning was more to say that you've become stronger, Lady Kagome. You have toned quite nicely,” Miroku supplied, immediately earning him dangerous looks from the female occupants of the building.

 

“And you would know monk, wouldn't you?” Sango voiced for Kagome as she looked to be too occupied with her anger. Miroku returned with the most lovingly innocent look Youko had ever dared trying himself. The look tended to border on `I'm desperate…please don't leave' if you asked him. Personally, he'd never actually had a time when the look was needed, though this did seem to be an appropriate time for its use.

 

Letting him off with an irritated sigh, Sango stood and gathered Kagome to usher her outside, “We'll be back when we're ready, guys,” she informed the males as the exited. Itching to hear what was going to be said once more in confidence, he rounded the building then sat up on his haunches, back against the wall. The girls came awfully close to him, but luckily stayed on their own side of the hut.

 

“Kagome, do you want to talk about it?” Sango prodded her friend to find out why she was acting peculiar, though she was sure she already knew why. With a look to her friend and a shake of her head, Sango's question and suspicions were answered. As usual, they were experiencing their cycles at the about the same time. With a quick nod to her friend, she patted her lightly on the shoulder, “Okay. Let me go get a blanket and we can stargaze for a bit.”

 

Leaving Kagome outside the doorway, Sango briefly disappeared inside and then reappeared with the promised blanket. As they walked the short distance to see some stars, they sat down together.

 

As close as he'd been to them as he listened, he could easily decipher the reason for Kagome's hostility by scent alone. The smell of blood was near to overpowering. Sango was in the same condition, but her hostility was staying at its usual violent level for the duration.

 

Not long after the women had taken their place under the stars, he started hearing the now familiar male voices from inside the hut.

 

“I'm sure you are aware of what is happening with both of the women, why weren't you more careful with your words? You realize she only sits you just before the new moon anymore, don't you?” Miroku chastised, having caught on to the patterns since Kagome's last birthday.

 

“Yeah I can smell it, but who knows what we say will ever set her off? Remember last month she got you in your jewels. All you did was bring up the latest shard rumor then,” Inuyasha reminded Miroku.

 

He winced at Inuyasha's cruel reminder, “Believe me, I do remember. It's baffling that Sango never goes through the same symptoms as Kagome does, ne? I only know when she suffers from it when you supply me with the knowledge.”

 

“Yeah, well. They'd better not take too long with their female bonding thing or I'll have to go fetch `em and get another sit for it,” Inuyasha grumbled, putting his arms into his large sleeves.

 

Miroku smiled nervously, “Not such a good idea. Perhaps I will take your place for that should they take too long.”

 

Now sitting in a generous patch of grass and leaning against the back wall of the hut, Youko pouted. He was hoping to see what being “sat” entailed; it was sure to be worth his attention. Although he did feel a camaraderie with the men; he'd learned the hard way a long time ago of some human women's imbalance during this state. Thanks to Kuronue he'd been able to stay hidden during the week it took to grow the patch of hair he'd lost back to its original length. And he hadn't even said a word to the girl…

 

 

Miroku nervously peered again at the tatami mat that covered the doorway. The girls hadn't returned yet, and Inuyasha had nodded off at his own insistence. Sighing deeply, he resigned himself to the inevitable swat he'd get for intruding when he arrived to bring them in.

 

Stepping out to the cool night air, he could see their heads peeking out from the blanket Sango had procured some time ago. Cautiously, he slowly closed in only to find that they had fallen asleep, instantly relaxing his anxiety. Now if only he could move them inside without waking them. His anxiety fully returned with this thought, as either one awaking in his arms would herald a far more painful punishment than for a simple intrusion. No matter how innocent he was in the matter. That left the choices of sleeping outside himself, or waking them up.

 

Unless he dragged them inside, he thought with wry humor…oh, that would go over well. Sighing loudly, Miroku dragged his bare feet into the hut and then reemerged with his own blanket. Planting himself a safe distance from the peacefully slumbering girls, he sighed again. And he had so been looking forward to sleeping indoors…the things he did for the women he loved…

 

 

Youko watched the monk give up his place inside to avoid waking the short-tempered vixens for relocation. `Yes…smart human…' he reiterated to himself as the man also drifted off. A short while later, he heard Inuyasha stirring inside before he soon joined them outside.

 

Checking each sleeping lump on the ground, he turned to his sleeping companion, “Keh…don't wanna chance wakin' `em, huh?” Still amused by Miroku doing the very thing he would have done, he placed himself on the other side of the girls and got comfortable for another sleepless night. He didn't really mind; he could see the stars from where he was this time.

 

 

 

 

A/N: For reference, a “ri” is a Japanese measurement that is roughly equal to 2.44 miles. Wikipedia, take a bow.

Pretty crazy concept, Youko being wary of a little menstruating human, huh? So…characters acting like they should? Story draaaaging on? Confused? Let me know. ^_~