InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beast ❯ Consideration ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: I have very few possessions. Inuyasha is not amongst them.

A/N: Wow. Busy. In the interval, I've acquired a boyfriend (:D :D :D unto infinity), driven 1,300 miles solo, got my life relocated, started a somewhat new job, and have picked up severe allergies and an ear infection. Blah. But you guys have been (fairly) patient, so I'll save my few shout-outs for the end of the chappie.

Beast

Chapter 12

"You first."

"No, you first."

"No, I have nothing to tell. So you go first."

"There's nothing for me to tell!"

"You were less than two inches apart and he was holding your hand! There's some kind of story there, Sango-chan!"

"And the fact that Inuyasha carried you down has no significance?"

"Well, it does-but for one thing, it was not what it looked like..."

Sango cast her eyes upwards, but Kagome ignored her and plowed on. "And for another, the reason he did was because you and Miroku were right. It's a long story, and your story is probably a lot better than mine, so let's hear it!"

"We were right?" Sango frowned, then jerked upright, accidentally splashing Kagome. "So you really are-what happened? Are you all right?!"

"It depends. I'll have to talk to Miroku about it later, but..." Kagome looked down at the water and scooped up a handful, watching her reflection ripple and then run out between her fingers-just like her thoughts. She couldn't seem to keep them straight, thinking about what'd happened last night. "Inuyasha said her name, and she kinda came out. Then she kinda left. I didn't feel that great afterward, so he carried me in here. That's all."

"That's all?" Sango repeated sharply. "That is not all! Do you have any idea what this means?!"

"Nope."

"Well, strictly speaking, neither do I-" It was Kagome's turn to roll her eyes. "-but I have some idea, and as soon as we get back to the room, we're bringing out the computer."

"Good." Kagome sat up and rested her head on the edge of the tub. "So can we start bathing at night again? I don't need to get cleaned up right away anymore each morning."

"I suppose," Sango replied, getting up and stepping out. "Hurry and finish, Kagome-chan. I'm going to go find the houshi-sama."

"Okay. Oh, and Sango-chan, could you ask Shippou to bring my little blue bag in here?"

Sango started to nod, then paused in the act of picking her towel up. "Wait. Why don't I bring it and send him to find-"

"No, no, that's okay. I want to get a chance to clean him up, since he's probably eaten already." Kagome forced herself to remain nonchalant as Sango considered it, cast her a slightly suspicious look, and then nodded.

"I've set your things out right here, Kagome-chan," Sango said a few minutes later, once she was dry and clothed, and indicated a small pile near the door. "We'll be in the room when you finish."

Kagome nodded back and waited till the slayer was out of sight to grin and rub her hands together. Time to pry!

It was wrong, of course, but, knowing Sango, how else was Kagome going to find out what'd really happened last night?

A few minutes later, just as she was beginning to feel faint from the water's heat, the kit bounded in and perched on the edge of the tub. "Hi, Kagome."

"Morning, Shippou-chan." She picked a few pieces of rice off his mouth. "Where's my bag?"

The fox shrugged. "If you really needed anything, Sango would've gotten it for you." Shippou folded his little arms. "She told me not to tell you anything."

Nuts. Well, the boy wasn't stupid, after all. "Did she, now?"

"Uh huh. But you can still ask. S'only fair, `cause they were talking about you."

"Me?" That was unexpected, and a little disappointing. "Why me? And how did that lead to them getting so close?"

"Well, about you and Inuyasha. They kinda forgot I was there, so Miroku started talking about how Inuyasha really likes you already and something about the Jewel. Then he started moving closer, then he grabbed her hand and she didn't really do anything, and it started getting mushy and weird, and then you guys came in."

"Mushy and weird, eh? I knew it." Aside from her minor victory in discovering that her suspicions were pretty much true, Kagome didn't know whether to think more about the Jewel part, or the fact that Sango and Miroku were evidently plotting to get her and Inuyasha together. Funny, we're doing the same to them. Except they actually like each other! She also made a mental note to ask about the Jewel ASAP. "I don't suppose you know anything about the Jewel or...the priestess?"

"Nuh-uh." The kit obediently hopped down as she stood up, stepped out and began to dry herself off. "I wasn't allowed to go wherever she was. She stayed in the shrine with the Jewel most of the time, and she never went near any demons if she could help it, so I never even saw her."

"That makes sense." If the Jewel's purity had to be maintained, even a little demon like him would probably be kept far away from it and its guardian at all times. "C'mon, Shippou-chan, let's go pick Sango and Miroku's brains for a while."

It wasn't quite so simple, though. As soon as she'd put on an old halter top of Akemi's (recently borrowed out of curiosity and grabbed by Kirara thanks to her scent on it) and some shorts, Kagome headed to her room, greeting servants on the way and noticing that several children were up and about, including Kohaku, and stopped dead as Shippou rolled the shoji open. "What are you doing here?"

"Feh." Inuyasha's eyes twitched in her direction but didn't quite meet her irate gaze. He was sitting up on her bed, legs and arms folded as usual. "It's my castle, remember, wench?"

"You know precisely what I mean." Kagome scooped Shippou up and came a few steps closer. "And what are you doing on my bed?"

"So you do sleep on this thing? Weird. I couldn't think of any other purpose, but..." Inuyasha prodded her pillow with two claws. "What a waste of space."

"Glad you don't like it. Now, what better way to prove your point than to move?" Kagome plopped down next to him and he promptly leapt to his feet. "Geez, don't tell me we're back to the Kag-has-cooties thing."

"Shut up, wench. This is serious." Inuyasha began to sit down, then remembered why he'd perched on the odd, pleasant-smelling `bed' thing in the first place: now he was sitting way below her. It was not the most dignified placement in the world.

"Indeed." Inuyasha mentally nodded approval as the monk came in, Sango just behind. They sat down in a loose triangle beside the bed, and Miroku bowed to Kagome with only the slightest smile to indicate that anything had happened the last time they'd seen each other. She flushed a little and glanced at Sango for support; Miroku smiled apologetically and set his staff down across his lap.

"Inuyasha has told me of what happened last night," the monk said, all business as Shippou burrowed into Kagome's lap and began to doze. "It seems our suspicions were correct after all."

"So...what does this mean?" Sango asked before Kagome could.

"I'm not certain..." Miroku frowned. "Do you feel any different, Kagome-sama? Had any dreams or anything similar this past night?"

Kagome thought about it, stroking Shippou's head lightly as he snoozed. "Nope. I slept like a rock. I feel a little funny now, but nothing that bad. It was just last night, when..."

"When he said her name, in direct contradiction to my warning." The monk gave Inuyasha a Look, but the hanyou was staring at the tatami with an unreadable expression. "It seems you are indeed her reincarnation, then, and it thus follows that you must...possess certain things...in some capacities."

"What, the Jewel?" Kagome asked, brows furrowing.

"Well, yes, in addition to perhaps...certain capabilities. Kaede is the one to speak to about that. But, for now, I'm most worried about...that."

Kagome shook her head. "I've never had anything even close to a magic jewel. Even when we had lots of money, none of us ever had any really nice jewelry, or any demons coming after it."

"Wait, how do you know that much about it, wench?" Inuyasha snapped without looking up.

"Instinct," she snapped back, bracing herself for a fight, but he only scowled harder at the floor and remained sullenly quiet.

Kagome watched him for a second, wondering about his lack of fight, then decided with sudden compassion that he was probably pretty confused about the whole thing. She hadn't thought about it till now, but having his dead lover come back in body and now somewhat in soul couldn't be any more easy or fun for him than it had been for her. Better cut him some slack...for now.

The last bit was more out of habit, though; both slayer and monk noted Kagome's melancholy observation and traded another round of thoughtful looks.

Miroku coughed slightly, jerking Kagome back to reality. "It was burned along with...its final resting place..."

Kikyou's body. Kagome shuddered despite herself.

"And as your body and soul resemble hers very strongly, you m-"

"You're not her, wench," Inuyasha suddenly cut in, raising his head to glare right at Kagome for the first time. "So don't get any weird ideas or anything, okay?"

"Of course I'm not her, you idiot!" No more slack! "I'm me, not anyone else, no matter what I look like or who I have lurking in the back of my head!" There's number 23,395 on the List of Things I Never Thought I'd Have to Say... "In case you forgot, this isn't my fault, so don't take it out on me, okay?"

"Keh." Inuyasha craned his neck to look up at her disdainfully. "Yeah, my fault for thinking she would ever talk, dress or smell like you do."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Kagome asked sweetly.

Inuyasha's ears swiveled back, but he shrugged and looked away. "Means you're different, stupid. What'd you think it meant?"

"That I'm inferior, of course," Kagome retorted before she could stop herself. Shippou stirred in her lap, sitting up and watching her face uneasily.

"That's enough," Miroku said sharply, but, as usual, Inuyasha ignored both danger signs of Kagome's affected calmness and the monk's attempt at interference.

"Well, if you're not the same, wench, which you're not, then some things've gotta be better and some have to be worse. Makes sense."

Not a bad attempt at conciliation, at least for Inuyasha, and Kagome dimly knew it somewhere in the back of her mind; unfortunately, Logic and Rationality had handed the keys to Anger and were presently watching from the back seat.

"Oh, really? Well, when you put it that way, then everything must be worse. But it doesn't matter overall, does it? I'm not her, I'm not marrying you, and you're a huge jerk, so the point is moot!"

"Exactly!" Even Shippou gaped at him as the word left his mouth, and he kicked himself heartily. "I mean-about it not mattering and stuff, that was all."

Kagome's eye twitched violently, and she stared at him for so long that he started to wonder if he should have the floor swallow him up...what else were his powers for, anyway?

Just as suddenly, she looked away and gave the monk a fixed smile. "So, Miroku, about the Jewel..."

Inuyasha nearly fell over, and Sango put one hand over her face.

Miroku cleared his throat loudly: the atmosphere had become distinctly uncomfortable. "Well, if you do somehow possess it, even without your knowledge, there is a distinct danger that it may have also awakened with...other things within you, and-"

Inuyasha suddenly stood and slammed the shoji open and shut behind him. Kagome watched him through a haze of seething hurt. Why does he always do this?! Stupid emotionally constipated jerk!

"Idiot," Sango murmured, scowling after him and then looking at her friend with some concern.

Miroku sighed. "Yes. But as I was saying, Kagome-sama..."

Kagome stared at the shoji, words fading into the background at another upsurge of unhappy thought. The worst thing about this was that she was pretty sure she did know why the hanyou was acting this way, which made dismissing him as a hopeless prick impossible. It wasn't hard to figure out that he had grown a few very thick layers of emotional defense thanks to his upbringing, and the one time he'd let them down had hurt him badly-and now here she was, bugging him to drop them again and reminding him of Kikyou and what he'd done. Not like he's that good at expressing himself in the first place, the big dope. So he lashes out like an angsty teenager and runs off instead!

Why couldn't he have just been a complete jerk, and not a partial jerk with a history that made a Shakespeare play sound like Disney? Better yet, why couldn't he just have eaten her and spared her all this mess?

Kagome blinked and tried to refocus her mind. Thinking. Very bad for me. Have to stop doing that.

"Do you understand, Kagome-sama?" the monk was saying as she tuned back in.

"It depends," she muttered, patting Shippou absently as he stood and hopped down. "If you were just talking about why Inuyasha's such a jerk just because of a little mental trauma, yeah, I do. Otherwise, nope."

Sango and Miroku blinked at each other, then Shippou, then back to Kagome. "Are you feeling all right, Kagome-chan?" the slayer asked.

"Just a little mopey. I'll be fine." Kagome rubbed the side of her neck. "Sorry. What were you talking about?"

A scream from outside had them all on their feet and scrambling out the shoji in heartbeats. Miroku sprinted past a few startled servants and to a side door while Sango tried to restrain Kagome. "Wait! It might be-"

"Nothing." The women nearly ran into the monk, who'd stopped dead in the small doorway and moved aside to let them see that the noise was coming from the large group of children Kagome had seen earlier, supervised by a few older women servants watching at a safe distance as they did laundry and other small chores.

"What're they doing?" Kagome stood on tiptoe around Miroku and looked at a particularly excited little girl running after two smaller boys.

"The younger children haven't been allowed outside their rooms for many days now because the spell affected them more than adults," Sango explained. "Even Kohaku felt it a bit." She smiled as the kit leapt from Kagome's shoulders and bounded down the steps to watch from a closer distance. "Kirara just finished patrolling the area, so Inuyasha gave permission this morning for them all to come out. Shippou wasn't affected, but at least now that he has other children to play with."

"That's good." It also explained why she had seen so few children around the castle before; even Kohaku had spent a great deal of time either resting or practicing outside. Kagome smiled as a few of the kids recognized the fox and shrieked, swarming him in greeting.

A ball came flying at Sango's head, and she reflexively struck it right back at its source with an easy backhand. "Good one!" Kohaku shouted, catching it and waving it merrily at his big sister. "See, I told you she could still do it," he said to several boys standing nearby.

Kagome almost burst out laughing as Sango came down and took the ball, then tossed it into the air, ducked under it and whacked it straight up with one elbow. "Does that settle it?" she asked casually, hitting it right back up again a moment later, without looking, as the boys all gaped.

"Yes, ma'am," all four chorused, wide-eyed as Sango nodded to her brother, caught the ball and handed it back.

"Marvelous as always, dearest Sango-sama," Miroku said gallantly, moving to put an arm around her shoulders as she came up the steps.

"It's good to see them out and about again." She evaded his grasp neatly, ignoring a slightly dejected sigh. "We should go back in, Kagome-chan."

"But your fan club is still watching," Kagome protested, grinning and winking at the group of still-stunned boys. "Why don't you show off a little more?"

"Now, Kagome-sama, Sango-sama has better things to do than distract young men from their duties," Miroku chided, but Sango followed his gaze after a group of chattering kitchen maids and shook her head.

"Come to think of it, Kagome-chan, this would be the perfect time to give the boy a little training," Sango said loudly, and Miroku jumped as she marched down the steps and beckoned for Kohaku to follow her to the sheds, with his friends following in an eager pack close behind.

"Boy, eh?" Kagome said aloud as the monk coughed and followed as casually as he could. Perfect chance to go see if Inuyasha's ever going to apologize...

"There she is," she heard as soon as she came back inside.

Uh oh. More perfect timing-to have left Sango outside... "What is it, Kouga?"

"Nothin' much. Just wanted to apologize. I keep screwing up, and..." The wolf demon prince came out from behind a pillar, looking rather apologetic. "Where're the other humans?"

"Outside." She resisted the urge to back up. "Why?"

Kouga held his hands up. "Whoa, it's okay. I'm not gonna grab you again. And I wanted to tell them I'll back off a little. They still owe me an apology, too, y'know, but I'm willing to let it slide."

"That's very generous of you," Kagome said warily, sensing that he was sincere but not liking the distance - or lack thereof - he was maintaining. "Things did get out of hand."

"Yeah, that was my fault. Except for that damn monk, of course, but we can settle that later." Kouga jerked his head towards the door. "Wanna go for a walk or something? Doesn't have to be too personal if you don't want."

She had to give him credit for trying, and for apologizing-not to mention knowing how to make up for it, unlike certain people she knew. "Actually, I was just going back to my room. I have a headache. Maybe later, though, okay?"

"Head hurts, eh? Sorry to hear that. I'll have the hag send something to you later." He started to clasp her hands, then caught himself. "Right, right. Well, time to..." Kouga faltered. "Hey, is something wrong?"

"Wrong?" Kagome frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You...it's not a smell, more like you feel different." Kouga stepped in closer. "Yeah, it feels like there's something here that wasn't the last time I saw you." He sniffed at her neck, frowning as she backed away.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kouga. Please back off."

The wolf blinked and shook his head. "Right, right, sorry. Must be my imagination." With a last thoughtful sniff in her direction, Kouga bowed and was gone out the door.

Weird. Hope it's not what I think it is...Kagome considered really going back to her room, then vetoed it: she didn't want to wait till dinner to confront Inuyasha. By then, he'd have had time to rebuild his indifferent attitude, and she wanted to Talk, not cat-and-mouse around the subject.

"Kagome-sama. Do ye have a moment, child?"

Crap. "Kaede?" Kagome turned from the stairs and bowed politely. "What is it? I'm kind of in a hurry."

"That's fine, child. Please have Sango escort ye to see me tomorrow, then." She bowed as deeply as she could and hobbled off.

Interesting... Shrugging, Kagome went up the stairs and towards Inuyasha's rooms, wondering if he was going to talk to her at all. It'd either be the silent treatment, or defensiveness, or some combination thereof. She did know that they had to talk, though, or this weird, leaden feeling on her mind was not going to go away, and she was going to have the attention span of a rabbit with ADD for the rest of her time here.

Inquiries of random servants revealed that Inuyasha was not on the second floor, and cursory inspection of his rooms and even the little balcony he'd shown her before revealed that he was also not there. Kagome pondered this as she came back down the hallway. Not in the kitchens, either, I wouldn't think...maybe the woods or something, or maybe.........what the...?

She'd forgotten about it on her first trip down, but as she made her return trip towards the stairs, Kagome's feet paused right outside a plain-looking shoji. She remembered dimly that this room was the one that'd given her the come-in-but-run-away feeling before, like she had to see what was inside but knew it would be a colossal mistake to even try.

Kagome blinked and shook her head. What was this? Instead of the faint curiosity she'd felt before, now something inside the room was calling her, so persistent and plaintive that she wanted nothing more to help. But then another voice seemed to hiss at her for her stupidity, even as her hand came up...the presence in her mind from last night began to tingle, dimly, as she watched and dreaded her hand reaching to slide it open-

"Fucking moron!" A rough hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around to meet familiar red eyes. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I don't know," she whispered, too confused and dazed to mind his fury. "I didn't want to..."

"The hell are you talking about?!" Inuyasha grabbed her other shoulder and marched her forcibly away. As she stumbled along, Kagome felt her mind beginning to clear, presence subsiding and feelings fading back into acute confusion. What the hell is happening to me now?!

"First off," Inuyasha gritted, steering her into their usual dining room and slamming the shoji so hard that the wooden frame cracked. "What were you doing up here?"

"Looking for you..."

"Well, you found me, wench, so now I can tell you that if I ever catch you around that room ag-"

"I'm sorry. I won't bother it again."

Inuyasha's ears flattened. "Excuse me?" he rasped.

"I was just wondering where you were, and that room gave me a funny feeling. I won't mess with it again, I promise." Kagome lowered her head.

A sharp rapping on her forehead brought it back up. "Ow! What's your problem?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Thought that would work. Just seeing if anything in there was still working." He gave her head one last light tap with his knuckle.

"I'm not so sure it is." Kagome rubbed her arms, trying to get several rows of goosebumps to go down.

"Oh, really?" Inuyasha's eyebrows drew together, and his sardonic tone couldn't completely hide his worry. "Did...she...?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I just got a weird feeling from that room. I don't want to talk about it anymore." Kagome rubbed her eyes. "I just wanted to ask if we can still be friends."

"Say what?" Inuyasha scowled. "Where did that come from?"

"It's not that hard." Kagome shoved the strangeness of the door aside and remembered what she'd been planning to say. She looked him straight in the eye and was gratified to see him flinch slightly but return her gaze, if a bit defensively. "Whatever happened then, I'm not her, right?"

"We've been through this, wench," he said testily.

"Exactly. So why let it ruin what very little friendship we had going before?" She held out her hand. "I'm just saying I don't want it to change anything."

"Friendship? Change anything?" Inuyasha scoffed. "You've got to be the dumbest person alive! We're not friends, and if you think this doesn't change anything-"

"Well, why can't we be friends, then?" she shot back, hands going to her hips. "I'm not saying it doesn't change anything, either. I just want to pass the next two and a half months without having to walk on eggshells around you or make you feel like you're stuck with a reminder of...things. Is that so bad?"

Inuyasha snorted. "In case you haven't noticed, you're wasting your time, wench."

"Maybe. Maybe not. It's my problem if I am, right?" She waited for his cautious nod, then continued, willing him to agree and let them come to some kind of understanding so she could go curl up in her room. A dull, pounding pressure on the back of her head had been building up as they argued, and the stress wasn't helping.

"Then all you have to do is put up with me, which you have to anyway, and maybe even give me a chance once in a while. I'm not asking any more or less than I was before...she...came out."

That was true, he had to give her that much. But knowing it wasn't her fault she had Kikyou's face didn't make it any easier to look at her, and knowing that spirit was present didn't make talking to her any more comfortable. Didn't the wench get that?

...Well, that wasn't really true.

...Okay, maybe it wasn't true at all save as a small, nagging doubt. Exact resemblance or not, just as he'd said, Kagome was really nothing like Kikyou. It wasn't that he thought they were the same woman, of course, because they weren't; it was just...

...Damn. Just what?

"Just leave me alone," Inuyasha said aloud. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Of course you don't. This subject sucks." Kagome massaged her temples. "If you're half as confused as I am, I'm surprised you haven't put your head through a wall yet. That's exactly why I'm saying we should just let it go for a little while. There's nothing we can do about it, is there?"

"Not really," Inuyasha conceded sullenly.

"See? Then let's just use your favorite method, keep going like before and see if anything else happens. I don't think I can take much more of this right now anyway." She couldn't keep a little quaver out of her voice on that last bit, and belatedly Inuyasha realized that she was close to tears.

"Fine, wench," he snapped. "Go take a nap or something. And tell Sango that if she lets this happen again, she's not eating anything for a week."

"Don't threaten Sango for stuff she can't control, you jerk!" Kagome scowled at him and made for the door. "I'm going to sleep. Later."

"Keh."

Kagome went straight to her room and didn't wake until Sango shook her gently for the twelfth time. "Kagome-chan, it's almost time for dinner. Get up now, please."

"Don't wanna get up," she mumbled, turning over. "Make him come down here."

Sango sighed. "He is."

"What?!" Kagome jerked upright and clutched her head. "Owwwww!"

"Sat up too fast, wench?" Inuyasha came into the light of the small torch Sango had just lit and scowled. "You sure you're all right?"

"Yeah." Kagome swung her legs out and stood up shakily. "See? Fine."

"Why don't you two eat down here?" Sango suggested. "It'll save everyone time and effort."

"Sounds good." Kagome plopped back down on her bed, ignoring Inuyasha's yelp of protest.

Five alternately loud, indignant and sullen minutes later, Miroku came in and saw with some surprise that Kagome, Inuyasha and Sango were all seated on the floor and eating. "What's going on here?"

"I didn't feel up to eating upstairs," Kagome explained.

"So we made Inuyasha hold the festivities down here tonight," Sango added, pouring herself some sake.

"You're supposed to be the servant here, wench, remember?" Inuyasha held up his cup pointedly.

"Oh, shut up, Inuyasha. She's my friend." Kagome took the sake jug from Sango and poured a bit into a tiny cup for herself. "You know, I never did try any of this..."

Before they could stop her, Kagome had knocked the whole glass back and began coughing, sputtering and hacking. "S'good," she wheezed, reaching feebly for the jug again.

"Stupid." Inuyasha snatched it up and poured himself some. "You're supposed to savor it, not choke it down like medicine." He sipped lightly. "Besides, it's expensive."

"So? Are you poor?" Kagome made a pathetic attempt to grab the jug away from him.

"I think the point is that moderation is the key to enjoyment, Kagome- sama," Miroku said tactfully, sitting down between her and Sango.

"And I think I want to get drunk. I've never tried it before and I'm curious." Not to mention it might get rid of this damn headache.

"That's not a good idea, Kagome-chan," Sango scolded, then sputtered as Inuyasha handed the bottle directly to Kagome. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"She wants to try it, let her learn her lesson," Inuyasha said cheerfully, raising his own cup in a small toast as Kagome sipped cautiously but rapidly.

"My...whatever shall we do with them, Sango-sama?" Miroku sighed.

"We'll keep our hands to ourselves, for one thing..." Sango nodded as he withdrew his gloved hand from its creeping journey towards her backside. "And we'll just have to make sure we stay sober."

Two hours later, both sake jugs were empty, Miroku was stretched out in a semi-doze on his side in front of the shoji, Inuyasha was perched on the bed with his mouth hanging open, and Sango was laughing so hard she could barely sit up. "Do it again, Kagome-chaaan!"

"This'sh the five bazillionth time!" Kagome protested, staggering up from the corner of the room. "M'kay, lascht one..."

Having repeated the story of her brother's miss with the dummy and losing the bat to the two men, and having repeated the reenactment at least thrice, Kagome stood up, pretended to swing around and lose hold of something, and distorted her face into gaping horror as Sango gasped for breath on the floor.

"You're both insane," Inuyasha observed, having consumed a third the amount and possessing twice the tolerance either woman had.

"Nothing like a little healthy insanity to captivate a man's mind," Miroku said serenely from the door, eyes glazed as his only sign of slight tipsiness.

"Damn straight!" Sango jabbed a finger at him. "I don' need sani'y to capricate you, y'big pervert! I could jus' cut off your hand `n everything would be fine!"

"I told you, Sango-sama, that wouldn't work. The curse resides in my whole body and only emerges through my h-"

"Awww, shut up!" Sango staggered to her feet and almost collapsed onto Miroku, who sat up quickly and looked around for help. Kagome cheered weakly and Inuyasha just quirked an eyebrow at the monk. "Tell you wha', just gimme your staff and I'll rip `er righ' out."

Miroku gulped and slid his staff behind him, out of harm's way-he hoped. "No, no, Sango-sama, that's quite all right."

"Is not! Now gimme!" The slayer threw herself on him, nearly tearing the shoji with their combined weight as she scrabbled half-playfully for the staff. "C'meeere!"

Miroku's face was going through all sorts of interesting contortions as she twisted and shoved to get around him, but he managed to work her away from the staff and got her sitting against the side wall. "Now, Sango, are you going to-"

"You jerk! Only Ki'ara c'n call me that!" Sango hiccuped and gave him a gentle thump on the shoulder that made him wheeze slightly. "But thas'okay. I still love ya."

From her vantage point leaning against the bed, Kagome squealed and whacked Inuyasha on the knee. "Schee, I knew it! Maybe they'll get married! How `bout right now?"

"I doubt that," Inuyasha grumbled, hiding his own curiosity as Sango's volume and Miroku's discomfort increased.

"Please don't say that, Sango-sama," Miroku said quietly, trying to maneuver her away from him. "Even when you're drunk, that's not-"

"Well, if I c'n say it any time, why nah now? Eh? M'I s'posed to watch you grope other wimmin like I don' care? S'not fair!" She placed her index finger on his forehead and pushed hard. "I hate it, dammit, s'not fair!"

"Do you have any of Kaede's special herbs left, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked desperately, trying to crane away from Sango's head, which was looming closer and closer to his. Her hands on his knees were keeping him from getting up, and neither of the other two seemed inclined to help him out.

"Don' try to change the subjec'! I'm tire' of it!"

"You're drunk, Sango-sama, and this isn't the proper time to discuss-"

Discussion was not what Sango had in mind, though. She pulled herself up and draped her arms around Miroku's neck, then sat down with a neat little thump across his lap. "There, thas' better, right?"

"Yes, it-no, no, no, Sango-sama, it is not." Inuyasha felt rather sorry for the monk as he tried to disentangle the slayer's arms, which were unnervingly strong even after all the alcohol she'd consumed. "I'd be no kind of man if I were to take advantage of you like this. Now please let me go."

"You c'n only take `vannage if I don' wanna." Sango snuggled in closer, and Miroku gulped audibly.

"Well, yes, but..." Miroku paused, squeezing his eyes shut and moving his lips rapidly in what looked to Inuyasha like prayer. "But I have an even better idea."

"Really?" Sango giggled. "Like wha'?"

Miroku held his hand out to Inuyasha, who had already taken pity on him and emptied a small measure of pale green powder into Sango's half-finished tea. "Drink some of this."

"You firs'," Sango said suspiciously.

The monk's eye twitched. "Fine. See?" He took a large sip, freezing his features into a smile to conceal the fact that the stuff was disgustingly bitter.

"Right then..." She grabbed the cup away and took three massive gulps in a row, pausing to smack her lips thoughtfully. "Wow, tastes like shit war'ed up."

"Indeed," Miroku said quietly, praying the stuff took hold quickly, before he lost it. "It will help you sleep."

"Ah, I know somethin' that'd hel' much better'n that." Without further warning, Sango looped an arm back around his neck and brushed her lips lightly against his; she squeaked as his other arm came up and almost shoved her away.

"Stop that, Sango!" Miroku almost gasped, holding her away and attempting to stand.

"Why nah me?" Sango's tiny, broken question brought his head back down. Her eyes were nearly flooded with tears, and the humiliated pain in her voice made Miroku feel lower than dirt. "Anyone else in the castle, but I act'ally throw mysel' at you an' you turn me down! Whas' wrong with me?!"

"Nothing is wrong!" he snapped. "That's why!"

"Shut up!" Sango shoved away so hard that they both fell over, and she scooted to the edge of the bed. "Get outta here! I'm goin' to...to..." She paused, then blinked at Kagome, who'd fallen to her knees next to her friend. "Sleep." And she slumped over, passed out.

"Good one," Inuyasha muttered, yanking the slayer's limp form onto the bed where he'd just gotten up. "If that's not a sign something's wrong, bouzu, I dunno what is."

"Shu' up, Inuyasha." Kagome moved Sango into a more comfortable position and looked up at the monk, whose face in the dim light seemed very pale.

"No, he's right." Miroku passed both hands over his face. "Whichever path I take, I'll always end up hurting her. She understands that...when she's sober, anyway."

"So take the one that makes her the happiest in the long run, dumbass."

"He's righ', y'know." Kagome gave Miroku as impressive a glare as she could considering she could barely distinguish which shape in the room was his head. "She loves you either way, so do somethin' abou' it." That sounded about right...

"I'll think about it." Miroku bowed. "Good night, Inuyasha, Kagome-sama."

"Wha' `bout Sango?" Kagome protested, but Inuyasha rolled his eyes and waved at the monk to leave.

"Well, that was awkward as hell," Inuyasha grumbled once the monk was gone. He and Kagome were now both seated on the floor, and Sango was snoring softly on the bed above them.

"Are they married yet?" Kagome asked sleepily, leaning against his arm.

"No." Inuyasha tried to move aside, guessing that while he was not in danger of being kissed or wept upon, things could easily get weird somehow.

"Oh. That sucks." She moved with him. "My head still hurts. I wonder what would make it go away."

"Sleep, maybe?" Scoot.

"Nah, I'm tryin' to quit." She giggled and scooted after him.

Damn. "Well, I need to get to bed, so it's time for you to try anyway."

Kagome pushed away to squint at him blearily. "Hmmmm..."

"What?" No good could come of that speculative look.

She shook her head, which bobbed dangerously. "You're real cute, but I don' wanna go to bed with you yet. Maybe nex' year?"

"What?!"

"Yep. Now hol' still-" As his mind was still trying to wrap itself around that last bit, Kagome moved his arm aside and climbed into his lap. "There we go, sleepy time!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Inuyasha protested. "Get off me!" Now he could truly appreciate Miroku's dilemma: very little of his discomfort with the situation arose from any actual physical objections to having her in his lap. But he couldn't just leave her there, either- "I know you're drunk, wench, but I'm not a futon! Get off!"

"I feel better now," she murmured, and his brain ceased to function as she reached up and started petting his ears again. "Now can I stay?"

"OFF!" He heaved her neatly onto the floor with a little thump, and she pouted, grabbing a lock of his hair instead. "Will you get your hands off me?!"

"I don' wanna." Kagome began trying to braid the lock, though her motor skills had been reduced to the point where `braiding' had become more like `random jamming together in hopes of making them stick together in an attractive pattern.'

Why me?! "Look, wench, if you don't let go..." Kagome didn't even pause. He began rethinking his strategy. "If you let go, answer my question the right way and go to sleep, I'll...I'll pretend this never happened. Okay?"

"An' lemme brush your hair?"

Damn! Well, odds were good she wouldn't even remember this conversation... "Fine, wench. Now, will you marry me?"

"I will?" She frowned. "Why would I do that?"

Twitch. "No, wench, it's yes or no. Pick one."

"One." She smiled brightly, then just as suddenly scowled. "That's not a very good answer. You suck at this."

Twitch twitch. "No, Kagome, tell me no."

"I always say no. Man, you're slow." Inuyasha suppressed the urge to tear something apart as she suddenly lunged for him. "Got you!" One arm around his shoulders, the other went straight for his ears again. "Wheee...doesn't that tickle?"

Actually, it felt nicer than a foot rub and a good nap combined, but he was too exasperated to even consider that. "Kagome! I will ask you one more time, and if you don't answer `No, I won't,' then you'll never get to touch me ever again, not hair or ears or anything! Okay?" Her hands stilled, and he shut his eyes before he had to see her reaction. Here goes... "Now, will you marry me?"

"Of course not, you jerk." Kagome staggered to her feet, glassily trying to focus. "And now my head hurts again. Thanks, jerk. Night." With that she turned and collapsed right next to Sango across the bed.

Inuyasha let out a looong sigh and draped a blanket over both of them before heading out. Never thought I'd be threatening someone with not letting them touch me ever again. Weird wench. But there was no rancor behind it, and his only other thoughts before he headed up, past the monk turning over restlessly in his futon next door and into his own room, were that she was going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow-he'd better send down some of the stuff Kaede had for him. The powder he kept on him for dulling pain had come in handy tonight, too. Some more of that would also be helpful...

Thus it was that Inuyasha fell asleep for the first time in over 500 years thinking not of a certain priestess or of how much a certain girl reminded him of her, but of herbs, sake and the way his ears wouldn't stop twitching...

A/N: Wow. Another Wouldn't Get Written. But seeing how I'm running on no sleep, still a bit sick, and busy as all get-out (need a shower x.X), it didn't turn out quite as incoherent as I was thinking. Thanks again for (mostly) patience while I got readjusted; look for, say, a chapter or two a week from now till late August. Blame my boyfriend: I spend all my usual writing time on AIM with him now. :D Now, time to go out to the car, get my new dial-up network ID and pass and log onto the `Net to do some shout-outs and upload... oy vey...

Now for some responses:

Mom: Eeeeeep, I can't believe you're reading this! (Yes, this is my actual mom, everyone!) I'm glad you like it, even though you have no clue if these guys are in character or not...and sorry again about the language... :'D

Kagome Sengoku: XD Here it is! You can put the puppy-dog eyes away. ; )

minaosu: Heeeey, sis! Thanks! :D

ravensflying: Rozefire?? Wow. That's one of the nicest compliments I've ever gotten, in addition to all the other ones...thanks for the many, many very kind words!

StarrFire: Wow, that's a lot of reviews. :D Gravy. I hope I've addressed everything (I was actually planning to take care of the point you brought up this chapter already XD). If not, I will, no worries. Danke danke. ;)

And massive thanks to everyone who's reviewed. Sorry for not responding personally to more, but roomies are coming home soon and I need to get off the comp and go take a shower. You guys rock. I will definitely update quicker (if not quite so fast as when I first started) now that I'm settled. Peace out!