InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bed Ridden ❯ Innocence is Drowned ( Chapter 20 )

General Info: Round Robin #1 for the Monk_and_Miko Yahoo! group.

Title: Bed Ridden

Summary: He's lived through a cursed hand, demons, and a hanyou with an attitude- but can our sixteenth century houshi take the stimulation of the twentieth century? [MK]

Rating: PG-13

Chapter Author: Horridporrid

Chapter Summary: The blood-dimmed tide is loosed…

Disclaimer: hee!

Author Note: So I went a little dark. You like dark, right? Right? (twenty billion points if you recognize the poem hidden in the title and the summery. Hint: throw in M-mama's title from chp.19)

Group Notes: MonkandMiko is currently sponsoring a new fanfiction competition. The contest challenge: Write a one-shot depicting Miroku and/or Kagome's worst nightmare. (Must contain an MK twist) All are invited to take part in this contest, for rules and guidelines go to MonkandMiko Yahoo! Group. (It's under the files section in the Contest 2 file)The contest will begin July 5th, and run through August 5th. h t t p: // groups. yahoo. com/ group/ monkandmiko **********

Chapter Twenty: Innocence is Drowned

Miroku woke up. He didn't open his eyes though. He was battling a strong suspicion that he was in fact dead and really wasn't looking forward to confirmation. Then the light buzz of female voices teased at his senses, and there were some things he was genetically incapable of ignoring. Slowly, reluctantly, he opened his eyes, and blearily noted the small group of pretty girls seated across the room. Could he have actually achieved paradise?

Then his eyes focused and his intuition caught up with him: virgins, all of them. So he was in Hell. Nothing worse than a flock of virgins to torture and break a man, Miroku thought ruefully. He laughed to himself and the gentle huffing sound caught the attention of the girls.

"Oh, Miroku! You're awake."

And he knew that voice. After all, it haunted all of his dreams and some of his more horrifying nightmares. Still alive then. Things were steadily going from bad to worse. As his bed was surrounded by Kagome and her friends, Miroku weighed the possibility of pretending to slip back into sleep.

"Are you thirsty?" The gentle query and the concern in Kagome's voice pushed Miroku's conscience into abandoning the fake passing-out idea. Plus, he was really thirsty now that she mentioned it. He tried to say as much but his voice came out in a pitiful croak and the attempt sent a burning pain lancing through his throat, so he settled for a nod.

Kagome held a cup for him so he could suck some liquid up through the handy sipping straw he remembered from his last hospital stay. As he drank he avoided looking at her. It was cowardly, and he knew it, but damned if he was up for the emotional turmoil direct eye contact would bring.

"Gosh, Miroku you really look like hell," one of Kagome's friends piped up. Her remark earned her several glares and an impatient hushing noise from one of the other girls, but if he could, Miroku would have kissed her for breaking the tension that had begun to build. Instead he grinned as impishly as possible at her and gave an exaggerated shrug as a "what can you do?" sort of gesture. She grinned back, so he figured that was one on his side.

"The police have been here," the girl who'd made the hushing sound, told him briskly. "Though, honestly, Kagome was less than helpful with her information about her old boyfriend." As Miroku's mind reeled at this sudden turn of events, the hushing girl focused on Kagome. "How you could date someone you knew so little about I will never understand," she lectured as Kagome turned an impossibly bright shade of red. "I'm just glad that you've moved on to someone more trustworthy and stable." She patted Miroku's hand as Kagome turned suddenly away from the bed, nearly causing Miroku to spit water all over his bed as she ripped the straw out of his mouth. But that was two on his side now, so he overlooked the rough behavior.

"Trustworthy?" the last girl asked incredulously. "Didn't he tell that Inuyasha creep that he'd made a mistake with Kagome?" She glared down at Miroku as Kagome made a strange choking sound behind her.

Miroku met the girl's glare with a look of wide-eyed innocence. "Ss-ss-urvi-val," he croaked out painfully, and her eyes softened noticeably.

"I guess I can understand that," she said thoughtfully. "And you didn't mean it at all? You're still serious about our Kagome?"

Miroku nodded, keeping his innocent face firmly in place and her suspicion slipped away.

"Well, I guess that's points for smarts anyway, even if bravery is sorely lacking."

"Bravery!?" said the grinning girl indignantly.

"Really, Yuka, this isn't a manga! And Inuyasha is a psycho. Miroku is lucky to be alive!" the hushing girl said reprovingly.

"Geez, guys, I was just joking." Yuka looked suitably chastened and she patted Miroku's shoulder in apology.

So that was three out of three. Kagome had to be folding. Though she refused to look at him as her friends wished Miroku well and hugged Kagome goodbye and finally chattered their way out of the hospital room. Then she lingered in the corner, fussing with his water cup, and Miroku decided it was time to prove that he wasn't a complete coward. "Ka-kag" he managed to choke out pitifully, and she was there holding his hand and brushing her hand through his hair.

"Shhh. Please don't talk Miroku," she said soothingly. But as he tried to meet her eyes, she turned her attention to smoothing out his blanket. "The doctors say your throat will be sore for a few more days, and your stitches were torn out, so they had to replace those, but there weren't any further internal injuries, and that's good." She chanced a quick glance at him and then just as quickly, her gaze flickered away. "Um, the drugs knocked you out for a really long time, and you'll have to stay overnight, and they didn't say it but I was afraid you may have slipped into a coma and..." Tears filled her eyes and she took a deep breath. "And I was so scared that you might slip away from me." The tears overflowed and slid steadily down her face. "I was so scared, Miroku." Her voice broke and she took another breath.

Miroku brushed his hand across her cheek, gathering her tears on his fingertips. He wished he could speak, come up with some strengthening phrase that would soothe Kagome and end her pain.

Kagome grabbed his hand with hers and squeezed it with surprising strength. "Did you mean it? What you asked me. Did you mean it?"

This time Miroku was the one avoiding eye contact. She was referring to his marriage proposal. He knew that. The thing was, had he meant it? Or more accurately, what had he meant by it? It was more than a riff off of his usual, 'please bare my child,' line. He knew that much. And he hated, with every fiber of his being, the idea of Kagome being with any other man. But was he willing to burden her with his curse? Was he really so selfish as to tie her to him when the only thing he could offer her was an early widowhood?

He looked over at Kagome and realized that she was staring at his other hand, the cursed hand, the hand that foretold his inevitable doom. His thumb was worrying his rosary so insistently he was surprised he hadn't broken it. And he was angry. Actually, Miroku was furious. If Naraku had somehow popped into the room Miroku could have killed him with his glare. Naraku had stolen his father from him. He'd stolen his childhood from him. He'd stolen his future from him. Was he going to steal love from him too? Was Naraku going to take everything?

With a sense of determination he gripped Kagome's hand with his normal hand. When she turned to him, he met her eyes and nodded emphatically, pouring all of his love into his eyes, and hoping with everything he had that she would get the message.

Kagome's eyes widened and she gripped his hand back. "Miroku," she breathed. And he was just starting to relax when she started crying again. "God, I'm so confused!" she wailed. "I'm too young for this! And then there's Inuyasha..."

Miroku closed his eyes in defeat. It always came back to the half-demon. He was crazy to think he'd ever break Kagome away from Inuyasha.

"But," Kagome added softly. "I've never... I don't dream about him like I dream about you. And when you touch me," she blushed and bit her lip uncertainly. "You make me feel so alive, Miroku. Is - is that love? Miroku, do I love you?"

She looked at him with such trust, and Miroku couldn't help but smile at her. Only Kagome could ask such a question, and cause his heart to swell with such tenderness. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and sing her to sleep. And with that thought he suddenly realized how exhausted she looked. The silly girl must have stayed with him all night. No wonder she was so confused. "Ssle-ep, Kag-me," he croaked, and singing was obviously out of the question.

Kagome tried to frown at him, but she ruined it with a gigantic yawn. "Okay, okay," she muttered. "But you stop trying to talk," she added with sleepy fierceness.

And then it was his turn to frown at her when Kagome headed towards an uncomfortable looking chair by the window. He tapped the side of his bed to get her attention and then pointed at the door and gave her a stern look.

"Don't worry, I can sleep here," Kagome said.

But Miroku shook his head and kept pointing at the door. "Go home," he mouthed at her, and Kagome's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Okay, okay. I could probably use a shower anyway," she said in resignation, and Miroku grinned. Kagome shook her head in apparent disgust at his bossiness, but then ruined it by kissing him gently on the cheek. "I'll be back first thing in the morning, and then we'll bring you home," she whispered. And that really did sound like paradise.

********

Inuyasha leapt out of the well and cautiously made his way to Kagome's house. He wasn't ashamed of what he'd done to Miroku. The monk had gotten what was coming to him. No, Inuyasha wasn't ashamed. He just wanted to avoid Kagome's family because they were annoying. That's why he was sneaking up to the house. Inuyasha didn't feel guilty at all.

Peering in through a window, Inuyasha could see Kagome's brother and grandfather gathered around a table, the remnants of a light meal in front of them. Her mother was speaking into that strange talking thing that Kagome had tried to explain the use of but that he still wasn't too clear on. Who the hell cared how people did things in this strange, chaotic world?

"Oh, Kagome that wonderful," her mother was saying. She turned towards the rest of the family. "Miroku's awake," she said excitedly.

Inuyasha had the strange feeling of a burden being lifted that he refused to examine too closely. The boy and the old man made pleased sounds and he missed some of what Kagome's mother was saying. By the time they shut up the one sided conversation was winding down.

"Okay, darling. I've set some lunch aside for you." Silence, and then, "See you soon." Kagome's mother put the talking thing back on the wall and headed for the window and only Inuyasha's superior demon speed kept him from being caught.

Inuyasha slunk back to the well house. He was glad to hear that Miroku wasn't dead, though he'd only gotten what he deserved. Everyone knew that Kagome belonged to Inuyasha. The half-demon settled down just inside the door, where he could keep an eye on the shrine steps. Kagome had promised to stay by his side, and she had kept her promise until the damn monk had turned his cheap charms on her. He huffed angrily. The monk was an unrepentant lecher, and Inuyasha shouldn't have been surprised. But Inuyasha had counted Miroku as one of his friends. Stupid of him. And his misjudgment had nearly cost him Kagome. Well, that was going to change; he had an ally now, and a plan.

He'd been angry and hurt when he'd been pushed back through the well yesterday, ready to slink off into the forest to lick his wounds and shore up his injured pride. He might have sulked for days. It was his good fortune that Kikyou had been there, waiting for him. With little effort she had pulled the whole sordid tale from him.

"He could make her happy," she had murmured, much to Inuyasha's disgust. But when he'd opened his mouth to protest, she'd silenced him with a gesture. "You cannot allow the monk to have her, Inuyasha."

"I should kill him," Inuyasha agreed, though his human heart shrank from that idea.

"Don't be a fool. He is necessary for the upcoming battle -,"

"I can handle Naraku!" Inuyasha interrupted. Kikyou looked at him and he retreated back into silence.

When he was suitably chastened Kikyou continued. "She needs to be reminded of her place." He must have looked confused, because she clarified for him. "She needs to be reminded that she belongs to you, Inuyasha."

"But, Kikyou," Inuyasha said weakly, "I promised myself to you. How -,"

Kikyou had cut him off by gently cupping his cheek in her palm. "My poor, sweet, Inuyasha. Is it still so unclear to you? You belong to me, and she belongs to you."

Inuyasha leaned into Kikyou's touch even as his eyes widened at her words. "You mean, I can have you both?"

Kikyou had laughed, a sound that weighed down his heart with its sadness. "You can have her. But remember, I alone have you."

It didn't make sense to him, but Kikyou pressed close to him, and her scent washed over him until he was drowning in it and all of his questions and doubts slipped away. "Listen to me, my little half-demon. Act as I direct you and you will win her back from the monk."

She had whispered into his ear until the setting of the slivered moon, and then she'd pulled his head down to her lap, and he had slept, surrounded by her scent as her hands smoothed over him, chasing away the dreams that came to haunt him.

And now, Inuyasha crouched in the well house and ran through Kikyou's directions. He shifted uncomfortably, damn, but he wasn't sure he could do this. But with his doubts came a swirling memory, tangled up in Kikyou's touch and Kikyou's smell. "You are a hunter, Inuyasha, a predator; follow your instincts and give yourself over to the chase." The echo of her voice anchored him and Inuyasha settled into wait. Kagome was his. He would not allow the monk to have her.

Not a terribly long time passed and then Inuyasha caught Kagome's scent. She was coming up the shrine steps. Silently he straightened from his crouched position and cracked the well house door open a bit. Only a flash of red showed through the door, but it was enough. Kagome's eyes flickered in his direction, and he could see them widen in recognition. Without a thought the girl changed her direction and came to him.

Inuyasha backed into the darkness, not stopping until he was resting against the stone well. Kagome walked in with less surety then him, making her way carefully down the stairs, her eyesight not so good in the dark. "Inuyasha?" she called out cautiously. Then she gasped as he grabbed her arm and pulled her against him.

"Have you forgotten me?" he asked, allowing a hint of hurt to come through in his voice.

Kagome responded to his pain as Kikyou had expected her to. "Inuyasha, no. I'd never forget you. I-,"

"Have you forgotten your promise to me?" He brushed her cheek with one hand, and had to restrain a pleased smile when she trembled under his touch.

"Promise?"

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a gentle embrace. "You promised not to leave me, Kagome. You promised to stay by my side." Inuyasha slumped a little, so that Kagome had to bear up some of his weight. "I - I don't want to be alone, Kagome." And he hated sounding so pathetic, but Kikyou had said it was important. And he could feel Kagome responding to it, just like she responded to him saying her name, and he was not going to let the fucking monk win this one.

"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome sighed. "I'm not going to leave you alone. I do remember my promise. I do." She pushed against his shoulder, and Inuyasha allowed her to move a little bit away from him. This was not the time for force. "But I'm also really angry at you, Inuyasha. You almost killed Miroku."

Inuyasha stared down at the splintery, warped floorboards. He knew Kagome would take his posture as contrition, but he didn't want her to see the rage that had flared up at her saying that name. It was not the time for force, he reminded himself. His restraint was rewarded by Kagome pulling him back into her arms. "But he's going to be okay, and I'm really tired, so I'll just have to yell at you tomorrow." She yawned and snuggled a little further into his arms, like she always did when she was sleepy. Kagome felt safe with him, and part of Inuyasha hated to betray that trust. But it was out of his hands. Kagome was his and she obviously needed to be reminded of that fact.

He nuzzled his cheek against hers and felt her stiffen in surprise. "I won't let you go," he whispered into her ear, and she shivered. While she was distracted by his words he swiftly moved to press his mouth against hers. Her lips were soft and full and he licked at them and they fell open and then he was exploring the inside of her mouth with his tongue and she tasted different from Kikyou, sweet to Kikyou's spice. And Inuyasha shuddered at the thought of tasting the two of them together, and pulled Kagome more tightly against him, and she squeaked a little and started pushing at his shoulders, and at first he ignored her, but this was not the time for force. So reluctantly Inuyasha pulled away and stared into Kagome eyes as he touched his bottom lip with his tongue, catching the last of her flavor. And she looked shocked and confused and a little bit terrified.

Inuyasha smiled, and traced her swollen lips with the tip of one claw. "You belong to me, Kagome," he whispered huskily. "Don't forget that." Then he jumped easily up onto the well's edge, and with a final smile, stepped back into its welcoming depths.

:::end chapter:::

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Next Author: Rurouni Star

Due Date: July 9th, 2004 Group Info: This Round Robin is sponsored by the members of Monk_and_Miko Yahoo! group, a fan listing of the InuYasha pairing of Miroku/Kagome. The group features fan fiction, fan art, links, chat, contests, and social interaction with other Miroku/Kagome fans. To join: h t t p: // groups. yahoo. com/ group/ monkandmiko (Remove spaces) What's better than one alternative InuYasha pairing? Two alternative InuYasha couplings! Monk_and_Miko is now the affiliate of Kakera-no-Ai, an InuYasha/Sango fanlisting. Similar to MnM, you'll find fan fiction, pictures, group discussions, polls, chat, etc. to keep you occupied! To join: h t t p: // groups. yahoo. com/ group/ K _ n _ A