InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cats and Dogs ❯ Rooms ( Chapter 8 )

Everyone had been ushered off to his or her rooms, the walls were nearly soundproof, and each room contained a single bed. Some of those people enjoyed their arrangements… others, however, weren't so fortunate. Five rooms lined one hall; each contained two different people, some polar opposites, some not.

Room One-

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The mechanical, jerky voice that automatically controlled Fia's voice box before she woke up always irritated him. He would have preferred to hear his own beloved's voice, happily greeting him a good morning, instead. Neko sighed and reached out to the woman placed on the bed, thick black cords connected to a nearby wall outlet automatically retracted back into a compartment in the back of Fia's neck. His fingertips brushed away a few loose strands of her rich ebony hair. God, she was beautiful. He wondered for the eight trillionth time how he'd gotten so lucky. Sparkling emerald pools opened slowly, as if they'd come straight out of a pleasant dream instead of the tedious recharging automated rest. Her eyes captivated him. She smiled, and then opened her mouth to question him; he silenced her with a kiss.

His body moved over hers without breaking the kiss. They paused for air. He smiled down at her. Lucky indeed, not only did he have her but now he had her alone… with no J to bother them. A wicked grin spread over his lips. Fia's eyes widened, as she seemed to read where his thoughts were heading. Her lips parted to object, and once again she they were silenced with a kiss.

Room Two-

J and Shippo, exhausted from their long journey, had fallen asleep almost instantly. The taller, dark haired boy slept with the smaller light haired youkai curled up on his tummy. Both seemed oblivious to the odd creaking sounds emanating from the room next door.

Room Three-

"Ah! Don't hit me! I haven't done anything yet!"

Miroku cried out and covered his throbbing head with his hands; he'd been backed into a corner with little hope of escape. Sango stood above him, her fists raised, ready to strike again. Since she had been sleeping when they had been sucked into the portal her giant boomerang wasn't with her. The demon exterminator felt naked and vulnerable without it… so she took out her anger at her weakness out on the lecherous houshi.

"Peace! I won't do anything to you, I promise. I'll sleep right here on the floor."

Sango huffed and brought her hands up to her armor, she hesitated and glared at him as his eyes followed the path of her hands up to the thick black armor covering her breasts.

"Turn around, houshi."

Strangely, he did just that without a word. She quickly pulled off all her armor until only her black under suit remained. She watched his back for a moment; he seemed thoroughly cowed, maybe even hurt that she'd hit him for no reason. The demon exterminator sighed and climbed into bed.

"You can… turn around now."

Miroku did so, hesitantly. When he saw that she was in bed he smiled a bit and leaned back against the wall. He helped to keep his body propped up by leaning on his staff. Like Inu Yasha, even in sleep he had his weapon of choice by his side. He shifted to sit more comfortably. His staff tinkled softly, as if it had been muted so as not to bother Sango. Her back was turned to him by then. She must have fallen asleep already. The houshi watched her sides rise and fall slowly with each breath she took. He smiled; she was quite a broad, short fused, stubborn, strong, and beautiful. Though he hated to admit it, she was just his type. The easy types were too… well… simple. Their characters only reached a surface level. He was good looking and so they went to him. Sango knew him, and quite possibly hated him. Miroku gave an inward sigh. Yeah, hated him. But, there were times, when she was… different. She'd do a double-take over a question, get angry with him over the girls he allowed to run after him, or worry about him… perhaps… just maybe… He drifted off to sleep thinking not of the past, but the `what ifs' of the future.

"Houshi, are you asleep?"

No response. Sango rolled onto her other side to look at him. His eyes were closed, his breaths even. He didn't look so tense, like he didn't have a care in the world. It made his face almost… childlike. She wondered what he was thinking of, her eyes darkened, probably dreaming of some beautiful broad. But, he didn't have that smirk he got when he slept thinking of things like that-hey! How did *she* know that? It wasn't like… she watched him sleep… or anything. Her ears, pressed against her head and the pillow felt a little warmer than usual. A fever? No, she didn't feel the slightest bit ill. Perhaps it was… a blush?

Her cheeks grew warmer at the thought. In fact, her whole body felt warm. Too warm; she kicked off the covers and pulled the lower most blanket up around her. Miroku's brow furrowed slightly, his cheek rested against his staff. Had the dream turned bad? Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wanted to comfort him. She grumbled silently and pushed the thought far back into the deepest recesses of her mind where it settled with a warm glow and made her faintly dizzy. Without thinking, she slowly stood from the bed and pulled the top cover off it. Using all the stealth she'd mastered hunting youkai she drew up to Miroku and very gently placed the blanket over him.

A blink. What had she been thinking? It wasn't like she knew he was cold or anything… but… the crease in his brow softened slowly until it was gone and he held that child-like expression again. Sango pursed her lips and reached out to take the blanket back, what would he think if he woke up with that on? He'd think she was going soft on him. Hell no! But, as her fingers touched the edge of the fabric they hesitated. Very slowly, they withdrew. As if they had not heard what her brain had told them to do. Instead, she walked slowly back to the bed and slid under the remaining covers.

Room Four-

"Eh heh heh… That Rion fellow… He's a funny guy, isn't he?"

Kagome looked up at Inu Yasha from the bed on the other side of the room. The half-youkai had taken an uncomfortable looking chair there as his place to sleep for the night. Kagome assumed it was probably just like sleeping on the Goshimbuku tree's branches back in the Warring States Period. Had he ever slept comfortably in his life?

"Y-Yeah… He sure is…"

Both gave a nervous chuckle. Inu Yasha seemed positively nervous. His ears twitched and darted back and forth, golden eyes filled with some hidden anxiety she couldn't place her finger on. It wasn't like they hadn't ever been alone before… together… Oh gods! There it was… that funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. Kagome cleared her throat and squirmed uncomfortably, drawing Inu Yasha's attention away from the far wall he'd been inspecting with intricate detail.

"Uhm… I have to change into my pajamas. Could you turn around, please?"

He did so without another word, the youkai had to force his ears to point at the other wall instead of straining backwards to pick up the rustle of fabric more clearly. He looked even more uncomfortable in the chair now than ever, his legs pressed into the arm of the chair on that side and couldn't have been okay for him to sit. When Kagome was finished she slipped under the covers of the bed, her body turned so that it faced the wall opposite the one Inu Yasha had been focusing all his senses on.

"You can sleep with me if you want."

"WHAT?"

With a loud thud Inu Yasha tumbled out of his seat, still staring bug-eyed at Kagome's back.

"Not like that, baka! I mean you can sleep on the bed with me. That chair seems… uncomfortable so I thought… Oh! Never mind, good night!"

With a huff Kagome tightened the covers around her shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut. The nerve of that boy for even thinking that she would ask for something like that! Stupid demon… And so the grumbling continued until the young woman grumbled herself to sleep.

Room Five-

Rion paced in his room, he had left his window open in case Lana would return. She'd been quite angry with him for letting strangers stay in his home. He'd told her that she didn't own it and so she had no right to complain. Funny, Lana was normally a more generous creature with outsiders. She'd said something about humans in the forest before she'd stormed off. That was ridiculous too; there had always been humans in the forest. There was a town near by so travelers came in and out of Rion's forest almost all day.

Recently, Lana had shifted into her old characteristics. She was an introverted and cautious anthro by nature but she'd grown even more so over the past few weeks. She jumped at the slightest noise and only took light catnaps at a time; her ebony pointed ears always remained at attention during such times, ever ready to catch the sound of an unwanted predator. It had taken so long to bring her out of her wandering and wary ways and now, for some reason all his effort was melting away again. He was going to lose her.

Fear. It had been so long since he'd felt that emotion. He'd always been a confident anthro, confident in his looks, confident in his abilities to catch the eye of any young female… But now he was afraid. It had been three years since the black-furred beauty had padded into his life. She was a wild, untamable thing with a razor sharp wit in the feline tongue and a cautious attitude overall. It had taken so long for Rion to gain her trust. She'd always been afraid of doing wrong. Lana had been through a multitude of bad mates. Abusive males with no common sense as to what they were losing in such a rare find as she.

Every time they'd mated, every time she would let a claw slip or forget her place he was there to teach her that she was still beautiful and wanted. Over the years, she had learned. Lana became more confident and self-content and he had grown to care more for her. For once, he was happy just being with her. Rion lost interest in his other mates until his day almost revolved around her and her alone.

Then one day she vanished from his home. He tried to be calm about it. It wasn't such a big deal, was it? She was just a mate, a sexual partner. And yet, he worried about her. Was she eating well? Was she healthy? Did she take another mate? For some reason, that had scared him most of all. But no, one rainy spring day she had padded right back into his life again. She'd grown a bit thinner and looked bedraggled out in that horrid rain but still she was back and he was happy again. He never asked about why she left and she never told. But he was happy, and so it seemed was she.

And now, Lana was gone again. Had he driven his little fireball off for good? With that and other thoughts connected to Lana plaguing his mind, Rion climbed into his bed and curled up in a warm, white ball of misery.

Room Four-

A few hours later, having made sure Kagome was fast asleep; Inu Yasha slipped quietly from his uncomfortable chair on the other side of the room to her bed and carefully crawled onto it. He cautiously laid down next to her, his back against hers. The youkai hadn't slept in a bed in a long time. He'd almost forgotten how comfortable they could be. It was… pleasant. The comfy spring of the bed, coupled with the warmth of Kagome's back against his and the pleasant scent of her hair, and in a few moments he fell prey to one of the deepest rests he had ever had in his life.