InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Drinking Baby ❯ Walks in the Woods ( Chapter 4 )

Drinking Baby

A/N: If confused mid-way through this chapter, I encourage you to reference back to chapter three. I think I need to do just that.

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Four: Walks in the Woods

"Honestly, Miroku. First, you talk about running away, and now this?"

Obviously embarrassed about the current situation he was in, Miroku stood up, brushing off his robes in an attempt to hide his face. He felt like a fool.

"Ashamed as I am to admit it, I had indeed planned on-wait. Inu Yasha, how did you know I was going to leave?"

At this, Inu Yasha merely snorted, rolling his eyes as if what he had to say was the most obvious thing in the world. He began to pick dirt out of his claws, all the while saying,

"You always leave us when somethin's troubling you. I just figured you'd do it again."

"Ohh...," Miroku said, finally looking up from his robes. "Sango, I beg you to forgive my impertinence."

Inu Yasha was right, after all. It did appear that whenever the houshi had something on his mind, he would leave the group in order to collect his thoughts or to, un-coincidently, try and get himself killed.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a walk. I, uhh...have some things to think through." Miroku turned to them and smiled. It was a genuine smile from the heart, not some forced grin he had a knack for putting on.

"Good, because you reek of fear!" Miroku smiled once more, as he looked up at Inu Yasha, re-folding his arms across his chest.

Once Miroku knew he was out of his friends' ear and eyeshot, his let his grin falter. His life truly was like a charade-every moment he acted on a different accord. Had he really just accused Sango of trying to kill him? He knew that what he had experienced was a dream, so why on earth had he said that?

"This is all your fault," he said, staring down at his right hand. "If Naraku hadn't cursed my grandfather all those years ago, I would never have had any reason to travel Japan looking for the Shikon no Tama or have the need to kill Naraku before my life was so cruelly ended."

He hadn't wandered far. In fact, he was only about fifty yards from the hut the others were staying at. He'd found himself a nice stream to rest at, but he could think of nothing to do while out, alone from the others. Miroku said he needed to think things through, but his mind felt dull and hazy, so he could get no straight though.

"Miroku?"

Miroku turned his head around, sharply. He knew the voice had come from that one, but he felt no need to speak with him now. If anything, he wanted to speak with no one, but he knew it couldn't be helped.

"Nani, Shippo-chan?" he said lazily.

"The others were worried about you, so came to find you."

Miroku looked at the little fox. He remembered wondering what Shippo thought about him and Sango, but he had never asked. Although he didn't picture this as the perfect time to ask, Miroku could no longer stand the nagging.

"Shippo-chan, please tell me.., what do you think of me?"

The kitsune's small smile was gone the instant the question left Miroku's lips. But not answering his question would only delay the inevitable; he needed to put it in terms the houshi would understand.

Miroku took Shippo's hesitation as a sign of premeditation. And if there was any cause for thought, then Miroku did not want to hear what the fox had to say. He looked up, saying,

"Shippo-chan, I...wait...."

Realization had hit Miroku like a blow to the head. Shippo had been the last hope he had. Sango surely detested him for the situation he had gotten her in, Kagome hardly spoke unless spoken to, and he wasn't even quite sure Inu Yasha ever liked him. His stomach began to churn unpleasantly, and it wasn't a moment later that Miroku was on his hands an knees, coughing up last night's meal.

It was revolting. The more he thought about this, the more the fluid rushed out, splashing on his robes and on his hands. Shippo looked utterly terrified; he stood glancing at Miroku and then turning behind him, as if deciding what to do. He finally made up his mind, and ran in what Miroku guessed must have been the direction of the others.

By the time they arrived, Miroku was caught between gasps and hiccups. He rolled over on his back, struggling for breath. Staring up at concerned faces, Miroku noticed that Sango's was not among them. Kagome was there, as was Inu Yasha, Shippo, and Kirara, but Sango was no where in eyeshot. Sitting up, he counted the faces once more, but still only came up with four.

"Where's Sango-chan?" he finally asked.

"She wasn't feeling well, so we told her to stay behind," Kagome confirmed, kneeling beside Miroku.

"What? Is she all right? What about the baby?"

Miroku tried to stand, but winced as his stomach did another back-flip; it really wasn't the most pleasant of feelings. Kagome ushered Miroku to lie on Kirara's back (giant neko!), and she would take him, along with the others back to their hut.

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Miroku was starting to smell horribly when they reached the hut. His sweat mixed with vomit was so bad, that Inu Yasha threatened to sleep outside if he didn't go take a bath and wash his clothes. Miroku had declined as of now, because he wanted to see how Sango was holding up. She seemed to be doing well, excluding for her pallid expression.

"I guess it was just stress related. I'm feeling better now," Sango said smiling up at Miroku.

"That's good to hear. I'm going to wash up, but when I get back, I'll watch over you for the night, so don't worry."

Something in the sound of his voice, told Sango that Miroku meant what he said, and wasn't going to try anything perverted. It was sweet how he acted like this whenever something was ailing her.

"I'll be right back," Miroku said, leaving the room in search for a hot spring where he could bathe in.

He found one rather quickly; it was just at the edge of the eastern part of the forest. Sighing deeply, Miroku began to strip himself of his garments. Slipping into the warm water, he let out a deep sigh. The water made his body tingle with a strange feeling of comfort.

He sat there, just listening to the sounds of the forest, hoping that they could calm him; and they did. Just sitting here in the spring, helped ease his body and soul (so cliché, I know).

"Miroku-sama?"

Miroku looked up, hoping to see the owner of the voice. It was hard to see through the density of trees, but he was pretty sure no one was there. Dunking his head into the water, Miroku could hear his name being called again, though it was faint.

"MIROKU-SAMA!!!"

That time he was sure he heard his name. He stuck his head out of the water to come face-to-face with none other than Kagome. He blinked a couple times to make sure she wasn't an illusion, but she appeared to be real...and angry.

"What's the matter, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing as she began to gaze at Miroku. He did look awfully sexy with his hair wet and matted. And through the water, Kagome was sure she could see his lean form and his...oh gods!

Blushing, Kagome turned to look into the houshi's eyes. "Ah...oh. We're turning in for the night, so Shippo and I came out to find you."

"Shippo-chan.... You brought him with you?"

"Hai."

From where he was standing, Miroku thought he had seen a brown tuft of fur from behind Kagome, but was afraid to say anything to her about it, in case she had -by some means or the other-grown a tail.

"Shippo?"

The little fox poked his head out from behind Kagome's rear, smiling meekly at the houshi. He seemed to be thinking about something, but not a moment later, he was jumping into Miroku arms. Miroku was a little taken aback, but managed to catch the fox before falling back into the water.

"Miroku! I'm sorry about earlier...for making you sick when I didn't answer your question!" He looked on the verge of tears. Oh wait, he was already crying.

Miroku smiled down at the fox. Shippo was indeed like a son to him, and he did forgive him. Waiting for Kagome to turn around so he could step out of the spring, Miroku gave the kitsune a small squeeze, before wrapping himself in his towel.

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A/N: Don't ask about that last little section in the spring. I just thought it'd be cute-and no, Kagome has no feelings except friendship for Miroku. Remember this is an M/S fic, not an M/K. I kind of got tired of the honorifics, so at the end, I started to drop them.

Next chapter will probably be one of my favorites. It'll be a romance chapter. Yep, that's right, no more of this angsty-drama stuff. The drama and angst will return, but just not next chapter. Oh, and also in the next chapter, I'll be skipping over a few months. I want to get over with Sango's pregnancy. The next chapter will be 3-6 months later; I haven't decided.

I will love you if you drop me a review and tell me what you think of this chapter and/or this story, but I will love you forever if you can provide me with a link (or something) to any good angsty-drama fics you've read (Miroku/Sango, please). You know, something like "Miroku lies sick and dying", blah, blah, blah. Something like that. Thanks you guys.