InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forest for the Trees ❯ Temporary Remedy ( Chapter 12 )

This is for Samanda Hime-Sama, because I said I would.

Forest for the Trees

Chapter 12; Temporary Remedy

"Don't you get ahead of me, and I won't leave you behind. If you get unhappy show me a sign. There's no love like lost love, no pain like a broken heart. There's no love like you and me, and no loss like us apart. Promises, promise is only a word; and when softly spoken, never heard. And a heart is not a stone, and is fragile when alone."

~Ben Harper "By My Side"

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He was a blur of color. Streaming past the foliage, surprising various creatures out of warm nests with an early morning wakeup call. He wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to run, couldn't fathom the sudden urge to find the girl. Vaguely he wondered when she had found out, and if it had been in any way similar to the way he had. He shuddered at the thought.

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Sango sat beside an idyllic stream, but its happy gurgling sounds could not laugh their merry way though her depressed exterior. Her knees were pulled snugly up against her chest, one arm held them there, the other was viciously stabbing the ground with a pointy stick that she had found whilst she had meandered away from camp. She didn't want to be there when Inuyasha got back…why had she sent him? Her head dropped, resting exhaustedly on the hard boniness that was her kneecaps.

Granted she and Inuyasha had never really had a chance to become true friends, but she did consider him a friend. Friends did not intentionally inflict pain upon each other. And she knew Kagome had not meant to hurt her, it's just that…she had always thought the monk was meant for her; in some weird cosmic fate-y type way. But then again she had always thought Inuyasha and Kagome had been meant to be together.

But when she had seen the way Miroku had looked at Kagome... Well, that illusion had shattered into millions of sharp edgy little pieces that stuck with furious intensity into the deep crevices of her brain. And it hurt.

Not that she was in love with him. That couldn't be further from the truth. She had just, for some strange reason, thought that they would end up together.

She jabbed the stick further into the undeserving ground and tried to figure out what was really bothering her; the fear of not having Miroku, or the fear that she wouldn't have anyone.

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He lay flat on the ground, the grass damp from dew, tickled his back. Idly he watched the sun rise. Kagome's fingers ran soothingly over his bruised chest, her other hand distractedly played with the robes she had tugged down to his waist. She hadn't spoken since Inuyasha had left them. This concerned him slightly.

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He slowed as her sent became stronger. He approached quietly, not wanting to startle her, and hoping to observe her briefly. Maybe he could gauge her current emotional state.

She was stabbing something.

He relaxed when he noticed it was only the ground. Her face was filled with absentminded worry, her movement vicious and jerky. So absorbed in her own mental monologue, she didn't hear him enter the clearing and pad his way over to her. Still trying to work out all the possible scenarios of her future, she didn't even notice when he sat down beside her.

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It started subtly, right below Miroku's left eye. A slight twitching of muscle that he couldn't seem to control. He endured it for several minuets, before jerking a hand out from under his head and slapping it against the offending sinew.

He made a noise low in his throat, one that could only be described at a human attempt at a demon growl. Then sitting up sharply, thereby dislodging Kagome's gentle hands, he looked her sternly in the eye. "Would you say something?" He demanded.

Kagome thought he looked rather silly. There he sat his eye fierce, one hand still firmly planted over the other. Cocking her head to one side she immediately relented to his demand, barking out the first thing that came to mind. "Snuffleupagus."

They sat in silence for several moments; until Miroku's hand dropped from his face.

"Pardon?" He questioned confusedly.

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He merely sat beside her, refusing to announce his presence. Her fingers simply twisted around the stick she held, eyes staring blankly off into space. Inuyasha tucked his hands into his sleeves as he watched her from the corner of his eyes, warily, as if at any moment the girl would explode in a emotionally cataclysmic frenzy.

Sango heaved a sigh, turning her head slightly to glace lazily at the silver headed figure that sat beside her, before turning back to gaze dumbly at the landscape before her.

And then swing her head back around with neck wrenching speed and gasp in surprise at his presence.

"Inuyasha!" She breathed. "When….How….What?" She sputtered incomprehensibly.

Inuyasha simply raised one dark brow; as if the one move could remark on her abounding eloquence and scoff at her inability to sense her surroundings.

It did suffice to shut her up. She sighed, body once again slumping in a self deprecating slouch. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I should have just told you, or not told you, or let you find out for yourself…" her voice was low, hushed with shame.

They sat quietly, nothing more to be heard than the tinkling sounds of the stream before them. Sango's eyes were shut tightly; trying to hold back the tears she knew would come no matter what. She lowered her fore head once more to rest on her knees, her entire body tight. She could feel him watching her, and misconstrued his silence as condemnation. Her shoulders shook slightly with the force of her remorse.

And then she felt it.

One gentle clawed hand. It wove itself into her hair, stroking with infinite care. It was almost as if they had been reversed, and she was the dog.

"Feh." He muttered softly.

His eyes were on the ground when she turned her leaky gaze up. She sniffed slightly, leaning into the comforting hand. Her eyes suddenly became sharp, and her hand latched onto loose fabric on his chest.

"Y-You didn't kill them did you?" She asked uncertainly.

He didn't look at her, his fingers paused, and he shook his head slightly.

Sango nearly collapsed with relief. She leaned heavily into his side before jerking up with a strangled `Eep'.

"Not that you would!" She gasped out. "I mean, I didn't think you would actually kill them. Well, him maybe…Not that…it's just…you…her…Ahg!" She deflated once more, leaning into him. "I'm sorry." She breathed.

He chuckled softly, his fingers moving once again in their comforting way. "I understand." He assured her.

She looked up sharply. "You do?"

"Yeah." He said with a nod. He met her eyes with a calm gentle look she had never seen before. "Misery loves company, right?"

She let out a choked sob.

His brow furrowed and he pulled her close. "That was `supposed to be a joke." He informed her gruffly. He sighed; rocking her in what he hoped was a reassuring way. "I'm glad I found out," he assured her. "Not to happy with how I found out, but I can understand."

She looked at him questioningly, something about his inflection alerting her to a deeper meaning. Her brows met as she thought it through. "Oh!" She gasped out. "Oh." She said again, this time turning an interesting florescent pink.

Inuyasha nodded, his own cheeks flushing slightly. He stared straight ahead, trying not to picture the couple or their nighttime woodsy transgressions.

Sango giggled.

Inuyasha turned his shocked eyes down on her. Disbelief evident. Curious at her mirth.

"I'm sorry!" She gasped out, trying to hold in the laughter. "That must have been…horrible!" She snickered out. Her fingers twisted into the resilient red cloth he wore, as her shoulders shook violently. Inuyasha watched surprised, but it didn't take long for his own lips to curl and join the giggling girl.

Two floppy ears straightened, one petit pink nose wiggling in their direction, vaguely curious at the human couple curled up with laughter beside the water.

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"…So you see, at the end of every show there would be a lesson in the alphabet. It was educational." Kagome's hands waved indistinctly, trying to get her lover to understand the popular American children's show. She peered at him curiously, wondering what he thought.

"A giant yellow bird?" he asked.

She nodded.

"A green demon in a `trash can'?"

Nod

"And they sang?"

Nod.

"And children are exposed to this?" He demanded.

"Ehh…Yeah." She affirmed.

He watched her, his expression unreadable. "Well." He stated with conviction. "Not our children."

Kagome blinked dumbly.

Miroku leaned back on his elbows, bracing himself as he watched the clouds roll overhead. And then Kagome threw herself on top of him.

"Omph!" All the air that had ever been inside of him rushed out very quickly. "Ow." He said with amazing calmness.

"Oh!" Kagome gasped sitting up quickly. "Oh! Oh I forgot! Are you alright?" She crooned, hands running down his bruised chest lovingly.

He sighed, catching her hands he pulled them both up to his lips. He then pulled her down to lay beside him, wrapping her securely in his arms. "Yes. I'm great."

Kagome let out a small contented sigh, nuzzling into his shoulder.

"Do you suppose Inuyasha is really okay with this?" He asked quietly.

"Yes." Kagome answered without any hesitation.

Miroku lifted his head slightly to look at her face. "How do you know?" He demanded.

She grinned and turned her face to kiss his collar bone. "Oh sweetie! `Cause if he wasn't, he would have killed you."

Miroku's head hit the ground. He looked upwards at the clouds, as if they would give him guidance. He then let out an amused snort.

She was right.

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Eh. What's with the lack of reviews people? Oh well.

I would like to add the following to my list of "Favorite People":

Darkcatz

Lady Sesshoumaru

Samanda Hime-Sama

Maliceinwonderland

HMPrune

Kyasuri

You all rock.