InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ A Return to Normalcy ( Chapter 45 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.16.2010 | Updated On: 02.11.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.9K | Visits: 2.9K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.16.2010 | Updated On: 02.11.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.9K | Visits: 2.9K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
A Return to Normalcy
“Be careful with that, boy! Don’t break it like the last time!”
Inuyasha growled softly to himself. The last time was because your granddaughter decided to ‘osuwari’ me. But he wisely kept his mouth shut, resolved as he was not to mutter a single word of complaint. Kagome’s grandfather had formed a long mental list of tasks requiring a strong young back since the last time he had helped out in the storage shed. Most of it was just moving things around, some of it the same stuff he had moved the last time. And why can’t this shit just stay in one place? He quickly buried that thought. Kagome’s grandfather was talking to him without having to restrain himself from going on a tirade, and that was a definite improvement. It was the day after the wedding, and Kagome was currently at school. Inuyasha had been pleasantly surprised that morning when the old man enlisted his aid cleaning and rearranging the shed, saying something like ‘if you’re gonna be here, you might as well work.’ Inuyasha accepted immediately, and didn’t regret it so much as wish the old man would stop calling him ‘boy’ all the time. He was not a child! I will not complain. I will not complain. I will not—
“No, no, not there! Move it to the right! That’s good,” the old man declared when Inuyasha complied. The hanyou’s eyebrow twitched. The distance between the spot where he had first put the object and the spot where it now sat was approximately the width of his hand. Fucking picky son of a b—
“Alright, boy, that’s enough for now. The dust is bothering my sinuses.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Try working in here with a hanyou’s nose and then tell me it bothers you!
“Just grab that chest in the corner and bring it outside.”
Said chest was large and rectangular, about five feet by two feet by two feet. It was covered with a thick layer of dust and it had a very unpleasant odor to it. Inuyasha held his breath as he carried it outside, nearly tossing it onto the ground before thinking better of it and setting it down gently. Kagome’s grandfather went inside the house for a minute and emerged carrying a couple strange looking bottles and a handful of rags.
“This family heirloom needs a good polishing. Use this on the wood and this on the metal,” he ordered, holding up brown and gray bottles in turn. “And make sure you don’t mix the rags or use the wrong polish!” Then he turned and went back inside.
Inuyasha sighed in relief; at least now he wouldn’t have to listen to the old bat’s constant badgering. And if he took long enough maybe the geezer wouldn’t give him anything else to do. Resolved to take as long as possible, and to give this stupid chest the best shine it had ever possessed, he set to work.
Of course, the first step was figuring out how to use the polish, and that was easier said than done. Squeezing it didn’t work; the metal cylinder had no give and he had a feeling that crushing it would be a bad idea. Nor did growling at it or bashing it against the pavement in frustration have any effect. Taking a closer look at his new arch nemesis, Inuyasha examined the top of the container, the only part that wasn’t solid metal. There was a small opening pointing out of one side, and above it a part that looked like it moved inward. Shrugging his shoulders and wondering if it could really be so simple, he pushed the tab.
He woke up lying on his back a few minutes later, his head still swimming. Fortunately, the spray hadn’t been directed at his face, but he had still caught enough of a whiff to royally screw with his senses. What IS that crap? Is the old codger trying to poison me?! Regardless, this ‘pall-ish’ was something to be reckoned with. Pulling himself upright, he held his hand to his still-throbbing head and muttered a few choice obscenities under his breath. Groping for a clean rag, he hastily wrapped it tightly around his face so it covered his nose and mouth. One inhale of those noxious fumes was enough for him, thank you very much.
Glaring at the seemingly innocent bottle, Inuyasha noticed something he hadn’t realized before—there were directions on the back. Whoops. He couldn’t read the fine print, and he probably wouldn’t understand it if he could, but he could understand the pictures. The first one was a hand holding the bottle, with little lines signifying motion. Deducing that the instructions wanted him to shake it, he did so. The second picture showed a hand holding the bottle with one finger poised on the top tab, the nozzle pointing away from the person’s imaginary body. Whoops number two. Mimicking the illustrated method, he sprayed down one section of the wood of the chest, careful to avoid the metal bracing. Satisfied, he took a look at step three, which was actually two pictures side by side. The first was a hand spraying the bottle into a rag, and the second was spraying it onto some kind of wood surface. That picture had a sharp red line through it.
“Dammit all to hell!” he swore aloud, hastily wiping the polish off the surface he had sprayed it onto. Shit, if I ruin this chest, Kagome’s grandfather really is going to murder me. He peered at the wood and felt cautious relief; there didn’t appear to be any permanent damage. But there would be no more screw-ups! The final picture showed someone wiping the wood surface with a rag. So basically, you sprayed the polish into the rag and wiped down the surface until it was clean. Simple enough. He wondered why he hadn’t just read the directions in the first place. Now that he knew what to do, he could finally get to work.
Gradually he wiped down the entire wood surface of the chest, painstakingly removing every bit of dust. His nose burned and his eyes watered, but his makeshift mask protected him from the worst of the fumes. When he was done, he sat back to look at his handiwork and frowned. It didn’t look very clean. A closer inspection revealed the reason; under the dust had been a layer of grime which his efforts had not removed. Snarling, Inuyasha contemplated simply smashing the chest to pieces and trying to find Kagome’s grandfather another one. But the odds of locating one which looked exactly like this were slim, and besides, that would be admitting defeat. And he would not be defeated by an inanimate object! This chest was getting cleaned whether it liked it or not!
Thus, the chore became a challenge, and the belligerent hanyou never backed down from a challenge. Observable results eluded him for awhile, but finally the chest’s original, unblemished wood began to show through on the small patch he was working on. It took the better part of two hours to finish the rest of the wood, including the underside and inside, but when it was done Inuyasha had to smirk at his handiwork. His throat was sore, he was breathing hard, and his arms were weary, but this thing looked like it had just been built. Well, almost; he hadn’t touched the dirty, dull metal yet. That didn’t take nearly as long because the surface area was smaller, but he gave it the same meticulous and caring attention he had given the wood. And when he was completely finished, he had successfully impressed himself. If he didn’t know better, he would swear the chest had been recently built in the feudal era and had traveled through the well five hundred years. It looked that good. Yawning widely, Inuyasha flopped onto his back and dozed off in the shade of Goshinboku. He was about ten minutes into his well-deserved rest when he was roused by the voice of Kagome’s grandfather.
“Sleeping on the job, boy? Are you finished yet…” he trailed off, eyes bugging out as they finally landed on the chest. His jaw worked soundlessly for a few moments, his expression resembling that of a fish gasping for breath out of water. Inuyasha was starting to get a little nervous when the old man finally came back to himself and literally ran the remaining distance to the chest and began to fuss over it excitedly.
“Oh, merciful Kami, I have never seen this chest look so beautiful! Look at how it glows! Nobody will believe me when I tell them how old it is! Oh, I can even see my great-grandfather’s Kanji carved into the side…” That fact seemed to have special meaning for the old man, and he spent several moments running his fingers along the etchings. Inuyasha was glad; those things had been a bitch to clean. Finally, Kagome’s grandfather spoke again, his voice soft and slightly awestruck.
“How…how did you do it, young man? I always wanted to take this chest to a professional restorer, but never had the money. How did you return it to its former glory?”
Inuyasha shrugged anxiously, not really having an answer. He had just done what he was told. Kagome’s grandfather looked like he was about to say more, but any further comment was forestalled by Mrs. Higurashi, who had come outside to see what the commotion was all about.
“Oh, that looks great! Now maybe you can sell it and use the money to renovate the storage shed.”
And just like that, the old man was back to normal. “S-sell it?!” he repeated incredulously. “Now, see here! This is a priceless family heirloom, and I will not give it to someone who will not appreciate it!”
Shaking her head, Mrs. Higurashi went back inside, followed by her father, who was still in the midst of his mini-tirade.
“As a matter of fact, that young man cleaned it up so well, I’m going to have him move it into my study. I’m going to ask him to make everything in the storeroom look this good!”
Inuyasha hung his head, wondering just what he had gotten himself into. Kill me. Kill me now. At least the old man wasn’t calling him ‘boy’ anymore. That was worth it, right?
Right?
He was still pondering that question fifteen minutes later when Kagome’s grandfather reemerged from the house. But instead of dragging him back into the storage shed, the old man simply seated himself on the bench by Goshinboku. He sighed pleasantly as he gazed out at the sky, watching as birds flitted across the blue.
“I think we should all take moments like this sometimes, just to appreciate the world around us. Don’t you agree, young man?”
Inuyasha nodded, but the old man couldn’t see him. He had never really stopped to observe nature until recently. It had just been there, something that both gave him life and tried to kill him with the same mysterious hands. But then Kagome had forced him to look at the stars all those nights ago, and told him that in her time it was difficult to see them from the city. Ever since, he had developed a deeper appreciation for the world. It truly was a beautiful place.
“Kagome should be getting out of school soon. Perhaps she will sit with me a moment when she returns,” the old man said conversationally. Inuyasha’s ears perked up; he wanted to meet her at school and walk her home. But first, he had to clear it with his temporary taskmaster.
“Uh, do you need anything else?” he asked, standing. Kagome’s grandfather glanced at him, his blissful smile only fading slightly as he answered.
“No, I think we’ve done enough work for the day. You’re free to go.”
That was all Inuyasha needed to hear; within five seconds he was up in Kagome’s room, changing into his modern clothes. The old man watched him leap from the window and vault down the shrine steps before vanishing from view. His previous contentment quickly vanished as his thoughts turned toward his granddaughter and the man she had chosen. Rising to his feet, he went inside, brooding.
Decision made, Kagome set to figuring out what she would tell her modern friends. It was late morning by the time she realized she had been spacing out for the entire class. The teacher helped by calling on Hisaki, the boy who sat in the next row over, the sound of his name’s first syllable instantly jolting her from her thoughts with an elevated heartbeat that spoke of a prayer not to be called on. She vowed to pay attention from then on, and it paid off; ten minutes later, the teacher called on her, and she was able to give a halfway coherent answer. But her mind kept wandering off, and she eventually found herself gazing out the window, wondering why she was here. A few weeks ago, her life had been so simple. She and Inuyasha would restore the Shikon no Tama, and then they would live together in the feudal era, occasionally visiting her family in the modern era if the well allowed it. But a massive wrench had been thrown into those plans, and now she was back at school, trying to make it through the day. It was so depressing, the thought that the only way she would use what she was learning was if things didn’t work out with Inuyasha and she stayed here in the present. Otherwise, her modern education was almost entirely useless. Being here felt like planning for a catastrophic failure.
But there was more to it than that; her family’s honor was at stake. That thought finally gave her the resolve to sit up straight in her seat and focus. And so that was how she spent the remainder of the morning, taking notes while simultaneously trying to decipher the incomprehensible mess her modern coursework had become. She wondered how she had once been an ‘A’ student. Distractions from the past had everything to do with it, she was sure. She may have been ditzy and naïve in the beginning, but she wasn’t stupid. She wouldn’t have survived those first few weeks if she was. It was funny how things had changed in a little under two years; the past now seemed like her home and school like a distraction from the future. Her seventeenth birthday was coming up relatively soon, she realized. Has it really been that long since I first found Inuyasha pinned to Goshinboku?
The lunch bell shattered her daydreams, and she cursed herself for drifting off again. Thinking of her hanyou had always been a sure way to miss material at school, even in the dark times. That would probably never change; Inuyasha had a way of taking over her consciousness when she thought about him. Part of the problem was that she loved doing it, wondering what he was doing, whether he missed her. How could school or anything else for that matter hope to compete? No one else on the planet had the power to make her so feel so amazingly happy, or so utterly devastated. Her relationship with Inuyasha had always gravitated toward one of those two extremes at any given moment, but now it lurked in the gray haze between them. She honestly didn’t know what to feel right now.
“You seem bummed, Kagome,” came Yuka’s voice, drawing her from her musings. “What’s up?”
Kagome glanced at her three school friends. Oh, they were trying to be coy about it, but they were dying to know what was bothering her. She sighed, not because they sought the truth, but because she couldn’t relate it to them. That didn’t mean she had to lie; she just had to omit certain details.
“My relationship with Inuyasha is kind of…tense, right now.”
“Oh, did he do something?”
“He didn’t cheat on you, did he?”
“Did you catch him with his ex?”
“No, no,” Kagome hastily brushed them off, “nothing like that.” So much for not lying, she reflected. Inuyasha really had gone back to his ‘ex,’ but only once, and there had been extenuating circumstances. And besides, she had forgiven him for that transgression, hadn’t she? Regardless, she certainly couldn’t tell her friends that Inuyasha had been with Kikyou, because they would jump to all the wrong conclusions and string him up by his forelocks the next time they saw him.
“We’re just working through some issues right now. Typical new relationship stuff.” There’s nothing ‘typical’ about this, said the annoying voice of her conscience, but she shut it up. Her little white lies were all for the greater good, namely hers and Inuyasha’s. Her friends didn’t look entirely convinced, but they seemed to sense that she didn’t want to talk about it, and apparently they were in a mood to respect that today. They had been much more considerate of her desires since meeting Inuyasha, even going so far as to make up an excuse for Hojo that one time. She was grateful for the change; it kept their friendship from falling apart even as she slowly drifted away from them. The trio invited her to join them for lunch outside, and she agreed, promising to meet them after going to the bathroom. Leaning over, she reached into her bag for her lunch and stood to leave. Something caught the corner of her eye as she walked past her desk, and turning back she saw what it was. Four deep, clean marks in the top of the desk, near the right-hand edge. And since she was positive they weren’t there when she sat down this morning, there was only one thing that could have made them. Gulping anxiously, she placed her right hand on the desk, slipping the claws on her four fingers into the marks. A perfect match.
Her eyes widened. When did I… It must have been while talking to her friends, she decided. The stress of the conversation had gotten to her, causing her hand to flex into a fist without her knowledge, driving her claws into the desk. That was the most logical explanation. But it wasn’t like the conversation was that stressful, so why else would I have done it? Her stomach growled hungrily and she shrugged, deciding that lunch was more pressing. She wasn’t worried about getting in trouble; no one would suspect that she had defaced school property like that. As for why she had subconsciously clawed her way into her desk, she was fairly certain it was nothing to be concerned about.
“Is something funny, Higurashi?” her professor asked.
“Um,” she stalled, trying to think of an answer that wouldn’t land her cleanup duty after school. Suddenly the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and all of her classmates began to pack up their things. Her teacher frowned at her for another second before following suit. Phew, Kagome thought as she slumped in her chair. That was a close one. I officially have the attention span of a five-year-old. But there was nothing for it except to come back tomorrow and try to do better. She sighed blissfully as she emerged out into the warm sunshine, loving the fresh air which hadn’t been cycled through the lungs of all her classmates, despite the unpleasant hint of pollution. So leaping over the rooftops wasn’t such a good idea, but she still felt a little stir crazy. Maybe she could get Inuyasha to come with her to the feudal era so she could get some exercise. She wanted to see how the newlyweds were doing anyway, and girl talk with Sango promised to be a little juicier because of last night. Hmmm, I wonder what I can get Sango to tell me.
Suddenly there was Inuyasha, dressed in blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt, his silver hair tied in a ponytail and his ears covered by a ball cap. He wasn’t attracting a crowd like the last time he had met her here, but he was drawing a few interested looks. Kagome had to tell herself not to be jealous; Inuyasha had caused her much insecurity about Kikyou, but he would never run off with someone from her time. She strode purposefully toward him, knowing that he disliked the attention he received almost as much as she did. He caught her scent and looked up startled when she was a few feet away, as if he’d been deep in thought.
“What are you doing here?” she asked before she could stop herself. Baka! Great job, Kagome. Way to make it sound like you don’t want him here.
“Uh, I came to walk you home. Did you…not want me to?” he replied, his hurt concealed but obvious to her eyes.
“No, no! I was just surprised to see you,” she assured him. He looked dubious, and she was about to say more when she caught the anxious and appreciative scent of an approaching girl. Ugh, probably wants to give him her number. Nope! I am not washing any more phone numbers off his hand!
“Come on,” she told him, grabbing his hand and dragging him off. Her pace slowed when they were a fair distance from the school, and she moved to release him, but he tightened his grip, signaling that he wanted to keep the contact. Her lips curled into a small smile. That sounded nice. They walked down the street together holding hands, their eyes resting anywhere but each other and light blushes staining their cheeks. It was almost like walking together as boyfriend and girlfriend for the first time. But it was a nice change, even though it was somewhat uncomfortable.
“Hey, Inuyasha?” Kagome said after awhile.
“Yeah?”
“Would you go through the well with me when we get back? I want to visit Miroku-sama and Sango-chan.”
“I already told ya, whenever you want.”
“Thanks,” she replied with a gentle squeeze of her hand. She was pleased when he returned the gesture. They stayed like that until they reached the shrine steps, then Kagome went into her room to change and Inuyasha went into the bathroom so he wouldn’t have to face the awkwardness of changing with her. He took his time, even going so far as to wash his hands with that modern ‘hand soap’ stuff, to make sure he didn’t walk in on her. Only when he heard her footsteps on the stairs did he go into her room and don his fire-rat garb.
When he came downstairs, Kagome was waiting for him and smiling brightly, obviously happy to be going back. After a short goodbye to her mother, they were off. Kagome breathed deeply of the clean air on the other side of the well. Then she was gone, leaving Inuyasha and a cloud of dust in her wake. What the hell? He hurried to catch up with her, his first thought being that something was wrong. But she wasn’t sprinting all out, nor did she seem to be trying to get away from him. Perplexed, he pulled alongside her.
“What are you doing, Kagome?”
“Running.”
“I can see that,” he replied with an ‘I’m not stupid’ tone. “Why are you running?”
She shrugged. “I felt like it. It was really hard to sit still at school today. I wanted some exercise.”
Inuyasha nodded, understanding what she meant. He always found it difficult to stay in one place for an extended period of time. He could do it, but a little physical activity usually helped take the edge off, even if it was just a couple laps around the village. He had circled the settlement hundreds of times over the past two years, always keeping to the forest and taking a different path each time to keep it interesting. It was something about being a hanyou, not having one’s youkai blood entirely under control. He was sure his brother could sit unmoving in one spot for days on end if he so desired, something that would surely drive him insane. So he knew where Kagome was coming from, and a nice run sounded like a great idea, come to think of it.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked. She smirked at him.
“Only if you can keep up!” she cried, shifting into another gear and pulling ahead. Relishing the challenge, he sped up as well. Kagome still wasn’t nearly as proficient at running through the forest as he was, but she was getting the hang of it. He actually got a good workout by the time they were finished, though he wasn’t drenched in sweat like she was. He didn’t smell like flowers either.
“Whew!” she heaved. “That was a blast! We should do that again sometime,” she said, seemingly unsure of herself as she eyed him nervously.
“Tomorrow?” he inquired.
She grinned. “I’d like that.”
Inuyasha nodded in agreement. Secretly, they were both glad to have something they could do together, even if it was just running. They both hoped this would be the first step toward becoming a real couple again, like their friends were now. Tired and sated, they made their way to the newlywed’s hut and found Miroku meditating outside.
“Hi, Miroku-sama.”
“Oh, hello, Kagome-sama. Sango just went down to the river to wash up. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind company.”
Kagome raised an eyebrow at him, finding it hard to believe that the hentai houshi had let his new wife go bathe alone. Apparently Inuyasha’s thoughts mirrored her own.
“You let her go by herself? What, did gettin’ married take all the pervert outta ya?”
But Miroku just smiled in that slightly lecherous way of his, indicating that he knew something they didn’t. “Perhaps it did,” he replied coolly.
“Fat chance,” Inuyasha muttered, turning and heading for the river, a very different part of the river from where he knew Sango would be. Kagome followed until their paths split, she moving to join the slayer, a dozen questions on her mind. She found Sango dressed in a bathing yukata, just finishing scrubbing her clothes.
“Oh, Kagome-chan! I didn’t expect to see you today. Why are you all sweaty?”
“Inuyasha and I went for a run.”
Sango’s face darkened just for a moment at the mention of the hanyou’s name, but her anger was gone as quickly as it had come. “Well, you look like you could use a bath. Care to join me?”
Nodding, Kagome quickly undressed, sighing as she settled into the cool water. She would have to take a quick shower when she got home to shampoo her hair, but it was nice to rinse the sweat off. Grabbing her clothes, she dragged them into the water and washed them before tossing them on the bank to dry. The sun was setting beneath the trees, but enough light snuck through to at least dry them a little bit. It wasn’t like she really had to worry about catching a cold, unless her human time decided to pop up. By this time Sango had finished washing and was just lounging against the bank, submerged up to her shoulders, grinning wistfully up at the canopy.
“What are you thinking about, Sango-chan?” Kagome asked, already having a pretty good idea what the answer was. Sango started, blushing lightly as she turned her attention to her friend.
“Oh, just…about last night.”
“Good?”
“Mmmm,” Sango sighed, sinking back into the water, her blissful smile telling Kagome everything she needed to know.
“I’m glad your wedding night was magical, Sango-chan.”
“Thanks. And this morning wasn’t bad either.” Sango gasped, sitting up stiff as a board, covering her mouth with her hands. Her skin reddened in a full-body flush, her wide eyes saying it all. I can’t believe I just said that!
Kagome briefly questioned her hearing, but she was not surprised at the news. Sango was married to Miroku after all.
“Twice already, huh?” she asked with a giggle.
“Um, more like three times…or five.”
“Sango-chan! You’re married to a sex fiend!”
“Well, actually…a couple of those were my idea.”
“Oh, so you’re the sex fiend!”
“Shhh! Don’t say that out loud! Someone might hear you!”
Both girls descended into laughter at that, preventing Kagome from pointing out that Sango had not denied her ‘accusation.’ And I thought it would take a little while for Miroku’s hentai to rub off on her. Guess not. Perhaps the taijiya had always been a minx waiting to be unleashed. Either way, she was sure Miroku was not complaining, and now she knew the reason for his smug look before. They’ve been going at it like bunnies since last night. In less than twenty-four hours, they’ve done it as much if not more than Inuyasha and I have in two months! Of course, there were reasons for that, which immediately put a damper on her jovial mood. Sango noticed, and opened her mouth to say something comforting, but then shut it. An uncomfortable silence hung over the pair for a moment until the slayer rose.
“Come on, let’s go have dinner,” she said. The thought of food immediately raised Kagome’s spirits again as she put her troubles with Inuyasha to the back of her mind. She resolved to be happy for her friends, even as she envied them.
“Alright, bouzu, you might as well just spill it. I know you’re dying to tell me about last night.”
“Well, not just last night, Inuyasha. Early this morning I awoke to the most pleasant sensation of Sango’s lips and tongue on my neck.”
“Ugh, stop.”
“And then there was just before lunch down in the field, and this afternoon in the forest, and—”
“That’s enough! I don’t need to hear about every time you did it, you fucking pervert!”
“You call me a pervert, Inuyasha, but some of those were Sango’s idea.”
“Not a chance.”
“It’s true! Go ask her yourself!”
“I’d rather keep my balls, thanks,” Inuyasha quipped. “Sango still isn’t speaking to me anyway.”
“Ah, don’t worry my friend. She’s starting to come around.”
“Maybe you could talk to her for me to speed up the process.”
“I’d rather keep my balls, thanks,” Miroku parroted, chuckling at the hanyou’s glower. “Seriously though, if I get on Sango’s bad side, how will I satisfy all her needs?”
“Feh! Thanks for nothin’, pervert. Some friend you are,” Inuyasha grouched with mock irritation.
“The best kind,” Miroku replied smoothly.
“Keh.”
Neither man said any more as they waited for their women to return in amiable silence. Deep down, Inuyasha could admit that Miroku was right; he was the best kind of friend. Loyal and understanding, he provided a close companion who could always be relied upon, even though his hentai nature was sometimes off-putting. It was nice to be able to talk with another man about thing relating to sex, subjects that were taboo in normal conversation. He was glad the monk was finally experiencing the wonders of physical intimacy; he and Sango had certainly waited long enough. As for his own envy, he would embrace it and move on. It would not stop him from being happy for them, or damage their friendship. The shadowy emotion provided some comfort, after all. At this point, he would be far more worried if he felt nothing when thinking of the happy couple. Hopefully he could turn his jealousy into something positive in the coming weeks, and put his relationship with Kagome squarely on the road to recovery.
A/N – Yay, some humor to brighten your day. I feel like I haven’t written any for this story in ages. More to come soon, I hope.
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A Return to Normalcy
“Be careful with that, boy! Don’t break it like the last time!”
Inuyasha growled softly to himself. The last time was because your granddaughter decided to ‘osuwari’ me. But he wisely kept his mouth shut, resolved as he was not to mutter a single word of complaint. Kagome’s grandfather had formed a long mental list of tasks requiring a strong young back since the last time he had helped out in the storage shed. Most of it was just moving things around, some of it the same stuff he had moved the last time. And why can’t this shit just stay in one place? He quickly buried that thought. Kagome’s grandfather was talking to him without having to restrain himself from going on a tirade, and that was a definite improvement. It was the day after the wedding, and Kagome was currently at school. Inuyasha had been pleasantly surprised that morning when the old man enlisted his aid cleaning and rearranging the shed, saying something like ‘if you’re gonna be here, you might as well work.’ Inuyasha accepted immediately, and didn’t regret it so much as wish the old man would stop calling him ‘boy’ all the time. He was not a child! I will not complain. I will not complain. I will not—
“No, no, not there! Move it to the right! That’s good,” the old man declared when Inuyasha complied. The hanyou’s eyebrow twitched. The distance between the spot where he had first put the object and the spot where it now sat was approximately the width of his hand. Fucking picky son of a b—
“Alright, boy, that’s enough for now. The dust is bothering my sinuses.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Try working in here with a hanyou’s nose and then tell me it bothers you!
“Just grab that chest in the corner and bring it outside.”
Said chest was large and rectangular, about five feet by two feet by two feet. It was covered with a thick layer of dust and it had a very unpleasant odor to it. Inuyasha held his breath as he carried it outside, nearly tossing it onto the ground before thinking better of it and setting it down gently. Kagome’s grandfather went inside the house for a minute and emerged carrying a couple strange looking bottles and a handful of rags.
“This family heirloom needs a good polishing. Use this on the wood and this on the metal,” he ordered, holding up brown and gray bottles in turn. “And make sure you don’t mix the rags or use the wrong polish!” Then he turned and went back inside.
Inuyasha sighed in relief; at least now he wouldn’t have to listen to the old bat’s constant badgering. And if he took long enough maybe the geezer wouldn’t give him anything else to do. Resolved to take as long as possible, and to give this stupid chest the best shine it had ever possessed, he set to work.
Of course, the first step was figuring out how to use the polish, and that was easier said than done. Squeezing it didn’t work; the metal cylinder had no give and he had a feeling that crushing it would be a bad idea. Nor did growling at it or bashing it against the pavement in frustration have any effect. Taking a closer look at his new arch nemesis, Inuyasha examined the top of the container, the only part that wasn’t solid metal. There was a small opening pointing out of one side, and above it a part that looked like it moved inward. Shrugging his shoulders and wondering if it could really be so simple, he pushed the tab.
He woke up lying on his back a few minutes later, his head still swimming. Fortunately, the spray hadn’t been directed at his face, but he had still caught enough of a whiff to royally screw with his senses. What IS that crap? Is the old codger trying to poison me?! Regardless, this ‘pall-ish’ was something to be reckoned with. Pulling himself upright, he held his hand to his still-throbbing head and muttered a few choice obscenities under his breath. Groping for a clean rag, he hastily wrapped it tightly around his face so it covered his nose and mouth. One inhale of those noxious fumes was enough for him, thank you very much.
Glaring at the seemingly innocent bottle, Inuyasha noticed something he hadn’t realized before—there were directions on the back. Whoops. He couldn’t read the fine print, and he probably wouldn’t understand it if he could, but he could understand the pictures. The first one was a hand holding the bottle, with little lines signifying motion. Deducing that the instructions wanted him to shake it, he did so. The second picture showed a hand holding the bottle with one finger poised on the top tab, the nozzle pointing away from the person’s imaginary body. Whoops number two. Mimicking the illustrated method, he sprayed down one section of the wood of the chest, careful to avoid the metal bracing. Satisfied, he took a look at step three, which was actually two pictures side by side. The first was a hand spraying the bottle into a rag, and the second was spraying it onto some kind of wood surface. That picture had a sharp red line through it.
“Dammit all to hell!” he swore aloud, hastily wiping the polish off the surface he had sprayed it onto. Shit, if I ruin this chest, Kagome’s grandfather really is going to murder me. He peered at the wood and felt cautious relief; there didn’t appear to be any permanent damage. But there would be no more screw-ups! The final picture showed someone wiping the wood surface with a rag. So basically, you sprayed the polish into the rag and wiped down the surface until it was clean. Simple enough. He wondered why he hadn’t just read the directions in the first place. Now that he knew what to do, he could finally get to work.
Gradually he wiped down the entire wood surface of the chest, painstakingly removing every bit of dust. His nose burned and his eyes watered, but his makeshift mask protected him from the worst of the fumes. When he was done, he sat back to look at his handiwork and frowned. It didn’t look very clean. A closer inspection revealed the reason; under the dust had been a layer of grime which his efforts had not removed. Snarling, Inuyasha contemplated simply smashing the chest to pieces and trying to find Kagome’s grandfather another one. But the odds of locating one which looked exactly like this were slim, and besides, that would be admitting defeat. And he would not be defeated by an inanimate object! This chest was getting cleaned whether it liked it or not!
Thus, the chore became a challenge, and the belligerent hanyou never backed down from a challenge. Observable results eluded him for awhile, but finally the chest’s original, unblemished wood began to show through on the small patch he was working on. It took the better part of two hours to finish the rest of the wood, including the underside and inside, but when it was done Inuyasha had to smirk at his handiwork. His throat was sore, he was breathing hard, and his arms were weary, but this thing looked like it had just been built. Well, almost; he hadn’t touched the dirty, dull metal yet. That didn’t take nearly as long because the surface area was smaller, but he gave it the same meticulous and caring attention he had given the wood. And when he was completely finished, he had successfully impressed himself. If he didn’t know better, he would swear the chest had been recently built in the feudal era and had traveled through the well five hundred years. It looked that good. Yawning widely, Inuyasha flopped onto his back and dozed off in the shade of Goshinboku. He was about ten minutes into his well-deserved rest when he was roused by the voice of Kagome’s grandfather.
“Sleeping on the job, boy? Are you finished yet…” he trailed off, eyes bugging out as they finally landed on the chest. His jaw worked soundlessly for a few moments, his expression resembling that of a fish gasping for breath out of water. Inuyasha was starting to get a little nervous when the old man finally came back to himself and literally ran the remaining distance to the chest and began to fuss over it excitedly.
“Oh, merciful Kami, I have never seen this chest look so beautiful! Look at how it glows! Nobody will believe me when I tell them how old it is! Oh, I can even see my great-grandfather’s Kanji carved into the side…” That fact seemed to have special meaning for the old man, and he spent several moments running his fingers along the etchings. Inuyasha was glad; those things had been a bitch to clean. Finally, Kagome’s grandfather spoke again, his voice soft and slightly awestruck.
“How…how did you do it, young man? I always wanted to take this chest to a professional restorer, but never had the money. How did you return it to its former glory?”
Inuyasha shrugged anxiously, not really having an answer. He had just done what he was told. Kagome’s grandfather looked like he was about to say more, but any further comment was forestalled by Mrs. Higurashi, who had come outside to see what the commotion was all about.
“Oh, that looks great! Now maybe you can sell it and use the money to renovate the storage shed.”
And just like that, the old man was back to normal. “S-sell it?!” he repeated incredulously. “Now, see here! This is a priceless family heirloom, and I will not give it to someone who will not appreciate it!”
Shaking her head, Mrs. Higurashi went back inside, followed by her father, who was still in the midst of his mini-tirade.
“As a matter of fact, that young man cleaned it up so well, I’m going to have him move it into my study. I’m going to ask him to make everything in the storeroom look this good!”
Inuyasha hung his head, wondering just what he had gotten himself into. Kill me. Kill me now. At least the old man wasn’t calling him ‘boy’ anymore. That was worth it, right?
Right?
He was still pondering that question fifteen minutes later when Kagome’s grandfather reemerged from the house. But instead of dragging him back into the storage shed, the old man simply seated himself on the bench by Goshinboku. He sighed pleasantly as he gazed out at the sky, watching as birds flitted across the blue.
“I think we should all take moments like this sometimes, just to appreciate the world around us. Don’t you agree, young man?”
Inuyasha nodded, but the old man couldn’t see him. He had never really stopped to observe nature until recently. It had just been there, something that both gave him life and tried to kill him with the same mysterious hands. But then Kagome had forced him to look at the stars all those nights ago, and told him that in her time it was difficult to see them from the city. Ever since, he had developed a deeper appreciation for the world. It truly was a beautiful place.
“Kagome should be getting out of school soon. Perhaps she will sit with me a moment when she returns,” the old man said conversationally. Inuyasha’s ears perked up; he wanted to meet her at school and walk her home. But first, he had to clear it with his temporary taskmaster.
“Uh, do you need anything else?” he asked, standing. Kagome’s grandfather glanced at him, his blissful smile only fading slightly as he answered.
“No, I think we’ve done enough work for the day. You’re free to go.”
That was all Inuyasha needed to hear; within five seconds he was up in Kagome’s room, changing into his modern clothes. The old man watched him leap from the window and vault down the shrine steps before vanishing from view. His previous contentment quickly vanished as his thoughts turned toward his granddaughter and the man she had chosen. Rising to his feet, he went inside, brooding.
* * *
Kagome knew the second she stepped inside the classroom that it was going to be a long day. Her friends were waiting for her, and welcomed her with a warm greeting that she tried and failed to return convincingly. Now, her friends knew a lot less about her than they thought they did, but they were usually pretty observant when it came to her mood. And they could instantly tell that something was bothering her. Well, her relationship issues with Inuyasha weren’t so much bothering her as they were constantly weighing her down, dampening her spirits. Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi couldn’t fail to notice. Fortunately for Kagome, their teacher entered soon after she did, saving her from having to dodge their questions. But she knew it was only a temporary reprieve; the girls would surely be on her case at lunch time. She kind of wished she could really talk to them, tell them everything. This wasn’t like the previous times, where she had been sad because she thought her feelings for Inuyasha were unreturned and angry at him for choosing Kikyou over her, or for just generally being a jackass. This time the situation was really serious; it was much less worrisome to not have a romantic relationship in the first place than it was to have one that was broken. But no matter how much she wanted to confide in her friends, she knew it wasn’t an option. They were better off not knowing, even if they would believe her. And she did have people she could talk to if she needed to, namely Sango and her mother. They were the people she felt closest to, and they had her complete trust. Decision made, Kagome set to figuring out what she would tell her modern friends. It was late morning by the time she realized she had been spacing out for the entire class. The teacher helped by calling on Hisaki, the boy who sat in the next row over, the sound of his name’s first syllable instantly jolting her from her thoughts with an elevated heartbeat that spoke of a prayer not to be called on. She vowed to pay attention from then on, and it paid off; ten minutes later, the teacher called on her, and she was able to give a halfway coherent answer. But her mind kept wandering off, and she eventually found herself gazing out the window, wondering why she was here. A few weeks ago, her life had been so simple. She and Inuyasha would restore the Shikon no Tama, and then they would live together in the feudal era, occasionally visiting her family in the modern era if the well allowed it. But a massive wrench had been thrown into those plans, and now she was back at school, trying to make it through the day. It was so depressing, the thought that the only way she would use what she was learning was if things didn’t work out with Inuyasha and she stayed here in the present. Otherwise, her modern education was almost entirely useless. Being here felt like planning for a catastrophic failure.
But there was more to it than that; her family’s honor was at stake. That thought finally gave her the resolve to sit up straight in her seat and focus. And so that was how she spent the remainder of the morning, taking notes while simultaneously trying to decipher the incomprehensible mess her modern coursework had become. She wondered how she had once been an ‘A’ student. Distractions from the past had everything to do with it, she was sure. She may have been ditzy and naïve in the beginning, but she wasn’t stupid. She wouldn’t have survived those first few weeks if she was. It was funny how things had changed in a little under two years; the past now seemed like her home and school like a distraction from the future. Her seventeenth birthday was coming up relatively soon, she realized. Has it really been that long since I first found Inuyasha pinned to Goshinboku?
The lunch bell shattered her daydreams, and she cursed herself for drifting off again. Thinking of her hanyou had always been a sure way to miss material at school, even in the dark times. That would probably never change; Inuyasha had a way of taking over her consciousness when she thought about him. Part of the problem was that she loved doing it, wondering what he was doing, whether he missed her. How could school or anything else for that matter hope to compete? No one else on the planet had the power to make her so feel so amazingly happy, or so utterly devastated. Her relationship with Inuyasha had always gravitated toward one of those two extremes at any given moment, but now it lurked in the gray haze between them. She honestly didn’t know what to feel right now.
“You seem bummed, Kagome,” came Yuka’s voice, drawing her from her musings. “What’s up?”
Kagome glanced at her three school friends. Oh, they were trying to be coy about it, but they were dying to know what was bothering her. She sighed, not because they sought the truth, but because she couldn’t relate it to them. That didn’t mean she had to lie; she just had to omit certain details.
“My relationship with Inuyasha is kind of…tense, right now.”
“Oh, did he do something?”
“He didn’t cheat on you, did he?”
“Did you catch him with his ex?”
“No, no,” Kagome hastily brushed them off, “nothing like that.” So much for not lying, she reflected. Inuyasha really had gone back to his ‘ex,’ but only once, and there had been extenuating circumstances. And besides, she had forgiven him for that transgression, hadn’t she? Regardless, she certainly couldn’t tell her friends that Inuyasha had been with Kikyou, because they would jump to all the wrong conclusions and string him up by his forelocks the next time they saw him.
“We’re just working through some issues right now. Typical new relationship stuff.” There’s nothing ‘typical’ about this, said the annoying voice of her conscience, but she shut it up. Her little white lies were all for the greater good, namely hers and Inuyasha’s. Her friends didn’t look entirely convinced, but they seemed to sense that she didn’t want to talk about it, and apparently they were in a mood to respect that today. They had been much more considerate of her desires since meeting Inuyasha, even going so far as to make up an excuse for Hojo that one time. She was grateful for the change; it kept their friendship from falling apart even as she slowly drifted away from them. The trio invited her to join them for lunch outside, and she agreed, promising to meet them after going to the bathroom. Leaning over, she reached into her bag for her lunch and stood to leave. Something caught the corner of her eye as she walked past her desk, and turning back she saw what it was. Four deep, clean marks in the top of the desk, near the right-hand edge. And since she was positive they weren’t there when she sat down this morning, there was only one thing that could have made them. Gulping anxiously, she placed her right hand on the desk, slipping the claws on her four fingers into the marks. A perfect match.
Her eyes widened. When did I… It must have been while talking to her friends, she decided. The stress of the conversation had gotten to her, causing her hand to flex into a fist without her knowledge, driving her claws into the desk. That was the most logical explanation. But it wasn’t like the conversation was that stressful, so why else would I have done it? Her stomach growled hungrily and she shrugged, deciding that lunch was more pressing. She wasn’t worried about getting in trouble; no one would suspect that she had defaced school property like that. As for why she had subconsciously clawed her way into her desk, she was fairly certain it was nothing to be concerned about.
* * *
Lunch was pleasant enough, and Kagome had an easier time paying attention after filling her belly. Learning that her friends weren’t going to press the issue with Inuyasha helped too. And to top it off, near the end of the day she actually started to understand some of the material, in math to boot! The day was shaping up to be not so bad after all, but it was still far too long for her tastes. How did students put up with this five days a week? She had become addicted to the open road, the fresh air, the freedom to walk into the forest for some privacy whenever she wanted it. She had half a mind to leap onto the nearest rooftop after school and run all the way to the shrine, just to feel the wind in her hair. It didn’t matter that she had a skirt on; she would be moving too swiftly for anyone to catch more than a fleeting glimpse of her as she passed overhead. Inuyasha would still give me hell for it though, she thought with a snicker. Come to think of it, she didn’t feel nearly as comfortable in her short school skirt as she used to. She had grown quite used to being more covered lately. I can’t believe I used to wear this in the feudal era. Just how many people did I flash without realizing? Maybe that’s why Inuyasha was so grumpy all the time. She snickered again. “Is something funny, Higurashi?” her professor asked.
“Um,” she stalled, trying to think of an answer that wouldn’t land her cleanup duty after school. Suddenly the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and all of her classmates began to pack up their things. Her teacher frowned at her for another second before following suit. Phew, Kagome thought as she slumped in her chair. That was a close one. I officially have the attention span of a five-year-old. But there was nothing for it except to come back tomorrow and try to do better. She sighed blissfully as she emerged out into the warm sunshine, loving the fresh air which hadn’t been cycled through the lungs of all her classmates, despite the unpleasant hint of pollution. So leaping over the rooftops wasn’t such a good idea, but she still felt a little stir crazy. Maybe she could get Inuyasha to come with her to the feudal era so she could get some exercise. She wanted to see how the newlyweds were doing anyway, and girl talk with Sango promised to be a little juicier because of last night. Hmmm, I wonder what I can get Sango to tell me.
Suddenly there was Inuyasha, dressed in blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt, his silver hair tied in a ponytail and his ears covered by a ball cap. He wasn’t attracting a crowd like the last time he had met her here, but he was drawing a few interested looks. Kagome had to tell herself not to be jealous; Inuyasha had caused her much insecurity about Kikyou, but he would never run off with someone from her time. She strode purposefully toward him, knowing that he disliked the attention he received almost as much as she did. He caught her scent and looked up startled when she was a few feet away, as if he’d been deep in thought.
“What are you doing here?” she asked before she could stop herself. Baka! Great job, Kagome. Way to make it sound like you don’t want him here.
“Uh, I came to walk you home. Did you…not want me to?” he replied, his hurt concealed but obvious to her eyes.
“No, no! I was just surprised to see you,” she assured him. He looked dubious, and she was about to say more when she caught the anxious and appreciative scent of an approaching girl. Ugh, probably wants to give him her number. Nope! I am not washing any more phone numbers off his hand!
“Come on,” she told him, grabbing his hand and dragging him off. Her pace slowed when they were a fair distance from the school, and she moved to release him, but he tightened his grip, signaling that he wanted to keep the contact. Her lips curled into a small smile. That sounded nice. They walked down the street together holding hands, their eyes resting anywhere but each other and light blushes staining their cheeks. It was almost like walking together as boyfriend and girlfriend for the first time. But it was a nice change, even though it was somewhat uncomfortable.
“Hey, Inuyasha?” Kagome said after awhile.
“Yeah?”
“Would you go through the well with me when we get back? I want to visit Miroku-sama and Sango-chan.”
“I already told ya, whenever you want.”
“Thanks,” she replied with a gentle squeeze of her hand. She was pleased when he returned the gesture. They stayed like that until they reached the shrine steps, then Kagome went into her room to change and Inuyasha went into the bathroom so he wouldn’t have to face the awkwardness of changing with her. He took his time, even going so far as to wash his hands with that modern ‘hand soap’ stuff, to make sure he didn’t walk in on her. Only when he heard her footsteps on the stairs did he go into her room and don his fire-rat garb.
When he came downstairs, Kagome was waiting for him and smiling brightly, obviously happy to be going back. After a short goodbye to her mother, they were off. Kagome breathed deeply of the clean air on the other side of the well. Then she was gone, leaving Inuyasha and a cloud of dust in her wake. What the hell? He hurried to catch up with her, his first thought being that something was wrong. But she wasn’t sprinting all out, nor did she seem to be trying to get away from him. Perplexed, he pulled alongside her.
“What are you doing, Kagome?”
“Running.”
“I can see that,” he replied with an ‘I’m not stupid’ tone. “Why are you running?”
She shrugged. “I felt like it. It was really hard to sit still at school today. I wanted some exercise.”
Inuyasha nodded, understanding what she meant. He always found it difficult to stay in one place for an extended period of time. He could do it, but a little physical activity usually helped take the edge off, even if it was just a couple laps around the village. He had circled the settlement hundreds of times over the past two years, always keeping to the forest and taking a different path each time to keep it interesting. It was something about being a hanyou, not having one’s youkai blood entirely under control. He was sure his brother could sit unmoving in one spot for days on end if he so desired, something that would surely drive him insane. So he knew where Kagome was coming from, and a nice run sounded like a great idea, come to think of it.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked. She smirked at him.
“Only if you can keep up!” she cried, shifting into another gear and pulling ahead. Relishing the challenge, he sped up as well. Kagome still wasn’t nearly as proficient at running through the forest as he was, but she was getting the hang of it. He actually got a good workout by the time they were finished, though he wasn’t drenched in sweat like she was. He didn’t smell like flowers either.
“Whew!” she heaved. “That was a blast! We should do that again sometime,” she said, seemingly unsure of herself as she eyed him nervously.
“Tomorrow?” he inquired.
She grinned. “I’d like that.”
Inuyasha nodded in agreement. Secretly, they were both glad to have something they could do together, even if it was just running. They both hoped this would be the first step toward becoming a real couple again, like their friends were now. Tired and sated, they made their way to the newlywed’s hut and found Miroku meditating outside.
“Hi, Miroku-sama.”
“Oh, hello, Kagome-sama. Sango just went down to the river to wash up. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind company.”
Kagome raised an eyebrow at him, finding it hard to believe that the hentai houshi had let his new wife go bathe alone. Apparently Inuyasha’s thoughts mirrored her own.
“You let her go by herself? What, did gettin’ married take all the pervert outta ya?”
But Miroku just smiled in that slightly lecherous way of his, indicating that he knew something they didn’t. “Perhaps it did,” he replied coolly.
“Fat chance,” Inuyasha muttered, turning and heading for the river, a very different part of the river from where he knew Sango would be. Kagome followed until their paths split, she moving to join the slayer, a dozen questions on her mind. She found Sango dressed in a bathing yukata, just finishing scrubbing her clothes.
“Oh, Kagome-chan! I didn’t expect to see you today. Why are you all sweaty?”
“Inuyasha and I went for a run.”
Sango’s face darkened just for a moment at the mention of the hanyou’s name, but her anger was gone as quickly as it had come. “Well, you look like you could use a bath. Care to join me?”
Nodding, Kagome quickly undressed, sighing as she settled into the cool water. She would have to take a quick shower when she got home to shampoo her hair, but it was nice to rinse the sweat off. Grabbing her clothes, she dragged them into the water and washed them before tossing them on the bank to dry. The sun was setting beneath the trees, but enough light snuck through to at least dry them a little bit. It wasn’t like she really had to worry about catching a cold, unless her human time decided to pop up. By this time Sango had finished washing and was just lounging against the bank, submerged up to her shoulders, grinning wistfully up at the canopy.
“What are you thinking about, Sango-chan?” Kagome asked, already having a pretty good idea what the answer was. Sango started, blushing lightly as she turned her attention to her friend.
“Oh, just…about last night.”
“Good?”
“Mmmm,” Sango sighed, sinking back into the water, her blissful smile telling Kagome everything she needed to know.
“I’m glad your wedding night was magical, Sango-chan.”
“Thanks. And this morning wasn’t bad either.” Sango gasped, sitting up stiff as a board, covering her mouth with her hands. Her skin reddened in a full-body flush, her wide eyes saying it all. I can’t believe I just said that!
Kagome briefly questioned her hearing, but she was not surprised at the news. Sango was married to Miroku after all.
“Twice already, huh?” she asked with a giggle.
“Um, more like three times…or five.”
“Sango-chan! You’re married to a sex fiend!”
“Well, actually…a couple of those were my idea.”
“Oh, so you’re the sex fiend!”
“Shhh! Don’t say that out loud! Someone might hear you!”
Both girls descended into laughter at that, preventing Kagome from pointing out that Sango had not denied her ‘accusation.’ And I thought it would take a little while for Miroku’s hentai to rub off on her. Guess not. Perhaps the taijiya had always been a minx waiting to be unleashed. Either way, she was sure Miroku was not complaining, and now she knew the reason for his smug look before. They’ve been going at it like bunnies since last night. In less than twenty-four hours, they’ve done it as much if not more than Inuyasha and I have in two months! Of course, there were reasons for that, which immediately put a damper on her jovial mood. Sango noticed, and opened her mouth to say something comforting, but then shut it. An uncomfortable silence hung over the pair for a moment until the slayer rose.
“Come on, let’s go have dinner,” she said. The thought of food immediately raised Kagome’s spirits again as she put her troubles with Inuyasha to the back of her mind. She resolved to be happy for her friends, even as she envied them.
* * *
Coming back before the girls had been a mistake, Inuyasha realized. Miroku was supposedly still meditating, but he kept sending furtive glances his way. The monk seemed like he was dying to tell him something, as if there was any doubt what that could be. Dammit, I don’t want to hear about this! Where’s Shippou when you need him? But the fox kit was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Kohaku. Miroku looked like he was going to shit himself if he didn’t get his big ‘news’ out soon. Inuyasha sighed; it appeared he had no choice. Besides, he could admit that he was a little curious about how last night had gone for the monk.“Alright, bouzu, you might as well just spill it. I know you’re dying to tell me about last night.”
“Well, not just last night, Inuyasha. Early this morning I awoke to the most pleasant sensation of Sango’s lips and tongue on my neck.”
“Ugh, stop.”
“And then there was just before lunch down in the field, and this afternoon in the forest, and—”
“That’s enough! I don’t need to hear about every time you did it, you fucking pervert!”
“You call me a pervert, Inuyasha, but some of those were Sango’s idea.”
“Not a chance.”
“It’s true! Go ask her yourself!”
“I’d rather keep my balls, thanks,” Inuyasha quipped. “Sango still isn’t speaking to me anyway.”
“Ah, don’t worry my friend. She’s starting to come around.”
“Maybe you could talk to her for me to speed up the process.”
“I’d rather keep my balls, thanks,” Miroku parroted, chuckling at the hanyou’s glower. “Seriously though, if I get on Sango’s bad side, how will I satisfy all her needs?”
“Feh! Thanks for nothin’, pervert. Some friend you are,” Inuyasha grouched with mock irritation.
“The best kind,” Miroku replied smoothly.
“Keh.”
Neither man said any more as they waited for their women to return in amiable silence. Deep down, Inuyasha could admit that Miroku was right; he was the best kind of friend. Loyal and understanding, he provided a close companion who could always be relied upon, even though his hentai nature was sometimes off-putting. It was nice to be able to talk with another man about thing relating to sex, subjects that were taboo in normal conversation. He was glad the monk was finally experiencing the wonders of physical intimacy; he and Sango had certainly waited long enough. As for his own envy, he would embrace it and move on. It would not stop him from being happy for them, or damage their friendship. The shadowy emotion provided some comfort, after all. At this point, he would be far more worried if he felt nothing when thinking of the happy couple. Hopefully he could turn his jealousy into something positive in the coming weeks, and put his relationship with Kagome squarely on the road to recovery.
A/N – Yay, some humor to brighten your day. I feel like I haven’t written any for this story in ages. More to come soon, I hope.
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