InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Miroku & Kagome: Forbidden Games ❯ Diabolical Amusement Part I ( Chapter 1 )

Kagome & Miroku: Forbidden Games

- - - - -

Summary: A Collection of One-Shots revolving around the Kagome/Miroku pairing. (They are not necessarily connected unless noted)!

- - - - -

A/N: (Warnings for Possible Lemons, Definite Limes - so stay away if you have allergies. Under 17? Pretend you never saw this fic, and kindly back out. Thanks. Also, I have come to the conclusion that while Kagome is kinda' OOC, Miroku is either dead-on-balls accurate, or completely out-of-character - you decide. This is the first-half of a One-Shot I decided to post in two-parts since it ran on so long. Part two will be up soon, followed by other, separate One-Shots - Ihope! And please note, this is entirely self-beta-ed - is that a word? - so please forgive any mistakes I missed). Please, love me...:wah:

- - - - -

Diabolical Amusement - Part One

- - - - -

If there was one thing Miroku knew well about himself, it was that once he got what he wanted, he was quite easily bored with it. However, Miroku did not suspect that he would ever become bored with the Lady Kagome, and that was more than just a little alarming.

Actually, it was beyond alarming, this emotion, this feeling he was experiencing - had been experiencing, ever since he'd met up with the bizarre, shard-obssessed hanyou and his fascinating, half-dressed female ally. He'd been having wicked thoughts about her, and had, in his mind, had his use of her in at least a hundred different ways, for days now.

It was...frustrating. No, no, there wasn't a word to describe the violence of the emotion he felt. Here she was, the perfect female to bear his much-needed son, and he couldn't get within an arm's reach of her without a certain hanyou threatening to cut his fingers - and other important parts, those more imperative for procreation - off. He'd been waiting forever, it seemed. With InuYasha, and the cute-but-annoying little fox kit around, he hadn't felt free to declare his 'feelings' to Kagome - and no, the groping most definitely did not count, although one touch of the miko's delectable, delightfully-youthfully-resilient flesh had caused him to suffer through a number of wonderfully realistic dreams, and had him waking more often than not to an almost painful morning -

“- wood,” said InuYasha bluntly.

“Huh?” Miroku snapped out of his erotic reverie, his ardor deflating as swiftly as it had arisen thanks to the gruff male voice directed his way.

“I said, 'it's too early to start collecting firewood'.” InuYasha looked at him with blatant mistrust. “The stupid wench over there wants to stop, an' it's not even sunset!”

“Actually, the sun will be setting soon, but I didn't say I wanted to stop, InuYasha! Baka! I only said there was some nice, dry wood along this path, and maybe we should take some with us in case there isn't any where we DO stop for the night!” Kagome sent a dirty look the dog demon's way as she glared back over her shoulder at him. Huffing, she gave the riding machine she was pushing an un-necessarily hard shove as she manuevered it over the rough, root-laden forest path they were currently travelling.

“I didn't say you had to carry it, either! I could just tie it to the back of my bike!”

“Keh! Whatever!” The hanyou's voice dripped with impatience and contempt. “We're in a freakin' 'forest', Kagome! There's-wood-every-where!”

Miroku sweat-dropped a little. Did they really have to keep saying 'that' word?

“Anyway, I dunno' why you don't just let me carry your 'bi-cycle' thingee - you know I'll just end up with it anyway when you get tired, an' besides, you're just slowing us down. We could have gone twice as far today if you hadn't insisted on keeping that useless piece of - “

“Inu-Yash-a! Osuwari!”

Grateful for a quiet moment while the dog was digging - and how appropriate - himself out of the soft forest floor, Miroku took the opportunity to catch up with Kagome and attatch himself to her side.

“Um, sorry, Miroku,” Kagome said with a rueful, tinkling little laugh, “I bet you're getting really tired of listening to me and InuYasha argue, huh? It makes for a really looong trip,” she sighed.

Miroku almost sighed right along with her, but she wasn't the one he was tired of being around. Instead he smiled gently and said, “Actually, it makes the days of weary travelling - interesting.”

Kagome laughed again, the pleasant sound running down his spine, and setting his skin to tingling. When Miroku looked at her smugly from the corner of his eye, he saw the way her pert young breasts bounced slightly under her white clothing. The small slants of golden, late-afternoon sunlight that the thick foliage of the forest allowed through, highlighted them perfectly, showing a hint of something else beneath that was white, and lace-edged, and that hugged her skin like a glove.

Miroku caught his breath, and had to force himself to look away before she caught him staring. It was 'that thing' that had been driving him mad ever since he'd first encountered her. When he'd first battled InuYasha, and caught her, and been temporarily knocked unconscious, it had been that curious, sinful-looking garment under her unusually thin clothing that he had first looked at when he'd woken up.

Well, that, he amended to himself, and the other odd, but indescribably sexy bit of nothing that he'd felt encasing her rear under the short skirt she wore when he'd first groped her.

“Miroku-sama?”

Miroku swallowed to clear his throat of the saliva pooling into his mouth at the memory of that not-so-long-ago day, and forced a smile to his lips once again.

“Are you alright?” Kagome asked worriedly.

Miroku briefly closed his eyes to savor the moment. Ah, but her concern for him was such a sweet thing...

“I apologize. I was just thinking - are you certain you wish for me to travel along with you, Kagome-sama? Your...guardian appears to be none too pleased with this arrangement - and besides, there are many things you still do not know about me.”

“Oh, I don't know about that, Miroku - I mean, for instance, I know that you want to keep your hand attatched to your wrist, right?” Kagome said far too sweetly.

Miroku sighed sadly, the sound long and heartfelt. His straying hand twitched where it strongly grasped her behind. “I suppose you are right.”

“Then please get it back where it belongs - and whatever it is that you're thinking about, stop it right now!”

Miroku badly wished to argue that his hand most definitely felt like it was right where it belonged, but he didn't think she would agree. He lifted both hands into the air in a gesture of innocence. “It slipped! Kagome-sama, please, do not think so lowly of me. I am a monk, after all. I was just wondering, yet again, why a miko such as yourself is companion to such an unpleasant demon?” Miroku shook his head as if at the greatest shame.

“Oi, monk, I heard that!”

Kagome ignored him. “A half-demon,” she corrected absently as she moved a branch out of her face.

Miroku hummed thoughtfully. “As you say. But, who would ever have thought such a thing possible? Clearly it is divine intervention that brought us together. Perhaps I am here to act as your protector, Kagome-sama.”

“Keh! Yeah, sure, an' who's gonna' protect her from 'you'?” InuYasha snorted as he suddenly jumped between them and forced Miroku to step back. “In case you failed to notice, monk, I was here first. If you're her protector, then what am I doin' here?”

Miroku rested a thoughtful hand on his chin as he pretended to think. “Hm, let's see...well, all gentle, innocent young women enjoy soft and fluffy things - you have only to look to Kagome's adoption of Shippou for proof of that. Obviously, with your appearance, InuYasha, it is only natural that Kagome-sama has taken a liking to you.” He closed his eyes with a regretful sigh.

“I must admit, though, I am somewhat jealous of your relationship; but since I would compare your kinship to that of a loving owner and her - er, somewhat distempered pet, I remain confident in Kagome-sama's faithfuness to me, and unoffended by your closeness to eachother.” Miroku kept his face blank of expression, but his jewel-bright eyes were openly smirking when he opened them to glance side-long at the dog demon.

That had InuYasha turning red and sputtering incoherently - which pleased Miroku to no end, for that was the exact reaction he had been driving towards.

“PET?”

“InuYasha,” Kagome called threateningly.

“A-and how dare you talk about Kagome as if she belongs to you - she's mine!”InuYasha blurted, and then hastily back-tracked, ears lowering to hide amongst the silver fluff atop his head. His wide eyes flashed like gilt as they darted nervously to Kagome, whose step faltered a little as she continued to walk in front of them. “I-I mean, that is...she's mine to - to protect! Yeah, she's my Jewel-Detector, so I'm the one who'll protect her, got that!”

Kagome's back went stiff suddenly, and she turned on them, flashing such a striking scowl that it made the tiny hairs on the sensitive nape of Miroku's neck stand on-end. Unlike many women, she was quite lovely when she was angry...

“InuYasha! I swear, if you call me 'that' one more time - !”

InuYasha cringed slightly, but stood his ground. Miroku had to give him credit for that, at least.

“I'm tellin' ya', this guy can't be trusted, Kagome!” The crimson-clad hanyou pointed a clawed finger accusingly. “You heard him! Talking about you as if he owns you - “

“He's doing it to get a rise out of you, InuYasha!” Kagome snapped, blowing out an exasperated breath. “He's baiting you beacause he knows how you'll react, okay? He does it beacause he knows you're going to get all defensive and uptight, and...well,” her pink lips quirked upwards, “it is kinda' funny -”

“K-Kagome!” InuYasha's jaw dropped as he stared at her with a vaguely betrayed expression.

“Sorry, InuYasha...just ignore him, okay?” the girl said airily as she turned to face forward again, leaving InuYasha spluttering in outrage. “Can we just move on already?”

“Certainly, Kagome-sama.” Miroku stepped forward as if to follow, careful to keep a devout look on his face while inside he was chuckling with nothing less than sheer merriment. He'd just lifted his staff to his shoulder when an incensed InuYasha appeared in front of him again, impeding his movement.

“Wait, I'm not done with you, yet, monk! You can't stake a claim on Kagome like that and just walk away!”

“Hmm...then you wish to challenge me for her?” Miroku barely stifled a snort of amusement when the hanyou once again demonstrated his hunted, panicked expression.

“Don't you guys dare start fighting back there!” Kagome shouted in warning from a good distance ahead of them.

InuYasha growled low in frustration. It was clear he wished nothing more than to draw his monstrosity of a sword and send Miroku straight to Hell, but his 'fear' of the miko's power over him was staying his hand - just barely.

“Just do yourself a favor and stay away from her, understand?” InuYasha muttered threateningly. “Or better yet, why don't you just leave? You got nothin' to gain from traveling with us.”

Miroku lifted one brow. Oh, and didn't he?

“Wasn't it her desire that I remain with you?” Miroku's eyebrow climbed higher on his forehead as his intentional emphaisis on the word 'desire' verbally cuffed the hanyou. “I will leave only if, and when Kagome-sama wishes it. Until then, I will remain to watch over her.”

“Keh, bastard! You just want the jewel shards!”

“Not entirely so - there are many things I want, but then I'm sure you are conscious of this,” Miroku said suggestively.

“Why, you sick son-of-a-”

“I want Naraku's head, for one,”, Miroku interrupted smoothly. “With our powers combined, I am sure that if nothing else, we can keep Kagome-sama safe, and that loathesome, wretched beast Naraku from re-creating the Shikon jewel.”

“'Safe'? You can't keep her safe, not with that stinkin' hole in your right hand threatening to suck everyone and everything up at any given time! I'm the one who she feels safest with, just ask her!”

“Well, let's just ask her, then - Kagome-sama?” Miroku called.

“Oh, don't even involve me in this,” they heard Kagome groan faintly as she paused on the trail ahead, massaging her temples.

Miroku felt his lips twitch as he stepped neatly around the hanyou and caught up to the fed-up miko. “Pray, just humor me. Which of us do you feel safer with?”

“Hmph. Between the two of you? Hmm...” Kagome made a show of tapping her finger thoughtfully against her chin.

“Well?” InuYasha snarled impatiently as he roughly shouldered past Miroku.

Kagome's eyes narrowed a little as she regarded the two of them. “Let's just say...I think 'safe' is better off being just a state-of-mind where the two of you are concerned.”

Shippou snickered from within the depths of her backpack. The cute, unexpected little noise made Kagome lose her stern face, and abruptly giggle.

Miroku sighed again. Apparently the little kit who also seemed to have a claim on Kagome, was now wide awake. Ah, how bothersome...

InuYasha was blinking, beginning to realize he had just been not-so subtly insulted.

“Oi, what's that supposed to mean!”

“It means I'm tired and starving!” Kagome announced, punching a fist cheerily into the air. “I vote we set up camp!”

Shippou appeared, hopping from the pack to sit on the padded seat of the garish pink bi-cycle that Kagome pushed. “Yeah, me too! I'm tired and starving, too!”

InuYasha and Miroku looked from the comfy nest the kit had made on a towel in the top of the backpack - and had remained in all-day-long - to the trail of sticky candy boxes, the wrappers littering it, and Shippou's stained clothing, and for once shared a look of commiseration and complete understanding.

- - - - -

“Come on, runt, let's go fishing.”

“Wha-at? InuYasha, you're gonna' leave Kagome alone with 'the pervert'!”

Miroku sent the kit a dark look from beneath his lashes that sent him scrambling for the dubious cover of Kagome's hair. The kit peeked out at him with wide green eyes as he snuggled against the nape of her neck - the area considered to be a woman's most erotic visible place - and Miroku felt so resentful toward the child in that moment...

“Keh, she'll be fine - she 'trusts' him, remember?” InuYasha sneered, mocking Kagome's voice.

“But - “

InuYasha raised a threatening fist. “I swear m'gonna' thump you! You're askin' for it! Move it, brat - don't think you're gonna' laze around camp while I do all the work!”

“But - but - waaah! Kagome!” Shippou tweaked Kagome's hair in protest, and she lifted him down.

“Please help InuYasha, Shippou,” she surprised them all by saying sternly. “Besides, the more you do, the faster we'll all be able to eat, okay?”

After much pouting, Shippou reluctantly left, trailing after InuYasha down to the banks of the river.

Shaking her head as she heard Shippou and InuYasha almost immediately start arguing, Kagome set about setting up camp for the night. Miroku had made himself useful collecting dry branches for firewood, and she helped him start the fire before retrieving her backpack and pulling open the draw-string to reach inside and search for her small kettle to collect water for boiling.

“Ow!”

“Kagome?”

Kagome winced as she pulled her hand out of her bag. A long, deep slice marked her right palm, and she gasped when she saw it, afraid she'd need stitches.

“Ugh, I hate needles!” she whimpered, instinctively closing her hand into a fist to both hide the sight and slow the bleeding.

“Kagome-sama! Your hand!”

Kagome looked up weakly as Miroku hurriedly knelt beside her.

She wasn't a wimp, but darn, that cut really stung...!

“What happened?” he asked, pulling her arm to rest across his thigh as he bent his head to examine the injury.

“I, uh...I think Shippou might have accidentally pulled my sewing scissors out of their case when he was looking for that pocky earlier,” she explained, making a face as the monk tried to pry her hand open. “Don't say anything, or he'll feel bad.”

“I won't, if you don't want me to, but he really should be more careful,” Miroku murmured with a dark frown. He shot her a reproachful glance from the corner of his eye. “Relax, Kagome, I can't see anything with your fingers all knotted up like that.”

“Ooh, don't look!” Kagome closed her eyes tight as he gently, but firmly uncurled her fingers. She hissed as the skin stretched taut and made the wound throb even more. It was making her feel a little sick, now, especially since she could feel her heartbeat pounding in the middle of the wound...

“Oh, ew, I can't stand it...I think I'm gonna' be sick,” she moaned woozily. That was what she got for focusing on it too much!

“Just take a deep breath, Kagome-sama,” Miroku said soothingly near her shoulder as he bent his head over her hand. “I don't think it will need stitching, bu-ut...”

Kagome tried to calm herself, and took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. The scent of something familiar tickled her nose, and she frowned a little, concentrating as she kept her eyes closed. She focused as she breathed in again, and found herself savoring the clean, tinlgling scent that was cool, yet comfortingly warm at the same time. It resembled a scent she already knew, but couldn't place. It was...nice. So nice, in fact, that she leaned a little closer to the source of it, sniffing deeply, and then sighing.

“Er...Kagome-sama?”

“Hmm. Miroku...you smell so good.” Kagome sighed again, smiling happily as her nerves were soothed.

Meanwhile, Miroku was tugging at her hand, and she slowly opened her eyes to his slightly troubled deep-violet ones.

“Kagome? I took the liberty of going through your 'First-Aid' - did I apply these bandages correctly?”

The embarassment was a long moment in coming when she realized she practically had her face buried in the neck of the monk's robes, but eventually, it did come, and her cheeks burned with a vengeance as she squeaked faintly, and drew back.

“Kagome-sama?” Miroku's voice took on a low purr. The capricious breeze chose that moment to blow up and brush the end of his dragontail against her cheek, and she shivered.

Yipes! Kagome swallowed and forced herself to look down at her hand. She looked at the carefully cleaned cut in a daze, noting the four neat butterfly strips holding the angry red skin together.

“Uhhhm...it looks great, Miroku!” she said brightly, clearing her throat. She fumbled for the fist-aid kit he'd retrieved from her bag while she'd been sniffing him - oh, Kami-sama! - and clumsily tried to open a tube of antibiotic salve one-handed before he deftly removed it from her hand.

“Allow me,” Miroku said smoothly, expertly twisting the cap off the small tube (it was just like her toothpaste after all, and he'd taken quite a liking to the habit of brushing his teeth with it and her spare toothbrush daily, unlike InuYasha and Shippou, who couldn't bear the strong taste), and carefully applying it, before wrapping a length of clean white gauze around her hand.

“There,” he said, tying off the knot in a neat bow like the one in his robes. “Good as new - or almost, anyway.”

Kagome's cheeks were still flushed as she stared at her hand. Why did she suddenly feel so bashful around him? She could barely lift her head to look at him.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

“It was my pleasure, Kagome...sama,” Miroku murmured deeply, belatedly adding the honorific.

Thankfully, the tension was broken when InuYasha suddenly crashed into camp, shaking water from his hair and clothes.

Kagome shrieked as the cold water sprayed her, and Miroku stood up, eyeing the hanyou disdainfully as he brushed a hand over his own dripping face.

“Oi, what the hell happened here, Monk? Why the hell do I smell Kagome's blood?”

“Kagome-sama - “

“I just cut my hand by accident, InuYasha, really, it's no big deal. Look, it's already bandaged, see?” Kagome held her hand up for inspection, hiding a wince of pain when it throbbed faintly. “Did you get any fish?” she asked before InuYasha could say anything further.

InuYasha was reluctant to change the subject. “Yeah, the runt's bringing 'em. Are you sure your hand is okay, Kagome?”

His concern made her smile. Not trusting herself with words, Kagome nodded. “Mm-hmm!”

The half-demon shifted uncomfortably at the warm gratitude in her eyes. “Well, good. You won't have any trouble cooking dinner, then, will ya'?”

Kagome's warm sense of happiness froze and snapped with a crack.

“Why, you - !”

“Kagome-sama, do not think of it. You cannot prepare a meal with such an injury.” Miroku waited a beat before cutting his eyes at InuYasha. “I am certain InuYasha would not mind cooking for us.”

“The hell...? I ain't cooking for you, ya' damn fake-ass monk!”

“InuYasha!”

“What? There ain't no way - besides, what's to keep him from doing the cooking, anyway? He looks - feh - clever enough.” InuYasha turned his nose up as he stuffed his hands in his sleeves.

“Clever enough to purify your crude, half-demon ass,” Miroku grumbled out the corner of his mouth.

Kagome's mouth fell open before she shut it with a snap to smother an unexpected laugh.

InuYasha's hackles went up as he pointedly cracked his knuckles. “What's that, monk? Wanna' say it again?”

“Sadly, I am not in the habit of repeating myself, InuYasha. Listen harder next time,” the monk said moodily.

InuYasha cracked his knuckles. “WHAT! Why you, I'm gonna' - “

Annoyed beyond belief by the harsh-mannered hanyou, Miroku forced a peaceful expression.

“Surely you do not wish for me to cook. Aren't you concerned that I may attempt to poison you, InuYasha, and take Kagome-sama for my own?”

“Feh, you couldn't poison me, I'd smell it a mile aw - wait, what the fuck do you mean, take Kagome for your own!”

“Ugh! Will you stop yelling, InuYasha? He's just kidding,” Kagome added carelessly as she lifted a small kettle in her uninjured hand.

'She think's that I'm not serious? Ah, such delicious innocence,' Miroku thought to himself, barely containing a smirk.

“Anyway, I don't have to cook, not really. If you don't want the fish, all we have to do is build a fire and fill the kettle with water. I brought you ramen, remember?” Kagome reminded them.

“Huh? You're gonna' give him 'my' ramen, now? No way! I hafta' work hard to get that stuff!”

“What do you mean! I buy it for you, you dummy!” Kagome said hotly.

“Well, I hafta' put up with you to get it, don't I?” InuYasha snapped thoughtlessly

Miroku only just managed not to wince. Really, the hanyou had to work on his conversational skills. Either that, or become a permanent part of the earth's surface...

“Oooh! InuYasha! Osuwari!”

“Kago - Gya-ah!”

- - - - -

In the end, Shippou helped Miroku stake the fish on sharpened sticks over the fire while InuYasha grudgingly returned to the river to fetch water for tea.

“Ooh, don't let the fish burn, Kagome!” Shippou cautioned excitedly as he hungrily watched the flames.

“Oi, who cares if it's a little burnt - everything tastes good when you're hungry!” InuYasha loudly proclaimed as he approached with the water. “If you were starving, you'd even eat it raw.”

Shippou made a face, but kept from making comment by the serious look on Miroku's face, and his solemn nod of silent agreement with InuYasha's statement.

Kagome, who was watching, felt her heart ache for both of her new friends - apparently InuYasha wasn't the only one who had often gone hungry in the past. She sighed. Her poor boys...but she wouldn't feel sorry for them, not when she knew they'd hate it (well, Miroku might take advantage of it), andespescially not whenshe was around to take care of them, now.

It was later, after everyone in their small group was satisfied - if not exactly full - that the subject of the jewel shard Kagome had sensed in this direction the day before came up.

“Oi, can you sense anything now that we are closer, Kagome?” InuYasha asked over the campfire flames.

“Well, I guess,” Kagome said carefully. Truthfully, it had been bothering her all day, this shard they were hunting.

“Whaddya' mean, 'I guess'?” InuYasha barked.

“I mean, it's weird. I think,” she frowned concentrating, “I think there are actually two of them - maybe more.”

“What?”

“Truly, Kagome-sama?”

Kagome bit her lip, but nodded. “It's hard to tell - I think they're very close together - but separated.”

“'Close but separate'? That doesn't make any sense,” InuYasha sniffed.

“It does if there is more than one demon with a jewel shard around,” Miroku said darkly.

“Do you really think there are that many that close, Kagome?” Shippou asked with a yawn.

Kagome nodded again. “Yep. In fact, I'm pretty sure there are at least three, now. But they're moving in different directions,” she sighed. “By the time we get close, tomorrow, they'll probably be far away from eachother. We'll have to start the search for them one-by-one all over again.”

“Aw, so close!” Shippou cried, shaking a little hand.

“Forget that!” InuYasha soared up, the fire making dark patterns on his determined face as he put one hand on the hilt of his sword and stared at them. “If we move now, we can get 'em all by morning!”

Kagome groaned. “Are you crazy? It's pitch black in this forest! You and Shippou might be able to see, but what about me and Miroku?”

“Kagome-sama is right, InuYasha.” Miroku nodded sagely. “Besides, she is injured, and tired, and quite frankly, I do not feel up to the task at this very moment either. It is senseless to go now. Let us leave it until tomorrow, after we have all rested.”

“Aw, hell, she has one little cut on her hand! She's fine! Besides, I can carry her, and the runt has fox-fire to gui- “

“No, I'm not going anywhere tonight, InuYasha!” Kagome yawned, protesting. “My hand is sore, and I'm exhausted from today. Let's just wait.”

“No way, I ain't lettin' Naraku get his dirty hands on my jewel shards! I'm goin' now, so get up off your ass, or I'm leavin' without ya'!”

Kaome stood up, looked at InuYasha's fierce, glowing eyes in the firelight, and turned her back on him, stomping towards her backpack. “Fine, go then! Good luck finding those shards without me! Hmph!”

Miroku looked at the two with knowing eyes, and felt a twinge of excitement. InuYasha was staring at Kagome with a dumbfounded expression, almost as if he couldn't believe she would dare choose to stay behind instead of coming with him.

“Kagome - “

“Yes, perhaps you should get a head start without us, InuYasha,” Miroku interrupted craftily, standing up. “Obviously the completion of the gem is what is most important to you. You mustn't let mere mortals stand in your way. The rest of us can always catch up to you in the morning. You may even return before we wake up.” A little flattery never hurt...

“Keh. Don't think I don't know what you're up to, monk,” the demon grumbled, arms crossing. His tapping foot gave away his eagerness to go, though, and Miroku gleefully pounced on the weakness.

“She will be safe with me, InuYasha. Even in these turbulent times, monks are generally left in peace.”

“Just go, InuYasha,” Kagome said wearily from the shadows where she'd laid out her 'sleeping bag'.

She sounded so saddened that Miroku would've gladly risked death and punched the demon, had he not needed so desperately to be rid of him.

InuYasha's vibrant eyes went slightly dull as he cast a troubled glance toward the shadows - and then he turned on Miroku, and showed him a wealth of sharp, white fang.

“Yeah, well, if you try anything with Kagome while I'm gone, I'll leave ya' in pieces, you hear me, monk?” He swiped a claw at him in warning.

“InuYasha.” Miroku shook his head, as if ashamed the hanyou would think such a thing of him.

Kagome sat up and threw her hair out of her face, fairly screaming with annoyance. “Would you stop it and go, InuYasha? Miroku-sama is a monk, after all. He's not going to throw me to the wolves while you're gone!”

InuYasha glared at the monk. It clearly wasn't wolves he was worried about!

Miroku only smiled back in return, his own white teeth bared and suddenly seeming far too sharp for InuYasha's liking, his friendly and open expression clashing with the diabolical amusement that danced in his dark eyes.

“He's no monk, he's just a common thief - no better than a bandit! An' he's a lecher!”

“InuYasha, you wound me!”

“Yeah, really, InuYasha! Don't be so mean!” Kagome added.

InuYasha finally left, growling under his breath, “Lecher, thief...gotta' be the worst monk ever! What a fraud!”

'And you are the one leaving her alone with me,' Miroku thought a little cruelly.

Kagome sighed from her bed, obviously feeling compelled to apologize on InuYasha's behalf.

“I'm sorry, Miroku-sama. InuYasha is just very...distrustful.”

“Yeah, with reason,” Shippou muttered from somewhere next to Kagome.

“Go to sleep, Shippou,” Kagome said chastisingly.

“Hu-uh! No way! I can't leave you alone with that guy!”

Miroku grunted. 'Meddling kid'.

“It's perfectly understandable,”he said aloud, solemnly. “People tend to believe what they wish, whether or not it is true.”

Kagome blushed a little, and then cleared her throat. In Miroku's case, it probably was true...

“Sadly, it is those who are cruel to us in life whom we tend to remember most. I think that InuYasha has many memories like that,” Miroku explained grimly.

It was silent for a long while, aside from the popping crackle of the fire, and the usual sounds of the nighttime forest, when a loud, obnoxious snore rent the air.

Kagome laughed softly. “I think Shippou is finally asleep.”

'Hmph, some watchdog he is,' Miroku thought sourly. But, ah, well, if the fox was finally asleep, it was all the more to the good. It was time to start the grand seduction...and he had all night to accomplish the task...

- - - - -

(To be Continued in Part Two) Soon!