InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Succubus Wife ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters associated with it. This story is rated for a mature audience.

 

*Not edited. Will update later.

 

*******************

 

A splitting headache was all that greeted Miroku when he awoke. From the sunlight that managed to creep in through the curtains, he could tell he had slept through the night. Sitting up in bed, he let the covers fall from his chest as he pressed against his temples. The motion made his head pound in a steady rhythm. Avery was nowhere to be found, her luggage was missing as well. Shit… I fell right in her trap. Judging from the amount of sunlight, she would be long gone by now. Scratching at his bare chest, he rolled out of bed and got to his feet. His headache wasn't getting any better, but it was well within his tolerance. Scratching his head, he slowly moved about the room, gathering his clothes. There was something off today, he could feel it. Avery told him she would unlock his magic ability and it would come to him naturally. Staring down at his hands, he tried to think, seeing if a spell or two came to mind. After several minutes of nothing, he sighed, shoulders sagging. He could tell there was something hanging just outside his consciousness, but the more he tired to think of it, the more it eluded him.

 

Sango! In thinking about the previous night, all the memories suddenly rushed back. Miroku needed to talk to Sango, explain to her everything that had happened. Maybe… if I can convince her it's true… This was his best chance to repair things with her and he wasn't about to let it slip away. Quickly sliding his legs into his pants, he was in the process of sliding them up when the idea of a shower and a change of clothes came to mind. Confronting Sango about their relationship smelling of sex wouldn't end well. Throwing his pants aside, he rushed the bathroom. Engrossed in planning what he would tell her, he completely missed the small silver rune against his shoulder as it glowed softly before disappearing.

 

*******************

 

Sango was miserable. She hadn't left her hotel room in days, spending her days sitting on the bed, staring blankly at the TV. In the end, she had taken the man's money, using it to pay for the room and room service. Naraku, or the demon that looked like him, hadn't appeared since that time. Her feelings were mixed. She wanted it to return so she could fulfill her end of the agreement. On the other hand, she knew what she would have to do when it finally did return. It just felt like everything had gone to hell and she had been left alone to face it by herself. Several times, she was tempted to call Kagome, but the last thing she wanted was to burden her. When she left for the hotel, Kagome had her own problems she was dealing with.

 

Maybe if I just call to see how she's doing… Sango had barely finished the thought when there was a knock at the door, causing her to jump. Frowning, she got off the bed and moved towards the door. She hadn't ordered room service yet and the only one who knew where she was staying was Kagome. The thought of seeing her friend again lifted her spirits as she opening the door, a wide smile on her face.

 

“Kago—” Sango froze in alarm when she found it wasn't Kagome that stood at her door, but Miroku. He was half a second faster than she was, wedging his foot and hands between the door as she closed it. He yelped in pain, but didn't move them.

 

“Wait! Sango wait! Just listen to me!” he said, struggling to keep pressure off his hands and foot by pressing against the door.

 

“No! I don't want talk to you!” Sango wailed, trying to keep her emotions from overwhelming her as she leaned against the door, preventing him from opening it any more.

 

“You don't have to talk, just listen!”

 

“What part of `no' don't you understand!?” To make her point, she leaned into the door, squeezing the door harder against his hands and foot. He groaned in pain, but remained in place.

 

“You're either going to have to let me in, or cut my hands and foot off because I'm not letting you shut this door,” he hissed through clenched teeth. For several seconds, she looked around trying to find something sharp. Miroku knew what the long pause meant. “Hey now, you can't be serious!”

 

“Just leave me alone Miroku. It's over between us, remember?” The words hurt a lot more than she thought they would. It felt like someone had ground their boot heel into her stomach.

 

“That's what I want to talk to you about! Things aren't as they seem. Please, I just want to explain what really happened that night!” For a second, Sango considered letting him in. She was curious about what happened. Her memories of the night still eluded her. During that time, she relaxed her guard just a little. Miroku leapt at the chance. Thrusting against the door, he bowled Sango over. Unbalanced, he tripped over himself, falling atop her. Her breath left her in a loud `oof' as he landed.

 

It took her a few seconds, but she finally caught her breath again. “Get off,” she growled angrily, pushing him off her. There was a small sense of satisfaction as she managed to drive a knee into his crotch as she did so.

 

“Listen, Sango…” he began, voice strained as he grabbed himself.

 

Getting to her feet, she closed the door. Since he's already in I might as well listen. If he put up that much fight trying to get in, she could only imagine how hard he would resist her efforts to kick him out. Not to say she couldn't do it, but she didn't want to hurt him, at least not physically. As much as she hated him for his behavior the past several days, she still loved him. Whether that was a good or bad thing was still to be seen. Glowering down at him, she purposefully stepped over him, leaving him clutch himself as she moved back over to the bed. “Make it quick.”

 

“T-thank you,” he forced out, getting to his feet. “It's about that night.”

 

“What night are you talking about?” she asked, crossing her arms as she sat on the bed. He shifted uncomfortably. She knew it was mean of her to torture him like this, but the urge for a little revenge was too strong.

 

“The uh… night we both… uh… with Avery…” he sputtered.

 

“Oh yes, that night. What about it?” She kept her face and voice emotionless. From his body language, she could tell he wanted her to be angry with him. He had mentally prepared himself for that. Not being able to tell what she was feeling wasn't something he planned for. Miroku was a fairly straightforward and simple guy and was easy for her to read. Maybe that's why I like him so much.

 

“We… we weren't… in the right state of mind.”

 

“Yes, alcohol does do that to people.”

 

Miroku shook his head. “No, it wasn't the alcohol. Well, it was a little, but there was something else as well.” He scratched his head, trying to find the right words to say. “How do I say it? Uh… there was magic involved.”

 

Sango frowned. “Magic?”

 

He nodded. “Yeah, that's why you don't remember anything. She wiped your memories and altered mine.”

 

“`She?'”

 

“Avery. She's a mage.”

 

This is his excuse? This is what he comes up with? “Miroku…”

 

“I'm telling the truth!” he said, quickly cutting her off. “You have to believe me! You and I told her `no' so she used magic to get her way!”

 

“Out of all the excuses…” She shook her head. “If you're going to make up a story, at least put some effort into it.”

 

“But this isn't a story!”

 

Sango had to fight to keep tears from her eyes. “If you simply apologized… If you told me it wouldn't happen again… even if you were lying…” She took a deep breath, steeling herself. “But making up some story about how Avery was a mage? A mage Miroku?! Human's can't use magic.”

 

“They weren't completely wiped out. Some survived and are living in secret, just like demons are.”

 

“Miroku, just stop.”

 

“Out of all the people in the world, out of all you have seen… how can you simply dismiss this?! I'm telling the truth Sango. What possible purpose could I have if I made all this up? Even I have trouble believing it, but I do because that's what really happened.”

 

Sango was at a loss for words. There really was no reason why he would make up such a farfetched story. If he really wanted to mend their relationship, he could have simply told her they had too much to drink and made a dumb decision. If he had told her that, she would have accepted it and they could work on getting things back to how they were. She wanted things to go back to how they were, but she couldn't get back together with him unless he made some effort to justify things.

 

“I slept with another guy,” Sango announced suddenly. The sudden revelation surprised her. There was no reason for her to tell him only that it had suddenly come out. That should pretty much end things.

 

“So?” There was no shocked surprise or hurt look, only a slight bewilderment of how the conversation had jumped tracks.

 

“So…” So what? What am I supposed to say to that? Sango didn't know whether she should be angry or upset with his seemingly uncaring attitude. “I…”

 

“It's not the first time you've done it.”

 

That made her angry. “What's that supposed to mean?”

 

“What? I'm just saying it wouldn't be the first time. Besides, we weren't technically seeing each other the past couple days.”

 

“`Weren't?' I don't remember us getting back together.”

 

“You mean we're not?” He sounded genuinely surprised.

 

“No!”

 

He was silent for awhile. Taking a deep breath, he released it slowly. “Sango, I want you to answer honestly. Is all this really because I had sex with Avery?”

 

There was a slight pause before she answered. “No,” she said as she lowered her head slightly. “Not completely,” she added quickly. It played a part in things, just not as much.

 

Miroku seemed to expect that answer. “That's what I thought. Now the question is, why are you angry?”

 

“I—” She stopped quickly. For that brief instant, her guard had slipped. Clamping her mouth shut, she stopped herself.

 

Miroku let out a weary sigh. He knew just how close she had been to opening up. “Sango, I'm trying here, I really am. I think it's obvious I'm not perfect and I don't expect you to be either. Just… whatever it is, I want to help.” He grinned. “Both our track records aren't exactly shining examples for future generations to follow.” Turning serious again, he continued. “I know you've had a violent past and I understand you don't want to talk about it, but whatever it is that's bothering you, I can help.”

 

Sango shook her head. “This isn't something you can help me with. I have to do it alone.”

 

“Maybe, but you don't have to do it alone. Even if I can't physically help, I can always support you from the sidelines, right?”

 

Sitting on the bed, she stared at Miroku. Inside, her feelings warred with each other. She desperately to tell him everything she had been fighting with since he first proposed to her, what she still needed to do. If she told him everything, they could begin picking up the pieces and start a new, stronger relationship. If he doesn't leave me first… Miroku was abnormal when it came to relationships, perfect since she wasn't exactly a model case either. His abnormality had its limits however. There undoubtedly was a line that she could cross. She had no idea where exactly it was and dreaded the thought of crossing it. A guy here and there was something he could handle, but having another man's child? Just thinking about his reaction sent her stomach in knots. In the end, she realized she was left with only two options. She could tell him and maybe he would leave or she could not tell him and then he would leave. Both were shitty options, but some chance was better than no chance.

 

She nodded. “Alright, I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything.” She gestured to the bed beside her. “You might want to take a seat. This is going to take awhile.” Silently, he moved over to the bed and slowly took a seat. “Are you sure about this? It's not very pretty.”

 

He took a few seconds to prepare himself, but nodded. “I'm ready.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Sango began talking.

 

*******************

 

Hands in his pockets, Inuyasha wandered aimlessly around the city. Even without purpose, he walked, calmly taking in the sites. When the jostling of the busy sidewalks became too distracting, he found himself in the park he took Yumi to play in. In the distance, he watched a few children play on the playground, their mothers huddled together in groups, lively chatting to one another. Several joggers passed as he stood motionlessly, staring into the distance. He did notice a few passersby give him odd looks, but none seemed too concerned with his presence. Inuyasha seemed immune to the passage of time as he just stood, looking, watching. It occurred to him that sometime during his silent observation, the people at the playground had been replaced by new mothers and children. I left the house to think things out and here I am, not even thinking about anything! Shaking his head, he started walking again, this time, with a destination in mind. His stomach growled as thoughts of food filled his head.

 

“About time you realize we need food,” a faceless voice complained. A few seconds later, Ryuu appeared, his arms crossed and an unhappy expression on his face. “I'm starving here!”

 

“What did I tell you?” Inuyasha growled, looking around frantically to make sure no one was looking in his direction. Even if he was the only one who could see Ryuu, people would notice him talking to himself. “Go away.”

 

“Hey, you wanted some space, I gave you space. But if you think I'm just going to be a passenger in this relationship, you're wrong.”

 

“I'm not going to have this conversation with you here,” Inuyasha hissed, keeping his voice low.

 

“You know you don't have to talk right? I can hear your thoughts just fine.” Inuyasha had enough problems sorting through the clutter of his mind. Trying to have a conversation in his mind when he was so used to speaking aloud would be difficult at best. Ryuu seemed to understand that as well. “And if you don't want to do that, you have our cell phone right?” Inuyasha knew what Ryuu expected him to do. Reluctantly, Inuyasha took out the cell phone and turned the ringer off before holding it up to his ear. Even though he didn't want to talk to Ryuu, he had no idea how to get rid of him. If I can get rid of him at all. “Nope, you're stuck with me,” Ryuu answered.

 

“I didn't ask.”

 

“But you thought it. It's my mind too remember?”

 

“How could I possibly forget with you reminding me every time you open your mouth?”

 

“Well if you stopped resisting and just accept things as they are, it would do wonders to relieve that excess stress that's been building up the past week.” Ryuu shook his head slowly as he kept pace beside Inuyasha. “This can't be good for our health.”

 

“My health, it's—”

 

“Your body, yes I know,” Ryuu said, finishing his sentence for him. “But that isn't completely true now is it?”

 

Inuyasha was silent for a moment. Since Ryuu had no body of his own, technically, it was his body, even if Inuyasha was the one to control it. “Until I can figure out a way to remove you, I guess you are.”

 

“Believe me, as soon as I find a way to get out of you, I'll let you know.” Ryuu gave him a guilty look. “Not that I don't enjoy sharing your body. Err, no wait; that came out wrong. Your body is great… No… Well, you get what I'm trying to say right?”

 

Inuyasha glanced over at him, uncomfortable. “Yeah, sure.”

 

Ryuu began sniffing the air. “What is that smell?”

 

Inuyasha sniffed at the air as well. Instantly, his mouth watered as his stomach rumbled in anticipation. Something smelled good. “I don't know, but it smells good.”

 

Raising an eyebrow, Ryuu gave Inuyasha a sidelong look. “You thinking what I'm thinking? What am I talking about? Of course you are! Come on, what are we waiting for! Onward!” he shouted, pointing the way as he disappeared in the direction the smell was coming from. With a sigh, Inuyasha turned and followed. The reality that Ryuu really wasn't going anywhere was slowly starting to sink in. It was yet another thing he was going to have to adapt to. Like I don't have enough on my plate as it is…

 

*******************

 

Dante awoke to blackness. It took a second for his mind to realize his lungs were burning. Opening his mouth, he gasped for air, only to suck water into his lungs. Flailing wildly, he clawed at the water surrounding him in an attempt to surface. The more he struggled, the more tired he became. Gradually, his frantic movements ceased as his eyes grew heavy.

 

Once more, he awoke to find himself trapped in the blackness. His hands cut through the water as he kicked with all his might. Still, despite all his struggles, he found himself unable to move. Patting himself, he found thick ropes wrapped around him. Pulling at them, he felt his strength leave him and he grew still once more.

 

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. How much time had passed? How many times had he died? Panic no longer took him when he awoke from his `death.' He simply started where he left off, trying to loosen the ropes that bound him enough to slip out. I wish I had a light or something. What the hell is holding me down? Using his hands to push up at the water, he sunk down until he hit the bottom of whatever body of water he was in. Grabbing the rope to hold himself down, he blindly patted around him, his hands hitting something hard. He had no idea what it was that the rope was attached to, but it was metal.

 

Waking again, Dante focused back on trying to free himself. This fucking sucks! He had always thought of his power as a gift. If not for it, he wouldn't have made it this far. It had been fun believing that he was immortal. Now, he wanted nothing more but to die. The notion that he was going to spend the next several decades like this was… unappealing. A chill that had nothing to do with the ice-cold water ran over his body. If I age normally. For all he knew, he really was immortal. It was obvious that normal things couldn't kill him, but the idea that time couldn't kill him either? That was scary. Especially if I have to spend all of it down here.

 

Another death, another revival. Somewhere along the line, he decided to take a break. When he woke up next, he just floated there, waiting for his consciousness to slip. Sometimes, he counted, trying to see how long it took for him to die. To his surprise, the number changed each time. At least, he thought it did. The mind did funny things when it was dying.

 

After a dozen or so `deaths' he was back at work. During one particularly frantic struggle, he dislocated his arm. Pain jabbed through his right side. Had there been any air to do so, he would have yelled out. However, he did notice that the rope slackened somewhat. Hope surged through him, but before he could do anything more, his mind slowly drifted out.

 

Snapping back, Dante found the pain had vanished. Squirming, he discovered his arm had magically popped back into place. You got to be fucking kidding me! He spent the rest of his time cursing and squirming in rage.

 

It took two more `deaths' to figure out how to dislocate his arm, another three to perfect the process. Five more and he had managed to work out of some of the rope. With an exuberated feeling, he pulled at the rope before pushing it off him. I'm free! I'm fucking free! Clawing at the water, he felt himself rise only to suddenly stop as something tightened against his legs, stopping his accent. You're fucking kidding me…

 

Freeing his feet was much simpler now that he had free rein with his hands. Still, it took time and he was none too pleased with the delay. Dante wasn't quite sure what happened, only that one moment, he was tugging at the rope, the next, he was floating face down on the surface. Slapping the water, he lifted his head above water and took a deep gulp of air. It was the sweetest breath of his life. Treading water, he sat there, sucking down air by the lung full. Suddenly, he began laughing. There was no reason for it, only he felt the uncontrollable urge to laugh. Several times, his laughter was cut off by a mouth full of water, but he continued none the less.

 

“I did it! Sonovabitch I did it!” Laughter fading, Dante started towards the riverbank. Either Erik botched the job or he really was immortal. Judging by the way he had been tied up, he guessed the latter.

 

As he pulled himself out of the water onto solid ground, he forced himself to be calm. The last thing he needed was it to go to his head. If he really couldn't die, he would have to be more careful, not less. So I survived this. I got lucky. Next time, they might just encase me in concrete. What then? The thought made him shiver. This had been a horrific experience. He couldn't begin to fathom the hell a concrete tomb would be.

 

Climbing to his feet, he shook off as much water as he could. Taking one last deep breath, he started off towards the city, shoes sloshing ominously with each step. He was alive, he was pissed, and soon, there would be a lot of others who wouldn't be.

 

*******************

 

Miroku sat in stunned silence, absorbing Sango's every word. He knew that her problems were larger than his ever would be, but he had definitely underestimated just how great a burden she carried. It was overwhelming, and he wasn't even the one carrying it.

 

“That's about everything,” Sango said slowly, taking a moment to think it over. Biting her lower lip, she gave Miroku a cautious glance. “Well?”

 

“Well…” He took a deep breath. There was a lot to digest and she wanted an answer now? Miroku was tempted to tell her he needed time to sort through everything, but a single look told him that wouldn't do. She wanted - needed an answer now. “I can't believe you could use magic all this time. That would have come in handy when we were late on our bills a couple months ago.”

 

By her frown, she wasn't in the mood for jokes. “Miroku…”

 

“I know, I know. It's just that this is all… overwhelming.” He paused to collect his thoughts. “But I don't understand why you didn't tell me this before. When I proposed, I thought you rejected me because you didn't want to get married.”

 

“No!” she said quickly. “I wanted to more than anything but… If we did, it would only put you in danger.”

 

“Still, you could have told me.”

 

“I know, and I should have. I was scared. I thought if you knew, you would leave.” She looked down, twirling her thumbs in her lap. “I'm sorry.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Miroku slapped his hands against his legs. “Well, I guess that's that.” Sango looked at him with wide eyes. “We just don't get married.”

 

“Eh?” The surprise was apparent on her face.

 

“If we don't get married, we don't have to worry about any of that.” Miroku nodded to himself, satisfied with his reasoning. “Lots of people choose not to get married these days. We've been living together six months and not counting Avery, seeing only each other. We might as well be married already.”

 

Sango's expression didn't change into the happy one he expected, rather, she looked towards the floor once more, a morose look on her face. “That might not be possible now…”

 

“Not possible?” Miroku scratched his head in confusion. “But we were doing it before. All we have to do is go back to it.”

 

Shaking her head, she glanced over at him. “I… made a deal.” His head tilted in bewilderment. “With the demon,” she clarified quickly. “In exchange for my freedom, I have to provide… a body for it.”

 

A horrified expression crossed Miroku's face. “It's going to possess you?”

 

“Oh no,” she corrected quickly. “It won't be my body.” She shifted uncomfortably, her eyes avoiding his as she rested her hands against her stomach.

 

It took him several seconds for him to follow her train of thought, but his eyes popped open as he leapt back. “You're—!”

 

“No!” she said quickly. Miroku let out a long sigh of relief. Kids might be nice someday far, far in the future. Now, he was nowhere near being ready to be a father. I still have growing up to do. The entire situation between him and Sango proved that both had work to do. Besides, it wouldn't be a kid, but a tool for a demon to cross into the mortal realm. Being an occult fanatic, he knew about demon lore. The demons in the demon realm were kept out of the mortal realm for a reason. “Not yet,” she added ominously.

 

Miroku blinked as her words sunk in. “You can't be serious… You're going to go through with it?”

 

She shrugged helplessly. “I don't think I have a choice. Not anymore.”

 

He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Sango, you always have a choice.”

 

Her head shook sadly. “Not for this. I made a contract that I would do it.”

 

Miroku was silent for several seconds. “Well I don't like this. There is no way I would let my first kid be some possessed demon.” Sango shifted uncomfortably on the bed, her eyes everywhere but where he was sitting. “What? What is it?” He could tell something was bothering her, something that was troubling her more than anything else she had told him earlier.

 

Tears began to form, threatening to spill out as she finally managed to meet his eyes. “It… wouldn't be yours.” Miroku sat on the bed, stunned as his mouth worked silently in shock. “When I was in contact with the demon, it told me it would pick the man.”

 

It took Miroku awhile for his mind to get things moving again. Sango… having another man's baby? He didn't know how to feel about that. He knew how he should feel. He knew he should be enraged, hurt and miserable that Sango could even consider something of this magnitude - at least without some sort of discussion with him first. Yet as much as he acknowledged how he should feel, there was something inside him that prevented the emotions from forming. It felt as if he had some unconscious understanding of the situation, but any attempt to pull that information from his mind only resulted in burying it deeper. There was one thing he did know, and it hurt like hell thinking about it. It wasn't that she seemed dead-set on doing it; it was that she had every intention of doing it without telling him.

 

“I'm sorry Miroku,” Sango continued, her voice quivering as she spoke. “If only I had thought things over. It was an emotional moment and I wasn't thinking clearly. I was so stupid and rushed into things…”

 

“I'm not mad about that,” he said calmly. He suddenly felt odd, as if he had suddenly become an observer in the situation.

 

“You're not?” She sounded surprised.

 

“No,” he answered. In truth, he wasn't. If it meant she would be free of the burden she had been carrying so long, he could accept it. Going through with it would bring her happiness and he wasn't a selfish bastard who would deny her that happiness she more than deserved.

 

“But you are mad… aren't you?” Sango asked cautiously.

 

“Yes,” he said, voice lower than before. “I can't believe you would have gone through with it without telling me first. Do I mean that little to you?”

 

“What did you expect me to do? We weren't speaking at the time. Our relationship was, and still is, in pieces. Think to yourself, what would you have done if I came and told you all this?” Miroku opened his mouth to answer before closing it again. In this situation it was probably best to keep silent. I am here to repair the relationship, not pour more fuel on the fire. “That's what I thought.”

 

Shifting on the bed to face her, Miroku took a deep breath, trying to squelch his raging emotions. I need to change direction before things get really bad. “Okay… so any idea on who this guy will be?”

 

The sudden shift caught Sango by surprise, her anger vaporizing. “Uh… no he didn't say…” Furrowing her eyebrows, she stared at him. “But that's it? You're not going to try to talk me out of it or anything?”

 

He sighed. “Is that even possible?”

 

She thought for a moment. “No, probably not.”

 

“Then I won't waste our time. If this is what you think is best, then I will support you. I said I would.” He forced a grin. “Besides, I think you have more experience with these sorts of things.”

 

Jaw quivering, she suddenly wrapped him in a hug, squeezing him tightly. Slowly, he returned it. “Thank you… thank you so much,” she whispered. “I know I'm asking a lot from you and I don't deserve this kind of treatment—”

 

“No, you do deserve this,” Miroku said, pulling away so he could met her eyes. “This entire time, you've been dragging the weight of your past around with you. I think it's time you finally shed that dead weight. Once this is over, once it's all over, we can start over. A fresh start, for both of us, okay?”

 

Tears ran down her face as she nodded, a smile spreading across her face as she wiped them away. Wrapping him in another hug, Miroku fought to keep his anxiety from overwhelming him. Worry gnawed at his gut as he pulled her tighter against him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that they had both become involved in something much larger than just them.

 

“By the way,” she whispered softly, pulling away to give him a puzzled look. “How did you find me here? Only Kagome knows where I went and I told her not to tell you where I was.”

 

Miroku scratched his chin. “Huh… Now that I think about it… I have no idea.” Rubbing his chin, he backtracked through his frantic dash from the hotel Avery had left him in to here. The more he replayed it, the more he realized he hadn't done any searching. He just… came here. “All I can say is that I wanted to talk to you. The next thing I really remember is knocking on your door.”

 

Sango raised an eyebrow as she stared at him with tear stricken eyes. “You knew where I was? Just like that?”

 

He shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah… I guess.”

 

She shook her head slowly, a small grin appearing. “I understand. You got Inuyasha to tell you.” She held up a hand, stopping him from saying any more. “It's fine. It's in the past. I'm tired of the past. I want to focus on the future now - our - future.”

 

Miroku only nodded in agreement. As Sango wrapped him in another hug, Miroku felt his heart pound in his chest. How did I find her? For him, the answer was as frightening as not knowing at all.

 

*******************

 

“That was great!” Ryuu said happily as he patted his stomach. Inuyasha felt the same way, but keep himself composed. “Nothing like a good bowl of Ramen on a cool day like this.”

 

“You didn't even eat anything,” Inuyasha muttered under his breath. Technically, he had done all the work. However, that didn't stop Ryuu from pretending. Through the entire course of the meal, Inuyasha had to watch Ryuu mimic his every move as he sat across from him, eating from an illusionary bowl identical to the one Inuyasha had. Every movement, every slurp had been perfectly copied by his mental roommate.

 

Ryuu seemed upset at the statement. “I did too!” he cried indignantly. “You saw me.”

 

“Yes, but it wasn't real. I had to pay for mine.”

 

“That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it any less than you.” Inuyasha only shook his head. He was starting to learn to ignore it when Ryuu started talking like that. He knew a lost cause when he saw it. “So where are we going now?” Ryuu asked excitedly, eyeing a pretty redheaded foreigner as she passed.

 

“Home,” Inuyasha said, keeping his voice low. The sidewalk was busy enough that the casual observer would figure he was talking to someone beside him.

 

“Hmm…” Ryuu hummed as he stroked his chin.

 

“What now?”

 

“Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if that's such a good idea.”

 

“Why wouldn't it? It's getting late,” Inuyasha said, looking up. It was noticeably darker than it had been going into the Ramen shop.

 

“Well, you left to think about things. Have you really thought about them?”

 

“Of course!”

 

“Really? You do know I was there the entire time. Trust me, there wasn't a lot of thinking going on,” he said, nodding sagely.

 

“Why do you care?”

 

Ryuu gave him a hurt expression. “Why wouldn't I care? I want things to work out between us and Kagome. You and Kagome,” he corrected quickly.

 

“Well don't, I have things under control.”

 

“Really? It looks like you're just running away from your problems.” Inuyasha stopped walking to glare at Ryuu. “What? I'm just saying…”

 

Shoulders sagging, Inuyasha let out a ragged breath and continued walking. In a way, Ryuu was right. He had gone on this walk to escape, even if he had every intention of returning. “And? What do you suggest?”

 

Ryuu shrugged. “Hey man, it's not my life.” Inuyasha didn't stop, but he still cast a glare over in Ryuu's direction. Unfortunately, there was a middle-aged balding man beside Ryuu, who quickly scuttled away thinking the glare was meant for him. “What? You keep telling me that yourself.”

 

“Funny how that works.”

 

“I didn't mean it like that. What I mean is I have no control over it. I'm just a passenger along for the ride, no matter how much I want to drive.” There was a slight pause before he continued. “But we can talk about it if you want.”

 

“Why would I want to do that?”

 

“There are a number of reasons. One, I know the situation. I was there after all. Two, I can't talk to anyone about it, so you can tell me anything you want knowing that it will remain a secret. Three, I know how you feel about it, even if you deny those feelings. Need I go on?”

 

“No, I see your point.”

 

“And? Where do you want to start?”

 

Inuyasha looked around uncomfortably. No one was paying him any attention. Most just shot past him. Everyone seemed like they were in such a hurry to get where they were going, unlike him. “I don't know.”

 

“Okay then, I'll start. Yumi's a smart kid, isn't she?”

 

“Almost too smart.”

 

“You say it like it's a bad thing.”

 

“Every parent hopes their kid is smarter than they are.”

 

“Not hard considering the father. Sorry,” he added at Inuyasha's glare. “Continue.”

 

“I just feel, well, sorry for her. It's like she's missing out on a childhood.”

 

Ryuu rubbed his chin as he hummed. “Yes, but you have to remember that succubi are different than human's, so putting your idea of what a childhood should be… She seems happy enough, right? Isn't that all that matters?”

 

“I just wish I could do more.”

 

“All parents feel that way.”

 

Inuyasha frowned, shooting Ryuu a sideways glance. “How do you know?”

 

Ryuu frowned as he shrugged. “Beats me. It just sounded right.”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Wow, this is helping.”

 

“Hey now, don't be like that. It is helping. You're facing your problems instead of running away. Now, about Kikyo…”

 

“I don't want to talk about that,” Inuyasha said quickly.

 

“You need to get used to talking about it. I have a feeling there will be quite a lengthy discussion about it with the wife when we get home.”

 

“All the more reason not to talk about it with you.”

 

Ryuu sighed unhappily. “Fair enough.” He smiled. “Well, let's look at the bright side, you have one difficult conversation out of the way.”

 

“What one's that?”

 

Ryuu looked surprised, not expecting Inuyasha not to know. “The one with Yumi of course.” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “In a way, that one was probably more awkward than the coming one with Kagome.”

 

“I don't understand how that could be possible.”

 

“Huh… So listening to your wife talk about her previous sexual encounters to your daughter and explaining how she is going to be just like her is better than talking to your wife about sleeping with her sister. Interesting.”

 

“You're a bastard.” A man standing next to him blinked in surprise, shock written on his face. “Err, not you, sorry.”

 

“I'm only trying to help.”

 

“Well you're not,” Inuyasha hissed under his breath.

 

Crossing his arms, Ryuu held his head high. “Fine, I won't say any more.”

 

To Inuyasha's relief, Ryuu meant what he said. Finally, I can think! That got an angry glare from his illusionary man, but Inuyasha found it was quite easy to ignore. His excitement on getting home quickly was building. Even though he reluctantly acknowledged that there would be one more difficult conversation, it was offset by the notion that the talking could wait until later. By how he felt right now, he knew Kagome would be more than happy to put it off a little longer too…

 

*******************

 

Yumi was in bed when Inuyasha returned. He didn't ask too many questions about why she was in bed before eight or more importantly, if she was actually sleeping. In fact, he didn't say much between when he entered through the front door and when he got to the room he shared with Kagome. Two thoughts briefly crossed his mind as Kagome led him to the bed, clothes dropping as they went. One was the uncomfortable realization that Yumi was probably still awake, the other, that he was about to make love to his wife on the very same bed he had had her sister on the night before. Both thoughts were quickly buried under the barrage of passionate kisses Kagome gave him.

 

There were only a few times Inuyasha had experienced makeup sex. He and Kagome rarely had large arguments until recently. Even then, things had cooled down long before they headed to the bedroom. Nothing before compared to this however and Kagome was in control every step of the way. He made a few attempts at dominance, but she quickly made it clear that there would be none of that. Straddled atop him, she drove down on him with a force that rocked the bed, slamming it against the wall harder than it usually did. Her impassioned cries of bliss overpowered the sounds of the bed. It was as if she wanted the entire apartment complex to hear. In an animalistic way, she was making it clear that no matter what circumstances, he was, and forever would be, hers. She let out an ear-piercing scream as she came. Pinning his arms against the bed, she panted heavily, hair covering her face as she pulled energy from his body. He didn't utter a word as she greedily drained as much as she could. He was more than lightheaded as she roll off him. Both were gasping for breath as they stared at the ceiling quietly.

 

“That was…” Kagome whispered between breaths. Inuyasha could only nod, or try to. His body was oddly numb to his minds orders. She really did take a lot. “Could you imagine if it was like this every time?” It sounded like she was drooling at the thought.

 

“I'd die,” he whimpered, half-joking.

 

Laughing, she rolled onto her side to face him. Turning his head to face her was all he could manage and even that was pushing it. The smile slowly left her face. “Sorry about being so loud. I know you don't like it but—”

 

“I don't mind.” Well, not completely anyways. A large part of him was still uncomfortable with how things were, and how they were going to be from now on. He feared he would see a pair of eyes watching from a cracked door. However, a glance at the door revealed it was still shut tight. Another small blessing was Ryuu was gone. Things would have been real awkward if he had hung around. Luckily, Inuyasha hadn't seen him since he arrived back at the apartment. And it can stay like that forever for all I care.

 

Her eyes left his, wandering down his chest as she nervously nibbled on her lower lip. Inuyasha knew what was coming before she said anything. “I was wondering… if we could talk now,” she said, her pleading eyes meeting his as she finished.

 

With his body still numb, he couldn't run even if he wanted too, not that he would have. Not anymore. “Yeah.”

 

She drew a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Not only did it relax her, it helped return her breathing to a normal pace. “First, I want to thank you again for what you did.”

 

He looked away, a feat considering how tired he was. Unfortunately, he was looking at the ceiling again. “I don't want to be thanked.”

 

Kagome rested an arm on his chest, pulling herself against him. Her face appeared in his vision as she rested half atop him. “You risked your life to save my sister. You… did something you didn't want to do and I know it hurt you.” She struggled to keep her voice steady. “I'm sorry I made you do that. I owe you so much that I couldn't possibly hope to repay it all. Anything you want, anything at all…”

 

Inuyasha took a deep breath. It was harder being as tired as he was and Kagome lying atop him. “Kagome, you don't owe me anything, you never will either.” He wished he could move his arms. He desperately wanted to run his hand against the smooth skin of her cheek as she peered down at him with her wide brown eyes.

 

She shook her head slowly. “You are so wonderful. I know that the world I've pulled you into is… difficult, but you willingly continue on instead of walking away.”

 

That shocked him. “I would never leave you! Or Yumi for that matter! The thought never even crossed my mind, not even for a second!”

 

Kagome smiled brightly. “I know. That's why you're so great. Many men in your position would take advantage of the situation.”

 

Inuyasha furrowed his brow. “Take advantage?”

 

“Well… like when you lived with Anna and Eiko.”

 

His face flushed. “Oh…”

 

“Yeah,” she whispered as an awkward silence fell over them. She suddenly perked up. “And you did a wonderful job with Yumi today. I know humans in general are uncomfortable with having that conversation with their children and succubi go into… quite a bit more detail.”

 

Inuyasha chuckled nervously. “Yeah… a little warning would have been nice.”

 

She smiled sweetly before pecking him on the lips. “Sorry. Considering the circumstances, you handled it well.”

 

“I don't feel like it.” He took a deep breath. A frown appeared. “Speaking of earlier, was it really wise to talk up threesomes to her? You really sounded excited there.”

 

She grimaced. “I was hoping you would forget about that.” She sighed. “Inuyasha, you know how things are different in our world. Monogamous relationships are rare. For those of us who are above a certain power threshold, it's dangerous for both us and the human we are with. Just look at what happened tonight. Taking as much from a normal human would easily have killed him. Yumi is our daughter. If she isn't more powerful than I am, I would honestly be surprised.” Her expression softened as she ran a hand though his hair. “I'm sorry, but I don't believe she could ever have a relationship like we do.”

 

Inuyasha didn't know what to say, so he chose to stay quiet. He had hoped… hoped that she would be different, like her mother. He tried to brush the weight of the revelation aside with a smile. “Well, at least you're telling me this now so I have time to prepare. Lord knows I'm going to need all the time I can get.”

 

Kagome didn't smile. “This is also why I'm okay with what you did.”

 

“Huh? Oh…” Inuyasha suddenly realized she was referring to her sister. His face twisted in confusion. “But you have me.”

 

“I didn't always have you.” She looked sad. “As much as I may want, I won't ever be able to escape who I am.”

 

“So if Kikyo was healthy at the time…”

 

Kagome made a face, like she had just been given a spoonful of vinegar. “Please! Anyone but my sister!” Inuyasha was taken aback by her sudden outburst. “Do you have any idea how awkward it is to share a lover with a sibling?” A horrified expression appeared on his face as he stared helplessly up at her. She held her laughter for several seconds before exploding into a fit. “I'm kidding!” she gasped, slapping at his bare chest.

 

“About what part?” he cried in dismay.

 

“All of it silly.” She suddenly became serious as she pulled at his cheek. “But just because I'm a succubus doesn't mean I'm okay with you running around. We aren't going to be like Sango and Miroku. You are mine.”

 

“Yesh, yesh, I gosh it!” he cried as she wiggled her hand gently with the flesh of his cheek. Releasing him, she smiled as she gently rubbed where she had grabbed.

 

She smiled. “Good. Now, are we finished talking?”

 

“I've barely any feeling in my legs or arms,” he groaned. He watched as she slowly retreated under the covers.

 

“That's okay, this won't require either of them…”

 

Gripping at the covers, Inuyasha held on for the ride…

 

*******************

 

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