InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Simple Question ❯ The Ceremony ( Chapter 10 )

“I have come to believe that when discussing weddings women become indefatigable.” He shook his head tiredly and leaned back against the well.

 

“Keh.” InuYasha never opened his eyes, identifying the monk from a long ways off, so he never saw Miroku arch his eyebrow at the fanged smirk directed at him.

 

They sat in companionable silence for almost an hour as the fox kit entertained himself before the monk found his curiosity bubbling over.

 

“InuYasha, I apologize, but I must ask. What prompted you to adopt Shippou?”

 

InuYasha's eyes shot opened before narrowing into slits. He craned his head around on its perch of his interlaced fingers and sought out the tail-fluff of the kitsune. Miroku's own eyes widened when he realized he might have gotten the boy into trouble. But before he could even begin to make amends for the slip the hanyou opened his mouth.

 

“Shippou.” The hanyou called. Miroku began to worry, InuYasha's voice was annoyed but devoid of anger, which was odd in and of itself where the hanyou was concerned.

 

The kit bounded over, arms full of flowers tied together in all sorts of shapes and dropped them before gingerly leaping onto the chest of the reclining hanyou, a guilty look upon his face.

 

“That was why you were crying this morning?”

 

The kit nodded sadly, fighting not to cringe as he expected loud reprisal from the hanyou or a bonk to his tiny skull.

 

“Fuck, runt, it wasn't that important.”

 

Shippou's eyes widened and latched onto the burning golden gaze of his papa, curiosity filling his green eyes to the brim.

 

“Here's a new rule, Shippou.” Shippou glowered, he didn't want new rules. “From now on if you've got two options and one is crying, take the other fucking option!”

 

Shippou giggled and smiled at the serious look on the InuYasha's face. Even Miroku found himself fighting a smile. The inu hanyou could say it was because men didn't cry and play tough all he wanted, he wasn't fooling anybody.

 

“So,” Miroku began, “you aren't denying it?”

 

“Keh. It'd take too much energy to think up a good bullshit story. And Kagome'd turn me into a fucking crater if I outright lied to her.” He said as he relaxed and shut his eyes again, the happy kit still sitting on his chest.

 

Miroku nodded sagely. “Yes, I do recall most of your dishonesty comes by way of omission.”

 

“Oi! What the fuck does that mean bouzo?!” InuYasha glared angrily up at the monk without bothering to move from his comfortable position.

 

“Just that you have your honor and do not concoct lies, that instead you do not always reveal the entire truth.”

 

“Keh. When it's none of your business you don't fucking need to know.” Again he closed his eyes and contentedly soaked up he sun's warming rays.

 

Shippou poked his comfortable red seat hesitantly and waited until InuYasha's golden gaze was on him before he spoke.

 

“Does this mean I can call you `papa' now?” Once more the hanyou closed his eyes, mildly surprised at himself for not being thoroughly enraged at all these interruptions to what should have been peaceful alone time.

 

“Keh.”

 

Shippou nodded his head once, as though that had been the answer he was hoping for, before hopping off his father and sitting beside him, his attention once again on the flowers he had gathered.

 

Miroku waited a handful of minutes before opening his mouth again.

 

“Were you going to answer my question, InuYasha?”

 

The hanyou's brow furrowed in confusion momentarily.

 

“Oh, keh, the kid asked.”

 

Having heard the conversation the kit's head popped up to object.

 

“I did not! I asked what we are `cause I was confused!”

 

“Same difference, shut up, runt.” InuYasha squinted up at Miroku and saw the monk open his mouth to ask more questions. “Look, I had a shitty childhood. Kagome's already adopted the brat, what's the big deal if I decide to teach him what she can't?”

 

Miroku closed his mouth, a contemplative expression crossing his face. It was InuYasha's way to downplay what he did, but he wasn't denying anything. He had purposefully taken on the extra responsibility for the kit, not expecting to get anything in return. Or was he? Miroku wondered smugly. Perhaps it was the proverbial two birds with one stone. The kit would learn to be independent and behave, and certainly Kagome would notice. Miroku admitted to himself in the hanyou's place he would have done the same thing.

 

When Shippou scampered off to pick more flowers Miroku gazed back at the hanyou who looked to be asleep in the midday sun. Miroku knew better.

 

“So,” he began slyly, “adopting Shippou had absolutely nothing to do with your feelings for Kagome?”

 

“Keh. Don't know what the fuck you're talking about, monk.”

 

“Surely InuYasha, you've noticed how divinely beautiful lady Kagome is. How pure her heart and soul are. From her perfectly sculpted legs, which she is kind enough to show us daily, to her—“

 

“Miroku!”

 

InuYasha's eyes were open and glaring at the monk beside him as he growled his warning.

 

Miroku threw his hands up, conceding immediately.

 

“Easy, my friend. I just meant that your feelings for her are obvious, even to our enemies. And if it is so obvious that Naraku tries to use her against you perhaps you can at least be honest with your friends.”

 

The sly, pleading look in Miroku's eyes set the hanyou's teeth on edge. The monk was swiftly wearing through his patience, just like he knew he would when he found out.

 

“This wasn't for Kagome.” He growled. “It was for Shippou.”

 

“I apologize InuYasha, I stand corrected.” InuYasha continued glaring at Miroku, and the monk wracked his brain for a safer topic.

 

“So have you thought about the ceremony tonight? Who are you going to mark?”

 

InuYasha smirked, the irritation wiped clean from his face at the idea of making the bouzo uncomfortable.

 

“You.”

 

“Why me?” If not for InuYasha's superb hearing he would have missed the tremors in Miroku's voice. The hanyou's smirk widened as he explained.

 

“One, you're in the most danger when I transform because you're the only other adult male. Two, Myouga had once said the youkai blood makes humans a bit stronger, and faster, along with the regenerating properties which tie you to me. I dunno if it's true but if I mark Sango before you there's the possibility she'll get stronger, she might kill you. If I mark you first she'll do less damage to your hentai ass until she's marked too. And three, marking is supposed to be the forging of an,” InuYasha hesitated, “intimate bond of absolute trust between the two. Last thing I need is to go to try to mark one of the girls and have the other one scream at me like I'm doing something perverted. This way they can see what it will be like and not freak out on me when I go to mark them.”

 

Miroku was speechless. Not only was it concise and to the point, it was logical and well thought out. Something fundamental had changed subtly within him. He was still their hanyou. But he was different as well.

 

And while he didn't want to be in an intimate embrace with his friend, he knew the hanyou was smitten with the young miko and had a feeling InuYasha was as uncomfortable as he was.

 

Time stretched on, neither male quite comfortable enough to break the silence. Eventually though Miroku did summon his voice and begin trying to pull InuYasha into a conversation, but the hanyou's grunted answers and one word replies quickly stymied his attempts. Miroku mused silently, I cannot deny he has changed since adopting Shippou, but he hasn't changed all that much…

 

As the sun was about to kiss the horizon the hanyou stood and called to the kit before making his way casually back to the village. When the monk saw what was happening he stood quickly and caught up to his friends, his anxious feelings magnifying as night approached.

 

InuYasha pretended not to notice as his friend got more and more agitated. He didn't imagine he would be cool, calm and collected were the situations reversed.

 

InuYasha was dumbstruck when he entered the old miko's humble home. The main room had been swept clean and a dark scarlet rug was spread across the floor. Between the rug and the walls, far enough from either to not be a fire hazard, happy little candles flickered. They were a mellow yellowish color and gave off the heady scent of vanilla. They were different heights, from two to four inches, and InuYasha's mind flicked back to Kagome's room in her home. He had remembered seeing the candles before and wondering why she needed them when her home had those crazy lights that came out of flameless lamps. When the fuck did she go back and get those?

 

For once even InuYasha had to admit he could feel the `atmosphere' in the room. The thought made him shudder. He was about to perform a ceremony he had barely listened to Myouga explain that was supposed to be driven by instinct with Miroku, and now he understood Kagome's whole concept of `mood.' He didn't want to romanticize this! Miroku might grab his ass if the `mood' is as important and influential as Kagome claimed!

 

Under the scent drifting through the air, thanks to the candles, InuYasha caught the scent of food, which made his stomach growl fiercely.

 

Thankful for the distraction, the companions all sat down to a rather uneasy meal, the tension between them as blaringly obvious as the puppy ears on the hanyou's head which flicked back and forth in his agitation.

 

All too soon for the males comfort, the meal was over and the womenfolk were surreptitiously sending curious glances at them every few seconds. Finally InuYasha couldn't take the looks anymore.

 

He glanced outside to make sure the moon was full and floating gaily through the night sky before turning back to his companions.

 

“Alright, Miroku, get the fuck over here. No point in dragging this out.” Kaede placed a dark cloth down in the middle of the rug and retreated to sit by the girls so she could observe.

 

“Ye said there would be bloodshed. I'd appreciate ye not getting it everywhere if ye can.” Miroku paled visibly at the thought of his blood coating Kaede's walls, he shook himself of such thoughts, the hanyou was his best friend and was not about to kill him.

 

As Miroku nodded he heard Kagome ask, “Why him?”

 

“'Cause if the bond makes ningens stronger Sango could kill him if she's marked first. Not to mention you'd `sit' me if you thought I was doing something ecchi to you or her. So you two watch this one so you'll know what to expect when I do it to you.” And more under his breath than anything he muttered, “'Cause the last thing I need is to get sat during some dangerous youkai shit.” But it didn't stop everyone from hearing him.

 

Slowly, taking the time to think and watching his hands move on autopilot, Miroku removed his outer robe and handed it and his weapon to Sango. He loosened his remaining clothing and noticed Sango blush and turn away. He couldn't help but smirk, it wouldn't be long now before Sango could begin taking those pills Kagome brought back and then they could be wed, and he could think of a great many things to make her blush even further.

 

InuYasha stifled a growl as he picked up on Miroku's arousal. It was bad enough when he could smell it, he prayed he wouldn't gain the ability to feel it, or worse—that the ceremony was the cause. He fought a shudder. Stupid fucking bouzo.

 

InuYasha dropped the Tetsusaiga beside Kagome, not wanting it to interfere with his demon blood, and crouched over the material Kaede had laid down and waited for Miroku sit in front of him with his back to the hanyou.

 

InuYasha moved forward, one leg under him and the other keeping him steady. Miroku's eyes darted to the side and saw the red-clad knee as the hanyou came up on him. Miroku closed his eyes and began to meditate, not knowing what to expect.

 

The monk swallowed convulsively as a clawed hand grabbed him by the throat to hold him still, the warm breath fluttering across the back of his neck making him shudder. He felt a single claw pull the back of his robes. The lone claw then traced a pattern on his skin at the base of his neck. A wave of gooseflesh swept over Miroku as he felt the youki, the design was being powered by InuYasha's demon blood, the lines of the delicate scratches fairly thrumming with power.

 

Miroku felt his stomach clench uncomfortably as the hand that was tracing ancient patterns on his skin snaked around his torso to hold his body flush against the crouched hanyou whose breathing had become labored. He couldn't move, he was completely at InuYasha's mercy. Even his ability to breathe was now a gift from the hanyou, and it would be that way until he was released.

 

InuYasha felt his fangs grow and growled low, a strange bloodlust sweeping through him. Before he could lose himself in the new feelings he sunk his fangs into Miroku's flesh right over the youki patterns he had placed there.

 

Kagome, Sango, Kaede and even little Shippou gasped and jumped. Miroku's body jerked violently and looked to be struggling in the hanyou's iron grip before going limp. They thought something had gone wrong, that InuYasha might have not done it properly and killed his friend. It sure looked like the houshi had died.

 

InuYasha released his grip and Miroku tumbled face first to the floor, unconscious. Under his little dragon-tail was a steadily growing pool of blood.

 

Sango went to go and check on him but was stopped by the most vicious growl she had ever heard. She looked up, eyes wide, at the hanyou sitting on his haunches.

 

“Don't.” She heard Shippou whisper.

 

InuYasha lifted his head and his companions saw what the kit already knew.

 

The InuYasha that sat in front of them, over the prone body of their friend, was a full demon.

 

A full demon with blood dripping from his chin.

 

His eyes sparkled with malice, begging one of them to misstep, to give him a reason to react.

 

 

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A/N: I wanted to make this chapter longer than normal to make up for the 2 page author's note/review response section and the gigantic delay. A HUGE apology to all of my wonderful readers, especially the wonderful people who emailed me(you know who you are). Life has thrown me so many loops the months of April and May were a huge roller coaster for me. For anyone who cares, here's what happened: My 80 yr old grandfather came and spent about 10 days. He's blind and almost deaf and I had 3 dogs, 3 cats and numerous tables and furniture with dangerous corners(not to mention my BLADED WEAPON COLLECTION)…Ok, so after he left my mother informs me she's having a barbecue on the weekend, she's expecting about 10 people. I remind her she doesn't have a barbecue, she drags me shopping. I then spend a Saturday assembling the damn thing, and everyone calls to cancel Sunday morning. So there was no barbecue. Then it was my birthday(April 24th) and all of my friends and family insist on celebrating, but nobody wants to share me, so I ended up spending one day with each friend or geographically close family member who wanted to see me. And then my uncle calls, they're having problems with my cousin again. But circumstances have changed. My uncle is now working in San Francisco. But he lives down in south Cali. He drives up north every Sunday, spends the week working and drives back down to see his wife every Friday night, spends the weekends at his home. To sleep during the week he rents a tiny little bachelor pad type appt. Well he moved my cousin up to Frisco so the boy goes to school up there, but my uncle had a seminar to attend, he wasn't going up to Frisco that week and didn't want to leave my cousin home alone all week, but neither could they afford to let him miss school. So I flew up to baby-sit him for the week. It was horrendous, the place was a one bedroom, one bathroom, 3 room appt and there were no beds, no couches, no toaster or microwave, no real tables(one very unsteady coffee table thingy), they had no vacuum, no duster, 1 sponge…let me try to shorten this horror story by saying it was a woman's worst nightmare. Not to mention the roofers who were working on our roof or the surrounding roofs all week, starting at 6:30am. Then throw into that the fact that my cousin's mental hang-ups seem to be getting worse, instead of talking to me like he used to, he's begun lumping me in with the rest of the adults in his life who don't seem to give a sh*t, so there was maybe 3 or 4 screaming matches. And of course the whole time I'm there, not getting paid, because I love him and he's family, and he's determined to drive everyone who cares about him away. Thank gods he's still under 18 or he'd be in jail by now(thanks to his last ridiculous escapade), as it is he's been expelled from countless schools and been in and out of police stations since he was 12. My mother says that he'll hit 18, go to jail once for something stupid, some very large convict will make him a lovely bride and by the time he gets out he'll be very determined not to go back. And while the audacity of my mother even suggesting something as crass as prison rape made me giggle uncomfortably(my mother is very Betty White-ish and her language alone had my jaw on the floor) the idea of it happening to my cousin just doesn't seem to assuage my unease. I want to save him from himself, but I can't, and it hurts. And the straw that broke the camel's back, the final trial April and May sent my way, was my oldest cat. I woke up one morning and there's blood splatter all over the floor, and I notice an awful growth under my cat's tongue, literally pushing it out of the way. Hoping it's nothing more serious than a nasty food allergy to this new food I bought I rushed her to the vet. It was cancer. That particular cancer showed no outward signs until it was terminal, the vet said there was a $2,000 procedure that could remove the part in her mouth, but that it was a losing battle and the cancer would just continue to eat away at her mouth and throat until she couldn't eat. According to the vet if the cancer didn't kill her, she would slowly starve to death as the cancer made it too painful to eat. Now, I just turned 23, I'd had that cat 14 or 15 years. She was anywhere from 2 to 6 years old when we got her. I can remember finally getting my parents to agree to having a cat again after the last hell raiser tore up my dad's old LP's…that Sunday mother and I were on our way to an animal shelter when we saw a banner above a pet store. We parked the car and went over, curious to see what was going on. It was a last chance adoption. There were 4 dogs and 2 cats. 3 of the dogs had already been adopted. Now for anyone who doesn't know what last chance adoptions are, they are heartbreaking in the extreme. These are pets who have sat at the shelter so long the are scheduled to be put down(yes, killed) on the following Monday if no one adopts them that weekend. That's where I found my cat. She was a rescue, her old owners had been cruel and so she was scared, shy, unwanted. But for some reason, I went up to her cage and meowed at her and she meowed back. She was a tortoise shell calico, meaning Buyo with no white, just the cream and black, not my favorite type of cat. The woman even warned me not to stick my hand in the cage, but I did, and she purred and head butted my hand. She had been tortured and was afraid of everything, but from the very first second she responded to me. She lived under my bed the first year, afraid. But for the rest of her life she had her own little pillow on the foot of my bed where she slept. My mother had affectionately named her FatCat, because she was underweight when we adopted her but fattened right up with some love, for most of her life she was about 12 pounds. So maybe now you understand, at least a little bit, how I felt when I heard this very jolly, happy, helpful vet in a somber and depressed voice telling me the cancer would kill my cat or make her starve herself to death and the only kind option I had left was to put her down. The only solace I find at this moment is the knowledge that without me she would have been dead 15 years ago for no reason whatsoever, and that she had time to get over the abuse and enjoy life again before it ended. So I am very sorry you guys had to wait this long for a new chapter, I just didn't have time, and my heart just hasn't been in it(truth to tell writing still feels like pulling teeth atm, so no promises on the next chappie).

 

Ronnika - I love hearing from new people, glad you like.

 

Kajunmom76, GinaCat, Cricket42, and primalhunger - Thank you, thank you, thank you. =) (Btw Cricket, I've started to associate you with Crikee, the cricket in Mulan, just so you know lol)

 

Good observations, Snowfall, and I sincerely hope you're safe and not living out the wizard of oz with those tornados =)

 

Leila-chan - I sent a few emails(one of which to Kiki) and check the myspace group hun, I believe Luc might just be mad. >.<(wow this is a real old reply, not going to delete it though, oh well lol)

 

Fyrloche - Your insight is uncanny. I'm not telling you which part or parts were right, but I am telling you you're too darn smart lol *hug* And I apologize for not reading your stuff yet, if you didn't read my A/N let me just say I've been busy and drained lately.

 

Thank you Golden_Kitsune, I thought the caterpillar thing was cute too, and it came from nowhere, it wasn't planned, it just showed up =)

 

Inuyashaloverr - Well you're older than I am, that much I know, but my friends end up being anywhere between 4 and 40 years older than I am. Unless I'm in a happy hyper mood and acting 16 I don't get along too well with people my age, with some exceptions I find the majority are too immature for me lol

 

J.A.S.G. - Your reviews are always so cute, I love it. Thank you. And it was my impression that Kags never talks much about Inu going demon, I think after they all learned as much as possible about it she just tries to understand the why behind it without bringing it up and making him feel worse about it. But that's just my impression, I may be wrong hehe

 

Piett600 - Thank you, a hundred times, thank you. I was momentarily speechless. I'm flattered and only hope I can live up to what you have grown to expect from me.

 

Bulma - I hope you're alright, as you were nonspecific about how you and the military are connected all I can do is wish this new chapter finds you well. Yes, the Fluffmeister will be in both of my current stories, just not immediately. I'm not a fan of dumping all of the characters together and springing zillions of plots on a reader at once, I like the gradual approach. That and I may need to ask for a beta to help make sure I keep Fluffy in character in this fic, he's one of the most intriguing characters and I won't write him in if I feel I can't do him justice.

 

Dangersque - You're right, Kagome is being a hypocrite, but it's for a reason hehe Actually everything is for a reason and I hope it all makes sense as it's revealed. And about `indefatigable', I'm glad you brought it up, I like when my readers care enough to try to make my work better, but: indefatigable- Etymology: Middle French, from Latin indefatigabilis, from in- + defatigare to fatigue, from de- + fatigare to fatigue
: incapable of being fatigued : UNTIRING. At first glance I think anyone would agree with you, the prefixes in- and de- seem to pull a double negative on the word fatigue, but as you can see from the dictionary excerpt it is not as it would first appear.

 

And as a final response: EEEP! InuGrrrl's here! If I thought writing for Wendy and Courtney and Luc was hard, fuck! That's a lot of pressure! lol…Actually I'm kidding, Kiki you were one of those writers that I was too intimidated to even leave a review for, for fear of sounding like a twit, back when I began reading fanfics. Screw grammar and spelling, you're unbelievably talented and just knowing you've like my stories is grin-inducing. I was grinning from your first review to your last. I had been planning/thinking about a story very close to yours, the Kotodama mini story, but when you posted yours I didn't want anyone thinking I'd just ripped it so I'm trying to work in those story ideas in here and be original as possible. I'm thinking you'll like that bit when I get there lol

 

 

 

 

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