InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pure ❯ The Exterminator and the Monk ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Kagome stood up, glancing around her room hopefully. There were no visible signs that InuYasha had ever decided to stop in and visit, r come back for her, and it had been three days since their...well...she wasn’t sure what to call it. 'Oh, man,' Kagome thought miserably, 'he must really hate me!' Not that she could blame him. But...if he wasn’t such a BAKA!!! No, she couldn’t blame this on him. It was her fault. So she had to fix it. She nodded her head in approval, she made up her mind. She was going back to the feudal era to make things right. She gathered her things slowly, remembering she had a few things yet to finish in her time so this trip would have to be quick. Shoving a few packets of ramen into her bag, she smiled to herself. She knew she couldn’t live long without him, even three measly days. For some reason, that discovery gave her comfort. She knew it in her heart, he was the one. Always had been, always would be.

"Bye, mama!" Kagome called out to her mother as she ran towards the well house. "I won't be long!" She opened the door of the small wooden hut and peered cautiously into the well. "Hmm. Maybe I could put this off for a little while..." she gulped nervously. "No. No, I have to go apologize. Now." She told herself this, but couldn't get her legs to respond. "Any minute now, I will go down that well..." She sighed hopelessly. Why was this so hard? It shouldn’t be. She swung her legs over the side, and took a deep breath, as if she were about to plunge into and endless sea. "Okay, girl, let's go." she hopped into the well, the time slip engulfing her, and as she floated in the gap between five hundred years, she saw something that made her look twice. "I-InuYasha?" she murmured, shocked. He stood (well, not really STOOD, seeing as they’re in this bluish floaty space thingy...) there next to her, looking just as surprised.
"Keh." was all he said in response. Staring at one another, neither of them spoke as their feet landed softly on the ground of the well in the feudal era. She blushed and looked away, hitting herself mental for not thinking about what she was going to say to him.

"Um...InuYasha, I just...I came here to..." InuYasha stood, silently, waiting for her. He was so used to that now, waiting...just for her. "Well, what I mean is...I...what I said earlier..." InuYasha snorted.

"Don't choke on it." There was a trace of seriousness in his voice, and not the slightest bit of sarcasm. He wasn't going to ignore this any more than she was.

"I'm...I'm so sorry." She could feel her eyes sting with tears, but she didn't dare let them fall down her cheeks. InuYasha shifted uncomfortably, always unsure what to say to that.

"Don't worry bout it. No harm done." Kagome looked up, an expression of complete and total shock on her face.

"I...I...InuYasha?" Was he...being nice? Since when had he been this forgiving. He blushed and turned his back to her. Their feet touched ground, and Kagome wasn't really sure if they were in the feudal era or still in her time. InuYasha sniffed and grunted contently, which Kagome took as a sign that they were back in InuYasha'a time.

"Are you gettin on, or are we gonna spend the whole day down here?" Kagome felt herself smile, and hopped on his back.

"InuYasha? Umm...th-thank you..." He snorted. She sighed contently, and didn't see the grin growing on the hanyou's face.

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Sango looked up suddenly, grinning. Approaching Kaede's hut slowly were one smiling, up-beat teenage girl and one seemingly disgruntled hanyou. She stood and waved at her friends, and Kagome smiled and returned the gesture. It was true, Kagome loved her visits to her era, but she always missed Sango while she was away. She thought of Sango as more than just another friend...she was truly her sister. As she neared the exterminator, she studied her face curiously- Sango was a naturally happy person, but at the moment she was positively glowing. Before Kagome had a chance to investigate, Sango pulled her gently aside. She leaned in and whispered,
"We should talk!" Kagome smiled and turned back to InuYasha.
"I'll be right back." InuYasha snorted.
"Keh." Kagome and Sango began to walk away, and InuYasha stared after them. "But you better not go too far! We got work to-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Kagome called in response, glad they were back to normal after their small (yet painful) feud. "Ignore him. So, what do you want to talk about?" Sango lead Kagome to a tree and sat down against it's solid trunk, quickly scanning the vicinity for listening ears. When she was sure there was no one but herself and Kagome, she turned to face her friend eagerly.
"I was so excited, I couldn't wait for you to get back! If I don't tell someone soon, I think I might explode!" Kagome stared at Sango in bewilderment- it was adorable, she was acting like an elementary school kid with a crush! What could have possibly made her this giddy? "It happened last night," she began to explain, a dreamy expression on her face. "I was sitting in Kaede's hut, trying to sleep..."
*flashback*

Sango sat against the wall of the hut, contemplating. She had given up on sleep a while ago, and took this time of the night to think. There was, after all, a lot to think about...Kohaku still missing, the shikon no tama not working...and, of course, InuYasha and Kagome. She shook her head, smiling. How could two people possibly be that clueless? Everyone else knew how they felt about each other, so why didn't they just do something about it? She sighed heavily- she was being hypocritical. She never confessed her love to the monk. She knew she loved him, and she was positive he knew it too. But what had she ever done about it? When had she ever told him...would it be too late? As if one cue, a silluote appeared in the doorway of the hut, yanking her roughly back to reality. She stood only to find that the figure in the doorway was none other than the very same monk she had just been thinking about. She smiled politely at him, until she got a better look at his face. He was staring almost bashfully at the ground, refusing to meet her gaze. There was defiantly something different about him, but what was it? 'Miroku? Nervous?' Sango thought, laughing inwardly. 'that would never happen...' He spoke softly, but seriously, like he had come into that hut for a reason.
"Sango? Would you take a walk with me?" Sango looked at him, confused. Why would he be coming into her hut in the middle of the night to ask her to take a walk? There had to be a catch...nevertheless, she agreed and followed him out of the hut and into the cool, brisk night. The air hit them immediately, she could hardly believe how chilly it had gotten. The moon shone down on them silently, basking them in a calming silvery light. They walked a short distance without speaking, an unusual awkwardness filling the gap between the, and all the things unsaid were frightingly obvious at that moment. Miroku seemed oddly distraught, he still wouldn't look Sango in the eye. She stopped walking and touched his shoulder lightly.
"Houshi-sama? Are you alright?" He turned to face her, a serious and loving look in his eyes.
"Sango..." Sango looked at him blankly.
"Yes?"
"Sango... he said again, now unable to break her gaze. Her face flushed, and she suddenly regretted her decision to take this "walk". Silence filled the air once more, and this time it was Miroku who broke it. He took her hand in his and started to speak. "Sango, I know I can be a bit...overzealous when it comes to women." Sango held back a snort- if that wasn't an understatement, she didn't know what was. "And I know I'm not always the easiest person to trust, but..." he got down on one knee, still holding Sango's hand. "The battle of Naraku has ended, and as I promised it is time I confess my true feelings. I want to spend my life with you. I want to settle down, and start a family, and stop all of this...womanizing. You are so important to me, Sango. I...I love you. Will...will you marry me?" Sango couldn't believe her ears. She swore her heart stopped dead in her chest- her brain was telling her to respond, to say something, but her mouth couldn't form the words. She stared at him, shocked, and he stared back, eyes full of hope. She felt tears of absolute joy well up in her dark eyes, and she leapt suddenly at the monk, embracing him warmly.
"There is nothing I want more than to spend all of my days...as your wife." Miroku's face split into a grin, and his lips met hers, creating a kiss that was long overdue.

*end flashback*

Kagome's jaw dropped as Sango finished her story, and placed her hand on her heart.
"Oh, Sango! That's wonderful!" She exclaimed, embracing her friend. Sango stepped back, smiling.
"Thank you!" She cleared her throat. "If only everyone could follow in example..." Kagome sighed, not wanting this discussion again, and Sango let it drop. It was nice her friend cared, but...she had come to realize that any hope of a relationship between her and InuYasha was never going to happen...as long as Kikyou remained in his heart.
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Miroku approached the base of the Goshinboku tree cautiously, peering up into its branches. He caught sight of red cloth and grinned.

"InuYasha!" He called out merrily. "Come down! I have some exciting news I wish to share with you!" InuYasha groaned and hopped down from his current branch, looking at Miroku with a blank expression.

"What is it, Monk?" Miroku smiled.

"Well, as you know, I seem to have quite the gift when it comes to the female gender." InuYasha rolled his eyes impatiently, ready (and willing) to whip out his tetsusiga.

"Is this some kind of speech? Cuz I ain't got the time!" Miroku shook his head, smiling still.

"No, InuYasha, it is a matter of up most importance." InuYasha looked at him suspiciously, studying his expression.

"You’re actin' weird, monk, and I don't mean your usual weird." Miroku only smiled, his eyes distant and glassy.

"I won't bore you with the details," he said, unaware that the hanyou had even spoken, "but the gist of it is...I asked Sango to marry me." InuYasha's expression didn't change, he stared at Miroku blankly. Miroku continued, lost in his thoughts. "And she graciously accepted! We are soon-to-be husband and wife!" InuYasha's eyebrows raised. 'Man, Sango,' he thought, 'I wouldda thought you had more sense than that!'

"Well, I hope you aren't excepting a congratulations...cuz you ain't gettin' it.: Mikoru merely nodded contently and walked away, that stupid smile still on his face. InuYasha snorted in disgust. 'Stupid love-struck monk...' He hopped back up into the tree, pondering the new couple. 'if only Sango could see how crazy she makes this guy.' Leaning against the great old tree, he sighed with discontent. 'But...if you were with Kagome, you'd be like that too.' He knew it was true- she was the happiness in his life, and if he could love her...but what was the point? He fought this battle with himself far too much, always the same old thing- could Kagome ever love him? For some reason, a small part of him had some bit of hope, and he didn’t understand why. There was no hope, no chance at all...there was nothing more than raw passion and pointless yearning, a tainted soul that longed for something so pure.