InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Small Moments ❯ The Spoils ( Chapter 15 )

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Miroku carefully slid the door open. Not far, barely the width of one finger, but just enough to create an opening he could peer through. He waited for a moment, half expecting a shout of outrage and for the door to be slammed all the way shut again, but no sound was forthcoming.

Cautiously, he pressed his face close to the door and looked through the hole he had made. The room's two occupants gave no sign of being aware of his presence. They were supposed to be changing into dry clothes after last night's battle with the impostor water god, but they were being woefully slow about it; Kagome was chattering excitedly, thrilled at the conclusion of the battle, while Sango merely forced a smile and nodded agreement.

And neither of them was taking her clothes off. Miroku sighed. Just his luck: a prime viewing opportunity, and no action.

But he was not about to give up yet, and a few minutes later his patience paid off. Kagome turned to dig a new set of her strange clothes out of her pack, and Sango began the - apparently laborious - process of stripping out of her armor. It seemed to Miroku that she had gotten into it a lot more quickly than she was getting out of it. Maybe it was his eagerness showing through, or perhaps she was just taking her time when she had the luxury of doing so.

She knelt to remove each of the various pads, guards, and braces that she wore on top of whatever that wonderfully tight black thing was, carefully folding up the ties and storing all the pieces in her travel bag, from which she had already removed her kosode, as she went. And then she was standing, her fingers working the hidden clasps at the neck that kept the black suit securely closed. She slipped one arm out, then the other, and eased the material down her torso and over her hips. The thick, damp fabric hit the floor with a soft squish; Miroku released the breath he had been unconsciously holding, and with it an appreciative murmur. "Ah, very nice..."

"Just what do you think you're doing, monk?"

Miroku glanced over for a second, grateful that Inuyasha at least had the decency to whisper. "The wound in Sango's back is healing nicely," he said, keeping his voice smooth and quiet.

"That better be all you're looking at." The hanyou was leaning against the wall nearby, his eyes closed, and yet Miroku got the distinct impression that Inuyasha would know if he did anything he was not supposed to. "Besides," Inuyasha went on, "the village head's waiting for you."

He was right, of course, but Miroku wasn't about to tell him that. They had plenty of time, considering they still had no leads on Naraku or any jewel shards, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to indulge himself a little once in a while... especially after the harrowing battle they had just been through. The village head could wait a few minutes.

He turned his gaze back through the slit in the door.

Sango had shifted a bit, blocking his view of Kagome, but he found he didn't mind. Kagome was already dressed anyway, and Sango had the sort of physique he had only seen in his dreams: luscious curves, with an ass so perfect he itched to squeeze it - and he was sorely tempted to indulge that desire even if it meant earning another slap to the face. Without her armor, she was soft and feminine, but when she moved he could see the steely muscle underneath.

Oh yes, he was more than glad she had joined the group, if only for the eye-candy and fuel for his fantasies she was sure to provide. The things that woman could probably do to a man, when properly persuaded...

"You know, I almost hope they catch you," Inuyasha said, louder this time. "It would serve you right to get your ass kicked."

"You could give it a try sometime, you know," he responded, delighting in the bright red hue that overtook Inuyasha's face at the mere suggestion of spying on Kagome. Getting a rise out of him was almost too easy. "It might be good for you."

"Just... go talk with the village head!" Inuyasha sputtered. "The sooner you take care of that, the sooner we can leave."

Miroku was grinning as headed into town. Between the wondrous view he had been treated to back at the inn and the promise of a sizable reward for their heroism, today was shaping up to be a pretty good day. There was a spring in his step and the chiming of the rings on his staff seemed especially cheerful as he looked for the spot where the village head had requested to meet with him.

It was not difficult to find. A large group of villagers, everyone who could put their work off for a few hours, had gathered there, milling about as they waited for word from their saviors. It sounded funny when he thought about it that way, but in defeating the fake water god they really had done something good for this village. He did not even mind being elected as the group's official mediator.

As he slipped into the crowd, the headman noticed him right away. He waded into the crowd himself, and led Miroku to the front, where an open space had been cleared for the presentation of the reward. Miroku thought it was a lot of fuss for something that ought to have been handled privately; then again, the headman was probably making a big show of being generous in front of his people... even though by now they all probably knew just how selfish and cowardly the man really was.

"We owe you a great debt for saving my son - and our village - from the fake Suijin," the headman said grandly, pressing a pouch filled with coins into Miroku's palm. "Please accept this as a token of our gratitude."

Miroku kept his expression carefully neutral, but on the inside he was frowning. If this was all the coin they could spare, they would have been better off giving rice or other supplies. This amount would fetch a night at an inn, maybe two, and a couple of meals, but no more. They would not get far on this. And, more importantly, the group's combined skills were worth far more than this paltry sum. A Taijiya alone would fetch more for her services.

And a man wealthy enough to not only employ servants, but attempt to sacrifice their children, could surely spare more than this.

He accepted the reward with as much grace as possible, but his mind was already racing, seeking a way to turn this to his advantage - and found it in a passel of curious villagers that lingered nearby, eager to hear the story of the fake Suijin's undoing. Miroku smirked. The village head had wandered off a short distance, but he was keeping a keen eye on the visitor, watchful lest his secret be revealed; perhaps his tune would change if Miroku gave a little shove.

One of the villagers in the group was a likely looking young woman, who was quite comely and seemingly unattached. Miroku inched toward the group as if it were the most natural thing in the world, angling for the young woman.

"Excuse me, my lady," he said when he was close enough.

She turned, a slightly confused expression on her face, and he caught her hand in both of his, his grip at once firm and gentle. "Would you do me the honor of bearing my child?" he asked.

It took her a moment to process the question. When she realized what he had requested of her, her face flushed a pretty shade of pink and she stammered, "What? Isn't that a little forward, Houshi-sama?"

Forward... perhaps. But it had certainly got their attention. The other villagers suddenly pressed closer around him, their expressions curious, some of them even being so bold as to openly ask for the tale of last night's battle.

Miroku smiled and let the young woman pull away from him, though he rather wished she had given him a proper answer to his question, turning to the other villagers instead. "Ah, you see," he said, "my friends and I were traveling this way on our own quest, when we came across the sacrificial procession..."

He got no further than that before the village head insinuated himself directly beside him, whispering, "Stop talking, monk."

Miroku gave him a pointedly innocent look.

"Perhaps a more... sufficient reward can be arranged," the headman continued, flustered but keeping his voice hushed. "Come with me, please..."

To the villagers, Miroku quickly summed up the battle: "We couldn't just allow a monster to keep devouring innocent children, so we put a stop to it."

If any of the villagers were suspicious about the sudden tension in the air as the headman led Miroku into his house, they were wise enough not to mention it.

-x-

A while later, Miroku found himself waiting for his companions outside the inn, with a horse, a cart, and assorted household goods - the only things the headman, stingy bastard, would part with - in tow. Truthfully, he was most grateful for the horse. The others had taken the opportunity to rest a bit while he was haggling for their reward; at least this way he would not have to walk.

He planned to sell the rest of the supplies the first chance he got. Having such supplies would be useful, but they needed to travel quickly and lightly; a cart would only slow them down and get in the way. The horse might be a problem, too, but he would be sad to see it go. He rather liked the idea of riding, rather than walking, for a change.

It wasn't long before Inuyasha emerged from the inn, with Shippou hitching a ride on his shoulder. The young fox demon quickly clambered up on top of the cart, enjoying the novelty of riding on a vehicle instead of being carried by one of his companions. The girls followed a few moments later, though both were, rather disappointingly, fully clothed.

As they set off, all of them seemed to be reluctant to mention the massive pile of loot Miroku had secured as their reward. They even made it quite some distance down the road before Inuyasha started grumbling.

"What a nasty side-trip."

"It's not so bad," Miroku countered. "After all, we did save many lives."

The hanyou stopped walking and glowered up at him. "So what's with all the junk, then?"

"Oh, that."

The girls, who who had been walking in front of them thus far, stopped to listen, too.

"As you know, since we did such great work for the village head on behalf of his son," he told them, "he thought we deserved a reward for our efforts."

Inuyasha's look turned skeptical.

"I was just about to tell the villagers about what happened, when suddenly the headman decided we might be better off with a bigger reward," Miroku went on. "He didn't seem to want them to know about how he switched the children for the sacrifice..."

"Hey, wait a minute, that's blackmail, isn't it?" Inuyasha said, scowling. Miroku only shrugged in response. Up ahead, Sango whispered something to Kagome, an angry look on her face. Kagome only muttered something under her breath in response, her posture radiating disapproval.

Miroku gave an exaggerated sigh. Somehow, he knew the girls were talking about him, a suspicion that was confirmed when they both turned back to glare at him for several long seconds. "What's with them? It's like they don't appreciate anything I do!" he moaned, hoping to find a halfway sympathetic ear in his hanyou companion.

"Can't imagine why," Inuyasha sneered.

"You're right," Miroku mused. "These rewards aren't very exciting. But just think of the fun we could have if we sold all this stuff..."

Resigned now to his inability to put a stop to the monk's more questionable behavior, Inuyasha shook his head. "It's like you get worse every time you open your mouth."