InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strange Wishes ❯ Discomfort ( Chapter 2 )

InuYasha’s already shallow sleep was curtailed when he awoke at dawn feeling greatly unsettled. Only when he looked over at Kagome’s bed and spied her sleeping form did he remember why. He decided that she would feel better if he wasn’t in the room when she woke up, and so left by way of the flimsy door thing that humans were so fond of using.

Once outside Kagome’s room his mind became miraculously clear, or as clear as was possible with him, and the first thing to gain his attention was his stomach. After all, who could survive on a single bowl of ramen? Kagome’s village should’ve watered whatever plant that ramen grew on a lot more, because those ramen bowls were wimpier than Kouga. InuYasha stepped gracefully to the staircase and took the whole thing in one leap, padding his way toward where he had a good idea Kagome stashed the ramen, but mostly following his nose.

He located the noodle cups easily, pulling out three and placing them on the table, prying the lids off effortlessly with his razor-sharp claws. It didn’t take a genius to figure out how to work all the stuff in Kagome’s time, and so he confidently searched the kitchen for the fire and the water. After much deliberation however, he concluded that Kagome’s kitchen had run out of both, and was just about to go outside and get what he needed when a creaking on the stairs brought back his full attention.

One sniff told him Mrs. Higurashi was coming downstairs, and he contemplated running outside again for fear of an uncomfortable situation; it wasn’t like she liked him or anything. InuYasha suspected she probably disliked him for taking her daughter away down the well so often, and only tolerated him because Kagome did. By the time he had thought of this however, she had already spotted him, but she didn’t look the least bit mortified.

“Good Morning InuYasha. What are you doing up so early?” She asked, ever-aware of his propensity to stay the night, then noticed the open ramen containers, “Oh, were you hungry?”

“Uh...yeah,” InuYasha mumbled clumsily.

“I could pour you some cereal--ramen isn’t really a breakfast food,” At his dumbfounded look she waved that away. “I’ll help you make the ramen, shall I?” -* - * - *-

Kagome sighed when she opened her eyes, feeling somewhat downhearted, though she couldn’t remember as she looked around the room why that might have been.

At least I woke up at a decent time today, She reasoned, feeling better. When she stood up however, she was immediately reminded of the previous day and InuYasha upon seeing the calendar, Ugh.

She changed out of her day clothes from yesterday and into a pair of pink shorts and a plain sweater, then proceeded to toss her things into her trusty yellow backpack, assuming InuYasha would be hauling her through the well as soon as she found him, wherever he’d gotten off to. All the while she thought about the previous day, and wondered if she should try to apologize or at least talk to InuYasha about her behavior the night before. Finally, before leaving her room, she carefully slipped the necklace with the fragments of the Shikon jewel in a small bottle around her neck.

Kagome trundled to the stairs and was halfway down them when she stopped mid-step, listening to two familiar voices in the kitchen.

“--a silly thing to say InuYasha! I certainly don’t hate you,” Her mother was saying.

“You...you don’t?”

Kagome noticed InuYasha’s voice was slightly blocked, as if he were eating, Ramen.

“Of course not. Why would you think such a thing?”

Kagome heard InuYasha shift uncomfortably, “You know...I’m always taking Kagome away from you guys down the well and away from her tests and junk.”

“To be honest InuYasha, it doesn’t bother me,” Her mother told him warmly. “She’s safe with you and her other friends so I don’t worry, and I couldn’t possibly ask her to not go; she’s grown too attached to you all. Besides, she’s made it to high school and she has good marks even after going through the well for nearly two years.”

In the period of InuYasha’s shocked silence that followed Kagome entered the kitchen, book bag in tow, immediately garnering the wide-eyed gaze of the hanyou. It only lasted a millisecond however, before he turned away with a huff.

Duh, Kagome sighed, unwilling to acknowledge her relief as she turned away from him as well, he wants to pretend nothing happened last night.

She walked over to her mother, ignoring the feel of InuYasha’s eyes on her as she sat down.

“Good morning Dear. Will you be going down the well again today?” Her mother patted her arm.

It was InuYasha’s answer that came fastest, “Yep. That’s the plan.”

Kagome’s mother turned to her as InuYasha gathered up the empty ramen containers, “It’s been a nice visit. Have a good time, Kagome.”

“I will Mom,” She gave her mother a light hug before following InuYasha to the front door where she slipped on her shoes.

Kagome blinked as she slid the front door shut, absorbing the Shrine before her. The scene was more fresh and vibrant than she could remember it ever being. Everything was alive with the flavors of spring and drenched in water from the severe shower the night before. The sun sparkled on billions of glistening droplets rolling along the leaves and falling to the ground with bright splashes. As they made their way toward the well house InuYasha leapt up to swat the branches, sending droplets of water arcing over Kagome as she giggled, the morning sun creating prisms as it touched each bead of moisture.

“Mmm....” Kagome smiled as she breathed in the air, “It smells so nice out.”

InuYasha smiled too, glancing at the girl as they passed the Goshinboku, “Too bad you can’t try out my nose. You wouldn’t believe some of the smells flying around here.”

Kagome’s grandfather was already up and about sweeping the steps. He hailed the couple as they past, “What are you up to Kagome?”

“Going through the well for a while! Bye Grandpa!” She said as she skipped after the hanyou, who jumped up every now and then to disturb another tree branch.

When InuYasha led Kagome into the well house both had sufficiently more water in their hair than a minute earlier. Kagome grasped the rough wooden edge of the Bone Eater’s Well, staring into its ethereal depths. Only when InuYasha made a sound of impatience did she haul herself and her bag over the side and into the abyss wherein lay the world of youkai and jewel shards.

Kagome felt herself touch down on the other side of the well, relishing in all the sensations of the past that she had become so accustomed to. InuYasha appeared beside her, silently taking her yellow pack in his arms and jumping strait up and out of the well. Kagome followed at a crawl, climbing up the side.

As soon as she reached the top one clawed hand was offered for her to take, which she did, InuYasha pulling her out of the well easily and setting her on the earth beside her overly-stuffed knapsack.

“Kagome!” A high-pitched screech of delight reached them, and InuYasha released her hand. Kagome beamed at the small fox demon cresting the hill, running toward them against the pink-tinged morning sky with an ecstatic look on his childish face.

InuYasha rolled his eyes as Shippou hopped into Kagome’s arms and snuggled against her like a child would his mother, which was what she was to Shippou. The kitsune had grown significantly over the years, but was still the same frolicsome, imaginative, fluffy-tailed kit he’d always been.

InuYasha had grown as well. Kagome often pondered the changes he’d gone through since the first day they’d met and he’d attempted to slay her to get the jewel. He’d been truly cold back then, hardened by betrayal and ridicule and loneliness. Now however, she knew that his frigidity was only a cover up for the soft side he didn’t want just anyone to see.

“Shippou! Shippou, where are you?” Miroku’s smooth voice was accompanied by the jangling of his staff, causing the three heads by the well to turn in his direction as he traced Shippou’s route toward them, “Kagome, you’re back. My, it’s good to see you looking so well.”

InuYasha let loose a gravelly growl as the monk approached the group. Kagome looked down at herself, realizing that the reason Miroku was so glad to see her probably had more to do with her skimpy outfit than it did her health. Therefore when the monk stopped a good distance in front of them with his head bowed, not even groping her with his eyes much less his hands, she and her two demon companions were quite taken aback.

Having regained himself slightly, InuYasha bent to whisper in Kagome’s ear, “Told you he was acting weirder than normal.”

Kagome was in the middle of thinking this over when she caught a glimpse of Miroku’s face, “Oh my God, what happened to you?”

Miroku seemed alarmed as he attempted to cover his face whilst pivoting away from them, “What? Nothing, absolutely nothing!”

“Shit!” InuYasha exclaimed after he’d taken a step forward and prized Miroku’s hand from his face, only to take two steps back.

Miroku had acquired a handful of fairly fresh gashes across his face, and both eyes were swollen and bruised. His nose looked as if it had recently been bleeding. He was an all around train wreck.

“What the hell happened to you?” InuYasha asked uncertainly, “You didn’t look like this when I went down the well!”

Kagome glanced at InuYasha, unsure what to make of the poor bruised monk shifting nervously on his sandaled feet, “When did you leave? Miroku couldn’t have just gotten extremely clumsy all of a sudden.”

“Late morn--er--night! That’s beside the point!” He replied edgily, not meeting her eyes.

Kagome was confused at InuYasha’s answer, and she was thrown for another mental loop when Miroku completely overreacted to Shippou’s innocent statement.

“Miroku, go wake up Sango! She’ll want to see Kago--”

“Ah--No! I’m not going in there again! If you want your head bitten off you go and wake her up!” He cried, his eyes widening in an ambivalent combination of horror and incredulity between the folds of black and blue skin.

With that the monk turned, heading off toward the forest, and at the same time revealing a few nasty bumps on the back of his head as he stalked away with a grimace carved into his mouth.

“You weren’t kidding when you said he was acting weird. Sango too, from what Miroku says,” Kagome breathed. “Maybe we should go check on--”

“Oh yeah, and end up like him? I like my head how it’s shaped now, thanks,” InuYasha remarked cynically.

Shippou jumped from Kagome’s grasp, alighting on the hanyou’s shoulder, “It’s okay, you’re safe. She’s only picking on Miroku,” He then added with a giddy smile and a sideways glance at InuYasha, “Give you three guesses why.”

“I think ‘picking on’ is an understatement.” Kagome contradicted, her eyes following the progress of the limping Houshi into the trees, not at all surprised when she heard Shippou’s frightened wail at being tossed from the hanyou’s good graces.

“InuYasha! Why’d you do that?” Shippou piped from his seat on the ground, rubbing his sore bottom.

“Keh!” Was InuYasha’s only reply. “Well, if Sango’s not going to murder us then let’s go see if we can get some intelligible answers out of her.”

Upon reaching Kaede’s hut their eyes immediately found a sleeping Kirara curled up against the backdrop of the door flap. Her deep red eyes cracked open, running apathetically over Kagome and Shippou, but when she spotted InuYasha she gave a conspiratorial hiss and leapt toward him in a flash of adorably sharp claws and miniscule teeth.

“What the hell--Kirara!” InuYasha said as he caught the tiny cat demon in his claws, holding her at arm’s length as she swiped at him furiously.

“It’s alright, Kirara,” Came Sango’s exasperated voice. “You can let them in so long as the Houshi’s not with them.”

Kirara ceased her assault on the hanyou with almost humorous celerity, rubbing against his arms and purring in what seemed to be apology. InuYasha placed the two-tailed cat gently on the ground and followed Kagome and Shippou through he door.

The kit hopped to Sango’s side joyously, “Sango! Kagome’s back! Are you feeling better?”

Sango looked up at Kagome with a tired smile, “Better than yesterday.”

Kagome was about to start asking Sango about her and Miroku’s trip to her former village when her ears picked up InuYasha’s barely breathed words.

“No way,” He said, his gaze fixed on Sango, probably not realizing he’d been speaking out loud.

“What is it, InuYasha?” Kagome asked, glancing between the hanyou and the taijiya, whose face took on a tenebrous frown. Shippou’s intense gaze kept moving between the three adults expectantly.

InuYasha seemed to rise up out of a deep chasm of thought, “Uh...I’m gonna go find Miroku.”

He twisted abruptly and left the hut, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

“Oh no...,” Sango sighed, wringing her hands in her blanket, drawing Kagome’s gaze away from the door with her quietly uttered lament.

“Sango...what’s going on? Is something wrong?”

The demon-slayer met her gaze balefully, “Yes...and no.”

“I’ll go get you some water Sango,” Shippou chirped. “You look thirsty.”

Sango smiled, “Thank you Shippou.”

As Shippou bounced past the door flap Kagome knelt down at Sango’s side, concerned and yet confused, “Did something happen while you and Miroku were away?”

Sango’s eyes danced away from Kagome’s gaze evasively, “Well...I suppose. It’s...I mean, that is, we only just arrived back yesterday and....”

Sango’s mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find words, giving Kagome the feeling that she wasn’t at all comfortable with telling her what had happened. At that precise moment Kirara sauntered through the door lazily, diverting their attention from the delicate matter at hand. Sango reached out to stroke her creamy fur gratefully, a purr effervescing from deep within the cat’s chest. Kagome stood up to leave.

“Kagome?”

“I’m just going to go look for InuYasha. I’ll be back before long,” With a lively step she exited the hut, only to slump her shoulders as she passed Shippou, who wobbled precariously as he carried water back the way she’d come, heading toward the forest in hopes of finding Miroku, InuYasha, and some answers. - * - * - * -  

InuYasha flew over the canopy in great bounding leaps, the afternoon sun beating down on his now dry locks. The air lashed at his skin as he scanned the forest below, searching out the scent of the monk with a new determination. He sited him in less than two minutes, finding the purple-robed Houshi sulking beside a shallow stream. The hanyou let gravity take him down, landing far enough away so that the monk wouldn’t notice him, but close enough to remain a cautious observer.

InuYasha squinted his eyes at the afflicted expression his depraved friend wore, as if he were battling with his very essence. Even without the multiple bruises and cuts InuYasha had rarely seen the monk’s wontedly temperate visage so distrait and riddled with consternation. InuYasha couldn’t tear his eyes away as the monk brought the hand that was cursed with the kazaana in front of his face, staring into it dismally.

InuYasha decided that now was as good a time as any to barge in on his thoughts, “Hey, monk.”

Miroku started, “Hey, InuYasha.” His gaze floundered apprehensively.

Now that InuYasha knew why the monk was acting so strangely, he didn’t quite know where to start. He was sure that he had intended for it to be kept a secret, or at least to not tell anyone until he was ready. But now that InuYasha had found out...how could he tell his friend that he knew he’d gotten Sango pregnant?

Well, there was no comfortable way to do it, so he chose the easy route, “Look, I know that Sango’s--”

“Gah!” Miroku cut him off with an undignified squawk, successfully baffling InuYasha as he clutched at the short strands of his black hair, “So--she told you?”

InuYasha dared a step closer the not-so-holy man, “No. I scented it.” When Miroku made no motion to say anything InuYasha continued, “I thought you two were acting weird yesterday. I was wondering why Sango kept avoiding me; probably knew I’d find out if she got too close.”

Miroku’s body seemed to wilt as he sighed and slumped over, his elbows on his knees and his hands on his bloodied cheeks, “She’s furious at me. She has a right to be, of course. This is all my fault.”

InuYasha felt truly sorry for the poor guy, and he showed it by taking a seat by the stream next to the languidly decrepit creature formerly known as Miroku, who didn’t acknowledge the movement, but continued watching the eddies and ripples of the water in the miniature valley.

“So...when did it happen?” InuYasha asked quietly, feigning nonchalance.

Miroku sighed, one of many that day, “On the waxing half moon, the night after we left Kaede’s village.”

InuYasha cast a subtle glance at him before gingerly voicing the question, “Was it--”

“Nice?” Miroku finished for him, sighing once more, but before he replied his face took on a disquietingly contemptuous shade, “Oh, there will never be anything as nice in this life or the next.”

Miroku’s disappointed attitude confused InuYasha; that monk was the one asking every female he met to bear his children. He’d always been very taken with Sango, and now he knew just how taken Sango was with him--unless he’d forced himself on Sango. It did seem very Miroku, but even as InuYasha scowled he knew it wasn’t true. The monk cared too much for her, and even if he didn’t, he wasn’t nearly beat up enough to have forced anything on the taijiya.

“What are you moping around for Miroku? You finally went as far as you can go with Sango and you’re sitting around looking like the world is about to end.”

“Perhaps,” Miroku’s voice was dark, “It is the end of my world...or nearing the end at least.”

InuYasha blinked.

“And now,” He tilted his head skyward, clearly distraught, “I am responsible for another cursed existence. I have paralleled the fate of my burden with another unfortunate soul’s life--two unfortunate souls.”

InuYasha watched as Miroku stared at his kazaana distractedly, then all of a sudden turned his dark blue gaze on the hanyou, “InuYasha...have you and Kagome...,” The monk’s eyes glittered with the unstated question.

InuYasha’s cheeks heated up at the unexpected question, and the realization that his face was probably as red as a beet only served to ruddy it more, “No! I mean...I uh....”

Where does he get off asking me this stuff? How could he possibly know about anything going on between Kagome and me? I don’t even know if there’s anything between us. I want there to be....

“Keh! If we had, it’d be none of your business, monk.”

The monk eyed him with something that could have been jealousy, but it evaporated all too soon. “Okay then. Since it is none of my business, then if you’ll leave me be and deliver a message to Sango for me?”

InuYasha hid his arms beneath his crimson sleeves and stood up, “Yeah, yeah, what is it?”

The monk paused, “Tell her that I am sincere in my shame, and I hope she can at least permit me to come and see her sometime soon.”

InuYasha grumbled and rolled his eyes as he readied for departure, “I still can’t believe you got Sango pregnant.”

No sooner had the words left his lips than his ears twitched, swiveling toward a sound off to his right. It had sounded almost like a hiccup. InuYasha turned to face the clump of suspect bushes.

“Uh oh,” Came the soft voice he’d recognize anywhere, just before he spotted two brown eyes peeking up at him through the leaves.

“Kagome?” How much did she hear?

Kagome stood up tremulously, facing the shell-shocked hanyou and despairing Houshi, “Did you just...Sango’s pregnant?”

InuYasha could only stand there dumbly and wait for Miroku to supply the obvious answer, which he did, “I’m afraid it is true Kagome. I have adulterated her.”

The schoolgirl’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes as wide as dinner plates, “You...and Sango?”

Miroku sighed and nodded haggardly.

InuYasha could only try desperately to win the battle against the angry blush that so wanted to steal across his entire face and at the same time try to get over the shock of Kagome sneaking up on him. Mercifully, her eyes stayed on the Houshi.

“Miroku,” Kagome said tearfully, “You should go talk with her! I’m sure she wants to talk with you just as badly.”

Miroku grimaced, “I’ve proof enough of the mendaciousness of that statement on my face alone.”

Kagome swept past InuYasha to kneel at the monk’s side, peeking up into the face that presently looked more calamitous than ever it had.

“Miroku, you can’t give up on her--she needs you. You and her are in this together and you have to deal with it now, even if it’s uncomfortable...or a little scary.”

Miroku looked down at her, the dampened spirit within him less apparent with every ounce of respect for the girl before him that grew behind his gaze. As the monk turned his vision back toward the village InuYasha found himself in awe of the affects a few of Kagome’s simple words could have on others.

“You’re right Kagome. Of course you’re right,” He pulled himself up by his staff, throwing his weigh against it as he made the first few steps away from the brook, slowly furthering from the inuhanyou and the miko.

Kagome watched him disappear, then let her body fall into a sitting position, her feet dangling near the cool water. InuYasha approached her warily, not entirely sure of himself as he stood beside her. Kagome didn’t speak, but the expressions on her face were enough as it was. Confusion, indecision, amazement, each one fought for dominance over her pulchritudinous features.

InuYasha broke the verbal silence, “Now it’ll take twice as long to defeat Naraku, what with Sango carrying around mini-Miroku and all.”

She looked up at him with a funny smirk, “And how do you know the baby isn’t a mini-Sango?”

He plopped down beside her on the bank, “Well, if it was a girl, just about every female on the planet would have her to thank for their preserved chastity.”

Kagome smiled, staring into the stream, “I guess...Miroku and Sango will be getting married soon, huh?”

InuYasha couldn’t answer right away. Married? He hadn’t even thought of that. Kikyou had told him that they would be married once upon a time, but he wasn’t all too familiar with the concept as it was. He supposed it was some agreement between the man and the woman that they would both take care of the child, or perhaps a vow of love. It certainly couldn’t have been as bonding as the demon ceremony of taking mates for life, and ‘til death they were together.

Kagome was babbling when he came to, “But I guess Miroku won’t be allowed to be a monk anymore, will he? I don’t see how he was ever a monk in the first place but....” She giggled, her gaze tracing over InuYasha fondly, making his heart squeeze. Did she know what her eyes alone did to him?

Their attentions were drawn toward the village for a second at the distant cry of ‘Hiraikotsu’ and the strangled expletive from the Houshi.

“Keh...maybe she won’t hinder us so much after all,” InuYasha growled beneath his grin.

He looked back at Kagome when he noticed her staring at him, but she only tilted her chin down and kept on staring into her lap when his head switched to her. Her small hands kneaded together nervously, as if she were contemplating some course of action to take but was not quite sure of it.

“Kagome?” InuYasha said softly. He had the urge to extend a hand and brush her bangs from her face, if only to glimpse the sparkle in her eyes, but he reined it in, knowing full well her reaction would only be one of discomfort.

“InuYasha,” She began, lifting her eyes every once in a while as she spoke, “There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Okay,” He replied, a wondrous feeling blooming within him, though he knew not why.

Her voice started off shaky, but slowly gained in strength, “I was thinking, if you’re interested; there’s this dance at my school, and maybe you’d like to go with me? It’s on the night of the next new moon, so you’d blend in with everyone in your human form.”

“Dance?” InuYasha’s tone was incredulous.

Kagome stiffened. He forced himself to think quickly. If nothing else, he could tell this dance thing was important to her, but how to tell her no without hurting her? He thought hard on this for a moment before reaching the conclusion that such a feat was impossible.

“Um...alright.” On a whim he decided to elaborate, “You have my word, but--”

The bright smile that lit up the girl’s face followed by her arms being thrown around him strangled the lectures about dances being wastes of time in his throat. He wasn’t sure if he was happy or afraid when her hold didn’t loosen, but he subconsciously brought one clawed hand to rest on her back. At least she wasn’t running away from him like the night before. It may have been his imaginative, but the feeling she gave him as she squeezed him in her hug was well-nigh apologetic.

“I’m glad, InuYasha,” Her voice was muffled as she spoke into his haori, but soon enough she pulled far enough away from him to look him in the face, a pink blush inhabiting the apples of her cheeks. He wondered if there was some sort of catch to this ‘dance’ celebration that she hadn’t let on to.

He didn’t much care at the time however, what with Kagome being so close to him. To be close to her...that was all he wanted. He never really thought about anything else when he was alone with her, did he? Just as he was about to speak again she took him unawares, scooping up a handful of cool water from the stream and throwing it right into his face. He sputtered and coughed as she giggled, scooting out of the perceived retaliation range.

She should’ve known better, He thought, dashing forward sprier than she could comprehend and throwing her over his shoulder, heading toward the stream.

“InuYasha!” She protested, still laughing as he waded into the water, “You can’t just--! I would say ‘you know what’!”

InuYasha snorted, “Yeah right! You’d go down with me!”

“Not if I was already in the water!” The girl retorted, attempting to kick him.

“Hey! If you do that you’re gonna fall in!”

“Aren’t you going to drench me anyway?” She replied sweetly.

“Keh...I guess you don’t deserve that much.” And with that he hauled her off his shoulder and set her down gently and somewhat reluctantly into the water, only causing a small squeak of discomfort to escape her. InuYasha surveyed the girl below him, fully aware of how easily it would be for him to bend down and brush his lips against hers, but also that he couldn’t see that action through at the moment.

She wiggled her toes in the water as she stood before him, smiling shyly. She shivered only minimally, “We should go find Kaede or something--see if she has anything to tell us.”

“Feh.”

He turned around wordlessly, signaling for her to climb onto his back. As soon as he felt her soft weight against him he leapt into the air, skimming the sun streaked forest as they made their way toward the village. For all the time they’d been friends--longer than he’d ever been friends with anyone--he’d always wondered why he felt so at home with her on his back, where he could surely protect her from any and all harm. At that moment a twinge of understanding seeped through him, letting him step into Miroku’s sandals for the barest second. If Kagome accepted him--accepted his feelings--did she really know how fierce of an anathema the love of a hanyou was?