InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Suffer The Fray ❯ A Monk's Touch ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I hold no claim to InuYasha...Rumiko Takahashi does. Bummer.

A/N: Reviewer Acknowledgements- unistar, Sassa, KnittingKnots, blackr0s3, Lucifer Spades, Koolkat191, ladydeath31178, & Cynbad146. I've been on a writing spree so the chapters are starting to pile up. Figured I go ahead and give ya another update....and I'm not sure when they'll be now. Whenever I get around it probably, but you shouldn't worry about waiting forever. A few of you asked how long this will be and I honestly don't know. I kinda fly by the seat of my pants. Neway, read on and enjoy!

Reux

A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face and she wiped it absently. "Just a few more, Kirara. Then I'll be finished."

The twin-tailed cat cooed and continued to flush out the fat, white grubs that had taken up residence in her herb garden.

"You're such a great help, Kirara. I hate getting rid of those gross little things myself." She wrapped her long fingers around a weed and pulled. Root and all popped loose with a puff of dirt. Weeding her tiny herb garden had become a weekly task since all these parasites decided to move in. Sango sat back on her heels and smiled. "That was the last one." She ran her dirty fingers along Kirara's back. "You finished?"

The neko-youkai turned to face her with a squirmy grub crunching in her jaws.

Sango laughed. "I guess you are." She held out her hand and the cat trotted up her arm to perch on her shoulder like a parrot. "Let's go check on Miroku and fix up some food for him."

Dusk had settled over the small meadow where Miroku had decided to build their comfortably sized home. It was larger than most of the villager's homes in Kaede's village, but no where near being spectacularly large. It had two private quarters, a sitting room, and a work room that also served as a kitchen. She'd told him it was much too elaborate, but the Houshi couldn't be swayed. It was 'his gift to her for putting up with him', if she wanted to use his phrasing. The small shed she was striding towards now, however, had been Inuyasha's wedding gift to them. She hadn't tried to dissuade him because once he'd made up his mind to do it only finishing it would stop him. She had to admit that the shed was very handy.

She slipped inside the shed and filled a small sack with rice from their stores. She chose a small side of salted venison and an assortment of vegetables, piling it all into the tightly woven basket she kept for just that purpose. "I think a rich nigujada will do for tonight." She observed the dwindling meat stores and glanced sideways at Kirara. "It looks like you'll have to go out hunting soon."

She twitched her tail and cooed.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." She stepped back outside and found that the sun had fallen below the treetops, blanketing the house with a soft semi-darkness. She almost dropped her basket when she saw Miroku leaning heavily against one of the roof supports. He was softly hunched, one arm around the post and the other clutching his Shakujo.

"Miroku!" She dashed across the yard, Kirara leaping from her perch, and set the basket on the step. She wrapped her arms supportively around his waist. "You shouldn't be up right now. You're much too weak."

He smiled halfheartedly. "And I'll only get weaker if I stay in bed." Miroku raised a lecherous brow. "Unless, of course, you'd like to join me in that bed?"

Sango gave him a deadpan stare. "Miroku..."

He laughed. "I had to try." He shifted his weight and straightened up. "It's alright, I can stand."

She eyed the tension in his face and the slight sheen of sweat on his brow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll be fine in a moment."

Sango gazed worriedly into his dark gray eyes and decided to let it go. She could very well shout and demand he go lay down, but what would that accomplish- other that upsetting them both? He's foolishly stubborn...just like me. Already she could see his tension easing and he let go of the support with his injured hand. The edges of his bandages were stained pink. "How's your hand?"

He held it up and looked at him palm. "It still hurts, but that unbearable throbbing has ceased."

She grasped it gently and unwound the outermost dressing. The one against his palm was secured with his prayer beads and soaked only with what looked to be residual blood. "The bleeding has stopped, so the Kazana must be healing." She closed his fingers and lifted his hand to her mouth to kiss his knuckles.

Miroku watched her thoughtfully. "You never told me Mushin taught you how to repair my Kazana."

She snorted. "That old drunkard wouldn't have taught me anything if I hadn't demanded that he do so. I think I had to make almost three pots of tea before he was sober enough to speak without slurring his words."

"When was this?"

Sango smiled. "When that servant came and hired you to exorcise the demon haunting his Lord's village."

He leaned back and looked at her skeptically. "You managed to do all that in a day?"

"I can be very persuasive when I'm determined."

That was something he knew too well. "Why would you go through all that trouble?"

Sango stepped closer and pressed herself against his body, resting her head to his chest and listening to the steady thump of his heart. "I was worried."

His eyes softened and his injured arm came around to hold her tightly. "It was only a simple exorcism. Surely I could handle that."

She clamped her eyes shut. "It doesn't matter." She turned to gaze up at him. "My heart almost stopped when you collapsed. I heard you cry out and it was like I was paralyzed by the fear of loosing you to that heinous curse." She shook her head when she realized she was about to cry. She took a calming breath and forced herself to relax. "You're not the only one that wants Naraku dead because he's cursed you."

His eyes slid shut as they leaned on one another, his bandaged hand sliding up to run his fingers along the smooth skin on the back of her neck. "Have I told you that I love you today?"

She grinned as she squeezed him tighter. "Yes, but I'm feeling greedy all of the sudden." Her violet eyes twinkled mischievously. "Tell me again, Houshi."

Miroku smirked at the little game they always played. They always tried to be that last one to say 'I love you' before the day ended. It looked like he won today. "I love you, Sango."

"I know." She tipped up her head.

He bent down to kiss her and was a hair's breath away from her softly parted lips when he saw a flash of silver in the twilight. What the-? Sango closed the distance and he sank into her mouth, momentarily distracted. Clearing his head, he reluctantly pulled away from her sweetness and stared straight over her head.

Sango frowned. "What is it?"

He stepped back and tightened his grip on his Shakujo. "Someone's coming."

The youkai-taijiya slipped out of his grasp. "My Hiraikotsu is inside." She glanced at Kirara, but the neko-youkai was just reclining on the step. She was always on guard. "Miroku, I don't think it's anyone bad. Kirara would've transformed."

He nodded. "The aura isn't evil. It's agitated." He gazed through the darkness at the silver glint and almost slapped himself when he saw the red clothing. His laugh had Sango jumping. "It's only Inuyasha."

Her dark violet eyes swung back to the approaching hanyou. That seems logical considering Naraku has awakened, but why is he rushing? "Something's wrong."

As his friend drew closer, Miroku could see him clearer through the darkness. He was carrying something. It looked only to be a bundle of clothing until he realized that bundle had limbs. "I agree, Sango. He's carrying someone."

Sango nodded more to herself than to her husband. He is carrying someone. The clothing was bloodstained, but she could tell they were miko's clothing. It can't be Kikyo; she can't be killed by a mortal's hand. She started down the steps and jogged towards him. "Inuyasha!"

The hanyou didn't answer and a shadow of dread loomed over her. She hitched to a stop, a hand resting against her chest. It was the hakama that drew her eye- the rich green hakama. The shadow grew larger. No, it can't be... She tore her gaze to meet the hanyou and the sheer desperation in his eyes confirmed her fears. She whirled back to her husband, hanging on the porch. "Miroku! It's Kagome!'

Miroku watched Sango dash to meet Inuyasha. Kagome? Why is she dressed that way? He shook his head and snapped out of his stupor, stepping off the porch to meet them. It didn't matter what the hell she was wearing, she was obviously gravely injured. He managed to keep his legs under control and was at Sango's side when Inuyasha staggered to his knees before them. Miroku knelt beside him. "Which one of you is bleeding?"

The hanyou sat with his head bowed, but didn't respond.

Sango didn't wait and turned the woman's head, brushing aside her disheveled bangs. She'd been right. It was Kagome. It only took her a glance to know it was Kagome's blood. The hilt of the knife was still protruding from her back like some kind of morbid fifth limb. "She's been stabbed." She grabbed Inuyasha by the shoulder. "Take her into the spare bedroom now." She whirled on the monk. "Get me some hot water and a lot of bandages."

Her tone was strong and take-charge, both of them obediently following her orders. Inuyasha carried the ghostly pale Kagome into the house, setting her down tenderly and then just standing in the way. Sango propped up her head, careful not to pull on her shining braid, and stood to gently usher him out of the room. "You don't need to be in here."

The words somehow broke into his semi-catatonic mind. "What the fuck do you mean?!"

Miroku arrived with the water and bandages in time to hear the raging outburst. He set them down beside Kagome and turned to face the hanyou. "Don't speak to her like that."

Inuyasha growled. "Where the hell does she get off telling me to fucking leave?! I'm not abandoning Kagome!"

"Sango is trying to help, but if you're in there she won't be able to do anything. It would be better if you weren't present."

"What the fuck is she planning to do? Chop off her Kami-damn arm?"

Sango knew she was the only one that saw Miroku sway. He was probably in pain. She gritted her teeth and soaked her hands in the scalding hot water, wanting nothing more than to use her Hiraikotsu on his doggy-eared head. She turned towards Kagome and froze when she saw her sitting up. "Kagome?"

The angry shouts silenced instantly as all eyes turned to the shaking woman with the blazing brown eyes. Kagome glared at only one of them in particular, grinding a single word from her clenched jaw. "Osuwari."

Kagome collapsed back down just as Inuyasha face planted into the heavy wooden floorboards. The hanyou angrily pulled himself together and stalked out of the house. Miroku met Sango's eyes solemnly before leaving her to the ominous task of tending Kagome's wounds.

He hadn't been 'sat' in a long time. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to smash face first into the ground. There had been a few times when Kagome's memory was stuck in his head and would've given anything just to hear 'Osuwari' one more time. Inuyasha touched his tender nose and winced. I. Have. No. Idea. What. I. Was. Thinking. He wouldn't wish beads of subjugation on his worst enemy- except maybe Sesshomaru. Yeah, I'd love to see that bastard's face when it eats dirt.

He almost laughed, but realized what he was doing and stopped. There wasn't any reason for him to be laughing. Kagome was lying in the house with a knife in her back. It made him view the term 'backstabbing' in a whole new light. The mad dash to get here had been just as unpleasant. Kagome's lithe body had just hung limply like an overcooked ramen noodle. His stomach turned at the thought.

"Inuyasha?"

He cut narrowed gold eyes at Miroku. "What?"

"Do you want me to take that out?" He pointed at his shoulder.

Inuyasha glanced down and saw Kagome's arrow still sticking out of his shoulder. In his panic he'd totally forgotten about it. "Feh."

Miroku accepted it as a yes. Setting down beside hanyou, he took hold of the shaft and hesitated before snapping off the tail. "Strange, this arrow has dormant spiritual energy in it."

Inuyasha slipped off his haori and kosode, staring in the opposite direction of the monk. "That's because it's Kagome's arrow."

Miroku blinked with surprise. "She shot you?"

He snorted. "No, I just made that up for fun."

"This is hardly a laughing matter." He grasped the shaft close to the skin and began moving it side to side. The arrowhead loosened and easily slid free. "She could have killed you."

"I know." Inuyasha ignored the tiny squalls of pain in his shoulder and pulled his clothes back on. He stared at the bedroom door where Kagome lay beyond and growled with frustration. "It wasn't her fault though, it was mine."

"How so?" Miroku calmly leaned against the wall, scratching at his healing Kazana beneath the bandages.

"She was ambushed by bandits."

"Bandits?"

"Yeah." He stared down at the floor. "She was already fighting them off when I got there. She was bleeding by then too." He rumbled low in his throat and clenched his fists so tightly that his claws cut into the heels of his palms to draw blood. "And I just stood there like a stupefied fool."

"She was injured before you arrived. I'm sure that it was out of your control." Miroku watched him closely.

"That may be true, but I didn't stop the other two from attacking her. I just watched as she shot them both right off their mangy horses." He looked up haunted. "She killed them."

This made the monk hesitate. He held his chin in thought a moment. "She was battling to survive, Inuyasha."

He threw his arms out in exasperation. "I understand that part, but this Kagome we're talking about. She's too pure to be tainted like that, too full of life and the desire to preserve it." He sighed wearily. "Kagome always sees the good in even the worst people. Killing even those two scumbags is going to haunt her." He jumped to his feet and started to pace, bare feet padding lightly on the high-polished wood. "I should've moved and taken them out myself. There's already enough blood on my hands. What's a little more gonna hurt?"

Miroku didn't answer him, which was better in the long run. There was an ongoing debate between them on whether ningen lives were as easily disposable as youkai when their hearts were evil. He said yay and Miroku said nay. Only the most black-hearted of ningens would attack a woman, let alone someone with as high a standing as a miko. Not one of them had had any reservations about their actions and they had drawn blood.

Kagome's blood. That was a death sentence in his book. His inu-youkai snarled in agreement.

"Inuyasha," Miroku's lazy voice floated in to penetrate his thoughts. "Your raging aura is giving me a headache."

"You a headache?" He glared at the snoozing monk.

"Yes." Miroku laid his Shakujo down beside him. "And it's aggravating my Kazana."

Inuyasha frowned. "Your- oh." He halted mid-stride and looked down on him. Now that he mentioned it, his right arm was swathed with bandages. "It widened abruptly, didn't it? Because of Naraku?"

He nodded and yawned. "The curse has been draining me the past two days. It's painful when I'm tired."

The hanyou felt like a jackass and sank down onto his haunches. "I'm sorry, Miroku."

His friend smiled. "Apology accepted."

The bedroom door slid open with a clack and Sango stepped out, sliding it shut behind her. "Well, I did everything I could. The bleeding was so bad I had to burn the wound to stop it. I patched it up as best I could. It's up to Kagome now and whether she'll take to infection." She met Inuyasha's eyes solemnly. "She's calling your name in her sleep."

Sango watched Inuyasha bolt into the room, uncaring that they could see him through the open door. He stood watching Kagome with his back to them and she was glad she couldn't see his face. She didn't know if she could handle seeing him so pained and distraught.

And helpless.

That was something she knew they all felt. It's what anyone feels when a loved one's fate is out of your hands.

Like Kohaku.

She hugged herself and turned watery eyes to the only other person in the room.

Like Miroku.

He could feel her gaze, but instead of going to her, strode to the open doorway and slid it shut. He knew Inuyasha needed to be alone and he wanted privacy for his own reasons. He turned around and found himself alone. The soft light from the torch in their bedroom beckoned him. Stepping inside, he set his Shakujo against the wall beside her Hiraikotsu and shut the door. His wife was sitting on their bed with her knees held against her chest and her face tucked behind her knees. "Are you alright?"

Sango shook her head from her huddled position on the bed. "I don't know." She shivered. "I can't get the smell of burnt flesh out of my head." She turned her head so that her left ear was resting against her kneecaps. "I've never seen Kagome like that before. I always thought that she was the untouchable one, that nothing could hurt her like the rest of us." Her tone was painfully pensive. "There's no way I could stop it from scarring. It was just so deep- nearly five inches. I can't imagine how painful that would be. Not even my wounds were that deep." She tightened her arms. "Who would attack Kagome like that?"

He slipped off the heavy outer robe he was wearing and sat down facing her in his nadajuban. "Inuyasha told me that bandits ambushed her while she was traveling here." He crossed his arms. "Apparently she had to kill a few of them and accidentally shot Inuyasha in the process."

Her finely arched brows furrowed with confusion. "Why isn't he dead? Her spirit energy would have purified his youkai blood, killing him."

"I believe she was somehow able to suppress it before the arrow hit his body. When I removed it I could feel the energy concealed dormant inside it."

She lifted her head. "Has she really grown that powerful?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps."

"This all that cursed Naraku's doing. If he had died any of the numerous times we attacked him, then none of this would've happened." She spat the words out bitterly. "Kagome wouldn't be hurt and Inuyasha wouldn't still be seeking revenge." She shuddered and hid her face once more, whispering into her kimono. "Kohaku would be free and you and I could have a normal life without all the constant worry." Her whole body was trembling.

Miroku slipped a hand under the hem of her kimono to gently caress her calf, fingers dancing on her ankle. "What's wrong, Sango? You aren't usually this upset." Normally his wife would take things in stride, only opening up when angry. She hardly ever allowed herself to appear weak, even when they were alone together. She was always so guarded that these open floodgates made him uneasy.

She unlocked the arms holding her knees to her chest. "I'm so afraid." She slid towards him, tears filling her sparkling violet eyes. "I'm afraid of everything and it makes me feel unbearably cold inside."

Miroku sighed when her nimble hands slipped inside his nadajuban and splayed against the flat planes of his belly. The uneasiness that churned his stomach calmed as she reached out to him. She wasn't going to bury her feelings inside and leave him feeling utterly helpless. He brushed her bangs aside and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He'd learned over time that she didn't like anything unexpected when she was vulnerable and always made sure to ask. "What do you want me to do?"

Sango tightened her hold on him. "Hold me." She pressed her face into the crook of his neck. "Hold me against you and chase away the cold." She closed her eyes and just breathed in the smell of him. "You're so warm." Already, she felt safer, more secure.

Miroku reached around her to pull the knot of her obi loose, murmuring against her hair. "Anything you want."

A/N: Hehe...I bet you thought I was going somewhere w/that. Sorry to disappoint, but any lemons won't be for lil' while. And like I mentioned before, I like having a few sub-plots going on, so now there'll also be a bit of Miroku/Sango action. Oh, and 'nigujada' translates to 'meat and potato stew'. Also, like I said in the prologue, the characters all may run slightly OCC...which was one of the reasons I leaned toward an AU, rather than a continuation. Comments from the peanut gallery are warmly welcomed. XD.