InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Killer Inside ❯ Chapter 3: Tenants ( Chapter 3 )

First and foremost I'd like to say thank you to my two reviewers, smittin kittin and szmadad. Thanks for your comments. I'm glad you enjoyed what I've written so far. I'm STILL out of work, so I get to write sometimes, when I've got nothing more pressing (like finding way to pay bills without my income) so I'll hopefully have a new chapter for you guys in a week or so. Hopefully sooner!

Again, thanks and enjoy… oh and if anyone would be interested in Beta-ing for me… I'd love you to death!

Chapter 3: Tenants

The man sat on the stoop and waited, beginning to doubt the reliability of his soon-to-be landlord. He reached into his pocket and checked the paper again. Yes, the e-mail said one PM and the address was clearly marked. It was now one fifteen and someone was late.

Miroku ran a hand though his mop of dark hair. He was beginning to become quite annoyed with Inuyasha Tai, although this would be their first meeting. Miroku felt it was best to always be polite in business dealings, at least in outward appearance and deed. Politeness included timeliness, which Inuyasha was not exhibiting. But, he thought as he fiddled with his earrings, if the guy shows up in the next few minutes and seems like a decent guy, I'll probably forgive him. Buddha knows, no one's perfect. I'm certainly not.

Miroku smiled wryly. No, he was not perfect. He looked at the faded red scar in the palm of his hand. Perfection was not attainable in this lifetime, at least not for him. Still, he would strive to reach for it. Perhaps if he made it through the trials of this life, he would be reborn in a time with less heartache. Perhaps soon he would be through with his karmic debt.

Or perhaps not.

Soon he heard the roar of an engine approaching. He looked to the long, winding driveway and saw a flash of red through the tree trunks. Whoever it was, they were coming up fast. Miroku stood as he spied a very red motorcycle topped by a man dressed in black with a red helmet. The bike screeched to a halt not three feet from the bottom of the stoop and the man in black stood and removed his helmet. Miroku found himself staring down at a very tall, very muscular, very white haired inu-hanyou with a very sour look on his face.

"Inuyasha Tai, I presume?" He bowed as he spoke. The hanyou snorted at him.

"You're Miroku?" Inuyasha asked gruffly. He looked the man up and down, taking in the loose denim jeans and faded purple shirt, then the earrings and the small queue he wore. "Hatchi said you were a monk."

"After a fashion."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Miroku opened his mouth to explain but Inuyasha snorted and shook his head. "Don't tell me," he said as he brushed past him up the stairs. "I'm pretty sure I really don't want to know." At the door he looked down at his new tenant. "You coming? Watch it! That third step's a bit loose." With that, the hanyou turned on his heel and stepped inside.

Miroku followed with a bit of trepidation. Never had he met anyone so rude or outspoken. And the house… The house did not look like it was in the best of shape. Outside, paint was peeling; several of the planks in the verandah were warped or cracked. All the windows seemed to be intact but the glass in some of the panes was old, presenting the viewer with odd refractions and bent light. Miroku was sure that at some point, the house had been beautiful but he had the feeling that had been several decades ago.

The inside was a bit better, but not much. The wallpaper was darkened with age and the floors creaked loudly. Ahead of him, Inuyasha opened a somewhat battered looking door and walked through it paying little attention to the man following him.

Inuyasha. He's a dog demon, for certain. He doesn't have to see me to know I'm following, Miroku mused. He can no doubt hear my footsteps behind him. Hell, he can probably feel my footsteps and smell me, to boot. The monk frowned. Wonder if he's related to Sesshomaru Tai?

Inuyasha sat down at a desk at the far end of the room and motioned for Miroku to sit in one of the chairs on the other side. The room wasn't large, but it was crowded with books and papers. Inuyasha glanced over to see if Miroku was sitting where he'd been told and then turned to rummage in his desk for the rental agreement he'd drawn up.

"Nothing illegal on my property, you got it, Hoshi?" Inuyasha growled warningly. Miroku nodded. "Hatchi warned me you were a bit of a `lady-killer.' I do not want enraged husbands with shotguns on my property looking to gun you down. Nor do I want the fathers of under aged little bitches beating down my door trying to find the `damn fornicator' that `molested' their fifteen year old daughter." Miroku gulped. "Is that understood?" The monk nodded.

"Now, I've got a proposition that is a bit different from what Hatchi might have explained to you. I drew up two separate leases just incase you still wanted the original deal." Inuyasha looked down at the two different papers in his hand and separated them. "This one," he said, holding up one of the papers, "is a typical renter's agreement, stating that you will pay me the agreed upon amount to rent the carriage house I renovated. I will, in-turn, fix appliances and property owned by me as needed. The appliances are brand new as are all the fixtures and even the walls and floors; I do not expect to be fixing them any time soon, unless you are an idiot." Miroku smirked. "Don't smirk at me, boy."

"And the second?" Miroku asked, ignoring the growl.

Inuyasha held up the second paper. "The second is the same but cuts your rent in half if you work for me here at the house some evenings and weekends." Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Just minor painting and carpentry. I'm thinking about putting the place on the market in a few years and it needs some work. Two hands get the job done faster. You can swing a hammer and not kill yourself, right?"

"I built houses and other buildings in Honduras about ten years ago," the monk replied. "I did the same in Bengali not three years ago with a monastery from Japan. We rebuilt a town after an earthquake. I am able to swing a hammer, Mr. Tai."

"It's just `Inuyasha,'" the hanyou grunted. "Politeness be damned. `Mr. Tai' makes me think you're talking to my father or my damn half-brother. Except my half-brother prefers to be called `Lord Sesshomaru.'" His lip curled up in disgust. "Fucking jackass aristocrat."

"So you are related to Sesshomaru Tai?" the man asked curiously.

Inuyasha glared at him. "We had the same father."

"Not good friends, I take it?" the monk laughed nervously.

"Not in this lifetime." The hanyou glared at him for a few moments before speaking again. "Which are you gonna sign, houshi?"

Miroku smiled. "The one that has me paying less, of course. It'll be an honor to work with you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha grinned back. "Here's a pen. Sign, date and initial and I'll show you around the place."

Miroku had never found it easier to forgive someone who'd kept him waiting.

***

Inuyasha led in new tenant into the carriage house; he was rather proud of the progress he'd been able to make in just three short weeks. The carriage house had fallen out of usage decades ago when a relative of his mother's had taken up auto mechanics and built a real garage slightly closer to the house. The carriages had already been long gone and only a few horses were stabled there at the time as well as one or two older automobiles. When Inuyasha had been a child those few horses had been sold off; they were skittish and nervous when the young hanyou came anywhere near. So the building had been abandoned in favor of the larger, better equipped garage. But as the years passed and fewer and fewer family member lived at the estate even that had fallen into disuse.

When Kikyou had come into his life, she'd often commented that the small carriage house was very pretty and might make a nice guesthouse or even an apartment. At the time, Inuyasha had merely pushed the thought aside, more intent on their relationship than on the property his mother had given him. But now there was nothing else in his life; his mother had died eighteen months after Kikyou and he'd never really tried to cultivate any other friendships or relationships. His father was distant, still grieving Izayoi's death, all but ignoring his two sons. All Inuyasha had left was this house and the money his mother had left him.

He'd stayed with his father after his mother's death. The older youkai had taken up residence in a remote part of Saskatchewan hoping to find peace in the open sky and woods. Inuyasha, lost as he was without Kikyou or Izayoi, had followed. But all he could seem to do was obsess over self-recriminations, doubts and the fear that he had been the cause of Kikyou's death. He became depressed and moody, difficult for even his father to deal with. Finally, worried for his son's health, Toga had encouraged him to search for Kikyou's killers and get on with his life.

When he'd returned to Rinoko Manor, he hadn't known where to start, not in his investigation and certainly not in his life, so he just did the first thing that came to his mind and rebuilt the carriage house. Kikyou's comments had stuck in his mind and he felt obligated to at least try to update the building. It had been easier than he'd thought. He'd turned the main area into a combination living room/dining room, taken two of the old stalls and turned them into a kitchen. The old birthing stall had been lined with bookcases and the area above the stalls had been converted into a loft with two bedrooms and a bathroom. It wasn't huge but it was a beginning. There was space and light and warmth.

Putting the small house up for rent had been the furthest thing from his mind when he'd started the project but he soon felt it was the most sensible thing to do. He glanced over at his new tenant. Miroku was odd but seemed like a decent person. Inuyasha was willing to bet he was a smooth operator, someone who could talk Mother Theresa out of her panties given half a chance but he also seemed to be good at heart.

"I painted the main rooms but the bedrooms are yours to paint," Inuyasha said as he led Miroku through.

"Fine, fine. Any color you prefer I don't use?" the monk replied.

"Black?"

"How about royal purple?"

"Feh," Inuyasha snorted, "Might as well be black."

"My mother was partial to Auburgine…"

"Eggplant? No. I take it you like purple?"

"It is the color of royalty," Miroku replied sagely. "In ancient days they would crush certain types of crustaceans, among other things, to make different dyes. The animals which created the boldest and most fade resistant purples were rare and hard to find and so were very expensive. Thus cloth dyed with the remains of their crushed bodies was highly prized and became the so called `royal' purple color we have today."

"That's gross."

"That's nothing," the monk jested. "I have a veritable encyclopedia of strange and bizarre facts in my head. For instance, there were these skulls found in an ancient river basin in China with markings that resemble-"

"Shut up."

"Sure."

"Are you satisfied with the place?"

"Oh! Yes, very," Miroku answered distractedly, looking around with great interest. "It will suit my needs quite well. The workmanship seems excellent, I might add."

"Thanks. Let's move your stuff in before it gets dark."

***

The room was dark, but he didn't bother putting the light on. He merely stripped out of his leathers and threw them in the general vicinity of the chair by the window. It had been a long day. All he wanted was a shower and to get into bed. He walked into the master bathroom, still not turning on any lights, and immediately stepped into the shower. He'd remodeled the master bath years ago, before he'd even met Kikyou. The walls and floor of the shower were sheets of dark grey shale dug from a local quarry and the tub and countertops were made of polished granite.

Moonlight filtered in through the window over the tub as he turned the water on as hot as it would get. As sensitive as his skin was, it wouldn't burn thanks to his demon blood. He flattened his ears against his head and ducked under the deluge. As the water poured over his head and shoulders he felt some of the tension from the day leave his muscles. Unloading Miroku's junk hadn't been difficult; the two of them had finished in just under three hours. Most things had then been arranged in a satisfactory manner just an hour after that and Miroku had bought a pizza as thanks for the help. It was the memories of the morning that kept him tense.

Damn, he thought as he reached for the soap, why did I tell her? She'll never trust me now! He shook his head and sighed. The wary look on Kagome's face after he told her his little secret had said a hell of a lot. Unable to tolerate the rejection that would ultimately come, he'd left straight away, muttering a terse good bye to Kaede on his way out. After that he'd gotten on his bike and stormed off, driving until he was calmer. By that time, he'd realized he was slightly late for his one o'clock appointment and had rushed back to the house.

And now he was having a hard time not thinking about her. At first glance, she did look like Kikyou, but after sitting with her, talking with her, she was quite different. Kikyou had been drawn to dark colors, to cool quiet conversations and subtle glances. Kagome was bold and colorful. She seemed enthusiastic and cheerful, her face and eyes animated in a way Kikyou's had never been. She smiled, looked you straight in the face and understood. Not that Kikyou's way had been bad or wrong. It was just- different.

Inuyasha had loved Kikyou, had loved her composedness, her poise and grace. He had loved her calm smile and soft alto voice. She had been intelligent and thoughtful, quick witted and sure of herself. And Inuyasha had loved her completely.

But she was gone. She had betrayed him and hurt him then died. He was drawn to Kagome now, to her vibrant smile and enthusiastic voice. But the past was not over for him and he wasn't sure if he could ever move on, as much as he wanted to. If he had killed one woman he'd loved…

He shook himself briefly, trying to clear his mind. After he'd washed his hair and dried off, he walked back into his bedroom wondering why he felt as if he'd forgotten something. All of a sudden it hit him. Fuck! The disk! He dug his claws into his tangled wet hair and growled at himself. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He'd been so intent on leaving he'd forgotten the only clues he'd had.

He fell back on the bed with a snarl and covered himself with the sheets. No use going after it tonight; Kagome was probably already asleep. He was exhausted anyway. And either way he looked at it, he was sure to have the nightmare again tonight.

*@*@*@*@*@*@

Yay! Chapter 3 is done… Not too much action, but you got to meet My Miroku and see inside Inuyasha's head a bit more. And you got to see where he'd been for all that time!

BTW, the little factoids Miroku dropped… Yeah, they used to make purple dye out of dead sea creatures. Not sure what they were called but it was the main reason purple was mainly reserved for royalty. And the skulls in China? ::grins:: My archeology teacher a few years ago mentioned these skulls with burn marks and oddly rounded holes cut in them that were found in some river valley in China. They dated back to very early man, I think nearly 100 million years ago or so, and were thought to be either early evidence of cremation (which could imply ritual and thus higher thinking)… or cannibalism (which could also imply ritual and higher thinking!). I guess it all depends on how you look at it!

On that note: Have a nice day!