InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waiting on a Wish ❯ Chapter 13 ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: InuYasha and company are a subsidiary of Takahashi industries, and all associated companies and names. I am neither a company nor a name….I’m a fanfic author. That…lets me off the hook, right? ….Right?

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Chapter 13

The city of Tokyo spent the day after the worst rogue attack in decades in utter chaos. News reports focused repeatedly--and sometimes excessively--on the events and casualties of the previous night. Politicians argued publicly, newspapers reported growing unrest with the Alliance and its actions, water cooler chats across the city swelled with the wildest of speculations…and, inexplicably, the Alliance itself was mysteriously absent from the debate--closed off, unavailable for comment, and inaccessible to even the highest-level government officials.

Neither InuYasha nor Kagome were aware of any of it.

By unspoken agreement, they spent the day shut away together, locked snugly within the walls of her apartment. The television stayed off, the radio unplugged, and the door closed tight as they ignored the world around them. Later that morning--while she made something resembling a decent breakfast--Kagome watched as InuYasha sat on her kitchen table and rummaged through her purse until he found her cell phone…then very deliberately shut it off, his expression daring her to object and promising swift retribution if she did.

She didn’t object…but he still got his retribution.

It was an interesting day for Kagome. InuYasha didn’t tire her out (as she’d been half-expecting he would--she was quite familiar with youkai stamina), but he didn’t let go of her for much, either. Most of their time was spent in her bedroom, where they alternated between napping, pillow talk, and the kind of curious, delighted exploration that always marks new relationships.

He found quite a few of her sensitive spots, and dedicated himself to becoming thoroughly versed on how to exploit them; she discovered how picky he really was about his ears. He actually did like it when she played with them, but had a low tolerance for too much stimulation--she could always tell when he’d had enough, because his left ear flattened defensively into his hair. Also, not only was his lower belly one of the most sensitive places on his body, but he was ticklish there as well. (He scowled viciously at her after she figured that out, then proceeded to attack her sides in retaliation until she absolutely swore that she would never tell anyone.)

She found it adorable, but she didn’t tell him that.

It surprised her how much he liked to cuddle. Besides actual sex, lazing in bed with his arms wrapped around her, enjoying sporadic bouts of pleasant chatter and comfortable silence, seemed to be his favorite activity. She figured it had something to do with his acute sense of smell--he had a special fondness for keeping his nose buried somewhere on her body. Although, regardless of what they did, he was never very far away.

He actually listened to her when she talked, too. She found that almost shocking, as most of the other men she’d ever dated had spent all of their time extolling their own accomplishments to her, obviously caring little for anything she had to say. InuYasha didn’t seem very interested in telling her much about himself at all.

They did talk about their friends, though. Miroku really was InuYasha’s closest friend, and he’d had a front row view from the other side of Miroku and Sango’s unusual courtship--he had enjoyed the monk’s humbling just as much as she’d enjoyed the proud hunter’s unprecedented enthrallment. Intrigued at that particular discovery, they swapped stories, both plagued with a faint sense of disbelief that they had never encountered each other before, even though their best friends had been engaged for years. InuYasha, especially, seemed very irritated by that fact.

He also told her more about the Alliance--only a little bit, as the subject made him cranky--and she told him more about her job. She told him how amazed and excited she’d been when Kaede had personally called her and asked her to come for an interview shortly after she’d graduated. She told him how lucky she was to be working for such a knowledgeable woman, and how much she loved what she did. She’d even told him about some of the spiritual training she’d gone through before--and how frustrated the whole thing had made her…at which point, he had gotten very quiet. Then he suddenly seemed to decide that they’d done enough talking for the day, and proceeded to do his very best to distract her.

It wasn’t until much later that night that they both fell back asleep, curled around each other in her bed--exhausted, but cozy and content.

Well, she had promised her mother she’d rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ < p>

By the time the shrill peal of the phone had interrupted the pre-dawn quiet of Kagome’s apartment for the third time in a row, he’d had enough. He was out of the bed and in the kitchen faster than his far more sluggish bedmate could react. For a moment he just stood glaring at the blaring, evil little contraption on the wall that had dared to interrupt their sleep, wondering why she even had it if she was never home anyway. It was being one hell of a pain this morning.

The first time the ring had woken them both from sleep, Kagome had told him in no uncertain terms that he was not to answer her phone for any reason. Then she’d simply snuggled close and gone back to sleep. He’d certainly been willing to let it slide until the second time the phone had cut into the silence only a few minutes later. Unfortunately, that time she hadn’t even stirred--not even when he nearly jumped out of his skin. The third time, he was determined to stop it; how she could sleep with all that noise was beyond him, but its high pitch had started to hurt his ears. Whoever was calling wasn’t stopping, and ignoring problems had never been his style.

His scowl deepened as he debated his options. He figured that Kagome would be pretty pissed if he just shredded her phone, and simply hanging it up again would probably only result in yet another series of loud shrieks a few minutes later, so…. He decided to go for the least of all evils and just plucked the receiver up out of its cradle.

Besides, he wanted to know just who the hell thought they had business with her important enough to warrant interrupting her sleep.

“Who the hell are you, and why the hell are you calling Kagome before six o’clock in the fucking morning?”

There was a pause, then, “Well, good morning to you too, InuYasha.”

Somehow, he was only partially surprised to hear the suave, gloating tone that replied to his less-than-friendly greeting. “Miroku. What the hell is so important that you couldn’t wait to talk to her until after the sun rose?”

“Oh? Am I interrupting your sleep…or something else?” At his responding growl, the other man dropped the teasing and cleared his throat. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you, but thanks to a few destroyed transponders, everyone in the city’s been having cell phone problems, and yours seems to be one of the casualties. When Kagome didn’t answer hers, this was the only other way I could think of to get in touch with you.”

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. He’d turned Kagome’s cell phone off earlier, unwilling to tolerate any further disturbances on her day off, but he’d forgotten about her house phone. He knew he should have just taken her home with him after her mother had interrupted them yesterday--his place didn’t have a phone.

Unfortunately, he’d just kept getting distracted before he could make the suggestion. “Whatever the damn problem is, it can wait until later.”

Kagome came skidding into the kitchen on the last of his reply, her eyes as blazing as they could get while still partially filled with sleep. “I told you not to answer my phone!” She hissed the accusing words at him in a stage whisper. “Who is it?”

He turned his scowl on her, only to have it vanish the moment he took in her appearance. Speaking of distractions.

He wondered if she frequently wandered her apartment in the first decent thing she could get her hands on--in this case, his t-shirt--or if this was a special occasion. The rip in one side allowed it to droop over one shoulder, presenting a rather enticing display of smooth, rounded skin. Her hair clouded around her head, mussed and tangled, and her mouth looked a little swollen, giving it a pouty look. Legs completely bare, fists propped on her hips, half-asleep and still glaring at him.

Of course, he hadn’t really let her wear much of anything at all for the past twenty-four hours, but his t-shirt gave her a special something, he thought…he was definitely going to get her in his shirt more often. More often than not would be preferable. Suddenly, he wasn’t particularly interested as Miroku’s voice continued in his ear.

“Actually, this is pretty important.” His voice lowered. “Listen, I just got a call from my father, and apparently--”

“I’m hanging up. If this phone rings again, I’m ripping it out of the damn wall. Call back after the sun rises.”

“Wait, InuYasha, something’s--”

He clicked the off button and started to toss the cordless onto the table--hesitated, thought about it--and pulled the battery off the back, just to be safe.

She gave the pieces of her phone a horrified look. “InuYasha! You can’t just go hanging up on people! It could have been an emergency!”

He crossed the small space and grabbed at her hips, pulling her against him. “It was just the monk. He can wait.” He bent so his nose could nuzzle against that one spot, right behind her ear.

He felt her swallow, then back up a step. He promptly followed, this time adding a lick to his nuzzle--a slow, wet little swirl that caused her entire body to shiver--while his hands framed her waist so she couldn’t escape.

“Ah!” The excited little gasp that escaped her throat was like a caress against his skin, and he took a subtle sniff at her neck as the immediate shift in scent rose enticingly from her pores. Her head tilted slightly. “InuYasha, I need sleep, remember? Work in a few hours?”

His lips twitched into a smirk as he bit into her earlobe. “So sleep. Who’s stopping you?”

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For the fourth time in her professional career--the second time since meeting InuYasha--Kagome was late for work. And she didn’t even care.

That probably wasn’t a good sign.

She was shaking her head as she stepped into a much calmer clinic later that morning. She was going to have to think about establishing some ground rules--otherwise, she was never going to get anything done. As it was, she felt lucky that he’d simply dropped her off at work and left her alone without too much objection.

She paused just inside the doors, her gaze making a quick, searching sweep of the waiting room.

She’d already decided that her first stop this morning would involve a quick chat with Dr. Hiraga. Reality had hit her full force sometime this morning, and she’d reluctantly acknowledged that it was time for her to resume being the responsible adult she knew she was. The risk hadn’t been that great--InuYasha was hanyou, and as such, basically immune to most human disease, and she was at the wrong time in her cycle to get pregnant.

For now.

But she definitely could--and the degree of eventual risk was uncertain.

InuYasha was a hanyou. Hanyou were generally less fertile than any average, full-blooded species, but they’d proven time and again that they were capable of reproducing. And some, it seemed, were more capable than others. The phenomenon was unpredictable, erratic, and a mystery to modern science--it had something to do with the supernatural quality of youkai blood, the un-measurable potency of their youki, whatever--and the stronger their demon heritage, it seemed, the more likely it was that a youkai-human hybrid would be able to produce children.

From what Sango had told her about InuYasha and his family, his youki would be very strong. Besides, as stubborn as he was, she very much doubted he’d let a little thing like nature get in his way. Better safe than sorry, as the saying went.

She sighed and looked around as she headed for the back and her sign in sheet. Dr. Hiraga should be winding down the last hours of his shift. She could have an emergency prescription written and filled out before the end of the day. Honestly, she would have preferred to do it anywhere but at the clinic where she worked, but she doubted she’d have the time or the opportunity to go somewhere else before InuYasha showed up at the end of her shift. And there was no way she would be able to convince him to wait until she did. Her mind went over the past twenty-four hours, and her stomach clutched in a tight, anticipatory little squirm.

She doubted she could convince herself.

A little grin turned up the corners of her mouth, and she was well aware of the heated flush that burned her cheeks. She gave a fatalistic shrug and headed for the back. Oh, well. At least it’s Miso’s day off today. At least she would have until tomorrow to prepare herself for the uncomfortable scrutiny and questions she was bound to face.

That conclusion lasted her all of the thirty seconds that it took her to reach the reception desk, where she was greeted with the sight of the nurse in question sitting in her normal chair, hastily jotting something onto a chart. Startled, Kagome stopped dead in her tracks for just an instant of dread--at the very moment that Miso glanced up from her work.

She gave a brief, distracted smile. “Hey, Kagome. Welcome back.” She had turned back to her chart almost before she spoke. “Have you been watching all the--” She cut off abruptly as her head jerked back up in the most painful-looking double-take Kagome had ever seen--dark curls bouncing and gray eyes rounded as they raked over the doctor’s features for another moment of silent, expectant study.

The wicked, Cheshire-cat grin that split her face was the only warning she got.

Miso let out a loud, undignified whoop--drawing the shocked, somewhat scandalized stares of the people in the waiting room--then dropped her chart onto her desk and made a grab for the phone at her elbow. She shot Kagome a sly look as she punched in the number she wanted. “Had a satisfying day off, did we?”

Kagome winced, glancing self-consciously around the room before glaring at Miso. “I thought you weren’t coming in today!”

Still waiting for someone to pick up on the other end, the nurse shrugged. “I switched for another day.” Her grin widened. “And boy am I glad I did. I would have been so disappointed if I had missed this. So…” Her eyes were simply shining with laughter. “Does he taste as good as he looks?”

She felt the flare of deep red that flooded her face, but could do absolutely nothing to stop it.

“Hello, Aki?” Miso’s attention turned momentarily to the telephone in her hand. “Do me a favor and get Juri.” Her gaze continued in critical, sparkling sweep of the doctor who stood in front of her. After a moment, she shook her head. “Wow. He must be good. You’re glowing.”

Kagome groaned, and covered her hand with her eyes, mortified. “Couldn’t you at least wait until I’m out of the room?”

If Miso’s grin got any bigger, her face would split in half. “And miss your reaction? Besides, I want details--Ah! Juri! It’s Miso. Start spreading the word--Higurashi just walked in the door, and we’ve just made ourselves enough money to hit Osaka next summer.”

Kagome heard the answering squeal of excitement, and couldn’t help another groan. Within the next thirty minutes, she knew, everyone in the building would know exactly what Dr. Higurashi had been doing on her day off, and who she’d been doing it with. Great. Just…great.

She started to walk away, only to realize she wasn‘t sure where to go. Frowning, she glance back at the distracted Miso. “Could you at least tell me where Dr. Hiraga is?”

Miso gave a brief wave of her hand towards the back of the clinic, not bothering to look around. “Umm….exam room two…I think….” She paused, then turned to give Kagome a funny look. “….Why?”

If she hadn’t been so ridiculously flustered, she never would have answered that question. “I need him to write me a prescription.” She was already walking away as she said it, so the hand that wrapped around her arm and yanked her backwards caught her completely off guard.

For a moment, she found herself looking blankly into Miso’s saucer-wide gray eyes. “You can’t write it yourself? A prescription…as in…a prescription prescription? For you?” Kagome just stared at her, cheeks still bright hot and only getting hotter. Miso blinked. “Tell me you didn’t…with him…without…”

Kagome felt her eyes widen as she realized what she’d just said. Oh, damn! Mentally kicking herself, she scrambled to come up with a reasonable explanation. “No! Well--that’s not what I--”

Too late. Miso had already turned back to the phone, excitement painting every line of her face. “Ooooh, Juri! I have a new one for you--and I’m not even sure where to put my money on this one!”

Helpless to stop the storm that would come, Kagome just turned on her heel and fled for exam room two before she did any more damage to her reputation.

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One hour after she got to work, Miroku walked in the front doors.

Kagome was in the room behind the reception desk, reviewing a patient chart, so Miso spotted him first. She waved cheerfully, calling him over to where she sat at the reception desk, counting out money and answering calls. Kagome emerged from the back hall just in time to see Miso hand a grinning Miroku a wad of cash.

Considering the number of grins, looks, and whispered comments that she’d been subjected to since the moment she’d stepped out of Dr. Hiraga’s office earlier, the sight of two of her chief tormentors, conversing across the raised counter of the reception desk, tripped a nerve. Momentarily forgetting her waiting patient, she steamed her way over to the desk, ignoring the faint sense of déjà vu that struck her as she went.

Miroku saw her coming and stepped away from Miso and around the desk to meet her in the hallway, completely unfazed by her harassed expression. “Kagome. You’re looking lovelier than normal this morning. You must have had a good night--why, you’re practically--”

She cut him off, eyes sparking with temper. “Say the word ‘glowing’ and I’ll have you drugged and in an operating room so fast you won’t even know what hit you until you’re fifty and childless.”

That wiped the grin from his face with gratifying speed. He quickly pocketed the money and held up his hands in his best conciliatory manner. “Whoa. Of course. Will ‘a vision of mercy and kindness’ do?”

She eyed his somewhat alarmed stance for a moment, then sighed, feeling vaguely guilty for taking her frustration out on him. “I’m sorry, Miroku. It’s just been a little…difficult this morning.” She offered him a small smile. “You know I’d never do that to Sango.”

He relaxed, then grinned again, a little less potently this time. “I know. At least, not unless she asked you to.” He shook his head, then stepped back to give her a more thorough inspection, the dark hue of his eyes carefully taking in her appearance. “Well, you look fine. Sango will be relieved. She was worried when you didn’t answer your phone yesterday, and she finally sent me over here to see if you were all right.” One dark eyebrow rose. “Although, I think InuYasha may have rubbed off on you a bit more than is healthy.” His grin widened. “Assuming rubbed off is a term that won’t get me sterilized before I leave.”

This time she didn’t let him faze her. She just gave a tiny shake of her head, her smile widening. “I’m glad to see you’re all right, too.” Her brow furrowed, her teeth digging into her lip with sudden worry. “How is Sango, Miroku? I saw something on TV, and I was really…. I did try calling you, right after the rogue attack, but neither one of you was answering your phone.”

Miroku’s easy expression slipped, leaving him with one of his rare, serious frowns. “Well, she…got a bit banged up, but she’s healing nicely.” A shrug, and a crooked imitation of his previous smile. “Her parents are keeping her bed-ridden in the family home until she’s recovered enough to break out herself. I’m sure Kirara’s listening to her rant as we speak.” He held up a hand, forestalling Kagome’s questions before she’d even opened her mouth. “You’ll see her soon enough, if she has anything to say about it--you can examine her yourself then, ok?”

He waited for her hesitant nod, then tapped her shoulder with an affectionate finger. “In the meantime, do me a favor and turn on your phone. You two would get all this information so much faster if you did, and it would save me quite a bit of time and trouble.”

She gave an exasperated sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m not the one who turned it off in the first place.”

This time, both eyebrows lifted. “Yes, I gathered this morning that you two were busy yesterday.” She didn’t even bother to hide the light blush that climbed her face. At this point, she figured it would be a miracle if it wasn’t permanent. Lucky for him, she completely missed the telltale glint of speculation that briefly flashed in his gaze.

He drew a deep breath and glanced around at the semi-bustling atmosphere of the clinic. “Where is he, by the way? I need to speak with him.”

Kagome glanced down at the chart in her hand, trying to remember what she’d been doing before Miroku showed up to distract her. “He’s not here.” Absently, she flipped it open, then paused and sent a suspicious glance over his shoulder at the glass doors in the waiting room. “He’s not here, is he? He told me he was going home.”

“Home? Hmm. After the last attack, I’m a little surprised that he would leave you alone.”

She rolled her eyes. “He didn’t want to. I had to threaten to make him sleep on the balcony to keep him from following me around all day.”

He laughed softly. “You’re learning fast, aren’t you?” His head tilted at her, his gaze shrewd. “I’m more surprised he actually fell for that, though.”

She returned his grin with one of her own. “So am I.”

“Hey, Higurashi!” A doctor passing at the opposite end of the hall--a middle-aged gentleman with a stethoscope around his neck and industrial strength yellow rubber gloves on his hands--called out as he went by. “Could you hurry up and help me with those snake guys in room three? They’re still stuck together, and I think one of them got a hold of a syringe or something!”

Kagome’s eyes widened. Ah, that’s what I was doing.

She drew a deep, calming breath and let it out, then met Miroku’s concerned look with another roll of her eyes. “They’re brothers. They hate each other, but somehow managed to get themselves stuck together with some kind of youkai version of super glue. We’ve been experimenting all morning to see who can get it dissolved before they kill each other.” His expression went from concerned to alarmed, and she grinned again. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

She half-turned away, then placed a gentle hand on his sleeve. “Thank you so much for coming to check on me, and for telling me about Sango, but I have to get back to work now.”

Miroku still looked skeptical, but he nodded to her. “I have to go see InuYasha anyway. I’m pretty sure he’ll want to hear what I have to tell him.”

Kagome paused, then gave her friend an odd, hesitant look. “Miroku…you… You know where he lives, don’t you?”

At her tone, his brows furrowed slightly. “He hasn’t told you yet, has he?” He sighed, shaking his head. “He’s a bit single-minded about certain things, so little details sometimes slip his attention. Don’t worry about it too much. The way he is, I have the feeling you’ll be seeing his place a lot more than you ever see your own.”

Kagome started to smile, only to have it turn to a wince as a loud crash--followed by a distinctly fleshy-sounding whump--echoed from the back. She whirled, chart in hand, and started down the hallway. “It sounds like things have gotten rough. We might have to administer more sedatives. Miso!” She stopped momentarily to call back over her shoulder at the nurse, who--along with the entire population of the waiting room--had turned to look at the disconcerting noise. “Get some nurses back here. We may need some help.”

Miroku cast an appraising stare down the hallway where the other doctor had disappeared. “Hmm. It seems like your job is more…interesting…than I thought, isn’t it?”

She didn’t even turn around. “Sometimes, you have no idea.” With a distracted little wave, she disappeared around the corner.

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The steady pulse of the shower beat a dull, constant pattern around his body before falling to slap against the tile. He didn’t move, just stood enjoying the heated spray as it washed over him. He didn’t really need one--he was already clean. He’d taken advantage of Kagome’s shower earlier before he took her to work….

The tiniest smirk curved the lines of his mouth.

…Of course, she’d been in it at the time.

But showers were always good for a mindless activity, and after the past few days, he figured he could use one. He’d asked his old witch of a landlady and her son to have the more modern shower installed not long after he’d moved in, finding the traditional bath sometimes consumed too much time for his liking. Right now, he was just happy to have the hot, relentless pressure pounding into his skull.

He stared down at his hands, palms up, fingers spread in the air in front of him. The water dripped from the razor edges of his claws, stretching out in light, near-scalding fingers along his body. Hands that, only hours ago, had caressed over smooth, white skin while his ears vibrated with the sounds of enthusiastic feminine approval.

His gut clenched hotly at the memory. His eyes drifted closed as his hands followed suit, curling to hold on to the phantom sensations.

Gods. He’d never even considered how it would feel, the effect it would have on him--such intense relief, such intense satisfaction, such intense…feeling. He’d been anticipating for so long…but he’d never anticipated this, never really understood what it meant. It had never occurred to him to wonder what life would be like once he actually found her. He’d known she’d existed; but until now, he hadn’t known her. Now that he’d felt her, tasted her, talked to her…

It was real. He knew it--had never felt even the smallest sliver of doubt--but still, he had to keep telling himself. She was real, they were real, everything was real. And now she was his. She had made him wait six days of pure agony--and if he was absolutely honest with himself, it was almost a small miracle that she’d given in so fast--but she was his. Now all he had to do was keep her safe.

The tiny smile faded.

Now he understood how horribly he could fail.

When he’d been younger, it had seemed so simple: find her and protect her. He may have managed the one, but he wasn’t anywhere near the other. He still had no idea what he was protecting her from. It was so godsdamn frustrating. He knew something was coming--it couldn’t be any other way--but what form would it take? How would he know? It could be anything. He had to find some way to deal with it, to keep everyone out of danger.

He growled low in his throat and reached out to jam off the spray of the shower. For a moment, he just stood there, glaring at the wall. The droplets of water dripping from his skin and hair made random, high-pitched plops as they hit the tiled floor and joined the water swirling down the drain. Steam, thick and heavy in the enclosed space, floated around him, making it feel as if he hadn’t really turned the water off at all.

This Naraku bastard who’d surfaced worried the living shit out of him. Hearing the son-of-a-bitch’s name was like hearing nails on a chalkboard--his whole body reacted, tensed, went into rigid defense mode. It made him want to smash something.

But Naraku was attacking the Alliance. Kagome didn’t have anything to do with the Alliance; she didn’t even know much about it. So, other than the fact that she lived in the city and might be hurt by the rogues, how the hell did that threaten her?

But dammit, he couldn’t shake this feeling….

With another growl, he grabbed at the nearest towel.

The best answer, as far as he could tell, was to keep her as close as possible. That way, no matter what was coming, he would be there to protect her.

Deciding he could find absolutely no downside to that plan, he wrapped the towel around his hips and gave a shake to clear some of the water from his hair. Then he opened the door, getting hit by a rush of cool air, and stepped out into the hallway.

As soon as he got a whiff of the clearer, steam-free atmosphere of the rest of his apartment, he knew he had company. He scowled immediately, his first thought being to wonder how he’d gotten in. Then, since his nose also told him that his company had brought food, he headed for his room to throw on some clothes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

“How the hell did you get in here?”

A soft ‘tsking’ was the immediate reply. “Is that any way to greet a guest? Especially one who brings gifts?” Miroku didn’t sound the least bit concerned when InuYasha--now decently dressed in jeans and a t-shirt--emerged from the hallway, tossing out the question with only a fraction of his usual aggression. “You know, you should really learn listen to me when I tell you something’s important.”

“You should really learn not to call people before the sun rises.” The hanyou eyed him suspiciously as he crossed the living to join him at the edge of the kitchen.

His friend sat at the large island that marked the end of the open kitchen. The food he’d brought was already spread out on the counter behind him, and he presently had his elbows propped back, remote in hand, his sock-encased feet resting loosely against the lower bar of his stool. The television in the living room was going through an odd-sounding succession of voices as he idly flipped through the channels.

Miroku grinned from his relaxed sprawl against the counter, though his eyes never left the screen. He clicked again, going from an infomercial about knives to an anime featuring several busty, scantily-clad girls fawning over some boy who was on obvious sensory overload. “Hmm. That was mild. Ah well, you’re looking rather passive this morning, anyway. Have a good night?”

He responded with a sour look. “Shut up.”

Miroku looked affronted. “What, no details?”

His brows narrowed in a slight frown. “Do you actually have something important to say?”

“You didn’t seem too interested in what I had to say this morning--although, I suppose I can understand that well enough. Eat, will you? I went to all this trouble to treat you, the least you can do is eat it.” The anime went into commercial, and Miroku cut the volume, tossing the remote off to the side. “I just walked in, by the way--the door was unlocked. I keep telling you--if you don’t lock it, it’s as good as an invitation. Anyone can just barge in.”

He made a quick survey of the food offering on his counter: packets of various sweet breads, convenience store onigiri, a couple of paper-wrapped tayaki pastries that had probably come off a street vendor, and two styrofoam cups that had ‘Starbucks‘ printed on the side. With a snort, he gabbed one of the fish-shaped pastries and settled comfortably onto the counter next to the food, his bare feet resting on a stool. “What trouble? You breezed through a few stores that were on your way over. And I keep telling you, it’s not like I have to worry about intruders. In case you forgot, it’s a pain in the ass to even get on the damn property.”

At that, Miroku chuckled, and reached out to pluck up a sweet bread. “As if I could ever forget your charming landlady. I have to admit--she is formidable. I certainly wouldn’t cross her.” He took a bite, chewed, swallowed, then grinned. “Of course, since she likes me, it’s not a problem I ever have to face.”

InuYasha just rolled his eyes and concentrated on his make-shift brunch, not particularly caring to rise to whatever bait Miroku might set out. Besides, he just wanted to get the inevitable over with--no way would Miroku just let recent events slide without comment. Since he knew he couldn’t stop it, he didn’t even try.

“I stopped by the clinic to see Kagome. My compliments. She looked particularly…” his grin widened, “…glowing this morning. I never knew you had it in you.”

His brows twisted in a mild annoyance. “I’m not giving you details.”

At his flat statement, Miroku looked slightly perturbed. “Why? I bet Sango gets full details from Kagome.”

His scowl deepened just a bit. “Then get them from Sango. I’m not telling you anything. I thought I told you two to stay out of it, anyway.”

Darkly violet-hued eyes cast a speculative glance at him before turning back to his bread. “That’s rather unfair, don’t you think? Kagome was my friend before you even met her. You can’t blame either one of us for being concerned.” He twisted on his seat, reaching back to snag up a cup. “Besides, it’s not every day that your two closest friends fall into a relationship at breakneck speed, is it?” He took a delicate sip. “Especially not when one of them has had his eye out for the other since practically the day he was born.”

Whatever retort he’d been forming died in his throat. He stilled, staring down at the remaining tail of the fish-shaped pastry in his hand. Damn him. He’d slipped that in so smoothly he almost hadn’t noticed--typical Miroku style. His jaw clenched, then he sighed, bracing for the questions. “I never should have told you that.”

“Oh, come now. You were--what, seven? Every little kid needs to be able to tell someone his fondest dreams, don’t you think? I told you mine, didn’t I? Yours just happened to be more interesting.” Miroku’s brows furrowed slightly as he considered his coffee. “Besides, I saw you, remember?” A dry, humorless chuckle. “No wonder you never wanted to sleep over. If your mother hadn’t already told Mushin to let you be, he would have rushed you to the nearest hospital.” His frown deepened, and he leveled his gaze on his friend. “Hell, he almost did anyway. We both thought you were dying.”

“Stupid--it wasn’t that bad.” He scowled, upset and somewhat embarrassed by the memory, resistant to the entire conversation. “It’s not like you ever believed me anyway.”

Miroku gave a light ‘tsk’. “That’s not true, InuYasha. I never doubted you. Not even after you started pretending it didn’t happen.”

The quiet sincerity in the monk’s voice struck him, and InuYasha’s head twisted around swiftly in surprise.

His childhood friend sat up straight and regarded him gravely. “Why else would I be so easy over the fact that you met, immediately obsessed over, and then slept with a good friend of mine--my fiancée’s best friend--all within a week of meeting her?” He paused, then shrugged. “I already know how serious you are.”

He stared at him for a long moment of silence, completely taken aback.

Miroku shifted on the stool, then shook his head. “I’m not foolish enough to think I understand everything that’s going through your head--I know that something happened those years you were gone, you know. You were different when you came back.” He sighed. “But you know… Despite everything else to worry about right now, I’m sure I don’t have to worry about Kagome.”

For a minute, he wasn’t sure what to think. Then it hit him--what Miroku was saying--and he blinked, swallowing around a sudden, unexpected surge of gratitude. It replaced his uncertainty, flashing briefly in his eyes before he glanced away, his gaze straying to the anime still playing in colorful, overblown, bouncing view. “Keh.” His voice was quiet, but gruff. “Of course you don’t. None of you do. I told you that a long time ago.” His eyes narrowed on a well-endowed brunette wearing nothing but a bikini made of leaves. “You told Sango?”

Miroku finished off his gulp of coffee with a grimace. “Ah…no. Just because I believe you doesn’t mean she will--and if she did, there’s no guarantee that she’d react well. We have enough problems at the moment without her trying to hurt you again.”

InuYasha glanced over, his hand lifting to finish off last bit of his tayaki. “Heh. You just don’t want to get blamed for not saying anything sooner.”

“That, too.” The monk agreed, readily and unabashedly.

“How is she?”

Miroku made a face, reaching up to scratch at the back of his head. “Eh…she’s a little tired, a little upset--maybe even a little sick. Her parents won’t let her out of bed, and she’s angry that I sided with them.”

Exasperated golden eyes rolled to the ceiling. “She got thrown head-first into a damn building. She needs to rest.” His brow furrowed and he glanced back at Miroku. “You?”

“Ah, well, you know…” The hand dropped from his head to rest against his rib cage. “I’m recovering. They’re only bruised, really.”

Silence fell as they both stared at the end of the anime, the dark set of eyes almost appreciatively interested, the lighter ones skeptical.

“So I’m assuming, considering the recent development, that you’ve been a bit out of touch the past day or so?”

InuYasha scoffed, then picked up the coffee cup resting beside his hip. “You could say that.” He gave it a cautious sniff. Miroku generally liked his coffee black, which sometimes led to an unpleasant surprise for InuYasha if he didn‘t check first. Detecting a satisfactory amount of sugar and cream, he started to take a sip.

Dark, violet-tinted eyes studied him casually. “Haven’t seen the news at all? It’s pretty disturbing. The newest friction is between the Alliance and…well, pretty much everyone else now. Humans, youkai--everyone’s upset about it.”

His hand paused halfway to his mouth, and another scowl fixed on his features. “Damn. The last rogue just gave those asshole politicians more ammunition to say whatever shit they want.”

“Yes, except this time, I’m afraid it’s more than just talk. They’re seriously calling for reforms.” Miroku gave a heavy sigh. “And now they have the weight of public opinion.”

InuYasha snorted, giving his opinion of public opinion. “If the Alliance caved every time someone didn’t like ‘em, they’d never have lasted this long.”

“Maybe. But this time feels different. Even the sitting lords are all upset.” Miroku’s voice was grim. “Whatever else the attacks are doing, they’re certainly succeeding in discrediting the Alliance in the eye of the people, if not the government. That’s a problem.” He hesitated, then spoke almost delicately. “Did you…find out anything about Naraku?”

A growl vibrated his throat, simmering with rage. “You mean that he was the bastard behind Ryukotsusei? That the Council’s scared shitless of him? Or that he’s a fucking thief who’s been too much of a fucking coward to find before now? Or do you mean that he has the fucking balls to be hiding somewhere in the city?”

Miroku winced, then looked a little startled. “Yes, all that, although I didn’t know he was in the city. Do you know where?”

A brief snarl. “No. All I could get was that he is positively operating from somewhere inside the city.”

“Hmm. That might explain why the rogues just seem to pop up out of nowhere, although where he managed to hide something as big as the one from other night…” He frowned. “How about that he’s been contacting Alliance lords?”

“What?” He looked up.

“It’s nothing but rumors so far, but everyone’s pretty sure that it’s true. The Council is being very closemouthed about everything they’re doing right now. Of course, no one is admitting to it.” Another shrug. “As to why…your guess is as good as mine.”

InuYasha frowned, then brought the cup to his lips, taking a large gulp.

“Your brother killed one of the lords during the attack.”

He choked, then coughed and sneezed in quick succession as coffee made its way up his nose. Shocked golden eyes pinned down the monk beside him with a glare as he managed to grate out some words. “What! What the fuck did you say?”

The monk didn’t even bat an eye. “Lord Sesshoumaru killed one of the Alliance lords, on Alliance grounds, during the rogue attack on Roppongi.”

That time he dropped his cup. It slipped through stunned fingers, crashed to the floor and popped open, spilling his remaining coffee across the tiled flooring and into the carpeting. Killing an Alliance lord had serious consequences all on its own…but killing one on the unflinchingly neutral grounds of the Alliance was…unthinkable, even for InuYasha. “WHAT?!”

Miroku’s lips turned up in a small, grim smile. “He killed Lord Atsumushi--one of the human lords. They were found in the forbidden documents room of the inner library in the restricted area of the castle. I gather there wasn’t much left of Lord Atsumushi. Sesshoumaru didn’t even try to deny it. Personally, I think he’s lucky they didn’t just kill him on sight.”

His feet hit the floor, completely oblivious to the rapidly cooling puddle of coffee. “You couldn’t have told me sooner? Why the hell did he do that?”

Miroku sighed and shook his head. “My father wasn’t free to tell me until he called me early this morning. I tried to get word to you right away, but…”

“Screw that. What happened?”

Again, Miroku hesitated, and his expression became grave. “Sesshoumaru claims that the lord he killed was working for Naraku. That’s all I know.”

Naraku….

“Shit!” He paled, then whirled, heading for his room and his haori. “Where is he?”

“Last I heard, they had him confined--with quite a bit of holy magic, I might add--in one of the rooms in the castle.” He watched the hanyou with interest. “Are you going to see him? It could be difficult to even get in. The gates are still closed, you know.”

InuYasha paused, then turned a grim gaze on the monk. “I know. But as much as I hate to admit it, I’m still the pretty bastard’s family. Their precious rules say they can’t keep me out.” He growled. “It’s not like I care, but if Sesshoumaru knows something about this bastard Naraku, I have to find out.” He crossed the living room quickly, disappearing down the hall.

Miroku stared after him, one black eyebrow lifted in incredulity. “What do you know? He really does know the rules.” Then he remembered the other reason he was here, and looked around for his jacket.

By the time the monk actually appeared in the open doorway of his bedroom, InuYasha was already tying off his red hakama. “If you’re going anywhere, then don’t forget this.”

He barely glanced up, so he almost missed the small silver object flying towards his head. Reflexively, his hand reached up and snatched it out of the air. He looked it over, then gave Miroku a confused frown. “What the hell is this?”

A smirk flirted with the edges of his mouth in reply. “And here I thought that was obvious. It’s a phone, InuYasha--your phone, actually. I forgot to tell you…someone found your jacket in the ruins near Roppongi, and it appears your old one has died a tragic death.” He nodded at the phone. “I took the liberty of securing you a new one. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“Keh.” He found a fairly secure place to stick it, then pulled on his haori. “Nice of you, considering getting one was your idea in the first place.”

Miroku’s dark head dipped in a non-committal nod as he watched InuYasha slip Tetsusaiga against his waist. “It’s basically the same phone--same number, same features.” A grin turned the corners of his mouth. “I didn’t want to confuse you or anything.”

“Ha ha.” He was already out the door. “Why don’t you concern yourself with your future wife and leave me alone?”

“Because my future wife isn’t very happy with me right now, and you’re so much more fun to bother than she is.”

“Oh yeah? How about if I start knocking you on the head every time you act like an ass?”

Miroku stopped in the middle of his living room and appeared to mull that over. “That could make my life very difficult.”

InuYasha, at the front door, suddenly stopped and turned to face Miroku. “Miroku….” He looked troubled. “I shouldn’t be gone long, but….”

Miroku gave an easy nod. “Kagome works till late afternoon, right? I think maybe Sango wouldn’t mind if I dropped some lunch off at the clinic before I get back to her.”

Kagome’s clinic was on the other side of the city from Sango’s family estate. He would be going far out of his way twice in one day. InuYasha felt the frown ease from his face. “Thanks.”

Miroku just waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about it. Sango’s mad at me anyway--if I stop and get Kagome some food, I’m hoping she’ll put in a good word for me.” InuYasha snorted and turned again, yanking open his front door and stepping out onto the balcony. Miroku grinned. “Don’t forget to take your keys. I’m locking up when I leave, and we don’t want you having to break into your own apartment tonight--especially if you have our lovely Kagome with you. Someone might mistake you for a burglar.”

InuYasha was barely paying attention. “Yeah, I--” He froze, and his frown returned in full and suspicious force. “Lock up?” He whirled, glaring at the grinning man who’d just made himself comfortable in one of the two armchairs on either side of his couch. “Where the hell did you get keys to my apartment?!”

Miroku’s smile widened imperceptibly. “Hmm. That’s a very good question. How curious that I would have keys to your apartment. I wonder how I got them?” With a bemused shake of his head, he glance back at the hanyou glaring at him from the doorway. “Weren’t you going somewhere?”

With a growl, InuYasha slammed the door shut and left.

With a sigh, Miroku pulled out his cell phone to let Sango know he’d be later than planned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

A/N: Wow, been a long time for this one, huh? Sorry, I’ve kinda had problems. They’re still there, but I’m still writing, so…. For the longest time, all I could do was stare at this in its very unfinished form, and then, suddenly, it was like….wow, I can still write after all. O.o Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this chapter.

And Blackberry rocks above socks and all forms of chocolate! (Well…. Aren’t I in a strange mood today?) Super-speed beta extraordinaire! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. (hugs)

A cookie of your choice in either chocolate or vanilla if you caught the manga reference!^_^

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Cheers to all,

~Quill

….You know what this means? This means that now I have to work on that project I’ve been putting off. *shock*

Or…maybe I’ll just work on the next chapter….Hmmm….. *thinks*