T.Y.O.M. Chapter 9: Bruised Foreheads

T.Y.O.M. Chapter 9: Bruised Foreheads

Pairing: Miroku x Kagome

Sango and Shippo were gone. Not dead---at least not yet---but they were taken and the rest of the group, along with the village caught in the middle, were left worse for wear. The timing couldn't have been any more perfect, Inuyasha had reverted back into a human and the village was celebrating a night of successful harvests. In the dark of night, in the span of what seemed like seconds, Inuyasha and Miroku were down for the count and half the flammable housings were burnt to the ground, the villagers injured and scattered.

The next seconds, minutes, hours were spent in damage control. Kagome, the temporary Priestess-in-training, did her best in consoling the remaining conscious village leaders and strongmen, the pink glow of her fingertips lingering. 

With Miroku and human-Inuyasha taken care of, the rest of the villagers were left to their own devices. The crying children were satiated, the injured cared for, the fires put out, and the village dead quiet as they rested and waited for the light to come. Kagome couldn’t be more grateful for the hospitality--after all it was her group who led them to the village.

In their own hut on the edge, shabby futons were laid out for the broken group but she couldn’t bring herself to lay down as the abandoned Kirara paced around by her side. Miroku was definitely the worst out of the two. Not good. Their breathing surprisingly felt calm, face occasionally twitching at the pain, and Kirara fiddled with their discarded-for-first-aid clothing.

“That’s no good...”

Kagome nibbled on her bottom lip, eyes looking farther than the ragged cloth. She couldn’t wait for the morning to come but then again she didn’t want to see the sun rise. Reaching in her bag, she felt for a travel-sized container of thread and needles and put her hands to work, willing for the distraction to last until the brink of daylight.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Miroku-sama, stop!”

One shoulder harshly brushed the other aside and robes were haphazardly thrown together by muscle memory with a wrapped up arm.  

“No! No, Kagome-sama.” 

Small hands trembled at messily-covered shoulders in another attempt.

“Miroku-sama!”

The hands on his robes were ripped off at the fabric and a grunt escaped his lips from the rigid motion. A moment of instinct and desperation.

“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier? Don’t--! Don’t you even care?”

“I--”

“Just why?! Because of this set-back, Sango--!... Sango an-- Sango and Shippo are farther and farther away. They could be dead now for all we know!”

Purple eyes burned, the early lights of the afternoon sun flickered in his gaze as he directed his attention into the floor. As if he were imagining the stomped blades of grass as the demon horde that ambushed them the night before. Fists clenched, heavy panting and unsteady balance, it was like there was a wounded, wild beast before her, and she was afraid. Afraid to get close. Afraid to make one wrong move.

“Kami-sama above, below, and beside us stupid mortals, I have to go. I have to be there for them. Kagome-sama, you understand… right!? I can’t just stand here! We have no time to waste, just lazing around here!”

He faced her, his expression scrunched and the most vulnerable she had ever seen. Must be because of Sango. Of course. It stripped at Kagome's strongest defenses until he attempted to step away. He stumbled over his own staff and barely caught himself as his outbursts caused the other villagers to slowly stop and gather.

“Miroku.” No honorifics, just firm, warm, and unwavering. He didn’t turn.

“You’re injured, damn it.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“YES IT DOES!”

He felt the trembling strength in her grip as Kagome forced him to face her, hands stretching the fabric of his robes. She pushed and pushed, forcing him to stumble backwards just to keep them both afloat. He expected tears, he expected a slap, he expected childish Kagome. Flitting eyes met the fiery depths of blue as she slammed her forehead against his, keeping him close and lowered at eye-level. It was childish.

“You can’t come. You’re hurt and I don’t want you to die, do you hear me!?”

“Kag--”

“No, shut up. Shut up! Do you hear me? Can’t you see that this village needs and wants you here? Your left arm is also useless right now and you can’t even walk without using your staff! I--.”

Her voice decided right then and there to crack but her gaze refused to waver, eyes shining with a new wetness which she immediately blinked away. He didn’t say anything, a frown gracing his features as she pulled harder on his robes.

“Inuyasha’s already healed and he’s got his stupid ears and old man hair back so we can’t stay here long, they’re terrified of him. They’ve agreed to keep you here though… So please. Just stay here. We need to know that at least you’re safe and sound...”

Something poked at his legs and Miroku looked down, forehead still brushing softly against Kagome’s bangs. Kirara let out a small mew, pawing at his toes with a knowing look, before she bumped her head into Kagome’s bruised and tensed calf. He let out a small curse at his own misfortune and looked back at the quivering Kagome. She wasn’t finished.

“...And of course I care, Miroku-sama. I… I’m useless, I know I am, but I never give up. You know that. I’m just so scared. I’m just scared that we’re already too late! That I won’t be able to do anything if we ever find--!”

“When, Kagome-sama. When you find them.”

Miroku, gaining the advantage of her sudden loss of composure, adjusted the staff in his hand to wipe at the tear in the corner of her eye before letting a bitter smile fall on his lips.

“I just… I need you to stay here. Can you promise me that?”

“...Yes. Please get them back safely.”

“Of course---”

“I have complete faith in you, you know.”

Kagome couldn’t respond to the succumbed yet confident tone of his voice or the fingers that brushed against her reddened forehead. She just nodded with a newly found determination and ran back into the forest with Kirara in her arms as a glimpse of red greeted her.

Left alone, he watched their silhouettes disappear as the eyes of all villagers suddenly burned into his back. Fixing the position of his staff, he failed to collect himself and sheepishly looked back at various expressions scattered on their equally battered faces. Rather than scared and angry at their outburst, they shared a more bashful atmosphere. It was quickly broken by what seemed like one of their esteemed village elders.

“Aye, young monk-sama, was she your wife perhaps...?”

He burst into a coughing fit and bought his wrinkled robe sleeve up to his face to cover the abrupt embarrassment on his face.

”W… wife?”

They all nodded simultaneously, eager to hear the answer. He brushed the fabric against his face again at their eagerness and paused. There was an intrusion in the fabric against his chin--a slight raised threading against bunched and bloodied cloth. Looking down, he found something and thumbed the mended area, fixed with obviously tender yet rough ministrations. Flowers. Fragile white flowers against dark, tainted fabric. He fixed a softer, relaxed smile at the crowd.

“No, just a precious friend.”

The villagers looked between themselves with doubt before returning back to their duties while he, with the help of a rejuvenated, single young girl, moved back onto the porch of their mostly-emptied out hut and slumped against the wall. They’ll make it. Without a doubt. Sango and Shippo are safe… Right? With a sigh, Miroku started praying, fingers playing with the light flowers embroidered on his mended sleeve.

Intro | Chapter 8 | Chapter 10

Taste of Your Own Medicine

Pairing: Miroku x Kagome

I wrote a compilation of romantic one-shots for this rare pair, with no particular plot or point of relationship growth. It’s just gradual pining and comfort between characters given the circumstances and it’s super sweet. Here’s the first prologue (?): 

Smack. There it was again, a stinging in his cheek and a gloved hand slithering from Sango’s butt to caress the pain. At least, it wasn't her Hiraikotsu, he thought willfully, the familiar ache of the last time the huge boomerang dug into the back of his head. Miroku held a mirthful smile as he caught both Sango’s growing blush and Kagome’s scowl. Their obvious embarrassment and disgust wasn’t anything new so it didn’t stop his shameless chuckling.

They were on their way to another village, Inuyasha leading with Shippo uncharacteristically by his side. Kagome sensed a jewel shard about a couple minutes earlier, she could feel it move slowly inside some unfortunate demon, its corrupted hunger glowing in the distance. She shivered at the feeling, small whispers of fear making her forget all about Miroku’s perversions toward Sango, until a hand brushed against her backside, softly groping it. 

In one second, she felt the texture of prayer beads thinly separating the offending palm from direct contact to her butt. In two seconds, she heard a scarily appreciative but velvety hum settle beside her. In three seconds, a blush exploded on her face then she finally found her voice to screech like a dying pterodactyl and jump inhumanely into the folds of Sango’s arms, who was unbelievably disgusted for a second time in five minutes. What a new record, Inuyasha and Shippo couldn’t help thinking as Miroku’s life suddenly flashed before his eyes.

A large boomerang-weapon in the hands of Sango hit the perverted monk’s head with a loud ‘thunk’, followed by the chimes of a fallen staff and groans from the observing group. Face in the soft grass, Miroku contemplated whether or not to explain his actions but stopped at Kagome’s huffing and a throbbing headache. He missed the obviously furious expression on Kagome's face as Inuyasha and Shippo shook their heads in disappointment. Miroku chuckled shamelessly, picked himself off the floor with grace and dusted off his robes, a huge bump already forming on the top of his head. He looked at a beautifully raging Kagome, who was hidden behind an equally pissed Sango, and smiled.

“I just couldn't help myself, Kagome-sama.” 

She stepped forward, hand sassily on her hips as she pointed at him with accusation clear in her eyes.

“‘Couldn't help myself’, my foot! Just wait till I get my revenge, you pervy monk.” 

She has a plan for revenge? Miroku smiled wider at that, an unfamiliar rush of genuine excitement filled him. He didn't know why but he had a feeling that she wouldn't disappoint.

“My fate is in your hands then, Kagome-sama!”

The original posts are on fanfiction.net, but I wanted to post on here. Please send any requests or one-shot ideas as well! I’ll do my best to deliver ^^

The chapter links:

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17...

T.Y.O.M. Chapter 12: Two-Person Bow Action

Pairing: Miroku x Kagome

You could say Kagome’s arm was subdued at the moment. Her ramen eating, hair brushing, cheek pinching, monk-slapping, bow holding arm was badly sprained---or dislocated, or broken, who knows. 

But… it wasn’t Kirara or Sango’s fault for jamming the Hiraikotsu in the eye of the large demon who squeezed her body to the brink of explosion like their life depended on it. It wasn’t Miroku’s fault for thrusting his golden-pointed staff head into the demon’s calf, who’s feet almost trampled him in it’s sudden blindness. It wasn’t Shippo’s fault for landing a fast one on the demon’s head and it definitely wasn’t Inuyasha’s fault for cutting off the demon’s hand that held her without a second thought.

Kagome would have to say that it was her own fault for falling---well, dropping---like she did. The demon’s dismembered hand wouldn’t let go of her small body and she tumbled hard over the teetering hill of a tall ledge, a pop and a crack following her every roll until she was airborne. The demon’s unconscious, overgrown body had followed after and the trip down the ledge never seemed as slow as it did in that moment. The collective expressions of horror on each team member’s face as they followed the shrinking form of Kagome falling stuck in her head but the battle wasn’t done. The looks shifted as quickly as they came as waves of demons and possessed villagers clawed at their last defences, leaving no free hands to spare for the falling girl.

Kagome knew they had no choice but that didn’t stop the cold grip of fear twisting her heart as the final crash failed to come. She just kept falling. 50 foot fall. 50 percent chance of survival. What if she died? What odds would Kagome’s luck grant her? 

She couldn’t take that chance, so her hand reached out. Desperately. Selfishly. Her nails cracked and peeled but her fingers caught onto an impossibly small ledge, her body stretching from the momentum as her other arm dangled beside her. It was only for a split second but she heard a spine-tingling pop, one made from a stretch too far and too fast, but couldn’t be relieved lest she wanted to risk cracking her skull at the bottom of the mountain. It hurt to hold on but she forced herself to dig her fingers into the ledge, urging herself to bear with it. Burn. Burn. Burn. Sting. Sting. Sting. Kagome’s eyes welled up but melded into an inaudible scream that escaped from her lips as she closed her eyes. 

She couldn’t let go of the ledge holding her but she could feel the strength slipping from her arm. One second more. Please. In her pain, she didn’t bother moving as dismembered carcasses rained from off the ledge where glimpses of Kirara’s flying form, Sango’s Hiraikotsu, and Inuyasha's sword swings flashed by.

God, why am I here? At 17 years old, in a psych-ward-worthy trip to the past, fighting demons and dead people, with no one to tie her here. Yes, the shards were partially her fault and, yes, her whole existence circled around the fact that she was the reincarnation of a hanyou’s booty-call but that didn’t really give her a reason to stay. Maybe she was being angsty but… 

She could’ve had a normal life.

A couple of clawed fingers, rocks, and blood pelted down beside her head from above.

With normal friends...

Inuyasha’s growls and Kirara’s roars, mixed with various chants and cries of battle moves, echoed into her ears. 

A normal body...

Her muscles abnormally toned and body scarred for a girl her age, from years of P.E. and time traveling in the valleys and grasslands of Edo-Japan, had gotten her one too many disapproving comments. She could still feel the tingle in the scars littering her body and words they sparked from passerbyers.

A normal innocence for her age...

Her eyes shone differently and her posture was more defensive, she was told but brushed it off with a practiced smile.

A normal love life...

Saturated red filled her mind before a swirl of something dark and rich flashed by. Kagome did a double take. Dark? Purp---?

“Kagome-sama!”

“Kagome!”

Kagome whipped her head to the side, hair obscuring her view as a flash of deep purple and bright orange, blue, and golden greeted her. A teardrop fell down her cheek. Her heartbeat picked up. Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara were miraculously, unbelievably there, right in front of her. Their eyebrows scrunched with worry and the former two’s hands shook from the height. They both reached out to her but she couldn’t do a thing. It was hard to breathe, hard to blink, hard to move, but it didn’t stop the smile that reached her lips.

“I think my arm is broken! I can’t move it!”

They found her smile and her giddiness strange, evident in the way their eyebrows lifted. Miroku shook his head and shouted over the wind.

“Which one?”

“What do you think?” She wiggled her dangling arm towards them and Shippo’s expression shook.

“Hold on, we’re coming!”

Kirara descended slightly below her with quiet mews and Miroku gripped her waist and ankle. Her arm protested greatly as she peeled her numb fingers off the ledge. She was glad she couldn’t feel her fingers, the pain in her shoulder overpowering her senses, because her nails were pretty much ruined. I need some serious self-care after this---One minor slip and her stomach plummeted as she fell flat on Miroku’s lap. She didn’t mind the way Shippo buried his head into her chest, warmed at the thoughtfulness of his hand avoiding her shoulder. Kagome also didn’t mind---or maybe didn’t notice---the way Miroku’s arms tightened around her shivering body as they rose back into battle.

It was just as bad as before she fell. Blood decorated the massacred battlefield of grass, mud, and bodies of both demon and human. The enemies’ numbers had greatly reduced with the combined powers of Inuyasha’s and Sango’s practiced teamwork and Kagome gasped at the ridiculousness of spotting her magically unbroken bow and arrows in the midst of the field. Suddenly, there was a heavy blow from behind. It knocked everyone off of the transforming cat demon and they stumbled hard, the battle resuming without pause. The demons took advantage of their weak links and Sango quickly mounted Kirara at her roar to fend them off. Miroku instinctively jumped in and pummeled the claws that scratched at their feet. 

Kagome tried to minimize her vulnerability and cover Miroku’s back but there’s only so much two loose shoes and lean legs can do without arms to balance with or the inability to turn off the pain in her arm. A scratch here, a cut there, it was an endless cycle of misses and defenses. She knew it couldn’t last long, she saw the sweat dripping on Miroku’s face and the strain in his arms as his strikes became sluggish. 

Inuyasha could be heard in the back, piles of bodies just circling his slashing form as he attacked from all sides. He attracted the most attention but the looming form of Naraku’s puppet stayed on the side, fending off each and every attempt that Sango made to destroy its supports from below it. With a wordless look, Inuyasha forced the enemies flat on their backs with one last slash of wind. He pounced on the retreating form of Naraku’s puppet but the tendrils of dark wooden roots dragged him back down. He yelped, embedding his large sword into the root but hundreds more joined in, constricting his movements like the seamless, strong muscles of a large snake with its prey. Miroku thought to use his Kazaana, arm already reaching for his prayer beads but a sudden attack from the right with no time to grab his staff caught him in the arm and he fell with a grunt. Blood splat across the floor and Kagome rushed to heave him up, feet scrambling to escape the demons behind them.

Picking up a beaten Shippo along the way, they could only watch as Sango and Kirara sunk into the pits of writhing vines and roots. Kagome saw something flash by in her peripheral and U-turned, causing the demons behind to skid past them as Miroku got a mild case of whiplash from the pull. She pounced on the forgotten bow and arrow but hissed at the pain in her left arm. She couldn’t hold her bow.

“Are you kidding me?!”

“What is it, Kagome-sama?”

Miroku peered over her shoulder and realized their situation. He was without his Kazanna and she couldn’t grip her bow.

“Got a plan, Miroku-sama?”

Her legs trembled slightly. Poison wasps filled the air once again, the buzz drowning the racing beats of their hearts that threatened to spill out of their chests.

“Do you still have any of that medicine from the future?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t.”

It was a standoff by then. Piercing eyes of pure spiritual energy clashed against the animalistic, unstable presences of a hollow beast and the hairs rose on the back of their necks. Their captive friends struggled against their bonds, weapons cast aside. Kagome could feel the pull of the hidden shards within the baboon coat of Naraku’s copy and slowed her breathing. If you can hear me, Kikyo or Midoriko, please give me the strength to purify and hit my target. As if he heard her thoughts, Miroku placed his uninjured arm over hers and they shared a look. Purple eyes probed into her mind, calculating different outcomes, but he wasn’t so quick to answer this time. They rolled under the swipe of a tree root and the arrows went flying, trampled under the pressure of the copy’s attack.

“Shit.”

“Shit indeed!”

He dragged them into the edges of the forest, the trees providing a temporary solace in the face of their imminent death.

“Hey Shippo, can you help me wrap up Miroku’s arm?”

Miroku kept eyes on the slithering form gaining on them as Shippo and Kagome stumbled through temporarily stopping the blood. Their options were dwindling and the muffled threats and growls only set them further on edge. What to do, what to do. Looking at their rations, they only had so much which set Miroku further on edge. He looked at his unoccupied hand. One staff. He glanced at Kagome’s smaller form. One Miko. One bow. One kitsune. One Priest. Four working arms, two too small to hold a bow, and two incapacitated. Shippo could possibly transform but the chances of purification? Unlikely. What else…? He checked over Kagome again and his voice hitched in his throat. One arrow. One chance.

Kagome followed his gaze and broke the pounding silence.

“I can’t hold my bow, Miroku-sam---.”

“Can you notch an arrow?” Miroku had quickly cut her off, both with a question and the sudden intensity of his gaze.

“I… I, yes, I can. Why?”

“Shippo might not be big enough to do the job and he doesn’t have your purifying energy. Sorry, Shippo.”

“That’s ok.”

“Can you summon that energy?” Kagome pursed her lips, confused at the progression of his hasty ambiguity.

“You know I can’t, Miroku-sama! Anyways, where are you going with this?” He brushed off her question.

“I don’t ‘know’ that, Kagome-sama. What I do know is that you can purify impurities!”

“And look where that got us!”

She bit hard on her lip as Miroku pulled them aside to another tree, deeper into the forest.

“I know you can do it. You just have to reach deep. I can help support but it’s on you, Kagome-sama.” He had pinned her against the tree, roots slashing against their tree, and Shippo buried himself closer into Kagome’s chest. She scrunched her eyebrows and clenched her fist around her bow.

“And what if I can do it? I still can’t hold my bow!” Her nose briefly brushed against his in the coincidence of a shared look.

“You’re going to have to trust me! Do you hold it with your left or right hand?”

“Left!”

“That’s perfect.” His gaze flickered to hers before staring past her. Her eyes followed but his jerky movements to the left landed them on the floor, rolling to the next patch of trees. Shippo had slipped from her grasp as both Miroku and Kagome winced at the pressure on their respective arms. The last arrow dropped from her pack and the group felt their hearts stop. In a flash, the large, deformed body of the puppet stood in the way between Miroku and Kagome and Shippo and the arrow. A non-existent hunger lingered in its gaze as it towered over the two.

“Hand over the shards, Kikyo-reincarnate.”

“Over my dead body!”

The large being paused.

“...That could be arranged.”

“Not literally, you psycho!”

Miroku caught a glimpse of Shippo, trembling, with the last arrow pinched delicately in his little paws. They made quick eye contact and Miroku slowly mouthed indistinct instructions at the little fox. Ears twitching, Shippo nodded shakily.

“Kagome-sama.”

“Not right now, I gotta rip a new one in this jerk!”

He went softer, harsher, and closer to her ear. She didn’t flinch.

“That’s fine. Just keep him occupied. Shippo’s got the arrow. Do you think you can force your purifying energy into it?”

“IF we can get it and IF I’m pissed off enough.” Kagome hissed, breath brushing against his cheek.

“Well you’re in luck. I can help with both,” Miroku quickly whispered into her ear and shifted his focus, clicking his tongue at the puppet, “Naraku! I don’t think I can ask you to release our friends, can I?”

“No shit, Miroku-sama.”

He ignored her snarky comment.

“What about a trade?”

“Are you crazy--!?”

“Go on.”

At the demanding tone, Miroku straightened his back to hide his wince.

“A shard for a friend.”

“Foolish monk. Your miko’s shards have fused into one. The locket---”

The pink bubble shape of Shippo’s transformation floated gently above Naraku’s puppet’s head and the two found it hard to focus on the rest of the deal, a smile fighting itself on their tired lips. The demon prattled on and Kagome felt Miroku grip the base of her bow from behind her. With a tug, she let go and crouched down to pick up a decent-sized rock. Miroku didn’t bother to look up her skirt. This was a crucial moment. One wrong move could send them crashing---besides he always had other opportunities. If they survived.

His eyes must have shifted suspiciously, maybe her throwing a rock at him signaled the wrong reaction or maybe Shippo wasn’t quiet enough but none of them could have predicted the snake-like grip that attached onto Shippo before they could blink.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

The snarl became Miroku’s new signal.

“Now, Shippo!”

Shippo threw the arrow in their direction and shifted his form to a rock statue. The quick change in weight and size loosened the puppet’s grip and Shippo planted a good thud on their head. While he scurried away, the arrow flew in slow motion, blurring as Kagome reached to catch it. Her uninjured arm brushed along the shaft and she squeezed.

She was ready to cheer in triumph until Miroku pulled her back flush against his torso, prayer-bead-covered arm circling around her waist as his other hand held her bow where she normally positioned it if her arm wasn’t messed up.

“Oh Miroku, you clever perv!” Kagome leaned her head back on his shoulder to look up at him. Inuyasha and Sango had to take a quick pause from their struggling. Like what in the actual hell but most importantly, would it actually work?

“Let’s focus, Kagome-sama.”

The position was a little awkward. He was a head or more taller and twice as broad. Without a pause, she bumped back into him. He glanced at her and crouched down, chin resting on her shoulder with his cheek brushing against hers. It felt secure. Cheesy but warm. This couldn’t fail. They had only one arrow. She’d bet her luck on it.

Kagome didn’t realize it but a pulse tingled in her battered arm, shifting down to the tips of her fingers. It was a steady feeling of a calm heartbeat, maybe two heartbeats. It soothed her and drew something from her partial soul. Was it hers? Was it...Miroku’s? Without another word, she hooked the arrow onto the bow string and tugged experimentally. It’ll have to do but she needs to adjust him. God, it’s going to hurt.

“Hold it tight, Miroku-sama.”

He hummed against her ear and tensed his form behind her, his hand tightening unconsciously around her waist. She forced her hand upward, smoothing the twist of his inner elbow, and covered his hand with hers. It burned, her arm cried out in pain and a whimper escaped her lips, but she didn’t let go. Tightening her grip, she shifted their position and it aimed straight for the ‘heart’ of the beast. 

The arrow by her side glowed, bright and heavy, as if transforming the projectile’s point. It might’ve been the heat of the moment but the rushing form of the puppet slowed, the drops of blood dripping over the battlefield froze as Kagome exhaled. Her hair flew with a non-existent wind, the slight vibrations of the power at her fingertips engulfed the arrow once more and she aimed straight for the puppet speeding towards them. One shot. One chance.

Thud. 10 feet away... Thud. 6 feet away... Thud. She released the bowstring. It struck its intended target and the force blew it back, body swelling as the arrow burrowed deeper within the empty folds of the puppet’s body. Kagome shoved Miroku back and they fell to the ground with a unanimous grunt, a familiar position to their ‘first’ meeting. The sounds of a disintegrating hollow shell was enough to indicate the end of the battle and they all cheered. 

Kagome refused to get up. She was pooped. Miroku didn’t protest, he didn’t even move. He too was tired. The others recovered quickly and the moment of triumph diminished, adding onto the pile of their previous shard battles. Inuyasha pulled her off of the offending monk and Sango reached out her hand towards him. He grabbed it with his uninjured hand but a tingle persisted in his slashed palm. With mild complaints of being hungry for ramen, they continued in another direction with no regard for their bodies at the sight of a nearby village awaiting them in the distance.

Inuyasha and Kagome snapped semi-playfully at each other. Shippo jumped onto Kirara’s transformed back. Sango heaved her large boomerang over her shoulder to cover her back and Miroku retrieved his abandoned staff from the forest floor. It was back to normal. Kagome bent down to pick up the purified shards and a glimpse of white caught Miroku’s eye. Yep, back to normal.

Intro | Chapter 11 | Chapter 13

T.Y.O.M. Chapter 15: Tossing Grapes

Pairing: Miroku x Kagome

Mindless physical intimacy and dumb dumb teens in desperate need of a childhood.

Plop. Crunch. Crunch. Kagome beamed as the light sweetness that burst in her mouth melded into a delicate tart flavor. There’s nothing like catching crisp grapes in your mouth on a warm, sunny day with no demons to worry about. Of course, it's a little boring by yourself when nothing is trying to kill you or kidnap you for your jewel shards, but beggars should definitely not be choosers in this situation.

“Why not play a game, me? ...Hell yeah, me, what kind of game?”

There was no one to answer her self-asked question but herself so she quickly set the rules in her head. Picking one large, juicy grape from her large plastic container, she lightly tossed it into the air, eyes following the little fruit ball and jerking her head back, mouth open, to catch it in her mouth. Plop. Crunch. One point for Kagome. She grabbed another grape, brows slightly scrunched, and threw it twice as high as in the first ‘round’, butt slowly rising to free her legs to move into place. Plop. Crunch. 5 points for Kagome!

The rules didn’t specify the point system but Kagome was definitely winning. She pumped her fist with slightly puffed cheeks before continuing. She was on a roll. A two streak roll but a roll, nonetheless. Locking the bowl onto her waist with a tight grip, she blindly grabbed a grape and tossed it higher than the last round. Her aim was off, feet backpedaling with each anticipated second before she flicked her head back, the grape landing on her back molar with a pop. 9 points!

The rounds kept on going, faster and more risky than the last, she didn’t even have time to chew or swallow the grapes as her stubborn competitive streak became fueled by the chance of ‘winning’ and her pride. 18 points. It kept her sliding, jumping, running and jogging around in circles just to catch the slippery suckers but she caught them all, one after the other. 37 points. It didn’t take long for her to lose all track of her surroundings, eyes glued to the sky for falling grapes. 56 points.

Cheeks full and bowl half-empied, she took one more grape and held it gently in her fingertips. This is it, Kagome. The final round, the crowd is on the edge of their seats, watching. Don’t panic. Breathe. Breathe. It’s all or nothing! Without pause, the grape went high into the sky, seemingly disappearing into thin air.

“Oh shit!”

She tossed it too high. Her eyes burned at the brightness of the sun but she continued to squint, looking for any signs of movement. 

Nothing. Her legs carried her backwards, hair bouncing and flying into her face and feet stumbling over small lumps in the grass. 

There…? She twisted lightly on her ankle and craned her neck with a small pop, eyes landing on something small, something fast...

There!

Picking up the pace and running further and further back, her heart dropped at the thought that she couldn’t make it like this. It almost stopped her in her tracks but, no, she could! Bowl now secured in both hands, she stretched her legs as far as she could running backwards and jumped, praying for a soft landing as her eyes followed the grape. She caught the offending grape in between her lips like a dog with a few too many tennis balls in its mouth. Here comes the ground, she thought ruefully, eyes scrunching closed at the thought of the impact. With a small ‘oof’, she slammed onto something. She expected to be sprawled on the grass in an ungraceful mess and choking on grapes but soft fabric surrounded her exposed skin as her mid back was supported by something. 

“Feeef wike a perffen--”

She still had those goddamned grapes in her mouth, and the one balanced between her lips was without a scratch. Nice. Her pride swelled at the fact as she hummed her victories.

“That was quite the magnificent catch, Kagome-sama.”

Her eyes popped out of their sockets and she sat up from her seat. Her landing spot ended up being Miroku’s lap. She looked down at their laps, then to his eyes, and then to the bowl in her arm. Who knew Miroku’s lap would be so comfortable? ...What the hell, Kagome.

“Wan’ suff?”

She made no effort to hide the cheeky flush in her hamster-rivaled cheeks or the childish sparkle in her eyes, nudging the bowl towards him. He let out a small smile. How ridiculous. There was a glint in his eyes and she didn’t miss it but she realized the intent too late.

“Don’t mind if I do.”

She smiled around the grapes but felt her heart thud as he leaned closer to her face, eyes trailing down to her lips.

“H… Hey!”

She shut her eyes tight, breath stuck in her throat. She could feel his breath fan over her lips and swallowed thickly, teeth slightly indenting the grape in between them. Crunch. There was no brush of skin but she knew he ate something. Testing the waters, she squinted out of one eye and watched him chew thoughtfully with eyes closed. She just stared, frozen like a deer in headlights. It was enough for him to stop his next teasing words.

“Are you ok, Kagome-sama?”

She plucked the grape from in between her teeth, slowly chewing the rest, and choked as her eyes found it to be half eaten. With a fist covering her mouth, she looked at the grape, then into Miroku’s eyes, and for a quick second she briefly glanced at his lips, to which he blew an amuse puff of air from his nose, before burning disbelieving daggers in the innocent grape. Taking her time, she finished off the rest of the grapes in her mouth in silence and Miroku couldn’t help but think that he broke her.

Letting out a nervous chuckle, he started, “Kagome---”

“I--- You---”

“You did offer.”

She took a pause and quickly glanced at his lips again, feeling heat crawl up her neck. He felt sweat gather, he was not used to this submissive Kagome, still in his lap, instead of slapping him into the next life.

“I guess I… I did...”

There was an uncomfortably long pause between them. No anger, no panic, both of which began his slow descent into a fear-induced adrenaline rush. Anything to get Kagome back to normal before the others caught them like this.

“Anyways!” He scratched the back of his neck and grabbed another grape from the bowl,”...these grapes? Fantastic! I’ve never had anything like them.”

Crunch. Chewing slowly, he snuck a glance, she was biting her bottom lip and looking anywhere but at him. This is not good.

“Oh! What was that game you were playing before, Kagome-sama? It certainly looked very interesting!”

No response. She was staring at him now, wide-eyed and ghostly, and he gulped. Sango is going to kill me.

“Would you mind if I tried? Uhhh… Ummm…”

Without a second thought, he threw up the grape with the hand not supporting her still frame and leaned back, his impending-doom-influenced shakiness messed up his aim and it bounced off his nose.

“Oh, ah-ha-ha! Looks like I missed, what’re my points looking like, Kagome-sama?”

Nothing. Kami, please help me. He started panicking and grabbed another grape.

“Ok! One more! I’m betting this’ll be at least 20 points!”

He tossed it high and bounced softly in his seat to catch the grape, it settled in between his teeth and he flashed her a thumbs up.

“Wha’ to you ‘hink?”

His eyes glanced over her entire face with out-of-place desperation.

“Kago-he-sa-ha?”

As if she were a video pressed on play, her face exploded in red and she grabbed his shoulders tightly. He flinched but felt his eyes get drawn in the sudden fire in her gaze. Her jaw was clenched, eyebrows furrowed, and an angry growl erupted in her throat. Here it comes. Accepting his fate, he just let the corner of his lips settle into a familiar ‘can’t-be-helped’ grin. He was prepared for the slap of his life but something he would never imagine happening happened. She dove in quick and fast and bit half of the grape in between his teeth. Crunch. Everything she felt transferred onto him and he felt something burst in his chest. His eyes popped comically, just like hers a moment ago, and he felt the air disappear in his lungs. He didn’t even budge when she pushed herself from out of his lap.

“Now we’re even!”

Her voice cracked but he didn’t even notice, he just stared at her. That did not just happen. Shoving the grape basket into his chest, she covered her mouth with one last glance at him. He couldn’t say anything, let alone breathe, and she ran away, screaming a repeated string of ‘omgomgomgomgomg’. Miroku watched her go, mind still processing the last few seconds, as he mindlessly plopped a grape into his mouth. Grape chewed and swallowed, the reality of what had just occurred settled. Miroku placed his beaded hand over his mouth with a silent groan and a late flush settling on his cheeks.

“Well, that was not what I was expecting.”

Falling onto his back, with the intentions of burying his blush and calming his mind, he inhaled deeply...They were softer than he thought.

Intro | Chapter 14 | Chapter 16

T.Y.O.M. Chapter 10: Valentine's Day Special

Pairing: Miroku x Kagome

Pretend this isn’t a late Valentine’s Day update, it’s a celebratory double digit chapter!

You know how they say Valentine’s Day is a day for couples, chocolate and just… love? Well that’s utter bullshit. Kagome huffed, eyes focusing on nothing in particular as she picked at the edges of the heart-shaped package in her lap. She didn’t have the ‘A-OK’ to go home yet and she didn’t have the half dog demon who said it to poison. She suspected that Kikyo was nearby but just let it go, nothing screamed romance like another ‘lovers’ quarrel’ when he sneaks off to see another girl on the official day of ‘romance’--well the modern day of romance actually. What a waste of Honmei-choco…

Without a moment to spare, she tore open the tediously tied ribbon and held a small piece of chocolate to her mouth, taking her time to savor the hours of burning fingers and her empty piggy bank back home as it melted slightly onto her fingers as well as on her tongue.

“What assortment of your future’s confection do you have today, Kagome-sama?”

She jumped--almost choking on the smallest darned piece of chocolate--when her eyes met his purple glimmering eyes that didn’t miss the slightest shift of her skirt.

“Nothing for your pervy mouth!”

“Surely you don’t mean that, Kagome-sama…” he gasped albeit slightly mockingly as he rocked back and forth on his heels, making no move with the silent question of her allowance of his presence. She looked at him. He looked at her. Nothing happened for a good couple of seconds and he sighed good naturedly, turning slightly back the direction of their temporary camp. Probably too far…?

“Do you promise to sit like a good boy and speak when you’re spoken to?”

“I can’t not when given instructions like I’m some mischievous child… Though, your words are quite… stirring.”

“Just shaddup and promise, ya’ bag of testosterone.”

Miroku held his arms out in a weak display of surrender and plopped down next to the defensive female, “Yes, yes. Cross my eyes and hope to cry.”

“It’s ‘cross my heart and hope to die.’”

He hummed. Making a mental note? She followed his stray, curious eyes toward the opened present in her lap. Well, there’s no point in eating it alone.

“It’s Honmei-choco.”

“Honmei... choco?”

“Yeah, chocolate that’s usually given by women to men they like in a romantic sense on Valentine’s day. They can be pretty expensive, and painful if they’re homemade.”

“Hmm. If I remember correctly, ‘Valentime’s’ day is for love and lovers? And you bought...” He looked down at the cute, cartoon-ish bandaids on her fingers, “No, made them for Inuyasha...?”

“Yeah.”

Kagome’s answer was bitter but she covered it up with a generous shove of the mentioned chocolates in her mouth and the closed and still-full gift box thrown in the distance.

“I’ll… pick that up later.”

“We can always burn it for the campfire, if that’ll make you feel better.”

He plucked one of the chocolates from her hands, earning an indignant squawk from Kagome’s stuffed mouth, and nibbled on it, looking far more wise than a man with a glittering, pink dyed piece of chocolate should look. It was fairly sweet, if not slightly burnt. There was a sudden burst of liquid in his mouth and that was when the heat bit his tongue. With a not-so-subtle yelp, Miroku’s face exploded in pink as if fire entered his defenseless bloodstream.

“Oh my god!” At once, Kagome choked on her own chocolate and collapsed back into the grass in a dangerous outburst of laughter.

“I can not believe your luck, Miroku-sama! You actually got that one!”

Breathing was hard. Eyes watering, he started coughing and collapsed beside her for a completely different reason as his eyes swirled. Man, he must’ve looked pitiful. Kagome tried to get up and reach for her bag but the giggles wouldn’t stop.

“Hahahaaa… Holy shit. I can’t sto--,” her breathing became ragged as she forced her trembling form to rip her bag open,” That… hahah… was meant as a prank! Oh shit, your face!”

“Please… laugh after you’re done killing me, Kagome--...sama!”

“Hold on--.”

She let out another burst of laughter before handing him a bottle of water. He downed it in one go, spilling at least a third of it onto his robes, before returning any semblance of his composure. She grinned at him cheekily only for him to turn his chin away with a soft pout. What a rare turn of events.

“I’m sorry, Miroku-sama. I really didn’t mean to laugh…”

Her voice was like it was directed toward crying babies or stupid hanyous. He didn’t turn, even hunching further into himself with crossed arms in sleeves. She paused and took in his posture. It wasn’t serious, which made her grin wider.

“Oh Miroku-sama, come on. I’m really sorry, you know I didn’t mean it…”

She grabbed at his sleeve with an exaggerated pout, dragging out each ‘o’ a tinge too sweetly.

“... I know... better,” his voice was already hoarse, which almost broke her fragile sense of composure, before he mumbled again, “But as a man, I can’t help but feel embarrassed for making that mistake.”

“Yeah, it’s a just-in-case if he was a jerk about it...”

His eyes dragged to meet hers with a cheesy smile as he found something. Without a reply, he drew in closer. Her smile slowly dropped into a small ‘o’ shape. Oh lord, his eyelashes are long. Ba-dump. His fingers brushed against her cheek, picking up something on the outer line of her lips, as her breath hitched. He leaned back into a more tolerable distance to show her the offending piece of chocolate.

“I’m assuming this one isn’t pranked?”

She only gaped her mouth open and closed as he plopped the stray piece of chocolate into his mouth.

“Very good, Kagome-sama. Thank you graciously for sharing some with me.”

“No problem.”

There was a slight pause to his jaw, chocolate no doubt melting in his hesitation.

“What is it?”

“Is… is it impolite to eat love chocolate meant for another person?”

She glanced at his slightly furrowed brows, a little touched by his consideration, and shook her head.

“Nah, you look like you’re enjoying it.”

He stared into her eyes and she into his before his eyes crinkled at the corners. Another moment of misleading communication...?

“Well, if it isn’t any trouble, could I have some more? Preferably not laced with fire from the pits of hell?”

“Oh. Yeah! Sure, hold on, let me go get the gift box.” She rose up from the grass with a gleeful expression, bending slightly for a tastefully sinful view of her patting the dust off her skirt, and rushed to get the forgotten gift box. He hummed at the sight. Red is a surprisingly bashful color. She came back, slightly out of breath, and opened the roughly dented box. The display was a rather messy pile of loose chocolate paper wrappers and carved chocolates but there was no mistaking the time and effort she put into it. It took a little bit of silence and blue-to-purple eye contact before he noticed her nudging the box toward him.

“You know, I was imagining more of a mouth-to-mouth or a little hand-fed… uhhhh---Ok! I apologize,” Miroku held his arms up in surrender at her scornful expression, ”I sincerely didn’t mean it, please don’t throw the box at me and waste the chocolate, Kagome-sama!”

Kagome just huffed and held the box closer to him. Without missing a beat in fear of the already-fragile atmosphere, he plopped a safer-looking light brown chocolate into his mouth and closed his eyes at the pleasant feel of it melting into his mouth. He dared to sneak a peek at his suddenly-silent companion, slowing to chew more thoughtfully at her lost expression. She really wanted to please him. Stupid, blind dog. Something twinged in him at the thought but he knew better.

“Kagome-sama.”

Her name got her attention and he turned to fully face her, hands encircling hers over the box.

“If it’s any consolation, as friend to friend, these were made wonderfully and I am glad to be the person you share it with---even if I wasn’t your ideal choice.”

She was quiet, words stuck on the beads and warmth pressing into her bandaged hands, and the frozen upturn of her lips grew into something more shy.

“You’d be a lot of people’s ideal choice in my school.”

Kagome dared to send him a cheeky glance, diffusing the intimate scene once again, and he rose up to her challenge with a jut of his chin and a charming twitch of his eyebrows, “Is that so?”

She nodded, hair bouncing, “For sure!”

“Then, would they be willing to bear my children?”

She snorted and didn’t say a word, he figured that to be the answer.

“Their parents would probably kill you if you asked that. In the Future, couples don’t usually think about children until at least 25 or something!”

“Strange.”

“Strange, indeed. Anyways, I’m here to eat my feelings out and then reward myself with a well-deserved nap. So no more chit-chat!”

Miroku looked like he had more to say and, after a moment of contemplation, she sighed softly and held a single finger up, “One question.”

“One question, it is!”

He smiled at her antics and smoothed down his robes, “Would you allow me to join you?”

“Sure, why not?”

There was no hesitation.

Intro | Chapter 9 | Chapter 11

“Just a little while longer... You haven’t saved anyone yet, Deku.” 

Ch. 306 is going to kill me. Anyway here’s vigilante Deku! AGED UP! So this is legal o.o