InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Binding of Souls ❯ Chapter 3

Kagome held back a giggle as they caught up with the others, her heart much lighter than before. She couldn't remember the last time she had dared to be so, so........flirtatious. Really, the houshi brought out a playful side in her like no one else.

"Sango? Inuyasha?" Kagome glanced around the half set-up campsite, looking for the two of them. Shippou was curled up against Kirara by the fire sleeping, but the others were nowhere in sight.

She shrugged her bulging backpack from her shoulders with relief and got to work finishing camp. Miroku did the same, setting up the sleeping rolls around the fire and feeding the fire with small twigs. They didn't wonder for long where their missing companions had disappeared to, for they entered the clearing with armfuls of firewood, laughing in conversation. When they spied Miroku and Kagome though, they jumped apart from each other blushing.

How odd. Though whatever the reason, Inuyasha seemed much more relaxed than before, no longer silent and aloof. I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I didn't expect you would make camp so early. But it is such a perfect campsite, and Shippou and Kirara seem pretty exhausted." She smiled fondly at the little kitsune who mumbled against Kirara in his sleep.

"Feh, you were off exploring stupid shrines so we didn't know which way to travel towards the next shard, that's all." Inuyasha muttered grumpily, although his argument seemed half-hearted.

Sango interjected in a much more friendly manner. "We found a stream near where we were gathering firewood, Kagome-chan. We could all go fish-"

"FISH!"

Shippou leapt to his feet at the mention of dinner, and dived into Kagome's backpack looking for the fishing supplies. Before anyone could argue he was running down the path towards the stream.

"Hmph, shoulda known better than to mention food around that kid." Inuyasha rummaged about for his own fishing gear.

"Ha! I'm going to catch all the fish before you even get here, and then you will have to beg me for your dinner!" Shippou's voice rang out over the path, taunting him.

"Grrrr! Will not!"

"I'm gonna catch the biggest fish, Inu-gotcha."

Inuyasha threw down his gear with a growl and sped down the path towards the kitsune with a murderous look on his face.

Sango and Kagome glanced at each other, and burst into laughter.

They all hurried towards the stream and Kagome avoided violence between Inuyasha and Shippou by announcing a fishing contest. Whomever caught the most fish would be declared winner. The winner would then be allowed to ask a boon of Kagome, as long as it was within her power. A glazed look went over Shippou and Inuyasha's faces simultaneously as they dreamily said "Pocky..." and "Ramen....", one after the other.

With a festive mood in the air that had been missing the past week, Kagome managed to talk Sango into competing instead of attending to her usual armor and weapon repairs. She shyly mumbled that she had never actually learned how to fish, and Inuyasha surprised them all by volunteering to show her how. They moved upstream together with Shippou trailing behind them screeching that they better not take his fishing spot.

As Kagome turned to coax Miroku into the water, she found that he was already stripped to the lightweight trousers he wore beneath his robes, and was stepping into the river. She gulped at the monk's half-naked state and couldn't help but admire how sleek and dangerous he looked. His robes tended to give him a respectable look, which along with his charm put people at ease immediately. But beneath it all he was a fighter and a survivor who was more than capable of dealing with any dangers that arose in their search for the shards.

And the way the water droplets slide across his skin... Kagome shivered slightly as the thoughts from earlier returned. Miroku turned at that very moment to smile directly at her, as though he could read her thoughts. She blushed, and busily worked at her mending in her lap, trying to concentrate on the tears in Shippou's clothing.

Miroku noticed Kagome blushing on the riverbank, turning adorably shy because of the smile he had thrown her way. He was feeling very light- hearted after their talk earlier, although he wasn't quite sure why. As soon as she had offered a boon to the winner, his pulse raced in a way he hadn't felt in quite a while. Why am I acting like a schoolboy at the thought of claiming a simple boon from her?

Despite his inner protests, here he stood in the stream's waist-high water fishing for their supper. He usually used the time before dinner to meditate, or gather firewood for the night's fire, not to impress a certain lovely miko.... Stop thinking of Kagome-chan in such a way, she is not for the likes of you.

You should be thinking of Sango, your promised. Not a naïve young miko with eyes that contain a much an older and wiser soul. Sango is the one who agreed to bear my children, and be at my side when our travels were over. And yet....

Sango had become so distant as of late, so disinterested in his company that he was beginning to wonder if she regretted her choice. She was still as friendly and affable as always, but beyond that....the sparks that had flown between them had waned. And the emotional intimacy between them was nonexistant. Come to think of it, she seemed to prefer talking to the hanyou about her troubles, lately. No doubt she felt he was a kindred spirit, as they both were fighters and had dealt with a great deal of sorrow in their lives.

Or maybe I am just not the sort of man any sane woman would want for a lifetime. The thought was sobering, and he glanced sideways at Kagome again. She had fallen asleep against the tree where she did her mending, the soft breeze blowing tendrils of her long hair about her face. Was a playful quip and a pat on the bottom all that he had to offer? Do I live up to other's expectations rather than my own?

She had been so touched when he had listened to her heartaches earlier, as though she didn't expect him to care. Of course he cared! He was not a self-centered hanyou who thought the world revolved around him. He wasn't the one who expected her to love him blindly without question, not daring to live her own life and dreams. He wasn't the one she had given her heart to at all, he thought bitterly.

Miroku ran a hand raggedly through his wet hair, uncomfortable with the direction his thoughts were going. He was not jealous of Inuyasha. He was simply unhappy with how poorly he treated Kagome.

Yeah. Just keep telling yourself that, Houshi.

Kagome stirred from her nap as a cold sense of danger whipped against her mind, instantly alert. She felt a dark presence approaching her friends in the water, and without thinking raised her hand and a stream of light shot from her fingertips. A large water creature became visible in the waters, glowing a pale white from the aura she had cast around it. Since when can I do that?! It was massive, with too many tentacles to count as it sped through the water, and it quickly shook off the stun of her blast to make a beeline for its closest victim, which happened to be Miroku.

"Miroku! Watch out!"

But it was too late, the creature had swiped the monk across the head as though swatting a fly. The houshi quickly sank beneath the water's surface and the creature wrapped its tentacles around his body, holding him under. Despite the confusion Kagome felt a second, and then a third presence upstream, and was sure that the rest of the group was being attacked by the creatures also.

Its up to me, then. Kagome gritted her teeth determinedly and dove into the river thankful for all the swimming classes she had taken. She had left her bow and arrows at the campsite, and was at a loss for what she would do. But Miroku was thrashing weakly under the water, bubbles of air escaping as he struggled. He needs me.

She cut across the current in strong, sure strokes and gathered the power that always seemed to tickle at the back of her mind since Kikyo had died. Somehow she knew that it shielded her from the creature's notice, so she took a deep breath and dived. The water began to clear as Miroku's struggles became weaker and weaker, and by the time she reached him the last bubbles of air escaped his chest and he slipped into unconciousness.

Fear and despair filled her senses, as she tugged with all her strength at his body. The fear was soon replaced with anger, anger at feeling so helpless, anger at the unfairness of it all, and anger at the creature stealing her friend from her. A fiery burst of energy burned her body, white-hot as her anger and she threw it with all of her force at the creature before her.

The water around her bubbled from the heat released, and the water creature wailed as it was thrown from the water to the shore with a sickening thud. Outside of its element, it wheezed and flopped pathetically before dying on the sand. Kagome didn't waste any time as she yanked Miroku's body from the muddy quagmire towed him to shore.

He looked so pale and lifeless upon the course sand of the shore, and she leaned over to feel for a pulse at his neck. A faint flutter pulsed against her fingers, and her heart leapt with hope. Despite his pulse, he still was not breathing so she tipped his head back and forced a breath into his lungs from her lips. One, then two, then three.

He was still motionless, so she breathed three more breaths against his lips. Lips that were growing warmer beneath hers as the warmth returned to his body. Finally with a great hacking cough, he rolled to his side and choked up the water from his lungs.

Miroku fell back to the ground weakly, and saw a worried Kagome gazing down at him. She looked frantic and fragile, sopping wet with her hair dripping all over him. He knew that if she hadn't intervened he would have drowned in the creature's clutches. Despite her soft heart, she had not been timid in saving him. She had been so brave to jump in without a thought to her own safety, not even having her bow and arrow to aid him.

Miroku smiled reassuringly, and rubbed her hand gently before croaking in a battered voice. "I think I hooked the largest one, all things considered."

Kagome groaned at the terrible joke, but was relieved that he was safe. "I know you wanted to win, Miroku-chan, but using yourself as the bait is just desperate."

Miroku's laughter filled the clearing as Kagome grinned slyly at him. "Don't change the subject, I definitely won. I demand my boon." He pouted and gazed at her with his deep violet eyes looking terribly pathetic and hurt.

"Hmph! I've already saved your life, I think we are even, monk." Despite her hard words, a smile played on her lips.

"The terms were the winner would be allowed one boon, as long as it was in your power." Miroku propped his head against his hands, his tone stubborn.

"Oh, all right, if you really insis-....mmmmmm." But her words were cut off abruptly as he gently pulled her lips toward his.