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I could hear my father calling my name, as could the entire countryside, I'm sure.
I ran down the field to our house as fast as my legs would carry me.
"Child," my father greeted me. "We have visitors in the living area."
"Visitors?!? How many?!?" I asked. We hadn't had a visitor since suitors had stopped
coming.
"Five extra places will be needed at the dinner table."
"Five?!? May I meet them?"
"Briefly," he consented, smiling. "But then, I would appreciate you starting dinner."
"Of course, Father." We walked into the living area. My eyes were immediately drawn
to the man with a purple sash and small ponytail. My mind gobbled up thier names. Kagome, Shippo, InuYasha, Sango....
"Greetings, Master Miroku," I said, bowing in respect.
"And to you," he replied, returning the gesture.
"Are you satisfied then, Child?" my father asked, always smiling at me.
"Yes, Father."'
"Off with you then."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miroku! What a name! Perhaps I should just make sushi. That would be nice and simple.
Then I could just go and rejoin them. I /should/ at least try to impress. But remember what Mama always said about food.
It just has to look and taste impressive!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well my child, you seem to have outdone yourself this evening," Father stated.
"Thank you Father," I courtously replied.
"I hope it wasn't on our account," Miroku remarked, sitting across from me.
"I do my best to please every night," I replied. His eyes widened at the statement,
a gesture that went unnoticed by my father sitting to my left, at the head of the table, now in conversation with Kagome,
sitting between him and Miroku, but not by Sango, sitting on the other side of me.
"Don't even think about it," she stated.
"Think about what?" he asked innocently.
"Asking her to bear your child."
I almost choked on my tea.
"Child, what is the matter?" my father asked.
"I am fine, Father. Sango made a bit of a joke while I was drinking."
"Ah, I see," he replied good naturedly, then when back to his discussion with Kagome.
"You see," Sango explained to me. "Miroku has a bit of a reputation with pretty
girls."
"Is that a fact?" I inquired.
"Yes. Every time the man sees a pretty face, he asks it to bear his child."
The monk in question looked ill.
I thought for a moment. "Is there reasoning behind the question?" I asked of him.
Sango looked shocked I had asked.
"Yes," he muttered. "It would be nice to have my likeness in the world before the
time comes that I succumb to my own family curse."
"I mean not to burden you," I said. "But would you care to elaborate?"
He thought for a moment. "A woman such as you could be a burden to no man. But
perhaps after this wonderful meal."
He got me. I blushed. I couldn't help it.
"So," he continued. "How do you spend your days on this beautiful countryside?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After dinner, I had to clean the dishes. There had been wonderful conversation
with all the strangers, but Father got most adjetatied if the dishes weren't promptly cleaned. Come to think of it, so did
I.
"Do you need any help?" Miroku's voice came from the doorway.
"You wish to help with woman's work?" I asked him.
"I wish to help you."
I couldn't stop a smile. "Well then, the towel is there," I said, pointing to the
nearby rag. "Do you always go to such lengths to impress girls?" I asked when he picked it up.
"Honestly, usually palm reading is enough. But you don't seem the type."
I smiled again. I did that a lot around him. "If I wanted my palm read, I could
do it myself."
"Is that a fact?"
"Yes. My mother taught me."
"Ah. Any other hidden talents?"
"Wouldn't you like to know."
"Accually, yes, I would."
I stopped to think for a bit. If these innuendos began to gain truth, there was
something I needed to know. "Master Miroku," I began.
"Yes? And please, just Miroku."
"Miroku," I again began. "You /would/ protect and care for a child if a woman you
were with became pregnant, wouldn't you?" I watched his reaction carefully.
"With my life, on my honor," the man before me said. He didn't even wince. Not
once.
"Then I have a bit of a confession," I stated.
"Which is? I swear, it's between us and the Man upstairs."
"I've been trying to figure out how to untie that sash all night."
He dropped a teacup. I saved it. Also got it soapy again, but I saved it.
"Having a bit of trouble, Miroku?" I coyly asked.
"You just wanted to make sure I would protect any child that came along before
admitting that?" he asked, still in a bit of a stunned stage.
"Well, yes. It's not very uncommon for a woman to die in childbirth, and should
that happen to me, I want to be sure of the child's safety."
"You are truly an amazing person."
I blushed yet again. "Thank you."
"There /is/ something I should share with you as well."
"Yes?"
"There is a reason my right hand is covered up like it is. I inherited from my
father, as he did from his, a void, or windtunnel, that sits in my palm. If not properly covered, it consumes everything in
it's path. One day, it will do the same to me, if the demon we seek is not destroyed."
"Is that the curse you spoke of earlier?"
"Yes. The demon is the one which put the curse on my grandfather. One day we /will/
defeat him. So, even if my child were born male, I do not think he would have to live in fear of himself."
"As you do?" I asked, not thinking. He looked to the ground. "I am sorry, I said,
walking to him. "I failed to think before I spoke."
"No, do not worry on it. It seems these dishes are done. Shall we join the others?"
"I would much rather continue talking with you."
"Well, there /is/ an unoccupied corner in the living area, away from the others.
I do not think your father would approve of us being alone for such a length of time."
"I would not worry about that. He won't say what my heart already knows."
"May I ask what that is?"
"That I am to die a maid. No one in this village will have me. I am too wild, they
say. Not proper at all."
"You seemed proper enough to me. You came to your father when he called, cooked
a delicious meal, and just finished washing the dishes."
"Yes, well, my father and I have a bit of an agreement with him that no other man
in a normal state of mind would agree to."
"Agreement?"
"Please, sit," I say, gesturing towards the dining table. He did so, and I followed
suit. "Our agreement," I continued. "Is that I am allowed to roam freely about during the day. But, I am to be here for breakfeast
and supper, and leave something for lunch if I do not return at the proper time. And I am to come to him if he calls me, in
which case we usually have guests. That has not happened for some time. There used to be parents looking for a bride for thier
sons, but once they had spent five minutes with me.... They left rather quickly. So it's usually just Father and me."
"May I ask what happened to your mother?" he asked me.
"Yes, it has been three years since she died, when I was about thirteen. I
never did care much for the number."
Miroku smiled. Such a handsome man.
I continued. "She loved being outside, a passion she passed on to me. While in
the forest one day, we were confronted by a bear. She told me to turn and run, and not to look back, she was right behind
me." I paused a moment before I could continue without tears. "She gave her life to save mine. I often wonder why. She just
/assummed/ I was the one who should live. She could have taken so much better care of Father than I." My eyes were watering
now. "I am sorry," I whispered to him.
Miroku's face turned strong and concerned. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Perhaps
your mother just felt you deserved a chance at everything she already had."
"And I ruined it."
Miroku let his hand slide under my chin, lifting my face to his.
"If this is a gesture from pity-" I warned.
His lavender eyes were soft and kind. "No, never," he replied, and leaned in for
a kiss. Lips of pure satin awaited me. I wasn't sure of /how/ experienced this man was, but he sure knew how to make a girl
melt. I just hoped I was doing the same for him.
"MIROKU!!" Sango's voice parted our lips.
"Sango--" Miroku tried to explain, but Sango picked up his staff and began hitting
him with it.
"This kind man allows us to sleep in his home and share his food and how do you
repay him?!? By taking advantage of his only daughter!!!!"
"Sango! No! It's not--" I tried to tell her, but she paid me no heed.
"You should be ashamed of yourself!" she kept yelling. But now, the entire household
was in the kitchen.
"WHAT is the meaning of this?!?!?" my father asked, abruptly stopping Miroku's
beating, much to my relief.
I stepped forward. "Sango found Miroku and myself kissing, Father."
He looked at Miroku sternly. "Is this fact?" he asked.
Poor Miroku looked so helpless. "It is," He said softly.
"Well, then, I don't see what all the noise was about," Father stated cheerily.
"Why don't we all return to the calm state we once held?" Confused, yet obidient to thier host, Sango gave Miroku back his
staff, and returned to the living area with the others. Only Father stayed behind. He approached and hugged me. "Perhaps a
family of your own isn't as far away as one would have thought," he whispered in my ear. I hugged my father. I knew how much
he wanted happiness for me. He then turned and walked away to join the others. I went to Miroku.
"Did Sango hurt you?" I asked him.
"Not- permently," He replied. "What did your father say to you?"
"He's about ready to have us married."
The monk went pale.
"Don't worry, I'm not expecting anything," I said, smiling. "Well," I retracted,
running my fingers across his cheek down his throat. "Maybe /one/ thing."
"My lady," he replied, kissing my hand. "Your wish is my demand."
I giggled.
"But, ah, is there a place we could retreat to /before/ you have your way with
me?"
"Of course," I said, smiling. "This way." Staff still in hand, he followed me to
my room. I gently took it from him and leaned it against the wall. Miroku came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist,
and gave my neck a kiss and quick nip.
"We don't have to, you know," he whispered.
"I know. And we may not."
"Huh?"
I grinned. "Do not worry. I will not leave you in any torment." I played with the
bow on his sash until it came undone, exposing more of his neck and chest. My mouth went for right where the two met. He held
me against him, hands slipping underneath and and pushing away my clothes. My mouth moved to his and I felt his hands tracing
thier way to my breasts. I sucked in a breath of air when he began thumbing my nipples. "I don't think I stand much longer,"
I muttered.
"Hardly a problem," he said. He picked me up and laid me down on my futon. He then
began kissing my neck and as his hands again began thier exploration on my body. My hands reassumed thier mission to get /his/
clothes off.
"MIROKU! MIROKU!" It was InuYasha's voice this time, from outside. Miroku muttered
something in a tongue unknown to me as he lifted himself up.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I don't know," he replied, getting himself together. "But if InuYasha's asking
for help, he's in /a lot/ of trouble."
"MIROKU!" Sango this time.
"Now I /know/ we're in trouble. Stay here. Please," He asked me.
I nodded, then kissed him. "For luck," I explained. He smiled and ran out the door.
I redressed my own self and and followed him. After all, he could have easily meant to stay in the house, not my room specifically.
I found my father at the front door. Miroku was vanishing into the night before my very eyes.
"Father, what's happening?" I fearfully asked.
"InuYasha said he smelt demon blood. Then we heard screaming from outside. They left and called Miroku from your room."
I was too afraid to ask how he knew. I didn't matter at the moment. My father held
me for what could have been hours or minutes. I finally saw the small group headed back towards the house. The girls /seemed/
fine, but InuYasha had an apparent gash on his arm and Miroku was leaning on his staff for support. I ran out to him.
"Miroku! Are you hurt?" I asked.
"This body has seen worse," he replied.
"Well, let's get you /all/ inside so I can tend your wounds." I walked him and
the others back to the living area. Then I ran to get our medical supplies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I returned, InuYasha and Sango were telling Father of the battle, but I paid
them no heed. I was focused on one thing: Healing Miroku.
"May I use some of these for InuYasha?" Kagome asked me, gesturing towards the
supplies.
"I'm fine!" the hanyou yelled.
"Of course," I replied to the girl. "In fact, I'd appreciate the help."
"Well, I can see you have one main focus at the moment," she kidded.
I blushed. Miroku laughed a bit. "You," I said sternly to the man. "Show me where
you're hurt."
"Yes 'Mam," he joked, and lifted his robe to reveal a rather large gash on his
upper leg.
"Oh, that /must/ hurt," I stated, applying the proper herbs.
"It did," he admitted. "Then I saw you. I knew it would all be fine. There's so
much hope and love around you, I fail to see how any man could resist you."
My cheeks turned red as I finished bandaging him. Kagome also returned the leftovers
of the supplies she had borrowed, and I put them back in thier place. I guess InuYasha wasn't quite as
'fine' as he said he was. Leaning up behind Miroku, I wrapped my arms around him.
"I should be the one holding you," he protested.
"In due course," I whispered. "Just let me take care of you for now. Relax for
the time being."
"I fear if I do, I will fall asleep pinning you to the wall."
"Let's get you to bed then?"
"/Who's/ bed, exactly?"
"Mine, of course, Silly."
"Surely your father would object to /that/."
"My father trusts me. He has told me many times." I stood and helped Miroku to
his feet. Descretly as possible, we left the room for mine. I eased him on to my bed.
"So, where were we?" he asked. I let my garments fall to the ground. "Oh, that's
right." I walked up to him and untied his sash and robe, pushing them behind him. So handsome. He ran his hand along my jaw
as I sat beside him.
"Do you know what it is a man enjoys?" he asked me.
"I must admit, I am mostly guessing. What I know is from married friends,"
I replied as his hand ran down to my shoulder.
"I will show you. Lay back and relax." I did so, and he turned so he was on top of me,
held up by his arms and good leg. "And if I'm not mistaken, you will enjoy this also."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morning came far too quickly. I reluctantly rose from my bed and Miroku's warm
body to make breakfest. Warm and appetizing smells soon filled the air. It wasn't long before I wasn't alone.
Shippo was the first. The kitsune practically hopped into the dining
area while I was setting the table, almost causing me to drop dishes out of surprise.
"Good morning, Chibi Ichi," I greeted him.
"Good morning," he replied. "Boy, that smells good!"
InuYasha, Kagome, and Sango weren't too far behind. Since breakfest was ready,
I thought it rude not to serve them. But I didn't join them just yet. Father and Miroku had yet to arrive. I didn't know about
Miroku, but that was very unlike Father. He was usually just as anxious to start his day as I was mine. I found both men in
the living area.
"Good morning Child," Father greeted me. "I trust you slept well."
"Better than I have in a long while Father, thank you," I truthfully replied. "As
I hope you did."
"Well enough Child, thank you."
"Breakfest is ready for you both. The others are already enjoying it. I fear there
won't be much left soon."
Father laughed and Miroku smiled. He looked so nervous. Why?
"Soon Child. I'm sure you have made plenty for all of us. But now, Miroku has asked
a question of me, and I would like your opinion of it."
My eyes dodged between the two. "Yes, Father?"
"He has asked for your hand in marriage."
My jaw dropped. My hand? Marriage? He wanted me? But what of his travels? His mission?
"But you see Child, he is unable to wed you at this time, as he told me he has
explained to you." I nodded. I can't recall if my mouth was still open or not.
"So he would like to wed you at the end of his journey. Child, what are your
thoughts on this matter?"
Words escaped me. I walked up to Miroku and did exactly as he deserved. I kissed
him.
"I had a feeling that was your opinion," Father stated. Miroku and I laughed as
our lips parted. Father took one of our hands into his. "It is settled than. You are betrothen to one another, and will have
no other."
There was a loud chorus of "Aww!" coming from the dining area. Kagome, Sango, and
Shippou all had thier eyes on us from the entryway. Looking beyond them, I could see InuYasha still chowing down, paying us
no mind.
"Wonderful!" my father exclaimed. "Let us have some of that delicious-smelling
food!"
This time, Miroku and I sat together.
"Miroku settling down," InuYasha muttered. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever
heard."
"Yes, well, I admit I have a feeling about my new lady," Miroku replied.
"May I ask what kind?" I inquired.
"The only way I can think to describe it is as a connection we seem to share. When
we leave, I know I will miss you much more than I would a kind hostess."
"Oh," I replied, feeling my cheeks grow warm yet again. "Just as I know I have
never felt about anyone the way I feel about you."
"Aww," Kagome cooed, her eyes watery with tears.
"Oh, please," InuYasha groaned.
"Your jealousy of thier happiness is no reason to pick on Kagome," Shippo scolded
him.
"Me? Jealous?"
"It's /so/ odvious, InuYasha," Sango stated.
"I am NOT jealous!" the half demon yelled.
"If that's what helps you sleep," Shippo mocked.
"That's it! I'll be outside if you people ever come to your senses!" That said,
he left in a huff. Almost everyone looked at him in anger.
But Kagome.... she smiled. "I'll go talk to him," she vounteered.
"You're the only one he'll listen to anyway," Sango called to her.
"Agreed," Miroku stated.
"Those two seem to share a bond of sorts as well," I observed.
"They do," Sango laughed. "But they're the only ones who don't see it."
"Ah."
"They'll figure it out eventually," Shippo decided aloud.
"It is good that you and Miroku have had no such diffency, Child," Father stated.
I turned red for perhaps the millionth time in the past two days.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After breakfest, it was time to bid farewell to my newly betrothen and his friends.
Miroku looked straight into my eyes, as if he could see through to my soul.
"We /will/ meet again, my lady," he said.
"I /know/ that," I stated. "I'm just concerned on which plane of exsistance it
will be on."
"It will be this one."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I just know. Like I just knew you and I would share a bond. Trust me."
"Don't worry, I do."
He lightly pressed his mouth to mine. Parting, he wiped the silent tears from my
eyes, the only outward sign of the heartache that lay within me.
"Until than," he whispered.
"Until then," I whispered back. I watched from the front door until I could see
them no more.
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