Miroku stared up at the fiery golden eyes of the Hanyou with a questioning look.
How does he know?
Inuyasha smirked slightly at the monk while he fasened the lower half of his kimono over his waist. "The kid'll be due in about two months."
"Two months?" Miroku was surprized. Only two months. He had to keep in mind though, Inuyasha was a demon, or at least parcially. Deepending on what kind of Youkai it is determines how fast they can reproduce. Not that any of it mattered much to Miroku. He didn't know how Inuyasha knew he was carrying. Most likely because demons have a much stronger sense of everything, including maternal insticts. It still mattered not though. "I'll be dead by then so that shouldn't matter to me."
Inuyasha's ears tweaked at the words Miroku'd said. Then reality sunk in that he was carrying only because Miroku wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. "Miroku, somehow.... somehow I'm going to save you."
Miroku finished sliding the last of his clothing on and kissed the Hanyou on the cheek. "You already have, Inuyasha. Thanks to you, my... our child will be able to defeat Naraku." Inuyasha's gut tingled at the sound of the words `our child'
Why do I feel this way? Whats this draw I have toward Miroku all of a sudden? It's like his life's sacred to me or now something.
Again, the monk showed his up most gratitude toward the semi youkai by throwing his arms tightly around him. "Arigato, Anata ka no Hanyou." Inuyasha blushed slightly returning Miroku's embrace.
He thinks I'm beautiful.
Miroku clears his throat. "I think we should head back now. Kagome and the others are probably worried about us." He pulled back staring into the eyes of the half demon. "I.... I.. "
Inuyasha lifted his finger in to Miroku's lip and shook his head. "Quit beating yourself up so much, it's not like you. Just suck it up and tell me you love me already." His last words held amusment in them, seeing as he was smiling at the monk. The smile was truely a heart stopper. Of all the faces Miroku could ever recall looking into, Inuyasha's simply was the most beautiful.
"What about you though? What do you feel, Inuyasha?"
"I... I feel... " how he felt. Inuyasha hadn't a clue what he felt. This didn't feel like the love he once had for the two mikos. No, something about this ran deeper. The Hanyou only thought that was because he bore Miroku's child. His hand rested over the spot the child would start growwing in a couple of days. No, it wasn't only the child. But, this felt stronger then love. For a long time he thought it was hate, but it made him feel good inside though. Hate had to make a demon feel good inside. Yet, Inuyasha was only half. "I don't love you."
A twist of hurt squeezed Miroku's heart when he said that. He expected as much, Inuyasha was far too good for him. "Can't say I blame you," he said so sadly it was now the demi-youkai's turn to feel a pang of guilt. That wasn't what he ment.
"I.... never mind. Lets get back now."
Was Miroku going to cry again?
It took them awhile to navigate through the dark forest. Inuyasha followed the scent of Kagome through the forest. "They're in that hut, right there," Inuyasha said pointing toward a quant living space near the forest. "And I think we should stay on our guard. Sango and Kagome are probably pissed."
Miroku wouldn't speak to him. He was heartbroken. Inuyasha didn't know why entirly though. He was only telling Miroku the truth. He did not love Miroku, he felt stronger then that. Compairing love to how the monk was making him feel at that moment was pitiful.
Halfway toward the house, Miroku's normal senses started returning to him, starting was fatigue. In fear of his wind tunnel devouring his friends he stayed awake all night five days straight. Something about Inuyasha's presence, even though he was quite sure the Hanyou felt nothing more then strong remorse for him as he did all humans, comforted him in a way. The fact his child was Inuyasha's as well somehow comforted him, made him feel safe. The safe feeling caused him to fall backward though, Inuyasha catching him right on time. "Woah, are you alright?"
"Wake.... me up if my right hand starts acting strangly." With that he fell oblivious to the world around him. The Hanyou sighed and picked the other man up into his arms.
Maybe... I do love him. Maybe Kikyo's the one I never loved.... at least not like this.
"Inuyasha," an angry voice pipped up from out of the hut's entrance. "Geez, I was worried s.... " Kagome raised an eyebrow at the way Inuyasha held the monk in his arms so comfortably. "What's with him? He's totally wiped."
"Yeah, no kidding," the Hanyou responded trying his hardest to sound annoyed. Kagome knew him better then anyone though. He wasn't fooling her.
Something weird's going on here.
"Well, come on. I forgive you, this time." When she turned around to lead he and Miroku into the hut, he rolled his eyes. He couldn't really care less whether or not she forgave him. He still didn't forgive her for the sit she made him do earlier. Serves her right to worry while he and Miroku were off in the woods having fun for once.
"Sango, they're finally back." The demon slayer looked up at the to figures and expected no less. They were gone for entirly too long. Not to mention Miroku rested far too snuggly against Inuyasha's chest. For a long time, she'd susspected something about the way Miroku looked at the hanyou.
Not only that. She and Kagome were going to go out and look for them a couple of hours ago and Kilala suddenly went into heat when she searched for their scent. That could only happen if another demon was in an intimate rut. That confirmed her susspisions more then anything. "Sango?''
"I heard you," she said in a monotone sort of voice. In assistance she got up and showed Inuyasha to the room Miroku would be resting in. When they were in there, Inuyasha set the monk down gentally while Sango stood in a corner filling a cup of water with a stanchy herb.
"Sango, what the hell are you doing?" Inuyasha asked her, plugging his nose seeing as he realy didn't like the scent of that formula she made. He reached over to grab the mixture from her hand only to have it thrown in his face.
He fell to the floor trying to cry out the substance that irritated his eyes. Next thing he knew, there was a light that shown in the room. A faint torch light to be precise. "I knew it." Sango said so sure of herself. "I knew you and Miroku weren't just off on some little picnic."
"What the hell did you do to me, Sango? What was that shit?"
"Maternal herbs mixed with blessed water. Get a demon to respond to the smell of it the way you did it's the number one way to tell if they're carrying. A very helpful substance to the demon slayers. Always used to tell which demons to kill first."
"How nice," Inuyasha said sarcastically. "That still doesn't explain why you had to through it in my face."
"I didn't have to," she said abruptly. "I was angry, how could you? Messing with Kikyo behind Kagome's back is bad enough, but Miroku!?"
"What are you, huh? You jealous, Sango. He needed a child barer and I gave him one."
"Yourself!?"
"You had plenty of chances but you let your pride get the better of you. So now, Miroku desires me and you were nothing more to him then a grope toy." She ducked her head down in defeat. If that was true, then her and Kagome both lost. Women to Miroku were nothing but love handles. She should've guessed something like this eventually would happen.
"Excuse me," she said with tears coating the surface of her eyes. Again, Inuyasha'd only spoken the truth as he always did, again it hurt someone.
"Sango," but she was well out the door by then. "I'm sorry." For once he apologized for speaking the truth. That should not've been a bad thing though. Truth was good, wasn't it?
Miroku, I don't know what I feel for you. It's too strong to be love.
Then it hit him. Was this actual love? He was practically bragging about him and Miroku. Hell, he was bragging about them. He never bragged to anyone about stuff like that before. He never would ever concider carrying a baby. Where as with Miroku, he offered it unregretibally. He didn't even regret it now.
While the monk slept soundly on his futon, Inuyasha layed beside it holding the hand that was not cursed in his.
"I don't know what this feeling I have for you is. But if this is love, it makes how I felt for Kikyo seem no more then how I feel for anyone else." He kissed the palm and placed it back at his side. "You won't die. I won't ever let you die."