UnBound Memories

A/N: I'm going to be reviewing some of my previous chapters to check for grammar and spelling errors. I have a new computer, and I'm still getting used to the sensitivity of the keyboard and mouse. If any reviewers notice anything, please let me know.

Chapter 16

Kiss

Sesshomaru and Miroku spent much of their day in the modern world attending to the whims of Shippo and Rin. Together, the group had visited nearly every public park, toy store, candy store, and pet store in Tokyo. Though Rin and Shippo had protested, wanting to eat in one of the brightly-colored restaurants that boasted "toys come with kids’ meals," Sesshomaru took very seriously the warnings from his older self about such places, that their stomachs would never handle such greasy food. So far, he had been successful, but after a breakfast and lunch of fresh fruits and vegetables purchased from local vendors, appeasing the children would be difficult.

As the two adults searched through the manual for a place to eat, Shippo and Rin played with a girl who appeared closer to Rin’s age, while the girl’s parents looked on, watching. Miroku kept a wary eye on the children, afraid they might accidentally blurt out something that would reveal them all. Yet, despite the strange behavior of her new friends, the girl and her parents seemed quite relaxed. However, there was something vaguely familiar about the wife and irritatingly so about the husband.

“Come on, chibi,” the father called to the girl. “Supper time.”

The little girl ran by Sesshomaru and Miroku waving, her blue eyes twinkling as she joined her parents.

“InuYasha!” a young woman’s voice shouted behind them. Sesshomaru and Miroku turned to face the voices owner, to find three women around twenty, running toward them from the park entrance.

“Oh, I am sorry,” one girl with slightly curly hair said. “We thought you were our friend’s boyfriend."

“Fiance, according to the invitation we got,” a girl with shorter hair said.

“You know InuYasha?” Sesshomaru said, standing to greet the three, his long braid swinging behind him.

“My, you’re a tall one,” the same short-haired girl said. “Yes. We know InuYasha. We met him a couple of times. Are you a relative of his? You look a lot like him.”

“I am his father.”

“No way,” the girl with darker hair said. “You don’t look old enough.”

“I am…” Sesshomaru paused. “thirty-six years old. I was quite young when InuYasha was born. My name is Sesshomaru. I am quite often mistaken for his older brother.”

The three girls bowed as Miroku rose behind Sesshomaru. “My name is Miroku. I am a good friend of both InuYasha and Kagome."

“Miroku? Aren’t you the one who asked Kagome to bare your children when you first met her?” the curly-haired girl asked. Sesshomaru craned his head over his shoulder and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the monk.

“I asked every woman that,” Miroku explained. The three young women seemed shocked. “I thought my death was imminent. I wanted a family before dying.”

“Was it cancer?” the darker-haired one asked.

“Um, sure.” Before the girls could ask any more questions, the two children came running up to meet the strangers.

“This is Rin.” Sesshomaru placed a hand on Rin’s shoulder. “She is my daughter, InuYasha’s little sister.”

“And this little guy…” Miroku said.

“Who’re you calling little?” Shippo asked.

Miroku rolled his eyes. “This is Shippo. Kagome and InuYasha have practically adopted him.”

“This is Eri, Yuka, and I’m Ayami.”

“Tell me,” Sesshomaru said, picking up the manual from the bench, “would you happen to know of any place to eat that would serve fresh food?”

“Possibly sushi” Miroku asked. “He has a delicate stomach, and his food needs to be very, very fresh.” Sesshomaru shot Miroku a glare for blaming him for their need for fresh food. Still, the inuyoukai could not deny that he was grateful when the girls had managed to find human food palatable even for him.

Throughout the meal, he listened to stories exchanged by Miroku and the girls of his son and future daughter-in-law, while Shippo and Rin laughed at the tales or talked excitedly to one another. Sesshomaru ate, almost enjoying the raw fish, but found himself almost entranced by the exuberant monk.

********

Miroku settled to bed late, having tucked Shippo in and checked on Rin. He got a quick shower and changed his clothes, his mind drifting to concern for Sesshomaru. A quick check would not hurt. Dressed in a tank and flannel pants, towel wrapped around his neck, Miroku quietly slid the door open, once again stepping inside.

He could hear the easy breathing of the demon, but walked over to the bed, once again finding Sesshomaru in fetal position. At least there were no tears this time.

A single yellow eye popped open. “Miroku, if you intent to stay here and stare, at least do so comfortably.” Sesshomaru’s hand gestured to the other side of the bed, where Miroku had spent the night before. Miroku, still unsure of whether to stay or not, paused, considering his options and finding the idea of sharing the bed with the inu somewhat more appealing than sleeping alone.

When the monk awoke the next morning, he once again found himself intertwined with Sessohmaru’s body, but this time, it appeared the demon had met Miroku halfway. Both were facing one another, tightly embracing, legs wrapped around one another, and their breathing nearly in rhythm. As Miroku shifted, he could hear Sesshomaru groan in protest, the deep voice rattling in the chest Miroku found himself pressed against.

“Lord Sesshomaru,” he said, tilting his head upward.

Golden orbs looked down at him as Sesshomaru’s arms lessened their grip, but guided Miroku upward, still close, but now face to face.

“Please do not call me lord.”

“It is a respectful term,” Miroku said, feeling a bit lost in the amber gaze.

“You are not a servant to me. You are not even a vassal.”

“I am no equal, either.”

“Miroku,” The eyes darted away from Miroku’s face, “you have shared my thoughts, and tried to soothe me through my most nightmarish moments. You stood up to me when you thought I might hurt your friends, even my own daughter, whom you have guarded with your life. Never think you are not my equal.”

Sesshomaru’s eyes met Miroku’s once again, just before the demon moved closer, pressing his lips ot Mirkou’s. He pulled away and looked into that deep violet, seeming to search for something, possibly doubt in the human in his arms. Miroku was in shock, but did not want the creature who had replaced nearly all of his fantasies thinking there was any doubt in his mind.

Miroku returned the kiss, and feeling Sesshomaru’s tongue rubbing his lower lip, seeking entry, freely gave it. He parted his lips, as the powerful youkai’s tongue sought to trace every crevice, every tooth in Miroku’s mouth, that skilled organ rubbing along Miroku’s own. Unlike his dream, this time Miroku fought for dominance. Sesshomaru had his chance to start a kiss. This one was Mirkou’s.

Sesshomaru pulled out of Miroku’s mouth, moving to explore the monk’s jaw, his ear, his neck. Miroku’s dream had been close, but held nothing to actually having the demon lord be so attentive, so passionate. Miroku’s left hand began to slide down Sesshomaru’s back, moving toward the long-time object of his obsessions, and firmly squeezed the soft yet muscular butt beneath it. Sesshomaru’s half-lidded eyes widened, but Miroku’s actions seemed to have been only a sign that the demon could continue to explore with his own clawed hands. Those large fingers ran down Miroku’s sides, making the man squirm slightly at their touch. Both hands, the one beneath his right side and the one on top snaked behind, each grabbing one of Miroku’s cheeks, startling him so much he felt as though he wanted to smack the demon.

A smile spread across that fanged mouth, almost mischievously, then the mouth moved to Miroku’s forehead.
“It is dawn. The little ones will be awake very soon.” Sesshomaru released Miroku and slid out of the bed, leaving the monk to rub his behind, cursing the claws’ indentations. Once again, Sesshomaru brushed out the silver strands and began braiding his hair to cover the pointed tops of his ears. He no sooner had the hair parted than a thought seemed to have crossed his mind. “We will be seeing InuYasha today, and Shippo could very well be in the hall.” Miroku wanted to hear why this was so important, but found himself growing more and more distracted by the tall, pale figure. “They will smell me on you and vice versa. Inus and kits have sensitive noses, so unless you are prepared to tell the others what we just did this morning, then I suggest we bathe.”

Miroku, now standing behind Sesshomaru, wrapped his arms around the demon’s waist, burying his nose in the silver hair. It came on so fast, this feeling, this sense of love. Miroku only hoped that it was real and not some after-effect of the blood bond. His nose still in that silky hair, Miroku inhaled deeply. He turned his head so that his words wouldn’t be muffled in the mane. “I normally would not care, but with the wedding, I do not want InuYasha and Kagome having to concern themselves with anything else.” He found himself unable to break his hold on the musk-scented demon, wondering if he also bore a similar scent. “I suppose bathing would not be such a bad idea,” Miroku said, suggestively.

“That would defeat the purpose.” Sesshomaru turned to face Miroku, looking down into his eyes. “Miroku, if they detect even the faintest smell on either of us… And if it the smell of arousal is mixed with it…”

“You can smell that?”

Sesshomaru smirked.

“Oh, Kami, then you could…?” Miroku’s face grew red, heat rising to his cheeks and neck. “You never said.”

“It would hardly have been polite to point out such a thing,” Sesshomaru said. “I had no idea why you were. After all, both times, there seemed to be reasonable excuses that had nothing to do with me.” Sesshomaru wrapped his arms completely around the man. “Honestly, I had hoped it was not me.”

Of course he would. It had to bring back memories of the most unpleasant night in the inuyoukai’s life. “You know I will not hurt you.” Miroku reached up and rubbed over the magenta marking on Sesshomaru’s cheek.

Miroku felt as Sesshomaru kissed the top of his head. “I do. Now go bathe.”