UnBound Memories

A/N:vampress thank you for reading and leaving a note. Thought the pairing was different, but wanted to give it a try. szaugglaughs, I love your Inu/Mir fic and was so happy to see you have enjoyed mine. I tried to work on the emotions in this story, the reactions. The scene with the baby InuYasha was especially hard because I wanted it to be something a parent would do with a baby but not let it obviousAs far as Miroku's robes, I left it vague (though not vague enough apparently) because I hadn't found in my research whether or not they could marry.

I've been kinda slow updating this, but keep in mind, reviews make me want to continue and next chapter, probably two, is a lemon, if you couldn't figure out by the long set-up this chapter gives.

Chapter 18

He's MINE

The next evening, InuYasha and Kagome had picked up the two children, as Kagome had promised to take them to an amusement park. Sesshomaru and Miroku had declined, hearing how loud and erratic such a place could be. InuYasha suspected it was for other reasons, a suspicion that was confirmed by Shippo when they arrived at the park.

“You’re going to lose your bet,” Shippo said, rather triumphantly. “And Jaken is guaranteed to lose.”

InuYasha glared down at the kit, wanting to smack him, but knowing that in a crowd of humans, it would more than likely get him into trouble. Kagome, holding Rin’s hand turned and faced the inu. “What bet?”

Shippo lowered his head, seeming to have realized his error. “We all made a bet before we came here.”

For once, the kitsune ran to InuYasha for cover, climbing up onto his shoulder. InuYasha looked over at the red-headed fox demon and then back to his fiancee. “You know how Kouga said that blood bonds resulting in communication like Miroku and Sessh-- I mean… I’m still not used to calling him chichi-ue.”

“Have you ever considered Oto-san?” Kagome said.

“He’d never go for that.”

“You told me that he actually didn't seem to care if you wanted to call him…” She lowered her voice. … asshole…” The voice rose again. “I think your father would be quite happy to be your Oto-san.”

“Maybe. But I’m still probably going to slip.”

“Now, go on about this bet.”

“The link they had, Kouga said it was very rare.” Kagome nodded, apparently not liking that it seemed InuYasha had bet on his own father and best friend--which he had. “It only occurs in one instance, Kagome. Only one. Ever. Sesshomaru was more than aware of why it happened, just like Kouga was, and even Jaken. The kit and I had to be told by Kouga, who mocked us for not knowing, since our own knowledge of the demon world is limited.”

“His more than mine,” Shippo said bluntly.

“Watch it, runt.” Inuyasha continued, scratching at an ear that was bound beneath a red bandana. “It only happens when the two people are true mates, a fact that usually isn’t found out until they have actually mated. Unfortunately, they found out too early, and Miroku doesn’t understand it, and Sesshomaru’s fighting it. I had to ask about why he wasn’t saying anything, and Sess… my father doesn’t want Miroku to feel forced by fate into something, not if he could have been happy with Sango or doesn’t want to be bound to a demon.”

“True mates?”

“Humans call it soul mates,” Shippo said. “But it isn’t just a term for demons.”

“My father’s youkai and Miroku’s soul have both realized they are bound to one another. It’s just a matter of time before they act on it and become mates. If you‘ve watched them close enough, you have to have noticed it. Miroku is a lecher, but he's not made a single attempt at you or any woman in this time. He's also been acting really strange around chichi-ue, more like a hentai than ever, and I don't even think he means it.”

Kagome looked appalled. “And you’ve been betting on what? When they mate?”

“Sort of,” InuYasha said.

“I had five days before the wedding up until the wedding. Kouga had five days before that. InuYasha took immediately after the wedding, and Jaken took after returning home.”

“He has more faith in chichi-ue’s self control,” InuYasha said.

“How can you make such a bet, especially with a little kid?”

“What? All they have to do to be mates is sleep in the same bed and bite one another.”

InuYasha raised his eyebrows to Kagome, letting the woman know that the kit had no idea what all was involved.

“But, Miroku has spiritual energy? If mating you could kill me, then…”

“Mating Sesshomaru could kill Miroku. We know. And Kami knows what the death of his true mate could do to my father. All we can do is wait and hope for the best, Kagome. That’s why we tried to make light of it by betting one another a day’s hard labor, telling ourselves that everything will be okay. The option is…”

“Unthinkable,” Kagome finished for him.

"But unstoppable."

********

At about the same time the four were at the amusement park, Sesshomaru and Miroku were walking through the streets of Tokyo, trying to debate on what to do. Miroku wanted to tell Sesshomaru they should just go back to their apartment and finish what they’d started that night, but he could see reluctance on the tall demon’s face and decided that maybe a proper “date,” as Kagome called it, would make it better. They didn’t know many places in Tokyo, and opted just to go to the restaurant on the piece of paper they’d been given the day before.

Though no instructions to go there had been included on the now-frayed manual that Sesshomaru had sent himself, since there were no warnings against the restaurant named simply as Mind, it seemed the inuyoukai felt safe enough going there. The restaurant was nice, with a large floor with people gyrating on it, which Miroku assumed was this time’s way of dancing. The walls were done in wood of two different colors with large diamond patterns, the enormous booths were red and felt like leather. The hostess showed them to a seat and let them look over the menu. While the demon beside him looked over his menu, Miroku watched around the room as couples of all types held hands, kissed, danced. There were men with men, women with women and men with women, and all showed their affection without fear.

“Sesshomaru,” Miroku said, sliding around the curving booth to the demon.

Gold eyes looked down at him. “Yes?”

“Look around.” The inu did, then looked to Miroku.

“The people here do not seem to care.”

He tucked wrapped an arm around Miroku’s shoulders and pulled him to his side. “I am glad.”

“Strange, though,” Miroku said, “that the man who gave us the information on this place seemed to realize we were together.” Not that Miroku was complaining, as he felt the demon’s clawed hand wrapped around his arm.

They had ordered their meal when a rather flamboyant man with high, spiked golden-colored hair entered the room to near fanfare. He had to stand almost equal in height with Sesshomaru and had a presence about him that was absolutely remarkable. He had a lithe, muscular build and a grace that made him practically glide across the floor. Everyone seemed to know him, and he greeted all like old friends. Behind him, a man in his mid thirties followed behind. The second man was nearly as tall, but had a much stockier build. Despite his size, this man seemed almost capable of disappearing in a crowd, looking remarkably shy and driven on only by following this tall, strange-looking man.

The man spotted the dining couple and walked over to their booth.

“Hello,” the man said, bowing slightly. Now that he was so close, Miroku couldn’t help but marvel at this man’s strange appearance. His eyes were wide and a blue that would have made even Kouga impressed. His skin was a creamy color, and that strange hair actually seemed to be his own. “My name is Jacob Marsh.”

The strange man explained that he was from someplace called America, Sesshomaru and Miroku replied in turn saying they were from a small village far from the city, as he proceeded to slip into the booth beside Miroku.

“This is my restaurant.” Jacob signaled for the large man to sit down, but he only stood at the blond’s side. The man waved to a waiter. “Get us a bottle of champagne. Good stuff.” There was something about the aura of this man that didn’t quite fit. He couldn’t quite make sense of it. Miroku looked over at Jacob and slid closer to Sesshomaru so that their thighs were touching. “Gee won’t sit down. He’s stubborn that way,” Jacob said as he reached up and rubbed the larger man’s arm. “Too protective of me.” He then rested his elbow on the table, his head on his hand and looked over at Sesshomaru. “Do you have any idea how nice it is to see someone in this country who comes close to my own height? I swear I walk through the streets, and stand more than a head taller than everyone else.”

The waiter came back with a green bottle that was on ice, and two glasses.

“Please enjoy with my compliments.”

“You are not going to have some?” Sesshomaru asked the blue-eyed man.

“Not tonight.” The practically beautiful man slid out from his seat. “Please, enjoy your meal.” There was a smile there, not the smarmy, charming smile, but a genuine one. It was disarming and sweet and incredibly familiar.

As they ate, Miroku occasionally stole food from the demon’s plate, though he never did likewise, being that Miroku’s was cooked “human food” and held no interest for him. Though when dessert came, Sesshomaru was more than willing to steal from Miroku’s plate, then swiped a pile of whipped cream and placed the dollop on Miroku’s nose.

Realizing there was ample opportunity, Miroku wiped the whipped cream off of his nose, sticking the finger in his mouth and languidly sucking off every bit of the sugary substance, looking up at the inuyoukai the entire time.

“Hentai,” the demon said as he leaned forward and planted a kiss on Miroku’s moistened mouth, tongue lapping along the lines of his those lips. The former monk began to part his lips, but found Sesshomaru pulled away, smirking at the awaiting mouth. Miroku rolled his eyes and looked out onto the dance floor.

“The owner of the restaurant seems to be a friendly fellow,” Miroku said, looking at the blond, who was on the dance floor, moving his hips and body against anyone who was willing to dance with him. He moved from person to person, men, women, all seeming to fall under a spell. Then, those blue eyes looked back at the large man who followed him and whom Miroku had mistaken for the man’s guard. The large man, so quiet with a low, gentle voice, was standing in a corner to himself. The tall blond moved over to him, rubbing the face of the large black-haired man with the knuckles of his hand before tilting his head down just a bit to meet the man on the mouth. It was a very tender and loving moment, such a dichotomy in the blond's behavior at the moment seeming very strange.

The American left his Japanese companion and walked over again to Miroku’s table, extending a hand to the former monk. “Would you care to join me on the dance floor?”

“I-I don’t know if I should.” Miroku’s large violet eyes looked up at Sesshomaru. The demon lord was not happy that this strange American man was asking his human to dance, but he sensed from Miroku that he wanted to, possibly as punishment for cutting their kiss short. Miroku was guided by the strange man while the large man stood nearby the inuyoukai.

“Does it not bother you that your friend there is dancing the way he is?”

“It is the way that he is,” the large man said staring out at the strange man. “And you see how he looks, and how I look.” The man was large, stocky, plain in appearance and looked like he’d been walked on all of his life.

“But you care about him, do you not?”

The large man said nothing, but the emotions radiated off of him. Sesshomaru started to rise from his seat, deciding that someone who could hurt someone who loves him did not need to be dancing with the man who should have been his mate. His golden eyes met with Miroku’s violet, as the former houshi seemed only to be dancing with the blond to get his attention, getting his youkai incredibly irritated in the process.

Sesshomaru growled when he saw the blond moving the smaller man to the back of the room, making the guard-like man turn to face him, fear for his love obvious in his eyes, fear that deserved to be there. Things were going out of the demon lord’s control, and he was going to put an end to that. He sped through the crowd of humans and watched as the blond forcibly pulled Miroku out of a back door.

Sesshomaru was out the door before the lumbering giant of a human could make it halfway across the dance floor.
Once through the door, he saw the blond forcing Miroku into a kiss. Sesshomaru moved to kill the man where he stood, but somehow this American managed to evade him. “I don’t know about you, Sesshomaru, but he kisses like he’s straight. Are you sure he likes men?”

The raging inuyoukai wanted blood, but glanced back at Miroku who was wiping his mouth on his shirtsleeve and looked just as eager to kill the man as Sesshomaru.

“Or perhaps he only likes you,” the blond said, leaping backwards so high there was no denying there were other demons present in this time.

“You’re not human.”

“Not entirely.”

Sesshomaru followed after him as the man leaped up the sides of the building. “You dared to touch him. He is MINE.”

“If he is, then claim him. Other demons will not be so kind as to merely kiss him for taste. They will simply take him.”

“They would know they must fight me.”

“And how will they know that? He isn’t your mate. He could merely be a playtoy.”

“How dare you!” Sesshomaru leapt up onto a wall of a deserted building, only to find the wall disintegrating under a large force below him. He found the other man had punched the structure.

“Lord Sesshomaru, please don’t.”

Gracefully, Sesshomaru landed on his feet in front of the man. “You know my title?”

“Hai. I know of you. If you must kill someone, let it be me, not him.”

“Gee,” came the American’s voice from above, “don’t be a friggin hero. I did what I did to prove a point.”

With a rather loud thud, the blond hit the ground and threw an item at the cement, clouding around the two, masking what minimal scent they’d had as they disappeared.