The Other Side of Kazaana

A/N It has been WAAAAAY too long since I updated. But, like I've said on my profile, I never abandon these suckers...some just take longer than others. But as always, when it takes me a while to update, I eventually hit a point that I haver to just put it up or risk it being held up for more weeks. So...here 'tis!

P.S. Sorry for lack of italics. Still can't get it right on this darn computer, grrrr.


Chapter 20 – The Dogs’ Mates

Keeping his eyes on the path and the forest surrounding them, Miroku hoped Inuyasha was no longer looking at him. The teasing had finally stopped, and he and Inuyasha were simply walking in silence, the hanyou’s arm still around his waist. But was Inuyasha looking at him? Miroku couldn’t quite bring himself to check. He needed the illusion of solitude right now, as much as he could actually get while another man embraced him.

Embarrassment and doubt were things he would prefer to ruminate over on his own rather than with an audience.

And he would view it as a true blessing if neither of those emotions had a revealing scent to go along with them. Privacy was a thin veneer at best these last weeks, but he wanted to keep from punching through it. He wanted, needed, to imagine himself walking alone. Otherwise, he didn’t see how he could calm himself and think rather than chase after thoughts that were running through his mind like frantic poultry.

He’d prefer to go back to the well and try to meditate again, in all truth.

With that thought, his body must have paused for a moment, because Inuyasha’s arm around his waist tightened. Soft fingers ran soothingly over the waistband of his hakama, and he swallowed.

“You need to stop for something?” Inuyasha asked.

“No, I’m fine. Merely thinking,” Miroku said quickly. Inuyasha sounded wholly calm. Composed, sated, happy – he didn’t seem to have even a moment’s doubt over what had happened today.

Of course, he’d had weeks to come to terms with their mating and the idea of sex between them. Miroku had only had…hours? Had it truly only been hours since everything he knew about his life and his future had been turned on its head? And why shouldn’t Inuyasha be feeling content? Everything seemed to be going the way he desired, at least as far as their relationship was concerned. Miroku had become about as difficult to seduce as a pre-paid whore.

He flushed uncomfortably, memories of firm hands and lips and cocks rushing into his mind. It had merely been sex, he reminded himself quickly, trying to stem the tide of desire and embarrassment both.

The reminder wasn’t helping. The first few minutes as they’d both walked into the forest, it would have. His body pleasantly aching from their activities, his emotions buoyed by the knowledge that Inuyasha desired him enough that he’d bonded them together, he’d been floating. He’d felt wanted, and valued, and even the minor embarrassment over Inuyasha’s teasing had been covered with a sweet coating of friendship and caring and stunningly good sex.

But as the sexual euphoria had slowly faded, everything else had boiled up and washed over him. Looking at the past half hour of his life without lust coloring his vision, Miroku was so shocked at his own behavior that he’d kept his eyes from Inuyasha ever since. He’d had sex again. With Inuyasha. After all that the dominating hanyou had said, and even what he’d done, they’d had sex. Whatever reasoning Miroku had tried to use at the time, that was the essence of it. Miroku had been taken by Inuyasha for the second time in one day. Miroku had been so weak for him that he’d wanted to have sex again.

And he’d even gone so far as to tell the overly confident hanyou exactly that.

It was frightening that he was so tied to Inuyasha that he lusted for him to that extent. And the sex! He’d never had sex like that before: wild, rough, harsh, totally out of his control. He’d felt completely dominated and for the smallest moment in time, he hadn’t cared. That frightened him more than anything else, he realized, gripping his staff tightly to keep from rubbing at the hairs standing up on his arms. He’d wanted to have Inuyasha inside of him, even when the stubborn bastard was trying to assert his ‘right’ to punish Miroku.

That had to mean something beyond an understandable urge to re-experience good sex. Miroku had already been concerned over how deeply he was coming to care for Inuyasha, and that was before he knew of their…mating. Adding sex to the mix wasn’t the issue. A visceral enjoyment of sex was a good thing, for a couple. It might be a little startling how much he was enjoying intercourse with another male, but he couldn’t say that it was a total surprise, not with how often his mind had been straying to thoughts of Inuyasha in sexual ways recently.

But for him to react the way he had, when Inuyasha had done the things he’d done? That was a problem. What was happening to him? This relationship was affecting him in elemental ways, and he had no explanation for it. He had wanted Inuyasha badly enough that he’d been willing to overlook actions so grossly overprotective and domineering that they should have made him beat Inuyasha bloody before he submitted. How could he desire Inuyasha that much?

Was he losing himself?

He finally glanced up at Inuyasha as he walked next to him, the other man still holding them together, and his heart beat a little faster as he let his eyes brush over the familiar pale face. His cheeks began to flush, and he nearly bit his tongue as he realized he was already semi-erect. Wrenching his eyes away, he stared rigidly ahead. He didn’t want to feel this much, this fast. Mated they might be, but…that should mean they had time to get comfortable with one another. It meant an acceptance of the situation that slowly grew into something that could sustain them for however many years they had together. It didn’t mean that Miroku’s body and mind should throw themselves at the hanyou like a bitch in heat.

Because he still had no idea what, exactly, all this meant to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha had confessed that he wanted Miroku, that he’d wanted him for quite some time, but that was all. He had to remember that. The man might have wanted him enough to put them in this situation, to connect them as mates for the rest of their lives, but what did that mean to a dog demon?

Was Miroku a good friend and a good lover, and that’s all that was required? Was Miroku simply lusted after and unattainable before the mating? Was it something like an extreme form of possessiveness? Or was it something more than that? And whatever it was, was it going to be enough?

Inuyasha back home was known for some glaringly bad decisions on the spur of the moment, especially if his emotions were involved in some way. Was this Inuyasha the same? Miroku felt like he knew him so well, felt so close to him that thinking of not having him in his life gave him the cold sweats. And everything in him said that there had to be more spurring their mating than sex. How much more, though, he wasn’t sure.

And what if he were wrong? Inuyasha hadn’t said anything of deep feelings, merely a strong dose of unrequited lust and good friendship. What if that’s all it was? Was Inuyasha going to regret their being together as time went on? Months down the line, or years from now - lust wasn’t enough to keep two people content with each other for that long. Miroku would like to believe they were friends, quite good friends, but…

…he wanted this too much. Look at the last argument. Miroku was giving in and compromising on things already, and he hadn’t even known they were together for more than a few hours! And after the sex, he’d been… He’d…

…he’d bent over deliberately to tempt Inuyasha with his…

He cringed, his face hot and aching. He must have looked utterly ridiculous. A woman bending over for a pot and caught at the right moment was entirely different than a courtesan bending over simply to show off her assets, and it was easy to discern which was which. Miroku trying to show off part of his body to another man, never mind that it was Inuyasha, was laughable. He was laughable.

Thinking of Inuyasha so much that he was envisioning ways to try and tempt him with his body?

He was not only a figure of fun, he was irrational.

And if Inuyasha was muddling him to this extent, he was already lost. A painful tingle started in his stomach and flooded his body at the realization. It left him breathless and shaken.

It was too late. He was already in so far over his head that he would never be able to dig his way out. He cared too much about Inuyasha already.

What was he supposed to do about that?

There was no time to come up with an answer. They weren’t at camp yet, but it seemed that Miroku’s small increase in arousal had been detected; Inuyasha’s hand was carefully working its way into the slit of Miroku’s hakama, headed for his groin.

“Inuyasha, stop that. We’re almost to the others,” Miroku whispered quickly, pushing at his arm. If he didn’t stop this now, Inuyasha was entirely capable of seducing him again, he was certain. He couldn’t do that right now. His body was still aching from the last time.

And he needed to know he could say ‘no.’

He squirmed as Inuyasha chuckled at him while he removed his hand. “You like it,” he said softly, leaning down to the lick the edge of Miroku’s ear. “I can smell it.”

“Y-you’ll tear the fabric.” Miroku couldn’t believe he’d just said that. He would not resort to avoidance to deal with this. “I’m too sore to d-do anyth-thing…” Inuyasha’s tongue had moved down his neck and Miroku stumbled over his feet as well as his words.

“There’s other ways to enjoy ourselves,” Inuyasha murmured. His claws teased Miroku’s thigh through the hakama while his eyes gleamed.

Feeling his cheeks heat again, Miroku swallowed to bring saliva back into his dry mouth. Inuyasha was doing it again – seducing him with barely a word and a touch. And it was so tempting to give in to it, but it was too fast. The sex, the fight, the discovery that he had a connection to Inuyasha forever, and that part of him desperately wanted it – he felt off-balance, on the edge of a cliff, and he didn’t know where to reach to find something to hang onto.

“I wish to get back to camp for the moment,” Miroku said firmly. His voice may have wobbled, just slightly, but it was firm.

“Well, if you want an audience, I suppose that’s fine too. Kouga could certainly use every bit of encouragement he can get.”

Miroku cursed his misspent youth for the instant understanding it granted him, and then he cursed his own whirling emotions for the blush that bloomed immediately afterwards.

“Inuyasha! You know that isn’t what I meant at all.”

“Maybe not, but it still might be fun. I bet I could make you enjoy it.” Inuyasha grinned at him in a way that was much more like a hungry wolf than a dog, and Miroku felt the slightest bit afraid. Not of Inuyasha, but more of himself. What if Inuyasha was right? What if Miroku was so weak for him that Inuyasha could get him to do something like that? He had no interest in sex in front of others – knowing others had heard was bad enough – but could Inuyasha get him so aroused that he’d do it, just to have him?

How lost was he at this point? How much could Inuyasha make him do? It was frightening, and not in a way that excited him in the least.

“I…I don’t want to do that, Inuyasha,” Miroku whispered hoarsely. He didn’t want Inuyasha to know how much control he might have, not yet, but he had to say something. “I truly don’t want to do…something like that.”

Inuyasha’s eyebrows rose up in surprise and he sniffed the air as though testing it. Stopping, he withdrew his claws from their teasing along Miroku’s thighs and put his arms around his shoulders instead, pulling him against his chest. Miroku’s cheek rested against heavy fabric and he closed his eyes. He let the heat of Inuyasha’s body soak into his naked torso like a healing poultice.

“Hey now, what’s wrong? You smell almost afraid, little one. I was only teasing. I would never…”

“I know,” Miroku said quickly, keeping his eyes shut, and knew he was lying. He couldn’t think straight right now. He needed to regain his balance and think. “I’m simply not used to…discussing things of a sexual nature with you.”

Miroku let himself be held for another moment before he finally opened his eyes and pushed back. He was glad Inuyasha released him without complaint. He didn’t want yet another battle. And then he looked up and saw the teasing sparkle return to Inuyasha’s eyes.

“You’re not used to talking about sex? Considerin’ it’s almost the only thing we’ve talked about all day, that’s kind of a surprise.”

Miroku felt himself flushing once again. “It’s still new. Simply because you have been contemplating the subject for weeks now does not mean that I have been doing the same.”

“I suppose it doesn’t,” Inuyasha murmured, suddenly looking more serious than Miroku liked. Inuyasha’s hand went out and he brushed his thumb across Miroku’s cheek. “But you’re going to have to get used to it, Miroku. Now that you know, about the mating, I mean, I don’t have to hold myself back any more. Especially when you’re almost healed.”

Miroku tried to hold onto his thoughts, but it was difficult with Inuyasha’s hand caressing small circles against his face “Knowing and accepting are two completely different types of fish, Inuyasha. I’m still not sure about this. I don’t know-“

The hand stopped moving and tensed against his skin. “Not sure?” Miroku winced at the growl that had been added to the warm tone from before. “It doesn’t matter if you’re ‘sure’ or not; we’re mates, Miroku. That’s the way it is.”

“If there is no surety needed, then why were you so concerned over my gaining knowledge of our mating in the first place, Inuyasha?” Why had he been? Miroku ran the conversation he’d overheard through his mind and recalled Inuyasha talking about not wanting to be hated by his mate. That had to imply some deeper feeling, didn’t it?

Inuyasha finally grunted, the deep sound pushing into the air and vibrating in Miroku’s ears. Both hands moved to Miroku’s shoulders where he held on with a tight grip just on this side of painful.

“I didn’t want you to know because- It’s because- “ Inuyasha stared down at him, frustration and something else on his face before he finally continued. “Dammit, Miroku, you said you were fine with this at the well! And we’re mates! That means you’re mine! You can’t try to- to back out from this now. You don’t have a choice. It’s done. It’s…shit.”

The half-growled, half-mumbled exclamations weren’t entirely coherent, but it was utterly reassuring to realize that Inuyasha wasn’t completely calm about this either. An Inuyasha smoothly making erotically charged banter was much more intimidating than one suffering from this frustrated reaction.

Seeing Inuyasha unhappy and upset was actually a comfort to his nerves.

“I understand it’s done, Inuyasha.” He tried to keep his voice soft as he reached up to run his fingers over the back of Inuyasha’s hand. “I’m not saying that I am searching for another…partner.” His face began to flush a bit at the thought and he cleared his throat before he could continue.

“I am trying to say that I need some time, that’s all. Like a man who- who has, say, lost a limb. I need time to adjust to new circumstances.”

“Lost a limb? You view this like getting your arm chopped off?” Inuyasha’s ears went flat and Miroku shook his head quickly.

“No, I didn’t mean that. I…” Miroku cleared his throat again. “It’s a huge change, Inuyasha. I need more than a few hours to come to terms with this, that’s all. I need a little time before I can fully accept it.”

Inuyasha was shaking his head already and Miroku wondered what was coming next. “All right, so it’s a big thing. I can understand that. Shit, it’s why I didn’t want to tell you, all right? I knew you’d panic-“

“I am not panicking, Inuyasha!”

“-but I can’t just give you tons of time to think and not do anything. I’ve told you, you know now, and I want you.”

Miroku flushed at the look in Inuyasha’s eyes. His fingers released Inuyasha’s and he gripped his other hand over his staff nervously. Inuyasha’s voice was steadily growing into more of a growl, almost like his youkai was taking over even though his eyes remained amber, and Miroku’s body stilled in wariness.

“I can try to slow down sometimes, ‘cause I know you need it, but I won’t pretend we aren’t together, Miroku. It’s not healthy for mates to be that way. I won’t do that anymore.”

“I wasn’t asking you to-“

Inuyasha brought his face down to Miroku’s, gripping his chin. “You were telling me to wait on having sex, weren’t you?”

“I- not exactly.” What had he meant?

“Then what? What the hell were you trying to say, then?”

“I simply… I… “ Miroku looked up at him, seeing eyes both angry and confused, and thought he might look the same. “I don’t know, “ he finally whispered. “This feels more important than even finding myself in another world, and…”

Miroku stared at Inuyasha, trying to form the words, and finally said something he didn’t think he’d said to anyone since he’d watched his father die. “I don’t know what to do,” he said in an uncomfortable whisper of sound. “I c-care about you, and I don’t know what to do about that, Inuyasha. I don’t know what to do.”

He swallowed. Inuyasha’s eyes changed, the angry tension leaving his body, and his face softened. The hand on Miroku’s chin moved and wrapped around the back of his head to pull him in until their foreheads touched. “I don’t either,” Inuyasha admitted. “But we gotta figure it out, right? And I ain’t going to be pushed away while we do. That’s all I’m saying.”

Miroku sighed and nodded again, letting himself lean against Inuyasha. He hadn’t meant to say it, to tell him he cared.

It hadn’t hurt as much as he’d thought it would.

Not as much as the fact that Inuyasha hadn’t returned the sentiment. But at least his mate cared enough to grow flustered by the situation. That was something. At least it was something.

Kouga’s yell interrupted his thoughts.

“Oy! You two done gettin’ all sappy and shit? My ears are burning here!”

Miroku turned with a start, not seeing anyone through the trees, and realized they were close enough to the camp for the youkai to hear them. His entire body burned. That had been private! Turning back, he opened his mouth to yell at Inuyasha for deliberately not warning him about their company and stopped as he saw bright red cheeks.

Inuyasha was blushing?

Miroku stared at him. He was blushing! He looked as embarrassed by the situation as Miroku felt. Inuyasha hadn’t known how close they were either, Miroku realized. That was…wonderful. He really had been as upset over the conversation as he looked, to the point that he hadn’t paid attention to where they were.

Miroku let a little pleasure from the situation bloom deep down. He was embarrassed beyond belief, but Inuyasha…

Inuyasha felt enough for him to get immersed in their conversation, for this to happen. It really was something for them to build on.

“Shut the fuck up, wolf! Why don’t you just butt out of what’s not your business!” Inuyasha yelled angrily as his blush began to fade, and they both heard Kouga laugh.

“Mutt, you two get emotional so loudly nobody can not mind your business! Now come on! You should get settled before Sesshoumaru’s bitch and he get back. They’ve been quiet now for a few minutes. There’s not much time.”

Inuyasha cursed and took a step on the path and then cursed again. He looked at Miroku, his eyes running over his body in a way that made Miroku feel somewhat aroused, and then began pulling at his own clothes. In moments, Miroku found himself bundled up in Inuyasha’s haori, the sleeves hanging down over his hands and his bare arms showing through the open shoulder slits.

“Inuyasha?”

“I don’t want Kouga lookin’,” Inuyasha muttered uncomfortably. “Now come on, we gotta talk.”

Fumbling for Miroku’s hand hidden inside his sleeve, Inuyasha led him out of the trees and around the same bushes Miroku had hidden by when he’d heard Inuyasha speaking about their mating earlier in the day. Everyone watched them as they entered camp, most of them smiling or leering slightly. Kouga took a look at Inuyasha’s haori covering Miroku’s chest and he snorted.

“You couldn’t take better care of his clothes?”

“They got ripped,” Inuyasha said flatly, pulling Miroku over to a nearby tree as he walked straight there without stopping.

“I’ll bet they did. Was that before or after you-“

“Shut up, wolf!”

Kouga sniggered, still smirking as Inuyasha sat down and pulled Miroku into his lap. Miroku didn’t even bother to argue. He couldn’t stop his eyes from looking around to gauge people’s reaction, however, and was struck once again with how calm everyone was seeing a man sitting in another’s lap. And then felt like a bit of a fool.

Everyone knew they were together already, that they were mated. They all expected Inuyasha and Miroku to act this way. He’d been the only one unaware of the situation. Trying to think of something other than his own oblivious behavior over the last few weeks, he focused on something else.

“Inuyasha, about what Kouga said.”

Inuyasha grunted.

“Did I hear correctly that Sesshoumaru’s woman is here now? I wasn’t aware that he had a partner.” There, focus on the curiosity. That would help. And he actually was quite curious, he realized as he let himself think about it. What type of person would Sesshoumaru wed? Someone as contained and haughty as himself? Someone bright and sunny like little Rin?

Inuyasha grunted again, his arms tightening around Miroku’s body. “Yeah, he does, and you heard right. She’s here. And she’s not gonna be happy to meet you, so we gotta be careful.”

Miroku closed his eyes and leaned back against Inuyasha, instantly understanding. Sesshoumaru’s wife was another victim. “What did the Ronin do to her?” he asked quietly.

Hands warming Miroku’s sides like a balm, Inuyasha shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s never told me everything, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to ask about something like that. It was a lot, though. She was forced to work for Naraku for a while, and the other Miroku was in charge of punishments if she screwed up. I don’t know everything he did, but…it was bad. She hates him even more than I do, and she’s also really damn strong. When she gets here, you do everything I damn well tell you to, got it?”

Miroku bristled. “Inuyasha…”

“You’re not healed yet, remember. And Kagura isn’t someone to fuck around with. She could-“

“Kagura?!” Miroku was scanning around him instantly, looking for anything out of place. If Kagura was here, then Kanna might be as well, and-

Inuyasha had him on his feet and stood protectively in front of him in seconds. “What do you see, Miroku?”

The movement and question jarred him from his automatic response and he shook himself. Not his world. How many times was he going to have to remind himself when he met someone new? This wasn’t his world. Things weren’t the same.

“Dammit, Miroku, don’t freeze on me! What do you see?” Kouga and most of the ookami were on their feet as well now, looking around the camp and trying to see through the trees. “Your scent went crazy on me; what is it?”

Feeling like a terrified yearling, Miroku shook his head. “It’s nothing. Buddha be blessed, I’m sorry. Truly, there’s nothing to be worried about.”

The ookami calmed, but Inuyasha turned to him, growling. “Bull shit! That wasn’t nothing! What the hell just happened?”

“It was just Kagura, Inuyasha,” he said quietly. “You said Kagura was Sesshoumaru’s woman and I – It was an automatic reaction. I didn’t see anything, truly.”

Inuyasha cursed to himself, finally relaxing. “Well shit. Dammit, I didn’t mean to make you freak out that badly. I know I said she’s tough, but that doesn’t mean I can’t protect you, little one. You don’t need to be that –“

Miroku smacked away the consoling hand coming for his shoulder. “A mere story hasn’t frightened me, Inuyasha. Just a…memory. She was not someone to ‘fuck’ with in my world, either.”

Inuyasha blinked. “You knew her?”

“I fought her,” Miroku corrected.

Kouga whistled slowly and they both looked over at him. “You fought her and you’re still alive? That’s damn impressive. You are tougher than I thought. She’s strong enough that she could take out an entire pack, damn!”

“She did,” Miroku said curtly. “Your pack.”

“She did what?” Inuyasha asked quietly. Kouga simply stared at him in surprise.

“She killed everyone in Kouga’s pack but Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku. Every last person.” He remembered seeing the gruesome field she’d left for them to find, dead bodies rising up to attack them, and he shuddered. It had been in his nightmares for weeks afterwards.

“Woah. Son of a bitch,” Kouga breathed slowly, his eyes going over his pack with renewed appreciation. “I knew she was fucking tough, but I was just saying… I never thought she’d really be able to do something like that. Hell.”

“Well, she hasn’t done it here,” Inuyasha said. He looked a little shocked, although not as greatly as Kouga. He stared at Miroku. “You know that, right?”

“It’s fairly obvious, Inuyasha, as Kouga’s pack has been staying here for the last month.”

“Uh, yeah. Just….your scent went through the roof, Miroku. And Kagura is not the bad guy here. She can be a bitch, in all senses of the words, and she hates the Ronin, but she’s not evil. She wouldn’t do something like that.”

Miroku found himself in the strange position of having to try and believe good of someone who had done so many evil things that he couldn’t begin to enumerate them.

Rather like everyone had had to do for him when he’d arrived.

He took a deep breath, nodding. “I can understand that. It may take a while to come to terms with it, so you’ll have to forgive a bit of nervousness here and there, but I’ll do my best.” Another deep breath, and he began looking around for his shadow.

“Inuyasha, where’s Shippou? Wasn’t he supposed to come back here?”

Kouga spoke before even the first glimmer of panic could start. “I made Jaken take Rin and him to the village with the dragon. All the kids are playing on it for a while. Figured that’d be better than hearing whatever Kagura might say when she’s got a full head of steam going on over the little monk here. She can be just nasty when she’s pissed.”

Inuyasha nodded and Miroku could see the wisdom of it. He just couldn’t see how Kouga had seen the wisdom of it. A look behind the wolf, to Kagome and Sango, gave him his answer and he nodded to them in thanks. He could hold his tongue and learn to get to know this Kagura for her own actions as opposed to her double, but if she couldn’t do the same, he’d appreciate not having the little ones hear it.

Standing there as he wondered what to do next, Miroku’s vision was filled with white as Inuyasha stood in front of him suddenly.

“Miroku, be ready to move if I tell you to, all right?” he said quietly. “I can hear Kagura coming, and I don’t know what the hell’s gonna happen. Sesshoumaru will keep her in check if she really loses it, but just…be ready. This could get ugly for a bit.”

Miroku nodded, not that Inuyasha was looking. After a minute of standing tensely behind Inuyasha’s back, hoping that the hanyou was trying to keep things calm rather than being over-protective again, he heard angry murmuring from across the campsite as someone approached. It wasn’t until he heard one loud exclamation that he recognized the voice.

He hadn’t thought about how hearing her voice would affect him.

It took everything he had not to step out from behind Inuyasha and confront her. He didn’t know what had happened to Kagura in his own world, although they’d heard rumors that Naraku’s incarnations had been reabsorbed before their final battle. But not knowing almost made it worse. He didn’t have her death to reassure him that this was a completely different person.

He shivered as he heard her voice again. The last time he’d heard that, Sango and Kouga had nearly died. Calm, he reminded himself. Keep calm. His Kagura had done terrible things to the people he loved. This Kagura’s Miroku had wronged her just as greatly, in all likelihood, so he had to remain calm and remember that. Because from everything he knew about her, unless this Kagura’s personality was completely changed as well, if he didn’t remain calm, neither of them would be.


Inuyasha kept his youkai suppressed with an effort. Thank god the horny bastard had already been out for a while earlier in the day or he’d likely have been impossible to keep in check right now. He hoped it wouldn’t be frustrating, but he wasn’t holding his breath. Miroku having a history with Kagura on his own world wasn’t something Inuyasha had planned for, and it was only going to add to how bad things were. Kagura’s experiences with the ronin were plenty to make it shit without that; she hated that bastard with a living passion, and she didn’t do well when she hated. She was goat-stubborn, too. Had to have been, to survive all the crap she had. Too bad that was going to make things a hell of a lot worse with Miroku.

The only good thing was that at least they’d see her coming; she wouldn’t try to be sneaky about what she felt. Always said she’d had to lie so much when she was with Naraku that she wasn’t going to do it ever again. Which was why she always left that part of things to him when they were pranking Sesshoumaru.

Shit. What if she had someone else to do something to Miroku so she didn’t have to lie at all?

He growled under his breath. She better not try to go after Miroku or there was going to be blood. Sesshoumaru knew that as well as he did, so he’d probably be on her like white on rice whenever Miroku was around. He’d better be, because Miroku seemed really fragile right now. Inuyasha had thought it was going well – Miroku had even said he was happy they were mated! - and then they’d started walking and it all went to shit. Miroku had been so quiet, and when he did talk, it was all about ‘adjusting’ and not knowing how he felt about the mating and crap.

The little guy was thinking too much. Just like Sesshoumaru, always thinking so much about everything that he could make black believe it was white. Dammit, some things in the world were complex, but not this! It was simple: Inuyasha and Miroku were mates. They both finally knew it and they belonged with each other. Why was Miroku trying to make it into something complicated? Now Inuyasha was going to have to figure out what was worrying him so he could figure out how to make Miroku understand how stupid it was.

Because Miroku was his, and he was Miroku’s, and that was that. And they were damn well having sex, soon, so-

“Where is that fucking bastard? I want to see him.” Inuyasha blinked into Kagura’s spitting red eyes. Still on the other side of the camp, she stood trembling fiercely. Sesshoumaru stood by her side and actually didn’t look in complete control for once.

A bad, bad sign. She had to be furious enough to chew up diamonds at this point. That much was obvious. He saw her eyes shift to the side of him and actually glow crimson. He wondered a moment until he realized Miroku had ignored his order – advice, it had been respectful, well-intentioned, damn fucking good advice that he should have followed – and he was standing out to the side of Inuyasha now instead of behind him.

Kagura hissed like a scalded cat after staring at him. Her hand flicked out in an odd gesture, uselessly. Inuyasha realized she was readying a non-existent weapon when he saw her fan tucked into his brother’s obi. Her other hand whipped behind her back and Inuyasha shoved Miroku behind him again just as Sesshoumaru plucked the new fan from Kagura’s hand.

He tucked it beside the other one in his obi, ignoring her harsh cursing as she called her mate five different kinds of fool.

“It’s safe.” Sesshoumaru said quietly in a lull between curses. “I promised that you would be safe, but he remains safe as well. I’ll return your weapons when we depart.”

The reminder that she didn’t have her weapon in hand had her whole body stiffening. She stared back at Inuyasha and he saw her nearly panic until she realized that Miroku was behind him again and not coming at her from somewhere unseen. Inuyasha felt a moment’s pity. He’d seen some of the scars on her a few times. Burns, whip marks, cuts – to scar a youkai those things had to have fucking decimated her body at the time. She probably feared Miroku as much as she hated him.

Her voice was pained when she spoke to Sesshoumaru without taking her eyes from where Miroku was being shielded. “I thought maybe it was some prank in poor taste, but you truly let him in. How could you do this? How could you let him in? You know what he’s done… You –“

“It is not the same man.” Sesshoumaru put his hand over her shoulder and she shook it off.

“Of course it is.” Her voice was bitter with surety. “You’ve let him fool you all. After everything I’ve told you, you still don’t understand. It’s Miroku.” Inuyasha could feel his mate getting stiffer and stiffer behind him, but he didn’t dare look to see how he was faring. He had to watch Kagura; she was taking it even worse than he’d thought. Raging would have been much, much better than this.

“I listened to every word you said about the man. I do not doubt my own mate,” Sesshoumaru said sharply. “And I am asking you for the same courtesy. It is not the same man.”

Kagura took a harsh, shuddering breath, shaking her head. She hardly seemed to hear him as she focused on Miroku. “I can’t. Sesshoumaru, I- You don’t understand how damn good he is at this! Why don’t you understand?! After everything he did.”

“Kagura. I’m here.” Sesshoumaru put both hands on her waist and refused to let her squirm away from him again. “I will not let anything happen to you. Trust me.”

He leaned forward to rest his face over her hair, his lips touching her ear. Inuyasha heard him whisper to her. “The ronin Miroku can’t hurt you anymore. I promise you.”

She stared for another second and then growled. “I don’t need you to protect me,” she said angrily. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know.” Sesshoumaru rubbed his palms across her stomach, barely touching. Inuyasha knew he was remembering when they’d first found her. It took her years before she stopped reacting if her arms were bound in any way. Even holding her hand would set her off sometimes; he was probably being very careful not to touch them right now. “I know you can, or you never would have gotten free of both those bastards. But you’re not alone now, and I am asking that you trust me. I would not put you in danger again.”

Kagura’s face twisted. Her response was probably too low for Miroku to hear, Inuyasha thought. “Sesshoumaru, don’t. Don’t ask this. Anything else, but not this. It’s him. It has to be. He’s such a fucking clever bastard; you have no idea. But I know him…”

“I know,” Sesshoumaru said quietly. “You have more experience with the real Miroku than any of us. Which is why I…hesitated to bring you this news. But trust that I would never put you, or our family, in danger. Never. This is not the Miroku you knew. I have come to believe this completely. Inuyasha has even claimed this man as his mate.”

Kagura jerked back from Sesshoumaru and looked at Inuyasha with disbelieving eyes. “You’re insane!”

“It is not the Miroku you know,” Sesshoumaru said firmly, taking her around the waist again.

“Sesshoumaru, you may be my mate but…” She took one moment to stare at him with agonized betrayal before she stared back at Miroku. “You’re wrong. You are wrong in this. Both of you. All of you. You know how good Naraku and he are at deception. How can you believe it? And mating? How could Inuyasha take him as a mate? Your brother said it himself; it can’t be done! Two males are impossible. It’s a trick.”

Inuyasha shrugged, trying to seem casual, as though he wasn’t on the verge of losing control of his youkai and killing Kagura just to ensure Miroku’s safety. “Turns out I was wrong. A human male and a youkai are compatible. And Kagura, I can see his aura now. I can see it, and I tell you that this is NOT the man we’ve fought. I trust him just as much as I loathe the real Miroku.”

“You’re being fooled.” Her voice was flat.

“I can see his fucking aura, Kagura!”

Kagura swallowed, her face bitter, “You can’t really believe that. They’ve done something to you, something to fool you.”

“Kagura-“ Sesshoumaru’s low voice murmured softly and she shook her head.

“I can’t trust him! That’s what he does, dammit! He makes you trust him and then…”

“Kagura,” Sesshoumaru said again into her ear. “Don’t trust him, then. Trust me. Trust that I care for you enough not to subject you to even the likeness of Miroku if there were not a very good reason to.”

She seemed to wilt. Inuyasha wondered frantically if she was actually gonna cry before she stiffened up. She swallowed loudly, staring at Miroku. “Do you have any idea how fucking much this hurts, Sesshoumaru,” she said in a small, tight voice aimed at his head.

“I can only imagine, but it is unnecessary. Inuyasha’s new mate is not a bad man, love. Please. Give him a chance before consigning him to the same level of hell as the ronin Miroku.”

Inuyasha blinked at that one. Sesshoumaru said please? Damn.

She stared at Miroku, her lips wobbling a moment before she pressed them together, thin and tight. “He’s Miroku. You can say what you like, but… you’re wrong this time, Sesshoumaru. I do trust you. I do. But that doesn’t mean you’re right. This is Miroku.”

“He’s my mate, dammit!” Inuyasha snarled. His youkai snarled along with him. He could feel himself starting to lose it. She might be Sesshoumaru’s mate, and a good friend, but if she so much as touched Miroku…

Sesshoumaru tightened his hands over Kagura’s belly, looking more sad over her reaction than angry and that pissed Inuyasha off. She was a danger to Miroku, dammit! “He is right. No matter who either of us believe the man is, that one thing is impossible to fake, Kagura, and you know it. He is Inuyasha’s mate. He has the mark. You know what will happen if you kill him.”

Kagura looked up to see Inuyasha’s eyes beginning to turn as red as hers and her nails bit into her palms so fiercely they drew blood.

“You are a fool,” she finally spat at Inuyasha. She stared at his stomach as though she was trying to see through him. Inuyasha wished fiercely that she could smell as good as Shippou; at least then they’d have something concrete to offer her. Although the stubborn bitch probably still wouldn’t believe them.

Taking a deep breath, Kagura stepped forward and away from Sesshoumaru’s embrace. “I won’t attack him,” she said hoarsely, looking back at her mate. “I’ll leave Inuyasha’s mate alone. For you. And JUST you.” She turned back to Inuyasha.

Her eyes glowed. “But if he comes within sight of the castle, I will kill him. If he comes near me or Rin or Sesshoumaru, I will rip him apart, Inuyasha.” She looked around at Kagome and the ookami’s frozen faces. “And if any of you had any sense, you’d say the same thing.”

She stared, trembling, her scent heavy with rage and terror swirling together. “I want to see him,” she whispered. “Let me see this Miroku that doesn’t work for Naraku.”

Miroku swallowed heavily and shifted away from Inuyasha. Inuyasha had to hang onto his youkai by the throat to keep him from grabbing his mate again to keep him safe. Inuyasha heard him exhale shakily. “Hello, Kagura.”

Kagura stared at him without responding and Sesshoumaru stepped up next to her, placing his hand on her back softly. She didn’t move, and Inuyasha didn’t relax. The fact that Sesshoumaru was standing to ensure Kagura’s fan was on the far side of his body from her had him still on edge. She hated Miroku, she thought his mate was that Miroku, and if Sesshoumaru completely believed that she still might come after Miroku, then it wasn’t safe for Inuyasha to relax.

He growled. “My mate just said hello. Whatever the hell you think, Kagura, you can at least respond when he’s being polite.”

She flicked her eyes at him dismissively before staring at Miroku again. “You look younger,” she finally said.

“Yeah, he does,” Inuyasha said, hugging him to his side again, even though Miroku squirmed to push him away. “Everyone’s around 20 where he’s from.”

“So, you’re supposedly from another world, is that it?” Kagura sneered after another long pause.

Miroku finally gave up moving out from under Inuyasha’s arm and nodded with a sigh. He answered cautiously. “That’s my current understanding of the situation, yes.”

Inuyasha snarled to himself as he watched Kagura’s body shiver with the sound of Miroku’s voice. Every damn time they met someone who knew the ronin Miroku, they went through this. What were the odds that someday, someone was going to kill his mate when they were trying to go after his double?

What were the odds that it would be Kagura?

“So why do you look so scared, human?” Kagura tried to sneer again. Her eyes looked like she wanted to be anywhere in the world but where she was, and it infuriated her that she had to be here “Worried I might find out the truth?”

Inuyasha started to pull Miroku back until his mate stomped on his toes and he grunted, stopping.

After meeting her stare, he finally bowed his head slightly. “You were a formidable enemy, Lady Kagura.”

Her eyes flared as they stared at him and Inuyasha got ready again to fight if he needed to.

“So you fought alongside Naraku, just like you do here,” she growled, her hand twitching a non-existent fan again. “I knew you couldn’t –“

Miroku didn’t even blink. “No, but you did.”

She stiffened, and Inuyasha could swear he saw color physically draining from her face. “That’s a lie. I would never –“

“You did,” Miroku stated quietly. “There were small signs that perhaps you were not loyal to him, secrets you learned and never shared. But you never completely freed yourself, not as you seem to have done here.”

Sesshoumaru had his arm around Kagura. He was glaring at Miroku. “You never told us that before.”

“I was not aware Kagura had a different role here,” Miroku said quietly. Inuyasha could feel him shaking slightly. Fuck. How were he and Sesshoumaru going to get these two not to hate each other? He hadn’t thought it would be this bad. Shitty, yeah, but not this much.

Kagura shook her head. “It’s not going to work,” she responded fiercely. “Saying something like that won’t upset me.”

Miroku nodded again. “It wasn’t meant to. I am truly-“ He took one, deep breath, which still sounded shaky to Inuyasha. “I am truly, deeply sorry for whatever my double has done to you, Lady Kagura. I am ashamed that one from my bloodline, even on another world, could harm another in the ways he has.”

Kagura’s mouth hung open as she watched him shrug away Inuyasha’s arm finally and sit down slowly, his hands laying his staff down until he was completely disarmed. Miroku turned to look up at Inuyasha until he followed suit, except for disarming himself. If he could have grown his claws longer in preparation for an attack, he would have. What the hell did Miroku think he was doing?

“I… “ Kagura stared at him. Her eyes slowly went down to a low simmer. “I don’t know what you think you’re going to accomplish, Miroku, but think again. I will never trust you. And everyone will figure out how wrong they are to do so before I leave.” She gave him one last disgusted look and then spoke to Sesshoumaru. “I’m getting Rin. She isn’t allowed near him without us, Sesshoumaru. I meant what I said; I will kill him if he so much as sneezes at her.” Everyone’s hair was blown back as she threw down her feather without warning and took to the air, leaving for the village.

As soon as she was out of sight, Inuyasha’s youkai finally started to withdraw, although he almost wished it wouldn’t. Once the immediate threat was gone, the stupid ass didn’t give a shit. Inuyasha, on the other had, was worried as hell. He didn’t want to have to worry about the ronin and Kagura coming after his own mate.

“Dammit all to fucking hell,” he growled.

“It went better than I expected,” Sesshoumaru said calmly.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Your mate wants to kill mine! How is that fucking better?”

“She didn’t actually manage it,” Sesshoumaru responded softly. “If she had no doubts that he was the ronin, I would still be holding her down while she tried to decapitate him. She has doubt.” He looked after her feather somberly.

“I’d wondered about that.” Miroku said, just as softly. “Kagura was always rather passionate. I would not have expected her to be so reticent in starting an assault on someone she considered an enemy.”

“Reticent?” Inuyasha looked at them both, his body vibrating. “You two are so- rrrgh – so fucking frustrating!” He wanted to claw something up.

“She is going to kill you if you’re not careful, Miroku!” he growled.

“I know,” he said, looking at Inuyasha with a grimace. “I am not unaware of the danger. But… there is hope for a peaceful resolution, isn’t there?”

Sesshoumaru spoke before Inuyasha could give his opinion of a resounding ‘no.’

“I believe so. It will take some time, and it would probably be best if she keeps her distance until we have dealt with Naraku and the ronin. If I can produce a body for her, it will help her to eventually accept you, I think. But it will take…a long time,” Sesshoumaru admitted.

Inuyasha held his tongue. He supposed Sesshoumaru was right – his brother could see into Kagura’s soul, after all. He’d know how much she hated Miroku more than anyone. So if he said there was hope, there was hope. But Inuyasha was going to be on his guard until Kagura left, which hopefully would be damn soon. Like tonight, if he had his way.

He looked down at Miroku as the little one continued to talk with Sesshoumaru about what things might help Kagura and him eventually come to terms. His youkai stirred again and he shoved it down. It wasn’t coming out because of anything dangerous, this time.

It was just enjoying the huge rush of arousal they were feeling, now that his battle fury was ebbing. Twice in one fucking day – it was like sex at the well had primed his cock to pop up, because the damn thing was already hard. He couldn’t go after Kagura, he couldn’t kill her, but he still had Miroku, and he wanted him.

He wanted to pound into his mate so badly right now.

He wriggled, just slightly. Dammit. He didn’t want to just rub up against Miroku, not after something like this. He wanted to be in him so deeply he couldn’t even see his own pubic bone. He wanted to suck on his skin until Miroku was incoherent and begging. He wanted to make him come and immerse himself in the musky scent and amazing, bitter taste of it.

He wanted to make Miroku feel alive so he could revel in the fact that the little one still was alive. And Miroku would protest, he was sure, because he’d already said he was sore. He probably was, too. Inuyasha had taken him twice today; that little bottom had to be feeling it. It was only that he wanted that sweet, tight ass to be feeling it again…in a good way. He wanted Miroku to ask him to take him again.

He wanted it a lot.

He licked his lips slightly as his cock gave an anticipatory twitch.

“Um, Sesshoumaru?” Kagome’s voice interrupted his brother and his mate’s conversation and they both turned. Neither jumped, but he knew the two babblers had forgotten all about them, getting all involved in their talking. His mind took the opportunity to try and think of what he could get Miroku to talk about.

Or what he could get him to moan.

He swallowed a needy whine and tried to focus on Kagome. She was talking. Knowing Kagome, she’d try to talk to Kagura later by herself to change the woman’s mind. The least he could do for someone supporting his mate was try and pay attention to her talking now.

“D-did Kagura say anything about how the children are? It’s been months since we been able to come see them. How are they doing?”

Miroku’s eyes swung up to Inuyasha’s “Children?!” he whispered. His eyes had already lost a little of the wounded look they’d held when he was talking to Kagura.

Sesshoumaru smiled. “She did. I made sure to find out before we came. I thought it might…not go smoothly.”

Inuyasha barely heard his brother as Miroku continued to look at him. His face was open and curious and totally unaware of just how aroused Inuyasha was. He had on that innocent look again, Inuyasha thought, nearly groaning as it made him harder.

“Uh, yeah. Children. That’s what she said.” How could the man be taken twice in one day and not tell when Inuyasha’s cock was so heavy and hard it felt like bursting? Didn’t he ever feel like this after a fight?

“Whose children?”

Of course, children were involved, he reminded himself, trying not to pant. If anything was going to distract Miroku from everything else, it’d be kids. It was actually pretty cute. Really cute.

Sexy cute.

With a small groan, Inuyasha reached over and yanked him onto his lap, pretending he didn’t hear him sputtering protests.

“Inuyasha! What in the world are you- ”

“Didn’t you want to know about the kids?” he asked, reveling in feeling Miroku’s bottom over his groin. If he couldn’t take him yet, he could at least touch him for as long as they were going to be here. “If you don’t shut up and listen to what Sesshoumaru’s telling Kagome, you won’t find out.”

Miroku stared up at him, growled under his breath, flushed as Inuyasha pushed his hips up just slightly, and whipped his head back around to watch the others.

“We need to talk about this later, Inuyasha,” he whispered quietly in a frustrated voice, and Inuyasha grumbled agreement against his back. Good, he was starting to get upset, too. Better than that shaky, fake-calm voice he’d used with Kagura.

And of course they were going to talk. Miroku always seemed to be talking. Inuyasha could live with that. Miroku would just have to live with the fact that he was going to be interrupted almost as soon as he started talking. As soon as they were alone, in fact.

Not even Kagura was going to keep him from making love to his mate later, dammit.