Miroku and Kagome: 36 tales of love and lust

disclaimer: The characters and world of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

In Hip Deep
By Sarga

Miroku meditated at the river's edge, alone once more with his thoughts. Since his last encounter with his priestess lover he had been fighting an internal battle, one he was losing.

Miroku was in love.

It was undeniable, or, at least, if he tried to deny it his stomach did very unpleasant things.

The priestess on the other hand... her feelings were another matter. She had spoken of her time's more cavalier attitude toward sex and sexual activity between unmarried couples (or even those who were not couples at all) usually after his 'one night stands' as he recalled her naming them. She was from a time when love was not necessary – and at times inconvenient – so what expectations did she have of this relationship? She had implied that she didn't want one of those 'one night stands' but she had also said she could deal with 'just sex'. So did that mean she didn't care for him?

Miroku shoved that thought aside. Kagome cared for him, at least as much as she cared for her other friends, so at the very least she was part of this relationship for the mutual benefit. Miroku knew Kagome. If she thought this would hurt him, she never would have entered it.

But did she perhaps think he would not fall in love, that he would not hurt as a result of their illicit contact?

Miroku was not an unfeeling man, and despite his many indulgences, he did have feelings for many of the women he had bedded. Certainly he cared about them in the most rudimentary sense, choosing only women who had the family support and wealth to raise a child while unwed. Kagome's assumption would not have been false, generally, but for some reason it was not so any longer.

Miroku sighed and opened his eyes, glancing up at the waxing moon whose almost-full light brightly illuminated the night-time world around him. Perhaps Tsukiyomi have answers for him this night.

- - - - - - - - - -

Kagome sat across from a silent demon-slayer, her almost-sister obviously avoiding any topic that had to do with either Kagome or Miroku. Sango had changed the subject every time Kagome had delicately broached it for the better part of the afternoon, and it was clear to the young priestess that she would continue to avoid the inevitable confrontation.

Being thwarted at every turn sucked!

Giving up for the time being, Kagome offered the proverbial olive branch.

“I think I'm done for the night, you want to head to the hot-spring?” Her voice took on a sing-song lilt. “I brought the vanilla body wash...” Kagome held Sango's favourite fragrance ransom, but even that wasn't enough to entice the demon slayer's good will.

“Ah... No thank you, Kagome, I think I need to head to bed early. I want to get some practice in early tomorrow.”

Kagome held back the sting of hurt that she felt. It was only fair that the person who had been 'secretly' in love with the man she had spontaneously started screwing (at least to Sango's mind) would reject attempts at friendship. After all, if Kagome were such a good friend, she should have left the monk untouched. According to the Code Of Friends Miroku should have been off limits...

“I see.”

Kagome packed up her things silently and headed down the path to the hotspring at the edge of the village. Alone and miserable, Kagome thought hard about the situation with her friends – if she could still call them that.

A low growl startled Kagome from her morose thoughts and she cursed her stupidity – she had forgotten to take her bow! Dropping her bathing supplies, Kagome reached for the nearest weapon she could find... a flimsy switch. She had barely picked it up before her attacker had her unarmed and pinned to the ground.

“Stupid wench!” Inuyasha bit out from on top of the startled priestess. “What if I had been another demon, huh? Are you stupid or something, coming out here alone?!”

Apparently he didn't realize he had already answered his own question.

“Get off of me!” Kagome pushed the fuming half-demon off of her chest and scuttled backwards, her heart beating overtime. “What did you do that for?” she screamed, near tears from the fright.

“If he can't protect you, what good is he!” Inuyasha spat.

“Protect me...?” Kagome repeated indignantly. “Are you giving up on the post? What is it? You can't have me so I'm not worth protecting?!” Kagome stood up, one arm akimbo as she pointed a shuddering finger at the half-demon. “I followed you for three damned years, Inuyasha. Followed you and loved you and I still love you to this very day! I start screwing around with another guy and suddenly I'm not worth keeping around? Either I'm yours or I'm not, Inuyasha! Tell me what you want, because what I have with Miroku is nothing compared to what I want with you!”

Kagome stood panting, the contents of every treacherous thought laid to bear. If Inuyasha wanted her, she was his, no hesitation, no looking back. Miroku would understand.

A choking sound behind her drew her gaze.

“Miroku?” Kagome whispered, seeing the bug-eyed monk practically choke on his own breath. His expression led her to believe that he had been hurt... but surely he wasn't... he couldn't... not Miroku!

By the Kami did that hurt! Miroku had been determined to tell the girl that he was hers, body and soul, only to find that she was willing to abandon him in a heartbeat if it meant fulfilment of her past desires. He had to admire her for her loyalty, but – ouch!

Realizing just how much emotion showed on his face, Miroku forced his expression into what he hoped was placid agreeability (it came off more as a grimace) and walked past the silent pair.

“Please, don't let me interrupt. I was just on my way to Kaede's hut. By all means, continue without me,” Miroku could hear the slight tremor in his own voice and he internally winced. At least he had almost passed the half-demon who had won the heart of the girl. Really... had Miroku ever had a chance?

“You're a lucky man, my friend,” Miroku whispered as he walked by the stunned half-demon.

A clawed hand grasped firmly to Miroku's arm.

“Hold it monk!” gritted out a seething half-demon. “If you think that this changes anything, you're dead wrong... both of you!” Inuyasha practically flung Miroku next to Kagome and he stumbled a couple of steps before regaining his balance.

Not wanting to meet the eyes of the woman who had never really been his, Miroku watched his hands dust off his robes. From the corner of his eye, he could see Kagome shaking, on the verge of tears. But it wasn't his place any more to comfort her... not any more.

“You...” Inuyasha pointed a finger at the priestess. “I told you a thousand times, I belong to Kikyo. I owe her my life and I will honour that. I can't be yours... even if I wanted to be.” Ignoring the strangled sobs of the girl he had just unequivocally rejected, Inuyasha turned a sharp eye to Miroku.

“And you...” Inuyasha's voice was low and dangerous. “You lecherous son-of-a-man-whore! How long did you think you could keep this behind my back?”

Miroku blinked.

That was it?!

Miroku had been prepared to defend himself against the half demon, to fight for his right to procreate after having bedded the priestess. And all he got was a 'how could you sneak around without telling me'? The monk was hard pressed not to laugh aloud in relief. Only the heartbroken girl next to him prevented such a lunatic outburst.

Inuyasha was still waiting for an answer.

“Inuyasha, my friend. It was never my intention to deceive you. Surely you can understand my dilemma? Would you betray the woman you... cared for when she had specifically asked to address the issue personally?”

Inuyasha's eye twitched at the mention of betrayal and Miroku almost physically slapped himself on the forehead for his stupidity.

“Feh, whatever, monk. Keep an eye on your woman.” The half demon was already turning away to head back to whatever perch he had decided to grace his presence with. “I won't be around forever...”

The half-demon was gone, leaving a heartbroken girl sobbing openly.

How Miroku wanted to comfort Kagome, to take his own comfort in her soothing scent! Instead, he attempted to console her. Wrapping his arm around the shoulder of the woman who had offered herself to another man, the monk found himself unwilling (or unable?) to turn her away when she arched her body into his. Kami, how well she fit in his arms like this!

Rubbing soothing circles on her back, Miroku offered her comfort in the only way he knew how. Tilting her chin delicately upwards, he met her startled gaze as he leaned in for a soft kiss. Kagome was loved! She had to know this, to see it in his eyes, in the very breath she stole from his body!

Kagome's eyes, at first wide with shock, drifted closed as the hunger in their kiss grew in intensity. Tears still wet on her cheeks, she took control, daring Miroku to say no to her, one whose heart had already been torn out and trampled. With voracious longing she took and she took and he gave, oh, how he gave! Miroku would give anything, everything to make her understand just how far he would go for her.

Mounting him on the very spot she had been rejected, Kagome rode Miroku hard, blunt fingernails leaving angry red marks along his sculpted chest. Head back, Kagome glanced through the break in the foliage above, seeing the face of her silver-haired love among them as she rode out the white-hot waves of her orgasm.

One hand cupping her breast and the other holding her hip in place, Miroku lost himself in her slick depths, wishing he could bear her pain for her.

Love.

It was the cause of all of life's problems.

It was also the solution.