Title: A Really Bad Move

Pairing: Inuyasha/Miroku
Theme: #21. Accept defeat
Rating: PG
Warning: None that I can really see
Word count: 1,241

Just as I'm returning from my talk with Shippou, I see Kagome exiting Kaede's hut. Her eyes meet mine briefly, before she drops them to the ground. Shame is the least she should feel for what she's done. Once she's out of the way, I go in to check on Miroku. He's still sound asleep and I slip my hand into his limp one fully intent on remaining that way until he awakens. However, this was not to be. Not much time had passed before I hear the slightly raised voices of Kagome and Sango.

Kagome is upset because Sango has said we will probably remain here in the village until Miroku is healed and fit for travel. Kagome, of all people, is blabbering on about how much time that will waste and how many shards they could have in that amount of time. I gently slide my hand out of his, take a deep breath and stand.

Kaede says nothing as I exit the hut. I think she knows I've more than had enough. When I step outside silence falls not only on the girls but on the village as a whole. For the first time since getting free of my enchanted sleep I am allowing my youkai to flow freely, effectively pulling my version of my asshole brother. Most of the humans of the village run for cover a few stop and stare once they realize the source of that skin crawling feeling is me. Kouga takes a few steps back as I make my way over to the formerly quarreling women. Sango steps away when she sees my target is Kagome.

The Miko swallows hard but soon grows defiant and stands her ground. Fine by me I'd love for her to give me a reason to rip her head off. The closer I get to her the more I can see that there is no true bravery behind her show of defiance. Once I'm within arms reach, she is shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"I won't even go into how shitty it is for you of all people to bitch about wasted time. No one's forcing you to stay here. At any point you wish to, you can leave. By that, I mean either you can hunt for shards alone, with anyone willing to go with you or you can leave for good. It doesn't matter to me."

The shock on her face was worth my weight in gold.

"Surely you don't mean that Inuyasha. How would you find the shards without me anyway?"

"Don't worry about that, we will find a way. Do you think none of us ever thought of you losing the ability to return to this era or being killed in battle? If either of those things happened, we would have to find another way. You simply keeping your spoiled ass in your time because you're a selfish child and a danger to this group is no different."

Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she folds her arms across her chest and shouts, "You wouldn't be talking to me like this if you still had those beads around your neck!" as if that was something to be proud of. I don't know if she realizes that she's really saying, you wouldn't dare speak your mind to me if I could still control you!

"You're right Kagome I wouldn't be, because every time I'd start you'd have me eating dirt before I could finish. Besides, as much as you would like to think differently I'm not stupid. I knew how to keep my face out of the dirt."

"You are acting like you don't need me all! I don't care what you say you know you do."

"Oh we could use your help with this alright but what we don't need is your snotty selfish behavior. Especially when it ends up with someone injured!"

"Someone," she snorts, "Why don't you say what you really mean Inuyasha. You're only this upset because that someone was Mirkou. You wouldn't be this pissed if it had been Kouga!"

"You might be right but I have a feeling if that was the case Sango would be handling this pointless conversation with you instead of me! Unlike me, she could give you the ass whipping you really need!"

She falls silent, grits her teeth and clenches her hands into fists. Tired of talking to her I turn to head back into Kaede's hut. She grabs onto my sleeve and shouts "Oh no you don't, I'm tired of you walking away from me for that worthless monk!"

That was a really, really bad move on her part. My nerves are on edge, my patience was done and I'd had more than I was gonna take from her. She just didn't know when to quit.

I have her by the throat and in the air before I can stop the reaction. When I feel my fingers close around her slender neck, it takes a lot not to increase the pressure.

"One more," I say as she looks down at me with startled eyes, "one more nasty word from you about Miroku and no one in the village will be able to stop me from shutting you up permanently."

She's looking at me with those wide doe like eyes but I'm not falling for them. Tears from her lost their affect on me a while ago; crying loses its effect when the person you're showing the tears to really wants to see you bleed.

"Now get your shit, go to the well and don't come back before I come get you," I growl out at her, when she starts to protest, I tighten my hand just enough to get my point across. As it is, I'm fighting the urge not to choke her unconscious or toss her the length of this village.

With a glare, I release her throat and she drops to the ground hard, right on her spoiled little backside.

She's rubbing her neck and gathering her composure as I turn to walk away. I don't get fifteen paces from her before I hear, "How dare you! I should take my…mmfpfh."

I turn to see Kouga has clamped his hand over the wench's mouth. "Are you a glutton for punishment girl? You are lucky he's letting you live. You need to accept that this is the way things are and move on before your actions get you injured or killed."

She continues to protest and struggle even as he drags her away at Sango's urging. The demon slayer shoo's me toward Kaede's hut assuring me that they would see that she gets to the well.

When I walk in, Kaede tells me I did well keeping my temper in check with Kagome and thanks me for not harming her. I nod at the old woman and go sit by Miroku. As I look down at him, guilt hits me at the sight I see. His face is contorted in pain even as he sleeps.

I didn't stop those snakes from biting him. I didn't keep him out of the way of that magic paper and now I've let one of my own pack members almost kill him.

Some mate I am.

I smooth his sweat dampened hair back and make a promise to his soul that from this point on I'll protect him from harm with my life.