A/N:

My first ever InuYasha fanfiction (even though I've been reading them forever and ever)! This entire thing got started when I was browsing the Inu/Miroku archive for delicious fiction and realized that there aren't nearly enough of them. Thus my own oneshot was born, and I do hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer:

I don't own InuYasha. That's Rumiko Takahashi. Ohh, the things I would do if I did own it, though…

InuYasha frowned up at the beautiful, clear, blue sky, watching the songbirds fly gracefully by. It was exceptionally warm for an early spring day, but a light breeze blew lazily through the woods, cooling him off just when he would start to think that it was a bit too warm. Glancing around at his companions, InuYasha continued to brood in silence. Kagome and Sango were walking side by side, talking in sweet, high-pitched voices. Shippo and Kirara were both gnawing on pieces of something called hard candy, a delicacy from Kagome's era. The hanyou listened absently to their chatter, not picking up on the words so much as the buzz their voices created amidst the quiet noises of the thin forest they were all walking through.

The half-demon's golden eyes then landed on Miroku, who was walking only a few steps ahead of him. The monk was being oddly reserved for such a nice day. He was usually very talkative, either making lewd remarks to the girls or engaging InuYasha in playful banter. Today, however, his dark indigo eyes, much like InuYasha's, were turned skyward in deep thought. Every once in a while he would glance back at the hanyou, and InuYasha would pretend he hadn't seen. For a reason he cared not to explore at the current moment, InuYasha found that he liked Miroku's eyes on him and not on a woman for a change.

That's when InuYasha decided that there was something not quite right with him.

After a short while, the group stumbled upon a tiny village in a clearing. It looked as if there were numerous small, thatched huts surrounding a much larger hut of the same design, and winding dirt paths connected each building. As they came closer, human villagers became visible, milling around and doing their daily chores. Each one stopped what they were doing to give a friendly hello and a wave to the travelers as they made their way into the center of town. Once they had reached the large hut, Miroku volunteered to go inside and find out about the secluded village.

InuYasha watched Miroku enter the hut with an uneasy feeling. He flexed his fingers to relieve some tension, not trusting the odd hospitality the remote village's inhabitants had shown them thus far. With a shake of his long, silver hair, he mentally reprimanded his friends for being too trusting. The half demon crossed his arms, tapping his bare foot on the ground impatiently as he waited for Miroku to finish sweet talking whoever was the leader of the little village.

Kagome looked over at InuYasha confusedly, wondering about the cause of his unease. She and Sango shared a quick glance, both nodding together before the girl walked cautiously up to her distraught friend. "Uhm, InuYasha?" she asked hesitantly, "Is something bothering you?"

"What? No, nothing's wrong," InuYasha said too quickly, quirking an eyebrow at her, "Why would you say that?"

"Well, you seem extra distant and gloomy today, so I just wanted to make sure," the teenager explained matter-of-factly, smoothing a lock of her dark hair behind her ear.

"I just wish that the damn monk would hurry up!" InuYasha complained as he crossed his arms over his chest, throwing a spiteful glare towards the hut, as if the building had wronged him in some way.

"So that we can be on our way out of here?" Kagome asked curiously, "But, InuYasha, we already have most of the jewel, and I haven't sensed anything a while. What's the point of rushing around?"

The hanyou looked as if he was about to start yelling, but he stopped himself. Why was he mad, anyway? Kagome's reasoning did made sense, and he wasn't particularly in a hurry to hunt for shards right now to begin with. Then why was he so angry? "You know, to be perfectly honest, Kagome, I don't know why I'm pissed off. I don't question it," he told her, his voice sounding oddly detached and airy.

Kagome gave him an odd look, backing up a pace. "So does that mean we can stay the night here?" she asked, hoping against hope that he'd say yes. There was only so long a girl could go without a hot bath and a warm bed, after all, and she knew Sango felt the same way even though the demon slayer would never admit to it for fear that she'd hinder her companions.

Again, InuYasha felt as if he should violently protest to the idea, but something in him made his mouth move before he could really think about it. "Sure."

The girl blinked rapidly, her mind not processing what she had just heard right away. "Oh, thank you, InuYasha!" she exclaimed, hurrying over to Sango to tell her the news.

"Yeah, yeah," InuYasha replied emotionlessly, although Kagome was out of hearing range by then. He just couldn't understand what could possibly be coming over him. Then Miroku stepped out of the large hut and into a ray of sunlight. His hand reached up to shield his eyes briefly before he descended the stairs to tell InuYasha what he had found out.

That's when InuYasha decided that the monk had something to do with this.

Later that evening, InuYasha was sitting alone behind one of the tiny, thatched huts that was reserved specially for guests to the village. The cool breeze that had once been so refreshing was now almost too chilly, but not terribly so. The kindhearted villagers that had so warmly welcomed the group of travelers were retiring for the night, and the world was quiet. Sango and Kagome had gone off to the bath house excitedly a mere half an hour ago, and Miroku had gone for a walk hours ago and still hadn't returned. InuYasha would never use the word lonely to describe himself, but he longed for his lecherous companion to sit beside him at that moment.

Almost as if the monk had heard his thoughts, InuYasha heard Miroku's measured footfalls heading towards him. The hanyou waited patiently, perfectly still as he listened to the comforting sounds of his approaching friend. The metal pieces on his staff clinked together cheerily, his clothes brushed together softly, his sandals slapped gently against the heels of his feet, and he was humming a nameless tune faintly as he walked. Before he knew what he was doing, InuYasha found himself picturing himself and the monk behind closed eyelids. In his mind, the half-demon pictured himself running his clawed fingers through the monk's soft, dark hair, pulling out the elastic that was binding his soft, silky locks. Soft indigo met determined gold, and InuYasha felt a weird sensation in his stomach. He abruptly stopped his daydream as the real Miroku finally reached the back of the hut and sat down next to the hanyou, leaning his staff against the wall.

"Evening, InuYasha," Miroku greeted. His voice was oddly soft, almost as if he was afraid to disturb the stillness of the night.

"Miroku," InuYasha replied distantly, internally freaking out as he tried to figure out why his mind was conjuring up such images.

"Something on your mind?" the monk asked interestedly, noticing with a satisfied smile the faint blush that crept up to his friend's cheeks.

"N-Nothing," InuYasha assured him, turning his head away from Miroku and cursing himself for stuttering.

"Are you sure?" he asked teasingly, leaning in towards the hanyou with a curious smile, "Nothing you want to talk to me about?"

"Of course not!" the half-demon objected violently, though he made no move to put distance between himself and Miroku. He found himself liking the close proximity and decided to take a chance with it. His hand, which had previously been settled on his knee, moved to the space of ground between himself and the monk.

Miroku smirked, straightening back up to his original position. He noticed InuYasha's hand and decided to find out where this was going. "As you say, InuYasha," he agreed amusedly, placing his hand similarly on the soft, cold ground.

The half-demon's blush intensified as he slid his hand gently, placing it over Miroku's and letting their fingers curl together. The two remained silent for the rest of the night, only moving to go back inside once it became too dark for either of them to see past their noses.

This was when InuYasha decided that he liked Miroku.

That next morning, Kagome and Sango decided that they were going to help the village women with their chores to repay them for their kindness. As they happily left the hut, wearing as little as possible due to the humidity in the air, Miroku turned to InuYasha and suggested that they should scout out the area.

"I thought that was what you were doing yesterday?" InuYasha asked, not quite sure why his brain had told him that protesting was a good idea.

"Well, won't it be more fun with the two of us?" Miroku countered playfully, already heading for the doorway.

That was when InuYasha decided that Miroku had good ideas.

It was around noon when the duo stopped for a break by a wide, crystal clear stream. The current of the waves perfectly matched the mood of the two men, flowing languidly along the curves and bends of the earth. Green grass and clusters of wildflowers framed the stream on either side, and the canopies of the tall trees broke occasionally to let shafts of warm sunlight through.

InuYasha and Miroku both sighed quietly, allowing an odd, unfamiliar sense of calm to wash over themselves. The moment was short-lived however, as Miroku decided to strip down at that moment.

InuYasha blushed furiously as Miroku began removing his clothing. He was undressing himself tantalizingly, and it was all the hanyou could do to keep himself from outright staring at his companion. "Miroku!" he yelled angrily, trying his best to mask the overwhelming feeling of want bubbling up inside of him, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Miroku paused, now wearing very little, and stared at him innocently. "I'm going to cool down in the stream. What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked sweetly, barely concealing his knowing smirk. "In fact, why don't you join me, InuYasha?"

The half-demon's mind was in a whirl. He had no idea how he was supposed to respond to that. "This isn't a trick question, is it?" he asked accusingly, putting a fisted hand on his hip.

"Now, InuYasha, why would I want to trick you when you're quite obviously very willing," the monk replied seductively, dropping the last article of clothing he was wearing. Without turning to see the hanyou's reaction, he strutted over to the water and stepped in carefully. As Miroku waded out to the middle of the wide stream, he was happy to realize that the water barely came up to his waist. If the stream was too deep, nothing would go the way he intended it to. Miroku sighed in bliss, relishing the cool water against his bare skin.

"And just what do you mean by that?" InuYasha asked, though he began removing his red robes obediently. Unlike Miroku, the half-demon was hasty in undressing himself, and he moved quickly towards the stream, jumping in when he was close enough. The water was crisp and refreshing, and InuYasha remained submerged for a few seconds before breaking the surface. Instinctively, he shook his head, clearing the water and wet hair from his face before blinking the liquid out of his eyelashes.

That's when he decided that Miroku was oddly close to him. He liked it.

Miroku moved slowly towards InuYasha, eyes full of lust and need. The hanyou was startled for a moment, and he took a step backwards out of sheer habit. The monk stopped, his indigo orbs now expressing deep hurt instead of desire. InuYasha could have kicked himself. This was his chance, damn it! To hell if Miroku changed his lovers like he changed his clothes! The hanyou snarled and growled low in his chest before swiftly closing the gap between himself and Miroku, placing a clawed hand firmly on his friend's bare back and pulling their toned chests together.

Miroku smirked, obviously liking where this was going, and gripped InuYasha's shoulder, using the other to yank the hanyou's silver head down so that their lips could meet hungrily. He felt InuYasha's hand come up to roughly yank the elastic band out of his hair, and the brief pain in his skull only served to fuel his need to feel more of the man. Slipping his tongue roughly into the other's mouth, Miroku traced every inch of the inside of InuYasha's mouth with the sensitive organ.

InuYasha rocked his hips sensually against Miroku's, earning himself a breathless moan from the monk. Unable to control his own loud, lusty moan, InuYasha broke the kiss, moving his mouth to Miroku's neck instead. He held the other man's writhing body as he nipped and sucked on his lightly tanned skin. Slowly, he trailed down to just above the monk's collar bone, where he nipped gently at the soft, sensitive skin. At first the hanyou was careful, not sure if he would seriously hurt his friend, but his caution quickly gave way at the noises coming from Miroku. He bit down harshly, enjoying both the coppery taste of the other's blood and the shocked cry of pleasure it elicited from the dark haired man.

Miroku, barely able to think through his pain and pleasure induced haze, decided that it was his turn. Threading his fingers through the hanyou's silver locks, he pulled roughly, snapping InuYasha's head up and giving himself clear access to the man's neck. With practiced ease, the monk delicately trailed the tip of his tongue up from the base of the half-demon's neck to just under his chin. InuYasha shivered involuntary, gripping Miroku's shoulders. "Monk," he nearly pleaded. His voice was low, and it sent vibrations through Miroku's body that made him shiver.

Running his nimble fingers slowly up InuYasha's body to his head, Miroku tilted the taller man's head and leaned in until his bruised lips were touching his earlobe. "Yes, InuYasha?" he asked gently, making InuYasha whine low in his throat.

InuYasha couldn't stand it any longer, so he wrapped his arms tightly around the monk and let himself fall backwards into the water, which now seemed a bit too cold on their heated bodies. He let go of the smaller man and let himself float underwater for a brief moment before resurfacing for a much needed breath of air.

When Miroku resurfaced, he waded back over to where InuYasha was, for he had drifted a ways while he was submerged. The usually independent monk let the hanyou hold him around his waist, not even for a second feeling the least bit feminine as he did so. The two locked eyes with each other, silently deciding that they would enjoy the moment now and talk about it later.

This was when InuYasha decided that Miroku was perfect.

Kagome and Sango were both in their sleeping bags when the two men entered the hut for the night. InuYasha looked around briefly before shaking his head and taking hold of the monk's wrist. He led Miroku back outside and around to the back of the hut once more. They both sat in the same spots that they had been in the night before. It was silent for a moment as the two calmly listened to the chirping cicadas and gazed up at the cloudless, starry night sky together.

"So," Miroku began, shifting his gaze over to his hanyou companion, "Where should we begin?"

"You don't regret it, do you?" InuYasha asked abruptly. His gaze remained fixed on the sky, for he didn't think he could look the monk in the eye if he didn't deny the claim.

"Of course not," Miroku consoled him, putting a hand on the half-demon's shoulder. InuYasha turned to look at the monk. His eyes were swimming with a breathtaking, indescribable emotion. "You're incredible, InuYasha. You're strong, you're confident, you're wonderful, you're handsome, you're just… everything."

InuYasha blushed lightly at the compliments, taking Miroku's hand and lacing their fingers together as he had the night before. "You're not half bad yourself, monk," he returned embarrassedly. "What," he began before cutting off abruptly, carefully thinking about his words, "What happens now?"

Miroku sighed, cocking his head slightly as he gazed into his companion's golden orbs. "Hell, InuYasha, I wish I knew," he confessed with a shrug, "All I really know is that I'm keeping you for myself and there is not a thing anyone can do about it."

"Well," InuYasha stated simply, taken aback. He certainly wasn't expecting an answer like that. "I guess that you'd be okay with me never leaving your side," he stated demandingly, "And you're not allowed to flirt with anyone anymore. Understand?"

Miroku smiled at him. It was a warm, honest smile. "Anything, InuYasha. Anything for you."

This was when InuYasha realized that he loved Miroku.

A/N:

Did I really finish this entire thing in one day? Not counting editing, that is!

Leave me some love, if you so choose!~