7 - The Zoo - Friday

"You're fucking shitting me," Inuyasha said, voice laced with disbelief. "You told her you like the zoo because you can watch the animals screwing, and she still agreed to go out with you?"

Miroku couldn't keep the grin off his face, and he was sure his friend could hear it when he answered. "Yup. I'm meeting her at the entrance in an hour."

"I can't believe it! I would have bet good money that she'd have turned you down flat after that."

"Me, too. I wanted to smack myself when that came out of my mouth, but she actually seemed happier after I said it. She sounded, I don't know, irritated with me when I tried to let her decide where we should go."

"Huh... Maybe the wench likes you cuz you're a freak. Probably not, though."

"Well, I'm going to try to be as mature as possible. She deserves a man, not a guy who still acts like he's twelve. This is important to me, and I don't want to mess it up by being myself."

-

Miroku rushed to Kagome's side, worried that he was late. "Kagome? I'm so sorry." He gently took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "No one should ever keep such a beauty waiting."

She only laughed and waved it off. "I was early. I'm always early, no matter what I do. It's kind of a compulsion. So, you ready?"

"If you are," he replied, offering her his arm. He smiled as she took it, and he led her to the booth, quickly paying for their admission before heading inside. "So, where to first?"

Kagome released his arm, much to his disappointment, and opened the map she grabbed on their way in. She studied it for a moment before using her finger to show him her proposed route. "I think we should go this way. Then we should be able to see everything without having to double back."

"Works for me."

-

Kagome was getting increasingly irritated. Sure, she didn't really know Miroku all that well, but he didn't seem to be acting like the man she had gone out with two weeks earlier. She knew that most people would have called her crazy for being annoyed by such a thing, but he was being too damned polite! He hadn't complimented her inappropriately or attempted to grope her once!

By the time they reached the monkey exhibit, she knew she wasn't just imagining things. There, right in the middle of the viewing window, was a monkey... pleasuring himself. It wasn't subtle, either. He was really having a go at himself. Kagome looked over at her date and noticed that his jaw was tightly clenched while his right eye twitched from time to time. He also seemed to be purposely avoiding looking at the masturbating monkey, though he seemed to be unable to keep from sneaking a peek every few seconds.

With a growl of frustration, Kagome grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the crowd that had formed to watch the performance. She stopped when they were mostly alone and immediately crossed her arms over her chest to keep herself from poking him while she spoke.

"I don't know what the hell your problem is, but you need to quit it!" she hissed.

Miroku was confused. He had no idea what he had done to upset her. He had been nothing but a gentleman, even when the pervert in him was absolutely screaming and clawing to get out. The monkey had tested his determination, but he had managed to keep quiet about it with great effort. "Kagome? What's wrong? Did I do something to upset you?" He watched as her gaze darkened, and he said a little prayer that she wouldn't ditch him right then with no explanation.

"It's what you're not doing! Where is the guy that couldn't keep his hands off my ass? The guy who would have had at least something to say about what that monkey was doing back there? What the hell is going on with you?"

He furrowed his brows in confusion. "You mean you want me to grope you?"

"Yes! I mean, no. I mean... What are you trying to prove here? You're acting so... so... different."

As understanding dawned in his eyes, a smirk pulled at his lips. "You liked it when I groped you, didn't you? You liked the inappropriate comments. Ha! And here I was thinking I needed to act more mature for you to like me."

Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed. "I don't want you to be someone you're not. Yes, I liked you the way you were, even if it was... unconventional. How in the world did you get it into your head that I wanted you to change? If I didn't like you, the real you, I wouldn't have agreed to see you again."

"That would be Inuyasha," Miroku said while shaking his head. "He said I should tone down the pervert thing. That, and you deserve a man, a real man, not immature me."

She couldn't stop herself as Kagome began to poke him in the chest with each word as she responded. "I... liked... you... dumbass!" She sighed again and allowed her hand to drop to her side. "You're fun. If I wanted some stuffy, overly polite gentleman, I wouldn't be here with you."

"Are you saying I'm not a gentleman?" Miroku asked with a playful pout.

"You're something, alright. I don't know if gentleman quite applies. Why in the world would you let Inuyasha convince you that you needed to be someone else for me to like you?"

"I just... I've never felt this way before. I'm drawn to you, Kagome," he said while wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. His lips brushed her ear as he continued. "I didn't want to screw up my chances, but if you prefer the real me, I am more than happy to oblige." His hand brushed teasingly over her ass, and Kagome laughed. "That monkey was really into it, wasn't he? A serious exhibitionist."

She only laughed harder as she moved his hand off her ass to her lower back and wrapped one arm around his neck. "I've never seen anything quite like it."

He couldn't help himself as the first thing to pop into his mind came out of his mouth. "I'm sure I could top it, if you're into that kind of thing." Kagome's cheeks flushed bright pink, and she pulled away, much to his distress. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't upset me, dork," she giggled. "In fact, I might just have to take you up on that offer." It was Miroku's turn to blush as she called his bluff, which only made Kagome laugh harder.