(no subject)
Title: ...Will be titled soon!
Fandom: InuYasha
Rating: PG (for this chapter.)
Pairings: Mir/San
Warnings: None for this chapter.
A/N: Unbeta'd - Posted here since Excel can't open the file I sent her! No! D:
Everyone can feel free to take a look. This is pretty rough, though.
The late afternoon sun was shining brightly, and Sango almost had to shield her eyes from it as she walked along the path to the village, accompanied by an older man who had come that morning to find her. Another day, another job, but she wasn't unhappy with her life. It was good, and she found joy in her work like nothing else. Having too much work was far preferable to having too little work.
"Thank you so much for coming," the man said as they turned down a side path towards a field. "We really could use your help."
Gathered at the field's edge were several people, men and women, and a couple of children, eagerly awaiting her arrival. One of the men stepped forward and bowed to her.
"My family lives here, and has farmed this land for many years," he said, holding a heavy sack of coins out towards her. "Please, Taijiya-san, help us!"
Sango's eyes widened at the amount of money the man was offering. He must have been desperate - She hadn't even done anything yet! Slightly embarrassedly, she held up a hand. "Let's discuss payment after everything's said and done," she said. "Now... What seems to be the problem here?"
The man nodded and put the coins away, then gestured towards the field. "In only the last few days... My crops! They've been ruined! And every other farmer's in the village, too!" Sango raised an eyebrow. The crops? This was a job for a better farmer - Not a taijiya. But they seemed so convinced she could help... And there were a few, however rare, youkai that might be causing problems... She went over for a better look.
Each and every plant in the field was limp and covered in spots... Around the edges of the village, a few trees were beginning to look very ragged as well. It was likely some sort of plant blight, but as she knelt down and examined the dirt around the plant's stalk, Sango suddenly realized what was going on. The brown, healthy soil had turned completely white, and there was considerable heat coming from it. With a few ginger steps towards the middle of the field, she could see a hole about the size of a fist in the soil. They had been right in calling her.
"You did the right thing by sending for me," she said, reaching back to tie her hair up. "This type of youkai is pretty simple to slay, but it can be dangerous if you let it grow big enough." And judging by the reach of these problems, it was big enough to count as dangerous.
The man who owned the farm seemed smug. "I told you a taijiya would do the trick," he said. A few other villagers rubbed their necks.
"The monk could have just as easily dealt with it, and he doesn't want payment," a younger man said quietly. Sango pretended to ignore them as she rummaged through her bag for the things she would need to drive out the beast. An old man hit the younger one squarely on the head.
"He's tendin' to that child, you know! We already call on him enough," he said. He snorted, and turned to Sango. "I'm sorry for his rudeness, miss."
"I didn't even hear," Sango said, tying the gas mask securely over her face. A purple ball with a fuse attached sat by her foot, and she kneeled down with two bits of flint in her hand. "Alright, now everybody stand back." When they had moved far enough away, she struck the pieces of rock together until the sparked and lit the fuse of the ball. She only had a split second to act unless she wanted to gas everyone around her and blow her own hand off, and so quickly she seized the ball and hurled it towards the hole, hoping her aim was as good as it had always been. She cheered on the inside when it went into the hole, but her confidence began to waver when nothing happened for several seconds. ...Could she have possibly misjudged the situation?
The ground beneath her feet began to rumble, and all the confidence came flooding back when, with a screech, a youkai shot out of the hole in the ground and landed on the other side of the field. Sango grasped hiraikotsu's strap and, with a half-smile, ran towards the spot where the youkai had landed. Easy! This would be a quick, clean job, and she could collect her payment and go back home for a hot bath.
Unfortunately, in her fervor, Sango stepped on the wrong spot and the soil beneath her caved in and she found herself pulled under ground by what looked like a thick, moving root. She swore under her breath - what an elementary mistake! - and slashed at it with the blades hidden in her arm guards. It let go and she climbed out to the surface, then threw a few poison powder bombs into the hole. The youkai scrambled out again and, before it had a chance to go underground, Sango threw her hiraikotsu and split the monster in half. Just as her weapon returned to her, the youkai's body dissolved and the plants in the field suddenly swelled with life again, springing up almost immediately. Sango smiled and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was covered in dirt from being pulled under... That bath was looking better by the second.
An hour later, Sango hadn't gotten her bath, but had gotten large amounts of sake shoved in her direction, along with more children than she could handle fawning over her and re-enacting her fight with the youkai. It hadn't been so spectacular... The compliments almost had her blushing - Or perhaps that was the sake. She'd secretly never been good with alcohol, and had only taken a few sips of the sake, but it was difficult to pull off when everyone was watching. The sky outside was rapidly turning dark, and she knew she'd have to leave soon or stay here in the village. With a smile and pat on the head to the nearest child, she made to stand.
"I should get going," she said, to the protests of most there. "No, it's late, really..."
"Then stay here the night, taijiya-san!" a little girl cried. Several people agreed. "There's plenty of houses where people will take you in, and it's only for the night!"
Sango blushed again. "I don't want to put anyone out..." My, but these people were enthusiastic.
"It won't put anyone out, taijiya-san!" A man declared, raising his cup. He was clearly drunk. "Especially not when it's such a pretty woman as yourself!" His wife yanked his arm down and scowled at him. Sango grinned slightly.
The door to the porch slid open, drawing everyone's attention. The man standing there was the village monk, Sango assumed, but there was somethinga bout him she couldn't quite put her finger on. He was tall, and his robes were dark. He wore a hat that shielded his face from the sun, like any other monk, and he smelled of... Incense, and sandalwood, but in a way that was familiar... Could he... Sango's heart jumped when he spoke, and her suspicions were confirmed. "There's plenty of room at my temple," he said. That voice... It felt like ages since she'd last heard it. "So if..." He removed his hat and finally got a good look at her. It was as if the room full of villagers greeting Miroku, children still clamoring for a spot on Sango's lap, didn't exist. In his eyes she could see all that had been left unsaid between them. The lack of closure had weighed on her mind for a while after - Had it with his, as well?
He regained composure quickly. Nobody seemed to notice he had ever lost it, and he flashed Sango a smile "As I was saying, we have plenty of room. YOu're more than welcome to stay the night there."
"I..." Sango wasn't sure what to do. Most of her wanted to run as far away as she could. The villagers were all looking at her expectantly, and so she nodded, then bowed. "Thank you for your kindness, Houshi-sama."
"It's really no trouble, taijiya-san."
...Ow.
"I'm afraid I have to head back," Miroku continued. "I came originally to thank Yamato-san for the mochi she left," he said, nodding towards a pretty young woman in the back of the room. She blushed and covered her face, earning a few laughs from the other villagers. Miroku grinned. "But I'm sure someone can show you the way."
"Do you mind if I accompany you?" Sango asked. "I'm afraid I'm a bit tired."
"Of course," he smiled, and held the door for her. Sango left the room, and several children followed after her. Strangely, so did two young women, including Yamato-san. Sango realized quickly that they were not following her, but her companion. She felt a small twinge of jealousy, but pushed it away and tried to focus her attention on the children who were pulling on her sleeves and begging for stories. But MIroku's polite laughter and gentle voice still caught her ears above all others, and it only got worse when the children ran back to be with their mothers. Sango felt grateful when they reached the temple and Miroku said goodbye to the girls and stepped inside with Sango. As soon as the door closed, an excited howl sounded from a room nearby. The door to that one slid open, and three children launched themselves at Miroku. He was grinning and laughing, and he kneeled down to hug all three of them at the same time. Sango stared in disbelief. Children... He had children! She felt a sick, hurt feeling creeped into her throat. Miroku looked up at her, pushing the youngest boy away as he tried to wipe his nose on his kesa.
"Is everything alright, Sango?"
She swallowed. "I didn't know you had children," she said.
Miroku smiled at that. "They're not mine. Not naturally, at least.They've all lost their parents, so I took them in."
Oh! Sango blushed. "I see..." Of course. They were too old to be his.
Miroku stood, a hand on one child's head. "This is Sango. She's going to stay with us tonight. Why don't you say hello?"
None of the children spoke, or even moved. The little girl of the group turned and buried her face in Miroku's clothing. He smiled, embarrassed. "They're just a little nervous," he said, patting the girl's head. "Why don't you go prepare for dinner while I show Sango her room?" The children scampered off without a word.
Miroku watched after them, a loving expression on his face, before turning to Sango. "It's just this way," he said, leading her to another door. He opened it, then took a futon out of the closet inside the room. "You can get settled," he said, rolling it onto the floor and smoothing it out. "We'll come get you when dinner's ready." He left, then, before she could say anything. Sango sighed, then dropped her things against the wall and settled onto the futon. Life had become fairly simple again after Naraku's defeat, but of course, that couldn't last. It was not as if this was a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but the way her stomach still fluttered when she saw him, after all this time, made it feel like it was one.
After all this time, she hadn't seen anyone or kept in touch. She wondered occasionally how they were doing, but forced herself to stray when her thoughts turned to the monk. It was in the past, and she had been so sure that she was okay with how things had ended... But now, when she saw him again, she wasn't sure at all. She was never good at dealing with emotions when it came to Miroku...
Sango didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but she awoke sometime later to quiet, conspiratory whispers behind her back. She got up quickly and crouched, facing the door in a defensive stance - Only to realize that the whispering was coming from a group of three children standing at her door. She realzed, and felt suddenly guilty when she saw their expressions. The oldest boy pushed the other one forward. He now stood in front of Sango's futon, eyes wide and unblinking. Sango nervously gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. The boy continued to stare.
After a moment, he swallowed and opened his mouth, but sound eluded him for a few more seconds. When he finally did speak, he seemed to have no control over the volume or speed of his speech, and cried, "Miroku-says-it's-time-to-eat-so-to-come-get-you-because-it's-ready-so-come-eat-because-the-food-is-ready!" When he finished, he turned tail and ran, the other children following after him. Sango stared for a moment before following.
When she came into the room they were eating in, Sango was surprised to see Miroku helping a young girl to sit down. He skin was pale and her eyes were sunken in... She had a sickly air all around her. Sango felt almost as if she was in danger o fbreaking her just from being in the same room. Miroku sat down next to the girl and began to fill bowls of rice for everyone around the table, and Sango looked away from the new girl, thought she hardly wanted to. There was something so strange...
Dinner progressed comfortably apart from that, and the younger children seemed to have become comfortable with Sango's presence, and were now chatting happily with Miroku about the day's happenings. He seemed to fit into this role so naturally, and Sango blushed warmly at the thought.
***
The porch outside Sango's room gave a perfect view of the hills leading up to the mountains, and the moon as it rose over them. She felt comfortable sitting out here, watching the scenery in silence. Tomorrow she would return home to Kohaku with Kirara, who had probably gotten fed up with the children trying to take her spot on Sango's lap and ran off to find a place to sleep.
In the last few hours, life had become complicated once more - Or maybe it didn't... Which was complicated too. It was ridiculous. She was staying in MIroku's house after not seeing him for so long, and, rather than discussing what had happened, or even acknowledging that it had, Miroku seemed to be ignoring that all completely... His behavior and demeanor reflected a cool politeness that she had rarely seen in him, and never seen directed towards herself. Maybe this was him acknowledging the situation? The thought made her feel hurt, and even more guilty for all of it. Houshi-sama was not a petty person. He must really have been hurt by it all, if he was behaving this way for that reason... Sango bit her lip and cast her eyes to the ground, but was pulled from her thoughts by a feminine voice nearby. She tenses, preparing herself for whatever it might have been out of instinct, though it was most likely nothing more than a village girl.
She was half-correct in her assumption. It was some village girl and Miroku. Thought he was no longer hers, Sango's stomach clenched at the very sight, and she felt angry and sad and jealous all at once. He was telling her goodbye at the edge of the path, and Sango watched, her jaw set, as he did. She wondered if her jealous tendencies were always there, or simply sprung from Miroku's behavior. He turned back towards the temple and waved when he saw her, then walked over to greet her.
"It's nice out, isn't it?" he asked, simple as could be, as if this wasn't the first time he had seen her in over a year.
"It is," Sango said, watching as he settled on the wooden porch next to her. "...Still popular with the women, I see."
Miroku snorted at that. "That's childish," he said. Sango was surprised by the harshness in his voice. Had he ever said anything like that to her before?
"It's an observation," she said, turning away.
"It didn't sound like one."
"Don't go putting words in my mouth, Houshi-sama." Sango glared, whipping around to look at him. "It's been over a year."
"And so I don't know you any longer?" Miroku fixed her with a cold glare, and Sango bit her lip. It was coming out, now. "If that's the case, you don't know me either. Don't claim to be aware of my intentions." Sango remained silent, unsure of what to say to that. It was so unlike him... Or, had her memory brought her an idealized version of the man she had left behind, to add to her guilt? She wasn't sure.
Miroku stood up, lips pressed together. "I'm going to bed," he said, turning to go inside. "I'll see you in the morning."
Fandom: InuYasha
Rating: PG (for this chapter.)
Pairings: Mir/San
Warnings: None for this chapter.
A/N: Unbeta'd - Posted here since Excel can't open the file I sent her! No! D:
Everyone can feel free to take a look. This is pretty rough, though.
The late afternoon sun was shining brightly, and Sango almost had to shield her eyes from it as she walked along the path to the village, accompanied by an older man who had come that morning to find her. Another day, another job, but she wasn't unhappy with her life. It was good, and she found joy in her work like nothing else. Having too much work was far preferable to having too little work.
"Thank you so much for coming," the man said as they turned down a side path towards a field. "We really could use your help."
Gathered at the field's edge were several people, men and women, and a couple of children, eagerly awaiting her arrival. One of the men stepped forward and bowed to her.
"My family lives here, and has farmed this land for many years," he said, holding a heavy sack of coins out towards her. "Please, Taijiya-san, help us!"
Sango's eyes widened at the amount of money the man was offering. He must have been desperate - She hadn't even done anything yet! Slightly embarrassedly, she held up a hand. "Let's discuss payment after everything's said and done," she said. "Now... What seems to be the problem here?"
The man nodded and put the coins away, then gestured towards the field. "In only the last few days... My crops! They've been ruined! And every other farmer's in the village, too!" Sango raised an eyebrow. The crops? This was a job for a better farmer - Not a taijiya. But they seemed so convinced she could help... And there were a few, however rare, youkai that might be causing problems... She went over for a better look.
Each and every plant in the field was limp and covered in spots... Around the edges of the village, a few trees were beginning to look very ragged as well. It was likely some sort of plant blight, but as she knelt down and examined the dirt around the plant's stalk, Sango suddenly realized what was going on. The brown, healthy soil had turned completely white, and there was considerable heat coming from it. With a few ginger steps towards the middle of the field, she could see a hole about the size of a fist in the soil. They had been right in calling her.
"You did the right thing by sending for me," she said, reaching back to tie her hair up. "This type of youkai is pretty simple to slay, but it can be dangerous if you let it grow big enough." And judging by the reach of these problems, it was big enough to count as dangerous.
The man who owned the farm seemed smug. "I told you a taijiya would do the trick," he said. A few other villagers rubbed their necks.
"The monk could have just as easily dealt with it, and he doesn't want payment," a younger man said quietly. Sango pretended to ignore them as she rummaged through her bag for the things she would need to drive out the beast. An old man hit the younger one squarely on the head.
"He's tendin' to that child, you know! We already call on him enough," he said. He snorted, and turned to Sango. "I'm sorry for his rudeness, miss."
"I didn't even hear," Sango said, tying the gas mask securely over her face. A purple ball with a fuse attached sat by her foot, and she kneeled down with two bits of flint in her hand. "Alright, now everybody stand back." When they had moved far enough away, she struck the pieces of rock together until the sparked and lit the fuse of the ball. She only had a split second to act unless she wanted to gas everyone around her and blow her own hand off, and so quickly she seized the ball and hurled it towards the hole, hoping her aim was as good as it had always been. She cheered on the inside when it went into the hole, but her confidence began to waver when nothing happened for several seconds. ...Could she have possibly misjudged the situation?
The ground beneath her feet began to rumble, and all the confidence came flooding back when, with a screech, a youkai shot out of the hole in the ground and landed on the other side of the field. Sango grasped hiraikotsu's strap and, with a half-smile, ran towards the spot where the youkai had landed. Easy! This would be a quick, clean job, and she could collect her payment and go back home for a hot bath.
Unfortunately, in her fervor, Sango stepped on the wrong spot and the soil beneath her caved in and she found herself pulled under ground by what looked like a thick, moving root. She swore under her breath - what an elementary mistake! - and slashed at it with the blades hidden in her arm guards. It let go and she climbed out to the surface, then threw a few poison powder bombs into the hole. The youkai scrambled out again and, before it had a chance to go underground, Sango threw her hiraikotsu and split the monster in half. Just as her weapon returned to her, the youkai's body dissolved and the plants in the field suddenly swelled with life again, springing up almost immediately. Sango smiled and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was covered in dirt from being pulled under... That bath was looking better by the second.
An hour later, Sango hadn't gotten her bath, but had gotten large amounts of sake shoved in her direction, along with more children than she could handle fawning over her and re-enacting her fight with the youkai. It hadn't been so spectacular... The compliments almost had her blushing - Or perhaps that was the sake. She'd secretly never been good with alcohol, and had only taken a few sips of the sake, but it was difficult to pull off when everyone was watching. The sky outside was rapidly turning dark, and she knew she'd have to leave soon or stay here in the village. With a smile and pat on the head to the nearest child, she made to stand.
"I should get going," she said, to the protests of most there. "No, it's late, really..."
"Then stay here the night, taijiya-san!" a little girl cried. Several people agreed. "There's plenty of houses where people will take you in, and it's only for the night!"
Sango blushed again. "I don't want to put anyone out..." My, but these people were enthusiastic.
"It won't put anyone out, taijiya-san!" A man declared, raising his cup. He was clearly drunk. "Especially not when it's such a pretty woman as yourself!" His wife yanked his arm down and scowled at him. Sango grinned slightly.
The door to the porch slid open, drawing everyone's attention. The man standing there was the village monk, Sango assumed, but there was somethinga bout him she couldn't quite put her finger on. He was tall, and his robes were dark. He wore a hat that shielded his face from the sun, like any other monk, and he smelled of... Incense, and sandalwood, but in a way that was familiar... Could he... Sango's heart jumped when he spoke, and her suspicions were confirmed. "There's plenty of room at my temple," he said. That voice... It felt like ages since she'd last heard it. "So if..." He removed his hat and finally got a good look at her. It was as if the room full of villagers greeting Miroku, children still clamoring for a spot on Sango's lap, didn't exist. In his eyes she could see all that had been left unsaid between them. The lack of closure had weighed on her mind for a while after - Had it with his, as well?
He regained composure quickly. Nobody seemed to notice he had ever lost it, and he flashed Sango a smile "As I was saying, we have plenty of room. YOu're more than welcome to stay the night there."
"I..." Sango wasn't sure what to do. Most of her wanted to run as far away as she could. The villagers were all looking at her expectantly, and so she nodded, then bowed. "Thank you for your kindness, Houshi-sama."
"It's really no trouble, taijiya-san."
...Ow.
"I'm afraid I have to head back," Miroku continued. "I came originally to thank Yamato-san for the mochi she left," he said, nodding towards a pretty young woman in the back of the room. She blushed and covered her face, earning a few laughs from the other villagers. Miroku grinned. "But I'm sure someone can show you the way."
"Do you mind if I accompany you?" Sango asked. "I'm afraid I'm a bit tired."
"Of course," he smiled, and held the door for her. Sango left the room, and several children followed after her. Strangely, so did two young women, including Yamato-san. Sango realized quickly that they were not following her, but her companion. She felt a small twinge of jealousy, but pushed it away and tried to focus her attention on the children who were pulling on her sleeves and begging for stories. But MIroku's polite laughter and gentle voice still caught her ears above all others, and it only got worse when the children ran back to be with their mothers. Sango felt grateful when they reached the temple and Miroku said goodbye to the girls and stepped inside with Sango. As soon as the door closed, an excited howl sounded from a room nearby. The door to that one slid open, and three children launched themselves at Miroku. He was grinning and laughing, and he kneeled down to hug all three of them at the same time. Sango stared in disbelief. Children... He had children! She felt a sick, hurt feeling creeped into her throat. Miroku looked up at her, pushing the youngest boy away as he tried to wipe his nose on his kesa.
"Is everything alright, Sango?"
She swallowed. "I didn't know you had children," she said.
Miroku smiled at that. "They're not mine. Not naturally, at least.They've all lost their parents, so I took them in."
Oh! Sango blushed. "I see..." Of course. They were too old to be his.
Miroku stood, a hand on one child's head. "This is Sango. She's going to stay with us tonight. Why don't you say hello?"
None of the children spoke, or even moved. The little girl of the group turned and buried her face in Miroku's clothing. He smiled, embarrassed. "They're just a little nervous," he said, patting the girl's head. "Why don't you go prepare for dinner while I show Sango her room?" The children scampered off without a word.
Miroku watched after them, a loving expression on his face, before turning to Sango. "It's just this way," he said, leading her to another door. He opened it, then took a futon out of the closet inside the room. "You can get settled," he said, rolling it onto the floor and smoothing it out. "We'll come get you when dinner's ready." He left, then, before she could say anything. Sango sighed, then dropped her things against the wall and settled onto the futon. Life had become fairly simple again after Naraku's defeat, but of course, that couldn't last. It was not as if this was a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but the way her stomach still fluttered when she saw him, after all this time, made it feel like it was one.
After all this time, she hadn't seen anyone or kept in touch. She wondered occasionally how they were doing, but forced herself to stray when her thoughts turned to the monk. It was in the past, and she had been so sure that she was okay with how things had ended... But now, when she saw him again, she wasn't sure at all. She was never good at dealing with emotions when it came to Miroku...
Sango didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but she awoke sometime later to quiet, conspiratory whispers behind her back. She got up quickly and crouched, facing the door in a defensive stance - Only to realize that the whispering was coming from a group of three children standing at her door. She realzed, and felt suddenly guilty when she saw their expressions. The oldest boy pushed the other one forward. He now stood in front of Sango's futon, eyes wide and unblinking. Sango nervously gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. The boy continued to stare.
After a moment, he swallowed and opened his mouth, but sound eluded him for a few more seconds. When he finally did speak, he seemed to have no control over the volume or speed of his speech, and cried, "Miroku-says-it's-time-to-eat-so-to-come-get-you-because-it's-ready-so-come-eat-because-the-food-is-ready!" When he finished, he turned tail and ran, the other children following after him. Sango stared for a moment before following.
When she came into the room they were eating in, Sango was surprised to see Miroku helping a young girl to sit down. He skin was pale and her eyes were sunken in... She had a sickly air all around her. Sango felt almost as if she was in danger o fbreaking her just from being in the same room. Miroku sat down next to the girl and began to fill bowls of rice for everyone around the table, and Sango looked away from the new girl, thought she hardly wanted to. There was something so strange...
Dinner progressed comfortably apart from that, and the younger children seemed to have become comfortable with Sango's presence, and were now chatting happily with Miroku about the day's happenings. He seemed to fit into this role so naturally, and Sango blushed warmly at the thought.
***
The porch outside Sango's room gave a perfect view of the hills leading up to the mountains, and the moon as it rose over them. She felt comfortable sitting out here, watching the scenery in silence. Tomorrow she would return home to Kohaku with Kirara, who had probably gotten fed up with the children trying to take her spot on Sango's lap and ran off to find a place to sleep.
In the last few hours, life had become complicated once more - Or maybe it didn't... Which was complicated too. It was ridiculous. She was staying in MIroku's house after not seeing him for so long, and, rather than discussing what had happened, or even acknowledging that it had, Miroku seemed to be ignoring that all completely... His behavior and demeanor reflected a cool politeness that she had rarely seen in him, and never seen directed towards herself. Maybe this was him acknowledging the situation? The thought made her feel hurt, and even more guilty for all of it. Houshi-sama was not a petty person. He must really have been hurt by it all, if he was behaving this way for that reason... Sango bit her lip and cast her eyes to the ground, but was pulled from her thoughts by a feminine voice nearby. She tenses, preparing herself for whatever it might have been out of instinct, though it was most likely nothing more than a village girl.
She was half-correct in her assumption. It was some village girl and Miroku. Thought he was no longer hers, Sango's stomach clenched at the very sight, and she felt angry and sad and jealous all at once. He was telling her goodbye at the edge of the path, and Sango watched, her jaw set, as he did. She wondered if her jealous tendencies were always there, or simply sprung from Miroku's behavior. He turned back towards the temple and waved when he saw her, then walked over to greet her.
"It's nice out, isn't it?" he asked, simple as could be, as if this wasn't the first time he had seen her in over a year.
"It is," Sango said, watching as he settled on the wooden porch next to her. "...Still popular with the women, I see."
Miroku snorted at that. "That's childish," he said. Sango was surprised by the harshness in his voice. Had he ever said anything like that to her before?
"It's an observation," she said, turning away.
"It didn't sound like one."
"Don't go putting words in my mouth, Houshi-sama." Sango glared, whipping around to look at him. "It's been over a year."
"And so I don't know you any longer?" Miroku fixed her with a cold glare, and Sango bit her lip. It was coming out, now. "If that's the case, you don't know me either. Don't claim to be aware of my intentions." Sango remained silent, unsure of what to say to that. It was so unlike him... Or, had her memory brought her an idealized version of the man she had left behind, to add to her guilt? She wasn't sure.
Miroku stood up, lips pressed together. "I'm going to bed," he said, turning to go inside. "I'll see you in the morning."