Hello, readers! This is my first Inuyasha fanfic and I've had it in mind for the longest time, so I'd appreciate feedback.
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Inuyasha, anime or manga, which is owned by Sunrise Media and Rumiko Takahashi, respectively.
Before He Cheats
The bright morning sunlight flooded in from underneath the mat covering the doorway and through a lone window. A smile graced my lips as I stood up and stretched my muscles, still sore from last night's late night demon slaying. Glancing around the one room hut, I noticed Kagome stirring something in a pot above the fire in the middle of the room. Kirara bounded around my legs, purring affectionately when I reached down to stroke her fur.
Kagome's dark brown eyes met mine. "Good morning, Sango," she greeted, a warm smile on her face.
"Good morning, Kagome," I answered quickly surveying the room. "Where is everyone?"
A look of annoyance crossed her pretty face. The only one capable of ruining Kagome's happy mood this early in the morning was a certain silver haired hanyou: Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha and Miroku left awhile go to do some training," she explained, her sour tone indicating her obvious doubt.
I couldn't help but agree with her. With the recent news of Kikyo's appearance in a remote village, the idea of Inuyasha going out conjured up the most obvious and common scenario. He went to look for her.
And then there was Miroku, the no good, lecherous, sorry excuse for a monk.
His idea of "training" was to run around the village trying to convince as many women as possible to bear his child. And what's worse was that they didn't seem to care that he was with more than one of them at once! What had women come to these days?
I sighed and sat down beside Kagome to eat. The meal was silent, both of us battling our own inner demons. So much for a relaxing day. I could feel dark clouds forming above me as I continued to dwell on the good-looking monk. A separate thought flashed across my mind as it considered the stillness of the room.
"Where are Shippo and Lady Kaede?" I asked, proceeding to clean up.
The time-traveling girl looked up, startled. "Oh," she began, "Kaede went out to deal with a childbirth."
My fists clenched involuntarily. "That better not be Miroku's child." I found myself muttering. I gasped, and a hand flew up to cover my mouth. Oh Gods, what was wrong with me?
"What was that, Sango?" she questioned, her expression turning into a playful smirk.
A blush colored my cheeks. I quickly swung Hiraikotsu over my shoulder and made up an excuse about searching for Kirara before rushing out of the hut. I hope she didn't notice that the fire cat was right behind me. I exhaled heavily and tried to breathe in a sense of calm from my surroundings. No such luck.
Miserably, I decided on taking a walk around the village and get some exercise. It wasn't like I had anything better to do. I felt guilty about leaving Kagome alone—I'd barely realized that Shippo probably wasn't around—since she was feeling down about Inuyasha, but I didn't want to sit through the humiliating questions she was bound to ask. It was hard enough acknowledging the attraction I felt toward Miroku. And harder still was accepting the pang of jealousy that struck my heart every time he flirted with another woman.
I walked past a couple of gossiping villagers—all of which coincidentally happened to be female—and overheard a snippet of their conversation.
"—a monk, and a handsome one, at that!"
I stopped dead in my tracks, and Kirara ran into my legs with an indignant mew. Who could they be talking about? Curiosity got the best of me and I stopped, picking up Kirara and pretending to examine her while trying to focus on eavesdropping. I squeezed my faithful companion tighter. How many monks could there possibly be in this village? Only one by my count.
"—he just came up with flowers!" one squealed with excitement.
"—I know! The smile the monk gave made me want to faint," another gushed.
That womanizer! Who did he think he was, offering flowers and charming grins to everyone of the opposite sex!? I should have known it was too good to be true when he proposed to me.
I focused again on the conversation, although it was becoming increasingly difficult to seem like I was listening.
There was a disappointed sigh. "It seems like there is someone he's after in particular, though."
The others nodded in agreement. "Rumor has it she's beautiful."
They went on to curse the woman Miroku had laid his sights on, while I took off running in the opposite direction. Kirara jumped out of my arms and expanded in a flash of flames. She reached my shoulders and her expression contorted into a terrifying leer. The fire cat growled softly, offering to take me anywhere but here. I shook my head sadly, opting to walk instead. She kept pace with me as I trudged forward, no destination in mind.
"So there is someone else?" I whispered to myself, staring down the moist earth, willing it to give me an explanation.
'You should have seen this coming,' my inner pessimist retorted.
"Yes, I suppose I should have," I answered weakly, not bothering to care about the fact that I was talking with myself.
"All this time…" I murmured, leaning against a nearby tree. All this time I allowed myself to hope that he would at least make an attempt to be faithful. I hoped beyond hope, creating an imaginary image of what things would have been like. In my mind, the future was a place where demon slaying wasn't a priority. My brother was with me again. Miroku had eyes—and hands—only for me. Obviously, I was deluded because only in fantasies would something like that would happen.
Kirara snuggled against me, and I buried my face in her warm golden fur. I refused to cry, especially for him. 'He doesn't deserve my tears,' I thought bitterly. And he didn't deserve whatever woman was willing to take him. Beautiful or not, she would end up the same way I did. Betrayed. Hurt. Angry.
I had put up with his womanizing and wandering eye for so long. This time it was different, though. He'd led me along and every single time he'd made a wrong move I'd forgiven him sooner or later. I wasn't about to do that now. All the pent up pain and frustration that had been slowly leaking out was now erupting. Miroku didn't deserve tears. He deserved my revenge.
While originally I'd meant to just go all out and inflict as much physical damage as possible—going as far as to prevent him from siring children—I crossed out that idea for one reason alone. It was a nasty, short word, but oh so potent.
Guilt. After the initial ire died down, I'd be hard-pressed finding joy in his situation. Even Kagome, who suffered endlessly because of Inuyasha's indifference and supported almost any decision I made, wouldn't have approved the extent of injury I had in mind. I'd been disappointed in realizing the need for a new scheme, but it wasn't long before another replaced it.
This was why I was now strolling comfortably back into the hut, no one is sight inside or out. I searched the room meticulously but found only an extra set of Miroku's robes. He'd taken everything else with him. What if he was already planning on leaving the team for this woman?
'He couldn't be. He clearly told you that he had to defeat Naraku first,' that dark voice inside countered.
"Make up you mind or my mind, whichever it is! First Miroku is the bad guy and now he isn't?" I inquired accusingly.
No answer. I suppose I had no choice now but to go out and look for him. I grabbed the clothes, holding them at arm's length so as to not breathe in that familiar smell of incense. Dashing out, I hopped on Kirara and rode over the village and forest, hoping to catch a glimpse of the lecher. As we flew over a river, I released the clothes, and they billowed down softly, being carried by the wind and hastily pulled down by the river. I smirked, remembering the additional sutras he kept in it.
One more sweep over the area and a shiny glow caught my eye. Cautiously, I urged Kirara lower until I could make out the shape of Miroku's golden staff. It leaned against a tree and there were various other objects around it, such a sword, more robes, and a bouquet of flowers.
The fire cat landed abruptly in a distant clearing when I realized that Inuyasha was with him. And not just that, they were in a hot springs.
I blushed insanely, convincing Kirara to sneak around and get a hold of his belongings. She did so obediently, and soon the staff, robes, flowers, and all the other trinkets the monk kept with himself were piled at my feet. It was time to get to work.
I quickly slashed the robes and sutras to shreds. I snapped his staff in half with Hiraikotsu, engraving my name into both parts with my Katana. Now he would know that I had done this. Me. Sango. The money and various knickknacks he carried were scattered around the forest as we departed. The flowers were coming with me.
I gazed at the last phase of the plan with immense concentration. It wasn't too difficult to figure out where he was. Hachi hung around a few choice areas, usually those closest to his master. I examined his bedraggled, hunched appearance and the huge, tender lump on his head. The demon turned curiously in my direction, and I shifted so I could be fully hidden by the large tree.
Approaching quietly, I heard the raccoon demon mumbling dismally to himself, occasionally dipping his hand in the pond beside him. He cringed when he noticed my presence and bowed close to the ground in a display of peace. "Please, Master Miroku, no—"
"Hachi, it's me, Sango," I began softly. He glanced up in distress. Kirara mewed to put him at ease.
Quickly feigning ignorance, I laid a hand on his shoulder, and asked, "Hachi, what happened?"
"M-master Miroku is upset with me," he stammered.
I instantly acted the appropriate part. "Hachi, that monk has no right to treat you this way, especially after all you do for him!"
"B-but—"
I held up a hand to stop him. "There is no excuse for his behavior. Do you think that this," I gestured at him, "—is fair treatment?"
Hachi hesitantly shook his head. "What should I do then? Master Miroku is fierce when he's angry," he responded timidly.
I bit my lip, pretending to ponder this for a moment before executing the final step. "Leave for a while. Miroku will realize that he truly needs you around and then when, if, you decide to return, he won't treat you as badly."
"Yes, that'll show him," he agreed excitedly, jumping to his feet. I smiled, surprised at how simple the task had been. No more accomplice for Miroku, at least, not for a while.
"You'd better get a head start, though. There's no telling when Miroku might show up," I prodded, trying to focus on the slight rustle I'd heard a second earlier.
"Oh, yes, of course," Hachi concurred. In no time flat the demon bolted from the clearing…
…At the same time that Miroku arrived holding his shattered possessions. He was dressed in some villagers clothing and Inuyasha followed close behind. My eyes drifted up his lean figure toward his sharp jaw and piercing purple-black eyes, now focused on me. I promptly dropped the bouquet into the pond. The half-demon's golden eyes scrutinized me with a confused expression on his face.
"Sango? What are you doing he—"
Miroku's smooth voice cut in with a surprisingly hard edge to it. "Inuyasha, I think it's better if you leave."
Being the dense demon he was, Inuyasha decided to ask a few more questions. "Why? What's going on? And where the hell is Hachi?"
"Just go!" I yelled just as harshly. He rolled his eyes, but took off, no doubt to find Kagome and ask her to explain it to him, which would cause an argument between the two and then they'd sullenly avoid each other. It was always the same cycle with those two, and between Miroku and me it regularly was, too. He groped, and I'd slap him. He'd brush it off, and I'd try to forgive.
The difference now, the one that caused the tension to be almost tangible, was that I'd fought back and he wasn't too pleased about it. He stepped closer, and I moved back. Miroku released his items and cleared his throat.
"Sango, did you do this?" He started.
I stuck my chin out defiantly. "Yes, I did."
He shook his head in disbelief. "Why?" he whispered, his gaze flickering between the flowers and me.
I laughed bitterly at that. "You have the nerve to ask me why? Miroku, I've had it. I'm done with your womanizing and with all the false promises!" I screamed, struggling against the tears that threatened to follow the lone one sliding down my cheek.
He reached his hand out to wipe it away, but he was still at a distance. "I don't understand." He replied softly.
I lost control and launched myself at him, shrieking every foul word I knew at him, and when you grew up around demon slayers, there were quite a few. He fought to keep us on our feet when I collided into him. Miroku grabbed my arms firmly, and I was about to whip out my Katana when a look of sincere understanding bloomed across his features.
"The villagers were whispering about someone you were after. Who is it?" I questioned icily, not meeting his gaze.
I stopped moving, and he took it as a sign that he was free to talk. "You, Sango. Who else? The flowers were for you. Kagome told me that it was traditional in her world to give them to a woman you were interested in. And well," he pulled me closer, "I'm more than interested in you."
My brow furrowed in confusion. "What were you doing around the village then?"
He smiled. "Looking for you, of course."
"Nice try, Miroku, but that won't work on me," I answered, trying to push him away, but he didn't let me.
"It's true," he responded, nonchalantly. "You are going to be my wife someday. I may be a lecher occasionally—"
"Occasionally?" I scoffed.
He continued as if I hadn't interrupted him. "But I won't lie to you." I stared into his eyes for the first time and saw unadulterated earnestness. Gradually, I felt the wall I'd hastily built crumble, and he felt it, too. I looked away and blushed in embarrassment, not because it was such a touching moment, but because I'd been wrong about him and wrecked every single thing he owned.
'Great job, Sango,' added the internal cynic sarcastically.
Miroku crushed me to him, but as I was about to return the embrace I felt a well-known sensation on my rear. That opportunistic pervert!
Irritated, I shoved him backward and smacked him across his tanned face. Maybe it would have been better to go with the first plan.
Alrighty then, now that you've reached the end, I'd like it if you left a review. It'd help improve my writing and I do enjoy knowing your opinions!
Cocoacharm15