Minor Adjustments

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Miroku cracked an eye open, casting his wife a furtive glance.

Sango sat cross-legged across the room, her taijiya supplies spread in a crescent around her as she took inventory of her tools and worked to clean the pieces of armor she'd worn only hours ago. The low candle-light gave her skin a golden sheen, and he admired the way the shadows played across her features, concentrated on the task at hand. She lifted a hand to push her hair away from her face, and, opening his eyes fully, Miroku took note of the way it gleamed in the flickering light.

Sango abruptly looked up, catching the way he was staring, unabashed.

"What?" she asked, quirking a brow.

"Oh, nothing," Miroku responded, a crooked grin crossing his face. "Just looking."

Her cheeks darkened, almost imperceptibly in the dim room, and she glanced away. Sango raised a hand to shoulder height and hesitated, self-consciousness visibly taking over. "I know. It'll take some getting used to…"

Miroku's regard softened and he rose from his spot, moving to kneel before her. He reached forward, running his fingers through his wife's newly shorn hair.

They had left home early that morning to go see to a nearby village's call for a youkai extermination. Inuyasha and Kagome had been more than willing to go and handle it, but Sango had requested the opportunity to go and refresh her skills. It had been a while since her last pregnancy (though not for any lack of effort) and she was itching to get out of the house for a bit. Sango had adjusted to a domestic life with ease, but not even she was immune to the need to escape the demands of parenting on occasion.

Inuyasha had initially chafed at the idea of being put on babysitting duty when he could be dispatching a few small-fry youkai. However, between Kagome's cajoling, Sango's adamancy, and Miroku's pointed declaration that he and Sango were going to make an overnight affair of it, something caused the stubborn hanyou to let the issue slide.

Their travel had been easy and uninterrupted, enjoying the chance to stretch their legs and spend time together without the demands of several toddlers despite the reason for their journey, and they reached the village in question without issue. After arranging accommodations and assessing the problem, they had begun the extermination by smoking out the infested home.

Unfortunately, the rat youkai managed to escape from a hole well hidden beyond their notice and, infuriated by the intrusion on its livelihood, made to attack Sango. She dodged easily, giving it a smart smack with Hiraikotsu, which Miroku followed up with one of his purifying sutras and finished it off, but not before the pest managed to catch Sango's ponytail in its teeth, biting out a large chunk of her hair. Aside from a sore scalp from the initial yank, no other injuries were afforded.

"It is different," Miroku admitted, twisting a brown lock between his fingers. "But not bad. She did a good job of fix it up," he noted, referring to the woman of the house they'd exterminated for. "In fact, I think you look astoundingly pretty."

Sango smiled up at him. "So you like it then?"

He rose to his feet, pulling her up with him and drawing her close. "Of course. It's attached to you. What's not to like?" To emphasize his point, he let his hand travel to another part of her body he had a particular fondness for. She made a sound of protest, smacking his chest in protest, though there was no force behind the strike, and he could see the amusement in her eyes.

"It's still longer than yours though," Sango told him, lifting her arms to encircle his neck, the fingers of her right hand pausing to tug at the small tail at the base of his hairline.

"I could always grow it out, you know. You think Inuyasha's style would look good on me?" he teased, leaning down to press a warm, brief kiss on her lips.

"Mmm, I think I like you just the way you are," Sango decided, sighing as Miroku trailed his fingers through her hair again.

"I'd say the same thing about you," he agreed, and there wasn't much talking to be had after that.

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Written for LJ Community MirSan-Fics, Theme: Cut. Originally posted 10/8/2009.