If I won anyone, I'll tell you… so no, I don't own anyone, sorry.
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Winter time, early morning. It was like any normal day at the feudal era, villagers going about their life, their wives making breakfast, children playing in the snow, tossing snowballs at each other, laughing and teasing. Near by, a young, redheaded Kitsune by the name of Shippou was chuckling, busy smoothing the surface of what looked like a familiar snow statue of a dog demon he knew, except that this statue had a brown leaf for a tuck-out tongue, a carrot for a long nose and tiny peas for eyes, two triangular chunks of snow as dog ears.
"You know, Shippou-chan," Sango spoke, sitting near by on a porch, "Inuyasha would beat you if he saw that." She smiled.
The kit only chuckled, "Kagome-chan wont let him." He took a step back to grin at his work of art, "Perfect!"
The warrior woman shook her head with a smile, she turned to the clearing of the village before turning back to her weapon. She had twisted her ankle the day before while chasing after the perverted monk who dared to touch her back side -Again!- she wanted to give him a fair beating, thankfully when he approached her to apologize and help her up she took the chance and sent him flying with her boomerang; her future friend, Kagome, helped nurse her ankle, she had stayed the Kaede's hut for two days while her friends had gone to a near by village to exterminate a worm-like demon that was said to be destroying their rice fields. Of course the monk could not leave the village with his slap goodbye now could he? The huntress was more than happy to let him have it.
"Ne, Sango-chan, what do you think it's like?" the fox child asked her.
"What is?" she asked, curious.
"To live in a house of snow? Kagome-chan told me that in her time some people make their houses of snow." He told.
The huntress shrugged, "I've never seen a house made of snow, so I'm afraid that I have no idea how it feels." She told, "But if you want, we can try and make one." She leaned back a bit.
"Can we?" he grinned and hurried to her, "But- Kagome-chan said that you shouldn't walk much, you're ankle hadn't healed yet."
"Well I never would've injured it if only Houshi-sama had kept his hand to himself." She huffed, faintly blushing at the memory.
The kitsune rolled his eyes, "I don't know… why does he do that, anyway?" He gave her a quizzical look.
The huntress blushed deeper, "Wh- how should I know? He's just a pervert!" she huffed, looking away.
Her sight was fixed to the clearing far away, the entrance of the village, only to notice a splash of red moving over the white fields, soon followed by something green and black. They were her friends! Inuyasha and Kagome had come back, but- where was the monk? He was with them when they left, right? The huntress stood up leveling her weight to her fine leg, she squinted her eyes for a better look. Her friends were roughed up and slightly injured with cuts and bruises, even Inuyasha had a few marks on him, but then she noticed that the monk was on the hanyou's back, clearly asleep; or so she thought.
"Inuyasha? Kagome-chan?" Sango began when he friends were in ear shot, "What happened?"
The two sent nervous glances at each other before dwelling silently into the hut, the kitsune and huntress followed.
Inuyasha placed the monk as slow and as careful as he could on a futon the schoolgirl had fished out, almost as if he were a piece of glass he was afraid of breaking.
"Inuyasha?" Sango called, heart beating loud in her head, "What happened? Is he alright?"
Kagome brushed her clothes, that was a white-green snow coat, she weren't as injured as her other two friends, she turned to smile warmly at her friend, "It's nothing serious, Sango-chan, I'll explain it later, but right now we need to care for Miroku-sama." She said as she walked over to her bag, pulling out a white box with a red plus-like mark on it.
"I'll- just be outside." The silver haired youth mumbled and walked out.
"Kagome-chan?" the kitsune called, nervous.
"Shippou-chan, could you leave us alone please? I need to talk to Sango-chan and then care for Miroku-sama's injuries." The raven haired girl said sweetly.
The redhead was not convinced but left after the dog youth anyway.
Sango held her breath, sat down careful not to harm her twisted ankle and then watched her raven haired friend, "What happened?"
Kagome was trying to unknot the purple knot from the monk's robes as she spoke, "After we went to get the worm demon, Miroku-sama stated that it was probably ruining the soil, so Inuyasha and I tried to make it come out to the surface." She slowly slipped the knot and slowly pulled the purple robe away.
Sango took the purple cloth and folded it, placing it aside, "And?"
"We- tried to corner it to the rocky side of the field, but since it was all muddy with the rice and all, it started diving under us, Inuyasha barely got out of the mud trap and I couldn't shoot since it was curling around him." She stopped, looked at the monk's calm, yet bruised jaw and brushed a bang from his temple, "The- worm caused the earth below us to fall, twenty feet at least! We barely made it, then Miroku-sama threw a seal on it and it squirmed angrily before the tails lashed it as, he- shielded me and- got- slammed against a huge rock." The schoolgirl's voice broke into sobs, "He- didn't wake up since then." She sniffled.
Sango swallowed the hard knot in her throat, clutching to her kimono tightly, eyes fixed to the monk's face.
"He- he's alive, just unconscious." The schoolgirl continued after swallowing a sob, "I think he'll be alright, I just hope that nothing broke." She turned to her warrior friend, "Sango-chan?"
The woman swallowed the knot in her throat again and brushed back a few bangs, "Are- they deep?"
The school girl looked back at the unconscious monk, "I don't know, he was- beaten badly when he got separated before then, after Inuyasha got him out."
"Got him out of what?" the warrior asked, her friend paled but didn't answer, "Kagome-chan?"
The raven haired girl managed to unfold the robe, exposing the monk's bare yet scarred and bruised chest, there was blood staining the inner side of his robes, "God!" the schoolgirl breathed in terror, face twisting in slight disgust, "I don't think I have what we need to nurse these wounds; I'd better hurry before they inflame." She said as she popped up to her feet and hurried out, "Sango-chan, could you please remove his clothes and clean off the blood while I go back home and get some medical antiseptics? I'll be back quickly."
"Matte! Kagome-chan!" the warrior called, but too late for her friend had already dashed out.
Turning her gaze from the door to the bare-chested, unconscious, bleeding monk, the warrior blushed deep red as she scooted closer, slowly and shyly removing the tattered cloth from the cuts, disgusted and pained, she knot her brows in slight disgust by the smell of mud and blood, she tried to hold back the pain that stung her muscles -and her butt for some mysterious reason- as she pulled the threads from his still slightly bleeding cuts, it hurt her muscles to think of what pain he'd be suffering if he were awake, she thanked god that he was not awake or she would have had to knock him out herself for his sake, she didn't want him to suffer the pain of the treatment he was going to receive. The young monk's injuries weren't bad, but they clearly needed a lot of medical attention, his injuries weren't deep but were releasing enough blood to slowly kill him.
Now completely topless, Sango thanked Kagome's time for the invention of undergarments, although the monk's clothes were either bloody, muddy or stained with both, his injuries were all over upper body. Quickly fishing a pot of water and cloth, she began heating it up just a little before dipping the cloth; she began, gently scrubbing the blood and dirt off his bloody chest. The cloth was white as far as she remembered, but every time she dipped it in water it turned to shades of gray or red, trying her best not to let the dirt slip into his injuries were tiring enough, his un-moving body was what scared her the most; the monk was still the whole time, almost like- dead!
It felt like hours, simply dipping the clothe, running it across his chest, washing the scar over his shoulder, the other on his side, another by his upper side, barely touching his throat, a slightly bloody one at his abdomen; she turned to his limbs, his arms looked alright at first, but then she realized that his right forearm and shoulder were all scarred up, as if he was being scrapped against a nasty rock! His knuckles were bloody as well, as it he punched something hard, his fingertips were faintly bleeding, as for his cursed hand, it was merely with a few scratches, the beads keeping it locked tight. His feet were bloody and beaten and his toes were bleeding as well, she actually found a small twig in a cut in one of his feet, it hurt her muscles when she carefully picked out the broken splinters before washing it, she gently squeezed out the rotten blood so it wont spread into his body.
Sango worked carefully around the open cuts, then rinsing it; she had to change the water three or four times as well as the cloth before his body was clean again, only the cuts were left to be treated. Sighing in worry, the huntress put back the dirty cloth and fished out a blanket to cover his bare body, she needed to keep him warm until her -always late!- friend came back. Sitting back she spared a glance at his slightly bruised face, she fished out a new cloth and dipped it in clean, warm water and scooted closer again, she gently began brushing the cloth over the cut at his right cheek. The monk's face was bruised at the right cheek, his right eyebrow was cut as well, his bottom lip was cut and there was a line of blood from his jaw line, so she began treating them as well.
The smoothness of that ashen skin, the weariness clear on his unconscious face, his brows were barely connected in discomfort as his eyelids trembled, in either dreams or nightmares, his lips were barely touching, parted as if begging for a cool drink. Sango brushed the cloth over his injured brow, whipping away the smudged hairs and blood, the huntress realized that there was the tiniest pebble in that cut, it made something in her gut churn with pain. Quietly brushing the blood from his lips, she began musing, wondering if this was anything like the stories her future friend told the redheaded fox child of, 'Only a kiss from prince charming would awake sleeping beauty.' She huffed, blushing, she shook her head dismissing the matter.
Sango sighed, finishing the clean up. Tossing back the cloth to the water container the huntress sat back and looked down at the monk's face. Oh how she found him cute, just sleeping there with his hands to himself, peaceful and pleasant as his company. She allowed herself a smile and brushed back a bang from his temple, forking it back his head, only to draw back blood stained hands. 'Heck? Just what part of him did he not injure?' she argued to herself in frustration and went to look for a new cloth, in which she realized it was getting harder to find.
Sango finally found the last cloth remaining, cursing her friend begin so damn late, she fetched some new water and then paused; how is she to rinse the blood and dirt from the monk's hair? She paused in thought, the finally decided on an idea. fetching out another flat bowl, she stretched out one of her legs, blushing all the way, she had to let her leg bare because it would get wet anyway and she didn't want to get her kimono wet; Sango carefully placed the monk's head on her leg, letting his throat arch a little for his head to be leaning down, with the water near by, she cupped her hands and scooped up little of the warm water, like a pitcher, she slowly leaned her hands, releasing the water on the monk's scalp, a few droplets rolled down his temple and touched the corner of his eye before they continued down his cheek.
The warrior woman stopped to look, that droplet looked so much like a tear drop it was frightening.
Fighting the shudder from her spine she continued to apply small amounts of water to the monk's head, she stopped and pulled at the tiny band that tied his hair back and let his hair flow lazily over her leg, rinsing the blood and dirt before forking in her fingers, rinsing it more thoroughly. At the end when she made sure his scalp was clean she pulled back and let him on his futon again before drying her wet leg, she took another towel and dried the monk's hair, she didn't want to get him sick or anything.
At last she was done, or at least she hoped, she didn't want to find another scar or injury it would only make her guts hurt. With a frustrated sigh she went back to check him just in case, hoping that she wont find anything, thankfully she didn't, he was clear out of any injury, his loose bangs were stuck to his neck and cheeks due to their wetness, so she brushed them back, they were still wet and cold against his hot, sweating skin. Sango touched his temple, sensing the slightest heat, 'Feverish…' she murmured to herself as she fetched a small piece of cloth, something her future friend called a napkin, filled it with little snow and then placed it on his forehead to keep his heat under control.
She just sat there, looking at his sleeping face, watching his chest rise and fall as he breathed, listening to his breath, she thought that the room had turned so silent she was able to hear the pounding of his heartbeats ringing in her head. The huntress shook her head, she reached out again to brush a lonesome lock from his face, he was getting warmer, the snow was barely keeping him cool. She sighed, dared to lean over and put her ear to his chest, listening to the deafening thumps of his heart louder against her brain; she frowned, now laying to her side, her head still on his heart, listening, she bit her lower lip and reached out again, brushing the damp locks from his neck, her fingers brushed gently against his lips.
"Houshi-sama…" she whispered, dead worried.
"Sango-chan!" came the school girls voice from outside.
Bolting off the unconscious monk, blushing beat red, the huntress soothed her kimono and watched her friend walk in with what looked like a bigger white box with a red cross on the top.
"Sorry I'm late, I had to go to a pharmacy to get them, the jerk refused to give my anything without a recipe, it's a good thing the father of a friend of mine is a doctor, he helped me get them, or else I- ?" the raven haired girl stopped, feeling out of place while ranting like that, "On second thought, I'll tell you later." She blushed and placed down the box, "So? How is he?"
Sango shook her head, "Feverish with injuries all over him." She murmured tiredly, still blushing.
Kagome knot her brows, "Any serious ones?"
"Some had pebbles…" she shuddered, feeling the jolts of pain though her muscles, "If he was awake he would've probably fainted because of the pain." She told.
The schoolgirl stiffened, "Oh…" she turned to the monk and sighed, "Well, Kaede-sama wont be here for a while, she's at the next town nursing some sick children, so I'm afraid you and I would have to take turns in nursing Miroku-sama." She explained as she opened the box, took out a small fluffy ball and a bottle, "Could you move away his robes? I need some space." She pointed at the ruffled robes at the side.
"Okay." Sango sighed, now reaching out to get the monk's tattered robes, as she stood up, robes in hand, she heard a small thunck and turned to look down, she saw a small book, picking it up she saw the word 'Journal.' Written in Kanji on it.
Not hearing it, Kagome drew in a deep breath, tilted the bottle and the fluffy ball turned a light shade of red, pulled away the blanket and winced at the clear sight of the injuries, she collected her courage and began applying the antiseptics to the wounds. "If he was awake he'd defiantly be screaming by now. These antiseptics are ten times worse than salt on a freshly open wound." She murmured.
Sango folded the robes and placed them aside, now sitting besides her friend, aiding her care for the wounds.
After hours Kagome was done, Sango sighed in relief as the monk's injuries were completely wrapped up in bandages. Kagome picked up the white box and excused herself to go look for the whiny, always complaining dog youth to care for his injures, now leaving the huntress with the unconscious body of her friend. The monk hadn't moved an inch ever since they began treating him which had both girls worry.
Sango sat back and looked at the sleeping body besides her, she allowed herself to sit near by and let her knees be pillowed under his head, now stroking his cheeks, she was worried, she didn't care how much of a leech he was, she didn't want him to die, who else would cheer her up when she's upset or would do things to make her laugh? Who else could crack her up to fuming and let her empty her rage? No one else understood her as well as the monk did, he was probably the closest male she had ever met, besides Inuyasha and Shippou who were her dear friends as well, Kagome however was a close friend but didn't really understand her as well as the monk did, that thought alone had the huntress faintly blushing.
"Houshi-sama…" she whispered, caressing his scalp, massaging it.
With another frustrated sigh, Sango scanned the room and saw the journal that had fallen from within the robes, she allowed herself to pick it up and scanned the cover. It was made of fine leather, or what felt like leather anyway, the word 'Journal.' Was written in Kanji and engraved in gold. Curious, the huntress wanted to know what the monk had written in that book, 'Something not perverted!' She hoped. The huntress spared a glance at the sleeping monk and allowed herself to look into the first page.
Winter - Year of the Dragon: Day One
Today, Inuyasha and Kagome-sama bickered about her going to her time -As always! When will the guy give up? Give the girl some space, damnit!- I've always wondered why he cared so much and still say that he didn't care, that dog is a puzzle that's for sure! Not my type though, Sango-Ojosama is my kind of puzzle, though I've never solved her mystery yet… anyway!
Kagome said she had another one of what I'd like to call -test of knowledge?- wish she didn't have to cause such a loud fight with Inuyasha every time she left, he always smacks my poor head when I try to cool him down, not that I'd mind, I've always been the punching bag of this group anyway! -What's a punching bag, anyway? If it's not literally named then I have no idea what it is… perhaps I should ask Kagome-sama about it.
Not much had happened today, touched the ever-so-beautiful behind of my beloved Sango-Ojosama, got slapped by the ever-so-beautiful Sango-Ojosama, got beaten by Inuyasha for accidentally -Yeah right! He stepped on my foot on purpose!- hitting his shin with my staff, fought an evil demon and got the reward - I have 15,000 gold, I'm not sure if it's enough to get Sango-Ojosama that kimono she wanted before the next cherry-blossom festival; Bah! As if she's accept it from annoyingly-perverted-little-me anyway, I'll have to ask Kagome-sama to give it to her, but first I have to find a fitting excuse or she might get suspicious, sometimes that girl scares me! Other than the usual ranting, it had been a completely normal day.
Sango stared, dumbfounded, 'Why does he keep calling me Sango-Ojosama in his journal?' she blushed, for the title 'Princess.' Sounded so strange to her ears. 'Kimono? I don't remember any kimono… unless he's talking about that beautiful silken kimono we saw the village up the mountain side, that brilliant sky blue and white, crane-decorated kimono in matching silk and silver threads!' she blushed furiously at the memory, she had remembered that the kimono cost quite the fortune she was unable to afford, which made her feel devastated, the monk tried to cheer her up but ended up touching her behind, the monk was saving up money to get that dress for her?
She turned to look at the still sleeping monk and smiled, brushed a bang from his temple and leaned down slowly, her lips touching his not-bruised skin, she kissed his forehead, 'Arigatou, Houshi-sama.' She whispered apologetically and then turned back to the journal, skipping a few pages.
Winter - Year of the Dragon: Day Five
Today we fought Naraku, and as always he got away, that damn bastard wouldn't it give it up, would he? Cant he just die and get over with it? The obsessed freak! Sometimes I find it ironic, why cant I just walk up to him and say: Hey Naraku, I'm sick and tired of this fight and this curse you gave me, cant you just die and get over with it? Bah! That's so lame! Sometimes we fight him so hard I think it's finally the last battle and we wont have to see his goddamned, freakin' face again! But then the ass has to show up and laugh right in our faces! He's not immortal! There must be a way to get rid of the guy, we just haven't found it yet!
Argh… man I'm so pissed today! Naraku kicked our asses and got away with it! I got into a fight with Sango-Ojosama over something I have no idea what? She was suddenly upset at me, I haven't touched her all day and yet she suddenly walked up to me and smacked me one, when I asked her what I did she smacked me again, more fiercely and jerked away, fuming. -blame it on PMS I say- I'm still puzzled of what I did and if I deserved it! Then -of all the hell!- Inuyasha had a fight with Kagome- sama -Again? Cant they just kiss and make up? Don't tell me she's got PMS too!- and started yelling at me, calling me bouzu and smacked my poor skull, I swear if he keeps doing that I'm might actually grow another head! 'As if you'd use it!' I bet Sango-Ojosama would taunt.
Sh why do they like to pick on me a lot lately? What is this? Pick on Miroku/Houshi day? I hate it, damn it! Sometimes I wish if they'd just leave me the fing hell alone! I mean later that day Shippou-chan was training on a new move and guess what? He got my robes on fire! The damn brat started laughing his ass off! I ought to have spanked him! My leg still hurts! It even left a mark, too!
Sango stopped to take a glance at the monk's legs. Yes! There on his right shin was a small, two inch darker color on his skin, she brushed her fingers over it, it was probably months old since it was dry and hard, like a soft coating of crust. Why had she not seen it while nursing his injuries, she did not know. The burned skin seemed old, clearly it was pealing on it's own, exposing the flesh, the monk had clearly just clamped some mud on it but didn't nurse it, she'd have to ask the school girl for any possible cure, she didn't like the burn mark, it looks ugly.
With a slight frown, the huntress skimmed through a few more pages…
Winter - Year of the Dragon: Day Eight
I just want to curl up and die…
The huntress froze, blood drained from her veins, she then blinked and continued reading..
Why did everything end up to this? I mean everything was going just fine until baka-yasha went on and mentioned that Kohaku would be better off dead after Naraku is defeated in front of Sango-Ojosama, she looked so hurt, I just wanted to comfort her, she walked away from camp and I followed, I tried to talk to her but she was much too upset, I had to stop her from avoiding me and gripped her hand, before I could tell what happened, she slapped me hard, yelling at me, telling me -the sick, twisted pervert!- that she'd be better off if only my curse could swallow me right then so I'd get out of her life forever!
I may not be the best of my kind, but I still have a heart, she was upset and I cant blame her, but she didn't have to go and say such cruel things to me! I was just trying- trying to make her feel better! And what does she do? She stabs me in the gut! Does she not know how much it hurt when she said those words? It took me a hell lot of pain to muster up that smile, from the inside I just felt like smacking her head right off her shoulders but- I couldn't! She is my Ojosama! I couldn't hurt her! She was already hurting! I didn't want to make it worse.
I'm not an idiot like baka-yasha! I don't go blowing up in the face of an already upset woman, it would only make things worse, make her upset even more, make me upset, too! She said them and I'm sure she didn't mean them, but it hurt goddamn it! It hurts like hell! It still hurts whenever I think of her words. To just curl up and let my curse suck me into nothingness, to die, is that what would please her?
Sango blinked, noticing the faint wrinkle in the side of the page, as if a droplet of water had fell there and dried up.
Not rain… it was too wrinkled to be the affect of rain.
They were tears?
'Oh Houshi-sama, I'm so dearly sorry!' She bit her lower lip and glanced at the still sleeping monk, he looked so weak and tired, she felt so pained now, worse than the wounds, she had hurt him deeply, not knowing. She remembered that event from about a week or so before, she was upset and yelled at him but never did remember what she said, the monk had avoided her for the next few days until he twisted her ankle. Placing the book aside, the huntress pulled up the monk, wrapped him in the blanket and rested his head on her shoulder, now holding him closer, her arms around him, kissing his temple lovingly. 'I'm so-so deeply sorry!' she nuzzled his head, holding back her own tears. She looked down the journal and skimmed through a few more pages, hoping to find something to keep her mind off the pain.
Winter - Year of the Dragon: Day Twelve
Man did I make a mess out of things! I tried to act all normal around her and what do I do? I twisted her ankle! The smack she gave me with her boomerang was well deserved! God I hate myself! Why did I have to go and grope her like that! Couldn't I just walk up to her and say -Sango-chan, I'm sorry about last week, I guess I was just being a jerk, you can hit me with your boomerang if it would make you feel better!- and she'd just laugh and tell me to forget about it? Hah! I wish!
She looked more upset at me than ever.
I still hate myself, I hate my damned, uncontrolled perverted attitude, I hate having to go walk up to every dame I find and flash the stupid question -why I never found the courage to ask Sango-Ojosama to bare my child is beyond me! She's the only one I want and still I cant as her! Maybe it's because I feel so sh-like insignificant to her, she deserves someone better-- I hate this stupid wind tunnel, my stupid, fake smile, this stupid life I'm living!
Dad was right, things don't always work out the way you want them to, I mean he married mom and she agreed to carry the curse in hope I'd be in age before he got devoured by his own curse, but he didn't. I remember when my curse first surfaced, I was just seven, I was just minding my own business, sitting outside the house watching the neighborhood kids play, -they wouldn't let me join cause they think I'm jinx -go figure!-- and then when the ball falls near me, I pick it up to toss it back to them only to find it stuck in my hand, all of a sudden it wiggles and poof! It's sucked in!
It felt funny the first time, though, all tingly like, once my dad found out he looked pretty pale, he told me about the family curse and trained me to use it, only so I'd wake up one winter morning, I was about twelve or so, to find my dad crying, screaming that he lost control over his tunnel during the night and sucked in my mother! I was shocked, and scared, I remember that I ran, I don't know where, I just ran, when I got tired of running I went back home and saw a message at my bed, from my dad, saying that he's feeling too much guilt and he cant keep on living without her so he's leaving in hope that maybe one day we'd meet again, all I ever found of him were the beads of his glove… the same beads I'm using now.
Maybe it would be better for Sango-Ojosama if I just curl up and die… getting sucked by my own curse, but then I wont defeat Naraku and the guys would get in trouble when they cant beat a bad ass, Inuyasha is the kind of guy that needs someone to pump him up with encouragement before a battle, no one can do it better than Kagome-sama, that I admit. If only Sango-Ojosama would let me encourage her, I can do more than just touch her behind, you know -As If you sick twisted pervert! Argh I so hate myself!- I need to talk to Kaede-sama about this.
Right now Inuyasha is calling for me, we have some worm thing to defeat, I'll continue my worthless ranting later…
Sango closed the book and tucked it under the robes, thinking that she had probably read too much of his personal life, then again if he didn't want anyone to know about it then why'd he write them down, anyway? She never dared think of writing down her feelings or thoughts because she was afraid someone might find them, read them and make use of them to their own, or even make fun of her, so she decided to keep them to herself and not write them down. She leaned back, her back to the wall, caressing the monk's cheek, his hair was still damp but it weren't cold anymore, the snow had completely melted and she needed to keep him cool, yet she didn't want to move from her -strangely?- comfortable spot.
Right about then, the monk shifted with a weak, pained moan.
Skip a heartbeat, Sango smiled, her arms wrapped around him, tucking his head under her chin, "Houshi-sama?" she whispered nuzzling his warm temple.
"Ngh… Sango- ?" she wheezed tiredly, violet eyes barely open, his brows knot and he swallowed, his arms too weak to move.
She watched his hand try to move and she feared the worse, but then his fingers just flexed a few times before his body fell silent again, "Houshi-sama?"
"Wh- … what- ?" he tried to speak, but was too tired and weak.
She shushed him, kissing his temple, "It's alright, you're alright, just get some sleep." She cooed, blushing, feeling his nose against her throat, she let him be, he was hurt enough and a little comfort wouldn't hurt, as long as it helped him feel batter that's all she cared about, 'As long as he doesn't touch my butt, that is.' She muttered to herself.
His hands slightly moved into her lap, barely making a touch, "What- happened? The bolder- I was… Inuyasha, he- ?" the monk murmured to her neck, breath hot against her skin.
She shushed again, a finger to his lips, "It's alright, you'll be just fine, Houshi-sama, please just go back to sleep." She cooed again.
His eyelids trembled before he hummed, snuggling into her just a little before drifting into sleep.
Sango smiled and held him close, blushing and smiling.
" -- you, it wouldn't have hurt if only you didn't move so much!" Kagome's voice cried as she stomped into the hut, the second the laid eyes on her friends she gasped, blocking the hanyou's mouth when he was just about to retort, "Sango-chan?" she tried to hide a gleeful smile.
Sango blushed deeper but forced a frown, "Don't even think about it, girl!" she hissed.
Inuyasha blinked, "Is he- okay?" he murmured, stepping closer before dropping on all four, "He's feverish, the blood scent is gone but I can still smell that dreaded stuff of yours, Kagome!" he complained.
"It's to keep the germs away." She smiled, walked up to her bag and pulled out a transparent bag-like object, "Wait here, I'll go fill it with snow." She stepped outside the hut and came back a few minutes later with Shippou on her shoulder and the transparent bag full of snow.
Sango released the monk and let him on the futon, ice-bag on his head to keep him cool.
"So?" Sango breathed, "Would you two be so kind and tell me what happened?"
Shippou leaped of the school girls shoulder, landing in her lap, "Yeah? What happened?"
Kagome sighed, "We kind of screwed things up," she began.
"Keh! You mean you screwed things up!"
"SIT!"
THUD!
"Bit…"
"Anyway, we screwed things up," the school girl shot the hanyou a nasty glare, "at start everything was going as planned. We went to the village, located the worm demon, cornered it at a rocky field and tried to beat it, but then it kind of made out and dove into the mud again, it kept surfing under the mud in circles, Inuyasha and Miroku were stuck in the mud, I managed to locate it since it had a shard in it's head."
"The damn thing refused to die!" the flat hanyou growled, pushing himself up.
"Yeah, it started digging under us for so long the earth below us collapsed and we- fell!"
"Miroku fell on a jagged rock!" The hanyou argued, looking irritated.
Sango touched her lips and looked at the sleeping monk.
"I'm surprised he even survived that fall, that rock looked- ?"
"SIT!"
THUD!
"That's not the point!" Kagome hissed, "Miroku weren't hurt bad." She smiled sweetly at her dead-worried warrior friend.
Sango sighed, realizing that the hanyou was hinting to the jagged scar she found on the right side of the monk's shoulder blade, "If you're trying to comfort me, Kagome-chan then it's not working!" she frowned, "I've seen his injuries, you know." She crossed her arms and paused, "When he woke up, he murmured something about Inuyasha and a bolder?" she quirked a brow.
The hanyou curled over himself, ears flat against his head with the expression 'Uh-oh!' on his face.
"Spill it!" Sango hissed, fuming.
The schoolgirl flinched and giggled nervously, "Well, um… before Miroku-sama got knocked out, he kind of like- ?"
Shippou senses the tension and escaped her lap and sat next to her.
"He got crushed under a bolder." The hanyou muttered.
There was dead-silence…
"SIT!"
THUD- "Ow Damn it, Kagome! Quit it already! You said we were gonna tell her everything, didn't you?"
"SIT!"
THUD!
"Yes! But you make it sound so cold and cruel, Inuyasha!"
"Well no one said the truth was pretty!"
"SIT!"
THUD- "Itai !" the dog wheezed, out of breath.
Shippou shook his head, comically with a sweat drop.
"Ngh…" came the weak moan again.
"Houshi-sama!" Sango smiled, grateful that he had awoken, "Are you alright?"
Blurry violet eyes looked at her, swimming with sleep, "Sango- ?" he breathlessly asked, unsure.
"Yes, it's me." She smiled and adjusted the ice-bag on his head, her hand on his cheek to check his body heat, "How do you feel?"
"So- tired…" he turned his head, eyes shut tight, "Too loud…" he tried to sit up.
"Oh no you don't." Sango knot her brows and pushed him down, "You've been roughed up enough already, unless you want me to knock you back to sleep, Houshi-sama!" she warned.
"Aw…" he whined tiredly, "-- my back hurts." He complained.
"No kidding! That's where you- ?" Inuyasha began, but when he saw the threatening glare on the schoolgirl he just clinched his jaws, shutting up with a sulky face.
Sango sighed and turned to the monk, "Want m-er- us to get you anything?" she touched his throat, checking his pulse.
Miroku wheezed tiredly, "It's hot in here…" he complained, looking at her.
"That's because you're feverish." Kagome cooed, scooting closer to face him, "You'll be alright, Miroku-sama! Just leave everything to Sango-chan and I, we'll take good care of you!" she chirped.
The monk's blurry eyes didn't focus on them, instead he was staring blankly at the ceiling, "Oh…" he said blankly, knot his brows and shifted his sealed hand to touch his injured shoulder, "Aw sh… I feel like I've been run over by a porcupine-demon! I feel like there are splinters all over me!"
The hanyou was just about to comment, but then changed his mind because of the frightening glare he was getting, "Keh! I'll be outside if you need anything." He hissed and walked out.
"Kagome-chan?" Shippou spoke, "Is Miroku gonna be alright?"
"I'm sure he'll be just fine, Shippou-chan! Don't worry!" she chirped.
Sango sighed, how her friend was able to keep such a perky face was beyond her, "Anyway, I'm sure Houshi-sama is starving, I'll go get lunch ready."
"Oh no you don't." Kagome chuckled, grasping her friend's wrist, "I'll make lunch, you sit down, don't want you hurting your ankle, you know."
"Kagome-chan, I'm fine really! It doesn't hurt anymore." The huntress argued.
"Nope, wait here, okay? I'll go tell Inuyasha to catch something while I get some vegetables for some soup ready." The raven haired girl chirped and walked out.
"Kagome-chan! Matte!" Shippou squeaked and hurried after her.
The huntress was alone again with a half-conscious monk. She didn't know, somehow everything felt as if it had been previously planned.
"Sango-chan?" the monk whispered tiredly.
"Hai, Houshi-sama?" she smiled down at him.
"Why is it so hot in here?"
"You're feverish, you need to get some sleep until your temperature cools down." She cooed.
He sighed and moved his hand up again, feeling his injured shoulder, "Damn… that thing bites harder than I thought…" he grunted.
"Bite?" the warrior blinked, "It was a bite?"
The monk turned to her, blinking, "Yeah… didn't- they tell you? They worm demon actually had teeth, the damn thing almost tore my arm off!" he frowned, pained while feeling his sore shoulder.
Sango swallowed, "Does it sting?"
"A little, but less than before at least, it feels kinda numb now." He breathed and drew down his arm feeling his chest, paused and blinked.
"What is it?" Sango asked, concerned.
"Um… why am I naked?" he blushed, not looking at her.
Sango blushed deeper, looking away, "You're not naked, just topless." She began, "You were hurt badly when they brought you back, Kagome-chan and I had to scrub off all the blood stains and mud, the cut on your shoulder is probably the deepest one you've got."
"Yeah, the worm got pissed when I threw that seal on it." He chuckled, "Ornery bastard!" he then hissed, clutching his hurt shoulder.
"Don't press too hard! It'll only hurt more." Sango scolded, pulling away his hand.
He stared at her, violet eyes staring unbelievingly at her, "Am I dead? Or am I dreaming?" he asked.
"Huh?" she blinked, confused.
"Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" he asked, confusion clear on his face, "I must be dreaming, that's it! This must be a dream! A freakishly weird dream!" he moved his hand over his eyes, not believing.
"You're not dreaming." She said softly, taking his hand in hers she lifted it to took at him, smiling, "What? Is it that just because I'm a fighter I cant act like the woman I am when needed?" she softly argued.
He looked at her, searching her face before the tiniest smile curled on his lips, "I'm- not dreaming? You're actually being nice to me?" he asked, making sure.
Sango sided a smirk and kissed his temple, mush to his shock, "I don't hate you, there is no reason for me to not be nice to you…" she paused at his mischievous grin, "--even if you are a pervert!" she added curtly, warning she squeezed his hand.
The grin vanished and was replaced by an innocent blink, "Why- whatever do you mean, my dear Sango?" he stifled a chuckle, his weary fingers curling over her tender, loving hand.
Realizing that she was still holding his sealed hand, Sango blushed but held it tenderly as well, "I mean you taking the chance of Kagome-chan and I nursing you back to health and grope me since I cant beat you when you're already injured." She murmured, slowly prying her hand from his grasp.
He chuckled nervously, caught, "Oh I know better than to do something like that!"
"Good." Sango smirked and kissed his temple again, getting up, "I'll go get a pot ready for lunch, it obviously looks that Kagome-chan had forgotten about it."
"I can help." He murmured, trying to push himself out of bed, but before she could stop him, he slumped back with a groan, "Aw God! My head feels as heavy as an navel!" he took a grip of his hair, trying to relax.
Sango sighed, "Just get some sleep, Houshi-sama, I'll wake you up when it's ready."
"Don't you need any help?" he pouted childishly.
"I think you are the one who needs the help, Houshi-sama, now stop whining and go to sleep." She scolded softly, tucking him under the blanket, ignoring his childish complaining, "Go to sleep before I make you."
"Yes ma'am." He blinked cutely and watched her leave.
"Hey! Sorry I'm late! You wont believe the size of the duck we found, it- ?" Kagome stopped, her friend had a finger to her lips, shushing, turning to look at the monk, she saw him cuddled up in his futon, deep into dreamland, "Oops!" she whispered and walked in quietly, a sack with vegetables at hand, "How is he?" she asked her friend from over the pot, the smell of grilled meat was filling her nose.
"He kept whining, thankfully he fell asleep about an hour ago--and what the heck took you so long? It took me forever to get this meat!" Sango rasped quietly, not wanting to awake the sleeping monk.
"Gomen." Kagome giggled sheepishly and placed the sack down, "Inuyasha and I kinda got into another fight, he went to get the meat, I went to get the vegetables, when we got back together I asked him about Shippuo, thinking he was with hem, he told me that he thought Shippou was with me, we got into another fight, I sat him a few times, then out of the blue Shippou appeared with barriers in his hands, I took them before Inuyasha tried to hurt him, I sat him again, got into a fight again, Shippou and I left an angry dog in the snowy forest and came here. Of course Shippou left right before I came, he saw a few kids playing and joint them." The raven haired girl chattered.
Sango sighed, "Glad you had fun." She murmured in boredom.
"Obviously!" the monk's voice commented, "You sure know how to keep yourself entertained, Kagome-sama." He murmured sleepily as he finally managed to sit up, rubbing sleep from his violet eyes, he sniffled a few timed in contentment, "Hmm what's that delicious thing I smell?"
"Grilled fish!" Kagome chirped, ignoring the huntress's glare.
"Houshi-sama! I told you to get some sleep!" Sango argued, now angrily pulling a potato from the sack, peeling it before cutting it to dices then tossed it into the frying pan, took a few vegetables in the same process, added some spices and let it cook.
"Aw! Cant I go for a walk? I'm sick of sitting in bed! I'm not feverish anymore!" he whined childishly, faintly rubbing his hurt shoulder.
"No!" she shot, completely irritated, now popping up to her feet, she walked up to the priest, spatula at hand.
"Yipe!" fearing the worse, the young monk curled over himself only to wince in pain, clutching his shoulder.
"Houshi-sama?" Sango breathed, startled of his pain, she put down the spatula and walked up to him, inspecting his injury, "What's wrong?"
"It- hurts!" he hissed between gritted teeth, "I feel as if there's something eating away my flesh!" he fisted his hand and tried to bare the pain.
Sango swallowed the knot in her throat, "Kagome-chan!" she called as she began unknotting the bandages.
"Sango-chan?" the schoolgirl asked, confused.
In a few minutes, Sango undid the bandages, exposing a red, bleeding gnash in the shoulder. The monk's eyes were teary with pain, his breath became ragged as his grip over his other wrist tightened. Sango examined the cut, obviously there was something in there! The worm must've placed something into his shoulder when it bit him, so the huntress dreaded the thought that it might actually be an egg of some sort, if so, then the egg might hatch soon and start feeding on the monk's flesh, he'll die a slow painful death if such a thing was to happen.
"Sango-chan?" Kagome asked, wincing at the sight of the bloody wound, it was oozing strangely, much to her disgust.
"The worm, what was it like?" the huntress asked, "Did it have any type of special appearance on it?"
"Well, yeah! It did have this fuzzy stuff on the back of it's head--if we can even call it a head, not just mushy lump!" Kagome shuddered at the memory of the creature's appearance, "Why do you ask?"
"It's a crust worm!" she gasped, looking at the monk dead in the eye.
The monk did not know what she meant, but he was too frightened to ask.
"A- crust worm?" Kagome asked, clueless.
"It's a selfish kind of demon, goes around scourging up fields like wheat or rice and leaves it's eggs scattered in the soil, if it ever gets into someone's wound," she stopped to clear her throat, "the hatchlings would feed on the person's flesh until their death."
Kagome gasped and looked at the monk, worried.
The monk's face was as pale as a ghost.
"Thankfully, the eggs hadn't hatched yet, I think I see one, but it's too deep and I don't think I can get it out." She spared the monk a glance, "Houshi-sama, in order to get the egg out without crushing it I'm afraid we'll have to go to the old traditional way."
"You mean- ?" he paled even more when she nodded, he collected his thoughts and nodded, "Alright, it's better then being eaten alive."
"Wow wait a minute! What do you mean? What are you going to do?" Kagome asked.
"The old way." Sango sighed, "We'll have to heat up long, thin tweezers and then insert them into the cut and pull the thing out."
Kagome paled, "Does- it have to be hot?"
"It's the only the way." The huntress nodded.
Kagome's eyes crossed before she fainted.
That night, Sango sighed as she pushed away the bloodied utensils she had used, her dog-demon friend had helped her pin down the monk to limit his struggling while she worked, Kagome was near by, barely keeping herself conscious from the painful sight, treating the monk while she worked, Shippou for that matter was outside with Kirara until they were done. the monk's head in the huntress's lap, stroking his scalp, he was breathing heavily with tears still trickling from his eyes, his mouth was stuffed with a cloth to stifle his screaming. It had been a long, painfully tiring night, but thankfully the huntress was able to take out the egg, as expected, and disposed of it before it got the chance to hatch, leaving a bloody scar over the youth's shoulder.
The monk had tried to be as still as ever, but obviously the pain was too much for him to bare, the tears staining his cheeks and the ragged breath proved the agony he was suffering. Sango watched her friend as she mended the now cleaned injury with a needle and thread, closing it, they made sure there weren't any other eggs or such before treating it with antiseptics, which caused a major headache to the monk, and wrapped it in bandages again.
The monk had quickly fallen asleep that night, much to the warrior's relief, he would need as much rest as he can get, after all it would take up to a whole month before the scar completely seals up on it's own, not to mention that he would need the bandages chanced every two days and antiseptics as well. Sango sighed again and stroked his temple, brushed away a single teardrop that remained at the corner of his eye, he had been through so much…
She remembered the journal, the book he wrote his feelings and thoughts inside. Sango pressed her lips in thought, her friends were asleep now, she was the only one awake, so she reached towards his robes now clean and fixed, she had hid the journal earlier so no one would find it, she picked it up and skimmed to the last page before staring at the blank page that came after. Sango stared for a few more seconds before sneaking carefully towards the schoolgirl's yellow bag, fishing for something.
She found a pencil in yellow and black, 'It just has to do.' She smiled, and scooted closer to her inured friend, now staring at the last empty page in the end of the book, she stared again and again, she wanted to write down how she felt, what she wanted to tell him, something that would comfort him. After a minute of thinking she sighed and pressed the pencil against the paper, she began to write.
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A/N: WHOA! It's been ages since I last wrote an Inuyasha fic, please if you see things wrong inform me or with feed back, thanks! R&R please!