Title: Time Stood Still
Author: Me
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in any way.
Notes: For May! Because she knows how to bribe me, hee. Any similarities to other stories are entirely coincidental. This is an AU and I plan to keep it as original as I possibly can.

Prologue

A smile lit up her features as she rushed to meet Miroku. Nervously tugging at a strand of hair, she fought the urge to laugh. It was ridiculous to feel like this. It wasn't as if she was going to admit her undying love for the man, she was just excited to be able to spend time with him again. Lately he had been busy with Kagome, and even though she had been the one to set the two up, she had found herself feeling strange without Miroku constantly around to tease her.

Glancing at the watch on her right hand, she realized she would be late if she didn't hurry to meet him at the park. It would be nice to spend the day together like they used to. Things had changed since Kagome had moved to town, but she really had no one to blame for that except herself. She had been the one to throw the two together and encourage them to spend more time getting to know one another in the first place. After all, she just wanted what was best for her friends.

Miroku tended to have a wandering eye, as well as hands, but she knew that when he found the one for him, that would stop. If a person could learn to ignore his perverted mannerisms, they would find that he was a great friend. Kagome had needed someone to take her mind of her troubles and Sango knew that Miroku would be the perfect person to keep her occupied. She just wished that it didn't feel so awkward to be around the two of them.

Clutching her coffee, she lightly bit her lip, feeling almost nervous. Dwelling on thoughts of Miroku and Kagome, she realized just how much she missed her own alone time with Miroku. They had practically grown up together and he had always been the one who understood her best. Lately they had only seen one another in passing and she missed the talks they had once shared. As much as she loved her cat, talking with Kirara just did not feel the same. Not to mention it convinced Kohaku that she was going crazy.

Lots of people talked to their pets. Most just realized that their pets did not hold the answers. As much as she wished Kirara could talk, the most she got out of the cat was a purr before she settled on her lap and fell asleep. Maybe Kohaku was right, she did need to get out more often. It would hopefully relieve the restless feeling she had started to develop. The more time that Miroku spent with Kagome, the more she realized just how big of a part he had once played in her daily routine.

He had been there to celebrate all of the important occasions in her life and had even comforted her when she thought her life was falling apart. The night her parents had died he had calmed her down and forced her to see that there were other people in the world that cared for her as well as people that needed her. In the following years he had been the only person able to help her with Kohaku. Her normally sweet brother had gone through a hellish phase, testing her every limit. If it hadn't been for Miroku, she would have given up a long time ago. The fact that he lived just across the hall had helped immensely.

Before Kagome, they had made it a point to always have breakfast together, each taking turns preparing the meal. Kohaku would tease, Kirara would beg for food, and the two would discuss their plans for the day. They daily ritual made her feel safe.

He had made it a habit to leave her notes in the oddest places and occasionally steal Kirara so she would be forced to visit his apartment. Many times she had come home from work only to realize that Miroku had stolen her little brother as well. She was grateful for the peace and quiet every now and then and appreciated the fact that he always knew when she needed a chance to unwind after a stressful day.

When he had first started spending time with Kagome, he had still made it a point to spend as much time as possible with Sango and Kohaku as well, but it had rarely worked. Instead, he spent less and less time with them and more time with Kagome. Though it had been difficult to adjust to the new schedule, Sango had managed. Kohaku though, had taken a little longer to adjust.

Miroku had started to help the younger boy with his homework, which had helped him adjust to the changes a bit better. Kohaku was once again all smiles and came home each day full of stories about how Miroku had helped him understand the latest math problem or the latest trick for memorizing names and dates.

She knew it was natural for her brother to want to spend more time with Miroku than her, after all, to him she was the overprotective big sister. They shared a closer relationship than most siblings, but Sango knew that Miroku was the closest thing to a male influence Kohaku had. He was the fun older brother who let him get away with anything.

The two spent many an hour plotting against her. Whether it was sneaking up on her or going out of their way to surprise her with bouquets of wildflowers or walking into the apartment to a freshly prepared meal, they had always made it a point to help her lighten up and forget about the stresses of everyday life. It wasn't fair to blame everything on Kagome, but unconsciously she did. The woman was basically stealing her best friend. She had no right to be mad about it, but it did irk her that Kagome was starting to take up all of Miroku's time.

She was so lost in thought that she barely noticed when she finally reached the park. Stopping for a moment, she watched the children near the playground, a smile once again appearing on her face. They were so young and carefree, so happy and full of life. There were times she wished she could act like that again.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of the little boys offer a small flower to a nearby girl who beamed with happiness. Children bought out the best in her. They were so innocent and so easy to please. A quick glance at her watch made her realize that she was running late and she hurried across the park to the area near the fountain. Miroku had once called it their little retreat from the real world. It was gorgeous and had a very soothing effect on her. The constant sound of the water eased her mind and never failed to calm her down.

Searching for Miroku, she frowned when she wasn't able to find him immediately. She knew he was here. He had promised to meet her and told her had good news. There was no way she was mistaken. This was their spot. This was where they came whenever they needed to meet outside of the apartment. He would never lie to her about having to meet here, of all places.

Scanning the area, her eyes landed on a couple who had their backs to her. Her eyes widened as she realized just who the couple was. Miroku and Kagome. It was irrational, deep inside she knew that, but she was hurt that he had even thought of bringing Kagome to this spot. Crumpling the coffee cup in her right hand, she was glad it was empty, though she doubted she would have felt anything had hot coffee spilt on her at this very moment.

He had his arm around her and she was leaning against his shoulder. With each passing moment, she could feel her anger rising. It hurt to know he had brought someone else to their special spot. He pulled Kagome closer, and whispered something in her ear, causing her to laugh. Struggling to control her breathing, she walked forward and threw the cup as hard as she could at the back of Miroku's head. Placing a hand behind his head and wincing, he turned to face her, a questioning look upon his face. "Sango?"

Kagome turned as well, startled. "What?"

Sango clenched her hands into fists. "Why did you tell me to meet you here if you were going to be her? You said it would be just the two of us. Just like old times!" Turning, she didn't even wait for Miroku to try and explain his actions. It had certainly shocked her to see how close the two had become in such a short time. Even her actions had surprised her. Questioning just why she had reacted in such a way, she rushed off, wishing it would be easy to avoid Miroku, but knowing it would be near impossible to do so.

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Miroku turned to Kagome with a sigh. "Somehow, I didn't think she would react quite that badly."

"Miroku, think of where we are. Everything you've told me about this place would imply that it's special to the both of you. I told you it was a bad idea for me to come along." Clasping her hands together, she sighed as well. "What are we going to do now?"

"She's going to do her best to avoid us. And trust me, when she doesn't want to see someone, she goes to great lengths."

"I didn't want it to go like this, Miroku. Now, she probably hates me."

"I honestly don't know what set her off."

"Miroku! She saw us together. Think of what happened before she nailed you with the cup. Who knows how long she was watching us before she actually took action."

"I just wanted to make her jealous enough to actually admit her feelings, not angry."

"We'll fix this somehow. I promise."

"I hope so."

End Prologue