Author's Notes: A Sango X Miroku love story. I'm an all-out Inu/Kag fan, and all I thought I could write was about that hot-headed couple. But then a shot of inspiration ran through me, and I just couldn't keep this in my head forever, and had to type it out. Ok…don't kill me for starting another story….I know I have to finish my other ones…..but this will do for now, right? Heh he…..

Summary: A Sango X Miroku love story. Sango manages to cope with her difficult life. But when the death of her only family member comes to reality, all she could do was run……into the arms of the one man she loves.

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time can not erase

- My Immortal, Evanescence

Revised: 5/7/04

Inerasable Scars

By Kaiyouu

Part One: An Abysmal Experience

Sango felt all fresh and renewed. She just had a long workout at the nearby dojo. Every time she works out, she vents all of her frustration to the punching bags. Her magnificent aptitude at martial arts was put to good use. It may seem like a very aggressive behavior, but she had to make it all go away, at least for a little while. Everyone would want to get away from reality sometime.

She tied her hair into a high ponytail hastily and grabbed her keys as she exited her apartment. She walked to the nearby grocery store as she grabbed some treats and paid for them at the counter. She started her car as she punched the digits on her cell phone and brought it to her ear.

"Miroku Yamamoto here…"

"Miroku--" She started as she felt herself cut off in place of the recorded voice.

"---I am currently not available. Please leave a message and an accessible number where I can reach you at a more respectable time. However, if you're the lady of my dreams named Sango-chan…" She clicked to end the call as she smiled. That Miroku, he was going to get himself in trouble from his boss at work with a message like that.

She decided to call him later and drove off to the direction of the hospital.

She felt herself tense as the smell of alcohol and antibiotics reached her nose. Even though this was not the first time, unforgettable, yet unwanted memories flooded through her mind once again.

This very same unnerving smell was present when she talked to her father for the very last time. Her father had passed away after a failed surgery. This time, her younger brother Kohaku was undergoing the same surgery conditions, only that he still kept strong.

She lost her only other parent at an age so young that she couldn't even walk yet. Her mother had died of an incurable sickness. The only one left was her brother Kohaku. A middle aged woman decided to take her and Kohaku in and took care of them for some time. The woman taught Sango martial arts at the dojo. Kohaku had respiratory problems and couldn't participate in those activities as often as her sister could.

Finally, when Sango was of age, the woman let those two go off on their own. The woman wasn't exactly what you would call a mother, but more of an older friend. They left each other with remorse and went on with their own lives.

The hospital brought her painful memories. She didn't think she could bare it all the time. She put up a strong front. However, on the inside, she was hurting over and over again. She had fed herself lies that Kohaku was going to live through it and possibly live longer than her.

But that wishful thinking got out of the way as she saw reality once again. Kohaku was dying. He was still acting normally and cheerfully. But his physical appearance told her otherwise. His face was pale and didn't have the rosy tints to his cheeks like he usually had. Even Kohaku himself knew he was dying soon.

She knew that Kohaku wasn't afraid of dying. But she was scared. She was scared of him leaving her. She didn't want to be all alone. She was going to face the pain of seeing another one of her loved ones leave her. And she didn't want that to happen again.

She walked through the white corridors to find her destination. A familiar room crept into view. Then she stopped abruptly. Something was wrong. Fear seized her stomach like a cramp. Her eyes widened in horror. No, it couldn't be.

Kohaku's room was filled with doctors and nurses. Nurses scrambled about for the right equipment as the doctor hastily checked the boy's fading pulse. The doctor pushed the two pads onto Kohaku's chest. His body flung upwards from the force of the shock, then hung limply. The doctor yelled to the nurse to bring the machine a notch higher as he brought the pads onto his unresponsive body once again.

Unshed tears were brimming at her eyes.

No.

She watched helplessly as her brother's body hung limp every time he got shocked. The doctor then nodded his head softly as the line on the machine went straight indicating that the patient had no pulse left. He looked at his watch and told the nurse to record the time of the young boy's death.

No.

This couldn't be happening. She didn't' even get to see his face one last time in his blissful sleep, on how he looked when he was oblivious to the world. She was scared that every time he slept, he might slip away. She had that fear everyday. And now her nightmare came to life. He was going to sleep……forever.

The doctor came out when he saw the young woman staring without any emotion at Kohaku's lifeless body. "Miss, I'm sorry to say he's gone. Nothing could've saved him. I'm sorry. He was slipping away every day, but he stayed strong and managed to reside in the living a couple more weeks then we have anticipated."

She shook her head forcefully. "Of course he was going to live! Don't expect that he was going to die! You doctors make me sick!"

"Miss…." The doctor stepped forward with a reassuring hand, but stopped when Sango hissed menacingly.

"No, I refuse to believe he's gone just like that!" She cried out in a strained voice as tears profusely rolled down her cheeks. Her lips were pursed tightly into a frown.

She jerkily turned to the opposite direction and ran off to the stairs which led to the exit of the hospital. She needed to get away from what the doctor had said. She needed to get away from everything.

She continued running, regardless of the pouring rain slapping against her. The liquid water had soaked her and made the clothing clung to her like a second skin. But she didn't care. She felt oblivious to everything as she focused on the doctor's words. They kept ringing in her ears over and over again.

"I'm sorry to say he's gone. Nothing could've saved him. I'm sorry."

Nothing could've saved him.

I'm sorry.

Sango closed her eyes tightly and ran as hard as she could. She had no idea on where exactly she was running to. But right now, she didn't care. It wasn't fair. He was too young to die. He was only at a tender age of fourteen.

It wasn't fair.

She slowed down as chest fluctuated up and down. She could hear her breathing come out in heavy pants. She had come to a stop right in front of her apartment, but she didn't notice. Her hand closed into a tight fist and banged it against the cool, hard wall. "It's not fair!" She choked out.

"You're supposed to save him!" Her voice was cracked. She slowly slid down onto the ground. She started sobbing as fresh tears mixed with the rainwater. Her mascara was smeared messily from the rain and her tears.

She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to be all alone again. She brought her fist against the cool cement once again as she thought of her own selfishness. She hugged herself, not caring that her knuckles were red and bleeding from the force of the impact against the solid surface.

She knew that nothing could save him anymore. So shouldn't she be more grateful that he didn't have to face any more pain? He was free from the harsh and cruel world, while she was stuck by herself.

She felt her insides ache from the running. Her heart felt shattered. It felt like it was shattered to many little pieces and no one could pick them all up to put them back altogether again. "I-I'm all alone again……….there's no one else………."

"But you have me."

Sango felt someone hover over her as a familiar deep masculine voice rung through her ears. She turned around and immediately recognized who he was. She flung herself at him as she continued crying abundantly. He embraced her despite the fact that he was getting soaked as well.

"Shhhh Sango, tell me what's wrong. It's not everyday you see a strong woman breaking down like this." Although he knew what had happened, it would be better if she told him herself. He would help her through it. He may have not been there for her when she was young, but now he would.

"Oh Miroku, it's K-kohaku, he's gone…" He embraced her, hoping that it would console her for the time being. They needed to get out of the rain or they'll get sick. A sick Sango undergoing a deep depression wouldn't be too good.

He carried her bridal style to the apartment that they shared. As he got to their floor on the elevator, he fumbled for his keys in his pocket, while trying to keep Sango in his arms. He searched for the right key besides the key chains and all the other different shaped keys. He inserted the correct key into the keyhole, turned, and pushed. He closed the door behind him as he carried a half-sleeping Sango to her room.

"Change out of your clothes. You'll get sick if you don't." Sango didn't have the strength to argue back that she wouldn't get sick that easily, so she just obeyed and stripped herself as Miroku walked out closing the door behind him.

He went to his own room and changed himself. He went out to the living room as he sat himself lazily on the couch and exhaled a big breath. Sango came out a minute later in a light pink robe with a small towel on her head.

Miroku opened his arms wide as she sat on his lap eagerly. He helped her dry her hair and used it to dry his own. He settled the towel down on the coffee table as he just sat contently with her.

Then Miroku become aware of something he failed to notice before. He brought Sango's right hand to his face. Her knuckles were red and swollen. Blood was still seeping out from the damaged skin. She winced as he touched the wounds lightly with his fingertip. Her wounds were still fresh.

He got up soundlessly from the couch and brought the delicate woman in his arms to the bathroom. She made a small sound of protest but didn't do anything further when he didn't respond.

When they reached the bathroom, he laid her on the soft, fluffy toilet lid. He took the first aid kit and placed it next to him as he went down on his knees for more support. The first aid kit was quite bigger than the usual small one since Sango always seemed to have injuries which vary from nicks and cuts to long gashes caused by dangerous katanas.

Miroku dabbed some alcohol on her knuckles as she winced and bit her bottom lip from the noxious feeling. The stinging effect soon faded away as Miroku put bandages around her palm and knuckles.

"A-arigato Miroku."

"Aiya Sango. You always get hurt no matter what the occasion is. When can I ever leave you alone?" He said in a playful voice. She didn't answer him.

He sighed inwardly as he brought her to the living room again. Sango sat comfortably on Miroku's lap as neither one spoke.

Miroku decided to break the uncomfortable silence. "Hey, do you want to talk about it?" Sango snuggled closer to his chest as she hesitantly nodded. Then she spoke in a dry, low voice. "Kohaku……..was a strong boy. He wasn't afraid to die. But I was scared of him leaving me. I didn't want to be alone anymore." She started sobbing again as fresh new tears strolled down her face. Miroku rocked her gently and used his thumb to wipe the salty tears away from her blotchy red eyes.

"You forget that I'm still here, love." Sango managed to give him a warm smile despite her tear-streamed face. "Of course, you're here. It's just that Kohaku was my only family left…" She choked out as she frowned again.

"I understand, but just know that I'm here for you and always will be. Got that?" He lifted her chin up and she nodded warmly.

Kohaku was a big part of her life. Therefore the loss of Kohaku was a great blow to her. She needed time to grieve for her brother's death. He had planned to propose to her sometime next month. But that wouldn't be fair to her. She needed time. And he would wait.

He would wait for her.

Ring ring. Ring ring.

"Moshi moshi, Kagome Higurashi speaking." A chirpy, vivacious voice from the other line could be heard.

"Kagome…" He didn't get to finish his sentence as the voice cut him off.

"Ah, Miroku-sama! So good to talk to you. It's been awhile. How are you and Sango-chan?"

"I'm fine. It's just….Kohaku. He…."

There was a slight pause. Then, "Oh my gosh, is Sango-chan alright? How is she? Do you need me to come over?" The extremely happy voice awhile ago changed to an overprotective best friend-mode kind of voice.

"It's alright Kagome-sama. She's sleeping right now. She just needs some time to herself for now. But if you have time, do you think you can come sometime tomorrow and see her? I think some female company would do. A male like me don't exactly have the skills to heal her completely."

"Of course I have time. Anything for Sango-chan. And Miroku-sama, can you please drop the sama and just call me Kagome? We've known each other for two years now. Surely, you can drop the formalities."

He chuckled. "I will if you do the same for my name, Kagome."

"Alright Miroku." Then a gruff voice was heard over the line. "Oi Kagome, who are you talking to that's making you so yippy and giggly?" A loud painful cry was followed afterward. "Oi, what'd you have to go and do that for?!"

"Sorry Miroku. That was just an insensitive, rude puppy. -- Hey who you calling a puppy?!-"

He smiled. Those two always did have a weird way of showing their love for one another. "I won't bother you two for now. Goodbye Kagome." He put the phone on its receiver before Kagome could respond.

As he walked to the kitchen, he stopped by her bedroom and peeked inside. She was sleeping soundly and had a tranquil look on her face although evidence of her tears still marked her features. She was unmindful of the world and that takes a whole lot off her shoulders. He closed the door silently and made his way to the kitchen.

He took out a can of beer from the fridge. A can or two wouldn't get him drunk. He snapped open the can as he poured the drink down his mouth and made a sound of contentment that said that it satisfied his thirst.

He started to think. Thinking wasn't very good for a person's mind. But he needed it right now. Sango is actually a very fragile person. She may appear to be all tough and make people think that nothing can bring her down. But deep inside, she was hurting. He knew what she was going through.

It's hard dealing with life. He had to go through a similar process that of Sango's. His young mother had died from cancer when he was only six. She was truly a parent to Miroku, so he had gone into depression when he learned that he could no longer see his mother anymore.

His father was a bit more of a different case. He had run off with another woman not too long after his mother passed away. He had to live with his uncle, Mushin. His uncle wasn't exactly a bad caretaker. The major flaw in him was that he was a drunkard. All he did was drink, drink and drink. And not to mention, sleep.

But he taught Miroku the good and bad things in life. He told Miroku that his father abandoned him 'cause the old fool couldn't take care of his only son and wanted to travel around. Miroku knew that Mushin wasn't telling the truth and that he only wanted the best for him. He knew that his father ran away with another woman.

He didn't loath his father though. Even though he abandoned him to Mushin, he didn't hate him. But then he doesn't call refer to him as 'father' no more. He refers to him with his first name instead.

Mushin took care of Miroku until he was old enough to go on his own. By that time, Mushin was old. He became bald and fatter. And he became sick with a disease. He still drinks even though the doctor told him otherwise.

His life had been hell. But now Sango entered his life. She made him forget about his own foul experiences and all he could think about was her.

They had been dating for over two years now. Ever since he first laid eyes on her at college, he could never take them away from her. Let's just say he was quite a player at that time and was blatant about his playboy manifestation and antics. Sango was the type to avoid people like him, but that made him attracted to her all the same. And he never laid another bad hand on another woman but Sango.

He used all his charms on her. It was difficult. But he liked a challenge. She was untouched by his looks and words.

He wondered on how she could've put such a strong exterior. She had built a shield around herself. His heart ached when she heard her words to tell him to stay away from her.

Flashback

"Just stay away from me. I will never be your girlfriend. Men like you, love to break hearts!" She cried out. Then she lowered her voice. "And my heart can't take any more pain than it had already now…." She put a hand to her mouth abruptly as she stopped herself.

"I said too much…just go away!" She ran away from him as he stood still. She had the very same sadness in her eyes when he had first saw her.

End flashback

But that didn't stop him from being with her. He wanted to know what was actually causing her so much pain.

One day, he managed to bet with her and her stubborn pride. And in the end, she lost. Of course, she didn't think he would've won, or she would've have never bet in the first place. She had promised that if he won, she would give him a chance. A chance to win her heart.

That night, he took her out to dinner and swept her away with his manly charms. By the way she had blushed prettily multiple times during that evening, it didn't seem she hated him as she had said.

She allowed him to take her out on dates, go to movies, take her out for a nice stroll in the beach, and all that romantic stuff. She had loved it. He had seen it in her eyes. He memorized the way the magenta pools of her eyes had seemed to glitter from happiness. And he was happy too. He couldn't be any happier.

After one year and a half of dating, she had finally agreed letting him move in with her, paying in his half of the share. Living with the love of his life was wonderful. He got to see her every morning and night. And she would appear in his mind too often when he was at work.

He was having a content life. And he planned to leave it that way.

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone

And though you're still with me

I've been alone all along

Author's Note: This is when I ask the loving readers to review. Review! It means so much to me on how you think about it. Review! I revised this a bit. But I think I still need a beta reader for this…Oh yea, by the way, review please!