I'm BAAAAACK!!! Just to let you all know, this *IS NOT* the lemon! I got quite a few reviews from readers who aren't too fond of lemony goodness and for the moment, have decided to back off a little on it. I still may write one, but it will be clearly marked. There isn't too much plot to this chapter, but there is a bit of WAFFiliciousness for those of you who may be getting impatient. ^_^

Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter! My goodness! That was a lot of reviews and I really appreciated it!!

Disclaimer: I no own; you no sue.

And, as always, ON WITH THE FIC!!!

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CHAPTER 6: "Gathering Herbs For Kaede"

Miroku's arm nearly came out of the socket as Sango dragged him roughly through the underbrush. Finally, they stopped in a secluded circle of trees.

"And what herbs did Kaede want us to gather exactly?" Miroku asked with a raised eyebrow. Sango turned to face him, her face tinted pink.

"Ah, um…oh, I just remembered, she didn't need us to get them after all." Sango responded lamely. Her eyes darted around, avoiding his gaze. Why oh WHY did I run off with houshi-sama alone?!

"Well, now that you've taken me this far, what ARE you going to do with me?" Miroku asked in a voice feigning innocence. Sango blushed furiously at the obvious double meaning of his question.

"Would you cut that out?!"

"I cannot imagine what you might be referring to."

She turned to face him. The barest hint of a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth but the depth of his amusement at her predicament laughed at her from his eyes. He was challenging her to own up, daring her to try and explain away the previous night's activities. She glared hard at the monk. The tension in the air mounted. How the hell had she allowed herself to be so attracted to such a smirking, perverted, teasing, distracting, handsome—AGH! STOPPIT! Sango shook herself mentally. She'd had enough.

"FINE! I admit it! You caught me!" She yelled, throwing her arms outward in exasperation. "Is that what you want to hear? Are you quite pleased with yourself now, houshi-sama?" She said the honorific title with mocking. "Go on and congratulate yourself, Miroku! One more girl falls at your feet, aren't you happy now?! Even Sango, the great taijiya, was no match for the seductive charms of the infamous Perverted Priest! One more conquest to add to the collection! And this time SHE came to YOU." Sango spun away from him, hot tears stinging her eyes, threatening to fall.

One more conquest? Miroku was stunned. Was that really how Sango thought he saw her? Granted, his initial attraction to the dark-haired beauty had been born of his seemingly-insatiable taste for women, but since their first meeting so long ago, she had become so much more to him than that. Her strength, her bravery, her noble, unyielding spirit, intermixed with glimpses of momentary fragility…never had any woman intoxicated his senses with such an arsenal of inner beauty. She was a respected friend and comrade, and, up until last night, Miroku thought that he in turn would never be anything more to her than that. Never even in his wildest fantasies had he imagined that she could possibly harbor feelings for him that went beyond platonic friendship. Then again, he thought with a chagrin, my wildest fantasies never really involved much in the way of conversation…

"…just because I'm the only recognizable female within groping distance…"

Miroku jerked his head up, realizing that Sango had continued on while he was lost in his thoughts.

"…except for Kagome, but you know Inuyasha would rip your arm off if you touched her…and I might too for that matter…" Sango babbled on, her worries and feelings laid bare, half-forgetting that Miroku was standing behind her.

"Sango."

She stopped, mid-sentence, shaken out of her miserable confession by the monk's low voice. Baka. She cursed herself inwardly, Now you've done it. You've made a fool of yourself. What's happened to you, Sango? Since when did you lose control? Stammering and getting teary-eyed over a male…over Miroku…Admit it, this time, you've really gone off the deep end. He is completely in the right. You forced yourself on him, took advantage of him. How could you give in so easily when he clearly doesn't want you? I don't think it's a coincidence that he's never asked you to bear his child... She turned slowly to face him again. Reigning in her emotions and forcing herself to be calm, she straightened her shoulders and raised her eyes to his.

"I am sorry, Miroku-sama. I am sorry for forcing myself upon you, for taking advantage of you while you slept." She blushed faintly, and looked to the ground.

Miroku was taken aback by the sudden formality of her address. "Sango…you are so much more."

She looked up at him, confused. Suddenly understanding registered, and she bowed her head in humiliation. "I know…I know that it was low of me to lose control, to give in so easily to my desires…I am so sorry."

"No."

Sango reeled with shock as she felt the monk's arms go around her. Stunned, she remained motionless, her cheek pressed into his shoulder.

"You are so much more," Miroku said again, "so much more than a conquest." He cradled her head against him, slowly draggin his fingers through her hair.

Sango's eyes widened at the monk's words and his sudden embrace. "N-nani?" she murmured, half-hoping, half-fearing his response.

Miroku drew back, resting his hands lightly on her shoulders. He gazed down at her, entranced. Sango, the strong, capable female warrior, the comrade whom he proudly fought alongside, was staring up at him with eyes full of unguarded emotion, defenseless and open, vulnerable and hoping, her armor gone and forgotten. A possessive thrill shuddered through him at the knowledge that he was the cause of the aching sweetness in her eyes.

"Look at me." He tilted her chin up with a gentle caress. He opened his mouth slightly, but no words would come. Sango regarded him with uncertainty, distracted and intoxicated by his nearness, remembering visions of the previous evening.

"Miroku—mmh!"

His mouth descended on hers, silencing her. His eyes remained open, watching her face, but as she unconsciously moved her lips against his, his lids drifted down, closing in pleasure. Her own shock faded away as the sensation of Miroku's lips on hers overwhelmed her senses. One hand cradled the back of her head while the other drifted to her back, crushing her to his chest. Her arms snaked up around his neck, her fingers burying themselves in his thick hair. Slowly, he grazed his tongue along her lower lip, begging entrance. Hesitantly, she assented, her mind reeling at the feelings burning inside her. Her lips parted, and she shyly met his tongue with hers.

Miroku groaned deep in his throat at the deepened intimacy of the kiss. Nothing Sango had done last night could compare to the searing heat of this mutual act. She was open, and willing, and unresisting, sagging against him weakly, her fingers twined in his hair. Slowly, he drew one hand along her side, moving upward, splaying his fingers over one breast, drawing a slow circle around the peak with his thumb. Sango broke the kiss abruptly, gasping. He immediately dropped his hand. She looked up at him with an unreadable expression in her passion-glazed eyes.

"Hentai." Her voice was low. Miroku's gaze dropped to the ground, awaiting the blow he knew was coming.

But instead of striking him, Sango emitted a throaty chuckle. Before he could react, the monk felt her take hold of his offending hand, bringing it up to her face and kissing the inside of his palm. "Hentai," she said again with smirk, looking up at him with sultry, half-lidded eyes.

 Miroku's eyes widened in disbelief as she pressed his hand into her neck, then moved it downward, placing his hand back on her breast. She pulled his face to hers, capturing his lips again, moving up on her toes and pushing into him so that his hand was crushed against her chest.

Miroku smiled against her lips.

A/N: OK, So I'm still debating on how steamy the next chapter is gonna get. This is my first fic after all, and I'd rather not have it deleted by the censors. But, as always, R&R and let me know what you guys think!