Author's Note: Ha! I'm back again! As it says in my bio I never sleep, and this leaves someone with a remarkable amount of time to write… ^_^ And torture her readers. *Evil Grin*

Chapter Three

Sweet Misery

Sango's eyes snapped with as mach force as she put into slapping Miroku, but her body didn't even flinch. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself chanting, "It was just a dream, it was just a dream, it was just a dream…" in her head like a mantra until her heart had stopped it's frantic assault on her ribcage. She had just been gathering herself when a peculiar fragrance hit her nose…

She turned in her sleeping bad to face the center of the camp. Miroku has brought the fire back to life and was cooking little crescent shaped pastry's over them. What had Kagome called them… Croissants? Yes that was it. A uniquely genuine smile played across her lips as Miroku diligently turned their breakfast, watching it diligently so it didn't burn. Just the sight of him calmly helping out his friends banished all thoughts of the dream from her mind.

It had to be the hovering glow of sleep, but for this one moment…she was at peace. There was nothing but the sweet smell of breakfast, the steady breathing of her sleeping friends, and… Wait a second… where did he go…? In her moment's distraction the monk had moved from his position over the fire. She couldn't see him anywhere from her current position… that could mean only one thing…

*SMACK!*

Reeling to the ground with the superhuman force of the blow Miroku just barely managed to keep the small bundle of cloth in his hand. "Morning Sango," Said Miroku a little less cheerfully then he'd intended. You think she'd wait until he'd had the chance to touch her. He'd need to develop more stealth like tactics… the demon huntress was getting eyes in the back of her head.'

"Lecher!" was the only low growl of a reply he received.

"Breakfast." He replied simply decide ding if he broke the mono-word conversation Sango would fulfill all the deadly tortures her eyes were sending him. He had to bite his lip to keep from grinning. She really was beautiful when she was angry.

Sango nodded her thanks but still would not address him. She unwrapped her croissant and ate it in little finger-fulls at a time, trying to make it last as long as possible. Her mother had always made them warm breakfasts when her village was still alive, it was a small reminder of home.

As Miroku went to fetch everyone a glass of water he Noticed Kagome was just climbing out of her sleeping bag and as Inuyasha passed her she slipped something into his hand. Miroku arched a single black brow at this. Kagome's sleep laced voice replied, "We had a bet how many times she'd slap you first thing in the morning." She explained nonchalantly.

Miroku sweat roped at that comment. Sango's and his…antics weren't that predictable… were they? Shrugging it off he set out on his original intention of getting the drinks.

*~Later that day~*

The group had been in silence for a good ten minutes now. Every member deep in their own thoughts. It normally didn't bother them that much, the silence. They were comfortable just being with each other until someone came up with another subject of discussion, or one of the guys had be driven into the ground adding yet another number to the endless sum. Just now, however, Sango was a little on edge.

With Kagome reporting no Shikon Jewel shards anywhere near here, and a serious lack of anything else to do but wander blindly, they were making their way to yet another village. And Houshi-sama had hardly said anything the whole way. He looked deep in thought, definitely very troubled. Almost like he was having an internal argument with himself. But… what could it possibly be about?

Sango's thoughts were only interrupted at the sound of many voices not too far away. Everyone in the group seemed to come out of whatever daze they were in and look at each other perplexed. They all speeded up in the hopes of discovering exactly what was around the corner. Much to their shock it looked as though a whole village had up and decided to relocate. Bearly walking, stunned to the point of paralysis the group took in the sight. Men, Women, children of many different ages and great numbers over swarmed the road for a very good distance.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Inuyasha so eloquently piped up. Of course every single conversation stopped, every person turned their head, and every single person was glaring at them in suspicion. The other three members of the group sweat-dropped repeatedly and Kagome was just forming the word, "SIT!" when a couple made their way towards them through the crowd. The people graciously parted for them, bowing their heads slightly in respect. "They must be the leaders," Kagome whispered uneasily. Why was it she was either running or fighting half the time. What killed her was those awkward moments of not knowing. Was the mass before them friend of foe?

"Welcome," said the man stepping forward. His hair was completely gray but it could be clearly seen the fire had not escaped his pale blue eyes. "My name is Mikoto, one of the village elders. We are the village people of Comstara," he added with a slight bow.

"I apologize for our ragged appearances," the women piped in, "You see we had to flee our village in quite a hurry and now seek a place to rebuild." She too had gray hair, with tints of what must have once been a brilliant auburn brown and dark green eyes equal in beauty to her husbands.

Before anyone else could utter greetings Sango took a shaky step forward, bearly restraining herself. "H-how was your village destroyed?" she asked in a choked whisper. There wasn't the slightest hint of the tears that were burning to fall from her eyes.

The two village elders regarded her seriously for a moment before answering. Obviously in agreement that there would be no other reason to leave the village unless it was destroyed, and that this was a subject the girl was passionate about… for her own reasons. "Fire," the woman said at last her deep green eyes locking with Sango's. There was an unspoken understanding between them.

There was a small moment of silence before another villager spoke up. He was obviously the outgoing oddball of the bunch. His sandy brown hair fell just slightly longer than Miroku's and his eyes were a shimmering gray. "Ikita, let them journey with us for a while! You always said it was best to stick together when traveling!" The elder woman gave a slight nod of her head then turned to the strangers with a warm smile. "Yes, please join us. It would be safer for each of our groups if we were united."

If any of the village members had any objections they kept them to themselves. Yes this woman and her family were definitely the leaders of the village.

Kagome was very touched by the offer and was about to accept humbly when Inuyasha had to open his big mouth. "Actually we…" tired out of her mind from sitting him so much Kagome lunged for him and covered his mouth hoping the different method of getting him to shut up might me a potent enough memory for him to think about what he said next time. Unfortunately it wasn't until her hand had clasped firmly over his mouth that she realized the force she'd jumped with. They were both ill-positioned to handle it.

*THUD!*

They both came crashing to the ground on top of one another, a most suggestive position neh? Each one, startled but not hurt gently moved to get up and met one astounded gaze to another. They were vaguely aware of the many stares shooting in their direction at that moment, and very acutely aware of how suddenly it had become hard to breath. Both were wondering how long this would last, knowing it wouldn't be that long, and, in the deepest part of themselves, wishing it could be longer. That was when Miroku stepped forward and cleared his throat. Both Miko and hanyou embarrassed enough for a good long while abruptly climbed off each other somewhat competing for who could do the best job of matching the red of Inuyasha's Kimono.

"We would be more than happy to join your group for a time." Miroku said, being eloquent for once in his life, Sango thought with a ghost of a smile. "And I consider it my responsibility to inform you that a dar-" She spoke to soon. As soon as she heard the beginning of the 'dark could' routine she strode right up to Miroku and dragged him away from the poor confused village leaders by his ear.

Ikita gave the group of strangers a knowing smile. Having had a hand in raising almost every child in the village she was able to tell a good bunch when she saw them. She reached out and shook Miroku's hand to seal their new alliance.

The rest of the day was a blur of names, faces, life stories, and overall life stories. All of them had a great deal of fun. Out of all the names they learned they never got the right one with he right face except for Mikoto and Ikita. This of course gave way to much laughter, switching of names and general mind games on the poor new comers. Even Inuyasha smiled… a little. Kagome, being the only one to witness it of course, knew it was his deep imbeded soft spot for humans. Everyone felt truly blessed to have this reminder that some good things still survived in this age of pain and war.

Sango was especially comported to discover that, because of the quick thinking of the elders, not a single life had been lost by the runaway cooking fire. When she received that news Miroku could practically see the weight coming off her shoulders. She sighed in relief and truly smiled, something she rarely did. It brought him unspeakable joy to see that look on her face.

As the day wore on and time to set up camp came about the villagers started setting up for a spontaneous little festival celebrating the newcomers and their own lives in general. The new comers were more than happy to help and shockingly the Hanyou volunteered to do a lot of the heavy labor work for the villagers. There were few left un astounded by how quickly the tents were raised and the essentials unpacked; because of his help, and still grumpy masking attitude.

It was just about Dusk when the fires were lit, the food began to cook, and whatever musicians that could be found joined together in lively melodies. Dancing, apparently was second on the agenda only to food, and although she received many offers as she walked through the encampment, Kagome politely declined them all. There was a very certain someone she wanted to talk to.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome called out to him when he was done helping. He was leaning against an unused tent pole driven deep into the ground for safe keeping.

"Feh! What to you want wench?" Was his gruff reply.

Kagome was used to his attitude and simply pushed it aside. "I'm very proud of you for helping the villagers today." She said softly, with a blush that the nearby bonfires were not entirely responsible for.

"Inuyasha looked at her, still slightly aloof, but definitely interested in hearing what else she had to say. What happened next was quite unexpected.

Without any warning whatsoever Kagome stepped forward and threw her arms around Inuyasha's neck. His eyes went wide with shock and he swore his heart faltered in its usually steady rhythm. "Kagome…" he breathed looking down at her in astonishment.

"You can be such a jerk sometimes Inuyasha, but today you were really sweet. I wish you could be this way more often… For whatever brought it on… thank you."

A soft smile surprisingly found it's way to the Hanyou's lips. In a rare moment of caring he wrapped his arms around Kagome, running his clawed hand through her hair, returning the embrace. Not needing any words the two of them stayed there together, swaying ever so slightly to the music, enjoying each others company as friends… for now.

~~~

Sango spend a great part of the evening admiring the dancers from the edge of the dance space. There was something about these village people that made the longing for her own village more intense, but not in a bad way. She missed the closeness of a village. Everyone new your name, every event held was like one big family. That's what she wanted out of life, once Naraku was destroyed. To find peace in a village, in a family of her own. Even if it was just wishfull thinking…

~~~

Miroku spent a great deal of his time one the other side of 'dance area'. Mostly he was eating, dancing, or being his good old lecherous self. He'd been slapped a few times, but none of them compared to Sango's fiery temper. Upon thinking of her he turned to locate her in the crowd. He'd noticed her a few times, on and off, during the course of thieving. She ate, talked a little, every so often during a group dance, or a dance that didn't require partners she'd join in, but never took on a partner. He couldn't help but see straight into her lonely expression as she hovered at the 'dance area's' edge. He started a few times, arguing to himself on the best way to cheer her up, or at least make her feel less lonely.

*SMACK*

Ok, so maybe old habits weren't the best way to get on her good side. Rubbing his most recent hand printed cheek Miroku grinned up at her whole heartedly. "Have you been enjoying yourself Sango?"

She growled and him under her breath, probably cursing him to the seven hells, but she did give a slight nod.

With a wistful sigh Miroku rose to stand beside her, watching the dancers. When he heard the song coming to an end he, in a non-lecherous manner, extended his hand to Sango. Sango looked up at him with narrowed gaze of great suspicion. There was absolutely no trust. It pained him a little.. a lot actually, but it didn't deter him from his goal. "Would you like to dance?" He prompted.

At this remark Sango's eyes Narrowed down even further, into her are-you-kidding-me? glare. Miroku held his hand up in a surrender position. "I swear I'll be on my best behavior," he promised in a very serious tone. But it wasn't his tone that convinced her… he'd used it to lie to other women before… it was the look in his eyes. When she glared at him… there was a flash of real hurt in them. Cautiously she accepted his hand and they made there way out onto the dance floor. There was a brief pause, and the next song began.

It was a dance they both knew very well on many levels. A fast paced song closely resembling the tango in rhythm, beat, and proper method of dancing. She advance, and he retreated; he advanced, and he retreated. They came breathlessly close for the smallest measurement of time then pulled apart again just as quickly as they'd come together. Rapid movements, back and forth, never settling down. As the dance came to it's high point they dominated the dance area. Everyone else had stepped back to the edges of the dance area to admire the dance. Even Kagome and Inuyasha, who'd been quietly talking, in their own world, for the entire evening, stopped to pay their respect to the skill of the dance.

In their eyes Kagome could see many changing emotions. Passion, desire, love, rejection, sadness, it was all there. This Tango like ritual was much more then a simple dance. It was their very existence. Advancing, receding, getting close, never getting close enough. Sango felt that energy pang hit her hard again. The music crested and their motions became more forceful, more desperate, begging the dance to end. They were tired of it, they wanted it to stop. It was their blessing, their curse, a sweet misery.

The dance ended at last, as it was destined to do, and they stood by each other a little short of breath with the effort of the exertion. The villagers, in great admiration, burst out into a large round of applause. They shared a smile laced with sadness and took their bows.

They walked away from the area, to let the regular dancing continue, hand in hand. Sango had just begun to think about how she didn't regret accepting Houshi-sama's offer for the dance, even with the mix of emotions it had inspired, when suddenly…

*SMACK!*

"LECHER!"

Miroku grinned a little. It was his last time for the day, but he couldn't resist just one more. "You are hopeless Houshi-sama!" Sango sighed in agitation.

"Only hopelessly drawn to the ladies," He said with another grin.

Sango shook her head at his predictability. "Well you can stay here and admire the ladies, but I'm going to see Kagome and Inuyasha." she turned to do just that when a wave of dizziness swept through her accompanied by the oddest tingling sensation. She struggled for balance but could find non of her own. She now wished only for a gentle landing. She braced herself… but all the came into contact with was a pair of strong arms holding her up. Her dizziness subsided and her vision cleared. As he scooped her up into his arms Sango could clearly see the face of her rescuer. "Houshi-sama?" She questioned in a sleep laced voice.

"You still haven't gotten enough rest… have you?" he questioned. She could only nod in response. It had been sometime around three when… when he'd tucked her in… *Blush* and sometime around seven when she woke up.

"I think you should try to get as much sleep as possible tonight," He said softly walking towards their groups tent. Sango would've protested if another wave of dizziness hadn't overcome her and forced her to lean her head onto Miroku's shoulder with a sigh.

Miroku looked down at her with immense worry. Sango had NEVER had dizzy spells before. The lack of sleep was really starting to effect her. He prayed to Kamie that whatever kept her up would cease and she would be at peace again.

Soundlessly he crept towards the darkest corner of the encampment, another summer breeze sweeping over them, like the other night… he closed his eyes to the wind and sighed. He would give anything for just one night to be free of his curse and… even if it meant his death in the morning… He paused by their tent and looked down at Sango. She was already asleep. He smiled and placed a pure kiss on her forehead before making his way into the tent. As gently as he could he laid her down on her bedding. A contented sigh/moan escaped her as he pulled up her blankets for the second night in a row. He was sensing a pattern, but he didn't mind. He'd be there for her in any way that his could, for as long as he could… however long that he could. Her sigh tugged at his heart and he was unable to control his next action. His hand reached out and…

Gently caressed her face, smoothing away her bangs. He gazed at her sleeping form as if in a trance… it was like she was pulling it in. Halfway into leaning down he mentally kicked himself. Even if she did feel something towards him, which she most assuredly did not, it could never be. She could not get attached to him, he would not cause her that pain… he… no.. he couldn't get attached to her either. For the sake of both their souls… things couldn't change… "You must never care for my Sango… he whispered through unshed tears… "It can never be… If I had the strength I would leave you forever right now…" *thinking* 'but I just can't go through one day without seeing your face…'

With a smile so painfully sad it could break your heart he stood, walked to the other side of the tent, and took his usually sleeping position, leaning against a pole…

~~~

Much like coma patients can sometimes hear those who gather around their bedside to wish them well, so to can the sleeping have their subconscious penetrated by those who talk to them without meaning too.

It had been that dream again. Miroku.. Holding her in his arms… so peaceful.. And then he spoke… "You must never care for my Sango… It can never be… I will leave you forever right now…"

"Houshi-sama?" She forced through an ocean of tears about to fall. But they were words on deaf ears. He simply released her and walked off into the distance. She ran after him… calling.. Calling with all her heart, but he was gone… her soul was screaming and she couldn't even begin to relive the pain… She fell to her knees it a cry of anguish. When the sun rose without him… would their still be a point…

"You can prevent this heartache Sango…" said a silvery, powerful voice from somewhere in the void of her sub conscious. "Just… be mine…" That was when the figure revealed itself to her. Dream or no dream his power was real, his request was honest, and she could accept it… if driven too far…