Chapter 20

"Oi, when are they coming back?" asked a sullen fox child. Shippo sat in Sango's lap next to the fire.

Sango and Miroku looked over at the massive maze, both a little worried for their friends.

"They most likely won't be back until morning. Normally if they had lost one of the tests that person would have been booted back here. So I believe they are at the center……on their honeymoon….I believe." The old man told the three sitting across from him. He poked the fire with a stick, stirring some embers up into the night air.

Sango and Miroku looked to each other, both with wide eyes, except Sango had a slight blush while Miroku had a huge grin. Shippo just looked between the two inquisitively.

"What does he mean?" Shippo asked innocently.

Sango and Miroku sweat dropped and looked at the waiting kitsune nervously. Miroku cleared his throat and struck a very serious pose. "Do you remember how your oka-san and otou-san would be together a lot, and sleep together at night?"

"Hai!"

"Well, when Kagome and Inuyasha return, they're gonna be like that from now on. And I doubt Inuyasha will let you sleep with Kagome anymore." Miroku told the little fox child. He noticed Shippo's sullen expression and felt sorry for the little kid. "Look on the bright side…..They'll probably fight less…..You can always sleep next to one of us or you can try to act older and sleep by yourself."

Shippo looked up at Miroku with sad eyes but nodded anyway. "I understand and it's ok….I expected this day to come, I just didn't want it to."

"You are a very smart child for your age….Your parents must be proud." After the old man spoke everyone became silent, not knowing what to say. "Or should I assume the hanyou couple are your adopted parents, kitsune?"

Shippo looked up at the old man, a bit of wonder I his expression. "Hai, I guess they are. Kagome is a great mother to me too, but Inuyasha ……. He's another story." Shippo glared at the fire as if he was staring at Inuyasha himself.

"Have you thought about the situation surrounding them." When the old man noticed all three were looking at him inquisitively, he continued. "Your Kagome was raised around a little brother, so she knows what to do around a child. While Inuyasha was left with nobody and had to fend for himself. He's not use to children hanging around him so he doesn't know how to act…..Give him time I'm sure he'll grow into this parenting thing." The old man gave a faint smile then looked into the fire once again.

Shippo looked between Miroku, Sango, and the old man, then he let out a big yawn. "I hope he starts…..acting like a father…….soon." The tired kitsune barely got his sentence out before he fell asleep in Sango's lap.

"Poor Shippo, must have been a trying day for him." Sango stroked the kits tail a few times then moved him carefully onto Kagome's sleeping bag.

Miroku watched how gently Sango tended to the child and felt a heat spread over his chest. As Sango tucked Shippo under the covers, Miroku's heartbeat sped up. "Ano…..Sango…I was….-" Miroku was cut off by two loud animalistic howls.

"What the?" Sango was on the defensive. She grab Hiraikotsu and looked around for an attacker.

Miroku started laughing uncontrollably. He heard Sango question him a few times but he couldn't stop. He soon found himself knocked from the stump backwards into the ground, a rather upset exterminator straddling him. Seeing and feeling this, he sobered up real quick. He now lay on the ground staring up into her angry brown eyes, fighting back the urge to grope her and decided to revel in the feel of her above him.

"Now tell me what's so funny? What was that?" Sango pressed her palms onto his shoulders and glared at the monk, waiting for his answer.

"I believe that sound was two dogs howling. And as for what was so funny……I believe it was Kagome and Inuyasha doing the howling. It appears our sweet, innocent and quiet little miko is no longer innocent and she's a screamer too." Miroku then gave Sango a charming smile.

Sango's eyes widened like saucers when she realized what the monk was implying. "That …….that sound was…….THEM! My god!" She then continued to stare off at nothing in particular.

"So Sango…….Have you decided to marry me and have my children?" Miroku smiled affectionately up at her.

A dark crimson tinted her cheeks as she looked at him. "What…..why…..why……why would you think that?"

"Because of how intimately your sitting on me……Not that I mind……I was just hoping you had decided to b-" Before he could even finish his sentence, Sango had leapt up and was walking away. "Sango?"

"I….I need….. a walk…..!"

*SIGH*'Well at least she didn't hit me this time. Not that I did anything wrong.' He watched as Sango walked parallel with the maze wall, completely lost in thought. "This is going to be a long night."

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