Love Beyond Life
Book 2: Life in the Modern Times
Chapter 3
Sango-sama
Disclaimer: The cast of Inuyasha belongs to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi, as one of her best creations. I'm just borrowing these colorful characters...
Author's Notes: Such wonderful feedback! Eeeee!!! ^_^ Thank you to my wonderful ever-growing list of running betas: Queen, Mynuet, and Elf. Your grammatical and plot nit-picking make my writing worlds better. Thanks also to Varis Anubi, whose piece of fanart (that was inspired by this fic) prompted me to finish writing this chapter and to the sangomiroku ML that I moderate; it's now 210 members strong!!
Enclosed for your reading enjoyment: unrepentant WAFF, jealousy, and a twist or two.
Draft Version: January 23, 2003
******
As Sango stood semi-speechless about the revelation that same man who bore such a striking resemblance to Miroku had been asking about her, she felt a hand clamp onto her rear end. Although it hardly seemed possible, her eyes widened even more.
Her surprise gave way to anger as the hand began to rub against her backside, the vein at her temple was pulsing. It was bad enough that she had to deal with groping from Houshi-sama, but now some total stranger had the gall to do it to her.
"Pervert!" she screamed, rapidly swinging her arm around to catch the culprit and following with the palm of her other hand, to smack the damned lecher across the face. The hem of the blue sundress she had borrowed from Mrs. Higurashi's old wardrobe flared as she spun around. Her breathing grew heavy, agitated by her irritation. Enraged flames danced higher and higher in her eyes. Her mind screamed as she turned around. 'What sort of lecherous idiot would dare to-'
When she saw him, her mind stopped.
She stared at him incredulously. Although it didn't seem possible, she had a firm grip on a boy who couldn't be any more than eleven or twelve years old--certainly no older than her younger brother, Kohaku, had been before he died. Stunned, her grip had loosened just enough to for the boy to wriggle loose and fall, quite startled, in an undignified heap on the floor.
'Are all the boys in Kagome's country so bold?'
The boy sat in quiet awe for a few precious seconds before tears sprung up in the corner of his green eyes, hand lifted lingering at his cheek, where her hand was sure to have struck if her were only a few inches taller. 'That girl nearly slapped me!' In all his twelve years, he could never remember any girl even come close to hitting him; even when one had threatened to hit him, he had always been able to talk his way out of it-or at least jump out of the way-long before a hand ever neared his face. How odd that hadn't been able to get out of the way.
He peered up through his inky black bangs to meet the volatile mixture of shock and rage in her eyes. He stifled an appreciative smile, 'If I am gonna get hit, at least she's a pretty girl.' Her breathing was still agitated, and her face flushed; a fierce crimson battle aura danced in her chocolate eyes. One didn't need the extensive training he had in auras to know that it wouldn't take long before that her wrath would be turned on him.
He sighed internally, almost as if he were a bit saddened at the thought of extinguishing her fiery temper. 'There's only one way I can play this...'
*****
When consciousness had reclaimed her, the first thing Kagome was aware of was the achy soreness that seemed to grip her entire body. As the fog of sleep and unconsciousness cleared away, she could feel the soreness from the IV that had been stuck into her forearm and the persistent pain at her side. The sterile, slightly acrid smell of disinfectant lingered in the air. Though she could tell were she was injured, the pain was dulled significantly by the steady dripping of the IV fluids.
'I'm in the hospital?' she wondered silently, trying to force her sleep- muddled mind to recall leaving the Warring States era. She suddenly became very aware that her stomach felt very heavy. Kagome felt around blindly, until her fingertips happened upon a soft, silken mass. She struggled to open her eyes in the dim light, afforded by the pale blue curtain that surrounded her bed and was a bit startled, as she gaped at long white tresses that were tangling in between her fingers.
Inuyasha was actually asleep on her lap. What's more, he must have stayed alone with her for some time to have fallen asleep there. Smiling softly, she gave a silent prayer of thanks to any of the gods who may have been listening. She slid her fingers over his hair, relishing its softness while Inuyasha wasn't awake to complain.
It was such a rare treat to see the hanyou sleeping so soundly. While she had sat this way with his fully human form, his half demon form was far too wary for her to enjoy a quiet moment like this. It seemed that in the Warring States era, he would stay up for a while to be on the lookout for any sign of danger and was almost always the last to fall asleep. But every morning, he was the first one up, dragging the lot of them out of bed and onto the open road.
Her bed had been propped up slightly and the pillow was high enough that she just barely had a clear view of his slumbering face, the gentleness that he usually tried to deny that he was capable of was all too apparent. She watched, spellbound, as Inuyasha's soft, warm breaths blew around an errant strand of hair that hung before his lips. His ears were lifted, twitching slightly as he roamed about in the land of dreams. Amazingly enough, his heightened demon senses seemed fully active, but he seemed fully unaware that she was awake...or perhaps he was just that tired.
Her hand had settled beside his head when his ears moved again, twitching appealingly beside her fingers-almost daring her to touch.
She wondered....
*****
His emerald eyes were wide, as he slid himself back away from her hitting range. "Wh-why did you try to hit me?" His voice trembling as he made every effort to appear thoroughly frightened.
Sango froze, her battle aura reduced to mere embers. 'He cannot be serious.' Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. "You know very well what you did wrong."
His stared, wide-eyed, back at her, shaking his head furiously. It seemed that this boy's entire being exuded innocence...and fear.
Sango stood, blinking, just watching him. She really had no idea what to think of this kid, who was by himself in the hospital, groping on unsuspecting females. It didn't seem possible that he had no idea what he did, even if he did somehow manage to grope her on accident. At least Miroku had some reason for groping: he was an incorrigible lecher, who couldn't control his hands or his eyes if his life depended on it. He also had spent much of his childhood with Mushin-sama, the elder monk who seemed permanently attached to a jug of sake; if Miroku hadn't picked up most of his bad habits from his father, Mushin certainly seemed the next most likely source.
"For whatever I may have done, I'm very sorry." Taking advantage of the apparent reprieve from her temper, he began backing away slowly. "I really must be going now..." With the slightest apologetic bow, he spun on his heels to speed down the hall in the opposite direction.
"You are quite the little actor, Kyoshi-chan." Mrs. Higurashi had an eyebrow quirked and the tiniest of smiles on her face. " Just like your father."
The boy cringed visibly, stopping immediately in his tracks. Turning around slowly, he a forced smile. "Ah, Mrs. Higurashi. I hadn't seen you there."
Sango's eyes widened, thankful to turn her attention from the boy. "You know him?"
Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "He's the grandson of the monk at the Buddhist temple a few blocks down from the Shrine. But honestly, Kyoshi," the older woman huffed. "Even with all the stunts he used to pull in school, I can't remember your father ever doing anything nearly so bold. Whatever possessed you to do such a thing to a girl that you don't even know?"
"I really don't know." The boy paused pensively, appearing to be both quite apologetic and perplexed by his own actions, before a grin consumed his face. His hands feigned a groping motion at Sango. "I could always try it again and see if I can remember."
Sango was backing up against a wall to protect her backside; she had crossed her arms over her chest, as she threw him a venomous glare. "You can keep your hands away, kid." But it was not a wall that she had backed into, but something a bit more yielding...and far warmer.
She let out a gasp, as her heeled sandal slipped across the smooth tile. Two arms grabbed her from behind, righting her solidly against him before she could fall.
"Are you alright, Sango-san?"
That warm baritone voice of his was quickly becoming all too familiar.
*****
She never would have guessed that he would be doing that. Never in a million years.
Her hands had stopped massaging his ears immediately the moment that she heard it. At first, it had sounded like he was waking up. And he would not be happy, to wake up to her doing the same thing he had complained about several times before. But, unless her ears were deceiving her, he was still sound asleep.
She bit her lip. 'Maybe he'd do it again.'
Taking great pains to be gentle, she continued rubbing little circles in the soft, white fur that covered Inuyasha's ears.
'Yep, there it is again.'
A soft, contented rumble came from low in the back of his throat.
He was purring. Inuyasha was actually purring.
Kagome had to suppress a giggle at the thought. She knew that he hated being referred to as a dog; no doubt he wouldn't take kindly to a cat reference.
*****
She wasn't sure when the doctor had walked up behind her, but he had managed to pass by her usually acute senses.
"Are you alright, Sango-san?"
Her face drained of all color, only to have it rapidly replaced twofold, when she realized her back was pressed securely against the doctor's chest. His arms lingered across the tops of her arms, warming the bare flesh there long after she was steady.
She had not quite regained control over her voice, and so, she allowed a simple nod to suffice. Thankfully, while she her back was to the doctor, he couldn't see the heavy blush that gripped her face, right down to the roots of her hair. But, unfortunately, it was plain as day to Kagome's mother, who was wearing the largest grin she could muster, and to the perverted little boy who stood in front of her, glaring at the pair. His hands had fallen limply at his sides.
'Why on earth is he looking like that?' Sango frowned, quietly regarding the scowling boy. His jaw was clenched firmly, drawing his lips into a thin line. His eyes narrowed into angry, green slits, which pierced through his long, inky black bangs. His arms were crossed, making his slim form appear only slightly larger.
As far as she could tell, he appeared to be very irritated at how closely the doctor was holding her. 'He can't possibly be...jealous. Can he?'
The doctor's fingertips just barely brushed down the length of Sango's arms as he let go of her, drawing out his gentle touch. Sango bit her lip trying to keep from shivering, as he walked over to the door of Kagome's room. Her eyes turned to the floor, trying in vain to fight off the blush that was sure to darken her cheeks. It was then that she caught sight of Kyoshi's hands, which were balled into tight fists, shaking as if he were desperately trying to maintain his control.
'T-this is ridiculous,' she stammered mentally, glad that his eyes seemed to have followed the doctor instead of her. 'He's only a kid. I just met him only a few minutes ago. Its silly for him to even have a crush this soon!'
"My patient appears to be awake and a little bit preoccupied right now," he grinned, breaking the awkward silence. "I thought perhaps I would give her and her friend a few minutes. In the meantime, would you mind walking with me for a moment, Sango? I still have a concern about Kagome's injury."
She nodded, all too relieved to get away from the highly disconcerting scrutiny of her young admirer.
Dr. Muraki slid his hand to her shoulder, guiding her down the hallway.
Mrs. Higurashi watched with a grin as the attractive young doctor courteously steered Sango around the corner.
From what little information Kagome had mentioned of the other girl in her traveling party, Sango had led a very difficult life for the past few months, what with the death of her family and the odd situation with her brother. It seemed that a distraction, especially in the form of the attractive, kindly doctor, was certainly in order.
But Mrs. Higurashi wasn't blind. She had seen the rather jealous expression on the young boy's face, just as clearly as Sango had. It seemed that Dr. Muraki was not the only one developing a bit of a crush on Sango. Perhaps the girl would be blessed with distractions, while she stayed at the Shrine.
His eyes were still shooting daggers down the now empty hallway, mumbling to himself just soft enough that she couldn't quite hear his words.
Feigning innocence, she gave the boy a concerned look. "What's the matter, Kyoshi?"
"Nothing." He answered a little too quickly, turning his head away from Mrs. Higurashi's eyes as fast as his youthfully quick reflexes would allow. But somehow, he suspected she had still seen the faint blush on his cheeks. "I was just...reminding myself of something that I have to ask my Grandfather later."
"Speaking of which, how is your grandfather doing?"
He blinked, surprised that she apparently hadn't noticed...or at least wasn't going to say anything. "He's recovering fast, which is no surprise with all the pretty nurses around. The doctor told me they are having the hardest time keeping him in his bed and his hands away from the female staff." He grinned widely, pushing his bangs away from his eyes. "Surprisingly enough, they actually want to keep him here for observation a few more days. If the nurses don't kill him first, that is."
The mother frowned, a nagging suspicion tugging at her maternal senses. "You're not at the temple all by yourself, are you?"
He nodded. "At least until Dad gets back from Hiroshima on Friday. But it's not big deal. I've taken care of myself lots of times before."
"I'm sure you have, Kyoshi." She frowned, more than a little irritated that Kyoshi's father had left him alone with his ailing grandfather. "But if you need anything, just come over to the Shrine. With the extra company we'll be a little crowded right now, but we still have space for you in Souta's room."
"Maybe I will, Mrs. Higurashi." A thin smile spread over his face. "Maybe I will."
Book 2: Life in the Modern Times
Chapter 3
Sango-sama
Disclaimer: The cast of Inuyasha belongs to the wonderful Rumiko Takahashi, as one of her best creations. I'm just borrowing these colorful characters...
Author's Notes: Such wonderful feedback! Eeeee!!! ^_^ Thank you to my wonderful ever-growing list of running betas: Queen, Mynuet, and Elf. Your grammatical and plot nit-picking make my writing worlds better. Thanks also to Varis Anubi, whose piece of fanart (that was inspired by this fic) prompted me to finish writing this chapter and to the sangomiroku ML that I moderate; it's now 210 members strong!!
Enclosed for your reading enjoyment: unrepentant WAFF, jealousy, and a twist or two.
Draft Version: January 23, 2003
******
As Sango stood semi-speechless about the revelation that same man who bore such a striking resemblance to Miroku had been asking about her, she felt a hand clamp onto her rear end. Although it hardly seemed possible, her eyes widened even more.
Her surprise gave way to anger as the hand began to rub against her backside, the vein at her temple was pulsing. It was bad enough that she had to deal with groping from Houshi-sama, but now some total stranger had the gall to do it to her.
"Pervert!" she screamed, rapidly swinging her arm around to catch the culprit and following with the palm of her other hand, to smack the damned lecher across the face. The hem of the blue sundress she had borrowed from Mrs. Higurashi's old wardrobe flared as she spun around. Her breathing grew heavy, agitated by her irritation. Enraged flames danced higher and higher in her eyes. Her mind screamed as she turned around. 'What sort of lecherous idiot would dare to-'
When she saw him, her mind stopped.
She stared at him incredulously. Although it didn't seem possible, she had a firm grip on a boy who couldn't be any more than eleven or twelve years old--certainly no older than her younger brother, Kohaku, had been before he died. Stunned, her grip had loosened just enough to for the boy to wriggle loose and fall, quite startled, in an undignified heap on the floor.
'Are all the boys in Kagome's country so bold?'
The boy sat in quiet awe for a few precious seconds before tears sprung up in the corner of his green eyes, hand lifted lingering at his cheek, where her hand was sure to have struck if her were only a few inches taller. 'That girl nearly slapped me!' In all his twelve years, he could never remember any girl even come close to hitting him; even when one had threatened to hit him, he had always been able to talk his way out of it-or at least jump out of the way-long before a hand ever neared his face. How odd that hadn't been able to get out of the way.
He peered up through his inky black bangs to meet the volatile mixture of shock and rage in her eyes. He stifled an appreciative smile, 'If I am gonna get hit, at least she's a pretty girl.' Her breathing was still agitated, and her face flushed; a fierce crimson battle aura danced in her chocolate eyes. One didn't need the extensive training he had in auras to know that it wouldn't take long before that her wrath would be turned on him.
He sighed internally, almost as if he were a bit saddened at the thought of extinguishing her fiery temper. 'There's only one way I can play this...'
*****
When consciousness had reclaimed her, the first thing Kagome was aware of was the achy soreness that seemed to grip her entire body. As the fog of sleep and unconsciousness cleared away, she could feel the soreness from the IV that had been stuck into her forearm and the persistent pain at her side. The sterile, slightly acrid smell of disinfectant lingered in the air. Though she could tell were she was injured, the pain was dulled significantly by the steady dripping of the IV fluids.
'I'm in the hospital?' she wondered silently, trying to force her sleep- muddled mind to recall leaving the Warring States era. She suddenly became very aware that her stomach felt very heavy. Kagome felt around blindly, until her fingertips happened upon a soft, silken mass. She struggled to open her eyes in the dim light, afforded by the pale blue curtain that surrounded her bed and was a bit startled, as she gaped at long white tresses that were tangling in between her fingers.
Inuyasha was actually asleep on her lap. What's more, he must have stayed alone with her for some time to have fallen asleep there. Smiling softly, she gave a silent prayer of thanks to any of the gods who may have been listening. She slid her fingers over his hair, relishing its softness while Inuyasha wasn't awake to complain.
It was such a rare treat to see the hanyou sleeping so soundly. While she had sat this way with his fully human form, his half demon form was far too wary for her to enjoy a quiet moment like this. It seemed that in the Warring States era, he would stay up for a while to be on the lookout for any sign of danger and was almost always the last to fall asleep. But every morning, he was the first one up, dragging the lot of them out of bed and onto the open road.
Her bed had been propped up slightly and the pillow was high enough that she just barely had a clear view of his slumbering face, the gentleness that he usually tried to deny that he was capable of was all too apparent. She watched, spellbound, as Inuyasha's soft, warm breaths blew around an errant strand of hair that hung before his lips. His ears were lifted, twitching slightly as he roamed about in the land of dreams. Amazingly enough, his heightened demon senses seemed fully active, but he seemed fully unaware that she was awake...or perhaps he was just that tired.
Her hand had settled beside his head when his ears moved again, twitching appealingly beside her fingers-almost daring her to touch.
She wondered....
*****
His emerald eyes were wide, as he slid himself back away from her hitting range. "Wh-why did you try to hit me?" His voice trembling as he made every effort to appear thoroughly frightened.
Sango froze, her battle aura reduced to mere embers. 'He cannot be serious.' Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. "You know very well what you did wrong."
His stared, wide-eyed, back at her, shaking his head furiously. It seemed that this boy's entire being exuded innocence...and fear.
Sango stood, blinking, just watching him. She really had no idea what to think of this kid, who was by himself in the hospital, groping on unsuspecting females. It didn't seem possible that he had no idea what he did, even if he did somehow manage to grope her on accident. At least Miroku had some reason for groping: he was an incorrigible lecher, who couldn't control his hands or his eyes if his life depended on it. He also had spent much of his childhood with Mushin-sama, the elder monk who seemed permanently attached to a jug of sake; if Miroku hadn't picked up most of his bad habits from his father, Mushin certainly seemed the next most likely source.
"For whatever I may have done, I'm very sorry." Taking advantage of the apparent reprieve from her temper, he began backing away slowly. "I really must be going now..." With the slightest apologetic bow, he spun on his heels to speed down the hall in the opposite direction.
"You are quite the little actor, Kyoshi-chan." Mrs. Higurashi had an eyebrow quirked and the tiniest of smiles on her face. " Just like your father."
The boy cringed visibly, stopping immediately in his tracks. Turning around slowly, he a forced smile. "Ah, Mrs. Higurashi. I hadn't seen you there."
Sango's eyes widened, thankful to turn her attention from the boy. "You know him?"
Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "He's the grandson of the monk at the Buddhist temple a few blocks down from the Shrine. But honestly, Kyoshi," the older woman huffed. "Even with all the stunts he used to pull in school, I can't remember your father ever doing anything nearly so bold. Whatever possessed you to do such a thing to a girl that you don't even know?"
"I really don't know." The boy paused pensively, appearing to be both quite apologetic and perplexed by his own actions, before a grin consumed his face. His hands feigned a groping motion at Sango. "I could always try it again and see if I can remember."
Sango was backing up against a wall to protect her backside; she had crossed her arms over her chest, as she threw him a venomous glare. "You can keep your hands away, kid." But it was not a wall that she had backed into, but something a bit more yielding...and far warmer.
She let out a gasp, as her heeled sandal slipped across the smooth tile. Two arms grabbed her from behind, righting her solidly against him before she could fall.
"Are you alright, Sango-san?"
That warm baritone voice of his was quickly becoming all too familiar.
*****
She never would have guessed that he would be doing that. Never in a million years.
Her hands had stopped massaging his ears immediately the moment that she heard it. At first, it had sounded like he was waking up. And he would not be happy, to wake up to her doing the same thing he had complained about several times before. But, unless her ears were deceiving her, he was still sound asleep.
She bit her lip. 'Maybe he'd do it again.'
Taking great pains to be gentle, she continued rubbing little circles in the soft, white fur that covered Inuyasha's ears.
'Yep, there it is again.'
A soft, contented rumble came from low in the back of his throat.
He was purring. Inuyasha was actually purring.
Kagome had to suppress a giggle at the thought. She knew that he hated being referred to as a dog; no doubt he wouldn't take kindly to a cat reference.
*****
She wasn't sure when the doctor had walked up behind her, but he had managed to pass by her usually acute senses.
"Are you alright, Sango-san?"
Her face drained of all color, only to have it rapidly replaced twofold, when she realized her back was pressed securely against the doctor's chest. His arms lingered across the tops of her arms, warming the bare flesh there long after she was steady.
She had not quite regained control over her voice, and so, she allowed a simple nod to suffice. Thankfully, while she her back was to the doctor, he couldn't see the heavy blush that gripped her face, right down to the roots of her hair. But, unfortunately, it was plain as day to Kagome's mother, who was wearing the largest grin she could muster, and to the perverted little boy who stood in front of her, glaring at the pair. His hands had fallen limply at his sides.
'Why on earth is he looking like that?' Sango frowned, quietly regarding the scowling boy. His jaw was clenched firmly, drawing his lips into a thin line. His eyes narrowed into angry, green slits, which pierced through his long, inky black bangs. His arms were crossed, making his slim form appear only slightly larger.
As far as she could tell, he appeared to be very irritated at how closely the doctor was holding her. 'He can't possibly be...jealous. Can he?'
The doctor's fingertips just barely brushed down the length of Sango's arms as he let go of her, drawing out his gentle touch. Sango bit her lip trying to keep from shivering, as he walked over to the door of Kagome's room. Her eyes turned to the floor, trying in vain to fight off the blush that was sure to darken her cheeks. It was then that she caught sight of Kyoshi's hands, which were balled into tight fists, shaking as if he were desperately trying to maintain his control.
'T-this is ridiculous,' she stammered mentally, glad that his eyes seemed to have followed the doctor instead of her. 'He's only a kid. I just met him only a few minutes ago. Its silly for him to even have a crush this soon!'
"My patient appears to be awake and a little bit preoccupied right now," he grinned, breaking the awkward silence. "I thought perhaps I would give her and her friend a few minutes. In the meantime, would you mind walking with me for a moment, Sango? I still have a concern about Kagome's injury."
She nodded, all too relieved to get away from the highly disconcerting scrutiny of her young admirer.
Dr. Muraki slid his hand to her shoulder, guiding her down the hallway.
Mrs. Higurashi watched with a grin as the attractive young doctor courteously steered Sango around the corner.
From what little information Kagome had mentioned of the other girl in her traveling party, Sango had led a very difficult life for the past few months, what with the death of her family and the odd situation with her brother. It seemed that a distraction, especially in the form of the attractive, kindly doctor, was certainly in order.
But Mrs. Higurashi wasn't blind. She had seen the rather jealous expression on the young boy's face, just as clearly as Sango had. It seemed that Dr. Muraki was not the only one developing a bit of a crush on Sango. Perhaps the girl would be blessed with distractions, while she stayed at the Shrine.
His eyes were still shooting daggers down the now empty hallway, mumbling to himself just soft enough that she couldn't quite hear his words.
Feigning innocence, she gave the boy a concerned look. "What's the matter, Kyoshi?"
"Nothing." He answered a little too quickly, turning his head away from Mrs. Higurashi's eyes as fast as his youthfully quick reflexes would allow. But somehow, he suspected she had still seen the faint blush on his cheeks. "I was just...reminding myself of something that I have to ask my Grandfather later."
"Speaking of which, how is your grandfather doing?"
He blinked, surprised that she apparently hadn't noticed...or at least wasn't going to say anything. "He's recovering fast, which is no surprise with all the pretty nurses around. The doctor told me they are having the hardest time keeping him in his bed and his hands away from the female staff." He grinned widely, pushing his bangs away from his eyes. "Surprisingly enough, they actually want to keep him here for observation a few more days. If the nurses don't kill him first, that is."
The mother frowned, a nagging suspicion tugging at her maternal senses. "You're not at the temple all by yourself, are you?"
He nodded. "At least until Dad gets back from Hiroshima on Friday. But it's not big deal. I've taken care of myself lots of times before."
"I'm sure you have, Kyoshi." She frowned, more than a little irritated that Kyoshi's father had left him alone with his ailing grandfather. "But if you need anything, just come over to the Shrine. With the extra company we'll be a little crowded right now, but we still have space for you in Souta's room."
"Maybe I will, Mrs. Higurashi." A thin smile spread over his face. "Maybe I will."