Sango stayed up in the night - for she had recapped Miroku's supposed proposal to her once more in her mind. She still held a grudge for when she had answered, and he had not vowed to be loyal. The words still lingered on in her memory - haunting her mind.
"Sango... Since these are my feelings... I want you to listen to the end..." he had begun, his baritone voice echoing inside her head. "To me, you are, a special girl." He continued on.
"Eh…" had been her response, as her heart skipped several beats, resulting in making it very hard to breathe steadily.
She had turned around, not wanting him to see her reaction as he went on; "I never thought I would treasure and trust a girl so much." He told her, and she had not answered him, as her heart beat faster and faster.
Then his voice had become serious; " However... that is precisely why, I can't love you as a girl."
Sango was stunned, and hurt. She could no longer feel her heart beating faster, only the deathly sound of her breathing.
Sango had dropped her head, feeling ashamed of what she had thought he meant.
"You are a companion to fight along-side with. That's how I feel." He looked away. Sano felt the tears sting her eyes, and she felt her body shake under the weight of her feelings.
The pain of rejection forced her to speak to him. "I-I-I… Know that… without you having to t-tell me." She answered, trying to hold her alto voice steady.
Both of them weren't looking to each other - both of them with their backs against one another - both wanting the other to say something, and since Miroku did not speak, she continued. "It's not like I thought that... you loved me..." she gulped, blinking as the words spurred out.
Miroku looked at her, but she refused to face him; "Sango…" he whispered aloud, and she shivered at hearing him pronounce her name.
She stood, still refusing to face him, she breathed in deeply, and she titled her head to the side, but still didn't look at him. "C'mon lets go… we've said enough." She sighed sadly - he heard her sorrow in her voice.
But Miroku didn't stand; instead he looked at his cursed hand. "I have something else to say." He added, and Sango froze.
"When the battle with Naraku is over... if, the curse of my Air Rip is broken, and I'm still alive..." He went on, a small smile appearing on his lips.
Sango breathed in as the tears came again - she knew it was coming, it had to.
"When the time comes… will you have my child?" He asked, and almost regretted the words that flowed from his mouth.
Sango dropped to her knees at these words, and she buried her face in her bare hands. Miroku looked at her, and he saw her shake as a silent sob covered her answer. "Y-yes…" she breathed in with the sob.
Miroku thought he had heard wrong; "You-you will?" He blinked. "We'll have 10… no 20?" He asked.
Sango spun around and grasped his hand willingly; "Yes!" She exclaimed excitedly - her tears were now happy.
Her smile could have melted Naraku's fiery heart at the moment, they both smiled at each other.
"And… you won't cheat on me then, will you?" She asked hopefully.
She had said it - the one thing that had made him freeze and gawk shockingly at her.
Her grip on his hand became quite painful. "You won't?!" She glared menacingly.
Miroku opened his mouth to speak, and then he sighed and turned away - no more hopeful words came from him.
Sango sighed annoyed - almost as though she had known it would happen. "He will…" she told herself.
Sure enough he did. The next village they had gone to - the village they were in now, he had run off with a group of women. Sango had acted like she wasn't disappointed, but she was. She was hurt - and angry - with herself. She should have known better than to ask that question - but if she hadn't she would be in even more pain than she was right now.
The pain of rejection was agonizing, as she clutched her hand to her breasts where her heart beat furiously. No tears had come, she knew they would only come after she refused to be angry with herself. But she wasn't. So why the tears hadn't come was confusing.
Her heart was beating, and then she felt her breathing became rash and difficult to control. Here they come she told herself and sighed - almost relieved that the tears welled up in her brown eyes.
She bit her lip - muffling a sob - as the tears ran down her cheeks, and they were still pale from the last night that she had cried. She was alone of course, she refused to let anyone see her spill out her emotions like this - and they must've known by now.
She held an armored hand to her head and covered her temple that beat fiercely from her insomnia. She hadn't slept since that day, for she had cried all night, and if she had dozed off then she would've been crying in her brief sleep.
She sobbed again - heartbreak was too much.
You've broken my heart houshi-sama. Don't you realize that? She asked herself as she closed her eyes, trying to prevent the tears from escaping. But her shut eyelids only forced the tears out even more.
As another sob escaped, she didn't hear the door slide open behind her. Her shoulder shook and she covered her face with the armored palms of her hands when she felt two strong hands grip her shoulders.
She gasped and turned to stare into the Prussian blue eyes of her adored monk. She immediately turned her sad face away and then felt his finger under her chin and his thumb pressed against it as he gently turned her head towards him, yet she refused to make eye-contact with him.
"Sango," he spoke, and waited for a response. Sango clenched her eyes shut and whimpered lightly as she refused to answer - his voice alone hurting her even more.
"Sango." He repeated, and then her mouth opened to release a small gasping sob; "What?" She answered softly.
"Sango look at me." He begged, taking her shoulders.
"No…" She breathed.
"Sango, please." He begged again, shaking her slightly.
"No." She repeated woefully.
She heard him sigh, and out of the corner of her eye she saw him lower his head. "I'm sorry," he told her.
She breathed in, lowering her eyes, "for what?" She asked emotionlessly.
"For what? What do you think 'for what?' I hurt you Sango and I'm sorry." He told her.
Sango's mind wanted to give in, but her heart wouldn't let her. "For what, being you?" She asked - and regretted she did.
She felt his grip tense up roughly, but it didn't even hurt compared to the pan of what she had just said to him.
"I'm sorry…" she breathed in and then started to cry again.
She moved away from him and covered her lips with her hand as she leaned against the wall and shuffled into the corner.
Miroku heard her sobbing, and he moved in and touched the hand that covered her mouth. She flung it back in protest; "please don't." She begged in a gasp.
Miroku didn't know what to do anymore. "Nothing happened," he told her.
"Please just… just drop it! Miroku!" She gasped, in both sorrow and now shock. She had never addressed him by name before, and he was taken back by it.
"I…" she began and then she stopped - for she didn't know what to say.
She felt his arms wrap around her and bring her weak body close to him - she felt her head bang against his chin.
"Mir-" she began and then felt him breathing in deeply.
"Oh Sango…" he whispered, she thought he would have begun to cry now too.
"I am such an idiot to have not answered you truthfully in the first place." He told her.
She gulped in another sustained sob; "I will never speak, look, or go with another woman in a suggestive manner ever again as long as I shall live." He vowed to her - his voice had regained its steadiness and it's gorgeous tone.
"Y-you… won't?" her voice quavered.
"Never," he answered her.
"Miroku…" she began as she looked up and then her voice was cut off into a small squeak when she found his lips on her - keeping the words inside.
Her eyes were wide with shock, but then her overwhelming hormones forced her eyelids down and she breathed in and out.
Miroku deepened the kiss, feeling her breath against his face. He felt her hand grip his robe and press it against his chance. In a normal situation he wold have groped her, but he wanted to saver this moment.
They broke away, and both inhaled in unison. "I love you Sango," he breathed out, and he felt her shiver at these words.
"I-I-I…" she couldn't find the words - still trying to recuperate from the shock.
"There are no needs for words right now Sango. Just promise me you won't do anything unless you mean the same." He whispered, holding her close with his cursed hand.
Sango sat up and took hold of his arm and brought his hand up where she felt along the fabric and weaved her fingers through his hand where she grasped it firmly yet gently. "I don't want to wait." She told him honestly as she lowered her head.
Miroku smiled and then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him firmly, the only thing preventing their bodies from making full contact was their clothes. Miroku's robes, Sango's yukata and then her taiji-ya gi. But would they go that far this night?
The sun peaked over the hills and shined through the cracks in the manor, shining onto Sango's face. Her dark eyes opened slightly, where she saw Miroku's gloved hand in front of her.
She realized his arm was over her - over the white sheets that covered the two bare lovers. She touch her fingers again his and smiled as she remembered last night.
She turned over under her arm and the sheets, where she met his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful as he slept there innocently - well, not the event that had taken place was not exactly considered innocent, but it wasn't much.
She smiled then traced her finger across his jaw line, where he stirred and shifted closer, on top of her - almost purposely.
"Miroku…" she giggled and raised her arms in defense. His eyes opened and he smirked suggestively. Sango quirked up an eyebrow in a suspicious manner, "you heard me." She told him.
"Fair enough." He shrugged against her, then he held his arm around her waist and she was almost shocked to find him bringing his hand down her backside.
"Miroku!" She squealed in protest and then beat against him fruitlessly. He smirked as he went over her then he brought his hand up and caressed the side of her face.
"You're beautiful." He sighed - his hand still cupped under her backside.
"And you're already in trouble." She glared innocently.
Miroku pouted as he removed his hand. Sango shifted then sat up, the sheets clinging around her figure as they also were around Miroku's waist.
"We're in a bit of a knot here." He pointed out, making Sango laugh. "I'll be a gentleman and let you get out first." He smirked, receiving a seeping glare.
Sango grabbed his robes and tossed them at him, where he took them and pulled them over his head and slid his arms through the sleeves.
"I think I like you better with those off." She smirked as she sat up even more, holding the covers close to her.
"I think I like you better dressed, and I figure that you must want some privacy so I'll just leave." He said as he put his pants on and then left.
Miroku breathed in the fresh air as he looked around, Inuyasha came out from the other room, soon followed by Shippo - who ran over to him.
"Hey Miroku, where's Sango?" Shippo asked.
"She's still sleeping." He lied.
"Then go wake her up, we got work to do. This is no time to be sleeping." Inuyasha snarled.
Miroku grabbed Inuyasha's arm and then dragged him off, but not before tossing Shippo into the other room with a "hey!" of protest.
"Inuyasha, Sango was up all night, so let her rest." Miroku told him.
"Not likely houshi." Inuyasha sneered as he pulled his arm out of Miroku's hand.
"No I mean, she was up all night." Miroku nodded to him slowly.
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "You're kidding… right?" he asked.
"Hey, we are engaged." Miroku shrugged.
"But… I thought… you… her…" he blubbered.
Miroku shrugged, then they heard the door slide open and then Sango came out wearing her taiji-ya gi with Hiraikotsu over her shoulder. She looked over at the two then smiled and waved. Miroku smirked over at Inuyasha and then walked over and put his arm around her and the two walked off.
Inuyasha scratched his temple and thought for a moment. "I wonder if I could get that far with Kagome…"