To Play
Chapter 4: "Bluff"
By Yioujuin
~~~~~~~~~~
For the first time in weeks, Sango giggled. Recalling his face, she held the image in her mind, knowing that she might not ever see him like that again. It was really too bad, though... She had decided that when Miroku was startled out of composure, he was postively adorable.
She blushed. She had to stop thinking like that. It was time to be serious. Perhaps now, she could find out more about the ever-hidden part of him.
Kirara rubbed her head affectionately against Sango's legs and mewed. She walked back over to the sleeping mat and pawed at it, as if to suggest to her mistress that it was time to go to bed.
"I will, Kirara. But first, be a good girl and stay here. I'll be back soon."
* * *
As Sango slid the door shut behind her, she stopped and listened. There were no more sounds of eating or talking, no footsteps... It sounded as if the whole household was finally asleep.
Sango quietly walked across the wooden floorboards, past the garden, making her way to the opposite room across the yard. From what she could tell, Miroku's room was dark. She paused. Did he... just go to sleep? He couldn't have just forgotten, could he?
But just as she reached it, the door slid open. Miroku stood there in his white sleeping robe, smiling pleasantly. "Oh, there you are. Come on in." He turned his back to her and walked back to his mat.
Sango didn't move. He... He can't be serious...?!
Miroku sat down and faced her again. He looked at her sheepishly. "I tried to get an extra blanket, but all the servants have gone to sleep, and I don't know where to find them." Supressing a grin, he paused for effect. "We'll just have to share this one."
Taken by surprise once more, she turned her face away from him. He... he's trying to sleep with me after all?! ... Sango felt a swell of rage rise up within her. That bastard! I never imagined I could overestimate him—
But her thoughts were cut short as she just barely caught a flutter of movement.
He had winked at her.
Sango stiffened, but her anger dispersed. So... He's still playing around after all?
"By the way, Sango..."
...Eh...?
"Why are you still in that yukata?"
Sango blinked and looked down at her clothes. ...That's right, she remembered. I didn't change because I was only-- She paused. So... that's it. So you've figured me out again, and you expect me to admit defeat...
But Sango refused to back down. Instead, gathering up her nerve, she walked into the room and shut the sliding door behind her. "Oh, that... Sorry, I must have forgotten," she murmured, looking back at him with a sweet smile, hoping to derail him again this time.
But unfortunately, it seemed that he had been ready for such a response. Miroku smiled back at her. "Oh, I see. Well, that's all right. I understand. You've had your mind set on other things, after all..."
..."Other things"...? Why that dirty...!
Sango bit her lip. No. He was just trying to get her to give herself away. She made a mental note to smack him later and forced another smile. "R-right. Well, anyway..." But suddenly, her mind failed on her. She had only planned on meeting him in the room to talk. And now...
Now, she was alone in a dark bedroom with a houshi in the middle of the night. And not just any houshi, but the most perverted one on this side of Japan. Worse still... she was in love with him. The cruel irony of it all was laughable. But she couldn't laugh. Finally realizing her position, she felt a small rush of panic. Now... What do I do now?
"Sango? ...Daijoubu ka? ...Here, sit down."
Not sure what else to do, Sango hesitantly walked over to Miroku and sat down beside him.
And then he took her hand.
Sango didn't mask her surprise. "...Houshi-sama?"
Miroku held her left hand tenderly in both of his. He seemed to be examining it. "You know," he began, not looking up. "Your hands are so smooth for someone who's been trained to fight since youth."
"H-hai..." His hands... His hands are so warm and gentle...
"Also..." He turned his gaze on her. "...I'm glad... you came tonight."
Sango felt the heat rush to her face. She wanted to hide, but she had nowhere to run. And for some reason, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his.
Wh-what is going on? It seems like he means it, but... Oh no... If he does, what'll I do? What should I do...?
Miroku held her gaze with cool intensity and slowly set her hand back down at her side. Then, he reached his right arm around her waist, drawing her closer.
Suddenly, Sango found it difficult to breathe. Wha... what...? "H-houshi-sama...!"
With his left hand, he gently cupped the right side of her face and lightly brushed over her lips with his thumb. "Shh... Sango..." he murmurred, lowering his eyes to her lips.
Wh-why? Why can't I move? I can't...
Gripping her waist more tightly to him, Miroku slowly leaned closer to her. Very close. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. Her heart was beating faster now than during the most terrifying of youkai battles.
...And now...
Sango closed her eyes. She felt him hover over her lips.
I... I can't resist him...
Then, rather unexpectedly, he moved his head lower, until she could feel his forehead brush against her cheek.
She gasped.
The soft warmth of his breath on her neck was sending chills running throughout her body.
Paralyzed, Sango could do nothing but wait.
...And so she waited.
...Until suddenly, she felt him pull back.
As she felt the spell had been broken, Sango slowly opened her eyes.
Miroku was sitting back from her, slightly out of breath. He stared at her with an unreadable expression, but at least--Sango noted--not a false one. After a long moment, he finally smiled. "Sango... I must say, I'm impressed. You really wanted to surprise me, didn't you? Although towards the end there, I was the one making all the moves..."
Sango flushed. "I-It's not like that, houshi-sama! I just wanted to... The reason I came here was to--"
"--find out what I am really like?"
"Wha...?" Sango was dumbfounded. "How did...?"
Miroku smiled again. "...It wasn't too hard to figure out after that clue in the garden. At first, I thought you might be trying to seduce me, but then, that would be so uncharacteristic of you. And then I realized..." he paused thoughtfully and looked away. "I realized... I might have been unfair, not letting you know how I really feel. Although I thought that, at that time, I had made it clear..."
Sango nodded. Right. That time when you asked me...
"...So then, I started suspecting that you were trying to get to the truth by shocking it out of me. And then your sneaky visit to my morning bath started making a little more sense..."
Sango narrowed her eyes dangerously at him. "I told you it was an accident…!"
The houshi held up his hands in defense and laughed. "Ah, I know, I know... But really, Sango..." He gave her a sly look that suddenly made Sango feel ten shades warmer. "You didn't have to go to such extremes to get me to talk to you like this. Not that I mind your methods, of course..."
The taiji-ya made no attempt to reply. She only stared at the floorboards, suddenly wishing she could disappear. It's not that I overestimate him... The problem is... I'm always underestimating him.
...I feel like such a fool.
Sensing her train of thought, Miroku leaned back in her direction and put a friendly, non-lecherous hand on her shoulder. "Hey... Feel free to go back to your room."
"...What?"
"What I mean is... Don't feel obligated to stay. It's getting late, and..." He grinned mischievously. "...I only have one blanket, remember?"
Sango felt a mixture of relief and annoyance. "O-of course," she replied, getting to her feet. "It's not like I was planning to stay. Good night, houshi-sama."
"...Of course. Good night, Sango."
...Somehow, she didn't like the way he had said that.
She was about to slide open the door to leave, when another thought occurred to her. She let her hand drop and turned back to face him. Miroku was already laying himself down on the sleeping mat when he noticed her looking back at him. "Hai, Sango?"
...Although I'm glad that he talked to me honestly just now, somehow...
"...Sango?"
...I think I liked it better when I had the upper hand.
She blushed at the realization... but she had already made up her mind.
Sango smiled. "I was just thinking, houshi-sama, now that neither of us are bluffing..." She walked back and knelt on the floor beside his mat.
"...Eh?" He propped himself up on his elbows and looked at her questioningly.
"...Why did you pull back when you were about to kiss me?"
For the first time since Sango had met him, Miroku appeared just a bit flustered. "Well..." he began, trying to buy time to compose himself. He scratched his head sheepishly with his forefinger. "That is... You were just playing, right? I only kept playing along until I sensed that you weren't playing anymore. But even I wouldn't do something like... like that to you against your will."
"...Really."
Miroku looked a little miffed. "What? You don't believe me?"
"Even though..." Sango eyed him doubtfully. "Even
though I came into your room in the middle of the night with the pretense of
sharing a bed with you?"
"...Hn? So what are you saying? It was a pretense, like you said, right?"
Sango stared at him. "That's right... but..."
She could hardly believe it. Although she had had her doubts when she went back to talk to him again, now, the opportunity was too perfect to miss. I can read him! He's playing right into my hands...!
Sango hid her enthusiasm and continued. "But what if I was serious?"
Miroku blinked. "Well, then... then..." He turned away, smiling a bit. "...What are you getting at? That's not important, right? Since you weren't..."
It was Sango's turn to blink. ...I don't believe it. He's actually blushing?
"...Sango." he said, hesitating. He still wasn't looking at her. "You sound as if..."
Sango supressed the urge to smile and moved a little closer to him. "Hai?"
Miroku turned his head back to face her... and found her face surprisingly close to his.
Sango, likewise, was also startled, not realizing she had come that close. She swallowed. If she was going to do it, it had to be now.
Trembling slightly, she gently cupped his face her hands. She felt him start at her touch and watched his eyes widen in surprise. She smiled shyly. He looks so vulnerable now...
...This is the side I was looking for.
"S-Sango..."
But this time, it's not just for the sake of knowing...
"Shh..." she whispered. His eyes... he's also trembling...
...But when I think about it...
She let her eyes linger on his.
...He's still pretty young after all, isn't he? Like me... And perhaps...
Sango took a silent breath and closed her eyes.
...more innocent than I used to think…
And finally, softly... she pressed her lips to his.