Disclaimer: Inuyasha and his sexy ears aren't mine… -sobs- I can always dream they are though! -glomps ears-
Half and Half
Chapter 3- Reactions
The sun set in a brilliant burst of dazzling color, as pink and purple clouds hovered above it. Sango watched the fiery spectacle until it disappeared behind the curtain of the horizon, to put on it's show again the next day. She hugged her knees and absently stroked Kirara as she mulled over thoughts in her head. The air began to grow cool, and the first winking star came out, but she loathed the thought of going anywhere. The quest was over, Naraku dead, her family avenged, and she was left alone. She didn't want to return to her camp, because the absence of other humans would only further depress her. She could always return to the former Lady Kaede's house, but Kagome and Inuyasha would be there. Last time she went, Kagome had greeted her warmly, but the brown eyes of her gentle friend had been filled with sadness, worry and longing, and Sango knew she was thinking about Inuyasha. Her visit had been brief, and she felt no desire to return, even though Kagome was her dearest friend. It was just a further twist to the knife of loneliness piercing her heart to be around someone who was deeply in love. Love. Sango took a deep breath of the sweet smelling air. She wondered if she would ever find out what it would be like to be in love. Or was it, as she was bitterly beginning to believe, her destiny to always be alone? She had wondered if Miroku... but no. Who could expect that pervert to know anything about love? She sighed yet again and picked up Kirara, and picked her way to her camp in the nearby woods.
She arrived at her camp, and found it not as deserted as she had supposed.
"Houshi?" she asked in surprise at the sight of Miroku sitting in front of her fire.
"Ah, Sango," he nodded to her. "I was hoping you would not be too long. How have you been these past two days?" he conversed pleasantly.
"I've been well, I suppose," she said, still unsure of how to react. Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her toes. She mentally screamed at it to stop, it was just Miroku.
"What brings you here?"
"Always straight to the point, Sango. You're a very no-nonsense type person," he observed. She looked at him, undecided at whether he was teasing her or complimenting her in some way.
"The truth is, I was near here anyways when I felt a very strong magic coming from the general direction of the village, most likely meaning that some major spell had just been cast."
Sango puzzled over what significance this would have. She suddenly gasped when it mentally clicked.
"Inuyasha! He must of made his decision!" she realized. He grinned.
"Well, shall we go and see what the results were?" he stood up and brushed off his robes with his now kazaana free hands. The lack of the rosary reminded Sango of the gigantic battle, the origins of which went back for decades, that they had just ended, and that she wasn't the only one whose family had been wiped out by the enemy. Miroku was probably as much alone as she. She knew none of his family was alive, and he didn't have anyone to turn to either. She wondered why she had never thought about how tragic his life really had been. She had spent so much time being nearsighted by her own misery, she had forgotten that she wasn't the only one with troubles. Really, being faced with the possibility of your death every day of your life, without being able to do anything about it must have been hard.
'How did he bear it?' she wondered.
He followed her gaze to his hand, and she realized she had said it aloud. It came from talking to herself these past couple of days. She blushed, and he slowly replied.
"The only way I could... One day at a time."
He looked back at her, and she could see the sadness in his deep eyes. She nodded in understanding. She had dealt with her sorrows much the same way, focusing on getting through one day, ignoring the loneliness and pain that surely awaited her tomorrow.
Her thoughts were starting to get a little too depressing, so she attempted to cheer herself up. After all, no use living in the past, is there?
"Well, let's go then!" she said, plastic smile in place. Miroku smiled back half heartedly, and they began their trek to the village in a somber, but understanding silence. Sango walked beside Miroku, thankful that he had showed up and pulled her out of her pity party. It was good for her to see that there were other suffering people in the world, to act as a reminder that all she could do was pick up the pieces of her life and move on.
Miroku's hand slid toward Sango, froze a moment, then wrapped around her... hand. Such a simple gesture that was so unlike Miroku that it surprised and moved her. She drew closer to him and gave a gentle squeeze to his hand.
Kirara trailed behind and watched her master and friend. Had Sango been able to speak cat, Kirara would have had an earful to give her. She really should be getting out more often to see her friends; spending so much time alone was not good for her health. And it was about time she finally making some progress with Miroku. Couldn't she see that he loved her? And that she loved him back? Stupid humans with their tendency to miss the obvious. They must have lost their sense of this just like they had lost most of their other senses. If only they would listen to their wiser, more experienced animal companions. Of course, Sango could not understand cat speech, so this wisdom was lost to her.
Kagome was fascinated by her newly heightened senses. Her hearing and sense of smell were so much stronger, it was like they were completely different senses than those she had grown up with. She could hear the wind in the grass outside, a bird that could have been a quarter of a mile away, Inuyasha breathing, a conversation between two villagers about crops, and loudest of all in her ears, her own heartbeat. She was already beginning to distinguish smells from one another. Of course, she was still very inexperienced, and could not identify most of these smells, but it didn't keep her from trying. The first smell she tried to identify was Inuyasha. He had made so many comments about her smell, whether good or bad, it made her curious to see what his scent was like. She had told him this, and he just laughed at her eagerness to learn everything at once.
"It takes a pup time to learn, Kagome. What is that saying you use? Something about rope not being made in a day?"
Kagome laughed.
"It's 'Rome wasn't built in a day', Inuyasha," she said in between giggles. "Ancient Rome was a famous city with huge buildings and statues that the only the ruins of remain. It took years and years to build Rome," she briefly summarized the history lesson.
He grinned.
"Well, Rome or rope or your sense of smell, it takes time to build these things." Noting her crestfallen face, he added, "But we can go out tomorrow and I can help teach you." She smiled, and gave him a hug. He was still a little unused to physical contact with her, but it felt nice.
"Okay, tomorrow," she murmured, her face buried in his robes. She inhaled deeply, trying to catch his scent. It was a hard smell to place, she realized. She couldn't compare it to anything. It was a masculine smell, but pleasant, almost kind of woodsy smelling. She found she liked it a great deal.
Miroku stopped short before they reached the hut. He shushed Sango's question.
"Do you feel that?" he whispered.
Sango was silent for a moment.
"Youkai," she whispered.
"There's Inuyasha's youkai, but there's another. I can't seem to place it, but it feels slightly familiar. I can sense Kagome's miko powers too, but they seem fainter than usual for some reason," he wondered aloud.
"So there's someone else in there." A demon someone else.
"Yes, but if Kagome and Inuyasha were in any trouble, we'd know by now."
"Let's be careful, just in case."
Miroku nodded and they approached the hut. Sango quietly opened the door, and they rushed inside, prepared for just about anything. Except the sight that greeted them.
Inuyasha was locked in an embrace with someone, this someone whose youkai they had sensed before. A hanyou, by the look of the ears. They stood in shock, wondering how Inuyasha dared be such a two timer so openly. And Kagome was nearby too! What was going on?
Inuyasha and the other hanyou quickly separated at the sight of the exterminator and priest, and the female hanyou was revealed to be an attractive dog half breed with black hair and ears.
"Hi guys," she said sheepishly, unsure of how their reaction would be.
Miroku's jaw dropped, and all he could say was, "Kagome?!"
Sango, however, used a more Inuyasha-esque line.
"What in the seven hells happened to you?"
Ooh! Was that the reaction you were expecting? Well that was… sorta a cliffie… Please review!
-Mari
Half and Half
Chapter 3- Reactions
The sun set in a brilliant burst of dazzling color, as pink and purple clouds hovered above it. Sango watched the fiery spectacle until it disappeared behind the curtain of the horizon, to put on it's show again the next day. She hugged her knees and absently stroked Kirara as she mulled over thoughts in her head. The air began to grow cool, and the first winking star came out, but she loathed the thought of going anywhere. The quest was over, Naraku dead, her family avenged, and she was left alone. She didn't want to return to her camp, because the absence of other humans would only further depress her. She could always return to the former Lady Kaede's house, but Kagome and Inuyasha would be there. Last time she went, Kagome had greeted her warmly, but the brown eyes of her gentle friend had been filled with sadness, worry and longing, and Sango knew she was thinking about Inuyasha. Her visit had been brief, and she felt no desire to return, even though Kagome was her dearest friend. It was just a further twist to the knife of loneliness piercing her heart to be around someone who was deeply in love. Love. Sango took a deep breath of the sweet smelling air. She wondered if she would ever find out what it would be like to be in love. Or was it, as she was bitterly beginning to believe, her destiny to always be alone? She had wondered if Miroku... but no. Who could expect that pervert to know anything about love? She sighed yet again and picked up Kirara, and picked her way to her camp in the nearby woods.
She arrived at her camp, and found it not as deserted as she had supposed.
"Houshi?" she asked in surprise at the sight of Miroku sitting in front of her fire.
"Ah, Sango," he nodded to her. "I was hoping you would not be too long. How have you been these past two days?" he conversed pleasantly.
"I've been well, I suppose," she said, still unsure of how to react. Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her toes. She mentally screamed at it to stop, it was just Miroku.
"What brings you here?"
"Always straight to the point, Sango. You're a very no-nonsense type person," he observed. She looked at him, undecided at whether he was teasing her or complimenting her in some way.
"The truth is, I was near here anyways when I felt a very strong magic coming from the general direction of the village, most likely meaning that some major spell had just been cast."
Sango puzzled over what significance this would have. She suddenly gasped when it mentally clicked.
"Inuyasha! He must of made his decision!" she realized. He grinned.
"Well, shall we go and see what the results were?" he stood up and brushed off his robes with his now kazaana free hands. The lack of the rosary reminded Sango of the gigantic battle, the origins of which went back for decades, that they had just ended, and that she wasn't the only one whose family had been wiped out by the enemy. Miroku was probably as much alone as she. She knew none of his family was alive, and he didn't have anyone to turn to either. She wondered why she had never thought about how tragic his life really had been. She had spent so much time being nearsighted by her own misery, she had forgotten that she wasn't the only one with troubles. Really, being faced with the possibility of your death every day of your life, without being able to do anything about it must have been hard.
'How did he bear it?' she wondered.
He followed her gaze to his hand, and she realized she had said it aloud. It came from talking to herself these past couple of days. She blushed, and he slowly replied.
"The only way I could... One day at a time."
He looked back at her, and she could see the sadness in his deep eyes. She nodded in understanding. She had dealt with her sorrows much the same way, focusing on getting through one day, ignoring the loneliness and pain that surely awaited her tomorrow.
Her thoughts were starting to get a little too depressing, so she attempted to cheer herself up. After all, no use living in the past, is there?
"Well, let's go then!" she said, plastic smile in place. Miroku smiled back half heartedly, and they began their trek to the village in a somber, but understanding silence. Sango walked beside Miroku, thankful that he had showed up and pulled her out of her pity party. It was good for her to see that there were other suffering people in the world, to act as a reminder that all she could do was pick up the pieces of her life and move on.
Miroku's hand slid toward Sango, froze a moment, then wrapped around her... hand. Such a simple gesture that was so unlike Miroku that it surprised and moved her. She drew closer to him and gave a gentle squeeze to his hand.
Kirara trailed behind and watched her master and friend. Had Sango been able to speak cat, Kirara would have had an earful to give her. She really should be getting out more often to see her friends; spending so much time alone was not good for her health. And it was about time she finally making some progress with Miroku. Couldn't she see that he loved her? And that she loved him back? Stupid humans with their tendency to miss the obvious. They must have lost their sense of this just like they had lost most of their other senses. If only they would listen to their wiser, more experienced animal companions. Of course, Sango could not understand cat speech, so this wisdom was lost to her.
Kagome was fascinated by her newly heightened senses. Her hearing and sense of smell were so much stronger, it was like they were completely different senses than those she had grown up with. She could hear the wind in the grass outside, a bird that could have been a quarter of a mile away, Inuyasha breathing, a conversation between two villagers about crops, and loudest of all in her ears, her own heartbeat. She was already beginning to distinguish smells from one another. Of course, she was still very inexperienced, and could not identify most of these smells, but it didn't keep her from trying. The first smell she tried to identify was Inuyasha. He had made so many comments about her smell, whether good or bad, it made her curious to see what his scent was like. She had told him this, and he just laughed at her eagerness to learn everything at once.
"It takes a pup time to learn, Kagome. What is that saying you use? Something about rope not being made in a day?"
Kagome laughed.
"It's 'Rome wasn't built in a day', Inuyasha," she said in between giggles. "Ancient Rome was a famous city with huge buildings and statues that the only the ruins of remain. It took years and years to build Rome," she briefly summarized the history lesson.
He grinned.
"Well, Rome or rope or your sense of smell, it takes time to build these things." Noting her crestfallen face, he added, "But we can go out tomorrow and I can help teach you." She smiled, and gave him a hug. He was still a little unused to physical contact with her, but it felt nice.
"Okay, tomorrow," she murmured, her face buried in his robes. She inhaled deeply, trying to catch his scent. It was a hard smell to place, she realized. She couldn't compare it to anything. It was a masculine smell, but pleasant, almost kind of woodsy smelling. She found she liked it a great deal.
Miroku stopped short before they reached the hut. He shushed Sango's question.
"Do you feel that?" he whispered.
Sango was silent for a moment.
"Youkai," she whispered.
"There's Inuyasha's youkai, but there's another. I can't seem to place it, but it feels slightly familiar. I can sense Kagome's miko powers too, but they seem fainter than usual for some reason," he wondered aloud.
"So there's someone else in there." A demon someone else.
"Yes, but if Kagome and Inuyasha were in any trouble, we'd know by now."
"Let's be careful, just in case."
Miroku nodded and they approached the hut. Sango quietly opened the door, and they rushed inside, prepared for just about anything. Except the sight that greeted them.
Inuyasha was locked in an embrace with someone, this someone whose youkai they had sensed before. A hanyou, by the look of the ears. They stood in shock, wondering how Inuyasha dared be such a two timer so openly. And Kagome was nearby too! What was going on?
Inuyasha and the other hanyou quickly separated at the sight of the exterminator and priest, and the female hanyou was revealed to be an attractive dog half breed with black hair and ears.
"Hi guys," she said sheepishly, unsure of how their reaction would be.
Miroku's jaw dropped, and all he could say was, "Kagome?!"
Sango, however, used a more Inuyasha-esque line.
"What in the seven hells happened to you?"
Ooh! Was that the reaction you were expecting? Well that was… sorta a cliffie… Please review!
-Mari