Deep Promises

"You're too late."

There was still the slightest ting of pink lingering on her cheeks as she said this, but her face no longer held the shock of his unexpected action, it was simply looking up to him calmly waiting for what ever his answer could be.

'Too late' his mind repeated. He knew, he knew the moment she had turned to look at the monk when they met up three days back; it was obvious to anyone that she had deep feelings for him, and that he reciprocated. If only his own love could be controlled at will. Sadly there was nothing he could do but wish her happiness and stand aside. Just like she had done two years back. Only this time there where no lies or secrets, everything was real. From her happiness, to the houshi's love, to his own pain. Truth be told he rather it be him the one to suffer.

"I know." Shinosuke whispered

He didn't even notice his hand was still over her right cheek until her soft small ones brought it down to his lap.

"I'm sorry." She said gazing into his eyes.

He offered her a small smile "You don't have to be. What you feel for him is real. And I assure you he feels the same towards you."

Her face finally expressed a bit of surprise as the color came back to her cheeks. "How did...?"

Shinosuke's smile widened. "Come on now Jou-chan you should know by now that I'm not as clueless as I look."

The pink in her cheeks darkened into a soft cherry as he continued

"And even if I was, both of you are so discrete you'd be better off yelling it out. Just like the hanyou and the odd girl."

The mood had changed and he was glad, especially to see she had no more pain in her eyes.

"Just keep an eye on him and be patient... he's a little slow."

In spite of herself a smile crept up to her face and she fought back a chuckle. Shino followed along glad this was finally over with.

"Make sure you don't loose this one too ne?" he warned

She smiled sheepishly up at him "Daijoubu... I'm not completely convinced that he feels what I feel for him but, he promised he would never leave me alone..."

He raised an eye brow "Hontou?"

Sango scratched her hairline "Well... something like that..."

"You shouldn't do this so often Houshi-sama... it could be dangerous in battles if you don't get enough sleep." She said plucking the strings of grass under her palms

The full moon was watching over her and Miroku. It was midnight, when most of their normal conversations took place. They had left their comrades back over a small hill. Sango had been having a bad dream; nothing out of the ordinary but enough to get her to wake up sweating. And Miroku was just up as usual. Both were now talking under the cool blanket of the night and the steady bubbling of a river they had just in front of them.

"When I'm sleepy... I sleep. What point is there to keep myself up if I want to relax, and what point is there to sleep if I'm not actually tired?"

She glared at him. She hated it when he made a point.

"The one who should be sleeping is you." He continued

"What if something should happen to you one of the nights you go off wandering alone." She ignored his last comment "there would be no one around to help you and something serious could happen."

"I don't plan to die just yet Sango." He smiled looking up at the moon "But you have to know that I will someday and when I do you'll just have to move on."

"You make it sound so easy." she murmured setting her chin over her knees

She plucked another blade of grass from under her palms looking down at the river between the hills they were resting over. Honestly, he made it sound as if it were the same as loosing her boot or something.

"Why wouldn't it be?" he asked curiously

Her back straitened as she met his gaze, she felt her face redden. Dammit! He had heard her? That didn't matter, what shocked was the question he had just made.

"No!" she said somewhat offended

His factions settled neutrally. "Doushite?"

Her stomach clenched tightly. "Because." she began feeling very stupid. She had to say something. Just not, everything. "Loosing a friend isn't something you get through easily. It takes strength and time and... a little pain."

She waited nervously to see if what she had said was enough. Dozens of other thoughts came to her mind, things that would have sounded better or smarter or... anything!

"But it would hurt more to loose a person you love than me ne?" he said quietly

Her heart missed a beat.

"Being only your friend, would it make that much of a difference to you if I stepped out of your life?"

He continued before she even had a chance to blink. Dammit with his stupid questions! He didn't even give her time to think. Her mouth stuttered while she came up with something to say.

"Baka Houshi!" she blurted unintentionally "Do you honestly think that if you just left you wouldn't be missed...? By anyone?" She added quickly "Besides, we need you on our side to defeat Naraku. We were... in this together ne?"

Yes, that was fine... reasonable at least. She hadn't intended for that baka houshi part but, what was done was done. Why didn't he say anything? Did he have to be staring at her? And what in all Kami-sama's glory did that 'loosing the person you love instead of me' thing mean?! He smiled.

"Very well... I do not wish to be the person who is responsible for making you suffer. So after we defeat Naraku will you let me die in peace?" he asked lightheartedly

Sango gave a small sigh "Only if you promise to fight alongside m-, us," she caught herself quickly "Until then... and not do something stupid like get yourself killed. Or leave the group or something..."

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "I can't give you any guarantee's about the doing something stupid part. But I won't leave the group and if I can help it, I won't get myself killed. I will accept to everything you have just said... if you do as well..."

Sango gave a small hmm? Finally looking up to the smiling monk. Then pressed her lips together determinedly "Deal."

"It's a promise then." smiled Miroku "And now we must do something physically symbolic that will bind our pact." he said that smile of his creeping on his lips.

Sango's eye twitched as a small vein popped up on her forehead. One day he would know how uncomfortable that was. The next sound heard was the yell of the houshi being thrown into the night air and landing with a big splash in the river. Sango stomped away back to camp.

"Symbolic enough for you?" she asked angrily.

Shinosuke raised an eyebrow walking through the halls of the inn to his room again "My, what a... special relationship you have..." he said unsurely

Sango smiled "Special is not the word I would use..." she confessed

"Odd? Disturbing? Peculiar? Unsettling?" he offered

She eyed him and he offered a light chuckle. They turned left to where their bedrooms were across from each other and both stopped seeing the person they were talking about leaning against Shinosuke's room.

"Houshi-sama." Said Sango eying him curiously

"I found it." he replied with a small smile

The couple in front of him stared. "Found what Houshi-sama?" asked Sango

"I found a way to save Shinosuke." He finished

Surprise filled Shinosuke as he heard this along with a ray of hope and relief. Could it be true though? Sango on the other hand wasn't as surprised as she should have been, better yet concern filled her face.

"I had actually found a way to save you before; do you remember you mentioned a transfer?" Miroku asked Shinosuke, noticing the look on Sango's face.

He was still a bit numb from having heard what the monk had to say, but his factions became serious when he mentioned the transfer. "I'm not going to let you die for me Houshi-sama if that's what you're getting at." He said quickly

Shino was not about to trade the life of the man Sango loved for his own. It was ridiculous. Sango said nothing but looked nervously form one to another. She jumped when Miroku turned to look at her.

"You already know ne?" he asked

Sango swallowed, so he knew she was eavesdropping in the hallway. She nodded shyly red in the face.

"Houshi-sama I won't let you." Interrupted Shinosuke again

"I won't die after the transfer Shinosuke. I found a way to save myself as well."

Miroku looked up at two wide eyes full of hope. And waited for them to ask questions, when they didn't speak he decided to continue.

"I gave a last visit to the temple and found a way to survive... if you like we can do this right now."

Both were to overwhelmed to speak, but finally it was Sango who broke the silence. "You can save him?" she asked

Miroku looked down to the familiar auburn eyes he had grown so fond of. To see them full of hope and happiness brought a sad smile to his lips.

"Hai."

"Are you sure you want to be here Sango?" Miroku asked

She nodded determinedly. The three of them were now in Shinosuke's room; he was lying on the futon stomach down and his gi down to his lower back. Miroku by his side was preparing for the transfer. He had an uncertain look on his face knowing Sango didn't really need to see this. It wasn't going to be pleasant for anyone. He knew however that she was determined, not to say stubborn, so he didn't push it further.

"Very well. Shinosuke, are you ready?" asked Miroku

"When ever you are ready to start Houshi-sama." He answered back

"Don't call me that." He said pushing away a bucket of water "My father gave me a name for a reason ne? I'd be nice if it were used more often."

Shinosuke looked up from over his shoulder greeted by a crooked smile from the monk as he pushed his gi out of the way. Parting her lips slightly Sango turned to look at Miroku who didn't meet her gaze. Maybe she was making too much of it but, she had the feeling his statement was not meant for Shinosuke. She honestly never even considered that. Calling him by his first name. Surely she noticed, and by all means did it on purpose. But it was, well respect. She didn't know it bothered him, not this much at least. And to be honest, saying his name, well... she was too shy to do it. People could call her crazy, saying it was just his name, but they didn't know. They wouldn't know it was so much more to her than that. It meant giving him solid structure in her heart. And that was scary for her.

"Hai." Smiled Shinosuke "Gomen Miroku-sama."

Sango shook her head, pushing aside her train of thoughts, this was not the time to be thinking about such things. Miroku nodded, feeling the nervousness that was going around the room. He pulled back the sleeve of his left arm and gently set a nervous hand over the black mark on Shinosuke's back. He closed his eyes in concentration setting the index and pointer of his right hand over his knuckles.

Shinosuke was the first to protest, Sango watched as his fist's balled up over the covers of his futon. Miroku gave a muffled groan as Sango saw his face begin to shine with his own sweat. Shinosuke gave small yelp of pain before pressing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth. Miroku's breath was getting faster by each passing second and a gray tone came to his cheeks.

Sango noticed the temperature of the room began to increase as they strived more each time to get the pain under control. She was beginning to regret having stayed. Suddenly jumping as both men gave a muffled yell of pain, she saw it emerge. Sango watched with wide eyes as the black mark on Shinosuke's back became three dimensional being sucked out of him and drawn into Miroku's hand. It looked like nothing but a jumble of thick threads. Or jointed arms of some sort that seemed to meet in the middle to form a small solid body. Each tentacle was a deep crimson color, she didn't know if this was its real color or it was just Shinosuke's blood. Each one ended in a sort of scalpel with a small opening. They were tubes. The tentacles were being pulled out slowly, one at a time. Maybe this was what hurt so much.

Miroku's hands over Shino's back began to tremble more each time a tentacle was extracted from Shinosuke's body into his palm. About six left in Shinosuke's body. four, three.

One.

Sango jumped gasping as both men yelled out suddenly. Miroku was pushed back against the wall and Shino was left panting over the futon.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly.

Shinosuke from the futon opened his eyes briefly and gave her a small smile; before they closed on their own again, he was awfully pale. His panting died down and he soon fell asleep on the soft bed.

"Shinosuke!" she set a hand over his shoulder. It was clammy.

"You need to... seal the wound."

Sango turned to find Miroku with his head resting against the wall. He was still breathing forcefully and his left hand was trembling terribly. He winced, a dark ting coming to his cheeks.

"Houshi-sama." She said about to go to his aid.

"The wound..." he said again shaking his head at her. "On his back... it's still bleeding."

She looked from one to another. It was true; on Shinosuke's back where the creature had been there was a single vertical slash of seeping blood.

"Other than that..." continued Miroku "He'll be fine..."

Sango looked back to Miroku "What about you?"

"I'm not going anywhere..." He offered her a smile. "Tend to him first..."

She had done it hesitantly but finally agreed. He tried to get up and leave while she was tending to his wound, but it was impossible, he couldn't even move his head. Had Shinosuke really had to put up with this sort of pain? Since when? He could feel the creature running through his bloodstream leaving a trace of what felt like acid along the way. It was probably headed for his back. He gave a frustrated sigh when she had finished binding Shinosuke's back and turned towards him.

She kneeled down next to him taking a cool hand to his forehead; at least to him it felt cool. "You don't look so good." She stated

He shook his head "Daijoubu..."

She didn't buy it, less when she took his shaking left hand in hers. She gave a small gasp when he opened his fist half covered in blood, the same vertical slit in his palm as in Shinosuke's back.

"Hold on." She said hurriedly retrieving the bandages from beside Shinosuke's bed.

He winced slightly when she dipped his hand in a bowl of water, and watched some of his own blood seep into the liquid dissolving amongst it to a light peach color. He didn't turn to face her while she wiped off the water and blood, or while she bandaged it. He couldn't.

"There..." she said giving a satisfied smile

He returned it, though not looking her directly in the eyes. This was ridiculous, he had to get out of here anyway. With all the effort he could muster, he managed to get up leaning on the wall for support.

"Arigatou..." he said trying not to look the way he felt as he made his way to the door "I suspect he'll be fine by tomorrow morning. You should get to bed as well, it's late."

He slid the shujoi door open and stepped out into the hall. Trying to relax his breathing he slid the door shut behind him and made his way down the hall where he and Inu-Yasha were sleeping. The sound of her voice froze him on the spot.

"Houshi-sama..."

He strived to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach when his muscles didn't react just the way he wanted them to. Still the tone of her voice made him look back to her squarely.

"Yes?" he asked quietly, afraid his voice might break

Sango looked over to him with worried mahogany eyes and walked over to him. She pushed herself into his chest, making him take a few steps back to balance himself, and wound her arms around his back. Surprised as he was, he welcomed the external support she was giving him. Desperately attempting not to lean too much on her

"You don't know how much this means to me..." she said into his robes.

A tinge of pain crossed his heart. He did know how much it meant to her.

"You kept your promise." She finished

He had to think this over for a few seconds, looking down at her hair, confused before it dawned on him what she was talking about. His eyes gleamed with guilt. He had forgotten. How could he have pushed something as important as that out of his mind at a time like this?

He had to hide his emotions almost immediately as she released him looking up with an uncertain smile. He then realized he hadn't done so much as hug her back.

"Arigatou." She said quietly looking down to the floor. "Oyasumi nasai."

With that she turned down the hall to the room across from Shinosuke's glancing at him one last time before she shut the paper door behind her. Once she did he let out a deep breath grabbing whatever was closest to keep himself from falling forward.

"Baka Houshi!" she said angrily "Do you honestly think that if you just left you wouldn't be missed...? By anyone?" She blushed still with that indignant look in her eyes "Besides, we need you on our side to defeat Naraku. We were... in this together ne?"

Her voice seemed to echo against the walls of the inn as he felt the creature dig further into his body.

"Very well... I do not wish to be the person who is responsible for making you suffer. So after we defeat Naraku will you let me die in peace?" he had asked smiling

She looked down at her hands "Only if you promise to fight alongside m- , us," he raised an eyebrow at her pause "until then, and not do something stupid like get yourself killed. Or leave the group or something..."

He felt like punching the wall, he probably would have if he hadn't been swaying so much or trying to blink off the fogginess.

"Deal!" said the voice of her memory faintly.

"Deal...?" he repeated

--' one more chap to go before I go again, but don't worry vacations are just 2 weeks away, so I'll be finished before june.....

thank you for all the nice reviews!