Title: A Moment in Time
Author: Me
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters
Notes: Written for May, because she rocks. This is what we
lovingly refer to as "The Sango and Miroku Happy Fun Hour"
A movement to his left caught his attention and he saw Sango sitting up out of the corner of his eye. She stood slowly, motioning to Kirara to follow her. Her hand reached for Hirakotsu and she lifted it, her arm shaking slightly from the effort. Sighing quietly, he forced himself to keep his gaze low to the ground as she silently made her way into the forest surrounding their resting place.
It had been the same thing every night for the past three days. Even though she had been injured a week ago in a battle with a bear demon, she continued to push herself to her limits. He knew her arm had had little chance to heal and her ankle was far from being fully mended. He had seen Kagome's worried looks, but Sango had insisted she was fine. She was stubborn enough to ignore the pain.
Waiting until she walked out of sight, he stood and stretched, easing the kinks in his back. Looking up in the direction of Inuyasha, he sighed loudly. Inuyasha's ears twitched slightly, and Miroku cleared his throat. The hanyou's eyes opened and he glared down from his perch in the tree.
"What is it?"
"I'm going after her. She'll only hurt herself worse at this rate."
A muffled "keh" sounded from above and Miroku took that as a sigh that he had been heard. Moving silently through the wooded area, he followed the path that Sango had taken. She was most likely heading toward the large clearing they had passed earlier. It was far enough away that she wouldn't be heard practicing her techniques.
Reaching the clearing, he stayed in the shadows, curious to see just what Sango would attempt to do tonight. He knew she was in no condition to practice with the Hirakotsu; her wrist just wasn't strong enough yet. He had seen her wrapping it tightly the day before, under Kagome's watchful gaze. It stilled bothered her quite a bit and watching her now, he knew why. The Hirakotsu was no light weapon. And stopping it as it flew back was no easy feat.
His eyes followed her every movement. From the moment she tied her hair back to the attempt to stretch the muscles in her bad wrist. Taking in her stance, he noticed that she seemed to favor her good leg. The injured ankle made little contact with the ground and her movements seemed a bit jerky as she tried to accommodate for her injuries. Kirara sat near her in her large form, watching her carefully. He knew that if anything should happen, Kirara would be the first to reach her. For now he was content to watch over her from afar.
She gripped the large boomerang tightly, her gaze locked on something in the distance. As she picked it up to get a better grip, he noticed her stumble slightly. A scowl appeared on her face, illuminated by the moonlight. Her eyes closed as she steadied herself, preparing to focus on the task at hand. He smiled slightly. Her determination was one of her best qualities, though there were times when she took things too far. The smile disappeared completely as he took in the rigid stance she was held.
Her breathing had become quite shallow and he could tell she was struggling with something. Kirara mewed from the other side of the clearing and he took a step forward, ready for anything that should happen. The cat demon quieted at a nod from Sango, but he did not allow himself to relax.
She picked up the Hirakotsu again, keeping her balance this time. She held it away from her as she tested the strength of her wrist, and he found himself surprised. Usually she did not bother to test her injuries, instead acting on impulse. Perhaps her injuries were far worse than he had been lead to believe. He made a mental note to talk to Kagome about the extent of the damage done to her wrist and ankle.
Lifting the boomerang again, she stilled, her face showing no emotions. She stood still, holding the position for what seemed like forever. Finally, she set Hirakotsu on the ground and placed her hand on the handle of her wakizashi, gripping it tightly. Pulling it from its sheath in one fluid motion, Miroku was stunned by how quickly it had all happened.
He knew the Hirakotsu was her main weapon and that she could also be counted on for her swordsmanship, but he had never really had a chance to observe her sword skills. The few times that she had used it in battle he was busy fighting himself. He found the smile reappearing as he watched the smooth strokes and fluid motions she went through. The only sign of injury she showed at the moment was the slight hesitation with her steps. It was barely noticeable, but his trained eye caught the tiny missteps. She stilled again, replacing the sword in the sheath and pulled out a length of chain.
Lowering her head, she took a moment to compose herself before slowly swinging a small length of the chain. He watched the chain's path, fascinated by the hypnotic swinging. In the blink of an eye, her hand shot forward and the chain looped around the trunk of a nearby tree. He jumped, startled by the sudden attack. Closing his eyes, he fought to regain his breath.
"Houshi-sama, it's not polite to spy." He opened his eyes to see Sango glaring in his direction and Kirara bounding toward him. Looking away from her steady gaze, he reached to scratch behind Kirara's ears, eager for a distraction.
"It's hardly spying, my dear Sango." Meeting her gaze once more, he smiled in her direction, hoping to ease her anger with some of his natural charm. "I was worried about you. Sneaking off in the middle of the night surely isn't helping your injuries." Her gaze darkened and he felt himself tensing. An angry Sango was not susceptible to his charms in the least.
"I know you followed me here. I know you've followed me last night as well. And yet you never say anything." Her words trailed off as she focused on watching his reaction.
"I didn't wish to disturb you, only to watch over you." Her gaze softened a bit, but he could tell she was still angry with him. "I merely wanted to make sure you didn't injure yourself further."
"You shouldn't worry about me, so much. I know my limits." Her gaze fell to the boomerang lying on the grass a few feet away. "I may not always think before I act, but I know better than to risk ruining my wrist." Her words trailed off and silence feel between the two.
Kirara looked back and forth between them and he found himself at a loss for words. "Sango..." Her eyes met his and he paused, unsure of how to continue. Yes, he worried about her, for good reason. In the past she had pushed herself to the limit many times. He had his reasons for wanting to watch over her. He knew she was far from helpless, but she did not always think before acting.
"Houshi-sama?"
Her voice broke through his thoughts and he approached her. "Sango, I worry about you. I will not deny that fact. I thought I knew how bad your injuries were after that last battle, but it seems I thought wrong. I saw you hesitate and even now you favor one leg over the other. You can barely lift Hirakotsu, and yet you still try. If it wasn't for Kirara, I would have made myself known earlier. If something should ever happen to you, I would never forgive myself."
She blushed, her cheeks turning rosy with embarrassment as she lowered her face. He found himself reaching out a hand and brushing back her bangs so he could fully meet her gaze. "Don't hide from me, Sango."
Her eyes widened as he gently stroked her cheek, the blush rising and making her face turn even pinker. He smiled as he realized the effect he was having on her. "I just want to keep you safe? Is that so wrong?" She shook her head, still silent. Their eyes met and he smiled at her. "I care about you Sango, you know that. You are my friend, but then again, you are so much more to me."
"Houshi-sama, please."
"Please what, Sango? I'm only telling you the truth." His thumb stroked the area near her mouth and her eyelashes fluttered a bit. Grinning, he leaned closer, feeling her shiver.
"You are just trying to distract me. I know how you think." Her eyes remained closed as she spoke, her voice beginning to waiver.
Leaning closer, he gathered her in his arms, whispering in her ear. "You have much to learn about me, Sango." Another shiver ran through her body as one hand slowly began to stroke the small of her back.
"Such as?" Her breathing began to even out as she leaned into his touch, slowly beginning to relax against his body.
"Well, I can manage not to grope you, though it is tempting." He laughed as her hand roughly poked his side. It was not enough to hurt, just a warning of what could and most likely would happen if he tried anything. As much as he was tempted, he also knew better than to ruin the moment. The thought of being slapped wasn't all that appealed either.
Listening to her breathing, he waited until he was sure she had relaxed completely. Acting quickly, he managed to catch her off guard, lifting her into his arms. A small squeak escaped from her lips as she stared at him in shock. "You..."
"I told you that you had much to learn about me." He tightened his grip on her, making sure his hold was secure. "Allow me to escort you back to the others." Turning to Kirara he motioned towards the forgotten Hirakotsu, which she delicately picked up by the handle. Facing Sango once again, he smiled. "There, everything is taken care of."
"You don't need to carry me back, I can walk just fine." A light blush spread across her cheeks again as she tried to make excuses.
"I'm not letting go of you, Sango. Holding you in my arms is a wonderful experience."
"My ankle is fine, I promise..." Her words were cut off as he placed a gentle kiss on her nose. Her blush intensified again as she stared at him in shock.
"Sango, I will not listen to this anymore. I would never forgive myself if you hurt yourself on the walk back. You've strained your ankle as it is. Besides, I doubt Inuyasha and Kagome will even notice. Kagome is asleep and Inuyasha is preoccupied with other things."
She fell silent, and after a moment rested her head against his shoulder. He slowed his pace as the small site where they had chosen to rest came into view. "See? They won't even notice." Kirara bounded forward, setting the Hirakotsu near the tree where Sango's other belonging lay. As he reached the spot, he held Sango close for another moment, relishing the feel of her in his arms. Gently setting her down, he offered her a smile as she shyly smiled back. "Thank you, Houshi-sama."
"Any time, Sango." He walked to the opposite side of their small camp and settled against a tree, a smile firmly planted on his face. He didn't even flinch when Kagome sat upright and nearly attacked Sango, whispering animatedly the whole while.