Winter's Freshest
Sango awoke rather early. She stretched and yawned, shivering as she realized that the once roaring fire had died out long ago. She felt uncomfortably cold in her thing pink traveling yukata and decided without thought to change into a more appropriate outfit that consisted of a burgundy sweater with a matching tan scarf. Kagome had knitted both for her. Coincidentally, she had done the exact same style of garments for Miroku...
The young woman pulled on a short plaid skirt (from Kagome also), although Sango would have preferred long wool pants right about now. She would have worn the long green skirt she always wore, but that was washed and drying out now.
It was snowing in the Feudal Era and Kagome had gone back to her time with InuYasha for a holiday they celebrate called "Christmas". The clothes Sango wore were Christmas presents from Kagome. She had to admit, the younger girl was indeed getting much better at knitting. (Sango now pulled on some comfy Mary Jane's, also from Kagome.)
The girl from the future, Kagome, also mentioned that in Christmas, families got together to have dinner and share gifts with everyone. Then there was something mentioned about "mistletoe"...
Sango walked out from the hut quietly after building another warm fire and managed to catch a glimpse of Miroku, who was fast asleep.
This would be another winter without Father or Kohaku...
Sango sniveled sadly and took off down the snow-laden path rather briskly. She shivered again and wrapped the scarf tighter and closer to her face and neck.
The crisp cold air blew throughout Sango's long, beautiful chestnut hair and she blinked her bright hazel eyes as the cold stung them bitterly.
The young woman was coming to the edge of the wood now. She paused in her footsteps and gazed upon the big black trees that stood massively above her. All of the vivid red and yellow leaves had withered away, leaving the trees so bare. She placed a hand to one of the trunks and traced her finger-tips along the rough bark that was chipping away. Sango removed her hand and brought both up to her face, blowing on them warmly.
She continued on through the gloomy woods quietly and sometimes would come across a morning bird singing its song. Sango came to a fallen tree trunk, and, wiping away the snow from its surface, sat down. Her bare legs felt numb and sore, aching from the cold; she cursed silently for not having pants.
There was a sudden SNAP! and a dead tree branch fell. Sango looked up too late and the branch limb hit her roughly on the head. She fell backwards—knocked out cold—and her face pressed into the crisp white snow. Several wood creatures chattered and screeched in annoyance, but Sango did not stir as she slowly was covered with a mass amount of snowflakes.
--
Back in the hut, Miroku rolled over in his sleep and moistened his lips as his tongue slid across them. He was having a most pleasant dream concerning Sango and him. He moaned in pleasure, "Sango...oh, Sango... I never knew you could bend that way... Oh, baby!" He jolted awake at the loud sound of a dead tree limb cracking into the silence.
"Damn! That was a real good dream, too... Wonder if it was real, though...?"
He rolled over grinning and expected to see Sango, tired but smiling. When he gazed in that direction, all he saw was the crackling fire. Miroku furrowed his brow, wondering where his Sango had gotten to. Well, actually, not his Sango. He couldn't say that unless he knew that Sango loved him as he loved her. Which...she did, but he wasn't well aware of that knowledge, except for if his hand rested in the right spot, he earned a smacking.
All Miroku could think about was where Sango wandered off to.
He pulled on his burgundy sweater, tan scarf, long ski pants, and black tennis shoes—all from Kagome. He grinned lecherously at thought of InuYasha hanging around with Kagome—alone and together. The lecherous monk shrugged that thought away and his mind went racing back to Sango's unknown whereabouts.
He burst open the hut door and trekked outside. It took him a minute to register that the daintier pair of footsteps alongside his were Sango's... The monk followed them for about fifteen minutes until they finally disappeared in the snow. He cursed aloud. It'd be harder to find her now...
Miroku slumped down on a fallen tree and saw that most of the snow had been wiped away. He looked closer and saw delicate fingertips sliding across—Sango had been here!!
His heart leapt and so did he. The sinking feeling had gone away and had been replaced by a relief swelling up inside his chest like a large balloon. Although her footprints had been covered by snow, it was a very good chance she was not too far off away from him.
Miroku wandered off from the area to continue his relentless and frantic search. Although he looked everywhere he could possibly think, up in the trees—although most likely Sango would not be there—or down on the ground, he could not find her. His heart began to hammer rapidly and panic filled his chest once more.
He was nearing the end of the woods now and still no sign of his beloved tajiya.
Sighing, Miroku wheeled around and slowly marched back from whence he came.
He felt cold and empty, now that Sango was no where to be found. He suddenly realized as soon as he saw the large outline of the hut that he, Miroku, could not give up looking for Sango. This was the woman of his life he was talking about!
He raced back into the massive clump of trees and began his search again.
As he reached the fallen tree, he stepped on something that didn't feel quite right... Miroku looked down and saw an unusual lump of snow. Curious as he was, the monk bent down and started to wipe away the snow. The young man gasped as he saw a strand of beautiful chestnut hair. Ecstatically, he dug off the snow and wrapped his arms around the slender limp body of Sango, who was knocked unconscious. A dead tree limb lay beside her.
Miroku realized that the snapping noise that had awoken him was the same one that smashed atop of poor Sango's head.
"Sango..." he whispered fearfully. He gathered her up in his arms and hurried back to their refuge.
Miroku kicked the hut door open and jogged inside, still holding Sango tightly, bridal-style. He placed her down gingerly on her sleeping mat and covered her with her blanket, and his as well. She couldn't get sick. The monk didn't need the blankets as much as the tajiya. She was the important matter now. The only thing that mattered to him.
He lay down beside her, his back to her, and sleep overtook him as he desperately waited for Sango to come to.
--
An hour's time found Sango awaking tosee Miroku curled up next to her, fast asleep once more. She smiled and then suddenly realized that it was he who had found her and rescued her, bringing her back here. She smiled faintly, blushing tremendously, and then saw she had all the blankets...
The girl's face softened and she scooted closer to the monk, right up against him, and wrapped the blankets around both of them. Sango saw Miroku smile warmly at the extra body heat; she couldn't help but grin, and pretty soon, fell asleep beside Miroku.
--
Sango was gently shaken awake and heard Miroku's velvet-like voice that seduced many women ring out softly like a bell in her ear. She slowly opened her eyes and batted her lashes, smiling.
"H-hi, Houshi-sama..." her voice trembled as their noses touched. Miroku blushed for once, returning her greeting. He turned his back to her and dressed underneath a blanket. Sango flushed as she saw she had practically no clothes on. Miroku had to take off her wet clothes; otherwise, she would have gotten hypothermia. Quite strangely, though, Sango didn't mind as she gathered this knowledge to herself. If he left them on her, she could've died after all!
The young tajiya saw the monk beckon to her to walk with him. Sango accepted silently. Miroku took her hand—Sango blushing all the while, her face equivalent to a tomato—and led her outside.
Sango walked beside Miroku, who still held her hand, and he was trying hard to keep a straight face; it was rare that something like this would happen between them. The young woman gasped when they stopped, seeing more newly-fallen snow that sparkled with the sunlight.
"Sango...there's...something I want to tell you..." Miroku started.
"I, also, want to tell you something, Miroku..."
The young man froze—she addressed him by his name for once!
"I suppose there's no easier way to tell you this, than by saying..." Something caught his eye and he stopped. "Oh, look, Sango... Mistletoe." He grinned as she blushed. "You know what they say..." Miroku leaned forward and Sango brought her face up to his. Their lips closed over each other. It was a sensational feeling! They finally broke apart, gasping for air. Miroku spoke again. "As I was saying...I—I love you, Sango," he exclaimed softly and caught her in another lip-lock. Sango deepened it and ran her fingers through his hair; it had come unbound now and Sango could see it in its unruly self, showing the rogue Miroku was sometimes.
They finally broke for air once more.
"I love you, too, Miroku!" Sango gasped breathlessly, hugging him tight around his waist.
She said his name again!
"Oh, Sango—"
They leaned in again, Miroku pecking her on the check, and he embraced her, Sango's arms wrapped around Miroku's neck.
The sun found them in the midst of the trees, still sitting together on the fallen tree.
Sango was very glad that Kagome convinced her to stay with Miroku, while the girl from the future left with InuYasha, and leaving Shippou with Lady Kaede. Miroku was very pleased as well. Sango dove onto him and giggled as they threw snowballs at each other and making snow angels in the snow, laying on the sparkling white ground and their laughter filled the air as the day finally, finally dwindled away...
December 22, 2004
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"Winter's Freshest"