Chapter 31: No More Second Chances

Miroku lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. Kagome had left a little while earlier, and his friend was exactly what Miroku was thinking so hard about. He just couldn't figure out Kagome's recent behavior. Was this her idea of a joke? He didn't mind at the start, but Kagome's random public displays of affection were starting to creep him out. The idea of Kagome possibly having resurfaced old feelings for him, but he had dismissed it as an impossibility. Miroku grabbed the remote to his stereo and turned on the radio. Maybe some music would ease his mind. The song currently playing was A Little Doubt Goes a Long Way by Reel Big Fish. (A/N: Reel Big Fish; incase you don't know, are ska gods incarnate as well as my favorite band. If you like ska or contemporary rock, Reel Big Fish is a band you got to hear. Suckers, Where Have You Been, Down in Flames, Good Thing, The Bad Guy, and Your Guts (I Hate 'Em) are among their better songs. Download a few)

I gotta go gotta go gotta go before I do something stupid, I gotta go
I Gotta go gotta go gotta go, before I do something lame
I know, it's your fault, that I'm in the mess I'm in
And you think, I'm cool but I don't man

Miroku began to bob his head to the upbeat rhythm and catchy tune.

Maybe it's too soon, but I think it's too late
And things like, bad timing just won't wait
Maybe it's not right (I have a girlfriend) made a friend tonight (who is a girl and)
I just wanted to talk you but then I started wondering if she's the one…or not.

At this point, Miroku shut off his stereo. He didn't like the direction the lyrics were taking. "Get your thoughts straight. You are a damn fool to think even for a second you might belong with Kagome! Look at the ground in shame!" Miroku mentally scolded himself. "Inuyasha is already out for my blood as it is. Why should I make it worse? Besides, there's no freakin' way she loves me." Miroku tried to assure himself.

"Damn it, I can't deny it any longer. I do love him. I'm such a terrible friend!" Kagome thought in despair. "At least I can tell her myself before she finds out some other way." She picked up the phone and dialed Sango's number.

"Hello?" Sango's voice asked on the other end of the line.

"Hey Sango. It's me." Kagome said.

"Oh. Hello." Sango replied; her voice laced with a venomous tone.

"There's something I have to tell you. About Miroku." Kagome continued, her voice wavering slightly.

"Oh you mean about how you and Miroku were making out at the movies today?" Sango snapped back.

"What?"

"Don't you what me 'Little Miss Innocence'! Inuyasha told me the whole thing. Every detail he noticed, all so kindly forwarded to me. Well I have news for you little girl. If you want him, you can have him! Cause he and I are through! For good! No more second chances! Now why don't you be good and go make out with another someone else's boyfriend!" Sango angrily shouted, finishing by slamming the receiver down. Sango crossed her arms, a short series of tears beginning to flow down her face.

Kagome hung up the phone, stunned by the ferocity of Sango's verbal abuse. The worst part was everything Sango said for the most part was true. She had kissed Miroku at the movies. She had made an inappropriate, uncalled for advance on someone else's boyfriend. And to top it all off, Miroku was the one who got the worst of it, even though he had done nothing wrong. At least there was a little bit of a positive aspect to this. Miroku wasn't taken anymore. Now, when she broke up with Inuyasha (which was pretty inevitable, stupid bastard, always sneaking around) she could make a move on Miroku. Kagome giggled with glee at the thought, but quickly reminded herself he was probably getting 'the boot' from Sango at that very moment. Kagome quickly got up, went next door and knocked. She could tell Miroku had already been informed from the look on his face. He looked like a sad puppy! It was so pathetic, he might as well have had the words 'I need a hug' stamped on his forehead in bright red ink. Kagome gave him the hug he so desperately needed. "I heard." Kagome said. "I'm sorry."

Miroku smiled back regretfully. "Don't be. It's not your fault."

Kagome hated it when he said this, because in situations (similar to this one) when it was completelyher fault, it only made her feel worse. "It is so my fault. I was the one who kissed you after all."

"So? I could've stopped you." Miroku replied.

"No you couldn't have. You weren't expecting it."

"True but I could've pushed you away or backed off myself once it happened. You were just rewarding me and I was too stupid to think of the consequences it might have." Kagome hated it when Miroku explained things. He was always able to sound like he was right, even when he wasn't.

"Yeah, but uh…" Kagome racked her brain for an excuse to make it her fault, but her mind was failing her. "Damn it. Fine, it was your fault. Why don't I come in? Maybe I can cheer you up."

"Maybe, but how, pray tell, do you plan to do that?" Miroku asked curiously.

"Well," Kagome began, "I have one idea that involves a bed and a locked door."

Miroku shot her an amused look. "Remind me, which one of us is the pervert here? The perverted jokes are my bit!"

"Who said I was joking?" Kagome asked, dead serious.

"Uh…aren't you?" Miroku looked a bit uneasy.

"Care to go and find out?" Kagome continued to tease, her voice carrying a seductive ring.

"Er…" Miroku was a lot more confused now then he had been not so long ago. Even though Kagome's pretext for the random public displays of affection had been found out, this opened up a totally different dimension of questions. Should he? Was he tempted just because Sango had broken up with him and he was vulnerable? Did Kagome really want this or was she just taking advantage of the opportunity? Definitely taking advantage. "Kagome trust me, you don't want to do this."

"I do! I've never been more sure of anything in my life!" she objected.

"Kagome, you don't. I don't want to take part in something you'd end up regretting."

"How about make-outs? Do I want to do any of those?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"Yeah." Miroku replied with a grin. "I'm pretty sure you do."

A/N: Yeah, yeah I know. Kill the author, right? Don't spaz out on me. Besides, this story is still under the Miroku/Sango pairing, isn't it? That's got to mean something. (Nudge, nudge; wink, wink)