Chapter One: Amatsu Mikaboshi's first attempt

Miroku placed a hand on Sango's chest. "Now, Sango, act reasonably. I was merely helping you recover!"

Sango jerked away and slapped him. "What do you think you're doing! Hentai! If you want to comfort someone, don't touch them like that!"

She ran off, ducking into the woods. The rain was coming down in sheets now, and the taijiya was soon lost to sight.

Miroku made to follow her, but was weighed down by his confining monk's robes. Kagome whispered to Inuyasha. "Look at this! It's the mood! If he takes his robes off... we can't follow them."

And Miroku did take his robes off, leaving only his pants on. The houshi vaulted off into the woods, following Sango.

The taijiya stopped, leaning against a tree, her hair dripping in her eyes. The houshi was so frustrating at times, but she knew it had been stupid and childish to run away.

She knew she could handle the deliquent monk, she just couldn't figure out the right way. She had tried almost everything, including being defensive, angry, sweet, and shy. Usually it was a combination of the first and the last. The only things she hadn't tried was being open and forward.

She was jolted out of her reverie by the appearance of a well-muscled young man in... purple? The man dropped to his knees next to her, his not-quite-shoulder-length hair plastered to his neck. "Sango, thank Buddha I found you!"

Sango blushed slightly as he brushed her hair out of her eyes. "H-houshi-sama? What're you doing here?"

Miroku lifted her bridal style. "I was looking for you. C'mon, you'll catch a cold or something. I don't know where Kagome and Inuyasha are, so let's just find a cave."

He carried her for a while, and the couple finally found a dry enough cave. Entering, Miroku put Sango down and hastily built a fire. Kagome had given the monk a backpack, and he had stuffed his robes in there, on top of some food(Ramen, mostly). They were sufficiently dry, and he tossed the inner-most robe, which was dryest, to Sango. She looked at him quizzically. "What's this for?"

Miroku stared into the fire, speaking to her in a sedate voice that was unusual for the houshi. "You need to get out of those clothes. Put that on."

Sango blushed a deep red. "N-nani? In front of y-you?"

"Yes, Sango. You have my oath as a monk that I won't look." For once, Sango actually trusted him.

She peeled off her wet clothes and pulled on the deliquent houshi's robes. She walked back over to the fire and sat down beside him, curling a strand of hair around her finger. "H-houshi-sama, why'd you come for me?"

The monk shrugged. "I just didn't want you to be alone. You'd have gotten sick if I hadn't come."

"You really care?"

"Of course. You're my best friend."

Sango soaked in these words for a few minutes, and the pair wached the fire. Miroku spoke, breaking the silence. "Sango?"

The sixteen-year-old taijiya turned and looked at him. "What?"

Miroku moved closer to her and put two fingers under her chin, tilting her face up to his. Their lips were only a few centimeters apart when a huge peal of thunder rang out. Miroku jerked away from her. "You... you should get to sleep. Just in case. You could be sick."

Sango nodded embaressedly. "R-right. Well, goodnight, houshi-sama."

She leaned in corner, drifting off to sleep. The last thing she saw was Miroku tending to the fire.