Chapter 4: Change of Heart

Miroku sat under the same tree Inuyasha always occupied while Kagome was away and gazed at the sky, apparently in deep thought. "Miroku?" Sango asked, this being the third time today she had come to check on Miroku. "Are you sure you don't want to come back to the village? You haven't eaten for three days."

"No. I'm fine but I appreciate your concern Sango." Miroku replied.

Sango was worried. Miroku never waited by the well like this, and sitting here 24/7 till Kagome came back wasn't going to shorten her visit to her own time. He had also stopped addressing Sango as he normally would. Every so often he would call Sango 'my love' or 'my dearest' or something of that nature. But ever since that night he and Kagome had spent together he had called her nothing but Sango. "Are you sure? I met a woman who said she'd be willing to bear your child." Sango coaxed.

"No thank you. I'm not interested." Miroku said.

Now Sango was totally freaked. Had he just turned down a chance to have that child he so desperately wanted? "Get up Houshi-sama. You're coming with me to Kaede." Sango ordered. "You're not well." Sango dragged him along by the hand.

"Whatever do you mean Sango? I feel fine."

"Well, you're not. Come."

"He looks fine to me Sango." Kaede diagnosed after she had inspected Miroku's condition. "What makes you think he is ill?"

"He hasn't groped me over the past four days, not once! He's been at the base or a tree by the well for the past 72 hours without any food, and he said he wasn't interested when I told him there was a woman who would bear his child! What makes you think he isn't ill?" Sango cried.

"He seems to be in good health. Perhaps he's just improved his behavior." Kaede answered.

"That pervert? Were talking about Miroku here! He wouldn't improve his behavior for all the riches in the world!" Sango continued. "There is definitely something wrong!"

"If you ladies don't need me anymore, I'll be going back to what I was doing." Miroku said as he left.

Kaede continued. "I don't know what ye are complaining about. I thought ye would jump for joy the day the monk doth improve his habits."

"But it's as if he's not even Miroku any more! Nothing else explains his condition!" Sango was absolutely sure something was amiss.

"Has there not been any event over the past few days that might have made the monk more respectful of you?" Kaede asked. Sango thought about this for a moment.

"Well, Kagome said she was in love with him. That's definitely out of the ordinary, but he couldn't be in love with her too, could he?" Sango pondered. "You know Kaede; I think there might've been. Thanks." Sango jogged back to the tree. "Miroku, can I please talk to you in private?"

"Certainly Sango. Inuyasha isn't around right now, so why don't we just speak to each other here?" Miroku suggested. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Kagome." Sango responded.

"What about her?"

"You that night when Inuyasha went off to see Lady Kikyo? Did anything happen between you and Kagome that night?" Sango asked, slightly afraid of the answer.

"No, not really. We had a talk and I managed to console her a bit, but that's pretty much it." Miroku answered.

"So you two didn't kiss?"

"No."

"You didn't make love?"

"Sango! I am insulted you think I'd do such a thing! Kagome is barely an adult!" Miroku replied. He actually made it sound like he wouldn't even consider it.

"That didn't stop you from asking her to bear your child before." Sango reminded him. Miroku responded with silence. "But, do you love her?" she asked her final question.

"That's really hard to say. I must admit that I did see her a little differently after that night." Miroku confessed. "Why do you ask?"

Sango racked her brain for an excuse. "Um…well I was talking to Kagome the other day about Inuyasha, and she said that she was in love with you." Sango informed him, saying the first truth that came to mind.

"Really?" Miroku interrogated. "I thought she was in love with Inuyasha."

"Nope. She made it abundantly clear that she loved you. She even came right out and said so."

"Hey! Anyone up there?" a voice called from inside the bone eaters well.

"Lady Kagome has returned!" Miroku exclaimed. "Hey!" he called down in to the well. "You bring dinner like I asked?"

"What do you think?" Kagome replied.

"Here." Miroku offered as he lowered his staff into the well. "I'll pull you up." Kagome seized the end of the staff that didn't have a blade and Miroku hoisted her out of the well. "Welcome back Kagome! I hope you made a lot of food because I'm starving!"

"Of course you're starving you great idiot!" Sango remarked. "You haven't eaten in days!"

"You haven't eaten in days? Why not?" Kagome asked.

Sango answered for him. "He was waiting by the well for you to return." She smiled at Miroku's foolishness.

Kagome smiled as well, not at his foolishness though, but at his kindness. "You are so sweet!"

"You know me, my love. So what did you bring?"

Sango's eye twitched. His love? Since when was Kagome his love? She was his love! Not Kagome! Miroku couldn't really have fallen in love with Kagome, could've he? It had only been two days! It was a few more moments before Sango realized both Miroku and Kagome were giving her an odd look. "Sango?" Kagome questioned. "Are you okay?"

"You seem angry." Miroku commented.

"No, I'm not angry. What makes you think I'm angry?" Sango asked.

"Mostly the vein in your forehead." Miroku said. "Let me go fetch Inuyasha, and then we can enjoy this lovely meal Lady Kagome has prepared for us." Miroku left the two girls.

"Did you hear that? Did you hear that! He called me his love!" Kagome squealed.

"Hurray for you." Sango drawled sarcastically.

"Oh Sango, please don't be mad." Kagome pleaded, noticing Sango's annoyance.

"I can't help it! I saw him first! You don't have the right to take him from me!" Sango pouted.

"Look we'll talk about it tonight after dinner. Once the boys are asleep, okay?"

"Fine." Sango reluctantly agreed.