Chapter Six: Realization

Sango awoke as Miroku shook her lightly. "Sango…wake up."

"Just five more minutes." Sango protested in a weak voice.

Miroku rolled his eyes. "I didn't want to have to resort to this." Miroku sighed.

Sango's eyes snapped open as she felt a hand caressing her rear. A resounding SMACK sounded out through the forest. "You pervert! Even when we've already had a moment you manage to ruin it!" Sango huffed, wrapped a towel around herself and left.

Miroku chuckled. "What a great day! I got to see Sango naked and she confessed that she loves me! Does life get any better?"

"Oh, don't act so freakin' happy." his inner voice advised. "You know as well as I do that you love Kagome. Don't act like you want to be with Sango."

"But I do!" Miroku argued with himself. "Why would I think I want to be with Sango if I loved Kagome?"

"It's a little something called reassurance you moron!" the inner voice shouted. "You think you love Sango because you know for sure that she loves you too. You think Kagome might not feel the same way about you, so you decide to settle for your second choice."

"Poppycock!" Miroku declared. "What you say is garbage!"

"Kagome told Sango she loved you, remember?" his sub-conscious retaliated.

"How do you know that?"

"Sango told you, remember?"

"Hmm…that's right. I had forgotten." Miroku recalled out loud. "Do I love Kagome?"

"Again, I state the obvious; YES! You love Kagome, admit it. You can't fool yourself. Say it bitch, say it! You love Kagome." his mind commanded him.

"Fine. I love Kagome." Miroku confessed.

"Good now get your idle ass back to camp and prove it to her! And quit debating with yourself before you get put in the loony bin!"

Miroku got up and walked back to camp, feeling slightly guilty for making Sango think he might love her. He slouched as he slowly made his way back to the campsite. When he reached his friends, he noticed they were all asleep. Until he felt a little brown puff of foxtail land on his head. "You're back!" Shippo yelled happily, surprisingly not waking up any of the adults. "Where have you been all this time? Kagome was worried sick about you!"

"She was worried?" Miroku asked.

"Of course she was! I was a bit worried myself. You ought to apologize to her in the morning." Shippo suggested.

"I will, you ought to get some sleep little man. We don't want you to be all worn out tomorrow." Miroku reminded him.

"Right." Shippo said, burying himself in big Kirara's soft fur.

Miroku went over to Kagome and planted a light kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry to have worried you my love." Miroku whispered. "Sweet dreams." Shippo's eyes snapped back open. Did Miroku just call Kagome his love? Shippo was dying to know more about this newfound love, but he was tired and decided he would ask questions in the morning. If Miroku had been paying close attention, he would've seen a subtle smile grace Kagome's lips.

The next morning Shippo awoke second out of the five, Miroku had been first to wake. Shippo, being the observant fellow he was, decided now was a good time to ask Miroku about him and Kagome. "Miroku! Why didn't you tell me you were in love Kagome?"

"What?" Miroku asked. How on earth did Shippo get a hold of that information? He had only realized it himself last night. "Who told you I loved Kagome?"

"You did! Last night I heard you call Kagome your love!" Shippo exclaimed. "Are you going to tell her?"

"Yes. I just don't know when though." Miroku replied.

"Sango will be awfully sad you know."

"I know." Miroku groaned. But it can't be helped.

"Inuyasha will kill you." Shippo reminded him. Miroku glared at the kit. He seemed to be trying to come up with a list that was everything wrong with loving Kagome.

"You think Kagome will let him? He could've killed you long ago if it weren't for that necklace." Miroku pointed out.

"True." Shippo admitted. They were interrupted by a groan. Kagome was waking up with a yawn. She stretched and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Then she saw Miroku.

"Miroku!" she cried. "Your back!" She hugged Miroku tightly around his neck. (It was supposed to be a hug. It turned out to be more of chokehold.) "Where were you last night? I was afraid you may have gotten hurt!"

"I'm sorry to have frightened you. As you can see, I'm alright." he gasped. "But I won't be for long if you don't loosen your grip." Kagome hugged him softer.

"Promise me you won't scare me like that again." Kagome said.

"Anything for you, Lady Kagome." Miroku promised with a sheepish smile.

Inuyasha woke up to the smell of the fish that Miroku was cooking over the fire. "Hey you two!" he greeted, hopping down from his tree branch. "I'm starving. Thanks for making some breakfast." Inuyasha snatched one of the skewers from the fire and started ripping at the fish carcass with his teeth.

"What horrible manners." Miroku muttered to Kagome.

"Yeah, but hey, he is a dog after all." Kagome agreed.

"I'm noha dah!" (Translation: I'm not a dog!) Inuyasha shouted his mouth full of fish.

Soon Sango and Kirara were both awake and the group was on their way to find more jewel shards. Kagome was at the back of the marching order with Miroku. They had only gone a short ways when Miroku felt Kagome's fingers intertwine with his own. Shippo, who was on Miroku's shoulder, cupped a hand around his mouth and whispered into Miroku's ear, "I didn't get to tell you earlier, but I think Kagome loves you too." He switched over to Kagome's shoulder and talked at normal volume. "Hey Kagome, why are you holding Miroku's hand?"

Kagome blushed. "Oh, I didn't realize. I'm sorry Miroku…"

"Don't be. It doesn't bother me." He said with a grin giving her hand a small squeeze. Kagome squeezed back and they picked up their pace a little, still hand in hand.