Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. The characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi!

Author Note: Wow, I am totally flattered by the reviews. You guys rock!

Chapter 9
Something on my Face

Inuyasha discovered once laying eyes on the plethora of warm dishes being served, that life was brimming with difficult choices. Which should he consume first? His two plates could only hold so much. And if he didn't choose one thing, would it still be there when he was ready for round two? He found himself longing for an extra set of hands.

Sighing grumpily, Inuyasha settled for several spring rolls, fried dumplings, tempura, sushi, and a golden mountain of steamed rice. In addition, a bowl of miso soup was strategically lodged in between the two plates.

It was not until he heard the sly, near seductive voice of a female that his attention faltered. Stationed besides him, too close for comfort, was Yura. She had her hands on her hips and was dressed in a very skimpy spaghetti strap sundress. The violet eyed teen seemed to lean in once catching his interest.

Had it been anyone but the conniving little wretch, Inuyasha might've been less harsh. He recoiled and impulsively snarled, "Wadda ya want bitch?"

"Is that any way to address a lady?" Yura asked sarcastically. She snaked a hand around the lower regions of his back and used her demonic strength to pull him a little closer. Inuyasha was reluctant to set his food down but managed to forcefully pull away.

"Why the fuck are you so touchy?"

Realizing that sweet-talk wasn't getting anywhere, Yura stopped her teasing and (gasp!) behaved more seriously. Inuyasha watched her distrustfully and much to his relief, she crossed her arms.

Often times, they could get just as degrading as Miroku's wandering hands…

"Oh Inu-koi" Yura sighed wistfully. "What am I going to do with you?"

"You can leave me the hell alone," he answered irritably, then glanced down at his disarrayed plate. The food had been swished around and made a pretty patchwork of colors. Suppressing his ire, Inuyasha turned to leave, but not before adding, "And stop with the 'Inu-koi' shit."

"Don't tell me you've fallen for that human girl!" Yura charged, quietly reveling in her success at stopping dog boy in his tracks. She hadn't expected him to let out a contemptuous huff and not reply. Yura was slightly taken aback by his nonchalance. Surely Kagome had gotten a little farther than this? With a firm shake in the affirmative, Yura decided that her two inexperienced 'friends' would need a shove in the right direction. After all, the only way for the two schoolgirls to actually embarrass themselves was through the process of genuine courtship—Yura style!

:-:-:

Sango tensed when she felt a hand—much too big to be Kagome's—rest on her left shoulder. It was warm, and knew exactly how to caress—!

Quicker than lightening, she had sent the heated fingertips packing. Miroku chuckled while rubbing his reddened knuckles and sat down beside Sango. He leaned back casually in the fold-up chair and let the fickle breezes play around with his hair. Since it was a little past six in the afternoon, the sun had begun to set leaving a hazy sheen of reds, oranges, and yellows. The monk gazed lazily at the girl whose cheeks flamed with embarrassment.

Miroku turned to Kagome and spoke affably, "So they found you at last, Kagome-chan,"

"H-hai!" Kagome answered, unable to keep the shakiness out of her voice. Miroku let out a soft laugh, making Sango shiver involuntarily. She secretly hated how deep an effect he had on women. Ever since the day they'd met, Sango couldn't help but loathe him. He was such a player and made the average female look pitiful as she fawned over him.

"That's good to know," Miroku continued. "I was getting a little worried back there"

Sango refrained from snorting, but replied, "You could've fooled me."

Kagome grimaced at Sango's cold civility but refrained from saying anything that could further upset the angry upper classman. Miroku simply nodded and pushed back his chair. Offering his hand to Sango, Miroku suggested that the two of them grab a bite to eat. Holding her chin up, Sango stood without his assistance and started off. Miroku, before hurrying after, gave Kagome a baffled look, as if to say, 'what's with her?'

Kagome propped her elbows on the table and sighed.

"Oi, Kagome," Inuyasha greeted, placing his tray on the table. Her chocolate brown eyes met his amber and she smiled placidly.

"Your back," she said, sounding amazed.

Inuyasha frowned and scooted his chair, which was positioned next to hers, closer to the table. "Yeah, so?"

Kagome was at a loss of words and settled for looking down at her food instead. Her half finished bowl of oden stared back, cold and dejected. She picked up her chopsticks and tried to finish off what her stomach could handle. Inuyasha chomped down his food like a starving hyena. He held his soup bowl high above his head and gulped it all down avariciously. Of course, this wasn't to say that his eating habits were bad. On the contrary, they were that of a fully grown boy in a state of starvation. Very cute.

"Where's Sango?" Inuyasha asked, wiping his mouth clean. He'd finished off nearly all of what his plate had to offer. "She was here a moment ago wasn't she?"

"Oh!" Kagome had been busily watching him eat for the last minute or so and felt her cheeks color at finally being caught.

"They went into the line" Kagome replied. "Sango and Miroku." she added as an afterthought.

"That idiot probably got caught," Inuyasha sneered, polishing off a spring roll.

"Caught doing what?" Kagome asked, hoping to be informed.

"He set up a booth for ladies interested in having their fortunes read." Inuyasha explained, chewing his food thoughtfully.

"And what will that accomplish?" Kagome asked dryly. She saw where this was headed.

"Girls flock into his little teepee and Miroku has over a dozen different female companions by the end of today," Kagome wasn't satisfied and, for the sake of her friend Sango, maintained her pestering.

"Why is he so girl crazy?" Kagome demanded, looking Inuyasha fiercely in the eye.

He shrugged and swallowed a mouthful of rice. "Guess he's always been looking for the right one." To this, Kagome was shocked. Miroku was looking for the right one? He seemed more like the kind of guy that would settle for a one-night stand. Perhaps they had been a little too prejudiced towards the outwardly perverted monk. Kagome's countenance softened at the arrival of Miroku and Sango.

"Heh, violate any of the underclassmen, Miroku?" the conceited hanyo joked. He was referring to the young schoolgirls that served as "Lunch Ladies" for the night. Miroku grinned sheepishly, his hand-printed face bright. Sango glowered.

"Keh," Inuyasha looked pitifully at his friend. He must have tried hitting on Sango again…

Kagome shot Sango a sidelong glance; the other girl let her dish drop with a clatter as she sustained a glare at the striking visage of her current nemesis. He beamed at her, and then began eating his meal as if the past events had never occurred…

Sango couldn't help but feel a little flattered at having Miroku, a polite, attractive young man walk beside her. Even though he was by every means still a pervert, he was also very considerate. Or so she thought before encountering a petit brunette, for whom Miroku had connections.

"Miroku!" she exclaimed, practically throwing herself at him. Miroku was very much pleased and was in the process of introducing this brown eyed beauty when another acquaintance happened to walk by.

"Is that you Miroku?" this time, it was a skinny blue eyed girl with lavender hair down to her shoulders. Without a bit of hesitation, she too latched on, grasping onto his other shoulder. "I missed you so!"

Without a moment to lose, the lavender haired girl called to her party of friends. "Yoo-hoo! It's Miroku everyone!" She then proceeded to bury her head into the folds of his jacket. Her call was answered with much vigor as a stampede of girls rounded the corner, nearly bulldozing Sango in the process.

'And a week ago, he said he couldn't find anyone to bear his child!' Sango huffed. She thought about this for a moment. 'NOT that I care'

"Sango, how could you leave me?" Miroku whined.

Yes, he actually whined.

Fifteen minutes had come and gone and Sango found herself rooted next to the annoying, lecherous monk…again. This time, she didn't feel so privileged. He had miraculously escaped the mob and hid behind her like a scared puppy. Sango stifled a giggle. His fingers were curled around her shoulders.

'My, doesn't this feel familiar' Sango thought whimsically.

"Hide me," Miroku ducked his head behind her back and rested his head against her firm structure. Sango felt her breath catch in her throat. He was toying with her; she knew it the instant the tip of his nose began to glide erratically on her shoulder blades. She felt chills run up and down her spine but didn't stop his ministrations.

He touched his lips to her ear and whispered. "Care to join the club?"

The nerve of that houshi! Sango had given him a thorough pounding after ruining what could've been a very interesting moment. She blushed profusely at having gone haywire because it meant not finishing what he'd started.

"I'll get over it," Sango muttered before cooling off on a glass of ice tea. She had other things to think about, such as how she was ever going to get houshi-sama to herself. Just the thought was wearisome. 'First and foremost', Sango thought, 'I have to abolish his little fan club!'

"How was your stay at Takahashi's?" Miroku asked, generating a growl from Inuyasha. Both girls were silent, each having their fair share of discomfiture. Kagome was the first to speak. "It was…"

"A fun experience," Sango assured him. "The staff was quite friendly, ne Kagome?"

The younger girl nodded in verification, "And the band was fant-" she froze mid-speech.

"Band?" Miroku reiterated. Sango was amused by her friend's dangerous blunder. Kagome looked like a deer caught in headlights as her eyes slowly crept to the face of the boy in red. Inuyasha sulked as all three pair of eyes fixed themselves on his countenance.

"What do I care what she has to say about Kouga?" Inuyasha snapped, shattering the silence. Miroku quietly chided the rude hanyo for his discourteous behavior and forced a smile before turning to look at Kagome again. "So you like their music, Kagome-chan?"

For honesty's sake, she nodded pathetically, though her countenance showed that she was feeling pretty miserable at the moment. Standing up with plates and bowls in hand, she excused herself from the table.

Once the brunette was gone, Miroku, unexpectedly rounded on the hanyo, "Go after her Inuyasha."

"WHAT!" Inuyasha swore at the absurdity of the monk's request. This had to be one of the stupidest suggestions his wise friend ever made.

"We're not—why do I—ARG! Forget it!" Inuyasha tossed his hands in the air and stalked off after the mind-boggling girl. She evoked so many feelings, anger being predominate. A couple weeks ago, she had been just another annoying girl. Now, she proved to be just as bothersome as he had suspected most girls to be.

"Stupid girl!" Inuyasha seethed. He spotted her a little ways off, casting her plates and bowls into a giant basin of soapy water where most of the dining utensils would be disposed of tonight. Instead of heading back to the table where her best friend awaited, Kagome took a different route.

Sighing crossly, Inuyasha followed and called out, "Yo Kagome!"

She stopped and turned to face him. With a look of resignation on her slightly flushed face, Kagome said hello. She waited for him to be by her side before picking up the pace. He strolled right along.

"Inuyasha, I'm so sorry for upsetting you." Kagome let the words pour out quickly before she lost all nerves to speak. Inuyasha, who had come to terms with his anger, merely grunted at her remark. He looked into the darkening skies as hundreds of paper lanterns began to light up. Releasing a sigh, Kagome could only stare in awe.

"It's pretty isn't it?" she whispered absentmindedly.

"Hn." Inuyasha replied. She took it as a sign of agreement. Her traitorous eyes beseeched a quick ogling session and she gave in grudgingly,—to find him looking back, much to her hidden delight. Under the perched moon's light, illuminated by the glow of lanterns, his handsome features were heightened. She wasn't even aware that he was speaking, until he cleared his throat for the second time.

"Eh, Kagome?" her prince charming inquired.

"Hmm?" she was lost in a whirlwind of emotions. She was lost in his eyes.

"You have rice on your face…".

:-:-:

"That was really sweet of you Miroku," Sango admitted. She looked boldly at the teenage boy seated beside her. He smiled in return, a glint of slyness in his eyes which made her feel uneasy.

"Anything to give us some alone time," Miroku kidded, using the 'forbidden' voice that so often worked to his advantage. Sango was another matter. She promptly rolled her eyes and flicked a bread crumb in his direction. Too bad for her, it happened to land on his wonderfully sculpted nose.

"Ahh, gomen-nasai!" Sango's hand shot up and, as politely as possible, brushed the tiny crumb off with her fingertips. Never in her life had she felt more alarmed. Miroku laughed at the look on her face. His encounters with Sango proved to be quite eventful, much to her dismay. When his laughter died down, Miroku met her brown inquisitive eyes. They blinked several times before she blushed and looked down at her plate. It was empty save fore several more crumbs…

"Don't worry about it," Miroku was up and pushed his chair in. Sango felt a lump in her throat when she nodded. Now he'll never want to hang out with me!

"Come on, let's take a look around," Miroku motioned her to follow and she obeyed with unnatural quickness.

The two walked in silence past game stands, snack bars, and enough "test your strength" cubicles to make Miroku question if they'd been walking in circles all along. Until at last, Sango pointed excitedly at a public theater. About thirty or so wooden chairs were preoccupied by eager viewers, leaving only several more unfilled.

Without thinking, Sango grabbed Miroku's hand and led him to a pair of open seats.

:-:-:

Kagome swiped at her face vigorously until her fingers came into contact with several beads of rice. Inuyasha looked at her with humor gleaming in eyes, which annoyed her to no end.

"Never seen a girl with rice on her face before?" Kagome grounded out heatedly. Inuyasha smirked and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You'd be the first," he cocked his head to the side and smiled, causing Kagome to blush. 'Damn this girl blushes a lot' Inuyasha thought, laughing inwardly.

Kagome tried her best to look at the hanyo sternly, only, the concept was deemed impossible after he did that cute motion with his head to the side. Now all she could do to save face was look away and solicit a gust of wind to fan her crimson cheeks.

"Test Your Strength!" It was love at first sight. Inuyasha raced towards the promising game. Kagome hurried after him, relieved at not being the center of attention anymore. Inuyasha dug for his wallet and took out a couple of bills. Paying the game owner, he was given a giant mallet. Wielding the frighteningly huge hammer in both hands, he swung it with an incredible amount of force.

"DING!" with a tremendous amount of velocity, the striker hit the top in a matter of seconds, almost breaking the machine at impact.

"Yatta! You did it!" Kagome jumped up in joy and pumped a fist into the air. Inuyasha cracked a small grin at the girl's childish antics.

"Nice hit," the game owner praised. Being blessed with demon strength himself, he couldn't help but be impressed by the incredible show put on by a half-breed. "So what will it be? Shopping coupons? Movie tickets? Something for your girlfriend?"

Inuyasha looked blankly at the dealer. He hadn't expected anything in return. And he certainly hadn't expected anyone to call Kagome his girlfriend. Deciding to play along, the amber-eyed boy turned to Kagome and grinned.

"Pick something."

Kagome opened her mouth to refuse, but she was too overwhelmed by his sincerity to utter a word. It must've been something he ate. With a shake to clear out the fuzziness in her head, Kagome decided to seize the moment. She pointed to a giant stuffed white puppy with its pink tongue lolling out rather cutely. The muscular arm of the demon picked up and handed the adorable snowy white ball of fur to Inuyasha, who afterward passed it on to Kagome.

"Arigato Inuyasha," Kagome breathed out, cuddling the toy to her face. It smelled richly of the night air and…

Him.

:-:-:

Miroku stifled a yawn. This presentation was absolutely boring. It was more along the lines of a documentary than play. Most of the audience had already fallen asleep! Miroku tapped Sango lightly on the arm and motioned the direction of departure with his head. Sango, mistaking his signal as need for a bathroom break, plainly nodded.

For the second time that day, the two held hands. This time, it was the gentleman who initiated the contact. Miroku gently pulled her along, leaving behind the faint snores and bleariness.

"Houshi-sama! I will not escort you to the bathroom!" Sango cried, twisting her hand free. Miroku stopped walking and turned to face her. Chuckling ever so softly, he brought an index finger to his mouth and shushed her.

Realizing that he was probably not taking her anywhere inappropriate, Sango quieted down. When they were out of earshot, Miroku released her hand and began to walk at a more leisurely pace.

"Sorry, it was boring me to tears," Miroku let out a long, overdue yawn and stretched his arms. Peeking at Sango, he saw that she was also yawning and took this splendid opportunity to pat her bottom.

"PERVERTED HOUSHI!" she shrieked. Miroku dashed away, chased by his aggressive maiden. They circled the festival grounds twice before he finally collapsed and awaited his demise. Sango, who hadn't expected Miroku to lie like a heap on the ground, tripped on his body and landed gracelessly on the ground. Together, they clumsily formed a right angle.

:-:-:

Here she was, coddling a huge stuffed animal, making it look as if she and him were an item; a couple. Inuyasha felt awkward walking next to Kagome as she would so often look up at his face and give a sunny smile.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" Kagome did the frustrating smile thing again, forcing Inuyasha to avert his gaze elsewhere to seem less conspicuous.

The chime-like sound of keys caused his ears to perk up a bit and Inuyasha looked down at her small hands which held the source of the clinking. Grabbing the two keys, Inuyasha grumbled a thank you.

"Why didn't you want me to open the closet?" Kagome asked, pieces of past warnings coming back to haunt her. Inuyasha grimaced at the reminder that she'd discovered all his stashed goods.

"Why did you open it when I deliberately told you not to?" Inuyasha retorted.

"I was curious," Kagome countered, waiting for an answer to her question. Seeing as how he wasn't satisfied with her hastily produced response, Kagome explained that she hadn't heard a thing he said the day he supposedly warned her not to open the closet.

"You could've asked me to repeat myself," Inuyasha pouted, crossing his arms moodily.

Kagome couldn't help herself. She stood on her tippy toes and patted him on the head, tweaking his ears in the process. This action earned a growl from Inuyasha, but hey, at least now she could consider her week fulfilled!

A/N: And so the fluff begins. I know, Miroku/Sango action abruptly stopped. More to come!