Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inuyasha or the like. If I did, he would be shirtless a heck of a lot more.

Sango was bored…well bored and a little light headed. The miasma was starting to get to her. Watching Inuyasha trying to break down the barrier over and over again had lost all of its entertainment value, and now she was leaning up against the wall of one of the lesser buildings, out of the rain. The blasting sounds had ceased so either Inuyasha had finally decided that attacking an unbreakable barrier with his little red sword was pointless or Kagome was fighting with him. Sango strained to hear.

"Mumble mumble mumble," that sounded like Kagome.

"NO! Mumble mumble wench," hmm definitely Inuyasha.

"Mumble," that had to be Shippo.

"I AM NOT!"

"Swak! Whahhhh, Kagome!"

"Inuyasha! SIT!"

This could get more interesting. Never one to miss a good piece of theatre, Sango attempted to get up……and promptly fell over again. Suddenly, for some reason, the inability to operate simple human motor skills became enormously humorous for the taijiya. And that is how Miroku found her, laughing her ass off on the muddy ground.

"Um, Sango are you feeling well?"

"Huh? Oh, yes Houshi-sama (guffaw), I am (giggle) just fine."

"Sango, why aren't you wearing your mask?"

"Oh, it got itchy." Sango started giggling again, "Itchy is a funny word. Try saying it, itchy."

Miroku was utterly confused. Sango was not at all acting like her normal self. It was almost like she was…. When insight was granted to Miroku, it was like the sun started to shine on him alone that cold wet day. He was on the ground with Sango's hands in his faster than you could say, "Would you bare my children?"

"Sango, I have just realized something."

"(Giggle) what is it Houshi-sama?"

"Naraku has," dramatic pause, "locked us in here. We may be here for a long time." Miroku took the time here to get some fake tears going. "Or (sob), we could die…tomorrow."

"We could," Sango was looking at him trustingly with those wide doe eyes of hers. She had never looked so innocent, sweet, and incredibly sexy before. She had mud all over her and the wet was making her already tight taijiya outfit even clingier. Could you really blame Miroku? Well, actually she would and could blame him later. But that was later, and Miroku was always a man to live in the now.

"I, (pause) I don't want to die without having known a woman." There was no way in hell that this bull would normally work on Sango, but maybe tonight she just might go for it.

"Houshi-sama! YOU haven't known a woman?" Sango burst into giggles all over again.

Miroku was stumped. He had asked countless women to sleep with him before. He had even used the virgin line, multiple times. Women normally giggled nervously and moved away. Often they got insulted and stalked away or threw an impossibly heavy item at his head. They even sometimes replied starry eyed that they would indeed bear his children. Never had they laughed in his face and questioned his honesty and well, it was kind of a turn off.

"Houshi-sama, I would be glad to let you know me!"

And like a light switch, Miroku was turned right back on. "Oh Sango!" But Miroku had lived long enough to know that, invariably, this was too good to be true, "Are you sure?"

"How could I refuse you when we could die at any moment?" Miroku was hard pressed not to get up and do a victory dance right then and there.

"Houshi-sama, what is it you would like to know about me?" It is amazing how quickly a human being can go from almost dancing in the mud to wanting to throw himself in said mud and ask all of the cruel and heartless Gods why he was cursed thus. It was because of that one night in the temple with that girl wasn't it? Well, he was sorry. Really, really sorry. Temples were holy places sure, but how could they begrudge him just one night. Okay, and that other time. But two times isn't that many. Why did they hold it against him now?

"Houshi-sama, I'm hungry all of a sudden. I think I'll go see if Kagome has any food left in her bag." It was a good thing that Miroku stood along with her like a gentleman; otherwise all the taijiya would have eaten was some very flavorsome mud.

Sango was innumerably grateful to Miroku for keeping her from eating the mud. Her hazy mind also registered that she was also in his embrace and those pesky inhibitions seemed to have fallen to the mud without her. She would have reached down picked them up, but she just had to thank Miroku for catching her. So, Sango thanked him….by putting her tongue down his throat. Miroku promptly retracted his earlier assumptions about the Gods hating him. In fact, Miroku ended up thanking them rather loudly several times that night.

Gah, I have to go to work now. I was going to write more than this, honest. I had something evil planned out for number 9. Ah well, after work. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Happy reading!