No sooner had he thought those words did he come to deeply regret them. "Kagome," He rasped, disentangling himself from her. Miroku just wanted to come right out and say what he was thinking--that what had just transpired was just plain wrong--but that didn't even begin to cut it. Quite suddenly, he felt like vomiting. He had not been the one to initiate it, either of the two times, but he hadn't done anything to stop it. Rather, he'd welcomed it as sweet reprieve from his own problems. He had a hunch that the same was true for Kagome, which was the only reason he hadn't turned on her and started screaming. That and the fact that he was anything but a hypocrite.

Her bangs had fallen into her face sometime during the exchange, preventing him from reading her expression. His hands reached out to brush them away, and she flinched at the contact. "Kagome," He repeated, this time firm. Though he'd anything but recovered, he could already tell that he was going to have to be the strong one here. "Look at me," He commanded, softly, and was pleased to see that she did so. "There's no denying that there was…something there in that first kiss. In the second, too, for that matter. But Kagome--"

"I know," She suddenly interrupted, sounding eerily calm. "It was a mistake…Probably the single, biggest mistake that I've ever made. Please, I don't want to talk about it…"

He frowned at that, his forehead wrinkling. "You sure like running from your problems," He remarked, sounding a little more bitter than he'd intended to. When he received no answer, he sighed, leaning back in his seat. "I'm guessing you just want to go home? No? Alright. Let's go get you something to eat, then."

She placed her fingers on his arm, sliding them slowly to grip his wrist. They were as cold as death, and he turned to her at once, confusion in his eyes. "I don't deserve your concern," She whispered, with a shake of her head.

His expression softened, and his free hand swooped down to engulf hers in its warmth. "Maybe not," He admitted. "But you're getting it."

She went to sniffle and a hiccup escaped instead. Smiling weakly, she pulled her hand from his, reaching up to rub the bottom of her nose. "I'm sorry… It's because of me that you didn't get any dinner."

"Never mind that," He responded briskly, keying the ignition. "You just think about what you've got a taste for, alright?"

She nodded slowly, resting her cheek upon the cool glass, staring straight ahead. "Okay."

They rode along in silence. After awhile, he spared her a glance and was startled to find her regarding him intensely. "Yes?" He asked, sounding wary.

She flushed. "It's just that I've decided… What I want to eat, that is."

He could not explain why he felt considerably relieved by simple--and, he chastised himself, expected--words. Perhaps it was because he was not yet ready to broach the subject he had feared she'd been about to bring up. "Oh."

She smiled brightly at him for what seemed like the first time in a long, long while. "Don't sound so thrilled," She gathered the courage to tease him. "Anyway, I think I could go for some noodles."

"Ramen it is," He smirked at her changing expression, knowing full and well that wasn't what she meant. "I think there's a cart somewhere around here, too…"

Fully expecting her to vehemently protest, he was startled by her wayward shrug. "Alright."

"Alright?" He repeated, a little incredulous.

"Yeah," She returned, defiantly. "Alright."

Finally, he shrugged. If that's what she really wanted… "Let's go, then."

He parked the car where it would be safe and they wandered down the sidewalk a little ways, to where the cart in question was located. The owner took their orders eagerly as the two of them sat down atop the quaint stools.

Promptly served, the two began to shovel their cheap meal down. Presently, Kagome ventured to inquire, "Miroku? You… You like Sango, right?"

"Of course I like her," He grunted, pretending not to catch her meaning. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"That's not what I asked and you know it," She growled, setting her chopsticks down.

He fixed her with what he hoped was a blank stare. "I have no idea what you're on about," He insisted, sniffing rather primly. "Your food's getting cold."

She ignored his rather pitiful attempts at changing the subject, though she did once more begin to eat. She also ignored all further attempts at civil conversation, choosing instead glare at him. He fidgeted uncomfortably at this, until he had no choice but to respond. "Maybe," He muttered, dully.

"What was that?" She batted her lashes at him, tone bittersweet and syrupy.

It was his turn to growl. "Maybe I do. Like her, that is."

She dropped the act at once, immediately somber. "She likes you too."

"Yeah, right," He snorted, quickly forcing down the hope which had welled up in his chest at her words. "She's much too wrapped up in Kuranosuke to spare me a passing thought."

She did not respond for a moment, and he found himself feeling smug, however much the admission that he and Sango would never be. "Then why was she so upset when we… you know?"

He choked back a strangled little noise. There was that… "Please," He scoffed, shakily at first. "She probably thought I was taking advantage of you for my own gain."

Kagome bit her lip, frustrated. "Or," She suggested. "She was upset because she was jealous that another girl was kissing you? And even more jealous when she realized that you were… Enjoying it?"

"Shut up!" He roared, attracting several stares from passersby. "You don't know what you're talking about, Kagome!" Anger spent, he sucked in his next lungful of air with a distinct shudder. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet. Placing the exact amount he owed atop the counter, he resigned to staring at his feet and massaging his pounding temples.

After what seemed like an eternity, he felt a hand on his shoulders. "I'm done."

He nodded slowly, still feeling like sulking. "I'll take you home, then."

With a sigh, she consented to this. The two of them walked back to his car, the once comfortable silence awkward. He turned on the radio out of habit, though neither of them seemed to be paying much attention to the soothing jazz music filtering through the interior of the vehicle. "We're here," She suddenly announced, when they'd rolled to a stop at the end of her driveway.

Noting her relieved expression, he heaved a sigh. "No," He shook his head with a sad sort of smile, one which didn't reach his eyes . "We're still going to talk about that other part, if that's what you're thinking. I'd just prefer it to wait. You know. Until work. We're not the only ones who need to sit down and have a serious discussion."

She nodded slowly, understanding his meaning. "Alright," She bid him a quiet goodnight.

He waited until she'd made it inside before driving off.


A/N: Since I'm liable to get roasted alive if I put this off any longer, here's a short chapter to get you rabid fiends off my back until I can get the next big scandal out. Trust me, if you wanted me dead before, you'll really be wanting to kill me. I promise, though. Make it through the next chapter and you're home free. But I'm out of here for now, before I get skewered for that unnecessary plot scheme. Since I'm liable to get roasted alive if I put this off any longer, here's a short chapter to get you rabid fiends off my back until I can get the next big scandal out. Trust me, if you wanted me dead before, you'll be wanting to kill me. I promise, though. Make it through the next chapter and you're home free. But I'm out of here for now, before I get skewered for that unnecessary plot scheme.

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