It's bright as they walk along the river, just the two of them. The warm sun filters through the glimmering leaves to cast patches of light on their skin. A neko pads along a little behind them, stopping to sniff this patch of grass or that fallen leaf. The jangle of the rings on his shakujo keeps a steady rhythm with their steps – not that it's heard over the talk of the houshi and the taiji-ya.
Their conversation wanders, as it is wont to do, over to the business of demon extermination. The dark-eyed taiji-ya pulled a shell from under her shoulder guard, and they are discussing the contents.
"I've never seen you use it," the houshi says, warm eyes lingering on the woman's face before inspecting the salve.
"I've actually never had to," she admits. "It's more of a just-in-case thing."
"Really? I'd think you'd use it an awful lot."
"Well, for one thing, it's pretty potent, and for another, you don't want to become dependant on it. You should be able to live with your pain. Not to mention it's dangerous not to be able to feel the injury – how would you know how bad it is?"
He pauses for a moment, thinking.
"So then, what's the scenario that you keep it for, 'just in case'?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. She looks grimly at him.
"So that the victim won't know how bad the injury is."
He nods, looking ahead of them. There's a pregnant pause between them, neither of them wanting to think of a situation where a wound would be that serious. The tension breaks when the neko hops up onto her mistress' shoulder and licks her cheek. The taiji-ya laughs, petting the little demon, and the houshi looks at her softly. He likes to see her smile.
The darkness past, he asks what it's made from, and she shrugs.
"A couple of herbs I don't know the name of, and the venom of a snake demon who paralyzes its prey."
He looks startled, and laughs. The taiji-ya stared at him for a moment in confusion, and shrugs it off. She probably didn't want to know…
---
I originally wrote this as a stand alone, but you'll find it also as a flashback in something I'm working on at the moment. It's really very pointless, all I wanted to show was the idea that Sango and Miroku's relationship extends beyond the fluff, or the grope – SMACK! routine that is their signature. I think that my favourite part of the whole piece is Sango's line about the venom. It's so matter-of-fact. And as for why I'm posting this? Just a way to tide people over until 'In Sight' or the next chapter of 'Tatterdemalion' – both of which are taking, well, forever.
Disclaimer: You know this already, don't you? I don't own Inuyasha.