Disclaimer: Unless Rumiko Takahashi hands over the rights as a well-deserved Christmas gift... I don't think so.
Authors Note: -cries- I posted the last chapter, and then Margo tells me my summery got cut off, my computer spazzed,I saw that my dividers got screwy, and I spelt summary wrong.... That had to have been an omen x.x
Cinnamon. Sango was beginning to detest that smell. She was beginning to detest the man who smelt of it even more. He was ever and always present: Always leaning over her shoulder as she studied, standing in the corner as she was dressed by servants, or trailing a few steps behind her on her walks. He was like her shadow. Her annoying, unwanted shadow. But, Sango could not be rid of him. Her father had demanded that a guard be assigned for his daughter, and this cinnamon-scented thing was what she had received.
And so for months Sango put up with him, seeing it as the only thing she could do to keep her father happy. She refused to see any purpose to his being around until the day when he actually saved her life. Her attacker lay lifeless in the bath and Miroku had wrapped his arms around the shell-shocked girl, gently rubbing her arms.
"You see what happens when you're as beautiful as the rising sun?" he had murmured. "Everyone wants to get their hands on you. I suppose I'll have to stick around after all."
And so their once nonexistent relationship began to develop. Whether it was brushing hands in the throne room, or longing looks from behind lidded eyes, the feeling was there and growing. Sango no longer hated the sight of him and nearly welcomed the feeling of his strong hand on her shoulder when it was time to return to the palace.
Her heart pounding with a speed she was sure couldn't be normal, Sango closed her eyes as Miroku's hands slipped up the small of her back, gently pulling her head back to expose her neck, running his lips across it. Later, in the dark of night, she felt the warmth radiating from his body next to her and she smiled, taking in the smell of him. Cinnamon.
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"Welcome, welcome..." their guide greeted. "Please, you'll come this way."
Sango grudgingly allowed her luggage to be taken from her, wiping her forehead with a gloved hand to get rid of the sweat beaded there.
"It is a bit hot, isn't it...?" Miroku said, unbuttoning the top of his shirt and fanning it. Sango shot him a glance. Then, she did a double-take, before discreetly slipping on a pair of sunglasses and looking anywhere but at him. Was it just her, or did the atmosphere feel a somewhat humid?
"Something wrong?"
"No, nothing," she claimed, turning away even more. As she did so, a frown graced her features as Sango took in an unpleasant, yet slightly familiar sight.
"So we meet again."
The camel spit yet again.
"Aah... I see you've met Bessy. Picked her 'specially for ya."
"That's... Wonderful." Sango grumbled, wincing as the beast bumped its head to hers.
"See! A perfect match! She likes ya already."
Sango took a breath, trying to soothe her aggravated nerves. She was a woman, she told herself. She could handle this. This entire trip would be nothing but a piece of cake.
"What are you doing?" Sango suddenly snapped, feeling hands begin massage her shoulders.
"Sunscreen," Miroku explained simply, holding up his hands, which were covered in the stuff. "I'd hate to see you burn. Then again..." Sango stood in horror as Miroku turned her back around, slipping his hands up the back of her shirt to apply the lotion there. "If you were to get burned, I could always help you apply the aloe vera." Miroku paused, looking over her shoulder at her face. "My, my. You certainly do burn fast."
Sango lifted a hand to cover her red cheek, snatching the bottle from Miroku's bag with her other hand.
"I can do it myself," she yelled, jumping a few steps away.
"Okay..." Miroku shrugged, turning around. "But when you're done, do you think you could do me? I can finish you up too; I know how you like it from behind..."
Mouth agape, Sango hurled the bottle at his head. Miroku caught it with ease, looked at it, then back at Sango, a lazy grin on his face.
"So you changed your mind?"
Fuming, Sango marched up to him, grabbing the bottle from his hands. Too angry for words, she simply stuck her tongue out before stalking off, muttering obscenities about perverted archeologists.
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"You know..." Miroku commented, looking over at his companion. "You really shouldn't stick your tongue out at people."
As a form of protest (Sango hadn't had a civilized conversation with him in the past two days) she stuck it out again. Simply to spite.
Miroku shook his head and laughed to himself. Wary, Sango gave him a questioning look.
"You should keep your tongue in your mouth," he said again, "or else I may find a better use for it."
Sango stared at him and he smiled cheerfully, holding out his canteen. "Thirsty?"
Sango looked ahead, patting Bessy on the side. The camel made a sound much like a grunt before whisking past their companions. Bessy and Sango had come to an understanding. Neither of them liked their counterparts much.
Miroku shook his head in wonder and looked down at his own camel. "What did we do this time?"
The camel grunted.
Speeding up a bit, Miroku caught up with her. They rode for a few miles in silence, Miroku glancing at her sporadically and Sango looking at anything but her companion. That pretty much left sand as her only option for scenery.
As Sango was busy trying to decipher the difference between this grain of sand and that one, she noticed how hot it was getting. Sweating in the heat, Sango licked her dry lips and reached over the side of the camel for her canteen. When she came back she was met with a completely unwarranted violation of personal space. Miroku was mere inches away, leaning off his own camel so that his face was close enough for Sango to smell the cinnamon on his breath. She thought, offhandedly, that he always smelt of cinnamon. He had for as long as she could remember.
Miroku caused her return to her senses when he made a 'tch'ing sound against his teeth and shook his head. "Sango, love. Your lips are drying out. They'll burn if you're not careful." And with that, he whipped out a stick of chapstick, gently grasping her chin applying it for her. Sango watched his hand as it drew away, the other moving up to her cheek.
"What's wrong, love?" he asked, tucking a strand of hair away from Sango's face.
But Sango wasn't sure. Her palms were sweaty, but she didn't think it was because of desert heat. Her heart was beating at a speed she was sure couldn't be normal.
Sango had thought he was going to kiss her.
'That prick,' she silently fumed. How dare he! Clenching her fists, Sango pushed her arms away, shoving Miroku with unexpected force. His arms went out, swinging as he tried to keep his balance and failed. Sango covered her mouth with a gasp as Miroku landed with a 'thud' in the sand. As she rode on, somewhat embarassed and leaving Miroku in the sand, Sango couldn't help but wonder just why it was that she was so angry...
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"Sango." Miroku looked her over before taking her bag from her, "Don't worry about these."
Sango ignored him, simply taking up another. "Houshi," she protested as he took that one from her as well. "Just because I'm a woman does not mean I'm incapable." She tugged adamantly on one of the straps, "Now give me my bags."
"Ma cherie," he breathed, "You know all this lifting isn't good for the baby."
"Baby?" Sango asked, shocked into confused speechlessness. Miroku took the opportunity to pry the bag fully out of her grip.
"Go sleep, Sango," he commanded, ignoring her murderous glare.
"I'm not tired."
"We both know how cranky you get without proper rest."
"I'm not cranky!"
Miroku raised an eyebrow and Sango snapped her mouth shut, crossing her arms and looking away. Miroku chuckled and adjusted the bags onto his shoulders. "I'll come tuck you in if you'd like."
"No thank you," Sango snapped, "I'm quite capable of doing that by myself."
Miroku watched her as she tugged a duvet out from one of the unpacked bags, making her way to 'her' tent. When he finished setting down their luggage, Miroku walked over after her, peeking his head through the flap.
"Want me to kiss you goodnight?"
"No."
"I'll sleep with you if you get cold."
"I'm fine, thank you," she bit out, flapping sand out of the blanket and into Miroku's face.
"Goodnight," he said sweetly before disappearing.
Sango scoffed, angrily wrapping the blanket around herself. With that perv a few tents away? It would be a wonder if she could get any sleep at all...
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, sitting up when Miroku reappeared in her tent with a few more blankets.
"Going to bed."
"Not in here, you're not. What happened to your tent?"
"It's all sandy," he pouted, climbing to lay beside her. Sango scooted over, leaving about a foot in-between them. Miroku frowned. "It's not as though I'm going to bite you, no matter how tasty you may be."
"It's not the biting I'm worried about," she grumbled, moving her blanket to cover her face.
"What was that, darling?"
"Nothing, Houshi."
"Goodnight," he sighed, kissing her nose through the sheet. Sango felt her face go hot and was thankful that her face was hidden.
"Goodnight, Houshi."
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Wiping the sleep from her eyes, Sango stretched, welcoming the day. She gently pried herself out of Miroku's grasp and crawled on hands and knees to the edge of the tent, lifting the flap to gaze outside. In the distance, she could vaguely make out their excavation site and the life buzzing around it. Silently, she let the flap close and turned back to her companion. Waving her hand over his eyes, she was pleased to see he made no response. Miroku had always been a sound sleeper. Taking a deep breath, Sango leaned over, daring to lay a chaste kiss upon his nose.
He smelt of cinnamon.
Started: 12/16/04
Finshed: 12/18/04
Posted: 12/24/04
Ugh... completely pointless chapter I suppose x.x But it's the Christmas HolidayX3 Fluff isn't all bad. Some of the actual plot shows up next chapter, so stay tuned.
Arain: Col XD Yes, a minor couple. Like... Major minor x.x; Really, it was just in passing.
DarkHeartKeyblade: I wanna use that line x.x I just don't know when I can. Maybe later on XD So remind me.
RavenFireI: Rin's age will be mentioned next chapter -sweatdrop- she's not young...
Phoebe: Yup! Inu and Kag will both be in the story. Infact, Kagome will make her appearence next chapter, as will Kikyo.
FlamingRedFox: I know ;-; discriptions and I are not friends... I'm trying though, so hopefully next chapter will be a little better. Sorry I didn't mention where they were going x.x; I just dont' want to story to drag on too much...
Mistress Koishii: Inform my small mind with it's mediocre knowledge of Egypt x.x What's wrong with being the first daughter?
Corisu: The mummy makes me drool... I forgot to ask for it for christmas -weeps-
Ai8: I know I'm a culprit of that ;-; I'm trying really hard not to let this story turn into another MP or Snickers... 'Cause eventually even I started loathing it, and that was sad 'cause I was the one writing it x.x Some actual plot will show up next chapter, rather then this... Chapter of fluff -pokes it- I suppose it was for the holiday season X3 that and I was in a fluffy mood...
Personification of Fluff: You're a stickler for description 'cause you can actually write it ;-; When I try, I start to babble and go on and on and on and on and can't stop 'cause i keep going on and on and on and it really sucks and even when I go on and on like that, it still isn't very descripted 'cause all I'm doing is saying the same things over and over again in different words so it just goes on and on and yeah X3
Review :3 It's Christmas