One Ranch, Two Brothers: Chapter Twelve (First half Kitkats, Second BelleDayNight)
His lips were still tingling from Sango's earlier kiss, and he could see that her eyes were absolutely glowing.
It depressed him.
Miroku's earlier feelings for Sango had been almost unbearable, and on the brink of exploding; He had been so sure that she was the one.
But now, he wasn't certain about anything.
The pizza arrived about forty-five minutes after Sango had stepped outside to place the order on the telephone, and when the doorbell chimed from the front door, Miroku rose from his position next to Sango on the couch, and made his way lazily to the door.
What was revealed when the door was pulled back made him grin on the inside.
A woman in her early twenties stood nervously in the doorway clutching their two boxes of pizza. She had long blond hair that fell to the middle of her back, bright blue eyes, and an eye level below Miroku's chin.
She glanced down at the receipt in her hand as the customer gave her his attention, and opened a pretty mouth to say the total, "That'll be--" The girl glanced up, and blanked out.
Miroku gave her a boyish grin, and leaned a shoulder casually against the doorframe, and made eye contact.
She looked lost.
"What's your name, lovely?" He asked silkily.
"Al-Ali-Ahh…Alice," With a dark blush on her face, she managed to say her name.
"Well Alice, I'd like to thank you for bringing me my dinner," He handed her a twenty dollar bill, and held up a hand before she could object.
"Consider whatever is left over after the price of the pizza a large tip."
"But…sir-"
"Miroku," He corrected lightly.
"I can't accept this, Miroku," She said his name with a flustered look on her face.
"Of course you can."
Sango looked up from the couch with a frown, and craned her neck to see what was taking Miroku so long. The pizza must have arrived ten minutes before, and he was still standing in the doorway?
What she saw made her vision go red.
It was bad enough that the girl who was delivering their meal was pretty, but Miroku was standing in that pose of his. Sango had learned to hate that casual way he stood when he was flirting with a woman.
How could he do that now?
Had her kiss been so awful that he had rebounded straight into the arms of a lady delivering Pizza Hut? She had always assumed that there had been something between the two of them, and now…she was so confused that it actually hurt.
She stood up clumsily and made her way down the entry hallway on legs that felt like jelly. Sango wasn't sure what she was about to do, but she knew that she had to make an advance.
As Sango closed in, she could hear the tinkling laughter that was emitting from the lady in the doorway. Miroku had said something witty, and the thought of him purposely causing her to giggle made Sango's blood boil.
Alice stopped her laughter abruptly when her eyes fell on Sango.
Sango wrapped an arm around Miroku's waist, and looked up at him with a mock look of confusion on her face.
"Did they get the order wrong honey?" She asked in a voice that was both calm and not.
At the nickname Alice paled, and almost threwthe box of pizza into Sango's hands.
"I, um, have a good night sir, ma'am," She said in a very embarrassed voice as she quickly retreated down the walkway.
Miroku looked on stunned, as Alice gunned the engine, and flew from the driveway in her little red sports car.
He had been so close…
But to what?
Had he wanted to get that lady's number? Did he really want to pick up another lady right in front of Sango?
Sango, meanwhile, had removed herself from Miroku's body, and had made her way to the kitchen. Miroku closed the front door, and followed her, knowing that he had made a very large mistake by choosing to flirt with that girl.
This was supposed to be Sango and his night.
She was standing in front of the little island in the middle of his kitchen, with the box of pizza open in front of her on the countertop. She hadn't bothered to get herself a plate, or even a napkin.
From Miroku's place he could see cheese stuck to her chin.
He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure what that something was. Miroku wasn't sure whether to beg for forgiveness, or to try to play it off casually.
Sango wasn't helping his situation by standing quietly either.
"Sango…" He rubbed the back of his neck in a way that screamed embarrassment, and made his way across the kitchen to stand on the opposite side of the island. She looked at him silently, as she peeled a pepperoni off the slice of pizza in one hand.
"It's fine," She said carefully.
"No…it's not," He challenged.
One of Sango's eyebrows arched in a way that showed interest.
"I'm a jerk," He said without waiting for a response.
"Miroku--" She began in protest.
"No!"
Sango looked taken aback by his outburst.
"I don't want you to make excuses for me, Sango! You saw me with your own eyes in the doorway, and I'm not going to lie to you by saying I was having an in-depth conversation about how interesting pizza is."
She was silent.
"I can't do this," He barreled on with a pained expression forming on his face, "I will not engage in a relationship with you." Miroku finished bluntly.
At the shock on her face, he was forced to look away.
"I never asked you to," Sango said in an argumentative tone.
"So you're telling me you kissed me for the hell of it then?"
Sango backed away from the counter as a stunned expression overtook her features. He had known what she had meant when she had kissed him, and this is how he was dealing with it?
"I'm sorry if I was too forward, but I don't believe flirting with the Pizza Hut girl was a wise way to deal with it."
"You're right," Miroku said with a nod.
"Then why are you fighting me?"
Miroku leaned forward over the counter, and looked directly into her eyes, "Because we will not work out Sango, I cannot possibly sustain a relationship for a long period of time. All you have to do is check my message machine, you will hear a dozen messages from women I have previously engaged in relationships with,"
"I don't--"
"Well, I do care. I will not break your heart Sango, because you will fall in love with a nice man that gets a nice salary, and that can give you an unlimited amount of happiness."
"Money has nothing--"
"I am not just talking about money!" He roared and slammed a fist down onto the countertop.
Her eyes had widened considerably, and Miroku forced himself to look away as he ground out the final blow, "I'm not in love with you Sango. It would never work out."
"It could if-"
"Get out," He interrupted her softly.
She was silent.
"Please," He said in a tone that hinted at desperation.
Miroku glanced up briefly and in time to see her eyes flooding with tears yet to be shed. She made her way numbly to the door, and from where Miroku was rooted he could see her shoulders physically sagging. He noticed how her hands fumbled unsuccessfully for the doorknob. She wiped her eyes viciously, and ran out into the yard without bothering to close the door behind herself.
"Damn it!" He yelled savagely as he took up their dinner and threw the box of pizza hard at a wall. He watched the pizza bounce from the ruined box, and land in different areas of the room.
With his face in his hands, Miroku slid to the tile floor, and broke down.
OOOOOoooooOOOOO
The two rode in silence for many minutes. Kagome reached across the dash to turn the radio on. Country music about a man and his new Chevy truck began to blast over the speakers, but Kouga just as quickly flipped the radio off.
Kagome's lips set in a grim line and she turned the music back on again. Kouga turned it off, never taking his eyes off the road. Kagome reached across to turn the radio on once more when Kouga caught her wrist, eyes still focused on the road.
"Leave it," he ordered. Kagome huffed at his attitude. She needed music to drown out her thoughts. She didn't want to think about the things that Inuyasha had said to her. She tried to pull her hand out of Kouga's grasp, but was surprised that he did not release her wrist.
"Mind letting go?" She asked when they came to a stop sign.
Kouga finally looked at her and gave her a half-grin. "I do mind." He slid his palm over the back of her hand and linked fingers with her and then trapped her hand under his on the console. Kagome tried to yank her hand out from under the weight. "I'm not letting you turn on the radio."
"Why not?" Kagome asked, unsuccessful in her struggles to free her hand. She had not realized how strong the rancher was nor did she understand his game. "Let go of my hand, Kouga," she ordered.
"No," Kouga answered, his voice playful as he started his vehicle back up.
"I know where you sleep at night," Kagome threatened, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
Kouga turned towards her with an ear-splitting grin. He lifted her hand and kissed her palm before she had time to react. "The door is unlocked," he challenged before imprisoning her hand once again.
Kagome's face flushed at his banter. Who was this man? He certainly didn't seem like the taciturn boss who made her life miserable over the past few weeks. She gave up and relaxed in her seat. "Do you not like that song or something?"
"I don't like Chevy's," he confided, looking at her with a dead-panned expression. Kagome burst out laughing.
"Don't you drive a Chevy?"
"I do not!" He protested in a highly-scandalized voice that made her laugh even harder. "I drive a Dodge." He released her hand at the final stop sign before he would begin the winding, torturous country road that would lead to the ranch. "We need to talk and not use music as a buffer."
"I'm listening," Kagome told him, still smiling and trying to hide the fact that she missed the warmth of his hand upon hers. "What troubles you boss?"
"Inuyasha is not going to give up so easily." He began driving, increasing his headlights to the bright level. "He will find Sesshoumaru and very soon."
"So what are we supposed to do about that? What was the point of this whole shenanigan if he was just going to track him down regardless?"
"It was a two-point shenanigan. The first was to buy Sesshoumaru some time so that he could decide what it is he wanted to do about the nuisance. And the second part was to have a little fun at the expense of our rotten ex-fiancés." Kouga kept his eyes trained on the road; the second part was only half true. He wanted an excuse to explore his attraction to the lovely animal doctor.
"I see," Kagome said quietly. So this night was only about revenge and fun. Kouga apparently wasn't feeling the same attraction that she was. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the passenger window at the dark tree line.
Kouga didn't like the way she said, 'I see,' and her current unfriendly position further enhanced that dislike. "Kagome," he called softly. She didn't turn towards him but he knew she was listening. "I really did have a good time with you tonight."
"Me too," she said with a ghost of a smile.
"Perhaps it is something we could do again," he paused. His eyes narrowed at the sight of a familiar car on the side of the road. It looked like the clerk from the general store that Miroku frequented. She was sitting on the hood of her car.
"Without the revenge motives and such?" Kagome asked.
"Uh huh," Kouga answered absently as he pulled his truck over on the side of the road. "You know this girl, right?" He asked Kagome, turning towards her. She nodded at him. He turned off his truck's engine and flipped it over onto the battery to keep the lights on. "Could you make sure she's not broken down?"
Kagome nodded silently. It was nice to see that he wasn't going to drive by the poor woman abandoning her to a night in the dark forests of Southeast Texas. However, it would have been nice if he had listened to her question. She had been ignored for years by Inuyasha, she didn't like being ignored any longer.
She hopped out of the truck and approached the familiar woman. "Sango?" She called, the woman looked up. The dark haired clerk was sitting on the hood of her car Indian-style, arms crossed and crying silently. The moonlight reflected off the teary trail on her cheeks. Kagome rushed over to her, "Oh sweetheart, what's wrong?" She asked taking hold of the woman's hands comfortingly.
Kouga stepped out of the truck and stood beside Kagome. His strong presence was reassuring. Sango pulled her hands out of Kagome's and wiped her face with her sleeve. She glared at Kouga with absolute loathing. He stepped behind Kagome. "Don't let her kill me," he whispered in her ear.
Kagome giggled at him, causing Sango to redirect her death glare at her. Kagome swallowed hard and pressed her back close against Kouga's front. "Don't let her kill me either," she whispered back.
"What is the matter?" Kouga asked, his voice kind, even though he was more-or-less cowering behind Kagome.
Sango pushed herself away from the hood of her car and continued to stare silently at the two, but her anger melted away and she was left with a look of hurt and betrayal.
Kouga's hands contracted on Kagome's hips from his position behind her. "What did that fool do to you?" He asked quietly, gently.
"Nothing, he's just his arrogant, cold-hearted, womanizing, horrible self." Sango answered with a watery smile. "I should have known it wouldn't work out with that jerk."
"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation," Kagome interrupted, but from the devastated look on Sango's face she was afraid of the answer.
"That is the explanation, he said it himself," Sango revealed.
"Idiot," Kouga muttered. He stood out from behind Kagome now and placed a warm, reassuring hand on Sango's shoulder. She took him by surprise by grabbing his wrist and twisting his body around so that he was on the hood, with his arm pulled painfully behind his back. "Ow! Ow! Uncle! Jeez woman!"
"Let him go!" Kagome cried out, prying Sango's hands off her…boss. "What's wrong with you?"
Sango released Kouga, realizing that her instincts had taken over. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Old habits."
"I'd hate to meet you in a dark alley," Kouga said with a forced grin as he rubbed his shoulder. He was certain she broke something important.
"Is there anything wrong with your car?" Kagome asked, once she knew that Kouga wasn't in danger of the woman anymore.
"No," Sango answered.
"I'll talk to the idiot, alright?" Kouga offered. He let go of his shoulder and rolled it back. It made an audible popping sound. That caused Sango to cringe guiltily.
"If it's any consolation we just got back from dining with our ex-fiancés that made our lives living hells and used and abused us," Kagome explained.
Sango's dark eyes widened. "What?"
Kagome reached for the other woman's hands again and gave them a warm, friendly squeeze. "So you see, even if you think you love someone, if they treat you poorly they are not worthy of being loved."
Sango looked down at her hands inside of Kagome's and returned the warm gesture before pulling away.
"Then when you least expect it, you'll find someone who does appreciate you and treats you right," Kouga added, as he dropped his arm casually around Kagome's shoulders.
Sango offered a half-hearted smile. She wasn't so sure about that. "I need to go now; I have to open early tomorrow morning."
"I'll give the idiot a sound trashing, I promise," Kouga offered.
"Thank you, both of you," Sango said as she walked back to her door. She started her car and took off. Kouga and Kagome watched until her taillights had faded completely away before he took his arm off her shoulder. They went back inside the truck.
Kagome pondered his words. Was he being reassuring to Sango? He sure made it sound like there was more to them than an evening of mutual revenge. She wanted to ask him, but from the look on his face he wasn't thinking about them.
"I'm going to beat the living tar out of that moron," Kouga vowed. Kagome shook her head; at least he answered her unspoken question. He definitely wasn't thinking about them right now.
They pulled into the drive. Sesshoumaru was sitting on the porch steps and rushed down to greet them. He opened Kagome's door while a bewildered Kouga watched him with his face becoming red in anger.
"We must speak," Sesshoumaru said simply to Kagome. He looked past her to Kouga. "Then we must speak."
Kouga's jaw flinched in annoyance. He fought to contain his jealousy at seeing his foreman man-handling Kagome. Sesshoumaru and the doctor were just friends. Well, technically so were Kouga and Kagome but he couldn't help but think there was potential after tonight. "Fine," Kouga agreed. He had a mission.
It didn't take long to find his brother. Miroku was sitting on the kitchen floor, staring down at his hands. He didn't bother greeting Kouga. So, Kouga kicked his leg with his boot, hard.
"Hey!" Miroku yelled as he rose to his feet. "What's the big idea?"
"Why didn't you acknowledge your big brother?"
"Oh shut up," Miroku retorted.
Kouga's eyebrows rose to his hairline. It wasn't like Miroku to be such a temperamental man, that was more like him. "What is your problem?" Kouga asked, giving his little brother a shove in the chest.
Miroku stumbled back a step and then glared at Kouga, locking amethyst with ice blue. He shoved Kouga back, catching the rancher off guard. Kouga's back hit the island in the middle of the kitchen and his eyes narrowed. He reared back his hand and punched Miroku upside the chin.
Miroku fell back against the barstool. He reached up to wipe off the blood from his lower lip where his tooth had bitten down. He then took hold of the barstool and slammed it over Kouga's head.
The older man was dazed but quickly recovered and launched himself at Miroku. The two brothers were rolling on the kitchen floor punching the living daylights out of each other. The backdoor to the kitchen was pulled open and Sesshoumaru and Kagome stared at the brothers in disbelief.
"Kouga! What are you doing?" Kagome rushed towards the two, escaping the last second attempt of Sesshoumaru to stop her.
"Kagome wait!" Sesshoumaru called, but it was too late.
Kagome had put herself in the crossfire and a vicious right hook meant to blacken Kouga's eye instead landed upon Kagome. Miroku's mouth opened in shock at what he had just done. "Kagome!"
Kagome slumped into Kouga's arms. "What have you done?" Kouga roared at Miroku.
Sesshoumaru grabbed Miroku off the kitchen floor. "Leave now if you want to live," he warned in a low voice. Miroku didn't take time to apologize but quickly jettisoned himself out the door. The sound of his truck's motor could be heard roaring to life.
"Kagome, can you hear me?" Kouga asked his emotions high as he held the woman in his arms. The punch would have knocked him out cold, no doubt. He was seriously worried of what damage it would do to Kagome. "We have to take her to the hospital," he said to Sesshoumaru who had taken an icepack out of the freezer.
Sesshoumaru placed the icepack over the affected eye. "We'll talk afterwards," Sesshoumaru assured him as he stood aside as Kouga stood up with Kagome in his arms. He opened the door and led the way to his extended cab pick-up truck. "Sit in the back with her and buckle up," Sesshoumaru ordered.
Kouga complied without question. He held Kagome in his arms but she wasn't responding. His eyes met Sesshoumaru's in the rearview mirror. "It was an accident," Sesshoumaru assured him.
"I know," Kouga answered, his grip on the female doctor tightened. "I think she must have hit her head on the island and it gave her a concussion after the punch."
"She'll be fine," Sesshoumaru assured him confidently as he drove as if the devil was on his heels towards the emergency room.
TBC