Beautiful Soul
By: SlayerSango23
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor the Nike label.
A/N: Sorry to keep you waiting, and I hope you all enjoy! Hopefully the slightly longer chapter will make up somewhat for the long wait. Also, for those Sesshomaru and/or Rin fans out there, they will appear throughout this chapter. :) I told you they would return!
Chapter Eight: Encounters
"Jaken, Jaken!" Sesshomaru called. His assistant came running immediately upon hearing his master's cool but insistent voice. Sesshomaru was a tall, lean man, with long prematurely silver hair, which would have made him seem much older if not for his boyishly handsome face. With Sesshomaru, appearance was very deceiving... He looked to be a billionaire playboy type, but this was far from the mark.
He was a hard man and at times downright cold, with an unwavering resolve and the cunning of a fox. In short, he was not to be trifled with.
"Yes, what is it, sir?" Jaken bowed obediently before his master.
"I have business to attend to. See that Rin completes her lessons for the day and has her dinner."
"Yes, of course, Sesshomaru-sama."
The young girl skipped into the living room from her bedroom, dressed in a gray sweater-vest, tie, plaid skirt, and knee-high white socks. A portion of her long raven hair was tied back into a lopsided ponytail.
"Sessomaru-sama! Do you have a meeting, my lord?"
He turned toward the girl. "Yes. You have your English and science tutors coming today. After that, Jaken will see to your dinner. I should be back in a few hours."
She nodded and gave him a small bow before he left.
He never told her to behave or bid her a nice day, nor did he always say goodbye. He would usually simply inform her that he was leaving, sometimes say where he was going, and estimate a time when he'd be back. That was the type of man her foster father was.
Rin hated to see him go. He was gone so often. It wasn't as though she expected that he would spend quality time with her even if he were home, and she certainly knew better than to run to him, jump into his arms, and embrace him when he would leave. He never hugged or kissed her either. They simply didn't have a relationship like that. But he didn't mistreat or neglect her. Far from it. Despite his reputation and despite the way he interacted with others, Sesshomaru was exceedingly kind and even loving toward Rin. Perhaps he didn't show it in conventional ways, but upon close inspection, the two had a very special bond that Sesshomaru had neither expected nor cared to have with anyone else. Whether it was the special look he reserved only for her, the way he allowed her to know him better than anyone else, or the way he would risk his life for her at any given moment (which he would never admit), Rin always knew how he felt. And she felt the same. He was her hero, and the greatest man alive.
After Sesshomaru left Rin slumped onto the couch and pouted.
"You get up this instant, you lazy child!" Jaken barked at her.
She glared at him momentarily but rose to her feet.
"Your tutor is coming in less than an hour, and you're not going to lounge about until then! And you're far too old to be acting like an infant!"
"I am not acting like an infant, Master Jaken! I just miss Lord Sesshomaru..." She twirled a piece of hair around her finger.
"He's only been gone 30 seconds!"
"So what! I want to go with him one day and watch him work..."
"That would not be possible."
"Why not? I wouldn't be a bother..."
"You'd only be in his way. Now, has your homework been completed?"
"Of course. It took no time at all. I had it done days ago, no thanks to you."
"You're such a brazen child!"
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"Hachi, will you stop dragging your feet?" Miroku groaned irritably.
"But sir, I don't have a membership to this gym..." Or any gym for that matter...
"No worries, my friend. I'll take care of it." He gave his subordinate a smile, then pulled open the door.
Hachi gave a sigh as Miroku coaxed him inside. Why did his master have to be such a health nut? More importantly, why did he feel the need to drag him along for the ride?
Miroku gazed around the gym. It was a small place, but spacious, and he liked the atmosphere. The radio was softly playing in the background. Yes, it would certainly do for a quick after-lunch workout. And it seemed they practically had the place to themselves. There were only a few people working out on different machines.
He noticed a side door with an office sign on it, which seemed to be where the music was coming from, and he made his way over to it. He was about to knock when the door suddenly opened, and he almost collided with the person on the other side.
She gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry!"
"Sango?" Miroku uttered, pleasantly surprised.
"Miroku?"
Sango was clearly as surprised to see him as he was to see her, but hers seemed to be more of an uncomfortable surprise. She closed the door behind her and stepped off to the side, putting an arm's length between them. Becoming immediately aware of her attire and who was standing before her, she immediately crossed her arms over her chest. She hoped the motion hadn't been too noticeable.
But the subtle gesture hadn't escaped Miroku's keen eye. He smiled at her shyness, though he couldn't understand why she was so self-conscious. She was gorgeous! And what man with half his wits about him wouldn't think so? And she wasn't a dainty beauty, but a steely strong tigress...cut to perfection. Oh, he'd gathered right away that she had a nice figure, but her clothing never revealed much to him... So much had always been left to his vivid imagination. But her workout clothing, on the other hand, didn't hide her body so well. Now he knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that she had it to flaunt. But she never did. Perhaps that was one reason he liked her so much...
"Miroku, uh, what are you doing here?" she asked, still guarding herself.
It took him a moment to register the question. He wasn't used to seeing her dressed in such a way, specifically, in a form-fitting spandex two-piece workout suit. And the spandex was certainly working for him...
"Oh, well I was in the neighborhood and decided to do some lifting. This was the closest place," he finally answered.
"Oh."
"I didn't know you worked here, Sango! It's good to see you. How are you?" He gave her a sincere smile.
"I'm fine, thanks. How are you?" she smiled slightly in return. But it seemed forced to Miroku.
He was confused. He'd thought things had gone well the night before, and he could usually tell. But perhaps he'd been wrong. Maybe it had all been wishful thinking, and she'd only been tolerating him for the one promised night. He'd had a very good time and had wanted to send her flowers, but he remembered that promise... And he decided it best to let her make the next move. It was, after all, her decision as to whether or not they continued seeing one another.
"Sango, is everything alright?"
"Of course! Everything is great! Why wouldn't it be?" she replied, a bit over-the-top.
You're a bad liar, my dear...
"You seem uncomfortable... Would you like for me to leave?"
"Don't be silly, Miroku! I'm not a bit uncomfortable. I'm just...surprised to see you here..."
She looked away, suddenly appearing very sad to Miroku. A sigh escaped her lips.
"I'm sorry," she said, avoiding those deep blue eyes.
Is she trying to think of how to let me down gently? Is she worried about hurting my feelings? He furrowed his brow, hoping she would explain and simply end this agony if that was her wish...
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Oh, what should I do? I really shouldn't continue on with this, but I'd hoped for more time to think about it... But here he is... Should I tell him now that I can't see him anymore?
She suddenly recalled that they weren't alone. For a brief time, it had felt like they were the only two people in the world... He had a knack for making her feel that way...
No, I don't want to embarrass him in front of others... Besides, he hasn't pressed for another date yet...
Her resolve faltered further when she thought of how pleased he'd looked when he'd seen her. And she couldn't deny that a part of her had leapt when she'd seen him... He was attractive, charming, witty, kind, and fun to be with, and she feared that she was developing something of a crush on him... If it wasn't for him being a little on the lecherous side, she'd probably consider him to be just about as perfect as a man could get...
But Sango wasn't the type to get crushes! Oh, she could admit that in the past she'd liked guys before, but it was never really a major issue for her. She was never like most of the other girls in school. They were always so obsessed with love and romance and watching the boys... She was more likely to join the boys in a game of baseball or tackle football... And probably beat them.
And the opposite sex still failed to be in the spotlight. Before, she'd been more concerned with school and sports, and now she had two jobs and a little brother she dearly loved to take up her time and energy. She was afraid that spending more time with Miroku would only result in her growing closer to him, and she didn't need that right now. Besides, he'd probably just break her heart anyway... She should simply end it. It would only be more difficult if she prolonged it... But somehow she wasn't sure she could let that be it.
"Sango, what is it?" he asked, concerned.
She gave an embarrassed laugh and put on a smile. "Oh Miroku, I'm sorry! I'm acting so strangely, aren't I? I just went through a rather vigorous workout, and maybe the blood's rushed to my head! I didn't eat much today, you know?"
He arched a brow, not quite convinced that was the explanation for her strange behavior, but he decided to leave it be.
"Well then, perhaps you should rest and have something..."
He must think I'm completely insane...
"Oh yes, I will. But let's take care of business first, shall we?"
He studied her for a moment before digressing.
"So, you'll be needing a membership," she chimed, almost perkily.
Miroku still wasn't quite sure what had transpired. "Yes, and my friend here would like to work out, as well."
"Oh?" She glanced behind Miroku, finally noticing the stout man who followed him like a shadow.
"Sango, this is my colleague and long-time friend, Hachi Tanuki. Hachi, this is Sango Taijiya."
Hachi waddled out from behind Miroku. Sango put a hand out, and they shook, then Hachi gave her a quick bow.
"Pleased to meet you, Hachi," Sango said.
"Pleased to meet you, too."
He fully agreed with his master on the matter of her beauty, but given the earlier display, they didn't seem to be hitting it off as well as Miroku had thought. He smirked at his assessment of the situation.
"Well, if you gentlemen will follow me I'll set you up. Koga, the owner, isn't here today, but I'm his second-in-command you might say. This way." And she led them into the office.
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Rin lay hanging over the end of the couch, upside down, attempting to read a book in that position. Jaken returned after having escaped to his adjoining room. Sesshomaru had allowed Jaken to stay in an adjoining portion of the condo in exchange for basically being Rin's babysitter. He was often gone, thus wanted someone to watch over and take care of the girl while he was away.
"You foolish girl! You're going to get dizzy doing that! Stop it now!"
She hoisted herself back up. "I feel fine."
Jaken shook his head. "How can you do that?"
She shrugged.
The doorbell rang, and Rin bolted for the door. "I'll get it," she practically sang.
Rin opened the door to find a woman standing on the other side dressed in a gray tailored suit. Her dark hair was put up in a bun, and she wore magenta eyeshadow and a touch of crimson lipstick.
They looked at each other for a moment.
I'm sure this is the place...
"Hello, young lady. Might I find a Sesshomaru Chikara here?" she inquired formally.
"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru lives here, but he isn't home right now."
"I see. And who might you be?" the woman asked.
"My name's Rin! Lord Sesshomaru adopted me."
"Why that is certainly magnanimous of him." The woman smiled at the girl before her.
So, it is true what they say... He did adopt a child...
"And may I know your name, Miss?" Rin inquired sweetly.
"I am Kagura Nikutaika."
"Pleased to meet you!" The child gave a curt bow, and Kagura nodded acknowledging.
"Uh, when do you expect him back?" she asked.
"He'll be gone for at least a few hours... He had a meeting. Can I take a message?"
Well, he certainly has her trained...
"Rin, who is that at the door?" Jaken screeched from across the room.
"Her name is Kagura Nikutaika," Rin called back then turned her attention back to her guest.
"Um, what can I help you out with Ms. Nikutaika?"
"Oh, yes of course. How rude of me. I'm interested in doing a story on your Lord Sesshomaru. Perhaps you'll be able to help me out?"
"A story! As in for a newspaper?" Rin beamed starry-eyed.
"Magazine actually."
"Rin, who is this Kagura woman?" Jaken finally dragged himself over to the door.
"This nice woman wants to write a magazine article on Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin exclaimed with excitement.
"Well, I should think not!" Jaken humphed, thrusting his shriveled hands onto his hips. "You just go on now! Lord Sesshomaru doesn't like talking to the press!"
Kagura glared at him. "And who might you be to speak on his behalf?"
Jaken made a point to put on a display of his exasperation. What an absurd question!
"Well! I am his most trusted assistant and representative, of course! No one sees Lord Sesshomaru without MY approval! And how did you get his address, woman?"
"I have my sources," she answered cooly.
"Sources, hmph! I don't know who these sources of yours are, but they should have informed you that Lord Sesshomaru does NOT do interviews!"
Rin watched the display, her eyes darting back and forth between Jaken and the strangely intriguing woman.
"We shall see," Kagura replied smugly, and she took her leave just like that.
Jaken was clearly irritated. "Why that arrogant wench! Who does she think she is?"
"I liked her," Rin commented.
"You would..."
"She was polite, and proper, and very beautiful...I hope I look like her when I am older..."
Jaken stared at Rin as though she'd completely lost all her faculties.
"Hmph, I saw nothing out of the ordinary about her..."
"Do you think she will be back, Master Jaken?"
"I highly doubt it, Rin. I think I showed her that her attempts to get to Lord Sesshomaru will be in vain!"
Rin gave a smirk. Yeah right...
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Sango finished up the paperwork for Miroku and Hachi's gym memberships, then proceeded to show them around the place. The tour didn't take long.
"Do you have clothes to work out in?" Sango asked.
"Yes, in the car." Miroku responded, and Hachi began to profess that he didn't.
"You can lift in what you have on, Hachi," Miroku cut him off, fully intending to prevent him from escaping a little exercise.
"But sir, I should really get back to work..."
"Hachi, I pay you... It's fine."
"Yes, sir. Thank you," he mumbled.
Sango watched them with mild amusement. Miroku was very adamant about forcing his companion to work out.
"I'll be right back." Miroku flashed a grin at Sango and headed for the door to retrieve his clothes.
Sango turned to Hachi. "Ok, what areas of your body would you like to work on the most?"
"Uh, all I guess...but I'm not really an exercise...type.." Hachi said, looking down.
"Oh, that's alright. I'll start you off slow. We'll work up to it." She beckoned him to follow her, and they made their way over to the bench press.
"Ok, have you ever used the bench press before?"
"Uh, yes a few times..."
"Do you remember what you benched?"
"No."
Sango nodded. "I'll start you out with just ten pounds on each side then. She took several weights off and motioned for him to lie down on the bench. "I'll spot you. If it gets too heavy just let me know."
Miroku returned with a black duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
"Miroku, you can go ahead and get changed in the men's dressing room over there where I showed you."
"Ok, thanks. See you in a few."
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Miroku returned several moments later wearing a Nike muscle shirt and warm-up pants. It was obvious that he put some time into keeping himself in shape. Sango couldn't help but admire for a moment.She supposed that many girls do find athletic men rather appealing. She was no exception. Cursing herself for her shallow thoughts, she forced her attention back to the task at hand. But Miroku was suddenly beside her. It startled her, and she nearly lost track of her counting. He was standing so close, and she was suddenly very aware of his cologne. She wasn't sure of the fragrance, but it was nice, and he wasn't drenched in it. That was always a plus.
"You're doing well, Hachi," Miroku smiled down at a heavily perspiring Hachi.
"Ok, Hachi. Very good. You can stop now," Sango said, and helped him replace the bar on the rack.
Hachi heaved a sigh, his breathing ragged.
"You did three sets of 15. Nice work." Sango casually placed her hands on her hips and turned to Miroku.
"Now it's your turn."
"Yo, Sango, I'm heading out!" Inuyasha called over to her.
"Ok. Oh, Inuyasha, wait a second! I would like you to meet some people."
Inuyasha looked annoyed but came over.
"Inuyasha, this is Miroku Houshi and Hachi Tanuki. Guys, this is Inuyasha Chikara. He's a friend of mine and Kagome's boyfriend. He also works at Higurashi's with us."
"Oh, right. The p-" Inuyasha began, but Sango's death glare caused him to stop mid-sentence.
"Um, the new members..."
Nice save...
Miroku nodded. "Nice to meet you. You look so familiar to me somehow."
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes slightly. "Maybe I just have one of those faces."
"Maybe." Miroku proceeded to add weights to the barbell. Inuyasha noticed this.
"So, how much can you bench?" There was a hint of challenge in Inuyasha's voice.
"How much can you bench?" Miroku quipped while finishing with the adjustments.
"I asked you first!"
"So you did." Miroku turned to Inuyasha. "Oh, around the range of 250-300lbs."
"Keh. A scrawny little guy like you couldn't lift as much as I do... That's what I bench."
Scrawny? Miroku blinked at Inuyasha's audacity. Who's he calling 'scrawny'?
Sango shook her head. She could sense a real testosterone-driven battle coming on... Though she hadn't seen Miroku lift, he and Inuyasha looked to be similarly built, so it could likely be close.
"Inuyasha, no need to toss out insults... Why don't we just see how much he can bench first?" Sango interceded.
Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and turned up his nose. "Fine, whatever."
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"Oh Inuyasha, looks like he was able to rise to your challenge... Guess you have more competition than just Koga now," Sango toyed. She couldn't help herself sometimes. It was so easy!
Inuyasha stared at Sango dumbfounded for a moment, then glared in Miroku's direction.
"Does he have a thing for Kagome now, too?"
Miroku was slightly taken aback and made every effort to show that he was innocent of all charges.
"I meant lifting, Inuyasha!"
"Keh, yeah whatever, Sango! You would defend your BOYFRIEND!"
"My what?" Sango stammered.
Miroku smiled at this and gave Sango a wink when she shyly ventured a glance his way. She felt a blush quickly rising to her cheeks, which infuriated her even further. She took her eyes from him abruptly.
"He is NOT my boyfriend!" she exclaimed, glaring venomously at Inuyasha. He smirked at her satisfactorily.
"Uh, Sango, that may be true, but do you have to act so repulsed by the thought?" Miroku was almost pouting.
She looked at him, then opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it again.
"I...didn't mean it that way, Miroku," she managed to say.
"Don't worry about it, Sango. I wasn't really offended."
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Inuyasha quickly became bored and took his leave. Miroku and Hachi picked up where they'd left off, and Sango quickly realized that Miroku knew what he was doing. Hachi, on the other hand, seemed to need a little help. Between her and Miroku, they devised a workout plan for Hachi and helped him through it. Miroku was suddenly very grateful to Hachi, for Sango seemed to have a purpose for sticking around. It seemed to prevent her from constantly making her rounds and checking on the other members lifting or otherwise preoccupying herself.
The two men finished about an hour later, and Hachi rushed over to a nearby vending machine he'd discovered earlier. To his disappointment, it was filled mostly with energy bars and Poweraid. Still thoroughly winded, he decided upon a bottle of water.
Sango handed Miroku a towel, and he dabbed at the thin layer of sweat that had appeared sometime during the course of the workout.
"Thank you."
She nodded. "Um, Miroku?"
"I'm not going to pressure you," he put in before she could continue.
She blinked, rather surprised he'd said such a thing. She hadn't really thought he'd pressure her about this, even though he was a little persistent about getting her to agree to go out with him in the first place.
"A deal's a deal, after all. You fulfilled your part of it."
She suddenly felt the blood in her veins beginning to heat to dangerous levels
Why is he being so casual? It's like he doesn't even care what I have to say! It sounds more like it was just some bargain that was struck that is over and done with!
Without really thinking, she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into an empty hallway near the changing rooms. He would have made some lecherous comment about her actions if not for the look in her eyes. She got in his face, poking a finger harshly into his chest. "Now, you listen to me! Who do you think I am? Don't you treat me like spending time with me is business!"
She continued to forcefully back him up even further, until he was against the lockers. He suddenly began to realize their predicament. She was practically pressing flesh with him, and her face was mere inches away. He could clearly make out the tiniest hint of almond in her flashing chocolate eyes
And she was clearly too angry to realize her proximity to him. She had never been so bold. He decided that pressing her buttons wasn't ALL bad... Though, he wasn't quite sure what he'd done.
"Uh, Sango, you know..."
"Shut up! I suppose you're the type of man to just casually date any woman you find attractive, huh?"
Miroku gave her a look. He was going for innocent, but it came off guilty as charged.
"And if a girl doesn't throw herself at you then you find some way to manipulate her into it? Then once you've gotten what you wanted and are tired of her you'll just move on to the next conquest!"
Though usually guys don't want to stop at a simple date... And I didn't even kiss him... I'd thought he would have at least tried for that...
Miroku stared at her wide-eyed. He hadn't expected this kind of reaction at all. Why was she taking it so personally?
"Ok, Sango, you've made yourself clear. Now, it's my turn..." He took the finger that was still pressed into his chest and slid his hand downward until he was holding her hand. She instinctively stepped back, as if she'd only just realized how close they were. She attempted once to pull her hand away, but he held it firm.
And he spoke to her in a firm tone, yet it was only to get a point across. He was still speaking completely calmly.
"All I meant by that statement was that I wasn't going to pressure you to make up your mind about seeing me again, ok? I was trying to be considerate of you." It was his turn to get in her face, while she backed away. But with his grip on her hand, she couldn't get very far.
Sango felt rather speechless. He continued.
"And I don't think of you as just some conquest, alright?"
She studied his eyes, which seemed to emit such intense honesty and feeling. It almost scared her.
"I'll admit that in the past I've casually dated women solely based upon looks and willingness... I'm no saint, but I never claimed to be."
Sango looked away. I knew it...
"But it's not like that with you, Sango! I promise." He reached for her with his other hand, gently turning her face toward him. His expression softened, and he boldly ran his thumb down her cheek before securing her chin between his thumb and forefinger. He tilted her chin slightly upward, insuring she would look him in the eye. She blushed.
"I don't know how you feel about me, but I really like you Sango. I want to get to know you, but it's not just my decision... I hope that you decide you want to see me again, as in a planned meeting rather than merely bumping into one another, but that is completely up to you. I can't make up your mind, and I won't try to sway you. As much as I want to get to know you better, I respect you too much to pressure or manipulate you, as you say..."
"Miroku, I..." Her long eyelashes fluttered as she broke eye contact and focused on the floor. She suddenly felt very ashamed of herself. He reluctantly released his hold on her.
"I'm sorry," she finally said. "I shouldn't have said those things to you. It was uncalled for. I guess I was just...generalizing..."
Generalizing? Does she not trust men? Has she had a bad experience...?
But he decided to leave that for when she wanted to talk about it. "It's ok, Sango. I understand your suspicions. I wish you could trust me."
A small smile graced her pretty face. "I'm beginning to..."
He smiled back. "That's good enough for me!"
"Miroku, I don't want you to think that I didn't have a good time, or that I don't...think you're a good guy... I just can't really get...involved...with anyone right now."
"I understand, Sango." He nodded. "I had sort of given up hope myself. I was on something of a streak of bad luck, always ending up with rather beautiful but very shallow or otherwise uninteresting women... And for awhile, it didn't bother me a great deal..."
Sango looked away, not able to resist rolling her eyes slightly. "Are you getting to a point, Miroku?"
"Yes, I am. Anyway, I ceased feeling satisfied, dating women who only had their looks going for them. Then I met you... You were different somehow, Sango... Until now, I'd never met a woman who was the entire package... A woman that I really wanted to know, spend time with, a woman I could sit with and talk to for hours upon end never getting bored, who would content me by simply allowing me to be in her presence..."
He was good alright. Sango looked away, suddenly unable to control her widening smile.
"This is a really weird place for this conversation," Sango responded evasively, still not looking at him. After all, she couldn't allow him to see that all that sappiness had made her smile!
He grinned. "Why? Because people are getting naked behind that door over there?"
Sango jerked her head toward him, opening her mouth in shock. She slapped him playfully on the arm.
He chuckled. "Well, if you so desire we can continue it some other time, in a less weird place."
"Uh, that's ok."
He nodded, out of apparent defeat. "Well, I said what I wanted to..."
"But...we could discuss...something else in a less weird place sometime..."
He raised his eyebrows. This wasn't the first time she'd caught him off-guard.
Did she really say that?
"Oh yeah?" He grinned.
She shook her head, hoping he wasn't letting it go to his head.
"Yeah. I guess you're not such a slimy creep," she said, smiling.
He made a funny face at that. "Uh, gee thanks, Sango... I think..."
She sighed visibly. "What I mean is...I'd be willing to spend time with you again..."
His face lit up once more.
"But I think we should take things slow, of course, and just be friends for now..."
"Absolutely, Sango."
Sango decided that what needed to be said had been, so she turned to leave. Miroku hesitated.
"Does that mean I can't flirt with you?"
She turned back and gave him a sharp push. In response, he gave her a 'what did I say' look.
"And what might 'flirting' consist of to you? Groping me, I assume,"
"Uh, no. That would be in a class of it's own. Let's see now, flirting would be...complimenting you, smiling at you, the occasional suggestive comment..." He couldn't resist mumbling the last part.
She made some sort of 'ugh' sound.
"Well, I just thought I would broach the subject... I mean, like when you pulled me in here so forcefully and got in my face...it was really a turn-on... Am I not allowed to tell you that if something like that should happen again?" He couldn't help but grin at the thought of it. And he rather enjoyed messing with her on occasion. Though he never wanted to upset her, he had to admit that she was pretty sexy when she told him off.
Sango made another disgusted utterance. She felt like pummeling him but decided to just ignore him instead. She turned up her nose and continued walking.
"Uh, but I really do respect you... I just find you very attractive, and..."
"Miroku!" She spun around to face him. "Quit while you're ahead, ok?"
He gave her an innocent look and nodded. She turned from him once more, the hint of a smile creeping up once again.
"Whatever you say..."
End of Chapter
A/N: The lecher returns! I know that aside from the butt-grabbing, I have been showing Miroku's 'gentlemanly' side, but I couldn't resist throwing a little bit of his perversion in here... He IS a guy, after all. No offense to guys... I know there is more to them than that, just as there is more to our beloved Miroku. I suppose I was inspired by Rumiko Takahashi and how she always has Sango and Miroku have a nice little moment, then he ruins it by being a pervert... ;) Hope you enjoyed, and please review!
Review Responses:
foxychild: Thank you very much! You'll have to keep reading to find out if Kagura ever gets that interview, but she's a persistent woman... ;) Yeah, you can mention characters you would like to see in the story, by all means.
alchemistgrl09: Thank you. I hope you continue to read and review.
x Fade x to x Black x: Thank you, and um...your cat throwing up...yeah, that's pretty gross. Thanks for telling me, heh heh.
The Lonely Bird: Glad you are enjoying, and thank you for the translation ;)
tinemelk: Meant to be? Oh, yes of course! I think so, too. And you know that Miroku is likely to get himself into trouble with Sango, may not necessarily be his fault, though...just have to see. Plenty of drama ahead, haha.
hieiluva: Hope that answered some questions... Please keep reading and reviewing ;)
Anime's Girl: Glad you're so excited to find out what's next. Sorry for the long wait, and hope to hear from you again.
Sango-Miroku-4ever: It's ok that you didn't review last time. Glad to see that you are still reading! Please don't stop, and let me hear from you again! Thank you!
Demon Exterminator Barbie: Hope the scheduling went well, and hope you enjoy! Please keep R&Ring:)
Akeryou-sama: Haha, I'm not sure I got all of what you said, but yeah...good luck with that whole language thing and sorry that your teacher "sucks butt"... Anyway, I know you "refused" to review next chapter, but I may have to go all EVIL on YOU if you don't...so you MUST! Pretty please... Onegai?
Lao Who Mai: No problem about the review, and I am glad that you are enjoying it! I will try to be quicker about updates, working on that... But anyway, maybe this chapter cleared a little bit up about what Miroku is thinking when it comes to Sango... Of course he respects her, but he is also Miroku...so sometimes his hormones get the best of him. ;) Hachi causing problems? Um, maybe, maybe not... And yes, I can see Kagura as a reporter (obviously) OR F.B.I. Any kind of high-powered career...she's definitely a career woman type. And your wish is my command on the Kohaku request. I am indeed planning on Kohaku playing a role in how things go between Sango and Miroku. Sango very much cares about her brother's opinion, and he is indeed protective of her. I liked the whole O.S.S. thing, haha! My little brother is kinda like that... ;)
songokiana: Hope you liked, and please Review!
Keyo-Red Angel of Hope: Thank you, and I am very flattered that you so look forward to the updates! I am like that with certain things, as well. Sorry it took so long... I am working on the update speed issue. I just have to plan it out and schedule time to work on my stories... And yes, as you can see, Sesshomaru has entered and will continue to play a role. Lots to come with interaction between Sesshomaru and gang, Kagura, etc, and Inuyasha... ooo
Demonic Angelz: Glad you liked. Here is your update. Sorry about the wait! Please keep em coming... ;)
Inu Tachi Lover: Thanks for being understanding... Good luck with all that homework! Yikes, know the feeling... Anyway, hope you enjoyed this, and I hope to hear from you! Are you starting to see what Kagura is up to? It will get more complicated, of course, once she and Sesshomaru encounter one another... ;)