Miroku's head throbbed unpleasantly as he settled himself beside the fire again. Nearby, Inuyasha sulked furiously, but Miroku could not share the hanyou's displeasure. After all, the two of them had just been granted a most marvelous vision. And no matter how forceful Sango's infuriated punches had been, they could not make him forget what he had seen: Sango and Kagome, utterly naked, standing thigh-deep in the hot spring.

He had expected to see Kagome in the nude, but somehow he had thought Sango would be more guarded than that. She seemed like the type to wear a robe - or her Taijiya armor, he thought and tried to hide a smile - even while bathing. He'd thought it would be a few more weeks of peeping through cracks in walls and peering past doors accidentally left ever-so-slightly ajar before she let her guard down enough that he could get a better look at her without her clothing. He had seldom been so happy to be wrong.

True, the light had been dim due to the late hour and it had been somewhat difficult to see, but...

"You should have known better," Shippou scolded.

On the contrary, when Miroku had suggested that they see what all the fuss was about - when he had pointed out that the girls might be in danger - he had known exactly what he was getting into. Of course, he knew better than to mention this to Inuyasha, but it was hardly surprising to creep up to the edge of the hot spring where their female companions were bathing and wind up catching a glimpse of something that they were not meant to see.

"They wouldn't even listen to me," Inuyasha grumbled. "I wasn't there to spy on them! I was just trying to make sure they were safe! Who knows what Naraku might be up to next?"

"Never mind that," Miroku said amicably, closing his eyes and picturing the scene at the spring all over again. "They will think what they will. And after all, we were given a splendid view just now."

"You would say that, you damned pervert," Inuyasha retorted, golden eyes flashing with anger. Clearly he was ready to lay all the blame at Miroku's feet, without considering that he might have chosen to stay behind rather than investigate whatever had disturbed their companions' bath, and thus remained blameless in the eyes of Kagome and Sango.

"They will forgive us," Miroku promised serenely. "Eventually."