Disclaimer: …snakes…pudding…golf candy…needles…rusty spoons…dancing porcupines….leaves? Is it Fall already? Damn, that means I have to get out the rake. THE BLISTERS! THE BLISTERS! Oh, yeah, this is supposed to disclaim something isn't it….now what was it again…was it that line from Fooly Cooly? 'watermelon…or like a panda with a mean face…or sandals with pressure points drawn on them…or a Sunday where you wake up and it's raining…well, I like him more than hard bread.'. No…that wasn't it, but I don't own Fooly Cooly either…damn. Hmmm. OH YEAH. Inuyasha! I don't own him. Yeah. That's it.

Has anyone heard about the croc hunter dying….now wait…wasn't this the idiot that claimed to always be in control when around animals….an haven't we been watching this idiot mess with innocent animals for years? Dumbass.

I think I need to focus on a little Miroku/Sango relationship…hmmm…what can I do?

Chapter Eight

So Cute

Kagome stayed on Inuyasha's lap until sunrise; Inuyasha stroking her hair and humming softly to her and Kagome basking in his affectionate attention and trying to remain awake to enjoy this cute moment they were sharing. Fatigue got the best of her and she fell back into a peaceful sleep.

Sango and Miroku said they went off to talk, but they, as usual, were finding out for their own what was happening between Inuyasha and Kagome. They did that for the first hour. But bored with the silence, they actually did go off to talk. Sango sat next to Miroku as he leaned against a tree. The fire illuminated all of their movements, gave their words more depth, made their thoughts seem more profound and philosophical.

Sango looked at the ground and sighed. "Kagome is right; we never do talk about our mothers." Tears brimmed her eyes. "But to have seen her father die slowly in front of her eyes, as a child, must have killed her."

Miroku nodded morosely. "It is difficult for Kagome to watch anything or anyone suffer. She is so sympathetic. But someone she loved, someone she connected with for years and held a bond to, even a cold person would break under those restraints." He looked into the fire as if mystified by it. "And with it being a disease, each day must have brought more hardship. He was suffering and dying from the inside out. How awful."

Sango had tears falling freely now. "Just finding out about mom's death was hard, but to have witnessed it…" She cried into her hands. "That was hard enough with Dad and wasn't as close to him as I was Mom.

Miroku watched her and pulled her into his chest. "Hush, now. It's okay Sango."

Sango looked up at his with a wet face. "But, we brought up such terrible memories for Kagome!"

Miroku smiled. "Not that we should write this off, but all of us have terrible pasts. Kagome was doing everyone a favor by not discussing hers. She even told Inuyasha that she hadn't done it in years. She was probably trying to cherish him for what he was before the disease. Like a silent memorial."

Sango nodded and remained in his embrace. She would only move if he commanded her to. She fell asleep like that; leaning into his chest, his head resting on hers. She sniffled every few minutes in her sleep. It was a cute reminder of how sad she had been before she had fallen asleep.

Miroku watched his love fall asleep in his arms. He would love to just remain like that; forever. Just to have Sango lean on him for support. Sure, she had agreed to stay with him after all of this finished, but, she could have forgotten. He had been a skeezick lately and he wouldn't blame her if she just forgot about him and hoped to find another. But he hoped for the opposite. He longed for a sign that she would still stay with him.

"Miroku…" Her lips looked frosty, like they needed to be warmed by the touch of another.

She was sleep talking, Miroku noted. Her voice made him tense. He watched her with love filled eyes. Her voice sounded like she couldn't be happier. She was in a literal reverie.

"…Miroku…" She snuggled closer to him as he tensed. She was half awake, not willing to open her eyes and get rid of this happiness. She was going to do something unthinkable of her character. But she had to find out if he still felt the same. "…I… I love you,…Miroku."

He wrapped his arms tighter around her svelte form. He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, too, my beloved Sango." He looked at her lips and noticed them twist into a peaceful smile.

Sango sighed in happiness. "Good, I wasn't planning on letting you off that easy." She snuggled closer. "I wasn't planning on letting any other woman have you if I could tell you that and get that response."

Miroku looked down at her again. Now he was positive that she wasn't asleep. He smiled at his sly thought. "Sango…"

He got a peaceful, "…hmm...?"

"Sango, your lips look cold." This got his desired response.

Sango looked up at him, her eyes glazed over with love and disbelief. Her mind was screaming at her. 'If this isn't really happening, let me die in this dream!'

Miroku looked down at her with only love in his eyes. "Sango, I love you, but you need acting lessons." She giggled girlishly at this. "Now, it is time to take care of those cold lips of yours." He brought his face down to hers, his hand now lifting her face into his, cupping her chin.

The only thing Sango could think was 'Don't let this end, PLEASE don't ever let this end!' She willingly let herself be controlled by this man, this strong man who had hurt her so many times, but none of those times seemed to matter, whether those times made her cry or not didn't seem so important anymore, just as long he never did this to those other women and as long as he kept coming back and holding her like this, and bringing her such immense joy that she could just die happy on the spot if it meant that she could stay in this moment forever. Just to let this man take the reigns and she would follow wherever he wanted her to go; as long as he gained her forgiveness like this, by bringing her this joy in her heart.

Miroku pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Will you still marry me?"

Sango leaned into his chest, hiding her face from his gaze and nodded and started to shake.

Miroku cupped her face in his hand again and looked down at her smiling. "Now what seems to be the problem?"

She smiled through her tears. "I just didn't think it was possible to be this happy after all pains. But, no pain seems to reach me when we are together like this."

Miroku smiled again. "Good to see that I have the same affect on you that you do on me."

Sango snuggled closer. "You're the one with the reigns here."

Miroku set his head on hers again. "Let's just watch the stars."

They fell asleep like that. They remained that way until sunrise.

All of the teens in the camp woke to their loves. Their eyes reflected the love that was shining on them. Sango and Miroku slept in, Inuyasha and Kagome weren't there to wake them, they were too busy sleeping in themselves. Shippo noticed them, but decided to go back to sleep on Kirara after warning her of what was going on. They thought it better to remain asleep until woken. Shippo went off to find something to do in the woods when he couldn't sleep anymore, passing a sleeping Kagome and an Inuyasha he hadn't seen, one with only love in his eyes. Inuyasha looked to see Shippo surprised. Inuyasha smiled and called Shippo to his side.

"Tell Miroku we're taking the day off. I think everyone deserves it." Shippo nodded in determination with his new task. "He should be awake." With that Shippo ran off silently.

Shippo tip-toed over to the sleeping pair slouching against a tree; he pulled at the man's sleeve.

Miroku's eyes fluttered open. He looked at Shippo and smiled. He put a finger to his mouth, signaling to him to be quiet.

Shippo nodded. "Inuyasha said that we are taking the day off, that everyone deserves it." He made sure to whisper quietly to oblige to the monk's request.

Miroku smiled and looked at Shippo. "Why don't you go have fun, then?"

Shippo nodded. "That's what I intended on doing until Inuyasha stopped me. And with that," He turned on his heel, "I leave you to have a pleasant morning." He waved over his shoulder and scampered off quietly.

Inuyasha had remained awake all night, watching Kagome sleep while playing with her hair and humming quietly to her. He didn't think that Miroku or Sango would mind sleeping in; it's not like they had any solid leads on Naraku's location or anything. They were currently just wandering, trying to pry information out of some small villages. It wasn't doing them any good or harm. But, none the less, it was always good to take a day off and enjoy the view of the world. He really had no idea where all of these opinions were coming from. Maybe having the idea that Kagome and him were so close now, that was enough to make him optimistic…okay maybe not optimistic, but certainly less cynical.

He hadn't said anything yet that he would later want to kill the person who had said it. But, the usual him would not agree with these ideas either. He always wanted to do something. He wasn't the type to just sit down and take things easy. He thought doing something would mean that he was making progress, but he could see now that that wasn't always true. That sometimes it really was wiser to just sit back and look at things, or to just let things take their natural course. Besides, Kagome really needed the rest right now. He hadn't been very careful of her still weakened condition lately and he regretted being such a slave driver. He wanted her at her best condition. Everyone would be happy that way. Besides, he had to take into consideration that he was traveling with humans and a child. Along with Kirara, but she was still in her physical prime and probably would be for hundreds of years to come. It just seemed like the kind of day to just lay low and appreciate all the blessings he had around him; all of his friends and his love.

These things didn't exist before Kagome; his love, she created it, she woke his heart from its slumber, where it had laid dormant since his mother's death. Kikyo nudged at it, but it never fully responded to her. She was too cold to wake it fully, but Kagome had laughed and cared. She sent a beam of light on his dark heart and made him realize just how much he hated all the holes he dug himself into, to protect himself from the world…or was it vice versa? He wasn't sure. Now, with the way things were, he was never able to look at the world the same way. He remembered most of his old opinions, but they didn't make sense now. He never felt hatred for all humans now; Kagome, Sango, and Miroku had made him see that it was pointless to hate an entire race for what a few people had done to them. He could hate those who had done wrong to him or his friends and feel no remorse, but not all of humanity, he saw now that it meant he hated himself. Back then, he never remembered hating himself, but now it was plain to see that he had. He was committing blasphemy on himself, mutiny. He was jerked out of his thoughts by a beautiful whisper of love.

"…Inuyasha…?" Kagome had been watching him for ten minutes as he was absent-mindedly running his fingers through her hair. She felt his sign of love all night; when she had waken from a dream, finding no reason for her to remain awake; she was soothed back to sleep by Inuyasha running his fingers through her hair.

He looked down at her and smiled. "Did I wake you?" His voice was unusually sweet.

She looked at him in a surprised fashion. "Did you sleep at all?" He shook his head and smiled. "What is wrong with you?" She laughed as she asked the question with a sweet playfulness in her voice.

He smiled again. "I was fascinated with your hair and my thoughts. I was too awake to fall asleep." His eyes shone with love for her. "We can rest; we have the day off." He smiled a toothy grin.

She looked at him skeptically. "Why?"

He looked offended. "Why? Don't you want to spend time with me?"

She smiled softly. "That's not it at all, I was just curious, that's all."

"It's nice to just rest sometimes."

She looked at him curiously. This wasn't like him. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Why?"

"You're acting different."

"I don't know what it is. Just, being near you like this, makes me feel…less pessimistic."

Kagome smiled. "It makes me happy to know that I can make you look at the world like a normal person!" She looked around. "Where are Sango and Miroku?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Shippo's coming, let's ask him." Inuyasha looked over to his left. "Hey, Shippo!"

Shippo bounded out of the bushes and to his adapted brother. "Yo!"

Inuyasha smiled. "What information do we have on Miroku and Sango's location?" Trying his best not to laugh or break character, Inuyasha sounded like a drill sergeant.

Shippo bowed to his 'superior officer'. "They have been sighted by the campfire. They were leaning against a tree and Sango was asleep in Miroku's arms."

Both Inuyasha and Kagome's faces became surprised with this information. "Really?"

"Yes sir, when I woke up last night to use the bathroom, I saw them kissing!" He stressed Kissing and made a have disgusted and amused face. "Later!" He waved over his back as he ran away.

Kagome clapped her hands and 'aww'ed at what Inuyasha laughed at. "So Sango gave in? I thought she was made of bigger stuff than that." He laughed.

Kagome laughed. "They both gave in, but it is so cute!"

Inuyasha watched as Kagome laid back down on his lap, he thought of a song he heard in Kagome's era and started to hum, singing the words loudly in his head. He continued to play with her hair as he was mindlessly humming. 'Good morning, Beautiful. How was your night? Mine was wonderful, with you by my side and when I opened my eyes to see your sweet face. It's a good morning, beautiful day. I couldn't see the light, I didn't know day from night, I had no reason to care. But since you came along, I can face the dawn, 'cause I know you'll be there. Good morning, Beautiful. How was your night? Mine was wonderful, with you by my side and when I opened my eyes to see your sweet face. It's a good morning, beautiful day. I never worry if it's raining outside, 'cause in here with you, girl, the sun always shines. Good morning, Beautiful. How was your night? Mine was wonderful, with you by my side and when I opened my eyes to see your sweet face. It's a good morning, beautiful day. Yeah. Hmm, Good morning, beautiful day. Good morning, Beautiful. It's a beautiful day. Good morning, Beautiful. It's a beautiful day.' (Don't own this either… It's sung by Steve Holy and owned by Zack Lyle and Todd Cerney.)

Kagome watched him as he sang all the melodies, all the words, in perfect time and key. She new that song and loved it. It had reminded her of Inuyasha on countless occasions. She smiled sweetly, catching his eyes again from her hair. "And where, may I ask, did you learn that song?" Her voice was sweet and alluring.

Inuyasha blushed from her tone and the fact she recognized the song. "Um…Your 'radio' thing played it when I pushed a glowing button on it. I sat and waited for the song to finish…then this annoying guy came on yelling about something called 'used cars' and he kept saying the word 'huge' in a weird way, Then I pushed the button again and went to bother your cat." His voice was small and shy.

She laughed. "Everyone is annoyed by that guy…" She sat watching him for a minute. "You really learned all of the words by listening to it once?"

Inuyasha nodded. "It wasn't that hard. The words kept playing over and over in my mind."

Kagome looked shocked. "…Wow…"

Inuyasha looked confused. "Is that unusual?" His head turned to the side, making him look like a curious puppy. (MY DOG DOES THAT! SO CUTE!)

Kagome giggled. "Most people can't do that….it's really cool that you can though. My friend can do that when she plays her guitar…she can listen to something once and she can play it and remember all of the notes. It's really amazing."

Inuyasha blushed and looked away, embarrassed by the attention, then whispered "thanks."

Kagome giggled at that is and pulled him into a passionate kiss.