A/N: Right now, I'm in New Haven, the college town around Yale, so things might be a bit hectic for a while…I'll try to keep updating as soon as possible though, promise! So let's get back to the story. Also, I've got a couple other fics starting up; check those out too while you're here. Thanks for reading so far, and enjoy! Reviews are adored.

Chapter Fourteen


Sango shivered slightly in the freezing night air. The snow had paused earlier, but before she left the hall, she heard reports of more snow arriving before the morning. She checked her watch; 11:18 p.m. 'Kouga and Ayame should be catching up by now,' she thought, smiling to herself. She shifted the two cups of hot chocolate in her hands, feeling a distinct sensation of burning and freezing simultaneously. 'I better get these cups to the happy couple quickly, before I burn my hands off.'

Sango left through the side gate of the Old Campus, the site of most of the freshman dormitories, and crossed the street, not really bothering to check for oncoming cars on the one way street at eleven on a snowy night.

She paused at a walkway into the New Haven Green, the location of the little rendezvous she had planned for her friends. Squinting into the darkness, she searched the nearby area for Kouga or Ayame. She couldn't see them anywhere in the nearby vicinity.

'Strange; I know I left them near the entrance. They probably went on a walk.' She sighed, and headed for the bench where she had left the two with an excuse to look for hot drinks.

The bench was empty, as she had noticed before, but she sat there anyway, waiting for the two to return, drinks at the ready. As she waited, she thought about the initial reaction between her friends.

Sango led Ayame up the path, diverting her attention with gossip, making her distracted until the last minute. They turned the final bend in the path and the bench was in view – as well as the male occupying it.

"Aya?" Kouga's eyes widened as if the woman in front of him was not at all like he imagined.

She nodded, smiling. He broke out in a wide grin. "God, it's really you, isn't it?"

"Hi there, stranger." She replied, offering a hand.

"Hiya back." He pulled her to him, rising at the same time, and hugged her tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"I didn't think you'd remember me." She said lightly. However, her face betrayed her pretense.

"Aw, hun, of course I do. How could I forget a cute face like that?" He held her face in his hands and they smiled at each other.

"Hey guys, I'm going to get some hot drinks now. Be right back." Sango announced. They seemed surprised at her voice, forgetting that she was still there.

"Right." Ayame replied vaguely.

"We'll be around." Kouga added, equally vague.

Sango hid her smile as she headed off, in search of a late-night shop.

'Well, I wish them the best of luck.' Sango thought cheerfully. A cold breeze blew past her, whipping her scarf. She shivered again.

"Looks like someone needs to get warm." Sango heard a voice nearby say cheerfully. She started at the sound of the voice, then cringed. It was the voice of the last person she wanted to see.

Miroku approached her on the path. He paused in front of her. "Need company?" He asked, smiling. Sango couldn't bear to meet his face out of embarrassment.

"Sure." She murmured, scooting to the side to allow him a seat. Miroku sat down, woolen long coat brushing her legs. Even the simple touch made her blush harder.

"Is something the matter?" He asked, watching her.

"Besides the cold, not really." She answered.

"What about the drinks? Is there a reason there are two of them, or are you just extremely cold?"

She smiled at the question. "They were for Kouga and Ayame, but I can't find them now, so I'm waiting for them to return."

"Those two? I saw them over at Saybrook's courtyard when I was heading out. My guess is you won't see them again tonight."

"Oh." She reddened at the hidden implication. "I see they don't waste time."

"No, they're rather gifted at being direct unlike others I know." Again, an implication. Sango decided to ignore this one.

"Is that so?" she inquired.

"Yes." Miroku turned to her, voice turning serious. Sango didn't like the change. "In fact, that's been something I need to talk to you about. Sango, I-"

"Want some hot chocolate?" She offered, interrupting him. She held the cup to him, still steaming despite being bought over ten minutes ago.

"Ah, yeah, sure." He took the proffered cup. "Thanks."

She took a sip from the other cup. Delicious. 'Pity they missed it.' She thought smugly.

"I better start heading back to my hall then." Sango got up, taking the cup with her, but Miroku caught her arm.

"Not so fast, Sango. I think we need to talk." He looked up at her earnestly. She glanced at his arm, gripping hers, and looked away.

"No, I don't think so. Your part with me is over, remember?" Her heart twinged at the remark.

"It's not like that!" Miroku yelled, frustrated. "And for God's sake would you look at me? I'm tired of being avoided." He finished in a softer, lower voice.

"What do you want from me, Miroku?" She asked, in an even softer voice. She wouldn't look at him, despite his request. She didn't think she could hold back the tears then.

"I want – I want you, just you." He softened his grip on her arm. "I love you, Sango."

The snow began to fall again; thick flakes that floated to the earth through the frail cover of empty tree limbs. They fell slowly, seeming to mark the several minutes that passed in silence in the park.

Sango didn't answer, too surprised to respond. She felt several things at once. It was similar to earlier with the hot chocolate, but this time the feeling was more unsettling, and more complicated. She was overjoyed; she was sad; she was angry; but most of all, she was very deeply confused.

"W-What? Why?" she asked, bewildered. She had finally turned towards him.

"Why?" he raised an eyebrow, now seemingly amused. Yet his eyes showed an unusual intensity. "I don't know why. Maybe it's the way you're so beautiful; the way your hair flows like dark silk along your back, the way your brown eyes get so wide when you're surprised, or narrow when you're mad. Or maybe it's the way you slap me when I'm teasing you; the way you call me a pervert when I grab your ass; the way I can't resist getting a rise out of you just so you'll concentrate on me and not Kouga, or some other guy." He looked away at that point, seemingly to control some hidden emotion.

"Now that I think of it, there's a thousand different reasons why I love you, but it all adds up to the same feeling." He smiled at her. "Does that answer your question?"

She nodded, dumbly. Things were moving so quickly, in a direction she had never even imagined. "How long?" was the next question out her mouth before she could stop herself. Having a feeling she might linger a while, she rested the cup on the bench beside Miroku, but remained standing.

"I've been interested since I saw that cute round thing poking around in her trunk."

She glared at him and he grinned. "It's the honest truth." He protested. "But you never gave me a chance. Before I knew it, you were pushing your sister on me."

"Then why did you agree to the deal?" she pulled the hood of her coat over her head, finally realizing the snow was falling. Miroku seemed to ignore the snow, at ease with the powder as he was with anything in nature.

"I wanted to be closer to you." He replied simply. She raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged. "You wouldn't give me the time of day, labeling me a pervert and all. So I thought that if I agree to be a mentor I would slowly manage to win you over."

"You mean seduce me." She interpreted suspiciously.

"At first, yeah, it was to seduce you, I suppose." He smirked mischievously. But his smirk slowly faded to a wistful smile. "But then, before I knew it, I just wanted to be with you. I thought, for a while, that I could be content just being a mentor if it meant I would have your undivided attention."

"But then Kouga asked me out." Sango was beginning to understand.

Miroku nodded. "Yeah, he asked you out, before me." He looked suddenly suspicious for a moment. "Did he make you do anything with him?"

Sango considered telling him it was none of his business, but found that she couldn't. Somehow, somewhere, the anger she had previously felt was fading.

"No. All we did was kiss. That's all." She admitted. "I-I didn't feel strong enough for him." She blushed, but managed not to look away.

Miroku's his voice grew hesitant, yet insistent. "I know it's too much to ask you now to love me – but would you go out on one real date with me? Test the waters? Please?" His eyes watched hers, pleading, honest.

"What about Kagome?" She asked, suddenly remembering that the man confessing his love to her was dating her sister.

"I guess she hasn't told you yet. She dumped me." His face was rather calm though, despite delivering that statement.

"Really? I don't think she's ever broken up with anyone on her own before. Usually she talks me into breaking up the relationship for her." Sango was curious about that. Then another thought struck her. Did the break-up have something to do with Sesshoumaru's sudden arrival in the northeast? Or maybe she was just being overly suspicious. She was going to have to talk to Kagome about this later. "Did she mention why she was breaking up?"

"It had something to do with her ex-boyfriend, but I honestly didn't listen too hard to her excuse. She had been excited, very excited, and she told me-" Miroku paused, straining to remember the conversation. "- she told me 'I have to save my ex-boyfriend from making a stupid mistake. I'm sorry, but I can't lead you on any further…I'm still in love with him.' There was more, but it's all lost now."

Sango smiled. She had figured it out, or at least part of it. "What did she mean by mistake?"

"Why don't you call her, cherie, instead of racking my old brain?" He smirked.

"You're not much older that me; three years or so."

"I'm still older than you, so that gives me rights." He teased, stepping closer.

"What rights?" Sango crossed her arms. She looked up at him questioningly.

"The right to do this," He leaned over, capturing her lips in a tender, yet chaste kiss. Sango didn't push him away, but relaxed, moving her arms to around his neck. As she moved, Miroku held her close, around the waist, hands meeting at the small of her back.

"A safe first kiss, as ratings go." Sango critiqued after he straightened.

"Safe? I was hoping for amazing, or at least good." Miroku said disbelievingly.

"You don't get good or better unless it's open-mouthed." Sango informed him.

He chuckled, leaning down to brush her lips once again. "I'm sure I could work on it." He kissed her again. This time the moment lasted a while, the two forgetting everything in the moment of the kiss. The snowy landscape around them just seemed to blanket them from the outside world, isolate the couple in their sensations. It was a while before they parted again.

"You see," Sango murmured, hovering near Miroku's lips, "that's an amazing kiss."

"Agreed." He seemed a bit dazed himself.

Several kisses later, Miroku seemed to remember where they were. "You know, maybe we should head inside now."

"You think so?"

"I don't think thought has anything to do with it." He replied. Sango laughed.

"Sure, it is chilly out here." She said it in some surprise. During the conversation, she had rather forgotten how cold it was.

The snow was falling more heavily now, covering the park in white powder. It was as if they had stepped into another world, a winterland. Miroku walked Sango back to her hall. On the way, they admired the suddenly changed landscape, beautiful in its alien nature.

As they arrived at Lawrance Hall, Miroku had another comment, "You know, Sango, you never answered whether you'd go out on that date."

"I didn't?" She stopped at the entrance, turning back to him.

"Well not verbally." He shrugged. Sango blushed, remembering the earlier moment in the park. 'Well, actually, several moments.' She reminded herself guiltily.

"Why don't you try rephrasing the question?"

"Rephrasing?" Miroku looked confused.

"Say what you really want to ask me." She offered.

"If I did that, you'd slap me into tomorrow." He shook his head, smiling.

"It's already tomorrow." She noted.

"That only makes it a longer journey into the next tomorrow."

Sango rolled her eyes. "I promise I won't slap you, all right? I just want to know what's on your mind when you see me. That one-date offer just seemed too…"

"much?" Miroku tried to finish, his smile slipping a bit. Sango shook her head.

"No, no. Too innocent. The Miroku I know has a more devilish scheme up his sleeve. If I really go out on this date with you, I want to know some implications here."

"All right." Miroku paused, thinking. After almost a minute, he knelt on one knee, falling onto the fresh snow. "Sango." He took her hand. "Will you do me the honor of bearing my child?"

She stared at him, too shocked for words. Finally she laughed, long and hard.

"You are so lucky I promised not to slap you." She replied. "Because that one merited a grand hit over the fence to next week."

Miroku smirked, rising to his feet. "I do what I can." He said modestly.

"What I will do is go out on that date with you." She nodded. "But one date, and it's, as you said, 'to test the waters.' I need to be sure I can date a pervert like you."

"Is that so?" His eyes twinkled mysteriously as he smiled. This time she smiled with him. As she gazed at him, a new thought struck her. Should she admit her love for him like he did to her?

'Nah, let's leave that for another conversation. We can't let him get too cocky now, can we?' she thought to herself. She half-turned to walk up the steps.

"I better head ba-" her words were cut off by another kiss from Miroku, who had moved so quickly she didn't have time to react. As with his previous kisses, Sango didn't, couldn't resist.

"Sango," Miroku began insistently after the kiss, "before you go, I have to know. Do you – feel anything for me? I don't want to force you into dating me if you don't want to."

Sango faltered. "I really have to go inside, Miroku." She turned to walkinsideand he grabbed her arm, not forcefully, but enough to make her hesitate again.

"No more, Sango." He frowned at her.

"No more what?"Her eyes widened.

"No moredelays, avoidance. Just say what you feel; stop holding back and stop running away." He sighed. "I'm tired ofonly seeing your back when I ask you these questions."

'He's right.' She thought, nodding. 'No more holding back.'

Miroku waited while she thought, his already downcast eyes reflecting the words heexpected to hear.

"I-I love you, Miroku." She confessed, surprised at having to say it so soon.

"You do?" Miroku seemed surprised. His violet eyes widened in a echo of Sango's earlier dumbfounded expression. Obviously he had thought his affection one-sided. 'But then again,' Sango mused, 'I've always been horrible at expressing love.'

"Good night, Miroku." She leaned up to press lips against his. "Don't forget, you're studying with me tomorrow."

"I'm always here to serve the freshman. Any dilemma you may have, I'll solve." He smiled at her, a soft smile that lit up his eyes more than it affected his lips.

"I think you caused more this year than you solved." She headed up the steps to the hall. "Good night, Miroku."

"Bonne nuit, ma cherie." He replied, bowing.

Sango closed the door on the scene, smiling brightly. Her mind was whirling, but suddenly, the most random thought floated to the surface.

"Oh no, the hot chocolate!" she exclaimed aloud. They had forgotten it on the park bench. Along with all her plans tonight, they had gotten left by the wayside by Miroku's confession. It seemed college life was just too unpredictable.

'But I like it that way.' Sango grinned and returned to her dorm.

- END -

A/N: Hmm…I'm thinking of an epilogue; something that involves Kagura and Sesshoumaru, or even better, all the couples in a final summary. Tell me what you think! Write any suggestions or comments in the reviews section and I will be glad to receive them. Thanks for being a wonderful audience!