Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this awkward moment… especially for the one who's the last to know. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.

Nothing Personal

Miroku contemplated the two cups, trying to differentiate the subtle nuances of flavor and aroma. Finally, he sighed and met the sommelier's solemn gaze. "It's no use; I can't tell them apart."

"Hnn."

"What's the variation?" Miroku asked curiously.

"I increased the amount Jamaican peaberry in this blend," he revealed, pointing to the righthand cup.

"By how much?"

"Three percent."

"Ah," Miroku replied, bemused. "That explains my shortfall."

Inuyasha snickered and said, "You must be close to your final recipe if you're nitpicking that much. Here, give me a swig."

"Swig?" Sesshoumaru echoed in scandalized tones. "This is a perfectly balanced blend of the choicest coffee!"

"Give or take three percent," drawled Inuyasha with a roll of his eyes. "Since Miroku's taste buds aren't up to the task, I'm offering my services. I can tell you which one's decent and which one's swill."

The youkai's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Swill?"

"Oi… I'm offering to help. Don't quibble over my choice of words," the hanyou returned with a smirk.

Glancing towards the clock, Miroku interrupted to ask, "Shouldn't Sango be here by now?"

"Nope. She's gone," Inuyasha replied.

"Gone?"

"She took today off," Sesshoumaru clarified.

Concerned, Miroku glanced between the brothers. "Is she ill?"

"Traveling," the hanyou corrected.

Miroku frowned. "She didn't mention an upcoming trip."

"Miss Sakamoto is a very private person," Sesshoumaru declared vaguely.

"That does seem to be the case," the young man allowed, his expression clouding over.

"No need to take it so hard," Inuyasha said gruffly.

"Hmm… yes." After a minute, Miroku inquired, "When did she let you know she'd be gone?"

"She came in early yesterday… before we opened," Inuyasha admitted. "She was looking pretty ragged—down on sleep and emotionally strained. We talked."

"I see," Miroku murmured.

Sesshoumaru eyed the man. "Jealous, Mr. Murasaki?"

"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad Inuyasha was here for Sango, but… I had hoped she might feel free to confide in me."

"The timing was hardly conducive for a late-riser such as yourself," Sesshoumaru remarked blandly.

"Do you even know what five a.m. looks like?" Inuyasha teased.

"Of course!" protested Miroku. "My family runs a bakery; why do you think I sought other employment opportunities?"

"You're working on a Ph.D. so you can spend more time in bed? Why am I not surprised," Inuyasha offered as a sarcastic aside, then waved his hand dismissively. "Sango needed me to sort her work schedule, and I did what I could to cheer her up. It's not as if she intentionally excluded you."

"It's no big deal," the young man asserted, albeit unconvincingly.

The front bell jangled as Shippo put in an appearance, and it didn't take him long to get in Miroku's face. "Whoa! What did you guys do to the guy? I've never seen him so… "

"Jealous?" Sesshoumaru suggested,

"I was gonna say 'hangdog'," Shippo countered cheekily.

"More like 'whipped'," Inuyasha smirked.

Green eyes sparkled and the kitsune impertinently inquired, "Is he already pining after Sango?"

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously.

"That Sango went home!" exclaimed Shippo. "It sounds like a nice place, up in the mountains. She said there were some really cool hiking trails. We should go visit and camp and stuff."

Miroku twitched, but calmly inquired, "How do you know all of this?"

"She told me," the kitsune shrugged.

"When?" Inuyasha demanded.

"I ran into her when she was leaving your apartment last night."

Miroku's eyebrows shot into his hairline, and he turned to the hanyou with a wounded expression in his violet eyes. Inuyasha reached over and flicked his friend's forehead. "Idiot. Shame on you for even thinking it of me… or her."

"Jealousy can lead to paranoia," Sesshoumaru remarked.

"Sorry," Miroku sighed. "I have no reason to expect Sango to discuss her personal life with me. I suppose it's too soon to hope for that."

Cuffing the man's shoulder, Inuyasha said, "Don't read so much into her silence; it's nothing personal."

"The fact that it's unintentional almost makes it worse," Miroku said with a rueful grimace.

"How do you figure?"

"On the one hand, she doesn't think she can trust me, and on the other, she doesn't think of me at all."

End Note: This is the full version of my entry for the Live Journal Community mirsan(underscore)fics, Promp #11, Jealousy. I had to cut it back to just 250 words for the contest; that eviscerated version was posted on July 29, 2009. This version is 700 words on the nose, and was posted on Monday, August 3, 2009.