Miroku had rinsed out the dishes from lunch and washed the fish scales off of his face without complaint. He put out the fire and refilled Kagome's water bottles and fell into line on the road, all without saying a thing. He wasn't sure what to say. The entire matter deserved some serious contemplation. Sango had bent over the stream – he had to gulp a few times to push past the image, lush, round – and he had continued on his way. Not ignored her, obviously that was impossible, even for a devout monk like himself. But he had kept his hands wholesome, if not his eyes. The reward was well worth it.
He shook his head after a few long minutes to clear out that memory, and blink the glaze from his eyes. So his hypothesis was two-fold: admiring Sango but not touching would be rewarded with her boldness - and he desperately wanted more of her boldness, and suggestive behavior or comments would result in punishment. To be honest, he was already so familiar with the latter that it didn't require testing, but Miroku enjoyed the fire of Sango's anger. He had always appreciated rough play, but had no idea how much until he met the slayer. Of course, he would prefer that he end up somewhere close and secluded with a naked woman after such a display – rather than alone and unconscious in the dirt. But he had become accustomed to taking what he could get.
All in all, he considered the short break a successful experiment. As a bonus, Sango had been angry enough that she once again seized Kagome's arm and marched at the head of the group. Her firm step and position in front of him left him with a delightful view. However - he shook himself again, wondering how long he had been lost in fantasy - the game she was playing was quite serious, and simply knowing the rules did not guarantee his success. What he needed was a plan of action, a strategy to not only change his behavior to merit every reward Sango could possibly, willingly, wantonly-
"Watch it, bozo!" Inuyasha shoved him roughly and Miroku found he had wandered from the center of the path to crowd against his hanyou friend. With an apology, he resumed his pace, waving at the concerned look the women threw back at him. Well, Kagome looked concerned. Sango looked irritated.
Miroku considered himself a master seducer. A wooer of women. A consummate charmer. Until Sango, he had never worked so hard to receive the softer, finer pleasures in life. Until Sango, he had never had to work at all. It was not a complaint however, it was a compliment to her. Nothing easily gained is often cherished, he quoted to himself. And he did enjoy the pursuit.
The problem, as he saw it, was not that she was not receptive to his overtures, it was that he had not yet found the right tact to take with such a unique woman. Between the two of them, they had all of the intimate knowledge and emotional barriers of…of… Miroku's eyes lit up. He knew another couple with nearly the same issue, but in reverse. Kagome had an education in private, sensual matters that he could only imagine from her future schooling, and she was nothing if not open with her love and concern for Inuyasha. Although, matters probably would have been resolved years earlier if she had taken a cue from the monk and displayed that love physically. And Inuyasha was so afraid of being emotionally hurt, of the impacts of a relationship on social status and public perception, that he couldn't see Kagome's gestures for what they were.
Sango was cautious regarding any perceived relationship between them to the extreme, and her heart had been deeply bruised by the loss of loved ones. Thinking on the pain Sango had endured renewed Miroku's determination. He could show her how much he cared for her, he could bring her immense joy, if only she would allow him. If only she could understand that her happiness, her pleasure, was all he thought of. Well, almost all.
The matter was decided, then. Miroku nodded resolutely to himself. He needed only to question the irascible hanyou to discover what had made him believe in Kagome's love. Once Miroku discovered how Inuyasha had overcome his fears, then the monk could open Sango's heart, among other things, to his love.
"Inuyasha, my friend," he called out with a smile. Fuzzy ears twitched and golden eyes narrowed with suspicion. Such an untrusting soul. I am a holy man, after all.