Sango wasn't sure what Miroku was saying to Inuyasha, but it must have been more perverted that usual, as the hanyou had spent most of the afternoon alternating between cursing, blushing, whacking the monk on the head, and leaping into the trees to get away from him. He never seemed to learn his lesson though. As soon as their dog-eared friend was walking on the road again, his manner relaxed, the monk would approach him and the process would repeat. The most recent punch had left Miroku kneeling in the dirt, shaking his head. The party had to stop for a few minutes while he regained his bearings.
"If I wasn't certain he deserved it," Kagome observed with a wince, "I would feel so sorry for him."
"Oh, he deserves it," Inuyasha muttered as he stomped past them to lead the group.
"Really, what for?"
Shippo's innocent question made the hanyou blush and Sango shared a surprised look with her dearest friend. She was sure Miroku did deserve whatever punishment Inuyasha had meted out, but usually the cause wasn't so secretive. Of course, usually the monk was bold enough that everyone in a thirty-foot radius knew the extent of his lechery. Sango glanced backward to see Miroku rising to his feet and waving with a dazed smile for them to continue. She couldn't stop the little worm of unease that niggled in her mind. Although she wanted to go to him, to check on his injury because the man was walking fine but his eyes were unfocused, she would not allow herself to do so. It would be too forward, and if Inuyasha and Shippo thought she wanted to assess the monk's condition…Sango felt a heated blush and resolutely faced forward. Even if she felt comfortable showing concern or affection in front of others, there was absolutely no way she could do so with any level of certainty that Miroku could keep his hands to himself.
Or his tongue, she thought sourly, then blushed even harder. Of course she had been thinking about his lewd comments, but the words popped into her head and then she couldn't not think about his tongue. Kagome had assured her that men liked hot breath, whispered words, and wet mouths on their ears. She had also flushed and her eyes had sparkled when she finished up that conversation with 'and in other places'. Sango knew her face was on fire, and she desperately tried to turn her thoughts to a less intimate subject. Unfortunately, her imagination was vividly painting a picture of gentle hands on her shoulders, a handsome face leaning down close to hers, soft lips whispering poetry and then taking her ear-
"Oi-" Inuyasha glanced back, his face as red as his haori. "What the hell was in that fish? Ginseng?"
"Wha- Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded.
"Really? Why would you say that, Inuyasha?" Miroku took several quick steps until he was nearly even with the women.
Shippo jumped onto Kagome's shoulder with a confused expression and sniffed loudly, "Ginger? I don't think so, baka." Sango wasn't sure why the hanyou had stared at her so surprised, then immediately avoided her gaze, or why his new mate was chastising him with a blush. She did know that Miroku's immediate interest probably meant it was less than appropriate to discuss in front of Shippo. Kagome apparently agreed, her mouth opened to distract the little demon, but she didn't get the chance.
"Watch it, runt," Inuyasha growled. "You don't know what you're talkin' about."
"I'm little, but my nose works, Inu-baka! Yuzu-" A flash of red and a gust of air was the only indication of what had happened, but Shippo was gone and the three humans left alone on the road. Kagome stopped, and Sango and Miroku did the same. From somewhere in the trees, Inuyasha's gruff voice called back to them, "Gonna have a lesson – we'll keep up."
Sango looked to Kagome, who seemed just as surprised, although she obviously knew more about what had happened than she was willing to say. After a long moment of silence, she straightened her shoulders, "Okay!" The miko said brightly, and louder than was really necessary. "Let's keep going. I'm sure Shippo and Inuyasha will have something caught for dinner by the time we make camp." She started off, and after a beat Sango and Miroku began to follow her.
The slayer's embarrassment and the heat brought on by her imagination were nearly forgotten in favor of wondering when Inuyasha had decided to teach Shippo anything. It all came rushing back, however, when a low, smooth voice spoke up. He was much closer than she had realized.
"What do you think, my dear, could possibly smell so interesting to our youkai friends? Hm?" He wasn't touching her, but her breath hitched as he leaned closer. As he walked behind and a little to the side, his words were hot in her ear and stirred the small hairs on the side of her neck. He must have been only inches away. "What thoughts are in your head, lovely Sango? I wonder."