I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters in InuYasha.

It is not true

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Miroku

Chapter Two

The only thing worse than rejection was public rejection. There was nothing Miroku could say. No words formed themselves in his head or took physical form with his tongue. He just stood there looking at Sango is disbelief. Miroku didn't get it. Sango had always been in love with him right? She didn't like when he flirted or touch other girls, she hit him often enough. That was a sign that girls liked you right? Hitting…. Yeah he was sure of that. He also noticed how she smiled in his direction when she thought he wasn't looking. He absolutely loved that about her. But she… she just… she just rejected him. Miroku. Didn't. Get. It. He dropped her hands as if they were hot coals and backed away from the table he had laid her out on when she was dead.

Sango could see that she had somehow broken the monk. He had never been this silent before. Yet here he was, standing in front of her like some statue. She swung her legs down and hopped off the table. She may have played him at first, but that was only because she wasn't sure how much she cared for him until she was someplace she didn't understand. Already the memories of where she had been after being killed were fading away. The feelings, however, where still there and strong. She wasn't 'in love' with Miroku. She could never love a man who chased after any tail he could get. What if they were married and he cheated on her? "Oh, it's the hand's fault", fine, blame it on that damn hand, but you had to follow through with the action. Just thinking about being some housewife who heard of her husband's nightly adventures made Sango seethe. That's why… That's why she had her second option. That one young lord with the snotty nose when he was a child. He loved her since she was young. She would bet her eyes that he would remain faithful. "Miroku, I.. I'm sorry." That didn't mean, however, that she hated Miroku, oh no, she would always have his back… just, as friends.

"…." Really. Sesshomaru was still here? He needed to get out of here, and fast. This was something he didn't want to see. He should most likely get out of here before Sango noticed his existence in the room. He seethed Tensegia, and instantly regretted that action. The Demon Slayer's eyes moved toward him. "What is Sesshomaru doing here?" He could see the irritation forming in the slayer's eyes. He wasn't scared of the slayer, he wasn't scared of anything. He could kill her in an instant. Maybe he would right now just to prove he didn't care what kind of sick love game was going on between the monk and slayer. "He saved you. . . Brought you back to life, Sango." Sesshomaru and Sango's eyes moved toward the monk.

Now that all attention was on him, Miroku choked out a chuckle. "I just wasted half the day digging a grave." His beaded hand moved up and pushed some of the still wet hair out of his eyes. "I always wondered what that second sword did."

Without a word, Sesshomaru turned. He had to leave now, or be stuck in this awkward conversation. None of it really concerned him. "Wait!" It was the demon slayer. He would have kept walking, had there not been a hand holding on to his empty sleeve. That constant reminder that his weakling half-brother got the best of him once. That demon slayer had grabbed hold of him. "Is. . . Did you really bring me back?" Sesshomaru swallowed back a growl. "Release me, slayer. I did, in fact, bring you back, but don't let that fool you into thinking I won't kill you just because. . ." He turned to look at her, "I. Can." He would have jerked his arm back, had he still the arm. Instead, he made due with taking his other arm and roughly pulling the fabric away from her hand. She didn't put up much of a fight in releasing his clothing.

"I… I thank you." She stuttered out. "I wouldn't have a second chance to—"

"I don't want your speech, slayer. I don't even want your thanks. The only thing I want is to leave." With that, Sesshomaru pulled back the hut's cloth door and was free. Just what was Tensegia thinking? What had made it want to relive that demon slayer? Why did he have to witness the monk's rejection? This made no sense. He needed more sleep. He needed to forget this night ever happened. He kept on his emotionless mask, and walked back to his Rin and Ah-Uhn.

Later

"Are you mad at me?" Sango asked placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. Miroku moved out from under it, which instantly made her sad. "You are. You have a right to, Miroku. I lead you on for so long. It was foolish of me, selfish of me. I'm such a horrible person." Sango felt the tears come to her eyes, but she willed herself not to cry. She had no right to. Not after what Miroku had done for her, after all his sacrifices for her.

Miroku's feelings were a mess. He felt a multitude of things all at once. The stress of her death ate him up inside. Now that she was alive, he was healing. But these emotions were dragging him down a deep dark spiral of depression. The woman he loved did not love him back. And he didn't love her when she loved him. Fate and timing were horrible things. Everything seemed not to work for him, more so when he knew what he wanted. It didn't matter now. He would never get rid of the hole in his hand, it would swallow him up. The only difference now was, what would do it first, his depression or the curse itself? Either way he was dead and gone. He looked at Sango, he couldn't bring himself to be mad at her. Not while she was almost crying in front of him. He knew she felt bad enough. He didn't want her to feel bad about not loving him back, about loving someone more stable than he ever could be. "Sango. I am not mad… not anymore. I want you to eat a lot, get married and have a bunch of kids. I want you to revive your town and live a long happy, healthy life. Call me selfish. That's what I want."

Sango stared at him dumbfounded. "Miroku, I really am a horrible p-p-person." And with that she let the tears flow. Miroku comforted her, even when he felt like crying himself.

"Inuyasha is waiting at Kaede's villiage for me. That's where you should go." He managed to say after Sango calmed down.

"You aren't coming?" Sango asked as she readied a place for herself to sleep and one for Miroku. She asked purely to know the answer. She wouldn't make him come if he wasn't ready. She'd wait for him there with Inuyasha and Kagome and Shippo. If he needed some time alone without her, the least she could do was let him use her home.

"Yes, but I wanted to take a rest from what I did. You should feel fine enough to go on without me. Let everyone know you're fine. The others will be so happy to see you."

Sango didn't say anything. He really had went all out to prepare her for the otherworld, she wondered if he was the reason it was so peaceful up there as she fell asleep.

About midday the next day

Sango had left that morning with a very happy Kirara. Miroku was alone and in the silence he meditated to figure out his feelings. If he couldn't be in a relationship with Sango, could they still be friends? How could he face Inuyasha and the others with his rejection? But the biggest question on his mind: What did Sesshomaru have to gain in reviving Sango? If he wasn't in such a mood the other day, with Sango being dead, it would be been a big red flag. Yesterday was one hell of a day, yet, that was no excuse to forget who your enemies were. But then again, Sesshomaru had never done anything to Miroku, personally. His problem was with Inuyasha, and he wasn't even sure what that problem was. To him though, Inuyasha's problems were also his own. Inuyasha was his best friend. . . That was why-

The broken silence of a young girl's scream pierced Miroku's ears. He jumped up, not really sure in which direction to go to. Innocents were always worth protecting, more so if they were women. Darn his hand. The girl screamed again, this time it was cut off abruptly. His hearing was sharp enough for a human to at least point out the general direction. As soon as he got close enough, the presence of a demon was so strong in the air Miroku could feel it in the pit of his stomach. It was either a really strong demon or a group of them. Running through the forest he stopped a snake like demon with two heads and one red eye on each head. The demon's body was curled around something. As soon as Miroku got to the scene one head stayed locked on it's prey while the other one turned to look at Miroku. It gave shriek that instantly hurt Miroku's ears and had him on his knees. "Just my luck." It was one demon, and it was powerful.

Miroku willed himself not to fall to its attacks. He had to save the woman. Since the woman was currently being held by the demon, Miroku couldn't use his wind tunnel. He's had worst than this, he told himself, he could handle this, no problem. A tiny bit of him wished that he had Inuyasha no his side.. or he had waited to tell Sango to leave. He couldn't dwell on his tiny mistake right now. Right now he had to save the woman.

He reached in his robe's sleeve and pulled out a few paper talisman, mumbled a prayer and hopped for the best and he leapt into action. The demon saw him coming and prepared for action. It wasn't a very smart demon, Miroku guessed where he was going and threw the talisman's accordingly. They stuck to it like glue right on the eyelid. It was blind and couldn't see. Now all Miroku had to do was aim and purify with his staff. What Miroku didn't see coming was a large object hitting him in the side. He fell hard. His ribs were shot, he felt the pain deep and cried out. With a longer look, he saw it didn't have just two heads, but three. He cursed his luck and stood up. Not a single talisman was on the third head. He wouldn't have any luck getting the a talisman on the third; the third head was already trying to get a paper talisman off one of the two heads. This couldn't happen, he would try to rid the demon of its two heads and rid the third one after it was crippled and pretty much defenseless.

"Don't count me out just yet, demon." Against the pain, Miroku stood up. He encouraged himself with a mighty yell and hit back the third head as it tried to attack and aimed for the nearest head/talisman. Bull's eye. He hit spot on and the head was now useless. The other two heads gave a yelp of pain that split Miroku's ears. More pain shot through his leg as he noticed one of the snake demon's remaining heads had bit into his leg. Thankfully it had a talisman on top. He aimed for it with the bottom of his staff but the third head came from the other side and he fought it off yet again. With no time to lose he took the bottom of his staff and hit the talisman, grabbed another and threw it at the third head. As the pain was almost too much to bear, he gave it all he had on the third head and the demon was dead. The body's muscles released the captive.

A tiny body rolled away from the snake's grip. Miroku limped toward the body. "So, you're…. a little… girl…" He fell beside her, finally succumbing to the pain and poison.

HI! Thanks for reading. :]
I am so sorry for the really long delay. Firstly, there are no reasons for my lack of action.
(Though I did forget my password. D: Fought day and night to remember it, I did.)
BUT I am back now I'd love to continue the SesshoXMiroku magic if you'd love to read it! *heart**heart*
All in all, I'd like to say that I think this chapter is better than the last.
And that I tried to stay in character as much as I could. Please, give me constructive criticism. :] If you feel the need to. I love to read your reviews.

Also, I know, I suck at the fighting scenes. I tried to make it as enjoyable as I can. I'm much better at the lovely-scenes, I think. But it will take at least another chapter or so before SesshoxMiroku starts to see their feelings for each other. Just cross your fingers and hope for the best!
Thank you for the reviews, alerts and favorites.

P.s. Can you guess who the little girl is?
I'll work on the third chapter right now! I'll finish it and my goal is to have it up a week from now. On the 15th.
I'll try to post every Monday. So that Mondays won't be so sucky.

:3

Much Love,
Maddening Shroud.