[[I do not own InuYasha, I did own a bowl of hot and spicy ramen.. unfortunate it was eaten... I don't own the culprit, whoever it was... But I will pwn them...]]
Ah, the days of spring had come, and with it the all to rare moment of the falling cherry blossoms, who's lives consisted of the spectacular bloom and hasty flock to the ground. A great metaphor for many things, a dream for one. Sango sat calmly beside InuYasha, even leaning into him as they shared the sights, not only of the dancing flower petals as they fell slowly to the ground, but the kids who played together beneath them. An arm around one another, when did this become commonplace? There is no real answer, it didn't happen in one moment, it happened with the simple act of holding one close overnight, with the occasional demonstration for the trainees, and even just playing with the children. There was no one moment, there were many moments that further culminated and nourished the two's ability to embrace the other's presence, literally and metaphorically.
"Hey now, no weapons, if you're going to fight, do it with your fists." Said InuYasha as one threw a stick, as if it would boomerang back.. Wonder what that was supposed to be..
Sango slapped InuYasha's side. "How about no fighting?" She suggested with a dirty look, her intense glares seemed to be diminishing a bit.
"Yeah, growing up with a demon slayer and a half demon.. clearly they're going to be nobles." Commented InuYasha, warranting another slap on his side. "You keep hitting the same spot and eventually I might feel it." He mocked challenging at Sango.
"Keep talking, InuYasha, and the next time we train together will be your last." She warned, but the slight smile at the corner of her lips really took away from the threat.
"Just saying, being able to fight is a good thing. I'm not saying they have to fight, or that they should be fighters, but considering their parents, I ain't going to bet on the non-combatant types." Said InuYasha with a chuckle.
"Just cause you're an idiot, doesn't make them stupid, so clearly some things aren't infectious." Said Sango with a giggle.
"Very funny." He said with an offended 'Feh!', before glancing down at the playful Sango, as she watched the kids for a bit longer. 'She calls me stupid, I said parents-' He thought to himself.
"Mommy! Doggy!" Came charging up the younger boy of the group of children. "They're teaming up on me!" He complained, revealing this travesty of injustice to the light, that they may be swiftly and mercilessly punished for this transgression.
'Did he say..? Oh, Doggy, of course- .. how silly of me.. Then again, it has been a while since they've seen Miroku.. I wonder what they think Doggy- err, InuYasha is to them? Is he just a friend for them too?' She wondered to herself, completely missing the question a midst her thoughts.
"Teaming up? Cool bud, you must have them cornered. A real fighter can handle his opponents alone, only the weaker fighters need to team up to defeat someone." Explained InuYasha, sending the kid back over with a new fighting spirit.
"You really aren't bad with kids, Doggy- InuYasha, rather!" She said, letting the title slip, earning a disdainful glare from InuYasha.
"What, did you think I was going to hang them up from the ceiling by their ankles and laugh maniacally?" He asked somewhat defensively.
"Nope!" She lied. 'Only once!' She thought with a nervous chuckle. 'Though the fact that you thought of that exact scenario makes me worry a little bit..' She admitted mentally but let it slide.
"Doggy, Mommy, can you do that?" Asked the two girls, the boy following a few steps behind rubbing his head.. seems the teamwork paid off in the end. The girls motioned over to a teenage couple as they danced beneath the flower petals as they fell around them.
"Not on your life, kid." Commented InuYasha quickly, with a 'Feh!'.
"Oh come on, InuYasha, surely you've had to.. on second thought, scratch that- of course you wouldn't know how, and you'd probably be clumsy too.." Sighed Sango.
"Hey now, I know perfectly well how to dance I'll have you know. My mother showed me how." He said defensively.
"What was that, two hundred years ago? Come on InuYasha, it's alright if you can't dance." Said Sango, with a hidden smirk, a mocking one at that.
"That's it, let's go." Said InuYasha quickly getting to his feet, and pulling Sango up whether she wanted to or not.
"Daddy, errr, Doggy, ack!, InuYasha!" Started Sango, prepared to admit her mocking, though delayed by the previous slips of the tongue.
"I can dance damnit!" He declared as he tugged her along to a similar arena. That awkwardness returned momentarily at the concept of dancing, but once InuYasha remembered the steps and was a bit less focused on the actual moves, soon it was found to be quite enjoyable. Eventually, Sango rested against InuYasha far more, not unlike the closeness they had shared beside one another in bed.
A moment's bliss is never to last more than the moment, that much is to be sure. "Daddy!" Exclaimed the two girls, followed by the boy calling out "Papa!"
Sango sighed. 'Great, now I've got them calling him daddy- that's not going to sit well if Miroku..' She looked over in time to see the monk and immediately hid herself behind InuYasha. '..Jeez, what is he a demon? Just think his name and he appears!' She mentally cursed.
"Wha?" InuYasha was confused severely, "what's going on?" He asked. "Why're you hiding?"
"I'm not!" She exclaimed in a hushed tone. "I just don't want him to get the wrong idea, so play along! Just pretend I'm Kagome, and whatever you do, DO NOT MOVE!" She threatened, that evil stare returning with a vengeance.
InuYasha nearly pulled away entirely when she gave that stare, but resisted, and eventually turned around- carefully mind you. "Hey Miroku, what're you doing here?" He called out as he waved his hand.
"Oh, InuYasha- you're here too? I saw the kids and figured I'd stop in and say hello to them, where's Sango gone to?" He asked in a friendly manner.
"Sango? She had something to do I think. A very urgent something I guess. 'Kagome' and I are keeping an eye on them in the mean time." Said InuYasha nervously. He really disliked this particular position.
"Kagome? Really? The last time I stopped by there, she didn't even seem to know where you were. I take it you've worked things out then?" He asked with a smile.
"Ah, yeah! We're getting along quite well, inseparable at the worst of times." Said inuYasha, unable to help but make a joke about the situation, earning him a jab from the slayer hiding behind him.
"Is something wrong with Kagome?" He asked as he attempted to peek around InuYasha a bit, causing him to run interference as best he can with the cowering slayer latched onto the back of his robe. Ironically their choreography was perfect for the hiding...
"No!, no, no, not at all, she's fine, never better in fact, she's one-hundred percent okay. She's just, uh, embarrassed, since, I was just teaching her how to dance. She thinks I'm an 'idiot' who forgot how to dance two hundred years ago it seems." Commented InuYasha, earning him yet another jab from the slayer behind him. "Ow!, that one hurt a little.." He complained.
"A..alright.. well, if you see Sango, can you tell her I am looking for her?" Offered Miroku, as he petted each one of the kid's hair briefly before kneeling down to them.
"Say, did you see where Mommy went?" He asked them with a charming smile.
The three proceeded to point directly at InuYasha. No hidden metaphor there...
"Oh, she went that way? Well thank you very much, I'm glad to see you're all growing up so well. I'll stop back once I find mommy and maybe we'll all walk home together." He said with a smile before kissing each one on the forehead and jogging past InuYasha, while he coordinated another perfect turn without exposing Sango to her husband.
"Is it over?" She asked from behind him in a whisper only he would hear.. dog ears, y'know?
"Yeah, for all the good it did, he'll be back once he realizes that way is a dead end... Not like you can get out of being here, he saw the kids." Commented InuYasha. "What's this about anyway? Get the wrong idea about what?" He asked.
"About you and me, idiot! I mean, we're just friends and all, but if he saw us dancing together he could misunderstand!" She explained in a really quickly spoken sentence.
"He gropes and offers children to every woman he passes, do you really think he considers dancing as particularly intimate? I danced with my mother after all, it's really not a big deal.." Commented InuYasha with little to no genuine sense on the romantic angle.
Sango growled lowly at the argument while time was wasting. "Fine, InuYasha!" She said, determination growing exponentially as she leaned up and kissed the half demon for a good moment or two before pulling away. "I assume you and your mother didn't do that, so now will you just trust me and get the kids, and let's go!" She ordered.
InuYasha had not been prepared for that, not one bit, he had to catch up with the conversation even after she's finished. "I may lose my demon powers once a month, but at least I'm sane the entire time." He commented as he sighed and proceeded to gather the kids. Their initial complaint was that 'daddy' was supposed to come walk them home. Sango was about a step from picking them up and carrying them off when she heard the sound of the monk once again. "Sango! There you are." He said, though he didn't sound too surprised.
"What?! Miroku! You're here? I mean, you're here! What're you doing here? On a date?" She asked without even considering their status, particularly that they were still in fact Man and Wife.
"Huh? No, of course not- I was just passing through. I wouldn't make a very good father if I were to go on a date with the children present." He said as he glanced at InuYasha.
"Where's Kagome? She flee this time, or just find a better hiding spot?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Kagome? Oh, Kagome! No, she's- That is." Started InuYasha only for Sango to interrupt.
"Oh, you know Kagome, InuYasha said something about turtle soup, and she stormed right on out of here. It's for the best anyway, I've been meaning to invite InuYasha to the Slayer's Village for some time now, see if maybe he can help me whip those recruits into shape." She said with a nervous chuckle.
"So, he's going home with you? Excellent, I was planning on walking with you as well, spend some time with the kids, it'll be all the more interesting with InuYasha along- just like old times, right?" Said Miroku, as he looked to InuYasha again.
InuYasha sighed. "If only, maybe I'd be less confused."
"You and me both, friend." Said Miroku as he moved past the other two to greet the children again and help them to get ready to go, pack up the lunch leftovers and what not.