Summary:

Author's musings:

Triggers/Warnings:

Inspiration/Prompt:

Sango never expected Inuyasha to be someone who would gush over his mate, and that definitely wasn't the right word for it, but the way he let Kouga hang all over him was too much for her to bear.

The wolf would've been the easier of the two targets, but she'd thought starting with Inuyasha would prove the most fruitful, considering his upbringing. She'd wanted to use their trauma to build a connection, to create a shoulder for them both to lie on, but by the time they'd all healed from the physical wounds of the final battle, Kouga had swooped in and stolen all her thunder.

She couldn't even fault him for it. Everything he saw in Inuyasha was exactly what she saw as well. And even with his pack mentality, she doubted bringing in Inuyasha after establishing themselves as a couple would've sat well with the hanyou.

When he'd been going between Kikyou and Kagome, he hadn't wanted to share either of them with Kouga. There was no way he'd be willing to devote himself to two people at once.

And now she'd missed the opportunity altogether.

Pulling her hair out of her face, Sango tied it into a high ponytail. She'd come with Kohaku on the ruse of visiting Rin, but she knew this would be the last time she saw this village. Her own was running well enough without her, which was why she'd planned on spending time seducing Inuyasha.

She'd somehow convince him to travel together, conveniently ending up in Kouga's territory and forcing them to sort out their issues long enough to bring them together. A sideways glance had her heart clenching, Inuyasha's face turning red as Kouga tweaked one of his ears. Even in public, they were in their own world, and Sango wasn't about to come between them.

They'd been through enough.

She quickly said her goodbyes, promising Kagome she'd bring her back a new dagger the next time she visited, the lie tasting bitter on her tongue. Kohaku was old enough to make his way back to the slayer village on his own, but Sesshoumaru left his two-headed dragon behind as an extra layer of protection for his ward, and the beast would bring her brother back when needed.

Kouga waved at her from afar, then whispered something in his mate's ear, the colour returning to Inuyasha's face before he offered her a wave as well. Sango's fingers barely twitched before she tightened the pack around her shoulders. The sooner she left, the better.

She wasn't a coward, but some wounds healed slower than others, and the sooner she got them out of her sight, the faster her own would mend.

A sigh escaped her lips as she made it to the treeline. Maybe she should've asked Kagome's advice on it. She'd dealt with it enough during their hunt for the shards, though it was a little different, considering Sango wasn't involved with either male.

She wanted to be. Gods, how she wanted to be. They balanced each other in so many ways and were loyal to a fault. She wanted that. She wanted to be a part of a world where she was important enough to defend and safe at night from the terrors that had been following them for years.

Maybe next time.

As the words formed, tears pricked her eyes, and she was far enough from the village that she let them fall. The nightmares would return at twilight, and she would fight them as she always did, but for now, she would allow the emotions to take hold.

The trees wouldn't judge. They didn't expect her to be the warrior who could brush aside heartbreak on a daily basis. Here, she could just be herself. And wallow.

She avoided the sunlight streaming through the branches, not wanting to take solace in their warmth. Even if she did, they wouldn't dispel the chill that had settled deep within her bones. Another tear dampened her kimono, and she swiped it away with her sleeve. This was so stupid. She was being stupid. She wasn't some lovesick teen. She was a grown woman. One fully capable of putting this behind her.

A crunch of leaves had her spinning around, sword unsheathed as she met Kouga's surprised gaze. They stared at each other for a moment before he ran a hand through his hair, making his bangs stand on end. "Shit. We're too late."

"It's yer own fault for not followin' her right away," Inuyasha griped, stepping up beside him, hands stuffed in his sleeves.

"You said she needed time to get away from people before we said anything!" the wolf shot back. They started to argue, each statement worsening her headache, and she finally threw stones at both of them.

"What do you want?" she snapped, unable to suppress her emotions. They jumped at the outburst more than the rocks hitting their heads, though they both rubbed the spot where they'd been hit.

"We were going to walk back with you," Inuyasha said sheepishly. Kouga elbowed him in the ribs. "What? We were!"

"We're not out here for a fuckin' walk, ya dumb mutt," Kouga grumbled. He grabbed Sango's hand before she could get away, and she raised the other to do more permanent damage, but Inuyasha caught her wrist, gently ridding her of her weapon.

"We wanted to ask ya somethin'," he said, thumb stroking her wrist as they kept her still.

"That's an understatement," Kouga muttered.

Sango pulled at their grip, desperation growing. "Let me go," she pleaded, cursing herself for sounding so weak. This wasn't her. She was better than this. She was being stupid, and now they were being stupid, and she couldn't take much more of—

Their cheeks slid against either side of her face before lips brushed the area under her ears. Air stilled in her lungs as they pulled back, dark eyes wide with shock. They couldn't possibly mean…

"We wanted to ask ya back in the village," Inuyasha said, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. "But you seemed upset about something."

"So we figured we'd wait until you were alone," Kouga continued, brushing the remaining tears away. "But we were trying to get to you before this happened."

Heart aching for an entirely new reason, she finally found her voice. "Why?"

Inuyasha scowled at the wolf. "You said she'd understand!"

"She does!" Kouga argued, turning back to her. "You do, doncha? You were raised as a slayer and all."

She did, but she was still reeling from the fact that the request had come from them. It was the same request she'd planned on making, and now the tears flowed freely. Inuyasha blanched, sputtering out curses as he blamed Kouga for doing it wrong, but Sango threw herself at them, one arm wrapped around each of their necks.

"You are late," she scolded them, dampening their shoulders as she held them close.

Kouga snorted against her hair, eventually drawing slow circles on her back. "Told ya we did it right."

"Bullshit!" Inuyasha said. "She's still cryin'!"

"For a good reason!"

"When has there ever been a good reason to cry?" The rest of Inuyasha's tirade was cut off, Sango quickly silencing him by putting his mouth to better use. He stilled in surprise, it taking the slant of her head to finally respond, but it only lasted a moment before Kouga was tugging on her hair.

"I'm part of the deal too, ya know." She let out a choked laugh and gave him the same treatment, never once letting go of either of them. They eventually apologized for making her wait, Kouga admitting he'd wanted to use more traditional means to vocalize their intent. Inuyasha had forced him to see reason, knowing Sango wouldn't have wanted all the flair and embarrassment of a public announcement.

Sango couldn't say which would've received a better answer, as being with them was the more important part, but the quieter confession suited her tastes with how erratic her emotions had been.

They each kissed the side of her head, then intertwined their fingers as they dragged her in a different direction, claiming Kouga's pack had to be the next stop. Sango didn't care where they went as long as they were together, and when she voiced as much, she was rewarded with a dusting of colour upon their cheeks—from both of them.