***Author's Note***
Hello everyone! First of all, thanks for taking the time to read this. It's my first Inuyasha fic, but not first fic ever. I've only watched a few episodes of Inuyasha but I've read a lot of the manga translations along with the Japanese mangas, thanks to my friend Dishy! Anyways, this is mainly Sango/Miroku with a touch of Kagome/Inuyasha for flavor. Enjoy!
Special thanks to my two beta-readers and good friends: MysticVigil and Dishy! Even though MysticVigil doesn't know about IY, she helped!
Firewood Part 1by AngelicFairy aka *Maura*
"When's dinner, Kagome?" whined the little kitsune Shippo to his surrogate mother, who was currently rummaging through her rather large backpack for items.
The raven-haired girl's head surfaced from within the depths of the bag, pulling out a tiny box of matches and a large book. "Soon, Shippo. Soon. If Sango and Miroku would only hurry up and get the firewood."
"Feh," a voice from overhead scoffed. "Knowing those two, they'll end up fighting because the monk can't keep his hands to himself and I'll have to end up doing their job."
"Oh, hush up, Inuyasha!" Kagome called up to where he sat lounging on a tree branch. "I'm sure for once Miroku will behave. He knows that we need to get the fire started quickly so we can eat and rest up before tomorrow." Then she proceeded to situate herself directly under Inuyasha's branch and begin to flip through the pages of her math textbook.
"Show's how much you know," the hanyou muttered, shutting his eyes while Shippo occupied himself by playing a game of tag with the fire-cat Kiara.
"Houshi-sama! If you so much as touch me even the slightest one more time, you'll never be able to ask another girl to bear your child!" Sango screeched, whacking away wandering hands. The pretty demon exterminator had just bent over to see if the pile of wood she had found was good enough to burn, thinking that her companion was on the other side of the little glen, when she had felt unwanted hands caressing her rear. Her face had heated up and thankfully the girl had been wise enough to carry her large boomerang along with her in case of an emergency.
"But beautiful Sango! I cannot help it. My hands have minds of their own," protested the now-injured monk from the forest ground.
"Then let me help by demolishing those minds," Sango threatened menacingly. When he made no other comment, she continued on the search for firewood. The rain from the night before had left the entire woodlands drenched in water and it was nearly impossible to find dry wood.
A rustling sound from behind told Sango that Miroku was dutifully following her. Satisfied that she had taught him another lesson, though he never seemed to learn from them, she leaned forward when she thought she sighted a few dry sticks.
Apparently, the last lesson had not been sufficient because sure enough, two seconds after leaning over, Sango felt a quick pat to her bottom. Breathing deeply through her nose, she shot straight up, turned a perfect 180 degrees, and raised a fist to clobber the person behind her. He raised his arms to defend his face and her fist was only millimeters away when suddenly, she dropped her arms.
"Wha-?" a startled Miroku gazed above his arms in complete surprise. He had been expecting a beating but what he got was absolutely nothing, save the small sigh that escaped Sango's lips.
His eyes found hers and he was shocked to see hopelessness and defeat within them. The normally strong and fierce gaze was now downcast. Miroku figured his eyes must have been questioning because she began answering the question that was on his mind: Why didn't she hit me?
"What's the point? What's the use of all this, Houshi-sama?" Her voice had lost its irate tone from moments before. He watched as she turned her back towards him, leaving her backside completely vulnerable to his lecherous hands, but in his mind, he knew now was not the right time for foolishness.
Instead, he asked in confusion, "The point of what?"
"Everything you do. I do. What's the point of always groping me, always feeling me, then getting beaten to a bloody pulp. Where is there any significance in these foolish actions? Why waste time? Does it help to collect shards? Does it help to prevent your Air-Rip from swallowing you? Does it help to bring me back my father and brother?" She laid a delicate hand gently but firmly on the tree trunk beside her, using it for balance as her voice began to quiver slightly.
"Tell me," she whispered at first and then with more fire, "TELL ME!"
Miroku stared unbelievingly at her back. Where did all of this suddenly come from? What was she talking about? One minute they're looking for firewood, the next, Sango turns all serious and is questioning him on their ways. To say he was speechless was an understatement. He had never thought that they would ever have a conversation like this and therefore, hadn't been able to plan ahead, like he usually preferred to do.
"I - I -" stuttered the dumbfounded monk, holding his staff limply at his side.
"Is it -" Sango began, her voice a bit steadier, "is it because I'm the only girl left: Because you've been rejected too many times? Inuyasha would bury you alive if you tried anything with Kagome, so am I only your girl plaything, to pat and caress as you please? When you actually find someone who will be yours, you can leave me, abandoned and alone, the way children dispose of their old toys."
Plaything? Abandon? Someone else? What? These words swam into Miroku's brain and floated around, trying to make sense of the meanings behind them. Why was Sango suddenly sprouting off these senseless words? But no, they weren't senseless. In the back of his mind, a little tug told Miroku that Sango was expressing how she felt in an almost indirect way, twisting her words around a bit.
"Sango -" he started, contemplating his approach. What could he say? He heard a slight sniffle and his eyes went wide. She was...she was crying? Gently, he placed a hand on her shoulder and turned the girl to face him. "Sango, look at me," he instructed when she kept her head bowed. She didn't heed his words so he took his right hand and carefully lifted her chin so that her eyes would meet his.
It was worse than he thought. There were pools in each beautiful eye and a silent stream flowing from each: her red nose completed the anguished look. Was this all her emotions revealing themselves visibly to him? Had she finally let down her protective shield so that he could view her soft, weaker side? Was this how she was because of him: Not the strong, determined fighter but the vulnerable, emotional girl with feelings.
"You have it wrong," he spoke each word separately, fearing that if he messed up now, he would lose her forever. "Is that how you think I see you: As...as...as a plaything; a toy for my pleasures?"
He shook his head, disgusted at himself for ever letting her feel that way. "You're much more than that. You asked what was the point of all the groping and slapping. And I will answer you now."
Miroku kept staring down into Sango's eyes, which was slowly filling less and less with tears and now with apprehension. "It's our cycle, the way we function: The only way I can keep from hurting you."
"Hurt-hurting me?" Sango managed to whisper in a barely audible voice.
Nodding, Miroku removed his hand from underneath her chin and took a step back from Sango. Suddenly, he was filled with fear at what he was about to say. Would she accept or reject him? But the image of Sango's tear-filled eyes flashed across his mind and he knew that she needed the answer: Not tomorrow, not a week from then, but right then and there, standing in the middle of the forest.
"Yes. Hurting you. I grope you because...because it's the only way I know how to show how I truly feel about...about you. I never knew any other way. This way, I'm guaranteed that you'll keep slapping me away and preventing me from falling deeper into the hole of love I've dug myself into, and preventing myself from getting closer to you because I don't want you to have to suffer because of me. I don't want you to die because of my cursed hand, to feel the pain from my mistakes. Because I love you, I don't want you to undergo any tribulations."
Nothing was said after these words. The sun above just barely lit the sky with a few orange hues of the evening. Nighttime was nearly upon them and the forest noises were decreasing, indicating that the animals were getting ready to turn in. Yet, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of forest life, the monk and demon exterminator stood, facing each other, yet neither looking at the other directly. Words saturated in heavy meaning hung between them in the air, waiting to be either accepted or blown away.
End of Part 1.
***Author's Note***
Soo, how was it readers? Good? Bad? Let me know by reviewing! Helpful feedback appreciated! I'm always eager to improve my writing so feel free to comment on whatever you wish. ^_^ Part 2 will be out in one week. Scroll down a bit for a preview of it.
*Maura*
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Preview of Part 2:
Miroku had obviously noted her flushing and he took her small, smooth hands, enclosing them neatly in his larger, rough ones. She turned, if possible, a deeper red. "What now?" he asked softly.
Her eyelashes fluttered prettily as Sango slowly looked into his chocolate brown eyes. What indeed? There was no going back on the action they had just committed and Miroku certainly couldn't take back his confession. Well, the demon exterminator decided, enjoying the warmth that the monk's hands provided her, there's only one thing I can do.
Now…REVIEW! Please? ^_~