InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bloodlust ❯ Sake for Sweetness ( Chapter 26 )

The morning light found Sango and Kagome in the midst of what seemed like more clothing than could ever be owned by one woman. The kimono they had decided upon for Sango to wear lay across her futon, a silent island of calm in the flurry of silk, mocking the other kimono that were scattered in wrinkled piles across everything in the room. Sango stood half-dressed in a simple cotton yukata, laughing with Kagome.

"You told him to bring a few things for us to choose from for a wedding kimono, and he brought your entire wardrobe!"

The demoness pushed her bangs out of her eyes with one hand and used the other to clear away a pile of kimono.

"I think…that Sess-chan…got a little carried away. And to think, I was almost looking forward to wearing something simple…"

Sango pulled the heavily embroidered silk over the thin yukata, and Kagome tied the obi for her, pulling the pale blue silk into a smooth band around Sango's waist. The kimono was white, falling petals of sakura and twisting strands of bamboo embroidered from back to front and down both sleeves in pale blue which matched the obi. Less ornate than a traditional wedding kimono, it was still beautiful, and Kagome smiled at her friend once she had dressed her in the shimmering silk. There was no mirror in Kaede's small home, but Sango walked with Kagome to the small river near the village and caught her reflection in the still water. She gasped in surprise and touched the kimono gingerly with a finger. She noticed then that the pale shine of gold thread defining the edges of each sakura petal, and Kagome smiled her delight.

"You look absolutely beautiful Sango, there are going to be a lot of jealous men at this ceremony."

The Taijiya blushed slightly and turned around, straining on tiptoe to see over the small rise in the land that hid the village from their sight.
"I just want this whole thing to hurry up, before I get afraid and run away."

Kagome laughed and dragged her friend back to the village by her hand.

"If I can mate Sesshomaru, you can marry Miroku. Besides, you need to make sure my pups have playmates."

Sango blushed vividly and Kagome heard her mutterings with the precision of youkai hearing.

"….learning from Miroku…."

For a few short hours, Kagome forgot her troubles, and everything seemed to have returned to normal.

Miroku was hiding in the forest. Despite an outwardly cocky appearance, Miroku had been half terrified ever since the day had been set for the marriage ceremony, and he sat on the edge of the old well, attempting to calm himself with meditation. Even thoughts of the wedding night to follow could not distract him for once, and it was with great surprise that he leapt to his feet, swinging and missing with his staff the head of a newly appeared enemy by an inch. His newly appeared enemy happened to be Kaede, who scowled at him in the wake of his attempted blow.

"Kaede! Forgive me, I did not realize it was you."

He collapsed back on to the edge of the well and let his head fall forward onto his hands. Kaede hid a grin and looked at the crestfallen monk.

"Why are ye so upset, Miroku? Are ye not about to be married to the woman ye love?"

Miroku blinked at the mention of marriage, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

"I…yes. But what if I don't make her happy, Kaede?"

"Do ye think she would have agreed to marry ye if she thought ye could not make her happy?"

He blinked thoughtfully.

"Well no, not as such, but…"

Kaede raised an eyebrow.

"But? Can it be that ye are afraid ye can not please her?"

Instantly Miroku's depressed expression changed, and he glared almost angrily at the old miko.

"I am quite capable of pleasing any woman!"

Kaede rolled her eyes and stared directly at the flustered monk.

"Are ye going to get married or not, Houshi-Miroku?"

A vision of a stood-up Sango chasing him down with Hiraikotsu appeared suddenly in his head, and he shuddered.

"Yes, I will marry her. I don't know why I became so distraught all of a sudden. It was as if my life thread got tied in a knot."

Kaede observed him shrewdly for a moment, then nodded her head.

"The ceremony starts in an hour, Miroku, and I think your life thread is perfectly fine. Make sure you are there - I would not want to be the one to tell Sango you had decided not to show up after all."

Miroku cringed, fingering the smooth cold band of gold in his pocket, which he had bought after hours of clandestine listening to Kagome's stories about wedding's in her time. He walked in a circle around the small well clearing, took a deep breath and walked back into the village. He could see Kaede bustling around making last minute preparations, and large, low tables had been brought outside, and were bending and groaning under the weight of the marriage feast. Kagome and Sango were nowhere in sight, and the view that was most prominent included the small altar upon which sat a small flask of sake, three equally small bowls, and three red dyed cords. His nervousness reasserted itself instantly, but before he could convince himself to run away and hide again, he sat carefully on a patch of grass. For a few seconds he thought carefully, then shut his eyes and slapped himself across the face. Five seconds later he opened his eyes and smiled.

*Much better…*

Sango sat as still as she could, letting Kagome pin her hair into place properly, and when the demon lady was through she touched it gently with her fingertips, unsure that the ornate pile of hair would stay where it was. A long braid was twisted carefully into the shape of a butterfly, pinned more carefully with some of Kagome's own small gold combs. A few teased curls hung loose by Sango's cheeks, lightly rouged, and Kagome smiled brilliantly.

"You're beautiful, Sango!"

The demon slayer blushed, but her smile was more noticeable, and she peeked around the door at where Miroku sat on the ground. A sudden burst of laughter distracted Kagome from where she had been tying her obi, and she growled at the offending piece of cloth.

"What's so funny?"

Sango turned back into the room and slid her feet into silk slippers, still giggling.

"Miroku…slapped himself."

"What?!"

"I think he's gotten so used to being slapped that he doesn't know what to do when he's being left alone!"

Kagome giggled and tied her kimono properly closed, feeling the mother-of-pearl weight of the embroidery at the hem. The great silver InuYoukai that curled around her feet gave her a sense of Sesshomaru's presence, and she wrapped her arms around her body, hugging the silk close to her skin. A steady drum beat began outside, calling them to the ceremony, and Kagome smiled at Sango and pulled her out of Kaede's house and towards the small altar. Kaede knelt behind it, a low chanting murmur pouring from her lips, calling the Gods to witness a joining of souls. Sango knelt and tilted her head, preventing Miroku from seeing her face, according to tradition. The careful placement of headpiece and veil that Kaede had given her shimmered in the afternoon light, helping her to see and not be seen. Miroku walked down the short aisle between masses of the villagers, and it seemed to lengthen with each step he took. Kaede stood and turned to face him, all earlier traces of joking gone from her expression and the tone of her words.

"Houshi-Miroku, you come to take as your bride Sango, Taijiya of the exterminator village. Do you come with honorable intention and a pure heart?"

He knelt in front of her.

"I come with honorable intention and a pure heart."

A second cadenza of slow, steady drum beats matched with Sango's steps. She stood slowly, walked just as slowly down the same aisle, eyes downcast, veil fluttering slightly in the breeze. Her feet made no sound as they touched the ground, silk clad, and Kagome had been right. More than one pair of male eyes watched with envy as she moved past, her slender figure enhanced by the simple beauty of her kimono.

"Sango, Taijiya of the exterminator village, you come to be taken as the bride of Houshi-Miroku. Do you come with honorable intention and a pure heart?"

Sango knelt facing Miroku and finally met his eyes, veil lifted form over her face by Kaede.

"I come with honorable purpose and a pure heart."

Kaede held out her hands over the flask of sake, and it glowed faintly as she murmured a blessing. She poured the sake into the first bowl and lifted it between Sango and Miroku.

"Drink ye now of the cup of friendship, that ye might have understanding of each other, in joy and in pain."

She placed the cup in the clasped hands, and Sango tilted it so Miroku could sip from it, and then he did the same. The rice wine was cold and smooth on her tongue, and Sango watched with a rising blush on her cheeks as Kaede tied the first of three red cords around her right and Miroku's left wrists, binding them in friendship. There was silence as she poured the second bowl full of sake and held it up between them.

"Drink ye now of the cup of love, that ye might have passion and fulfillment of all that your hearts have desire for."

Once again she place the cup in their hands and Miroku held Sango's eyes with his own. A second red cord was tied around their wrists, looping over the other. A warm radiance seemed to suffuse Sango's face, flushing her skin with pink. Kaede filled the third bowl, and held it between them, smiling for the first time during the ceremony, her eyes twinkling slightly.

"Drink ye now of the cup of fidelity , that ye might be together for the length of your lives with faithful hearts - and faithful hands."

Miroku flushed red, and gentle laughter rocked the watching village, but Sango did not let him look away, and he found among other things in her eyes a complete acceptance he had not expected. He didn't notice the taste of the sake, and his eyes focused on the thin red cord, last of the three, that Kaede bound carefully around their wrists.

"In the sight of the gods and all men do I declare Houshi-Miroku and the Taijiya Sango bound forever in marriage."

A resounding a cheer went up from the surrounding villagers, but no one was more exuberant in his display than Miroku, who jumped up and attempted a victory dance, and became instantly tangled in Sango, their wrists still tied together. She laughed at him gaily, and he reached around into the pocket of his robes and withdrew the glittering ring. He slipped it quickly over the ring finger of her left hand, as Kagome had told him, and looked up grinning.

"Kagome! Now that I gave her the ring, can I kiss her?"

Kagome watched Sango turning redder by the second, and grinned widely, rolling her eyes at Miroku's misinterpretation of a modern wedding.

"Yes, you can!"

Sango turned but couldn't get away, still tangled and tied to him, and a cheer from the surrounding villagers greeted Sango's first real kiss. She had a moment of embarrassment, but unexpected delight flushed her body more than her blush, and the brush of Miroku's tongue against her lips was gentle and questioning. Sango forgot she was standing in the village square, forgot the catcalls and Kagome's gentle laughter, and let the gentle pressure of his tongue learn her mouth. Desire passed through her body in pleasant waves, and it was with a happy expectation that she waited for the sky to darken.

The feast was ecstatic, loud and nearly drunken, villagers swaying in dance to drumbeats and wild flute music that chilled eerily through the night air, somewhat colder than had been previously, the end of autumn warmth. The celebration lasted long into the night, and the villagers followed Sango and Miroku to the small house that would become their won, a small repayment by the villagers for the monk and demon slayer's long protection of the village. The dancing and reveling moved in circles around the house, and Kaede stepped forward to untie the cords holding their wrists together. Miroku nearly leapt with her across the threshold, and then she stood in front of him and despite her blush would not lower her eyes.

His hands undid the combs from her hair, the obi form her kimono, and pulled the smooth fabric of her yukata off her shoulders. Her lips still tasted of sake, and the scent of almonds and honey shimmered from her body with every beat of her heart. He tasted her mouth, the skin of her neck, and she loosened both his hair and his robes. Finally alone, finally together, finally unafraid, Sango let him untie her soul from her skin, and Miroku wrapped her in soft desire.

{cries} THEY'RE JUST SO KAWAII!!!!!!! Awwwwww….and poor Kagome-chan, all alone with no Sess-chan. Have to fix that, now won't we! Review review review, and I will write faster! AND a small note to people who are mad that I killed Sess-chan (I know that was a long time ago, chapter wise) ….before you get mad, read the NEXT chapter…