InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny's Fool ❯ Sango vs Inuyasha ( Chapter 4 )

Author's Note: I apologize for this chapter. I don't exactly care for it. I struggled with this chapter because I really didn't feel like focusing on Inuyasha and Sango (since this is a Mir/Kag fic), but I needed to allow them to steal the limelight for a bit. It'll answer some questions and give a couple of issues some type of closure.

A few review responses:

Inu-luver-2004: I'm glad to see how you picked up on my writing style! I like things to be revealed at particular moments instead of all laid out on the table to be sorted. I think it adds a particular spice to the story. If my muse or all other sources of inspiration abandon me, this fic will go on because of you. You made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks so much for your reviews.

Morbidity: I loved your reviews! Thanks bunches! I took your points into consideration and worked with them to tie everything together. This was the final result.

GothicBlacre and Nishigirl: Stay tuned as the drama will unfold. I'll try not to let the shit hit the fan too badly.

Everyone else I didn't point out: Just because I did not single any of you out does not mean that I didn't like your reviews. I read and love every one of them. You guys are the fuel that keeps me going.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Takakashi-sama except for my name...but if she wants that, I'm willing to sell.

________________________________________________________________ ____________________________

Chapter 4

Sango stretched languidly on the blanket that was spread on the floor of the cave. She sighed deeply, inhaling the morning scents combined with musk and sweat. She was at the back of the cave, lying on her back, her head turned toward the fire and the entrance to the cave. She shivered as the coolness from the wall of the cave and the heat of the fire caused goose bumps to rise along her naked flesh. She groaned as she reached for her yukata and draped it over her form, longing for the warmth of her lover's arms.

The taijiya stared into the fire, her thoughts were on the man she had fallen in love with. She had tried everything in her power to keep from falling in love, but when it finally happened, it had only taken a moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six months ago . . .

He was accompanying her on her latest exterminating trip, where a demon was destroying village after village in the mountains bordering the western lands. Because the demon was close to a particular taiyoukai's domain, he didn't want her to go alone, despite her protests and arguments.

The entire trip had taken about a month. When they got there, it was only a goat demon and it had been devouring the garbage of the villagers. Sango didn't see anything harmful with it, but when her companion touched her pride by remarking about having a reputation to uphold, they quickly killed it. They turned around and started to head home, taking their time. It was one day during this return trip that marked a significant change in their relationship.

The day had started out normally. They had been walking together, not engaging in much conversation that day, not even the usual banter they shot at each other. The tangible silence continued until nightfall. Sango was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to really pay much attention to what her companion was thinking. She busied herself with the campfire and assisting with supper preparations. Apparently, her companion grew tired of his own thoughts.

"This whole trip was a waste! I mean, we go all this way to finally be able to get in a fight only to find a shit-eating nuisance that didn't even bother to fight back!"

Sango looked up from her task at her companion, who had just flopped himself on the ground beside her with his arms crossed and his bottom lip poked out in a very childish pout, raising an eyebrow. "You can go home by yourself, Inuyasha. I won't think anything less of you. Besides, Kagome would be glad to have you back."

"Feh. I'm sure." He shook his head as his ears flicked. "No, I'll stay. You need someone here with you."

"I'll be perfectly fine by myself. You, of all people, know I can take care of myself."

Inuyasha was going to retort, but decided against it. He took different approach. "That's not the point. Whether you can take care of yourself or not, you're still a woman. You need a man protect you."

Sango bristled. "Are you trying to imply that because I'm a woman I'm weak?"

"I didn't say that, Sango." Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut and flattened his ears, waiting for the onslaught that never came.

"You didn't have to," she ground out, "but that's what you meant."

Inuyasha opened his eyes with a chuckle, mentally giving himself a pat on the back. "For a second, I thought you would have had one of Kagome's explosions. I'm glad you can't sit me!"

Sango rolled her eyes. "I'm not Kagome," she muttered.

Inuyasha expelled a deep sigh. "No, you're not."

She looked at him and found a fire smouldering in his golden eyes. She had seen that look from him quite a few times, each time it was directed at her. She would catch his eye behind Kagome's or Miroku's backs, when they were alone after arguments with their partners, or sitting across from each other during dinner. The looks were glances that whispered discretion and stares that shouted unspoken promises.

Those were the looks that should have belonged to Kagome, but she could not deny the desire that stirred within her own soul each times one of them was directed at her.

Inuyasha reached out with a clawed hand, gently tracing a line from her temple along her jawbone to her chin. Using the tip of his claw, he applied just enough pressure to raise her face. Sango did not respond until he increased the pressure enough to cause her to gasp. Taking advantage of her open mouth, Inuyasha covered hers with his.

She ignored the arguments of her conscience and allowed him to lay her down beside the fire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back to the present . . .

Sango ran her fingers along her lips and sighed as she remembered that night half a year ago. That was the night that Inuyasha had taken her and broken her, made her into a woman.

Her thoughts shifted to the morning activities that she and Inuyasha had engaged in. She closed her eyes, using her hands and fingers to reenact what her hanyou had done to her. When she traced her finger along her neck to her collarbone, she came to a sensitive spot where the two said parts met, a slight shudder ran through her body. She became aware of two small holes in her skin. Using two fingers, she covered each hole and softly pressed. Another pleasurable tingle rushed through her. She forced herself to remove her fingers. As the sensation subsided, it registered that the indentations were the same distance apart as Inuyasha's fangs.

He marked her!

Her eyes flew open at the realization.

Kami! Please tell me it was only in the heat of passion! Please tell me that this isn't permanent! I...I'm not ready for this! Well, I am, but . . . Oh, Kami-sama! Not right now!

Sango tried to keep herself from panicking. She slowed her breathing, mentally grasping at the soothing mantras Miroku had taught her.

After collecting herself, she thought over her current situation. She couldn't deny being in love with Inuyasha. They had very carefully maneuvered and strategized their rendezvous, few though they were, but they were full of all the love and passion that could only be dreamed of. She wanted to be Inuyasha's mate, as she apparently was now, but she had wanted to talk to Miroku first.

She sat up and drew her knees up to her chest, locking her arms around them. If she did not feel the chewing of her conscience before, it was certainly doing a number on her now.

She knew she needed to tell the monk that she did not want to marry him anymore. She couldn't marry him anymore. She knew his heart would be broken. She knew how much he loved her, how badly he wanted to marry her. No matter what she told him, no matter what promises she had made, she just could not bring herself to make the commitment he wanted her to make. That was what she had been telling herself as a valid reason for procrastinating, pushing the idea of getting married out of her mind. Now, with the recent turn of events, his attempts to wed her were futile.

But she knew that the real reason why she did not want to marry him was the fact that he would never be the kind of man she really wanted.

I am a warrior, born and trained to fight. Do I really want to settle down and give that up? Would he have made me give it up, especially if he couldn't protect me? Inuyasha respects me as a fighter and he will fight beside me. If I lose? He'll soothe the hurts but he won't deny me what I enjoy. That's who I am and he loves me for that. I don't remind him of Kikyou, either. He doesn't see her whenever he looks at me and I love him for that.

That thought caused her mind to take another direction.

A warrior was not supposed to love. Love was only a distraction. It caused one to act foolish, to trust blindly. It only got in the way of one's actions, one's thoughts. Love was hazardous to a warrior.Sango looked around, her gaze settling on Hiraikotsu.

She was doomed.

A shuffling of approaching footsteps neared the cave. Sango smiled as Inuyasha's form filled her vision, calling a cease-fire for her inner battles.

Inuyasha strode over to Sango, tossing the burlap bag of pilfered items near the door. He sank to the floor in front of her, pulling her arms from around her knees to circle them around his neck. He nearly suffocated her in a long passionate kiss in greeting before she broke away.

"We have to talk, Inuyasha."

He kissed along her jaw to her collarbone. "About what, koishii?"

"Kagome, Miroku . . . " her voice started to fade as he licked the mark, causing her arms to tighten around him. She fought the sensations and pushed away from him.

"We definitely have to talk about that," she added, trying to be forceful.

Inuyasha reached his arms out to her to hold her again, but she slid out of his reach. Disappointment flashed in his eyes as his ears drooped. If Sango had not been watching him closely, she would not have picked it up.

"Did you mean it, Inuyasha? Was it out of lust? Or was it from a desire to make Kagome jealous?"

"I'm sorry, Sango." Inuyasha bowed his head. "My demon side took over and demanded that I make you my mate. I shouldn't have forced the mark on you."

Inuyasha's head was down so low his chin was resting on his chest. Sango smiled. In all the time she had known him, he had never apologized willingly. She could not help herself; she had to reach out and gently stroke the base of his ears. She thought he would pull away, knowing how sensitive he was about the triangular appendages on top of his head. Instead, he uttered a low groan, akin to a purr. His relaxed under her attentions, laying his head on her lap.

"Inuyasha."

He rolled over on his back to look up at her without moving from his place on her lap. Sango was smiling at him, and stroking his ears.

"I want the mark and I want to be your mate."

He held his breath. He could almost feel the "but" at the tip of her tongue. He was not disappointed.

"But we need to tell Kagome and Miroku."

Inuyasha knew that Sango had anticipated his next action because she stopped stroking his ears just as he sat back up, eyes narrowing. He jammed his hands into the sleeves of his haori, ears pinning down as defiance flashed in his golden eyes.

"What the hell for?" he nearly shouted. "It's not like they won't be able to figure it out anyway or did it escape your notice that we've been together like this for months?"

"I've only been your mate since last night, though! It's the least you can do, Inuyasha! Miroku and Kagome don't deserve what we have done to them. Kagome doesn't deserve the way you treated her!"

Inuyasha haughtily turned his nose in the air, signaling that his part in the discussion was over. Sango was right, but he would not admit it.

Kagome had become a beautiful woman. She had heart, she had fire, but she was soft. She could not keep up with him the way Sango could no matter how hard she tried. He had been unnecessarily mean toward Kagome but he had done it with the hopes of pushing her away, but after all of his efforts, she would not listen. After that first night with Sango, he did not want to deal with the guilt of what he had done. He did not regret anything he did because he loved Sango. She was a strong woman, she was a fighter, just like he was.

The primary reason for his actions loomed over him like one of Miroku's ominous black clouds.

Kikyou.

After Naraku's defeat and his Kikyou was finally laid to rest, Kagome had reclaimed the rest of her soul from the dead miko. He could not help feeling that Kikyou was looking back at him whenever he would look into Kagome's eyes. He could not deny that Kagome's enjoyment of life made her just as, if not more, beautiful than Kikyou, but he also could not deny that Kikyou was the one he saw whenever he looked at the futuristic schoolgirl-turned-woman. Everything about her reminded him of Kikyou and as long as his feelings for the priestess were still alive, he would never be able to commit to Kagome like she wanted him to. He could not bear to be with her without thinking about his former lover.

At least with Sango, that encumbrance was removed. With the exterminator, he could move on, close the door to the past and open the door to the future.

Inuyasha did not want to talk to confront Kagome because he knew what would happen. Cry, shout, then sit. He absently fingered the prayer beads around his neck. They had always served as a sign that he and Kagome were together. Now that he belonged to someone else, it was possible that she would renounce him and he could get rid of this damned subduing spell. He did not even mind a few sits for old time's sake just as long as it was gone! A glimmer of hope caused his ears to flicker.

Now, if only he could work up the nerve to actually come out and do what he needed to do. He did not even attempt to piece a speech together because when it came down to the wire, he would forget everything he thought up. Playing it by ear would have to be the order of the day.

While he was deep in thought, Sango got up and dressed, and began rummaging through Inuyasha's spoils from Kaede's kitchen. Her back was to him as she started to prepare breakfast for him. She smiled at herself, finding it odd how well she would be accustomed to a half-domesticated life. She supposed she could have been happy with the houshi, but there was a feral passion in her relationship with Inuyasha that she would not have given up for the world.

Sango did not hear Inuyasha as he came up behind his mate and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She started to protest, but he closed his mouth over the mark and gently sucked on it. Her protests died down to whimpers as she pushed her body further into him.

"Breakfast, Inuyasha."

He gently pushed her forward onto her hands and knees. "I'm not hungry for food right now."