InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Take My Hand ❯ An Interesting Morning ( Chapter 1 )

Take My Hand

By: Mystical-Grace

Disclaimer: I dun own Inuyasha or any songs I shall use… *cries*

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Chapter 1: An Interesting Morning

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Sango's eyes slowly opened to the glare of the morning sun. She yawned and stretched her arms… or at least, she tried to, considering that she was being held around the waist and a warm body was pressed against her back with someone's warm breath tickling her ears and neck. Sango, now wide-awake, snapped her eyes open and prepared to wallop whoever it was. She tensed when she felt the strong pair of arms slightly tighten their grip around her waist and the hands shift slightly, and felt the round, hard rosary beads pressing into her waist slightly. She relaxed, realizing whom it must be.

Its only Houshi-sama… demo… how in the seven hells did we get like this?! She pondered this question, then shook her head. It's a good thing Kagome-chan had to stay in her time for one of her 'test' things, or I'd never hear the end of this…

There had been rumors of a Shikon no kakera in a village about a journey of eight moons north of Kaede's village. Kagome couldn't come, saying that she had a major test in her time that she had to take. Naturally, Inuyasha had argued with her and lost (after a long round of 'Sits!' from Kagome), so he had decided to stay at the village to wait for her return, as did Shippo, thus leaving Sango and Miroku to be chosen to check out the rumors. Sango had been inwardly pleased at the chance of being alone with the houshi without the constant spying and matchmaking attempts of their friends (namely, Kagome). Sango and Miroku had been travelling for three moons now, alternating between walking and riding Kirara, and they were finding that the rumors were growing into truths. But at the moment, Sango wasn't thinking about the Shikon no kakera.

'How can I get out of this without him waking up?' The young woman felt heat rise to her cheeks as Miroku shifted again, his warm breath tickling the nape of her neck, sending shivers up and down her spine.

"Sango…" he murmured breathily, his lips barely touching her ear.

Sango's blush deepened, if that were even possible.

'He's… dreaming of me?' she thought with a slight smile on her face. She managed to turn herself in his arms so that she was facing him. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, so serene, so calm, so innocent… and yet so sad. Sango found that she was surprisingly comfortable like this.

'Actually… I don't feel like getting up just yet.' Sango snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his chest. She smiled when his arms instinctively tightened their grip on her, pulling her closer. Sango sighed in content. 'I wish I could stay like this forever… just wrapped up in his arms and knowing that he will stay with me…'

Long had it been since she thought like this, dreaming one of her favorite fantasies. Sango pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and snuggled closer to him, breathing in his wonderful musky scent. She reveled in the way their bodies seemed to fit against each other, how they both seemed to be made for each other. She stayed like this for some time, until her stomach informed her that she was hungry. With a mild reluctance on Sango's part, she gently pried Miroku's arms from around her waist and quickly rolled to the side so she wouldn't be trapped by them again. She stood, dusting off her yukata and glanced at the houshi. His brow was furrowed, and a frown tugged at his lips as he lost the extra warmth she held. Sango giggled at the obvious pout quietly, not wanting to disturb his slumber.

Sango rummaged through their supplies for the leftovers from their meal the night before. She turned to the makeshift fire-pit that served as their cooking fire with the leftovers and some dry tender and flint. She cleared some of the debris from the night before, put some new twigs and tender in its place and struck the flint to start the fire. Soon she had a small fire and was cooking a breakfast broth from the leftovers. As the broth was brewing, Sango remembered a song that was popular among the female taijiya. It was a bittersweet song, but it was one of Sango's favorites, one that she had often sung in private or to her dear Kohaku when he couldn't sleep.

'I haven't sung for some time… not since okaa-san died…' she thought. She bit her lip and glanced at the houshi. 'Well, he's still asleep, so no one will hear… besides, it'll be nice to sing again.' She smiled at the houshi's sleeping figure and turned back to her cooking. She then started singing, very much unaware of the fact that she had an audience.

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Miroku watched through half-closed eyes as the beautiful young taijiya made their breakfast. Unknown to her, he had awoken the moment Sango started moving in his arms. He had been very surprised to find that he had moved from his usual spot sitting against a tree with his shajaku close at hand to being spooned against Sango with his arms around her. Rather than be walloped, he pretended to be asleep. When she moved, he couldn't help but tighten his grip. He hadn't meant to murmur her name, but he did. What really surprised him was when she turned around to face him and snuggled against him. He had instinctively pulled her closer to him, and she had complied by snuggling even more.

Not that he had minded. He had marveled in the way she fit against him, reveled in the luscious smell that always seemed to cling to her, the smell of sweet sakuras and fresh rain. He also had to work VERY hard with all of his will to resist the temptation to grope her. He did not want to ruin this moment, as he had all their other moments. He wanted to treasure this moment in his heart, just as he treasured the beauty in his arms snuggled against him. So, he kept up the act that he was still asleep.

It was a great disappointment to him when she left his arms. Her soft giggling told him that his face had shown his disappointment in losing the warmth she had shared. When he heard the fire crackle, he contented himself to watching her make breakfast, keeping up his charade of being asleep. Even when he smelled the delicious aroma, he didn't stir. Only when she started singing did he open his violet eyes and sat up quietly. He smiled gently and listened to her beautiful voice.

"I took my love, and I took it down.

I climbed a mountain and I turned around.

And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hill.

Well, the landslide brought me down.

Oh, mirror in the sky,

What is love?

Can the child within my heart,

Rise above?

Can I sail through the changing ocean tide?

Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Uh-huh…

Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh…"

'She has a beautiful voice,' Miroku mused, 'and this song… ah, yes… I remember now. Female taijiya sing it the most, for they are considered to be unfeminine and are thought that men would never be attracted to them. Ridiculous. Though, I, in my own way, can relate.' He wryly glanced at the Kazaana in his right hand. 'I cannot risk the pain that would come from my death. So I push women away with lechery. But somehow, I can't seem to push Sango away without bringing her back in.' He sighed gently and continued to listen.

"Well I've been afraid of changing

'Cause I've built my life around you.

But Time makes bolder children get older

And I'm getting older, too.

Well…"

Sango hummed the interlude as she stirred the broth. 'This reminds me of my own love life… I love that damn perverted monk so much it hurts. But, like I said, he's a hentai…' She sighed ruefully, unaware of her surroundings.

Miroku just sat there, enchanted by the beautiful melody. 'Sango… She's changed me so much. After cheichue died, I vowed never to fall in love. But Sango changed all of that. She taught me to love, gave me a reason to live… a reason to defeat Naraku.' He grimaced. 'Of course, if I love her, I can't keep pushing her away. I wonder…' he glanced at the young woman who held his heart, 'I wonder… should I tell her now, or wait? If I wait, she might find another… but if that will make her happy, then so be it. But would it be wise to burden her with the knowledge?' His thoughts were interrupted as she started singing again.

"Well I've been afraid of changing

'Cause I've built my life around you.

But Time makes bolder children get older

And I'm getting older, too.

Yeah, I'm getting older, too.

So, take this love, and take it down."

Miroku made his decision. He got up and quietly headed towards Sango.

"Yeah, and if you climb a mountain and you turn around,

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hill,

Well the landslide brought me down."

Sango became aware that someone was behind her. She turned sharply and saw that it was Miroku, who was slowly walking towards her. His eyes gave her an unspoken plea, "Don't stop."

She blushed, but complied, singing softly while watching him draw closer, her heart racing.

"And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hill,

Well maybe…

Well maybe…"

Miroku came closer still. Sango shuddered as she saw the fire and multiple emotions that danced in his dark, calm eyes, igniting such emotions within her that she'd only had an inkling of - emotions only the houshi could ignite within her - causing her voice to tremble.

"Well maybe…"

He stood before her. He was so close…

"The landslide will bring you down…" Her voice slowly faded as she watched him. He was now just an arm's length away from her. She worked very hard to keep her breathing in check, and tried to get her heart under control. "Breakfast is ready," she whispered.

Miroku nodded and reached around her for the soup and carefully poured it into three cups. He set one down for Kirara and handed her one. They ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Sango was glad for it. No one, besides Kohaku and her mother, had ever heard her sing. She was fairly mortified that she had been caught, and by Miroku no less. A faint blush painted her cheeks.

"You sing very well. You should do that more often. After all, it would be a shame if your talent went unnoticed."

Sango snapped out of her thoughts and glanced at the houshi. He was looking at her, a boyish smile gracing his lips and his eyes dancing with mischief. Sango blushed even more.

"A-arigatou…" she stammered.

Miroku eyed her carefully.

"That song… its popular among female taijiya, ne?"

"… Un."

"It's a very… depressing song."

"I like it."

"I didn't say that I didn't like it." Miroku grinned at her.

Sango looked at him suspiciously. 'He seems very… smug about something…' "Just how long were you awake?"

Miroku chuckled. 'To tell, or not to tell… Tell.' "I've been awake ever since you woke up in my arms." He grinned at Sango, whose blush only went darker. "I must say, I didn't expect you to react the way you did. But I'm not complaining. It was very comfortable lying like that, with a beautiful, intelligent, talented, and luscious young woman in my arms, snuggling against me," he continued, his eyes, though sparkling with mischief, held a deep seriousness.

Sango gulped.

"Don't think flattery will work in seducing me!" she told him sharply.

Miroku's grin only widened.

"Why would you think I'm trying to seduce you?"

"Well, aren't you?"

"I don't know. Are you seducible?"

'I am when it comes to you…' "NO!"

"I didn't think so." Miroku decided to stop his teasing before she took Hiraikotsu and walloped him with it. Kirara gave a cat-like snicker and went into a tree to take a catnap. Neither human noticed. Miroku smiled at Sango gently. "I was telling the truth."

"About what?" Sango snapped.

Miroku said nothing. Sango looked at him in exasperation… which changed the minute she saw the look in his eyes. They were once again lit with a smoldering fire. She gulped again and tried to shift her gaze, but she couldn't tear her eyes from his intense violet ones. Miroku inched towards her, and she scooted backwards into a tree. Miroku just kept coming closer until he was just half an arm's length from her.

Miroku took a deep breath and spoke softly, "You are beautiful. Not only that, but you have a wonderful spirit. You are a good friend, companion, and one of the best fighters I've had the honor of fighting beside." He smiled at her gently.

Sango tried valiantly to keep the heat from rising to her cheeks, as well as slow down the racing of her heart. She cleared her suddenly closed throat and looked away. "That song I was singing… it applies to me very much. I'm not feminine, so men shun me. I never learned many things a woman is supposed to, like sewing and dancing," she said quietly, making a face. She jumped when Miroku chuckled.

"Actually, you have learned all the 'feminine' things." At her disbelieving glance, he sighed and explained, "As a fighter, you learn to make your movements fluid. If you add music, your fighting forms and moves will mingle with the music, creating a dance more graceful and more beautiful than any geisha could perform. You are one of the most skilled fighters I've had the honor of meeting, a terrific cook, and ever since your village was destroyed, you've learned to mend your broken heart and start new ties, weaving a new life. You've also helped others to heal their broken hearts." 'Like my own heart,' Miroku added silently to himself.

Sango blushed prettily and looked away.

"You are just saying that, Houshi-sama," she murmured. "I'm not that beautiful, or as graceful as you make me out to be." Sango heard the rustling of cloth, and then found herself wrapped in the houshi's tight embrace.

"Don't you ever think like that!" Miroku told her fiercely, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"H-Houshi-sama…" Sango stuttered, turning bright red. 'What in the seven hells is he doing?! If he even thinks about groping me he's got another thing coming!!' she thought furiously. Her anger subsided a bit when all he did was tighten his embrace.

"Sango, you are beautiful, graceful, and much more," he said in a gentler voice. "Though you have your flaws and scars, they do nothing to mar your beauty. If anything, they enhance it and add to who you are." Miroku lifted his chin from the top of her head and tilted her head up with his hand so he could look into her eyes. His breath caught in his throat; Sango was gazing into his eyes with her own filled with a mixture of emotions - confusion, gratefulness, surprise, and another that looked familiar, but he couldn't place it.

Sango removed her head from his hand and rested her head on his chest once more. Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around his waist, causing him to jump slightly in surprise. Sango sighed in content. She knew this wouldn't last, and that this was going to be the only time Miroku would do this. She wanted this moment to remain in her heart forever.

"Arigatou, Hou-" she stopped before she finished her thought. She decided it was time to change the way she addressed him. She took a deep breath and started again, "Arigatou… Miroku."

Miroku jumped yet again. 'Did she just say my name?' he thought, his heart racing. "Sango, what did you say?"

Sango grinned into the priest robes Miroku wore. 'So, I managed to startle him. That's a first.' "I said, 'Arigatou, Miroku,'" she repeated, loving the way his name rolled off her tongue, like the sweet chocolate that Kagome sometimes brought with her.

Miroku closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. Gods, he wanted to kiss her right now! The way she had said his name, in that sweet, mysterious, and surprisingly seductive voice made him want to kiss her and love her with everything he had until they were both exhausted. He felt her relax even more into his embrace, and relaxed himself, once more reveling the way she seemed to fit against him. Miroku stroked her hair absently, inhaling her scent once again.

Sango sighed against him and inhaled his own scent that she loved so much. Miroku smelled of sandalwood, earth and a musky incense that she adored to no end. It was different from the sickly sweet incense that was worn by nobles, mikos and houshis, for this had a more earthy tone to it. Sango loved it even more whenever she noticed that after Miroku had flirted with the himes and the mikos he always seemed to make sure that the smell of their incense left him completely. She wondered absently what it would be like for him to actually kiss her.

Miroku was in the midst of an inner battle. He wanted so much to kiss her, but that would lead to one of three things: a slap from Sango, Sango actually kissing back and thus perhaps leading into something the both of them may regret later on, or just leaving them in an awkward situation. (A.N.: All right, just to warn all readers, its about to get a bit corny… I had a serious case of writer's block during this part…) Miroku decided to tell Sango… discreetly.

"Sango?"

"Hmm?"

Miroku cleared his throat. "I have a friend who is in… well… a dilemma of sorts. He is a houshi, and is considered to be corrupt and a hentai (A.N: yeah, I know, very discreet…)."

Sango lifted her head and looked at his handsome face, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What is his dilemma, exactly?"

"… He is in love with a woman who believes he is a hentai and a player. She has recently lost her entire family and is scarred by that loss." Miroku looked into her wide, crimson-brown eyes. "He wants to tell her how he feels for her, and wants to kiss her."

Sango found herself needing to swallow the sudden lump that appeared in her throat. "What is stopping him?"

"Fear. Fear of rejection, and of what might come from it. He wants to know if she feels the same for him, and if she would accept him and his love." Miroku gazed at the lovely young woman in his arms. "I was wondering if you might be able to tell me what you think of this."

Sango blushed lightly, then cleared her throat. "If I was in this woman's place, I would have to say that she is waiting for him to tell her. She probably is also waiting for him to kiss her, and hold her, and many more things."

Miroku's heart raced. "If it was me in the stead of the houshi… would your answer be any different?"

Sango's blush deepened slightly and whispered softly, "Iie."

Miroku sighed heavily. "Then, Sango, please do not punish me for this."

Before she could reply, he captured her lips in his in a quick, yet gentle, embrace. He quickly pulled away, a faint blush painting his own cheeks.

Sango touched her lips, stunned. He… just… kissed me… "Miroku?"

Miroku took a deep breath and took the leap of faith. " Aishiteru, Sango. I have for a long time. Even if you don't feel the same, I will always will." Miroku grinned wryly. "I will die if that means that you can live and be happy. Demo…" he stroked her cheek lovingly, "you've made me want to live again. Always remember that."

His hand dropped from her cheek and his eyes closed, waiting for something, anything, namely the expected slap. He did not expect to feel instead the gentle caress of her silky hand cupping his cheek, nor did he expect the kiss that followed. His eyes snapped open in shock, but slowly closed again as the shock wore off and the kiss deepened, sending shocks of electricity through him, replacing his blood with veins of fire, and awaking all of his pent-up emotions and desires for the beautiful young taijiya in his arms and lap. He was delighted to find that she was returning the kiss with just as much passion and desire as he gave as they explored each other's mouths. When they both finally parted, they were both panting heavily. Miroku opened his eyes and gazed at Sango with eyes glazed in barely subdued desire.

"Sango…"

Sango put her finger to his mouth and smiled. "I told you the woman was waiting. Now, she has something she wants to say to her houshi." Sango pulled Miroku down so she could whisper in his ear, "Aishiteru, Miroku. I've been waiting for so long to say that."

Miroku grinned. "After a kiss like that, how could I not tell?" He then sobered a little and pulled her away so he could look into her beautiful eyes. "Sango… after all this is finished, and my curse is lifted… will you become my wife, and bare our children?"

Sango blushed, but smiled. "Un."

Miroku's eyes filled with joy. "Honto?"

"Honto, honto."

With that, Miroku crushed his lips to hers, and she welcomed him willingly.

From her perch on the tree, Kirara opened one red eye and gave a growl of approval that said, "About time, too."

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A.N: Well… that was interesting… read and review, PLEASE!!! My thanks to Sango-chan, who kept on encouraging the birth of this fic.