InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sight Unseen ❯ Hey, Jealousy ( Chapter 19 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: SylverAngel 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.24.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 1.7K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.24.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 1.7K | Status: Completed
Sight Unseen
Chapter 19: Hey, Jealousy
"Something's wrong with Miroku, Kagome," Shippo informed the girl sitting next to him, his voice quiet. He'd been watching the monk periodically, ever since Maruku had brought him back to the hut after their bout of flying. The windwalker's mate had arrived a few moments later, bearing a tray of food for the village's guests. Shippo, rather hungry after his wild ride, had immediately snatched something off the tray, not caring what it was, only that it smelled delicious. The kitsune had half of what turned out to be a dumpling devoured before Miroku took one for himself.
The monk had only nibbled a few bites away in the same time it took Shippo to down a second piece of the freshly made goods. Miroku hadn't even noticed when the little fox demon stared, his eyes following each move as the monk took another small bite.
Kagome and Inuyasha had arrived a few moments later. Though neither said anything as the hanyou guided the girl across the hut to sit against the wall, the silence was not strained.
"What's that I smell?" Kagome asked, taking a deeper breath to pick up the scent.
"Dinner!" Shippo responded brightly, grabbing another of the dumplings and scooting towards her. "Hold out your hand." When she did so, the kitsune deposited the warm food into her waiting grasp.
Kagome nearly sighed in relief at finding the food was something she could hold in her hand. The stew at the festival the night before had to have been someone's idea of a joke, at her expense. She had the foresight to use a cloth she'd taken from Kaede's hut as a bib after eating some of the old priestess' meals before they left her village. The stew, however, had still proven almost too difficult for her to handle. In the end, Shippo had fed her as if she were a baby, much to her embarrassment. Luckily, the only one who possibly would've taken any real notice was Inuyasha, since Sango and Miroku had already joined Maruku and his family to watch the skits. Inuyasha had not been paying much attention, or so she assumed, since he'd been so quiet that she'd nearly forgotten he was in the tree.
The girl tore a piece off of the rounded food Shippo had placed in her hand, breathing in the mouth-watering aroma before popping the morsel into her mouth. "This is really good! You should try one, Inuyasha."
"I have," the hanyou replied, his voice revealing the smirk on his face, before taking a large bite of a second dumpling.
"Is Sango here, Shippo?" Kagome asked the little fox demon in a near whisper, not wanting to draw attention to the question. "Or Miroku?"
"Miroku is. Sango's off with one of the windwalkers." Shippo did not bother to imitate her quiet voice as he munched on yet another bit of their meal. "I saw her earlier, watching the game the demon children were playing."
The kitsune watched as Miroku's hand stilled halfway to his mouth before continuing on as if the comment had not affected him.
After Shippo had finished, he brought another dumpling to Kagome and leaned against her side to study the monk, hopefully without Miroku noticing. He'd waited for a few moments, debating whether to voice his concern to the girl, or not. He finally decided she could at least talk to Miroku, if nothing else, and then he wouldn't feel guilty for not saying anything. He wasn't sure if she had heard him when she didn't respond right away.
"What do you mean, Shippo?" Kagome asked after swallowing another bite of food, her tone matching his.
"He's acting... weird. He's barely eaten half of the only dumpling he's had. And he hasn't said a word since before you and Inuyasha came back."
Inuyasha, with his acute hearing, had also heard Shippo. The hanyou, his usual not-so-tactful self, blatantly stared at Miroku, wanting to confirm the kitsune's comments.
Miroku could feel eyes focused on him. He looked up from his food, catching Inuyasha and Shippo watching him. Kagome, though she was not actually looking at him, was facing his direction, a slight frown on her face. Inuyasha just raised an eyebrow when the monk caught his gaze. Shippo had looked away, pretending the ceiling was much more interesting than it had been a few seconds before.
"What?" Miroku asked, his voice and face devoid of emotion.
Shippo poked Inuyasha with his foot, trying to get the hanyou to stop staring. Inuyasha merely bopped the kitsune lightly over the head, never taking his eyes from the monk's face. Intimidation was a tactic he could pull off fairly well.
Or so he thought.
Miroku looked away, then gathered his staff from the floor. "I think I will go for a walk," he announced as he rose to his feet, leaving the half-eaten dumpling on the nearly empty tray.
The monk was a step away from the doorway when an excited Sango burst in, stopping just short of slamming into him. Wordlessly, he moved to the side, studying her flushed cheeks as she stood trying to catch her breath.
She stared back for a moment before she realized what she was doing. "Kagome!" she called, rushing to the other girl's side. "Guess what?"
Inuyasha still watched Miroku as his gaze followed Sango. The monk turned and quickly went out the door, the sound of his staff fading away with each step.
"What?" Kagome asked, her frown deepening when she had to repeat the question to get the demon exterminator's attention.
Sango, too, had turned to watch Miroku as he left, the jingling rings on his staff alerting her to his progression out of the hut.
"What?" Kagome asked once more, slightly louder than before.
Sango looked back at the girl bemusedly. She sheepishly shifted her gaze to her hands as her earlier rush to the girl had inspired the question now directed at her. "Sorry, Kagome! What I was going to tell you was that Nadira told me of a nearby hot spring. I thought you might want to have a bath before we head for Ataru's stronghold in the morning."
It had been at least three days since the last time they'd had a decent chance to bathe. With all the excitement of the past few days, Kagome hadn't thought about it. A nice, relaxing dip in a hot spring sounded quite welcome.
"That would be great, Sango! Was she going to come back here to get us, or are we to meet her somewhere?"
Sango laughed at the other girl's enthusiasm. "She said she was going to come here, once she and Marieko were ready."
"Great! Could you help me find my things? Please?"
"Keh. Fussy women," Inuyasha put in his own opinion. "Why are you so obsessed with being clean, anyway?"
Sango rolled her eyes and giggled with Kagome. By now, the question was a rhetorical one. Kagome had explained so many times, it was obvious Inuyasha was only trying to preserve his image.
"Here, I'll get your bag, Kagome." Sango rose from where she knelt at the girl's side, moving across the hut to pick up the yellow backpack. "I hope you have more of that wonderful-smelling soap in here."
'Maybe I can find out what went on today with the windwalker,' Kagome thought as Sango rummaged through her things. It would be a perfect opportunity to get some information out of the demon exterminator, and hopefully find out something that might help her figure out what was wrong with Miroku. Did something happen earlier, while she was off with Inuyasha? Of course, there had been quite a bit of time where they were apart from the group-- Marieko had taken them to observe the same game that Sango and her new friend had apparently been watching. Inuyasha, surprisingly, had taken on Shippo's role of describing things to her, without her asking. Kagome had just enjoyed the time with the hanyou. He had seemed a bit more relaxed than he'd been since they arrived at the windwalker village.
Hopefully, while they were bathing, she could get Sango to talk. If Miroku had just been groping her, she would've just bashed him over the head, complained a bit, and been done with it.
And if she wasn't able to get anything out of the demon exterminator, she'd have to attempt to worm it out of the monk. When Miroku chose to, he could be as stubborn as, well... as Inuyasha. 'I hope it doesn't come to that,' Kagome thought, wincing inwardly.
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"I definitely needed this," Sango sighed as she slid further down in the warm water, leaning back against a large rock.
"Mmm. I couldn't agree more," Kagome replied, stretching her arms out in front of her, then dropping them back into the water. She turned and reached for the soap she knew she had left on a nearby rock. Her hands groped around until she found it, luckily not knocking her bottle of shampoo into the water in the process.
"Do you mind if I use that... that hair soap?"
"Sure," Kagome murmured, her hand moving towards the rock once more, in search of the bottle.
"Here, I'll get it," Sango told her, moving away from her back rest and laying a hand on the other girl's arm to stop her from trying to find the shampoo.
"Okay." Kagome absently began washing. 'What can I ask? How can I ask her what went on?' she thought. They were in a rather secluded part of the hot spring. Marieko and Nadira had moved to another part of the spring a bit before, leaving the two humans alone, but within calling distance. She didn't think Miroku even knew they were off bathing, so, hopefully, they would not be spied upon. It was the perfect time to conduct a private conversation. If only she could figure out how to start it...
Inspiration struck as she remembered something they'd each done earlier in the day. "So, Sango, did you enjoy the windwalker's game?"
The demon exterminator paused in lathering her hair. "Oh, very much so! Nikorai was very patient in explaining the rules to me. There are so many of them! But, I suppose, with their being demons and all, they have to have some other way to control the players so they still play fair."
"Probably. Who's Nikorai?" Kagome was thankful Sango had given her such a nice opening for asking questions. At least she could find out about her windwalker friend, even if she had yet to figure out what went on with Miroku.
"He's a windwalker," Sango responded. She didn't elaborate.
The sound of splashing water stopped Kagome from prompting her for more. The demon exterminator was most likely rinsing her hair.
"He's really nice. Hmm... very handsome, too," Sango added dreamily. "Listen to me, I sound like a young girl with a bit of puppy love," she laughed, self-mockingly.
Kagome smiled a bit at her tone of voice. "You are young, Sango. You're not that much older than me. Can I assume that maybe you do have a crush on him?"
"A what?"
"Um... do you like him a lot? Not just as a friend, but more?"
"Me?" the demon exterminator squeaked in surprise.
"Yes, you," Kagome giggled.
"How can I? I just met him!"
"Okay, okay. I'll leave that alone for now. What's he like, though?"
"Mmm... He has longish golden hair, and deep blue eyes..." She trailed off, the dreamy tone coloring her voice once more.
"Yep, you have a crush on him," Kagome laughed.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing! Anyway, you said he was nice, and that he's handsome, but what else?"
Sango idly ran her fingers through the water as she considered the question. "He's a healer. I found that out when he was... um... checking my foot for splinters."
"Why did he think you would have splinters in your feet? You were wearing your sandals, right?"
"Of course," the demon exterminator replied. "I... well...," she bit her lip in embarrassment, not quite able to get out what had happened.
"Well, what?" Kagome prompted.
Sango cleared her throat. "Well, I... kindof tripped... when I was trying to get around him." The words were rushed out in a low voice, as if she was trying to get them past her lips as quickly as possible.
Kagome giggled at the unexpected response.
"That was after I'd run smack into him."
Kagome laughed harder. "Was he in your way or something?"
"Well, yes," Sango replied, her voice revealing how flustered she was by the whole incident. "I was trying to get away from Miroku, and wasn't watching where I was going."
Was that when whatever was bothering the monk happened? Kagome wondered silently.
The demon exterminator continued on, oblivious to her friend's thoughts. "I heard him call my name just before I slammed into Nikorai's back. Nikorai was really nice about it-- he was more concerned I was hurt, and not angry at all."
"So that's when you first met him?"
"Yes. And I was just going to pass by, after staring at him..."
"And you're sure you don't have a crush on him?" Kagome teased.
Sango splashed water at her, knowing the other girl couldn't see her glare. "No. It was just nice to spend time with him." She fell silent, once more slipping deeper into the water to lean against a convenient rock.
"Why were you trying to get away from Miroku?" Kagome asked after a couple of minutes, wanting to draw the discussion towards the monk in the hopes of finding out what occurred between him and the demon exterminator.
"Stupid monk," Sango muttered. "After watching you being carted off by Inuyasha, he said something about him trying the same thing. Only his hand, as usual, didn't stay where it should."
"That probably earned him a good slap."
"Of course."
'Was that all?' Kagome thought, pursing her lips. That should not have been enough to set the monk into a depression-- it was a normal event that happened quite often. Sometimes she wondered if he groped Sango merely to get the reaction she always gave.
"You know, Kagome," Sango went on, her tone a bit angrier than it had been before. "He tried to tell me Nikorai had 'designs on me' as he put it. He was trying to warn me away from spending time with him."
Kagome resisted the urge to jump up and yell in victory. Finally, she was getting some useful information! She calmed down enough to prod Sango into adding more. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him I wanted to spend time with a man who didn't grope me all the time. He looked like he was going to forbid me to do it, so I told him that I can make my own choices. And that if he didn't like it, he could just deal with it." The demon exterminator's voice had grown louder and more irate with each word. "He has no claim on me, Kagome. With all the women he chases around, I should be allowed to get close to other men, too. Who does he think he is, anyway? Trying to tell me I should watch out, that Nikorai could be a pervert. If that was the case, I could deal with it just fine, with all the practice I get with him!" Sango angrily splashed her hands about in the water, venting some of her frustration.
'Wow,' was all Kagome could think once Sango had finished. It sounded as if the other girl had been holding in some of that feeling for quite some time. Kagome knew she was at least somewhat jealous of all the attention Miroku gave other girls. Apparently, it ran much deeper than the demon exterminator let on. If she was jealous, then she must feel something for the monk. Was she possibly just using Nikorai to make the monk, himself, jealous? Or was she honestly attracted to him, enough to forget her feelings for Miroku to try for a relationship? Or maybe it was as simple as she said-- she wanted to spend time with a man that found her attractive and didn't try to grope her all the time?
Was there any way to ask? Probably not.
"I'm sorry, Kagome. I know you probably get sick of me ranting about Miroku and his wandering hands," Sango sighed, her tone much more subdued.
Kagome smiled, hoping the other girl would see it. "Hey, that's okay. What are friends for? Can I... Can I ask you something, Sango?"
The demon exterminator looked up at the hesitance in Kagome's voice. "Sure."
"I... I'm not sure how to say this, and I'm hoping you won't get mad at me," Kagome started, biting her lip and pausing for a moment. 'Here goes nothing,' she thought, clearing her throat. "I know you've only known Nikorai since earlier today. And it sounds like you had a good time. But, do you really want to get to know him better? Or are you possibly just... just using him as a substitute for what you'd like to have with Miroku?"
Sango said nothing. She stared down at the water, her frowning face reflected back up at her on its surface. She wasn't angry at the question-- she knew the others could see some of what she felt for the monk. She wasn't as good at hiding it as he or Inuyasha were at keeping their feelings from showing. Nikorai was one of the few males who had shown interest in her, and she did want to get to know him a little better. She knew he would be a wonderful friend. He had a warm heart, and was kind and patient, with a good sense of humor-- great qualities in a healer. But did she really feel she might go from liking him as a friend to something more than that?
To be honest, she just wasn't sure. "I... I don't know, Kagome," she told the other girl in a hushed voice. "I really don't know."
Kagome nodded. "Maybe... maybe you should talk to Miroku? Not just tell him to keep his hands to himself like you usually do, but I mean _really_ talk to him?"
"No," Sango replied, vehemently shaking her head. "It wouldn't do any good. He already doesn't listen to me. You know what he told me? He told me he was my friend. A friend would listen, and be responsive to what he was asked not to do. He told me that his... his grabbing me was different from what Nikorai would possibly do. Because he was my friend, and Nikorai was a stranger. And because he was a monk. That's just an excuse." The demon exterminator's voice was shaking slightly when she finished, as if she was on the verge of crying.
"I... I'm sorry, Sango. I wish I knew what to say," Kagome said quietly. "I think you're right about the friend thing, but... maybe... I don't know, maybe that's his only way of showing affection or something."
Sango snorted at that statement, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.
"Are you girls ready to go?" Marieko called from the opposite bank of the hot spring, the side closer to the pool she and her mother had been sharing.
"Yes, we'll be out in a minute," Sango called back, her voice much stronger than it had been moments ago. "I... thank you, Kagome. For listening."
"You're welcome, Sango," the other girl replied with a smile.
"Here, I'll get out, and get your towel for you okay?"
"Thanks."
Kagome's mind was still churning through what she had learned from the demon exterminator. What could she do to help? Should she talk to Miroku? Was there any way to get him and Sango to talk to each other?
She sighed and rolled her neck to ease the renewed tension there. 'So much for a relaxing bath.'
Chapter 19: Hey, Jealousy
"Something's wrong with Miroku, Kagome," Shippo informed the girl sitting next to him, his voice quiet. He'd been watching the monk periodically, ever since Maruku had brought him back to the hut after their bout of flying. The windwalker's mate had arrived a few moments later, bearing a tray of food for the village's guests. Shippo, rather hungry after his wild ride, had immediately snatched something off the tray, not caring what it was, only that it smelled delicious. The kitsune had half of what turned out to be a dumpling devoured before Miroku took one for himself.
The monk had only nibbled a few bites away in the same time it took Shippo to down a second piece of the freshly made goods. Miroku hadn't even noticed when the little fox demon stared, his eyes following each move as the monk took another small bite.
Kagome and Inuyasha had arrived a few moments later. Though neither said anything as the hanyou guided the girl across the hut to sit against the wall, the silence was not strained.
"What's that I smell?" Kagome asked, taking a deeper breath to pick up the scent.
"Dinner!" Shippo responded brightly, grabbing another of the dumplings and scooting towards her. "Hold out your hand." When she did so, the kitsune deposited the warm food into her waiting grasp.
Kagome nearly sighed in relief at finding the food was something she could hold in her hand. The stew at the festival the night before had to have been someone's idea of a joke, at her expense. She had the foresight to use a cloth she'd taken from Kaede's hut as a bib after eating some of the old priestess' meals before they left her village. The stew, however, had still proven almost too difficult for her to handle. In the end, Shippo had fed her as if she were a baby, much to her embarrassment. Luckily, the only one who possibly would've taken any real notice was Inuyasha, since Sango and Miroku had already joined Maruku and his family to watch the skits. Inuyasha had not been paying much attention, or so she assumed, since he'd been so quiet that she'd nearly forgotten he was in the tree.
The girl tore a piece off of the rounded food Shippo had placed in her hand, breathing in the mouth-watering aroma before popping the morsel into her mouth. "This is really good! You should try one, Inuyasha."
"I have," the hanyou replied, his voice revealing the smirk on his face, before taking a large bite of a second dumpling.
"Is Sango here, Shippo?" Kagome asked the little fox demon in a near whisper, not wanting to draw attention to the question. "Or Miroku?"
"Miroku is. Sango's off with one of the windwalkers." Shippo did not bother to imitate her quiet voice as he munched on yet another bit of their meal. "I saw her earlier, watching the game the demon children were playing."
The kitsune watched as Miroku's hand stilled halfway to his mouth before continuing on as if the comment had not affected him.
After Shippo had finished, he brought another dumpling to Kagome and leaned against her side to study the monk, hopefully without Miroku noticing. He'd waited for a few moments, debating whether to voice his concern to the girl, or not. He finally decided she could at least talk to Miroku, if nothing else, and then he wouldn't feel guilty for not saying anything. He wasn't sure if she had heard him when she didn't respond right away.
"What do you mean, Shippo?" Kagome asked after swallowing another bite of food, her tone matching his.
"He's acting... weird. He's barely eaten half of the only dumpling he's had. And he hasn't said a word since before you and Inuyasha came back."
Inuyasha, with his acute hearing, had also heard Shippo. The hanyou, his usual not-so-tactful self, blatantly stared at Miroku, wanting to confirm the kitsune's comments.
Miroku could feel eyes focused on him. He looked up from his food, catching Inuyasha and Shippo watching him. Kagome, though she was not actually looking at him, was facing his direction, a slight frown on her face. Inuyasha just raised an eyebrow when the monk caught his gaze. Shippo had looked away, pretending the ceiling was much more interesting than it had been a few seconds before.
"What?" Miroku asked, his voice and face devoid of emotion.
Shippo poked Inuyasha with his foot, trying to get the hanyou to stop staring. Inuyasha merely bopped the kitsune lightly over the head, never taking his eyes from the monk's face. Intimidation was a tactic he could pull off fairly well.
Or so he thought.
Miroku looked away, then gathered his staff from the floor. "I think I will go for a walk," he announced as he rose to his feet, leaving the half-eaten dumpling on the nearly empty tray.
The monk was a step away from the doorway when an excited Sango burst in, stopping just short of slamming into him. Wordlessly, he moved to the side, studying her flushed cheeks as she stood trying to catch her breath.
She stared back for a moment before she realized what she was doing. "Kagome!" she called, rushing to the other girl's side. "Guess what?"
Inuyasha still watched Miroku as his gaze followed Sango. The monk turned and quickly went out the door, the sound of his staff fading away with each step.
"What?" Kagome asked, her frown deepening when she had to repeat the question to get the demon exterminator's attention.
Sango, too, had turned to watch Miroku as he left, the jingling rings on his staff alerting her to his progression out of the hut.
"What?" Kagome asked once more, slightly louder than before.
Sango looked back at the girl bemusedly. She sheepishly shifted her gaze to her hands as her earlier rush to the girl had inspired the question now directed at her. "Sorry, Kagome! What I was going to tell you was that Nadira told me of a nearby hot spring. I thought you might want to have a bath before we head for Ataru's stronghold in the morning."
It had been at least three days since the last time they'd had a decent chance to bathe. With all the excitement of the past few days, Kagome hadn't thought about it. A nice, relaxing dip in a hot spring sounded quite welcome.
"That would be great, Sango! Was she going to come back here to get us, or are we to meet her somewhere?"
Sango laughed at the other girl's enthusiasm. "She said she was going to come here, once she and Marieko were ready."
"Great! Could you help me find my things? Please?"
"Keh. Fussy women," Inuyasha put in his own opinion. "Why are you so obsessed with being clean, anyway?"
Sango rolled her eyes and giggled with Kagome. By now, the question was a rhetorical one. Kagome had explained so many times, it was obvious Inuyasha was only trying to preserve his image.
"Here, I'll get your bag, Kagome." Sango rose from where she knelt at the girl's side, moving across the hut to pick up the yellow backpack. "I hope you have more of that wonderful-smelling soap in here."
'Maybe I can find out what went on today with the windwalker,' Kagome thought as Sango rummaged through her things. It would be a perfect opportunity to get some information out of the demon exterminator, and hopefully find out something that might help her figure out what was wrong with Miroku. Did something happen earlier, while she was off with Inuyasha? Of course, there had been quite a bit of time where they were apart from the group-- Marieko had taken them to observe the same game that Sango and her new friend had apparently been watching. Inuyasha, surprisingly, had taken on Shippo's role of describing things to her, without her asking. Kagome had just enjoyed the time with the hanyou. He had seemed a bit more relaxed than he'd been since they arrived at the windwalker village.
Hopefully, while they were bathing, she could get Sango to talk. If Miroku had just been groping her, she would've just bashed him over the head, complained a bit, and been done with it.
And if she wasn't able to get anything out of the demon exterminator, she'd have to attempt to worm it out of the monk. When Miroku chose to, he could be as stubborn as, well... as Inuyasha. 'I hope it doesn't come to that,' Kagome thought, wincing inwardly.
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"I definitely needed this," Sango sighed as she slid further down in the warm water, leaning back against a large rock.
"Mmm. I couldn't agree more," Kagome replied, stretching her arms out in front of her, then dropping them back into the water. She turned and reached for the soap she knew she had left on a nearby rock. Her hands groped around until she found it, luckily not knocking her bottle of shampoo into the water in the process.
"Do you mind if I use that... that hair soap?"
"Sure," Kagome murmured, her hand moving towards the rock once more, in search of the bottle.
"Here, I'll get it," Sango told her, moving away from her back rest and laying a hand on the other girl's arm to stop her from trying to find the shampoo.
"Okay." Kagome absently began washing. 'What can I ask? How can I ask her what went on?' she thought. They were in a rather secluded part of the hot spring. Marieko and Nadira had moved to another part of the spring a bit before, leaving the two humans alone, but within calling distance. She didn't think Miroku even knew they were off bathing, so, hopefully, they would not be spied upon. It was the perfect time to conduct a private conversation. If only she could figure out how to start it...
Inspiration struck as she remembered something they'd each done earlier in the day. "So, Sango, did you enjoy the windwalker's game?"
The demon exterminator paused in lathering her hair. "Oh, very much so! Nikorai was very patient in explaining the rules to me. There are so many of them! But, I suppose, with their being demons and all, they have to have some other way to control the players so they still play fair."
"Probably. Who's Nikorai?" Kagome was thankful Sango had given her such a nice opening for asking questions. At least she could find out about her windwalker friend, even if she had yet to figure out what went on with Miroku.
"He's a windwalker," Sango responded. She didn't elaborate.
The sound of splashing water stopped Kagome from prompting her for more. The demon exterminator was most likely rinsing her hair.
"He's really nice. Hmm... very handsome, too," Sango added dreamily. "Listen to me, I sound like a young girl with a bit of puppy love," she laughed, self-mockingly.
Kagome smiled a bit at her tone of voice. "You are young, Sango. You're not that much older than me. Can I assume that maybe you do have a crush on him?"
"A what?"
"Um... do you like him a lot? Not just as a friend, but more?"
"Me?" the demon exterminator squeaked in surprise.
"Yes, you," Kagome giggled.
"How can I? I just met him!"
"Okay, okay. I'll leave that alone for now. What's he like, though?"
"Mmm... He has longish golden hair, and deep blue eyes..." She trailed off, the dreamy tone coloring her voice once more.
"Yep, you have a crush on him," Kagome laughed.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing! Anyway, you said he was nice, and that he's handsome, but what else?"
Sango idly ran her fingers through the water as she considered the question. "He's a healer. I found that out when he was... um... checking my foot for splinters."
"Why did he think you would have splinters in your feet? You were wearing your sandals, right?"
"Of course," the demon exterminator replied. "I... well...," she bit her lip in embarrassment, not quite able to get out what had happened.
"Well, what?" Kagome prompted.
Sango cleared her throat. "Well, I... kindof tripped... when I was trying to get around him." The words were rushed out in a low voice, as if she was trying to get them past her lips as quickly as possible.
Kagome giggled at the unexpected response.
"That was after I'd run smack into him."
Kagome laughed harder. "Was he in your way or something?"
"Well, yes," Sango replied, her voice revealing how flustered she was by the whole incident. "I was trying to get away from Miroku, and wasn't watching where I was going."
Was that when whatever was bothering the monk happened? Kagome wondered silently.
The demon exterminator continued on, oblivious to her friend's thoughts. "I heard him call my name just before I slammed into Nikorai's back. Nikorai was really nice about it-- he was more concerned I was hurt, and not angry at all."
"So that's when you first met him?"
"Yes. And I was just going to pass by, after staring at him..."
"And you're sure you don't have a crush on him?" Kagome teased.
Sango splashed water at her, knowing the other girl couldn't see her glare. "No. It was just nice to spend time with him." She fell silent, once more slipping deeper into the water to lean against a convenient rock.
"Why were you trying to get away from Miroku?" Kagome asked after a couple of minutes, wanting to draw the discussion towards the monk in the hopes of finding out what occurred between him and the demon exterminator.
"Stupid monk," Sango muttered. "After watching you being carted off by Inuyasha, he said something about him trying the same thing. Only his hand, as usual, didn't stay where it should."
"That probably earned him a good slap."
"Of course."
'Was that all?' Kagome thought, pursing her lips. That should not have been enough to set the monk into a depression-- it was a normal event that happened quite often. Sometimes she wondered if he groped Sango merely to get the reaction she always gave.
"You know, Kagome," Sango went on, her tone a bit angrier than it had been before. "He tried to tell me Nikorai had 'designs on me' as he put it. He was trying to warn me away from spending time with him."
Kagome resisted the urge to jump up and yell in victory. Finally, she was getting some useful information! She calmed down enough to prod Sango into adding more. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him I wanted to spend time with a man who didn't grope me all the time. He looked like he was going to forbid me to do it, so I told him that I can make my own choices. And that if he didn't like it, he could just deal with it." The demon exterminator's voice had grown louder and more irate with each word. "He has no claim on me, Kagome. With all the women he chases around, I should be allowed to get close to other men, too. Who does he think he is, anyway? Trying to tell me I should watch out, that Nikorai could be a pervert. If that was the case, I could deal with it just fine, with all the practice I get with him!" Sango angrily splashed her hands about in the water, venting some of her frustration.
'Wow,' was all Kagome could think once Sango had finished. It sounded as if the other girl had been holding in some of that feeling for quite some time. Kagome knew she was at least somewhat jealous of all the attention Miroku gave other girls. Apparently, it ran much deeper than the demon exterminator let on. If she was jealous, then she must feel something for the monk. Was she possibly just using Nikorai to make the monk, himself, jealous? Or was she honestly attracted to him, enough to forget her feelings for Miroku to try for a relationship? Or maybe it was as simple as she said-- she wanted to spend time with a man that found her attractive and didn't try to grope her all the time?
Was there any way to ask? Probably not.
"I'm sorry, Kagome. I know you probably get sick of me ranting about Miroku and his wandering hands," Sango sighed, her tone much more subdued.
Kagome smiled, hoping the other girl would see it. "Hey, that's okay. What are friends for? Can I... Can I ask you something, Sango?"
The demon exterminator looked up at the hesitance in Kagome's voice. "Sure."
"I... I'm not sure how to say this, and I'm hoping you won't get mad at me," Kagome started, biting her lip and pausing for a moment. 'Here goes nothing,' she thought, clearing her throat. "I know you've only known Nikorai since earlier today. And it sounds like you had a good time. But, do you really want to get to know him better? Or are you possibly just... just using him as a substitute for what you'd like to have with Miroku?"
Sango said nothing. She stared down at the water, her frowning face reflected back up at her on its surface. She wasn't angry at the question-- she knew the others could see some of what she felt for the monk. She wasn't as good at hiding it as he or Inuyasha were at keeping their feelings from showing. Nikorai was one of the few males who had shown interest in her, and she did want to get to know him a little better. She knew he would be a wonderful friend. He had a warm heart, and was kind and patient, with a good sense of humor-- great qualities in a healer. But did she really feel she might go from liking him as a friend to something more than that?
To be honest, she just wasn't sure. "I... I don't know, Kagome," she told the other girl in a hushed voice. "I really don't know."
Kagome nodded. "Maybe... maybe you should talk to Miroku? Not just tell him to keep his hands to himself like you usually do, but I mean _really_ talk to him?"
"No," Sango replied, vehemently shaking her head. "It wouldn't do any good. He already doesn't listen to me. You know what he told me? He told me he was my friend. A friend would listen, and be responsive to what he was asked not to do. He told me that his... his grabbing me was different from what Nikorai would possibly do. Because he was my friend, and Nikorai was a stranger. And because he was a monk. That's just an excuse." The demon exterminator's voice was shaking slightly when she finished, as if she was on the verge of crying.
"I... I'm sorry, Sango. I wish I knew what to say," Kagome said quietly. "I think you're right about the friend thing, but... maybe... I don't know, maybe that's his only way of showing affection or something."
Sango snorted at that statement, wiping a stray tear from her cheek.
"Are you girls ready to go?" Marieko called from the opposite bank of the hot spring, the side closer to the pool she and her mother had been sharing.
"Yes, we'll be out in a minute," Sango called back, her voice much stronger than it had been moments ago. "I... thank you, Kagome. For listening."
"You're welcome, Sango," the other girl replied with a smile.
"Here, I'll get out, and get your towel for you okay?"
"Thanks."
Kagome's mind was still churning through what she had learned from the demon exterminator. What could she do to help? Should she talk to Miroku? Was there any way to get him and Sango to talk to each other?
She sighed and rolled her neck to ease the renewed tension there. 'So much for a relaxing bath.'