Miroku took a chance and sat beside Sango in the waiting room. Now maybe he could talk to her. She seemed relatively calm. "Sango?"
"What?"
"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I didn't know she rolled out of bed sometimes. I thought that was Hitomi."
"No." Sango flipped through an old magazine, that she wasn't really reading and Miroku knew she was just trying to ignore him. She obviously didn't want to talk to him, but that didn't stop him from trying.
"Look, you can't be mad at me forever." He said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, but she lifted his hand away and placed it back in his lap.
"Don't touch me, monk." She warned, glancing at him quickly. Kami, why did he have to be so cute? He looked so guilty and dejected for what happened to Akira she actually felt bad for getting so angry at him. She sighed and her voice softened. "Look, children get hurt. It's just the way it is. Don't feel bad about it." She said, running her fingers through Akira's hair comfortingly.
Miroku eyed her in shock. Was she actually being nice to him? "You mean…you're not mad?"
"Of course I'm mad." Sango said, calmly. Her voice did not convey her supposed anger. "But…you didn't mean to. And I shouldn't have jumped on you like that. All that's important now is we get Akira taken care of."
"But you're still mad?"
"Yes."
Damn it. Miroku sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Why are you so touchy today?"
"Don't worry about it, Miroku." Sango snapped at him, trying her best to ignore his presence, but he shifted in his seat and she got a whiff of his scent. It was a mix between musky cologne and Irish Spring body wash.
"You just seem a little distant…" He murmured. "Does it have something to do with last night?" He asked, leaning towards her.
"Last night was your fault. You didn't have to start a fight with Rob." She scolded him. "That was completely uncalled for."
Miroku immediately became defensive. "Well, he didn't have to kiss you. That was completely uncalled for. You might hate me, but your still my wife."
"We're not together, anymore." Sango reminded him curtly. "Besides, last night isn't bothering me."
The houshi stared over at her, though she wasn't facing him. "Then what's wrong?"
The door to the back of the doctor's office swung open and a pink-haired nurse stepped through the door. "Akira Keseki." She called out sweetly. "We're ready for your x-rays."
Sango stood up and Miroku fallowed, leading Hitomi along by the hand. "My name is Nurse Joy, Akira. I want you to step into this room so we can get your height and weight." She said, peering down at her.
Akira looked timidly up at Sango then up at Nurse Joy. Sango rubbed her head soothingly. "Do as she says, alright? She won't hurt you."
Hitomi was watching curiously as Nurse Joy measured her sister's height then weight. The pink-haired woman smiled. "Well, besides that hurt arm, you're a very healthy little girl." She smiled. "Mrs. Keseki, you can go into the back and wait to be called into the x-ray room."
Sango wished she wasn't referred to as Mrs. Keseki anymore. Then again, she had gotten so used to it and it seemed to fit her. And it was the last name that belonged to her children, and that annoyingly gorgeous man that was standing just a few feet away from her.
"Do you want me to just stay out here with Hitomi?" He asked, pulling her from her thoughts. His voice was smooth and quiet, like it always was when he kissed her goodnight before they fell asleep, like it used to be.
Sango hesitated. "Actually…uhm…Why don't you take Akira into the ex-ray room?"
Raising an eyebrow, he switched places with her. "Not that I mind. But why?"
He saw her stumble over her words as she took Hitomi's hand. "Well, you know how Hitomi gets. She misses me sometimes." She said, seemingly uneasy around him. "Akira, is that OK if daddy takes you to get the x-ray?" She asked, kneeling down until she was eyelevel with her daughter.
Akira slowly nodded, her face red from tears, and Sango placed a kiss on her head and stood up. "I'll be out there…just come out and tell me what's going on when your done."
Miroku nodded and led Akira down the hallway to the other section of the doctor's office.
"So it's just sprained?" Sango asked Brock as they sat in his exam room.
"Yes. Sprained in a very bad place." He said, looking at the x-rays. "We'll put it in a sling, she should be good as new in a few days." He said, smiling.
"Thank Buddha it's not broken." Miroku said with relief. Sango didn't seem so angry with him now, instead she ran her fingers through Akira's hair soothingly as Brock wrapped up her arm in pink bandages and a 'Hello Kitty' sling.
"Oh well, isn't that pretty?" Sango asked, smiling.
Brock stood up and smiled at Akira. "All done." He said, glancing at Sango. Miroku had noticed that he didn't even so much as look at him. He must have been angry. He had ever right to be, though.
"Can we go home now, mommy?" Akira asked, tiredly. "I want to go back to sleep."
Miroku glanced at his watch. "I better get to work. I told them I'd be there at 9, and it's already 9:30."
"I'll take the girls home with me…" Sango told him calmly. "I think Akira's going to need special attention this week."
"Yea. I understand." He said, leaning against the wall. "Well, bye girls." He kissed them both on the head briefly then looked up at Sango. "Call me later and tell me how Akira's doing, ok?"
She hesitated a bit, then nodded her head. "I will." She said, repressing the urge to tell him she loved him. It was almost automatic, right along with the usual long kiss goodbye.
He waved to them as he left the room and Sango gathered her purse off the exam table, and led the girls out of the small cramped space. She was more than ready to go back to the Harrison's; doctor's offices always made her nervous.
By Sunday night, Akira seemed to have gotten used to having her arm wrapped up and even to the slight pain in her upper arm. She managed to still play Barbie's with Keiko and Hitomi and Sango was in the kitchen helping Sakura with dinner.
Sakura glanced at her as she turned on the rice cooker. "Oh, sweety, don't worry about helping me. You go get yourself dolled up for that boy, alright?" She asked. "I can handle this on my own?"
Sango blushed a deep red. "Are you sure?"
"I've cooked for a grouchy husband for 17 years, and a 16 year old daughter and now a 5 year old. I can handle it." She laughed and waved her along. "Now, go on. I know you want to look pretty for him."
Sango giggled. She felt like she was 5 years younger, at the age of 18 and it bought back so many memories of how Sakura had helped her get ready for her prom with Miroku. She still remembered his tongue-tied reaction and she smiled a bit.
So what was wrong with her now? Did having twins really change her body that much? Had she gotten frumpy? Or less desirable?
She had to stop analyzing her appearance. She never cared about it back in the feudal era, she never really even cared about it until she met Miroku, then she felt that she had the need to dress herself up to impress him. She was too old and too mature to sit here and have body image complexes about herself.
She dug through make up kit and pulled out a stick of eyeliner and a pallet of eye shadow. She dabbed her eyelids with magenta pigment and lined her eyes with a smoky black, then set to work on finding a dress to wear.
After pulling just about every garment she had out of the suitcase she found exactly what she wanted to wear. Something that Miroku had always liked on her. A simple red dress with a cut on the side. She wondered if it would drive Rob just as crazy as it had Miroku.
She had to stop thinking about that. Too many memories were surfacing and she was trying to be presentable for a guy other then Miroku, for once.
She slipped into the dress and was fastening two hoop earrings in her ears when she heard the doorbell ring. That had to have been Rob. She heard Sakura greet him, then she mentally prepared herself to go down and face him the other night. Well, at least he came over, maybe he wasn't mad.
Rob smiled at her as she made her way down the stairs. "Stunning as usual. And I bought you these." He said, handing her bouquet of purple roses.
"Oh wow. They're beautiful." Sango said, taking the plastic wrapped flowers from his hands and holding them to her nose. "Thank you so much." Miroku never bought her flowers that much. Well, he used to, right before they got married.
"I bought you purple roses, because your beauty is so rare." He kissed her hand, causing her to blush.
He's starting to sound more like Miroku every time she saw him, which made her feel apprehensive. "Oh wow. Thank you." Sango said, feeling a bit flattered. Though, she had dealt with his type before, they only say what you want them to say, but Rob wasn't a womanizer like Miroku.
She hated this. She knew she would compare Rob to Miroku, just like she did the other night when she saw him. She compared everything from their hair to their eyes. Their bodies and voices, and of course their personalities, which were really quite similar, with little differences.
Why did she always attract men like that?
Sakura smiled and took the roses from Sango. "I'll put these in some water. I'm going to run out of vases at this point. Dinner's just about ready and Brock should be home at any minute." She said checking her watch.
Sango looked at Rob, then into the living room where Akira and Hitomi were playing barbies with Keiko. "I have to go and make sure the girls wash their hands. You want to help?"
"Sure." Rob said, smiling. "Anytime to be near you." He winked at her and Sango simply smiled. Why was he so fascinated with her? She didn't feel nearly as strongly about him, but of course, after comparing him to Miroku, he just simply didn't compare.
She was still in love with that lecherous idiot.
"C'mon girls, you two Keiko. Let's go get washed up." Sango said, picking up Akira, careful not to bump her arm. Hitomi and Keiko fallowed. Rob fallowed behind her and she led them into the bathroom.
"Rob, can you reach into the closet and give me so towels?" She asked.
"Daddy never makes us wash our hands." Akira said, trying to scratch an itch under he bandage.
Sango scowled at the thought of Miroku. "And that's why you get sick all the time, sweety. He never thinks about this kind of stuff."
"Men usually don't." Rob spoke up. "That's why women take care of children."
She slightly resented that remark, yes, she did stay home and take care of the children while Miroku worked, but she could have done other things if she wanted. She just enjoyed being a mother. "Women are just more responsible." She said, drying Akira's hands carefully.
"Men are more rational." Rob came back at her, smiling. Then he stepped away from his side of the sink and made his way over to her. She felt his slip his arms around her waist. "May I ask you something?" He whispered softly into her ear.
Sango tensed and became nervous. It did feel nice to be held like that again, but not like it did with Miroku. "Uhm…sure." She said. "What is it?"
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" He asked, sounding serious. "I mean, when I first saw you, I thought 'wow, she's beautiful', and something was aching inside of me, just to hold you." His grip on her waist tightened.
"Rob…" She pulled away from him quickly. "I have to get the girls ready for dinner. They have to eat, then take a bath, then I have to get them to bed. They do have school tomorrow." She said, thinking about Alyssa. Jealousy started to rise within her, but she quickly stopped it. She was not going to let that ruin her night.
"Alright…" He said, sounding a little dejected and he fallowed her down to the kitchen.
Sango was tense all through dinner. The way he acted in the bathroom really had frightened her. Was he trying to tell her he loved her? What was he trying to say to her? Everything was just happening so fast.
Akira sat beside Rob, swinging her feet back and forth under the table. "Show me another magic trick."
"Hm…alright." He dug into his pockets for some change and pulled out a quarter. "Put this in your hands and hold it, be careful of your arm. Hitomi, I need your help."
Hitomi pushed out her chair and quickly ran over to his side of the table. "And you, hold this quarter in your hands. Squeeze really tight and don't let go until I tell you, too OK?"
"Alright." Hitomi agreed.
Akira peered up at him. "Can I keep the quarter?"
"Akira. Don't be so rude." Sango said, blushing, but Rob simply smiled.
"I got one better for you." He said. "Alright, now open your hands…"
Akira peeked inside her hands to find a one dollar bill scrunched up in her hands. "How did you do that?"
"It's magic." Rob replied.
"Wow. A whole dollar!" Hitomi exclaimed. "Look mommy! I want to tell daddy!"
Sango smiled and picked her up. "Maybe after your bath, you can call him OK?"
"OK." She agreed jumping down.
Sango stood up and proceeded to clean the table off, but Sakura stopped her. "I'll take care of that dear. You go and spend some time with Rob." She said, smiling.
"Are you sure?" Sango asked, a little unsure about leaving all the work to Sakura.
"Yes. I'm positive. Hitomi, Akira, Keiko, do you want to help me?"
"Yea!" Akira exclaimed. "But my arm hurts…what can I do?"
Sakura thought for a long moment. "Well, you can hand me the dishes. Hitomi you can dry them and Keiko you put them away."
"Aw, but mommy, why do I get the stupid job?" Keiko asked, clearly disappointed with her mother's decision.
"It's not a stupid job. Now, c'mon, let's get started." Sakura encouraged them, and then smiled over at Sango, ensuring her that they would be fine.
Sango fallowed Rob outside and closed the front door behind her. "Thank you, for coming over tonight."
"It was my pleasure." Rob told her, his dark eyes shimmered in the darkness. "You look absolutely amazing tonight."
She blushed and giggled. "Thank you…you've made it a point to tell me that a lot."
"Because it's true." He said smiling. Then his expression turned serious, and she felt him run him fingers through her hair. "How are things with your husband?"
"Not any better." Sango said dryly. "He's still acting like he doesn't want to work things out."
Rob leaned against the wall and stared at her for a long moment. "Maybe it's time you've moved on." He said, his voice was lowered an octave and he stepped near her. "You deserve to be loved, Sango. You are too beautiful to be alone, too beautiful to be missing him."
Sango stared up at him and was quiet for a moment as he just stared into her eyes. "It's…it's not that easy. I still love him."
"Well, maybe I can change your mind…" Rob said, smiling, and he pressed her lips to hers once again. She responded to him, and kissed him back, but her mind was on Miroku. Thinking back to the way he used to kiss her, hold her, and make love to her. It was all too fresh in her mind and no matter how hard she tried to convince herself, she couldn't get that same feeling with Rob.
She pulled away from him. "Rob, I have to go."
"But Sango…"
"Rob, please. I have to get the girls ready for bed and I think they want to talk to Miroku…" She trailed off. "I can't…do this."
Sango really hated hurting his ego like this, but he was coming on way too strong, and she had to do something.
"He's not worth missing, Sango." Rob said, settling beside her. "I just wish you would give me a chance. It seems he's given Alyssa a chance."
Sango felt a tear trickle down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly. As much as she hated to admit it, Rob was right. He had been with Alyssa, and he had kissed her and held her close to him like he used to do with her.
Come think about how Miroku is, Alyssa is probably in his bed right now with him. "I…I have to go, Rob." She choked out.
"I didn't mean to upset you." He said.
"No. It's alright." She said, forcing a smile. "I just…got to thinking about things. I'll…uhm…I'll call you later." She promised.
"Alright." Rob agreed, then leaned in. "Can I get a goodnight kiss?"
Sango hesitated, then reached up and placed a small kiss on his lips, once again feeling strange about it. It felt so foreign to be kissing another man after so long. She had gotten so used to Miroku's taste, texture and movements that it had become the only thing she knew.
But she was content with that.
"Goodnight, Sango." Rob called out, before he opened his car door.
"Goodnight, Rob. I'll call you tomorrow." She said, then slipped back inside.
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