Chapter Five of "Two Is Trouble" by Melinda-chan

I like to thank all who have been reading my fic, though that doesn't appear to be a lot of you. I want to assure people that this is a Miroku/Sango work, though Koharu and Kohaku will have leading roles. I do appreciate when people review, so please do so!

Review replies are at the end of this chapter. If you have any questions, please read the replies before you post them. If I already answered them, I wouldn't repeat myself.

Now that's done, let this chapter begin!

It was a very quiet morning that day at the Mushin temple. It wasn't that anyone had left, since except for Koharu getting the water, no one else has. It was quiet because Sango wasn't talking, and the others kept quiet for they knew that she wasn't in a good mood. And when she's not in a good mood, talking to her is simply not a good idea. Even Kohaku was quiet.

"Could you pass the-" Shippo started to ask as they all ate breakfast together.

"Get it yourself!" Sango cut him off. Shippo didn't say anything more. Koharu just sighed.

As for Miroku, he said absolutely nothing throughout breakfast. He was still thinking of a way to get back into Sango's good graces, and hence back to his room and bed.

"Is it going to be like this all day?" Shippo asked. Sango gave him a dirty look, which made the kitsune cringe.

"Sango, I know that I did something that you didn't approve of, but if you just-" Miroku started to say when Sango got up from the low table.

"Just what?" Sango said. "I don't know what you were thinking, but did you really think that I would approve of you taking my younger brother to a brothel!" At that word, both Miroku and Kohaku winced.

"Ane-ue, it wasn't that bad!" Kohaku said. "I mean, I already know what a naked female looks like!" He then paused. "I mean, Miroku did give me a pillowbook when I turned 16 and wait!" Kohaku and everybody else then saw Sango left the room in fury. She slammed the door so hard that the room shook.

"I hope that she remembers how old this place is," Mushin said while drinking a jar of sake (what else?). Miroku then put down his chopsticks and sighed.

"I guess I'll have to go and talk to her," Miroku said. He then went to the door. "If I don't come back, train Kohaku to follow in my footsteps." He then left before Kohaku could say anything back.

Miroku found Sango at the back of the temple looking out west. He then went behind her, not wanting to break up the silence and irked her even more.

"Why are you here, Houshi-sama?" Sango asked, in a cold voice. Miroku then decided to walk toward her now.

"Are you really mad about me?" Miroku asked. That earned him a dirty look from her.

"No, I just liked to get angry," Sango said. That made Miroku wince inside.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't get angry so much," Miroku said. He then prepared for her hand to slap his face, but it never happened. When he opened his eyes, he saw her with tears running down her face.

"I'm so sorry!" Miroku said. He was about to embrace her when she went back.

"You're such a bastard!" Sango yelled.

"Sango-sama, that's quite rude," Miroku said. She then gave him a deadly glare. "What?"

"I know that Kohaku is physically a man now, and I can't treat him like a kid anymore," Sango said. "But you can't force him to grow up either." At that, Miroku looked down.

"I know that" Miroku said. "Though, we weren't in Edo when the incident happened."

"You should be more careful then," Sango said, with a guarded tone.

"Yes, you're right," Miroku said. "The ladies' presence should've been a giveaway." He then saw her walk away. "But you should know that he had already forgiven me."

"He should," Sango said. "I told him that if you did that again, I'll allow him to kill you."

"I see," Miroku said. He then went to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Though you do look cute when your face turns red." Sango then blushed.

"If you think you can just wrap your arms and-" Sango started to say when he put his lips to her neck.

"I just said the truth and you bite right back!" Miroku said. This annoyed Sango a bit.

"Will you stop it?" Sango said. She then pulled away from him. He didn't go after her, but just stood there.

"If you were worried about me, I wasn't planning to stay there for the night," Miroku said.

"Where were you planning on staying?" Sango asked.

"A good inn," Miroku replied. Sango sighed.

"I don't know if I can trust you" Sango said. "You may not have planned to do it by yourself, but if you think when we get married, you can do that again, you can just forget about everything!"

At that, Miroku said nothing. He was thinking about what to say to her next. It may have been improper to take Kohaku to a brothel, but he was genuinely concerned about him. But it seemed that everything wrong that could happen, did happened to him.

"I'm only concerned about Kohaku's development as a man. He seemed to be shutting himself off from the world, and you know that's not good for him in the long run," Miroku said.

"I know" Sango said. "But Kohaku's my younger brother and not yours, do you understand?"

"Yes" Miroku replied. "But if we do marry, he'll be my brother-in-law." He then paused. "We are still getting married, right?"

"Yes" Sango replied. "But if I do find out that you went to any place of dubious virtue ever again, I shall take Kohaku and go back to our village." Miroku resisted the urge to tell Sango that her village was nothing more but a mass grave. Instead, he just nodded.

"I need to brush the steps of the temple now," Miroku said. "I don't think that Kohaku will be going back to your village anyway."

"Maybe not," Sango said. She then looked at him. "But no trips with Kohaku without my knowledge, do you understand?"

"Yes" Miroku replied. "Now let's go back. I think that Koharu-chan would want some things to do."

"Yes" Sango replied. They then went back to the temple. The rest of the day passed without any more major incidents.

"Why do we have to be here?" Kohaku asked. They were at the shrine now. Kohaku was dressed in a blue robe with zoris on his feet. Shippo was sitting next to him on the steps.

"Miroku and Sango decided to get married here," Shippo said. "Don't ask me why."

'I know why,' Kohaku thought. 'Sango didn't want Mushin to get them married because he might drink all the sake before they do it.' A female voice was then heard.

"Kohaku-kun! Shippo-chan!" They both turned his head back at the door. It was Koharu, dressed in a yellow kimono with a white obi around her waist. Her appearance was like that of many cultures, in that her dress was designed so as not to distract from the bride's own dress.

"Is Ane-ue and Miroku ready yet?" Kohaku asked.

"No," Koharu answered. Kohaku then realized that she was holding a pair of prayer beads in her hands.

"I feel so happy for her," Koharu said. "Though I wish that it was me instead of my lady marrying Miroku-sama."

'I wouldn't,' Kohaku thought. The door then slid open again. Sango, dressed in a traditional Japanese wedding dress, came out. It was far more beautiful than Koharu's own dress, with white storks on it as a sign of fidelity. Her long sleeves almost reached the floor.

"We're ready," Sango said. Kohaku then got up and walked to her. He was now taller than her.

"Why are you out here?" Kohaku asked. "Shouldn't an attendant be the one that tells us?"

"Do you want Izumi-chan be the one to tell you?" Sango said. Kohaku responded with a blush. "Let's go inside then."

"Is Miroku ready?" Shippo asked.

"I hope so," Sango replied. "Let's get this started before Mushin gets too drunk." At that, Kohaku and Shippo sighed. They all then went inside.

Kohaku didn't see Izumi- as a miko-in-training, she was probably not needed- at the wedding, but he did see several attendants sitting at both sides of the spacious room. The bearded priest, Heihachi, sat in front of the altar.

"Will the groom and bride step forward?" Heihachi said.

Miroku and Sango then stepped forward in front of a low table containing two cups of sake. They then kneeled down. Miroku and Sango still had their heads down and hands clasped together.

"If all in present be witnesses, let this wedding begin," Heihachi said. Kohaku felt nervous all of a sudden.

The ceremony went without a hitch.

Once Miroku and Sango drank nine sips of the sake, they were officially married. Heihachi asked the gods for their blessing and requested that Kannon (the god of fertility and childbirth) to open Sango's womb at least a few times. This caused Sango to blush, but most were too focused on Heihachi to look at her.

Dancing and feasting came afterward, with lots of sake to spare.

"Remember it's bad luck for the groom to get drunk," Sango told her newlywed husband as they drank more sake.

"Who invented that custom?" Miroku asked.

"I did," Sango replied. Mushin was at the corner, already passed out from the drinking. Kohaku was about to drink his own cup when he saw Izumi helping the attendants. She was dressed in a miko dress, but her back was turned against him. He wanted to shout at her, but declined. He then sighed.

'I couldn't marry her anyway,' Kohaku thought. 'She's better here in this shrine than in my arms.' He then drank to his fill and would spend the rest of the evening in a semi-drunken state.

"I'm just glad that they're now married," Shippo said to Koharu the next day. "I think 'wife' suits her better than 'concubine.' Do you agree?"

"I do so," Koharu agreed. It was the next morning, and all of them were now walking back to the temple. Mushin was in a wheelbarrow that was pushed by Miroku, who was still a bit hanged over by the celebration.

As for Sango, her hair was now styled in the manner of a married woman, and she was walking in a light, airy step. After many sleepless nights in which she held a sleeping Miroku in her arms asking herself if he really loved her, after many times wondering if all he wanted from her was to make love and to give her verbal expressions instead of an actual commitment, after many questionings that Kohaku gave her and feeling shameful that she wasn't following her own advice, after so many doubts- Miroku finally made her his wife. His wife!

"Ane-ue, you look happy!" Kohaku said. This caused her to smile.

"I'm happy!" Sango said. "I'm finally happy!" She then ran out ahead of the group. Now that she was married, maybe the gods will finally open her womb and bear that child that Miroku wanted so much. That night was the best night she spent with Miroku so far. She fell asleep in his arms, wondering what the future will hold.

Little did anyone know, though, that storm clouds would soon appear.

End of Chapter Four

I know that at least a few people are reading this. Everyone should be satisfied that Miroku and Sango are now married, right? The next chapter will focus on Kohaku. If you love the historical period Inu-Yasha was in, then you'll love the next chapter. Inu-Yasha was created by Rumiko Takahashi. Please don't forget to review!

Rayame325: Thank you for reviewing! I hope that you like this chapter as well! As you can see, Miroku and Sango did made up, but they'll have worse problems to deal with later on.

Kaoli water goddess: I hesitate to use the word "fiancee" because I wasn't sure that word even existed back in that time in Japan where arranged marriages were the norm- it wasn't unusual for the bride and groom to meet for the first time only on their wedding day. Even the Japanese words for "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" are modern. "Mate" seems to be a safer bet. I hope that you understand. Please keep reviewing!