A Few Years Left to Live by Firestar385

Summary: Party-boy Miroku's signature pick-up line earns him more slaps than dates. Sango is the only girl who can see beyond it to the hurting young man underneath. MirSan, InuKag.

Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. This is written for fun and no money is being made from it. "Live Like You're Dying" sung by Tim McGraw. All mistakes are mine.

Author's Notes at the bottom.

Chapter One - Live Like You're Dying

Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying…

He's the life of the party. Surrounded by his friends, telling tall tales and drinking sake, Miroku is in his element. Nevermind that it's a surprise party to celebrate his twenty-first birthday. He only needs a second to register what is going on before he dives in head first. The first pretty girl receives his favorite pick-up line, as does the second, third, and fourth. A few slaps to the face later, he's sprawled on the couch, sake in hand compliments of his best friend. His closest friends circle around him and ask what outrageous schemes he has planned for the upcoming year. After he's recited a list that would last him well into his fifties, Miroku makes his way onto the make-shift dance floor and earns slaps five and six as well as a promise for more later. He makes silly toasts to the ones who organized the party and to the girls he hopes he can get to know better in the future. As morning creeps closer and closer, the guests finally leave one by one, except for the girl who offered him more.

The housemates are all that are left, plus a girlfriend or two. Miroku's favorite people. He soaks in their attention, their dreams, their fears. In this crazy play called life, people are the only thing that matters and Miroku makes it a point to live his life to the fullest every day.

"You kids have fun," said Inuyasha's father, Toga. He waved at the three youths from his driver's seat as they made their way up the walk to their dark house. It was tradition for the successful youkai to take his son or his son's best friend out to dinner on the boy's birthday. Since Kagome and Inuyasha had become serious, she'd started joining in on their tradition.

"Bye, dad!" Inuyasha draped his arm over his girlfriend's shoulder as they made their way toward the small two-story house. Kagome leaned into him. Behind them, Miroku appreciated the way her fitted jeans hugged her curves just right. "You're not checking out my girlfriend's ass, are you, 'Roku?"

"And what a fine one it is."

"Hush you," said Kagome, followed by a giggle. She made sure to put extra sway into her step. Inuyasha noticed immediately.

"Hey! Save that shit for me, yeah?"

"I don't mind if she shares."

"You wouldn't." Inuyasha grinned at his best friend. He shoved his free hand into his pocket, fishing for the front door key. He finally managed to find it and within seconds, he'd shoved it into the lock and jiggled it around. Miroku didn't think much of Inuyasha's struggle to open the door, even though the lock had never given anyone trouble before. He was thinking back on the wonderful dinner they'd had. Since starting university, he hadn't seen as much of Inuyasha's parents as he did back in high school.

Finally, Inuyasha got the door open. He herded Kagome inside. They were quickly followed by Miroku. Once the door closed behind the human, Inuyasha flipped on the light to the entryway. Moments later, shouts rang through the house.

"SURPRISE!"

Miroku nearly stumbled back against the door but he managed to find his bearings quickly. A huge grin split across his face as he regarded the large number of people crammed into the small house.

"Happy twenty-first, Houshi," said Kouga, stepping out from the crowd.

"Thanks, man," said Miroku. The two roommates exchanged a manly hug. Miroku pulled away to see who else was there. Just behind Kouga was Ayame, beaming happily at him. He gave her a warm hug until Kouga pried him off. Besides the two wolf youkai, many of Miroku's classmates and friends had come out for the surprise party.

"Damn," said Inuyasha. "I didn't think there were this many girls left who weren't disgusted by you, 'Roku."

"Ha. Ha. Girls love me, Inuyasha." To prove his point, Miroku stepped up to the closest girl. "I don't believe we've met before. I'm Miroku." He took her hands and clasped them together between his own.

"I'm Nagisa."

"Thank you for coming to my birthday party, Nagisa. I have a secret to tell you."

"Oh?"

Miroku leaned in so he could speak softly in her ear. "I have only a few years left to live. Would you help me to live life to its fullest by sleeping with me tonight?"

Nagisa reeled back and slapped him hard across the face. "I don't even know you!" She stormed away to find her friends.

"Has that line ever worked for you?" asked Inuyasha amid laughs at his friend's misfortune. Miroku rubbed his sore cheek even as he smirked.

"Yes… once or twice."

"Hey, I didn't invite all these chicks here so you could scare 'em all away," said Kouga.

"It's my birthday party," said Miroku. He pouted for a second, then plastered a cheerful smile back on his face. Leaving his friends behind, he approached a voluptuous girl mingling with her friends near the staircase.

"May I ask the name that goes with such a comely face?"

"Raiko." She blushed prettily and ducked her head.

"Welcome to my party, Raiko. Unfortunately, this may be one of my last as I only have a few years left to live. Will you help me make this night memorable by sleeping with me?"

"You hardly look like you're dying," said one of Raiko's friends. The trio of girls moved away.

"No slap this time?" asked Inuyasha.

"Are you stalking me? Can't I be turned down in peace?"

"No, this is way too entertaining."

"Well, I won't be deterred. Third time's a charm."

"Doesn't it bother you that they all turn you down?" asked Kagome.

"Of course. It breaks my heart every time, but that doesn't mean I will give up. I want to live my life to the fullest. It very well could be the girl I don't ask who would have said yes."

"I guess if you put it that way…" Kagome curled her fingers around her chin as she tried to decide if Miroku's theory made sense.

Miroku excused himself. He entered the living room and immediately spotted a promising young woman in a very flattering dress. Just in case, he spotted his next prospect on the other side of the room, helping herself to the open bar.

Two slaps later, Inuyasha grabbed his elbow and pulled him toward the beat-up corduroy couch in front of the large flat screen TV. "I think you've had enough womanizing for the first twenty minutes of your party."

"If you say so, 'Yash." The best friends flopped down on the couch. Inuyasha had swung by the bar before dragging his friend away from an angry female, so he was armed with a cup of sake. He pressed it into Miroku's hand.

"At least you're sticking to the humans," Kouga commented as he and Ayame squeezed together on the leather armchair. Each had their own cup of sake.

"I'll need a bit more of this before I start on the youkai ladies," said Miroku, holding up his cup.

Kagome sat down on the other side of Miroku from Inuyasha. "It almost seems to me that you don't want girls to go out with you."

"How could you think such a thing, Kagome?" Miroku pressed his free hand over his heart.

"You know well enough that girls like flowers and shit," said Inuyasha.

"Oh yeah? Where are my flowers, Inuyasha?"

"Um…" His silver puppy ears dropped under his girlfriend's stare.

"So, Miroku. What are your big plans for this year?" asked Ayame.

Miroku loved telling others about the things he'd like to do if he wasn't swamped with homework and regular work most of the time. "Well, for starters, I'd love to travel around the island. Maybe over the summer I'll take a vacation into the countryside. After that, perhaps a trip to the mainland, or even to Europe or America. I'll meet the girl I'm going to marry and we'll have at least half a dozen kids…"

"Oh Kami, mini Mirokus," whimpered Inuyasha.

"… I'll build her a huge house overlooking the ocean and we'll go sailing every day. I'll start my own company or travel around doing exorcisms…"

"Don't you have to be a religious man to do that?" asked Kagome.

"I am majoring in comparative religion. I'll campaign to end human and youkai segregation and probably get myself elected to office…"

"Is it even physically possible to do all of that in a year?" asked Ayame.

"You'll be fifty by the time you do half that crap," said Kouga. Miroku grinned at him.

"Even if it takes me until I'm ninety, you know what I'm going to do."

"Live life to its fullest," chorused his friends.

"Cheers," said Miroku, lifting his cup. His friends lifted their cups as well and all took deep drinks of their sake. "Well, you guys have been fun, but I have other guests, you know."

"Are you going to say hello to any of your guy friends?"

"There are guys here?" Miroku laughed with his friends. "Yeah, I will. Thanks guys, for putting this together for me. It really means a lot to me."

"Of course, Miroku. You know we love you." Kagome threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Miroku cringed at the L-word and gently pushed her away.

"You're going to make the girls think I'm taken," he said. He winked at her and then stood up. He made his way over the clear space in front of the bar that was serving as a temporary dance floor. He seamlessly melded into the crowd, drawing more partiers in after him. For the next couple of hours, he laughed and drank and danced and propositioned. He escaped with only two slaps.

"It's hot in here," said Yoko as she brushed her dark bangs away from her face. Her face was flushed and her eyes shined up at Miroku, her current dance partner.

"I think it's just you," said Miroku. He winked flirtatiously. She giggled and took a deep drink of her fourth cup of sake. "You know, Yoko, I've really enjoyed dancing with you. You may not know this, but I only have a few years left to live and it would really mean a lot to me if you would make this night extra special by sleeping with me."

"That's so sad." Her expressive eyes filled with tears. "Of course I will, Miroku."

"You're amazing." He wrapped his arms around her, his hands going straight for her firm behind. She gasped when he squeezed. Her smiled turned coy.

"Let's go right now, Miroku."

"Hold that thought," he said. He pulled away from her abruptly and wove his way between the dancers, leaving Yoko looking a bit confused in the middle of the dance floor. Miroku found an empty dining room chair near the bar. He climbed up on it and shouted for everyone's attention. The music volume lowered and most of the partiers turned to see what the birthday boy had to say.

"First, thank you all for coming to my party. It was a wonderful surprise. I'd like to make a few toasts, if I might." He looked down at his empty hands. "Ah, I need a drink." One of his classmates offered his half-full cup. "Thanks, man. Now, first I'd like to thank those who organized this party. My roommate Kouga, who turned out to be a really great guy after he and Inuyasha stopped trying to kill each other, and I got used to hearing him snore through the walls at night."

"Shut up, Houshi!" shouted the youkai in question.

Miroku waved in Kouga's direction. "Also, to Kagome and Ayame, who actually probably did most of the work, because honestly, of us three guys, I'm the only one who can organize for shit." Kagome and Ayame made eye contact and nodded. "And I know Inuyasha. He never helps do anything."

"Come over here and say that, idiot."

"But speaking of Inuyasha, he's my best friend. Cheers just for that, man." Inuyasha's ears reverted back from their flat position against his head and his glare softened. "For those of you who don't know, 'Yash and I have been best friends since elementary. We were meant to be, being two lonely souls in a prejudiced world. I didn't care that he was hanyou and he didn't care that I didn't have any parents. Plus, it helps that Inuyasha's dad is filthy rich. He has a yacht. Even if Inuyasha wasn't a hanyou, I'd still be his friend, just to go to his private island on the yacht for break."

"So, the truth comes out," said Kouga. "I always wondered what in the world he and Kagome saw in you, dog-face."

"Shut up, asshole." To Miroku, Inuyasha said, "I think you've had a bit much to drink. You're done toasting."

"No, I'm not. Next, I want to toast all of the beautiful ladies who came to celebrate with me. I only have a few years left to live but you've all helped to make this a night I won't forget. I wish you all the best in the year to come."

"Get off the chair."

"If any of you lovely women ever are feeling lonely or fear you aren't living life to its fullest, now you know where I live."

"Get down!" Inuyasha tugged on Miroku's arm but the human resisted. Miroku managed to balance on the wobbling chair and make eyes at a few of the girls near the front of the crowd. A minute later, however, Inuyasha managed to drag his friend down and push him back over the couch.

"Alright, everyone. I think our guest of honor has about had it for tonight," said Kouga. "Please finish your drinks and get the hell out of my house."

Seeing as it was nearing the small hours of the morning already, no one complained about the party ending. Using the stair banister as a prop, Miroku bid most of his guests good-bye and managed to rub a few behinds under the guise of being too drunk to know what he was doing. When Yoko hung around and didn't look like she was going to bugger off, Kouga politely escorted her to the door, ignoring her protests that Miroku had invited her to stay.

Finally, it was just Kagome, Inuyasha, Kouga, Ayame, and Miroku left in the house. "We can't leave the house like this," Miroku commented as he surveyed all the litter strewn across the living room and hallway.

"Only you would fake being drunk," said Inuyasha.

"I am drunk."

"No, you're not. I can tell," said Inuyasha, tapping the side of his nose. Miroku shrugged and grinned.

"I'll get a few garbage bags," said Kagome. "This shouldn't take too long to clean up."

"I hate cleaning," said Inuyasha and was seconded by Kouga.

"Too bad." Kagome disappeared into the kitchen and returned with two large garbage bags. She handed one each to Kouga and Inuyasha. "Kouga, I bet you can fill your bag before Inuyasha can."

"What the hell? I'm much faster than he is!"

"I don't know," said Miroku once he realized Kagome's game. "Kouga's really fast." The wolf youkai postured at having his ego boosted.

"Alright, you're on, mangy wolf," said Inuyasha.

"Prepare to be humiliated, mutt," said Kouga. They were off. Kagome, Ayame, and Miroku stood off to the side.

"Did you have fun tonight?" asked Kagome.

"Yes, I really did," said Miroku.

"I can't believe a girl actually accepted your proposal to sleep with you," said Ayame. "Unfortunately, Kouga made her leave."

"Good," said Miroku.

"Good?"

"She seemed like a nice girl. She deserves better than a one night stand."

"What if she's the one?"

"Believe me, she isn't."

"At the rate you're going, you should take what you can get."

"Now, now, Kagome. We discussed this earlier. I have the rest of my life ahead of me."

"According to you, that's only a few years," said Ayame. Miroku laughed.

"I'm really excited about our trip over break," said Kagome.

"That was an abrupt change of topic," said Ayame.

"Well, you can only talk about Miroku's love life for so long before you run out of things to say."

"I'm wounded, really."

"You're going on Inuyasha's dad's yacht?" asked Ayame.

"Yup. It'll be Inuyasha's whole family, me, and Miroku."

"Sesshomaru is going?" Ayame's eyes got a little brighter.

"Ayame," chided Kagome teasingly. The three friends were then accosted by Inuyasha and Kouga, each holding forth an overflowing garbage bag and breathing somewhat heavily.

"I won!" they shouted simultaneously. They immediately started arguing with each other.

"It looks like a tie," said Miroku. "Congrats, you're both morons."

"What?" Inuyasha glared at his best friend.

"Oh, shit. You guys tricked us," said Kouga.

"Huh?" asked Inuyasha.

"They made us pick up all the trash while they stood over here and talked."

Inuyasha thought about it a minute and then scowled. "Kagome!"

"You boys did a very nice job. I think the rest of it can wait until morning. Ugh, I have to get up so early. I have to work at the hospital tomorrow." Inuyasha and Kouga tied off their garbage bags and left them by the front door. The five friends made their ways upstairs. The birthday boy was the only one who went to bed alone, which was perfectly all right to him.

To be continued in Chapter Two: A Mocha for Here… enter Sango.

Please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Author's Notes: I'll admit that right now, Miroku is probably my favorite character in the series. It makes me sad when he's in stories and his character is no deeper than the resident pervert who's always getting slapped. Yes, he does that in this story (it is part of his character after all) but it's definitely not all he is. And after Chapter One, it will rarely happen.

This story is something completely new for me and its sort of an experiment. I have three main goals for this story:

1. To write a story where the focus is on a romance instead of an action/adventure plot.

2. To condense the story into longer chapters with less of them (this story will probably have about six to seven chapters and an epilogue) and to progress the plot with each chapter. (Those of you who have read some of my other stories will know that I have trouble with this sometimes.)

3. To write something that is working toward publishable. I've read books from editors on what they're looking for in novel to publish and let's just say I'm nowhere close. It's hard to change one's writing style drastically, so I'm hoping that I can ease through the transition. Some things I focused on in this story are using only said and asked as speaking tags (which I was not 100 successful on) and trying to convey emotion through dialogue and description versus saying, "She was sad."

I hope I'll be successful in some of these goals and get better with practice. Please let me know if you can see places where I've done well or could use improvement in reaching any of my goals.