"Mhm, Kagome!" Shippo nearly shouted, shoving yet another foreign food into his mouth that Kagome had brought freshly cooked from home. She smiled as she mimicked the action, though with far less enthusiasm than Shippo. She was simply happy they all seemed to enjoy the almost feast she'd carried with her.
"Thanks for the ramen, Kagome." Inuyasha muttered through a full mouth of noodles, specially cooked just for him. Though Kagome swore that more than once she'd said she'd never bring food for Inuyasha again due to his lack of gratefulness, she'd somehow managed to prepare a meal separate from the other's that she hoped he'd like. Ramen mixed with both chicken and fish fillet, and certain spices to render a mouth watering taste for the hanyou.
"You're welcome, Inuyasha." Kagome couldn't help but speak with perhaps a bit too much eager enjoyment.
"Yes, this is very delicious." Miroku hummed, Sango following suit with her own words of gratitude just after.
A silence fell over the group then, a comfortable quietness as they filled their bellies. As usual, however, it didn't seem to last too long.
"You guys, look!" Shippo pointed one very small, very short finger up at the sky behind his friends, who with mouths still filled with food looked over their shoulders in convenient unison.
"That doesn't look good," Inuyasha mumbled, slurping down his last noodle with narrowing golden hues.
"It most certainly does not." Miroku nearly sang, turning away from the quickly darkening sky to pop another small sushi into his mouth.
"Miroku." Sango growled, smacking Miroku upside the head with sudden force.
"Okay, okay," Miroku sighed, defeated, and rubbed the side of his head. He stood and dusted himself off. "I'm incredibly grateful for your food, Kagome, but I fear something has come up."
The entire group stared at Miroku in near disbelief, and an audible sigh left Sango as she with the others stood as well.
"I smell somethin', and it ain't good." Inuyasha ignored the comical relief, turning to face the sky that beyond the height of the trees was now a solid black, rushing towards them with strong gusts of winds. Kagome stood naturally just behind him, shining locks of black hair beginning to blow with the wind, everyone else's shortly following.
Below them, Kirara mewed before flames engulfed her, and once dissipating revealed a marvelous demon cat. Sango jumped on her back, pulling Shippo with her and Miroku silently climbed on behind Sango.
"We'll go try to find what it is." Sango's determined tone was all that was needed for Kirara to make her move, jumping effortlessly from the ground and disappearing in the distance.
"What do you think it is?" Kagome asked, hands clasped together in front of her chest as she watched the clouds seemingly grow, lightning ripping through them and a thunder, deep and roaring rumbling the ground beneath them.
"Feh," Inuyasha scoffed, looking over his shoulder at Kagome, "Looks like a lousy storm to me, but there's a scent with it that smells like dead bird. Come on." In one swoop he had Kagome on his back, clawed fingers gripping her thighs underneath her skirt. He squeezed her reassuringly, a habit he had formed recently before hoisting them into the trees and running towards the intimidation looming just ahead.
–
The wind blew Kagome's hair harshly behind her, the trees surrounding them beginning to whistle with leaves and limbs both colliding with one another.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled, just to positively be heard over the harsh wind. "I sense a jewel shard!" She tightened her hold around him, the scent of him nearly overwhelming her nose and causing a slight blush to form on her cheeks, heat rising into her face. She attempted to shake it off thereafter, hating the random feelings for Inuyasha that nearly drowned her at times.
"Where?" He shouted back, refusing to take his eyes off the tree bark flying by them, his bare feet easily gripping each branch and launching them off all within a second.
"I'm not sure exactly," She placed her lips closer to his erect ear, "To the right for certain!"
With that, Inuyasha began hopping from tree to tree in an angle, towards the right, and he smirked with the thought that his wench was correct. The scent of decaying bird grew stronger with each step they took.
An unexpected screech suddenly filled the air, so ear-bleeding that he stopped before jumping to yet the next tree, Kagome's hands instinctively covering her own ears with a wince. Inuyasha's ears pinned back against his silver strands, a sharp growl escaping his throat as he bared fangs towards the scent that now approached them.
"Who are you?" The voice was high pitched, feminine but surely male. A sudden gust of wind nearly blew Inuyasha from the branch he stood on, but his feet held firm, Kagome releasing her ears to hold on tightly to her hanyou.
"Shouldn't I be askin' you that question," Inuyasha replied with a certain disgust in his tone. Judging by the fact the demon had been within the foliage, he was sure that the other's must be safe, still searching for the enemy he and Kagome had already found.
"No," A giggle erupted, disrupting the air surrounding them and Kagome released a soft sound of pain, one hand releasing Inuyasha to again cover an ear. "You'll be dead before you can find out."
Another rush of wind slammed into them, Inuyasha's feet giving way and a scream fell from Kagome's lips as they lost the branch beneath them. They fell at a speed that would certainly kill them if they were to hit something, briars licking at their skin, and Inuyasha could already smell the blood of his miko. Without a second thought he reached out, grasping the next branch flying by them. A deafening pop echoed through the air, and pain escaped through his lips, but he held on, for the life of Kagome.
"Inuyasha!" She shouted, shock pouring into her expression, eyes wide and arms tight around his neck. "Are you okay?" Kagome escaped immediately after, not even saving breath.
"Yes, climb onto the tree." He grunted, voice layered with discomfort though he'd be unwilling to admit it. If he fell, he wouldn't have Kagome fall with him. Falling, however, was not an option. He could not leave her unprotected in this forest, with whatever that foul stench carrying demon was.
"Are you-" She began, but was thoroughly interrupted.
"Yes, now." He seemed to command, though it was just his tone. Kagome understood and nodded, a resolve in her expression.
She climbed, hoping that she did not hurt him, up Inuyasha's back and grasped the tree limb he held onto, seeing the sharp claws of his hands were dug into the wood. She gulped at the sight, knowing he must be in pain, but continued. Kagome lifted herself onto the thick bridge of wood and refused to look at anyone, or anything, but Inuyasha. If she were to painstakingly catch sight of their height, she was sure to lose her balance.
"Oh, you wish to protect that pretty girl of yours, hmmm?" The voice hummed, unnecessarily loud through the brush.
"You stay the fuck away from her!" Inuyasha shouted, anger coating his voice with ease. "I'll kill you!" He began to lift himself with just one arm, then allowed the other to grip the bark as well, wincing with an angry, guttural grow emitting from his throat as he attempted to pull himself up.
"We'll see about that, eh?" The voice questioned, however closer than it had ever been now.
Kagome's eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder, winds beginning to rise once more, her hands unconsciously gripping the wood tighter. She felt the slight weight of her arrows on her back, deciding with a determined narrow of eyes that she would fight this battle. Her hanyou was hurt, one arm perhaps even out of socket. She stood against the wind, uncaring of the many feet beneath her.
"Kagome," Inuyasha hissed as he lifted himself, chest now over the bark. "What are you doing?" He questioned, but within those words he was pleading desperately for her to stop.
"I won't let him hurt you," Kagome positioned her bow then, quickly removing an arrow.
"You think you can hurt me with that?" Emphasis on the final word, the demon was approaching now. Large wings hardly fitting through the immense shower of trees. His face was entirely distorted, eyes similar to that of a human's, but a beak half crooked in place of what could have been a human nose. His body was that of a man's, slender, but without arms. Instead wings of a nightly hue adorned his back, and his feet were bare and clawed.
"Yes." Kagome replied simply, aiming and without a moment's hesitation, releasing her bow. A color similar to that of the sacred jewel surrounded the arrow, adorning it with a powerful aura. The creature's eyes grew unnaturally large at the sight before an anger rushed his expression, one wing hanging back before throwing itself forward, releasing a blow of air so strong that it threw both Kagome and the arrow from their original positions. She fell.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, having just finished his climb onto the branch, arm nearly feeling as though it were out of socket but would heal with just a few extra moments. "You bastard!" He shouted at the demon, before jumping, unafraid, through the greenery.
"Inuyashaaa!" Kagome screamed, briars again nipping at her skin as if attempting to become part of her, slashing at her face, her arms and bare legs as her skirt flew up with the wind. She could see red flashing through the leaves, but not quite making it in time as she slammed into a branch not nearly thick enough to hold her for long, but just hard enough to knock her unconscious with the blow to her head. Her body began to turn, not able to hold itself on the thin wood, but just before she could fall, she was swept into Inuyasha's arms.
An intolerant growl built deep in his throat as his eyes traced her body, blood in thin streams releasing from each briar mark. "Kagome." He whispered harshly before placing her gently against him, looking up before jumping in that direction. This demon was ordinary, or perhaps even less. Only strong due to his power of wind, and Inuyasha had an inkling even that was simply due to following a powerful storm. Without it this demon would become nothing. Just the same though, he would become nothing, because for hurting his miko the way he'd just done would present him with a gruesome death.
"Coming back for more, hmmm?" The creature's voice boomed, gusts of wind throwing Inuyasha's hair every which way, but it would not distract him.
Inuyasha sat Kagome opposite of the wind, a large tree protecting her from the gusts and after reassuring himself that she would be fine, jumped from the limbs to finish off the demon. A threatening scowl held tight to his expression, fangs bared in anger as he sifted through limbs, honey eyes narrowed towards his destination.
"Shut up!" He shouted over the wind just as he burst through the foliage, Tessaiga lifted high above his head. Easily his body found itself above the demon, and allowing him no time to defend himself, threw Tessaiga with undeniable force down upon him.
A deafening screech left the bird, wind lifting and circling he and Inuyasha as his back arched in pain. Lightning struck several times around them, slicing through trees, thunder causing the earth to tremble. As blood spewed, Inuyasha quickly sheathed Tessaiga and dove downward, back towards his miko. In one swift movement he held her in his arms, squeezing her close against his chest as he continued his downward run through the trees and away from the storm.
"I-Inu…" Kagome began, lifting her head to the strong jawline of her hanyou, eyes gazing at his determined expression.
"Not now, Kagome." Inuyasha breathed, seemingly angry with her, but there was an expression she could not quite read painting his face. She closed her eyes and rested against his chest, attempting to hear the heartbeat of the half demon carrying her.
Finally they touched ground where they had previously been eating lunch in peace, Inuyasha glancing over his shoulder as if to make for certain the storm had blown over. It hadn't, but had dissipated some and the wind uncontrolled now carried it the opposite direction.
"Hmph," His arms slid from Kagome, allowing her to stand on her own feet. "Whaddaya think you were doin' out there, idiot?"
Kagome blinked, staring at him in confusion. "What?"
"You don't have to protect me like that!" He nearly shouted, aggravated, "You almost got yourself killed out there, Kagome!"
Again, Kagome blinked, standing in silence for a moment. She realized now that he was angry with her, yes, but he was angry because she almost died. He almost lost her. Unable to stop herself, a smile pulled at the corner of her lips.
"Inuyasha…" She lifted a finger to her lower lip and tapped it, eyebrows raising. "Are you saying you care?"
Inuyasha's eyes widened, cheeks flushing a deep pink before he quickly folded his arms over his chest, turning away from her stubbornly. "Shut up, wench."
"Well," She chimed, a happiness flooding her chest unlike any other. Kagome hadn't even realized the several cuts on her arms, the blood dried on her face. "That's okay." She leaned forward, pinching the corner of a soft, white ear and tugged it playfully.
"Are you two alright?" Miroku called, before curiosity doused his face. "Are they…" He whispered, dramatically placing a hand over his mouth and leaning closer to Sango.
"Do they even realize what they look like right now?" Shippo questioned, lifting a finger to point at Inuyasha and Kagome, an incredulous look on his face.
Too distracted by one another and emotions, they'd forgotten already what their bodies had endured. Both of them adorned briar cuts on their skin, their clothing torn in various places, hair completely disheveled and dirt stains in assorted areas. Instead of being concerned with that though, Kagome was laughing wholeheartedly, dancing around Inuyasha, attempting to tug at his ears while he swiped at her.
"Well," Sango sighed, a kind smile decorating her face. "At least they're alright."
Kirara gently landed near the half demon and human girl, and laughter erupted from the three of them on her back as Kagome finally got a hold of an ear, giggling herself.
"Inuyashaaa…" She sang.
"Damnit, wench!"