Another hot day merited another trip to the large, refreshing stream they'd been travelling along for the past few days. Unfortunately, it couldn't be such a simple affair. Inuyasha had been especially crabby in the heat but his desire to gather more shards far outweighed his need to cool down. The hanyou's reluctance made for one miserable fox and one irritated miko.
"Come on, Inuyasha, it's sweltering! Let's just take a break for a little while and then we can get right back to looking." Kagome tried to reason with him, but he was not one to be easily reasoned with. As expected, the stubborn half-demon scoffed rudely and turned his head in the opposite direction of Kagome.
"Yeah, right, you guys just went swimming the other day. We don't have time to screw around, you know." Inuyasha answered crudely. "Besides, didn't you say you could get an infection because of that weird jewelry in your gut?" He referred to the piercing she decided to get several months ago. Frustration held the fifteen year old in its grasp and refused to let go of her.
"It's done healing now so I can go swimming whenever I want as long as I clean it. Anyways, I think we can afford an hour. I'm not sensing any shards or demonic auras. What's the harm?" Still, her friend was unconvinced.
Miroku took the opportunity to lean towards the half-demon and whisper over his shoulder. "Yes, Inuyasha, what's the harm of seeing Kagome in her bathing suit a second time this week? What did she call it, a bikini?"
A blush spread across Inuyasha's face as he recalled Kagome's not-so-modest choice of swimwear. He was too wrapped up in the memory to pay any attention to the loud smack the monk earned. "You lecher," Sango mumbled under her breath. "It is awfully hot, though, Inuyasha. We could all use the rest, and I'm sure you could, too."
The demon slayer smiled at her friend, urging him to agree to the group's request. Feeling cornered, tired, and sweaty, he caved in. "Fine, but just one hour!" The humans, kitsune, and fire-cat all rejoiced in their own ways as they prepared for a well-deserved hour of total relaxation.
Kagome took Shippo down to the stream to swim again, donning her white bikini and showing off her now-healed navel piercing that had both Inuyasha and Miroku weak in the knees. Luckily, Sango and Kirara kept the monk occupied with the delicious futuristic foods Kagome had in her backpack. Inuyasha decided to sit quietly in the shade of a nearby tree, watching the lively miko splash about with the fox demon.
He allowed himself to smile at the sight. Seeing Kagome so relaxed and happy almost always made the hanyou feel better, even if he didn't show it all the time and wouldn't admit to it half as much. It was a welcomed distraction from the burden they all carried. With a small shrug, he let himself doze off to the sound of laughter and splashing.
In the stream, the kitsune pointed to the teenager's stomach. "Hey, Kagome, are you really sure it's okay to go swimming with that two times in just a few days?"
Giving him a gentle smile, she nodded. "One hundred percent, Shippo, it took a long time but it's good to go!" She flicked the small star charm dangling from the silver ring.
"What's it called again?" Shippo asked, tilting his head to the left much like a puppy. Before Kagome could answer, Inuyasha suddenly woke up from his nap with a start. "What's wrong with you?" Cried the kitsune. The question went without a response as the hanyou tensed up considerably and got to his feet. Any ounce of tranquility he possessed only seconds ago vanished abruptly, being replaced with an alertness that was so undeniably canine.
The monk and demon slayer noticed his uneasy behavior and also questioned it. "What's the matter, Inuyasha?" Miroku called out.
"I smell him." He growled while reaching for his sword. Kagome's blue eyes widened as she was quickly able to pick up on a strong, demonic aura. Inuyasha hastily turned his back on everyone else, Tetsusaiga drawn and facing the trees. A tall, familiar silhouette emerged from the forest with dignified grace. "Sesshomaru, just what the hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha shouted to his half-brother.
The daiyoukai glanced at his younger sibling and sneered in annoyance. "I am not here for you, half-breed. I'm here on business with the girl." Sesshomaru looked over Inuyasha's shoulder, disregarding the hanyou's confused uproar, to find Kagome thigh deep in the water wearing her little white bathing suit. He was a bit shocked to see her so scantily clad, even more so than she typically was, but not as surprised as he would have been in the past. Brushing her attire aside, he walked over to her, seemingly gliding, and stood at the water's edge, waiting. She didn't need to be told that he expected her to come forward so they could have an easier time communicating.
Taking a breath, she trudged through the water until she was ankle deep, leaving the nervous fox kit behind to stand before Inuyasha's intimidating, one-armed brother. "Lord Sesshomaru, what can I do for you?" She was a little timid as she wondered what the dog demon could possibly want with her. Not to mention, she was absolutely mortified to be standing in front of him wearing only her soaking wet bikini. I should have brought my cover-up.
"I need you to watch over Rin while I take care of business in the west." It sounded like he had more to say, but Sesshomaru found himself speechless as he looked down at Kagome and noticed a peculiar, shimmering object in her exposed navel. "What is that?" He questioned, sounding as perplexed as anyone had ever heard him.
Kagome blushed furiously and brought her hands together to cover her belly. Sesshomaru was satisfied to see that she did, in fact, have some degree of modesty. "Um," She started. "It's a bellybutton ring." The white demon only gave her a look urging her to further explain herself. "For, you know, bellybutton piercings." How would he know that?! She mentally added.
"Move your hands." Sesshomaru commanded. The red-faced miko almost objected but decided it would be best to just comply in this case. To her utter horror, Sesshomaru, Lord of the West, had actually bent down to inspect her bellybutton. Inuyasha didn't like that one bit, clenching one fist and tightening his grip on the Tetsusaiga with the other.
It didn't take much else for the half-demon to once again yell at his brother and readily point the demon sword at him, clearly expecting and itching for a fight. "That's enough, Sesshomaru! You get away from her, you hear me?!" The bellowing hanyou received a glare from Kagome before she wrathfully uttered those terrible, horrible words.
"Inuyasha, sit boy!" He came crashing down, face first into the earth. The scene went unacknowledged by the daiyoukai, who was still very much intent on figuring out why this girl had jewelry lodged into her skin.
"You did this by choice?" The inquiry was cool, and he poked at the little star charm as he asked, watching it move from side to side. Meanwhile, Kagome was fighting her instincts and trying not to shriek or slap his hands away. He was very well aware of this, being able to recognize the scent of embarrassment she involuntarily emitted, and would have smirked if he weren't so engulfed in the curiosity of the miko's navel. Not only that, but he could see plain as day how she fought against her trembling body to stay solid. Had he been anyone else, he would have been slapped for certain. Fortunately for him, he was not anybody else, and it was the sole reason she permitted him to continue.
The miko answered without falter. "Well, yeah, I thought it was pretty. Careful with it, though, please. It just healed completely a week ago." He stood back up, regaining his full height to tower over Kagome. The others merely stood by and watched the odd conversation between miko and daiyoukai while Inuyasha twitched in his well-earned crater. It was a similar discussion they'd had with their time-traveling friend months ago, but by no means was it anywhere near as tense and uncomfortable as this version was.
Sesshomaru questioned Kagome further. "You pierce your flesh for the sake of beauty?" If Kagome hadn't been paying close attention, the hint of skepticism in his voice would have gone unnoticed.
She put her hands on her hips before calmly explaining. "It's called body modification. Where I'm from, there are all different kinds of it. People get piercings and tattoos, but most people change the color of their hair. It's more common in younger generations."
Sesshomaru wanted to be disgusted by the concept and shame her for making such a drastic change to her body, but he could not deny that he was intrigued by it. He'd heard of people doing outrageous things to their bodies in other lands, but the way Kagome described all the different styles and variations made them sound truly beautiful. He permitted himself one more glance at her particular choice in body modification while she spoke. The teenager didn't seem to notice. Her observational skills always decreased whenever she rambled on about something, which was often.
Golden eyes fixed on the silver, star-shaped charm; Sesshomaru couldn't help but entertain the notion that the piercing did suit the girl, as did the bathing suit she wore. Concern flashed across his features for a brief moment when he thought of Rin asking when she might be able to wear such jewelry and clothes. As soon as the idea came to mind, he already settled that he would forbid such a thing from the child.
Kagome cleared her throat once she was finished telling him tales of inked flesh and the infinite ways ears could be pierced. Truthfully, she expected him to cut her off at some point to tell her how barbaric it was, but she was happy to see that he'd been quite attentive for the most part, even interested at times.
"So, you said you needed me to look after Rin for a while?" She asked him. For a moment, he had forgotten the entire reason he'd tracked down his brother's party in the first place. It was very unlike him to digress like that, especially over something so trivial.
Sesshomaru nodded once. "Yes, it is a trek unfit for a child and I need to take Jaken and Ah-Un with me. I know she will be in safe hands with you, despite your questionable sense of style." He teased her.
A small pout played her lips and he saw her blush from earlier threatening to make an encore. Oddly enough, the sight pleased him. The demon arched his brow and smirked as Kagome whined in defense. "It is not questionable! I like it."
He blinked slowly at her statement before cocking his head ever so slightly. "As do I," His statement caught Kagome's attention immediately, and was evidently more than enough to provoke the slight blush on her cheeks to make a shameless appearance. "I'll return with Rin by sunset."
The daiyoukai made to take his leave, but not without first offering Kagome a tiny smile she'd only ever seen him give Rin. Automatically, she smiled back at him while thinking to herself, did Sesshomaru just compliment me?
Despite the oddity of the two's chat, Sango and Miroku had long since resumed their meal of ramen and potato chips as though everything were perfectly normal. They knew that the demon lord would not be a threat to the group as a whole and let Shippo join their lunch after he dried himself off. Miroku, however, kept a wary eye on the exasperated half-demon in red the entire time Sesshomaru spoke with Kagome.
After the noble demon departed to fetch his ward, Kagome treaded onto land to grab her towel and dry off. Everyone else appeared to be quite content in their downtime and she smiled. Looking over her shoulder to where Inuyasha sat like an angry child, she beckoned him forward. All it took was a single leap and he was by her side in no time.
"What was that all about?" Hands folded in his sleeves, Inuyasha feigned disinterest.
"We're babysitting Rin. Sesshomaru will be back by the end of the day to drop her off." She informed him matter-of-factly so as not to leave room for argument. Needless to say, he didn't take the news as well as she'd wished as he all but threw a tantrum. "Inuyasha," Kagome sang his name. "Sit."