Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for this absurd adventure... especially for the one who's dealing with cultural differences. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.
Chapter 36: Wild Thing
Kagome gave the sizzling meat another quarter-turn and hoped her appetite would return soon. It had scared her half to death when Kouga disappeared for so long. Relieved as she was that the wolf-youkai hadn't drowned, she was annoyed. Maybe demons didn't have the same scruples, especially with regards to modesty, but if his nose was all he claimed it to be, then he knew she was uncomfortable.
Sighing, she twisted her aching upper arm to check the wound. Fang marks and dark bruises marred her skin, and she winced at the sight. This'll be a fun scar to explain.
Suddenly, a deeply tanned hand closed around her elbow, and she jerked in surprise. Kouga's firm grip held her still while he sniffed at the ugly gouges. When he pressed the tip of his tongue against raw flesh, she gurgled in dismay. He met her gaze quizzically, then his lips quirked. "Good as you taste, I won't make a meal of you. Already ate." He straightened, dropped the soap in her lap, gave the meat another turn, then sat next to his backpack... and sword. "You're lucky the hag wasn't poisonous. I was just making sure."
"Oh."
"Leave it open to the air a while longer. I'll bandage it before you sleep."
She only nodded awkwardly. Does he have any sense of personal boundaries?
Kouga had donned his pants, but his wet hair remained unbound. It hung in his face as he brought his tail around into his lap and began working his claws through the thick fur.
All the while she picked at her dinner, Kagome watched his methodical grooming... and reached an inescapable conclusion. In an intrinsically wild and entirely masculine way, Kouga was beautiful.
And her foolish response to that beauty frightened her more than he did.
End Note: This chapter was written for the Live Journal community fanfic(underscore)bakeoff and their Secret Ingredient for August 2011—Foolish. Posted on August 28, 2011. 300 words.