Innocent Kisses in the Rain
Chapter 6
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"The gods were so sad to see that an angel had turned into a demon in his thoughts that they felt they had to get him back. They sent another angel down to Earth to help him find his purpose in 'life' again - to help somebody (though nobody knew who it was) and to bring him back. The hardest part would be to find him, then to persuade him that she was telling the truth. They sent down another angel who was very sweet and kind and special. She could surely help him."
Kagome sighed as she walked home under the darkening sky, tired from a long day in school. It had been pretty hectic.
The streets roared with life; Kagome was walking the rest of the way home from the bus stop.
Inuyasha hadn't been at school that day so she hadn't had the chance to talk to him - or Sesshoumaru.
It got her to thinking how essential both of them were to a good day.
A wind whipped up Kagome's school uniform and she pushed her hair back behind her ears again, frustrated.
Their absence had made her strangely and abnormally cranky.
Kagome was coming upon the local park now. The huge slide and swing set loomed before her.
The first drip of rain hit her nose.
"No!" She cried, "not today! Why does it ALWAYS have to RAIN?!"
She burst into a run as the rain speeded up into bucketfuls upon her head. Her hair was stuck to her face so she didn't see the person saluted behind the hazy sheets of rain.
Until she flew into him, that is.
She shrieked as they both toppled head over heels, with her on top.
Her eyes snapped open and she stared down at the person beneath her and opened her mouth to begin her never ending apologies. The words slurred together and died out when she saw his face.
"Sesshoumaru-san!" She cried out as her eyes widened in shock. She hurriedly got to her feet and offered a helping hand up.
He was wearing his school uniform which, though wet and wrinkled now, still only complimented his 'natural beauty'.
He took her hand out of respect but pulled himself to his feet without her help; his weight might have pulled them over again. He was four years older, after all.
The rain beat down around them and Kagome flipped her hair out of her face again. She smoothed it against her scalp and tried to ignore the coldness around her as she faced the most beautiful human being on the face of the planet. The rain echoed in her ears as she tried to will words to her mouth.
After a few different ideas, she finally grabbed his hand and started running again.
"We have to get out of the rain or we'll catch cold!" Her decided phrase - it was supposed to make her sound sophisticated, educated, or organized. I don't know if she succeeded.
He smirked slightly as they sprinted through the mist of jumping water, her surprisingly keeping up and slightly ahead of him.
He didn't sicken easily. He could not remember a time that he was ill since he was only a child.
"… What're you doing down here anyway?!" Kagome yelled through the rain.
"I was going to the local shrine to buy a few good luck charms." Sesshoumaru answered back, amused.
"Really?!" Kagome asked as she nearly slipped.
"Yes. Why would I lie?"
"It's not that; I live at the shrine! I was wondering why you were so far out of your way! Your house is a couple busses from here, right?" Kagome puffed from the effort of talking as well as running.
"You live at the shrine?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"I told Inuyasha…" Kagome sputtered.
"I cannot trust Inuyasha to tell me anything." He nearly spat.
"Maybe he forgot? If he remembered, he'd probably tell you to try to persuade me to persuade my grandpa to give you a discount!" Kagome smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
He made no comment.
Finally they found themselves running up the shrine steps, panting from exhaustion and drenched with rain.
Kagome flew through the door with Sesshoumaru fast at her heels, and slid to a stop just inside her door. He almost bumped into her.
"Kagome! Thank heaven you're home! I was almost worried - Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Kagome's mother, may I ask your name?" Mrs. Higurashi's face flashed first with relief, then confusion, then unconditioned kindness as she looked over their 'guest'. Her emotions played on her face so evidently, just like Kagome's, for the whole world to see.
"I'm sorry for my intrusion, Higurashi-san. My name is Tsukino Sesshoumaru." Sesshoumaru bowed deeply in respect and his hair flung drips of water on the floor as he righted himself.
"It's nice to meet you, Sesshoumaru." Mrs. Higurashi smiled friendlily.
"Sesshoumaru intended to buy a good luck charm at first but when the rain came down all of a sudden we had to run for cover. Maybe you should stay here awhile Sesshoumaru." Kagome's accepting smile matched her mother's.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru, stay. I'll go make tea and tell Dad that you brought a customer." Mrs. Higurashi smiled again and hurried out of the room.
"Souta, would you please bring me a couple of towels!" Mrs. Higurashi called as an afterthought as she walked away.
The sound of feet meeting ground was heard and soon they were greeted by a small boy who appeared in the room with two large fluffy towels.
He froze for a second and seemed to survey Sesshoumaru.
"My name is Souta." He said finally, after Kagome commanded through chattering teeth for him to give them the towels.
Kagome took them and passed one to Sesshoumaru, who thanked her softly before letting down his hair and drying it tentatively.
She looked on in awe before she remembered her own growing clamminess.
She rubbed down her bare arms and legs and squeezed out her hair. Souta had quickly lost interest and wandered away, after receiving a soft greeting and reply from the usually quiet Sesshoumaru.
That was when Grandpa had sidled in holding a box of the shrine's good luck charms and had begun explaining the depth of their 'magical influence' to Sesshoumaru, who was nodding and listening as if genuinely interested.
Kagome had ran to help her mother, telling Sesshoumaru that she'd be right back and having the look of long suffering on her face. She'd obviously heard her grandfather's explanation on good luck charms many times before.
She soon came down balancing a platter of three tea cups in her arms, smiling as if pleased with herself.
Grandpa had wandered into the subject of their family history and all the preposterous stories of her ancestors. Sesshoumaru still looked intent on listening so Kagome politely interrupted Grandpa's rambling to offer them both tea.
Sesshoumaru nodded and gratefully took the steaming cup of tea from her.
Before Grandpa could start talking again she launched herself into idle, friendly chatter toward Sesshoumaru, rain serving as a background sound, softly.
"Will your father or mother be worried, Sesshoumaru, dear? You could use our phone if you'd like…" Mrs. Higurashi popped her head into the dining room curiously as if she had just offhandedly remembered it.
"My father is at work right now and… I have no mother or step-mother to speak of… Inuyasha will not care for my absence." Sesshoumaru said all this in monotone, though he lowered his eyes when he spoke of his mother.
"Oh, all right then darling. I didn't know, so I am sorry. I asked because I would be very worried if I didn't know where my Kagome was during the day… She has no father either…" Mrs. Higurashi said gently, though Sesshoumaru found himself warm instead of disgusted by her sympathy.
He glanced at Kagome, who's eyes were downcast as well.
This was a true family, even without a father.
Mrs. Higurashi walked out of the room with the parting reminder that supper would be soon and Sesshoumaru was welcome to stay.
Grandpa rose and announced that he had some chores he wanted to finish before evening's shadows fell, so Sesshoumaru hurriedly paid Kagome's grandfather for three good luck charms.
Silence fell over them except for the rain and the sound of cartoons on low.
"So… Why do you need good luck charms, anyway?" Kagome asked cheerfully - almost too cheerfully, breaking the awkward silence between them.
Thunder crashed and Kagome jumped before they threw themselves into the new conversation with evident relief. Sorrow was hidden behind both their falsely content or cheerful facades as memories were held tightly in secret, not trusting them out of their reach.