Innocent Kisses in the Rain
The window, Kagome's house, outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, July 3, 2004
Kagome sighed, looking out at the rain from the kitchen table.
It was Saturday, and the rain wouldn't allow Kagome to spend it happily.
"Come out, sun…" She sighed and dropped her head back into the nest her arms provided.
"Would you like to help me make cookies, Kagome?" Came her mother's comforting voice, and Kagome looked up with a tired smile on her face.
"Okay, that sounds like fun." Kagome nodded and slid off the chair, taking one last heated look at the drops of water slithering down the glass surface of the window.
Following her mother to the kitchen counter, she was about to retrieve the eggs required for the recipe that was laid out on the table when the phone rang.
Kagome jumped at the sound, an hour of silence having turned any resonance into a phantom-like, unfamiliar noise.
She rushed to get the phone, reaction kicking in and relief at finally being active on Saturday putting an extra skip in her step.
"Hello?" Kagome asked.
"Kagome?" Came the gruff voice on the other end.
The rain spattered against the window.
"I-Inuyasha?" She asked, startled to hear his voice outside of school.
"Yeah, hi." He spoke brashly, but there was a nervous quality as well.
"What is it?" Kagome asked uncertainly, picking up on the hidden emotion in his voice and automatically becoming concerned for her friend.
"Can you meet me at the park?" He asked, his voice neutral. She was taken aback.
"Right now? I'm making cookies with my mom." She said, blinking as she realized she was unconsciously making excuses.
"It's fairly important, Kagome." There was a mocking quality in his voice for a second before he seemed to take it back. "Sorry…" He grumbled.
'For your tone?' Kagome wondered, but did not voice her confusion.
"It's raining outside." She protested half heartedly, involuntarily making another excuse.
"Kagome!" He sounded impatient. She had almost hoped he would invite her over to his house to talk… Where Sess---
"I can meet you at the park… I think." She spared a glance towards her mother, who's brow was furrowed, but she gave an uneasy nod, glimpsing at the fogged up window before turning back to the oven and the beaters.
"Can you?" He asked promptly. She nodded to herself, her resolution coming back to haunt her every time she spoke to him.
"Yes… Alright, I'll meet you there in twenty minutes." She cast a flitting look towards the ticking clock before returning her attention to the being on the other end of the phone line.
"Okay. I'll see you there." Inuyasha said gruffly, promptly hanging up the phone.
Kagome hung up the phone with a sigh and turned to her mother who was gathering ingredients for the cookies they were supposed to make together.
"I'll be home right away and help you with the second batch, Mama." Kagome assured her mother while pulling on her windbreaker.
"Shouldn't you wear something heavier than that Kagome? You could catch cold." Kagome's mother sounded worried as she surveyed her daughter.
"I'll be okay. Besides, I'll only be out for a little. I walk through the rain almost every day on the way home from school with only my white school uniform top and my book bag to protect me!" Kagome smiled and her mother smiled back.
"All right. Be safe, Kagome." Mrs. Higurashi told Kagome softly as the young girl opened and closed the door. Then she turned back to getting out the brown sugar.
Kagome dashed down the steps and pulled her jacket up over her head for protection. The rain beat hard against her back and she seemed to be breathing in air as thick as steam - but colder.
Her feet splashed the puddles of water and the liquid yielded to her shoes as she made for the park.
Inuyasha was waiting for her. He stared at her through the rising puffs of white and rain-color from the jumping drops after they hit the ground.
His hair was messier than Sesshoumaru's, she realized as she approached him. His eyes were not as piercing. He wore casual clothes and didn't bother to put on a sweater or a coat for the weather.
She stepped up before him and caught her breath, straightening.
The windbreaker was violet with plum or wine colored sleeves. She wore denim jeans and white shoes. She wore a sleeveless, loose orange blouse beneath the windbreaker, but it was not visible.
He looked her over and stepped closer. He opened his mouth to speak when she violently shook her head and water drops flew everywhere. More gathered.
"Come on Inuyasha, lets go underneath the slide." Kagome said above the spattering rain an he dumbly nodded his head as she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the huge slide.
When they were safely beneath the bright red slide, Kagome turned back to him with a brilliant smile and once again shook her head, and stifled a sneeze with her hand.
"What is it that was so important, Inuyasha?" She asked absently, wrapping her arms around herself to try and keep herself warm, and to give her hands something to do.
He automatically looked away and was silent. She blinked and a cloud of impatience slowly settled over her face.
"N-Nothing…" He stammered and the impatience was instantly darkened by the beginnings of anger.
"You didn't drag me down here in the rain, pulling me away from the promise of warm cookies just for nothing Inuyasha!" She cried out, a look in her eye like she was about to step forward and shake him - or strangle him.
"Okay!" He said and turned away, visibly biting his lip.
"Jeez Inuyasha. It can't be that hard to say." When he turned away she bean squeezing out her hair. He licked his bottom lip uncomfortably, glancing back at her as she was completely consumed by her wet hair.
"What I wanted to say… was…" He began, clearing his throat decisively but staying turned away from her.
She looked up and blinked. "Why won't you look at me when you talk?" She questioned, seeing his scarlet blush even from her stand point.
"Well, I was wondering… If you wanted to… do something…" He said lamely, a hand coming up to scratch his head in embarrassment.
"What? Like go to the movies or something?" She asked, a bright smile alighting her features as her voice peaked with energy and excitement.
"Yeah, something like that." He still mumbled, with the same nervousness, but now a clear percentage of the voice-emotions were labeled as 'shock'.
"That would be fun! We could ask all our friends to some too! What movies are out now?" She bubbled and he turned to look genuinely surprised at her.
"That's not what I meant Kagome!" He couldn't help but exclaim at her naiveté; he almost forgot what he was asking her.
"Huh? That's what you said a second ago…" She said, before the beginnings of realization dawned on her, the strange light sluggishly expanding over her face, into her eyes.
"Yeah, Kagome. I meant… alone. Like - would you… go out with me? Or something…" He looked away again, his arms folding over his chest protectively in case of rejection.
"I've never gone out with anybody before…" She began unsurely, and the words of Sesshoumaru resonated in her mind. 'The only thing he ever lost was a girlfriend, when he was too young to even know how to love…' He had had a girlfriend before.
"There's always a first time for everything." Inuyasha spoke hopefully, his eyes returning to her face as the rain provided background noise for the couple.
"W-Well…" She began, looking away with stormy brown eyes, uncertain. When she peeked up at him, his face flickered for a moment into Sesshoumaru's smooth, flawless face, and she mentally shook her head.
She had promised to be a better friend for Inuyasha, right? And if it made him happy… What was the harm in seeing a movie with him anyways? It wouldn't be so bad…
"O-Okay…" She said… But a feeling of deep regret settled over her before she masked it with an accepting smile. 'Nothing would ever com from a relationship with Sesshoumaru… how will I ever know now though? I can still be his friend… I'll just see what happens, okay?'
Inuyasha smiled at her and hugged her. She only drew back for a second before realizing what he was offering and fell into his embrace, sagging with emotional overload.
He let her go and turned to leave, contentedly.
"I'll… Talk to you later Inuyasha." She said weakly, and he waved in response.
She swallowed and burst into a run, trying to burn energy. She neared the shrine steps before she knew what had happened.
She slowed again. Everything seemed to be in slow motion.
"You took longer than I expected, Kagome, but I'm glad you're safe." Her mother said gently, finally turning to look at her daughter's ashen face and she automatically became worried.
"What's wrong Kagome? Are you ill? What was wrong with Inuyasha?" She moved to walk towards Kagome.
"It's all right Mama. I'll just be in my room, okay?" She said dazedly, heading for the stairs. She almost tripped, but didn't. Mrs. Higurashi's eyes clouded with worry and she looked out to the rain before the oven sounded, declaring the cookies finished.
She looked up to where her daughter disappeared and then resolutely began to shovel the cookies off the cookie sheet.
Kagome would tell her what was wrong in due time…
'Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru can be my good friends… Just because I'm with Inuyasha alone to a movie doesn't mean I like him more… It won't be forever… Just to make Inuyasha happy. I'm happy! Inuyasha is really nice…'