Innocent Kisses in the Rain
December 24, 2004
One thing you learned about Kagome when you met her was that her eye color was very indefinite and prone to change as easily as her mood.
When she was happy, her eyes fizzed and bubbled with the brightest autumn color, dancing and crackling and swirling with contagious and unconquerable joy.
When she was sad, her eyes were darker than black coffee, still as a ring of stale substance forgotten at the bottom of your coffee mug since morning.
When she was content, her eyes were the color of gentle bark, jagged only with flitting emotions of deeper but abandoned importance.
When she was nostalgic or lonely, her eyes were softened caramel, unseeing and distant, beautiful but untouchable. Untouched.
When she was angry syrupy distaste swelled like molasses beneath the cold, stern eyes and stared you down while she was ether painfully quiet or deafeningly loud.
When she was hurt... This was the worst color. This was the color of the sidewalk after an assault of harsh and unforgiving rainfall. Muddy, ugly, and self-demeaning. Even while she told you not to blame yourself.
Kagome was an odd creature.
She could hide nothing, and she could not lie.
Thus, when given a Christmas present, you could automatically determine whether you had succeeded or failed terribly and to what extent.
It was the reaction of her eyes that Sesshoumaru was suspiciously waiting for while she impatiently peeled the paper from the moderately sized box wrapped in blinding crimson paper and adorned with a matching (gigantic) ruby red bow.
He dared not blink, and he never ceased to stare while she pulled out the object within the disguising box.
White - fluffy - gold bead eyes - fuzzy silver wings - iridescent flames licking its heels...
Kagome's eyes sparkled and a smoldering color of golden brown when her eyes alighted on the gift - the winged dog.
He knew he had pleased her.
She could not lie.
He did not need to convince his edgy nerves to any further degree as a bundle of giggling happiness flung herself into his arms and thanked him a thousand and one times for the thoughtful gift...
It was the same one she had been looking at in the store only a week ago!
Did she think he did not know that already?
Foolish girl!
Kagome's mother snapped pictures while she danced about the room with the stuffed animal, as if all her life (instead of a prancing pony) she had been waiting for the day a flying stuffed dog would be delivered on her doorstep. Or something.
Indeed. It was every young girl's wish.
The look that lighted her eyes when he invited her to take a stroll with him beneath the hazy silver-gray sky, however, was more priceless than, perhaps, even the entire roll of film containing her ecstatic behavior upon receiving a mere addition to an already gigantic plushy collection.
She smiled as she donned her winter coat, warm cocoa eyes hidden by fluttering black eyelashes, dark pink lips against her darker complexion upturned in sincere contentment...
He checked himself when she took his hand, making sure he did not reveal an unpleasant emotion on his face...
Puffs of smoky steam dispersed into the chilled evening air as they trudged down the deserted streets.
Kagome was decked out in a pair of brilliantly red "Christmas-jeans" and a contrastingly black sweater decorated by bells and Christmas tree ornaments. Beneath it was a glittery green semi-shirt, the sleeves two fingers wide and rather flimsy. He couldn't fathom how she wasn't freezing even at this instant, but Kagome had always been a creature to wonder over.
Especially considering her navy blue "winter coat" she had oh-so-fashionably set over the aforementioned black sweater. That alone was enough to make you wonder. But the streets were deserted, so it was okay. Maybe.
Their breath puffed out in contented white wisps. The light snow blanket crunched beneath their boots (Kagome's were black with jingle bells attached to a red ribbon around her ankles.)
Her hair was tossed by the Zephyr every so often, the lengthening black locks frolicking in the cotton-thick air. Caressing her shoulder blades. Her hair no longer fluttered around her neck and brushed her shoulder, but lay across her collarbone.
Fourteen. She was fourteen now. He forgot that sometimes, but he had been to her birthday party.
"It's so quiet!" She exclaimed, then, bringing her arms up around herself, she followed the comment up with - "I'm so cold."
He grinned.
Her eyes were beginning to spark from jagged, contented bark to sleepy, dark cinnamon.
"Do you want to go home?" He asked, but she automatically and frantically shook her head 'no.'
"I want to stay." She said. And her eyes flew quickly to stubborn, shimmering Root Beer- chocolate in as fast as he could blink.
As they neared the park, Kagome slowed down suggestively. He followed her example absently, staring into the sky.
"Isn't it pretty without as many bright lights?" Kagome asked. "I sometimes wish I could go back in time. When it wasn't so modernized and. Bright. Artificial bright."
He nodded. It was what he wanted too. A deep tug - almost a longing. He... Longed for another time of starlight and moonlight and candles.
"Yes." He vocalized his thrumming, swelling opinion. Shaking his head, he swept the strange sense of nostalgia away.
They stopped near the swing set.
Kagome collapsed into one of the flexible swing seats after brushing off the powder snow that had found a home there.
Sesshoumaru followed suit.
Pushing herself back, she held the position for a moment, staring up at the crescent.
She let herself go. Creeeeeeaaaaaaak.
Kagome smiled and shut her eyes.
Swoosh.
Sesshoumaru watched her carefully.
How many stars do you think there are?" She asked suddenly. "In the sky, I mean."
He didn't seem startled by the question. Glancing up at the sky, he hesitated in silence for a fleeting moment.
In the moment Sesshoumaru had opened his mouth and seemed about to answer - the sound came.
Crunch. Crunch. HEY! Crash. KAGOME! Crunch-crunch-crunch. Want a peppermint? Yes! Grin.
Sesshoumaru did seem alarmed when Inuyasha and Souta came crashing down the street, Souta practically hanging off an agitated-looking Inuyasha, who was eternally the subject of Souta's greatest affections.
"Want a peppermint you guys?" Souta brandished around the foreign sweet with a vigor known only to those who were experiencing, for the first time in their life, a half piggy-back ride.
Souta laughed, and it was obvious that at some point, there had also been homemade mint chocolate to show for as well.
Kagome looked exasperated for a moment, then shook her head and tackled Souta for the remaining sweets.
Inuyasha stepped back, crossing his arms across his chest and scowling down at the writhing boy.
"Souta! Inuyasha! I told you guys not to bother them!" Kagome's mom was smiling widely as she said this, so the sternness did not extend far enough to upset them.
Kagome's mother loved noise and chaos, if only to organize it and be amused for its duration.
Grandpa was in Mrs. Higurashi's tow, grumbling slightly but probably appreciative of the cool winter wind after the unbearable heat of the house as its kitchen produced a thousand oven-cooked dishes in a single day, affectively reducing everyone to puddles of sweat.
Thankfully, they had opened the back door around noon so the house would be aired out by the time Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru came.
Inutaisho was going to come as well, but unfortunately, he was pulled away by business (even Inuyasha admitted that this was the first time it had ever happened.)
Thus, they had eaten, eaten, eaten, opened presents, eaten, looked in stockings, eaten, eaten, chatted, and so forth. A fun day, all around.
Kagome had kept the silly fuzz of a stuffed dog under her arm the entire time.
Now the entire family and guest unit was assembled at the park, Kagome glaring at Souta playfully while she swung out of his reach with the candy, Souta reacting accordingly, Inuyasha scowling in ruffled disdain, Sesshoumaru watching on in familiar amusement, Mrs. Higurashi complaining about the danger of the situation, and Grandpa giving a history lesson about how the peppermint was... Created? Discovered?
It began to snow heavier as the next half hour passed by. Kagome's mother and grandfather had headed back up to the house after an understanding that the party had to move back up to the house before it got too cold.
Sesshoumaru was now lounging on a swing, observing the snow contrasting against the gray-black sky.
Inuyasha was characteristically glowering from the top of the slide, where the thick arch protected him from the imminent snowflakes.
Kagome was chattering uncontrollably about... Everything. As usual.
Souta was having the time of his life and served as the entertainment of the late night, dancing around and trying to catch snowdrops in his mouth. Almost falling on his rear in the process.
It was only when the snow started accumulating and gusting that it became too cold to stick around.
The hike back to the shrine was interesting with Sesshoumaru and Kagome steering clear of the peppermint-hyper Souta and Inuyasha trying to escape the whirlwind that was constantly circling his legs, telling him about. Everything. It must have run in the family.
Upon ascending the steps, Kagome's mother told them to come in and drink some hot cocoa. This set Souta off again - thankfully towards the house.
Kagome entered and grinned up at Sesshoumaru, then at Inuyasha.
She threw aside her puffy coat but kept the sweater on as she accepted the warm liquid from her mother's hands.
Steam rose and fogged up the glass as the occupants of the shrine complex huddled around the table and spoke about. Everything.
The snow had turned into a swift blizzard and Kagome's mom insisted that the boys spent the night in the warmth of the Higurashi shrine.
After an intense glaring match, it was deciding that Inuyasha should get to bunk with Souta... And Sesshoumaru would sleep on the living room couch.
The lights had all been turned out and the house had fallen silent (except for the occasional exclamation from Souta's bedroom) - Sesshoumaru was sleepily staring at the sheeted ice on the window, and beyond that, the sky that was considerably lighter than the darkness he was currently shrouded in, when he heard the sound of soft footsteps down the stairs.
He was not startled enough to shoot up, but he did lazily eye the girl as she walked around his makeshift bed and struggled through the thick darkness to determine if he was asleep or not.
"Kagome?" The question was quiet and steady - as Sesshoumaru always was, but without the gentle ring it sometimes held when he faced her.
He was tired and his companion was presumably looking for a late night discuss-deep-philosophy-with partner... And Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if he felt up to it.
"You're awake?" Kagome whispered.
He nodded stiffly - then, realizing the girl was still finding the medium of transparency in the blackness, followed it up with a sure "Yes."
Kagome licked her lips and her eyes flew suddenly to the out looking window. Sesshoumaru was alarmed for an instant, thinking she had seen something, but quickly realized that she was simply finding something to do while he was sprawled across the only available sitting space.
With a sigh he checked to make sure she didn't hear, he sat up and scooted over. He supposed he would catch up on beauty sleep when he got back home. Apparently Kagome was a bit of an insomniac.
She sat down gratefully but still did not meet his eyes.
Deep philosophy discussion - now - he thought.
"Thanks for the stuffed animal." She said suddenly, and he was taken aback. Was she easing into it or was she truly just looking for a light chat while she tried to find a yawn?
His mother had sometimes come into his room late at night - especially when it snowed, and on full moons, because those were her favorite "Enchanted Things" - and asked him if he personally thought (now don't mind that I'm your mother - you're a strong boy with important opinions) about history and myth and dragons and animals that stood a hundred feet tall, protecting an exotic kingdom in an alternated dimension.
She asked him about fairytales and the Snow's Original Home and if there was a princess who lived on the moon with a sweet little rabbit... Mother had loved rabbits.
He was snapped out of his memories when Kagome spoke again: "I love white dogs. They seem so... Pretty. Surreal. Do you think?"
'Mother.' He sighed mentally. 'Discussion on the validity of magic and otherworldly attributes.'
He found himself answering thoughtfully, however, and nodding in reply to her question.
"They are." A ping of familiarity.
"Do you believe in destiny?" A flicker at the corner of his eye urged him to turn his head to the window. He could have sworn... The well house had flickered bubblegum-cotton candy in response to her question.
"Yes." He said simply, eyeing the smaller structure warily - suspiciously.
She nodded.
"Good night." She said then, abruptly.
He blinked.
"Good night." He agreed.
He turned over and disregarded the well's strange 'reply' to... What was it? Destiny. Discussions of destiny. Beneath the light of the moon and the pristine perfection of the winter snow.
He fell asleep before the pitter pattering of feet had lit upon the top step.
Destiny.