Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto or Fairy Tail. This chapter has been inspired by Forthright's Imperceptible, chapter 1.
Tea-time
The gang had hung out with Sesshoumaru after that. Maybe it'd be more accurate if they said Sesshoumaru hung out with them.
Kagome wondered what he did as a lord. If he was a lord, and a feudal lord, wasn't he supposed to have a castle and rule from there and collect tithes?
Instead, he seemed to roam these lonely forests rather aimlessly. Did he collect taxes from trees?
Anyway, they were still travelling east, from where rumors originated about the jewel shards. Sesshoumaru kept them company, and Kagome got more and more jealous of him.
Even in this horrifying humid heat, Sesshoumaru looked as pristine as before. His hair was silky and glossy, there were never any sweat patches in those heavy silks he wore, and he never seemed to tire of the trek. He just walked on, untouchable like gossamer and buried deep in his thoughts of how to get taxes from trees from trees, she supposed.
It was like having an ice flake in the middle of melted toffees. It. Was. Annoying.
Rin had adjusted remarkably well to the addition of their group. She often hung out with Sango and Kagome and played with Shippou, but as a few more days passed she took shy steps towards the monk, who lavished her with fairy tales and became fast friends.
Inuyasha didn't pay much attention to her, but when she presented him berries or flowers, he accepted them without complaint. Kagome, one day, spied him teaching her to identify edible berries.
Sesshoumaru spoke to Miroku, shot penetrating glares at all of them at times and generally kept quiet.
Inuyasha watched his elder brother warily, but they didn't really trade much insults either way.
Sango, had her eyes lit up at the mention of the other shard, and no matter how much she wanted to hide, they knew she was both hoping and dreading it'd be Khaki.
Miroku, seemingly extremely satisfied with new his new talking partner, kept his hands to himself, out of dignity or cowardice, she couldn't say. Sesshoumaru didn't seem the type to like lecherous monks.
It was rather peaceful, she supposed.
And she…she was just bored.
Days went by, and then, her condition dramatically improved or went down, depending on perspectives.
It was another of those hot days.
As the day faded, Kagome could see heavy grey clouds accumulate at a surprising pace in the northern reaches of the painfully blue-white sky.
As they, watched the clouds spread out and soon there was a soft grey blanket over their heads, and a cool wind stirring up the dust under their feet. There was that smell in the air, of relief and rain.
"It will rain," murmured Sango.
Within minutes the first drop hit Kagome's forehead, and the wind suddenly was much stronger, strong gusts and currents that pulled forcefully at their clothes and hair.
Kagome watched Sesshoumaru.
His silks fluttering and gusting in the air, his hair flaring out behind him like a white star, he looked almost painfully beautiful against the dark, stormy backdrop.
It was like watching a chiaroscuro.
Her train of thoughts was broken as the rain and wind got stronger. At first the cold rain was a relief against her overheated skin but once soaked, it was no longer fun. It was cold and uncomfortable.
They plodded along the muddy rice fields, feet encased in clay, Kagome watching the dark green paddy sway in the wind's rhythm, swelling and ebbing like a green ocean.
Fortunately, they found an abandoned peasant's hut in the middle of the road. It smelt like overcooked cabbages but really, nobody cared.
The men stood outside as Kagome and Sango changed, and toweled Rin's wet hair. The kid didn't seem to have any extra kimono, so Sango wrapped the girl up in an old yukata of hers. The girl smiled and shivered throughout.
Inuyasha entered first and shook himself like a dog, spraying water all over the place.
"Key", he mumbled, miserably" I'm all soaked."
"We know, you know", Miroku told him, voice heavy with irony, extracting himself from wet robes.
Kagome saw Sango staring at Miroku out of the corner of her eyes and smiled to herself.
Inuyasha, without the sympathy, of the other two, strode over to Kagome
"Hheh, Kagome," he began belligerently." I'm wet and I'm hungry and—
Kagome was already unpacking his ramen.
"It's okay. Inuyasha," she told him." I will get you some ramen."
He brightened up so childishly that it made her heart hitch painfully in her throat.
Sesshoumaru, she saw had settled himself in a corner, his hair in a growing puddle of water.
Once they had settled down, Kagome approached him quietly with a cup of tea in one hand, and her own cup of ramen in another.
"Sesshoumaru-sama", she said formally, holding out the cup of tea out to him.
Kagome liked to see people included. All these past few days, she had observed this demon-lord with them yet, never around them. Wondering how to get him in, she pounced on the first opening.
He looked like a water god, it was so unfair.
He looked at Kagome, and then extended his hand to take the tea-cup. Taking a sip, he seemed to relax.
"May I sit?" she asked him.
"Do as you please."
So, Kagome sat there, making a bit of small talk, to which he didn't reply anyway and watching Inuyasha and Shippou fight over ramen and Rin playing judge, and Miroku joking and Sango stealing covert glances at the monk. She noticed Sesshoumaru smelled clean, and like rain and thunderstorms.
"Thank you", he said at last.
She beamed at him.