[Smells] Like Rain by Sassy C

Smells Like Rain

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim any rights to these characters. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

Note: Written in response to the Child's Play Challenge, "Rain, Rain, Go Away".

<<<<Smells Like Rain>>>>

“Smells like rain,” Kagome said in passing.

“Keh,” huffed Inuyasha. “Like a measly human can smell rain. Your senses are too weak!”

Kagome tightened her hands around the half-demon’s neck from where she sat on his back, her eyebrow twitching. “A measly human you say? For your information, anybody can smell rain!”

“If you haven’t noticed, genius, there are no clouds in the sky!” snapped Inuyasha, tightening his clawed hands around her thighs as he jumped high into the clear-blue sky and landed a few feet away. “And it hasn’t rained in weeks.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Kagome muttered. “With all the heat, water has probably collected in the atmosphere as perspiration. Its probably been building up all month.”

“Hn,” their silent companion finally intoned. Priestess and half-demon turned their attentions toward the powerful demon.

“You got something you want to say?” challenged Inuyasha.

“The priestess makes a valid point, little brother. There is an accumulation of storms to the east of us, heading our way,” Sesshomaru said in that emotionless, deadpan tone.

“See?” Kagome pressed and then she turned back to Sesshomaru. “Is it very bad?”

Sesshomaru turned his molten gaze away from the priestess’s cobalt eyes. “Shelter would be sagacious.”

Kagome pulled on Inuyasha’s ears gently as thunder rumbled across the deceptively clear sky. “Did you hear that, Inuyasha? Let’s go ahead and find a cave! We can catch up to Sango and them after the storm has passed.”

“We’ll keep going until it starts to rain,” argued Inuyasha. “We should try and get enough travel in while it’s nice out!”

Kagome’s eyes darkened in irritation and she turned her gaze beseechingly toward the now silent Lord of the West. When he seemed determined to not meet her gaze, Kagome sighed and buried her face into Inuyasha’s red haori as a suspiciously chill breeze brushed against her bare neck teasingly.

Not thirty minutes had passed when the clouds rolled in, darkening the small group’s surroundings. Large, heavy raindrops fell like bombs, exploding into a million pieces on contact.

“Inuyasha!” whined Kagome as she struggled to keep the half-demon’s haori close to her body.

Snarling, Inuyasha finally consented. “But I don’t know this area,” he said, almost guiltily.

“Hn,” Sesshomaru’s eyes darted up and down Kagome’s body in inspection before his gaze scanned the tree line. “Follow.”

He darted into the trees and Inuyasha followed, keeping a tight hold upon Kagome’s legs. Finally, shelter appeared in the shape of a narrow gap in a hillside. Upon closer examination, it was in fact an opening to a small cave. Kagome sighed in relief.

Sesshomaru stood beside the opening expectantly as Inuyasha dropped Kagome to the ground carefully. There was no room for both to slide into the cave together because the crack was so narrow.

“I’ll go first, then,” Kagome said nervously as she slid her yellow pack onto the ground. Although she held no doubts against Sesshomaru’s sharp senses, the thought of sliding into a constricted space without knowing what truly laid beyond made her warier than she would have liked to admit.

Pressing her back against the rocky wall, Kagome slid carefully into the gap. The heavy smell of dust and mud filled her nose and made her sneeze as she, literally, stumbled into the cave at last. The darkness made her squeak in terror and she scooted backward until her back touched another wall.

Inuyasha shortly followed, and then Sesshomaru. It became quickly apparent that the cave was snug – very snug.

There was just enough room for all three to settle onto the ground, and even then Kagome was forced between the two. Her shoulder pressed uncomfortably into Sesshomaru’s and she was filled with relief to find he had removed his sharp armor. Her other arm was resting on Inuyasha’s knee, but Inuyasha’s elbow pressed into her side.

“This is…cozy,” Kagome remarked sarcastically into the weighty silence.

“It is sufficient,” Sesshomaru droned.

She could tell Sesshomaru was trying to keep as much distance between him and her as possible. She turned to Inuyasha. “Inuyasha, let’s switch.”

“What? No! That’s impossible! I can hardly move without hurting you. Besides, you need to get warm. You’re chattering.”

Kagome looked at her hands before glancing over at Sesshomaru. Her eyes had gotten used to the darkness a few moments ago, and she could see Sesshomaru’s gold eyes staring back.

Gasping, the priestess quickly turned back to her hands, closing her lips tightly to keep her teeth from chattering.

After a few moments, Inuyasha stood. “I’m going to see if I can find anything in your pack to warm you up,” he said. Before Kagome could tell him not to, he slid into the crack and left Kagome and Sesshomaru alone in the small cave.

Stupid, stupid rain, Kagome thought to herself. Go away and bring back the sun so we can go on our way!

Suddenly, she was wracked with the most powerful chattering she had ever had in her life. Her teeth knocked and grinded against each other until she thought she was going to split in two from the sheer force. And then, suddenly it was gone – along with the cold.

Something silky soft brushed against her arms and tightened around her shoulders. It snaked behind her back and crossed against her legs, entrapping her in the most wonderful heating blanket ever imagined.

It took her a few moments to realize, as her chattering subsided slowly, that the blanket was in fact Sesshomaru’s Moko-Moko. Kagome patted the fur curiously before clutching clumps carefully in her fisted hands.

“Th-Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru,” she murmured as Inuyasha slipped back into the cave, empty-handed.

“Hn.”

“Everything’s soaked,” Inuyasha said as he settled back beside Kagome and wrapped one arm around her already covered shoulder. His eyes widened. “What the hell?”

“Lord Sesshomaru has kindly permitted me to borrow his pelt,” Kagome said softly.

“I can see that,” sniffed Inuyasha as his arm retreated from her shoulder and back into its previous position, his elbow burrowing itself right into Kagome’s side.

Kagome glared at her stubborn friend as Moko-Moko tightened itself, almost protectively, around her middle.

Stupid rain, Kagome thought, look what position you’ve put me in! Go away so that we may go on our way!

<<<<Chapter End>>>>