Venturing Between the Pages by MontiK

Dishabille

A/N: before drabble night was over I had to run off to bed so I have prompts but not all the bits finished. I gotta run for work now but I'll post 4 more tonight. Please excuse any errors/typos I haven't had a chance to edit this yet.

*Prompt: Dishabille

Their arrival back into the town on the outskirts of Inuyasha’s forest was welcomed, the villagers received them happily after their month long voyage. After the defeat of Naraku and the destruction of the shikon it was found that Kagome was no longer able to traverse time through the Bone Eater’s well. In light of this the group went about searching for a way to either reopen the well or find another way for her to return home.

 Though she loved her friends in the feudal era like a second family she still felt out of place, and since she had expressed her wish to leave before attempting to go and failing all of her friends knew it was not her wish to remain with them. This made thing awkward in their group and a little strained, especially between Kagome and Inuyasha since she turned him down romantically.

Dropping her bags near the fire-pit Sango was building Kagome began to rummage through her things. As Inuyasha spotted her dragging out her bathing things he spoke up.

“Why don’t you wait? Somethin’ smells off out there.” His nose twitches and both his triangle shaped ears were pointed forward.

Curiously Kagome looked in the direction his ears were pointed, “What is it?”

“I smell a hot spring,” he answered gruffly.

There having never been a hot spring anywhere near the village, only the cold water stream Kagome usually bathed in, this was a strange development indeed.

Tired and not looking for an argument Kagome sighed and wearily stood, holding her towel and bathing supplies she altered her course toward the hot spring, “I’ll go check it out before I go to take a bath.”

In the past month Inuyasha started many arguments about Kagome’s ability to take care of herself, and many times since he’d been proven wrong on his assumptions. After a few times of being painfully subdued with shocks of purification powers (as his necklace was removed be Kikyo just before her death) he’d learned to stop mentioning his degrading thoughts altogether. He huffed before sitting back down near the fire but one ear stayed cocked toward Kagome’s direction.

Careful steps led Kagome across the forest floor and soon enough she found the strange hot spring. It was perfectly round with large smooth stones lining it and the water was crystal clear. All the things about it spoke of the welcoming embrace of it’s warm waters. Moving further to investigate Kagome dipped her fingers tips into the water. It was the perfect steamy temperature for a warm relaxing bath.

Suddenly feeling no longer apprehensive about such a strange a occurrence of a new spring after three years of one not being there Kagome felt the urge to use it, feeling to weary to turn down it’s warmth or walk all the way to the spring for a not-nearly-as-nice cold bath.

Disheveled, dirty travel clothes in sore need of mending crumpled to the forest floor to be replaced by a threadbare towel, one of her few remaining things from her era.

“It’s alright Inuyasha!” Kagome called, knowing his hanyou ears would catch her voice even so far away.

As she kneeled to slip into the water her carelessly wrapped towel slipped from her body into the water, “Stupid towel,” Kagome grumbled sourly.