Innocent Kisses in the Rain by AiVixen

Rainy Days

"Aaaaah! No! It's starting to rain!" She broke into a run as she pulled her backpack protectively over her head, her face contorted in desperation as the rain began to pour mercilessly on her unprotected body.

It was not that Kagome Higurashi did not like the rain, or the wispy gray clouds that streaked the sky and the heavy scent of the moist air that accompanied the sensation, but it looked as though it was going to lightening and thunder as well, and that frightened her.

She shrieked as she bolted through the sheets of raindrops, avoiding obstacles but almost tripping over the bench when she came upon her local park.

Her shimmering wet ebony colored bangs stuck to her face and the length of her hair fell in thick sopping dreadlocks almost to her shoulders. Her pale blue eyes were half shut and blinking rapidly against the gusting rain, her irises, normally the color of the blue sky closest to the sun, were darkening with the shadowed atmosphere. Thunder slapped and she almost fell over in surprise.

She ran up the shrine steps and ran to the back door, sobbing when she found it locked.

"Mom! Please open the door!" Her mom was supposed to know how terrifying excited rain was for her daughter!

The door opened suddenly and she stumbled inside, panting heavily but welcoming the warmer inside air.

"Kagome! You're wet! Go upstairs and change before you catch cold!" Her mother chastised her gently, giving her a shove toward her room as she took Kagome's backpack.

Kagome walked toward her room slowly, holding the stitch in her side. Her breathing was deep as she shut the door behind her, sliding down the wooden surface until she was sitting on the ground, her head buried in her arms.

The wet school uniform clung to her body indecently, but she didn't care much as numbness took her and she began to shiver uncontrollably by the door.

Finally rising, she decided to shed the dripping wet uniform and change into something more comfortable.

After she took the hottest shower she'd ever taken in her life.

Slipping the short black plaited skirt over her hips and the now transparent white fabric of her blouse, she took off her black shoes and tall white socks and then rushed into the bathroom across the hall. The water could be heard crashing into the tub and steam almost automatically floated into the hallway with the rising temperature.

*

It was not customary for the Higurashi household to be lazy bones and change into pajamas after school, but Ms. Higurashi allowed her daughter to, for this once, since she had had such an exhilarating run back home and was probably desperate for warmth by now.

Kagome walked down the stairs, decked in baby blue pajama pants (adorned with white moons and stars), the matching white tank top (with the "U" shaped navy crescent moon in the center), and a gigantic sweater the color of midnight blue almost slipping off her shoulders. Oh, and her white puffy house slippers. Kagome was comfy.

Her hair was blow dried and now fell warmly about her face, framing the richly tanned skin with the thick black locks, scratching her neck but falling barely below her chin. Her face was unmarred by makeup, her bright blue eyes shining glossier than any eye shadow, and her small pink lips curved up in a contented smile.

Kagome was only twelve years old as of last month, and was relatively short at 4'5". Souta, her little brother, was seven years old now and was still relatively sweet-tempered- but that would disappear soon enough!

"Soccer practice was cancelled today." Souta informed her as she bounced into the kitchen to help mom with dinner.

"Oh? Are you glad?" Kagome asked her little brother as she began putting away the dishes that her mom was drying.

Souta shrugged and turned back to his coloring book. Kagome smiled as she dashed over and hugged his head.

"Kagome!" Souta complained loudly, trying to uncurl her arms about him.

"You're so cute! I couldn't help it!" Kagome giggled and skipped back to her work, dutifully standing on her tip toes to open the cupboard and place the plats within.

"You're so weird." Souta sniffed, but he was naturally excited by her playfulness and abandoned his coloring book to go try to coax the cat, Buyo, into playing tag.

As soon as Kagome was done helping with the dishes, she jounced off to retrieve her backpack and do her homework.

"Dinner's in an hour!" Kagome's mom reminded her absentmindedly.

"Hai!" Kagome called back enthusiastically.

"Kagome!" A voice called to her and she halted in her tracks, looking over her shoulder curiously.

"Another belated birthday present!" Her grandpa called cheerfully, approaching her with a strangely-shaped object held lopsided within newspapers instead of birthday wrap.

"Ma, ma, it's okay Grandpa! I don't deserve so many gifts!" Kagome sweat dropped and backed away, her free hand moving back and forth in gentle refusal.

"It's really good this time Kagome! It's very rare and expensive!" Grandpa insisted, holding the creepy artifact out for her to take in front of him.

"I can't do it Grandpa! I'd feel like I was taking advantage! Truly, I would feel much better if you gave it to Souta instead!" With that Kagome retreated to her room at a mad dash, shutting the door and sitting against it in terror. Grandpa's birthday gifts were so abnormal and scary- next thing you know, he'd be giving her a mummified hand for her birthday!

"Ah! No, Grandpa, it's okay... I can't take a present because it's Kagome's birthday now!" Souta's young age did not cloud his wisdom, that's for sure!

The sky began to get dark outside Kagome's window but the rain still fell chillingly to the ground, swirling down sidewalks and gutters relentlessly, almost pulsing in its quantity.

Kagome hadn't finished her homework by the time Ms. Higurashi called everyone to dinner in an hour, true to her word. It was already 6:30 pm and she still had work left to do.

She sighed as she hopped down the thickly carpeted steps, walking sullenly to the dinner table.

It was only Monday.

"What are you doing tomorrow Kagome?" Ms. Higurashi politely asked.

"I've got swimming lessons right after school, so I'll be gone until five o'clock or so... But don't forget that on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I have Track practice!" Kagome exclaimed happily.

"All right, we'll be expecting you late then. What about you Souta?" Ms. Higurashi turned to her younger son.

"I'm going to learn how to write a long word tomorrow." Souta said matter of fact like, turning back to his rice greedily.

"That's very good." Ms. Higurashi nodded her head in soft approval as she also turned back to the evening meal.

'Is something going to happen tomorrow?' Kagome asked herself as she looked out into the swelling rain outside, the sky bleached hazy gray and the moon blotted angrily from view.