InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ His Gift of Protection ❯ Where There's Smoke ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of  their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.
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Originally posted to The Inuyasha Fanfic Contest on June 11, 2012 for Prompt #288 Smoke. Won 2nd place.

Title: Where There's Smoke
Author: ananova
Rating: K+
Prompt: Smoke (The Inuyasha Fanfic Contest)
Genre: Friendship/Hurt/Comfort
Word Count: 1024
Summary: Inuyasha discovers Kagome's fear.

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Kagome watched the smoke rise above the campfire and shivered as she sat curled up into a ball on her sleeping bag beneath a tree. She could see the others laying out their own blankets near the fire but couldn't bring herself to move closer. A familiar weight was settled onto her shoulders and she looked up into Inuyasha's gaze.

“You alright?” he asked. She nodded. “Come on, let's move you closer to the fire. It's gonna be cold tonight.”

Kagome shook her head. “N-no! No, right here is fine, really,” she insisted at his incredulous look.

Inuyasha looked at her and then back at the others, gathered around the fire. He snorted before he sat down next to her. “Wanna talk about it?”

“There's nothing to talk about. I'm just not cold,” she lied through chattering teeth.

“Feh! Like I'm really gonna believe that.” He adjusted his haori around her, making sure it covered her completely.

“Okay, fine. I am cold. I just don't want to move closer to the fire.”

“Why not?”

Kagome's eyes drifted to the fire in question as she thought about the answer to his question. Watching the smoke rising above it, another shiver escaped her, this one having nothing to do with the cold. A strong arm wrapped around her, pulling her back to rest against a firm chest and she sighed. “I guess I've had my fill of fires for the moment.”

Inuyasha watched as her eyes, though looking in the direction of the fire, grew distant, obviously seeing something other than a simple campfire. “I never used to be afraid of fire,” she started to say. “I mean, I had a healthy respect for it, knowing it could seriously injure or kill but I was never really afraid of it.” She laughed slightly. “Guess that's what happens when you don't see too many of them growing up.”

Her face quickly became serious. “But since coming to this time, there's just been so many. First it was Yura, trying to set me on fire. God that seems so long ago. That whole thing with the Soul-Piper and nearly being dragged to hell. The temple, even though I don't remember it, having been unconscious and all. But hearing about how I nearly died in that fire...” she trailed off shivering.

Inuyasha tightened his grip on her, partly to comfort her but mainly to reassure himself that she was still with him. That was a memory he could do without. He had come so close to losing her, had believed he actually had lost her.

Kagome noticed. “I'm sorry, I know you don't like hearing about that. I think that's part of what makes it so scary. Your reaction to it tells me just how close it was.” She leaned her head against his shoulder. “But the worst was Renkotsu and knowing that you were facing him, alone, without your protection because you had given it to me.”

“What scared me was that it might not be enough to protect you,” he whispered, unable to meet her gaze.

It was Kagome's turn to offer Inuyasha an encouraging squeeze.

He sighed. “Come on, you can't stay over here all night. There's no danger here. It's just a campfire.” He tried to get her to move closer to the fire. “Look, just sleep with your back to the fire so you don't have to look at it. But you need the warmth.”

“It's not just the fire. I know that it's just a campfire, that as long as I don't get too close it can't hurt me. I can avoid looking at it, but the smoke...” She shuddered. “I smell the smoke and I'm transported back to those other fires. I can't smell the smoke from here.”

Inuyasha couldn't think of a response to that. How could he make her face her fears like that, by herself? She would be trying to sleep and the scent of the smoke would only increase her fears, resulting in nothing but nightmares. He looked at her and his eyes took in how she was holding his haori tightly around herself. “Keep my haori, it will keep you safe from any fire. You know that, so you should be able to sleep, knowing that it is protecting you.”“No, Inuyasha,” Kagome shook her head. “It's your armor. Part of my fear is that you will be hurt because I'm wearing it to protect me from the flames. It seems like every time I wear it to protect me from fire, you get hurt.”

“But I want to protect you. I don't care if I get hurt. You're more important.” He finally shifted his gaze to stare intently into her eyes.

Kagome swallowed hard at the emotion visible there. “I know, but I don't want to see you get hurt either. You are important to me.”

“Kagome,” he whispered, one hand lifting to gently cup her cheek after brushing the hair back from her face. He watched as her eyes closed in pleasure, then he readjusted the haori, tying it snugly around her.

“Inuyasha?” Her eyes shot open as he pulled her into his lap, nestled against his chest.

“Feh, if you won't move closer to the fire, then I gotta keep you warm right here.”

She smiled, snuggling closer to him as she became drowsy with sleep, knowing that he would keep her safe. “This is nice,” she mumbled. Her hand came to rest on his bare arm where the sleeve of his kosode had rolled up slightly and she frowned sleepily at the cool flesh. “Too bad your haori isn't big enough for both of us, then you wouldn't have to be cold either.” Her thoughts fled then as she succumbed to sleep.

Inuyasha stared down at the girl in his arms before looking thoughtfully at his haori. Next chance he got he would have to hunt down Myouga-jiji and ask the old flea some questions.