Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire by Sereia

Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

Prompt: Enemies to lovers, Kagome is injured, "I didn't realize you had it in you." "What?" "To care for another person."

..::**::..

The attack had come out of nowhere.

Kagome dove for cover, fiery arrows whizzing by her face and landing on the hut behind her. Half the village was engulfed in towering flames, thick black smoke choking and blinding her.

Which way was out?

The children were safe, she'd made sure of that, but there were still villagers running around, their screams of fear piercing the air. Plans had been put in place, exit routes practiced, but chaos reigned harder than the barrage of projectiles.

It hadn't helped that the attack had come a week early.

Kagome covered her mouth, staring bleary-eyed through the smoke and embers. Sucking in as much air as she could, the miko turned away from the flames. She wasn't sure if everyone had escaped, but if she didn't leave now, there was a good chance that she wouldn't survive herself.

The villagers knew there was nothing they could do to stop the attack—even with the fall of Naraku, there were still those that sought power and prestige. And they knew instilling fear by attacking places willing to house hanyou was the best place to start.

As Kagome neared one of the larger huts, the wind shifted, causing load-bearing beams to collapse under the strain. She wasn't able to move in time to avoid the falling debris, and burning wood caught her in the ribs, sending her flying. Air left her lungs when she landed, and Kagome was left gasping for air that didn't exist.

Fumes filled her lungs, each cough sending pain shooting through her body as she struggled to right herself, rocks cutting into her hands and knees. Steeling herself even as blood dripped down her fingers, Kagome rose to her feet, senses reeling. Searching.

If she could find some wildlife, it would be a good indication of which direction she needed to head in. She wasn't that far from the edge of the village, was she?

"Over here! I found one!"

Cursing under her breath, Kagome turned and fled, gravel crunching under her shoes as she tried to avoid solid objects. More arrows whizzed by, cutting into robes and flesh, forcing her to use reiki to heal instead of defend. Her fear was palpable, but she pushed it away, willing her instincts to aid in her escape. To find somewhere safe.

Instead, they ran her right into a wall of muscle. Teeth and nails sunk into skin as Kagome braced herself, managing to stay upright before pivoting to run in the other direction.

An arm caught her around the waist, preventing her from escaping. Animalistic snarls erupted as the miko fought for release, reiki sparking from her hands as she clawed at her attacker's face.

Always go for the weakest points—anything to disarm your opponent. 

A hand wrapped around both her wrists, the grip firm but gentle.

"Be still."

Adrenaline roared through her veins, every fibre of her being struggling against the person—the creature—that had her in its grasp. Every moment not spent moving put her in more danger. She needed to get away. She needed to—

"Miko."

The low timbre of his voice made her pause, and she sucked in a shuddering breath. Chest heaving, Kagome dragged her gaze to the creature's face and was met with familiar golden eyes and magenta stripes.

"Sesshoumaru."

"Trouble continues to follow you."

She shoved at his armour. "I didn't do anything! They attacked for no reason—"

"Their reason is obvious."

The last of her reiki sparked between them as she glared at him. "It's a stupid, selfish, unforgivable reason and—"

"Agreed."

Blinking in surprise, the rest of her tirade dying on her tongue. 'The Killing Perfection' was agreeing with her? About unwarranted attacks on hanyou? Sure, he'd changed since Rin, but he'd never shown anything other than tolerance towards Inuyasha. Or humans in general.

The adrenaline was beginning to ebb, and she struggled against him. "Let me go."

"No."

Reiki flared again. "What do you mean 'no'? The village is burning to the ground! Unlike you, I actually need oxygen to live." As if to prove her point, she began to hack, smoke making her eyes tear up as the wind shifted.

"You are not capable of leaving the village without my help."

"Says you." What was it about this youkai that automatically turned her back into a petulant teenage girl again? "I can manage just fine without—"

Golden eyes narrowed before he turned swiftly, avoiding the arrows aimed for her back. Kagome whimpered, gripping at his armour as she doubled over in pain. She wouldn't be surprised if her ribs were broken.

"Is there anything else you require here?"

Kagome shook her head. "All the kids got out. That's all I cared about."

"You should give more credence to your own health and well-being."

"I'll remember that next time I take on an entire angry mob by myself."

A smirk touched his lips, and then the ground disappeared, the crackling of flames and indignant screams falling away as they flew to safety. The trees below them turned into a sea of green, branches swaying like waves.

Kagome expected him to set them down in a clearing somewhere and tell her to be on her way, but the landscape continued to move until they got to an outcropping of rock on the side of a mountain. Frowning, she looked around for a path, her mind starting to get fuzzy.

"Why are we here? There's no easy way down."

"Precisely."

Her frown deepened as the cloud of youki dissipated, but he didn't release her, instead shifting her weight to carry her into a cave that she hadn't noticed before.

"What are you doing?"

"You are injured."

She opened her mouth to retort, then noticed bloodstains from her hands on the sleeves of his hakama, smudging the crisp lines of the stencils on his shoulders. He set her down on a bed of furs, then proceeded o pull off the remnants of her torn robe.

On any other day, she would've protested, but blood loss and shock pushed her objections—and modesty—to the wayside. Kagome hissed when his fingers brushed a tender part of her ribs, her skin a myriad of colours as purple bruises and white burns decorated her flesh.

Sesshoumaru applied a salve, the mixture somehow cool to the touch and instantly soothing her skin. Her head rolled against her shoulders, and she tried to lay down but was stopped by his hand.

"Do not fall asleep. You are in shock."

She gave him a dazed look. "Then I should be laying down. That's the first step."

"Not if it will cause you to lose consciousness before your wounds have been bound."

Letting out a shaky breath, Kagome shrugged one shoulder, even the slight movement causing her pain. "I'm not apologizing if I throw up on you."

"I have had worse."

She would've laughed if she hadn't already been using all her energy to keep her eyes open. Kagome watched as he covered her burns in the salve, then meticulously cleaned all the dirt and rocks from her hands before wrapping them in bandages.

"I didn't realize you had it in you."

A pale brow rose in question. "What?"

"To care for another person."

If Kagome had known better, she would've thought he looked insulted.

"I have done so before with Rin," he argued. "I am not so heartless."

"No. Not anymore," she agreed. "But you could've just dropped me off in another village. Instead, you're tending to me yourself."

"Perhaps you are worthy of such care."

Apparently one of the unknown symptoms of shock was hallucinations.

Once he was satisfied that all her wounds had been seen to, Sesshoumaru allowed her to lay down, the furs uneven but comfortable under her marred body. As he shifted away from her, gathering up unused and soiled supplies, Kagome managed to snag the end of his sleeve.

"Thank you. I don't know why you were there, but—" Her eyes drooped as exhaustion took hold.

Claws brushed the tips of her fingers, her eyes shooting back open at the gesture.

"Your hands." His eyes slid away from her as he finished cleaning up. "Your blood is…fragrant."

Storing that particular tidbit for later, she inhaled slowly. "Am I allowed to sleep now?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head, his smirk returning. "Rest, foolish miko. I will save my judgement of your reckless behaviour for when you have healed."

Her laughter turned into a hiss, but there was a smile on her lips when she fell asleep.

 

INUYASHA © Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan • Yomiuri TV • Sunrise 2000
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