Canvas by Lilith Winters

Rainy Days

(A/N: Good grief!! I've taken forever just to write a story... Alas, here it is, the story I've promised since...well...forever...Dodges Sharp Objects I'm sorry!!!)

Disclaimer: No-I-Do-Not-Own-Any-Of-The-Characters-Or-The-Series-But-I-Do-Own-A-Stuffed-Toy-Penguin-Named-Siggy.

║♥║

The clouds were a deep grey that reminded her of the slumbering nights she spent as a child.

She crawled under the covers when she heard the thunder creep into her ears and make her wail. Her mother was always there to calm her down and ease her terrors away...

But why did she drift back into those grey nights where her nightmares haunted her?

A soft sheet of rain pelted sweetly on her hair and face, making her walk more briskly toward her destination. She often felt nostalgic about the days where she could cover her eyes with her small hands and pretend the monsters weren't under her bed or in her closet. Those were the times when she could live out her small childish fantasies and pretend that her small home was a castle and that Mommy and Daddy were its King and Queen.

But Daddy died. And Mommy passed away soon afterwards.

"Hey! How have you been, Kagome?"

The chipper voice invaded her mind and made her blink a few time before she could properly focus.

"Oh, good morning Sango..." Shuffling to her seat, she set her bag on her lap, securing the sketchbook inside.

"You seem a bit out of it today. What's bothering you?" Sango eyed her curiously after placing the order of 2 coffees to the waiter.

"No, nothing really," She grinned weakly as authenticity. "I'm just remembering something. That's all."

Still feeling a bit speculative, Sango shrugged it off, deciding not to pry anymore. Kagome didn't enjoy answering trivial questions.

"So, how's your art shop coming along? I heard its getting fairly good business!" Sango's grin widened considerably and Kagome felt her spirits rise at the mention of her shop. All of her hard work and dedication during the past five years had been put into opening her shop and filling it with her own paintings.

"You're right I guess. It's been very busy actually. Even I'm surprised it came this far..." Drifting away in her thoughts once more, she wondered if it would continue to prosper in the future...

She studied the small café carefully, taking in all of the soft colors ranging from beige to a deep maroon.

For some reason, it reminded her of one of the college's study rooms where she had met her first love. HE had the oddest white snowy hair and golden eyes. He called himself 'Inuyasha'...

"Inuyasha? What an odd name!" She laughed, gazing at him curiously. I don't suppose you have some strange mix of dog DNA in your blood?" Laughing again, she was abruptly stopped by his small grumbled response.

"You'd be surprised," He stated, averting his golden gaze to the circular table cluttered with papers. "You will probably think a mutant of me. What if I was a dog? What if I wasn't fully human?"

She gazed at him, awestruck.

"If you weren't really human..." She started. "...Then...would you let me keep you...?" The words drifted out of her mouth, causing her to almost gasp in horror.

"..."

He stared at her, blankly, but his eyes seemed to speak volumes on their own accord...something she couldn't understand...

"I--I'm so sorry--"

He cut her off with a rough grab on her collar when he stood and leaned towards her and he firmly kissed her lips...

"...Kagome? You were zoned out again." Sango sighed, offering a small sympathetic gaze. "For someone only 25 years old, you really have too much on your mind."

"...You're...right I guess..." Kagome stretched and sipped her coffee cup when it finally came. The past was so quarreling and painful when she remembered it.

How did she suspect that Inuyasha was already engaged when he kissed her...?

...Or when she fell in love with him?

"Honey, you need a vacation." Simply stated, Sango resumed finishing drinking her coffee.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at her blunt best friend. They had known each other since they were 4.

"Again, you've made your point!" Kagome softly laughed and pushed her empty cup away.

Perhaps she would take a vacation...? The memories she would make there may even prove to be 'happy'...

...She certainly hoped so.

"Alright, I will..."

"Wonderful!" Sango stood and set some money on the café table. Kagome stood soon afterwards and followed Sango to her car after accepting 'a ride home'.

During the ride, she gazed at the colorful autumn trees that swayed in the rainy breeze. Where would she go...? There were so many places she could concentrate on painting various beautiful scenes...

"You should go to Paris!" Sango nudged Kagome softly with one hand while she drove steadily with the other one. "In this time around, everything is so beautiful..."

Paris?

It seemed adequate...

"Paris it is." Kagome smiled as she drifted off to a light sleep under the car's purring engine...

║♥║

(A/N: Sorry the first chapter isn't that long...I'll try to make the next one longer!

Be ready for some Sesshoumaru action in the next part! ♥)