A/N: Just a li'l something I whipped up on an Inu-fic forum and posted here by request. Yeah. That's it. (This does not affect Beast's posting, of course; this is fully canon.)
Screams.
The sound sliced directly through the little kitsune's chest as he turned from the corner of the yard he'd just used to relieve himself. His mouth went dry, tiny hands clenching at his sides and balling into fists, trembling as the keening rose, piercing his sensitive eardrums till his control snapped and he fled, scrambling in desperate panic up and onto the inn's outer walkway.
Kagome was woken by a whimpering, snuffling ball of russet fur running headlong into the silent room and thudding into her chest with lung-crushing force. "Shippou-chan?" she wheezed, sitting up groggily. Beside her, Sango was instantly up and reaching for Hiraikotsu's strap, while on the other side of the adjacent screen Miroku and Inuyasha were also stumbling to their feet.
"A l-lady's getting h-hurt out there!" The baby fox burrowed deeper into her arms; Miroku had his staff ready and one foot out of the room before anyone else could inquire further, and Sango scowled in concern before following, Kirara bounding at her heels.
"What's that, runt?" Inuyasha crouched next to the futon as Kagome set to work petting and making soothing noises. "This better not be--"
A distinctive, louder scream cut him off. But instead of leaping to the ready, Inuyasha merely sniffed the air and folded his arms. "Keh! Stupid kid, getting us up for nothing."
"Inuyasha! Something's wrong, and he's scared," Kagome snapped, giving him her best scowl. "How can you be so insensitive?"
If it hadn't been quite so dark, Inuyasha was sure she would've caught on easier just by looking at him. But as things were... "Just ask 'em when they come back."
Sure enough, footsteps as rapid as their departure announced the monk and slayer's return, and Sango dropped the boomerang with uncharacteristic abruptness. "False alarm."
"Really?" Kagome looked up at Miroku; it was hard to tell in the dim light, but he seemed...amused?
"Yes. Let's go to sleep," Sango said stiffly, and Miroku had to turn aside and cough.
"Lemme guess," Inuyasha drawled, raising an eyebrow at Kagome and Shippou's obvious confusion. "Did this have anything to do with the newlyweds I heard talking when we got here earlier?"