Summary: My name is Kagome. I am a common villager. But falling in love with a demon, a male one at that, is not common, right? Warning: gender-bender, including major OOC-ness. InuKag.

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns InuYasha. I own this plot. No plagiarizing allowed.

Warning: This is rated M for several reasons. You have been warned.

A/U: I'd just like to thank Shadowmaiden3 for tweaking up my story. Lol. It took a long time for me to edit this story so that it would be awesome to my eyes. Thanks to you, Shadowmaiden3, for being willing enough to read it over and check for mistakes! I applaud your skills. XD And I'd like to thank my younger sister for looking over half of my story. May she never read the other half. Lol.

The Powdered Snow Dances in the Wind

The leaves were falling. Yellow and red. The sky was rich and clear. The harvest season was at its peak. Men in their twenties and thirties stood in two lines, facing each other with a straight back and a solemn look. The village voicer proclaimed, "They have arrived!"

I stooled my features, watching the crowd assertively, waiting on my high chair. The lavish kimonos on me hindered the wind's caress. It was still hard to keep from shuddering as my fingers grew colder. Strands of my raven hair slipped from its hold at the back of my head, sliding down my face and tickling my skin.

Two foreigners sauntered into our village. The one in the lead had raven tresses tied up in a high ponytail, the brown fur on him making him look feral. His armor and sword seemed to scream about the terrors of war, his brown tail indicating his wolf lineage. His deceiving blue eyes narrowed in frustration. He bared his fangs, clenching his fists.

The lagging foreigner had reddish-orange hair tied in a high ponytail with a blue hair tie. He was a head shorter than the first demon, his body seeming petite under his baggy blue gear. A tan vest of fur covered his torso and pelvis, his fluffy yellowish-brown tail displaying his fox heritage. With his hands behind his head and his posture slacking, he gazed at us like we were boring. The mischievous glint roaming his emerald eyes were intentionally obvious.

"We apologize, Lord Koga, Lord Shippo," the elderly village chief spoke in a humble tone.

I wanted to sneer at the outsiders. Incompetent was a word that best described them. Brown-fur and Hairball were better names as well.

"Please accept her," the village chief mumbled.

I glared at the village men around me as they came closer. One man stood at each of my sides and roughly grabbed my arms, pulling me to my feet. I held in a grunt as their fingers tightened as though I would run away. Schooling my ruffled features, I snatched my arms away from them and stalked toward the waiting foreigners.

One misery replaced by another. Eighteen cold seasons in the same village and nothing had changed. My growth was stunted with starvation, my effeminate traits called forth insults. I ruined this village. And I wasn't sure if I was glad or not.

My birth was the cause of my family's death. Innocent bystanders screamed and cried when blood came into the picture. Flames crackled in the air when villagers tried to douse them and failed. Half the village was burned down the night I was born. Everybody from my mother's side was killed, Kikyo and Kaede the only survivors. Nobody knew anything about my father except for my mother.

Kikyo was thirteen when she was forced to take responsibility. She hated me. She gave me my mother's last name and my current name to remind me that I am inferior to her and all around me. Before I even turned five, she pushed the burden in the village onto my shoulders, and the villagers supported her wholeheartedly. Kaede was the only one who sided with me. But I had to distance myself from her when she tried to protect me from a demon and lost her right eye. Now, this alias of mine made it seem as though I was a treasured person in this forsaken village.

"Holy crap!" Brown-fur crowed, an astonished smile crawling over his lips. "Her hair reaches her knees!"

"Koga, you idiot, stop playing around." Hairball glared at Brown-fur. They both shared a look before smirking, Hairball whispering, "Then again, I do wanna see how he reacts. I haven't seen a girl like her before."

One would think he couldn't have spoken any lower. Hairball might as well have shouted his words to the world.

Brown-fur was grinning from ear to ear. "She would be an exceptional choice."

I flinched when I felt his hand squeeze my bottom. The blood practically drained from my face as I stood there, body tensed. The villagers were mortified. If it weren't for the fact that I was doing all of this for Kaede, I would've smashed this guy's face in, demon or not. My pride was wounded, and damn if that didn't hurt. I held in my anger as I was slowly led out of the village.

The road was narrow and rutted, leading to unfamiliar grounds.

"I don't know about you, little lady," Brown-fur started, "but I'm sure you wouldn't want to cross his path when he's peeved. Heck, if he's serious enough, I'd run for my life, which usually doesn't happen since he's such a bonehead."

"Aren't you talking about yourself, Koga?" Hairball's eyebrow was madly twitching. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me along. Surprisingly, his hold was gentle. "Half the time he's an idiot. I've only seen him serious once and that was the scariest thing I've ever lived through."

Confusion struck me hard. If they were going to tell me something, they should at least make it sound sensible! I'd only heard rumors about demons since I could remember. The villagers had always taunted me, saying that once I was given to the demons, my life would plummet to hell. The demons would use me and pass me around like a piece of meat. And when they were through with me, they would rip me apart and devour my remains.

Hairball laughed, making me shudder. "Man, those humans are pricks. Who gives up their own people as offerings? That's just stupid."

Anxiety was making my back grow cold. I tried keeping my heart from fluttering.

"Hey!" Brown-fur nudged my arm, catching my gaze. "You look starved."

I flinched away as he raised his arm. Staring into his eyes uneasily, I saw something flicker in his eyes. I lowered my gaze to his raised arm. I was shocked when I found two white dumplings on a nice brown cloth. Raising my gaze to Brown-fur's, I opened my mouth to speak.

"Just take it." Brown-fur grabbed my hand and pushed the cloth on it. Then he scratched the side of his face, looking away awkwardly. "You look like you need it more than me."

I turned away, mumbling, "Lord Koga, right?" I might as well while the facade lasted. Who knew how long I would live. Besides, I should at least accumulate some good karma before death. I was uncomfortable expressing my gratitude since there weren't much for me to be grateful for. My voice sounded embarrassing when it came out of my mouth, "Thanks."

He grunted. "Just Koga."

Bringing one of the dumplings to my lips, I bit into it gingerly. I had to stop myself from becoming emotional. This was probably the nicest thing anybody had done for me.

"Come on," Shippo urged, "it's already going to take long enough as is."

I followed as fast as I could, eating slowly so that I could savor the flavor and keep from choking. We crossed a muddy swamp where Koga insistingly threw me over his shoulder and forged ahead. My pride dwindle to nothing as shame burned my cheeks. Koga was lucky I wasn't going to attempt murder.

We traveled for a long time. Day was already gone and night was here. We settled down and ended up eating wild rabbits. I was surprised they gave me anything.

"Hey!" Shippo piped up. "You never told us your name."

Choking on my food, I covered my mouth, thumping my chest a couple times as tears sat heavily on my lashes.

Koga tsked. "Shippo, if she dies choking, I'm blaming you."

Shippo gawked. "I just asked her a question!"

"So?" Koga picked at his teeth for remaining strips of meat.

I stared up at the two, mildly amused. I wouldn't mind having companions like them, even if they were starting to seem like idiots to me. If only the facade never existed.

"Kami," I muttered. "My name is Kami Tama."

After that, we talked about meaningless stuff, like how Shippo had meat on his right cheek, or how Koga should stop digging his ears. We talked until I fell asleep. I had a long sleep, one where it felt eternal.

In my dream, the full blue moon was high in the sky. The night was a pitch black contrast. There was a straight white road in front of me, glowing under the moonlight. I went straight ahead, walked on the road for a long, long time.

At the end of the road, there was a shadow waiting for me. I was afraid to step any closer, but I felt myself being pulled to the shadow. So I took a step. And then another. And another.

I raised my arm, reaching for the shadow. Startled, my fingertips met up with a glass wall. It had appeared out of nowhere. I watched as the shadow turned my way. My spine tingled as anxiety shot down my body to the soles of my feet.

The moonlight revealed half the shadow's face. It was a man with waist-length raven hair and brown eyes. He lifted his shadowy arm and reached for me. He was very, very far away from me, no matter how close we were standing. His fingers never touched the glass. There was a sad glint in his one eye.

Slowly, hesitantly, I pressed my hand onto the glass. And then I noticed his nails were sharp. Extremely sharp. I pulled away quickly, a foreboding feeling curling up inside my stomach. This felt wrong.

He felt wrong.

He dropped his arm, a look of betrayal flashing in his eye.

I was jostled awake. My eyes felt heavy. "What is it?"

Koga's grinning face came into view. "We're here, sleepyhead."

Confused, I turned my gaze to where Shippo was standing. I gawked at the marvelous building behind him. It had to be the hugest thing I'd ever seen. It was... It was...

I yelped as I was placed on my feet. Since when had Koga been carrying me? Shippo dragged me toward the castle excitedly. I was compelled to pull away, but refrained from doing so. I was aware of all of the gazes on me. If I were seeing things as they actually were, and I was sure I wasn't dreaming, then I was the only human around.

Suddenly, Shippo threw me. Threw me! I could only stare in shock and outrage as my back collided into another's chest.

I jerked away, mortified. Shippo was sporting a stupid grin on his face. I didn't dare look at the demon behind me.

"Kami," Shippo whispered in a giggly tone. He should just talk normally since I knew everybody could hear him. This place was littered with demons, all who had superior hearing compared to humans, ours. "That's Inuyasha, demon prince of this castle, though you could practically call him king since he's pretty much the ruler. He thinks king makes him sound like an old guy."

Shippo did giggle. It made me think the demon prince was an easy person to get along with. But Shippo straightened up and shut his mouth when he looked at the demon prince behind me. The color was starting to drain from Shippo's face as he stood there. I noticed that every other demon, who had been curious and more than a little carefree, were growing tense as well. I stood stiffly as I caught Koga's frozen figure from the side of my eyes.

The demon prince hadn't said a word.

I was afraid. There was no doubt in my mind about that. My fear spilled from my body like a thick, bubbling fog. I knew everybody could smell it. That only intensified my fear as the demon prince took a step toward me.

"Your name."

I jumped at the sound of his voice. It was a velvety voice. I had the notion to turn around, look him in the eye, and then state my name. I'd probably die if I did that now. But since I was going to die anyway, I turned to look at him.

My entire body tingled with anticipation as I made eye contact with him.

He had silver hair, vibrant golden eyes, and a set of dog ears on his head. He was taller than me, beautiful compared to me. His presence was overwhelming. It covered all of the others' presences, and I found myself stuck in a hallway with just him and me. A world where only the two of us existed.

His eyes darkened considerably.

I was attracted to him, a mixture of fascination and obsession. I opened my mouth to respond, and I didn't expect to say what I did, "My name is Kagome Higurashi."

His gaze was sharp, mysterious. And then he left and I was standing in the hallway with all of the other demons again. I knew Shippo and Koga were going to interrogate me, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

I settled down at the castle and everything went smoothly for almost three moon cycles. I rather liked living with everybody in the castle. Although they were all wary of me, they were still nice. Kirara was a cute little cat demon. Except for when she scared the living daylights out of me! How was I supposed to know that she was a humongous cat? Her real form was intimidating and even vicious-looking.

Kohaku was a shy, cat demon boy, but if anything, he was extremely loyal.

Ayame was Koga's outgoing, wolf demon mate. Apparently, she was expecting a fourth child. From what she told me, she seemed to be in a perpetual state of giving birth. But things only became more interesting from there.

Sango, Kohaku's older sister, and Miroku, a raccoon demon, were a laughable pair. They were always bickering like a married couple. I wouldn't be surprised if they did end up together. I kind of expect them to be together. The world would be very strange if they ended up with different partners. But of course, everything wasn't as great as I'd hoped for it to be. There was only one person I didn't get along with, and I didn't find myself wanting to be near her either.

Kikyo.

It was nostalgic, hearing the name Kikyo while I lived in the demon castle. My cousin, the first Kikyo I'd known and the last Kikyo I wished I'd known, had tortured me my whole life. It was hard to forget. And of course, I just had to meet the second Kikyo, the Kikyo in this castle, who also hated me. It was beyond bizarre. One name, two different people, but the same hate expressed differently. The two Kikyos seemed like polar opposites. My cousin couldn't compare to this one though. Not by a long shot.

This Kikyo was a snake demon with a high-pitched voice that could shatter windows. She had dark blue hair that reached her knees, tied at the nape of her neck. And her eyes were dark green.

My cousin was human, dark-headed, and had brown eyes. Her voice was a low pitch.

Well, life wasn't always filled with fairies and flowers. Thank lord I didn't believe in fate 'cause I'd curse fate for throwing two Kikyos into my life. In the castle, Kikyo was the only person who could drag my wonderful days down to hell. She was so much worse than my cousin. It nearly made me want to return to my cousin.

This Kikyo threw herself at the demon prince for all she was worth, and loved pulling pranks on me. Pranks that could kill me. Things get worse if I see the demon prince after an encounter with Kikyo.

The demon prince was rather kind to Kikyo, but always made me feel inferior by just standing in the same area. The hardest part about my little predicament was admitting to myself that I was actually jealous of Kikyo. At least Sango and the others distracted me from thoughts I'd rather not dwell on.

Today though... Nothing was going to capture my thoughts except for the beautiful snow. It was the second day it snowed, and I couldn't help but walk outside in all my thick and warm kimonos. The snowing had just stopped a while ago, the warm sunlight making it real cozy outside. That made me smile and look at the snow-kissed ground.

I lowered myself so that I sat on the balls of my feet. Then I scooped up a clump of glittering snow. A thought came to me and I threw the snow upward, laughing as the sunlight made it sparkle. The falling snow enveloped me in all its glory, and I couldn't help but feel happy. Kikyo, my cousin, never let me outside during the cold season because she knew I loved snow.

I grinned. Going outside during the cold season without her troubling me was enough for me. Maybe I had an affinity with snow since I was born in the cold season. I sighed, sitting my bum on the snow and stretching out my legs.

Looking at the snow curiously, I scooped some onto my left hand and raised it up to face level. Then I pounded on it with my right hand. The snow flew everywhere! Most got on my face. It made me laugh, even though the snow was cold against my heated flesh. Anybody who saw me now was bound to think I had lost my mind. But who cared?

I laid down with my hands beneath my head, smiling at the faint sun. All was good so far.

"The powdered snow dances in the wind," I whispered, rolling over so that I laid on my front. I suddenly felt sad. "No. No, of course you didn't know. But that doesn't make me feel any better."

I always wondered how my life could be if Dad were still alive. Mom was probably a really nice person. Same with Dad. I smiled bitterly. "You're both probably really disappointed in me. I plan on changing though; I'll become a better person. If I started hating people, like all of those villagers, Kikyo would've loved to know."

I heaved a sigh before giving a frustrated whine. "Kaede would be sad. Kikyo would use my hate against me and I'd probably be manipulated into doing things that I would later regret. What's worse is that even though I'm living in this castle, there's another Kikyo. She's terrible."

All this talking was making me feel like a fool. But it had to be done! I'd go mad trying to keep it all in. I couldn't really openly share my feelings with Sango or Miroku, or anybody for that matter.

"I nearly died that last time," I mumbled, feeling dazed at the prospect. I turned myself over, laying on my backside again before letting my eyes close. "It still makes me wonder why they haven't done anything. Probably 'cause I'm a nobody compared to Kikyo. She does have a great deal of influence over the demon prince."

For some reason, I was actually feeling sleepy. I froze up when I noticed another presence. How long had the person been there? I pulled my mask of indifference on. Steeling myself, I opened my eyes into a glazed stare.

When I met the demon prince's icy orbs, I held my indifferent stare. In the end, I closed my eyes to ward off his penetrating gaze, feeling a frown make way on my lips. I was sure his eyes would burn a hole through my own. And suddenly, I didn't want to be outside anymore. I wanted to be inside the castle, in my room and away from the world.

It wasn't long before he was gone and I was left laying on the snow and feeling very, very cold. I would never think of snow the same way again. My high spirits were killed. I decided to make my way into the castle, planning to lock myself in my room for the night. I skipped dinner 'cause I went to sleep earlier. That evening though, I had that unusual dream again.

The full moon was high in the sky. The white, glowing road was the same. But there was a huge shadowy lake to my right. Shadowy forest trees. Shadowy shrubs and plants. There wasn't a sound in the area.

I had a feeling the place was covered in snow.

I didn't move a step from my spot. I knew who stood at the other end of this white road. I just wasn't sure I wanted to meet him. The option was taken away from me when I saw his shadowy figure walking down the path, coming my way. I would've told him to stay away from me, to back off, but I couldn't open my lips. Couldn't even move my limbs to run away.

A serene feeling and a terrified one clashed inside me, neither winning, neither losing. The two emotions at a stalemate was the worst feeling ever. My stomach was flipping all over the place. I just didn't want to be there.

His shadowy figure stopped in front of me.

This time, it was half his face and half his body showing under the moonlight. His human face, his human hand, his human self. He raised his hand and reached out for me. His fingertips pressed gently onto the glass wall.

Since when did the glass wall appear? Had it always been there?

He smiled at me.

Shocked, I stood there and watched his smile. It appeared softer with each passing moment, more welcoming. Who was he to me? I was certain I'd never met him before. I wanted to ask, but my voice wasn't coming out. I reached over and placed my fingertips on the glass wall as if I were placing my hand on his own.

"Kagome..." His voice was hesitant, as though he was unsure if he knew my name. "Higurashi?"

I couldn't stop myself from feeling ecstatic as I gave him a stunning smile. That was all I could do. I didn't know why I was feeling that way.

His fingertips slid down the glass wall until his hand was by his side again. He blurred into his shadowy form.

Panicking, I shoved my hands up against the glass wall, wondering what was happening to him. My voice refused to make a sound. With wide eyes, I watched on helplessly as he seemed to have a battle with someone. His shadowy figure never once moved from his spot though.

I jerked back when the other half of his form appeared.

Red eye. That caught my attention first. His iris was blue, his pupil, sharp and white. He had silver hair. A ragged purple streak ran along his cheekbone. He had a fang poking out of his mouth, and atop his head sat a dog ear.

Trailing my gaze to his hand, I noticed claws. He was an exact replica of the demon prince. The only things keeping me from calling him the demon prince were his eye and the ragged streak. I knew he was a demon. It didn't take much to tell the difference between humans and demons, unless demons were disguising themselves as humans. The real question was who this demon was. And where the human man had gone.

He narrowed his one eye at me like he knew my thoughts. Like he was starting to detest my mere presence.

I flinched as he slammed his hand on the wall. He gave me a vicious scowl, a low, rumbling sound emanating from his throat. I shuddered as his other half slowly appeared. Now I was facing a full-fledged demon, two sharp red eyes aimed at me and me alone.

The glass wall shattered.

I yelped as he jumped at me and pushed me to the ground, sitting on me and holding me down by my shoulders. His grip on me didn't hurt, but was strong enough that if I tried to pull away, I wouldn't succeed. I laid there, stiff as a board as he began sniffing at my neck, poking his nose through my layers of kimonos to get to the junction of my neck. Sure I was scared out of my mind, but his nose still tickled 'cause it was barely touching my skin. A sudden, raw thought shot through my mind.

Did he know?

I tensed as my fear escalated. I knew I was dreaming, but that still remained. It wasn't an easy thing to forget since it was forced upon me. I could feel tears stinging my eyes. Thinking about it would only make me more aware of it.

The demon raised his head and captured my gaze. I couldn't break away from his powerful stare. A cold sweat broke down my back. I had a feeling he knew. And I didn't want to believe it.

Using one finger, he slowly cut down my sash with his sharp claw. My kimonos fell loose. He kept a hand on my shoulder, his other hand pulling my kimono layers, one by one, down my other shoulder until half my torso was exposed. It was frightening to know that this demon knew. He looked too much like the demon prince. I had intended to take my knowledge with me to my grave, if possible. Now I felt naked under his knowing stare.

I jerked to attention when he trailed his lips down my cheek, down my neck to my bare chest, and stopped over my heart. I didn't like where this was going. What was the guy thinking? I was flabbergasted.

"Higurashi." I flinched at his rough voice. He raised himself so that he could look me in the eye. Then he gave me a slow smirk, showing his fangs. His red eyes held a humored gleam in them. I jumped in a panic when he touched my chest, pressed his palm over my erratic heartbeat. A throng of tingles shook my spine. He leaned down to whisper into my ear, "Kagome."

I couldn't help shivering. He was a demon, but his voice sounded very human. I was...curious. What made his voice sound like that?

"I like you, Kagome." He placed his forehead on mine.

"Uh..." Of all times for my voice to actually start working, why now? I honestly couldn't think of anything to say to that. It was weird. Sure I knew there were some guys who favored me over other women, but they didn't know, so they didn't count. This demon knew though, and he still seemed sincere enough about his words. It felt wrong to just push him away and sneer at him. I was definitely in for it now. I wasn't sure if I would still be alive if he killed me in this particular dream, so I decided to settle for something neutral. "Okay."

It seemed that was enough for him. He lowered his head to my neck again.

I raised my head, wondering what he was doing. My head slammed onto the ground with a sickening thud as he bit deeply into the junction of my neck. I gargled on my spit, my eyes widened painfully. My hands clenched convulsively as I arched into his chest. My own chest felt like it was burning. I gasped for air, my toes curling up. My heart thumped faster, faster. My stomach twisted one way and another.

The pain lasted forever.

When he took out his fangs, he licked at my skin, soothing the wound. My heart was still fluttering frantically.

"See you soon, Kagome."

He faded into the everlasting darkness.

After that dream, I found a similar bite mark on my neck while I was undressing in the bathroom I always used. The mark had changed into a blood red, crescent moon. I wasn't sure if the bitten part behind my neck had any marks. Castle life continued with nothing out of the ordinary, save for Kikyo's actions and the demon prince's colder demeanor. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Kikyo's pranks were going up a notch. But of course, I knew that wasn't the case.

It was my body that was slowing down.

I gained several new bruises everyday. I was sure I would never recover. I was almost certain Kikyo had also uncovered the truth. That scared me more than anything she could pull on me.

One day, I just couldn't remember what happened. Time was irrelevant at that point. All I knew was that I was trying to escape. From what, I didn't know. I was stumbling through the snow, there were red blots everywhere, my body shook uncontrollably. And then I was on the snow. And I couldn't move anymore.

Everything was blurry. I was seeing dots, and my throat felt like it was ripping open every time I coughed. Warm liquid was sliding down my face. My insides were on fire and my back was freezing and my head was pounding. I kept wondering if I was dying. I think I was seeing things too because that person looked real familiar.

I had the thought that it was Dad.

"Dad? Why are you here?"

He just smiled at me. I felt calm, like I was in control of my life again. I couldn't help but smile back at him. Because he acknowledged me instead of telling me off. Because he acknowledged me. My desperate search for relief was vanishing.

He spoke, "Sleep. Everything will be alright."

I wholly trusted him.

So I closed my bleary eyes.

A savage sensation shot up and down my spine. The noises coming from my throat were garbled. I tried moving, and my head started pounding. I groaned, and my head hurt even more as I furrowed my brows. What was worse was that I could finally hear people talking. Why wouldn't they stop? I couldn't even understand what they were telling me. It felt as though they were trying to keep me from falling asleep, and damn if I didn't want to fall into the oblivious darkness right now.

"Shut up!" I half growled, half whined. "I'm trying to just die so the pain will go away! Is that so much to ask for?"

If anything, they made even more noise. I was sure my veins were popping out of my forehead by the time I opened my sticky eyes. I glared at the first person I saw, and was surprised to see the demon prince's face. Was I already dead? I couldn't feel anymore pain. I was too confused.

"What are you doing?" I asked incredulously when I noticed he was carrying me. He jostled me, tearing a gasp from me. Then I couldn't stop coughing, and liquid seeped from my lips like a broken fountain. I tried to stop so that my pounding head would stop pounding, but that was all in vain. Grabbing onto the demon prince's kimono wasn't doing me any favors either.

I gagged several times. Tears leaked from my eyes, and I couldn't speak to save my life. I was choking. I couldn't breathe. And I was cold. Cold, cold, cold.

The demon prince was shouting something. He was burning to my skin.

I didn't understand. My ears were bursting from all of this. I was succumbing to the darkness that kept wrapping itself around the edges of my eyes. My stomach felt like somebody had stabbed me with a sword and twisted their blade around. It felt like I could never escape. It felt like I would die.

With that thought, I didn't want to fall asleep anymore. Because falling asleep would mean I would die.

Blinking, I saw Kikyo's face. I screamed in terror. Stripped of my clothing, gagged to the point of choking, and chained to something, she raked her claws through my entire body and sliced at my skin. Boiling water hit my wounds and tore another scream from me. And then water as cold as ice hit my wounds, making me choke on my spit as I cried out. Tried to get away.

"Stop it!" I repeated through the gag. She touched me, fondled me. Did things to me before she penetrated herself on me. The tears kept running as I choked on my sobs. I felt disgusting. Dirty.

Why was she doing this to me?

My head pounded and I groaned. Lord, my body hurt. But there was also a pleasant feel to it. Like something good had happened after the bad. I breathed in the musty, heavenly scent and buried myself in the thick blanket. The pillow was really soft. And it was very warm under the blanket compared to the coldness of the snow.

I snapped open my eyes and I sat up quickly, wincing and clutching my bandaged stomach. I swept the room with my sharp gaze, and I immediately spotted someone I wasn't expecting.

"What are you...?" My voice sounded scratchy to my own ears as I watched his every movement. He barely stirred from his perch on the edge of my bed, his gaze practically carving out my eyes. I tried to discreetly clear my throat in an attempt to speak better. The silence in the room wasn't very welcome to me. "What are you doing in my room, Your Highness?"

He just continued to sit there. He slightly raised his brow as though questioning me. Even with his brow raised almost in an amused way, his eyes had a dangerous glint in them, and it reminded me of the first time we met. It was like he was tearing my soul in two and diving in to find out every single dark secret of mine. What was worse was how his gaze made my skin crawl and my fingers grow cold. I couldn't stop the shudder that visibly ran through my body.

"Um..." I trailed off. The silence was deafening to my ears, especially since the demon prince was in my room and looking at me like that. It made me wonder if there was anything that could distract him. I looked down at my hands in my lap, unable to keep my gaze on his as the tension seemed to rise tenfold. Then I realized...

I was shirtless.

I snapped to attention, horror striking down on me as my skin crawled.

Nobody was supposed to know I was a guy.

"Just Inuyasha," his voice reached my ears, making me jump and look up at him. "You don't remember?"

Fear. It was so thick in my blood. I had no idea what he was talking about. I couldn't concentrate when my cover had been blown. I had hoped the facade would last longer than this.

He narrowed his eyes. "I found you in the snow, naked and bleeding to death."

Mortification.

"You thought I was your father and blacked out. Luckily, I was able to wake you up. It took nearly half a day to stabilize your condition and keep you from dying. You didn't wake up until a few days afterward, and by then, you were delirious."

I wanted him to stop telling me this.

"Miroku told me later, the bastard," he continued on, ignoring how I was obviously growing more uncomfortable, "that the aftereffects of being traumatized and having a near-death experience were finally kicking in. So you responded in the only way you knew how to defend yourself. He also said that some of the injuries around your body weren't healing properly because of newer ones. Your body showed signs of stress, struggling, and unmistakable rape."

I shuddered, feeling nauseated. My action only confirmed his words.

"You," he spoke in a soft, unnerving tone, "have been delirious for fourteen days and wouldn't let me out of your sight. Even in your sleep, you were wary, as if you were awake. I was locked up in my own bedroom with you the entire time."

Turning my gaze around the room, I suddenly felt very exposed as I sat there. On the demon prince's bed. Under the demon prince's blanket. In Inuyasha's bedroom. I looked down at my fists, clenching them. My knuckles were turning white, my palms beginning to sweat. I couldn't bear it. I didn't want to know. But he continued anyway. And I couldn't help sneaking glances at him.

"You wouldn't let go of my arm..." he trailed off, having a far away look on his face. He focused his gaze on me again. "Miroku didn't know why, but he plainly stated that you probably believed I was protecting you."

All of the blood seemed to have been sucked out of me as my eyes continued to flutter erratically.

"Kikyo's locked up now." He looked away from me. "Evidence against her was found beforehand."

He shifted and stood. It was difficult trying to stop myself from reaching out to him. I kept my eyes on my hands for a few moments before looking up at him. There was a look in his eyes that I couldn't recognize.

I quickly ducked my head.

"You should probably eat something." He left toward the door, and I had a hard time keeping myself rooted to my spot. I might be panicking. I couldn't help watching him as his hand reached for the doorknob.

"Wait!" I slapped both of my hands over my traitorous mouth. I was petrified as I watched him turn around.

He took one look at my face before giving me a gentle smirk. His voice did not sound mocking. "Keep that sanity of yours for a little longer, princess."

Princess? That bothered me.

"I'm not leaving or anything." True to his word, he didn't leave. He opened the door and spoke to someone outside.

I knew he did that just so I would wonder about what he was talking about. When he was done, he closed the door again, even going so far as to lock it. Wait a minute. Was the door locked before he opened it, or did he just lock it?

He came back and sat on the same spot he was sitting on a while ago. Then he stared at me for a long time, making me nervous as he examined my face. His actions were too strange for my liking. I was used to him giving me the evil eye.

Soon, someone brought up a full meal. I was practically shoving it all down my throat. I hadn't felt so ravenous in ages.

Inuyasha gave me a stony look. "Eat slowly or you'll just puke it all up."

His words made me feel a little self-conscious, so I ate slower, trying to ignore the nervousness stretching inside me. When I finished eating, he adamantly set the tray aside and signaled for me to follow him. I trailed after him into the next room.

I was startled to find myself looking inside a bathroom with a built-in hot spring. It was huge, rocks protruding from the water in random places.

Looking over at him, I gave him a questioning look.

He just sighed. "It's time to clean your wounds again."

Wait. Again? My confusion must've shown on my face because he went right to explaining as though he'd done it several times.

"Fourteen days is a long time without a bath." He stopped speaking there. I wasn't exactly clear on what he was trying to tell me. I must not be processing things as quickly as I used to 'cause his words just didn't make any sense, no matter how many times I repeated his words in my head. He rolled his eyes. If anything, he looked tired. "This won't be the first time I've seen you naked."

I almost jumped out of my skin.

That, I understood crystal clear.

Shudders rippled through my body as I stood there like a brick. Did Inuyasha bathe me? Everyday? Come to think of it, my hair felt silky smooth. My skin felt soft and clean. And those things could only be the result of bathing experiences. Anybody bathing me meant they touched me in my sleep, even in areas I'd like them to stay away from!

Inuyasha walked over to me and started stripping me. Like it was the most natural thing to do! I gaped at him, tensed and unsure whether I should push him away and scream at him or just let him do whatever he usually did. That didn't make me feel better. In fact, that made me even more uneasy in his presence. He was the demon prince, and he'd also watched over me while I was...ill. It would be rude to shove him away now when all he'd done was take care of me. Gagh! The conflicting emotions were running wild.

Lord, I forgot I was already shirtless. I had to duck my head as my face heated like an angry red tomato once my pants fell to my ankles. I couldn't help the shivers that pulsed through me. It was hard for me to adjust to the fact that Inuyasha and probably everybody else in the castle were aware that I wasn't a girl. Even though Inuyasha and I were guys and the only ones in this bathroom, I would be damned if I didn't feel self-conscious after trying to hide myself for so long.

Strangely, he hadn't questioned me about it.

He started removing the bandages around me. I hadn't realized there were so many bandages on me. I was nearly covered from head to toe. Was I really in that bad of a shape? He nudged my arm, signaling for me to move toward the hot spring. I took small, hesitant steps, glad he wasn't rushing me. I didn't exactly understand why he was in here with me.

As though he'd heard my thoughts, he started speaking, "This hot spring was specially built for me by my old man, and will only work if I'm in the water itself. The spring has magical properties. It can heal any recovering wounds and you won't scar. Since you weren't conscious when I bathed you, your wounds healed very slowly. After this bath though, all of your wounds should be gone."

I had a feeling he wasn't telling me something. But I wasn't going to pry since he'd been very generous to me. It made me feel undoubtedly special and indebted to him, along with being weirded out.

Dipping my toes into the steamy liquid, I shivered at the feel. Its warmth spread up my leg as I slowly stepped inside. I moved further into the water until it stood a little below my collarbone. I froze as I heard shifting behind me. Embarrassment burned my cheeks when I realized Inuyasha was undressing. Who cared if we were guys? I'd never bathed with anyone in my life! And those unconscious baths with Inuyasha didn't count.

I almost fell back into the water when it suddenly glowed bright green. My feet and stomach tingled from the shock.

This glow must mean that Inuyasha stepped into the spring.

The light faded away. I could feel my body relaxing. I jerked back into Inuyasha's chest when I felt his fingers on me.

"What are you doing?" I asked nervously.

He almost laughed as he breathed into my ear, "Cleaning your wounds. Watch."

I did watch. He trailed a finger over one of my wounds on my shoulder several times. My eyes widened when I saw it slowly disappear. My skin was tingling from the sensation. Strange as it was, there was no scarring.

"How did you...?"

"I dunno, really. Kinda figured it out when I first tried it out myself. It doesn't work if you try to do it though."

Curious, I brought my arm out of the water, making the water slosh around. I brushed one of my fingers over a healing wound. Just like how Inuyasha had done it.

Nothing happened.

"How strange," I muttered.

He chuckled. "I would've been surprised if you could do it."

I hissed when he ran his finger over another wound. Not out of pain, but because his touch was soft on my skin. I released my breaths unsteadily with every stroke of his finger. My breath hitched several times, and sometimes I couldn't even bring myself to breathe. I was inclined to lean into his chest.

When his fingers fluttered across my stomach, my stomach twitched. The hot spring seemed hotter than what I thought it should be. I honestly felt like I was sweating in the water, which didn't make any sense at all. I jumped as his fingers crawled over my thighs.

Now I was sure the water was too hot.

Small, embarrassing noises, squeaks, sighs, escaped from my constricting throat, making me feel stupid as I stood there. I wasn't sure if I was glad or not that the water was hiding my body from view. I would've believed Inuyasha was taking things way too far if it weren't for the fact that my skin gave off the same feeling it did when I saw my one injury disappear. The atmosphere just felt intense. And my body was reacting to Inuyasha's stroking fingers.

Having had little communication with villagers in the past except for Kikyo and Kaede, I didn't understand what was going on with me. My stomach felt ill, but at the same time, pleasant. My feet were tingling, along with my hands. My heart was beating wildly, my face turning red from the heat. An unknown, burning sensation was shooting down my stomach to my lower region. I was troubled by this new development.

I bit into my bottom lip when Inuyasha's fingers circled around my thighs and climbed up to my rear end. Blushing, I tried to discreetly lower my head. Those embarrassing little noises were still escaping from my throat.

Believe it or not, I was actually getting real into this. Whatever this was. My lower region was starting to ache though. My legs felt weak, I thought I would pass out because I was feeling very, very good, and as selfish as it was, I wanted more. But more of what, I didn't know. I just needed it. I just wanted it terribly. But I couldn't seem to find it.

My stomach was flipping as Inuyasha dragged his fingers up my back in an agonizingly slow motion. His thumbs sometimes swayed and rubbed circles on my skin. I wasn't aware that we were wading toward the shallower end of the spring until only my bottom half was submerged.

Inuyasha...

My eyes fluttered to a close. I tensed. Did I say that out loud? I didn't dare turn his way.

His voice made me jump. "There are only your arms and legs left."

I shouldn't think of this as anything more than Inuyasha lending a helping hand. It would be bad for us both.

To feel this nice around someone. I almost couldn't bear this intense thing building up inside of me. It had felt like an eternity in here, in this bathroom, just the two of us. I desired this moment more than anything. I didn't care if Inuyasha was a man or a woman. As long as it was Inuyasha. I couldn't imagine feeling this way with anybody else.

He ran his fingers over my arms, making me shudder.

The warmth in this room was really getting to me. My head felt like it would explode. I realized, as I stood there with all my awkward, heated want, that Inuyasha didn't touch me with anything but his hands. The only time his chest made contact with me was when I jerked into him. He had stood behind me this whole time.

I started as I felt Inuyasha's hands on my shins. When did he move? Lord, if his hands didn't feel nice. Maybe I should lock myself in my room and never come out of it again. My attraction to Inuyasha had multiplied in such a way that I couldn't help feeling too attached, too possessive.

Wait a minute. Was Inuyasha standing in front of me?

Surprised, I fell back and expected to plunge into the hot spring. Instead, I landed in the crease of a smooth rock.

Inuyasha leaned over me, placing his hands on the rock I was leaning on. His eyes had a feral look in them. The illusion of that demon who had bit me in my dream dropped over Inuyasha. I was nearly overwhelmed by their similarity. I couldn't help shrinking back onto the rock.

Inuyasha lowered his head. And suddenly, he bit me in the exact same spot that that demon had.

I arched up to his chest, grabbing hold of the rock as an aching pleasure soared through my entire body.

That demon's voice fell over me, "We meet again, Kagome."

I cried out as Inuyasha ground his hip into mine. I was positively sweating as heat ran over me. The aching feeling around my sensitive area increased tenfold as he rolled his hips into mine again. I bit my bottom lip, trying to contain the gasp from escaping my throat. I had never felt like this before.

He pressed himself onto me, pushed his hips into mine again. Slowly, over and over. Then he placed his lips on mine and left soft, fluttering kisses there.

This pleasure tore at me. It was unexpected, but I wanted more of it. Had to get closer to him. Closer to Inuyasha. Only Inuyasha. This was a once in a lifetime chance. I had to make it count.

I brought my hands over his neck with no reserve, crushed my lips onto his. His hips bucked forward, tearing a squeak from my throat. His tongue entered my open mouth, running along my teeth. I flinched at the strange feeling of the slippery muscle as it caressed my tongue. It tickled me, and I didn't know what to do. Inuyasha's member was still rubbing up against mine at a slow pace. I decided to go along with things, pulling him closer. Even though the sounds, the strangled moans, the mews, the huffs that he drew from my throat made my blush deepen, I couldn't help but get lost in this feeling of ecstasy. He kissed me harder, passionately, making my toes tingle. My hands shook as I dug my nails into his back.

I needed air, but I couldn't let go of his lips. He decided to break it off, trailing rough, sloppy kisses down my throat. He stopped at the junction of my neck, where he had bitten me, and sucked harshly. I cried out in pleasure, gripping his shoulders, huffing for air as he bucked into me again. I wanted this badly. I wanted more. More.

He picked my legs up, placing them around his hips as he continued to press into me. Then he ran his hands up my chest and circled my nipples, still sucking at my neck.

I felt delirious with pleasure. It was too much for me, but not enough as well. I couldn't take it anymore, and was hit with a blinding pleasure that rocked my body. With my eyes shut tightly, I felt a sticky fluid against my stomach.

But he kept going, thrusting slowly, methodically. I thought the pleasure would've gone away after that intense feeling, but it only wavered before returning more fully, wanting more. Needing more. Inuyasha bit into the bite mark again, making me rasp for more as his fingers pinched my nipples, rubbing over them. It was too hot in here. Even with all of this hot spring water, I felt remarkably sweaty. Sticky.

His thrusting suddenly stopped, and a whine escaped my throat. Inuyasha chuckled, removing his lips from my skin. He licked at my mark, his voice rough as he spoke, "Do you really want this?"

"Of course," I puffed. I was still breathing heavily. I felt the tip of his manhood press into my entrance. My eyes widened and I stared at him. "What are you doing?"

He slowly pushed into me, hissing as I gasped, fisting my hands so I wouldn't tear the skin on his back.

It hurt.

He lowered one of his hands, trailing down my side until he reached my member. Then he stroked it. I bit my lip, pleasure clashing with pain. I couldn't help clenching around him as he went deeper until he was fully seated inside of me.

We stood still in the hot spring for a while, his fingertips continually stroking me.

As I adjusted to his size, the pain started to fade. I was more than a little uncomfortable, but my skin twitched and heated up wherever I touched him. It made me needy, but I didn't know how to voice my thoughts. Remembering how Inuyasha had brushed up against me, I said what I believed was necessary. My words came out breathy as a tight but pleasant feeling coiled around my stomach, "Inuyasha, move."

I never thought I would sound so demanding.

He pulled himself out of me until only the tip of his member was inside. Then he rammed up into me. I threw my head back onto the smooth rock, a strained, curdling gasp leaking from my throat as I squeezed his member. He thrust into me again, picking up on a slow, jerky pace. I tried to muffle my moans as I held onto him tightly.

Opening my eyes, I caught sight of his dog ears. I decided to reach out for them.

My fingers brushed up against them, and I was suddenly thrown back into the rock, Inuyasha's form crushing my own as his thrusting abruptly hit something inside of me. The feeling made me even more uncomfortable, but every time he hit that spot, it became a little more pleasant. Until I was panting and my vision was blurring, the sudden pleasure coursing through my body starting to hurt. It had me wishing, stretching for more. Wanting it so terribly.

Out of reflex, I grabbed hold of his ears. And he bit into my neck again.

I choked as his jerky thrusts continued to hit that pleasure spot inside of me, his hold on my neck shooting hot heats of want through my entire body. My member was aching, pulsing, dripping. My heart felt like it would burst from my chest. I tried to muffle my huffing by placing my mouth on Inuyasha's head. My breaths ended up heating one of his ears.

He growled at me. His thrusts became harder, faster, always hitting that spot. My mouth ended up placed on top of his ear, and his growling increased in volume. He slammed into me repeatedly, making me cry out and nearly weep.

Blinding hot heat ripped through my vision as I felt myself release. And he continued to thrust. And thrust. And thrust.

Then a hot fluid filled my inside.

I shivered as he continued to push into me a couple more times. His thrusting slowed to a stop, his breathing harsh on my neck. I didn't want him to move, but he pulled out of me, gently slipping my legs off of his waist and placing me in the water.

I didn't know what to say at this point. Being tired was all I could think about. Other than feeling like the world was full of fairies and flowers after all.

A weary but satisfied smile formed on his lips. "Guess we both need to get cleaned up now."

I just nodded at him, feeling too pleased to say anything.

Inuyasha had me put in a new bedroom. Everything had already been set up fourteen days ago. My room was noticeably closer to Inuyasha's, but I refrained from commenting on that.

My life at the castle picked up where it had left off, except for some things, like never seeing Kikyo again, thank heavens. I eventually got over the...bloody event. In fact, it had never really bothered me after what had happened in Inuyasha's bathroom. I still blush when I think about it.

Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and even Shippo started teasing me about Inuyasha. Koga refused to 'lower himself to their pathetic level.' It was real funny because they all teased and riled him up about that. The cold season seemed to go by fast, yet utterly slow as well. But it felt like the best season ever.

Inuyasha...

Well, he... Well, sometimes I think he followed me around. I didn't have proof though. At some point in time, Inuyasha and I started spending a lot of time together. I learned a lot of things about him. Every little movement he made told me something, like whether he was irritated, content, bored. Sometimes we even brushed hands, mostly accidental. That didn't stop me from blushing.

There were moments when he'd push me up against a dark hallway corner and start kissing the life out of me. Often times he'd start by grinding up against me. Things after that were usually pretty heavy in his bedroom. But Inuyasha kept to himself most of the time and was easily flustered if I even so much as touched him.

I learned something very important about him though. His eyes held extreme intelligence. Too much knowledge. It was disguised by his behavior.

The mating season was fast approaching. Inuyasha and I spent most of our free time outside, watching greenery return to the trees.

I sighed as I took my time to our meeting place, feeling a little dizzy and out-of-it. I've been real tired lately. Maybe it was because I was staying out late and watching the stars with Inuyasha. Then again, we didn't watch the stars every night, even if I'd like that to happen.

I yelped as I tripped over something, waiting for the impact of the fall. Instead, I fell on someone. Quickly, I pulled back and bowed. "I'm sorry! I wasn't looking and—"

"You're apologizing for tripping over your own two feet?"

I twitched as I looked up, frowning when I saw Inuyasha standing there with his almighty smirk. I scoffed and looked to my right, folding my arms across my chest. "You're always making a jab at everything I do. What's with that?" I looked back up at him and found his smirk replaced with a solemn look. Worry pinned me to my spot. "Is something wrong?"

He just continued to stare at me before sighing. Then he picked my chin up, bringing his face closer to mine. I stood still as I felt his lips barely touch mine. It was soft and chaste. But it was a kiss, nonetheless. My eyes fluttered closed and I leaned in, feeling my lips tingle.

He pulled away.

"Will you stay with me?" he asked me, snapping me out of my daze. His hand wandered up to my cheek, cupping it. Then he rubbed his thumb in circles. His eyes were so serious. "For eternity, as my mate?"

I felt a bit lost. So I did the only thing that I could. I nodded. A strange calmness washed over my entire being as his face seemed to light up like the sun.

Then it started snowing.

Inuyasha stared out at the snow. "The powdered snow dances in the wind."

My eyes widened.

He turned his gaze on me before he chuckled, low and enchanting. "Like a lonely swallow...no more."

Of course. Snow resembled me, who wandered this world, hoping to find something special. And like a lonely swallow, Inuyasha found me.

I gave him my best smile. Because I was happy. Completely in love with this male. This half-human, half-demon. Inuyasha.