She must admit, as they travel along the winding mountain road that the scenery is just breathtaking. There was a light dusting of snow along the roadway and on the tops of many of the Japanese pines they passed by. It was winter break from college and Kagome's roommate Sango talked her into taking this trip. Come on, the older girl had said, let's get out of the city and just relax for the two-week hiatus. Who else was coming was the first question. Well, her boyfriend Miroku and his roommate, Inuyasha. No way, was the immediate response, there was no way she was bunking with a guy. But her friend assured her, it would be two cabins, one for the girls, one for the guys. "Give him a chance, you might like him…"

The two men sat up front, with Miroku at the wheel while the girls were in the back seat. The trunk of the SUV was packed with all the necessities and food for the long stay. Cases and cases of dried ramen seemed like overkill to the young brunette, but Sango had explained Inuyasha's penchant for the instant meal. It had been a two-hour drive, and they were nearing their destination, so Kagome sat back and stared out the window…

"How did I let you talk me into this?" Inuyasha grumbles as he helps his roommate load up the car. "I've spent enough years in the woods to not wanna go back to it."

Miroku just sighs, he was one of the few people that knew the young male was no ordinary human, and one of the few who tolerated his sometimes, temperamental nature. 'Maybe if he just had a girl he wouldn't be so damn grouchy…' Deep down he knew his friend had a heart of gold that matched the true color of his eyes, but his lonely upbringing and years of fending for himself had left the hanyo distant.

"We'll be in cabins… Inuyasha, not the woods."

"Keh, it's still the middle of nowhere."

"Please just try to be nice to Sango's roommate as a favor to me. She's really sweet."

"The freshman, right?"

Miroku looks up and sees the two girls walking towards them. "Here they come." He drops what he had been holding and goes to help them with their things. Inuyasha follows his friend but can't help the gaze he levels at the girl beside Sango. Something in her aura is calling to his yoki and he doesn't know why. "Kagome, I'd like to introduce you to my roommate, Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is the girl I was telling you about."

"Nice to meet you Inuyasha." She bows politely

"Likewise. I, um," mumbling, he takes her bag, "can load that for you," and quickly hurries away with her things to the car.

Kagome stands there a bit dumbfounded, "He's kinda odd…" she mutters.

"Yeah…" Miroku exhales, "don't mind Yash, he's shy around new people."

"No, he's not." Sango interjects, "I've never seen him offer to help with anything before…"

Miroku tilts his head, "Huh? Your right..." Leaning in closer to his girlfriend he whispers, "It gives me an idea…" and as she listens, a smirk grows on her face…

She'd been quiet for most of the ride, whispering to Sango every so often, but with his hidden ears, he could hear most of the conversations, Hiking…Smores… 'What's a smore?' he wondered… Is he a senior too…Yeah…Is he usually this quiet?No, he can be a little irritating… 'Irritating?!'That's just great…But he's got a sweet side too… 'No, I don't!'Really… He looks over at the freshman through the side mirror; she's staring out the window again, but it's like she was thinking about something and if he wasn't mistaken, her cheeks seemed flushed for some reason. This girl was intriguing to him. Yes, she was pretty, and to him, smelled nice, but she also reminded him of his mother; not necessarily in appearance but her poise, her energy. His mother had been the only real soothing presence in his life and this girl was exuding that same essence…

"Inuyasha?"

He turns to his friend, "Huh? What is it Miroku?"

"Kagome?" Sango taps her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"We um, have something to ask you guys…" Miroku starts off

and Sango finishes "…we were wondering if you two wouldn't mind letting us use one of the cabins for the night."

"No way!" Inuyasha and Kagome both yell at the same time.

"Please Yash…"

"Please Kagome… it's just one night."

The girl sighs, "Just, one night?"

"Just one night," Sango begs, "I promise."

"Ugh…" Inuyasha hangs his head. 'Damn you Miroku!' "You didn't need to cave, Kagome."

"She's my friend, and they don't get a lot of alone time."

"Thank you, Kagome!" Sango hugs her friend.

Miroku grins at his friend. "Keh! I know what you're up to you." But Miroku just pats his shoulder as the hanyo crosses his arms and turns his head to look out the window. 'Fuck, now I need to be alone with this girl for the night!'

When they walk into the cabin, Kagome immediately regrets her decision; she had expected to see two beds, not one! Inuyasha sees the irritation on her face and starts laughing, "So which side do you want?"

She turns, glaring at him, "This is not funny!"

"Hey, I told you, you didn't need to cave."

Kagome plops down on the small couch fronting a fireplace and rubs her temples. 'It's gonna be fine, it's just for the night…' "I guess I'll take the right."

"If it's that uncomfortable for you, I'll sleep on the couch."

She looks up, a little surprised at his gesture. "No, that wouldn't be very fair… Just no funny business mister."

He throws his hands up in defense, "Hadn't planned on it."

Exhale. "It'll be dark soon; would you mind starting a fire while I fix us up some dinner?"

"I think I can manage that…"

The cabin was well stocked with firewood and quick start kindling which was awesome because by the way the clouds were rolling in tonight and probably the whole time they were up here it was gonna be cold. Inuyasha got the fire going and sits back on the couch while Kagome fusses in the kitchenette area. They had brought mostly canned, instant, and dried foods, so they wouldn't have to go back down the mountain, but whatever she was whipping up sure didn't smell like it came out of a can. Scrumptious aromas tickled his sensitive nose and sends his stomach a growlin'. Kagome chuckles, "It won't be much longer."

'I could get used to this…' he kicks his feet up and closes his eyes. It's been a long time since he's had a home cooked meal, most of the time he and his roommate ate out since neither could cook much more than instant, ready to serve stuff. Oh, he could burn things over a fire, having survived for a couple hundred years on his own, but a nice meal; yeah that was a different story. "So, Kagome…. How do you like college so far?"

"Um, it's different, being away from home, but I really like it. Sango and I knew each other from high school and she told me this college was a really good one."

"Where is home?"

"On the outskirts of Tokyo, my family runs the Higurashi shrine."

'Miko bloodline, how interesting…'

"What about you, Inuyasha, where did you come from?"

"Err, well… I guess you could say outside of Tokyo as well."

"Oh…" she walks over and hands him a plate. "Here you go, I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," he smiles and digs right in. Kagome sits next to him on the couch and stifles her laughter as he groans and sighs through each bite. "Mmm… So much better than just ramen… But I do still love that stuff!"

"I can tell…" she finally chuckles, "You've brought enough to last a month."

"It's easy to make…" he takes another bite, "mmm…no more hunting for my meal…"

Kagome cocks her head to the side, "Hunting?"

"Err, I-I mean having to search for a good take out restaurant."

Her eyebrow raises as if she thinks he's lying, but he changes the subject. "I overheard you talking about smores in the car, what is that?"

"it's like a campfire dessert, do you wanna try some?"

"Definitely!"

Giggling, "Alright, I'll make you some after dinner."

She takes their plates and cleans up then comes back with the ingredients for the smores. "Come here," she pats the ground next to the fire place as she sets everything down in front of her. Once he joins her, "So first you take the graham crackers and chocolate…" preparing the pieces, "…like a sandwich see?" she shows it to him. "Now we roast the marshmallows…" putting one on a stick and over the fire until is turns brown. "…then you put it between the crackers and chocolate…" demonstrating the last step. "…and that's it, simple." She hands the one she made to him. "Just be careful, the marshmallow is still hot."

He holds the concoction to his nose, sniffing it; 'smells yummy…' and take a tentative bite. "Oh wow! This is amazing!" He devours the rest of it, grinning. All the while, Kagome is prepping more of them. "Could I try?"

"Of course." She hands him a marshmallow stick… Kagome laughs through most of the show, eating a smore or two while Inuyasha scarfs down the rest of the batch. The conversations are friendly and amusing, and she finds herself very relaxed around him. She had been so worried that they wouldn't get a long, but those fears are melting away. Every so often he would make a comment, like the hunting one, or do something strange, like sniffing the smores like an animal would, but would quickly correct himself. She's starting to wonder if there is something he's trying to hide from her, maybe from his past, that she can't seem to put her finger on. What was harder to ignore was other little, suggestive gestures that kept catching her attention, arousing little side glances, him lying on his side with one leg bent in a pose as he stared at her… the electric sensations when their hands touched a few times… Her heart would beat faster each time and she swore he grinned when it happened; could he hear it? Impossible right, unless he had some superhuman hearing abilities? Maybe he was just being a flirt? Maybe it was her imagination? Regardless of how she was feeling, the important thing is, they were getting along. Time ticks away, minutes into hours, until 11 pm rolls around.

"I'm stuffed!" he lays on his back patting his belly, "thank you for dinner and dessert…" When he turns to look at her, his dark piercing eyes are the brightest she's seen so far with the light of the fire making them shine, and his smile is just… pulling her in deeper…

Kagome looks down at her hands, cheeks flushing a little, "You're welcome…. It's getting late, I think we should head to bed already, Inuyasha."

He yawns, "You're probably right… But I was really enjoying our conversations…"

"W-we can talk more tomorrow…" he nods and smiles at her. "I'm gonna get ready for bed in the bathroom, you can get ready after me, I won't be long."

"Okay." As she gets up, he watches her every movement… putting away the leftover snacks, gathering her Pj's and heading into the bathroom… All the while secretly drooling over the girl. He had thought her cute before, but now, she had become even more beautiful in his eyes. Such poise and elegance, sweet and caring, yet with a hint of a feistier side; it was all seductive to a man who has never been attracted to anyone before. While he waits his turn, he adds another log to the fire that should help it last for a few more hours. He stares at the embers, remembering the days when this was the only source of light in the dark. It was such a lonely time, but one that helped to shape the man he was today. His ear twitches to the sound of a door opening, he turns and looks up to see Kagome now in long sweat pants and an oversized shirt walk out. 'Damn… she's fucking adorable…'

"Your turn." She smiles at him…

By the time he's changed, Kagome is in bed under the covers with just the fires light illuminating the room. The cozy ambience of the dancing shadows is not helping the desire that had begun to burn in his soul for her. He gulps, nervous now that he was about to be in a more intimate space with this woman. "It's gonna be cold tonight…" he blurts out as he climbs into the bed. "I put more wood in the fireplace so hopefully that'll keep it at bay for a while." He himself doesn't get cold as easily but he knows a human's body will be affected much easier.

"This blanket seems warm enough… and our body heat should help…" that last part trailed off, but he heard it loud and clear. "Goodnight, Inuyasha."

"Goodnight Kagome." She turns over, facing away from him, but he stays on his back and stares at the ceiling. 'Now I wish we didn't have to trade cabins tomorrow…Maybe I can get Miroku to ask for another night with Sango…'

"Wow… you are like having a heater in bed with me."

"Huh?" Oh, he heard exactly what she said, but it took him by surprise.

"I said you're like having a heater in bed with me, your body is so warm. Anyways, goodnight again." He can feel his cheeks burning a little; thank goodness, she can't see in the dark.

"Goodnight…"

At some point during the early morning hours, he awakens to Kagome cuddling to his side, shivering just a little. The fire had gone out and the room was chillier but what caught his attention was the sounds coming from outside of the cabin. What had begun as a light pattering of snow has now turned into something worse; a blizzard. His first priority, was the girl, who even though had snuggled up to him, didn't want her freaking out in the morning when she woke. He sighs, this wasn't exactly easy for him either. "Kagome?" he lightly shakes the girl. "You, are um, snuggling to me… Is it okay, if I keep you warm?"

"Mmhmm…" she murmurs. "I'm cold…"

"O-okay…" he bundles her closer, and she shifts her head over his arm to rest against his chest. "Is that better?"

"Very…" the light breathing lets him know she's fallen back asleep.

He sighs and wraps his arms around her body, 'hopefully she remembers this in the morning.' Kagome was smaller than he, height-wise, by at least a foot, but she fit so perfectly, molded against him. As he drifted back to sleep, he couldn't help the feeling of contentment that washed over his yoki…

Kagome stiffened the second she woke up, staring at a chest and with large male arms around her waist. Light rumbling sounds coming from the sleeping man sounded adorable but at first, she didn't remember what happened. 'Right… I got cold…' Gathering up the courage, she lifted her head just enough to look at him and the vision was so sweet, the corners of his mouth were upturned in a smile, and he simply looked satisfied. Could he be happy that she had chosen to cuddle with him? But how could that have happened? Before yesterday they didn't even know each other and yet, she had to admit, it felt wonderful in his arms, as if it was where she belonged.

She didn't want to leave the warmth and safety of his embrace but unfortunately her bladder was calling. As she gently tried to pry his arms from around her waist he whines and only tightens his hold; 'wow he's strong…' "Inuyasha," pushing on his chest. "Inuyasha I need to use the bathroom…"

"Mmmm…" he grumbles but releases her. "Hurry back…"

Sliding out from under the blankets, the cold air hits her like a wall. "Brrrr…" Wrapping her arms around herself shivering, she practically runs for the bathroom; the quicker she takes care of business, the quicker she can get back to the warmth of his sanctuary.

As she hurries back to bed she notes the time of 7 am on the wall clock and that it seemed a bit dark for that hour. Maybe the clock was wrong, or the skies were overcast, oh well, it's not like she was in a rush to start the day anyways. Inuyasha had rolled on his back but the minute she crawled in next to him, he turned over and pulled her to his chest. "Geez, you're like a popsicle." He mumbles and bundles her even tighter, "humans… get cold so fast…"

"What do you mean, you're human too."

"Go back to sleep wench…"

"Hey! Don't call me a wench! And you didn't answer my question."

"Too early… to talk…"

Kagome tries to push off him, irritated by what he had called her, but he's too strong and holds her in place. 'Ugh, calling me… I'm not a wench!' Instead of fighting, she manages to turn around so at least she didn't need to look at him. But he didn't care, in fact the new position was even more appealing to him, nuzzling her hair and making himself more comfortable. Sigh… 'He's so grumpy in the morning…and what was with the human comment?' She wonders, 'Or calling me a wench…who even uses that word anymore, it's so outdated…Inuyasha's human right?' There was no reason for her to suspect otherwise, sure there were a few oddities, comments, or quirks but those could be chalked up to just a different upbringing or life experiences… then again, strung together, they could be hints that that there is more to this man than meets the eye. She yawns, 'I'll ask him more later…'

A couple hours later, a chill on her back makes the young girl shiver and she finds herself alone in bed. Looking around the room, Kagome spies Inuyasha staring out a white-washed window. "Inuyasha?" She sits up but keeps the blankets around her shoulders, "What are you looking at?"

"I think, we're snowbound."

"Snowbound?" She doesn't understand. Tokyo would get snow, but never more than a few inches. "What's that?"

He turns and looks at her, "It basically means were stuck in here until it melt's or we're dug out." Motioning above his head, "the snow is up to the roof."

"Are you serious?!"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"C-couldn't we call for help?" She gets out of the bed and shuffles in her blanket wrap to the phone, dialing the park rangers. "Hi, yes I'm calling from the cabins… Uh-huh, yeah, the snow… Sigh… So, we're… great. How long… that long…. Okay thank you." While Kagome's on the line, Inuyasha checks the fireplace flume, it seems clear and unblocked so he gets a fire going. "Argh!" she hangs it up, "They think we could be stuck for a week, it's supposed to snow heavy for the next few days…" Without waiting for a response from Inuyasha, she dials the other cabin. "Pick up, pick up… Miroku? Did you see… That means I'm stuck with him… N-no it wasn't that bad, it was kinda nice;" her cheeks are warming up, "but that's not the point! What kind of vacation is it, if were just stuck in a cabin the whole time!... Eww! Yeah, I'm sure you two are gonna love it…. W-what!" She looks at Inuyasha as Miroku talks, her body feeling as flushed as her cheeks now, "H-he did keep me warm last night… well it was cold!" Quickly turning her head away, "…But we barely know each other… Sure, laugh it up! Ugh, goodbye!" She slams the phone down. "Friggin pervert…" she mumbles.

"So, what'd Miroku say?" Inuyasha could hear the whole conversation but she doesn't know that.

"Nothing." Kagome settles on the couch. "I almost feel like they had planned this…"

"How can you plan to be trapped?"

"Weather forecasts might have warned about a blizzard hitting the area." Sigh, "Maybe this wouldn't be half as bad if it wasn't so damn cold!"

Inuyasha laughs, "So you're not mad about being stuck with me?"

"No," a rosy hue graces her cheeks again, "unless you keep calling me a wench!"

"When did I call you that?"

"This morning…" she cocks her head a little, "Don't you remember?"

"I don't…"

"Well, I do… I don't think I've heard anyone use that word before, it's kinda last century."

"Eh…" he shrugs his shoulders. "I'm gonna make me some ramen, do you want?"

'Did he just change the subject again?' "Sure, I'd love some."

Kagome eats one bowl of noodles to his four, "Where do you put it all?"

"High metabolism."

If only she believed that, most people can't eat that much food in one sitting, regardless of their metabolism and ramen wasn't exactly healthy either, these instant types were chock full of sodium and preservatives that would more likely lead to hypertension than keeping you looking trim. Of course, one explanation was, he exercised a lot. Shaking the idea away, more excuses; she was getting tired of the innuendos and assumptions. She turns her body to look at him. "Inuyasha, you said we'd talk more today, and since we're gonna be stuck here for a while, I think it's time for some explanations."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're either a strange guy or there's something you're not telling me." He just stares at her. Exhale, "like the human comments, or the hunting thing, or how you sniff your food… you're a lot stronger than you look like you should be, and warmer than a normal person…"

Inuyasha watches her facial expressions carefully trying to sort out why this girl wants to know so badly... She's a smart one, he'll give her that, having picked up on little quirks and strung them together like a puzzle that she's trying to figure out. But his true nature is not something he reveals lightly anymore, humans either didn't believe in them or still feared them, and thanks to cloaking spells, he didn't need to show his real self in public anymore. It was only after he felt comfortable around someone over time did he reveal the hanyo.

"Does it matter if I'm a typical human or not?" He queries the young girl. "I mean what is normal anyways?"

"It doesn't matter to me, you could be an alien for all I care… But if I'm going to be friends with someone, I'd rather know the genuine article then a facade."

Her conviction is surprising to say the least, he leans back on the couch and crosses his arms, "Keh… you think I'm being fake?"

"No, I just think you're hiding something."

"What if I'm not ready to show you that side of me yet?"

"Can you at least tell me why?"

Inuyasha stands up and paces in front of the couch. This girl is just not gonna drop the subject and if he doesn't tell her something it's gonna be a long, miserable week stuck in this cabin. Would it be so bad to tell her? His heart is saying no but still he worries… "Kagome, I don't… let that many people get close to me…" he runs his hand over his face. "Last night was… it's never…" exhale, "It was the first time I've even held a girl…" Her face lightens in a mixture of astonishment and sadness. Was this guy sheltered and just shy? Was he hurt so badly before that he's afraid to get close to people? She watches as he braces himself against the mantle with his head down; most likely it's the latter. "I'm usually much more careful about what I say or how I act so I don't attract attention, and I don't know how you did it but, I just felt so comfortable around you, things started to slip…"

A pair of arms weave around his waist startling him, as Kagome leans her head against his back. "If it bothers you that much Inuyasha, you don't have to tell me until you're ready."

Sigh, "You really won't care, i-if I tell you I might not be human?"

"No. I know that other creatures exist in this world, I've even met a couple that were really nice." Now it's his turn to be shocked. She's so calm talking about the world he comes from like there was no difference between the two. As he begins to relax she continues, hoping it helps to soothe his conscious even further. "One was a young fox yokai boy, his parents had been killed a couple of years ago and somehow he had wandered into our shrine. I helped him to find a surrogate tribe and I still see him around from time to time. The other was a wolf yokai, he looks our age but I'm assuming he's older. That guy was a bit irritating, tried to make me his 'woman' but I told him it would never happen. I think he eventually found another female from a neighboring pack to settle down with." By this point of the story, Inuyasha had placed one of his hands over hers. "Is that what you are, Inuyasha? A yokai?"

"Only half…" he mumbles. "I'm, an inu hanyo."

Kagome feels a pulse of energy from the young man while he exhales and mutters a short incantation. She lets him go and steps back as he turns to face her. He closes his eyes as the black hair shimmers and shifts into a silvery white… fluffy canine ears pop out of the hair. The nails on his fingers change, and morph into claws… And when he opens his eyes again, gone are the black pupils, replaced by golden hues.

"Wow…" she smiles, "you are…"

"Weird?"

"Handsome."

"Handsome?!"

"Has no one called you that?"

"N-no…"

She reaches out to touch his ears, "Ahh!" she giggles, "their soft!"

"Keh, do you mind weirdo, those are sensitive."

"Oh…" she stops rubbing them, "Sorry."

He moves back to the couch and plops down, Kagome joining him. Exhale, "Once a month on the new moon I become human again, so on that day or with the spell, what you met me as is the human Inuyasha. When the spell is off, this is my normal appearance."

"So, when the spell is on, even though you look human, you're actually still a hanyo underneath? It's only during the new moon when you truly become human?"

"Basically, yeah. It's the difference between hanyo's and yokai's. Since a hanyo is only half demon, we shed that part once a month; mine just happens to be during the new moon."

'He only looks human with the spell…' It suddenly hits her, "Wait, so all this time…" her eyes are ready to pop out, "did you hear the conversation with Miroku?!" His cheeks flush but he keeps his mouth shut. "Oh, my goodness you did!" Now her face is turning red. "Y-you heard…" he nods, but still says nothing. She covers her face with her hands, if she could die of humiliation right then and there she would.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm used to my roommate's perversions, nothing that comes out of his mouth shocks me anymore."

"That doesn't help my embarrassment."

"Why not?" he pulls her hands away from her face, "Unless, you were thinking those things too?"

"What! I-I wasn't…" the more she stammers, the bigger his grin grows. Tilting her head up to look directly in her eyes. "…I didn't…" Kagome loses her train of thought as his golden orbs tug at her soul, she breathes out instead, "Your eyes are so beautiful…" He smiles from her sweet comment and lowers his lips against hers, gently pressing against the soft pink skin. His hands move to her shoulders, then wrap around to the small of her back. She melts into the moment as her fingers tangle themselves in his hair. It was a short little kiss to gauge her reaction, but the answer was clear when he saw how starry eyed it left her.

"Not so bad huh, being stuck in here with me?"

She smiles, "Not anymore…"