Disclaimer: What? I don't own Inuyasha?! OMG. NO. FRIKKIN. WAI.

So so so so so so so so so so sorry about the long long long long wait, guys!! I have been recently bombarded by uncontrollable events!!!

Anyways…ONWARD WITH THE FLUFF!

-----

Kagome felt her feet softly touch the floor of her balcony right outside her window. Opening her drooping eyelids, the miko saw her bed and felt it call to her.

Behind the girl, Inuyasha was protectively holding her up and all her sleepiness with frantic thoughts running through his head. "Does this mean she forgives me? What could she see in me to let me stay now? Why-" The hanyou leaned over slightly to catch Kagome before she fell asleep against her closed window and drew her to his chest. That's when he realized she was soaked. "Shit." Maneuvering the young miko into his arms, Inuyasha whispered in her semi-unconscious ear. "Kagome? Are you cold?" While speaking to the drowsy girl, the half demon slowly unlocked her bedroom window, set her on the ground, and closed it behind him. Kagome nodded faintly and would have slumped to the floor if Inuyasha hadn't kneeled down and caught her with ease. Smirking, he shook his head, "Wench…"

"Inu-Inuyasha?" The miko opened her eyes, more awake this time and draped her arm over his shoulder almost drunkenly. "Can I take a bath?"

The image of Kagome naked flashed in his mind's eye and Inuyasha blushed generously. The demon shifted the girl onto the floor again and told her sternly to get herself undressed and get a bath or he was going to undress her himself.

At this, Kagome became fully awake and almost sat him, but she was so tired. Pointing to the door, the miko ground out "go. I'll be out in 15 minutes." Inuyasha eagerly gave her a wide berth, slipped out the door and then sat down just outside so he could keep an ear on the young woman.

The miko shut the bathroom door behind her while shaking her head, trying to clear away the fogginess of sleep. "I should probably take a shower since I know I'll fall asleep in the bath tub. And that won't be very good if Inuyasha runs in on me…" Kagome blushed at the thought of the half demon seeing her naked. After undressing, Kagome turned on the water and pulled the shower curtain around the tub. She giggled. "What would I do without you Inuyasha?" While washing her body, the girl came to the conclusion that she would either be dead or still in her own time without any knowledge of the Feudal Era. "Whichever way, it sucks." Kagome finished rinsing and just stood in the water a little while longer. "I wonder what would have happened to him if I hadn't fallen into the well?"

Meanwhile, the door to the miko's bedroom creaked open as Inuyasha golden orbs flicked to the ticking contraption on her desk. "Surely it's been 15 minutes already…" Suddenly, the running water in the next room stopped. Without thinking, Inuyasha fully stepped into the room as the woman came out with only a towel on.

"EEK!!" Kagome wrapped the fluffy towel more tightly around her body when she saw the half demon standing in front of her bedroom door staring at her with lust swirling in his eyes. "Get OUT!" She pointed a shaking hand to the door behind him as a deep blush rushed to her cheeks.

Inuyasha was dumbfounded. He hadn't seen her this naked in a long time, and let me tell you, she had grown. Her wet, black locks glittered with the water from her shower and clung to her bare shoulders and neck, inviting. The woman's chest, which was pumping up and down with every breath, had a rounded top before it disappeared under the towel with a light sheen from the shower. The cloth ended right above her mid thigh, allowing full view of her lean and shapely legs. The half demon resisted the urge to take her then and swiftly rocketed out of her room before he did something rash.

Once outside in the hall, Inuyasha tried to steady his raging demon blood and calm his…excitement. He felt his cheeks grow hot; the image of Kagome in her bedroom wouldn't go away. Running a clawed hand through his silver hair, the half demon waited, as she got dressed. "Inuyasha, you bastard. You sick…hanyou. You pervert." He leaned againstthe wall and let his head drop back. "Now she'll definitely kick you out…"

Kagome abruptly emerged from her room, completely dressed, and smiled at him, openly relaxed. "You hungry?"

Inuyasha nodded enthusiastically and leapt up to help her down the stairs. The demon could sense that she was still exhausted, but couldn't figure out why she hadn't sat him yet…or kicked him out…or even gotten angry again.

The miko began walking down the steps thinking, "I'm flattered that he seemed to find me attractive, but…maybe he was only seeing Kikyou?" She shook her head and almost lost her balance from fatigue, except two strong arms kept her from doing so.

"Careful, wench." Inuyasha whispered. The half demon slid his hands from their fierce hold on her to have them rest on her hips as he set her down. Kagome noticed that he didn't let go of her after she began walking again. All too soon enveloped in her own thoughts once more, the young woman stumbled. "Damn it, Kagome." The hanyou scolded her then slipped one hand under her knees with the other curved around her shoulders. "Maybe you're too tired to make ramen."

The miko laid her head in the crook of his neck and nodded glumly, "I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

Surprised, the hanyou peered down at the girl. "Sorry?" He produced a soft snorting sound and chuckled. "You need to rest, wench. Don't be sorry for that." Inuyasha pulled her closer as he turned to walk back up to Kagome's room. The girl's breathing became lingering, letting the demon know that she was asleep. Once again entering the hallway, Inuyasha heard a creaking noise come from behind him. Whipping around, careful not to wake up Kagome, the half demon saw the miko's mother come out of her own room with tired eyes.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome's mother questioned. "You came back?"

Embarrassed, the hanyou nodded and looked down at his feet. "Yeah." He then turned slowly and entered the young woman's room, a sign to the older woman that she could trail behind him. The miko's mother promptly followed and tip toed inside closing the door behind her. She then turned to see Inuyasha gently tuck Kagome in her bed. The elder woman smiled when she saw him stroke her daughter's cheek with his thumb before lifting his head to the mother's eyes with inspecting golden orbs.

"Can I talk to you, Inuyasha?" The woman whispered. The hanyou straightened and followed Kagome's mother over to the window. Moonlight gradually filtered through the clouds outside, washing the both of them in a silver glow. The woman took a deep breath and whispered so quietly that the half demon had to strain to hear her. "Do you love Kagome?"

Inuyasha jerked back a bit and blinked with an intense blush spreading across his cheeks. "I-I…what?"

The mother's eyes suddenly met his with turbulent and raging emotions swirling in their depths. The look was challenging him to deny her. "Do you know how devastating it is to come home to the screams and wails of your daughter because she lost something she held so dearly? Do you know how much she cried your name to that floor of that goddamn well?!" The woman whispered loudly as to not wake up her daughter. "Do you know that she dug at the bottom of that well making her fingers bleed so she could get back to you?!" The demon winced as Kagome's mother took another breath and tried to regain her control.

Inuyasha was speechless. His mouth must have opened and closed at least 50 times before he finally spoke. "Is she okay?"

"What do you think, Inuyasha?" Tears were now collecting in her eyes. "I thought she was going to kill herself." She produced a partly muted sob. "Why did you do that?"

Instinctively, the hanyou turned his head to glance at Kagome. The miko was still breathing calmly in her sleep. With his attention back to her mother, the hanyou whispered, "I…she…I only wanted her safe."

"From what?" The woman retorted. "From some demon? From tripping over a root back in the Feudal Era? Damn it, Inuyasha. I knew that it could happen to her. But I also knew that you could protect her better than anyone I know." The mother then didn't meet his gaze and looked out the window speaking quieter now. "All I want to know is…do you love her?"

The half demon hesitated, "I…I don't…I don't know if I can answer that right now." Inuyasha peered down at his feet as he listened to Kagome's mother speak before exiting the room.

"Alright." She sighed. "All I ask is that you…let her know the truth before leading her on in any way. Okay?"

A fire burned in the hanyou's eyes as he whipped his head up to meet the woman's gaze. "I promise. I will never hurt her."

Weakly smiling, Kagome's mother whispered sadly, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Inuyasha." And with that she walked out of the bedroom.

The silver haired demon shakily sighed as he ran his clawed fingers through his tresses. His shadow soon fell over the young miko in her bed when he made his way over to her. Inuyasha then kneeled and folded his arms on her mattress with his chin resting on his forearms. "I'm so sorry, Kagome…" Lifting his head a bit, the hanyou raised a hand half-heartedly and faltered before touching her cheek. He gave a hopeful grin as the miko leaned into his fingers, smiling herself. Inuyasha then began to run his thumb under her eyes, caressing her neck and jaw with his other digits, chuckling when Kagome started to purr delicately.

The golden-eyed demon brushed some stray locks of black, silky hair from her neck and admired the soft creaminess of her skin. Curious, he fingered her collarbone and felt a jolt of electricity shoot down to his groin when she whispered his name passionately. Inuyasha then stood, tucking the girl even more securely under her covers and strode over the window. Sliding the glass open, the hanyou leapt effortlessly to the tree outside Kagome's room to watch her for the rest of the night.

Inuyasha sighed heartbrokenly and shifted the Tetsusaiga to his arms. "I can battle demons for her and comfort her…" Closing his eyes with the image of Kagome still sleeping in her room, he thought, "If I only could say it…"

-----

So…that was a crappy chapter. Not as much fluff as I wanted, but they're getting there!!

Aijou has been a bitch lately so I can't do the What Will Happen Next?!?!? Bag yet. I love you all!

REVIEW!!! –gives you a cookie-

-KikyouHater-