Chapter 1

Kagome

"Why do you always treat me like I'm so delicate?"

"Because you are. Now put on the robe."

Sigh… Stupid Inuyasha. It wasn't even that cold. Still, I put on the robe of the fire rat anyway. When the half demon gave a satisfactory hmpf and turned his head, I gave him a long look. He was so confusing in the way he shows his affection. Like he couldn't be just a little bit nicer?

I have to admit, though, the air was gradually growing colder and I was a lot warmer and happier surrounded by his scent. His robe smelled like Pine and Japanese Maple, the fabric soft but sturdy. Indestructible. A giggle escaped my lips. What a pathetic schoolgirl I am, flushing and wrapping his robe tightly around me. Fighting off a blush, I looked at him, waiting to be embarrassed but Inuyasha didn't turn around. He right ear twitched but otherwise he continued marching forward in the chilly air.

"The locals seemed relieved to be rid of that pesky demon, don't you think?" I was trying to strike up some kind of conversation. Inuyasha was being too quiet all day. Suspiciously quiet. The battle with that demon had been a fairly easy one. What did he have to brood about?

"Keh. That pathetic demon? It was barely worth the effort."

I stared at Inuyasha, trying to understand what was whirling around in that silver-haired head of his. He had been moody since the morning when he took off with me towards the demon-infected village. Sango and Miroku had insisted that they stay behind with Kaede and Shippo, stating that someone needed to stay behind to protect the village. I know that was an excuse because we are constantly leaving Kaede and the village in our search for the sacred jewel shards, and honestly I was happy to get even just a moment's alone time with Inuyasha. He, however, seemed uncomfortable from the start.

I watched his gait, his arms tucked into his sleeves, his golden gaze on the sky. He wouldn't look at me much today either. Not that he was ignoring me, per say. He was hyper alert of my presence like he always is. He's forever a loyal guardian. He noticed the slight raised goosebumps on my skin without even having to look at me when the air began turning chilly. Chilly air... Also strange. It had been such a pleasant morning and early afternoon.

"It's not normal for the weather to be this cold. It's not even autumn yet," I said, pulling the robe around me tighter. "Do you think Naraku could be affecting the weather?"

"Dunno… I was hoping that the demon we slayed in the village would be a clue but it's led us nowhere. Naraku's disappeared again. Bastard… He must have chosen his moment of weakness to be now."

There it is. The cause of his brooding.

"Is that why you've been so moody today, Inuyasha? I know how frustrated you get when we lose leads to Naraku."

Inuyasha growled and turned to me in frustration. "I'm not moody, okay!"

I couldn't help but grin a little. He's adorable when he tries to remain so defensive. My grin was short-lived, though. I fought with the twinge of emotion stuck in my throat at his response to me. I know he doesn't mean any harm, but it still upsets me whenever he takes his angers and frustrations out on me. I didn't do anything to him, I just asked a simple question. Sheesh, what a drama queen.

"You are, and I wish you would stop taking it out on me."

"I'm not taking anything out on you!"

"Then why haven't you been able to look me in the eye all day?"

That stopped him in his tracks. I stared back, confused by the faces he was making. He looked guilty, like I had caught him in the act of doing something naughty. He blubbered, trying to find an excuse, eventually settling on an insult. Just like he always does.

"W-why would I want to look at you, anyway? N-nothing to see."

I sighed heavily and pushed my way in front of him to continue our trek to Kaede's village. We were not far, only a couple more hours by foot. Surely, I could stand Inuyasha's brooding for that long. With another sigh, I allowed myself to become lost in my own thoughts. Inuyasha knows he hurt my feelings. I could sense his worry in his aura. Good, let him feel guilty.

Inuyasha's and my relationship confused me so. He doesn't intend to hurt anyone, especially me, but his defenses won't allow him to be gentle, especially when he's put on the spot. It's so hard for him to just…relax. Today seems different, somehow. Normally, he can carry a conversation with me or even be a little sweet. Often, if we ever are alone, we sit close to each other and stargaze, or he's sitting in my room in the modern era, watching me study. Sometimes, we take walks together just to sight see. Today, I long for those moments. We don't often have time alone together, and the last thing I want to do is spend it being depressed over his mood.

Boys suck.

"Kagome?"

Inuyasha called out timidly, like he was afraid of me lashing at him. I probably should after him being so rude to me, but I resigned. There is no point in holding a grudge. He'll just brood even more throughout the night and sleep outside in a tree. I much prefer him being close to me at night.

"What is it?" I stopped and turned around to look at him. He seemed remorseful enough, even though his averted gaze was annoying.

"I'm so-"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. The air suddenly froze. Humidity froze and hung in the air like miniscule frozen raindrops that fell to the ground with a tinkle. If it weren't for the frigid air burning my naked legs, I might have found it endearing.

"Something's wrong!" My teeth were chattering.

"No shit, Kagome. C'mon, we need to get out of here before you freeze to death."

I did not hesitate when he crouched and offered me to ride on his back. This is one of my favorite things he does. His skin radiated warmth as he ran as quickly as his bare feet could take him towards Kaede's village. I buried my face into the back of his neck, drinking in his scent. He gave an approving squeeze to the back of my thigh and ran faster. If it weren't for him being a living furnace, my legs would have turned to ice and fallen off.

Speaking of… They actually were.

"My legs are going numb!"

"That's what you get for running around half naked all the time. Keh! Women."

"Hey! You don't have to be rude, you know!"

"Shut up and sit down."

Inuyasha had taken us to a fallen tree that was a short way off the main path. He plopped me down, and I pouted at him. What the heck was he trying to do anyway? This tree trunk was freezing my bottom off!

I looked down at my legs and saw the skin painfully red and raw. The biting wind had chapped my skin that wasn't protected by Inuyasha's hands or robe of the fire rat. The numbness from the cold kept the pain at bay, but I knew as soon as I returned to the warmth, I would regret it. I groaned and put my face in my hands.

"This is going to hurt. I don't have anything to brace the cold weather. Who packs clothes like that now? It's summer! Ugh… We need to get out of this cold. How far away are we from Kaede's village?"

"Not long now if I run. But will you be okay? Look at your skin…"

Inuyasha seemed hesitant, but I could read the worry in his eyes. My legs were beginning to change color. Fear of frostbite was becoming realer by the second. The panic that was building in the back of my mind was slowly creeping its way to the forefront. Here it comes, a panic attack. Bracing myself for the onslaught of hyperventilation, I clenched my fists and closed my eyes. Here it comes. Death. I'll just die right here. At least my upper body is warm.

"Sorry to do this, Kagome, but we need to get you warm."

I didn't pay attention to the rest of the trip. Inuyasha put me back on his back, drawing me as close to him as possible, covering as much skin as he could with his robe, his arms, his hands, whatever he could use. I rested in bliss on his body warmth, thanking the numbness in my legs preventing me from feeling any real pain. The time it took to get back to Kaede's village was much too short, and I yearned for longer time on his back, but Inuyasha didn't hesitate. He flew inside of Kaede's house and put me down. I shifted the robe of the fire rat around the front of my body and rested against the wall, pouting, while Inuyasha began building a fire. Once the flames started crackling and filling the little hut with warmth, he sat down and observed that the others were missing.

"Where are Miroku, Sango, and the others? They should be here."

"They can't have been gone long. Their scents are fresh and the hut is still warm. They'll probably be back soon."

I cast my eyes down towards the fire and scooted myself closer. Its heat washed over me, and I sighed deeply. "I hope they are okay."

"I'm sure they are fine. Sango and Miroku are strong fighters. They'll be back."

I grinned at him. "Since when are you so optimistic?"

"It's called being realistic, woman! Maybe you should try it sometime."

With a giggle, I began rubbing my legs. They were still numb and weren't warming up fast enough. I removed the robe from my legs to get them closer to the fire. Inuyasha watched me, and I became hyperaware of the bareness of my legs. It's never bothered me before, but with his intent gaze and my rubbing my skin, my cheeks flushed and a shyness overcame me. Turning my face away, I stammered to find something to say.

Inuyasha was the one to break the silence. Well, he didn't use words, but the silence around us broke as soon as I felt his palm on my thigh. The sound of the howling wind outside, the creaking wood of the hut, the cracking fire, my breathing… It all became quite loud. My eyes shot towards his with a gasp. His face was flushed but he was confident, determined. Careful to avoid the chapped skin, he massaged and rubbed my outer things, calves, and ankles. I was in too much shock to pay attention to the bloodflow returning. Or was it? It was most likely going to my head. I felt dizzy. Inuyasha was touching my bare skin!

"Does this help?" he asked me quietly.

He wasn't trying to cause a scene. He was trying to make me feel as comfortable as possible. I had no words for him, so all I did was nod. I'm sure my face looked so stupid.

"Why do you have that stupid look on your face?"

Confirmed.

"Uh.. I uh…"

He laughed but continued his massaging my skin. Every stroke set my heart beating faster. I was careful to make sure my breath did not hitch. Last thing I wanted him to know what that him touching me like this was kind of turning me on. Soon, the color to the unaffected skin returned to normal. It took a few breaths before either of us realized that we were silent, and his hand was still resting on my knee. Both blushing from head to foot, we looked away from each other. I cursed myself.

This is so stupid, Kagome. You both are acting like children. He was just helping you not lose your legs. Get a grip.

Inuyasha looked so handsome sitting in the light of the fire, the shadows of his face and clavicle flickering. The light outside was dimming. It was getting late, and I should have been worrying about our friends, but in that moment, I couldn't worry about anything else but Inuyasha's face. His lips were taut, his cheeks still held some residue from his blushing. Knowing how impulsive his is in uncomfortable situations, I scooted closer to him before he could leap out of a window or something.

Laying my head on his shoulder, his robe still around my shoulders, I thanked him for helping me. He didn't have to thank me. The relaxation of his body against mine was enough. After a moment, I pulled away from him, and I could have sworn he pouted. No, there's no way. It must be my imagination.

"I-it's getting late. I better go see where the others are." He stood and walked to the door, his step much slower than usual. "I'll be back soon. You stay here and keep warm."

"Do you want your robe back?"

"Nah, you keep it. Your puny human skin needs some extra protection in case something attacks you anyway."

"Why do I need the robe when I have you to protect me?"

I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was blushing. You could almost see it in his aura around him. How cute!

"Keh. Women. I'll be back soon."

The air that entered the hut when he opened the door was brutal and biting. Worry creeped into my psyche, even though I knew that the cold would do nothing to Inuyasha. What about Sango, Miroku, and Kaede? Shippo and Kirara would probably be okay because they are demons, but the others are just human. They would suffer in the cold like I did. The skin on my legs ached painfully. Thankfully, my backpack was still safely packed away in a corner. Taking out the first aid kit, searching for ointment and bandages, distracted me from my racing mind. I could still feel Inuyasha's touch on my legs. His hands were calloused but gentle. Warm. Sexy, if I'm being honest with myself.

Part of me wondered what the feel of his hands on my inner thigh would feel like…

Biting back those lustful thoughts, I set myself the task of making stew. The warm meal would do our bodies good in this sudden, strange, unseasonal winter storm. Gazing out of the window, snow began to fall.

What is going on?