CHAPTER NINE

*

When Kagome opened her eyes, at first she thought she was still in a dream. She was warm for the first time in what seemed like weeks, with her body resting against something solid and silky. Something warm, with a heartbeat.

"Inuyasha?" she murmured.

"Yeah?" he said from somewhere above her ear.

Kagome tried to turn over, and found that she couldn't. It felt like his kimono had been tightly wrapped around them both and knotted behind her back. Oh well, she thought drowsily, resting her cheek on his chest. She was too sleepy to get too embarrassed by this. Besides, he smelled nice -- kind of like a boy, but there was a hint of fur and earth there -- with his long hair falling over her face -- and he was warm... really warm...

"Inuyasha?" she said softly.

"I said what?"

"Why did you get all weird when we decided to come here?" Kagome closed her eyes and snuggled a little closer. She felt him tremble a little, then lie completely still. "You don't usually get like that. Why is it?"

"I hate snow," Inuyasha said in a low voice. "If it's just on the ground, that's fine with me. But I hate it when it blows around." He paused, stroking her shoulders meditatively. "I used to have to spend all my time out in the forests. Including when it snowed. So when I'm in a blizzard, I remember... what it felt like then. When I was alone."

"You're not alone," Kagome said drowsily.

"I know," Inuyasha said, almost too quietly to be heard. He was starting to feel tired as well; Kagome was clearly on the borderline already. He closed his eyes, starting to drift off, but started when he heard her mumble, "Inuyasha... you're really warm."

He blushed a little, glad that he had decided to get closer. This wasn't like what Miroku would do in his place... even if he did think a little. "Kagome..." he said hesitantly, but Kagome was already asleep again. He rested his hand on her head, and wondered why it felt so natural to be this way.

*

When Kagome woke up, the cave was flooded with sunlight. She was still wrapped in Inuyasha's red kimono -- only he wasn't in it. She sat up slowly, kicking off the sleeping bag. Cold! she thought as she pulled on her socks. There was snow all over the floor.

Inuyasha was at the buried entrance of the cave, digging like a dog. "Awake already?" he grunted, scraping the rocks out of his way. "I was gonna let you sleep for a while longer."

Kagome shielded her eyes. "Yeah. Any sign of Miroku and the others?"

"Not yet." Inuyasha sniffed the air outside. "Nothing. If they're around, then they're hidden too deep for me to smell them. Or else the snow is getting in the way."

"But you can smell them once we get going, right?"

"I can't promise that."

Kagome handed him his kimono; he didn't look at her when he took it back. He's embarrassed about what he did last night, Kagome thought. I wonder if I can get him past this idea that it's weak to be sweet like that. If she pressed him, he would probably insist that it was just for mutual self-preservation.

"Let's go, Kagome," Inuyasha said, slipping the kimono back on. "We should find out about that Shikon aura you saw, then get out of here. I don't wanna be caught in another blizzard tonight."

"No arguments here." Kagome stuffed her sleeping bag back on top of her backpack. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."

As Inuyasha leapt from rock to rock, Kagome blinked. The sun on the snow was almost blinding her, but if she squinted she could make out... well, more rocks. As time went on, clouds rolled over the sun, and the cold winds began to pick up. They stung Kagome's face, but Inuyasha didn't seem bothered by them.

"See any Shikon shards?" he asked, pausing on a pointed outcropping.

"Nothing yet," Kagome said, looking around. "I'm starting to wonder if I just dreamed it."

"Or if something really creepy is going on here," Inuyasha said ominously. "We'd better find Miroku and the others before they get into more trouble." Assuming they didn't freeze, he thought, jumping off the ledge.

TO BE CONTINUED