Disclaimer: I am not Rumiko Takashi…Though I'm sure that if I was I wouldn't be sitting here writing FANfiction…that is how you know that I am not her…unless of course she is a fan of herself…which if that's the case then that's just weird. Therefore, if I am a FAN then I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters or plot. Only the plot of this story. Thank you. *bows*

Love Me as I Am

Chapter 30- Let It Snow

Becoming nostalgic Kagome remembered one of the first times Inuyasha had held her.

~*~*~flashback~*~*~

It was a cold winter night and the snow had appeared quite unexpectantly. Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kilala and Shippo had been out searching for the shards again. When they had left it was glorious weather, the warm sun shining through the foliage of the trees and casting shadows against them. But the weather changed so fast.

Sango managed to grab Shippo before he blew away with the heavy wind and she boarded Kilala, helping Miroku on. Inuyasha, stubborn as always had insisted on running by himself, Kagome on his back. He was able to keep up until the wind whipped his hair in his face and he lost them as a drift separated the group.

The snow piled and piled. It had to have been the heaviest blizzard of the season because within a wink of an eye another inch thick layer collected. It came to the point where Inuyasha's legs were just to frozen to go on further. He spotted a cave, a little to 'prehistoric' for his liking. But still a cave. It would have to do for the night. There was no way they could get home in that weather.

He brought Kagome inside and set her on her feet, going to lie against the back wall. He was profoundly exhausted. He had pushed himself almost beyond his limits and Kagome hadn't the slightest idea why. It couldn't be because of…her…could it?

Kagome took a seat by the side wall, wincing as she sat down because the ground was hard.

'It seems harder when your butt's frozen.' she guessed.

She sighed and laid her back against the wall, wrapping her around her knees in hope of gaining warmth. It helped a bit but only at the minimal.

She shivered her body trembling and took a glance towards Inuyasha.

'H-He's asleep.'

She watched his chest heave then fall again.

'Poor thing. He looks exhausted. H-He didn't even yell at me for slowing him down. It's unlike him.'

Kagome shivered again, rubbing warmth into her numbed fingers with her other hand.

'What I wouldn't give for a nice…warm…bath.'

Inuyasha's head was lying against his chest.

"How can he sleep like that?" Kagome whispered to herself.

She turned away and looked out through the entrance of the cave. The weather hadn't changed at all. Still, violent winds racked at the cave walls.

Inuyasha opened one eye and saw Kagome shivering.

"Stupid girl. You should wear something more than THAT next time you come. That skirt barely covers anything."

'So much for being quiet.' thought Kagome.

She put her arms back around her legs and continued staring outside.

"Besides. What's it to you? Why should YOU worry about whether I'm cold or not. I'm not like you CARE about me or anything."

"Hn."

The two said nothing for what seemed like an eternity. Inuyasha couldn't stand seeing her cold like that. It was like watching an owl swoop down at a mouse, aiming it's talons at it's prey and watching the mouse weave in and out between the threads of death. He knew it was a futile attempt in both cases.

He sighed.

"Kagome. Come here."

Kagome looked up, her warm breath creating a frosty fog in the air.

'Where's here?' she asked herself, but she almost gasped aloud when she saw his hand patting the earth in front of him.

'In his lap? THAT'S here?!'

Inuyasha waited.

"Come on. It's not like I'm doing this because I want to. It's because it's not healthy for someone to be that cold. Besides, if you die how am I supposed to find the jewel shards?"

Kagome sighed.

'So much for the romantic aspect.'

She crawled over hesitantly and sat in his lap, sitting straight and stiff as a board, not looking at him. She could feel that his legs were still freezing cold but his chest felt so warm. Or at least the air around it did.

"C'mon Kagome. You're not gonna get any warmer that way." said Inuyasha as he pulled her shoulders back, forcing her to lie flat against his chest.

'He was right. It IS warmer this way.' thought Kagome.

'Not that I'm enjoying this…am I?'

Inuyasha sighed. She felt as cold if not colder than an ice cube to him.

'I don't see how she can live being that cold.' he thought.

'My legs are finally starting to warm up though.'

He was becoming more and more comfortable until he finally fell asleep, Kagome still feeling uneasy.

She felt his chest heave and drop at even intervals as he continued to sleep.

His hands lay flat against the earth. He was trying to be modest, and Kagome knew it. They had begun to turn a purplish color.

Kagome lifted his right hand and set it in her lap, running her finger over his clawed nails. The nails that had sliced so many demons and humans but at the same time had protected her. His gentle hands had helped her off the ground so many times and yet they were strong enough to wield Tetsusaiga.

Kagome looked up at him to make sure he was still sleeping before she set her palm against his. It was like when she was young and she would compare the size of her hand with her father's. As usual, his hands would be bigger and she would stare in awe of her daddy's hands. The hands that could do anything. The hands of her hero.

Similar feeling were what she felt now. Looking at the individual lines in Inuyasha's hand and tracing over them with her smaller one.

Inuyasha stirred a big in his sleep and Kagome became startled, drawing her hands away from his as to not rise his suspicions.

Unconsciously Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist as she drew in a breath, waiting for him to gradually let go. It didn't happen and finally Kagome took a breath.

'I guess I'll just have to sit here and wait.' she thought as she turned her head in Inuyasha direction.

'Look at him. He's out like a light. And he looks so young…like a child.'

Kagome smiled slightly closing her eyes and planting a sweet kiss on his jaw line, blushing a deep crimson red afterwards. She was a bit embarrassed by the slight surge of lust she had felt.

'What am I doing? He loves Kikyo…or at least…I think he does. Come on Kagome! Let it go…let it go!' she mentally kicked herself, taking a deep breath.

Kagome wasn't aware but with all her constant fidgeting she had awoken Inuyasha.

He was only half-awake though.

"K-Kagome…go to sleep now. You're tired. I can tell."

Kagome sat listening and closed her eyes. She now felt his warm breath against the back of her neck.

"Kagome…I was worried about you."

Kagome's eyes widened.

"Since when?"

Inuyasha sat up and put his arms around her shoulders, holding each of her hands in his.

"Do you have to ask?"

Kagome studied his face. He still looked so tired.

"Kagome…I just wanted to say…Arigatou…"

Kagome's eyes widened.

"F-for what?"

"For being here. And not leaving me…and not turning on me like Kikyo." He said, wrapping his strong fingers gently around hers.

Kagome closed her eyes as she felt Inuyasha kiss the side of her head and pull back. Suddenly his kiss between Kikyo came back to her mind, but she decided not to mention it, being as how their first even slightly romantic moment was so perfect she didn't want to ruin it with pointless worrying.

After the heart felt kiss, neither of them felt the same about each other and thus came the beginning of a beautiful and sometimes very tragic relationship between the young handsome hanyou…and the miko.

~*~*~

'And to think…it all started there. The first time I realized Inuyasha loved me, or at least accepted me.' thought Kagome.

Suki had sat for the past couple minutes staring at her mother who seemed to be in some sort of hypnotic trance. She cocked her head to the other side.

"Um…mom? Are you…okay?"

Kagome was jerked back to reality.

"Oh…yes…I'm sorry…"

Inuyasha glanced over to Kagome while still feeding Kuneau her bottle and she swore she saw him wink at her. She smiled contentedly and once again listened while Suki told her more about Yasuo.

~*~*~ Fluffy fluffy fluffy I hope. ^_^ At least it seemed like it when I wrote it anyways. I hope you guys like it. If you don't, well don't worry cause I have some more fluff in the next chapter that isn't just Kagome and Inu. Sayonara!~*~*~ Miyu