The bite of the cold barely registered as she crashed into him, burying her face against his neck as she whimpered into his fur. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"
She could feel the stiffness of his muscles, as if he was surprised at her reaction, eventually lowering his head to nuzzle her in return. The tears she hadn't realized she'd been holding back overflowed, almost turning to ice on her cheeks as she clung to him.
All the longing and loneliness seeped out of her, the tightness in her chest dissipating as his cold, damp nose was pressed against her collar. The roses had granted her a reprieve, but nothing compared to seeing him in person.
Questions tumbled around in her head, but words wouldn't form, and only the purposeful clearing of her mother's throat finally caused her to raise her head. "I'm sure he's happy to see you too, dear, but can you do so inside? That way, we won't have to worry about frostbite?"
Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but the beast was already urging her back inside, growling softly when he noticed nothing protecting her feet.
"I wanted to make sure it was really you," she argued, hissing with each step. He didn't stop pushing until she was seated in front of the fire, a blanket placed around her shoulders as melting snow dripped off his fur.
And all the while, Kagome refused to let go of him, her hand on his shoulder, his head, his paw, never once letting him out of her sight.