Disclaimer: Inuyasha and Kagome are not mine… for it they were there'd be more fluff. ;)

Thank You

By

Moonlit Showers

As the sun sank slowly into the horizon, two figures walked down the path. On one, a small breeze tousled strands of glowing silver, brushed past the fur on two twitching dog-ears, and ruffled the red haori he always wore, no matter the weather. The girl next to him shivered, her arms crossed over the top of her school uniform, her green skirt fluttering gently. Nervously, she reached a hand to tame her wavy black hair behind an ear, her brown eyes gazing covertly to her companion.

For the first time in a while, they were alone. Earlier that day, they had stumbled upon a small village with a demon infestation. Inuyasha had originally wanted to bypass the whole thing, but upon the realization that the demons had taken some villagers hostage, it didn't take much for Kagome to convince him. After finding the demons and disposing of them, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara had rushed back to the village with the wounded hostages so as to get them proper care, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome behind. During the battle, Inuyasha had been struck in the side, causing Kagome to fuss over him and urge him to take it easy, even though Inuyasha kept insisting it was just a scratch. Eventually, Inuyasha relented and allowed Kagome to treat him, but their argument, combined with Kagome's nursing, took so much time that it was evening before they were able to walk back, the night bringing an unfortunate chill in the air.

Inuyasha's golden eyes glanced at Kagome's trembling form. Stupid girl. That flimsy outfit never sheltered her from the cold. Sure, it had long sleeves, but that skirt did absolutely nothing for protection. It only caused other males to stare at her longer, with their leering eyes and dirty thoughts. He growled slightly in recollection. And yet she chose to keep wearing it anyway. Doesn't she know she'll catch a cold if she stays out in the night like this? She shouldn't even be out here anyway. She should've been in the village now, in a nice cozy hut, eating warm food. Not out here with him. Not adamantly refusing to go anywhere without first treating wounds that would be gone by morning. She's been with him long enough to know how fast he heals, so why does she keep insisting on useless medical care?

He frowned as he noticed her give a particular violent shiver.

Stupid girl he thought to himself while shrugging out of his haori jacket and causally draping it across her shoulders. She turned wide eyes on him, her hands reaching up to grip the jacket around her neck more firmly. He blushed a bit and grunted when she smiled at him. A smile that lit up her entire face. A smile that made him feel as if he was on top of the world, her world. A smile that always managed to uplift his mood, even if just in the slightest. A smile that he would die to protect.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, averting his gaze with an irritable expression. And yet, there was a slight redness spreading over his nose and cheeks. She knew he was putting on an act of gruffness in order to cover up his kind gesture. He was always looking out for her, her safety, her happiness, her wellbeing. Sometimes she forgot just how often he did things for her, little things, like give her a jacket when she was cold, or big things, like saving her life time and time again. She knew she loved him, for all his rudeness and rough edges. His soul, so wounded over the years, and yet still innocent enough for blushes and kindness. His courage, the way he faced down any danger, no matter what the cost. His spirit, crushed by time but still strong enough to keep going, despite the odds. And his heart, broken but healing, if it had a color, it would be as gold as his eyes. He's done so much and received so little. Scorned and ridiculed for his nature, she wondered how many times he was truly repaid.

She reached over and grasped his clawed hand in her small one, continuing to smile at him.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

His eyes widened and his blush spread until his whole face was about as red as his haori. He looked away, trying to ignore the way his heart had almost melted at the sincere words that came from the girl's lips. She was always doing this to him, saying things that made him feel so, for lack of a better word, warm. Like coming home after a long journey. Kagome was his home. He glanced at their clasped hands, his clawed ones completely dwarfing hers. Her skin was soft against his callous palms. This girl would willingly allow the claws of a demon so near her fragile flesh. They were the hands of a half-demon, a monster. She liked him just the way he was, she had told him. He didn't need to change to be accepted. Finally, he had found someone who accepted him for himself. She didn't see a half-demon or a monster when she looked at him, she only saw Inuyasha.

A small smile tugged at his lips as he looked off into the forest, gripping her hand just a little tighter.

"No Kagome, thank you."

A/N: This has probably been done before, but I had this scene in my head and I just needed to write it out. Please review to let me know what you think! :)