Sobs hysterically for several minutes, making everyone very uncomfortable. Ugh… this is the LAST CHAPTER. I didn't realize how much I was going to miss writing this until just now! Well, you guys have been fantastic in encouraging me to write. I mostly do fan fic work as practice for the book I'm writing at the moment (yep, writing a book while still a teenager, I'm a child prodigy). If I knew any of your real names I would dedicate my book to you. Sorry for the long A/N. Please read the other works I'll be putting up soon! Final acknowledgements at the end.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha so get off my friggin' case.

…

Naraku woke up gasping for breath. His entire body was so sore he could hardly move without flinching uncontrollably. The only thing that eased his discomfort was the healing atmosphere of his strange surroundings. He was resting warmly in the soft, affectionate folds of the clean white sheets, blankets, and colorful quilts that adorned the bed he was lying on. He had absolutely no clue where he was and had an even foggier idea of how he had gotten there.

The room he was in would have been sunny and bright, but someone had possessed the good sense to realize that he and light mixed about as well as oil and water and had drawn heavy velvet curtains over the long, elegant windows of his chamber. Only a few stray rays of light managed to slip there way past the sentry-like curtains and dance lightly over the plush, cream carpeting of the floor. Overall, the room seemed fairly cozy despite its lofty size and lack of any personal items to give it familiarity.

Every piece of furniture was a different shade of ivory or cream, all within the same color scope but as variant as black and white when compared. Naraku's flaming red eyes surveyed the room with his customary icy expression, noting the abnormal regality and meticulous grandeur of every inch of the room. He wondered greatly where he was, but cared more about figuring out what had come to pass during his comatose state. Above all the other questions floating in his mind, he paid particular attention to one.

Where is Sesshoumaru?

The kumo remembered every detail of his encounter with Ashe, but not a second of what had happened after their final assault back at her fortress. Obviously he had been moved from her castle after he'd lost consciousness, but by whom he had been moved and to where was still in question. He wondered if maybe Sesshoumaru… That was impossible. Sesshoumaru had taken a full blast of Ashe's barrier just as he had and would have been in no condition to move, let alone take both of them away AND heal their wounds.

Naraku couldn't think of anyone who would have bothered to save him, but plenty who would have taken advantage of his emasculate state. He was very lucky to be alive. Naraku began to feel the strain of staying conscious pull at him. He was still very weak, despite having regained the ability to awaken and would benefit greatly from a few days sleep. He seemed to be in a fairly safe environment for the moment and would take advantage of that. Naraku settled comfortably against the impossibly soft pillows heaped onto the bed and felt his aching muscles relax one by one, slowly letting him sink into a deliciously tranquil sleep.

…

Naraku thrashed in the night, face contorted from the reality of his vivid nightmares. He was back at Ashe's castle. Sesshoumaru lay on the ground before his feet, mutilated and broken, soaked with his own crimson blood from wounds too numerous to count. Naraku sank to his knees and felt hot tears course down his cheeks. Dreams always brought out the emotions he kept locked so frigidly inside. His love was defeated, and all he could hear was the sadistic ring of a woman's laughter as she mocked Naraku's lamentation for his fallen angel.

Sesshoumaru's face, fair and beautiful beyond compare even as it was frozen in his dying pain-filled expression, was all that filled his eyes. Naraku stirred briefly in his bed as his sleeping body attempted to act out the motions he took in his dream. He pulled Sesshoumaru's head onto his lap and stroked the silver rays of moonlit hair flowing so heavenly around his features. His lover's body was so cold and his skin so deathly white, pale and frigid, but still beautiful, as if Death wished to preserve his beauty so he could take Sesshoumaru as his own in the afterlife.

Naraku could feel his love for the demon vividly, just as he always could when he dreamed. His dreams were the only times he admitted his true feelings, for dreams could be ignored, though never completely forgotten.

Naraku's dream swirled in front of his closed eyes, the body of his lover blurry and faded even as it stood out in sharp contrast to his foggy mind, becoming the only thing he was aware of. He felt anguish tear at his chest as his dream self realized his love was gone, dissipated forever into a place he could never follow him to. Naraku was swallowed by his despair, an emotion he was so unused to feeling he could hardly keep himself from crying out. His dream emotions were always so striking they felt almost painful to his vulnerable, sleeping state of mind.

It was then, when he was so consumed by his despair he didn't know how he could possibly live with such torment eating at him, he felt warmth surround him protectively. His physical body was dimly aware that someone warm and shockingly different from his nightmare encircled their arms around him and gently licked the hot tears from his cheek. Naraku was too immersed in his dream to be awakened by this gentle act, but his vision immediately took a different turn. He sank willingly into this new illusion, one of peaceful skies and quiet wind caressing him, blowing the ashes of his grief to some distant corner of the earth, never to be found again.

Naraku slept with a serenity he had never known before, in the arms of a stranger who was closer to him than any other being would ever be.

…

Naraku's eyes, more crimson than a pool of fresh blood, more startling than the clearest garnet, fluttered open only to be met with almost utter darkness. He was immediately assaulted with the memory of his nightmare, but this was pushed from his mind as he fully realized it had only been a dream. He'd slept through the day easily and was now met with the blackest shroud of midnight that came only on nights of the new moon. The heavy curtains had been pulled away from the windows and the glass structures thrown open to welcome the cool night breeze. The air around him smelled of fresh earth and carried a hint of moisture that signaled rain would fall soon.

The only light drifting into the room came from the faint luminescence of the stars. Little orbs of light standing vividly out against the sky like boisterous fireflies trying to prove themselves brighter then all the others. Trees creaked and groaned in the breeze, whispering their tree songs into the dreams of all the children sleeping in the world, offering their blessings and praying for their futures. Naraku was struck with a rare appreciation of the night. It was one of the few things he enjoyed, not just for its secretive nature and connection to temptation, but for the beauty in it that so many overlooked in wake of their fear of it.

Naraku filled his lungs with the fresh, clean air making the drawn curtains undulate as it drifted in. He started suddenly as he sensed movement next to him. He was too caught up in his appreciation of the subtle beauty flowing through his chamber windows to remember that someone was lying beside him. He glanced next to him and saw a pair of resplendent golden eyes staring back. He barely held back a smile of utter joy as he realized the figure lying next to him was a fully healed, completely healthy Sesshoumaru.

" Good evening," Sesshoumaru commented simply. Naraku almost laughed as he wondered if maybe the inu was trying to be funny by acting so casual.

" Good evening yourself." Naraku replied, grinning openly as he was overwhelmed with joy at seeing the youkai alive and well, not to mention lying in bed with him. Naraku turned to face Sesshoumaru and laid back down, reaching out a hand to stroke his partner's face as an extra reminder that he wasn't still dreaming.

" I don't suppose you're going to tell me what's happened since I've been asleep?" Naraku asked, too happy to really bother with getting answers just then. All he wanted was to lie with his Sesshoumaru for as long as time would allow. Sesshoumaru's face clouded slightly as if he was remembering something that unsettled him deeply.

" When we attacked Lady Ashe," He began slowly, " She managed to make sure we were not left unscathed from our assault. My guess is she intended to make sure we died, even if it meant sacrificing herself to do it, since she knew she couldn't divert enough power to create a barrier strong enough to stop us in time. Instead, she chose to insure she would not die alone." Sesshoumaru paused for a moment, as if unsure of how to continue his narration. He took a breath and began again.

" I'm not entirely certain how we avoided being killed by her spell. She may have underestimated our strength, or we could have been protected because we both absorbed the energy simultaneously. We would have died for sure had we been alone. I awoke almost directly after her attack, since Tenseiga protected me partially. I got us as far away from that place as I could on the off chance Ashe had some kind of back-up spell already placed that would activate if she were to die. I used Tenseiga and healed our wounds as best I could with what little strength not depleted by her attack and I brought us back to my castle for a more complete healing." Sesshoumaru's melodic voice came to a halt as he finished his story.

" You saved me." Sesshoumaru started at the bluntness with which Naraku spoke. He glanced over at the kumo, golden eyes whirling as he tried to read the expression on his partner's face.

" You could have just left me there. I probably would have died that very night, but you risked your own life to save me as well." Naraku's voice and features were blank of the emotions he was feeling inside. He could hardly believe such heart-felt words were coming from his mouth, but he didn't know if he could stop them.

Naraku smiled slightly as he thought back to a time when he had planned on killing Sesshoumaru. Back then, the youkai was no more than a toy to him, something he could entertain himself with for a few hours before throwing away. Now, not only could he not bring himself to even think about killing him, he actually owed the inu youkai his life. Naraku examined the strand of hair he had been playing with during Sesshoumaru's narration, admiring its satiny texture and lovely color. He grinned playfully before grabbing the strand and using it to pull Sesshoumaru to him, meeting the inu's surprised gasp with a heated kiss.

Sesshoumaru melted at the kumo's touch, unable to resist the heat racing through his body. When he'd woken up after Ashe's attack, the sight of his former enemy lying on the ground, soaked in blood from wire-thin cuts covering his body had ripped viciously at his heart. Sesshoumaru had gathered any strength he could and risked much to get them away from that accursed place. Ashe was a clever girl and had known there was a chance they might foil her plan, so she set up a spell to destroy anyone still in the castle in the event of her death. Sesshoumaru had gotten them both out just in time to see the magnificent structure collapse upon itself, burying the body of Lady Ashe under a mountain of unmovable rock.

He had managed to summon a last reserve of strength and used it to heal Naraku's outer wounds, but for the more heinous injuries he could do nothing. He'd brought them both back to his fortress, reuniting with his Rin in the meantime, and had carefully cared for the kumo himself. He'd had numerous chances to kill Naraku, but had instead found himself doing everything in his power to save him. His feelings for the demon he could no longer deny, and as their passion became more demanding, he found he had no desire to refuse it.

Naraku couldn't believe how much he had missed the euphoric taste of Sesshoumaru's lips in the short time he had been unconscious. It was as if the inu had placed his own brand of spell on him, banishing from his mind any thoughts of ever being without him again. He deepened their kiss with an urgency that could not be denied as he slipped his tongue into his partner's mouth, memorizing the feel of his tongue moving so heatedly against his.

Sesshoumaru purred blissfully, reminding Naraku of the time he had compared the sleeping inu to a peaceful cat, and slowly removed the white healer's robe that had replaced the shreds still remaining of Naraku's former clothes. Naraku grinned as his mate ran his slender fingers down his body, sending chills through him and making his heart beat race. He leaned back with Sesshoumaru on top of him, relaxing into the gentle caresses and kisses the inu was ghosting over his body. He hissed in ecstasy as Sesshoumaru kissed every inch of him, making his skin burn with desire for him, and his breathing come raggedly.

Naraku growled as Sesshoumaru traded between softly kissing him and nibbling sharply at his porcelain skin, causing Naraku to pull the inu hard against him, craving a release only he could bestow. Sesshoumaru hissed with pleasure as Naraku slid the inu's clothes off in one sweep of his talented fingers and folded his lean body against Sesshoumaru's, reminding him of the delicious friction of bare skin touching bare skin. Sesshoumaru's need was rising at an alarming rate as Naraku trailed his fingers down his partner's back so lightly he could barely feel them, making him crave his touch with startling vehemence.

Naraku was so enjoying the silky feel of the inu's skin he barely noticed his desire was threatening to overflow and drown him in its writhing heat. It wasn't until he felt Sesshoumaru's talented hand wander down his body to touch him where he craved it most that his lust was fully awakened within him. Unable to wait any longer, Naraku turned his lover onto his back and climbed on top of him, silencing his startled gasps at the sudden move with a demanding kiss. He delved deep into his lover's mouth, exalting in the warmth that flooded his body at Sesshoumaru's intoxicating sweetness before positioning himself over the inu and delving into him mercilessly.

Sesshoumaru's blissful cries rang in his ears as Naraku reached his peak and was thrown over the edge into a writhing pool of his desire finally being released. His chest heaved as he remained on top of his lover, trying to control his pounding heart as he recovered from the intensity of his orgasm. He was so absorbed in the aftershocks of his pleasure he didn't notice the mischievous expression playing on Sesshoumaru's heavenly face. Naraku finally composed himself enough to give his partner a questioning look, lacking the energy to actually voice the words.

" You know, this is the second time we've done this…" The inu began his grin widening. " And both times, you were the seme one." Naraku gave the inu a peculiar look.

" What's your point?" He asked, thinking he already knew from the lustful expression still adorning the inu's features.

" My point is, I think it's my turn." Naraku felt his body tingle in anticipation at the lusty tone Sesshoumaru used in saying that heat-filled sentence. Naraku gasped in a mixture of surprise and pleasure as Sesshoumaru climbed roughly on top of him and crushed his lips to his, enjoying the view from up there.

Naraku wrapped his arms around his lover's neck and allowed his dominant side to fade away, surrendering to the heat refilling his veins despite having just climaxed. Sesshoumaru's fingers raced through the kumo's hair, eliciting a muffled pleasure-filled moan from the kumo as Sesshoumaru continued to plunder his mouth. Sesshoumaru felt the heat building between his legs reach a point of undeniable need and he relieved it hungrily, sliding himself deep into his lover's body and reveling in the bliss that followed.

Naraku dug his claws into Sesshoumaru's back as the feel of his lover thrusting inside him brought cries of ecstasy tearing from his lips. The fresh scent of the demon's blood filled the air, mingling with the smell of sweat and bringing both demons dangerously close to their peaks. Sesshoumaru could barely contain the scream building within him as the tight heat of Naraku enveloped him and filled him with a carnal lust he had never experienced before. Sesshoumaru shuddered with the sheer ecstasy of it as his exhausted body pushed itself to new limits, unwilling to relinquish its hold in his partner's sweet flesh. With one final heaving breath the demons climaxed together, their blissful cries echoing in each other's ears and fueling the waves crashing down on them.

The lay, bodies entangled hopelessly, for hours, neither wanting to relinquish their hold on the other for fear they would wake from their euphoric dream and find themselves alone.

Naraku reached up and stroked the inu's face, starting at his lovely brow before sliding over his smooth jaw line to trace his silky, flushed lips.

" Sesshoumaru." He whispered in a voice as soft as a kitten's breath. " Ai shiteru." Naraku was no longer afraid of how the inu would react to his confession and found he no longer cared. All he knew was he couldn't possibly live without letting him know. Sesshoumaru looked down at him with an unreadable expression, filling the kumo with dread for an instant, before breaking into the first genuine smile Naraku had ever seen him give.

" Ai shiteru, Naraku."

The end.

BANZAI! That's it you guys! Wow, I had so much fun writing that ending it's not even funny. I expect a review from everyone who read this story all the way through from the beginning and anyone who reads it after it's complete. By the way: for those of you who are non-Japanese speaking here's a quick guide;

Seme- basically… the butch

Uke- basically… the bitch (not used in this fic, but just for future reference.)

Ai shiteru- a declaration of love between either a boyfriend and a girlfriend (or b/f and b/f in this case) or between newlyweds.

Kumo- spider (an appropriate term for Naraku if you ask me.)

Inu- dog (ditto Sesshoumaru)

Youkai- demon(s)

If I manage to think up some plot (I never write fan fics unless there's some kind of plot), I might get around to making a sequel or something, but in the meantime I have a Yu Yu Hakusho story up, and will soon be putting up some Demon Diary if anyone is interested in reading my work. A big thank you to all the kick-ass reviews from Revlo Fantasy, God of Insanity, Miscreant, The Gifted Ten, Deranged Blonde, Kuri, and Devlinn Reiko-sama.