A/N: Dude, you guys! I got like, crazy amounts of reviews! I'm so excited! Thanks so much, you all made these past few days so happy for me! There are responses at the bottom, because again, I wrote.. um.. a lot.

By the way, the anime expo was TOTALLY awesome, and I took lots of pictures. There were some really good artists there, one of which drew some pretty steamy scenes of Mir/San, and Inu/Kag- they looked like they were really from the anime, they were so good! I think I'm a pretty harsh critic, too.. And then this other girl drew the Inu Yasha characters as if they were real live people! I have to say, Sesshoumaru was pretty beautiful- but Inu Yasha and Kagome were kinda funny looking. Anyway, if you want their websites, let me know- their stuff is definitely worth checking out.

Also, really quickly, there are some Japanese words in here that you might not be familiar with… so just in case, I'll give you a quick nihongo lesson:

Shingetsu: new moon

to yarou: (insert nasty personalinsult here)

kuso: the basic, catch-all Japanese swear word (short for chikusho)… it sounds so much better than in English, I think…

Koi shiteru: I love you. Koi is the term used for a 'lovers' type of love (wink, wink)

Previously:

"There will not be a formal dinner tonight. Your clothes are in your room. When you are ready, after sunset, I will take you to Inu Yasha." Kagome nodded slightly. "And do not forget," he continued, "you must return with me before sunrise."

"Hai," she replied simply. 'That's right.. my scent is still altered. If Inu Yasha recovers his sense of smell while I'm around, he might lose it..' "I've decided to begin teaching Rin-chan the scrolls. She is definitely learning very quickly." Sesshoumaru nodded at Kagome in approval. With that, the two adults parted ways. Kagome headed back inside to finish styling her hair, which was still wet from the hot spring. 'I wonder how Inu Yasha is doing..' she thought to herself. The recent events made it seem like forever since she had last seen the hanyou- and even now, she was only going to be able to see him in human form. 'But.. how am I supposed to just leave him, and everyone? I'll have to try to explain everything to them- without hurting Inu Yasha's feelings. What am I supposed to do?' She pondered these things nervously- for tonight, she would meet Inu Yasha.

CHAPTER 9: shingetsu

After the failed attempt to use the scroll, Inu Yasha found Sesshoumaru's room and began tearing it apart for any possible lead as to where his annoyance of a brother may have taken Kagome. Letting his anger take hold of him, the hanyou began blindly throwing things around instead of actually looking for anything. Sango, Shippou, and Kohaku simply stared at him as he rampaged. Although they probably could have subdued him, they were pretty much shocked stiff at his sudden outburst. Plus, it wasn't too bad, since it was Sesshoumaru's room- and none of them really cared for the youkai, anyway. Miroku finally caught up with the others. He gasped when he saw what was going on.

"Inu Yasha!" Miroku yelled at his companion, running behind him and putting him into a subduing hold. "Calm yourself!" It was quite a task, and Miroku sustained some powerful jabs from the hanyou, but the houshi held onto Inu Yasha until he calmed down.

"Kuso…" he choked back his anger. "What am I supposed to do?" No one knew what to tell him. "Tch," Inu Yasha was clearly upset at his inability to find Kagome. And now, with the sun about to set, he had to wait yet another day. Although the group hadn't felt extreme urgency to find Kagome, the annoyance Inu Yasha felt and the desperation with which he was trying to find Kagome was inspiring. Everyone wanted to find her, and now they were going to have to wait. Inu Yasha ran past his group of friends and out of the room. No one knew what to say to him, and they all decided that it would be better to let him be alone for a little while.

A few hours later, Inu Yasha was still off by himself. Sango and Miroku found him sitting on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the vast valley below. It was really a gorgeous sight to behold. "Do you think he's alright?" Sango asked, latching onto Miroku's arm.

"Ah. But its almost time for his transformation. Let's take him inside."

"No need to worry," Inu Yasha said, standing up. Although the married couple had been quite a ways away from the hanyou, he had heard every word. "Sesshoumaru said he'd bring her back to visit, didn't he? Knowing my half-brother, I'd say he'd pick tonight as a perfect time to drop by," he sneered, angry at Sesshoumaru, and at the situation he had put them in. Inu Yasha walked toward Sango and Miroku. His voice was firm, but Inu Yasha's head hung low, covering his eyes. "Miroku, you may have been right when you told me that the right time to tell Kagome my feelings could have already passed." Inu Yasha was now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Miroku, but they were facing opposite directions. "That's why.." he looked at the houshi, exposing his eyes, which were glossed over with moisture. Miroku let out a small sound of surprise- Inu Yasha had been crying. He continued, "…that's why the next time I see her, I'm going to tell her my feelings." Inu Yasha turned forward and began to walk determinedly toward the castle.

"Inu… Yasha…" Miroku said under his breath. It was very rare that Inu Yasha spoke with quiet determination. The only other time he could remember such a tone of voice from his friend was when he had decided to die with Kikyou about three years before. He was glad Inu Yasha had changed his mind about never seeing Kagome again, and was willing to stay with and protect her instead. Miroku admired the young miko for the size of her heart; she never gave up on Inu Yasha. He wasn't sure what was going on with Sesshoumaru, but Miroku was certain that Kagome was no different in this situation than she was in every situation before that. She had faith in Inu Yasha. Miroku looked at Sango and smiled. The pregnant taijiya knew her husband's thoughts and returned his smile.

"Sango," he said, turning to her, and putting his hands gently on her arms. She blushed slightly, but held his gaze. "I'm glad you and I are together. The love I have for you runs deep. I will love you forever," he told her, and drew her to him.

"I-I know it," Sango told him, her voice muffled in his tunic. She turned her head, resting it under his chin, on his chest. "I love you too, Miroku-sama." It was Miroku's time to blush. He loved hearing his name on her lips. She had only recently begun to call him by name, and even now, the chances of her doing so were rare. He closed his eyes and exhaled a contented, single sound that resembled a laugh. Miroku held his beloved Sango in his arms, and the two watched the sun begin to sleep behind the mountain.

"Done," Kagome said excitedly as she finished dressing in her street clothes. They had disappeared from her room the first day she arrived- but apparently, they had been sent off to be washed. She gave herself one last look in the mirror, pinching the imaginary folds of fat on her sides, and making a face. 'This is what I get for eating all that catered food,' she said to herself. But then she remembered the dishes and how the flavors played on her tastebuds, and a smile overtook her grimace. "But it was soooo good," she reasoned out loud. Sighing, and taking one more look at her side view in the mirror, she left her room to find Sesshoumaru. It was dusk; Inu Yasha must have transformed by now. She went outside and walked toward the spot where she had seen Sesshoumaru the last time. Hearing the grass move behind her, she turned her head.

"Are you ready?" Kagome nodded at the lord of the Western lands. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time. It was only the third day she had spent with the taiyoukai training his soon-to-be mate, but she no longer felt threatened at all. "Regardless of how much you may want to stay with him, you must return with me before sunrise." Kagome nodded again, and wondered how she would be able to tell Inu Yasha goodbye… before flying away with his brother's arm wrapped around her. "Let's go," he stated simply, and, having encircled Kagome's waist with his arm, he took her toward Inu Yasha's human scent.

Inu Yasha was actually much closer to Kagome than he believed himself to be. The castle in which he and his friends stayed was no more than three miles from the perimeter of Sesshoumaru's barrier. The two figures landed outside the castle's inner doors. Inside the castle, Shippou sniffed the air. "What is it, Shippou?" Inu Yasha asked from his position in the corner of the room.

"I… smell… Kagome!" The kitsune jumped up from his seat and ran towards the scent. Inu Yasha followed him in a blur of black and red. "Kagome!"

"Kagome!" Inu Yasha shouted in unison with Shippou upon reaching the girl, who was standing by Sesshoumaru's side. Turning to his brother, he began to snarl. Sesshoumaru smirked at his disgrace of a brother before he flew away, leaving Kagome to her friends. Inu Yasha's attention quickly turned to the woman he loved. He was by her side in a second, and before she knew it, he had wrapped his arms around her and was now holding her tightly. "Kagome, are you okay?" he asked, softly, but frantically. Kagome was a little surprised at his attitude, but it made her happy. She missed him.

"Mm," she replied in the affirmative, nodding her head and stepping back out of his embrace. "Shippou!" She yelled, as the fox youkai rushed towards her and gave her a hug.

"We missed you, Kagome," he told her. Just then, the other members of the group ran out of the castle doors.

"Kagome-sama!"

"Kagome-chan!"

"Kagome,"

"mew"

"Everyone," she said, getting a little teary-eyed. She hadmissed them more than she realized.

"Kagome, did Sesshoumaru do anything to you?" Inu Yasha asked, still worried. Kagome, for a brief second, had a flashback: the taste of the youkai's blood.. her transformation… the kiss… Should she disclose this information? Kagome decided against it, and fought to keep the heat of a blush away from her cheeks.

"No, no, I'm fine. He just wanted me to take care of Rin for a little while. I-" she figured it would be best to get it out of the way early in her visit, "I-- have to go back before," she turned to look at Inu Yasha, "..before the sun rises tomorrow."

"Tch, I knew it.." he said matter-of-factly. 'Sesshoumaru to yarou…' Inu Yasha looked at Kagome. "Don't worry, Kagome.. There's no way I'll let him take you again," he told her passionately. Kagome shook her head.

"No, Inu Yasha.. you don't understand. I-- promised him I'd go back." Well, technically, Kagome promised Sesshoumaru no such thing, but… at least it would keep Inu Yasha from trying to protect her from Sesshoumaru when he came back.

"Na-- nani?" he asked, slightly taken aback. He wasn't the only one shocked.. Kagome heard gasps of surprise come from virtually everyone in the group, with the exception of Kirara, who made a guttural sound of shock and disapproval.

"I have to take care of Rin for a little while longer. It's okay- I've never been treated badly," she said in all honesty. Shippou sniffed the air.

"Maybe he treated you nicely, but-- he must've been watching you closely, Kagome- You smell an awful lot like him." At this statement, Inu Yasha looked at Shippou, and then carefully at Kagome.

'Crap…' Kagome forgot Shippou's youkai sense of smell. Thankfully, no one had told him about marking anyone, at least that she knew of, so he had no idea what the smell was from.

"Are you sure he didn't do anything to you, Kagome?" Inu Yasha asked slowly, worry tainting his tone of voice.

"Uh.. Mm," she nodded, and then looked around at everyone. 'Now would be a good time for a subject change!' she thought, desperately. "I'm so glad you all came looking for me," she told them, none of her distress showing up on her countenance. Kagome smiled inwardly at her success- the past few days watching the seemingly emotionless Sesshoumaruhad helped her accomplish this feat.

"Tch, of course! What else do you think we would do?" Inu Yasha asked her.

"Your kidnapping really took a toll on Inu Yasha," Miroku told the miko. The hanyou, now human, blushed, 'keh'-ed, and turned his head away from Kagome, who smiled. Inu Yasha, in the six years she'd known him, hadn't changed a bit.

"Well, it's a little chilly out here," Sango remarked, even though it was nowhere near chilly. "Let's go inside." They all agreed, and returned inside the castle- all but Inu Yasha and Kagome. Sango and Miroku remembered Inu Yasha's determination to tell Kagome how he felt, and practically pushed the curious Shippou inside. Sango smiled at Inu Yasha before she closed the doors behind the group. They were giving him his chance.

"Kagome," Inu Yasha called her name. She turned to face him (she had been watching everyone rush inside away from the 'cold'). Turning his head away from her, he looked toward the mountains. "Come walk with me." Kagome smiled- the two brothers both had a habit of using commands instead of invitations. She followed him, remembering the butterfly sensations that he had given her since the first few months after she had met him. Hoping that he wasn't going to say anything that would make her reveal what might have happened while she was in Sesshoumaru's custody, she broke the ice.

"What is it, Inu Yasha?" By now, they were at the same cliff that he had sulked at earlier in the day. He sat down, not answering her, and motioned to the place beside him. Compliant, Kagome sat herself down next to Inu Yasha.

"Kagome, there's something that I've been meaning to tell you." She looked at him curiously, wondering if her kidnapping had suddenly inspired him to tell her something. He sensed this from her, and continued. "I've wanted to talk to you about it for awhile now, but I could never find the right.. 'mood'…" Kagome smiled. Inu Yasha learned that word from her. However, the seeming gravity of the situation caused her smile to fade just as quickly as it had come. "But… I realize that the mood may have come already, and I missed it. The fact that Sesshoumaru took you away before I could express what I wanted made me realize the importance of telling you." Kagome stared at the human Inu Yasha. It wasn't often that he opened up, although she knew that he was definitely more open with her than he was with anyone else- maybe even Kikyou, when she was in this world.

'Maybe it's his human side that's allowing him to be so vocal- but- that can't be the case if he wanted to tell me for a long time..' she speculated as she waited for him to continue.

"Kagome," he began, "you- are the most important thing to me. Everything about you: your courage, your strength, your will… the way you blush when you get embarrassed or angry… the dances you do when you're excited, and the tears you cry when you're sad… all these things are what make you who you are. I," he turned to look at Kagome, his brown eyes glistening as they looked into hers, "I love you, Kagome." She blushed nervously. She had never, ever imagined she'd hear those words from him. "I.. want to spend the rest of my life with you." The wind gently combed through their hair, providing the perfect mood. Kagome stared at the boy, surprised out of her mind.

"Inu Yasha.." she called his name, softly.

"Kagome," he said, leaning toward her to see her more clearly under the dim starlight, "will you accept me as your mate?" His hand rested on hers, his eyes eagerly searching her face, anxiously waiting some kind of an answer. Kagome's shocked expression left her face, giving way to a warm smile and glittering eyes. Nodding her head, she made her reply.

"Of course, Inu Yasha," she managed to squeak through her tears of joy. She pushed herself forward from her seat, encircling the hanyou boy with her arms. The force from the impact of her body on his was enough to topple him over backwards. He didn't care- he wrapped his arms around her as she laid on top of him. "I love you," could be heard, muffled by his haori. Inu Yasha smiled with relief, and stroked Kagome's hair. This was the first time he had ever been completely unguarded with Kagome- putting his complete trust in her with his heart- and she was so gentle. His vulnerability made this moment so much sweeter. Inu Yasha rolled over, easing Kagome under his body. He rested above her, propped up by his forearms, which were on either side of her shoulders.

Their breathing was beginning to become ragged with arousal.. both Kagome and Inu Yasha had wanted this moment to happen for so long. Aside from Kagome's trying to save Inu Yasha from becoming a ravaging youkai, the two hadn't shared a kiss, or any kind of unrestrained mutual romantic contact. But now, they were engaged, and had nothing to hold their emotions back. "Kagome," Inu Yasha said gently. He slowly lowered his face closer to hers, their noses touching side to side. Kagome and Inu Yasha could sense each other's lips at just a hair's breadth away. "Koi shiteru," Inu Yasha whispered, before he advanced just a little more, pressing his lips gently against Kagome's. After a few moments, he raised his head and looked at the young miko underneath him. She opened her eyes, looking as if she was in a dream. She reached one of her arms above his shoulder, and placed her hand on the back of his head, drawing him in again for another kiss. Her other hand helped her to sit up, and turn over once more, so that she was now on top of Inu Yasha. While Kagome's hands now cradled Inu Yasha's face, his hands were at the small of her back, and her shoulder blades, holding her body close to his.

Miroku and Sango watched from the castle, sharing the binoculars that Kagome had brought from her time. "This really comes in handy, doesn't it?" the houshi asked, not-so-innocently, as he stared into the eyepiece. Sango moved her head back to stare at the worldly Buddhist priest, who just happened to be her husband.

"What are you guys looking at?" Kohaku asked, Shippou at his side.

"Nothing for children to watch," Miroku told him, and greedily went back to looking through his half of the binoculars. Kohaku and Shippou looked at each other, confused- by this time, Kohaku was 18, and Shippou appeared to be around age 17- well above the 'childhood' status.

"I think that's enough watching for you, too, Hou-shi- sa-ma," Sango stated plainly. Miroku looked at his wife.

"Oh, don't tell me that watching this made you want to.." he trailed off, sounding rather excited and happy, until he was cut short by a swift blow to the face.

"You're still a hentai," she said, walking away from the castle's edge, binoculars in hand. He stared after her, one hand rubbing the red mark on his cheek. Sango walked all the way to the stairway before turning around. "But.. if you want something," she told him, tilting her hips teasingly to the side, "I think I can manage to give you a little treat…" Sango turned slowly, tauntingly, and went down the stairs. If she knew Miroku, he'd be down there in less than half a second.

"OOoooOooh…." Miroku said goofily, his primal urges taking over. Happily leaving Inu Yasha and Kagome to their business, Miroku scampered across the platform to the stairs- with hands twitching- looking for Sango.

All the while, Shippou and Kohaku watched, each holding a hand over his face and shaking his head in disbelief at the interaction they had just witnessed. "And… that's the guy my sister married," Kohaku sighed.

"I'm so happy to be here with you, Inu Yasha," Kagome told him, leaning on his shoulder. They were back in sitting position, Kagome playing lazily with their hair, braiding the two together, separating it, braiding it again. Inu Yasha's head rested on Kagome's, and he looked completely at ease.

"Kagome, can you stay here until morning?" Kagome's eyes widened, and she stopped playing with the hair.

"Inu Yasha.. I.. can't. I'll be back soon, I promise. I have to go back before sunrise."

"That lousy…" Inu Yasha began to speak, obviously about his brother.

"Sesshoumaru really isn't so bad." At this, Inu Yasha furrowed his eyebrows. Kagome continued, "He made sure I was comfortable, and that I had everything I needed.. and besides, Rin needs me at a time like this," she began to defend the taiyoukai and his human girl.

"Keh, why do I find that hard to believe?"

"I hate to say it, but it's something you wouldn't understand," Kagome could sense Inu Yasha becoming more and more tense. "It's… it's a girl thing…" she felt him loosen up slightly.

"I.. I just don't like you being with my brother," he commented honestly. Now Kagome knew she had to leave before sunrise for sure.

"Don't worry, Inu Yasha. Why don't you stay at the castle, and learn about your past? Maybe knowing something about your heritage will help you get along with Sesshoumaru better. Maybe it'll even make you stronger," she suggested, remembering Sesshoumaru's comments on Inu Yasha regarding their family heritage.

...flashback...

"…Inu Yasha has forgotten his heritage. If he had taken more responsibility to learn who he is, he would be much stronger than he is now," the taiyoukai said.

...end flashback...

"When are you going to come back?" Kagome shook her head.

"I don't know, but Sesshoumaru says that it won't be much longer, now. I'm not sure how he'd actually know about it, though…" she thought earnestly, putting a finger to her lips thoughtfully. Inu Yasha 'keh'-ed under his breath. He hated the sound of Sesshoumaru's nameon Kagome's lips.

"Well, I guess there's not much I can do about it, then. It's not like I can fight my brother in this pathetic form. At least I know you're safe," he commented, pressing her body against his with his arm. Kagome smiled, and sighed contentedly. "But.. let's just stay like this, until you have to leave," he proposed.

"Mm, sounds good," Kagome replied. Within a few minutes, she was sleeping soundly on his shoulder. Inu Yasha looked down at his woman, and moved her head to his lap. Remembering what Shippou had said when he first saw Kagome, Inu Yasha gently swiped Kagome's hair to the side in order to inspect her neck. She might trust his brother, but he didn't. He sighed with relief when he discovered nothing. Inu Yasha re-positioned her hair over her neck, and then he watched her inhale and exhale softly. His eyes never left her sleeping form until his half brother appeared before them.

"Visiting time is over," Sesshoumaru told his human half-brother. The lord of the Western lands half-expected some kind of a fight from his younger brother, but was met with nothing but compliance. Though Inu Yasha hated submitting to anyone, especially his brother, this was Kagome's wish. "Say your goodbyes," he told his brother coolly. His words, though masked by the tone of his voice, revealed a small part of Sesshoumaru's hidden nature.

"It's okay. Just let her sleep." Sesshoumaru stepped forward. Gently, he hoisted the girl up over his shoulder, and onto his soft fur.

"It shouldn't be long now, Inu Yasha," were Sesshoumaru's last words before flying off in the direction of his castle. Just after he left, the sun began to peek over the trees. Inu Yasha's youkai blood awakened, and in the next moment, he was back to his old self.

'Something seemed… different about Sesshoumaru,' he thought, as he headed for the castle. When he took Kagome, he was less-than-gentle, and said little more than 'I'll be taking your woman.' The youkai was now allowing Inu Yasha to say his goodbyes. Besides, for Kagome to speak well of him, she had to have noticed something more in his brother than she had before. Scratching his head, Inu Yasha tried to figure out what could have made his brother change. Little did he know that although Sesshoumaru had changed because of Kagome's presence, Inu Yasha himself was also beginning to mature because of her absence.

A/N: How did you guys like it? I think the characters seem to be developing in an in-character way… Heh, in an effort to keep everyone in-character, I had better not be preventing myself from developing them like I promised to in my summary! They are developing quite nicely in my head.. is it translating down on paper okay?

toxiclollipop: Hehe! Sorry about the disappointment not letting Inu Yasha know Kagome was marked.. I think Sesshoumaru was too smart to let that happen.. and if I let Inu Yasha smell her, it would've taken this story down a much, MUCH different road than what I was planning for it. Maybe I'll do an Alternate ending fic later for it... I dunno, I was thinking of parodying certain scenes, and stuff. Well, we'll see!

last vampire: haha, well, there was only a little Sess/Kag 'romantic'stuff, but basically, those are the two main characters in my story- whether they end up romantically involved, or not. Hahaha, and don't worry, Rin isn't his love slave! I think Sesshoumaru deeply cares for her.. I'm not sure if HE puts a label on it, like "i care for rin like a daughter" or "I care for rin as a future mate." I think he just knows he cares about her, and wants to be with her for as long as possible (I think this is sorta hinted at in one of the last eppies of the IY anime series called "together forever with Sesshoumaru-sama"). Anyway, there are many instances of guys waiting for a girl to grow up so that he could marry her... I think...

Jessica L: (bows in gratitude) Thanks very much for your awesome compliments! I put some effort into it, so it's cool to see that it's appreciated.

LucretiaDecoy: I was wondering what happened to you (meaning: it's good to see you again)! Hehe, you seem to understand my train of thought with this story. Excellent! That makes me, as a writer, feel good.

SquirtsMegz: "-sama" is like, an honorific, which means that it is added to a name to show respect. "-sama,"(meaning something like lord, or lady) "-san," ( a general term you could use with anyone in Japan) "-kun," (for either a boy classmate, or someone who is your inferior, like a student or a person in a lower grade) "-dono," (also polite, like"sama," I think) and "-chan" (used when talking to children, or among women, and close friends) are all honorifics. Eh, if they're not called honorifics, sorry.. but the name kinda gets the point across. I could go on and on about it, but I think that's pretty much the basic explanation.

Also, thanks to: Yami Pandora, chii576, Michelle, Corie H, hermonine, kmkoolj2010 (thanks for joining), destinyheart15 (thanks for joining! sorry about the cliff hanger-- heh, heh...), kari konoko, and Ninja-Wizards (also, thanks for joining!)