A/N: I was surprised by how many people responded to the idea of the sequel. Anyway, at the very most I'll be able to update every other day, because of school. You know I always appreciate reviews! Keep it up! (And now, the introduction of…HOT KURO!)

Chapter 2: Hanyou in Love

Kuro was in love.

There was no question about it. He was—totally and completely—in love. Of course, it was no big shock to him, since he had been in love with her for as long as he could remember.

Suki…he thought, smiling. He was leaning against a tree on the edge of the forest, watching the village.

He was sixteen now, and it had been many, many years since he had decided to marry her. But even when he was young, he had known that she would one day steal his heart away.

Although, he reflected. It wasn't like I could help it.

She had grown up over the past 11 years. She was fully a woman, perfect in every aspect. Her long brown hair was like that of her mother, yet her indigo eyes clearly reflected her father's. A smile from her was worth anything, in Kuro's eyes.

In eleven years, he had grown up too. His long black hair now reached down his back, his dog ears pointing up from the top of his head. Now that he was all grown up, he was practically a mirror image of his father, except he was the darker form. Even though he looked like his father, he wasn't much like him in spirit. Since he was raised with loving family and friends, he wasn't as rough as his father had been at his age.

But, like his father, he couldn't help but fall in love with a human. Perhaps it was because she was the first girl to ever reach out and befriend him. Perhaps it was because her beauty and grace entranced him. Or maybe he would never know. All he knew is, he loved her. He loved her more than anything.

Kuro leaned back against the tree and looked at the sky. What am I going to do? He thought.

He knew he was a fool if he thought Suki would return his love. After all, she was a human, and already many other human boys had shown interest in her. She was the prettiest girl in the village, and Kuro wasn't the only one who had noticed. She couldn't go outside without one boy waiting to try to woo her. But Kuro knew he didn't have to worry; his uncle Miroku had chased most of them off by threatening things a monk shouldn't say.

Even though he hated the fact that so many boys wanted to court her, he didn't have to worry. She didn't show any interest in them. Partially because she knew her father would never allow it, and also because they seemed to come on too strongly. They were much disappointed when she didn't return in their casual flirting.

Even though she had plenty of admirers, Kuro and his sister sadly had none. Well, he thought, It's not like I didn't expect this… When he was old enough to understand, his father told him of the prejudice against hanyous. It was worse for him, since he had lived all his life with no one, but that didn't mean that humans were suddenly opening up to them. The village people usually ignored their family, save Kagome since she was a miko that helped out the village from time to time.

"Some humans just don't understand," his mother had told him long ago, "That being a hanyou doesn't mean you're bad. No matter what you look like on the outside, Kuro, your heart is still the same."

"How come some people don't understand, mommy?" he asked.

She sighed, looking upon him with sadness, pity. "Because that's the way they were raised, Kuro, and they can't get out of it that easily."

Even though a lot of humans treated him differently, Suki never did. She treated him the same. She was always kind, putting him on the same level as her. To her, they were equals. But to him, she was far beyond his reach.

She may be higher up that me…but I won't abandon my feelings because of it…I won't give up on her until there is no hope…he thought.

"KURO!" A shrill voice rang out, waking him from his thoughts. He looked around until he saw who it was. Oh no…he thought. It's Kiri.

Kiri was now fifteen, but still as immature as ever. She wore a blue yukata, with her silver hair up in buns on either side of her head, with long bangs falling down in front. Her amber eyes were angry as she marched up to him.

"What now Kiri?" he asked. He wanted to go back to scanning the village for Suki.

"You're needed at home." She said. "You have to do your chores, now. If I have to do them one more day in a row then I will rip these—" Kiri seized one of Kuro's black dog ears, earning an "Ow!" in response. "—Out of your head!"

He managed to get his ear free and flicked blood off it. "Damnit, Kiri, don't grab at them like that!" her long claws had cut them.

"Yeah, well, I'm tired of having to do your chores!" She yelled, swiping at his ears causing him to duck. "You could do them for once instead of hanging around here all day, mooning over Suki!"

"I do not hang around here all day!" he defended himself.

She pointed at him, one of her long talons an inch away from his red haori. "Yes you do! And you return home upset every time a new boy is hanging around her. Why don't you just admit to yourself you can't win her?"

She had crossed the line. He clenched his hands into fists, resisting the urge to make her pay for that. "Kiri, shut up!"

"What, you just can'ttake what'strue?"

That did it, he lunged to punch her—

And was blocked. Kiri had a grin on her face. Kuro, madder than ever, tried to hit her again, but she dodged with ease. "Damnit!" he yelled, while she laughed in his face.

She said, smiling. "While you spent all your life thinking of Suki, I actually applied it to something useful. Speaking of which, I have to go see Kaede-sama for my lessons. Later, lover boy!" She started to walk away from a fuming Kuro. "Oh, and you had better finished your chores by the time I get back, or we'll finish this." She warned.

As she left, Kuro punched the tree bark. It had always been like this. He had never been able to win a fight against her, never. It probably had something to do with her miko powers. Because their mother had been the reincarnation of a powerful miko, her powers had been passed on to Kiri because she was also female. And because Kiri was a virgin, she could be fully trained as such.

"It's all cheating." He muttered, as he started to walk back to his hut. "She's got those powers. It's not fair, it's cheating!"

His rant was cut short when he heard a familiar voice say, "No, I don't think I'll be able to right now."

Kuro's heart stopped. Suki. His ear flicked over towards the source of the sound. He dove behind a hut and saw her talking to three boys, a basket of flowers in her hands. She seemed to be in a bit of trouble, with the way she twisted it so between her fingers.

"But, Suki, why not?" one boy, whom Kuro recognized as the son of a prominent family in the village. "Why won't you come to the festival with us next week?"

"I'm sorry, I…" she said, more than obvious she was making up an excuse. But she found a true one. "My father wouldn't allow it."

Another boy laughed. "You always go on about your father, but what does he know? You don't have to tell him, you know."

"Y-you don't understand." She said. "My father is a powerful monk. If he sees any man with me before I am permitted, he will make sure you can never come near me again."

The boy advanced closer, making Kuro have to hold back a growl. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him." He grabbed Suki's wrist. "Come on, let's go have some fun."

Her voice now changed from that of an innocent girl to warning. "Let go of me." She demanded.

"What?" the boys mocked. "You going to tell your father? Or worse, sic your hanyou on us? You shouldn't be hanging around him, Suki. He's half dog already. Who knows when the animal inside him will pounce on you? Come with us, we can keep you safe. You don't need a dog hanging around your for protection."

"I don't need him!" she said. "And, I'll tell you again, let go of me, or you will regret it, for I am descended from the line of the youkai exterminators!"

The boy who held on to her smiled. "Cute." But he did not let go of her. "But the only youkai that needs to be exterminated around here is that hanyou." He started dragging her away.

Kuro growled loudly and was about to emerge from his hiding place when he realized he was not needed. Using the techniques her mother taught her, Suki wrenched her hand from his wrist and then slapped him across the face. When the two other boys came in closer, she punched the leader in the eye, instantly blackening it.

All three boys including the barely hidden hanyou stared at her, not knowing so much power could have come from her. "Let's go." The smallest boy said, and they ran off.

Suki sighed, and gathered up the fallen flowers, when she stood up, she turned right towards where Kuro was hidden. Knowing she knew he was there, he fled.

She followed him all the way to the fields, shouting, "Kuro!"

He stopped, and turned towards her. "How did you know I was there?" he asked.

Suki smiled. "I heard you growl. You're the only one I know who would growl at that moment." She walked closer, making Kuro feel self-concious. "Don't you want to sit down? We could talk a bit. After all, we haven't been able to talk in a while, have we?"

She sat down on the soft grass, and he followed suit, with his legs crossed, his arms also crossed inside the sleeves of his red haori. He wondered what had brought on this sudden friendliness in her, perhaps it was because of her previous ordeal.

"Why were you spying on me?" she asked, with a hint of amusement rather than annoyance.

He blinked, trying to think of a logical answer. It was suddenly much harder to think with her around him. "I overheard. And I thought you might have needed some help. But it turns out you didn't."

She smiled at him. "My mother taught me well."

"I bet with all of your weapons, you'd be even more formidable than Kiri, and that's saying something." He said.

"I'm no where near as good as my mother." Suki said. "After all, she had practice all her life. She was taught to slay youkai, I was just taught to take care of myself."

"Well, you're doing a good job." He complimented.

When she looked at him, she looked at him puzzled, almost surprised. He could feel his face start to blush up when she looked him in the eyes. "S-Suki?" he asked.

"Kuro," she said, pointing to his bleeding ear. "What happened? You didn't run into a fight too, did you?"

He reached up and wiped the blood off his ear, slightly disappointed. "Actually yes, it was Kiri."

"Oh, really?" Suki giggled. "You didn't sustain any other damage did you?"

"No." he said, annoyed. There was a silence. "Suki…those boys…do they bother you often?"

She looked down. "Sometimes. But they never did anything like this. I don't understand it, Kuro. For some reason, all the boys in the village keep asking to court me."

"It's because they can't resist you." He muttered, not intending to say it out loud. When he heard a small intake of breath, he realized what he had done, a light blush brushed across their faces, and they both looked away.

"Anyway…" she said, in a somewhat more nervous tone. "They just…they don't understand that I can make up my own mind about who I wish to marry. I don't need them, or father, or anyone else telling me."

Upon saying this, her indigo eyes grazed over Kuro. He pretended not to notice, but his heart couldn't help but start beating at this action. "Well," he said, his chocolate eyes meeting hers. "That's good for you."

Suddenly, the wind knocked over Suki's flower basket. She and Kuro both reached in to pick it up, and their hands crossed. They looked up at each other, realizing their closeness. Bright red blushes were all over their faces, and Kuro knew he couldn't stop his heart now. Because of his hanyou hearing, he could hear her heart racing as well.

They were drawn closer by the spell of their eyes. Their breaths were held in their throat as they were close enough to touch foreheads. Kuro could see in Suki's eyes not revulsion, but a longing, the same feeling he knew was reflected back at her.

This is it…He thought, as he closed his eyes...

And touched her lips with his for the very first time.

Even though it had lasted a second, he felt, in that instant, that she had kissed him back. He felt the sweetness from her lips and knew, in that instant, that she had wanted him as much as he wanted her. A fiery passion had ignited in both of them; they loved each other more than ever.

It was over almost as soon as it began. As Kuro drew away, surprised that she had not knocked him cold, since he was perhaps more forward than those village boys, but she did not. She had kissed him back, and now she smiled at him. "Kuro…" she murmured, drawing nearer to him, planting a kiss on his cheek like she had done so many years ago.

Before he knew it, he gave into his passion, wrapping his arms around her and letting her sweet scent intoxicate his hanyou senses. His embrace showing her how much he loved her, how long he had loved her.

While the upturned basket of flowers lay in the grass next to them, utterly forgotten.

A/N: I just wanted to put this in for a note, since Kuro and Kiri are half-hanyou-ish anyway, they age the same as humans.

Well, I'd say this is my fastest getting people together ever. But, there is a reason for that. The story mostly takes place when they are 18, but they will appear 16 in one more chapter.

Anyway, you know you want to give me many glorious reviews for this chapter, riiiiight?