A/N: I noticed a lot of people were really upset over the death of Inu and Kags. Well, to tell the truth, I didn't want to do it, but I had to. In writing, there is a saying, "You kill the ones you love," so, yeah. I didn't do it because I hated them or wanted them dead. They just...well...I had to kill them off. I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to. Hopefully, this chapter's happier.

Chapter 6: One Dream

As Kuro walked over to Suki's house to say goodbye, he noticed that there was no one in the streets. Since the plague, no one had wanted to venture outdoors. It was kind of sad, seeing the village that had once been bustling with life now silent. When he turned to Suki's hut, the curtian opened and she stood in front of it. He had been expected.

"Kuro..." she said, solemly.

"Suki." he replied. "How are you?"

"Fine." she said. She stepped back. "Would you...do you want to come in?"

Without saying a word, he walked in. As he walked past her, he caught the smell of salt on her. She had been crying. The room he walked into was strangely empty. There was an air of gloominess everywhere, and the hut seemed strangely dark. "Where is everyone?" he asked.

"Yume and Hana are out picking flowers." Suki replied. "I think they really needed to get out of the hut for a while." She said this with a grave, rather than playful tone.

"Suki," Kuro asked, now concerned. "Is everything alright?"

Suki's eyes fled to the ground. "Kuro...it's..."

He came closer to her, filling the gap. "Suki," he said. "Please, if something's wrong, tell me..."

The inu hanyou caught a tear in her eye. "Kuro...it's...it's my father..."

"U-uncle Miroku?" he asked.

She nodded, sniffing. "Kuro...father...he's...Kuro, he's got the..."

Suki was incapable of finishing, because of the tears that had welled up in her indago eyes. But she didn't need to finish, Kuro knew well enough what was going on. "Suki..." he said, "How...how is he? Is it...bad?"

She shook her head. "No, not bad now but...he could...he could..."

He wanted to reach out and hold her, to comfort her, but she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have...anyway, what did you come over here to say, Kuro?"

The black-haired hanyou paused. He wasn't sure if he could tell her now. Not with her father and all this...He wished more than anything that he could stay with her, but if he didn't, that youkai would live and might harm Suki...

"Suki...I..." he said, looking around nervously. "I...had to tell you that I'm going to--Kiri and I are going to...we have to leave." he finally said.

Suki gave a tiny gasp. Way to go...he thought. Now you made her cry again, baka.

"L-leave?" she asked. "Leave where?"

Kuro's hand found the Tessaiga hilt at his waist. "My mother told me before she...she told me that there was a youkai that was hunting me down. I have to go and destroy it."

"But Kuro, that will only put you in more danger!" She said, tears coming again.

"I can't help it, Suki. I have to, don't you see?" He found himself coming closer to her. "If I don't destroy it now...it might come after you..."

She understood, and looked down. "Y-your parents...my father...and now...you're leaving...why does everything have to be this way!" She found herself bursting into tears and sinking to the floor.

Kuro sat on the floor and pulled her to him, holding her as she let all her emtions out. As she cried, all he could find himself thinking about is how to make it better, how to make everything all right for her.

"Kuro..." she cried. "Please...come back..."

"I will." he said, immedietly. "I won't leave you for more than two months."

"Promise me." she said.

He nodded. "I promise..."

Suki tore away from his chest and looked up at him, tears still in her eyes. She looked at him, with longing reflected in those indago pools, and then let go of him and turned away. "Then you can go." she said. "As long as you come back soon."

Now. Kuro's mind told him. Do it now, or you'll never get another chance...

He took a deep breath, suddenly feeling nervous. "Suki...that's not all I came over here to talk about."

She didn't reply, she didn't even turn around to look at him. But hearing her heartbeat speed up reasurred him. "Suki," he continued. "I just wanted to say that...I really like it. Being here with you...I mean...it's nice."

Oh yeah, really came off good there. He thought. I knew I should have prepared something...

"What I meant was, " he told her, a bit more forcefully trying to cover up his attempt at suaveness. "That, Suki, you're really the only person who's ever liked being with me. In...well...that way. And, I just...well...wanted to--"

"Kuro," she asked, still not turning around. "What is it you're trying to say?"

This is it. He sighed, he had to get it over with now. He said, in a soft and sweet voice. "Suki...I love you."

Kuro heard her gasp, and she slowly turned around to face him, a hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes.

But, he could tell, they weren't sad tears. They were happy tears. "Kuro..." she whispered.

He kept going, knowing he could finish now. "And Suki...when I get back from slaying the youkai..."

Kuro paused, Suki had been holding on to his every word. He could her hear heart beat faster.

"I...I want you to--"

Her eyes widened in shock.

"--marry me."

Suki gave one final gasp, and lowered her hand. The tears that she had been holding in her eyes fell. She covered her face in her hands and continued to cry. She replied, in such a small voice that he could barely hear her. "Y-yes..."

But, not, enough that his hanyou hearing couldn't hear. His black ears tweaked at that sound. S-she said yes? "Y-You will?" he asked, not hiding the happiness in his voice.

Suki lowered her hands, even through her tear-stained face, she was smiling. She jumped into his arms. "Yes!" she said. "I will Kuro! I want to be with you forever!"

She looked up at him, and they both knew what each other wanted. Very slowly, their eyes closed, and their lips met in a chaste kiss.

Or, what had started out, a chatse kiss. With her consent, feeling the joy they both felt from being with one another after so long, he deepened the kiss, hearing both their hearts beating from it. His arms snaked around her and held her as they showed how much they loved each other.

Suki gave a sigh of content when he broke away, and she gave a small laugh. "It's not right that I should be sad, and yet I'm so happy!"

Kuro touched his forehead to hers. "I know." he said smiling. "I'm thinking the same thing."

Suki gave another laugh, and then gave him a small kiss. When she broke away, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "We have to tell mother and father!" She grabbed him and pulled him to his feet as she led him towards the back room where her parents slept.

"Wait...what?" Kuro said. He hadn't intended on telling her parents right away. After all...he was sure that her father wouldn't exactly be thrilled. Considering what had happened two years ago, he thought it was very likely the monk would throw a curse at him.

Well, if he wasn't sick at the moment.

As Suki slid open the door, dragging Kuro in, both her parents stared. Miroku was lying on a mattress on the floor, with a cloth on his forehead. He didn't look too bad, so there was a chance that he would live. (And Kuro felt even worse, since the monk looked up to throwing a good curse at him.) And Sango was sitting beside him, holding his hand.

When they had come in, Sango looked slighty suprised, whereas Miroku gave a glare at Kuro, as if to say, "Why are you touching my daughter!" Kuro remembered they were still holding hands. He wished, at that moment, that Suki would let go.

"Mother, father," Suki began. "Kuro, he's...he's going away for a while." She said this with a bit of sadness, as if she had just remembered.

Miroku didn't look too phased by this, but Sango said, "Oh, that's too bad."

Suki took a breath. "And...when he gets back...we're getting married!"

Kuro could have sworn he saw Miroku twitch. But, Sango looked overjoyed. "Oh, Suki!" she said, jumping up and hugging her daughter. "That's so wonderful!"

After she had finished hugging her, to his suprise, the youkai exterminatior suddenly hugged him. Not just hugging. She was nearly suffocating him. "Ummm...Aunt Sango-san..." he said, wishing she would let go.

Thankfully, she did. Kuro took a deep breath of well loved air. Sango looked back at Miroku, who had survayed the scene without saying anything. "Well?" she said. "Suki is eighteen, you know..."

Kuro waited. He knew he had to get Miroku's consent before Suki would be allowed to marry him. However, by the way the very immature monk was acting, he wasn't sure he would get it.

Miroku looked away. He paused for a second. "I give my blessing." he said, finally.

No one was more suprised than Kuro. "T-thank you, Miroku-sama!" he said.

Miroku looked back at them. "Take care of her, Kuro." he said this, in a threatening tone.

"Uh...yes, sir. I will." he said.

"Thank you, father!" Suki said, coming up and kissing her father on the cheek. With one last happy look, Suki and Kuro left them alone.

Sango turned back to Miroku, glaring at him. "Well, I'm glad you did that but, " she warned. "Be nice. You're daughter's happy. And Kuro-kun is a good boy."

"I wasn't going to say anything!" Miroku defended himself. He looked at the celing. "I know Kuro is a good boy. A little impatient, yes, but a lot like Inuyasha." The monk sort of smiled to himself. "I wouldn't entrust Suki to anyone else."

Sango turned away, crossing her arms. "Well, at least you've grown up over the years."

Miroku grinned. He just couldn't help himself. "Yes, Sango, I have matured, now, haven't I?" He said...while caressing a familiar part of her anatomy once again.

She cringed once again, and he could see a vein popping in her forehead and her hand balling into a fist. She resisted the temptation to hit him, since he was sick--

So she had to content herself by slapping his hand away. Very hard. "DON'T SAY THAT WHILE YOU'RE TOUCHING ME!" she roared.

Kuro and Suki had wandered away from the somber village, into the forest. It was getting late, and dusk was hastily approching. They leaned against each other, eyes closed, enjoying hearing the beating of each other's heart.

"It's getting cold." Kuro said."Do you want to go back inside?"

"No," Suki said, leaning against him, her head resting on his chest. "I'm warm enough out here."

"Suki," Kuro said. "I'm leaving tomorrow at dawn. Will you come and--"

She nodded. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

They looked back at one another, and soon found themselves with their lips on each others. The passion that flowed through them was enough to make them desire never to leave this position. Suki...Kuro thought. How can I leave her now?

Of course, they didn't hear Sango come into the clearing, seeing all of this take place. "Suki!" she said, trying to get their attention.

They broke away abrutply, with enormous blushes on their faces.Sango couldn't be sure, but as the couple parted, she thought she saw Kuro slip his tongue back into his mouth.

"Your father wants you home now." Sango said.

"Uh...yeah..." Suki said, still embarressed. "Um...mother...about that...umm..." Her eyes darted to Kuro, who was now as red as his haori and hakama.

Sango smiled. "Don't worry, I won't tell your father."

Suki looked back at Kuro, "Goodnight, Kuro. See you tomorrow."

And she left. When she was gone, Kuro couldn't help it. He whooped with joy.

The next morning, as the sun came up, Kuro and Kiri were about to set out from the village. They had their packs ready to go, and nothing would stop them on this journey now.

But Kuro was a bit worried. Suki still hadn't shown up. Where is she? She promised.

Kiri hit him with her elbow. "Come on, we have to go. You can think about your precious Suki later."

He sighed, and turned away from the village, when he heard someone shout, "Kuro!"

It was Suki. He ran up to her, and without saying any words, grabbed her in his arms and kissed her. Kuro lifted her off her feet and twirled her around before setting her down. "I promise I'll be back." he said.

She smiled. "You'd better be." And she kissed him one more time.

"Come on, Kuro, at this rate, we'll never get back before your baby's born." Kiri growled, starting to drag him away.

Suki giggled to herself, and then waved goodbye as the two hanyou siblings set off into the wilderness.

Little did she know that by the next time she saw him, everything would be changed.

A/N: THERE, NOW ARE YOU HAPPY! Well, after a sad chapter, I had to put in a happy one. A very, VERY fluffy one, I guess.

But (I'm sorry to say) there's more sad stuff coming later...

And to Weeping Wolf: Wow, really? Fanart? Can you send me some of those?