A/N: This was probably my most thought out chapter of them all. I was thinking of this one WAY before the story got started. I hope all my planning worked! (Sorry about this, it's an argument between me and my friends…) GO RED WINGS! (Okay, done now.)

Warning: MAJOR FLUFFINESS!

Chapter 16: On the Night of the New Moon

Akuto spotted his den from the cliff. He made a fist. I don't want to go back there, but it's not like I have any choice… He remembered Kiri's face right before he left. It's not like I could ever get her to realize what she needs…

Looking back at his home, he frowned. He knew it wouldn't be the best thing if he came home now, after his father getting upset, but he had no where else to go. And he certainly was not going to beg Kiri to take him back after she had rejected him for the sake of her dignity.

And that's the worst kind of rejection, he thought, as he walked towards the den. Being rejected because she doesn't want to let her pride back down.

When he got close, one of the guards spotted him and called out, "Akuto! Where have you been?"

He growled, "None of your business."

"You're father's going to be angry." The other one said, surveying him with stern eyes.

Akuto's green eyes glared at him. "Oh yeah? Well, the old man's gotta learn to be disappointed sometime!" He walked into the cave. A mistake.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME, RUNT!" His furious father asked, jumping down from a ledge above. Despite Akuto's "nickname" for him, Kouga hadn't appeared to have aged at all in the past years. He was a lot wearier however, but that might have had something to do with raising Akuto. With his angry entrance, all of the other wolf youkai preceded to leave for elsewhere, in order to not get in the middle of their fight.

His son folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Would you like me to repeat it?"

Kouga growled. "Just cross me one more time, pup! Then you'll see; I'll toss you out of the tribe!"

"I thought you already did." Akuto said, turning around.

The wolf youkai prince scowled. "Not yet, but try my patience and just watch me! Now, since you've come back, you need to find a mate—"

Akuto rolled his eyes. "Not again!"

Kouga got angry. "Listen, Akuto. You're eighteen, you need to find a mate. It is the way of things."

His son glared. "Maybe I don't fancy finding a mate from any of the females around here. You said yourself you can't just pick anyone!"

"Fine then! Choose a mate from the mountain wolf tribe!"

Akuto growled at him. "It's not that easy! There's no one here that interests me here, Father."

"Well, who then?" Kouga demanded.

Akuto didn't answer. He stormed off out of the den, to somewhere in the surrounding wilderness. He thought, defiantly, The only one I could have ever thought to have taken as my mate…He pictured Kiri in his mind. Was her…

"Kuro?"

"Hmm?"

She looked up at the stars. "Do you think that…Mother and Father are really up there, watching us?"

He also looked at the stars. It was dark out, even darker than usual since it was the night of the new moon. Kuro had turned human, his black dog ears replaced with human ones, his fangs and claws shrunk. They were both sitting against Goshinboku, Suki in Kuro's arms.

Kuro smiled. "I suppose so. I don't think they'd give up watching us easily."

Suki leaned back against him. "Yes, I suppose Mother and Father wouldn't want to leave us alone without checking up."

"Especially Uncle Miroku." Kuro chuckled. "I suppose he wouldn't leave us to our own devices for a second."

Suki lifted her head, her indigo eyes looking into his chocolate ones. "Kuro…I need to…"

"What?" he asked.

Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Kuro…I've needed to say this for a long time…"

All of a sudden, there was a ripping sound. Kuro and Suki both jumped up at the same time as a tiger youkai pounced down. It snarled, revealing sharp teeth, looking right at Kuro.

"Suki, get back." He said, pushing her behind him.

"Wait!" she screamed. "You're human tonight!"

As she screamed, the youkai pounced. Kuro just barely jumped out of the way as it made a long scratch down his left side side. "Kuro!" Suki cried.

"I-I'm fine!" he said, putting his right hand on the wound, feeling blood seep through his haori. He looked at his hand, and closed it into a fist. He unsheathed the Tessaiga, which remained in its unchanged form.

The tiger pounced again, and Kuro struck at it with his Tessaiga, hearing a clang as claws met blade. He tried to hold on, but the power of the youkai was too strong, it pushed him back, making the blade fly out of his hands. "Damnit!" Kuro yelled, looking at his fallen weapon.

Without him seeing, the tiger's paw struck him across the chest, sending him flying as Suki screamed. She didn't head his advice, running towards him, grabbing the Tessaiga along the way, for protection.

"Kuro! Please, be okay!" She cried, looking at the blood stains all over his haori. But she knew, his human wounds would be too much if he continued fighting.

"Suki…get out of here…" He mumbled, trying to sit up.

"No! We're getting out of here!" She said, trying to pull him up, looking back at the tiger youkai. It stood there, letting them go as Suki half dragged Kuro deeper into the forest.

Once they were gone, the tiger youkai transformed himself back into Henka. Tai transformed from a snake on the ground. "Why did you let them go?" she demanded.

Henka smiled. "That was just a warning to the hanyou. I have yet to exact my full revenge."

Suki looked back at Kuro. She didn't know where to take him with his wounds. She wanted to find his sister Kiri to heal him, but they were lost in the forest. But then, she spotted their hope. "Kuro, look!" she said.

She pointed to a forgotten looking wooden hut, in the middle of the woods. "Good…" Kuro said, as they hobbled towards it. Once Suki pulled back the curtain, Kuro collapsed on the floor.

"Kuro!" she said. "Are you all right?"

He coughed. "Yeah…I'll be fine…once the sun comes up."

She kneeled next to him. "Let me see." She pulled off his haori and his white undershirt and gasped in horror. He had long, deep gashes in his chest, that had bleed heavily. "K…Kuro…"

"It's all right." He said, sitting up despite Suki's pleadings to make him lie down. "It doesn't hurt that much."

Suki's eyes filled with tears. She hugged him, careful to avoid his wounds. "Kuro, if you had kept fighting…and if you had died…I don't know what I would do!"

He wrapped an arm around her, wincing in pain when his wounds hurt. "Suki, I wouldn't die and leave you alone. As long as you're here, I'm here. I won't ever leave you."

She closed her eyes, a tear falling down onto his lean, muscled chest. It's time… "Kuro…there's something…I've been meaning to say…"

"What?" he asked.

She took a deep breath, and whispered, "I love you."

Kuro looked shocked for a moment, but his expression softened, and he held her closer, cradling her head and running his fingers through her hair. "Suki…"

She cried on. "Kuro…why is everything trying to draw up apart? First it was Father…and then this youkai…and now Henka…and what else? Why can't we just be together?"

He didn't know how to respond. "I don't know."

She lifted her head, and looked into his eyes, feeling the love reflected between them. They rested their foreheads against one another, looking down. "Kuro, all I want is to be together with you…forever…Is there anyway we could do that…"

With her remark, Kuro made a decision. He was going to ask her something he had been planning on for a long time. "We could…" he whispered, as she looked back at him. "We could…mate."

Suki gasped softly, and pulled away. "B-but Kuro…doesn't that mean, we have to…" her eyes flickered over to the old mattress in the corner of the hut.

He realized he had made a mistake. "Never mind. I didn't mean it…Just forget it." He turned away.

Suki whispered, "Wait…Kuro…youkai mating…what does…" she gulped. "What does that mean?"

He looked back at her, and their eyes met. And he knew what she was thinking. She desired what he did. But he didn't want to…impose…anything on her. He took her hands, her eyes flickering from them back up to his face. "It means…" he said softly. "It means we'd be together until the end of time. That anywhere one of us goes, the other goes."

He paused. She was still listening, her eyes staring into his, with longing for him. "By youkai standards, it's the ultimate act of love. It's not something to be taken lightly."

"B-but…we'll always be together?" she asked.

He nodded. "Forever. But…I understand if you don't want…the mating ritual is…well…" he was mumbling on.

Suki wrapped his arms around him, making him stop talking. "Yes."

His breath stopped. "Y-yes?"

She nodded. "I promised you that I would marry you, Kuro. I want to…I want to be made your mate. Please."

He couldn't stop his heart from racing. She had just promised to be his mate, to always be by his side. To bear his children, when they came. But, more importantly, she had given her life and body to him, just as he would gladly give to her. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Please." She repeated. "I can't take it anymore. I just want to be with you, Kuro…more than anything."

He touched her cheek, guiding her to look back at him. He kissed her sweetly, affectionately, showing his love for her. When they parted, Suki asked, "Wh-what do I have to do?"

Kuro reached for the Tessaiga. "I'm sorry, this might hurt a bit…our blood has to be bonded…" With the edge of the sword, he made a small cut on his palm, blood started dripping out of it. Suki held out her left hand, and he cut it.

They joined hands, and suddenly a passionate fire lit within each of them. They were drawn to each other, kissing without stopping, savoring the intoxication from the contact. Their hearts raced, confirming how much the loved and wanted each other.

Suki opened her eyes while Kuro kissed her neck. He lifted his head up, and she was surprised to see purple stripes on his cheek, but they faded. The youkai blood had awakened in him from the mating ritual, but had remained to heal his wounds, disappearing once he was healed.

"Suki," he murmured, pulling the one he loved closer, "I love you."

"I love you too." She replied, just as lips crashed on hers in the most passionate, loving, lustful kiss ever. Her blood began to race, the flames of love consuming her. She drowned in her love, knowing only Kuro in her mind.

And there, in an abandoned hut in the middle of the forest, they gave themselves to each other, binding them for all eternity.

Akuto lowered his voice to a whisper. "You know what? You like me because I'm a scoundrel, jackass, perverted bastard and whatever else you call me. You like me because there are no scoundrels in your life."

Kiri shook her head again, not able to pull away from the lure of his green eyes. Her heart raced more than she had ever felt it before. "I like nice men."

Akuto gave a small grin. "I'm nice."

Kiri started to say, "No you're not you're—"

But she was cut off, when he suddenly pressed his lips against hers.

Her whole body stiffened, and she couldn't think anymore, her brain had shut off. Even though the kiss had surprised her, what surprised her even more was when she relaxed in his arms, closed her eyes, and kissed him back.

Kiri jumped out of sleep, breathing heavily. Her hair had changed black, her eyes the same hue as Kuro's, a deep chocolate brown. Why? She rested her head in her hands. Why am I thinking of this now?

She peeked her eyes out from her fingers. No…I couldn't be…

No…this can't be happening…

She looked up at the dark shadow that was the new moon. I don't want to…I don't want to fall in…love…

Kuro and Suki lay in each other's arms, still breathing heavily, on top of the mattress left in the hut, covered only by his bloody haori. Kuro caressed her cheek, pausing only to kiss her once more.

"Kuro…" she panted as they parted.

"Shh…" he said, kissing her forehead, running his fingers through her sweaty hair. He pulled her against his side.

Suki buried her head into his chest, as he pulled his haori over them. She whispered, "I love you."

He smiled, wrapping his arms around her "I love you too."

"And now we'll be together forever…"

And they fell asleep, with the one they loved. They fell asleep as mates, who would be together forever…

On the night of the new moon.

A/N: Wow…this took longer than I thought…I hope it wasn't too cheesy, that's my biggest fear with fluff scenes, but anyways…

Major fluff! I hope that satisfies you for the time being. (But Suki's naughtier than we all thought, ne? )

Also, Kiri's still not in love with Akuto YET. She's starting to notice that she may have a crush on him, but noticed that she's in love? She's a bit dim on that…