Disclaimer: see previous chapters.

In honor of tonight's full moon…..

Belonging

Chapter 13

Kurama wandered the halls, not really paying attention to where he was going. He'd fallen asleep too early in the evening and now he was awake. He was feeling better than he had in days so he risked an outing to the library for some books to keep him company. It's not like I can just wander into Sessho-maru's bedroom and demand he entertain me.

Suddenly, unbidden thoughts of what he and Sessho-maru could do in the late hours of the evening to occupy themselves accosted his mind's eye and he felt his entire body become overheated as if he were standing in the midst of a roaring fire.

He'd begrudgingly come to accept the fact that he was more than a little attracted to the inu youkai, but every time they got close or it seemed as if they might broach the subject, something or someone interfered.

Thanks to his his injury, Kurama had discovered that the proud inu actually cared for him. How much, Kurama still hadn't gauged because the infuriating youkai kept distancing himself.

Why won't he just tell me what he wants!

Kurama slowly climbed the winding staircase and ran his hand along the stone, thinking on everything he'd learned during his late night excursion. He'd explored, to the best of his knowledge, everything in the fortress with the exception of the lower level which Jaken was helpful enough to tell him was the dungeon. And in all his searching, he'd really learned nothing about Sessho-maru.

He'd managed to get Jaken to tell him a little about Sessho-maru's father, but the toad went off on a tangent and Kurama had just walked away, bored with the zealous and extremely detailed description of the former Lord of the Western Plains's fighting skill. He didn't care about such things. He wanted to know what Sessho-maru was like as a child, what happened to his parents, why he chose to sequester himself and……

His thoughts died and he stopped in his tracks as his gaze fell upon the open library door. Why would he be up this late at night? Kurama silently entered and found Sessho-maru asleep on one of the large sofas in the expansive room. Without realizing what his body was doing, Kurama approached the sleeping youkai who had a book resting on his chest, covered by one perfect alabaster clawed hand.

He kneeled down and gazed at Sessho-maru, his eyes studying every minute detail. The smooth, pale skin, the blue crescent moon, the dark violet markings over his eyelids and across his high cheekbones, and the small mouth whose lips were slightly parted inhaling and exhaling quiet breathes.

Kurama stared, fascinated, drawn to the youkai that had captured his attention from the moment he laid eyes on him. He reached out, his eyes still on the parted lips when he suddenly found his wrist clasped tightly within the clawed hand that had previously been holding a book in place.

His breath caught in his throat as two sets of golden eyes met in a tense silence. Kurama felt a gentle tug on his wrist and he found himself getting closer and closer to Sessho-maru until their lips brushed. Kurama jumped at the contact and the searing jolt it sent through his body.

Sessho-maru let his grip on Kurama's wrist go and watched as the kitsune clumsily fled the room in a panic.

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It didn't take long for Sessho-maru to regain his senses and go after Kurama. It was easy enough to track the kitsune by scent and when Sessho-maru found him, he wasn't surprised to see that Kurama had retreated to the same garden he choose whenever he wanted to be alone. Sessho-maru stopped as he came into the clearing and found Kurama standing there, gazing up into the night sky.

Kurama turned to face Sessho-maru, his confusion written all over his face. Sessho-maru slowly approached the kitsune, his voice barely audible over the nocturnal songs ringing through the air. He was ready to apologize for his actions, even though he wished things could go much further between them, he wasn't willing to risk their tenuous friendship.

"I'm sorry, Kurama. I didn't mean---"

"I did."

Sessho-maru's heart began to beat wildly at the mater-of-fact statement. He drank in the sight of Kurama, glowing in the moon's light, golden eyes glittering. He closed the distance between them and as one hand snaked its way up Kurama's neck and into his hair, the other took a firm grip around his waist. Sessho-maru pulled Kurama into a passionate kiss which was eagerly returned.

Any doubts either youkai had about giving in to their desires vanished as both clung to the other, hungry lips eagerly seeking flesh to taste and suckle. They fell to their knees and as Sessho-maru slipped Kurama's yukata down to expose a bare shoulder, he spoke against the smooth flesh.

"I want you here, bathed in the moonlight."

Kurama moaned and nuzzled Sessho-maru to kiss him again. When they had to break for air, Kurama's voice was a breathy echo in the night as Sessho-maru guided him down to rest under him, his mouth once again indulging in the kitsune's neck.

"You've dreamt of that too?"

"For much too long."

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Sessho-maru lay there, watching Kurama sleep. He had carried a sleepy Kurama inside and deposited him in bed, sliding in next to him and delighting in the kitsune's moan as he reached out and curled into Sessho-maru's body. It didn't take long for Kurama to fall asleep and that left Sessho-maru awake and content to gaze upon the beautiful creature at his leisure.

As appreciative eyes roamed over milky, soft skin and fingers ran through silky silver hair, he felt a peace and happiness he'd never known before. But these feelings were short-lived when he thought of how Kurama came to be in his life. He came searching for something. Something he was willing to risk his life to obtain.

Sessho-maru watched as silver strands fell through is fingers. He knew what he had to do, but that didn't make it any easier. He slowly reached out and in a delicate move that would have made the thief proud, he removed the necklace from around Kurama's neck.

"I will miss you, Kurama. I can only pray that you will return to me someday."

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As Kurama's consciousness slowly awakened, memories of last night came flooding back, causing a vulpine smile to grace his lips. He stretched and moaned and rolled over, seeking the warmth of his bedmate's body. But his hands came up empty and he opened his eyes to see Sessho-maru standing several feet away from the bed, smiling down at him.

Kurama crawled over to the edge of the bed and remained on his knees. Sessho-maru couldn't help but close the distance between them, enveloping the still warm kitsune within his arms.

"Good morning, Kurama."

"Mmmm, good morning."

"Are you hungry?"

"Starved." Kurama squeezed Sessho-maru tighter and licked at the inu's neck. "But I think I'll bathe first. Care to join me?"

Sessho-maru smiled and pulled back from the amorous kitsune.

"I've already bathed."

Golden eyes glittered and before Sessho-maru knew what was happening, Kurama grabbed fistfuls of his collar and yanked him back into bed. Kurama flipped them over, pinning the surprised inu under him.

"Then I'll just have to get you dirty again."

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"Mmmmmm…."

Kurama settled into Sessho-maru's body, resting his head on the broad chest which was just above the water line. The pair had been in the bath long enough for Kurama to have washed Sessho-maru and now the delighted kitsune was getting his turn. He sighed and moaned as Sessho-maru ran the soft washcloth over his body, starting at his toes and working his way up where the inu was currently washing Kurama's chest.

"We should do this every day."

Sessho-maru couldn't respond to Kurama's suggestion. He tried to swallow the pain rising up within him as he thought of Kurama leaving him. His thoughts continued to torture him and he did not notice when Kurama's body stiffened against him. He didn't see the hand come up, grasping at his neck. It wasn't until Kurama pushed away and turned around, frantically searching the water, splashing everywhere, that Sessho-maru was pulled from his internal turmoil.

"Kurama? Wha---"

"It's gone! I've lost it! I don't know where---"

Sessho-maru got out of the bath and put on a robe before leaving the bathroom. Kurama continued to splash about until his mind came into focus on the situation. He suddenly stilled and stared at the open door, his eyes impossibly wide. I couldn't have lost it. I would have died. The only way…..

Kurama quickly got out of the bath and ran into the next room, a towel clasped at his hip. He found Sessho-maru sitting on the bed, eyes fixed on a small blue crescent moon resting in his palm. Kurama kneeled in front of Sessho-maru and stared down at his former leash.

"Why?"

"I do not want you to be by my side because of some charm. I want you to be by my side because that's where you choose to be." Sessho-maru closed his fist around the necklace and reached out, caressing Kurama's cheek and offering a sad smile. "But I know you will leave me, Kurama. I'm not so naïve to believe you will stay here with me."

Kurama threw his arms around Sessho-maru's neck and buried his face.

"I will come back to you, Sessho-maru. I swear by Inari, I will return to you."

Sessho-maru hugged Kurama tight, taking little comfort in the words for he knew them to be just that: words. He had removed the charm knowing Kurama would leave him. He knew he was making the right decision, but knowing didn't make it any less painful.

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Kurama and Sessho-maru spent the next week desperately clinging to each other. They had quiet, comforting times and energetic playful times and heated, passionate times. But no matter what they were doing, there was always an underlying current of sadness for they both knew their time together was limited.

Finally, after two weeks of selfish indulging, Kurama decided that if he didn't leave now, he never would. So he waited for Sessho-maru to fall asleep and then he expertly extricated himself from the strong limbs, looking back only once as he closed the door behind him. I'm sorry, Sessho-maru. I'm a coward and I know it, but I couldn't handle saying goodbye to you. I will be back, love. I swear it.

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Sessho-maru shivered and rolled over, blindly reaching for the warm body that should be there. When his hand landed in an empty space, he opened his eyes to find himself alone in the bed.

"Kurama?"

As he sat up his eye caught sight of a small piece of paper sitting on Kurama's pillow. He picked it up knowing what it meant. You knew I wouldn't be able to keep my promise, didn't you? That's why you left like this. Thank you, thief.

Sessho-maru stared at the piece of paper long after he found it on Kurama's pillow.

I will return to you.

To be continued….