(Disclaimer: I do not own these wonderful characters, I only own the plot.)

(A/N: Well, have I told my fans lately how much I love them? Because I do. I love you guys a whole bunch! Because of you, "Midnight Meets Moonlight" won first place in BOTH Best Romance AND Best Kagome Portrayal. I've never won anything in my life, except for an essay in the fifth grade, which was ten years ago, so it doesn't count, so I would like to thank every last one who voted. So, as a prize, here is the lemony goodness for you. Enjoy, I hope I do it justice.)

Caution: Lemon warning.Unedited version on my profile.Let's try to make everyone happy.

Chapter Sixteen

Midnight Meets Moonlight

"And you're positive that you haven't heard of a void youkai in this area?...I don't know who he is, that's why I'm asking you!...yeah, well, if you hear anything, call me okay? It's important."

Shippo hung up the phone, closing his eyes tiredly. Even after calling all of his demon contacts, he was still no closer to figuring out who Kagome's mystery assailant was. And that worried him. Most demons that were still alive were accounted for and stayed aware of each other. If they had a rogue demon about who had been lurking in the shadows for all of these years, they would be at a distinct disadvantage. The demon could have been studying them for years while they still continued to be left in the dark.

"Well, that was the last of my contacts," he sighed, looking at Kouga who was standing behind him. "What about you?"

"I ran out of contacts a long time ago, fox," Kouga said. "We need to find out who this guy is soon, or else Kagome could be in more danger."

"From the youkai or from Sesshoumaru?" Shippo said with a sly grin, watching a storm cloud on Kouga's face.

"Both. Kagome's a sweet, naive girl, and dealing with someone like Sesshoumaru is beyond her level. She might get the crazy idea to mate with him soon before she can reconsider."

Shippo chuckled. "If Sesshoumaru has his way, they'll be mated tonight."

"What!" Kouga started stomping for the door, struggling when Shippo calmly held him back. "I'll kill him!"

"You can try," Shippo said mildly, trying not to laugh. "Of course we both know that Sesshoumaru can wipe the floor with you in two seconds flat on a bad day, and especially since he would be fighting for Kagome, you wouldn't stand a chance."

Kouga stopped struggling, and Shippo went to face him. "You didn't really think you would seriously end up with Kagome, did you?"

He watched as Kouga suddenly became very serious instead of enraged. Following as the wolf went back to the table, he sat down across from him and really LOOKED at him, and noticed that Kouga looked more resigned than angry now.

"You didn't, did you?" Shippo whispered. "Even back when we were with Inuyasha, you always knew that Kagome would never be yours."

For a moment, he thought that Kouga wouldn't answer him. Finally the other demon gave a small, frustrated growl.

"A part of me always knew," he ground out, sounding reluctant. "She just didn't see me like that. I guess that I just always wanted to protect her. Inuyasha sometimes wouldn't make it in time, and when he didn't protect her physically, he harmed her emotionally. I just didn't want her to go through that, especially now. She's been through enough."

He looked away, seemingly embarrassed by his admission, and Shippo felt the need to lighten the mood, glad at least for the fact that the wolf knew what was going on. "You're just angry about losing to another dog," he said, an amused smile crossing his face. "I don't think you're pride can take it."

"Hell, I'm much better for her than Mr. Icicle," Kouga boasted, sounding like his old self again. "He won't know how to please her."

"Please, you're going to start putting images in my mind and leave me scarred for life."

They both fell silent, lost in their own thoughts. "He'll take care of her, right?" Kouga asked softly, not looking at Shippo. "He's not just going to get tired of her and leave her."

"The guy has waited for her all this time. I don't think he'll be giving up any time soon."

"Good. 'Cause if he hurts her, he'll have to answer to me, and I won't stop until I kill him."

"You and me both then," Shippo said, knowing it wouldn't come to that, but serious about it all the same. "By the way, how is Ayame?"

He watched Kouga blink slowly. "Ayame?"

"Yeah. Cute wolf chick who gave up on you after Kagome disappeared? The one who adores you? Or…well, she did at least."

"Yeah…how could I forget?" he said sarcastically, but the truth was, the fiery redhead had popped into his mind every now and again. More than what she should have. "I, ah…I told her after Kagome had left to go and find a mate for herself. She didn't take too well to that suggestion. I think I nursed a black eye for a week."

"Did she finally take a mate?"

"Yes." The word came out a little brusquer than he intended and he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. He supposed that the memory of the day she came and told him that she was taking a mate two-hundred years ago still rang on his nerves. She had looked so…so…uncaring. Like she hadn't spent all that time pining over him. It had stung his pride a little bit. And so after that, he kept tabs on her…just out of consideration of course. He had to make sure her mate didn't treat her badly. "He died in Hiroshima during the war, and she left the country. To Paris, of all places. Last time I checked, she was still there."

"Maybe you should go pay her a visit," Shippo said, casually examining his nails. "After this is all over, I mean."

Kouga scowled when the implications set in. "Oi, runt, I'm not that cold hearted. It's not official yet that Kagome is Sesshoumaru's, and when and if it does become official, I'm not just going to use Ayame as a bounce back. I have more honor than that."

Shippo sent a faintly mocking look over. "Right."

"Besides, she wouldn't even take me back. I spent so much time in the past convincing her that I didn't want her, and just showing up on her doorstep isn't going to change that."

"Would you want it to change?"

He frowned at the direct question. "Why in the hell are we talking about this anyway?" He asked, avoiding the topic. "We still have work to do."

But, throughout the night, visions of the redhead popped into his mind, and he damned himself every time.

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"Inuyasha…is that really you?"

"Keh, who else would it be, wench?" The vision known as Inuyasha was surrounded by a faint glow as he looked tenderly at the girl before him. He glanced down at himself and observed the ethereal glow that he was emitting. "Guess last wishes really work."

"What do you mean?" she asked, still amazed to see the hanyou standing not three feet in front of her. Sesshoumaru moved out of her way to give her clear access, and she snuck a glance at him. He stared at his brother, his eyebrows drawn low and small frown on his face.

She turned away from him when Inuyasha spoke. "All I ever really wanted was to say good-bye to you," Inuyasha said. "I guess Kami-sama is granting me a favor." He paused a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I missed you," he said finally.

"I missed you too," she choked out, holding back a sob, not noticing as Sesshoumaru backed away quietly and slipped out the door, no expression on his face. She was focused only on the hanyou.

Moments passed in silence as they just looked at each other, memorizing each others features to remember, for they knew it was the last time they would ever be able to see one another. As the silence dragged on, Inuyasha began to look slightly uncomfortable. "I was never big on making speeches..." he began.

She took a deep breath. "If you started making some long, sappy good-bye speech to me, you wouldn't be Inuyasha. I don't really need to hear the words. I understand."

His eyes softened on her, and indeed, she knew all she needed to by looking at him. "Were you happy?" she blurted out.

He paused. "In the beginning...it was the hardest, I think. I didn't know why you had to leave...why things turned out the way they did. I was angry for a long time. But...in the end, yes, I think I was happy." It was a simple answer, but she accepted it.

"So," he said, a wry gleam in his eyes. "You and Sesshoumaru, huh?"

She let out a helpless laugh, and turned to look at Sesshoumaru, smile fading when she noticed he had left her.

"You better be happy with him." Inuyasha's voice cut her out of her thoughts.

"So I have your blessing?" she asked, slightly disbelievingly.

"Keh," he snorted. "As much blessing as you're gonna get from me. At least he can protect you better than that wimpy wolf." He paused, his eyes growing serious. "As long as he makes you happy, Kagome."

"I love him," she said.

"Okay then," he said simply. He looked down at himself as the glow seemed to dim. "I think I have to go now. I just wanted to say good-bye to you."

"I don't want you to go," she said in a choked voice.

He gazed back at her, the gentle smile of peace that she had always wanted to see him have on his face. "I'm dead, remember? It has to be this way." His shimmering vision walked forward, and his hand lifted to wipe away the tears that were starting to fall down her cheeks.

Although it was a phantom caress and tears still ran down her face, she understood the sentiment behind it. "And try not to cry," he whispered. "Sesshoumaru hates it when girls do that too, he just never admits it."

She gave him a tremulous smile. "Good-bye, Inuyasha," she said, trying to keep her voice from wavering as she watched him start to fade. He lifted up a hand in farewell, and then he was gone, and she was left alone.

Hurriedly wiping the tears off of her face, feeling absurdly happy now that she had talked to Inuyasha, she went to go find Sesshoumaru. It was time she got what she wanted.

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She found him right outside the study and drew to a stop, staring at him leaning against the wall. He looked back at her warily, almost as if he expected her to walk away from him, to shut herself out and not speak to him.

She really had to deal with this whole hidden insecurity thing about Inuyasha, and she smiled at exactly what she wanted to do to him to make him realize she wanted to be with him. Gathering her courage, she walked steadily to him, stopping a foot away from him, trying to ignore the way her body was screaming for him. Her heartbeat was racing, and a low throb was starting in her body, and she ached so much, but she had to make him understand what she wanted.

"I said good-bye to Inuyasha."

"I noticed," he said. Then he was silent.

"You know," she said, changing tactics. "Shippo explained to me today about what it would mean to have you as a mate."

"Did he?" He was still doing his damndest not to let her know what he was thinking, not to let her know how much he just wanted to take he right then. To know once and for all that she was his.

"Mm-hm," she said, moving closer to him, causing him to grab onto her hips as if he couldn't handle her body touching his at that moment. She hid a smile. "Remember when you said that once you touch me, that will be it? I will be yours?"

She didn't give him any time to answer, choosing to be as direct as possible, giving him a beautiful smile and leaning even closer so her breath brushed over his neck. "The timing doesn't suck anymore, Sesshoumaru."

She knew the exact moment when her words registered in his mind, his fingers tightening minutely on her waist, claws leaving little pinpricks that made her blood race faster. The look in his eyes was so fierce, so concentrated on her that she felt her breath come shorter, and the throb in her body gain in intensity.

"Are you sure?" he demanded in a controlled voice. "You know this is forever."

"According to the grapevine, you would be with me anyway," she said, wishing he would just kiss her already. "So I might as well not waste your time."

He seemed to consider her for several heartbeats, making completely sure she meant what she said, and she shifted impatiently.

His slow smile made her melt a little on the inside, and she didn't think she had ever seen anything more beautiful in her life than his smile.

She was proven wrong as she saw his head lower towards hers slowly. That was definitely more beautiful.

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THE UNEDITED VERSION OF THIS PART CAN BE FOUND ON A LINK IN MY PROFILE

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It took long moments for them to catch their breath, trembling in the afterglow of their releases. Finally, he pulled away from her, giving her system one more zing as he slid out of her and pulled her to his side. She lifted one leg over his thigh, and his clawed hand came down behind her knee to hitch her more firmly to him right before he lifted the sheets up.

She sighed in the quiet, never feeling quite so at peace. "I love you, Sesshoumaru," she said quietly.

"I know," he said, his hand stroking her thigh as if he couldn't stop touching her. "And I you."

She buried her face in his shoulder as the tears started to fall.

"Kagome?" he asked, lifting her chin away from him and looking at her in concern.

"I just didn't think you'd say it," she admitted, giving a little sniff. "I mean, I knew and all, that you did, it's just I never thought you would actually say it."

He smiled at her, and she smiled back, snuggling happily against his broad, smooth chest.

"The bonding surprised me," she said softly minutes later. "I thought you would have to mark me or bite me or something." She didn't count those the little nips he had given her bites.

To her surprise he sniffed lightly. "Do you think me a vampire?" he asked, his tone slightly reproachful. She sat up, not bothering to cover herself, and watched with pleasure as his eyes stayed glued on her. However, she was not to be distracted by him, no matter how sexy he looked with the glow of sweat on his well-built body, or his sexy hair slightly mussed.

"I didn't know how you did things," she said, defending herself, because she had imagined him biting her and the thought of her covered in blood on the night she lost her innocence was not very appealing. Then she flushed as she realized the implications of her words. "I mean…I knew HOW mating was done…I just….damn it!" she burst out as she saw his eyes light with slight amusement. "You're making fun of me."

"Yes," he agreed immediately, and smiled when she huffed and lay back down beside him. Just to get her riled up, he added, "There was no reason for me to bite you…unless you wanted me to." As hoped, a rush of her arousal filled his head at the sound of his darkened tone, and he smiled, saving that bit of information for another day. A few moments later, drowsiness started to set in, and she held back a yawn as she lazily traced the stripes on his hips, looking around his room for the first time.

It was very large, and decorated tastefully with a few items becoming the main focus. It was simple, with dark coloring, and fit the demon who resided there perfectly. Kagome found she liked the room, and wouldn't mind moving in a soon as possible. That made her stop. She would be living with him now, wouldn't she? She bit her lip, following the line of color around his hip bone. She would have to tell her mother.

'Soon,' she thought with another yawn.

"Do I detect a fetish?" she felt more than heard him rumble at her, as she began her tracing from the beginning.

"Maybe," she said lazily. "Do you mind? I've been wondering where else you had the stripes for the longest time."

"Really?" he said, and she could almost imagine an eyebrow cocked at her. He was quiet. "I don't mind at all," he finally said, grabbing her hand and holding it loosely in his.

He felt her breathing slow and deepen into sleep, but he stayed awake for hours, listening to her heartbeat against his, smelling their lovemaking in the air, and finally registering the fact that she was his for all eternity now.

It was the perfect way to end the day.