Chapter 9- Hold Me Close; Never Let Me Go

He let the word hang, just tasting it in his mouth and cherishing how it rolled off his tongue. The voice that was considered rational was fading into the background, and the one that thought only of her became stronger. How could this girl… correction… this woman do this to him? He should have still been angry with her… but that anger was quickly fleeing from his heart, leaving him with an emotion… so unfamiliar, so different, that he was afraid of what he might do. He forgave her completely, and he couldn't stop himself from doing so. How could it be possible that he could be so angry with her in a moment, but only a moment afterwards he could love her so much? On a sudden impulse, he clasped the hand between his and kissed it lightly, his lips hesitating over the warm, lightly tanned flesh it wonderment at its softness.

"Inuyasha… what… what are you doing?" she asked, slight fear evident in her voice. She felt his lips curve in a smile against her skin before he pulled back and looked her in the eyes, the golden tones softening beneath the silvery lights of the heavens.

"I'm forgiving you, and asking you to forgive me."

She looked into his eyes, her depths seeking through his own in search of the truth. He wasn't joking; there was laughter in his eyes, but it was the laughter of joy, not of a trickster. A soft, sensual smile played across his lips. A short nod was his answer, and to her surprise, he slipped the ring on her finger once again.

"What… what does the ring mean, Inuyasha?" she asked timidly, softly, fervently as his eyes remained on her hand.

"This is the ring that binds."

"The… ring that binds? What is that?" she asked, her vocals hardly wanting to give sound to her words. His eyes softened even more.

"Humans have the wedding rings that they wear on their left ring-finger; this is a youkai version," he murmured, practically purring it to her. "This was the ring that my father gave my mother. When she died, it, this haori, and a small shell containing her rouge were the only things I took from her as I fled my home village. I flung it into that pond the day I went to see Kikyou and use the Shikon to become mortal."

Kagome had only half listened to his explanation. She was completely entranced by his eyes; the hypnotic, swirling tones of muted gold controlled her completely. She vaguely heard him murmur her name, but she was unable to respond. But response was unnecessary.

Inuyasha lifted his head and pressed his lips to hers softly. He was unsure of how to do this, but as Kagome melted into him, her hands releasing themselves from his grasp to wrap around his neck, he became more confident, and experimented with her. By the sounds, he suspected that he was doing well. He drew her against him, and his claws pressed into her back possessively. His passions begged to be released, to take her, but he drew away, unsure for the first time since seeing the ring on her finger. She had not understood its meaning in the beginning. She had hardly had time to react; would she be angry with him for this? He knew that she had seemed to like it, but his confidence was plummeting fast. To his surprise, she clung to his kimono, refusing to let him go.

"No… stay, please," she whispered softly, almost desperately, her head burying into his shoulder. His hands had come to rest on her waist. "Hold me close… never let me go…"

Her words stunned him. Her hands moved down his arms and wrapped under, her fingers pressing into his taut muscles lightly. She leaned her head so that the hair would fall away from her neck, and nuzzled his throat gently. She could feel the tension in his back ease somewhat, and his arms slip back around her waist. She was overcome by one final temptation, and gave in.

She pressed a light kiss on his neck, ghosting it over his skin, lingering to taste his sweet flesh, and caressing her lips even lower, allowing them to brush over his collarbone.

The last barrier around his heart fell as she passed her lips over his skin, seeming to taunt him, tell him that she was just waiting for him to take her, waiting to be his. Chills roamed his flesh, yet sparks heated wherever he and Kagome touched. He shifted, leaning forward and pressing his lips against her neck. They parted, and his fangs glinted over her neckline, before at last, they drew blood.

He heard her soft gasp as his fangs sank a little bit deeper, bathing themselves in her blood. Withdrawing, he captured her hand again, and single droplet of her blood to fell to the crest. They watched as the stone began to glow with an eerie, pulsating light. Truly, it was not a light at all, but a darkness that seemed to glow. It engulfed the ring, but soon revealed the crest once again. What was once of jade, was now of opal, and what was once white gold was now fine, pure white demon's bone. The ring shone in the beams of the crescent moon, and Kagome looked at it in utter astonishment. Her eyes lifted to Inuyasha, and a small smile played across his lips once again.

"Never would I let you go, Kagome. Never."

He placed another chaste kiss on her lips, and his words told her that this was not a mere response, but a truth, and a promise to last even beyond the time of the Tree of Ages itself.

AN: I'm serious... I was too much of a fluff addict at this point...