Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. That privilege belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: Thanks to Forthright for the beta. Her patience and assistance was invaluable. Fenikkusuken goaded me into writing a lemon. This happens very rarely.

Kagome exhaled with a soft sigh as Inuyasha ran his mouth along her neck, alternating between small licks and brief tugs with his lips as he slowly worked his way down her body. An ever-so-light drag of his fangs across her collarbone caused her to smile and shudder slightly, and she could see his left ear twitch in the faint light shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows of their flat. She gently stroked behind it and nearly giggled at the moan of satisfaction that emanated from deep within his chest. He crawled up her body in a predatory fashion, sweat on his smooth skin gleaming in the dim glow from the surrounding high-rises.

Her lover languorously covered her lips with his own as he slid into her with a long, slow glide, and she whispered words of love and gratitude as he moved inside her. His actions were smooth and cautious, as if he was handling fine glass. Inuyasha never looked away from her eyes the entire time, even when he had to rub himself with slick oil from the bowl next to their bed. Without resting his full weight on her, he let his hair fall over her sides and allowed his chest to barely brush her skin. He touched her lips frequently with timid and chaste kisses, and his eyes sparkled with a wonder that she could never imagine bestowed on anyone else.

She couldn't help but moan in her gravelly alto as he skillfully used his intimate knowledge of her body, pulsing against her favorite places with excruciatingly slow strokes. There was no sense of completion in existence that matched the feeling of being joined with him, and she briefly closed her eyes in remembrance of their past experiences. A quick reprimanding nip to her ear brought her back to him, and he gave her a fanged grin. She smiled back, and mouthed the words, "I love you," with no sound behind them. Unable to face the emotions radiating from her face, he rested his chin over her shoulder and changed his angle slightly. A quiet, squeaking gasp was the token of his success, and her eyes glistened with tears as he kept moving. Before long, he tensed above her, pushing deep one last time before cradling her in his arms.

Sitting back against the headboard, Inuyasha eased her into his lap, pulling a warm comforter around them. He held her like that for a near-eternity, telling her how much she meant to him, how much he loved her and would miss her. Eventually her breathing faltered, her warmth faded, and he clutched Kagome to his heart as he cried, his silver hair tangling with her white. The darkness before dawn receded before the pink hues of sunrise; and as the morning light bathed them both, he clung to the knowledge that he could be loved and greeted this new day, this new chapter in his life, with an optimism that was her final gift to him.