Author: "WHATTTT, Kyakume you're on a roll!" Yes yes yes, I did upload 3 chapters in less than 7 days. Ya'll deserved it after what I did to you guys lol. But..

I have to warn you, dear reader...

This is the last chapter of this particular fanfiction.

I don't think much else needs to be said, eh? Bittersweet, I know, and a long time coming...three years! But at least I gave you a heads up, neh?

Read and review.

EDIT: New one-shot fic taking place post-wedding, now available for read! "There's a First For Everything."

Previously...

The eldest inu stared in shock for a a time. "Inuyasha...?" He leaned in closer, and when his brother's eye followed his movement, he knew this was no ghost. And he began to cry anew. "You left me. You swore. I ordered you not to die!"

Inuyasha was in too great pain to laugh, but he smiled just enough to show he still had humor. "Bastard..." and he fell back into unconsciousness. But this time, Sesshomaru knew his brother would awake again.

He wouldn't be left alone in this world. It would all be just as it should.

Chapter 23 (Warning: Lemon-cest. This is your disclaimer.)

One Year Later...

Sesshomaru recovered half a year into his healing, but it took much longer for his mate and brother to heal entirely. He put the blame on the fact that Inuyasha was a hanyou, and that his mother's blood hampered his healing abilities, but took care not to complain on it too often; Inuyasha despised being babied or belittled on account of his human half.

Because the Shikon Jewel shattered once again, and because Naraku was finally confirmed dead, Kagome's purpose in this feudal era became muddled. There was no Inuyasha for her to restrain, since he was a mated Lord now as well as a father. There were no shards to collect and no jewel to purify. Well...no great need for the shards to be hunted anyway. The young miko had taken to returning home more often and for longer periods of time. And as much as Inuyasha didn't want to admit it, he knew that eventually, Kagome would stop coming altogether.

"Did you ever love her, otouto?"

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru sat comfortably beneath a Sakura tree, watching their children play a game of tag with Kagome. The hanyou sighed before answering. He no longer spoke without first thinking. Lordship forced him to learn the art the hard way. "I loved Kikyo," he said after a moment. "When I woke up, Kagome was the first person I saw. I thought it was Kikyo...but her weird clothes threw me off. I dunno...companionship made me feel some things for Kagome. We...tried the whole relationship thing but it was just...I didn't love her, I don't think. I was inlove with the idea of loving her. It's not the same thing."

Sesshomaru turned his gaze away from the girl to look at Inuyasha, who's face seemed perfectly calm. The bandage was finally off so he could admire the face he grew to love. "Do you love Kikyo, even now?"

"Sessh..."

The daiyoukai nodded and dropped the still sensitive topic. He didn't think his brother would ever truly move on from such a bond.

Inuyasha tightened his grip around Sesshomaru's waist with the arm that encircled the slender demon, but careful enough not to disturb the sleeping twins in his lap. "Don't."

Sesshomaru's expression remained as unreadable as ever. He had slipped back into his habit of being hard to read for everyone except for his mate; Inuyasha knew every single nuance. "Don't what?" he inquired.

"Don't compare yourself to her. Even if she were to somehow reappear, I wouldn't leave you to go to her."

Sesshomaru turned away and scoffed. "Hn, as if this Sesshomaru could ever feel threatened in his position. Ridiculous."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and shook his head. Kami, his brother could be such a pompous asshole sometimes. A quirk he had come to love. For several hours the two remained that way in comfortable silence, watching their friends and children play new games Kagome taught from her own era. Something about a goose ducking from the hand of a ningen...the inuyoukai couldn't wrap their minds around it, but it amused the children to high heaven and it was nice to see the smiles return to Akihiko, Shippo, and Rin's faces. Last year took it's toll on the children, and Inuyasha was happy to see the trauma wasn't long lasting.

"Hey, Sesshomaru...I was thinking..."

Sesshomaru immediately turned his head away. "I do not wish for anymore children, otouto."

"I wasn't even gonna ask that!"

The corners of Sesshomaru's mouth twitched just a bit, enough for his brother to know he was merely poking fun. Stubbornly, Inuyasha moved his arm from his mate's waist, and shoved his arms into his sleeves. "As I was saying," Inuyasha continued, side-eyeing his mate to be sure he wouldn't be joked with again, "I was thinking...we became mates under some pretty chance circumstances. It's not like you wanted it at first, and I didn't even know what I was doing until we were finished that night.."

Sesshomaru listened silently, remembering the night of his heat and the very first time his brother mounted him so callously. He had indeed cursed Inuyasha for several months until the birth of their first son.

"Usually...there's a grand ceremony..uh..."

Sesshomaru sat absolutely still, looking dead ahead. He would wait for his brother to say the words on his own.

Sighing, Inuyasha turned so that he was facing his mate and blocking his field of vision. "I wanna do do this right. Let's have a wedding. A big one."

The elder of the two quirked a brow. "I do not care for such trivial matters, otouto. You know this. We are mates already and such an event is a waste-"

"Sesshomaru. Please."

Almond, gold orbs opened to look into wide amber ones, so similar yet so different from his own. While weddings were not unusual among the demon aristocracy, there was also no great importance put on the ceremony. Being marked was more than sufficient enough for many. But Sesshomaru was also intensely aware that humans placed a great importance on marriage with a wedding, perhaps because being marked was an external thing symbolized by a ring instead of a bodily marker. And because Inuyasha had been around humans for a large portion of his life...

Sesshomaru bowed his head slightly to show he understood, and that he accepted the whim. Inuyasha positively beamed. "You're gonna look so beautiful in your kimono..."

"Inuyasha.." Sesshomaru chastised. His face was as straight as ever, but the blush on his cheeks were a dead give away.

For a while, Inuyasha stared at his mate in silence, watching the blush intensify the longer he stared. Sesshomaru may be a demon of immense patience, but this much scrutiny made his face very warm when it was from Inuyasha. And to make matters worse, he felt the firm grip of Inuyasha's hand on his chin tilting his lowered face upward again. He connected his eyes to that of his brothers and whatever words he meant to say died on his lips. The dark look of arousal was apparent on Inuyasha's face. Where had that come from?

"Y'know Sessh...I haven't fucked you in a while. But I think I'm healed enough to enjoy..you...thoroughly."

Sesshomaru's eyes closed, face burning bright red now.

"Give the kids to Shiori...you know where I'll be."

And then he was gone. Sesshomaru opened his eyes and waited for his blush so subside some before calling the little nanny over to collect dark-haired Yuki and white-haired Haruki from the uke's arms. Free of the little toddlers, Sesshomaru stood up and followed the heady scent of his frisky brother. It didn't take long for Inuyasha to be found in the shared quarters of the two of them. Sesshomaru stepped into the room to find Inuyasha staring darkly at him, and it made his stomach do flip flops. Likewise, Inuyasha felt his own breathing become slightly more swift in anticipation.

His eyes watched Sesshomaru lock the sliding doors, white long hair falling to cover his face. He watched deft fingers brush the hair out of the way and behind an ear. And when Sesshomaru pulled on the knot to allow his robes to fall open..

"Oh kami..." came the younger's breathy response. Inuyasha closed the distance between them and pulled his brother close, kissing him softly, and then more urgently. Sesshomaru pulled Inuyasha closer and led the two of them to the well made bed, pushing Inuyasha onto his back with his legs straddling his brother.

For a time Sesshomaru merely watched his brother lick his lips in earnest, while he merely smiled. "Excited, otouto?" Sesshomaru let the remaining fabric fall to the floor, leaving him entirely nude. The red in his brother's eyes from the exposed skin excited him.

Without warning, Sesshomaru found himself flipped onto his back and kisses resumed anew. In the midst of their panting and Sesshomaru's squirming, the two of them managed to get Inuyasha's clothes off the hanyou without ripping too many of them. Inuyasha left a wake of wet, red kisses on his brother's body from shoulder to tummy, and quickly took the length of arousal into his mouth.

"Oh...ohhh...kam..i..." No matter how many times they did this, Sesshomaru could never prepare himself for the intensely pleasurable warmth of that mouth. His legs were kept open by Inuyasha's arms, and Sesshomaru entangled his fingers into those white locks of hair. His eyes rolled shut and he bit his lips. "Mmmmm..."

Inuyasha kept his eyes open, drinking in the image of a thoroughly aroused Sesshomaru; the one so cold and deadly in public, but so wanton in secret. The very thought of the fact was often enough reason for Inuyasha to seek Sesshomaru out and screw him on the spot.

"Nnn...Inu...yasha...I think.."

With a pop, Inuyasha let the impressive length fall from his mouth. "Oh no, no cumming for you yet." And with that he lifted his brothers legs higher up so as to have access to the pert spiral entrance. Sesshomaru growled and shivered at the warmth of tongue there, the taboo of the act and the pleasure combining to make him lightheaded. He struggled to keep his body still the longer the onslaught of stimulation continued, and soon his hips were bucking without his control. The sounds of his mewls were enough to keep Inuyasha hard, no touching needed to maintain erection.

Too soon, Sesshomaru felt cool air on moist skin and growled in upset, opening his eyes to complain to his brother only to find him coating himself with the lubricant Kagome had so nicely brought back from the Bone Eater's Well. Something about warm-activation jelly...

Inuyasha came to the edge of the bed to grip Sesshomaru's hips, dragging the demon so his ass was closer to the edge as well. The tip of his manhood pressed against Sesshomaru's puckered entrance, and both demons' faces went taut from strain as Inuyasha penetrated slowly, to the hilt: Inuyasha from the incredible tightness, Sesshomaru from the girth. His brother was no small man in that regard..

But as usual, Inuyasha waited a bit for his brother to adjust before moving at all. And then, as a surprise Sesshomaru found himself in the air with his legs around Inuyasha's form, his arms clutching the Lord's shoulders. "Inuya-ahhhhh..."

This was a new position, one which made gravity force every inch of cock into him. Inuyasha groaned and gripped Sessshomaru's hips, and began to move him up and down with the aid of Sesshomaru's muscles. "Fuckkk, Sessh...mmm."

The sounds of their lovemaking served to spur their desires more, both eyes becoming red tinted from the stirred youkai energies of one another. And the longer the rut continued, the more their youkai rose to the surface. Just as Sesshomaru had gotten used to this position, he was lifted quite easily off his brother's girth and placed onto his own two feet. Inuyasha guided his brother to the corner of the room where Sesshomaru usually sat to have his hair brushed, where there was a large mirror and chair.

"Bend over," Inuyasha ordered, to which Sesshomaru quickly complied. He gripped the backrest of the ornate chair and looked back at his brother in waiting. Inuyasha smirked and grabbed a healthy amount of his brother's long hair, twisting it around his hand a few times for security before tugging. The action forced Sesshomaru's head straight forward again to see his compromising position in his vanity mirror. The reflected image made him flush bright red, especially to see his mate look at him the way he did. A shudder ran through him from the erotic image.

With the hand not used to hold Sesshomaru's hair, Inuyasha arched his brother's back and slide himself inside once again, loving the sounds of pleasure his brother made. When he saw Sesshomaru's eyes close, he yanked on the hair again. "I want you to look at yourself while I fuck you," Inuyasha revealed. Sesshomaru didn't know where this dominance was coming from, but he knew it wasn't the inner youkai to blame. This was all Inuyasha, and for reasons unknown it aroused him entirely too much. The words alone made him moan, and he obeyed the request. Only then did Inuyasha continue to thrust within his mate, fast and hard. The sounds of skin slapping skin coupled with Sesshomaru's increasing volume and pitch of moans; and Inuyasha's groans of approval was the soundtrack of their lovemaking.

It wasn't too long before Sesshomaru reached his own climax, yelling out his brother's name. "Inuyasha!" he has cried out, face contorted in pleasure and speech choked from the orgasm. His seed spilled onto the floor and part of the chair, and Inuyasha paid no mind, continuing to hit the same spot of pleasure he knew drove Sesshomaru wild.

The stimulation was too much. It was too good. He wanted it and simultaneously wanted no more, trying and failing to move his hips away from his brother's firm grip."Inuyasha...I...nu..ya..sha...ahhh! No more!" he moaned.

Inuyasha grinned at his brother's wanton image and only sped up his pace. He could feel the tightening between his legs and knew the end was imminent. "Fuck...fuck...ahh!" And Sesshomaru knew from the pool of warmth he felt that Inuyasha had reached his climax at last. The elder looked at his brother's reflection weakly, loving how sweaty the hanyou was. And when Inuyasha finally pulled himself out, Sesshomaru limply fell to the floor, his white hair covering his form. He was tired, and Inuyasha could tell from the link just as much.

He scooped his older brother into his arms then, and brought him back to the bed. Sliding into the space beside him, Inuyasha pulled his brother close and nuzzled his neck. "Mmm...pine...jasmine..." he murmured in reference to the scent. Sesshomaru weakly laughed and closed his eyes. How quickly hid brother's dominance melted away into something of the continence of a large teddy bear.

"Otouto..."

"Hn?"

"Thank you."

Inuyasha blinked open his eyes to look at his mate. "For what?"

Sesshomaru idly began to play with Inuyasha's ears. "You honored your promise not to die."

"Ah." Inuyasha closed his eyes and nodded again. He'd gone quiet for so long that Sesshomaru began to think he'd fallen asleep. But Inuyasha replied eventually. "It was nice, that place. Dying was easy...but mom and dad said it wasn't my time yet. So I came back, for you. I needed to come back and love you. I loved you then, and love you still."

By now Inuyasha was merely mumbling, so he didn't see the rare smile break across Sesshomaru's features. The elder nestled closer to the now sleeping half demon and closed his eyes himself. All his life, Inuyasha merely wanted the requited love of someone who cared, and for so long Sesshomaru denied to give it.

But now things were different. He was content to give the love in the ways that he could; to be bonded heart and soul to this one demon, for the rest of his life.

==FIN==

AUTHOR: And that's a wrap, folks! Twenty-three chapters, and THREE FREAKIN YEARS OF WRITING. And the tale is finally done.

"BUT KYAKUMEEEEE, what about the weddingggggg?" Imagination, folks. I wanted to leave this as a fade-to-black kind of ending, y'know?

"Okay buttt...WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS?!" There may be short stories. More like novella spinoffs connected to this main story, but not nearly as long as this fic. Just to see where the characters go in the future. Tie up all loose ends and soothe curiosities. But again, depends on if I feel led or inspired to do that. Because then those stories would only ever be able to be read by those who went through all 23 chapters for this fic! Not sure if I want to purposely alienate potential new readers. We shall seeeeeeee.

Thank you all for sticking with me for all these years. I tested all of your patience! But to make up for it posted 3 chapters in one week! Now, I must catch up on the lost sleep!

EDIT: NEW ONE-SHOT FIC POST-WEDDING, AVAILABLE FOR READING! "There's a First For Everything."