Chapter 29:
"You are crazy." Sitting in the cold of this room with him like this the autumn wind drifted into the house, carrying rain and gusts every so often and she sat with a blanket around her while she watched him reading. Again. Sometimes he even pulled out a brush and paper and wrote, and while the characters all looked familiar it was completely impossible to decipher, and utterly boring. He was wearing his haori and his shoes, for once, and she was more than happy to rest her head down on his shoulder hard as it was. He didn't even seem to be listening anyway, so she just watched his hands. He had those long, slender hands that were almost too beautiful for a man. She started to consider her own hands in comparison as she turned it. Why didn't she have stripes on her wrists? How utterly unfair.
"Sesshomaru-love?"
"Hn." He did not remove his eyes from what he was doing.
"Why don't I have stripes like you do?" She always felt so completely ignorant. How smart was he anyway? Not a great deal of people knew how to read, or write, or spoke quite as eloquently as he did. Maybe it wasn't so odd that he acted so superior usually. He was better educated than anyone she'd ever known if she were right. And she didn't even know about her own kind, the majority of the time.
"It is an uncommon trait in females." Sesshomaru said simply.
"Oh." His fingers were unrolling more of the scroll. Reaching out she pulled up the sleeve of the arm that she could reach in order to expose the magenta stripes decorating his pale skin. Running her fingers over them gently she pulled his hand back to rest in her lap, tracing them lightly. "Were you born with them then?" She slipped her hand inside of his and felt his fingers clench around the backside of hers.
"They appeared as I grew older." So they were a maturing thing, not something to be born with. She still felt oddly jealous that she'd never…grown them? That wasn't the right description. Aged into them, maybe. It was almost funny to think of Sesshomaru before he was the silent, stoic, fearsome individual that he was now. Had he been playful as a child? Did he go running to his father like she had to hers? He probably wouldn't want to answer those though or it would make him uncomfortable.
"What are you reading?" This time she did feel him shift and she shifted her cheek on his shoulder to look up at him. He seemed a little surprised, maybe, though she couldn't guess at what. "I'm only curious."
"You have not been taught."
"Uh-uh." She shook her head a bit.
"I had assumed that you were reading from my shoulder, Shaya." She turned her face into the soft silk that he so wonderfully carried off. "You are not literate."
"Hai." Now she felt even more barbaric in comparison to his glorious sophistication. She knew that she wasn't smart or anything, but she wasn't a brute rooting around in the dirt either and she didn't want him to think that. "Will you tell me what you are reading?" There was a silence. Apparently his mind was occupied elsewhere. Closing her eyes she inhaled his scent while he considered whatever it was to be considered. He wasn't terribly comfortable to lie on, but at least he would do this with her, this oddly sweet indoor day, even if she had disappointed him by not knowing how to read or write. He was smart enough for the both of them.
"Hn." Whatever it was that he'd been thinking about he kept it to himself.
She was very grateful that he had finally listened to her about meat. He seemed to think that nothing was more nutritious or something for her than something dead, but her stomach simply couldn't take it anymore. Thankfully she finally had those greens planted, and until they grew out there was plenty out in the forest to scavenge for. Since Sesshomaru still seemed lost in his own world she decided to go get something to eat. Out in the water she had stored a basket of fruit that she'd already gathered and covered it with a cloth for protection; the water was more than cold enough to keep everything fresh. She returned the basket into the water and returned to sit with Sesshomaru inside. Biting down she noticed his eyes flicker to the side—towards her—for a moment before returning to whatever it was that he was reading. She swallowed," It's still raining outside."
And once again, no answer. Oh well.
OoO
She had the oddest dream though. Rin had grown to be taller than Sesshomaru and she was throwing people around the village. It was still sometime during the dark night when she woke up to feel a pressure on her abdomen. Using the arm that was under her head she managed to catch sight of the silver hairs that were strewn all over her and the bedding around her. Only her gorgeous mate had that shade of hair.
"Sesshomaru?" Was he asleep or ignoring her? "Love?" There was absolutely no movement in him whatsoever. Maybe he had really fallen asleep. Had she ever seen him unconscious before? She definitely had not.
"Hai," Sesshomaru said softly.
"Oh, so you're not asleep." Drat. She'd really wanted him to be.
"No. Now be silent." Silent? That was rather rude of him. What was so wrong with him? She hadn't slept that long had she? Or was he still irritated with her from earlier because he'd found out that she wasn't really educated? Oh, she hoped that wasn't it.
"Are you upset with me or something? Is that it? Because-"
"Quiet, onna." Sesshomaru certainly sounded a wee bit strained. His hair shifted a bit from where he laid and she couldn't help running her fingers through the huge amount of strands. He really did have more hair than any woman she'd ever known, not that that was a bad thing or anything but it was simply too irresistible. She was almost jealous at how marvelous his hair felt. She never even saw him groom it. Well, almost never.
"Why are we being quiet?" she whispered. My, she had an odd one. But he was terribly cute.
"Because I am listening." Yes, she could definitely hear tension in his voice. Why was he so tense? He was so adorable, laying here with her like this with his head on her stomach? He was more than sweet, she just wished that for once he would let down his guard enough to sleep in front of his own "wife". Maybe he'd relax in his sleep. Not likely, but certainly enough of a possibility that she really wanted to see him asleep. Wait, what?
"Listening to what? My stomach gurgle?" Cute, silly, gorgeous…
"To the heartbeat." Sesshomaru said simply. Her heartbeat? He did tend to find excuses to listen to it in the most roundabout ways that he thought that she didn't know about. Probably something to do with how very repressed he was.
Wait. The heartbeat? "What are you talking about?" Now she really was confused. What an odd way to tell her that he was enjoying the quiet, enjoying listening to her heart do its work in her chest.
"You do not listen." Sesshomaru's mass of hair shifted as he moved his head a bit and she felt the weight of his head on her abdomen once more. He was certainly being terse. "I have answered your question onna." Pissy, that would be Inuyasha's word.
"Why are you angry with me?" Had she done something? Something at her tone of voice must have alerted him to something because in another moment he was sitting on the bed next to her with all his hair swinging around him. Since apparently he wanted to say something she sat up and tucked her legs under her too.
"I am not angry with you." Sesshomaru said simply.
"Something's not right. Tell me, love." She could see it in the little tiny shifts in the way that he carried himself. His shoulders were their usual rigidness but she was sure that she could see unusual tension in his jaw and in the way that he held his eyes as they looked back at her. Reaching over she took his hand cautiously and placed it on her own leg, holding it with one hand and stroking the top of it lightly with her other.
"I only wished to listen to the heartbeat. I did not mean to cause you worry." He always spoke so formally, even with her, his own mate. He wouldn't be her Sesshomaru if he wasn't that way though, oh well. She rubbed the backside of his hand gently: no need to scare him off from speaking to her.
"I know you didn't."
"It is difficult to hear if you are speaking though." That caused her a little confusion. Her heartbeat shouldn't be that quiet—was she sick? He took too much upon himself as it was concerning her health. She certainly didn't need him to think that she was about to drop from some heart-related problem.
"My heartbeat is that quiet?" Sesshomaru continued to look back at her but she knew him too well. He knew something that she didn't. "What is going on Sesshomaru? I want you to tell me whatever it is that you know."
"There are two heartbeats."
What? "No there's not."
"I know what I hear, onna." Sesshomaru said a little more stately. "One belongs to you, and the other is distinctly separate." A second…Oh dear. She watched Sesshomaru's eyes flicker over her face as a weird feeling made her limbs go a little numb. "Shaya?" Sesshomaru's hands were somehow on her arms and she couldn't really even make sense of how they had gotten there. "Are you well? Shaya."
"Y-You mean I-I'm…there's…"
"Hai." Oh. She felt oddly light-headed. Why was he so calm about this? Wasn't he supposed to be more upset than she about this kind of thing? Here she was close to everything going black while he was simply looking at her curiously. "Peace, Shaya." Sesshomaru was pulling her closer to him so that she was sitting between his legs there on the bed while he urged her to recline on his shoulder. She really didn't even have the ability to think at the moment but his shoulder did feel wonderful under her cheek. "There is no need to be frightened, mate." She could feel his arm across the back of her waist and another somewhere in her hair.
A child? She hadn't even been with him a year. She didn't even know what to think. "How are you so ok?" Sesshomaru was taking this more easily than she, something that she certainly hadn't expected.
"I have had more time to consider this, several hours as you slept." So he hadn't known forever or something. She took a deep, shuddering breath as his hand pulled back much of her hair from where it fell over her face, and she felt him press a kiss to the side of her temple. He took the most unexpected news stoically so often that she had stopped trying to understand how he did it. "There is no reason for you to be afraid."
Afraid? "I am not afraid. Just surprised."
"You are safe and well. You know that I would never permit for anything to happen to you." Was she so upset that he was having to comfort her? He really was too good for her. She would've expected to have to comfort him, but apparently not.
"It's just, I mean…It's kind of a big deal you know?" If she said the words then they were real. She wasn't quite ready for that yet.
"I realize that Shaya." He was so nice, giving up on his own insecurities at the moment to be concerned about her. "But you have…a gift for caring for those around you. I am certain that you will be more than a fit mother." And he'd said it. "I do not see why you seem to believe that this is any different than your being mother to Rin."
"But that's…" Oh, she couldn't argue with him. "It just is."
"No it is not." Sesshomaru said sternly. "I have seen you watch over her and tend to her quite tenderly at times. I cannot see that you would behave any differently given a child of your own blood."
"And you're happy with this?" She pushed herself upright to see his face, she had to see his face. He did seem to be very peaceful if nothing else. Given his history with family problems…"Sesshomaru-love?"
"I am content." He had been trying to…
"It has a heartbeat?" Glancing down she put her hand flat against her stomach.
"It is faint, you are thin." Looking up she saw Sesshomaru tilt his head ever so slightly. Blinking she nodded her head before wrapping her arms around his neck, closing her eyes. Sesshomaru could be so extraordinarily safe. She definitely felt better with him. "Are you well now Shaya?"
"I'm ok." She was allowed shock right? "Thank you for being so nice."
"Hn."
OoO
"Oi Sesshomaru! Call your bitch off already!"
"Would you like some more tea Rin?" She giggled and nodded.
"Dammit! Call. Her. Off!" Inuyasha yelled again. Sesshomaru stood a little ways off from the others, but he was not far from where they sat on a blanket out in the meadows. Even Sango and Miroku had decided to come out once Rin had told them what was going on. It was more than amusing considering their normal routines. "Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha bellowed back. "Ow bitch! That hurt!"
"Quit being a baby! You smell horribly!" Shaya was using what she had been taught to fight. Inuyasha was probably regretting teaching her how to manipulate her opponent right about now. Inuyasha's miko did not even seemed concerned that his mate was nearly terrorizing hers. It was well though that even in his frustration that he remembered Shaya's condition or he would be in his grave.
"I said quit it!" Inuyasha snarled at her. As 'hormonal', as the miko put it, as she was, Shaya paid him no attention and continued in her attempts to move him to the river. "Ow! Shaya stop it you crazy woman!" It was amusing though. Inuyasha could not harm Shaya, and yet he had to attempt to elude her grasp. Inuyasha could simply go and bathe, but apparently the fool had not even considered that.
"Why is she trying to hurt Inuyasha, Kagome?" Rin asked, leaning to the side to get a good look at the struggle a little ways away.
"I don't think that she's trying to hurt him silly." Kagome giggled. "But sometimes when ladies have babies they get very sensitive to certain things, and Shaya already has a very good nose. It's ok."
"It is similar to how Sango refuses to be around sake." The monk laughed softly.
"You are going to take a bath if it is the last thing that I do! You stink Inuyasha!" Shaya snarled back, even as she pushed him a little closer to the river.
"But what I don't understand," the monk continued," is why Shaya does not simply get away from Inuyasha, out of his range of smell. Would not that be more logical?" Rarely was anything concerning females logical. That he had come to realize in his time with Shaya.
"He must really smell bad," Rin giggled into her hands again.
"Sesshomaru!" This time it was Shaya who was calling back to him, not Inuyasha yelling for him to intervene with his pregnant, insane, mate. "Help me! I have to get him in the river!" He could hear the slight tilt to her voice. Help her by throwing Inuyasha into the river? It was tempting.
"Don't you dare bastard! Just come take the crazy bitch home!" He was wearing his armor but that should not interfere. There was no way that Inuyasha's meager strength or weight could ever endanger Father's gift.
"Inuyasha! Just go take a bath!" Kagome cupped her hands to sound louder. "She'll leave you alone."
"Inuyasha!" Was that a whine in her voice? Remembering that he was supposed to be watching over his mate he saw that they had both ceased moving and Shaya had covered her face under her hands. She was going to begin crying? "I can't believe how mean y-you are." He could hear mumbles from the humans somewhere off to the side.
"Inuyasha."
"I didn't do it!" Inuyasha threw his hands up and appeared to be as frustrated as he felt. "She's just…crying!" It was not Inuyasha's fault for once that a female was crying, as he himself could not detect anything out of the normal with his scent, but whatever it was that Shaya could smell was causing her great, unnecessary distress, and in her condition he did not wish for that to be true.
"You made Mama cry!" Rin's burst of protest decided his next course of action.
"I did not! She's just a damn-hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!" Hooking Inuyasha's arms behind his back, moving faster than the pup any day, he could see Shaya peek out from behind her hands. "Sesshomaru you bastard!" As Inuyasha named every foul name or term that he knew of—which was almost impressive, as creative as some of them were—Shaya followed after him as he took Inuyasha towards the river.
"You're really gonna help me?" Shaya asked quietly. If this horrendous stupidity was what was required in order to maintain the thin balance of Shaya's own rationality, then he would commit it eagerly. "Thank you," she even offered him a small smile. As soon as he was within the river's reach he steadied his weight and threw Inuyasha down hard towards the surface of the water. With a small splutter his drenched hanyou "brother" emerged from the surface glaring at them both.
"Are you satisfied Shaya?" Shaya was not, in fact, standing beside him but had dropped down to her knees and thrown both arms around Inuyasha. The hanyou balked at the contact but Shaya was persistent in making sure that whatever scent had gone.
"Are you ok Inuyasha?" She was focused on him? Peculiar. "It's gone now."
"Keh." Releasing him Inuyasha's cheeks could not have been brighter.
"Poor Inuyasha," Shaya's voice sounded sad again. "I made you mad right? You're mad at me?" When did this end? Were these emotional switches something that would change as she progressed or was it a permanent situation? The taijiya's husband would know.
"I ain't mad." Inuyasha had taken a few steps back in the water in order to avoid Shaya's arms from coming towards him again. "But you're completely nuts baka. What the hell did I smell like that was that bad?"
"I don't know but it was making me sick." He could only see the back of Shaya's head, kneeled in front of him as she was. "You don't hate me or anything right? I don't want you to hate me." He could see Shaya's hands come up as she—once again—began crying softly.
"Shaya," he interrupted.
"Why the hell do you even care what I think baka?" Inuyasha's voice was rough, all bark, but his face did not portray the anger that his voice did. Shaya cared for Inuyasha's opinion? He had not been aware of that himself.
"I d-don't want you to hate m-me." Shaya blundered. "C-Cuz if you h-hate me then y-you'll hate the baby and I don't want t-that. W-We're supposed to have a family and you're his brother but you hate me!" Shaya was rapidly making no sense.
Inuyasha blinked and scratched at his head for a moment. In a moment Inuyasha raised his eyes above Shaya's head to him. "You caught all that?"
"Hai."
"Shaya? Eh, listen." Inuyasha sighed. Somehow those simple words convinced Shaya to drop her hands and meet the hanyou's words. With his eyes flickering up to his rapidly, the boy was nervous that he was here obviously, Inuyasha cleared his throat. "I don't hate ya ok? Yer not so bad for being so crazy."
Inuyasha was insulting Shaya. Before he could react and thump him for his insolence he heard a very welcome sound: Shaya's laugh. "I'm not crazy Inuyasha! Take that back."
"No." He could see something of a smirk at the corner of Inuyasha's mouth. "Because I meant it. You're completely insane."
"And you completely stink." How had Inuyasha brought her out of her mood? Hm. All he knew was that Inuyasha was smirking and Shaya was laughing…somehow. Shaya cared for the hanyou's opinion for some reason, and that was sure to cause him grief somewhere in his life. Shaya soon straightened and turned to face him with a smile on her face after a few more words exchanged between her and the drenched boy in red. "Sesshomaru? Can we go see Rin again now?"
OoO
Rin was curious about her "sibling", and he found that he himself was not immune to the irresistible, almost indecipherable weight gain that he could see when Shaya disrobed. It was more than proof to her that he had been correct in diagnosing her behavior, the heartbeat that became a little more steady every day. As of yet, she was still unimaginably thin and it did concern him. It was nearly the end of the season and she had not gained more weight than this? Hm. Her heat had been in summer…
"Sesshomaru? Are you ok?" Shaya's voice pierced through his thoughts. He was in the water with her and he had once again drifted into the sanctum of his own thoughts. "You've been silent for a while now." The taijiya had not been as thin in her similar time, if he were correct.
"Hn." Moving forward he pressed his lips to hers and caught her off guard. His hands steadied her waist before she could topple over. "Hai, Shaya."
"What are you thinking about?"
"You are comparably thinner to the monk's woman." The taijiya was more than visibly child-bearing. She very much seemed as if she were to topple over with a particularly strong wind. Shaya was laughing?
"Sango is also six- or seven- months pregnant."
"But she was not as flat as you are now. Do you eat enough?" She was carrying his heir after all; it would not do for her to starve herself. Did Shaya roll her eyes?
"You don't mean that I actually know something that you don't for once do you?"
"Explain." He did not feel in the mood for teasing.
"You're comparing me to Sango." Shaya was grinning. "And Sango is human, if I'm not mistaken." Yes, she was most definitely attempting to irritate him with his 'ignorance'. "You don't really expect that I would be the same as her do you?" He had met few enough pregnant youkai females. They usually did not interest him—he did not even like his mother. But if youkai bred then where were they? That was a most intriguing question on its own. "Sesshomaru-love? Are you lost to me again?"
"How are you aware?" Shaya did not know anything about youkai.
"Because I've been talking to Inuyasha silly." Shaya giggled. Inuyasha? What did the hanyou know about breeding youkai? "He says that I'm probably going to be pregnant longer than Sango, because of how long our lives are. Which makes sense, really." He was going to pound Inuyasha—how did he know these things? First he was able to instruct Shaya about fighting and now he was informing Shaya about her own pup? Was he insane? "You look angry."
"How does Inuyasha know?" His voice was a little more distant than he usually schooled it for speaking with his mate but he was annoyed. Why was she speaking with the hanyou so? Consulting him on matters that should be addressed to him.
Shaya's brow furrowed. "Your brother's not stupid, Sesshomaru. He does know some things." Need she call him that?
"You have been speaking to Inuyasha quite frequently lately. Need I be concerned?"
Shaya let out a burst of laughter that he was quite gratified to hear. "You're jealous that I've been talking to your brother? Your little brother? The one who calls me crazy?" Shaya stopped to take a breath. "He's not even out of his middle-years yet Sesshomaru, barely an adult."
She did not even consider him a man. It did set him at ease. "You have been seeking the hanyou's company."
Shaya ran her eyes over his face. "You know he's a lot younger than you right? Why do you have to call him that?"
"It is what he is." He had called Inuyasha hanyou for years.
"Did…" Shaya flattened her hands on his chest," Did you really leave him in the forest? When he was a kid?" How had she….Inuyasha had told her. He could see it in her eyes as she looked him over her. "Did you? Were you really that cruel to him?"
"I do not wish to spend my time speaking of Inuyasha." Shaya's eyes narrowed on him. Another mood swing perhaps? Did she not know that he was more than exhausted of speaking about that boy? "Shaya, you-"
"But he's your brother. Why do you have to be so nasty to him? Sesshomaru, you two have had fights that were nearly to the death, and whenever you're together you practically hiss at each other. He's actually pretty decent, considering how his life has been." Did she truly wish to persist in this manner? "Why can't you be a little nicer to him?"
"I had assumed that I had."
"Really?" Shaya's face was confused. "How is that?"
"I have not slain him." Shaya's jaw dropped and she immediately withdrew on him, making her way towards the bank. "Shaya?" He had been completely serious; if he had not abandoned his attempts to claim the Tessaiga then he would have already killed him, he spoke no fallacy. She simply did not know of the struggle between himself and his hanyou sibling, ignorant over their former struggle for Father's Fang.
"Oh I can't believe you!" Shaya was upset with him once more.
"I simply answered your question onna." She hastily grabbed her clothes and as usual he took note of the minimal roundness adorning her torso. Why did she always insist on being so high-strung with her emotions?
"You are an asshole!" With one more glare of her shoulder she wrapped her sheet around her and stormed into the house with no more glances towards him. More cursing? She really was spending much too much time with the hanyou. Exiting the water he was quick to find his hakamas and tie them hastily, entering the house after her.
"Shaya." With her back to the entrance she did not even glance back at him as she was finishing with her obi. She did not answer him as he came to stand behind her, waiting for her to acknowledge that he was indeed present. "Onna, you are upset with me." She was ignoring him. Narrowing his gaze a bit he wrapped his hand around her upper arm and spun her forcefully into his arms.
"Let me go!" Shaya glared at him.
"What is occurring in that mind of yours mate? I do not understand this fascination with Inuyasha." He was more than frustrated—if this continued she would not be favorable in lying down with him so that he might listen to the child's heartbeat as he had intended.
"You are so cold to your own blood!" Shaya hissed at him. "You shouldn't be this way! You are not going to ruin this for me!" He saw one tear escape the side of one of her eyes but she did not even seem to take notice of it. "I like Inuyasha! I like Kagome, and Miroku, and Sango! And for some reason they have adopted me and Rin, ok? And it's kind of nice to have a family."
What? "You are speaking riddles."
"I want Inuyasha to know our baby ok? You know how I was raised!" Shaya's voice went high enough to harm his ears. "And the way you are sometimes scares me! I want our baby to grow up around other people too, not just Rin!" She seemed to be supremely upset with him: her eyes were dilated and her chest was moving visibly.
"Calm yourself Shaya." Now he was more concerned for her health than he was for their argument—the pup came first in this circumstance. Forcing his hands onto her upper arms he did not allow her to struggle away. "Breathe."
"I don't want to be here. I want Rin!" She was pushing against his chest. "Somebody who understands me!" Now she truly was crying.
"I understand you Shaya, but you must pacify yourself." She was going to become hysterical if he did not act quickly, and if she could calm herself then he could not be at peace once more. He had certainly not expected for his day to go in this way.
"You can't even b-be nice to your own b-brother!" Shaya spat. "How c-can I expect you to b-be nice to our b-baby?"
"You overstep yourself." He knew that his grip on her arms had tightened but he was unable to prevent it; he was being insulted on a very deep level. "You cannot believe that I would be cruel to our child."
"I d-don't know sometimes." Shaya swiped at her nose. "You're not even polite to Inuyasha." Polite? Was she joking? "You make remarks a-about k-k-killing him, l-like it's nothing!" Shaya's throat choked with a sob. "I want to go to t-the village."
"I do not think that you should leave me in this manner." She was completely defenseless, and now that she was with child she could not be trusted on her own in the forest. Perhaps he had seen breeding females rarely because they were so often killed. And if she left him this angry he did not know how it would affect her.
"But I d-don't…" Shaya reached out to touch him even as he felt her waver on her feet.
"Easy, Shaya." He should have known better than to allow her to become this out of balance. If he were correct then she was not very far from fainting. Quite easily he supported her weight against him as her head fell forward, her heavy breath blowing cool against his skin. "You do not wish to bring harm to yourself. Breathe deeply." He could feel each inhale and exhale shudder through her as she did. She was too excitable for her own well-being. "Are you feeling less faint now onna?" Perhaps in her hysterics she had simply forgotten this nonsense about Inuyasha.
"Hai." Her voice truly did not sound itself.
"I wish for you to rest now." Shaya's hair shifted and he found himself looking into her eyes once more. She still looked extraordinarily upset with him but he did not have the patience to continue this fruitless conversation. "Shaya," he warned.
"But I want to go to the village." Even as irritated as he felt at the moment it was impossible for him not to notice how very beautiful she was, as insane as she was. She blinked back at him openly as she simply continued to gaze back. "Please?"
"You very nearly fainted only a moment ago." Did she not understand? His eyes focused on her lips.
"I feel better now, honest." How could he be so distracted by her beauty at a moment like this? Such a completely radiant, vibrant woman. "Sesshomaru? What do you think?" He did not want to be separated from her at the moment.
"If you are well tomorrow then I will escort you, but for now you will rest." Lovely skin, that beautiful figure of hers. Shifting his hands to hold either side of her hips she was more than breathtaking. She blinked before tilting her head up at him and he was struck deeply by how very sweet his little mate was.
"You mean I can't go?" He was unable to resist. Pulling her a bit closer he tilted his mouth down to find those beautiful mouth of hers. Her eyes fluttered closed after a moment while he moved against her slowly—she was too endearing. Her mouth moved against his leisurely and she accepted his tongue, tilting her head to allow him a bit more access. His mate, his beautiful onna, his Shaya…and more than a pretty female. She also happened to be…
He pulled away from her immediately to see how wide-eyed she became. "Sesshomaru? Are you okay?" Her hand came up to tuck a few strands of white hair behind his ear. She was carrying the child. As easily as she became faint it would not be intelligent to put her body under any stress, even if he could feel his own urges gripping him most uncomfortably and tempting him to simply forget about the child to indulge in what he enjoyed. But Shaya did not need the added strain. Lowering his hands he forced his eyes to remain on hers instead of to her bosom like he desired to. "Sesshomaru-love?" Why did she persist in having such a lilting voice? He did not like this at all.
"What is it Shaya?" He looped some of her silky hair around his fingers.
"Come to bed with me." Shaya's arms went around her waist and her lips descended on his neck. There was simply no way that he could allow her to do this. But from the way that her hips had pushed forward she was more than aware of what he himself was feeling.
"Enough." Taking her arms firmly he forced her to take a step back from him. Her confusion was even appealing to him. How was he to resist her as she was? Especially if she were to continue to be her seductive self. She did not seem to take offense thankfully. She was beaming at him for some reason.
"You're teasing me." He most certainly was not. With that grin gracing her lips she stood up on her toes to attempt to kiss him once more but he turned his face so that her mouth only met his cheek. "Are we playing a game Sesshomaru?"
"No." He might be ignorant of how childbearing was executed but he would not allow that to endanger his little mate. Or that pup. He was responsible for the well-being of both and he was quite adamant on keeping them well.
"But I know, sweetheart." There were her hips again. Turning away from her he made his way outside to the bank where the rest of his clothing still laid even as he was more than aware of Shaya's never-ending scent. He had not considered resisting her charms before—it was not pleasant. Never before had he withheld himself from her when she was more than willing. "Sesshomaru?" he could hear a bit more tension in her voice.
"Hn." Slipping on his haori he closed it properly before considering if he should turn to face her or not. He decided to sit on a boulder nearby and to put on his shoes as well: anything to avoid Shaya. He could see the hem of her kimono as she came to stand in front of him.
"What's wrong with you?" Ah, and Shaya was not slow to realize that he was doing everything but to look at her: if he did he would whisk her into their bedroom. "Are you still upset with me about what happened earlier?"
He had not even stopped to consider the child before Shaya had gained her miniature weight, weight that she desperately required anyway and even more so now that she was to have their child; he had been quite content to take her to their bed knowing that she was in pup before, but he could not ask her to disrobe and then know that he was being physical with the mother of that pup that was somewhere within her. He felt very much the fool but it was impossible for him to consider taking her to their bed. "I am not upset with you onna." He was upset with himself for not considering these notions before this particular circumstance.
"Will you look at me then?" He could feel Shaya's hands forcing him to turn his face upwards again. Her lips came crashing down onto his with her own ferocity: her intent was more than obvious. It took him a minute to turn his face away from hers once again to inhale. "You see?" She had bent down to send him into that dizzying frenzy that was pulling at his nerves and this confrontation was not assisting. "What is wrong? Sesshomaru!" Her anger was even less helpful.
"You are beautiful, Shaya."
She blinked in surprise—he had thrown her quite off balance it seemed. "But you won't come inside with me."
"No." He more than wanted to.
"Are you just trying to make me mad today? Is that it?" She was rather endearing when she was infuriated with him but that was not his intentions. "You're punishing me for something this way? You really are cruel." She shoved at his shoulders before spinning away from him.
"Shaya." He caught her wrist quickly, pulling her closely to sit in his lap. She tried to slap at him but he held her hands firmly. "Why must you always do this onna?" she rolled her eyes. Every time that he caught her she tried the same tactics to get away even though they were never successful.
"Well, you don't want me. I can go find something to do." Shaya did not lean into him. That simple act alone betrayed her frustration with him. "Except for the fact that I'm very sure that you want me but you won't kiss me."
"I cannot." His voice was tight even to his own ears.
"You can't? That's your whole explanation?" He did not blame her for being so confused. It was not her fault that something natural had occurred to her but it was up to him to be the responsible one here.
"I will not allow you to put the pup in harm's way." She looked extremely confused. "Your body is weak enough as it is, onna, I cannot permit for you to push your body beyond its limits. Is that understood?"
"You don't want to be with me…because of the baby?" It was not as simple as she was making it out to be. He focused on the blue cloth at her shoulder to distract himself from her dark eyes boring into him. "Are you afraid?"
His eyes snapped back to hers violently. "You would be fool enough to believe me afraid Shaya? Of you? Of the pup?" How dare she insinuate that he would be fearful of anything. When had he given her cause to believe such a thing? He had never feared anything in his life. Not death or fires or wars. He could certainly deal with one small onna and the pup that she carried, more so considering that it was his own. Where did she find the nerve?
"You know that it's ok to be a little nervous right?" Shaya was trying to comfort him by rubbing at his ear. "You can tell me if you are. I'm nervous too. I find myself doing some of the most insane things and then everyone's there watching me, while I do something crazy like, oh, chasing Inuyasha around because of a smell. Sango didn't do that. Why is our baby making me crazier than Sango's?"
"Youkai blood is much more volatile." Indeed; Inuyasha had been given the Tessaiga to seal his youkai blood from his half-human body—he had witnessed it himself. Did the onna not realize that? Perhaps she did not. At least he was finally able to focus on something other than her body. "It is sensible that you would be more affected."
"But you don't think that I know how completely weird I've been lately? It's terrifying." He had not realized that Shaya had been as affected as this, that she was as aware of it as those around her were. "And if Kagome's right you may end up locking me up in the house!"
"I would not allow that either, Shaya."
"But I don't want you to be so gentle with me ok? I'm still me." Her hand brushed his bangs back from his forehead for a moment so that she could warm his crescent moon mark with a tender kiss. "And that's why I think that you need to come to bed with me."
"No." Why must she force this point? "I have made myself more than clear."
"Sesshomaru." She looked calm. Determined. "You're coming to bed with me right now. I don't want you to hold me at arm's length because you think that you're going to do something to me or the baby ok? I insist."
"Shaya, we are both more than aware that it is I who-" Shaya removed herself from his lap before he could finish instructing her who took the orders around here. It was Shaya. But from the look on her face he did not think that she would back down easily this time.
"Get up." Ordering him? He would have to put an end to this immediately.
"You do not command me onna."
"Fine then." Her hands immediately went to her own obi; his eyes widened. He was not quite quick enough to prevent her from loosening her obi but he was more than able to keep her kimono closed.
"No Shaya."
"Are you a coward?" Shaya glared at him. "That you would be afraid of yourself? Why don't you take a little more faith in yourself and do what your body wants? You're denying yourself for no reason and I cannot allow this to continue. I like being close to you."
"You would dare to call me a coward?" If she had been his foe she would have already perished for such an insinuation.
"Well aren't you? You're afraid to touch your own mate!" Who did she think she was provoking? Narrowing his eyes he was frustrated once more when she attempted to slide out of his arms so that she could flee. Using his advantage in strength and height he easily moved her into his arms, walking briskly towards the house. Afraid? She so dared to think that he was some weak fool who could be cowed by his own mate?
He was not the monk.
OoO
Shaya was quite out of breath. She hadn't thought that provoking Sesshomaru like that would have incensed him quite as much as it had. Glancing over at where Sesshomaru laid on his back she was happy that he hadn't treated her quite as…carefully as he had been doing for a while now. She closed her eyes. Sesshomaru seemed content enough to lie here with her for a little while. She wasn't surprised when she felt the futon underneath her shift, nor when she felt the slight weight of Sesshomaru's head and the silkiness of his hair on her abdomen. For whatever reason he seemed to like listening to the baby's heartbeat. And she definitely wasn't contrary to the idea of him being closer to their baby.
