Sesshomaru knew that Nova was ignoring him completely since the day she had woken and now two weeks later, she still had not spoken to him, nor come to the dining hall for the meals. She still went out with Rin in the mornings but all weapon training and hand-to-hand combat training was done with the soldiers. She barely even acknowledged him when he would retire for the night, opting to sleep on the furs by the fireplace instead of sharing his bed. Even her companion had not spoken a word to him.
He could not justify her going to the time she knew at the expense of the pain he would consistently go through. He knew that eventually the topic would have come up if a way back was known, but did not think her response would have been like this. Especially after her being to one to figure out his beast and accept that the beast thought of her as his one true mate.
Entering the study, he knew that he needed to speak with Nova. With no change after two weeks, he couldn't continue to leave things as they were. Wandering past shelf after shelf to the hidden alcove, two-thirds of it surrounded by curved stained glass, he found Nova writing in the scroll Dimitri had given her to be able to communicate with him instantly while her companion laid against her feet under the table.
He sat beside her and saw her furry ears twitch as he grabbed a book from the table, glancing at what she had been reading as of late, 'Culture and Traditions of Silver Inu.' Despite her silence, he felt proud that she was still learning what she could. He glanced over as she wrote, most likely in the language she was taught as a child as he could not read it.
"Is the past so terrible?" He asked, tired of her silence. "Would you not still chose to mate this one if you returned? Your duties would not change. Your family is here and this one would let you to visit the young miko as she is also family. You would not be confined to the castle. If you wished, you would be allowed to travel if you had soldiers or this one to accompany you."
"And my sire?" Nova muttered as the scroll retracted into the metal tube. "Would it not be too far for this damn mark and cause both of us pain?"
"For small amount of times when both accept it, traveling that distance apart would be acceptable."
"Then why can I not go through the well? We still would be in the same space, just different times. We don't know if it would cause this pain you mention."
"Being hanyou, you will live to see the time you wish to return to, but the well cannot be tested on the chance that you are not able to return here. This one does not wish your silence to continue but nor can this one allow your leave to a place my current self cannot follow."
"Would the mating mark give more space than the mark we currently share?"
"You have avoided and refused to speak to this one then inquire of that? Do you know what is involved in turning that mark into one of mating?"
"Sex."
"Over the course of three days while the moon sits at its fullest with the intent of pupping you," he spoke as he turned the book in his hand to the pages about Inu mating customs and placed it on the table in front of her. "The beast and this one would be equally in control over the course of those days."
"But would it help? So I'd be able to spend more than just small amounts at a time visiting my Baba?"
"Each respective beast feeds off the energy of the other once the first mark is placed. Once that mark is strengthened, those feedings can be spread out more."
"Feedings?"
"By close proximity, it happens naturally as your energy is doing now feeding from this one's. If pain happens from being too far or away for too long, sharing blood is needed. Once you've been pupped, the time is reduced depending on the multiple of pups."
"Multiple... but you and Inuyasha were only children...?" He could hear the frown in her voice but due to her hair being pulled over her shoulder, he could not see it.
"An uncommon occurrence."
"Oh..." She looked away and got to her feet, straightening her skirt before grabbing the communication scroll as Khendon stood and waited.
"Will you continue to avoid this Sesshomaru?" He frowned and saw her ears droop as she sighed.
"Give me a little more time to process this please," she spoke quietly.
"The start of the full mom starts tomorrow." He saw her nod in acknowledgment before leaving the study.
Sesshomaru had not seen Nova for almost a full day since he talked to her in his study, nor had she returned to their rooms. His soldiers gave periodic updates so he knew she was still within the castle but conveniently left out her location. He headed back to his rooms and could detect the hint of cinnamon as he saw Nova's soldiers outside their rooms. He entered and frowned seeing Nova sitting at the low table, wearing only a black sleep kimono as she read. The scent of cinnamon was not coming from her but from the tray beside her that was covered, but also noticed two fresh pots of tea.
"Hey," Nova whispered, her head turning slightly to look glance his way as her hand went to the sleeping canine beside her and petted him.
"Hn," he nodded, removing his swords from his waist as he sat down beside her, leaving against the table as he turned to face her.
She moved and poured him some of his tea and placed it in front of him before removing the cover that he had smelt the cinnamon coming from. Several pastries sat on a plate with some kind of white glaze. They were circular and he noticed a dark brown line spiraling around from the edges to the center.
"They're called cinnamon rolls," she explained as she grabbed one and tore off a piece and ate it. Her head lowered some and he noticed her ears press against her head as she sighed. "A form of apology, I guess... You and I had come to a mutual understanding of our relationship and I had tried to just toss it aside in hopes to go home."
"You are forgiven," he spoke as she tore off another piece of the roll and he gently grabbed her hand and redirected the small piece into his mouth, making her flinch in surprise as wide stormy blue eyes finally looked at him fully. "Who made these?"
"I... I did..." her voice faltered as he licked the sweet glaze from her fingers.
"Hn," he smirked as he let her wrist go and saw her ears twitch as she looked away from him but he noticed that the inner corners of her furry ears immediately flushed crimson. He brought his hand up and stroked the curve of her ear. "It's easier to notice your embarrassment like this. So it is when this one shows amusement?"
"Not so much that..." she muttered and he waited for her to continue as he traced the shell of her ear as it twitched against his fingers. "It's seeing genuine emotions from you... When you usually smirk at me, a fang tends to poke out..."
Sesshomaru smirked at that and slid his hand into her hair, gently forcing her to look back at him. Her cheeks and nose dusted red and tried to look away but his grip in her hair prevented her from doing so. He lowered his head towards hers and she brought her hands up to cover her face as she made a quiet sound of protest. Bringing his other hand to her shoulder, he pushed the cloth away and pressed his nose to the courting mark on her neck.
He heard her gasp as she had not expected that, considering she had been hiding her blushing face. He felt one of her hand grip his haori while the other came around to the back of his neck, tangling into his silver strands. Pushing her kimono down further, he moved his other hand to wrap around her waist and pulled her to straddle his lap as his fangs pierced her skin.
"Sesshomaru..." she complained, feeling her push against him and actually succeeding due to her daemon. He pulled back from her neck to look at her as her hand that had tangled in his hair slid down to rest against his chest besides the other. "What changes for us specifically if we mate now?"
"Whether it is now or later, nothing would change other than a few topics in your studies and the increased freedom for space. There would be a very high chance of you being pupped so travel would be discussed first so no harm would come to you or the pups. If you wish for your own rooms, Satori's things will be relocated as those rooms are connected and for the Lady of the West. Once completed, you would be able to feel this one through the mating bond and over time, be able to communicate through it."
"So there really wouldn't be much privacy?"
"Only strong emotions would be felt unless you pushed to have others felt. With going into your mind, this Sesshomaru would not be able to do so without your consent like when you allowed this one into your memories. The bond is more a way to know how the other is when away from each other. If one is injured, the other would feel it but at half scale. It is also way to know the other's location if no walls are up. For instance, if you were to be captured, this one would be able to follow the pull of the bond to find you."
"But if I was somewhere, not wanting to be found?"
"That is situational."
"Guess that's understandable."
"The moon will be rising soon, what will you choose? This Sesshomaru will understand if you'd rather wait."
"It's going to happen at some point, right?" She spoke after a moment, her eyes lowering to look at her hands on his chest.
"That would be up to you, Nova, but the beast has shown no signs of ever removing the courting energy."
"And I wouldn't have as much freedom if things stay the way the are now," she frowned.
"Hn," he nodded his head and she looked back up at him.
"Then there wouldn't really be any point waiting."
"There would be no going back."
"I never knew you to be one to hesitate," she smirked suddenly and he growled at her, letting his beast awaken. "You will not sleep or eat much the next three days."
"Hn," she mocked as she got to her feet and let her kimono that had bunched up at her elbows and barely covering her chest, fall to the ground.
Sesshomaru grimaced, feeling the start of a very long flashback on its way as he had been in the middle of a meeting with the three lords in the study of his home. Kishi's behavior had changed drastically after the events of Nova killing Cayto in the past and now they were going over their land alliances. They understood that events were changing and everyone was receiving flashbacks.
"Sesshomaru?" Kouga frowned, having noticed his discomfort as he was sitting next to him. "What's happening?"
"I must excuse myself. It seems she has decided to complete the mating with my past self. We'll meet again in a few days," he spoke as calmly as he could before quickly retreating the room with a very painful erection.
"Do you need anything?" Kouga called after him with a laugh and he only let out a feral growl as he ran up to his rooms and activated the silencing seals as he collapsed onto the bed.