Inspiration/Prompt: October 2021 - Poison
Poison
"You brought this on yourself."
Sesshoumaru peered out from under his arm, glaring at his mate before groaning softly and covering his eyes again.
Kagome sighed, pushing his arm out of the way so she could place a cool cloth on his forehead. Sweat had plastered his bangs to his skin, the silver strands dulling to grey around his head.
He hissed, one hand clutching his stomach as the other dug into the mattress underneath him, and Kagome made a mental note to add sheets to their shopping list. It wouldn't be long before his claws ripped holes in these ones as well.
"I felt I had taught them enough of the basics to attempt a recipe on their own."
"What were they trying to make?"
"Pancakes."
He lurched again and she ran her fingers through his hair soothingly, brushing a kiss across his temple when he slumped against the bed.
"You actually let them make something that involved the stove?"
"I did all of the cooking. They simply measured and combined the ingredients."
"And the Lord of the West, a mighty daiyoukai who has lived for centuries, didn't think to check the ingredients first?"
"Your sarcasm is unnecessary, mate."
"Apparently it is. You're the one lying here with a stomach-ache from something your own children made," she smirked.
"Every great chef needs encouragement at a young age." Another groan cut off the rest of what he'd planned on saying and she patted his arm.
"Did your father teach you?" She peeled the cloth off his forehead and soaked it in cold water again.
"Knowing how to cook was a survival tactic. It only became a hobby after…" A strange expression pinched his features and Sesshoumaru looked away.
She raised an eyebrow, then placed the cloth back on his head. "After what?"
The muscles in his jaw clenched and Kagome swore blood rose to his cheeks.
Was he actually blushing?
"After what, Sesshoumaru?"
His cheeks darkened even further and he tried to hide his face under his arm. Sapphire eyes widened in surprise, and she tugged at his sleeve.
"Nuh uh, you don't get to say something like that and not finish. Spill!"
His stomach clenched again and he convulsed slightly, swallowing thickly as he refused to look at her.
"I observed you sharing your homemade meals with your pack. Rin was especially pleased to receive them."
She ran her fingers through his hair then started to massage his scalp, humming softly when his body finally relaxed. "And?"
"Your food brought such joy to those who ate it. I wished to see the same expression on you."
Kagome's hands stilled, her mouth opening in shock.
"You're a world-renowned Michelin star chef with restaurants in multiple countries all because you wanted to cook for me?"
"It sounds very childish when you say it like that."
"I always thought you just enjoyed it! You used to get me to taste things when I would—" Even after being mated to him for centuries, she felt blood rushing to her cheeks. "You made me try all those things on purpose, didn't you? Even back then, you were doing it for me."
It was a moment before he responded. "I was unaware of your culinary tastes. I required a shorter list in order to procure the necessary ingredients."
Images flooded her mind, the memory of him inviting her into the Western Keep's kitchen. The amusement she'd felt when she found out he knew how to cook was only overshadowed by her shock at the way he'd offered her the end of a wooden spoon. He'd wanted her opinion on what he was making; had claimed the mixture was missing a key ingredient.
The trust he'd offered along with it had left her reeling.
She'd watched him more closely after that, her heart slowly unraveling with every late night spent on wooden stools, huddled over simmering pots and fresh produce.
Kagome had always wondered why the kitchen was fully stocked with more human ingredients. Especially since youkai ate a lot less often.
"You let me flounder through my confession, completely embarrassing myself, when you already had feelings for me?"
Sesshoumaru peaked at her from under his arm again, golden eyes glinting. "You would see it that way."
Her own eyes narrowed and she leaned back in her chair, arms folded over her chest. "How am I supposed to see it?"
A clawed hand reached out and cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing the curve of her jaw.
"You have always been generous with your passion, Kagome. I was afraid the attention you had shown me may have simply been that of friendship."
She opened her mouth, then closed it without saying anything, though she couldn't be sure if it was due to a loss of words or the feel of his thumb stroking her bottom lip. They stared at each other, content to slowly drown in each other's gaze, but she eventually looked away, her mouth hardening into a pout.
"You could've given me some indication that it wasn't one-sided…"
"Would it have changed anything if I had?"
"Yes! I could've said something a lot sooner!"
A cold sweat has broken out onto his brow, but he smiled all the same. "Has five centuries not been enough?"
She picked up the cloth then smacked him in the face with it, his chuckle garbled under the damp fabric.
"So not the point! Do you know how long it took me to work up the courage to talk to you?"
"We had spoken many times before."
"That's not—" Kagome growled, then smacked him again. "You know what I mean!"
"Do I?"
Stormy indigo glared down at him as she jumped to her feet. "That's it, I'm gonna get some of whatever they made you and force you to eat more. See if I—" Her tirade turned into a yelp as his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her down on top of him.
"It was a jest."
"At my expense, you pompous ass."
Sesshoumaru chuckled again, then tucked her head under his chin, one arm snaking around her waist to keep her from following through on her threat.
Kagome struggled half-heartedly, finally giving up and relaxing against him. After a few silent moments, she felt his muscles tighten again and she shifted her position, making sure no part of her was pushing on his stomach.
"Your confession was endearing. I would not have changed a thing."
"You actually enjoyed how I went off on a tangent about my experiences with 'boys' compared to what I felt for you?"
A snort ruffled her bangs. "Perhaps not that particular part, but your tangled tongue showcased the truth and eagerness of your request."
She pursed her lips, then tilted her face up and kissed the underside of his jaw, the corner of her mouth tugging up into a smile when she felt the muscles of his neck clench at her touch.
Sometimes he was so easy.
"You are reaching, mate. I will not be able to perform tonight."
It was her turn to chuckle, the sound muffled against his neck. "I wouldn't dream of trying anything tonight. I don't want you puking on me."
"It is not my fault—"
"It's completely your fault!" she teased, staring down at him as she sat up. "You should've used your super-smell to—"
"'Super-smell'?"
Kagome tried to stifle her laughter behind her hands. "Yeah, that thing you do when you're trying to figure out how I'm feeling based on my scent."
"That is not—"
A soft knock interrupted his response and they both turned to the doorway, a pair of guilty gold eyes staring back at them.
"Papa, are you alright?"
"You're not dying are you?"
"If he is, it's your fault."
"Is not! You're the one who used baking soda instead of flour."
"They all look the same! And you're the one who—"
"Enough."
The twins squeaked at the hard tone in their mother's voice, their bodies stiffening as their heads stayed bowed.
Kagome bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, the soft rumbling of Sesshoumaru's chest under her hands not helping to quell the laughter bubbling up in her throat. She coughed to hide it as she slid off the bed.
"You should be apologizing, not arguing over whose fault it is."
"Sorry Papa," they mumbled, their hands tucked behind their backs.
"I'll read the labels better next time," Riku said, then nudged his brother.
"And I'll taste things before we give it—serve it to you," Sora chimed in, dark heads bobbing in agreement.
Clawed hands shot out and grabbed one of each of their furry ears, causing the twins to cry out.
"You are going to clean up the kitchen first and then you can attempt the recipe again," Mizuki groused, tugging her brothers out of the room. She had the appearance of a teenager, but Mizuki was almost a century older.
She'd also inherited her mother's temper.
And it was especially bad when it came to anyone making a mess in the kitchen.
Their sons' whines continued as they were dragged down the hallway, their free ears twitching around before flattening against their heads.
"We're lucky they idolize her so much."
"Indeed."
Kagome sat back down on the edge of the bed and Sesshoumaru immediately rolled over, his arms snaking around her waist. Humming softly, she started combing her fingers through his hair, trying to get rid of the tangles he'd accrued from writhing around in the bed.
"Feeling better?"
"Hnn."
Her fingers brushed the back of his ears and he twitched, causing Kagome to chuckle softly.
"You are incorrigible, mate."
"And who do you think I learned it from?"
He buried his face in her lap. "I seem to remember someone refusing to allow me to dress for several days after we were intimate for the first time."
"That was not my fault! You had a lot more stripes than I thought."
"And you needed to inspect them all?"
"Exactly," she stated, with no qualms in her voice at all. "Besides, it's not like you didn't enjoy it."
His arms tightened around her, and he rolled them both over, tucking her beneath him. "How could I not? You had been running rampant in my mind for ages. I was finally able to confirm the intricacies of your luscious scent."
Kagome's lips pursed but happiness danced in her eyes. "You shouldn't be able to come up with lines like that after being poisoned by your own kids."
"No amount of poison can deter me from appreciating my mate."
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and she brushed the back of her fingers along the stripes on his cheeks. "I will never get tired of you calling me that."
Sesshoumaru cupped her hand, holding it against his face before placing a soft kiss on her wrist. "I shall endeavour to say it more often then."
"Have I ever told you how hot you are when you use words like that?"
Lips were replaced with fangs, and golden eyes turned to molten amber. "Once or twice."
Her response was cut off by a crash, followed by the exasperated yell of Mizuki, and they both sighed.
"Apparently multiple decades are still not enough time for pups to learn the delicacies of holding dishes properly."
Kagome chuckled and sat up, kissing the crescent moon on his forehead before slipping out from under him.
"I'll go supervise. You rest."
"I would much rather we both choose the second option."
"And I would much rather not have to buy an entire new set of cookware. Again."
Sesshoumaru groaned in resignation, then flopped back down on the bed.
"Besides, I bet you still can't guarantee you won't throw up on me if we did anything fun."
"Think what you want, mate."
She snorted, then patted the back of his head. "I'll come back to check on you in a bit. But sleep if you want to. Mizuki and I will handle the boys."
"Hnn."
Smiling to herself, Kagome left their room, softly closing the door behind her. Then blue eyes hardened, and she steeled herself for what lay ahead of her in the kitchen and hoped the take-out menus attached to the side of the fridge wouldn't be needed for dinner.