RIME
She could still taste herself on his lips.
Of all the things she'd been subjected to tonight, she supposed that little fact might leave her the most satisfied. The image of the great and powerful daiyoukai Sesshoumaru kneeling between her thighs, his pupils blown wide and lids drooping low… She'd sought out that power once, tried to have him do her bidding, and while it may have been several years late and he may have required a little coaching, she couldn't say that she minded the way he'd finally come around.
Sesshoumaru could be stubborn as all hell, but she'd begun to notice the pattern; if she pressed hard enough, prodded a few times, he'd eventually give in. And now that he'd conceded whatever bullheaded jealous logic had kept him away, he wouldn't stop touching her. Even as she tried to tie her belt around her waist his hand was there, tugging on the knot or simply trying to dissuade her by being overbearing, using his height and heat to distract her, to press her up against the wall again, trailing his nose along the line of her jaw. Sure, his hands had been around her throat not that long ago, he'd destroyed her jewelry and left her ear stinging, but she had much less care for her pride than the high of victory and the knowledge that she'd―well, quite literally―gotten him right where she wanted him.
Besides, the clouded look of his eyes was almost enough for her to forgive it. It was almost pitiful, and maybe the injury and blood loss had affected more than just his performance, going off the color of his face, his heavy breaths, he was still a little weak. She was hardly sympathetic. He'd humiliated her soundly enough that she could reap the benefits just a little longer, even if that meant that getting dressed was more a chore than it needed to be.
"I never took you for the doting lover type," she drawled, pulling away to fix her robes.
His breath caught and he stiffened, his hand hovered over the lapel near her navel for the briefest second before his claws dug into the fabric and pulled her soundly against his chest. He dipped his head, pressed his cheek to her temple so that his lips ghosted against the shell of her ear. She had to hold herself still to keep from shying away at the tickling sensation.
"Isn't this what you wanted when you came here to taunt me?" His breath was hot against her skin. "You hardly minded earlier."
She hummed and placed a hand on his chest, the only evidence of his injury the angry red splotch across his flesh. "And I don't mind now either, I'm just…"
Sesshoumaru pulled back to look her in the eye, his pupils still dilated, and though it wasn't her first time seeing it, she still had to bite back a laugh. She'd known he could be gentle, in his own way―the girl was proof enough of that―but the ever so stoic Sesshoumaru looking at her with puppy dog eyes… well, it was almost enough to make her heart skip a beat.
Not that she would ever tell him. She had a feeling she knew how that comment would go over. Insults were one thing, but the implication of it… no, she'd tuck that away somewhere, to mull over after she was long gone from him and this place. For now, she would just enjoy this.
"So sensitive," she tsked and trailed her finger along the line of his collarbone, she felt the muscles move beneath her palm, the subtle shift of his weight, the pull of air deep into his lungs. There was still the scent of blood hanging around him, barely hidden by the mineral smell of the waters, the droplets still beading on his skin, but just below it, the scent of his skin, musky and just a little wild… She could feel the press of him against her hip―almost, but―not quite potent enough to chance his humiliation or her disappointment again. She pushed him back. "Shouldn't you be making an appearance? Letting everyone know you ain't dead?"
He made a noise similar to a snort. "Kinjirou is incapable."
"Of what? Killing you or are you projecting?" His eyes hardened but she laughed him off. "Don't worry, I plan to find out just how capable you are… later, when you're not looking so bad―"
"Kagura."
"Don't look so upset." She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, despite the barely there pout on his lips. "You're the one who said later didn't you? I ain't plannin' to let you forget it." She had him right where she wanted him, but as much as she'd enjoyed the last hour and despite the necessary adjustments he'd needed, the―was it three?―time had been spent well. But… "I'm sick of being stuck down here, my fingers are pruned from just the air, and I'd rather there ain't mold growing on my clothes when I go to put them on."
She could feel the clammy, spongy texture of her hands and her robes were heavy on her shoulders. He must have noticed, too, with how he pulled at them only for the fabric to stick to her skin. He blinked at her, as if thinking about it, and she wondered if the blood loss had affected his brain more than she'd thought, but then he nodded once and finally stepped back, turning away and letting her fix her clothes and tie up her hair. She took the opportunity to discretely snatch up the glass shard when his back was to her, slipping it over her neck and under her collar as Sesshoumaru went for his own clothes, still bloodied and soaked through, but he slipped them on regardless, tied them loosely before reaching for his sodden pants. The fabric squelched as he pulled it up his legs, a scowl on his face, and Kagura couldn't help but laugh. Nothing more than a wet dog, despite the airs he put on.
"Don't forget, you owe me new earrings," she said, wiggling her finger at her bare lobe. Her head felt light, and while she wouldn't mourn the jewelry she'd certainly grown accustomed to the weight. Sesshoumaru hummed something that sounded like an agreement as he tied the strings around his waist and Kagura made no pretense at hiding her stare, she'd earned the right to watch, and as odd as the scene was, he hardly paid her any mind, going about his business as if she wasn't there at all. It wasn't until he was fully clothed and heading for his sword that he stopped and finally turned to look at her again.
"Later." He said it sternly, as if she needed reminding. "My quarters are―"
"Oh, don't worry, I know how to find you." She grinned. She wouldn't argue with him about the place or the time, she didn't need him instructing her like a child. Her clothes fixed, she stepped up to him, reaching for the sword before he could. A little presumptuous, she realized, just as her hand closed around the sheathe, but she planned to continue pushing her luck until he told her to stop. Sesshoumaru didn't seem phased as she handed it to him, merely quirked a brow and took it from her without a word.
"Your… friend will have taken those children by now," he said, watching her carefully. Because he wasn't sure of their relationship or because he wasn't sure if she considered Achara a friend? She wouldn't bother to ask. "I'll ensure Jaken gives you the key to allow them to return."
Kagura nodded. As soft hearted as they were, if Achara was left out in the cold she wouldn't hear the end of it. "What are you going to do about the boy?"
He quirked a brow and she clarified her meaning. "Shippou will know better than to speak of this, he'll be returning to the village with Jaken and Ah-Un the day after the festival."
Insurance, she supposed. She had avoided talking about the girl, but it was obvious his cousin had put fear into him, with the way his breathing went shallow and his eyes narrowed at the first mention of it. Probably for the best either way, the fox had more than likely seen his fair share of brutality in one night, his tiny heart too softened by the morality of humans.
She was tempted to ask about his plans, but, as they made their way through the tunnels, she decided she preferred not to put an end date on something that hadn't truly begun.
…
They parted ways before they reentered the palace.
In the blurred shadows of torchlight, the stink of blood still wafting through the caves. There were no promises, no stolen touches, Kagura offered a haughty smirk and well wishes to match, while Sesshoumaru merely nodded, anticipation more than enough to compensate for a lack of intimacy.
And that was fine for Kagura, and would have been, if she'd been clear headed enough to cloak herself, and if the first person she ran into when she stepped into the light wasn't his damn mother.
"Well." The old bitch offered a sniff and a long once over. "I suppose bloodlust can cloud one's judgement."
And while Kagura was in quite the good mood, she still took a great deal of satisfaction in using that exact moment to gather a gust strong enough to whip the last bits of water from her robes and send them splashing straight into her face, an indignant snarl echoing off the walls as Kagura hid herself behind the wind, spread her scent through the halls and ran off chuckling in search of the imp.
…
"I could have frozen to death!"
"Oh, shut up, you're fine," Kagura hissed, dragging Achara by the sleeve through the debris laden courtyard. If she'd held any sort of remorse for the mess after her little spat with the crows it was certainly gone now.
Great pools of blood, glittering in the starlight, splattered the mud and slush, a pillar of the great hall nearly snapped in half and threatening to bring the roof down with it, roof tiles and paper doors smashed and littering the yard. The wall, as useless as it was, was almost nothing but rubble on one side, a line of dust and rock in the snow.
Achara offered a few more half hearted grumbles as they entered a more stable part of the castle, going abruptly silent when the two of them came across a stricken Ginhime. Her eyes just a little wild and red, she almost looked shocked to see the two of them; and while Kagura might have ordinarily preened under the dog's subtle distress, she was in too good a mood to relish in it properly.
Ginhime sidestepped them as the two of them passed, no comment or sneer at Kagura's state of disarray, she didn't even offer a disdainful sniff like the old bitch had, which would have made Kagura wonder at her brother's fate if she cared at all. Instead they left her and continued on to their rooms, slipping down the narrow halls and trying not to attract anymore attention.
She slid the door open as soundlessly as she could, under the assumption that Momiji and the others would be too caught up in the chaos, but―
"Well, look who finally decided to come back," Hotaru crooned, wiggling his brows at her. He and Momiji were seated in the middle of the floor, Younousuke and Okiyo leaned against the wall in one corner, playing a dice game, while Tekari huddled in the corner opposite, napping or simply ignoring the rest of them by keeping her eyes closed. Kagura took one step over the threshold, before Urue dropped from the rafters and barred her entrance with a screech.
"Where have you been?!"
What a stupid question, and Kagura said as much as she shouldered past her familiar into the room, slamming the door shut behind her. She was in a good mood, but that didn't mean she would tolerate a scolding.
"What happened?" They'd left before she could see the outcome of the fight, and she'd been a little too preoccupied to push Sesshoumaru into talking about it, but Momiji was quick to open her mouth and start gushing, from the beginning, as if Kagura hadn't been in attendance for the whole thing, embellishing wherever she thought the tale got a little dull. From her corner, Okiyo rolled her dice with a little more force than necessary, probably already having heard several iterations of the story before the one Momiji had settled on telling.
Kagura hardly listened to the first half, instead going to her pile of clothes to try and find something suitable to replace the stiff robes she wore. Urue dropped from the ceiling, her massive wingspan offering some modicum of privacy as Kagura let the fabric hit the floor with a hollow thump.
"...and thats when he knocked him flat on his back!" Momiji was saying. "I heard so many rumors about the dog general's temper, and his son's being even worse, but you know, I think he meant to show some mercy, he would have been happy enough just to get Kinjirou to submit, but the brat couldn't just leave it at that, he went straight for the jugular. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he meant to actually kill him..."
At least that explained Sesshoumaru's wounds, she'd have to mock him for that later.
"...But that's when all hell broke loose, even with Kinjirou's teeth in him that Sesshoumaru isn't one to take things lightly. He ripped himself away and I think he meant to snap his neck, with the way he fit Kinjirou's throat in his jaws and threw him like a rag doll… that's what did most of the damage, you know, Sesshoumaru tossing him around like that. I honestly have no idea what that Kinjirou was thinking, he may be large by their standards but that Sesshoumaru is a real monster―"
"You don't have to tell her that."
She'd just finished tying off her belt, but she didn't need to look at him to know that Hotaru was poking at her discarded robes, his nose scrunched but a haughty and knowing smirk pulling at his cheeks.
"Oh?"
Hotaru gave another disdainful sniff and Momiji's soft footsteps slid across the floor, but before she could lay a hand on Urue's wings Kagura had already stepped around, head cocked to the side and a purse to her lips, her arms crossed and waiting for whatever conclusions they would jump to.
"Care to tell us why you smell like wet dog?"
Unbidden, a smirk worked its way onto her lips, expectant and haughty, and Momiji, piecing together the clues, still a little slow on the uptake, her face morphing from curiosity to confusion to a slow shock and then finally laughter.
"Oh, do tell―"
"You know me better than that," Kagura mocked, stepping past her to find a comb somewhere in all the mess. Younousuke and Okiyo had stopped their game to watch, Achara had warmed up beside Tekari who was trying, unsuccessfully, to slit one eye open as discretely as she could. And Kagura didn't need to turn back to Urue to see the distress that was sure to be coloring her furry face.
Momiji tsked while Hotaru began to laugh. "I guess all that bloodshed really does it for him, huh?"
"Oh, shut up," Kagura hissed, rolling her eyes. Everyone went for the same conclusions…
The two of them erupted into knowing chuckles while Kagura dragged a comb through her tangles, flinching whenever she snagged a particularly thick knot and when Momiji tried to make a sly insinuation.
"I ain't telling you anything," she hummed, delighting in Hotaru's groans of exasperation and Momiji's scoff and anxious fidgeting, always needing to be at the epicenter of gossip. Kagura would let her stew in it just a little longer, maybe a day, maybe more, until after she figured out exactly where she stood for herself. As much as she hated letting his mother's words get into her head, he had been suffering from significant enough blood loss, and she'd rather go slowly than have to bite her tongue later.
"Kagura-sama?"
Kagura perked up at Urue's voice. There was a hint of trepidation in her tone, and Kagura knew better than to leave her be. The bat generally kept opinions to herself, but she recognized the uncertain timber of her voice, something that would have Urue stewing for weeks if she didn't get it over with now. With a roll of her eyes and a few final drags of the comb through her hair she got to her feet and tied her hair into a looser knot than usual. She gestured for the bat to follow and went to open the sliding door out into the hall.
In the narrow hallway, Urue struggled to keep a steady pace and after a few futile flaps of her wings settled for perching on Kagura's shoulder. Silent, but Kagura could feel the tension in her grip, tiny claws digging into her robe as Urue clung to her back, her head propped near the hollow of her neck. They rounded a corner and Kagura blinked, the sun had begun to rise, the stars long gone and the sky a pale shade of yellow; the destruction in the courtyard even worse in the harsh light of dawn, the half frozen pools of blood a sickly brown amongst the slush. Kagura stopped along the railing and Urue crawled off her back, setting herself down so she was almost in Kagura's line of sight, but still far enough below to be considered deferential.
Not that Kagura cared for it, but Urue was stuck in certain things.
"Kagura-sama, about what happened tonight…"
She held her tongue, but let her gaze wander out to the horizon.
"...You cannot stay here. I expressed my reservations to you when you made the decision to come, but as things are I believe this isn't in your best interest―"
"Thanks. Your concerns have been noted and ignored."
Urue made a face that Kagura almost considered cute, her snout wrinkled and her brows furrowed, just a peak of a fang. Unfortunately, that face nearly always preceded a lecture.
"Kagura-sama, the murder of the emperor's children will not go unpunished. I'm sure Tsukiyomi's eye has already turned, and while he is loathe to get involved with earthly affairs there are others who would be all too delighted to wage war on a clan as prolific as the dogs. Your brother has already gone to great lengths to ensure that you do not have to return yet." Kagura rolled her eyes. "But if you're found to be here of all places, neither your brother or Fuujin will be able to do anything. As it stands, Susano-o is already aware, and as unpredictable as he is…"
Yes. She remembered. And yet, she hardly cared. She'd already been tricked into doing the bidding of gods once, and had no intention of doing so again on nothing but a guess.
"I'm not going anywhere, Urue," she said, "I told you we're staying until the end of the festival, I ain't going to change my mind now." Not when things had just started going her way. "Especially not over some damn kids."
"Kagura-sama, I understand your feelings, but please reconsider. Prince Masahito and Princess Eiyu are descended from the first emperor―"
Kagura scoffed. "Oh, please, you can't really believe―"
"―descended from the sun goddess, Amaterasu-sama, your sister, meaning―"
"Shut up." Kagura hissed and held up a hand, calling on her senses to ensure there weren't any eavesdroppers. Urue, knowing that she'd already pushed her luck, thankfully stopped talking. "Don't talk about it like I give a damn. Those kids mean nothing to me."
"They may have meant nothing to you, but when the sun goddess sees what those dogs have done―"
"And what have they done, Urue?" She quirked a brow. "Those brats are fine, Achara dropped them both off safe and sound at some temple by the coast, I'm sure they'll be on their way home soon enough."
Urue shut her mouth, her eyes wide. "But―how...? You… I saw the girl…"
"You underestimate the generosity of these dogs," she said with a shrug. Urue only needed to know as much as Kagura was willing to tell her. Which as of now was nothing at all. "Those two are alive and well, so it shouldn't be a problem, should it?"
The bat stared at her and then sighed. "I meant no disrespect, Kagura-sama―"
"I know." Three years, but she'd learned early enough on that Urue had her best interests at heart. That didn't mean it wasn't damned annoying. "But I don't need you scolding me like a child, not here." Not in this country, not in this castle. "I'm not her, but that doesn't mean I can't take care of myself."
Urue hung her head with a nod, knowing that saying anything else would be futile when Kagura's mind had already been made up. It was admirable, to say the least, that the bat still tried to keep her purity even after three years in Kagura's company.
Kagura crossed her arms and turned away, watching the fog of her breath illuminated by the yellow light of the sky. Several servants had come out into the yard below them, beginning the long process of cleaning up the debris. They would need more than brooms and washcloths, but she supposed that this was simply the inevitable outcome of a quarter-centurial festival hosted by monsters.
"Is what Hotaru said true?"
Kagura blinked. "Hn?"
"About you and…" Urue couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Are you going to lecture me if it is?"
Urue shook her head. "I feel that it would be futile, but… are you sure it's wise?"
As annoying as she was, the familiar was the only one who knew the history, of him and his mother―brother, too―the only one Kagura could trust with the knowledge of what they'd been walking into coming here. A simple thing, but she hadn't wanted Momiji of all people meddling more than she already had, or of anyone else getting involved. And maybe what Urue was implying was true, but…
"Does it matter?"
Urue made a face, one of defeat, and hung her head. Kagura almost had the urge to reach out and pat her head, but knew her familiar would only understand it as condescension and opted to leave her be. She leaned up against the railing, watching the workers below sort out the mess until her hands began to sting from the cold. Only then did she give Urue's wing a flick, letting her know it was time to go back, and then tapped her own shoulder, letting the bat cling to her as they headed back to their room in silence.
Until of course, she slid open the door to a giggling Hotaru and Momiji clutching something to her chest.
They both turned, almost comically, at her entrance, and while in the background Okiyo rolled her eyes and let out a loud groan, Hotaru merely tittered and twirled away, leaving her to face a mischievous looking Momiji.
"...What?"
Momiji covered her mouth and giggled. "This came for you while you were gone."
She held out her hand, a bundle wrapped in white cloth cradled in her palm. She grinned wide as Kagura reached out and plucked it from her hand; Kagura turned away, unconcerned with Momiji and Hotaru peering over her shoulders as she unwrapped the package.
"Well―" A glint of warm amber, a sparkle of silver in the morning sunlight. "He does work quickly, doesn't he?"
…
I may or may not have underestimated how long a month would be. oops. hope y'all are doing well!
