BLIZZARD

The day slid by quickly, with a third or fourth retelling of the night's events by Momiji, a few dice games with Okiyo, some missed jabs by Hotaru, and her second hot bath of the day just before sunset. The bath would wash out the scent of him that clung to her skin, but she had already grown tired of those with a nose commenting on it by the time Hotaru had opened his mouth, so it was hardly a loss. She doubted that Sesshoumaru himself fared any better. While she'd sworn to herself not to meddle too much, she still found herself calling on the wind to find his location, speaking with his mother―who was sure to be giving him an earful in her own way―the imp, or his uncle. She could tease the words from the air if she wanted, but felt that that might be overstepping her bounds just a little.

By the time the night came round, she was only a little surprised that he hadn't sought her out or made his intentions clear. Then again, it seemed as if he'd been busy sorting out the mess he'd made, and she supposed that that took precedence. It smarted, but she couldn't rightly blame him for it, and she knew the anticipation would make it all the more savory, and was assured of this when she walked into the slightly less opulent hall and was immediately met with golden eyes burning her where she stood.

She did not go to him, flanked by his mother and other esteemed dogs. While she would have enjoyed toying with him, she didn't need his mother snarling down her neck even if she was sure to be scandalized by her presence. So Kagura took her place at the far end of the room instead, and only sent a whispered "Good evening" drifting on a breeze to his ears. It only made his gaze darken, eliciting a sharp little thrill in her belly, but Kagura waved her fan and stayed put, not even getting up to perform, content with her sole spectator seated across the room. It was enough, a little buzz beneath her skin, coupled with the strong drink, had her feeling warmer than she had in the weeks since the winter had set in.

Just because she felt giddy didn't mean she wanted to look it, it took some deal of effort not to spend the night sending eyes his way, and though she was rewarded with a heated stare everytime she did, Kagura did her best to distract herself with the music and laughter of the crowd. Okiyo and Younousuke were hardly entertaining company, but their presence was somber enough that she could quietly stew in the anticipation on her own. Throwing Sesshoumaru a glance every so often, ignoring the menacing glare of his mother, Momiji's coy smirks, and the solemn sulking of his cousins at a far corner of the room, Ginhime taking it stoically, while Kinjirou looked more like a petulant child, still sporting an angry gash across his throat.

If she hadn't known any better, Kagura would think his sister had put the wound there herself, with how frustrated she looked sitting at the outskirts of the party.

Kagura paid them little mind, watching the waning moon rise and fall in the sky and the faces of the crowd turn redder as the night wore on. The buzzing under her skin only grew stronger with each passing second and every sip of his drink, her gaze flickering to the center of the room with more urgency until she took one last look and was met with only an empty seat and his mother's irritated glare.

With a smirk thrown her way, Kagura excused herself and slunk from the room a little quicker than she intended, her nerves getting the better of her and quickening her feet as she followed after him.

It wasn't hard to pick up the threads left behind by his departure, a straightforward and languid path that meandered up through the castle, tending towards the balconies and ledges, places where the icy breeze was the strongest. It did little to chill the warmth coursing through her veins, the wind at her back infected by her own giddy attitude, spurring her on.

It felt a bit silly, almost skipping through the halls, but Kagura had little care for decorum―or the pretense of her own pride to slow her ascent―letting the wind whisk her up until she reached a flight of steps that led out onto a landing gouged into the rock.

Kagura stopped, almost missing the dour eyed shadow watching her.

She nearly barked out a laugh. Leaned up against a wall, he looked better than he had when they'd parted in the morning, but evidently the day had had a worse effect on his attitude than she'd thought. Kagura took the final step up, bringing a warm wind with her and sent it tousling through his hair.

"Did you not want me to follow you?" She flicked open her fan and used it to hide her grin, fanning herself and watching him expectantly.

His eyes narrowed and he pushed off the wall without a word. The grin tugging at her cheeks almost hurt, and she was glad for the fan, otherwise she feared that her giddy attitude might go straight to his ego, and she preferred him a little more humble.

She hardly expected him to start talking―whispering words of affection to ease her into his bed―he knew he had little need for it, not when she'd already come running at the first sign of his departure… but the silent treatment was a little disheartening, even as he stepped up to her, that same dispassionate look in his eye. He wasn't that much taller, the top of her head only came to his nose, but she got the distinct impression that getting so close was more some innate ploy to intimidate than a desire to actually get close to her.

Well, until she felt the pressure of his hand pushing the fan away from her face. She let him, closed the fan with a soft snap and let it fall to her hip.

Kagura pulled her lips between her teeth, trying to hide her stupid smile, but Sesshoumaru hardly looked at her face, instead his gaze slid left, and his fingers brushed against her collar―

"Oh, these?" She reached up, fingering the jewels dangling from her lobe. A comfortable weight, warm amber as large as her thumb nail polished into fine points, smoothed just enough not to cut, and wound in shimmering silver. "They were a gift from an anonymous suitor." She cocked her head and grinned, letting the jewel swing, slapping against his fingers and her throat. His gaze flicked up to hers. "You don't like them?"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and turned away, but it was only three steps before he stopped under the eaves and opened a door she hadn't noticed.

"Well I think they're quite nice," she chuckled, fingering one of the shards and following after him. "Though I am curious what corpse or enemy's estate they were pilfered from."

He scoffed. "You think so lowly of your supposed suitor?"

"Oh, not at all," she cooed. Another flight of steps, this one hidden in darkness, Kagura quickened her step so that she was close enough to reach out and twirl a finger through the fur on his pelt. She would have sworn she felt him flinch.

He still said nothing else, leading her up to the final floor, rooms for the most esteemed members of the family, whoever could claw their way to the top. But with each step, and each second he went silently, that little thrill of anticipation began to waver, especially when he opened the door to a conspicuously empty room.

Only a hibachi pushed up against the wall, the smoldering coals almost burnt completely down to ash. The doors to the veranda were open, the winter stricken landscape of the valley almost blinding, all stars and snow covered mountains; the cold air kissed her skin, and that might have been the only indication he'd anticipated a caller such as her at all, that he'd accounted for her desire for the open air. It wasn't as if she'd expected to be wooed―the earrings were a nice touch―Sesshoumaru had proved that seduction was hardly his forte, but the barren floor had the butterflies in her belly withering away to nothing.

He stopped just past the threshold, and Kagura was more than a little disappointed by his lack of enthusiasm, so still in the center of the room. It was almost offensive, the way he kept his back so severely straight, not even turning back to look at her as she closed the door with a little more force than necessary. She usually enjoyed teasing him, but she was starting to think…

"If you didn't want me to come you should have just said so."

At that he did flinch. She felt the sharp intake of breath, saw the way the straightness of his spine wavered just a little, and then he did turn, shadowed by the stars and moonlight behind him but she didn't miss the way his eyes had changed―darkened.

She stood her ground, refused to let him force her back, as he took those final steps towards her, his eyes lit by a different type of fire as he reached a hand up to her jaw, cupping her cheek and pulling them together. He didn't kiss her, instead he pressed his nose to the top of her head, his other hand coming to her waist, fingers tangling in the fabric of her belt. Shock held her frozen for the shortest second before her hands came up, tugging at the lapels of his kosode, pressing herself against his chest, relishing in the warmth of him, the feel of his hand lightly cupping her jaw, she'd been craving it, that same sort of fire that had left her skin tingling like last night, a ghost of a touch, but the Sesshoumaru that held her now was just…

"You thought I would change my mind?"

...Different. Where the night before he'd been injured, a little unsure and feral, his touch going from too hard to too soft within the same breath―now he was purposeful: he did not rip her from her clothes, everything that fell to the floor only suffered the prick of his claws but went otherwise intact. Where he'd been frantic, he was now careful, taking the time to explore, nostrils flared, pupils still blown just as wide as they'd been before…

Her belt fell, and then her two outer robes, leaving her only in the thin inner shift that only came to her thighs. He didn't bother removing that one, content to leave it hanging open wide. His gaze briefly fell on the glass shard hanging between her breasts, only a passing curiosity as his attention moved elsewhere, focused on pushing the cloth to her sides. Claws tickled her skin, trailing along the line of one of her ribs and she couldn't help but shiver, involuntary, but severe enough for him to take notice, to change tactics and move to grip her waist and pull her more soundly against him. There was that scent again―in the hollow of his collarbone, something animal, wild, acidic and dangerous―that cloyingly sweet smell of poison…

She'd gotten quite the eyeful earlier, but it was different being pressed up against him in the confines of his room, able to touch, to trail her lips along his skin, leaving bloodied tracks―she pushed away the lapels of his robe and feel the muscles there, smoothing her palms along his flesh until she came to a point she could pinch―

Something like a snarl ripped its way from his throat and suddenly her back collided with a wall, his lips at her throat and fangs nipping in reprimand as one hand worked its way between her thighs, the other tangling itself in the hair at the base of her skull, wrenching her head back to face him when he pulled away, all glowering golden eyes looking down on her.

"...Not your thing?" she teased, a wry smile on her lips as she circled his nipple once more with her thumb and then moving her hand down his belly. His eyes narrowed before she'd reached her destination, a finger slid between her lower lips, slick with heat, and with just enough pressure to cause her breath to stutter, but―she laughed and wrapped her hand around his length. "You'll have to do a bit better than that."

He didn't give her the chance to properly feel him, the hand in her hair tightened and the other snaked around to grip her behind, bodily lifting her until her thighs snapped around his hips and he lowered them both to the floor with her spread across his lap. His grip on her hair loosened her bun, leaving loose curls to fall around her face and neck, a nuisance that may have been his intention from the start, seeing as how he capitalized on it by pressing his nose to the space behind her ear and winding his fingers in deeper.

He hadn't bothered to procure the proper accommodations, there were no soft pillows or luscious futons laid out for her, but Kagura supposed that hardly mattered when his fur snaked around behind her, softer than any fleece he could have thrown across the tatami. He pushed her back, the fur cushioning her as he came to loom over her, one of her legs still hooked over his thigh and him pressing against her, potent enough even through the fabric of his pants―

A soft sound, something like a sigh left her throat, and it only made his grip on her waist tighten.

Kagura laughed as another shiver shook her. It should have been uncomfortable, wrapped around him with his weight and heat looming over her in the dark, the fur at her back arching her spine so that she was pressed against him oh so nicely. It felt like a trap, her instincts recognized the position, submission before a predator―but when his hand slipped between her legs she hardly cared. Her own hand joined his, gently, careful of his claws, pressing his fingers in a way that was more comfortable, encouraging, even as her free hand went for the thin tie at his hips, loosening it until his pants sagged and she could reach for him―tug and squeeze and pull him closer. She'd waited long enough, stewed in her anticipation, she didn't need much soothing…

Kagura pulled him down, spearing a hand through his hair, cradling the back of his skull, pulling him so that he was pressed against her heat, and Sesshoumaru, cold and dispassionate, buried his nose into the crook of her jaw as he sank into her.

A sweet ache, like the prick of his claws, she welcomed him into her, squeezed her thighs tighter around him. Both of them holding their breath, savoring the feel of each other, his warmth keeping out the cold, his breath fanning her throat, one hand in her hair and the other on her hip, the throb of him inside her… she wasn't sure if it was for her benefit when he pulled out slow―his hips faltered, sinking back into her with the same tentative motion, the stretch of him tender in its own way, a certain sort of softness she hadn't known him to be capable of, but where it was for her benefit or his own she wasn't quite sure. She just needed―

"Harder."

Because him being tender was a different sort of ache, one she didn't want to have to consider, especially when Sesshoumaru rose up, pulled back just a little too much, silver hair a shimmering curtain blotting out the starlight,breathing heavy; he met her eyes, pupils still dilated and looking down on her like…

He thrust deep, and Kagura screamed.

Like that. Her hands scrabbled for purchase on him, his hair, the curve of his spine, the dimple of his hips, the forearm bracketed near her head and digging into his fur, she focused on the feel of him, how hard he was, the move of muscle beneath skin, the heat and scent of him, how his barely contained youki overwhelmed her. Were the marks along his cheeks a little jagged? Maybe, but she couldn't focus when the feeling of him inside of her broke any coherent thought. She pressed on his hip, changing the angle of his thrusts, the rhythm, the dance of give and take―her legs shook and twitched when he shifted, his hips flush against her, his thrusts shallower, keeping the connection against her center, the roll of his hips still hard and deep. A hand found her breast, tweaking a pebbled nipple and sending shockwaves through her nerves―

The sob that wracked her frame was wholly different now, and she mumbled his name, over and over, as that knot finally unwound, warmth spreading through her belly as she came. Her legs trembled around his hips as she tightened around him, spasming and clenching against the continued motion until he buried his nose in the hollow of her throat, biting down on her collarbone as he gave one last hard and heavy thrust, rooting himself deep inside her with a sharp inhale before he finally stilled, his nose buried against her neck and her name spoken so softly she might have thought she imagined it if she hadn't felt the breath against her skin.

They both took several steadying breaths, Kagura trying to get her pulse under control while his breath fanned against her skin. He was still inside of her, and she could feel him still throbbing, though it weakened with every pulse. She didn't want him to pull away, content with him there between her legs, but knew that clinging to him would just make matters worse.

He shifted, withdrew, pulled himself back onto his knees so he could kneel before her. His eyes were half lidded, his pupils still blown wide, but she didn't have it in her to comment on it. Her tongue was heavy in her mouth, just like the rest of her, rested yet restless; wanting to spring up and run, fly, but yet feeling as if she was glued to the floor, the muscles of her legs tingling with satisfaction.

So she watched him, watching her, his kosode open and giving her a view of his abdomen, and below, his length half hard and glistening with the evidence of their coupling. Kagura swallowed thickly and averted her eyes back to his when he moved again, throwing his hair back over his shoulder before he turned away from her to stand. He pulled his pants fully off in the process and dropped his kosode to the floor, leaving him only in his hadagi which reached mid thigh. Kagura forced herself to sit up, pulling her own robes closed.

And now?

There was a tenderness between her thighs, sticky, the scent of sex heavy in the air; Sesshoumaru seemed unphased as he opened a drawer along the wall, she didn't see what he pulled out, hidden by the expanse of his back, only that after he reached for the tea kettle on the hibachi. It sloshed, heavy with water, and she heard the droplets hit the floor with a haphazard drumming.

She was nearly on her knees when he held his hand out to her and handed her the wet cloth without looking.

"Thanks." Her voice cracked, but she refused to clear her throat.

A moment later, as she gently wiped at her tender skin, the sound of a match being lit caught her attention. Sesshoumaru kneeling before the hibachi was an odd sight, but the way the warm glow of the coals sent glimmering sparks through his hair and haloed him against the shadows had her breath catching. She froze, mesmerized by the dance of light against the silver strands. Warmth flooded the room as the stove caught, jumping to life with cracks and pops. She nearly jumped when he finally spoke.

"Kagura."

"Hn?"

"Are you recovered?"

She held onto the lapels of her robes, tightly holding them closed. She swallowed.

"I am."

Sesshoumaru turned, the light cutting across his eyes and setting them ablaze with golden fire. He approached, and the sight of the daiyoukai Sesshoumaru, mostly naked and crawling towards her on hands and knees was one she wouldn't forget easily, something both predatory and pitiful in the action; but she said nothing, even as he reached forward and pulled her hair free from its binding, dragging his palm just below her ear to cup her cheek. Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders as a hand touched her thigh and his lips came within inches of her own.

"I would like to do that again."

And he pulled her back down with him.

Two chapters in one week to make up for two months