AN: This chapter's a little heavier on plot than smut (hence why it's longer), but I promise it's still there!

Prompt: First Time/Marathon Sex

Chapter 5: Legacy Planning

Over the past few days, Towa had gotten downright insufferable.

For the rest of the day after the girls "caught" them in the act, Towa had worn a shit-eating grin that looked suspiciously like the one that frequented Inuyasha's face. (It confirmed for Sesshoumaru that even the shortest time his children spent in his brother's presence was too long.)

Over the next couple of days, she kept trying to get herself and Setsuna out of the way, saying they would spend the days outside.

But Rin was having none of it.

"I meant it when I said we're going to implement a schedule. I've read all about American homeschooling methods lately, and I'm not going to let my girls slack off," Rin said.

Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if Rin was completely aware of Towa's scheme to leave them alone at all costs, but he was more than happy not to play Towa's game. As much as he desired to be with his wife, there was a difference between sneaking in some intimacy and being granted it by his daughter.

Sesshoumaru had never taken well to being a pawn in others' games…even if the result of those games benefited him as well.

But over the next couple of days, Towa's smile waned, slowly replaced by one of confusion…and then frustration. Rin had crafted a schedule with the girls and oversaw it like a drill instructor. And while the girls were studying, she kept herself busy as well—to the point where she had exhausted herself by the end of each day. Sesshoumaru decided to use the time to work in quiet peace alongside his daughters, taking care of matters he needed to see to as lord general of the Dog Demon Clan. Although his mother was handling the day-to-day tasks of the Dog Demon lands, he had plenty to see to as the liaison with the Southern government.

Under the established routine, the girls began each morning with physical exercises. He and Inuyasha tag-teamed on overseeing their drills in the practice arena or on the obstacle course. During that time, Rin and Kagome would cook up breakfast for everyone, and they would sit down together to eat in the dining hall.

"Good morning, Mama," Towa said to Rin, giving her her customary morning hug. Towa casually sniffed Rin's neck—but not so casually that her mother didn't notice.

"Oh, sweetie, you're all sweaty! Did you make me smell?" Rin asked, backing away and smelling her shoulder.

"No, Mama—you smell just the same," Towa answered with a plastered-on smile. When she turned away to sit down at the table, Sesshoumaru watched as her smile flipped over, and she grumbled under her breath, "And that's the problem."

"Good, because I already took my shower," Rin laughed. "I'll give you a proper hug after you're all cleaned up."

Sesshoumaru sat in silence, observing the table as everyone ate. Once they were done, Jaken took all their dishes and went to wash them. He had wished to be of some service to his lord's lady, but given how independent Rin was, it had been difficult for Jaken to find a way to be useful to her. So he took it upon himself to clean up after meals and tidy up their living quarters, since there were no maids to see to it as there were in Sesshoumaru's palace.

"I'm going to go look over my garden," Rin announced.

"You've been going at it every day lately!" Kagome answered. Rin had taken to weeding out her old garden and setting it to rights. Much of it was already growing with volunteers during the spring season, but she figured that while they were living in camp, she could at least make it tidy again.

"Yes, well…the garden helps me think, and I've had a lot of that to do recently," Rin replied with a smile. "You're welcome to help me out!"

"Maybe a little later. Inuyasha and I have really gotten into this foraging thing. The Zone is such a great place to learn about all the edible and medicinal plants out there. I figure we should know this stuff just in case shipments fail or we need extra resources," Kagome said.

Sesshoumaru walked back with his girls to their cabin. Moroha ran off to get her books to join them (she had been roped into homeschooling as well). When they got inside, he took his place at the table in the old kitchen and took up the first paper on the stack he had to look over that day.

Towa came up next to him and slapped her hands on the table in an overly dramatic fashion.

"Papa, we need to talk."

He cocked an eyebrow at her in response.

"Why does Mama smell the same?" his daughter asked.

Setsuna looked over as she sat down in her seat. She often allowed Towa to shower first while she started her schoolwork. "Why wouldn't she?"

Towa puffed her cheeks out as she always did when she got angry. He had always found it cute—it was something Rin too had done as a child—so despite the impending irritation he knew was coming, he couldn't be too mad at her. "Because shouldn't she smell like you now, Papa? The way Aunt Kagome smells like Uncle Inuyasha? At this rate, I'm never going to get my baby brother!"

Moroha chose that moment to walk into the cabin with her adopted school things (Setsuna's old books), and she froze in the doorway. "Uh…should I come back?"

Setsuna too had the grace to look embarrassed while gaping at her twin.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at Towa. "That is none of your concern, Towa."

"Is it because we're here?" Towa asked. "Because you think we'll hear?"

"Towaaaaa," Setsuna moaned, hiding her face in her hands.

"Because we can leave! Just say the word and—"

"Towa, enough," Sesshoumaru said, his patience growing thin. "Children have no business sticking their noses in their parents' affairs."

"But Papa, if something's wrong—"

"Nothing is wrong, Towa. Do not speak of this again," he said, getting up and brushing past Moroha, who skittered out of the way. He could not be in the same room as his daughter right now. He decided to go to Rin, who always had a soothing effect on him.

Of course, the garden wasn't very far, and so his demon ears picked up on the succeeding conversation.

"Damn, you've got balls, Towa. I mean, I may have grown up around a bunch of horny, carefree wolves, but even I wouldn't ask Uncle Sessh about his sex life to his face," Moroha said.

"I just don't understand! I thought they finally got back together a few days ago, but Mama doesn't smell…claimed," Towa answered. "Don't you think that's weird? They haven't seen each other in fifteen years! Shouldn't they want to be with each other like that?"

"Maybe they're just out of practice and feeling awkward about it. Fifteen years is a long time," Moroha mused. "And to be honest…I wouldn't believe your dad could get down and dirty if you two weren't here as proof."

"Moroha, please, stop," Setsuna begged.

"He's definitely a very private person," Towa murmured. "But I've seen how affectionate he is with Mama for myself. He's a completely different person around her."

"Hey, give 'em time, Towa. Maybe that was enough for them for a bit. I mean, even my parents don't do it all the time. At least…I don't think they do," Moroha replied.

"Because they are well practiced at hiding it," Setsuna answered with barely restrained disgust.

"Shit, have you heard them go at it before?" Moroha asked in horrified glee.

Setsuna sounded like she swallowed something foul. "Once. I was only eight years old at the time. I woke up early one morning—around the time Uncle would get back from work. Then I heard Aunt Kagome, um…calling for Uncle a lot. I was worried something had happened to him, so I ran upstairs to check on them. When I opened the door to their room…."

"Oh hell," Moroha groaned.

"I was mortified. I didn't even know what I was seeing—not until a few years later, when I got The Talk. Unfortunately, that moment was seared in my memory forever. I assume after that they kept their dirty deeds to when I was at school. So Towa, please stop this crusade for a sibling and do not make me relive that. You're just going to have to live with me being your only sibling for the time being," Setsuna answered.

"Nope, I refuse. We are getting that baby brother—one way or another."

Setsuna groaned.

"What happens if you get another baby sister?" Moroha asked with a chuckle.

"Then I just keep demanding a baby brother, of course!" Towa answered with a laugh.

"You'll likely have to live with whatever we get—if anything," Setsuna answered. "Mother's not getting any younger, you know."

A pregnant silence descended upon the girls.

After a moment, Moroha broke the awkward tension. "Yeaaah, I've accepted that I'm going to be an only child. I mean, if my parents had wanted another kid by now, I figure they would have had one, right? And besides, my mom's older than yours, so it's probably not in the cards anymore."

"It wasn't so much wanting as it was ability," Setsuna murmured. "They were heartbroken about your kidnapping, Moroha, and I think that prevented them from wanting another child for a while. But…they did try. I was pretty young, but I remember Aunt Kagome telling me that I was going to have a new cousin to play with. I was very excited. But only a couple weeks later…I smelled a lot of blood, and Uncle rushed her to the hospital. Mother had to explain to me that she lost the baby. I think the idea of losing not just one but two children devastated her…and I don't think they tried again after that."

"Oh," Moroha murmured in a small voice.

Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth. He hadn't known that about his brother. He recalled it took them a long time to conceive Moroha. Inuyasha would never tell him of course, so it was Rin who intimated to him that the two were having trouble conceiving. Rin herself had only confided that because she felt anxious about telling her in-laws their own news of their impending pups, worried about how they would feel after years of failed attempts.

So it had been a truly joyous day for Rin (and himself, if he was being truly honest) as well when Kagome and Inuyasha broke their own news.

He looked down now at his wife, blissfully unaware of the serious conversation taking place inside the cabin as she rooted around in the dirt of her garden. She hadn't noticed him yet. But the girls' words brought him back to the discussion he and Rin had had about children a few days ago. Something he had told Rin kept bothering him: There's still time, Rin.

There was…but how much?

Rin's near miss with death six months ago had reignited a quest he had started many years ago and shoved to the back of his mind as time went on.

He wanted to find a way to grant his wife his immortality.

On the surface level, he had known what he was getting into when he married Rin. She was destined to die within the century, and he would continue on for however long he could until someone finally did him in or he gave up on his own life. But in the spring of her youth, that worry had been far from Sesshoumaru's mind. More critical at the time had been figuring out how to keep the fact that he had married a human and sired half-demon children a secret from his own people and hers while protecting his fledgling family.

Then he had helped draft the armistice and signed away his freedom to be with his family. At the same time, he became a single father, and while half of him despaired at the loss of his wife and youngest child, the other had to step in and learn how to be a more present father than he had been in the six months since the girls were born. Towa required constant care, and though he had had a palace full of retainers to help, he also hadn't trusted all of them. His men respected and feared him, but prejudices against half-demons were still strong. He kept Towa close to him in those early years until he was convinced that his people would treat her like the princess she was.

Without a war to wage against humans, he inevitably took on more governmental duties. Time passed for him as it always had, and it was only Towa's growth that made him pause occasionally and consider its passage.

One moment, she was pushing herself to her feet and taking careful, shaky steps towards him; the next, she was having her first swordsmanship lesson. Then she was going off with Yawaragi for training. Before he knew it, his little girl had become a young woman, and it occurred to him that he was wasting time.

Councilor Shiori's request for assistance in beginning Camp Half-Blood had been an unpleasant reminder—but a welcome one—of all the time he had lost.

He made sure to lose none after that.

And as soon as he figured out that Setsuna had come home from camp instead of Towa—he had had his suspicions ever since she unleased the Wind Scar, but he waited until she had undeniably outed herself through her musical ability—he wasted no time in waging his war for The Wall.

Of course, it wasn't that he hadn't thought about Rin and Setsuna at all over those fourteen years. On the contrary, he thought about them every day. He wondered if they were well—if they were alive—and what they were doing. As he watched Towa grow, he wondered if Setsuna looked similar to her sister. He wondered if Rin was able to get by with the money he left her. He wondered if his brother had done a decent job of looking after his family.

He wondered if there was a way to get their time back.

It had been a passing thought on occasion, and sometimes he found himself researching old tomes in the family library to see if there was a way to grant a human a demon's longevity. When he found nothing there, he didn't despair, because he figured he had more time to look.

But suddenly, the day came when he met his family again, and the first time he saw Rin outside her old garden, he was both overjoyed and, if he was being honest, panicked.

It wasn't that she had changed drastically, but his eye noted all the little differences age had brought her.

If he didn't act soon, he was going to lose her again before he knew it.

Then she was shot, and he was afraid he had lost her.

He broke down and straight out asked his mother if the Meido Stone she wore had the power he sought.

"No, Sesshoumaru," she answered. "I can bring a soul back, if necessary, but I cannot grant someone eternal life."

He despaired then of ever learning an answer when his mother's next words surprised him.

"You should go see you father's old friend, Bokuseno. He may know of a way."

It had been ages since he had gone to visit the demon magnolia tree. Sesshoumaru had taken Towa once when she was a child to formally introduce her. Bokuseno had been understandably surprised by the knowledge that he had sired a half-demon, but the nosy old tree just cracked a joke about him taking after his father after all and left it at that.

So, while Towa was still in the South tending to Rin, he sought out his father's old advisor.

"About time you've come to pay me a visit. Your father made sure to stop by at least once a year. How long has it been since I've seen you, boy—a decade?" the crotchety old tree harrumphed.

"I seek a way to give a human a demon's lifespan," Sesshoumaru said.

"Getting straight down to business as usual, I see. Never spare a moment to ask an old tree how he's doing," Bokuseno grumbled. "It would have been possible a few years ago, of course, but not now."

"What do you mean?"

"You're working against time, my boy—that's the problem. There's only one being I know with the power to halt a creature's time, and that's the Tree of Ages."

"Where can I find it?"

"Ah, see now, that's the kicker. It's not too far south of your lands, but if I'm correct, it resides in the Zone of Neutrality now. You can't step foot there without inciting a war again, am I right?"

Sesshoumaru smirked then. "There you would be wrong."

Of course, overseeing affairs in the Zone had taken up much of his time, but he had still begun searching for the Tree of Ages. He hadn't yet found it.

But he could start again. The Zone was a narrow strip of land. It would not take long to cover the entirety of it.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru!" Rin's voice broke him out of his thoughts. She had stood up and turned around, clutching her phone to her in mild fright. "I didn't know you were there! You're so quiet—just like Setsuna! Always creeping up on me," she laughed. "You'd think I'd be used to it by now."

She needed no prompting to tell him what she was doing. "I was just taking some photos of the garden for social media." She brought her phone over to him and started showing him the photos. Though some were taken from the angle he could see perfectly fine from where he stood, others were close-up shots that were well laid out. "I kept the shop's Facebook page open, since I promised our customers that I'd update them on the move and everything. I started posting photos of my old garden the other day, and they got so many likes!"

He didn't understand what a "like" was, but since it made her smile, it must have been a good thing.

"Someone even commented on how she'd love if I could mail her some plants because they were so beautiful, and…that got me thinking. Maybe I can still run my business from here. I'd have to check with the government and everything, but…I'm wondering if I can create a mail-order plant business, since I can't sell them in a physical store anymore."

He was not sure if that was possible, but human technology had come a long way. He reached out and smoothed her errant hair along her scalp. "I know you can do whatever you put your mind to, Rin."

She beamed. "Do you really think so? I would need a very large plot of land to be able to grow enough plants for a business."

"I will get you whatever land you need." The perks of being a clan ruler and one of the first "settlers" in the rehabilitation program.

"And I think I can keep it low-cost if I look for some plants around the Zone and harvest seeds or transplant them. This place has become such an Eden over the last several years that's it's absolutely brimming with wildflowers! I'd have to go exploring and map out where everything is, of course, but what else do I have but time now?"

Sesshoumaru's interest perked up. This seemed like the perfect way to both spend time with his wife and let them both seek out what they desired: he the Tree of Ages and she her wildflowers.

"I will take you wherever you would like to go, Rin. Do you wish do start now?"

Rin's eyes widened. "Right now?" Then she took in the blue sky littered with puffy white clouds and the cool spring breeze running through their hair. Her smile lit up to rival the midday sun. "It'd be like a date! I'd love to, Sesshoumaru. Let me just grab some things!"

She came back moments later with paper and pencils. Sesshoumaru then took her in his arms and started flying towards the last area where he had searched for the Tree of Ages.

They spent the afternoon flying over meadows and lakes, copses of trees and along the river bisecting the Zone. When Rin spotted particularly vibrant patches of flowers from above, she would point them out and request to land. As she detailed the species and their locations in her notebook, Sesshoumaru searched around all the nearby trees, reaching out with his demonic power and feeling for some sort of awareness. He assumed the Tree of Ages was similar to Bokuseno in that it would give off some type of aura that he would recognize. So far, however, he had yet to locate it.

The sun was beginning its descent, half-hidden beyond The Wall, and quickly cloaking the Zone in premature darkness. Rin looked up in amazement. "Is it sunset already? Where did the day go? We should head back, Sesshoumaru. The girls will be wondering where we are, and I need to help with dinner."

With a nod, he took her into his arms again and hefted her into the sky. He started flying back towards the camp. The way Rin lay in his arms—bridal style—she could peer back around his arm.

"Oh wow, that tree is huge! It absolutely towers over the others," she remarked, staring behind him.

Sesshoumaru glanced backwards to see what caught her attention, and his eyes widened.

The tree was gargantuan—meaning it was absolutely ancient. What were the chances?

He touched down on a smaller treetop and them pivoted back the way they came, heading for the tree. "Sesshoumaru, where are you going?" his wife asked. Seeing the direction he was taking, she added, "We don't have to go look at it—it was only an observation."

After a moment of flying, he alit near the base of the tree and set Rin down. She tilted her head straight back, staring up at it with her mouth set in a wowed "o."

Sesshoumaru could already feel the gravitas of this tree. There was certainly a strange energy to it—almost like Bokuseno's tree but not as obvious as demonic energy.

"What a magnificent tree," Rin breathed, reaching up to touch its bark. "You can tell it's been here a long time. I'm amazed it made it through the war."

Sesshoumaru too placed a hand on its trunk. He forced his demonic energy in to probe it.

Who dares pry into my awareness?

Rin jerked her hand back and looked around. "Who was that?"

So she had heard the voice as well. Sesshoumaru removed his hand, nonplussed. "You are the Tree of Ages."

…I am. It has been many a year since a visitor came to these parts—let alone a demon and a human together. Have your kinds reconciled their differences already?

"Not quite," he answered.

Curious. Why then do you seek me?

"I am searching for a way to grant a mortal more time."

Rin gasped, her eyes flying to him. "Sesshoumaru?"

The Tree was silent for a moment. Is this the mortal whose life you wish to extend?

Sesshoumaru clenched his hand. "She is my wife."

The tree's voice took on an amused tone. How extraordinary. Do come in. We should have this discussion face-to-face.

Sesshoumaru was only mildly surprised when a portal opened up before him. He reached out for Rin's hand. "Come."

But Rin just stared at him with wide eyes. "Sesshoumaru…what exactly are you trying to do?"

His expression softened. "Just as I said, Rin. I want more time with you. Do you not wish for the same?"

"Of course I want more time with you, Sesshoumaru! But…is it truly possible?" She clutched her hands to her chest, her eyes growing glossy. "Tell me the truth, Sesshoumaru. I couldn't bear it if you gave me hope only to rip it away."

"That is what we must find out," he answered, stretching out his hand further. "Be brave, Rin. I will be here beside you."

Tentatively, she placed her hand in his, and he pulled her with him into the tree.

Darkness enveloped them as they walked, but with every step, they splashed through water, though his boots did not grow wet. Light coalesced further down their path, and soon they stepped into a green-tinged world of sparkling waterfalls and lakes and towering trees beside them.

"Where are we?" Rin asked. "I thought we walked into a tree of all things."

"I am the Tree of Ages," a voice spoke from behind them, and their whirled around to find a woman with long, black hair pulled back in a low ponytail and wearing a set of white robes and red hakama. Her body was partly translucent, and the same aura Sesshoumaru had felt from the tree surrounded her.

"You're a priestess?" Rin asked.

"This is but a borrowed form," the Tree of Ages said. "This priestess devoted her life to caring for me and keeping me safe from the ravages of war. She died defending me many years ago. When she passed, there was a time where I feared I would be cut down or blasted away in battle. Luckily, I survived, and then the armistice ensured a peaceful existence. Now I hear that this area is to be rehabilitated—developed—once again. I fear I may not survive in the name of 'progress.'"

"We can protect you!" Rin stepped forward, always the first to volunteer to save others. "We can ensure you're never cut down. Right, Sesshoumaru?"

It was certainly within his power—for a price.

"If she can grant you the time I seek, I will consider it," he answered.

The Tree cocked her head to the side. "What exactly is it you seek, Sesshoumaru? Do you wish to go back in time and change your decisions? Perhaps you wish you had never helped draft the armistice. The country would still be at war, yes, but at least you could have been with your family."

Sesshoumaru huffed. "For how long? I hear the words you do not speak, Tree of Ages. I suspect you are well aware of the futures not taken. And perhaps many of them ended in my family's deaths."

"Perhaps," the Tree acknowledged. "So you do not regret your choice?"

"No." To regret his decision would be to discount all the work his daughters had done to bring them back together and make strides towards peace. It was an accomplishment he could not boast. He would not take that away from them.

"Then what 'time' is it that you wish to gain?"

Sesshoumaru looked over at Rin and held her gaze. "I do not wish to live without her." Rin's eyes were full of love and longing as he reached up to cup her cheek. "Our hearts are tied. I wish to tie our lives as well." Tears dripped out of Rin's eyes as she turned and kissed his palm.

"I see. You are afraid."

Sesshoumaru whipped around to face the Tree, pinning her with a glare. She only laughed.

"Indeed. You have lived without her these fifteen years, but now that you are together, you fear to lose her once more. Tell me, Sesshoumaru—do you plan to follow her into the afterlife?"

Rin gasped and looked up at him, worry sculpted in her face. But he could not answer her. In truth, he had pondered that very question many a time. Some days, he felt as if he would not be able to go on without her. Others, he would look at Towa and remember he had daughters he would be leaving behind. He would prepare them to face life as best he could, and yet the idea of parting from them left a hole in his heart.

The Tree hummed in thought. "Very well, Sesshoumaru. I shall grant your request—on the condition that you and your family consecrate yourselves to me, protecting me throughout the ages. For it is a great gift I would bestow on your wife and one many humans would wish to have for themselves."

"Even the children?" Rin asked. She hesitated. "I don't like the thought of deciding their fates myself."

"If it meant you would be with them for as long as I am, they would not hesitate to allow it, Rin," Sesshoumaru said.

But Rin appeared deep in thought. "And what about Kagome? Would you offer her the same deal as well? What about any other mortals who might join our family in the future? It seems to me this deal should be made on an individual basis between you and those of our family who wish for your aid," she said.

The Tree inclined her head. "Fair enough."

Rin sucked in a breath and turned to Sesshoumaru, a cautious smile tipping up her lips.

"Of course, whether you attain Sesshoumaru's life is contingent upon your passing the test," the Tree added.

"What do you mean?" Rin asked.

The Tree held her gaze. "If you count all the days you have lived with this man, it amounts to mere months. Do you truly understand what it would be to life forever with a demon?"

Rin's brows furrowed in confusion. "Of course. I'm not afraid of Sesshoumaru, if that's what you're implying. I love him—all of him."

"Is that so? You can accept every part of him—even the most demonic parts?"

Sesshoumaru stiffened. He had been very careful to keep Rin away from the battlefield. She did not need to see his battle lust.

"Of course!" she proclaimed.

The Tree smiled in a smug way that made Sesshoumaru want to punch her—if he knew his fist would connect with the incorporeal body. "We shall see. Come then. We will proceed at once, assuming, of course, that you wish to waste no more time."

She turned and walked away through a grove of trees. Sesshoumaru and Rin followed her. The trees thickened, obscuring the radiant green light from the glen of falls until they were enveloped in darkness once more. Water still splashed beneath their feet, but roots twined all around them, creating a cave.

Soon, they stepped into a room with a single tree growing up from the water. They walked across the surface of the lake as if it were solid, though ripples radiated from their footsteps. The tree itself glowed blue, streams of bubbles rising within it.

"Your demonic energy is what grants you longevity, Sesshoumaru. You must share it with Rin if she is to live as long as you do. But to do so, you will have to become one flesh and envelop her with the entirety of your demonic power," the Tree explained.

"Become one flesh?" Rin echoed. "You don't mean…?"

"I do. Do not fear for your privacy. I take no interest in the couplings of fleshy beings.

Sesshoumaru's nose curled. Despite the Tree's reassurance, he did not like the idea of his intimacy with Rin being on display.

But if it meant he could have Rin by his side for as long as he lived…then the short-lived embarrassment would be worth it.

"And the tests?" Rin asked.

"If Sesshoumaru can successfully infuse his energy in you, then the tests will follow. How long they take depends on you." The spirit of the Tree gestured to the glowing trunk. "When you are ready, step into this tree and begin. For now I'll leave you to it, though should you need me, I am but a call away." And with that, the spirit disappeared.

After a moment, Sesshoumaru turned to his wife. "Are you ready, Rin?"

She stared at the water-filled tree. "This seems too good to be true. We have sex and suddenly I'm immortal? If it were that easy, wouldn't it have happened before?"

"Do you trust me, Rin?"

Her eyes widened. "Of course."

He stepped forward and took hold of her waist and neck. "Then believe." He kissed her then, slow and sensual, coaxing her out of her anxiety. Soon enough, she started to respond, and when she wrapped her arms around his neck, he knew he had her.

He peppered kisses along her jaw and neck as he lifted her shirt from her body. She bit his ear as she yanked apart the ties of his armor. When he stepped back to lift it off, she went ahead and pulled down her shorts and kicked off her sneakers, leaving her in nothing but a set of red satin underwear. The crimson cups along her breasts drew his eyes like a bull to a cape, and he leaned down to kiss those swells as his fingers works to unhook the clasps behind her. Meanwhile, she untied his pants, letting them drop, and he stepped out of them and toed off his boots as he peeled away her bra, revealing the matching red nipples.

But before he could latch onto them, Rin spread her fingers over his pectorals and pushed his kimono off his shoulders. He let it fall to the floor in a heap, and she attached herself to his chest, kissing the spot above his heart and then shimming down and biting his nipple.

He hissed, grabbing her buttocks and yanking her body against his. She was so short, his dick ground against her belly instead of her hips, but the friction was all they cared about.

Rin pulled a leg around the back of his and nudged it forward. Then she straddled his thigh and started to hump him as she licked her way down his chest, her tongue dipping into every curve of his pecs and abs.

Sesshoumaru growled as he felt her slick grow thicker and thicker upon him. She bent lower and lower, his licks turning into kisses that she trailed along the stripes on his waist that pointed straight to his crotch. When she reached it, she gently took his semi-flaccid dick in her mouth and shook it like a dog with a bone.

Fireworks danced in Sesshoumaru's balls as her teeth skimmed his sensitive shaft, and when she was finished playing, she placed a kiss on it as if in repentance. But there was nothing to forgive.

He hauled her up into his arms then, bringing her lips back to his. Still kissing her, he brought her over to the tree and stepped inside its porous trunk.

Rin jumped in his arms as they entered, looking around in shock. Her hair floated around her as if they were indeed suspended in water, and yet the interior of the tree felt like air. Bubbles skimmed up his skin though, leaving trails of excitement in their wake.

Rin reached out to run her fingers through the billowing locks of his hair. "So this is it, huh? Our first time in fifteen years…and it's in a tree of all places." She giggled.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, nuzzling his nose with hers. "And when we succeed, it will be only the first of indefinite years to come."

Rin reached up, tracing the stripes on his cheeks. "What did she mean by possessing me with your demonic energy?"

He clutched her tighter. "Sometimes I lose myself in our passion."

"You mean when your eyes go red? When your demonic side surfaces?"

He nodded. "I fear I will have to let it have free reign."

She smiled, brushing his bangs back from his eyes. "It's fine, Sesshoumaru. You won't hurt me. I can't believe you still think you would."

He could. That was why the Tree's earlier words to Rin haunted him. Could she accept him if he ever hurt her on accident because of what he was?

"If I recall correctly, I brought out a bit of that demon a few days ago, when I was playing with this," she hissed, grabbing onto his length and stroking it.

The truth was, even just a hand job would be enough to let out his beast. It never needed much encouragement with her. He simply did his best to keep it on a leash.

But today, he let it free.

His acidic blood burned as his energy flared. His teeth ached as they grew longer and sharper, and his skin itched as it waited to sprout fur.

Rin yelped as he picked her up and held her against his waist. She wrapped her legs around his hips and clutched onto him, staring at his face. Keeping one arm wrapped around his neck, her other traced a zigzag within his stripes. Then she leaned over and kissed the moon on his forehead and followed with the lids of his eyes and finally the lips framing a mouthful of dangerous teeth.

"You're beautiful, Sesshoumaru. And you're mine." She reached down and grabbed his dick once more, swiping its tip through her wet folds.

Claimed.

Now he had to claim her.

"Sheath me," he growled, his voice barely recognizable.

Rin nodded, positioning him against her entrance and then letting gravity impale her upon him.

"Uuuugh," Rin groaned as she slid. "Oh, Sesshoumaru, it's you. It's finally you. You're home."

Home. That's exactly what her womb felt like.

He held onto her as he lowered her further, trying to sink her down to his balls. Rin cried out as he lifted her up and down to take more of his girth. Her pelvic muscles worked to keep her clutched to his body, convulsing around his cock in a tight squeeze that had him seeing stars.

"Oh, I…missed this," Rin gasped as he pounded into her. "Don't stop."

"Never."

At once point, he slammed her down against him and swirled his hips in a circle. Rin seized up in his arms and suddenly bit down on the meat of her shoulder, muffling a scream, though her teeth didn't break the surface of his skin.

The prink of pain sent a jolt straight to his cock, and it started to inflate with his knot.

Rin gasped and let go of his shoulder. "W-What's going on? Sesshoumaru…are you getting bigger?"

She moaned as her lips stretched to accommodate him, and he gave her little licks along her face and neck and chest to reassure her, his humanoid brain blending with his dog one as he struggled to keep his demon separate from himself. He raked dug his talons into her shoulders, pricking her skin, and she arched her back on instinct. He nit her nipples as they popped up, tugging at them and eliciting another cry.

Then he ground their pelvises together, thrusting shallowly since his growing knot made it difficult, but it was enough to generate friction along her clit.

"Oh, oh, oh, almost there, oh—Sesshoumaru!" she screamed, her core seizing around him.

The pressure on his knot triggered his release, and he shot a hot load into her. Instinct crashed over him, and with a roar, he bit down on her shoulder, fangs sinking into her flesh. Rin screamed.

And then the tree glowed a blinding white.

AN: Sorry if the smut wasn't as exciting this time, but the plot kind of hijacked this chapter. (I wrote WAAAY more than expected and got tired out by the end as a result.) Hopefully though I can make it up to you next chapter, which jumps right off from here and is basically all about the sex (consider the next chapter a continuation of the "marathon" prompt, lol). I likely won't be posting it tomorrow, since I am taking a day trip, but I'll get it up as soon as I can! Thanks for reading!