AN: So, fair warning, this chapter's going to be a little different. I don't wish to spoil it, but…I apologize in advance for the angst.
Prompt: Nice and Slow/Harder! Faster!
Chapter 6: Living Arrangements
Sesshoumaru sliced through the samurai's neck, blood spattering his face as the male's head toppled off. He licked his lips, the coppery flavor bursting on his tongue. His vision reddened as his demonic energy flared.
More. He had to have more.
He picked up the headless body, a fountain of blood still pouring from the neck. He hefted it over his head and tilted it back, letting the blood fall into his mouth. The crimson fluid splashed down on his face and chest, mingling with the blood of other mortals already spilled upon it.
This battle had already lasted for three days, and his energy was waning. Sesshoumaru tried to keep his composure during battle, but inevitably his demon let loose the more blood that was spilled.
A woman ran across his path, her kimono torn and a wolf demon on her tail. They disappeared behind a half-destroyed hut. Second later, the woman screamed.
"No, please stop! Let me go!" she sobbed. "HELP!"
Her pleas fell on deaf ears. At least Sesshoumaru had enough control of himself not to fall into rape—he was not quite so baseless. But he did not stop his men from doing as they wished if they needed to work off some battle lust.
Humans were beneath them. What he and his men did to them was of little consequence.
He walked through the town looking for any remaining human soldiers. Torn corpses littered the dirt streets, the ground so soaked with blood that it could no longer consume it. Crimson puddles pooled in ruts as in the aftermath of monsoons. Demons feasted in the streets and houses or took their pleasure where women remained.
Another woman screamed, and she suddenly came tearing up from the river below the town. Another wolf demon pursued her. She had pulled the folds of her purple-and-white kimono apart, letting her legs flash with no regard as she sprinted up the hill. He watched in mild interest, curious to see how far she would make it before she was caught.
Then she looked up the hill and her eyes met his. Recognition alit in them, and she cried out, "Sesshoumaru, help me!"
He frowned. How dare this woman call him so casually. He was surprised a peasant like her even knew of his honored name.
Somehow, she put on a burst of extra speed, coming straight towards him.
The fool. She rushes straight to her death. At least if the wolf caught her, she might still live, even if she was damaged after the encounter.
But the woman didn't stop. The wolf demon was slowing down in confusion, watching her make a beeline for his superior. Sesshoumaru stood still, curious to see what she would do.
His eyes widened as she crashed into his chest, wrapping her arms around him.
The wolf demon pulled up short. "Lord General, is she…yours?"
"Of course not, fool," Sesshoumaru spat, grabbing the woman's shoulder and tearing her off him. She yelped as she stumbled backward and fell to the ground, her disheveled kimono spreading around her bared legs like butterfly wings. He noted with curiosity the embroidered butterflies on her kimono. The style was so similar to the pattern his mother wore. In fact, the quality of the silk when he had touched it had been very fine indeed. Was this woman not a peasant after all?
"Then may I—?" the wolf asked.
"No. She may be useful," Sesshoumaru answered. If this was the wife or daughter of the local warlord, he had suddenly acquired a useful bargaining chip. "Leave us." The wolf demon nodded and ran off in search of other prey.
The woman stood up and smiled at him. "You saved me, Sesshoumaru."
Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth and grabbed her arm in a bruising grip. She winced. "I did no such thing. You are obviously nobility. Tell me who your husband is, and I may yet spare your life."
The woman's brows puckered in confusion. "Sesshoumaru, what are you talking about? I'm your wife."
"You have the gall to lie to my face, woman?" Sesshoumaru hissed. He squeezed her arm tighter, but thought she sucked in a breath, strangely she did not make even a whimper. "I will not ask again."
The woman dared to glare at him as if she were his upset wife. "I would never lie to you, Sesshoumaru—just as you never lie to me. If you don't believe me, then smell me."
Sesshoumaru peered at her. Only someone well acquainted with demons would understand how the claiming scent worked. Out of curiosity, he pulled her closer and bent down to sniff her neck. She did not flinch from him, despite the fact that he was covered in blood.
He took a deep breath, trying to dispel the metallic blood from his nose. Her scent was so subtle yet familiar, almost as if—
His eyes widened and he shot up. "What trickery is this?"
His scent was indeed all over her. Fresh, as if she had just been newly claimed.
"It's not trick, Sesshoumaru. You are my husband and I your wife."
"Lies."
Her brows dipped into a frustrated V. "How can you say that? I've borne you two children, Sesshoumaru!"
He huffed a laugh. "Now I know you lie." He had never lain with a woman in his life. It was impossible for him to have children.
"My body doesn't lie," she answered, tugging up at her obi and pulling apart the folds of her kimono up her leg even more until her hip showed. His eyebrows rose a fraction in astonishment at her boldness. She pointed to some faint, white lines along the crevice of her hip. "You see? These are the stretch marks I got from carrying our girls."
"Whoever's by-blows you have borne, I assure you, they are not mine."
She looked up at him in confusion, studying his face. Her eyes dipped lower along his body, finally taking in his bloodstained appearance. Then her eyes latched onto the swords at his side. "Where's Bakusaiga?"
"What?"
She reached out towards Tenseiga's hilt. He let her go and stepped back.
Why did I retreat? And from a human woman at that?
"You have the Tenseiga, so your father must have passed away already, but I don't recognize that other sword. Oh, wait—is that Tokijin? I forgot you once had that!"
Sesshoumaru stared at this woman in befuddlement. "Who are you? How do you know so much about me?"
Only other demons would be aware of his father's demise and how he had inherited this useless sword as a result. But to know the names of his swords? Only those who actually knew him would have that knowledge.
The woman huffed and put her hands on her hips like a mad fish wife. "I told you, Sesshoumaru—I'm your wife, Rin. Seriously, this little act is getting really old."
Her act was the one getting old. "I would never stoop so low as to mate with a human."
She jerked back as if he had hit her, hurt finally crossing her features. How was it that manhandling her hadn't been enough to cause her pain, but a few obvious words had?
Suddenly, her eyes widened in understanding. "This is the test she was talking about." She nodded to herself, continuing to babble as though he weren't there. "Of course. She's the Tree of Ages. She questioned if I knew how to accept a true demon, so she transported me to the past—or at least created an illusion of it—so I could see who you were before I met you. So I could see you at a time when you let your demon run wild." She took a deep breath and straightened, turning to face him head-on. "Well, the joke's on her. Does she think a little blood is going to scare me off? I've seen battlefields before, and I have no illusions about what you've done. But the war is over now. My Sesshoumaru doesn't slaughter humans anymore."
He was so caught up in her ramblings that he didn't register her movements until it was too later.
The woman—Rin—stepped straight into his personal space, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him down for a kiss.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, and he was just about to shove her off when she had the audacity to lick his bloodstained lips and smile. She pulled back and met his eyes, running her tongue across the top of her own reddened lips. "Hmm, that's got a bit of a kick to it. I've never seen you drink blood before, but I suppose I can see why you might like it." A curious look came into her eyes. "Wait. Back at the Tree…you did bite me. Do you…want to taste my blood?"
A whiff of her scent hit him again—her scent mixed with his—and suddenly, the vision of biting her sparked an ember in his loins.
Impossible.
"Temptress," he hissed, shoving her away. He pulled out Tokijin and leveled it at her. "Witch. I know not what magics you use to cause this illusion of possession, but I will not be caught in your trap."
Her heartbeat picked up as she stared at the sword leveled at her throat. Finally, a hint of fear.
But then the insane woman stepped toward him and grabbed his hand, moving the blade towards her neck. She held his stare. "If you can bring yourself to spill my blood out of spite, then you are not my Sesshoumaru. But if you ever wish for just a taste of it…I won't hesitate to give it to you. I would rather you take from me than from an innocent, although…I understand the battlefield blurs those lines of morality. Regardless, you're my husband, and I want to please you. All of you. Even your innermost demon."
Her words—combined with that mixed scent of hers—dropped on his balls like lead weights. His cock tingled with anticipation. And inside, his demon growled, ready to lay claim to his bitch.
Because she was his. The scent was unmistakable. No matter that his mind told him it was impossible—that he had never even laid eyes on this woman, let alone lain with her. But that would change. He would have her on all fours and rut her like the bitch she was.
He reached out and grasped her neck, his talons pressing against her jugular, which throbbed beneath his fingers. "I do not share. I will own you."
"I know," she murmured, reaching up to cradle his hand around her throat. "I know there was no one before me and no one after. And it was the same for me. I have always been yours, Sesshoumaru. All yours."
The words ignited his blood, and he yanked his hand away, his talons leaving scratches in their wake. Before Rin could react, he tore her obi in half and tossed it away. Her kimono fell open, and he yanked open the tie of her juban underneath, whipping it back to reveal her body. Her full breasts beckoned to him, and he pulled her into his arms, hoisting her up and clamping his mouth around her left mound. He bit down, blood trickling into his mouth, and Rin cried out in his arms. He laved his tongue over the wounds, drawing up her blood, and suddenly she moaned.
He had to fight himself from doing the same. Her blood was so sweet. He had never tasted such blood before. It was then he knew that no other would compare. She was a rare delicacy—one he would have to savor and keep alive so that he could partake of this treat whenever he wished.
His tongue flicked back and forth over her nipple as he drew in her blood, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, rubbing her crotch against him. "Oh, Sesshoumaru, don't stop. Please don't stop."
The musk of arousal hit him like a thunderclap.
Surely this woman was meant for him if she could enjoy his bites.
He lay claim to her other breast, his bite eliciting the same pattern of winces and moans.
Her neck was his next target. He opened his eyes and shifted her lower on his belly, her core coming in contact with his stiffening cock. Fire roared through his veins, her touch burning him.
Then his eyes landed on a curious pink scar on her right shoulder, and he stopped. "What is this?" he asked, wondering how she could have acquired such a battle wound.
"A bullet wound," she answered, hand coming up and covering it.
A bullet? Only humans used those newfangled muskets. "You own kind tried to kill you?"
"…Yes."
"Why?"
She nudged his jaw over so he met her eyes. "Because I dared to love a demon."
His inner beast howled: Claim her.
He would—and he would mark her other shoulder, so that she could proudly wear mirroring marks symbolizing her status as a demon's mate.
"Down," he commanded.
She unwrapped herself from him without a word.
"On your hands and knees."
Understanding lit her eyes, and she turned around, shedding her robes and flinging them aside. Sesshoumaru clenched his hands to keep himself from reaching for her as his eyes trailed down her supple back, glistening like a stream bed, down to her rounded cheeks that looked like the perfect plumpness to rest his balls upon as he mounted her. When she dropped down into the dirt and prostrated herself before him, her cheeks spreading open to reveal her cunt, Sesshoumaru could contain himself no longer.
He tore open his hakama, letting them drop to the ground. His fur unconsciously reached for her, sliding itself between her legs and wrapping around her middle. She gasped and mewled, tensing as his fur teased her folds. He knelt behind her, running a talon down her spine and watching the soft abrasion he left behind. She arched her back like a cat as his finger traveled lower, through the crack of her ass, dipping just barely into her hole, and then continuing its journey into her slick pussy. He thrust his finger inside, his claw scraping against her inner walls, and Rin cried out, wriggling in his grasp. He added a second finger, curious to see if she could take it, and to his surprise, she was wide enough to accommodate.
So then he added a third, and this time, he felt her stretch.
"Ah, ah," Rin panted as he slowly pumped them inside, getting her ready for his cock. When she started pushing back against his hand, demanding more, he thrust faster and faster, his claws skimming her delicate flesh.
"Just…a little…more," she panted.
He immediately yanked his hand out, and she whined at the lost of contact. "You will not come until I command it," he growled. And that would not be until her body was wrapped around his entire cock.
"Fill me up, Sesshoumaru. Please fill me up," she begged.
"I will fill you to bursting," he snarled, placing one hand on her shoulder and using the other to line himself up with her entrance.
He slammed into her, and she was so wet, he sank straight down to his balls. Rin screamed, and it struck him like a bolt of lightning, electrifying his nerves.
"You're so big, Sesshoumaru," she whimpered, clenching around him with her soft and squishy walls. "You fill me up so good."
Sesshoumaru had never felt anything like this before in his life. Who knew that such soft skin against his member could cause his heart to race and his mind to blank? He gave her an experimental thrust, and his Rin moaned.
"So deep, so deep," she murmured.
He would go even deeper, if it were possible.
He dug into her shoulders, his talons puncturing the skin as he pulled back and rammed into her. She kept up a keening cry as he slammed into her—harder, faster—over and over again.
"Fill me up, fill me up," she chanted.
His demon wanted out to do exactly that. He would claim this woman in every way possible.
His cock started swelling with his knot, but he wanted it to swell more. Her blood called to him, his sweet scent begging to be tasted. He wanted it to coat all his teeth.
He leaned over her back, his body sprouting short, white fur. He gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep the rest of the transformation at bay. He would tear her apart from the inside if he transformed all the way. But this much should be enough.
"Oh, OH!" she cried out as he rutted her with an even thicker cock. "I-Is that your knot? It feels different, like—" She turned her head and froze when she saw his face, her eyes widening.
He knew what she saw—a demon caught halfway through his transformation. A bipedal dog with a human's flat face but the wide, leering grin of his demon self. His hair stood on end behind him, a wild mane of silver. Thick-fingered hands with claws the size of a bear's gripped her shoulders.
His voice was caught between his two selves as well, so when he spoke, it came out as a guttural growl, wrenched from the very depths of his being. "Come."
He shoved her back against him as he drove into her pussy to reinforce the point.
"Come," he repeated before clamping his jaws around her shoulder. Rin screamed as her blood flooded his tongue, but he continued to thrust until she quivered around his cock. The fluttering of her muscles against him was the final ingredient he needed before he let lose into her, flooding her womb with enough seed to give her belly a slight bulge.
She reached down, feeling the distended contour of her stomach and reaching back to stroke his furry balls and the base of his cock at her lips, which wept semen around the edges, despite his knot. "You really did…fill me to bursting. So good. So full."
He released his hold on her shoulder, gently licking the wounds closed. His bitch had done well. She deserved a proper rest.
He nuzzled her cheek, and she shivered as he rubbed his silken fur against her. Then her arms collapsed, and he caught her before she could fall. He positioned his fur properly beneath her and laid her down on it while he hovered over her back, still connected to her. He licked the scratch against her spine, and she shivered again.
"Sesshoumaru, come here," she murmured sleepily.
Unable to resist his mate's voice, he moved back to her shoulder. She kissed him on his bloody cheek, just above his peeled-back lips.
"I'm not afraid of you, Sesshoumaru. I love you, and I always will."
The world went white.
Sesshoumaru paused with his foot on the first step of an engawa, a bunch of daffodils clutched in his hand. He looked around at the waxed but sun-worn floors. A couple of children's toys lay abandoned some ways down the porch, and just then, the high-pitched squeals of young laughter pierced his ears from the back of the house. He didn't recognize the voices.
"I've gotcha!"
Ah, that one he recognized. That was his Towa, though her voice sounded just a touch deeper than he recalled.
He sniffed, only a few familiar scents reaching him: Towa, Setsuna, Kirinmaru (or was it Riku?) and finally Rin. The other scents carried a hint of familiarity in them, and yet he couldn't place them. There was one that was completely unfamiliar, though it was assuredly masculine.
He was about to go in search of his family and these mysterious visitors when something about Rin's scent made him pause.
Something was not right.
He turned down the engawa, using his nose to find her. His search took him further from the voices, and as he entered the home and walked down the halls, he realized something.
This was their home—the one he was building in the Zone. And yet…it was finished. In fact, judging by the knick-knacks he passed and the peeling paper in places, it was quite lived in.
Now that he knew where he was, he brought the plans to mind and realized he was heading towards their bedroom. Sure enough, when he approached the closed doors, her smell was strongest there. He slid them open and froze, nearly dropping the daffodils in shock.
Rin lay on a large, pillowy bed, staring out a partly-opened door that led into the back courtyard. The spring sunshine glared off the polished wood of the engawa outside, blinding Sesshoumaru to the sights there. It warmed the air just enough that the spring breeze rolling in through the room proved refreshing instead of frigid, though she lay with the covers pulled up to her lap.
But Sesshoumaru ignored the outside world and the cries of children coming from it. He could not take his gaze from his wife.
Rin turned to face him, her crinkled brown eyes lighting up. "There you are, my love," she croaked and immediately broke into a fit of coughing. Sesshoumaru rushed over to her, setting the daffodils down on the nightstand and giving her the cup of water that sat there instead. He sat down and placed it to her thin lips. She coughed a couple times into the glass before getting a few sips down and then gently pushing his hand away.
"Thank you," she murmured, leaning back against the pillows.
Sesshoumaru reached out and fingered her shoulder-length, white hair. Just days ago, he had been panicking over the few strands of silver in it; now, only a few strands of her original black peeked through. He cupped her cheek, brushing his finger against her jowls.
"Rin, what happened?"
He didn't understand. They had just gotten back together. She was only thirty-three. Where had the time gone?
She held his hand against her cheek as she always had, but this time, he noticed the swollen joints, bulging veins and liver spots littering its back. Her skin fit like rice paper over her bones. "Nothing's changed, Sesshoumaru. But that sudden chill the other day…worsened my cough. Hopefully…now that the sun is shining…things will warm up…and I can go outside again. I do…so love spring."
It was then he finally noticed the abundance of daffodils, hyacinths, and irises placed in vases around her room.
Suddenly, the daffodils he had been carrying made sense. If Rin could not go outside to see the spring flowers, he would bring them to her.
He handed them to her then, and she smiled—and it still dazzled him. Perhaps even more so knowing that she had little to smile about now at her age and in poor health.
"You and the children are so good to me," she murmured, sniffing the blooms. "Bringing me flowers every day." She looked longingly through the open door to the courtyard that Sesshoumaru still couldn't see through. "I wish I could be out there…playing with them."
"Once you get better, you shall," he promised.
Rin smiled sadly. "We can pray."
Sesshoumaru's heart panged. He did not like that look.
"Do not give up, Rin."
She grabbed his hand and gave it a feeble squeeze. He did not dare squeeze back for fear of breaking her brittle bones. "Sesshoumaru, we've talked about this. My time is coming."
He shook his head. "No. It's not long enough."
Tears brimmed in her eyes, and she reached for his face. He scooted closer so she could touch it. "My love, it will never feel long enough. But—" She broke out into a fit of coughing, and Sesshoumaru brought her the water again. After a few minutes, she settled down, though her breathing rattled her chest. Every hard-won breath broke another piece of Sesshoumaru's heart. He could not bear to see her in such pain.
She continued. "I've lived…a good life, Sesshoumaru. You gave me such beautiful children. Towa and Setsuna brought us back together again. And now I've gotten to see them start families of their own." Once more, she glanced wistfully outside, and Sesshoumaru followed her gaze, hoping to finally see through the veil.
Did she mean it? They had grandchildren?
"I built a business…that I loved. I helped…humans, demons, and half-demons…come together…and cohabitate. And I got to spend…the vast majority of my life…living with you. What more could this old woman ask for?"
"Ask me anything, and I will get it for you," Sesshoumaru answered. But still he didn't understand. Hadn't be found the key to giving her eternal life? Hadn't he spoken with the Tree of Ages? What happened?
Tests. There were supposed to be tests. Had he taken the tests? Had he failed? Was this his punishment for asking so much—skipping through the best years of his life, only to watch Rin fade before his eyes?
Rin chuckled. "Well, there is one thing…I would like."
"Name it."
Her beautiful brown eyes stared at him with the same love and adoration he had seen there ever since she was a little girl. Whatever may have changed with her body, on the inside, his Rin was still the same. "I wish…you would make love to me again. One last time."
His heart flipped over. "Rin—"
"I'm joking," she interrupted, putting on a smile he knew was fake. "There's nothing sexy about making love to a nonagenarian."
He finally took her hands, making sure he did not grasp them too hard. "Rin, that's not it." How long had it been since he had embraced her? Had he spurned her as she got older? Why couldn't he recall? "You are weakened and ill. If I knew I would not harm you, I would grant your wish in a heartbeat."
Rin burst out laughing so suddenly, she started coughing again. He was pleased to hear that her laugh was the same, even though it was tarnished with illness. "Wouldn't that be something? Death by sex. I can think of no better way to go."
He glared at her. "Do not joke of such things."
She was still smiling, and he recognized Towa's cheeky grin in hers. "I'm serious. Better to succumb…to 'the little death' than to wither away…hacking up a lung."
A war raged in Sesshoumaru's soul. He had always done his best to give Rin whatever she desired, unless it put her life or the children's in danger. This was most certainly a dangerous request. And yet…he also did not want to deny her this one pleasure, for perhaps it would ease both their hearts.
After all…if her time was truly so limited, shouldn't he seize every moment like it was her last? Because once she was gone…what meaning would there be to his life?
He leaned over and brushed the hair back from her forehead, pressing a soft kiss there. "Very well, Rin. I will grant your wish."
Her eyes alit with hope as he stood up and closed the door to the courtyard, muffling the sounds of laughter and play. Then he removed his armor and swords and crawled onto the other side of the bed, lying on one arm beside her upon the mountain of pillows. He stared into her eyes, marking the many changes to her appearance.
He bent down and kissed the crown of her head. "Our hair matches now. I knew you would always be beautiful in silver."
"But yours is still so silky, and mine didn't mellow out with age," Rin answered, trailing her fingers through his locks.
He moved down and peppered kisses across her eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, and mouth. "Your skin is so soft, my Rin."
"And saggy—like wet paper," she grumbled.
Sesshoumaru frowned at her. "Do you wish me to stop?"
"No."
"Then cease berating yourself."
He kissed his way down the folds of her neck and down the V of her robe. The vibrations of her labored breaths shook his lips. He parted her robe slowly, exposing her shoulders and the tops of her breasts. Rin shivered.
"Are you cold?" he asked.
"A little."
He removed his fur and laid it around her body. She nuzzled into it, and his cock responded to the feel of his mate squirming against his fur. "You're always so warm and soft, Sesshoumaru."
He continued peeling apart her robe. On her right shoulder, only the faintest white ridge remained from her bullet wound. On her left shoulder, some curious marks in the shape of teeth made him pause. He had never seen those before. And yet, when he bent down to kiss each of her wounds, he realized they were a perfect fit for his fangs.
When he went to expose her breasts, Rin stopped him. "You don't have to undress me, Sesshoumaru. I know I'm nothing to look at."
"You are my wife, Rin. Yours is the only body I know." He undid the tied around her waist and pulled apart the robe, letting it settle at her sides so she wasn't completely exposed to the cold. Her nipples puckered in the chill air, and Sesshoumaru ran a knuckle along their deflated outline. Yes, they had lost their shape, but he could not complain—they had successfully fed his children and deserved a proper retirement. "These breasts saw many years of service."
Rin giggled. "Yes, they did—to both my children and my husband."
"So why stop now?" he asked. He bent forward and took one of her nipples in his mouth, gently swirling his tongue around it. At one time, he would have bitten and pulled, but now this was enough to have Rin moaning his name. He made sure to give the other its due before continuing his journey south.
Further parting of her robe revealed not panties but instead what appeared to be an adult diaper. He skipped her sex for the moment, instead trailing kisses down her thin thighs and legs, wishing for her to feel his touch along the entirety of her precious body. He kissed her ankles, running his nose along the seam of her foot, which made her flex.
"Oh, stop—you know I'm ticklish!" she protested.
"I know," he answered, giving her foot a lick and causing her to laugh and squirm. Her giggles buoyed his heart, so he licked his way back up the insides of her legs, tracing the blue veins and finding the most ticklish spots—to the point where he almost forgot his sadness.
Until she started coughing again.
He stopped his ministrations, helping her drink and relax once more. It took a few minutes, and he feared whatever sexual drive he may have ignited in her had gone out.
When he just looked at her for a moment after she had settled down, she nodded down to her core. "Keep going, husband. You still haven't reached the main stage yet."
"Are you certain?"
"I'm fine. I'll be better once you're back at it."
He couldn't help but smirk at her bossy tone. Perhaps he had rubbed off on her a bit after all their years of marriage.
He settled between her legs, slipping the diaper off with the same care as he would have her panties once upon a time. Her once-thick curls had thinned into salt-and-pepper wisps, but her lips appeared no different. Despite Rin's apparent interest in their activities, however, he smelled very little in the way of her usual arousal there. Curious, he bent down and licked at her folds.
Dry as a desert. Age had depleted this well of its precious water. He continued to lick her, causing her to groan, but no matter how long her tongued her and how much she appeared pleased, she released little from her font.
He would not be able to take her this way. He was determined not to harm her with this act, but he would tear apart a dry pussy. Was his saliva enough? Was there another way?
"Sesshoumaru, what's wrong? You're…thinking too hard…for someone who should be…eating."
"I need to get you wet, Rin."
"Ah," she answered. Then she pointed at the drawer of the nightstand. Curious, he opened it. In the very back, he saw some familiar sex toys—as well as a bottle of lubricant. He pulled it out and opened it. The label was pretty faded, but when he squeezed, clear liquid still seeped out.
He bit all the claws off his right hand, not willing to risk slicing through Rin's tender skin in any way. After pouring the lube into his hand, he gently ran his fingers around the edge of her entrance first. She shivered as the cool lube came in contact with her skin, but then he started pumping one finger at a time into her core, getting her slick.
"Mmm, you should be my doctor, Sesshoumaru. It feels…so much better…when you're poking around down there."
"Your womb is a temple, Rin, for it has housed this Sesshoumaru's children."
"A blessing it gladly received," Rin answered.
Feeling that she was sufficiently lubricated, Sesshoumaru then loosened the ties of his hakama and pulled out his phallus. He squeezed more lube onto his hand, rubbing his shaft.
Rin sighed. "I'm sorry I can't bring you pleasure anymore, Sesshoumaru."
He paused his ministrations, his brows furrowing. "Do not say such silly things."
"And yet you have to get it up on your own."
Sesshoumaru thought for only a second before he stood up and stripped off the rest of his clothes. Rin sucked in a breath as she watched.
"Oh, some things never get old. Like my beautiful husband. I feel like a cougar calling on a young gigolo."
Sesshoumaru crawled over her and knelt, straddling her stomach. His dick dangled over her hands like a lure waiting for a catch. "And yet I am still centuries older than you." He took her hands and cupped them together, squirting lube into them. "Touch me, Rin, and see what power you still hold over my pleasure."
She blushed like a young virgin as she eyed his manhood but nevertheless reached out and ran her soft hands over him. He sighed in pleasure as she worked her, her grip still surprisingly firm despite her age. After sandwiching his cock between both hands, she moved one to his balls, massaging them as she pumped him with the other. He would never tire of the feel of her upon him, and it showed. Within the minute, he was erect.
"You see?" he said as Rin trailed her blunt nails up to his head, circling the pad of her finger around the velvet.
She smiled. "I do."
She let go of him, and he lowered himself over her, keeping his weight off her body but lining himself up at her entrance. Just the tip of him nudged her, and she sucked in a breath.
He looked up in alarm. "Are you sure about this, Rin?"
"Yes, please. I want us to be together again."
He nodded and slowly pushed inside. He had never entered her at such a sluggish pace, but he wanted to make sure her body could still take him.
"Oh," Rin moaned. "Oh, Sesshoumaru…you feel so good. I've missed you…so much."
"I am here, Rin, for whatever you need," he answered, giving her a kiss. When he pulled away, held her gaze as he pumped at a steady pace. He watched her smile and roll her head in pleasure, and he was glad that this much was enough for her.
"You can go faster, my love," she answered, shifting her hips a little in invitation.
He shook his head. "Today, we'll take it nice and slow."
"You're torturing me," she whined.
"I'm worshiping you," he countered, kissing her heart. He continued to press kisses to her chest, and he reached down to gentle brush her clit with his thumb, afraid of grinding their pelvises together too roughly.
"Oh!" she cried out, and her heartbeat picked up. He rubbed some more as he stroked, and she started to pant as her heart pounded. He pulled his hand away, watching her carefully.
"Don't stop," she pleaded, grabbing his hand and moving it back to her core. "I'm getting…so close."
"Rin, this is too much for you—"
"Fuck me, Sesshoumaru!" she snapped.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened at her sudden temper, and he increased his pace just a bit to appease her. She reached down and fingered her own clit when he wouldn't, her digit wiggling faster than his had.
"Rin—"
"H-Hold me," she gasped, and he scooped her into his arms and embraced her as he thrust. His kissed her neck, and all of the sudden, she gasped, her body tightening around him.
Her undoing had always been his, so with just a few more pumps, he emptied himself into her, kissing the bite mark on her shoulder.
Rin trembled in his arms, her heart stuttering. She let go of him, and he pulled back in alarm.
Her eyes were half-lidded and glazed over with satiated love. She reached up and cupped his cheek, tugging him closer until their lips met again. "Thank you…Sesshoumaru…for loving me all these years."
He stroked her hair, willing her heart to calm it rapid pace. "No, Rin. It is I who should thank you. Rest now."
She nodded. "I will," she whispered with a smile. "I love you, Sesshoumaru. And give the children my love…as well…."
She closed her eyes then as if the words had zapped all her energy. Sesshoumaru set her down to sleep. And then he realized something.
The house had gone quiet—bereft of her heartbeat.
His own heart lurched. "Rin?"
She didn't respond.
He lay his ear to her heart.
Silence.
No. NO!
It couldn't be. Not yet. It was too soon.
"Rin, wake up. You wanted to go out and see the flowers."
Could fate be so cruel as to take her when the rest of the world was springing into bloom in this, her favorite season?
"Rin, please. Don't leave me."
But he knew she already had.
He let his head fall to her shoulder, clenching his hands so hard beside her that the one with his talons still intact pierced his palm. He grit his teeth, pressure building behind his eyes. His head and heart throbbed.
What was this pain? Was he also dying?
So be it. Take me with her.
He bit her pillow, howling into it like a dog mourning his owner.
For she had owned him, body and soul.
His shoulders shook as he tried to contain the emotions, but there were too many. He could not survive this onslaught.
A single tear wet the pillow beneath him.
He couldn't do this. He couldn't live without her. Already, one moment was too much. An indefinite lifetime would be an agony. He would follow her into the netherworld, and they would take that next journey together.
He pulled away from her and stumbled off the bed towards his discarded swords and armor. He pulled out Bakusaiga and turned the blade upon himself. He grabbed Rin's hand and threaded their fingers together.
Their hearts and bodies were one, so it was only right to die this way.
But as his gaze passed one more time over his departed wife, lying so serene in her parted white yukata on her pristine ivory sheets, he froze. He could not profane Rin's resting place with his acid blood. But if he could not die in her arms, he at least wanted to hold her hand. How could he achieve both at once?
Suddenly, a knock sounded on the outside door. "Papa, may we come in?" Towa asked.
"No," he answered. He could not let his children see him like this—a naked and raving demon hellbent on his own destruction.
"Father, we're coming in on the count of ten. Don't do anything rash," Setsuna added.
Towa started the countdown. "One—"
Sesshoumaru tossed his sword aside and pulled on his clothes just enough to not offend his daughters' senses. He took the precious remaining seconds to close Rin's robe, smooth her hair to rights, and lay her hands across her chest, slipping the daffodils he had brought between them. Already, her hands felt like ice.
"–Ten," Towa finished, sliding open the door. He barely had time to register the difference in her—her hair was shoulder-length now, flaring out like her mother's—before she and Setsuna rushed in. Setsuna appeared much the same. They stopped at Rin's bedside, taking in her demeanor.
Their eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Papa," Towa croaked, throwing her arms around him. Setsuna joined, sniffing loudly into his chest.
He didn't even have the strength to hug them back.
"We're here, Father," Setsuna said. "We're going to get through this."
She was wrong. He was never going to recover.
"It'll be okay, Papa. Mama told us to look after you. She knew you wouldn't want to be left alone."
How many years had he relished his solitude? How quickly had that changed?
"She said you might do something foolish, like follow after her," Setsuna added. "And she said to tell you that she doesn't want that."
Sesshoumaru blinked, wondering if he heard wrong. "What?"
"She wants you to live the life you were meant to live," Setsuna continued.
"But…she will be alone," he answered.
"Grandfather will look after her," Setsuna said. She clutched him tighter. "I…I have dreams sometimes. Of a dark place with a rocky path floating in the air."
Sesshoumaru tensed. He recognized that place: the path to the netherworld.
"And in the dreams, I hear his voice telling me that I'll be safe. I…think it's a memory. From when I died. And if that's the case…I'm sure he's telling Mother the same now."
"Don't leave, Papa," Towa begged, looking up at him with reddened, glassy eyes. "You need to stay—for Mama's sake."
"Why?" he asked. Rin was gone. What benefit was it to her if he remained behind?
"Because she knew that each day was a gift, and she would never forgive you if you cut those days short," Setsuna reprimanded. "There's still so much for you to see and do—for her."
"Such as?"
Little feet pattered across the wooden floors, and Sesshoumaru turned to find two tiny heads poking out from behind the door. One had a bright crop of red hair with a streak of white over his forehead and a pair of jade eyes; the other body had Setsuna's brunette locks but sported a pair of blue-grey eyes. While the redhead smelled mostly demon, the blue-eyed boy smelled more human.
"Grandpapa!" the boys cried out, toddling in and attacking his legs with hugs like puppies. He blinked at them, perplexed.
The redhead looked up at him. "Can you and Grandmama come play with us?"
The blue-eyed boy looked up at the bed, his face more pensive than a child his age had any right to be. "Shh. Grandmama's gone to sleep."
"Up!" the redhead said, thrusting his arms at Sesshoumaru, just as Towa had when she was a child. He simply stared at his grandson.
Towa reached down and picked up her boy. "Grandpapa's not feeling very well now. He'll come play later. Won't he?" Towa asked, looking at him, a cautious hope in his eyes.
There was a tug on his pants, and Sesshoumaru looked down to the other child, who stared at him with wide eyes. "Are you hurt, Grandpapa?"
Setsuna started to bend to him. "Let's leave Grand—"
But Sesshoumaru intercepted her and pulled the boy into his own arms. The child wrapped his arms around Sesshoumaru's neck.
"It will be okay, Grandpapa. You're a strong demon. You'll feel better soon." The boy patted his back, and Sesshoumaru wondered just how far he had fallen if he required a child to comfort him.
Despite those thoughts, he hugged the boy a smidgen tighter. He wanted to get to know this boy who was empathetic beyond his years. He was curious about the feisty redhead squirming in Towa's arms. And he was intrigued by the other voices coming from the courtyard, for there were more than the two he supposed were his daughters' husbands. Who else was in this family he and Rin had made?
Give the children my love as well.
Her final words rang in his mind. Was this the purpose she had given to him for after she left? To look after their growing family and spend the time with them that she could not?
Was there a better way to honor her memory than by making sure her issue remembered her? When a warmth wrapped around his heart at the thought, he knew there likely wasn't.
He held out his arm towards Towa for his other grandson, and the boy's face lit up with Towa's—with Rin's—smile as he reached for him. Towa transferred her son to her father's arms, and he hefted the two up high against his hip, striding toward the door, so they would not have to stare too long upon death, even if they did not realize it.
"Do you know how I met your Grandmama?" he asked the boys.
When he stepped out onto the engawa, the shining white light engulfed him.
Sesshoumaru awoke to the sensation of someone stroking the stripes on his cheeks. When he opened his eyes, he wondered if he had indeed decided to kill himself and ended up in the netherworld.
"Rin," he whispered, reaching out and cupping her cheek. Sure this was the nirvana, because she looked like a goddess. Her dark hair billowed around her naked, unlined body, which shone in the glow of the water around them.
"Hello, sleepyhead," Rin said. "I've been waiting for you."
He threaded his hand through her thick hair, stroking her temple.
It was then that he noticed the few silver hairs growing there were gone.
His eyes widened. "Is this a dream?"
"No, silly. You just woke up."
"…Are we dead?"
Rin frowned, brushing his bangs from his forehead. "What kind of test did she put you through to make you think we were dead?"
Test?
He blinked and looked down, finally registering why Rin was so close to him. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, and his cock was shoved deep inside her. He looked up then and noticed the bite mark on her shoulder—healed but scared over. The bullet wound on her other shoulder had smoothed out and faded, though a faint imprint remained.
Of course. They were in the Tree of Ages. Then what he had seen—
A future you might have had had you not come to me, the Tree of Ages said. But given how Rin did not react, he must have been the only one to hear it.
His heart simultaneously leapt and dropped. Did that mean he would never meet those grandchildren?
You will have to wait and see, the Tree replied.
Her presence left his mind, and he returned his attention to Rin. "How do you feel?" he asked.
She beamed. "Rejuvenated. I think we passed, Sesshoumaru." He nodded, knowing it was so. Her voice cracked, and he thought her eyes might have misted over, though it was hard to tell in the aquatic tree. "Thank you for sharing your life with me, Sesshoumaru. How can I ever repay you?"
"Never leave me," he answered, pulling her to his chest and squeezing her tight. "Never again."
"I won't. I'm yours—forever."
Their mouths found each other then, and as he made love to her once more, Sesshoumaru treasured every moment as a gift.
When they finally made it back to camp, his girls plowed out of his brother's home, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Moroha right behind them. Even Jaken came running out.
"You're back!" Towa cried out, running towards them and attacking Rin with a hug. Setsuna was more controlled, through she clutched onto her mother as if she had almost lost her. "Where have you been? It's been three days!"
Sesshoumaru and Rin looked at each other, their widened eyes conveying the same message: Three days?
No wonder Rin had mentioned feeling extra sore. Even his cock felt heavy and worn out.
Suddenly, Towa was sniffing Rin's shoulder, an intent look upon her features. Even Rin heard it. "Sweetie, stop—you're making me self-conscious. I know I haven't showered for three days—"
Towa suddenly gasped, her face splitting into a wide grin.
"What? What is it?" Rin asked.
Setsuna saw the look and sniffed herself, her eyes widening in understanding.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and walked back towards the cabin. "Figures you got them all worried for nothing. I get you two were pent up, but next time, at least have the decency to tell someone before you run off on a three-day sexcapade."
For once, the rock Sesshoumaru threw wasn't aimed at Jaken.
Kagome snickered. "Gosh, well, no wonder you look like you're absolutely glowing, Rin."
Now it was Rin's turn to smile. "Actually, there might be a different reason for that."
"What, are you pregnant?" Kagome asked. Towa sucked in an excited breath.
"No…but I am immortal."
The others stared at her, uncomprehending. So she continued. "Sesshoumaru shared his life energy with me, meaning I'll live for as long as he does."
"Are you serious?" Setsuna asked.
"Oh, Papa, you did it!" Towa shrieked, running at him and hugging him. "I knew you'd find a way!"
He hadn't realized Towa figured out his plans—though he should have guessed. She always had a way of ferreting out his secrets.
"That's amazing!" Kagome cried out. "Congratulations!"
"And you can do it too," Rin told her. "We made a deal with the Tree of Ages—that's where we've been these past three days. If you go and accept her terms, you can share Inuyasha's life."
Inuyasha's ears perked up at that, and he and Kagome looked at each other, hope shining in their eyes. "So if we accept her terms, what do we have to do after that?" Inuyasha asked.
Rin bit her lip and blushed, glancing at Sesshoumaru. He wasn't about to answer in front of the children.
Realization dawned on Moroha's face. "Ooooh. Hot damn, that is one kinky tree."
AN: The alternate title to this chapter comes courtesy of Taraah36: The Tree of Ages' Sex Trials. Gosh, I wanted to use that so badly, so I had to give a shoutout! 😆
That said, I realize this chapter had two VERY different sets of emotion and smut. The sex with elderly Rin was not meant to be hot; it was meant to make you cry. (That is why I gave you hard and hot demon sex first: to offset the feels.) I hope I did my job, and I hope you enjoyed it regardless. Fear not though—the sadness is over! Expect a much more lighthearted finale!