I woke up to the sound of rain pattering off the roof and onto the ground. I stayed in bed for a while longer, listening to the rain as it started to lighten up. No thunder this time. Though gray clouds rolled across the sky, I could tell that I had slept well into the evening. I sat up and checked my arm. I wouldn't have been able to tell that anything happened to it yesterday if a silver line hadn't replaced the cut. I put the bandage aside and kicked off my comforter before putting on a light pink kimono. Last night, I came to the conclusion that I needed to get everything off my chest today. Though I've done more than enough to show how I feel toward the past occurrences, I'll tell him bluntly. From there, I'll tell him about the pregnancy and take it one step at a time.
She was worrying me. She refused me twice the other day, though she seemed to have no quarrel with my touch. Even the day before, she seemed reluctant toward me. What was she hiding from me?
"Sesshomaru-san…"
"Why do you persist?" I asked the woman.
"I cannot simply leave. I would never be able to hold myself with pride again."
"You exaggerate."
"We were promised to each other when we were pups. I am your rightful mate." She said, trying to convince herself more than me.
"I have chosen my own mate; my decision overrules all."
She was not lying. Our fathers promised us to the other, but it was never to be taken seriously. We are bound by nothing more than the jocular words of my deceased father, and a lord who wished to expand his dominion. Now that I have mated, she tries to hold onto her hopes of mating me by citing a compact that never existed. I yearn for whom I have chosen, none else. Now that hospitality is no longer obligatory, she comes to me with her last attempts to persuade me. Kazumi is my only concern, and forcing her to speak her mind if she refused to do so willingly is my top priority.
"You cannot just leave! We have to settle this." She said as my eyes focused on the door.
"It is already settled."
"There is nothing wrong with having two."
I didn't reply to her. Perhaps there was nothing wrong with taking on several mates to her and several others. However, the only opinion that mattered on the subject was Kazumi's. Before anything, she warned me. There was not a speck of doubt in her eyes when she explained that she did not agree with the idea of multiple partners, preferring to call us husband and wife. She threatened to dissolve ties with me if I dared to stray from her, and my beast and I took that threat seriously. She is too valuable to lose. The pain I felt when she disappeared those years ago crushed me. Were it not for Rin's insistence that she would return, my stolid demeanor would have been shed for a much more volatile one. Ignoring her warning would make her disappearance permanent. I am already treading dangerous territory, constantly being alone with this woman, and I did not plan on treading it any longer. I proceeded to the door and heard her softly fall to her knees as the scent of her tears pierced through the air as she held onto the hem of my kimono.
"I am begging you." She cried.
I turned my gaze to her, unmoved by her tears. "You will be escorted home."
She pulled herself up and attempted to wrap her arms around me. I held her arms were they were, allowing for no further advancement.
"A-at least let me have this once... just once. Please." Her voice was barely audible.
I didn't reply. She interpreted her own answer from my silence. She placed her lips on mine, hoping to illicit some type of response. Her welcome was overspent, and her frustration with my fidelity to my mate was evident. My gaze of indifference bore through her and watched her will collapse upon itself.
"I will not tolerate you any more than I already have." I reiterated to ensure that she understood that her time was gone.
I released her arms and started toward the doors again. I turned to punish her when her arms reached out to grab me again, only to see Kazumi reaching out for me. Her arms wrapped around me. She held me before burying her head in my shoulder.
For the briefest moment, I wanted to believe it was her, and that she came back to my embrace. My desire to have her in my arms again almost blinded me, but my rage took hold of my mind first. Did she believe she could deceive me? I did not forget the insults and burdens this woman threw on my mate, yet here she stood, trying to guise herself as the person she troubled during the entirety of her stay. This dream caster disgusted me. She was the root of my separation with Kazumi, and I would make sure she paid for it. I would incinerate her will, and destroy her mind as she almost did with my mate. Killing her would be too lenient.
"Sesshomaru?" The voice called as my anger was personified.
My glare was enough to scare her off of me.
"I am no fool." I responded as my sight was stained red.
I could hear their muffled voices from beyond the door, but didn't think twice about it. I assumed that it was okay for me to go in, since I am the lady of the land, but the sight I was like a knee to my gut. Sesshomaru's hands held the tear-stained woman to the ground by her waist. When she saw me, she froze and stared with fear ingrained in her face. I stared back at her, feeling my eyes widen as my muscles started to tense. Her entire body laid clearly visible from where I stood, her hair spread on the floor, and Sesshomaru's shifting eyes left me dumbfounded. He was on top of her and leaving his feral state. My breath was stolen from me the instant I walked in. There was silence as I stared at the scene before me, desperately searching for something, anything, to say. I looked away from them, putting my gaze on a familiar vase filled with a motley of dying blossoms.
"I-I am sorry for interpret-interrupting..." I said as I stepped out of the room and closed the doors behind me, the unsteadiness of my resolve was written clearly in my voice.
So the maids put the arrangement I made in his study. How nice of them.
I was uncertain of where to go. I tried to just walk away, but ended up stumbling into an end table and breaking the sculptor I saved two days prior. When I finally decided to return to my own bedroom, I tripped on my own feet a couple of times before steadying myself by leaning against the wall. I placed a clammy hand on my forehead, trying desperately to regain my composure, but any and all traces of it were gone. My entire body was shaking, begging me to flee. I ignored the feeling for so long, but there was no stopping it now. I had to get out. I needed to get my mind off of this, to escape from this hell. I willed myself to move faster, but I could muster up no more than a brisk walk.
As I made my way to the front doors of the manor, tears started to form in my eyes, though I had yet to comprehend what I had stumbled upon. The maids questioned my wellbeing the entire time I walked toward the door, but now their whispers were impossible to ignore as more of them surrounded me. Their noise became unbearable, along with the heat from their prying eyes. I couldn't keep my vexation silent.
"Will you ever shut up?" I yelled with as I shot them all red-rimmed glares. "If you don't dare to speak your minds aloud, then don't speak at all."
The maids jumped away, knowing exactly what I was capable of when I was angered like this. I turned my attention back to the door and threw it open. I wiped my eyes to keep them from blurring over as I walked into the rain. Once my kimono started to weigh me down, I took off the top two layers and left them. I took my hair out of the bun it had been stuffed in, and let it fall past my shoulders as a sticky mess. I didn't want the title if it was just going to cause me pain. When I heard one of the guards call me by the title I was tired of bearing, I let it loose. I ran as though death itself was on my heels, chasing me to drag me deeper into the pits of hell. I was running for my life. I didn't know I could run as fast as I did and didn't care. Soon after I started to run, the situation dawned on me. My brain finally processed what I had seen, and started to mess up my footing, forcing me to stop as I reached the dismal outskirts of town. I crumpled over as I suddenly fell ill. What I wanted to throw up wasn't the usual bile that crept up my throat, but my heart. It was sending poison through my body. I was sick of being hurt.
I tried to continue through my heart ache only register the pain of falling to my hands and knees and the pounding of my heart, on the verge of bursting as more tears came to my eyes. I felt like a thousand needles were pricking into my heart with every breath I took. I was falling apart, shattering.
I'm an idiot for thinking that everything would blow over. I wanted to lie down and die as everything started to lose its color again. I was becoming numb again, this time, doubting that I could be pulled out if I did slip into it. I would have given up, I would have let my sense of touch dull away to ease the ache, but I knew I couldn't. I wasn't responsible for only myself anymore. I stood again, holding my stomach. This is my only chance. If he finds out, there would be no possibility of escaping. I wouldn't let him keep us here, not if he wanted another. I would prefer to run as far away as I could before having my entire body shut down and leave me at the mercy of God. I started again after catching my breath. I walked myself into a jog before progressing into a sprint. I felt myself getting into a steady pace, when my ears twitched, hearing him getting closer. I tried to slide to a stop and duck, but I ended up turning around and facing the man I was trying to escape. The juggernaut tackled me to the ground. Though he grabbed me in a way that protected me from the harsh fall, it wasn't enough to stop the impact from reaching me and, without a doubt, hurting like hell. After skidding a couple of feet through mud, we rolled into some grass as he fought for dominance while I struggled to break free from the struggle itself. I didn't want to go down easily if I was going to go down at all, but there was only so much I could do against him. He wasted no time to pin me to the ground and hold his ground against my protests.
A growl ripped through my throat, and one left his to quiet me.
"Where do you plan to go?" he asked in a despicably calm tone.
"Away from here," I replied so quickly, that I almost cut him off, "away from you!"
"Kazumi-"
"Don't you DARE say my name." I could hear the English roll off my tongue as my brain finally found words to express myself with.
"List-"
"No, I won't listen to anything you have to say. This ENTIRE time, I listened to you because I wanted to trust you. I didn't want to believe her; I didn't want to believe anyone other than you and my heart. But I was wrong for doing that. Look where that trust landed me."
"I did nothing with her."
"Why were you with her to begin with? Why were you always with her?!"
He gave no reply as my heart broke beyond anything I could ever hope to repair.
"Sesshomaru…" I admitted as I started to calm down. "I'm selfish. I don't want to share you with anyone. I won't allow it. What am I supposed to do? Don't I have the right to cling onto you since you're all I have? I left everything for you. Then you go and do this to me." My hands left his face as my distraught rage returned. "You've left me with nowhere to run, with nothing to do, and I thought that was okay because you were all I needed." He made no interruption as I took a deep breath, staggering as I choked back my crying. "I don't care if I have nothing, but if I can't have you to myself, I don't want anything. I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life, than be forced to live with you and some other woman."
"Kazumi."
"… I should have killed her."
"I was refusing her."
"She would have known her place if you showed her. I know you can't deny that."
He fell silent again, knowing they were both at fault. I cut off the connection our eyes had.
"Let go of me."
"I will not."
"And why not?" I asked, feeling my temper rise.
"If I were to let go, I may never get you back."
"That's my prayer."
"I will not let go."
"Do you expect me to just follow you back?" I asked sarcastically.
"I will drag you back is I must. You are my mate."
"I'm not the one who needs to be reminded that!" I screamed. "I'm not the one who chose diplomacy over my mate!" I looked away from him. "You always knew where I was, what I was doing, and who I was with."
"You are a woman."
"Don't give me that bullshit. I don't care what era this is, relationships work the same throughout time. If I'm the only one putting effort into this, it's doomed to fail!"
"This is unnecessary, you are misunderstanding."
I faced him again as the soft pattering of rain became the only thing audible. Every muscle in my body screamed to get away from him. My mind froze. Did he see this as me blowing things way out of proportion? 'Not necessary?'
The sound of my hand making contact with his face was muffled by the rain. I watched him with tear-filled eyes as his fingers stroked his cheek. I was struggling to silence the cries that were crawling up my throat. I let my tears fall along with my hand.
"'Not necessary?' Are you telling me that I don't have the right to be upset with you or that woman? Were you not the one who allowed her to openly insult me? Did she not destroy the little confidence that I had? Did she not challenge my place by your side? Did you not spend majority of your days alone with her? Did you not stop me from deterring her completely? Were you not the one who did not come to bed? Were you not the one on top of her a few minutes ago? Is my agony unnecessary as well then?"
"Calm yourself."
"Am I not allowed to be vexed and frustrated? Or is that unnecessary too? Are all of my emotions unnecessary? Should I just give up, and become a stone-hearted woman that feels nothing, and has nothing to say?"
"Kazumi." He called with devastating sweetness.
My sorrow overwhelmed my anger as he called my name. My heart ached.
"Am I unnecessary?" I asked with a breaking voice. "Why, why am I here if all it brings me is pain?" I couldn't stop myself from going back to Japanese mid-sentence.
"Kazumi, are you well?"
"What do you think?" I spat back.
He ignored me as he nuzzled my neck, heating up the mark he placed on me not too long ago. I tried to push him away, but he tightened his grip and forced himself on me.
"Get off of me." I said as a growl made its way up my throat.
"Be quiet."
"Let go of me and I'll be sure to never speak to you again." I replied as I struggled harder.
"Kazumi, be still." He said as he took his hands away from mine.
For a moment, out of pure instinct, I was silent. The blood rushing through my ears was all I heard. I know, no matter where I go, there's no way I can escape him, even if I were to go to the furthest ends of the earth. But any amount of space from him was more than enough. I needed to clear my head, and he only filled it with more worries and woes.
"Are you hysterical?"
I couldn't help the solemn chuckle that escaped my lips. "Maybe I am."
"Kazumi, were you hiding from me?"
I felt Sesshomaru pull me toward him as he ran his hand through my dirt caked hair.
"I cannot find your scent, even with this small distance between us."
"Yet that wasn't enough to keep you away."
"What are you hiding from me?" He asked with velvet lining his voice.
His eyes tried to find any clue within mine. His were so clear, so vacant of guilt. I hated it. It made me feel like I was the one betraying him, though I have done nothing wrong.
"I'm not hiding anything."
"Then why has your scent gone?"
"I don't know."
"Kazumi. Answer me forwardly."
"Do you think I knew that my scent disappeared?" I asked him as I turned away from his gaze.
There was silence between us as I stopped to hush my flaming throat, and he stopped to think.
"… What did the medic tell you yesterday?"
"Nothing."
"Then why did she ask for me to leave the room? What made you smile?"
"..."
"… Kazumi?"
"It's nothing."
"Answer truthfully." He said, losing focus on our argument.
"… I'm…" His voice would coax the truth out of me if he didn't figure it out on his own.
"Are you pregnant?"
"Why would you assume that?" I asked as I stared at the pouring sky above us.
"This isn't like you."
"How so?"
"Are you pregnant?
"How did you come to that conclusion?"
"I know much about your breed, Kazumi, and how your scents disappear once with child. I will ask once more, are you pregnant?"
I stared into his eyes, finding it harder to say anything, much more lie to him. "I hate your sense of deduction." I said as I gave up.
The sight of his features in complete shock forced me to avert my gaze to the mokomoko at my side. His unadorned surprise was nothing like the controlled reaction I had expected. His grip tightened further (which I didn't think was possible) as his eyes reached a wideness I didn't think possible for him. He froze as the information sunk into his head. His eyes stared at me blankly as he seemed to recede into further into his mind. He wasn't breathing, just staring without a word. I bit my hand, knowing that my window for escape was closed.
"You are pregnant." He repeated.
"This doesn't change anything."
"Kazumi, I did not expect this to change anything. I never wanted anyone other than you, nor will I ever. I have already told you this."
I went silent as my sadness returned to its repressed, silent state. I couldn't look him in the eye. I didn't want to. I didn't want to see him. I wanted solitary confinement, to keep myself, to my thoughts. I had said my share, and now felt no point in saying any more.
"Kazumi, I love you, and you alone. I did not intend for things to end like this. I only wished for her to leave us. Forgive me."
My arms were already trying to embrace him. I wanted to pretend like this never happened and continue in my ignorance, but… I couldn't. I'm scared, scared of something like this happening again. I don't want to lose another person I love. The thought of it- it made me run, run far away from the smell of gas and fire. I dropped my arms back to my side and turned away from him.
How am I supposed to return? I lost my temper with the maids, and now we're covered in grass stains and mud.
Sesshomaru got off of me and took my hand, interlocking his fingers with mine. I withdrew and helped myself up. I refused the help he offered me as I started on my way back to the manor, wanting to depend on myself. I could only thank God that Rin had gone to visit Kagome. I didn't want her prying into this. Hopefully, she won't hear anything about this from someone else. I don't need others blowing this into global news.
It was then that I realized that I was in pain. Sesshomaru's tackle to the ground hadn't been gentle, neither was the emotional stress. As I reached out to stable myself on a wall, I was pulled away from it by an unwanted hand. I was pulled into an all too familiar embrace. Too exhausted to put a fight, I let myself be placed on his back.
"Kazumi."
I said nothing in reply. Instead, I hid my face in his back.
"Kazumi." He called again.
I couldn't ignore him. I wrapped my arms around his neck without a word. The trip back was silent. I already said all that was on my mind, and I was more than drained. I rested my head on his shoulder, slightly hating myself for being so vulnerable. All it took were a few words from him, and he had me on his back. Then again, not everyone gets a piggyback ride from the western lord. I held him tighter, securing my spot on his back. I almost let go of him, almost ceded my spot to someone else. Even if it wasn't the woman who drove us apart that would take my place, someone would have eventually come to claim the spot, right?
When we finally got back, we opted to enter through a window. He let me off his back as I decided that my first order of business would be to bathe. I watched him follow me as I walked through the halls after getting a change of clothes from my room. I had to reach out and stop him from following me into the bathroom. He held my hand, silently telling me that he didn't want me out of his sight, in fear that I would try to run again. Well, I hadn't given that any thought, and I let him know that, trying to put his nerves to rest.
"I do not trust you." He replied.
"I should be the one saying that." I replied dimly.
Sesshomaru isn't someone who can be understood easily, especially considering his significant lack of body language. But the shift in his eyes from me to the ground for a few seconds was enough to tell me that my words had hit a sour note for him. I averted my own gaze as my hand reached to cover my mouth. I regretted sharing the thought and creating a growing awkwardness between us. Regardless of the awkwardness, he still held onto my hand with a steely grip. He is adorably persistent.
"Have some faith. I've had it for quite some time now."
He gingerly let go of my hand and let me bath in peace. It took some time to wash off all of the grime. Once that was done, I took a ten minute soak in the water. I wasn't in the mood to soak, but I found this to be one of my rare moments alone. I let myself decompress and breathe for as long as I could before getting out and patting myself dry. I applied some oil to my skin before putting on my kimono and stepping out of the bathroom. Sesshomaru stood outside the door with damp hair and an air filled with moisture surrounding him. I didn't question him about it.
I wanted to ignore his seeking hands, but the moment they interlocked with mine, I couldn't stop him from pulling me closer to him. We just stood there. I watched his chest move as he breathed and laid his head on my shoulder. I took a few deep breaths before pulling away from him. It didn't feel right, running from him one second and then running to him the next. The last thing I want to do is constantly flip between the two.
He was willing to give me space, but held onto my hand, silently following behind me. I did not contest it. If holding my hand was enough to keep his mind off of holding onto anything else, I would allow it. We were silent as we walked through the halls. The maids and guards steered clear of us. Their ability to sense the unsure tension in the air encouraged them to stay away from where ever it was coming from, which just so happened to be me. My scent may have disappeared, but you don't need a nose to tell when someone isn't in the mood for company. I would say that Sesshomaru lacks that instinct, but I know he has it. If anyone, I expect him to know that I would prefer to be alone. He's braving the storm.
My feet came to a stop before we reached my room.
"I'm sure you have things to attend to."
"You are my priority." He replied.
I turned to look him in the eye. "Get rid of her."
He stared back at me, forcing me to draw my gaze back. She was still here, and thinking about it made me cringe. I took my hand away from him, and held myself. I wouldn't let him come any closer to me, not while she was still here, and if he didn't pick that up from me turning my back to him and entering my room alone, we were doomed.
Once I was alone again, a sigh that strained my entire being escaped from me. I covered my face with my hands before letting myself fall onto my bed. I was exhausted. A hand slowly moved from my face to hold my chest, feeling my heart beat at a slower pace. My heart was full of surprises. I was sure that it would give up on me after enduring this torture, after shattering into an incomprehensible heap of confusion. Instead of giving up, it got up, welded itself together and still continued to beat, just at a different pace.
Was this how Sesshomaru's mom felt? Her pain must have been worse. Watching her husband chase after another woman when they had a child, knowing that he had a child with another woman, finding out that he died for another woman and her child and left her to fend for herself, Sesshomaru, and the lands he would inherit, the scars from those wounds must be large. Did it not bother her, or does she play her façade well? It would make sense if Sesshomaru inherited his extreme disdain for humans from his mother. It was a human that destroyed her marriage.
I stopped thinking about it. I was giving myself a headache. I grabbed my pillow and pulled it down to where I lay before hearing the soft rattling of something. I lifted my upper half and looked for what could have made the sound. It was when I saw the edges of a brown burlap bag that I remembered that I placed the bag in the spot a while ago. The candy was here this entire time.
I sat up, picked up the bag and opened it. The candy still seemed intact. I couldn't resist my sweet tooth. Sugar is my best friend, and I hadn't said hello in a while. There's no ice cream in this time, and making it myself isn't a possibility right now, so I'll settle with this. I took out a handful of the candy and downed them with ease. As the candy dissolved it released a sweet strawberry taste. After eating one handful, I had another. Thank God for sugar. I don't know how I would live without it. I fell onto the bed again as I shut my eyes. I would try to sleep tonight.
My beast was anxious, commanding that I went back to Kazumi, a command I did not need. I did not want to leave her side the moment I saw that I had hurt her deeply. Her comment on fidelity did not sit well with me. My choice of words then was not the best, and ended up seeding more distance between us. Once the arrangements on the woman's departure were finalized, I hushed the qualms my instinct and very being gave. I made no hesitation to put this situation to rest. I would have preferred if she fled to my arms for refuge, but I was the cause of her flight. She took refuge in her old room, hoping to keep her distance from me.
Five years ago, I never would have imagined myself chasing after anyone. Compared to the time my life has spanned, my change has occurred within a day. I have gone from caring for no type of human, to caring for an abandoned human child, to falling desperately in love with a human originated demon. Though I will have no choice but to eventually let Rin go, I will never let my Kazumi free. Losing her would destroy me. Having her run from me gave me a taste of how that destruction would feel, the panic that ran through my mind when I could not find her scent almost sent me into a frenzy.
I knocked on her door and received no reply. Her silence did not delay my entrance; I would not leave her alone any longer. She lay on her bed, sleeping quietly. With all she had to say tonight, I thought her rest would be more fitful. I sat next to her, and watched to see if she would wake from her sleep. When she did not wake, I held her cheek. With the intensity of our conflict, I was sure that the softness of her skin would be foreign to me. The lack of change soothed my beast. My other hand ran up her leg as I watched her face melt into one agitated by my advancement.
"Well aren't you touchy-feely now?" Her beast asked, waking in Kazumi's stead.
"I need to speak with Kazumi."
Her beast remained silent as her cloudy ash eyes stared at me before sighing.
"She loves you, and, though I would prefer her to take revenge on you, she cannot ignore you."
I pulled her into my arms, not caring if it was her, or her beast.
"Have you forgiven me?"
"You know how I feel."
"I realize now that my words and actions were not what they should have been."
"You do not apologize often, do you?"
"I had no one to practice on, and now I require the skill."
She let out another sigh. "Be glad that your mate is less than willing to let you go."
"That includes you as well."
"I will never admit that."
Her eyes mixed with blue as Kazumi became conscious again. When she saw me, she lowered her gaze. I let her leave my arms as she held onto her kimono.
I didn't have anything to say. Well, I could tell him not to wake me up if I was asleep next time. His grip loosened, giving me space to breathe.
"Forgive me." He said again.
"Easier said than done."
"It is as you said; I should show that my heart beats only for you, if that is what brings you joy."
"You heard that?" I asked with a burning face.
"It was unwise of me to not take your words seriously."
"You weren't supposed to hear that?!"
"How else am I to know what goes through your mind?" he asked as he held my hand, pulling me closer again.
I didn't know what to say to that.
"How am I to protect you if I am the one who hurts you? It was irresponsible to ignore my mate. You are the only one I will hold."
"That's enough already."
"I do not believe you understand how highly I value you."
"Of course I do." I said with a sigh.
"Kazumi, I love you."
"I get it."
"Without you, I am lost. When you are not near, you cloud my mind. If I cannot find you or your scent-"
"You don't have to explain it." I said with heated cheeks.
"Kazumi."
"I just want some sleep." I said as I stood, trying to show him out.
"I will not leave you in peace until this has been resolved."
"Sesshomaru, I'm not asking for much." I replied, distressed by my refusal to take his apology seriously.
As if he could see the hesitation within my mind, he took my hand without moving from the bed. I gazed at him, waiting for him to speak.
"After defeating Naraku, did you not scold me for leaving your side? Did you not tell me that I should stay by you when you are mentally unstable?"
His words brought back the memory, and how I managed to get him to declare his love for me. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as I allowed him to pull me back into his embrace. This man never forgets a word I say, and lives by it. I felt like garbage for taking the apology lightly. The fact that he was apologizing at all should have hinted how much he meant the words he was saying.
"Sesshomaru… if I managed to get away, what would you have done?" I asked, trying to wipe away my tears.
"I would have tracked you down and dragged you back."
"Would you really? You wouldn't replace me?"
"I am able to approach any altercation without fear, yet the thought of you leaving me because of my actions affects me. I do not know what I will become if I were to lose you again. You are irreplaceable."
I buried my head in his chest. "My head's gonna explode."
"You are in danger?"
"It's an expression."
"I do not like that expression."
"I'll make sure not to say it again."
"Kazumi, do not leave my side."
"So long as you don't leave mine." I replied as I let him hold me. "It'll take some time for the bruises to heal, but hurting you will only make the wait longer. I said some things that I shouldn't have."
"Do not hide your mind from me. I prefer knowing your every thought than nothing. I will not allow for you to bare pain alone any longer."
I stood there, watching Sesshomaru as he inched closer to me before trying to steal my lips. I avoided his kiss, but let him lay me against the bed. He really was like a lost puppy, applying something I said three years ago to a completely different situation. And now that he has an opportunity, he's trying to make himself the center of my attention. It's adorable. The way he clung to me reminded me that our relationship is not one-sided, though it may seem that way. He is just as needy and demanding, if not more, as me, he just doesn't show it.
When I felt his hands running below my waist, I separated from him.
"Not so fast." I said.
"Can I not indulge in my mate?"
"No." I responded after realizing that Sesshomaru's beast was present.
"I spoil you." He replied as his hands reached back up to my waist.
"I think I spoil you, my lost puppy. I should have trained you better."
"Are you sure I am the pup?"
"You crave for my attention, don't you?"
"Do your ears not plea for my words of endearment?"
"Touché, Lord of the Fluff."
"It pleases me to see that you no longer fear me, Mate."
He placed a light kiss on my forehead, showing me that he acknowledged and accepted my request for time.
"And about the pregnancy…"
"Is something wrong?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Well, no, but… I really wanted to find a better time to tell you, but you went and found out yourself."
"I can feign ignorance, if you wish."
"No. That's not it."
"Then what do you wish to tell me?"
"They're twins." I said, sparing him from the cryptic messages that ran through my head.
He was still silent.
"Sesshomaru?"
"Two then." He clarified.
"Two."
The glint in his eye showed much more than the ordinary protectiveness he showed me on a day-to-day basis. I let out a shy chuckle as he pulled me even closer.
"A litter."
"I guess you could call it that." I replied as I pulled away from him to breathe. "I didn't think this would happen so early. I mean, I'm only nineteen after all."
"I hoped to have you for myself a while longer." He told me as his hand ran through my hair.
"You say that as though you won't be able to find me by myself ever again." I was having trouble focusing my eyes.
"It will be much harder to do so."
"Are you not happy about this?"
"Do you believe I am not?"
"Well…"
"I am elated." He said with a full smile, sending steam through my ears.
"I'm… glad to hear that." I said as my entire body suddenly went up in flames, knocking me out as I realized that the candy I ate earlier had been laced with poison.
