Hi xD
I know I promised to update a long time ago, but look, this time it took me less than one month hehe. I truly hope you appreciate this installment: To enchant a Demon. I had much fun writing this chapter, so I hope you like it. xD
Dogeza – a respectful bow. It's performed before utmost respected people.
Zabuton – traditional cushion.
Koto – traditional musical instrument with usually 13silken strings.
Disclaimer: Takahashi owns InuYasha, I own this plot and some of the OC mentioned here.
Warnings: Smutness (cause Sesshomaru makes it impossible to write anything without some sexiness) and possibly OOCness.
Mating Policies
IV – To enchant a Demon
"He suffers the same disease of his father," Michiko stated, her head held high.
The Council was reunited without Sesshomaru's, their legit head, knowledge. For the past few hours, they conspired behind his back, trying to come up with a plan to drive both their Lord and his human pet — wife, if they were to follow the protocol — apart.
Inukimi scoffed at their naïveté. Sometimes, it was easier to forget Rin was the child among them; the girl was far clever than those old hags. Even if she herself told the ningen otherwise most of times.
"If it's a disease, you better learn right now there is not a cure for it."
All heads turned to stare at her, a look of utter shock on their faces. She was absolutely not supposed to be there. Apart from being the late head's first mate, InuKimi was never interested in politics. Even when she should have been.
Actually, it cost her a lot and took her a great deal of pain to learn that even annoying, politics were a board no pawn could ever me discarded or treated lightly.
"Who invited you?" Michiko asked, her voice a bit raised. It was without saying she also did not like InuKimi; the woman had talent to stand on her away. Throughout the centuries, she proved to be a pain in the ass. Not even the fact she gave birth to Sesshomaru made Michiko think highly of her. "You certainly did not become a part of—
She was shut by her mate's hand covering hers. He smiled briefly, nodding his head. While he agreed with his mate, he did not see fit to banish InuKimi from a place that was rightfully hers, even if she did not want it at all. Actually, she did not seem to. Lately, she wanted to be a part of their gatherings in an annoyingly frequent fashion.
"Welcome, InuKimi-sama."
He bowed, showing her the same curtsy he showed her son before. The dogeza position irked her to no end. It was not a form of respect; on the contrary, it was a mockery veiled. She scoffed and sat on a zabuton in the center of the room, the same seat his soon usually took. It made a few gasp in the room, as if shocked by her action.
She shrugged.
"Although," he started, a slight smile that did not reach his eyes covering his lips, "I'm... We," he corrected himself, "are quite curious: what do you owe your marvelous presence?"
InuKimi smirked.
"Shouldn't you be teaching your son's pet?" Michiko asked, barely containing all rage inside of her.
This time, InuKimi chuckled and nodded.
"Your Lord's mate," she corrected her, "is right now with him... In his arms... You all know the cravings of the young."
Even if it was so long ago for you, she mused to herself.
"InuKimi-sama," Hiraku, probably the only one among the old hags she did not hate, spoke, "mate? Did they start..."
Another chuckle. She was having immense fun with them."
"Oh, no... but we all know it's just a matter of time now."
Michiko snorted.
"You went from hating humans to loving them."
InuKimi would have laughed at that, but she told that maybe she should keep the serious façade. For now at least.
"I do love my son and for him I will do anything."
"Even let him consort with humans?" Hideki asked this time.
"If that is what makes him happy, then I will, brother-in-law."
There was silence for a moment in the meeting room. Everyone expected another wave of laughter — InuKimi's nature was known to be sarcastic, so there must be some kind of irony to her words. There was not.
"You mean it," Hiraku said in a calm tone. He was surprised as well.
Apart from her mischievous nature, InuKimi was known for hating humans, but even more for loving her son. She could have been hanged by a lot of sins, but no one could ever say she did not love her son.
She did not nod. There was no reason to.
This time, Hiraku bowed, his nose almost touching the floor. His shoulder-length silver strands created a curtain around him as he showed a subservient posture to his Lady.
"Very well," he started, his voice low, commanding respect from those around him. "We shall give His Lord his time with Lady Rin. The Southern Princess visit shall be cancelled."
"What?" Michiko's shocked face was quite a sight for sore eyes. Or so InuKimi thought. "You couldn't possibly—
"We shall curve ourselves to your wishes, InuKimi-sama."
All of them — the thirteenth of them — bowed to their Lady, mimicking the oldest — even though not the head — in the Demon Council.
Michiko fumed. InuKimi smirked.
#
Rin wiped her forehead. It was almost seven in the morning and she was already exhausted — she had spent the last two hours training under the watchful eyes of her Lady.
InuKimi did not give her even a second of rest, instead she pushed her to do better, to work harder, to achieve faster. By now, she had lost count on how many times she fell and had to stand up on shaking legs.
"Again," InuKimi said through clenched teeth. The girl was getting on her nerves. It was their third day of training, but especially today, Rin was more distracted than never.
"I am sorry." She bit her bottom lip. "I feel watched."
InuKimi rolled her eyes.
Of course she felt watched. No wonder she could not concentrate on the task at hand. She pursed her lips into a thin line, not sure if she should whether feel amused or not. At least, it seemed their bond was strengthening.
"Beloved pup, would you please come out or leave?" Her voice was thoroughly teasing. "My student is distracted because of you."
Rin's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She forgot how to breathe for a moment. Even though she knew it was her Lord since the beginning, it was still embarrassing to a fault to meet him in such an unexpected fashion.
"Sesshomaru-sama!"
Hn was all he let out as he approached both of them in silent steps. Rin bit her bottom lip as she roamed his frame. Instead of his traditional clothes, he wore a navy-blue hakama and a white kosode, which was left slightly opened.
She could not help but blush at the sight of his toned chest and abs. Powerful arms were also showing for the sleeves of his kosode were rolled up. His silvery hair was up in a high ponytail, which both Rin and InuKimi think how alike his father he looked.
"Rin," he replied in a deep, almost too pleased voice as he inspected her.
Just like him, instead of the traditional kimono, she wore a black hakama and no kosode covered her upper body. There was a flimsy fabric he did not recognize, but that he thought could only come from InuYasha's mate. The girl from the future had certainly no idea of decency, he thought as he surveyed her tempting form. The fabric clung to her waistline and her supple breasts, whose nipples stood proud right now.
She was mouthwatering, surely.
He shook such thoughts and to his chagrin, he found she was biting her bottom lip when he looked up. If she only knew how tempting she looked when she did that.
InuKimi cleared her throat, her eyes full of mischief and her smirk almost too judging for Sesshomaru's liking.
"This Sesshomaru expects this clothes are for training only."
Rin's bit her bottom lip even fiercely. Inukimi laughed. She threw her head back and let out a long, delighted laugh.
"Jealous, are we not, beloved son?"
He pursed his lips into a thin line. Of course he was not jealous. It was only he did not like everyone setting eyes on his possessions — for Rin was surely one of his most prized possessions. But to pinpoint it as jealousy? It was a bit too much.
Even for his mother.
He turned to tell her that, but to his surprise — and chagrin — she had vanished into thin air, letting him alone with a mouthwatering wife he did not want to deal right now.
"Do you want to train with me, Sesshomaru-sama?" she asked timidly.
He gave her no response, for he thought that watching and possibly touching her at the moment was not an intelligent decision. If ever. Yet, he found himself captive of her doe brown orbs and to his astonishment, he could only nod.
"Very well," he conceded, "you have one chance to attack this Sesshomaru."
#
Hmmmm… Sesshomaru-sama… M-Maru…
He closed his lids at once, still holding the brush between his clawed fingers. It was impossible to proofread any document with Rin so close to him, singing and playing koto with that witchery voice of her.
Even if the song was far from obscene, whenever she opened her crimson painted lips — and he wondered why her lady's maid insisted on painting her lips with such a sinful color —, he could not help but relive the dreams that plagued his mind since he marked her.
Supposedly, his mother should still be keeping Rin company, teaching her in whatever she thought was useful for his mate-to-be learn. However, since their training — and Sesshomaru did not want to think about it either; the feel of her pressed up against him, of her breath so close to his own and the overwhelming smell of her arousal as he dominated her did not leave his mind — InuKimi left and did not come back yet.
Rin had bathed herself, changed her clothes and had her hair pulled up in an intricate coiffure that had him wanting to run his claws through the raven locks and disentangle them. He shook such thoughts away and tried to concentrate on the task at hand, even if it seemed quite impossible for whenever he came past his own name in the agreement, he pictured himself over her… A sinful version of his name slipping past her lips.
S-Sesshomaru-sama… M-Maru… Maru!
His golden eyes closed on their own accord. It did him no good. Now, instead of hearing only her sultry voice calling him for such a ridiculous abbreviation of his name that he would have found utterly ridiculous coming from anyone else, but could only think of extremely endearing and arousing when it came from her properly ravished lips, he saw both them in a more than pleasing fashion.
Rin beneath his body, her back arched into his touch and her trembling legs still wrapped around his lean hips as he took her unceremoniously over the low desk in the center of his study. Her nails were deep buried on his back as he graced her sensible skin with kisses and love bits that were sure to have her marked and sore for the next day.
"…Maru…" Rin called, her head slightly tilted to her left side; her brows furrowed. "Sesshomaru-sama?"
"What is it?" he replied without looking at her. Aware that she was biting her bottom lip, he could only want to sigh and curse his own weakness towards the ningen woman.
If he did not already desire her by the time he placed the temporary mark upon her skin, he would never picture himself in such… sultry disposition with her.
"You look tired, my Lord…" she commented quietly, looking down. It was undeniable how embarrassed she was by the fact he was caught staring at her for so long and in such a — she did not have the right words to define the look in his golden eyes — fashion. "Perhaps I should stop playing and singing."
He nodded without giving it much thought, but at the look of disappointment on her face, he complemented, "Keep playing…" He simply hated when she bit her bottom lip. "It…" Damn it. Of all the manias, why did she have to insist on biting her lip? He took a sharp intake of breath. "It keeps me concentrated."
This time, she was the only one to nod, a soft smile gracing her tempting lips.
It was well known that Rin enjoyed playing and singing and that he enjoyed her soft voice more than should be appropriate. If it came from anyone else, he would find it annoying the cheerful undernotes that flowed through her songs, but when she was just a child it was a reminder that she was pleased and safe. Rin was like a precious bird, if she did not sing, it meant she was not happy and at some point, Rin's happiness became his reason for living.
However, ever since their engagement — or whatever he could call the predicament they found themselves into —, her songs were… He could not think of the exact term right now, but he could not deny how much it distracted him.
It keeps me concentrated.
Ha! If only…
That was the reason why he berated himself for agreeing so thoughtlessly at her suggestion. It was somewhat new to him, but his wife suggested to keep him company while he did… whatever he had to do. It did not escape him she was also trying to escape Jaken. If he was a lesser man, he would have smirked at her poor attempt of skipping the history classes.
However, he would not blame her. Not when the imp could be very well a pain in the ass.
Ever since — or for the last centuries, it seemed, even if just an hour had passed by —, she was playing and singing to him while he proofread a document that would benefit both his Lands and the Norther Lands greatly.
"…Maru…" She stopped playing, her fingers placed upon the silken strings. "Sesshomaru-sama?"
This time, no word left his lips, as he looked up at her; golden eyes completely focused on her face and how a strand of raven hair loosened. It did not take long for him to realize that the kanzashi holding the locks in place was one of his gifts back when she was just a child.
"Is there some way in which I could make myself useful, my Lord?" she asked, leaning over the instrument to somehow get closer to him.
From his place, even though he could not see a sliver of marble skin, he could see the outline of her breasts and it was just too much appreciation of such perfect mounds in a day. His eyes narrowed and he could not help as very inappropriate — even if delectable — images danced in the back of his mind. He groaned inwardly at the way his body responded to her innocent suggestion.
If only she knew what her words did to him…
He cleared his throat and was about to deny her, when he thought that it would very well leave her unhappy — and to his sadness and own persecution, he had to remind himself he, Sesshomaru, the greatest daiyokai alive lived for that girl's happiness.
Still, not trusting himself with words, he motioned for her to get closer and occupy the zabution next to his.
Only one question invaded his mind as her scent assaulted his nose and her mark came into view as she craned her neck to look at him in the eye.
Why do this Sesshomaru keeps torturing himself?
#
"What are you doing here?" A venomous voice reached InuKimi's sensible ears as she touched lightly a parchment tied around a lesser demon crow's leg.
She rolled her eyes and petted the bird affectionately before giving it a small lizard she found roaming the walls. The animal letout a delighted caw before taking flight. Before her sister-in-law could repeat her question, InuKimi raised two fingers and appreciated the sound of the demon fluttering, before turning into a blur in the sky.
Of course, it did not prevent her from talking.
"Shouldn't you be teaching your son's human pet?"
"Wife…" InuKimi corrected, a warm and joyous feeling creeping to her cold heart. If she knew that marrying his son to his ward would be so much fun, she would have done it already. "I think I have already responded this question."
"If you do not find time within your tight schedule to teach the girl properly, then you should relinquish your position for a far more suited teacher."
InuKimi scoffed.
"Oh, please…" Her voice was no more than a spirited whisper; her golden eyes shone with mirth. "We both know that there are lessons better learned in the intimacy of a bedroom..." She looked at Michiko and at noticing her pursing her thin lips, gave her immense joy. "Or in a study… A meeting room…"
"That is disgusting!" Michiko intervened. "You speak as if your son is an animal in heat."
"Or in love…"
Her words, instead of the bubbling rage she expected, brought only silence. It disappointed InuKimi to no end. Since she mated the great InuTaisho, one of her greatest pleasures was to irritate her sister-in-law. She was so predictable it sometimes annoyed InuKimi, but her silence was almost unsettling.
Almost.
Someone such as InuKimi was not one to have problems dealing with the different.
She smirked.
"I must repeat my question: what are you doing here?"
"Wandering around my compound."
"Your son's compound."
"It's almost the same." She shrugged. In fact, there was not much difference. What was hers was his and what was his was hers. Simply like that. After all, if he was alive — rather, if his most prized possession was alive, it was because of her. Sesshomaru may have had a difficult time dealing with his mother's antic in the past, but he would be forever grateful to her for saving Rin's life.
Mother and Son. There was a stronger bound to be discovered yet.
Michiko narrowed her eyes and gave up on arguing. It was clear InuKimi came to stay and would only go away once Sesshomaru mated the despicable ningen woman — or lost forever. Hopefully, the second option would be the outcome of their situation.
"Betrayal smells a mile away, you know…"
If she was a lesser woman, Michiko would have gasped or worse: told her the truth. If InuKimi suspected, she could make her live a living hell. Well, there was not much she could do right now. The message had been sent already.
"Just because the Council agreed to leave your human pet alone, it doesn't mean the head agree as well."
"Should I remind you the head if your mate?"
This time, it was Michiko's turn to smirk. Shortly after, it became a low chuckle. She was extremely delighted to use InuKimi's words against her.
"It's almost the same."
She expected to have her opponent trembling with rage or having some trouble managing her inner thoughts, however, all InuKimi let out was a low, mimicked chuckle.
"Oh dear… You will lose anyway."
#
"Send InuYasha to their village."
For a moment, Sesshomaru lost all movements of his body and could only stare at Rin as if she had grown thirty heads at the same time. Her suggestion was not only ridiculous, it was outright impossible to be fulfilled.
"No."
Rin sighed.
She knew her Lord would disagree with her suggestion, but she expected him to at least give it some thought.
"Sesshomaru-sama!" she exclaimed as he left her side and walked to the shōji doors that lead to the garden.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
No. It was simply not a situation he could give to his half-brother handle. Even if liked and was well accepted by humans, it simply would not do. He would not risk a profitable agreement by placing it in the hands of a reckless hanyō.
"Have I ever done something that disappointed you, my Lord?"
He did not reply. The lack of response, however, was more than enough. As his diplomat, Rin had never done anything that ever displeased him and not even a single suggestion of hers ever went wrong.
The only time he was not so pleased with a visit to a foreign land, she was not to blame. Instead, the Lord — a small, vicious and insignificant creature — was the only to lose his head for ever thinking he could touch what was his.
"I cannot follow your suggestion."
"You cannot or will not?" she asked, debating with herself to whether follow him or not. She decided to stay where she was, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. "And they are not the same."
Sesshomaru looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. She grew up to be a formidable speaker. She knew how to stand up for herself and how to make even the greatest of the orators to curve to her wishes. Sometimes, he missed when she was just a child that agreed with everything he said and venerated the very soil he walked on.
"Think about it…" she started, looking at his back. "I cannot go… Neither can Kohaku."
Sadly. Whenever Rin was out of duty as his diplomat in human territory, the human child that once travelled with them would volunteer to go in her place. However, it was one of the lands in which he once killed people at the command of Naraku. He would be beheaded, to say the least.
"Your brother—
"Half-brother," he corrected her in a quiet tone; his eyes focused on sun shining outside.
"Your brother," she said again, not affected by his icy eyes watching her, "is our best option. He is well known and loved in this land. He saved them from darker influences once. If you only trust him, my Lord, I am sure this agreement will be sealed within days."
He stayed in silence for a moment, sorting his thoughts.
"It was a land once castigated by demons for welcoming half-demons," she continued and her knowledge about the place caught him off guard. "And you, my Lord…"
She let the rest of her sentence hanging in the air.
Sesshomaru kept his silence, reflecting on her thoughts. She was right. He did not want to acknowledge what she said, but she was — as always — right. He was being a proud and irrational creature. He did not want to give InuYasha such power over him. If he closed the deal, he would forever annoy him, rubbing on his face that he — a hanyō, a half-breed — not only secured his domain over the Northern Lands, but also increased his profit.
"Very well…" he conceded, not at all pleased with the idea. "You have your deal."
Rin's smile was so big he wondered why he did not agree with her at once.
"Can I resume playing?"
#
It did not take long before they fell into companionable silence. Neither spoke, but words were not needed. Sesshomaru wrote to his half-brother and was mulling over letting Rin write as well — he knew she was most like to convince the hardhead than he was.
Rin played. She did not sing anymore. Instead, her fingers worked beautifully on the simpler version of the koto his mother probably made her play. The music flowed in the ambient, making it easier for him to work.
It was peaceful. Truly peaceful.
Now that he had sorted his problem — or she had —, he was concentrated on the task at hand and the fact she had not singing and her sinful voice did not reach his ears, it was much easier for him not to think about her trembling form beneath him — even if the image was just so glorious and delectable.
From time to time, he would see her watching him, her doe eyes focused on him; her lower lip trapped between her pearly teeth. She would blush beautifully whenever he caught her staring. It became a pleasurable game to catch her ogling.
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
She could not be more obvious, not even if she tried.
It took him all his power not to stare at her in the open and lift one of his perfect eyebrow. It was quite difficult though — and so very amusing. When he felt her staring again, this time he looked at her. A gasp left her lips, the music stopped at once, a ripped sound reaching his ears and hurting his sensible hearing and the smell of blood filled the air.
"Rin."
"Sesshomaru-sama, I'm sorry." She gasped again, pressing onto the small cut in her forefinger. The blood poured down, smearing the brown instrument. "I'm so sorry… Forgive my clumsiness."
In less than a minute, she was looking for the right place to torn apart her expensive kimono and wrap a small piece around her finger. It was not needed however, she had her hand snatched away and her skin enwrapped by her Lord's warm mouth.
She gasped.
"Sesshomaru… sama…"
She should feel ashamed, really, but his action made her insides contort with pleasure and her skin heat all over. She could bet her face was completely red. It did not help he had his golden eyes closed and his usually stoic face seemed to be one of… delight?
"You don't have to…" she whispered, afraid of breaking the moment.
To that, he gave her no reply. A low growl aroused in his chest as he lapped at her small cut. She knew he was merely closing the wound with his healing saliva, but she could not help but moan as he sucked her finger more vigorously.
Heat coiled in between her legs, reaching her core. She closed her thighs and blushed even deeply as he opened his eyes — now a mixture of gold and red. A squeal of both delight and surprise escaped her as he pulled her to him; a hand on the small of her back and the other ripping apart her obi and freeing his mark to himself, which he quickly and viciously attacked.
She had no time to process what was happening. It was so fast and unbelievably, she had trouble believing that her Lord was not invading her mouth in a lascivious kiss. Rin could not help but kiss him back and straddle him.
A low growl escaped his lips in between their kiss. She knew he hated being dominated by a woman — anyone for that matter — and tried to invert their positions, to which she did not allow. She forced him to lay down against the tatami floor and descended her kisses upon his jaw and neck.
When his growl subsided and his clawed hand touched her round hips, creating a friction between their lower bodies — she gasped and he gasped —, she knew had claimed her dominance this time. Rather: she knew she had only one chance to please him.
Dear Kami helped her.
#
"It's getting harder and harder to hide your attraction to her, is it not?" InuKimi commented as she glanced over the window to the girl training to exhaustion.
There was no response. Not that his mother expected one either. She could barely hide her famous smirk as she filled her cup with more sake for herself and her son. For the past few hours, Sesshomaru had been locked up in his study revising some agreements after Rin helped him. To find him roaming the compound during the day and catch him spying on his little wife was a surprise then. Certainly, not an unpleasant, given the fact she defended the girl so earnestly before.
He did not like drinking while he was working, but he thought that denying his mother would do him no good. He lifted the cup to his lips and shifted his attention back to the girl he was watching earlier before the unwanted interruption.
"How did it go before?" she asked, barely concealing her curiosity. As far as she could sniff, there was not much trace of the human girl on him — not a permanent mark at least. There was — again, and she could not help but smirk — traces of fresh arousal and orgasm, but she had not stake her claim on him.
Yet.
Something told her that quite soon her son would find himself in her arms. This time forever. Or what they could state as forever. At least, it seemed it was already getting harder and harder to resist such a temptation.
Well, for the sake of her own pretty neck, she expected Sesshomaru fell for the ningen woman. And it better happen soon.
"And…?" She smirked slightly as she watched him out of the corner of his eyes. He seemed stiff and somehow appalled by her question. As if coming up with a response was rather difficult. It made it all entertainable in InuKimi's opinion. "How did it go?"
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at his mother.
"She is quite capable with a sword," he admitted at least. He did not say that Rin lose though — he did not say she won that afternoon when she thoroughly dominated him. Not that he ever expected her to win. And that, maybe, was the reason why she was training till now.
My apologies, my Lord. I will do my best and prove myself to be a worthy adversary next time.
To him, it was a quite ridiculous notion that she wanted to prove something to him. She was definitely worthy. Not a worthy adversary, but did she ever think about the true meaning of such claim?
Obviously not.
If she did, she did not consider the possibility that he, as the better fighter, would have to end her life. And the very thought of bringing her life to an end — when he was already to blame for her second death — was too much for him.
He watched as sweat ran down her forehead and soaked her raven hair, her movements coming to a halt as she fought to keep her breath under control.
Yes, he definitely could not bring himself to see her as an adversary. Rin was his to protect, to cherish and to care for and even to love — or whatever feeling possessed him whenever in the company of the young woman — but never to fight against.
"Well…" InuKimi dragged him from his thoughts. "At least, it will do some good when Kaoru comes to claim you."
He seemed quite stunned at her declaration, even if no reaction — not in the form of words at least — slipped him. That the Southern Princess was coming was a fact, but that she was to stake a claim on him was new.
"You are unclaimed." She shrugged as if it did not concern her at all. As if her position in the Council did not depend on the success of his mating to the ningen woman.
"I am married," he replied, barely containing the rage in his voice. "To Rin."
InuKimi sighed and touched the Meidō stone hanging around her neck.
"And they have no right to say a word against it." She rolled her amber eyes. "I do know that, beloved pup, however, the council does not agree… Or your charming aunt does not."
He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, mildly surprised she said so much at once and at the same time gesturing for her to continue.
"The Elders agreed today to leave you to your own devices…" She smirked as she saw Rin performing a rather difficult movement she was having trouble just yesterday. The girl surely learned fast. At the low growl at her lack of details, she chuckled. "Patience, beloved son… Patience…" She touched his face before he could break apart and put some steps between them.
"Speak at once, mother. This Sesshomaru has little time for your endless games."
"Tsk… Tsk…" She rolled her eyes, but decided to give in. "I just caught Michiko sending a letter to our beloved Princess, saying she is more than welcomed."
Even if the last part was invented, she was sure it was somehow along the lines.
Sesshomaru seemed quite taken for a moment. Not because his aunt seemed so keen on betraying the sovereignty of the Council. It was already to be expected — she would, after all, do everything under her power to fulfill her wishes, even if meant going against everyone and his very rules —, but it seemed rather unlikely that his mother would keep herself so quiet. It was shocking, truly.
As if reading his mind, InuKimi let out a long chuckle. Her lips showing her pearly fangs as she did so.
"I am most interested in watching the play unfold, precious pup."
He growled for a moment, the sound reverberating in his chest. His mother was playing with fire. Did she ever realize the meaning of her words? It was impossible to know, he was speaking of InuKimi after all.
"This play could have Rin killed," he hissed. The word play was stressed out with extreme disgust.
Pursing her purple lips into a thin line, so that she would not let him know she was on the verge of smirking again — or worse, chuckling —, she patted his shoulder and whispered against his ear as she left him alone watching over his dear wife.
"Only if you let it happen."
#
The full moon was up in the sky when Sesshomaru entered his chambers to find that Rin was nowhere in sight. He removed his haori and hung it nearby, unsure to whether look for her or not.
His mother's words still haunted him.
When Kaoru comes to claim you.
He knew it could happen, but did not know it was bound to happen. He expected his family — his aunt — to have more respect for his choices. He did choose to marry Rin after all. If he chose to mate her was his choice and his choice only. She had no right not meddle in his affairs and invite the enemy into his lands.
However, those were the rules. An unclaimed demon — indifferent of the gender — could be claimed by another at any time. And if he was in a relationship, well, the demon could fight its way.
If Rin was a demon — if Rin was not so precious to him —, he would not be worried, she would be capable of putting Lady Kaoru in her place — and he would be mostly pleased to watch that. However, such was not the case. On the contrary, Rin was fragile. Mortal.
He could not let any harm come to her because of his poor choices. He would have to deal with Kaoru. Alone.
It would be rather difficult after their last interlude. It still clung to his mind. Everything about her burned in the back of his mind. Her scent, her taste, her voice, her nails buried on his shoulders and the tatami as he worked her to the sweet end… and her gorgeous eyes as she looked at him with a dreamy and stated expression.
He shook such thoughts and, due to the warm weather, pulled his hair high up in a ponytail and left his room. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light outside. Only the moon shone, illuminating the garden.
It took him little time to identify where Rin was. Sitting under a cherry blossom tree, barefoot, and eyes closed, he quickly realized the was sleeping. Approaching her, he was about to touch her face when she looked up at him, a small, yet bright, smile curving the side of her mouth.
"Good evening, Sesshomaru-sama."
He did not reply, looking up at the sky. The stars shone timidly, obfuscated by the big moon. It would be full moon for the next three days. He did not have much time left. Whatever decision he could come up with, it had to be soon.
"Would you like to sit with me?" she asked, but regretted her action afterwards. It seemed utterly ridiculous to her that he would like to sit in the plain ground when there was bench nearby.
He shifted his attention to her and outstretched his hand for her to take. She furrowed her brows, but did not say anything. Placing her fingers upon his, she let him lift her to her feet; her hands stopped on his broad shoulders and his stationed on her waist, bringing her closer to him.
Unable to cope with the extreme silence and the seriousness in his eyes — their intensity made her blush and remember their earlier rendezvous —, she spoke, "Thank you for this afternoon…" She bit her bottom lip. "For listening to me. I am always pleased to be of any help to my Lord."
Hn was all he let out before towering over her. From his place, he could hear her heart beating madly on her chest and the blood flowing quicker in her veins. He felt his throat grow dry with want. He would just give anything to taste her blood once again.
His warm breath caressed her face and his lips touched hers slowly, capturing them in a leisure kiss. She did not know how or why, but somehow, she knew she would not like what was coming next. The intensity on his golden eyes forced her close her own and pour her very soul into the kiss.
Contrary to their very sultry afternoon, this kiss had no such connotation. It was not carnal, it was… emotional. She felt her heart flutter. Butterflies danced in her stomach.
It was an exhilarating sensation and yet so, so peaceful.
What would you do to make that mark permanent?
InuKimi asked in the first day when he bestowed her with the temporary mark. At the time, she said she would do nothing — because really, she would not —, but now… She would do everything under her power to have him to herself.
It sounded quite selfish, she knew. It was selfish, but she could not help herself. For a moment, she was no better than Lady Kaoru or any other woman that once crossed their path and wanted him to themselves — he was not a property. Rather a being capable of choosing for himself, but if she had how to make him fall in love with her and make his demon heart beat in the same cadence as hers… She would just give anything to have his love.
And he was capable of loving… She knew it. He already cared for her. It was clear when he saved her life — twice. When he protected her so many times, when he trusted her enough to be his diplomat in human territory, when he decided to listen to her advices — no matter how misplaced they seemed at first. When he decided he would rather marry her, a human, than a demon of noble birth.
Even if he hated her kind, he had proved time after time that he did not hate her. And if he did not despise her, he could learn to love her, right?
And he had proved that at least a small part of him could learn to love her — if he did not love her already. It was known that no demon in its true form let itself be embraced by anyone that was not a mate or quite important. And he had let her come closer to him and embraced her last night. She always thought he was beautiful, but to see him in all his glory brought tears again to her eyes.
It was selfish of her to want more nights like that? To want to hold him close and fall asleep in his arms?
"I want to be with you… Forever…" she confessed, lips still closer to his. She leaned to kiss him again, but this time there was no response from his part.
He seemed like a wall. Unmoving. Cold. Unfelling.
"We should call of the marriage," he whispered at least, breaking totally apart.
It took him all his power, not to bring her back to his arms and kiss her again. And again and again and again, till the night became day and she became limp in his arms.
"Sesshomaru-sama?" She looked at him with widened eyes. Her brows furrowed. "I don't… I don't understand."
There was no response from his part. He stayed in silence, mulling over his options. He had few and all of them seemed very wrong to him.
"You are returning to InuYasha's village."
His tonelessly voice left no room for further questionings. Rin gulped and stepped back, till her back met the tree she was resting against earlier. She bit her bottom lip out of apprehension. After that afternoon, she did not know what to think of such a hurried decision. Did she have displeased with? Rather: did she not please him enough?
Such decision made no sense at all.
"You can return to your chambers this night."
Back turned to her, he started walking back to his room. Not the one they shared, not the hanare room, but the room he had before that madness began. Before he let himself be bewitched by her.
She had cast a spell on him and he had been blind to how she could suffer the consequences till now. His mother, however, alerted him to how dangerous it was to keep her close when he had no intention of bestowing upon her the permanent mark.
Because he did not.
He could not.
There was promise at stake. His pride was at stake. And he did not break his promises. Eons ago, he swore he would not become his father and he intended on following it to his tomb, even if meant he had to let Rin go.
"Sesshomaru-sama…" Her voice made him stop where he was. He did not turn to face her, but the fact he had stopped, indicated she could speak. She took a sharp intake of breath. To say she did not understand it all would do her no good and would only cause her to waste her precious time. "Is there any way to make you change your mind?"
He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. He expected to be assaulted by the revolting scent of her tears, however, all he could detect was resolve.
"No."
He replied and hoped that he could break her heart. There were two ways of protecting her. He either made her his or he broke her heart. Neither seemed easy for him, but he could not and would not become his father.
He was adamant in the issue.
Breaking her heart was the only option left. It was his only option to really protect her and no matter how, he would protect her.
It was difficult, though. He had found that very afternoon that he she had enchanted him. Bewitched him. It was just so much more than something about fleshly desires. His soul called to hers; it had since he had first laid eyes on her.
Once again, she proved him to be wrong. Even if her smile faltered a little, she remained firm on her decision. And he could not help but widen his eyes when he her lips did not move, but her voice sounded crystal clear in his head.
"I apologize in advance then…" The next words were just a whisper. "But I am not giving up on you."
Before he could come up with a proper response — there were few times in which he had been caught off guard and most of them were related to Rin, he realized now —, she walked to him and stopped when there was less than an arm of distance between them. She smiled — even if her heart was breaking at his rejection; a lone tear cascading down her gorgeous face — and planted a kiss on his cheek. Her wet lips meeting his warm skin in a heartfelt fashion that had him in trouble to control himself and his urges to hold her close in an innocent fashion just like last night.
To him, it was somewhat a relief and astounding as well — not to mention shameful — to know she was willing to fight for him, for them, when he had just decided to let her go.
He closed his eyes.
It was clear he dreaded becoming like his father. However, what he did not realize till now was that to become like the great InuTaisho was not a shame; to act cowardly and drive away the ones he loved away was. His father was a proud man, he had always been. If he decided to give up on everything he had, even the respect he usually commanded on others, to be by Izayoi's side, it was because she was his source of pride. Not his lands, not his power, nor his swords.
He was not weak, either. His greatest strength came from the fact he never ran away from his feelings, unlike his firstborn.
Sesshomaru should feel ashamed. By trying to not become his father, he had become far worse than him. He was a joke.
Her lips came closer to his own and he could not help himself, but to capture them in a light kiss that had her sighing in his mouth. The dreamlike gesture did not last, though, for she broke apart quite soon.
He outstretched his hand to get her back to his arms, but she moved away. Moved past him.
"Goodnight, Sesshomaru-sama."
He looked at the moon, still intrigued at how she had learned how to speak in his mind, something he knew usually took months for new mates to learn and improve.
"Goodnight, Rin," he replied back, invading her thoughts.
I love you.
He was not so sure if the last words came from her lips or her mind. Worse: they could have come from his own lips.
A/N – And that's all for today, kids!
I know InuKimi is everywhere in this chapter, but I felt like I should do her some justice. There are a lot of works out there who make her the big bad *bitch* who would do anything under her power to destroy Sesshomaru's happiness. So, in this chapter, I decided to make a change in this and place her not as someone who roots for Rin, but that wants her son to be happy above anything. That should be a mother's reaction, right?
I'm sorry if the emotions seem rushed, but I think that Rin and Sesshomaru have known each other for quite a long time, so… I think in a shortfic — an InuYasha verse fic, post-cannon — they should merely discover their feelings had grown at some point in their lives. And to be honest, I like working with Sesshomaru's indecisiveness. It's always a pleasure.
For those who may be wondering why Rin can speak in Sesshomaru's mind, well… I will explore it next chapter hehe
My biggest thank you for everyone who reviewed last chapter (Guest, Guest, azraelknight, inlovewithademon, Wolflover235, Gwenally, kagomeLove2, WildHeart44, Jcat007, Guest, inu demon, lady of the west, Guest, Soph, Taraah36). Your kind words made my day. Thanks to everyone who added this story to the follows and favorites. You rock, guys!
To my other readers, those reading my ByaRuki fanfics and mainly Remember… On October 12 was Remember's first anniversary, but there was no update. Why? Remember is my baby and favorite work ever, but as I said before, I can only write Remember when I feel highly inspired, which was not the case last days. Sorry! xD I hope I can update soon!
If you feel like, do leave me a review. I'd love to read your thoughts.
Take care and see you soon (hopefully),
Velvetsins.