Chapter 5: You
These modern clothes clung to Sesshoumaru's skin, and he did not like it one bit. Did humans disdain the airy flow of kimonos and hakama now? Even so, he endured it, since Towa had impressed upon him how much he needed to try to appear "normal." She even approached him with that damn hesitation in her eyes and asked if she could apply some of her old makeup to his face to cover his markings.
"Tattoos are only worn by the yakuza here, and I don't want you to get in trouble because someone mistakes you for one," she said.
Sesshoumaru did not know what a yakuza was, but he was also a stranger in this world, and his daughter knew best. So reluctantly, he let her cover the markings he was so proud of. When he looked at himself in the clearest mirror he had ever seen, he was stunned to see himself free of them.
Even though she had left his hair alone, he still looked like a different person without markings and in these strange clothes. He almost looked…human.
It was most unsettling.
The Higurashi family then took them on a tour of the great metropolis of Tokyo—Edo, as Towa explained. Sesshoumaru had been to Edo before, and to see how it had grown in five hundred years boggled even his mind.
Just like the "airplane" that flew over them earlier, "cars" whizzed past on the roads. He could still outrun them if he flew, he was sure, but when they arrived at a "train station," one train whizzed by as fast as a bullet, and even Sesshoumaru doubted he could keep up with it.
At least he was not the only one left in awe. Kagome too was shocked—both by what was "still here" and by what had changed in the twenty years since she had left.
When they arrived at Tokyo Tower, the structure was not what Sesshoumaru had expected. He thought it would be a building perhaps eight stories high with an arched roof resting atop it. Instead, the abomination of red and white metal crisscrossing up into the sky was unlike any tower he had ever seen.
Another conveyance—truly, humans had learned to make up for their lack of speed and flight—brought them to the top of the tower (for Towa assured him that he could, under no circumstances, fly them up there or anywhere), and from there they beheld the entirety of the city and even Mt. Fuji discreetly hidden in the background.
Though Rin was no stranger to these heights herself, given the many times she flew in his arms and on A-Un, she still oohed and ahhed with Setsuna and Moroha as she walked around the observation platform. The three cousins also posed in front of Towa's phone, which had been pinging nonstop since they arrived, and that prompted Mrs. Higurashi to ask a stranger to "take a photo" of the entire group. Sesshoumaru stood where directed, though he did not smile when told to.
Afterwards, they walked around the city, and as the masses of humanity pressed in on Sesshoumaru, he felt as if they would swallow him whole. It was the only time he had ever felt threatened by humans, though they mostly ignored him as they jostled by.
But they were not the only ones putting him ill at ease. The buildings towering over him screamed at him with flashing lights that burned his eyes. That horrible, smoky taste to the air was worse here, emanating from those "cars," and their constant, whining noise mixed with the incessant human chatter echoed off the glass-and-metal buildings, ringing in his ears.
He couldn't wait to go back home to the peace and quiet of their world in just a few hours.
But every time he saw his Towa's carefree smile and delighted face, he told himself to bear with it. He had suffered worse.
At lunch, they stopped at a ramen stand, eating the hot soup in the cold as they huddled together and laughed at Inuyasha's orgasmic expressions. Afterwards, they walked through a park glittering with multicolor lights wrapped around the trees and bushes. They also came across a fake icy pond that humans circled like wobbly birds.
Moroha wanted to try it, so the group "rented skates" and took to the ice.
"Father, you should try it too," Towa begged, grabbing hold of his hand. "I bet you'll be a natural. You have such great balance."
Sesshoumaru paid little attention to how she tried to play his ego and more to the fact that she had reached out to him of her own free will. He looked up at Rin, who nodded at him with an expectant look on her face.
Sesshoumaru squeezed his daughter's hand. "Very well."
Towa handed him a pair of skates with a smile, and he decided it was well worth any humiliation on his part to stay by Rin's side as she wobbled on the dangerous skates. He could not risk her falling and injuring herself or the pup.
So he took her hands in his and led her to the rink. She clutched both him and the wall for support as she slid onto the ice. For a moment, Sesshoumaru too struggled to keep his balance, for the sensation of not having a firm grip beneath his feet was bizarre. But once he found it, he found it surprisingly ease to master.
Another human skated past them in a rush, then lifted and leg and leapt spinning into the air before landing back down perfectly and skating backwards. The crowd of humans clapped.
"I bet you could do that too if you tried," Rin whispered, a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes.
"I do not need to put on such a show," Sesshoumaru replied.
His family, however, seemed to have different ideas, for Moroha then tried to copy the human girl and ended up spinning across the ice on her rear. Towa tried for a simpler move, leaning forward and gliding in an arc with one leg raised behind her.
Setsuna actually managed the airborne twirl, and pride inflated Sesshoumaru's chest. But he was content to stay with Rin as she hugged the wall. Even so, he noted the look of longing in her eyes.
Towa noticed too. She skated over to Sesshoumaru and tugged on his sleeve. He bent down and whispered a solution into his ear.
Ah, now this he could approve of.
"Rin, do you trust me?" he asked.
"Of course, my lord!" she answered.
"Give me your hands." She did, and Sesshoumaru began skating backwards, pulling her along. At first, Rin was stiff with fright as he pulled her around the rink, but she soon relaxed as she realized he would never let her fall and that her legs were strong enough to keep her standing.
Then, when they had gained enough speed, Sesshoumaru enacted Towa's plan.
He slid in beside Rin and lifted her by the hips. She squealed as he lifted her over his head and sat her down on his shoulders, where she clung for dear life. But he would never let him go.
The crowd cheered as he skated around the arena with Rin on his shoulders, and she laughed in delight. When he removed her from his shoulders, the momentum of her legs swinging out caused them to spin around, but Sesshoumaru controlled it so that they didn't fall, and the crowd went absolutely wild.
Once Rin was back on her feet and in his arms, she pulled his head down for a kiss.
And he couldn't even mind that they were being affectionate in public, because his wife was happy, their pup was dancing in joy, and his daughters were beaming at him with pride. Inuyasha looked some mixture of gob smacked and sour with envy that he hadn't thought of such a display first.
After years of being constantly on-edge and intercepting every attack against his family, it felt…freeing to let down his guard and allow himself to have fun with his family. Maybe this modern world wasn't so bad after all.
That night, they returned to the Higurashi shrine, arms laden with pizza boxes, a strawberry Christmas cake, rolls of sushi and more. The Higurashis proclaimed it the strangest Christmas dinner they had ever eaten but definitely one of the best and one they would remember forever.
This time, Towa offered Sesshoumaru some food, and though both of them knew he did not need it, he relented, allowing himself to try it. The joyful tears in Rin's eyes were worth the embarrassment of watching stringy cheese dangle from his mouth.
The humans professed that there would be no sleeping for anyone that night, since time was precious, but even as they gathered in the living room to play games and watch movies, Grandpa Higurashi soon nodded off, followed by Mrs. Higurashi. Eventually, the humans dozed off into happy slumber, and even Inuyasha seemed to be in a "food coma," as Towa called it.
Sesshoumaru took that opportunity to go outside and stand atop the gate of the shrine,
staring at the cityscape, for it was more interesting than the sky. Normally, he would stargaze, but there were no stars here.
What a dismal world indeed.
The door to the house slid open, and his wife's sweet scent spiced with that of gestation enveloped him, washing away the foul city odors around him.
Luckily, the moon was still visible in the sky, even if the stars weren't, so he had a decent grasp of the time, and dawn was still some hours off. "You should be resting," he said as she approached the gate.
"I can't. The baby's dancing. It had so much fun today!" Rin replied. Sesshoumaru dropped down to the ground, and she sidled up next to him, wrapping her arms around his and laying her head on his unfurred shoulder, which sent a tingle through his heart. Even so, it was cold out, so he sent his tail to wrap around her. She gazed out at the buildings spread out beneath them. "It's such an amazing world, isn't it?"
"But it is a world without stars."
Rin looked up. "Oh, you're right. And it's not even cloudy. What do you think happened to them?" She looked around. "Do you think humans managed to reach the stars and use them to create all this light?"
Sesshoumaru grunted noncommittally. In truth, he had no idea. He heard buzzing whenever these "electric lights" went on. Perhaps it really was the energy of the stars.
"I loved seeing the city from Tokyo Tower today. Imagine what it must look like at night!"
Even though Towa had told him not to fly, he figured that at night, there were fewer humans out, and their vision was still so poor that they needed all this extra light to see with anyway. So he scooped Rin into his arms and leapt to the top of one of the buildings in the Higurashi shrine. When that didn't appear to be high enough, he continued flying in the nearby area until he landed on top of a tall tower with a commanding view of the city.
As he set Rin down on the roof, she gasped. "Oh yes, this is much better. Isn't it amazing, Sesshoumaru? They may not be stars, but look at how the city twinkles! And to think our little girl grew up here." She sighed.
That was not a happy sigh but a melancholy one. "What is wrong, Rin?"
She tucked herself back into his arm and fur. "I knew this world was different. I remember how Kagome dressed and the interesting things she always had on their adventures. But I guess I never realized how different our worlds were. Towa grew up with so many conveniences and opportunities. I thought she could be happy with us, since our family was reunited, but…now I wonder if that was naïve." She stared out at the landscape forlornly. "We're her parents. It's our duty to do what's best for her, and this world can offer her so much."
Sesshoumaru scented her tears as she blinked them back. "As much as it would hurt us…maybe we should let her stay. And Setsuna too, if she wishes," Rin continued. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, her eyes glimmering wet in the night lights. "We would just need to be brave…like Kagome's mother." A tear slid down Rin's cheek, and Sesshoumaru wiped it away.
"Rin, it should be Towa's choice where she lives."
She nodded. "You're right."
"And she chose to live with us."
"That was before she knew what life with us would be like though."
"She had spent enough time in our world to know what would be expected of her."
"Yes, but—"
"She feels like she belongs there."
Rin blinked at him. "How do you know? Did she tell you that?"
Sesshoumaru shook his head. His daughters were not yet comfortable enough with him to reveal such secrets from their hearts. But maybe after these last few days, they too might let down their guard around him more and more. "She discusses it with her sister and cousin. Moroha has told her parents as much. She is…loud. I cannot help but overhear."
Rin giggled. "Moroha's just an excitable puppy." She reached up and cupped his cheek. "Thank you for making me feel better, Lord Sesshoumaru. …And thank you for bringing us here. You made more than just Towa so happy."
Sesshoumaru's heart eased. "Are your cravings satisfied?"
Rin smiled. "Oh yes! The baby has been quite happy with all these new foods."
"Not the baby. You."
Rin blinked, lowering her arm. "What do you mean?"
Sesshoumaru caught her hand in his, holding it to his chest. "Be honest with me, Rin. This quest for food—it wasn't just about Towa or the baby, was it?"
Rin glanced away, guilt suffusing her features. "Well…I might have been craving a little bit of adventure, just like old times…." She peeked back up at her husband. "It's just…every time Towa and Setsuna come home, they share such wonderful stories, and I…." She swallowed and looked away from him again, the scent of saline returning. "I'm so ashamed to say it, but…I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of the girls for being able to go off and have adventures. I know I shouldn't be. Don't get me wrong—I'm so happy for them that they get to explore the world and live how they please, because they inherited your strength to do so. But sometimes…I wish we could go with them."
"They would take you if you asked," Sesshoumaru said. Of course, he would follow. He knew what sorts of dangerous missions his girls went on, and while Rin was no stranger to them, he would feel better being there to protect her while his daughters focused on whatever demon they had to slay.
Rin shook her head. "Yes, but there's a reason I've never asked to go with them. I know I would just get in the way. I'm not a demon. I don't have any spiritual powers. I don't even have martial arts skills like Miroku and Sango. I could bandage them up after a fight, but even then…they heal so quickly, it's not even really necessary."
"You wanted a low-stakes adventure," Sesshoumaru said.
"Well, yes, I suppose you could put it that way. I just wanted to travel around Japan like we used to! Unless you stumbled across Naraku, we didn't really do anything. We just lived and enjoyed each other's company. I felt so carefree back in those days—despite all the dangers. And I've stayed in that village and that tree for so long that I got…antsy. Of course I'll always be thankful to Granny Kaede for giving me a loving home, where I didn't have to worry about where I would sleep next or what I would eat. I suppose that when I was freed of Zero's curse, I saw an opportunity for all of us to live that way once again, since the girls were grown, but…." Her hand moved to her belly.
Sesshoumaru's heart squeezed. "You resent me for impregnating you again so quickly."
"No!" Rin protested so loudly, her cry echoed off the nearby buildings. "No," she repeated, quieter. "I could never resent you, Lord Sesshoumaru, and every child you give me is a treasure. But I admit I was a bit…disappointed that we could not travel some more before we had another baby, though I can't blame you for being eager."
"Can't you?" he answered. He was a creature who had lived hundreds of years without changing. Why had a mere fourteen years completely undone him? Even he did not understand it.
She tightened her grip on his hand. "Of course not. All that time I was asleep, all I saw were dreams. I had no inkling of time passing. But you…you had to wait fourteen long years for me to wake up. And I know fourteen years means little to a demon such as yourself, but when I try to think about that amount of time…. I mean, fourteen years in my memory puts me back to being five years old! So much has changed since then! So I don't blame you.
"And besides," she said, bringing his hand down to rest upon her belly, where their pup was doing yet another jig, "raising this baby is going to be our new adventure. We never got to raise the girls properly, so this will be like the first time for us. And that's exciting enough for me. But I still thought it would be wise for all of us to get to know each other better before we welcome a new little member into it. Don't you think so?"
Sesshoumaru nodded. "The girls are less hesitant around me."
Rin nodded with a grin. "They're beginning to see the man I've always seen. …And you're beginning to let them."
Sesshoumaru cast her a knowing glance. "So that was your plan."
Rin affected a look of wide-eyed innocence. "What plan? All I wanted was for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves. We've been tense and torn apart for long enough. It was time we had fun and did something together, wouldn't you say?" He nodded. Then Rin looked back at the cityscape. "But who could have imagined we'd come to the future? You never cease to amaze me, Lord Sesshoumaru. Thank you for working so hard to make our baby girl so happy." She reached up to pull Sesshoumaru down and kiss him. Her tongue promptly invaded his mouth, and their muscles engaged in a languid dance that stoked the flames of desire growing in his loins.
Still, as much as he wanted to continue this train of thought, her words still unsettled him. When she pulled away, he asked, "Are you certain I have not made you unhappy, Rin?" He recalled the gleaming smile she'd had this afternoon when he skated with her on his shoulders. How many years had it been since he had seen her happiness so unrestrained?
She smiled, caressing his cheek. "I am absolutely certain. But I admit I just couldn't resist taking advantage of the opportunity Towa presented us with in regards to finding this "future" food of hers. I figured that as long as I can still walk without hurting, I could get that one last craving for adventure out of my blood before the baby comes. And then I will be happy to devote myself to our child."
"If you did not crave adventure, you would not be my Rin," Sesshoumaru replied, turning and kissing her palm. "This is not the end. I will take you where you wish to go. I will give you whatever you crave."
Rin swallowed as she gazed into his eyes. "I lied, my lord. There is still one craving I have."
"And that is?"
"You."
He thought she would motion for a kiss again, but instead, she untied his hakama, letting them drop to the ground. The cold blew across his legs, but his shiver didn't come from the draft. Rather, it was in how Rin yanked his fur off his shoulder, settled it beneath her knees, and knelt before him.
"Rin—"
"Shh," she said, the faint hiss of breath teasing the tip of his manhood. She give it a cat-like lick that had him fisting his hands. "This may have satisfied one craving today…but I have a different hunger to ease now. My lord was so thoughtful and brilliant in finding a way to bring us to the future. I think he deserves a reward, don't you?"
Sesshoumaru nodded.
Rin took him into her mouth, and her warm flesh instantly heated what had been a quickly cooling cock. But with every suck, his flesh hardened, expanding in Rin's mouth until she struggled to take him further down her throat. Sesshoumaru grabbed the back of Rin's head, easing her up and down his cock, trembling as her throat muscles fluttered against his sensitive staff.
The second she massaged his balls, he erupted, and he held her head in place as she worked to swallow every spray of his essence. As she pulled off him, she licked her lips and slid her tongue across his slit, lapping up every last drop. "Delicious," she hissed with a wicked grin. Then she sucked in a breath, a curious look coming over her face.
Concerned, Sesshoumaru asked, "Rin?"
"How interesting," she murmured, smirking up at him. "The baby approves."
They returned to the Higurashi shrine shortly afterwards, so Rin could properly warm up before they departed. In the utter darkness of pre-dawn the entire family gathered outside by the Sacred Tree, bleariness wiped away by tearful goodbyes and wishes for the future.
"Towa," Rin said, pulling her daughter away. "If you want to stay here this time…we understand."
Towa blinked at her in surprise and then looked over at Sesshoumaru. "Do you…not want me home?"
"Of course we do!" Rin protested. "We just want whatever is best for you, and if being here makes you happier…we understand. But of course we'll miss you terribly."
Towa smiled softly and hugged her mother. "Thank you, but as much as I had fun here, I want to come home with you and Father and Setsuna. And of course, I want to meet my new baby sibling!" she said, giving Rin's stomach a rub.
"If you're sure," Rin said. Towa nodded.
As dawn broke between the high-rises of Tokyo, the portal appeared, and the group stepped back through time. As they walked towards the village in a somber silence, Sesshoumaru bringing up the rear, Towa fell back to his side.
"How did you do it, Father? Convincing the Sacred Tree to let us go back?"
"I revived Akuru."
Towa gaped at him. Then she laughed. "You say it like anyone could do it! You're amazing, Father. Thank you."
And then she hugged him.
Sesshoumaru stopped, memorizing the feel of his daughter's arms wrapped around him. He reached up and stroked her head.
"For you, daughter…anything."
AN: Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the story! I ended up combining two of purpletsubaki's prompts, but I didn't want to spoil anything at the beginning, so here they are:
1. Sesshoumaru and Rin travel to the future with the twins for a short period of time to try to adjust to modern comforts. (Post-Yashahime, not AU.)
2. Pregnant Rin has a variety of cravings that her husband works hard to appease. (Could turn smutty if you want.)
