Comfort

Sesshoumaru glared down at the parchments sprawled before him, an ornate quill in his hand as he went over the proposed trades. He had been lax in his duties while teaching the kit to hunt and the consequences were sitting before him. His paperwork had piled up and he had no choice but to have it delivered to the miko's home.

It was the middle of winter and though it was a mild one he was loath to leave her and the pups alone to attend to his duties. His inner beast growled at the thought, he shoved it down and instead scribbled a correction on the scroll before him. His other hand lowering the ornate opium pipe from his frowning lips at the offending proposition.

His ears twitched as he heard the miko's footsteps make their way towards his spot in the sitting room. He quickly snuffed out his pipe, a small blast of yoki making the smoke that hung in the air disappear. He knew she disliked when he smoked inside the home but it was a vice that he found himself hard pressed to give up. He smiled slightly at the memory of her staring at him slack jawed when she had first come upon him and his pipe. The look on her face was almost worth the lecture he had endured after her wits had returned.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she entered the dimly lit room, the faint scent of smoke in the air. Honestly, if she wasn't in so much discomfort she would have chided him. As it was the source of her discomfort shifted again, seemingly jabbing its foot into her side as if trying to break free. Hissing in pain she lowered herself on the sitting pillows across from Seshsoumaru. One hand settling on her swollen stomach as the other curled around the edge of the table in a death grip.

Lowering his quill, Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her pained expression, a small hiss leaving her as she shifted again. "Why are you up?" It was the dead of night, she should be sleeping.

Kagome cracked open an eye to glance at him as she leaned back a bit hoping the new position would be pleasing to the pup rapidly growing inside of her. Up until now it had been a fairly normal pregnancy, but as she entered her next trimester her stomach began to grow at an alarming rate. It would seem that the demon blood in her pup had finally decided to make itself known.

"I could ask you the same question." Her voice was low, hoping to not wake the other sleeping pups, while their rooms weren't near the sitting room. The fact of the matter was that she didn't want to chance waking them from their sleep. They were young and still growing; they needed as much sleep as they could get.

Sesshoumaru glanced down at the paperwork sprawled before him before meeting her gaze once again. As if to ask if she was serious. A light flush dusted her cheeks as she rolled her eyes at him before letting out another pained hiss.

"What ails you?" Had her stomach not been seized in a horrid cramp she would have jerked when she opened her eyes again only to see Sesshoumaru next to her, his eyes rolling over her form as if trying to find the source of her pain. "The pup, it won't settle at all." She had a feeling it's restlessness was a trait inherited from its father.

Golden eyes moved to the miko's inflated stomach, her small hand trembling as it caressed the engorged flesh as if wiling the pup to still its movements and give her a moment of rest. This was another reason he was reluctant to leave her side. Her pregnancy had taken a sudden turn, she was more tired as of late, her body struggling to keep up with the pups rapid growth. Youkai pregnancy lasted four months, human ones lasted nine, hanyou lasted six...there was no way for them to know how long hers would last.

So as she grimaced, her eyes squeezed shut in pain, her teeth grit as she tried to stifle the small whimpers from leaving her lips he could only frown. This was not the first time the pup had refused to calm, they had tried many human remedies to calm the pup but it was a stubborn one.

Much like it's sire.

Sighing through his nose he weighed his options, shifting through his vast wells of knowledge. There was one thing he could try, he had heard of others employing this tactic, yet it was a very intimate act, one that he was unsure the miko would permit. Honestly he knew it wasn't his place to offer it either, yet as he watched her suffer he was loath to care about what was proper and what wasn't.

"There is something I would like to try, if you would permit it." His voice was low, his eyes reflecting the light of the candle on the table. Blue eyes cracked open to take in the silhouette of the demon lord next to her, her cheeks warmed at the sincere look on his face. She didn't trust herself to speak and instead nodded her head in acceptance.

Should she have asked what it was he wanted to try before agreeing?

Yes.

Did she really care at this point?

No.

He had given her no reason to not trust him and she doubted he would now.

Yet as he nudged her hand away from her stomach, his own larger hand replacing her smaller one she could only flush more, she had no doubt her face was casting its own glow! Gently he caressed her stomach, letting his hand shift to her side and gently shift her position so she was leaning on the sitting pillows piled up behind her.

Her body was tense as he maneuvered her into place, a part of him feeling miffed by the nervousness swirling around her. "Relax miko." Her eyes slid shut as she let her body go lax, trusting him to do whatever it was he wanted to do.

She almost jumped as she felt his silky mane slide over her arm, her eyes snapping open as he lowered his head to her stomach, his ear pressed to it as if trying to listen to the pup inside her.

Things suddenly felt far too intimate.

Just as she was about to give voice to her concerns, she felt it, a low rumbling vibrating through her very being. It took her a second to realize he was growling, a low sound that was felt more than heard.

Instantly the pup stopped its movements, as if lulled to sleep and as she laid there, the comforting weight of his body half laying on hers she was hard pressed to not agree. The scent of ink and opium hung in the air yet she could still smell the scent that was wholly Sesshoumaru just under it. The warmth his body gave off combined with the soothing sensation of his growl made her eyelids feel heavy.

Hearing her breathing even out Sesshoumaru allowed his own eyes to slide shut, his ears picking up not only her heart beat but the heart beat of the pup inside of her. It made warmth settle in his chest, a feeling he was begging to associate with the small miko under him, as he gave voice to it, letting his inner beast continue its calming growls.