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Chapter 17
The feeling of rushing water washed over Oshun as she lay on the floor blinking up at the old ceiling in the abandoned hut. Oshun jolted awake, her heart racing. The echoes of Sesshomaru's memories still haunted her mind like whispers of a storm that had yet to pass. She blinked against the dim light filtering through the cracks of the hut, her breathing uneven as she tried to ground herself in the present. The weight of what she had seen pressed heavily on her. Her breath caught as she tried to steady herself. Her bare feet dug into the blankets beneath her and bounced from the anxiety. The need to wretch bubbled in her stomach. She touched her face feeling the cool lines of tears that had skated down her cheeks. Slowly, her eyes adjusted, and she turned her head toward Sesshomaru.
He was already awake.
Sesshomaru sat on the floor near the wall with his limbs bent and claws out. His claws embedded themselves deep into the wooden floorboards beneath him. Their sharp tips raked jagged grooves into the worn surface. The ceiling above bore similar marks, as if his rage and grief had reached for escape, seeking release in every direction. The wood splintered and scarred from his unconscious grip during their travels through his timeline. His silver hair clung to his damp pale skin. The fine silvery strands glistened with sweat. His chest rose and fell in erratic, heaving breaths.
Oshun's eyes widened as she took in his state. His usually composed expression was gone. The stoicism he wore like the sharp armor he dressed himself with was replaced by a raw, visceral torment that he couldn't contain. Jagged markings now layered the sides of his jaw. His pinkened eyes were unfocused but burning with emotion in the growing darkness of the hut. They flicked toward her as if sensing her gaze. His golden eyes, now wide and unguarded, reflected something Oshun had rarely seen before. In their depths, there was a raw vulnerability. A storm of emotions warring beneath his usually stoic exterior. There was no pretense, no mask of control. He looked utterly undone.
A low, guttural whine escaped his throat, unbidden and uncontrollable. The sound pierced the fragile silence of the hut. It wasn't a sound she never thought she would hear from Sesshomaru. Yet, it was unmistakably him. His chest rose and his nostrils flared. His aura was wild and lashing about around her knocking things over and pressing against the interior of the walls. His beast clawed to the surface. His emotions spilled out in ways his human form could no longer contain. And yet it was silent still. Oshun took note of the silence around them. No birds. No insects. Nothing from nature was sung at this hour in their moment of turmoil. They were enraptured in painful choking silence. To match, was the look that he bore as he stared into her own eyes. It was an expression of anguish so primal, so uncharacteristic, that it struck her like a physical blow.
For a moment, Oshun couldn't move. She lay frozen by the intensity of his pain reflected in herself. She had seen him endure so much. His battles, his losses, his grief. And he endured it all as if he was a demon from the pits of hell. The emotion he pushed to the far back of his being. He operated without the comforts of love and grace. He provided and protected those spaces so others could have them. The privileges that he couldn't afford because he carried the weight of a drastically changing and violent world. He could not show weakness. In his definition of weakness, he had encapsulated his emotions and grievances within them. And carved them from his being so that he could do what needed to be done. But that did not save him from his losses.
His clan, his general, and various beings he knew had died horrifically in most cases. Her mind investigated his gaze and saw his sacrifices. The stripping of this powerful living being and made to be a symbol…a caricature for a loose story plot. Sesshomaru filled that need as if he was created by a writer to do so effortlessly without consideration of the breaking of this being. Sesshomaru did it. He showed up. He became the monster. And then the monster became the ally. And then he became the anti-hero and the hero. At the expense of his life. He did it. He put himself and his grievances aside to help guide and build a world where his pack could safely endure and thrive. Was he successful? Did he reach his end? Oshun didn't see. Whatever that suffocated him and was making him ill had broken. Well, a large piece of it anyway.
Oshun sat up slowly, her movements cautious yet deliberate. She didn't speak at first, knowing that words might shatter the fragile silence and emotion between them. She turned her body towards him uncaring of herself in that moment. Her magic washed over him feeling…sensing. His chest was lighter she could tell from the way he was inhaling his breaths. His skin had a red flush of color to his chest and legs unlike the paleness in his face and torso. Despite the mess he looked, he was better.
"Sesshomaru." She finally whispered. Her voice trembled with both caution and compassion. She rose from her spot. Her movements were slow and deliberate as she approached him, careful not to startle him in his vulnerable state.
His claws twitched against the wood, but he didn't move away. His gaze locked onto her wide eyes. For the first time, she saw something unguarded in his eyes. Vulnerability. Oshun knelt beside him, reaching out with steady hands. Her touch found his cold shoulder, her warmth pressing gently against his frayed aura. "It's all right." She murmured. Her voice was a soothing balm against the storm raging within him. "You're here. You're safe. You're with me."
The tension in his body didn't immediately ease, but his ragged breathing began to slow. His head dipped slightly. His silver locks spilled over his face as if to shield himself from her gaze. Yet he didn't pull away. Instead, his claws released the torn floor, and his hand, though hesitant, reached toward hers. Their fingers brushed and she clasped his hand firmly in hers. The weight of her hold anchored him in the present. He didn't respond with words. But his firm grip was enough. For the first time, there was no shield. There was no barrier between them. Only the raw, unfiltered truth of what he felt. She could feel his aura, wild and untamed, brushing against hers like waves crashing against a shore. It turned into more of a comfort than on the offensive and lashing out.
Together they sat in silence, the aftermath of his emotions filling the air. As the dawn's first light began to filter through the cracks in the hut's walls. Oshun didn't press him to speak. She knew the weight of what he had remembered, what he had felt, and what he now carried. Instead, she stayed by his side. Her presence was a quiet reassurance. Her strength was offered without condition. In the silence that followed, their shared grief wove an unspoken bond. A fragile, but unbreakable connection.
'My Love...'
Sesshomaru's chest rose and fell in measured breaths. His thoughts would run over the remnants of his memories. The more recent ones where she was present. The words of her feelings echoed in his mind. Freshly minted as if they had been there for centuries. His back sat against the wall as if he was a permanent fixture. His claws flexed itself and his aura combed everything to test his returned sensibilities. He had quieted his body and sought calm as Oshun sat in silence next to him. The weight of her body against him was a comfort he didn't know he needed. They stayed that way for a while until she moved. He watched her as she once again prepared the space and freshened it up. She swept up the wooden pieces and the remaining debris. The furnace flared with grilled fish cooking along with a few seasoned vegetables. He stayed still working through the turmoil in his mind. Inside of him, a storm churned. He had been still for hours, seated on the cool floor of the hut. His mind raced with memories and sensations that refused to settle long after his first awakening. His body no longer ached, and the oppressive tightness that had gripped his chest for so long had faded. But something deeper remained. Something raw and unresolved.
His beast stirred, restless but for once in a long time…in harmony. Its growl was low and steady in the recesses of his mind. It did not claw or rage. It did not reach its claws into his soul and pull. He did not feel like his heart was constantly being ripped from his chest or the rush of a fever pulling him into some hallucination. Instead, it rested, watched, and waited. Together, they had reached an accord. A unity Sesshomaru had not experienced in years. The weight of what remained unsettled now pressed on him. He was no longer deathly sick, but he was not free.
His gaze flickered to Oshun, who lay curled on the layered stacks of furs and blankets across from him. Her breathing was slow, and her form lay seemingly motionless. The dress she changed out of was now replaced with a modern blue t-shirt and black shorts. The moonlight filtering through the open windows and the light of the nearby fire in the furnace left her in a warm iridescent glow. Her soft locs tossed and framed her face as she lay before him defenseless. The chimes and shells sang out to him with each shift she made. She faced him in her sleep. His image was the last thing she saw before she fell into her dreams. Despite this… he knew she was not at peace. The ritual had drained her. Just as it had demanded more of him than he cared to admit. She had seen him, truly seen him in ways no one ever had. Her presence had unraveled memories he had buried; torn through the barriers he had built over centuries of solitude. And now, he was laid bare.
The faint rustle of her stirring on the furs pulled his focus. As if sensing his thoughts, Oshun's eyelids fluttered gently. Her breathing quickened as she woke. Sesshomaru's claws twitched against the wooden floor, his golden eyes narrowing as he observed her. Her aura reached out and stroked against him tentatively. It searched him. And then sought to provide comfort in which he greedily accepted. She was strong, yet fragile in ways that unsettled him. He had grown used to her presence. A fact he hadn't anticipated. Oshun moved through his memories like a ghost at first. A figment that he thought was there. A shadow lurking and seeing the backdrop of his life. And then over time, she became an ally. Someone more prominent. Always there in the forefront. Standing next to him at his darkest hours. Providing comfort with her words, her warmth, and her council. And then her friendship. And now...something else entirely.
When her gaze met his calm dark honeyed ones, there was no fear. She held no hesitation. Only understanding and reverence. It was maddening and calming all at once. Oshun could see the difference in him. He felt it in the way her aura subtly relaxed.
"You feel so much better." She said softly. Her voice breaking the silence in the night.
Sesshomaru inclined his head slightly, acknowledging her words without speaking. He did not need her affirmation. The power coursing through his veins, the steadiness of his beast, all of it was evidence enough. But her recognition mattered in a way he could not yet articulate. His aura instead reached out and languidly stroked the soft skin along her neck and wrapped around her affectionately.
Oshun stretched her body. Her arms reached up over her head. The hem of the shift had risen and showed the soft skin of her belly. The autumn color from the flames danced along the skin there. Her words came out of her mouth, but Sesshomaru said nothing. When she continued questioning whether the ritual had done its work, Sesshomaru stood without making a sound. The movement was deliberate and precise. He towered over her, his gaze unyielding. The beast within him growled softly. A sound of agreement rumbled through his chest urging him forward.
Oshun's words died in her throat as she watched him. Sesshomaru moved through the small hut with an unusual grace that betrayed the mundane task at hand. The fire crackled steadily, its light casting warm shadows on the wooden walls as he stirred the contents of a small iron pot that she left in the bedroom furnace. She had come prepared and gathered the ingredients earlier. It was a humble meal, far from the feasts of his youth, the rations of his solitary travels, or the delicacies of his present but it was more than enough.
He worked with deliberate care, each movement precise and thoughtful. His claws, so often weapons of destruction, now handled the delicate task with surprising gentleness. He seasoned the remaining fish the way he knew she liked it. He left the other with just a little bit of seasoning, his sensibilities desiring to savor the foreign fish's natural flavor. As he added a pinch of herbs, his mind drifted to the woman watching him nearby. Oshun. Her presence filled the space, even when she was silent.
His beast rumbled in agreement, a low, steady hum that pulsed in the back of his mind. For once, they were not in conflict. They shared a singular desire, a need to provide for the one who had given them so much. Sesshomaru did not often dwell on gratitude, but it was undeniable now. Oshun had seen him at his weakest and carried him through his darkest memories. She stood by him without hesitation. She had given him what no one else had: understanding and a chance to reclaim himself.
'My Love..."
The pot began to steam, the aroma filling the air. Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder at Oshun, who was still seated by the mat. Her posture relaxed but her gaze was far away. She looked tired, but there was a quiet strength in her that never seemed to waver. He could feel her aura, steady and warm, like a beacon that kept him anchored. Hibiscus, honey, and freshwater clung to his skin and everything in the hut. A scent he had grown to hold affection for.
His beast stirred again, not with rage or restlessness, but with something deeper. A primal instinct to protect, to nurture, to repay the debt they owed her. She had been there for everything. His pain, his chaos, his violence, and his healing. She had given him back everything, and now he wanted to do the same, even in the simplest of ways. And he had seen here as well. The depression. The anger. The way she looked fondly at Rin and gave her council. The way she spoke about her family and community. The pressure and uncertainty of the heavy burden her family carried took another one precious to her. Of not being strong enough to save her own and shifting her anger toward everything around her. He was privy and attentive to every detail she shared. More than she knew. And he would help her as much as she helped him.
The meal was ready. Sesshomaru removed the pot from the fire and carefully ladled the contents into two wooden bowls like before. He carried them over to where Oshun sat, the wooden floor creaking softly under his steps. When he set the bowl in front of her, she looked up with warmth and happiness in her eyes.
"Thank you." She said softly, her voice tinged with both gratitude and joy.
Sesshomaru nodded once, his golden eyes meeting hers. "I will be sure to hunt for something more substantial to make up for the energy you lost come morning." He said, his tone calm but resolute.
Oshun smiled, a warmth spreading across her face that made his chest tighten. She said nothing but nodded her head. Her fresh scent spiked something like cinnamon and cardamon. He caught it as his head bent slightly. He inhaled taking her scent deeper into his lungs. A smirk pulled at his lips at the realization of what she was attempting to hide. As they ate in silence, Sesshomaru felt the contentment settle over him that had become habitual when in her presence. He watched her eat. Her eyes focused on her own meal until she occasionally sought his gaze. He made sure to catch hers and hold it. A blush painted her cheeks that seemed to get darker and darker by the minute. His beast purred softly, satisfied not just with the act of providing but with the connection it fostered. For the first time in centuries, Sesshomaru allowed himself to feel something beyond duty or survival. He felt...whole and hopeful.
The quiet between them stretched, but it wasn't empty. It was thick with an unspoken tension that simmered just below the surface. The simple meal had been nourishing, but neither Sesshomaru nor Oshun seemed to register its taste by the time they finished. Their gazes met more than once across the space between them, fleeting yet heavy, as though both were testing the waters of whatever unnamable thing lingered between them.
Sesshomaru's hand rested on the edge of his bowl, his long claws lightly tapping the surface. His movements were slow and deliberate as he observed Oshun from the corner of his eye. Her posture was relaxed yet guarded. Her shoulders were slightly hunched as though she carried the weight of something too fragile to name. When her eyes flickered up and met his again, a spark ignited, fleeting but undeniable. She didn't hide this time. Her aura tentatively reached out to him and searched. He met her with a curious pass of his own. The heat and flush of her cheeks told of the thoughts that tumbled in her head. He wondered if they were like the burgeoning ones he now nurtured.
Oshun was the first to move, breaking the spell. She rose smoothly, gathering their bowls without a word. Her fingers brushed the edge of his as she took his bowl. The faint contact sent a jolt through both. Sesshomaru stiffened, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. He said nothing, his gaze following her as she turned toward the exit of the room towards the kitchenette.
The sound of water and the quiet clinking of bowls filled the air. A mundane noise that only seemed to highlight the tension crackling now between them. Sesshomaru remained seated, his back straight and his hands resting on his knees. But his aura never left her. The ancient force that could destroy the building that housed them. The immense power that he could use to bring people to their knees. That could break his most formidable enemies at any moment's notice. It was now docile and affectionate to the woman he once couldn't stand. His beast stirred faintly; its interest was piqued by her every movement. It was not the wild, consuming presence it had been during his illness but something calmer, more attuned. A silent urging to act to close the distance between them.
When Oshun finished, she dried her hands on a cloth and hesitated in the kitchenette. A shiver ran up her spine feeling his languid touch on the back of her neck. Calling her back to him. It ebbed and flowed like the waves of the ocean. She rocked on the heels of her feet for a moment. Her hands rose and rubbed soothing circles along her arms. She swallowed fighting down her desire for the demon in the other room. A hard task given his open interests now that he could focus on something else besides dying. Even through the walls, she could feel his gaze on her. It was heavy and unyielding. It sent a shiver down her spine. Returning to the room she paused, unsure of what to do with herself. The air was thick, and she suddenly felt out of place.
Sesshomaru's voice was deep and steady as it broke the silence. "You need not linger there."
Oshun stepped closer but stopped just shy of the distance from where he sat. Her heart raced, though she wasn't entirely sure why. He looked at her with a quiet intensity that seemed to peel away every layer of her defenses. A look that made her feel both exposed and safe.
"I.." She started. Then stopped unsure of what she was about to say. She knew what she wanted. She knew what she wanted to do. But this was her patient. He needed her clear-headed and focused. This was not some random man at a bar that she would entice for the evening. And he deserved more than that from what she observed from his memories and the weight he carried now. He deserved something real and cosmic. Affection and love so large it absorbed the darkness for the rest of his days. A love that took his hits and absorbed the shocks. And she could not offer such a thing. Could she? She wanted to. He was the type of person that she wanted to try for.
Sesshomaru tilted his head slightly, his eyes catching hers once again. There was no impatience in his gaze, only curiosity and something deeper, something that made her stomach twist in anticipation. "Speak your mind." His voice softer now though no less commanding.
Oshun found she couldn't. The words in her head were all fighting to be freed from her head. She had spent days…weeks…months…time was not linear in their tango in her mind. He was part of her memories as much as she was part of his. His existence intertwined with her own. He was handsome too with his deep golden eyes like the most vibrant Caribbean sun. Strong shoulders carried the weight of responsibility so large it rocked worlds and moved empires. Hands that held weapons and lifted his family into safety, had rested on top of hers many times and gently played with her locs in the shadows of the night across centuries. Oshun looked to him with a curious question in her head about herself. Was she brave and bold enough to even give him the option of seeking affection within her and having him choose?
Oshun wavered for a moment before her mind made up. Snagging the remnants of strength she held, she lowered herself to sit a short distance from him at his side. Her back pressed against the wall that held him up as she looked forward towards the embers in the furnace. Her hands folded neatly in her lap looking for something to do while she addressed her affection. Her aura brushed against his casually before she pushed upon him with intention. The silence returned but this time, it was charged with an attraction that wasn't acknowledged aloud.
Sesshomaru's gaze lingered on her, his beast rumbling faintly in approval. She had tended to him, seeing him at his lowest, and yet her presence still carried an air of strength that drew him in. She had given a lot to him and had nearly given him a complete reprieve. And in the essence of her aura was her desire directed at and for him. In-kind, he felt a similar desire…this desire to close the space between them.
Oshun sat quietly seated at his side. Just a breath of air between them. She felt the weight of his presence. The way his aura seemed to fill the entire room, commanding her attention even in his stillness. The crackle of the furnace fire burned seemingly brighter before them. Her heart pounded in her chest and for a moment, she wondered if he could hear it.
"And what is it that you want?"
Oshun blinked and whipped her head to him. Golden eyes blazed down at her. He regarded her as he shifted his knee up and his hand rested along the bend. Long-taloned fingers flexed before he looked at her again. "What is it that you want from this Sesshomaru? Surely, you must be rewarded."
She shook her head and smiled. "I don't want anything. Besides, the work remains unfinished." But seeking the moment, she gathered herself and her wits. She shifted to her side and turned to him with a playful smile. "But I do accept gratuitous tips if you're offering."
Sesshomaru's lips tilted at this. His aura stroked the back of her spine deliberately. Her eyes closed a fraction and her breath hitched. His senses took in every detail as she sat beside him, lost to the sensations building between them. Oshun nearly gasped when she felt the warmth of his hand reach for hers. He pulled her towards him in one movement. Her hands rested along his heated chest and the other on his bent knee for support. Her heartbeat was loud in her chest as she looked at him with desire and hope. Hope that he would be the brave one here because she didn't know if she had the guts.
Sesshomaru bent down a hair away from her lips and smirked. Oshun felt a surge of warmth as Sesshomaru's breath passed over her lips. The air was still, the sound of crickets could be heard outside the window in the night singing again. They simply sat there for a moment. A silent conversation passing between them. After this, there was no going back. They had seen too much. Shared too much. Oshun was lost in a daze and the inferno-growing heat that was Sesshomaru. He was not the glacier demon she thought he was. More so the hot sensation after you have held ice for too long. Then his lips pressed onto hers. And she was freed.
Their first shared kiss was electric. His lips upon hers released the tension in her shoulders that she had been holding. Her hands came up and gripped the front of his abdomen before wandering to lace between the threads of his long silver hair. His hands rubbed her sides shifting her shirt up higher seeking purchase on whatever she would give to him. The heat of his skin was felt through the fabric of her shirt until he hit the smooth skin of her flesh. A moan escaped her lips after finally tasting him for the first time. The taste of their dinner and something else burst upon their tongues as they gave into whatever had ballooned between them.
Sesshomaru pulled her into his lap and kissed her passionately. Both her legs came around and wrapped around his hips as they sat seated on the wooden floor. His claws and his fingers were stroking and feeling every curve of her body. Her heady scent blossomed like the flower he found her to be. He kissed her neck and her eyes rolled back into her head. Her hands gripped his shoulders as she kissed him deeply in return. His lips trailed up her neck and along her jaw before finding her mouth again. His fang tugged the plump bottom lip affectionately. She opened her mouth to him, and his tongue slid inside.
The kiss was deep. It was passionate. It was all she had hoped for and more. Sesshomaru focused intensely on everything he gave energy to. His focus was laser and his drive was acute. Feeling all his carefully designed focus on her was something so satisfying. She was being consumed by his desire and could not get enough. Oshun pulled him in and he slid his tongue against hers fighting for dominance. He just tasted so good.
Their kisses became frenzied. Her hands moved into his hair, gripping the roots tightly. He grunted and she felt him grow hard beneath her. She could feel the bulge that was straining against his cotton pants. His hands grabbed her ass and squeezed. She moaned against his mouth. She needed him and was becoming frustrated by their clothing. He must have felt the same. Her moans were getting louder. Her body arched up into his. Her hips rocked against his finding a rhythm memorable to the sensual soca music she loved. A pressure started in her core that had her knees trembling at his sides. Her heart was racing as she gripped him to chase after the orgasm she wanted.
Sesshomaru wasn't fairing any better. His hands were moving on their own accord. His fangs elongated as her scent overwhelmed him. His cock throbbed between his legs and rubbed against her through the fabric of their pants. The heat coming from her sex was driving him mad. Her moans and whimpers were not helping either. The smell of her arousal was making him crazy. His tongue slid up her neck. To have her through the centuries lay against him during the night and not touch her. To have her hands console him and bring him comfort but could never touch her the way he wanted had finally run its course. He felt feral for her. Here she was, the goddess in which she was worshipped as…the being that they said was reincarnated after she flooded the earth because of her heartbreak. This goddess now sat here in his arms. Mewling from his attentions. Oh how he wanted to worship at her altar.
"Goddess Oshun." He muttered against her heated skin tasting the sweet and salty flavors of her skin. He dragged his fangs across her neck and nibbled on her earlobe. A smirk played at his lips sniffing the spike in her arousal. One of his hands came up to grip her face as she tasted her again thoroughly. He was drunk off the taste of her, her honey-sweet nectar was driving him mad.
She moaned out as his tongue slid across her sensitive neck. She felt herself becoming wetter the longer his attentions continued. She needed more. She could not contain herself. She was grinding her pelvis down into him, needing something more. His eyes closed focusing on the feeling of her heated core rubbing against him.
"Sesshomaru..." She moaned. His hand came down from her face, his fingers trailed down her arm, and her skin was set on fire.
Her lips trailed kisses down his jaw and her hand slid along his bare torso to pull at his pants. Her hand so close to his arousal woke him from his desired haze. The sensation felt like cold water on his skin. Of what they were on the precipice of doing. He gripped her hands to steady them and moved his lips away with a pop. Her expression was dazed as she looked to him with her brown hazy eyes. The look of desire and loss-framed her features. He bent his head down and nuzzled the side of her neck affectionately.
"I want to do this when we have nothing in the way. Now that I know you are amendable, I want to try the way we deserve." He growled against her skin. His resolve was being tested unlike anything he had felt in years. He shifted her back away from where he needed her the most. His claws dug into her wrist and waist as he closed his eyes and sought for control. His fangs scraped against her neck a few times before he was able to breathe and release her. She shivered at the sensation as she too tried to stop and make sense of what he was asking. Her fingers curled into his back as his words hit home.
Oshun looked into his eyes. Her heart now slowing down. The wetness between her legs was the only reminder of the leap she was about to take. That she wanted to take. The sincerity of his words was overwhelming. He had never looked at her with such passion before. Such raw desire. And she wanted him just as badly. "Okay." She sighed.
He kissed her once more. His arms wrapped around her pulling her close. Her hands reached up and gripped his shoulders as she rested the side of her head against him. Their heartbeats came to a slow pace than the frenzied one they shared earlier. Their breathing had evened out. Their hands had found each other and anchored themselves into reality. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, neither speaking but both acutely aware of the other. When Sesshomaru finally shifted, his hand rested on the floor beside him. The movement was subtle yet deliberate, as though testing the fragile boundary between them. His nose shifted to the side to avoid taking in so much of her delicious scent that called to his nature. Called him to chase the waves that she offered.
Oshun swallowed hard, her breath catching slightly as her gaze flickered to his hand that now rested at her side and then back to his face. The markings along his jaw were jagged. This time because of his instincts and not because his existence was hanging in the balance. She could see it in his honey eyes the tension, the unspoken words that sat between them. And though she didn't move, her stillness was its own kind of answer. "What now?" She asked still seated in his hold looking at towards him.
"It is not finished." Sesshomaru said. His voice was now even but heavy with meaning. "The beast and I are in accord, but there is more to be done." He paused before shifting back against the wall to look down at her. "I am whole, but I am not free."
The words hung in the air and for a moment Sesshomaru wondered if she understood. His pain, his burdens, the centuries of unspoken torment, she had seen so much, but not all of it. There was just one last piece. To be truly free, he needed her to finish what she had started. To sever the lingering ties that bound him to the past. To his failures and losses. And his inability to allow his instincts and being to mourn his losses. For his beast to come to terms of what was so innately in his DNA. He thought he could sever it. Push it all away as if it never existed. That was a mistake. One he is rectifying.
She rose slowly, her movements careful. His hand came up to guide her before dragging along the length of her leg. Her legs were shaky as the lingering arousal still pulsed between her legs calling for him. She shook her locs and paced the floor, sensing the gravity of his request. She thought for a moment she had done it. She had healed him surely. But she knew she still had that last piece that was Rin had to solve. The last piece of him to unlock and set his beast free. When she knelt before him, her hand resting against his chest, he allowed it. Her touch was grounding, a strange solace in the chaos of his mind. He could feel her hesitation, her concern, but also her resolve.
"Are you truly ready?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly. "This may be the worst of it."
Sesshomaru moved to the furs and blankets in the middle. He lay on his back and opened his arms. Without prompting, Oshun lowered herself down into his embrace. She lay beside him and wrapped her arms around him. "I have carried this for centuries." His voice was quieter now, though no less intense. "The remnants of pain, guilt, and the burdens I refused to relinquish. The separation that has caused between my beasts. Who I am at my core. You have seen it, felt it. You know the last rope that binds me."
Oshun nodded against his chest. Her gaze is unwavering though her eyes glistened with unshed tears. He could feel the weight of her emotions, her empathy intertwining with his pain. A knowing of what lay ahead of them now lay mingled in the contrast of emotions floating between them. It was raw and transparent. A vulnerability he had never shown another, and yet, with her, it felt... inevitable. Everything led to this.
"Finish it," Sesshomaru said as his hand came up and rubbed her back through her shirt. His voice was a command but also a plea. "When you have fully healed come dawn. Free me."
Her hesitation was brief but palpable. He watched as she searched his face for doubt, for hesitation, and found none. She understood the magnitude of his trust, and the realization reflected in her eyes as she finally nodded.
Sesshomaru reached up, his clawed hand covering hers. Her warmth seeped into him, grounding him further, and for a moment, the storm inside him stilled. "I trust you." He said simply. The words surprised even himself with their honesty. "And maybe…finally free yourself and make peace with your matriarch."
As she closed her eyes and began to focus, Sesshomaru allowed himself to fully surrender to her. He felt the remnants of his pain, his anger, and his grief unraveling, drawn forth by her presence. The beast within him howled. Not in fury but in the release of its energy surging and intertwining with hers. He did not flinch or resist. For once, he allowed himself to feel it all.
And in that moment, he understood what freedom might look like. Not the absence of pain, but the acceptance of it. And the choice to move forward.
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