*WARNING-Some sexually explicit scenes ahead! Avert thine eyes if you are too young to read such things!*
"Sesshomaru?" a soft, graceful voice said nearby, the voice lilted and ebbed queerly in the dog demon's ears. He turned his head with a slow and sluggish movement to see who was speaking.
Kikyo was standing before him, looking completely ravishing in a figure hugging kimono of purple silk, her exposed knee and thigh revealed through a split in her dress. She had a shower of blue petals stuck in her glossy hair.
Unconsciously, Sesshomaru reached a hand out towards her, like she was some precious, half- tangible being that would disappear if he did not touch her. Sesshomaru stared at his own unruly claw in confusion, he had not made a conscious decision to reach out for her like that.
"Are you alright?" Kikyo said cautiously, looking concerned with a small crease between her brows. Sesshomaru gazed at Kikyo openly for a few moments, drinking in how winsome and beautiful she looked.
"Everything's fine," he mumbled in a way that was very unlike his usual clear, confident drawl. "Come and sit with me."
Without hesitating Kikyo sat down close beside him. Every movement she made was effeminate and elegant. It amazed Sesshomaru that in reality he hardly knew Kikyo, had known her for only several weeks, but he felt certain that he was in love with her. He wanted to show her, tell her, but he did not know how to.
She had sat so close to him that her leg brushed his, sending a small thrill of excitement down Sesshomaru's spine. Kikyo seemed to sense this proximity too, and poured herself a glass of the clover wine in front of them, sipping at it to give her hands something to do.
Silence dropped between them.
"Are you well?" Sesshomaru asked, attempting to water down the burning tension between them. Kikyo was looking back at the palace, the lights still blazed and the party continued to rage.
"This is the strangest banquet I've ever been to. I was nearly eaten by a demon with a split mouth," Kikyo said. Sesshomaru had seen that demon, lurking in one of the back rooms. It was an old and very strong demon, he was impressed that Kikyo had managed to fight such a predator off.
"Yet you're still here," Sesshomaru said in a slightly slurred voice, staring into her chocolate brown eyes.
Kikyo gave a wobbly smile. "Just about. Your mother helped me out…They all seem…"
"Drunk," Sesshomaru finished for her hazily, trying to hide his own drunkenness. "I've never seen it descend into chaos so quickly."
Kikyo laughed lightly. "It's a very flamboyant affair," she looked down at her magnificent kimono. "At least I looked the part."
"You look…" Sesshomaru started, before trailing off. He could not think of a word that would describe her beauty with any justice. Another, slightly awkward silence fell between them, buzzing with unspoken words. Kikyo gave Sesshomaru a piercing glance.
"Natsu gave me this dress," Kikyo said. The silence grew between them, until Kikyo cleared her throat. "I'm glad she did, I only have my old priestess robes. Without this kimono I would have stuck out like a sore thumb."
Sesshomaru shook his head like he had water trapped within his delicately pointed ears. "I haven't seen her."
Kikyo looked down at her lap with a doleful expression. "Did you…did you want to see her?"
"No," Sesshomaru said immediately, his lightning quick response brought a small, shy smile to Kikyo's lips. Kikyo shook herself visibly, as though she was suddenly worried she would look foolish.
"Jaken said you wanted to see me? That's why I've come."
Sesshomaru blinked at her slowly, looking mildly confused. "He did? I wonder why."
Kikyo looked stumped at his response and stared at the dog demon, her lips slightly parted in perplexity. "So..you didn't want to see me," she said finally. And their argument at their last meeting, that had seemed so far away in time, came crashing back to both of them with an alarming speed. Sesshomaru's mind was too hazy to understand why Jaken would have sent Kikyo his way now, it was an unusual move from the little toad. All Sesshomaru knew at that time was that he could not bear to hear the flatness that had crept into Kikyo's voice. The dull resignation to the belief that he would rebuff her once again.
"I thought…I wanted to tell you that…" Kikyo mumbled, a little incoherent herself from the wine. She trailed off with a short laugh, looking regretful, and helped herself to more wine. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here. It was wrong of me to bother you."
Kikyo drained her glass and got to her knees, trying to rise to her feet. Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist clumsily, he could not let her leave again.
"No. Stay with me."
Kikyo stared down at his striped hand, she looked fed up with the toing and froing. "Why Sesshomaru? Why should I stay? I don't want to play this game with you a moment longer," she said, her face turned away towards the rippling water of the lake around them. Kikyo swayed unsteadily in his clutches.
"Because I.." Sesshomaru started, then stopped himself. His head was spinning too fast, he was caught between the truth and his natural instincts to pull away from her.
But the truth was too captivating to ignore. Instead of pulling away, he pulled Kikyo closer to him, until her hands were on his chest. Kikyo struggled against him slightly, startled. Her doe-like eyes found Sesshomaru's.
"I'll show you why," Sesshomaru breathed in her ear softly. Sesshomaru turned Kikyo's face towards his own and kissed her lips gently. It was a slow, sensual kiss that sizzled with the sexual tension dancing between them. Kikyo almost slipped to the floor, but Sesshomaru gathered her up and crushed her against him, his mouth locked on hers. Sesshomaru slipped his tongue into her mouth and Kikyo shivered with desire as their tongues slid together for a shattering moment.
The familiar wave of lust hit Sesshomaru again, catalysed by the strange wine he had been drinking. It took him over. This time, the dog demon was powerless to fight against his desires and he eagerly pushed Kikyo down onto the cushions surrounding them. Sesshomaru lay on top of Kikyo heavily, half propped up by his left arm. Their lips parted for a moment and Sesshomaru gazed into Kikyo's beautiful, but slightly blurry face.
"Sesshomaru…" Kikyo gasped as she gently stroked Sesshomaru's cheek, there was longing palpable in her dark eyes. A longing so intense it mirrored his own. Sesshomaru kissed Kikyo again slowly, unable to stop his right claw exploring the contours of her body over the thin silk of her kimono. His long hair flowed around them, cocooning them in silver.
Neither Sesshomaru or Kikyo seemed to care that they were lying entwined in a public place, that any manner of demon could walk out and upon them at any moment. Sesshomaru's long fingers travelled beneath the front of Kikyo's kimono and fondled her breast, he felt her hard nipple brush against his fingertips. Kikyo gave a light moan and wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru's neck, she drew her knees up to cradle the dog demon's hips.
Nearly wild with ardour, Sesshomaru tugged at Kikyo's obi insistently, until it came undone and slithered to the side. He opened up her kimono until only her under slip remained. Sesshomaru tore at this recklessly with his claws until Kikyo's slip was no more than ribbons, until a long strip of Kikyo's pale skin was revealed. Kikyo lay there gasping with avidity and her eyes had a glazed look. Sesshomaru sat back momentarily, feasting his eyes on the curves of her form, the shape of the woman that had been haunting his dreams.
"Sesshomaru…someone…someone might see us," Kikyo murmured, but she made no move to cover herself or sit up. She lay there waiting for him, as stuck in the moment as she was.
Sesshomaru's hands slid up to cup her breasts, he leaned down and caught one of her dusky pink nipples in his mouth. Kikyo gave a loud keen of pleasure and bucked her hips unconsciously against Sesshomaru, her leg banging against his already hard erection.
Unable to resist, Sesshomaru's right hand snaked down over Kikyo's ribs, past her tense stomach and came to rest tentatively between her legs. The light brush of his claws against her sex sent a shudder thrumming through Kikyo. Slowly and delicately, Sesshomaru pushed a clawed finger inside the priestess, dragging it in and out of her, the dog demon's mouth continuing to lick and suck her breasts.
Kikyo clung to Sesshomaru desperately as his finger probed inside her. Kikyo's hand instinctively reached up and clasped Sesshomaru's manhood and began rubbing it firmly but gently. Sesshomaru was so surprised by this action that he ceased his attention towards Kikyo's chest and looked up into her face, revelling in the sight of her.
Kikyo was in the throes of passion, her eyes half-lidded and her body squeezing the finger he was moving inside of her, now slippery with her arousal.
Crimson began to bleed into Sesshomaru's eyes and he fought to maintain control of himself. Kikyo's skin was as soft and cold as silk, but compared to his natural strength her body was fragile and breakable. It was all he could do to stop himself tearing off his own clothes, pinning Kikyo down and taking her roughly right there. He had to be careful, he could not risk injuring her.
Still trying to master himself, Sesshomaru moved his finger faster inside the priestess. Kikyo began to squirm and writhe, coming closer and closer to her first orgasm. "Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru!" Kikyo panted, she looked almost delirious with pleasure, her hand still moved up and down his shaft through his clothes. Sesshomaru groaned, overwhelmed by lust.
Then Kikyo's hand released him abruptly. Kikyo brought her hands up to her head in a fist, as if plagued by a sudden, terrible headache.
"Sesshomaru. Stop, something is wrong- I- I feel…" Kikyo cried out, clutching her skull hard.
Sesshomaru blinked furiously, his heart was hammering and his brain struggled to see past his own red passion. Kikyo moaned again, but it was now a moan of agony, not pleasure. She continued to grip her head painfully tight, like it was going to explode with pain at any minute.
Alarmed, Sesshomaru removed his hands from Kikyo's body and hastily re-clad her in the purple kimono, hurriedly retying her scarlet obi. "Kikyo? What's wrong?" Sesshomaru asked urgently, once his paramour was decently covered.
Kikyo seemed unable to respond, trembling with pain. Sesshomaru stared down at her in bewilderment- what was happening? She had been fine earlier…
Unsure of what else he could do, Sesshomaru leant down and breathed Kikyo's scent in deeply, trying to decipher any changes in her body with his senses. His own fuzzy head made this difficult.
Something foreign, demonic, was permeating the bespelled blood in Kikyo's veins. The scent invading her body was the same as the wine they had all been drinking…And all the demons they had seen were acting strange- erratic. Something was very wrong, but he had been too stupid and preoccupied to see it.
There was only one explanation his befuddled mind could think of: Poison.
Sesshomaru had no idea what to do- how had poison been so thoroughly distributed around his mother's abode? Based on what he had seen the poisoned wine made every demon act silly and uninhibited, himself included. But Kikyo's reaction seemed different, more severe.
How could he help her?
As standing up was clearly beyond Kikyo in this state, Sesshomaru scooped her up carefully, ducking around her flailing elbows. With one easy leap Sesshomaru had landed by the palace doors.
A threesome of cat demons fell over and out of the threshold by Sesshomaru's feet, all clutching cups of the clover wine in their paws.
Shifting Kikyo into his left arm, Sesshomaru reached out with his right and swiped the wine cups viciously out of the cat's claws. The cat demons yowled in surprise and outrage. Sesshomaru ignored the cats, satisfied there was not a drop left of the poisonous wine in their cups. He stormed past them and into his mother's throne room, his distress heightening as Kikyo whimpered in continuous pain in his arms.
"The wine is poisoned, discard it immediately!" Sesshomaru bellowed into the room. The other demons were so shocked to see the fabled dog demon in the middle of a crowd shouting his head off, that they listened. Once Sesshomaru's dire warning had sunk in, the demons around him dropped their glasses, or stared suspiciously at the Portuguese wine barrels.
"Sesshomaru? What's going on, why are you shouting?" his mother's voice said from behind him. Lady Sora was climbing out of one of the smaller side rooms, Subarashi skulking behind her. Both of their clothing looked as rumpled as Kikyo's did. It was obvious what his mother and Subarashi had been up to. Sesshomaru caught Miyu's face in the crowd, her eyes were on her husband but her expression was curiously blank.
Sesshomaru ignored these distasteful signs of adultery. "That imported wine of yours is laced with poison. It's why you've all been running around like fools all evening," Sesshomaru said scathingly. He eyed his mother's open, dishevelled kimono with judgemental eyes. Though in reality he knew he had no right to be judging anyone. Lady Sora looked embarrassed, unconsciously stroking her bare neck with nervous fingers. "What are you talking about? I had some of my most trustworthy friends fly those barrels in."
"I don't care about that right now. Kikyo is injured- get your physician," Sesshomaru demanded, looking down at the pain-stricken Kikyo.
"It-It must be the poison," Kikyo gasped with her eyes screwed up. Sesshomaru was pleased, whatever pain she was experiencing had not blotted out his suspicious explanation.
"What is this?" Subarashi said rudely from behind Sora's shoulder, still tugging his robes into place unashamedly. Sesshomaru stared at Subarashi coldly for a moment.
"Something that is not your concern," snapped Sesshomaru. "Mother, call for the physician now."
Looking grim, Sora called her toad physician Kashiko. Sesshomaru was relieved to see that the effects of whatever they had all ingested through the wine was fading. His mother was slowly morphing into her usual, dour self. His mother turned away as physician Kashiko hopped forward nervously, she started ordering her servants to confiscate and collect every drop of the clover wine. Subarashi stayed, watched the toad and Sesshomaru with his arms folded.
Kashiko was a corpulent, large toad. He was five times larger than Jaken with lime green skin marked with black and red dots on his froggish face. His eyes were liquid black and were staring up at Sesshomaru with palpable fear. "Er- what can I do for you Lord Sesshomaru?" Kashiko said in a trembling voice.
Sesshomaru lay Kikyo gently at Kashiko's webbed feet, smoothing her damp hair out of her face. Kikyo was clutching her head and stomach in agony. "Kikyo has been poisoned. Fix it," Sesshomaru said firmly.
Quivering, Kashiko's over-padded, slimy fingers reached out and clasped Kikyo's pale hand. Kikyo was so immersed in her affliction she barely noticed Kashiko's long, fleshy pink tongue dragging across her wrist. This strange action was why Kashiko was his mother's most trusted healer- he could diagnose a problem instantly with a flick of his tongue.
"I-I don't understand," Kashiko croaked, "this woman is already dead." Kashiko let go of Kikyo's hand, which fell limply on to the tatami mats with a thump.
"And your point is?" Sesshomaru's gaze was unforgiving. Kashiko quailed under the fury in Sesshomaru's golden eyes and continued his reluctant inspection of Kikyo. A crowd of demons loitered a safe distance away, intrigued.
Subarashi was not so meek.
"What Kashiko is saying is- Why is he being asked to cure a dead mortal girl? She is of no consequence," Subarashi spat angrily. Sesshomaru ignored the water demon, his attention and gaze fixed on the physician. The toad anxiously assessed Kikyo's body. Kashiko frowned in mild confusion at Kikyo's haphazardly tied kimono. Sesshomaru's fierceness faltered for a moment as guilt and shame crept up his back.
"Lord Sesshomaru…I specialise in the healing of demons…I have some knowledge of human anatomy of course, but this woman is neither demon nor mortal. Her body exists through the combination of clay and magic. This is not within my remit to fix," Kashiko tried to explain to the dog demon towering above him.
"Then give me an educated guess on if she will live, or if I need to intervene in some way to save her," Sesshomaru said, looking down at Kikyo's collapsed form.
Kashiko scratched his oily chin, his jet, bulbous eyes wide with his frantic efforts to solve this impossible problem before him.
"Well as her body is not technically…real in any substantial way…There is poison in her, ingested poison as you surmised earlier. But it cannot significantly harm her. The poison cannot destroy her nervous system because she doesn't really have one. The poison can't overwhelm her organs because she doesn't really have any. This may be a mere echo of a human reaction that her body is playing out. Her body mimics the functions of humans," Kashiko said wisely. He was clearly perplexed at why he had to assist Kikyo at all.
"So she will be alright?" Sesshomaru asked, leaning down to pick Kikyo up. Kashiko's explanation was hard to grasp, but he knew the toad was telling him she would be fine.
"Well, as I said, it's not my remit. But that's what I think. She should be fine if she gets some rest, the effects should abate." Kashiko heaved himself up off of the floor. "I must go and check the demons here, see if this poison has harmed any of them."
Kashiko lumbered off, eager to be away from Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru stared down at Kikyo, so vulnerable in his arms. Relief was etched on his face, if he could get her home she could rest.
At that moment Natsu's quavering voice reached them. "What's going on?!"
Sesshomaru turned to face Natsu and Subarashi with a semi-conscious Kikyo in his arms.
"So this is your truth, Sesshomaru, revealed at last. The real reason you're refusing my offer. And it's all over that dead mortal in your arms," Subarashi hissed, looking furious. Natsu bobbed behind her father, still seemingly confused about what was happening.
Sesshomaru's eyes gleamed like sunlight in the darkness, he looked impressively unafraid.
"I suppose that view is accurate," Sesshomaru said mildly, completely unconcerned.
"Enamoured with a dead woman…How could you sink so low?" Subarashi sneered. Some of the crowd murmuring around them gasped.
"I have already warned you once tonight," Sesshomaru said loudly, his aristocratic voice ringing in the ears of every demon present. "If you get in my way there will be consequences, consequences that you will regret."
Subarashi looked like a volcano about to erupt. "Enough! You can't talk to me like that, Sesshomaru," Subarashi yelled, his face turning red with anger.
"I just did," Sesshomaru hurled back at the water demon. How many times in one night would he have to threaten Subrashi to get him to back off? Subarashi's face was now so red that he looked like he might melt with the force of his own rage. Sesshomaru made his way to one of the exits, but Subarashi stood in front of him, blocking his path. Natsu squealed with fright behind them.
Then lady Sora was in between the two men, a look of devastating authority on her face.
"Stop it both of you!" Sesshomaru- Just go. Subarashi, you will not start a fight with my son in my own home! I absolutely forbid it!" Sora said ferociously.
Sesshomaru left them to argue and ignored the angry tears now streaming down Natsu's face as she watched him leave. Demons tripped over themselves to get out of Sesshomaru's way.
Kikyo's eyes were half closed and her breathing sounded shallow. He had to keep reminding himself that she did not need to breathe, that Kashiko had given his callous rationale. The poison could not truly harm Kikyo in any lasting way.
Before long Sesshomaru was on the stairs, then he was quickly flying through the night sky. Kikyo groaned and struggled in his arms, she looked disorientated and the flight was unsettling her. Sesshomaru whispered reassurances in her ear, trying to soothe her. His voice seemed to settle her slightly. Sesshomaru shifted his Mokomoko fur so that it covered her against the chill wind they were flying through.
Sesshomaru flew to his castle as swiftly as his demonic powers would allow. He prayed Kashiko's advice was sound.
Sesshomaru marched through his castle, his eyes always on Kikyo to check for any changes. It was still deep night and his castle was still and silent. Once he reached his bedroom he set Kikyo down carefully on his obsidian silk sheets, pulling the cover over her and up to her shoulders.
Kikyo seemed only half way lucid, still under the influence of the poison they had all drunk. The dog demon watched Kikyo through dull eyes. He had touched her, did things to her, all while she was delirious with poison. How had he not known, not realised? Why had he not connected the little tell tale signs- her slightly slurred speech, her swaying form, her glazed eyes. He knew the answer already, because he had been poisoned himself. And he suspected that he had drunk far more of that foul liquid than Kikyo had.
Fortunately the effects were rapidly washing away and leaving his system. Reality was becoming sharp again.
Sesshomaru tried to decipher the purpose of the poison. If it had killed them all it would have made more sense, though Sesshomaru did not believe there was a poison that existed that could kill him or any of the highest ranking demons in the country. Mukotsu's foolish attack with the band of seven proved that. The poison would have dissipated from the majority of the demons quickly. So..What was the point? Sesshomaru could not make head nor tails of the situation.
Perhaps Kikyo could make sense of everything when she was well again. She was such a reflective and clever woman, he had come to value her views greatly.
Kikyo broke into his rumination by giving a low moan of pain. Sesshomaru hated the sound of it, her pain caused him pain. He could not leave her whilst she was in such a state, and yet he did not feel comfortable lying in bed with her. Not when he had touched her so intimately at a time when she was so vulnerable. Sesshomaru felt ashamed of himself and concerned about Kikyo. When the poison left her body would she be angry? Shocked at what they had done? What he had done?
Sesshomaru tried to get up off of the side of his bed, but Kikyo snatched at his arm helplessly. "Sesshomaru…don't leave me," she said pleadingly. An echo of what she had asked him when they had first kissed. Sesshomaru took her hand in his own, stroking her fingers and palm lightly with his claws.
"As you wish Kikyo," he said in a gentle voice seldom heard coming from his mouth. He slid into the bed fully clothed next to her, sitting up straight to avoid sinking into the bed too much. Wincing with pain and looking fragile, Kikyo laid her head in Sesshomaru's lap, her fingers curling against his thigh.
Sesshomaru stroked Kikyo's long hair in an unguarded display of loving affection, until Kikyo fell asleep.