InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Embracing Ice ❯ The Deathly Door (Lemon Version) ( Chapter 34 )

WARNING: This is the NC-17 version of this chapter. There is a lemon. For the edited version, please visit: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2395964/34/Embracing_Ice.

 

Etsu - Delight

 

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Embracing Ice

 

Written By: Yabou

 

Edited By: Wiccan

 

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Deathly Door

 

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Two hundred years later…

 

Warm evening air caressed her face, soothing her soul with its tender fragrances. The gardens were an explosion of blooms, thriving in the midsummer heat. Over one hundred years before, though time had become a relative state for her, she never imagined the rapturous beauty that would develop from the first tiny buds planted by her own hands.

 

Faintly, the miko could recall a memory of her home, Nagaoka, in the future. Then it would be known as Kyoto, and the flowing countryside would be lost to the hard angles of a concrete jungle brimming with humans. However, her recollections were dim. It had all been so long ago.

 

“What has captured your thoughts this eve, little miko?” The voice of her mate brought a smile to her face.

 

When he was fully seated beside her on the porch, she slid between his thighs and leaned into his chest, comforted by the familiarity of it. There had been many nights since their joining when she cried in his arms in similar position. The loss of her family and friends could still bring a tear to her eye when she allowed it.

 

Sesshoumaru often told her that she had a sentimental soul.

 

She liked the phrase; he seemed to have a way with words that could pacify even the most tumultuous of spirits. It would aid him greatly when he stood as the Inu no Taishou.

 

“Old memories,” she replied, cuddling into him and running her nose over the skin beneath his ear. Though the youkai ways were not instilled in her from birth, they were now a natural action that occurred without thought.

 

After returning her gesture, Sesshoumaru settled his chin over her head and wrapped her small form in his arms. “I believe you are shrinking,” he commented, attempting to lighten the mood with the customary banter.

 

“Am not,” Kagome retorted, eyes dancing with mirth. “It's not my fault that you can't decide when to stop growing.”

 

“Ah, but I must possess a superior body for the role of the Taiyoukai,” he answered, flexing his arms to demonstrate.

 

The miko let loose a disbelieving laugh. “We are not discussing that out here.”

 

“Does my form displease you, little miko?” he teased, his fingertips brushing lightly over the ticklish spot in the crook of her elbow.

 

Smoothing her expression, Kagome frowned up at him. “You know, I think it does.”

 

“Is that so?” His tone dropped to a sensual rumble and lit a flame of arousal in the pit of her stomach. “What can I do to change such an opinion, dear mate? I would not have you think so poorly of me.”

 

Pausing to turn, she looped her hands behind his head and heatedly whispered, “I'm sure I could think of a few suggestions.”

 

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to speak, but his sensitive nose caught a nearly forgotten scent on the wind.

 

“What is it?” Kagome asked, detecting the slight flare of his nostrils and the way his head tilted to catch the oncoming breeze.

 

Taking the time to draw in one more breath of air, he smiled down at his mate. “It would seem that Ikris has a visitor.”

 

“Wepwawet is here?” The miko beamed. “Oh! She'll be so excited! He hasn't been here in ages!”

 

“He is,” her youkai lover assured her. “Come, we should greet him before they hide themselves away for the evening.”

 

Kagome laughed and playfully swatted his arm. “Play nice.”

 

“I will if you join me,” he teased, taking her arm as they walked through the garden toward the structure that housed the shrine.

 

In front of the main building, two men were laughing as an exotically colored woman looked on with an expression of joy clearly covering on her face. Kagome watched the father and son share a brief embrace before the inu-god turned to his human mate. It had been far too long since the dog god last ventured into the land of the living.

 

Stepping forward, Sesshoumaru nodded toward Khai and waited for the two lovers to part. “What brings you to our homeland this day, Lord Wepwawet?”

 

The inu pressed one last brief kiss to Ikris's forehead before finally giving the prince his attention. “This journey has been made on the behalf of my god and ruler, Osiris, but it is not necessary to cloud our present with such. Let me first see how well my family fares here under the hand of your father. Then we will deal with what must be done.”

 

A cold knife speared through Sesshoumaru's chest. The feeling of sorrow and despair was overbearing but, in the next instant, it was gone. Foreshadowing; Wepwawet's stay was not to be a festive occasion.

 

Kagome felt the inuyoukai's hand twitch slightly against her palm. Though there was no outward sign, she knew that the power of his Sight was pounding through his veins. `What do you see, Sesshoumaru? What could Wepwawet have to do here in Japan?'

 

“Come,” Ikris beckoned, interrupting any possible questioning. “Let us discuss your travels over tea. You must have many stories to tell your son.”

 

Slinging one arm over Khai's shoulder, Wepwawet smiled at the man he had become. A tall, well-built demi-god, nearly equal his own stature, possessing his own straight, dark, waist length hair and ethereal blue eyes. However, the gentle, kind nature he carried belonged to his mother. He would much rather work in the battlefields, healing the injured, than lift a sword. His dark appearance was in complete disagreement with his caring soul. “You must tell me of this woman your mother has mentioned.”

 

“She is a daughter of one of the local samurai.” A light blush stained Khai's cheeks.

 

“I see,” Wepwawet's voice boomed through the courtyard, full of happiness over the reunion.

 

Kagome discreetly tugged at her mate's hand, allowing the group to continue into the main house, while they remained near the shrine. “What has unsettled your mind?” she asked, stepping into his side and laying her cheek against his chest. “Your silence worries me.”

 

“I have Seen the spears of sadness in my heart,” Sesshoumaru confided.

 

“What do you think he meant about the reason why he's here?” the miko asked, hanging onto his every word. If Sesshoumaru believed something to be true, then there was no doubt as to its occurrence. It would be. His Sight would never be as strong as Bishou's, but that which he had been gifted allowed him foresight in battle, as well as times like this. Over the years, he had developed the ability to devise what would happen from the clues he was given.

 

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, recollecting his feelings at the time of his Sight. Replaying them in his mind, he sighed. “I believe Ikris's time with us nears an end. His magics are capable of sustaining her life in this world far beyond normalcy, but it is not without reason that I discern his need to have her at his side.”

 

“And he can't live here,” Kagome finished.

 

Her youkai mate nodded in agreement. “That, as well.”

Sighing, Kagome gathered strength from his presence and followed him toward the sounds of laughter.

 

“Sesshoumaru, Kagome,” Bishou smiled, waving them in and delicately arranging cups of tea in front of their customary places at the formal table. Though her mouth curved upward in a pleasant expression, the female demon's eyes revealed the truth of the situation. She, too, was aware of the reason behind the inu god's visit.

 

- - - - -

 

“I'm going to miss her,” Kagome whispered into the darkness of their chamber much later that evening. “She has become a very dear friend.”

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes roamed over the garden scene painted on the far wall as he trailed his clawed fingertips through her hair from scalp to tip. Their room had become a myriad of imagery over the years. Kagome enjoyed the peaceful tranquility of the pastoral views, while he preferred the sight of a full-formed inu howling victoriously over its eviscerated prey. He was often amazed by how easily their contrasting souls, dark and light, accepted one another.

 

Their souls.

 

His enhanced Sight still shuddered at the thought of what was left undone.

 

All because of a damned trinket. The Shikon no Tama.

 

Because of the jewel, he had never been able to properly tie their souls together in the traditional way of the youkai. Kagome's soul was trapped in a sort of limbo that kept her body and spirit from growing.

 

Her accidental wish during those first few months - to see her friends and family once again - had, inevitably, frozen her state. She was a walking, talking, living catatonic of sorts. Capable of being injured, but incapable of dying. Capable of breathing, but incapable of moving forward.

 

Capable of loving, but incapable of committing to her youkai mate.

 

As Bishou had revealed, she would be unable to join with him until her soul reached the point of its initial disappearance - when the eagle youkai dropped her into the well.

 

Sesshoumaru continued to lightly caress her hair and pressed his lips to her temple. His thoughts would need to be locked away for a moment far from this one, after Ikris was gone and his mate was consoled.

 

Though they were not joined in spirit, she was his, as he was hers. There would be no changing the fact, and, when the time came, they would become one - of the same essence. It would be pronounced to the world that the human miko was, in truth, his.

 

Finally, he spoke. “It will not be impossible to see her again, little miko. This day should be filled with cheer, for she will not be dead and beyond your reach.”

 

“Of course,” Kagome agreed, nuzzling against his collar bone. In the quiet moments, when words were of the most importance, Sesshoumaru spoke very few, but he always managed to conquer her fears with the ones he selected. His age brought a calm demeanor that was filled with the wisdom of those who journeyed before him. Watching him grow from late adolescence, there were still days when she was in awe of the depth of his understanding.

 

Releasing his memories to be mulled over another day, Sesshoumaru secured his arms around her waist and tugged her body to sprawl over his. It was a sign of respect among those of inu descent to allow the weaker counterpart a position of dominance in any aspect of the relationship.

 

Her dark hair formed a sinful halo over their intertwined bodies, and Kagome smirked into his chest as his hands began the lazy trek over her naked flesh. Content to be played by his skillful fingers, the miko satisfied her need to feel his skin by lightly running her nails over the defined lines in his upper torso.

 

“I love you,” Sesshoumaru mumbled, his voice caressing the shell of her ear in a way that sent shivers skating down the length of her spine. Large palms slipped across her back, over the softly curved swell, and down to the sensitive tissue behind her knees. Clasping one leg in each hand, he parted her thighs, causing her to straddle his stomach. “Much better,” he commented, returning his gaze to her face.

 

Entranced by the way the dim candlelight reflected through his piercing golden eyes, Kagome lowered her head and swaddled his mouth with her own. A rush of familiar emotions swam in the pit of her stomach, stirring the beginnings of arousal into a veritable storm. There was something about Sesshoumaru that always left her breathless and wanting for more. Some nights it seemed as if the sun rose all too soon, and there was always too much time between one encounter and the next.

 

But then, she gasped as caught herself falling into everything that was him, there were also moments like these, where the world seemed to pause. “I love you too,” Kagome replied. “So much.”

 

With a subtle shift, he raised his body enough to give himself full reign of her neck. Sesshoumaru used his mouth to fuel her lusts into an almost frenzied state of wanting that left her panting against him.

 

Kagome resisted the urge to speed their coupling. Instead, she slowly rolled her hips against her youkai lover's awakening length, enjoying the way the soft flesh hardened under her ministrations. The low rumbling in his chest vibrated against her where they were molded together, causing her rhythm to fail for a moment.

 

Sesshoumaru's hands worked their way back up her body, one long finger tracing the arc of her hip to her inner thigh. Seductively, it slid into her - his knuckles brushing against her in a way that made Kagome melt into his embrace and release a low moan. The youkai's form tensed at the initial feeling of her readiness, but he prolonged his torture, adding a second and pumping into the heated dampness.

 

Her arms laced together behind his head as she rocked into his hand. Taking note of his exposed ear in such close proximity, Kagome gently outlined the tip and blew softly, enjoying the way he trembled beneath her. Creating a pathway, the miko formed a haphazard trail of kisses down the line of his jaw.

 

Sesshoumaru felt the subtle increase of tension in her abdomen. Her thighs quaked against his body, and her head fell to rest against the hard planes of his chest as she focused on the friction between his hand and her hips.

 

Just when she believed that relief would never come, her lover changed the angle of his thrusts and managed to delve deeper into her body. Kagome's eyes closed, unwillingly, when she felt the knot begin to unravel. She cried out as the pressure inside shattered and she felt his hand slip away, leaving her empty once more.

 

Pushing himself into a sitting position, Sesshoumaru pulled the human woman in for a hungry kiss. He could still feel the phantom contractions surrounding his fingers, and he wanted to revel in her heat with a completely different part of his body. Hand seeking her breast, the youkai palmed the generous flesh and attempted to hypnotize her with his tongue.

 

“What did I do to deserve you?” Kagome playfully whispered, backing away from his lips.

 

Sesshoumaru raised one sculpted brow in return and crossed his ankles beneath her. “I do not know. Perhaps, that is a question for the gods, little miko.”

 

Changing her position so that she could lift herself on her knees, Kagome raised her body so that her eyes were level with his. “Is that so? Then perhaps I should go ask Wepwawet.”

 

“I do not believe it would be wise to leave,” he teased, long tongue snaking out to slide beneath her ear.

 

“Oh,” she gasped, “and why is that?”

 

Squeezing her breast with his hand, Sesshoumaru reminded her, “You are naked.”

 

“He's seen a naked woman before,” Kagome retorted, bending to lightly nip the skin covering his throat.

 

The arm behind her back tightened in response as a low growl issued from her mate's mouth. “He will not see you.”

 

“No,” Kagome smiled, leaning back to look in his eyes. “I'm only for you.”

 

“Yes,” Sesshoumaru agreed, his hand sliding down to cup the full swell of her behind.

 

Slowly lowering her torso, Kagome grasped his erection and guided herself down. Groaning at the feel of him, her head fell backward, tossing wild, dark hair over her shoulders. Her body had become accustomed to his. There was nothing about him that she did not know. Every little dip, every little quirk. They were all amazing pieces of the puzzle that made up Sesshoumaru. In these moments, she was able to see a clear portrait.

 

He was not a warrior. He was not a son. He was not a prince. He was not a demon.

 

He simply was.

 

And he was hers.

 

Lifting up, Kagome set the pace. Slow and steady, their bodies came together, seeking the unity that they could have nowhere else.

 

Rising up to meet her, Sesshoumaru allowed her to keep the control. It was a lazy, loving combination that formed an ache so deep inside that he thought he might be hollow when she finished with him. The wave of arousal built until he could no longer satisfy himself with his wandering hands, so he settled them against her waist, holding her steady when their joining became more exuberant.

 

The coil in her stomach tightened at a snail's pace. Building and building, it drove her past the point of thinking, until all she could feel was the slip and slide of flesh between her thighs, hitting the spot that left her reeling. Bracing her arms on his shoulders, she pressed down harder in search of completion.

 

Not one to disappoint, her youkai lover sensed the shift in their coupling and sped his movements to match hers. Sesshoumaru's body throbbed with each stroke, waiting for the ripple of her release before he let go of his own. Loosening one hand, he sought to soothe the ache with his hand, circling the delicate protrusion between her thighs with a quick, rolling pattern.

 

Her breath caught at the feeling of the additional stimulation. Hips jerking forward, she pressed her face into his chest, her nails raking a line of angry red welts over his arms as she climaxed and went limp against him.

 

Sesshoumaru shook from the tightness echoing over his length. Twice more, he pushed into her body before the power of her orgasm became too much to resist, and he joined her in release. Staring at the faint changes on her face, he lovingly traced the pale pink stripes on her cheeks. One on each side. Poison immunity. However, the spell of the jewel worked quickly, and they were gone before his fingers finished their path.

 

Those markings should have been a physical sign of what they had - of what they were.

 

Kagome smiled down at him, pushing her sweat-soaked bangs out of her eyes. “You'd think two hundred years would slow you down.”

 

“Little miko, one day you will learn that nothing can stop me.” Sesshoumaru replied as he laid back down and pulled the coverlet over their bare forms.

 

- - - - -

 

“You're really leaving?” Kagome resisted the urge to cry as she reached out Egyptian woman.

 

Ikris smiled, opening her arms and accepting a hug from her former student. “My time here is over, Kagome. My son has found his match in Etsu. He will form his life with her, and I will have no place here. I belong with Wepwawet now.”

 

“I understand,” she whispered, laying her head on the older female's shoulder. “But I'll miss you.”

 

“As I will you,” Ikris replied. “You have been a dear friend, Kagome.”

 

“Will you visit?” Kagome questioned, finally releasing her and stepping away.

 

She frowned in response. “If I am given chance.”

 

Kagome nodded and held back her tears. “I understand. I want you to be happy.”

 

“I will be by his side,” Ikris beamed. “That is all that matters now, but there is one more thing I must do before I go.” Stepping to the trunk in the corner of the mostly empty room, Ikris opened the heavy lid and removed a bundle of fine, red silk from its depths. As she settled onto a pillow beside the low table, she watched Kagome closely, beckoning her to take a seat as well.

 

“What is that?” Kagome wondered, curiously eyeing the package when Ikris placed it between them.

 

Ikris laid a hand on top of hers. “This is for you. It has taken many years to complete, but it has been done. I ask you to accept this, not as my ward, but as my friend. Bishou revealed to me the necessity of it. I would hope that you wear it, not only to protect yourself, but to remember me.”

 

Untying the knots, Kagome gasped when the delicate reds slipped away to reveal a shimmering white. “What is this?” She asked as she carefully lifted the embroidered top. A pattern of silver wove its way across the neckline in a set of carefully stitched Egyptian hieroglyphs, a matching design adorning every hem. A deep red sash, covered in similar characters, was folded neatly next to a flowing white skirt in the bottom of the makeshift bag. The layers of carefully crafted white linen slipped through her fingertips as she played with the silver dancing along the edge of knee-length fabric. “This is too much, Ikris.”

 

“It was meant for you,” she assured her, closing Kagome's hands tightly over the cloth. “Please, do not deny me this one last gift. You need armor, and this will protect you in times of great danger. Do not take away my peace of mind.”

 

Softly shaking her head, Kagome laughed as the tears finally rolled down her cheeks. “Gods, I'm going to miss you, Ikris. What will I do when you are gone?”

 

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A/N: There is a very large author's note about this story posted at: http://yabou-chan.livejournal.com/18064.html.