InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cursed ❯ They Can Come True ( Chapter 43 )

She felt warm, content and above all, safe. That was her first experience. Her second was the sound of a gentle breeze through the trees. Her third, a pair of soft lips ghosting across her forehead and finally she heard a whispered word.

“Please.”

Tanaka smiled. She knew that voice.

“Please what?” She felt herself cradled even more tightly against his body. “Sesshou…” When she finally opened her eyes, what she saw silenced her; golden eyes filled with tears. She reached her hand up to stroke a grime-covered cheek; human fingers traced obscured magenta markings. She had a hard time believing that they had once frightened her. Right now she wasn't sure she had ever seen anything more beautiful.

Sesshoumaru leaned into her touch, a touch he never expected to know again. He didn't dare even breathe, too afraid that he'd shatter this dream. He chanced turning his head to let his lips press against her palm.

“You saved me.” Takana finally managed to whisper out.

He gripped her tighter at hearing her words and found he was too overwhelmed with emotion to suppress an unrefined half laugh, half sob. “And you me.” He managed to whisper into her hand. He was passed caring if he said or did something some might consider foolish or beneath him. Passed caring about anything but her. “Never leave me again.”

Takana smiled, a tear rolled down her cheek. “I could never leave you.” She pulled his face to hers and pressed her lips to his. It was the sweetest feeling she'd ever known.

He responded in kind but didn't seem satisfied with just her lips. He left desperate little kisses on her every inch of her face before pulling her back to press her whole being to his once again. He never wanted to let her go. “I thought I'd lost you.”

“I wasn't ready to go.” She mumbled into his shoulder. “But I am ready to go home.” She managed to pull slightly away from his iron grip and look back into his eyes. “Take me home.”

He had no more words so he just nodded. He rose from where he'd been cradling her and took them home.

****

Takana sat next to the youkai general who was recovering well from the near fatal wound she'd received from the treacherous inu cook. It had taken two days before she regained consciousness but by then the external evidence of the wound was little more than a fading scar. It seemed that pleasure slaves turned spies didn't know exactly how to use a knife to end life. Yuti now sat propped up by a generous number of large pillows.

“Sess says he will come to see how you're doing this evening.”

Yuti laughed, if a bit less heartily than she might normally. “He's been here to see me everyday since I woke up, he has better things to do than checking up on me. I'm going to be just fine.”

Takana shrugged but a sly smile played across her lips. “You'd think that he cared about you like a sister or something.” She placed her final tile on the board. “I win again.”

“You truly are terrible, taking advantage of an injured woman.” Yuti chastised, purely in jest. She shook her head in mock disappointment. She saw her opponent's sly smile.

“A little human like me could never take advantage of you, let alone one as… encumbered as I am.” She said while rubbing her hand lightly over her imposing belly.

Yuti simply shook her head and rolled her eyes. She was about to deliver a quip of her own when her attention was drawn to the doorway. “I'm fine, I swear.”

“You are not supposed to be sitting up like that yet.” Tomo walked into the room. “You only had one more day to wait but here you are,” he gestured at her, “will you never do as you're told.”

Yuti had the grace to actually look contrite. “But I'm fine really.” She tried to placate her disappointed mate. “It's barely even sore anymore.”

Takana decided that now would probably be the best time to excuse herself. The two would probably like to spend some time alone together, something they hadn't been able to do much of lately.

She said her goodbyes and let herself out. Her large guard of escorts came to attention the moment she appeared. She smiled at them and had them lead her back to the quarters that she and Sesshoumaru shared. She thanked them before entering her rooms alone. It had taken a while to get used to the ridiculous number of protectors Sesshoumaru had assigned to keep her safe but she hadn't protested. She knew he wouldn't have changed his mind regarding this. It made her smile.

As she often did when alone lately, she replayed the last few weeks events in her mind. She still found certain parts hard to believe.

She had died.

Her hands moved to her stomach, caressing the taught flesh and what it contained. The youkai that killer her brother all those years ago had succeeded in killing her as well.

She walked to the balcony and looked down at the private gardens beneath it. She'd been unable to pull all of the details from her lover. It wasn't in his nature to talk at length about anything but this was different. It was clear that the memories were still too raw and something else… He blamed himself. He felt that he let her down, that he had failed her. She tried every word she knew to try and convince him otherwise but it had no effect. She could only hope that time would allow him to forgive himself.

Takana was pulled out of her quiet reflections by strong arms that wrapped around her shoulders and tender lips that nuzzled into her hair. She pulled one of his hands up to do some nuzzling of her own. No words of greeting were needed. They stood there for many long moments just enjoying the nearness of the other. Takana let out a small sigh when she felt the ever more common twitch in her belly. She pulled the hand she'd been resting her cheek against down to where she'd just felt it happen a second time.

“Seems I'm not the only one who's happy you're here.” She knew he felt the third little kick when she heard an odd little rumbling issue from his chest. She turned around in his arms and stretched up to kiss him and she heard that same rumble again. “What now?”

He cocked his head at her question. “Now,” he started as he leaned down to pick her up, supporting her legs with one hand and her back with the other, “we do whatever you wish.”

She rested her head on his should and allowed him to take her wherever he wanted. “And what do you wish?” Her small hand slid between the folds of his robe trying to find contact with the warm flesh beneath.

“My wish…” He considered for a moment as he carried his precious cargo. “My wish has already come true.”

“Hmm. Mine too.”