InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fuyu no Shimekiri ❯ The Beginnings of a Courtship ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 4: The Beginnings of a Courtship

Stunned, Sesshoumaru could only stare at the woman sitting on his bed. Is she serious? My baka half-brother is still alive? And how would she know, anyway?

Shaking his head to clear it, he asked, "How do you know if he is still alive?"

"Because I can sense him." She frowned, tilting her head, she said, "Can you not? He is not really that far away, you know."

Sesshoumaru was floored. Narrowing his eyes, he sent out his youki in pulses, trying to catch the half-breed's aura... and after a few minutes, sure enough, he found it. Hissing with irritation, he stared at the floor. He is only a day's travel from here - what is he doing so close to me and mine? And how did I miss it all this time?

He looked up again when Kagome hummed at him. Her gaze was locked on him, and she seemed a bit confused by his reaction. Speaking of reactions... she knew that Inuyasha was still alive, relatively close, and no longer mated to that bitch - and yet, she agreed to let me court her?

"You know he is alive and single - why then did you agree to allow me to court you?"

Kagome's jaw dropped, and she stared at him, shocked. "You mean, you thought the only reason I would let you court me was because Inuyasha was out of my reach? Sesshoumaru, didn't you listen to anything I said before?" She folded her arms over her chest, an angry look settling over her features.

"I didn't come back for Inuyasha, you baka, I came back for your sake! Doesn't that mean anything to you? I gave him everything I had back then, but that was then, and this is now, and he has no hold on me or my heart any longer. So get those stupid thoughts out of your head right now! I agreed to let you court me because that's what I want to do, and I wouldn't care if Inuyasha walked into this room right now and wanted me, he wouldn't get me."

She blinked as Sesshoumaru grinned, face going blank, all she could think was Wow!!!! "You should do that more often, my Lord... it's gorgeous," she sighed.

He couldn't ever remember feeling as he did in that moment, for the first time in his life, he was getting what he truly wanted. Everything else he'd had to fight for and take, but she was giving herself to him, choosing him. He would never forget this day.

Stalking back over to his futon, he smirked at her, a predatory light in his eyes, and his smirk only widened as she shrank back, sudden nervousness permeating her scent. "What's the matter, koi?" Reaching her side, he sat down and pulled her towards him. "Since you have agreed to let this Sesshoumaru court you," he purred, "I would like to get the marking out of the way and make it official, my Kagome, before some other male comes along and tries to take you away from me."

She shivered as his voice washed over her, and when he touched her, sparks danced over her flesh, turning her into a bubbling mess in his hands. "O-okay," she whispered, barely even able to talk. Oh man, if he can affect me like this already, what will it be like when we...her thoughts ran down when he pulled her shirt away from her shoulder, and she completely melted when he began running his tongue over her from the joint, to the hollow where neck and shoulder met.

Sesshoumaru grinned internally when he realized the almost instant state of arousal he had put her in with almost no effort. Licking slowly, sensually across her heated flesh, he began infusing his saliva with a tiny amount of his youki, melding his scent flawlessly into hers. His scent would remain on her for six months, or until he marked her permanently as his mate, not that he planned on taking that long... just the taste of her, not even mentioning her scent, and the feel of her, was making him so hard he almost couldn't see straight, and his eyes flashed red as he pulled away, his youkai blood pulled to the surface by the proximity of his soon-to-be-mate.

Breathing in deeply, he fought to regain control of himself, and once he'd finally managed to calm down, he pulled her shirt back over her shoulder. He caught her eyes, glazed as they were, and gave her a small, but sincere smile. "You won't regret your choice, Kagome, I swear it."

She blinked dazedly up at him, and a dreamy smile kissed her lips. "I don't think I will, my Lord. I really don't think I will."

He stood suddenly, reaching a hand down to her, he asked, "Do you think you can stand? I would like to show you my private garden if you feel up to it."

Shaking her head, trying to clear it of the haze he'd put into it, she smiled. "I think I'll be okay to walk. Just hold onto me for a moment while I try, okay?"

He nodded, waiting as she used his hand to pull herself forward and stand. He was pleased to note that while she was still a bit shaky, her strength seemed to be returning. He held her hand until she steadied, then let go, and turning, led the way slowly to the door leading out, waiting for her to pass through before sliding it closed and reaching for her arm.

She smiled up at him, then turned her head and looked about, enjoying the scents of fertile earth and new life that can only come from a garden in spring. Something occured to her all of a sudden, and she tilted her head up to catch her Lord's eye. "Can I ask you a question, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

He glanced down at her tiny form and nodded. "Please, Kagome, drop the formality. You are my equal, and as such, I only want to hear my name from your lips, no honorifics." She blushed, and he smiled inwardly. Such a tantalizing mix of innocent childishness, and seductive woman...

"Please, ask your question, koi."

"Well, I've been wondering when you decided that you wanted a relationship with me? It just seems so odd, you know, you never showed any interest in me before, and..." she trailed off, shrugging confusedly.

Sesshoumaru blinked, a little caught off guard at the question. "I showed plenty of interest in you, Kagome, even back during the hunt for the jewel, you just never noticed. To be fair, no one else did either, except for your monk friend. And that was only because he was such a hentai himself, that he recognized a kindred spirit in me." A small grin crossed his face at the shock that blossomed in her expression.

"Kindred spirit? Just exactly what were you doing that was so hentai?"

A wicked look settled across his face then, and the grin widened. "Did you not think that I would notice a beautiful woman, Kagome? I have had plenty of hentai thoughts of you and your sweet body, my Lady, you were just too innocent to catch on. I snuck up on your camp many times merely to watch you, miko... when we would join up and travel together all those various times, did you not question why I chose to walk behind you? Your friend Miroku did."

By this time, Kagome's eyes were wide and the stunned look in them was so completely amusing he was having a hard time not bursting out into actual laughter.

"You mean, you were lusting after a human, my Lord?! But you always hated humans... weren't you worried what other youkai would think of you?"
"Why would I, Sesshoumaru, care what others think? I do what I want - and if someone objects, I destroy them." He waved a hand languidly. "I never do anything to please others, Kagome, except you. You are important to this Sesshoumaru, so therefore, I wish to please you. But others?" he snorted with disdain for that idea. "No. I am answerable to no one. I am the strongest, and that is why I rule. If I choose to take a human as a mate, then I will do so, and whoever cares to challenge me over it, will die. Simple."

She burst out laughing at his words, amused beyond anything. "Yup, same old Sesshoumaru. Still as arrogant as ever, I see."

He gave her a mocking look. "It is not arrogance if you can back it up, Kagome. And I can. That is why I am daiyoukai, and ruler of the West. Because I am strong enough to take what I want, and strong enough to keep it."

He came to a halt under the spreading branches of a sakura tree, and taking off his haori, he laid it on the ground and encouraged her to sit. It was a beautiful and peaceful evening, and with everything that had happened in the last few hours, he felt that they could both use a little bit of peace. He watched, idly, as she reached over and picked up a sakura blossom off the ground where it had fallen.

Kagome twirled the small blossom in her fingers for a few minutes, letting her mind wander where it would. Eventually, it made it's way to her friends... and she wondered what Sesshoumaru could tell her of their lives. She glanced at him, and caught his eyes trained on her.

"I wonder, Sesshoumaru - what can you tell me about my friends? Sango and Miroku, and especially my little Shippo?"

He raised a regal brow, an enigmatic half-smile touching his mouth. "What would make you think I know anything about them at all, hmm, koi?"

She smiled mockingly at him. "You mean to tell me that there are things that you do not know, my Lord, and you admit to it?"

He frowned at her, no real heat in the look. "I know a few things about them, my Lady. The slayer and the monk married, and moved back to her old slayer's village. They rebuilt it, had several children... as far as I know they both lived to a respectable age for humans. I suppose you could say they were happy." He shrugged. "I didn't watch all that closely. As for your kit? His is a more interesting tale."

Leaning back on one arm, he gazed off into the distance. "He never forgave Inuyasha for choosing that dead woman over you, and left to go find his own way in life, refusing to ever speak to him again. Occasionally, he would go visit the slayer and monk, and he was obviously doing well. Of course," he glanced at her, "he is no longer a kit, but a full-grown fox youkai now, of an age to find a mate of his own, I imagine. When he came of age, I tracked him down, and told him about you... that I had your body here, and invited him to come anytime he chose to see you."

Kagome smiled brightly at him, touched. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru! You have no idea how much that means to me."

He nodded, pleased at her reaction. "He usually shows up here at least twice a year and stays for a few days,in fact," he frowned thoughtfully, "it's about time for him to be showing up again... I would imagine sometime in the next month you will be re-united with him."

She clapped her hands together, joy sweeping through her. Of all the people she'd known back then and loved, Shippo was the one she regretted leaving the most. She should have taken him with her when she'd left after the well closed, but she'd been hurting, and afraid, and the thought hadn't occured to her till much later. It was the one thing she'd done she wished she could take back.

Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against his, lingering for just a moment before pulling back. Cupping his cheek with her hand, she gazed at him, softness suffusing her expression. "Thank you, Maru-chan. Of all the things you could have done, this one means the most to me."

Sitting up, the daiyoukai crossed his legs, then pulled her into his lap, nuzzling affectionately at her neck. "You are more than welcome, koi. Always."

They sat there, silent, content in each others arms, and watched the sun set on the first day of the rest of their lives.

It was the happiest either of them had ever been. And it was only the beginning.