AN: Happy Halloween! This fic is dedicated to Chocochip03/CookieAsylum, who made some beautiful drawings for this fic as a collab! I highly encourage you to check this fic out on Ao3 sometime to see all the lovely sesskag pictures! My pen name is the same so it's easy to find me ^^
Warning: this fic features a lot of werewolf tropes. That includes werewolf smut, you have been warned. (It's not a huge aspect of the fic, in fact, this one is more of a hurt/comfort and drama but still)
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Chapter One
Throwing logs onto a waning fire and adjusting them with a metal poker, golden eyes began to brighten in time with glowing flames climbing higher. Sesshoumaru warmed his hands, glancing at the darkened window.
This particular Halloween threatened to chill the flesh on his bones, not unusual for that time of year in the mountains. Unlike previous ones, however, a full moon hung within a starless sky, almost as if the night endeavoured to be as standard as possible for All Hallow's Eve. Sitting back on his heels and rising, Sesshoumaru picked up his lukewarm coffee and retook his dogeared seat by a bookshelf. Everything lay silent within his home, save for an occasional crackle of wood caving in on itself in the fireplace, devoured by dancing orange flames.
Sesshoumaru sipped his coffee, drowning in the quiet. He figured little brats would be out at this time bothering neighbours for candy. Luckily he lived in a remote location, far from any village or town. His eyes slid to the wooden door of his cabin.
It wasn't like he…wanted to be bothered. Far from it, he'd always found his own company to be superior to most. Mortals were so loud.
And yet he felt strange. A restlessness lingered in his bones that wasn't usually there. Setting down his still unfinished coffee and crossing the length of his cabin, he stared out unblinkingly at the moon drenched landscape beyond his window. Trees stood eerily still, leaves dyed black. Hills appeared to roll in haphazard directions from large shadows.
Frowning upon realising how tense his muscles had grown, Sesshoumaru shook himself.
Ridiculous.
He was the previous Lord of the West. The Killing Perfection! He feared nothing. How ludicrous to suggest otherwise. Storming away as if to prove this and fully intent on walking outside and showing his silly, dusty senses that nothing ominous lurked between the trees, his hand stopped inches from a rusted door handle.
A long, drawling howl reached his hearing. Close. Not far from the cabin.
Hair pricked at the back of his neck. Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red.
That was not a wolf. Or rather, not a typical one. He could hear a faint underlying cry of a human mixed into the mournful noise.
Grasping the door handle and pulling, he stepped out into chilled air, feeling it bite pale skin. Exhaling a visible breath and staring out into vast, unending wilderness, old instincts began to shake their cobwebs loose. Sesshoumaru closed the door behind him and exhaled through his nose, sniffing.
Various scents filled awakening senses. Grass, berries, trees, pine needles, dirt, animal faeces, water- no, he needed flesh and blood. He focused more intently. Deer, rabbits, foxes, squirrels, owls, birds sleeping in the high branches filled his nostrils. All were unique and eliciting a distinct phantom flavour onto his tongue. Then a fusty scent hit him.
Wolf.
He frowned. Not quite…
Again, it was strange. A woman's scent tinged the earthy smell, fruity, fresh and pleasing.
A twig snapped, and Sesshoumaru lurched, bursting into a run.
He could hear her, panting, bursting through the trees. Fur brushed leaves. Paws thundered over damp earth, kicking up dirt. Her scent was everywhere, clogging his nose, rain-drenched yet sweet, and he suddenly couldn't locate the female within the dense forest, running blind. A dark figure lunged in close then, black as night- growling and snapping large jaws. He had to rear back lest the beast bite into his shoulder and tear a chunk loose. Sesshoumaru planted his feet and bellowed out a guttural snarl, slashing sharp claws. The creature jumped back before they made contact, looping into dense undergrowth again.
Sesshoumaru panted, waiting and watching. Low snarling came again, resting at a low simmer from behind the safety of the trees now. He could hear her prowling, stalking around him unseen in a circle. A shock of two blue eyes caught his attention within heavy shadow, icy in their stare, and yet their colour plunged deep and exotic like a lagoon.
The creature slinked closer, trotting out from behind a bush as though peeling off from the main cluster of darkness. She stood tall and lanky, with unnaturally long legs- her appearance signalling that this was no ordinary wolf, just as her scent had implied. Instead, she resembled a maned wolf- hackles thick and raised atop her neck, running along pronounced shoulder blades. And yet the shape of her was off even still- a wrongness in her gait of wide strides that allowed her to cross distances eerily quick, her paws a little too long, sometimes resembling hands with the trick of the light- ribcage and figure sinuous, making him think of a human woman. And those eyes.
They stared with visible emotion. Thunderous growling rolled out between them in the clearing- her lips peeling back to reveal spittle coated teeth.
Sesshoumaru readied himself, pointed ears keen, skin beading with sweat as magenta markings became jagged and bold. It had been many years since his last fight.
He took a steadying breath just as her four legs pushed off, jaws spread wide and saliva flicking into the air. Her attack was ridiculously feral in its raw power and yet indicative of her youth and inexperience to pounce head-on with nothing but a bite planned. Golden eyes smiled, and Sesshoumaru snapped two hands out, catching the creature under her jaw and pushing up to rear her head back. His second hand made a fist in the thick strands of her neck, before he sank white fangs into inky black fur, finding purchase in flesh and biting down.
A whimper deafened his hearing, the creature scrambling wildly now, having underestimated her foe. Sesshoumaru released her with a bloodied mouth and tossed her away to the ground- but the female foolishly sprang back at him in retaliation. Giving a huff, he lunged straight for her, colliding with the she-wolf. They landed hard and began to roll in a tangle of demon and animal limbs, biting and clawing savagely at each other, twin noises of outrage reaching his ears, fur and blood being shed like confetti.
The scuffle lasted a few moments before Sesshoumaru slammed a palm down to end their senseless quarrel. Her head collided against a rock, knocking the female out cold. Panting wildly with the copper taste of blood coating his tongue, Sesshoumaru swallowed and sniffed, picking up her steady pulse.
Good, he hadn't wanted to kill her and yet her stupidity had been sending them careening towards that outcome.
As Sesshoumaru stood, panting and bleeding, claw marks having dragged over his chest and torn his shirt and pants, he looked down at the odd creature.
Golden eyes roved curiously over lithe and lean muscles, before leaning down and gathering her into his arms. The wolf was massive and cumbersome, but his strength allowed him to pad from their impromptu battlefield and back towards his cabin easily.
Setting her down within his toolshed and making note of her injuries, Sesshoumaru left her be to inspect his own wounds, feeling no obligation to tend to her.
The bites were deep and contained an invasive feeling. Foreign, as though they willed an injection of some unknown substance to enter his bloodstream. Sesshoumaru repelled it, expelling the odd, infection-like feeling via acid dripping from his nails. Whatever it had been, rabies or a disease of some sort, Sesshoumaru would not fall prey to it as she had.
Coiling youki out to run along his body and begin rapidly healing sizable bite marks and scratches, he dozed to replenish his strength and only roused a few hours later upon noticing faint streaks of orange and pink on the horizon. Sunrise already.
Mild discomfort settled within his gut at his own inaction, so carrying bandages and other items to treat her wounds- along with a blanket slung over one arm- Sesshoumaru tiredly padded out from the fading warmth of his cabin, the fire having long snuffed itself out.
He winced when the glare of the early morning sun hit his eyes, causing a second lid to slide over them like a thin film. He then blinked rapidly to allow his sight to adjust, continuing on to his shed- only to freeze within its threshold. Perhaps a single glance at the sun had damaged his retinas for good.
A woman.
A woman now lay where he'd set the creature down a few hours ago. Her body was sprawled naked and shivering, rich dark hair lying strewn around frosted ground. Blue eyes had slid open, and she quickly sat up, clutching trembling arms close to her chest.
Though her scent had become sour with fear, flecks of blood from her head injury causing black locks to become matted- arms, legs and torso quivering, littered with scratches and bites- she gazed up at him with an unexpected amount of regret.
"I-I'm sorry," she breathed, brows drawing together worriedly. "You're not hurt too badly, are you?"
---
Sesshoumaru had stared blankly for a moment, deciding the blue tint to her fingers were more important than answering. Throwing the blanket around her, he'd lifted the squirming woman into his arms, carrying her inside.
After rejuvenating the fire and urging her to sit in front of the flames, he piled yet more blankets around her shoulders- stilling when she grabbed his striped wrist.
Shit, his markings. His long white hair, his eyes-
Well, maybe it didn't matter, considering her secret.
"M-my name's Kagome. What's y-yours?" she asked, teeth chattering.
"Sesshoumaru," he said in a voice thin with disuse. He cleared his throat. "I am Sesshoumaru. Why, pray tell, did you attack me last night?"
"I really do apologise for that! You see I uh…lose control of myself. I guess it's pretty obvious I have a werewolf curse. Sounds impossible I know, but since you saw me there's no denying it, right? I got bitten two months ago and I'm having trouble with it," she sighed, suddenly stiffening. "I didn't bite you, did I?! Oh God, I think I did!"
Sesshoumaru cut his eyes to the ceiling and pushed back his tattered shirt sleeve, pale skin sporting a bite mark. "Your meagre curse cannot affect this one. Cease your fretting."
Blue eyes blinked rapidly while she adjusted the blankets, knees drawing up. "O-oh…is that because you have your own curse?"
"No."
"But you smell…dog-ish."
"And you smell wolf-ish but you are not a wolf. I am inuyoukai. I was born a dog demon. Do not compare them."
Kagome nodded slowly, "fair enough…"
The demon rose to prepare some tea using a woodstove, the fire bringing clean water to a boil. After placing a steaming mug in her frozen hands, inquisitive fingers peeled back the blanket covering her shoulder.
Kagome jolted, growling. "What are you doing?"
His gaze turned flat, "checking your injuries. It appears you heal quickly."
She rubbed at his bite mark laying upon the delicate flesh of her neck, tucking his blanket tighter around herself warily. "Some heal quicker than others. What was with that bite, anyway? You have some serious jaw strength."
Sesshoumaru sat at a respectable distance, nursing his drink. "I was attempting to show you your place and the difference in our power. It would have been wiser to back down from that fight," he pointed out dryly, ignoring her grumble. "More importantly, girl, where is your family?"
Kagome stiffened, drawing in on herself and staring at the fire, letting out a long exhale. "In Tokyo. Ran away from home, in case that wasn't obvious. I'd rather not talk about it."
Melancholy flitted into her fusty, yet sweet scent. Sesshoumaru quietly observed her, attention straying over the cover concealing her frame and remembering how skinny she'd looked.
They fell into silence for a time, until he rose once more and gathered some clothes, tossing them to the floor beside her.
"These will be ill-fitting but the belt may help. Rest if you wish. By the time I have awoken, I expect you to be gone."
Kagome stared up at him, before getting to her feet shakily. She stood a good head shorter than he, but the fire curling within sparking blue eyes almost seemed to make up for any difference in height.
"No."
Sesshoumaru arched a brow, lips curving into a mocking smile. "No? You think I cannot remove you from my presence?"
"You could, but I'd continue to annoy you," came her confident, unabashed response. "You're the only person I've met that smells somewhat like me. Sure you might be living alone away from humans but I could feel the control you have over yourself even when we fought. Please, I'm begging you. Teach me how to stifle this curse so that I can live like a normal person again. This isn't like a once a moon problem. These...instincts are constant. I humbly ask for any assistance."
She ducked her head down into a low bow, the blanket drooping to expose the tempting nape of her neck.
Heat churned low in his gut, and Sesshoumaru had to look away. "This one is under no obligation to help you."
Kagome raised her head, "maybe not, but I'd be in your debt. I'll cook, I'll clean! I'll do anything, just please-" she caught the back of his shirt when he turned, causing him to freeze and lock a burning golden gaze onto the female. She stared back defiantly, soon lowering her eyes, shame colouring her voice. "I-I…" Kagome wet full lips and took a breath. "I killed someone. During my transformation. I never want to hurt anyone ever again, the idea terrifies me."
Sesshoumaru watched her expression harden with resolve. "What do you want in exchange for teaching me? I don't have any money but I could get a job once I've got better control and wire the wages into your account-"
"I am uninterested in money."
Kagome set her jaw and took a breath, soon curling both hands into the blanket- tossing it back from her shoulders. It fluttered to the floor with a gentle noise.
Sesshoumaru cast his gaze down her willowy frame languidly.
Her skin pricked with exposure to the elements, breasts perky, nipples hardening from chilled air. Firelight caught her hair, setting a few of the tousled waves into a midnight blue against the deep black of the rest. She held traces of dirt and blood upon goosebumped flesh, her thighs well muscled and inviting. She was scantily furred, as he noticed only a mere patch of dark hair between her legs. He could sense her virginity.
"You would go so far as to offer yourself to me?" Sesshoumaru muttered, raising his attention to her hard eyes.
She nodded without hesitation. "If that's what it takes to save people."
An interesting response, certainly. Wintery lashes lowered a touch, the demon leaning down and sensing tension coil tight in her muscles. Nonetheless, she forced herself to keep standing still. His nose skimmed hers, face looming close. Their breaths intermingled.
Gold eyes slid shut. "You will leave before I have awoken," he uttered softly, pulling back and walking away.
Stopping at the bottom of his wooden stairs, he rested a hand on the metal rail.
"This one is not completely unsympathetic towards your plight. However, I am not the right person to teach you. There are other demons. Scarce, but they are out there. Some are wolves like you. Seek them out instead."
With that said, he climbed the stairs, leaving her alone within the living room.
----
Laying in bed and squinting at his ceiling while his curtains failed to shield sensitive eyes to the morning light, Sesshoumaru strained his hearing for several hours, assuming she'd fallen asleep.
He wondered if she were hungry. The skin had been taut around her ribs- no. He forced his eyes shut. Do not feed her. She'll just come back. Do not.
To feed a being was to take responsibility for it.
With these annoying thoughts spiralling around within his head, Sesshoumaru fell into a restless sleep.
---
Waking to the delicious smell of cooked meat, his lungs expanded with a long inhale. Saliva pooled within his mouth. Rising and padding down to the kitchen with rumpled clothes and hair, he blinked blearily.
She stood with her back turned to him, clad in an oversized plaid shirt he'd given her. It fell to lush thighs, toned legs bare. Apparently she'd forgone the offered pants but made use of his belt, treating it more like a fashion accessory around her slim waist.
His expression tightened. It looked good on her.
Kagome flashed an amiable smile over her shoulder. "Good morning!" she chirped, meat sizzling on the woodstove. "You don't seem to have much variety in the pantry other than meat so I guess this will have to do? Want tea, coffee or water?"
Thin lips pressed into a grim line. "...Coffee," he grunted, taking a seat at his table.
"Rodger," humming, she navigated around his kitchen with ease, grabbing a mug. "How do you even have so much coffee if you're in such a remote location?"
"Occasionally it is necessary to drive to the nearest village. I stock up on what I need there," Sesshoumaru turned in his seat as she passed, mapping her with his eyes. Black hair had been tied back into a ponytail that swayed with each movement.
The second she'd set down their drinks and breakfast, sitting opposite him with an easy smile, he cut to the chase; "you are supposed to be gone," he reminded her, just in case she'd forgotten.
"I know," she assured him breezily.
Sesshoumaru stared as she tucked into her meal, making a pleasured groan. "Mnn, what is this?"
"Squirrel," he said bluntly, causing a repressed choking fit. "I will force you out if need be, girl."
Kagome thumped her chest, coughing into her hand and blinking back tears, swallowing. "S-sure, we'll get around to that eventually."
Somehow he doubted she'd go quietly. What a pest.
"By the way, I'd appreciate it if you stop calling me 'girl'. I'm 23, not 10."
He arched a brow. So her immaturity came from her personality, not her age. That bodes well.
"So I was wondering; what do you do all day up here in the hills?" she piped up again after taking a gulp of her beverage.
"This one either hunts or gathers wood for the fire. The house occasionally needs to be tended to, along with my vehicle. Sometimes I will read or go for long walks around the-" he noticed her watching him with a strange expression. "What?"
"It just sounds a little lonely," Kagome said, lightly blowing the steam curling from her mug.
Sesshoumaru's lips thinned, gaze following her line of sight out of the kitchen window. Some birds bathed in a puddle, playing together. It must have rained during his nap. "I think the hardest part of leaving home and travelling on my own has been the loneliness," her eyes gentled.
Sharp claws twitched, his chest constricting slightly. He rose abruptly, not wanting to confront such a feeling.
"Ah, was it something I said?"
"No," Sesshoumaru uttered, teeth grinding at the distress he'd caused in her scent. "I do not like cooked meat. I will hunt alone. This time, you will leave by the time I have returned or I will drive you to the nearest village myself."
Striding away from the conversation and changing clothes within his bedroom, the demon wasted no time in making good on his claim and walking into the forest. In truth, he could tolerate cooked meat, and he'd surely wasted breakfast. However, waste was a small price to pay. He couldn't afford to start sympathising too much. The repressed longing for pack had been something he'd been able to shove under the rubble with everyday routine and strict discipline. This...woman proved to be complicating things already with her mere existence.
Indeed she proved so distracting and bothersome, the apex predator found himself ridiculously clumsy in trying to catch prey. His steps were too loud, jumps timed just a tad off, as though his heart weren't really in it.
Sesshoumaru snorted and straightened, panting a little as the deer intended for breakfast ran off into the gloom of misty trees. Annoying.
Wiping some dirt off his pants, he started to head back towards the cabin again. At least she wouldn't be there to see him return empty-handed. Thankfully he did not sense her within the house upon nearing it. However…
He stopped, keen ears picking up the sound of feet pounding over grass.
Pointed ears perked and Sesshoumaru turned his head, only to jolt. A rabbit ran for its life in a clearing not too far away from the house- the woman giving chase, a somewhat desperate look on her face. He noted that despite the lack of full moon her legs seemed to morph just a tad. Kagome bowed forward suddenly, bounding unnaturally on four legs, her arms having elongated to accommodate her. Letting out a yip and leaping, she sailed towards the rabbit, hands skimming it's brown fur- before it abruptly lurched upwards from her hold and slipped out of her grasp, bounding off into dense undergrowth. Kagome landed hard on her stomach, kicking up dirt.
Sesshoumaru arched a brow. Apparently, they were both a mess today, in more ways than one. This was getting ridiculous. They could both be adults about this. There was nothing to fear. Sighing and coming to a grim conclusion, Sesshoumaru steeled himself and approached.
Her ear twitched when a foot dragged deliberately over the earth, and she quickly sat up, the front half of his shirt now littered with dirt. She gave an awkward, embarrassed grin.
"Ahaha…hi. I um… wanted to apologise by catching you something. As you can see I kinda suck at it."
"Hn," he readily agreed, causing her to huff.
"So where's your kill-"
"This one has decided you may remain here."
Kagome gawked, standing. "R-really?"
"Indeed, though you will leave as soon as you're able. I will teach you control if only to rid myself of you faster."
Kagome didn't seem bothered by the snub, bowing a touch. "Thank you so much for letting me stay, but what brought this on?"
Honestly, he felt a mix of things. Mildly touched she'd try to hunt for him despite his rejection, and… another reason. Pride. This cowardly feeling of running away from her did not suit him. She was a mere slip of a woman. She was of no danger to him, and he'd prove it by welcoming her graciously into his home and resisting those tempting thighs.
A hand was abruptly waved in front of his face. "Hello? You kind of went all quiet and stared at my legs for a while. Everything OK?"
He jerked. "Fine."
"Well good, but can we stop pretending like we both don't really, really need a bath after last night? I could use about three," she giggled. The sound was melodic and pretty.
Sesshoumaru shook himself. "There is a waterfall just East of here."
Kagome stared, features giving way to horror. "N-no tub?"
Golden eyes flattened, "it takes a long time to heat enough water for a bath."
"It's almost winter," she pointed out thinly, quelling under his palpable annoyance. "Oh alright, grumpy. I was just hoping I wouldn't have to jump in a river again," she grumbled, following him into the house to grab some towels out of a dilapidated wardrobe. Folding them over one arm and accepting another shirt, she looked up at him with big blue eyes.
Her nostrils flared, and Sesshoumaru was about to inquire what she'd sensed before gentle fingers touched his wrist. A thin red line marred pale skin, a cut, probably caused by the brush of a thorn when he'd been hunting.
All attention zeroed in on Kagome's lips when they parted. She bent her head down, hot breath fanning over sensitive, pricking flesh. Sesshoumaru's slit pupils dilated. He watched, enraptured as a pink tongue slid out to drag in a soft wet graze over the super life-threatening wound. He became hyperaware of his heartbeat resounding ridiculously loud in his ears. She didn't even seem aware of what she was doing. Yet again she'd given in to instinct. When she raised her head slightly, Kagome blinked owlishly- jerking back with a crimson face.
"A-ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- ohh that was so creepy of me! Why did I do that?" she groaned, burying her face in her hands. Good. That way she didn't see his expression. Sesshoumaru turned away, clearing his throat and grabbing something from the wardrobe.
"It was a mere instinct to clean my wound, it is nothing to fuss over," he muttered as though to remind himself as well.
"Here, soap," throwing a bar over his shoulder, he heard a squawk and rush to catch it.
"You don't uh… have any shampoo or conditioner?" Kagome chanced weakly.
Sesshoumaru glanced at her other one shoulder and brushed a hand through long silver locks that were secured at the back of his neck in a low ponytail, his usual style these days. The condition remained glossy and perfect. "You do not need it," he uttered.
"I'm pretty sure I do but I'll take your word for it," Kagome hummed, brushing by and causing his body to stiffen. Damn her.
She glanced innocently over one shoulder. "I've noticed that you're kind of… tense around me but I hope we can get along. Thanks again for letting me stay, it means the world to me."
With that said, she flounced out of the room, black locks bouncing from eager steps. Sesshoumaru released a breath and massaged his temples.
This proved to be… strenuous. But the faster he taught her what she needed to know, the faster he'd be rid of her.
---
After bathing in his own area and hearing a distant shriek and intense cursing at the water's temperature from the woman, Sesshoumaru returned home, youki coiling around him like a warm summer breeze to dry his hair. Kagome stomped in miserably, looking like a drowned rat and towel drying her hair roughly, though she gave no verbal complaints.
Deciding to get their first lesson over with, Sesshoumaru called her out onto his wooden porch, levelling his attention at the far off trees.
"Do you hear it?"
"Hear what?" she tilted her head, resting the towel around her shoulders.
"Focus."
Kagome closed her eyes and seemed to listen intently. Sesshoumaru shifted, flicking a small pebble out from his hand with a jerk of his thumb that sent it sailing away towards the left side trees. As he'd expected- the second stone made contact with wood, Kagome's ears changed, morphing into black triangular ones jutting up atop her head. They swivelled to the left slightly and she blinked confused blue eyes open.
"Something hit the trees on the left," she said, wolf ears pricking.
"Hn," his tone bordered on amused. "You cheated."
She gaped, "I did not! How can you cheat just by listening?"
Reaching up, he grasped one of the velvety ears between forefinger and thumb, eliciting a gasp. "You relied on your wolf hearing. When you try hard at something or enjoy yourself it appears you lose focus, and this is when your body morphs."
Kagome groaned, touching the ears gingerly when he released her. "This is weird, ah- my regular ears have vanished!" She touched the sides of her face in distress. "That's so creepy!"
Sesshoumaru huffed but paused upon sensing her mounting unease. Lifting his palms, he smoothed them down over her head, "change back," he uttered. The soft ears disappeared back into her skull, and Kagome made a noise of relief. She tilted her head up to look at him, rounded ears back.
"Your voice…" Kagome mumbled. "It changed just now. It felt like a command."
Sesshoumaru quickly removed his hands as though burned, lips thinning. The will of the alpha in a pack. Was that what he'd accidentally forced upon her?
Kagome shook herself and turned back to the trees. "Let's try again."
---
The listening exercise proved to him that the woman needed more than just control during the full moon. Her everyday life was impacted by how she'd unknowingly morph her body for small tasks. On top of that, there were her instincts to take into account. She couldn't start licking strangers just because they were injured.
He had his work cut out for him.
That night after gathering firewood together and eating, Sesshoumaru brought up a pile of furs from the basement he usually saved for winter when the truly cold weather hit.
Kagome sat before the fireplace, reading. She cocked her head slightly when he set them down.
"You may sleep here," he pointed graciously at them.
Kagome arched a brow. "Um… okay? Why do you have so many?"
"It gets cold," he pointed out bluntly.
"Yeah but… couldn't you just sleep in your other form? You don't need a moon to transform if you were born an inuyoukai, right? Come to think of it, why didn't you change during our fight?"
His body had grown stiff. Stern features became removed and placid, guard firmly up. Kagome fell quiet as he inclined his head.
"I do not change into my true form anymore. I will not ask you about your family, as per your request. In return, you do not ask about this, understood?"
Kagome nodded slowly, worry knitting her brows. Sesshoumaru pivoted on his heel and bid her goodnight.
---
Light fell upon magenta lids. Pale lashes fluttered, squeezing shut, and he turned his head to escape from the invasive sun urging him to rise, burying his nose in his sublime smelling pillow. So very soft. Shifting, Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. His covers felt very solid and warm bundled in his arms, curves pressing against his chest. A content noise was rumbling out from his throat and holy shit was he purring?
A dreamy, warm sigh fanned out close to his ear. Golden eyes snapped open.