Sweeter than Saké by Anna

Innocent, not so innocent....

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko. 

No smut. Rated MA for... Well...Safety purposes. 

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The night was still young when Kagome returned to her chamber. She had expected the celebrations to last longer. But most of the demons had left after the dinner. It took her a few good hours to take all the ornaments off, and get washed up for the night. But the night still basked in the sensual afterglow of the evening celebrations.

Being the only human in this huge event, the accommodations had been quite detailed to suite her needs. The one bottle of demonic liquor, however, sat on the corner table, untouched. She was not so fond of drinking, so she didn't think it was necessary to order a normal sake for a few nights' stay in this Northern castle. 

Being lucid yet still lost in the young memories of the beauty she witnessed earlier that evening, she was well aware that sleep was miles away. The warm, brightly illuminated cavernous hall of the castle filled with hundreds of royal demons, elaborately dressed up, danced in the back of her mind. If she closed her eyes, she could still see the thousands of lanterns that lined the stone walls. The touch of silky smooth voices of graceful demonic beings glided on her skin like the most expensive silks.

..... 

Kagome, who had ventured among so many Greater Demons for the first time, unarmed, had been apprehensive at first. But as time had passed, breathtaking, handsome demons had taken her hand in greetings and indulged her in intellectual talks, about their culture, about her time. But one single Daiyoukai had taken the crown of Mr. Feudal Lord.

He had been watching her, through the entire evening. In between his whispered chattings and royal bows, across the dinner expanse, from every corner of the room through the fey hours... It was subtly obvious, very gracefully done indeed. To earn such attention from him, Kagome thought the hours of painful preparations gone in front of the mirror, with five female attendants bustling around her had paid off.

She had started noticing him a few months into their travel together in the Spider Hanyou's pursuit. It seemed so long ago now. She had looked at him through pages of her books that she read under a tree, through the clean clothes that flowed in the wind after laundry, through the bloodshed, the battle, through the movements of his legendary sword, and every moment in between. It had warmed her to see him with Rin, see him humbled and understanding, even tolerant, so much more than when she had first encountered him. The tomb, the poisonous claws, seemed a tale of ages ago, of a whole different world.

Now, three years after Naraku's death, after the well closed off with her trapped in the Feudal Era, after losing and grieving, after being acquainted to this world that no longer felt different from a world one was born into, after realising InuYasha's love for her was etched eternally in their friendship and nothing more, she started noticing Sesshoumaru once again.

InuYasha was...... Well, he seemed at peace more than ever. With a dog's loyalty he had found in Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara, and with the home he had found in Kagome's care and companionship, and with the knowledge that Kikyo suffered no more, he had shifted his attention towards rehabilitating Hanyou children across the land and helping them belong somewhere. Though romance had failed them both, Kagome couldn't be more happy in his warm protection and loyal friendship. 

He had been a soothing balm to her agitated nerves in the beginning of the evening. 

"I'll fuckin' cut em' up and suck them into the Meido if they try anything funny with ya tonight." He had said with such a serious expression that had made her giggle. He had smiled warmly in return. For once, he had looked charismatic, in his revamped get up for the evening. The black kimono with white cherry blossom patterns looked elegant on him. His wild hair was neatly braided into a thick mass. He had behaved throughout the evening, even talking to everyone with such a refined mouth. The times together along the countryside seemed like a second childhood to her. 

As they had entered the main hall, hand in hand, all had gazed upon Kagome's beauty, and InuYasha had cursed under his breath.... Something about horny powerful demons wanting to prey on a Miko, but she had been more occupied in looking for possible hostile guests. After all, this was new to both her... and all the demons present there. 

It was a celebration of a truce, one between humans and demons that had allowed around a hundred hanyou orphans to be established in welcoming homes across a few villages in the Northern and Western Lands. Kagome and InuYasha, along with Sesshoumaru's powerful dominion, had played a key role. Tremendous amount of effort during the last two and a half years had gone into this endeavour.  Both of them had to be the guests of honor, with Sesshoumaru being their co-host along with the Northern Lord. 

This new adventure had once again put Kagome in a position where she got to be around Sesshoumaru. This time, he had started noticing her. Through the Sakura petals in the wind, on moonlit nights, through hot steams that rose from the spring..... Not that Kagome was aware of that. 

The Northern Lord had agreed to host the acknowledgement of this development in their society on the Western Lord's grave demand. 

Talking about the Western Lord, he wore the same black and white garments as InuYasha. A part of her couldn't take her eyes off the breathtaking view, another part just jumped in glee at the thought that the brothers were outfit twinning. After all, the volatile relationship had started to calm down long ago, on a certain journey, against a common enemy. 

The Miko and the Western Lord didn't speak to each other all evening. She had been stolen away into companionship by one after another daring Daiyoukai who was not afraid of the tremendous Reiki that sizzled beneath youthful skin. But the occasional 'accidental' eye contacts spoke loud. And almost every other being could feel the passion, the respect and acknowledgement enclosing them.... Other than them themselves, of course. 

Back to the present, Kagome sat in a corner of the room, brushing her hair in front of the small mirror. That's when she felt his presence, a presence so masculine and strong, so overwhelming yet protective, so feral yet warm to a chosen few.  

.....

She had looked ravishing, and more than one demon who had attended the gathering could confirm that. Her white Spider silk Kimono was adorned and embellished heavily around the edges in blue motifs. It made her cerulean eyes way more tempting. The neck was displayed in the most sensual way ever, with much skin unclothed and a piece dainty, lovely necklace. He couldn't count the moments that had gone by, transfixed on that fair skin, that collar bone shaped so delicately. She had indeed matured in the most delicious way possible. 

Her hair, up in organised tangles and plaits, adorned with silver and blue Kanzashi ornaments, had given her the most angelic look. Among demons so otherworldly, she looked the most ethereal. The beauty of the night had been overwhelming, even for the great Sesshoumaru. It was hard to believe this was the same wilful human girl who had spent her time battling in woods, covered in mud and treating wounds. 

Now, he stood in front of her chamber door, no knowledge as to why, as to what he seeked now after missing a hundred opportunities to speak to her throughout the evening. It was no good, he decided, as he had no particular query. He turned to return, when he heard hurried yet careful footsteps. He had turned halfway when the door opened and there she stood in her white sleeping yukata. 

..... 

Both of them shared a moment of silent questioning on the threshold. Her eyes were lit up, like the milky way reflected on the surface of the pacific, cheeks flushed pink, the colour of spring sakura.

He was still in the same clothes. Those damn sexy clothes. 

"Do you require something, Miko?" He asked, and realised it should have been the other way round, since he was the one who had come to her. What was this woman doing to him? 

She contemplated, just a moment. A 'No. Nothing', was on the tip of her tongue, but she knew she would regret it later. It was still not too late in the night. 

"Yes, Sesshoumaru. Indeed." He turned completely towards her and raised his brows in inquisition. She continued, "I am in need of a good company. And I think yours would suffice", she answered in a steady voice. 

The nerve of this woman! To say his company would 'suffice'. The amusement that danced in his eyes had to be controlled not to get hold of his supple lips. But what overtook his heart was delight. 

What he was going to say next would risk her shooing him away, but he was willing to take that, just to tease her, just for the reaction. 

He stepped a little closer, towering over her form. 

"You invite This One into your bedchamber at these dark hours, Miko?" He asked in the lowest tone,  just short of being a whisper. 

A fresh stream of heat creeped up beautifully as his hot exhale caressed her forehead. 

"Ye-Yes...? " Her tongue was not helping her, even though with chin up, she matched the fire in his amber eyes. 

"Also, don't make young maidens say such things. That is not very gentlemanly." A smile tugged at the corner of her full lips as she turned away and walked into the room. It was as if a slumbering dragon breathed fire inside Sesshoumaru. The game was on. 

"I am honorable, sure, Miko. But what ever gave you the idea I am gentlemanly with females?" With that, he shut the the door firmly behind him, having followed her inside. She stood with her back facing him. 

The slam made Kagome jump out of her skin, and she momentarily pondered what she was getting herself into. 

He closed the few paces between them, close enough to lean and drag his itching fangs along her.... A shaky breath left Kagome's mouth as he whispered in her ear. "

Now, entertain your guest." 

She was relieved he couldn't see her red-hot face. A nervous, ungraceful laughter left her. She had no witty response right now. 

"Ah-Ha...Uhh..Sure." With twitching fingers beside her, she made her way to the bottle and picked it, along with a single sake cup, excluding herself. 

The short-legged traditional table was surrounded by lush furs and comfortable sitting pillows. Sesshoumaru made himself comfortable, a little too comfortable actually. 

When Kagome returned with the sake, he lay backwards on his elbows beside the table, admiring her with vivid golden eyes. His inviting form made Kagome swallow lightly. She settled across the table from him and he followed her every move languidly. She finally thought, maybe she had made a mistake, inviting this domineering presence into such a private space. 

She carefully poured him a cup as he turned on his side to face her, his strong elbow supporting his weight up. His right leg was fold up at knee, his snowy strands of hair fell around in curtains. 

"None for yourself, lovely?" He asked in a teasing tone. He wouldn't address anyone as such so casually, but this was the Miko we are talking about. The Miko who had been torturing his senses for the past few months without even as much as lifting her fingers. 

Kagome choked on her words, more lost than she had been inside the Shikon. "Wha-What?" She asked in a timid tone. 

She knew what he was referring to, so she continued. 

"Isn't this specially for demons?" 

"It is the same substance in working, albeit much stronger. A few sips will not kill a human though." He said with a slight tilt to his head, as well as lips. He offered the first sip of his sake to her and she stared at his outstretched hand, and the clear liquid. 

Maybe the alcohol would help with her frazzled nerves and heartbeats beating all over. Kagome's reasoning had perhaps been left behind in the celebration after so much intellectual and political talks. "I wouldn't know, since this is not the first time you have tried to kill me." With that she gulped the liquid in a single shot. 

It hit her hard. The spirit burned her throat and it spread upwards to her head. Her eyes watered and she coughed up a few unladylike sounds. She felt like she might die after this. No poison must hurt this bad. Taking a few deep breaths, she put her forehead down on the table to calm herself and not go out of this world like a choking monkey. 

It took a few moments for it to spread through her body. It had been all thunderstorm initially, but now a warm kindling begun within her. The sweetness finally teased her taste buds and the warmth made its presence known. She opened her eyes to the Daiyoukai bathed in the golden lantern light, already drinking from his cup, having poured himself one. While some of her senses heightened, others now seemed mute quite a few times. Her vision remained starkly clear, while her auditory senses focused solely on his breathing, and her own heartbeat. Other things felt above the surface of water. It was odd, yet very intoxicating. 

"You really aren't a gentleman to females." She pointed out in a drawling voice. He could already pick the beginning hints of slurry speech. He estimated, she would be out like a flame in an hour or so. Little did he know.... 

"Hnn... " He continued drinking. 'At least not a gentleman to the ones I desire lying with', he thought to himself. 

"Speaking about females, Sesshoumaru, there were quite a few demonesses tonight. But I barely saw any single ladies." The strong liquor was working, and that made her comfortable and light. She rested her chin on her palms faced up, supported by her elbows on the table. 

"They were mostly the mates and intended of the Lords invited." He supplied. After his third gulp, he paused to admire the now dreamy eyed beauty smiling stupidly at him. 

"Which brings this question to my mind," her voice a little higher than normal, "where is your intended?" She sat upright, her eyes lucid from dreamy in a moment's notice. 

He surely was taken aback by the sudden question. 

"Forgive me, dear." His eyes narrowed slightly, which spoke of his dislike towards the topic. "My intended? Do I have one?"

"That's what I'm asking, you idiot. Do you have one? Like.. one you have kept a secret from us?" She lowered her voice and went back to her previous comfortable position of chin on palms. 

He needed his fourth cup. He poured himself one. 

"Where ever you got that notion, Miko." He uttered simply. But she wasn't done with it. 

"Why not? Do tell me. No one superior enough for His Highness?" The mock laced whispers fired the very pits of his soul. She was reaching for another cup but he grabbed her right hand with his. 

"Hnn. Not many stand to have This Sesshoumaru to themselves. But the exceptions would surprise one profoundly." He hoped the statement pointed towards her would reach her comprehensive skills, but he wouldn't know. 

"Hmmmm.... I see. Why not go after these exceptions then?" She inquired without a breath. 

"I had been occupied on the path to the Supreme Conquest until recently. Romance was not prioritised by This One." He replied, all the while holding her hand. She responded by running her fingers lightly over his wrist stripes, without breaking eye contact. 

"What about now? Aren't you getting old? Shouldn't you enjoy your youth while it lasts?" Her voice was a seductive whisper. Sesshoumaru in no amount regretted the combination of this miko high on demonic saké. 

A full smirk finally made its presence known on his lips. As she leaned more towards him, the wooden abomination between them was the only thing keeping him from taking her lips in that moment. 

"Hnn... It would be the right time to engage in reckless romances as you suggest." His silky baritone too, dipped low into a toe-curling whisper. 

Kagome reached towards his face with her left hand, her right one intertwined in his, that had forsaken the sake cup for something more intoxicating. She took his cheek in her palm and ran her thumb ever so lightly along his magenta stripes. 

He exhaled, none too steadily. Not many could rattle his breath like this. Snowy, thick lashes shut involuntarily. He did not resist. Leaning more into her touched, he finally experienced a fraction of what he had been craving for so long. 

He knew a memorable night when he came across one. And this one was definitely going to be. Lost in her scent and all things so passionate, her voice floated to him as if he were underwater. 

She asked a question. A single question that would be her undoing. Kagome didn't know the the next few moments of her life, owing to the asked question, would change the path of her life entirely. 

"Are these the only demonic markings on your body?" She asked while running her fingers along his cheek. "Including the crescent and wrists?" It was an innocent question. A question among thousands of questions the curiosity within Kagome asked all the time. But for him, it was nothing short of an intimate query. 

He opened his eyes to the question dancing so earnestly in her eyes, no hint of any tease. That is when he decided that a serious inquiry should be honoured with a very serious answer, but maybe a little playfulness was not out of the question, literally. 

So,  he detangled his hands, and pulled away his face from her searching fingers. A slightly worried, half confused look passed over Kagome's face as his actions registered. He was starting to get up. 

"I... Umm.. Sorry, Sesshoumaru.... Are you leaving?" Her voice was timid, apologetic even. In this tipsy condition, it was a bit harder to control the laughter that was bubbling inside his chest. He kept his face passive nonetheless. 

Rather than leaving through the door and out of her room, Kagome watched with the same worried-apologetic face, albeit a bit more confused as he made his way around the table and stood right in front of her, tall and towering. 

Their gaze was locked in a tight concentration, all their attention focused on each other. He carefully put his Mokomoko down and started removing his armor pieces. As his lithe fingers worked on the knots and loops, it finally registered into Kagome's liquor-fried brain that he was going to show her his other demonic markings.

One would have thought she would fluster away, all shy and nervous. But she kept still, silent, patient... As he worked his way through the fabric obstacles. But the anticipation was real. It made her face more rosy than it already had been, made her heart race faster than it ever had in her short span of time on this earth. 

The metallic pieces fell away with a few heavy thuds, and each was in a sync with Kagome's heavy heartbeat. The most excruciating was the white obi. He pulled at it slow and thorough. It fell round his legs in tangles of ribbons under her scrutinising eyes. 

He shed away the upper clothes, layer by layer, first the haori, then the juban. And when he finally stood topless in front of her, she thought she wouldn't breathe ever again. 

A pair of long, stark, magenta stripes adorned his muscular expanse on either sides, just above his hips. They started a way around the back and smoothed right along the V of his hips, and disappeared lower down his hakama. 

As he stripped before her, she sat there, looking at him as if he were the only beautiful thing she had come across since the beginning of time. Her eyes held a fiery promise, of worshipping and ravishing him at the same time. After a few moments that stretched into a string of eternity, he needed to remind her gently. 

"Better breathe, Kagome." 

That finally got her out of the trance, the song she was lost in, and gulped down a heavy lump. A brief moment of eye contact informed Sesshoumaru that Kagome, the Miko who had defeated many a great evil beings, the human from far into the centuries, was indeed a wild wild woman. 

He did not stop her, when she stood on her knees and pulled him down by his hands on either sides. Him not resisting her approaches gave her more confidence. Sesshoumaru did not doubt, he was more than sure that the Miko was unaware of her own actions. It was the strong alcohol doing the spell, and a tinge of apprehension coloured his thoughts. What if, come tomorrow morning, she would regret her actions. But he would not let her regret this, would he? After all, they were on the same boat here. 

He sat down on the furs and lush fabrics, his legs outstretched on either side of her as she knelt in between. There was nothing in between them now, no spiky armors, no pesky tables. So Kagome, being just enough drunk to remember this night and not in a position to be taken advantage of, made the first move. 

When her lips crashed hard on his, Sesshoumaru finally had his drink of the evening. A drink thousands of times sweeter and a million times more intoxicating than any sort of alcohol. She single-handedly put all the demonic sake in his world to shame. 

Kagome supported herself on his shoulders, and he worked his way up her legs from behind till they rested on that sweet spot. The silence of the night filled almost instantaneously with sounds of passion, the heavy breathing, the hot-blooded smooches. 

It was soft, sharp and shameless. Sesshoumaru's left hand held Kagome from the rear bottom while his right ventured into the thick, dark strands of her hair. They attacked at each other's tongue till he lay down completely, with Kagome on top. 

She took another moment of savouring the golden honeyed goodness before venturing downwards. Her hands worked their way as if she had always known how these things are done. They stopped on his hip stripes, almost out of instinct, where she caressed them oh so devotedly, all the while peppering his neck with soft kisses and bites. 

Sesshoumaru looked at the wooden ceiling with lust-glazed honey pools, wondering how the dominant force in the room had shifted in the Miko's favor. His body burned in the hell-fire of tormenting touches like never before. The Miko was new to this, but oh so skilled. So many nights spent imagining such things was like mixing colors on a palette. Now, she had finally found her canvas. 

She continued her path downwards, kissing and licking the muscular terrains of his pale expanse. She kissed his shoulders, his chest, his stomach... All the while he lay still, as if a single misstep and he would wake up from this sinful dream. But dream it was not. It was the liquor, he decided. He could not reason any other way as to why the Miko was worshipping his demonic person with such devotion and passion. 

She scooted downwards, now her kness around his own. She did not look up, did not say anything, did not question. She just caressed his stripes with her fingers a bit more before lowering her head down. It was a moment for Sesshoumaru, among very few memorable moments in his long life of nine centuries, that would be etched into his mind, his heart, his soul and his blood forever. 

He was already panting lightly, but when her warm, luscious tongue met with the magenta stripes on his hips, his back arched slightly and he let out Kagome's name with all the ardour he sheltered within himself. 

"Mi-Miko.... Ahh! ... Kagome..."

But she did not stop. Her name that came so fiverishly from his throat felt like all she had been seeking till now. She kissed slowly, deeply along his stripes, scrapping with her blunt nails over the neglected side. His claws in turn, dug ferociously through the fabrics and into the wooden flooring. As she worked her magical tongue, he combed his silver hair with his claws harshly, bunching and pulling at thick masses when the butterflies in his stomach were too powerful to tame. 

The undefeated Lord impervious to all things, was now reduced to nothing, lying on the ground, moaning a human woman's name over and over again. He could already feel his hardness, the painful ache between his thighs, the tingles that travelled from his groin to the tip of his toeclaws, that had been absent for far too long. But this woman had awakened a beast and made him danced dangerously on the edge of control. In his assessment, the control was necessary, was worth it. 

She brought out all kinds of sounds from his chest, from husky moans to growls and deep groans. They only fuelled Kagome more. His eyes were shut tightly from the intensity of her sweet attacks, his Adam's apple bobbed repeatedly as he struggled to swallow and his chest heaved heavily as he struggled to breathe. He could not remember the last time his heart had been beating such thunderously. 

And in that moment, in the farthest corner of his mind where a tiny speck of comprehensive ability still prevailed, he thought, if Izayoi had been anything like Kagome, then he was willing to forgive his father with all abandonment, for all his transgressions and misdeeds. 

By now, Sesshoumaru had lost his sharp, unquestionable demonic senses to the Miko running her tongue and lips along his markings. When Kagome started to work on his Hakama ties, all the while trying to pull them frantically downwards, there was no resistance from Sesshoumaru that would stop her. What actually did stop her was...... 

"...... 'Aome, you in there? I thought I heard Sess-", the door slid open gently. He was met with the view of a half-naked, to be fully naked Sesshoumaru, with Kagome's face hovering over his groin. He didn't know what he was expecting when he sensed both their presence in her room, but this was absolutely not something he was expecting tonight. 

It took Sesshoumaru a few seconds to actually get InuYasha's scent among the smell of sweet sweat and excitement. A bundle of displeasure from the interruption started to take shape within him. By the time he opened his eyes, Kagome had jumped off him and was now sitting on the table behind her, dishevelled beautifully. Her face was burning. Hands reached up to cover her face halfway. 

Kagome's blue eyes were now wide and had lost the dreamy tinge. 'Maybe the embarrassment sobered her up', Sesshoumaru thought to himself, 'What a shame.'

He slid his gaze from the miko to the hanyou. 

InuYasha's face was the epitome of discomfort that was a marvel for Sesshoumaru. But at what price did it come? The ire was clearly visible in the furrowing of the Daiyoukai's delicate eyebrows. 

"I'll pretend I never saw that for the rest of my damned life." With that, InuYasha slammed the door shut with such a force that the vibration made a few slumbering birds fly away from their nests outside. 

Sesshoumaru hoisted himself up on his elbows to get a better look at the frazzled Miko, who looked lovelier than when he had come into her room. She smelled of him, her lips smeared with his taste. Her blue eyes held oceans of embarrassment, but Sesshoumaru would correct that in a moment. Her hair was tantalisingly dishevelled, her appearance flustered like that of a prey in the wild. 

The last hour came back to her, crashing like surfable waves and knocked her ability to speak right out of her. She stood up and made way towards the centre of the room, not knowing what she was doing before , or more importantly, what she was going to do now. 

"I... Um... What did....? " Any coherence left had been washed away by those waves of dawning. And while Sesshoumaru was enjoying that the circumstances had finally hit the Miko, he was willing to go along with it innocently, or not so innocently, once again. 

"I.... I'm s-sorry, Sesshoumaru." Her hands went up to cover her heated face once again, but as if that could put her out of this sinful misery. She did not know what to make of the half-naked Demon with a godly body lying in front of her like that. 

'She has nothing to apologise for', he thought with an evil mental chuckle. 

"I.... I think I should go now... Oh my God!" Kagome said in a hiccup-like voice. She started making her way towards the door when finally his calm voice reached her, low and raspy from the recent intensive moaning exercise. 

"This is your chamber, Kagome dear. Where do you think you are going?" That stopped her feet, her heartbeat, as well as her understanding of time. She looked at the consequence of her actions, right in front of her, lying half nude... Until he spoke again, in the same throaty and purring voice. 

"Lock the doors, my Miko. It is your turn now." His voice, and that curled lip, were the very testaments of all things exotic and sinful. Someone had the reigns of dominance to take back for himself. 

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A/N: I like my Sesshoumaru vocal during the good times.... 

Moral of the story: A cup of demonic saké can't knock out Kagome, but there may be other side-effects. 

I wrote Five Thousand words for you, please consider dropping me a few words by you in the reviews. I'm writing here after a long time. Reviews would help a lot, constructive criticism is wholeheartedly accepted.