Moonlight shone through the translucent rice paper that lined the patterned screen, shining upon the lone male figure standing in the middle of the dōjō. His step was silent as he moved forward, beginning the first of the long series of movements that comprised his practice.
Sesshōmaru inhaled deeply, letting the air fill his chest and course through his limbs. Then he began, moving slowly and deliberately in each step, building momentum and energy as he progressed. His movements were graceful and sweeping, as if he was dancing. The hallway echoed with faint sounds from his practice, the swish of his feet against the floor, the whistle of his breath. He moved through the forms with fluidity and ease, but there was a sense of weight and strength in each turn, each block and punch. He was in perfect harmony with his movements, as if his body was a vessel for something greater.
As he finished, silence fell over the room. He stood still, breathing deeply and slowly as he let the energy fade away. Perspiration beaded along his hairline, and a few drops of sweat trickled down his back and chest, disappearing beneath the waistband of his white hakama.
As a pup, he often lay awake long after others had settled in for the night, unable to drift off despite tiredness creeping through his body. His old mentor would tell him that a few strokes of midnight practice would set his mind at ease and lull him off to sleep. Thus, it had become a habit, a ritual he always performed as a form of meditation and a way to bring clarity to his thoughts, especially if something was on his mind.
The Miko.
Many years had passed since Naraku’s demise. First, she had come to stay at his Shiro to become Rin’s tutor. She brought Shippō, the little kitsune, with her, but now both children were settled elsewhere. Rin had come of age and married, living with her husband and her husband’s family in Aomori prefecture and expecting her first child. Shippō had returned to the kitsune school and was doing brilliantly with his studies, rising through the levels until he became a teacher himself. Her comrades, Inuyasha included, had set up their households in the village, raising children and busy with their respective endeavours.
The day the miko decided to stay at the Shiro after Shippō and Rin left had been one of the most joyous days of his life — though he’d never admitted it aloud. After years of living under the same roof, he had come to rely on her opinions and advice and respected her intelligence, knowledge, and fresh perspectives. To say she was an essential part of his life was an understatement. He often thought of furthering their relationship, but somehow, they remained respectful friends.
Her chamber was across the hall from his; that was how much he valued her. She was always so close, and yet so far.
And now, as though the gods had granted his long-held yearnings, the Miko herself materialized in front of him, wearing only a thin white cotton garment that did nothing to conceal the glorious curves of her body. His mouth went dry at the sight of her. He could see the silhouette of her soft, curvy body beneath the thin fabric of her sleeping yukata. His hands itched to cup the deep divots of her waist or dig into the fleshy part of her hips as he took her hard.
He glared at the Miko, still feeling the frustration he had felt at dinner when she had enticed him with a new kimono that complimented her skin's creamy complexion. He could barely take his gaze off her throughout the evening. Every movement seemed to be designed to torture him: the brief glimpse of her bare wrist as she poured his saké, the graceful moves as she picked up a morsel of food and brought it to her lips, closing her eyes and moaning softly in a way that appeared entirely erotic in his eyes.
He had been disappointed when she refused his offer to stroll the gardens after dinner. He had eagerly anticipated the ritual since it had become their tradition for the past few years. Yet, when she had pleaded exhaustion and excused herself to her room, he could not stop her.
She had left him in the corridor outside the dining hall, turning her back on him as she sashayed back to her room, her rounded backside in full view. He had not been able to get her out of his thoughts since. He had spent the night in his cold bed, his erect cock aching and throbbing, his gut twisting with frustration. His mind was filled with heated images of the miko and him, until he could not stand the torture anymore, and had come to this dojo to expend his unspent energy.
“Why are you here?” Sesshomaru growled. He felt the irresistible pull to be near her, yet something inside stopped him, and the mixture of confusion and frustration made him irritable.
The Miko took a step towards him, then another, until she stood just before him. He could feel the heat of her body and the soft touch of her long curls as she leaned toward him. Her scent permeated his nostrils, and his loins tightened painfully.
“I asked you a question," he growled again. "Why are you here?”
Blue eyes regarded him with amusement as she tilted her head. “I could ask you the same. Have you been coming here every night recently? What plagues your mind?”
He shook his head almost helplessly. “You,” he said, his tone grim. “You plague me.”
Her gaze lit up again, not with indignation as he had expected, but with playfulness. “Me? What have I done to you?”
She was teasing him now, yet he could not help but answer. He took a step forward, crowding her. Since she made him feel so out of sorts tonight, it was only fair that he did the same to her.
“I am frustrated all the time, unable to control myself.” He grabbed her wrist, ensuring his grip was tender yet firm, pulling her until her breasts were pressed against his bare chest. The Miko let out a shriek of surprise, but she settled into the cusp of his body so naturally, as though they performed this charade every night.
”That can’t be.” The playful light was evident in her gaze. “Who dares to torment an impenetrable Lord like you? Impossible.”
“Are you saying,” Sesshōmaru said as he took a lock of her wavy hair and twirled it around his finger, bringing the coiled raven strands to his nose so he could inhale deep. “You never once tried to entice me, Miko?”
“Well,” she breathed, a puff of warm air caressing his cheek as her eyes lifted to meet his in a challenge. “I wouldn’t say never.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, even as his chest fluttered with a foreign sensation that felt very much like hope. “What about tonight? At dinner?”
Her eyes softened with a gentle smile. “I had hoped you’d pick up on the signals during dinner and come to my room,” she whispered. “I waited for you all night, but you never showed up. And frankly, I am tired of waiting."
She raised herself on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to his. The gentle caress surprised him, as was her hand that cupped his cheek, knocking the breath out of his lungs. The initial taste of her was heady, intoxicating, finer than the most exquisite wine he had ever tasted. His arms moved on their accord, wrapping themselves around her supple body and drawing her closer to him, mouth opening to sample more of her flavour. She gave a little gasp of excitement when his tongue teased her lips, slipping into her mouth to tangle with her own. Her fingers roamed across his bare chest, tentative touches that spoke of her suppressed hunger.
He sensed something was different about her tonight. He could smell her arousal, the desire dripping between her legs. He could feel her blunt nails clawing at his shoulders when he squeezed her against him and deepened their kiss. Finally, when she rubbed herself against him in a way that was entirely suggestive, he dropped his mokomoko to the floor, growled, and flipped her onto all fours.
The Miko gasped, but she kept herself on the floor, purring, craning her neck to stare back at him, wiggling her hips in invitation.
“Do you not think you deserve a punishment for enticing me so, Miko?” he whispered before he folded himself above her and took her ear between his teeth, pulling gently.
She shivered beneath him, and the scent of her desires intensified. “What… what do you have in mind?”
Quickly, he hiked up the hem of her yukata until the fabric bunched around her hips. He palmed the flesh of her rear, revelling at how soft it was. Her curves filled his hands perfectly. He smacked her lightly, testing her boundaries, and she gasped in response, arching slightly beneath him. He recalled her salacious wiggle as she walked away from him after dinner, and his shaft hardened between his thighs.
-----------------
The sting of his palm against her bottom sent fire spreading throughout her body. Her skin prickled deliciously as heat bloomed in her most sensitive places. She felt her core grow warm, her nipples becoming tight and achy at the thought of him bare-handed. She twitched when he did it again a little harder, crying out with surprise and pleasure, sobbing when she felt herself dripping along her inner thighs. She wanted to clamp her legs together and alleviate the unbearable itch in her core, but his knees kept them parted.
He had beautiful hands, the ones she had often stared at and fantasized about. Even earlier, while she peeked at his midnight practice through the gap between the screens, her eyes had been riveted to those hands as they were wrapped around the handle of his sword, wiping the glistening perspiration on his bare chest and stomach.
And now, his hands — one of them, at least — swiped at her ass cheeks over and over while the other caressed the soft skin. He brought his nose to her neck and inhaled deeply. He would find only desire in her scent, no fear or pain. No hesitation.
“My Lord?” she breathed in a trembling voice as he smacked her again, hard. This time, she was overwhelmed by a deep sting. Her aching sex throbbed, her juices coating her thighs.
-----------------
The use of honorifics nearly made Sesshōmaru wince. It had been a while since she last called him by his name. Nevertheless, he understood the need for formality — especially when they were in public, constantly being watched by those who lived in his Shiro: his guards, servants, and other officials.
But, they were now alone, and he longed to hear his name spoken in her breathless whisper, laced with pleasure and desire.
“Hmm?” he said, all pretence of his amused arrogance gone as he nibbled on her ear. “You seemed to enjoy it earlier,” he whispered, his voice dark and husky. “Has your opinion changed?”
She shook her head. “No, my Lord.”
“You want me to continue?”
“Yes.” Her voice sounded breathless.
He smacked her again, softer this time, and she shivered. “Please,” she implored.
He bent to press his lips upon the hot skin reverently. "Beautiful," he whispered, kissing away the beads of sweat on her back, shoulders, and neck. He rubbed his nose against the sensitive skin at her nape, and she sighed, relaxing against him, shivering as he tilted his head to mouth the tender joint where her neck met her shoulder.
He whispered, “An inuyōkai male mates on his hands and knees, but whenever I think of you, whenever I fantasize about you, I see your eyes looking up at me, glazed and glittering with pleasure as I take you.”
She could utter no words to respond, only hungry, needy moans and soft cries. She might be sobbing, but her scent was pure desire.
“I will take you on your back,” Sesshōmaru growled. “But later. First, I want to take you like this, while I watch your skin blushing only for me.”
-----------------
Her hands curled into fists again as she silently lifted her bottom to him. She wanted more of his touch, to feel his hands on her everywhere, to feel him inside her.
“I want to be inside you,” he whispered in her ear, echoing her wish, making her shiver.
Kagome nodded, quivering with anticipation. His hands released her bottom, and she heard the rustling of clothes as he untied the fastenings of his hakama. She squirmed when she felt a hand spread her legs and groaned when he nudged her entrance with the head of his cock.
But he did not slide inside. Instead, Sesshōmaru kept himself there, snuggling tight between her puffy lips as if he was savouring the warmth and the wetness of her juices coating his length. When he moved, sliding back so that his sex rubbed hers in one long, antagonizing friction, they both groaned. His deep, possessive growl was a stark contrast to her high-pitched wordless pleading. He continued moving that way, rubbing back and forth, amping up the anticipation as she writhed beneath him.
Her fingers were curled into a fist, pressing against the fur upon the floor of the dōjō as she matched the rhythm of his hips. He slipped his hand beneath the collar of her sleeping garment, cupping her full breast and thumbing a peaked nipple.
“How do you want it?” he said as he pulled back, his shaft still resting at her slick entrance.
“I want all of it.”
He grunted and pressed forward. She gasped at the sensation of his girth stretching her open, slowly disappearing inside her. It was an exquisitely excruciating slide. Then, when he could go no farther, he stilled, his breathing ragged as he gave her the time she needed to adjust to his size.
“You have no idea how much I have wanted this,” Kagome said, her hands splaying against the floor to stop her from reaching back and pulling him into her.
“I think I have some idea," he said, his voice dark and husky. “Do not move until you are ready. I do not want to hurt you.”
She did not know the last time she was so deeply filled, and it felt heavenly to have him deep inside her. Her hands twitched underneath her, and she felt her bottom tingling.
“Will this be enough?” he whispered in her ear, pulling out of her just enough for him to see the flushed skin of her backside turning brighter. “Will it be enough to remind you where you belong?”
He surged forward, filling her completely again. The loud smack of flesh against flesh resounded through the dojo, and she moaned loudly. “Not enough... More, please,” she begged.
He smacked her bottom again, and she felt her toes curling as she pressed her face against the floor, trying her best not to move. A warm glow spread throughout her body, and the heat between her legs was a steady, low pulsing. He began rocking in and out of her, rubbing against her clit with every thrust. She followed his lead when he gently pushed her down, and she gasped when she felt him burrowing even deeper.
“Feels good, hm?” he purred against her ear, showering her arched neck with kisses. “When we do it this way, lying on your belly, I can lean into you, reach deep inside you.” He ground against her, his warm breath ghosting her nape as he said, “Your clit is pressed to the floor, your pussy so wet, I can feel you drenching my cock with every thrust.”
She felt the cool air on her back when he straightened to smack her again. Once, and then twice, and she moaned, grinding her hips into the floor, her hands curling into fists.
“A male inuyokai never holds back when he takes a mate,” he said, his voice a low rumble deep in his chest as he thrust deep into her, so hard he would have jolted her forward had his hands not held onto her waist. “He is rough, filthy. He cannot help it. He wants to mark you, claim you. Make you his. Make you scream.”
Kagome jerked at the new sensation of a warm palm pressing against the small of her back, preventing her from moving up. Instead, he began to thrust earnestly, the moist slapping noises mingling with their laboured breathing.
“You're mine,” he said, his voice dark and possessive.
"Yours." Nodding, she sobbed and raised her hips higher for him, silently asking for more. He gave her another hard spank before he pulled out until only his head remained inside her, and plunged into her to the hilt, reaching down to press his thumb against her clit. His pelvis slapped against her reddened buttocks repeatedly, his free hand kneading the fleshiest part of her rear as he worked himself in and out of her with a frenzy.
“Kagome,” he said harshly, his voice thick with emotion, pausing as he ground himself deeper inside her. “This is how I want it, how I've always wanted it. Is it… unacceptable for me… to want you so badly?”
She shook her head and moaned when she felt him resuming his movements. He thrust in and out of her mercilessly, like a man possessed. She wasn’t left disappointed. Her Sesshōmaru exuded power, even in his movements. She knew it was only a matter of time until he broke her like glass and then lifted her from the pieces and put her back together so that she would last forever - so they would last forever.
-----------------
The force of her last climax, the strength with which she clenched around him, nearly had him following her into the ocean of bliss. As such, he held on, clenching his jaws as he weathered the pulsing and fluttering of her body around him, staving his release so he could worship her more.
When she relaxed beneath him, he coaxed her to turn over. His hands were too impatient to undress her, so he clawed her yukata fabric into strips until not a stitch of clothing covered her glorious form. She was soft everywhere. Thick, shapely thighs parted to reveal a pink, glistening core that made his mouth water. He eyed her white cotton tabi socks and decided to leave them on, finding the sight of them, the only article of clothing left on her body, aroused his desire for her to a greater height.
Kagome looked up at him, eyes glazed with unconcealed passion and pleasure. She was beautiful in her vulnerability, and Sesshōmaru growled low in his throat at the sight of her exposed body. He moved closer, pressing himself against her as he brushed his lips along the smooth skin of her neck.
He moved lower and lower still, stopping to pay reverence to each inch of her skin along the way. Her moans grew louder with every stroke of his tongue until Kagome’s entire body seemed to melt into a pool of liquid heat beneath him. Sensations coursed through her veins that she had never experienced before - desire so intense it left her breathless. She let out a small cry as he licked and sucked on one of her nipples, teasing it until the colour was deep pink with arousal.
He trailed his fingers down to between her legs and parted them slightly, dipping a single finger into the slick depths of her pussy. She gasped as he began massaging circles around her swollen bud, slowly but surely building up an incredible pressure within her walls that begged to be released.
His mouth made its way back up to hers again as he increased the speed and intensity of his finger movements between them, sending shockwaves through their bodies. Kagome found herself unable to speak as she felt Sesshōmaru filling every inch of space in her mind and soul. She barely realized it when he moved to lie above her, covering her body with his larger frame.
This time, he entered her carefully, as if she were a delicate flower and they had not just made love before. Almost immediately, she felt her walls contract around him, and she gasped, taking him to the hilt. It was the most exquisite feeling. She felt so full. So complete. He stared down at her, eyes burning with emotion. His hands on either side of her head, he began to move with slow, even thrusts. She raised her hips to meet his, meeting him stroke for stroke. She let out a small cry as he reached the deepest part of her, just barely brushing against the spot that would send her tumbling into a world of pleasure.
“My Lord—“ she sobbed. “My Lord, please—“
He snapped his hips harder to remind her where he was, drawing a strangled whimper from her. The tight channel fluttered along his length. “Kagome. I am deep inside you. Call me by my name.”
"Sesshōmaru." Once she called his name, she could not stop. She whispered it in his ear, repeatedly like a litany or a prayer, as he moved inside her. With each thrust came a wave of pleasure that crashed through her body until she was lost in the sensation. She lifted her hips to take him deeper, moving in slow, circular motions out of instinct rather than experience, but he retaliated by pinning her pelvis down and bottoming inside her.
“Do you know how many nights I have thought of this? How many years—“ He planted himself on his knees and straightened; the string of expletives he growled as he sank deep made her gush. Not every day, one managed to make the Lord of the Western Lands lose control.
Her answer was a sob, but she parted her legs wider, and he came into her deeper still. He set his hands on the generous curves of her hips and pulled her to him. At the same time, he slammed into her, pelvis flush against her core with a loud slap that echoed throughout the empty dojō. The force of his thrust reverberated across her flesh, jolting her nude body made pale and silver under the moonlight. Her breasts bounced in the same rhythm as his thrusts. She keened her pleasure to the rafters, fingers clawing at the furs beneath her as she clenched around him so tightly he could not pull away.
Not that he wanted to. Not that he’d ever want to.
So he kept himself inside her, bracing his body on each side of her head as he moved with deep-seated nudges that rubbed a rough, lumpy spot high inside that made her eyes roll to the back of her head. Then, when he felt close to climax, he gripped the base of his cock, staving his orgasm, intent on seeing her reach her peak again.
He pulled out of her, moving lower until his face was level with her mound, and pressed his tongue against her aching core, licking slow and long. His nose rubbed against the swollen bud that was erect and in need of attention. She gasped as he swept his tongue inside her, sending wave after wave of pleasure through her body. He did not stop as she rode him eagerly, her hips bucking faster and faster as the sensations built to an unbearable peak.
-----------------
On and on it went. His midnight practice did not seem to diminish his energy, not in the slightest. She had known he was a demon of stamina and endurance. But, even more than that, the daiyōkai seemed intent on making her climax many times over while delaying his release, alternating between pumping inside her and suckling on her swollen bud, over and over, until she felt her mind splintering from too much pleasure. He could not stop touching her. Large hands roamed her body as though he wished to map her curves with touch alone.
“Sesshōmaru,” Kagome whispered, voice hoarse. “It is nearly three in the morning— mmnnnnh…” She lost all thought, arching her back when he suckled her again, grazing her clit with the blunt side of his fang. “Sesshōmaru, please— Oh gods…”
She came again helplessly when he slipped his tongue inside her, his nose rubbing against the swollen bud that was erect and in need of attention. He did not stop as she rode his tongue, did not stop as he brought her to another climax, and another, lulling her into a conscious state of bliss and contentment even as she continued to rut against his face.
He growled in warning when her small hands found his hair, but he held himself there, even as her hands clutched at his hair and her hips fucked into his mouth with erratic thrusts. When he moved away from her, she let out a moan of despair. He had brought her to the edge of pleasure once more but had not allowed her to cross over, leaving her painfully aroused and in need of friction.
Sesshōmaru pushed himself back up to face her and caressed her cheeks with a gentleness that belied his reputation as a stoic Lord. “How exquisite you are. I could pleasure you all night,” he said in a low voice that seemed to reach right into her soul.
Kagome's heart thundered in response, and she opened herself further still, inviting him back inside her with an urgent whimper of desire. Sesshōmaru accepted eagerly, pushing inside her again with such force that she cried out, waves of pleasure flooding through every inch of skin as though he was claiming something that already belonged to him. He set a ferocious pace. Her breasts bounced with each rapid thrust, toes curling inside her tabi socks so hard, she might have torn them apart. Tears streamed down her cheeks from the intensity of their coupling. His thrusts were deep and relentless at first; then, he shifted into lazy circles that built the tension even higher until Kagome felt she was about to splinter apart from too much pleasure.
Sensing this, Sesshōmaru quickened his pace yet again until she did shatter into tiny pieces beneath him, the orgasm rolling through her body as viciously as waves crashing upon the shoreline. Sesshōmaru did not hold back anymore. Instead, he let himself be enveloped by their mutual passion while they moved together in perfect fluidity until nothing else mattered but the two of them in a passionate embrace - bodies intertwined and one heart beating faster than the next - until a crescendo built up within them.
She sobbed his name when his mouth swallowed her screams. Sharp claws dug into her flesh as he lifted her thighs over his waist, tilting her hips and plunging inside her again. The strong, powerful muscles of his back flexed under her hands as he pulled out and thrust in, over and over, driving himself deeper into her with every push. Her body shuddered under his relentless drive.
“Touch yourself,” he hissed. “Touch yourself now while I take you.”
She whimpered when he repeated the order with a possessive growl. He panted above her, teeth bared and fangs lengthening, hips lifting and lowering with a speed that made her unable to do anything other than wrap her legs around his waist and hold on. The cotton fabric of her tabi socks rubbed against the small of his back with every passionate thrust.
“Sesshōmaru…” Kagome cried, trembling hands squeezing between their slick bodies to obey his order.
-----------------
Her fingers touched her quivering sex, tugging on the hardened flesh of her bud with such force it brought her to the edge of delirium. She shook against him helplessly, unable to hold herself still anymore. He gasped against her, hips moving to meet her as his erection worked over her sensitive flesh. A ripple of heat started at the base of her spine, spreading through her like wildfire. She moaned, head tossing to the side as she lost herself to the sensation building within her. Her muscles tightened around him in an unyielding grip that made him groan even as he continued to pump into her, this time with a frequency that set her body ablaze. The smell of her arousal was strong, intoxicating, and made him hungrier for her. He wanted to devour her, wanted to hear her screams as he fucked her until she tore at the furs under her…
“Oh gods…”
His eyes snapped to hers when her voice broke, watching her intently as he slowed his pace so he could savour the clasp of her body one last time, bringing her back down from the precipice of her orgasm. But she shook her head and moved against him, setting the pace now as he watched her intently.
Her eyes were half-lidded, hair wild and tangled from his ministrations, lips plump and a deep red from his kisses. She was the most erotic thing he had ever seen in his life.
“Kagome,” he whispered, voice husky with a need that even he could barely contain. Her name on his lips was her undoing. He quickened his pace again, thrusting fast and deep, cock swollen and heavy with the need for his much-delayed release. “Come for me.”
“Sesshōmaru..."
“Come for me, Kagome.”
"I can't... I can't, it's too much..."
"You can." He bent to take a nipple into his mouth, biting the unfurled nub gently. The little hint of pain had her quaking. "Let go."
"You too," she whimpered, eyes glazed, nails clawing at the rippling muscles along his lower abdomen as he continued to work her. "No more holding back..."
-----------------
Her words were like the command that broke the self-restraint he had imposed on himself. He groaned low and deep as he kept pounding into her, hips jerking and losing their rhythm, until he finally stilled, buried to the hilt inside her and unable to pull away as her strong muscles drew the seed from him. His body tensed and relaxed all at once, head snapping back, sticky strands of silver hair streaming down to the ground. The heat of him spilling inside pushed her over the precipice, and she was lost in a choked scream as yet another orgasm tore through her, her body shaking uncontrollably as jet after jet of his release coated her walls.
Panting, his head dropped to her neck, and he placed a gentle kiss against her neck before nuzzling her skin with his nose.
“That was...” She moaned softly, lifting a hand to caress his hair. It was amazing. Incredible. Mind-blowing. She could not find the right words to describe the experience they had just shared. No word was good enough.
He seemed to agree with her. His only answer was a long, leisurely kiss while he moved to rub their slick bodies together, hips still pumping slightly as she wrapped her arms around him. Her lashes fluttered as her eyes opened in wonder.
His voice was low and laced with ragged passion. “One more time…”
-----------------
It was dawn by the time he finished, bird song piercing the haze of pleasure, mixing with her soft cries as he spilled inside her for the last time. Her knees were still pinned to her ears from how far he’d bent her legs back to position her for both their pleasure. She moaned weakly, and the hand she splayed on his chest quivered. He knew she was exhausted after hours of mating with him, but wholly sated after her numerous peaks.
Sesshōmaru brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, tenderness in his eyes, and he leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on her forehead as she still shook and fluttered from her latest orgasm. The sun slowly began to rise outside, casting a golden hue in the dojō as birds chirped within the gardens. He had kept her awake until the dawn light started to streak across the sky, and all she could do was lay there in deep satisfaction, her body trembling. Finally, Sesshōmaru pulled himself away from Kagome and lay beside her on the furs. He gathered her into his arms then and held her close as he ran his finger along the shape of her delicate figure. She sighed contentedly against him, nestling closer as she rested her head on his chest.
It was a comfort for them both—a moment of peace after their long night of pleasure. Neither said much; Sometimes words were not needed between them when they felt so deeply connected by body and soul.
After a while, Kagome stirred from their warm embrace, pushing herself up on an elbow to look into Sesshōmaru's silver eyes that glinted even in the pale morning light.
"That was good practice," she said, curling up close against his side once more, the air of contentment surrounding them both. The twitching at the corners of his lips made her grin wide, although her visage was now softened by sleepiness, and soon after, she let slumber take her.
Sesshōmaru remained awake, keeping watch, all the while marvelling at everything that had taken place. He sensed movements a distance from the dōjō, his guards approaching to start their morning practice. He sent a wave of his yōki as a warning and was pleased when they scattered, moving away from their Lord and his soon-to-be Lady.
Satisfied, he curled around her again, smiling against the tumble of raven curls on her head, contentedly watching her as she slept. There were things they needed to discuss still. He wished to make the formal proposal and ask if she would be his mate, his partner in every way, and the future mother of his offspring – whenever they would be blessed with pups.
But, first, he would let her sleep - she needed her energy. For later.
There was still plenty of time until midnight.