Feeling his mood darken as he thought about his baka half-brother he pulled himself back to the present. Looking down at the beautiful woman curled up in his arms his mood instantly began to lift. She was staring into the fire, almost hypnotically. He could easily sense a bit of anxiety surrounding her but more so exhaustion. Of course that made a great deal of sense. It had probably been one of the most stressful days of her life; she was bound to be dead tired. Stroking her back, he said her name softly.
Immediately, she pulled her gaze away from the fire and looked up at him, smiling, “Yes Sesshomaru?”
“You’re tired little one, I can tell.” he said, voice soft.
Nodding, she leaned her head on his shoulder, “Yes, it’s been a very long day.” she admitted.
“If I may, would you allow me an indulgence?”
“What’s that?”
“I would like to sleep with you. No, I don’t mean anything sexual in nature, just to hold you all night.”
Looking up into his face, she chewed her bottom lip nervously. Realistically, she knew this time with him was so that they could become mates. Mating involved sex. That was going to happen at some point. He wasn’t asking for that, he was asking to sleep with and hold her. That idea held a great allure to her. The thought of being held by him all night was something she wanted. Smiling, she nodded, “I would like that a lot.” she said, reaching up and stroking his cheek.
His beast all but purred when she touched him. Holding her close, he kissed her on the top of the head and said, something like a smile on his face, “Thank you, Kagome.”
Quickly, he slid the robe off of her then carried her to the pallet and slid them under the warm furs. She curled up to him, laying her head on his chest. Within a half hour's time, she was out cold.
Laying there he held her to him, rubbing her back. There was a deep, thrumming rumble in his chest signaling his beast’s contentment with the situation. That rumble also seemed to help sooth her as well. When it started, she sighed in her sleep and seemed to take comfort in it, relaxing more.
As he held her, he couldn’t remember ever being this contented before in his life. It was strange, all his life he had considered all humans little better than insects, beneath contempt. He wouldn’t even have considered a human female as a mate. Yet every demoness he had considered hadn’t wanted him for himself but for what he had that he could give or that would benefit them. Now in his arms was a human female, something that he should have looked down on, which didn’t give a damn about his wealth, power, title, etc. and only cared about him. How strange was that? Add to it the fact that she genuinely cared about his welfare, which was something no one else besides Rin had ever done before. It was a strange feeling, but one he liked, a lot.
Shifting around in her sleep, she draped an arm over his side and gave him a bit of a squeeze before settling back down, but her arm remained. Kissing the top of her head, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly in a smile.
Quite honestly, he didn’t know how this young woman had so captured his attention, but he was glad that she had. The last six months had been the happiest he had ever been in his entire life.
Looking down into her beautiful sleeping face, he gave a contented sigh and brushed a stray lock of hair off her forehead.
Shutting his eyes, he rested his cheek on the top of her head. Her almost intoxicating smell, a mixture of vanilla and a sweet musk, seemed to swirl around him, making him relax, and soon he dozed off.