This is finally back ... how many years later??? Hush, let’s not speak of that. Here’s an AU with a happy family <3 We stan.
Pairings: Inuparents, InuKag
We are looking at a well-adjusted family where Inuyasha grew up as the younger son of the Western Inu Lord. It’s this world Kagome falls into.. how is that going to work? Including bitchy older brother Sesshomaru for lots of fun
Find Part 1 and 2 here
Without further ado!!
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Dinner was an… awkward affair to say the least.
Sesshomaru, irritated at being thwarted, brooded in his corner, sipping at a cup of sake with his usual elegance. Izayoi looked delighted with the circumstances, all things considered, and, not for the first time, he had to wonder whether she was entirely sane. Inuyasha alternated between throwing violent looks in his brother’s direction and awkward ones at their new houseguest. The houseguest in question couldn’t seem to decide who she wanted to stare at most. She’d start with Sesshomaru, watching him with wide and frightened eyes. Her gaze would then slide over to Inuyasha, alternating between his face and those ears. Interestingly enough, Touga noted that the fear that seemed to emanate off of her when she looked at Sesshomaru was not present when she would make Inuyasha her target. Inevitably, her eyes would always land on Izayoi and he would catch the question in them immediately.
Too many times he’d seen that look. The ‘what the hell are you doing with these monsters’ look. And he supposed that to an outsider, it would look odd. A small human woman bringing three demons to heel. He supposed considering their heritage, the pun was a fitting one. He turned his attention back to their houseguest, blinking when he realized that her gaze was already riveted on him.
“I’m sorry,” she finally gasped, looking away with a low cry. “I don’t mean to be rude and stare, really. It’s just -”
“A lot to take in at first?” Izayoi cut across with a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, dear, we all understand.”
Touga nodded, attempting to look as non-threatening as possible when the girl glanced hesitantly at him again.
“I promise you,” he began in a soft voice, “nobody will hurt you here. And nobody will take offence to your curiosity.”
Sesshomaru made a snorting noise from his side of the table, sending a levelled look in his father’s direction that suggested he was very much taking offence to the human girl’s curiosity.
“Don’t you have to go visit InuKimi or something?” Inuyasha growled, shifting to place himself between his brother and the human girl, sending a threatening look at his older sibling.
“Mother and I,” Sesshomaru sighed with a casual shrug, “have our best moments from a distance.”
“Typical.”
“Boys,” Touga intoned. “Enough.”
Silence reigned immediately, the boys casting resentful glares in each other’s directions before returning to their dinners.
Touga kept his gaze focused on his younger son, noting the way his ears would flick in the girl’s direction, tracking her every sigh and shift. He was intrigued, there was no doubting that. Did he have to be so obvious about it? Sesshomaru was responding to Inuyasha’s obvious interest, taking a perverse pleasure in baiting his younger brother. Harder to ignore still was Izayoi’s obvious delight with the situation, the telling glances she kept giving him were clue enough.
“Do you see the way he looks at her, dearest?” She leaned towards him to whisper, hiding behind her sleeve. Touga was silent for a long moment, deliberating on whether to point out that Inuyasha could very well hear her, his scarlet face was indication enough.
“How is he looking at her?” He whispered back, toying with a long strand of her hair. “The boy can’t make eye contact.”
Inuyasha’s ears flattened against his skull, his mouth tugging into a frown as he stared at his parents in obvious reproach. Touga was reminded of his son’s childhood, of seeing that exact expression when Inuyasha wasn’t allowed to accompany him on a hunt. Perhaps it was his own skewed perception of time, but it seemed as if it had only been yesterday when his son had been but a boy. He didn’t quite remember when he’d turned into the man sitting across from him now.
“Fascinating, are they?”
It took him a moment to realize what Sesshomaru was referring to before he realized the comment was directed at their houseguest, who was transfixed by Inuyasha’s ears. He would never understand his elder son. He could pummel Inuyasha into the ground if he so chose, but now a young human girl stared at his younger brother’s ears and the boy was ready to draw blood.
“Sesshomaru,” he warned. “Don’t start.”
“No, I - I’m sorry. I just can’t - they look fuzzy.” She finished in a meek whisper.
If Inuyasha’s face had been red before, it was flaming now.
“Listen, lady,” he began in a loud voice, and Touga readied himself for the tantrum of the century.
“It’s Kagome.” She interrupted him, looking equal parts irritated and abashed.
“What is?”
Touga saw Sesshomaru roll his eyes and knew the expression must have been mirrored on his own face. Idiot boy.
“Her name,” Sesshomaru drawled, downing the remainder of his cup and reaching for the bottle again. “Her name is Kagome. My word, I need a drink.”
Izayoi frowned at him, snatching the bottle out of his reach. “You’ve had quite enough, Sesshomaru.”
“I most certainly have not.” He quipped, attempting to extract it from her fingers. “Inuyasha’s efforts have driven this Sesshomaru to drink. If you must lay blame, you may do so at his doorstep.”
“Kagome,” Inuyasha repeated, awestruck, after a long moment. “That’s your name?”
“Oh dear,” Izayoi sighed, relinquishing the bottle to Sesshomaru after he gave her a pointed look.
“I believe we’ve established her name is Kagome, son.” Touga cast a pitying look at his younger son. “By now, you must have realized his name is Inuyasha.”
The girl - Kagome - nodded. “Inu… cause of the ears?”
He once again debated informing her that whispering was useless in their household. Inuyasha glared at him with resentment, ripping at the meat on his plate with unfounded aggression.
“Yeah, the old man always thought he was real funny with his jokes.”
“Inuyasha!” Izayoi scolded. “The Inu No Taisho,” she continued with a fond glance in his direction, “is an inuyokai. Naming Inuyasha was his way of ensuring his bloodline could go unquestioned.”
“Now you know,” Touga announced, eager to finally be done with introductions, “I am the Inu No Taisho, this is my lady wife Izayoi.” He raised a hand in Inuyasha’s direction, “you’ve met my younger son, Inuyasha.”
Kagome nodded again, returning Izayoi’s broad smile with a shy one of her own.
“And who I am,” Sesshomaru deadpanned, “is none of your business.”
“I present for your pleasure,” Touga continued in a wry tone, “my elder son and heir, Sesshomaru.”
“Charmed,” Kagome finally managed after a long pause and Inuyasha covered his answering laugh with a cough.
Sesshomaru made an unimpressed noise in answer, returning to his bottle with a dainty sniff.
“Now, Kagome, it’s come to my attention that you seem to be a long way from home.”
The small amount of comfort she seemed to feel evaporated at Touga’s words. She nodded, distress emanating off of her in waves. “I just know that I fell - through the old well at the shrine - and the next thing I knew -”
“We should save this conversation for later,” Touga interrupted, feeling a rising sense of dread, “perhaps when you’re feeling more rested.” He tacked on as an afterthought. There was no shrine around here. He knew that well. Wherever Kagome had come from, it wasn’t here. And whatever the implications of that were, he wasn’t sure he was quite ready to potentially break his youngest’s heart with them.
She accepted his deferral with a grateful nod, but Touga didn’t miss the worried look on Inuyasha’s face.
“Many apologies, but it seems to have escaped me,” Sesshomaru began silkily, pouncing on the silence that followed, “what was the girl’s name again?”
Kagome glared at him while a chorus of three other voices rose in unison.
One of @wreathoflaurels ‘s many birthday fics! I’m only posting the ones that are even close to good LMAO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE!
When I first saw you, it was then that I realized. That this love is a crazy thing, darling.
She was lost. That much she could say for certain. She was almost positive that she had stumbled through this exact thicket mere moments before. Or had she?
Well that was probably why she was lost, if she was being entirely honest with herself.
Willing herself to remain calm, she took a deep breath before allowing the many layers of her junihitoe to drop unceremoniously, from where she had lifted them up to her knees, back down to the forest floor.
Now that she had actually left the manor, Izayoi could admit that perhaps she had acted in haste. She was a woman now, it was only natural for her parents to begin to seek a match for her. After all, if her marriage could be arranged to a man of high enough standing, it could be incredibly beneficial for her father and the state of their household.
She would have returned home right then, had she been able to find her way there.
It was then that she heard it.
The snap of a twig on the floor behind her, the slight clink of armour. There was someone here with her.
Izayoi whipped around, prepared to scream bloody murder, before she came to a shrieking halt when faced with the man standing in front of her.
Oh but he seemed like much more than just a man.
Tall, with broad shoulders and silver hair. His eyes glowed a bright gold, contrasting with the brown of his skin and the sharp blue lightning bolts that tore across his cheeks.
A demon.
His stance was relaxed, leaning arrogantly against a tree while he regarded her with curious eyes.
“And what is this?” His voice was a deep baritone, one that seemed to wash over her in waves.
She opened her mouth to respond with a sharp retort before her eyes fell on the hulking sword strapped to his back and her lips promptly sealed again.
“Little princess out for a stroll today?”
Izayoi could have screamed at the condescension in his voice, but the predatory way his much larger form was circling her in prompted her to keep silent.
“I was just returning home.” She said stiffly, keeping her eyes trained on the muddy floor and the dirt lining the bottom of her junihitoe.
“Is that so?”
Nodding wordlessly, Izayoi prayed he would drop the matter and give her permission to continue on her way. She wasn’t in the mood to banter with some lowly demon. Besides, she had heard whispers of the demon warlord that ruled supreme over these lands, one who didn’t tolerate strays in his territory. If anything, this fool should have feared the wrath of the reputed Inu No Taisho.
In that moment, she almost prayed that this elusive warlord would make a sudden appearance, even if only to chase this wastrel away.
“Well, oh lost one, I do believe your home is in the opposite direction.”
Izayoi’s teeth gnashed together in anger at the humour in his voice.
Laughing lowly to himself, he had just turned to leave when she found she could bear it no longer and finally spoke.
“My name is Izayoi.”
He turned back to face her then, golden eyes gleaming with a sudden danger.
“Did you say something, little girl?”
His voice had gone exceptionally soft, tinged with a hint of malice. She found she didn't care though, her anger gave her courage and she stalked up to him to crane her neck back and stare into those otherworldly eyes.
“I said, my name is Izayoi. Not little girl, lost one, or any other variation your pig head can come up with. You don't know who you're speaking to, demon, and you'd do well to find out!”
Her courage faded when a monstrous sound came from him. The growl of an angry beast. Sharp fangs bared down at her before he leaned down until his face was level with hers.
She expected him to yell, grab her by the arms and shake her about like a ragdoll. Instead, he spoke in a soft whisper, hands clasped tightly behind his back.
“Thank whatever kami above who has intervened on your behalf today, human.” He breathing, hissing the last word like the most foul of curses.
“You have nothing to fear from me,” he continued, smirking at the small flinch she gave. “Even my foes are ones of equal standing to me. You, my dear, are frankly, not worth the time it would take to smite you where you stand.”
Fear gave way to intense rage and before she knew what she was doing, she had brought her heel down on his foot with a snarl.
“To hell with you!” She spat, before hiking her junihitoe up to her knees and angrily stomping off in the direction he had indicated earlier.
Izayoi found herself praying that he’d be discovered by the Inu No Taisho and slain where he stood. If she had her way, she would never see that brute again.
She didn’t think there was anyone more dramatic than her husband. Of course that was up until she saw her son in action.
Father and son truly had no idea of how similar they were. Both jumped straight to murder as a method of resolving any sort of conflict, whether it was eating the last rice cake or someone infringing on what they thought to be theirs.
Considering they were dogs, that list was quite the lengthy one.
But threatening a holy man? That was a new sort of drama, even for Touga.
Inuyasha’s poor monk friend was huddled against the wall, laughing nervously when her ‘perfectly rational, goddamn it, Izayoi,’ husband continued to advance on him, Tetsusaiga clutched in hand.
‘Leave him alone!” she groaned, trying to step out from behind him only to have his arm move to wind around her and push her right back.
‘You stay where you are! No need to defend the little weasel.’
She could have screamed in frustration when he glowered down at him, baring his fangs in warning.
‘Touga, you’re overreacting,’ Izayoi growled, tugging on his arm to pull the sword away from the petrified monk. ‘LIKE USUAL.’
That seemed to snap him out of it.
‘Like usuall!? You’re calling me dramatic? Me?! I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT WORD MEANS, IZAYOI! THE FACT THAT YOU WOULD EVEN CALL ME THAT IS SO-”
Gesturing for Miroku to scurry off, she turned back to her fuming husband who stood, emphasizing every sentence with a stomp of a booted foot.
Drama? Oh no, she’d never encountered it in her life.
For @wreathoflaurels who is the only other person who truly gets how much these two fools mean to me .. . . :((((
He had lived a very long time; his life had spanned for longer than most could count, and yet he had never encountered anything or anyone quite like her. A tiny human princess, born to a disgraced house, who never knew quite when to keep her mouth shut, undoubtedly beneath his station, and yet - he was enthralled.
‘My name is Izayoi,’ she’d sniffled haughtily, gathering her robes up around her, lifting them much higher than what was considered decent, and stomping off through the woods from whence she came, leaving behind only a feeling of bubbling warmth in his chest as he stared after her.
He had lived a life of riches, of luxury and power; demons clamoured to give him what he desired before he had opened his mouth to ask for it, and yet this one human woman, who couldn’t afford to provide him with even the most meagre offering, gave him that which he couldn’t remember experiencing for so long.
They said that demons were soulless. Cruel beasts who knew no love, no mercy; they were destined to live their lives slaughtering the masses, and to spend eternity burning in hell for their sins afterwards.
There was no way a demon could fall in love with a human. Not so deeply that his very existence would become so intertwined with hers that neither could be long for this world in the absence of the other.
At least that was what they said.
But a long time ago, no one knows exactly when, in a quaint Japanese village, it happened.
A demon warlord fell in love with a princess. A beautiful princess, kind and intelligent. It was a whirlwind romance, as these things often are, and the two wed in secret in fear of the princess’s fiance. It wasn’t long before she was expecting and the sordid affair suddenly became quite public.
But all good things must come to an end, and their story, like so many others before them, came to a tragic end, marred in bloodshed. Left alone, the princess spent her days mourning before she finally followed her lover to the beyond.
This is the story of a demon general and his very human wife. This is the story of a pair that didn’t care for what the masses had to say.
This is the story of Touga and Izayoi.
This was supposed to be my original Inuparents Day project. .. I guess I’ll just finish this as a regular thing
Summary: No matter how far their paths are, those hearts will always meet, the ones that are meant for each other
She couldn’t believe him. Couldn’t believe that he, the great and powerful Lord of the West, could be so… immature
He had the nerve to call her a brat when he was the most stubborn, childish man to have ever walked the earth. To think that he was almost a thousand years old - ridiculous. Of all the things he could have done - to have abandoned her in the woods? She didn’t care how angry she had made him, how many times she had ‘questioned his honour,’ it simply wasn’t done. She didn’t want to admit it, but his sudden departure had hurt her a lot more than it had angered her. Was she so troublesome to him? Could he really leave her without a second thought, at the mercy of stray yōkai in the woods that would have happily made her their dinner? When he returned, if he returned, she vowed that she wouldn’t speak to him at all. Flowery words of love be damned, she was not a toy to be abandoned when he’d had his fill - when he had realized that he was so much better off with his ethereal lady in the sky, their terrifyingly powerful son.
Wiping the tears she hadn’t realized had begun to fall down her face, Izayoi strengthened her resolve tenfold and continued to stomp her way home. If he wanted to leave, then she wouldn’t beg him to stay - never. In fact, she wouldn’t be bothered if he were never to return, if this dark night proved to be the last of their star-crossed affair. Pushing her way through the thick shrubbery, she breathed a sigh of relief when she caught sight of the familiar structure of home. Hurrying the rest of the way down the hill, she ducked in through a side entrance, being sure to keep her head low as she made her way to her chambers, determined to pretend as if this night had never taken place. As if she had never met Touga - no, the Inu No Taisho - to begin with. Upon reaching her room, she immediately lay upon her futon with a resigned sigh. Turning to press her face into the pillow, she finally let a single sob break loose, the sound short and muffled. Maybe her mother had been right all along - “a demon couldn’t possibly learn to love anyone, Izayoi. They take their pleasure, toy with their prey, and then disappear - never to be seen again.”
The rays of the sun woke her early the next morning, and Izayoi blinked sleep from her eyes as she slowly sat up. She was unable to stop the sinking feeling of disappointment in her stomach when she found that she hadn’t had any visitors to leave apologetic flowers or anything of the like.
‘And he said he loved me,’ she thought bitterly, standing with a huff.
‘He was obviously lying,’ another part of her whispered snidely, ‘and like a fool you gave him exactly what he wanted. Why would he stick around when you’ve already spread your legs for him? You have nothing else to offer.’
She felt the sting of tears in her eyes, and she pressed them shut tightly, unable to believe that she’d been played for a fool so horribly. She should have known better. How could she have allowed herself to be taken in by sweet words? So what if he made her so happy, more than she ever could have thought? So what if she felt things for him that she had thought only existed in poetry? So what if... if she had been fool enough to believe he felt it too? This could never happen again. Never again would she allow herself to be duped, never again would she trust a man. She had believed Tou- no, the Inu No Taisho was the man she had dreamed of for years. Polite, respectful, understanding. Thinking back, she supposed that any man could have played such a role for her if it had meant reaping the reward he had. Resolving that she would put the matter, and him, from her mind for the time being, Izayoi turned to leave her chambers. Their relationship had been a mistake, and so it would be treated as such. She would forget all about Touga, all about the things he had made her feel, and would ready herself to marry someone like Takemaru. Someone safe. Someone who she would never be in danger of losing herself to. Someone she could never love.
It had almost been a week before he sent Myoga. Izayoi had been lying on her futon, fiddling with the heavy sleeve of her kimono when she felt the telltale sensation of Myoga’s presence on her flesh. Filled with a sort of irritation at the reminder of her liaisons with Touga, she swatted at him.
“Izayoi-sama! I hope you are well?” the flea inquired sweetly.
“Why have you come here?” Izayoi responded smoothly, standing to face the wall so as to not allow Myoga to read her response to what he would say next.
“..The Inu No Taisho sent me. Master wished for me to see if you were well.”
Izayoi scoffed as she whipped about to face the flea demon again, now with fire in her eyes.
“Now he’s concerned? He wasn’t when he abandoned me in the woods! Tell your master that whether I live or die should be of no concern to him, he’s shown me so thoroughly where I stand.”
Unable to keep the hurt from her voice by the end of her tirade, she turned away from him again, feeling her traitorous tears begin to well up.
“Izayoi-sama,” Myoga began gently, and Izayoi feared she would burst into tears if he didn’t leave that very instant. The last thing she needed was for him to report back to his master that she was in tears over his desertion.
“Myoga,” she whispered, staring determinedly at the wall before her, “I would like to be alone, please.”
He didn’t respond, but Izayoi instinctively knew when he had departed. It was only then that she let her tears begin to fall. Once again, without even showing her his face, Touga had reduced her to a sobbing mess. It was another sad morning for Izayoi when she awoke from a fitful slumber consisting of dreams of being left out in the woods to be a yōkai’s dinner. Her father remarked on her lack of enthusiasm over anything in the past week, when she arrived to breakfast once again in melancholy spirits. He didn’t contemplate it for long however, deciding that she must be upset regarding her imminent departure from their home upon her marriage. It seemed as though a bucket of ice water had been dropped onto Izayoi’s head, and she fought the instinctive tears that sprung to her eyes at the reminder.
She spent the remainder of the day outside, staring at the tree she had shared her first kiss with Touga under. That warm summer’s evening seemed as if it had taken place years ago. Touga’s warm, golden eyes catching the lowering rays of sunlight as he had stared down at her with an intensity in his gaze she had never seen in any man’s.
Would you mind terribly if I were to kiss you, Izayoi?”
Squeezing her eyes shut, she turned away from the tree in an effort to quell the sudden surge of memories. When she composed herself, she found that the sky had darkened considerably, and that dusk had passed. Hearing her name being called from inside, Izayoi turned and made her way back into the safety of her home, a place just as riddled with memories of a yōkai who had taken so much more from her than her ‘virtue.’
The word didn't disgust her as much as its meaning did. This concept of sexual purity would serve to define her worth as a woman for the rest of her life. She could have kicked herself when it dawned upon her that she had given something that seemed to be so valuable away so easily, without a second thought as to the potential consequences of such a mistake. Surely, Takemaru couldn't know that she wasn't a - well, that he wouldn't be her first? Filled with sudden fear at the thought of his discovery, Izayoi felt as though she was drowning in a sea of self-loathing. If he ever found out, he would bring hell down on her household. She had risked her everything for the love of a man who didn't care a sliver for her.
She was drawn from her reverie by the sound of her maid’s voice, asking whether she’d like assistance in undressing for bed. Before she could respond, she felt the telltale pinprick of Myoga on her flesh again. Her heart lurched at the potential reasons behind his visit, and in a desperate effort to hear them, she quickly refused her maid’s services and ushered her out of the room, saying she wished to be alone. A moment had passed before he began to speak, rushed and frightened.
“Izayoi-sama! You - he - you must speak to Master Touga right away! He - you must!!”
Izayoi felt her blood run cold at the urgency in Myoga’s voice. Touga - had something happened? Was he alright?
“Why - Myoga - what’s happened?”
Hopping onto her outstretched hand, Myoga was nearly bouncing in his haste to tell her what had transpired.
“Master is - he - he’s on a rampage, Izayoi-sama! In all my years with him, I’ve never seen him this upset, he’s absolutely livid.”
“What does this have to do with me, Myoga? If he’s upset then surely someone else could -” Izayoi began hesitantly, failing to see how Touga’s anger was related to her in the slightest.
“No, no! It must be you! Master’s rage has already claimed the lives of many an unfortunate yōkai that have ventured into the court. You are the only one who can stop him - he’s been this way since you refused to meet with him!”
Izayoi felt her heart drop into her stomach as she processed Myoga’s words. There was no way that she could be the cause of Touga’s actions, not when he could so easily throw her away and never come to see her. The reminder of his actions only served to upset her further, and her pride caused her to set Myoga down on the windowsill and turn her back on him.
“I don’t understand what you’d like for me to do about it, Myoga. If your master chooses to behave in such a manner, I don’t understand why it’s any of my concern,” she said coldly, keeping her gaze trained on the opposite wall.
“But Izayoi sama-”
“Please, Myoga. Your master means nothing to me, I’ve long since thrown him from my heart and from my life. I have forgotten him. I am to be another’s wife. It would be best if you told your master to forget me -”
She had turned to deliver the rest of her tirade to Myoga only to freeze as she came face to chest with the very object of their discussion. She felt her blood turn to ice as her eyes focused on the spikes on his armour and the rise and fall of his chest. She could feel his eyes burning a hole in her as he stared down at her.
Touga. Of course.
“Why don’t you tell him yourself?”
Vaguely, she wondered whether he could hear her heartbeat thundering erratically. On one hand, her body automatically reacted to his presence, and she felt that familiar flame begin to burn within her; however, part of her wanted to lash out at him for leaving her as he had - except she realized that she may have crossed a very real and dangerous line with her words.
Fear kept her mouth shut as she watched Touga move away and begin to circle her, in a motion that was predatory in its essence. He was making it clear that he was a hunter on the prowl, and if she didn’t play her cards right, she would end up his prey.
“Thrown me from your heart, have you?”
Izayoi couldn’t say a word as he continued to regard her with cold eyes, and she found herself suddenly thankful for Myoga’s presence. At least - with his vassal present, Touga wouldn’t-
“Myoga, you may leave.”
Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. Praying that Myoga would find it within himself to resist Touga’s order, Izayoi kept her eyes trained on the flea-demon, willing him to understand her secret plea. Clearly, Touga was not pleased with what he had heard, and she was not willing to face his wrath without moral support. It seemed, however, that Izayoi was about to come face to face with the cowardly nature everyone associated with Myoga, when he began to shift feebly towards the edge of the window. She sent him another pleading glance, which must have had some effect on him, as he steeled himself and held his ground.
“Master, perhaps -”
“That was not a request. Now, Myoga.”
He hadn’t raised his voice in the slightest, but Izayoi still flinched as if he had roared the words. The deep timbre was so cold, so far from the warm voice that had whispered words of love into her ear during their most intimate moments. Myoga sent her a glance to show that he had indeed tried, before he leapt from the window and was lost in the darkness of the night.
And then they were alone.
She heard a clang and turned her head slightly to see Touga’s chest plate hit the floor. She moved slightly so she could see him more clearly and watched as he continued to strip his armour and allow it to fall, moving about as if he owned the place. In a way, she supposed he did, he could tear it down solely on a whim.
“Aren’t you going to offer me a drink, little hime?” he asked as he dropped onto her bed, lounging like an emperor of times long passed, “Your hospitality leaves much to be desired.”
It was clear from the way he was watching her, his eyes were cold and arrogant, that he expected for her to explode in a fit of emotion.
Izayoi felt her spine stiffen at the condescension in his voice. How dare he enter her chambers, lounge upon her bed, and demand that she be hospitable to him! After what he had made her feel, what he had done to her. She immediately stopped that train of thought, reminding herself that he wasn’t Touga to her anymore; he was the Inu No Taisho, and she was a human hime on his lands. She would give him the same hospitality and courtesy that she would extend to any stranger or guest in her home. Determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had unsettled her, she turned away to pour him a drink. Stilling her trembling hands before she faced him again, she put on a mask of indifference as she handed him his drink, bowing courteously before settling herself a safe distance away.
“For you, Inu No Taisho.” she said simply, thankful that her voice hadn’t betrayed any sign of her inner turmoil. For a split second she could have sworn she saw a snarl cross his face before his expression had returned to that same serene look he had on before she had spoken. He paused, and drained the cup in a single motion before he spoke.
“Did you know, hime, that I’ve only ever loved one woman in my life?” Touga asked casually, spinning the now empty cup around in his nimble fingers.
Izayoi’s attention was drawn to him despite herself at his words, wincing as she felt her heart speed up.
“All these centuries… and yet only one could capture my heart as she did.” His voice was casual, as if he was discussing the weather.
“And yet…. that fool,” he snarled, placing emphasis on the word before his voice returned to normal, “believes me incapable of love. Can you believe that, hime-sama?”
Swallowing loudly, Izayoi resisted the urge to look at him, to see how his haori fell open slightly to reveal the muscular frame that she was altogether too familiar with.
“Perhaps she has moved on,” she said evenly, willing him to fight her, fight for her.
“Ah, but that’s just the problem, isn’t it?” he whispered, voice touched by dangerous, icy amusement as his gaze zeroed in on her, “I have not.”
“I,” he went on, shifting so he was coiled like a predator prepared to spring, “have not moved on. And now she speaks of forgetting me? Of belonging to another?”
Izayoi gasped, throwing herself back onto her elbows, as Touga was suddenly looming over her, his eyes gleaming dangerously in the dark.
“I can’t let that happen, now can I?”
Her breath was heavy as she stared up at him, feeling the familiar flame flare to life within her again at his proximity. She needed him, all of him - anger be damned.
“Then why don’t you stop it, Inu No Taisho?”
He gave a feral sounding growl before his lips crashed down on hers, and she could have sobbed at the feeling of finally being complete after so long. It was desperate, possessive - everything she needed.
She hadn’t realized that his arms had wound around her until she found herself crushed against him, moaning softly into his mouth at the feel of his hard body pressed against hers after so long.
“Izayoi,” he groaned, and she could do little more than whimper in response, eyes pressed shut at the onslaught of bliss she felt at his nearness. His lips traced a path of fire down her jaw to her throat, latching onto the sensitive flesh there with an intensity that was sure to leave marks that she would desperately try to cover up later. She felt his fangs graze over her skin, and she bit her lip harshly to hold back a moan.
“Forgive me,” his voice was little more than a whisper against her skin as his hands moved to cradle her face, pulling her head down to look at him. She felt conflicted tears well up within her eyes as she saw the sincerity in his gaze.
“Don't cry, Izayoi. Please,” he whispered softly, moving to wipe her tears, as she bowed her head to hide the fact that she felt as if she would burst into sobs at any minute.
“No!” she hissed angrily, moving her face from his grasp, suddenly furious all over again, “You can't just decide you want to come back, not after you left me alone for so long! I'm not your toy, Touga! Not some whore for you to come back to when you feel like having a roll in the hay!”
She felt his grip on her harden moments before she glanced back at him, watching as his eyes hardened again, sharp teeth glinting in the low light as he growled.
“Is that what you think? Is that what you've convinced yourself you are to me?!”
Izayoi felt her breath catch at the blatant anger on his ethereal features. She had never seen him so livid.
“You absolute fool,” he growled, hauling her back up against him, one hand going to her hair to pull her head back so that he could meet her eyes. She couldn’t help but notice that his grip was tight, but still far from painful.
“I love you, Izayoi. Simpleton that you are.”
Filled with indignation, she opened her mouth to protest, despite the overwhelmingly fuzzy feeling that had filled her stomach. Taking advantage of her momentary silence, he pressed his lips back to hers, sweeping his tongue lazily over her dull human teeth, and then hissing sharply when she brought them down on him.
“You wretch,” he muttered, pulling his mouth from hers to glare down at her.
She gave him a stellar imitation of one of his own growls as she yanked on his hair to pull his head back to hers.
Determined to have the upper hand, Izayoi pulled viciously at his robes, baring his muscular chest to her touch. She viciously raked her nails over his warm, exposed skin, and took immense pleasure in hearing him groan into her mouth. She gave a small gasp as she heard and felt the tearing of fabric, but any trepidation was soon forgotten - his hands were on her skin, and she could feel his claws ghosting over her sides.
She hadn’t realized that he’d had backed her up against her bed, and with a single nudge she was sprawled out over it, the cold air hitting her skin. The unpleasant sensation didn’t last for very long, because his body was almost immediately on hers, caging her beneath him as his mouth resumed its ministrations over her neck and shoulders. His teeth were sharp and stinging, but then his tongue followed immediately to soothe the pain he’d inflicted.
Her hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they explored his broad shoulders, roaming over his back, digging into him to draw him closer to her. She drew her legs up to wrap around his hips, gasping in delight at the feeling of his silk hakama rubbing against her naked thighs. Arching up against the sheets, she moaned low in her throat as he moved his hips against her, her nails scraping his flesh.
“Touga,” she moaned, moving one of her hands to tangle in his hair as he moved against her again.
She felt his muscles tense as he lifted himself off of her slightly, automatically hissing in annoyance at the lack of contact. His eyes flickered up to hers, an arrogant smirk etched onto his face at her response to him.
“Patience, my little wildcat. Good things come to those who wait,” he whispered, brushing his lips over the shell of her ear before he moved lower to kiss her cheek, and again to graze his mouth over her pulse. When he moved his mouth lower still, Izayoi thought she might die, arching up into his touch as he wreaked havoc on her senses. His hands moved to rest gently against her thighs, moving them apart as he pressed his lips gently to her navel. Chest heaving, she stared down at him, feeling a spark of heat within her as his eyes met hers. And then his mouth was on her, right at her very center.
God, she hadn’t known it could be like this.
When her mother had discussed what took place between a man and woman, she had never imagined it could entail such raw, carnal pleasure. Her mother had prepared her for pain, discomfort, nights of holding back her disgust over what was to come. There was no way she could have prepared her for this. What Touga was doing - what he could make her feel with a single touch - it simply wasn’t human.
Her thighs tightened around him, and she gasped as she felt his responding chuckle reverberate through her most sensitive parts. Her hands flew upwards to clamp down over her mouth as she fought a loud moan of pleasure as his tongue moved over her.
“Touga,” she cried, clenching her fist in her sheets as a new wave of pleasure rose up within her. This couldn’t be - was this even allowed?
“Shh,” he whispered, placing a gentle kiss on the inside of her thigh, “don’t fret, my darling. I’ve got you.”
She felt one of his hands stroke over her stomach soothingly, before moving to wrap around her hand, holding it tightly.
The fire inside of her was building, steadily consuming her, causing a sheen of sweat to break out over her. Her teeth had clamped down on her lip, her hand squeezing his tightly as she felt the flames come to a crescendo before something snapped and a wave of ecstasy came crashing down over her, a barely stifled shriek of pleasure tearing from her throat. Her back arched off of the bed, her hips trying to push her core closer to him, and she could have sobbed when his mouth continued to work its magic as she was overcome again and again by her climax.
She felt his hands leave her thighs and settle possessively on her hips, holding her close to him as she struggled to catch her breath.
“Mine,” he growled against her thigh, and she could do little more than nod in agreement as her head fell back against the pillows. A heavy weight settled over her again, and she realized that he had moved to his original position again. She found that she enjoyed being caged under him, the protective warmth of his body over hers, every hard muscle perfectly aligned with her.
Her heart had finally ceased its thundering, but Izayoi found that the flame within her hadn't been extinguished yet. It wasn't enough. She needed more, she needed him. All of him.
“Touga,” she whispered softly, pressing her face into his broad shoulder, running her hands over the expanse of his bare chest. Delighting in the feel of his racing pulse under her fingertips, she pressed her lips gently to his flesh, smiling when she felt a shudder run through him.
“Never again, Izayoi,” he interrupted, pulling away to stare down at her, the dangerous edge still present in his golden eyes, “I never want to hear anything like what I did earlier.”
She felt her body react despite herself, shifting underneath him, desperate for contact. Moving her arms, she reached out for him, only to have him move just out of her grasp. She pouted, fixing him with a glare to show her displeasure, only to have him glower down at her in response.
“Do you think I jest, Izayoi?” he demanded, lowering his head so that loose tendrils of his silver locks brushed along her face, her hands moving to smooth the errant strands back into place. In spite of all his anger, he leaned his head into the hand that rested upon his cheek, moving slightly to kiss her palm.
She could have kicked herself when she felt a blush spreading across her face at the small, affectionate gesture -especially after what they had just done. He didn’t seem to mind however, a rakish grin flickering across his sinful mouth before his features rearranged themselves into their prior, stony expression.
Softening slightly, he allowed her to pull him closer, nuzzling her neck in a blatantly claiming action.
“If I ever hear you speak of belonging to another,” he whispered, placing kisses along the line of her jaw, “it will mean his death. Do you understand me?”
She felt a shiver run through her at his words, and couldn’t help the spike of arousal that took hold of her. He was so bad, and she loved him all the more for it.
“Well then,” she replied, hoping her voice came out in the sultry whisper she had intended for it to, “I’ll just have to make sure you’re not around to hear it then, won’t I?”
She both felt and heard the snarl that tore through him, biting back a moan at the vibrations that rippled through his chest.
“Give me a reason not to speak of it, Inu No Taisho.”
One of his clawed hands tangled itself into her long hair, pulling her head back to expose her throat to him.
“I’ll give you plenty of reasons, you insolent wench.”
She could’ve laughed at the thinly veiled threat in his tone, the way in which his hand rubbed soothing circles into the nape of her neck, so contrary to his violent words. Her desire to laugh faded incredibly fast however, when his other hand began to trace a path down her body, reaching the apex of her thighs. And then there was only bliss. She began to writhe against him, only to have his heavy arm brace over her, holding her frame to the bed.
“Be still, my sweet. You have to be more mindful of the clawed fingers that -”
“-are driving me mad,” she finished in a moan, throwing her hands over her mouth to stifle a louder cry as the pad of his thumb applied delightful pressure against her.
“Touga - I - I can’t take much more of this! Please-” she whispered, her head thrashing from side to side as the familiar wave of heat rose within her.
“Please what, Izayoi? I’m afraid you’ll have to tell me what you desire. I don’t know what you mean.” His tone was teasing, and she could have strangled him right there. She moved her hands between them to fiddle with his obi, yanking at the knot impatiently until it came undone.
Pushing his hakama down, she wrapped her fingers around him, delighting in his low hiss.
“Fuck yourself,” she snarled viciously, catching the lobe of his ear between her teeth and biting down on it.
His responding burst of laughter was short and cold, “Why would I, when I have you to do it for me?”
And then he was within her, and she could have sobbed her relief to the heavens. She buried her face against his neck to stifle her groan of pleasure when he began to move against her, tantalizingly slow.
Digging her nails into his back, she brought her legs up to wrap around him, pushing her hips into his impatiently, gasping loudly when the action brought him deeper inside her.
Something seemed to change in him just then, and his hands wrapped around her hips, cementing them to him as he picked up his pace. Crying out his name, she clung to him for dear life as he continued to drive forwards into her. There was a bubble of something forming within her, as she bit into his shoulder to hold back her sounds of pleasure. Every thrust only made it grow larger and larger, until she was sure that she would die if she didn’t find release from this utter torture.
And then he - gods, she couldn’t begin to fathom what he had done, but suddenly she was flying; that bubble had popped and she felt as if she would die if he left her now.
The wave of her climax had just receded when she heard his groan of pleasure, heard the telltale sound of her sheets tearing beneath his claws as he found his own release.
Panting, he dropped down on top of her with a satisfied grunt, shifting slightly when she squeaked at his sudden weight.
“Marry me, Izayoi.”
The world seemed to freeze around her, her hands stilling in his hair as she processed his words. Tears welled up in her eyes at the realization and she bit her lip to muffle a sob at the sudden onslaught of emotions.
“Touga... you....”
“I think I may die if I have to live another day where we are not one in every way,” he whispered, shifting onto his elbows so he could brush her damp hair from her face, his eyes boring down into hers with an intensity that pierced straight to her soul.
“Be mine, Izayoi,” his voice was soft, coaxing, “be mine, and allow me to be yours.”
Smiling through the wetness in her eyes, she reached her hands up to grasp his face, pulling it down so his lips brushed over hers. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she pushed herself to speak, willing her voice to convey every last bit of love she felt for this man.
“You needn’t ask for what already belongs to you, husband”
On a cold winter’s night, when even the moon shied away from appearing, it happened. What many had considered impossible for centuries, what countless more had desired for even longer than that. The Inu No Taisho met his end. For a human woman and a half-breed child. In the most human way possible too, injured and alone, trapped beneath the remnants of a burning building. His only solace in those last moments that he had achieved what he had ventured forth to do. He thought that it might make spontaneous gossip for the next little while. Throw the entire aristocracy into upheaval. His title, his wealth, everything he had spent centuries working towards, all left for the masses to tear apart in their effort to seat themselves at the top. He could see the flames getting closer, feel their searing heat begin to wear down on him, but none of it mattered. He was dying, did it matter if it came from his wounds or the fire? All he could think of was his family - his children, one hurt and angry, the other vulnerable and new to this cold world. This world where no one would do anything but mock and reject him. A man could tolerate many things, a demon countless more, but a father? The scope of what a father could endure, particularly when it came to his sons, was an extremely narrow one. Just the thought of what this world would do to the boy who hadn’t even opened his eyes yet, what his own family would do to him, was enough to send a surge of energy through him, enough to drag himself out from beneath the collapsed wood and into the icy relief of the frozen ground. It was there, on the blanket of ice that soothed the stinging of his wounds, that he realized he wouldn’t make it, and this realization was more devastating than he had thought it would be. When trapped within the structure, it had been incredibly simple to accept his fate, unaware of the reality of what his death would mean for those he held closest to his heart. Now that he had recognized that these people, the very humans he had fought to protect, would just as easily see his child, his newborn son, dead - it was harder to come to terms with the fact that as a parent he could do nothing to stop this. Would his son even think of him? Or would he always be the shadow of a man who had doomed his boy to a cursed half existence? Sesshomaru, he knew well enough to recognize that he had dealt a blow too deep to the boy’s heart to gain his forgiveness any time soon, but he could pray to anyone that may be listening that one day the child he had taught to walk, held in his arms and shown the world, would find it within himself to look fondly upon the memory of his sire. He could feel his blood soaking into the snow beneath him, sense the blanket of fatigue that was creeping up on him, and knew the end was near. Would Izayoi remember him? She was human, her memory weak, would he fade from her thoughts in the years that were to come? Nothing more than the man who had destroyed her entire life in his own selfish pursuit for happiness? Would she come to despise him? Would she take another? That much he couldn’t fault her. Even now, waiting for his old heart to finally tire, he wanted nothing more than to think of her smile, see the happiness shining in her eyes. If another could bring that to her, he would contently match them himself. As he lay dying, he mused to himself that perhaps there was nothing more terrifying than the prospect of being forgotten. Becoming nothing more than a name that was lost among the legions of souls lost every day. The air wasn't as cold as it was before, majority of the ice seemed to have taken up within his body. It was getting harder to keep his eyes open now, and his lungs ached with every breath he drew in. The world would speak of the Inu No Taisho for years to come, speak of the demon who had conquered many far and wide. But who would speak of Touga? Of the man who had done nothing but love one woman more than he had thought possible? The man who was so unfortunate that he couldn't take his newborn son into his arms once before he died. But the pup - Inuyasha - was his son. His own flesh and blood. He would do great things, and every time he rose up against evil, every time he used his ability to protect those who couldn't stand for themselves - he would honour him. He would come alive in his boys’ actions. And as the light faded and his world went dark, that one thought was enough to bring a smile to his face. So long as they lived, he would never truly die.
Rating: M for slight smut type stuff somewhere in this monster
Warnings: slight descriptions of gore?? Idk man it’s a zombie!AU
Happy Inuparents Day!!!
For a demon this was a dream come true. The world up in shambles, humans preying on their own kind. Sweet irony. For centuries, humans had considered demons, the paranormal, to be their greatest threat - a precarious balance had forged between mortals and those who were clearly anything but. But now the almighty Homo sapiens found themselves being ripped apart by their own loved ones, their own dead loved ones.
Many used this as an opportunity to return to the old days, where humans paid a generous bounty to their demon overlords in exchange for protection from that which would prey upon them. He himself was familiar with legions of his former… ‘allies,’ although perhaps that was too generous a term, who now kept harems of humans they had taken under their protection. Seeing as though currency was hardly of any concern to a demon, one had to wonder what these people were giving in exchange for what meagre defences an ordinary yokai could offer.
He would never. He didn't care for humans to begin with, and especially not for their company at a time as such, when his first priority was ensuring the safety of his son. Although the son of two powerful daiyokai, he was unsure of what effect this illness could have on Sesshomaru if he was exposed to it, and had little desire to discover anything of the sort. After his mother - well he was all Sesshomaru had left..as the boy was for him.
His heart ached for his pup. He was too young to have experienced so deep a loss, and now to be torn from his life of luxuries and thrown into this world of destitution - it wasn't fair to him. He feared that the transition would be enough to strip him of his childhood, wear away the innocence of youth that still shrouded him.
It wasn't as if survival was difficult, for one of his caliber at least. He could easily pick up on the scent of decay long before they would get anywhere close, and the appalling amount of ruckus they made while prowling didn't make it any more difficult to evade them either. No, it wasn't difficult in the slightest. What it was, was lonely. While he loved Sesshomaru dearly, he was a social beast and craved for the presence of one he could truly share himself with. The pup’s mother had been someone like that, but her untimely demise had stripped him of the one he called his closest friend.
Although the attraction that had brought them to one another centuries before had long since faded, it had left in its place a deep companionship, a sense of understanding. He may not have been ‘in love,’ with Miyako, but there was no denying that he felt a very deep love for her, one that transcended her sudden mortality.
“Father!” Sesshomaru’s shout jolted him from his reverie, hackles immediately rising in anticipation of a threat.
There was no scent of death on the horizon? Tilting his head slightly in confusion, it took him a minute to catch what must have alerted Sesshomaru. Running. The sound of feet hitting the rough terrain, ragged breathing. This was a human. And it was running for its life. If the human was running, it meant something was definitely following. Straining his ears further, he was surprised to note that there was no dead creature pursuing this human. Was that - another human?
He felt a wave of exasperation travel over him as he rolled his eyes to the heavens. Could humans really still find ways to turn against each other? Even now, when their species was on the verge of extinction? What fickle creatures. It took unparalleled foolishness to behave as they did and yet they still managed to surprise him every single time.
“Come Sesshomaru,” he urged, beckoning his son to his side, “this is not our matter.”
He realized there was still hope for the boy after all when he spoke.
“But Father.. It seems as if the human woman is in danger?” His eyes were wide with the innocent morality that only a child could possess, still untouched by the reality of this cold world.
“Woman?” Touga questioned, wondering how Sesshomaru had deduced that solely from the sound of footsteps.
“Her footfalls are lighter than what they would be had she been a male.” He explained casually, eyes still narrowed in the direction of the noise, and Touga felt his heart swell with sudden pride. His son would make a fine hunter when the time came.
Just then, the sound of curses and lowly snarled threats became evident to him as well as the ceasing of the footfalls. It seemed ‘she,’ had been caught.
Sesshomaru had been correct. Either it truly was a woman being pursued or whichever man had just been caught by his assailant had an interesting vocal range.
From the volume of their … discussion it seemed as if the altercation was taking place right in the foliage of trees beyond his campsite. Well… At the very least it would make for adequate entertainment.
“Let me go!” The shriek that tore from her throat caused a flock of birds to shoot from their resting place.
“Damn it, Izayoi!” The man snarled. “Keep your voice down, or else they'll hear!” A note of fear entered his voice then and Touga had no doubt that the ‘they,’ he was referring to were the legions of undead that now roamed the area.
“So what?!” She - Izayoi - snapped back, her voice even louder than before. “I'd rather be eaten by a horde of them before do anything like what you suggested back there, Takemaru!”
Aw, a lovers tiff.
“What's the harm, Izayoi? We’re friends?! And I mean it has to happen eventually -”
“FRIENDS DOES NOT MEAN I REPOPULATE THE EARTH WITH YOU, TAKEMARU!”
Well. Touga had to agree with her there.
“Our species is dying out, Izzy!” Takemaru pleaded, and Touga could just imagine a man grasping at a woman’s hands in sheer desperation. “And if not me, who? Atleast you know me!”
“Takemaru I - I don't have feelings for you. I can't be with someone I don't love.” Her voice was soft now, beseeching.
“God, Izayoi. I - I didn't want to have to do this, but you're not leaving me any choice.”
Now perhaps it was just centuries of battle training - but those words didn't sound the least bit friendly to him.
Sesshomaru, who had been standing silently by his side up until that point, tugged on his sleeve and gave him a pointed look.
“Father… This Sesshomaru believes it is time for you to intervene. Do not forget that you are the Lord of these lands. The humans may have jilted their obligations, but you can not. Go.”
Furthering his point with a small shove in the direction of the trees, Sesshomaru fixed him with a steely look, refusing to budge until he began to make his way through the trees.
Had he just been ordered into action by his child?
“Unfortunate,” Touga declared as he pushed his way through branches into the small clearing the pair stood in. “As I haven't been left with another option either.”
He took a moment to survey the scene before him, taking in the tall and slim man who stood hunched over a much smaller woman, who had her head stubbornly turned to the side. Much smaller. What was she, 12?
“Are you attempting to pursue a child?” Touga growled, disgust welling up within him at the new lows humans could drop to.
“Excuse me?!” Izayoi shrieked, whipping her body about to stare at him furiously.
Oh. Well if the fiery eyes and curvy figure that was hinted at under her loose fitting clothing were any indication, apparently she wasn't.
“Begone demon!” Takemaru spat, shoving Izayoi behind him unceremoniously.
“Oh, well that's that.” Touga said mockingly, “you've found the ultimate way to eradicate the foul demon! Bravo, little man!”
“Did you really think that would work?” Came the muted whisper from behind Takemaru and Touga grinned, making sure to flash his razor sharp canines, in response.
“Look boy, the lady has made it clear she has no desire to copulate with you. Although I can't imagine why, you seem to be so exceedingly charming.”
“This is none of your concern! Besides, what business does your kind have in our affairs?” He hissed furiously, still keeping his hands out as if to ward Touga away.
The mortal’s tone had surpassed insolence now and frankly, he didn’t possess the patience to deal with one as such.
“My kind were the ones your ancestors would beg before, before they could even think of whelping their bastard spawn. Your forefathers. So you - little man - would do well to watch your tongue.”
“No chill…” came the awed whisper from behind him again.
“Shut up, Izayoi!” Takemaru snapped and suddenly Touga had, had enough.
“Release the girl,” he snarled, flexing his claws that seemed to immediately burn for this human’s flesh.
Fear flashed through the man’s eyes and Touga took more pleasure than he could explain in watching as his face fell, and as he began to take several hasty steps backwards at his approach.
“What’s the matter, little man? You were so brave a moment ago?”
His ‘bravery,’ seemed to fade incredibly quickly and suddenly he didn’t seem so keen on keeping the girl pressed behind him anymore.
“Let the child go, boy.” He growled.
“AGAIN?! That’s the second time! I am not a child!” her shrill voice sounded again from somewhere to the side of him and he blinked in discomfort as it rang in his ears slightly.
“You see? You’re upsetting the young one!”
There was a cross between a frustrated groan and a snarl from her general location and Touga had to fight a smile when he heard her stomping her feet.
“Izayoi,” Takemaru spoke again, holding his hand out to her, “this is your last chance. Come back with me, and we can forget all of this ever happened.”
“No, Takemaru. I refuse to go back with you and be pressured into being with a man I don’t want.”
She might as well have kicked him in the face, with the downtrodden expression he wore. Although, if Touga were to be completely honest, he couldn’t say the mental image wasn’t a delightful one.
“Fine! See if I care! Stay with them and become a demon’s whore!”
Harsh words for the woman he was apparently in love with? A demon’s whore, did he say? Oh no no no -
“FINE! MAYBE I WILL!”
“Uh - that’s really not necessary -” Touga began to speak, only to be rudely interrupted by Izayoi screaming some more about how Takemaru should just leave because nobody needed him here anyways.
It felt like he had been standing amongst these fools for forever and a day when the boy finally turned and left, yelling over his shoulder that he didn’t care whether she died now or when she was ‘birthing his satanic spawn.’
How rude.
And then they were alone.
Touga finally chanced a glance in her direction, surprised at what he saw. She was short, yes - definitely short - but if he was being truthful, she didn’t look like a child from any angle. Her hair was long and thick, wrought with tangles due to having been caught in branches, and probably not being properly combed since the initial outbreak. Her eyes weren’t a mystical shade of blue, a haunting grey, green like the grasses of spring - they were brown. They were the colour of a warm cup of coffee, steaming hot, the first thing you wanted to see on a bleary morning. The colour of the soil you would surround a budding plant with, counting on it to nourish the roots, care for it and watch it grow into a looming tree. She wasn’t a beauty that would be spoken about for centuries to come - but she was enough for him.
Almost immediately he began to backtrack, cursing himself for even allowing the thought to cross his mind. He had other priorities to attend to - like his son. Speaking of which - where was he? Almost as if he could sense that he was being thought of, Sesshomaru chose that exact moment to poke his head out of the trees.
“Father? This Sesshomaru grows weary of awaiting your return. Work faster.”
And just like that he had disappeared again. That kid had a lot of nerve.
“Father?” and evidently he had returned.
“What is this?” he asked, gesturing to the woman who stood across from Touga in the clearing, staring awkwardly at her feet as if she had just realized she had thrust herself upon him with zero warning.
“This is the human woman you were so interested in, Sesshomaru.” Touga muttered, glaring down at him pointedly when Sesshomaru raised an uninterested brow.
“Oh. Did you keep her as a pet for me then?”
For fucks sake -
“She’s a person, Sesshomaru - not your pet dog.” He snapped angrily.
“She is right here and can hear everything you’re saying!”
Oh.
“Well - do you need anything else before we leave?” Touga asked, turning to face her. It was then that he realized just how tiny she was. Her head barely came up to his chest and yet there she was staring up at him in not-so-silent outrage.
“Leave?! You’re going to just leave me alone in the woods? Where those things could show up any time and make a meal out of me?!” Her eyes were wide as she stared at him in apparent shock, her hands flying to her throat in surprise.
“Listen well child -” He began before she interrupted him angrily.
“I. AM. NOT. A. CHILD.”
“AND I SAID LISTEN TO ME.” He roared, watching in slight satisfaction as she flinched backwards in apparent shock before settling into a defensive pose with an angry pout on her face.
“I did not ask you to declare that you intended to become my mistress. You decided that all on your own. Now you deal with the consequences of leaving your group behind and you learn to live with it.”
She looked like she was torn between screaming at him and crying and he found himself sincerely hoping she didn’t choose the latter. Regardless, she wasn’t his responsibility and he refused to shoulder her burden.
“Come, Sesshomaru, we’re done here.”
Touga had taken only a few steps before he realized that his son wasn’t following.
“Father. My pet, we can’t leave her behind.”
“Sesshomaru - that is a human being, not your pet. How many times must I repeat the same thing?”
Between that dratted woman-child and his own stubborn pup, his patience was beginning to wear incredibly thin.
“Father, she is this Sesshomaru’s pet. This one has decreed it so.”
Touga had to take an honest minute to wonder how his son had survived to this point when the boy held up a hand signalling for him to stop talking as he approached the sniffling woman.
“Pet, do you require a...I believe the humans call it ‘snuggle?’” He said in an imperious tone of voice and suddenly Touga found himself wishing that Ryuukotsusei had managed to land a fatal blow all those years before.
“This one’s wise teacher once told this Sesshomaru that pets are for loving and that they are to be snuggled, lest they become most melancholy.” He peered at her with curious golden eyes as if he expected her to collapse into a heap of sobs at any moment.
“Father! We are keeping the pet, this Sesshomaru shall feed her himself.”
“You can not even feed yourself and you expect to hunt for another child?” Touga growled down at him, resisting the urge to knock his son in the head with something when he nodded sagely as if it made perfect sense to him.
“No, no, you misunderstand. You shall hunt for this Sesshomaru and his pet, Father. This Sesshomaru will then feed the food to his pet.”
“Well that’s just fan-fucking-tastic. More work for me.” He snapped, turning away from the girl whose eyes seemed to bore holes into his back as she glared at him. Why did her apparent disappointment in him trouble him so? Why should it matter to him what she thought of him? She was a human, young for even their standards, and he had no desire to split his attention between his son’s well-being and that of another. If he could offend her delicate sensibilities enough to send her crawling back to her group of humans, then he was doing them both a favour as far as he was concerned.
“I’ll provide for myself,” she whispered, knowing she had no need to raise her voice when both yokai could hear her clearly. “There’s no need for you to trouble yourself on my account.”
He heard it then. The note of steel that had crept into her voice. He knew then that she was stubborn, just as much as he was, if not more so.
“You turn away my Father’s skill?” Sesshomaru asked, his mouth dropping open in shock, “you are a fool, pet.”
Touga glanced back over his shoulder slightly at her, watching in muted interest as her spine stiffened at Sesshomaru’s words. There was no way she could have known that the boy had a habit of calling anything that moved a fool whenever the mood struck him.
“Izayoi is your name, is it not?” he spoke, the hidden despair on her face awakening something in him that he was sure had died a long time ago.
Her eyes, those dark orbs, unlike any he’d seen before, flew up to meet his and for a moment he forgot everything. Forgot where he stood, who he was, and everything that had brought him to that moment. In that one second of time, in that one insignificant forest, he felt the entire weight of the world lift from his shoulders, and suddenly everything had changed.
Part of him hated her. Hated her for destroying the fragile balance he had built in his life since Miyako’s death, since assuming full responsibility for Sesshomaru. He had watched her race run itself into the ground, and now they stood turning on each other and feasting on the flesh of their own brethren; yet this one girl had the nerve to stare into his eyes as if she was anywhere close to being his equal? He, who had lived more years than her entire lineage had existed, who had more blood on his hands than she did in her entire body. He could snap her neck in a fraction of a second - and yet the thought of a single scratch on this one, small human was enough to create a fire in his blood.
“I am Touga.”
When he spoke, his voice was deeper than usual, and he worked to suppress a low growl when he saw her eyes flash momentarily to his lips before she forced them back up to his own.
“This group is my pack, Izayoi, and I am its Alpha. When I order, you will obey. You will match your pace with my own, and in turn I will provide you with my protection and food to sate your hunger. If you fall behind, if you lose your way - I will not be coming to look for you. If you remember nothing else of this discussion, remember that. You are not my responsibility. Do you understand?”
There was a beat of silence as they both regarded each other, her still huddled up across the clearing, looking smaller than usual, but the fire in her eyes made him straighten his own spine, hackles rising slightly at the clear challenge.
“I understand.”
Her gaze told a different story. One of rebellion, testing the waters, and wearing his patience incredibly thin.
Touga was fire. Rippling flames, scorching heat, leaving a path of irreversible destruction in his wake, and something told him that Izayoi wouldn’t mind being burned.
It was with a low snarl that he turned and began to lead the way out of the clearing, realizing every time he heard her take in a breath, that he would live to regret this decision.
______________________________
He was regretting it.
They had been walking for an hour when the complaints started. Minimal, at first. Things like
“Do you ever smile?”
“Your legs are so much longer than mine!”
“Ugh, do we have much farther to go?”
It seemed that the haunting silence that had overtaken their little group for the last little while had been a purely temporary fix that arose from her momentary vexation at him. Now that she had recovered, she was ready to talk a mile a minute and seemed determined to not just make him listen but to also make him respond.
Lovely.
“We’re making camp here for the night,” he spoke over his shoulder, a ghost of a smile touching his lips as he heard a groan of relief before she dropped to the ground unceremoniously, moaning about her legs.
“Oh thank the lord! You have some semblance of mercy!”
“Sesshomaru.” he called, keeping a careful eye on his son as he strode out of the trees and came to a stop before him.
“Father. This Sesshomaru has scouted the surrounding area, it is fit for this one’s pet to rest in.”
Sometimes, Touga had a hard time believing that Sesshomaru was his son, especially when the boy acted as if he was the older one who was educating an over-excited pup.
“Stay in the campsite, and keep an ear out. I’m going to hunt, I’ll return soon.”
Sesshomaru nodded before he turned and went to sit against a tree with a look of deep concentration on his face, and Touga had no doubt that the pup was concentrating on hearing everything in the vicinity.
It was a while before Touga returned to campsite, allowing his demon side to roam free was calming, therapeutic in a sense. The beast had remained cooped inside for far too long and allowing the more primal aspect of his nature to take charge served to be a soothing experience. Human morality was something he’d acquired after spending millennia in their presence. To allow himself to forget the constraints of their society, even for a short time, was oddly liberating. A return to a simpler time, in which demons were free to be just that.
He took pleasure in the hunt that night, dragging the carcass back to the campsite with a bloodied muzzle. He chose to shift back into his humanoid form before entering the clearing, figuring that the last thing he needed was a hysterical Izayoi on his hands, were he to prance in, in full dog form.
He didn’t even realize that he had been approaching her until the dull thud of a body hitting the ground reached him. His kill. He had dropped his kill in front of her. Like some sort of offering. It would take a fool not to realize what was happening - and he was anything but. Her shocked eyes lifted to his and he was surprised to see not a trace of fear within them.
“You killed this? All on your own? Wow, that’s impressive. You must be strong!”
Oh for fuck’s sake. She couldn’t have found anything else to say. His inner demon was prancing with pride at having their ability recognized, whereas Touga, in that moment, could not have hated himself more.
“Hnnnn,” he grunted in a non-committal fashion before moving away from her to throw himself down on the other side of the meagre fire she had built.
“Take whatever meat you’ll eat and set it aside to be prepared for cooking. You need it more than we do, so take your fill.”
She was staring at him again. He could feel it. There was a heat emanating from somewhere… and it certainly didn’t seem to be coming from the fire in front of him.
He saw a shudder pass over her and gave a snarl of irritation, delighting in the small gasp she gave when her eyes met his. Good, let her know what kind of predator he was. He stood then, stalking over to the pile of wood he presumed Sesshomaru had gathered for her, pulling a few pieces into his arms before returning to her fading fire.
Dropping the extra logs into it, he began to stoke the flames slowly, eyes lifting to hers over the crackling flames. Her gaze, just as he expected, was trained on him. She lowered it then, her dark eyes falling on his hands that stoked the flames of the fire she had lit. Although at this point, neither of them had any true idea of just which flame they were referring to.
It seemed like an eternity before she put her attention back on the carcass before her, her hands struggling to keep a hold on the meat. Her face twisted in distress and it became extremely clear to him that princess had never had to skin her own meal before. He found himself wondering whether Takemaru had been the one to do it for her and was surprised at himself when the thought immediately served to worsen his mood.
He watched her struggle for a few more minutes until he caught Sesshomaru’s gaze and noted the exasperation on the pup’s face. Touga felt his level of frustration rise exponentially when he made a point of looking at her and then back at him, as if reminding him that his duty as their alpha was to assist her.
He damn well knew what he was supposed to be doing, and he didn't need his son reminding him of it either.
Standing up again, he strode towards her before unceremoniously plucking the animal out of her hands.
“You've never done this before, have you?” He asked quietly, keeping his eyes focused on his task, sharp claws easily shredding through layers of flesh.
Her hands toyed with the strap on the backpack she had brought with her, uncaring of the fact that they were sullied with the blood of his kill.
“No… Back with the others, I was never - Takemaru had… Other people take care of all of the work like that.” Her voice faded out in certain areas, telling Touga that there was something that she didn't want to tell him. Something she felt uncomfortable revealing.
“And by other people, you must mean people who weren't as fortunate as you were before all of this went down?” He laughed, the sound tinged with malice.
In demons, their division came from power. Not from inconsequential things such as money, gender, or skin colour. But humans - they would find any reason to distance themselves from each other, to prove themselves as better, more worthy of life than others of their own species.
When her face flooded with colour, he took it as a confirmation of what he had originally suspected.
“I'm right, aren't I, princess?”
She didn't answer him, her fingers tightening on the buckles of her worn down backpack being the only indication that she had even heard him.
“Why do you carry that?” He grunted, snapping a bone under one of his hands as he gestured to her bag with the other. “Surely you don't think it'll hold up?”
Part of him realized that he was just needlessly going after her now. Looking for any excuse to convince himself that she wasn't worth disrupting the peace he had built in his life. A glance in Sesshomaru’s direction told him the pup clearly disapproved of his attitude, but knew better than to openly contradict his father.
“It was my mother’s. She gave it to me when I was a girl.” She finally whispered. “It's all I have left of her ever since she was bitten.”
He felt as if the world had just been snatched from under his feet. Sesshomaru was now making his displeasure with his father no secret as he growled lowly in his direction.
“I'm sorry to have troubled you for so long,” she continued softly, “but I think I've taken enough advantage of your hospitality. Thank you for allowing me to accompany you this far, you were right, I had no right to impose myself upon you.”
Was it just him or was the scent of salt suddenly heavy in the air? She - she was crying.
Without another word, she stood and made her way into the shadow of the trees disappearing from his view within minutes.
“That was very low of you, Father.” Sesshomaru said quietly, staring off into the trees after her, “you take so much time to explain the importance of utilizing our strength for the betterment of others. This Sesshomaru fails to see what in that interaction could have possibly benefited her.”
As if he didn't feel shitty enough. And now she was gone. Off into the woods all by herself simply because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. If he was unable to keep a hold of himself around her, then what fault was it of hers? She probably hadn't followed him intending for a crazed daiyokai to develop - he wasn't even sure what he felt towards her.
“If you lose your way, I will not be coming to look for you. You're not my responsibility.”
Then why did it feel like she was?
Would she have gotten far? Where would she spend the night? Would she have the sense to spend it in a tree where the undead couldn't reach her? ….Would he stumble upon her mutilated corpse come morning? Or worse would he have to put her out of the misery of ‘living,’ a condemned existence, hungering for flesh?
It felt as if he had been thinking of everything that could go wrong for hours, each possibility seeming worse than the one before it.
Enough.
“Sesshomaru,” he said, lurching to his feet with a sudden sense of determination.
“This one was beginning to wonder whether you would ever act, Father.”
There was a ghost of a smile on his son’s face as he stood and made his way over to a tree, easily scaling its height and settling himself into a branch, hidden from view.
“This Sesshomaru will await your return. There is no need for you to worry, for this one is your son, after all. There will be no problems in...I believe the term is ‘holding down the fort.’”
For fuck’s sake.
The short laugh that escaped him was the only sign he gave that he had even heard his son, and then he was off. His blood seemed to be singing as he shifted into his original form, a thunderous sound occurring as his colossal paws hit the dirt.
And then the air was filled with the scent of decaying flesh and he knew that
were here. Just the knowledge that Izayoi was out there unprotected when these devilish creatures were roaming for their next meal was enough to send him into a rage. He had to get to her. He wouldn't let her die - not her too.
It wasn't long before he picked up on her scent, mingled with that of theirs, and the sounds of their frenzied groaning reached him. They were closing in on her.
Was the woman daft?! She wasn't screaming for help, she wasn't running - she was just letting them find her.
Picking up on his pace, he shifted his course so that rather than intercepting the horde, he would end up directly where she was.
It was then that he heard her.
“Mama? Is that you?”
No. Of all of the beasts that could have stumbled upon her -
“It's me, Mama! Me, Izayoi! Your Izayoi.” Her voice broke on the last of her words and he felt his heart lurch in response.
“Mama, I'm alone. So alone without you. Take me with you, Mama. Don't leave me here. Don't leave me alone again, Mama.” She was sobbing now and he felt a raging fire building within him at the very thought of what she was suggesting.
She was close now, he could smell the salt of her tears, and as the thicket came into view he shifted back into his humanoid form, tearing through the trees until he spotted her.
Izayoi.
“GET BACK, IZAYOI!” He roared, bursting forwards to force her behind him, creating a wall between her and … her mother.
“No - Mama -” she began to protest, struggling to escape his hold.
“Izayoi, listen to me - IZAYOI!” He snarled, grabbing her by her shoulders and forcing her to look at him.
“Whatever that thing is - it's not your mother. Not anymore.”
He glanced back slightly over his shoulder, noting that in all this time, that thing hadn’t made a single move towards Izayoi.
Perhaps some part of still recognized the child it had reared during its life.
He had only a moment to consider that before the others joined them in the clearing. A horde of those things, and unlike Izayoi's mother, they were determined to get to her. To hurt her - and that was something he couldn't let happen. Not today, not ever.
There were atleast 50 of them - and one of him. Had he been alone this wouldn't have been a problem, but he couldn't afford to move more than a foot away from Izayoi. He couldn't risk one of them getting to her - or worse her running to her mother's walking corpse.
It was then that he saw it. Sticking out of her old backpack. A sword. A rusted and old sword that looked as if it would snap in two the second he touched it, but it was a sword nonetheless.
“Izayoi - the sword?” He asked, moving so he stood directly in front of her, arms spread open before her like a shield.
“It was in my mother's family,” she said finally, as if in a trance, “passed down for generations. She said the day it was put to use, I would know that I had found the man -”
“Okay yeah that's fabulous, but I'm going to need you to give it to me, right now.”
He realized that he was being rude, interrupting her, but he figured that seeing as though he was about to save her life, he would get a pass for today. He felt a pang of guilt when she put the rusted blade in his hands without another word.
Bringing it forwards not a battle stance, he tried to force himself to concentrate, despite the one thought that was running circles in his mind.
‘Damn it, I have to get Izayoi out of here. I need to keep her safe.’
And then everything changed.
The rusted sword in his hand pulsed, emitting a bright light as he put it into motion, and when he swung it downwards, there was a monstrous fang in its place.
Well that was unexpected. He didn't have much time to dwell on it however, what with the army of undead creatures advancing at a rather consistent pace.
There was a surge of something building within him, some burst of power that was finding its way towards the blade that was tearing through the rotted flesh of any that came close enough. There was almost a welding of the air in front of him, where the winds would collide. And there in the centre, he saw it. The jagged mark that denoted the epicentre of the gathering force. Lifting the sword high over his head, he let out an earth shattering roar as he swung it downwards through the wind scar.
And then the earth really did shatter. Or at least that was what it seemed like. There was an explosion of raw power, unlike anything he'd experienced before, and a surge of bright light that served to blind him momentarily.
When it faded, everything had been obliterated.
Deep gashes marred the bloodstained earth, trees had been torn apart, and all that remained of the legions of creatures were some scattered limbs, with the majority of the rotting flesh having disintegrated under the power of the blow.
But off to the side, just outside of the direct line of the attack, stood Izayoi’s mother, regarding the pair of them with dull eyes, her mouth open in a low groan. Touga found himself praying that this would be the end of it, that she would turn and leave the clearing and he wouldn’t have to do what he feared he would. He gave a low growl of warning as Izayoi moved out from behind the safety of his form.Then she began to move towards them. Her arms were outstretched and he saw the tortured look on Izayoi’s face as the shell of her mother approached her.
Touga kept his eyes glued to the dead woman’s face, searching for any shift in her countenance that could suggest her being a threat, all the while praying he would find no such thing. It was only moments later that he found exactly what he was looking for.
Lurching forwards he hauled the thing away from Izayoi as it lunged for her, teeth snapping. One clawed hand secured both of hers behind her back while the other forced her head down. His eyes met Izayoi’s and his heart broke for the tears slowly making their way down her face as she realized that she truly had lost her mother.
“That isn’t my Mama,” she choked out, a sob tearing from her throat as the woman in his grip struggled at the sound of her voice, hands clawing the air where Izayoi should have been.
“Not anymore,” he whispered softly.
“You - please - you have to put her out of her misery, Touga. This isn’t what she would have wanted. My mother she - she doesn’t deserve this.”
Her eyes bore into his with a kind of ferocity he hadn’t seen before, her hands fisted at her sides, shaking slightly. So young - she was too young to have to make a decision like this. He nodded wordlessly, averting his eyes from the intensity of hers.
“Can I - can I speak to her once... before you -” she swallowed hard when her voice gave out, lower lip trembling as silent sobs began to wrack her small frame.
He tightened his grip on her mother’s form before gesturing for her to approach. A smile touched her lips as she came closer to what was once the woman who had loved her more than anyone.
“Oh moon, who shines so bright and white,” she whispered softly, her hands hesitantly reaching for her mother who strained to grasp her in her arms, snapping her teeth at her daughter again.
“Do me this task, be still this night.” she continued, and Touga was forced to tear his gaze away from the pair, feeling as if he was intruding on something incredibly intimate. And in a way, he supposed he was. The final goodbye between mother and daughter.
“My princess, she now yearns for sleep,” Izayoi breathed, tears openly tracking down her face as she struggled to compose herself.
“Give her such dreams she’ll yearn to keep.”
Any semblance of control she had managed to build was shattered when her mother went limp in his arms, simply regarding her with calm eyes. His heart clenched when she cried out for her mother a final time before forcing herself to stumble several steps backwards.
“I can’t - I can’t stay and watch,” she whimpered, turning and fleeing from the clearing on shaky legs.
Touga pressed his eyes shut for a moment when he felt the sting of impending tears. Forcing them open again he glanced down at the … woman he kept trapped in his hold.
She was staring after her. Her struggles had ceased, her eyes trained on where her daughter had run off into the woods, a sort of clarity in them. She turned her head then, looking up at him and he was surprised to see a sheen of tears in them.
She remembered.
Her gaze returned to where her daughter had stood, and then to the discarded backpack that lay on the forest floor and as she began to move away from him, he dropped his hands and allowed her to stand before him, her head tilted back to stare directly into his eyes.
‘Take care of my daughter.’
It didn’t take anyone special to understand what words the tongue that had long since lost the ability to speak were desperately trying to convey to him.
‘You are not my responsibility, Izayoi.’
“Your princess is my responsibility now.”
His voice was deeper than he expected it to be, and he cleared his throat when he felt the sting of tears in his eyes again.
“I will protect her,” he continued, feeling the sword in his hand hum in acknowledgment of his words, “this I swear on my life.”
A shadow of a smile touched her face as she stared at the transformed fang hanging from his grip and her eyes found his again, lighter this time. A soft groaning noise came from her, and he could do little more than nod in response to her unspoken plea. She wanted him to do it now.
He lifted the sword and pointed it at her, feeling his own hands begin to shake. But the look in Izayoi’s mother’s eyes wouldn’t allow him to waver now. She needed this, Izayoi needed this.
“Find peace in the next life,” he whispered, staring intently at her, “and rest assured that your Izayoi will live long.”
She smiled at him then, a genuine smile, and the tremor in his hands grew stronger.
It was quick.
One quick stroke and her misery was ended.
He set about gathering some wood and began to arrange it into a makeshift funeral pyre. She would leave this world the same way she had striven to live in it. With respect and honour.
When he finally got the flames of her pyre burning, he stood back and watched, hoping that wherever she would go from here, she would be happy and be able to watch over her daughter in contentment. He knew what it was to worry for a child, to fear for them and he could only pray that he would live up to responsibility she had placed on his shoulders.
It was said that a mother’s love was enough to call one back from the jaws of death itself. Today he had seen that himself. Her love for her daughter had been enough to bring her back from a place that even death was loath to visit, and she had died immersed in that love, determined to see her child protected and safe.
It was strange, the things one would do for their offspring, the things one found themselves capable of when it came to their offspring.
And this woman’s offspring was sitting in the forest, a scant few metres from her funeral pyre, screaming her grief to the very heavens her mother had departed to.
He felt as if he had stood there for eternity when the flames finally ebbed.
Izayoi’s screaming had long since faded and he took tentative steps in the direction of where she had run off to, finding her on her knees in the centre of the clearing, her face pressed into her hands. Every now and then she would whimper and her hands would clench at the knotted mass of ebony tresses on her head.
“Come,” he said softly, reaching for her and drawing her into his arms before he stood and began to make his way back to camp.
“Touga,” she whispered, her face turned into his shoulder, hands clenching at the fabric of his clothing. “Did she suffer?”
His grip on her tightened at her questioned and he shook his head, not knowing whether she had even seen the gesture.
When she whispered her thanks into his flesh, he knew she had.
Sesshomaru met them on the ground when they returned, his eyes fixed on Izayoi’s crumpled form in his father’s arms.
“Father… what happened?” he asked once his father had lowered her to the ground gently, settling a fur over her quivering form.
“Her mother was one of them - she had to be… she’s gone now.” He responded quietly, glancing back over his shoulder at Izayoi.
She looked so small, so desolate.
Sesshomaru’s eyes widened with momentary understanding before he left his father’s side and approached Izayoi.
“Did you never wonder where this Sesshomaru’s mother is?”
Izayoi’s eyes lifted to the boy beside her for a moment before she looked back down at the ground.
“This one’s mother is in the same place yours is, Izayoi.” Sesshomaru whispered softly, one small hand covering hers.
Her gaze flew up to his, filling with tears before she began to cry again.
“I miss her sometimes,” he continued, one claw tracing over a bump in the dirt and Touga didn’t miss the lack of referring to himself in the third person.
“But sometimes when I lie down to sleep, I can almost feel her with me again. My mama told me that a mother never likes to see her pups cry, that she feels their pain worse than they do.” There was no mistaking the tremor in the boy’s voice now and Touga forced his gaze away from the pair, swallowing against the sudden thickness in his throat.
“When you cry,” Sesshomaru choked out, sniffling lightly, “you make your mama feel sad, you don’t want to do that, do you?”
Izayoi shook her head wordlessly, her hand gripping Sesshomaru’s smaller one tightly.
And now both little ones were in tears.
Touga moved towards the pair then, settling himself between them as he drew Sesshomaru into his side and Izayoi into his lap, tucking her head under his chin, despite her weak protests.
“Enough,” he growled, holding her tighter against him, “there is no need to act as if you are mourning alone when such is not the case. I will tell you now the same thing I told Sesshomaru then - there is nothing wrong with leaning on somebody Izayoi, grief was not meant to be a solitary burden.”
A lone sob tore from her throat before she threw her arms around him and began to weep in earnest. He could feel her nails digging into his back as she clutched onto him tightly, her tears dampening his clothing. She struggled to breathe between her fits of grief, pushing her head farther into his chest as his hand rubbed along her back soothingly.
“It - it wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she wailed, beating her fists on his back in sudden rage and he gave a low hum of understanding.
“I know.”
It felt like they remained that way for hours, the three of them. Izayoi hiccuping slightly as her sobs subsided and she drifted into a fitful sleep, Sesshomaru clutching tightly at his sleeve as he scrunched his face up in an effort to quell his own tears, and Touga wanting more than anything for both of them to find their happiness again.
“Father?” Sesshomaru whispered a little while later, his head resting on Touga’s shoulder as he tried to fight off the waves of sleep threatening to overcome him.
“Hnnn.”
“Do you think Mother can still see us?”
“I know she can, my little hunter. And I’ll wager she’s very pleased with her little boy.”
Sesshomaru gave a long yawn, shaking his head out slightly before he settled himself against his father, beginning to drift off to sleep as well.
“Father,” he slurred, his eyes fighting to stay open and Touga grunted in response.
“I’ll wager Mother is pleased with you and Izayoi too.”
The sound of his son’s soft snores reached him before he could respond and suddenly he was hyper aware of Izayoi’s arms wound around him, clinging to him in her sleep.
Knowing Miyako... she would be.
The pair slept through the night with little disruption and Sesshomaru rose with the light of dawn, seeming to have recovered from his emotional lapse last night and was now in full form, ready to dictate the morning’s agenda.
Izayoi, on the other hand, slept well into the morning and awoke closer to noon.
He found himself hoping that she would launch into speech and never stop - talk his damn ears off if she had to, anything was better than the silence that came from her.
He could feel her eyes on him - they had never strayed far and been glued to him since the moment she awoke. Judging by the look on her face, she was deeply contemplating something and as far as he was concerned, if staring at him helped divert her attention from her sorrow, he was content to sit as a model for her every hour of the day. He never wanted to see her the way he had the night before ever again, every tear that she shed, every gasped breath was a wound on his heart, and he would do anything to see her smile again.
It continued like that for a week, with Izayoi regarding his every movement with careful precision, barely speaking, but always watching. It seemed as if there was seldom a moment where those dark eyes weren’t trained on him with an almost frightening intensity. Even Sesshomaru noticed and often took to joining her, so then he had two freaks staring at him and analyzing everything he did, with Sesshomaru often calling out further instructions such as
“Father! The sun is shining in this Sesshomaru’s eyes - do something about it immediately.”
“Father, stoke the fire, this Sesshomaru prefers to feel toasty.”
“Father don’t be foolish, of course you can’t think to feed this Sesshomaru a baby deer? This one will eat only the leader of their group!”
He was going to kill this kid one day.
And then one day she finally spoke, and he thought he might cry from the relief of having something other than Sesshomaru’s orders to listen to.
“Did you know Touga, that the sword you carry with you once belonged to a demon?”
Her voice shocked him so much he almost dropped the stack of wood he was carrying.
“Uh.. I figured,” he said gruffly, stooping to retrieve the few errant logs that had fallen, “humans don’t usually go around waving swords that transform into fangs.”
“The legend in my mother’s family said that when a maiden finds a man that the sword transforms for, she can assume she’s found the man she’s meant for.”
Son of a bitch.
His eyes snapped to hers in shock, and he could feel his jaw going slack as her words continued to echo in his mind.
‘Maiden….transformed….man she's meant for.’
Oh hell no. Izayoi was still young, she didn't need to be tied down to someone like him. And why the hell should he involve himself with someone who would destroy him when she died in a few decades. Just the reminder of her impending mortality was enough to cause his heart to clench - there was no need to bond himself to someone that would cause him unimaginable pain when she left him. He didn't think he'd be able to deal with that...not this time.
She was still watching him, as if trying to gauge his reaction to the bombshell she had just dropped.
“Legend?” He scoffed, unable to bear the sight of the growing sadness in her eyes as his silence stretched on.
“What could you possibly know about those? What are you, 12?”
As he expected, the sorrow vanished from her face only to be replaced by rage as her hands clenched tightly at her sides.
“I’M NOT A CHILD!” She screamed, and he had to fight hard to repress a laugh when she stomped her foot in anger.
“...really?” he prodded, with a pointed look down at her feet and her face flushed as she crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest.
“No! I'm 20 years old, an ADULT, and I know what I'm talking about.” She snarled, narrowing her eyes in his direction as he mirrored her position, holding his arms across his broad chest as he braced his legs apart.
The anger faded from her face momentarily as she took in his position, her eyes dragging up his form slowly in a way that made him feel as if he had been standing in the baking sun for hours uninterrupted.
Did she feel lonely? Was she trying to fill the hole in her life that her mother's departure had left, and using the backdrop of an old family legend to further his claims? He had heard of these sorts of bewitched swords before. They would transform or display their powers only under certain conditions.
“Izayoi,” he said quietly, focusing his gaze on her face, forcing her eyes to snap back up to his. “There's no need to try and fill -”
“It's not about that!” She snapped, turning her face away from him and staring at the ground. There was something else - something she didn't want to admit to him. Regardless, he wasn't about to let her throw her life away like this.
“Izayoi, you have no idea what you're trying to get yourself into,” he growled, one hand moving to clutch at the back of his neck, which was suddenly wrought with tension.
Her eyes followed the movement again, settling on the bulging muscle in his arm with a sort of hunger that made him want to shake some sense into her - or do something else entirely.
And then she processed his words and her face twisted in unhappiness, settling into another pout.
“I'm not trying to get myself into anything! I'm trying to get you into someone!”
He thanked whatever God resided above them that he hadn't been drinking anything because had he been, it would have just been spat out all over her.
“Excuse me?!”
Her face coloured as if she were surprised at her own audacity before she decided that she did indeed stand by her words and chose to simply raise an audacious brow at him.
“Are you aware of what you just said?” He gasped, one hand rubbing errantly over his thudding heart.
“Completely!” She said emphatically, a small smirk tugging at her mouth as she observed how visibly thrown off he was.
“Izayoi, listen to me,” he began, hands raised in caution as if he were afraid she would throw herself at him any moment, “I am so much older than you are.”
“I like older men!” She quipped without missing a beat and he had to resist the urge to groan loudly.
Touga knew that her level of stubbornness on this came partly from losing her mother, she was loath to let any feelings within her go unspoken. Humans were strange like that - they developed this tendency to ‘live every day like it was their last.’ Pointless, he thought, because he definitely was not going to allow Izayoi’s last day to be anytime soon.
“You're not understanding,” he continued softly, “by older I don't mean 5,10,15 years. Sesshomaru is probably older than your father, can you imagine what my age must be?”
She seemed to have missed the entire point of his statement.
“THE PIPSQUEAK? He's like 8?!”
She whipped around to stare at Sesshomaru, who was already staring back with a displeased look on his face.
“This Sesshomaru is not a pipsqueak, the fact that you would dare to refer to this one as such-”
“Physically, he looks like he's 8.” Touga interrupted, ignoring the affronted look on his son’s face.
Izayoi turned back to face him with an exasperated look on her face, her hands flying to her hips.
“I don't care about all of that! You can't deny that there's something here!” Her voice took a pleading note towards the end, her eyes boring into his as she dared him to pretend that he didn't feel what she did. She had no idea of what he felt.
Humans could not understand the feelings of demons. A daiyokai held the potential to love more deeply than any human could understand. There was no turning back, no separation, once he had truly given himself to someone, there would be no other. He didn't think she was prepared to deal with the reality of that. Her species was a flighty one, often changing their minds and were in possession of fickle hearts.
“Izayoi, I am 2000 years old.” He snarled, moving so he stood directly in front of her now delighting in the small gasp that tore from her throat at his sudden proximity.
“I. Don't. Care.” She hissed back, enunciating each word slowly and deliberately.
“You're going to stop this nonsense immediately.”
In retrospect, he should have known she would have said something like what she did. There was no way she would have taken that lying down and he could have kicked himself for not realizing it sooner.
“Make me.”
And then the most peculiar thing happened. He could suddenly feel the softness of her lips, something he had only thought of before, pressing into his own, her mouth sealed under his.
Oh no. Well this was going to prove to be problematic indeed.
Although he fully realized that this one decision of his would prove to muck up his entire life, he couldn't seem to take his goddamn mouth off of hers.
His body seemed to have a mind of its own as his arms wound around her, one hand tangling in the hair at the base of her neck to cement her form against his.
He felt as if he had been doused in ice water when her arms moved to grab at his hair. This couldn't be allowed to continue.
Tearing away from her, he took several large steps back, holding one hand out in a silent warning for her to stay away.
“That can't happen again,” he panted, watching as the hopefulness faded from her face to be replaced a deep hurt which quickly morphed into anger again.
“Aw, what's the matter?” She cooed in a falsely sugary tone and he felt his blood pressure begin to rise in anticipation of whatever stupid thing she was going to say. “Ran out of Viagra, old man? What's the dosage for that like for a 2000 year old anyways?”
Touga felt his spine stiffen in indignation and turned angry eyes to stare piercingly at her in response.
“What would a kid know about Viagra? Did they mention it in Teen Vogue?” He sneered, watching in secret delight as her smugness vanished immediately.
Part of him desired to show her just how little he needed something meant for impotent human males, but the larger half of him pointed out that, that was exactly the outcome he was trying to avoid here.
“Besides, I can not imagine why anyone would want to be rid of you, you're so … charming.” He snarled, hands clenching by his sides.
She glared at him angrily, choosing not to respond as she stomped off to sit at the opposite edge of the camp, staring off into the trees.
Touga’s gaze met Sesshomaru’s across the site, whose eyes were wide, and he immediately tore them away upon making eye contact.
Just great. This was exactly what he needed.
Growling angrily to himself, he stormed off towards the thicket of trees, thinking to distance himself from the woman sitting there staring at him.
He spent a while in the woods, simply pacing through the trees, struggling to contain the churning mass of emotions within him.
Did he have feelings for Izayoi? That much was obvious, of course he did. Just the thought of someone else so much as looking at her was enough to set his blood aflame. Just the thought of her hands on him was enough to do the same, albeit in a very different way.
Could he force Izayoi to a life with a demon? Not when he lov -
for her as he did.
There was a rustling in the trees behind him that caused him to whip about with a growl, fangs bared. And it was out of those trees that she arrived.
“Did you leave my son on his own?” Touga snarled, storming towards her in anger, impressed when she stood her ground.
“Your son is the one who sent me.” She snapped back, staring at him challengingly as if daring him to say anything further on the matter.
“What has he sent you here for?” He asked, turning his back on her and taking a few large steps away. He couldn’t think when she was so close to him, so soft and obviously willing. Fuck - he couldn’t afford to lose control. Not when one slip of his could serve to destroy her entire future. She was young and beautiful, her race could still recover from this apocalypse. She could have a future with a human man, one that would be snatched from her because she had been claimed by some horrific demon who claimed to love her and yet destroyed her with his own hand.
‘But the sword - it transformed for you, you fool. You are the one she was meant for.’
A large part of him hissed furiously. He was at war with himself, part of him insisted that he think of her and what she could have if he could simply control him, while another part of him roared at him to lay claim to what had so generously been given to them.
Despite the fact that even thinking about someone else making her happy, someone else kissing her the way he had, hurt more than he could describe - he had to bear that pain. For Izayoi’s sake, for the sake of her future.
“To discuss… us.” She said awkwardly, and he didn’t need to be looking at her to know that she was wringing her hands in front of her, one foot scuffing at the ground.
“There is no us.”
That was cold, he knew it. But that was the only way he could think of to show her that he wasn’t the one for her. A man that was so cold to her - she wouldn’t possibly be able to feel anything for someone like him.
She let out a cross between a gasp and a shriek of anger as she grabbed at his shoulder and forced him around to face her, moving so she stood pressed up against him, one finger poking into his chest.
“Liar, you’re a filthy liar… and a coward. You can’t pull your head out of your ass long enough to see what’s plain as day in front of you, YOU FUCKING COWARD!”
He didn’t know what came over him, but suddenly he was kissing her again. Holding her tightly up against him, trailing kisses down her throat, egged on by her throaty gasps and the sound of his name spilling from her lips like a prayer.
“I can’t do this, Izayoi.” he panted, dragging his mouth away from hers after what felt like a century.
“Touga,” she snarled, yanking on his hair to pull his attention back to her, “tell me honestly, do you have feelings for me?”
“Izayoi, I -”
“Yes or no! Tell me that you wouldn’t feel anything if I were to return to Takemaru’s side right now? He would welcome me with open arms, and there would be nothing stopping me from doing exactly as he wanted. That wouldn’t upset you? You would be absolutely fine with me bearing Takemaru’s children? Tell me, Touga, would you come to bless my son?”
“ENOUGH.”
He saw red. In that moment, imagining Izayoi settling down with Takemaru, making a little world for herself with him, with another man, was enough to cause his entire chest to seize painfully.
“It hurts, doesn’t it?” She whispered softly, her voice breaking on the words. “Imagining you with anyone else, anyone else coming close to you - it hurts me. It’s the same for you isn’t it?”
“OF COURSE IT IS, DAMN IT.” he roared, grabbing her by the shoulders to pull her close to him. “And what of it?! Because I can’t fucking deal with my feelings, you should waste your life tied to a demon?!”
Her eyes went incredibly wide for a moment before they lit up with a sort of rage that he had never seen before.
“Waste my life?! I want to be with you, Touga!” she yelled, banging her fists on his chest. “What the fuck about that is so hard for you to understand!?”
“You’re too young to comprehend what kind of commitment being with me is, Izayoi. Once you’re mine you will never have another. You will be mine with the same level of surety with which I will belong to you.”
He kept his eyes boring into hers, hoping she’d understand how serious he was. If he took her to be his now, that would be the end of it. If anyone else so much as glanced in her direction he would finish them.
“Are you trying to scare me off?” she whispered, fisting her hands in his clothing and tilting her head back so she could look him in the eyes.
“If anything, I should be asking you if you’re ready to spend your life stuck with an immature human who takes unimaginable pleasure in irritating you.”
He couldn’t help the smile that broke out over his face at her teasing tone when she lifted one hand to trail gently over his face, stopping to cup his cheek with a gentle look in her eyes.
“You’re all I will ever want,” she breathed, inching closer to him, her breathing becoming more erratic with every bit of distance she closed.
“I’ll never let you take that back,” he warned on a low growl, muscled arms finding their way around her slender waist and hauling her up against him, delighting in the small gasp that came from her at the sudden contact.
“I look forward to it,” she giggled, lips brushing against his teasingly as she tangled one of her hands in his hair.
“Are you sure you want to do this -”
“I’ll go easy on you old man, even without your pills, you sure you can keep up?”
With a snarl of irritation, he closed the remaining distance between them, sealing his mouth atop hers with a ferocity that thrilled her.
His hands moved to stroke down her back, and then lower still before he was forcing her up against the hardness of his form, giving a hiss of pleasure as he lifted her off the ground and she wound her legs tightly around his hips, pushing her core against him.
His mouth moved to nip at the sensitive flesh of her throat, and she gave a small cry of pleasure, her hands fisting in his hair and keeping his head pressed against her as she moved desperately against him again. Her hands found their way between their bodies, grasping him tightly through his clothing and a husky laugh escaped her when he snarled her name.
A smugness filled him when her laughter immediately faded when he pushed her back against a tree, using the leverage to grind into her. Her head dropped back against the bark of the trunk, her hands tugging at his shirt, pulling it up over his head before she ran her hands over his form, raking her nails teasingly over him. His own hands shifted, lowering her feet to the floor as he grappled with her t-shirt, tossing it aside somewhere once he finally managed to remove the garment. His claws fumbled with the button on her jeans and she laughed slightly, tossing her hair back out of her face as she made quick work of them before moving onto his own.
And then she was his.
Not an inch of her body went ignored by his roaming hands, a delighted squeal escaping her when he hooked his hands around her thighs, lifting them around him again.
Tongue and teeth replaced the areas his hands had ravished mere moments before, soft kisses soothing the sting of love bites as he finally whispered the words she had longed to hear.
“Old people are so stubborn.” she whispered teasingly, pressing her lips against the flesh of his chest, feeling his thundering heartbeat underneath.
He growled angrily, nipping at her ear in warning as she laughed gently.
And then suddenly she stopped laughing for a very different reason entirely.
“Oh!” she gasped in surprise, her eyes sliding shut, head falling into his shoulder at his sudden movement that had drawn him entirely into her.
“Go easy on the senior citizen,” he muttered, bracing his arms on either side of her as he drove into her with a thrust that made her moan loudly, dragging her nails over his back.
Boy, did he intend to show her just how well he could... keep up.
.
Epilogue
Everything had changed. Well everything except Sesshomaru - that kid was as annoying as ever. And truthfully, he couldn’t say he really minded. No longer did he spend his days wallowing in solitude, aching for the company of someone he could share himself with.
Izayoi had given him that. That and so much more. Her one smile was enough to light up a cloudy day, the sparkle of her eyes rivalling the gleam of the night’s full moon. Her body was as soft as the petals on the blossoms that marked the entry of spring, her voice as sweet as a summer fruit.
With each changing season, Izayoi brought him new joy, new reasons to smile and despite the fact that he wouldn’t allow for Izayoi’s ‘last day,’ to come any time soon, he was slowly learning to live each day ‘like it was his last.’
And by that he meant regularly informing the woman he had taken to be his wife of the love he held for her, a deep affection that he knew would transcend time itself.
So when Izayoi’s scent shifted, and she began to sleep more than she usually did, which was saying something considering the woman didn’t rise until quarter to noon in order to avoid being assigned any chores, he feigned surprise when she shyly informed him that she was expecting.
That he was going to be a father...again.
Speaking of which - how were they going to be keep Sesshomaru from murdering the child to establish his dominance? He could see it, almost as plain as day, and, frankly, he was frightened of his older son’s ability to shoot first, shoot a few more times, stamp on the corpse for a while and then, if he had any time to spare, ask questions.
After a night of hushed declarations of love, arms wound tightly around one another as they revelled in the creation of something so pure, something that was truly evidence of their bond, they set to think of breaking the news to his lordship.
It was a precarious situation considering that if done the wrong way it could lead to all of their deaths. That wasn’t to say Sesshomaru would harm Izayoi or the child while she carried it - oh no, he would much rather wait till the child had grown up and proceed to challenge him to a series of deathmatches no one but Sesshomaru really understood. Izayoi would most likely die from the stress of trying to keep the two of them separated and Touga most definitely did not intend to stick around long enough to have to try and intervene.
So it was with extreme trepidation that he approached his older son with Izayoi half hiding behind him.
“Sesshomaru,” he began wearily, attempting to inject a note of dominance into his voice to discourage any immediate mutiny. At least if Sesshomaru chose to exact his vengeance when his younger sibling reached maturity, it gave Touga adequate time to plan an escape route for his unborn pup. He thanked the gods regularly that Sesshomaru was his eccentric son and not a battle opponent, for when his time came, he would be a formidable one.
“Father, stop. This Sesshomaru must investigate something.” He held up a hand to his father before he stood, narrowing his eyes at Izayoi who squeaked slightly, slinking further behind Touga.
He approached her slowly, circling her slightly before he began to sniff the air around her. He stopped then and took a step back, eyes wide in surprise as he regarded the pair of them.
“Sessh-”
“Father have you brought this one another pet? And is it INSIDE of her this time?! Father, HOW WILL IT BREATHE?”
