Just Another Lemon

The taiyoukai of the West was sitting, appearing very much in a meditative state, on the cool rock floor of his warded cave. His eyes, however, were riveted to a spot just above the head of one, very unconscious, miko.

Kagome, completely oblivious to the world around her while she slumbered, was snuggled deeply into the furs on the pallet. The rise and fall of her chest were accompanied by her soft, even breaths.

With the onna sleeping so soundly, Sesshomaru had both the time and the silence required to let his mind wander, and his thoughts were completely centered around only one thing...Kagome. He found himself not only contemplating the circumstances of their current situation, but also how it was that she had so completely captured his attention.

When he had first met her, she was merely an annoyance. An ally to his idiot brother, who just happened to look...pleasing, for a human. He had thought little of or about her, other than to consider her somewhat daft for following the hanyou into danger, and for standing against himself.

Over time, and due to the many instances he found himself in her presence, she had won his begrudging respect for her fire and determination, even in the face of peril, along with her complete loyalty to her friends, though the companions she kept were certainly questionable.

He had watched from a distance as her power had grown, and her will strengthened. He had also been an unfortunate (and generally unknown) spectator on more than one occasion when they hanyou had betrayed her in some manner or shown her less than her due respect. And yet, her loyalty had never wavered.

He had also seen her kindness. Her care for the young kitsune who seemed to regard her as a mother figure had been quite a surprising revelation, though, he supposed as a taiyoukai with a young, human ward, he should not be making any rash judgements. But she did care for the kit, and many others. She seemed not to care for labels. Human, youkai, hanyou...peasant or noble. She seemed to judge each separately, based on her own experience and their individual actions, with complete disregard to race, beauty, wealth, or station. He knew of no other who did as much.

She had, within a single year, garnered enough of his focus to become nearly an obsession, and he had found himself purposely seeking out his brother to 'fight', merely for the chance to gain more knowledge of her. She had become his own, personal puzzle, and after three years, he had still not managed to fit all the pieces together in any manner of completion.

It had been during one of his ridiculous 'play fights' with Inuyasha that he had learned of her true origins. A slip of the tongue by her kit, wondering if, in the future, siblings were still inclined to fight. The comment had been directed to Kagome specifically, and they way the kit phrased the question had drawn Sesshomaru's full attention from the battle with his brother, nearly costing him another limb. Luckily, the hanyou had not been in top form that day.

Kagome, realising the implications of what Shippo's question might mean for her secret, jumped between the brothers. She had 'sat' Inuyasha, and directed her full attention to himself, trying feebly to create a cover-up for the kit's accidental revelation. At the time, he had allowed her to think he believed her lies.

It was many months later, after a tentative truce had been issued so that Rin and Shippo could enjoy each other's company, that he had managed to coax the truth from her. In a rare good mood, the taiyoukai had been somewhat pleasant to the group, and Kagome had let down her guard enough to answer his burning questions about her past...or, perhaps, it could be called the future. She told him of the well and the 500 year span she traveled, though she let him know very little of what that future world was like. Perhaps not wanting to cause her reason to avoid further conversations with himself, he had not pressed her to go into detail.

And there also remained the question of why she had given him back his left arm. He knew full well that it had been her doing, though she denied it. It had been the first time she had asked if the children could spend time together, and since it had worked out rather well, he had allowed subsequent 'playdates' as she called them. In fact, that situation was one of the reasons he allowed his ward Shippo's company on the day he had learned of her travels.

But he knew that it had been her power that returned his missing limb. Even if he had not been able to discern that she was hiding the truth when she denied knowledge of it, he still would have known. The very second he felt the power, he knew. Like a scent or an aura, power of any kind contained signatures individual to its master. Having felt the flares of hers on several occasions, he had recognized it immediately. He wondered briefly if she would ever admit to her actions, or let him know what had instigated them.

Was it possible that she had come to care for him that long ago, even before he had realised that he cared for her?

Did she care for him, now?

He growled softly, realising that he did not know the answer. In most cases, it was easy for him to discern what others were thinking or feeling, as it had been ingrained into his being to do so. The ability to know one's enemies' thoughts, to anticipate their actions, could win or lose a battle.

But with her, it was hardly possible. The girl seemed to emote more than any other creature he had ever met, and he found it difficult to sift through her expressions as she switched emotions at light-speed.

It was completely possible that she harbored some form of dis-like for him. After all, in the past, he had tried (albeit unsuccessfully) to kill her. He had injured the hanyou she seemed so attached to on multiple occasions, and by more than just physical means.

He had also pinned her to an elm tree and threatened, wordlessly, to take her virginity from her without her consent. He cursed himself silently for that, because it was something he knew he could have prevented. However, at the time, he hadn't exactly been thinking rationally, though he was not delusional enough to believe that was any kind of good excuse for his actions. The simple truth was, when his heat had begun, she was the only creature he could think of. Secretly, he had coveted her for nearly a year. At the onset of his season, that desire had been enflamed, and unfortunately, it had caused him to act in a rather unbecoming manner.

And he knew, now, that her consent at the time had been given because she was afraid of what would happen if she fought him on it. When he had first chased and caught her after killing the bothersome oni, she had radiated fear.

At first, he thought it was simply an after-effect of the time she had spent with the disgusting group of youkai he had freed her from, but after a few moments, he had realised it was directed at him. It had struck him as odd, since he had never felt such fear from her, directed at himself, before. Most likely, since she obviously knew about demon heats, she had thought that, like beings of a lower caliber of his own, he was completely lacking control at the time and would have ruined her savagely had she struggled.

Now, he was doubting himself, questioning his actions. What would have happened, he wondered, had he merely come to her and asked for her consent? If she had not known of his position at the time, would she have given it? Was she remaining with him now because she thought there was no other choice? Or, heaven help him, because as the selfless creature she was, that she would rather sacrifice her body to him than see him suffer his heat without a rutting partner?

"Damn!" he hissed out into the blue-lit cave. It was probably the last. The onna was too self-sacrificing for her own good, and for his. But what was the point of wondering? Was it not enough that she was here now, allowing him his desire to have her body? Was it simply her body that he craved? Well, he certainly did crave her body, apparently. He could feel his loins stirring at the mere thought of her, naked and offering herself to him. No other before had ever had such an effect on him.

It was not just her body that had captured his attention, though. She was not the most beautiful female he had ever seen, but there was something more that drew him to her. Something like...'everything about her,' his mind supplied.

So, could he be content with this one-time tryst? He snorted derisively. Of course not. He had known that even before he found her, fighting in the arms of the oni that had captured her.

So, what could he do about it? Certainly, even if she was not staying with him completely willingly, she was at least enjoying their coupling. That much was obvious. But, did she enjoy it enough to want to continue in his presence after his heat had ebbed? How could he ensure that she would?

Well, there were a few options. It was a slim possibility that she would become pregnant as a result of their intercourse, though he had noticed that she did not smell fertile. That would certainly ensure their continued close association. Or, he could mate her.

The very thought caused a shiver down his spine, though he was unsure if it was from pleasure or trepidation. Either way, mating her would require her consent, and that was the underlying problem to begin with. There was no sense in pondering such a thing without knowing her mind in the first place.

Drawn from his thoughts by a soft rustling, his gaze focused on the object of his current attention as she shifted in the bed. One, dangerously long leg peeked out from under the covers as she moved, brushing against the lumpy yellow bag perched near the side of the bed with enough force to topple it over.

The bag, previously sitting perfectly silent next to the pallet, fell over with a soft 'thump', then suddenly seemed to spring to life. Startled, Sesshomaru stared at the bag for several moments, trying to figure out what manner of creature had managed to slip within his wards in it's contents.

Realising there was no aura emitting from the yellow pack, though a soft whirring noise continued to eminate from it, his curiosity caused him lean over and pick the bag up. Opening the ties that held it closed, he peered inside. Whatever was making the noise, was apparently near the bottom, as he could not see anything on top that seemed to be making any sound.

Cautiously, he began pulling items out one by one, digging his way down through it to find the perpitrator of the strange noise. Medical and bathing supplies were the first items out, and he piled them on the floor near his feet before delving back into the bag. The next few pieces were all normal looking garments, but below them he found four more outfits similar to the red thing she had been wearing the previous night. He examined each in turn, trying to picture how they would look on her petite frame. The last he looked at was a sheer, white fabric, and trimmed, much to his titillation, in an amazingly soft, white fur. He set that one aside, planning to have her model it for him later.

He peeked into the bag once more, and his eyebrows furrowed together, unsure what to make of the rest of the items in the bottom of the bag. The first that drew his attention was the noisemaker, and much to his surprise, he noted that it oddly resembled his own penis, though it was smaller and of an odd, purple color. Reaching in to pull it out for further examination, he nearly dropped it as it vibrated against his hand. At least he knew now what was causing the noise, he thought. Whatever made the thing quiver must also be the source of the sound.

One eyebrow quirked high, a devilish smirk lit his face as he deduced its intended use. 'And she says I'm a hentai?' he mused. Finding one end of the fake phallus to be made of a different material than the rest, he looked closely at it and realised that it moved. Turning it slightly, the thing began vibrating at an accelerated pace. Curious, he turned it in the opposite direction, and the noise and movement stopped all together. His head cocked to the side as he imagined what Kagome would do if he used it on her in the manner he assumed it was meant for.

"Hn."

Setting the strange, artificial sex organ down, he pulled the other items out of the bag and lined them up on the cave floor for inspection. None of them seemed to be things he would generally think of the miko owning, and most of them seemed to be meant for some kind of sexual pleasure.

Among them were a few things not unfamiliar. A second pair of the fur-covered 'handcuffs', a whip, though it actually had not one, but nine cords, and what he surmised was a blindfold of sorts. There were also three bottles, similar to the ones for her 'shampoo' and 'conditioner', each labeled as 'Motion Lotion' of different flavors. 'It heats up when blown on', the packaging read. Another 'Hn' echoed into the cave. Strawberry, Wild Cherry, and Passion Fruit. There was also a bottle marked 'Chocolate Syrup', but the shape and texture was very different from the previous three. He sniffed at it cautiously, and decided the smell was a pleasant one.

Besides these, there was a strange, cone-shaped object made of the same material as the vibrating phallus, though this thing had no moving parts. At its base, the material spread and flattened into a disk shape. Next, he examined two small, odd shaped items. They were hard, but moved if he pressed down on the opened ends. Accidentally, his fingers slipped from one as he was looking at it, and it snapped shut, clamping down on one of his fingers. Removing the annoying trap from his person, he tossed them carelessly back on the floor and moved on to the next item. A long, black stick adorned on one end with three, long, soft feathers. He brushed the feathers along his left forearm to enjoy the texture, and found himself remembering a time when Rin had found a goose feather and used it to torment Jaken.

The last item was a thin, leather strap. In its center rested a small, somewhat pliant pink ball. The ends of the strap each had a fastening device that appeared to clip together, as if the ball was meant to be worn as a necklace, though it would make a rather ugly embellishment.

Carefully, he re-packed all the items, with the exceptions of the objects from the bottom of the bag and the white outfit, back into the ugly, yellow canvas. Sitting back down in his original position, he resumed his blank stare at the spot above the sleeping miko's head and waited for her to awaken. It would seem, he had a few questions for her to answer.