The next morning, Lyra woke up to the sound of birds tweeting merrily. She felt her head resting on something. Opening her eyes, she saw Sesshomaru looking down at her. Their eyes locked and Lyra began to wonder if whatever happened the night before had been a dream or not. This wasn't the first she had woken up to find herself sleeping on his leg after all.

However, her doubts quickly vanished when he lifted his hand before brushing the backs of his fingers across her cheek. A deep blush heated her cheeks as she smiled faintly up at him.

"It wasn't a dream," she whispered.

She was unbelievably glad that his confession and the kiss weren't just figments of her imagination.

"No, it wasn't," he confirmed.

Rin and Jaken were still asleep making her question how early it was. If she hadn't slept for long, she still felt refreshed as if she had slept for 12 hours straight. Lyra sat up before turning to face him, her legs tucked under her as she pulled her hair over her shoulder. Sesshomaru suddenly grabbed hold of her wrist, pulling her towards him causing her to gasp in surprise. His lips crashed onto hers and butterflies instantly erupted in her stomach. The kiss was soft and gentle yet so fierce and full of passion, it ensured Lyra knew her place in front of the alpha male. A few seconds later, Sesshomaru pulled away and looked at her closely. Her eyes slowly opened, making contact with his before she let out a fake cough.

"Well, that was...quite a wake up call," she joked.

"Lyra," he called gently, brushing his thumb across her lips.

"Y-yes?" His touch sent shivers down her spine.

"It would be best if we kept this a secret," he started. "If others discover my feelings for you, they will use you against me."

Lyra's brows raised slightly in surprise. "Why is that?"

"I have enemies. Those who wish to destroy me but are too weak to do so will threaten your life to end me," he explained to her before drawing her closer. "You are my strength, Lyra. But also my weakness."

Lyra's gaze darted between his eyes, searching the farthest depths of those golden pools. She could see the severity of the situation and knew that this was something he perhaps regretted for it put her in danger. Being the oracle already had her targeted by Naraku but the newly formed bond between her and Sesshomaru would make her the target of other demons. With a simple nod, she put on a smile.

"I understand. I won't even tell Kagome," she said. "But what about Rin and Jaken?"

"We shall keep it hidden from them. I doubt I will be able to hold back my affections for you for long, however." Sesshomaru held her hand and kissed it.

Lyra smiled shyly and giggled. "Since when did you become so charming?"

"Meaning?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Nothing, nothing," she shook her head before leaning forward and pecking the corner of his lips. "I'll be right back."

Before he could stop her, she got up and went towards the sound of rushing water. There was a river nearby. Kneeling down on the bank, she dipped her hands in and cupped some water in her hands before splashing it on her face. She cupped some more water and looked down at her reflection. She could see the happiness in her own eyes. How she didn't know the extent of her feelings for Sesshomaru until last night was beyond her. She had only been there for just over a couple of weeks but a lot had happened.

"Lyra."

She gasped at the sudden call of her name and dropped the water from her hands back into the river. Turning around, she saw Sesshomaru standing there with Rin. She was gripping onto his leg but when she saw Lyra, she let go and ran over to her. Lyra grabbed her in a hug as the girl wrapped her arms around her neck. Rin was upset, gripping onto Lyra as tight as she could.

"What's wrong?" Lyra asked quietly, looking up at Sesshomaru.

"She had a bad dream," he answered. "She wanted you."

She nodded once in understanding as she rubbed Rin's back to comfort her. Sesshomaru returned back to their little campsite, leaving Lyra to deal with Rin. She dreamt of the wolves that had attacked her village, chasing and killing her before Sesshomaru brought her back to life. Lyra couldn't possibly imagine what that must have been like. She couldn't even fathom the fear and pain she would have felt.

For the rest of the day, Rin was stuck to Lyra like glue. When they travelled, Lyra sat with her on top of A-Un as well, which she never usually did just for her sake. The day itself was pretty uneventful, apart from the few demons who made the mistake of getting in Sesshomaru's way.

Neither he nor Lyra had spoken much at all. To Rin and Jaken, nothing was different. Sesshomaru was his usual stoic self, not really caring about what the others were talking about. And Lyra mainly focused on Rin, spending the day cheering her up and keeping her mind off the nightmare. When night had fallen, Rin lay her head on Lyra's legs and fell asleep like every other previous night. However, when Lyra would try to move away, Rin would hold onto her legs since she was scared. Lyra didn't mind, deciding to stay with her so she could have a proper sleep but Sesshomaru was another story. He sat beside her once Jaken had fallen asleep before gazing at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"You're babying her."

Lyra raised a brow. "She's scared. I can't just leave her alone," she said as she stroked Rin's hair.

"What do you expect her to do if she has a nightmare whenever you go through the well?"

"She can learn then but right now, I'm here. And I want to help as much as I can," she replied with a warm smile. Sesshomaru then proceeded to just stare at her in silence, making her feel awkward. "What?"

"You have no obligation to this place yet you still remain. Even after discovering you are the oracle, you chose to stay. Why?"

He wanted to understand why she was being so selfless. Sacrificing everything from her own world to help them. He knew about her vision of what would happen if she left but that shouldn't have stopped her from leaving. It wouldn't have affected her. Lyra's smile widened slightly as she looked down at Rin sleeping peacefully on her lap.

"For Rin. For Jaken. For you." She lifted her head to smile softly at him. "I will have to go back one day but I'll always return. I was brought here for a reason. You are my link to this world. I believe even after Naraku is defeated, I will continue to stay here...with you."

Sesshomaru was taken aback by her answer although he didn't express it. It pleased him to know that she was willing to remain by his side and she had chosen her own path to take.

"But, Sesshomaru, may I ask you something?" She looked concerned, diverting her gaze to the grass.

He could sense the sudden tension she was feeling. "What is it?"

"It's just...I've been trying to see the future. Our future. But I'm not getting any visions," she began before sighing quietly. "I'm human. A mortal. If I'm not killed or die of a disease, I'll soon be taken by old age and I-"

"Don't speak of such things," he said abruptly.

She looked at him. "But-"

"I will not speak of it," he cut her off again. His eyes were narrowed and eyebrows knitted together in anger. "Our journey has only begun and you speak of the day I will be helpless."

Before she could respond to apologise, Sesshomaru got up and walked away from her. She sighed quietly, feeling guilty for bringing up such a sensitive topic but it was something they would have to speak about eventually. She didn't want it to happen, but eventually the day would come when she would no longer be around. Her lifespan was a simple spec against his own. She just wanted to know what his plan was after she was gone so that she could help him prepare for that moment. Sighing again, she looked down at Rin and smiled sadly.

***

A few hours had gone by and Sesshomaru still had not returned. Lyra had managed to get Rin off her lap, using her old clothes to cushion her head. She sat and waited for him at the base of a tree, her knees bent and her arms wrapped around her legs. She didn't realize how much what she said had upset him. Mentally, she was tired but she couldn't bring herself to fall asleep until he got back.

Resting her cheek on her knees was a bad idea. The moment she relaxed, she began to doze off and it was a struggle to keep her eyes open. She tried to force her eyes to stay open but her eyelids became heavy. She lifted her head and shook it to force herself to stay awake, however even then her eyes kept closing.

"Lyra."

Her eyes shot open and she saw Sesshomaru standing in front of her. Tilting her head up to look at him, she stood up and rubbed her eyes.

"Where were you?" she asked, dropping her arms to her side.

"Nowhere." His eyes nor his voice gave anything away.

Sighing quietly, she dropped her head. "Okay."

She turned away from him but was stopped when he grabbed her wrist. Pulling her towards him, she let out a quiet gasp as her hands rested against his armour. His eyes bore into hers deeply to the point she was frightened. Surely he could see into her soul. He said nothing. The blood rushed to her cheeks and it took everything in her not to look away from him. It felt like hours went by before he finally spoke.

"Do not make the mistake of repeating those words. Do you understand?" he spoke, his voice deep and serious.

All she could do was nod slowly, too afraid to make any sudden movements. His hand travelled to her chin, tilting her head more up to him as he leaned down to her. The beating of her heart sped up and it pounded hard inside her chest. She just wished he would just kiss her already and get it over with instead of making her feel so anxious.

"Go to sleep now," he said as he drew away from her.

She felt a little gobsmacked at the cheek of what he did. Sesshomaru could see the look in her eyes, the look of disappointment. It was rather amusing. Just to him, of course.

She became all flustered. "B-But-"

"You're tired, Lyra."

She let out a little huff. "Well, I surely can't sleep now."

"Why not?" he asked, raising a brow.

She suddenly felt shy and looked down, her fingers dipped over the top edge of his armour. "I wanted a kiss," she admitted quietly. "I mean, I've only been waiting for it all day."

"Lyra," he called her name in a low tone, sending shivers down her spine as she lifted her head. "I have been waiting for you for 200 years."

Her lips parted in shock, her eyes glued to his own with sadness pooled within them. It must have been such a lonely life, yet she was sure his 200+ years were equivalent to about 20 human years. Still, she couldn't imagine what it would be like to be alone for so long.

"Many have tried to be the one at my side," he continued. "But they all failed. My quest for power was my priority and none were worthy, unable to give me what I need. Yet you have managed to steal my heart in a matter of weeks."

At that point, Lyra thought her heart was going to explode. She was certain that Sesshomaru was able to hear it easily. He moved his hand to her cheek, stroking his thumb across her skin before moving it to the back of her neck, his thumb pushing against her jawline until her head was practically tilted back completely. He towered over her, his eyes peering deeply into hers.

"You will be mine for eternity. My mate. I will marry you and have children with you. I will find a way for you to live with me here. The only thing I ask from you is to say yes."

"Yes," she said immediately.

She breathed out shakily. She couldn't deny that his dominance was overwhelming. Nothing much had to be done yet she could sense it overpowering her. Before she could say anything else, Sesshomaru dipped his head lower and captured her lips with his own. Her eyes fluttered closed as their lips moved slowly against one another's. She could count the number of times they've kissed on one hand yet they were both addicted to the other's touch and taste. His lips parted from hers and she wasn't ready for it, quietly whimpering much to his entertainment. But his lips then trailed down to her jawline causing even more whimpers to escape. Her head was still tilted back and so exposed her neck completely. Sesshomaru brushed his lips down to her throat before kissing the side of her neck. Her hands were clutching to his armour from fear that her legs would fail her but Sesshomaru had moved his arm around her waist to secure her to him knowing he would not have to hold her head back anymore. Lyra felt her face become hot as his teeth grazed against her skin teasingly before he bit down on her neck. She gasped loudly and flinched from the pleasurable pain, biting her lower lip to stop herself from whimpering any louder than she already was. Sesshomaru found pleasure from hearing the noise escaping her throat, but this was just a tease and he had left his mark. Pulling away, he looked at her face closely. Her eyes were still closed and he could see the blush on her cheeks as she continued to bite down on her lip.

"Are you satisfied?" he spoke quietly against her lips.

She slowly opened her eyes and whispered, "Very."

Pecking her lips softly one more time, he stood back and removed his armour. Something she had never seen him do before since arriving. Sesshomaru's armour was always on him, just like the swords on his waist. Placing the armour against the side of the tree, he sat down crossing his legs before leading Lyra to sit in his lap. She couldn't help but blush deeply as he wrapped his arm around her waist. It felt as though they had done this hundreds of times before. It didn't feel awkward at all. Laying her head down on his chest, she gently nuzzled into him and relaxed. She didn't realise how tired she was until she closed her eyes. His body was so warm. She could feel his warmth through the material of his attire, adding to her own comfort.

"Sleep well, my beloved."

A soft smile spread across her lips, her hand gently clutching onto his clothes as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

There were no bad dreams or nightmares that night. All Lyra could see was the joy after the defeat of Naraku. She could see herself with Sesshomaru in front of a castle of some sort with cherry blossom trees letting loose the pink petals, which surrounded them. Then she could hear the sound of a baby crying.

"Mikazuki," she heard her own voice echo.

Something touched her cheek at that point and she opened her eyes, coming face to face again with the real world. The first thing she saw was Rin crouching over her with her big eyes making her jump slightly in surprise.

"Rin, you're up," Lyra stated obviously as she sat up.

"Mhm," Rin nodded with a smile before standing. "The rest of us woke up a while ago but Lord Sesshomaru didn't want to leave until you woke up."

Lyra looked around and noticed she had been sleeping on the grass. Sesshomaru had moved her before Jaken and Rin woke up to avoid their curious minds. He stood a little away from them whilst Jaken sorted out A-Un.

"You weren't waking up for ages so he told me to wake you up," Rin continued with a giggle.

Lyra sweat dropped. "Sorry. I was having a really nice dream."

"I know. You were smiling."

Lyra laughed before stretching her arms to get rid of the tiredness in her muscles. Despite being woken up early, she felt refreshed and satisfied with her sleep. As she brushed her hair back, Rin blinked in curiosity as she peered closer at Lyra's neck.

She gasped loudly. "There's a bruise on your neck! You've been hurt!"

Lyra's eyes widened, completely forgetting about the bite from Sesshomaru the night before. She didn't realise it had left such a noticeable mark. She pulled her hair over to that side of her neck to hide it as her cheeks turned bright red. Taking a quick glance at Sesshomaru, she could see the amused smirk on his lips and literally feel the smugness radiating off of him. She lightly glared at him before looking back at Rin.

"It's nothing. I'm sure it will go soon," Lyra shrugged before standing up. "It was probably a bug."

Rin stood and ran over to Sesshomaru. "Lord Sesshomaru, Lyra's been hurt!"

Jaken huffed in annoyance. "She'll survive. Now let's get going!" He suddenly cowered when Sesshomaru glared at him.

Sesshomaru then glanced back at Lyra. "Does it hurt?"

"No..."

"Very well. Are you ready to go?"

Lyra nodded stiffly before she walked towards the group. It was only then that Sesshomaru commenced on his way. Jaken frowned as he looked up at Lyra from the corner of his eyes, His eyebrows creased. Something wasn't right.

'In all my years of service, Lord Sesshomaru's never asked me if I'm ready! So, what makes her so special!?' He groaned in disapproval to himself and continued walking. 'Has she cast a spell on my Lord? I have to find out.'

Rin skipped happily, trailing a little bit behind but Lyra kept her eyes on her to make sure she didn't stay back too far. She smiled at the little girl's carefree attitude and it was nice to see her back to her normal self. She then thought about the dream she had. Could it have been a vision of their future or was it just a dream? Either way, it made her happy. She looked at Sesshomaru walking ahead of her and she couldn't help but blush lightly. When she first arrived, she never would have thought that they would ever get to that point. It was only coming up to three weeks. It seemed like such a short amount of time to start falling in love with someone she had met just less than three weeks ago. Yet it was such a long time to be away from home.

"Um, Sesshomaru?" Lyra called out to him before reaching his side to look at him.

His eyes focused on her. "What is it?"

"I forgot to tell you that Kagome and I have planned to return to the future. We discussed it when I was with her and we decided on tomorrow," she told him. "It completely slipped my mind until just now. But since things are quiet with Naraku, it would be the best time."

Sesshomaru looked away from her again. "For how long?"

Lyra focused her eyes ahead and shrugged lightly. "Not long. I just need to explain my disappearance to my father, sort things out at work and perhaps bring a few things back with me. So, I would say about a week. Maybe longer depending on how things go."

"I see," was all he said.

Rin suddenly caught up to Lyra and held her hand. "You'll be gone for so long," she said sadly.

Lyra smiled down at her. "Yes, but once I sort things out over there, I can stay here for longer." She then looked back at Sesshomaru. "Is that okay?"

Sesshomaru didn't respond to her straight away. As much as he didn't enjoy the fact she had to go away, he knew he couldn't just keep her there for his own selfish reasons. At least she would return eventually. Lyra peered at him, leaning her head forward to take a closer look at his expression. He gave nothing away as usual. With a quiet sigh a few moments later, she returned to facing ahead.

"I will escort you to the well tomorrow," Sesshomaru said suddenly.

Lyra's head quickly turned to him in surprise before she smiled brightly. "Thank you!"

She couldn't wait to go back and tell her father of all her adventures.