After thanking Kaede for all her help, Sesshomaru and Lyra left the village to return to Rin and Jaken. Night had fallen and Lyra was feeling a lot better, the initial weakness being diminished thanks to the soup. She had refused Sesshomaru’s request to carry her seeing as she would have to get her strength back and not rely on him so much. He knew he would have to take extra precautions now.

He would do everything in his power to make sure she was never left alone again. Part of him wished to send her back to her own time where she would be safe, but he knew the consequences of her leaving. Plus, he would long for her and he couldn’t stay away from her for so long. She was due to return to her home soon anyway as agreed with Kagome.

Lyra glanced up at Sesshomaru, noticing how quiet he was. Well, he was quiet anyway, only speaking when needed, but he seemed as though he was completely lost in thought. She gently took hold of his hand, intertwining their fingers together causing him to look down at her.

“Is everything okay, Sesshomaru?” she asked softly.

He stopped walking, causing her to stop beside him with a worried frown on her face. There was definitely something wrong. Sesshomaru continued to stare ahead, trying to think of the best possible way to explain what he wanted to say without upsetting Lyra. A small gust of wind blew passed them, the only thing breaking the silence between them as they stood on a large field.

“Sesshomaru?”

He sighed quietly and looked at her. He was unsure on how to express his desires. Frankly, they had not been together for very long though he did not doubt that she was indeed his mate and always would be. Even demons did not rush into relationships and then straight into marriage. It was usually arranged so that the bloodline would remain pure. He knew for a fact his mother would not like his choosing, especially since she was human. But even if she was a demon, his mother would still not approve of her because she wouldn’t be part of a certain family lineage. A demon from a family that matched theirs in class and authority would only be suitable to be his life partner...in his mother’s eyes. But forcing her to be a demon was not something he was going to make her do. He wouldn’t know where to begin. Sesshomaru wondered what his mother would think of his choice. He just hoped-

“Sesshomaruuu? Sesshy?” Lyra called him out of his thoughts, waving her hand on front of his face.

He blinked, looking at her incredulously. “What did you call me?”

She giggled. “Sesshy,” she repeated. “Is that a problem?” He didn’t answer her. ‘Typical.’ “Well? What’s wrong?”

“Lyra, will you marry me?”

“What?!” Lyra gasped, her eyes widening in complete and utter shock.

Hearing those words was definitely not what she was expecting. Part of her thought she was daydreaming or that she misheard him. Her heart felt as though it had jumped into her throat.

“Lyra,” he held onto her hand, bringing it up to his lips before placing a kiss on it, which helped her relax a little. Just a little. He continued, “I have no doubt you are my soulmate and I would have it no other way. I wish to make you mine in all forms and that can only be done after marriage.” As he explained the last part, Lyra's face flushed a deep red before he carried on. “That way others will know you are mine and will not dare to touch you. For if they do, they will suffer the most painful death.”

Lyra took in a deep breath before sighing out. Her heart was beating hard and fast. “Sesshomaru-"

“Please, Lyra,” he spoke softer as he gently squeezed her hand. “I want to spend my life with you. My father asked me before his death if I had someone to protect.” His voice was full of emotion, which Lyra had never heard before and so she listened. “I told him I had no need to protect anyone. And now,” his voice had lowered slightly, his tone sounding a little deeper as he leaned down to press his forehead against hers. “Now I have someone I want to protect. My heart yearns for you when you are not with me. When I was searching for you, I was angry for failing you. I realise I took you for granted. Nothing is worth anything without you. Nothing is worth losing you.”

She smiled, not realising that tears had spilled down her cheeks as she heard him speak. Her heart was fluttering as the smile brightened her entire face. They kept their foreheads together as Lyra reached both her hands up and held the sides of his neck, her thumbs gliding against his jawline. He didn’t want to wipe away the tears for they showed her joy and he couldn’t help the small curve of his lips as he smiled softly at her.

“I will marry you, Sesshomaru,” she whispered.

His arm had secured itself around her waist, pulling her into him as he tilted his head to capture her lips with his own. They shared the most passionate kiss, the warm breeze twirling around them as the billions of stars in the Milky Way glittered beautifully. Their lips slowly parted but their faces remained close, their eyes gazing into each other’s.

“I love you,” Sesshomaru hummed.

“I love you, too,” she responded before pecking his lips. “This was all so sudden. I wasn’t expecting this at all. We only declared our love not even two months ago.”

He brought his hand up, stroking his thumb over her cheek. “Lyra, my beloved, anything worthy should not be delayed. And that is why I want you to meet my mother.”

Her smile dropped, instantly being filled with panic. “Your- Y-your m-mother?”

“We will need her blessing.”

“What if she doesn’t like me? I’m a human.”

“Lyra,” he sighed quietly. “Either way, she will give us her blessing.”

“I don’t want to cause any problems...”

“She will love you. I promise.”

She breathed out shakily. “Okay. When?”

“We do not have to go immediately.” He held her hand and kissed her palm. “Let us enjoy our time alone while we can.” Lyra smiled and gave a nod before Sesshomaru continued. “I am not familiar with human custom when asking one for marriage. I apologise if I have offended you in anyway.”

She shook her head. “It was beautiful and perfect the way it was. I wouldn’t change it for anything. Humans usually give a ring as a symbol. The woman wears it on her finger-" she pointed at her ring finger, “-to show others they are soon-to-be married.”

Sesshomaru listened to the strange human custom and gave a nod. “I will bear that in mind. Now come.”

Before Lyra could even say anything, he bent down, wrapped his arm around her thighs and slung her over his shoulder. She let out a quiet yelp as he flew up into the air. It was quite relaxing. Watching the horizon behind them as the stars lit up the sky. She relaxed, snuggling into his cape of fur. She still couldn’t quite believe that Sesshomaru had asked to marry her. Yes, she was nervous about meeting his mother and she was shit scared about telling her father. It was a hasty decision, however her father had made a rash decision for her to marry a complete stranger because of some pact from two generations ago. But at the end of it all, she was making the right decision. Everything about Sesshomaru was right.

Sesshomaru looked ahead at the sky. Dark clouds were forming and they wouldn’t make it back to Rin and Jaken in time. The last thing he wanted was for Lyra to suffer in the storm. He spotted a cave on a cliff side and swooped down. Lyra noticed the change and lifted her head slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“A storm is approaching.”

He landed with her in the cave and checked to see there were no lurking demons before setting her down on her feet. She looked around the fairly spacious cave.

“Very cosy.” She turned to face him again. “What about Rin and Jaken?”

“They will be fine, I assure you.”

Lyra went to the cave entrance and looked out. “It doesn’t look like it's gonna rain.”

As if on cue, a flash of lightning lit up the sky before the rain heavily fell in front of her causing her to jump back slightly and bump into Sesshomaru who was standing right behind her. The downpour was torrential and Lyra could feel the splatter of the raindrops as they bounced off the ground. She looked up at Sesshomaru to see a smug smirk on his face making her huff slightly in embarrassment.

She let out an awkward cough. “I’m going to build a fire.”

With that excuse, she went to look for whatever she could find to make a fire. After a few minutes with Sesshomaru’s help, they were sitting by a small yet cosy fire. Sesshomaru had his back against the wall with Lyra sat between his legs, her back to his chest. He had taken off his armour and his swords, leaving them to one side. His arm was wrapped around her stomach, his chin resting on the top of her head. Lyra found it extremely relaxing with the warmth of the fire and Sesshomaru’s body heat, their scenery being the heavy curtain of rain hiding their cave. The storm was quite a big one so they would have to stay there for the whole night. Not that either of them minded. It was what they both needed.

There was silence between the two. Although, nothing needed to be said. Lyra closed her eyes, listening to the rain and the crackling of the fire. Occasionally, she felt Sesshomaru place soft pecks on her head making her smile softly. Slowly, his lips travelled down to the side of her neck and shoulder and she tilted her head to the side to allow him more access. Her lips parted ever so slightly as she breathed out in content. Soon, she felt his teeth graze against her skin before he bit down gently and sucked on her tender flesh. She couldn’t stop the quiet moan from escaping her lips, her right hand going over his and pushing her fingers between his as her other hand went to his thigh, clutching onto it gently.

“Sesshomaru...” she moaned.

The way she called his name made his insides burn with hunger. Hunger for her. But he was able to control it only wishing to treat her. He kissed her neck deeper, causing her to breathe out shakily as she tilted her head back. He turned her body until her side was against him, his kisses spreading down to her collarbone. Her hand glided over his chest as she grasped onto his kimono.

She blushed deeply as another moan escaped. “Lord Sesshomaru...”

Sesshomaru’s body hitched at her words and Lyra could feel it. He moved his lips away and lifted his head to look at her face. As she opened her eyes, she stared into his own afraid that she ruined the moment. But the colour of his eyes had deepened.

“My foolish woman. You should not have said that.”

His voice was dark and much deeper. But a second later, Lyra let out a quick yelp of surprise as Sesshomaru pinned her to the ground. His body hovered over hers, using his one arm to hold him up. His usually pristine placed hair now fell over his shoulder, surrounding them but Lyra could only focus on his eyes. She had never seen such a strong desire.

“I-"

She was cut off as Sesshomaru crashed his lips into hers. Everything after that seemed like a blur but neither of them would be able to forger a single moment of it. It all had happened so fast but they both wouldn’t have had it any other way. (The lemon for this is in the next chapter.)

It was still night out, the storm still raging and showing no signs of slowing. The fire still continued to cast an amber ambience in the cave, the light and warmth basking over the two lovers. Sesshomaru’s kimono blanketed the ground beneath them as he lay on his back, Lyra snuggled into his side with her head resting on his chest. They were both still naked, her legs tangled with his as her hand laid on his chest, her fingertips calmly brushing across his skin. It was the first time she saw where Inuyasha had cut off his left arm but it didn’t matter to her. Sesshomaru was still the definition of perfection.

His talons gently raked across her bare arm, his touch as light as a feather as he breathed in her scent. The pheromones in the air smelled of their sex and the love and passion it held for them. Lyra was now permanently marked as his mate. He knew he should have waited until after their marriage but he couldn’t control himself until then. Neither could Lyra. Although it was quite sudden, she knew she was ready. The atmosphere, their passion, their desire. It was all perfect and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“Lyra...” he breathed out. She hummed in response, signalling for him to continue. “I hope I did not hurt you too much.”

She nuzzled her face into his chest a little. “It hurt. But it was a good hurt.”

He relaxed at her words. “Sleep now, my beloved. We will leave after sunrise.”

“Okay.” She cosied into him a bit more and kissed his chest. “I love you.”

Sesshomaru moved his hand to place it over hers and held onto it. “I love you, too.”

He could feel her breathing steady almost straight away as she drifted off to sleep. Her body was clearly exhausted and she needed as much rest as she could get. The rain had still not calmed, which Sesshomaru was grateful for. It acted as a protection in their time of love.

***

When morning arrived, Lyra felt refreshed as she stretched slightly and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times as the sunlight entered the cave. The rain seemed non-existent with the ground completely dry. If she didn’t know any better, she wouldn’t have thought there was a storm the night before. The twigs they used to build the fire had burned out, a tiny stream of smoke showing it had only gone out. She rolled onto her back, feeling the warmth of Sesshomaru’s kimono blanketing her up over her breasts as well as his mokomoko surrounding her. She saw him sitting against the wall beside her wearing the inside layer of his kimono, his pants and boots.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked her softly.

She smiled up at him and nodded. “Very.” She breathed out as he brushed back a strand of hair from her face. “You didn’t sleep.” It wasn’t question since she already knew.

“I enjoyed watching you. You would often smile in your sleep.” His thumb brushed over her lips. “What were you dreaming about?”

Her smile widened ever so slightly. “Is it not obvious?” she asked, causing Sesshomaru to stare at her blankly which only made her giggle. “I was dreaming about you. Us. Our future.”

She saw a faint smile cross his own lips. “Our future,” he repeated. He looked as though he went into deep thought for a few seconds before he sat back. “We should leave.”

Lyra nodded and went to sit up, clutching onto his kimono to keep herself covered. Sesshomaru watched, a smirk forming on his face at her poor attempts to cover herself in front of him even though he had seen her in all her grace already. Lyra frowned at him playfully before gasping as a burning pain scorched between her legs. Sesshomaru was instantly holding her hand, the worry evident in his eyes.

“I apologise for being so hard on you,” he told her.

Lyra blushed deeply and shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’ll be fine.” She pecked his lips. “I’ll get dressed.”

Sesshomaru gave a stiff nod, still worried about the pain he had caused her. But he wasn’t moving. Lyra looked down in embarrassment, her fingers clutching tighter onto the material covering her. Sesshomaru understood what was delaying her.

“Such a poor attempt to keep your modesty when I have already been graced by your beauty,” he spoke so flawlessly.

Lyra blushed harder. “Sesshy!”

He chuckled quietly. “Very well.”

He got up before going to the entrance of the cave. He had already been wary of anything close by but so far, there was not a single being anywhere within their proximity. Whilst Sesshomaru was busy, Lyra grabbed her clothes and with great difficulty, she slowly dressed herself. Sesshomaru could hear the quiet gasps and winces of pain as she moved about but he knew she wouldn’t appreciate him going to help her. And Lyra was grateful he didn’t turn around. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel guilty.

“Okay. I’m ready.”

He turned back to her and she held out his kimono to him but she wasn’t going to him. He stepped towards her and took his clothes before putting it on. All he had left to put on was his armour and swords.

“Lyra.”

She looked up at him. “Yes?”

“Walk.”

“Um, okay...”

She hesitated for a couple of seconds before taking a step. The sheer pain between her legs were unbearable. Her legs themselves felt like jelly and she was surprised she was even able to stand. With that one step, she fell forward but Sesshomaru caught her. His arm was around her waist as she landed into his torso.

“Foolish woman,” he said quietly. “You should have told me.”

“I didn’t want to worry you,” she mumbled against his chest.

He moved his hand to her chin to lift her head. “I caused you pain.”

“No, Sesshomaru. Please don’t say that. Do not feel guilty because this pain is a reminder of the beautiful night we shared together. I would gladly take the pain again,” she explained to him. “It’s definitely worth it.”

He pressed his forehead to hers. “You truly are magnificent.”

Lyra smiled and nuzzled her nose against his. “As are you.”

They pecked each other's lips before Sesshomaru steadied her to stand on her own. He then went to put on his armour and swords whilst Lyra watched him.

“You know,” she folded her arms before continuing, “if you really feel bad, you can just carry me everywhere.”

Sesshomaru returned to stand in front of her. “I plan to.”

Before Lyra could blink, Sesshomaru had flung her over his shoulder again like the day before. She laughed at his response and with that, they both left the cave taking new memories, emotions and a stronger bond with them.