AN: It's my birthday today ^^ I hope to get back to my old fics after Christmas when things calm down a bit. For the Sesskag Smutmas event - Day 4.
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She was freezing.
Kagome felt fairly certain her fingers weren't supposed to be quite so stiff- finding it difficult to curl them into her palms. It had taken a little longer than she'd thought to gather firewood, though honestly, she'd taken a detour to walk around the snowy landscape. She hadn't anticipated the temperature plummeting so rapidly. Add to that a worsening snowstorm and an impromptu stumble down a rocky hill that had roughly shaken her, and Kagome wasn't having such a good evening.
Now even shuffling through the snow had become arduous. Kagome ducked her face into the woolly fabric of her scarf, breath shuddering. Her lips were capped and aching, cheeks biting from the sting of frosty air.
Sesshoumaru is going to be pissed, she thought dryly, anticipating an argument.
As she stiffly made her way over a hill, the snowfall began to worsen, making visibility all the more difficult. A bright hanging lantern outside their holiday cabin became her guiding light, luring the exhausted miko closer.
Something slammed open then- their door, a silhouette standing in the threshold. Kagome's eyes flattened, seconds before lashing youki swallowed the space between them.
Sesshoumaru's face appeared inches from hers, strong arms pulling her in close.
"What do you think you are doing?" he hissed.
Kagome growled, struggling weakly as her mate picked her up. She tried not to drop her load of firewood, squirming. "P-put me d-down! I can w-walk!" she bristled.
"You are freezing. Little fool- did you neglect to notice that your skin is cold as ice?" the youkai sneered, bending his legs and pushing off from the snow-covered ground, gliding across the winter landscape straight into their cosy cabin. The door slid shut firmly behind them, locking all warmth inside.
Kagome's teeth chattered, and she trembled violently, unable to move as Sesshoumaru placed her down before the lit fireplace. He tossed her gathered wood aside and began stripping her out of her wet clothes with rough, hard tugs, expression dark with displeasure.
Ignoring this, Kagome huddled in close to him, soon naked and shivering. Her mate immediately summoned mokomoko, wrapping it around her snugly while opening his shirt. "You are so-" he kissed her firmly, "foolish. Why did you not wake me to come with you?"
Kagome buried her face in the warmth of his neck, plastering herself against his available heated flesh. She tried to get control of her breathing. "-Didn't- t-think-" she swallowed a gasp, "I-I'd be l-long."
"Foolish woman," more low grumbling kept fanning over her ears, his hands working wonders on her freezing body. "Such a fool I have for a mate," Sesshoumaru kissed her frozen brow, her pale cheeks and red nose, palms rubbing, body enclosing tight around hers as they lay down together.
Kagome shuddered and blinked up at him, snow melting on her lashes to run down her upturned face, "I-I wanted to go alone," she confessed softly. "You treat me like glass these days wherever I do anything vaguely dangerous."
"You are human- it is natural I should be protective when you are frailer than I. Or did hypothermia not occur to you when you ventured outside?"
Kagome growled weakly, struggling slightly against him. "I'm not frail! I walked the same ground as you in the feudal era! I saw the same wars and death and survived! How dare you-"
"I am not arguing that," Sesshoumaru snarled, pinning her down with the use of his hips and bracing himself over her. White hair slid down like a gossamer curtain around their faces, trapping them in their heated exchange. "This one is not doubting your abilities. Your strength is what drew me to you in the first place, vexing woman," he hissed, lips pulling back over his canines, snapping sharp teeth at her. Golden eyes lit up with the force of a glaring sun during high noon on a winters day. "But you are mortal. Our lives became entwined the day I lay my mark upon you. I extended your lifespan but you are not like me," he pressed in close, anger shaking into something softer, more vulnerable. "Illness may yet take you and I cannot do anything to prevent it, Kagome."
Kagome quieted in the wake of his heavy words. He'd never really elaborated on his newfound sense of worry towards her safety. She'd simply put his shift in attitude down to 500 years apart changing them. Kagome winced, glancing away. She'd wanted to be more independent because of how he'd come off lately. Not controlling exactly but…
"You know that if I'd mentioned the firewood today…you wouldn't have suggested going together," she said in a hushed tone. "You'd have gone. And that would've been the end of the discussion."
Blue eyes slid back to him, her hand rising to touch his neck, stroking up to the line of his clenched jaw. "I'm sorry for making you worry, but you need to let me do stuff too. I don't like being wrapped in cotton wool. If that's selfish of me…I can only apologise, but you knew who I was when you mated me."
The two stared at each other a moment, limbs wrapped around one another. Their bodies were so different, species and powers completely at odds with each other, and yet they'd endeavoured to make it work.
"I knew, miko," the words came softly, warming her heart. "Strong, brazen, irritating woman that you are," Sesshoumaru grumbled, curling his fingers within damp black hair and holding her hand up to his lips, fanning hot puffs of breath onto frozen digits.
Kagome smiled and leaned up to kiss his shoulder, feeling gladness fill up her chest. They had their upsets sometimes just like any couple. The difference in how they handled each other's species was a mere hiccup they crossed every now than then. "Still, you should talk to me about this stuff. It sounds like you've been worrying about my mortality a lot," Kagome ran her free hand over his chest, kissing the spot over his near-immortal heart. "I won't sneak out again, I promise. But in exchange, you have to talk to me when you're worried about stuff. We can reach a compromise, you know? We're a team."
"Yes," he acknowledged solemnly, tipping his forehead to meet hers. After a moment, he gave a wry smile. "I desired an equal," Sesshoumaru sighed against her lips, looking slightly put out. "A more submissive mate would heed my commands, and my every whim would be fulfilled according to my wishes, but…"
"But that isn't what you really need," Kagome hummed softly, stroking her hand down his defined abdomen. "It's not what gets you going."
A low rumble like distant, rolling thunder emanated from his chest. Sesshoumaru's nostrils flared, golden irises brightening into azure as red crept into his scleras the second Kagome reached for his pants.
Her wrist was snatched and pinned above her, the demon bearing down on her with a dark growl. Sesshoumaru mounted Kagome, straddling her waist as he released her just to strip off his shirt completely.
"You remain as vexing as ever, woman," he grunted, kissing her hard. "Luckily...I happen to like vexing women."
Kagome smiled and sighed as he cupped her breast, rubbing a thumb over her hard nipple. Sex was an easy way to connect. To feel close again and anchor one another. The talking would come later- oh, Kagome would make sure of that. But for now, making love in front of the fireplace to help warm them up sounded like a welcome relief.
Sesshoumaru kissed her chapped lips and soothed them with his tongue, before exploring her wanting mouth. Mokomoko was yanked off and tossed aside. Both clawed at his pants until they were undone and yanked low on lean, striped hips, which thrust roughly forward.
His cock was hot against her core, rubbing and teasing- the sensation making Kagome's head lull back against the cool rug. Sesshoumaru let his stiff, twitching member slide along the apex of her thighs, coating himself in her juices. The friction against her sensitive, chilly skin was tantalising, but frustrating, and soon Kagome hooked her ankles behind his back and urged him down, keening when he entered her with a harsh jolt that locked them together with twin groans.
He was beautiful in the flickering light of the fireplace. It cast his ancient, handsome features in a warm glow, the shadows of the room only serving to highlight the golden glow of snowy white hair when bathed in firelight.
Blue eyes hazed with pleasure watched him the whole time. Watched Sesshoumaru thrust and move- fondly observing how his mouth parted to reveal a hint of a fang, and how he'd occasionally bite his bottom lip to stifle a groan, expression shuttering, sweat beading on his brow.
She loved this man. Her arrogant, proud, caring mate.
Kagome wrapped her arms around the demon and held him close as they fell apart, shuddering together, before beginning their dance over and over, again and again, seeking to keep one another continually wrapped in a blazing fever to starve away the biting cold.