The Hot Springs

Chapter Ten

The first thing Rin could sense again after she fainted in the forest was the sound of a thousand locusts singing to each other. It felt a little too hot, which made her restless, and she had an itch on her nose. Taking a deeper breath, she snuggled against something solid underneath her head, rubbing the itch on the tip of her nose. Smells nice...and familiar...everything feels familiar. She felt a hand brush her hair off of her neck and was grateful that some cooler air was touching her skin. Sighing, Rin vaguely wondered what her awful nightmare had been...because she could feel an uncomfortable foreboding that nagged at the edges of her mind. She was still sleepy, though, and just wanted to continue sleeping, but the nagging feeling that something was amiss became more persistent. Where am I? That was enough reason for Rin to open her eyes a little, if only to make sure that she could see the housekeeper dozing off to the side. What she saw was endless forest, dotted with shafts of sunlight streaking down from the canopy.

Confused, Rin turned to look at what she was laying on and found two deep golden eyes staring back at her. At once, her heart was awake as well, fluttering against her ribs like a bird inside a cage. She pushed away from the demon, falling back onto her rear end, and tried to get her bearings. He sat up as well, looking at her calmly. Sesshoumaru... His clothing, having come loose while she wriggled around as she slumbered, sagged away from his chest, and the sight captivated Rin for a few breathless seconds. Her heart ached painfully inside her chest as she looked at him, in turmoil over what had recently happened. Ah-Un was asleep a few dozen feet behind Sesshoumaru.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked. Her throat was parched, making her voice sound harsh. Sesshoumaru lowered his eyes and kept them there as he reached for a water gourd to the side of the makeshift bed. Rin looked down at her new under-robe and found that a great deal of her cleavage was showing. Hurriedly shutting the robe, mostly in embarrassment rather than fear, Rin looked up again, finding his eyes once again boring into hers. She edged closer, taking the water gourd from his outstretched arm.

"A day and a half. Jaken is in the northern lands, checking on Toku and Genbu. We are a day's travel from home," he explained, leaning back on one arm and draping his other on an upraised knee. He hadn't bothered to close the gap in his own robe. Rin was still caught up with the mention of her two younger boys. My sons... Rin felt like she was in a surreal illusion. She desperately loved the demon in front of her and she knew everything about him and their life together, but the past sixteen years of this life now seemed like they had passed by in a dream, as if Rin had been asleep until the second he touched his fingers to her cheek. It was disturbing.

Sesshoumaru sat there, watching his mate as she drank heavily from the water gourd, and sensed every single worry, confused thought, and fear that passed through her mind. She is still sorting through the memories...but she will soon bear a new grasp on her life. Rin closed the stopper on the gourd, having quenched her thirst, and set it on the ground, only then realizing that a rock was poking uncomfortably into the back of her thigh. Coming up on her knees, she looked at Sesshoumaru and felt that painful ache in her heart once again. I missed him so much...and I barely even knew it. He had to spend the last sixteen years with the memories of our life together while I spent those years with only the shadows.

Before Rin could stop him, her mate leaned forward and hooked his arms underneath her shoulders, pulling her towards him. Rin had attempted to lean away from him, gasping as he brought her close, but only half of her mind wanted distance from the demon--the other half wanted to get as close as possible. He sat her on his thigh with her knees tucked beneath his upraised leg and her upper body pressed flush against his.

"I missed you," he purred, nuzzling the spot behind her ear that always made her shiver...in both lives. Rin still felt awkward and embarrassed, not ready at all to immediately pick up where they left off. He was warm and solid and comforting, but Rin was afraid. Sesshoumaru sensed the pricks of fear still plaguing her and vaguely realized that she was pushing against his chest. Don't push me away. Sesshoumaru only held on tighter, losing his control a bit as her scent filled his senses. She felt the same, smelled the same, looked the same...she was the same--his mate, given back to him, and he had to have her again.

"I can't, I can't...not yet, please...Sesshoumaru," Rin begged, having said his name for the first time. Her voice only encouraged him since he could no longer tell what she was saying. Searching out her mouth, Sesshoumaru found those soft lips that he hadn't touched for so many years and pillaged them, drowning our her protests and tasting as much as he could. Rin pushed harder, having lost her voice to his lust. I love you, but please...give me some time! Sesshoumaru! Her mental scream had doused Sesshoumaru with a chill and he abruptly pulled back, finding tears on her cheeks. The look he gave her was hard but apologetic and he took himself from beneath her, almost dumping her on the ground. She was surprised by the abrupt end to their little interlude, but was glad that he had relented. She couldn't help but notice his arousal pressing against his clothing and was about to look away in discomfort, but he turned away from her, walking off.

"I-I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin called, feeling hot and bothered but also awkward and clumsy for the way she rejected him. She came to her feet, looking down at the heavy blanket and the pelt that Sesshoumaru had left. She glanced up again and saw his form disappearing through the thick forest. Where is he going? Her shoes were sitting next to where she had set down the water gourd and she quickly slid them on, hoping to catch up to Sesshoumaru and apologize again.

As she neared the spot where she last saw him, Rin could distinctly hear water and wandered towards the sound, hoping to find him. It took a few minutes of searching since she never was good at tracking, no matter the size of the creature, but she followed her ears, making sure to note the way back. Seeing the deep stream ahead beyond some brush and a few shore-side trees, Rin peeked out from behind a large ash tree, and felt all the blood in her body heat up and rush to her face. Standing waist deep, her mate was stark naked in the water, from which clouds of steam were rising. His long hair floated on the water behind him and he was standing almost with his back to her. Rin could see the faint outline of his rear end, and thought to herself that he hadn't changed at all. The sight of him was breathtaking...

"Rin...what do you want?" he asked roughly, although not angrily. He sounded strained. Rin flinched in reaction anyway, feeling stupid for forgetting that he would know she was there even if they didn't share a binding connection. Emerging from behind the tree, she approached the shoreline, keeping her gaze fixed on a branch several feet above and behind Sesshoumaru. She heard him turn towards her.

"I wanted to apologize, Sesshoumaru-sama. My mind is still adjusting to...to this and I can't just let myself go when you...when you touch me...because...because it confuses me to want you when the past sixteen years have been spent...barely knowing you exist. And--and it's hard for me..." she trailed off, bringing her eyes down to her feet as she lowered her head. She knew it wasn't an easy transition for him, either, all the more reason for her to apologize.

"Hm...it's hard for me as well," Sesshoumaru said, obviously making a lewd joke that deepened the blush on her cheeks. She couldn't stand it anymore and looked up at him, barely able to keep her jaw from going slack. Her memories were vivid...but he was real. Fine-toned muscles, flawless, pale skin, and long limbs, Sesshoumaru looked everything sinful and male that Rin had remembered. The way his long, silvery hair draped down to float around his hips completed the picture. Her body was suddenly ablaze. Seeing Sesshoumaru draw a deep breath, she realized that he could probably smell her reaction and quickly made herself scarce, calling back a third apology as she went.

Sesshoumaru, catching a faint whiff of her arousal, growled in reaction, and stepped deeper into the cool stream water, forcing his mind to other things as steam rose up in front of him. I won't wait long, Rin...so get used to the idea now.

Rin made it back to the campsite and absently patted Ah-Un's heads as she thought about what would happen now. Walking back to the blanket, she sat down, waiting for Sesshoumaru to return. She hoped that the housekeeper wasn't worrying about her, but she most likely was. If Kagatsu had seen anything, it was of her was running from him before being punched to the ground; and then upon waking (if he was still alive), he would find that she had disappeared.

in wasn't sure what had happened after she fainted, though. Sesshoumaru might have killed Kagatsu for his attempt to take Rin against her will. Even now, her old master might be gathering up his army to hunt down the demon who had killed his eldest son. Rin wasn't worried for Sesshoumaru, though. She was worried about what he would do to her old master and his soldiers if they ever found them, which was unlikely.

After waiting for only five minutes, her head was starting to hurt again from all the worrying she was doing--about her old master and the housekeeper, about Oka-chan and his mother, and about her mate--her real and only master. Rin let her body fall over onto the soft cushion of his fur pelt, needing a few more minutes of sleep before he came back from his bath. She had always loved sleeping where she could smell him...

"Only inside of you, Rin..."
"We may have conceived a pup just now."
"Inutaisho, after Sesshoumaru's title."
"Sesshoumaru-sama? Can we have another child?"
"As many as I can give you..."
"Toku looks so much like his father...red stripes on the cheeks. He's beautiful."
"I love you, Rin."
"Mother, where are you?"
"I'm pregnant again, Sesshoumaru-sama."
"Rin..."
"You look so beautiful, especially when you're pregnant."
"Hah! You say that because you like it when my breasts get bigger! I know you!"
"Rin, you know me too well."
"I love you..."
"Genbu has my eyes! Do you see? And your red stripes, too! I love all the children you give me..."
"Inutaisho...Toku...Genbu...your mother will always love you."
"Rin, you wish for another child, don't you?"
"Sesshoumaru-sama, you know me too well."
"I love giving them to you."
"A girl? Finally, a girl! She's so beautiful...and she has her father's crescent moon. Karran..."
"Mother?"
"Father will be home soon."
"Where's your sister?"
"She's bothering Jaken again, I'm sure."
"I love you, Sesshoumaru-sama..."
"Rin...you always give me wonderful children."
"Your mother loves you..."
"Sesshoumaru..."

Waking up again, her hair was being blown about quite a bit, but she was warm enough, snuggled against Sesshoumaru's chest. Rin opened her eyes to see why it was suddenly so windy, and only saw clouds floating by. She jerked awake, clinging to Sesshoumaru as she looked down and saw that they were riding Ah-Un over the forest...a long way down. It was a sight Rin was used to, now that her memories were restored, but she certainly wasn't expecting to be flying several hundred feet aboveground when she woke up from her nap. Sesshoumaru's arms tightened around her torso, calming Rin down.

"H--how did we get up here?" Rin asked, looking up at her mate's calm face. He was watching the sky in front of them, scanning the clouds as they traveled.

"When I returned, you had fallen asleep on the blanket. I tried to wake you, but you were dead to the world, I suppose. I simply took off with you. You have been sleeping for the past four hours," Sesshoumaru explained, leaving out how he had taken a few moments to peek at her nudity before closing her under-robe and taking off on Ah-Un. He just couldn't resist...

Four hours?! Why am I so tired? Rin could guess that the odd situation she was going through and all the worrying she was doing had exhausted her, but she didn't like thinking of herself as being a weak person. After another hour of traveling, the wind was becoming a little colder as the sun neared the western horizon a little off to their right. Rin shivered, curling closer to the ever-lasting warmth of her master's body. Sesshoumaru pulled the pelt around her, only letting her head peak around the white fur. Rin watched the ground move far below as they flew to their home, feeling surprisingly happy in Sesshoumaru's arms despite the awkwardness she had felt earlier that day.

Thinking over her memories of her children, she felt her heart swell with motherly pride and affection. Even at sixteen, she had wanted children ever since she met Oka-chan. He was a rare joy to be around and she was jealous that his mother got to tuck him in every night. Now knowing that she had four children of her own, even though they were already grown, she couldn't wait to see them again. She only hoped that they wanted to see her.

The sun was sinking into the earth, lighting it on fire as it went. It had been only a couple of days since her life had completely changed...or rather, had become normal again. Rin thought of the night ahead of her and the fact that her mate would most certainly expect quite a lot of 'affection' from her. Rin found herself wanting to give it...her mind's take on the conflicting memories between her past life and her current one was sorting itself out, clearing up, and relieving the pain in her head. At first, the memories didn't feel like they were hers--it felt as if they were another person's treasured keepsakes of a wonderful life. It was unmistakable, though, that Rin knew these memories were hers the more she pondered over them, letting them sink in.

"We will rest for the night," Sesshoumaru said, spurring Ah-Un to look for a landing spot. It was only a few minutes before they touched the ground with a resounding thud. Sesshoumaru gracefully swung off of the pack animal's back, pulling Rin down with him. Ah-Un immediately settled onto its haunches, not bothering to find another place to sleep. The sun was almost gone now, which meant that the locusts had quieted a bit to let the crickets make their own noises. Rin stood in the middle of the tiny clearing, littered as it was with sharp twigs, as Sesshoumaru sniffed the air and walked around. She began to clear the ground a bit, tossing the kindling off to the sides. Once a large enough area was free of debris, Rin walked back to Ah-Un and pulled a blanket from one of its satchels, not at all surprised that she knew where they were kept. Her heart was beating fast and she knew Sesshoumaru could tell.

"There is a stream fifty yards to the south," Sesshoumaru pointed out, watching her as he removed his armor. Rin knew that the tingles and chills running through her body were from excitement--not fear--but she was also nervous. She was once again a virgin and rending her innocence was going to bring pain. And it's been so long...

Rin found a towel and soap in the pack animal's satchel. She stared at the soap for a few seconds, smelling the scent she used to wear all the time. Her eyes stung a bit and she looked to Sesshoumaru, who had paused in the middle of tugging off the belt to his outer robe. He was looking at her with a concerned expression, but she swallowed and quickly walked off, headed south. The bank to the stream was a bit steep, but Rin managed to reach the water without taking a spill, and she tested the temperature with her fingers. The water wasn't too cold yet since summer was just beginning to wane into fall. She hurriedly removed her inner-robe, folding it and setting it on a dry spot along the steep bank. The streambed was slippery, but Rin was careful and soon had a good lather going in her hair.

Just thinking about what she and her mate would be doing in possibly less than half an hour made her skin goose bump with nervous excitement. She was looking forward to it, and yet... She had gone from being a servant of a rich lord to being the wife of a lord demon so quickly. It was a surreal experience, but only because she had grown used to her life as a servant. She had already settled in her mind what the rest of her life would be--that's why it's so hard to ponder a different life with Sesshoumaru.

Carefully lowering herself to her knees, she leaned to the side to start rinsing out her hair, listening to a couple of dragonflies further upstream as they quarreled with each other. Having firmly established in her mind what she felt about Sesshoumaru, their children, and their life together, and what she wanted, she felt a heavy burden lift away from her heart and mind. I love Sesshoumaru...and I want to be with him as I once was.

I always want to be with him.

Squeezing the water out of her hair, Rin stood up, running her hands down her skin to wipe off the excess water. She turned to get her towel and felt her spine stiffen as she saw Sesshoumaru standing on the top ledge of the bank above her. Rin felt her cheeks redden, but did not attempt to cover herself. The look on his face was priceless. She memorized it--the surprise, the lust, and the love. Careful not to break the spell they were under, she walked closer to the bank and stretched out an arm to get her towel. She dried herself off, patting her skin and moving slowly, knowing very well that she was teasing him. She wrapped her under-robe around her body after drying off, not looking at Sesshoumaru as he continued to devour the sight of her. Sliding her feet into her sandals, she gazed up at Sesshoumaru, holding out her hands for help, which snapped him out of his daze. He easily pulled her up, letting his hands brush her shoulders and upper arms once she was on level ground.

Dusk's fading light made her skin look incredibly soft and Sesshoumaru took a moment to test the texture of her cheek with the pads of his fingers. He felt her shiver. His heart was pounding faster than it had in the last sixteen years. He had to have her...now.

Snatching her up into his arms, which earned a startled gasp, Sesshoumaru gracefully but briskly walked back to the campsite, where the heavy blanket and the fur pelt waited. Rin felt like her heart was about to explode. Sesshoumaru set her on her feet, fairly ripping through her belt to push aside her under-robe, shoving it off of her shoulders to fall heedlessly to the ground. He did manage to rip his own belt. He then whipped his under-robe aside and scooped Rin into his arms. He pressed her bare breasts against his chest and lowered his mouth to hers, seeking entrance to the sweet taste inside. She gladly opened herself to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on tiptoe to kiss him.

The passion was definitely still there, perhaps stronger than ever, and Rin felt consumed by it. His tongue rubbed hers and swirled around it. His mouth sucked gently on her lips, making them swell and blush. She felt something prod her abdomen, and knew without looking that he was very ready for her. Clinging to him with one arm around his neck, she dropped her hand to the hard length jutting out from her mate's body and wrapped her fingers around it. Though her memories were clear and colorful, they were only memories, and she was feeling all of these sensations as if they were new. She was surprised by how stiff he was in her hand, by the warmth of his mouth. She loved how his arms felt pressed tightly against her back, and how his long, silky hair glided over her arm.

When her fingers slowly curled around him, Sesshoumaru moaned into her mouth, feeling as if he might spill right into her warm hand. Not yet... When she carefully pulled her fingers over his length, slowly pumping her hand, Sesshoumaru pulled his mouth away from her, growling. He gripped her wrist to stop her, panting, a fine sheen of perspiration starting to form on his skin.

"Too much," he gasped out, looking down into his mate's warm, brown eyes. Though Rin knew of his preference to always leave his seed inside her body, she once caught him off-guard in her past life. They had been lying in bed, having fondled with each other for quite a while, and she had been stimulating him with her hand. She accidentally brushed her fingers over the nape of his neck, and Sesshoumaru was unable to help himself once their connection 'added fuel to the fire.' He had gasped and orgasmed onto her stomach and hand. Though it surprised Rin since it was the first time it had happened, she wasn't upset, but Sesshoumaru was greatly disappointed with himself. After that, he was much more careful and Rin silently wished to herself sometimes that he would let his guard down again because she had actually found the whole ordeal to be somewhat...erotic.

"Rin...I may not be able to rend your innocence delicately," he said with a gruff voice, gently pressing down on her shoulders to seat her on the blanket. He knew he couldn't wait much longer, and that when his control broke, Rin would be in pain. She watched his eyes, noticing that they were darker, closer to a honey color, which meant that he was aroused to a fever pitch. She loved it when his eyes were that color. Nodding in acknowledgement and lying back, she made herself comfortable on the thick blanket, cushioned behind the head by the fur pelt. She looked at her mate almost in awe. He was crouched before her with his silvery hair spilling over his shoulders and onto her thighs. His eyes, usually cold, were always warm for her, and now they were staring at her with a wicked heat that slid over her skin.

He crawled up her body, firmly spreading her thighs and sliding his chest up her torso before settling over her. The air around them seemed to crackle with energy and she closed her eyes to the intense gaze of her mate, who leaned down and licked her neck, inhaling her scent and letting it drive him insane. She raised her knees, setting her feet flat on the ground, and tried to stay calm as she reveled in the feel of his body pressing her down and his manhood nestling close against her. The first time they had made love in the hot springs, the mineral-rich water was an excellent lubricant for gently breaking her hymen, so Sesshoumaru wanted to take a couple of minutes, if he could, to let Rin create her own. The only problem would be if he were unable to wait...

Rin set her hands on his shoulders, spreading her knees a bit farther apart, and sighed when she felt his hand brushing down her stomach. When his fingers touched her between her thighs, her breath caught in her throat. Sesshoumaru purred against her neck, happy to confirm that she was already well lubricated. He tenderly parted her, delighting in every gasp and sigh that she made, and nudged the tip of his aching arousal to the warm, wet place where he wanted to be.

"Master..." Rin breathed out. Sesshoumaru clenched his teeth, holding back the sensations that had begun to crawl up his length, and brought his head up to look down into her eyes. He pressed forward, groaning when he felt how tight she was. It's too much... He clenched the blanket beneath them, trying to summon the will to calm himself down.

Rin wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer, but abruptly released him when the first stab of pain hit her. He gritted his teeth and groaned, only wanting to go deeper, but knew that this first time, only a pain strong enough to dampen the pleasure would follow.

"Sesshoumaru...make love to me," she whispered, sensing that he was close to having some control over his body again. She checked his pulse by setting her palm over his heart, and was surprised that it was pounding so fast. I missed you, too... She left a few small kisses on his cheeks, and was about to give him an open-mouthed kiss when he abruptly pushed forward, rending her virginity with one thrust. Gasping in pain, she felt tears welling up behind her eyelids, and was unable to stop a few from squeezing out. Sesshoumaru pulled back, and then pushed in again. She was pressed back with each thrust, happy that they had fully resumed their relationship--that he was making love to her once again, but it took all her concentration not to grimace or cry out. After a moment or two, she desperately needed him to finish and set her fingers over the nape of his neck, pulling three of them down firmly. Sesshoumaru pushed in one last time, almost yelling out his gratification as he climaxed inside her. His gasps and growls all reverberated against her chest as he laid upon her, no longer able to sustain his weight on his elbows. His potent cream spilled into her, pumping out of him and mixing with her.

After a few moments, his breathing slowed down and he nuzzled the spot below her ear, earning a few smiles from her since it tickled a bit. Rising up on his elbows, he studied her face, seeing the way the she had looked when she died in his mind's eye. His heart clenched tight in his chest to think of that happening again. Rin noticed the serious look on his face. Truth be told, he was almost always serious, but he always had a smile on his face after making love. Something was troubling him.

"What is it, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked quietly, feeling him pull out of her as gently as he could. He sat back, pulling Rin up to a sitting position. Handing her under-robe to her, he stood up, shrugging into his own robe.

"I have something important to discuss with you, but first, we should wash up," he affirmed, helping her to her feet. Wanting to hold her again, Sesshoumaru lifted her into his arms once she had tied the belt to her under-robe. As they walked back to the small, steep stream, she could sense that Sesshoumaru was tense, and realized that the nature of their discussion was going to be very serious. Did one of the children die? The thought greatly worried Rin, but she tried to steer herself away from that sort of thinking.

Sesshoumaru could tell that Rin was anxious about what he had said, but didn't speak. Skillfully entering the stream without even jostling her, he set her down. She held her under-robe up as she sank down into the cool water. They washed themselves silently, with Rin chewing on her lip and Sesshoumaru wishing that he could take away the burdens that being his mate had put upon her. As he walked back, carrying Rin again since they had left her shoes back at the campsite, Sesshoumaru sniffed the air to see if Rin was fertile, which was always easier to smell after she released some pheromones. Unfortunately, it seemed that she wasn't, but Sesshoumaru knew they had plenty of time for more children--and he wanted many more.

"Sesshoumaru-sama...you're worrying me. What do you want to talk about?" Rin asked as she gained her footing. She had to know what important topic he needed to discuss. Please don't let it be one of the children. Sesshoumaru could keenly sense the concern she was feeling, knowing that she was probably worrying about their offspring like all mothers would. I know her too well. Setting his large hands on her small shoulders, Sesshoumaru spoke in a fierce whisper,

"I've decided that I'm never going to let you die again..."