Archive of Our Own

It was best his father was dead.

A grim thought during an evening that wasn’t grim at all, but Sesshomaru thought it anyway. Others would think it was grim and quite rude of him as well, but it wasn’t like that for him, not that he ever cared what others thought. Demons and humans alike, he couldn’t care less. And thinking such a thing now brought back the original musing of his father, because who he thought of as others did not include them.

His family. What they thought and felt was especially important.

It was best his father was dead, Sesshomaru thought again in the middle of the dark and comfortably cool night. Because if Inu no Taisho could see him now, Sesshomaru would have to kill him himself. It would be too much to live with, to deal with every single day. All the grins, all the claps on the back, all the comments. All the pride.

Like father, like son. That’s what the Great Dog General would say to him if he were alive. Sesshomaru knew he couldn’t bear it, though he would never regret the family he’d made.

Pushing his father out of his mind, he focused on what was his very own, and definitely not something he had in common with both Toga and his brother Inuyasha.

His girls were sleeping away, all three of them. All four of them together on the same futon in the home he’d made for them because Towa and Setsuna were far too small still. Sesshomaru could go without sleep for days, but these girls required it, especially the babies for now. He’d never cared to learn the ways of full blood demon infants, much less human ones, but both intelligent humans Rin trusted and Jaken told him they were growing well. He’d never liked to be at the mercy of others, but in this area, he had no choice but to listen and learn for their future.

During the nights, he would watch over both his sleeping wife and their daughters.

Sesshomaru lounged on his side in his yukata, one hand holding up his head while the other arm was resting over Rin as she slept lying on her back next to him, his long index finger being clutched in the impossibly tiny fists of his eldest daughter Towa. Between Towa and Rin, with part of his large hand gently resting over her too, Setsuna snoozed away with her tiny face turned towards her mother in case she needed to give a soft cry for her. Sesshomaru was large enough to hover over them all, making sure everyone was comfortable and safe.

His girls.

The babies were swaddled in their blankets and placed in a soft carrier right next to Rin. Rin needed to be close to them, in case they needed to feed or have their nappies changed or just be cuddled by their mother. She would answer every single meaningless whimper of a cry the babies would give and strive to make them both giggle during the day. It was her favorite sound in the world, and not once did she ever complain about how much work twins were, especially on her. As he gently rubbed Towa’s tiny clutching fingers between his own, Sesshomaru looked down at Rin, who was very softly snoring from pure exhaustion. She had fallen asleep hardly two hours ago because she was up and down constantly to feed her girls. She was even slightly drooling some from her open mouth.

The most lovely and wonderful woman in the entire world. No human or demon could compare to her. The greatest mother.

And she smelled absolutely divine.

It almost made his eyes close in bliss, how good she smelled. During this time caring for the babies, Sesshomaru was sure she had never smelled better. It took his breath away, made his head spin, even made his mouth water at times, though he hid that very well. Never had he smelled something so heavenly, and it stunned him at first that he could be so affected by such a thing. It took everything he had to keep himself off of her since the twins were born. She was working so hard, doing so much as a new mother. She was always tired, but never complained or cried. He was certain she had been smiling since the day she discovered she was pregnant, and it never waned, not even during great pain as she’d birthed them into the world.

As Rin slept and snored and drooled during precious sleep, Sesshomaru’s eyes wandered down to her plump chest. Her own yukata was left pulled off her shoulders and practically open for easy access to her breasts. One quick flick of his claw and she would be topless completely. Her breasts were still larger than normal, growing during pregnancy and remaining that size now full of milk. It was amazing what her body was capable of, he mused. That she could give him daughters and feed them with her own body and nothing else was a marvelous thing. Something he’d never thought about before in his entire life. Even now, after feeding them only hours ago, her breasts still looked very full.

His golden eyes suddenly snapped to Towa when she started to wiggle some in her swaddle, her tiny precious mouth scrunching up and about to cry as if it were the end of the world. Sesshomaru continued to hold her small hands, intending for her to go back to sleep so her mother could continue to rest. Very softly so the others wouldn’t wake either, he breathed out, “Shhhhhhh.”

Instantly calmed by her father’s soothing sounds, Towa relaxed and fell back into a deep sleep, drooling just like her mother.

Success.

But it was only moments later that Rin started to stir next to him.

She woke up with almost a gasping breath. He couldn’t quickly soothe his wife back to sleep so he had to accept it when she stretched out, instantly checking on her babies and looking a bit stunned that she had awoken on her own. With his arm still over them all, she looked up at him in the moonlight.

“No crying?” she whispered up to him with a sleepy smile. “That’s a first. Usually they wake me up about now.”

“You can go back to sleep, Rin.”

Still lying on her back, she looked over at her daughters again and grinned as she gently brushed one finger over Setsuna’s soft plump cheek. “Sleep sounds so nice. I don’t think I appreciated it enough before becoming a mother. Goodness, look how adorable Towa looks holding your hand. What a pretty girl she is.”

“She looks like you.”

Her big brown eyes found his, shiny eyes full of emotion. “No… You think? When I look at them, I see you.”

“And I see you,” he said softly, his nose filling with that sweet scent of her again. It was driving him wonderfully insane. Even in his other form he had never felt so hungry. “Close your eyes, Rin. Go back to sleep. You don’t get enough rest.”

Her gaze held his instead of doing what he suggested. He could see the movements of her eyes all along his face, looking at every detail she admired. After they’d married, she had told him that every last inch of him took her breath away, that he would always be the most beautiful man she would ever lay her eyes upon. Sesshomaru had never cared for such compliments but coming from her… it was nice. Even after the twins were born and she finally got to hold them, her first words were, “They’re beautiful like him.”

Rin touched his arm draped over her, her eyes never leaving his face. “I can’t remember when we last had alone time. When it was quiet and peaceful and it was just the two of us to talk about whatever we wished. Moments like this one are rare for right now and will probably be even more so once Kagome has her baby. I know I need to get as much rest as I can and sleep when the babies are sleeping but… tonight I want this time with you, Sesshomaru.”

He wanted to hold her close, but Towa still gripped his finger. He didn’t want to risk disturbing her and ruining this quiet time his wife so desired. “Do as you will, then.”

Instead of waiting to be held, Rin took initiative and turned towards him, sneaking her arms under his opened yukata and wrapping them around his middle from underneath. With a lazy smile she pressed herself against him, placing her cheek on his bare chest to feel the warmth of him and hear his heartbeat.

Another whiff of that scent of hers. Sesshomaru tried to blow it out of his nose. Now was not the time to pounce on her. He didn’t even know if her human body was ready for mating after giving birth to half demon twins.

Rin hummed happily as she rubbed her cheek on his skin. “I miss this, I miss feeling you like this. I feel like I’ve been neglecting you.”

“That’s silly of you to say,” he muttered, his other hand not holding Towa’s coming down to touch some of Rin’s brown hair.

“It’s not silly. All my time and energy go to our children. I love them with all my heart but I love you too. We haven’t even lain together as husband and wife since the twins were born. It’s far too long.”

“Rin. That time will come again. I promise you.”

She was so happy and relaxed and grateful to be holding him instead of two infants for a moment, but now her face fell into a soft frown. At his back under his yukata, he felt her hands press on his skin. She looked almost ashamed. “I know my body looks different. It won’t be like this for long, in case you were wondering when it would go back to normal. Sango told me. Even after twins…”

He scoffed some. “Now you’re being ridiculous.”

She closed her eyes against his chest. “It’s how I feel.”

“Rin.” He waited patiently for her to look back up at him. Since the day he’d met her, he had never tricked her, lied to her, considered sparing her some not so good feelings because he would always tell her the truth, even if it hurt. If he did not say what he meant, Sesshomaru figured she could not make her own choices. Living her own life was what he’d always wanted for her, even now as his wife and the mother of his daughters. “I’m going to explain something to you. You will listen to every word.”

Taking a chance, he carefully removed his finger from Towa’s clutches, was grateful that she remained asleep next to her sister in their carrier. He put Rin’s head in the crook of his arm, brushed his fingers through her hair with the other. Down below, he felt one of her legs push inside his yukata to tangle with his own even though she was feeling undesirable and agonizing over if he felt the same.

“The males of my kind are quite different from yours. It is not ever hard to desire who we consider our mate, but there is nothing like feeling that desire when our mate is either fertile or pregnant. During those times… she is like a goddess to us. There is absolutely nothing we will not do for her, if it means we get to be inside her. And if we cannot mate with her, we still do what she asks. She consumes our every thought, as if we exist only to please her. The males long to fill our mates with our pups, and when she finally is filled, it is one of the best moments we can ever experience in life. Do you understand?”

Rin nodded, always obedient and listening to every last word. But they didn’t seem to cheer her up. “I’m neither fertile nor pregnant right now. I understand why we haven’t...”

“Let me finish. When you were fertile and when I bred you, it did feel like that for me. But I am also different from even my own kind. Where the other males are gripped by their mate’s fertility or pregnancy, the way you are now fills me with the most animalistic need I’ve ever felt.”

She blinked up at him, her cheeks now flushed a pretty pink. “The way I am now?”

“Exactly like this. The way your body is different after bearing my children.” As he spoke, his hand drifted down her back, her sides, even over her bottom. “The way I watch you care for them and feed them. Like this, I don’t need to strive to get you pregnant or wait for you to birth my pups. They’re already here, and your body still carries the evidence of your pregnancy. The smell that comes from you like this, Rin…” He couldn’t help it then; he was weak against it as he leaned down and breathed in against her hair. It made every last inch of him tingle, inside and out. “It is intoxicating.”

She seemed to melt right before his eyes, in his arms. At his back, her hands traveled up and down his spine. Rin loved her babies more than anything but being like this with her husband suddenly made her feel like the most fortunate, and most desirable woman in Japan. “Thank you, my Lord,” she whispered to him, her breasts pressing against him even though they felt a little sore, but it was easy to ignore when she had his attention. “You said… the males would do anything for us? You would do anything for me, give me anything I want when I’m so desirable to you?”

His entire body and soul growled yes on the inside, an instinct he was having more trouble with than he ever thought he would. But Rin was a human, he had to be more careful with her. He had to do a better job with his human mate than his father had done with his. “Within reason,” he finally answered.

“Then, my Lord husband,” she murmured, bringing her mouth close to his, close enough for a kiss she wasn’t giving him. “Will you give me another baby?”

Though his face remained unmoved, his fangs clenched together in his mouth. “It’s too soon,” he told her after a few moments, trying to focus on her hands rubbing his back instead of her most enticing request, and now the scent of her steadily building arousal. “We have infant twins.”

She pouted, squirming a little against him. Mussing up her yukata as her hand touched his hip where she knew he had more demon stripes. “It’s not. I feel like I need it. I crave it. Let’s make another baby tonight.”

“That is your human body playing tricks on you. The old woman told me about this. You aren’t even fertile tonight.” He would be able to smell it on her when she was again. Maybe then they could revisit the idea, if he was even able to hold back when the time came.

“Oh,” she said almost sadly, but her tone didn’t match the lust in her brown eyes. Her hands then inched up his bare chest. “Well… can we pretend then? Pretend to put another baby inside me.”

Sesshomaru deeply sighed out a breath of frustration through his nose. This shouldn’t be so hard for him, he thought as his wife gazed beautifully up at him, desperate for him to please her. But… perhaps he had more of an understanding when it came to his father. Just for right now, of course. “Rin… I’m still learning the ways of your body. I must admit I don’t know much, not when it comes to an area such as this. I don’t know when you’re supposed to be ready for mating again. It is why I haven’t taken you to bed since the twins were born.”

“You’re sweet,” she said with a smile, her heart bursting in her chest that he was just being cautious and not thinking her undesirable. “I promise you I’m ready. Being with you is all I think about when I’m not tending to our children. I want to feel you inside me again so badly, my Lord,” she breathed, taking his hand that had been around her and placing it on her swollen breast over her yukata. She made him squeeze it, demanding his touch. “It’s so wonderful to feel your hands on me. You can knot me,” she added with a whisper. “Please, Sesshomaru, I need it. The babies are asleep, my body can be yours now. Please.”

He was sure she had never been so needy, and as he cupped her breast in his hand to feel the plumpness of it from milk, he thought perhaps he was feeling that neediness alongside her. He’d been fighting to ignore his great desire for her sake, but he also trusted his wife. And the prospect of knotting her, well… He decided he could fight no longer.

“I cannot deny you,” he whispered as her hand cupped his cheek, finally closing the gap between them and kissing her.

Rin practically purred during the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and snaking a leg over his waist under his yukata. His hand on her breast felt better than the very first time he’d touched her there and she could already feel the wetness between her legs. He could smell it too. Whatever was going on with her body tonight, it was glorious, and he cursed himself for waiting so long to mate her again. They’d both been suffering, even as they loved their daughters and happily took care of them. And perhaps, Sesshomaru thought, his wife had taken the brunt of that suffering. When he slid his tongue into her mouth, she moaned.

“Shhhhh,” he breathed against her mouth, her lips demanding more deep kisses from him. “Quiet, Rin.”

She blushed bashfully, looking over at their sleeping babies. “Oh. Sorry.”

“Don’t move,” he told her, very regrettably releasing her and moving away. His needy wife waited patiently as he scooped up the soft carrier that held his daughters, moving them off the futon far enough away that they wouldn’t be disturbed but close enough to hear them cry. For another protective barrier, Sesshomaru removed the fur from his body and encircled the carrier with it. He could’ve just called for Jaken to take the girls, but he didn’t want to waste time waiting for his vassal when his wife was so eager and waiting for him. The girls would be fine for a little while.

Rin was practically wiggling on her back in anticipation when he returned to her, already opening her thighs for him. Instantly she reached for him again, bringing his mouth back to hers as her hands eased down between his legs. “You’re so hard, my Lord.”

“And you’re leaking,” he muttered when he pulled back. There was a small wet mark on her yukata over the breast he’d been touching.

She softly laughed, pink blossoming over her cheeks again. “I think I’m a bit engorged. They didn’t eat when I thought they would. Don’t worry about it, it’s fine, I can—”

Rin stopped when his face went right to her chest, big audible inhales coming from him as he took in her delicious scent. With her yukata always pulled off her shoulders during the night, his nose dragged across her soft skin, his cheeks feeling the fullness of her breasts and his tongue coming out for a small lick. As his lips nipped at her chest and shoulder and neck, she tugged down the top of his yukata too, craving more of his skin for her feasting eyes and her demanding hands. His body was something she would never stop marveling at.

Sesshomaru gracefully moved some of his long silver hair out of the way before he went back in her for her mouth, more of her tongue. The pads of his fingertips found one of her nipples when her loosened yukata finally uncovered one, rubbing her there gently in case she was sore there from feeding twins.

When their lips smacked apart, he took a moment to gather himself, and to just feel the undulating of her hips as she rubbed herself over his erection. “Do you want my mouth first, Rin?” he asked softly.

“No, no,” she sighed desperately, her cheeks already so flushed. “I want you inside me. Please, I’ve waited so long.”

His lips twitched as he felt his fangs grow in his mouth, trying to suppress a growl lest it wake their daughters and ruin overdue sex. Intending to give her what she wished, Sesshomaru tugged up the ends of her yukata up to bare her cunt, opening up his own so he could slide inside her. The delicious scent that came from her made him regret she didn’t want his tongue to lick up her wetness, but now that he knew she wouldn’t get injured after giving birth, he could sate that particular hunger very soon. Taking his cock in hand and bracing himself over her, finally he pushed inside her, unable to stop himself to take his time.

But it seemed he had nothing to worry about when his wife cried out and clutched at his shoulders.

Sesshomaru groaned and opened his mouth to lightly sink his fangs into her neck as a warning. “You must be quiet, Rin. If the girls wake up, this ends.”

“Sorry,” she gasped out, wrapping her legs around his waist. “It just… feels so good. It’s so good, my Lord.”

He kissed her neck where he lightly bit her, pressing his chest to hers and practically laying on top of her. Perhaps his body could muffle any more sounds she’d make. With her eyes closed in bliss and her arms wrapped around him, she tried her best to be quiet when he pulled his hips back and thrusted forward. She did moan very softly with every thrust, just a soft little mew that filled him with pride.

His wife was right, he thought as he took one of her wrists and placed it down on the futon so he could hold her hand, lacing their fingers together as he fucked her. It was so good. How could he have waited this long? How could he let her suffer in longing for him? Never again. She pushed her other hand into his soft silver hair as his tongue gave her a gentle lick along her cheek.

“You’re so wet, Rin,” he whispered into her ear, his body pinning her down but still he could feel her bucking up from his hips every time he rammed inside her. “I’ll breed you again. I’ll keep you like this.”

“Yes,” she breathed out, panting deeply now. Her yukata fell off her breasts now from his thrusting. “Please don’t stop… Please don’t.”

She was so wet and so aroused, and the absence of sex made him certain it wouldn’t take long for her to come. He wanted to spill inside her, he thought as he nibbled on her shoulder with his fangs, grasping her hand but careful of his claws. He wanted to knot her just as badly as she wanted to be filled by it.

“Rin,” he whispered out against her neck, picking up the pace because her body was quickly ending him.

She seemed to forget herself as her mouth fell open and another not so quiet moan slipped out. When she did it again, Sesshomaru released his grip on her hand to cover her mouth, the other grabbing her waist to hold her in place. He couldn’t stop now, not for anything. Especially when she started to come, whimpering under his palm.

With a grunt and his back muscles constricting, he pushed his knot inside her, emptying the way he’d done when they conceived their children. His animal instincts even told him to go deeper, his claws fisting on the futon as if he could pull more of himself inside her warm and wet and most perfect body. Though it was different from before her pregnancy, to him it was still perfect.

When he was done, he collapsed on top of her, her legs on either side of him hanging open.

It was only a few seconds of his weight on her. Sesshomaru quickly lifted himself, hovering over her to check on her. He saw nothing but his very satisfied wife, her cheeks red and hair mussed and a lazy smile on her face.

“Rin?”

She shivered, took a big breath. “I needed that,” she sighed dreamily, her lashes fluttering open to look up at him. She then reached down between her legs, two of her fingers probing around her opening and where his knot was swollen inside her. “I think you needed that too.”

He leaned down to kiss her lips. “Is my wife pleased now?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“And you will never feel undesirable in my presence again. I will have to remind you otherwise.”

She grinned and blushed, taking his cheeks in her hands over his stripes. “I wouldn’t mind a reminder every now and then. Though I know I should never doubt myself when I’m married to someone such as you.”

“Rin,” he murmured, his golden eyes softening for her. Only for her and their daughters.

Their arms wrapped around each other, her hands rubbing at his back as his mouth kissed hers while they waited for his body to separate from her. Some time like this was good for them, he decided. Just lying here like this after sex… It seemed to rejuvenate her.

“Uh oh,” she muttered when he finally pulled out of her and sat up. Her breasts were covered with some smeared milk, dampening her yukata more than before. His weight on her had pressed a little too hard. “I need a cloth. And something else to sleep in.”

Sesshomaru was up instantly to fetch everything for her so she wouldn’t have to move. He righted his own clothing, returned to her with a damp cloth and a fresh yukata for her. He even helped her change. There was also a mess between her legs to wipe up that made her blush a bit.

“That’s better,” she said happily, grinning as he laid down next to her knowing she wanted to snuggle. But then…

A little cry from the other side of the room. One of the girls.

“Setsuna,” he said, knowing both of his daughter’s cries without seeing them.

“My poor baby sobs like I’ve starved her,” Rin teased, sitting up and waiting as her husband went to retrieve their daughter.

Sesshomaru peered down at his girls. How Towa could sleep so peacefully next to her crying sister was an intriguing thing to him. She would grow up to be a strong adaptable woman, he decided as he scooped Setsuna up in his hands, tugging her swaddle apart so her furious tiny fists could shake in the air. He took his fur as well as he went back to Rin, bringing Setsuna up to his face so he could rub on her a little. The crying eased a bit.

Until he put her in Rin’s hands. Then she started wailing, knowing her doting mother would do anything for her, give her anything she wanted if only she cried. Look, mama, she seemed to tell Rin. I’m crying. You have to give me attention. As Rin started to hum her special song for Setsuna, pulling down her yukata down to feed her, Sesshomaru wrapped his fur behind Rin so she could lounge comfortably on it. Both ladies were now surrounded by his scent.

After she got Setsuna to latch, her baby suckling as if she’d never had milk in her very short life, Rin asked, “Sesshomaru, can you hand me Towa as well?”

He looked over at his other daughter, found her still fast asleep. “She isn’t crying.”

“I know but I still want her. Bring her to me please.”

He did as his wife asked, placing their other daughter on Rin’s chest next to her sister. Towa’s tiny mouth looked like it carried a smile as she snuggled against her mother. “I thought you might want a rest if she wasn’t crying,” he told her.

“I know. Maybe I should rest when they don’t need me.” She looked up at him as she held both her babies on her chest, smiling ruefully. “But my time with them won’t be as long as yours. I need to savor every last moment.”

Sesshomaru felt a strange clench in his chest, one he’d felt only a handful of times in his life, and all of those times involved Rin. Times like when she was in grave danger, when she was badly hurt, when she wasn’t breathing, and he was told he couldn’t save her. A time would come in the future where he and his daughters would have to say goodbye.

So he wouldn’t argue when she wanted to hold their babies when she didn’t have to. He would hand her Towa as many times as he could, before Towa would grow too big. He wouldn’t care how many times Setsuna would make that fake cry of hers for her mother. Maybe Setsuna knew even as a half demon infant that she would far outlive her mother, and like her mother, wanted every last moment she could have.

As she blissfully enjoyed her babies, Sesshomaru snuggled up to Rin, pulling his family close to him. His wife was glowing, never looking happier than when they were all together. Over their little tufts of silver and brown hair, she kissed her daughter’s tiny heads, then turned to kiss her husband’s cheek.

As Setsuna was already passing out mid feed and Rin closing her eyes for a quick rest, Sesshomaru put his hand over his daughters.

Towa once again reached out and grabbed his finger to hold it.