Without You | Sesshomaru

Chapter 8

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.