Without You | Sesshomaru

Chapter 55

As Lyra slowly came to, she began to stir and open her eyes. There was a pain in her head, making her groan quietly. Then she heard a gasp come from beside her.

"You're awake!" came Rin's voice.
Lyra held her head and breathed out. "What happened?"
"You passed out from exhaustion," the girl explained. "You nearly hit your head against a rock but Lord Sesshomaru caught you just in time."
"Oh... How long was I out?"
"About a day. After you passed out, Kagome was taken by the Shikon jewel."
Lyra's eyes widened. "What?!"
"It's okay," Rin said with a shake of her head. "Inuyasha saved her and she destroyed the jewel."
Lyra breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."
"But..." Rin sighed and looked down.
"But what?"
"Kagome didn't return. Only Inuyasha did."
Lyra's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Rin looked back up at her. "She was sent back to the time you came from and the bone eater's well has closed."
"What?!" she gasped. "How is she going to get back?"
"We don't know."
"Perhaps it's because her reason for being here is complete," Lyra wondered aloud. "But Inuyasha... How is he doing?"
"Not too well. He's frustrated that he can't be with her."
"I hope she can return soon. Love is a very powerful thing."
Rin smiled. "Is that how you and Lord Sesshomaru came to be together?"
"I would like to think so. It was his eyes I saw in the well before I fell into it." She sighed. "Speaking of which, where is he and Mikazuki?"
"They're outside. I'll get them."

She got up and ran out. Looking around, Lyra saw she was in Lady Kaede's hut. Despite her throbbing headache, she forced herself to sit up just as Sesshomaru entered. She looked over at him to see Mikazuki sleeping in his embrace. She smiled as he went and kneeled down beside her.

"You're always saving my ass," she started.

Luckily, Sesshomaru was used to the way she spoke so informally. She would try to be formal with him sometimes but he enjoyed those moments when she was herself. However, at that moment he was in no mood to be light-hearted. Not that he usually was anyway.

"You disobeyed me, Lyra," he said, his tone clearly not happy. "I told you to stay in the village."
She sighed softly and rubbed her head. "I know, Sesshomaru." Dropping her hand again, she looked at him. "I'm sorry I disobeyed you. I truly am. But I'm not sorry that I got to find our baby and save him from Naraku. We were away from him for a month. I couldn't wait a minute longer."

Sesshomaru understood where she was coming from but it still bothered him slightly. She also had to understand where he was coming from as well.

"If Naraku killed you in there, there would have been no way to bring you back," he reminded her as he cupped her cheek. "I can't lose you."
She gazed up into his eyes and smiled warmly. "I would give my life a thousand times over to protect Mikazuki. Call it a mother's instinct."
"It's that instinct that caused you to faint."
"What do you mean?"
"Your desire to protect Mikazuki somehow manifested into a shield. It used your own power and energy to create it."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh, wow... Being a mother really does change a person. But how do you know?"
"I asked Lady Kaede and Totosai."
She giggled as she reached up and pinched his cheek. "I love it when you're civil for me."
He frowned at her actions and narrowed his eyes at her. "Still, that doesn't excuse you for your recklessness."
She held onto his hand. "I know and I said I'm sorry. You can punish me later but right now..." She looked at Mikazuki. "I just want to enjoy having my family back together."
He nodded. "Very well."

He helped her up onto her feet and continued to hold her hand in his with Mikazuki still asleep across his other arm. Just as Lyra was about to walk to the door of the hut, Sesshomaru held her back.

"Wait, Lyra."
She turned back to him. "What-"

She was suddenly cut off as he leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers. Her eyes closed and she instantly melted into the kiss. They were careful not to squash Mikazuki as she clutched onto his kimono and he wrapped his arm around her waist. Lyra only just realised that she needed that kiss as much as Sesshomaru did. There was still that unspoken air about what happened in the fake world but they were both happy to leave it all behind. It was all irrelevant to the present noment.