When night fell once again, Lyra was sitting with Sesshomaru. He had his knees up as he rested against the tree whilst Lyra sat facing him as she leaned back on his legs, a small daisy in her hands that Rin had given her earlier. It was nice to have just been relaxing for the past few days now that Naraku was staying hidden. They simply gazed at each other in silence, a warm breeze adding to the serenity in the atmosphere. Sesshomaru never thought he would fall so hard and deep in love with a human. Lyra only thought of herself as a normal girl. There was nothing special about her in her own eyes. It was just that no one had put so much care and attention into him, no one looked at him the way she did.
His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb slowly stroking across her skin and tracing her lips. He felt the warmth of her cheek under his hand, his eyes fixated on her azure blue ones. It was like he could see the stars shining within them and he could look at them forever. Lyra breathed calmly, her eyes becoming more aware of the markings on his face. They suited him so well, it would be strange if he was without them. And his hair. She had touched his hair a few times and she couldn't get over how soft it was. It would make anyone jealous. The two were a complete contrast. One a stoic demon with white hair and gold eyes. The other a talkative human with dark hair and blue eyes. Yet they matched so perfectly.
"Will you miss me when I'm gone?" she asked quietly, her voice breaking the silence.
"Very much so," he answered just as softly as he continued to stroke her cheek. "Time will pass by slowly without you."
She smiled just as his thumb brushed over her lips. "I'm going to miss you, too."
"I regret that I'm unable to go with you. I won't be there to protect you."
Lyra giggled and rolled her eyes. "There are no demons where I come from, Sesshomaru. I'll be fine."
"Hm, very well. What will you be doing there?" he asked, his fingers now raking slowly through her hair.
"Well, knowing my father, he'll be waiting for me on the other side. I'll have to convince him to let me come back. Then at work..." she gazed up at the night sky, thinking quietly before continuing, "I'll have to explain why I haven't contacted them. I'll just have to say I have family commitments. I'm sure my father will back up my story."
Sesshomaru listened to her intently as Lyra looked at her again. "You speak a lot of your father but not of your mother," he stated. "Why?"
Lyra sighed deeply, her eyes travelling down to the daisy in her hands. "She died...giving birth to me," she admitted as her voice dropped in tone slightly. "That's what my father told me."
Sesshomaru could sense the sadness in her voice and instantly regretted asking about her mother. It was clearly an emotional subject for her. Lyra never liked to speak of it since she never knew of a mother's love. Yes, her father had tried his best to take the role of a father and a mother, and she appreciated it, but it wasn't the same. Sesshomaru saw her fiddling with the daisy in her fingers before she shrugged nonchalantly.
"I would like to have met her but there's nothing I can do. My father did tell me she was an amazing woman though. She was always so kind and wonderful. Apparently there was nothing she couldn't do. She was one in a million."
Lyra was rambling and Sesshomaru recognised that trait of hers whenever she was nervous or upset. As much as he loved hearing her voice, he didn't wish for her to be sad. His hand moved over her small ones, halting her from fumbling her fingers about and instantly stopping her from talking. At that point, Lyra finally managed to breathe. She didn't notice she had been holding it in. Her eyes made contact with his again and he was able to see the glaze of tears threatening to fall.
"If your mother was anything like you, I would have to agree with your father," he told her.
Lyra smiled at his words, the glaze slowly disappearing from her eyes as she blinked a few times. "Thank you."
He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers gently before stroking his thumb across them. "What will you bring back with you?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Food, definitely. I don't think I can live off fish any longer," she said with a quiet laugh. "Some stuff for Rin and more clothes."
"You also mentioned work. It's not too difficult, I hope." He literally continued the conversation only to hear her voice.
She shook her head. "I used to think it was hard but after spending time here, it's gonna feel so easy. At least no one's trying to kidnap me there. Although, one man did try to grope me," she trailed off at the end.
Sesshomaru's eyes instantly narrowed, his eyebrows creasing in anger at her last words. "I will kill him."
"No, no, no!" she quickly denied him, her eyes widening slightly. "It was a couple of years ago. Plus, he was intoxicated. The security guards took him away."
Sesshomaru closed his eyes and breathed out. "When this is all over, I will assign to you your own personal guards for whenever I am not present."
"That really won't be necessary."
"It is for me."
Lyra sighed in defeat and smiled. "Very well."
He looked at her and brushed some of her hair back. "Sleep now."
"Goodnight," she whispered.
"Goodnight."
Still smiling softly, Lyra closed her eyes and moved slightly on her side, still using his legs as her makeshift bed before snuggling against him. Sesshomaru didn't mind at all as long as he could make sure she was safe. He continued to stroke her hair until she fell asleep before staring up into the sky in anticipation for her departure the following day.
Lyra woke unusually early the next morning but Sesshomaru wasn't there when she opened her eyes. Jaken and Rin were still asleep so it was really early. Sitting up, she looked around as she rubbed her eyes but couldn't see him anywhere. It was pretty standard for him to disappear in the middle of the night but he was back before they woke up. Lyra had just woken extra early. She stood up and stretched, feeling quite excited about returning home. She would have to get to the well by midday as that was the time she and Kagome had agreed on. But before then, she decided to grab some things for breakfast. As much as she hated it, she would have to go fishing. If she didn't eat it, Rin and Jaken would at least.
She made her way to the lake nearby and crouched down on the bank, peering into the water to find some fish. There were a couple swimming nearby so she mentally prepared herself. Lifting her hand, she darted it in as fast as she could. She felt the tail of the fish touch her fingers before it swam off in a hurry. Even though she only tried once, she sighed in defeat.
"Stupid fish," she groaned.
"I thought you didn't like fish," a voice spoke.
She turned around and saw Sesshomaru standing just a little bit behind her. Looking back at the water, she sighed again.
"I don't. But I wanted to get breakfast for Rin and Jaken."
Sesshomaru walked over before crouching down beside her. As he stared at the water, Lyra wondered what he was doing until his hand suddenly shot into the lake at lightning speed. She jumped at the sudden movement and by the time she blinked, Sesshomaru had caught not two, but three fish. Lyra gaped at him in shock as he held the fish out to her with a smug smirk, making her roll her eyes.
"You show off," she laughed.
"If providing you with food is showing off, then so be it."
She smiled warmly at him and took the fish from him. "Thank you."
He gave a short nod before standing up with her. "Jaken and Rin are awake. Let's go."
After a short walk in silence back to their site, they found Rin helping A-Un find some grass to eat and Jaken stressing out because he couldn't find Sesshomaru. When the imp spotted Sesshomaru approaching them, he gasped loudly with glee. But when he saw Lyra walking beside him, his joy dissolved and his expression was replaced with anger.
'That woman never leaves Lord Sesshomaru alone! My poor master must be pleased to see her leave today.'
Lyra noticed Jaken glaring at her and felt quite threatened all of a sudden, but she brushed it off knowing that she couldn't do anything about it. Rin smiled brightly upon seeing the fish for breakfast and ran over to Lyra, gasping in shock.
"Did you catch them all by yourself?" she asked.
Lyra laughed and shook her head. "No. Sesshomaru caught them for me."
Rin gasped again. "You're amazing, Lord Sesshomaru!"
Jaken suddenly came hobbling up to them. "Can't you do anything yourself!" he yelled at Lyra. "You useless woman!"
"Jaken!" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the imp angrily, causing him to whimper in fear. "I expect you to apologise."
"But- But why?"
"I do not want to witness any disrespect towards her."
Lyra stood in front of Sesshomaru. "It's fine. Honestly I mean, I am pretty useless. Besides, he was just joking," she smiled and looked back at Jaken. "Right?"
Jaken growled as he glared up at her. "I certainly was not!" he shouted making Lyra groan quietly to herself. 'That fool!'
Sesshomaru's aura suddenly became deadly. "Jaken," he said in a threatening tone.
The imp cowered again. "Why do you defend her so, my lord?"
"Because I love her."
Lyra's eyes widened as her head snapped to him. Loud gasps came from both Rin and Jaken. Rin looked like she was about to explode with joy but Jaken seemed as though he had been attacked by a toad. Lyra was in complete shock; one because he had just blurted it out, and two because he said he loved her. They hadn't even uttered the word since the night they confessed. But she wasn't upset about it because she loved him too.
"If you speak another word out of line...I will kill you," Sesshomaru added.
Lyra breathed out quietly. "Sesshomaru, please. Don't you think that's little extreme?"
Sesshomaru continued to glare at Jaken from behind Lyra, making him hang his head in shame. Lyra felt bad for him but knew that Sesshomaru wouldn't stand for it. Rin suddenly grabbed Lyra's hand and grinned up at her.
"I knew Lord Sesshomaru loved you!" she beamed.
Lyra just blushed and laughed awkwardly. "Heh heh..."
"Rin," Sesshomaru called. "You must not tell anyone about this under any circumstances. That goes for you as well, Jaken."
"Yes, my Lord!" Rin said seriously whilst giving a salute.
"Yes, my Lord," Jaken repeated, feeling a little downtrodden.
"Have your breakfast quickly. We must get moving."
Lyra nodded and herself and Rin began to set up a fire. Even Jaken helped them. He didn't know how to feel towards Lyra now. She's the one who stole Sesshomaru's heart. He thought that perhaps now if he showed care towards her, Sesshomaru might reward him. A vision appeared in his mind of Sesshomaru promoting him and giving him his own army. Yes. Lyra was the one who would be able to soften the great dog demon. It was a turning point for all of them, even if he was being a bit selfish.
Once breakfast was over, they began their journey to the Bone Eater's Well. Lyra was walking with Rin at first but as she got distracted with A-Un, she caught up to Sesshomaru. She stayed silent for a while though, her hands behind her back. 'Because I love her.' His voice echoed in her mind, repeating the words over and over again, making her blush softly. Sesshomaru glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, easily seeing the pink hue on her cheeks.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked her.
She was caught a little by surprise, which made her feel stupid since he noticed everything. "Um, I..." Her head lowered from the rising shyness in the pit of her stomach.
Noticing her behaviour, he wrapped his hand around hers. "Tell me," he insisted, his voice softening.
Lyra felt her heart flutter as she gently gripped his hand. She looked up at him and gazing into his eyes instantly made her feel braver. "I love you, too."
Sesshomaru's lips curved ever so slightly into a small smile. "Is that what was making you so nervous? Silly woman." He lifted her hand and kissed the back of her fingers.
She blushed harder and huffed. "If I'm so silly, then how come you fell in love with me?" she asked jokingly.
"Your silliness is one of the many things I fell in love with," he admitted.
She smiled up at him and held his hand tighter. "Is there anything you wish for me to bring back for you?"
"Return soon. That is all I wish for."
She nodded but was suddenly stopped from walking any further as Sesshomaru held her back, pulling her into him. She was startled by his sudden action and even Jaken, Rin and A-Un stopped in their footsteps. Lyra felt as though her cheeks were on fire as Sesshomaru kept his arm around her waist, holding her to him before moving his hand to cup her cheek. He wished for a final moment of intimacy before reaching the well where he would have to refrain from showing his affections in front of Inuyasha and his friends. Lyra could feel her heart pounding as her eyes closed slowly, her head tilting as Sesshomaru closed the gap and kissed her lips deeply.
Jaken screamed.
"Rin! Close your eyes!" he yelled before covering his own eyes.
"Oh! Yes, Master Jaken!" Rin replied as she copied him.
Their lips continued to dance slowly together, the kiss becoming much more passionate. Lyra's hands were pressed against his armour, her breath being taken away by the emotions she felt from his lips. Sesshomaru suddenly pushed his tongue passed her lips easily as she wasn't prepared for it, making her heart flutter as he brushed his tongue against hers teasingly before pulling away from her lips. She sighed out, almost in a trance as she kept her eyes closed, taking in the moment. Sesshomaru looked at her face closely, brushing his thumb over her parted lips. After a few moments, he nudged her nose with his before placing a final kiss on her forehead.
"Return soon," he repeated.
She smiled softly, opening her eyes to see him. "I will."
With one last peck on each other's lips, Sesshomaru looked at the pair covering their eyes. "Let's go."
Jaken peeked from behind his hands and saw they were done. Rin smiled cheerfully and skipped over to Lyra to hold her hand. Sesshomaru walked ahead as usual and the others followed behind. Sesshomaru could already smell Inuyasha's scent close by and soon, Lyra could hear muffled talking. The sounds became clearer the closer they got to the well and they could hear Inuyasha and Kagome arguing as they came out from the surrounding trees.
"I told you, Inuyasha. I'll bring some extra snacks if I have time!" Kagome said in frustration.
Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms. "Ugh. Fine. Just hurry and go already."
Miroku, Sango and Shippo were the first to notice the new arrivals in the midst of the pair arguing.
"Ah, Lyra, you look well," Miroku greeted.
"Thank you, Miroku," Lyra smiled as they walked over to the well.
Kagome looked at her cousin and ignoring Inuyasha, she hugged her tightly. "Lyra, how have you been? I never got to apologise! I'm so sorry."
"Hey, don't worry, Kagome," Lyra reassured as she hugged her back. I enjoy being with Sesshomaru. And Rin and Jaken," she added quickly.
"What happened to your clothes?" Kagome asked noticing her change of attire.
"They got ruined, so I eventually dumped them along the way. I'll have to get some more from home," she answered. "Do you think I can carry much back with me?"
"Well, I tend to go back often when Naraku's on the down low so you should be fine."
"Okay, great. I know my father is going to be there. I just hope he doesn't think I'm crazy."
"Don't worry, I'm sure mom will-"
"WILL YOU GET GOING ALREADY?!" Inuyasha shouted, getting increasingly frustrated that the two were just conversing. "You can talk over there!"
Even Sesshomaru had to agree that watching the two having a conversation was simply a waste of time. Kagome glared at Inuyasha whilst Lyra laughed in embarrassment. She turned and gave Sesshomaru, Rin and Jaken one last wave before saying her goodbyes to Inuyasha and the others.
Lyra had passed out when she arrived through the well so she wondered what it was like. Kagome sat on the edge of the well, her legs dangling inside as she looked at Lyra who looked hesitant.
"You won't feel a thing," Kagome told her. "I promise."
Lyra groaned and joined Kagome. She turned back to look at Sesshomaru one last time, who was watching her intently, afraid that she would somehow hurt herself. But he remained ready in case anything happened. On the count of three, they both jumped in. Lyra closed her eyes tight as she felt the wind rushing through her hair as she fell deeper and deeper. Sesshomaru didn't move knowing that if he did, Inuyasha would question him.
"Might as well get as much rest as I can while she's gone," Inuyasha spoke aloud casually.
Sesshomaru guessed that going through the well was really that simple after all. Before Inuyasha could question his presence, Sesshomaru turned and left with Rin and Jaken.
Lyra felt as though she was falling for forever before her body suddenly became weightless. It felt as though she was floating.
"Lyra, open your eyes!" Kagome's voice echoed.
Hesitantly, she slowly opened one eye and then the other, her eyes shooting wide open in pleasant surprise. It was almost surreal. The portal between their worlds was fascinating. Looking over at Kagome, Lyra saw her arms out in front of her as if she was flying.
Kagome laughed. "Pretty great, huh?"
"It's weird, that's what it is," she replied, still not used to the sensation.
"We're almost there."
Lyra looked ahead and saw an opening with light shining through. The opening grew larger and larger the closer they got to it until the light seemed to envelope then whole. Before she knew it, Lyra found herself standing at the bottom of the well. She tilted her head back and saw the wooden ceiling of the shrine. She was back.
Following Kagome, she climbed out of the well. Once her feet landed on the familiar ground, she smiled and breathed out deeply. It was good to be home. She just hoped her father was okay. After mentally preparing herself, they both exited the shrine and made their way towards the house.
As soon as they entered, all eyes were on them, including Lyra's father. But Lyra found it quite odd at how calm and smiley he was. His brown eyes seemed well rested his and his dark hair was as neat as usual. He stood up and went over to her before pulling her into a tight hug.
"You gave me such a scare, Lyra." Although he looked calm, she could hear the quiver in his voice.
She hugged him back just as tight and smiled. "I'm sorry. I take that aunt explained everything to you?" she asked as she pulled away from him.
He chuckled. "I admit I thought she was crazy. When I tried to call you, your phone kept saying it was out of the network area. And now I know why. I was about to call the police if your aunt didn't stop me. Are you okay though? Are you hurt?" He gripped onto her shoulders and his expression turned questioning at the sight of her clothes. "Where did you get that from?"
Lyra sweat dropped. Now she knows where she got her rambling from. "Yes, I'm fine. No, I'm not hurt. And Sesshomaru got this for me."
He looked quite perplexed. "Who's Sesshomaru?"
"Out of everything, all you hear is 'Sesshomaru'?" she asked whilst raising a brow. She smiled. "He's a demon but a friend of mine." 'Little does he know...'
"A- A- A demon?!"
"Renji," Mama Higurashi called her brother. "I've already told you that Kagome's friend is a half demon. They're not all bad."
Lyra nodded. "Exactly. Although Inuyasha is half demon and half human. Whereas Sesshomaru is fully demon. They're also half brothers and they don't like each other very much."
"So, you're not staying with Kagome?" Renji asked.
"No. Sesshomaru wants to protect me himself," she told him with a light roll of her eyes. "Since I'm the oracle, my life is apparently in danger."
"You're a what?"
Lyra sighed deeply and slapped her hands over her face. There was so much to explain but first she needed to get refreshed. After going to her car, which is where she had left all her clothes, she grabbed her weekend rucksack and showered before wearing her own usual clothes. Once she was ready, she sat down with Renji and the others to explain everything that had occurred since falling down the well. Now everyone was up to date with everything.
Renji was in disbelief and shock although he hid it quite well, except for the fact his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. He couldn't quite get over the fact that his daughter had such a huge part to play in the feudal era.
"I'm only back for a week, so-"
"A week?!" Renji cut her off.
She nodded calmly. "I can already sense that Naraku is making himself stronger so I need to get back before he does anything drastic. I know I'll be able to foretell it. I just need to go back home, get some things together and also go to work. I'll just tell them I have family commitments."
"Just tell them I'm on my deathbed!" Grandpa yelled.
Lyra laughed. "Okay then."
Renji sighed. "Alright, I understand. Just have a day of rest before you start running your errands. I support you in this."
She smiled and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."
***
She travelled back home in her own car whilst her father went in his. That way she could drive back to Kagome's home herself. The first thing she did was go back to work. Obviously they were all surprised to see her after she disappeared off the radar but they were more concerned than anything. Being quite good friends with the manager, she was able to keep her position but she cut down the number of days she would have to work. She agreed to work a couple of days whenever she was in the city, including this time.
It was quite nice to return to work; it didn't feel so much like a chore anymore after her experience in the feudal era. At least no one was trying to kill her. She put on her uniform, which consisted of a navy blue knee length pencil skirt with a matching blazer and a white blouse underneath, and of course some court heels. When she started working again, even some of the customers were glad to see she was back. As they were such an expensive jewellery store, there were only a few people who could afford to shop there. They would have some customers who would travel the extra distance to buy from them but they weren't as regular.
Lyra was in the middle of sorting out one of the displays. She was admiring the sparkle of the diamonds as the jewellery moved in her fingers under the light. After locking the display, she stood up before walking straight into a customer.
"Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you," she said quickly as to not offend the customer as she stepped back.
"Don't worry about it," came a male voice.
She looked up to see quite a tall man standing in front of her. He wasn't as tall as Sesshomaru but he was still fairly taller than her. He wore an expensive branded suit and held a briefcase in one hand. His hair was styled in a very smart side part and he had light brown eyes. A friendly smile made its way on his lips.
Lyra knew who he was. He was a regular customer who would travel from the next city to shop there. Pretty much all of her colleagues had a crush on him. He was tall, handsome, rich, smart, funny, and incredibly charming. She did admittedly think he was handsome but she never fawned over him like her work friends. He was the ideal type of man, just not her ideal man. And plus no one knew what his job was or his name. However, he would buy something on every visit and they all suspected he had a girlfriend. He definitely wasn't married since he didn't wear a ring.
"Hey, you're back," he said once he recognised her. "I haven't seen you for a while."
Lyra smiled politely. "Yes, I've been away. Family commitments and all that. My grandfather has been quite ill."
He gave a nod. "I understand. That is a shame. What's wrong with him?"
"Oh, uh... He's been feeling quite weak," she replied awkwardly. "He says he's close to death but he's just being melodramatic."
The man laughed lightly. It was probably the most perfect laugh. "It's normal for them to feel that way if they're becoming weaker. If you want, I can see what I can do to help."
Lyra looked at him confused. "How?"
He reached into the inside pocket of his blazer and pulled out a business card. After taking it, she read it with pure concentration on her face. It had the name of his medical practice on there. 'A private consultant?' Along the bottom was his name and all the university medical degrees he'd acquired and his title being 'Dr.'. It would have taken him years to have gotten to the position he's at.
"Doctor Kanda Hideki." She looked at him again. "Is that you?"
"Indeed it is."
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "But you look so young."
He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah. Youngest there's ever been." He dropped his hand and smiled. "I don't like people to know since they start making a fuss. That's why I've never mentioned it before. And I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else. Not even my name because they can search my name."
She smiled in return. "I understand. But why is that? If you don't mind my asking."
"I don't like the attention I get, honestly. Women only dated me for my title," he sighed. "It's a lame excuse, I know."
Lyra shook her head. "No, I completely understand. I'll keep it sealed."
"Thank you," he said with a bow of his head. "Do make sure you give me a call should you ever need anything for your grandfather. Or for any concerns you have for that matter. I'll be happy to help."
"Thank you." She felt bad for lying but she put his card into her blazer pocket. "Is there anything in particular you're looking for today?"
"Not today actually. I'll probably be in tomorrow."
She nodded once. "Very well. You should bring your girlfriend in. I'd love to meet her one day."
Kanda suddenly began laughing, catching Lyra off guard. "I don't have a girlfriend. Or a wife, in case you're wondering. I buy this stuff for my mom and sister."
"Ohhh!" It all made sense. She smiled embarrassingly. "Sorry. We all kinda thought-"
"It's alright," he smiled. "Will you be in tomorrow?"
She was quite taken aback by his question. "Um, yes."
"Great. I'll see you then."
"'Til then, Dr, Hideki," she bid farewell with a small wave.
"Please, call me Kanda."
Lyra smiled. "Very well, Kanda."
"Thank you, Lyra."
Her eyes widened in shock. "How do you know my name?"
"Uh..." He pointed to her blazer. "It's on your name tag."
She closed her eyes and cringed at her own stupidity before looking at him and laughing awkwardly. "Heh heh, okay bye bye," she said quickly with a wave of her hand.
He simply chuckled with amusement before turning and leaving the store. As soon as he left, her colleagues rushed over to her and began bombarding her with questions. She didn't even have time to process what had just happened. Usually he was in and out but this time he had a full blown conversation with her.
"What did he talk to you about?"
"Why didn't he buy anything?"
"Is he coming tomorrow?"
"What did he give you?"
"Did he tell you his name?"
"What was he laughing at?"
Lyra stepped away from all of them and laughed. "Guys, please. I can't tell you because he asked me not to. If he wants to tell you, then that's up to him. I can't make that decision."
They all frowned in defeat and made sounds of disappointment. She even heard a couple of them already claiming she wanted him to herself. But she didn't let their words get to her. They were free to believe whatever they wanted because Sesshomaru was the only one in her heart and mind.