Silver Demons

by SkyFire (IJ/LJ: rabid_plotbunny)

Rating: R

Chapter Length: 1379

Previous Chapters: rabid_plotbunny. insanejournal .com

Disclaimer: I don't own Sesshoumaru or Sephiroth, or InuYasha or FFVII, and no money is being made. Rub it in, why don't you? D:

NOTE ABOUT CHAPTER 36: Yes, there is a Chapter 36. I just can't post it on FFnet due to its graphic nature. To sum it up very briefly, Sess finally lets Seph on top and the world doesn't end. Only steamier. ;) To read it in its full glory, head over to rabid_plotbunny. insanejournal (slash) 64772. html (take out the spaces)

Chapter 37

One might think that that would be the end of it. Sesshoumaru was reassured of the truth of Sephiroth's insistence on equality, and pleasantly surprised to find that being mounted by his mate was going to be nothing like the unpleasant but necessary chore he'd feared it might be. Sephiroth was satisfied that the daiyoukai saw him as equal in their mating, that their few false starts were due to assumptions and cross-cultural misunderstanding rather than any real substance.

They had finally cleared up their misunderstandings, taken their relationship that last step into true intimacy where neither one was above or below the other but truly equal.

One might think that having managed that great feat anything else would take care of itself for a while and let them spend their early days reveling in each other.

One would be wrong.

Barely hours after they had finally fallen into deep sated slumber, both at least passably cleaned up but scratched, bitten, and pleasantly sore in enough places to look like they'd been through at least a minor battle, there was a knock at the door.

One golden eye slid partially opened, looking blearily around for a moment before sliding closed once more, an uncharacteristic sound of protest escaping he comfortable daiyoukai even as he pressed tighter into his mate's sleeping embrace, pressing his face back into the curve of his Sephiroth's neck and shoulder, body relaxing once more.

Sleep had nearly claimed him once more when the knocking came again, this time accompanied by Jaken's call.

"Lord Sesshoumaru? Important news from near the borders, my Lord! Lord Sesshoumaruuuuuuuuuuu-!"

Sephiroth stirred beside him, arms briefly tightening around the body they held, strong chest rising with a deep breath before it was let back out in a short gust that stirred the demon's snowy locks. "Persistent bastard, isn't he?" he said, voice heavy with the lingering traces of sleep.

"Hmm," Sesshoumaru hummed in agreement. Jaken definitely was that. Actually, that was one of the reasons he kept him around.

Even so, he wouldn't mind him being a bit less persistent just then. Couldn't they have one single night to celebrate the earth-shattering revelation? It wasn't every day that your entire world-view was proven wrong, in the most delicious way possible.

More knocking. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"He isn't going to go away, is he?" Sephiroth groused, both eyes open now, staring sleepily down into golden.

Sesshoumaru let out a gusty sigh of his own, his arm tightening briefly where it lay wrapped around his mate. "No," he agreed regretfully.

Sephiroth nodded, then leaned in to share a brief kiss between still-swollen lips before starting to shift in preparation for getting up. "We might as well see what he wants, then," he said simply, pushing back the lingering sleepiness with an effort.

Sesshoumaru nodded, sitting up himself. A small grimace as he found himself a bit more... sore... than he had anticipated. He hadn't really noticed while lying down comfortably, but now that he actually had to move... It was not enough to hider him, not really, and he knew that there had really been no avoiding it, not considering the unaccustomed activity those muscles had been put to earlier that night.

His Sephiroth had tried to warn against a repeat experience, at least that first night, but he had been determined. After that first time, still himself and no lesser than he had been before, he'd been determined to make up to Sephiroth all the emotional pain he had unthinkingly inflicted on him. Not being one for words when actions could show his meaning instead, and still buzzing with the pleasure his Sephiroth had given him, that chain of thought followed along to its natural conclusion. Several times.

He could not hold back the quiet hiss as he stood, held still for a moment to grow accustomed to the throbbing of his lower back and backside. He looked up as a hand landed on his lower back, its warmth sinking into sore muscle and soothing them slightly.

"Sore?" the man asked softly.

Sesshoumaru hesitated, then nodded slightly. This was his mate, he didn't have to hide his state from him. "Somewhat," he admitted.

"I'm sorry-"

"I'm not."

oOo

Up and dressed - passably enough, though still nowhere near their usual high standards - Sesshoumaru and Sephiroth made their way through the night-dimmed hallways to the daiyoukai's study where the report sat waiting pride-of-place on the main table.

Jaken entered the room moments after they arrived, a servant with a pot of tea following dutifully behind. She set the tea down and served the two lords before bowing out of the room and sliding the door closed behind her.

Sipping absentmindedly at his tea, he broke the seal and read the missive over, Sephiroth doing the same at his side. He felt anger take hold, banishing the last heavy traces of sleep. Jaken, annoying and ill-timed as he was, had been right to call him from his bed.

One of the villages on the edge of his domain - the very village whose actions had led to him finding and meeting his Sephiroth, at that - had apparently been completely obliterated. Granted, it was a human village and generally beneath his notice but it was still in his domain; such an assault could not go unpunished.

"I must attend to this," Sesshoumaru said softly. "The assault on this Sesshoumaru's territory will not be tolerated."

"I understand," Sephiroth said. "I can help-"

"Unnecessary. I mean to investigate the area and eliminate those responsible. This Sesshoumaru is more than capable of defending what is his."

"I am not doubting you. It would simply go quicker if there were two of us. Also," he added softly, for Sesshoumaru's ears only, "I don't want to be far from you."

Sesshoumaru's eyes softened slightly. "Nor do I," he admitted softly, "but this is part of this Sesshoumaru's duties as Lord of the West. I will not be gone long, my mate. It was likely done by a group of human bandits, or lesser youkai that didn't realize they had strayed into this Sesshoumaru's territory. I will go, eliminate the threat, and return."

Sephiroth nodded simply, accepting his mate's assessment of the situation. "I will wait, then."

oOo

It was more than a little disturbing.

Though he was more than happy to finally escape KP duty with its seemingly endless supply of dirty dishes, boxes of powdered potato substitute and simulated onion flakes, the reason behind it left him more than a bit concerned.

Standing guard over the main camp with the two he was still being punished alongside, Genesis could almost hear the clock ticking his time away even as he was forced to admit it probably wasn't a good time to slip away from the rest and strike out on his own.

They'd been there, in the so-called Promised Land, for five whole days. Five days. Five!

Only five days, and already something out there - something they couldn't see, couldn't find, something that left no trace - had taken out four SOLDIERs. Second-class SOLDIERs, yes, but the ease with which they were taken - most with barely a yelp - was still enough to make him nervous.

After the first SOLDIERs went missing, a group of both SOLDIERs and regulars had gone down to the village they'd spotted during their initial reconnaisance, returning hours later empty-handed but smelling of blood and smoke.

Since then, two more had vanished and everyone was visibly on-edge and extra-vigilant - not that it helped.

It seemed his search for Sephiroth would have to wait.

Or not...

Walking boldly up the path as if he had every right to both be there and approach the heavily-armed encampment like it was nothing, was a man.

Tall, obviously well-built despite the loose, billowing Wutai-style clothing and odd armor he wore, with long hair shining white in the sun and a self-confident arrogance that even a regulation helmet's piss-poor optics couldn't disguise.

That height, that hair, it could only be one man.

Sephiroth.

Here, now.

Those cells were as good as his, Genesis thought as he, like the rest of the regulars, put aside their normal guns in favor of the tranq guns as they were ordered. He chambered a dart, lifted the gun and took aim.

TBC...