Fate's Desire [Sesshomaru x Rin]

XXXVI: Touch of Death

Sesshomaru pulled Rin against his chest, holding her securely against him, her skin sending waves throughout body. He felt the yokai within him hum to life, his eyes shifting between forms. Rin removed his fur and his armor, longing to strip away any barriers between them.

He deepened the kiss as Rin ran her fingers down his chest, feeling for the battle scars that should have been there.

Sesshomaru trailed his hands up along the sides of her body and to her chest, leaving goosebumps in his wake. His fingers lingered against the flesh on her chest, hovering slightly over the amulet before his fingers wrapped carefully around the stone. And then he pulled it free from around her neck, pulling away from Rin in the process. He left her exasperated and short of breath. Blood rushed to her face as Sesshomaru stood before her, but his attention was not on her. The meidō stone pulsed against his hand, a purple mist swirling within the jewel.

Rin reached for her kimono to cover her chest only to realize that she was covered in a bandage wrap and dark hakamas. If it weren't for the fact that the wrap was saving her the embarrassment of being completely revealed in front of Sesshomaru, she probably would have left the room at this exact moment. She glanced over at him, feeling his uneasiness and tension. Rin up to this point didn't realize what had him on edge, what was so important that it interrupted what was about to happen between the two of them, until her eyes landed on the glowing stone in his hand.

She stepped down from the bed onto her feet, approaching him slowly.

"The meidō stone." She whispered under her breath. The last time she had seen it was when she was brought back to life by it years ago, a memory that Sesshomaru was not fond of.

"Was.. was that on me? Why?" Rin wondered, her hand going to her chest at the spot where the stone was.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. My mother wouldn't just give this away to anyone. Let alone you." He said, handing the stone back to her. A frown formed on her face when it made contact with her skin. It was as cold as ice, almost hurting a little. But that sensation only lasted for a split second as Rin's spiritual energy cleansed the darkness that radiated from the jewel. When the stone was around her neck, she felt nothing. She didn't even realize there was a huge amulet on her chest until Sesshomaru pulled it off. But in her hand, it was alive. Like it had a mind of its own.

Sesshomaru pulled his arms through his kimono and over his body as he watched Rin stand in a daze. She blinked rapidly after a moment and looked back up at him. Rin realized what he was doing and moved to fetch his armor and fur she had carefully stripped him of just moments earlier, trying to erase that heated moment from her mind.

"Is she okay? Well.. will she be okay?" Rin asked about his mother as she handed him his armor.

"She's dying. And gave the stone to you." Sesshomaru said more to himself as he pulled on his armor over his shoulders.

"Shouldn't you be with her then?"

"I've already said what I needed to say to her."

Rin went silent, her gaze traveling down to the stone in her palm. Once cool as ice, the stone began to heat up and vibrate in her hand.

Lord Sesshomaru adjusted the spiked pauldron on his shoulder, moving his gaze back to Rin.

She was in a daze yet again, but felt herself being lured by something moving within the stone. Rin felt it through the aura it radiated, feeling her eyes grow weary. She felt Sesshomaru's touch, heard his voice, but couldn't resist the temptation of sleep.

Rin sat up in a shallow pool of water, except she couldn't see how far the water went. In fact, she couldn't see anything at all. The water was nothing close to a pool but an infinite water mass that went on endlessly. Her vision was overcome by complete darkness, a dense and heavy feeling filling the air.