I don't own Inuyasha. He owns me. Or rather, his big, hunky brother does.
*********
The sixth day was dark and gloomy, as was Rin's disposition. Rain pelted against Inuyasha's hut as she, Sesshomaru and Ikuto rested on their cots.
From her window she could see the sky: dark, grey clouds hovered over the village, casting a somber shadow over the area. The morning sun was just beginning to rise, but very little light creeped in through the blockage of the clouds.
Rin frowned against her headrest, and sighed. She was going to have to continue with this day, and try not to reveal how somber and depressed she felt, to anyone. Including Sesshomaru. She didn't need him questioning, when he returned to his natural form, why she had been so depressed-looking the few days before he turned back to normal.
She needed to put up a facade. A good one too, though she knew this would be quite a challenge. Rin had never been a good liar, mostly because she never really lied, which meant that she didn't know how to do it. With little practice who would?
So how was she to do this then? She shrugged. She'd find out sooner or later. She had to.
She turned away from the window and faced her husband. He was resting near Ikuto- not close to her. She didn't want him to sleep with her, though he had been doing so the previous nights before.
After the first night it seemed he thought it fine to continue sleeping with her, as if her one and only consented reply meant forever.
She'd said no to him yesterday. She couldn't let him lay next to her. Not this time. She had too much on her mind; too many thoughts rampaging through her head, leaving her with nothing but a bitter taste on her tongue, and a major headache.
He was silent as he slept: serene and at peace. The emotion that etched his face when she'd told him no no longer covered his face. The look of utter betrayal was gone.
Rin was glad for it. She hated that look, especially because it tore at her heart. She also hated that she was being so cold to him. Despised it. But Kohaku was right. She'd been babying Sesshomaru ever since he changed into a... Well, a baby. And that wasn't right. She knew it would only last a week. This was such a short time. She should've acted the way he would've wanted her to from the beginning.
She knew, because of her actions, he was going to remember everything she did: spoiling and treating him with compassion and pity- and he was going to loath her for it.
Rin closed her eyes tightly and let out a long, heavy, worldweary breath. Damn, but she was tired.
She hadn't slept all night because of these thoughts and if she were to look at her reflection she knew she would look terrible, with circles under her eyes, and crust glued to her eye lids.
She sat up, pushed her blanket off of her and stood. Since she wasn't going to sleep she might as well head out.
She tiptoed softly on the floor, trying and succeeding to make little noise that would wake the boys. Once she left her room, she exited the hut and ambled off toward the hill where she'd sat with Sesshomaru a few nights ago and talked.
The place usually exhibited a grand display of the sunrise. Today, Rin was denied the privilege to see something beautiful.
She plopped herself on the dewy, wet grass and laid her head on it. She stared at the sky, watching the clouds move in their almost sluggish pace.
Her heart ached. What did one do to alleviate the sickness?
Rin covered her face and groaned. She knew the answer to that: make love to Sesshomaru.
She was not to think that way. Not now. Not when her husband looked like a child. She wasn't a pervert. Never had been; never would be. But, God, how easy it was to remember how she'd once been with him! It was only six days ago since they'd made love. Such a short time. Too short to forget anything.
He would do the littlest things to make her ready for him, although she didn't know if there ever had been a time since their marriage that shehadn't been ready for him.
He would lean into her, and rub his nose against her neck, smelling the curve of it, then bury his face in her hair, taking in the scent of that. He always did this whenever he wanted her. Well, almost always. He either did that or go behind her and lightly bite her ear, then trail his tongue down her neck, all the way to her-
Rin slapped her hands against her blood red cheeks and shook her head.
"Stop that!" she chided herself. "Stop thinking about this. It only makes you yearn even more for him."
And oh, how it did! Even as she told herself to stop, her thoughts continued roaming, against her wishes, and fell to the night before Ikuto had ruined everything.
That night, she and Sesshomaru had decided to camp atop a hill, as they almost alway did. Jaken and Ah-Un were told to stay inside the woods, a few meters away from them. Sesshomaru had given them the order and they had obeyed, walking deep into the greenery.
She'd lain against his chest, as he rested against a tree staring off into the sky, as his fingers raked gently through her soft, brown tresses. He hardly ever did such a thing in front of company, but when they were alone he touched her. Always, he touched her. And she loved this. She always thought it was his way of telling her he couldn't get enough of her. She hoped and prayed it was so.
That night he'd lowered his head into her neck and did a combination of licking, nipping at her ears, and licking her flesh, making her body hot and flushed, and her breath heavy.
He'd said no words, while she whispered his name with a gasp each time he did something that electrified her skin.
His fingers had lightly made circles around her thighs, then moved up and down, until her kimono reached high above her knees.
Finally, he'd uttered a sound. A primitive growl of pleasure, and also of impatience. He wanted her naked. So he made sure this happened. He'd taken off her clothes, with her help, and continued with his curious and contently observant perusal of her body.
He'd later laid her against the grass, as she was now, and straddled her body with his legs. She'd grabbed onto his clothes and tried to rip the damned things off. Her husband's lips had twitched at her zeal, and he'd immediately unclothed himself, leaving himself completely naked before her so that she could peruse his body.
And, oh what a body he had! His stomach had been slim, yet hard, with ripples going down, like a pale river, to his navel, meeting the white curls that met his member.
Rin covered her eyes remembering, and felt how hot her cheeks had become. Her heart hammered against her chest and she licked her lips.
That night had been one filled with pleasure. But most of all, it had been a night filled with love. From her, of course.
After they had finished copulating, they'd rested on the earth, Sesshomaru's arms wrapped around her's. And she'd whispered, "Goodnight, my love."
He gave no reply to that. No verbal one, at least. But he did make her face him, and meet his soft, golden gaze. And yes, it truly was soft. During nights like those, his eyes were always soft and filled with...something for her. Tenderness? Compassion? Admiration? A combination of the three?
Love?
Rin didn't know. And until he said a word, she would never know. Maybe she would ask him- after he got over his anger of being bested by a child, of course. Such a question would seem trivial to him as opposed to his more important subject: his pride.
Rin grimaced. The thought dissipated the desirous sensations that had risen in her a few minutes ago, and filled her, once again, with a heavy dosage of depression.
She really hated being second to his pride.
************
Sesshomaru's eyes shot open the second Rin had stood up to leave their room. He'd tried hard to stay away from her. And, in fact, he did just that. He was able to say no to his heart, and forced his body to remain where he lay. But he did so with a cost.
Impatient for Rin's return, he stared at the ceiling, noting the black swirls and lines on the brown and amber wood. His feet smacked each other, his nails drummed his arms- and he couldnt stop moving!
Where did Rin go? He didn't like that she was out alone. She could get hurt. Or worst: she could run away and leave him. Yes, that would be terrible. Horrible. The worst thing to ever happen. More horrible than her saying no to him sleeping with her. And that had been bad.
He'd laid on his cot which had been beside her's, that night, and she'd quickly told him that she didn't want him sleeping so close to her.
He'd said nothing, only nodded his head, after first looking at her as if she'd betrayed him- for truly, he felt she had- and then he moved his cot next to Ikuto, ignoring the voice of his conscience reminding him how much he disliked the boy. He didn't care about that. Not then. Not now.
What mattered was the fact that Rin had told him to stay away from her. She hadn't said this in those exact words, but that's what he took from what she'd mumbled. He knew that was what she meant.
Sesshomaru bit his lip. The view of the ceiling blurred to an almost watery view, and he lifted his blanket to meet his mouth.
In a muffled whisper he said, "Don't go, Rin. Please."
He didn't go back to sleep. Not with Rin outside doing who knew what.
He refrained from going to her because she wouldn't want him to. At least, he thought so. He sincerely hoped that this phase of her's would die. Because he missed his friend.
He'd just found one. And he didn't want to lose her.
*********
Later that day, in the evening, Rin, Kohaku, Kagome and Sango had set off to find some plants and herbs for dinner, leaving Inuyasha and Miroku with the children.
Inuyasha had not been pleased with this. It seemed ever since his brother came into the picture Kagome continued to leave him with the jerk. He didn't know why. Maybe she had some hidden agenda. Maybe she thought something would come out of him spending some "quality time" with his big brother.
Ha! What a laugh. Like anything good would come out of this experience. If Inuyasha decided to make friends with his brother Sesshomaru would hate him even more when he returned. If Inuyasha continued to play indifference... Sesshomaru would still hate him. After all, he knew, along with all his friends, about Sesshomaru's embarrassing predicament.
Inuyasha and Miroku sat with one another, watching over the children as they played together near Kagome's well. Ikuto was with Tomoya and Nagisa, while Sesshomaru was-
Inuyasha stared at his brother and frowned. Miroku saw this, and followed his gaze. "He doesn't look very pleased," he commented.
"Yeah. I wonder what's wrong."
"Maybe you should ask him," Miroku said.
Inuyasha blinked and turned to him. "Why should I?"
"Because he looks miserable. Look at him! How can you ask such a question?"
And, in fact, Miroku was right. Sesshomaru did look miserable. He sat away from everyone, with his head bowed down, his chin meeting his chest. The shadow from his bangs covered his eyes so Inuyasha couldn't make out what his brother was staring at, but he did have a stick on his hand and he was making hard, almost frustrated circles in the dirt, with gritted teeth and a clenched jaw.
"Go to him," Miroku said. "He needs to be comforted."
Inuyasha snorted. "The day I comfort the bastard will be the day I lose my balls. Uh-Uh. Nope. I ain't doing it, Miroku. Don't even bother asking."
Miroku shook his head. "I do not think anything bad will come from this, Inuyasha."
He rolled his eyes. "That just shows how much you know him. He's a cold hearted jerk. Why should I care about his feelings?"
"Because, right now, he is not the demon you just described. He is a child."
Inuyasha waved his hands. "He's changing back in, like, another day."
"And do you plan to continue treating your brother with contempt?"
"I'm not treating him with contempt," Inuyasha gritted out. "If anything, I've treated him better than he's ever treated me. I even held the guy's hand!"
"Then if you went that far, what is stopping you from going to him and asking what's wrong?"
Inuyasha groaned. "Miroku... He already hates me. How much more do you think he's going to resent me when he returns, remembering how I showed him compassion, or some other nonsense?"
Miroku's lips quirked. "So you care for his opinion, I see."
"I do not," Inuyasha hotly replied. "I don't give two craps about what he thinks of me."
Miroku tsked. "You, my good friend, are a liar."
"And you, my good friend, need to shut the hell up. I ain't going to him and that's final."
"Inuyasha."
"Shut up," he muttered.
"Go."
"I don't wanna."
"Go."
"I. Don't. Want. To."
"Go. I won't stop until you go." Miroku leaned in. "Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. G-"
Inuyasha jumped up, red faced. "Alright! Fine, dammit. Ill go."
Miroku smiled. "Good."
**********
"Yo, Sessh."
Sesshomaru stared at the grass and ignored his big brother. He focused on the green strands, then grabbed a handful and ripped it from the dirt. He let it fly with the wind.
"Sessh, I'm talking to you. I know you hear me. Look up."
He didn't want to. He wanted to dig a hole in the ground, and continue to dig until he found the other side of the world.
"Sessh-"
"Leave me alone, Inuyasha," he grumbled. "I want to be left alone."
Inuyasha crouched down next to him and propped his elbows on his knees, hands dangling between them. His brow furrowed at Sesshomaru's soft, yet miserable tone.
"What's wrong, Sessh? You don't look too happy."
"Lea' me 'lone."
"Nope. Can't do that, bro. Not until you tell me why you look so sad."
"I'n not sad," he lied. "I'n fine. Lea' me 'lone."
"Sessh..."
He looked up at him sharply, and his eyes were red as blood. "I told you to leave me alone," he snapped. "Leave."
Inuyasha cocked his head to the side. His brother was miserable: the proof was as clear as day. Shock filled his gaze, then concern quickly followed suit. Was the boy worried about Rin? "Rin'll come back. You don't have to worry about her."
Sesshomaru's eye color returned to its natural hue. "You don't know that," he muttered, lowering his head. "She left with Kohaku."
"And? What does that mean?"
"She likes him," he said, and his voice broke at the end. "He came yesterday and she's been ignawing me ever since."
Ignawing?He meant ignoring, right? "She's not ignoring you, Sessh. She's just going through some stuff."
"I'n her friend. She's s'posed to tell me what's wrong with her."
"She will. In time."
"No, she won't. Not unless Kohaku leaves, which I doubt he will." Sesshomaru rubbed his neck with his chin. "She doesn't love me anymore. She loves Kohaku."
Inuyasha's eyes widened. His mouth even dropped for a few seconds before he caught himself. How did Sessh know about love? Wait- didhe? "How do you know that?"
"Because she left me again to go with him. Because she didn't let me sleep with her yesterday. Because she turned away from me as if she didn't see me. Because... Because..." His lips began to tremble so he bit them down and swallowed thickly. "Because she hurt my feelings."
Inuyasha could hardly believe what was coming out of his mouth! He had no idea Sesshomaru could feel so much. Had he always been like this, but hid it behind his cold facade? Or had it died with time?
He honestly didn't know why Rin decided to change the way she acted with him. Did she think it would change how Sesshomaru felt, after he returned, if she treated him coldly instead of with compassion?
Inuyasha raked his fingers through his hair. "Sessh, how long has this been going on?"
"One whole day."
"Only a day? It's only been one day and you're getting all worked up over such a short amount of time?"
"It took me a short amount of time to become Rin's friend. It could take me even less to lose her."
Inuyasha arched a brow at him. What a wise statement. Was he maturing slowly before changing back to his natural form?
"You're right, Sessh."
Sesshomaru looked up. "I am?"
He nodded. "You should tell Rin this."
Sesshomaru frowned. "I should?"
"How else do you expect her to know she's hurting your feelings? Maybe she doesn't know."
He crossed his arms over his chest and hmphed. "She should," he grumbled. "She knows I hate it when she's sad. She should know I hate it when she's cold like mother."
"Did you tell her this?"
Sessh blushed. "No."
"Then how's she supposed to know?"
"A 'cause it's obvious!" he cried. "How can anyone act like that and not expect to hurt the udder person? She must be stupid not to know."
"Sessh," Inuyasha said in a warning tone. He didn't like Sessh calling Rin names no matter how hurt he was. "Don't call her that."
Sesshomaru sniffed. "I'n sorry." His eyes watered; Inuyasha could smell it accumulating. He rubbed the nape of his neck and knelt before him.
"Sessh-"
"Don't tell Rin I called her that, allight?" Sesshomaru practically begged him, suppliantly. "Don't tell her that. I'll never say it again."
"Sessh-"
"Promise me, Inuyasha. Prom-"
"That's enough, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha snapped. He didn't care if anyone heard. At that moment, he was suddenly furious. Yes, his brother was a child, but strong Inu-youkai blood ran through his veins. And so did an abundant amount of pride. Where the hell was it? "Get yourself together, Sesshomaru. Stop acting like this! It's only been one day. Tell Rin how you feel. She'll change after that- I promise. Just stop- stop whining."
Sesshomaru's back stiffened and red gleamed in his eyes again. A hard look of anger and stubbornness covered his face and his teeth clenched so hard together Inuyasha thought they'd turn to powder. "I. Am. Not. Whining!" Sesshomaru growled. "I don't whine. Ever."
Inuyasha liked this attitude. He decided to work with it. "That's not what I'm seeing. I'm seeing a cry baby. Real Inu-youkai don't cry like you do."
"You've never seen a real dog demon. What do you know? I'm not whining, I say! Stop lying."
"I don't know," Inuyasha continued. "I see a whiner. If you were the dog demon I thought you were you wouldn't be acting like a baby. You'd go straight to Rin and ask her what happened to her."
Uncertainty covered his gaze. "But what if she-"
"No buts, Sessh. When she comes, go to her. Where's your pride? Don't hide from the woman."
Sesshomaru nodded his head. "You're right, brudder."
Inuyasha grunted. "Of course I am."
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "Only this time."
"Ha! Let me tell you, Sessh, I've been right many-"
"I told you I don't like dat nickname. Why do you keep calling me that?"
"'Cause your name's too long, that's why."
"How would you like it if I gave you a nickname?" he said. "I don't think you'd like it."
"That depends.
"On what?"
"Whether the name's awesome."
Sesshomaru barked out a laugh. "You make me laugh, half breed." Then something strange happened to his eyes. A sparkle formed there. A strange, evil looking gleam. "I know the nick name I'll use!"
Inuyasha groaned. He knew what was coming. "Sessh, please-"
"I'm calling you Yasha."
He blinked. Well, that wasn't what he expected. "Eh?"
"Yasha. That's your new name. I'n not gonna call you Inuyasha any longer. No more. From now on, you shall be Yasha."
He actually liked it. "R-really?"
"Yes." Sesshomaru stood up, dropping the stick. "I declare it today. From this day forth you shall be-"
And suddenly everything froze. Or rather, everything in Sesshomaru froze. A peculiar scent filled his nostrils. A metallic scent: bitter, yet warm.
Somehow, he knew that smell. He couldn't recall ever sniffing it out before. After all, she had never been hurt while by his side, but somehow he just knew something had happened to Rin. Something or someone had caused her to bleed.
He looked up at the sky and found Jaken's lizard demon heading toward Inuyasha's hut.
That was when be began to run.
His brother followed after him, trying to meet his lightning speed. When he came up to the village, he saw Ah-Un on the grass. He came to a sudden halt and watched the demon's passengers-Jaken, Kagome and Sango jumping off the animal, only to stay in front of it, looking up.
Sesshomaru tried to find Rin, but he couldn't see her over the demon's saddle. Where was his friend? He could still smell her blood. In fact, the scent had grown even stronger.
Inuyasha stood beside him, looking at what was going on. Then he began to walk toward them with long, purposeful steps.
Sesshomaru followed.
"What happened?" Inuyasha asked his wife. She was still looking up at the saddle.
She turned to him. "Rin hurt herself," she said softly.
Something inside Sesshomaru shattered when he heard his sister say that. He knew it. He stepped forward. "Where is she?" he growled, throwing aside all propriety. "Where is my Rin?"
She pointed at Ah-Un. "She's up there. Kohaku's helping her come down."
Kohaku.Sesshomaru saw red. This was the human's fault. No one told him this, but he just knew it was true. He growled loud and clear, for all of them to hear. A yellow and green light formed at his finger tips, and just as he was about to jump onto the saddle and kill Kohaku, Inuyasha grabbed his hand.
Sesshomaru distantly heard his brother hiss in pain due to the poison now licking his flesh, but he focused all of his energy instead on getting free from his hold. "Let me go!" he roared.
"Sessh- calm down."
"No! I'n gonna kill him!"
Inuyasha picked him up against his chest. Sesshomaru kicked and screamed at him, demanding to be set free. "Let me go! I gotta see Rin!"
"I'll let you go as soon as you calm down!"
"I will not calm down. Not while that humanis with my Rin!"
Inuyasha moved him away from the group. "Sessh-"
"What is going on here?" Kohaku barked, perking his head up, over Ah-Un's saddle. He looked at the brother's reprovingly "Rin's resting. Shut it."
Sesshomaru pushed Inuyasha's chest. "I'll show you who needs to shut it!"
Kohaku arched a brow at him. "Uh... What's wrong? What did I do?"
"You hurt Rin!" he snapped. His eyes were still red but he was crying now and he couldnt help it. Inuyasha wouldn't let him kill Kohaku, so he was angry and frustrated. And scared.
What was wrong with Rin? Was she dying? No, she couldn't die. She was too perfect to die.
"What happened to her?" Inuyasha asked Kohaku.
Kohaku lifted Rin onto his arms and gently carried her limp body down Ah-Un's back. When he met the surface he cocked his head toward the hut, motioning for the boys to go inside with him.
Inuyasha ran with his brother in his arms to meet him there.
"What happened to her?" he said again, looking at her pale figure. He couldn't see any wounds on her face or arms.
They entered Inuyasha's main room and rested Rin on the floor. They surrounded her and spoke in whispers.
Sesshomaru stared at her, but he listened to what the men were saying.
"We were looking for plants near a river. Rin had decided to get a drink from there and I guess she slipped on a wet rock or something." He shrugged. "I don't really know. One second she was walking to the river, the next she was on the floor, clutching her leg."
"Her leg?"
"Yes." He pointed at her right leg. There was no blood that they could see but her kimono did have a gaping hole at the right side of her thigh. Kohaku had a black bandage, one of his own, Inuyasha guessed, wrapped around that area.
"Why's she asleep?"
Kohaku rubbed his neck. "There was a lot of blood."
Inuyasha and Sesshomaru paled.
"Not much," Kohaku rushed out. "Nothing detrimental. She'll live. She fainted mostly because the blood made her dizzy."
They both relaxed. Sesshomaru more so because he had been tense since the beginning. Inuyasha felt this, and he believed the boy was well enough to be free. He didn't think he'd try to kill Kohaku knowing it wasn't his fault, which he suspected was what Sesshomaru thought.
Sesshomaru knelt beside his wife and grabbed her hand. He stared at her pale figure, pale himself, and then rested his head on her lap.
Inuyasha and Kohaku saw this and quickly turned away. The moment was too intimate for them to witness.
Kagome soon came in with new bandages-white ones, with a bottle of one of her medicines, and another with a cream to stop infection.
She saw Sesshomaru, and lowered her head. Then she sat beside Rin and told the men, "You have to go."
They nodded and stood up to leave. Inuyasha was about to tell Sesshomaru to come with them, but he stood quiet.
Sesshomaru did not know the woman was his wife, but his feelings for her had not changed. Rin was hiswoman. His heart knew that much. And he hated it when bad things happened to her. Everyone knew this.
The men left the room.
Kagome worked with Rin even as Sesshomaru continued to quietly lay his head on her chest. She lifted the woman's kimono over her stomach and unbandaged the wet, bloodstained cloth. There was a large, reddish-purple scar there. One that started at the top of her knee and ended at the end part of the top of her thigh. Kagome gently washed the wound with a wet cloth, then, once most of the blood was gone, she applied some of her greenish-black cream over it. The cream was cool. Cool enough to make Rin flinch.
Sesshomaru felt this movement and sat up. His bangs covered his eyes, but Kagome knew he was crying. Rin's kimono was damp where he laid.
He stared at Rin, noticing how her eyes began to flutter open. But they did so so slowly, fanning her cheeks with grey shadows. He waited, biting his lips for her gaze to focus on him. Once this happened, she smiled softly.
Sesshomaru immediately smiled in return. Tears continued to fall, but his smile never wavered.
"Hi," she whispered.
He swallowed before he croaked an: "Hello."
She held his hand gently, but he grabbed onto it with all his might. Well, with all the strength he could use that wouldn't hurt her.
"You got a booboo," he said. "But Kagome is fixing it all up." He turned to Kagome. "Right? You gonna fix my friend, right?"
Kagome couldn't look at him. She couldn't turn her gaze away from Rin's wound. She didn't want to see Sesshomaru. She would cry if she did so. She knew she would. His voice alone broke her heart.
He frowned. "Kagome?"
She nodded jerkily. "Yes. I'm going to heal her the best way I can. Don't worry."
His smile wobbled when he turned to Rin. "See? She's gonna make you all better."
Rin swallowed thickly. Her wound didn't hurt so much as the pain in her chest because of the look on her husband's face. He was so concerned about her, he didn't even bother to wipe the tears that were trailing down his cheeks.
She lifted her hand and wiped his cool, pink cheeks with them. "Sesshomaru, don't cry," she told him in a soft tone. One she promised not to use with him but couldn't help but use at a time like this. "I'm fine. There's no need to worry. It's just a small scar."
He shook his head. "For Rin I will always worry. Especially when she's hurt."
Rin forced herself not to cry. If she cried he would cry even more.
She smiled half heartedly. "It's not so bad. Look, Kagome's already bandaging it up for me. Once she does this I'll be able to walk like new."
Kagome snorted. "You're staying in bed for two days, max. And that's final."
Rin frowned. "But I-"
Kagome raised her hand. She knew what she was going to say. She had to leave before Sesshomaru returned to his rightful form. He wouldn't want to be in Inuyasha's village.
"I know. I know," she said. "But it isn't safe for you to leave with your leg like this."
"But he's-"
"I know, Rin. We'll see if your leg's better by then, but you need to wait."
Rin sighed. "Fine. I'll just will it to get better. You're going to will it to get better too, right Sesshomaru?"
He nodded his head. "Yes. I'n gonna pray all the time. You're gonna get better. And I'n gonna stay with you all-" He paused and turned away, but not quick enough. Rin noticed the shuttered look in his gaze before he bowed his head.
She touched his hand. "Sesshomaru? What happened?"
"I was going to say that I shall stay with you 'til your wound heals but...but...I don't know if you want that."
"Why wouldn't I want that?"
He looked up at her, then back down. "Do you... Do you still want me? To stay with you, that is?"
She frowned. "Of course I do. Why would you think-"
"A 'cause of yesterday," he told her so softly she had to strain her ears to hear it.
Once she did, she closed her eyes. Guilt ate at her stomach. He thought she didn't want him anymore because of how she acted. Of course he did, she thought bitterly. Since the day she "met" him she'd been kind and gentle to him, and suddenly, out of the blue, she became cold and callous. Why wouldn't he think she changed her mind?
She was an ass. A foolish ass. A foolish ass who hurt her husband's feelings.
And it broke her in two.
She looked at him with all the kindness and love in the world, and told him straight, "Don't ever think that, Sesshomaru. Ever. I will never stop wanting you. Don't you ever forget that."
His golden eyes were large and bright. "So you want me to stay?"
"Forever."
He grinned at her. And she saw what she had missed earlier that morning: something beautiful.
*****
Once Kagome was done with everything, she left the room leaving the two alone. Sesshomaru rested next to Rin and promised repeatedly that he'd never leave her side. Not even if she was bedridden for life.
Rin chuckled and rolled her eyes not believing him. He saw it and told her most adamantly that he was serious about what he said and didn't like that she wasn't taking him "sewiously."
"I'n sewious, Rin," he told her. "I'll stay. Foreeeber.And I can do it, too, 'cause I'n inortal."
"Inortal? Sesshomaru, do you mean immortal?"
"I said that."
"No, you-" Rin shook her head. That wasn't important.
The boy snuggled up against her, making sure he didn't touch her; only her arms. They stood there in silence for a few minutes, hearing the villagers, including Inuyasha and his family making noises outside the hut.
Then Sesshomaru gently pulled Rin's arm. "Um, Rin?"
"Yes?"
"What were you talking to Kagome about, about you leaving in two days?"
"She was just making sure I don't plan to leave until my wound heals, that's all."
"Oh." He pulled her arm again. "Um, Rin?"
"Hmmm?"
"I love you."