AN: Alright, this was a spur of the moment type one-shot. I definitely intend it to be a one-shot, but if I get enough reviews requesting it, I shall continue with it. I'm not terribly adept with knowledge of Inuyasha, having only seen a few dozen episodes, but I'm assuming I've got this down. There are some parts, such as where Sesshomaru places the flowers ("his sword belt") that make absolutely no sense, but for lack of a better word, they are used. Reviews are appreciated, as well as constructive critism, flames, however, will be used to light my barbeque and nothing else. First Inuyasha fic, enjoy! Pairings: SessRin. I do not own any of the characters in Inuyasha and I am not doing this for a profit (other than reviews).

Shy Smiles

-By Terah Ingram

(Aka, InuKagNoMoreDreams)

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."

Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987), The Philosophy of Andy Warhol

Rin starred out through the rain, towards the dark sky, with a shy smile on her lips. She couldn't believe it, she thought as Ah-Un continued on careful of the 19-year-old on his back, that it had been eleven years. Eleven years since Lord Sesshomaru had rescued her from her village, eleven years since her parents death, and in that eleven years, she was the only one who had changed.

Jaken was still as controlling as ever, and even more angry when Rin would pester him or Lord Sesshomaru. He often told her that as she grew older, she would need to start thinking of moving on, and leaving. That was something Rin thought about quite often, often going into dazes where she would unknowingly stumble or fall on tree roots in the forest. Did she really need to leave?

Unbeknownst to her, Lord Sesshomaru frequently found himself going into dazes as well. Not in thought, as he used to do, but in admiration. Admiration of the grown woman Rin had turned out to be. At 8-years-old, Rin had acted as any child would, immaturely. She would often wonder alone into the forest, or into fields gathering flowers for Jaken and himself. He remembered staring at her hopeful eyes as she held out the handfuls of orchids to him, completely ignoring Jaken who was scolding her so. It was as if she couldn't bear to go on without him acknowledging her gift.

She needed him to appreciate her for something, for anything. At 19-years-old, Sesshomaru could quite honestly say he appreciated her in more ways than she could imagine. He appreciated her for never once questioning him, never being scared of him, never running away from him, for always being there. He admired her for her courage and strength - for her beauty.

Rin had grown into quite the beautiful woman over the past eleven years. Her long raven locks spilled over her back in waterfalls, sometimes over her sparkling blue eyes. She was still much shorter than her Lord, only reaching up to his shoulders, but had a smile that could even make her Lord stop and stare. She was not deathly thin, for she and Jaken made hearty meals every night, but she was not deathly large either. She was, in all sense of the word, perfect.

Now, as the group traveled onwards through the night, she gazed into the dark sky with the same shy smile that had played onto her lips day after day. Thinking back about the old days, when she would go and fetch handfuls of orchids for her Lord, and how much she missed them. She had grown out of the habit of giving those gifts to Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken, when the latter had yelled ferociously at her one time when she had brought him back some daises. Jaken had screamed at her, telling her to 'stop such nonsense before she killed him,' for Jaken had had an allergic reaction to the flowers.

Rin remembered looking at Lord Sesshomaru with tears in her eyes, but he just stared back, as she ran crying into the forest. That had been the last time she had fetched flowers for either of the demons.

Back in the present, Rin continued staring. When raindrops landed on her lips, she laughed and stuck out her tongue, enjoying the taste of the fresh water. Jaken looked at her, grumbled, and then continued after their Lord, who was walking ahead of them, hiding a slight smile that had played onto his lips at Rin's laughter.

Rin wiped the rain out of her eyelashes and turned her head to the left, catching sight of a clearing that held many orchids. She grinned and jumped off of Ah-Un. "I'll be right back!" She called to the two demons before running into the clearing.

Jaken guffawed and muttered under his breath, "Always hindering us, selfish little girl…" while Sesshomaru simply rested against a tree in thought.

Rin gasped at the beauty of the clearing, the rain hitting the orchids, making them look magnificent in the bits of sunlight that were starting to poke through the sky.

It looked like she had stumbled into a fairy-tale, she thought; as she bent down to pick some of the flowers. Today felt like a good day to spread some cheer, what with the impending encounter with Naraku still ahead. Some cheer was all that her Lord and, especially, Jaken needed to continue on with their journey. Once she as sure she had enough flowers, she stood up and twirled in the rain, giggling as she fell down from dizziness.

Rin stared at the grass stain that she had acquired on her blue kimono. She sighed and hoped that she would be getting a new one soon, for this one was getting old and a little too small for her liking.

"Oh well," She mumbled with a giggle as she stood up and started to run back down the path that would lead her to Sesshomaru and Jaken. She raced up to them and knelt down beside Jaken, giving him a glittering smile, "Here you go, Jaken." She said as she handed him the red orchids.

Jaken's eyes widened and he seemed startled for a moment, before giving Rin the closest thing she had ever gotten to a smile. "Thank you, Rin."

Rin seemed delighted with his response and walked over to Sesshomaru, who had his eyes closed with his head bowed. Rin stood beside the tree he remained leaning on and hesitantly, she said, "Lord Sesshomaru… I wish to give these to you." She held out the orchids in her hand and seemed frightened at hat his response could be.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes and gazed down at the flowers, before looking up into Rin's eyes. His eyes sparkled with either anger or amusement, she could never tell. When he continued to stare at her, Rin blushed with embarrassment and slowly lowered her head in shame. "I am sorry, m'Lord." She mumbled, starting to turn away with tears threatening to escape from her blue orbs.

Sesshomaru's hand jerked out and caught her wrist, twirling her around. He brought her hand with the orchids up and took them from her, before lowering her hand back down to her side. "Rin, thank you…" Sesshomaru said, as he attached the orchids to his sword belt.

"Y-you are welcome, Sesshomaru-dono." Rin mumbled as she gave him a shy smile, that same shy smile that could convey thousands of words to its receiver.

"Please, call me Sesshomaru." He told her before standing and walking off into the forest. Jaken hurried off after him, as Rin simply stood, transfixed at their conversation.

Rin considered it a great achievement to know that Sesshomaru-dono - no, Sesshomaru, allowed her to call him that. To know that she had achieved respect and appreciation as one thing, but to know that she had received his, that was another.

"Rin! Come along!" Jaken called back to her, snapping her out of her daze. Rin blushed as she saw Sesshomaru and Jaken staring back at her and called back an apology, before climbing onto Ah-Un's back once again.

Of course, many things had changed over the past eleven years; Rin thought as Ah-Un hurried to catch up with the two demons, and as Rin gave Sesshomaru her shy smile that he returned, she was glad to know that one of them was their relationship.