The sun's rays were the only thing keeping little Rin awake. Well, to Rin, she wasn't little anymore. To Lord Sesshomaru, she was an infant. But, with her being seventeen and training with Master Jaken, she felt a lot older. Rin finally understood that, throughout her life, people were going to look at her as if she fell out of the sky. A young mortal traveling with a full-fledged demon just wasn't natural, but Rin didn't mind. She just needed Master Jaken and Lord Sesshomaru, and that's all.

As Rin got older, she noticed that Lord Sesshomaru got more and more protective of her, even if she was getting stronger everyday. The protectiveness did not mind Rin. She actually thought it of being kind, and she admired that.

"Rin," Lord Sesshomaru called, noticing she was falling behind.

"Coming!" she answered sweetly, knowing this was one of those rare moments when he called her by name. Master Jaken looked at Rin suspiciously, but said nothing. He stopped.

Would Lord Sesshomaru take Rin as his mate? The idea of their offspring looking like InuYasha, a hanyou, or half demon, was repulsive and disgraceful. But the idea of Rin and Lord Sesshomaru being together was not. At one glance, one would think they weren't in love, because it wasn't obvious. You would have to look closer, and their love was like the sun's rays finally breaking through a storm.

Master Jaken decided to talk to Lord Sesshomaru when they were alone. He looked up and noticed he was getting left behind.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Wait for me!" He began to whine, unaware of how many times he had said that line, and ran after them.

The sun finally set, and Rin was grateful when Lord Sesshomaru said they could stop.

"Master Jaken! Are we to practice tonight?" she asked him excitedly, knowing that she would be able to take him this time.

Lord Sesshomaru sat next to the fire Master Jaken had just made. He mused that he should find or buy Rin a better sword to protect herself with. The one she had was rusty, and she had found it in a dead soldier's sheath, begging him to let her keep it. He agreed.

"Well, of course, little Rin!" Master Jaken answered with an eyeroll. "It would be silly not to practice!" He seemed to have taken a bit of pride with being Rin's tutor.

"No," Lord Sesshomaru said.

"What, my Lord?"

"I want to."

"You want to do what, my Lord?" inquired Master Jaken dumbly.

Lord Sesshomaru answered, "Practice. With Rin."

"Why, of course, my Lord!" Master Jaken said enthusiastically.

"But not here. Somewhere else, and you are to watch the campsite." Lord Sesshomaru dared him to say something with his intense eyes, but Master Jaken did not.

"Of course," was his only reply.

Rin felt a twinge of nervousness. Why would he need her? Why...?

"Come, Rin," Lord Sesshomaru beckoned her, and he began to lead them somewhere.

"Yes."

They came to an enclosed part of the forest they were in. The trees circled a single, long stone rock in the middle. Lord Sesshomaru walked over to it and sat down, gesturing for her to follow his example.

"Are you worried or scared, Rin?" he asked her, looking straight ahead. He could smell her nervousness, and he could see it on her face.

"No, my Lord," she answered.

"How long have we been traveling together?" he inquired.

Rin thought. "About ten years." She forgot to say My Lord. "My Lord!" she quickly added.

Ten years, thought Lord Sesshomaru. Ten long years. And he had known about her feelings for him for two years now, and was waiting until she was old enough for him to confess his own.

For the second time in his life, the first being when Rin died and his mother had brought her back, he felt a twinge of fear. What if she really did not feel the same way? What if it was a different kind of love? What if he hurt her? What if he died in battle, and she would die after him?

A small ghost of smile was on his face. "No need to say My Lord after every sentence."

"But, my Lord, Master Jaken said that would be extremely disrespectful!" Rin looked intently at him.

"For him, yes. For you, no." He could smell her blood rise to her cheeks.

"Oh." She hesitated. "Uhm, Lord Sesshomaru, why did you bring us all the way over here?"

So innocent, thought Lord Sesshomaru. Young, innocent, and pure, even at seventeen.

"I needed to disgust something with you," he answered.

"What is it?" she softly asked.

Lord Sesshomaru looked at her straight in the eyes. "I've known about your feelings for me for a while now, and I know it seems like I'm a cold hearted demon." He never got to finish.

"No, you're not!" She got up, baffled. "You are the nicest demon ever, and you have a heart of gold under your amazing strength and power! Anyone who thinks otherwise just doesn't understand!"

His eyes softened and he continued. "But I have feelings for you too. I just don't want you getting hurt."

"But you'll always be there to protect me," Rin softly answered, "so I can't get hurt."

Lord Sesshomaru, feeling uncomfortable, got up and said, "Yes, well, let's practice, Rin."

...

A/N: Next chapter will be much longer. I just want to see what kind of feedback I get ;)