A/N: Here is a new Sess/Rin fic. It's a song-fic. Here you go Sesshomaruandrin1! This one's for you since you really wanted me to post it! ^^
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and characters…though I do wish I owned Sesshomaru…But sadly, he and the others belong to Rumiko Takahashi. And I do not own the song "Cinderella" by: Steven Curtis Chapman!
My little girl was growing up. Actually, she was already grown up. She had been a pretty little girl, but over the years, she had grown and matured and was now a beautiful woman. No father wants to think about this day, but it comes anyway, and always much sooner than we ever wanted it to.
We dread it and look forward to it with equal measure.
I wanted to keep her with me always, to protect her from everything, but I knew the time was almost here to give her up. As I watched her bright smile spread across her face, I found myself remembering our time together when she was a little girl.
She spins and she sways, to whatever song plays,
Without a care in the world,
And I'm sitting here wearing the weight of the world
On my shoulders,
It's been a long day and there's still work to do,
She's pulling at me saying, "Dad I need you.
"There's a ball at the castle, and I've been invited
"And I need to practice my dancing.
"Oh please, Daddy, please?"…
(FLASHBACK)
I let out a small sigh as I walked through the front door. Another long day at the office. Hostile takeovers and board meetings all day tended to get rather annoying and tiring.
"Daddy!"
I heard Rin's squeal from upstairs as she ran from her room and down the stairs. Her long, messy brown hair streamed out behind her as she launched herself at me. I dropped my briefcase and caught the small girl that brought me so much joy, in my arms. She hugged me tight.
"Hi daddy! How was your day?"
"Rin. Fine. And yours?"
She was too young to understand the hostility of the corporate world and how much strain it put on a man, even a demon as powerful as myself.
"Great!"
I set her down on her feet as she chattered on about everything she'd done. Still talking, she went and picked up my briefcase with both hands and began to half-drag and half-carry it into the living room. As she did that, I nodded a quick goodbye to the nanny.
When the front door closed, I smiled slightly and followed Rin. I saw that she had set it next to my favorite chair and stood beside it, now quiet, with her hands clasped behind her back. She wanted something. I could see it in the way she kept biting her lip and glancing at me and then away again with a hopeful look in her eyes. I sat down.
"Alright, what is it that you want?"
She blushed and giggled softly, "Guilty."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and then looked at me again and asked innocently, "Will you dance with me, daddy? I really want to learn."
…So I danced with Cinderella,
While she's here in my arms,
'Cause I know something the prince never knew,
Oh, I danced with Cinderella,
I don't wanna miss even one song,
'Cause all too soon, the clock will strike midnight,
And she'll be gone…
I stared at her, speechless. She blushed again and fidgeted a little, her small fingers playing at the hem of her flower-printed dress. I, Sesshomaru, was not one to smile very often, and here she was, asking me to dance with her.
Only for her had I ever truly smiled. She rarely asked for anything, and I found that I could not deny her sweet request. I would do anything and everything to keep her safe and happy.
I rose and turned on the radio. Soft music began to play, filling the room: "She spins and she sways to whatever song plays…" It was a song about a father dancing with his daughter. What a coincidence, I thought before going to her.
I held my hand out and she placed her tiny hand in my much larger one and she gave me the brightest smile imaginable. Slowly I twirled her around the living room. She moved with such grace and fluidity for such a young girl. She was a natural and I rarely had to tell her what to do, but she did step on my toes a few times and blushed.
"…so I danced with Cinderella…"
Her eyes widened and she giggled. "I'm like Cinderella, huh, daddy?"
My heart squeezed in my chest as I thought about that fairytale. In the end, Cinderella married a prince. No male would ever be good enough for my little Rin.
"No." I spun her around.
"You are much prettier than Cinderella."
Rin smiled and hugged me when the song ended.
"I love you, daddy." I held her tightly.
"And I you."
…she says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed,
She wants to know if I approve of her dress,
She said that "The prom's just one week away
"And I need to practice my dancing.
"Oh please, daddy, please."
So I danced with Cinderella,
While she's here in my arms,
And I know something the prince never knew,
Ooooh, I danced with Cinderella,
I don't wanna miss even one song,
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight,
And she'll be gone, she will be gone…
"C'mon, dad! It's just a dress shop, it won't bite, I promise. Take it like a demon!" Rin giggled and pulled on my arm. I groaned inwardly and reluctantly allowed her to pull me inside.
Mothers and daughters were scattered about the whole place, tittering excitedly over the more elaborately styled dresses in the front. Rin dragged me right passed these and the more expensive ones and toward the back of the store.
From her excited, non-stop chattering, I'd gathered that she'd had her eye on a light blue dress for quite some time now. She quickly retrieved it and hauled me over to sit in the small waiting area so she could try it on. As I waited, I decided to find out a bit more about this…boy.
"What is this boy's name again?"
In my mind's eye I could see the blush that had appeared on her cheeks every time she'd spoken of him.
"Kohaku…And do you have to say the word boy as if you want to throw up?"
I did not dignify that with a response.
"Don't worry, dad, you'll like him. He's really sweet." She said softly. I snorted loudly and she giggled.
"Okay, maybe you won't like him, seeing as how he's my date. I don't blame you there. But please, just don't scare him off…Okay dad?"
"Rin. It is my job to scare him off. If he meets me and runs away, he is not worthy of you." I said, keeping the thought that no one was worthy enough for her, to myself.
"Thanks dad."
"Hn."
A few moments later she came out wearing the simple light blue gown. True, it was plain, but with her beauty, long limbs, and pretty pale skin, she made it look quite elegant. She turned a slow circle.
"So…What do you think?"
She bit her lip as I scrutinized the dress, making sure it was appropriate for her to wear.
I nodded one and placed a hand on her head.
"Acceptable."
She smiled brightly and hugged me.
"Now I just need shoes." She informed me.
I refused to venture into that territory. Her aunt, Kagome, could take care of that shopping necessity.
When we got home she went straight up to her room to put her new dress away, while I sat in my chair and closed my eyes. I was fighting a headache. I tried not to think about it much, but the fact remained: My little girl was growing up, and I did not like it, but it could not be stopped. She was seventeen years old, a young woman.
I did not expect her to come back downstairs. I had thought she wanted to call her friends to talk about her dress, so this was a surprise. Without a word she went to the radio and put in the CD she'd burned with our song on it. The song we'd danced to when she was little.
She tugged on my hands. "Will you dance with me, daddy? The prom isn't until next week, but I need to practice."
I smiled slightly and stood and began to twirl her around as I had done when she had been a child. For just this one moment, I could pretend that she was that little girl again.
…she came home today, with a ring on her hand,
Just glowing and telling us all they had planned,
She said that, "The wedding's still six months away,
"But I need to practice my dancing.
"Oh please, daddy, please."
So I danced with Cinderella, while she's still in my arms,
And I know something the prince never knew,
Oh, so I danced with Cinderella, I don't wanna miss even one song,
'Cause all too soon, the clock will strike midnight,
And she'll…be…gone
(END FLASHBACK)
I came back to the present as Rin met my eyes and smiled. She had made a full circuit of the room, showing everyone her engagement ring and speaking of plans and wedding preparations.
She excused herself from her fiancé, Kohaku's, and Sango's, her soon-to be-sister-in-law's company, and walked toward me. As she had done when she was young, she took my hand in her dainty ones and tugged gently.
"The wedding's not for six more months, but I need to practice. Will you dance with me, daddy? I want it to be perfect."
I smiled and stood and she pushed play on the radio. Somehow, she knew I'd been listening to that song constantly, late at night, since she'd gotten engaged.
As our song played, everything fell away, and she was my little girl again. I twirled Rin around and around and saw her smile, and I knew everything was alright. She laid her head on my shoulder and whispered softly, for my ears alone.
"I love you daddy. I'll always be your little girl, and nothing can ever change that."
My heart squeezed and I tightened my hold on her a little.
"I know. I love you too."
She would always be my little girl, even though I was going to have to give her away soon, but for now, I would enjoy this dance with my daughter.
A/N: Please review! ;) Oh, and sorry for all the OOCness! ^^'