One Day
Yosuke
General/Romance

AN: I was a big Inuyasha fan a while ago, when it first came on Adult Swim back in the good ol' yesteryears. Then I kinda fell out of it when Kikyou died for the seventeenth time. Though I don't really follow it at quite the same level of devotion as some others, I will always feel a strong attachment to some of the characters, two of those being Sesshoumaru and Rin. I believed in the potential of their relationship, from when it started as simple guardianship to when it could possibly evolve into something romantic when Rin would be of age. So I thought I'd write a little tribute story to those two, to express what I always hoped the characters would become.

Inuyasha not mine.

At some point, one had to wonder what the threshold of endurance and pain was, and when it could so easily be crossed. For most, it was a very broad line, and the more sane side of a person's brain would think to turn away before they became too involved in something far too uncomfortable.

For demons, that threshold barely existed. Where they encountered pain, it simply meant something great waited for them at the end of this insignificant stumble through life. However, for humans, that did not mean the same thing. Not by a long shot. Pain was not something one could easily recover from, and sometimes, pain and endurance could very well be the same thing.

Two very good examples of both ends of that spectrum will be presented to any interested observer. On the outskirts of a dangerous forest, not too far from the countryside, lay a series of cliffs and small mountains covered heavily in several feet of snow. Through the blistering needle-laden winds and heaps of accumulated ice trudged four beings, each in a different world of attention, each walking along different thresholds of endurance and pain.

At the front and quite obviously in charge was Sesshoumaru, a familiar creature to that land and one whose name was not spoken lightly. The long, silvery streaks of his hair nearly blended with the mist of snow that seemed hellbent on not letting any being pass unscathed. But this futile attempt went unnoticed to the full-demon, who simply took one step after another as if he were merely taking a stroll through the woods on a sunny day. The cold hardly touched his skin, even in places where clothing didn't reach. Not even the sharp, painful pricks of ice caught in the wind could sting his eyes, as his mind remained absent in the trek, instead keeping his attention focused on any approaching dangers or hidden threats that would normally be unnoticeable to his traveling companions.

In the middle of the group strode Ah and Un, both of its heads low to the ground to perhaps avoid some of the needle-like snow, as ice had begun to accumulate in its tough mane. It also stepped along as if the storm were nothing, though truth be told, it would've been quite pleased with a break eventually. Upon its back sat Jakken, his green skin freckled with snow as his arms retreated within his robes to preserve some warmth. His staff lay across his lap as he shivered atop the two-headed dragon.

"L-Lord Sesshoumaru, m-might we perhaps take a small break soon? Methinks this storm might not let up any time soon!" Jakken's scratchy voice called up to his lord, riddled with shivers, but the request didn't reach the more powerful demon as he continued to walk along the cliffside path, oblivious to any pain the blizzard could be causing the others. Jakken sighed and tried to let his mind travel elsewhere, peaking over his shoulder momentarily to find the last piece of the traveling group.

Bringing up the rear and just barely making it was little Rin, her hands tucked under her arms as she stepped with great difficulty through the blanket of snow, her bare feet numb in the shrouds of ice. Every other second, her face was obscured by a dense cloud of breath as she tried her hardest to continue walking at a speed that might match Sesshoumaru's, but she was just barely making it. Her body shivered violently and her teeth chattered relentlessly. Her small frame was unable to handle the severe weather as her lord Sesshoumaru could, and while the demon was able to push the line of endurance without suffering through any pain, small, weaker Rin could not, and the threshold of pain had now become a vast valley, one she had to suffer through relentlessly until her guardian deemed otherwise.

"Rin! Hurry up! Do not make Lord Sesshoumaru wait for you!" Jakken spat out, unaware of the agony the small girl was in. Rin blinked through the snow and her own hair whipping around into her face, and nodded slowly.

"S-S-Sorry, J-Jakken... I'll... t-t-t-ry to hurr-rry..." Rin barely managed to breathe out as she forced her thin legs to push harder through the snow, but slowly, the vast expanse of white ahead of her became a large blur. She willed herself to continue, but her body had no intention of agreeing with this, and gradually, her steps became weaker and weaker, her legs wobbly and her vision obscured. Grunting, she managed to force out one last vestige of strength before her body became too weakened from cold and exhaustion, and poor little Rin dropped into the snow with hardly a sound. If not for Sesshoumaru's acute senses, no one would have even noticed until bothering to look for themselves.

Once their leader came to a stop, so did Ah and Un, causing Jakken to become more alert. "Lord Sesshoumaru? What's wrong?" But rather than receive an answer, he simply observed the stronger demon turn to look behind them, staring silently into the path they'd just traveled. Jakken, confused, turned to look as well and found the mess of black hair in the snow. Fearing the worst (that being his Lord Sesshoumaru becoming displeased), the small green demon leapt from the dragon's back, landing in the snow with the weight of his staff being the only thing to hold him down from being carried away by the strong gusts of wind. Grunting in displeasure, Jakken quickly approached the unconscious girl and poked the harmless side of his staff into Rin's ribs. "Rin! Get up this instant! What's the meaning of this? Lord Sesshoumaru has not deemed it time for a break!"

Rin did not budge, but simply lay in the snow, a fresh layer of powder slowly covering her slender form. Jakken growled in agitation and kicked his heel into her side, a weak motion from a weak demon that would normally cause no real pain.

"Rin! Wake up! Wake up, you lazy girl!" The small demon pulled his leg back to deliver another, harder kick, but before the attack could land, he suddenly found himself soaring through the sky with a new welt forming in his back and pain exploding from every joint.

As Jakken sailed away, far, far back down the pathway they'd just traveled, Sesshoumaru lowered his leg from the devastating kick he'd delivered, and let his eyes fall on the unmoving body of his charge. Rin's cloudy breath was barely noticeable escaping from her parted lips as the wind sought to carry it away, as if demanding to take her life with it. Her skin was pale and her lips were tinged with a pale grey. Her eyelids twitched every so often to, at the very least, indicate that she was still alive, but Sesshoumaru, unaware of the true fragility of such a young human, could not very well decipher how long she'd been teetering on the verge of death as she was then, and realized all too suddenly that Rin would not make it through the storm as he had expected her to.

It was with a faint aura of disgust that he chided the word 'Foolish' to himself, though deep down inside he knew that if his charge died that day because of his negligence, such a small reprimanding wouldn't be sufficient.

Leaning down gracefully, he turned over the frozen girl and lifted her carefully against his chest as best as he could with his one arm. He could feel her shivering against him, but could only take it as a sign that she was still alive, and her body was still trying to regain the warmth it had lost. Sesshoumaru turned back towards the forgotten double-headed dragon waiting patiently for its master's command, and simply walked past it, expecting it to follow, which it did. With little regard to his original mission to cross the cliffs and continue seeking out his enemy, as Naraku had become a heavy fixture in his life (just the thought of his name sent a seething spike of fury straight into his brain), Sesshoumaru instead focused on finding some sort of blockade from the storm in hopes to allow Rin time to regain her strength.

The howling winds and faint smell of burning wood were the first things to reach Rin's distorted senses, her eyes struggling to open against her body's severe reluctance. The cold was still very present, and she knew she was shivering, but other than that, she hadn't the faintest clue where she was or what she had been doing. There had been the storm, and the long trek up the cliffside... and her rather unattractive face-plant into the snow. That's right, she had fainted from cold and exhaustion. Had her lord Sesshoumaru noticed? Had he cared? A small bite of pain nipped at her heart at the thought of her guardian leaving her behind due to her weakness. But she couldn't blame him. If only she could be strong and brave like him, maybe she wouldn't be such a burden...

Those thoughts wafted through her mind as her body slowly became more and more aware of things going on around her. At some point, she noticed that the unmerciful wind and ice was no longer pounding into her delicate skin and face as it had before. Now it was just a faint breeze drifting over her hair and tickling her cheeks. The blankets of snow were also strangely absent, though through her muddled vision she could still see the traces of white on the ground. Oddly enough, whatever surface she was laying against was rather warm and comfortable.

Rin groaned lightly at the pain in her joints as she tried to move a little, in hopes of determining her surroundings better. A small movement across her arms caught her attention, and she managed to coherently observe the larger, more masculine arm wrapped around her body. Blinking as if the snow-needles were still driving into her, she weakly turned her head to glimpse upwards.

Sesshoumaru held her, his back against a stone wall as he was seated in what appeared to be a small cave in the cliffside. A few feet away blazed a small fire, tired and sensitive to the faint winds breathing in through the mouth of the cave. Snow spotted the ground, but not nearly to the extent it did outside, and against the far wall lay Ah and Un, sleeping happily away from the annoying blizzard.

The situation was a little embarrassing, Rin realized, once she had gathered that she'd passed out in the snow and in her helpless state had been coddled by her lord Sesshoumaru, something she secretly enjoyed very much but knew was likely quite shameful. She'd once again slowed him down, halting him in his trek through the cliffs, and as the weak human she was, she'd relied far too heavily on his protection. She could only imagine how irritated he must have been with her.

The guilt found its way to her eyes as she grimaced (at least, she thought she did; her facial muscles were so numb from the cold she was hardly aware of what kind of expression she was actually making). An involuntary whimper escaped her throat as she turned her head towards the demon's chest, shameful in her need to seek out more warmth. Her body shivered violently, her joints achy from her constant trembling.

Sesshoumaru seemed to notice her slight movements and let his eyes drift down to her, watching her carefully and considering what else he could do to help her in her situation. He wasn't sure at what point in their journey his mind had convinced him to feel compelled to help her; she had followed him throughout their journey of her own accord, so it's not like he should've had any sort of responsibility over her, but some strange part of him, something deep down that was wordlessly foreign to him, needed to make sure she was okay, that she stayed alive and happy. It was uncomfortable and annoying, and yet completely unavoidable and undeniable. Rin was a part of his life now, and he couldn't let this sweet girl suffer, not when it was something that could so easily be prevented.

His only arm was curled around her, to both warm her and protect her from the cold, and to keep her comfortable. For the most part, he remained dead still, the slight unease of the situation making it far too awkward to help her any further than what he'd already attempted. Much to his relief, it seemed he wouldn't have to do much more anyway; Rin was weakly curling against him more tightly, her breath staccato and her eyes shut tight.

"L... Lord Sesshoum-maru..." she managed to whimper, never opening her eyes or turning her head to better face him. Sesshoumaru kept his eyes steady on her face, watching carefully for any further signs of distress. "I... I'm so sorry... that I fell, Lord Sesshoumaru..." Her small fingers curled into the fabric of her lord's robe, holding on tightly as if it were her own security blanket. "I know I'm... I'm slowing you d-down, my lord... Would it not be better to... leave me here?"

The resigned sadness was evident in her voice, and even the normally callous Sesshoumaru could hear it. He knew her tones, the way she said things, what it sounded like when she was happy, or sad, or curious, or scared. He'd learned these things well, as the very sound of her voice had become somewhat of a treasure to him. She'd been mute for a long while upon first following her lord into the forests of Japan, and gradually, as she'd become more at ease around him, and vice versa, words began to form, and Sesshoumaru had found himself, strangely enough, pleased with her small voice saying his name with such reverence and admiration. It reached him somewhere inside, a place he didn't venture often, if at all, and from then on, hearing her speak became such a great pleasure for him that never did he desire for her to stop with her girlish chatter, her lengthy exchanges with Jakken, her childish glee at her lord's shows of strength, the words she sometimes muttered in her sleep, even the dumb little songs she sang to herself (and in all likelihood, completely improvised) when completing some menial task she'd set for herself while Sesshoumaru was busy.

Hearing her speak kept him at comfort, whether it was just to reassure him that she hadn't been randomly snatched up by some foolish demon with a death wish... or just to prove that she was still alive.

So Sesshoumaru was relieved to hear her speak, but the question did not sit well with him. Leave her behind? Absolutely not. Why? He didn't know. He would probably never know.

The demon let his eyes travel away from the soft, pale face pressed into his robes and simply held her. He wouldn't leave her behind. She was his child to look after. She was his.

It was the silence that spoke his answer, the frigid air forgotten to the shivering girl as she warily opened her eyes and glanced back up to her lord's face. He wasn't looking at her. The fact that he still held her, making no move to leave the cave and the mountainside himself, told her all she needed to know, and had she control of her facial muscles to do so, she would have smiled. Lord Sesshoumaru was embarrassed to answer her, and it warmed her a little.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru," her tiny voice spoke faintly below the gusts of wind pushing in through the mouth of the cave, and tiredly she closed her eyes to resume her much needed rest, already much warmer from the protective demon's bodyheat.

The storm would subside soon, Sesshoumaru knew, but by then, night would fall, and it was far more dangerous to travel that mountain path by night, especially with a snack-sized human toting along. It would be in her best interest to stay bundled up in that cave for the night. Idly, Sesshoumaru wondered if Jakken, if he was still alive at all, would rendezvous with them by morning. Likely not, though he couldn't find it in him to care. Let the imp get eaten by wolves... No one bullied Rin.

As the winds gradually began to calm, allowing the fire to be given a bit more life, Ah and Un managed to uncurl itself and relax against its warmth. As did Rin, who finally stopped shivering and relaxed her muscles, her body no longer tight and wary from the cold. Sesshoumaru didn't lessen his hold any on her, and Rin was grateful. This was the most physical contact they'd ever had, and it was heaven to her. She loved the warmth his body gave, and how strong his arm felt wrapped around her. His breathing was very slow and deep, and had a wonderful calming effect on her own body. Her Lord Sesshoumaru was a pillar of strength and courage to her, and a person she loved very much. Part of her hoped very intensely that the horrid storm outside wouldn't break until morning, so that the young girl could stay curled in her protector's embrace for as long as time would allow.

Eventually the pace of his breathing and the warmth he offered her lulled her tired body back to sleep, a gentle hum of pleasure playing in her throat and a smile tugging at her paled lips.

It did not go unnoticed by Sesshoumaru, who felt a faint stab of shame in his demon pride for going so far out of his way to make that one, weak little human so pleased and happy. But he couldn't fight the personal satisfaction he derived from her safety, and how very content he was with the mere fact that she had not died on that mountainside as that despicable snow had so wanted.

And so there they sat, together, one of the strongest demons in the country, with the smallest human he'd ever regarded, simply enjoying the company of each other and the solitude of their isolation, away from the world and their problems, missions and enemies, needing nothing else but the security they derived from each other.

Rin slumbered happily in her keeper's arm, warm and safe, his presence seeping into her dreams, beckoning the most pleasant thoughts of one day being his bride, or at the least his life mate. One day, she sang joyfully in her dreams.

Opposite the childish glee were the stern, monotonous musings of Sesshoumaru, forgetful of the world outside and only aware of lovely girl in his lap, the comfort she offered him in return, the taste of her life he felt so easily with her so near to him, and vaguely wondering if one day he could show her how happy she truly made him.

Ze end.

AN: Mucho fluff, just the way I like it.

Reviews keep Rin warm.