a/n: heeeey! here's a little one-shot for all of u! if u want the unedited one, just drop a review w/ ur e-mail in it and i'll send ya the link, cuz it's not up on aff yet... dont' forget to review!

disclaimer: no, i don't own sesshomaru! no matter how much i want to claim him i can't...

Eight Years

He still remembered and thought about her. All the time. For that, he cursed himself. After all, what was a human to a demon? He'd left her in the care of a small town a little ways away from where they were now. He remembered her crying face as she pleaded with him to let her stay by his side. She would be safe here, he'd told himself before walking away from her.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Yes Jaken?"

"Which direction?"

He didn't answer right away. It couldn't hurt to see her again one last time, could it? "East," he finally responded before starting off in the direction of the town.

"But isn't this…?" Jaken wisely let his statement die as he saw the fierce glare that his master was sending his way.

Sesshomaru turned back around and faced the around and faced the road as he let his thoughts wander. She had to be what, eighteen by now? Surely she had been married off by that age, perhaps even expecting. For some reason… that thought made his blood boil. He shook his head to rid himself of the unsettling thoughts. He would be in the village in a days time.

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Rin sighed as she sank into the hot bath. She reached for the soap; she was filthy after working all day in the fields. Anything to escape Hiro and his unwanted attentions. He'd been after her for about six months now. It was annoying. Her surrogate father had told her that she should accept his proposal, but she didn't want to marry him if she didn't love him. The thought of a loveless marriage made her want to be physically ill. Although, he certainly seemed to love her. If only-

"Rin? Are you there?" The door opened.

"Ahh! Shut the door! Shut the door, pervert!" she screamed at Hiro as she turned her back to him hastily to avoid giving him a free show.

"S-Sorry!" he stuttered out an apology. "I just… I was looking for you all day."

"Get out, get out, get out!"

"G-Going!"

Rin grit her teeth and stepped out of the bath the second she was sure he was gone. She couldn't very well relax now. Not after that… that hentai had come peeking in on her! She reached for her towel and wrapped it securely around her lithe body. She walked out of the bathhouse, still fuming and still very much in a bad mood.

"I'm sorry, sir, Rin is in the bath." She heard her father said. Immediately her face turned red with rage. If he'd known that then why hadn't he told Hiro not to disturb her? That she was bathing in there!

"It's all right!" she called to him, controlling her anger. "I'm out! Hiro saved me from a brutal pruning, father."

He had the grace to blush, proving him the culprit of the act, but did not comment. "Rin," he opted to say instead, "Why don't you go get dressed? There is a gentleman here to see you." She waved her hand behind her to motion that she knew, but didn't care, as she moved towards her bedroom.

"I'm sorry," her father said gently after she was gone. "I'm afraid she's not exactly modest. I guess that's what happens when she grows up without a woman in the house."

"It's fine. Do you remember me?"

"But of course, Lord Sesshomaru! You graced us with Rin when she was just a child! She's grown into quite the woman."

"So I see," he said, his glinting amber eyes moving to her shoji door.

"If I may ask," he started cautiously. "What are you doing back here?"

"Just a visit," he replied dryly.

"Lo-Lord Sesshomaru! Is that why we traveled out of our way-"

"Quiet, Jaken."

"I'll go see what's taking her." He rushed off quickly as Jaken feel silent. "Rin? Hurry up. I promise that you'll like this surprise."

"You say that every time a suiter comes for me," she reminded him.

"This is different."

"How?" she asked, coming out of her room in a light sleeping yukata.

"Just wait and see."

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"Ah! It is her!" Jaken observed.

"See now, Rin?" her father said. "I told you that you'd like it."

"L-Lord Sesshomaru…?" she uttered.

"Rin." He nodded.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't look said or relieved at all. Her eyebrows were knitted and she wasn't smiling. Not even a hint of a small smirk. She almost looked angry, actually….

"You bastard of a demon!" she screamed, attacking him. "I hate you, I hate you!"

"Ahh!" Jaken exclaimed.

"Rin!"

"Stop," Sesshomaru exclaimed calmly.

"I don't take orders form you, you son of a bitch!"

"Rin! Knock it off!" her father shouted.

"Why should I?" she demanded, but stopped none the less. "I still hate you," she spat, moving away from him.

"Rin, what has gotten into you?"

"Him!" she snapped before running off to her room once more.

"I'm terribly sorry," he apologized for her. "She has… taken to hating demons, but I thought that surely seeing you again… she would…. It would…"

"No matter. I shall speak to her," Sesshomaru interrupted, stalking towards where she had disappeared to.

"W-Wait!" implored her father.

"Let him go or he will kill you," Jaken warned him.

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He slid open the shoji unceremoniously. She had her back to him.

"Rin."

"Sesshomaru."

"Turn around."

"Get out," she shot back, not moving.

"If you don't turn around and face me, then I will make you," he threatened.

"Fine."

He swiftly moved forward and grasped her shoulder with his hand. He then forced her to look at him. Her eyes were still the bright burning chocolate color he remembered. Although, her eyes were almost never filled with tears the way they were now in his memory.

"What do you want! I dumped me off here eight years ago without a care in the world and now you're back!"

"Rin-"

"No! I don't want to hear it! Why are you even here? Do you want to ruin my life!"

"No. I don't want to ruin your life, Rin. I'm here because I can't stop thinking about you!"

"Yeah right! If that were true, then why did you wait so long to come back!"

"I didn't want to taint you. You were so young. I did what I thought was best."

"I'm already tainted! Didn't you think of that when you took me in?"

"Listen-"

"No! Just leave!"

"I did it because I-"

" Get out!"

"I did it because I love you!" he finally shouted.

She froze. She stared at him in something close to awe.

"That's why I'm here. You I can't forget you." He moved closer and pulled her to him. "I'm here to take you back with me."

"Sesshomaru…" she murmured, hugging him in return. "I… I love you, too."

Owari