··8/11/07

Disclaimer: Darn. You've found me out. Well… at least put me in a cell with ice cream and a laptop. Don't forget the shovel! In other words… like… I don't own Inuyasha or Sesshomaru (and company, etc.). Dreams really don't come true in some situations. Enjoy!

Summary: Sesshomaru's hurt, Rin's at fault, and Jaken's asleep. What more could you ask for, rather than a twenty year-old beauty, and a demon that's finding her strangely attractive...

Bad Blood

by Brijustme

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"Master Jaken, is here good?" Rin tiredly asked as she pointed through darkness. She had been on her feet for over four hours, trying to find a safe place to rest for the evening. Through the darkness, there was a small clearing that looked unoccupied, and even better, looked safe. After what she had just experienced, all she wanted to do was wake up from this nightmare.

Her chocolate eyes turned around, and they fixated on her unconscious demon lord laid on top of Ah-Un. Shaking her head when she got no reply, she tugged on Ah-Un's reins, carefully pulling the two headed demon through the trees, hoping that she hadn't stirred anything that might come after her.

When she felt a small feeling press into her back, she turned around to stare into Ah's eyes. The demon was telling her to lighten up for Sesshomaru, to be cheerful like she always was for Sesshomaru, but she was just too sad. She stopped and let out a depressed sigh. "Now's not the time," she said in a whisper as her sitter ran ahead of her to the clearing. She guessed that he approved of the spot. "Master-"

"Hush, Rin! Do you want to wake your lord?! He needs his rest, and not your rambling!"

She gulped and nodded, realizing that the toad was right. Her grip on the leather reins tightened, and she sighed with relief when they were finally there. She let the smallest smile grace her face; she thanked the heavens. She was tired, hungry, and scared out of her mind. She had been told all her life that Sesshomaru would protect her. This was true as ever, but... she never knew that he would get hurt in the process.

Tears fell from her eyes; she looked down at her other lord. He was saying something to her, but she couldn't comprehend what was leaving his mouth.

"Foolish woman! Go and fetch some wood to make a fire! Our lord's going to die if we don't act fast!" Jaken yelled, trying to hide his own tears. If Sesshomaru were to die, he didn't know what he'd do. He would be left alone to take care of a twenty year-old woman and a useless demon with two heads. His lord was who he looked up to, and now looking at Rin, she was taller than he by a long shot. 'The wench will most certainly take control of us,' he thought as he gripped his staff. "Ah-Un, lay Lord Sesshomaru down by the tree." He pointed a clawed green finger towards a large oak tree, and glared at Rin. "Get going!"

Rin released Ah-Un's reins, and nodded.

"Yes," she said with little enthusiasm, and looked out into the darkness. It wasn't really dark, it was a few hours past sunset, and she was so used to Sesshomaru asking her where she was going the minute she even thought about leaving. She gathered her courage, and left her small family.

As she walked, she told herself over and over... that it was her fault. "It's true," she said as she bent down to pick up large pieces of wood. "If I hadn't had run away... If I hadn't-" She paused and dropped the wood she had gathered. She was on her knees with her head buried in her hands. Nothing compared to how she was feeling. "L-Lord Sesshomaru... I don't know what I'll do without you." The wind caused her to lift her head, and she remembered Jaken's words; she had to hurry.

She quickly gathered the wood she had dropped, and scurried to find more. "Lord Sesshomaru... you can't leave me." Looking up through the tree leaves, she watched as the sky quickly turned dark blue. She gasped and hurried back to the campsite, hoping that she wouldn't get lost again.

When she got there, she was happy to see that there were no intruders, just Jaken, Ah-Un, and a still unconscious Sesshomaru. She sighed, remembering that he wasn't like this all those years ago. The first time she had met him, he had only been down for a day. 'But back then he didn't look as bad as he did now.' She came back to reality when Jaken snapped his fingers in impatience, and she walked to the middle of the clearing. She set the wood down, and grabbed two sticks. She had a fire going in no time, and ignored the blisters on her fingers from twisting the sticks extra fast. "Hungry, Master Jaken?" she asked, as she blew into the fire, watching as the orange heat grew bigger by the second. Drama or not, she still had to take care of her duties; she had given herself the responsibility of Ah-Un and Jaken.

She got no answer, and looked ahead of her. Her small master was sitting beside Sesshomaru with a glare on his face. She sprung to her feet, and walked to Ah-Un that wasn't too far away eating grass. She grabbed a brown sack from his side that was clung to him, and returned to the fire. She pulled out a fish, and attached it to a stick. She held it over the fire, praying with all her might that it would hurry and cook.

Night was coming fast, and she couldn't pick out the moon from anywhere. Sighing, she noted that the fish's eyes were white, and pulled it away from the flames. She blew on it, and didn't have to think twice when it was yanked out of her hands by the toad. He was ignoring her, in fact, she was sure that Ah-Un was as well. There was plenty of grass where they were, but the demon chose to eat elsewhere. She brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Master Jaken... I'm so sorry," she spoke quietly.

The toad demon looked up from his steaming fish. He raised an eyebrow at the woman, and sighed. "I know, Rin. All we can do is hope that Lord Sesshomaru heals quickly," he said with no hope at all in his tone, as he turned around. There, leaning against the tree trunk, was his lord. 'Lord Sesshomaru, please wake up. I've never seen you in such bad shape.' Giving his attention to Rin across from him, he sighed again. "Even if this is your entire fault, why not go to sleep?"

"No!" Rin instantly replied, and noticed that her voice was rather hoarse. She nodded when Jaken motioned for her to lower her tone. "If he wakes up during the night, you won't be able to treat him. I might as well." Looking down, she stared at her feet. She was sore all over, and was actually considering taking the toad's offer. 'I won't,' she said to herself with little pride. 'Lord Sesshomaru's my top priority.' She lifted her head and looked past her master. 'He looks terrible,' she thought as she felt the first tear fall.

It was all her fault. She was the one that had put her lord through what was perhaps the worst experience of his life. She knew he was older than her in dog years by a good one hundred years, so he had time to get himself into other situations that didn't involve her. She was simply picking flowers when she saw light blue ones at the end of the bank. Without thinking, she soon found herself picking them, and right behind them was an enormous snake demon. The snake demon… that would take her love's life.

Her eyes softened, and she choked on her saliva. She didn't flinch when she felt Ah-Un's footsteps coming towards her, and she smiled when they both licked her cheeks. The demon curled up around Jaken and went to sleep. She was the only one awake now, and it was late. Normally she fell asleep to her lord's beautiful eyes watching over her, but now she was doing his job. It was the least she could do, since if he were to die, it would be all her fault.

She stayed awake, doing nothing but staring at Sesshomaru, hoping that he would open his eyes sometime soon. The only time she left camp was to fetch wood to feed to the fire, and right after that, she would return her eyes to Sesshomaru. His kimono was slowly turning red from his blood, and she couldn't stand it. Every second his body would look paler, weaker.

When she couldn't stand it any longer, she made her way to her feet and walked towards her lord. He didn't move at all, except for his chest raising and lowering ever so slightly to match his breathing. She was reliving the first time she met him, except for the fact that he didn't shoot up and growl at her, his way of telling her to go away. The demon, the man who had raised her, was in pain, she realized. Squatting to his right, she set her hand on his shoulder, and gently shook him.

He didn't move, nor stir.

She gasped and wiped her fresh tears that had fallen. "Lord Sesshomaru, I'm so sorry that I made you come rescue me." She was talking very downside, and had been told by her lord to not talk that way. She was told by him that she was a cheerful girl, and she shouldn't fool others. She looked at him, and when he was starting to slouch, she gently lifted him up, and wiped her hands on her kimono when they were covered with blood.

"I'd rather be in your position," she admitted as she put her hands on his shoulders. In a few swift moments, she had his armor off, and was staring at his slowly crumbling body. She bit her bottom lip, and untied his kimono. She was greeted with his glowing chest, and blushed. She shook her head, while telling herself that she was only looking at him so she could wipe his wounds clean. He had gotten bitten in the stomach twice and in his right arm once. She could see the huge fang marks... they were outlined with green. "I'm sorry, my lord."

She left, and returned seconds later with a piece of her kimono that had been dipped in the stream not too far away. Once again, she was seated to his right, and she looked him strait in the face. His head was bobbled to the side, but all in all, still looked handsome. She leaned over him, and wiped the piece of cloth against his forehead. Not knowing, nor caring what she was doing, she gently placed her lips on his cold cheek, hoping he knew that she was terribly sorry. 'He's losing too much blood if his body is cold…'

She soon found herself wiping the huge wounds clean, and took the rest of her time to stare at him in all his glory. He was cute, charming when he felt like it, and a dog. She had never seen him 'transform' before, but had been told by Jaken that he wasn't the demon to mess with when he was angry. She understood perfectly, and this was why she always smiled at him, whether she herself was happy or sad.

She gasped when she heard a faint sound. She didn't know what it was, but soon came to find that it was someone calling her name. The tears came like running water, and she grabbed his hand. "Lord Sesshomaru!" She tried to sound happy, but failed miserably. She knew that her babbling wouldn't help the situation, but her mouth was running a mile, causing her to grasp the three fingers she could hold tighter. "I'm so sorry! …It's all my fault. I shouldn't have wandered so far. I never meant for you to get-"

"You're not hurt, are you?" came a voice that was almost whispered.

Her eyes widened, and she held onto him harder, begging for him to come through. She shook her head and stared into his eyes. What was the matter with him? Was he delusional? Couldn't he see that he was so close to dying? "H-how can you be so uncaring?" she asked as she felt his hand grip hers.

She looked at him, and gasped. He was trying to sit up. Shaking her head, she helped him so he was leaning against the tree trunk, while trying not to let him notice that his kimono had fallen to his hips, letting his chest be in full view for her. Never had she seen him so down, so weak, in her entire life. "Lord Sesshomaru… I'm-"

The dog youkai stared down at her, and she instantly became quiet. He was going to be fine in a matter of days, hours if he got enough rest, and she was taking his injuries rather harshly. Letting out a sigh, he lifted her in the air by the wrist, and sat her next to him, while ignoring the throbbing pain from what he had just done. He felt his body heat rise when she giggled, much like she had when she was but a mere child. He used this method when he wanted her to rest. It always worked, and she left him alone in the process. "Now go to sleep."

"Not until you do, my lord."

Did she just refuse him? He looked down at her, and was taken aback when two big eyes were staring at him. He felt nauseous, and a bit timid. He didn't understand what the big deal was. All he remembered was going to save her the minute she screamed his name, just like always. Now she was holding onto him like he was her lifeline. He searched for the right words, but instead noticed that her hands felt rough on his own. He raised an eyebrow, and took a good look at her. She looked horrible. "What happened to you?" he asked in his usual tone. "I thought you said you weren't hurt?"

Rin looked up at him. He was always so worried about her… always. She wished he wasn't. "Lord Sesshomaru, I'm old enough to take care of myself. Not old enough to watch myself, but to take care of," she said while still looking at him. "You should worry more about yourself sometimes." She motioned to where his left arm used to be. "You didn't worry about yourself back then, and look what happened."

Once again, Sesshomaru was taken aback. She was right. He had been so confident that he would kill his younger brother, to see Inuyasha quiver in fear, that he didn't take the time to notice that the hanyou had a sword that could kill over a hundred demons with one swing. He was lucky to get away with only his arm missing. He said nothing, for he couldn't think of anything to say. Did his lack of a left arm affect her? She never seemed to care before! He soon found her staring awkward, and he tried looking away, but couldn't for some reason. "Go to sleep, Rin."

"Not until you do, my lord."

Damn her. She was testing his patients, but deep down he didn't mind much. Child or adult, she was still the Rin he knew more than anyone. He had first taken her in without a care in the world, and now, he couldn't imagine his life without her. She was always smiling, even when she would witness him kill something, which he knew she hated. She always came around to forgiving him, and he was glad at this. Though he would never admit this, but the woman sitting next to him brought him peace. "Rin, are you withstanding me?" he asked with a small smile that was extremely rare.

"Of course not, my lord," Rin replied with a small smile of her own. She still wasn't sure if it was alright to give him a full one. "I've come a long way with you, and I know better than that." Looking at his arm and chest, she shook her head at him. "Try and fight me all you want, but I'm not going to bed until you do," she said with absolute confidence. He was sliding occasionally, and she knew that he wasn't a bit healthy to even travel. She was going to make him wait a good three days before even thinking about starting their journey again. "My lord, don't take this offensively, but... I just... care."

It was obvious to all that she had feelings for her master, but knew that he would only reject her in the end. First, there the age barrier; she never had it in her to ask him how old he really was. Second, which she didn't care about, was that he was a demon, a powerful one at that. Passing random villages, she always heard the villagers screaming for her to run away, for her to come with them, and that she was better than Sesshomaru, Jaken and Ah-Un; she never cared. They were her family, and she loved all of them. Third… she was jealous. There was Kagura, the wind sorceress that seemed to have feelings for Sesshomaru as well. She hadn't seen her in the longest time…

Yet again, Sesshomaru was taken aback by Rin's words. She always talked a little too much as a child, mostly about flowers and if she would ever get the chance to touch Inuyasha's ears. But this, this was entirely different, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd even had an intelligent conversation with her. She was by far a woman now, and he was starting to consider letting her go. She was too caught up in the demon world, and not caught up in her personal life. Questions were bubbling inside him that he was meaning to ask her. Did she want to settle down? Did she want to marry a man already? His face nearly turned white at the thought that she was ready to be a mother. "Rin, you know very well that I'm not going to bed until I know that you're asleep."

"Why, Lord Sesshomaru?"

The youkai didn't seem to care that she was nagging him, and let a smile grace his face again, which was a miracle that Rin was seeing it for the second time in a row. He didn't know how, but he got the woman into his lap, and used his extremely tired arm to rock her gently. This may have worked when she was a child, but now, even with it working, she was indeed heavier. If he had his strength this wouldn't matter, but he was on the verge of breaking down. "Because… I care," he honestly said, still keeping the smile on his face.

Rin's face immediately turned red, and she buried her head into his chest unknowingly. Hiding her blush didn't do much, since the demon was already chuckling. Her hands gripped his broad shoulders, and she mumbled what a tricky demon he was. "Good. Because this Rin plans on staying with Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken, and Ah-Un for a long time."

With the smile still on his face, his eyes widened when she felt her breath hit his chest, and he looked down. A light blush crossed him, and he looked at Jaken and Ah-Un that were sleeping. Sighing at what he had gotten himself into, he brought her closer and looked down when she gripped his hair. He soon found himself craving for her body warmth, and he snuggled against her.

"Glad to hear it."

He kept a sharp eye on her all night. It took her a good half hour to fall asleep, and he was sad at this. He enjoyed her company greatly, and didn't know why. He knew that part of it was because she had the nerve to talk back to him, and he found her challenging. His inner demon would try talking to him ever so often, and he was starting to get pissed off. Rin was nothing more than a follower. But as he came to pull her closer, her face reflected on the fire, which made her look stunning, even if she was filthy and needed a bath.

He was sure that he was nothing more than a father figure in her eyes, and this also made him sad. Rin was a woman now, no longer the girl that had nothing, but an adult that had everything. She had him, Jaken and Ah-Un, and she always would. But, something inside him was telling him to make a move. She was by far old enough, since Inuyasha had managed to get Kagome pregnant at eighteen, and was now a father of three.

Something else told him… that she was only a human. What had caused his father and Inuyasha to choose human women to spend their lives with?

"Lord Sesshomaru… I love you."

His face turned cherry red. He was shaking. Not from the cold, but from excitement. Rin, the girl he raised from age eight, was in love with him. At first he thought it was nothing more than teenage hormones when she would get nervous around him, but it was… love? He was strangely confused. She didn't care that he was a demon?

His amber eyes scanned her body that was clung to his own, and he laid his chin on her head before finally closing his eyes. But it didn't look like Rin's babbling was going to cease. So he stayed awake, listening closely to what she was saying.

"Screw pride."

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"Fool!" Jaken yelled, as he swung his fish on a stick in front of Rin. "You should know better than bothering Lord Sesshomaru when he's sleeping! He hardly even naps unless he's mediating, and he needs to conserve energy from the snake's poison!" Humans were so foolish. His lord needed about two full days of rest before even considering picking up a sword, which meant that he had to be on his toes. If he lost Rin, or even let a strand of hair fall from her head, he'd be sliced to shreds. His master had been overprotective of Rin when she started to hit puberty, and he was guessing that it was her blood from her bleeding time that attracted demons.

Rin found it in herself to nod, and glanced at her lord that was leaned against the tree, right where he had been throughout the night. His strange but comforting antics had gotten her to go to sleep, much against her dismay. She awoke early that morning to have Jaken's face barely an inch away from her own, and he's been shouting ever since. "Master Jaken, you're going to wake Lord Sesshomaru with all that screaming," she reminded him. "Like you said, he needs to conserve his energy."

"Exactly!" Jaken said with a grin. "It's nice to know that you listen to me every once in a blue moon," he spoke like a schoolteacher. "Anywho, how did you sleep last night?" he asked as he motioned to her bloody kimono. His lord's scent was all over her, and he knew that he had let Rin, the human, sleep with him. 'He must have been losing too much blood. That's right, he was delusional last night! No way would Lord Sesshomaru let that ningen sleep near him.'

He smiled when a heartbeat began beating faster that he had been keeping an eye on. He turned around, and met two amber eyes. "My lord!" he yelled as he ran towards the now awake Sesshomaru. "Thank goodness that you're alright! When do we continue our journey?" he asked, ready to get Ah-Un and pack camp when his lord would say the word.

Sesshomaru's eyes scanned Rin like a lost puppy. He was freezing, and was pretty sure that the hair on his arm was standing. He didn't notice her get off of him, but he did notice her sweet voice come to his ears, which had originally woken him. He had the nerve to whack Jaken upside the head. Rin had the privilege to bother him whenever she wanted, for she was very comforting. Their chat was still fresh in his memory, and it finally occurred to him that the toad demon was waiting for an answer, and as well, that Rin was staring at him from her perch near the fire.

Sticking his nose in the air, he inhaled for the scent of humans, and when he got a lock on some, he eyed the toad. "Take Rin to the village not too far from here. She needs a new kimono."

Jaken's first response would be to say "What in the bloody hell's gotten into you?!", but kept his mouth shut. Though his master's commands did deserve a raised eyebrow. "Um, yes my lord! Rin, let's go!" He turned towards her frozen position, and sighed. 'She's always been an odd one…'

Rin looked at Sesshomaru from her spot near the fire, and tried to read his mind. She looked down at herself, and instantly knew what he was talking about. Her yellow kimono had his blood all over it. But what if this was another one of his tricks? Glaring at him, she made her way to her feet. No way was she leaving him alone when there were demons everywhere. It was all too scary, and also, she liked fighting with him. It was rather entertaining, but she had to remember to argue with him later, because right now, she wasn't going to leave him. "But Lord-"

"Go, Rin. I'll be fine," he assured her, and when Jaken turned to pet Ah-Un goodbye, he smiled at her, letting her know very well that he knew what exactly had happened that night, and that he was sorry.

The woman nodded, understanding him completely, and gave into his request. She felt embarrassed for not realizing that he was close to dying last night, and she had slept on him. 'I'm impressed that he even remembers us together last night with all the blood he's lost.' She had slowed his healing process a great deal, but looking at him now, he didn't look like he cared. She was still paranoid about leaving her lord, but felt better when Ah-Un was staying with him. She gave him a last look, quietly pleading if he was sure. She sighed when he nodded at her, and let Jaken lead the way.

"And Rin?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"...Pick a nice one."

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Bri Note- This is just something that I wrote after I watched the episode of Inuyasha when Rin gets kidnapped by a priest man, and Sesshomaru goes to save her! I thought it was cute, and a nice oneshot! Should I continue?

Much Love,

Brijustme