Ooooo a new fic! This is focused on the budding romance between Rin and Sesshomaru. It's the first one I've ever written on this couple, and I'm super excited for you guys to read it! It's also one of the few times I'll write a fic in third person. I prefer first person POV, but I think that third person works better with this one.
Enjoy!
Chapter 1: The Bro-Code
Inuyasha stiffened when he caught a familiar scent. Kagome glanced at him from where she was cooking a pot of soup.
"What's wrong?" she asked as she put the ladle down. Inuyasha huffed.
"Sesshomaru is here," he replied. "He's probably come for Rin." Inuyasha usually ignored Sesshomaru when he came to the village to visit Rin, but he felt something in his gut telling him that it was different this time.
"Are you going to talk to him?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha stood up. He nodded.
"Yeah," he replied absent-mindedly. "I'll be home soon."
Inuyasha made his way to the clearing where Sesshomaru's scent was the strongest. "Hey," he called when he saw his older half-brother. Sesshomaru just looked at him.
"Are you here for Rin?" Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru's stoic face remained unfathomable.
"At the moment, I am here to speak with you," Sesshomaru replied.
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Uh," he stuttered. "Why?"
"I've come to inquire about your human," Sesshomaru replied. Inuyasha grew suspicious.
"What do you want with Kagome?" he asked menacingly. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.
"I want nothing with her," Sesshomaru replied. "Stop flying off the handle at a simple question." Inuyasha still kept his guard up.
"What kind of question could you possibly have about Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru's cool gaze remained, but Inuyasha sensed that there was something off.
"I have come to ask how you began your relationship with that human," Sesshomaru replied. Inuyasha was dumbfounded.
"You're asking me how Kagome and I got together?" Inuyasha repeated. Sesshomaru just looked at him. Inuyasha's suspicion was quickly replaced with curiosity.
"Why do you want to know?" he asked. Sesshomaru's strong expression weakened just a bit. Once Inuyasha saw that Sesshomaru was almost…uncomfortable, he knew what was up.
"Oh, I see," Inuyasha said smugly. "You fell in love with someone and you came here because you want my advice." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.
"Against all of my better judgment…yes," Sesshomaru replied dryly. "That is why I am here." Inuyasha chuckled.
"Who are you after?" he asked. "No, wait, let me guess. Is it Rin?" Inuyasha was kidding, but Sesshomaru tensed at the mention of Rin's name.
"Holy crap," Inuyasha said. "You're in love with Rin?" Sesshomaru just looked at him as he regained his composure.
Well, she is in her twenties now, Inuyasha thought to himself. I guess it's not that strange.
Inuyasha felt compelled to help Sesshomaru. He remembered something Kagome had told him about from her original era: The Bro-Code. Inuyasha thought that it was sort of applicable in this situation.
"Right, so you want to be with Rin," Inuyasha said, putting all humor aside. "And she's a human, which you don't have much experience with aside from the years you've spent with her. Then again, she was a child for most of that time, so honestly you don't have any idea what you're doing now that she's a grown woman."
Sesshomaru looked like he wanted to draw his sword and attack, but when he didn't, Inuyasha knew how serious he was about this.
"The main thing I would say you need to do is just tell her how you feel," Inuyasha explained. "I tiptoed around my feelings for Kagome for a year, and then once we were finally ready to be together, we were separated for three years. If I had been honest with her about how I felt, then we would've at least had more time to actually be together before we were apart for so long."
Sesshomaru appeared to be mulling over Inuyasha's words. The hanyo still couldn't believe this was happening. He never expected Sesshomaru to ever fall in love, let alone with a human, and the fact that he was coming to Inuyasha for help made it even more unbelievable.
"Anyway, you just need to tell her how you feel," Inuyasha concluded.
Sesshomaru's expression turned as close to thoughtful as Inuyasha imagined was possible for him. After a moment, Sesshomaru nodded in gratitude. At least, Inuyasha was going to pretend it was gratitude. He knew Sesshomaru appreciated the help in his own…special way.
As soon as Inuyasha returned home from his meeting with Sesshomaru, Kagome was quick to ask a million questions as soon as he walked in the door.
"Calm down, woman," he said as he waved her off. Kagome bypassed the remark and pulled him inside the house.
The couple sat down and Kagome quickly got Inuyasha a bowl of the soup she'd finished making in his absence. Once he'd taken a few sips and was broken down by Kagome's eager stare, Inuyasha explained what had happened.
"No way!" she shrieked as soon as Inuyasha said Rin's name. "Sesshomaru is in love with Rin?" Inuyasha nodded.
"I was as surprised as you are." Kagome looked pensive.
"At first it seems a little strange, right?" she asked. "You know, he kind of raised her, but then again she pretty much raised herself and he was just sort of…present for it all."
She was quiet for a moment. "Is it weird?" she asked her husband. Inuyasha put his bowl down and leaned back on his hands.
"Not really," he replied with a shrug. "It was a little odd when I first thought about it, but we have to remember that Rin is grown up now. She's not that little kid we met all those years ago." Kagome nodded.
"You're right," she said. "I guess it makes perfect sense. Rin must know Sesshomaru better than anyone, and she's so chipper and happy that it complements his…Sesshomaru-ness." Inuyasha laughed.
"Yeah," he agreed. "It makes sense." Kagome was still thoughtful.
"Honestly," she began, "I'm more surprised that Sesshomaru came to you and asked about all this." Kagome giggled. "And you helped him. That was so sweet of you, Inuyasha." Her husband rolled his eyes.
"I just abided by The Bro-Code," he replied. Kagome burst out laughing and Inuyasha couldn't keep himself from smiling at her.
Once Kagome had calmed down, she took Inuyasha's hand and scooted closer to him.
"And…you said Sesshomaru asked how you and I got together?" she asked. Inuyasha nodded.
"What did you tell him?" she persisted. Inuyasha smirked. "I told him that it's no wonder you fell in love with me considering how many times I saved your sorry butt," he replied. Kagome rolled her eyes but didn't let him get off that easily.
"Then I assume you told him about how much of a pain you were?" she teased. Inuyasha laughed again and shook his head.
"I'm just kidding," he replied. "I didn't tell him any of that." Kagome leaned closer.
"Then what did you tell him?" Inuyasha looked her in the eye as he pulled her into his arms.
"The truth," he said as he leaned down to kiss her.
To be continued…
Of course I had to include some InuKag fluff!
I mentioned at the beginning that this takes place about fifteen years after Kagome and Inuyasha meet, so Rin is twenty-four in this story. I wanted to make her a lot older before she began any sort of romantic flame with Sesshomaru, so that's why I picked twenty-four as her age.
Much love. :)
