Electric Feel

AN: I do not own the song 'electric feel' by mgmt, which was the inspiration for this fic, or InuYasha & co. Although I wish I owned both.

The Lord of all the Western Lands was embarrassed. It was not often that this type of situation would arise. In fact, it had never come about ever before. But somehow, here it was, happening at this very instant, on this very night. This very ridiculous up night..

The group had been walking all day, and Sesshoumaru could see that Rin was tired. And grumpy. And in desperate need of a bath. Though the human did go through great pains to clean herself and keep her clothes neat and hair combed, sometimes that task was just impossible. Especially after trekking through the forest for over a week with no rivers or ponds about. Her smell was starting to irritate this Lord.

So now they were outside this human village. Sesshoumaru hated going into places like this. The disgusting people lived like animals in filth. He even saw one man sleeping out with a group of pigs. If he didn't have the control to keep his face so impeccably clear of emotions at all times, his lip would have been curled into a sneer.

Jaken had set about doing most of the work. Squawking and flailing, he had demanded "That a bath be drawn for the child!" The villagers has looked up at Sesshoumaru with obvious fear in their eyes, and quickly set about on the task.

Sesshoumaru watched them run about in frantic haste the same way one might watch ants scurry about in the dirt. That was, with very little interest. Once Rin had cleaned herself, and perhaps gotten a meal, they could leave again.

So he waited with stoic calm for the child to bathe. Although 'child' did not really seem to be the correct term to use anymore. She was not a woman, she was not fully 'grown up' to human standards. But she was no longer young. No longer a child. Sesshoumaru almost growled while he thought about this. If she was still a child, he would not be in this dirty village anymore. He wouldn't have to be watching out for his charge with a much closer eye that ever before. Youki and the such attacking Rin did not phase him as much as the looks and glances she was beginning to get from the men who ever happened to catch a glimpse of her face. Rin was getting.. Pretty. Perhaps it was because she was always on the move, that her body had grown so lean and strong. And maybe all that time in the sun had given her that dark, glowing skin. Maybe it had been all the time teasing Jaken and playing with An and Un that had given her such a sunny disposition, making her liable to smile at anyone who crossed her path as if they were the most important person she knew. (Other than her Lord, of course). Sesshoumaru didn't even think she was aware of what she had become.

"All along the western front.." he heard Rin singing fainting, being able to pick out her voice quite easily from the hustle and bustle around him. While at times her voice did truly annoy him with its pitch and constant energy, during these moments it was almost acceptable to his sensitive ears. Almost, he thought dourly to himself. Just almost.

Rin was quick in her bath, scrubbing her skin hard to remove any trace amounts of dirt, and then moving on to her hair. She knew her Lord Sesshoumaru-sama was not content in this social setting, and wanted to be able to leave as soon as possible so that he would not just frustrated and leave her behind. So it was quite soon that she was tying the last knot of her outfit to secure it tightly around her. Humming a bit more of her song, she stepped out of the bath house to meet the lady who was to be her hostess.

"Come, come!" The woman didn't seem as put out as most people were when Sesshoumaru 'asked' them to take care of Rin. She supposed Jaken had been considerate enough to drop a few coins in the woman's hands. While Sesshoumaru may never show his need to eat or sleep, Jaken certainly didn't mind either activity. He most likely just wanted a comfortable place to wait for this ordeal to be over.

Rin followed the woman into the next building, Sesshoumaru was standing outside, and while his face characteristically expressed no emotion, Rin knew he was annoyed.

"Are you ready to go?" the demon asked once Rin was before him once more.

Rin nodded. She was hungry and tired, but she would never voice her complaints to her lord.

"Of course Sesshoumaru-sama."

Unfortunately, her stomach had other ideas. It let off a loud growl. Everyone stared at her and Rin left her cheeks heat up as she blushed.

"Apparently not." Sesshoumaru said. He almost sighed. Being in this human village was really quite below him. The things he put up with…

The Hostess looked at Sesshoumaru, then flickered to Rin, and then to the door where Jaken was no doubt snoozing in front of the fire. "Would you like to come in and have some dinner?" she finally asked.

Rin favoured her with a large smile.

"Yes please, very much!" and with that the girl hustled inside.

The dinner took some time to make, as the lady of the house was cooking for more than usual. Sesshoumaru stayed outside, sitting on the raised deck of the house. The village was richer than most, to afford to have a building like this for travellers, but that didn't make it any less revolting for him.

"Here we are!"

Rin accepted the offered bowl of rice quickly, smiling.

"Thank you!"

Jaken snorted into wakefulness when Rin prodded him with her foot to accept his bowl as well. The pair picked at their rice in a way that was meant to be subtle until the rest of the meal came, which involved pork and chicken and host of other items Rin had not tasted for quite some time.

"I'm sorry, but the only drink I can offer you is sake" the hostess called, leaving to room to grab that very item.

"It's quite alright!" Rin called back. She had never had sake before, but she had seen those who had. Staggering and giggling, making fools of themselves. Jaken had said at that time that those people must have drank large quantities of the stuff. Rin thought they looked quite idiotic.

The hostess soon returned, and poured both Rin and Jaken a liberal amount of the clear liquid. Rin, mouth stuffed full of the delicious food, took a swing to wash it all down. She barely tasted it with the mesh of other substances she was trying to swallow at the same time. And so the meal continued.

Sesshoumaru was bored. His two little followers were ignoring him for food and.. He sniffed the air. Food and sake. From the small of it, large amounts of it as well. He could hear crashes and giggles from inside the building. This was not how it was supposed to be.

"Jaken!" he called irritably.

Inside, Jaken froze in the midst of a particularly difficult game of charades. It was something him and Rin had developed when the girl hadn't been talking, but it had evolved into something she loved to play. And so here they were. At least, there they had been, until Sesshoumaru called. So, cup in hand, the amount of times it had been refilled forgotten, Jaken staggered out the door.

"Yesh mLorddd?" Jaken slurred, eyes bleary.

Sesshoumaru looked down at him in disgust. This day was just going terribly.

"Jaaaaaaaaaken!" Rins voice cut through the air, punctured by a giggle. "Jaken, come -hic- back and let me finishing -hic- guessing!"

So as Rin tried to stand to find where the toad had gone off to, she fell to the floor, spilling the sake all over herself. And on to the pristine feet of Lord Sesshoumaru as he slid the door open to deal with his drunken charge.

"Sesshoumaru -hic- sama!" Rin beamed up at him. "I'm sorry I got your feet -hic- wet Sessh -hic- Sessshhh -hic- Sessh -hic-"

"Rin" Sesshoumaru cut off her pathetic attempts to say his name. "You are drunk. You will have to spend the night here."

"Oh no! Please -hic- can I go with -hic- you?" Rin begged.

"No."

"Pleaaaase!" Rin was insistent. Usually she would never question an order given to her by her Lord, but tonight.. Tonight was different. For her at least.

"No"

"But when I go -hic- with you;" Rin seemed to be ignoring what he was saying.. "Do I go with -hic- the one of you on the left or on the right?"

Sesshoumaru sighed, and turned to leave. He would come back for her in a few days. Right now he didn't even think she was capable of walking. It would have been a clean exit, except when one wears very baggy pants, it makes it much easier for another to grab hold, and her a solid grip on the fabric. Which is exactly what Rin did.

"Please don't leave meeeeee" she whined ferociously. Sesshoumaru looked down at her. She was sprawled on the floor of the hut, clothes shifted and dislodged in her enthusiastic acting out of characters. Her eyes were glassy and face flushed. Sesshoumaru signed and looked at the hostess, who had been staring with wide eyes and this little slip of a girl brought the great demon Lord of all the Western Lands down to her every whim.

"You. Leave." She had no problem quickly following the curt 'request.'

Sesshoumaru wanted to sign again, but it seemed like he had been doing that a lot lately, and resisted. Instead, he picked up the girl, and brought her to the corner of the room blocked off with a low wall. There was a futon behind it, and Rin felt herself being gently lowered down on it. Her head lolled back as she stared up at the demon.

"Will you stayyy with me Sesssshoumaru-samaaaa?" she asked. Apparently she had lost her hiccups and just began to slur her words instead.

'This really is ridiculous' Sesshoumaru couldn't help but thinking as he sat himself down beside Rins futon.

"Yes, this Sesshoumaru will stay."

Rin smiled up at him in an unfocused way.

"Thank you Sessshoumaru-samaaaa. And where is Jaken, Sesshh"

"He is outside" Sesshoumaru cut Rin off from slurring his name once again. It really wasn't that difficult to say. And no need to mention exactly how far away Jaken currently was outside. It may be acceptable for Rin to be drunk this one time, but it was not for the little toad. Sesshoumaru had simply tossed him. Tossed him very, very far.

So Sesshoumaru brushed an irritating strand of hair off his shoulder and settled down to wait for his charge to be ready to travel once more. But Rin was tossing and turning, fidgeting and adjusting.

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru finally snapped.

"I'm sorry m'lorddddd" Rin rolled over to look at him. "There is just noooooo good way to sleep! May I… -hic- may I please sleep with you?"

For a split second, just the quickest moment of a moment, Sesshoumaru was taken aback by the girls question. Just as quickly, he realised what she meant. Well.. This night couldn't get any worse.

"Yes you may Rin"

Delighted, Rin clambered up into his lap. She moved clumsily, and Sesshoumaru eventually just grabbed her by the waist and hauled her up to where she needed to be.

"Thank you Sesshh-samaaa" she smiled once more, and snuggled her face into his hair. Sesshoumaru simply put his arm lightly around the girl, holding her to him and giving her a bit of extra warmth.

So sat the great Lord of the West, until, eventually, against all odds, his eyes also closed in slumber.

It was the hostess who woke him the next morning. Her miniscule gasp at the sight that greeted her when she came back to the hut once more in the morning to clean up the previous nights mess.

There was the Lord they had all been taught to fear and treat with uttermost respect, sleeping on her floor with his arm wrapped around this young human girl, their legs tangled together. This was the demon they had been told hated humans beyond all else, and to never do anything that may displease him, or he could kill them in less than a heartbeat. Yet this young woman had her face buried in his long hair, mouth slightly open as she slept off the events of last night. The hostess stared. A thought flickered across her mind that she wished she had some sort of device that would capture this moment for the rest of time so she could always reflect back on this day. Sesshoumaru had no wishes for such a device.

"Leave!" he snapped, and she did, running away from the hut as quickly as possible.

Rin opened bleary eyes.

"Ohhh Sesshoumaru-sama. My head hurts." she moaned

Just then Jaken staggered through the door left open by the hostess and collapsed on the floor.

"My head hurts tooo" he whined.

Sesshoumaru sighed. This day looked to quickly turning out to be worse than the last.