"Tag! You're it, Master Jaken!" Rin dashed through the fallen and rotting leaves and touched Jaken's shoulder. Giggles could be heard from Rin, but from the kappa youkai, the only thing to be heard should have been censored quickly.
"Now, Rin, can't you see I'm busy caring for Lord Sesshoumaru?!" the toad scolded, flailing his staff around. He looked at the inu youkai nervously, but glared back at Rin strictly.
"But-" Rin started, but sighed. "Yes, Master Jaken." However, Rin's face remained joyous and she flopped back into the leaves giggling.
The inu youkai glared at Jaken, golden eyes flashing with anger. "Jaken, play her human games." Nothing more had to be said, for the kappa demon replied with his usual 'Yes, milord!' and ran towards Rin.
"Thank-you, Master Jaken!!" Sesshoumaru managed to contain his emotion as he watched Jaken chase after Rin, who actually beat him easily. Perhaps if Rin had been a little closer, she would have noticed a trace of a smile.
Later that day, white contrasted against Rin's glistening black hair. Then more white specks decorated it. The weather became cold, and the white quickly covered all ground. As the white snow piled up, Rin flopped down and discovered that she could make a print of herself in the snow.
"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin's teeth chattered, but the smiled remained on her face. She clutched onto his hakama pants and warmed her face against it.
"Rin," Sesshoumaru glanced down at the small figure's dark brown eyes which gazed back up into his golden eyes. "You are cold?" His eyes darted towards Jaken quickly.
"Well…" Rin giggled. "Rin is cold, but Rin wants to show you something." She feebly gripped onto his hand and led him towards her snow print. "Lie down in the snow."
"Why?" Sesshoumaru hesitated before lying down, knowing that such a small girl couldn't do much to a demon lord.
"Rin wants her snow print to hold hands with yours and Jaken's," Rin giggled, running for Jaken and dragging him down to the other side of her own snow print.
"Now, Rin, Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't have time f-"
"Let it be, Jaken," Sesshoumaru replied grimly. "Play her human game."
Jaken whined, but with the cold stare of Sesshoumaru pressuring him to, he finally lid down.
Perhaps if Rin had of been lying next to him, Sesshoumaru's smile would have been evident.
And still later, and into the night, Rin lay in Sesshoumaru's giant pelt and snuggled into it, knowing she would soon get a nice winter kimono. The fire crackled and stirred, and Sesshoumaru leaned against a tree, still awake. Soon her thoughts faded into dreams.
A large kappa youkai tore through the woods, resembling Jaken, but a hideous dark green color and it had no staff. The real Jaken screamed and scrambled backwards while Rin began to cry and was struck by lightning.
Then Sesshoumaru cleared his path towards her and picked her up, and then killed the huge kappa youkai with his poison claws. However, in Rin's dream, Rin couldn't move or speak and seemed to be dead. Sesshoumaru reached for his tenseiga, but he realized it was missing. Instead, he had the tessaiga which was of no use.
Rin's eyes ripped open in fright as she entered reality again. Fear took over her as she grabbed the mokomoko-sama and dragged it over to Sesshoumaru, who was still awake.
"Why aren't you asleep?" Sesshoumaru whispered. "Ah-Un and Jaken are, you should, too." He accepted Rin into his arms as Rin embraced him tight.
"Rin had a scary dream," Rin watched as Sesshoumaru nodded. "Rin wants to know why you didn't sleep, Lord Sesshoumaru. Does Sesshoumaru have scary dreams, too?"
"No, Rin," Sesshoumaru soothed, rocking her gently. "That should be the least of your concerns. Now go to sleep."
"Good night, Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin smiled and snuggled into his chest.
Perhaps if Rin had of had her eyes open, she would of saw him smile.
Rin was having another dream.
Rin left Sesshoumaru for a moment to go play and gather some flowers for him. The warm sun heated her as she picked a few daisies and dandelions. She turned around to go get Ah-Un, but could not find him. She decided to just follow the path to where she'd a saw Sesshoumaru last, but when she got to her destination she was deceived quickly.
Rin blinked back into reality and moved a bit, startling Sesshoumaru.
"Rin, have you had another bad dream?"
"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin nodded quickly. Stinging, hot tears rolled in rivulets down her cheeks.
Sesshoumaru held her closer and stroked her hair. The fire still roared and danced, casting an orange glare over towards Rin and Sesshoumaru.
"Lord Sesshoumaru?" Rin yawned and buried herself into the mokomoko-sama. She clutched onto it as tight as a mere human girl could rubbed herself into it.
"Yes Rin?" Sesshoumaru studied her fondly. Nothing could be heard but crackling, crickets and the wind and fire mingling together.
"Rin…. Rin…" Rin yawned again and sat up and stared right into Sesshoumaru's golden eyes which softened more than usual. "Rin loves you." She quickly hid her face back into the mokomoko-sama and gripped onto it with super-human strength.
"I love you too." When Rin looked up, she saw Sesshoumaru smile. And she heard something rare and unusual- she heard him laugh. It had been quiet, short and small, but still a laugh. Rin stared back up and laughed right back. Jaken moved.
"Now, Rin, Lord Se-" Jaken started. "Never mind, I'll play along with her human game, milord." He closed his eyes and as he was about to drift back to sleep, Sesshoumaru said something unexpected.
"It isn't a human game, Jaken."