Chapter 7:Gift

Inuyasha didn't have to do much. The faintest brush of Seshoumaru's youki* was enough to make the village headman offer him the largestroom in the village inn.

Sesshoumaru looked at the paltry curtains feeling amused at how the human's survived in places like these. Was this their best?

"You expect this Sesshoumaru to live here?" he asked in a disgusted voice.

"Its better than having to sleep outside ain't it?" Inuyasha retorted.

Sesshoumaru gave him a cold glare.

"Do not forget Inuyasha that you are the one who invited me. I have no desire whatsoever of tolerating your presence unnecessarily. If your attitude towards me remains uncourteous I will not grace your betrothal."

Miroku cut in before Inuyasha could make a reply that would aggravate the situation even further.

"We are sorry that we can't provide a better place for your accommodation. This is the best we can do. Please bear with us, Sesshoumaru sama."

Sesshoumaru would have said something if her scent hadn't hit his nose right then.

Sure enough, the next moment there was a loud "Sesshoumaru sama" and Rin came barging in.

She was panting, having run all the way from the herbaceous bush forest to the inn. Strands of her hair had come out of the pony which she had tied to prevent the hair from getting into her face while she worked. The basket of herbs had been forgotten and stranded in the midst of the 'd heard from Sango that Sessoumaru had arrived and she had run forgetting all else.

"Rin." His voice rang in her ears as she clutched the door and tried to catch her breath.

"Why are you out of breath?" he asked.

As more hair came out of the ribbon she smiled and said, "Because I wanted to see you Sesshoumaru sama."

Her scent had always been pleasant, so he let it fill his senses.

When she appeared looking so dishevelled, he was alarmed for a moment but he let himself relax when he could not detect any demons nearby nor any traces of injury from she said that she'd run all the way to come and meet him, an odd sensation filled up his neither replied nor asked her any more questions for he didn't understand what he was feeling...

"We'll be leaving then." Miroku said and dragged Inuyasha alongwith him.

"Its getting late Rin-chan. Don't be too late." Miroku told Rin before leaving.

"Hai*Miroku sama!" Rin waved them off and then turned around to face Sesshoumaru.

"You really did come."

He looked at her then wondering if she would ever be able to guess that he'd come all this way because he wanted to see her more than he wanted to attend Inuyasha's wedding.

He silently wondered how he had grown so tolerant even though he was driven by the motive to see Rin.

"Come here Rin."

She immediately hurried up and stood in front of him.

He took out a small vial and handed it to her.

Her reaction did not disappoint him.

She stared at the chestnut flower with red specks shielded by a blue barrier inside the vial. Rin had one exactly like this so she knew what this was. The Orchid of Trust...

She gasped as realization sank in. She brought the flower close to her chest and looked up at Sesshoumaru.

"Arigatou*...Arigatou arigatou Sesshoumaru sama!"

The look of pure hapiness on her face told him everything.

He did not understand how petty things like flowers could make her so happy and he probably never would. However, he was content to know that the person who had brought that smile to her face was none other him.

A strange warmth filled his heart.

Heart...since when had he possessed one?

He knew the answer to that. He had owned a heart ever since she had come into his life. She had taught him emotions, made him feel things that he had never been capable of feeling. But this warmth was different. He had never felt anything like this before. He had always wanted her to be happy but he had never thought that her smile would bring him so much hapiness.

"Take care of the flower Rin." He said and turned away from her.

He could not understand these feelings that were evolving.

What was he feeling?

"I will Sesshoumaru sama!" Rin's voice announced as she left for the village once more.

Next day, Day of Inuyasha and Kagome's wedding.

Rin had just gotten ready. The kimono fit her perfectly and she had already been completed by Kaede on how well it suited her.

She had just tied the ribbon on her hair when she felt a familiar youki enter. She turned around and her breath stopped. Sesshoumaru stood right in front of her. His usual white hakama* had changed into black and he wore a silver haori* which bore the official crest of the Western lands.

He was so close...barely a few inches from her...his silver hair glistening in the sunlight.

Rin couldn't take her eyes off of him and that had nothing to do with how close he was...

"Rin."

Seeing her in the kimono he had gifted her made him realize just how much she had grown. He could not find any traces of the child that he had once travelled with three years ago.

She had used the flower with a clip to hold her hair in place.

She looked beautiful...he had to admit it to himself even if he couldn't say it out loud.

"I'm glad to see you've used my gift. Are you ready to depart?"

She smiled a bit then. He was curious as to why.

"What makes you smile Rin?"

Her smile widened. "Its nothing Sesshoumaru sama...its just that you said depart and I was thinking that it sounded as though we were about to leave for another journey even though we are just going to attend the wedding."

Her reasoning sounded pretty insufficient to him. He didn't understand why that would make her a smile but as he could make out that she wasn't hiding anything from her scent, he decided to leave it at that.

"Lets go Sesshoumaru-sama. I'm ready."

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She stepped into her sandals but froze in place when she felt him close to her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her ear but for some reason that made her shiver.

So close...so close...he was so close.

She felt the ribbon being removed and her hair fall over her shoulders.

"You look better with loose hair Rin," his voice whispered into her ear.

And then he was near the door.

"Let us leave Rin."

She took a moment to catch her breath (and to reduce the intensity of the deep blush that had made its way up) before she followed him.

Outside the hut, Sesshoumaru smirked internally, pleased to see the effect that he had on her.

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Unkown to both of them, they both had already started another journey, a journey that would tie them together in ways that they would never have expected.

Notes:

Youki-demonic energy

Hai-Yes

Arigatou-Thank you

Hakama-The baggy cargo like pants that Sesshoumaru wears.

Haori-Upper Jacket

A huge thank you to all those who have reviewed and have been waiting patiently for the next chapter. My exams jsut got over. I was supposed to have completed this by Dec end but exams nd studies took up my time. So this chapter came out much later than I'd expected. My sincerest apologies for that.

Keep supporting me through your reviews. Send me lots of luck because my exam results come out tomorrow.(Flinch!)

Love

Anata13 alias Koishii