Huzzah for updates ^^ I gots a little bit of a flow going here, so it's all good...for a while

MAJOR FLUFF WARNING

AN - I don't own InuYasha


Kagome looked around the kitchen with keen interest, visibly impressed with the grandeur of it all. Her reception from the demon had been cold at best and she was sure that, had Rin not been in his sight, she would have been flung across the room with such force the girl would have gone through a wall; yet, the demon seemed to want to please Rin, something that the younger of the two women had to give him credit for.

A swinging door caught her attention, her head perking up as she smiled towards what she assumed was her cousin.

"Hey Rin-"

The confused look of amber eyes stopped her, the boy in the room with her similar yet different from the dog demon that was with her cousin. His face, while puzzled, held thicker eyebrows and no marking, yet the molten gold that was his iris was the same as Sesshomaru's, albeit in a slightly bigger pair of eyes. His hair was also much like the dog demon save for the thickness and the now twitching ears perched on his head.

"Oh, um, hi," she muttered blushing, embarrassment evident on her face.

"Hey," he told her equally as awkwardly, "who are you?"

"Oh! My name is Kagome Higurashi!" she announced proudly leaping off her stool and marching determinedly over to InuYasha, her hand extended for his, "what about you?"

"I'm-uh-InuYasha," he muttered taking her hand as she shook it, her confident smile still plastered to her face.

"Nice to meet you," she grinned, "I'm Rin's cousin, what about you? Are you a servant here?"

The ears on his head flicked angrily for a moment while he looked begrudged for a moment.

"What!" he snapped, "of course not! I'm Sesshomaru's younger brother!"

"Really?" Kagome asked, "Rin never mentioned you."

"Probably cause she's only known me for a month?" he half-demon pointed out, bitterness dripped in his voice.

"No need to get snarky," Kagome bit back, "I was just asking a question!"

"Feh," InuYasha scoffed, moving away from her and began digging through the fridge.

"Get out of there!" the girl suddenly ordered him, "Rin's gonna make dinner in a few minutes, don't go ruing your appetite!"

"I live here!" the half-demon pointed out, "I can do whatever I damn well-"

"Will you two stop yelling!?"

Bothe head turned to see Rin walk into the room, her eyes narrowed in anger and her arms crossed over her chest.

"But-"

"No buts," Rin cut her cousin off, "Sesshomaru has a splitting headache right now and you two yelling isn't helping him in the least!"

"Why do you always defend him," InuYasha retorted, "he's nothing but a-"

"Why do you insist on constantly putting him down?" Rin asked, "he's not what you think anymore InuYasha, he's changed."

"When hell freezes over!" the half-demon retorted, Kagome now stuck between the two looking extremely interested.

"My brother is, and always has been," InuYasha stated calmly, "an ice-king with a black heart and a distain for humans and half-demons alike. Rin, I'm sorry, but he doesn't, love you. This entire thing is all an act, why can't you see that!?"

The dark brown eyes looked at the half-demon coolly, her jaw set as she held herself together. In all honesty, a small part of her saw truth in InuYasha's words. She didn't think she'd ever see what Sesshomaru saw in her, what he wanted in her, and she feared one day he wouldn't either or that he never did in the first place, that he was just stringing her along for some sick twisted form of amusement.

Yet there was a part of her that grew stronger with every minute she spent with Sesshomaru that told her it was real, that every time she splayed her hands on his chest and heard his heartbeat increase, if just for a minute, that he felt the same about her as she did him.

"InuYasha," she started softly, "after you called your brother, he asked me if it was alright for you to live here. He cares enough about me to factor in my decisions to his. Not to mention, in the month that you've stayed here, has he ever once degraded you or called you a half-breed?"

The half demon stayed speechless for a moment at her dedication, how determined she looked to protect his brother's honour.

"But-"

"I don't want to hear it," the young woman told him, her hands held up before she turned to her cousin, "what is it you wanted for dinner Kagome?"

"Oh, uh, um," the younger woman stammered, slightly surprised to be put on the spot, her eyes looking from InuYasha to Rin, "a-anything you want to make is fine by me. InuYasha, did you want-"

"Keh," the half demon scoffed, "I'm not hungry."

Rin stood aside as the half-demon made his way out of the kitchen, his shoulders hunched over as he huffed, the door swinging to let him out. Kagome watched as her cousin sighed before moving over to the fridge, her hands digging around in the metal box to pull out a container of beef stew.

"So," the younger started, coughing slightly, "that was, wow."

"Don't start," Rin groaned quietly, gently pouring the stew into the pot and gently rewarming it, "my relationship with InuYasha isn't normally like that, it's just he goes on about his brother nonstop about how much of a jerk he is or how cruel; guess I finally had enough."

"Everyone had their breaking point," Kagome told her softly, "but…did you think that maybe…he has a point?"

"Not you too!"

"Just hear me out," Kagome put her hands up in defense, "I'm just saying that you've been dating him for a few months and he's been his brother his whole life, what he says might have merit."

"God forbid I should be happy," Rin muttered bitterly, too quiet to reach her cousin's ears, her whisper the last thing to transpire between them before the two lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

"Say," Kagome cut in, her eyes wandering around the kitchen, obviously desperate to avoid their current topic of conversation and to feel more secure, "doesn't Sesshomaru have any other staff? Like, other maids and things?"

The dark brown hair shook, "other than me, there's Jaken, but he's been given the next few weeks off to deal with some sort of family disputes they've been having."

"What sort of dispute?"

"Something about one of his great-great-grandfathers passing away and leaving an entire house of family heirlooms to nobody; half the family wants to sell, the other half thinks they should be kept in the family. Then there's the issue of who gets what, what goes where etcetera," she sighed softly, "he's been asked to be a mediator in all of this and he looked none too happy about the whole thing."

"Sounds like fun," the younger muttered sarcastically, Rin's soft giggles making Kagome smile.

"Actually," the elder told her cousin softly, "if you could, I'd rather keep my previous employment out of conversations with InuYasha, he doesn't know about it."

"Huh? B-But why-"

"It's just," Rin sighed for what felt like the millionth time in the night, "I just don't want people thinking that Sesshomaru hired me for that purpose-"

"Was this his idea," Kagome asked, her arms suddenly crossing over her chest and her face set.

"No," Rin told her, "why would you-"

"Because it just seems like a way to save his public image is all," the younger informed her, her face inquiring.

"That's also because I don't have one," Rin snapped, "besides, he does have his pride, I don't want to tarnish it, not to mention he's admitted to not being on the best terms with his family and I don't want to cause any more of a rift between them."

"Hm."

"How much did you want?"

Kagome looked up in confusion at her cousin before realization dawned on her when Rin gestured to the bubbling pot, the elder seemingly trying to move away from any and all conversations about her relationships.

"Just a bowlful," Kagome muttered in defeat, her back slumping slightly as the elder doled out two servings for the both of them, hers slightly less than her cousin's.

"Here," Rin murmured as she handed the bowl to her cousin, a spoon alongside it.

"Thanks," Kagome muttered back, her blue eyes staring blankly at the dish, the awkward silence filling the room between them nearly unbearable, a silent prayer of thanks sent to whatever deity existed that Rin managed to find a topic that relaxed them both.

The girls ate in a relatively peaceful atmosphere save for some of the still lingering tension that filled the gaps between them, their conversations deviating from the topic of Rin's relationship.

"So," Kagome started, the spoon in her mouth as she looked over at her cousin, "any thoughts about me staying the night?"

Rin groaned as she took both bowls over to the sink.

"Shoot," she muttered, "I forgot to ask Sesshomaru about that."

"So go ask him."

"He said he wanted an early night," Rin informed her, "so I'd rather not bother him for something like this…" she trailed off her fingers to her lips as her brown eyes glanced over in Kagome's direction, the girl doing her best puppy-dog look and clasping her hands in front of her chest, a hopeful smile on her face. Rin sighed, "fine," she caved, "but only for tonight understand? You have courses Monday."

Her younger cousin squealed as she bounced over to her cousin to pull her into a crushing hug.

"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou," she giggled, "don't worry Rin, only for tonight, I promise, I'll be gone after supper tomorrow."

"As long as you let your mother know you're here," Rin warned, "and you can't bother Sesshomaru tomorrow understand? I'd rather not get in trouble with either of those two."

Kagome pouted, "but-"

The hands on her cousin's hips and the look she gave her was enough to cut the younger off.

"Fine," she conceded, her lips still in a pout. "So," she started again, "where can I sleep?"


Rin had guided her cousin up the stairs and led her into another guest room before running to grab the bed linins from the closet, the two girls making up the bed in record time before they bade each other a good night, Rin turning to leave her cousin's room before something stopped her.

"Kagome," she said quietly, looking at the other girl with hopeful eyes.

"Yeah, what is it?"

Rin sighed, "I know that this was a massive shock to you an all, but I really do love him," she took a deep breath, "so it would mean a lot to me if you at least approved of him."

Blue eyes stared back at brown before Kagome smiled, "yeah, of course. Don't worry about it, I'll always look out for your best interests Rin."

The elder thanked her cousin before she shut the door softly, her delicate feet carrying her to her own room softly, her mind a mixture of confusion and worry.

Rin slipped into the room quietly, her eyes softening at the sight of her lover curled up on his side, his amber eyes shut gently and his breath made his chest rise and fall though his nose, his hands relaxed in front of his face. As silently as she could, the woman flitted around the room with care, her hands stripping herself of her clothes and slipping into her silken nightgown before climbing into their bed, her body settling on the mattress before a strong arm wrapped around her slim waist and she was pulled into a strong chest, the amber eyes looking down at her.

"I'm sorry," she told him smiling softly, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's alright," he told her with equal softness, "I wasn't entirely asleep either."

"So," she continued, "I take it you heard everything and your headache isn't any better."

"I took some medication, I'll be fine," he murmured, his fingers brushing aside a lock of hair, "but, yes, I heard it all."

The young woman blushed at his words, her mind replaying her evening with both her cousin and his brother.

"I-If your headaches get any worse," Rin murmured, desperate to stay off the particular topic, "then maybe you should see a doctor."

The silver hair shook, "no don't worry yourself over it, I've had these before, they're just stress-induced."

Rin giggled, "you're going to get wrinkles before your next birthday if you keep this up," she teased while touching her finger over his skin, his own chuckle rumbling in his chest.

"Would you still love me," he asked quietly, his fingers ran down her cheek, "if I became old and decrepit?"

"With all my heart," he murmured as she pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, "though, you'd still be the most handsome thing on this earth to me. Besides which, I'll get old before you do."

"You'd still be beautiful," he whispered back, "you'd still be an angel to me."

Her face flushed deeply at his words while he trailed his lips over her silken dark hair, his hands tenderly brushing the bare skin of her arms.

"I only tell the truth to you," he told her softly tilting his head to look into her eyes, her smile matching his, "believe me."

"I do," Rin told him kindly.

"Blindly, according to our two guests," he muttered suddenly, bitterness laced in his voice, the woman wincing slightly.

"I'm sorry," she muttered quietly, "Kagome's just-like that," she sighed, "she's always been like that. I know I should have talked to about her staying here but, she's just so stubborn and-"

"Rin," he interrupted quietly, "don't worry about that, I have no issue with your cousin staying here," he paused slightly, "however-"

The woman adjusted her body to lean against the head board, her eyes still looking into his while his own body moved to sit up next to her, his arms still around her.

"I know," she sighed almost desperately, "I know and I want her and InuYasha to stop…bad-mouthing you but-" her legs curling to her chest, arms wrapping around her while her forehead touched her knees, "but I just don't know how to."

"This isn't your problem," he told her, his hands rubbing her back, "but I do thank you for your faith in me."

Her head turned to the side to look at him, a small smile on her lips, "you're one of the best things to happen to me in my life," she murmured, unaware of how his heart seemed to leap at her words, "and you're a far better person than anyone believes, than you believe."

"That's all because of you," he murmured while her head turned fully to look at him, "that's only because I have you in my life now."

The young woman breathed a laughed, "why do you always make me out to be an angel?"

His lips met her forehead, "because that is what you are," he murmured.

"No," she told him, sadness laced in her voice as her throat began to thicken, deep brown eyes meeting his, "no I'm not."

"Yes Rin you-"

"An angel wouldn't kill her family," she whispered, telling herself to keep the tears at bay while her lover pulled back in surprise at her words, amber eyes looking at her in shock.

"Wh-what?" he asked her softly while she bit her lip.

Rin had told him that her family had long since passed, but she seemed so unsettled by the story Sesshomaru told her not to force herself yet the thought of the slender woman he held so tenderly in his arms had killed someone was almost a comical idea.

"I was eight when my family died," she murmured sniffing slightly, "I was in the school choir at the time and there was a performance that night. It was so important to me back then that I begged my parents to come even though I knew they had work to finish for the next day. I was such a brat."

"You were an eight year –old child," he told her as tears slipped down her cheeks, "it's okay for them to be a little selfish sometimes."

"But still," she continued, her throat thickened, "if I hadn't begged them too, they wouldn't have taken me, I would have just gone with my friend and then that car wouldn't have-"

She broke off with a choked sob, her hand clasping her mouth while warm arms surrounded her, his voice silently shushing her.

"It's my fault," she sobbed quietly, "it's all my fault my parents and brothers are dead-"

"It's not."

Brown eyes looked up at Sesshomaru in surprise, his voice had been strong and almost demanding while his eyes remained soft.

"If you had known what was going to happen," he asked her, his fingers wiping away her tears, "would you have still asked them?"

"Oh, God no," she quivered while swallowing thickly before her head was gently pushed into a firm chest, gentle lips in her hair.

"Then this most certainly isn't your fault," he whispered, "you haven't killed anyone Rin, it was a horrible accident, that's all. No one could have known what was going to happen; not you, not your mother, not your father, and not your brothers," her face was cupped to look into his eyes, her dark brown eyes swimming in tears, "burden isn't yours to bear, understand?"

More tears slipped from her eyes as she squeezed them shut, her head nodding in his hand. She had been told the same by countless doctors and therapists, but none of them eased her in the same way Sesshomaru had. She knew she would always feel some responsibility for what happened but, at the same time, her lover's words had somehow eased her heart. His lips tentatively touched hers, Rin relaxing at the intimacy, giggling briefly when they parted.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, "I must look like a mess right now."

He smiled down kindly at her, "don't worry, you're still the most beautiful creature to walk this earth to me."

She blushed at his words, her tears slowing as she leaned into him, the silence between them comforting.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my family," Rin murmured after a few seconds, "it was just-"

"-hard?" he finished, his nose in the crook of her neck, "don't worry yourself over that, you'd tell me when you were ready, I knew that."

"Even though you trusted me with you family's details," she grumbled softly, "and I couldn't tell you mine."

"It was a painful memory," he told her quietly, "I won't think any less of you Rin just because you have a large enough heart for everything."

"Hmm," she sighed while she leaned into him, the demon guiding the two of them back onto the downy pillows, his arms surrounding her while hers were pushed to his chest.

"Even so," he whispered in her ear as she drifted off to sleep, him following alongside her, "you and I will face whatever challenges come our way, together."


A soft knock interrupted the slumbering occupant, grumbling and complaining about disruptions on such things as a Saturday night. Growling, InuYasha ripped open the door to reveal a very determined looking Kagome.

"Wha-"

"Tell me everything about your brother," she cut him off much to his surprise, her eyes boring into him.

"But-wha I-" he stammered for a moment before sighing, his face a mask of confusion as he looked back at her, "fine, okay, but why the hell do you want to-"

"Because," Kagome told him, her hands now wringing slightly in nervousness, "because I'm worried about my cousin."


Muwa hahahahaahahahah THE POWER! to keep all in suspense :D

Read and reviews my lovelies ^^