"My home is not a place, it is people."
… Lois McMaster Bujold …
Chapter VIII
The warmth of the sun and a feeling of contentment made Sesshoumaru reluctant to open his eyes and face the day. He'd be having a rather pleasant dream involving his landlady when a quiet sound had pulled him towards consciousness. It was a sigh and when he heard it again, he realised that it seemed to vocalise the contentment he was currently feeling. A movement beside him caused him to forget about how comfortable he was as his eyes snapped open in surprise. For a moment he was disorientated by the sudden bright light of the sun and confused about what had caused the movement, but memories of the night before came flooding back and he soon remembered what events had led to his current predicament.
The very thought of Rin upset irked Sesshoumaru for a reason he was very careful not to look into in any great detail just yet, but the memory of her standing outside his doors in tears the night before made him see red. There was no possible way for anyone not to become at least a little bit attached to her. She was friendly and caring to everyone who knew her and everyone loved her for it. He had known her since childhood, but he'd known his brother since birth and felt no desire to step in and defend him in the numerous fights and arguments he got involved in, so why should Rin be any different?
As he considered this question, Sesshoumaru looked down at the woman who occupied his thoughts. She lay against him, sleeping peacefully with her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest as though this was the norm. Sesshoumaru did not have a habit of taking women to his bed even though he knew he'd have no trouble doing so if he wanted to, but on the few occasions he had done, it had felt awkward to wake up beside the woman. With Rin though, there was no awkwardness at all and it felt very much like he had been waking up like this for as long as he could remember.
Even though he knew that he should be getting up, he couldn't resist making himself comfortable and pulling Rin closer. He stroked her back while he let his thoughts wander. Rin seemed to be as comfortable with him as he was with her as this was not the first time she had let her guard down and fallen asleep in his company and used him as a pillow. His eyes widened slightly when she moved again and pressed herself flush against him as she stretched. After a moment, her eyes opened slowly and she looked up at him briefly with a vague look of incomprehension before she gasped and blushed prettily as she lowered her gaze.
"How long have you been awake?" Rin asked quietly, blushing even more when she realised how close they were.
"Only a few minutes," Sesshoumaru replied, smirking at her blush.
Sighing to herself, Rin reluctantly pushed herself up and stretched her arms above her head. She had no desire whatsoever to move from where she lay, but since they were both awake it seemed to be the best thing to do. It was comforting to be held by him. It felt as though nothing could harm her as long as he was there. She couldn't explain how she knew that, but she was somehow certain of it. If Sesshoumaru really didn't care about her then he'd have turned her away when she first appeared at his door in the middle of the night, but instead he had comforted her. Waking up in his arms, while slightly embarrassing, was a bit like a dream come true. Ever since he had carried her home from the train station, Rin had wondered what it would be like to wake up in his arms and see his face first thing in the morning.
"Today I shall look into finding out who was outside your window," Sesshoumaru said as he got to his feet and walked across the room to the little kettle Rin had lent him.
"I'm sorry to be so troublesome," Rin murmured as she accepted a cup of coffee from him a short while later.
"You're hardly troublesome," he said reassuringly.
Rin smiled at her companion as he sat down beside her on the sofa and sighed softly as he leaned back. He had always seemed intimidating when she was younger, but now that she was seeing a different side of him, she realised that he wasn't in the least bit intimidating. She was so comfortable in his presence and there was such an aura of domesticity that it was hard for her to resist the urge to snuggle into his side. Smiling slightly at that particular thought, Rin wondered what he would do if she were to do just that.
The morning had started well and even though Rin was sitting beside him rather than wrapped in his arms where he decided he'd much prefer her to be, the day promised to be good. Just as he lifted his mug to drain it of its contents, he felt a sudden movement beside him before he felt a slim body pressed against him. Turning slightly to look down, Sesshoumaru was surprised to find Rin snuggled into his side, quite content with his arm draped loosely over her shoulder as she wrapped her hands around her coffee mug. When she felt his gaze on her, she looked up at him and gave him a cheerful smile as though there was nothing unusual about burrowing her way under his arm just to be closer to him.
"Comfortable?" Sesshoumaru asked, raising an eyebrow as he smirked at the petite woman at his side.
"Mmm. Very comfortable," Rin replied with a soft sigh as she leaned into his side and closed her eyes.
Smirking again at her antics, Sesshoumaru settled himself more comfortably in his new position and sighed. It had been a surprise for Rin to do what she did, but it was not an unwelcome surprise. Truthfully he was very pleased with what had just happened but decided to keep that to himself for the moment. When he felt Rin rest her head against his shoulder, he pulled her slightly closer for a moment before ruffling her hair and getting to his feet again. Hearing Rin's sigh, he hid a smirk as he glanced at her and found her gaze on him, watching his movements intently.
"We cannot stay indoors all day," Sesshoumaru matter of factly as he placed his mug on the table nearby.
"No, I suppose not," Rin agreed quietly as she too got to her feet and stretched before smiling cheerfully at him. "Well, I'll see you later then."
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"Did you hear?" Seiichi asked suddenly, swinging into Rin's line of sight unexpectedly while she was staring out the window, lost in thought.
"Hear what?" she asked, turning her gaze to the boy who seemed to be almost dancing on the spot with excitement.
"A storm's predicted for tonight!"
"You're excited about that, are you?" Rin asked with a smile as turned in her seat to gather up the papers that lay across her desk.
"Of course!" Seiiichi exclaimed, turning around abruptly to look over his shoulder to where Mizuki was sitting with her friends.
"I don't think I want to know why you're so excited."
The teenager raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Are you not afraid of storms?"
" I don't really enjoy them, but I don't know if I'd go as far as to say I was afraid of them."
"That's a shame. I'm sure Mr. Taisho wouldn't complain if you came to him seeking comfort."
"Hush," Rin said with a teasing smile and vague blush. "Keep such thoughts to yourself. I don't know why you all seem to think there's anything more than friendship between us anyway."
Rin received no response as Seiichi just grinned at her and walked away. Left to her own devices for the remainder of the afternoon, she leaned forward to look out the window. It seemed that Seiichi was right. The little town received very little rainfall but when it did rain, a storm was the only way to describe it. Truth be told, she was slightly fearful of storms but she never admitted it to anyone. Memories of being alone as a child while storms raged outside were not pleasant and haunted her mind every so often when she found herself alone during a storm, but despite that, she had no intention of running to the nearest man for comfort.
As she stared out the window, she saw dark clouds hanging low in the sky. The wind had picked up slightly and the usually sunny town seemed somehow dull in the shadow of the heavy clouds. Sighing to himself, Rin rose to her feet and walked out of the room as she tried to push aside her nagging worry about the storm and focus on what to cook for dinner that evening. Just as she was walking down the corridor towards the kitchen, Sesshoumaru stepped out of his rooms and paused when he saw her.
"You look worried," Sesshoumaru said quietly as Rin came to a stop beside him.
Rin shook her head and smiled. "I was just wondering what to make for dinner."
"Do you need any help?"
"No, I think I can manage. Thank you for the offer though."
Much to Rin's surprise, Sesshoumaru followed her down the corridor towards the kitchen and sat himself down at the table to watch her move around. He didn't say anything and seemed content with the silence that was broken only by the gentle bubbling of the water in a pan on the cooker. Eventually, Rin turned around to look at him and walked towards him, wiping her hands on a cloth as she moved.
"I wasn't aware you were keen on cooking," she teased with a smile as she sat down opposite him.
"I'm not especially," Sesshoumaru admitted.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company then?"
"I actually came to talk to you about the visitors you keep having."
Rin stilled and the smile fell from her face. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I'm afraid that I have not found any trace of them," Sesshoumaru said with a quiet sigh as he looked out of the window.
"So there's a chance they'll turn up again tonight?"
He nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so."
Sesshoumaru watched as Rin nodded and returned to her cooking. He knew that she was now going to be fearful of going to bed that evening, but it didn't seem right to not tell her the results of his investigations that day. It baffled him. If there truly were people outside then they'd have left something behind, but there was nothing there at all save a few broken bushes that could have been disturbed by animals or humans. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes and wondered what would happen when it was time to retire for the night. He certainly wouldn't complain if she came knocking on his door, but as much as he enjoyed her company at night, it was a habit that could not continue without causing suspicion. Something was going to have to be done even though he was loath to do it.
"I heard it's going to rain tonight," Sesshoumaru said quietly, staring out at the dark clouds.
"Apparently so," Rin murmured in response.
"This will be the first time I've seen rain since I've been here."
Rin smiled as she turned away from the cooker. "It is the first rain you've seen, isn't it? I hope you enjoy storms."
"A storm?"
"It usually is."
"You don't sound overly pleased with the idea of it," Sesshoumaru stated, looking at her curiously.
Shrugging, Rin looked out the window. "Storms are not something I enjoy."
Letting the conversation drop, Sesshoumaru watched Rin for a while. She was lost in thought but a small frown creased her brow as she looked out the window. It seems that saying she didn't enjoy storms was not quite the truth, but he didn't push the topic. No doubt he'd find out how she truly felt in due course.
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A short while after dinner, Sesshoumaru realised that Rin seemed to be putting off going to bed and he was fairly certain why. He decided against mentioning this observation and chose instead to go about his usual routine. Just before he went to his rooms for the night, he passed by her office near the front of the hotel and looked into the room when he saw the light on. Rin sat at the desk, her nose buried in a large book. She didn't even look up when he stepped into the room but jumped slightly when he leaned over her shoulder to have a look at what she was reading. Rin looked up quickly and found herself face to face with Sesshoumaru as he read a few sentences from the top of the page before looking her in the eye.
"You're not going to bed?" he asked.
"I'm not tired yet," Rin replied, turning her gaze back to the book and her cheeks turning slightly pink.
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow as he rose to his full height. "Really?"
"Yes."
Nodding, Sesshoumaru turned and walked out of the room and decided to return once he was ready to retire for the evening to make sure that Rin did not spend her entire night in her study. Not only would it be an uncomfortable night's sleep, but it would also be cold as there was no type of heating in her office. Just as he stepped out into the hall, a loud knocking caught his attention and when he glanced over his shoulder, he saw that Rin had heard it too. She had turned around in her seat and was looking at him with wide, fearful eyes. Sesshoumaru took one last look at Rin before changing course and heading towards the front door.
The wind outside had picked up quite a lot over the evening and was making a frightening noise as it blew through the little town. Even over the drumming of the rain and the howling of the wind, Sesshoumaru could hear the knocking at the front door as clearly as though there was no other noise. Cautiously he unlocked and opened the door to see who was on the other side. His eyes widened in surprise when he found two teenage boys staring back at him, their wet clothes sticking to their skin as they shivered slightly. A gasp from Rin pulled him back to reality as she opened the door wide and ushered them inside to the kitchen.
"What on earth were you doing out in this weather?" Rin demanded as she glared at the two boys who sat shivering in her kitchen.
"We're looking for Seiichi," one of them said sullenly, but nodded gratefully when he was handed a large cup of tea.
"Seiichi?" Rin asked in a concerned voice as she glanced at Sesshoumaru who was leaning against the counter near the cooker.
"Yeah, him. We've been lookin' for him for 'bout a week now," the other boy explained.
"Seiichi is my student," Sesshoumaru stated, bringing everyone's attention to him. "I must ask why you are looking for him."
"Just to catch up on things, y'know?" the second boy said with a shrug. "We don't mean him no harm. He's our cousin."
Rin visibly relaxed as she heard the words and leaned against the counter beside Sesshoumaru. Said man hid his grin at this movement. Evidently, even though she was relieved she was not willing to leave his side just yet. Whether she noticed or not, Rin edged closer to the tall man beside her when one of the boys moved until Sesshoumaru eventually put a hand on her waist to prevent her from moving so close to him that he would be trapped between her and the cold wooden kitchen cabinets. She turned slightly to look up at him from the corner of her eye but relaxed instantly at his touch.
"You have chosen a strange time to come visiting your cousin," Sesshoumaru stated, ignoring Rin's gaze as he turned back to the two boys. "You do realise that it is nearly 11 o'clock?"
"We know what the time is," the first boy snapped, glaring at his cousin's teacher. "We were going to wait until tomorrow since we didn't see him today, but we got rained on."
"I haven't seen you around the town today," Rin said thoughtfully as she recalled her brief outing earlier that day to buy more food. "Where have you been?"
"We arrived a couple of days ago," the second, more polite boy replied. "Camped outside the building the first night and last night thinking we'd see Seiichi on his way to school or somethin' but we must've missed him."
"Camped outside the building?" Sesshoumaru asked as an idea formed in his mind. "Was it a bedroom?"
"Couldn't say, sir," the second boy said honestly. "I don't make a habit of lookin' into other people's bedrooms. My brother might know. Said he heard a noise in one of them and had a look inside."
Sesshoumaru looked down at Rin who had stiffened again and nodded when she glanced up at him with a questioning gaze. Giving her a brief squeeze that he hoped was reassuring; he turned his gaze back to the two boys who were watching him warily.
"Well I suppose that solves our mystery," he murmured, a vague smile tugging his lips before it disappeared. "I would advise you to come straight to the building next time you come looking for your cousin. You gave several people quite a scare."
"We're sorry," the first boy said apologetically and seemed sincere for the first time since they had met. "We didn't mean to cause any trouble."
"As long as you don't plan to do that again, there's no problem," Rin said with a smile as she relaxed again. "Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?"
"No, ma'am," the second boy replied.
"I'm sure Seiichi won't mind you staying in his room then," Rin said cheerfully before giving the boys directions to Seiichi's bedroom.
The two boys slowly made their way across the hall way to the stairs and soon disappeared from sight. Rin smiled vaguely as she watched before sighing heavily and leaning back against the counter behind her. She squeaked in surprise when she felt the arm around her waist tighten slightly and glanced up at Sesshoumaru who was watching her with a look of vague amusement.
"Relieved?" he asked.
"Definitely! At least I know who it was and that it wasn't intentional," Rin said with a smile. "Now you can have a peaceful night's sleep in your own bed."
"Indeed, but will you be having a peaceful night's sleep in your bed?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking at her seriously as he recalled the earlier conversation about storms.
"Of course."
"Is that so? So the fact that there's a storm raging just outside your window doesn't matter?"
"N-No."
"You don't sound certain." Sesshoumaru pushed himself upright and turned around to face Rin, trapping her in place with a strong arm on either side of her and looked down at her seriously. "Could it be that you are afraid of storms?"
Rin glared at him half-heartedly. "No. I'm not afraid of them."
"But?"
"But I just don't enjoy them much," she said with a sigh as she realised that she couldn't escape this conversation.
"Why is that?"
"I don't know. I've just never liked the thunder very much."
Sesshoumaru nodded slowly and then glanced out the nearest window at the sheets of rain that pelted the glass. The wind was howling but there had been no thunder yet. However, that was not to say that there wouldn't be any thunder that night. He looked down at Rin who was avoiding his gaze determinedly and almost smiled at the slight blush on her face.
"I believe it is time to retire for the night," Sesshoumaru said suddenly, causing Rin to look at him in surprise.
"I'm not tired," she said again.
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and shook his head as he took her hand in his and started to lead her towards the door. "Whether you are tired or not, it will not do you any good to stay in your cold office alone."
Frowning at the tall man's back, Rin allowed herself to be led down the corridor towards her bedroom. She did want to go to bed and she really was tired, but the thought of being all alone was unsettling after the events of the past couple of days and not to mention the sudden storm. If she was being totally honest with herself, she had been perfectly happy when Sesshoumaru had wrapped an arm around her waist earlier and she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed that he had not kissed her while she had been trapped between him and the counter. That's what she had seen in films and what she had read in books, but when it happened to her there was no kiss, not even a hint of romance in the situation and that was disheartening.
Rin looked up in surprise to find them standing outside her bedroom and Sesshoumaru was looking at her curiously. Blushing slightly, she pulled out the key to her room and unlocked the door, dropping the key on a nearby table as she made her way into the living room. She immediately noticed that she was being followed by Sesshoumaru and smiled to herself as she wondered what would happen tonight. Last night she had fallen asleep in his arms, could she hope for something else tonight?
"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep," Sesshoumaru stated as he sat down in a nearby chair and crossed his long legs at the ankles.
"You'll be waiting a while," Rin replied with a grin. "I'm not tired."
He shrugged. "I have enough patience to wait until you fall asleep."
"What do you intend to occupy yourself with until that happens?"
"I'm sure I'll find something."
Apparently giving up her attempts at conversation, Rin disappeared into the bathroom and Sesshoumaru was left to his thoughts. Rin was a stunning woman and he was sure that she probably didn't realise the effect she had on him. It had been very difficult trying to resist the temptation to kiss her senseless earlier, but he was quite proud of the amount of self-control he had demonstrated although he was slightly disappointed that he was now sitting in her living room instead of sitting beside her. Moments later Rin appeared in the doorway in her pyjamas with a robe wrapped loosely around her and Sesshoumaru could only marvel at how amazing she looked. She smiled slightly at him as she passed on her way across the room towards her bed in the corner. As he watched her, Sesshoumaru realised that there was a television sitting at the foot of her bed. Glancing towards the book shelf nearby, he looked over the titles of the books and wrinkled his nose at the thought of reading any of them.
A quiet laugh from the bed caused him to turn back towards her and he found Rin watching him with a smile. Moving over towards the wall, she patted the bed beside her and waited patiently to see if he'd take up her offer. Sesshoumaru didn't need to be asked twice and after a moment's deliberation, he got to his feet and slowly made his way across the room. Rin's bed was soft and he felt himself sink into its warm and comfortable embrace as he sat down beside her and made himself comfortable. Rin seemed to act without thinking and almost immediately curled up against his side as she had down that morning and gave him a shy smile before looking away.
"You know, I was always slightly afraid of you when I was younger," Rin murmured as she pulled the covers up around her.
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and looked down at her incredulously. "Why would you be afraid of me?"
"You were always so quiet and serious."
"I'm still quiet and serious."
Rin giggled and smiled up at him. "Yes, you are. After the last few days though you're definitely as scary I used to think."
"The last few days?"
"If I was afraid of you, do you really think I'd have come to you last night when I was afraid of who might be outside my window?"
"No, I suppose not. What made you change your mind?"
"Do you remember when we stayed with your parents and you fell asleep on the sofa?"
"How could I forget such an embarrassing incident?"
Rin playfully slapped his arm. "It's not embarrassing, but it was then that I changed my mind. I don't know what did it, but that was the day it happened."
The pair sat in silence for a while and Rin laid her head against his shoulder, listening to the sound of the wind outside as she waited to hear Sesshoumaru's response. Her eyes widened when he shifted slightly to wrap an arm around her shoulders and she smiled to herself as she heard him sigh softly.
"You are a strange woman," Sesshoumaru murmured, gently running his hand up and down her back.
"Oh?"
"You tell me that you used to be afraid of me but only a short while ago overcame that fear and yet you seem to be quite content with where you currently lie."
Rin blushed slightly before sitting up and looking at him seriously. "I am content, aren't you?"
Sesshoumaru smirked. "I believe you know the answer to that question."
"I suppose it was a silly question really, wasn't it?" Rin asked sheepishly. "From what I remember, when it came to speaking about things you didn't like, you never were backward in coming forward."
Sesshoumaru smirked again and watched as Rin settled down against him again. She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes as she snuggled closer. It had definitely been a strange day. He certainly wasn't complaining about anything that had happened, but it seemed strange that the usually shy Rin seemed to have become suddenly very confident around him. In the course of one day, their relationship seemed to have changed dramatically and it was only a matter of time before he discovered just how much it had changed.
"Why is it that you have never married?" Rin asked quietly, looking up at him intently.
Sesshoumaru shrugged. "There is no reason in particular. What about you?"
"There's just never been anyone around who really seems like he'd be able to handle me."
"You make it sound as though you're high maintenance."
"In a way I am," Rin admitted with a vague smile.
"In what way?"
"I'm not as strong as I pretend I am. It's all an act to make sure Kagome doesn't appear on my doorstep one day and drag me back to the city."
"I was aware of that," Sesshoumaru replied, stroking her back again as he stared up at the ceiling.
"Really? How?"
"If you were that strong, you'd not have appeared at my door last night or the night before. I think you know that I am not going to insist you return to the city so you feel that you can drop the act."
Rin smiled. "That is true, I suppose. That is something I've missed about living out here on my own."
"What?"
"When I had a problem while I lived back home, I could always turn to your brother or Kagome. I know there's Sango and Miroku nearby, but it's not quite the same."
"I hope you're not suggesting that I'm a substitute for my brother," Sesshoumaru stated, raising an eyebrow and looking at her with barely concealed amusement at her look of shock.
"Of course not!" she exclaimed. "If I'm honest, I'd far rather you be here than your brother. It's much more reassuring."
"Is that so?"
"Oh yes. Inuyasha likes to run off and hit things if they cause trouble, but sometimes just having someone keep me company is what I need."
Sesshoumaru looked down at her as he thought over her words and felt himself struck by what a strange woman she was. She lay curled into his side with her head on his shoulder as though there was no place she'd rather be and Sesshoumaru couldn't help but wonder what she would do if he stayed where he was that night. He really had no desire to return to his cold bedroom alone when staying here seemed like a much more appealing idea. In order to stay here though, he would have to convince Rin that this would be a good idea too.
The pair had sat in silence for so long that Rin began to wonder if her companion had fallen asleep. She opened her eyes and almost gasped when she found him looking at her with an intense look in his amber eyes. Her breath caught in her throat when he leaned towards her and her eyes fluttered closed instinctively when she felt his breath on her lips. He paused for a moment but closed the distance between them just as she opened her eyes to look at him. Rin squeaked in surprise but relaxed when he pulled her closer and let his free hand drift down to her hip. When they parted for breath, she wrapped her arms around his neck and blushed when she met his heated gaze.
"I wasn't expecting that," she murmured shyly.
"I'll leave if you didn't enjoy it," Sesshoumaru said huskily as he watched her carefully.
Rin's eyes widened and her grip on his shoulders tightened. "I didn't say I didn't enjoy it, I was just surprised. I don't suppose I could persuade you to stay longer and surprise me a bit more, could I?"
"I'm sure I can be persuaded to surprise you as many times as you like," he replied with a smirk as he leaned down to take her lips in a passionate kiss.
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AN: Apologies for how long it took me to update this story. Life's been hectic at the moment which is my usual excuse I suppose but I'm intending to get back into writing again. It was nice to let my imagination run a bit wild for a change :)
Anyhoo, that you to everyone for all the reviews on this story and all the others and I'm so sorry it's take so long for this chapter. I got a bit carried away in this one I think, but hopefully it's not too bad. I'm aware it moved a bit fast and possibly covered a few too many things in one go, but again, I hope that all worked out. It's also a bit long which wasn't really intentional, but as I say, I got carried away. Apologies if there are any spelling/grammar mistakes, I tried to correct as many as I could but I may have missed some.
I've got a couple of other ideas that I'm going to work on when this is finished so hopefully some new ideas will get me back into the habit of writing again :D
Anyhoo, thank you again for all the reviews and I hope you enjoy this long overdue update :)
xMxAx
