Chapter 10; Reflections
If there was one part of the house Rin feared, it was Lord Markus's study. It wasn't very big and just had a desk where the lord worked but it was so far from anything else in the house. She was often worried about being so far from the kitchen and Sesshomaru.
Winter had set in now, hard and cold, the world dark most of the time. The kitchen was so cold, especially at night, that Rin often found herself walking around with the blanket around her shoulders for extra warmth while the demon continued as he was, even spending a lot of his time outside in the garden and orchard.
Sighing, Rin stocked the fireplace and stood up, brushing the ash off her clothes. Right, time to get out of here. I need to go deal with dinner. And Sesshomaru will be worried. She chuckled to herself. Yeah right. Sesshomaru doesn't care about me, I'm just a human. But he has been following me around more, keeping an eye on me… must be a reason for him to do that. We are getting close to each other… and we do talk more… there might be something there.
She sighed again, hopelessly and from deep in her heart as she walked around the room, tidying up as she went. As she stood by the desk, mind lost in her thoughts of Sesshomaru, two hands slid over her shoulders, tightening their grip around her. "Isn't this nice Rin? You finally came to my room."
Her voice tightened suddenly, unable to speak. No…
"Dear, look at you Rin… all set up, ready for me…"
His hand slid around her arms, rubbing her shoulders, massaging them roughly. With her hands on his desk before her, Rin felt her arms tremble and struggled to hold herself. I… I can't move. I can't… I need to get out of here. Sesshomaru…. Sesshomaru…. Please… help… me.
"Oh Rin, I think I have been more than patient with you. Now… I will enjoy you."
Rin choked on her own breath, unable to believe she'd allowed herself to be cornered. She swallowed as his hands moved down her arms and to her waist, slipping to the top of her skirt. "Please… stop." Her arms shook and her body trembled as she stood, pressed up between the desk and the human behind her. Her hands closing into fists, tears rolling down her cheeks as her eyes screwed up, trying to ignore his actions. "Please… leave me alone. Stop it."
The lord's nose pressed up into her shoulder as his hands wrapped around her stomach, holding her close. "I really like the way you struggle, Rin."
"Markus."
The lord hummed, stepping back and releasing Rin who turned to see the lord's wife stood in the doorway, looking at them both with a strange look in her eyes. Rin staggered away from the desk and lowered her head. "My lady, I'm so sorry. I…"
"Markus, try not to make too much noise. I don't want to hear your little activities."
The shock filled Rin's mind. "My lady?"
Markus chuckled as the woman walked away, ignoring the servant's plea. "You see Rin? My wife brought you for this very purpose. To keep me entertained. Yes, we brought you to cook and clean but this is your true purpose." His hands grabbed her shoulders, pushing her backwards onto the desk, forcing her to sit on it, a hand either side of her hips. "Well… let's see how useful you really are."
He leant forward but Rin put her hands on his chest, fighting to push him back. "No! No please stop it! Leave me alone! Stop it! No!"
"Fight me all you want Rin, it only excites me more."
Tears ran down her face, fear filling her as he continued to fondle away at her body. "Please! Please stop it! Let go of me!"
His hand locked on her neck, holding her tight and stopping her from moving. "I don't need the collar to control you Rin, I can do it on my own strength."
Stuck under his grip, Rin froze, her eyes trembling as she looked at the lord, sneering at her. For a moment he just looked up and down her body. "Now Rin, are you going to be a good girl and behave yourself? Or do I…" He stopped suddenly, looking into her eyes as they became mirrors. He wasn't seeing his own face reflected in them. Instead it was the silver haired, golden eyed demon. His eyes narrowed then realised what was going on. He released the human and turned on the spot, looking behind him and there was the demon, staring like a cold stone. He might now wear simple human clothes but the beast still held the dark aura and the powerful presence of a full blooded demon. Markus frowned. "What are you doing here, Demon? You are not allowed here."
The demon kept his cold stare for a moment longer then moved his eyes slowly to look over at Rin. The poor girl was still shaking and crying, her clothes ruffled around the hips and her apron almost falling off her.
His eyes turned back to the male human. "I warned you not to touch her."
"And I told you; she belongs to me. I can do with her as I will. Now, leave."
He stood where he was then blinked. "Very well." He took a step but then moved towards the woman, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her out of the room.
Lord Markus remained where he was amazed and just a little terrified as the woman left his sight with the demon.
Out of the study, Rin was still shaking and crying, her breath sobs and her mind withdrawn from the world. She knew she was walking. Her bare feet connected with different types of surface, awakening her mind little by little. First she went across wood, then stone, then mud and then grass.
Wait… where am I going? Where's Sesshomaru taking me?
"Rin. Did he hurt you?"
Rin swallowed a little then blinked, lifting her eyes to him but they were still hollow and terrified. "Sesshomaru?"
The demon blinked, closing his hand into a fist as the young human began to shake and tremble before him. He'd let go of her wrist as he stopped, arriving deep in the orchard, close to where he had stopped with Rin during the harvest.
The simple thing is scared out of her mind. I vowed I would not allow that male to harm Rin, and yet… I didn't stop him in time. I should have stayed in the house. I should have kept close to her. I knew this would happen. As long as that… beast is here, she isn't safe. Wait… what am I doing? I have my arms around her? I can hear her heart… it's steadying. She's stopped shaking. Do I really make her feel safe enough to calm her heart? I know I desire to keep her safe but does she hold such trust in me?
Her eyes are open, as if she is staring right past me. Like I'm not here. As if she can't see me.
"Rin, look at me."
The girl complied, lifting her head to look into his eyes. For a moment her eyes held the same blankness but then her whole face scrunched up and dropped into tears just before she jumped forward, her arms wrapped around the demon's neck, crying and calling his name once. She began trembling again, tears running down her face and into his clothes.
The demon took a moment then placed one hand between her shoulder blades and the other on the back of her head, even using his grip on her to hold her into his shoulder. "Rin… you cry. Just this once, I'll allow it."
The girl held him a little tighter then just allowed herself to cry and show her sadness.
The demon looked down at her head and rubbed his claws in it before closing his eyes, listening as she cried. He looked up over her head and watched the world around them, his arms loose around the girl, noting when her breathing changed and her body went slightly limp.
She's asleep. She's cried herself to sleep.
As slowly and carefully as he could, he shifted to the ground, leaning her across his chest, watching her sleeping face. Each breath was short and shallow but at a steady, easy pace.
He kept as still as he could, enabling her to just sleep but his eyes watched the sky. It was growing dark but it was too early. He frowned to himself. Rain. I can smell it on the wind. It better not fall on Rin.
For half an hour, he watched the sky and the clouds grow darker. This is going to be a large storm. Dam it… do I wake Rin before the rain comes or let her sleep in case the rain passes over?
He watched the sky, judging the weather. Just as his eyes narrowed, a drop of rain fell on his forehead, right over the mark. The heavens opened so suddenly that in a few seconds the world was dark and wet, Rin included.
But she still didn't wake up. She shifted, rubbing her head into his shirt, protecting herself from the rain.
He huffed a little. If I didn't know better, I'd think she'd sleep all the way through this rain. She shouldn't, she'll get cold and might fall sick again.
"Rin, wake up."
Her hands tightened on his shirt and rubbing her head into him as well.
His eyes narrowed. "Rin. Wake up."
Her face lifted and her eyes looked up at him. "S… Sesshomaru."
For a moment, the demon just lay on his back and looked over her. The rain dripped off her hair and ran down her face, making her skin glisten in the light. She still looked scared but it was weakening.
With a deep breath, the demon sat up, forcing her to her knees as well. "We should return."
"I don't want to."
"We have no choice. We cannot leave the grounds of this orchard."
"Can't we stay here? Please? Just a little longer?"
"You will get sick if you remain here in the cold and wet."
"What about you?"
"As if a little bit of rain would bother me." He shifted up to his feet and pulled Rin up as well. She stood right next to him, the rain dripping down her face and through her hair, her clothes sucking in all the water and sticking to her skin, dripping off her nose and lips. The beast stared at her for a moment then looked up at the storm. "Let's go Rin."
With a nod, Rin followed in the rain, careful of the roots and slippery mud. It was a slow walk, slower than it should be, even by Rin's standards. She's stalling.
"Oww!"
"Rin?"
She was leaning on a tree, her foot lifted off the floor. "I cut my foot on something."
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes on her foot where a long line of blood was running down the skin, diluted in the rain. He sighed a little. "Are you able to walk?"
"Yeah, it's only a little cut. I'm fine." Her lips in a simple smile as the rain continued to coat her face. After a moment to think, he reached out his hand to Rin's, holding it tight and using it to pull her along behind him. Once back at the kitchen, he took her right to the bed, sitting her down and lifting her foot to look over the cut.
Rin flinched as he looked at the scratch, a bit larger and deeper than first imagined. The demon regarded it for a moment then stood, getting a cloth and some water, using them to wash her foot clean of the blood and mud.
As he pressed the cloth on the wound, Rin would hiss and flinch away from him. "Oww. That… oww. Please. Gently!"
"Be still you pathetic human."
Rin went still as he spoke, his eyes trapped on her foot but the human just felt her heart close down. She didn't move again even if it did hurt while he wrapped her food in a bandage. Then he let go and stood up. "There."
His eyes looked over at Rin as she turned away from him, lying on her front and her head down. He frowned to her. What's wrong with her?
On the bed, Rin fought herself not to cry. He called me pathetic. He's never called me that before. Does that mean he…. Who am I kidding, I'm nothing but a human. He… he doesn't…
"I was worried about you, Rin."
She gasped suddenly, eyes widening into the sheets before looking up at him. "What?"
The demon was staring at the floor, his eyes away from her. "When you were attacked, why didn't you call for me? I would have come. I would have come to your aid."
"I was scared… I couldn't speak."
"I see."
Rin smiled sadly as she stood beside the demon then reached out and held his hand with both of hers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."
Most of Rin expected him to step away, to pull his hand out of hers but instead he closed his grip around her fingers. "Rin… please take more care." His step was so quick, faster than Rin's eyes could catch. But he turned and wrapped his arms around her, nose pressed into her hair and holding her tight.
For a long minute, Rin just stood still, her eyes closed peacefully. "Rin… you are all I have." Rin nodded slowly as her hands wrapped around him, hugging him as he hugged her. The demon was still for a moment then lifted his hand from her clothes, noticing how wet it was. "You're soaked. I'll leave so you can dry off."
As his hands slid off her back, the demon felt his claws cut into his palm. You are all I have… my Rin.
A/N: Well everyone, isn't this interesting ;) I hope you are enjoying the story and don't forget to review! Till next time. Oh and next time it's getting… hehe… heated.
