***Author's note: hey guys, so I'm posting this before I go to school. I'm determined. I'll stay up for as long as I need to. I'll be horribly disappointed in myself if I don't post this before Monday.

FYI: I don't own Inuyasha, but I do own my characters.

Chapter 10

Rin saw that Inuyasha, at dinner, was very quiet. She heard from Amaterasu that Kagome found out about Kikyo, and yelled at Inuyasha. Rin sighed.

After dinner, she didn't talk to Inuyasha, but went over to talk to Kagome. Sesshomaru, unwillingly, let her, telling her she better be back before the sun went down.

Mrs. Higurashi let Rin in, and Rin hobbled up to Kagome's room and knocked. She stared at the door, feeling almost sad about Kagome and Inuyasha fighting so much, only because the first time it was her fault.

Kagome opened the door, and smiled at Rin. "Hey Rin," she said, letting her in the room. "What's up? You Sessh didn't get into a fight again, did you?"

Rin shook her head. "No. I heard you and Inuyasha did though," she stated.

Kagome sighed in annoyance and stopped smiling. "I don't really want to talk about him." She went back over to the desk and started putting her things away.

"Okay," Rin said. "Then what do you want to talk about?" Rin looked at her worriedly.

Kagome sighed again. "I don't know. Anything but Inuyasha." She didn't want her resolve to not talk to him for a bit disappear. Talking about him would. She was still mad at him.

Then she thought about it. She never knew how Rin and Sesshomaru hit it off, she just knew that one day, they were together, and she asked Inuyasha, and he explained they were mated.

"How did you and Sesshomaru get together?" she asked. "It was a surprise when you were mated, I didn't know you guys started dating."

Rin smiled at Kagome. "We didn't, not officially anyway. I didn't even think anything about him for a about a year."

Flashback

Rin started to notice that Sesshomaru was looking at her more often. She was months from graduating, and she just turned eighteen. Sesshomaru started to become more… protective. It started with her date, she told Sesshomaru she was going on a date with a boy from school. She even introduced him to the boy.

She brought Saburo, who had dark brown hair and dark blue eyes, into her house to meet Sesshomaru. She had long ago accepted her feelings for Sesshomaru, but since he never showed any interest, decided to date, and find someone she could be happy with, and someone Sesshomaru wouldn't kill.

She was holding his hand, and pulled him inside. Sesshomaru was in the kitchen, getting something, when he smelt the unfamiliar scent, and looked into the living room, checking on her.

Rin waved to him. "Hi Sessh," she said with a smile. "This is Saburo, the guy I told you I was going out with tonight." She saw Sesshomaru give a cold look to Saburo, and then down at their intertwined hands. Rin thought she saw him glare.

"Saburo," he said coldly, making the boy straighten up in fear. Rin thought she almost saw him glaring. "If you have her home any later than ten o'clock, you will die."

Saburo nodded quickly. "I'll have her home on time, sir," he stated, his voice shaky.

Rin sighed. This was normal for her. All of her dates were afraid of Sesshomaru, so it wasn't any different. Except the looks Sesshomaru kept shooting at her date, they were new, and the looks he was sending their hands.

She has noticed that he was watching her more lately.

Sesshomaru had a deadly cold look in his eyes, and Rin decided it was time to go, before her date died of fright, or in the least bit, went insane from fear.

"We're gonna go, Sessh," she told him. "I'll see you later."

Sesshomaru nodded, and watched her start walking away, and when the Saburo was out the door, he quickly called her name.

She stuck her head in. "Yeah?"

He looked at her with an odd expression, one Rin couldn't read. "Be careful."

She gave him a confused and surprised look. "I-I will." He'd never done that before. He was acting strange around her lately, and she wondered why. She closed the door and left the house.

Later, after the date, and Saburo walked her to the door, and told her goodnight, they were just about to kiss, when Sesshomaru opened the door, making them jump apart.

"You're one minute late," he stated to Saburo.

Saburo looked at Sesshomaru in fear. "S-sorry." He backed up as Sesshomaru stepped forward.

Rin grabbed Sesshomaru's arm and glared at him. "Sesshomaru! What's wrong with you?" she demanded. "You've never been so protective before."

Sesshomaru looked back at Rin, then at Saburo. "Leave now. Your date is over, and you don't have anymore reason to be here," he said coldly.

Saburo nodded, then hurried into his car and drove away.

Rin stormed into the house, starting up toward her room, and passing a sixteen year old Inuyasha, who looked at her in surprise.

"Rin," Sesshomaru said. "Get back here."

Rin stopped and glared at Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha hurried upstairs. She watched him go, then looked at Sesshomaru again.

"What?" she demanded. "You scared away my date away, are you happy?" She started yelling. "I actually liked him, and now he's gonna be too scared to come back!"

"Yes, I am actually," Sesshomaru said. "I didn't like that boy." He was looking at her with that odd expression again.

"Why?" she demanded. "He was a nice guy! He was one of the nicest guys I've been out with!"

"Because he would have taken you," Sesshomaru simply stated. "And I don't want him to."

"Take me?" she demanded. "That's only the way demons do it Sesshomaru," she told him. "Humans date and marry, they don't just mate."

"We fall in love too," he told her. "We date, but we don't marry. Mating is our marriage. I didn't mean take in that way either, Rin."

She growled, quite well for a human. "Then what did you mean?" she demanded. "What are you trying to say?" She was flushed with anger, and her hands were in fists at her sides.

"I mean that he would have taken you from me," Sesshomaru growled, his calm mask finally breaking. He put it back in place. "You remember what I promised you when you were young?"

Rin's anger was gone, replaced with surprise with his first words. "Yes," she mumbled. He'd promised he would protect her. For as long as she needed him. For the rest of her life. Then she realized something, and paused.

He'd already staked his claim on her.

Rin looked at him with a surprised expression. "I-I… you-" She shut her mouth. He already staked him claim on her, before she could even realize it. She agreed, but it was when she was young. She didn't understand it. All he had to do was wait for her to turn eighteen.

"What if I don't want you?" she asked, her face going blank of all emotions. "You can't take it back now, and you tricked me when I was young. I didn't even understand it." She felt… betrayed. "I trusted you!" He tricked her.

"Rin," Sesshomaru said. "Please, calm down. You don't understand." He was walking towards her, and she backed up, shaking her head.

"Don't tell me what I don't understand, Sesshomaru!" she said, tears in her eyes. "I understand perfectly. You tricked me when I was young, and you didn't even think about what I would want, or how I would see you. You just took control of my life." She loved Sesshomaru, but she didn't like the fact that he just took control of her life, and sealed her fate. She was going to be with Sesshomaru if she wanted to or not. But that didn't mean she couldn't be mad about it.

He grabbed her shoulders. "Listen to me. I did that, yes, and I was wrong to. But that doesn't mean I didn't think it out first. If you don't want me, I'll keep my distance. You can have a normal life with a human boy."

She pushed him away. "I don't want a normal life, but I don't want to find out that you already had plans for us like this." She ran up the stairs, and into her room, the one right next to Inuyasha's slamming the door.

Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door. She picked her head up from her pillow. "If it's Sesshomaru, go away."

"It's Inuyasha," he said. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," she told him.

He opened the door, and walked in, sitting on the bed. "I heard what happened." He looked at her sadly. "At least you know how he feels now."

Rin had told Inuyasha that she loved Sesshomaru. Inuyasha was like a little brother to her, but also a friend. "Yeah. But that still doesn't give him the right to do that," she stated. "He should have waited until I was a little older."

"Yeah," he said. "I guess. Are you gonna tell him at all though?"

Rin smiled. "I want to get back at him a little bit. Make him think I'm not gonna be with him. I'll tell him after I graduate."

"That's in two months," Inuyasha stated. "Are you really gonna make him wait that long?"

She nodded. "I'll wait until I start college. I'll be nineteen then, and he'll be surprised. No more dating for me though."

"Sesshomaru scared off the one tonight?" he asked, a bit of a smile on his face.

She nodded. "Walked out right as we were about to kiss," she told him. "It was so embarrassing."

Inuyasha smiled. "Have fun torturing my brother," he told her, before leaving.

When Rin was about to start college, and Inuyasha and Kagome where in school already, she confronted him.

"Sesshomaru," she said. "I have to tell you something."

He had kept his promise, he kept his distance. "What is it?" He looked up at her, keeping his emotions masked.

She smiled, then hugged him. He hesitantly hugged her back, then held her at arms length.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked.

She smiled wider. "I'm agreeing to be with you. Haven't you noticed that I haven't had a date since the night you told me?"

"You…" Sesshomaru frowned. "You're telling me now, after several months?"

"Yeah, I just assumed that since you waited so long to tell me that you already claimed me without my knowing, you can wait a couple of more months," she stated. "My punishment for you."

He frowned at her.

She kissed him, then pulled back. "But you still love me."

Sesshomaru growled quietly at her. "And you'll make it up by being my mate," Sesshomaru told her. "I'm not waiting any longer." He kissed her now.

She pulled back. "What if I don't want to right now?" she asked. "You won't force me."

Sesshomaru's eyes became soft. "I won't." He moved his face closer to hers. "Please?" he whispered.

She looked him in the eyes, and sighed. "I'm scared."

"You shouldn't be," he told her. "Because I assure you, I won't ever leave you, nor will I hurt you."

She nodded, and he kissed her again.

Flashback ends

"That's so cute," Kagome told her, smiling. "I never even knew, you didn't actually tell him yes until the day you mated."

Rin smiled. "I can't believe Inuyasha didn't tell you."

Kagome shrugged. "It was your business." She smiled at Rin. "I like how Sesshomaru told you though."

Rin smiled. "I didn't." She looked out the window. The sun was almost down. "Sesshomaru wants me back before sunset. I have to go," she told her.

Kagome nodded. "He doesn't want you going too far since he just got you back today."

Rin nodded, then hugged Kagome. "Don't be too hard on Inuyasha. He really loves you, and doesn't want anything to happen to you."

Kagome blushed, but sighed. "I'm still mad though." Her resolve was now gone. She was going to leave her window open, only because now that Kikyo was out, she knew he'd check up on her. Or watch her.

So she unlocked her window. She wasn't mad anymore. She went back to her homework after Rin left, and hours later, after she was keeping an eye on the window, looking for his sliver hair in the dark, she saw his hair, and pushed her chair away from her desk.

"Inuyasha, I know you're out there," she said, knowing he'd hear and walked over to the window and opened it.

He looked like he was about to jump down, ready to flee for being caught, not wanting her anymore mad at him.

"Wait," she said. "Can you come in here?" She looked at him and smiled.

Inuyasha looked at her, and she didn't look mad, so he climbed through her window. "Are you still mad?"

She shook her head. "No. I actually miss you." She hugged him. "Sorry I flipped on you."

"Heh," he said. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "You were upset." He wanted to kiss her, but not sure if he should.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did though," she told him. She rested her head on his shoulder, and then he rested his head on hers.

"I should have told you about Kikyo," he told her. "I won't let her get to you, you know. You don't have to be afraid." He held her closer for emphasis.

"I know," she stated.

"I'll stay with you tonight, if you want," he told her. He would, just to protect her, and just to keep her close. But only if she wanted him.

Kagome nodded. "Okay," she said. She looked up and kissed him lightly. "You'll stop the nightmares I'm going to have." She smiled. "And help me relax."

He nodded. "When was the last time you slept well?" he asked, she looked really tired, and he picked her up bridal style and dumped her on the bed.

"A couple of days," she told him, yawning.

Inuyasha laid down next to her, and pulled her against him. She buried her face into his chest and smiled, snuggling into his arms. He was so warm and comfortable and safe. She immediately fell asleep.

Inuyasha smiled as he heard her breathing slow and even out, then tightened his grip on her. He missed her so much, not being able to kiss her or hold her like this for a while. It made him sad. She was his mate, after all, and he always wanted to be with her.

He fell asleep breathing in her scent.

****Author's note: YAY! I'm posting this on the same day I started it! Go me! Lol, and I posted the chapter to Repeating the Past. So happy, my friends. My muse, Drama Kagome suggested that I write more on Rin and Sesshomaru, since I'm involving them more in the conflict this time. So go thank her! Lol, thanks for reading and please review!