A/N:

Rin's Age: 18

Sesshoumaru's age: 900 in human terms; 22 in demon terms

'Italics' -- Thoughts

'Bold'-- Conscience

CAPITAL WORDS -- Emphasis

Oh howdy peeps! Sorry it took me long to update. I've been really busy with school stuffs and tests. So sorry ok! Anyways this is chapter ten for you. I guess all of you out there are really anxious to know if Sesshy tells Rin that he doesn't love her. Well I shan't say anything now. Read for yourselves and you will find out. Oh and by the way please review this chapter. I was really so sad for the last chapter. I only got little responses and from the same people. Cries I hope to get more responses this time ne! Ok go ahead and read!

Disclaimers: What do you think? Duh! I don't own Inuyasha!

Chapter Ten:

Breakfast was silent. Neither Rin nor Yukiko made an effort to talk. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Yukiko was thinking back about the incident which happened less than an hour ago. Rin, on the other hand, was thinking on why her lord insisted of meeting her. She was getting nervous as breakfast was coming to an end.

Yukiko took a quick glance at Rin when nervousness radiated from her body. "Rin-chan are you alright?", she inquired with concern, breaking through her thoughts.

"I'm fine. I'm just wondering…why Sesshoumaru-sama wants to see me", Rin whispered filled with anxiety.

"Oh I see", she stated and then smiled at her. "Don't worry, I bet he wants to see you for something". 'Now that Rin mentioned, I wonder why Sesshoumaru-sama wants to see Rin', she thought for a moment before she got up and cleared the table.

Rin was still sitting at the dining table, now all alone. She was still wondering about the meeting. 'Get your ass off the damn chair and meet him. Then you'll know the reason', she told herself. Honestly, she didn't want to meet her lord…yet. She wasn't even ready to face him just now even when Yukiko was in presence. How in seven hells was she going to meet him now all alone to add on with!

She sighed heavily and dreadfully got up from her seat, slowly dragging herself to meet Sesshoumaru. She took each step slowly buying time. Rin prayed that Sesshoumaru would call off the meeting. 'Who am I kidding? We are talking about Sesshoumaru-sama here'. She knew that once Sesshoumaru decides on something he will never change his mind.

Now standing outside his chamber, Rin took a deep breath. Before she could knock the door, a deadpan voice was heard.

"You don't have to knock. Just enter Rin", Sesshoumaru invited her in.

Rin entered the room timidly and kept staring on the marble tiled floor as if she found something interesting on the ground. "You said you wanted to meet me milord? Is there any purpose of this meeting Sesshoumaru-sama?", she whispered anxiously.

Sesshoumaru, keeping his back to his ward, was looking down at his lands from the window of his chamber. He knew that her scent would be his doing and that he shouldn't meet up with her when she was still in heat. However he had to clear things with her before it was too late. He had to tell her that there was nothing between both of them except for a ward and a warlord relationship.

"Yes", he answered still contemplating his lands. He kept reminding himself not to breathe through his nose but through his mouth instead. He whipped around facing her. He took in a swift intake of air through his mouth and started to speak, keeping his voice calm. "About last night", was all he said.

Rin snapped her head up hearing this. "A…about last night m...milord?", she croaked. "What…what about last night mi…milord?", she asked, her voice shivering now.

"I behaved indecently last night. I shall apologise to you for that", her lord said in a monotonous tone before pausing. 'This is harder than I thought', he thought. He turned away from her and then continued. "I wasn't aware that you harbour feelings for me until last night. However this Sesshoumaru is sad to say that he doesn't feel the same for you Rin", he said without revealing any of his emotions.

Rin started shaking violently hearing his confession. 'He doesn't love me…'. She shut her eyes tightly pushing her tears back that were collected in her eyes. "Then…then the kiss was nothing…but lust, is that right Sesshoumaru-sama?", she whispered inaudibly.

If it weren't for his youkai senses, he wouldn't have heard what she said. However he wished that he hadn't heard what she said. His heart constricted when he heard so much pain and sorrow in her voice. It hurt him a lot seeing his Rin like this. He wanted to take back his words… but he couldn't. His pride was on his way. If only he could push his damn pride aside.

Sesshoumaru did not answer her question. He just stood still. That was when he heard Rin broke down. She was crying so much that the scent of her tears overpowered the scent of her heat.

"So…so it's lust then…because of my scent right?", she asked again with disgust this time.

"Yes", was all the Taiyoukai said.

"Why can't you love me milord?", she asked in between her sobs.

"Do not be foolish Rin! This Sesshoumaru will not love a human! You are just a pathetic human!", he bellowed at her with so much scorn. He had lost his senses when his ward asked him that damn question. How dare she desire for him to return her feelings!

However he regretted what he said when he sensed Rin feeling ashamed. Besides, Rin was not a pathetic human.

Rin closed her eyes for a moment and then opened, taking a glimpse of her lord. She couldn't face him now. She was ashamed to. The next moment she knew, she sprinted back to her chamber crying all the way.

Sesshoumaru just stood where he was. He didn't move a single inch even after Rin left. Though he looked expressionless on the outside, thousands of emotions were swirling on the inside, especially guilt and hurt. Somehow, when he told her that he didn't love her, he felt as if a part of him was lost. As if his heart was ripped apart. When he heard Rin crying, he felt as if someone was having a death grip on his heart that he couldn't breathe.

However he couldn't help it. He couldn't accept the fact that he was in love with a human. His PRIDE wouldn't let him to. Sesshoumaru staggered his way to his bed. He plopped down on his bed, his hand cradling his head. 'Oh Kami-sama… What have I done?', he asked himself.

'You have just hurt the woman you love Sesshoumaru. I really didn't expect you to tell her that you don't have any feelings for her', his conscience stated disappointedly.

'Go away for now…Leave me alone. I am not in the mood to debate with you'.

'I won't! What the hell is wrong with you! She loves you dearly and yet you spurn her!'

'I will not love a human! They are despicable creatures!', Sesshoumaru said with disdain.

'So if she was a demon you would have loved her? I see… I guess if she was a demon, she wouldn't be half the woman she is now as a human! She is much better than ANY other demons!', he retorted in triumph.

Sesshoumaru couldn't say anything. He was wordless. He knew whatever his conscious said was right. He wouldn't have been in love with her if she was a demon. He loved her for the way she was…but his pride wouldn't let him love her freely.

Sesshoumaru plunged his fist onto the mattress and grasped hold of the bedspread out of frustration. He didn't know what to do. He was in a serious dilemma. He wanted her but also could not desire for her. He didn't want to hurt her but he had to. And… he loved her but he couldn't. What was he supposed to do?

'I can't love her. This Sesshoumaru did the right thing. I will end up like chichi-ue if I fall for a mortal', he convinced himself. Somehow he felt better knowing this. However there was another part of him which objected to this, feeling pain and loss. He pushed those feelings away and collected himself together.

Sesshoumaru stood upright and strode to his study table. He did the right thing by rejecting Rin's love. He deserved someone of better status than her, a human. Sitting on his chair, he took several scrolls and read, taking his mind of Rin.

Rin closed the door shut and leaned against it. She took in deep breaths to calm her breathing. Just sliding down to her knees she started sobbing terribly. She couldn't believe that her lord kissed her out of lust. She knew she was in heat and she might have turned him on. However she believed that her lord wasn't the type of demon who lusted for females no matter how alluring the scent might be. All the day, even after the chat with Yukiko she had thought that Sesshoumaru was in love with her.

But she was wrong.

'Why can't he love me! Why can't he accept me!', she thought painfully.

'He loves you Rin. I know it! He just denying his feelings for you', her conscience comforted her.

'It's your entire fault! I told you he wouldn't accept me! I told you he hates me for I am a human!'.

'Yes he wouldn't accept you! But he loves you Rin! You know it yourself!'.

'No he doesn't love me… he said it himself. He doesn't feel the same way I feel for him!'

'He does Rin! The kiss meant something to him! You said it yourself. He is not the demon who lust for females even if it is due to the scent of heat of a female! And if he really lusted for you he would have taken you there and then. But he didn't because he didn't want to hurt you! Doesn't that ring a bell to you!', her conscience yelled back at her.

'…', Rin was speechless. She didn't know what to say. In fact she had to agree with her conscience for once. Immediately she ceased crying.

'And I don't believe only your scent made him kiss you. He must have more control than that over himself! I believe he wanted that kiss as much as you for a long time! Your scent was his doing causing him to explode! AND he apologized to you because he was guilty of his act! He wouldn't want to apologize to you if he doesn't love you Rin even if he was guilty!'.

Rin pondered on what her conscience had said. All of it was true. Why would Sesshoumaru apologize to her if he didn't love her? Even if she was guilty, why would he apologize to her? In fact he apologized to her before she could confess her feelings. Was he afraid that she might disapprove?

Rin was now really very confused. Thousands of questions were twirling in her head. And the worst thing was she didn't know the answers for all these questions.

"I have to tell Yukiko and ask her the answers of my questions", she whispered to herself, finally coming to a decision.

OK OK! That's the end of chapter ten. Finally you've gotten yours answers. Well what are you waiting for! Review now! Write about what you think about this chapter! Yeah! Oh anyways thanks to the people who reviewed my last chapter. Thanks a lot! Hope to get more responses this week. These are the people who reviewed last week:

Prospect

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Sesshy luva

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