AN: Thank you for your reviews and apologies for the delay in updating.
The cliff hanger towards the end of the last chapter wasn't intentional - honestly! It just worked out quite well and I wanted to start the next part of their relationship in a new chapter.
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XIII
Sunlight crept into the room and fell over Rin's face. Murmuring sleepily to herself, she rolled over and turned her back on the warm sunlight. She was far too warm and comfortable to even contemplate getting out of bed. Sighing contentedly, she snuggled further beneath the covers as she smiled to herself.
A quiet laugh caused her eyes to snap open in surprise. The low masculine pitch of the laugh sent a shiver down her spine and she froze in place as she took in her surroundings. Her bed sheets were not navy blue nor were they of such obvious good quality. Recalling her brazen declaration the night before, she gulped and slowly raised her eyes from where she had been staring intently at her hands.
Her gaze moved to an obviously male body clad in a black shirt that her hands clung to like a life line. She tried desperately to ignore the muscles the she could feel beneath the shirt as she slowly raised her eyes to meet Sesshoumaru's intense amber eyes. Rin felt suddenly breathless as she came face to face with yet another side of this man that she had not expected.
Sesshoumaru lay on his side beside her, head propped up on one hand and regarded her with an amused expression. His long silver hair hung loosely over his shoulders, slightly tousled. Biting her lip nervously, Rin realised that she was intimately pressed against him. Not quite sure where to go or what to say from that point, she mustered her courage and smiled slightly as she tried to ignore the blush that dusted her cheeks.
'So you like to cuddle in your sleep?' Sesshoumaru asked, a slight smile tugging the corner of his mouth as he looked at her.
Rin's blush deepened and she dropped her gaze. 'It seems so.'
Her mind drifting back to the evening before, Rin recalled how she had fallen asleep in the car on the way back from Inutaisho and Izayoi's home. She vaguely remembered Sesshoumaru waking her up and guiding her up to his apartment, but the details were sketchy at best. Glancing down at herself, she discovered that she was clothed in a very large shirt that obviously belonged to Sesshoumaru. Quite how she came to be dressed in the shirt was a mystery that she decided she wasn't going to look into in any great depth until she had recovered from the shock of waking up face to face with the man who had just yesterday been her employer.
If she was totally honest with herself, it wasn't a bad way to wake up. His free hand rested on her hip, gently but firmly holding her in place. They lay so close together that she could feel her chest brush his with each breath which made her heart race.
'Is it not a bit too early in the day for such a serious expression?' Sesshoumaru asked, rolling onto his back and stifling a yawn before glancing at her.
Rin couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. 'I was just trying to remember the details of how I came to be dressed in your shirt. If I'm not mistaken, it's the one you wore yesterday.'
Raising his eyebrows in a rare show of surprise, Sesshoumaru rolled back onto his side and looked at Rin intently before plucking at the front of the shirt. 'How could you possibly know it's the one I wore yesterday?'
'It smells of your cologne and there's an ink smudge of the cuff.'
Smirking at her observation, Sesshoumaru pulled her against his chest and gently ran a hand up her back. She shivered slightly and pressed herself closer. Sesshoumaru was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that the woman he had been secretly admiring for the past few months was lying beside him and looked quite content as she snuggled closer. It was surreal, but he was going to take full advantage of the situation.
Leaning towards her, Sesshoumaru nuzzled her neck gently and smirked as she shivered again. She didn't move away and relaxed after a moment. Taking that as permission to continue, he trailed his hand back down her side to rest on her hp. Much as he wanted to rip the covers away and run his hands all over her glorious body, Sesshoumaru knew that he had to bide his time. Rin never did anything in a hurry and she most certainly would not appreciate anything at the moment being hurried.
Sighing softly, Rin reached up and wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's shoulders when he paused. She knew that it wouldn't be wise to rush into intimate situations with this man, but she couldn't help it. Especially when his hand slipped beneath the hem of her shirt and started to drift upwards. Rin was well aware that Sesshoumaru was trying to ensure she felt at ease with the situation and as grateful as she was for his consideration, at that moment she wanted nothing more than to tell him to pick up the pace.
Taking a deep breath for courage, Rin leaned towards Sesshoumaru and brushed her lips gently against his cheek. He stiffened briefly before seeming to take the hint and taking her lips with his own. Unable to help herself, Rin smiled and pressed herself as close as possible as she lost herself in the moment.
Rolling onto his back, Sesshoumaru pulled Rin with him and slid his hands up her sides as she lay sprawled across his chest. Breaking their kiss to gasp for air, Rin smiled as she looked down at the man who lay beneath her. There was a faint pink tint to his usually pale complexion and she felt a rush of pride that it had been her that caused him that reaction. She shifted slightly and sat upright, allowing him to manoeuvre her so that she straddled his slim hips.
The urge to grin was almost overwhelming, but Sesshoumaru managed to contain it. Instead, he ran his hands up her sides again and urged her to lean towards him. Her lips were plump and tempting and he was desperate to taste them again, but his hopes were dashed the next moment as Rin froze in place.
'What is the meaning of this? Just what do you think you're doing, Sesshoumaru?' a harsh female voice broke through the silence, startling the bed's occupants.
Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly and saw a tall woman standing in his bedroom doorway, her arms crossed and a look of anger on her face. Sighing to himself, he wrapped his arms around Rin's waist and pushed himself up against the pillows. Ensuring that Rin was comfortably seated on his lap and that there was no chance of her escaping the circle of his arms, he turned towards the door and gave the woman a glare that had sent many running.
'I was enjoying my morning,' Sesshoumaru replied coldly, eyeing the woman with barely concealed distaste. 'Now that you have successfully ruined my chances of enjoying the morning further, would you care to explain why you are in my apartment? Perhaps you could also explain how you managed to get in?'
The tension in the room was thick but Rin wanted nothing more than to disappear. Almost as though he sensed her distress, Sesshoumaru gave her a brief squeeze and Rin sighed softly. There was no way he was going to let her go now and honestly, she didn't want to try and escape past the ferocious woman in the doorway. Deciding to make the best of the situation and enjoy his embrace, Rin leaned her head against his shoulder and forced herself to relax. She was rewarded with another squeeze.
'None of that is important,' the unknown woman said airily, waving a and dismissively. 'Who is this woman and where is Kagura?'
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. 'This woman is my fiancée and I wouldn't have the faintest idea where Kagura is.'
'Your fiancée?! When did this happen?'
'Yesterday. If you are not here to congratulate us, Mother, I suggest you leave.'
Rin froze in place as she stared at the woman in the doorway. She couldn't have sworn that her heart stopped in shock. The woman in the doorway was every inch an aristocrat, but she was nothing like Sesshoumaru in either looks or personality.
'Why on earth would I congratulate you?' the older woman demanded, her gaze becoming positively glacial as she stared hard at Rin. 'You know very well that I had intended for you to marry Kagura.'
Sesshoumaru shrugged a shoulder. 'You know very well that that was never going to happen.'
'Your father has a lot to answer for. When I find him...'
'You will moan and complain as normal but you won't touch him,' Sesshoumaru stated expressionlessly. 'Your threats are hollow, Mother. I suggest you leave.'
'Let me guess, he approves of this?'
'What difference would it make if he didn't? Do you really think that would have any impact on my decisions?'
The verbal battle continued and Rin could do nothing more than sit quietly, waiting for them to finish their argument. Her mind was still reeling from the news that this woman was Sesshoumaru's mother and although she felt that she probably should be offended by the fact that the woman clearly disapproved of her, she couldn't bring herself to feel anything other than vague amusement at the situation.
Sighing to herself, she made herself comfortable against Sesshoumaru and decided to observe her future husband. She had never really thought to ask why he never spoke of his mother, but it was painfully obvious now. It was strange to see Sesshoumaru so vocal, but he spoke in such a cold uncaring voice that Rin decided she would much prefer him to be quiet than speak to her like that. She didn't suppose he ever would speak to her in that tone of voice, but it wasn't pleasant to listen to even if it wasn't directed at herself.
Rin was pulled from her thoughts when she felt Sesshoumaru shift her to one side. She found herself gently deposited on the bed and watched with a frown as Sesshoumaru rose to his feet and approached his mother. He had reached the limit of his endurance and escorted her out of the room, presumably to the front door. Shaking her head slightly, Rin made herself comfortable on the bed and waited to see what Sesshoumaru would do next. Their intimate moment this morning was now ruined, but the memory of it made her smile. It was a step in the right direction.
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'I can't believe that woman!' Inutaisho exclaimed, his face a picture of outrage as he listened to the story later that day.
'Yes, you can, dear. You know exactly what she's like,' Izayoi commented calmly, refilling everyone's cups with fresh tea. She smiled at Rin and patted her shoulder. 'Don't you worry about her. We love you and couldn't be happier that you are the one Sesshoumaru is marrying.'
Inutaisho nodded in agreement. 'Exactly. Ignore the old witch. She's just trying make everyone else miserable because her marriage fell apart.'
'Is that why she decided to try and make herself part of my life again after all these years?' Sesshoumaru asked in a voice that suggested he was bored with the conversation.
'She's going through divorce proceedings at the moment, or so I hear,' Inutaisho commented with a shrug. 'Either way, it doesn't matter. You're going to marry Rin and that's the end of it. She will do anything to get her way though, so just be careful.'
Rin paused in the act of picking up her cup of tea as she heard Inutaisho's warning. The conversation continued around her as though the warning had never been voiced, but she felt a sudden apprehension. Picking up her cup, she sipped the hot drink as she thought over the situation.
She had never thought that Sesshoumaru's parents might have had different plans for him or that they might have had a preference for his wife. Glancing across the table, Inutaisho was deep in conversation with Sesshoumaru and Rin wondered what he really thought of her engagement to his son. He had openly encouraged her when she had admitted her intention to accept Sesshoumaru's proposal, but she was also aware that he was polite almost to a fault. If he didn't approve of her, would he have said anything?
'Come with me, Rin,' Izayoi said after a little while, getting to her feet and smiling at the younger woman. 'Let's leave these two to talk business.'
Sesshoumaru squeezed her hand in encouragement and Rin smiled slightly as she got to her feet. After giving him one more look over her shoulder, she followed her future mother-in-law out of the sitting room and into the library further down the corridor. Izayoi gestured for Rin to sit down on one of the enormous armchairs that sat beside the windows while she disappeared towards a row of shelves.
'Don't start questioning yourself,' Izayoi commented, her voice slightly muffled as she moved behind another row of shelves. 'That woman is a nasty piece of work. I have firsthand experience of it. She doesn't like not getting her own way and unfortunately for her, she only realised that after she had married Inutaisho.'
Rin remained silent, not sure what to say to that. What sort of reaction were you supposed to have when your future mother-in-law spoke of her husband's first wife? Deciding that it was best to remain silent, Rin shifted slightly in her chair and watched as Izayoi emerged from behind a shelf with a large book in her hands. The older woman smiled happily and sat down on the sofa in front of the window. Patting the seat beside her, she waited for Rin to join her before she spoke again.
'Sesshoumaru was seven years old when his parents divorced,' Izayoi said quietly and opened the book that Rin soon realised was a photo album. 'It was a long battle and the poor boy was passed between his parents regularly. His mother had found another man who easily let her have her way and since he was also wealthy, she had nothing to lose by divorcing Inutaisho and marrying him instead.'
'I take it that Inutaisho didn't often let her have her own way?' Rin asked, looking at a photograph of an unsmiling Sesshoumaru aged about ten.
Izayoi shrugged. 'Inutaisho is a very kind man but he doesn't tolerate any nonsense. Sesshoumaru's mother wanted all of the best things and wanted to go to all of the places where she could flaunt those things. Inutaisho had no interest in that. He worked hard to earn his money and he refused to spend it on useless material goods. Needless to say, that was where they clashed.'
Izayoi paused and followed Rin's gaze to the photograph. She smiled slightly and turned the page to reveal a photograph of herself and Inutaisho on their wedding day. Sesshoumaru was still aged about ten in the photograph and stood beside his father, his face marred by a scowl as he looked away from the camera.
'She was so angry when she realised that Inutaisho and I were going to get married,' Izayoi murmured with a vague smile. 'She called me every name under the sun and told everyone that it was my fault that they had divorced. Apparently Inutaisho had been having an affair with me whilst still married to her. It was all nonsense, of course.'
Rin laughed quietly and sat back in her seat. 'Surely anyone who knew you both would know that it was lies? Neither of you strike me as the type of person who would do such a thing.'
Izayoi shrugged and smiled. 'It made sense to her, somehow. Anyway, once she got married she decided that Sesshoumaru was a responsibility that she didn't want. She wasn't ever a particularly loving mother, but that was just one step too far. The plan was to send Sesshoumaru off to live with her mother or some other relative, but I refused to allow that. Inutaisho and I managed to get custody of Sesshoumaru and he stayed with us'
'He's very lucky to have a step-mother like you,' Rin murmured thoughtfully before smiling at Izayoi. 'You're an amazing woman. I can see now why he cares so much about you.'
'It took a long time for him to see me as anything other than his father's second wife, but we got there in the end. He and Inuyasha fought so much as children that it was a nightmare sometimes, but despite their teasing and sometimes harsh words, they're actually very close.'
The pair sat in silence for a long while as they looked through the photographs. Rin smiled as she thought about the love that these family members had for each other. It was ridiculous to think that this woman could waltz into their lives and thing she had a say in what happened.
'The point of all this was just to tell you that Sesshoumaru will always side with you,' Izayoi said with a smile, closing the album and taking Rin's hand. 'His mother appears every so often and tries to tell him what to do, that she knows what's best. It always causes a bit of ill feeling, but her plans never work. Whatever she had tried to do this time hasn't worked so far and Sesshoumaru won't let her do anything to you.'
Rin smiled. 'I know he wouldn't, but it's hard not to be a little bit uneasy about it all.'
'Of course, that's understandable. Just remember that Sesshoumaru chose you and he doesn't let go of things he cares about without a fight.'