RIN'S SECRET.
Rin had noticed something had changed between her Lady and Lord.
She wasn't sure as to what had caused it or why, but she was happy for it.
The girl had noticed at the very start of their travels, all those months ago, how the two would watch one another when the other was not looking.
Sesshomaru-sama was always following the Lady Akane with his eyes, and always making sure she never caught him at it.
The Lady Akane likewise always had her eyes on Sesshomaru-sama, but she didn't seem to mind all that much when he caught her doing so.
But now the two looked at each other at the same time, for a long time.
Rin would awake in the middle of the night in the past to see Lady Akane asleep and Sesshomaru-sama not that far from her, watching silently with the strangest look in his eyes.
Lately, the girl had seen them sleeping together, and it was adorable.
Also, when alone with Lady Akane, the older girl could not even seem to say the man's name without a blush coming to her face, and a shine to come into her eyes.
Sesshomaru-sama now called the girl his every time he used her name.
Laying a claim to her.
Rin had watched the relationship grow between them slowly at first.
But something had happened that had caused this drastic and fast change.
It was odd, somewhat, how long it had taken for the two to realize they liked each other when it was so obvious to Rin herself, and she was far younger.
Jaken-sama still seemed to be in denial about the whole thing.
He went on and on about how the Lady Akane had done something, some kind of magic or SOMETHING in order to get his Lord to act the way he was.
He just could not seem to except the fact that a yokai and a human, not to mention SESSHOMARU and a human, could possibly get along.
The imp could not even say the words 'In love', and it was funny to hear all the other words he used instead.
Now however, something else had happened that Rin could not place.
The tension was a different kind then before, and the girl didn't have to wonder just what the two were doing on their evening walks alone.
Rin was young, but she had seen and heard things in the village she had once lived in when she was alone.
Adults did not pay attention to her unless she was stealing food.
Men took girls and did adult things in the stables, stables she had to pass to get to her home.
Rin was more then positive that it was adult things that those two had been up to lately.
The fact that when they returned late into the evening, both were tired, but it was a good tired, made it clear.
This evening in particular, Rin could not keep the smile off her face as the two walked out of sight.
Sesshomaru-sama had his arm around Lady Akane, and she was leaning into him in a way that was sweet.
"What on earth are you smiling about over there?" Jaken asked from his spot by the fire.
This night, camp was in the woods.
There were both firewood and a small patch of berry bushes so close that they didn't even have to leave the light of the fire to get them.
Sesshomaru-sama had chosen a great spot this time.
The two of them sat by the small fire.
It was a warm night, the fire more for light then anything.
"Oh, nothing." Rin continued to smile as she pulled over Lady Akane's pack and began to rummage thru it.
Jaken eyed her curiously, his little arms crossed.
"Hmm... Liar."
Rin glanced up at him, her smile turning into a grin.
How could Jaken-sama be so blind?
How old was he anyways?
Jaken-sama HAD to see what was going on, right?
"That does it," He snapped and pointed at her with a long green finger.
"WHAT are you so happy about?"
She tried to ignore him, going thru the pack until finding her desired item.
Pokemon were calling her name.
But the moment she pulled the DS out, the imp leaned over and snatched it from her hands.
"Heeeeey!" She whined, reaching for it, but he kept moving his hands.
Rin was taller, could get it from the creature if she REALLY wanted too.
But it was fun to toy with him.
So she stopped and instead reached inside the pack for something else.
"Just spit it out already." Jaken snapped while watching her.
Rin then pulled out a book.
One that Lady Akane had been letting the imp read when he wanted to.
His eyes went wide as she waved it back and forth.
"Give it." She nodded at the DS.
Those eerie eyes turned to slits as he glared over at her.
But Rin had grown used to his looks at this point, and was unfazed.
"You nasty little thing." He humphed at her and tossed the DS, which Rin caught in a panic, not wanting to break the device that must have cost the Lady Akane much to get.
"Your the one who started it!" She said while sticking her tongue out.
He snorted at her, and she handed the book over to him, which he held onto very tightly.
Jaken-sama must secretly like that book very much, she thought with a small smile.
It must make Lady Akane happy to have found something for him that he actually likes.
Goodness knows, she had tried and tried with other things before he seemed to settle on the book.
"Come on girl, out with it." He said once more, full of stubborn attitude.
The two stared at each other.
It was like having a little brother and a big brother all in one, and it was super annoying sometimes.
Rin knew if she said what she was thinking that the imp would fly off into one of his panic filled rants.
But it looked as if he might just do that anyway, but for another reason.
So rather then get lectured for keeping secrets, she blurted it out.
"Rin is just thinking that any day now, the Lady Akane might be pregnant."
There was a pause.
Rin went pink, and watched as Jaken's face went from blank to redish green and filled with horror and something she could not figure out.
"YOU WHAT?!" He squawked.
The girl began to figit, and ended up tugging on her hair as she looked at the ground, still blushing.
"Then Rin would be a big sister..." She could not help but whisper.
At that, the imp stood up, dropping the now forgotten book as he did so.
Rin looked back to him with a frown.
Clearly he was upset.
As to why, she didn't know and wasn't sure she could figure out.
Did he really not want the two of them together? He seemed to have become somewhat attached to Lady Akane, so that could not be the case.
Goodness, would Rin ever be able to fully understand Jaken-sama?
"He does not even want others to find out about her, so he most certainly will NOT be having any offspring with that woman..."
But as he said this, Rin could hear the fact he didn't truly believe his words as much as he used to.
Yes, at first Sesshomaru-sama made sure any contact was in private.
Not anymore.
It did not matter the time of day, or how open they were to spying eyes.
He touched, and kissed, Lady Akane.
"Come ON Jaken-sama! They have been together, very much together, for some time now. How is it not possible for a child to be on the way? Rin would like very much to be a sister."
Again, the imp looked at her like she was some kind of crazy.
"And even if this were to happen, tell me, just HOW would that make YOU the offspring"s sister?" He snapped.
Rin blinked.
Her blush became deeper.
So did his frown as he stared at her.
It was true, she was not related by blood to Sesshomaru-sama or the Lady Akane by any means.
But deep down, deep deep down, in the girls heart she had the desire to be a part of a family again.
"If you think that Sesshomaru-sama will adopt you as his kin, you are even more crazy then I thought. Who knows as to why he lets you tag along, you or that woman, all you both do is slow him down and waist time..."
Jaken paused in his rant.
Having caught the tears forming in the young girls eyes.
Tears which Rin wiped away before they could fully form.
Yes. She had hoped that.
In truth, when first joining them, she had seen Sesshomaru-sama as almost an older brother.
But soon he took on the role of father in her heart.
And the Lady Akane had so easily taken the role of a mother.
Treated Rin like a daughter...
So yes, they had become her family.
She wished sooo badly to call them by the names she used in her head, when she allowed herself to forget that she was not really their child.
Rin had dreams, day fantasies, in which they were family by blood.
If they had a child together, would it not help make her dream more real?
"Hey, uh, I only meant that- What I mean is that I was just trying to- Oh never mind okay?." Jaken said, and a rare look of apology on his face.
She knew he meant well.
Didn't want her to get her hopes up.
It was why he had done such things with Lady Akane at the start.
She was sure he did them to her even now out of habit.
But still, it was sad to have one of her few surviving dreams broken.
To know she could never call them by the names she thought they deserved, because they might not want to.
"Stop crying already!" Jaken half yelled and half pleaded suddenly, making her aware of the fact those tears had come back full force.
"Sorry..." Rin mumbled as she began to once again rub at her eyes.
Just then, a deep angry voice filled the air, making them all jump.
"WHAT HAS JAKEN SAID NOW?!"
Both Rin and the imp looked over their shoulders to see that the two had returned from their alone time.
And Sesshomaru-sama looked almost furious at the fact Rin was crying.
"I d-didn't mean-" Jaken stammered as his lord marched over, claws twitching in a dangerous way.
"It's fine, Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin waved her hands like crazy as she jolted in front of Jaken, as if she could protect the imp from his wrath.
Sesshomaru stared down at the child with a confused look on his face at her actions, that mixed with annoyance at her sudden interference.
And having never seen such a look directed at her made Rin nervous.
Akane was there in a blink.
Standing between the Yokai Lord and the two small ones.
All she did was cross her arms and glare up at the man to get him to back down and take a breath.
Rin was always amazed by that.
The blonde girl turned and gave them both a reassuring smile before she crouched down and wiped away the remains of Rin's tears.
"You okay sweety?" Akane asked.
Silently, Rin nodded.
Wanting so bad to hug the other girl.
Even Jaken was inching closer to the Lady Akane for further protection.
Sesshomaru-sama may have backed off, but he was still growling, she could tell he was anything but calm.
"Okay people," Akane said as she stood up, spreading her arms to keep the man away from them.
"What's going on here?" And she looked at Jaken when she said it.
Rin felt horrid for getting him in trouble like this. She shouldn't have cried over something so stupid.
"Jaken-sama didn't do anything. He was reading the book and Rin was just thinking some stuff by herself..."
Jaken's head swung her way so fast she heard his neck pop.
Mouth open in shock, the imp seemed close to tears of his own in gratitude.
Sesshomaru did not seem to buy it as he scoffed at her, and gave a look that made it hard to keep up the lie.
"The imp was about to confess, why cover for him if he hurt you?" He said as he continued to stare at her.
For some reason, his stare was making her shiver. She had never feared her lord before, but then again she had never lied to him either.
Lady Akane seemed to notice the effect, and maybe sensed her reason to lie was a good one, for she turned to her man and said one word.
"Necklace."
Rin blinked.
Necklace?
Whatever that meant, it had an effect on Sesshomaru-sama, who got a sudden look of worry as he stared at his woman with wide eyes.
"This one is not doing anything-"
"Can't you tell your frightening her? Tone down the death stare, my love."
He blinked in surprise.
Glancing at Rin with guilty eyes, he clearly had not meant to do that.
She knew he didn't want her to fear him, her or Lady Akane.
And seeing him look at her like that was hard, she wanted to say sorry, even though she didn't know why.
With a deep sigh, the man ran a hand thru his hair and took a step back, giving a nodd to Lady Akane in a sign that she could handle it and he would do his best to stay out.
If that was not a concerned parent type behavior, Rin wasn't sure what was, and it made her heart ache.
They both acted like her parents most of the time, so why could they not be?
Life wasn't fare...
"Rin, sweety," Akane said, getting the girls attention out of her own thoughts.
Akane then sat on the ground by her side, stroking her dark hair.
Jaken was still standing close, still in shock of Rin lying on his behalf.
"Rin, I want you to tell me what kind of things were making you cry. It might help to get them out, to tell someone."
Rin gulped.
Slowly, she sat next to Lady Akane.
The girl could not look away from those light blue eyes.
Lady Akane was lovely, and kind, and smart, and could hold back a powerful yokai with just a look.
She was a lady and a warrior.
Rin wanted to be just like her.
"Rin was just thinking about how she lost her first family. And was also thinking about how all of you..." She could not seem to finish.
The words got caught on the way out, as if her tongue didn't want them let loose, didn't want to risk finding out that both Jaken, and her own mind, were right about them never being a proper family.
Terrified that they didn't want to be.
Didn't want her to be in it.
Rin didn't want to hear Lady Akane say she was to young to be a mother, or to hear Sesshomaru-sama laugh at the idea of a human child as his own.
She COULDN'T hear it.
So lost in her fears and thoughts, Rin did not notice Sesshomaru sitting by her side until his hand was on her face, making her jolt.
His warm palm cupping her chin and making her face him.
She had never seen his eyes look so worried, or so tender, when it came to her at least.
This was a look for Lady Akane.
One Rin had known from the start.
She wanted to believe he could love her too, like a daughter.
She thought she seen it.
It was there now, in his eyes.
Between that, and the way Lady Akane kept petting her hair, the way Jaken was looking ever so guilty...
She broke.
Crying all over again as her lord wiped the tears away, she said it.
"Rin wants to be a part of your family."
She watched as his golden eyes grew wide in surprise, his hand pausing on her cheek as he looked down at her.
He seemed almost frozen.
Rin didn't know how to take that.
With a hiccup, she turned to see that Lady Akane was smiling at her.
"Oh sweety, what are you even talking about? Haven't we been a family?"
"W-well, the two of you-"
Rin stopped when her lord removed his hand from her face.
She turned back to him, and seen he was looking at her very seriously.
"Are you not a part of our family?" He asked suddenly.
Rin slowed in her crying, and just blinked up at him.
"Have you not been with us this entire time? Have we not taken care of you?"
If Rin didn't know better, she would think she had hurt his feelings...
"YOU are my family." The man stated as if it were not obvious.
Her eyes went wide, heart skipped for more then a beat at his words.
Sesshomaru-sama had looked her right in the eyes when he said that.
It was a fact now.
Like his love for Lady Akane.
When he said something, it was true, a fact, for he was not a man to lie and rarely spoke as it was.
"Rin is?" She said, still not believing that this wasn't some kind of dream.
"Have I not made it clear?" He nearly snapped at her, clearly bothered by her disbelief in what he said.
Akane cleared her throat and spoke up at that part.
"Sesshy-baby, sometimes it takes more then actions. Rin is still young, so I can see why she has doubts..."
Rin watched him frown at Lady Akane as if he didn't understand.
Then he once more turned those serious eyes to her, making it hard to tell if he was mad or not.
"Is Rin not just a burden to you?" She let loose at last, the one thing that had always been a rock in her heart.
The glare he gave would have scared any other child her age.
And as it was, it was hard for Rin not to be a bit afraid by it.
"Foolish girl." He stated before using his one arm to embrace her.
Rin was a rock.
A statue.
A tree trunk.
Frozen.
She had never been hugged by a man since her blood father.
Never thought, even with the way he was with Lady Akane, that this yokai would EVER embrace her like this.
He had removed the armor on his chest before his walk with Lady Akane, so now Rin could feel his warmth, hear the way his heart was pounding so fast...
"Just as Akane is mine, so are you. You are a part of this pack, this family, because you are my little Rin." He said with a tone far softer then she had ever heard him use.
He did indeed sound like a father.
Unable to take it, she buried herself in his robes, hanging onto them like a lifeline as she now cried in happiness.
His claws ran thru her hair in a comforting way as she felt his chest move as he spoke again.
"Tell me, my Akane, do ALL girls cry no matter what they feel?" He asked.
Both Rin and Akane burst into a small fit of giggles at the helpless tone of voice he had when asking that.
And after a moment, Rin pulled away from him, sitting back and looking at them all with a small smile.
Rin didn't think she could be this happy, didn't think they would say such things to her.
"Feeling better now, sweety?" Akane asked while fixing the girls hair.
She nodded, glancing over to see that Jaken-sama had the oddest smile on his face. But then again, she was not sure she had ever seen him happy.
It looked like he might be.
And when he caught her eyes, the imp turned around to hide his face.
Rin smiled wide at the thought that maybe all this time, he too had thought of them as a family, but had not wanted to risk saying so...
Rin turned back to Lady Akane, and could not help but still be a bit nervous about what she wanted to ask of them next.
"My lady..." She paused and picked at the ground for a moment.
"Rin, sweety, you don't have to call me that anymore." Akane said, making the girl look up at her in shock.
"That's what this is realy about, right? In order to be a family, you should not be calling us 'Lord' and 'Lady'."
The girl blushed bright red as she nodded and glanced over at the one person she thought would be against what was coming.
Sesshomaru-sama had the cutest look she had EVER seen on his face the moment he seemed to catch onto just what they were talking about.
He just kept blinking and his face was an adorable shade of pink.
Lady Akane too, seemed to think it was a cute expression, for she moved close to him and kissed his cheek, snapping him out of his shock as he cleared his throat and looked away.
"Well, I don't know about Sesshy over here, but I would be honored to be called whatever name you decide to use for me. Even if it is just mine."
Akane smiled wide and moved to give Rin the tightest hug she had ever had.
When the girl was released, and while Akane looked at her to see her reaction, Rin seemed at a loss for words at this point.
Blinking at the older girl, unable to believe all this was happening.
"Is... Mama okay?" She tried.
Goodness it felt odd to actually be saying that word out loud again.
It had been so long.
Rin watched as Akane seemed to beam with pride.
Tears and a huge smile came to her face as she leaned over and kissed the top of Rin's head.
"It's perfect, sweety. Thank you."
Rin blinked.
She could not tell why she felt embarrast at this, but she was.
That and extremely happy all at one time, if that was possible.
She had been calling them these names in her head for a while, yet it felt so odd to say it at last.
Could she even face Sesshomaru-sama at this point?
Could she voice it to him without wanting to die of embarrasment?
Both she and Akane turned to the man, who seemed to still be in shock.
And as he noticed them looking, if Rin didn't know better he looked like he might nervous too.
"Well, Sesshy-baby, do you have a problem with her treating us like her parents?" Akane asked with a sly smile, like she was having fun.
Silently, he shook his head.
It was so unlike him.
Rin's heart was beating so fast.
"So she doesn't have to call you that title anymore?" Akane added.
Looking even more nervous, he once again shook his head, and he did not stop staring at Rin.
Why was he nervous?
Did he not want to be a parent?
Did this bother him?
Rin didn't want to make him.
Didn't think it possible to force him into something he didn't want.
As if seeing her worry, he swallowed and cleared the look off his face.
Once again using the blank expression he seemed to fall back on.
This had to be the longest time Rin had ever locked eyes with him...
She just didn't know what to do.
"Rin does not have to change what she calls you, Sesshomaru-sama." She said after a few moments.
Again, she seemed to have hurt him.
A tiny frown, and his eyes went a shade darker then normal.
My this was hard.
Rin didn't know what he wanted.
"Oh fuck it all, Sesshy, just SAY what your thinking!" Akane snapped.
Rin glanced over at her to see that both she and even Jaken had been watching the two of them very closely, and seemed to know what was going on in the man's mind.
Akane was grinning, and Jaken had a look of complete awe on his face.
Sesshomaru cleared his throat, catching Rin's attention once more.
He could not look at her it seemed, and kept glancing away.
"This one does not wish for you to use the word 'Sama' anymore..." He glanced at her again.
"This one would like it if, you were to be comfortable enough too..."
He appeared to be having the same problem Rin had felt before when her tongue was to afraid to let the words out of her mouth.
Was he worried she would reject him?
HIM, worried?
It was such a silly idea...
But maybe, at least, he needed help?
"Papa?" Rin whispered, touching his knee to get his attention.
That had not been needed.
The moment she had voiced it, he had looked right at her with wide eyes.
They both froze.
Her for having voiced it.
Him for never being called it.
Jaken hit dirt in a dead feint.
Akane could not stop grinning.
And then the kindest smile Rin had ever seen made it's way onto the man's face, making him even more handsome then she thought he was already.
"Again." He ordered, still smiling.
With a small blush, she repeated the word, and it was easier this time.
And at the sound, he closed his eyes.
"You may use that." He stated calmly.
"Rin can?" She gasped.
"What did this Sesshomaru just say?"
She giggled.
Not sure why.
But his annoyed tone was funny.
"Aaaaw, Sesshy my love, you are SOOO and totally blushing!" Akane joined in with Rin's fit of giggles.
"I most certainly am NOT!" He snapped, only making the blush go all the way to his pointed ears.
"Yes, you are." Rin grinned.
He gaped at her.
She hardly ever joined in on this kind of thing, but Rin felt so light and happy that she could not stop giggling.
And that fit of giggles continued on long after the man tried to get up and leave, only to be tackled back down by the both of them.
The poor man suffered his first of soon to be many group hugs.
Even Jaken's passed out body was pulled into the mess, and the imp woke up screaming for help only to find that his lord was in the same predicament as himself.
There was a struggled, a playful one, that ended with Sesshomaru on the bottom of a pile of people, Akane and Rin in the middle with Jaken sitting triumphantly on top.
"Oh my gosh," Akane burst out laughing suddenly.
"Do you guys know what this is called in my time?"
"A tower of pain?" Sesshomaru grumbled from the bottom.
"A mess of bodies?" Jaken added.
"A hug pile?" Rin piped up happily.
Akane grinned like a crazy person, making Rin once again giggle.
"It's called a DOG PILE!" And with that she cackled like a lunatic.
There was a tiny pause before Rin, and even Jaken began to laugh.
It was just too funny.
Even if calling it that made no sense to Rin at all, it was still funny.
Sesshomaru was the only one not laughing at this point, but Rin wasn't sure if he could even breath.
He WAS on the bottom after all...
Rin fell asleep that night feeling that her world was complete.
Happy that her secret had finally come out into the light.
hi hi!
this chapter is dedicated to my little sister, who made it clear she wanted more of Rin in the story.
welcome!
