Nonverbal Answers

Jinenji settled Kazuto back down with a sleeping draft, so that he could heal faster. Rin was feeling tired and overwhelmed, Sesshomaru could tell. He guided her gently down the hall to his abandoned room, where he discovered to his delight she'd already been living. She wanted him to come in and lie down with her, but he had too many things to see to now that he was back. Many of the demons and older students would want to talk to him, and he had to speak with Inuyasha about what had happened in the months of his absence, and what they would do now to secure the school and the students.

Kagome decided to lie down with Rin, although it took some convincing to get her to even leave the infirmary to begin with. She obviously didn't want to leave Kazuto and agreed to go only under the condition that someone come and get her the moment he was awake.

Sesshomaru kissed Rin discretely at the door, while Kagome and Inuyasha were sharing a much more, er, enthusiastic display in the hallway behind him. Kagome scooted past Sesshomaru and squealed as Inuyasha pinched her butt. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and stepped back, allowing the blushing girl into the room. He closed the door securely and turned to face his brother.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stared at each other for a few minutes, neither one sure of what to say now that they were alone together. Sesshomaru decided to start with something safe.

"I see you have kept things running here."

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, rubbing his neck. "It was about a week before we realized you may not come back, and we had to decide what to do. I just did what I thought you would do."

"So you kept the school open."

"I took over as principal. Koga, that bastard, took over for me in the gym. I took some time out to train some of the more advanced kids. We gave Rin a job teaching in the garden. It kept her mind off things, well, as much as it could."

"How was she?"

Inuyasha dropped his voice a little bit.

"She wasn't great. At first, she didn't believe you were gone. She kept saying she would know if you were dead. Then, when it was clear you weren't coming back anytime soon, she walked around like a zombie. Kagome had to sleep in there with her most nights."

Sesshomaru's chest felt tight, thinking of Rin in such distress over him.

"But you took care of her," He said tightly.

"She's pack, right? She's family. Kagome and I...we were in it for the long haul."

"You would have raised my pup?"

Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru with a determined gaze, one the taiyoukai had not seen before. He looked more...dignified...than Inuyasha had ever looked before.

"Yes." He said, drawing himself up. "Your pup will be hanyou, like me. My blood, my brother's child. I would never have left it to anyone else."

Sesshomaru nodded. Another silence fell for a few moments. Sesshomaru broke it.

"Thank you." He said. "I'm proud of you, brother."

Inuyasha didn't respond. He simply stepped forward and offered his hand. Sesshomaru took it. After a manfully restrained handshake, Inuyasha threw his arms around his brother. Sesshomaru was taken by surprise, but decided that if he couldn't stand a hug from his idiot kid brother after being nearly absorbed into Naraku, he wasn't worth anything.

The hanyou was a little red faced when he backed away, and Sesshomaru did his best to restrain his own emotions.

"It's good to have you back, Sess." Inuyasha said gruffly. "I was….you are such a bastard, but I thought you were dead."

"It's good to be back." Sesshomaru responded, rubbing at his eyes with one hand. Something was stinging him there. How irritating.

Without another word, the brothers turned back down the hallway towards the main room, where dozens of demons and not a few young students were waiting to welcome the taiyukai back home.

It was late into the night when Inuyasha pulled Kagome into his arms, cradling her as he lifted her from her spot beside Rin in Sesshomaru's bed. He winked at his brother as he carried his sleeping girl back to their own room. Sesshomaru stepped inside and closed the door as silently as possible, hoping not to wake his sleeping mate, who needed the rest now that she was growing a pup inside her.

Rin shifted in the bed and blinked up at him as he approached. Her eyes widened a little bit and her face broke into a wide smile. Sesshomaru, tired as he was from the extensive planning meeting he'd just come from, smiled back. Rin pushed herself up, waving him off when he tried to help her.

"Hey," She said, reaching her hands to tug on the collar of the shirt he'd put on earlier.

Obligingly, he unbuttoned and doffed his shirt and pants, but he stopped her from pulling him into bed.

"I want to see," He said, and gently lifted her T-shirt off of her body. Underneath she was wearing a soft blue bra, and her pregnant belly swelled underneath ample breasts. "Rin," Sesshomaru breathed, "You are utterly breathtaking."

Rin smiled in the dark, and moved back to make room for Sesshomaru in the bed. He lay down facing her, touching her face wonderingly.

"Inuyasha told me how it was for you when I was gone," He said softly. Rin's face fell a little bit.

"I'm sorry," She said. "I should have believed in you."

"No," Sesshomaru said quickly, "I know you believed in me. That was what kept me alive. I'm just sorry that you ever had a reason to doubt I would return."

"I love you," Rin said. "I was scared. I don't ever want to feel that way again."

"I'm never leaving you again, and when the pup is born I will protect the both of you with my life." Sesshomaru promised, leaning in to capture her mouth in a kiss. Tasting her mouth, being enveloped in her new scent...it was all so intoxicating that Sesshomaru wanted it to last forever. The kiss grew more and more heated, and Rin's scent took on the dusky quality of arousal. Concerned, he pulled back slightly.

"Rin, I know you must be tired." He said, "We can just go to sleep."

"Like hell," She growled. "Do you know what happens to some women when they get pregnant?"

Sesshomaru was nonplussed. After all, he'd never pupped anyone before, much less a human, and although he knew the basics he was lost among the finer details of pregnancy and birth.

"What?" He said.

"They get….really interested in sex," Rin replied, her breath whispering along his cheek as she nibbled on his earlobe. "And I am one of those women, apparently."

"You wish for me to take you?" Sesshomaru asked, totally surprised but delighted.

Rin did not respond verbally, but she did respond affirmatively.