Summary: Where Rin is not caring for herself and Jaken mentions the wrong name and upsets her enough to drive her out of the house. Inuyasha follows her and discovers a familiar scent and stays downwind. He won't interfere unless he has to.
Kagome watched as Rin ate five bites of rice, skipping eating any of the vegetables or beef, and then pushed her bowl to Inuyasha who stared down at it. Inuyasha shook his head as he lifted his gaze to meet Rin's.
"Eat a piece of beef, Rin." Kaede said gently.
Jaken nodding in agreement, "Rin, you must eat, or else Sesshomaru-sama will be upset." Jaken then whined at his own mistake.
Rin stood up. "I'm not feeling well, I'm going to get some fresh air." She said softly before leaving the house with a few heavy stomps of her feet.
Kagome set down her bowl and chopsticks and stood up.
"Don't bother Kagome. She's being dramatic at this point." Inuyasha huffed and picked up Rin's bowl and covered it with a plate.
Kagome crossed her arms, "She's hurting right now, and she hasn't been eating or sleeping right for three days. She could pass out any moment."
Inuyasha nodded and looked up at her, "I know. I'll know when it happens." He stood up and walked to the door. "I won't be surprised if Shippo was a real idiot and went with Kohaku and Kirara to see Sesshomaru. He may be coming here right now as we speak." Inuyasha huffed and left the house.
He followed Rin's scent but kept his distance as he followed her to the woods.
Kohaku had told him about the bet about getting a dowry from Sesshomaru. Both had agreed to keep it between themselves. Matsumae had been dealt with by Kohaku and joined Inuyasha to warn off Matsumae's friends. The message was clear: Do not touch Rin. Do not think of her, do not even look at her.
Inuyasha would have to keep a better eye on Rin as she wandered in the village.
He had full faith that Rin, after all of her training—even the offensive training from Sango, which was to be a secret between the two women and taken to the grave lest Sesshomaru learn of it—he, Inuyasha, still wanted to keep her safe.
He saw his mother in Rin.
He saw the loneliness of being outcasted by humans in Rin.
He saw how Rin, in different ways, longed for Sesshomaru's return.
He saw how hurt she was by Sesshomaru's lack of trust in her.
Baka, she's so in love with you. She's willing to leave us to be with you because she loves you, we're her family now and she's willing to give it all up. Even if the local villagers hate her because you spoil her.
He saw Rin turn off the path in the woods and he could smell a familiar scent. He knew Rin had a good nose, but he wondered if her nose was good enough to smell him. He followed carefully from a safe distance, keeping downwind of the other scent.
Not that he cared if Sesshomaru caught him. Rin was his charge now anyways and with him longer than she ever was under Sesshomaru's protection. Not even a year with you, but seven, almost eight, with me. She is my charge, my little sister.
He stopped as he heard Rin collapse to her knees and let out a soft sob.
"Ow." Rin sobbed out.
Inuyasha wanted to jump out of the bushes and scoop her up and carry her back home and have Kagome and Kaede fuss over her. Jaken chiding Rin and Inuyasha giving Jaken a punch. Inuyasha would eat one of his mother's old recipes, he still knew it after all.
"Rin." The baritone of his brother called out.
He heard Rin gasp softly. Inuyasha leapt up into a tree silently and looked down into the clearing that Rin tripped and fell into. A fallen branch laid near her foot and seemed to have been the culprit of her fall.
"Sesshomaru-sama…why are you here?" Rin asked with a heavy sigh. "I thought we were done? You never wished to speak to me ever again?"
"This Sesshomaru has been informed you were not taking care of yourself." Sesshomaru said as he knelt down and grabbed Rin's ankle and gently pressed on it. Rin hissed in pain. "You've sprained it."
"Hai, I know. Don't worry about me, Inuyasha-nii will come find me. He's good for that." Rin pulled her ankle back with another hiss.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. He wondered if he and Kagome ever looked this ridiculous when Kagome was fifteen. We probably did.
"Do you have friends in the village? Do they bully you?" Sesshomaru asked as he sat down against a tree and spared a glance in Inuyasha's direction without turning his head.
Dammit! Inuyasha cursed his brother's keen sense of smell.
"Hai, I have friends and they treat me well." Rin said softly as she tossed the fallen branch aside. Something she never would trip over normally, even in the dark, but she was distracted and distraught.
"Outside of Inuyasha and his little gang." Sesshomaru said and waited for an answer.
Silence. Inuyasha and Rin both knew very well that she could not lie to him, Sesshomaru would smell it and hear it. Rin's heart would flutter, she would perspire, she would lick her lips that were suddenly dry, and her eyes would flicker to the left.
Inuyasha knew Rin's lie signals as well as Sesshomaru. Will you tell him, Rin?
Rin bowed her head, "Iie, I have no friends here in this village. Nor will I ever have friends because I prefer a youkai over ningen."
"Hn. You have not spoken of this before. Why?" Sesshomaru pressed on. Don't ask her these things. You won't like the answers, Sesshomaru.
Rin lifted her head and stared at Sesshomaru, "I never wanted to be a burden to you, even if we were apart…I still did not wish for you to worry if I made friends or not." Rin sighed softy.
Silence filled the clearing as Rin and Sesshomaru sat there on the forest floor. Inuyasha silently prayed that Rin did not share anything else about her experiences in the village. It'll only upset him, Rin.
She didn't hear his silent plea and continued. "They call me your whore," Sesshomaru's fist clenched and Inuyasha closed his eyes and nearly sighed audibly.
"They say I am your pet," Sesshomaru snarled softly. Inuyasha opened his eyes and stared down at his brother curiously. I know she is more, but does she?
"Some wish to force me to become theirs so that you will pay them a handsome dowry." Rin finished and sighed softly.
"Nani?!" Sesshomaru growled out and moved so fast and grabbed Rin's jaw. Inuyasha had nearly fallen out of the tree as he realized Rin knew of the village boys' bet and their plan. Inuyasha saw Sesshomaru's nose nearly touching Rin's as Sesshomaru's eyes filled red in anger. Not at Rin, but at the villagers who wished to harm Rin. Inuyasha could hear the rapid beating of his elder brother's heart, erratic and out of rhythm. He's angry, upset, and ready to kill any you name. He would spill blood for you, can't you see, Rin? Sesshomaru, don't you see? You two are so stubborn and in love!
"Who? Who wishes to harm you?" Sesshomaru growled.
Inuyasha saw that Sesshomaru's claws were now extended and were biting into Rin's face, and his marks were jagged on his wrist and face. But Rin never winced, she simply held Sesshomaru's gaze. Rin witnessed her family's murder by bandits as a child. She's tough. She's also seen Sesshomaru kill demons before.
"Sesshomaru…did you really think I would ever choose anyone over you?" Rin asked quietly.
Inuyasha watched as Rin raised her hands and cupped Sesshomaru's face. Tears brimmed at Rin's eyes, but they did not spill.
"I would leave this village right now if you asked me because I am yours and only yours. Aishiteru." Rin finished softly.
Inuyasha saw Sesshomaru blink and amber eyes returned, claws retracted and Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru sat back as if he had been smacked across the face. Never had anyone say that to you? Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru gathered his thoughts.
"Rin you love me?" Sesshomaru asked Rin.
Rin's cheeks dusted pink a slight puff to her cheeks, "Hai, I have for a long time. But you are so stubborn!" She complained.
Inuyasha could only roll his eyes as he watched them to start bickering.
"This Sesshomaru is not stubborn, it is his Rin that is stubborn." He huffed and leaned in toward Rin. "Don't ever dare to lie to me again. If we are to husband and wife, then there must be only trust."
Rin nodded, "That means trusting that my heart only belongs to you." Sesshomaru nodded and Inuyasha watched as the two leaned into each other and kissed. Sesshomaru must've forgotten that I was here! Inuyasha looked anywhere else than down into the clearing. They pulled apart after a moment, "We still have things to talk about though." Rin whispered.
Sesshomaru hummed softly. "Rin, I have found the stone that I was looking for." Sesshomaru murmured moments later.
Inuyasha blinked and looked down to his brother holding a pendant with a round blue stone that hung from it, it sparked gently in the darkened twilight.
Rin stared at it, "It's different than the Meidou stone." She turned her gaze to meet Sesshomaru's, "What does it do?"
"It connects our souls, you are ningen and I am youkai. You will age and pass, but this stone will always be with you in every life and I will find you every time." Sesshomaru explained.
"How does that work?" Rin asked.
Sesshomaru gently cradled her jaw and pulled her back to his gaze, "You ask too many questions. I stole it from a dragon youkai's nest. It has taken me years to find this. Do you accept this offering?"
"Hai. Will I remember you?" Rin asked quietly.
Sesshomaru leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. "I will be like a dream. You will have dreams of this life and the other subsequent lives you live, and we will meet every time. I will always be familiar and a stranger to you, we may not always be together, but I will always be with you."
Inuyasha watched the moment, it was tender, sweet, and all so tragic. His brother was going to lose Rin over and over, yet he was still willing to endure that loss every time to be with her one more time. He heard Rin sniffle.
"Does this gift displease you?" Sesshomaru asked Rin. Inuyasha saw Sesshomaru brush Rin's tears away with his thumbs.
Rin shook her head and grabbed one of his hands, fingers lacing, pendent lightly swinging between their palms, "Iie, I am just so sad for you. You are willing to see me die again and again? My heart is breaking for you." Rin whispered.
Sesshomaru huffed softly, "I have seen you die twice, the second was when Tenseiga gained the full Meido Zangetsuha. It wasn't worth your life, nothing is. But I choose you Rin, always."
Rin laughed softly and leaned into him. "I choose you too, Sesshomaru. But what happens if my name isn't Rin?"
"You'll always be my Rin inside. I will just have to adapt." Sesshomaru freed his hand and slipped the necklace around Rin's neck and pulled back.
Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru leaned in and licked at the prick marks from his claws on Rin's face. Inuyasha shook his head and hoped this rendezvous of theirs was over soon.
Sesshomaru pulled away after the last mark was licked shut. "Kohaku and the kitsune have explained what had happened. That boy will not come near what is mine. We will marry when you are ready."
"Not until she's seventeen!" Kagome shouted from a bush. She then squeaked for revealing herself.
Inuyasha leapt down from the tree and walked over to the bush and glared down at his wife. "What the hell?!"
Kagome laughed nervously and stood up.
"I feel like that is something I should ask!" Rin screeched out with wide eyes as Inuyasha and Kagome turned to look at her. She then closed her eyes and shouted "Osawari!"
Inuyasha flinched despite knowing that the command wouldn't work. "Rin!" He growled out and took two steps toward Rin. He watched as Mokomoko curled around Rin tightly and Sesshomaru stood up in front of her.
"It is her choice." Sesshomaru stated defensively.
Kagome marched up to him and poked his armour, "No way! She's not ready for marriage! Seventeen! I'm not willing to compromise!" Kagome argued.
"I was going to say sixteen." Rin complained as she remained seated on the forest floor.
"Iie!" Kagome walked around Sesshomaru and crouched down and bopped Rin on the head. "I know you love him, but you don't have to think with your hormones!" She then bopped her again. Inuyasha knew it was friendly, the two were bonded like sisters, but there was a daiyoukai who was watching with amber eyes that didn't get it. Didn't get that Kagome was playfully chiding Rin.
Sesshomaru growled warningly at Kagome.
Inuyasha walked up to Kagome and lifted her up and over his shoulder as she let out a squeak of a protest. "Inuyasha! Put me down!"
"Don't touch Rin like that. Especially if his Mokomoko is wrapped around Rin like that, it means he's protecting her and will hurt you." Inuyasha huffed and turned to Rin and Sesshomaru. "Bring Rin home, no excuses. You two can deal with Kaede about when you two can marry, deal? Besides you, Rin, need to get your ankle wrapped up." He said his peace and left the clearing quickly as Kagome complained.
"Inuyasha! They're kissing again!" Kagome shouted. "Why would she kiss him after crying about him for three days?! If I were in her place and you did something like that…I would…I would…" She trailed off in thought.
"Let them be and stop looking! Sesshomaru won't do anything." Inuyasha huffed. "It's Rin we have to watch out for."
Kagome groaned. "Chaperone and sex talk."
Inuyasha shuddered about the idea of having to chaperone 'dates' between his older brother and Rin. He really was not going to like this engagement.
Three chapters left!