A/N: I have not written a single thing in over five years. Just a heads up in case there are any grammatical issues. Enjoy!
When Sesshomaru had left Rin in the village with the old priestess Kaede she had wept great tears. She had tried to run after him, Jaken had interjected nearly striking her with his staff.
That had caused the demon lord to still. Did Jaken think that he was abandoning her? The kappa demon couldn't possibly think that he, Sesshomaru, would suddenly turn a blind eye and allow anyone to abuse Rin.
"Do that again Jaken and I will kill you." He growled at his servant. Jaken visibly flinched taking a few steps away from the small girl.
"Rin. You will remain here." Sesshomaru had commanded curtly without glancing back. He wouldn't be able to leave her if he glanced back.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" She shouted through sobs. "Don't leave me my lord!"
He walked away from her. He heard Jaken sneer at the small girl as he followed obediently behind. Rin obediently stayed. Her cries imprinted on his heart just as she had over their time together.
He wouldn't leave her, not permanently. She had to live with her own kind. He waited some time before visiting again bringing cloth for her to make her own kimonos with, apples, and hair ribbons.
She practically flung herself at him causing him to drop the packages that he had tucked away. Rin thrilled at the gifts and hugged the fabrics to herself. She smiled at him, he would never not give into that smile and he knew that it would eventually be his own downfall; somehow, someway, someday.
He tended to keep his visits short. At times he was not able to visit as often as he knew, and if he was being honest himself as well, Rin would have liked. There were simply matters he could not turn a blind eye too.
Once Naraku was defeated it had opened up many new prospects to both humans and demons alike; alliances, new battles, and the dissolving of certain houses. As lord of his own lands he had to pay attention to these issues that popped up.
If need be he would protect his people. Before he had done it simply out of loyalty to his father but now, he felt with his new found strength a calling he had never known before. The responsibility no longer felt as heavy as it once had seemed.
It did help that he could find refuge in visiting with Rin. It seemed suddenly as if she were growing fast. Every visit she had changed in some small way. He noted that she took some attention to her appearance where as a small child she was wild and didn't seem to care much about it.
As such he gifted her a hand mirror, finer silks, and make-up. She of course thanked him profusely but restrained herself more than she once had. It did sadden him that she no longer embraced him tightly but knew it would be improper at her advancing age.
On her thirteenth year, right before she was to have a coming of age ceremony, he had brought her a lilac colored fabric with white for the trim, an ivory hair comb, and perfume that smelled of the wildflowers she loved so.
She had blushed. He didn't understand why her face had turned red. He asked her if she felt ill. She had quickly shook her head and gushed over the presents.
"My lord." She said bringing her fingertips to the comb. She ran them down the ornate teeth. "Why do you always bring such wonderful gifts for me?"
Sesshomaru remained silent. He didn't know. He just wanted to give her things, he wanted her to be taken care of. Rin deserved fine things and he was able to provide them for her.
"Never mind. It was a silly question." She said softly. He watched from the tree line surrounding the village as Rin had her ceremony. She had used the fabric he gave her to make the most stunning kimono he had ever seen on her.
Her lips were painted a darker red and her eyes were shadowed with a slightly darker purple than what her garment was.
Her wild hair was held up with the comb and he could smell faintly she was wearing her new perfume. Sesshomaru stared at her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.
She was Rin, the small girl who had followed him, clung to him, shoved dirty hands in his face, and said silly things.
It was still Rin but this was...different. The small girl was gone. She was growing up and soon she would have male suitors, of that he had no doubt.
He didn't want to share her. Rin was his.
He felt his eyes narrow as he turned his back to the village. He had to leave, make distance from her, and take time away to steady his thoughts. Sesshomaru wasn't certain what exactly had stirred in him so suddenly but he wasn't so sure he liked it.
"Whatever happened to that demon who used to come visit with you?" Maya asked suddenly. Rin paused in washing her clothes and closed her eyes.
"Lord Sesshomaru comes as he pleases." Rin said simply. She pursed her lips and finished her work. The two girls bid their goodbyes to one another and Rin made her way back to her own hut.
She placed the basket of clothes down and sighed. She knelt alone by the hearth and stared at nothing. It had been nearly four years since she had seen the demon lord of the west, Jaken, or An-Un.
It was as if they had all vanished. Even Inuyasha had commented on a few occasions about his elder brothers location or rather lack there of.
Rin knew the truth of course. She had insulted him.
She clenched her hands into fists on her lap. Why had she asked such a stupid thing? She let out another sigh.
Some of the other girls she knew had received gifts as well at that time, from men who had asked for their hands in marriage.
Rin had nearly felt her heart burst out of her chest that day as she stared at his gifts. He had always presented her with gifts but at that moment she had become curious.
Her curiosity had forced her to ask him such an idiotic question. Tears pricked at her eyes. She had been patient, waiting for her lord to return but still he didn't.
"Lord Sesshomaru." She whispered out feeling her heart ache. "My lord, I miss you." After allowing herself a few moments of self pity she hung her clothing up around her hut on the lines she had set up.
The flowers on the hillside had bloomed. She thought to bring some back to try and brighten her abode. On her way to the grassy embankment she hummed to herself without any thought other than of Sesshomaru.
She recalled being a small girl waiting for him patiently to come back to where he had asked her to wait. He had always returned without fail.
Rin sat down in the grass breathing in the scents around her. Absently she began to pluck at the flower stems.
"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru where have you gone? Since Rin has seen you, it's been so long." She sang out. "If only to see your face, feel the strength of your warm embrace; my lord how I long..."
"Rin." She slowly brought her eyes up to fall on her lord. She jumped up clutching the recently picked flowers and ran at him hitching her kimono up as she did so.
She stopped herself some distance away from him and stilled. It was not proper for her to act as a child would. In the past, when they were closer and she was younger, she would have grasped onto him and not let go.
Now it was different, she highly doubted that her lord would approve of such a display from a grown human woman. He had humored her when she was young but that was over.
"Lord Sesshomaru. It is so good to see you." She said genuinely. "Are you well?"
"You called out to me." He said cutting right to the chase. "I sensed your distress Rin. Are you alright?"
"Oh yes my lord!" She flustered and floundered. "I am! I am!"
"Then why were you crying?" He questioned further. Rin dug her toes into her sandals and fought the urge to drop her eyes.
"I was just thinking of you Lord Sesshomaru." She replied nervously and bit her lower lip. "How long it has been since we've seen each other."
Sesshomaru remained silent staring at Rin in his impassive way. Inwardly he was silently panicking. He had stayed away for as long as he had to better process what exactly it was that he had felt that night.
When he heard Rins cry for him he immediately found her scent and flew to her as quickly as he could. He had worried that something had happened to her.
He pictured her as she had been the last time he had seen her, still young and small, but now standing before him was a tall, slender adult.
"Forgive me my lord." She said suddenly. "I understand that you must have been very busy. I am sorry that I bothered you."
"You could never bother me Rin. I will always come when you call me." He said. "No matter how far I am from you, I will always be there when you need me."
She glanced away from his impenetrable gaze with her face turning slightly red. "My lord, I just want to say that I am sorry I offended you."
"Offended me?" He repeated.
"Yes." Rin said bringing her eyes back to his and nodded her head. "Lord Sesshomaru, I asked you why you brought me so many nice things. I know that that it was foolish of me to say such a thing..."
"I brought you those gifts because they reminded me of you." He replied thoughtfully. "I knew they would make you happy."
"Lord Sesshomaru, seeing you is what always made me so happy." She said clutching the flowers more tightly in her hands. "I just want to see you! I want to be with you!"
As soon as the words escaped her lips she sucked in her breath. Her face felt hot with embarrassment. She was going to chase him away again...he was going to leave. Hot tears threatened to fall.
"You are still such a silly girl." He stated amused. Rin balked slightly at his comment and trembled when he was suddenly very close to her.
He took a strand of her hair and ran his fingers through it. "You did nothing wrong Rin. I stayed away to protect you."
"To protect me my lord?" She questioned furrowing her brow slightly. Sesshomaru dropped her hair placing his hand against her cheek.
"From me." He stared softly. Rins mind went abuzz. Why would he want to protect her from himself? He had never done anything to harm her. He had always been her protector so why then...Rin felt her eyes widen.
The realization hit her full force. The way he looked at her now, there was such a softness in his gaze, and how he held her now. In just that simple, single touch of his hand on her face she felt all of his warmth and his love for her.
She smiled widely. "Lord Sesshomaru, all I have ever wanted was to be with you. I want to stay with you. I want to be with you. I want to be yours."
"Rin, I have to warn you; if we decide to go down this path there is no going back." He said. "We will both be spurned and shunned by our people, outcasts from our society's."
"Will you stay with me?" She asked sweetly.
"Oh yes." He replied feeling her hand lace through the one that was at his side. She squeezed his hand tightly.
"That is all I need." She said. Sesshomaru placed a light kiss against her forehead causing her to giggle. She clutched the flowers between them as she tilted her face upwards towards his and he caught her lips in a soft, chaste kiss.
Her eyelids fluttered down to close as she breathed in his scent, it was the same to her as he had always smelled, like home.