Author's note: This is my first fanfiction story. I originally wrote this in 2011 after watching all of the InuYasha series. I was captivated by the unique relationship between Sesshomaru and Rin and felt inspired to write a fanfic about how these two characters' relationship could develop. My writing style at the time wasn't the best, and some of the Japanese phrases I used might be corny (I was a teenager please don't judge me!) but I wanted to preserve my writing to be true to how I felt at the time I wrote it. Lastly, I finally got enough courage to publish this story in honor of the upcoming sequel Yashahime which I'm super excited for. Thanks for reading!

CHAPTER 1

"Arigato! Arigato gozaimasu!" The elderly man cheered at Rin. She had been sent off to deliver medicinal herbs to a neighboring village that requested Kaede-sama's special medicine that was known throughout the land for having exceptional power against illnesses. Rin smiled and bowed at the man "It is our pleasure. Remember you are to make the child drink it twice every day until his symptoms have cleared." She commanded firmly. It was a trait Kaede enforced into her since the day Rin became her assistant—since the day Rin was put under her care. Rin was the tender age of eight when she arrived at Kaede's village. It was due to the series of unusual circumstances that ultimately led Rin to her, but she was happy—for Rin—that she did. Rin gathered her herbs and bottles and packed them into her linen cloth bag and slinked it over her shoulder. "Have a safe travel back young miko!" The old man wished to her. Rin smiled bashfuly at the man and turned on her heels to leave. It made her feel awkward when people mistaken her for a miko. Although she was under the care of a miko and had been taught some spiritual and medicinal techniques practiced by mikos she was by no means one. Her status in society was undefined. She was not a temple priest, nor was she a village maiden, she was, as she had been since the age of eight, a helpless ward.

Rin crunched her nose at the thought of that. She didn't like being dependent on people and she wanted to show others that she could fend for herself. At the very least she was grateful that Kaede didn't pity her and instead put her to work as an extra hand around the temple. Rin had no complaints from living with Kaede for the past eight years, after all the old miko provided her with the necessities a young girl at her time needed: a home, food and good upbringing. Most of all she helped her heal her emotional wounds she had from humans. The wound came from the incident that made her an orphan child.

Rin had a vivid flashback of that fateful night. She was at the back of her family's little house trying ever so futile to catch a grasshopper in her small hands. Her mother, father and brother were inside chatting amongst themselves while spreading out the sheets for bedtime. Rin had almost got the green creature in her hands when she heard in the distance the sound of feet charging down the dirt road that lead to her home. It was silent for a moment, a moment that seemed like eternity… then she heard the screaming. Before she knew it Rin was up and peeking between the space of two wooden boards that walled her house. What she saw in that moment forever changed her: dark figures of men, knives, her family laying on the ground, blood…

Rin could feel herself begin to hyperventilate so she quickly ran to the village stream to calm down. She submerged her delicate hands into the rushing water and splashed it on her face. This reaction always happened to her whenever she thought back on such dark memories. "I'm okay, I'm okay." She repeated to herself, allowing her breathing to come in regular paces. If there was one thing she refused to have it was fear. She was no longer afraid of humans so she could not allow such a memory to make her cower anymore. Even if it was a memory of watching her family get slaughtered before her very eyes.

Rin stood to her feet and looked in the water at her reflection. There was nothing weak or childish about her in her opinion. She had come into her womanhood quite well, recollecting on how Kaede and Kagome would complement her "My, my Rin you are quite a beauty! Look at how lovely your cheekbones accent your eyes! It's no wonder Konda-san keeps ogling you!" Kagome had said one spring afternoon while having a quick lunch with her and Kaede. Rin kept her eyes lowered and blushed like she always did when someone gives her a compliment. "Rin has many admirers Kagome-chan if not more than I can count." Kaede said matter-of-factly. Kaede was right with that part for Rin had more admirers than she cared for.

There was Ken, the son of the village blacksmith that always volunteered to fix things in Kaede's hut for free so to impress Rin, Shoji the aspiring doctor that was a bother to Rin and Kaede because he was constantly in the herb garden messing with the plants as an excuse to see Rin more, and then there was Akira. Akira was the most persistent of them all because he refused rejection. Whenever Rin was sent on a long journey errand Akira was always first to know and first to volunteer his family wagon and supplies to help her on her journey. It always made Rin feel uncomfortable to accept them but Akira would not take no for an answer. "My dear Rin, you need not refuse this gesture. As my love, I must make sure you will be okay." Perhaps it was true that Rin wasn't ugly but she never put much importance on how the male villagers viewed her. There was, however, one person she did care about her appearance to. It was the one person she cared and longed for more than any other person.

Her Sesshomaru.

The image of him filled her mind. She could imagine him as if he were there standing in front of her. Tall with a slim build, long silver hair that reached the back of his knees, pale skin that almost matched the white kimono that clothed him, sharp golden eyes that she could get lost in… A warm smile formed on Rin's lips at the thought of him. How she wished she could see him right now! Since the first day she laid eyes on him, she saw in Sesshomaru what she had felt since becoming a mute in a wicked village: the need of another person. As the naïve child she was she didn't view him through the eyes of others: a daiyokai, evil and capable of murdering hundreds in an instant. What she saw was a wounded creature that needed assistance… that needed her! It was ultimately this meeting that took Rin from the path of hopelessness to hopefulness for after Sesshomaru saw her, he decided to let her follow him—leaving behind the human village that had hosted her after the murdering of her family.

Traveling with Lord Sesshomaru was the sweetest time of her life because Rin saw Sesshomaru as her savior, her hero. In her child mind everything about him was extraordinary, and no one could match the grandeur of him.

Rin was on path toward Kaede's village by now. In the distance she could see the crimson sun setting behind the green hills. If she kept this pace she would be at the village in an hour's time. Thinking back at those past memories drew Rin to wondering how and when her feelings changed toward her daiyokai knight. As a child he was a respected figure in her life that she could depend on and though she still felt this sentiment towards him there was a recent… addition to it. Now that she was a young woman she could view her lord through a different light, and she did. A past memory came to her mind as she continued down the dirt path.

. . .

It was a fall afternoon one day a few months from her 13th birthday. Rin sat outside Kaede's cabin weaving a basket out of bamboo leaves and humming a melody to the autumn wind. As if it was instinctual, she sensed a presence, a presence that immediately made her feel warm on the inside. Before she looked to see who it was she already knew.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin cheered in her soprano voice.

Standing about fifteen feet away from her was Sesshomaru. Since the day Kaede convinced him to let her stay with her, Sesshomaru visited Rin regularly—the shortest intervals being two weeks to the longest being six months. When he was in battle it could be months until the next time she saw him but Rin was grateful because Sesshomaru was visiting on a weekly basis due to his otherwise free schedule.

Rin stood to her feet and walked towards him until she was three feet in front of him. Sesshomaru had on that familiar stone face that never showed emotion, except anger. Sesshomaru was well groomed both in appearance and behavior. It was evident that he had been brought up in an aristocracy, every syllable he uttered and every movement he made was laced with elegance. If not that he was a born combatant he would be a perfect gentleman. His voice came in a smooth, even tone.

"Rin, how have you been?"

It thrilled Rin to know that he cared to know how she was even if he asked the same question in the same manner every time. "I have been good my lord. How about you?" She retorted. Sesshomaru simply stared back at her without a response as if she should already know the answer. Rin continued anyway. "It has been nice having you visit so frequently, Sesshomaru-sama. I guess there's been less war going on." Rin assumed. "I'm about to enter another war." He responded plainly; Rin's expression switched from cheer to disappointment.

"bu…but Sesshomaru-sama, you have just finished one war! Won't you wait some until you enter another?" "I will not be able to see you as often until I have won the battles. You will be sure to take care of yourself." He replied, saying the second part as a statement not a question.

Rin lowered her head in disappointment. She hated not being able to see her lord again. In her mind she questioned herself: why care so much anyway? What does he do for you that's so beneficial? Get over your desire to see him! she commanded herself. Just then she felt him place his hand on her left shoulder. Rin wasn't used to Sesshomaru making physical contact with her unless she was in a life or death situation. Rin's head shot up to face him.

His eyes were soft and his expression seemed more relaxed than usual, no it was… beaming at her, but in a most subtle way. Rin's lips parted in surprise and her eyes widened. She had only seen such an expression on her lords face like this once when she had been brought back to life by his mother's meido stone. His expression warmed every inch of her body; the thoughts she had just seconds ago were discarded, and if she could she would have this moment last for an eternity.

With his soft gaze he reassured her "You will be fine." Rin nodded her head at him not blinking at all. How she desired badly to touch his face! Sesshomaru straightened up again, pleased with Rin's response. Before Rin realized what she was doing, she had slammed her body into his stomach and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'll miss you Sesshomaru-sama." She mumbled into his belly. "I will come back." He said simply; with that he released Rin's arms from around his waist and set off into the distance.

Rin stared after his figure even after she could no longer make him out. A change was happening in the mind and heart of Rin, a change that would be permanent. The love she had for him was no longer a devotional love one has towards their hero but a love evolving into something deeper that she had yet to experience before. The image of his face beaming down at her burned in her mind and she knew what was happening to her. With a puzzled yet mystified tone she spoke into the autumn air,

"I am… in love."

. . .

Kaede's village was coming into view now. Rin had been trekking faster than she thought. With all the thoughts she had been having about Sesshomaru, she had to wonder "How does he feel about me?" It's true that Sesshomaru has been kind to her, matter of fact, she was the only one he was a hundred percent kind to. As a yokai he certainly didn't need her, yet after leaving her under Kaede's care he continuously came back to visit her, surely that meant something.

There was the mountain of gifts he brought her she had to put into consideration as well. Over the years Sesshomaru must have brought her a fortune worth of fine kimonos, bracelets, scrolls, delicacies and much more. There were times when Kaede would come back into the cabin and have her eyes bulge out at Rin's newest addition of gifts.

"This Sesshomaru… he's practically spoiling you! Look at the material of that kimono! It has to be worth more than this cabin—my goodness! If he keeps this up we'll have to build another house just to accommodate all these gifts."

Rin didn't need to wear the same kimono in the same week but Kaede advised her to. "It would be unwise to do so for those fine linens will draw unwanted attention to this home, something we both can't afford." It was only during festivals or formal events that Kaede allowed Rin to wear the most audacious of her kimonos and there was no doubt that Sesshomaru must have known how lovely it would look on her.

The last thing she had to consider was his actions toward her. She knew in her heart that she had to have meant something to him. While she was traveling with him whenever she was in danger he always came to her rescue without hesitation—hell she was even the first person he used Tenseiga on to bring back to life when she was attacked by wolves, he could not have done all these things without caring for her. But did he love Rin? Not in the sense of enough to protect her but did he… romantically love her?

It was uncomfortable for Rin throughout the years since realizing her new feelings for Sesshomaru. For one, she had to endure two years of not seeing him and second, she would have to go through the tyranny of the village girls her age inquiring about her daiyokai knight. Though she wasn't around girls her age most of the time she still got a headful of their comments once in contact.

"Say Rin-chan, whatever happened to the pale demon that used to frequent you?" Chika, a village girl her age would nag her. At times like these Rin would remember her pain from not being able to see him as well as the pain of not knowing when he would come back. She usually responded to such questions with "He's far out battling right now and does not have free time." Then would hurry to move away from the questioner.

With such turmoil going on inside her heart, Rin thought she was doing an exceptional job at hiding her feelings from everyone until one morning she was putting up her futon and Kaede spoke to her ever so quizzically

"Rin-chan, did you… sleep well last night?" Kaede asked. Rin was surprised at her question. "Yes Kaede-sama. Why do you ask?" Kaede's wrinkled face took on a light, amused expression. "You miss Sesshomaru-sama don't you?" Rin's eyes were the size of rice crackers when Kaede uttered those words. A blush formed on her face. "wh..why do you say that?" Rin tried to ask with an even tone, but her words came out shaky. Kaede looked Rin straight in her eyes. "You were calling out his name throughout the night, child." Rin's blush deepened. She muttered something to Kaede and immediately went outside into the spring air. It had almost been a year since she last saw him. She was thirteen at the time and was trying to handle such adult feelings she had towards a man.

. . .

Rin was humming a tune into the twilight sky when she reached the village entrance. Even though she was now sixteen years old and considered a woman she still carried her love of tunes from her childhood. During festivals or weddings the villagers always requested Rin to either sing or play an instrument for the entertainment and she enjoyed doing it. Something about music helped put Rin at ease—if anything it was a better healer for her than the medicinal herbs Kaede made.

Rin finally made it back to Kaede's hut. "Tadaima!" She exclaimed as she slid open the door to the cabin. Kaede and Kagome were sitting by the fire talking, most likely about some spiritual thing since they were both mikos.

"Rin, welcome back! I trust your journey went well." Kaede asked with a soft smile on her aged face. "Hai. The recipients were very grateful." Rin replied while putting down her traveling bag. "It makes me feel good that we can be of help to villages in our area." Kagome stated, Kaede agreed. The two of them carried on into conversation while Rin sat and ate a sweet potato that was roasting along the fire.

"That reminds me," Kaede started, "Rin-chan, Akira has asked me for your hand in marriage for the third time." Rin stopped chewing for her food took on a bitter taste after hearing Kaede's words. "Uso! That young man is persistent!" Kagome exclaimed then turned to Rin. "You know, I'm not sure he will leave you alone Rin-chan." Rin's lips turned down in the corner. "Me neither. I keep telling him I'm not interested but it only makes him come on stronger. First a barrel of rice, second a jewel necklace; his father even approached me down by the stream promising me all his livestock should I accept Akira's proposal."

Kagome and Kaede were both wide eye staring at Rin. "What determination!" Kaede said, Kagome on the other hand was chuckling. "Poor boy, he doesn't know that you already have someone that can supply you with anything you could possibly need."

Rin froze.

"Hmm, yes this is true. You know over the years, Sesshomaru hasn't ceased visiting Rin, even after his two year war he hurriedly came to see her bringing all sorts of gifts." Kaede added.

Kagome formed a big smile on her lips. "Well who could blame him? He loved Rin as a kid and now that she isn't little anymore I would bet maybe he feels something a little… extra for her!"

Rin's face was the color of a beet at this point. "I… don't see where you're getting this from." Rin said lowly, not looking at either of their faces. "Surely you've noticed how he looks at you now?" Kaede asked.

Rin never noticed a difference in how her lord viewed her, she thought it was the same as usual just that now she viewed him differently. There was only one time she could think of that possibly could validate what the two women were saying. It was at the spring festival back when Rin was fifteen.

For the festival Rin decided to wear a kimono that's design was crafted after the blooming sakura trees. It was a gift Sesshomaru gave her during his last visit, so she saw it best to wear it for the occasion. During a point in the festival, Rin was being bothered by a village admirer, so to evade him she trotted off into an area filled with sakura trees hoping to blend in with them. Rin was in the midst of marveling at the beautiful trees that she didn't realize the figure staring at her to her far left.

"Rin," A smooth voice called out to her.

Chills ran down her spine and her heart accelerated when she heard him. She turned towards him and smiled. "Sesshomaru-sama," Rin echoed. Her lord started towards her ever so suavely that it made the flowing cherry blossom petals swirl after him like an aura. He stopped two feet away from her. Sesshomaru's face was plain, but his eyes seemed serious. Rin had no idea what he was thinking for he did nothing but stare at her. Rin perked her lips into a bashful grin. "Does my lord wish to join the festival?" she asked playfully. Sesshomaru parted his lips to respond but paused; Rin tilted her head. "I wanted to see you." He said calmly. Rin couldn't help but blush a bit at his response. "Well I'm here my lord. Shall we walk a bit?" She asked.

Just then, the wind blew and a flurry of pink petals blew by their faces. A petal stuck to the rouge on the bottom of Rin's lip and Sesshomaru brushed it away. Having his finger make contact with her lip put butterflies in Rin's stomach.

"You're wearing this kimono." Sesshomaru said simply. Rin's eyes lowered to her clothes. "Yes, I thought it was fitting to wear it for the spring festival, you know, with the sakura blooming…" Rin's eyes followed a petal flowing in the wind, wanting to see where it would land. Before the petal reached its destination, Sesshomaru voiced

"You make it look beautiful." Rin's gaze snapped back to face her lord; he seemed to be staring into the direction of the flower petal. In her head she was trying to make sense of what was said.

Did he just call me… beautiful?

"My lord," Rin started but he interrupted her. "You should go back to the party." He stated but Rin did not respond. Sesshomaru turned his attention back to Rin and his face was just as usual. Stone.

"Until next time." And he was off again, his white figure disappearing into the light pink flurries.

Besides that encounter, Rin had no other lead to think Sesshomaru's view of her had changed.

"No, Kaede-sama, I haven't noticed anything different." Rin replied to her old guardian then excused herself from the cabin to go outside.

Rin made her way to the side of the cabin facing an oak tree and leaned against it. The direction the conversation was going in there made Rin uncomfortable. Perhaps if she knew where Sesshomaru's feelings for her lay then she would be comfortable with discussing her own feelings with the women.

It was a full moon that night and its light seemed to give everything it touched a heavenly appearance. What would Rin do next with her life? She was given the choice to choose what she would do when she was of age, and she knew what she wanted: to be with lord Sesshomaru. This was not in the sense of how both he and Kaede meant when they told her she could follow him again as his traveling companion, no, Rin actually wanted to be with Sesshomaru, in a romantic relationship. But would he, Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, a daiyokai, actually consider taking her, Rin, a weak, peasant human as his lady?

A shooting star flew through the sky and it reminded her of when she as a child would wish upon it to be with lord Sesshomaru forever. Rin lowered her head into her chest and smiled; deep down she still held the wishes she made as a child even though as an adult she barely saw the possibility of it coming true. "I can still hope." She whispered to herself. Suddenly the wind blew towards her and a familiar presence was upon her. She lifted her head and saw, with the glowing light of the moon, Sesshomaru.