Chapter Ten
Sesshomaru and Inuyasha has ran off somewhere, taking Miroku, Jaken, and Amari with them. Probably off to find something to kill, Kagome had decided. Izayoi was down at the River teaching Miroku and Sango's two middle children how to skip rocks. Kagome sat across from Sango and next to Rin, peeping out the window at Sango's eldest daughter, Shahari, who sat in a tree with a boy from the village, swinging her feet back and forth.
"Would you quit gawking! They're not doing anything Kagome, they're kids," she scolded.
"Shahari is almost thirteen, Sango. She's bound to be curious about boys," Rin teased.
"Don't let her father hear you saying that," Sango winked and went back to feeding her newborn boy, FIND NAME.
"I'm more interested in your own curiosity, Rin. What is there between you and Sesshomaru?," Kagome questioned.
"Well...as fate would have it, we are together. Mated, but not all the way. It's hard to explain," she bit her lip, hoping that would satisfy their curiosity.
"We've plenty of time, do tell." Sango laid her now sleeping son down on the pallet beside her and began pouring tea.
"Well, Sesshomaru says that my blood is different and that I'll become a demon when we officially mate. Which is why he wants to wait until the right time."
"Okay understandable but more importantly, how did you two end up together?"
"I dunno, we just kinda decided one day."
"Simple as that?"
"Just decided?," Sango and Kagome gave each other a look before she continued.
"I know it sounds crazy, Sesshomaru doesn't even like humans, but yet he always kept me by his side. He told me once that I was like his secret weapon, because I taught him compassion and the value of life. But Sesshomaru has taught me so much more. I know it's difficult for you to see and even harder to imagine considering you guys haven't seen much warmth from him, but Sesshomaru brings me happiness."
"Oh we see that Rin, I just want to make sure you're being careful. My brother in law may be growing on me after these years but I still don't trust him much." Kagome reaches out to take her hand and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Then will you trust me?," Rin's eyes bore into hers and she nodded.
"Yes, I will trust you. It's just, if you were to turn into a demon, you're looking at eternity. Imagine what all could happen..."
"Are you saying that Sesshomaru will grow tired of me? Discard me?," she looked down at her hands, the thought never crossing her mind until now."
"No no no!," Kagome took her hands. "All I'm saying is you need to really think before making such a big commitment. Just don't rush into it. If you'd offered me immortality when Inuyasha and I first got together, I'd have waited too. But if you offered it to me now...well, I'd take it. What I'm saying is maybe just do what you're doing now and wait on making it permanent. For a bit at least."
"I understand your concern, and I'll take it into consideration. But you have to remember that this is something for Sesshomaru and I to decide."
"I have to trust you to make your own decisions," she hugged her briefly.
"I do however...need your help with something," Rin stated as she pulled away.
"Which is?"
"Well Sesshomaru mentioned to me that Diaroku, his uncle, had invited Inuyasha, yourself, and the kids for a visit. He asked me last night how he should approach it, I just thought it easier for me to extend the invitation to you."
"We will talk it over tonight and let you know."
"Awesome, I'm going to run and visit Kaede," she bound up and took off out the door, waving goodbye.
...
After leaving Kaede's, Rin retreated to the hill behind the old woman's hut and laid down in the sun, closing her eyes and smiling as she was finally alone with her thoughts. She missed everyone on the village, of course, but over the years she'd grown so accustomed to spending hours with her own thoughts and over the last day she'd gotten barely a minute. What were they so concerned about anyways? That's what she wanted to know.
'Maybe I should ask Sesshomaru...' she wondered.
'No...idiot. You can't ask him why kagome is afraid for you to be with him. He only tolerates her as it is.', her inner voice countered.
She shivered at the thought, and shook her head. Sesshomaru couldn't help her. Maybe Sango could help, Rin just had to get her alone.
'I wonder when we'll go home,' she thought. 'I love traveling but, staying home with my Lord is much better.' She melted into the grass, surrendering to her thoughts and retreating into her own little world.
...
Inuyasha led the small party through the door of his hut and was greeted by Kagome, Izayoi, and Hikaru. Sango and the kids had went home for dinner. Miroku, noticing this, decided to take his leave.
"Kagome. Where is Rin?" Sesshomaru scanned the small hut, not picking up her scent.
"Oh, she went to visit Kaede I was about to send Izayoi after her when she's done washing up."
"I'll collect her," he turned on his heel and walked out of the house passively. Shippo shot the door a look when he was gone and turned back to Kagome.
"He still gives me the creeps sometimes," he said.
"Yeah me too," she agreed softly.
"Oh, cut the guy some slack. He was excited to see her, power walked the whole way back, the imp could barely keep up."
"Really?," Kagome wondered.
"Yeah. We'll talk about it later," he looked around at the room, not wanting to elaborate and she nodded in understanding.
...
Sesshomaru approached her silently, unsure if she'd fallen asleep in the grass. He stood at her feet and registered that she was awake, just lost in her thoughts.
"Rin," he spoke and pulled her out of her daze. She smiled brightly when she saw him, his form illuminated by the sunset.
"Sesshomaru, you're back," she sat up and took his extended hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. "I've missed you," she kissed the tip of his nose.
"I've missed you as well," he kissed her forehead and took her hand, leading her back in the direction of the house. "How was your day?"
"Boring without you, and yours?"
"Tedious at best. Turns out my half brother rounded us all up to go take care of a mountain lion infestation," he rolled his eyes and scowled.
"Oh man! Why couldn't I go?" She exclaimed.
"If I had known where we were going I would have brought you along, rest assured. Then after you'd exerted yourself I'd have taken you into the trees to...rest..." he ran his hand along her ass and gave it a sharp smack accompanied by a devilish smile.
"I'm sure you would have," she grinned.
"This is a conversation to revisit."
"Yes, it certainly is."
"So tell me, how did Kagome act today?"
"Normal enough. She didn't talk about us much. Just asked me how we came about."
"And what did you tell her?"
"I assured her that the affection between us was mutual."
"Did she imply it was not?"
"Not at all! She more so made sure that this is what I wanted," she explained.
"Which implies that you don't want this. That you don't want us. That implies that I am keeping you against your will."
"Sesshomaru, sweetheart. I think you're overreacting."
"That wench," he growled, tightening his grip on her hand.
"Honey," she took her free hand and rubbed the back of his. "You promised me that there would be no fighting. Please do not break it," she stopped them in the middle of the road and gazed up at him with big brown eyes and he was mesmerized, slowly calming. He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.
"Yes, of course."
"Now come on, let's enjoy the rest of our visit."
"Yes, lets," he smoothed her hair and took her hand again.
"Mom, uncle Sesshu and Rin are back!," Amari called from where she was playing in front of the house.
"Alright you can come to dinner now," she called back. Dinner was uneventful and followed by a little conversation before they took their leave for the night.
