A/N: It's been an extremely long time since I've written in this fandom, let alone a Sesshomaru/Rin story, but I had to join the horde that is currently writing SessRin stories that take place between Inuyasha and Yashahime. I planned on this being a pretty short story (5ish chapters), but then I started writing it and as usual these days when I'm just writing something small for funsies, it got out of hand and turned into an actual full-blown story, so...yeah, right now I'm expecting it to be around 10-15 chapters instead. A couple things I want to mention, just to kind of get out of the way:
1) Please don't go looking at my old SessRin stories...I wrote them when I was like 12 and having recently glanced at one of them, they're extremely cringe .-.
2) This will take place between Inuyasha and Yashahime, but I'm relying pretty heavy on the Inuyasha manga rather than the anime because, well, filler. There's also very little taken from Yashahime, so if you haven't watched it or are partly through it – no worries! You don't need to!
3) Something I didn't appreciate when I was a kid is that Sesshomaru, as a character, is HARD to write. Like, extremely hard. I'm tackling this over 10 years after I last wrote an Inuyasha story and I still struggle with him. In the manga, Rumiko picks some really specific times when Sesshomaru emotes. When he's first introduced, Sesshomaru has a one-dimensional, power-thirsty character that emotes a lot, but then after he loses his arm is when he becomes a lot more withdrawn up until he acquires Bakusaiga. So, I know a lot of fanfiction authors usually swing hard one way or the other, but in writing this I'm going to try my best to write him as Rumiko did. That might make him seem out of character at certain moments. I'm really hoping that I choose the moments correctly, though, so he seems that same as he was in the manga/show.
4) Lastly, the first chapter is really exposition heavy. I couldn't justify spending 2-5 chapters on Rin growing up in the village because, while it gives a good background, it's also kind of boring and I just couldn't think of enough material to do that while it still being exciting. Instead, I boiled it down to one chapter and am hoping that it establishes Sesshomaru and Rin's motivations better. It's also my interpretation of Rumiko's intentions for the couple rather than the writers of Yashahime. I think there was some nuance in her writing that really makes this couple work that wasn't really addressed in Yashahime and falls in line with Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's character stories. Hopefully I can do it justice!
Anyway, that's enough author notes! Enjoy the story 😊
In her Eyes
Prologue
In the distance, Sesshomaru spotted the cluster of human shelters that was the village near the Tree of Ages and the Bone-Eater's Well. A calm breeze drifted through the field of Chinese silver grass, sifting the white-tipped plant, creating an ethereal image. Above him, the sky had begun to turn into a mixture of reds and oranges, tinging with smears of violet as the sun began to set. Autumn sunsets always seemed to be more vibrant, streaking the sky with colours as the sun faded earlier in the day. Standing at the edge of the field, Sesshomaru caught the scent of his half-brother, Inuyasha, and the humans with whom he travelled. Out of all the scents, however, one appeared to be missing. It seemed the girl priestess had disappeared, albeit temporarily. He had overheard her conversation with Inuyasha shortly after Naraku's death and expected that she had returned to her world, after all.
It had been Kagome's suggestion that had initiated his journey back to this village months after Naraku's defeat. He had not intended to give her recommendation any thought, too prideful to listen to any idea from a lowly human. However, as he found himself lingering in his thoughts more often than not over the weeks, he had to reluctantly admit that Kagome's single suggestion had some merit to it.
"Sesshomaru – why not let Rin live at Kaede's village? She would be safe there with us and it could be good for her to grow up with humans her age."
It had been the second part of her remark that had caused him to turn away and ignore her. Even Inuyasha had made a scathing remark in regards to that, causing the two of them to begin bickering. He had not waited to see why Inuyasha had been offended, as it neither interested nor involved him. Because his own ego had been nettled, he had tried to keep the suggestion far from his thoughts. Even so, after many days and weeks of traveling around the countryside, he found himself lingering on Rin's future more often than not. Without Naraku occupying his attention, he had little to divert his thoughts aside from minor demons that had the unfortunate fate of encountering him on his journey.
It had never occurred to him what the future held for Rin. In his mind, as long as she was alive and in his peripheral, he was satisfied. His association with her had always been uncomplicated by nature since Rin had never asked anything from him. She sought her own food, cooked it herself, and sheltered herself. She did not protest when dragged into dangerous territories, nor did she complain. She had a simple-minded view of most things, although he would not have called her stupid by any means; in fact, he rather thought she had more intuition and forethought than his brash brother. The ease of existing with Rin was why he had never needed to consider whether she would be live outside his small circle. Since he had first revived her with the Tenseiga, she had been an ever-present source of light in his life. It pleased him to see her eager smile when he returned from a task. The concept of her being elsewhere was a foreign one and it gave him a strange sense of disappointment.
Even so, he could not deny that his attention and care towards her had been used against him far too often in battle to be safe. He had adopted a façade of apathy that he had learned from his mother in an attempt to keep a tight leash on his demonic temper. Even the most aristocratic of demons still had the inclination for brutality and rage, although what triggered it differed between each demon lord. For Sesshomaru, it had been the wounded pride of a rejected son (or at least this had been his interpretation at the time). Since losing his arm in the pursuit of Tessaiga, the only thing that could stir his temper was either Inuyasha's insolence or when someone threatened Rin. Of the two, he was not as adept at concealing his emotions when it came to Rin and as a result, he knew he was responsible for putting her in danger.
He might have returned to the village sooner if Kagome had not felt the need to insinuate that Rin would somehow be better off growing up with humans than himself. Sesshomaru could still recall when Rin had limped her way up to him with her meager offering, beaten and bruised, her eye closed up and swollen. She had been a tiny thing when he met her, malnourished, mute, and poorly treated by the humans with whom she lived. Only when he had revived her and began to travel with him and Jaken did she seem content and healthy. She had been young when she had been starved, so she did not grow much, but at least she did not have the sickly, starved look she had when she had stumbled upon him and she now spoke freely. Any other human would not have approached an injured demon in the forest, yet Rin had done so because she had already experienced the hatefulness of humans – a demon's mistreatment of her was hardly of any concern to a girl that was being abused by her own kind. As a result, she had flourished as a person traveling with two demons.
As such, he could not abide such an insult from Kagome.
Of course, Sesshomaru knew that the humans in Kaede's village would not lay a hand on Rin and, reluctant as he was to trust them, he could at least trust in their fear of him. Inuyasha and the others would make it clear who Rin's benefactor was and he doubted any human would risk Sesshomaru's wrath. If they did, they were fools that would learn quickly what happened to those that harmed her. Lesser demons would be handled by Inuyasha and his group, so he had no concern in that area. They had proven their worth as warriors.
Additionally, he knew that eventually he would need to return to his father's lands and while he had planned to leave Rin and Jaken at his estate, he reconsidered on the wisdom of such a decision. She would be close enough that he could return to her if he caught wind of anything, but too many of his enemies knew about her now and there were far more intelligent, powerful demons that might target her as a result. His father's own experience with Izayoi had proven that, no matter how clever they might think they were when it came to a human, other demons would find a way to get to their weaker companion.
Even through all of this rationalization, though, Sesshomaru had still not changed his course back towards the village. He had still been annoyed at Kagome's assumptions and, if he were honest, he did not want to leave Rin somewhere else. It was a selfish desire, one driven by his unwillingness to compromise. He was prepared to sacrifice his father's lands if it meant keeping Rin near him instead. He had not taken his place as the Lord of the Western Lands after his father initially because he had felt spurned by his sire and did not feel he had earned the right to such a title without the Tessaiga. Now that some time had passed and he was a little less prejudiced, he had intended to return to the lands with the Bakusaiga, but had delayed his plans. He knew taking Rin to the west when he would need to establish himself there was foolish and it would put her in danger.
And thus, it was out of frustration and necessity rather than mere concession that he returned to Kaede's village.
Like so many times before, he had to reconcile the selfish, prideful part of him with the more reasonable, compassionate side that Rin had awakened in him. He could have returned her to his estate and willfully ignored the possible trauma she might experience from being attacked by the many enemies of his father's that had begun to make a move on his lands. The younger him would have done as much, destroying the demons and forcing his will upon the situation and environment. His current self, however, recognized that Kaede's village was the safest place for her while he resolved the demon conflicts in the west.
In some ways, Sesshomaru resented that Rin had taught him to care for her so deeply. He constantly seemed to be at war with himself on whether to keep her safe or keep her close.
As he stood contemplating the journey back to Kaede's village, he heard a rustle behind him, although he did not bother to turn to meet his company. The accompanying, recognizable stink detailed his visitor without him needing to look upon them.
"I thought I smelled you," Inuyasha said with a note of disgust in his voice. "What the hell are you doing lurking out here?"
Sesshomaru shifted slightly, just enough so that he could turn his head to survey his brother. Inuyasha had changed very little in the last two hundred or so years. True, he had been locked in the Tree of Ages for fifty years, yet the other fifty were ones that Inuyasha had existed freely in the world. As he inspected him, he reflected that even half-demons' lives seemed far more accelerated compared to the brief ones that humans lived.
"So, the priestess is gone," Sesshomaru commented, ignoring Inuyasha's question altogether.
Inuyasha frowned and averted his gaze briefly, looking down towards the village. "Yeah," he said after a beat, "she went back to her own world. But she promised she would be back."
"Inuyasha, do you know how old you are in human years?" Sesshomaru asked abruptly.
"Eh?" The half-demon's brows bunched together and he began to count on his fingers, staring up at the darkening sky. After a few seconds, he ventured, "Fifteen, maybe?"
"Making me what?"
Inuyasha contemplated this again, muttering to himself before saying, "Nineteen years, right?" Abruptly, he scowled and dropped his hand. "What the hell do you take me for? Do the math yourself! Who cares about that, anyway? All that matters is how long you've been alive."
Sesshomaru's mouth lifted in a small, satisfied smile before he turned back to contemplate the village again. Inuyasha, suspicious, moved closer to stand beside Sesshomaru, albeit with a good deal of space between them. He, too, looked down at the village, a puzzled expression crossing over his features. "You have a demon's perspective of time," Sesshomaru noted. "To a demon, fifty years is the equivalent of a few hours. To a human, that is a lifetime."
"What's your point?" he gruffly demanded in return.
"Mortality is fleeting and death is inevitable for us all, even if it will be delayed for you and I."
Inuyasha was staring at him, simultaneously annoyed and perplexed as to where Sesshomaru was going with this train of thought. He did not expect Inuyasha to understand. Perhaps he had already come to terms with death and his companions' mortality. Sesshomaru, however, had not needed to face the concept of death until quite recently. Outside of Rin being frail in terms of strength, she would also die before him. It was quite likely that by the time she was an older woman, he would look no different than he did now. He had always considered that she could die from a demon attack, but only in the past few days did it dawn on him that she, too, could suffer the common diseases and troubles that come with being a human.
Given Inuyasha's confusion, Sesshomaru supposed he must have been the ignorant one in that respect.
"The priestess offered Rin a place here," Sesshomaru continued blithely, causing Inuyasha to blink at the change in topic. "It will be a temporary arrangement."
"How temporary?" Inuyasha asked with a frown.
"Seven years, at the most."
"That's pretty specific."
Sesshomaru levelled one of his hard stares at his younger brother, who cringed back slightly in alarm. "I expect you to keep the village safe while Rin is there. If I find that she's died because of your negligence, I will take your priestess as recompense." He paused, frowning slightly even as Inuyasha bristled with outrage. "Father made sure that neither of us could kill the other. That doesn't mean I can't kill a mere human. If she's not available, I'll take the other two instead."
"You..."
"Should I remind you that it was your demon slayer that tried to kill Rin last? You could say that you even owe her a favor."
Inuyasha seemed to want to continue his insult, but clenched his mouth shut. If Sesshomaru had suggested Inuyasha owed him a favor rather than Rin, he could expect a loud argument; however, because he had framed it in such a way, he knew that Inuyasha could not deny the truth in it. Regardless of whether it was due to Naraku's machinations, Sesshomaru did not take kindly to the threat on Rin's life. As such, he had blatantly ignored both her and Miroku when he had last left Inuyasha.
"It's not like I wouldn't keep her safe, anyway," Inuyasha muttered resentfully. He blew out a breath then, rubbing the back of his head. "Well...she can stay with Kaede. Kagome already talked to her about it before going back to her world. It's like she knew you were going to bring Rin back here. Where she at, anyway?"
Satisfied, Sesshomaru turned away from their vantage point and began to make his way toward the forest that was at the edge of the field.
"Hey! I asked you a question."
"Jaken will bring her tomorrow," Sesshomaru replied without a pause in his steps, ignoring Inuyasha's grumbles and the subsequent sound of his bare feet thumping down towards the field.
Alone once again, Sesshomaru paused in the middle of the field of silver grass and tipped his head back, peering up at the moon. He could either walk or fly back to where he had left Jaken and A-Un with Rin. As he debated this, however, his thoughts drifted back to what he had asked Inuyasha and what had triggered such a line of inquiry.
"You have become like your father in the strangest of ways."
His mother had made the comment when she had revived Rin after he had returned her from the underworld. He had not understood the cryptic words at the time, far too absorbed in his own relief of having Rin returned to him. It was only much later when he had overhead Rin and Jaken arguing that he had remembered what she said.
"Do you think Lord Sesshomaru loved Kagura?" Rin had asked Jaken, causing Sesshomaru to glance over his shoulder at the fire where the pair were sitting. Jaken was sputtering angrily to himself, too incensed to answer at first.
"Stupid girl!" Jaken had snapped. "Lord Sesshomaru would not lower himself to be with such a woman! She was not even a demon, let alone a human! She was a creation of Naraku, and nothing more!"
Rin had frowned at this and peeked over at Sesshomaru, unaware of his attention to them. He could not interpret the unease in her eyes. Whatever thought had occurred to her, she did not say, for she had quickly dropped her gaze back to her mushroom that she was roasting and said, "She seemed alive, so she must've been something, Master Jaken."
Jaken had gone on a long rant after that about demon incarnates, the noble blood of Toga, and the political nature of demon relationships that night, ending any conversation about Kagura.
Sesshomaru, however, had lingered on the thought. Rin had made a similar comment earlier to Jaken, saying that it was obvious Kagura loved him. He had inwardly scoffed at such a description. Kagura had been a selfish, self-serving creature, one of which he had pitied. Like Rin, Kagura had not understood that because she was born from Naraku, she could neither exist with him or without him, nor was she either human or demon as a result. She would have died much sooner if he had not been obliged to pull her out of the river when Rin had dived in to help her. Her foolish attempts at manipulating him for her own ends had not ingratiated him to her, but the fact that she clearly admired his strength and was desperate enough to risk death from him for her own purposes had earned his respect. Other demons would not have dared to talk to him as she had, let alone attempt to use the great Lord Sesshomaru to their own advantage.
As he had suspected, though, the Tenseiga could not save her and so he could not reward her with anything aside from his presence in her death. He was not moved the way he had been when Rin had died, nor did he feel a sense of loss in the same manner. And, when he was reminded of that, he was also reminded of what his mother had said to him. Aside from Rin, no demon, human, or any other creature could touch his heart. Even Jaken, who he had also saved from the Tenseiga, had only elicited a sense of responsibility rather than anything more.
Sesshomaru had been alive for over 200 years and while it was not long for a demon, it was long enough for him to become set in his ways. He could not tolerate other demons, whose greed for power often motivated them into seeking out his attention as a demon lord. The weakness and foolishness of humans similarly repulsed him, though for far different reasons. Out of all the creatures he had met over the years, Rin had been the only one who had wanted to be with him simply for him. He had been incapacitated when she had met him, so it was not as if she thought he could protect her from the villagers. Even Jaken had been seduced by his power and strength. She had snuck her way into his heart without him even realizing it. He knew now that he would not accept any other person as his partner.
In that respect, he was entirely like his father.
Rin was nine now and while she had essentially been his human companion for the entirety of their association, he knew that his pride would not accept her to remain with him until she had made a conscious choice to choose him. Her time in the village with humans would not only keep her safe, but would allow her to mature and grow into her own person without his influence. He had long ago abandoned the thought of taking a mate and, as Rin was both young and a human, the idea of her as his mate was unappealing. He had no desire to bear half-demons and he had no such desire towards Rin as she was now. If she chose to take a human mate and have her own children, it would be of no concern to him as long as she was still in his life and that he was still regarded above all others.
For him, it was as simple as wanting a loyal, loving companion by his side and the only one to fill that role would be Rin. Even after her death, he had no intention to seek out another to replace her. He could not imagine another human or demon could replicate Rin's selfless love and optimism.
Even with that amount of certainty, however, Sesshomaru was like all dog demons and men and still wanted to be chosen by his partner. He knew Kagome was fifteen and, since she had chosen Inuyasha, he had decided six or seven years amongst the humans would be more than enough for Rin to come of age and form her own opinions. If, by then, she no longer wished to be connected to the demon lord and preferred to live among humans, Sesshomaru would at least feel reassured to know that she had rejected him with a developed, sound mind. His ego would be no less bruised, of course, but it was a possibility that he was prepared to face.
Satisfied with his line of thinking and feeling confident in his decisions, Sesshomaru lifted into the air, his mokomoko extending far behind him as he made his way through the night sky back to his companions.
Act I, Part I
A warm breeze wafted over the village. The summer heat had begun to settle on the village by midday when most of the farmers had returned to their homes to avoid the high sun and children had begun to play in the nearby river. Most of the villagers were basking in the shadows, either napping or indulging in the drowsiness that came with the mid-afternoon. With most of the day's tasks done, Rin had wandered into the forest where the Tree of Ages lied and once she was in the clearing, she kicked off her sandals and drew closer, settling herself against the thick roots of the tree, the plush grass cushioning her where she sat. Leaning back, she squinted up, feeling the warm beams of sun rays that managed to spill their way between the leaves. It was cooler here beneath the shade, though, and gave her a welcome reprieve from the day's work.
In spite of her productive day, however, she felt a familiar heaviness in her heart that had nothing to do with the village.
Rin had been in the village for nearly seven years, learning the human customs she had missed as a child and growing into her teenage years beside other children her age. As a child, she had lived with Inuyasha, Kagome and Kaede until the pair had built their own house. She had remained behind with Kaede, who was grateful for the extra help now that her age and old wounds were catching up to her. For the first few years that she had lived in the village, life had not changed too much from her perspective. Kagome would sometimes let Rin tag along with her and Inuyasha if they heard of a minor demon terrorizing nearby villagers and Kaede had even taught her rudimentary archery skills that Rin enjoyed practicing in her free time. Sesshomaru would visit her often enough throughout the year so that she did not miss his company too terribly and occasionally Jaken would remain behind at the village for a few weeks before also departing.
In the recent years, however, Rin saw less of Sesshomaru and Jaken and life itself seemed stranger and ever more complicated. Kaede had begun to teach her the etiquette of being a wife and mother and, once Rin came of age, she scolded her for running off with Kohaku alone or staying out too late with him and the other village boys. After Rin had disobeyed too often, her, Kagome, and Sango sat her down to have a serious discussion about the licentious nature of boys of a certain age, causing no end of embarrassment for Rin. Perhaps Sango had also had words with her brother, for both he and Rin had been distinctly awkward for several months afterward.
It was also shortly after this that Rin had begun to notice the so-called 'wicked' attentions of the other village boys. One of the boys that was close friends with Kohaku, Hiroshi, was one that noticed her more than the others. He was the blacksmith's son that had begun to be trained as a demon slayer by Sango and Kohaku. She had grown up catching frogs with him, Kohaku, and he other village children, so she had never given anything he said or did a second thought. Now that she was aware, however, she took notice of how he went out of his way to bring her items during the day when she was working with the other women in the field or cooking. He would bring her a juicy fruit or pay her a compliment on her complexion, something that had perplexed Rin beforehand. Two years after the women had taken Rin aside, she now recognized the attentions from Hiroshi for what it was and, while it flattered her, it also made her deeply uncomfortable.
When she had been a child, the village children would tease and bully her mercilessly for her association with a demon. Everyone knew that Lord Sesshomaru came to the village to see her and from where she got her new kimonos and other gifts that she received over the years. They had seen her walk from the village with Sesshomaru during his visits and when he knew of the village being targeted, he would casually appear to protect Rin and then disappear just as quickly. She had vehemently defended Sesshomaru when the children teased her and said he was going to eat her up at the right time. It had been Kohaku who had laid the hostility to rest, saying rather serenely one day after Sesshomaru left, "Lord Sesshomaru is the greatest warrior there is – I admire him. But I wouldn't talk bad about him, if I were you. He doesn't like when people are mean to Rin."
It was not how Rin had wanted to handle the conflict, but the fear of Sesshomaru's anger seemed to be enough to hold the children's tongue and they certainly did not push her around after that. After a couple years, the children no longer seemed to care as she seamlessly began to integrate into the village's way of life and Sesshomaru's appearance became more common. And, as they all began to mature into teenagers, she was no longer seen as the child that travelled with a demon, but as the pretty girl that lived with the priestess.
Just as they were noticing Rin, however, her eyes had always been turned elsewhere.
It did not take long for her to notice that where Sesshomaru seemed so much older than her, the gap between them seemed to be closing. The last time she had seen him, she had openly gazed at him, aware that his features had not changed over the years even as she had grown older. She was still much shorter than him and would always be slender because of how malnourished she had been as a child, but she had developed the gentle curves of a young lady and was no longer quite as diminutive when standing next to him. And, because of this change, she found the wait between his visits excruciating and no amount of flirting with village boys made it any more tolerable.
Rin had known for awhile that her affection for Sesshomaru had always bordered on a deeper love. She had always cared for him and it had taken being left in Kaede's village for her to realize that it was more than appreciation or familial-like attachment. She had brushed it off as a girlhood crush when she was younger, halfway hoping that it was something so shallow. When it did not wane and her affection for him only seemed to strengthen over the years, Rin had resigned herself to the feeling. She was not ashamed for loving Sesshomaru, although she had no intention of declaring it to everyone, let alone the demon in question.
It was this that made her heart so heavy when her mind was not otherwise preoccupied.
She knew Sesshomaru's sentiments when it came to human and demon relations. She had heard him scorn Inuyasha's mother too regularly to not know where his opinion lied on the matter. She had tried to teach her heart to give Hiroshi a chance or to even consider one of the other boys that had complimented her, but she was always left feeling uncomfortable, as if she were being unfaithful. As soon as Sesshomaru came into the village to visit her, the same swooping sensation made her stomach turn circles and her feet were breaking into a run to meet him before she could stop herself.
But it had been nearly a year since she last saw Sesshomaru.
Pulling her legs up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs tightly and pressed her forehead against her knees. His visits had become more infrequent over the years, but there had never been so long a period between visits. She had analyzed everything she had said last time he visited, thinking perhaps she had said something that offended him or perhaps she had let on her feelings and it had repulsed him. She could find nothing in her memory, however, and when she had anxiously asked Inuyasha whether he thought something had happened, he had considered it and then shook his head.
"Trust me, Sesshomaru would have made sure to let you know somehow," Inuyasha had told her. "Whether by Jaken or some other way."
Lord Sesshomaru's never gone this long without seeing me, though, she thought dismally not for the first time. He's always seen me at least once or twice a year and would always tell me if he was going to be delayed.
"There you are," a brisk voice said, startling Rin from the dark path her mind was taking. She raised her head to see Kohaku approaching her, a disapproving frown on his lips. "We were looking for you. What are you doing in here?"
"We?" she repeated blankly.
"Hiroshi and a few of us were going down to the river since it's so hot out."
"Oh." Rin stretched out her legs, sighing. "I don't think I'll go this time. I'm not really in the mood."
Kohaku eyed her and then looked away, propping his hand on his hip. "Sesshomaru wouldn't like to see you like this, you know."
"Yes, but Lord Sesshomaru's not here," Rin replied, unsurprised that Kohaku was able to read her so well. They had known each other for so long that she was surprised he could not read every thought of hers.
Kohaku reluctantly smiled at this observation and dropped his hand, walking over to where she was leaning and sitting next to her. The pair of them sat in companionable silence for a long time, listening to the sounds of the animals that chattered above them in the tree branches. They had sat this way hundreds of times over the years, quiet and absorbed in their own thoughts. Of all the village children, they had lived the most unusual lives. It had taken Kohaku a long time to overcome the trauma of killing his family. He had not even wanted to live in the village initially, fearful that he might wake and slaughter everyone in his sleep. He had become more carefree as he grew older, but sometimes Rin could catch shadows in his eyes when he was around his family. And, like herself, the children had been wary of Kohaku when he first arrived in the village. He, too, had travelled with Sesshomaru for a time and he had the look of a tortured warrior rather than a child. But, because he was a boy, he was more readily accepted.
"Hiroshi's going to start building his own house here soon," Kohaku broke the silence at last. "Since Sango's been taking a step back to take care of the kids, he and I are going to be doing all of the demon slayer contracts." He prodded a piece of grass with the toe of his sandal. "He seems excited."
"Are you going to be building one soon, too?" Rin asked interestedly, thankful for the distraction from her own thoughts.
"No, I don't think so. Demon slayers don't usually take a permanent home until they get married – that's the only reason Sango and Miroku are here. But you know Hiroshi. It makes sense for him."
Rin nodded. Indeed, Hiroshi had told all of his friends about his end goal of taking on his father's place as the village blacksmith to hone his weapons and skills for the demon slayers as Sango and Kohaku trained others in their craft. It had been all he had spoken of since the two demon slayers settled in the village. He had been inspired and awe-struck by them and, already being an apprentice blacksmith, had practiced by using their weapons as a blueprint for his future equipment. He had become quite good over the years from what Rin could tell.
"He likes you a lot," Kohaku continued in a strangely neutral voice. "You should have seen him get in a fight with Takashi and Shinobu when they called you ugly."
"It's easy to be ugly next to Hana," Rin said reasonably. Hana was one of the other village girls who was exceedingly pretty. She, along with her two closest friends Mei and Akai, had their pick of the village boys when they were ready to be married and both Takashi and Shinobu had been fighting over Hana since they were kids. She and Kohaku had watched the many fights between the two boys over the years as Hana favored one or the other boy depending on her mood. Kohaku had confided in her that Miroku had once made a bet with Inuyasha on which boy would win Hana's favor during one such struggle.
"That's not really the point I'm trying to make."
"I know. I just don't want to think about it, I guess." Rin shrugged slightly.
"Well, you're going to have to think about it eventually. The only reason he's getting this house built is so he can be set up to ask you for your hand, Rin."
"I figured it was because he had just turned eighteen." She laughed slightly. "Besides, who's he going to ask permission from? Lord Sesshomaru? He doesn't like Hiroshi and neither does Inuyasha."
"Yeah, well...You're not wrong."
"Kaede said that it's not up to me who I get to marry, anyway. It'll be up to Lord Sesshomaru – or her, she said, if he doesn't want to take that responsibility."
"Okay, but what do you want?" Kohaku pressed, turning to face her and frowning. "You've never outright told me what you think about Hiroshi. I hate being the go-between you two. He wants to know information about you and then I'm over here, telling you stuff that I don't even know if you care about."
Rin was quiet for a moment, tipping her head back and closing her eyes, feeling the play of sunshine on her face from the scattered rays. Kohaku had asked her several times over the past couple years whether she was interested in any of the boys. There had really only been three boys that had expressed real interest in her and the other two had already gotten married after Rin had teased away their interest with jokes and one of those boys had ended up moving away to another village. Hiroshi was the only remaining suitor whose attention, it seemed, could not be diverted with teasing rejections or light-hearted insults. She had not had the heart to outright reject him, but now that they were older, she was beginning to feel the pressure to do as much. She knew Hiroshi too well by this point, though, and expected him to ask for a reason. She had no good reason to deny his offer outside of the one that she had kept close to her heart over the years. She could not imagine telling Hiroshi or even Kohaku, for that matter, that she was hesitating because of Sesshomaru. It was too embarrassing and she did not want to look foolish.
Opening her eyes, she found Kohaku leaning over her, peering into her face. His brows knit together when their gaze met. "Rin. Don't avoid the question."
I want to be with Lord Sesshomaru, she answered silently, even if it just means I can be by his side.
She smiled up at him in the hopes of easing some of his annoyance. "Sorry. I was just resting my eyes." She straightened up, forcing Kohaku to return to his place next to her, although he kept his arm braced against the side of the massive root. Instead, he propped his elbow against it and planted his cheek into the palm of his hand as she stretched her arms up. She could feel his eyes on her, impatiently waiting for an answer. "Hiroshi is nice enough, but I don't really think of him that way. And, besides that...He's a little too forward for my liking."
"Too forward?" Kohaku repeated, dropping his hand in surprise. "What do you mean?"
Rin hesitated. Like Sesshomaru, Kohaku was fiercely protective of her. She knew from experience that he would just as readily jump into a fight on her accord and had exchanged words with more than a few of the girls in the village when they had been circulating some rather unsavory rumors about her. Because Hiroshi was his best friend, she had been careful not to report some of the things that the other teen had said or done over the years. Instead, she had been careful to avoid him in certain environments so that Kohaku would never be forced to choose between his two friends.
With him asking so directly, though, Rin did not think she could lie to him.
"He's...very touchy," she said at last. Catching the sight of outrage on his face, she hastily grabbed his arms as if she could physically restrain him. "He hasn't done anything that bad! There's just been a couple time when he's tried to get me too close or when we're alone, he'll sometimes try to kiss me after I've said no."
"That bad?" Kohaku repeated indignantly. "Why didn't you say something sooner?" In the few seconds that Rin was silent, Kohaku's eyes narrowed on her. "Is it because you were afraid of Lord Sesshomaru knowing?"
"What?" Rin blinked at him. "No! I mean, I would hate for him to know because you know how he can get about things like that, but I didn't want you getting in a fight with Hiroshi. He's your best friend. A lot of guys are like that and I know Mei tends to tease the boys and say 'no' to get them to chase her. It's not his fault if that's how the other girls are."
"This is ridiculous, Rin," Kohaku muttered, shaking off her hands and rising to his feet. "You know that his father would have his neck if he found out about that – just because the other girls do it doesn't mean that gives him a right to try and steal a kiss from you!"
"But he didn't, so it's fine," she said, her voice taking on a pleading note. "Please, Kohaku, don't make this into a big thing. I only told you so you'd stop asking me about him. It's not like – " She broke off, stiffening when she heard the sound of a wolf howl in the distance.
Kohaku, hearing the sound as well, reached down and took her hand, pulling her up. "Kouga must be on his way," he said. "Come on. Let's get back to the village. We'll drop it for now."
She nodded and after scrambling to put on her sandals, she clasped his hand tightly as the two of them ran back towards the village. Even though it had been eight years since she had been attacked by Kouga's wolves, she had not managed to overcome her fear of the beasts. Any time that Kouga visited Kagome in the village, Rin shut herself up in Kaede's home and would not leave until the old woman could ascertain they were gone. She had never been out in the open when they were nearby, but Kohaku's presence with her was reassuring.
And, even though she could hear the wolf cries responding to each other in the distance, she was grateful for the interruption. For now, the subject of Hiroshi, marriage, and anything else could be avoided.
It had taken Kagome far too long to find Inuyasha. He was lounging up in a tree, looking grumpy and glowering down at Kouga, who had come to the village two days prior with news of a nearby demon clan that was attacking humans. He had been in a terrible mood ever since Kouga had returned and while Kagome understood his sentiments, she was not about to let him stay in a tree while there were demons rampaging the countryside. Kouga had returned today to tell Kagome that they had lost the trail of the demons, a fact that Kagome inwardly thought would have never happened if Inuyasha had gone out with Kouga like she asked the first time.
"Inuyasha, are you seriously going to stay up in that tree the whole time?" she demanded up to him. He sent her a surly look and then turned his nose up, looking the other way. Bristling, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Sit."
There was a bang and the yelping sound as Inuyasha hit the ground.
"This has really got to stop," Kagome continued angrily. "Kouga was nice enough to come here and tell us about the demons! The least you could do is help him to see if you can find them. They're too close to the village."
"So what?" Inuyasha muttered, struggling to get to a sitting position. "If they come, that's all the better. I can take care of them here."
"After having how many homes and lives lost? Don't you think this village has endured enough damage for one lifetime?"
Inuyasha had no response to his, settling into another brooding silence. Kin'u and Gyokuto had run to meet Kouga, the two girls reveling in the wolf demon's attention. He threw them up in the air and caught them with ease, laughing good-naturedly as they shrieked with laughter. Kagome watched them, unable to help herself from smiling. Kouga had always been good with children, but had taken a particular liking to the twins. Of all their old friends, Kouga was the only one who had yet to settle down with a wife of his own. Seeing him with the children, she thought it was a pity that he had not yet – he would have made a wonderful father.
"Pisses me off," Inuyasha muttered almost to himself.
"What does?"
"There are demons this close to the village and he still hasn't bothered to show up."
"Um, excuse me? He's right over there, Inuyasha."
"Not him!" he snapped irritably, getting to his feet. "Sesshomaru. He hasn't been here for basically a year, then there's these demons and he still hasn't come by? What's his problem?"
"There have been other times that demons have attacked the village and he hasn't been here," Kagome said with a touch of surprise. This was not at all the subject she was expecting. Although, now that she reflected upon it, Sesshomaru also had an uncanny tendency to show up when Kouga was around, too. "We've even taken Rin with us a few times. Why are you so upset?"
"I'm not upset," Inuyasha replied, "just confused. It's not like Sesshomaru to go missing for a year – not when it comes to Rin. He's always put her first."
"Well...maybe it's a good thing that he keeps his distance."
Inuyasha turned around to look at her. "What, why?"
Kagome said nothing for a long moment, turning her gaze from Kouga and the laughing twins, instead looking out towards the river where some of the men were pulling up the nets that had caught the fish going downstream. Amidst the men, she recognized the tall figure of Kohaku and his friend, Hiroshi. Both of the teens were turning a deep, nutty tan from the early summer sun, their dark hair damp from the river water. Where Kohaku's long hair was tied back, Hiroshi had opted for a shorter cut similar to Miroku's and the dark hair stuck wild in every direction. The two boys laughed as they pulled the net onto the river bank, Hiroshi thrusting a fish towards Kohaku in jest.
Everyone in the village knew that Hiroshi was interested in Rin as his wife as the two were at an age where it was normal to begin to look for a marriage partner. It had taken Kagome some time to become accustomed to such outdated traditions, but she knew that they were even older than some of the villagers, who Kaede said had been married as young as ten. There had seemed to be an expectation that Rin would accept Hiroshi's marriage offer, but both Sango and Kagome had been hoping the other boy in the pair would make such an offer instead. It was clear to anyone in their tight-knit group that Kohaku had eyes only for Rin, but it was also equally apparent that he had no intention of making these feelings known to her. Sango believed this to be due to Hiroshi, while Kagome had taken a rather different view of the matter.
Some time ago, Miroku had taken notice of Hiroshi's dual personalities when it came to the girls in the village. While he often went out of his way to be sweet and flattering towards Rin, he had a perverted nature towards the other girls in the village. This might not have garnered any notice given Miroku's own personality when he had been younger, but there was a forceful, mean-spirited nature behind it that was unappealing. He had not mentioned this to either Sango or Kagome, instead reporting it to Inuyasha, who he knew had been tasked with looking after Rin in Sesshomaru's stead while she was in the village. When Inuyasha had began to take on a bullying nature towards the boy, he had been obliged to explain to Kagome his reasons for the behavior.
Even if Kohaku had been unaware of his friend's treatment of the village girls, Kagome thought Kohaku was too clever to spend that much time with his friend and not at least suspect that he might have some rather unsavory inclinations. As such, she doubted he would have stepped down for his friend if it meant that Rin could end up in a poor marriage match.
Instead, she had begun to suspect that Kohaku had not done anything out of respect for Sesshomaru's claim on Rin.
Kohaku had traveled with Sesshomaru before Naraku had been defeated. His own life had even been spared by Sesshomaru, who had tracked him down when he kidnapped Rin on Naraku's orders. Even though he did not have the same connection to Sesshomaru as Rin or Jaken, Kohaku had always admired Sesshomaru and been loyal to him as much as any vassal. He would have seen the attachment Rin had to Sesshomaru and vice versa and would consider it overstepping without first speaking with Sesshomaru. Kohaku had too much respect for the dog demon to do otherwise.
Kagome could not explain her theory to Inuyasha, however, who no more understood Sesshomaru's drive to keep Rin safe than he would Kohaku's loyalty to his older brother. She could not explain to her husband that Sesshomaru was interfering in Rin's future by visiting her at the village. When she had suggested Rin be left at the village, she had meant for him to leave her with them and continue on with whatever other plans he had for himself. She had not thought that Rin would somehow fit into Sesshomaru's life plan and while she had suspicions now that Rin was older, she was not about to reveal them to Inuyasha. She loved Inuyasha, but when it came to Sesshomaru, he often acted without thinking, usually with rather unfortunate results.
"Rin should be thinking about getting married," Kagome said presently. "One of these days, Sesshomaru is going to come back and she's going to have her own family started."
"That's a stretch," Inuyasha snorted. "You should see the way she looks when Sesshomaru comes here. I don't see her that happy for anyone."
"And you don't see anything wrong with that?"
"Why should I? It's not like he's trying to fatten her up as a meal like the kids used to say. I don't care what Sesshomaru does, unless he's out to hurt Rin." He shrugged. "She's happy when he's here and she's living a decent life, Kagome. I don't see anything wrong with that."
"That's because you're blind!"
He scowled at her, seeming just as exasperated with her as she was with him just then. "Sesshomaru didn't intend for Rin to stay here at the village her whole life. Eventually he's going to come back to get her and it's going to be up to her whether she goes with him or not. I'm not going to put my nose where it doesn't belong." He jabbed a finger towards her meaningfully. "And you shouldn't, either. I know you and Sango are cooking up some plan for Rin and I'm telling you, Kagome, don't do it. I don't want to deal with Sesshomaru bitching at me about whatever it is you guys got going on."
"OI! Mutt!" Kouga's loud voice shouted as he spotted the pair and made his way towards them. "You avoiding me?"
Inuyasha cast her one last warning look before she was even given a chance to respond to his tirade. As the two met each other, Inuyasha snorting at Kouga's attempt at banter, Kagome considered over Inuyasha's words. She was somewhat nettled that Inuyasha had actually noticed her and Sango's designs on bringing Kohaku and Rin closer together and, admittedly, she was a little embarrassed at being so transparent. Even though she wanted to react emotionally, she had to admit that when it came to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha was likely the only person who could make any predictions when it came to the dog demon's behavior.
She tried to remember back to the last time Sesshomaru had come to the village. It had been last autumn, if she remembered correctly, and he had showed up with Jaken shortly after dusk when the villagers were celebrating for a festival. Like Inuyasha, Sesshomaru stood out amongst the humans with his tall physique and white hair. Rin had been otherwise occupied on the other end of the village, so Inuyasha and Kagome had caught sight of him first.
"She's over there," Inuyasha had said without Sesshomaru saying anything, gesturing towards one of the other fires at the end of the narrow pathway. Rin had been wedged between Kohaku and Hiroshi, bundled up warmly and nibbling on a roasted sweet potato. Sesshomaru had looked over towards her without any expression as Inuyasha became distracted with one of the younger village children needing help, leaving Kagome alone with the demon lord as Jaken made his way through the humans towards Rin.
The pair of them had watched as Jaken squawked something to Rin and she turned around, her face lighting up in delight. Potato in hand, she had hugged Jaken and picked him up, causing what looked to be a good deal of embarrassment on Jaken's part. And then, after returning Jaken to the ground, Rin had scanned the crowds of people until her eyes landed on Sesshomaru, her eyes glowing with warmth upon seeing him. She had waved enthusiastically in greeting while beside her, Kohaku also waved a hand and Hiroshi had begun to poke at Jaken with some interest.
"My next visit here will be my last," Sesshomaru had said suddenly to Kagome, turning and looking at her with that serene, expressionless mask of his. "You would do well to let Inuyasha know." After that, he had strode through the crowds to meet Rin, who had already been making her way towards him.
Kagome had completely forgotten to say anything to Inuyasha, let alone linger overly too long on the significance of his words. After that, she had been distracted by the twins and then a small fire had broken out near one of the houses. After the festival, Sesshomaru had remained in the area much longer than usual, staying through the entirety of autumn until the temperatures finally dipped and the days were at their shortest. Only then did Sesshomaru depart with Jaken in tow, remaining absent throughout both winter and spring.
As she inspected the memory more closely, she realized she had been missing something that her husband might not have missed throughout the years. She had been watching Sesshomaru that night at the festival as he approached Rin, although she could not have said why she had been watching them so closely. While Rin's expression was so open and joyful, unless one looked very closely, Sesshomaru was impossible to read. For the briefest moment, she had seen a smile on his face when Rin had rushed up to him and Kagome was sure she had remembered a look of pleasure cross his face when he had seen her.
Maybe Inuyasha's right, Kagome thought, chewing on her bottom lip thoughtfully. For once, maybe he actually saw something I didn't and I should just let things...play out.
