"Simply Love Me"

Chapter 4

Dinner Continued

"We're home guys!" Inuyasha shouted as he and Sesshoumaru walked up the steps to the courtyard entrance. Kagome and her children ran out to greet them. Inuyasha and Kagome embraced and shared a sweet kiss. "You're just in time! Supper is ready."

"Great, I'm famished." His stomach growled loudly at that point.

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru in surprise. "Sesshoumaru? Are you joining us for dinner?" Over the years he had taken a particular liking to human cooking but always chose to eat alone in his room and cook his own meals. But tonight, it seems that he had a change of mind.

"I believe so. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, of course not! You're welcome to eat with us anytime." She smiled warmly up at him. He watched Inuyasha play fight with his little boys, laughing uproariously. Kioko tugged at his ears and squealed with delight as he tickled her mercilessly. Sesshoumaru felt a strange longing begin to form in his heart as he observed the happy family. They looked so happy and carefree.I wonder if I could ever feel that way?

"He makes a wonderful father," Kagome remarked, seeing Sesshoumaru watching them.

Sesshoumaru was silent.

"Okay kids! Enough horse-playing now, it's time to get our grub on!" The children gleefully ran inside, eager to do some serious chow down.

Inuyasha grinned widely and led her back into the large dining room. He looked back at Sesshoumaru and asked, "Are you coming?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes. You go on ahead."

"Okay, come on Kagome."

Sesshoumaru smelled Rin's sweet jasmine scent by the steps outside the kitchen door. She was waiting for him to come to her. He went over and sat down next to her.

"Rin." he started.

Rin looked up at him with her warm brown eyes. "Sesshoumaru, you're back."

"Yes."

"I-I missed you."

Sesshoumaru sighed quietly and stared at his feet. He didn't know what to say to her. He felt awkward for the first time in his life, and it was not a welcoming feeling.

"Rin. About this morning."

She smiled knowingly at him and put up a hand. "It's all right. I understand."

"Do you really?"

"Yes, you didn't mean to, it was an accident. We were both kind of in shock and I think you were in denial too. But Sesshoumaru, I must confess, I liked it."

His golden eyes darkened. "You did?"

"Yes, it felt wonderful, so real. I have never been kissed by a man before."

He growled darkly, "I should hope not."

She giggled sweetly and leaned her head on his arm. "Will you like it if I have a suitor?"

"Over my dead body. You are too good for anyone human man, such weaklings. They cannot possibly take care of you."

"Then who will?"

Sesshoumaru decided to change the subject. "I do not think you should be touching me like that, Rin."

"You don't like me touching you?"

"It is not that, it is." I might not be able to stop myself if you keep going like that.

"You really should learn to voice your emotions, Sesshoumaru. I want to know what goes on inside your head. Don't close yourself off; let me help you. You present yourself as this cold, distant lord who cares naught about anyone. But I know you better than that; you're caring and gentle deep inside. You just are scared to show it." She stared at him with those chocolate brown eyes with their somber innocence.

"Rin, I-"

"Sesshoumaru, Rin! Get in here, dinner's getting cold," Inuyasha called out from the doorway.

They got up without speaking and went inside the warmly lit room. The whole family was gathered around a rectangular table. Rin took a seat between Kagome and Sango. Sesshoumaru sat next to Inuyasha at the end.

"All right! Let's dig in guys!" Inuyasha had grabbed his chopsticks but Kagome stopped him with a gentle hand. "Hey, what did you do that for, honey?"

"If you haven't forgotten, Sesshoumaru is the head of the house. He must eat first."

"Oops, I'm sorry. I forgot since you never ate with us before."

"What's the special occasion, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Mirokou looked at him curiously.

"Tis none of your concern, Mirokou." Can't a youkai eat in peace without getting harassed, he thought exasperatingly? "Kindly begin eating everyone."

He tasted a piece of sushi and licked his lips in appreciation. Inuyasha finished wolfing down two ramen bowls one at a time and began on the huge steak spread out before him in record time. Sesshoumaru stared at him in disbelief. He hadn't seen his brother eat like this in such a long time. Everyone else ate politely, with the exception of the children. Kagome looked on in delight and Rin laughed at him gobbling down all the food and the piling dishes.

"Slow down, Inuyasha, or you might choke to death on something!" Kagome pulled at his ear for him to decrease his eating speed. He pouted at her and slowed his pace down a bit.

"Well, Sesshoumaru-sama, it's been an honor to have you here. We hope to have you over more times than this," Sango remarked.

"We shall see, Lady Sango, we shall see." He drained the last drop of soup and reached over for the bread at the same time Rin did. There was one last piece and their hands touched. It was like an electrical shock and they both pulled back instantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sesshoumaru, you have it." Rin clutched her shaking hand in puzzlement.

He shook his head and handed the loaf of bread to her.

"No, no! If you want to eat it I couldn't possibly-" She waved her hands in protest and leaned back slightly.

Inuyasha broke into the argument by saying, "All right! All right! You both don't want it, so I'll take it!" He reached over and snatched the bread out of Sesshoumaru's hand. "There, it's all taken care of!"

Sesshoumaru growled annoyingly. "Grrr." He snatched it back from Inuyasha and looked at Rin with a small curl on his lips.

"Here, we will share." He broke the bread in half and handed her a piece. She bowed her head gratefully at him and grinned widely.

"Thank you."

"Hey, you guys need to make up your minds next time!" Inuyasha raged at them. Kagome laughed, "Inuyasha can be such a kid when it comes to food." She cut a small piece of steak and fed it into his mouth. He bared his teeth at her appreciatively.

Rin sighed as she watched their playful antics. She wondered what it would be like to eat with Sesshoumaru as Kagome was to Inuyasha. It seemed so fun and carefree.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru, I almost forgot to ask you," Sango spoke up.

He looked at her curiously. "Ask me what?"

"You know my brother Kohaku?"

"Yes." Where was this leading?

"Well, after the fight with Naraku, he was revived so he decided to go out and make his fortune in the faraway lands. It has been years since I have spoken to him. He just contacted me yesterday and I told him about you and your mountain palace. He really wants to see me and I was wondering if you would let him come here and visit."

"Kohaku is coming here?" Rin asked excitedly. "I haven't seen him in such a long time, oh please, may he come visit here Sessshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru looked on blankly and thought, Kohaku, eh? The young boy who died and had one of the Shikon fragments in his back? Sango's brother, I remember him faintly, a young boy of ten years with a short pony tail and freckles.I almost killed him, for trying to hurt Rin, but I understand now that that wasn't his fault. Rin's playmate and friend. If he came here, maybe he will occupy her and make her stay far from me.

"How old is he now, Sango?" Rin asked.

"Eighteen, I believe."

"I can't wait to meet him, I have so many questions to ask!"

"Well, that is, if Lord Sesshoumaru-sama will let him."

"You will, won't you, Sesshoumaru?"

"I see no harm in it," he replied indifferently.

Everyone cheered and Sango said, "I think Kohaku will be coming sometime this week or the next, accordingly to what he said."

"I'd like to meet him after all these years. I wonder if he's changed at all," Kagome pondered.

"Must be, he's a man now."

Sesshoumaru stood up suddenly and walked to the door. "Sesshoumaru, where are you going?" Rin started to get up after him but he held up a hand. "Aren't you staying for dessert?"

"No thank you. I have business in village," he said curtly. He went out into the chilly night sky and took off, flying south towards the small village below the mountains.

"What busi-" Rin started to say when he flew off. She shook her head softly.

"Where was he going?" Kagome asked when she sat back down.

"He just said business in the village, he never was an explaining kind of person."

As Rin sat there, picking at her food dejectedly, she contemplated why he had taken off so suddenly. She was determined to go see him tomorrow, because she missed him already.

Author's Note: This chapter is rather short because I'm getting ready for the next one. Tell me what you think.