Agh, I haven't updated in ages! Gomen! I've been so busy working on my costume for the upcoming con (I'm going as Hyatt from Excel Saga with my friend as Excel, in case anyone cares) Again, thanks for the reviews! I love you guys ^^ Well, here it is, as promised! Chapter three!

"You're awake." It was a statement, not a question, but the human seemed to think it was.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru sama! I feel a lot better now! But…what happened?"

Her face wrenched up in confusion. He didn't respond, and waited for her to remember. She reached up and touched her forehead, then and light of understanding lit up her big brown eyes, followed by tears filling them up.

Sesshoumaru did not understand why she was crying so. He knew that when humans were upset, they sometimes cried. But Rin's tears were something totally new-something totally unaccounted for. She'd always been……what was that word? She'd always been happy. When she was little, she cried rarely, but when she did, Sesshoumaru knew it was a common act among children and ignored it. Soon the tears went away and back came her sunny disposition and her ailments were long-forgotten.

"Why didn't you come for me?" Her clear voice bit through the tears, shriekingly high, before she knew it. Sudden panic gripped her. What was she doing? Was she questioning Sesshoumaru sama?

She thought to herself, why does he look so calm, so unalarmed, when I'm on the verge of hysteria? He should be furious at her impertinence. He should have struck her down anytime now.

She opened an eye a crack and saw him staring at her.

He didn't respond, and Rin thought she saw fury in those golden-rimmed eyes. She caught his gaze and held it, probably the most courageous act she'd ever committed in all their time together.

He just watched her, and watched her, his eyes daring her to keep looking, until finally she dropped her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru sama. Rin is sorry!"

Her voice seemed to revert back to the childish five year old voice that had pleaded with him so many years ago for forgiveness. He noted this with a strange kind of happiness. She wasn't changing, after all. So simple were these humans; they didn't change over time.

Turning away from her, he said in a stoic, detached tone, "Make sure you stay within my sight from now on," then headed towards the water lapping above the shore.

"Rin is going to finish her bath now," she said, still using the five year old voice, "Rin won't be long." Her voice was dappled with shame; he didn't hear it; he felt it, too.

As she waded into the water, he felt that shooting pang, almost an ache. It was something he didn't understand, and it infuriated him that a mere human could have this sort of effect on him.

A slight, nagging feeling plagued him. Guilt. He should have rescued her instead of waiting of trying to kill the hanyou.  It's only a human. He could kill her in one blow

And yet….

Only hours before, he'd been unable to resist her. Her silent, still, sleeping body had looked so beautiful, so innocent….but so weak.

Why did he kiss her? A practice he'd seen only among humans, he never thought he would do it himself. And to a human, nonetheless.

When he removed his lips from her, they were stained with her blood.

He didn't wipe it away.

The taste of her blood still lingered faintly on his lips. Strangely, it had a different taste than his own demon blood. It was sweeter. He glanced backwards to make sure she was still there. Ever since the latter incident, he'd been unable to take his eyes off of her. He even allowed himself to feel guilty, guilty, for this human that he'd neglected to rescue.

She was waist-deep in the water, facing away from him. She had grown; her bare, girlish figure was almost completely shadowed, but the moonlight made her ebony hair glint. This feeling had had; it wasn't lust, but it definitely wasn't love. So what was it?

Her soft little voice glittered over to him. She'd always loved to sing.

Her singing had annoyed him to no end before, but now his ear tingled with a faint sort of pleasure. What was he doing? As much as he tried to deny it, he was drawn to her. Not the same way her childlike innocence drew him before. Now, this was different. He felt more than just the urge to protect her.

He wanted to feel her against him, breathing and her eyes fluttering with dreams. He wanted to stroke her silken hair for hours. Oh, gods. He'd only had this feeling once before in his entire life, long before Rin was even born, but it hadn't lasted. Nor did he want it to persist. He recognized it, though.

 He wanted her to be his mate. A human. A human mate.

 

She left the water, covering her nakedness as she searched for her dirty yukata. Sessshomaru glanced over at her once, trying hard not to let his eyes linger.

"It's over here," he said, gesturing towards the heap of cloth on the ground. After this new revelation, he didn't know if he'd be able to take it.

Something rash, something far more dangerous than anything he'd ever encountered, was pushing up through the comfortable malice he'd always felt for humans. Something that threatened to throw everything off balance.

"Sesshoumaru sama? May I…..may Rin….?" She trailed off, the childlike demeanor returning.

He glanced over at her purposefully, and she blurted out, "May Rin sleep next to you? It is very cold outside."

He froze. "I'm going out tonight."

His passive icyness made the long night seem even longer to Rin, who had been looking forward to the softness of the fluffy under her cheek and Sesshoumaru's warmth enveloping her gently. She curled up under the tree, alone, trying to contain her own warmth.

From a distance, Sesshoumaru watched her until she breathed steadily, then quickly turned away. A small, cynical smile slowly spread across his lips.

Forget the human, he told himself, refusing to even call her by her name even in his thoughts. There are far more important things. His mind was already focusing on retrieving the last piece of the wishing cup and daybreak. Soon, he would have everything he wanted.

I know this chapter was pretty short…but next time I'll have an extra long one, kay? I hope you enjoyed it thus far! The next chap is probably the most dramatic so far, so stay tuned! I'm having a bit of trouble describing Sesshomaru's thoughts (I'm not sure I'm doing it quite right…-.- ) but I hope I'm doing well enough. Please review!

x~Aurora chan