Sorry for the delay, school's been a beast -.- and I've been so busy working on the costumes for the con. Here you go, chapter four! Enjoy!

Because….Chapter Four

Not far away, a white-haired hanyou stood gazing at the same sky.

He glanced at Kagome to make sure she was still asleep.

Hours had passed since the encounter with Sesshomaru, and his blood still boiled with anger even though he'd gotten the second piece to the wishing cup.

When he'd reached Kagome a short time later, she was sitting in the middle of the forest, trembling.

"Sesshomuar's human. Rin," she'd said, "She was hurt. I tried to save her, but Sesshomaru came and took her away."

"It doesn't matter," he'd responded, "You're not responsible for her, are you? Now let's go."

Still, she had seemed reluctant to revert to happiness. She tried to explain several times something about she and Rin being alike in so many ways, and that she felt a bond…but Inuyasha didn't understand.

"You okay?" He asked gruffly, which was probably the most emotion he was accustomed to showing.

"I'm fine," she said despondently, signing a little.

Though the two of them loved one another, they rarely showed it in public. Kagome figured that Inuyasha got embarrassed, and sure enough, his cheeks were flushed when he said, "Kagome, I'll come down from the tree tonight."

She smiled. "that's really sweet."

So they stretched out onto the grass and she buried her face into his chest and closed her eyes. She felt the familiar gentleness of his silken skin, but at the same time his muscles were tensing.

"Relax, Inuyasha, I'm not gonna bite."

It had been too long since they had felt one another's presence so closely. Inuyasha took a deep breath and pulled her in a little closer, feeling the heat between their bodies intensify. He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to overtake her. Then he unfolded her off of him and made his way out to the stars.

He didn't need much sleep; but now it simply wouldn't come. Too many things were gnawing at him- the increasing violence and passion of Sesshomaru for the wishing cup and his own overwhelming feelings for Kagome.

He sighed and shook his head in frustration. The ring was in his pocket. He'd managed to find out what humans did when they got married, and then bought her a ring. The problem was waiting for the right time to give it to her.

::Rin::

For some reason this one memory stuck out in her head. It had been about four years ago, when she was thirteen. She'd been sick- caught pneumonia in the dead cold of winter. She was going to die, she felt it.

Sesshomaru had rushed her to the nearest village and in his icy calm way, demanded that they treat her. At first they were too terrified to do a single thing, but one more glance from Sesshomaru made them change their minds.

She remembered drifting out of a fiery consciousness, feeling her chest flaming up with wretched hacks. But always, Sesshomaru had been there, and she knew he wouldn't abandon her.

She wondered how he could possibly be so devoted to her, and why in the world he was wasting his time with her…but she knew that he had to care, or else he wouldn't bother.

So what was going on now? Was she so different from when she was younger?

She gazed at her reflection in the lake. She didn't look much different. There was still the cascading black hair, the inquisitive, innocent eyes…only she was older. Her body had matured and her face, once cute, now radiated beauty.

That terrible, cold feeling assaulted her suddenly and fiercely. Her mind flashed to the day her family had been slaughtered in front of her eyes. After they had died, she'd been so lost, so alone…the very feeling that was piercing her heart now.

"Rin? Do you know the whereabouts of Sesshomaru sama?" Jaken asked. She glanced at him, pain wringing her eyes. "Jaken? Have you ever been in love?"

His eyes got all glazed over. "Sesshomaru sama…." He mumbled, and

following afterwards was a string of incoherent syllables.

She took one look at him and laughed. "silly fangirl Jaken," she said, but he was too engrossed in his fantasies of Sesshomaru that he didn't hear her.

"Let me make a fire," she added, "it's a little chilly tonight."

She thought of Sesshomaru's fleeting warmth. For being a demon, he was warm, so warm.

After sitting at the fire for awhile, she felt herself drifting off. I wish Sesshomaru were here with me, she thought.

The image of him gazing at her filled her mind as she let sleep overtake her.

My Sesshomaru, she thought.

Sesshomaru was annoyed. The next morning, Rin greeted him with the same warmth as usual, presenting him with a huge bouquet of flowers she'd undoubtedly gathered earlier that morning.

His mind was detached from her, as usual, in his typical shunning of humans, but he sensed something else coming from Rin besides her everlasting cheerfulness.

It was so strange- another one of those infuriatingly simple human emotions that was beyond his understanding.

Her sad, dark eyes followed him as he walked across the grass to pick up his armor.

"Sesshomaru sama does not like being stared at," stated Jaken, staring pointedly at Rin.

"Sesshomaru does not like being spoken for," he said, and shot the small demon a glowering expression.

Jaken shrank back. "gomenasai!" He shrieked.

Sesshomaru shifted his glance back to Rin, who looked slightly pink in the cheeks. "Come," he said shortly, and he began his wayward journey through the forest, straight to where the filthy hanyou scent was wafting under his nose.

He glanced behind him. As usual, as it had been for as long as either of them could remember, she was riding and Ah and Un, and Jaken was straggling behind. That sad little expression hadn't left her face, and now she gazed off into the distance with a vacant look in her eyes.

"Rin."

Her head turned abruptly towards him, and for a moment he thought he caught the very essence of her soul in those chocolate brown eyes, but suddenly a veil spread over them and the look was gone.

"Yes, Sesshomaru sama?"

"Get off of Ah and Un and walk next to me."

She didn't dare question him. Not now, not after the awkwardness of the night before. She didn't know where they were going or what they were doing, but she did know one thing as surely as she knew her own name. Sesshomaru was ready to kill, if necessary. She didn't dare interfere now.

Tentatively approaching him, she stopped a few inches behind him. Walking right by his side wasn't natural, somehow, but her distance seemed to satisfy him.

What in the world is he doing? She wondered, watching his white tresses swinging with each step he took. He wasn't angry, that was for sure, but with Sesshomaru sama, she could never tell.

Why would he want to be near to her? Then the answer dawned on her, and she was almost sure she was right. This was his way of an apology, almost, for the night before. To put himself on the same ground and on the same level as a human would be humbling for him.

She smiled a little bit and all the raw hurt seemed to slip away. She was so happy that her hand reached for the edge of his sleeve and held on. For now, they were connected.  

Sorry if this chap is a little boring….I felt like I had to do a little more exploring with their feelings before I went to the big battle scene coming up ^_~ Next chapter is the most dramatic ever! Yakusoku! Please review if you want the next chap sooner! I love reviews! Thanks for all the reviews so far!

x~Aurora chan