Hello peoples. Long time no see.
I'll keep this short and simple.
I hit the 700 review mark which makes me so happy that I should go to the hospital before I do my facial muscles harm. Thank you, thank you, thank you for both reviewing and for letting me know that you don't think I'm odd for listing everyone down. I owe you guys a lot.
That said, I am going to have to hold off on listing everyone this time around. Why? Because it is almost 2 in the morning and if Ms. Vegita-dias burns anymore candles at both ends she's going to wind up burning herself out. I'll get my proper thank you's out in the next chapter while I desperately hope that you'll enjoy this one. Hope a BIG FAT "THANK YOU EVERYONE" IN BOLD CAPS makes up for my neglect, in part. Especially to my beta who recently graduated, a big round of applause to Ms. Rikou Suiyou for taking such a big step in her life.
That said, I give you fair warning that the Wedding is here and you guys will either like it, hate it, or think that I'm a weirdo. It is very much an unorthodox wedding and I have taken certain liberties with wedding vows (I half-way made up some of them because: (1) I couldn't decide if I wanted it to be a Japanese Wedding or Western wedding and (2) I love it when couples make up their own vows – this is legal BTW). Here's hoping you don't all hate me afterwards.
Also, please excuse me for not progressing the story enough. I was going to make the wedding short and non-descriptive so that I could move on to the party and bring this story to an end but...I thought you guys deserved better than a condensed milk version of their union.
Disclaimer: I am not rich therefore I must not own.
"Mother," said the child.
"Yes, my little one," she replied.
"How did I come to be born?"
It was an innocent question and yet, it caused her to flush. Her lips turned up into a smile as she replied quite evenly, "you were born in love."
"In love?" queried the child.
"Yes, I love your father and he loves me. And so it was that we came together to make you."
"But how can that be? You can't touch love and you certainly can't see it. How could you make me so?"
"A simple thing it is, dear child. For you observe love in the way two people act around one another. It's there in every sigh they make, every breath they take, every time they touch, everything they say. That is how you see love."
"But how does that create me?"
"It is something that happens when two people desire to create a life to symbolize their love. I, myself, married your father and I love him, just as he loves me...and here you are today."
"So you married father? But how could you feel his love? And how did he know that you loved him."
"It was present, my child, from the moment I kissed him," she laughed at the disgusted look on her child's face before continuing, "it was a special something that I felt for him alone. We wed not so very long after that and then you came along and we love you too."
"Was father upset?"
"Never, my dear child. A man does not marry a woman if he does not know that he loves her. Just as women are fickle, so is man a stubborn, straight-forward creature that submits to no one save the woman of his choosing. You must remember that regrets will only come if a couple is unsure of their choice."
Her child stared up at her with eyes that only understood half of what she said and she sighed, her smile appearing once more as she picked up her progeny, cradling the child close. It was close to bed-time after all.
"Perhaps I speak too soon. You will understand when you are older. But for now, be content to know that I love you as your father loves you and, one day, perhaps you will know love for yourself."
She felt the young one nod against her shoulder and her happiness knew no bounds when she heard a sleepy, "I love you too."
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"Are you nervous?"
The question was so sudden that Rin gave a tiny start and nearly tripped over her own feet. Stupid heels, she grumbled to herself before looking up at the man she loved and gifting him with a smile. "No, not really. You're here with me, after all."
Golden eyes blinked, dark lashes lowering over them to form a look that made her heart speed up and her breath come in short. He returned her smile with a bare lift of his sensual lips and she was abruptly reminded of the way those lovely appendages felt against her skin. She completed the picture of a blushing bride by doing exactly that and hiding her head in his arm.
"What's wrong? Have you gotten shy on me in the past ten seconds, Rin?"
Shaking her head, she pulled away and said quietly, "I was just remembering how nice it feels to kiss you. I can't wait until we say 'I do' and we get to share what will probably be the most important kiss in our life together."
"Hmmm, I agree with you on it being the most important...but..."
"But what?"
"I look forward to our wedding night even more...and all that that entails." He brushed a thumb over her pulse point and she shivered, no doubt much to his delight.
"I...I look forward to it too," she breathed quietly, hoping that he'd wouldn't catch it.
He did, of course, and she shrank back a little when "the look" - which meant he was thinking of something perverted - came into his clear eyes and he hugged her just a little bit closer.
"I'll make it special for you, Rin, don't doubt me on that. However, don't you think it's time for us to get moving? Preferably sometime today."
She drew away and looked around at the individual faces waiting for her to indicate that they should exit their present location and enter the room beyond. Everyone was waiting for her because this was the bride's day. Their vows had already been written down and given to the judge – a judge, since Izayoi had been unable to grab a priest on such short notice.
Keep it together, Rin, she told herself. Remember the vows and after that, all you have to do is sign a little paper stating that you're legally married. It's simple, right? She looked at her husband-to-be and held back a snort. As if! There's nothing simple about marrying the sexiest man ever born who has more problems than strands of hair on his head. But...that's the person I fell in love with and I'll see this through to the end.
Rin shifted her eyes towards the clock. They had a party to be at in two hours and time was growing shorter and shorter. At the moment, the only people who needed to be here were Sango and Miroku and she couldn't help but to wonder what they were doing when they had promised to be here. Her pretty face settled into a thoughtful frown as she went over the possibilities of something happening to them. Maybe they were held up. What prompted her to speak in the end was the displeasing idea of going ahead without them.
Bowing to the group, she asked in a pleading voice, "Five more minutes, please?"
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"Hurry it up, Miroku," Sango said in exasperation, thoroughly miffed at her husband for making them late for Rin's special day.
"Forgive me, dearest Sango, but I could not ignore that poor old woman."
The "poor old woman" in question had been more of a grizzled lady with a massive stack of papers and a look in her eyes that said she could hold her own if she wanted to...just not today. The woman had stumbled, sending her burden flying all over the place, and Miroku, being the kind, gentlemanly soul that he was, had not only aided her in picking them up, but had also offered both himself and Sango as helpers in putting them back in order.
Love for her husband prompted Sango to keep her complaints to herself, even though she was irritated enough at him for chattering away to her little brother when it was obvious that he would be working at this time of the day. Compounding it all was the way her spouse was being secretive about telling Rin that Sesshoumaru was the man she'd adored for so long. Living with Kagome and family had certainly yielded interesting results and she had been more than ready to tell her young friend that the man she was staying with was actually her Mr. Kage Houshi himself. In the end, however, she acquiesced to Miroku, who insisted that their young charge had to be kept in the dark until the right moment.
Right moment my foot. Who cares when his 'Making sure that the secret gets kept' results in us being late to her wedding?
To make matters worse, they had found out that the old woman, who went by the name Kaede, was a distant relative of Kagome and that her little brother worked for Sesshoumaru's step-mom. The world is just full of surprises isn't it? Miroku had certainly thought so because he spent an extra fifteen minutes talking to her about Kagome, her kids, and how high-strung Inuyasha was. This in turn prompted the old woman to let on that she was in charge of performing Rin's background check and reassure them that it was strictly a formality. It was at that point that Sango yanked him away and threatened him with divorce – for the hundredth time – if he didn't get his rear in gear and make it to Rin's ceremony to at least hear her say "I do."
Locating the corridor that would lead to the room where the ceremony was to take place, she executed a sharp turn that was nothing short of miraculous, given the pin heels that she had decided to torture herself with for just this day. Her grip stayed firm on her husband's wrist as she marched down the hall and opened the doors leading to the waiting room with a little bang.
Focusing sharp eyes on all present she, stood up straight and said, in as apologetic a voice as she could muster, "Sorry we're late."
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"You look nice," Kagura stopped fiddling with her hair and turned to glare at the source of the voice.
As usual, Hiten looked gorgeous with his jet black hair swept back from his face, a few strands let loose to frame his high forehead and sculpted cheeks. There were many a night when she had done nothing but run her hands through that beautiful hair, marveling at its softness because...she closed her eyes against the painful sight and turned away. It was all because of Sesshoumaru. His long silver hair had been so very soft and beautiful; heck, the whole package had been the finest example of male sexiness to ever grace the face of the planet. And I gave it up.
"Are you alright, Kagura?" His voice sounded concerned but she would slit her throat before she made the mistake of trusting him again.
"How do you think I feel, Hiten," she began in honeyed tones, "when I was nearly skinned alive by the freak who works for my twisted cousin? Do you think I feel like taking a stroll...or maybe you want to have a romp with me, just like in the old days right? Oh, but wait...I almost forgot, you stabbed me in the back. Silly me, I almost entertained the notion of taking you back." Her sweet voice degenerated into bitingly sarcastic and she enjoyed the way he flinched.
"Kagura..."
"I didn't give you permission to call me by name. Only people I can trust have that privilege."
She would be the first to admit that she was every bit as twisted as Onigumo in some respects, and it showed through most thoroughly as she watched the ever prideful Hiten getting visibly agitated. You deserve to burn for bringing this on me, she thought rather spitefully.
Maybe this was yet another reason why she had made a concentrated effort to hurt Sesshoumaru the way she had. Making others feel her pain—that was Kagura, and she reveled in it until she realized that her husband wasn't right there with her. He began to calm down, maybe because she was one of the few constants in his ever changing life, and she realized that while she was always glad to be free of the cage – which consisted of suppressed emotions and logic – he preferred to shut himself inside, only expressing himself through his writing.
She was the bad girl, who chose to do what she wanted.
He was the quiet man, who forced himself to do what he hated.
And he wonders why we grew apart. A thin smile kissed her ruby lips before she turned to fix red-hazel eyes on the man who was currently standing in the doorway.
"Are you sure you feel like betraying yet another person, Hiten? I won't be merciful on you...or your family should you turn on me yet again."
"If you say so but I don't see you with anyone else on your side right now," he replied somewhat smugly.
"Now, now, Hiten, you should know better than to underestimate me. I have ways of getting what I want and I'm not nearly as alone as you seem to think." No, not alone at all, she added privately, thinking of the other player who had chosen to help her bring this little game of hers to the end.
"You're a twisted woman."
"Oh, well I suppose it would seem that way. Sesshoumaru has his own version of happily ever after and I have mine. His involves marrying a poor little brat that'll make him look like a pedophile for the next ten years. And mine involves seeing my enemies dead and living to laugh about it. A win-win situation wouldn't you say?"
"But I thought you wanted Sesshoumaru ba—"
"You presume too much, Hiten," she cut him off and turned away. "I am not so weak that I have to depend on him, not as much as he likes to think. Besides, I was bored with him."
"So you told me," he said, refraining from mentioning the painful look that crossed her face for a slit-second before she hid it. It was gone when she turned her face back towards him and marched over to him.
"Let's get this party started." And with that she brushed by him and he followed her with his eyes for a second – pushing down his feelings of regret – before his feet started of in her direction as well.
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It was about forty-five minutes after settling into her office to finish up the last of her paperwork concerning Rin Hattori, soon to be Rin Toyotomi, that Kaede happened across the paper. It had taken her all of forever to go over and compile every aspect of Rin's history, from her last hospital record to the detention she received in primary school for getting smart with the boys in her class. The girl was pretty average, aside from her unique personality, and there hadn't been much to tell except for the fact that she was adopted by a certain social worker who had bequeathed unto her the last name 'Hattori'. Her birth certificate had been the only missing piece...until now. It was on a very old piece of paper that she found the copy of Rin's birth certificate.
It was dated eighteen years prior and her place of birth had been the Tenseiga Revival Hospital. Her mother's name was something she didn't recognize but the father...Please don't let him be who I think it is, she prayed desperately. It took an additional hour of research before her fears were confirmed and she leaned back in her chair with a heavy sigh, her sharp mind going over her next course of action. This was something that she could NOT keep to herself, but how could she break it to the members of the Toyotomi family?
Picking up the phone, she hesitated before dialing Izayoi's cell number and waiting for a reply. It had rung three times when her voice mail picked up. Swallowing a sigh of frustration, she hit the number 1 to skip the message and waited for the beep before saying as calmly as posible, "Izayoi, it is urgent that I speak to you. It's...about Rin. I think you need to see this before they leave."
She hung up and set about shuffling her papers into a pile while she waited. This lasted for five minutes, which stretched into a century, which then flowed into forever. The clock chimed and she stood up and grabbed a thick manila folder. This isn't the time to be dawdling, she thought impatiently, as she picked up the fruits of her labor and stuffed them into the folder. Izayoi was a busy enough woman as it was; who knew when she would get around to checking her messages?
The elderly woman put herself to rights before picking up the folder and exiting the room. As joyous – or not so joyous when she told Izayoi the bad news – as this day was, she knew that her long time friend still had work to do. That said, she headed straight for the elevator and punched in the number for the top floor, where Inuyasha's mother had her office.
Kami, please let things work out right for those two young ones, she prayed for the second time that day, before stepping into the elevator and watching the doors close with a ding.
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Sesshoumaru refrained from telling the two late-comers exactly what he thought about their tardiness to his and Rin's wedding. This was the bride's day and he didn't want his koi to think him petty or something of the sort. Besides, he would have told them to be late himself just to see the intense joy reflected on her face when she saw the two. He had personally never met the pair, not in person anyways, and he found them to be the oddest of pairs.
The woman had a strict no nonsense air about her with eyes that looked as if they missed nothing and bangs trimmed straight that he could've sworn that he would cut himself if he dared to touch her hair. Her dress was plain in comparison to the bride-to-be's and, for some reason, he wasn't surprised that this woman had worn black to a wedding along with shoes that raised her already tall height to something impressive.
Her husband – Miroku was it? - had to be the exact opposite. He wasn't short or anything but neither did he have any defining features, save the out-of-fashion dragon tail that his hair had been gathered into. The man had a face that he supposed would be handsome from a female standpoint but what really drew your eyes to him, like his wife, was the air about him. Sango – he finally remembered her name – made one think of a beast that was always ready to go on the attack while her spouse was calm and composed. There was an atmosphere about him, not unlike that of a priest of a monk, that made one feel that you could rely on him and as he watched the man walk towards his bride, he could see why Rin cared for him and his wife so.
And then Miroku moved uncomfortably close to his koi and gave her gently rounded rear a good squeeze, making her jump away and almost break her neck trying to keep her balance.
Scratch that. Sesshoumaru's understanding flew right out the window and he was just about ready to set the man straight, physically if need be, for touching what he considered to be his when his fiancé and the other man's wife both intervened.
"Darn it, Miroku, I told you to stop being so perverted." Rin's angry words were softened by the smile that threatened to surface.
Sango on the other hand, grabbed his ear and yanked him to a safer distance as he started speaking nonsense, "Ah, Rin, the second dearest woman to my heart. Would you deny a poor old man his last wish? That delightful little rear shall belong forevermore to your husband in few a minutes, please oblige me in this."
His wife rolled her eyes and didn't blink when Miroku tossed an arm around her and wiped imaginary tears away from his eyes, "Oh, Sango dearest, our baby girl is leaving the nest at long last." The woman he was holding onto pasted a look of long suffering on her face.
Sesshoumaru merely looked on and was unsurprised when the man stopped his theatrics after a short while and wandered over to bother him. Why isn't Rin telling these people to get a move on? he thought impatiently as Miroku came up close and proceeded to walk around a circle around him, like he was some sort of horse for sale.
Stopping in front of him, the man nodded sagely and said almost quietly, "Not too bad; she could probably do much worse."
The groom cocked a brow at the man for the sheer audacity in that statement, but found himself unable to move when the shorter man bent in uncomfortably close, dark blue eyes searching his own. Another nod and then he stood back with a smile and said clearly, "Make her happy, Sesshoumaru." He wondered if anyone else heard the unspoken "Or else" in his voice and felt a tiny chill go through him. He's no fool. Sesshoumaru filed that observation away for future reminders as he inclined his head slightly in a quiet affirmative.
Miroku turned to Rin and said almost cryptically, "Why about we bring this long story to an end, eh, Rin?"
She looked at her dear friend, then at the rest of their group before smiling and saying, "I couldn't agree more."
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The room where the wedding was to take place was an actual courtroom and as they filed in silently, Rin took that opportunity to look around. There was a good amount of sunlight streaming in, which she found to be surprising but it served it's purpose of turning a normally somber room into something...happier. They walked down the aisle and she looked from side to side at the well worn benches, the Witness Stand, and the high seat where the judge would reside if court had been in session. Speaking of which...where was he?
She looked around for the man who was to marry them and nearly fell over at the sight that greeted her. Judge Myouga, as Izayoi whispered to her, was a short man. Make that, a short man, with a bald pate and cotton candy hair that looked as if it had been glued to the sides of his head. It might not have been so bad...if he wasn't wearing glasses that had to have been crafted from ultra high powered magnifying glasses because they made his eyes look huge. Add to that a nose that reminded her of an ice cream cone and a tiny mouth that was partially obliterated by his wrinkles and you got a clear reason why the first thing Rin did, upon seeing him, was laugh.
Of course, since she liked to be nice to others, she was half-way successful in choking it off before it fully exited her mouth and instead made a rather jovial sounding cough. Sesshoumaru glanced down at her, then turned his attention to the man who was going to marry them and smirked; he knew exactly what sweet little Rin was laughing at.
They each got into their relative positions, Miroku was acting as the father who would give away the bride – yet another reason why she had been so anxious for his arrival – and Inuyasha had grudging agreed to continue his act as Sesshoumaru's best man despite the impressive bruise that was forming on his cheek. Izayoi took a seat in the front row and Sango was handed a stereo, making her their official sound department. Kagome then handed her the bouquet that she had been holding for her before taking her place next to Rin as the maid of honor. Myouga adjusted his ant-burning glasses and smoothed his hands over her long black robes before reaching up and fluffing his cotton-like hair, Rin almost lost it.
This is probably going to be the most dysfunctional wedding ever, she thought with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. It was all on such short notice and her future mother-in-law had insisted on them writing their own vows after which she had taken what they wrote and "tweaked them" just a bit, without showing them the end result.
"It's a surprise" she had said, which did absolutely nothing to alleviate her fears, because she was fast learning that the older woman's "surprises" always resulted in laughter, embarrassment, or confusion. Her fiancé's step-mother definitely had her own brand of humor, but it was part of what made her so likeable.
Offering up a silent plea to the powers that be, she waited while Myouga stationed himself before the Judges Seat after receiving the paper with their vows and a rather mysterious envelope from Izayoi. Sango looked towards her and she nodded for her to start the music. It was then that she received her first indication that this was going to be interesting.
Instead of something normal like "Here Comes the Bride" or at least a classical piece, her ears were graced with the strains of a guitar followed by a gradual picking up in the tone and pace of the song. It took a few minutes, as well as seeing the appalled look on her koi's face, before she registered that the song was a full blown instrumental of Kagome's favorite song, "Fukai Mori." The Houshi couple appeared un-fazed and Rin wasn't sure what to think. Sheer willpower kept her from looking over at the culprit—A.K.A. Izayoi—and she held her head straight as an annoyed Inuyasha walked Kagome – who was happily humming along – down the aisle. A stiff Sesshoumaru followed with measured steps, stopping next to his brother who stood just below the judge's right.
She nearly jumped when Miroku linked his arm through her free hand and, glancing up, she was reassured by his kind smile as he gently walked her down the aisle as well and took his place next to her best friend. The music ended once everyone was in position and she had taken her place next to the groom's side, slender fingers fiddling with her bouquet. Myouga cleared his throat and cast his - magnified to the nth power - eyes around at the group before smiling and pulling out an additional piece of paper.
Straightening himself up, the judge began by saying, "Friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness the union of two souls, a man and a woman, who have professed their desire to become one flesh in the eyes of Kami-sama and enter into a bond of holy matrimony. They, who have acknowledged their love for one another and their wish to continue together in their long journey through life..."
Rin's hand found it's way into Sesshoumaru's while she listened to the man before them. Her fiancé gave her hand a tiny squeeze of confidence and it felt as if he were sharing his courage with her as they listened to Myouga who outlined the expectations of marriage and the duties of a wife to her husband and vice versa. She snuck a glance at the tall man beside her and her smile returned when she saw him doing the same, his golden eyes warm and loving – though he hadn't said those three magical words to her as of yet. I'll just have to keep working on him at that, won't I? she thought happily. She wasn't in any particular rush seeing as how his marrying her on such short notice definitely counted for something.
All too quickly, it came time to say their vows, and she and Sesshoumaru turned to face each other, both mentally going over the words that they had written together just for this occasion.
"Now," said the judge, "I have here the vows that Mrs. Izayoi Toyotomi so graciously presented to me which are in accord with the wishes of these two individuals before me. Sesshoumaru Toyotomi—" he looked at the younger man, "we shall present your vows first. Please repeat after me."
The groom nodded and the old man began, "I, Sesshoumaru Toyotomi..."
"I, Sesshoumaru Toyotomi..." he repeated.
"Do vow before Kami-sama on this day..."
"Do vow before Kami-sama on this day..."
"To honor, protect, provide for, and love..."
"To honor, protect, provide for, and...love..." A tiny flush on his cheeks there.
"Rin Hattori, in sickness and in health..."
"Rin Hattori, in sickness and in health..."
"Through times good and bad, 'til death do us part."
"Through times good and bad, 'til death do us part," came the repetition, and he relaxed, expecting that to be the end of it...until Myouga spoke again.
"Also..."
"...Also...?" the questioning tone in his voice alerted Rin to the fact that this wasn't going to end well.
"I do promise before Kami-sama..."
"I do promise before Kami-sama..."
"To acknowledge the gracious individual that so motivated me to take this step as my one and only mother."
The silence following that statement was deafening, and all in attendance flinched as his head swiveled around and he fixed furious eyes on his step-mother, who returned his thunderous look with a smile. Raising her hand, she mouthed a "keep going" at him as her finger twirled in a spiraling motion to indicate that he should turn around and finish. His mouth compressed itself into a thin line before he looked down at his bride, apparently asking if she wanted him to say such unorthodox things at her wedding. Especially since the chances of the same thing happening to her once her turn came around were very high.
Rin snuck a glance at Izayoi and noted the obvious love and amusement on her face when she looked upon her step-son. Sighing in resignation, she nodded to the obviously embarrassed Sesshoumaru, who bit out angrily, just loud enough for Myouga's ears, "I'll call the old witch 'mother' for now."
The odd looking man shrugged and said, "Close enough," before directing his bug-eyed gaze towards the female half of the union.
"Now it's your turn young lady. Please repeat after me."
She took a deep breath and held his gaze as he began, "I, Rin Hattori..."
"I, Rin Hattori..." Thankfully, her voice held steady.
"Do vow before Kami-sama on this day..."
"Do vow before Kami-sama on this day..."
"To honor, support, care for, and love..."
"To honor, support, care for, and love...always," she added the last word in a quiet voice. Myouga blinked at her, before giving her a tiny smile and continuing.
"Sesshoumaru Toyotomi, in sickness and in health..."
"Sesshoumaru Toyotomi, in sickness and in health..."
"Through times good and bad, 'til death do us part."
"Through times good and bad, 'til death do us...part." She actually stopped breathing as she waited to hear whatever addendum her mother-in-law might have stuck into her half of the vows.
It was a surprise, therefore, when the old man fell silent and instead reached for each of their hands, holding them together with his own. I guess she only wanted to embarrass Sesshoumaru she barely had time to think that before the scariest statement of all was made.
"If there is anyone here today who can give just reason as to why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, I ask that you speak now or forever hold your peace."
The room stilled as the judge waited thirty-seconds for someone to come forth. She thought she might have heard Inuyasha muttering something under his breath about not marrying his brother because he was a jerk, but he didn't step forth and neither did anyone else in the room.
She smiled when the older man squeezed their joined hands lightly and said, "Now we come to the most important part, which will be followed by the exchanging of the rings. I will ask the questions and you must answer honestly."
As before, he addressed her koi first.
"Do you, Sesshoumaru Toyotomi, take Rin Hattori as your lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold, come what may, until the day you depart this earth?"
He turned to look at what had to be the most beautiful woman in the world and smiled a gentle, albeit near imperceptible, smile at her before saying clearly, "I do."
Nodding to himself, Myouga put the question to Rin as well.
"Do you, Rin Hattori, take Sesshoumaru Toyotomi as your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold, come what may, until the day you depart this earth?"
She found her eyes misting at the soft expression on her husband's face and cleared her throat to get rid of the emotional lump that had taken residence in there before saying in a slightly shaking voice, "I do."
The judge also nodded to her and indicated that Inuyasha should step forward with the rings. Pulling a box from the confines of his jacket, he opened it up to reveal two exquisitely braided rings done in both yellow and white gold, each with three tiny diamonds embedded in a row – the middle one being slightly larger than the others. For this, she would need both hands, so she handed her bouquet to Kagome, who had been doing her level best to hide her own tears.
Sesshoumaru picked up the smaller of the two and took hold of her left hand, which obligingly spread it fingers so that he could slip the ring onto her ring finger. He surprised everyone then by bending at the waist to plant a sweet kiss on the appendage which had just received the symbol of his claim on her. Golden eyes looked up at her from his position, partially veiled by his lashes, but sultry nonetheless, and he even managed to sound almost...seductive as he said clearly, "With this ring, I thee wed."
Rin gasped and flushed hot at hearing the traditional words spoken with such an undertone. Things like this are the reason why I love him so, she thought happily as she took up the remaining ring and touched his left hand, which he extended towards her. Slipping the ring onto his finger, she gently turned his palm up and lightly traced the kanji for love onto his warm skin before lacing her fingers with his and raising his hand to place a light kiss on his knuckles. Her expression was shy as she said very clearly, "With this ring, I thee wed."
There was a collective "aww" from the onlookers – namely Miroku and Iazayoi – that caused her husband to scowl slightly, Inuyasha to roll his eyes, and Kagome to out-and-out cry. Myouga blinked his massive eyes and cleared his throat once more to get their attention.
"Now, I'm sure you know what time it is. The moment we've all been waiting for," he smiled at all in attendance. "But, before this union is sealed with a kiss, I have something for you, Sesshoumaru." So saying, he extended the curious envelope towards the younger man, who furrowed his brow in apprehension. Apparently he was in accord with her in thinking of the one person who would have the audacity to interfere with their wedding, not once but, twice.
With resigned hands, he carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a paper, scanning its contents quickly, after which he muttered a most unsavory word under his breath, folded it up along with the envelope, and stuck it into the inner pocket of his jacket. He shot a look at his step-mother who was studiously observing her nails and, avoiding his wife's curious stare, he inclined his head towards the judge to indicate that he could continue.
As if laughing at some private joke, the old man's smile widened as he uttered the final words of their union, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may, ah, kiss the bride."
Oddly enough, when he bent forward his frown deepened and as Rin studied his face she decided that something like that just wouldn't do on such a happy occasion. Might as well go all the way with the weirdness, she thought before taking a deep breath, grasping the sides of his face and pulling him in the rest of the way for her kiss. She softly pecked him on each corner of his mouth, satisfied when his lips upturned against her own and he took possession of the kiss. It certainly wasn't long before he had coaxed her even closer and traced her lips with the tip of his tongue before she retaliated by biting him ever so gently on his bottom lip before soothing the minor hurt with her own.
By the time Inuyasha broke them apart with a rather loud, "I'm going to be sick. Get a room at least," they were both out of breath and her husband slid a possessive hand over her shoulders as he looked over at the grinning Izayoi and jerked his chin upwards in a "How do you like that?" motion. Golden eyes, that were considerably darker after the kiss, shifted impatiently towards Myouga, waiting for his "gGo ahead."
The man demonstrated admirable observational skills by pushing his glasses up and announcing, "I suppose this concludes the wedding. I wish you both the best for as long as you are together." As soon as he finished speaking, Sango started up the music and Sesshoumaru escorted his newly acquired wife towards the door.
Rin decided that the only thing that kept him from exiting the room completely in order to finish what he – or rather she – had started with their passionate kiss was Miroku coming up next to her and claiming his "fatherly right" by giving her a sweet peck on the cheek. No sooner had he done that then she was pulled from her husband's grasp and passed around for friendly kisses on the cheek, congratulations, and tight hugs. Kagome's eyes were red from crying so much and even Sango brushed a thumb over the corners of her eyes.
Inuyasha waited until Sesshoumaru was looking the other way before her approached her and gave her a brief squeeze, promising her quietly, "If he does anything, I'll make sure he won't be able to screw in a light bulb, let alone another woman."
Rin's cheeks pinked at the implications of his words as he walked over to his brother and shook his hand. It quickly turned into a squeezing contest as he said with a tight smile, "I'll let you of for punching me today, but I won't let it slide next time."
Sesshoumaru's smile was just as tight as he replied evenly, "Well, I guess you'll need to train yourself not to be so annoying, then it won't have to happen again." They stared each other down for a few minutes more before nodding in unison and letting go of each others hand.
"Men," Kagome muttered in exasperation as she looked on. Shaking her head, she guided Rin over to act as the buffer between the Toyotomi brothers before pulling Inu aside and reminding him that they needed to pick up their son before the child drove Souta crazy.
Sango and Miroku were also getting ready to leave and before he and his wife made their exit as well, Miroku came over to Rin and said, "Congratulations to the both of you, let me know when you go on your honeymoon. Also—" he drew Rin off a little ways, leaving a suspicious Sesshoumaru to look after them, "when you get to that party of yours, look for Kohaku, Sango's brother. He'll give you my wedding gift."
She nodded and he let her go, giving her a push in her mate's direction, saying loudly, "Sayonara, sweet Rin. Make sure you don't wake the neighbors if you know what I mean." He punctuated the statement with a wink, leaving no doubt in her mind as to what kind of noises he was expecting her and her husband to make.
Her koi glared at the man before folding his arms over her shoulders and bringing her back to rest against his chest. Thank Kami for backless dresses, she thought, closing her eyes in contentment as he shared his heat with her, his head lightly resting atop her own. Before long, the only people left were Izayoi and Myouga, who were talking with each other and paying them no mind for the moment.
Seconds passed and Sesshoumaru was so quiet for a while that Rin found herself asking, "How do you feel about today Sesshoumaru? For me, I couldn't be happier than to be married to the man I love. I...can't wait to get home."
He chuckled, the sound deep and soothing as his chest vibrated with the sound – he didn't have to guess why she wanted to go home. "Rin, Rin, I do believe I've rubbed off on you..." His laughter faded and he turned her around to face him. "...But, as in regards to how I feel, I think my heart has lost so much weight that its ready to fly at any moment. I am...very, very grateful to have you, who I will never deserve. " He moved away and fiddled with his ponytail. "I must sound horribly corny."
Her eyes misted over as she shook her head in response to his statement and said, "I don't believe I've...ever heard...anything as...as wonderful as that. Sesshoumaru...I...I—" she choked and pressed the heel of her hand into her eyes to stop the tears from falling and to keep him from seeing how emotional she was being. He had a...gentle look in his eyes as he pulled her hands away and looped them around his shoulders before bending to lightly follow the trail of tears on each side of her face with his lips, brushing a kiss over the eyelids which automatically closed. His arms came up and pulled her close as he dropped a chaste kiss on her lips and said with quiet affection, "Crybaby."
Her lips curved up and she blinked her tears away before replying, "Old man," in a voice that turned the insult into an endearment. They shared another, less innocent, kiss before they were interrupted by his step-mother.
"Ah, to be young again," Izayoi said with a smile, and her new daughter-in-law returned the gesture while her son glared at her for being broken out of his "moment" with his wife.
"Now, don't give me that look, Sesshoumaru; you just had a wonderful wedding..."
"Which you ruined, Izayoi. What in the world was that promise to call acknowledge you as my mother?"
"Don't forget your promise so soon," she retorted somewhat sharply, "I consider this payment for dishing out the time and effort to get you together with the woman of your dreams. Don't ruin my happiness like acting sour now, if you please. Besides, I had to get someway of making you promise to call me that on a regular basis. You promised before Kami-sama and we'll both hold you to it. It not something so big now is it?"
He stared at her for a moment before his face relaxed and he shook his head. She was the closest thing to a real mother that he'd ever had, why not make it into something real. It wasn't too bad either when he saw the look of absolute joy that was on her face.
"Thank you Seshoumaru, for fulfilling all three of my requests." So saying, the older woman stood up on the tips of her toes and gave him a peck on the cheek that obviously made him uncomfortable. Rin looked on, happy that they were going to get along at last until Izayoi's words hit her.
"Wait a minute, three requests? Not two?"
Inuyasha's mom looked at her, her smile turning sly as she replied, "Indeed. The first was for him to marry you, both for your protection and his happiness. The second was to acknowledge me as his mother. And the third...well, you'll have to ask your darling here to share the little note I left with him. It's not completely finished of course, but I'm sure the two of you will rectify that tonight."
The young woman frowned as she tried to figure out what her mother-in-law meant, but since her husband wasn't being forthcoming about it, she shrugged and decided that she would get it out of him sooner or later (obviously later, since Izayoi ushered them out of the courtroom and into the limo that was waiting outside to take them to the party). Rin checked to make sure everything was alright, namely her shawl and her hair since Kagome had taken her bouquet with her, after asking if she could have it of course.
"I'll bring your gifts by the house later. Have fun," were their mother's last words before the door was closed and it was just her and Sesshoumaru. The limo pulled away from the curb with barely a hitch and she huddled closer to her mate, wishing that she knew what to say now that they were alone and the atmosphere was rapidly becoming more intimate. I can't even sit in a car with him without getting nervous. How am I supposed to act when we actually consummate this union? She had so many questions concerning how to go about being more "personal" with him.
However, she needn't have worried for, after a minute or two of travel, he slid an arm around her shoulders and tilted her head up for a kiss. There was a husky note to his voice as he fixed dark eyes on hers and said against her lips, "We might not be able to do anything right now but that doesn't mean I can't make you eager for what's to come."
So saying, he caught her lips once more and demonstrated to her in short why Kagura hadn't wanted to let him go.
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Izayoi watched the limo until it rounded a corner out of sight. She stretched and gave herself a mental pat on the back. Things were back on track and Sesshoumaru had met his match; what could be more perfect? He finally decided to call you mother, even though he hasn't called you that yet since making his vow. Ah yes, that was another bonus that she could add to the situation. He had acknowledged her and her daughter-in-law was a fine woman, she didn't need to have a background check done to figure that out. Still, formalities were formalities; she would contact Kaede once she finished up for the day. She turned and re-entered the building, taking a private elevator that went directly to her office.
Souta looked up from putting a band aid on a nasty looking bite mark and she was reminded of a puppy that had finally seen its master again after days of neglect. I bet Taro ran him ragged, she thought in amusement as he quickly stood, with unmistakable relief, and bowed to her.
"Hello, Izayoi-san," he greeted.
She nodded and took her seat behind her desk, completely turned off to the idea of working after seeing her most stubborn child with such a glad expression on his face. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Rin was good for him. All they had to do now was deal with Onigumo when he pressed charges through Kagura.
Looking down, she went about putting the various papers on her desk in order. Her step-son's will was on there as well and she was relieved that he had named Rin as the person to inherit all that he owned. It would have been a mess if something bad happened to him otherwise. The sooner the better. There were other documents, such as requests to obtain land to use for various purposes and proposals that were nothing more than money making schemes.
Back to the daily grind, eh, she thought in annoyance when she scanned over the papers. Signaling her aide to get her a cup of water, she pulled out a pen and began checking through her work. Minutes passed, during which she drained the water Kagome's brother obtained for her and sent him for more. It was starting to get late when her office door swung open and she heard Kaede say, "There's something about Rin that I need you to see."
In all of the years that she had known the old woman, she would admit that the thing that she admired most about her was her straightforward manner of doing things. This time, though, as she looked up at her and took the envelope form her wrinkled hands – opening it to read over what it contained – she wished that the blow could have been softened just a bit. Her eyebrows shot up when she got a look at Rin's birth certificate and the accompanying papers and she immediately called Souta and said, "I'm taking the rest of the day off. Call the police and sent them to the building where the party is taking place. Kaede—" she turned to the shorter woman, "you come with me."
"Where are we going?"
"To Takahashi High."
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Please R and R and don't worry, I'll tell you what was written in Izayoi's letter to Sesshoumaru as well as her "wedding gifts."