Moonlight Silhouette

(disclaimer, etc, see chapter 1)

AN: Most of my section breaks aren't coming in when I upload, so I'll use numbers instead.. Thank you for your reviews!

Chapter Five

-00-

"Lady Kagome!" I cried from the door of the hut.

"What is it Rin?" She asked.

"It's Lord Sesshoumaru..I think he's been poisoned." I said, "It's as if someone used poison claws on him or something."

Another line of worry creased Lady Kagome's brow, but whatever it was she was worried about she didn't say. "I-I'll go find him an antidote." She said, "Sango? Can you come with me?" She snatched Sango's arm and the two walked down the path, talking quietly. I would have been curious as to what they were keeping from me, but I didn't allow myself a moment to think about it.

Lord Sesshoumaru looked even weaker when I kneeled next to him again. I realized that the poison must be just starting to take effect. I poured him some water, but he refused to drink. He said no words to me, he seemed too weak to talk.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Lady Kagome will bring you an antidote, please, will you take it?"

"Yes" He murmered hoarsely.

"Thank you." I said gently, kissing his brow. It was burning hot with fever. I picked up a blanket and covered him with it. Then I lay next to him. I could feel the heat radiating off his body but I leaned my head on his chest. I heard nothing but the dull chatter coming from the village, and the steady beating of his heart.

-00-

"Do you think it's true?" Kagome asked Miroku.

"We can wait and see what Inuyasha says when he returns." The monk was sitting cross-legged on a low porch speaking with his wife and Kagome.

"But I'm worried, Miroku!" Kagome was pacing in front of him, hands crossed over her swelling stomach, "Look what this thing did to Sesshoumaru! What if it does the same to him?" Her eyes filled and a few curious villagers paused to try to catch a word of the hushed discussion.

"Don't worry." Sango said soothingly, standing up from where she had been sitting next to her husband and laying a hand on Kagome's arm, "Inuyasha knows what he has to lose. He won't challenge him-it, or anything."

"No? Have you met Inuyasha?" Kagome said crossly.

"Kagome, please," Miroku said. Kagome sat down.

"I'm sorry, it's just that...well, Inuyasha isn't half as strong as Sesshoumaru!" She said in frustration. "And now..well, this kind of proves that it's true, doesn't it?" Sango frowned down at the ground and Miroku looked pensive. The silence was broken by a very familiar voice.

"Hey! Kagome!" A figure in red came bounding over. Kagome leapt to her feet and threw her arms around Inuyasha.

"You're okay!" She said, laying kisses all over his face.

"Yeah," He said softly, "I'm fine, Kagome. But there's on thing I want to know."

"What's that?" She asked sweetly, looking into his honey coloured eyes.

"Why the hell does this village stink of Sesshoumaru!"

-00-

Lord Sesshoumaru had fallen asleep. I hadn't. I could see the sky growing dim outside the single window. As I watched the stars twinkle in the deep violet sky a thought came to me.

What if Lord Sesshoumaru died? It was one of those things that seem too painful to think about. I should have let it go, should have said that I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. But instead I let the thought run through my mind. What if I just let him die, without him knowing that I loved him. I sat up and looked down at his sleeping face.

I held the thought of Lord Sesshoumaru dying in my mind. And with that, I gently lowered my lips to his. It was a brief kiss, I pulled back before it could even begin, it seemed.

Then I lay back down and shut my eyes. I didn't see his flash open.

"I love you Lord Sesshoumaru. I love you." I said out loud, hearing my voice fly around the dark space. I felt him stir. "I love you." I murmered one last time.

"What did you say Rin?" He said quietly. I almost screamed. I sat up, as if I had been shocked. He was regarding me in an almost surprised manner, eyes bright. I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could a rather rude voice broke through the air.

"Sesshoumaru!" A figure burst in through the curtains. It was Inuyasha. "What do you know!" He cried, standing over Lord Sesshoumaru.

"Don't hurt him!" I cried, springing to my feet.

"I'm no coward." Inuyasha countered, "I wouldn't hurt someone who was dying." Then he turned away from me and looked down at Lord Sesshoumaru again, "What do you know?"

"I will not tell you." Lord Sesshoumaru said calmly, though there was still an odd light in his eyes when he looked at me.

Inuyasha growled, "Damn you, arrogant bastard," he muttered, "Fine then. Die knowing that you never helped anyone with anything!" He stormed out of the hut.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Are you alright?" I said sitting down.

"Of course I am." He said, still looking at me strangely, "And you, Rin?"

"I'm fine." I said. Silence. Only crickets chirping in the night and Inuyasha yelling somewhere far off.

"I'm not going to die." He said, more to the air than to me. "You know that, don't you?" He looked at me with his piercing gaze.

"Of course you won't die!" I cried, throwing my arms around him. "I know, my Lord, I know."

He said nothing. I poured water for him and made him drink it. Fortunately this time he did. As I watched him I had the feeling that our relationship would never quite be the same.

-00-

"Rin, you don't have to stay here with me, " Lord Sesshoumaru said weakly. As the first rays of morning light broke through the small window I had been awoken by another coughing fit.

"I'll never leave, my Lord." I said stoutly.

"Please, do not be like that." He said. Like what? In love with you?

"Alright then." I felt almost suffocated as I spoke. Like I could say something catastrophic at any moment. "But let me stay with you my Lord. You need help." He simply turned his face away from mine.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," I began, "About last night..."

"What?"

"What I said..."

He waited patiently.

"I meant it." As soon as the words were out I knew I had made a big mistake. I felt like banging my head against the wall. Why did I have to do that?

The air in the hut seemed to contract. The heat intensified. He said nothing. So I began to change his bandages. The wounds didn't look as nasty but his flesh still burned with fever. And I had no doubt that the poison was still racking his system. When I looked back up at his face he had closed his eyes, but I didn't think he was sleeping.

So now he knew. He knew that I loved him. I felt immensely stupid. What had I been doing telling him? I knew from the start that the great dog demon would never love a teenaged mortal girl. And even if he did grow to love me it would be only as a father might. I was such an idiot. After all, even if the most beautiful woman in the world told Sesshoumaru she loved him he would still turn her down.

-00-

AN: Sorry, its still kind of short. This was a hard chapter to write so I thought just end it before I totally screwed it up. Hope you liked the kiss

Next Chapter: Miroku and Sesshoumaru "bond", Rin realizes the danger they're in, and evil begins to stir again.