With Or Without You
Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it?
A/n: Omg, I'm so excited to have received so manyreviews for just two chapters! You guys are just so awesome, I can't thank ya'll enough! Well I got several reviews asking the chapters to be longer, so that is what I did. It isn't as long as I wanted it to be, but it is a lil longer than the other two, so I hope it's better! Enjoy!
Chapter Three
A Short Hello
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She stood completely still as her eyes found his unmistakable figure. From miles away, she'd have been able to recognize him. Her large brown eyes were locked upon him and nothing could make her look away from him.
Lord Sesshomaru, her Lord Sesshomaru had finally returned for her, just as he had promised her.
Deep down inside, she had always known...but she had begun to loose faith in his return after hearing rumors of his death.
However, with the way his eyes had ignited by just the mere sight of her, she knew he was very much alive.
His eyes had found hers just as she had found him.
He couldn't believe how much she had changed.
Though youth was still evident upon her fair face, a woman's figure stood before him. Dressed in a bright, pink kimono, the young Rin grinned brightly to him.
Her thick, waist length brunettemane swayed gently behind her as silence filtered throughout the village. Her small, delicate hands were clenched tightly at her sides as she stared nervously at him. She was the perfect portrait of a beautiful young woman.
"Rin," was all he said.
She closed her eyes and smiled as her name fell from his thin lips. Never had she loved her name more, than when he said it, especially at that moment.
The young girl felt tears stinging her eyes and she charged forward, her heart screaming to embrace her old guardian.
It was then that she remembered where and who she was.
She was no longer a child or orphan. She had a home now, and a place in the community.
She was also engaged to a very wealthy, respectable young man. If she were seen hugging another man, what would her fellow villagers think? What would they say? What would Roiyaru do if he heard?
So just inches before him, she came to a sudden stop and held back her body's urge to hold him.
Instead, she shyly looked up to him and smiled. "I didn't think you'd ever come back."
Jaken leaned forward, trying to hear her words. He noticed that not only he, but the entire village was curious as to what she would say.
Sesshomaru looked down upon her as he always had. Standing at barely five and a half feet, she looked so frail to him. More delicate than fragile...exactly how a woman should appear to him.
He frowned slightly as she continued to look away from him, twisting her hands together as she continued to cry. Why couldn't she look at him? Was it fear? Shame?
He didn't know. All he knew was that seconds prior, she had seemed ecstatic to see him and now...now she seemed afraid of him.
Why it bothered him so, to see her afraid of him, he did not know.
When it came to her and the emotions that she pulled from him, he was totally clueless.
For quite some time, when she was a child, he had been able to brush off her affections for him. She was simply a child then who needed a family, and he supposed that he had appeared as a father to her. He had almost laughed at the thought of being her father then.
However, she was grown now. Proper, adult women were not supposed to cry like this.
"Why are you crying?" he asked simply. His voice was shielding any emotion that could try and escape from him.
Rin looked up to him and slightly smiled. "Because...I'm happy to see you," she replied quietly.
Sesshomaru frowned. "Did you not think I would return for you?"
Rin shrugged slightly, her tears beginning to lessen. It appeared that he was not as happy to see her as she had thought. In fact, it almost seemed that he were annoyed with even coming here.
"I had a feeling you would...but I heard you were dead."
Sesshomaru somewhat frowned and turned to Jaken, who was staring breathlessly at the pretty young woman. Jaken finally noticed his master's stare upon him and jumped.
"Oh, what? M'lord dead? Are you a fool girl? Of course Lord Sesshomaru is alive! In fact, he's been much better since you were dropped off."
Sesshomaru glared at the small toad and Jaken stepped back behind his master's leg.
Sesshomaru turned back to Rin and noticed that pain was quite evident upon her lovely face. Her doe eyes turned to him and he saw a world of hurt.
Before he could speak, she placed a grin upon her lips. "Well, I'm glad to see you too Master Jaken." She laughed brightly, squatting before Sesshomaru's legs.
Jaken peaked out from behind Sesshomaru legs and glared. Rin ignored his bitter stare as always and lurched forward to hug him. "Don't touch me, Rin! Get away!" he cried out, running to the other side of Sesshomaru.
The youkai stared down at the two with little amusement...though it did remind him of the times before.
"Lady Rin!" came a woman's cry.
Rin stopped chasing Jaken and looked up to find her young servant still chasing after her. "M'lady, please! Stay away from them!" she cried out, her eyes large with fear.
Rin stood up and shook her head. "Tokiko, these are my friends! They won't hurt you."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," muttered Sesshomaru, causing the nearest villagers to step back further.
Rin turned to him and frowned. "Please don't. These people have been very kind to me."
Sesshomaru stared at her intently, wondering how she could control him like this. For now, he would obey her, but only until he saw the slightest sign that these people were unworthy of his time. One slip up, and the village would be nothing but ashes.
Jaken stepped beside Sesshomaru and looked up to him, annoyance was apparent upon his face. "M'lord, shouldn't we be leaving now?"
Rin looked away from Jaken and turned to Sesshomaru.
The tall youkai stared at her a moment before turning to Jaken. "Yes."
Rin bit her lower lip nervously. She hadn't waited ten years just to see him for a few moments.
"Lord Sesshomaru," she whispered.
He turned away from her and headed back the way he came. Jaken had to jog to catch up with his unusually quick stride. Rin felt tears stinging her eyes once again.
She knew how he was. When she was younger, he would leave without explanation for days at a time. His only orders would be to behave and for Jaken to watch over her.
When he had abandoned her here, he had not explained why. He had onlytold her to go to the elderly woman and not to look back. She was to stay there until he returned for her.
She had waited long enough. She had been patient and she had never ventured out of the village's borders. Even when Roiyaru asked her to come and see her future home, she had declined the offer. She had told him of her promise to Sesshomaru, and though her fiancee was quite annoyed, he had simply smiled and nodded. "A promise is a promise, I suppose," had been his words.
However, at the moment, Roiyaru was not on her mind. The elegant demon before her was.
In a quick decision, she took off after him once again. Her hand reached out and grabbed his sleeve. When he felt the resistance, he stopped immediately, causing Jaken to bumped into his leg. "Oh! Excuse me, m'lord!" he exclaimed.
Sesshomaru shut his eyes as he felt himself fight for a sudden control. He did not wish to leave so suddenly, but she appeared to be quite content with her new life. Who was he to disrupt that? Besides, he had done what he had come here for.
"Lord Sesshomaru," she whispered.
She sounded so small, so weak.
All humans sounded like that to him, but when she did, he felt the sudden urge to protect her as he had years ago.
"Please, stay...just for supper."
She whispered the words so very softly.
They were meant for him and only him. She did not wish the rest of the village to hear her conversation with him, though they found it their business to stand around. She could not loose him again so soon. She had just finally found him once again...actually he had found her.
"Rin, Lord Sesshomaru has other, more important issues to deal with than sitting down and eating a meal with you worthless mortals. We must return to the Western Lands. Now let him go!" Jaken snapped.
Rin looked away from the grumpy toad and turned to Sesshomaru.
Her hand gripped the silky fabric tightly, never wanting to release him.
'If he wishes to leave so bad, I must let him go.'
With a defeated sigh, she dropped her hand to her side. She took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound happy and cheerful. She didn't want him to think that she needed him that much. She didn't want to sound desperate to him. He obviously didn't need anyone.
"Well it was nice...nice to see you again. Thank you for checking in on me." Her voice cracked, but she continued to smile.
She looked down fondly upon him. "You too, Master Jaken."
She gave Sesshomaru one final glance before she turned back to find Tokiko and her mother, standing beside one another.
Lady Adzumi's eyes were locked upon Sesshomaru's figure. Never had she seen such a man as he. She had heard of his reputation though, from both travelers and Rin.
She turned as the teary eyed girl approached her. She placed a smile on and bowed slightly before her mother.
"I'm sorry that I didn't come to you. I had to say hello...and goodbye to a good friend."
Lady Adzumi grinned kindly to the beautiful woman. "It's quite alright, Rin." She patted Rin on the shoulder and turned back to Sesshomaru. He was walking on, the green creature following a few steps behind.
"Rin, did you ask if they would like to stay for supper?"
Rin nodded. "Yes...but they are very important people and I guess that they didn't have enough time."
>
Jaken stared at his master with bewilderment.
High atop the hills that surrounded the small village, he and his lord lingered hours after seeing Rin.
The evening's breezes were slow and drifting, barely strong enough to be called even a breeze. The only source of light other than the brilliant new moon above was the fires from the village, which causedsmall wisps of smoke to filter out from inside the humans' homes.
'Why are we still here? We should be half way to the Western Lands by now...what is he thinking?'
Jaken continued to study Sesshomaru as the silver haired demon looked down at the village. They had left the village nearly four hours ago. Jaken had been chatting happily about returning when suddenly, Sesshomaru stopped and told him to be quiet.
Jaken had obeyed and was still as they sat in pure silence. There were occasional sounds from below, but other than that, Sesshomaru sat quieter than ever.
His thoughts were twisting and pulling at him. Never had he had such conflicting emotions before. Usually he could make up his mind and stick with it. He never looked back after deciding, yet this was different.
He could still hear her small plea for him to stay. It was not for him and Jaken...it was solely for him.
'She looked like my idiot brother's mate,' he noted.
Though she and Kagome were similar in both spirit and appearance, Rin seemed different.
The old woman had not lied, when she had described Rin's beauty. Large, brown eyes that held every human emotion were what first caught his attention.
She was also slim. What curves she did have were not too noticeable, but evident.
He had never really thought of what his 'type' was and now, as he thought of Rin, he realized that she seemed just what he would look for if he were to ever choose a mate.
Sesshomaru felt a frown pass over his face.
Why was he suddenly thinking of choosing a mate? Were he to ever even consider having a mate it would be only to have a child to leave his possessions to. However, he was in his prime and did not see any reason for having a child, nor a mate.
Especially with a human.
'They would be just like my half-wit brother, useless and weak.'
Sesshomaru let out a long sigh, startling Jaken.
"Yes m'lord?"
Sesshomaru glanced to him and said nothing.
Though if he were to see her again, and it would be very unlike him, he did wish to see if she were alright. He had not taken the time to see where she was living now.
If he didn't check in on her one final time, he'd never let it rest.
'She is a weakness...a human not worth a moment of my time.'
He could feel anger bubbling within him. He wanted to blame Rin for ever coming into his life. He was becoming soft since his biggest threats were suddenly gone.
Naraku had been defeated and his idiot half-brother had disappeared completely after Naraku's death. His commrades would not tell him where he was and soon, Sesshomaru grew bored with looking for him. Now the only things that ever caused him any trouble were naturally, humans.
Sesshomaru's frown continued to deepen as he continued to argue with himself. He hated this. He absolutely, without a doubt, hated this. He was Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands. He was known all across Japan for his vicious attitude and aristocratic stature, and yet here he sat, staring at a small village, wondering whether or not he should go check on a young, weak, pathetic female.
'Father, you have cursed us...both Inuyasha and myself.'
He let out another sigh, yet this time Jaken did not jump up to find out what was the matter. Instead, the bored demon simply glanced over his shoulder to his master.
Sesshomaru glared at the village. If there were anywhere on earth that he could despise, it would be that small place right now.
"Jaken," he finally called.
The small demon jumped up and raced over to him. "Yes Lord Sesshomaru?"
Sesshomaru glanced away from the village and look to Jaken. "Stay here. Do not leave until I return for you."
Jaken nodded, clutching his staff to his chest. He licked his lips nervously and cleared his throat.
"My lord, you aren't going back for the girl are you? She was clearly fine when we saw her!"
Sesshomaru looked down on Jaken and sneered. "In all this time, Jaken, you have not learned when to be quiet. You are denser than you lead on."
Jaken pouted slightly, watching Sesshomaru walk back down the hill.
"I am not as dumb as you think, m'lord. I know what's happening to you and thoughI do not wish to believe it, I know what mortal women can do to men...demon and human alike," Jaken whispered to himself.
Both jealousy and pity were filtering through the small demon's body. With a final sigh, he watched his master walk into another world...
>
A/n: Well I hope this satisfied a few with it's length. Believe me, the next chapter will be longer than this. I think this chapter may have dragged a bit...I don't know, ya'll lemme know. I just didn't realize how hard it is to keep Fluffy in character, and still make him actually interested in someone...oh boy. Well, thanks again for all the feedback guys! The next chapter is coming soon, I've already got half of it planned out! And I promise it will be longer than this chapter. See ya!