Reviews:

Bluerose160: Yep, Sesshomaru has no idea how to properly communicate with anyone—especially a girl he likes—but have no worry. His character development will soon arrive! And yes, Rin just accepts his manner due to her both being shy and her just assuming that he's a spoiled brat based on who his parents are (which she's half-way right on that part).

sllmidnight: I would say he's more or less judging Rin to see if she's suitable enough for him to choose her as his life companion. Dog demons are demanding by nature, and it doesn't help that Sesshomaru lacks proper communication skills whilst being a tad spoiled.

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Rin arrived inside of her apartment as quickly as her legs could carry her. Today had been one of the girls' more interesting days, and it didn't help that some tall, attractive dog demon decided to become her demanding guard dog all of a sudden. The girl grew a small feeling that her demon father would, perhaps, possess some more knowledge over these demon customs.

Rin, being raised by a demon, was very knowledgeable about their customs. She knew all about their more bossy attitudes as well as their need to find something—anything—to claim and protect. Sometimes it would be a person, but other times, it could be something less intense such as money or a family heirloom. Dog demons in particular fell into a higher status category; therefore, their customs proved rare for Rin's extensive amount of information that she had gathered over her years as a demon's adoptive human daughter.

Setting her backpack onto the sofa, she collapsed next to it and stared at the wall, unsure of what to do next. She did have her creative writing story to work on; as well as a math sheet and a family dynamics diagram. She also needed to get dinner started, but Rin wasn't sure on what to make for tonight. Her papa always cooked on the weekends, but Rin was in charge of the weekdays. Something told her that chicken fried rice would work splendidly for the night. After all, they had plenty of leftover rice from yesterday's meal. All she would have to do is cook the chicken, eggs, veggies, and mix it all together.

Standing up, she decided that dinner would be easier to fix first, and walking over towards their small kitchen, she pulled out the necessary ingredients to make the chicken fried rice. The entire process of the cooking duration didn't take but only twenty minutes. After the rice was done, she scooped a few mounds into her bowl and sat at the table. Towards the end of her meal, her papa came crashing into the house.

"Rin! My sweet Rin, how was your first day at Feudal High?"

She smiled in between bites, "It was good. I made some friends."

Hearing that she made friends caused a huge grin to form on the imp's face, "Oh, how wonderful! It pleases me to know that you feel more comfortable at this school."

"Well…that's what I want to talk to you about. You see, among my new friends are the Inugami brothers, and one of them is very…obsessed with me, I guess you could say," Rin tried to explain.

Jaken merely waved her concern off, "You'll have to excuse InuYasha. He loves getting into everyone's business, but don't fret! He has a chosen mate who would gladly put him in his—"

"No, not InuYasha. I'm talking about Sesshomaru…"

The sound of Jaken's bowl clinking to the ground startled Rin, "Obsessed…how?"

She gulped, "W-well, it started this morning. I gave him a flower that I had picked because he seemed so sad. Ever since, he's been acting strange towards me. He noticed how scared I was to get lunch, so he got it for me and even paid for it! He made sure that I ate everything, and then he got mad at a guy for calling me pretty. Now, he's demanded to pick me up for school every morning and to take me home as well."

Jaken had to sit on the ground, holding his green head, "Oh dear…oh my kami."

"What? What is it?!"

"Rin…dog demons have many strange customs—even to an imp such as myself. One of their customs is that they spend their adolescence hunting for a perfect mate. Once they find the companion that they deem worthy enough for them…well, that's it! They become demanding, bossy, suffocating, and there's nothing that the other person can do! Sesshomaru seems to be taking it a bit too far, but the boy can't help it. He's been through a lot," Jaken explained.

"So…I have to just accept it? I have to just throw my life away to become this guy's wife?" Rin quietly asked.

"Not necessarily. I mean, it's impossible for a human to get out of it. You don't have the needed strength to fight him, but what you can do is help him. Sesshomaru is a good boy. He just needs…guidance."

"Why is he the way he is?" Rin asked.

Jaken sighed, "I should let him tell you, but in order for you to better understand Sesshomaru…you need to know the full truth. I'm sure InuYasha and his big mouth have said some of it, but you see…Sesshomaru was very close to his father as a child. They did everything together, and his mother adored the both of them. They were a happy family…until Toga realized that InuKimi, Sesshomaru's mother, was not the right mate for him. It's very rare for demons to opt out of their mating, but Toga never truly loved InuKimi. They were an arranged marriage to join two corporations together…which is hard for a dog demon to live with. InuKimi had grown to love that man, but he…he never did. Unbeknownst to any of them, Toga had already found another woman by the name of Izayoi, and she had a secret child with him…InuYasha. Sesshomaru was seven and InuYasha was five when they first met. This was also the day that Toga had announced his secret to everyone—including InuKimi. She is still broken to this day…and so is Sesshomaru."

Rin covered her mouth in shock. No wonder Sesshomaru seemed so bitter about everything, and she was sure that seeing InuYasha on a daily basis didn't help him either! "Didn't Izayoi die?"

Jaken nodded, "I'm afraid so, and that certainly didn't help the matter. Ever since her death, InuYasha has always been the most important person to Toga. Sesshomaru…not so much. Even to his mother, he's just a reminder of her failed marriage. I know this because I tend to most of Sesshomaru's needs. Instead of his father or mother, they have me do it."

Tears fell from Rin's eyes. She couldn't possibly imagine being the burden of a failed marriage. I mean, it wasn't Sesshomaru's fault that his dad didn't love his mom! "That's so sad, Papa. When I saw him this morning, his eyes held so much sadness. I gave him that flower to cheer him up, and it worked. His sadness seemed to be erased—if just for that moment."

"Perhaps you could erase that sadness for an eternity," Jaken suggested, "I understand that for human customs, a forceful relationship seems a bit tacky, but to dog demons, it's very normal. I'm not saying that you give in to his every demand—he needs to be told no—but I would love to see that boy smile…just once."

After a comforting shower, Rin dressed into her pajamas before sitting down at her desk. Her homework was scattered all over, and the girl knew that she needed to at least get the work due for tomorrow done first. Algebra was first, but there was already a problem down the page that she knew would give her a lot of trouble. She worked through the rest of the problems first, leaving the hardest for last.

"Papa? Do you know how to work algebra problems?" she called out down the hallway.

Jaken stepped into her room, "No, Rin, I'm afraid not. I'm not as smart as I used to be, but I have a little idea," he pulled out his phone, walking over towards her, "I have Sesshomaru's number, and I know that he'd be more than willing to help you out with your homework."

Rin blushed at the thought, "Oh…a-are you sure?"

"Of course! He doesn't willingly talk to anyone, so if he's speaking to you, then you have nothing to worry about. Just text him on your phone, my dear."

Rin hesitantly nodded, typing his number into her phone and labeling him as, "Sess". He would probably disapprove if he saw such a nickname.

"I'm afraid I have to go back into work for another couple of hours, Rin. Toga needs me to take him to the airport for a business trip. I'll see you later on tonight," her papa announced, giving her a quick peck on the head before leaving the room.

She stared at her phone for several minutes, unsure of what to do. Eventually, she sighed deeply before typing.

Hey, this is Rin. Papa gave me your number. I need help on a math problem…please…if you don't mind…I would totally understand if you're busy…

She knew that she sounded a bit desperate, but Sesshomaru creeped her out a bit. Even though the girl was more used to demon customs than human customs, it still alarmed her that a demon could just…stake his claim on her, and it was perfectly legal! The sound of her phone going off caused her to jump.

Send me a picture of the problem.

Quickly, she snapped a picture of said algebra problem and sent it to her…intended mate, she guessed? That was weird to think about. It really alarmed her knowing that she would one day be married to this guy. Demon customs were weird…Not long after that, he sent a picture back to her of the entire problem worked out and marked with numbers to show her the steps. Something about that made her heart leap a little. Maybe he did care…on the deep innards. Her phone's text tone went off again.

If you need anything explained, ask.

His extreme bluntness was going to be their main problem. She was not one to initiate a conversation, and it seemed that he was not one as well. This would prove to be an awkward relationship. Relationship…she had only known the guy for one frickin day! This was honestly becoming too much for her, and she sincerely hoped that Sesshomaru would start off as her friend before taking it to the next level. Something told her that that wouldn't happen…

It's perfectly explained on the paper, but thank you! Oh…are you going to the movies this weekend too?

Rin doesn't know what compelled her to ask him such a question. It was almost as if she was asking him out on a date, and she didn't like that. Sure, Sesshomaru was very attractive, and she felt awful about his past, but that didn't mean that she would immediately fall in love with him. This stuff takes time…time that he apparently didn't have.

Only if you do.

And then she felt it—her heart flutter. She couldn't explain why she was already feeling those emotions of a crush towards him so soon. That's now how it worked—right?

I am indeed going.

She decided to play along with his bluntness, and it made her smile for some reason.

Then I shall pick you up Friday night at six. That is when they are going.

No question. No manners…just his simple demands. Rin didn't approve of these demands. This wasn't the time period in which men held all control over women. She had a right to speak her opinions!—but today was not the day.

Sounds good!

A groan escaped from Rin, "Why do I allow him to talk to me like that?! I'm so weak…"

She finished up her math paper and began to work on her story. How she wished she was the little girl…

The end of the week rolled out sooner than expected, and it was partly due to the fact that Sesshomaru kept her week interesting. He swapped his classes around and now attends any of her classes that are mixed grade. Something about them taking family dynamics together didn't make Rin all that comfortable, but she was too scared to stand up for herself and say anything. His mother was very well aware of their little…situation, but she didn't seem to care that much. Rin noted that Principle Inujoō would give her little smirks whenever they would pass by one another, but that was it.

With it being Friday, she was told by Kagome to dress in whatever outfit she wanted to wear to the movies tonight…reason being—they were heading to the Inugami house right after school. The thought of meeting the great Inu no Taisho scared the living hell out of Rin, but if Sesshomaru would be there too…perhaps he would keep the attention more on himself.

She chose a simple outfit for their outing—a graphic tee with a pair of black skinny jeans. Her checkered vans were her absolute favorite. She knew that she dressed a decade behind everyone else, but that didn't matter to her. Rin enjoyed her style, and that was that. She braided her hair and placed a cap on to keep her bangs from getting into her eyes—girly clothing was not her thing.

Sesshomaru would be here any minute. In fact, he may already be here. The sound of a knock on the door confirmed her suspicions. As she opened the door, she noticed how Sesshomaru was dressed more casually than usual. He wore a plain red T-shirt with fitted jeans and a pair of brown boots. His hair was even in a loose man-bun…something she never thought she'd see Sesshomaru wear. He scanned her up and down, and Rin could have swore that she saw a smile across his face.

"I approve."

Rin gave him a look, and a surge of confidence finally spouted, "Do I honestly need your approval? I dress the way I want to dress."

A flash of sadness crossed his eyes, and Rin immediately regretted her words. She was starting to understand why he acted the way he did, and she immediately smiled, "I'm not upset with you, Sesshomaru. I just don't like the demanding stuff."

He nodded, "I understand. That is all that I know, however."

"Maybe I can teach you some different ways of conversing with me," she offered.

"How so?"

"Well, instead of saying 'I approve', you could say something like, 'That outfit is pretty cool. I like it,' or something along those lines," she explained.

He thought about it for a minute, "You look beautiful when you dress like yourself."

His words nearly choked her, "H-huh?! Me? Beautiful?"

Sesshomaru gave her a look as if it were obvious, "Yes, but we need to get to school."

"Y-yeah…we should…" she trailed off, following Sesshomaru out of her apartment and out of the automatic front doors of the apartment complex.

The ride to school was in silence, but Rin didn't mind. Not one bit. She was in need of processing his words that he spoke to her. How could he, a powerful and flawless dog demon, casually refer to her plain human self as beautiful?! What was so beautiful about her?! Her brown hair and brown eyes seemed so…simple to her being, but to Sesshomaru, she held beauty…

When they arrived at school, she noticed her other friends outside, speaking to one another. Rin would love to join in on the conversations now that she was more comfortable around the group, but Sesshomaru prevented her from riding in the car with them. It didn't bother her to the extreme. He was probably lonely and, to her observation, Sesshomaru enjoyed having Rin with him. He never held those…sad feelings around her, and it made Rin feel good about herself.

"Hey guys, over here!" Kagome called out.

The duo made their way over towards the group, Sesshomaru following Rin like a…well, like a lost puppy, "Hey, Kagome…InuYasha, Sango, Miroku.."

InuYasha gave Sesshomaru a look, a smirk on his face, "Say, Fluffers. I didn't think you'd end up with a human. I always thought Pops would marry your ass off to some rich demon chick."

"I refuse to partake in such…disgusting activities," Sesshomaru nearly growled out.

"Yeah, yeah—don't blame ya on that. But uh we're still out here because the bathrooms exploded…literally, so schools canceled for today."

Sango nodded, "It smells so bad inside the building."

"Like my father's personality," Miroku joked.

"More like your personality…" Sango huffed out.

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Anyway, we decided that we all could just hang out at InuYasha and Sesshomaru's house until the movie tonight."

Rin blushed slightly at the thought of being at Sesshomaru's house, and she wanted to give it a bit of hard thinking beforehand. She didn't know if she would be comfortable around him alone at his house. Who knows what he would do to her…but at the same time, everyone else would be there as well. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea, "Sounds good to me!"

"Perfect! We always go over there since they live in a giant mansion and all," Kagome explained.

Splitting up, the groups got into their designated cars and all drove off towards the Inugami house.

"So…are we all going to be in the living room watching tv or what?" Rin asked.

Sesshomaru gave her a slight look, "My father is not at home with teenage couples around. What do you think they are going to do?"

"O-oh…" Rin's face transformed into a deep red, "But your father shouldn't allow teenagers in his house just so that they can do the nasty all the time!"

"I agree…but my opinions do not matter."

"Yes they do! Your opinions do matter! It almost seems like you're the true adult in this household!" Rin nearly griped out, astonished that his father would be so willing for his house to be used as a…well as a…

"This is why I only talk to you," he softly explained.

Rin perked up at that statement, "What do you mean?"

"You…listen to me. No one else does."

That was when it hit Rin. The realization hit her like a million bricks. Sesshomaru doesn't order her around because he wants to. He just doesn't know how talking even works! The only interaction he gets is when he orders a servant to perform a task. His father clearly never listens, InuYasha does his own thing, and his mother doesn't care about him. He's not emotionless because he wants to be. He's emotionless because he was never taught emotions! The fact that she was able to figure this man out over the course of one week scared her, but at least she figured it out soon enough to have plenty of time to help him learn.

"I will always listen to you. Whenever you need me, I'll be there," she told him, smiling brightly at him.

Suddenly, he grabbed her left hand, caressing it between his clawed fingers, "I have been trying to describe you to myself, and…I always say that you are the moment that gave me eternity. You are the moment of my eternity."

"Sesshomaru…I know that we've only known each other for a week, but I already feel as if we are best friends now. As your best friend, I will always be here for you," she said to him.

"I do accept…being your friend. I hope…I hope that one day, we could be more than friends," he told her.

Rin smiled, "Yes, I feel as if we could."

Hearing that brought a twinkle in Sesshomaru's honey eyes that Rin had never seen before. He was…happy—content, at the very least. She was glad that she could give him a chance to feel happy…