Rin was picking berries and placing them inside a basket, the bushes around the area were full of them. There were all sorts here, small red ones, blue ones fat with juice, purple ones. She sampled each one before dispersing a few into the basket. She thought some fresh berries would make a nice gift to the village leader and his family, though she wished she could do more than that. They were already well enough off that Rin was certain there was nothing in her realm she could offer them that they didn't already have. Lady Akino helped her, for she knew this forest well, and showed her where the best, the brightest, and the sweetest of the berries were located. Working together they were able to fill up the whole basket to the very top. Rin asked permission first before going to the village all by herself. At first Sesshomaru was hesitant but he relented and allowed her to go. It wasn't far and there were humans in the village. Daichi was one of the only few full demons and all the ones there were very human loving. He had nothing to worry about in terms of her safety but he still didn't like her to be away from his sight for such a long time.

Rin promised she would stay out of trouble and was on her way. She was in good spirits all the way there and when she arrived she was received warmly. The three children all ran out to meet her and when seeing she brought them something they were all happy to have it. Daichi thanked her for the gift, though humble in nature it meant a lot that she was willing to go through the trouble at all. Rin asked if there was anything more she could do for him and his family but he told her it was fine, that she not need fret about him. Rin stayed until lunch but instead of leaving she helped make it with Daichi, refusing to listen to him telling her it was alright and he could handle it. She wanted to be of some service and she would be no matter what. Begrudgingly he let her do what she wanted, she even served them all. He thought if she was going to make the food she might as well stay to enjoy it.

Rin sat at their table with them and ate, talking with all of them over the food. Sesshomaru came to get her a while after that, not wanting her to be out during sunset without him. She wanted to wash her dish but Daichi swiped it from her and didn't allow her a single word on the matter. He didn't want to get too comfortable with another human woman taking care of his children, every movement she made was reminding him of his long gone wife and that left a sting inside of him. Not that she looked like his wife but she was acting like a house wife and that was enough to make him remember her. Rin left as she was told to do but couldn't help feeling like something was wrong with that man, he seemed so sad all the sudden. She hoped she didn't offend him somehow.

"You know being there always makes me miss the village Kagome is in somewhat."

"Do you wish to go back?"

"No. I've told you many times I only wish to be at your side, for as long as my life lets me. I hope it's a long long long time before I depart from this world. I want every minute of my time here to be spent within your company. I only wish...I didn't have to go. The bitterness of being human...we don't live that long. Even Kaede is slowing down now, she uses a walking stick and complains of her bones aching all the time. I think of it every day that she will leave me and how I will miss her. She's been my tutor and my caretaker while you were gone. I suppose I've made my peace with it, she's past 70 at this point. I hope her death is at least peaceful...I hope mine is too."

"Why do you talk of such things, Rin?"

"I always feel my time dwindling down whenever I'm around you, the minutes are ticking by with each passing day. I'm constantly reminded that one day I'll grow old like her, wrinkled and gray haired and you'll still be beautiful. Then I will leave your side forever and that's what hurts the most," She confessed, letting a tear drop from her eye. More came tumbling down her cheeks until it appeared she was not going to stop. "I don't want to die if it means leaving you."

"Rin...please...don't..." he couldn't finish his sentence, for once he couldn't even let it be firm and still and precise as usual. He was shaken now by that because he liked ignoring it, just as with everything else, he liked to not think about it. He refused to acknowledge her human capability to grow older and older even as he witnessed it himself. Something inside of him was hurting and he was not immune to the pain caused by anything concerning Rin leaving him. He might not ever say it but he too did not want her to die, even if he knew one day she would, deep down he always knew. He just didn't want to face it, he couldn't face it. Rin dying? Impossible. Somehow he'd find some way to wrap his form around her own and stop that aging process, keep her just as she was right now. Pretty and smiling and young and full of life. He swore then, inside of himself, he'd find a way to prolong her life span, no matter how ridiculous that seemed. There must be some way...he just...couldn't fathom the thought of watching her grow into an old woman, too feeble to run about chasing butterflies in the fields or pick flowers to place in her hair. What was this strange lump in his throat and this feeling in his chest? It was like the time before, when he thought he lost Rin for good. What if that day had indeed been her last?

He would not leave her side, not for an instance. Nothing else would matter, nothing at all, not his sword, not his strength, not even Naraku. Nothing but her. He'd stay there blindly wishing she'd just open her eyes again and look at him the way she did, he'd sit there still as time was for him, and keep vigil at her death bed. If he did bury her he'd never leave her grave, he didn't know if he could bring himself to. How could he move on without her? It was like breathing without air. No, it wouldn't happen. He would not let it happen. He would rewrite the very fabric of time if he must, even though it seemed like a task no one could do. He was not going to let her die. She would do as she always wanted, be by his side, eternally. He knew he sounded crazy, he admitted he sounded crazy to himself, but if it was insane to want her to live then he accepted his newfound craziness. No matter how impossible, no matter how tough it was, no matter if he had to lose another arm in the process or far more than that, he would do it. He would make Rin like him, an immortal.

"It's alright," he attempted to soothe though it wasn't his forte. He placed his hand at her cheek and wiped away her tears while also trying so hard to stop his own. The prospect of such dark things happening to her could bring on emotions in him he never showed. He did not want to be weak, he was going to remain strong and steadfast, and above all courageous in the face of adversary. "Nothing will happen to this Rin."

"My lord... you can't say that...you and I both know that I-"

"Stop speaking of it," He replied, with the mildest tone he could, making sure she knew it was more of a plea than a command.

"As you say, my lord."

She wanted to hug him badly, just touch him in some slight way. She was being pulled towards him thanks to the sadness she felt inside of her and though he may deny it until the sun came up again over his land he wanted her to as well. Rin didn't think now was the time to let herself be composed and she really couldn't help it any longer so she threw all reservations away and lunged forward towards him. Her arms were around the back of his neck and her head was at his chest. She was still sniffling and trying not to sob like she had before, she wanted to have a stiff upper lip like her Sesshomaru and remain without feeling at all but this topic did not allow her such luxuries. Sesshomaru allowed her to express her feelings in whatever way she seemed fit. He eventually returned her embrace, first slow, stilted, much too light then fully, tightly, pressing her as close to him as he could.

One arm was around her hip and his hand at her back the other was stroking the base of her hair. He nuzzled into that hair, breathing in her scent deeply. Her scent was refreshing to him, a bit like a fruit or a flower, he couldn't place it but somewhere in the pits of himself he did like it. Unlike his colleagues he didn't find it offensive at all, it smelled nice. Her skin it smelled nice too, just like her hair, which made sense as it was all of her. When she pulled back from him and left his grasp he found he didn't want her to. He let go though, not wanting to appear like he wanted to touch her even though some insane part of him loved touching her and wondered at the thought of her smooth skin. She smiled weakly at him, wiping off her eyes.

"Sorry...I know it's childish of me to have hugged you like that."

"You're the only one who thinks that."

"You mean...you don't...mind?"

"I just don't find it childish is all. If you want to do it so badly then do it. I told you nothing in my realm is off limits to you..."

"There are...some things that always will be," she whispered to herself as under her breath as she could, tugging at her kimono sleeve.

"Rin when I say nothing I mean it. What is it you want?"

"Nothing you can possibly give me, my lord. You have already taken down the stars for me, I cannot too ask for the moon."

"What is there that I cannot give? Tell me, it doesn't matter the price."

"No my lord...really I'm happy the way I am with what I have, I dare not seek more. As long as I am beside you and surrounded by people who care about me then I will never want anything. Besides...some things don't have a price tag."

"Hn."

He was upset at her for not being honest but he was being a hypocrite and even he knew that. He never told the truth, not the real truth, because it would mark him as low and reveal him to be not so imposing and strong of will, mind, and heart as once thought. Just as she lived to serve him he lived to see her happy, it is all he wanted for her. She obviously wanted something, something that was within his grasp but she would not tell him even if he commanded he was certain she would keep her secret. This was one thing she was adamant about. He could tell that he would not pry it from her so easily which made him all the more curious to it. He would have to guess and he didn't like guessing, he preferred just to be told, it made things a lot easier.

The rest of the day he spent away from her, taking care of business matters and also ridding the area of any pesky vile demons who tried to crawl or slither into his domain. Rin however was doing things that were a little less tasking which was studying, writing, reading, but also she was out and about shooting her bow and arrow. She thought she'd get in some practice. She didn't shoot at things just at trees, she didn't have the heart to hunt things down that weren't for food sake. As the day dwindled down she continued her training, tiring herself out some. She collected each arrow from each tree remarking to herself that she would never be Kagome with the accuracy and power but she wasn't half bad either. She had gotten rather sweaty and dirty outside running about firing off her arrows and her back shoulder blade hurt some. She knew exactly where to go that would fix both those problems.

It had been a while since she went to the private hot springs that resided here. The last time she went it was when she first arrived. She sought to go there now and relax, just let her troubles melt away into the hot healing waters. She could lean back and watch the birds fly ahead and watch the sky turn to night. Rin gathered up her towel and a change of clothes, her night time kimono, and began heading there. She was humming to herself as she walked down the path and through the area that led to the spring. She began removing the bobbles placed in her hair today and ran her fingers through it casually. It was so much healthier now with all the products put in it and how often it was brushed but she still had her flips, they stood there refusing to be tamed just like her. Kyushu and Aseru tried in vain to flatten them but no such luck.

Each time they tried the flips sprung back up. Rin was absorbed in her own mind, not even looking ahead as she stopped by a tree and placed her stuff upon its branches. She removed the complicated knot her obi was tied in leaving her in just the multi-colored layers of fabric. As she tugged on the ties of her robe, slowly opening it she was startled by a noise. It sounded like light splashing in the water. It was too hot for fish to survive or frogs or anything besides humans so that must mean someone was there but she knew it couldn't be a servant. They would not come here, would they? Perhaps she did not know any better and they were allowed to if they wanted to. She clutched her robe and stepped forward a little calling out into the misty air for whoever was there to make themselves known. She was afraid the answer would be an unfamiliar voice or that she would see someone in the water who she did not know. The person need not speak at all for now she could see them through the haze. She knew this person well and squeaked loudly in surprise. It was Lord Sesshomaru and he was undressed in the water, just sitting there with his head cocked towards her. Her face had never been redder in all of her life.

"L-l-l-lord S-e-se-Sesshomaru! I I...uh um...I didn't know you'd b-b-be here. I didn't even think you c-came he-here. I'll just g-g-go."

"If you were planning to get in don't let me stop you."

"B-b-but I...we...you...I wouldn't dare share the same w-water as my lord...not while he was s-s-still in it. I can come b-b-back after you're done."

He looked at her, his hair wet and in strands down his body. Her eyes traveled across his form, as much as she could see anyways, which was mostly his torso. He was a fine specimen of demon, she knew that even with his clothes on but now he was without them and it made her turn away but her traitorous eyes kept looking at him. A drop of water slid down his abs and she gulped hard.

"Are you frightened Rin?"

"N-n-no...well...I don't think s-s-so."

"Then why are you stuttering?"

"I...I'm shy my lord...I've never seen a man's body before..."

For some reason that pleased him, that she had not witnessed the form of a man except his own. He would not like to hear that she had seen it, he did not think fondly of any man she would have seen in that way. Men and women often shared hot water together in the royal bath springs, he recalled when he was younger he had been in one with both of his parents, a few of his mothers ladies in waiting, and a few of his father's friends. It had been normal to him, he thought nothing of it. He supposed though for some humans it can be an intimate situation and a woman might covet her body, shielding it away for only her future husband. Usually though he never even glanced at a woman when undressed, if he saw them at all, it meant little to nothing to him. It was Rin though and that was different, even he was willing to admit it wasn't like an ordinary woman, it was her. He told himself because it was her he would look less, or at least care less. He felt no attraction towards her so there was nothing wrong with this. After some coaxing Rin was convinced she was permitted in the springs with him and that all was well.

It didn't feel right with her but she would not deny her want of it and if he said it was okay then she would use that to her advantage. He wasn't even looking at her anymore as she slid off her clothes and dipped into the water, crouching down some to show off even less of her body than normal. She tried to stay as far away from him as possible, sitting all the way across from him on the far side of the spring. Her height now only showed off her head and a small amount of her shoulders, this left her long dark hair to float across the top of the water. At first he just focused his attention on any random object or at least until he let his mind float away, then he closed his eyes entirely only to have some nagging feeling in him cause them to open again. He viewed her, reddened all over from the heat and from her blush, she was averting her eyes as much as possible and playing with thick strands of her sopping wet hair.

"S-s-so...you um...I didn't know you used this place too."

"I don't come here often but it was built for me."

"You are tense then?"

"Political matters have vexed me but I'm not tense. Are you?"

"No I only came here because I just wanted to. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea..."

"There's no need to be shy," he told her looking directly into her eyes.

"Perhaps that's easy for someone so confident to say...someone who has seen nudity before. I haven't and it's you...I feel like only someone of higher standing and closer to you should do this."

"You already are."

"W...what...? No my Lord...even if I dress the part and act the part I will never truly be like her ladyship. Though it flatters me if you think I am."

"Never doubt your self-worth."

"My lord thinks highly of me...but why? What have I done that makes me worthy of all of this?"

He didn't speak because he didn't want to say it. He didn't want to tell her it was merely because she was Rin, she meant everything to him, and someone who he was so close with should be treated justly. She had melted him, broken down his walls, and soothed all that lingered in his mind. He felt at peace with her and to thank her for all the joy she gave him he gave her all that he could offer. There was no better gift she could give him than what she already gave, her adoration, her affection, her smile. Her.

"You just are."

"...Oh. If you say so."

She continued to play with her hair only to stop when she heard the water splash again. She thought he was getting out so she closed her eyes tightly. As much as she wanted to look and worship his body with her eyes she would not allow herself the pleasure. There might be much her lord thought her worthy of but certainly not to gaze upon his god-like body. However he did not get out, she did not hear him walking away or anything of the sort. Slowly she opened her eyes only to let out a sharp gasp because he was close to her now. Her breathing shallowed and quickened at the same time, her blush deepened past the point of no return. He was so close his mokomoko was touching her body causing her to let out a noise of delight that she couldn't suppress no matter how she tried. She unconsciously bit her lip trying to stop the sound from coming out, closing her eyes tightly as it brushed up against her again. She swore then she heard Sesshomaru make a sound deep in his throat, it sounded almost like a purr.

"My l-l-lord...please...I...I can't..."

"I won't hurt you Rin."

"I know you wo-would ne-n-never hurt me but you're so so s-so close."

"Does that bother you?"

"Yes...and no...," she told him, trembling in the wake of that part of his anatomy stroking across her sensitive flesh. It was one thing to pet it and quite another to have it touch parts of her body. "I should...l-leave now..."

"Why?"

"I've t-taken up too much of your t-t-time."

"Stay."

She whimpered because she knew now she was trapped, she had no choice but to obey him. Her whimper triggered another purr to come out of him, not a purr really because he wasn't feline but something like it. He intook some air through his nose and his pupils got smaller. The affect it had on his face was reminding her or when he turned into a full demon. She wondered if he got a whiff of some strange creature far beyond her line of vision and was going to attack it for daring to come here. She told herself that's why he was so close, to protect her, no other reason and that's why he was making those sounds, they were a warning sound. At least she tried to tell herself this because she could not make any other rational reason for it. Just as she was convincing herself of this something or more so someone came to her rescue. Not that this was a dire situation but it was something she felt she couldn't handle.

It was Jaken hurrying towards the hot spring, huffing and puffing as per usual. Hearing him Sesshomaru blinked, his eyes returning to normal then he seemed to only now realize how close he was to her and backed away, almost like he was frightened by her. He left the hot spring hurriedly after Jaken told him someone was there at the castle requesting for him. Rin politely looked away from him as he dried and dressed then just turned around entirely. As soon as he was gone she held her arms around herself, pressing onto her chest where she could feel and hear her heart accelerating so fast she thought it might just pop. She shivered and breathed in loud gasps to herself, stopping to smack her now suddenly feeling very dry lips together. While she was now certain it had to have been another demon he was reacting to, perhaps it was the person at the castle, she couldn't shake how it made her feel.

She was in hot waters but even then she could feel her stomach getting hotter and her knees trembling. She also felt a strange sensation of warm wetness that wasn't from the water, right in-between her legs. She had felt this before but usually not around him, only when alone in the privacy of her room. She knew of many things, even if she came off like she was innocent, and knew exactly what this was. Thanks to the lovable pervert Miroku and the teachings of the ladies she knew how women's bodies worked, she was old enough to learn about such things they deemed. For a long time she just stayed in that exact spot, not wanting to move, stuck in the heat of that moment and all the sensations it brought about. At the same time Sesshomaru was shaking it off over and over again, trying not to think about what had transpired between her and him.

His inner demon was now back again with a vengeance and it took his all to shut it up. He ignored the fact that for a moment he had blanked out and didn't realize what he was doing until Jaken had arrived and thankfully stopped him from doing...whatever it was he was doing. He didn't want to think about that at all, whatever it was. He would just let himself think it did not happen at all, none of it, but no matter what he did he kept getting flashes of that moment in his head, flashes he tried to make disappear and now were not leaving him be. His thoughts were at last put to rest when he came face to face with who was calling for him, his saving grace in a moment he kept swearing did not exist. At his doorstep was a young man, a half demon, older than Rin but still in the prime of his life, and he looked scared and nervous. He kept wringing his shirt over and over again.

"H...hello...Lord Sesshomaru. An honor to be at your residence and to be actually graced with your presence. I um...was just wondering...about the Lady Rin, you see my brother...he...he really likes her and he wanted to ask your permission to...um court her. He was too scared of you to come so I am here in his place."

Sesshomaru swore time froze just then and those words hit him like a speeding bullet train right in the face. Court...Rin. He almost wanted to laugh but it was beneath him. No it wasn't funny it was sickening. How dare this person think he could just come storming up here and ask such a ridiculous request?! He didn't realize at all that he did this but he growled threateningly at the man who only got more tremors because of that. Sweat dotted his brow and he took in large gulps of air. He knew doing this was a huge mistake, he tried to tell his brother a hundred times that the girl was connected with this great demon lord, and he would not allow such a thing. No matter what he was to her he would be protective of her and feel an affront on his entire being if asked but his brother was smitten from the very day she entered the village. He claimed he would make her his wife no matter what, except there was something he wasn't willing to do for her and that was face the demon man.

Everyone revered him but they also knew what he could do, with one arm he could end your very life. He was not to be trifled with and no one like that, who they assumed to be a high born lady of some sort given her dress, was going to get with one of them, especially because of her living with him. All villagers had their own theories on just exactly who she was to Sesshomaru with most if not all concluding that she was either a friend who he shared a deep complex relationship with or something like a daughter to him. Very few thought much else, though some did enjoy the scandalous idea of the two being much closer than mere friends or just a girl under his care. Whatever the case it was foolish of his brother to want to do this and Sesshomaru could agree, though that was only one of the few words he would use to describe this situation.

"Go."

That was all he said and all that needed to be said. The guy could take a hint and left when the going was good, thanking his lucky stars his life was spared. The lord did have some mercy after all, at least, the boy thought, he would not shoot the messenger. He worried for his brother though, if the lord would come after him but Sesshomaru would do no such thing. If he did it might appear as if he cared more for Rin than most people assumed he did, and of course it was in part the truth, but he didn't want anyone getting any ideas. No ,Sesshomaru would let them live, he did not enjoy staining his white fur with blood as much as some liked to think he did, those days were behind him now. He'd rather his enemies live with the fear, the thought he would come after them, looking down every corner afraid he would show up.

Sesshomaru was appalled and felt disrespected both for himself and for Rin. How dare they?! The absolute brazenness of it all. They thought they were some admirable man suited for her? No one was worthy of Rin, not even the king himself would be. She was a special type of woman and if they were going to have the gall to ask him for permission to have her he'd always answer with no. However Rin had her own choices, but she was not asked and it was better that way. If he found out one of them asked behind his back it would be worse but then again why did he care so much who she got with? He thought to himself that at least if someone was to have her it would not be a mongrel like his brother, no filthy half breed was going to touch her, make her his wife, have children with her. The thought made him feel ill.

'What would you prefer then?' His inner voice asked him but in a way that insinuated he already knew the answer.

'Not that person.'

'Not a half demon you mean?'

'Yes exactly. She deserves far better.'

'A human then? What of that option?'

'No miserable pitiful worthless human is fit for her either.'

'A full demon would be the best choice then?'

'I would not see her in the claws of a demon.'

'I wasn't talking about just any old demon I was talking about yourself. You are not allowing anyone to have her for one reason only and it isn't just you being over-protective.'

'Leave me be.'

'You're saving her, you're coveting her all to yourself. That's exactly why you're doing this because she belongs to you, isn't that right?'

'You don't know what you speak. Away from me, now.'

'Pretty soon you'll have to face it and you won't be able to hide from me or from her or from yourself. You'll have no choice. We both know what the blood moon is going to do to you.'

'Nothing. Just as it always does.'

'You know better but that's fine. I'm going to enjoy seeing you struggle against your very nature when the time comes and relish it more when you finally succumb. I cannot wait for it, for the night to change you and for you to suffer trying to force yourself to ignore what you want most or more who you want most.'

Sesshomaru didn't even reply at all to that, it did not dignify a response. He reflected upon what was coming up, looking at the sky. Soon the moon would turn blood red and during that time is when his kind, the dog demons would find a mate and breed with them. If there was already one then that was better, men would loose it looking for one and while it did affect the females it affected the males a lot worse. Sesshomaru would always have to be sent away during the blood moon because of what it did to his father and his mother swore he did not want to see him like that or hear what they were doing. When he grew into a man he understood more what she meant but as a child it always perplexed him why he had to be sent away to be taken care of by some non dog demon that worked for them. He had tried to ask a lot of questions but he never got an answer until he was old enough. He always also wondered why it never did anything to him. At first it was because he had not reached sexual maturity yet and then there came about other reasons but no matter what he never seemed to have that need in him during that time to mate.

It wasn't just about breeding either, a lot of them only did it for the satisfaction of doing it, and that meant they weren't taking a mate but just a prospective party to mate with. He never did either and it was most likely due to his personality and overall lack of desire towards females. He just always thought nothing of them, never had a crush, never fell in love, never thought too many looked good besides his mother. For whatever reason, his mind or not, he was not transformed during the blood moon. It had been that way for over three hundred years so there was no need to even think about anything changing now. Nothing was different and he had already gone through a blood moon with Rin too and nothing happened then. Yes she was a child but that didn't change matters now that she was a woman. His inner demon argued otherwise.

Late at night after Rin had robed herself up to go to bed Sesshomaru came to her to let her know she was not to go to the village anymore. She was distraught because she loved the children there and Daichi was also kind to her, she wanted to see if she could make that sad look in his eyes go away somehow. Sesshomaru didn't enjoy making her upset so he made a compromise, the children could come to his palace if they wanted, he would send someone to get them that way she would not be without the entertainment she had with them around. Rin thought about it but agreed it would be nice to have them here then she could give them the tour of the place and there was so much more area for them to play around in. She was okay with the decision but asked why it was she wasn't allowed into the village at all anymore.

"Did something bad happen there? Is there someone there who you don't want me to be around?"

"...Yes," he conceded, but he did not elaborate on the matter any more than that even though she inquired on what happened or who it was. He told her that it was not any of her concern and that she should just let things be. He knew what was best for her, he didn't say that part but he almost implied it with his tone. She wished him a goodnight and asked no further questions, he knew what he was doing and if it was no longer safe for her she wouldn't go. Whatever it was it didn't matter really so she went to sleep with a smile on her face at her lord defending her yet again. She felt so safe with him around but for how long?