I do not own Inuyasha.
Peace filled Sesshomaru. He leaned against a tree, a leg propped up, back supported by his mokomoko. Rin frolicked in the pond before him like bird, darting in and out of the water with quick, agile movements.
Summoned away from his charges by reports of a border skirmish that proved to be more nuisance than threat, Sesshomaru was greeted with this serene scene upon his return.
Summoned? More like threatened. His mother threatened to bless him with her presence if he did not handle the situation immediately. The mere thought spurred him to action. He avoided his mother at all costs.
Under his cold and aloof care, Rin blossomed. Her transformation bewildered and fascinated him. He had thought humans to need more nurturing and care than he was capable of providing. A demon's nature differed from a human's greatly. Rin's growth should not have been possible under one such as him. Yet, here they were. Rin was resilient, independent and perceptive. Coddling and affection did not appear to matter to her, but a field in bloom or a starry sky could induce squeals of happiness. She was such a strange creature.
Perhaps her contradictory nature came from her orphan status.
Loud splashing prompted Sesshomaru to open his eyes. Coming ashore, Rin attempted to drag a protesting Jaken in the pond with her. Their squabbling voices slowly rose until Sesshomaru ordered Jaken to humor her.
Jaken shot a resentful look towards the dog demon. Ever since this human child joined them, I have been demeaned into tasks like this. It was beneath his station as Lord Sesshomaru's most loyal servant. He trudged out into the water, much to Rin's delight.
Once more, the force of her joy struck Sesshomaru. How could she be so happy, given everything she'd suffered? How was she able to move past adversity so easily? At first mute, her voice now filled the air at every opportunity; starved, her cheeks now held a healthy plumpness. The change was physical and more.
She trusted him completely. She knew he killed without hesitation; that even now he searched for Naraku for the express purpose of killing him. Yet she believed he would never turn his ire on her. That trusting look in her eyes humbled him still.
Rin, full of energy from a recent meal, played with abandon. A weak swimmer, she was careful not to venture too far into the depths. Jaken served as her raft. This amused Sesshomaru because Rin surpassed Jaken in height. Still, she held on to the imp as she slowly headed into deeper water. Sesshomaru realized Jaken used the Staff of Two Heads to keep his head above the water. At one point, Rin lost her grip on Jaken and splashed around frantically for him, pulling him under water with her.
Unlike Rin, Jaken was a strong swimmer, especially in water with no strong currents. Still, the imp lacked physical strength and Rin's panicked flailing must have made the task of pulling her back to the surface especially grueling.
Head emerging from the water, Jaken pulled his staff out from the pond's floor and swam toward the shore, pulling Rin behind him. He was impervious to her head occasionally falling under the water. Sesshomaru should smack him for his rough handling of the girl, yet he was struck by an odd desire to laugh. He couldn't have known that a radiant expression lit his face, making it softer than either of his companions had ever seen.
Breathless and weak, the pair staggered out of the pond and collapsed in the grass. Neither one thought to look in the dog demon's direction. Rin coughed violently and Jaken was wringing out his clothes, cursing Rin to the Netherworld and back at all the indignities she cast upon him. It was when he heard Jaken muttering about how shameful it would have been to be killed by a drowning human girl that Sesshomaru got up and walked past Ah-Un, shoulders shaking.
Sesshomaru and Jaken waited for Rin to find food in a small clearing the next day. The nearby village would find itself short a few crops come morning. Sure enough, Rin returned weighed down with a melon and radishes. As Rin and Jaken set about preparing their food, Sesshomaru settled against a large tree.
Wandering aimlessly for weeks now, Sesshomaru had yet to pick up Naraku's scent. Trying to locate him upon his flight from that human castle proved useless. Sesshomaru still burned at the half-breed's tactics. That he would stoop so low as to use Rin against him . . . He had no honor whatsoever. Sesshomaru could not determine which of the two actions angered him more: Naraku's escape or his diversionary plan.
The half-breed was a disgrace, a coward and a cheat; devoid of honor and therefore unworthy of life. Sesshomaru would dispatch him to the Netherworld at the first opportunity.
Full and feeling restless, Rin began picking flowers that littered the small clearing. She snuck covert glances at Lord Sesshomaru in-between weaving the stems into a wreath. Crowned with her own creation, Rin cast around for something else to do, her eyes lingering on the dog demon's form. If only, she sighed.
The great demon was above play and laughter, hence the constant orders to Jaken to entertain her. Rin would be overjoyed if Lord Sesshomaru conversed with her for five minutes. Whenever she asked him questions, she was usually met with silence. She wanted his undivided attention, or at the very least, she wanted him to acknowledge her presence as more than a burden. She cast a longing look in Lord Sesshomaru's direction once more, debating the wisdom of acting on her desires.
Gathering her courage, Rin approached Lord Sesshomaru on silent feet. It was a skill she picked up from him. Rin mimicked him whenever possible in action and word. She performed these modified habits with no conscious thought, only admiration in mind. She wanted his grace and longed for his beauty.
Coming under his penetrating stare, Rin froze, clasping her hands behind her back. She smiled sheepishly.
"My lord," she began hesitantly. Her courage threatened to abandon her due to the force of his gaze. "My lord, I would like to have words with you," she finished formally, her chin and shoulders lifting.
"What about?" he asked. She amused him with her words. Why the sudden formality and imperious nature?
Amusement made his features softer. Rin caught it this time. Her head cocked to one side, wondering what prompted the glorious change.
"I'm bored," she blurted. "I don't want Master Jaken, I want you," she added, cutting him off when he made to call for the imp.
Sesshomaru contemplated her words. What could she possibly want him for? He hadn't played games since his childhood.
"What did you have in mind?" he inquired. He was immediately treated to another blinding smile. He turned away from her brightness and waited.
Unprepared for her swift progress, Rin's mind raced through possible pastimes.
Her eyes lingered on his hair and her fingers twitched. Lord Sesshomaru disliked physical touch. While he had allowed Rin to braid his hair before, the offer had been given grudgingly. She didn't want to press her luck, so rather than seeking what she would enjoy, she turned her thoughts to what he wouldn't mind.
This time, Rin's eyes landed on his swords. A mischievous smile tugged at her lips. He won't mind that at all.
Sesshomaru turned to see Rin with a cunning look on her face. He lifted a brow. Cunning swiftly melted into sweet as she took a step towards him. "Lord Sesshomaru, will you show me how to use a sword?" she gushed, tripping over her words in her haste to get them out.
Arrested, Sesshomaru paused. Her perception and ingenuity impressed him. She fidgeted while waiting for his response, hands twisting together, teeth worrying lips. Was his answer that important to her? Why?
She baffled him. No one wanted to spend time with him without receiving some benefit in return. Such was his existence, or so he thought. He would never admit how much Jaken's selfless loyalty meant to him. The imp was the first being to appreciate Sesshomaru for reasons that baffled him as much as Rin's did. Yet he sensed the girl's earnestness. His company was all she desired.
She was such a strange creature.
Sesshomaru climbed to his feet. "Find a suitable stick, Rin," he said.
He didn't miss the quiet squeal as she turned away and sped into the trees.
He smiled.
Rin stood facing Jaken, stick firmly in hand. They were engaged in a mock duel. She was the recipient of Lord Sesshomaru's time and knowledge, things he'd spent the last couple of hours imparting to her. In return, Rin gave him her undivided attention. She devoured his every word, savored his every touched, storing the precious memories in a box she could return to for the rest of her life.
Here lay an opportunity for Rin to prove herself to Lord Sesshomaru, to show that she held his advice in high regard. The possibility that a victory could yield more chances for a repeat of this afternoon served as her motivation. Jaken must be defeated. So far they were tied, but not for much longer.
The next match saw chaos reign supreme. Upon Sesshomaru's word, the duel began, Rin gaining the upper hand easily. She pressed her early advantage, cornering the imp against a tree. Jaken parried Rin's next strike, pushing her back in the process. As she struggled to maintain her balance, Jaken ran around her, intent on reversing their positions. However, he ended up with Rin on top of him, her battle with gravity lost.
Jaken felt like his soul fled his body along with his breath as her weight came crashing down upon him. Heavens, how could such a small thing be so heavy? As soon as he regained his ability to breathe, Jaken shouted at Rin to get off him and gave her a good smack with his staff for good measure.
Anger and pain flooded Rin, her cheeks turning a darker shade than they already were from exertion. All thoughts of the duel fled as she made to pay him back in kind. Grabbing the staff from the imp, she swung it with all her might. Not only did she manage to send the little creature flying into a tree, but she struck herself as well.
Sesshomaru took in this comedy of errors with his customary stoicism. A strange feeling bubbled in his chest. He took in Jaken's unconscious form before his gaze landed on Rin. Her eyes were rapidly filling with tears as she rubbed the spot where the staff struck her. Confusion and pain flickered across her face as she tried to figure out what happened. She looked like a baffled puppy.
His hand came to his mouth to cover the smile that lit his face. The bubbling continued to rise to the fore. Sesshomaru turned on his heel and headed towards the shelter of the forest before the laughter broke free. A chuckle escaped, a small leak in a fragile dam before it burst under the pressure of water that refused to be held back. Another chuckle slipped past before the dam broke. Sesshomaru laughed harder than he had in a long time, harder than he probably had in his long life.
The resonant sound crashed through Rin's confusion, causing her to look around for its source. She doubted her eyes when they came upon Lord Sesshomaru holding onto a tree as he laughed loud and hard. Standing up, she made her way to the beautiful demon and tugged at his leg.
He stopped laughing long enough to peer down at her with eyes lighter than she'd ever seen. Soft color infused his cheeks and his smile was wide and kind. It all combined to put his already devastating good looks in another realm of divinity.
Sesshomaru's amusement appeared to be calming before he turned to see Rin peering at him with eyes that were wide with wonder. Laughter took hold of him again. While her reactions to Jaken's actions were a source of entertainment for him, they had never reduced him to incoherent laughter.
Rin did not take kindly to being bullied by his servant. Her changing moods intrigued Sesshomaru. He suspected she had been the target of abuse in the past, so her assertive moments were appreciated. He liked that she knew when to assert herself and when doing so would lead to harm. That her moment of pique had sent Jaken flying into a tree didn't bother him. He would've done the same had Rin not beaten him to it.
Rin pinched herself, unsure if sleep held her in its grip. This had to be a dream: a day where her lord spent time with her, instructing her in the art of swordsmanship; his laughter. Feeling the sting, Rin came to the conclusion that this was the best day of her young life.
"I'm sorry, Rin. I shouldn't have laughed at you. Are you hurt?" Lord Sesshomaru asked. The pressure in his chest was gone, replaced with a soreness in his stomach.
"No. I'm fine, and you can laugh at me whenever you want, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin replied, knowing she witnessed a miracle.
That evening as Jaken and Rin sat around a campfire, nursing their minor injuries. Every time Jaken looked at the human girl, muttered curses fell from his lips. Rin hummed a nonsensical song and teased him about Lord Sesshomaru being reduced to tears because of their antics.
Jaken, unsure if she was teasing or relaying, cursed every god under the sky that saw fit to put humans on the earth. By the time sense had returned to him, Lord Sesshomaru had returned to his taciturn self, although the lightness of his aura this night was unusual.
The idea of Lord Sesshomaru laughing . . . Jaken thought his lord incapable of the action.
Oh, life wasn't fair.
Another edited chapter. Until the next post . . .