(Edited Version)

Rin had one more day, she drove Mesuiguru to exhaustion. Mesuiguru was lathered in white foam from sweat. Her hooves beat against the ground. Rin leaned low on her neck, urging her forward with firm clucks and heals to the sides. One more day, or Kohaku would die and it would be all her fault. Her stomach burned from the strain of constantly being upright. In the evening when Rin removed the bandages, invariably another one of the gashes was open. She need those things Kagome-sama knew of called stitches, or to at least to sit still and stop moving.

She spent the last two evening caring for Mesuiguru. She made sure she had enough to food eat and water to drink. She gathered twigs and leaves for the horse and made sure to fill her water skin for both her and the horse. It was tiring work, her body screamed at her to stop what she was doing, to rest and heal.

Rin sighed with relief as she rode, for two days no one followed. The further she went towards the mountains, she knew that Sesshomaru-sama would be less likely to find her, if he came at all. He always seemed to turn up when she was most desperate. As the sun set on the horizon, Rin pulled her mare to a stop. She trotted on her back checking the forest for a safe place to rest. She found a thicket of bushes that would hide her from intrusive eyes. She tied Mesuiguru to a tree. She took out grains she had in one of her bags and fed her mare. She opened a water skin and let the thirsty horse drink. "Good girl, Mesu, one more day, we'll get there. I'm sorry for driving you so hard." She checked her side for her katana and her other hip for her knife.

When Mesuiguru was cared for, Rin pulled down another bag. It had her poultices and bandages from Jinenji inside. She sat down painfully onto the forest floor bracing herself and wincing. "I can do this," she encouraged herself. She unwrapped opened her haori, sliding her obi up just below her breasts while she did. "Oh, this hurts," she whispered while she unwrapped the dirty bandages. She would have to burn them as she had the night before to ensure that her scent was not left behind. She put them inside of a cloth with the green powder. She took clean water and rubbed it along the open wounds. She cleaned the leaking blood and placed the poultices back on her stomach and removed fresh bandages. She wrapped her stomach tightly, already feeling relief from the herbs Jinenji had given her. The herbs were hot and cold all at once and smelled of peppermint. They froze her skin and made her wince, but she knew they were working. They would work better if she could stop moving but she couldn't.

Next she searched the nearing area for dried leaves and twigs to start a fire. She made it low so as not to draw attention to herself. Rin settled next to the fire she had made and slowly removed her katana from its sheathe. Another gift from Sesshomaru-sama. But who had told him she was learning to fight? Maybe no one did, maybe he figured it out on his own. To this day she had never seen a stronger nor smarter Yokai. The only one she knew who had ever bested Sesshomaru-sama in battle was Inuyasha, but that was long before he had Bakusaiga. She knew now in a real fight who would win. At first, she hated Inuyasha but it was he who taught her to use the sword. It was long and gleamed yellow in the sun. The handle was made of gold in the shape of a dog with rubies for eyes. At times Rin thought the dog looked like Sesshomaru when he showed his true form. The weight was light making it easy to swing. The blade was white and shaped like a long fang. She had her suspicions about that, but she had never been able to do more with it than fight as if it were a normal sword. The sword had already killed twenty demons and five ogres. She regularly stood side by side with Kohaku in other villages and defended her own. Kaede-sama never cared when she left the village with everyone else, why would Sesshomaru-sama?

Once her bandages were replaced Rin fixed her haori. She pulled it back down just as the sun finished its journey to the horizon. She lay down trying not to tense her muscles as she did. Her stomach still burned. She let her hands rest on the ground, she drew circles in the dirt and leaves. I wonder if he will come back, she thought. It was too hot for a blanket, even as she was Rin was sweating from the summer heat. She made a mental note if she survived that she should return to the lake she saw several miles to the east and swim. She wished she were home in her own pallet trying to ignore Kaede's snores. She closed her eyes and did her best to allow her body sleep.

Something…Kohaku had called it instinct, told Rin she wasn't alone. She heard nothing, she saw nothing. She let her ears reach out to the darkness, unsure of how long she slept. She glanced at Mesuiguru for a sign. The horse lazily chewed at her bit. Yokai, her eyes shot open. Rin quickly grabbed one of her pouches of powder and threw it into the fire with one hand, while grabbing a mask that covered her eyes, nose and mouth with another. She heard an angry snarl, and was on her feet before she realized, sword drawn she lunged at what flew towards her. It was fast, angry, and clawed.

Sesshomaru saw Rin through the trees. He thought it best to wait to make his presence known until she was asleep. He watched as she lay down on the dirt, curious with what his nose and eyes were telling him. Somewhere he could faintly smell traces of her blood. He had learned to ignore the smell when it was faint. She was tense as she leaned to the side, her face contorted. He kept his yoki inward, and his steps light, she would have no clue he was there.

She had covered her tracks well and her scent. He followed the foul scent in the mud until it gave way to hers. So, she was using herbs now too? Perhaps her anger would be less, if she thought she had made a brave escape. He left Aun back knowing the harsh steps of the two-headed dragon would have alerted her. As her eyes shut he decided to stand watch for a time. Whatever she was in a rush too, she was exhausted.

After several hours, he decided to make his move. She was faster than even he could remember, and instantly he we was covered in green smoke, his eyes seared for a moment, and the smoke flew through his nose and into his lungs. "Damn," he cursed, when he opened his eyes again he relied on instinct where he had seen Rin and lunged for her. He blinked his eyes over and over shocked that he had succumbed to a human poison. Everything was white, he could make out shadows but nothing more, the mist was suffocating. He attempted to find her using his scent to smell nothing but the putrid smell he had been following. In the second that disoriented him he felt the blade of a sword hit his neck, had he been a mere human that would have been his end. His hand came up and slapped it away. Why was she fighting him? He couldn't see her but he was sure that she recognized him.

He allowed his anger to overtake him, to bury him. His eyes surged red. He growled and snarled fiercely. The tint made it possible for him to make out only a few more shadows. The warning growls did not stop Rin. She leapt away from him dodging one of his outstretched hands. He could sense her movements and hear them even if he couldn't see them. He flew to her attempting to grab what he thought was her wrist. She kicked at his hand, flipped over his head and landed on the other side of him. He felt something sharp slip across his wrist. Fine then, he thought, let her have her fight.

He heard her steps going towards the clucking sound of the horse. He held out his hand and sprayed the mare with Dokkasu. The shrieks of the horse's pain filled the air. Rin came at him again, sword in hand. He removed Tenseiga, and parried her every strike. She lunged, he blocked, she swung, he ducked, her skills were formidable.

She fought him smartly, and deftly. Even blind he could keep up with her, her labored breathing betrayed her location. Her movements were smoother and more calculated than he expected. He grabbed her around the waist attempting to restrain her hands. She dropped something into one of her hands, he felt it slide into his skin again. She flipped slashing at his face, the knife made it within millimeters of his face. Slapped her down onto the ground. She landed with a painful thud.

Rin was on her feet within seconds ready to take on the intruder when he heard her say his name, "Sesshomaru-sama, I told you not to follow me!" She screamed at him. "I told you!" Rin bolted for the forest away from him. Her steps were light but not light enough. She dodged trees and branches, leaping over roots towards her goal. She couldn't outrun him. He caught her quickly.

Sesshomaru was growing tired of fighting and chasing her, his eyes flared red again. He gathered his yoki, raging like a red tornado. He released the cloud forcefully smashing everything around them. The force he knew would knock into Rin, but what he heard escape from her lips drove his heart into feet. Her scream shattered the night, and then she was quiet. "Rin?" He inquired, he heard no response. Angered he rubbed his eyes, it was still white and only shadows. How had she made something that could blind even the great Sesshomaru?

He breathed deeply through his nose and could only smell, leaves and herbs. Had the mist she threw into the fire done this too? She deadened my sense of smell,smart child, he thought, she knew if he came for her he would use his sense of smell and his sight. He scrubbed at his eyes again trying to get the poison out.

He closed his eyes and reached out with his ears. He heard her labored breathing off the side of him. He walked towards her stiffly thoroughly annoyed that he couldn't see or smell. He stepped carefully fearful that he would land on her. His next footfalls he felt something soft and warm against his foot. He crouched down, searching for her head. He used one hand to lift her face up. As his hand cradled her back, he felt thick moisture through her clothes. He didn't need eyes to see or his nose to smell, that she was covered in blood. He only needed his heart to break, knowing this is what he had done to her. "Jaken!" He yelled. There was no sense in Sesshomaru fumbling in the dark to get to Aun. "You're injured, Rin wake up," he gave her a stiff shake.

Jaken came running ready to wield Nintojo with Aun following close behind him. Jaken fell to the ground, "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama!"

"Rin is hurt," he refused, I hurt her. "Check her wounds," he instructed the imp.

Sesshomaru set her down. He heard Jaken's scuttling steps. He could sense the imps yoki next to his own. Sesshomaru refused to admit that the poison she had thrown into the fire had taken both his sight and smell. Especially not to Jaken. There were always Yokai in the forest and he had many enemies, they need not know that a human had rendered him blind.

Jaken moved forward nervously. He could tell something seemed off about Sesshomaru. He bent over Rin. He opened Rin's shirt and whistled to himself softly. "Sesshomaru-sama, she has an old injury on her stomach." Jaken startled himself, "even I could not smell it," he smiled proudly, "there is a green powder within the bandage."

"Do not inhale it, do not allow it near your nose." It wasn't me, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Jaken complied and completely removed the bandage. Jaken's hands shook, he made like he hated the girl but he really loved her. He knew immediately what was on her stomach, "a bear demon claw mark Sesshomaru-sama. She is injured badly. It looks like it has been tended but it's opened many times."

"Let me go, please," Rin couldn't move, it was like her body was made of lead, her limbs refused to obey her command, "please, I must go." She begged. She tried to force herself off the ground. The wind had ran directly into her stomach. She saw his eyes the moment before. The last time she had seen him use air was when he was facing off with the Monk Ungai. When it hit her, she felt the claw marks open what little they had closed. It flung her feet from where she had been standing. She curled into a ball, "please Sesshomaru-sama let me go."

Sesshomaru was by her side in an instant, like she was a small child again, he placed his hand on her face. He blinked again hoping to get the ridiculous poison out of his eyes, "Rin…what happened?" He stroked the hair from her eyes.

Rin shook her head vehemently.

He steadily stroked her cheek, "Rin?" His voice carried a tone she hadn't heard in a long time. Tender, she told herself it was tender.

"The powder will wear off in a few days," she tried to breathe through the pain of her stomach.

"Days? Powder?" Jaken looked at Sesshomaru who dared him to speak even one word. "Rin what did you to Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Let me go," she said weakly, her belly was on fire, she knew as soon as the blast hit her that the wounds were ripped back open. It was like being lit on fire and flung into a tree. She touched her belly, her eyes widened, she was bleeding worse than she had been before. "My stomach…I…I have bandages."

"Rin," the way he said her name made her hair stand on edge, "when did you fight a Kuma-yokai?"

She shook her head, his hand felt it. "Please, Sesshomaru-sama, you have to let me go. I'll be fine."

"Rin," Sesshomaru persisted, "this Sesshomaru-sama does not like being lied to."

"This Rin," Rin started and then flinched when she felt his hand around her neck laying pressure into her windpipe. It was so slight she could hardly feel it. The threat was implied but his heart was not in it. "I can't tell you." She was trying to grab his hand but her arms were still numb. "I need to stop the bleeding." She kept trying to distract him, please, just let me go. She begged in her thoughts.

"Rin, when did you fight the kuma demon?" Sesshomaru was beginning to glow with anger. "I told you not to leave Kaede."

Rin finally found an ounce of strength and pushed herself to sitting. She braced her stomach in one hand, putting pressure on the cut that was bleeding the most, "I told you, you didn't have the right to tell me what to do anymore." His hand was back on her throat, and she heard a familiar howl. If he were facing an enemy she would be dead on the ground, her throat snapped in two.

"Rin, you are angering Sesshomaru-sama." Jaken fumed at her waiving his hands in the air, "why would you do something so awful?" His little hands gripped Nintojo, if it were anyone else he would have roasted them.

Rin's arms were finally working and she attempted to move Sesshomaru's hand from her throat, it was like trying to move a mountain. She pushed on his wrist. Her eyes fell to his stripes, she let her finger slowly run the length of both of them. Jaken didn't see it but Rin did, Sesshomaru's breath caught in his mouth. Her heart beat faster, she felt it skipping, she touched the stripes on his hand again, "why did you kill Mesuiguru? She had my poultices. Let go of my neck, please."

"Rin I grow tired of this game." He had felt her fingers caressing his skin. He set the hair on his neck on end. He refused to let go of her neck. If it wouldn't have hurt her he would have stood up and given her a good shake. "Where are you going?" He tried a new tactic.

She shook her head again. He felt wetness on his hand, proof that he was making her cry, something he also didn't like. He tightened his grip lightly.

She gasped feeling his claws in the back of her neck, "since when did you raise a hand to me?" He released her.

The momentum made her thud against the ground again. "Ouch," she cried holding her stomach, "I hate you…"

Sesshomaru took several steps back and Rin watched Jaken roll on the floor, "such disrespect!" Jaken cried, "after all Sesshomaru-sama has done for you, this is how you repay him with lies and deceit!"

"Tell me who attacked you!" Sesshomaru yelled at her.

Rin tried to pull herself up again but the pain was too great. She felt dizzy and nauseated. Rin shook her head, "I can't…" she finally began to cry in earnest as she lay down on the forest floor curled in a fetal position, staring at the leaves that were glistening in the moonlight, "oh Kohaku…I'm so sorry." The moon disappeared, Rin fought to remain conscious, her hands tried to put pressure on the wound on her stomach. "I can't breathe," she sobbed, "it's all my fault." The pain mounted, the dirt soaked up her blood. The world began to fade, she couldn't make out Jaken flopping on the ground in disgust, all she could feel was Sesshomaru's hand on her face.

"Rin…Rin…" Sesshomaru kneeled down calling to her, he picked her head up once more, "Rin…wake up." His heart stopped the last time he spoke those words she stopped breathing in hell, he thought he had lost her. "Jaken," he called.

Jaken bowed in reverence, "Jaken is here Sesshomaru-sama!"

"Stay with Rin." He stood up. He would go back to the Miko's house that hanyou Jinenji had offered him something a pouch he had refused and now he knew what Jinenji meant when he said Sesshomaru might need it. It took him only a few steps to come to his senses. Bear demon…if it comes back, Jaken will be unable to defeat it. "Jaken, go to the Miko's house and bring me this Jinenji."

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama!" Jaken ran toward Aun before he felt a hand around his neck.

"Leave Aun," Sesshomaru demanded. He was sure he would need the damn dragon to keep him from tripping over his own two feet.

As soon as Jaken was gone Sesshomaru sat down next to Rin. Again, he relied on those senses that hadn't been affected. He felt for her stomach, his hand found her hip first. He let his hand rest on the warm skin long enough to feel a warmth building inside himself. He felt the parted fabric of her haori. His fingers found the top of the fabric of her shorts right below her navel. He resumed letting his fingers trail up her waist until the found the deep gashes in her stomach. He felt blood dripping over his fingers. What strength she must have had to travel for days with an injury this severe. He shook his head. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind he had felt like something was wrong, that Rin needed him. He found her shoulders, "Rin…" He lifted her again and shook her violently, "Rin, wake up now."

He heard her sigh, and mutter, "what?" She felt drunk, the world was spinning.

He set her head on his upraised knee. His silver hair floated in the wind. He turned his wrist up and slashed into his veins with his other hand. Once he had been told by his father that this was a cure human injuries. His demonic blood contained properties that would enhance human healing. His life force dripped from the cut onto her stomach.

"Hold my wrist over your wound." His annoyance with his eyesight not returning was rising.

"Why?" Rin asked finding it hard to stay awake, her body begged to sleep. It was so dark outside. She could see concern in his golden eyes. She felt warm so close to him.

"Just do it," he barked. Her hand touched his, her hand was cold, smaller than his own and was gnarled and rough. It wasn't the hand he expected, the hand he had let go of when he left her with Kaede. Seeing her fight the way she did was also unexpected. "You fought well," he muttered, feeling he could give her at least that much.

"You're bleeding," Rin whispered. She touched the gashes in his wrist. She traced the lines with her fingers. She tried to move closer to Sesshomaru, feeling chilled.

His body was warm against hers. She felt cold but couldn't tell him.

"It's okay," he told her, he squeezed the injury to encourage more blood to come before the wound healed itself, "my blood will mix with yours, the wound will close faster. Rin," he shook his head, her body still felt like it belonged to him, but his heart was heavy and pained. Pain, "if you were in trouble, why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie?"

Rin winced as his blood fell on her stomach in the crevices where the skin had opened. It felt like fire, like burning poison burrowing its way deep into her flesh, "it hurts," she held his wrist trying to push his hand away, "please stop." She flinched, "why does it hurt?"

"My blood is strong," he touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers. He felt tears on his skin, "it will be over soon, Rin…" He no longer needed her hand to know where her injury was. He continued to clench and unclench his hand until he was sure the entire injury was permeated with his blood.

"Please," the pain was nearly unbearable, it was like someone was stoking a hot fire, "stop, please."

He pulled her head close to his chin, in the days after he thought he had lost her in Hell he learned about comfort. He learned that children yearned for closeness, and that his presence always calmed Rin. When she was scared she hid behind his legs and ducked down, when she had nightmares at night, he wrapped her in his tail while he sat nearby. The memory made him laugh, the first nightmare, she had with him happened the first night after she began following him. He sent Jaken to purchase her a new Kimono and bathe the disgusting smell of death from her skin. She pranced like a deer in springtime in her new orange and yellow patched Kimono and thanked Sesshomaru. The great Sesshomaru, those days he didn't understand why he allowed a human to be with him.

As they traveled through the night, he watched curiously as Rin's body became limp. He stopped and walked over to her, then remembered, humans need sleep or else they will die. He continued on his way. Only hours later he heard her thrashing in her sleep, crying and sobbing. She woke up screaming so loudly that birds fled the nearing trees. She wouldn't stop screaming, she fell from Aun's back and ran to the base of a tree, holding her small knees, shrieking for her family. "Rin," Jaken said, "stop that noise."

"No!" She shook, screaming and crying, refusing to stop. Jaken tried to talk sense into her. She would not be quieted.

Sesshomaru walked towards her and knelt down on the ground. Her fear filled his nostrils, he took her chin in his curled index finger and raised her eyes to his, "you are scared. Why should you fear when you are with the great Sesshomaru-sama?"

There it was again that smile, the one that reached her eyes, that made his heart feel lighter, the one that stopped him in his tracks. Her small hands rubbed the tears from her eyes, her face was still red. She hiccupped back more tears. "Sesshomaru-sama," her arms were outstretched to him, "Please?"

Jaken's mouth was on the floor, he knew that motion, Sesshomaru was unsure what she meant by it. "No such thing, he would do no such thing!" Jaken raved.

In that moment Sesshomaru understood what she wanted, he lifted her small body into his arm. She curled against his chest and whispered, "I'm cold." He had forgotten how frail humans were, how the elements assaulted their bodies, how they needed food and sleep. He felt her heart beating next to his, the heart that Tenseiga had brought life to. The heart that he would do anything to keep beating.

"Rin…" he had to know how to help her.

"I can't," she whimpered. Sesshomaru could feel her pain, smell it washing over body as it shook in his arms. "I'm c…co…cold, Sesshomaru-sama," she whimpered. Her body trembled.

He wrapped his mokomoko around her shoulders, her brow was wet with sweat. "Are you not telling me, because of Kohaku?" He hadn't forgotten what she said before she lost consciousness. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly connecting. A kuma demon had attacked her. He knew that much. The yokai must have taken Kohaku. Jinenji knew something, or else he wouldn't have offered the package Sesshomaru had arrogantly refused. The rest at Kaede's house were clueless. Rin lied to them as well. She meant to keep them from following her. He stopped himself from asking why his brother had not protected her. How could he have let something so vile so close to her? "Someone attacked you and took Kohaku." He let his hand rest on the closing wound on he stomach.

Rin's chest was heaving now, her body was shaking, he felt her temperature rising. He could feel her skin burning against his knee as he held her. He had forgotten that part. Use it wisely Sesshomaru, his father had said. Not that he ever would, he had no need or desire to help humans then. Why would he mingle his precious blood with creatures so disgusting. Except now.

"You're hurt?" Her voice was tender in his ears. He felt her hand touch the skin of his wrist. The nimble fingers felt like static against his skin. Her fingers slid up his wrist under the hem of his sleeve and over bare bicep, "Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Foolish girl, the cut has already healed," then why was his hand still on her stomach, was he willing the wounds to close? Her skin was soft here. He felt the ridges along her abdomen, her muscles were firm. His hand trailed up and stopped right by the fabric that was near her breasts. He touched it wondering what it was. He shook his head, Rin's body no longer looked like the girl he found in the woods so long ago. She had long legs that were built. Before he had been blinded, it was obvious that her training had made them stronger than the average human. Her arms were not as soft, they were lightly tanned from the sun with two hard bumps on her biceps. He was beginning to tire asking her the same questions.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Rin croaked, "remember the day in the field of yellow flowers? When I was eight? Before Naraku was gone?"

He responded with scoff, he knew that day well.

"We were walking and Jaken told me that you looked like us because you wanted, not because it your true form. I asked what it was. You told me to stop asking silly questions. You were mad because Inuyasha took Meido Zangetsha. I was holding Tenseiga. Jaken told me you were a magnificent white dog and that you only changed if your life was in danger." Her hand moved up from his bicep her to his shoulder, she touched his shoulder. Her thumb ran along the crook of muscle.

He tried to ignore her wandering hand as he held her. She was becoming delirious with fever. "You asked me to change," was it possible there was a laugh hiding in his throat? Her body was at its boiling point, perhaps if he kept her talking she would finally divulge in a fit of fever what happened. We haven't spoken like this in years. When she was a child and I came to visit, I sat under trees and watched her play, as she aged we enjoyed simple conversation and then the words turned into arguments.

"You were so beautiful," she smiled, caressing his cheek with her other hand. Her thumb moved along the top stripe of his face, "you are beautiful." Her heart did it again, the thing she had felt so many times now when he came to visit. It felt like longing, a skipped beat, and yearning to be close to him. "I missed you," she pushed her nose into the stomach of his armor.

Sesshomaru attempted to ignore his body's reaction to her invasion and her words. She was going limp in his arms again. He shook her lightly, "stay awake Rin," he allowed himself the comfort of her smell. He stroked her cheek. "Tell me, what happened next."

"Once you changed completely, I asked for a ride. Jaken was miserable, he thought I was stupid for asking, but you let me…then you knelt down and offered your back to Kohaku. You spent the afternoon letting me ride on your back. I fell asleep."

He let a smile cross his face. The things the child could make him do just by grinning at him. She worshipped the ground he walked on and he knew it. Her fingers continued against his chest through the opening of his sleeve.

"Your skin is too hot. I will find a body of water nearby, stay with Aun." He set her down gently fearful she would break. She grunted as her body touched the ground. She curled tightly into a ball. He knew that she would need to rest in cool water, something the Miko had taught him. When she spoke of that day and touched his face, his own heartbeat changed, he wasn't sure at first what the feeling was. It was warm, a feeling of connection, of deep knowledge. He shook his head, she was still a child. He was only steps away when his lack of sight brought him back to reality. He sniffed the air, water had its own aroma. Frustrated he sniffed again. This was growing tiresome.

Rin took a deep breath that ended in a short chuckle, "I told you, you wouldn't be able to smell for a few days. I made it to stop you from finding me. There was a lake a few miles to the east." Her eyes began to close and her body became rigid, it trembled and shook.

Sesshomaru strode back to the sound of Rin's shaking breath. He scooped her up into his arms and called, "Aun." The dragon stomped over to him. Sesshomaru alighted onto his back, "find this lake. Go east," he sat on the dragon's back. He held Rin against his chest. Her head rest against his mokomoko. "Foolish girl," he muttered to himself, "you should have sent for me."

Aun flew into the air towards the lake. It didn't take long for the dragon to find it. He stopped just in front of the water. Sesshomaru made out the sound of it lapping at the rocks. So often he sat in nature, listening to sounds of birds, animals and water flowing, he didn't need his sight to know how to find the water, or how far away it was. He let Rin down by the water's edge.

Rin stirred lightly. She tried to force her eyes open. She was still barely moving, the searing pain in her abdomen took her breath away but it was as if she could feel her skin mending itself together. This was taking too long; the sun would be up soon giving her only hours to travel. She reached her hand out to the water, even her fingers were burning. The cool water soothed them. She tried pulling herself closer to the waves, her arms refused to work.

Sesshomaru sighed, gazing at her. It couldn't be helped, if he left her in the water alone as she was, she would drown. He removed his armor and set it on the ground. He untied his obi and set the swords next to the armor. He removed his white haori with the red on the sleeves and white inside layer. Rin stared, her breath caught. His skin was pale but taught around muscles that had been forming for hundreds of years. His arms were equally well define. He was beautiful. She licked her lips wondering what his skin tasted like, was it different than what she had tasted in his mouth?

Sesshomaru left his shoes next to the haori. He kept his cheeks firm, trying to stifle the pride he felt when her heart beat that much faster seeing his exposed chest. He knelt down and gently picked her up. He carried Rin into the water, to calm the raging fever.

Her breath quickened but she dare not tell him it was because she was so close to his skin. She let out a small cry when the water rushed over the skin that was healing. There wasn't much left of her open wound. She could almost see the rest of it closing. The water lapped against her skin, she held onto Sesshomaru's shoulder as he float her in the water supporting her gently. Before she knew what she was doing, her hand was tracing the moon on his forehead. He seemed annoyed at first, scowling at her, if he let go she would fall into the water. "Rin, stop."

There was a tightness in his chest. He knew that Rin was the one that had taught him so many emotions, he didn't know before. Her smile, the one that had melted his heart when he brought her back to life, to care for someone else, compassion, something his father knew he lacked. Now what were these new feelings? He knew what her racing heart meant. He could hear it pulsating fiercely. Her skin perspired. He felt a tightening in his abdomen. Sesshomaru denied the feeling, he knew that feeling, he knew the primal urge, but couldn't understand why he felt it now for her as she caressed his face. He adjusted her on his knee and used his shoulder to brace her back so she wouldn't fall. He removed her hand from his face just as she was nearing his lips, "Rin," she never used to defy him.

"I can't…" she muttered reaching for his face again her eyes were big and round, why was she looking at him like that? And why was his body responding to her. He felt a yearning to be closer to her. The soft skin of her stomach was already pressed against his chest causing the small bundle of nerves in his lower back to tighten.

"Please," she was delirious, "don't let Kohaku die."

"He will not die, now be quiet," he held her hands firmly, fearful of what anymore exploration on her part would bring.

Rin tried to force herself to focus. She felt so hot, so tired, "what are their weaknesses? Kuma-yokai? I…we tried the neck, the katan wouldn't go in."

"The skin around their necks was thicker, was it in animal or human form?" He adjusted her slightly bringing her higher up to his face.

"Animal," she rest held his hand.

"You're fortunate it wasn't in human form. Was it large?"

"No, the size of a regular bear," she whispered, "I can't stop shaking." She shivered and trembled against him.

"It will break soon, then you will sleep. Their bellies are their weak points here," he took her fingers and pressed them against his own skin, just below his sternum, "their bones are nearly unbreakable. Do you feel how the skin is softer there?"

She gulped touching his stomach, "yes."

"That is where you must aim, and the area beneath the ribs," he drew her hand to his side where the lowest point of his ribs met with his stomach, "make it stand on two legs. Then take your aim."

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama."

He steadily float Rin in the water, her temperature finally felt like it had reached its zenith.

"Are you afraid to die?" She asked him.

"Do you go to your death Rin?" Those words, why was she asking him that? His stomach pitched and cramped, I won't let you go alone.

"I don't know," she tried to pull herself upright, the motion nearly caused her head to go under the water.

"Relax," he commanded her, "rest."

"Why did you come back?" Her hand was on his face again, this time tracing his jaw bone. It stopped just by his mouth. She pushed lightly on his bottom lip. "I missed you."

He didn't answer. It wasn't the time to answer. He held her until he felt her body go limp, floating in the moonlight. He took a moment to use his sense of touch to define the changes he felt. Soft skin around the stomach and back, firmer hands and calloused feet. Perhaps she no longer needed him, not in the way she used to. When he was sure her body had cooled, he brought her from the water and set her down on top of his haori. He touched her stomach, feeling the valley beneath her breasts, towards her navel, ensuring the wounds were completely closed. There was not a mark left, not even a scar. His blood was powerful. He refused to send her to battle injured. He sat near her knowing that if he could not watch the rise and fall of her chest, he would be able to hear it. When she began to shiver from the cold water that glittered her skin and the night breeze, he gently looped his tale around her. Sesshomaru pulled her against his chest. He indulged in the guilty pleasure of letting his skin press against hers. You try my patience. "This Sesshomaru missed you," he said in silence as she slept in his arms, he let his lips press against the top of her head. "I will not allow your death."

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