Remember me always

by evil-buny

In the midst of sorting out his feelings for her, Sesshoumaru was presented with two marriage proposals, Rin's and his own. What will be his decision? Will his procrastination cause him to lose the one he loved forever?

2. Chapter 2

Hi hi…

Just a note… This fic is based closely on what's happening now in the manga itself. i.e. parts about the Tenseiga and about Rin being dead in hell and Sesshoumaru couldn't revive her again, they're all from the manga itself. If you haven't read it and are interested, let me know and I'll send you a link which you can check out the latest chapters…

Also, this chapter contains some explicit content… so you've been warned…

Chapter 2: The midnight rose

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About two months back

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At his favorite spot the demon lord stood over looking the dark bottomless valley below him under a pitch black backdrop filled with tiny lights adorning the night. How contrasting it was, to face a heavenly display above and a deadly craven beneath. Such ironic co-existence had always been of life.

He let off a soft sigh, as a shallow breeze caused his knee long hair to swirl, dancing with the moving night air. He turned, one hand reflexively lifted to flick some loose strains caught within the fine long lashes of his crimson lid.

His nose wriggled as he picked up a faint scent … her scent…even before she had arrived at his visible vicinity. Rin… At the corner of his eye he spotted her, casually moving closer and closer. Though he'd always preferred to be left alone, spending these quiet times of unearthly hours undisturbed with his thoughts, he didn't really mind if the unexpected intruder were her, especially when this night, his thoughts were mainly focused… on her.

How often he would spend these sleepless nights thinking merely of her. He wouldn't have noticed how fast time had passed if he didn't witness how rapidly she had grown and blossomed since he first met her, or rather, since she trespassed into his life during his weakest moment. Where she had barely reached his knee then, at two months to her sixteenth birthday, she now stood only a little below his ear when barefooted.

Eight summers… all these millions of minutes just whizzed past as he battled Naraku, finally destroying the wretched Hanyou and his evil plan of possessing the Shinkon-no-Tama, bringing his long travels with the girl, the toad demon and his pet dragon to an abrupt end. He had then returned to his ancestral fortress where only his mother was left as the guardian.

Hahaue… his honored mother.

He only remembered briefly visiting her once while he pursued Naraku, the reason, to find out about his father's sword, his father's will, to complete his meidou. Even then, his mother had made use of Rin, almost causing her permanent death, to convey a message till this very day he was still learning… compassion…the value of a life.

Did his near lost of the girl really teach him this trait that everyone claimed he lacked? This trait of weakness mostly manifested in the human race, does he need it in the first place? He knew… it wasn't that he didn't have it; it's just that he didn't need it…

Mercy… if he had learnt it and used it, would he be granted the same by his race, one that was known to be ruthless, one that was only concerned about self survival. Transcendental animals they were, not frumpy humans ever hanging words like compassion, mercy and… love… on their lips, a word they ever so over used and understated in their actions.

Demons never spoke about love, yet it was ever so frequently acted upon. Each demon would live a life they chose for themselves, according to their destiny, of conquest or on the gaining of higher powers or of simply roaming the earth they would dwell in for thousands of years like an evening gone. Or…if fate so allowed, they would be able to find a mate they would take for life, a soul mate, one they would live and die for, one they would live and die with.

His nostrils wriggled again. Her scent was changed direction. Rin… she hadn't come looking for him. He merely thought she was. She probably had other plans this night.

Sesshoumaru's lids fluttered close with another sigh. A short silence followed as he searched his inner emotions. His brows furrowed. Disappointed? Was he feeling disappointed that Rin's intentions were not what he expected? Deep in his heart, was he secretly hoping that she would join him on her own accord in the appreciation of this soothing calmness.

So many times during his travels had he spent such nights with her merely enjoying a silent stroll where none spoke, ever since she had been a child, to a teenager then to a young lady at the beginning of her prime. Ever so sparingly during those times when the toad demon was completely dead in his snoring slumber, he would allow himself to engage in a short conversation of nothingness. Such were rare, as he had always been known as one of few words, only that of utmost importance would be voiced. Yet, to her, with her, he would somehow be tempted into a short chat, or just listening to her as she spoke innocently of her aspirations, her dreams.

Simple… they were.

Most often, it was one that indicated her desires to follow him forever… forever as in reference to her measly human lifespan. Indeed… so short was already her time and yet, her determination to endeavor in nothing but to be by his side baffled and bemused him to no end. Before she had made such a solemn decision, had she even seen or explored the world? Wasn't she interested in adventures of her own? Had she even met any other male she would feel the same for… or more, especially one of her own race? Would she change her mind as she grows older, tired of being amongst demons who looked exactly the same five years ago and today as compared to her, who had at least sprouted by a few feet?

Sesshoumaru let a hint of a smile appeared at a corner of his lips. However, more than height she had changed over the years. Her thin childlike body had taken the most of these…changes. Slender, curvy and graceful her figure had become as nature took its course. Her light brown eyes had turned a darker hazel, more deep-set and pronounced though the curious gleams and innocent gaiety that flowed from within them seemed never changing. Her hair was now to her knee like his in long wavy locks of black with purple sheen under the afternoon sun. Where she used to have that childish crooked ponytail she had replaced it by tying half her hair up into a crooked bun, ornamented often with fresh flowers of the season.

He only dared use the words 'beautiful, 'enchanting', 'alluring' in his mind, though he could sense that every other male demon in his court had not missed the obvious.

Softness of a human …. scent of a demon with which she was raised…

Who could resist such unique charisma? Still, no one, not even one wretched demon, had the audacity to lay a hand on her.

But what about…himself?

Sesshoumaru must admit he does adore the girl, ever since she had come to be with him, ever since the day he saved her… or perhaps, she saved him… considering the new found experiences and emotions she stirred in him right from the very beginning of this… relationship.

But does he perhaps….love … her?

Not that he was totally appalled by the idea but… is he capable of love? He had lived a live of battles, of fighting to self improve. At the age of a demon of four hundred and fifteen years, he was still very much considered as a late teenager. Though it wasn't uncommon that demons of his age had already taken a mate… a life mate… a soul mate. But for the young taiyoukai, love… a life mate… will only hinder and not assist his aim of building on his aspirations… his empire… one that is much larger, stronger than that of Chichiue's. Then… only then… would he have surpass his father.

But Rin… would she be able to wait that long?

The demon lord's eyes flew shut in deep thought. Now why did her name always come out of nowhere at this topic of finding a mate? Even he himself was profoundly bemused. When the time comes for him to select a mate… if ever he will… it would rightfully be one from his own clan… the phantom dog taiyoukais…. perhaps a distant cousin. Even Chichiue and Hahaue's marriage was somewhat prearranged. So would his be so too?

Instantly Sesshoumaru arrived at the answer. No…. he'd never allow a third party to decide on such issues like marriage for him. In fact, he'd never allow anyone to decide on anything for him. He would never allow himself to be in a position of compromise.

But Rin… why Rin?

Sesshoumaru shook his head. Yes, he admitted to adoring the girl. But to viewing her as a possible partner, there were more issues and complications than meets the eye. Firstly, she is human. Secondly, his court had always viewed their relationship as one of guardian and ward, it wouldn't be proper if he claimed her to be his own out of the blue. Thirdly, lastly and most importantly, he wasn't sure if he was ready for love. Even if he could overlook and disregard the first and second…as he had so often disregard the rules of the world (he was never one who complies just to please the mass numbers), even then, he concluded that he wasn't quite ready for such intense relationships with anyone.

But could Rin wait that long for him to … decide? Would she fall for another? A human male?

A strange sort of emotion stirred within him at that thought, the possibility of Rin eventually returning to own race, to a human mate. It was unnerving…a dilemma which till this day he could not resolve within himself. Even since the time Rin had almost died the second time, ever since that time he realized he hadn't the power to revive her again, the thought and regret of not letting her go back to her kind had haunted him now and then. Numerous times he fought internally for an answer but he couldn't find it.

But till this day, the remembrance of the fact that he had almost lost her to death, would set off a bone chilling unease within him. He recalled wielding the Tenseiga to no avail, and that Rin was lying there cold and without a pulse…on the road leading to hell. He had been unable to save her then and it made him feel so…. helpless…powerless. He had not wished to be God. He only wanted the only one important thing he had come to treasure in his life to stay in his life.

Truly, Rin might be protected from his battles if he insisted on leaving her behind in a human village. But will she be safer with these …. humans? Are they really a gentler race compared to demons?

He smirked and spat. Humans, alike demons, consist of both good and evil. Rin was not much safer with them than with him anyways. Hadn't that been too obvious already? When he first encountered her, hadn't she been a victim of abuse, always seen with numerous bruises on the little of her face? At the very least, now, in his court, it was an unsaid rule that if any harm were to befall the girl, any and everyone directly and indirectly connected to it would be slain. Period.

Sesshoumaru turned, his thoughts interrupted, forgotten. A swift breeze had brought to his knowledge that Rin had gone eastward. The demon lord smiled again as his brows lifted, entertained by this possibility of a slight adventure. Where is she heading to this night? Not being able to suppress both his curiosity and the urge to seek that simple answer, he knew that his moment alone was over.

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Taking one deepen breath of the crisp night air, Rin stretched out her arms as if embracing the glory of lights or rather, be embraced by them. She scrunched back wrapping her frame in her own arms as she felt a sudden gust of cold wind. She had come out in her white silken sleeping yukata without her outer cloak and now, she was suffering the consequence. Still, this was not enough to deter the girl from coming to the back garden of the fortress. This, her favorite spot in the entire compound, belonged to the lady of the western lands, Sesshoumaru's hahaue. Though the lady had not really shown particular adoration for her since she arrived here as a child, Rin knew she wasn't disliked either. Sesshoumaru's mother was somewhat like the western lord himself, stoic and hard to comprehend.

The girl fought back a giggle. As Jakan-sama once said while swirling one webbed finger in the air, Sesshoumaru-sama had probably inherited his infamous traits from the lady herself, other than that distinctive emblem of the crescent moon on his forehead. Nonetheless, the girl was put in charged of this flowery patch of land since she became of age to be able to independently attend to the daily weeding, planting and watering.

Rin bent down, her long tresses cascading down like a fan around her. She reached to cradle gently a delicate magenta flower in her palm, feeling the supple texture of its petals. The name of the flower, the midnight rose, had gotten its name as it only blossomed at the dead of night. It bore also another more common title, the passion flower, due mainly to its unique character. If anyone, human or demon alike, were to be pricked by one of its thorns, for the next twelve hours, they must guard their senses from …love, senses which included sight, smell, touch and even thoughts. If they even bear the slightest thinking of the one they love, the sting would trigger a poison which untreated properly, might be deadly.

And of course, being the caretaker of this garden, the girl had inevitably been pricked before. However, the poison from these needles had never once affected her. Why? Perhaps, she had been too young to bear such feelings for anyone.

The girl pluck a petal from the infamous flower, then placing it in her mouth as she closed her eyes. Sweet… and then as she bit in more… bitter. Many said that such is also the taste of love, first sweet as you entered and then turning bitter as you suffered after a love lost or unrequited. Is that really true of what love is?

After pondering upon it for a while, the girl decided she wouldn't know. She hadn't been in love before with anyone in particular. Not one male in the vast court of Sesshoumaru was she interested in. Not one can compare to her….

Rin stopped short in her tracks.… Sesshoumaru-sama…. Never had she come across another male whom she could deem more important than her lord of the west. She had idolized him as a child, viewing him more as her hero rather than her guardian. She had respected, admired and even … loved …him. But… is this the same love that the others were talking about, one which was intimately between a male and female?

The girl blushed. Though she knew very well how much she adored her lord, to think of him as a life partner, a husband, mate, this was the very first time. She loved him, wanting to follow by his side, be with him for eternity. But is that the same sort of feelings a girl would have of a man, the sort which starts with a kiss and ends with having a baby? Rin sighed. Though she had learnt that kissing was linked with babies, somehow, there was a huge missing chunk of information missing in between the two she has yet to comprehend or even be taught.

In Sesshoumaru-sama's vast of generals, warriors, ladies, ladies in waiting, chefs, musicians, there was no one in particular who would tell her more about such private issues of the birds and bees. Right, count the western lady out too. She wasn't quite the motherly tutor sort which one could just approach when they have a query. In fact, it took Sesshoumaru's mother almost five years before she finally called Jakan-sama by his name rather than 'little youkai' and her own as Rin rather than 'little human'. By then, she was already not that little. She had already stood to a height only slightly below her lord's shoulder. For some time, the girl even bore the suspicion that the western lady would change and address her as 'big human' but well, thank the kamis, one fine day, out of the blue, she was called upon as 'Rin'.

Hmm… correcting herself internally, the girl recalled that she had once in a while, through overhearing gossips, gotten a hint of….well… mating. Passionate, heightening sensations like no other activities could match… a completion of some sort… which she was still confused about.

In her desperation one day, she had even resorted to turning to Jakan-sama. She remembered being harshly squawked at, chided at, that well-mannered girls should not be asking questions about what's in a man's pants. Still, he gave his two cents worth of teaching to the girl, a rather vivid and gory half an hour before she finally called the shots to end the lesson. Giving a lame excuse to sneak off, she had then quickly summarized and rearranged the important points for keeping… something about tearing all your clothes off, and being mounted, scratched and bitten and ridden like a horse…also there would inevitably be bleeding. And also, that a girl should always guard with utmost cares her body, her innocence, her virginity. Never should they spend a night with a male before they are officially mated to them for if that happens, they would be labeled as whores… loose women.

After all those efforts to seek an answer to that part of growing up she had yet to experience, she had somewhat concluded that… mating … ought to be something in between those two extreme versions.

As she continued circling and half inspecting the flower bed, she casually placed another petal in her mouth. Hmm… sweet… Sesshoumaru-sama… his name rang like a bell in her head. Even when demons, in general, possessed finer and more perfect features, there was not one that she had come across that was more beautiful than her lord. And coupled with his cool suave facade, it was no wonder the females in the court bore secret admiration for him. If such intimacies existed between a male and female, she'd hoped too, that it was he she would engage such…acts… with.

Her tongue flicked as she winced at the change trigging her taste bud. Sappy…Bitter….

The girl concluded it was still wishful thinking on her part. Even when she had lived here in his demonic fortress, the difference between their races still existed. Just as Jakan-sama had mentioned so casually once during their night chats, it would take Sesshoumaru-sama many hundreds of years to build the empire he had aspired for. By then, she would be long gone and would never have the chance to bear witness to that glorious day. Perhaps when that time come, he would have also taken a mate, a tall beautiful demoness, one of similar breed… the great phantom dogs.

In any case, it would…never… be her.

At that thought, a wave of sadness cruised through her, hurt by that careless remark by the toad hundreds of times since it was first spoken. It was creating a strange soreness in her heart. A sigh escaped her pale pink lips, a hint of a teardrop glistening at the corner of her eye.

Perhaps, she should never pursue in that area of thought any longer, especially when, of late, Sesshoumaru-sama didn't seem to be like before. He was more distant and even more inscrutable than ever. Before, she had prided herself to be able to guess correctly what was on his mind. But during the recent months, he seemed to have hidden himself even deeper. He was thinking, struggling, perhaps troubled by something and she hadn't an idea what it could be. Sometimes, she even suspected that he was purposefully avoiding her, not wanting her to come close to his thoughts.

Behind a willow tree the demon lord stood hidden, watching. His target, now just a few feet away, circling the meadows, intermittently picking up a petal or two, tasting them as he had come to know she always would. And occasionally, she stops and sighs. What … or who…could be invading her thoughts this night, one that was contributing to that slight furrow in her brows, the soft resigned sigh upon her lips, one that made her look so ….troubled?

Another gust of breeze brought to his attention a slight salted scent.

Tears… Rin's tears… Why does she cry?

Sesshoumaru frowned. Though the girl had sometimes seemed troubled and had inevitably been upset before, still, he knew she wasn't one who easily shed tears. Now what could have affected her so much… or who?

Even when he had first decided to just be a silent watcher, something from within the demon lord urged him to go to her, to the one now sneezing and shivering from the cold.

"Rin…."

Though Sesshoumaru did not wish to startle the girl, he still did. He heard her let out a soft shriek followed by a pained gasp as she turned to face him.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama…you scared me…" She shook her finger and examined the wound. The thorn of the midnight rose; she was accidentally stung by it in her fright.

"It was not this Sesshoumaru's intention to startle you." The demon lord moved to the girl's side, flung his cloak about her frame, then turning her around to face him. As he tied the knot to fasten the woolen strings, he took a glance at her wound, the one he had caused. " A-Are you… alright?"

Rin's heart skipped a beat at the sensation hitting at her as she felt his touch. At this moment, Sesshoumaru was standing so close to her that, as he spoke, she had felt his breath on her ear. She also noticed that he had purposely stood against the direction of the wind so as to protect her from it. "I'm alright, I…"

Before she could finish voicing her answer, the demon lord had already lifted her hand to his face, seeming to want to take a closer look at her finger for himself. She felt his clawed hand slid across her palm, opening up her fingers and singling out that one which was still stained with fresh blood.

That absolute calmness in his aura … she had always regarded it as his deadliest attraction. She blushed. "Sesshoumaru-sama… It's okay…really… I'm alright. I've gotten pricked before but I never…."

The rest of the sentence was lost, caught in her throat as she choked, finding all of a sudden, an extreme difficulty in breathing. Her heart was pounding out of control and a strange sort of shiver was spiraling up to her head, making her vision blurry.

And it HURT… a lot… her entire body seemed to have been swallowed by this huge wave of pain.

"Rin! What the…" The demon lord cushioned the girl before she collapse and hit the ground. His eyes focused on her wound, seemingly innocent looking a mere second ago but now, had turned to a dark purple patch which was slowly growing and manifesting to her entire hand.

Without hesitation, Sesshoumaru wrapped the girl tightly to him, turning into a great ball of light and heading back to the fortress. Constantly along the way, he did not cease to make intermittent checks on her condition.

Strange…As he embraced her closer thinking that it would make her better, on the contrary, it seemed to be making her feel worse. Rin was starting to convulse while her lips moved, uttering something he could not make out.

The poison from the midnight rose was acting up in her and Sesshoumaru knew… There was only one capable of possessing the antinode… the owner of the garden, his hahaue. He recalled being taught when he was a boy that such flowers originated from his mother's ancestral home and the antinode and its method of concoction was the family heirloom, held secret till this day.

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The screen door slid open with a thunderous slam and the lady of the west looked up rather dispassionately from her seated position at her dresser. Seeing that the night intruder was in fact her own son, her precious only son, she signaled away the maid in waiting with a lift of two elegant fingers. One brow twitched in amusement at the sight before her, she stood up and moved closer, her lips curved a slight grin.

"My my, what do we have here so late this night?" She stifled a chuckle as her vision fell on the girl now lying unconscious and propped up against the demon lord's chest. "Sesshoumaru, now what brought you here? Have you come to bid your beloved mother goodnight?"

The demon lord's eyes narrowed. His mother was trying to be difficult again, pretending to know nothing of what had happened when it was so damn obvious. "You know exactly why I'm here..." He extended his clawed hand. "The antinode, mother…"

This time, the lady giggled, her fan moving to cover her mouth. "Oh Sesshoumaru, indeed, you inherited neither your father's charms nor his patience. Can't you just humor your mother for once? Moreover, you should already know, once pricked by the thorn of the midnight rose, its takes many hours before the poison becomes deadly."

The demon lord tried his best to suppress the frustration building up in him. "Yes, but it is also to my knowledge that the pain also increases by the hour…"

The lady chuckled even louder, shaking her head. "Son, time and again, you seem to be easily angered when it comes to issues concerning this…" She looked down at Rin. "…human… It still puzzles me till this day." She circled the girl, lifting her chin up to examine her. Rin's face had begun to show hints of purplish blue, from the poison. "I can see that she has come of age to be affected by such poisons… interesting… did you… catch her moonlighting with her lover, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru's knuckles cracked as his fist crushed into a tighten ball. "There was NO lover. It was an accident…" He needed to protect the girl from such that could easily become a malicious gossip.

The lady laughed, her pitch sharper, colder, more sarcastic. "Really? If she wasn't with her lover, then, the poison wouldn't have acted up, now would it?" She regarded the demon lord for a second and then smirked as she saw him stiffen. "I see…. The girl… was with you…"

"Stop stalling time and hand over the antinode, mother." Even when he had kept his voice composed, Rin was convulsing more and move vigorously in his arm and he knew, he wouldn't be able to hide his anxiety for long. Rin needed the medication… NOW.

"Oh come on, Sesshoumaru. Surely, there is no need to raise such aire over such trivial things." She took her time, strolled to her dresser and opened a wood carved drawer. He's so serious…. She sighed as she fished out a silk pouch, embroided richly with pictures of the midnight rose. Taking out a small pill from within and with a surge of her youki, the tiny tablet landed onto the demon lord's palm. "Give the girl… What's her name again… this. Keep her warm and she'll be fine in the morning."

Without a moment to loose, Sesshoumaru fed the pill to the girl, rubbing gently on her throat to help her swallow it. He picked her up again and headed toward the exit.

"Oh err… Sesshoumaru…"

He halted, his head turned only slightly as he heard a snigger.

"Next time son, when you wish to engage in such… activity…. Be careful of the location you choose…"

He rolled his eyes. He would have stayed to challenge her to a debate… but… Rin… she needed him more this night. He took one step and stopped again as he remembered something. "From now onward, the girl will no longer take care of your garden…."

As the lady of the western lands heard the door close behind her, she let off a sigh, her fingers toying with the silken pouch in her palm. "And he kept saying there's nothing between them…" She shook her head. "He's becoming more and more like his father in the strangest ways…"

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Lifting up the blankets, the demon lord lay the girl's head down on her pillow with great care not to wake her. With one clawed finger, he flicked some of her loose hair away from her face as he inspected her condition worriedly under the dim candle light from the table lantern. She was less purple now, and she had stopped convulsing. Obviously, the antinode had worked. However, to Sesshoumaru's dismay, Rin did not look at all comfortable in her sleep. She was shivering badly, her hands and cheeks felt icy cold.

Knowing that she needed warmth, the demon lord shifted under the covers with her, securely holding her into his embrace. Seeing that she wasn't getting any better, he added an extra layer of quilt over them, then holding her hands into his and tugging her head under his chin.

After a while of cocooning himself together with Rin, Sesshoumaru was beginning to enjoy this quiet moment. He noticed too, that the girl had somewhat recovered. She had stopped shivering and had extended her arms around his frame hugging him as she settled down to deep slumber. Sesshoumaru prodded himself up with one elbow looking down at her. He couldn't stop thinking about his mother's words a while ago, no matter how sarcastic they were.

The poison from the thorns had acted up in Rin. Why?

He knew fully well there was no other person there …He was the one with the girl. Could it be? Does Rin perhaps… have feelings for him? Well, he was aware that girl adored him…but.. that alone wouldn't trigger the poison… So…Rin's… in love with him?

This whole new deduction stirred once again the emotions and inner battle he had about the girl. Even if Rin really does love him, at this point of time, he wouldn't know what to do. But still, the idea of it… of being the one her heart and body yearns for… intrigued him to no end.

He looked down at her sleep soften features. Her lips were slowly returning back to their usual pink. Unable to resist, he let his finger trail the seams of her upper lip then the lower, smiling to himself as Rin moved and whimpered slightly at his touch.

Hmm… soft… as he always thought it'd be.

He moved closer, and closer, till his lips were less than an inch away from hers, taking a deep breath of her scent…. Sweet… He slid the back of his palm down her cheek, then caressed her hair gently as he reveled in the warm softness of her. His eyes and attention were locked onto how delicate and deliciously tempting her lips now seem to him.

If he'd kiss her now, she'd never know…

Then, reason and logic attacked him, making him close his eyes to draw himself off the alluring sight before him.

Should he… leave before a mistake is made?

He sighed… He wouldn't really know if it were a mistake in the first place. Way before this night, he'd already had numerous musings of such possibilities of closeness with the girl some day. But coming face to face with it… with Rin at such near proximity… the thought of taking her… crossing that ultimate line of defence…and possessing her in entirety… It mat as well turn out to be a temptation he could not resist.

Before Sesshoumaru could make a decision, he gasped at the sudden sensation he felt. Rin… a slight movement from her had closed the distance between their lips. And this time, after having offered a hint of what she tastes like, the demon lord found that he could no longer care about consequences.

He bent down, planted a soft kiss on her lips, lingered for a moment there brushing his lips with hers. He let his eyes close at the sensation, the taste of her once again…

Nice…

He moved his lips over hers again, slowly learning more about her than ever. He gasped, shocked that Rin opened her eyes and was now staring into his own amber ones. He paused as their gazes were fixed upon each other for a short moment.

She looked bleary at first, needing time to orientate herself. He continued to watch her, knowing that she was slowly coming to realize what had happened to her earlier on and where she was at the moment.

"Sesshoumaru-sama… you brought me back here?" She whispered, her tone still drowsy.

The demon nodded.

"And the poison?" She was remembering more as time passed.

"You've taken the antinode…"

She swallowed softly as she wriggled in his arms… in her bed. "Why are we…"

"You were cold…" His voice was reflecting their usual calmness.

"Oh…." She trailed her own lips with her fingers, her teeth worrying her lower lip and the demon lord felt instantly her pulse quickened. "You… kissed me…."

Sesshoumaru's own heart stopped for a second, either with slight embarrassment or guilt he wouldn't know. Still, he was no coward to come clean what he had done. "Yes… I did…" He waited rather anxiously for her reaction to his admission.

Rin blushed… she knew she did because of the heat she felt upon her cheeks to her ears. He watched her as she smiled to herself in glee. Her innocence was a pure seduction of its own like no other. He heard her take a deep breath… either to calm herself or to self inject a boost of confidence… he guessed… and he was right.

The girl shyly leaned forward, pressing her lips ever so slightly to his in a pure kiss and then, pulling back to gage his reaction to her boldness.

The demon lord smiled. This was a new game… a more thrilling one than he had ever experienced. He knew it was the girl's first kiss he had taken. She just didn't know… it was also the first he had given… to anyone…

Firmly, he reached down, planting a surer kiss, taking his time and waiting… waiting for her to pick up his pace… and pick up she did… letting herself be led by him. Pleased that she had reacted positively, he flicked his tongue parting her lips, gaining access to her sweetness within.

Nervously, she opened up to him, letting him take control as their kisses deepen one after another pleasurable one, their tongues now dancing with each other in deadly seduction.

At first, all the demon lord wanted was a small kiss…but as the game continued, the heightening pleasures… the scent of her arousal…was clouding his senses, crushing the pillar of reason that had guided him for ages.

The thoughts washing him over and over, the inner debate now… was how far to go with her…

Just a little more…. He decided… A little more wouldn't hurt… they were still quite far away from going all the way…

He let his hand freely followed down the edges of the robe she was wearing, until he cupped her breast gently. He moved over the slight bulge, testing fully the feel of it in his palm as he heard her make small muted noises.

So soft… young… budding… He was once again reminded of her age. Yes… it would certainly take a few more years before these breasts are fully formed.

Rin's vision was fully on the one now humped over her, his molten golden ambers burning into her own darken hazels. She tried hard to stem off the increasing nervousness she was feeling… this was after all… her first time with a man… with her Sesshoumaru.

She couldn't help moaning as she felt his hand sliding to every possible place he could reach of her body… his hand… felt like a branding iron… igniting her till she thought she was going to be set ablaze.

With both hands shaking, she bravely caressed his magenta stripped cheek, bringing him down to kiss him harder, deeper.

"Rin…." Her name was lost as their kisses became more furious, frenzied, their bodies tightly knitted together, rocking and moving as one.

The demon lord was so lost by now, in the smell of her, the touch of her and the taste of her … he let his hand rest for a moment at the edge of her gown, then sliding into them, feeling the silk of her skin till he met her breasts again. He held it, kneaded it, letting the rough patch on his thumb rub against her nipples till they stood harden.

They felt so damn good in his hands… She felt so good…

He growled, parting her kimono and moved down to suckle one, nipping it and pulling gently while letting one hand attack the other. He knew Rin was enjoying this… He heard her little whimpers even when she tried to stifle them.

More…more….he chanted in his mind like a sutra, spurring him on.

He parted her legs, positioning himself between her thighs as he continued kissing her, touching her, tasting her. Then, breaking off and lifting himself up slightly, he watched her as she panted, like a predator at its prey, her soft breath on his… and she was looking up at him and he could see everything … her fears… her eagerness… her shyness…

Innocent… pure… virgin….

The girl had never had a man. He would be her first. And if he'd make love her this night, she… would have also been his first.

Rin saw the eyes of her lord darken as he let his fingers reached down to the ties of his hakama, pulling it loose and then sliding the fabric off. She felt instantly …him… his male appendage, thick, long, hard, moving from the centre of her belly to her entrance.

So close…. So close….

He tilted her pelvis, settling more firmly in position as he dragged his tip to push at her entrance… He let his eyes drift shut as he experimentally pushed, rocking into her.

Tight…. Incredibly tight…

Fixing his gaze on her again, he couldn't help but see the pain Rin was feeling right now. She had stiffened up, biting her lips. Hints of tears were shimmering at her eyes though she didn't make a sound.

She wanted this… wanted him…

He pushed deeper, this time seeing her tears flow steadily down her cheeks. Then, he met her barrier where she was tighter than ever.

No… too young…. He was tearing her apart with his size… She was too young to fit a man…

Biting his teeth at probably the most painful decision he'd ever made, he pulled himself out of her, then touching her cheeks to calm her down. "Shh… This Sesshoumaru is sorry for going too far… for hurting you…"

The girl's eyes opened and she shook her head. Yes… it had hurt terribly… but she wanted… she wanted him to take her… to make love to her… to teach her… "But Sesshoumaru…"

He silenced her next word with a finger on her lips, then bent down, sealing another kiss on her lips, then flashed her a smile. "No… shh…Relax…Rin… relax…"

Then he began… rubbing himself against the jewel, letting his thick girth glide wetly between her folds, thrusting in increasing speed. He closed his eyes biting his lip and losing himself in every bit of this delicious pleasure.

They were making love… Rin and him… There was no penetration, no sex… just … making love…

As he moved, he felt her too… gaining momentum and joining him in his rhythm. He reached forward to kiss the sensitive skin at her throat, feeling her jump as he did... He grinned.

He had found her sweet spot…

He suckled her more and more at her throat, his fingers tickling her at the back of her neck as he thrust faster and faster. An overwhelming intensity was building up in him… He felt the same in her too…Her breathing had quickened as she writhed and moaned…He had not experienced it before… but he knew what it was… He was reaching… coming…. she too…

As he heard her call out his name, and she was convulsing underneath him, he felt his own release, his essence now spread across her smooth belly. He rolled over, bringing her with him into his arms and settled comfortably in the sheets again.

He let his eyes close again, his breath still catching up as he panted. Surely, this… mating game…. was more exhausting than getting into the most heated battle.

A smile made its way up his curved lips.

What more… if he had really penetrated her… He couldn't help but to imagine as he heard the one in his arms whisper the words that sent a sweet but frightening tinkle down his spine…

"I love you… Sesshoumaru-sama…."

Her words… so innocently spoken… yet bringing them, their relationship across an important milestone… to a whole new realm… love…

Is he in love? Are they in love?

He wouldn't know and couldn't find out… at least not now, not this moment in which he merely wished to join her in sleep.

Enough …excitement… for one night.

He held her tightly, her sweet scent hinting what they had done just a while ago lingered about her about them… enough to bring the demon lord to deep satisfied slumber.

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End of chapter 2

R & R if you have the time… Let me know what you think of the story so far..

evilbunny