Chapter XI
It became a regular occurrence over the next few weeks for Sesshoumaru to return home at the end of the day and find Kagome and Rin sitting in the living room, deep in conversation. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was warming up to his sister-in-law and discovering with each visit that she was a nicer person than he had first thought. Rin was quite pleased when Sesshoumaru had mentioned this to her one day, but the smile was wiped from her face when she remembered the situation her new friend was in. There seemed to be no way to deal with the situation without upsetting someone and the person they were eager to avoid upsetting was Inutaisho. There was no telling what he would do if he discovered that his younger and clearly favourite son had followed his brother's example and ended up sitting in a bar late at night, but what would surely make everything worse was the adultery involved.
Kagome refused to discuss her plans for the future and whether or not it involved Inuyasha. Neither Sesshoumaru nor Rin pushed the subject any further for fear of upsetting her. However, Rin realised that life would change soon when Sesshoumaru informed her of his plans for the immediate future one weekend afternoon.
"Are you happy in this town, Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked, leaned back in his seat in the living room to look through to the kitchen where Rin was cooking.
"I don't mind it," Rin commented with a smile as she turned to look at her lover questioningly. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm thinking of wrapping things up with my father soon and I was wondering if you wanted to stay in the city or move back to the house we share briefly."
"You're done helping him already? It's only been a couple of months."
"I'm a fast worker," Sesshoumaru said with a grin as he looked at Rin.
"So it seems," she replied with a smile. "I'm perfectly happy here in the city, but I don't mind the idea of moving back to the other house."
Nodding, Sesshoumaru got to his feet and wandered into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter beside Rin and watched her cook over her shoulder as he thought over her words. He wasn't worried about where they lived as long as they lived together. Life before her appearance was only a dim memory as though it was a dream and not reality. Rin had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, at the bar one evening and had stayed there longer than any other woman. That was an achievement since she was required to deal with drunken men on a regular basis, but the petite woman had stunned everyone with her ability to adapt and fend for herself. Sesshoumaru smiled to himself as he remembered the first time he had spoken to her, the night she had thrown a man out of the bar. Glancing at Rin bent over the cooker and seemingly focused on what she was doing, it didn't seem possible that she could do anything like that, but appearances were deceiving. Pushing himself upright, Sesshoumaru slipped an arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck as she giggled and continued cooking.
"We'll stay here then," he murmured in her ear. "At least until we decide to go somewhere else."
"What will your father say about you no longer helping him?" Rin asked, pausing to look over her shoulder at the tall man behind her.
Sesshoumaru shrugged. "He knew from the beginning that it was only a temporary arrangement. I'd have left eventually; he was probably expecting me to wait around a couple of years before going though."
"I hope it doesn't cause too much trouble."
"It doesn't really matter if it does. He's not going to change my mind this time."
Thoughts of that conversation haunted Rin's mind for the next few days until Kagome eventually grew curious about what caused her friend to be so preoccupied. Rin had sighed and smiled slightly at her friend when she had asked, but hadn't replied immediately. She had become very close friends with Kagome, but she wondered if she really should be discussing this sort of thing with her. What if Kagome went and told Izayoi or Inutaisho? Rin didn't think she would, but what happened if they somehow heard about Sesshoumaru's plans? All hell would break lose and she had no doubt that she would be the one they would blame. Still, she wanted to discuss it with Kagome and she supposed that Inutaisho was going to find out eventually, so it didn't really matter if Kagome did tell him.
"Sesshoumaru says he's going to stop working with his father soon," Rin said with a slight frown as she gazed out the window.
"Why?"
"He says that he's helped enough and Inuyasha is more than capable to take his place."
"Do you think that's true?" Kagome asked doubtfully.
"That Inuyasha's capable enough?" Rin queried with a smile. "I don't know. Perhaps Sesshoumaru is just going to say it that way because Inuyasha is capable and whatever else he needs to know, he'll learn as he works? I really don't know, but I do know that Inutaisho isn't going to take the news well."
"What makes you think that?"
"I get the impression that he thought Sesshoumaru would stay around for a while longer than he actually intends to. I think that he probably compromised when it came to me because he thought Sesshoumaru would leave after a while since I gather that's what's happened in the past."
"Don't let the old man get to you, Rin," Kagome said reassuringly. "He's very old fashioned and far too strict, I think. Even if Sesshoumaru was like that in the past, he's not now so there's no need to worry."
"Really?" Rin asked, looking up at the ceiling with a frown. "How do I know that? How do I know that he's not going to get tired of me and then throw me out? What if he changes his mind and decides he wants to take over the company after all? I really don't think Inutaisho will tolerate my presence for much longer."
Kagome sighed. "I think you're worrying needlessly about Sesshoumaru growing tired of you."
"How can I be sure? How can I know that he's not just stringing me along just to antagonise his parents? What if he just throws me aside when he's decided he's annoyed them enough for them to leave him alone?"
With all those worries off her chest and now hanging in the air, Rin sighed heavily and stared at the ceiling to avoid her friend's bewildered stare. When she had sought Kagome's advice, she hadn't intended to show her friend all of her insecurities. In fact, she hadn't intended to show them at all. She had decided that she would appear cool, calm and collected even if that was only an act. Vocalising her emotions and thoughts was not something Rin could do easily and she had just done just what without even giving it a second thought. Eventually, her gaze was drawn back to her friend when Kagome sighed and gave her a weak smile.
"I don't think you really need to worry about any of that, Rin," Kagome said gently. "I know it's easier said than done, but please, don't worry about it too much. I suppose everything Inutaisho and Inuyasha have said about him probably haven't given you a great impression, but he's not like that anymore."
"Kagome, you're a member of his family even if you're not related by blood," Rin murmured, returning her gaze to the ceiling and sighing heavily. "You're going to try and make him out to be a great guy even if he was the devil incarnate, not that I'm saying he is, but you get my point."
"I suppose you're right, but I'm being serious. Inuyasha's a brat. A spoilt brat who throws a tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants, but Sesshoumaru's different. He's more mature than his brother and he doesn't do things without good reason."
"Of course he's more mature. He's older than Inuyasha."
"Age doesn't guarantee maturity," Kagome said with a shrug.
Rin sighed again. "I suppose you're right."
"You're over thinking things, Rin. Have you spoken to Sesshoumaru about any of this?"
"Of course not," Rin muttered, rubbing her eyes and wishing that she had thought about her words before speaking. "How am I supposed to just bring this up? There's no reason for me to feel this way and I don't understand why I do feel like this!"
Kagome's eyes widened as Rin suddenly leaned forward and buried her face in her hands. A muffled sound that sounded suspiciously like a sob made her frown as she leaned towards the younger woman. Patting Rin on the shoulder, Kagome wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying and failing to get her to sit up.
"Look," Kagome said eventually. "How long have you been with Sesshoumaru?"
"About six months," Rin mumbled, still hiding her face in her hands.
"Then you don't need to worry so much. You're only worrying about this because of what the family said, am I right? You didn't even consider his past before you met them, right?"
"I suppose that's true," came the muffled reply.
"In any case, this is the longest relationship Sesshoumaru's been in since I've known him. He's in it for the long run, Rin. If he wasn't, it would have ended long ago."
"Really?" Rin asked hopefully, looking at Kagome with tearful eyes.
"Of course! He wouldn't have fought with his father so much to keep you in his life if you weren't important to him. Don't doubt his feelings. He may not show them very often, but they're there and he is a very passionate man when it comes to something he cares about. I promise he cares about you, Rin," Kagome said with a grin.
"I'm sorry for suddenly crying."
"Don't worry about it. You've been such a comfort to me, I'm glad I could return the favour. I won't tell Sesshoumaru about this conversation by the way. It's between you and me."
"Thank you," Rin said gratefully with a tearful smile.
Kagome left after she was certain that Rin wasn't going to break down into tears again and Rin paced the apartment, wondering why she had allowed her emotions to let loose like that. When she could come up with no answer to her questions, she turned her attention to preparing dinner. Deciding to go all out and prepare the best meal she could, Rin spent a long time in the kitchen cooking and it took her by surprise when she heard the front door open. Glancing through the kitchen doorway, Rin saw Sesshoumaru shrugging off his jacket and looking around with a slightly baffled look. Making sure that all the appliances were turned off, she hurried into the living room and smiled brilliantly at him when he turned to look at her. Without waiting for his usual greeting, Rin reached up and wrapped her arms tightly around Sesshoumaru's shoulders as she kissed his lips gently. Slightly stunned by the greeting, Sesshoumaru hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close for a moment or two before his curiosity got the better of him.
"This is a more exuberant greeting than usual," Sesshoumaru murmured in her ear. "What's the reason for that?"
"No reason," Rin replied with a smile as she leaned away to look up at him. "Am I wrong for wanting to express my love for you?"
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her words before smiling slightly. "No. You should do this more often, I like this kind of greeting."
"I'm glad."
Sighing to herself, Rin pressed herself closer and rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. As strong arms wrapped around her and held her close, she couldn't help but wonder why she'd had any doubts about how he felt about her. Kagome was right, there was no need to worry.
"Was Kagome here today?" Sesshoumaru asked, leaning back to look at her eventually.
"She was, why do you ask?" Rin queried, frowning slightly.
He shrugged and sat down on the sofa, pulling her down beside him. "She's usually here when I get home. Are things looking any better for her and Inuyasha?"
"Probably not. She still won't say anything about it."
"Oh well. His loss in the end," Sesshoumaru muttered before looking at her thoughtfully. "When will dinner be done?"
"I've already finished it."
"Oh, I was hoping for a shower before eating."
"You can still have one," Rin said as she got to her feet and started towards the kitchen. "I can just keep everything warm until you get back."
"How long will it stay warm?"
"As long I keep it in the oven," she replied, looking at him in confusion. "Are you planning an exceptionally long shower?"
"I might be," Sesshoumaru stated, rising to his feet and walking over to her.
"You'd better go then. The food will dry out if I leave it in the oven for too long."
Nodding, Sesshoumaru took her hand in his and tugged her along down the corridor towards the bedroom they shared. Rin frowned as she followed and was about to pull her hand free when she found herself pinned against the bathroom door and Sesshoumaru's hands against the door on either side of her head, effectively trapping her in place. Her frown changed to a look of surprise as she looked up at him and saw a playful smile tugging his lips before it vanished.
"Why are you so surprised?" Sesshoumaru asked huskily, leaning down to trail kisses across her shoulder. "You didn't really think I was going to take an exceptionally long shower alone, did you?"
Rin gasped as he nipped her neck gently. "I-I didn't really give it much thought," she admitted, suppressing a shower as he continued his ministrations.
Without realising what she was doing, Rin's hands ran down his broad chest, deftly undoing the buttons of his shirt as they moved. She sighed in delight when her hands ran over his smooth skin as she pushed the shirt off and smiled as she let her gaze wander over him. Growling quietly, Sesshoumaru returned the favour and had her standing in nothing but her underwear moments later as he gave her a devilish grin that sent shivers down Rin's spine. Before she could utter a word, she had been swept off her feet and her back was pressed against the door, her legs instinctively wrapping around his taut waist as he turned his full attention to the voluptuous breasts that he had come to love. Gasping at the sensations he was evoking within her, Rin arched towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and throwing her head back as she lost herself in ecstasy.
"So easily pleased," Sesshoumaru murmured against her breast before moving towards the shower. "Don't tell me you're tired already?"
"Definitely not," Rin replied with a grin as she wriggled her hips experimentally and was rewarded with a soft groan from the man who held her.
Only moments later, both of them stood beneath the hot jets of water but neither paused their actions. Rin wriggled her hips every so often, delighted by the groans she heard and able to feel exactly how much it affected the stoic man. Reluctantly, Sesshoumaru set Rin on her feet and reached for the soap that sat nearby. Lathering his hands, he ran them over her body, caressing her skin gently and watching the suds run down her body as she stood beneath the water. Rin shuddered and leaned against him as his hands began to roam her body before following the trail of suds down her body.
"I hope you didn't leave anything cooking," Sesshoumaru said quietly as he turned her around to look into her eyes.
Rin grinned and shook her head as she reached up to pull him down towards her. Moments later, their bodies were brought together and their arms wrapped around each other as they lost themselves in the torrent of emotions that washed over them. Just before she was robbed of coherent thought, Rin decided that she was very wrong to have doubted Sesshoumaru's reasons for being with her. It had been foolish to doubt him and she knew that she wouldn't doubt him ever again.
AN: I apologise for this chapter being so short, but I've been ill so my writing hasn't really been up to scratch. Anyway, I thought I'd put this up anyway and compensate for its length by writing a longer one next time. Hopefully it wasn't too disappointing and I apologise again. Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story. I promise the next chapter will be better!
xMxAx