All That I'm Living For
Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine, so these characters are not mine.
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Chapter Two
"Where's Rin?" Sesshomaru said, waking Jaken from his snooze in the hallway.
"What? My Lord!" the green demon sputtered, bowing. "Rin went to see the young miko."
"Alone?"
"I told her not to go, but you know how head strong she is, that stupid girl-"
Sesshomaru thumped him on the head.
"Sorry, my Lord," Jaken said, rubbing the bump. "She took Ah-Un with her."
Sesshomaru walked away from the imp, annoyed. He entered her rooms and found that she had indeed taken some clothing and her bow and arrows. There was no note. He growled and went to his own rooms, careful not to let Jaken see his distress.
Why had she gone? She never left the castle unaccompanied, or without his express permission. He had left the previous day to get some air, after the heated session he and Rin had the previous night; he needed time to think, space to sort out his thoughts. She had been slowly consuming his thoughts until he could think of nothing else but her. As she grew before his eyes, emotions began to surface, deep and dark, things he didn't want to feel, things he was ashamed of feeling for a human. But she wasn't just any human; she was his human, had always been his, and could be nobody else's.
Every night, when she sat in his presence, brushing his hair or telling him a story, he watched her, noticing the way she tilted her head and laughed, or the way she would casually brush her body against his, or how her hands would become animated when she was telling a particularly good story. He forced himself not to laugh too much, not to encourage her behavior, but he was unable to ever deny her what she wanted. And she wanted him; he could tell. Her scent would increase until it filled his head, cinnamon and sakura.
When her courses came once a month, he had to leave. It wasn't that he couldn't handle her monthly bleeding, he just didn't want to think about her ability to bear children, because inevitably he would think about having her bear his own children; he'd find himself standing outside her room, his hand ready to slide back her door. Jaken had found him a few times outside of her door in the dead of night, but had said nothing.
She didn't come to him at night anymore, didn't crawl up to his body because she was frightened of the dark. He missed her, missed the way her breathing would become deep and steady, missed how she would grab his clothing and tug on him, trying to get closer. He would inevitably slip his arms around her as she slept and hold her to his chest, her eyes fluttering as she dreamed.
His Rin was no longer a child. Somewhere between when he had brought her back to life and now she had grown up, and he found himself both annoyed and excited, annoyed that she was no longer a child and excited because he could now see her as he had always seen her, as his. She was his as soon as she brought him her first offering, when he was injured from his fight with Inuyasha. He deluded himself for the first few years after he had revived her that Tenseiga had chosen her, not he, not the great Sesshomaru; it had been Tenseiga that had wanted Rin to be revived. But no, as time passed, he knew that he had wanted her then, wanted her innocence, wanted her adoration. And as more time passed he realized that he wanted her more, and that perhaps Inuyasha had been right, that he had been grooming her to be his mate.
He removed his armor and sighed. The sun was fading from the sky. She should be here with him, brushing his hair or telling him a story. He wanted to feel her hands against his back as she kneaded his muscles into submission. He could still feel her kiss on his neck, and he absently brushed at the spot, trying to recall the memory, as if recalling the memory would bring her back to his side. He was lonely.
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Earlier in the day . . . .
Rin opened her eyes and found Izayoi's face pressed up against hers.
"Are you awake now?" Izayoi said, not moving.
"I think so," Rin said, staring back at the girl.
Izayoi smiled and pulled away. She hopped down to the ground, her uniform swirling around her legs. "Mommy said I could spend the rest of the day with you."
"Did she?" Rin said, sitting up and adjusting her yukata.
"Mmm-hmm," she replied, pulling off her uniform and changing into a pair of shorts and t-shirt. "What do you want to do today?"
Before Rin could answer a voice called from outside. "Kaachan!" A tall figure entered the hut.
"Shippo!" Izayoi said, running to him and flinging herself into his arms. He lifted her up onto his shoulders. She giggled.
"Who's this?" he said to Izayoi.
"It's Lady Rin, Uncle's Lady," she replied.
Shippo's eyebrows went up. "Rin? It's been a long time," he said, bowing slightly, careful not to dislodge Izayoi.
Rin stood and bowed. "Shippo. You have grown."
"So have you." His eyes danced over her form. "Where is Lord Sesshomaru?"
Rin looked away. "He is not with me."
"Oh," he said softly.
"Mommy said I could spend today with Lady Rin," she informed Shippo, wriggling so he would let her down.
"What about your homework?" Shippo said, putting her down.
Izayoi gave him a look. "What homework?"
He laughed. "I see. You finished it already."
"I always finish before I leave school," she said smugly, her chin up.
"I'm sure you're the smartest little girl there ever is," he said, tickling her.
She giggled and ran behind Rin. She pushed Rin, trying to get her to leave the hut. "Let's go to the sacred tree."
"Okay, okay, I can walk on my own," Rin said, laughing.
"You better do as she says: she always gets her way; she's daddy's little girl," Shippo whispered to Rin.
"Hey! I heard that!" Izayoi said, glaring at him.
Shippo lifted up his hands in defense. "What? I didn't say anything."
"I may be only a fourth hanyou, but I still have ears," she said, hitting him in the gut.
He feigned pain. "Oh, you got me."
"Argh!" she said, chasing him outside of the hut. He kept himself just out of her grasp.
Rin laughed, covering her mouth with her sleeve. Shippo stopped and stared at her. Izayoi tackled him, knocking him to the ground and putting him in a headlock. He grinned as Rin's laugh deepened.
"Izayoi! Who are you beating up now?" Inuyasha said, looking at his daughter as she continued to keep Shippo in a headlock.
"Shippo," she said indifferently.
Inuyasha sighed and hauled Izayoi off of Shippo. "What did your mother say about putting people in headlocks?"
"Not to do it," she replied, looking down at the ground and kicking some rocks.
"What did I say?"
"Come get you so you could do it for me," she said, grinning.
"Exactly," Inuyasha said, grabbing Shippo around the neck and pulling him down. He thumped Shippo on the head. "What do you say, Shippo?"
Shippo looked at Izayoi sheepishly. "Sorry for call you 'daddy's little girl.'"
"You called her what?"
There was a 'poof' and Shippo was free from Inuyasha's grasp. "I called her daddy's little girl, but it looks like she's got you wrapped around her little finger," Shippo said, running away.
"Why you-" Inuyasha chased after Shippo.
"Kaachan!" he cried.
"Sit boy!" Kagome yelled from somewhere.
Inuyasha crashed to the ground.
"Daddy!" Izayoi cried, running to her father's side.
Kagome came around the bend with Shippo's ear in her hand. "What are you hooligans doing now?" she said, releasing Shippo's ear when she faced all of them.
"Well-" they all said.
She held up her hand. "One at a time."
"Shippo called me 'daddy's little girl,'-"
"He said I was wrapped around her little finger-"
"I was just playing around-"
"Enough," she said, raising her hand again. "You are daddy's little girl, she does have you wrapped around her finger, and you need to be careful when you call either of them names," she said, pointing at each of them. "Not to mention, we have a guest; can't you three behave while she's here?"
Everyone looked at Rin, who flushed under their gaze.
"Kagome!" a voice called.
"Sango!" Kagome said, turning around.
The demon slayer came along with her husband, Miroku, and Kilala. She was several months pregnant and waddled more than walked.
"Look how big you've gotten!" Kagome exclaimed.
"I know," Sango said, embracing Kagome lightly. "Look at you: another on the way." Sango looked up and noticed Rin. "Lady Rin?"
Rin bowed.
"Oh my, look at you," Sango said, giving Rin a hug. "How are you?"
"Fine," Rin said, embarrassed by Sango's scrutiny.
"Still following Lord Sesshomaru?"
"Um, well, I-" Rin stuttered, unable to say anything.
Sango smiled. "I see. Don't worry about it; he'll come around."
Rin blushed.
"Lady Rin!" Miroku said, cupping her hands in his.
"Monk-" Sango said.
"What, I'm not going to say anything embarrassing," he said, touching his head and smiling nervously.
Rin backed away from them. She saw another figure coming down the road. "Kohaku," she whispered.
"What?" Sango said, turning around. "Oh, yeah, Kohaku's with us."
Rin hadn't seen Kohaku since the final battle with Naraku. He had grown into a tall, dark man, but his smile was still quick when he saw Rin. "Lady Rin," he said, sweeping up her hand and kissing it.
Shippo growled low in his throat. Inuyasha thumped him on the head and shot him a dangerous look. Shippo backed down.
"So, what are you guys doing here?" Kagome said, walking in the direction of the hut.
"Well, Miroku said there was a disturbance near our village and he wants Inuyasha to come and take a look," Sango said.
"He really just wanted to get you out of the way," Kagome said.
"Yeah, doesn't want me to pick up the hiraikotsu while I'm in this condition."
"Can't blame him," Inuyasha said. "Kagome can't go."
"What?" Kagome said, angry.
"You're pregnant."
"So?"
"The baby is more important than fighting a demon," Inuyasha pointed out.
Kagome muttered darkly to herself but nodded.
"Well, I can go," Rin said.
Everyone looked at Rin. "Lady Rin," Miroku said, "Inuyasha and I can handle whatever it is."
"Hey, I'm going," Shippo said.
"As am I," Kohaku said.
"Well, if they're going then I'm going too," Rin said.
"But-" Kagome said.
"I can use the bow and arrow better than even you, Kagome."
Kagome sighed, but nodded. "You know what will happen to us if you die; Sesshomaru will have our skin."
"He is not the boss of me," Rin said, lifting her chin.
Everyone looked at her, eyes wide. Miroku whistled.
"What?" she said, glaring at him.
"You've got it bad."
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Rin found Ah-Un still in the field. "Go home," she told the dragon.
He looked at her, uncertain.
"I will be fine," she said, rubbing its snout.
He got up and left.
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Sesshomaru saw Ah-Un flying back without Rin. What was that girl doing? She wasn't defenseless without Ah-Un, but it would have been better to keep the two-headed dragon near her. "Jaken," he called. The green imp came into the room. "Go get Rin."
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R & R.
Still fishing for more reviews.