NEW CHAPTER

Summary: Nine years have passed since the defeat of Naraku. Rin is now a young woman, at the ripe age of 17. What happens when she notices Kagome's mate mark, and starts asking Sesshomaru questions about mating?

Name of Chapter: The Questions

…

Sesshomaru looked the woman in front of him. Did she really just ask if he had a mate? The great Lord Sesshomaru have a mate? How absurd. He had better things to do than take a mate. Though, he did need an heir someday.

She was looking at him, as if she was terrified of his answer. Why would she even ask such a question? This was not something Rin would do. Or perhaps it was?

InuYasha, Sesshomaru presumed. My half-brother and his mate must be rubbing off on her. This must not do.

Rin stared at him, anticipating his reaction. Her heart beating quickly in her chest. Why was he taking so long to answer a damn question?

Maybe he does have a mate, Rin thought. And he is afraid to tell me. Why would he be afraid to tell me?

"I have no mate," Sesshomaru finally spoke. Rin let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Why do you ask such a question?"

Rin swallowed and twiddled her thumbs nervously. Time to rat out Kagome. "I uh, noticed, um, Kagome's mark. And it just popped into my head, my lord." Rin felt her face turn warm. How could he just look at her with those beautiful golden eyes?

Sesshomaru nodded. "I see."

He smiled, seeing her brown eyes cast away from him. She is beautiful, Sesshomaru had to admit to himself. It was the kind of beauty she didn't know she was. She was a teenager but yet, still held innocence in her aura. Despite the year she travelled with him and Jaken, looking for Naraku and a sword, and getting kidnapped on various occasions, she never lost her faith in him or lost her innocent look. She knew he would always protect her.

Rin glanced at Sesshomaru, sensing he was looking her. She smiled, seeing his smile.

The last two years she has noticed Sesshomaru has been smiling more, especially when it was him and her. It was if he was only showing her a warm side that he kept hidden underneath his cold exterior.

"If you have more questions," Sesshomaru began, knowing she was always curious about anything. "You may ask them. Without fear. I will tell you the truth."

"Really, my lord?" Rin smiled, excited. "Are you sure?"

Sesshomaru nodded. To prove he wasn't going anywhere, he sat against a tree. Rin knelt next to him, sitting on her legs.

"Okay, um," Rin began nervously. Her palms were sweaty but she fought the urge to wipe them on her favorite kimono. There were hundreds of questions she has been dying to know since she saw Kagome's mark. She more excited about asking her questions than she was whenever Sesshomaru came to visit. If she were a normal human, she would be too frightened to ask this demon any questions. "Have you ever had a mate?"

"No, I have not," Sesshomaru answered. He heard her beating heart with his sensitive hearing. She was nervous and excited to be able to ask her questions about this interesting subject.

"Why not, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I have not found her." Sesshomaru looked her in the eye and Rin's breath caught in her throat.

"Oh, that's terrible, My Lord." Rin face heated up under the intensity of his gaze. "Maybe it is time to start looking, Milord. After all, you are ruling your lands once again."

Sesshomaru nodded. Rin felt something painful in her chest at the thought of another woman taking his attention from her. If only he liked humans….

"Have you ever loved, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin asked, almost hesitantly. Why was her heart beating so fast?

"No, I have not," Sesshomaru replied. He lied. He loved the small human beside him. And not as a daughter like one would think after taking her in, but as a mate. He just couldn't tell her that yet.

"Oh."

Who would not love Lord Sesshomaru, Rin thought, biting her lip. He is handsome, heroic, stoic, doesn't show fear, strategic, caring, kind yet very harsh, and could easily be someone's mate. Perhaps mine.

"Do you have more questions, Rin," Sesshomaru asked, breaking Rin out of her thoughts.

"You know me so well, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin replied, smiling. "Do all demons leave a mark?"

"Yes."

"Before or after mating?" Rin blushed at her question.

"During," Sesshomaru said and Rin's eyes widened.

That must be interesting, Rin thought, thinking back to when Kagome had described sex to her. This had happened after Rin had caught two villagers in the cries of passion in the forest. InuYasha was not happy Rin had started asking questions to him and left his mate to do it. Sesshomaru never found out about their discussion.

"Um, are all marks the same; a bite mark," Rin asked, pushing past her racy thoughts.

"Yes."

"Why a mark in the first place?"

"The mark creates an unbreakable bond between two partners. One can sense what their mate is feeling." The way Sesshomaru spoke, sent shivers down Rin's spine. It was almost sensual.

Rin thought about this, thinking of InuYasha's human mother. "So, can you have more than one mate, milord? I mean, you and InuYasha have two different mothers."

Sesshomaru was silent for a while, thinking deeply. Rin bit her bottom lip, wondering if that was not a good question to ask. Sesshomaru was sensitive about the fact his father had another child with a human woman.

"No," Sesshomaru finally spoke. "Only one mate. My grandparents arranged for my mother and father to make an heir, to continue our lineage. My father did not give my mother the mark." Rin nodded to show she was following what he was saying. His voice got bitter on the last sentence.

That's kind of sad, Rin thought. He was only born out of need versus love. No wonder why his is so cold.

"My father gave his mark to InuYasha's mother." Sesshomaru held her gaze as he said his next words. "He loved her."

Rin's heart beat fast in her chest. His words; it was like he was confessing his love for her. But that couldn't be it, he couldn't love her. She was just a human. Sesshomaru did not want to take after his father and mate a human. He still probably thought of her as a daughter.

"How can a demon tell whom to give the mark to," Rin continued, looking at his leg. She couldn't look him in the eye at the moment. "If the demon can have intercourse without mating?"

"We can sense it, us demons," Sesshomaru replied. His lips turned up, noticing her embarrassment. Her heart hadn't slowed down since she started asking her questions.

A puzzled look crossed Rin's face as she looked at him. "How can you sense it? This is different from just sensing any other thing, right?"

Sesshomaru nodded. "We know by eye contact, touch, smell, and kiss." He spoke slowly, letting every word sink in. He watched as she shivered, but not because of the small wind that came through the tress. He liked seeing her shiver because of his words. It did something to him that nothing else has. Made heart beat just four beats faster, made his blood run south, and made his lips tingle.

He wanted to kiss her.

Rin's small mouth made an 'O' shape, adverting Sesshomaru's gaze again. She just could not look at him right now. The intensity of his gaze made her heart beat skip, a warm sensation in her nether region, and made her lips ache for his.

She wanted to kiss him.

They sat in silence once against whilst Rin tried to get her heart to slow down. Sesshomaru was just watching her breathe. How was it something so simple like breathing, could make him smile? There have only been two times in her life time where she did not breathe. First time, he barely knew her and was just testing out his Tenseiga; he didn't feel anything. The second time, he had grown to know her and was greatly saddened. He will forever be grateful towards his mother.

"I know this would never happen," Rin started, quietly. She was really hesitant to ask, but she wanted to. For her own sake. "W-w-would you mate a human? If you 'sensed' it?"

Sesshomaru studied her. She was still avoiding his gaze. Was she asking for herself? Did she mean would he mate her?

"Yes." Sesshomaru heard her heart beat twice and her breathing pause. He smirked, she did mean herself.

"Hypothetically, what happens if you mate a human?" Rin continued, being very bold with her questions now and possibly walking on thin ice. She quickly added in: "Don't get mad, I'm just wondering what would happen."

"Your lifespan would expand." Rin looked at Sesshomaru with wide eyes. Did he just really say that? "Your senses would heighten, all of them. As you know-"

"Wait, you said you, as in me," Rin interrupted, her heart being fast with anticipation. Did he just say her? "Does…does that mean…mean you want to make me your….m-mate?" Rin breathed out the last word.

"Yes, I do," Sesshomaru replied, his big hand gently cupping her soft cheek. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"Why?" Rin asked, tears on the brink of her eyes. This had to be a dream. He was holding her face in his hand. A hand she only dreamed would caress her. His gentle actions sent more shivers down her spine. "I am a human and you do not care for humans."

"I care for you." Sesshomaru locked gazes with her.

He means it, Rin gasped. Then, she smiled. He cares for me.

"I have one more question," Rin said softly, forgetting about everything. If this was a dream, she was going to make the best out of it. She was leaning up towards him, her eyes half closed. "Can I kiss you?"

Sesshomaru placed his lips over hers as his answer. Time stopped and the air was quiet. Sparks ignited between their lips. Their heartbeats beat as one.

To Be Continued….

YAY! Another chapter done! If you guys didn't already know, this story is rated M for a possible lemon. If anyone has any ideas, just let me know! Also, I am not planning for this to be very long. I have school coming up next month and I am a wife/mom. And other to work on!

R&R Kindly Please

Drama Kagome