Rin has gone to hunt for food. I decide to assemble her makeshift tent for her, as a show of appeasement. When I lay out her blankets, I notice a bill of transaction. It stated that the items traded were homemade kimonos.

I clench my fists. Of course Rin would go behind my back and defy me. I cannot let this go. I make my way to her immediately.

"Rin, face me."

"Oh Sesshomaru, let me be. I am hungry and if I don't find food in the next five minutes, I might as well eat you."

"Just what did you trade at the village?"

"I told you..."

"While making your tent, I found this." I show her the bill.

Her eyes widen.

"And you read it?"

"Of course I did. It was an unexpected article to fall from your blankets. What did you expect me to do?"

"I suppose you do not approve?"

"I provide for you handsomely. You are a Lady and yet, you try to eek out a measly sum of money by trade? You dishonour me."

"Dishonour? How? I did not ask you to provide for me. In fact, it is rather awkward when you do. You see, I did not ask to be a Lady, only a companion. I would much rather survive by my own hand."

"Is this a virtual slap on my face, Rin? Come here."

She takes a few tentative steps towards me but reaches me.

"Slap me."

"What?" She gasps.

"You have been metaphorically slapping me these past days and this is the ultimate slap. Slap me and be done with it, so at least I can have something physical to go by."

"Sesshomaru, I do not understand. I don't want to slap you."

"And yet, that is what you have been doing all along. I command you to slap me."

"And what are you going to do, once I do slap you?" she asks wearily.

"Same as you - wait and see what I do."

"You are so incorrigible!"

"I said slap me."

"I can't do it. I'm sorry but perhaps you can ask your mother to do your bidding or one of those fawning female demons."

"You disagreeable woman, you won't even allow me the satisfaction of a slap!"

She sighs. "Sesshomaru, I did not mean to seem ungrateful. It is just that I have been having these ideas in my head lately, of designs for kimonos; and one day, I worked on them and ended up with a few pieces. It was then that I thought of selling them, since I had no use for them myself - you had given me plenty of new kimonos already. But judging from the amount of money I made, I figured I could pay for myself hereafter."

"That is not necessary."

"I insist I pay for myself when I can afford to! Besides, this will do you good as well. When it comes to choosing a mate for yourself, it will be good to place some distance between us, to further convince your mate of our relationship being purely professional."

"Don't be ridiculous, Rin. You may indulge in your desires to design kimonos but hold off on the trading for now."

"No. I don't see why I should hold off on anything!"

"Rin!" I growl a warning.

"Sesshomaru!"

"Alright, break it up you two," comes a voice. No doubt my idiot brother's.

"No don't - I enjoyed watching them bicker. They reminded me of us in our single days, Inuyasha!" giggled Kagome.

"You know, I didn't see that at first, but now that you mention it, you are absolutely right!" agreed Inuyasha.

Both of us glare at them.