Rin watched Sesshomaru back from across the fire as he slept
Rin watched Sesshomaru back from across the fire as he slept. He had definitely changed and she didn't know what to think of it. She mostly liked it though, despite how out of the ordinary it was.
It's been almost nine whole days since the sword Rin and Jaken now know as Lola, attached herself to Sesshomaru. Every day is a surprise because Sesshomaru is quickly changing.
Seven days ago, she and Jaken got used to hearing the words "Thank you" and "Your welcome" come out of his mouth. The most surprising day was when Sesshomaru volunteered to grab something for Rin that was just a little bit out of her reach and he smiled. Not in a bad way, thank goodness, but it was a smile nonetheless. Rin couldn't help but blush, she really liked him this way. He had even told them to stop calling him their Lord.
"Rin,"
Rin's head jerked up towards Sesshomaru's soothing voice.
"There's a village near by, do you want to go and socialize with other human children like yourself? I think it would be good for you." Sesshomaru held out his hand to help her stand with a light smile at the corner of his mouth.
Rin stared for a moment and then smiled. "Yes, Sesshomaru! As long as you come with me and meet the friends I make!" She grabbed his hand and leaped up with excitement.
Jaken sat behind Sesshomaru with paralyzing surprise.
Rin held Sesshomaru's hand as they walked. She skipped and he never told her to stop, she sang aloud and he never told her to keep it down. This was the best day ever: just Rin and Sesshomaru.
"I want to run!" Rin began to jump as she kept slow pace with Sesshomaru.
"Hmm," Sesshomaru stopped and faced her. "Do you want to run yourself?"
Rin was confused.
Sesshomaru made a short laugh through his nose, bent over, slipped his hands under her arms and lifted her up on his shoulders.
"Hold on, Rin."
He ran at full speed.
Rin held onto his chin for dear, sweet, fabulous life to live through this once in a life time moment. The wind felt wonderful in her hair and the strength of his shoulders and the smooth feel of his chin made her heart flutter. He legs didn't feel like they even touched the ground. It felt as though they were flying. Even her dreams couldn't capture this moment.
It wasn't more than three minutes of his smooth, glorious running that they finally made it to the village. Rin, in all honesty, was bummed out. She wanted him to run some more.
"Ready, Rin?" Sesshomaru smiled sweetly, lovingly and gloriously up at her kind face.
"Yes," Rin whispered. She was afraid that if she cheered he would snap out of it and everything would be gone.
Still on his shoulders, Rin searched the village alleys for a kid her age. She didn't find one, she found several playing together. There were two girls and three boys playing some sort of ball game. It looked really fun.
"You see what I see, Sesshomaru?" Rin looked down at Sesshomaru, who twisted his head sideways to look up at her with his handsome smile.
"I do. Wish to say hello?"
Rin couldn't hold back her excitement and hugged his head. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Sesshomaru chuckled happily with a sweet sound that could break a heart.
Sesshomaru walked over to the group of children, who stopped everything to stare at the white haired man with a little girl on his shoulders.
"Hello, everyone," Sesshomaru smoothly tipped his head in greeting, "I'm Sesshomaru and this here is Rin." He had a hold of her ankle and he made her foot swing as he looked up at her again in his introduction. His face still glowing with his dazzling smile.
The children introduced themselves too and they invited Rin to play. She gladly obliged.
She played with them by herself for a while but didn't like the fact that Sesshomaru sat and watched from the sidelines.
"Come on, Sesshomaru! Play with us!" Rin encouraged.
"It's alright, Rin. This is for you. Please enjoy yourself."
Rin's smile faded. Suddenly she felt very sad, like this wasn't going to last. No, it can't go away now. It's too…too…..beyond what words can say; it can't stop now!
"Please, Sesshomaru," Rin pleaded, "it's not the same with out you."
Sesshomaru smiled lovingly as he gently tucked a stray hair behind Rin's small ear. He thought for a moment.
"I don't know," Sesshomaru began saying aloud that the other children turned their heads, "you're playing a wrestling game now, right? If I join you, I might hurt someone because I'm so powerful."
Rin was surprised to see the mischievous smile stretch gracefully across his lips.
"Oh yeah?" One of the boys behind Rin spoke up. "Well, let's see you take on all of us, old man!"
"Old man? I could win against all of you with this one arm. Don't be so prideful, little boy. It's unsightly." Sesshomaru, keeping his sly smile, tilted his head back and to the side to eye the boy provokingly.
"Whatever, and you couldn't win against all of us with your one arm. It's impossible." The same boy shouted back.
"Cursed pride." Sesshomaru almost laughed as he stood up. "Alright little boy, gather your troops and show me what you've got."
The children exchanged small glances and attacked with the most mature war cries that they could manage.
Rin stepped out of the way, too shocked at the moment to do anything.
The children jumped up and grabbed him around the legs and about his waist. They yelled and cheered at each other, shouting for victory, which they were sure to win.
"Oh no. There's too many of them! This is hard but their still not strong enough!" Sesshomaru's handsome voice was sarcastic.
The boy commanded that everyone grab onto his legs to trip him. They did so and two children clasped to his left leg and three on his right.
"Alright, that's it!" Sesshomaru shouted.
Sesshomaru heavily lifted his leg with two children and set it in front of him. The two screamed and cried with absolute joy. Then Sesshomaru lifted the other leg with three children and set it front of him.
Rin blinked as she watched Sesshomaru try to walk strangely with the five children hugging his legs.
They all screamed, cheered, and laughed like they were on a theme park ride. Sesshomaru's heart breaking laugh was among the voices of joy coming from the base of his legs as he walked heavily, his one arm swinging in inconsistent circles to keep his balance at times.
Rin laughed with them and finally ran to Sesshomaru's back to join the fun. She glomped him about the waist and it made his arm spin.
"Whoa, Rin!" Sesshomaru exclaimed happily and the other children cheered.
"Do it again! Do it again! Knock him over! Knock him over!" Rin heard the others shout.
Rin then climbed up Sesshomaru's back, grabbing his clothes and stepping on his belt to get to his shoulder.
"Rin, what are you doing?" Sesshomaru chuckled as he was bent slightly forward and trying to see her over his shoulder.
She didn't answer as she swatted her way through his fluff to his arm.
"Got you!" Rin yelled as she jumped and clasped to Sesshomaru's arm, her momentum pulling it down.
"OH NO!" Sesshomaru sarcastically exclaimed as he carefully and slowly fell to the ground.
Rin grabbed his head so he wouldn't hurt it though she knew he wouldn't.
"Arrrrrr!" Sesshomaru playfully growled and shook his head gently against Rin's chest.
She giggled with delight as she felt his soft, smooth hair shuffle and slide through her fingers. Her heart fluttered vigorously and she laughed harder as his shake tickled her outside and inside.
The other children had abandoned their seats on Sesshomaru's feet and got up to fall on his back in a dog pile.
"Okay! Okay! I give up! I give up! You win!" Sesshomaru laughed as they tickled his sides and the back of his neck that they discovered.
At his shout of surrender, the children jumped and cheered with sure victory. They laughed and gave high fives in celebration; Rin gave high fives too.
As they celebrated, they forgot about Sesshomaru, who now was standing with another smug smile on his face that meant revenge.
"Arrrrrr!" Sesshomaru's sudden war cry made everyone start and begin to run. However, Sesshomaru, with one great sweep of his arm, grabbed all the skinny little children and swept them into his embrace.
They laughed and screamed at the same time as he rocked back to sit down with all the kids sitting in his lap.
"No fair! You surrendered!" the boy from earlier complained as he stood up.
"I know. I just wanted a little revenge." Sesshomaru chuckled.
Sunset fell and the children said their good-byes and dispersed to their homes. Many cried with heartbreak in hearing the news that they would never see Sesshomaru or Rin again.
After all those tears, Rin and Sesshomaru were finally alone and on their way to the campsite, that Jaken was left guarding.
"Sesshomaru," Rin laid her head on Sesshomaru's as she sat once again on his shoulders.
"Yes, Rin." Sesshomaru's thumb rubbed her ankle softly.
"Will you be like this forever?"
"Of course. I actually really like being this way. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner." Sesshomaru sighed.
Rin smiled and tears began to show through her closed eyes.
"Are you about to fall asleep, Rin?" Sesshomaru wiggled her leg.
"Kind of." Rin murmured.
Sesshomaru reached back and encouraged her to climb to the front of him; he cradled her in his arm and held her delicate head in his hand.
"There, you can sleep now." Sesshomaru whispered softly and dreamily to her closed eyes.
"I love you, Sesshomaru." Rin murmured and cuddled into his chest.
Sesshomaru smiled, touched his forehead to hers and whispered.
"I love you too, Rin."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Oh my….." he gasped.
"Did you….?"
"I think so….."she breathed.
"Was that really…..?" his face creased with angst.
"As creepy as that was for him, it was actually really cute the way he played with the kids like that." Kagome whispered.
"That's an understatement." Sango said with surprise.
WHOMP!
"Inuyasha!"
"Stop rolling your eyes around like that-it's freaking me out and I don't think my body can handle much more anxiety!"
"Encouragement, Miroku! Encouragement!" Sango scolded but was still shaken up.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome worried.