Chapter Nine

The demon's raven-haired angel didn't come back that night and he never saw her again.

"K-Kohaku!" Rin stuttered, standing up. "What are you doing here?" Nervously she ran a hand through her hair, and her palm brushed over the rose she had so carelessly placed in it earlier.

"I think that's what I should be asking you." He said, speaking gravely. Rin gulped softly, taking a step back.

"How did you find me?"

"I saw you walking towards the forest, so I was going to come with you..." He hesitated here. "But then I saw you talking with this... monster..."

Something in her snapped.

"Lord Sesshomaru is NOT a monster!"

Kohaku frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Lord... Sesshomaru?"

Rin bit her lip, realizing that she would have to tell Kohaku everything.

"I... I was going to tell you earlier..."

Rin told him everything, from how she really left the forest, to her promise to return the castle and finally to how she got there today. She left out the finer details of her little adventure, such as their dance and the kiss he had mistakenly given her when they first met. Once she finished she spared a glance at her friend, unsure of how he would react.

"So this ... Lord is your... friend?"

"Er... yeah." Rin confessed. "He's a very interesting person, though he's not very social."

There was a silence, for a moment, before Kohaku sighed.

"Rin, you're too trusting. You have no idea how worried I was about you. I tried to follow you guys in past the gate and get your attention but... I can't go more than ten feet in without having to turn back."

"What? What do you mean? Why can't you get past the gate?"

Rin was confused. She hadn't had any problems that afternoon.

"I don't know. After a certain point it's like... my body refuses to go any further. I can't explain it. It has to be some sort of magic."

She averted her gaze. Kohaku reached out his hand, cupping Rin's cheek in his hand in what was meant to be a comforting gesture.

The appendage was too warm, and though she knew Kohaku well, the touch was foreign. She began to squirm uncomfortably.

"Rin, if you honestly feel that he won't hurt you, I can't exactly prevent you from visiting him. But be careful, okay? I mean... what if... I don't know-"

"Kohaku, I'll be fine." Rin said, tugging his hand off her face, gently. She grinned at her friends concern for her. "I was planning on coming back tomorrow, would you like to come? I'm sure he'd like to meet you."

Kohaku paused for a moment, before sighing.

"I want to... but I have something to do tomorrow."

Suddenly a sheepish smile was plastered onto his face.

"Just make sure you're free on Saturday!"

Rin faltered. "Why? What's happening on Saturday?"

His grin fell slightly. "Er, well—our date, remember?"

"Oh!" She exclaimed. She had completely forgotten about the whole ordeal. "R-right."

Kohaku simply smiled, oblivious to the inner turmoil she was facing inside.

Rin showed Kohaku the way out of the woods, explaining to him that the demon lord had informed her of the way. Kohaku tried to stir up small talk, and Rin complied. Soon they were laughing and bickering like they used to, and all the awkwardness between them dissipated.

When it came time to go their separate ways, he waved and began to run to his house, calling over his shoulder, "I'll pick you up at seven, okay?"

Rin shouted an, 'Okay!' after him, before turning and darting to her house as well. Who knew? Perhaps the date wouldn't be as bad as she thought. It wasn't like she had any other love interests at the moment.

She paused.

She couldn't seem to figure out why, at that moment, Lord Sesshomaru's face flashed through her mind.

Ignoring this weird occurrence, she continued her journey home, walking through the door without hesitation and greeting her mother and father.

"Hi honey! How was your date?" Her mother asked eagerly, throwing down the magazine she had been reading.

"Date?" Her father questioned, raising his gaze from the newspaper. "What date?"

Rin glanced over to him.

"Oh honey, Rin is old enough to go out on dates!" Her mother stated. Her father rebuttled, and soon they were in a full fledge argument which gave Rin enough time to sneak upstairs without having to answer.

Once she reached her room she flopped down on the bed, closing her eyes.

The day had been well spent, one of those rare days of summer that you actually felt hadn't been wasted.

She fell asleep dreaming of amber eyes.

"A lady," He started, beginning to lead her in a step that she didn't know. "When in the company of a gentleman, should never have to dance alone."

Her blush grew rapidly as he placed a hand delicately around her waist pulling her a bit closer as they continued where Rin had left off.

Submitting, she carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. Tightening the grip on the hand he was holding, she laced her fingers in between his. Not wanting him to see her crimson stained face she buried it into the soft fabric on his chest. He made no protest so she stayed there, breathing in his comforting scent.

Though there was not a single noise echoing off the walls, Rin's ears could hear a beautiful symphony, playing a song just for them.

"Rin."

She looked up at the sound of her name, her eyes meeting his. Slowly he began to dip his head lower, and Rin found that she couldn't bring herself to move away. Her lids fluttered closed, eyelashes dusting her cheeks as his lips, barely a hair away brushed over hers softly. He swallowed the small gasp she let out, running his tongue over her bottom lip.

Rin sat up with a cold sweat, the drowsiness of sleep leaving her as soon as her eyes opened. She was breathing deeply, staring around the room nervously. Her dream had been so... real. Lord Sesshomaru and her had been dancing... just like in her manor. Though the dance ended much differently than it had when she was awake. She raised a hand to her lips, unwilling to touch them lest the feeling of his brushing over hers went away.

That was when she realized.

Rin was in love with Lord Sesshomaru.

She bent forward, running two hands through her hair.

This was bad.

He was... he was a demon! Who lived in a secluded area of a forest, in a mansion that wasn't supposed to exist.

How would they ever raise kids-

NO! Bad Rin!

She sighed, falling unceremoniously back down on her bed.

It didn't make sense. They barely knew each other, really.

And he couldn't possibly feel the same...

Could he?

The next day Rin found herself hurrying to the demon lord's manor. It was Friday. Which meant that tomorrow was the day of her date with Kohaku. She reached the entrance of the forest before pausing. He was not waiting for her this time. Following his instructions, she made her way to his home, hesitating at the gate. Finally she stepped inside, pressing the huge door open and walking through his house. She was surprised that it wasn't locked. She continued her confused meandering through hallways, wondering where her lord was.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I am here, Rin."

Immediately the terror in her chest dissolved.

"Where are you?"

"In the study. Follow the sound of my voice."

She did as she was told and walked through the door to her left.

Lord Sesshomaru was there as promised, lying on the ground on his stomach, a book sitting open in front of him. Rin was surprised to see him in such an informal pose.

"You weren't... uh... I was surprised that you weren't at the door or something."

He raised his head, quirking an eyebrow.

"If you are going to be coming here a lot you are going to have to get used to finding me yourself." He stated, quoting her from earlier. She blushed faintly, crossing her arms.

"Well whatever. I bet you didn't even know I was here."

He tilted his head slightly and Rin was momentarily distracted by the sheen of his platinum-colored hair.

"I knew you were here from the moment you arrived at the gate."

She pouted, walking over and sitting down beside him. He didn't speak, choosing to continue reading. A question burned in the back of her head and she opened her mouth, lowering her gaze slightly.

"Lord Sesshomaru..." Rin began, thinking back to how Kohaku had been unable to get past the gate. "Why can't anyone walk into the courtyard without turning back?"

"It is... a long story."

Rin laid back, staring up at the ceiling. "I've got time."

He hesitated, before shutting the book he had been reading.

"I haven't always lived here by myself, as you have probably guessed. A long time ago, long before you were born-"

"Before you start!" Rin interrupted. "Can I braid your hair?"

"...What?"

A light pink blush dusted her face.

"Um... can I braid your hair?"

A pause, and then after a soft sigh Lord Sesshomaru said, "If you must."

She resisted the urge to let out a squeal of excitement. After a moment of deciding she sat up a bit, before crawling over and straddling the demon lords back.

"What are you doing?"

"This will work better if I'm on top."

Blush.

"I mean..."

Blush blush.

Sigh.

"I'm just gonna sit on your back. Tell the story."

He sighed softly and she could feel him shifting slightly under her. Ignoring his uncomfortable-ness, she took some of his hair in her hands, combing her fingers through gently.

"As I was saying, long ago, my family and I lived in this manor. My mother, father and I, and my brother, Inuyasha."

He paused here.

"We were... we had been... cursed." This he seemed to say with difficulty.

Rin paused in her actions, letting go of his hair briefly, allowing it to slide between her fingers.

"Cursed?"

He was cursed. What kind of curse? Absentmindedly she found herself thinking back to the portrait she had seen her first night there.

"Yes. We didn't know how to break it, and after a couple years my family simply stopped trying. My parents didn't want any of the villagers finding out so they forbid me or my brother from going outside."

She frowned. "That's... awful."

"Yes, but –aah."

He inhaled slowly. She had begun massaging his scalp, rubbing soothing patterns onto his skull. His head lowered until it was resting in a nest of his arms on the floor.

"You are distracting me."

Rin blushed.

"Oh! Sorry! I could stop..."

He sighed, turning his head to the side. "It is fine. I shall continue. I –" He hesitated. "My brother, snuck out one night. He only intended to take one last walk through the forest but while he was out he... he met someone."

Her careful kneading on his scalp paused. "Like... a girl someone?"

A smirk graced itself upon his lips.

"Yes, a girl someone, as you so eloquently put it."

His tone seemed to go wistful for a moment. "Her name was Kagu- Kagome."

Rin gasped in delight, ceasing the stroking on his head altogether and in her excitement, she placed her hands down on his shoulder blades, a smile resting on her lips.

"That's so cute!"

"...Yes..."

She could feel his body rise and fall slightly.

"Needless to say she... she didn't.... well. After about a week of them seeing each other, Kagome stopped coming back to the forest. Inuyasha couldn't leave to see what had happened, lest he give away our secret.

The next day villagers stormed the manor. Some how they figured it and they attempted to... get rid of us. They were fearful. They didn't understand. We were too different. They destroyed everything in the foyer. Everything they could get their hands on they burned. My father didn't want to hurt anyone. Even with inhuman strength, he was careful with them. My mother refused to fight at all and Inuyasha..."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"He did all he could. In the end, it wasn't enough. I tried but my... my demonic abilities hadn't developed completely and I wasn't able to erect a barrier in time. My parents... didn't make it. And Inuyasha was severely injured. He died shortly after."

Rin could feel her heart jerking at his story.

"That's why nobody can get past the gate, because of the barrier."

"Lord Sesshomaru I... I'm... I'm so sorry..."

She didn't know what to say. He had been through so much and had lived by himself for so long.

He didn't respond.

And suddenly another question came to mind. One she hadn't bothered asking at the time it occurred to her. Who, exactly, was Kagura?

She looked down at the demon lord, wondering just how much pain he had suffered over the years. Not knowing what else to do she rolled off of his back, laying next to him on the floor. Hesitantly she placed an arm over him, resting her chin on his shoulder blades. All she could do now was show him that she cared, and hope he realized that for the first time in a while, he wasn't alone.

foxgirl: sorry about any errors. I wanted to get this out before I took my computer to the store to get it fixed. I probably won't be able to post in a while (though that's nothing knew), but this time it's because I won't have a computer. I'll try to write it out or something, though. Sorry about the inconvenience, and the (most likely) crappy chapter. My attempts at angst fail.

Vixen: Yup. Review please.