So, to start off, I'm sorry about the mix up a few days ago, after two years this was the first screw-up like that that I made :( Sorry guys, I really didn't mean to do that.
But... because you're all so patient and understanding, the REAL next chapter in hopes you accept my apology; again, I'm so sorry for the mix-up.
A blue blanket shuffled as the body beneath it moved, his lips groaning as he woke, Sesshomaru feeling a little sore from the angle he slept at, his hand reaching to rub his neck. Confused, the demon lifted the blanket he had not pulled over himself before he fell asleep. Gently, the light blue fabric touched his nose as he sniffed it lightly, the warm and fragrant scent that Rin seemed to naturally produce linger lightly on it, as though it hand only touched her for a few moments as she carried it to him.
His head turned to the soft whisperings from the boy's room, his curiosity piqued as he pulled his stiff body from the couch, his amber eyes peering into the ajar door to see the slim body clad in a white dress robe, her fingers slowly running through his long locks.
"How are you feeling?" Rin asked softly to her little boy, her hand on the lump that Akihiko had curled himself into, his hands to his mouth as he huddled under the comforter.
"'M hot," the boy confessed, "I feel really sick…"
"Worse than yesterday?"
"Yeah," Akihiko sniffed, "mommy… I hurt…"
"Throw up hurt? Or-"
"Just fever hurt," the boy explained quietly, "throat's sore."
"Okay sweetie," his mother soothed, "I'll go get you some medicine and then some hot orange juice with honey, how does that sound?"
"Okay…"
"What's wrong Akihiko?"
The boy shuffled under his covers almost awkwardly, his sore throat swallowing thickly.
"You're mad at me," the boy sniffled, tears pricking his eyes, "cause I lied to you about daddy-"
"I am… disappointed," Rin confessed, "but more so at myself, I should have known you wanted to know who your father was and… I shouldn't have hidden it," she swallowed, "but I wish you could have told me."
"You would have been so mad-"
"I would still love you," his mother told him, her own voice thick as she sat back next to him, "I do still love you, I just want you to be honest with me… if you want to know ask me."
"I-I'm sorry mommy," Akihiko sobbed, his body slipping out of the covers to hug her, "I-I just wanted… I just wanted my daddy!"
"I know," Rin murmured as she lowered her lips to kiss her child, her own tears falling slowly onto the white hair, "and I should have told you… I'm sorry."
"I-I didn't know you two would fight!" the boy continued to cry, "I-I thought you-you two still l-loved each other!"
"I-we… Akihiko…" her gently fingers brought the child's amber eyes up to her, "I… what I feel for your father… it's sort of a different love than the one I have for you."
"Wh… What do you mean?"
"I mean… I love you because you are precious to me," Rin explained softly, "because I'm your mother, but… it's different between your father and me… and even your father and his brother. They love each other because they're family and your father and I-" the young woman paused, her eyes shifting as she searched for the right words, "I… love you father… because he made me feel like I mattered to someone… like someone wanted me. When he looked at me, it was like I was the only person that mattered in the world," her fingers ran through the downy locks, "so… when he left me, I felt like I couldn't be with someone ever again… I felt like I had given him everything and he just didn't want it," her tearful chocolate eyes met his, "so… when I had you, I waited until your first birthday to just… stop calling him. I didn't mean to hurt you… but you were the only thing I had good in my life… I couldn't give you up… to someone I thought would hurt you."
"But… he didn't hurt me," the boy mumbled, "he… he said he loved me… and he said he was my daddy…"
"You really do love him, huh?" Rin smiled gently.
"Well yeah," Akihiko nodded, "he's my daddy… shouldn't I?"
"I guess," the young woman smiled kindly, "so long as you love him because of how he treats you, not just the fact that he's your father."
"I do," the boy nodded sincerely.
"Okay," she smiled as he lowered her lips to his crown.
"Mommy?"
"I love you, my little prince."
The ears twitched slightly at her kiss.
"Why don't you call me that?" Akihiko asked, "didn't you used too?" his eyes turned to look at her, "that's what my name means doesn't it?" the boy mumbled, "bright prince?"
"It does," Rin smiled, "but you hated me calling you that," her hand ran through his hair, "you hated me calling you my little prince."
"Why?"
"If you don't remember, then neither do I," this mother teased, "to be honest, I think it's because you wanted me to treat you a little more grown up."
"I am four," the child smiled cheekily.
"You were two when you protested it," Rin pointed out, her fingers touching the small nose, "I'll get you your medicine."
"Kay," Akihiko mumbled, his hair ruffled lightly before his mother left him alone.
Rin sighed softly, before she moved to the kitchen, surprised by the demon standing over two steaming cups of tea, his fingers moving to fish out the teabags from the cups.
"Good morning," Sesshomaru murmured as he noticed her approaching form, Rin bending over to grab the orange juice.
"Morning," Rin nodded while she filled a cup, her fingers punching in the time on the microwave, "there's no pretending you didn't hear that," the young woman murmured, "you hear everything."
"I won't talk about it unless you want to," Sesshomaru told her, the tension in the air making the two of them uncomfortable. "Here."
Brown eyes finally flickered from the microwave to the steaming mug of tea handed to her. Nodding her head to the other, her delicate fingers wrapped around the cup before she pulled it slowly to her lips, the smell not as nostalgic as the taste, her eyes widened slightly as it was exactly how she liked her tea.
"You remembered…" Rin whispered softly as she stared into her tea cup, light fingers on her arm causing her to turn towards the demon, his own expression almost unreadable.
"I never forgot," the demon murmured as he moved towards his son's room with his own cup of tea, leaving the young woman standing alone in the kitchen with a heavy heart.
A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she leaned her forearms on the countertop, her head in her hands. She had been honest with her son when she explained her situation to him, that she did, and probably always would, love his father. Sesshomaru had meant everything to her, and now that her son had come to love his father as she wished, he had become everything to her son too. She didn't want to take away someone that made her baby happy but at the same time, the nagging idea that history would repeat itself scaring her senseless.
The loud beep scared her out of her thoughts, her hand over her beating heart as she reached for the microwave, the spoon stirring the mixture of orange juice and honey, the temperature cool enough for her son's pallet.
"Honey?"
Twin sets of amber eyes looked up from each other to the young woman stepping into the room with the mug and medicine.
"Hey," Rin smiled lightly, "here's your medicine and some juice."
"Thank you mommy," Akihiko mumbled, his nose wrinkling as he sniffed the medicine, "do I have to take it?"
"It'll make you feel better and you know it," his mother informed him while his father, still sitting on the edge of his bed, gently patted his head, "now drink up and wash it down with the juice while it's still hot."
"Kay," the child sighed in defeat, his face scrunching in disdain at the flavor, "… yuck…"
"Worst part's over," Sesshomaru murmured as Rin took the cup from her boy, Akihiko tucking into his warm orange juice, the honey soothing his throat.
His son nodded in response before his mother pressed her lips to his crown before she made to leave the father and child alone.
"Hey… daddy?"
Sesshomaru turned from the door that the young woman had left from to his child, the redness on his cheeks indistinguishable from fever or embarrassment.
"Hm?" long fingers ran through the fine stands, "what is it?"
The boy gulped down more soothing liquid.
"Wh… Why did you leave?"
Sesshomaru looked over his son with almost saddened eyes before he sighed softly.
"Have you… ever gone shopping with your mother and seen those magazines with people on the covers?"
At Akihiko's nod, the demon pressed on.
"See… my mother wanted me to marry someone, someone I didn't even know-"
"Why?"
"She wanted to keep the wealth in the family," Sesshomaru shrugged, "anyway; she wanted me to marry someone else, someone I didn't love," his fingers ran over the dog ears, "someone not your mother.
I told her I wouldn't do it, and meant to just drop the subject entirely," the demon licked his lips, "but… well, my mother told me that magazines like the ones you see would get a hold of this story and make it worse than it was."
"How could she do that?" Akihiko asked, his head tilted in confusion.
"They could make up lies about your mother or say that I was with other people when I wasn't," Sesshomaru sighed softly, "I didn't know, but I didn't want to risk it. I thought, stupidly, that if your mother and I took a break, it wouldn't happen."
"But… it did?"
"Sort of," the demon admitted, "the story got out of hand and I never explained it to her like I should have… at all actually."
"Oh," the boy seemed to deflate at the words, "but… why?"
The child was pulled gently towards his father as lips pressed to the same spot his mother's did.
"Because even I do dumb things," Sesshomaru admitted softly, "I lost you and your mother to this mistake."
"Not… not really."
Amber eyes pulled back to look at his child, the similar colour eyes meeting his.
"I mean… mommy told me she still loves you… and I love you," the boy rested his head against the elder's side, "so… you didn't really lose us…"
The demon felt his lips pull into a soft smile as he rubbed his son's shoulder with his thumb.
"Thank you Akihiko," Sesshomaru murmured, "that means a lot to me."
Rinslowly descended the stairs, her body now clad in something for the colder weather. Sighing deeply, the young woman moved to her son's room, her mind still spinning as she wished it was easier to trust her once love, especially for her son and for the feelings in her heart.
Turning to check in on the patient, her ears picked up the sound of the scratchy voice slowly enunciating words and sounds. Curious, her eyes glanced into the room, her heart fluttering at the sight of the boy looking over his picture book, his body settled on his father's lap while the demon looked over at the words his son read slowly, his fingers carefully guiding the boy.
Her face betrayed her as she smiled softly at the sight, the other two noticing her as her body slowly entered the room.
"Hey mommy!" Akihiko smiled despite his sickness, his exuberance making her laugh softly.
"Feeling better?" Rin asked.
"A little," the boy nodded, his eye glancing between his two parents, "my arm doesn't hurt…"
"That's good," his mother murmured, "the doctor said that because you're a half demon, it'll be healed by tomorrow, so we'll get it off you soon."
"Kay," Akihiko murmured, "it kinda itches."
"Well, you're not scratching it," Rin pointed out while her son pouted.
"That's cause daddy won't let me," he looked up to his smiling father, "you're no fun anymore."
"I can't be fun all the time," the demon murmured, "it wouldn't be fair to your mother."
The young woman smirked before she lowered her lips to kiss her son, the action interrupted by the sharp knock on the door.
Confusion entered Rin's eyes as she looked towards the knocking door, the other two turning with her.
"Who could that be?" the young woman wondered aloud, the demon looking as perplexed as she.
"I'm not sure," Sesshomaru murmured, "InuYasha and Kagome are aware of what's happened, but they and my father promised to give you some space."
Rin moved swiftly to the door, her hands pulling open to reveal the smiling face of Mr. Shen.
"Oh… hello Mr. Shen," Rin murmured quietly, "wh… what are you doing here?"
"I heard through word of mouth that Akihiko had a bit of an accident," he smiled, "I came to see if you needed any help."
"That's… That's very thoughtful of you," the young woman swallowed thickly, "but, I don't need any help, I'm fine thank you."
"Now Rin I insist," the man pressed on, "it must be stressful to do it on your own. Let me help."
"I told you, we're both fine," Rin said firmly, "really."
"Must you be so stubborn?" Shen asked, "unlike his father, I'm actually here-"
"Care to repeat that?"
Both Rin and Mr. Shen were surprised at the deep voice, a second hand pulling the door open wider to reveal a glaring demon.
"I take it… you must be Akihiko's father," the other said once he had regained his composure, Sesshomaru still glaring at the man.
"What of it?" the demon asked, his voice dangerous and daring the other to continue.
"Nothing at all," Shen shook his head, his eyes darting to Rin, "I'm just curious as to how long you'll be around this time. History will repeat itself," the man warned, "and when he's gone a second time you will regret trusting him."
Sesshomaru tensed at the implications, his muscles tightening in anger.
"Thank you for your concern," Rin interrupted, her hand on the other's chest as she tried to simultaneously calm him down and push him away from the impending fight, "but, for the third time, we're fine."
Any response he gave her was silenced with the slamming door, the demon behind her still fuming slightly.
"Rin-"
"Don't start," the young woman murmured, "just… don't start."
"Someone comes over and-"
"He's just someone that tries to be near me," she brushed off, "it's no big deal."
"It's not like I can't understand," Sesshomaru whispered under his breath, the young woman's retort silenced by the sight of her curious son, his blanket draped over his shoulders and his eyes worried.
After assuring their son that everything was fine, both Rin and Sesshomaru ushered him into bed, Akihiko spending the day between sleeping, eating soup, and passing time with his parents playing board games and puzzles.
"Rin?"
The demon ascended the stairs as he searched for the young woman who had disappeared after Akihiko had fallen asleep for what seemed like the fourth time in the day, this time seemingly for the night.
"Rin?"
Sesshomaru knocked softly on the door before he gently pushed it open, his head peering into her room. Feeling his shoulders relax, the demon dared to slip quietly in her room, his body softly approaching the sleeping woman, understandable as the stress caused by her child's injury and the past two days had simply drained her. Careful not to disturb her, his long fingers pulled the covers over her comatose form, the white sheets covering up to her shoulder.
"Sleep well," he whispered as he bravely lowered his lips to touch her alabaster cheek, Rin shuffling slightly at the touched before she relaxed with a quiet sigh that mirrored Sesshomaru's.
His fingers running over her arm for a moment, the demon turned and moved quietly out the room, the door shutting equally as softly behind him.
Rin stirred sleepily, her eyes flickering to the alarm clock, wondering what could have woken her at midnight.
"Akihiko?" she asked softly as she listened to the sound of heavy coughing, her robe thrown on over her body as she made her way swiftly down the stairs, worried at the sound of the thick sound. "Akihiko!?"
His father's head lifted from the boy he was looking over as Rin entered the room, his own hands rubbing the heaving back while Akihiko coughed.
"Honey?" Rin started as she moved into the boy's room, Akihiko taking notice of his mother, his eyes peeking out at her. "Honey are you okay?"
"He's been coughing for five minutes now," Sesshomaru murmured, "it's only now gotten worse."
"Sweetheart?"
"Chest… hurts," Akihiko wheezed, "mommy…"
"Should we take him back to the hospital?" the young woman found herself asking, Sesshomaru's eyes just as concerned as hers were.
"Don't wanna go," the boy whined, his tearful eyes flickering to his mother.
"You're getting worse," Rin murmured as she brushed his hair, "we can't let that happen."
"But-"
"Akihiko," his mother interrupted, "don't fight us on this."
The boy whimpered in defeat, his hand over his mouth as he hacked and coughed.
"But mommy…" his eyes flickered to his father, "daddy?"
Sesshomaru's lips tightened at the pitiful look his child shot him, his shoulders sagging as he sighed.
"Why don't we call Kagome?" the demon suggested quietly, his eyes turning to Rin, "I know you don't trust her right now, but she is a doctor."
Rin bit her lower lip, her arms over her chest as she looked to her sick child, her heart breaking slightly at his pain.
"What I feel isn't worth his health," the young mother whispered quietly, her body lowering to her knees, her hands around the cheeks, chocolate orbs flickering to meet the equally worried amber, "please call her."
Kagome was swift when she received the call, her husband along with her, InuYasha looking awkward at the whole situation as he sat on the couch while Kagome looked over the little boy, Rin feeling her stomach knot and twist in worry that she had inadvertently let her child get worse in a day. Akihiko got sick like any other child, but because of his demon heritage, he was always better in a day.
"Hey."
Chocolate orbs turned to look up at her old friend, the young woman smiling awkwardly.
"He's okay," Kagome murmured softly, "his body's just getting rid of whatever's in his lungs. His fever is out of the danger zone and it hasn't gone up or is fluctuating; it's not whooping cough or anything that bad," she nodded weakly to Rin, "h-he's… he'll be fine just… monitor him for tonight… I-I could-"
"Kagome," InuYasha interrupted, the young woman looking dejected as she sighed softly.
"Right," she nodded, "we'll head home then; if he gets worse, take him to the hospital."
"I will," Rin murmured as both InuYasha and Kagome moved towards the front door.
"Mommy…"
All four heads turned to look at the little boy shuffling towards his parents with a hung head.
"You should be in bed," the young woman told him.
"I know," the eared head nodded, his amber eyes flickered to his father who bent down to pick him up, the tiny arm lifted to wrap around the strong neck.
"Here," Sesshomaru whispered, "you okay?"
"Miss Kagome says so," Akihiko mumbled as he rested his head on his father's shoulder, the gentleness reminding Rin of what they used to be.
"Rin-"
"Thank you, Kagome," Rin interrupted as she swallowed thickly, "I'll… I'll call you… and tell you how it goes tomorrow."
"Right," she nodded, taking the cues from her husband, "um… night…"
"Night," the young mother murmured, her hand reaching to pat her child's back as the door shut behind the others.
"Mommy…"
"You need to be asleep," Rin told Akihiko once more, "you okay?"
"Mhmm," the boy coughed once, "the cough medicine's working. You didn't need to call Miss Kagome."
"You sounded like you got really worse in a few hours," she explained, "I guess I panicked."
"We both did," Sesshomaru admitted, "come on, back to bed."
"Do I have too?"
"Where are you going to sleep?" the demon teased softly, "you're still sick-"
"C-Can't I," he swallowed thickly as he speared to fidget uncomfortably, "can't I sleep with you?"
Brown and amber met as they both tried to figure the answer for their child.
"W-Well," Rin stammered, "i-if you want… d-daddy's sleeping on the couch right now, but I can make up the guest bedroom really quick-"
"N-No," the boy shook his head, "I-I mean… I-I wanna sleep with both you and daddy," Akihiko mumbled, his face turned down in embarrassment.
"Oh," was all Rin thought to say, both she and the demon searching for the best solution for their child.
"Akihiko," Sesshomaru whispered, "that-uh-that might not-"
"Sure."
Both amber eyes turned to Rin, Sesshomaru looking more surprised than his son.
"Y… Yeah?"
"Sure," her eyes flickered to Sesshomaru's, "but… just for tonight, okay?"
Whether she was talking to the demon or her son Sesshomaru did not know, the only thing he found himself doing was slipping his son under the covers in the middle of the bed, the young woman having stripped herself of her night gown and was lying next to her son. Remaining in only his pants, the demon bit his lip as he felt discomfort rising in the room, his body simultaneously trying to get closer to his son yet keeping his distance from Rin to keep her comfortable.
Sesshomaru's eyes flickered up to look at the young woman across from him, her eyes deliberately avoiding his as her graceful fingers ran through her child's hair, the boy coughing softly as he looked up at his mother with tired eyes.
"Mommy?"
"No more games," Rin told him quietly, "go to sleep, you've been up too late."
"Kay," the boy mumbled his head turning to glance at his father, "night mommy… night daddy…"
"Good night Akihiko," Sesshomaru murmured quietly, his amber eyes flickering to Rin, his hand bravely reaching to rub his thumb over her wrist. "And good night, Rin."
"Good night Sesshomaru," Rin whispered, her lips pressing to her son's head, "night Akihiko."
"Mhmm."
The child's coughing had since ceased during the night, him falling asleep before his parents did, the two remaining their uncomfortable situation for a while longer she seemed to succumb to sleep, her brown eyes fluttering close.
Brushing his fingers over her hair, the demon pulled the black strands from her neck, his lungs expelling a soft sigh.
"Thank you," Sesshomaru whispered quietly, "thank you… for something I don't deserve."
"Just don't make me regret it."
The demon was surprised as the eyes opened to look at him, her fingers reaching to trace the back of his hand.
"I won't," the demon murmured, his eyes glancing to his sleeping son, "not for either of you."
"Alright," she sighed, her hand gently brushing his hand away, "just don't go getting any ideas."
"Not while our son is here," Sesshomaru smirked, "but I'm afraid if you're asking me not to get any ideas in general, I'm afraid you're too late."
He was impressed that she was able to swat his arm without disturbing the boy, her body adjusting to hide the joking smile on her lips.
It was a miracle the demon managed to find the will to sleep, his weary body drifting off with his arm around both his child and the young woman's slim waist, the closest he'd been to her in years.
Soo? What do you guys think?