Chapter Sixteen

After a while she finally arrived at the hidden spring tucked away deep in the forest. To her surprise she was not alone, Sesshomaru was there. Leisurely resting against the base of the tree, Rin smiled brightly.

"My Lord." She greeted him.

His eyes cracked open to reveal those beautiful golden eyes she always adored.

"Rin," he said.

She took a few steps towards him, "Did I disturb you?"

The demon Lord looked deep into her eyes, "No."

Rin headed towards a large rock that Kagome called 'The changing room' and stripped off her purple kimono until she was bare and slipped in the warm water.

The Lord's eyes watched her the entire time in silence, as she rested her head back against the rocky edge. Sesshomaru watched her face relax and her eyes close.

Rin noticed a stinging sensation below her belly button and absent mindedly ran her hand over it. As she did, her eyes opened and stared down towards the area. Confusion morphed over her face as she stared at the crescent shaped emblem.

Rin's gaze shifted towards the demon Lord whose eyes were already on her.

"My Lord, what is this?" Rin asked, quizzically.

The demon leaned forward and stared at the scarred over tissue on the delicate skin of her lower stomach, almost admiring his handy work.

"Rin. Do you wish for children?" he asked.

Rin cocked her head to the right, "Not particularly, no."

Sesshomaru pointed his clawed index finger towards the area, "That," he stated, "Will go away when you desire to have children until then it remains."

Sesshomaru saw the curiosity and questions she had flicker in her eyes.

Quickly, she asked, "Do you have to be the one to remove it?"

The corners of his lips turned up slightly and he shook his head, "No. It will disappear on its own. It would not have stayed if you wished for children."

As she sat up, her hair covered her chest. The woman's eyes now fully trained on him, as she seemed to light up with intense interest.

"Can other demons do that? How does that work?" her voice was laced with interest.

"It is possible but unlikely. A small amount of my poison seeped into your skin and works as a contraceptive." Sesshomaru explained.

Rin nodded her head in understanding. Although it was unnerving to think of his poison seeping into her skin because she'd seem many fall to his poison laced claws, she knew he'd wouldn't have done it if it would cause her harm.

Rin faced down for a moment, as if she was contemplating something. Slowly, she pushed off the wall on the spring and swam over to where he was. Rin didn't have to go very far until she was on the ledge by him, she was close enough to touch him if she wished.

Shyly, Rin looked up at him and smiled with red tent cheeks.

Sesshomaru leaned in, "No more questions?"

Rin's smile widened, "May I see your hand my Lord?"

He narrowed his eyes at her questions, she couldn't snatch him in the water if she tried but he handed over his hand anyway.

The human woman shocked him again, she wasn't attempting to pull him in at all. It was as if she was studying his hands, trying to figure something out.

She grabbed his bigger hang into her own and analyzed his sharp claws from the tip to the nail bed. The silly woman even attempted to push one down which resulted in her blood rising up to where the tip of his claw nicked her.

It wasn't long before he realized what she was doing, but he'd play along. She brought her face close to his index finger in speculation and once she was close enough he sheathed all the claws on that hand.

Suddenly, she backed her face away on instinct and her eyes widened with shock that turned into fascination as she looked closer again. Surprisingly, his nail seems to reverse into his finger. Those sharp claws remained flatten against his nail bed, making a V-shape.

"You could've asked." He stated.

Rin blushed deeply and laughed, "Where the fun in that?"

Narrowing his eyes at her, he leaned in until his face was near hers and said, "You are much too curious for your own good."

Rin didn't back down from his stare but smiled at his closeness, "I am quite curious about all things, are you not?"

"Perhaps." he responded.

Gently, Rin wrapped her wet arms around his neck and pulled him downwards towards her. Arms quickly encircled her waist, lifting her halfway out on the water. It was obvious his white top was getting wet, but it didn't bother him at all. His tongue swirled around hers and dominated her mouth, his grip on her tightened around her waist like she'd been caught. Thankfully his armor wasn't on, so she could feel the warmth of his skin against.

Sesshomaru pulled back and put his forehead to her, "You've been in this spring too long, your temperature is rising."

Rin smiled and slipped out of his grasp, swimming back over to where her clothes were and quickly got dressed.

Poking her head around the rock she asked, "Would you like to go for a walk?"

Once he'd seen she was clothed, Sesshomaru nodded his head and began to rise.

The path they walked was deeper in the forest. By now, the sun had set and all the creatures of the forest seemed to be have disappeared upon his arrival. Rin filled the silence with her sweet humming, and she'd spin around as she did when she was a girl. Yet, her movements were much more graceful, and her long hair swung around with her like a curtain. As they came upon a clearing her movement got more spread out and she laughed heartily.

Sesshomaru continued to watch her as she danced to her own music and sat down by the big oak tree in the center. One leg was bent at the knee and the other stretched out as he rested his elbow on his knee. When she got close enough to him, he grabbed her small wrist loosely and stopped her.

"Rin." he said, "We need to talk."

Rin had already stopped moving and looked down at him, "Yes, I believe we do but I'm not sure how to proceed with this conversation and I'm rarely at a lack for words."

Sesshomaru's gaze visibly softened at the tenderness of her voice. He understood, he'd not given her much to go on in a way of words. Slightly tugging on her wrist, she sat down between his legs and leaned back against his chest.

He himself was unsure how to proceed but he wouldn't let her go, not again. The demon Lord knew very well what he wanted.

"What is it you want Sesshomaru? What am I to you?" Said Rin.

Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her, "You're very important to me as you always have been, now in a different way. I want you near me, as my mate if you so choose."

"You're mate?" She questioned in awe. The word sounded foreign but intimate on her tongue.

"Yes, for demons it is equivalent to human marriage but there are many dangers by involving yourself with me, those I'm sure you already understand. The choice is yours Rin, it has always been your choice." He said softly.

"My choice was always you. However, does that mean I must follow you wherever you go? What if I wish to go back East or even towards southern territories? Would you allow me even if you couldn't accompany me?" she said leaning further into him.

It was not that wished to be apart from him or didn't want him to join her, but she was no fool. Before her, was the Lord of the West, he had duties to attend here, and her life wasn't as long as his. There was still so much she wanted to see, and she'd ventured all across the western lands as a child.

"Do as you wish. I will not force you to remain in place even if I can't accompany you. You've proven able to defend yourself and I trust that you will be safe." His voice was steady, he didn't waver.

"What makes you so certain?" She replied humorously.

"There is nowhere you could go that I wouldn't find you." He said, slowly.

He meant it; she knew that well.

Rin turned her head to the left and listen to his steady heartbeat, it moved faster than any human heart could. The rhythm was also different, yet another characteristic that show their different in species. A fact that can't change, his mark on her lower stomach began to heat up and Rin place her hand over it.

Sesshomaru played with loose strands of her hair, "My Lord, do you despise humans?"

"No. I do not." He said, firmly.

The Yokai didn't want to go into more detail than that. He did not hate humans, but he didn't like them either. For a fact, he didn't even have an opinion of humankind until the events with his father human mate.

Simply put, he didn't like that his father died for a human but with Rin, he understood more now about his father's actions. Most of his anger towards his father bled through to Inuyasha and his mother, a fact that quickly was erased when Rin came into his care. Many nights he'd stare up as the human girl, no taller than his knee, at the time slept soundlessly by his side and formed an understanding with his deceased predecessor. The mere idea of having someone to protect versus fighting for the sake of being all powerful put everything in his life into perspective.

Speaking of perspective on humans, one particular human, he didn't like. Sesshomaru had heard the conversations between Rin and the young demon slayer, and it made him wary of the human. Not because he longed for Rin's attention but the aura he gave off as she rejected him. Something dark lurked with him, perhaps due to the jewel shard being lodged in him for so long but it was no secret of how he hunted demons even those who caused no harm. At least to the demon community it was known, but he kept this little fact to himself in regard to his companions.