Bound by Privilege
This story is not for profit. It is purely fanfiction. I don't claim any ownership of the manga or anime Inuyasha, Yashahime, the original stories, or the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi or Takashi Shiina.
Chapter 27
Sesshoumaru's concentration did not wane, focusing on the next method of attack. He'd sized up the space, and mentally calculated the speed and the distance required for success. There would be no hesitation. His grip tightened, his reflexes ready to take on this opponent. This foe was as elusive as it was formidable. In all of his years, he never imagined that this would provoke such a level of anxiety. He nodded once acknowledging his understanding of what was required here. The clock came into focus. The nine became a zero and it was the equivalent of a green light.
Rin tried not to hold her breath, looking over the top of the sunglasses as she cautiously eyed the vehicle, hearing the roar of the engine and screech of the tires. Her arms remained crossed over her chest, pulling up with confidence as a crowd joined around her watching from the window. She felt a bead of sweat start to slip down the middle of her back, her heartbeat climbed observing the speed at which the car drifted into a perfect parallel park. Not a cone was touched this day. Every guy seemed to nod in amazement at this complex level of skilled driving at the DMV today. The instructor stepped out of the vehicle and Rin was sure the way the woman looked, hair askew and mouth slightly agape was the exact way she'd gotten out of the car the first time Sesshoumaru practiced the parallel park in preparation for this exam and road trip. All the rest of the driving was predictable up to that point, and when she'd questioned him about it he'd confidently stated that it was how his father taught it to him. Rin was sure Sesshoumaru was teasing her right up to the point of her explaining the classic method of parallel parking. It was met with absolute confusion. For the sake of time, she'd told him to do it his way although she was sure the instructor would dock him for it. The rest of his driving would easily pass.
The instructor tore the sheet from the tablet and handed it to Sesshoumaru as she held her hand over her heart leaning on the side of the building. He found the mark perplexing even as the crowd clapped and cheered at his performance.
"What'd you get?" Rin pushed the sunglasses to the top of her head.
"A 90. You were right. She took ten points for the parallel parking."
"Congratulations! It's still an A. You passed."
"I didn't hit the curb, or the cones."
"It's fine."
"...I should say something."
Rin rolled her eyes, smiling at Sesshoumaru's tendency toward perfection. She whispered the next few words knowing his hearing would catch it.
"A lady can tell a lot about a certain dog demon by the way he handles a car."
"Oh?"
She'd continued in a whisper, keeping the people around them from catching on.
"Those hands caressing 10 and 2, the way you handle the curves and shift gears when you find just the right spot. You like to take it slow then speed it up. It's a satisfying ride all of the way until the end."
Rin's shameless flirting made him forget about the ten points the instructor docked. Sesshoumaru pulled at her waist, beckoning her closer.
"The Lady knows she's luxury to be handled like that."
Rin bit at her lip and quickly remembered where she was, turning to keep from having to face any onlookers. She refused to repeat the situation on the plane but she wasn't afraid to push her luck.
"The demon in control is a gentleman, I see."
Sesshoumaru drank in the breath of her voice. The gentle brush of her fingers traced the back of his hand. The bat of her eyelashes dared him to play this dangerous game of self-control. He believed Rin to be the master of this art, exquisite and deadly. He wrangled his thoughts, keeping them from running wilder than this moment would allow.
"Only when she wants him to be."
"And, when she doesn't?"
Sesshoumaru met her question with a kiss, hiding the way he was devouring her scent and the quick brush of his fangs against the softness of her skin that flirted with her humanity.
"Be careful. He bites."
Playing into her urge, she tested him. A breath escaped her as she heeded the warning, a low growl escaping from his throat.
They'd flirted their way right through the photo and barely made it out of the parking lot, both desiring the private detour they took. The backseat played well enough to fulfill their needs. Their hands played over each other. The sturdy frame supported their excitement and only anchored them in their revelry. She'd praised the vehicle for its tinted windows but cursed it for its lack of soundproofing. It would never contain her reaction to this demon. Rin sighed biting her fingernail and looking at his license as she threw her feet up on the dash, too proud to let the weakness of her legs stop her. She wasn't sure if anyone ever had a decent photo on their license but leave it to Sesshoumaru to pull off the smolder. There was no bad side when it came to taking his picture. He was always on all the time. He wasn't even smiling, and yet he looked like he was.
Sesshoumaru let the open road play through Rin's hair as he stole glances at her. There was the physical beauty of her eyes, the smile that she'd perfected, the confident way she tilted her head to expose her neck, and the way that her curves danced with him, but she'd given him so much to explore. There was a never-ending depth to her. He was realizing what it was that he appreciated the most about Rin. It wasn't just her kindness or the flirty little moments, or even the way he wished for a second or third lifetime at her touch, but the way that she anticipated what he needed before he knew it himself. Even this trip to get to Hakurei at Rin's suggestion was more thought out than what she led on. He knew that she'd done so as a way to take his mind off of his mother's state with Suikotsu. She'd piqued his interest the more excited she became about the idea. He'd hardly needed convincing, wanting this just as much as she did. The thought of having Rin at every step of this adventure was something he would never turn down and she'd already started off this trip with great expectations. She'd strategically given her assistant the most important job she could think of while they were away. Jaken would have full management of the Tiger Lily. Sesshoumaru was sure that the building would likely run itself for the time being and Rin would handle any major decisions but it was again another display of understanding the needs of those closest to her. Her goal was to prevent Jaken's disappointment from being left behind.
Only a few hours into the trip, Rin managed to get Sesshoumaru to sing a few words. She found herself staring, somewhat surprised when they'd made it through an entire song together. Thinking back to the way that they'd first met, Sesshoumaru was reserved and suspicious yet curious. There was so much of him that was hampered by threats and even fear. It took her some time to finally figure him out and every day was still something new. Learning that her actions spoke louder than words allowed her past the quiet shield that Sesshoumaru used to keep the rest of the world at bay.
"What?"
"It's nothing. I'm just glad that I'm here with you and I like it when I don't have to sing alone." Rin smiled running her fingers through his hair.
"Can I share something with you?
"Yeah, of course."
"I have a list."
"A list?"
"It's not something I wrote but it lives in my mind."
"...?"
"Before I left home, my mother told me to keep a list of things I wanted to do and experience in my life. It was her way of keeping my mind busy, set on a goal other than thinking that my only purpose was to fight or try to get away. Over the last few years, it got harder for me to think that I would ever accomplish any of it so I just pushed it to the back of my thoughts. Recently, though, I started to think about it again and I added something to it but I'm going to need your help to make it happen."
Rin nodded. The excitement of these moments, when Sesshoumaru would reveal things about his life unprovoked, was what she silently continued to hope for.
"Sure. What is it?"
"You'll see."
"So, I have to ask. What all is on your list?"
Rin was beside herself as she listened to Sesshoumaru describe even the simple things that most took for granted. It had all started with her giving him a job and a home with her. The Agate was something of a prom or school dance that he'd never gotten to experience. All of his firsts with her from the kiss to the first date, and the intimate moments were there. Traveling together and more specifically this trip was another experience he'd longed for. As much as Sesshoumaru had pushed back against Jaken defending flying over driving, he did want the ability to do it legally. She was sure there was more and he would reveal it in time but for now, her heart settled with the joy of his that they'd already accomplished so much of what he hoped to experience.
...
Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around Rin as they sat listening to the waves crash onto the shore, refusing to pass up this stop at the beach on their trip as the sun began to set. His cheek rested gently against her head.
"What are you thinking about?"
Rin hugged his arms to her. The joy of being with him made her heart skip but she hesitated to explain it. They were both young and she wanted trips like these to continue, the excitement of their time spent together was the best thing she'd experienced in this life. It was greater than the feeling she got from being on stage and certainly outweighed the cameras, and the crowds screaming a stage name. Those people didn't know her the way that Sesshoumaru did. What she wanted rested on the tip of her tongue and she decided to give him the purest answer.
"I love singing and performing but I think about what it would be like to have a normal life too. Sometimes it seems like an impossible feat to have both. But then I think about you being a part of that. I want to get married eventually. A beautiful wedding on a private beach, the warm sand under our feet, a perfect breeze, and blue skies for miles. It would be unforgettable. We'd have a house somewhere in the suburbs or even some rural part of town where no one is constantly watching us. We'd enjoy trips and moments just like this. Maybe we'd have kids and..."
Sesshoumaru listened as she painted the picture. It was both surprising and a relief to hear her describe their future. Rin being able to be a wife, mother, and performer who could be present in their family's life the way she wanted wasn't going to be easy but it wasn't as impossible as she thought if he was by her side. The sound of the waves filling the quiet reminded him of Rin's sudden silence. It wasn't like her to be at a loss for words. Her gaze was beyond the first stars appearing. Letting himself lean back, Rin lay with him.
"And?"
"And, I'm scaring you, aren't I?
"No. You're not."
"That kind of future doesn't scare you...I mean, getting married and having kids?"
"Why would it?"
"I can only imagine you've had enough of being tied down or held back in your life. You're finally free to do what you want and here I am being selfish. I didn't even ask what you wanted from this relationship."
"You're not being selfish. I've never been freer to be myself than I am with you and I don't think spending the rest of my life with my love and best friend is such a bad idea. What I want is to be with you, to protect you, and love you. Whatever else comes along with that is what's meant to be."
Sesshoumaru looked into Rin's eyes as she searched his. It wasn't hard for him to envision their relationship standing the test of time. He had his parents' example and they were each other's best friends, sticking together and pulling each other through the worst and somehow still finding the silver lining. He and Rin were already doing that for each other.
Rin lingered on the gentle sweetness of Sesshoumaru's lips against hers. Their attention was taken as they gazed at the stars. Rin smiled hearing him point out one of the constellations. She'd found another, remembering it from the botanical gardens. The connection dawned on her with a great weight. This task on Sesshoumaru's list was the most romantic and beautiful way to connect them back to their first date. A shooting star raced through the night sky. It would forever hold significance, pulling them together like Earth's gravity pulled the moon and they were never more sure of their love.
A/N: My continued thanks for your reviewing/reading! I will be on vacation so I'm not sure about an update next weekend but I will do so if I have time. I'll be back soon.