InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A new beginning, a new hope ❯ The Gift of Life (Part 2) ( Chapter 32 )

Rin turned to give Sesshoumaru an appraising scan. She had dressed him more casually for early spring. He still retained the cream suit from the miko, just that she had bought him a nice light yellow cotton T-shirt when she did some last minute shopping before her return home last December. Sesshoumaru had expressed that he preferred her taste in fabric choices more. Rin hid a smug grin.

 

He's just trying to be sweet, she mused, elated at that remembrance.

 

This was the first time she was scrutinizing him from head to toe at such close length in modern clothing. If anything, she'd say they look like a normal Japanese couple in Kagome's time.

 

Yes, Kagome's time… something about those words pulled a trigger to a certain torment still unresolved and unsettled, stuck perpetually in her chest… Sota, the main reason for her return. Since yesterday, lots of disjointed memories about little things that Sota had done for her were rearranging and reformatting themselves, now, in the right perspective.

 

Truly, she needed glasses; it must have been so damn obvious to everyone around them, including Ji-chan and Aunt Higurashi. But… what can she do? How can she make amends to him, repay him for what he had done, knowing fully well he wouldn't want her to? How can she live so blissfully with the one she had chosen with the comprehension of the heartbreak she had brought upon the second brother showered as a gift from heaven after she had lost her first to vicious bandits?

 

Still, the girl didn't have an answer, one that was convincing enough for herself.

 

But, she needed to go back to the school too. Rehearsals for her up-coming recital would be starting in a few days.

 

That was the other thing that she hadn't the opportunity to relate in full honesty to Sesshoumaru. He had of course been informed about the concert but as to why she was one of the performers…. Maybe there wasn't a real urgency in revealing this disregardable, tiny little section, of her rejecting to pursue further studies in a foreign country.

 

Sesshoumaru only passed little peeks from the corner of his eyes at the girl, choosing not to disturb her chains of thoughts.

 

She has not yet decided what to say to the boy, it appears. He pondered, catching her twisted brows. Perhaps, she needs more time.

 

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As the youkai assisted the girl out from the well, Rin was welcomed by the familiar scents surrounding the Higurashi Shrine. It was the smell of urban life, so vivacious and so vastly different from the serenity of that from home. Still, she had resided here long enough to catch on to city living. It had its attraction; she could already name a few off hand.

 

Suddenly, a gentle breeze caused Sesshoumaru's youkai nose to twitch in realization of an unexpected welcome by someone they hadn't seen for more than a month.

 

“What is it, Sesshoumaru?” Rin peered around curiously. She had seen this reaction of his too many times and that this only meant the presence of a third person within close distance.

 

“I can't believe that we are not granted even a full minute of peace alone in this era.” He let off a clipped growl.

 

A small bobbing figure approached at lightning speed as he spoke and Rin instantly recognized who it was. She dashed ahead and hugged the little hanyou, lifting her up and swinging her in circles.

 

“Rin, Rin, I miss you!” Keiko sent many of her ticklish kisses round the girl's cheeks, inviting an unknown surge of envy rising within the demon situated behind the two.

 

“I miss you terribly too!” Rin chuckled, fighting back the itch caused by the kid's little wet pecks, avoiding and dodging some of it if she was able to.

 

From Rin's shoulders, Keiko looked pass it at Sesshoumaru, now looming above her within a few inches. With a predictably cheeky face, she signaled him to close in.

 

“So, uncle moon… I mean, uncle Sessho,” her mother had told her his true identity as her real uncle. “Is the sex good?”

 

In her horror, Rin dropped Keiko and for a few seconds, she was dumbstruck.

 

“Keiko, what did you just say? Who taught you that?” she blurted out hysterically and Sesshoumaru merely looked on, finding her reaction rather cute and alluring. He vaguely recalled the similarity to his own the first time he heard that jarring topic from the kid.

 

The hanyou stuck out her tongue and hopped onto Sesshoumaru instead.

 

“So?” She flashed him a mischievous wink.

 

Sesshoumaru nodded, spurred by the moment and Rin gave him a punch on his elbow, rather lightly though.

 

“Sesshoumaru??!!?” She shrieked out, immensely abashed and blushing deeply. “She's just a kid!!!”

 

She couldn't believe it. Her husband was freely disclosing information on the most intimate part of their marriage life to Inuyasha's eight year-old daughter.

 

“Relax, my love…” Letting Keiko land on the tuft grass beneath them, he pulled Rin in for a fiery-filled kiss. “Like you say, she's just a kid.”

 

Rin struggled to come loose from his powerful grip but in vain. In the end, she simply gave up and instead, offered him her side of the tongue submissively. For the next few minutes, both ignored the continuous whistles from the little hanyou, cheering them on.

 

“Oh my gosh!” A sweet voice broke them off and Rin scrambled to adjust her clothing, looking really embarrassed to see Kagome and Inuyasha standing just a couple of feet away.

 

“Sesshoumaru, you! What are you doing in front of my daughter?” Inuyasha bellowed as usual while Kagome tried to pull him back from further threatening moves. They are a family after all and she wasn't prepared to see the two brothers fighting again within mere seconds of this reunion.

 

“Papa, papa….” Keiko glided skillfully round Inuyasha's waist and the hanyou held on to her possessively. “I want to marry uncle Sessho when I grow up! He's so romantic.”

 

Not mentioning how patches of red and blue started appearing on Inuyasha's face, Kagome was equally appalled by this suggestive statement. With both hands, she could barely restrain her husband from attacking the demon lord.

 

“Sesshoumaru, you lecherous pervert! What did you say to my daughter? What the hell did you do to her? If you dare lay one finger on her, I swear I'll….” Inuyasha had good reasons to be blowing his top. Which father wouldn't?

 

“Inuyasha, letting jealousy cloud your mind again, you pathetic mutt..” Sesshoumaru smirked rather triumphantly. “Your daughter, unlike yourself, has exquisite taste, I must say.”

 

Not wanting to oppose her husband in public, Rin lightly tugged on the demon's sleeve. They were visiting, guests. Surely, they should show more tact and politeness to the hosts.

 

“Keiko, my darling, you can't marry uncle Sessho…” Kagome attempted to keep her ever patient self as she explained to her eight-year-old. “He's …. erm… your uncle…. erm… And he's already married… to Rin-chan.”

 

That sounded quite sensible, the miko sighed inwardly, not wishing to touch the topic of incest at such tender age.

 

“Err… yes, Keiko,” Rin found a need to round things up a bit. “Kagome-san, it's so nice to see you again. How's everyone?”

 

“We're fine, though Mama and Ji-chan decided to go on a short trip with my relatives there in the south. They'll be back just before Sota leaves for London though.” Kagome wiped a drop of cold sweat from her forehead, her heart rate gradually returning to normal as each second passed by.

 

“Where is Sota?” At the mention of the name from the girl, Sesshoumaru redirected his attention to Rin and the ultimate purpose behind their visit.

 

“He's fine but he's out at the moment. He'll be back for dinner.” Kagome smiled finally after seeing that Inuyasha had quieted down significantly. “Why don't we go into the house first? You can put down your things and we can have a chat.”

 

“Hai, arigato” Rin's hand reached for Sesshoumaru's, lacing her fingers with his and leading him along.

 

With an unsatisfied grunt, Inuyasha grabbed Keiko, making sure he was keeping a safe distance between Sesshoumaru and his little girl.

 

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As Rin departed from Kagome's room after a long talk plus presenting her the fang cast bangle, she strolled down the stairs rather light-heartedly. Just as she thought, Kagome was moved to the edge of tears at the sight of the gift and its underlying sentiments. Not only did it imply the acceptance of her status in the Inu-family, Sesshoumaru was indirectly acknowledging Inuyasha as his brother.

 

On the miko's part, she was actually surprised to the core that Rin had kept her human form. In all honesty, she was expecting to see a new demoness, born out of the mystic powers embedded in the Shikon-no-tama.

 

Why didn't Sesshoumaru want Rin to be like him? His decision was beyond historical logic. Truly, she admitted. He was inscrutable and she should just quit doing all these useless guessing. Rin is fine. She is happy. That's all that matters.

 

Rin was about to make her way to the Goshinboko where Sesshoumaru was waiting. She reached out to open the door but it flung open before she even touched it.

 

It was Sota!

 

Rin wasn't at all prepared to see him. He wasn't supposed to come home till dinner. She hadn't thought of what to say and there he was, just standing there lugging his cello as usual, equally astonished and at a lost of speech as she.

 

“Sota… welcome home!” Rin immediately thought that was the silliest statement ever. The ground she was currently standing on IS his house.

 

“Rin! What a surprise!” Sota put down his cello case, laying it vertically against the side of the wall. “You…. You look fantastic!”

 

And he wasn't merely patronizing her or being diplomatic, how happily married she was to the demon lord was written without a doubt all over her face. The December holidays spent in her absence for the first time in five years had made him come to terms with the simple fact that they were never meant to be. Without the well, they wouldn't even have met each other, being separated by five centuries. There wasn't a point brooding over it. As quickly and suddenly she appeared in his life, she was gone, well, not physically. Though the girl was standing just centimeters away, her heart, he knew, was as unreachable as the sky.

 

“Sota, can I talk to you, I mean, in private.” Rin had decided to take things as it comes, a step at a time.

 

“Sure,” he was again taken by shock. “Let's go for a walk in the yard!”

 

He pushed open the door, guiding the girl out first before himself, then, closing it behind him.

 

From under the boughs of the Goshinboko, Sesshoumaru hid himself behind the shrine, not wishing to make his presence known to the two striding his direction.

 

Rin, she's with the boy. She needed some time alone with him and he knew he should make himself scarce. But still, the tinge of unknown pinch was lingering in his heart just at the sight of the two of them together, so flawlessly compatible in age, character and interest, so easily mistaken by all as a young couple. He peered down at himself, nearly coming to five hundred as compared to Rin in her early twenties.

 

He shook his head violently. He should be smart enough not to continue to dwell in such destructive musings. The girl had sworn her love to him whole heartedly and he trusted her.

 

Pacing for many rounds now in the backyard, Rin was juggling with lots of words and phrases in her mind but none of them able to be verbalized aloud. Subconsciously, she played with the diamond ring on her finger to sooth her nerves and Sota was swift to catch the all-too-familiar piece of jewelry.

 

“That's… err… a pretty ring.” He pretended, unaware that the secrets of his heart had long been disclosed.

 

Rin clenched her fist. She could stand it no longer.

 

“I know… about the ring.” She began only with a whisper. “Sesshoumaru told me everything.”

 

That came as a thunderous blow to the young cellist. He started fidgeting, sticking his hand into his pocket and fiddling aimlessly with the objects in it.

 

“I… You … You mean… you know EVERYTHING? He told you everything?” He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped a drop of sweat off his temple.

 

Rin nodded, not knowing how to go on. She had definitely caught his attention. So, now what?

 

“I'm sorry if I've caused you distress.” On top of his cheeks being absolutely flushed with a deep red, he felt extremely apologetic as well. “I know you're married now and I have no intentions to spoil whatever….”

 

“Stop saying sorry! Will you please stop saying you're sorry?” Rin burst out, stifling in agony to control the flow of moisture from her eyes.

 

Sota frowned penitently; his hands uncontrollably brought her into a warm hug in an attempt to calm her down. Sesshoumaru froze at that, the distracting ache surging once again within him. Still, he chose to remain concealed.

 

“Hey, hey, shh… We are still friends, aren't we?” He consoled while stroking down her hair, feeling the heat from her body intensifying and combining with his own.

 

So this is how holding her feels like, he wished to record this moment in his memory forever. And his thoughts landed on the demon lord, picturing how Sesshoumaru would be embracing Rin in bed every night. Some guys have all the luck.

 

“You'll always be a special brother to me. Forever.” Rin choked out in a whisper. She matched his eyes only to find him seemingly in a struggle. “Sota, if there is something you wish to say, please, don't keep it.”

 

“Rin, if you hadn't met the demon lord, if he doesn't exist, will you perhaps…” He took a deep breath. This was his chance, his only and last one to speak his mind. “Will you have considered me?”

 

Rin fell silent. The truth was, if she hadn't the encounter with the demon as a child, if she hadn't been revived by the Tenseiga, she would be dead and gone, joining her parents and her brother in heaven. And if she hadn't been with him, following and accompanying him in every of his pursuits, she wouldn't have met Inuyasha or Kagome, not to mention coming to this era.

 

“If I had been born into your time, attending the same school as you are in,” She grinned and jokingly spurted out. “I guess I just might become one of those girls who never fails to present you flowers during your performances.”

 

“But…” The smile was short-lived as Rin was brought back to reality. “But, the fact is I'm not and without Sesshoumaru, I would have died. I cannot imagine being with anyone except him. I know how you feel about me… but there's nothing I can do about it, as much as I would like to.” A shimmering drop appeared at the corner of her eyes again and her voice had turned more strangled. “I wish very much to make amends, to repay you for all that you're done for me but in the end, I realize that I'm no different from any ordinary girl. I've already given my heart away long ago and I can't take it back. I love only him.”

 

A smile made its way to the young man's face. The girl was right. She didn't belong to his time. There's no point thinking otherwise. Right from the beginning, she was meant for another. He was blessed just to have her as a sister, he appreciated her honesty.

 

“You don't have to do anything, silly. Like I say, we'll always be friends?” He returned to his normal cheery self.

 

Rin returned his smile and as her wide hazel eyes met his, Sota blushed as an idea emerged.

 

“Rin… Can I… perhaps…. give you a kiss?” He instantly regretted for being so vague. “I mean… err… not that kind like with Sesshoumaru… I mean...”

 

Before he could finish, he felt a peck on his right cheek. Rin had lurched forward and kissed him!

 

From a distance with a restrained sigh, Sesshoumaru decided to let that go. He had heard all the girl had said, touched by every single sentence she made, especially the last. Rather tranquilly, he walked away from his position, just missing the sight of the young cellist giving the girl a kiss on her forehead.

 

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The dining table was almost full that evening with Rin and Sesshoumaru joining them for dinner. Kagome gave occasional glances at the members in the kitchen helping out at their individual tasks to prepare the food. Frankly to be exact, Sota was the one assisting her in most of the cooking. Rin had her hands full just entertaining the ever energized Keiko. Lastly, her brother-in-law and her husband, well, by just sitting there quietly and not turning the room into another battle field, she guessed that was the greatest help of all.

 

“Dinner's ready, Sota prepared your favorite salad, Rin.” Kagome arranged the cutleries while calling out.

 

Everyone took their places, except for Rin and Keiko. The little hanyou was so distracted by building her model plane that she refused to let the girl go off so easily.

 

“It's okay. I'm not hungry. Why don't you guys go ahead without me?” The girl fixed one side of the wings of the fighter jet. At her reply, the demon lord immediately got up, pacing to her side. Shouting across the table just wasn't his style.

 

“You haven't eaten anything the whole day.” In fact, Sesshoumaru didn't recall that the girl had anything solid the day before as well. He had taken it as she was simply too excited about making this trip. “Have you even taken your medication?”

 

“Rin, are you ill?” Everyone else heard but only Kagome implored further.

 

Sesshoumaru helped Rin up from her cross-legged position on the floor and flashed her his firmest stare. She was feigning that forgetful look again. His brows constricted.

 

“But I'm fine and I really don't feel like eating. Maybe I'll have something later.” She was almost pleading but Sesshoumaru shook his head insistently.

 

With a resigned pout, she obeyed, following behind the demon lord back to the table but as everyone started on their dinner, Rin merely looked on silently, participating only in conversation but not partaking what was on her plate.

 

From her side, Sesshoumaru was getting increasingly suspicious.

 

Why isn't Rin eating? Didn't the miko say this is her favorite? He pondered with more seriousness and urgency. But the girl appeared normal, healthy and bubbly as always.

 

He experimentally pushed her plate nearer to her, signaling her to start but was apprehensive that she would, even though he hadn't the slightest idea why. True enough, Rin began to play and poke on the little jacket potatoes with her fork, rearranging the position of the fish and vegetables. Never once, Sesshoumaru was observing closely, did she even come close to putting some of it into her mouth.

 

“Rin, are you alright?” Normally, he would prefer to keep his composure and silent stance especially in front of his half brother, but this was getting all too strange even for the magnitude of his patience with her. “Why aren't you eating?”

 

“I'm…” The girl herself did not realize at all that she had missed at least four staple meals. “I'm just … not hungry.”

 

“Why don't you have some soup instead? You have to eat something.” Sesshoumaru passed Kagome an appreciative glance, which she acknowledged and moved to the pot next to the stove. She returned shortly with the piping hot bowl and the demon took it from her, placing it in front of the girl.

 

She winced and finally surrendered under all the pressure.

 

“Alright, I'll have some. It looks delicious.” Sesshoumaru watched intently as Rin took sips at an incredibly slow pace. But still, she did finish every drop of it and the demon was quite satisfied with that. At the same time, he was feeling slightly more relieved.

 

“Rin, Rin, help me with this part, I'm stuck!” Keiko yelped so loudly that Kagome almost choked on her food.

 

“Keiko, Rin-chan is having dinner. And you, it's about time you start with yours!” The hanyou's mother reprimanded.

 

“It's okay, Kagome-san,” Rin got up from her chair, wanting to join the kid. “I'm done anyway… I…”

 

Instantly, Rin's face turned deathly blue as she felt something stirring from within her as if flipping her stomach upside down. It was getting more intense by the second and desperately, she covered her mouth and dashed for the bathroom. Sesshoumaru jumped up from his seat, rushing after her, leaving everyone else at the table completely stunned and tongue tied.

 

After Rin had successfully threw up every bit of the soup, she washed up briefly and gave Sesshoumaru a rather sheepish grin.

 

“I'm alright, really.” She tried but this time, the demon lord was not the least convinced. Something was not right with the girl.

 

“Are you sure? Are you in any form of pain? Is it your headache bothering you again?” Rin forced a chuckle at his long string of questions as she moved stealthily out of the bathroom.

 

“I'll be fine in a while. Maybe, I haven't been eating here for some time. I don't know why…” Her sentence trailed off as the scene before her blurred into darkness. Her knees had gone instantly numb, irresponsive and before she knew it, she had collapsed but Sesshoumaru caught her in his arm. Somehow, his instincts had intuited him to set all his reflexes on full alert.

 

Kagome and Sota scurried toward them as Sesshoumaru carried Rin to the couch, laying her down with great care. Rin fluttered her eyelids, simultaneously rubbing them trying to clear her vision as it was slowly returning to her. Sesshoumaru was looking down at her, a genuinely worried expression clung on his crimson marked face.

 

“Rin-chan, are you alright?” Kagome bent down from the other side of the couch while Sesshoumaru gently soothed the girl, stroking her cheeks.

 

“How are you feeling?” He nuzzled her chin lightly, trying his very best not to sound too anxious.

 

“Water. I need some water.” Her tone was hushed, her throat feeling dry and uncomfortable.

 

Sota went and returned with a warm glass in his hands. With a courteous nod, he handed it to the demon.

 

“Here,” He assisted her up and Rin struggled to take in a small mouthful.

 

Sesshoumaru's gravest fear came true when Rin spat it out only a second later, turning even more ghastly pale than before.

 

Not even water? This doesn't look good. The demon was panic-stricken, his jumbled emotions and thoughts preventing any form of logic from taking control. How could he have let this happen to her? He couldn't recall anything that could possibly cause such effects on her.

 

Silently, Kagome registered the girl's every reaction, beckoning Inuyasha to her side and whispered something into his ears. The hanyou subsequently closed his eyes as if engaging in a certain musing. Not wishing to wait for her hubby's consent, the miko went up to the recumbent girl and the demon she was seeing appearing so lost for the first time.

 

“Sesshoumaru, is it true that Rin-chan hasn't been eating or even drinking since yesterday?” She wanted to confirm her deductions.

 

Sesshoumaru took in a long deepened breath. Coming to think of it, the miko was right. Not mentioning about food, the demon lord now distinctly recollect that the girl hadn't even a drop of water since her last medication. How on the earth did the miko guess that?

 

The demon nodded, his amber eyes fixing Kagome with an earnest plea for assistance of any form.

 

“Wait here for a while.” She scrambled off into the kitchen and after some sounds of opening and closing of the fridge; the miko came back with a small bottle. “Sesshoumaru, I hope to try something on Rin. Please trust me.”

 

She squatted down beside the girl and as she twisted open the cap, the demon's advance senses picked up the familiar childhood scent of its contents.

 

It used be his favorite snack since he was a kid, and as far as he could recall, it was also Chichiue's. Memories of how he used to travel in the company of his beloved father to the extreme end of their lands started flooding into his head.

 

But these rare desert honey combs could only be gotten from the ancient Taiyoukai bees residing in deep underground caves buried in the middle of the scotching western desert plains. How the miko manage to possess it? Those eccentric youkais only responded to the lordship of his father and ever since his death, Sesshoumaru did not attempt to venture there himself, no matter how much he had missed the exquisite taste of their produce.

 

And why is the miko feeding this to Rin? The demon had heard of its mysterious medicinal purposes but still, he had never witnessed it for himself. Perhaps, today would be the first. Even if this couldn't help the girl recover, neither was it poisonous.

 

Sesshoumaru stepped aside, letting Kagome take over, choosing to await impatiently its results.

 

“Rin-chan, try having some of these,” Kagome began with a small spoonful and everyone waited for the girl to be sick again…. but she didn't.

 

With increasing courage, the miko painstakingly sent only little portions at a time to the girl and when she was done with the entire bottle, Rin had become observantly better and well enough to sit up with Sesshoumaru's support. As more blood returned to the girl's cheeks, she forced a dazed smile first to the one whose arms she was easing into and then to everyone else surrounding her.

 

“How did you know that Rin could take this?” Sesshoumaru was swift to throw his utmost query to the miko.

 

Kagome let off her own sigh of relief. She was so afraid that she might be wrong and ended up causing Rin more discomfort.

 

“Well, I … err… had the same symptoms when I was expecting Keiko.”

 

“Expecting Keiko?” Rin grabbed a bunch of Sesshoumaru's sleeves to support herself up. “Kagome-san, are you saying that I'm pregnant?”

 

The miko nodded and Rin was simply too elated with the news.

 

“Sesshoumaru, did you hear that? We're going to have a baby.” Rin almost wanted to get down from the couch but was stopped by the demon's firm grip, holding her steadfast in his embrace.

 

“Don't get up,” he supplied her his cool but endearing smile. “You're still not well enough.”

 

Rin is with child? Of course, the demon was equally thrilled with this gift of life, a new addition and the fruit of their love for each other. He had not thought of having an heir so soon but neither was he repulsed by the idea. Most importantly, he had already prepared himself for a hanyou child. But something was still hitting on his chest, the queer change in the girl and its many implications still undiscovered.

 

The miko, she should possess all the answers to these unknowns. He had to ask her in more details and depth.

 

“How are you feeling, my love?” Sesshoumaru whispered into Rin's ears then moved to give her a tender kiss on her temple, not at all caring who were there to witness it.

 

“Much better... Don't worry about me, Sessho-chan…” she nuzzled into his chest while laughing weakly.

 

Sesshoumaru smirked at her untimely sense of humor, one that was only personalized to the couple themselves.

 

“I'm going to let you off this time,” he warned as he lulled her to sleep, still battling internally to keep his cool, at least in front of the girl. “Now rest. You're about to be a mother and still behaving like a child.”

 

After making sure that Rin was cozily tugged into the blankets brought down by Sota, Sesshoumaru followed Kagome back into the kitchen for further discussions.

 

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Coming up next week,

 

 

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are going on a trip together... believe it or not…

 

Rin and Sesshoumaru are about to have their first argument. What could it possibly be about?

 

Will Rin's condition improve or there's more than meets the eye, things that even Kagome did not know or experienced?

 

 

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