InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Taming the unruly ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 6 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: AKZJ1994

Did she just pair him up with a mere human and a demon slayer at that?! She was being just as absurd as his beast. Frustration rekindled and intertwined with the anger he had felt earlier, the loud laughter from his brother wasn't making the situation any better. The insolent mongrel would learn, he pushed himself from the ground and headed into the direction of the impotent halfbreed. “Draw your sword, Inuyasha,” he growled as he unsheathed Tensaiga. “Hmph, now that sounds more like the Sesshômaru I know,” Inuyasha said with a grin, giving his miko a light push for her to stand out of harm's way. “Move out of the way Kagome, it's time to take this fucker down.”

Sesshômaru thrusted his sword forward, slashing the side of Inuyasha's cheek. “Hmph, using Tensaiga eh, seems as if you're going soft on me. Don't treat me as a weakling Sesshômaru, I have gotten stronger.” Sesshômaru only huffed, angering his little brother even further by his lack of speech. Inuyasha ran forward, leapt into the air, forcefully bringing down their fathers fang. He blocked the attack effortlessly, pushing Inuyasha a few feet away, but the boy kept coming. Good, he needed him to keep attacking, to distract him from the words his beast had dared to plant in his mind. He sidestepped the move but Inuyasha counteracted, sending his foot backwards, hitting him in the stomach. It seemed as if the pup had read his move, a coincidence, he was sure. He rushed towards him and Inuyasha mimicked the action but Sesshômaru leaped into the air, bringing his sword down towards him. Inuyasha prepared his weapon wanting to block his move but at the last moment Sesshômaru backflipped, sending the heel of his foot into the back of his brothers head. Inuyasha landed with a thud, leaving a small crater in the earth below. “You can't be serious, Sesshômaru, jumping you like some untrained dog?” a small voice gasped, disbelief evident in her voice. ”I honestly always thought he was more the celibate type.” The audacity- a sharp sting in his head interrupted his thought process, as he landed face first in the dirt. He growled and glared at the miko who seemed to be interrogating Ana while Inuyasha laughed heartily, gasping something along the lines of him not being so high and mighty now in between laughs.

He pushed himself from the ground, wiping the mud from his face. How dared they make fun of him? And how in the world could he let himself go to this extent? The last time he had missed a step like that had to have been back when he still was a pup! This was not acceptable. It took him a great deal of concentration to reign in his facial expression when he faced his measly brother again. Time to teach the runt a lesson. The gossipers would face their punishment later. “Are you quite done, Inuyasha?” he asked, his voice betraying nothing of the humiliation and rage he felt. His brother scuffed “Keh, don't think amma let you live that down, fucker!” the mutt laughed, eloquently as always, before he charged at him again. The boy had become faster since their last fight. When he was close he thrusted his elbow out, hitting Inuyasha in the chest, causing him to stagger backwards and land on the floor. Sesshômaru slammed his sword towards him but Inuyasha blocked it. “I think the question we all want to know is if he's a good kisser.” the slayer's question had Sesshômaru's head pop up, the resistance under his sword diminishing, sending his sword to the ground below. He cursed inwardly, this was not the time to get distracted by mere gossip. He could not fail like that a second time. Inuyasha rushed towards him once more and the two clashed swords, Inuyasha had become stronger as well, but there still was no way for him to come even close to his own strength.

The monks lewd laughter hit his sensitive ears, making him dread the words to come, but he was prepared, no matter what that pervert would say Sesshômaru refused to let it influence or distract him. In fact it was probably good that the monk had alerted him beforehand! “You know, with him acting all high and mighty, bossing people around, he's probably rough in the sheets. Now you are obviously into beastiality, otherwise Sesshômaru would be a weird choice, but how about some Master- Slave thing, what about Shibari, are you int-?” Sesshômaru froze in his tracks, eyes widening at the monk's words and in that split second Inuyasha got the upper hand, disarming him in an instant. He stood there in disbelief as Tensaiga flew a few feet from his grasp. How? “Oh cut it out, Miroku, I just said I couldn't even imagine Sesshômaru having sex, and now you start with the kink,” the miko said. His eye twitched as a sharp pain coursed through his body, pulling him out of his state of shock from the indecent mockery Inuyasha's little band subjected him to. He paused as he looked down at the Tessaiga, its huge blade protruding out of his abdomen with a proud Inuyasha at its handle. A surge of power from the sword pulsed through him, causing every fiber of his being to stand on edge. His abdominal muscles contracted, as another wave of energy pulsed from the blade, as his muscles tried to push the fang out of his body before any permanent damages could occur. He knew of that too well and it would not happen again. Another pulse of demonic energy surged through him, his vision blurring as his power drained.

A growl of annoyance grumbled through Sesshômaru as the smell of triumph and surprise wafted off of Inuyasha in waves. A flash of power surged through him and he kicked Inuyasha in the chest sending him flying along with his sword. Sesshômaru staggered for a bit as blood gushed out of his wound, the mutt would pay for this. Inuyasha skidded to a halt then charged at him once more, how foolish. It was time to end this. He waited for the right moment before striking the fatal blow. As Inuyasha got within inches of his body, he half turned and grabbed Tessaiga, the pain of rejection being nothing compared to the burning in his body, the aftermath of having that demon hating sword embedded deep within, then he slammed his palm into his brother's face. At the speed Inuyasha was running a simple move like that was effective enough. Tessaiga lost power and clattered to the floor while it's owner followed a few seconds after. He huffed, the boy had indeed grown stronger, he would never admit to it but he was proud of him, even though he still lacked grace.

A shaky, charred hand travelled to where his wound still dripped blood, his ability to quickly regenerate seemed to have diminished for now just like it had the first time he got injured by Tessaiga. “Sesshômaru-sama, you're injured! That half breed!”

“Jaken,” he said in a tired yet stern voice causing the imp to go silent. “Sesshômaru-sama?” He turned to see Rin with Tenseiga in her hands and worry in her eyes. Gently patting her on the head, he took the sword from her as his eyes made contact with Ana's which seemed to be filled with concern and a bit of embarrassment. He wasn't sure if it was because of the conversation itself or because she had realized that he had heard every bit of it. Sesshômaru huffed then sheathed his sword, how could he have been so foolish as to let himself get distracted? He turned and headed in the direction of his tree, wincing in pain as he sat in its shade.

The fight played in his mind as he recalled its shameful events. His eagerness to please, the humiliation he felt. He paused, eagerness, humiliation? It was then that he realized that he had been unconsciously trying to impress Anastasia with his skills as he fought his brother. This was unacceptable, this Sesshômaru did not aim to please. It was time for his beast to know who of the two was really in control. “It was necessary to put in the extra effort because Anastasia was watching,” his inner demon said defending their actions. With narrowed eyes he glared at his beast, anger slowly rising within him once more. “I, Sesshômaru need not to push myself for the likes of a ningen as she for I, Sesshômaru am perfect.” His beast huffed and withdrew to the depths of his subconsciousness once again.

His eyes opened in a flash, a cough erupting from his chest, blood spotting his hand as he withdrew it from his mouth. As he thought, the wound would take a while to heal completely. He looked around, spotting Rin and Jaken curled together beside Ah-Un, it was still rather early morning. He slowly rose, growling softly as pain radiated from his wound through his body. Cinnamon and japanese cherry blossom. His head rose to see Ana leaving the old miko's hut. Ignoring his body's demand to rest and his beast's low happy growl, he silently followed behind her, curious as to what she could be up to at this early hour. They wandered through the woods for a few minutes until she stopped. He froze. Tears? She needed to stop with the tears that was a sign of weakness although he never perceived her as weak, fragile, but not weak. He snarled silently when his best whined within him, he knew what it wanted but he wasn't about to entertain him. “These woods are dangerous,” he said, pulling attention to himself. Her head snapped towards him, heart pounding with adrenaline as her body went into a defensive stance. She was prepared to fight for her life? Brave woman. She scuffed when she recognized him, wiping her tears with her sleeve. “Do you always intrude on a person's private moment?” His teeth clenched, her stark remark laced with annoyance reminding him of her unruly attitude. They stood there silently as the crisp morning breeze flowed between them. She shifted, concern? He sniffed the air again, noticing how she glanced at his wound, her lips parting to ask a question but never uttering a word. “Are you just going to stand there? Why did you follow me?” Irritation danced on her face as he kept his silence, her agitation growing as the time passed.

Seeing her irritated because of his presence was a bit unsettling, but she wanted time to herself, understandable. After all, he wasn't her guardian. He turned and left, concealing his powers as he drew back several feet and watched her from a distance as she went through a series of emotions, sadness being the most prevalent. What was with humans and their uncontrolled emotions? He would never understand. When she finally settled down he carefully followed behind her as she retraced her steps back to the village. By the time they arrived the sun was above the horizon. Inuyasha rushed towards her asking her why she went into the woods all by herself and whether she was crazy. For once he and his brother agreed on something. She was safe now and his mind was at ease.

The afternoon sun, warm against his skin was soothing. For several hours Rin ran back and forth from where she played with the kitsune back to the tree to check up on him. Her loyalty to him was honorable and it reminded him of the first time they had met. He simply nodded his head to show her that he was in fact alright before she dashed down the slope once more. “Alright Sesshômaru, it has been a couple of days. Ana doesn't want you so leave.” Inuyasha's words echoed in his mind, the smug look of confidence on Inuyasha's face adding to his irritation. “Your inflicted wound to this Sesshômaru doesn't prevent me from killing you.”

“Alright lover boy, since you're so great fight me, now.” He had planned on engaging in a little battle training later when he was sure his wound was healed but now was a good time. He rose from his seat, revealing nothing of the pain he felt. His eyes met with Ana's and an idea formulated, he knew this would make Inuyasha push himself a lot more than normal. “Inuyasha, if you defeat me I will leave immediately.” The smile on his face indicated that they had a deal. They fought, just like they had done before, but this time without the gossip.

Sesshômaru scoffed as he held the tip of Tensaiga at Inuyasha's throat. “You actually believe you could win against this Sesshômaru when you don't think before you attack?” He had to admit he did do better than yesterday, but just as before he would not be matching his power any time soon. He wasn't surprised when Ana came to watch the fight but his beast was ecstatic. Pain shot through his body, and he quickly turned from Inuyasha who said something about getting him next time. He looked down to see blood seeping into his haori. Knowing that Inuyasha would ask a question he wasn't going to answer he quickly returned to his tree. “Sesshômaru-sama, your wound, it wasn't healed. It's the power Tessaiga, it's preventing you from healing quickly.” He snarled at the imp, of course he knew that already. “Jaken, leave,” he said coldly. He had pushed a little too much although he made a conscious decision not to. He would rest for the remainder of the day.

Screaming pulled him out of his meditative state. In the distance a man stood protectively between his wife, child and Ana. Fear rolled off of them in waves as the man prepared himself to strike. His beast stood at attention, ready to attack but he caught himself and watched as she signaled for the monk and the rest of them to stay away before straightening herself and saying, “You should be afraid for a powerful witch like myself could strike you dead at any moment.” The man flinched at her words but she kept going, raising her hands as a sign of peace, before beckoning to old miko to her side. “This miko by my side is my friend, I have lived with her for a while now so she knows I'm a good witch. If you do not take my word for it ask her.” The man looked at the old miko who nodded in acceptance. He stood there for a while, uneasy and skeptical but relaxed thereafter. “Now, you may pass peacefully through this village and let me warn you, if you ever tell anyone about me, I will find out and will curse your family.” Without a second glance she returned back to the hut confident that her words would remain with the man forever.

Cunning and intelligent, wasn't she? He huffed in approval of her little scheme, his beast had truly picked a peculiar mate for them. Using the people's allegation of her being a witch against themselves to protect herself and getting the old miko to cooperate peacefully, rather smart of her.

That evening he sat under his tree alone, Rin had let him know that Ana invited her to stay with her for the night and he approved. He knew she would be safe but sending Jaken was an added bonus for some quiet time. His wound still throbbed and was sensitive but for the most part it was healing. Rin seemed to have taken a liking to Ana, the fact that she was excited to stay with someone other than himself was proof of that. Maternal and tactical instincts? What other surprises lay within that woman?

Morning came quickly and just as the day before Inuyasha was ready to fight so he could prove to him that he was stronger. Just like before he failed but that was expected, however he was steadily improving. He even did a little thinking before attacking, proving that their fights were not a complete waste. The only thing about today that bothered him was Ana's lacking presence for the entire fight. He knew she was there in the beginning but by the end of it she was nowhere near the battle scene. He scowled then returned to his tree, his wound had reopened again. This was becoming a burden, if the wound wouldn't heal anytime soon it may start to affect his fighting ability. “Sesshômaru-sama, why do you still fight in this condition? Why are we still here we should have left this wretched human village a long time-”

“Jaken, utter one more word and I'll cut your tongue out. Do not question me.” The imp bowed deeply then apologized before heading to where Rin sat with the kitsune. Why was he still here? He gave Inuyasha a proposal and he hadn't completed it. No, that couldn't have been it, he knew it would take an eternity for the boy to surpass his level of power, so why? The smell of blood stopped his train of thought. Rin's blood?! No! He raced towards where she was, stopping in surprise when Ana came into view with the girl in her arms looking at the wound on her leg while wiping her tears away. “Are you okay Rin? Don't worry I'll make it better,”Ana said to her as she combed through her hair, comforting her. With shaky hands and panic still running through her veins she picked up Rin and dashed towards the hut. “Jaken,” he called out through clenched teeth, pulling out his bakusaiga ready to cut the imps head off. “Explain.” He held the tip of his sword at the toads neck. “Sesshômaru-dono,-” he stuttered, “I warned her not to climb so high in the tree, she didn't listen and slipped. The kitsune was able to catch her before she landed but she wounded her leg. Please Sesshômaru-dono don't kill me.” His anger diminished but it wasn't appeased. That child knew no fear sometimes, she had approached him without fear when they had first met. He shook his head then turned, leaving the imp confused and afraid, then headed to where Rin was. Ana came out instead, head tilted down, her eyes never looking at him. The smells of concern, relief and nervousness intermingled around her, “She's fine, a little in shocked from the fall and on the verge of sleep. Um...it wasn't a big wound, it's bandaged up, she'll be good as new.” It was rather uncomfortable to see her in such a fearful position. Fearful of him, something that disturbed his soul just as if it were Rin and he wanted to tilt her head so she could look in his eyes but refrained himself from doing so. Instead he walked back to his tree, exchanging no words not even a note of thanks.

The next morning Rin limped up the slope with a broad smile on her face as if she wasn't in pain. “Rin?”

“Rin's okay Sesshômaru-sama, Ana-sama took really good care of Rin and she showed Rin how she did it.” Ana-sama? What was the little girl implying? He sighed silently, back to her normal self indeed. “Oh, why don't Rin get Ana-sama to take care of your wound?” He froze. Before he could stop her she dashed down the slope, as best as she could with her wound, towards Ana. “Rin!” Ana gasped when she jumped into her arms. “Sesshômaru-sama, he-” she panted. “Wow, catch your breath. Rin you can't run on your leg you'll reopen the wound,” she told her sternly. Rin paused, looking up apologetically at her before bowing and apologizing. “No Rin, no need to apologize, just be careful ok,” Ana said, setting the girl upright. Rin smiled at her then whispered into her ear. Ana's eyes looked in his direction before she lifted her head from Rin. “Um, I really don't think he would want that, but for you I will try at least.” Rin squealed in delight before they both entered the hut. “Don't worry, Ana-sama, Sesshômaru-sama is really nice, if he likes you, Rin means, sometimes he even lets Rin sleep on his fur! And when Rin”, Rins bubbling voice was drowned out by the sounds of them rummaging about the hut. Across the lands his name put terror in the hearts of humans and demons alike and then there was Rin, who did her best to portray him as a fluffy little puppy. He wasn't mad at her for it, he couldn't be, but he was certain that the girl would be the death of him. A few minutes later they exited the hut, Ana with some supplies in her arms and a sceptical look on her face, Rin next to her tugging at her arm until they reached to where he was.

“Ana-sama is here to help,” Rin said proudly. He said nothing, what could he say? She did this all for him. He nodded to her thankfully as Ana placed her items on the floor before kneeling down beside Rin. “Rin, honey,” she said, cupping the girl's face. “Why don't you go down and get some breakfast with the others while I patch this guy up.” Rin looked at him then back to Ana before breaking into a smile and heading down the slope. “I do not need your help,” he told her when Rin was far enough away from them. Ana's telltale scent of cinnamon and cherry blossom riled his beast, tickled his nose and caused his heart to race. Inhaling deeply he relished in the scent, closing his eyes before snarling at himself to gain control. “You sir are hurt. This is for Rin not you, so stop being stubborn.”

“I will heal on my own,” he said sternly. His muscles tensed within him and his beast growled in acceptance to her sharp tongue. For all kamis why was his beast aroused at this moment? He grabbed her wrist when she tried to touch him, looking into her warm dark brown eyes as she stared back into his. “Just let me take a look,” she said softly. “For what purpose?” She frowned, “It seems as if Rin has more faith in me than you do. I am aware of the fact that you heal by yourself, but you can't deny, that it's been quite a while now, can you, Mister?” There she was again, loud, obnoxious and right in his face. He would have killed anyone else for only one of these offenses, but since it was her, his beast reacted anything but murderous. “My mother was a nurse, she taught me how to treat wounds properly, it will heal quicker. Just let me be of service.” Her voice was much quieter now, softer. Her words were sad, of course, the woman missed her mother, but that wasn't all he could read from this statement. She wanted to help him and went the diplomatic route to try convincing him. Catering to his status, she was quite accommodative of his mood and behaviour, a desired quality for the future Lady of the West.

“And don't you dare say anything about modesty, I can recall a certain someone being quite immodest a few days ago,” she said blankly. He froze, remembering the act as if it were just yesterday, there she went ruining his good impression of her. Did she have to remind him of his lack of discipline? A muscle under his eye twitched, for once he was at a loss for words. He paused as he was about to unlatch his armor, staring blankly at her. “Seriously, you're getting shy now?” He said nothing. “You're acting as if I'm not going to see what's beneath it.” It was bad enough that she was able to convince him to de-robe, she won't have the pleasure of seeing him in the process, although his beast didn't object. She chuckled before turning away from him.

He quickly removed his armour, haori and the layers beneath, placing them neatly next to him before clearing his throat to indicate for her to turn around. Her eyes widened in awe as she looked at the demonic markings on his body, his beast's head rose when he smelled the fine traces of her arousal. Her heart rate elevated as she continued to look over his flesh. Was she not conscious of her persistent stare? It hadn't occurred to him that he was also staring until his eyes landed on her lips which were now moist from her biting them. A shiver ran through his body, his beast approved of the way she stared longingly at him. Her breathing, now airy with a slackened jaw sent it into a frenzy. He howled and panted within him like some untrained mutt, then stood, showing himself off as if she could see him. A twitch of her eyebrow and lip showed she approved of what she saw and his beast was more than proud that she did. Heart racing frantically from his beasts sudden decision to parade within him, his eyes widened as a rush of blood hit his face and he looked away from her, tsking in annoyance from his uncontrolled emotions. What was that? He had never experienced something like that before. “You are staring,” he said in his usual monotone voice as he tried to calm himself.

She gasped and swallowed as she caught herself, her brows furrowing as she shook her head and cleared her throat, her face flushed from what had occurred between them a short moment ago. “It's not healing and you fought with Inuyasha like that?!” she screeched, reverting back to her unruly nature, if only to hide her appreciation of his body. His eyes narrowed, at her words, however, was she his mother? The last time his mother had spoken to him in such a manner was when he was a mere pup and that had been a very long time ago. “Lay down,” she commanded. He paused and she noticed, “Please, lay down,” she repeated, gently pushing his chest. A small flow of electricity played across his skin as her fingertips grazed his chest causing the odd rush of blood to his cheeks once again. This new experience he was having was not a result of his beasts interference and he knew it. He complied, laying back on the soft earth awaiting instructions from the woman. She gently tugged at his hakama and before he could react she asked,“Do you trust me?” Her voice was a bit menacing as if she had something planned for him but it also sounded concerned as if she really wanted his trust. Another side of her he'd never seen. Before he could reply she said, “This may hurt a bit.” Cold liquid hit his skin and a growl escaped his lips as the pungent smell hit his sensitive nose and the liquid fizzled around the wound. “I honestly thought you wouldn't even feel it,” she said, humor evident in her voice. He glared at her and she returned an equally menacing glare. “This Sesshômaru did not feel anything, the smell however is putrid.” This female must have been looking for her death. A warning growl from deep within indicated his beasts disapproval to this thought but he ignored it. “Don't move,” she commanded before turning to pick up something that had the smell of healing herbs mixed with other substances he wasn't familiar with, then she rubbed the odd, clear mixture onto his wound. It smelled even worse than the liquid. He unconsciously flinched as her fingertips gently massaged the area around the wound before she placed a material similar to the one on Rin's leg over it. “Luckily it isn't infected but if you keep fighting the way you do this won't heal.” She got up and left, not waiting for him to say anything.

He did what he was told, an unusual behavior but Ana was right. Yes, something he had to admit but he knew when to accept some kind of defeat. Arms folded with one leg stretched out in front of him, he watched her from under his shaded tree as she splashed water on the plants in the old miko's garden. She hadn't approached him again after she had fixed his wound earlier that day. It was a bit unsettling since his beast craved for her presence and although he wouldn't admit it, having her close was satisfying to some sense of the term. His head toppled backwards, resting on the tree's bark, if he did mate with her would she be able to live without humans around? There was Rin but she was merely a child, would that be enough? Would she be able to adjust to noble life enough to become the lady of the west? Did humans even mate for life? In his culture that was normal, would she be able to accept that? Why would his beast choose a human when they were so fickle? Being fickle was the least of the many problems, she was a human, they had a very short lifespan compared to demons. His eyes widened with fear. A dead mate? No! It was bad enough that he had lost Rin once, getting close to Ana only to see her wither away and die… was his beast trying to break him? He did have the Tensaiga, but that would not work with natural deaths. He paused, this was not the time to think about death.

Jaken and Rin walked up the slight slope, with some odd looking, sweets? If he remembered correctly that was what the young miko had called them. He welcomed the distraction, he needed it after all. Rin sat on the floor, a few inches from him, while Jaken sat next to her, examining the treat in his hands. “ Sesshômaru-sama,” Rin asked softly, twiddling her thumbs, “Would it be okay if Rin combed your hair?” He looked at the girl, her head slightly tilted downwards so that her eyes couldn't meet his. She had never asked him such a question and it took him a moment to reply, Jaken however knew exactly what to make of this, “You little brat, Sesshômaru-sama would never let you-” His fist bared down on the imps head, instantly shutting him up. He nodded to Rin, indicating his approval but regretted it for just a moment when she squealed in delight, causing him to cringe from the sudden invasion of noise to his sensitive ears. “Rin,” he said sternly. The girl stopped instantly then proceeded to run her tiny fingers across his scalp and down the length of his hair. The action was rather soothing. Usually, he wouldn't condone this type of behavior towards his person, but he wanted his ward happy.

Uncertainty and a bit of fear floated in the air, he paused, sniffing the air once more, he had to make sure his sense of smell wasn't failing him. His heart skipped a beat, what was she uncertain of? More so, what was she afraid of? “Speak, Rin.” She hesitated before speaking up, “Umm, Rin knows that Kohaku is sad and Rin hates to see her friend sad. A sad friend makes Rin sad, too. Kohaku has saved Rin before so Rin thinks it's only fair to repay Kohaku for his kindness.”

“Rin,” he interrupted with his usual monotone voice. He knew she understood that it was time for her to stop her rambling and to convey the point she was trying to make. It was clear that she wanted something from him. She freed her tiny fingers from his hair and stuttered, “Could you let Sango know where he is so they can see each other?” His brows furrowed when he saw her bowing deeply before him. “There is no need for you to do that Rin,” he said calmly petting her hair. The action was partly amusing but disturbing at the same time, Rin wasn't some low creature to bow to him in such a manner. She was his ward. He pondered on the question for a moment, it was not his business to meddle in the affairs of humans and Rin knew that, but if it upset her he wouldn't mind. “I see,” he replied simply. An annoyed growl escaped his lips when Rin's squeal hit his ears once again. She stopped then apologized, he could hear the sincerity in her voice. Sighing silently he tipped his head, granting her permission to continue combing his hair.

Ana's soothing scent floated in the air adding to the comfort that Rin was providing him with. He closed his eyes remembering when she was in his arms, he wouldn't admit it but he missed the feel of her skin against his. His eyes slowly opened, bringing Ana's figure into focus. He frowned, this couldn't be, was he so lost in the comfort that Rin gave him that he hadn't sensed her presence? “Well isn't this an adorably cute scene.” she teased. He looked up at her, admiring how the blue Yukata she wore complemented her rich skin. She knew how to wear the outfit well, but he was sure she'd look even better in finer cloth. No, she was not his responsibility, he could hear his beast growl but he ignored him. He dismissed Rin, watching her skipping downhill towards the little fox, all her worries seemed to be forgotten. The trust his little ward put into him gave him an odd feeling, under normal circumstances she would fear him instead of relying on him making her world a better place. Even more peculiar was the fact that he didn't want it any other way, the thought of little Rin quivering in fear before him had every fibre of his being standing on edge. “So, why are you still here?” Ana asked, drawing him back to reality. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even realized how the woman had sat down next to him. He was surprised, but acted indifferent, after all it was a surprise in itself that she had willingly approached him. “That is of no concern to you, onna.” Jaken said, pointing his staff at her making him smack the imp once more. He seriously had to break that recent habit of spacing out. She chuckled at the scene as if unaffected by the threat. His heartbeat increased as her scent grew stronger just by being in his presence. “You know it's not okay to pick on the weak.” she said, pulling him out of his daydream. “It is of no fault of Sesshômaru-sama that the boy was born a half breed.” Jaken said defensively. “I was actually referring to you, as far as I can tell Inuyasha is pretty strong.” Sesshômaru growled softly at her. “Hey! don't growl at me. You sir are quite rude.” Before Jaken could respond he lifted his hand, indicating his silence and ordering him to leave, he would deal with the unruly female on his own. He watched as the imp left in a hurry, almost tripping over his own feet then turned to face Ana.

“A rather vulgar woman such as yourself dares to call this Sesshômaru rude.” he stated. She scuffed, “And here I thought I would make peace with the ice prince.” She got up to leave but he grabbed her wrist. She froze. He could have slapped himself, “This Sesshômaru apologizes. It was no intention of mine to startle you.” She looked at him with a shocked expression. “Can you repeat that?” she asked, still looking a bit stunned by his words. “This Sesshômaru will not be repeating his words.” he replied, emotionlessly, angry that he had let his guard down enough to apologize like that. “You, my dear friend, are quite the complex creature.” she said, taking her seat once more. Friend? Before he caught himself he asked, “You consider this Sesshômaru a friend?”

She looked at him with a slightly confused expression. “Yeah, sure. I mean, I don't hate you. You're arrogant, hot headed and belittle other people, but the way you act around Rin, so overprotective and kind, made me realize that you're actually not that bad a person. I find it rather cute...in a noble sort of way… That you also train your brother to be a better swordsman. Also you saved me, I heard you're not fond of humans but you saved me, so I find that to be a good start to a friendship.” Her smile warmed his heart and he found himself staring at her lips, the memory of their softness etching in his mind. He pried his eyes from her. “This Sesshômaru had no intention of saving a creature such as yourself. This Sesshômaru merely made a choice based on the circumstances.”

“Alright! I'm done!” she said, pushing herself from where she sat and storming away before coming to a halt. She slowly turned with a stiff smile on her face, “Even if you didn't save me for me, you must have known I was part of Inuyasha's group so at least you saved me for your brother. In the end you care and you saved my life,” she said then stuck out her tongue.“Two points for Anastasia!” she exclaimed as she pumped her fist into the air. He smirked as he watched her receding figure, he would like to put that tongue of hers to good use. The last linger of her scent hovered over his nose as she walked into the hut of the old miko. She was indeed intriguing and her company was rather enjoyable.