Rin is where home is

Chapter 23: Flowers wilt

 Sesshomaru walked to the edge and looked down at the still waters. He still thinks the old man went overboard in finding his mom's final resting place.

Sesshomaru walked to the edge and looked down at the still waters. He still thinks the old man went overboard in finding his mom's final resting place.

This lot sure was expensive. The 16 year old him was pretty adamant in defying his father's wishes when they decided where she would be buried. But Inu Taisho wouldn't have it. Only the best for her was what he said. But did he actually knew what was best for her? And for him?

Sesshomaru pushed the thoughts away. He didn't come here to wallow in the past.

'So what did you want to tell me?' He could just imagine his mom sitting there by the bank of water.

"Remember Rin?" Sesshomaru started. His mom would probably nod and smile at the mention of her name. Anyone seeing him now would probably think he's lost it. That he's got some loose screw in his head.

Coming here and talking about Rin to his desceased mother had become a routine. After their first kiss he came here in the middle of the night just to vent out his confusion.

Rin. She is not the type of woman to normally go for. She's not plain but neither is she screaming seven figure checks in her bank account.

'She's the first woman to enter the house and actually sleepover and the first woman to set foot on your room.' Places he considered private and exclusive. His mom pointed that out for him on the first of his many visits.

'Could this be love?'  She'd tease her to no ends if she were here. Her only son, head over heels in love? Ha! She wouldn't let him live it down.

Sesshomaru frowned in irritation. Don't be ridiculous, he found himself saying. Of course he wasn't in love with her. How could he love someone in such a short period of time?

Yes, if it were 6 months ago, he'd probably laugh at himself.

"I'm going crazy. That must be it."

He isn't himself with Rin; it was always way too different. The empty canvas would be filled with colors. Then there's that hollow feeling in his heart and that sickening swirl in his gut just imagining the rest of his life without her.

How he managed to live his life secluded from others is beyond him. Wherever he looked inside the house, he'd see her there. Wearing her captivating and contagious smile.

And what if they never met, and she ended up with another man? How would he feel? His blood boils just thinking of her being touched by someone else. Her smiling at some stranger. Her, uttering those 3 little words to another guy makes his chest hurt.

.

He realized, that what he thought he felt for Kagura could never compare to the intense emotions he had for Rin.

With Kagura it was different. It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. Maybe he had never really had fallen in love. Maybe because Rin was beside him.

He did care for Kagura. After all, they were friends even before they became lovers. Whatever they had and how it ended didn't affect the fact that they were friends.

Sesshomaru stood up and brushed off the dust from his pants.

No matter how lovely, flowers wither and so does first love.

If his mother was alive, he knew she'd like her. She'd say Rin is special.

Rin was a special woman, not only to him, but to everyone else. She was the type of woman you would want to introduce to your parents...oh, that he had already done.

The look on his relatives' faces! He couldn't help the wry smile he's wearing.

'What did love even feel like?'

Now he knew the answer. Rin was his answer.

.

Sesshomaru came home to a sleeping Rin.

The lights were still off when he arrived. The house was quiet too. He felt gloomy not being greeted by her cheerful voice and warm embrace. Silly me. It's only been hours and he already miss her.

When he couldn't find her in his room, he went straight to her room.

There she laid with the duvet pulled up way up her chin. He bent down to kiss her forehead. His gentle lips had been quickly replaced by his hands as he felt her heat up.

"Rin." Concern laced his voice. He pulled off the duvet to reveal her sweat clad clothes. She was sweating profusely. Only then did he notice her labored breathing.

"Rin, you're burning with fever!"