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Moonlit Confessions
Merry Christmas, flowerconnoisseur, I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it for you. Sincerely, Your Secret Santa
Rin tossed and turned on her futon beside Kaede. She sat up quickly, supporting herself with her wrists behind her as she scanned the dark hut. Her hair fell silently over her shoulder as she looked at the old woman sleeping soundly beside her. Rin smiled gently as she listened to Kaede’s content breaths and found herself wondering how Kaede was always able to sleep so well. Rin pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them before resting her face on her knee. She was unable to sleep peacefully through the night; she always felt a presence nearby, something always lurking in the shadows, watching. But when she woke up, there was never anything there. She was always greeted with the same creaks of the hut as the wind whistled through the cracks, the same deep, steady breaths of a sleeping mother figure, the same shadows cast from the moonlight.
Her eyes grew heavy and she felt her face slip on her knee right as a twig outside snapped. She was immediately alert and dropped her knees to the side as she grabbed a small dagger and crouched at the door, her ears attuned to the environment around her. She held her breath as she heard the soft padding of footsteps outside the hut. They were circling, focused on her home. She thought of bandits who might be on the prowl as she formulated her action plan in her head. She grit her teeth and swiftly pulled the door to the side as she exited, dagger extended.
Rin gasped, her eyes wide as her blade grazed armor, “Sesshomaru-sama?” She dropped the dagger, watching his keen eyes follow the blade as it fell to the ground, “What are you doing?” she asked.
Sesshomaru’s gaze returned to her face, “I could ask you the same.” He answered.
She grinned at the demon, “Do you always walk around my house at night?”. Sesshomaru averted her gaze and continued walking towards the surrounding trees. Rin grinned wider as she realized it was Sesshomaru’s presence that had kept her up for so long and chased after him. “You know you wake me up every night.” She laughed as she walked beside him.
“Do I?”
“Yes!” She laughed again, “I never realized it was you, of course.”
“That was not my intention.” He answered, his eyes forward.
She tugged at her kimono sleeve, “What was your intention?” She asked, she felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment after she had asked the question.
Sesshomaru glanced down at Rin and smiled softly as he watched her face turn red and she dropped her gaze to her feet. “To make sure you are safe.” He answered. Rin felt her heart skip a beat as his words fell sweetly on her ears. “Rin.” His footsteps had stopped and he had turned his full attention to her.
She looked up into his golden eyes, practically glowing in the moonlight. “Yes?”
“May I take you somewhere?” he asked softly as he outstretched his hand.
“Yes.” She answered breathlessly as she placed her hand in his. Her throat tightened as his fingers wrapped gently around hers. She gasped as he pulled her into his chest, a small squeak escaped her lips as he lifted her off the ground and took to the sky.
Rin held tightly to Sesshomaru as he soared through the night. Her heart beat ferociously in her chest as she assessed her situation. Her arms were draped around Sesshomaru’s neck, her face practically touching his, his arms wrapped snuggly around her body. She felt her face burn red as she thought about telling him how she felt. She had always admired the demon, but over the last few years she had realized that she had fallen in love with him. She had often thought about telling him, but she could never find the words and she had a fear of rejection. Sesshomaru visited her often and showered her in the most luxurious gifts so she would often think that maybe he felt the same, but then she would dismiss the idea since he is such a prestigious demon. A mere human such as herself would not be a fitting partner for a great demon. But here she was, in his arms, alone and under the stars; maybe she could find the courage to tell him tonight.
“Close your eyes.” Sesshomaru’s warm baritone commanded, Rin looked up and searched the demon’s face as he looked down at her. She smiled sweetly and obeyed. Sesshomaru began to drop from the sky and Rin held on tighter as they descended. He landed gracefully and gently set Rin on her feet. Rin felt Sesshomaru’s strong hands lay gently on her shoulders, felt the strands of his silky hair brush against her cheek as he leaned over her and whispered, “Open them.” Rin felt her skin prickle with the sensation of his warm breath on her as she slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes widened with surprise as she was met with the most beautiful scene she had ever witnessed. Mountains stretched off into the horizon, their snow-capped tops twinkling in the light of the moon with the stars burning brightly above and before them was the largest field of flowers Rin had ever seen. She always had an affinity for flowers and loved making wreaths of blossoms to wear as crowns, necklaces, and bracelets; she adored having a piece of that beauty for herself and her friends. The hills rolled out before her as far as she could see, flowers of every shape and color adorned the valley, many of which she had never seen before. “Do you like it?” Sesshomaru’s cool voice broke through Rin’s thoughts.
She turned to face Sesshomaru, grasping his wrists as she did so, “Sesshomaru-sama! It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed. Sesshomaru smiled gently as he looked down at Rin’s hands grasping his wrists. Rin felt her face burn as she quickly released him and awkwardly breathed, “Oh, I-I’m sorry!”.
Rin’s demeanor did not escape Sesshomaru, he was well aware of the change in her heart rate when he was nearby, the way her breathing would stagger. He had noticed it starting a few years prior and at first was confused, but quickly realized that Rin had started to develop romantic feelings for him. He ignored it in the beginning, assuming she would place her interests in one of the human men in the village at some point and live a life more appropriate for a human such as herself. And yet, he could not stop himself from going to visit; he found a certain pleasure in having this power over her and grew to hate the idea of her finding a human to pair up with. He would often linger silently in the trees and watch as she went about her day. Then, he found himself prowling the outskirts of the village at night, occasionally at first but then every night, making sure she was safe as she slept. He no longer trusted Jaken to pick out the gifts for Rin as anything less than the best was no longer acceptable and he would roam the lands for the most exquisite kimonos and the rarest of trinkets and jewelry. Old lady Kaede had also noticed Sesshomaru’s advancements and once asked him of his intentions with Rin, but he had told her it was Rin’s choice and continued to wait for Rin to decide. He was now finding himself impatient as ever, unsure of why they were at a stale mate. If she was so enamored by him, why had she not said anything yet? Perhaps she was afraid, Sesshomaru realized, afraid he would turn away from her. “Rin.” Sesshomaru said gently as he placed a hand on her arm. He felt her heartbeat pound, her pheromones intoxicating his senses.
“Wait, Sesshomaru-sama.” Rin said breathlessly. Sesshomaru looked at the girl inquisitively but retracted his hand as she turned and knelt to the ground. He continued to watch her confused as she fiddled with the grass. He heard her take a deep breath before she stood up and composed herself, “Ok. Here goes.” She said softly before turning to face Sesshomaru. The great dog demon watched curiously as Rin held out her hand in offering, wiggling her fingers slightly in demand for Sesshomaru’s hand. He obliged and placed his hand in hers as she slipped something on his finger with a grin. He pulled his hand to his face to inspect the small white flower Rin had made into a ring and placed on him. His cold golden eyes focused back on Rin with her wide grin that was quickly fading into a nervous grimace as she started to fidget with the cuffs of her kimono, “Sesshomaru-sama, will you walk with me?”
Sesshomaru gave her a small smile, a sight that delighted Rin, “Lead the way.” He answered softly. Rin flashed him a toothy grin and giggled as she turned and sashayed into the field. Sesshomaru watched with silent adoration as Rin danced around the flowers, petals of all colors kicking up around her as she went. She was an absolute vision, her beauty filled Sesshomaru’s heart in a way he had never known before. He loved the calm she brought to his soul, he loved how her positivity and brightness was contagious; that impoverished, small girl who showed no fear in the face of danger had grown into a beautiful woman with the power to tame the most ruthless of demons. He wondered if it was fated for her to find him on the brink of death in that forest so many years ago, if she was sent to save him from himself. The only thing he knew for certain was that he would not let the sun rise without telling her clearly how he felt about her.
Rin frolicked through the field, enchanted by the scents that twirled around her. She inhaled deeply, letting the soothing scents calm her thoughts. She had fought with herself for years on pursuing Sesshomaru romantically. She knew he did not care for humans, though she had always been an exception. She was always so comfortable around him and she knew that she could never find this love in any other man, but she also worried about her confession ruining her relationship with him. She had resolved to keep quiet in order to keep Sesshomaru near, but her feelings only strengthened to the point that she felt drowned by her infatuation. Her resolution was breaking, she could no longer keep quiet; even if it meant destroying everything she had, she needed to tell him. She kept glancing back to Sesshomaru, who followed closely, a softness in his eyes as he observed. Tonight was a perfect night to tell him, he had brought her here after all, to the most romantic and stunning place she had ever laid eyes on. She smiled to herself as she realized he must certainly feel the same, he obviously thought enough of her to find this stunning location to surprise her.
She turned abruptly on Sesshomaru, seeing the faint shock in his eyes. He was incredibly handsome, she thought; she was awestruck by his flowing silver hair glinting in the moonlight; “Sesshomaru-sama,” she started, her cheeks highlighted with a pink hue, “I have a lot I need to get off my chest…” she said softly, focusing her attention to her feet in the soft grass. “You have been most generous my entire life. You’ve kept me safe, you gave me a family with Kaede and the others…but I still feel…incomplete.” She looked up into his glinting eyes, “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful!” she explained, “But I’ve only felt truly happy when I’m by your side.” Her words came out soft and barely audible. Her breath quivered as her large brown eyes looked up at the demon, glinting with the tears that threatened to run down her cheeks. She reached out to grasp his hands in hers, “I love you, Sesshomaru-sama.”
Sesshomaru knelt down, keeping his hands in hers, “I have been waiting a long time to hear you say those words.” His cool baritone resonated in the night as he took his hand and caressed her cheek, “I was getting impatient and thought I was going to have to make the first move.” A small smile spread on his face before he leaned forward and kissed her gently. Rin’s eyes widened in surprise as Sesshomaru’s soft lips locked with hers before she felt the tears that had welled up stream down her face as she closed her eyes and enthusiastically returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as she felt his arms slip around her waist and pull her tight against him.
Rin pulled away gently, savoring the sight of the warm softness in Sesshomaru’s eyes as he looked at her; she smiled, “I guess that means you don’t have to stalk Kaede’s house at night anymore.” She giggled.
Sesshomaru let out a soft chuckle, “Maybe not.” He answered, as he gently tucked Rin’s hair behind her ear, “But you should know that I’ll never stop watching over you.” Rin felt her cheeks grow hot and her heart flutter as Sesshomaru leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “I love you, Rin.”