The Importance of Being Kept

Rin could not believe what she was seeing. She was holding a bouquet of lilies and a teddy bear when Kagome walked into the living room. Her mouth dropped open along with dropping the get-well gifts.

"Are these for me? How sweet," Kagome said picking them up and smelling the flowers.

"Kagome, is that you?" Rin asked staring at her in shock.

Kagome grinned. "Yep, the new and improved me!" She sat the gifts on a table and twirled around for Rin.

"What did Inuyasha do to you?" Rin wanted to know. "He didn't, please tell me he didn't do what I think he did."She walked up to Kagome and pushed back her bangs. Inuyasha's red symbol stared back at her as proof to Rin's suspicions."He made you his mate..."

Inuyasha walked out of the room at that moment wearing his famous jeans and a red t-shirt that did nothing to hide the bulging muscles of his arms and chest. The clothes were tighter than usual on him."I guess I'm going to have to buy new clothes." He grinned.

Rin gasped when she saw him. "You've changed too. Why are you bigger?" Rin couldn't help but stare at his body.

Kagome started to get a little annoyed. Rin was crazy about Sesshoumaru, but was now gaping at Inuyasha as if he was some sort of god brought to life. If this was the effect he had on Rin, how would everyone else act once they left the room?

Inuyasha continued to grin. "Like what you see?"

Rin blushed and turned away. She looked at Kagome who was looking highly irritated. "Sorry," she said. "I wasn't prepared for all this." She stared at Kagome's hair. "Your hair has white highlights wait...those are.." she looked at Inuyasha and back at Kagome. "She has your hair intertwine with hers!" She pointed accusingly.

"I know, isn't she beautiful?" Inuyasha stood beside Kagome and ran his fingers through her hair admiring the white locks mingling with Kagome's dark hair.

Rin stared at Kagome. "Your body is even different. You're like supermodel gorgeous. Did your boobs get bigger?"

Kagome blushed under her friend's analyzing gaze.

"I don't understand. Sango and Miroku pretty much stayed the same when they mated. I guess they were already physically gorgeous, there wasn't much else to be done."

"Hey what's that suppose to mean!" Inuyasha frowned at Rin. "You trying to say we were ugly?"

"No, no, no! " Rin said hurriedly. "I mean, I guess it's different for everyone. Miroku is a succubus so he was already made to perfection to lure in women he needed to feed off. Sango couldn't get any more beautiful than she already was which is why she became a succubus, she could already lure any guy to her. They both changed in a different way. They grew fangs, they became a walking vampire succubus or something like that. I still can't get over the craziness of it. And, they don't actually have to have sex to feed anymore."

"How do you know all of this?" Kagome asked.

"We talked when we left the hospital together. And, you want to know what else we talked about? You two doing exactly what you did!"

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked glancing up at Inuyasha in confusion and back at Rin.

"We were afraid that if you spent so much time with Inuyasha he might end up making you his mate. We were worried about you being forced to do something you weren't ready for."

"I would never force anything on Kagome!" Inuyasha said angrily.

"Are you sure? Did you give her time to think about this?"

"He did," Kagome said. "He actually wanted me to leave to protect me, but I wanted to stay."

"Kagome, you're bonded to him forever now. Do you know what that means? Has it sunk in yet?" Rin asked trying to get her to understand.

"If you're trying to get Kagome to have doubts and make me feel guilty in the process then I suggest you leave Rin. I don't need you coming in my place and trying to tear us apart."

"Inuyasha, I'm not. It's just happened so fast for Kagome. She just met you a week ago, now she's your mate...at least Sango and Miroku knew each other for two years. I've known Sesshoumaru even longer than that.."

"Yeah, you have and you're the only one not mated. Perhaps, Sesshoumaru don't care as much for you as you think. I mated with Kagome because I knew we were meant to be together the first day we met. Miroku knew he was meant to be with Sango too, but he was trying to protect her from himself, he didn't know what sort of life they would have together. Now tell me, what's Sesshoumaru's excuse for not mating with you?" Inuyasha said bitterly. The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it.

Rin stared at them silently, her eyes bright with unshed tears. Inuyasha was right. Why hadn't Sesshoumaru mated with her? Perhaps he didn't love her...

"Inuyasha!" Kagome hit him upside the head glaring at him. "What's wrong with you? Rin was only trying to watch out for me, that's what friends do!" She stretched out her arms to hug Rin, but Rin ran out the door before she could go to her. Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Go apologize to her!"

Inuyasha nodded and left with his head hanging down. He hadn't meant to hurt Rin and he felt horrible about it. He found her outside sitting under her favorite tree. Jinko and Galieo hovered over her protectively.

"Lady Rin, what's wrong?" Galieo asked in concern. "Who has made you cry?"

"Tell us and we'll hunt him down like a dog," Jinko growled.

"I guess I'm your dog then," Inuyasha said standing behind them.

They turned around frowning at him. "What did you do to her?" Galieo demanded.

Inuyasha ignored both of them and squatted down to look at Rin face to face. "Rin, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I just mated with Kagome and I tend to see everything and everyone as a threat to her. My feelings are uncontrollable right now. When you started asking her questions about our relationship, I saw it as a threat and reacted. I guess I'm nothing but an asshole today."

Rin wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand and looked at Inuyasha. "It's okay, I understand. You did strike a nerve though. I guess I'm just jealous because Sango and Kagome are now mated and I'm not. It's embarrassing sort of."

"Rin, never doubt Sesshoumaru loves you. He's just a stubborn old dog you know? I'm going to tell you something about Sesshoumaru that all of us know," Inuyasha said referring to Jinko and Galieo who continued to stare at him as if they wasn't sure if they should fight him or not, "that you probably have no clue."

Rin stared at him in fascination, her eyes wide. "What is it?" She whispered.

"You are his weakness..." Inuyasha gently tapped her on her nose with the tip of his finger.

Rin frowned. "I don't understand."

"Should you be telling her that?" Jinko asked with a warning in his voice.

Inuyasha ignored him. He wanted to make Rin feel she was just as special to Sesshoumaru as Sango and Kagome were to Miroku and him. "Everyone on campus knows that Sesshoumaru is a very powerful youkai, along with myself of course."

Jinko snorted.

"And ever y one trembles in his presence. Most of everyone who isn't insane are afraid of him, but with every powerful youkai, they have a vulnerability, a weakness. You are Sesshoumaru's weakness. I believe if anything bad was to happen to you, it would kill him."

Rin blushed deeply. "No it wouldn't. He doesn't love me that much. I'm sure if anything happened to me, he'd be sad for awhile, but he'd find someone else and probably forget about me. After all, he's a youkai, a very rich, powerful, royal blooded youkai. What can I, a human girl with nothing, offer him?"

Galieo looked at Rin in disbelief. "You really have no clue, do you little one?"

Jinko looked at her as if he couldn't believe what she was saying. "Are you blind? Sesshoumaru adores you woman!"

"Leave."

They all turned around to see Sesshoumaru standing behind them. He'd seen them gather around Rin from his usual perch on top of the dormitory and wanted to know what was happening, especially with his half brother there. He'd listened in their conversation and had heard enough.

Rin's words cut him.

"Leave," he demanded again, his golden eyes never leaving Rin. "Do not make me tell you again."

Everyone scrambled away in a hurry. Inuyasha wanted to get back to Kagome, hoping she hadn't left the room in her current outfit without him. He spared a glance at Rin and Sesshoumaru wondering what would happen between the two ,then shrugged. It was none of his business. For the first time, he sought out Kagome with his mind. It came as natural to him as breathing. She had left the dormitory and was currently skipping down the steps to look for him. Every guy on the steps stopped to watch her in wonder.

Kagome felt a strange sensation go through her body causing her to shudder. She immediately knew it was Inuyasha. She could sense his anger with her and the guys that were staring at her. Oops...She ran up the steps back to his room. She did not want to make him angry, at least not today, not until he had calmed down from whatever emotional rollercoaster he was going through after their mating.

Sesshoumaru stared down at Rin. She stared back up at him. Her cheeks were pink. She wondered how much had he heard and what was he thinking? She slowly stood up facing his stoic behavior bravely. Rin had no clue what he was about to say to her which made her worry, but she wasn't going to back down from him, even if he said something that would hurt her.

"Rin," he finally spoke. "Have I really been so cold to you, that you do not know my true feelings?"

Rin tilted her head, hope springing in her eyes. "I have said "I love you" more than once and you have yet to say it back."

Sesshoumaru sighed. She was right. He was a fool to think she knew how he truly felt about her when he had done nothing but treat her as a pet.

"You don't have to say it back!" Rin said quickly. "I don't want you to think I'm forcing you or making you feel guilty. I like saying it to you because it's how I feel, but I don't want you to think it's your obligation to say it to make me happy," she was blabbering. She felt like an idiot.

Something sliced through the air, something fast, lightning quick. Sesshoumaru heard it with his keen sense of hearing, but still didn't have time to react.

Something sharp and painful pierced through Rin's arm. She looked down to see three darts sticking out of her flesh. She looked up at Sesshoumaru in confusion. It was the last look she gave him before she quickly sunk into unconsciousness.

Sesshoumaru caught her before she hit the ground and snatched the darts out of her arm. He sniffed the tips.

Poison...