The Importance of Being Kept

Rin played the grand piano in Sesshoumaru's elaborate apartment as gracefully as she could for the past hour. She had built a certain stamina when playing for Sesshoumaru. It seemed to be the only way he could relax and she wanted nothing more than to please him. Sesshoumaru lived on the very top floor of the expensive dormitory. He had been the only one rich enough to rent an entire floor for himself and his friends who lived down the hall from him. Rin was always amazed how quiet it was when she got off the elevator and walked down the hall to his room. She glanced at him as she played his favorite classical musical. He was relaxing in his a huge lounge chair that almost looked like a golden throne. His eyes were closed and there was a peaceful expression on his face. His snow white hair hung loosely around his shoulders and flowed down his back. To Rin, he looked between an angel and a powerful god. He wore dress pants and a white silk shirt that was open halfway showing his muscular chest. In his hand, he drunk a glass of wine. Something he didn't allow her to drink. He'd once given her a glass full and it had went straight to her head. Rin's pinky finger suddenly cramped. She hit the wrong note causing Sesshoumaru to wince. He opened his golden eyes to look at her. She was holding her finger up trying to wiggle it around to work out the stiffness.

"Come here, Rin," he called out to her in that smooth masculine ultra sexy voice that always sent shivers down Rin's spine whenever he first spoke to her.

Sesshoumaru watched her walk towards him loving the way she floated so gracefully over his carpet. Rin was extremely beautiful to him and he, Sesshoumaru, took pride in surrounding himself with beautiful things. She, ofcourse, was his favorite possession. He had trained her to entertain him, serve him, respond immediately to all his needs. He adored her as much as she adored him. She knelt on the carpet beside his chair and gazed up at him. Sesshomaru lifted up her small hand to look at the awkward finger which had shaped itself into a curve. He gently tried to straighten it out, but to no avail. He suppose the cramp would go away on it's on, but he could not stand not one imperfection on his perfect little Rin. He brought it to his lips and kissed it tenderly causing Rin to blush.

"You should tell me when you are tired of playing for me, Rin. We've talked about this before."

"I know, but you looked so peaceful today."

"I am always at peace when you come to visit me," Sesshoumaru said and ran his lips over the back of her hand admiring her soft warm skin.

Rin tried not to show how much he was affecting her. If he only knew how head over heels in love with him she was, but she was afraid to tell him. Mostly because she knew her feelings wouldn't be returned, at least not the way she wanted them too. She knew Sesshoumaru cared about her a great deal, but did he love her? No, that would be impossible.

"Did you enjoy your first day of class today?" Sesshoumaru asked as he ran his fingers through her soft black curls.

"Yes, I am happy to finally be in the junior level. Now I can concentrate only on music."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I am also pleased to finally become a senior. "

"Sesshoumaru, when you graduate this year. Will I still be able to be with you?"

Sesshoumaru took a sip of wine and sat the glass on the table. He hadn't thought about it. He'd gotten so use to Rin following him around like his own little shadow. She was right. He would have to leave campus and she wouldn't be able to stay at his mother's house anymore once he moved out. Usually, during the summer, Rin had stayed with him at his home and still acted as his personal maid. The thought of parting with her for any amount of time disturbed him greatly.

"When I graduate, you will come to live with me in my new home," he said happy with his own answer.

"But, I like living on campus," Rin said.

Sesshoumaru stared down at her not liking what he heard. "Do you really think I'd leave you here, alone without my constant care, Rin?"

Rin smiled. "I can take care of myself when you're not around."

"No you cannot!" Sesshoumaru snapped. "There are new students constantly arriving on campus every semester. There are also visitors that don't go to this university that have friends and family here. Not everyone knows you belong to me, Rin, I would be very displeased if someone dared to touch you. If I could, I would lock you away in a mansion and throw away the key. I would never have to worry about you again."

Rin bit her bottom lip. Sometimes, Sesshoumaru's possessive nature tended to get a little scary. "Sesshoumaru, I don't have many friends as it is because you terrorize anyone that comes near me. Besides Sango, Kagome is the only new friend I've made and that's only because she lives with me. Am I not allowed to have my own life at one point?"

"Are you not happy with me, my Rin?"

"Yes, yes, I am!" Rin said quickly. "I love you...I mean love what you do for me. I've never been happier, but lately I've wondered about my future. You can't take care of me forever."

"Oh, I see," Sesshoumaru smiled. "I understand what you're worried about. There's no need, Rin. I have you in my will. If anything should happen to me which I seriously doubt, you have a certain amount of funds that will last you until you leave this world."

Rin gasped. "Sesshoumaru, I hadn't meant it that way! I was just saying that I need to learn how to be independent, you know, get my own job, make my own money, socialize with other people, other than my roommates and your friends."

A slight frown graced Sesshoumaru's beautiful face. "Why would you want those things? "

"Because I'm scared, you have always been there for me, but I know one day, you won't. This is your senior year, things between us won't be the same for long, even if I do come to live with you after you graduate, you will eventually get married to one of those rich gorgeous women your mother is always setting you up with and I highly doubt your wife would want me to be around. I will probably never see you again when that happens and then what? I need to learn to move on without you." Rin felt something running down her cheeks and realized it was her own tears. She quickly wiped them away.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru spoke her name so tenderly that it hurt.

"I'm sorry, please excuse me, I'm just not myself today."

"Rin!" Sesshoumaru called after her when she suddenly got up and ran out the room. Sesshoumaru stared at the door left open from her abrupt departure. He stood up and walked towards the huge wall window and stared down at the entire campus below him. Rin had made a valid point. Despite her quiet, passive nature, she had always been very intelligent. Her words had disturbed him more than he wanted them too. Not once had he ever imagined his life without his Rin.

They had met his freshman year at the university. He had come home during spring break to find a human girl cleaning his room. His mother had hired her while he was away to help her with the large mansion. Sesshoumaru, who usually didn't acknowledge "the help" unless he needed them to do something for him had been immediately drawn to her. She had been standing on top of his dresser to clean the cob wells from the corner of his ceiling and lost her balance when he suddenly walked in the room. Sesshoumaru smiled at the memory. He had caught her to keep her from crashing to the floor and had never let go after that day. Even then, she had been beautiful to him in her ordinary clothes and dirty little apron. It had only taken a day of watching her for him to decide that he wanted her. Ofcourse, his parents didn't know about his infatuation with her until he decided to bring her to the university wit h him. His mother had gotten angry and told him that she was his problem and that she wanted nothing to do with Rin. His mother thought Rin was a waste of Sesshoumaru's time and money and had nastily referred to her as Sesshoumaru's pet. However, Sesshoumaru had liked the name and often saw her as his pet, his object of affection. But now, now...she was no longer a pet to him. She had become so much more. He had never expected to get so attached to her or have the feelings he did when she was in his presence. How many times had he gotten into heavy arguments with his mother who claimed Rin was a huge distraction to the women she was trying to set him up with? Far too many. But his mother was also right, Rin was the perfect female in his life, he hadn't felt the need for another one. But he was concerned over how much his thoughts of Rin had changed. There had been times, he had wanted to kiss her, there had been times he had wanted to take her to his bed, he had tried to tell himself that it was just lust, nothing more, after all Rin was a very beautiful and desirable young woman, who wouldn't want her? Plus, he Sesshoumaru, could have any woman he wanted to satisfy his lustful needs in which he did, but he had often imagined they were Rin.

"I am not my father," Sesshoumaru growled angrily to himself. "She's just a human girl, that's all." Yet, deep down, his heart felt a different way.

Rin took the steps to her floor, highly ashamed that she had cried in front of Sesshoumaru. He had always frowned on her tears, telling her they were a human weakness that he didn't care much for. She went into her apartment not seeing Kagome sitting on the couch and ran into her room slamming the door. Why did she have to fall in love with the one person, she knew she could never have? She was sure his mother would want to marry him off as soon as he graduated and she would once again be alone.

Kagome wondered if she should check on Rin or give her, her space. She had been home reading through her books as she sat on the couch. Inuyasha had forgotten he had football practice and insisted on taking her back to the dorm. Kagome was still in shock over the passionate speech he'd given her and hadn't given him any problems since. She kept replaying his words over and over in her head. Had he really meant what he said. Ofcourse he did, he had looked straight into her eyes and told her with so much passion that...gosh, if she wasn't careful, she could really fall for him. She decided to give Rin a few minutes alone before she went to check on her. A knock at the door stopped her from studying ten minutes later. She got up to open it and wished she hadn't.

Inuyasha's brother towered over her blocking the entire doorway. He stared down at her with the same cold expression he'd worn yesterday. Kagome watched his golden eyes go to the bracelet Inuyasha had given her.

"My brother's scent still clings to you," he finally said.

"Inuyasha have decided to keep me. I feel so strange saying that. I've never been with a youkai before," Kagome knew she was babbling, but the tall, intimidating man made her nervous.

"Inuyasha is not a youkai, he is a hanyou, his mother is human, like you. Do not confuse him with me. I carry pure youkai blood in my veins."

"Well excuse me your royal highness," Kagome said sarcastically. She didn't like the tone of Sesshoumaru's voice when he spoke about Inuyasha.

"He would do good to train you in addressing me before you lose your tongue."

Was that a threat? Was he threatening her?

Sesshoumaru's attention moved to Rin's room. He walked passed Kagome and went in. The door slammed behind him.

No wonder the poor girl was crying. She would too if she had to be with Sesshoumaru, Kagome thought. Inuyasha was aggressive and bossy, but at least he wasn't a snob.

Rin jumped when the door slammed and looked up in surprise when she saw Sesshoumaru watching her. She wiped her tears away and waited for him to say something. Instead he went to her bed, lifted her in his arms and sat down on it cradling her against him.

"You have brought up a very important issue that, I, Sesshoumaru, did not see. Rin, you should not shed tears unless I have given you an answer."

"What is your answer, Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked. She snuggled up to him, loving it when he held so close.

"That, we will never part," Sesshoumaru told her.

"But what about your mother, she wants you to marry."

"My mother does not control my life. We will not talk of this again, Rin."

Rin wanted to tell Sesshoumaru that she loved him and that she could not be around him if he decided to become serious with another woman. She knew that Sesshoumaru still went out occasionally and he had his little rendezvous whenever the need hit him. At first she hadn't minded, she was just happy with being a kept human, but now she could not stand it when he left and didn't return until the next day. Now, she hated to see women brazen enough to throw themselves at him when they were together. Now, she wanted to be the only woman in his life. She wanted him to love her as his mate. It was wishful thinking on her part, but she could dream, couldn't she?