The rustle of paper was the only thing that disturbed the comfortable silence of the room. The air was warm and thick, making everything feel heavier. It calmed all beings into a sense of laziness that threatened to stop time altogether. No one quite enjoyed it, but no one complained either.

It was just another warm day.

Rin watched her master closely from her cushion by the open window as he moved another parchment from his desk, setting it carefully in a pile at one corner. He never acknowledged the heat. She wondered if he was even aware of the temperature changes that came with the seasons. During the winter, when it became extremely cold, her master scarcely wore anything other than his usual attire, and now, in the heat, he went through the day without pause, not removing any excess layer of his clothing or changing into lighter fabric.

Her master had removed his armor upon arriving at his long neglected palace, but somehow she doubted it had anything to do with the heat. This morning he had emerged with his hair pulled back high on his head. Rin had become excited, believing she had finally caught her master acknowledging the weather, but she quickly realized she had been wrong when he moved to his study and settled behind his desk. Only then did Rin realize he had pulled his hair back so that it would not fall over his shoulders and block his view as he leaned over his work.

Her master shifted, and Rin's eyes focused again, her thoughts returning to the present. She pressed a hand to her forehead, brushing away the thin layer of perspiration forming there as she glanced out at the noon sun. She debated whether or not to leave the room, fearing her lord would find the smell of her sweat repulsive. During the morning, she would join him where ever he settled, but during the day, she would busy herself helping the servants or relaxing in the coolest place she could find, far from her master's nose. She knew in the back of her mind that he could easily pick out her scent in an instant, but she allowed herself to pretend her efforts spared him the stale smell that came from her with every warm day.

During their travels, Rin had never worried about her scent. She had bathed when she could and had covered herself in the scents of flowers each time. It had never seemed as hot either, a constant breeze always moving through her hair and cooling her, but the palace walls stopped most breezes, so she found no relief from the heat there.

It did not help either that most of the demons of the palace were like her lord and highly tolerant of the heat. It made her feel like the odd one out. She feared that the servants secretly discussed her smell whenever she left the room. But she was only human. She could do nothing about it.

Rin folded her hands in her lap, staring down at them. She'd learned tricks over the years to prevent moisture from forming under her arms, but she could do nothing to stop the stale smell of sweat that would eventually surround her.

With a sigh, Rin rose from her seat. Sesshomaru paused in his work, looking up at the movement. She met her lord's eyes, smiling sweetly at him, "I think I will go for a walk." She said softly, flattening the wrinkles in her clothes before folding her hands in front of her. She waited for him to dismiss her.

Sesshomaru put down the paper he held and stood behind his low desk, towering over her. Rin thought to herself playfully that even though she'd grown quite tall for a woman, her master still made her feel tiny. The softness of the thought showed through her eyes, and he held her gaze, taking it in. Finally, he spoke, "I will go with you."

Rin was startled. "But Lord Sesshomaru-!" What could she say to escape her lord's companionship?

He didn't give her the chance.

He moved from behind the desk and brushed past her to the door, sliding it open quickly. When she didn't follow, he paused, looking back over his shoulder. "Come, Rin."

She blinked at her lord, her mind spinning. Without thinking, she gave her usual reply, "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama." He turned and moved from the room.

Rin bit her thumb, not yet moving to follow her lord. This wasn't working the way it was supposed to. She couldn't stay with him in this heat! It would only remind him of her human qualities. He would be repulsed by her. The rims of Rin's eyes burned with the threat of tears. What was she to do?

"Rin."

Her lord's voice was not irritated, but Rin quickly closed her eyes and calmed herself, preparing to run to him. Her lord knew quite well she was human. It was not a fact he could ignore nor one she could hide, no matter how hard she tried. If he chose to spend the day with her, then there was nothing she could blame herself for. Content with her reasoning, she finally moved from the study to meet up with her lord. He was half turned to her, almost completely down the hall.

When she reached him, doubt had entered her again. "Lord Sesshomaru, are you sure you wish to come with me?" Rin asked, looking up at him, watching his eyes very carefully.

He returned her gaze for a moment then turned from her and continued down the hallway, calling softly over his shoulder. "Don't be foolish, Rin."

Rin felt her heart clench in her chest. He wanted to spend the day with her. A large grin settled on her face. She had not been able to spend time alone with her lord in a very long time. She ran to catch up with him, slipping her hand into his as she had done as a child. Just like then, he wrapped his fingers over hers gently.

Sesshomaru led them through the halls of the palace. Neither spoke, both left to their own thoughts. Rin rested her head against her lord's upper arm as they moved, not paying attention to which hall he moved down or who they passed. At some point, she realized they were outside but could not remember exiting the palace. They came to the front gate of the palace and the guards there quickly opened the heavy doors for them. Sesshomaru led her through them.

Rin looked up at him, unsure. At their arrival, her lord had forbidden her from leaving the palace grounds. She had always assumed because the surrounding forest was dangerous, filled with various demons and evil beings that she did not know the names of. Sometimes at night, she could hear their odd moans and howls coming from the other side of the palace walls. At the thought, Rin's grip on Sesshomaru's hand tightened. "Lord Sesshomaru, where are we going?" She asked, her voice soft.

Her lord did not reply, but his hand tightened around hers in response, and he sped his pace.

Tree branches and vines hung over the trail they took, blocking the sun and giving everything a dark, green glow. It was extremely humid, and Rin felt sweat rolling along the sides of her face and felt it bead and move down her lower back. She lowered her head. Why did her lord do this to her? Did he mean to embarrass her this way?

Suddenly, her lord moved from the path, dragging her with him to a long abandoned and overgrown trail. To Rin, it resembled the trail of a small animal and was so narrow she had to follow behind her lord to remain on the path. "Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked quickly as she batted off branch after branch that reached out to grab at her clothes. Where were they going?

Finally, they emerged, and Rin had to shield her face with her arm as bright sunlight met her eyes. Her hand slipped from her lord's as she stopped to cover her eyes, and she heard him move away. Slowly, Rin opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the sudden change in lighting. When she could finally open her eyes completely, she gasped.

Before her was a large spring so clear she could see the bottom over twenty feet down. The water had a brilliant blue hue, and she could tell it was cool as the breeze moved over it and brushed against her face. Soft grass grew to the very edge, swaying in the same breeze that blew her hair. Rin instantly began removing her shoes, needing to feel the water against her skin.

When her second shoe hit the ground, she took a step forward then stopped instantly, embarrassed. She'd forgotten her lord's presence. She turned to him, about to apologize for her rudeness, but found her words had left her when she saw he too had removed his boots. He had his back to her as he pulled his outer shirt from his pants and neatly laid it over a newly fallen tree. He turned to her, and although he was no less modest than before, she felt a light blush move over her cheeks at his informal state of dress.

He settled against the fallen tree, one arm resting on his raised knee, watching her. His bound hair rested over his shoulder to the ground by his hip. "You may swim if you wish, Rin." He said as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

Rin slowly smiled. Her lord had known all along of her discomfort in the heat. He'd taken her to the cool spring purposefully so they could spend the day together in comfort. He never ceased to surprise her. With simple things such as this, Rin had learned over the years that her lord cared very much for her.

Her hands found the tie of her sash just at her hip, and she undid it carefully, rolling her shoulders when she was done to remove her kimono's outer layer. She folded the soft, red fabric carefully in her arms and moved to her lord's side to place it on the log. As she knelt, her lord watched her out of the corner of his eye, his golden eyes holding a warmth only Rin ever saw.

With every year, Rin had become better at reading her lord's eyes. Now, she was very skilled at picking up the slightest change in their color and depth. To anyone other than she, her lord's eyes appeared just as cold and empty as they had for years, but she knew better. She smiled warmly back at him and stood, straightening the hem of her dark under-kimono at the knee. The length was not entirely appropriate for a young woman of her age, but her lord did not seem to mind and the palace was so hidden away, no one was there to judge her. She straightened the neck of the thin kimono to be sure it was modest, tightened her sash to hold it in place, and moved to the spring.

The water was cool on her feet, and Rin could not help but sigh aloud as she moved further into the spring. She felt goose bumps form on her arms and spread over her body from the contrast in temperature of the air and water. Ah, it felt so nice. When the water reached her knees, Rin paused, debating whether or not to get her kimono wet. As she went to take a step back, the issue was decided when she stepped on an abnormally smooth slate of rock beneath the water.

Rin let out a short cry of surprise before she found herself beneath the water. She sat up quickly, gasping. When she heard her lord's low chuckle from behind her, she felt her face flush with embarrassment. Her lord must have thought her so ungraceful.

Like a human.

Rin sank to her nose in the water, moving her ears under the surface to drown out her lord's slight amusement. A grown woman and she still found herself doing such childish things. She dared a glance over her shoulder at her lord and found him with his eyes closed again, his head leaned back slightly. He seemed to be enjoying the weather. Perhaps, he could feel it.

Rin's eyes were drawn downward to his chest where his shirt had opened more in his relaxed state. In all of her years with her lord, she had only seen his bare chest on a couple of occasions. Both times had been accidents and both times, her lord had dressed himself quickly, bidding her away as he did so. She never quite understood why. From what she understood, the male chest was not something which had to remain covered at all times. From afar, she often saw farmers working their fields shirtless, their backs darkly tanned from years of doing such.

Rin's eyes moved over the visible muscles of her lord's chest. The muscles there were also new to her. Although she sometimes saw bare-chested men from a distance, a bare male chest was not something Rin often saw in detail. In their travels, her lord had kept her from men other than himself and because of this, she had never seen a chest other than his, excluding the ones that she hardly remembered from her early childhood.

She continued to look, taking in the very small amount that she could see. It fascinated her that his chest could be so tan when it was so rarely exposed to the sun.

Something made Rin's eyes flicker up, and she found the golden eyes of her lord.

Her blood ran cold.

In her panic and embarrassment of being caught, she did not read his eyes before turning her head back around. She focused on the water in front of her. Would he be angry with her? He had made it quite clear in that past that he did not want her looking upon his bare chest.

Suddenly, there was a small splash, and Rin turned quickly to see her lord had entered the water. She tensed and pushed to her feet, turning to face him. His chest was bare. She pulled her dripping kimono tight to her neck, unsure of what to do. "Lord Sesshomaru?" She whispered softly.

He did not respond as he moved past her to deeper water, moving until the water reached his waist. He stopped, his back still to her. "If it is curiosity." He stated simply before he moved deeper into the spring.

Rin stared after him, unsure of how she should respond. It excited her that her lord would allow her to finally look upon his chest, but it troubled her that he was acting weird. What had changed?

Rin moved after him, still holding her kimono tight around her neck with one hand, her other arm wrapped about her waist. She stooped in the water, trying to cover as much of herself as possible under the surface. The situation made her feel a little uncomfortable, exposed.

As the water moved over her chest and shoulders, Rin felt another shiver run through her, and she paused to rub the goose bumps out of her arms. The water had been nice, but now, it was rather chilly. Rin looked up at her lord, wondering if he'd experienced the same sensation, but his arms were smooth, and he seemed uninterested, scanning the woods around the clearing out of the corner of his eye.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin asked, worry causing her to momentarily forget the awkward situation. She touched his wrist lightly under the water. "Is something the matter?"

He looked at her quickly, his eyes calm. "No," he replied evenly, moving out of her reach and into deeper water. Rin followed slowly, still holding his eyes, searching them. What was her lord thinking?

Her lord turned his face so she could no longer meet his eyes. "Do you enjoy this place, Rin?" He asked.

Rin stopped moving, caught slightly off guard, then smiled brightly at him. "Yes, very much, my lord." His eyes moved to hers again, softer. "Will you bring me again?" She asked after a quick pause, not wanting her lord's eyes to move away. He nodded at her, turning completely to face her, but said nothing.

A silence passed between the two, both staring at the other. Sesshomaru's golden eyes scanned over Rin's features, taking in every detail. Rin continued to smile warmly at him, enjoying the attention, but with every silent minute, her smile began to fade. She began shifting back and forth on her feet, unsure. "Is there something the matter, my lord?"

He continued to examine her, nothing indicating he'd heard her words. Finally, he spoke, eyes locking on hers. "Rin, do you ever desire the company of another?"

Rin blinked at her lord, unsure of the question. "I'm only ever happy in the company of my lord." Her voice was soft, uneasy.

Sesshomaru did not respond for a moment, eyes moving over her face again. He breathed through his nose. "Do you ever desire the company of another male?" He paused. "A human male?"

"No!" Rin replied quickly, stepping close to him. She shook her head frantically, hands held tightly to her chest. She diverted her eyes before she spoke, voice soft. "Never anyone but you, my lord."

The knuckle of his finger raised her gaze to his again. "You are not lying to me, Rin?" He asked, his voice stern.

Rin did not know why her lord was asking her such strange questions. Did he believe she wished to leave his side? Did he doubt her? She smiled sweetly at her lord.

Moving to her toes, Rin pressed her palms to his cheeks and leaned close to him. "I would never lie to you, my lord." She moved a thumb over his cheekbone, watching his eyes closely for anything. They remained calm, staring back at her carefully. "Your company is the only I desire."

The finger under her chin suddenly shifted upward and her lord leaned forward. Startled, Rin moved a step backward, but her lord caught her about the waist and pulled her back against him. Her hands fell to his shoulders as her feet left the bottom of the spring.

Her lord's hand tilted her face up to his gently. She felt uneasy with the closeness of their bodies. She'd never been pressed against him so fully, but when her eyes met his, she instantly calmed. "Lord Sesshomaru." Rin whispered softly, not quite a question.

He held her gaze for a moment longer before dipping his face closer. When their noses brushed, Rin's breath caught in her throat, her heart skipped a beat. She did not know what her lord was doing but the intimacy of it had her heart racing. She had never seen this side of her lord before.

Their lips brushed, and Rin started, gripping his shoulders hard in his small hands but not pulling away. Her eyes closed tightly, shaking just slightly against him as his lips lingered against hers.

A moment later, his lips pressed down on hers, his arm tightening around her waist. Rin's stomach tightened and her heart jumped. The intense sensation was nothing she had ever experienced before, and she enjoyed every moment of it. Her arms shifted around his neck to pull him closer.

All too soon, his lips left hers and her bare feet were once again on the smooth stones of the spring floor. His hand lingered on her hip as he watched her face carefully, looking for her reaction. She stared back up at him, her face as blank as his, unsure of how to respond to such a show of affection from her cool lord.

The roll of distant thunder broke the silence of the spring.

"Come, Rin." He stepped back from her then moved around her toward the shore of the spring.

Rin turned quickly, boldly seizing his wrist in her small hand as he passed. "Lord Sesshomaru." She whispered. "I don't understand."

He turned to her, his eyes as calm as ever. "You will soon." His hand curled upward to hold hers. "Come now, Rin. A storm approaches."

With a gentle pull, Sesshomaru led Rin from the spring. The sky had already begun to darken when they reached the fallen log. Sesshomaru seized his outer shirt and laid it over Rin's shoulders. She pulled it tightly around her small frame, the wind from the coming storm chilling her. Sesshomaru pulled on his inner shirt and tucked it in before pulling on his boots.

When Rin knelt to retrieve her own, he stopped her. He picked them up from the ground and handed them to her along with her outer kimono layer. Once she held them, he knelt, scooping her into his arms carefully. She was startled again by his behavior. He had not picked her up since she had been a child.

A moment later, they were moving quickly through the forest. The trees shot past at such a speed, Rin pressed her face into Sesshomaru's chest to keep from straining her eyes. It only seemed like several seconds before Sesshomaru stopped again, safe inside the palace walls. He slowed his pace to a walk as he approached the castle steps, holding her tightly against his chest.

The warmth of his body calmed Rin, and soon, she found herself drifting to sleep in his arms. She felt so safe when she was close to him. So safe.

Sunlight awoke Rin, and she sat up quickly, looking about.

Her covers lay at the foot of her bed, kicked off at some point during the warm night, and her sleeping robe stuck to her back with perspiration. She grimaced, knowing if her lord walked upon her as she was, she would be beyond embarrassed.

She stood, undoing the tie at her waist. The robe fell to a heap on her bed roll as she moved to a small bowl a servant had brought to the room earlier that morning. Rin dipped her hand in the water and was pleased to find it was still warm. Seizing the small cloth hanging over the side of the bowl, Rin washed herself the best she could. Once she was satisfied that she was clean, she opened the drawer of the small table and retrieve a bottle of scented oil.

She removed the cork, and placing two fingers over the mouth of the bottle, tilted it quickly. She then brought the fingers to her throat, touching both sides lightly before pressing her fingers to her opposite wrist. She rubbed both wrists together, spreading the oil further.

Rin knew the oil would only work temporarily, but as long as it gave her some time with her lord.

Dressing quickly, Rin left for her lord's study. When she knocked lightly, he called her in.

"Good morning, Lord Sesshomaru." Rin said brightly as she bowed. When she straightened a large smile had settled over her face, but as she looked upon her lord, it vanished.

Something about his eyes caused an image to flash in her mind. Water? A cool spring. Warmth?

"Lord Sesshomaru." Rin's voice was soft as she remembered, lowering her face as a blush covered her cheeks. She felt suddenly embarrassed. Surely, it had been a dream. Her lord would never—

"Rin, do you wish to visit the spring again?"

Rin's eyes moved to her lord's, wide, as she took in a sharp breath. It hadn't been a dream.

His eyes were calm as he waited for her answer. It would determine many things.

Rin suddenly smiled at her lord.

"Very much, my lord."