Summary: ONESHOT. She never even noticed how the majority of the village children stayed away from her because of the great dog demon that visited her once every month. She didn't care, as long as she could see his warm golden eyes smile down at her. Sesshoumaru/Rin friendship.

A/N: Firstly, I want to give a shoutout to Spellbound aka Soragirl4ever, wherever she may be in life these days. I like to think we were friends back when we were both active fanfiction writers, and it saddens me that she's no longer on fanfiction. Good luck with everything, girl, and I hope you're out there achieving great things!

Anyway. This is a cute, if pointless, little idea that came to me. It was a lot of fun to write, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it ^^

Yoriko, Tori, and Shinta are characters I made up for the benefit of the story. I hope I used appropriate male names!

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply~

A Field of Yellow Daisies

"Thank you, Yoriko-sama!" enigmatic Rin chirped, beaming with the basket-full of herbs from far-away lands that the man in question had acquired for her training as an herbalist and a healer. She bowed low at the waist in respect, and then turned to bow at the man that accompanied Yoriko as well. Yoriko and his companion, in turn, inclined their heads to her and to the elderly woman at her side.

Then she was off again, bounding away with a cheer that none but a child could possibly possess in trying times such as these, her old guardian trailing after her.

Yoriko smiled fondly at the girl's retreating back, which gave rise to a chuckle from his companion, the wandering merchant that had stopped in this region to do business.

"A charming young lady, that one." He studied her, noting her manners as she passed and greeted other villagers, helping with the occasional small chore as she waited for the older miko to catch up to her at a slower pace, and spreading her happiness throughout the village.

She was exquisitely and expensively dressed, more so than any of the other women and local spoiled girls combined. Yet despite how she dressed, she seemed to care little for her appearance as she bounded and played carelessly, unconcerned for the dirt that stained the bottom hem of the elegant purple yukata, decorated with a flower pattern that spoke of great seamstresship.

"She will make a fine wife someday."

Yoriko laughed. "That she will, Tori-san, if all of the village boys weren't deathly afraid of her."

"Afraid of her?" Tori shook his head disbelievingly. "But she's a mere child. She looks harmless."

"Oh, she is. But the demon that guards her—that one is not so harmless."

Tori threw a glance at the old woman that was at the girl's side when she retrieved her herbs from Yoriko earlier, who was now laughing together with the girl over something. Doubt was clear on his face when he said, "You don't mean to tell me that old woman is a demon?"

Amusement lit up Yoriko's eyes at the travelling merchant's disbelief. Oh, how he loved to tell this story to passerby. There was no effort put into hiding his amusement when he said, "No, Kaede-sama just cares for little Rin while she resides in the village. In reality, the Taiyoukai of the West has claimed her as his ward."

"The demon in the west?" Tori's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. He had heard several tales of that particular demon; many armies of both human and demon origin is said to have fallen before him over the centuries he had spent protecting his lands. His strength preceded many, of that there was no doubt, and all those who knew of him and valued their lives stayed out of his way. To even consider that this great demon would take in a human girl? Unthinkable!

Tori shook his head in disbelief. "You're not serious?"

Oh, the satisfaction Yoriko felt at the surprised reaction. He grinned, nodding. "That I am."

"Is it not safer then to dispose of the girl?" Again Tori glanced at the girl, less now with fondness and more now with fear. Such youth, such innocence. But a mortal danger to those around her if she was under the watchful eye of such a great demon.

And yet, Yoriko dismissed his concerns with the wave of a hand. "Sesshoumaru is no threat to the villagers. He only ever comes to visit Rin, and then he is off again. He barely pays the rest of us any mind, not that we truly wish otherwise." Yoriko grimaced with a shudder—the first logical reaction he has had yet, in Tori's opinion. "He is a strong and fearsome youkai, after all."

"But the poor village boys . . .," continued Yoriko.

It was true, the village boys—and the girls as well, for that matter—were deathly afraid of Rin. They weren't always, of course. At first, they were merely curious and cautious of the appearance of the young girl that had been brought here by a demon, and now resided with old Kaede in her hut.

Soon, though, Rin's happy smile and kind looks had the other children her age approaching her and playing with her in between their respective chores and training. She made fast friends amid the girls, and acquired young suitors among the boys in no time.

The first of which was Shinta, a boy only a few years Rin's senior, that had his innocent heart set on the girl with a fierce case of young love. For day on end, he spent every waking moment between his responsibilities with her, helping her with whatever occupied her hands and playing with her and her friends.

Two weeks after their blossoming young love—on his side, at least—started, he began bringing the clueless little Rin bouquets of flowers that he had picked himself at the edge of Inuyasha's forest.

"Rin-chan, this is for you!" Shinta had declared, voice too high with nervousness to be deemed as romantic in his opinion, handful of flowers shoved under Rin's nose.

But Rin didn't notice; her attention was solely on the bouquet of assorted flowers—consisting of white lilies, wild peonies, and purple lilacs—and her face lit up with a smile so bright and genuine that little Shinta's heart soared. After all, if there was one thing to his knowledge that Rin loved more than anything else the village could offer her, it was flowers.

She accepted the bouquet happily. "Thank you, Shinta-kun!" she chirped, and started dancing away in the direction of her next chore, giggling and counting the flowers clutched in her hand.

He continued bringing her flowers every day, making sure to collect a variety of beautiful and striking flowers, and she never seemed to tire of them—just like he never tired of seeing her face light up with delighted smiles every single time.

One day, after about a week of gifting the girl with flowers daily, Shinta caught Rin bounding urgently—but excitedly—in the direction of the village border. He easily caught up with her, clutching the sleeve of her old checkered kimono.

"Rin-chan!" he called. She stopped beside him, and his heart stuttered when she turned her ecstatic smile on him as though he had already gifted her with today's flowers.

He did so now, shoving the bouquet of scarlet roses that his father had to help him acquire due to their scarcity in the area into her hands. "For you," he muttered, more embarrassed than usual for some reason.

Rin's eyes briefly sparkled as she took them from him, chirping a happy "Shinta-kun, thank you! They're so beautiful!" before she seemed to already forget about his gift. She glanced in the direction she had been running in and back, looking momentarily torn between taking off and staying with her friend. But then she smiled brightly again.

"Come with me, Shinta-kun!" she ordered, and grabbed his hand before she was again running toward the edge of town.

Shinta was powerless to fight her, letting her drag him after her with a deep blush reddening his cheeks at their interlocked hands.

"He's here!" Rin called over her shoulder to him. "I saw him from Kaede-sama's window! I know he's here!"

He's here? Shinta thought. Who?

He didn't have to wonder for long, though, as the two sprinted up a series of steps and started slowing to a light jog. A few several yards in front of them, the solitary figure of a man, his back to them , came into view.

Not a man, Shinta realised with a start. A demon! The same on with the long, silver hair and flowing white robed that had brought Rin here a month a go!

So engulfed with the sudden fear of the demon's proximity was he, that he barely noticed when they came to a stop and Rin's small hand slid out from his.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin sang, and the demon turned to look at her. His face held no expression, but his golden eyes seemed to warm at her appearance. Rin ran over to his side and, laughing, threw her arms around his legs. "I missed you, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

The demon didn't respond except to gaze down at her fondly, and a hand came out from the confines of his long sleeve to lie upon the girl's head.

"Such disrespect!" the familiar tenor of Jaken grumbled from behind Sesshoumaru at Rin. "You would think that a puny human such as you would learn in a month's time that—oomph!"

The little green imp that was Sesshoumaru's servant's words cut off abruptly as the girl flung herself at him, uncaring for his scolding words. "Jaken-sama! I didn't miss you!"

Jaken thrashed in her grip, sputtering until she let go to beam at them both.

Shinta, still frozen where Rin had left him, almost jumped out of his skin when Rin stood back to look up at the larger demon and say, "Sesshoumaru-sama, this is my friend Shinta-kun," which drew his gaze from the little girl to the trembling human boy a few feet away. His gaze held none of the warmth that they did when looking at her—instead, they were flat and cold, glaring.

"Shinta-kun, this is Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Shinta didn't look back to see the wonder in Rin's eyes as she spoke of him. Instead, he turned on his heels and ran the opposite direction yelling "Demons!" as he went. He almost tripped over his feet when descending the steps, but it didn't slow him in his escape.

"Huh?" Rin murmured, dumbfounded and with a confused frown marring her features. "Shinta-kun, what's wrong?"

The hand that had rested atop Rin's head reached down to smooth the frown from her face, drawing her attention back to Sessoumaru. From behind his fur, his other hand emerged, holding nothing but a single yellow daisy, which he offered her.

The smile that spread over Rin's face was slow and genuine, chasing away the small hint of initial surprise at his gift. Tears filled her eyes when she looked at Sesshoumaru's face. She could easily convince herself that he was smiling at her.

The bouquet of roses that she had still been clutching in one hand fell to her feet, as forgotten as was her retreating human friend, in order to clutch the fragile little flower in both her hands, before she threw herself at Sesshoumaru once more, laughing happily.

Presently, Tori laughed, a sound that originated all the way from his belly at the story Yoriko had recounted.

Yoriko laughed with the merchant. "Needless to say, it was the last time Shinta brought her flowers." He sobered and smiled, still amused, yet again fond at the reminder of Rin's innocence. "She doesn't seem to mind, though. She is happy living with old Kaede-sama and playing with those her age that would still approach her." He chuckled again. "And she is happier still at Sesshoumaru's visits. He always brings her a gift of some sort. Something exquisite or simple that she treasures all the same."

"She is indeed a strange girl, that one," Tori noted after his laughter had subsided. "Thank the gods my home is free of such interesting children. Imagine, a human child beloved by a Taiyoukai!"

The tale shared and enjoyed by them both, the men continued with their business. Soon, Tori, the travelling merchant, was off to his next destination—but not before giving the peculiar Rin a curious parting glance.

A/N: Take note that I know nothing of flowers, so I don't know what grows in Japan. I just used the only flower names I know ^^'

Thank you for reading! I hope it wasn't too bad. Please review and let me know if I made any mistakes; any and all advice is more than welcome :o)

I'm still working on an Inuyasha fic; it's slow progress, but I'm real excited about it. I might even get to posting it sometime this year—be on the lookout if you're interested ^^