Author's Note: Rin is in her late teens/ early twenties. This is not lolicon. This story is inspired by Jack Ingram's Measure of a Man. I highly recommend listening to the song before or while reading the story.

Measure of a Man

What makes a man a man?

Standing on that clifftop overlooking the ocean, watching as his noble father's blood reddened the snow, he thought he knew. It is power and conquest that make a man. As his father rushed into battle to save the woman he loved and her unborn child, he left his son with a question.

'Have you someone to protect?'

He had thought the question ridiculous and had hated his father for his foolish choice.

How wrong he had been.

200 years had passed and his anger was still burning as hot as the day his father had died.

He had fought with his half brother many times trying to aquire his father's powerful fang. Every attempt had failed.

It was one such battle that had led him to her.

Go figure.

The brother he had never wanted, had spent the first 200 years of his life hating, had inadvertently led him to her.

She had sparked his interest, showing him kindness when he showed her anything but.

He debated internally for years whether it was curiosity or gratitude that moved him to revive her.

In the end, he supposes it doesn't matter.

He protected her and she showed him a whole new world.

Looking back, he sees how narrow-minded he was.

He sees now that he needed her as much as she needed him.

He left her in that priestesses' village for her own protection. Naraku may have been gone, but his lands needed to readjust to him being back and it would cause unrest for some years.

He had been able to rest a little easier knowing that his brother and his friends resided in the village and would be able to protect her when he was not there.

He tried to be there as often as he could with his growing empire. He noticed that with each visit, she was growing as well.

He always brought a gift. It wasn't until she was older that he understood that he was not doing it simply to provide for his ward. Truly, once she entered the old priestess' care she was no longer his ward. He realized that he wanted to give back to her some of the goodness she had brought into his life. He also realized as his visits grew further and further apart, that he feared she would forget him.

It was not until his last visit that he discovered how foolish that fear was.

He had been gone for a year, the longest he had ever been away from her. He was pushing Jaken and AhUn to their limits in his hurry to return to her.

She had blossomed while he was away. When he had last seen her she was a lanky teenager, awkward while still trying to grow into her body.

She was lovely enough to be a princess, far fairer than any demoness he had ever seen and much more deserving of such a title. She had sun- kissed skin, flowing mahogany hair, curves in all the right places, and two large pools of chocolate he could lose himelf in. She was truly a beauty.

He stayed longer than he originally intended. Even with the truce, he would not normally spend so much time near his brother. But, he found that he would do anything for Rin., He had stayed a week. Never in his life had he spent so much time in a human village. And never had he imagined that he would enjoy it. Every waking hour was spent with Rin.

Whether it was spending hours discussing a multitude of subjects or simply enjoying the silence in each other's company, every moment she could spare he spent with her. The more time he spent with her, the more he craved her presence.

It was not that he could not live without her, he simply did not want to. When it came time for him to leave he gave her his gift, two pearl studded hair combs. He could not hold back a smile as she thanked him profusely as she admired them. Before giving his farewell she asked him if possible, not to stay away so long this time. He knew as he walked away that she wouldn't forget him.

The next time he returned, he asked for her hand. He had spent the weeks away mulling over the situation and putting the last of his prejudices to bed. He had given her a beautiful crecent moon pendant as an engagement gift.

They had been married a year whn she had told him he was going to be a father. He and his brother had finally truly made peace and were acting as brothers should. His hatred and prejudices put to rest, he was finally able to accept his brother for the strong warrior that he had become. All thanks to his Rin.

Nine months later as he held his newborn son while his wife rested, he looked up to the full moon and then looked back to his son.

And it finally set in how far he had come since that final cliffside conversation with his father. All the battles won and lost, all the lessons learned, especially the ones learned the hard way.

He looked back up to the moon.

'Father, I finally understand. It was not power that I needed.'

He looked back in the room towards his sleeping wife and then to the bundle in his arms.

'I, Sesshomaru, have something to protect… and to love. '

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Check out my other InuYaha fics! I am currently working on another SessRin fic titled 10 Years. Please check it out and give me feedback!