"Luck is only important insofar as getting the chance to sell yourself at the right moment.

After that, you've got to have talent and know how to use it."

Frank Sinatra ~

Accidents have a way of changing your life and you just had to learn to adapt to the changes brought to your life whether they be good or bad. It was a fact of life that couldn't be changed and no one knew this better than Sesshoumaru Taisho. A freak accident after work had left him hospitalized in one of the finest hospitals in the city and hating every second he spent there. His step mother and sister in law had taken it upon themselves to cheer him up and spent the majority of their time at his bedside chattering about inconsequential things that Sesshoumaru neither knew about nor cared about. Later in the evening, his brother and father would stop by to take away to two women who had become the bane of his life and to check up on him, but neither of them was terribly worried about him, knowing that he would soon be back to normal now that his condition was steadily getting better.

When left to his own devices, Sesshoumaru found that the hospital wasn't actually as bad as he constantly told his family and was in fact very peaceful. From his room, he had a clear view of the reception and waiting area and there was always something going that would catch his attention, even very late at night. It was truly a hive of activity, but given that it was a hospital, he supposed that that was to be expected. However, despite the fact that the place wasn't as bad as he had initially thought, he still resented the fact that he was kept there when he was convinced that he could recuperate just as well in his own home and as a result, Sesshoumaru was frequently bad tempered which inevitably scared the nurses and sometimes even unnerved the doctors as well. Many of the nurses he saw never came back a second time, but Sesshoumaru began to find it amusing to see how many of the nurses he could scare.

It was amusing to see their faces pale and then watch them flee from the room in search of a doctor to deal with his ill temper. Sesshoumaru was not a bad tempered man by nature, in fact he was generally very calm despite having the short temper that seemed to run in his family. He was quiet and polite to those he deemed worthy of being in his presence, but was hated by some for his occasional arrogance. However, despite his serene appearance, the nurses in the hospital all agreed that his temper was just a frightening as the glares he directed at everyone that stepped foot in his room, even his own family. Several doctors had simply refused to treat him on account of being fearful of both him and his family, but eventually only one was brave enough to be in the same room as him. Unfortunately for this doctor though, not many of the nurses were as brave as him.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru had been in the hospital for going on two weeks. The first week he had been mainly unconscious and had very little memory of anything after the accident, but the last week had been nearly excruciating for him. He was used to having his independence and now he was forced to rely on the staff because of his injuries. The only change of scenery he had was when he had been moved from the intensive care unit to the room he currently shared with another man who had apparently fallen off some scaffolding at work and broken several bones in his leg. The man was polite but didn't try to make much conversation, something that Sesshoumaru was very grateful for. There was nothing he hated more than trying to make conversation when he didn't want to.

He struggled to sleep in the strange environment and was usually awake when the night nurses came around for their rounds. Predictably, they shied away from him and kept their distance and attention on the room's other occupant, knowing that if Sesshoumaru required their attentions he would ask for it. Eventually though, Sesshoumaru began to grow tired of what had previously amused him and was left with little to occupy his restless mind.

It was late one night and Sesshoumaru lay in bed staring at the ceiling, praying for sleep to claim him and ease his boredom. He was beginning to think that sleep would never come when he heard a quiet sound from across the room and he sat up and looked towards the room's other occupant through the dim light. The man was tossing and turning in his bed as though having a nightmare of some sort and Sesshoumaru was about to dismiss the man's actions when he watched a particularly violent movement that nearly sent the man falling off the side of his bed. Raising an elegant silver eyebrow, Sesshoumaru watched the man's movements grow increasingly more violent and then eventually decided that he would not get any sleep if this carried on and no doubt the man would end up hurting himself in one way or another.

Leaning back against his pillows, Sesshoumaru looked through the slightly open door towards the nurses' station just across the corridor, hoping to catch someone's attention. There were only three people stationed across the corridor. One was a man who was obviously dosing in his chair with his legs crossed on the desk in front of him. An older woman sat in the corner, knitting and talking quietly with the other nurse nearby. This one was also a woman although much younger than the first, but Sesshoumaru couldn't see her face as it was hidden by the large book propped up on the desk in front of her. Sighing in frustration, he reached for the button to call one of them to the room when he realised that none of them were looking his way. He watched in amusement as the older woman looked up and glanced toward his room with a look of trepidation before whispering something to her colleagues. The man was clearly uninterested and merely shifted into a more comfortable position in his chair while the younger woman had yet to look up from her book. There was a quiet conversation before the younger woman got to her feet and closed her book with a snap.

Sesshoumaru looked away and turned his attention back to the man still tossing and turning in his bed, glad that someone was going to sort the problem out for him. The door opened quietly and the bright light from the corridor illuminated the room for a moment before the nurse closed the door slightly and approached his bed. In the dim light, Sesshoumaru could see that she was a lot younger than he had expected. She gave him an uneasy smile as she stopped beside the bed.

"I-Is there s-something the matter?" she stammered quietly, a frown creasing her forehead as she looked him over quickly.

"That man is going to injure himself," Sesshoumaru replied and gestured towards the bed on the other side of the room.

The nurse looked at him for a moment longer before her gaze shifted to the other man. Her eyes widened when they landed on him and she hurried over to his side. Sesshoumaru watched as the woman woke the man with gentle nudges and words that he couldn't hear. The man looked around the room with a slightly disorientated look but nodded as the nurse explained the situation to him. He nodded his thanks at Sesshoumaru before turning over in his bed as best he could and going back to sleep. The young woman looked uncertainly at the man for a moment before her gaze returned to Sesshoumaru and nodded at him before making her way out the door.

Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru tried to listen to the quiet conversation being held on the other side of the door before eventually giving up and going back to staring at the ceiling. After a few minutes, his head rolled on the pillow and looked out the door which the nurse had left slightly open. Sitting at the nurses' station were the three people he had seen earlier, the man was still asleep in his chair and the nurse who had just left his room dropped down into her seat after speaking briefly with the older woman. Sesshoumaru watched as she settled down into her chair and reached over to a nearby table to pick up the book she had been reading. From this distance, he couldn't see the title, but it was obvious by the way she eagerly turned the pages that it held her attention. She propped it up on the desk in front of her as she turned away from her companions and her gaze drifted over to the room Sesshoumaru occupied. Seeing him looking out, the woman smiled at him briefly before dropping her gaze to the book.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The days passed and soon Sesshoumaru's room mate was leaving albeit on crutches, but Sesshoumaru envied him. Now left alone, he began to wonder why he was being kept here if when he felt perfectly fine. His family seemed to have sensed this as well since they no longer felt the need to visit every day, something he was very grateful for now that he didn't have to listen to Kagome and Izayoi's inane babble all day. Every so often a nurse would come into the room hesitantly and make sure everything was in order before making a hasty exit, once again leaving him alone.

Sighing, Sesshoumaru watched as the most recent nurse made a quick exit and closed the door behind her with a snap. He swore he could almost hear her breathe a sigh of relief on the other side and smirked to himself as he wondered why they still feared him when he hadn't given them any reason to fear him lately. He still gave them cold glares, but that couldn't be helped as it had become something of a habit since he was admitted to the hospital. It had actually begun to annoy him that he was always alone with no entertainment with nurses who were too scared to do their jobs properly. Heaving another sigh, he leaned back and stared out the windows at the lush greenery outside, wishing that he could be out there and not stuck indoors, confined to a bed.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention and he recognised the white coat of a doctor at the foot of his bed. There was a smaller figure, obviously a nurse, beside the doctor, but he paid the nurse no attention, knowing that she would probably turn tail and run if he looked at her.

"You're progressing well, Mr Taisho," the doctor said with a smile as he looked at his patient who glared at him ferociously.

"Does that mean I can leave soon?" Sesshoumaru asked, trying to keep the hope from his voice.

"Not yet, I'm afraid. You were seriously injured when you came here, you know." The doctor put aside his clipboard and sat down on the edge of the bed as the nurse made sure everything was in order. "From what your family tells me, you work too hard. Therefore, I'll be keeping you here until you were well enough to work again which I have no doubt will be the first thing you will do when you are released."

"What exactly is wrong with me?"

"Aside from the obvious fractured wrist and bruising, you had several broken ribs as well as some internal bleeding. We were quite worried that you weren't going to wake up while you were in the intensive care unit."

Sesshoumaru frowned, not having known that his injuries had been that bad. Sighing for the third time, he knew that the doctors were merely acting in his best interests, but that didn't stop him from being completely and utterly bored. He returned his gaze to the doctor who smiled at him.

"If there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable, please tell me. Or tell Ms Nakamura as she'll be your nurse until such time as you scare her away," the man said with amusement.

"I'm fine, can I not leave?"

"Not unless you want a nurse living with you and daily visits from me."

Sesshoumaru wrinkled his nose lightly at the thought. "Is there nothing interesting to do around here? I'm slowly dying of boredom."

"I'm sure we can come up with something to alleviate your boredom, Mr Taisho. If you have any suggestions, please discuss it with your nurse."

Without another word, the doctor nodded at his patient and got to his feet, leaving the room in silence. Sesshoumaru looked at the door that had just closed for a moment and considered the man's suggestion before his gaze turned to the figure standing beside his bed, also staring at the now closed door. Much to his surprise, the nurse was the very same one he had seen the other night when his room mate had been having a nightmare. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts, but jumped in surprise when he cleared his throat and her eyes widened as they landed on him.

"I was under the impression you only worked night shifts," Sesshoumaru commented blandly as he didn't remember her ever being around during the day.

"T-There's a s-staff shortage," the woman stuttered nervously, her hands clasped tightly. "I p-prefer the night s-shift."

Sesshoumaru nodded and looked her over, glad of the light that flooded in from the large windows beside his bed. Her small hands were clasped so tightly that he could see her knuckles turn white and he surmised that she was either nervous around him or was of a nervous disposition that he would no doubt worsen.

"Is the stutter something you've always had or because you're dealing with a problem patient?"

"I've a-always had a s-stutter," the nurse replied with a blush and looked down at her hands before looking up at him with a frown. "A-Are you r-really a problem p-patient?"

"I'm sure your colleagues would say that I am."

"I s-see."

There was silence between them as the woman tidied the room and fluffed his pillows before opening the window slightly to let the cool breeze into the stuffy room. She stood at the window looking out for a few minutes before turning back to face him.

"W-Well if t-there's n-nothing else I can do f-for y-you, I'll t-take my leave now. P-please don't h-hesitate to ask f-for anything y-you need."

Sesshoumaru watched with a raised eyebrow as the nurse left quietly after her stuttering speech. He found her intriguing as most of the other nurses who had been here had fled after the doctor's departure, but she didn't seemed bothered by the reputation he had built up among her colleagues. It would only be a matter of time before her nervous disposition got the better of her and she surrendered him to a more competent nurse that much was for sure, but Sesshoumaru had to wonder what had possessed her to decide on becoming a nurse.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

In the days that followed, Sesshoumaru found that his nervous nurse did not do as he had predicted and had in fact become the only nurse who was capable of putting up with his mood swings and cold glares. They did not have long conversations; in fact they rarely spoke at all except for hello and goodbye. She visited him with every meal and a couple of other times outside the meal times, but she had stopped her night shifts since becoming his nurse. Despite now having a permanent nurse, Sesshoumaru found that he was still just as bored as before and that his days were spent staring out the window as best he could from his seat in bed. He wished that he could be outside in the sunshine with everyone else.

Almost as though she could sense his boredom, the nurse walked through the door for his usual afternoon check up and gave him a slight smile as she approached. Sesshoumaru watched idly as she went through the usual routine and sat back obediently after she had arranged his pillows.

"I-Is there anything else y-you n-need?" she stammered quietly, wringing her hands in a familiar gesture.

"Can I not go outside?"

"Outside?!" she exclaimed, surprising Sesshoumaru by completing a sentence without a stammer. "You can't go outside!"

"Why not?"

"It's winter! It looks sunny, but it's freezing. Besides, if the doctor found out I took you outside, I'd be fired straight away."

Sesshoumaru sat quietly and watched the woman as she calmed down from the panic he had unintentionally put her in. Her brown eyes were wide and her face slightly flushed and Sesshoumaru had to admit that she looked quite attractive in her slightly distressed state. There was a soft melodic quality to her voice when she spoke without her stutter that sent a shiver racing down his spine and he could only wonder why she stuttered so much. Amber eyes watched as her own closed and she took several deep breaths before she opened her eyes again.

"I-I apologise," she murmured. "T-That w-was v-very unprofessional."

"You're stuttering again."

"I-I always s-stutter."

"When you were berating me, you didn't stutter once." Sesshoumaru watched as she tried to form a response but failed. Eventually, he decided to take charge. "Are you busy?"

"N-No, my s-shift is o-over."

"Will you sit with me?"

The nurse stared at him for a moment, completely stunned by his request. "B-But y-your family…"

"Is not coming today. I will surely die of boredom without any company," Sesshoumaru stated, hoping that his exaggeration would persuade her.

"A-As you w-wish. I-I need t-to change f-first. I-I'll return s-shortly."

Pleased with himself, Sesshoumaru leaned back against his pillows and watched as she walked over to the nurses' station and wrote something in a book that lay on one of the desks before disappearing around the corner. The petite woman intrigued him even more now that he knew she didn't stutter when she was upset and that she was quite pretty. Just as he was hoping that she hadn't just run away despite of his request, the door opened and she stepped through. His eyes widened as he looked at her, not used to seeing her dressed in something other than her uniform. Her legs looked long in the jeans that she wore, despite her short stature and her upper body was clad in a pale purple shirt under a black jacket. As he watched her approach, Sesshoumaru decided to retract his earlier thoughts of her being pretty. She was stunning.

"W-Was there a-anything in p-particular t-that you w-wanted to talk about?" she asked as she sat down in the chair beside his bed and crossed her legs elegantly.

"You've been my nurse for just over a week and I don't know your name."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "R-Rin Nakamura."

"Sesshoumaru Taisho."

"I-I know."

"Why do you stutter, Rin?"

"H-habit." She paused and looked down at her hands. "I-I c-can't understand why no one w-wants to t-treat y-you. Y-you're n-no problem a-at all."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Maybe I behave for you?"

"I doubt it."

"Why?"

"Y-You s-strike me a-as s-someone who d-doesn't m-make exceptions f-for anything."

"I suppose that's a fair assumption, but how do you know I haven't made an exception for you?"

"Y-You don't know m-me," Rin replied simply.

"I want to."

Rin stared at the bedbound man in amazement for a moment, unsure if she had heard him right. There had to be a misunderstanding somewhere, no one who looked like him wanted to get to know someone who looked like her. She was nothing special, she was ordinary and he was about as far away from ordinary as you could get. Eldest son from the wealthiest family in the city, Sesshoumaru Taisho could get whatever he wanted whenever he wanted and no doubt had hundreds of women chasing after him, yet he wanted to get to know her? It made no sense.

"S-Surely y-you jest?" She queried, unable to help herself.

"About wanting to know you?" Rin nodded. "Not at all. I'm not the type to joke about anything."

"Why?"

"You intrigue me," Sesshoumaru announced as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

There was no reply to his statement and Sesshoumaru wondered if he had perhaps pushed her too far as she sat still in her seat, staring blankly back at him. Frowning, he leaned towards her and was surprised when she slumped back in her chair, shaking her head as though she couldn't believe what was happening. Brown eyes rose to meet his and he could see a sudden vulnerability that hadn't been there moments before. Curious, he tilted his head to one side and looked at her carefully.

"I-Is there a-any reading m-materials t-that you want m-me t-to bring t-tomorrow?" Rin asked quickly, trying to shake images of the handsome man from her head.

"You can do that?"

"O-of course. Y-you o-only need t-to tell m-me what y-you want and I-I'll bring t-them."

Sesshoumaru took the pen and paper that she offered and hastily wrote down the titles of a couple of books and his preferred newspaper in his elegant script before handing it back to her. Rin looked over the list and nodded, tucking the paper away into the breast pocket of her jacket.

"Do you ever speak without a stutter?" he asked suddenly.

"W-Why d-do you concern y-yourself w-with it?" Rin countered, looking him in the eye.

"I've never met anyone with a stutter before."

Rin frowned for a moment and looked down at her hands. "I-I can, b-but it requires a l-lot of effort a-and I f-find m-myself unable t-to c-concentrate o-on b-both my s-speech a-and what I'm t-trying to s-say."

"Maybe if you practice it'll become easier?"

"Perhaps."

"Try practicing now."

"W-Why would y-you h-help me?" Rin asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I enjoy the company of someone other than my family and I have nothing else to do."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It soon became routine for Rin to spend the afternoon with Sesshoumaru after her shift and eventually both of them found themselves looking forward to the few hours they would spend together. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and after only a week spent getting to know each other; Sesshoumaru was given the all clear by his doctor.

"You're free to go, Mr Taisho," the doctor said with a smile and handed him the release forms to sign.

"Really?"

"You injuries are not entirely healed, so I must ask that you be careful. However, you are now able to return to work if you wish."

Nodding dumbly, Sesshoumaru promised to sign the papers that sat on his lap and watched as the doctor let with a smile and a wave, saying something about hoping they never met again in such circumstances. He heard nothing of what the man said but looked around the room in dismay when he found that Rin was not with him. It struck him as strange since Rin always came in with the doctor, but as she didn't need to check his injuries, he supposed there was no reason for her to be there. Still, he felt slightly disappointed although he wasn't entirely sure why.

"Is Rin Nakamura around?" Sesshoumaru asked when he handed in the release forms he had been given.

"She's been put back on night shifts," the receptionist said with a vague smile at the handsome man before her.

"I see. Could you see that she gets these please?"

The receptionist looked at the small pile of books that he placed on the desk and nodded silently, watching as Sesshoumaru nodded his gratitude before heading out the door to where his family were waiting for him. Shrugging off the man's strange behaviour, the receptionist placed a note with Rin's name on it on top of the books and put them near the nurses' station where she would no doubt find them.

Sure enough, that very night Rin found the books that she had bought and lent Sesshoumaru sitting in a neat pile. She smiled sadly as she looked through the titles and thought of the man who had become her friend. Sighing, she looked round the corridor and her gaze fell on the room that he had occupied. There was no questioning the fact that they would never meet again and a part of her couldn't help but be sad when she realised that. Her speech had improved a lot since she had started talking to him after work and she was disappointed that she never got the chance to thank him. Rin sat down heavily in her usual seat and began to pack the books away into her bag. A single sheet of paper fell from one of the books and she frowned as she leaned down to pick it up. Reading the brief note quickly, her frown soon turned to a smile as she folded the paper up and tucked it away in her pocket.

The next day, Rin stood in front of a small café near the centre of the city and looked around nervously. The place was clearly favoured by those had a lot more money than she did and she felt very out of place as she took in the fancy clothing and perfect manners of the people around her. She had just begun to wonder if this was really a world she wanted to be associated with when a hand landed on her shoulder causing her to jump in surprise. Spinning around, Rin came face to face with none other than Sesshoumaru Taisho. He looked down at her from his great height and nodded a greeting before guiding her into the café, nodding or waving at people he knew.

"I-It was u-unexpected to find that n-note in the book," Rin murmured as she stirred her tea, trying to find any excuse not to look into her companions piercing amber eyes.

"I didn't know how else to contact you."

"W-Why would you w-want to? I-I was just y-your nurse."

"You're stuttering again," Sesshoumaru said quietly as he wondered how to reply to her question. "I told you before. You intrigue me, Rin."

Rin shook her head at him and smiled before taking a sip of her tea. Sesshoumaru watched the graceful movement and marvelled at how perfect her features were. He wondered how he could have missed them before when they seemed so obvious. Her almond shaped eyes were brown and seemed to shine with her every emotion while her plump pink lips looked very soft and very tempting as he watched her pop a grape into her mouth. He could imagine how those lips would feel against his own just as he could imagine what it would be like to have those long, slim fingers running over his skin. Rin turned in her seat as she tried to get comfortable and crossed her legs elegantly, looking at him curiously when the silence seemed to last too long. Sesshoumaru, however, didn't notice how long the silence lasted as his gaze was fixed on her long legs and was imagining what she would look like in a skirt instead of the jeans and annoyingly long uniform she always wore.

"A-Are you alright?" Rin asked with a frown of concern as she noticed his distant expression.

"Fine. Just slightly… preoccupied," Sesshoumaru replied and smirked slightly at the thought of what he had been thinking of only moments ago.

"I see."

"I have a question for you."

Rin raised an eyebrow at the silver haired man sitting opposite her. "Oh?"

"If I were to ask you to have dinner with me, what would you say?"

"I-I'd say t-that's terribly cliché, b-but I'd love to."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin was very nervous, even more so than usual, as she waited for Sesshoumaru to collect her that evening. He wouldn't give her any clues as to where they were going or what they would be doing and had simply told her to wear a dress. Completely baffled by the vague statement, she had searched through her wardrobe and pulled out the prettiest dress she owned and looked at it carefully, wondering if it was suitable for that night. In the end she had simply decided to wear it and now, she stood in her bedroom gazing at her reflection in the mirror. The green dress reached just above her knees and fastened behind her neck with a black ribbon that she hoped would stay in place. Rin was not the most fashion conscious of women and nor was she very knowledgeable on what clothing was suitable for occasions such as this, but she could only hope that she had made the right decision as she slipped her feet into a pair of black stilettos that made her an inch taller. Hearing a knock at the door, she smiled at her reflection, trying to boost her confidence and made her way towards the door.

Before the door opened, Sesshoumaru had been unsure of what to expect, but when it did open, he was sure that his jaw would have dropped if he had been a lesser man. Rin looked incredible. It was a modest dress that he initially thought left a lot to the imagination, but as he looked closer, he realised that he was wrong. The length showed her slim legs off nicely while the bodice clung to her figure in a way that made him want to run his hands along her hour glass curves. There was no cleavage on display, but it was certainly obvious that Rin was far from flat chested and Sesshoumaru had to suppress the urge to grin.

"W-Where are w-we g-going?" Rin asked as she slipped a jacket over her bare shoulders before closing the door behind her.

"My apartment."

"W-What for?"

"Dinner."

Swept along by the charismatic man beside her, Rin was unable to form a response and found herself seated in a car as it sped away through the night towards Sesshoumaru's apartment. She was surprised to find that he didn't live very far away from her and was soon being ushered into a large building and towards an elevator. When the doors finally opened, Sesshoumaru opened the nearest door and stepped back, allowing Rin to enter first. The apartment took her breath away. The living room that she stood in was about the size of her whole apartment and the money spent on one item of furniture was probably enough to furnish her entire home. Her mind struggled to come to terms with the wealth that this man clearly possessed. Her eyes widened as she was led into the dining room moments later. The table had been elegantly decorated and the room was illuminated only by a large pair of candelabras.

"T-This is amazing," she whispered as she looked around.

"Like you."

"I-I'm sorry?"

"You are amazing."

Sesshoumaru advanced slowly towards the woman who stood in the middle of the room, staring at him as though he had just fallen from the sky. She didn't move an inch except to look up at him when he stood in front of her, towering over her petite frame. She still didn't move when he leaned towards her and her eyes widened when he brushed his lips against hers before pulling back to look at her. Reaching up, Sesshoumaru wrapped a strand of her dark hair around his finger, marvelling at how soft it was before releasing it in favour of cupping her cheek with a large hand.

"I know this is very cliché," Sesshoumaru whispered as he leaned down to press a kiss against her exposed shoulder. "But you are amazing."

"I-I don't m-mind clichés," Rin replied softly, allowing her head to be tilted to one side so Sesshoumaru could trail kisses along her neck.

"Good."

Without warning, Sesshoumaru swept Rin off her feet as he made his way into the dimly lit living room where he deposited her gently on the sofa. Kneeling in front of her, he place a hand on either side of her, effectively trapping her against the sofa as he leaned forward to capture her lips once again. After a brief pause, Rin responded eagerly and wrapped her arms around his neck as he ravished her lips. When they parted, she leaned back against the sofa and gave him a smile that was full of promise. The smile caught him off guard and Sesshoumaru was momentarily distracted by the beauty of it until the meaning behind it registered in his mind and he couldn't help the devilish grin that spread across his face. He happily allowed himself to be drawn towards Rin and wrapped both arms tightly around her waist as he took her lips once more, silently promising her a night she would remember.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sunlight drifted through the open curtains and fell across the bed, waking its occupants. Rin's eyes opened slowly and she sighed softly as she looked around, slowly remembering the events from the night before. The arm around her waist tightened as she tried to roll onto her back and a quiet grunt brought a smile to her lips as her gaze fell on the man beside her. Sesshoumaru Taisho was slowly waking up and narrowed amber eyes landed on the woman who lay beside him before he smiled vaguely and pulled her close, burying his face in the crook of her neck. The pair lay in a tangle of sheets and limbs as they quietly contemplated what this would mean for their futures until eventually, Sesshoumaru rolled onto his back and propped himself up on pillows. Rin sighed happily to herself as she snuggled closer into his side, the strong arm around her holding her close.

"I don't normally do that," Rin said quietly after a while.

"Nor I." Sesshoumaru paused and looked down at the woman at his side. "I seem to have found another way to help you stop stuttering," he murmured and nuzzled her neck affectionately.

"So you have."

"It's definitely a method I'm most keen in practising again."

Rin blushed and looked up at him. "That sounds like a good idea."

"I really ought to find the man who shared the room with me at the hospital."

"Why?"

"I need to thank him."

"What for?"

"If he hadn't have had that nightmare, I would never have met you."

"It would seem that it was fated that we meet," Rin replied and kissed the tip of his nose gently as she grinned at him. "Who would have thought a plain woman like me would catch your eye?"

"You're hardly plain and I'm not going to be letting go of you anytime soon."

"I'm glad."

Rin giggled as Sesshoumaru nuzzled her neck again and turned on his side to face her. He trailed kisses down her neck to her shoulder and was about to descend lower when he stopped suddenly and raised his head, pulling away the tangled sheet that covered them. Surprised, Rin looked at him and bit her lip at the intensity of his gaze as it roamed over her nude body intimately pressed against his and her legs entangled with his own. A large hand came up to brush her hair away from her face as Sesshoumaru's gaze returned to her flushed face.

"I don't know much about fate," he whispered, leaning towards her to press a gentle kiss against her lips. "But it was lucky that that man was having a nightmare that night so I would call our meeting a stroke of luck, wouldn't you?"

The question was left unanswered as Rin's lips were captured moments later and she was hard pressed to form a coherent thought, an intelligible response to his question would have been nigh on impossible for her as his lips made their way back down to her chest and his hands trailed down her body. Whether it was fate or luck, she was truly grateful that she met this man and would spend the rest of her life thanking whatever God watched over her for the good fortune she had been blessed with.