Instinct

He's told her he loves her, they're ready to be mates, but she wants one thing before the big day. What's he waiting for? One Shot

I don't own Inuyasha

Thirty six season changes and the village had grown just as she had. The villagers new that her time was short lived with them. She was a passing breeze. From the time that she had been a little girl and had been left in the village, she knew that her choice, when she was ready, would always be to be with him. The gifts weren't necessary to keep her in his corner.

As she had grown older she managed to pick up on her lord's behavior. What was obvious was that he was a fighter, a master at determining techniques for easy kills and picking up on patterns of his opponents. But he had one weakness that he could not hide from her. He was void of instinct when it came to matters of the heart.

…..

Sitting on a low branch she watched the children of the village as they played their games, tagging each other and laughing. It wouldn't be long before he would take her away from all of this. She had never really felt like she truly belonged though Inuyasha and his friends had welcomed her with open arms. Her place was always by her lord's side.

She closed her eyes and smiled to herself as a shadow passed over the tree. Opening her eyes she looked down to see him standing against its bark and waiting for her. Maneuvering down, she giggled as she thought about something. This was another of his lovely flaws that she adored. He wasn't at a loss for words because he didn't feel like talking, once she got him started, a good conversation could have lasted from sunrise to sunset.

"Hello my lord."

"Rin…" He acknowledged her. "…you do not have to address me so."

"We are not mated yet my lord and…old habits die hard."

"Even so, I'm requesting it."

"Then it shall be done…under one request of my own."

She pressed her shoulder against his. If she could have called him anything stiffer than a mountain she would have. She wondered if all demons were this rigid when they chose to love.

He relaxed as he glanced her, "What might that be?"

Intertwining her fingers into his she smiled, "just a kiss."

Automatically she noticed a shift. He was thinking too hard. Honestly, she had known it was a shot in the dark, especially with them being out in the open but it was worth a try. She had been trying to steal a first real kiss since they had confirmed that they would be mated more than a month ago.

He seemed to scan the surroundings before he fully turned to face her. She blushed as his face came closer to hers. She closed her eyes as she waited for their lips to touch. At the last second she could feel him shift and before she could tip toe he landed a kiss on her forehead.

"You missed my lips." She pointed to them before she crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground.

"We have company." He spoke as she looked around him.

They witnessed two little ones raceing up the hill toward them, followed by Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Uncle Sesshy-oumaru!" The two little girls called in unison as the youngest held out her arms and he obliged as the other hugged his leg. Rin giggled at her future mate's predicament. It more than made up for the kiss.

"Oh, hi Sesshoumaru…uh sorry." Kagome acknowledged as she gestured the oldest back toward their home and Rin took the other and joined her, leaving the two brothers to talk.

Inuyasha couldn't figure why the girls were always so happy to see him. It must have had something to do with that incident when they got lost in the forest. Sesshoumaru had a knack for picking up kids in distress. Somewhere underneath that stone exterior there must have been a soft spot and the girls had picked up on it.

"I guess it won't be too long now?" Inuyasha started.

"Arrangements are still being made."

"That elaborate huh?"

"Its simply customary."

"Yeah…I guess. Beyond all that, I never thought I'd ask you this, but, you love her right?

"In every way you can define it. Why do you ask?"

"Just make sure you let her know."

"I have told her so. Do you know something I don't?"

"No…she…she wants one thing before you two become mates."

"Oh?"

"For you to kiss her like you mean it." He mumbled out.

"Why would she tell you this?"

"It wasn't me, it was Kagome. She says its all she ever talks about. I could care less."

"Is it that important?"

"To her it is. So is that part of the customary stuff, not to kiss her before?"

"No."

"Then what are you waiting for? I've never seen someone dodge so many advances. It's like you've never kissed a girl or something."

Inuyasha took a minute to think about what he had just said as he looked at his brother.

"You're just not that well-rounded are ya?"

Sesshoumaru found himself ready to change the subject.

"Seriously?" Inuyasha's expression changed to slight shock.

"When we're mated it will not matter." Sesshoumaru started.

"Oh, she's human, it will."

"What do you suggest then?"

Inuyasha half laughed at the thought of his older brother asking him for advice, but he wasn't going to leave him out to drown, if at least for Rin's sake.

"Alright look, first of all, you're gonna have to relax. The last thing the girl wants to do is kiss a wall. If you can do that everything else takes care of itself through instinct. You won't have to think about it when the time is right. Oh and whatever you do, resist the urge to lick her. There'll be time enough for that later. I'm guessing you'll need advice on that too but we'll talk more when you get past the kiss."

Sesshoumaru bit his tongue at the intermingling of sarcasm through the advice. It was best not to cut down the bridge until you crossed it the amount of times you needed to. This was one time he couldn't retaliate. His father had died before that conversation which had only left trial and error as an option of learning and instead of risking failure he had just decided to wait.

…

The ceremony was only two days away now as they walked along the stream toward a small pond. Rin listened to every bird's chirp and watched every butterfly that floated by. She wanted to remember this last walk through Inuyasha's forest and she wanted to make it memorable for her, soon to be mate, as well.

She stopped him as she released her hand from his grasp and stepped in front of him. She looked over her shoulder as she backed up to the edge of the pond.

Smiling she started. "My lord, I wish to entertain you with a dance that I have prepared with the honored gift you gave me."

He tilted his head to the side and half smirked at her. She was still young in so many ways. He half scolded himself for not waiting another year but her mind would have remained unchanged. It had been hard enough making her wait until she was sixteen.

Picking up the kimono so that it exposed her feet, she stepped out of the sandals and into the water. Sesshoumaru took his seat near the edge as he watched her take out the fan that he had presented to her upon her acceptance of the engagement. The gold background was decorated with the illusion of flowing waters and petals of flowers floating on its surface.

She waited as she listened to the birds singing around her as she shielded her face just below her eyes with the fan. Gracefully she began the movements, telling a story of her joy. Each one so meticulously planned with care. A flaw was not acceptable. She waved the fan about, outlining and fluttering it up her body, flirting with him. She moved so gently that anything less would have left the waters completely undisturbed. Flipping the fan she caught it and gracefully brought it to her chest, finishing in a delicate pose fit for a lady of the west.

"Beautiful."

She blushed as the word escaped from his mouth.

"Thank you my lord." She bowed.

"Your welcome my lady."

"My lord…" She was cut off as he addressed her back sarcastically.

"My lady?"

"Sesshoumaru…"

"That is much better." He nodded for her to continue.

"…do you remember what happened the first time we met?"

"You offered me food and water when I was injured as I recall."

She shook her head.

"hn?"

"Should I remind you my…love?"

"Please enlighten me." He closed his eyes waiting for her soothing voice to begin its story.

Bending down, Rin smirked. Perfect timing.

Sesshoumaru was thrown off when a wave of water came crashing down on him. For a minute he sat drenched and then it donned on him that, past the growling, she had in fact poured water over his head when they first met.

"…Rin…you cannot be a lady of the west, performing these kinds of acts…" He removed the soggy mokomoko from his shoulder and rung it out.

Rin's expression flattened as she lowered her eyes, she hadn't meant any harm, "I'm sorry, it was childish of me to…". She didn't finish before she, herself was thoroughly drenched.

"…in front of anyone else." He finished as he got up and she shrieked as he gave chase.

Both turned the shallow water into a game of cat and mouse. Rin did her best to stay one step out of his grasp. The game would only last as long as he wanted it to since he wasn't doing much more than walking but that wouldn't stop her from taunting him. She would get close enough to be caught and just as he would move to grab her she'd run. The game ended with one of her taunts and a run when she proceeded to run dead into his arms when she turned around.

He looked at the young woman in his arms. She held a beauty that withstood everything. The bun of hair hung loosely with escaping strands as others hung about her face. Light shades of pink highlighted all the right places as a droplet of water ran down to the tip of her nose. Looking into her eyes he watched her close them slowly, he couldn't resist the temptation. He could feel his instincts take over making him want to taste her beauty. His heart guided him to her. In that moment he knew, a first kiss wasn't something that was taught, it was felt. Everything seemed to mesh, the moment was right as he placed his lips against hers.

She could feel her body shiver. A warmth built in her heart telling her that everything was right, they were meant for each other. She gripped the spikes of his armor encouraging it to go on a little longer. Every moment was a reoccurring miracle. Flowers bloomed anew, the animals of the forest became still and time stopped just for them. Nothing else mattered.

Parting, they leaned in against each other. He observed the simple satisfaction that washed over her, leaving her speechless. He could have shouted her name a thousand times and she would have never heard him. But he himself now understood the wonders of a kiss. For he was left just as speechless as she was. The softness of her lips and the simple warmth that she exuded was without rival. He had never experienced anything like it. Not even Inuyasha and Kagome's scents being less than ten feet away could interrupt this first kiss!

I'm sure we all know that Inuyasha is an experienced kisser so I liked the thought of putting Sesshoumaru in the novice position :P

Let me know what you think!