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Finally, her time had come.

Rin was lying on a soft futon with the little strength she had left, trying with effort to keep her breathing going. Her breathe was shallow, her pulse was weak, and it became harder and harder for her eyelids to stay open. It would soon be the end. The end for her.

But Rin was lucky, she mused to herself. She had lived longer than she had thought possible. She was eighty-six this years, eleven years older than Kagome when Kagome died. And it had been twenty-four years since her friend had parted this world. Rin thought she was going to die for sure in her sixties like most humans who had been revived by Sesshomaru's sword, but she had exceeded the expectation.

Even though her age may be old, but she still had the look of a thirteen year-old girl, fourteen at most. She had developed into a young woman, the appearance of those who was at their blossom and ready to start a family, a new journey of their life. But Rin's was different because she did not know when she would die. And human would not be happy if she stayed the same age for decades to come. Marrying was not an option to her.

Of course she would jump at the change to be married if the bridegroom were Sesshomaru. She was in love with him all these years, the secret she had kept to herself. She never thought of leaving Sesshomaru's side. She would never marry anyone because she would have to leave him behind.

But Rin was happy even when she was not married. Truly happy. Even if she could not be with her lord the way she wished to be, she was content to be by his side. She dared not to be greedier or ask for Sesshmaru's love because she did not know when she would drop dead.

And finally after living for so many years with that fear, the time had come.

She would die.

But she could not die without seeing Sesshomaru once more time.

Rin had come down with a fever three days ago. Before that, she was as healthy as a horse. No one thought that she could get sick so fast and so deadly. If anyone had known, especially Sesshomaru, he would not have left her side to attention to his important treaty in the South.

Normally Rin would accompany Sesshomaru, but because the task was too dangerous this time, he deemed it was best for her and Jaknen to stay behind. He was schedule to come back in a week.

However, Rin fell sick the second day after Sesshomaru left. The third day, her condition had already became so bad that people could fell death roaming within her room. She too knew she would not last long. That was when Jaken decided to go fetch Sesshomaru. She wanted to see her lord for the last time.

Her fever had gotten from bad to worst. The servants in Sesshomaru's palace had tried their best to keep her comfortable. She had become so weak that opening her eyes was a battle. Only the sheer will and determination to see Sesshomaru one last time kept her going.

Even without a word, Rin could see the sadness on the few demons she had become accustom to that that they too knew she would not be here for long. It was sad parting with them, but she was happy that she would be missed.

The sun slowly reached the horizontal, painting the sky dark purple. The night time was about to start.

Rin shivered as a gust of wind touched her face. The female servant that had been nearby brought her another blanket and closed the opening windows.

Rin murmured thanked tiredly finding it harder and harder to remain focus. Her mind felt foggy, her entire body felt heavy, and she had no strength to lift even a finger. She wanted so badly to close her eyes and rest.

Her final rest.

But she could not go without seeing Sesshomaru one last time.

She wanted to see him.

She had to see him.

A fire of strength stirred and burned inside her, keeping her going once more time. She would wait for Sesshomaru. He should be here soon.

He should be here soon, Rin comforted herself. If Jaken managed to meet with Sesshomaru it would take them about a day to return here. And with Sesshomaru's speed, it could be shorter, unless something happened.

She hoped nothing happen.

She feared she would not be able wait for him. That would be the greatest regret in her life if she died before he came back.

Time was slowly passing by. The sun had set for only about an hour, but she felt like it was years because she had to struggle so hard to stay awake.

Please be here soon, my lord. I want to see you… for the last time. She thought tiredly feeling the veil of fogs threatened to cloud her mind.

Than the door burst open. Rin turned tiredly to see the beautiful demon she had been waiting for standing elegantly at the door.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she murmured softly with a weak smile. He was here.

Sesshomaru stride toward her with grace, his face revealed nothing of the turmoil of his inner emotions.

"Leave us," he ordered coldly to the female servant as well as to Jaken who had just arrived. The little green imp raced after his master long strides and was painting breathlessly only to have the door shut in his face.

He dared not defy his lord, but he hoped he would have the chance to say goodbye to the foolish human girl.

Fat tears screaming rivers down the green imp's eyes.

"Stupid girl!" He muttered as he walked away from the room to give his master's privacy, whipping his tears as he walked. He did not wish to be seen by anyone like this, yet tears kept on falling.

"Lord Sesshomaru," the sick girl called to him. He came to her side and kneeled next to her. His golden eyes spoke volume that only a few souls in the world could interpret, Rin was one. "I'm glad that I got to see you before I go." She smiled at him again.

He could not decide if he loved or hated that smile. Because he would never see it again after this. She would be gone.

Gone.

And nothing could save her.

His hands formed into fists.

After all those years of researches and power conquest, he was powerless against this.

Death!

Death was about to steal his most pride and precious possession from him and yet he could do nothing to protect her.

"This is the way of life, my lord." Rin comforted him, knowing how he had felt. She hoped she could ease his sorrow somehow. She wished she could do something, anything to reduce the pain he was about to go through; the pain she remembered embrace Inuyasha's face at Kagome's funeral. Inuyasha had his children as his main mental support. Not that Sesshomaru would be sad in the same way Inuyasha did, but he would still be sad and she wished there was someone by his side to ease the pain. The pain that the dog demon lord would be too prideful to admit and would have a hard time to cope with.

"My lord."

Sesshomaru's hand came to touch her face lightly, kneeling by herside. She took the chance to cover his hand in her, the action that nearly took all her strength to do. His face remained stoic.

"Please don't be sad. I am happy to have met you and have live for such a long life." Rin smiled, trying to assure him that she was happy and had no regret with her life. That he should not feel too sad to let her go. "I have got so many chances to live when I should have died that day a long time ago. I've got to be with you. You have showered me with happiness."

Sesshomaru only stared at her. His expression did not change.

"We all die my lord. And it is my time to go." She smiled again. Her eyes focus on his, pleading him to be happy after she had left the world. The room fell into silence. And for the next minute, it stayed that way. Until a fit of coughing from the girl interrupt the serene airs.

Sesshomaru reached his free hand to rub her back, the gesture that nearly never done by him. Her small body shook and bended as she continued to cough. Once the girl stop coughing, she was left panting. She felt lightheaded.

"My lord," she started. His eyes held hers, telling her she had his attention.

"Can you…" she hesitated, not sure if she should ask such thing. She knew she was about to die and she should keep it a secret and brought it with her to her grave. But the selfish side of her that rarely existed surfaced.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru encouraged the dying girl. He did not wish for her to hold back anything. Not from him. Not at this moment.

"Can you…" Rin gulped, looking away from him and whispered softly, "Can you… kiss me?"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened a friction in shock; it disappeared as soon as it came, but Sesshomaru never expect this request from her. Yes, he knew about her infatuation toward him. But he never thought her to be so bold.

"I know it is impudent of me to ask such thing of you, my lord," she whispered softly because of her weak state. She was still not looking at him.

"I know I should not even harbor these feelings for you. I am your ward, and a human.

"I understand if you will hate me after this." Rin's body tensed at this phrase. Her already pale face looked even paler. She had been tensed for some time now, but it could still increase which it harder for the girl to breath.

"But I wish for you to know that I have been in love with you for a long time. Please forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru."

The room stood still, even the airs. It was in total dead silence. Even her breathing was had been held.

Her chest contradicted as she tried to fill her lungs with airs: it heavier and harder than it was.

After the confession, Rin dared not look back at the demon she loved. She did not know how he would react to her confession. The silence was slowing eating her. She started to doubt if she should keep it a secret and let it die with her. It would be best that way. She would still remain his ward instead of being hated.

He might hate her for this.

She should not have told him.

She sighed sadly, closing her eyes.

What had she done?

But this could be good too. Because if he came to hate her, he would not be so grieve over her death.

She smiled inwardly at the thought. It gave her some comfort.

After felt like eternity but only a few seconds passed in reality, she felt Sesshomaru's hand on her face, gently turned her to face him.

Rin swallowed, her heart race increased. She was not sure what she would find. She slowly opened her chocolate eyes to meet with his golden orbs. They were soft.

He's not angry. She breathed out the breath she held in relief.

"I'm sorry about the strange request. I think the fever must have gotten to me," she apologized with a silly laugh. She was happy as it was. She should not ask too much out of her lord.

Sesshomaru still looked down at her without a word.

"Please forgot about-" she was about to tell him to forgot about the kiss, but the hand on her cheek stopped her. It caressed her face so gently as if she was precious and he was affair that she would break if he had not touched her with care. His golden eyes were on hers the whole time.

Without another word, he leaned down toward his ward.

Rin held her breath and willed her heart to not stop before his lips touched hers. Her eyes fluttered shut, her cheeks burned up but not from the fever.

Sesshomaru, her handsome lord Sesshomaru, the demon she loved for so long but untouchable was about to kiss her. She was so happy that no word could describe. Even if she died now, she would have no regret.

Then she felt it. His lips brushed against hers.

Instead of a light butterfly kiss as she had expected, his lips linger there. She did not know what to do; not sure what to do. Then his lips started to move against hers. She felt his tongue nudged on her lips. She parted them, welcomed her lord's hot tongue into her warm month. Very gently their tongue danced.

She was happy.

She was not sure that it was the fever or the happiness that made she felt so light and her mind floated as if in the cloud.

Never had she expect to experience such blissed, left alone kissed her lord.

Sesshomaru's hands came to support her, knowing how weak she was.

She wished she could kiss him more, but she pushed the thought away as soon as it came. She should not be too greedy. She was already lucky as it was. She had to accept the reality or she would refuse to accept death. The death that she had come to term with.

She was about to die.

She would never see him again, felt his warmth, or kissed him.

But again, she pushed such thought aside.

She was content at the moment, and that was enough.

Sesshomaru kissed her, the child whom harbored affection toward him for a long time.

He was surprised to be asked to kiss her of all things. Normally he would brush it off, ignored her require and lived on as if it had never been mentioned.

He knew she believed she was in love with him; her emotion was like an open book. But he decided to overlook it because he doubted it might had been born from loneliness. Or because he was the only man in her life.

After they learned Rin had stopped growing, she had stopped associate with other people. She lost faith in them. She was still her friendly and carefree self, but she was never too close or too attach to anyone. When she grew a little taller, her eyes had already been fixed on Sesshomaru to the point that she could not see any other man. As if he was the only men on earth.

She might talked herself into believed that he was the only man for her because he accepted her. All of her.

Would she still looked at him this way had she grew up like a normal human child? If she had the chance to explode with relationships and all the opportunity that offered to her, would she still fixated on the idea of being in love with Sesshomaru?

Maybe she was confused loneliness with love.

Even so, he could not refuse her last wish.

A kiss.

He could risk throwing away his life for her so what was the big deal with just a kiss.

So he kissed her.

However, the knowledge that this was their first and last kiss, their only kiss, made him wanted to make it memorable. Memorable not only for her sake. He did not want it to end.

Because once it ended, so would she.

He kept on kissing her.

Her weak arm managed to wrap themselves around his shoulders. He embraced her with is strong protective arms.

He had sworn he would protect her since a long time ago and yet… all he cold was watched her leave.

He did not want to lose her.

He did not want to let her go.

It had only been eight decades.

It was not enough time yet.

But he knew he had to break the kiss. She needed air.

Sooner or later they would have to bid their farewell. The farewell he never want it to come.

That was when Sesshomaru noticed that something was amidst.

Well, he noticed it as soon as he walked into this room, but did not think too much off it because his whole attention was focused on Rin.

His eyes widened a few centimeters.

How could he of all people did not sense that? It was understandable that his servants might catch on to it, but him? The lord of the western land?

Behind Rin was a green lighting-like in the shape of small tree branches-like coming out of her as if it was her tail.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously at it. Rage riddance out of him in waves.

His sharp clawed hand gasped it and roughly pulled it out of his ward. It let out a sharp ear piercing shriek.

This despicable demon dared to feed on his ward's life energy?! It was the reason why Rin had become so sick and shaken the demon lord to the cord.

The branch look-alike demon struggled in Sesshomaru's grasp, crying out in pain, trying to break free.

"W-what is that, my lord?" the young girl asked him in startled. What was it and where did it come from?

"This is a life stolen demon. It sucks its host's life force dry until the host is killed. It is the reason you got sick." Sesshomaru explained to Rin, still very angry that this lowly demon was the cause of his emotional disturbed. Sesshomaru always had control over his emotions but because this demon made Rin sick, he reduced to…

He thought she was going to die.

He was going to lose her!

The worst part was he did not notice it right away when he entered the chamber. And without saying, that only add fierce to his anger. He was too cloud by the scent of sickness in the room and the concerned over his ward had dense his senses.

Sesshomaru's hand oozed with overflown green acid poison, slowly melting the demon that cried painfully to nothing.

"Y-you mean, I'm not going to die?" Rin asked, already feeling a lot better without the demon stealing her life force.

"Hn." He confirmed.

Rin gasped, her eyes widened as if they were about to jump out of her sockets, bringing her hands to cover her lips. Her face turning tomato red.

She was glad she would not die, but she might as well be.

She and Sesshomaru kissed.

She knew he only obliged to it because he thought she was going to die, but now that she would not, she did not know how to face him.

Sesshomaru seemed to catch on to her thinking process as well.

The room became very strangely awkward.

Sesshomaru did what he did best, remained silence and walked out of the room nonchalantly.

Rin however could not act as calmed like her lord. She dropped her face to her palms.

"What have I done?" she moaned. "How will I face him from now on?" she berried her face from the world. She only dared as him to because she thought she was going to die, but now...

She and Sesshomaru kissed!

.

Saturday, January 11, 2014