It was strange to see him smile, considering the rumors she had heard about him being a man of little emotion. She had not expected him to even show any interest in her, much less help her. He claimed it was for the sake of the child, but was that really the truth? As much as she wanted to believe his words, she couldn't help but be wary. Angel had learned long ago not to easily trust strangers, even if she had heard of him. He could have some ulterior motive for helping her out, regardless of what he said about Rin. Still, there was a small part of her that couldn't help but want to trust him. She had a feeling it was mainly due to how attractive he was. She was inexperienced in love or anything sexual. She was pure and had never done anything intimate with a male. After all, she had been far too focused on getting revenge. She wanted to restore her clan to its former glory, but the pessimistic side of her couldn't help but think she wouldn't survive the showdown between Atsuki and herself.<br/><br/>Still, if Sesshomaru was true to his word and really did want to help her, then she would stand a better chance at surviving. However, he had only volunteered to help her locate him. He had said nothing of actually assisting with the deed and honestly, the wolf demoness would really do things on her own. She kept her gaze on him as she considered his words, obviously not trusting him completely despite the fact that she had lowered her guard earlier and fallen asleep in his arms. "She has an effect on you that seems to be for the better. Adopting a child or even having of one of your own tends to change your perspective on things. I would know. I adopted an orphaned wolf pup." She glanced at Rin, stroking the girl's hair gently. "Rin reminds me of her, in a way."<br/><br/>She then refocused her attention on him, frowning slightly. "Although I am not inclined to fully trust you, I will allow you to help me for so long as you please. So long as you do not get in my way of killing Atsuki or betraying me in any manner. I find it hard to believe that you have no ulterior motive. Normally when someone offers to help, it is not out of the kindness of their heart but more that they want something in return. You never did answer my question. What do you want in return? Surely you must want something. I am just a leader of a small clan. I can not offer you anything grand such as money or anything else worthwhile. I only have myself or my words of thanks to offer. As long as I kill Atsuki, I have no care about what happens to me afterwards."<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>Naraku paused for a minute before a dark chuckle escaped from his lips at the irony of her words. If only she knew how vile he truly was, then she would surely eat her words and shun him. "You trust too easily, woman. What if I was a vile being capable of only murder and chaos? Would you really still help me even at the risk of me slaughtering you and everyone you cared about the moment I was strong enough to get along without you?" There was a dark look spreading across his features, his true nature showing though she couldn't see it as she seemed to be focusing on the mark on his back. He tensed when he felt her fingertips brushing against it, fighting the urge to pull away. He could not allow her to know of his discomfort.<br/><br/>He didn't respond to the remark about his marking, instead focusing on the latter of what she said. "Yes, I would love to bathe and wash the grime off of my body and hair." He stood up, swaying just slightly before regaining his balance and looking at her expectantly. He kept his grip on the clothing, tucking it against his side so that he could still have it when he was allowed to bathe. He felt filthy and disgusting even if she had wiped the blood from his wound.