InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A First Time For Everything ❯ Three In one ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: If I owned InuYasha, Rin and Sesshomaru would have been making it like jackrabbits already!

WARNING!!: These stories contain strong violence, sexual situations, and/or dirty potty-mouthed people. If you are easily offended or do not like such material please go ride on your little pretty pink ponies and go fly back over to the innocent side of the rainbow! There's a reason why it's rated "M" children!

So—wow, been forever and a day since I posted something new and this time it's a big one. I've been working on this story since the beginning of January, so I'm really excited to know what you all have to say about it. Hope you like it! Will be working on more soon.

This story was written listening to “Breathe” by Nickelback, `Savior' by Skillet and “Coming Undone” by Korn. SO PLEASE READ AND ENJOY!

A First Time For Everything

`Savior'---Skillet

`Breathe' - Nickelback

`Coming Undone'--- Korn

Lights flashed and sirens cried loudly as they traveled quickly down the road. Cars were sitting in traffic not moving anywhere with any plans of budging any time soon. Annoyed and cursing, people honked their horns, some screaming obscenities as they hung halfway out their vehicle windows. It would be easily a couple of hours more before anyone would get to their destinations and no one would be on time.

However, others merely shook their heads sympathetically before turning on their radios and drowning everything else besides the music out. It may take a while until they could get on their way, but it wasn't going to be wasted by getting angry and having a temper tantrum. That always made things worse than what they were and one person didn't care for the added drama.

Brown eyes watched uninterested from inside one of the many vehicles, arms crossed and laying on the steering wheel, fingers tapping on the wheel to the song playing on the stereo. She felt bad for whomever was closer to the billowing gray smoke, since the man on the radio moments before said it was yet another fatal collision.

Sure she was one of the probable hundreds who were now currently stuck and her plans for the day were ruined, but it didn't make the situation suck any less. They weren't important plans - not in a life or death situation kind of plans, yet she couldn't help but heave a loud and overdramatic sigh causing long tendrils of midnight hair to obscure her vision.

This would make it the fourth time this month she wouldn't be able to hang out with close friends or get to play porno-pictionary with them and life at the moment really sucked for her, hardcore. Job searching wasn't going as she planned, no one wanted to have a young girl bright enough to work almost anywhere yet have dangerously white skeletons slipping out from the closet and being exposed. Not to mention her landlord was refusing to fix her hot water heater until she paid her rent, which was only two weeks late, but that was besides the point.

Looking at herself from the rearview mirror she felt her heart grow heavy. These days she barely had enough money to stretch -- hell, shampoo and conditioner almost didn't fit the budget. Tearing her eyes from the mirror she turned off her engine and the music instantly died, she only had half a tank left and she would be lucky if she made it to Sango's house without calling for the aide of a tow truck if she could manage to scrounge up a couple bucks in change. Now she was definitely regretting getting on the highway instead of using surface streets.

There was nothing for her to do and she mentally cursed herself for not bringing the Sudoku book her mother had given her for Christmas like she usually did, at least that would have been productive. Rolling down her window she found herself smiling as she watched a few children running in between the still cars. It reminded her so much of when she was younger and she resisted the urge to get out of her car and play tag with them.

Bored already with the silence inside her enormous metal deathtrap, she climbed out of the driver's seat crossing the length of the older pick up and opening the tailgate. She reached for the bags that had been tossed around like nothing while she'd been driving. It was comical to onlookers watching her ruffle through the bags not finding anything to her liking before slamming the tailgate and stomping back to the driver's side. She grumbled irritably to herself remembering that anything and everything possibly useful was somehow always forgotten back at her apartment.

Sure she was beginning to look like an irritated adolescent throwing a tantrum like a few others already had, but she held onto none of her dignity as she blew raspberries at everyone who gave her a look, dirty or not.

A low chuckle startled her out of her tantrum and she whirled around finding herself in the company of a man in his mid twenties. “You sure showed them.”

“Well they deserved it,” she said flippantly as she placed her hands on her hips and stuck out her chest comically. “Besides, someone has to look like the bigger person.”

A large smile spread on the man's face and she couldn't help but blush, he looked absolutely delicious when he smiled. He had bronze skin, the delectable shade that gave a girl fantasies and she immediately imagined him as the type who spent long hours in the sun, either on a beach or working. However, which one it really was she wasn't too sure since both were plausible answers.

Black hair was pulled tightly into a long braid that wrapped seductively over his shoulders, a white polo shirt which fit smugly over his chest and an old pair of blue jeans and plain sneakers looked almost too good on him and she wondered if he really was the person who picked out his clothes in the morning. If he didn't he wouldn't know what he could do to young girls and that was allowable, but if he did, then this man was dangerous.

“I'm InuYasha,” his smile became cocky as he stuck out his hand.

“Rin,” she replied taking the offered appendage and shaking it.

A conversation wasn't hard to strike up after that and while they waited for the traffic to pick up they laughed and chatted about everything under the sun. Old memories, high school days, their romantic interests, both current and past, and many others like they had been merely estranged friends reunited. It made Rin begin to believe that maybe being stuck out in the middle of a highway surrounded by cars wasn't such a bad thing after all.

“Hey InuYasha?” Rin asked nervously pulling at her fingers. “Do you think I could borrow a few bucks from you? I need to get gas and I don't have anything on me.”

He flashed her a seductive smile before putting on his helmet. His motorcycle glimmered in expensive and beautiful metal and Rin felt a little stupid asking a guy she barely knew for money. Brake lights flashed red in a wave of light and horns honked excitedly, the accident was finally clearing up.

“Tell ya what,” InuYasha said sincerely. “You follow me to the nearest gas station and I'll fill you up.”

“What—No!” Angry shouts came from behind her pick up truck where it stayed empty and still in park. “I couldn't. I mean I wouldn't have the funds to repay you for while.”

“Then think of if it as a gift,” he told her. “For gracing me with your wonderful presence this afternoon. Lemme do this for you Rin.”

Merely nodding in silent agreement, Rin hopped back into her truck and followed InuYasha. Music blared from her speakers and she couldn't help but smile. It felt like forever since she met someone new and exciting like InuYasha appeared in her life and she hoped that it didn't end when they said their `good byes'. She didn't like people knowing about her financial struggles, especially someone she just met, but somehow it felt right letting InuYasha inside.

Night soon fell and the two of them stood propped up against her truck at the local in-and-out gas station, laughing together while slowly eating cheap hotdogs and a shared bag of chips. The faded sounds of helicopters told them that the accident was forgotten, and yet the time they shared wasn't. But it only lasted so long and when InuYasha's cell phone went off, a light dusty blush coating his face Rin knew it was time for him to go.

“Don't ever hesitate to call me Rin,” he said handing her his card, his lips brushing her forehead. “I'll drop anything I'm doing, you're like a helpless lamb and I'll be here for you.”

“Gee thanks InuYasha,” she said sarcastically. “Now I'm going to go home and get eaten by a wolf, just to spite you.”

His laugh was musical and slipping his card into her back pocket she promised InuYasha to call him when she had free time. It was the beginning to a friendship she longed for and it made her stomach fill with butterflies. With one last overdramatic handshake and a few lewd comments tossed between the two of them, InuYasha hopped on his motorcycle and disappeared around the corner.

Climbing into her truck Rin turned on the engine and seeing how much time had gone by she banged her head lightly against the steering wheel. She still had an hour drive to go but it wouldn't be as bad as she led herself to believe it would have been earlier. Now she had a smile on her face and a bounce in her shoulders singing along to the songs on the radio.

Normally Rin wasn't the type to accept charity from people, she hated them knowing how badly she had to struggle. She wasn't the kind of person to take handouts but this time she wanted it. Hell she refused to move in with her once long time boyfriend Kohaku just because he said he wanted to take care of her.

She refused the boy she loved because of they way he looked at her when he said it. Rin refused him every time not only because of her need for self-preservation and independence but because she was afraid of living with him completely alone. The way he looked at her when he pleaded for her to let him take care of her scared her.

Kohaku himself wasn't a scary person, he was almost as gentle as boys could be, yet there was a part of her that couldn't help but wonder if it was real. No one could be so understandingly nice, so easy going and perfect. Rin knew better than to believe that again. And though he never gave her a reason to think the way she did there was something about him that she couldn't explain.

He always smiled, it was as if it was permanently glued to his face, but Rin knew they weren't real. Sometimes when Kohaku smiled Rin saw the hollow look in his eyes, or the way he never relaxed always waiting for something to attack. It made her nervous occasionally, or those piercing eyes that stared longingly at her with hidden shadows; those looks were what scared her most.

On a few incidences it was the way he said things, loving words laced with a dark double meaning that in the past destroyed some of the most precious moments. It was like Kohaku was the boy of her dreams, but also the monster in her worst nightmares and how he could be both was a mystery to her.

When Rin pulled into Sango's driveway over an hour later the clock on the radio read a little after ten. Yeah, it was safe to say that she was more than a little late and there was little doubt that her long time friends were already gone. The lights were almost all off and Rin sighed grabbing her bags from the back, Sango and Kagome would be upset she didn't call, but it wasn't like she didn't try, her cell having died four and a half hours before.

As always the spare key was hidden underneath the welcome mat and Rin let herself in replacing the key where it belonged. The kitchen light was on, a small plate of goodies sitting on the table underneath a note just waiting for her and not wanting to disappoint, Rin popped a cookie or two into her mouth and read the clearly written note.

Rin -

Miroku came by and Kagome had plans. Tried getting a hold of you. I'll be back in a few days so make yourself at home.

---- Sango.

She'd be back in a few days? Well Rin wasn't expecting that and she couldn't inhabit someone else's house even if it was Sango's. Scribbling down her own note, Rin picked back up her belongings and the glass plate of cookies. If there was one thing Rin was infamous for, it was hijacking any sweets she found and she wasn't going to leave them there and let them go stale.

Juggling everything she had to carry, Rin managed to lock the door behind her as she left. She would just have to wait until she could afford to get out to see her friends, though next time she'd take the surface streets to be on the safe side. Grant it another long car ride back to her dingy apartment wasn't in the slightest on the top of her list of things to do; however, she did a lot of things she didn't like.

Carelessly she tossed her bags into the back of her truck popping yet another of the delicious morsels into her mouth as she reached for her keys. Maybe she should look into getting a place closer to Sango and Kagome, it would alleviate some of her money problems and it was obviously a better choice to the one she currently had.

Rin spun overdramatically towards her door and instead of unlocking it, her vision swam, the plate of cookies she held slipping from her hand and crashing to the pavement. She suddenly felt warm all over and her muscles were quickly growing numb. It felt like she had been drinking Tequila like it was water and her knees buckled. What was happening to her? She hadn't been drinking anything, she wasn't tired, but her body was beginning to shutdown on her.

“It's a good thing those sedatives decided to kick in now instead of later,” a soft voice said, the clicking of shoes against the sidewalk grabbing Rin's attention. “You could have seriously hurt yourself if you'd been driving down the road when it happened.”

“You're not supposed to be within five hundred yards of me,” her head lolled to the side and she could feel the stinging burn of hot tears as she stared at his shoes. “It says so in the restraining order.”

His laughter made her want to rip out her hair and she could only close her eyes as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back into the dark house. Rin should have known better - wherever Sango was Kohaku was certainly around nearby and somehow she'd gotten herself caught in another of his traps.

Never had it been about Rin being afraid of Kohaku before, but it hadn't become a reality until she refused him did he become more possessive. At first it was cute, but the cuteness didn't last long. Soon he'd been following her to work, to the grocery store, calling her every five minutes and when she turned her cell on silent he broke into her apartment and waited for her hiding in the shadows.

And just when Rin thought it couldn't get worse, Kohaku showed her a side of himself she thought impossible to be dwelling inside of him. She tried telling Sango, but she refused to listen; after all, there was no way her brother was capable of such evils, no, not Kohaku. It was as if they all refused to believer her; however, when she wound up in the hospital with a dislocated shoulder and four broken fingers, they began to sing another tune.

That was when Rin had the police involved and eventually a restraining order and she honestly thought it would be okay. And for the first two months it had been until Kohaku showed up at her new apartment in the middle of the night, sitting next to her while she slept just watching her. Rin didn't know how he got in or how she'd woken up, yet by dawn Kohaku was in the back of a police cruiser and she was boarded up in her tiny bathroom trying to be coaxed out by an officer and paramedic.

You'd figure he'd learn his lesson and Rin had thought she was in the clear this time. Sango said Kohaku had gone back home to stay with their dad and it was okay to come visit her and Kagome. Rin had figured waiting six months would have been enough time to let things cool down and go back to the way things were and somehow she found herself in another mess and this time no one was there to help her. Sango wouldn't be back for a few days and nobody knew she made it to Sango's safely, well nobody but Kohaku.

So when she woke up, her limbs tingling, her head throbbing and her throat dry she knew it hadn't been a horrible nightmare. The ceiling was high, she could see the wooden beams and she wanted to cry. Rin could hear the dryer going off in the far corner, she was in Sango's basement and it meant that there was only one exit.

Why wasn't she allowed to have a sane lifestyle, with a sane boyfriend with a no-violence policy? Was it really that impossible to be able to be completely safe without the nagging knife of danger stabbing her constantly? Well whether it was or wasn't, Rin definitely wasn't waiting around for someone else to decide it for her.

Slowly climbing to her feet, Rin looked around the room for anything that she could use to defend herself with. Of course there was never anything when she desperately needed it, but it wasn't too much of a surprise, hell he'd taken her car keys, her class ring, her studded belt, all of her piercings, and even her shoes. He wanted to make sure that she wouldn't have a weapon and it made her want to scream.

“I was wondering when the drugs would wear off,” Kohaku's voice came with a pillar of light and Rin had to shield her eyes from the brightness when the switch was flipped on. “I was getting a little worried when day three came and went and you were still unconscious.”

“How long have I been out?” She could feel him getting closer, his bland eyes staring intently at her and it made her shudder.

“Almost five days,” Rin was certain she looked horrified by the way he gave her a sheepish grin.

Five days? He'd put enough sedatives into his concoction of sweet treats that she was surprised she was still breathing. Was he honestly trying to kill her? Kohaku was in reaching distance when she snapped out of her thoughts and instead of flinching like any sane person, she pulled her fist back and punched him square in the Adam's apple.

It all happened too fast for Rin to completely understand what was happening. First Kohaku's surprised cry hit her ears and in the blink of an eye she darted for the stairs and was racing up them. She heard him calling her name, feel his hands as they ripped her shirt, but she fought him like if she were caught she'd die, and to Rin getting caught was a death sentence.

Rin went even as far as to pathetically trip over the last step, tumbling to the ground, Kohaku's hand wrapped tightly around her ankle. He looked furious trying to pull her back into her hole, into her hell and she could feel herself panicking. And if things couldn't get worse her ears caught the recorded message on the answering machine and when she heard Miroku's voice calling for her to pick up she started screaming for help.

Sure it wasn't the smartest thing she ever did, screaming for someone she knew couldn't hear her, though it was all she could think to do. Rin was halfway out of the basement door, her hands clawing for anything when Kohaku jerked her onto her back and it took seeing him for Rin to react again. She couldn't let him do this to her again, she had to get away and fast before the adrenaline could be given the chance to wear off.

“I won't let you do this to us Rin,” he told her sharply tugging at her legs. “We were meant for each other!”

NO! NO! She mentally screamed as she struggled to get away. She wasn't going back there, not on Kohaku's life and not while she still had strength left to put up a fight. He was almost on top of her, grabbing at her when she turned and elbowed him. Rin wasn't going to give in and letting out a strangled scream she elbowed him in the face for good measure.

She heard the sickening snap and felt the warm spray of liquid as Kohaku snapped back, his left hand holding his broken nose. He was caught off guard by the sudden pain and Rin managed to wiggle her knee up and she kicked him. She didn't care if she hurt him, it didn't matter and she kicked him again only to see him lose balance and tumbled backwards rolling down the wooden stairs and flopping onto the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Kohaku could have been seriously hurt in the fall, or worse even killed; however, Rin didn't stick around to check. She didn't spare him even a pity look as she scrambled to her feet and out the front door. Rin didn't bother to think about possible consequences as her trembling fingers groped for the spare set of keys wired underneath her thick uni-body frame, she just knew that she had to runaway before he could be given the chance to get up and come after her.

There was no looking back now, no pretending that she was an innocent victim and her tires squealed taking a hard right, smoke pluming out of her hood before the dingy pick up truck sputtered and stalled. She wasn't a creature of luck unless it was the bad kind and Rin cursed loudly sliding out of her vehicle, slamming the door shut behind her. She didn't know where the nearest gas station was, let alone what time it was and she wasn't wearing any shoes. Grumbling under her breath, Rin continued on foot at a faced-paced job. She had to get off the main road if she wanted to stay off Kohaku's radar.

After receiving a few weird looks from other pedestrians, she managed to get to the closest gas station in once piece, not to mention a handful of change from a woman who turned pale at the mere sight of Rin. If appearances could kill then Rin would have easily been twelve feet under instead of the standard six and it wasn't very uplifting.

Getting anyone to help her at the gas station was like asking a turnip to spit blood, but after digging through her pockets like a drug user needing a quick fix she found a small card and she almost cried in joy. Kohaku hadn't found it and it was her only ray of hope left as she shoved coins into a pay phone and dialing his number.

“What do I have to do to get inside of you, to get inside of you? `Cause I love the way you move when I'm inside of you, when I'm inside of you.” His ring back tone was a song she recognized, but couldn't place and just when she thought it would go to voicemail, he picked up.

“This is InuYasha,” she could feel the tears brimming at her eyes and she choked back a sob.

“InuYasha, I need your help.”

“Who is this?” He asked confused.

“It's Rin,” the tears fell and she sniffled trying to hold back everything and failing miserably.

“What's wrong?” She could hear the worried tone of his voice and she knew immediately that she made the right choice calling him. “Are you okay?”

“No,” she whispered softly cradling the receiver. “I need help InuYasha, can you come get me?”

She hadn't lied to him before and she didn't feel the need to start just to avoid the embarrassment and shame she was currently feeling. When he asked her where she was Rin had to crane her neck to see the crossroads and he immediately said he knew where she was and to stay put, he was on his way. Rin didn't need to be told twice and after he hung up she curled up underneath the metal payphone, wrapping her arms around her legs and hiding her face from view as she cried.

It was all too much for her to handle. Life wasn't supposed to be this way. She wasn't supposed to have a mentally corrupted ex-boyfriend who turned into her very own personal stalker. She couldn't get away from him no matter how hard she tried, hell, Rin couldn't even live her own life the way she wanted to because it seemed like he was always there cutting her off at every possible corner.

She lost track of how long she waited, though InuYasha stayed true to his word and immediately went to her side. She hadn't been paying attention so when his hand touched her shoulder, Rin practically jumped out of her skin, resulting in a decent sized goose egg on her forehead after smashing it onto the metal payphone stand.

“Oh my God Rin you're covered in blood are you hurt?” InuYasha gasped loudly pulling her to her feet and beginning to poke and prod at her for any injuries.

“It's not my blood,” she was at a loss of what to say as she finally looked down at herself.

It explained why people had been avoiding her on the street, her ripped shirt stained pink and red as well as the exposed parts of her favorite lace bra, which was now officially ruined. InuYasha gave her a look that said she would definitely be explaining everything, yet he didn't ask her any more questions as he shrugged off his jacket and instructed her to put it on.

Rin did as she was told, even as going as far as to put on his helmet as she situated herself on the back of his motorcycle. They didn't speak while he revved his engine, Rin merely wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back and enjoyed the peace while he weaved in and out of traffic.

By the time they reached his flat she was dozing in and out of sleep and InuYasha had to carry her up the stairs when her knees buckled and she managed to skin them on the pavement. He only shook his head and after juggling the keys and Rin, the door was opened and she was finally safe behind locked doors.

His flat was similar to the ones found in all of those IKEA magazines, pleasant and interesting, but ordinary and plain. It was so gender neutral that it had her wondering if her new savior happened to flavor both sides of the pleasure boat instead of only the girls with lacy bras and underwear section of life.

Just the thought of the possibilities of his sex life had her smiling like a fool and if he hadn't just rescued her like some night in shinning armor riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle, she would have dived headfirst into embarrassing questions that were more or less `triple X' rated for a reason.

“Hey Rin are you listening?” InuYasha handed her a bundle of clothing and she frowned wondering how long he'd been talking and why she drifted off into la-la land like some rabid high school fan girl.

“Huh?” If there was an award for dumbest confused look Rin would have won it, no competition needed. “Oh, sorry I guess the drugs haven't worn off yet…”

“Drugs? Are you on something?” He was suddenly angry. “Cause if you're a user you can march yourself out my door. I won't associate with that shit.”

“No, oh my God!” Open mouth insert food. Did she fail to mention that she was more air-headed sometimes than Kelly Bundy from the old television show `Married with Children'?

“Normally I won't even touch Tylenol for headaches,” she tried defending herself, her hand holding InuYasha's sleeve so he wouldn't turn away from her. “But Kohaku -he, well… I arrived at my friend's house and they all left, and I was going to also, but he'd been waiting for me—I didn't know there were sedatives… fuck, this is so-o-o uncool…”

“Shit Rin, how long were you there?” If Rin had told him that the sun was polka dotted InuYasha would have believed her in a heartbeat seeing the tears in her eyes, but she brushed them off trying to keep composure.

“I don't know,” she sniffled sitting down on a nearby sofa and running her hands through her slightly tangled hair. “He said five days and knowing Kohaku he probably put enough sedatives to knock out a small horse.”

“Well you can stay here as long as you need,” InuYasha said walking away and grabbing a few towels from the cabinet in the hall. “Here are some towels, the showers down the hall to the right. Take a shower and get yourself cleaned up. You can sleep in my room tonight because I can't stay long. I kinda have plans I can't break. Jesus-fuck, I sound like such a schmuck.”

“No you don't I appreciate you trusting me in your home.” It was the honest-to-god's truth, she did and InuYasha gave her a lopsided grin handing her the towels.

“Don't worry Rin,” he told her placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “I'll protect you while you're here.”

It was oddly comforting that InuYasha was so sincere and it made her think of him in a new light while she stripped off her clothing and stepped under the spray of hot water. He was acting like an over protective brother, one that she had never had being an only child and it was heartwarming. She recalled friends trying to explain it but she never really understood until then what they really meant.

Rin had absolutely no trouble drifting off to sleep that night after slipping into InuYasha's bed. The comforters were soft and bulky and she sunk into the mattress instantly deciding that she had died and gone to heaven. InuYasha was just too good to be real and she mentally wondered what she ever did to deserve to meet someone like him because she hadn't exactly been a saint in the last couple of years.

Waking up the next morning Rin felt a little disoriented and muscles she forgot she had silently ached. It took her several times until she was able to get herself out of InuYasha's comfortable bed, small bruises forming on her knees after having rolled off the side.

She scratched her stomach lazily rubbing the bottom of her foot against her calf when she was able to stand straight up without wobbling. It felt like forever ago since she had a decent night's sleep and she was feeling surprisingly better. Maybe it was from knowing that at least she would be out of harms way or maybe it was comforting that there were still people in the world who would help a stranger no questions asked.

The grumble from her stomach was loud enough to her ears and Rin yawned tiredly. There would definitely be food in the kitchen, she was pretty positive about that and she was certain that InuYasha wouldn't mind her getting rid of her hunger pains. After all she was his guest. The kitchen was a decent size and normally she would have gone straight to the cupboards to hunt down food; however, there wasn't enough room for two fully grown adults to maneuver themselves around comfortably.

“Oh,” he was tall, mysterious, and yummy looking, even more so in a pair of baggy red and green flannel pajama pants and a crisp white wife beater. “Uh, good morning.”

Her mystery man sat comfortably on a kitchen stool, a spoon of cereal in one hand and the morning paper in the other. A small pair of reading glasses sat on the bridge of his nose and long silver-white flowed over his shoulders and down his back and when he glanced up at her she felt her knees buckle. He looked like he belonged in some naughty magazine, and his molten golden eyes had the `come hither' expression, but laced with an icy coldness that made her forget temporarily that she was practically drooling at the mere sight of him.

“Where did you come from?” He didn't seem interested in the slightest and he demonstrated such by getting out of his seat and dumping his full bowl of cereal into the sink. Talk about wasting food, he could have fed easily three starving children in Africa, but instead he let it pour down what she assumed to be the garbage disposal.

“Uh,” Rin raised her eyebrows curiously at his actions. “From the bedroom.”

The look he gave her then was enough to freeze fire and she mentally smacked herself for stating the obvious like an idiot. Rin side stepped as her companion crossed her path, the faint smell of faded cologne tickling her nostrils, she could already tell that he thought she was stupid and that was okay with her because at the moment she thinking the same thing.

“Don't think you're anything special,” Rin wasn't expecting him to say anything but her eyes watched him stop at the doorway to another room and turn to look at her with an emotionless mask. “I'm sure InuYasha gave you exactly what you—and others have wanted.”

He was cold and his voice was cruel, with a hint of amusement from his own words. “But lets be adults about this.” There was a slight pause as he faced her completely, one of his well-toned biceps flexing as he rested his hand on his hip. “It was a one time fling. He doesn't want you anymore than you want a sexually transmitted disease. That being said, there's forty dollars on the counter, get dressed and call a taxi, it's best that it stays a one-night stand. InuYasha's not your type.”

Rin stood in the middle of the kitchen with her mouth open and eyes wide trying to absorb every word he said and put it all together. Did he honestly think she slept with InuYasha like some lust-struck slut? It was a blow to her ego and her hand snapped out to grab the counter to keep her legs from giving out from underneath her. Of all the people who called her a whore he'd been the only person who really made it known that she was worthless. It was a feat even Kohaku and Sango, not to mention all of the other boys she'd dated over the years combined could never do and she wanted to fall over laughing.

“You're absolutely right,” she tried choking back her laughter while hiding her face with her free hand. “I'm totally not his type. Hell, He's not even the kind of guy I would think twice about.”

“It's good you've come to an understanding,” he was dismissing her like a helpless emotionally wrecked girl and Rin lost it.

The laughter pour out of her mouth like an exploding volcano and it surprised the both of them. It was mind numbingly hilarious to Rin when she thought about it that she was holding her sides because laughing was physically hurting her. She hadn't heard herself laugh so freely in what felt like forever and Rin could feel the tears slipping from the corners of her eyes as she struggled to breathe. All of the fear and stress that was shoved into her stomach was being released and she thought she was going to die because of it.

It took her a few minutes to calm herself down enough to where she could breathe and when all the laughter subsided she felt almost empty enough to really cry. He wasn't even trying and this mystery man was able to make her feel emotionally drained. But then again, she supposed that anyone could get her so wound up after everything that happened to her recently.

“Thanks,” Rin chuckled wiping away the fallen moisture from her eyes. “I really needed that. I haven't laughed like that since I don't know when.”

He was frowning now and Rin took a deep breath and flattened out the imaginary wrinkles in the overly baggy t-shirt and pajama pants she wore. “It wasn't meant to be funny.”

“Well Mr. Tall-handsome-but-angry,” she said tipping her head to the side. “A lot of things we mean and don't mean can backfire sometimes. Welcome to reality, I hope you enjoy your stay.”

Rin had seen an angry man before; in fact, she'd seen enough to last her a lifetime, yet not once had she seen one react as badly as the one in front of her. In less than three steps, he was towering over her, his molten eyes ablaze and his feminine eyebrows scrunched tightly together. He was a completely different creature up close and personal and Rin's blood froze as his long fingers curved around her wrist hard enough to bruise.

He whipped her around like a rag doll and Rin cried out every time her small frame met with a solid object like the edge of the countertop or a random wall. She yelled for him to let her go as he dragged her into InuYasha's room and grabbed her few articles of clothing. She was afraid, deathly afraid and she tried her hardest to release his vice grip before he flung her and she toppled onto the carpet like a sack of potatoes.

She felt the sudden pull of the muscles of her shoulder and heard the quick pop and she hissed loudly rolling onto her side. Her wrist was sore and the side of her thigh burned from sliding on the carpet. He was definitely stronger than Kohaku, even Hikaru and Satoru, and she groaned digging her face into the carpet; she should have kept her big mouth shut.

“Fuck,” Rin whispered to herself, her teeth grinding together as she struggled to get to her feet using only her one hand. “Fuck, fucking Jesus-FUCK!”

Tears stung her eyes when she finally managed to stand a few minutes later, her good hand cradling her dislocated shoulder. She never believed when Miroku told her it would be easy to pop her joint from its socket after the first time, but now she was a firm believer and she only hoped that his suggestion for getting it back in place worked.

Cautiously Rin edged her way to the nearest doorframe, the mysterious, violent, yet gorgeous man watching her with a deadpan emotionless expression. Well she didn't think he was anything to drool over now, not after he reintroduced her to the floor. He was just like very other guy, completely worthless and nothing but a piece of shit. “What do you think you're doing?”

“What does it look like I'm doing captain obvious?” She snarled glaring at him from over her shoulder. “I'm going to un-dislocate my shoulder, no thanks to you. Jesus fuck what did I ever do to deserve this? Gimme a fucking break!”

She took a deep breath before slamming her shoulder into the fame, the sickening pop making her stomach lurch and she nearly screamed as the ball joint was forced back into its socket. If she hadn't been crying earlier she definitely was now it hurt so bad. She was going to have to find a way to the hospital so she could make sure everything was in it's rightful place and she almost sighed. She hated hospitals.

“Don't bother apologizing,” she told him after a moment when she was able to gather enough bearings to speak. “I don't care if you didn't mean to do it. I'm just getting my shit and I'm gone.”

“I wasn't going to,” he replied crisply as he eyed her grabbing her clothes from the floor.

“Huh,” Rin chuckled bitterly. “Why am I not surprised? At least this time I was granted the pity of an honest guy who likes knocking me around. Boy, I'm so-o-o-o happy. Thank God.”

Her sarcasm was thick and she spared herself no dignity as she pulled down her borrowed pajama bottoms in front of him and kicking them off. She didn't care if he saw the large bruise around her ankle, or the scrapes and scratches on her knees and calves. It didn't matter if he saw the four-leaf clover on her hip as she pulled off her baggy shirt and tossed it to the side.

If anything she wanted him to see her practically naked body while she forced on her denim jeans. It wasn't about modesty when Rin turned her back on him, her normally hidden tattoos exposing themselves as she struggled with the straps of her bra. She wanted to make sure he would be the last man to ever see her this exposed because after this the male population would never again be admitted into her bed.

Her button up shirt was missing half of its buttons and it was ruined from the dried bloodstains down the front. She felt his eyes burning into her back and she fixed herself with an angry glare facing him like she'd never had the courage to with her past experiences. “Don't think you're anything special. I'm sure you got exactly what you—and others have wanted.”

“Excuse me?” She was fanning his anger again, she could see it in his eyes after they strayed from her exposed chest.

“I wasn't planning to,” Rin told him curtly opening the front door. “Oh, and don't worry about my shoes, Kohaku took them so I didn't come with them.”

She slammed the door behind her and silently fuming, Rin tried finding her way out of the enormous building. There was no way she was going to do this again, no way in hell. First she was going to find a way back home, and then she'd pack up all of her clothing and what not and finally call up her aunt and uncle. She was running away from everything this time, a clean slate was what she needed and she wasn't about to refuse it because Rin didn't know what else to do.

Waiting for an elevator was agonizing and seemed to take a lifetime and just as she was ready to walk away and find the stairwell, the big metal contraption dinged and the doors opened.

“Rin?” And instead of it being empty like she wanted it to be, InuYasha stood in it like an idiot, his helmet in one hand and a bag in the other. “What are you doing out here?”

“Leaving,” she said smartly. “What does it look like I'm doing?”

She tried pushing passed him, but he wouldn't let her on the elevator. Instead he took her arm and pulled her back down the hallway. Rin tried several times to pull herself out of his grasp, but when she saw the angry look in his eyes she gave up.

She was done with it, it was obvious he wasn't going to let go and it only hurt to try and struggle. It came down to her making yet another stupid mistake and she could only hope that this one left her for dead because she didn't think she could keep on picking back up the broken pieces of her pathetic life.

“Tell me what's going on,” InuYasha said ushering her back into his apartment and closing the door behind him, locking her inside and sealing her fate. “Please Rin.”

“I need to get to a hospital,” she refused to look at InuYasha, she didn't want to look at him and see his disgust.

“God dammit Rin why?” Frustrated fingers ran through his hair and he tugged on it to try relieving the nervousness building in his stomach seeing Rin look so defeated.

“Because,” Rin was too emotionally strung for this, too overwhelmed and once again she lost it. “Because you're stupid short tempered friend there had a bitch fit and dislocated my fucking shoulder that's why!”

“I'm sorry but I can't stay here InuYasha,” she was working herself up and it only got worse watching the silver haired mystery man re-enter the room. She would get her point across and leave end of story. “I was wrong to think for even a moment that you could guarantee me safety. Fuck, I don't even have to be in a relationship before strange guys start flinging me around like some rag doll. I made a mistake for calling you, I'd do a lot better on my own. At least by myself no one can hurt me.”

Rin covered her face with her hands and tried in vain to calm herself down. InuYasha felt torn watching her break down, he couldn't stand emotional women; they drove him absolutely crazy but he didn't want Rin to be this way. Quietly he closed the space between the two of them and gently wrapped his arms around Rin's shoulders, coaxing her into a soft embrace. When she tried to pull away, he tightened his hold, resting his head on top of her lifeless hair and whispered apologies and gentle words into her ear.

This girl, she was something precious, like a wilting flower and he wasn't going to leave her alone to suffer, not when he could be there. Grant it, he could never see himself with her in a physical relationship, but she was becoming important to him. He just had to try and protect her from the evils of the world she'd been thrown into, even if he could only do so much.

“Come on Rin,” InuYasha said softly collecting Rin in his arms. “Let's go lay down, you look exhausted.”

“No I don't,” she protested feebly, yet the minute InuYasha pulled her bridal style into his arms she went limp.

Her arms held onto his shoulders and her eyes drooped. She may not have been tired before, InuYasha doubted anyone would have, but it was all catching up with Rin and he was sure she would have fainted given the chance. He didn't hear another protest from her lips as he carried her back into his room and laid her gently on his bed.

She looked angelic and he crawled in bed next to her, the blankets covering her up to her chin. He could tell it would be a matter of minutes before she was out like a light and he felt like a jerk for not warning her about Sesshomaru before he left. It was a mistake on InuYasha's part, he knew it from the heated glare burning through his back from the older man and it wasn't a good feeling.

Rin slowly turned to face InuYasha, her deep chocolate eyes gazing up at him like an expecting child. She was like a sister he wasn't allowed to have and he smiled softly brushing stray hair from her face. This girl, Rin, she was proving to be a difficult personality to be reckoned with, but that's what attracted her to hi m. She was different, strange and maybe just a little unorthodox and quirky, but she was still nothing but a child at heart. Just a simple broken child and he wanted to be there for her.

“You have gray hair InuYasha,” she informed him behind a tired yawn.

“Nah,” he chuckled. “It's white. I was born with it that way so I dye it black.”

Her frail skinny fingers brushed his bangs and her overly expressive eyes closed. “Black is so plain, you shouldn't dye it. I'd bet you'd look hella-mega hunky if you washed out the dye and let it go all-natural.”

This time he laughed harder, but Rin's eyes didn't reopen and she hid another yawn behind her hand. She wouldn't be conscious much longer. “Huh. You think so?”

“I know so `Yasha,” she gave him a small smile and he leaned over her kissing her forehead silently waiting until he knew for certain that she was fast asleep before quietly slipping out of bed and out into the kitchen.

“What kind of mess did you get yourself into now little brother?” Sesshomaru said icily from his spot on the couch, the morning paper hiding his face from view.

InuYasha narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his brother, his lean arms crossing over his chest stubbornly. If Sesshomaru wanted to fight, then he'd give him a run for his money. “If Kagura would have known that you had an angry emotional side I bet she would have married you instead.”

“If Kikyo knew you had a soft side made of jelly she would have killed herself sooner than later,” Sesshomaru closed the paper abruptly and stood challenging his brother to a fight the both of them were beginning to itch for.

“I think you're pathetic,” InuYasha spat jumping on the couch Sesshomaru had been seated and turned on the television. “I never though you'd be the type to attack a girl. Can't wait until I tell dad, he's going to beat you black and blue for sure!”

Instead of giving a snide comment back like he normally did, Sesshomaru stormed out of the room, his bedroom door slamming behind him and InuYasha couldn't hold back his chuckles. He'd finally got the last word with Sesshomaru and InuYasha knew it was the stinging type that didn't easily go away and boy was he going to be living it up.

Sesshomaru however, was quietly fuming in the small comforts of his bedroom. He couldn't believe how badly he lost his temper, how easily he'd seen red by some sad excuse of a girl. He wasn't known to be emotional, no- Sesshomaru was stoic, cunning, intelligent, and a master of masking hi s true emotions and not some unhinged rage-aholic.

He wasn't a violent tempered man, he wasn't even an angry man, but something about the girl in the next room over was able to invoke such emotions in from. She came off helpless, naïve, and too young, but she had a mouth dirtier than any sailor and the personality of a vicious viper. Just being next to her piqued his interest; he didn't like wondering exactly how someone who looked so innocent could open her mouth and sound so insulting and bitter at the same time.

Sure Kagura pulled it off well, the high-maintenance woman had more than enough time to perfect her technique, but never once could she make her point come across as casually as Rin had. For Rin it felt like she could do it perfectly without saying a word. It wasn't that he thought it wasn't normal because in this day and age he was positive it was a usual occurrence, yet it didn't feel right coming from the small girl.

Her type screamed more along the lines of fun-loving people person, an all around good girl, not the ugly vicious woman born from money who did nothing but chase fashion and approval of the `in crowd' of society. Rin didn't look like the type of girl who was a better wreck, a girl so backwards that she couldn't tell love from blistering hate. Not that he was comparing his feelings for the said girl as either extreme.

In all honesty, he didn't have a clue to what he should think of her, or how he should have written her off as unimportant and a waste of his precious time. Originally he wanted to believe that Rin was another one of InuYasha's old one-night stands, it was one of the only explanations for her sudden appearance, but the way she'd first looked at him he knew such wasn't the case.

There was a fire inside of her that sprung to life and demanded his complete attention, not including the rather teasing and cruel angry strip show she'd performed in front of him. Sesshomaru had been surprised to see her undress right out in the open, not to mention the fact that the alabaster skin of her back had been tainted by the brilliant colors of two of tree well done tattoos. They made his fingers itch to touch them and the way she gazed back at him had him thinking of her as an angry temptress of unknown mysteries.

She bothered him so much that Sesshomaru couldn't sleep. His mind was wide open and awake and after hours of tossing and turning, he retrieved a decent book and a glass of water. There was no way he was getting any sleep, the bright rays of light pouring through the slightest parts of open blinds. InuYasha was passed out on the couch, limbs spread and ridiculous, and a tiny river of drool slipping from the side of his mouth.

Sesshomaru wasn't ready to get dressed for the day or even try to read so tossing the book onto the coffee table, he set down his drink and headed back to his room. He could always fall asleep if he tried hard enough, but he didn't want to put up the effort to do so. It was quiet with the entire place fast asleep and though normally it was a godsend, today it wasn't a welcoming feeling.

The muscles in his back tensed and he stretched his arms over his head and caught the darkness creeping in from the crack in the door next to his own. It was InuYasha's room, but Rin was the current inhabiter of it. He ignored the urge to completely open the door, the first time the thought surfaced; however, the more he thought about doing do the more it sounded like a good decision.

The room had been darker than he'd expected and almost immediately he stubbed his toe on a randomly placed item. It was safe to say that the room was definitely cluttered, articles of clothing lying about on various parts of the floor.

All the blinds were drawn closed barely allowing any light to shine through the cracks and Sesshomaru grumbled kicking a discarded shoe. He really hated knowing that the object of his attention was fast asleep in InuYasha's pig sty of a room, his stubborn half brother being born obviously without the essential part of his tiny pea sized brain. Heck, Sesshomaru was surprised InuYasha was able to formulate sentences and tie his shoes but he guessed it had to be pure luck.

The room was quiet besides the soft in and out of Rin's steady and even breathing, and the rhythmic beating of Sesshomaru's heart. He wasn't expecting rave music or anything noisy, but the dead silence was a little odd. It took his eyes several moments to adjust to the darkness and when they had, Sesshomaru effortlessly moved around the messes and lowered himself onto an oddly placed lazy boy chair. He'd cleaned it off of course, irritably dumping the items onto the floor; he would be making it a point to ask his idiotic brother how he managed to get a lazy boy chair in the room and why.

Sesshomaru reached behind himself and grabbed the drawstring to the blinds and slowly poured light into the room. Yeah, what he was doing was a little beyond creepy (he thought he was being absurd), however, he wasn't going to watch her sleep in the dark. Hell, he wasn't even watching her to begin with, but then again, a part of him wasn't denying that he was.

The room wasn't actually as messy as he originally perceived, okay, so it was unorganized, some clothing cluttering the floor, but it was inhabited. Everything looked clean (only the things that mattered most to Sesshomaru, but that was another pet peeve) so he wasn't going to harp his little brother too much for his choice of living.

When the blinds were completely rolled up, Sesshomaru allowed his gaze to wander onto the bed. Crisp white blankets were wrinkled, hiding the sleeping girl from view except for a delicately placed hand on a large pillow and the long black strands of night that tumbled over the comforter.

He had started counting the days mentally that she'd been unconscious for (after being able to maneuver the info out of InuYasha) and he rolled his eyes. She should have been dead that was for sure, yet there she was fast asleep in a world that probably didn't co-exist with everyday life. He wasn't certain how he would explain his actions once his sleeping companion woke, although there were always ways around the truth if needed be.

Rin groaned and rolled over, the thick comforter sliding off the bed and exposing her in a way that Sesshomaru wasn't ready for. The jeans she'd been wearing were nonexistent, probably thrown somewhere on the floor leaving long pale legs to stand out and demand his immediate attention. Even her bloody shirt was missing and he couldn't help but drink her in. Her shoulder hid part of her face, her long hair covering just about the rest and he had the urge to touch her and see if her skin was as soft as he thought it to be.

She groaned again, her arms pulling the pillows around her face, her less than lightly dressed torso stretching out like a napping cat. “What time is it?”

“Probably a quarter after ten,” his voice was surprisingly cold for how warm he was beginning to feel.

“How long have you been sitting there?” She wasn't going to look at him and that was fine, he was enjoying the view either way. “I thought I locked the doors and windows properly this time or did you break another?”

Her words definitely weren't adding up and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Did she think he was someone else or was he just not developing an imagination? “I don't think you remember where you are Rin.”

Sesshomaru watched Rin's back muscles stiffen before she threw a careful look over her shoulder. It took her a moment to relax, but when she did a heavy sigh escaped her lips as she pulled herself up and tossed her legs over the side of the enormous bed.

“If you've come to toss me around again the door's that way,” Rin said pointing to the closed door. “Cause I'm totally not up for another round with you.”

Sesshomaru snorted and Rin watched him cautiously with her doe like brown eyes. He wanted to down right laugh in her face for sounding like as pathetic as she did, but he didn't. Instead he merely climbed to his feet, told her to put some clothes on before leaving her to her thoughts. He was a lot of things, but a heartless monster wasn't one of them and he had plans to show her just exactly who he was so she wouldn't assume he was like every other dead beat out on the street.

There was no other legitimate reasoning behind him trying to shower her the real him besides the sudden need to and he definitely was in now mood to start explaining his actions to others. Sesshomaru did what he wanted, it was as simple as that - end of story.

He wasted time waiting for Rin to surface by getting dressed and by pouring himself a bowl of cereal, leaving an empty bowl for her incase she magically developed an appetite. Then again, he rethought the idea and also made her a decent sized cereal pile.

He wasn't at all worried about her well being, not worried what so ever, but if he guessed right, she hadn't eaten in days and he didn't want to clean up the mess of fainting, scantly dressed girls, no matter how interesting it may have sounded. A spoonful was already in his mouth when Rin emerged and he forgot to breathe, choking on the small honey O's.

Her jeans, if it was possible, were ridiculously low and unopened showing off her underwear and it looked like she grabbed one of InuYasha's old work shirts because it clung to her, small rips and tears playing peek-a-boo with pale flesh. It was entrancing and the way her matted hair fell around her shoulders and framed her face was enough for him to forget that she wasn't the kind of girl he wasted air appreciating.

“Awww are you trying to butter me up?” Rin cooed plopping down on a bar stool and puling the full bowl closer to where she was. “How cute. It's like a Kodak moment.”

“Do you take medication you shouldn't be off of?” He said carefully gathering another spoonful of cereal. “Because I think you've become delusional.”

Her laughter was loud and musical and the previous days' events seemed to have completely been forgotten about. They ate in comfortable silence, the casual glances between the two of them giving little comfort. It was weird, the casual glances that weren't so casual, but it wasn't overbearing or too ridiculously obvious so neither minded too much.

When the bowls were empty and conversation was needed Sesshomaru rolled his eyes as Rin sighed heavily resting her chin in the palm of her hands.

“What is it?” He asked clearing off the countertop.

“I need to go back to my apartment,” she replied glancing up at him. “I've practically worn the same clothes for a freaking week! It's disgusting!”

“I don't think you should really go,” InuYasha's voice interrupted as he exited the bathroom.

“The way I see it you have three choices,” Rin whirled on InuYasha and Sesshomaru smirked smugly. “You can take me to my apartment and let me get what I need. You can refuse and I'll turn into an exhibitionist. I'll not wear a stitch of clothing until you give in, or, you can take me to the mall and buy me everything I could possibly need. Clothing, unmentionables, woman product—“

“Go put on shoes and I'll take you to your apartment,” he didn't want to hear anymore and InuYasha had gone pale after the word `exhibitionist'.

She really knew how to push a guy's buttons and she quickly tossed on a pair of InuYasha's shoes before following Sesshomaru out the door. It was easier to give into her demands at the moment and he waited until she had the only helmet strapped to her head to get on the bike. He had no intention of taking his own vehicle, not when InuYasha's was easily accessible.

Rin's arms wrapped hesitantly around his waist, holding onto him tightly and he almost jumped. He wasn't expecting the touch, but it didn't bother him, in fact it had the opposite affect. The motorcycle was light and he weaved in and out of traffic easily, listening to Rin carefully give him directions when she remembered how to get herself home. It was sad that she was navigationally challenged, she didn't even know left from right when it came down to it and he really wanted to smack the common sense back into her thick head.

They arrived to her dingy apartment almost two hours later and Sesshomaru couldn't believe the dive Rin resided in. Her excuse was because it was cheap, but he only shook his head since he had a general idea as to the real reason. She didn't have her key and surprisingly it hadn't been a problem for her as she broke into her own apartment like a professional burglar. The air was stale inside the small one bedroom apartment, but it was cleaner than he was expecting.

She advised him to stay away from the kitchen and he complied watching her disappear into the bedroom, her voice rambling in the direction of a quick cold shower. He was left to his own devices as the shower sounded in the bathroom and Sesshomaru did what he thought was normal, he snooped around. It wasn't even snooping, but it did give him a better view on the type of person she had been. She was bright, confident, more or less in your face, and even witty in a dry way but it was interesting because everything in her apartment screamed ordinary.

“Hey,” she popped out of the bathroom, a size or two too big pair of shoes in one hand. “Does this look okay?”

She'd cut her own hair, small layers framing her face and it looked good. Her shorts were short black and tight making her legs look like they went on for miles and a simple form fitting dark denim blue colored t-shirt that read `I have knotty thoughts', a picture of a knotted rope on her left breast. If she was only looking for `okay' then she'd definitely over dressed herself, but instead of saying everything that came to mind he nodded.

“Cool,” Rin said slipping on her shoes. “Uh, hey there's a phone next to your left, press the play button. I think there might be a few messages, and I'm almost ready to go.”

Yet again he found himself complying with her request and he silently listened to message after message as they played. Most of them were from worried friends begging Rin to call or pick up, some from worried family members and one or two that consisted of silence or heavy breathing. Those were the ones he found most disturbing; however, the last one took the cake.

“Rin it's Sango, I know you're there. Pick up,” Rin made a snide comment as she tossed a backpack out of the bedroom door. “I know you and Kohaku had a bad break up, and I know he didn't help the situation but it doesn't justify you attacking him and breaking his nose.”

“I didn't attack him!” Rin screamed charging the phone with another bag in tow. “He violated the restraining order!!”

“Well—uh, please gimme a call we're all worried,” Sango's voice cut off and angrily Rin erased the message meanwhile cursing her friend under her breath.

“You broke his nose?” Sesshomaru asked curiously watching Rin unplug the phone and throw it.

“It's not like it was on my to-do list Jesus fuck,” she grumbled grabbing her backpack and slinging it casually over her shoulder. “I mean he locked me in a basement for fuck's sake! Drugged me and went on a crazy rant about how we were meant to be. Hell he even stole my stuff!”

Rin turned to face Sesshomaru and his amber eyes saw a flash of metal. Barbells, they stuck out like sore thumbs going down both her ears as she pulled her hair into a ponytail, one in her eyebrow and a post through her labret. She looked almost like an entirely different person and when she went to move his hand closed around her upper arm and she dropped the bag she was holding.

“Where did those come from?” He asked ignoring the weird look she gave him.

“Got it all done after I turned sixteen,” Rin smiled watching the unguarded expression on his face. “I even have my tongue pierced, see—“

She stuck out the said muscle and sure enough he spotted the large ball that read `fuck you' in red and black. Sesshomaru was at a loss of what words to say, but he felt a burning heat grow in his stomach staring at her. Never once had he found the tattoos and piercing remotely attractive, yet on Rin it was all he was able to think about. She looked exotic with it and he couldn't help but take advantage of the moment that swept him away.

Hungry lips crashed down on Rin's and she gasped loudly being sucked into Sesshomaru's heated kiss. She wasn't expecting this kind of reaction, nor the jolt of electricity that numbed her fingertips as his tongue seduced her. It was unlike anything she'd felt before and Rin found herself melting into his lips, her fingers clutching his shirt as his hands crushed her body against his.

He was everywhere and nowhere at the same time, his hands trailing over the back of her thighs and disappearing under her shirt. Rin thought she'd die when Sesshomaru's lips left her own and traveled south; he was making her breathless with desire and she almost couldn't think straight.

“Wait—I can't,” those deliciously skilled fingers were turning into something dangerous and Rin wasn't ready for it.

Sesshomaru slowed down hearing her voice and she watched the way his beautiful molten eyes went from hazy gold to icy amber and his touch suddenly ripped away from her like she was something unpleasant. It was better that way, Rin told herself, better because it wasn't safe for her to jump into another relationship. Not with him at least.

“Come, let's go.” Sesshomaru turned his back to Rin picking up one of her discarded bags, “we've been gone too long.”

Rin nodded her head grabbing a few more things on her way out. She doubted she'd be coming back to the dive of an apartment, but it was still a little sad to have to leave it behind. She was always leaving, never staying for more than a few months, it was like she never had a proper home to stay and call her own.

However, all that seemed to change the day she met InuYasha. He was practically a complete stranger yet he opened his home to her, fed her, and provided for her every need. Rin had become a part of his family and even Sesshomaru surprised her with his cleverly hidden generosity. By the end of the first month her two male companions considered her a permanent figure and all of her limited belongings were placed into Sesshomaru's room.

At first she declined protesting that it wasn't right, but when InuYasha informed her that Sesshomaru had his own place in the city it didn't take long to convince her to occupy the enormous room. It may have been Rin's room, but it was inhabited with Sesshomaru's belongings, his bed, his wardrobe- his stuff and she refused to touch it.

So instead of sleeping on the impossibly comfortable bed she slept on the floor until she found a job. She wasn't going to freeload off of InuYasha, it wasn't fair and besides, she wasn't liking being cooped up all day. She needed something to bide her time.

Job searching had always been a hard thing after Kohaku, and Rin knew that; although, she was surprised at how quickly she had found one that hired her no questions asked.

Maybe it was because how much her looks fit in, or maybe it was how `cute' she looked to the male hiring manager, but she wasn't going to start asking questions. She had a job! Mall jobs weren't hard up, not a piece of cake, yet not disturbingly hard either and Rin was delighted by the dress code because it was flexible. And she did flexible very well…

Everything was looking up for Rin and by the second end of the month she was able to buy a small indoor hammock and a cell phone (more for InuYasha's piece of mind than hers). She was falling into a routine lifestyle, one that she loved and though it sometimes felt like the calm before the storm she knew it had become her home.

“Will you love me tomorrow? So will you stay with me today?” Her phone rarely went off, but when it did she knew who it was and she smiled.

“What's up dog-boy?” Rin laughed shuffling a few bags into her other hand.

“I swear Rin, I'm never playing card games with you,” it was InuYasha and she laughed louder. “I still say you cheated.”

“It happens,” she replied glancing to her left. It was her only day off yet there she was at the mall blowing her money on clothes. “So what's up?”

“I'm going to be late tonight so I can't pick you up,” he sounded guilty and Rin rolled her eyes.

“So I'll just bus it geez,” she said bluntly. “No worries, public transportation won't eat me alive. I'll be fine.”

“I know, but I'm bringing some friends over. Is that okay?”

“Yes captain,” Rin didn't know why he didn't bring his friends over sooner, but it was okay. She actually wanted to see the kind of people he hung out with on a regular basis. “I'll see you later so-right?”

A bag caught her eye and Rin was zoning out of her conversation with InuYasha, mixing words together that made no sense as she walked into the store. It was black denim and like the one she used to carry around in high school and just like any compulsive buyer, she had to have it. “Bye InuYasha, I'll be home by seven.”

Rin walked around the mall for a while longer before heading to the bus station. It was a decent but crowded as always and she sighed folding her plastic bags of clothing into the denim shoulder bag. She'd have less to carry and it gave her a chance to use the new accessory of hers.

The bus came and Rin fished the change from her pocket and sat in the back. She'd taken the bus countless times to work and back home so the route wasn't confusing to her like it was for InuYasha, besides it was usually quiet so it was even better.

Countless stops came and Rin bobbed her head to the silent music playing. It made her wish she had an mp3 player or even a Walkman to her disposal, though that would have to wait for another pay date to come along. People came and went and three stops before her own she saw a decent sized crowd waiting.

They wouldn't take up the entire bus she knew that much for sure, the nameless faceless people usually wanted their own space. Rin did move closer to the back door exit though, it would be easier than bumping legs and pushing past them. A flash of black caught her eyes and Rin frowned scanning the crowd, something was familiar.

“Rin!” Her blood froze watching Kohaku's hand waving her down and if her eyes could have bugged out of her head then they would have.

She didn't waste air cursing before darting towards the exit, pushing it roughly open and fleeing the bus. How was he able to always find her? Did he have some kind of `Rin radar' in his brain or was she just extremely unlucky? There was no time to stand around asking questions, she had to find a place to hide and fast.

Rin could hear him calling out for her to stop, but she refused to as she ducked around a corner and practically slipped down a few stairs. She was beginning to feel like Harrison Ford in the movie “The Fugitive”, she was being hunted like a prison escapee. It probably was a bad comparison she knew, but it seemed the most logical to her.

Quickly as she could Rin weaved through other pedestrians and into a local restaurant only to run straight to the restrooms, hiding in a stall knowing Kohaku wouldn't cause more of a scene than he already had by entering the women's bathroom.

She panted heavily trying to catch her breath while digging around in her pockets for her cell phone. That would be her only salvation and this time she'd let it charge so it shouldn't die on her just yet. The only problem was who could she call? InuYasha was out with friends so she couldn't bother him, Sesshomaru—well he hadn't said four words to her since the day he took her to the old apartment and he barely looked at her the few times actually came over so he was also a no.

It didn't take her long to thumb through her contact list, it wasn't like she had hordes of friends, but the last one Rin knew she could call; she was told to too many times to count. He was the main manager at the store she worked at, her hiring manager and though it wasn't a call to ask to hang out with him or do something, it was a call nonetheless.

“Hello?” It took a ring or two for him to answer and her heart leapt hearing his voice.

“Hey it's me,” she tried sounding normal and hoped it worked. “I gotta ask you a favor.”

“Rin?”

She didn't go over the dirty details, he didn't need to know and she was ecstatic when he agreed to come retrieve her. Lying wasn't something she promoted, telling him she got lost after getting off on the wrong stop, but then again, not all of it was a lie. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him and Rin was completely okay with that.

While waiting Rin dug back into her bag and pulled out a change of clothing, carefully detaching the tags. She needed at least a few minutes and since Kohaku knew what she was wearing she couldn't simply walk out unnoticed. The outfit she had was over the top, but it wasn't something she would have normally worn so it was perfect. They were clubbing clothes, well they would if she went to clubs and after today she seriously doubted she'd be able to go out like that for a while.

The fishnet stalking she almost didn't buy were the easiest to slip on, the black pleated short skirt having an impossibly ridiculous zipper in back and the tight corset top with pink trimmings and ribbons wasn't something she'd ever be able to put on by herself but somehow she managed it, just barely.

Rin tossed her clothes into her bag and left the stall to clean herself up, washing her face and elbows from the now hilarious spill taken earlier. Her hair was tossed into two loose pigtails and she smiled at her masterpiece before lacing up the boots she'd been wearing, mentally thanking herself for putting on the knee-high contraptions. Steel-toes were always best when exotic and yet effective for day-to-day use.

Checking her cell phone for the time she mentally groaned. It was going on seven-ten and if she didn't show up soon InuYasha would definitely begin calling her. Her only hope was that her ride would come soon so she could book it home before the Calvary came. InuYasha wasn't the worrywart kind of person, but given her previous situation he was like her very own mother hen.

“Okay you can do this Rin,” she told herself taking a deep breath.

It was now or never and Rin couldn't wait in the bathroom forever. Cautiously she left not looking around her for Kohaku, she didn't want to be suspicious, it was the last thing she needed. She was mentally praising herself as she waited outside, her eyes darting around her. The sun would be going down soon and she didn't want to be waiting around when it got dark.

The sounds of cars whizzing by was loud as well as the sound of approaching motorcycles. It had Rin wondering if boys were all going through the same phase, playing guitars, riding motorcycles, and the fake sensitive bad boy look because it seemed like eighty percent of the male population was attempting it.

The obvious male on the motorcycle took off his helmet and Rin rolled her eyes seeing onyx hair and electric blue eyes. Of course he'd be one of the many and she headed towards him praying that he'd keep his wolfish mouth quiet until she was closer. She could feel Kohaku's eyes and she needed to get on the back of the bike before he put two and two together and made four.

“Hey Rin!” He yelled and Rin cursed under her breath. She darted to the bike and jumped on spotting Kohaku and she grabbed her companion's waist tightly.

“GO Koga! GO! Hurry!” Koga shoved his helmet back on and the engine roared to life, the wheels screeching as they sped out into traffic leaving Kohaku standing at the curb behind them.

Rin didn't care where they were going as long as it was far away from Kohaku. She kept her eyes closed as Koga drove, letting the sound of the engine drown out all other sounds of life. With every passing street sign she was closer to safety and that's all that kept her composed. She was safe. However, all too soon the sound grew softer and the wind wasn't blowing her hair and she sighed, the ride was over.

“So you wanna tell me what's going on?” Koga asked turning off the bike and glancing back at her.

“I stepped into the middle of some crazy one-person gang war and was challenged to a knife fight.” She replied hopping off the back and pulling down her skirt. “It was wicked crazy.”

“I'm serious,” he told her irritably, his glare making her uncomfortable as she rearranged her bag.

“Look Koga, I'm not trying to be mean but this is something that I can't explain right now,” Rin was being serious as she gave him a quick hug. “I appreciate you coming to get me, I really do and I hope you understand.”

Koga was silent for a moment before he sighed heavily and saluted her. She was grateful that he wasn't digging deeper because she didn't need anyone else knowing her personal business. It wasn't that she didn't like Koga, since she did, but she wasn't certain with how much she could trust him with.

She waited until he was gone to head to the front of her new home, the gated building making her feel more secure than any other place could. Pulling her phone from her pocket, Rin groaned for the umpteenth time, twelve missed calls, most from InuYasha and one or two from Sesshomaru. She was going to be in deep trouble.

“A one-person gang war? A knife fight? Where does this imagination of yours come from?” An icy baritone voice came from nowhere and Rin jumped whirling around to see her silver haired companions.

“A little from PBS, some MTV, and the rest is good ole' loveable me, scary much?” Her heart was pounding rapidly in her stomach as he curiously raised his eyebrows at her.

It was extremely hard not to stare at Sesshomaru while he was casually standing next to her looking all kinds of scrumptious in his slacks and collared dress shirt; and his hair brushed perfectly down his back. His appearance made her want to suddenly melt but she managed to keep the dark blush from her cheeks by the serious gaze in his eyes. It was almost dangerous.

“Okay, okay,” she said waving him off and entering the building. “I got spotted on the bus and I hid in a girls restroom until Koga came to the rescue.”

“Why didn't you call InuYasha or myself? My idiot brother's been worried.” Sesshomaru practically hissed.

“I suffer from amnesia—or what's it called,” she bit down on the side of her lip. “Maybe it was a temporary lapse of judgment… I can't quite remember.”

His eyes flashed, zoning in on her and Rin felt her chest constrict almost painfully. He looked relieved to see her, yet there was something in the way he gazed at her that sent a chill of excitement up and down her spine. This feeling was familiar though, and she tore her eyes away from Sesshomaru's person. She wasn't going to let it happen again—not this time.

“Why do you always have to make light of everything?” He asked her seriously, his hand wrapping around her arm tightly. “Why does it have to be a joke? Its not amusing Rin.”

“Honestly?” She didn't want to admit it because life seemed easier to bear when she hid behind her smile and witty words. “Because if I didn't behave like this I'd probably never stop crying. I'm not strong enough to keep doing this.”

Time stood still for a moment and Rin hid behind a bright smile. She didn't like giving away so much of herself like she had, especially since there was absolutely nothing between them. He wasn't her type and she was leaving it at that, end of story.

“Rin…” Her name sounded wonderful coming from his lips and she wished that he would say it again in a completely different and not so innocent way.

“It's okay Sesshomaru, really, it just happens. No worries,” she was leading herself down a destructive path, she knew it and Rin was pretty certain that Sesshomaru knew it as well, if not more so.

“No, it's not,” he said it in clipped tones as his hand released its death grip on her arm.

Rin had been prepared to shrug his hand off her and make it to the door that was close enough to touch and avoid Sesshomaru's presence. She'd even been prepared for any sarcastic and cold remark he could think to make her feel bad, since he was definitely good enough at it. However, Rin wasn't prepared for that hand as it slid up her shoulder, the finely manicured nails scrapping lightly on her neck.

Nor the wonderfully wicked sensation that coursed through her entire being before setting in her abdomen when those long fingers of his slid to the back of her neck and entwined themselves in her hair and forcing her head up less than subtly.

She felt the wall meet her back, the pressure of another body impossibly close to hers, but none of it compared to the way Sesshomaru's lips crashed over hers. It was breath taking and she couldn't fight against him even if she was thinking logically. His kiss was like everything she dreamed a kiss could be; passionate, all consuming, and the roughness was an added bonus that made her suddenly aware of what it did to her body. Rin was hot and cold, in shock but responding like a woman dying of thirst.

His other hand supported her, but forced her to allow the pressure of his hips to grind seductively against her, her already short skirt slipping up higher as his leg slipped in between her legs and caressed her. All of it was happening so fast, Sesshomaru's hungry lips, his overpowering presence and his hard and lean body and the only thing she could think to do was hang on for the ride and enjoy it.

Rin gasped into his mouth as Sesshomaru dominated her, arched her too hot body when he touched her and made the entire world spin. It had been so long since she last felt something so intense and her heart was pounding in her ears that she almost didn't hear a door nearby open and not so hushed laughter escape. She personally didn't care who it was, not when she was this far gone, too wrapped up in the gorgeous man consensually molesting her in an open hallway.

“Sesshomaru?” InuYasha's surprised voice was like a kick in the stomach and Rin jerked out of the most erotic embrace she'd been thrown into.

An embarrassed blush spread from her cheeks to her toes in seconds flat and she could have sworn she heard Sesshomaru hide a growl in his irritated sigh before he turned to face his brother, exposing Rin to the four-member group watching them in shock and she though she'd die where she stood. Her name fell from InuYasha's lips just as quickly as his brother's had and the three other's looked just as dumbstruck as Rin was.

Fate was never a tolerable mistress for Rin, she was plain cruel and such a bitch and in the blink of an eye two ebony haired bodies had pulled her out of Sesshomaru's arms and out into the open. She was so surprised to see Miroku and Kagome begin a ridiculous probing session, skilled fingers searching for any injuries, relieved and big eyes staring at her like she'd grown another head when none were found.

“Where've you been?” Indigo eyes watched her before pulling her into a tight embrace. “We were all so worried about you Rin!”

Miroku always had a simple way with words and she hugged him back trying to force back the building tears. Out of all her friends over the years he'd been one of the few she really trusted, he was like the estranged brother who didn't know when to quit and had a mean lechery streak. It felt good to be held by him and she laughed as he was pulled away and she was practically mauled into another hug, this time by a softly crying Kagome.

Kagome, she was like the mother Rin left behind during her adolescently naïve days. She had the same smile and kind eyes and Rin smile gently rubbing her friend's back. Seeing them face-to-face made her realize how much stress they must have gone through and she felt stupid for not getting a hold of them and telling them she was all right sooner.

She should have called, it would have been the responsible and right thing to do, but Rin didn't. Not after everything she'd gone through. She wanted a fresh star, to be able to begin again with a clean slate and yet from the looks of it someone really hated her and it wasn't the woman a few feet away giving Rin a nasty glare either.

“Hey,” Rin said uneasily biting on her lower lips.

Sango was like a cobra, beautiful and entrancing, but oh so dangerous for your health to mess with. She was the most stubborn of her friends, not that Rin really held it against the girl, Sango was just very overprotective of her brother. At one point Rin and Sango had been closer than close -almost family, but that obviously wasn't the case anymore.

They say a boy can have the power to change a relationship between two girls and Rin didn't believe it until things went horribly wrong with her and Kohaku. The male population could build a castle in one day and have it destroyed with their greed by the following night. Rin guessed it was all a part of the bigger schemes in life, but not once did she admit to agreeing with it.

Sango's eyes narrowed angrily and she sprang—just like the cobra she was. It took Sango two steps to reach Rin and instead of enveloping Rin in a hug like the other's had, she tore Kagome away and punched Rin square in the jaw. There was no pulling of punches with Sango, when she hit someone she made sure it did little more than hurt.

Rin's neck jerked and she toppled over like an unstable Jenga mountain, a soft cry slipping from her lips. “You Tramp!”

Sesshomaru barely managed to grab Rin before she smashed into the ground, Sango's eyes glowing with more than hate for her friend. However, no matter how used to being pushed around Rin was, not once had she even been hit for being innocent. It made her blood boil and she growled as Sesshomaru helped her back on her feet.

“Well at least now I know who taught Kohaku how to hit a girl,” Rin frowned rubbing her jaw.

That only proved to anger Sango more, yet Rin refused to back down from her once long-time friend. She didn't understand why Sango kept trying to make her brother out to be an innocent bystander because he wasn't one by a long shot. Everyone was too shocked to do anything other than stare in shock, and Rin desperately wanted to say something sarcastic but luckily for her she was able to refrain from doing so.

“My brother is too good for you!” Sango shouted pointing her finger accusingly at Rin. “He never hurt a fly before he met you! You skeeze! You tramp! How dare you do this to Kohaku! You deserved everything that's happened and all that's coming to you!”

“Hey!” InuYasha and Miroku said in unison, Sango had gone too far this time.

“Fuck you Sango!” Rin had had enough and she shoved Sango hard enough to knock her off balance and almost into a near by wall. “Fuck you! I didn't ask for your brother to stalk me, or to put me in a hospital multiple times! No one deserves it Sango—nobody! I can't believe I ever thought of you as my friend. Your whole family's fucked up if you think that your precious brother is as gentle as you think he is! Wake up and smell the fucking coffee!”

Angrily Rin shrugged off the hands on her shoulders and stormed into the apartment then to her room, slamming both doors behind her. Everything was just too much for her to handle in one day, she wasn't strong enough and Rin crawled onto her hammock and hid underneath her covers doing the only thing she could do better than anything. She cried.

Why couldn't things go a little better than they intended to? Was it too much to ask for that all of her friends stuck up for her and didn't have ulterior opinions than what they expressed? Loyalty must have been one of those imaginary words people used along with `trust' or `love'. It was too heartbreaking and Rin exhausted herself trying to remember when things reached the point of no return and did a nose-dive for the worst.

The gentle click of her door being opened roused her from her thoughts and Rin sniffled wiping away the remnants of her tears. She definitely was in no mood for company and she planned on ignoring the intruder, but when her blanket was removed from her face and she saw Sesshomaru standing by her with an ice pack she couldn't find it in her heart to attempt to turn him away.

“Put it on your face,” he told her tossing the icepack on her lap. He looked like his normal self, but then again something in his eyes was entirely different than what she was used to seeing.

“This is just a reminder why you don't date your friend's siblings,” she said sitting sideways on the hammock and motioning for Sesshomaru to come sit with her. “Because in the end they both wind up crazier than any senile homeless man on the street trying to sell crack to the pigeons.”

Sesshomaru's chuckles were light and quiet and it made her smile since it was something that he was sharing with her. Rin moved over as Sesshomaru accepted her invitation, settling his weight onto the sturdy hammock.

They fit perfectly, Rin's uninjured side of her face resting on his arm, his hand lazily resting on her hip as she leaned her weight on him and the gentle swaying of the hammock lulling Rin into a light sleep. It felt good, Sesshomaru holding her, much nicer yet more intense than when Miroku had done earlier. Sesshomaru made her feel at ease, like she really was at home and she finally decided to give up on not allowing him and her to become a “them”. It just sounded right after everything, it felt right to her.

“She was wrong you know,” Sesshomaru broke the silence, his lips whispering in her hair. “You don't deserve anything that's happened to you—no one does.”

“I know,” she wrapped her arm around Sesshomaru's waist. “It just hurts that she said it.”

They lapsed into another comfortable silence and Rin enjoyed it because there were no expectations and despite the day she was having, it was beginning to look better. The two of them merely existed together, listening to the creaking of the hammock as it slowly swayed back and forth. She wanted to stay that way with Sesshomaru for as long as possible just so she could continue being stuck in a place that was, in her eyes perfect.

To Rin Sesshomaru was the beginning point to a new chapter in the story that she decided was her life and it was one chapter she wasn't too sure if she ever wanted to stop reading. The few times she got to be near him were increasingly pleasant and there was something about him that absolutely blew her mind.

She didn't have to be strong, didn't have to smile or even pretend that everything was okay. It was like he could see through her and when he looked at her with those beautiful eyes, Rin had a feeling—a feeling that he was there for her.

Maybe it was a little insane to be thinking such nonsense, Sesshomaru wasn't the rescuer of the classic damsels in distress, he was the kind that did things only for himself—the decided loner, but it didn't matter to Rin. No, she was happy that he was there with her just for her and it made her heart swell.

And almost exactly how all of her good feelings and emotions washed over her, they instantly disappeared and were replaced with something else entirely different. Her stomach knotted when it hit her and she quickly Rin slipped away from Sesshomaru and the hammock, a devastated look on her face. “I can't stay here.”

Sesshomaru gave her a look and she shook her head before opening her closet door and dragging out an antique trunk practically as big as she was. She needed to find a place far away that was for sure this time since her hiding spot would be exposed if it hadn't been already.

“What are you doing?” She was pulling off her steel toe boots and tossing them into the trunk and though she wished he wouldn't ask she knew he would.

“I can't stay here,” she repeated looking around for one of her duffel bags and not finding them. “Before long Kohaku's going to know where I'm at and he won't sit around and do nothing. I'm not going to be a sitting duck.”

Rin heard Sesshomaru get up and she hoped it was to leave her, but it wasn't. His fingers curled around her wrist, pulling her up from kneeling and she glared at him. He wasn't helping her any by keeping her away from getting all her belongings together.

“You're going to runaway,” it wasn't a question and all she could do was try staring him down, which wasn't even working in the first place.

“Well what else am I supposed to do Sesshomaru?” She was becoming hysterical but she didn't try pulling out of his grasp because she needed his stability more than she could ever know. “What else am I supposed to do huh? It's not like I could magically move in with you and be hidden from everyone. I can't—“

“Yes,” Sesshomaru swung Rin into his chest cutting off her rant.

“Huh?” His arms were wound behind her back and she watched him with a confused look on her face. What was he trying to do to her? She couldn't accept it, she couldn't because he would never offer something like this to her in his right mind. “Are you on crack Sesshomaru?”

His soft chuckle filled her ears and she couldn't help but shiver the way his warm breath ghosted across her bare neck. He was being serious, she could see it in the way his amber eyes were devouring her and it scared her more than the though of being alone with Kohaku.

“I must be,” Sesshomaru's lips stole a quiet gasp from her mouth as he leaned down to kiss her and any protest she would have made was instantly forgotten.

He felt like silk against her, his nimble fingers tracing her skin, or gently pulling on the ribbons and ties to her corset. He was gentle but she could feel the hungry need of his kisses all the way down to her toes. It only made sense to let everything fall into the hazy background and enjoy what Sesshomaru was silently offering her.

If she had stopped for a moment to think Rin would have laughed at herself for how cliché it was, but no matter how cliché it could be for once she wanted it more than anything. Rin desired the strength to go on and longed for something that she felt was always ten paces or more ahead of her. But being in Sesshomaru's arms, feeling him the way she was made it as though she could steal a star if she extended her arms far enough.

Clothing was slowly pulled off and forgotten in favor of hot bare skin and Rin gasped wantonly underneath Sesshomaru's skilled touch. He too her to a place she hadn't been in almost a lifetime it seemed and she cried out his name when he pushed her off the edge and into a steaming pool of ecstasy. His legs entwined with hers as he drove his need deeper into her, his arms cradling her as though she was fine porcelain, his hot breath whispering incoherent words into her ears and if Rin could have died she was certain she would have.

Even after when Rin and Sesshomaru lay on the bed completely spent, she felt safe the way he held her close, his lips pressed in the crook of her neck. It was all too perfect to be a reality but Rin was in no hurry to rejoin the land of the living as she covered the hand around her waist with her own.

“What time is it?” His voice rumbled sending gooseflesh crawling over her skin and she smiled rolling over to face him, his long hair curtaining over her like a soft blanket.

“Early,” she whispered softly trying not to blush as his large hand ran up her backside with a teasing touch.

The two of them lay there silently watching each other until it was time for Sesshomaru to leave. He dressed slowly, allowing Rin to see the naked and lean body in various stages of dress and she laughed when he flashed her a girl, his hair tangled and messy completely opposite of the man who she had come to know.

Rin walked Sesshomaru to the front door wearing only a pair of girl plain boxer-briefs and a loose lavender dress shirt that smelled strongly of the silent man next to her. It hung off her body ending almost at her knees and it made her feel like she was once again a small child playing dress up. However, instead of seeing her father's smiling face she was seeing Sesshomaru, not as an ice-cold person or a temperamental fool, but as a man.

It was weird, too weird for words and yet Rin found herself merely going with the flow like a goalless drifter. She hadn't meant to leave the warm comforts of the apartment but with only a look and the coaxing of his hand laced with hers, Sesshomaru led Rin to the front lobby entrance. She was hardly dressed appropriately and despite what she feared no one paid any mind to her as they continued on.

Sesshomaru wasn't the kind of guy to get overemotional with the touchy-feely lovey-dovey goodbyes and though he was decidedly withdrawn and reclusive he also didn't turn his back on her without something for her to look forward to. He merely leaned down and placed the most simple of kisses on her forehead giving her a look that he would only show her before demanding she go back to the apartment and gather her things for when he returned later in the afternoon.

All the way back to the apartment the only thing she could think of was him. He was giving her a chance to really expose the world to the real her and it was exciting and new. The tall scrumptious piece of wonderful man was pulling away the layers she hid herself behind and giving her a whole new world to explore and she was loving every minute of it.

It made her want to giggle like a child again, to squeal with delight and dance to an imaginary tune in her head. She wanted to scream on a mountaintop just so she could hear herself and if the smile on her face grew any bigger in size, her face would cave in on her.

Her newfound happiness swelled in her head as she entered the dark apartment, her hand flipping the light switch and instantly pouring bright artificial light into the decent sized room. She had a lot of things to do now that Sesshomaru decided to take her in like the abandoned puppy she often felt like. It was a funny thought and she laughed pouring herself a glass of water and taking a large sip.

Was what she was feeling possibly true love? Were the feelings running through her veins similar to what her mom used to describe to her? And if so, how did it happen? How was it possible to fall in love so quickly and could it honestly last as long as the fairy tales often claimed? Well if it was then Rin was more than eager to experience it, she was beginning to desperately hope that Sesshomaru was her real Mr. Right—her other half.

“Well don't you adapt nicely,” it was the last thing Rin was expecting and she gasped dropping the glass in her hand.

Kohaku sat on the couch facing her blending in like he belonged there and Rin could feel the bile rising in the back of her throat. He'd found her a lot sooner than she'd anticipated and now there was no place for her to run. He was closer to the front door than she was and he was definitely faster, she wouldn't make it to either bedroom before him. Rin was trapped.

“How?” Her tongue felt heavy and the tile on the floor was slick with water, glass shards, and more than likely her blood; she could feel the stinging sensation on her calves and feet.

“Let's not worry about the little details Rin,” his soft smile was out of place on the boy she knew and though her mind screamed for her to flee she was glued to her spot from fear. “All that matters is that we're together now.”

No, this wasn't happening again! It couldn't, she was so careful this time—so fucking careful and yet there Kohaku was, watching her with his hawk vision and she wanted to cry. However, instead of crying, Rin grabbed the nearest object and flung it at him, her loud shrill scream causing her ears to ring as she dove frantically for the front door.

When Rin bolted so had Kohaku and the door flung open, his growl echoing through her ears before the pain registered in her brain. It was a sudden scorching feeling of fire burning up her veins and she couldn't think as she lost control of her body as it began to seizure. The feeling was unlike anything she'd felt and the ground slammed into her face as her limbs twitched randomly. What was going on?

She was conscious and powerless at the same time but after a few moments when the burning left she was able to numbly roll on her back, a soft groan of pain escaping her lips as the black dots danced across her vision. What had he done to her?

Well whatever Kohaku had done to her served its purpose and she felt the cool tears leaking from the corners of her eyes seeing the slightly fuzzy blur of Kohaku coming closer, the soft sound of something heavy being dragged ringing in her ears like a church bell at mass.

“You make this too easy,” he told her and she felt herself being lifted and placed into an uncomfortable position before the darkness shut out the fading light. Where was Sesshomaru when she needed him? Why wasn't he here helping her? Why?

It was sometime close to noon and he was finishing up with all of his errands for the day. He wanted straight answers for once—nothing cryptic and he was set on getting them, even if in the subtle guise of friendliness. Well it wasn't like he wasn't friendly, if anything he considered himself a friend magnet, but for some reason someone in particular wasn't responding in the way he had hoped.

She wasn't working and since he knew where she lived, courtesy of employee files, he would make it a “learn about Rin” day. Okay, there was still the slight chance that she had plans, or wasn't home, but the important part was that he was attempting. Attempting hard and from what he already knew about Rin it was apparent that she had a hard time saying no.

Now he wasn't faulting her for it, on the contrary, it was ridiculously cute and he wanted to test out his theory on her. He placed his helmet on the seat of his motorcycle and pulled out his cell phone, calling Rin only to get her voicemail. It was quite common but after the third call he furrowed his eyebrows trying to remember the apartment number that she lived in.

“You can do this Koga,” he told himself crossing the lobby to the elevator, pushing the button and waiting for the contraption to ding and open its doors.

He didn't like the feeling in his gut and he was almost tempted to take the stairs when the elevator doors opened. “Whoa!”

His hand reached out to help steady the man in front of him and keep him from stumbling. He seemed too weak to be carrying a heavy antique trunk the way he was, but Koga wasn't going to be the one to point out the obvious.

He wondered silently what was running through the younger man's mind—did no one ever explain the benefits of using a dolly? Koga, however, didn't dwell on other's ignorance for long and once the guy was able to get a good grip on the trunk, Koga flashed him a ten thousand volt smile.

“Would you like some assistance?” He said nicely ignoring the flared look he was being given.

Koga waited for him to say anything and after a moment a smile lit up the stranger's face and any trace of hostility had vanished. “Oh man that'd be a life saver! I though my girlfriend had a dolly, she said she did, but you know how girls are!”

The truth was he did know how girls were and not one of them would have a dolly living in an apartment as upscale as the one they were in unless they were stupid. Then again, stupid loaded girls probably had no idea what a dolly even was unless it was in reference to a Barbie doll or that one country singer with the huge fake breasts. He didn't say anything though and instead of digging for more information, he took a side of the trunk and helped the guy carry it to his vehicle.

He'd been expecting something like a Honda Civic or some newer Ford Taurus, but the old beat up pick up truck was definitely a surprise to him. It was rundown and most likely problematic, but there was something about the way he treated the vehicle that was almost impersonal.

The two of them loaded the trunk into the bed of the truck and the now suspicious man thanked Koga before slamming shut the tailgate and climbing into the pickup. Koga waited until he drove off to head back for the lobby and this time the wait for the elevator was a short one.

He felt good for being a good Samaritan helping that guy and yet at the same time there was a churning in his stomach like he'd done something horribly wrong at the same time. Koga chalked it up to his jittery nerves and waited patiently to reach his designated floor--he was going to see Rin and no doubt about it he was planning on unveiling a little bit of tasty gossip.

There was no directory of which way he was supposed to go and after twenty or so minutes of aimless wandering a sparklingly hot red head girl gave him directions. He was going to have to find a way to “casually” run into her again later and ask her out for a cup of coffee or something much better.

When he finally reached the right apartment he easily felt ten years older and absolutely bored out of his mind. He knocked on the large door checking his watch for the umpteenth time, it wasn't too early that she'd still be sleeping, but not late enough for her to have left without him noticing.

Now Koga was a decidedly patient man, he considered himself considerably as much, but after ten minutes of dead silence waiting for someone to answer the door, his limitless patience was running dry. His weight shifted silently from one foot to another and just as he was about to give up a familiar voice came from behind him.

“Oy!” Koga didn't even have to turn around to know whose voice it was and he frowned. “What brings your mangy ass to my apartment Koga?”

Originally he thought it was a coincidence that Rin lived in the same building as InuYasha, his long time rival in life, but never once did he imagine that the two of them lived together. It made him wonder if it was the reason why Rin always turned him down, yet he didn't want to believe it to be possible. After all, Koga didn't think that the idiot in front of him was good enough to lick the sludge from Rin's boots let alone be the type of guy she fancied, it was nearly vomit worthy.

To Koga it was plain ridiculous and he scoffed at the thought. Of course Rin wasn't dating InuYasha, he was a pig and that was that. Rin wasn't dating InuYasha—hell for all Koga knew they could be cousins… Yeah, that sounded better, they were related.

“So you gunna tell me what you're doing here?” InuYasha pushed passed Koga and unlocked his door. “Or are ya' just gunna stand there like the idiot you are?”

“Keh!” Koga scoffed glaring at the silver-haired boy. “I'm here to see Rin, we're supposed to hang out today.”

InuYasha didn't care who Rin brought home, but he highly doubted Koga to be one of the few and he rolled his eyes flipping the lights on. What greeted him had InuYasha and Koga both stopping in their tracks and his heart plummeted into his stomach.

The entire place was ransacked and reminded him of pictures of all the moves he watched up till then. Tables and furniture overturned, shattered glass littering the floor and InuYasha seriously thought he stepped right out of reality and into a nightmare. His jaw would have dropped to the floor if it was able to and he fumbled for his cell phone seeing dots of red dancing around on the tan carpet.

This wasn't happening to him, he couldn't believe it even though the proof was as plain as the nose on his face and right in front of his own eyes. It took a matter of moments for the police to arrive only to be led from his apartment like an abused woman by two officers. InuYasha was in shock as uniformed badges searched for any signs of Rin, but everyone, him included knew she wasn't there—it was painfully obvious by the state of his apartment.

Two hours was how long it took for the police to finish their run of the apartment, several of them coming to InuYasha and re-asking questions of previous officers. It felt like a slow and cruel game of ring around the rosy and by the time they left InuYasha was an emotional wreck.

He guessed things could have gone better—he could have saved himself an emergency room visit for starters. Grant it, he'd been in shock so he hadn't thought to call Sesshomaru, but the minute Koga filled in the blanks to why the apartment was trashed, InuYasha was introduced to his half-brother's fists. More than once.

It wasn't a casual introduction like `boy meets girl in a perfect world', but rather Fists of Fury meets Rambo and Rocky in the `you mother fucker I'm going to grind your bones to make my bread' kind of way or something remotely similar to that effect. So there he was nursing a broken nose like some schmuck trying to clean up what the police thought wasn't important enough to include in the investigation.

He doubted they'd follow up on the case, most rarely did since there was a three or was it four day missing person requirement. How come people were found only in the movies? That was a thought for a brighter, less stressful day and it wasn't until well after dawn that he was able to succumb to his much needed sleep and even then it didn't last nearly as long as he had wanted it to.

Days came and went at a snail's pace and everyone was on edge. Sesshomaru was off in his own little world trying to find leads on anything tangible and was arrested once for breaking and entering at Sango and Miroku's home. Koga was calling InuYasha's phone every hour on the hour for an update they knew wouldn't change and all the while things were looking desperately dimmer.

The detectives placed on Rin's case had a small list of leads and none of them were helping—it was falling down like the structure in the sung song “London Bridge”. Kohaku was apprehended twice and a few hours after being taken into custody he was released. The first time for driving with expired tags and the second in regards to Rin's disappearance. They even searched Sango's place from top to bottom, much to her distaste and when nothing turned up it felt like all hope was lost.

No new leads were popping up and no old ones were panning out and after two weeks it seemed like all efforts by the police ceased. Everyone had their opinions—some expressed them freely and though tempers flared and sometimes fists, there was nothing that could be done legally.

Sango had been confronted on several occasions by these opinions and she spat on them—sticking to her faith on Kohaku's innocence. She didn't need friends who thought her brother was some deranged crackpot (which led to Sesshomaru's initial arrest and multiple warnings from police later). There was no need for her to prove her brother was innocent because her heart told her he was and that's all the proof that she needed, screw everyone else.

Her stubborn train of thought though caused many loud fights between her and Miroku and if he hadn't been a patient, understanding person things would have escaladed to more than just heated screaming. She was just too pig-headed and stubborn and when she got angry her first came out. Now Miroku knew Sango like he knew the back of his hand and he knew that she wasn't a violent creature, but she wasn't exactly a lame one either.

People were raised differently, some with caring parents or in his case relatives; some by nannies or hired help, and in Sango's case she was raised with her fists raised. She spent most of her life at a gym—Tai Bo, kickboxing, martial arts—you name it her father probably enrolled her in it, and Kohaku too. It was her stress reliever and Miroku believed that maybe Kohaku applied it to a different aspect of his life instead of in a ring or on a mat like Sango had.

In no way, shape, or form was he saying that Kohaku did something to Rin, he didn't know that for certain, but Miroku did know that something was going on with the said boy. Kohaku had that dark look in his eyes when he thought no one was paying attention and his smiles were becoming increasingly more eerie as time went by. Of course there could be many different plausible answers for Kohaku's subtle personality changes, but there was only one that kept Miroku from getting a full night's sleep from his spot on the couch.

Miroku noticed things that other's did not, like the clocks for example—every single one was two hours off, all on an earlier time and he thought it was suspicion worthy. Another thing that stood out was how much Kohaku had come to stay over. He wasn't sleeping in the set up guest room made for him but the basement and he'd gone so far as volunteering to move the washer and dryer into the unused den.

He did try once or twice to bring up the oddness of it to Sango yet after the scream fest, he decided to keep it on a need to know basis, which consisted of Sango knot knowing because she was lost in her fantasy life where everything was perfect. It made him angry to think his girlfriend of eight years could be behaving so stupidly and when the hurricane of all fights broke out, Miroku broke.

No number of tears of pleads could keep him pretending along with Sango in spite of every ounce of proof against Kohaku and so he packed up his belongings, moving into a cheap studio, he went as far as he could possibly go. It made him feel guilty and heartbroken that things had to go down the bumpy uneasy road, but he knew he had to do something drastic to wake Sango up and smell the roses.

It was on the final moving day that Miroku decided to stop dancing around Kohaku and Sango and he created a new beat of his own. Originally he planned to get his stuff and go like any sane person would and he almost did as much; however, when Kohaku gave him the `I'm sorry things didn't work out between you and my sister' line with a barely kept Cheshire grin on his face, Miroku knew that he couldn't walk out of there empty handed.

He'd been lucky that InuYasha volunteered with lugging things around because when the shit hit the fan (so to say), it was InuYasha that came to the rescue. Miroku had been itching to get into the basement when Kohaku installed a pad lock on it claiming it was for privacy, and when Kohaku left that day, it was Miroku who quenched his thirst of curiosity.

There was no action-packed breaking down of the door or the suave sophistication of lock picking; instead, he opted out for the simple unscrewing of the pad lock screws and hinges with a plain metal butter knife. The door had been installed backwards and when he couldn't reach the screws, he popped off the pins holding the hinges together and voila—the door opened.

He flipped on the lights almost blinding himself with how bright the lights were. Basements were dark and shadowy places, not lit up like Vegas. The stairs creaked under his feet and chills ran up his spine, the fine hairs on his body standing on end; he officially was in the lion's den and though it looked like a normal single guy's pad, it felt like a horror film come to life.

He checked in all the obvious places, under the bed, in the built in closet, an abandoned trunk, and any place that a body could be stashed and finding nothing he almost gave up hope. A big part of him knew she had to be down there somewhere and the adrenaline rushing in his veins was telling him time wasn't on his side.

“Rin?” He resorted to calling out in the silence, “Rin if you're here please gimme a sign. It's Miroku—please, anything!”

If he hadn't held his breath Miroku was positive he would have missed it and he felt his heart jump up into his throat. It was obvious and yet so clever that it hadn't even crossed his mind and quickly as he heard the sound, Miroku scrambled to the bookcases against the side of the stairs.

The bookcases themselves were light and most of the books fell to the floor in his attempt to move them out of his way. There were small bars from the floor up, like a built in dog kennel and Miroku felt sick to his stomach when his already wide eyes landed on Rin.

She lay unmoving on the cold cement floor, her long midnight hair tangled and matted around her ghostly pale face. The collared shirt she wore was long sleeved and filthy, coated with dirt and from what he thought to be maybe sweat. He was right, it was exactly like a movie—hopeless victim, eyefuls of bare skin, tattered and filthy clothing and even the pathetic empty look Rin gave him from behind glazed eyes.

Immediately he looked for something strong enough to pry open the bars, meanwhile pulling out his cell phone and texting InuYasha. He didn't know why he didn't call him, but when he didn't find anything, he kneeled next to Rin and dialed nine one one.

There wasn't enough time to go searching for something upstairs and he wasn't going to leave Rin down there a minute longer by herself. Kohaku was dangerous and he had to be stopped before someone wound up dead. The dispatch operator's voice filled his ear and immediately he started spewing everything he could as quickly as he could. He needed help, badly, and the faster they would send someone the faster Rin could get the medical attention she deserved.

Miroku was so focused on Rin and the 9-1-1-dispatch operator that he didn't hear the creaking of the stairs or the clip-clop of footsteps on cement. However, he did feel the slight pressure on his back and before he could turn his head he felt it—a zap of electricity biting into his skin.

He'd been tasered before a few years back so the pain was familiar, but the cell phone in his ear acted like a conductor and he cried out feeling the electricity crippling his muscles. Only for Miroku it wasn't just a jolt, it was a continuous stream of pain and he knew that not only was it not letting up, but that it wasn't going to and boy was he screwed.

It took all of seven minutes from the time Kohaku disappeared into the house until InuYasha's cell phone went off to know that something was wrong. He didn't have to be a genius to figure it out and quickly he jogged back into the house to find Miroku. Only he didn't find his friend and before he thought to call said friend, he saw the basement door leaning against the kitchen counter and the sirens of approaching police vehicles.

InuYasha didn't wait for them to come knocking on the front door so he left it open and without thinking, he barreled his way down the stairs clipping Kohaku's shoulder and tackling the younger boy to the ground. InuYasha didn't have to look for Miroku to tell that he wasn't okay, he could smell the burning flesh as plain as day.

Kohaku struggled, yelling at incoherently at InuYasha; however, it all fell on deaf ears as he pummeled the younger boy. How dare he hurt Miroku so callously? How dare he! InuYasha snapped and he attacked Kohaku like a mad beast until several sets of strong hands pulled him away and Kohaku's left hook collided with the side of his face.

“You bastard!” InuYasha growled venomously, the six hands pulling him back even further. “Where is she? Where the fuck are you hiding her?”

All Kohaku did was laugh as two officers hauled him to his feet, but the smiling face he wore instantly faded when an officer released InuYasha to check Miroku's vitals and spotted the unmoving girl behind the cage. Someone had a lot of explaining to do and it wasn't Lucy Ricardo either.

Waking up to a headache was normal, waking up to a headache and machine's beeping was even worse than falling down and scraping a knee. It meant that people knew stuff other's shouldn't, that there were hospital bills and unwanted attention. Mentally Rin groaned trying to force her eyes open, she was in a hospital that meant she had been hurt in some severe way. Only problem was that she couldn't remember why or how.

“Oh I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner… That is what I'd truly like to be-e-e-,” the familiar voice was singing and it slowly stole away her ability to go back to sleep. “Cause if I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner, everyone would be in love with me!”

“I'm a vegetarian, shut the fuck up!” Rin croaked out. She was too tired to get up and smack her neighbor, but she'd be damned if she let the fool continue singing that ridiculous hotdog song one more time.

Soft and amused chuckles tickled her ears and sluggishly Rin turned her head, waiting impatiently for her eyes to focus to the fluorescent lights properly. A large warm hand squeezed her own and she gazed into a pair of molten amber eyes and she thought she'd start crying staring at Sesshomaru.

“Hey there.”

“Is anything broken?” She asked quietly accepting the small ice chip he offered her, his fingertips lingering on her lips and sending a wave of gooseflesh creeping over her skin.

“No,” his voice turned cold and Rin wanted to smile seeing the serious look on his face. It was cute and endearing that he showed her something other than soft glances since she didn't think she could handle it from him. “But you have a concussion, a few stitches and a minor burn on your neck.”

Rin merely nodded her head not asking further about her injuries because honestly she didn't want to know about them. Maybe it was a little childish of her, but she felt that if she knew the real damage it would make things that much worse and she only wanted to think about the more positives things in life at the moment, like Sesshomaru and the prospect of leaving the hospital of course.

“How long am I stuck here next to the television jingle singer?”

That brought a small smirk to Sesshomaru's lips and it made the butterflies in her stomach flutter nervously. “A couple of days or so. Doctors want to run a few more tests and what not, then we can go home I'm sure.”

“Hmmm,” Rin felt her heart leap into her throat. “We… that sounds good.”

And “we” did sound good, delightfully so and Rin closed her eyes allowing herself to relax into the uncomfortable hospital bed. She'd ask Sesshomaru some other time for all the dirty details when `they' got home. It was a wonderful feeling, there being a `we' or a `them'—a her and Sesshomaru, and the throbbing ache in her body became a dull, manageable one.

He knew exactly what to say and when to say it and Rin was eager to experience Sesshomaru because with him she knew she had a fighting chance. He was filled with surprises, the non-aching in a bad way kind that leaves emotional and sometimes physical scars and she wanted to find out what he had to offer her and if it was love.

“Yes Rin,” she heard him say as she drifted off. “It sounds perfect.”

THE END!

E/N: I know Kohaku's a little OOC, but I've always imagined him as the type to have mental problems. I really loved this story, and I hope you did as well. PLEASE REVIEW and leave me your honest opinions!

Until next time, KRYSTAL!