InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ So Emotional ❯ Part Six ( Chapter 6 )

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

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or anything else for that matter.. Okay, so I own some stuff, just not InuYasha... If I did it would probably suck! lol


This part was harder for me to write, but maybe not as others showing as how fast this came out... And for some reason I never update quickly... lol Mad skills here...


So Emotional


By Miztikal-Dragon


Part Six


If there had been a stronger word for freezing, then Rin would have used it as her word of the week. It wasn’t quite winter, or even fall for that matter and she could already see the white plumes of hot air as it escaped her lips. The days had all started bleeding together and she could barely tell what day it was let alone what was up and down and exhaustion pulled at her like a hungry cat. The wrist watch that Shippo had given her as a belated birthday present read six-thirty, the bulky piece of cheap plastic and metal telling her that it had once been the said boy’s and it made her smile.


Of course she was yet again, running late and if she didn’t hurry she would get scolded at. Her sneakers bounced off the pavement as she sped up her pace, not ignoring that safety was more important than being late. After all, the gaudy yellow cast hadn’t been off long enough for her to forget and no one wanted to be forced to deal with her again if she slipped and re-broke her leg. Spotting the medium sized building down the block, Rin picked up her pace, weaving through other pedestrians, their dirty looks and sometimes not so pleasant words simply gone unheard.


The bell above the door jingled as the metal object swung open. Not surprising the room was empty and Rin sheepishly laughed as a woman walked into the room, eye brow raised showing the teenager how un-amusing she was. Taking a moment to let her heart beat quiet down and air to fill her lungs, Rin rested her hands on her thighs and hunched over, her heaves for air the only sound around her.


“Is it that time already Rin?” A kind voice laughed musically as a clip board hit the reception desk and Rin held up her hand begging for a moment to catch her breath.


“Sorry,” She huffed reaching into her back pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper, her eyes glancing up to see the tall man, his light brown hair much shorter from the last time Rin had seen him. It looked better, she mused, blushing when the tall man blinked at her. “It took me forever and a day to get my paycheck cashed and get down here. I didn’t think I was going to make it.”


His musical laughter hit her again and handing over the money order which had once been her hard earned paycheck to the woman in scrubs and waited patiently for a hand written receipt. The plain woman handed the slip of paper to Rin and looked over her shoulder, the teenager instantly forgotten. “Don’t forget Dr. Akitoki, the new shipment of food has come in as well.”


“Uh-” Rin felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment as the young doctor smiled at her and rubbed her the back of her head. “I’ll have to pass on the food this time, I don’t have anything extra left and I don’t think I’d be allowed to carry it on the bus.”


“Nonsense,” Doctor Akitoki waved his hand in the air, his smile not once faltering. “I can see you’re honestly trying and I’ll just give you the two week supply no charge this time. How are the boys doing anyway?”


“Very difficult,” Rin sighed heavily as she followed Doctor Akitoki, her veterinarian around the reception desk and down the short hallway. “But they’re doing fine.”


It hadn’t even been two days after her birthday when she had stumbled (quite literally) over a decent sized box in the park. Shippo had bet her ten bucks that she couldn’t walk with her eyes closed without falling within the first five minutes and albeit it had been a bet she lost, it had surprised her with something she hadn’t been expecting. Inside the beat up and abandoned box had been two small sleeping puppies. They hadn’t been newborns, her and Shippo weren’t complete idiots when it came to that knowledge; however they had still been rather young.


Rin had ‘awed’ and ‘ooh how precocious’ herself silly at first glance, but with the second she was silently horrified. The two pups were weak and skinny, emaciation apparent and she was definitely sure about flea infested. The worst part wasn’t how pitiful the two creatures seemed, no that was a slice of heaven compared to the sight of the animals attached together.


She hadn’t been sure if what she seeing was right; however, when she had tried to pick one of the puppies up the realization that they were definitely attached by the skin of their stomachs was enough to make her cry. Never once had she seen a pair of conjoined dogs, not even on all the internet searches and ‘Ripley’s believe it or not’ television show and she felt her heart jump into her throat. It was safe to say that Rin eagerly pulled off her sweater and wrapped the two puppies in it and demanded Shippo to take her to the nearest animal hospital.


When they reached the decent hospital on Shippo’s scooter, Rin wasted no time and rushed into the office, tears pouring down her eyes as she explained the situation to the nurse and then later Doctor Hojo Akitoki. The first answer from the veterinarian was to humanely put the animals down; after all, they were obviously abandoned by their owner and the costly price of surgery and antibiotics and other medical costs would be out of the question.


For Rin euthanasia wasn’t an answer she allowed herself to listen to. Instead she pleaded, begged and even cried harder for the doctor to help them, to work with her if she volunteered to take full responsibility for the conjoined puppies in her arms. If it had been any other veterinarian, Rin was certain she would have been turned away, but the light brown haired doctor had soft spots and calmly led Rin into a room and began his examination.


Of course, major surgery--especially when it came to detaching the two animals from each other came with risks, risks that were explained to Rin and still she insisted to continue. Appointments were made, paperwork and payment arrangements drawn up and two months later Rin was the proud owner of two mixed breed puppies and one hefty bill.


Finding a job had been the easiest thing Rin had come by, but the easy part ended there. One part time job turned into two part time jobs and if she wasn’t running around like a chicken with her head cut off then she was either at the animal hospital helping with anything they would let her or at the orphanage desperately trying to train the two puppies that never seemed to stop eating---or growing for that matter.


Surprisingly Sango okayed for Rin to house the animals at the orphanage, on the strict rules that Rin would take care of everything that they required and she didn’t slack off there either. It wasn’t as hard as she had thought it was going to be, not when Kohaku would offer his help and the other children were more than willing to run around screaming giving the growing dogs the exercise they needed.


“Would you like me to give you a lift home?” Curious brown eyes glanced back at her and Rin felt her cheeks flush as Dr. Akitoki lifted the heavy bags and tossed them over his shoulder.


“If you don’t mind,” she told him taking a bag of her own. “I still have work later and I need to get back home as soon as possible.”


Rin was grateful for the veterinary doctor’s assistance, the large bags almost bigger than her small frame and knowing that she wouldn’t have to attempt walking home by herself or asking Shippo to try and fit them like puzzle pieces on his scooter with her as well, helped ease her mind. She was surprised by Dr. Akitoki’s vehicle, instead of the lush luxury car most high-paid career men normally bought, it was a humbled-almost broken down vehicle that should have belonged to a starving artist or college student. The simplicity of the man in front of her had her smiling as they placed the heavy bags into the trunk, it was refreshing to see and if she hadn’t felt so overwhelmed she would have commented on it.


With her things in the trunk, Rin patiently waited while Dr. Akitoki fetched his belongings and returned to her side, unlocking the doors so she could climb in the passenger side. The engine roared to life and soft music filtered in through the stereo speakers, her companion’s easy voice drifting into the background of her mind as she gazed out the window. How long had she been working, how long had it been since she had gotten a proper break and just had time to relax? She understood that with age came responsibility, that was completely understandable, but how much responsibility was enough for life to be satisfied with her?


Her life had never been exciting, never been a new experience everyday, yet for a while it had been interesting. She wasn’t saying that it was boring because it wasn’t by a long shot; however, it was just emptier as of late. The reasoning of why wasn’t lost on her and wasn’t left up for review either, but in truth ignored all together. If she had time to waste daydreaming of things and people that she no longer allowed herself to see, then she had time to think of something productive.


The ride was ridiculously short with her mind wandering into uncharted territories and she cursed under her breath for not paying better attention to the man next to her as his brown eyes watched her with questioning curiosity. She tried to tell herself it was merely the exhaustion she was beginning to feel, that with enough sleep she would be as lively as she had been months before, nevertheless, she couldn’t even tell herself that. “I’m so sorry Dr. Akitoki, I think I’m more exhausted than I thought, I didn’t hear a word you said.”


“It’s okay,” a small red blush sprinkled over his cheeks and she fought the urge to raise her eyebrows. “And please, call me Hojo.”


Hojo? Thousands of alarms began shouting in her mind as he graced her with a timid smile and her throat ran dry. This wasn’t happening, she told herself as a masculine hand touched her shoulder with a gentleness that shouldn’t have been offered from her dog’s veterinarian. Oh dear god no, the screams went into overdrive as Hojo repeated himself, his invitation for dinner sounding off a siren’s call that made her stomach churn. Why of all people did it have to be him asking her for lunch, for dinner, asking her on a date for fuck’s sake?


“Doctor Akitoki--Hojo,” she corrected herself desperately trying to keep her emotions tightly woven together. All she needed was a few more minutes to keep bearings gathered and she’s be okay, just a few measly minutes and she prayed for it. “I’m flattered, I really am, but right now I’ve got to much on my plate. Between work and the boys, I don’t even have time for myself. Maybe some other time, it does sound good though.”


She knew half-truths could only get her so far, especially about mixing business with pleasure--which she wasn’t a bit interested in, albeit offending the man in front of her wasn’t one her priorities either. His smile widened with the last of her response, hope flickering in his eyes and Rin exited his humble vehicle as nonchalantly as possible. She wasn’t leading him on, not really anyway and if things worked out, after the bill was paid she would be shopping around for a new veterinarian and that she was one-hundred percent determined on.


Convincing the young doctor that she didn’t need further help carrying the large dog food bags had been difficult, borderline impossible, and yet with in moments she was struggling to hold the bags piled in her arms and watch, patiently waiting for Hojo’s vehicle to disappear. It was the longest five minutes of her life, she decided as the gate latched behind her, her voice calling out for help to the boys sitting on the steps by the front door.


Instead of laughter or male voices and arms to help, Rin heard the distinct loud bark and the panting breaths and her blood froze. “Ah-Un! No! Stop!”


She didn’t need to see them to know the two large beasts were charging full force towards her, her first mistake being calling out knowing they were close by. Powerful shoulders collided into her and Rin cried out in surprise and pain as she was knocked to the ground, the heavy bags toppling on her as well as the two boney bodies of the dogs she had adopted. Long wet tongues licked her, large paws pushed on her shoulders and she fought back the tears that were threatening to consume her.


The two dogs chattered, their soft yips and yaps fluttering in her ears demanding attention and Rin groaned loudly as her hands met with soft fur and she patted the eager heads. She was suddenly bone tired, her muscles aching and screaming at her, but she ignored it as she forced herself to sit up and acknowledge the black, white and gray colored shadows in front of her.


They were beautiful creatures, Ah-Un, the patches of white and gray expanding over the dominant black lithe bodies. They were identical in every sense, down to the each patch of white or gray, their black noses and even the way they seemingly pranced as they walked. She knew the difference that separated them though, almost invisible to the eye and she smiled as the massive dogs laid on top of her, their long legs folding over her lap and each other like spaghetti noodles. One tiny little hint of pink on a purely midnight nose was enough for her to know the difference, one slight imperfection and neither animal could have her fooled.


“RIN!” She heard Kohaku’s voice a few yards away and four flopping ears perked, their chatter quieting down as eerie blue-white eyes focused on the coming intruder.


Her boys were protective of her, oddly enough that it bordered possessiveness. It left her wondering if their attraction to her was more personal than instinctive, as if they honestly preferred everyone else far away from her and it was endearing and frustrating to say the least. Kohaku was one of the last people she wanted Ah-Un uncomfortable with, especially with how many different emotions swirled in her with the most brief of glances at the said boy.


Their soft growls were her only warning and it piqued her anger as Kohaku’s hands helped her to her feet, leaving her dogs cushion less. “Oh hush, both of you!”


Kohaku’s nervous laugh didn’t ease any of her tense muscles and she graciously accepted help from him as the heavy bags were picked back up and brought inside. The two large dogs followed her, each at her side, their cold noses touching her the palms of her hands until she gave in and patted their heads. They might have been intimidating to Kohaku and even Miroku, but in reality they were nothing but talk, just big babies and she shook her head. Nobody understood Ah-Un like she did and that was okay because they weren’t anyone else’s but hers.


“Who was that older guy you came home with?” Kohaku’s voice shook her out of her thoughts, a place she seemed to be drifting back to without pause.


“Older guy?” She repeated raising her eyebrows and when it clicked she felt a blush erupt on her face. “Oh you mean Hojo? He--”


“Hojo?”


The look the boy in front of her was giving wasn’t one that she liked and anger flashed in her throat. “Doctor Akitoki, my veternarian stupid! He gave me a ride so I had a way to get the dog food home, jeez. Who did you think he was?”


When in doubt jump to the defensive, it was a horrible cycle between conversations with her and Kohaku, the thin line of his mouth signaling his distaste. “I don’t know, but your taste seems to linger towards the older guys so I could only assume…”


“My tastes?” This wasn’t a safe subject, hell it wasn’t even a coherent one for Rin and Kohaku gave her no indication of knowing how truly confused she was at the moment. “What are you talking about Kohaku?”


A heavy frustrated sigh fell from Kohaku’s lips as he stopped and faced her, his eyes angry and filled with another emotion Rin couldn’t identify. She could feel Ah-Un stiffen at her sides and she willed them not to snap at the volcano of a boy in front of her, she didn’t need them attacking him if they felt threatened, not with everything else piling up on her plate.


“I’m done,” he growled throwing his arms into the air. “I’ve accepted the scholarship I’ve been telling you about for months, Miroku’s taking me to the campus and to the dorms. I can’t do this anymore. I don’t feel the same way that you feel for me. I’ll be leaving for college as soon as my bags are packed.”


Rin didn’t go after Kohaku as he stormed off, didn’t move from her spot as she tried to rationalize his words into something she could understand. He didn’t feel the same way? Had his feelings for her vanished into thin air? Had they dried up and blown away with the last storm? Or were they being sucked dry by something else and he was slipping away from her. She could feel the tears now, their hot moisture burning her eyes and cheeks, stinging her heart like a harpoon and she couldn’t do anything but stand there like some idiot.


Kohaku was long gone before the week was out.



E/N: I'm feeling mentally ill right now, for no reason at all, but for the life of me I just couldn't find the correct spelling for Sesshomaru's two-headed dragon... But my version fits for right now... Maybe a little awkward, but it works. As for Kohaku's a little OOC-ness, all will be explained in the next chapter... that and for once I'd like to give him the "Douchebag of the year" award. okay, maybe not, but my rambling is pointless.


UNTIL NEXT TIME