InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The curse of the dragon ❯ Parking lot conversations ( Chapter 64 )

 

~<>~ Curse of the Dragon ~<>~

 

 

~<>~ Chapter 64 ~<>~ Parking lot conversations

 

 

 

InuYasha yawned loudly as he stretched his arms up with exaggerated effort, and then pushed back on his heels to rock his chair onto its two back legs. Loosely wrapping his right arm around the raven beauty that was sitting next to him, he rolled his head to his right shoulder and glanced up at the girl with a rather pitiful puppy dog stare. “Do we really have to stay here?”

 

There were two deep sighs that echoed about the tiny classroom before the snappier of the two chose to voice their answer quicker, and bitchier. “Mr. Taisho, if you do not wish to be here, the principals office is right down the hallway. You can join your brother there if you so chose to.”

 

InuYasha rolled his eyes towards the front of the room and glowered at the older demon from under a curtain of silver hair, “can it, wench. I ain't talkin' to you!”

 

Kagome gasped and shook InuYasha's head off her shoulder. Her face darkened as she sat back in her seat. The last thing she needed was more attention in this class. She already was walking on coals for this teacher trying to simply pass with a C. Anymore of InuYasha's stunts and Kagome would be sure that they would both fail for the year. She grit her teeth and hissed at him to be quiet. “Yash…come on, not now.”

 

InuYasha let his mouth fall into a frown as he stared at Kagome while dipping his chin to his shoulder, “come on baby, I don't want to be here! There is a hundred other things I would love to be doing…”

 

Mrs. Faliion slammed down the textbook she had been reading monotonously to the class and snatched the set of designer frames off her nose. She nearly growled, “and you have, on more then one occasion, expressed just what those other hundred things could be and how they involve our young miss. Higurashi. I don't want your bullshit in here, boy, and if you insist on continuing with it, you will go see the principal and I will see you suspended. And for Kami's sakes, man, show some dignity and respect and keep out of miss. Higurashi's pants!”

 

InuYasha felt his hands ball into fists as he turned his attention fully towards the teacher, his mouth hanging ajar. “Why I should…”

 

The neko Youkai was practically in front of their desk as she screamed, “I've had it with you! You damn dog demons are all the same! You think you can walk in here and take over, not giving a damn about who gets in your way. I have a class to teach and all you are a constant interruption and an annoyance! Get out!”

 

 

InuYasha kicked his chair backwards as he stood to meet the teacher, “you have a real attitude problem, bitch. It's been like you have a personal vendetta against me since the day I stepped into this classroom. Care to share what the fuck I ever did to you?”

 

Mrs. Faliion reached the table and held her hand towards Kagome; “this girl was at the top of her game before you showed up! Now…now she's nothing more then…”

 

InuYasha hardly resisted the urge to rip the demon's throat out. “If you finish that so help me god, I will destroy you.”

 

Kagome put her hands over her face, humiliated on numerous accounts. Her boyfriend was getting into a screaming match with their teacher and she was sure that the `incident' was going to be brought up…it just had to be. She shot Sango and Miroku a helpless `pity me' stare and rolled her eyes. `InuYasha was right, we should have stayed in bed!'

 

“And another thing, young man…I do not find it acceptable behavior to be fondling your girlfriend on school property…nor for that matter indulging in other activities when you should be in class! I have half a mind to report you to Kaede over the frivolous behavior you two have exhibited!”

 

InuYasha opened his mouth to snap back when a short-lived gasp and muffled scream broke the tension between the two. Next to Sango and Miroku, both of whom seemed very put out by the sudden noise, Rin sat with both her hands on her text book, her knuckles that clenched the binding were turning white. As he quickly assessed the situation in the room, InuYasha noticed the imprint of the textbook on the side of her right cheek; she apparently had drifted off to sleep. As her eyes collided with his, Rin flinched. Rin snapped her head back around to face her other friends before letting out a deep breath that she hadn't been aware she was holding. InuYasha peered around the teacher with a scowl of concern etched into his features as he quickly did a one two over Rin's current state of distress. Her forehead was covered with tiny beads of perspiration and her mouth as slightly agape, her breath in short rasps. It was her eyes that told the story though; she looked terrified. Sango was immediately by the girl's side and InuYasha could smell the salty tears already stinging the air. Everyone began muttering as Rin's breathing turned into choked sobs.

 

Sango rubbed the girls back, staring intently at Kagome and InuYasha. She was still out of the loop as to what was going on, but she could sense the concern. Rin had nearly passed out in the hallway on the way to the class and had successfully planted her face into her book, literally, when they reached class. She had been sleeping for half the period until the fight broke out. Now her eyes were dilated and wide, as if expecting to be attacked and her breath was in weak pants. Rin was scared shitless, and Sango had no idea why. Her body language was timid and frightened and she shook from head to toe. Her forehead was covered in a light coating of sweat that mixed with the tears on her cheeks. To Sango, Rin looked like a cornered animal that had no idea how it got where it was and simply wanted to escape. Sango opened her mouth a number of times to try to calm down the girl but every time she did, the glower she got from Rin shut her up. It was as if Rin was horrified, traumatized and in the same breath, furious.

 

InuYasha sneered at the teacher and shot up out of his chair. He rounded the stunned woman and grabbed Rin's elbow. His tone was soft…softer then any of the kids had heard him use with the exception of Kagome. Yet he was still demanding in his words. “Come on…”

 

Rin's head snapped towards him and she hissed, “let me go!” Her words were hardly audible to the humans in the class but it hit Yash like shattering glass. He winced but his hold on her never relinquished. `She's freaking out completely and I'll put all the money in the world on the fact that she won't want to talk to my brother about any of this. Damn…and they just fucking worked things out to!' Rin tried to pull her arm from InuYasha's grasp but couldn't find the strength. She slumped forward then forced herself to her feet.

 

The only thing that stopped the two was the voice from behind them. “Mr. Taisho, take your seat. I did not give you permission to leave this room!”

 

InuYasha turned very slowly to stare at the woman over his left shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he coolly retorted, “I did not ask for it.” he helped Rin to her feet and laced his arm under hers. He bent down and nodded towards the door, “let's go.”

 

Mrs. Faliion sneered and took a step towards the boy; “I will only say this once more. Allow Miss. Takisho to return to her seat and sit yourself down and for the kami's sake, stay in your chair!”

 

Kagome's voice sought recognition above whatever it was that InuYasha let spew from his mouth, “Mrs. Faliion, Rin needs to go see the nurse. She is not okay and she needs to see someone.” Kagome stood up slowly, her eyes never venturing from the teachers. “I'll take her…”

 

Mrs. Faliion hardly spared Kagome a glance, “you will do no such thing, and if you remove yourself from that chair, I will make sure that you will fail for the semester! The same goes for you Mr. Taisho!”

 

InuYasha regarded the teacher with a cold rage. If he opened his mouth, he knew it would be enough to get him expelled. Instead, he blinked and shifted his gaze to Kagome. “Sit down, Koishii, I'll handle this.”

 

Kagome dropped her mouth open but Mrs. Faliion got to the retort quicker, “Mr. Taisho, if you walk out of this room with Miss. Takisho, I will do everything in my power to see you expelled!”

 

InuYasha kept his back to the demon as he helped Rin towards the door. `She has to have ties to Diegosan. That's why she hates me…it's why she hates us. She knows what Rin did to get Naraku in jail, and how important Rin is to brining him down and she is going to do everything to keep me from helping her. Damn that bitch! Why, I ought to…' He opened his mouth but another male voice cut him to the punch.

 

“Just back the fuck off already, you old hag! Rin's obviously in pain and god knows if you try to stop InuYasha from walking her out of this room, I will do everything in my power to see that you never move again!”

 

All eyes turned to the enraged wolf demon that had been idly watching the scene. Kouga was standing up, both hands planted firmly on the desk and murder written in his eyes. Everyone in the room seemed to stop breathing for a moment to watch the teacher's reaction to the blatant threat.

 

Mrs. Faliion narrowed her eyes then pushed her red hair over her shoulder and turned a snub nose towards the demon, “threaten me all you like, Mr. Nakamura, I am merely looking to see my students educated! But if you continue with these empty threats, I'll take action against you as well!”

 

Another male voice covered for the hanyou who slipped from the room with the human girl. Angry violet eyes entered the match, as Miroku took his stand following Kouga. Enough was enough. “My ass you're looking after your students! I've never heard so much bullshit publicly announced in a classroom! And you call yourself a teacher!” Miroku stepped around Sango, whose mouth was hanging open, and met the teacher head on. “Admit it, you're pissed because you were a supporter of Diegosan and now that he's gone, you fear losing your stature! You think I don't know about you and the other teachers? You think the whole school doesn't know how scandalously Diegosan was involved with the school?” he laughed callously and threw a glance towards Kouga and the others who joined to stand up to the teacher. “The funding is being cut, mainly because Rin is keeping the owner of that money behind bars and I know all of you would just love to see her never be able to utter another word! But if you think we're going to sit down and watch you all destroy that girl, you have another thing coming! You're going to have to go through all of us to get to her!”

 

An unlikely arm slung its way around Miroku's shoulders as Kouga came to rest at his side barricading the teacher from the hanyou and human who lingered by the door. “You best move on to another profession because if I find out that you are doing anything against Rin's best interest, I'll kill you!”

 

Kagome and Sango exchanged glances before scooting a little closer together. Kagome chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, wondering just how much to disclose to Sango. `I don't want to tell her things that aren't her business. I mean…it's Rin's decision who knows what's going on with her dreams…and if I tell Sango…that might be wrong.' She sighed deeply and muttered, “Rin's…hurting…and it's…bad.”

 

Sango nodded in agreement, “I can see that; I've seen it for a while, she just never said anything. What can we do to help her? What can we do to make it better?”

 

Kagome nodded towards the teacher who was currently nose-to-nose with Miroku screaming. “Keep people like her away from Rin.”

 

Sango shook her head slowly, a pang of rational fear washing over the girl. “Everyone was infected by Diegosan, weren't they?”

 

Kagome nodded gravely. “They were…and that poison has seeped through a lot. I worry, Sango, and I wonder if Rin will ever be able to escape to a place where people won't hate her for this. where no one knows the name Diegosan or Naraku.”

 

Sango clenched her hand and stared at the teacher. “Naraku raped her, Kagome. Fuck everyone who hates her for brining him down! He destroyed her and people are looking at her like she's…” Sango's eyes filled with tears as she slowly shook her head. Her voice escalated in pitch as she slowly stood to join her lover. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Mrs. Faliion! That girl was hurt! She was destroyed mentally and all you can think about is your pension and your funding! I can only hope and pray that karma kicks you hard in your ass one day!”

 

Mrs. Faliion's face darkened to an enraged scowl as she turned to glower at the girl, “you know nothing of what Diegosan meant to this school! You all got involved in something that is one day going to get you all killed. And I'll make sure I am there laughing! Diegosan paid for this school…he funded everything! Watch how fast this establishment is shut down now that he's dead! You will all hate that bitch for…”

 

Kouga turned his back to the woman and growled loudly, “class is for fucking learning. I'm going to the goddamned library so I don't need to hear this shit! I'll go there so I can learn something real, or some crap like that. I can listen to slander on TV, thanks; I don't need to have it screamed in my ear. I would suggest though, on a personal level to watch your mouth. That tall demon which is Rin's shadow…the one with a ice cold attitude…can pack a hella nasty punch and if Sesshoumaru ever caught wind of you saying such shit about Rin…well, let's just say that if I were you, I'd be digging myself a hole to hide in. Cause female or male, he'll find you and kill you regardless. I'd be shitting myself right now, if I were you. But then again, I wouldn't be that stupid….”

 

Miroku turned as well, offering Sango his hand. “I'm with you Kouga…Sango, my dear?”

 

Sango rolled her eyes at the teacher and raised her lip to snarl once then turn on her heels. “For once, I agree with Kouga.” Wordlessly, Kagome fell into step next to the girl.

 

Mrs. Faliion stomped her foot once and screamed, “I will fail each and every one of you if you walk out that door, don't think I won't!”

 

Kagome glanced over her shoulder, shocked at the amount of kids gathering their belongings and trailing behind the five. Her awe gave way quickly to a short and flat retort, “you're assuming we give a shit. Go ahead and try though!” she quickly snapped her head straight ahead, her hair swinging through the air with a whip-like crack. She turned and flashed Kouga a brilliant smile silently thanking him for his words and his actions. `It's people like that who need to be taken down. How could she…damn, I hate this. it isn't fair for Rin. She'll never be able to escape this. It's bad enough to be raped…but be raped by the son of the man who pays your teachers salaries.' She felt tears stinging her eyes as she latched her arm around Sango's. The girls shared a sympathetic glance that echoed the concerns that each had. With a deep sigh, they fell into step with the others.

 

Without any interference, the class walked themselves to the library, all in a silent awe for the day's interactions. Never had any of them stood up to a teacher, or for that matter, walked out of a class, but drastic times call for drastic measures. Obviously, they were all in agreement over that issue. The only few who stayed behind in the classroom, Kagome noted later, were Kikyo and Yura. It figured.

 

~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~

 

 

InuYasha led Rin down the hall, his hand gently cupping her elbow as silence enraptured the two. His original thoughts must have been playing like a marquee across his forehead because he could feel Rin's muscles freezing up with each step he took towards the office. After a moment of nearly dragging the girl whose feet seem to have grown cement shoes, he turned and looked down at Rin. “All right, girly, what gives? What do you want to…”

 

Rin's eyes met his with a venomous glower, “I didn't ask you to walk me out of class…you did that on your own! I don't want to do anything, InuYasha…I just want to be left alone!” she turned her eyes from the piercing amber eyes that could see right through her. It was like trying to lie to Sesshoumaru. `I just want this to go away…I want to pretend like it never happened. I want to go back to when it didn't hurt to look in the mirror…or to see the way people look at me. And it's not the kids…it's the teachers! The people I thought would back me up…I never thought how deep Naraku's poisons ran. If…if I had…maybe…' Rin could feel tears welling in her eyes as she screwed her eyes shut trying to ward them off. `This is all so unfair…after all this shit, why more? I don't understand! Why…why me?'

 

InuYasha let out a deep breath, his frustration leaving him in a rush as he noticed just how broken and sad the girls gray eyes truly were; it was enough to make him want to vomit. His voice dropped an octave as he slowly turned and let go of her elbow. They paused mid step and InuYasha leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. Rin immediately looked to the floor and InuYasha clicked his tongue. “What happened to that bubbly girl who loved life that I met a month ago? What happened to the girl who wanted everyone to be happy? Who would smile at that…weird…shit she got my brother to do; shit I know he would never do even if his life relied on it!”

 

Rin blinked slowly and then wrapped her arms around her body and looked to her right, avoiding his eyes. Her voice was monotone as she flicked a spot of dust off her shirts sleeve. “She died.”

 

InuYasha winced and slowly uncrossed his arms. He had an idea that was what she was going to say and yet to hear her sound so defeated…it was a stabbing pain that throbbed at his heart. Never had he had friends like Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Rin; though it would be hell and high water before he would admit to it. They were his family, just like Bastard. InuYasha kicked at the tiles, adverting his eyes away from the shambles of the girl he had met nearly a month before hand. He hardly knew Rin but he realized, in the moment of quiet sorrow, that he had misjudged the girl. When he first met her and got to talk to her, he thought her to be some type of stuck up priss who got everything daddy could buy. He realized with time that he was wrong. Yes, Rin was a bitch at points but she was also a friend; a friend who he overlooked on more then one occasion. Now…now she needed her friends and InuYasha would be damned if he was going to step back for the simple diversion that she was snapping at people. Besides, she was Kagome's best friend, and that alone meant he would go an extra twenty miles for her. Carefully, he judged her reaction while he reached out and touched her left shoulder blade. “Rin…why don't we go find Sesshoumaru…”

 

Rin's head snapped back to stare at InuYasha as her eyes widened. There was that feeling of her chest constricting again…as if her lungs were closing in on themselves. `Damnit, no…. we just cleared this up! Not again…it was only a dream! Only a damn-fucking dream! I want to see…I want…I…' she pulled away from his hand, as if he would drag her to go see Sesshoumaru by force and huddled against the opposite wall, her arms wrapped around her body. All of this was surreal, it was too familiar. So many times they would drag her to him…force her to go `talk' to him when she lashed out, when she stepped on someone's toes. Somewhere in the back of her mind, reality blurred with memory. InuYasha became Vincennes and the atmosphere became charged with fear. Rin's eyes snapped open wide as she smashed herself into the wall, pressing as hard as she could as if trying to become a piece of the brick face. “No! No, I…I…” she looked left then right, obviously searching for a path to escape on. The hallway felt to small suddenly as if the walls were trying to smother her. She pressed the palms of her hands against the walls, trying to keep them back, completely losing a grasp on reality versus what she felt. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face towards the ceiling. “I want…I think I should…I…” her eyes clashed with his and one fat tear rolled down her cheek, “I don't know what I should do. But I can't…I can't go see him…not right now, not like this.”

 

InuYasha swallowed hard, trying to rid that sudden arid feeling in his mouth and throat. The look on her face was heart shattering. He tentatively held his hands out in front of him as he took a step towards her. He offered a half ass smile that was lined with worry as he nodded towards the entrance of the school. “Okay…that's fine. No problem, we'll leave my baka brother alone, I don't want to see him anyway.” That cracked a smile to her face, even if it was a sadly pathetic one. “Why don't we go see the nurse then. Maybe…maybe she'll know why you can't…why you can't sleep.” He knew how deep the problem reached and also knew that the nurse was going to be able to do shit for the girl, but he had to try something. She seemed to be unraveling at the seams of sanity in front of him…again.

 

Rin's eyes slowly dropped from her focus on InuYasha's as she shifted her eyes to look down to the floor. “I'd rather…I don't think she'd…that is…” she closed her eyes and shut her mouth, understanding she was stuttering and unable to articulate anything to say. She sighed and ran a hand over her face and shook her head no.

 

InuYasha understood the words not said and nodded swiftly. If his plan worked, that was forming in his mind he would probably be put through a window for it later but for now…for now it might be able to get her out of her slump. `Give her something else to keep her mind on, right?' He brought his hand to his mouth and coughed once before reaching out to touch her shoulder. “Right then, come on.” He grabbed her left hand without further warning and led her out of the school through the double doors that were through the lobby, avoiding the office at all costs. If Sesshoumaru saw him dragging Rin out of the school, there would be a confrontation and that would just be bad. They walked, or better stated, he dragged her though the parking lot towards her Porsche in the back of the lot uninterrupted by security. Twice two guards made haste to rush at the kids, demanding to see hall passes…or the lack there of, but were shot back into place by one ice cold glower from the hanyou. He could feel her once again freezing up in her steps as her car came into view. InuYasha turned and shot her a small smirk over his shoulder. When his returned glance was a cold glower accompanied by her trying to yank her hand free, he sighed and let her go. Turning with grace Rin didn't know he possessed, he slammed his hands into his cargo jean pockets and regarded her with a tilt of his head and a bored lopsided smile, “come on Rin, just relax. You need to trust me right now. I ain't gonna take you to go see that bastard, if that's what your worried about. I ain't even gonna make you talk.”

 

Rin's back straightened slightly as she moved a step away from the hanyou. She hadn't known InuYasha that long, and regardless to the fact that he was Sesshoumaru's brother, she was still uneasy around males at this point, especially ones trying to drag her into cars. She felt her eyes narrow at his statement and she bit back, “Where are you taking me?” another part of her brain laughed at her…mocked the suspicion that welled in her body. `Jesus Christ Rin! It's InuYasha…you know, the boy who is in dire love with your best friend? The man who wants nothing more then to marry her? Come on…he isn't going to hurt you! Wake up, Baka…it's your imagination and it's going to get us killed!'

 

InuYasha cocked an eyebrow as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world then rolled his eyes and turned back to finish the walk to her car. “Come on, wench. Don't worry, we ain't goin' no where.” Noticing that Rin wasn't going to budge, he sighed and tapped his foot, “First, I'm gonna get my fucking smokes. Then, you're going to relax and have a cigarette with me. I'm tired of shit Rin, and I know you are too. We can't keep twirling in circles. So get your ass over here…” still noting the reluctance and growled, “I ain't gonna pull some stupid shit, Rin, so stop fucking looking at me like I'm gonna try to kill you. We ain't goin no where!”

 

Rin grit her teeth and followed behind him begrudgingly. “Then where the hell…”

 

InuYasha pulled a set of keys out of his pocket miraculously and unlocked the four hundred thousand dollar car. Reaching over the drivers seat, he whipped out his black leather coat and pulled a pack of Newports out of the side pocket. He pulled the entire coat from the car and slammed the door shut with his foot as he turned to drape the coat over Rin's shoulders. He opened the carton and pulled a Cigarette out with his teeth then tossed the pack to Rin. “You need these more then I do.” He whipped a lighter out of his pants and lit up the cigarette. He nearly choked on the inhale as he watched Rin's eyes widen. He pulled the stick from his mouth and blew the smoke out of his nose, “do you need instructions?” he had to bite back the smile that was forming on his lips at her bewildered expression. `Damn, if Sesshoumaru ever finds out, he'll skin me alive!'

 

Rin shot him a nasty look and took a cigarette out for herself. Keeping her eyes on him, she ripped the lighter from his hands and lit up. She closed her eyes and removed the cigarette from her mouth and coughed out the smoke. So…she didn't smoke to often, not that she was normally into the habit of committing slow suicide, but she had smoked before. Normally at the club…to settle her nerves after… Rin closed her eyes and focused on the nicotine that now coursed through her body. The silence was deafening and Rin was nearly sure that after five minutes, InuYasha was ready to kill something. He simply stared at her while he smoked expecting her to say something. Finally growing completely uncomfortable with the silence, she sighed and pointed the cigarette at him, “I do love your brother, please don't think I don't.”

 

InuYasha cocked an eyebrow and shrugged, “never said I didn't.”

 

Rin lifted her chin and scrunched up her nose, “I can see it in your eyes.”

 

InuYasha bit back, glad that she was talking; it would be so much easier to get her to spill what was going on when she was willing to talk, “ and I can see that your scared. What are you scared of Rin?”

 

Rin rolled her eyes and looked towards the school, “everyone in there hates me. They would sooner see me dead then dethrone the memory of Diegosan. They want Naraku back so he can write out their fucking paychecks, and I think they would sooner feed me to the lions then support me.”

 

InuYasha nodded slowly, his eyes glazing over at the sheer bitterness in her words. She was angry, pissed, and had every right to hate every person in that school at the present moment. Much like Kagome's original question, InuYasha found himself wondering just how far she would have to run away to find peace from the name Onigumo Naraku. Probably a thousand miles oversea they knew the name. InuYasha took another drag from the cigarette and nodded again, “it sucks. But honestly Rin, what can you do?”

 

Rin paused and narrowed her eyes, not sure if she was liking this game. “What are you talking about? What do you mean what can I do?”

 

InuYasha frowned and held out his hands as a balance. “Well, if you don't testify against Naraku, he walks…if you do, he stays in jail and people hate you. Either way, honestly, your gonna have someone on your ass trying to kill you, sooner or later. Just give them time.”

 

Rin swallowed hard and stuck the cigarette back into her mouth. “I know that.” silence wrapped around the two like a blanket for a long moment while they both sucked on the cigarettes. Rin gave way first and sighed deeply, “I know that they are going to be after me…but that isn't the worst part. What I'm seeing…what's going on…it's all to much! I can't even fucking sleep anymore, Yash…not even for one damned minute without waking up screaming, thinking that Sesshoumaru…that he…” she found herself staring at the pavement again as tears welled in her eyes. She wiped them away before they got a chance to fall, an action that did not go unnoticed by InuYasha. She laughed bitterly and shot him a dark glare, “I'm so sick of crying. I never used to cry. Naraku…he…” she squeezed her eyes shut trying not to remember the pain, the torment. “he used to try to make me cry…try to get me to scream. After that first time…after I realized that it wasn't a one-time thing, I stopped. I refused and he hated me for that. Never did I shed a tear for him while he…” she laughed callously and rolled her head back to look to the sky. “Now I cry twenty four seven. I can't stop crying. I hate it…my fucking cheeks are red and raw, my eyes hurt…I feel fucking dehydrated but I just can't stop…”

 

InuYasha shrugged as nonchalantly as he could and looked at the girl. He forced himself to keep a straight face, regardless of the burning need to go find the fucker that did this to her and destroy him. With a sigh, he forced out, “it's okay to cry Rin. Really…you've been through hell and…well…you shouldn't keep that inside.”

 

Rin met him with another dark look. “You don't know, Yash. You don't fucking know what I've seen and what I'm keeping inside. If I told Sesshoumaru half of the things…” she sealed her lips and grit her teeth together to keep from continuing. “I just want it to go away. I just…am tired…of it. I can't keep doing this.”

 

InuYasha looked up from his brooding to shoot her a puzzled stare, “doing what? Crying?”

 

Rin lifted her eyes to meet his, “no; pretending that I'll be okay. I'm sick of telling people that if I talk to a shrink for a little longer, I'll be fine. I'm sick of trying to make myself believe that once Naraku is sentenced, I'll be able to sleep better. The truth is, I might as well drop the fucking charges and slit my throat.”

 

InuYasha reached forward and grabbed her shoulder. Pulling her to him, he did something he hardly did to people he was not intimate with. He hugged her. He hardly could keep his lips from twitching to a snarl as he just about screamed, “don't fucking say that, you stupid girl. You're going strong Rin, and yeah, it might be a pain in the ass but at least your trying. Most people would have given up and would be at the bottom of a lake by now. You…Rin, you have balls to keep this up! And I'll tell you, it means a lot to all of us. The bravery you've shown…it's something that I've never seen in anyone! You know that Naraku is scum and your doing something about it, about him…”

 

Rin struggled against the hanyou for a moment before resting her forehead on his shoulder. “I don't want to be strong anymore InuYasha. I just want to be able to fall back and be caught and carried. I can't walk anymore, my legs are broken and I've already walked one thousand miles on them. I can't do it anymore!”

 

InuYasha pushed Rin back and grabbed her chin. Staring down at her, he barked back, “You can, Rin, because you are. You are going to continue doing it. You're still protecting those who you deemed to need protecting. Me and Sesshoumaru can only help you so much…and with you not being able to deal with bastard…”

 

Enter the said demon. InuYasha found his spinal cord being crushed against the steel metal of Rin's Porsche as Sesshoumaru growled menacingly down at the half demon. “What the fuck are you doing?”

 

InuYasha opened his mouth to respond when he was dropped unceremoniously to the floor. Noticing the lack of girl in the picture, his eyes flashed to the cigarette butt on the ground and the swinging doors to the cafeteria across the parking lot. He sighed and forced himself to his feet. He took inventory of any broken bones that his brother may have caused then sighed. Sesshoumaru was staring at the doors as if they had walked up and smacked him. InuYasha took the opening to do just that. except it was a closed fisted punch. Catching the older demon off guard, InuYasha sent him hurtling to the ground. InuYasha spit out a mouthful of blood from the impact of his body against the car towards his right then glared daggers towards his brother, “what the fuck Sesshoumaru? Has everyone gone fucking nuts? I mean, really now!”

 

Sesshoumaru sneered at his brother while pushing himself to his feet, “Just why the hell was she in your arms? And what the fuck was she doing with a cigarette?”

 

InuYasha met his brother's eyes for a moment and stayed silent. The two studied each other for what seemed like forever before InuYasha ran a hand through his hair and shook his head slowly. “She freaked the fuck out in science so I took her from the class. She didn't want to come find you so we came out here. Can you get your head out of your ass for like two minutes? Come on now, Seshiles…”

 

Sesshoumaru pinned his brother with a dark glower and a deep growl, “don't you dare call me that…”

 

InuYasha seemed to stumble for a moment, realizing what had left his mouth and grimaced. He coughed once and tried to regain the integrity he had been reaming his brother out with previous, “fuck that shit! Look, Sesshoumaru, I was trying to get her to calm the fuck down. But no…you appear like fucking Super Bastard and decide to see what InuYasha looks like smeared all over a car window.” He sighed and ran his hand over his face before rotating his shoulder around in a circle, trying to crack the sore bone. “Sesshoumaru, she may be fine one moment but the next she freaks out. I might not be some psychologist but I know that ain't good. I gave her the cigarette to try to calm her nerves. Nicotine can really sooth the soul…”

 

“And give you cancer; did you forget how fragile humans are?” Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes to be mere slits as he took a threatening step towards his younger brother. “Keep your cancer sticks away from her.”

 

InuYasha stared at his brother incredulously before shaking his head, “look; you really need to calm down. If you got the stick out of your ass for one moment, you might be able to level with the girl. Parading around like you know what's best for her ain't gonna help. She's hurting and is scared and you just showing up making me a piece of smeared artwork ain't gonna earn you points.” He raised an eyebrow and tapped his foot on the ground, “you need to go to her as a person. Forget being her…well…whatever you two are to each other, forget being her `guardian' or whatever you are considered. You need to go to her as a friend. You need to go to her to let her talk. Do you even know what she's dreaming?”

 

For a moment, InuYasha got a second glance at his brother's inner world. Past the ice barrier and façade that he insisted on living behind, InuYasha saw the intense pain that burned inside of his heart, the reflection of these feelings shined like bottomless pools in his brother's eyes. Sesshoumaru blinked, the emotion washed from his face instantly and then turned to head towards the school. “I know what she sees. And…I know what she fears.”

 

InuYasha nodded gravely, knowing his brother could sense his response, “then you also know that you cannot comfort her. You have to trust your friends, Sesshoumaru. You have to trust that we'll help her.”

 

Sesshoumaru paused and regarded his brother with a long glance over his right shoulder. The demon seemed to contemplate this answer before shaking his head slightly, “It is easier said then done. Would you be able to turn away from Kagome if it were her?”

 

InuYasha didn't miss a beat, “that's all I have thought about these last two days. But to tell you the truth, it doesn't matter. I would do what it took.”

 

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and nodded slowly, as if weights were attached to his chin. “As I will.”

 

As Sesshoumaru reached for the school door to seek out his mate, it opened before him. His hand fell onto the hand of the girl who had disgracefully decided to return to her sudden departure. His eyes clashed against hers for the umpteenth time that day and he felt his lips twitch into a shallow empty smile. `So…she has returned? She seems to have done it on her own accord?' he sniffed the air delicately to see if he could detect the smell of Kagome or Sango…anyone who would have persuaded Rin to return. He was sick of her doing things to appease others. If she wanted to be with him, then she would be by him. He wasn't going to force her into any situation she didn't want to be in. not now…not like this. She was to fragile to bend to a certain point. He knew she could snap at any moment…he knew that she just needed to be goaded in one direction and hell would spill out. With a simple smile, he let his eyes linger on the crown of her head. `When this is over…when she can look at me with certainty in her eyes, then…then…' he swallowed a rapidly growing lump in his throat and looked back towards his baka of a brother, who was grinning like mad in his direction. `Fool…' he couldn't help the sneer that pulled at his lips. `Maybe…for once, InuYasha is right. Maybe…maybe he has matured?'

 

Rin's eyes were downcast as she stared at the combat boots he had decided to wear with his black cargo pants. When she had rushed inside, she had slammed herself against the wall of the school, praying to god that Sesshoumaru wouldn't come after her. She wasn't sure how she knew he was coming, but the hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she felt cold and hot all at once. She knew that feeling to well…she had it whenever Naraku was around. Not needing to feel anything else, she had fled. Now, not only was she exhausted, suffering from a serious headache, and mentally unstable…she felt like she broke a vital part of her back. With a cringe, she slid down the wall to wrap her arms around her feet. `What am I doing? I'm running from Sesshoumaru? I'm running away like a whipped puppy because I can't control my fear. The man I love is being ripped apart emotionally by me and I'm not even fighting it. I'm not even making an effort to make this easier.' She stuck her chin out and forced herself to her feet. Damnit, if Sesshoumaru was still by her side then she was going to try. She would take a stand against these dreams and maybe…just maybe…the gods would stop punishing her and let her get a solid nights sleep in her lovers arms. When she reached for the door, the last thing she expected to do was find Sesshoumaru an inch away on the other side. She couldn't meet his gaze and instead stared at his odd choice in footwear. A hand intertwined with hers and she stared at the appendage agape. Wasn't he going to make her explain? Wasn't he going to force her to tell him why she had fled again? Wasn't he going to hold her and make her answer questions she wasn't ready to talk about? The demon she loved with all of her heart surprised her yet again.

 

Simply holding the door for her, Sesshoumaru ushered her inside of the school and towards the library. If she wasn't ready to talk, he wasn't going to make her. If she simply wanted to be next to him, that would be fine. Sesshoumaru stole a quick glance at the girl who was still staring towards the floor. With a slow forming smirk, he gently remarked, “When your ready Rin…I'll be here. I'll be by your side as long as you allow me to be…and when you don't, I won't be to far away. I'm not going to abandon you to this. I'm not letting you give up either. We'll fight this together, and I'll make sure you beat it. Until then…as long as you're comfortable, I want you by my side. And after then…after all of this passes…I want…” he found his throat running dry and tried to swallow, only to find his mouth completely parched. `Damnit, I always freeze at this point.' He coughed once and swallowed again. He could feel Rin's hand tightening in his grasp as he could just about feel the level of tension rising. The tiny smile that had graced the sides of his lips fell to a frown and he ran his free hand through his hair, making sure to advert his eyes so Rin would not see the dejection in them. “Never mind.”

 

Rin wanted him to finish…a part of her needed to hear what he wanted from her. So many thoughts ran through her mind that she was incapable of speech. `Does he want me to sleep with him? To finish what we started? For so long we've joked about it…but is going to hold me to it? Does he want us to…does he…' she swallowed again and looked the opposite way, the tears brimming once again in her eyes that she hated, that she loathed. God she hated being weak. “O…Okay.” She closed her eyes, warding off tears once again. Sometimes it was best not knowing.

 

~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~~*~**~~*~*~*

 

 

InuYasha finished his cigarette and dropped the butt onto the ground. Squashing the dim red light out of it with the heel of his converse, he locked Rin's car and turned his attention back to the school before a wide smile broke out on his lips. Raven hair flew wild in the wind as a girl strut her way across the parking lot. InuYasha felt the grin spreading across his face as he took a few steps towards the figure. Tossing his head back to seem even cockier then he ever had been, InuYasha held out his arms to his girlfriend who quickly took solace in the embrace. He held her against his body as he kissed the side of her cheeks then forehead slowly. He knew she should have been in class but a part of him was just enjoying the current situation a little too much to care. His fingers traced her slim shoulder blades through her shirt as he kissed his way down her jawbone. Somewhere inside of him, an overwhelming bubble of joy was building. Joy that was resented by the rest of him, hated for the double edge. He was so happy to have her by his side…to know that she would love him…he was happy he could simply hold her like this. a part of him was happy that she was not in Rin's place. Had he of been in his brothers shoes…he was sure as hell he wouldn't still be clean from drugs. He would never be able to handle what Sesshoumaru was handling. Beautiful brown orbs crashed into the sunset of gold in his and instantly melted in the molten world that was InuYasha. Kagome opened her mouth then snapped it shut as InuYasha kissed the bridge of her nose. She let her head roll forward and rested it against his firm shoulder. “I love you.”

 

InuYasha opened his mouth to give her a witty response then frowned. Licking his lips, he placed a chaste peck on her lips, “I know Princess…and I love you.”

 

Kagome shifted in his embrace to wrap her arms around his waste. “We all walked out of class. We tired to go to the library but they…they wouldn't let us in. So….”

InuYasha cocked one eyebrow and shifted his attention to those who he hadn't seen before. A warm blush swept over his face but was gone as fast as it appeared. A few feet away stood half of their science class. Miroku and Sango were conspicuously missing and really didn't leave much room to guess just where they were or what exactly they were doing. Kouga stood in the front of the pack looking rather disgruntled, his arms crossed in front of his chest and his eyes set to mere slits. InuYasha waggled his eyebrows at Kouga then pressed his lips to Kagome's forehead as his left hand braced against the small of her back, his eyes never leaving the wolf demons. He could tell by the wolf's body language that he was jealous of Inu and Kagome and hell would freeze over before InuYasha would give up a chance to rub it in his face. He leaned down and kissed the top cartilage of Kagome's right ear before whispering, “I didn't get to follow up with my promise, Princess.”

 

Kagome blinked a few times and looked up to meet InuYasha's lustful gaze. Somewhere in a matter of milliseconds, the look in InuYasha's eyes had gone from a tranquil serene to a wanton of fervent desire. She nearly found herself drowning in the gaze. Her mouth moved a few times, resembling a fish out of water, before she choked out, “and that would be?” the mere husky tone of his voice was enough to get her body reacting on its own…her breath sped up and she dampened between her legs. `Damn…he can turn me on with a few choice words…what the hell is wrong with me?'

InuYasha licked the rim of her ear and grinded his pelvis against her hips, grinning as she gasped at his sudden change in physical needs. He whispered, so that the words only reached her…and those with real good hearing… “That I would fuck you four ways from Thursday when you were better.”

 

Kagome's blush engulfed her neck and face in a tomato like red as his words hit her like a load of bricks. She felt the air rush out of her lungs as his hand traced small circles on her back. She buried her face in his shoulder, mortified by how her body was responding to him in front of the others, and peaked up over his shoulder. Kouga's mouth was hanging by the skin on his face; his eyebrows fused together in disgust and maybe…slight…intrigue? The thought made her shiver. InuYasha was growing more attentive in his ministrations on her neck, kissing his way along the jugular to nip at the tender skin at the bottom of her neck only to sooth it with warm kisses. A bone chilling thought ran through Kagome's bones as her knees nearly gave out on her. `Is he going to take me right here in front of everyone?'

 

Never had Kagome been more thankful to hear Kouga's annoying voice. “Oi, get your hands off my woman, inu-kurro!”

 

InuYasha snapped his head up as if he had been doused with ice water. He shook his head and leaned towards the boy, “I'm sorry…I thought you just called Kagome your woman. Care to repeat that again? Cause I know you ain't that stupid…”

 

Kouga managed to place a very creepy grin onto his lips as he tilted his head to get a slightly better view of the skirt that Kagome was wearing…the one that was riding up on her thighs slightly with the help of InuYasha's missing right hand. He licked his lips slowly and then snapped himself back to reality, a deep growl bellowing from inside of his throat, “get your filthy hanyou hands off my woman! You've already defiled her enough…let me take the poison out of her system!”

 

InuYasha released Kagome and stalked towards the wolf demon. “I'm gonna make you eat those words, you filthy piece of shit!”

 

Kagome felt herself falter a step when the warmth that she had grown quite accustom to was taken away. As if in a daze, she turned slowly to see the fight brewing. InuYasha was mere steps from beating Kouga within an inch of his life and Kouga wasn't backing down. Her InuYasha-induced high quickly phased out as she took a running step towards the two boys. “InuYasha no!”

 

InuYasha didn't even look behind him, “stay out of the Princess. Let me put wolf shit in the ground then I'll finish my promise!”

 

Kagome choked on her words and sputtered for a moment. “You…you can't…InuYasha, no!”

 

InuYasha reached Kouga's front and glared the demon in the eyes. “You got shit to say, fucker? Just cause you fuckin helped me out with Rin don't mean I owe you shit. If you think, though, for one damned minute, I'm gonna sit by and listen to you call Kagome your woman, then I'm gonna beat you out of your stupidity!”

 

Kouga crossed his arms slowly, the battle for dominance between the cerulean and the amber eyes never wavering. “I say it cause it's fucking true. Just ask her…ask her whose girl she is.”

 

InuYasha scoffed, “feh, fat chance dick weed! See Kouga, we've kind of been seeing each other for like a month now, I'm sorry you're a little slow on the update. I will however, be more then glad to supply you with all the good details. Ready?” he leaned forward and Kagome held her breath. A month ago, he would have ranted and raved about the kind of sex they have had together. Hell…two weeks ago he would have gloated. But now, the look on his face was anything but comical. “We're in love…and I'm going to marry her. So, take your dick and shove it up your buddies ass cause you ain't getting near Kagome.”

 

The crestfallen look that washed over Kouga's face disappeared in seconds. `So, the mutt plans on making good with Kagome, ey? Not if I can help it…' Kouga grinned again, silently unnerving InuYasha with every passing second. “Once again, Inu-kurro, you're wrong.” painstakingly slow, Kouga shifted his gaze towards Kagome. “Hey baby; tell him just who you are.”

 

Kagome's mouth dropped open, her eyes wide with confusion. Before she could stop herself, she let everyone see just how tainted by the silver haired god she was. “What the fuck are you talking about Kouga?” her two hands slammed over her mouth as soon as the words left her mouth and her cheeks instantly sported a healthy blush.

 

InuYasha whipped his head around from glowering at the demon, to shooting Kagome an estranged glance back to glaring daggers at Kouga. His fists were balled up and he was ready to wail into the demon, but not until he got his answers. Damnit, he hated being confused. “What the hell are you blabbering about?”

 

Kouga's grin only widened, “the play, Inu-Kurro…the play. I got the lead…which means she is playing my girlfriend which means I get to make out with her on stage and there ain't shit you can do…”

 

A strong fist to the boys jaw ended his ranting as well as his consciousness. Before the wolf demon's body could hit the ground, Kagome found herself pressed against Rin's Porsche with claws gently but demandingly biting into her biceps. Angry molten eyes locked onto hers and silently insisted on answers. He raised an eyebrow when the words `let go' were forming on her mouth. He released the strong hold on her arms yet kept her pinned to the car, his eyes never once blinking.

 

`Damn, he's pissed.' Kagome had found out about the play and had been very reluctant to tell her lover. She knew it was going to be bad…but this was worse. The tension on his body was welling with every passing second as his irritation grew rapidly in his amber orbs. `Shit…' Opening her mouth and closing it, Kagome offered the enraged demon with a shy smile and a slight shrug of the shoulders, “Guess I didn't tell you…huh? Uhh…I'm sorry?”

 

~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~~**~*~*~*

 

- So, it's not one of my best chapters, not by a long shot, but I needed to pass time. I don't even know where all of this came from but it took two weeks to get here. :-/ okay, so I promise the action will pick up!