The Angel in Disguise

Chapter 1

From where she sat, she could clearly see the man who sat on a bench nearby. She sighed to herself as she allowed herself to admire him, safe in the knowledge that he would not see her.

His amber eyes could almost suffocate you with the intensity of their stare, while his unsmiling mouth seemed to be yearning for a reason to smile. She sat there for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a matter of minutes. Eventually, she threw the man one last glance before picking up her books and leaving the park and the man behind.

It was purely by chance that she had found him sitting so close to her when she arrived at the park intent on a serious study session without distractions. The lake in the middle of the park always had a soothing effect on her and it was here that she had caught a glimpse of silver shining brightly in the fading sunlight. She looked up from the book she had been reading to find a man sitting sedately on a bench opposite hers, engrossed in a book. It was the man she had always admired from afar but never had the courage to talk to. The man who haunted her dreams since she first laid eyes on him. A true vision of beauty. One might even go so far as to say he was angelic. However, angelic he may be, but the man was said to have a heart cast of stone. His face never betrayed emotion and he spoke in a cold, yet soft voice. It was impossible to get close to this man. It was simply inconceivable that this man should befriend anyone, let alone herself. The great Sesshoumaru chose to live his life alone.

Rin sighed as she walked down the path towards the park's gates. It had never been so apparent that she had been wasting her time on him. She stopped and looked up, finding herself standing on the bridge over a narrow part of the lake. Turning around, she leaned against the railing as she watched the setting sun and admired the beauty of her surroundings in the waning light. She looked down into the water below her and resolved to move on. There was no longer any point in wishing she could be the woman to melt this man's heart. She almost laughed at the thought of any woman melting his heart. With that thought in her head, she looked around her once more before leaving the park and towards, what she hoped to be, a new start in her life.

Sesshoumaru had sensed someone's presence nearby but had chosen to ignore it. It happened frequently and although it was tiresome, there was little he could do about it. Being the son of one of the most powerful men in the city, it was hard to find peace. There always seemed to one or two young women nearby all desperate to catch his attention. He sighed as he shut his book and rubbed his eyes wearily. Despite how annoying and inconvenient these women were, Sesshoumaru would never show any signs of irritation.

He looked up as he heard the faint sound of clicking heels against the pavement and his eyes fell upon a young woman walking across the bridge nearby. Her long dark hair flowed out behind her and her otherwise pleasant features were marred by a slight frown. Shaking his head slightly, he stood up and slipped his book into the pocket of his coat and made his way towards his car to make his way home.

He pushed the door to his apartment open and walked in, kicking the door closed behind him. Sesshoumaru walked into the kitchen and placed the bags he had been carrying on the counter and sat down heavily on a chair nearby. He picked up an envelope on his table and opened it carefully, noting the seal which bore his father's initials. Sighing, he pulled out an invitation to a celebration of his brother's engagement. Setting it down, he contemplated his chances of survival if he did not attend the event. Deciding they were not in his favour, he picked up the phone and called his father to inform him that he would be attending.

Hours later, Sesshoumaru sat behind an enormous mahogany desk in his study, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of him. Leaning back, he allowed his tall frame to sink into the soft leather of his chair before reaching out slender fingers to gently tap the keys as he set to work on the work he had been set. After several moments, he opened a window displaying his emails and, not seeing anything interesting, he closed it again. He returned to the work he had been doing and tapped his fingers in the sleek surface of his desk as he struggled to concentrate on the task at hand. Boredom soon overtook him and his mind refused to cooperate. He tapped his fingers on his desk again in irritation. He had no new ideas. How was once supposed to write with no inspiration? Utterly impossible.

Sesshoumaru Taisho was 23 years old. He lived alone and attended a prestigious university near the town centre. His family were rich and although they could afford to live comfortably, they did not flaunt their wealth. It was this modesty that made his family the pride of the small neighbourhood they lived in. While Sesshoumaru lived alone, his younger brother, Inuyasha, lived with his fiancée, Kagome, in one of the family houses nearby. Kagome was virtually a family member already, despite their wedding being several months away. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had a younger sister, Izumi, who lived with their parents. Izumi was 16 years old and adored her brothers as much as they adored her.

His siblings were very different from him. Inuyasha was the family champion. He had a black belt in Karate and practiced Tae Kwon Do almost religiously. He tended to be very aggressive at times, but fortunately, Kagome was always able to soothe his fiery temper. Izumi was a gentle girl and practiced Jujitsu almost as religiously as Inuyasha did Tae Kwon Do. She was always the one who would intervene when her brothers' arguments got too rowdy and was always the one to calm them and be there for them in their times of need. In contrast to his cheerful, friendly siblings, Sesshoumaru was the complete opposite. He was withdrawn and exceedingly quiet. He spoke only when necessary and concentrated on academic work more than physical triumphs. Although he didn't venture into the sports field very often, his archery and swordsmanship was said to be of the highest standards.

Meanwhile…

Rin paced her bedroom anxiously. Although she still stood by her decision to move on and forget Sesshoumaru, it would take time and distractions. Unfortunately, she lacked the latter. With a sigh, she walked into the living room and sat down at the small desk in the corner of the room and pushed books aside as she searched for a pen and paper. Having located the objects of her search, she was just about to put pen to paper when the phone rang. Sighing again, she reached over the pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rin! I haven't heard from you in ages! How are you?" came the voice from the other end of the line.

"I'm fine thank you, Kagome," she answered politely. "How are your plans coming along?"

"They're coming along quite nicely actually. Izayoi and Izumi have been helping out a lot lately."

"That's good. Was there something in particular you wanted to talk to me about Kagome?"

"Oh! I almost forgot! We're having a celebration dinner on tomorrow night at Inutaisho and Izayoi's. It's a black tie and tails sort of affair."

"Do I need to bring anything other than myself?"

Kagome laughed merrily. "It's all been taken care of. Thanks for the offer though! Come over to our house at about 6pm and we'll go up to the main house together, okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Bye!"

Rin put the phone back in its cradle and sighed for a third time. It seemed that she would have a busy day tomorrow. Glancing at the clock, she stood up and headed towards her bedroom intent on a good night's sleep before her hectic day tomorrow.