A/N: Part 2! Thanks to anyone who reviewed/faved/followed :) This might be longer than 3 parts (4 or 5, I'm guessing) with how things are progressing. Sorry for the long wait, as well - school is hard. Reviews are greatly appreciated!
~oOo~
"Now, if you would please, get out."
Sesshomaru Takahashi was very annoyed, and that was evident in his tone as, for possibly the thirtieth time that week, he slammed his door in Kagura's face and turned the lock. The vein in his head twitched as walked to his window and threw it open, hoping to drain out some of the wind bitch's nauseating scent.
And at the same moment he did so, a sizable amount of snow blasted through said window, completely coating the front of his sweater.
The vein twitched again.
Wonderful, he thought bitterly. Now he would have to find something else to wear that was just as unreally soft. He lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, exhaling. He had exams in less than 48 hours, and while it was unlike him to lose his calm, he was incredibly stressed from lack of sleep (three days, to be exact) and lack of proper nourishment (he hadn't eaten anything but cup noodles in weeks).
This combined with a severe bout of moodiness and a generally poor disposition, and he was prepared to murder the next female student that came to his dorm with the proposition of "you know…studying together?"
Sesshomaru closed the window, trying to calm himself down. Kouga wouldn't be too pleased if he put another hole in the wall….or the ceiling….or the flatscreen TV.
For the thousandth time, he found himself wishing Rin was there with him.
When he was younger, the easiest way to calm himself down was to bury his nose into her soft hair and take in her scent. The orchids she kept in her room, the tang of the soap her mother bought in bulk, and the fresh, sunshine scent that seemed to follow her wherever she went.
She had always loved to braid his hair, taking every opportunity to do so up until junior high struck, and out of nowhere, she became reserved.
She blushed and swatted him away when he attempted to lean into her hair, shied away from his touch when he attempted to help her into her jacket after school, and began refusing his offers to walk her home, a full three stops away from his. On top of it all, she started wearing perfume, a habit that blocked out her intoxicating natural scent. It was completely baffling to Sesshomaru.
But it wasn't like her transition to junior high didn't come without it's perks.
In the span of five months, Rin went from a shapeless jumble of sharp knees and elbows to a perfect doll of a girl. Her clear skin and glowing complexion stayed intact, but were joined by soft, rounded lips, almond eyes, and long doe-lashes. She filled out, developing subtle curves that complimented her petite figure, and best of all, her legs got long. It was a miracle of science that the three measly inches she gained in height, all of it and more went to her legs. His favorite current pastime was imagining how those long, lean legs would look tangled in his silk bedsheets….
Kami, just thinking about it made Sesshomaru smirk. His Rin had turned out to be a beautiful young woman - not that he had expected anything less, of course.
Apparently, he wasn't the only one that thought so, either. The thought of what Izayoi had told him last week rose to mind, souring his mood again. Whoever that Kohaku boy was, thinking he was good enough to ask Rin on a date….Well, Sesshomaru would find him, and by the time he was done, the boy would know just how low of scum he was.
Of course, after he passed his exams.
~oOo~
The hallways of Tokyo University were, to say the least, extraordinarily intimidating.
Towering and distinctly European, she had to crane her neck back to read the sign that was pinned to one of the arching hallway entrances. The entire experience made her feel very small and very nervous. Luckily, she had entered close to the residential section of the building, and Sesshomaru - being his annoyingly perfect self - had been assigned to the residences in the Dean's Hall, where a vast majority of the honors students lived.
Rin gulped. Be strong, Rinny. You've made it this far. Just keep moving.
She continued down the first hallway and towards the dorms, taking in her surroundings nervously. Although she had been here before, the experience was vastly changed by having another person with her. The halls were almost dead silent, the loudest noise being the slight rattling of heaters. Totally not like a horror movie.
You know, this really isn't that bad. You're doing a great job. She silently reassured herself. This is totally normal. Just a girl bringing soup to her…..friend. Rin sighed. That was right. Friend. As in the completely platonic feelings that Sesshomaru had for her.
"Just like a sister," she grumbled, still feeling the sting from Inuyasha's statement at their last meeting.
Why couldn't she be as lucky as Kagome?
The girl who had been her senpai and tutor was just one year older than Rin, and had somehow ended up in a committed relationship with the younger of the Takahashi brothers, Inuyasha (this despite the couple's weekly fights and death threats to each other - affectionately, of course).
Kagome, of course, had made it her priority to get Rin and Sesshomaru together after unearthing a notebook page of "Mrs. Sesshomaru Takahashis" and heart doodles in her algebra homework. Her efforts included several attempts to force Sesshomaru to tutor Rin, walk her to school, and on occasion, outright presenting Rin to him in revealing outfits of her choosing.
None of them had worked, however, because she was very well aware of the fact that to Sesshomaru, tutoring and escorting were both the chores of a dutiful older brother.
"Moron!" She groaned aloud. She was becoming less and less confident by the second.
Rin shook her head, mustering what little emotional strength there was left. She was in his hallway now, three doors away. Faintly, she could hear American music playing. It was low and smooth, but rhythmic. She frowned, trying to decipher the words.
The Strokes - Sesshomaru's favorite band.
She gulped, raising a hand to the door labeled Takahashi; Yamamoto
The door swung open.
Sesshomaru stood in the doorway, the vein in his forehead twitching, his lips pulled up in a scowl to reveal one of his fangs. "Kagura, I understand you have the mental capacity of a five year old, but-" he broke off almost immediately, eyes widening in shock.
Rin, frozen in place, forced out a weak "Hi."
A small part of her registered that he was angry, and that her name wasn't Kagura, but the rest of her was preoccupied with taking in every detail of him.
CHRIST.
She swallowed thickly.
He had clearly been in the middle of undressing, as his shirt was askew, the collar halfway unflipped, and two buttons undone. His belt hung loosely around his waist, and his hair -oh god, she had missed his hair- was pulled into a messy bun, the hairstyle oozing masculinity on him.
"Rin." Sesshomaru said, blinking twice. "Excuse me. I wasn't aware you were coming." He blinked again, looking at her like she had three heads. Had she been less overwhelmed by the sight of him, she would've registered that her mother had set her up.
"I- um, I didn't - I mean, mom should've - Daichi - I-" She broke off, mouth dry. "Hi." She finished, completely shutting down. Oh my god, this is the worst moment of my life.
The corner of mouth twitched the slightest bit, and the heat in her cheeks skyrocketed - a feat she didn't think possible.
Sesshomaru stepped aside, gesturing to the room behind him. "Come in."
Rin ducked her head in a polite bow, shuffling through the door. Maybe if I close my eyes I can pretend that I'm not making a moron of myself.
What do I do? Should I start a conversation? "I have hotpot." She stammered. Oh dear god.
His golden eyes flickered down to meet hers. "Yes," he stated. "You do."
The silence that arose was awkward to the point of being cringe worthy. Rin grimaced, a thousand different escape plans running through her mind. If she got a running start, she was almost positive she could make it out of that window in the far corner fairly quickly -
Cold hands slid over hers gently, and she gasped, jerking backwards.
And threw the pot.
The steaming meal arched forward gracefully as it plummeted towards the earth, resemblant of a fallen noodle angel making it's descent to hell. Almost in slow motion, broth trailed out, creating chicken-flavored spheres in the air. Rin opened her mouth to scream -
The pot slammed directly against the back of her head.
She briefly registered the impact of a large ceramic crockpot on her skull, before the world before her fizzled out to black.
oOo~
Sesshomaru wasn't one to be in pickles, especially where his future lover was involved, but this - this was certainly a situation that one could only describe as "being in a pickle."
It had happened too fast for even his inuyoukai senses to register. The arrival of Rin to his dorm room was something out of a dream. To have her appear, when just moments earlier he had been wishing for just that?
The next part, not so much.
When Sesshomaru had envisioned inviting Rin into his room, it had gone along a much more suggestive path, that ultimately ended with the two of them, naked, in his oversized bed.
His fantasies had not, for several reasons, included Rin throwing a large dish of soup into the air and knocking herself out when it landed on her.
He felt like the gods were mocking him.
Now he was left to look at the aftermath, which included one teenage girl, out cold, a soaking wet carpet, and noodles everywhere.
This was going to be a difficult one to explain to his roommate.
He had caught Rin as she went down, and now she was slumped forward in his arms, mouth open. He lifted her slightly, tapping her cheek with one clawed finger.
"Rin," Sesshomaru tried quietly. "Rin, can you hear me?"
There was no response.
Now there was the predicament of how to deal with this situation. Rin was, of course, soaked through her coat and shirt with soup - not her most graceful state - and clearly out for at least an hour. His dorm floor was covered in various vegetables and noodles - and he still had tests to study for.
This was, most definitely, a pickle to be in.
~oOo~
Review Corner :)
Lady Shenzuki ~ I couldn't resist making her mother a scheming old woman. Something about the thought of Izayoi and Rin's mom daydreaming about silver haired grandkids, lol
Guest ~ Thank you! I plan to continue updating!
Guest ~ Your review reminded me to update, lol. Thank you for reading!