Disclaimer: I don't own the characters mentioned here.
Author's note: Some readers were confused on the first chapter, so I'll briefly clarify your doubts. In the last chapter, Rin was actually Sesshomaru and Sesshomaru was actually Rin. They switched bodies. This chapter will inform you how they both switched places. Well, almost….but in this chapter Rin and Sesshomaru haven't switched bodies just yet. Enjoy!
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+~we can Work it Out~+
Chapter two: The Real Beginning
Rin glanced warily at Sesshomaru as they walked side by side down the forest. It was a nice weekend and their friends had decided to gather up together and camp out in the outskirts of town, where a forest resided.
Unfortunately, Rin did not know how to get to the camp site and had been oblige to follow Sesshomaru to the campsite. They did not share many words between each other. Especially, after the argument they had on that fateful summer evening.
Sesshomaru had caught Rin and Kohaku making out in his birthday party. He and a couple of fifty people had been celebrating his 240 birthday, when this incident had occurred. His jealousy had disguised itself into anger and he unwittingly took out his wrath on Rin. He had said some nasty things about her. Rin retorted back some mean things, but her anger could never be compared to Sesshomaru's anger. In the end, Rin was left feeling disgraced and with a deep sadness hidden inside of her.
Rin cleared her throat, hoping he would say something. She didn't like fighting with Sesshomaru. He was a very good friend. He was not close to her as Kagome and Ayame were, but he was a good friend, nonetheless.
Sesshomaru glanced at Rin, but did not say anything. He continued his trek down the road path. Rin pouted letting her mind wander.
'I can't be mad at Sesshomaru, forever. Yes, he did disgrace me by calling me a whore. But, I know I am not one, so I will not worry about that. I just can't let our friendship go to waste like that.
I may not be gorgeous like his girlfriend, but surely his girlfriend is the one who sleeps around with other men. I wasn't even making out with Kohaku inside his closet. It might have looked like that, because Kohaku was lying on top of me. Kohaku was the one who was persistent in advancing his moves on me, but I kept declining him.
He had been drunk that evening. Kohaku even called me the next morning to apologize for his inappropriate behavior. I haven't seen him since that incident. I guess he is avoiding me, because he feels ashamed.
But, on the other hand, I can't even tell Sesshomaru the truth, because he won't listen to me. He probably never expected me to be involved in such a disgraceful scene like that. So, I can understand why he's so mad at me.'
"Sesshomaru, Rin, I'm glad you could make it." Ayame exclaimed as she waved at them from a few feet away.
Rin greeted Ayame with a friendly hug, before she carried her luggage to place it down on a nearby log. She sat down on the log noticing that her other friends were not seen anywhere in the campsite.
"Where are the others?" Rin asked.
"Oh, they went out to pick up wood for the bonfire. I already set up the tent for the girls. Kouga said he would set up the tent later for the men."
"Ah, okay." Rin said with a bright smile.
Ayame noticed the distance placed between Rin and Sesshomaru. She wondered if they were still not on good terms. Somehow, she couldn't help but want to make things better for them. Maybe, she could find a way to fix the situation.
"Rin, how about you help me go fetch some water from the river." Ayame said picking up three brown buckets.
"Sure," Rin replied cheerily as she stood up to follow.
"Sesshomaru, if you get bored. You can always start on setting up the picnic table and folded chairs." Ayame informed Sesshomaru, before they walked off.
That evening, the group of friends spend the cozy night telling ghost stories. They also roasted marshmallows in the fire.
"Maybe, we should go to sleep." Kagome advised as she stared at her watch that indicated that it was a quarter to midnight.
"Naw, I want to play a game, before we hit the hay. Who's in?" Inuyasha stated.
"I'm in," Miroku agreed.
"What kind of game?" Sango asked suspiciously.
"A fun game," Inuyasha retorted.
"I'm out, but I want to stay and watch." Ayame said. She enjoyed the warm tickling sensation of the wind in her face.
"I'll give it a try. It sounds like fun." Kouga added his vote.
"Umm, I don't know." Rin answered, feeling that she would not like the game.
"Count me in." Sesshomaru said in his deep tone of voice.
"I don't think I want to play." Sango alleged as she stood up from her log and walked off. Inuyasha's version of fun wasn't something she could enjoy.
"S- Sango, wait up! Come on, it will be fun. I don't think it will be such a bad game. Inuyasha is sure to keep the game clean." Miroku tried talking Sango into the game, as they both disappeared down a couple of trees down the forest. Up ahead was a small current river, where Rin and Ayame had gone to visit in the afternoon. Sango's and Miroku's arguing voices became inaudible as the hearth of the fire roared over their ears.
"Okay, I'm in." Kagome said her arms crossed over her chest.
"Great! The game is called….I've Never" Inuyasha said as he stood up. He walked over to his camping backpack and took out two bottles of vodka and four glass cups.
He came back to the circle of friends and settled a cup in front of Kagome, Kouga, and Sesshomaru. He kept one for himself. "'I say something that I have never done and drink. If you also have never done it, you also drink."
"The rules are simple, right." Inuyasha affirmed as he served vodka in each of their cups.
"Yeah, I suppose so," Kagome chimed in followed by the other participants.
"Okay, I'll go first. If Miroku doesn't come back, I'll let you join Rin." Inuyasha said with a wink.
Rin fidgeted in her seat. Almost, everyone knew that she had never been one to taste alcoholic beverages.
"Okay, I've never owed a loan to anyone." Inuyasha took a swig of his vodka. Kagome and Sesshomaru also took a drink of their beverages.
Kouga was the only one who didn't take a drink. "So, who do you owe money, to?" Inuyasha asked, with a smirk.
"Heh, the bank," Kouga said, discretely but with a smile on his face.
"I've got one. I've never gone skinny-dipping in the ocean, before." Kagome indicated. She took a sip of her vodka. The taste was bitter to her, but she enjoyed the way it formed a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She noticed Kouga, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha didn't sip on the vodka.
"Wait, you mean to tell me you've all gone swimming nude in a beach." Kagome said with wide disbelief.
"Yeah, I went on a date once to the beach, and we both went swimming in the nude." Inuyasha said reflecting on the memory.
"It was on a dare," Sesshomaru said, subtle.
"I just did it, because I felt like it." Kouga replied back.
"Mh, okay." Kagome said listening to their replies. She felt a little bothered by Inuyasha's answer, but she wasn't about to go verbally lash out at him. She wasn't about to make a fool of herself in front of her friends.
"I've never driven drunk." Sesshomaru said, before he finished the vodka in his cup.
"I think you and Kagome are the only ones." Inuyasha said with a snort. Kouga laughed remembering the time he was almost thrown to jail.
Kagome frowned, but finished her drink, too. She served herself another drink.
"I've never taken a relationship, serious." Kouga downed his drink in one single swallow.
All the boys drank a cup of vodka.
Kagome rolled her eyes at Kouga's confession. She wasn't too surprised about it, but wondered if Ayame's feelings would get hurt.
She glanced at her red-head friend to find her rummaging through her belongings. A flash of anger glimmered in her jade eyes, before it disappeared. Kouga's words had stabbed at her chest, but right now she was more concerned about her friend's problem.
"Bingo, I found them." Ayame exclaimed. She took out two vintage bottles filled with homemade alcohol.
"Here you go, Rin." Ayame said placing the bottle in Rin's hands. "Huh?" Rin stared at it questioning.
"Sesshomaru, this one is for you." Ayame replaced Sesshomaru's cup of vodka with the new beverage.
"Ayame, what are you doing?" Kouga asked perplexed.
"I am trying to liven up this game, that's what. If you don't mind, I want to put you guys into pairs of two. Each of you will make their confessions and participate like you have been doing. Now, Rin and Sesshomaru are one group. Inuyasha and Kagome are the second group, and I will join in to be Kouga's drinking partner." Ayame declared.
"Come on, Kouga. " Ayame said as she dragged her boyfriend, off. Kouga shrugged at the others and allowed Ayame to drag him away. He took one of the vodka bottles, while Ayame carried the cups.
"Feh, I guess this could work," Inuyasha affirmed. "Okay, so I've never had unprotected sex with someone," He took a gulp of his vodka, before realizing he might have said something really unnecessary.
Kagome had to ask something that was bothering her. "What if you still haven't had intimacy with someone?"
"Uh, just take a drink." Inuyasha said with a light blush. Kagome nodded and drank her vodka with a blush of her own.
"Umm… I've never gone sky diving, before." Kagome said, trying to stray from uncomfortable topics.
"Umm, well I'll start first. I…. I've never played this game, before." Rin said as she took a sip of her alcoholic drink.
Sesshomaru stared at her with a serious face, before he also took a sip of his new beverage. The taste was bittersweet, but he found himself intrigued by what type of drink he was drinking. Ayame hadn't mentioned what this alcoholic drink was called.
"I've never lied to my parents." Sesshomaru said, gulping down another dose of the beverage.
"That's a good one." Rin said with a fake smile, but Sesshomaru could tell that he had unintentionally touched a soft spot. Rin had lost her parents when she was very young.
Rin's fingers twiddle with the rim of the bottle, as she thought of a confession. "I've never played with a person's feelings, before."
She took a drink of the bitter alcohol, and noticed that Sesshomaru didn't. She was tempted to ask him, but hesitated. They were still not on good terms.
"…Who's the person that you've offered to play with their feelings?" Rin dared to ask, her head resting on her knees.
Sesshomaru lowered down the bottle. He was surprised that Rin had actually asked him so boldly to answer her question.
"Kagura," he answered. But, in his mind he had a different answer. It's you, Rin…
Rin closed her eyes, before opening them again managing to hide her anger.
"I've never stolen from a bank." Sesshomaru said, as he lacked the need to take this game seriously. He didn't want to confess something sentimental aloud to Rin. They slowly continued the game as they emptied down the bottle to its last remaining droplets.
Rin felt dizzy and her vision was starting to blur. She could only guess this is how it felt to be drunk. Sesshomaru, who was sitting across from her, noticed her flushed cheeks.
The game had slowly stopped being about random questions and had become the game about opening yourself to your drinking partner.
"I've never slept with Kohaku." Rin confessed as she lost her balance. "So, don't you ever call me a whore!" She muttered as she went tumbling down on the dirt. The camp had gone silent, except for the sound of crickets jumping around in the dark. As far as Rin could tell, all her friends had gone to sleep already.
"I think we should stop playing." Sesshomaru voiced his thoughts. He felt Rin was a little bit too drunk to handle the game, anymore.
"No, I want to keep playing!" Rin protested. She stood up with her bottle in hand. She raised her hand and pointed a finger at Sesshomaru.
"Or, are you a coward!"
"I'm not," Sesshomaru said in defiance.
"Fine, it's my turn now." He said, before Rin had a chance to burst out with a new drunken confession.
"I never meant to hurt your feelings." He said, softly.
"I didn't hear you... Do you think you could repeat it, again?" Rin asked, with a mischievous smile.
"I'm not going to repeat, myself. " Sesshomaru didn't look happy about Rin's drunken ignorance.
"Meany! I don't care, anyway." Rin said, as she picked up the blanket Sango had draped next to the log, before Sango had left to go inside the tent. She wrapped the blanket around her and curled on the floor, a distance away from the dying embers. "Okay, maybe I do care... S-sorry.." Rin apologized realizing that the alcohol was getting to her.
"I never want to get drunk, again." Rin muttered as she swallowed the last droplets, emptying her bottle.
"I've never fallen in love." Sesshomaru whispered under his breath knowing he was lying. He finished the content of the bottle, before he stood up next to Rin.
"You should head inside the tent. You'll be a lot safer inside there." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Umm okay, goodnight Sesshomaru." Rin responded back as she stood up carefully trying not to stumble on her two feet.
Sesshomaru helped Rin get to the girl's tent. Rin pushed open the flap of the tent, before turning around to face Sesshomaru. She leaned in to give him a goodnight kiss on the cheek, but ended up kissing him on his lips.
"Oops," Rin pulled away from Sesshomaru. A nervous laugh slipped from her lips, before she disappeared inside the tent.
"Night," He said, before he walked off to his tent, wondering how he should apologize to Rin, properly. He wasn't mad at her, anymore. In fact, he wished he could find a way to take back all the cruel words he said to her. He hadn't meant to take his anger out on her.
Rin took off her pants, leaving only her long shirt on as pajamas. She had a small smile on her lips. 'I really hope everything will be able to work out between us.'