I'm on a roll all wrapped up in my snuggie. I have two more updates coming for you guys really, really soon; especially for 'Stronger'. I know you guys were wondering when I was going to start that. But anyways, I have a poll. Go to my profile and choose which project you want me to start after I finish off 'Blood Red Roses II' and 'Roses from the Heart'. And so with that said, enjoy!
A warm breeze blew through the opened classroom window as Rin surveyed her children contently. All the kids were working together perfectly, three weeks into the new school term and she had yet to have a single problem with any of the students. She was quite pleased with herself.
In the back of the room, both splayed out on their bellies, Jiro and Akko debated whether seahorses could be purple and green. Kimi shyly offered Yuuki a cookie from her lunchbox, and Yamata and Hanukah had their heads bent as they wrote down the names of the various animals that were being coloured. All was well.
Rin stood up in front of the class. "All right everyone, I want you to finish coloring in the picture of the animal you were given with your buddies! After you're done colouring, you'll all have a chance to show the class what you've done."
"Hai!" Came the chorus of happy responses.
Rin turned back to her desk, straightening up all the files that littered the oak table when she felt a little tugging on the back of her pencil skirt. Looking down, she noticed Hachiro standing at her feet, looking up at her shyly.
Rin smiled and squatted down to his level. "Hai, Hachiro?"
He blushed and held out a red rose to Rin, his big eyes nestled on the corner of the room.
"Oh! It's so pretty! Is it for me?" She asked, surprised.
He nodded; a small smile lighting up his face.
Rin graciously accepted the flower, pressing it to her mouth and inhaling deeply. "Thank you! I'll put this in some water right on my desk, Hachiro! That was so sweet of you."
He met her eyes and broke into a large grin. "You're welcome, Miss Rin." He said shyly. He turned around and ran back to his buddy, who high-fived him as he sat back down.
Rin smiled. All of the kids in her class were absolutely adorable, not to mention so sweet and well-behaved. She had truly found her calling.
She set the rose in a vase on her desk like she promised she would, and checked the timer. "Time's up! Now you all get to present your beautiful artwork with the description of your animal. First will be Kota and Emi."
As the two little girls shuffled to the front of the room, all of the student's focus on them was lost when a tall, silver-haired man stepped into the classroom.
Sesshomaru surveyed the mass around him with quick amber eyes. Half of the students looked curious, and the other half looked terrified at the prospect of a stranger coming in.
Rin, who was bent over a little booklet to keep track of all of their grades, didn't notice Sesshomaru's entrance until the classroom grew uncharacteristically quiet. Glancing up, she noticed Sesshomaru standing in the corner. She smiled.
"Class, say hello to Mr. Takahashi," She told her students. They turned to Sesshomaru, now with one eyebrow risen in humour, and mumbled hellos with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
He resisted snorting and crossed the room to Rin's desk, lowering his eyes to her level with dark interest. Rin gulped. "Everyone, you're allowed five minutes of free time while I talk to Mr. Takahashi! If you're not done with your animal, then you can finish it before you go."
The buzz of voices started back up again, and the children were instantly more interested in the toys around the room than the stranger who was speaking with their teacher.
"Hi." Rin murmured looking up into his eyes. Ah, so pretty. "What are you doing here?"
In response, Sesshomaru gave her an unintentionally seductive smile and slid a very familiar looking pink cell phone out of his pocket.
At the sight of it, Rin squealed. "I thought I had lost it! Where was it? Oh, thank you, Sesshomaru!"
Sesshomaru dropped the phone into Rin's cupped palms. "It seemed to have fallen out of your bag when you got in my car the other night. Jakotsu has been calling you every other minute, so it was quite easy to find."
Rin blushed and gave him a smile, cradling the small, out of date phone to her chest.
Sesshomaru looked away, because his yokai was much too enthusiastically noting the length of the neckline.
The phone buzzed again, playing a catchy show tune. "Go, Grease Lightnin' you're burnin' up the quarter mile, Grease Lightnin, Go Grease Lightnin!"
She glanced down at it and switched the volume to silent, slipping it onto her desk.
"Well, thank you so much, again." She said.
"Not a problem at all, Rin." He whispered. He leaned down and brushed his lips along her jaw, pausing to cock his head when he saw a fresh red rose in a small vase on her desk.
Sesshomaru growled. I have competition, do I? I will personally make sure to crush that man's hopes of ever getting Rin. "Who gave you that?" He asked, using his chin to indicate the rose.
Rin laughed. "Hachiro did."
"Hachiro?"
"The one playing with a fire engine." She informed, grinning.
Sesshomaru relaxed slightly, and turned back to Rin. "Will I still be seeing you tomorrow?"
"Oh, yeah! Thanks so much for inviting me, by the way."
"Miss Rin!"
Sesshomaru twitched at the whiny voice that interrupted them, but Rin's face shifted slightly to worry. She stepped past Sesshomaru and knelt down to where a little girl was crying and clutching her finger.
"Oh no, Etsuko, what happened to your finger?" She held it up; examining a cut that even Sesshomaru – with his enhanced demonic sight – had to squint to see.
"I gotta paper cut, Miss Rin!"
"Well, we'll fix you up in no time!" Rin grabbed a small packet from the side of her desk and pulled out a single band-aid, wrapping it around the girl's finger. She sat back and have the little girl an encouraging smile, all the while unaware of the fact that Sesshomaru as watching her.
He could have cared less about the child, but it was Rin's compassion that interested him. She looked as focused and committed as if she was taking her SATs back in High School. There was a little crease between her eyebrows, and her lip puckered so that only Kami knew how appealing she looked. And her scent...how had he overlooked that before?
She smelled like vanilla and rainwater and white roses. And that description didn't do the scent's flavour justice.
Sesshomaru was still reveling in the way her scent made his mouth water when Rin stood back up and offered him a small smile. "Sorry about that."
He nodded, licking his lips. "I suppose I should let you get on with your class," His expression was amused as he took in the organized chaos around him once more.
"Oh. Right." Rin tried not to be too disappointed that he was leaving. You have a job, you know. She scolded herself.
Sesshomaru leaned down and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger there a fraction longer than normal, and then abruptly stood and gracefully strode out of the classroom, looking quite pleased with himself.
Rin, red-faced and noticing all the children who were staring at their teacher, summoned a smile and proceeded with the class. Jiro raised his hand.
"Yes, Jiro?"
"Is that man your boyfriend?"
Oh great, Rin thought looking up at the ceiling.
Sesshomaru walked out of the school and down the street, marveling at the time he had wasted, and the fact that he had actually enjoyed doing it. He knew that their date was tomorrow, and that another twenty four hours without her phone wouldn't be the end of Rin. But he also knew that he wanted to see her face again, hear her excited voice. Memory alone was driving him crazy, he wanted the real thing.
Stepping into the vehicle, he started it then drove away back to his office.
Careful. Or you'll never work another full day in your life.
He snorted. Yes, Rin was utterly delectable and distracting, but he wouldn't let one appealing human get in the way of him building his own corporate empire.
Striding back into his building, he ran into his father.
Touga did a double take when he saw his son. He raised a hand up and scratched his head. "Son, are you alright?"
Sesshomaru cocked his head, slightly thrown off at his father's appearance in his workplace. "What reason would I have to not be?"
Maybe he hit his head. That would explain it."I could've sworn you were actually smiling, standing outside in the middle of September. Do you have a concussion?"
Sesshomaru growled. "Of course not. Why are you here", he asked, annoyed.
Touga raised his hands innocently. "Just checking up on my eldest son; is it such a sin for a father to do so?"
"I am fine; if your business here is done, please leave." Sesshomaru barked at the elder inu.
"Alright."
Touga chuckled; shaking his head as he walked out of the building, and Sesshomaru sighed. Ever since he had married that infantile human woman, Sesshomaru was sure his father was heading down the path to insanity.
I'm headed the same way if this keeps up, he checked himself as he walked to the elevator.
Well, that's his thought, pressing the up button on his elevator repeatedly.
He adjusted his silk tie and looked over himself in the mirror.
His reflection was impeccable, as always, he thought with a smirk.
Sesshomaru's Blackberry buzzed for the thousandth time in his pants pocket, and he ignored his assistant Jaken's constant emails. He would deal with the annoying little imp later.
Locking, the door of his penthouse behind him, he strode out into the parking lot and started up his car.
Ten minutes later, he was perfectly on time, despite the absolute morons who had created a hellish traffic jam. Sesshomaru strode up to Rin's door, and the wood disappeared the second before he knocked.
A very flushed Rin stood in the doorway, clad in skinny jeans that encased her long legs and a ruffled red blouse. Her eyes were wide and frantic, and she looked half exuberant and half happy.
Sesshomaru cocked his head. "Rin? Are you alright?"
She nodded distractedly and ran a hand through her long hair, fingering the jeweled butterfly that pinned her bangs to the side. Sesshomaru trained his eyes on the pin, because it was all he could do to not ravish her incredibly distracting body with his gaze.
"Yeah. Just a little crazy. You can come in; I'll only be a second." She said quickly.
Sesshomaru stepped inside, and Rin darted off. He noticed more scents in the house, different ones. There was Jakotsu, of course, and then another human man. Under that was...A dog?
He sniffed again, but it wasn't needed. Rin flitted through the room again, this time chasing a small ball of black fur that stumbled across the smooth wood. In its mouth was a violently vibrating object.
"No, puppy, give it back to Rinny." She whined hopefully. The puppy drooled in excitement, and then noticed Sesshomaru.
And the small ball of fur and spit launched itself at him.
Sesshomaru, who was too busy watching Rin, did not see the pup until it was on top of him. Sesshomaru was knocked to his bottom, and Rin skidded to a stop.
Her big brown eyes took in the scene in front of her, and then Rin fell to her knees beside Sesshomaru, laughing.
"Rin, where did this dog come from?" Sesshomaru asked, annoyed with the drooling animal on his chest.
Rin stifled a giggle, " I found it roaming around the streets and thought that I would take care of it until we could find a home for it. I'm a sucker for dogs."
Pun totally intended, Sesshomaru thought as he sighed. Of course she would. It seemed that Rin's immediate response to something or someone that needed help was to take them under her wing.
"Very well. What is in its mouth?"
"My cell phone."
To prove her point, the puppy's whole head buzzed as the phone vibrated between his jaws.
Sesshomaru couldn't help himself; he let out a small, amused chuckle. The puppy looked at him, and then Rin. It dropped the phone on Sesshomaru's chest and ran off.
Sesshomaru sat up, still chuckling, and put one hand under Rin's chin. His fingers caressed her cheekbones and jaw, and came to rest right at the point of her chin, where they lifted it upwards slightly.
"You amuse me." He whispered. Sesshomaru took in her flushed face, her slightly parted, waiting lips. Her scent was full of anxiety and desire, driving his demon mad.
I can't take it anymore. He cursed silently. But, surprising him thoroughly, Rin beat him to the punch. She leaned down and caught his lips in hers, kissing him enthusiastically.
Sesshomaru was frozen for a moment, shocked. Then heat flooded his body, and he responded to her. One of his hands twisted in her long black hair, dragging her closer to him. She exhaled deeply, sinking into his arms.
Sesshomaru purred as she trailed her fingers down his spine. Her tongue entangled with his, her pulse beating frantically.
"Ses-sho-maru," she whispered. Rin caught his lower lip between hers and gave it a gentle tug. Sesshomaru growled.
When they pulled away, Rin gasping for air, Sesshomaru stroked her face.
Rin shuddered. Her face was flushed, her eyes wide and sparkling. She examined the god of a man in front of her, and breathed out.
Now that was a kiss, she thought contently as stared into his liquid gold pools.
"I'm sorry, did I miss something?" A very familiar voice broke through the silent living room.
Both heads snapped towards the stair case to see Jakotsu and some other male standing there; equally colourful to Jakotsu.
"Oi," Rin said as her head dropped in embarrassment. Sesshomaru just stared at the couple that watched them, eyebrow twitching.
Oh yeah, I'm definitely going to go insane, Sesshomaru thought; eyebrow still twitching rapidly.
Anonymous Acknowledgments
Jolie: Thank you sweet heart, I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Kaneko: Thank you ma love. I really appreciate it.
Remember loves, there is a poll so vote so I know which one to start planning out and which ones will have to wait a little longer.