I do not own Inuyasha
Ch. 4
Sesshomaru woke up a bit groggy from his slumber. Laying on his bed for a moment, the previous nights events came to him in flash, reminding him of what he was planning to do today.
He got up, scratching the back of his head and headed to his bathroom to take a shower. Once done he got dressed in jeans and a white polo, with a blue v neck sweater over that. And to top it off, he wore tennis shoes. The whole outfit was completely out of the norm for him. You never saw him in anything other than a suit and tie.
He made it out of his room and headed downstairs to head to the dinning room. His father and Izayoi were already at the table when he joined them.
"Good morning Sesshomaru," Izayoi greeted in a friendly manner.
Sesshomaru just nodded his head in greeting, paying attention to the food that was placed in front of him. He still to this day, didn't consider Izayoi his mother. His biological mother had died of a rare disease when he was five. He never really accepted Izayoi as family, but he managed to tolerate her.
"So Sesshomaru, remind me again what you plan on doing today?" his father asked him putting down the newspaper he was reading.
"I plan on taking Rin up to the lake house to take pictures of the property for the day. We will probably be home late," Sesshomaru said finishing his breakfast. He got up and was about to leave, but turned around.
"Father do you think this is appropriate?" Sesshomaru asked, pointing to his choice of clothing.
Inu Taisho raised an eyebrow, looked at his eldest son's attire. "I think it looks fine. Izayoi, what do you think?"
"I think it looks fine as well," she said liking the fact that Sesshomaru was at least trying to impress the girl.
"You don't think I'm trying to hard, do you?"
"No," Inu Taisho and Izayoi said in unison and with that Sesshomaru nodded and turned and left the dinning room.
Izayoi turned to Inu Taisho then. "Do you think he will be okay?"
"He will be fine, he just needs to acknowledge the fact he and Rin were meant to be together."
"When did you know that they..."
"Where mates? Since the day Thomas and Suzy brought Rin home from the hospital," Inu Taisho said, taking Izayoi's hand in his own.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Rin was making her way down the stairs from the garage and made her way to the main household. She was planning on seeing Inuyasha, but what happened the night before kept intruding into her thoughts. She shook her head just as she reached a side door, but it opened before she could take a hold of the handle.
"Oh, good morning Rin," Sesshomaru said, watching her carefully.
"Good morning Sesshomaru," Rin said looking up at him, blushing ever so slightly.
"Have you come to see Inuyasha?"
"Oh yes. How is he?" Rin asked.
"How about you see for yourself," Sesshomaru said, stepping aside to let her in. Her shoulder brushed him slightly, making him stiffen.
Mate.
I will remain in control. You will not interfere.
We will see.
Sesshomaru shut the door and followed Rin further into the house. They both made it to Inuyasha's room. He was on his belly, completely passed out and oblivious to the world.
Rin went to his side. "Inuyasha?" Nothing.
She looked to Sesshomaru for help.
"Inuyasha! Wake up!" Sesshomaru's voice boomed throughout the room, startling Inuyasha out of stupor. It kind of made Rin jump too.
Inuyasha looked bleary eyes around and when he saw Rin he said, "Hey Rin."
"Hey Inuyasha. How are you feeling?" Rin asked smiling at him. Even drugged, he was still dazzling.
Inuyasha got a searching look on his face.
"I don't know. Everything is like whoa…oh hi hand," Inuyasha tried to say, but he unconsciously took Rin's hand looked like he was about to nibble it. Sesshomaru saw this and almost growled his distaste, but instead he said, "Rin we better leave so Inuyasha can have his rest."
"Okay, if you are sure," Rin said taking her hand back, Inuyasha had passed out again. She stood up, as Sesshomaru said, "I'm sure."
He ushered her out the door and the both of them headed down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, Rin turned around to face him.
"Thank you for letting me see Inuyasha. Um, I guess I'll see you later then," she said turning back around to head back outside. Sesshomaru was watching her walk away for a little distance before he spoke up.
"Rin," she turned back around, "I understand that you are to become a promising photographer." She nodded her head.
"I was wondering if you would like to join me to go to my family's lake house."
She quirked an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with my photography?"
"Well my family was planning on putting it on the market, because we hardly go there anymore and I was wondering if you could take pictures of the property."
Rin tilted her head in thought. Well I don't have any other things I would like to do today. Why not?
"Yes I would be honored to join you," she said smiling in his direction. That smile reminded Sesshomaru of sunshine, but he let out an internal sigh of relief that she agreed to go with him. This would be easier than he thought.
"Good, meet me out front in ten minutes," Sesshomaru said, ready to go back upstairs to grab some things.
"Okay," Rin said looking at him as he turned, but for some reason she could not help the fact that she was looking at his backside. He looked good in jeans. Okay, bad Rin. Inuyasha is the one you are after, not Sesshomaru.
She blushed at the way her thoughts were going and turned herself to go grab her camera.
After ten minutes she met Sesshomaru at his BMW, holding the door open for her.
"Thank you," she said as she sat down. Sesshomaru nodded his head and shut her door. Making his way to the drivers side and got in and drove off down the driveway.
Compared to Inuyasha, Sesshomaru was a more casual driver. Rin liked it because it was more relaxing. They made it to a private airport a little ways from the house, but what greeted them surprised her.
"Um Sesshomaru? Aren't we supposed to be taking a plane?"
"We are. The helicopter is so we don't have to go through traffic," Sesshomaru explained, greeting the pilot with nod. Rin hesitantly followed him, climbing in beside him. She followed Sesshomaru's lead and buckled herself in and took headphones that were behind her to place them on her ears.
Sesshomaru watched her closely, noticing nervousness radiating off of her.
"Is this your first time riding a helicopter?"
"How could you tell?" Rin asked a little sarcastically.
"Don't worry, the pilot is a professional," Sesshomaru said grabbing a hold of her hand, only for reassurance purposes, but he found that he liked the feel of her skin a little too much, so he let go.
Rin on the other hand looked at the way he was holding her hand. It was comforting and she didn't even notice that they had taken off. When he let go, she unconsciously missed his touch. These new feelings were starting to unnerve her so she looked away and out to the passing scenery and thought of how Inuyasha was doing.
Sooner than both of them thought, they had landed at a private strip at JFK. Stepping out, there was a plane waiting for them. Rin went straight to it, feeling Sesshomaru following closely behind.
Once inside the airplane, Rin immediately fell in love with the interior. For an airplane it looked comfy. She found her seat and Sesshomaru sat right across from her. Immediately he took the briefcase that he had and set it on his lap.
When did he grab that? Rin asked herself.
"Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. We will be departing shortly. Fasten your seat belts and enjoy the rest of your flight."
Rin buckled her seatbelt and watched as Sesshomaru took out paperwork and started to look through it.
Does he mean to work the entire time?
Her thoughts were disrupted as she felt them start to taxi down the runway and a second later they were up in the air, Sesshomaru not once looking up and out the window. It made Rin feel a bit uneasy. Doesn't he ever stop working? So she decided to try and start a conversation with him.
"This is a beautiful plane Sesshomaru," Rin said trying to divert Sesshomaru's attention away from the papers he was reading.
"Yes it is," Sesshomaru said not looking up.
"Why don't you look out the window?" Rin asked.
Sesshomaru stopped for a moment and said the first thing that came to mind, still not looking up.
"I don't have time. I am a very busy man Rin," he said still looking at the papers in his hand.
"But what about all that time we saved taking the helicopter?"
"I'm saving it up," he said nonchalantly. Geesh he's stiff.
"No you're not," Rin said not believing him for an instant.
That stopped him right in his tracks. At that moment he realized that he was neglecting the woman sitting across from him, making him feel a little guilty.
He put his papers away. When he looked back up from putting his briefcase away, he saw that Rin was already looking out the window. He followed suit, and looked out the window. He had to admit that it was quite beautiful looking at the scenery pass by them below.
"May I get you some drinks?" a flight attendant asked, breaking their attention away from the outside.
"Sparkling water," Sesshomaru said.
"I'll have the same," Rin said.
"So Rin-"
"Rin, that's such a pretty name. How did you get a name like that?" the flight attendant interjected.
Rin was about to answer but, "Judy," Sesshomaru said sternly.
"Sorry sir," and Judy walked away to get their drinks.
After a moment of awkward silence Sesshomaru reiterated Judy's question.
"So Rin how did you get your name?"
"My father took it out of another name from his reading, a poem actually. My full name is Rin Sabrina Fairchild. He took my first name out of my middle name and there you have it."
"Oh?"
Rin took in a deep breath and recited a part of the poem, "Sabrina fair, listen where thou art sitting, under the glassy, cool, translucent wave, in twisted braids of lilies knitting, the loose train of thy amber dropping hair-"
"Amber dropping? That is beautiful," Judy said coming back to find Rin reciting poetry that she could not help but comment.
"Judy," Sesshomaru once again said sternly.
"Sorry sir," she said giving them their drinks.
There was silence once again until Sesshomaru couldn't help his curiosity.
"So that poem, what does it mean?"
"It's the story of a water sprite that saves a virgin from a fate worse than death," Rin said, looking at Sesshomaru as she said it.
"And Sabrina is the virgin?" Sesshomaru asked genuinly curious at what she had to say.
"Sabrina is the savior," Rin said looking out the plane window again letting her last remark hang in the air.
After that Sesshomaru fell into deep thought. He was so into his thoughts he felt a nudge from Rin and then he noticed that the plane had already landed and taxied to a private hanger.
He got out of his seat and followed Rin out of the plane and to the rental car already waiting for them.
The drive was quiet as they headed to the lake house. Rin looked eagerly at the passing scenery, having already taken out her camera and started to take pictures with it.
When they arrived, Rin didn't expect the house to be so…modest. It was a two story, blue, had a porch going around the lower level. In Rin's eyes, it looked like a middle class family lived here, not a multi-billion dollar one.
"So this is it. Take pictures of everything," Sesshomaru said getting out of the car, Rin already out and taking pictures of the front. Sesshomaru watched her do her work and when she signaled she was done, he led her inside.
The inside was quaint. Rin took several pictures of each room, from different angles. The sitting room, the dining room, the kitchen, the bedrooms. From the kitchen there was winding staircase and they went up that next and to be met with another sitting room, with windows looking out to the bay.
"This place is incredibly beautiful Sesshomaru," Rin commented, looking out the window.
"I guess it is," Sesshomaru said, shrugging his shoulders.
That's when Rin turned the camera on him. Sesshomaru noticed and immediately covered his face.
"No, please the house, not me," Sesshomaru said now looking at a crestfallen Rin.
"Why not?"
"I never liked my picture taken, that's why," Sesshomaru said a little harshly than he intended. So to save himself he made his way to the balcony doors and opened them, ushering for Rin to step outside.
Rin took a deep breath in, the smell in the air relaxing her.
"So, do you want a picture of the surrounding area at all?" Rin asked looking around at the scenery that made up the harbor.
"It doesn't matter to me. Take a picture of everything," Sesshomaru said not caring.
Rin sighed, taking her camera off of her neck and said, "Here."
"What? I'm not very good at…"
"You don't have to take a picture. Just look through the lenses. See what fancies you," Rin said, practically shoving the camera into Sesshomaru's hands.
Sesshomaru took it a bit reluctantly but looked through the lenses.
"Ocean, ocean, ocean, quaint little fishing village, ocean, ocean, man walking to a lighthouse," Sesshomaru removed the camera from his eyes to look at the lighthouse normally, "Now why would a man have a job looking after a lighthouse?" he asked more to himself than to the woman standing next to him.
He looked at her and she was looking right back.
"I find that when I take pictures, what I'm taking makes me think up stories about the pictures or ask questions, like 'why would a man have a job looking after a lighthouse?' Interesting isn't it, but sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture to really know what you are looking at," Rin evaluated while taking her camera from him and taking the shot.
What was this woman doing to him? She made him do things that, he thought, he didn't have time for or the emotional capacity for. She was making him slow down to enjoy things in life. Like Inuyasha said, she was a breath of fresh air.
ring, ring, ring.
"Excuse me while I take this call," Sesshomaru said, making his way back inside. He made it to the phone and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hello son. How is it going over there?"
"Progressing in my opinion, but-"
"But what?"
"I honestly don't know, but she is making me feel things I never thought I could. I think I'm more affected than she is. I damn near cried twice," Sesshomaru confessed.
"Don't fight it Sesshomaru."
"Don't fight what father. Don't talk cryptically to me. I'm not in the mood."
"I am only saying that you should let go. It'll make everything go smoother. Hey I have an idea. How about you go take her oyster hunting. It'll be a fun experience for her and for you since you don't have much fun these days."
"I'll think about it. I'll talk to you later," Sesshomaru said hanging up the phone. He went outside and found Rin on a bench swing, eyes closed. Sesshomaru made his way over and sat down next to her, both of them taking in the quiet.
"So what are we going to do now?" Rin asked, her eyes still closed.
"Well…I was thinking that we could go to town, look around, have lunch at a little diner that I know of and then later go hunting for oysters," Sesshomaru said. Rin opened her eyes at the mention of hunting for oysters. She didn't think he ever had fun and she knew this would be fun.
"Can we really hunt for oysters?" she asked.
"Well we need to wait till the tide is out, but yes we can," Sesshomaru said, loving the smile that was adorning her face, more than he should.
"That sounds like fun," Rin said, excited that she would get to experience something new. She loved the idea.
"Then lets go to town," Sesshomaru said standing up, offering his hand to Rin. She took it eagerly, both of them not noticing that they kept that embrace until they made it to two bicycles waiting for them.
"Well this is unexpected," Rin said taking the smaller of the two.
"What is?"
"Just the fact that we are riding bicycle's and not taking the car. As a matter of fact I have never seen you ride a bike before."
"Well we could take the car if you want."
"No, no, I like riding bicycle's, it's just that you surprise me once again Sesshomaru. I've never seen this side of you before," Rin said looking at the demon before her. He was becoming less intimidating to her and more…she really couldn't think of the word right now.
"Is that bad?"
"No, not bad at all," she said smiling. Both then straddled their respective bikes and off they went.
"So, do you miss Paris?" Sesshomaru asked as they rode.
"Most definitely, but I know I will go back someday. Just don't know when," Rin said.
For some reason the statement sparked something in Sesshomaru. The cogs were turning.
They both went through the town, riding in casual silence, until Rin came to a stop.
"Oh my, what a beautiful brick building. You never see people build with brick anymore. In Paris you see brick buildings everywhere," Rin said looking at an old rundown building, a block from where they had stopped. She took out her camera and took a shot.
"It was built in the late 1800s," Sesshomaru put in, eyeing the building himself.
"Do you know who owns it. It's such a waste to see a building like that doing nothing."
"I do. That whole block actually," Sesshomaru pointing at the whole area.
Rin looked at him and then back to the brick building. Sesshomaru watched her closely looking longingly at it.
"You know I was thinking of making it to a halfway house, donating it to the city. For those people that need a place to stay to get back on their feet again. Like this man here," Sesshomaru pointed to a man picking up cans, "he could stay there and not worry about his next meal and could take the time to find a job, stuff like that," Sesshomaru said, noticing that Rin was now looking very intently at him. It was making him a little nervous. He then chanced a look at her.
She had a curious look to her eyes, but they shined with hope. It made Sesshomaru feel as if he could do anything in the world, even though he technically could. Then he cleared his throat and looked away and beckoned the man collecting cans to them.
"Excuse me sir, could you take a picture of us?"
"Sure sir," the man said, Rin handed over her camera and showed him how to use it. She then stood close to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru brought his arm around her and lightly grabbed her waist, making her lean slightly into him. His touch once again sending her nerves on fire. She didn't understand this feeling and she wasn't sure she wanted to understand. She was in love with Inuyasha, not Sesshomaru, but the more she was in contact with Sesshomaru the more...
"Say cheese," said the man, breaking Rin from her thoughts. She smiled and with a click the picture was taken. The man gave Rin her camera back and Sesshomaru then rode off, with Rin following him to the diner that they would have lunch in.
They locked up their bikes and went in, finding a table next to a window and sat down. Making themselves comfortable, a waitress came and took orders for their drinks. Once the waitress left, Sesshomaru decided to strike up conversation with the Rin, again.
"So Rin I was wondering about that poem of yours again," he said making her look at him. The waitress had just dropped off their drinks.
"Are you ready to order?" she asked.
"Oh yes please. Um I'll have your reuben sandwich on sourdough," Rin said giving the waitress her menu.
"I'll have the same," Sesshomaru said still looking intently at Rin, waiting for an answer.
After the waitress left Rin asked, "What would you like to know?"
"I would like to hear the rest of it, if you think you can recite it from memory, that is," Sesshomaru slightly challenged her.
"Well this will be a small snipit, but here goes," and Rin gave him a small smile, then leaned back and closed her eyes, remembering a time when her father read her the story.
"There is a gentle Nymph not far from hence,
That with moist curb sways the smooth Severn stream:
Sabrina is her name: a virgin pure;
Whilom she was the daughter of Locrine,
That had the scepter from his father Brute.
She, guiltless damsel, flying the mad pursuit
Of her enraged step dame, Guendolen,
Commended her fair innocence to the flood
That stayed her flight with his cross-flowing course.
The water-Nymphs, that in the bottom played,
Held up their pearled wrists, and took her in,
Bearing her straight to aged Nereus' hall;
Who, piteous of her woes, reared her lank head,
And gave her to his daughters to imbathe
In nectared lavers strewed with asphodel,
And through the porch and inlet of each sense
Dropt in ambrosial oils, till she revived.
And underwent a quick immortal change,
Made Goddess of the river. Still she retains
Her maiden gentleness, and oft at eve
Visits the herds along with twilight meadows,
Helping all urchin blasts, and ill-luck signs
That the shrewd meddling Elf delights to make,
Which she with pretious vailed liquors heals:
For which the Shepherds, at their festivals,
Carol her goodness loud in rustic lays,
And throw sweet garland wreaths into her stream,
Of pansies, pinks, and gaudy daffodils.
And, as the old Swain said, she can unlock
The clasping charm, and thaw the numbing spell,
If she be right invoked in warbled song;
For maidenhood she loves, and will be swift
To aid a virgin, such as was herself,
In hard-besetting need. This will I try,
And add the power of some adjuring verse.
Sabrina fair,
Listen where thou art sitting
Under the glassy, cool, translucent wave,
In twisted braids of lilies knitting
The loose train of thy amber-dropping hair;
Listen for dear honor's sake,
Goddess of the silver lake,
Listen and save!"
Rin reopened her eyes and found that Sesshomaru was looking deeply at her, making her blush and she noticed that the diner was deathly quiet and the waitress was at their table, mouth slightly agape and holding their order. She had yet to set it down. Rin blushed deeper.
"Hm, hm," Sesshomaru cleared his throat, breaking the waitress from her trance.
"Oh here is your order. Enjoy your meal," she said, placing their plates in front of them and left.
Rin was still blushing like mad. She had the entire diner listen to her rendition of her father's favorite poem. That had never happened before. She quietly started to eat and Sesshomaru was still watching her as he began to eat as well.
While watching her as she said those words, her voice was so soothing, he fell into a trance himself. His demon approved immensely.
They ate quietly after that, finishing quickly. Sesshomaru payed and they left, riding their bikes back to the lake house. Sesshomaru watched Rin carefully and she seemed a little more reserved.
"Rin are you alright?" Sesshomaru asked, as they put the bikes back into the garage.
"I'm fine, really. It was just a little unnerving that everyone in that diner stopped and listened to me. I didn't think that would happen," Rin said.
"Well you do have a soothing voice Rin. I'm surprised Inuyasha hasn't noticed this." Rin looked up at him and thought about what he said.
Sesshomaru then left her to her thoughts to go out back to see if the level of the ocean was back so they could go hunting for oysters.
Another hour or so, he thought as he observed the tide.
He went back in to find Rin on the couch, a book in her hand. From what he could see it was a copy of Moby Dick.
"Rin," she looked up, "the tide will be ready in about an hour, so we can go oyster hunting. If that is still what you want to do, that is," Sesshomaru said.
"Of course. Just let me know and we'll go," Rin said, a smile on her face. She was starting to see Sesshomaru in a new light, but it was not enough to completely change her views about him. Inuyasha still out-shined him in every way.
Sesshomaru though could still not get over how just her smile made him weak in the knees. He nodded and left her to her reading, so he didn't make a fool of himself. He went upstairs and went to the bay windows and looked outside, he stayed like that until he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"You ready? I found some buckets in the garage," Rin said holding up the buckets for him to see. He nodded his head and lead her outside and to the shore. He took off his socks, shoes and rolled up his pants. Rin followed suit and followed him out to a pock marked area.
"So how do we…," Rin left it hanging. It was a while before Sesshomaru answered. He found the perfect spot and showed Rin the proper way to dig them out.
"How long has it been since you last did this Sesshomaru?" Rin asked, looking at him work the ground. It looked as if he had done this same thing yesterday.
Sesshomaru stopped to think.
"I think the last time I did this was when I was fifteen," he said shrugging his shoulders like it was no big deal. Like he said, he was a very busy man.
"Really? That long ago?"
"Yes, well after that I was so busy with school and once I went to the university I had no time at all. I worked constantly to get where I am today," Sesshomaru said thoughtfully, his bucket already half full of oysters. Rin tried her hand at it, but found that she didn't have quite the nack for it that Sesshomaru had. By the time he had his bucket full, Rin had successfully had gotten five.
Sesshomaru just looked in the bucket and shook his head and he helped her to catch ten more before the tide decided to turn. They got a safe distance away and made their way back to the house. Sesshomaru took the buckets and dumped their contents into the kitchen sink to wash their catch.
Rin watched him work as he prepared them. Again he surprised her. A little disappointed that he hadn't done this since he was fifteen, but it was soothing watching him work with his hands. She was seeing him a new light and she was starting to get a new feeling in the pit of her stomach as she watched him and while doing so, she noticed how well toned his arms were.
Okay nock it off Rin. You are supposed to be crushing on Inuyasha, not Sesshomaru. And yet I can't stop staring.
She had to look away and she went into the next room and picked up the book she had been reading. Bringing up her feet she realized that her feet were still bare.
We left our socks and shoes outside. She got up and went back outside, Sesshomaru looked up to see where she was going. Then he looked down at his own feet and the mud that they had tracked in. Oops.
I'll just have the maids clean it up, he thought going back to his work. That was when he heard the back door open to reveal a somewhat wet Rin.
"Did you go swimming?" Sesshomaru asked, half humordly.
"Well the tide came all the way up and almost took off with our shoes. I managed to save them, but they are a little wet. Where would you like me to set them?"
"Uh, put them next to the fire place. I'll get that started in a moment," Sesshomaru said finishing up the oysters and he followed Rin into the living room and started up the fire. Rin sat down in front of it and set the shoes so they could get dry.
"Do you need any help Sesshomaru?" Rin called out.
"Actually, could you move the furniture out of the way," he said making noise from the kitchen.
Rin quirked an eyebrow, but did what was asked. She moved the coffee table first, being careful of her bare feet, and moved it to one of walls. Then she pushed the couch back to make more room. Once she deemed the space perfect, she laid a blanket on the floor, thinking that Sesshomaru wanted to picnic on the floor.
"Ah, I was just about to ask you to do that," Sesshomaru said coming into the room with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
Rin accepted hers after he poured her a glass.
"Thank you," she said taking a sip.
Sesshomaru just nodded and left the room to grab the food. Once back he set everything out and gave her the first oyster. Rin opened it up expertly, put a bit of sauce on it and slurped it up.
"Mmm, oysters that are fresh, are the best," she commented as she finished swallowing. Sesshomaru watched as she did this, feeling a hot feeling beginning in the pit of his stomach, but he chose to ignore it for the time being. He joined her instead.
Another hour passed and all of the oysters had disappeared, except for five.
"Anymore? You know I can't exactly throw these back."
"Oh, no thank you. My stomach is maxed, but thank you," Rin said, giggling.
There was a pause as they both took a drink of their wine.
Rin looked intently at Sesshomaru after she set her glass down.
"What are you staring at?" Sesshomaru asked, feeling her stare bore into his soul. It was making him incredibly uncomfortable.
"I was just thinking that at one time, I used to be so scared of you."
"Everyone at one point or another is scared of me, Rin. I'm a business man, that's what I do," stared at her with a cold stare. It unnerved her a little, but she continued with what she was going to say.
"It was several years ago that I came to the realization that you were not so scary. The day was stormy. My father had taken your parents and Inuyasha to some kind of music lesson…"
"How old were you?"
"Eight. That would have made Inuyasha ten, am I correct?"
Sesshomaru nodded his head and said, "That would have been the oboe. At first when Izayoi asked him about the lessons, he thought he was taking hobo lessons."
Rin laughed at that part. Oh silly Inuyasha. So cute.
"Well, anyways, I was so scared of the storm that I went into the main house and I tried to find a light and I ended up getting shocked instead. And there you were. You stayed with me the entire time until my father came back. At the time I was more scared of you than the storm, but you kept me company while you sat across the room reading a book," Rin said, looking at her hands. Then she looked back up.
"Like I said before. You have surprised me," she said smiling at him.
Sesshomaru just looked at her, taking in what she said. He was amazed she even agreed to come with him for this trip if he scared her so much in the first place. It made him somewhat guilty.
"So Sesshomaru. Have you ever been to Paris?" Rin asked, breaking the silence that had accumulated.
"As a matter of fact I have," Sesshomaru paused, "for thirty-five minutes."
Rin gawked. "For thirty-five minutes?!"
"Lay over. I was going to Cairo for a business retreat. Worst time of my life," he said shaking his head at the memories that it brought.
Rin laughed out loud, but when she calmed down, she said, "You know Sesshomaru, you have to one day actually go to Paris. It is a city of change and to just be free and be yourself. To sit on the street corner listening to someone playing La Vie En Rose and let life happen. At one point I was lost, but my time in Paris I found myself again."
"You were lost?"
"At one point, yes I was," Rin said nodding her head.
A silent pause came after that statement and then Rin spoke up again.
"Sesshomaru? Do you believe in marriage?" Sesshomaru nearly choked on his wine. "On second thought you probably don't. Sorry for asking," Rin said, blushing slightly looking at Sesshomaru's cocked eyebrow.
"As a matter of fact I do, but that's also why I never got married in the first place," he said, adding as an after thought, "Inuyasha on the other hand believes in the tooth fairy." He took another swig of wine and set his empty glass on the mantle.
Rin giggled and said, "That's why I like him."
A dark thought came to Sesshomaru's mind just then. She is mine and no one else's. He had to look away because his eye's flashed red for a millisecond.
"Well, isn't it surprising that he is my brother, well half brother if you want to be technical about it. Sometimes I just don't know what to do with him. It's a love/hate relationship most of the time with him," he said, still looking away. Rin cocked her head to the side, but he didn't see it.
"You know at one time Inuyasha used to come to the office all the time. He used to watch father busying himself with the ticker tape and Inuyasha would copy him. I don't know what happened to make him stop coming. It was all of a sudden," he turned back to see Rin's expressions and they were thoughtful.
"You know Sesshomaru, you are not what people say you are," Rin said taking another sip of her wine.
"Oh and what do they say," noting the change in topic, which he was grateful for.
Rin looked away and said, "They say you are the world's only living heart donor."
Sesshomaru scoffed, "Oh that."
"And how does this one go? He thinks that morals are paintings on walls and scruples are money in Russia."
"How droll," he said shaking his head.
"Oh and then there is my favorite-"
"Okay I get it," holding up his hand to stop her right there. He didn't really care what other people thought about him, but when it came from her mouth, for some reason it sounded ten times worse.
"Look I-are you sure I'm the world's only heart donor?" he asked. He was being serious, but to Rin it was down right funny. She burst out laughing, that it made Sesshomaru turn up his lips somewhat. Sesshomaru looked away from her and at his watch then and noticed that it was getting really late and he noticed that Rin, after her laughing fit was done, was getting a sleepy eyed look.
"You ready to go home?"
Rin just turned to him and nodded her head. Sesshomaru got on his phone and called the pilot.
"Have the plane ready in an hour."
Rin started to clean up the living room, taking things to the kitchen. When she came back Sesshomaru had the living room already squared away, and was on the couch putting on his shoes.
"Your shoes are dry," was all he said before he went through all the house to make sure it was all locked up before they left. Rin put on her shoes while he did that and collected her camera case and purse.
"Sesshomaru? Is it okay if we leave this mess?" Rin asked looking at the mess that was the kitchen.
"I have scheduled a maid service to come and clean it up tomorrow. Don't worry about it," he said nonchalantly, locking the back door.
Rin felt really bad about leaving the mess, but Sesshomaru was already at the front door. Rin quickly found a piece of paper and pencil and wrote a thank you note before she followed him out the door.
He closed it and locked it, both making their way to the car. As soon as Sesshomaru started to drive, Rin was lulled to sleep. Sesshomaru drove all the way to the airport to the sound of Rin's slow breathing. It was a comforting sound and he found nothing in this world comforting, unless it was business related.
Once at the airport, Sesshomaru was at a loss at what to do with Rin.
Should I carry her? Or should I wake her up?
He chose not to do the latter because she looked too peaceful to wake up. So getting out of the car, he strode to her side, opened up the car door, undid her seatbelt and lifted her up. She was surprisingly light.
A man came to see if he needed help, but Sesshomaru growled out, "Just go grab our things." Nobody else was touching what was his. He entered the plane and settled Rin in a reclined seat and buckled her up. He accepted his and Rin's things from the man from earlier and sat down himself. He made a go to grab some paperwork he meant to work on earlier, but Rin's statement from earlier in the day stayed his hand. He then just looked out the window and after a moment he closed his eyes.
He didn't realize it but when he opened his eyes they were already back in Manhattan and taxing to the private hanger.
Did I fall asleep?
He looked across to Rin to see her stirring.
"Are we here already?" she groggily asked, stretching her arms out. Doing that, stretched her chest out and made it more prominent. Sesshomaru had to look away and concentrated on getting his things.
They stepped off the plane and got into the car waiting for them. They made it in no time to get to the house. Sesshomaru parked the car and they both got out and Sesshomaru walked her to the stairs that led up to her home above the garage.
"When will you have those pictures ready?" he asked.
Rin turned to him and said, "I'll have them done by tomorrow. I would like to thank you Sesshomaru for everything today. I had a really great time."
"I'll make sure to do more with you next time."
"More isn't always better Sesshomaru. Sometimes it's just more. Don't worry about it. The day was perfect," Rin said smiling.
Sesshomaru just narrowed his eyes at her, for some reason he was exasperated with her. Why does she have to be so…her!
"Listen Rin I'm not used to this kind of thing. I work in the real world with real responsibilities," he said a little too harshly and she just had to have a come back.
"I know you work in the real world and you're very good at it, but that's work," Rin said, smile off of her face, looking genuinally serious. "Where do you live Sesshomaru?" she asked, after making him take in her words, but the question she asked was out of the line, she had to admit.
Sesshomaru looked at her, her head down, embarrassed that she asked such a question. Then she looked back up, a small smile back on her face.
"You know, I actually asked my father why Inuyasha stopped going to the office," she said.
"And what did he say?" Sesshomaru asked, curious in what she had to say. He really wanted to know.
"He said, 'What do they need me for, when they have Sesshomaru.' I just thought that you would want to know," Rin said playing with the strap to her camera case. Then she looked up at him seeing the faraway look in his eyes.
"Goodnight Sesshomaru."
"Goodnight Rin," refocusing his eyes on her.
Sesshomaru watched as Rin made her way up the stairs and he himself turned to go and instead of going to the main house, he went back to his car and drove back to his apartment, away from everything that was making him start to go bonkers.
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A/N: Here you go. Another chappie!
I may not update again till after the holidays. So this is my Christmas gift to you. Happy Holidays everyone! And a Happy New Year!
READ AND REVIEW!