Eat You Up


Summary:

She's fierce, a respected Yakuza member. And yet forced to stay behind, playing nurse for an arrogant inuyoukai? With someone trying to kill her and being suddenly 'imprinted'- Rin doesn't what's worse: forced to love Sesshomaru, or being assassinated.


Familiar chubby fingers danced in front of my eyes, as a young voice called out.

"Mommy, look, the sand is sticking to me!" I squeaked happily, my three-year-old tone, twittering away. Similar warm eyes glowed from the park bench, from a beautiful woman holding a struggling baby boy. "That's because you just ate ice cream, Rin." She laughed. "Come here, and I'll clean your hands, sweetheart!"

Ignoring my mother's voice, my large eyes gazed in wonder at the sandbox particles all over my skin. It was amazing how pretty the beige grains looked against my sticky pink fingers. I giggled again. Despite the warm summer day and cloudless blue sky, a heavy gust of wind suddenly pushed through the childrens playground. Gaping slightly as my cinnamon eyes noticed my short hair swirling around me, I shifted my head so I could look behind me for the culprit. Only large billows of green trees and vast space of green grass faced me. Blinking, holding my posture, I continued to wait for the criminal.

A pout formed on my face when nothing happened. But just as I started to twist back around, a glimmer caught my eye. Instantly I was on my wobbly feet and headed for the sparkle from the tree. It might have been a ray from the sun, but knowing myself well, I would further investigate.

Mother was too preoccupied with my brother to notice my quick departure.

Although I had been sitting in the sun, the closer I got to the tall tree, the warmer my skin felt—as did the feeling of invisible hands pushing me closer.

Twined like a ribbon around a present, a single thread of white was around the budding sakura flowers.

Was it silk?

My small fingers twisted the silver string watching as it shimmered when the sun caught it. It was really beautiful..

"Eww, Rin, put that down! Germs, sweetheart!"


"RIN!"

A loud clap of thunder rolled out from the trees, as the hard rain pelted my new jacket. Mom swooped me up into her arms, and rushed me back into the house. Her eyes were wide and dilated, and her black hair a bird's nest. She slammed the patio glass door shut. "Sweetheart!" She breathed loudly, a mix of fright and strangled tones. "You can't make mud pies today! And never ever go outside with mommy! You're only four, sweetheart!"

"But mum!" I whined, "It's just rain!"

"It's thundering over top the house." She tried to convince me, stripping off inside-out coat.

"That thunder sounded diff-rent. It sounded like a growl." I pouted.

"All storms all the same, Rin. They're dangerous."


I pushed the yellow plastic taxicab across my bare legs, making car noises as it screeched loudly over my knee and dived to the bamboo floor in a loudly exaggerated explosion. I rolled around on the floor in my pajama shirt and shorts, giggling as I tried making fake dying sounds.

Slowly shifting onto my back, my head slightly resting on my favorite teddy bear, a small yawn escaped my five year old toothy mouth.

My long eyelashes fluttered softly, as a sudden sweep of fatigue fought its way into my system…

A gentle flutter of warm fingers brushed against my chubby cheek, as strong arms lifted me from the cold floor, and into my small twin sized bed. A beautiful spicy scent filled my tired lungs, as those same feathery fingers brought my quilt up to my chin.


"I dunno, Souta." I murmured, eying the boy as sakura petals rained on us. "I've never had a boyfriend before, and isn't it kinda weird, we're only in third grade?"

"It's just a kiss! My sister has known Inu since he was born, and she always kisses him!" The rosy-cheeked boy pouted.

"Can't we just wait till we're older?" I asked, deep down, desperately wanting this boy to leave me alone. I had just started Mrs. Kitu's third grade class, when this weird little boy glued himself to my side. I honestly had never met his sister, or this person he called 'Inu'. Was his sister dating a dog?

"Awe, Rin, common!"

I chewed my lip, and darted my eyes up to the blue sky briefly. Maybe if I kissed him, like mom did to dad, when he wanted to buy useless junk, that he'd forget about this stupid fiasco? It was worth a try..

"Okay, Souta." I sighed. "You can kiss me."

"Kay, close your eyes!" He demanded.

Sighing in defeat, I tried closing my eyes—but they wouldn't shut completely, just kept fluttering just like when mom tried to put eye drops in my eyes. I was terrified. Between the quick eyelash fluttering, I could see this snot-nosed kid's face coming closer to mine…

SNAP!

I screamed as a thick two-foot thick branch dropped right between us. Between my gaping mouth, and hearing Souta run away screaming, I couldn't keep my eyes off the sakura limb. Looking up at the tree briefly, I noticed it wasn't old or damaged, but fairly strong and young.. Crouching down to the huge tree branch, I investigated the end of the stick.

It had been twisted and pulled off the tree…

Intrigue filled me, but I knew better than to linger. I jogged slowly to my house, always taking a glance back at the fallen sakura branch, wonder and curiosity lingering in my head.


This was my first Halloween out by myself, and even though I thought my outfit was life-like, only one parent didn't share my enthusiasm. I grinned and posed in my black outfit, a plastic star in my hand. My mother gave me a wary look, not giving the response I wanted. "What? It'd be awesome to be a ninja when I grow up!" I sighed, bracing my hands on my hips—copying my mother.

"Being a ninja isn't really a profession.." She muttered sarcastically.

"You'd be the prettiest ninja out there, sweetheart!" My dad sweet talked.

"Don't encourage her!" My mother hissed back, shooting daggers at my father sitting on the stairs with a large grin on his face. Giving a subtle wink at me, he nodded his head towards the open door, "Never mind your mother, Rin, go have fun!"

"Rio!" My mother objected.

But I didn't stop; I took my father's advice and shot out the door with a large empty bag.

Beautiful orange lanterns filled the street, dancing like paper fireflies of the night. The loud smack of my feet against the ground, was nothing compared to the hundreds of children and parents walking the streets and parks I raced by. A girl dressed in a red dress and a willow basket, stood at a stop sign a few feet in front of me.

Grinning wildly at Asami, she smiled back.. and then gave a snort of laughter.

"You're a shinobi?" She grinned. "I see you like to keep the originals alive."

Just laughing, I ignored her little comment, and linked arms with her.

"So, we're going down these first few blocks—?"

"TAKAMIRA!"

Closing my eyes and giving a quick grimace of annoyance, I turned my head towards the flock of first year, middle-school boys. Of course they were costumed up as American rappers, Gladiators, and bloodied up zombies. I tried to smother my expression, as they came sauntering up to us. Asami tugged on my arm.

"You're a ninja? How lame!" The first boy, a ridiculous looking Jay-Z, smirked.

Another idiot joined, "Yeah, try to actually be cool for once, Takamira!"

Just as I opened my mouth to shoot a comment back, the group laughed loudly and bumped my shoulder roughly, one by one. Their obnoxious laughter rang down the dark road, they flashlights swirling in the night air. Biting my lip, I shook thoughts of me running after them and rubbing their faces in dog—

There was soft laughter behind me. Whipping around quickly, my plastic sword held out menacingly… there was no one there. Sheathing my fake katana properly, my eyebrow rose in curiously as I stared at the dark paved road, trees bowed over on both sides.

"Rin!" Asami called loudly.

Turning back around, I raced to where she had stopped.


I waltzed into the kitchen, my empty orange juice glass between my pancake sticky fingers. Placing my empty cup in the stainless steel sink— what the..? Little.. flowers.. were scattered across the counter on my left. Inching closer, I noticed they were a brown color.. and smelled spicy and tangy. Like black licorice. I looked at the six pronged little brown star, little seeds buried in each segment.

Whipping my head up, I noticed the kitchen window was open. Had these seeds blown in here, from some kind of plant outside?

"Hey.. mom.." I called, picking up one of the stars. "What are these things?"

A soft patter of feet entered the kitchen, and her familiar scent of lavender filled my nose.

"Oh for heaven's sake.. I'm going to banish that cat from this house, if he keeps knocking stuff over on the counter top!" Twisting my neck around to catch my mother's eyes, I held up the odd object, "But what is it?" I asked again.

My mother took the star from my fingertips, "It's mainly used in Chinese and Indian dishes. It's used like spices. We have a variation of it here in Japan, but we use that kind in our incenses—You can't eat it though, because it causes inflammation to our digestive organs."

Grimacing, I gave her an odd look, "So why do you have this.. spice?"

"I use it in my tea. It makes the room smell rich and heavenly, while also giving a strong licorice taste to my cup."

I glanced back the counter top, "Hmm... "


I should've listened to Yuki!

I bit my lip as I literally ran down the damp sidewalks, my schoolbag a fabric triangle budding from behind my arm. My hair jumped and swirled as I leaped over cement curbs, crossing the streets dangerously fast. Maybe it was because I spent too much time uptown with my friends (and was past my curfew), or even the fact a rapist was on the loose, but either way, I was sprinting towards home.

Mom was going to kill me.

Skidding to a stop, I eyed my favorite short-cut, now a dark alleyway that would lead me through a few backyards and behind an old temple. Why did everything have to look so menacing in the dark?

Putting even more pressure on my lip, I bolted through the shortcut, hurtling over fallen trashcans and garden shrubs. My heart was doing the maximum speed limit, as I slowed my pace so I could look around the temple wall, and see my house in view. Last time I had come through here at night, an old grandfather from the shrine was waving his broom angrily at me.

And there was a rapist.

I could feel my teeth suddenly grit together.

Slowly, I inched only my head around the corner.

Nothing. Nothing but the silent shrine home, and the dense forest around it and the road home—

A looming chill rushed up my spine, and pierced me in the gut. Spinning around, my heart stalled as I saw a distant shadow in the alley.. making its way toward me. I almost wanted to cry in defeat. I didn't have the time, strength, or energy to make a run for it.

But I still tried.

To my utter surprise, I did make it. I busted through my home door, slammed it behind me, and turned every locking mechanism. I slid down the door, tears pouring from my eyes. I hardly remembered my mother coming down the stairs to yell at me for being late, and only hugging me fiercely when I blubbered out my apologies and my sudden terror story.

And when the Monday paper was issued out, I was surprised to see that the rapist had turned himself in that night— covered in bruises and deep cuts.

He said he'd been attacked by an animal.


Hot tears pooled in my eyes, some rolling down my cold face as I gripped the frigid steering wheel numbly. My lips blubbered out a distressed sob. I tried to ignore the darkness around me, the forbidding notion that I could literally freeze to death, at the tender age of only fifteen.

I had borrowed my grandmother's old metal car, to run some errands at a near-by country 24/7 quickie mart, because she couldn't drive it without her arthritis acting up— plus people in this small town would only give you a slap on a wrist for driving so young. And honestly, it wasn't like I was going have a joyride in this 70's metal shack! For god's sake, I was buying groceries for my grandmother; because it was only me and her for the next week; while the rest of my family went to visit my aunt in Hong Kong!

I was going to die a teen. A virgin. A sporty geek.

So here I was around midnight, in a thick snowy ditch, after skidding on black ice, the car on its side. I let my head fall to gravity's demand, long black hair hanging down towards the passenger seat. My warm tears plipped onto the passenger side window. How pitiful. I wasn't going to die of old age like granny, in a hospital while on a life line, or even in some heroic fight I've always dreamed of—

I was even a geek as I suffered in my last moments!

That sent another round of hysterical sobs, and my hands trying to open my door against the white covered windows. My eyes glazed over in fresh frustration and horror, as I hung sideways in my seat belt.

I thought it was over..

Muffled voices rumbled outside.

Sparked with hope, I screamed loudly and thrashed in my seat.

And my heart sped up as my window became less dark, gloved fingers pushing the heavy snow away from my driver's side window. Suddenly a strong arm jerked my door open, letting cold snow rush in like water. I could barely see through my misted eyes, but I could tell he was a man. A rugged man, with thick shoulders and long arms and legs—dressed in black winter clothing, from his head to his toes. Wearing a ski mask and goggles, I couldn't even see his face..

He didn't say anything, but moved so unearthly, it made me feel as if I had knocked my head while flipping the car. It was almost like.. an intoxicated dream.. as he wrapped one arm around my thin waist, unbuckled my seat belt with the other, and lifted me delicately into his jacket-puffy arms.

I don't know how he knew where I was staying; maybe he recognized my grandmother's car? I barely remember him carrying me to gran's door, and speaking to her in a deep voice, one that sent odd tingles across my cold arms. Nor do I recollect how her dark eyes were filled with thankful tears, as he laid me gently onto the warm couch by the roaring fireplace. Or how he managed to tow the car back to the driveway, groceries and all..

I just couldn't let the memory of my hero go, while he cradled me partially in his lap as he drove.. a sense of worry feeding from him, as he blasted the truck's heater, and fogged the wide windows.

And the smell of mother's favorite tea.


My family was dead.

Rain splattered onto my bloody face, the pure water stinging as it washed away the crimson. I moaned painfully and grasped the large constraints holding me. A high-pitched whimper, escaped my down-turned lips. It might've been the cold wind brushing past my red cheeks, or the soft whisper of the highway in the distance.. but a lullaby hum sung itself into my chilled ear.

A dropping sensation filled my stomach, like sick butterflies, as my pain slowly ebbed away from my wounded eyes..

There was a flash of white light, the minute after my pain-crippled body was lifted down onto wet cobblestones. Ruffles of rain-soaked clothes scraped against each other—tiny voices muffled in a house—the chiming of Temple bells caught in a breeze—a fading scream—Obscured pattering of hurried feet, slapping against a wooden veranda— and a faint kiss pressing delicately to my injured temple..

Unresponsive lungs.. shuddered.

Coffee and star anise.

A strangled cough racked my body— pain like sharp nails hammering into my throat.

He saved me.

.. carried me to Kagome's parents house, to the Shrine they kept.

Always there..

Difficult to see.

Constantly a faded figure behind the scenes.

My dead fingers twitched.

I had no idea that my protector had always..

"I'll always continue to protect you."

.. watched over me.

Sesshomaru.

A deep suctioning breath pushed itself into my dry lungs. My heavy body heaved another raspy inhale, a moan gurgling from the corner of my lips.

The broken object in my chest—

Ba-bump.

Kick started.


a/n: ;)

One more chapter to go! One reaaaaally long one!

please review!