Sorry about the delay, I had to get the flow going once again for this story. Hope you guys like the chapter ^^
AN - I don't own InuYasha
Rin stood over a boiling pot of soup, her ladle mixing the fresh cut carrots and peas amongst the chicken broth and pieces, her spoon dipping in gently as she tasted her concoction. Licking her lips tenderly, Rin replaced the spoon on the counter top, using her ladle to fill a bowl, ensuring that there were amble chunks of meat and vegetables in the serving.
Pouring a small amount of crackers onto the plate, Rin filled a cup with fresh hot tea, a small pot of honey settled next to it. Gripping the tray, Rin gently pushed her way out of the kitchen and made her way across the carpeted halls, her feet tenderly ascending the mahogany steps as she made her way over to the beautifully carved doors.
Balancing the tray in the crook of her arm, Rin gently knocked on the door, her ears strained for an answer from the occupant. When she received it, Rin turned the handle and gently pushed her way into the door, shutting it firmly behind her.
Making her way over to the bed, Rin placed the tray onto the bedside table, pulling the chair over to sit beside her employer.
Looking over at Sesshomaru, Rin moved to take the bowl of soup in her hands, stirring it gently with the spoon. For some reason, Sessomaru had recently taken ill, developing a high fever, sore throat, and an aching body, bed-ridding him for at least three day so far much to Sesshomaru's distain.
"Here," Rin said gently, replacing the spoon in the bowl and handing it over to him.
Casting his amber eyes in her direction from propped up pillows, Sesshomaru gently and grudgingly shut his laptop and placed it over to his side; reaching over to take the steaming bowl of liquid. Stirring it with his long fingers, Rin watched as Sesshomaru slowly raised the spoon to his mouth; to the normal person, there would be no difference in his manner but to Rin, she saw him almost wince at the aches he felt.
"Master Sesshomaru," Rin said softly, her fingers gently taking the bowl from his elegant ones, his jaw tightening visibly, "please don't be mad at me."
Sesshomaru watched as she placed the bowl in her lap, the spoon taken in her fingers and offered to him, her hand cupped beneath it to stop any spilling. Sesshomaru deliberated for a moment, looking from the spoon to her, before slowly leaning towards her and taking the mouthful she offered.
Sesshomaru felt his eyes wander across the young woman's body, watching her petite hands and fingers maneuver around the bowl as his eyes traveled up her arm to the alabaster skin across her collarbone exposed by the maid's uniform, followed swiftly up her slim neck to her soft lips.
"Master Sesshomaru?"
Sesshomaru looked into her deep brown eyes, so full of hope and concern for his well-being. Normally, Sessomaru would have been utterly disgusted by the mere thought of having somebody spoon feed him as he lay in bed ill; yet, not one thought of repulsion crossed his mind. Letting her finger tips touch his chin, Sesshomaru opened his mouth and swallowed the mouthful she offered him.
The rest of his meal progressed much the same, the imperious dog demon never once complaining or berating the woman as he lay on the king-sized mattress silently finishing the soup. Rin replaced the bowl on the serving tray, her hands moving to the covered pot of tea, the water still steaming as she poured out the hot liquid over the sieve, the metal mesh catching the spare leaves and petals before she drizzled a small amount of honey into the cup.
"Here," she told him softly handing the cup over to him, "this should help your throat."
Sesshomaru took the cup she presented to him, saying nothing but took a small sip of the liquid after sniffing it.
Rin turned back to the tray of dishes and cutlery; while she hadn't expected anything less of him, it had still hurt her more than she thought it would. Gathering up the platter and the tableware, Rin made her way out of the room.
"Rin."
The young maid turned to her employer who was looking over her form his propped up position on his bed.
"Yes sir?" the woman asked timidly, looking over at his piercing amber eyes.
Sesshomaru held their gaze for a brief moment before looking back into the brown liquid in his cup.
"Thank You."
Sesshomaru heard the door shut as his maid left him to himself, the warm tea and honey mixture flowing gratefully down his throat, soothing the soreness and relaxing him, a loud exhale passing through his lips as he sighed contently, his body easing into the pillows.
It had been a week since he had let himself into her room, a week since he had caressed her flawless skin with feather-light touches; a week since he had stolen the kiss from her.
He didn't know what had possessed him to do that. He was not, in any sense of the word, perverted. He would never take advantage of a woman, not even ones who had begged him to do so; and yet, he had taken a kiss from her while she was defenseless and then left her alone, as if he finally became aware of what he had done and chosen to flee.
Sesshomaru ran his long fingers over his lips, the memory of her lips, although slack, still sent shivers up his spine, the excitement it caused him was unlike anything he had ever experienced. He had been with more than his fair share of women many of which were for publicity purposes or more so pragmatic; occasionally gold-digging demon women who were just looking for a way to climb up the social ladder, women he would indulge for appearances sake. More often than not, they were already rich women who held standing and saw relationships purely for pragmatic purposes, women like his mother.
But she, on the other hand, was a maid, someone who held no standing and even less money. She wasn't a proud and pompous creature, she didn't parade around flaunting her wealth and she didn't beg him to screw her like some sex deprived behemoth. She was kind for kindness' sake, wanting nothing more than to help anyone and everyone. She had a smile that seemed to darken the sunniest of days and wore it on her face proudly as she practically danced around his house, now made more into a home thanks to her, laughing and giggling sweetly at the smallest of things.
Sesshomaru placed the now empty cup on his bedside table, the other hand reaching to pick up the laptop beside him as he flicked it open and returned to his e-mails, his thoughts still on the beautiful woman who had so tenderly cared for him in his weakest and most pathetic of states.
Sesshomaru managed to tap out a few messages and search for documents that pertained to the contract he had going before he felt his eyelids droop. Groaning slightly, Sesshomaru reluctantly shut the computer's lid after turning it off and sliding it onto the bedside table.
Sesshomaru adjusted himself into the pillows, letting sleep wrap its warm embrace around him as he didn't even bother to struggle against it. Normally, Sesshomaru would do everything in his power to stay awake, even resorting to taking coffee or caffeine pills. Dark lids covered amber eyes as he slowly fell asleep, a small smirk on his lips as he finally accepted the changes she had caused in him.
Rin placed the final dishes in the dishwasher, turning the dials and setting the machine before leaving the kitchen, her hand reaching up to touch the small metal that adorned her neck, her fingers feeling the tiny golden wings that lay on a new chain.
Rin had woken up after having one of her most beautiful dreams. She had dreamt that Sesshomaru, her employer, caressed her flesh, tenderly stroking and touching her, and kissed her. Rin had woken suddenly in the middle of the night, alone, her eyes searching for him in the darkness, her mind needing a few moments to understand that he wouldn't be there, her chest constricting at her realization.
Swallowing thickly, Rin rubbed her neck, hoping that by some small miracle, there would be remnants of him on her skin, some sort of warmth that he would have left on her, mentally chastising herself for her stupidity. He had no reason to be there for her, she knew her hope was wasted. This was not some fairy tale, it was her life, one that was filled with unfortunate disasters, one after the other; there was no way a handsome and regal demon, one that was her employer, would pursue her.
When she turned to her nightstand, Rin switched on the bed light to grab her glass of water only to find a small golden gleam catch her eye. Reaching out tenderly, Rin took the small object in her hands, threading the slim chain through her fingers and staring at the objects in awe.
They were her wings.
Rin had lost them for what felt like an eternity ago, ever since that disgusting creature had tried to take her. Rin had searched in vain for them, checking every nook and cranny for the wings but with no luck. Miserably, Rin searched the house twice over, convinced that her attacker had made off with them, some sort of trophy for his sick collection.
Rin fingered both wings lovingly, the etched words on the back of them filling her with such joy at their memories and the idea of finally having them in her position. Her parents had always called her their angel, while her mother was nicknamed beautiful by her father, always followed by a quick peck on her cheek after he dipped her like some saucy tango partner.
Thus, on her eighth birthday and her parents twentieth wedding anniversary, her and her mother were given wings by her father, Rin's reading angel and her mother reading beautiful; twin wings that were separated amongst his most beloved women, or, so he told them.
Rin felt tears spring into her eyes, a small laugh escaping her lips as she remembered the man that was her father, a literature professor so eloquent with his words yet often held the mentality of a five-year-old when it came to pranks and stupid jokes, Rin was honestly amazed that her mother could stand him at times.
Then again, her mother was quite the character herself. A nurse at the children's clinic, she could always find time for her own children, little ways to indulge or spoil them. Rin almost always feared getting sick as a child, she hated tearing her mother away from her work, hated the idea that other's wouldn't get the care they need because of her.
When she finally told her mother that, the elder woman just laughed and kissed the coughing girl on the crown of her head, telling her that her family was her real job, that being a nurse was just an occupation she took to fill in the hours. Rin loved that about her mother, the warmness and kindness she always tried to emulate in hopes that she could hold onto the last little bit of her mother.
A small tinkle echoed in the room as Rin replaced the wings on the table, grabbing a tissue as she dabbed her eyes away, the small smile still on her lips at her memories. Rolling back over in her bed, Rin's mind mulling over what possible reason there could be for her wings to show up on her table.
Rin stepped up the steps, her hand removing from her neck as she silently opened the door to the master bedroom. Rin stepped lightly into the room, her eyes catching sight of Sesshomaru sleeping soundly, his arms crossed over his stomach which rose and fell with each breath he took. Quietly, Rin took her steps over towards the bedside table, walking around his bed to reach it.
Rin reached over to grab the cup and saucer, her dark chocolate eyes searching for the spoon she had used to stir the tea, confused when she couldn't find it where she had placed it. Looking around for the silver cutlery piece, Rin searched every inch of the table before she turned her attention to the bed sheets, wondering if her employer had a sudden and immense lapse of judgement on his part.
Settling herself timidly on the edge of his bed, Rin looked over at his bed sheets, searching for anything that looked silver against the gold. When she found nothing, Rin stole a deep lungful of air and slowly leaned over Sesshomaru to look directly beside him, hoping, praying, that he didn't wake up while she hovered over him, sitting on his bed.
A small groan broke the silence as Rin froze above Sesshomaru, the muscular body beneath hers rolling over in its sleep, the arm closest to her snagging her waist as he curled over, effectively pinning Rin to the mattress. The slim maid made a small squeak in shock and in protest, her body at an odd and uncomfortable angle, his hip bone digging into what Rin was certain was her uterus, her face and top of her chest suck into the mattress near his own chest.
Regaining control of her limbs after the shock, Rin gently tried to push off both the mattress and him, her hands slowly sliding over his well-defined chest before gently applying pressure to his shoulder, hoping that the dog demon wouldn't wake up and find her on his chest, his arm wrapped around her slim waist. A sigh ruffled her hair as she suddenly felt herself move with him, the arm that pinned her down curled up and held her to his chest, her head settled as her other hand fell to the other side of him, her arms now on either side of Sesshomaru.
Rin felt fear flood through her as she listened to his heartbeat resonate in his chest, his slow even breaths lifting her up and down as the young woman lay face-down on his torso. Swallowing her anxiety, Rin looked up at the sleeping face, the girl reminiscing about the only other time she had walked in on him, a small part of her filled with happiness at seeing the same serene face.
Rin felt the arm around her press her closer to him, her face burying in his chest, her nose inhaling his musky scent, her body almost immediately relaxing. Rin's hands moved to her chest, telling herself that it was purely to get off of him, ignoring the fact that her hand stilled on his chest for much longer than it should have. The young woman willed herself to get off him, telling herself that this was wrong, unprofessional.
So why couldn't she bring herself to get off him. Rin felt her eyelids close softly, her body enjoying the warmth that emitted from his body, enjoying the feeling that she felt like, for once, she actually belonged there.
Her eyelids flew open at her thought, the young maid sliding out from under his arm as quickly as she could, thanking whatever unknown deity existed that she was able to move his arm out of the way without waking him. Grabbing the cup and saucer Rin practically ran out of the room, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she bit back a sob; it was only when she managed to shut the door was she able to cry freely, her back slowly sliding against the wall as she fell to the ground quietly, her sobs muffled by the hand over her mouth, tears spilling over her cheeks and hand.
She didn't know how much longer she could do this, how much more she could takeoff this. Her heart felt like it was being torn in two, one half wanting nothing more than to run back into his room and curl up next to him, the other rationalizing with her head, telling her that she was nothing but an employee to him, meant nothing to him; something she didn't think she could live with.
She loved him. She had fallen head over heels in love with him within four short months and there was nothing she could do about it. No matter how much she struggled or told herself that it was irrational, she had. It was breaking her to know both that fact and know that he would never return her feelings, the only thing he saw her was as an object, a possession.
The dog demon in the large bed rolled over to look at the door, sounds of whimpering and quiet crying reaching his sensitive ears, his amber eyes opening. Every time his delicate maid seemed to be around him, he was always alert, always aware of everything she did, every move she made. When the young woman had leaned over him, he took the risk. He felt an unrestrained desire to feel her closer to him, press her body next to his.
Her slender frame had fit into him so seamlessly he hated the idea of letting her go, resenting the feeling of her slipping out of his arms and tearing away from him; the smell of her tears truly tearing a hole in his heart. He didn't mean to harm her; it was honestly that last thing he wanted for her.
Sesshomaru raised his arm to cover his eyes, his mind running a million miles an hour. He needed her, as much as he tried to deny himself or tell himself otherwise, he needed to have her near him, to touch her, feel her. She was everything he deprived himself of, something he never dared to dream about, but wanted. He thought he would be attracted to a woman of immense power and standing, one that would only pale to his wealth and position and offer him an heir of equal standing.
Yet, here he was, yearning for her slender body against his, wanting nothing more than for her to stay with him. She was like one little star in the inky sky, burning brightly, even if there were millions in the sky, he would only see hers.
Sesshomaru rolled back over to his side, his arms now empty at the lack of her body, his mind fighting off the intense desire to fling open the door and hold her, a desire that was slowly breaking his pride and will.
So...there ya have it.
A personal apology to CaseyNiner111 who asked me to get it up and running before your school started, something I couldn't do as I didn't have internet in my place until Wednesday. Also one to NekoShina cause I think I fell into the guidelines of the 'fall in love in two months scenario'.
Oh Well...big big thanks to icegirljenni, zinganime, Jolie luv, Moonlight Mermaid, movingmotionless, pammazola, Lilly The Late, curio cherry, RubyJeweler, icecreamapparition , and TsukimoriKuchiki13 for all of your wonderful reviews and support. I love ALL my readers, thanks guys ^^