Hey Guys! Sorry about the Delay... midterms and school and yuck...

In other news, I got tumblr recently, same username as this account if you're interested.

Hope you guys like it ^^


Powdered eyelashes fluttered open as the young woman looked at her reflection, surprised slightly by the face staring back at her. Her finger touched her pale cheek, her tongue flicking over her painted pink lips as she ducked in a deep breath, hoping to steal some confidence from the atmosphere. Their job had finished without a problem, though in the aftermath, Rin found herself growing more and more nervous with each passing moment that drew them closer to the event.

At first she tried telling lf that she knew next to nothing about the demon, that their relationship was purely business. She had managed to calm herself down from it by reminding herself that this was not a marriage proposal, but a date.

Her shoulders sagged as she sighed, a knock from the door startling her.

"You ready?"

Kagome's voice was eager and bright as she waited for the response, Rin could practically picture her standing with her hands clasped in front of her chest in anticipation.

Heels clicked on the tiled floor as Rin moved towards the door, opening it to reveal an equally as beautiful young woman in her pink dress, her lips painted a similar shade of colour as her eyes were. Thick, wavy locks were curled and cascaded over her shoulder and down her back while Rin's were pulled over only one shoulder, the usually messy locks straightened to a glossy shine.

"Oh Rin," the other breathed, "you're beautiful!"

"So are you!" the young woman pulled her friend in for a tight hug, "you're absolutely gorgeous!"

"Amazing what a bit of make-up and a nice dress can do!" Kagome laughed, bouncing on the balls of her feet, "come on; can't keep the boys waiting!"

"I thought good things come to those who wait?" Rin teased as she was tugged along.

"They do!" her friend grinned, "I think I'm rubbing off on you!"

"Don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing," the other grumbled quietly, giggling as she received a light smack on her upper arm.

Though she was willing to giggle and laugh with her friend, the amazon of fluttering butterflies in her stomach made her want to run and hide under her covers.

A giddy squeal brought Rin from her thoughts, the pink chiffon fluttering down the staircase, a bright smile on her face as she called for the half-demon at the bottom of the stairs, a whistle escaped his lips at the sight of her.

"Wow Kagome!" Rin heard InuYasha breathe, "not bad!"

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Kagome teased, a short grunt of pain indicative that the young woman had smacked him same as her. Despite her protests, it was easy to tell the Kagome was still beaming from ear-to-ear.

Alabaster shoulders touched the wall as a wave of nervousness overtook her. She didn't hear Sesshomaru's voice amongst the other two; did that mean he wasn't interested in her? Her face fell slightly, self-doubt creeping into her heart.

"You look undeniably gorgeous."

The deep voice had her jumping, her eyes wide as she turned to look at the tall demon that had appeared seemingly from nowhere, her heart leaping to her throat.

Sesshomaru had become immensely handsome in his tuxedo, his tie a deep burgundy and the silk handkerchief in his breast pocket a rich gold. What cemented his appeal was the soft smile playing on his lips, the calmness matching his honey-coloured eyes.

"Th-Thank you," Rin stammered once she found her voice, "you… you look incredibly dapper yourself."

"Not compared to you," the demon murmured, his fingers slipping to her palm, the back of her hand touching his lips.

His eyes met her flushing face as he straightened up, his face still smirking softly.

"Are you ready for tonight?" Sesshomaru continued, his body taking a step closer to hers.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she admitted softly, her hand slipping through his elbow as he led her to the stairs.

Whether it was his confidence or his presence Rin didn't care as she felt her anxiety ebb away, her feet taking the stairs with his one at a time.

InuYasha was as handsome as his brother, ginning with his own date on his arm, looking as though he too had won the lottery, not that they needed the money.

"The guests are arriving now," Sesshomaru informed the rest of them after InuYasha had complimented Rin and his brother Kagome, "do not worry," the demon whispered to the young woman alone, "you look absolutely splendid and the guests will not bite you. You may even be the star of the night."

"I hope not," Rin told him, "that's what the garden is for."

Chuckling softly at her comment, the demon led the young woman towards the double door, the warm night air washing over them and making her bangs flutter in the breeze.

People chatted and milled over the path that was lit up as thought the flowers themselves glowed and bathed passer-byers in their radiance. The gate to the restored garden still shut, waiting for the demon and his brother to unveil the dedicated work of the two gardeners, something visitors were eagerly awaiting it seemed.

Rin felt immediately overwhelmed as several of the guests took notice of the tall demon and moved to swarm him, them almost as interested as her as they were with he. Sesshomaru was impressive, handling their curiosity with a practiced ease.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the demon's voice brought her back to the present, the hand on her back easing her towards the people, "may I introduce Rin Nakamura, one of the young women who restored the garden you'll witness tonight."

"Really," a tall woman's interest seemed piqued, much like the rest of the party-goers.

"I've never met a gardener as delicate as you," one of the men commented, smiling down at her though she felt slightly trapped.

"Th-Thank you," Rin stammered softly, her hand taken in the other's, blushing deeply as lips touched the back of her hand.

"I'm quite curious as to what you've done," the young woman interjected, "did you do the entire job alone?"

"N-No, I have a partner," the young woman gestured to the other beside InuYasha looking equally as nervous, "she and I worked on it together."

"Impressive," she nodded, her eyes glancing between the other two, a knowing smirk playing on her lips, "I'll leave you to enjoy the party."

"Th-Thank you," Rin murmured as she watched her leave, the insinuation making her stomach twist slightly.

"So," her deep brown eyes turned to look up at the other, "tell me…"

For the next hour or so Rin moved with Sesshomaru around the guests, several looking the two of them over with a keen interest, others eyeing her with same curiosity. Even through their dinner, the demon entertained any and all conversations, InuYasha acting similar to his brother, though more outgoing than he.

Impressively, the demon knew every name, every face, what company they controlled or owned, their date or dates, as the case may be, and he was civil with each and every one of them.

"How do you know these people?" Rin asked once they got a moment to themselves, thanking him as she accepted the champagne.

"Many of them attend the same events I do and I do business with most if not all of them," Sesshomaru murmured, "but in honesty; I might spend a night or two reviewing their faces from the guest list."

"Really?" the young woman grinned as she tilted her head, "you study people's face before meeting them!?"

"My father built his business on reputation," the demon informed her, "it's important I uphold that standard," his amber eyes flickered to her, grinning softly, "but I'd appreciate it if this remained our little secret."

"Of course," Rin giggled, her glass rising to clink against his, her arm still linked with his as it had been for most of the night save for a few moments. Her tongue flickered over her lip after having her sip of her drink; she felt… right standing by his side, his body warming hers though the night wasn't all that cold.

"Mr. Takashi…"

Both heads turned to the wheezy voice, the aged man moving towards them slowly, his body supported on the cherry wood cane, his hand gripping the ivory handle tightly.

"I just ran into your brother," the elder smiled as the other two met him halfway, "he has an equally as gorgeous young woman on his arm."

Flushing, Rin smiled weakly at him, the demon chuckling quietly.

"Mr. Yamamoto," Sesshomaru bowed to him, Rin following suit, "it's an honour for you visit tonight."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," the man smiled to the two of them, his hand reaching out to the young woman, "my apologies; a man my age often forgets his manners."

"It's no trouble," Rin smiled warmly to him as the lips pressed to the back of her hand.

"Rin, this is Atsushi Yamamoto," Sesshomaru told her softly, "his family has been working with this company since it's conception."

"And I'm almost as old as it," the man laughed, his hand patting hers, "never thought I'd live to see this day to be honest."

"I had no doubt," the demon murmured with a soft grin, "you're a tough old man, you could survive anything."

"Then it's a good thing you were not around in my youth," Atsushi grinned, his eyes turning to the young woman whose hand he was still holding, "once again, I apologize young lady, I sometimes forget myself. Rin, was it?"

"Yes sir," she nodded, "Rin Nakamura."

"Lovely name," he nodded, "fitting name," the blading head turned to the tall demon, "you should consider you and your brother lucky. Not every day smart, talented, and beautiful young women come into your life."

Rin flushed lightly at the sentiment, her smile nearly impossible to remove.

"I look forward to witnessing what you two ladies have done to the garden," he grinned, to Sesshomaru, "your father was rather secretive about the entire thing."

"It was intended for his second wife," the demon explained softly, "he was quite proud of it."

"And I am excited to have the chance to see it before I depart."

"You might need to retire first," Sesshomaru teased quietly, the man's grey eyebrows narrowing.

"I will retire," the man told him, "when they cart my cold corpse out of my office. And even then, it will require the Pope himself to exorcise my spirit from that place."

"I highly doubt that," the demon murmured, "I don't think even the pope will be able to get rid of you you stubborn old man."

"You watch your tongue," Atsushi wagged his cane in Sesshomaru's direction, "I'm not too old to give you a good smack."

"But I am too old to receive one," Sesshomaru grinned, "now, before I get in anymore trouble, I must be off."

"Indeed, speeches and all that," the old man murmured, his attention now turned to the Rin, "don't you let him get away with anything!"

"I won't," Rin smiled at him, "it was a pleasure to meet you."

"And an honour to you," he nodded, "I'll see you at the unveiling. I'm excited to see what you've done!"

"No pressure on us then," she giggled quietly as the old man returned to kiss her hand once more before he moved away, Sesshomaru leading her to the makeshift stage in front of the garden. "He seemed kind."

"He is," the demon murmured, "he was a bit like a maternal grandfather to my brother and I."

"And he used to smack you with his cane?" she asked, her eyebrow raised teasingly, the demon chuckling softly.

"Only when we misbehaved," he conceded, "and it hurt quite a bit."

"I'd imagine," Rin giggled, the imagery of Sesshomaru and his little brother as children getting smacked over the head by a wooden stick, although slightly cruel, also quite funny.

"I'd rather you didn't," the demon murmured with a soft smile, joining his brother by the garden's gate, Kagome sporting the biggest and most immoveable smile.

"Having fun?" Kagome practically giggled, her hand clasping the other's arm.

"Actually yes," Rin smiled, her eyes flickering to look up to the tall demon silently commanding the attention of the audience, "about as much as you are."

"Oh I don't know about that," the other smiled warmly, slightly giddy from the excitement before her friend shushed her, the two young women hushing with the rest of the guests.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Sesshomaru stated, his voice commanding and deep, "on behalf of the Takahashi Company, I would like to thank you for attending this momentous occasion, the company's centennial year." At his words, several guests clapped respectively, the demon waiting for the noise to die down before continuing, "while our grandfather was the man who began this company, it was our father who built it up from next to nothing, building it to be one of the strongest in Japan. Regretfully, our father is no longer with us to celebrate this anniversary. His legacy however, continues.

Twenty years ago, he created this garden exclusively for my step-mother and half-brother's mother, Izayoi. To this day, it has not been made open to the public. So, in honour of his memory, these two gardeners dedicated hard work and time to restoring the garden to what it once was so that you may have the pleasure of seeing his personal project come back to life."

At the mention of them, both Rin and Kagome flushed deeply, the two young women bowing to the audience that applauded for them, both Sesshomaru and InuYasha among them.

"And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, without further ado, my brother and I invite you to enjoy the remainder of the evening in what was my father's final, and grandest, achievement."

For the last time in the night, the guests applauded loudly for him, the two brothers bowing alongside the gardeners, Rin feeling anything but a servant or ordinary standing in a gorgeous gown alongside her friend as guests showered them in gratitude before even recognizing their talent.

"That was a lovely speech," Rin told the demon as he moved back to her side, her cheeks still a light red.

"Thank you," Sesshomaru murmured, "I hope I didn't embarrass you too much."

"No no," her head shook, her chocolate eyes flickering to the people eagerly entering the newly opened garden.

"Shall we?"

Nodding, both couples moved to mingle with the crowd, the soft ooh's and ahh's indicative of what the other's thought of their work.

Rin had to admit that this was easily their finest. The flowers seemed to glow without lights, the blooms spread for the guests, not a spot to be found on any of the pristine petals. The waterfall spilt clean and sparkling, reflecting and refracting the light that shone on it.

"You two did an amazing job," InuYasha told them, Kagome grinning along with Rin.

"You did," Sesshomaru agreed, leading Rin away from the other two, his younger brother and her friend not seeming to mind.

"Something on your mind?" Rin asked, her head tilted as she reached to touch his arm.

"You two have done splendidly," the demon informed her, "however, a part of me wishes my father was here to witness this."

"But if he was, we wouldn't be," the young woman pointed out with a soft smile, understanding what it felt like to wish for one's lost ones to observe their triumphs.

"Regardless," his hand reached to cover hers, "I still wish he could see this."

"I'm sure he'd be proud of what you've accomplished," Rin smiled up at him.

"It's more of what you've accomplished," Sesshomaru pointed out softly, "you and Kagome both."

"Don't let Kagome hear you say that," the young woman teased, "she might not let you forget it."

"Might?" he grinned, "I'm fairly certain it's a guaranteed thing."

Laughing softly, Rin covered her lips with her fingers as guests started approaching her as they did Kagome.

"The gardens are absolutely gorgeous," the man smiled kindly, "you've done a splendid job!"

"Thank you," Rin murmured softly, her cheeks flushing while the demon looked down at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"Indeed…"

A wheezy voice brought them back to the present, both heads turning towards the sound of the tapping cane, Mr. Yamamoto approaching them with a wide smile on his features.

"It's more beautiful than I could have ever imagined," the man smiled happily, his eyes turned to the demon, "your father would be so proud."

"Thank you," the demon murmured, "I hope he would be."

"I'm sure about it," he nodded, his hand reached for Rin's once more, "and you and your friend have done an absolutely beautiful job; I could not have imagined them any better."

"Thank you," Rin smiled warmly, "I'm pleased everyone enjoys it."

"More than that," Mr. Yamamoto, "I don't think they'll want to leave."

"I'll deal with that when it comes," Sesshomaru murmured, "but please, enjoy it."

"I shall," the elder smiled, kissing the alabaster flesh of Rin's hand before he left, smiling wistfully at the flowers, the deep brown eyes watching him reach to stroke the petals of the Dahlia.

"He lost his wife five years ago," the demon explained quietly, "she was as passionate about flowers as you are."

"That's… that's so sad…"

"She died peacefully in her sleep," Sesshomaru murmured, "and, though he misses her terribly, he feels that if he wallowed in his sadness, he wouldn't do her memory justice."

Nodding her understanding, the gravel crunched under her shoes as she and the demon moved about the garden, the night sky shining down on them while the two remained silent. Surprisingly, Rin enjoyed the relative peace, the other chatting guests interrupting and surrounding them at odd intervals.

Her dark eyes dared to glance up at the demon, his face impassive and unreadable. He was an enigma to her, completely unknown. And yet, she felt drawn to him, wanting to know more, even in their short amount of time. The hand on his arm unintentionally tightened, wondering if he was like her, wanting it to be just the two of them in the garden, alone.

She looked to the Plumeria in front of her, her heart hammering wildly in her chest when she realized just how quickly and completely she had fallen for someone she barely knew.

"Rin."

Once more she looked back to him, aware of her flushing cheeks.

"Are you tired?" the demon asked sincerely, "you're free to retire for the night if you so wish."

"N-No no," she tried to assure him, "I-I'll be fine," the young woman swallowed thickly, telling herself that what she felt was a simple crush; he was far too out of her league for anything to come of it.

"Are you sure?" he pressed, "you've worked all day and been bombarded with guests."

"It's not trouble," Rin murmured, glancing to Kagome who seemed more energized than her, "but…" she started, her mind mulling over his suggestion, "maybe I'll take you up on that…"

Nodding wordlessly, Sesshomaru pulled her towards the large manor, gesturing to some of the others that tried to stop them.

"Are you alright?" he finally asked once they were alone, his eyes searching hers for an answer, "you seem… not yourself."

"I might just be tired," she half-lied, knowing that the true nature of her fatigued state had more to do with the demon beside her than her work, "that… that's probably what it is."

"I see," Sesshomaru murmured, his hands reaching to grasp hers, "well, I thank you for accompanying me, Rin."

Her jaw tightened, liking how her name sounded on his lips, hating that she felt like it wouldn't work for the two of them.

"Thank you… for having us," she started.

"It is I who should thank you," the demon corrected, "you have recreated what my father loved and made this event to be a splendid one," his fingers brushed over her cheek, his eyes looking as though he wanted to say more.

"G-Good night," Rin interrupted his unspoken words, her body regretfully moving away from him, leaving the demon standing alone as she shut the door behind her, her back touching the wood. "and goodbye."


SOoooo? What do you think? Reviews please?