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Chapter II
Crush
He was watching her again.
Rin could feel the cold shiver run down her spine. Sesshomaru Takahashi, the one who sat behind her, had his golden eyes on her, and she wanted to know why.
It was the same every day.
She tried to focus on the lecture as the rain pattered hard on the window and thunder roared like giant drums in the distance, but she could help but wonder what Sesshomaru's problem was. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and listened to the sounds of water, making the music in her head. That was…until the teacher called her name.
Her eyes shot open and she stood up, seeing the teacher right there. She swallowed a lump in her throat and waited.
"Who was the emperor of Japan during the Edo period?" the teacher asked.
All the student's eyes were directly on her, and she started to grow nervous. Palms grew clammy. Breathing uneven. And a slight stutter surfaced when she spoke softly. "I-I-I…I-I…" The student's eyes glowed red in her mind, like demons in children's nightmares. "I-I-I…"
The teacher sighed, telling her to sit down. And she did, getting small giggles from a Sara and her friends.
For the rest of the class, all Rin wanted to be was invisible.
Even more during lunch.
Standing in the lunch line to get the schools nasty food was one thing, but getting it thrown all over oneself was another. Rin was now covered with red sauce and noodles while Sara and her friends stood in front of her, giggling and laughing.
"Whoops, I should really watch where I'm going," she smiled. "S-s-s-s-soooo sor-r-r-ryyyy."
Rin breathed heavily, looking around the lunchroom at other students laughing and gigging as well. She clenched her teeth at the words whispering like ghosts in walls. Loser. Weird. They were all there. All repeating through her head and replacing the rhythmic tunes keeping her calm. Her watering eyes fell, like the rain outside, landing onto the shiny, checkered floor.
She was about to speak out until someone beat her. Ayame came up behind and stood in front of her.
"Don't you have something better to do than torment people, Sara?" Ayame growled.
"Me? What are you talking about, wolf? This was an accident. I tripped and Rin happened to be there to catch my food. That's all."
Ayame shook her head. "You are something else, aren't you?"
"Why thank you. I do try." Sara smiled.
Rin rolled her teary eyes and walked away, holding herself and ignoring the snickers as she walked out of the room.
More people stared as she passed in the halls, dripping with red sauce and marking the polished floors with the same coloured footprints. The whispers became louder and she walked faster, heading towards the entrance doors. But before she was about to open them, someone caught her arm and she turned her head to see Ayame's worried eyes.
"Rin, are you okay?"
"Do I look okay?" Rin snapped in a low voice. A sigh. "I'm sorry, Ayame, I just want to go home."
"Why don't we clean you up first?"
Rin shook her head, giving her a small smile. "I'll be fine. I promise, Ayame. Thanks for worrying, but I just want to go."
Ayame nodded, letting her go.
The fresh scent of rain hit Rin's nose when she escaped the prison. She breathed deep, wishing the weather was like this all the time. She felt inspired when it rained. And even after it rain, it brought life to rainbows and flowers. All the things she loved in nature.
And one day I shall live by a giant meadow.
She never liked the city. The horrible smell or toxic fumes. Loud car horns and sirens every five minutes. People everywhere. It wasn't something she admired. What she loved was water and rain. The smell of trees and flowers. The sound of wind and birds. Nothing but wilderness all around.
Paradise.
"Perhaps one day."
And she kept walking forward, thinking about one thing: a hot bath and a cup of tea.
The rain wasn't afraid of hitting her skin as she walked towards the school gates, nor was she afraid of it. All she cared about was getting home. But before she was half way she saw something or someone in her peripheral vision. And with a turn of her head she saw him.
Sesshomaru Takahashi.
He was sitting under the old oak tree outside the school, a little soaked but otherwise good. He seemed to have his eyes closed like he was asleep. She walked up to him slowly and stopped a few feet away, admiring his facial features. His unmarked skin, probably smooth to the touch. His demon markings, rare to see. His white hair flowing like a white river of silk down his body. And the tiny droplets on him, twinkling like tiny stars.
He was beautiful.
And Rin wanted to desperately touch him. Or at least his face. Or his hair.
She kneeled down and her hand reached out, getting closer and closer to him, and she was only centimeters from his adoring cheek when his clawed, cold hand grabbed her wrist. She gasped quietly, watching his golden eyes open to look at her.
"What are you doing here, girl?" he asked in a low tone.
Rin opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
"Do you not speak? I asked you a question."
She swallowed the lump in her throat hoping it would work. It did not.
She watched him then, his eyes moving up and down her. She realized then she was still covered with sauce and noodles. Heat rose to her cheeks and she looked away from him. His hand squeezed her wrist tighter and Rin winced slightly.
"How did you get covered with this…food?"
She then looked back at him, eyed him suspiciously, and smiled. Was he asking because he cared? Or maybe he was asking because she smelled horrible. Still, her smile never left her face. And his eyes narrowed at her, then looked away into another direction. Rin followed his gaze to see what he was looking at, but saw nothing.
"You don't have to tell me. I'm just curious."
She looked back at him and smiled some more. He let her go then and she got up.
"You should get inside. You don't want to catch a cold."
And she walked back towards the school entrance, whispering, "Thank you," in the end.
xXx
The rain.
Rin's favourite thing.
Other's favourite was shopping or wearing make-up, but rain….she could stand in it for hours, not caring about getting sick. She got lost in thought whenever she walked in it. It may have given her bad luck at times, but it calmed her.
And when the white car hit her as she was crossing the street, she felt nothing but peace as darkness overcame her very being.
xXx
Humans.
Disgusting creatures living in the world Sesshomaru called home. Poisoning whatever their dirty little fingers touched. Claimed whatever they stepped on. Spilling their toxic chemicals into the air. And worse, their scents made Sesshomaru want to vomit.
Except hers.
At the very moment Sesshomaru took a whiff of her delicious and sweet scent of fresh pine and lilac, he wanted her. No, needed her. Like a dog on his leash, he needed to be free. But she was so fragile, too perfect to touch. Even when she was covered with sauce and smelled like overcooked noodles, she looked like the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
She was his.
And when he touched her soft skin, he knew, she would be his in the end.
A human.
A simple human girl.
It was impossible.
Impossible.
But real.
She never spoke a word until the end, and when he let her go, she said two simple words that gave him chills.
Then she was gone, disappearing into the rainy weather like lightening in the distance.
But not for long. His eyes narrowed into the rain as he started to follow. Something of her leaving wasn't right and he needed to at least make sure she made it home. Even though the rain blocked her original scent from him, he still could smell the slight hint of sauce in the air.
But there was another scent.
Blood.
And Sesshomaru ran forward.
Seconds later he arrived at a horrific scene at a busy intersection, and a white car, a crowd, a girl lying dead in the middle. The rain fell onto her broken body. Her face, the same face he stared at and smiled back to him was now pale and lifeless. Sesshomaru's heart had stopped.
In an instant, without even thinking, he picked the girl's body up, and flew off. People were shouting and yelling at him to come back, but he ignored them, only thinking about the bright smile that brought light into this dark day. He needed to see it again. He needed to see her again.
Landing in an open field, surrounded my rainy mist and pine trees, he placed her down, touching her cheek lightly like she was a porcelain doll too old to handle. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, his voice as light as the rain around them, "Hold on."
He picked her up, cradling her in his arms, and flew forward towards a large villa ahead. It stood on the grassy hillside, tall. A grey stone and brick structure, three stories high. Vines ran up and down it like Mother Nature was taking it back. A giant, granite fountain in the middle—a symbol of power—and statue of a howling dog on the top.
He landed lightly on the third floor balcony, opening the door and quickly, but gently placed her on a large king sized bed, covering her with red silk. He moved to the end of the bed where a wooden chest sat, inside a weapon capable of bringing back a soul from the other side. And he pulled it out, watching the thin blade reflect in the dim, artificial light in the room. He looked over at the girl…he didn't even know her name…and focused on saving her.
He held the blade over her body, not sure what to do. Then a pulse, like a quick beating heartbeat rushed through the blade to him. He blinked, his hard eyes on the girl, watching, waiting for something more to happen. And then they came. Small creatures—thin and deformed—wearing nothing but a brown cloth. There were three and they seem to be speaking in a tongue Sesshomaru couldn't understand. Chains later appeared in their hands, and for some reason this angered Sesshomaru. His hands clenched tight on the swords hilt. His eyes narrowed at the creatures. He growled low. And in one swing he obliterated them, watching them fade away like dust in shadows.
Then faintly, but knowingly, he heard a quiet heartbeat.
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