A/N: I'm sorry I took so long to get this chapter up! Life has finally calmed down for me, for now. I hope you like this next chapter!

Rin stared back at the man before her, unsure of how she felt about what he just said. His gaze didn't waver as he patiently waited for her answer, even though he looked confident that she'd say yes.

"Would you rather do something else with your free time?" her professor asked her while lifting one elegant silver brow. Yes, I'd like to go back to my apartment and hide there forever – at least that's what she wanted to say. An embarrassed flush crawled its way to her cheeks as she turned her gaze to the floor and mildly shook her head.

"Good," he remarked before he pointed to a stack of books on a nearby table, "you can start by organizing those books. They're in an assortment of languages. If you can't read a title bring it to me and I'll tell you where it goes," he instructed before he turned his back on her and returned to his desk.

Rin watched him go in surprise before she hastily made her way to the books. She picked up the first one and glanced at the book spine. The title was written in English, which wasn't surprising. What was surprising was the title itself, Current Theories on Demonology and How We Can Coexist. Rin sneaked a peek at her professor, who didn't look up from the artifact he was cleaning. She knew he looked "exotic" by Japanese standards, but she didn't think he would be into the supernatural.

She wanted to ask him why such a book would be in his possession, but her voice remained in her throat. Instead, she kept the question to herself and walked over to the nearest bookshelf that had English titles.

Her curiosity was further peaked when she saw a wide variety of books that had to do with demonology that looked as dated as the artifact her professor was cleaning. It was a history museum, after all. Perhaps it was part of his collection.

Rin shrugged off her curiosity as she shelved the book and returned to the stack on the table. The next title wasn't in a language she recognized, but she wasn't able to ask for help from her professor either. She nervously gazed over to him, but his attention was focused elsewhere. She decided to look for similar symbols that resembled the language instead.

Within minutes she found the bookshelf filled with books in the same language. She gazed at the order, and presumed they were alphabetically organized like the others. Matching the first symbol with a similar one, she decoded the next symbols as best she could before she shelved the book. It looked like it fit there, and Rin silently prayed that she had it right.

She continued the process until the stack was gone. She glanced around for any other books before she turned to glance at her professor.

"Done already?" he asked, although he didn't look up at her. He held a new artifact in hand, and seemed to be scribbling down information about it in a journal.

"To be perfectly honest, I thought those books would give you trouble," he remarked as he continued working, "you surprised me. Have you studied other languages?" he asked, his eyes finally coming up to meet hers. Rin stood still for a moment before she lightly shook her head and gazed at the floor.

"Hn, well you certainly figured out how to shelf those books on your own without a problem," he continued before he returned his gaze to the artifact in his hand, "that's all I have for today. You're free to go," he added, effectively dismissing her. Rin gazed around the room for a moment before she wrung her hands nervously at the thought of leaving.

Although he had her working for free, the task had taken her mind off of the red-headed man after her. He was out there somewhere, and yet she hadn't given him a thought while she was inside the building. She feared that the moment she walked out, he'd invade her thoughts once more. Or worse, he'd ambush her while she was alone.

"You're free to stay," her professor offered. Rin's eyes shot up to meet his in surprise. He didn't look like he cared what she'd decide to do, but she was shocked that he would even offer.

"I won't pry into your life, it's your business. But if you don't want to go wherever you need to be, you're free to stay here," he added before he pushed out a nearby chair with the tip of his shoe. Rin managed a small smile at his invitation before she made her way over to him. She sat in the chair and studied the artifact in his hand.

It looked like the remains of a tea-cup covered in dirt and aged beyond salvaging. He used a tiny brush to gently clean the cup before he took a tool out of a sanitation jar. He pressed the sharp edge against the cup as he slowly outlined the pattern peeking out from under the dirt. He continued the process with precision, and his hand never wavered as he cleaned in silence.

Rin would have felt awkward with the silence, if his movements hadn't been so hypnotic. She was in awe of the precautions he took in his motions to make sure that he wouldn't damage the piece, and the overall beauty of the cup underneath the dirt and rust.

Floral patterns twisted and coiled around the dainty cup, and the white porcelain shined under the head lamp. She couldn't say how much time had passed while she sat there watching her professor work. The process was oddly soothing, and she could understand why the job was so appealing.

"The man who donated this to me told me it was trash," her professor murmured as he eyed his work, "not knowing the full extent of what lied underneath. This is proof that nothing can be judged by outward appearance alone," he added softly before he placed the cup on the table and started scribbling in his journal again. Rin took a curious peek before she hastily looked away when he caught her staring and lifted a brow.

"Are you curious about what I'm writing? You could just ask, if you're really that interested," he commented, and Rin hid her eyes behind the reflection of her glasses, "I'm documenting the age and approximate worth of the item," he added, even though she remained hidden from his golden gaze. She glanced up in surprise, and wondered why he tried so hard to get her to converse with him. Was he bothered by her silence? Or merely trying to reach out to one of his students?

She wasn't able to decipher the cold gaze that stared back at her, and lost her chance completely when the doors to the main building were thrown open. A beautiful woman strode into the museum with striking eyes and a form-fitting outfit. Rin blushed at how flattering the outfit looked on her, and at the thought that she would never have the courage to wear such revealing clothing.

"Sesshomaru," the woman began before her eyes shifted to Rin. Rin blinked in surprise when the woman's eyes suddenly changed from striking red to dark brown, and when she stared at the woman for a moment longer she convinced herself that she had imagined the whole thing. There was no way someone could change their eye color at will.

"Kagura, what a surprise," her professor greeted calmly. The woman crossed her arms over her ample chest with a slight grimace before she glanced at Rin again.

"I didn't realize you had company," she observed before her eyes turned towards her professor, "If I can have a moment of your time, Dr. Tashio. I really need to speak with you, in private," Rin glanced from one to the other before her cheeks heated up in embarrassment. Suddenly, she felt like the unwanted guest and she hurriedly stood before she began to walk towards the exit.

"Hold on," her professor, Sesshomaru, commanded gently, "my offer from before still stands. I'll only be gone for a minute. Am I right, Kagura?"

"Yes," Kagura bit back impatiently before she gave Rin a once over as she walked past. Rin adverted her eyes as she passed, and turned to glance back at Sesshomaru. She tried to ask him if it was alright for her to stay with a pleading look in her eyes. He seemed to understand her silent question as he nodded his head once before he disappeared into one of the classrooms with Kagura.

Rin pursed her lips in unease, but decided against just leaving on her own. She cast a glance at the clock on the wall and was surprised to see that it was already past seven. Where had the day gone? Had she really spent all afternoon watching Sesshomaru clean and tag an artifact?

She let out a light huff before she pulled out her cellphone from her back pocket. She flipped the phone open and noticed that Kagome had tried calling her several times. There were also a fury of text messages left in her inbox from Kagome. Rin hastily read through them and grimaced at her ability to stress out her best friend.

She immediately sent her a text to let her know that she was alright and on her way home. She wanted to stay, but she knew it would only get darker the longer she waited. She was better off leaving while there was still some light left in the sky.

Rin wondered if she should leave a note for Sesshomaru, and noticed a blank sheet of paper lying atop his desk. She flipped it over to make sure it wasn't anything important before she scribbled a quick but grateful message to her professor for letting her stay and being so kind to her. She left the page atop his opened journal before she left the museum.

"What's so important this time, Kagura?" Sesshomaru asked once his colleague shut the classroom door. She glanced up at him as her human eyes faded into her demonic ones, the red within them blazing like fire.

"That student attacked me tonight. The one I told you about before," she stated, and Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the news. He knew the student was having trouble controlling his demonic side, but to attack a stronger and more mature demon was sheer madness. The boy must have a death wish.

"Are you injured?" he asked, and the wind sorceress shook her head.

"I was able to get him under control, but I'm not sure how lucky I'll be the next time. He was far stronger than I previously thought, and I was overconfident. That won't happen again, I can assure you. I'm worried he might attack a student next time," she answered while her lips thinned with unease.

"Have you had any indication that he might have already attacked other students? Besides the one he victimized in your class?" Sesshomaru asked, his mind instantly replaying his student's attempts at hiding her injuries from him earlier. The same young and very petite student still sitting at his desk.

"Not that I could tell. He hadn't bragged about it, at least," Kagura shrugged before her eyes instantly found his as a look of interest suddenly overtook her features, "Have you heard any rumors?"

"I haven't. It was merely a question," Sesshomaru replied. Kagura's lips curled into a knowing smile as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"A question sparked by the girl I saw sitting next to you?" she asked innocently, "how cute, you've found yourself a toy to play with,"

"She isn't a toy," Sesshomaru bit back.

"Oh? Why else would you be interested in a human girl? You've never taken to any of the human or demon women that have thrown themselves at you before. Perhaps your ability to deny them has finally disappeared?" Kagura questioned, her coy smile signaling that she was teasing him.

"She is one of my students," he replied, and inwardly cursed himself for opening his mouth.

"Oh I see," Kagura answered with a light laugh, "I didn't realize you had it in you, Sesshomaru. Going after one of your students? Scandalous," she mused with a sultry grin.

"We are getting off topic. If I remember correctly, you came here to tell me about the student who attacked you," Sesshomaru stated, trying to salvage the previous conversation. Although, he wasn't quite sure why he couldn't deny Kagura's claim outright.

"Avoiding the topic? Fine, I'll leave your little experiment alone," Kagura conceited with a disappointed sigh before her expression grew serious once more, "I wanted your advice on how we should handle this unruly student, before things really get out of hand,"

"We have to be careful how we go about this," Sesshomaru replied, "he's still a student of this University, which means he can use them against us if we attack him outright,"

"Oh, don't worry," Kagura waved him off with the flick of her wrist, "I've already attacked him. If he's going to press charges or go after our jobs, he'll file for mine first. It might just be a hunch, but I have a feeling that this kid is too proud to admit he was beaten by anyone,"

"You're thinking we should ambush him?" Sesshomaru asked, already knowing the repercussions such an action would create for them. Not only as professors at the University, but at the risk of being exposed as demons.

Not to mention his own waning ability to control his inner beast. He hadn't transformed into his full demonic form in nearly a century. He'd need adequate time to prepare before he went into battle, to ensure that he didn't end up killing the boy by accident.

"Not ambush him, challenge him. He's a young demon, but he's old enough to understand a challenge when he's offered one. He'll have to oblige, and you can rough him up a bit. You don't have to kill him, but scare him enough to know that he isn't invincible. You did tell me that you'd take care of it if he caused me any trouble, right?" Kagura added with an expectant smile.

"Yes, I did," Sesshomaru agreed. Although he didn't like the idea of wasting his time fighting a demon just to scare him, he was a man of his word. He had said that he would protect Kagura, and he had meant it.

"Glad to hear it," Kagura stated with a genuine smile, "I'll leave you and your student alone to continue...whatever you two were doing before I got here," she added with a wink before she left the room. Sesshomaru swallowed a groan, and dreaded all the jokes that would come out of Kagura's mouth in the time to come. She wouldn't let this opportunity slide, of that he was sure.

Sesshomaru quickly followed the wind sorceress out of the classroom, only to pause when he noticed her standing beside his desk looking at a piece of paper.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked, slightly concerned with the presence of a piece of paper on his desk, and the absence of a certain cinnamon eyed student.

"I was just admiring the note your student left you. It really is quite sweet. Who knew you could actually be a nice guy?" Kagura teased as she lifted the paper and handed it to him just as he appeared by her side. He glanced at the sheet and was surprised at how eloquent she sounded in the letter. He supposed he had gotten used to her silence that her words seemed almost alien to him.

Dear Dr. Taisho,

Thank you for letting me stay with you today, I am truly grateful. It was great to watch you work, and see the love you put into all the artifacts you receive. I hope to get the chance to observe you again. See you in class!

- Rin

Sesshomaru placed the note back on his desk as he wondered if the girl would be alright on her own. The image of her cradling her injured shoulder plagued his mind, and the thought of her returning to that environment created an unwanted feeling in his chest.

"Did something happen to this student of yours?" Kagura asked, her voice suddenly sounding serious as she studied his face.

"Nothing that I can be sure of," Sesshomaru answered honestly.

"You better keep yourself in check, Sesshomaru," Kagura warned him, "don't forget that she's human. It's nice of you to protect her, but her lifespan is a fraction of ours and she's far frailer than any of us,"

"You don't need to be concerned with what happens between us," Sesshomaru snapped back, his voice coming out far sharper than he had intended. Kagura swiftly held up her hands as her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Whatever you say," she replied as she backed off, "just don't say I didn't warn you," she added as she made her way out of the museum.

Sesshomaru watched her leave, his upper lip still curled over his teeth in disdain as he sat back down at his desk. He didn't like that Kagura had left him in such a sour mood, but he couldn't blame her either. If the roles were reversed, he would have done the same thing to her. Demons, more often than not, kept to themselves. Only fools ever got involved with humans. So, why did he keep getting involved with this student, this human Rin?

She had shown her unease in his presence many times throughout the day, and still he continued to give her opportunities to remain at his side. He wasn't sure whether she accepted them to be polite or because she genuinely wanted his companionship. He wasn't even sure why he cared at all. This student had successfully thrown a wrench into the slow ticking gears of his peaceful existence. Only time would tell if she was worth the trouble she was destined to cause him.

A/N: So, I'm starting to dive into the "touchy-feely" realm with Sesshomaru and Rin. If it seems too fast, please tell me and I'll rewrite it! Sometimes I jump too far ahead during romantic build up, so I won't be offended if you think it's going too fast. Thanks for reading!