Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.glare There, are you happy now? Oh, what was that? You want me to announce to on a P.A system now?

A Cool Kind of Punishment

- Chapter Nine : Thank You

Sesshoumaru sighed and walked up the path leading to idiots home. Namely Rin. He raised his fingers to push the doorbell but noticed the note in the windowsill. After taking a few seconds to read the note, he growled and turned swiftly on his heel and made his way to the house where Rin was supposedly at.

Hearing nothing from inside, Sesshoumaru raised his fist and knocked on the door. He waited a few seconds before it snapped open, revealing a very shocked Rin. At once a look of utter dislike came over her face and the door slammed shut.

In his face.

Him, Sesshoumaru.

Who exactly did that girl think she was!

Dear Diary,

Worst case scenario: being stuck in room with Sesshoumaru, Ms. Kentlyn and her brain loaded with memories of me when I was seven. SHUDDER.

OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. Worst case scenario would be stuck in room with Sesshoumaru… alone. Definite shudder.

SHUDDER, SHUDDER, SHUDDER. Times three million. Urgh. Grosse. But yes, being stuck in room with Sesshoumaru, Ms. Kentlyn and her brain loaded with memories of me from when I was seven would also be incredibly horrible.

I opened the door and for the second time in two days, I slammed the door in Sesshoumaru's face.

I felt a grim sense of satisfaction as I stared at the door and I could feel my lips being pulled into a smirk. I crossed my arms over my chest and began to tap my foot, as though stupidly expecting Sesshoumaru to actually be able to see these acts.

"Rin?" came a hesitant voice behind me.

"It's fine, Ms. Kentlyn" I said back jovially "it's just a pathetic salesman (1 – I don't think salesmen are pathetic. It's just an insult to throw at Fluffy)"

"I heard that!" reached a voice through the door.

"Eavesdropping are we, Fluffy-boy?" I have no idea how it happened, but all of a sudden I seemed to almost enjoy bickering with Sesshoumaru. Probably because out of nowhere I came up with this oddly affectionate nickname.

"Don't call me Fluffy-boy!"

"Oh this is ridiculous!" cried Ms. Kentlyn, although secretly I think she was enjoying it too. She pried open the door and I quickly stepped out of the way to avoid being squashed, unlike poor, poor Mr. Cheavers. "Hello Fluf- err, young man! What can I do for you this fine day?"

I let out a choked laugh as I watched Sesshoumaru being talked at by Ms. Kentlyn. Something about a fine day.

It was then I comprehended the full awfulness of the situation.

Sesshoumaru. On the front porch. Obviously looking for me. As I remember what I wrote in that note on the windowsill.

Oh dear God.

I came back to reality in time to hear "… come in, come in, Rin's right here!"

Sob sob… sob sob… Why me, why me? Have I done something to offend you, my Guardian Angel?

I looked on, gloomily, as Sesshoumaru stepped onto my turf and walked into the living room as though he was a regular.

"Here's your chance" I heard a whisper at my shoulder and I glanced at Ms. Kentlyn in time to see her wink at me before crossing the living room and dining to get to the kitchen. I followed behind her and sat numbly on the cushy armchair besides the sofa on which Sesshoumaru sat.

Talk about a mood changeover.

I felt my mouth open a few times as my larynx attempted to form the words in which to accompany them. Insulting words. Words to make dear ol' Fluffy pee off.

"As graceful as your gapping is, I doubt it's suitable for one as I, Sesshoumaru" that set my mouth back into working order.

"Well as much as you piss me off, I doubt it's socially acceptable to grab a fork, take out your spinal cord and feed it to some guppy fish"

"Guppy fish? Strangely not terrifying, Miss. All-Round-Nice-Girl-of-Year-10"

"I'm a nice person, not a goody two-shoes"

"Well guppy fish is a very nice start for a beginner"

"I'll show you beginner in a minute -"

"Cookies everyone!" Ms. Kentlyn interrupted us with a wide smile that left me with no doubt that she knew she was interrupting us.

Sesshoumaru and I took a cookie each, careful not to make contact of any kind. It was bad enough having to breathe the same air as him. While we nibbled at the sweet treat we stared each other. Imagine a western film where the two cowboys are staring at each other, ready to shoot one another or something. You know what I mean, right? That scene where there's a major show of testosterone amountage. Is 'amountage' even a word? 'Cause it damn well should be! But why was I even worrying about the lack of important words in the English dictionary when Sesshoumaru was currently staring at me speculatively with his honey eyes…

I turned my head quickly, lifting the choc chip cookie to my lips to give my hands something to do. His unwavering gaze disconcerted me and I couldn't help but have a little flashback involving a hospital, a grazing of my knee, white hair and few whispered words in a low, even voice… I twisted my head to the other side and tucked stray hairs behind my ear. In my head echoed Ms. Kentlyn's words and I sneaked a quick glance at Sesshoumaru. Could Little Sesshoumaru possibly still be living within Big Sesshoumaru? I mentally shook myself. It wasn't like I had actually known Little Sesshoumaru anyways, so how could I really think about Big Sesshoumaru as a… nice person? But now that I knew for a fact that Sesshoumaru was indeed the boy from so long ago, it totally stuffed up how I looked at people.

I mean, take Big Sesshoumaru. Looking at him today you wouldn't think that he's help someone. He'd probably just look at them coldly then walk away with some remark like "I'll sue you". And yet, nine years ago he had helped me up, bandaged me… no derisive comment included. He had helped, at no benefit towards himself, which confuses me. Could Fluffy actually be human? These thoughts ran around my head and made me even more confused, after all, I started off hating him only to find out that it had been him whom I had been dreaming about all these years. Perhaps… perhaps I had been going about this the wrong way.

At that precise moment, everything made sense. I had been so naïve and ignorant and so assuming that although it should've been obvious, I had not noticed the similarities.

And then at that precise moment another thought hit me so hard I almost couldn't breathe - all this time I thought I was a nice person, loved by everyone and loving them in return… but it was all just a simply dream within my head. I had hated Sesshoumaru, I had made assumptions about him because he managed to get by because of his good lucks, intelligence and rich daddy - I had never gotten to know him before I judged him.

What had I become?

"I'm doing the laundry now… it'll give you a bit of time to make your move!" Ms. Kentlyn said in a low whisper, her eyebrows waggling. I took no heed of her words, intent on only making amends with the boy sitting across me.

"Look I'm -"

"Here's the thing -"

We both stopped as we realized we had started talking at the same time. Was it possible that Sesshoumaru was nervous? Or was it because he just wanted to get everything over with? Come to think of it, why was Sesshoumaru even here? It had been one and a half days since that night in his room… what did he want? I felt slightly panicked and opened my mouth again to speak.

"About the -"

"About the -"

I laughed softly and Sesshoumaru indicated that I speak first.

"Look… I'm sorry" Sesshoumaru seemed mildly shocked, and for him, that was saying a lot. I can kind of understand - although I was a renowned nice person in my grade, it wasn't like I had been bosom buddies with him. In fact, I had been incredibly mean and stubborn towards him. So I continued. "About everything. It's just that… I feel absolutely horrible that I was being so… judgmental of you. I didn't live up to other peoples… expectations of me as a nice person, and I'm sorry"

"So basically all you're saying is that you don't want to tarnish your clean reputation at Port Street and you're only apologizing to me to make yourself feel better"

"WHAT!" I felt my blood pressure immediately rise and I clenched my fists and bit the inside of my cheek to calm myself down. "No. The point of me apologizing is to -"

"Make me want to forget that you trespassed onto our family estate?"

"Dammit! Why must you keep thinking that I am hoping that you'll forgive me for my own purposes? I really am truly thankful that you didn't alert the authorities about the incident and on that night… I realized some things about you that most people probably wouldn't be able to understand. Sesshoumaru… I really am truly sorry that I made assumptions about you and this probably doesn't mean anything to you, but we're working together on an assignment that's worth around 25 percent of our overall mark for English. I don't think there should be any recriminations between us that could compromise our work. And it's not like as if I want to be a total meanie to you afterwards either, I really want to be your friend and although that, too, may not mean anything to you, it does to me" And it did. Being able to get past Sesshoumaru as a 2-dimensional person really gave me sweet relief. I was getting back onto my two feet, stable as ever. I was me again. "So please, if we could just ignore who we are and whatever bad things happened between us, perhaps we could… perhaps things just wouldn't be as bad"

Silenced filled the small space between us and I was ever-aware of his incessant staring. I twitched once or twice as I repeated what I said in my head. I realized that I may have sounded slightly selfish and I silently cursed myself.

(2 - Andrew was here 2004! LONG LIVE THE PUCHU!)

"Usually when Jakken apologizes he bows down to me…" My mouth dropped open and I was close to having an apoplectic attack when Sesshoumaru intervened, "Relax, Tsuyame. Anyone with a soul can tell you're not some green toad that stands at less than 50cm (3 - ok um… let's see… this is around 1ft 8''). Now I came to ask you why you showed up at my home with a camera"

This was a problem. Kagura had later arranged for me to keep her identity a secret and it wasn't like I relied on the money, but it was the promise I had made to her. If Kagura spread around that I was untrustworthy, that would kill everything I had ever worked for. Everyone's trust, everyone's… dependency on me. I opened my mouth to speak only to have Fluffy cut in.

"I know that you're the person who has a very… interesting… hobby. One that is of much interest and use to many types of people… do not think to lie to me about this, Rin"

"I came to take pictures of you getting undressed and I was planning to sell it to the student population at Port Street. Your body is under much demand" I said, my voice in a level, indifferent tone.

Sesshoumaru's eyes in turn narrowed and his lips parted slightly before Ms. Kentlyn bustled back into the room, smiling, although it left no doubt that he had intended to poke holes in my lie.

As Ms. Kentlyn hobbled back and forth, talking about inconsequentials, I marveled at how fast the atmosphere changed. It had gone from smug, to shock, to awkwardness, to regret and then anger. One would call the fragile 'relationship' between Sesshoumaru and I unstable, but I called it Destruction in the Making. I was locked in thought when I felt a sharp pang at my ankle.

"Did you just kick me?" Instead of answering me, Sesshoumaru tilted his head toward my right. I looked over and saw Ms. Kentlyn in a picture with her estranged husband (4 - Can't you just TELL who it is), from around fifteen years ago just before their separation. Or rather, him packing up and leaving in the middle of the night without a note of explanation. Despite the fact that Mrs. and Mr. Kentlyn would have been only around 40 at the time of the photo being taken, her husband was already bald, short and had a bad posture.

Please take note that bad postures are SO not sexy! That isn't the only thing though, his skin was green. Not the slightly-tinged green or the green that comes from having infections but as in 'Green, I was born ugly' kind of green. Eek!

She's never mentioned Mr. Kentlyn's name, but in my head a word stirred in my head… J… Ken? My brow creased as I struggled to remember exactly. I remember Jakken was the butler in Sesshoumaru's home. And from what I can recall from two nights ago he was some short, bald, green and -

Oh my God. Oh dear. W - whoa…

I rotated my head around back to Sesshoumaru and opened my mouth to say something when he took a cookie from the tray sitting on the table and thrust it into my mouth. Choking, I didn't bother to scowl back at Ms. Kentlyn when she whispered in my ear "My, my there's a lot of laundry today…"

Crumbs thoroughly swallowed and respiratory system back into working order, I glared at Sesshoumaru.

"What was that for!"

"Well I didn't want you to say anything in front of your nice neighbor"

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'd heard that you often came here for charity, one would have thought that you'd have figured that you never see her husband"

"I did know! But what does that have anything to do with trying to murder me with a cookie! You could've at least poured scalding tea on me or something! Something that makes people not want to say 'Wasn't she the biggest idiot you've ever heard of?'''

"Have a little sensitivity, Rin. You'd know well that she hasn't seen her husband for nearly 16 years now"

"Huh. Sensitivity, that's rich coming from you" but it was true. I hadn't stopped to think about what I was going to say, as usual. "So what are we going to do?"

"Do? It's not any of my business" I glared at him.

"Argh! Well it'd be pretty interesting to know why Jakken decided to work for your family instead of staying with his wife, right? What'd you and your family do? Blackmail him? With what? He looks a bit sad to blackmail! Don't you have any pity? Dammit -" the end of the sentence was lost when his hand clamped over my mouth.

"Just as nosy as they say, I see. Don't you ever shut up?" I was about to shoot back with another question just to annoy him when his mobile vibrated in the pocket of his jeans. After a few seconds of 'yes', 'of course' and 'Inuyasha is you touch anything, the sword I covet will be stained with your blood' he slipped the mobile back into his pocket and sat up. "Excuse me, but I must take my leave"

I followed him out to the front porch and as he was about step onto the footpath I grabbed his hand. As he turned around he looked at me attentively. I don't know why, but I was secretly hoping that he'd look annoyed or surprised or something just so that I could know that I could do this to him. Make him show me what he's feeling, something he's never done at school or anyone else. Make me feel like as if I actually mattered to him, like as if I was noticed.

Like as if… like as if it was only me and him and him and me. Just us two. Together.

Him looking at me, not coldly or bored, but like as if he were listening gave me some sort of cheap thrill that instantly warmed me. I felt warm and I smiled.

"Thank you… for everything" I whispered. What 'everything' meant, I had no idea of, but I had a feeling it was something that in the next few months I would be discovering, bit by bit.

Something flickered behind that irrevocably still face and he turned away and walked towards his car. He drove away but something told me that he wouldn't have given anyone else the time of day. Not like he had done with me.

"Rin? Hello? Earth to Riiiin" a voice snapped me out of thoughts.

"Huh?" Pristine and Theresa rolled their eyes.

"I was just saying that you didn't miss anything from Math today. Mr. Dillon was away 'cause he was sick. Thank the freaking heavens! What are you all dreamy about anyways?" Theresa added when I didn't reply.

"Probably Sesshoumaru" Pristine added slyly.

"Probably wasn't" I shot back, irritated. Although, yes, maybe I was thinking about him, it wasn't like I was dreaming about us being a couple or anything - nothing remotely kissy-touchy. I was just thinking about Jakken and Ms. Kentlyn and how Sesshoumaru's fingers felt on my cheek when he stopped me from talking… I mentally cursed myself. I wasn't crushing on Fluffy. I wasn't.

Right?

It had only been a few minutes after Fluffy had left that Pristine and Theresa came in, talking the whole way. Of course, Ms. Kentlyn, being a gossip herself, just had to mention Sesshoumaru's visit, at which point Pristine and Theresa squealed. And of course, the result being I phased out, consumed with thoughts.

"Yo, Earth to Rinz? If you're going to keep eating all the choc chip cookies you should earn your share and tell us the juicy details" to their shock I simply replied,

"Juicy, eh? Well…" I paused dramatically for effect, "I learnt to be thankful" I ended cryptically and laughed at their gossip-deprived faces before walking out into the sun, and making my way home.

A/N: Wow, this took me almost a month to do. Procrastinating included, and I am SO sorry about the lateness to this chapter! If you cut out all the procrastination you probably would have gotten this chapter two weeks ago. Yes, I know, I'm incredibly pathetic. I guess this chapter took so long 'cause I had NO idea what was in this chapter besides the fact that Rin and Sesshoumaru were supposed to talk with Ms. Kentlyn too. In the end it just ended up as this piece of crap where I think I repeated myself ten billion times over. And let me say that Rin and Sesshoumaru weren't supposed to get along for like, another THREE chapters I think. Next chapter has a bit more of a plotline though I DO think it's a bit shorter. And I know what's going to happen, so I think I'll be able to get it posted real soon.

Oh, and another thing? The second note was when my brother decided he wanted to type something stupid, and the Puchuu is some THING from 'Excel Saga'. Oh and just ONE more thing, Sesshoumaru has two arms, but then again this IS Alternate Universe so yes… And just ONE more thing, promise! I think the first few chapters to this story really suck. Yes.

Anhimals: Really? You took one of the quotes? Which one? Was it that meaningful? Lol

Nekurahime: Haha, glad you like the outtakes so much, I try my best!

CometsChaos: It confused you? Damn, I was trying really hard to incorporate another reviewer's idea for an outtake into my story… guess it didn't work, ne?

Trinity: You know whenever I read your reviews I keep thinking Trinity from the Matrix is talking to me. So when I flash back to your first review, I would call what I felt… surprised! But yea, I agree with you and the surprised bit. I think I first wrote this story 'cause sometimes I feel "Sesshoumaru looks at Rin and falls in love with her / grows obsessed with her then has sex with her then gets attacked by Naraku" is a bit overdone, you know?So this time, although there WILL be Naraku, it won't be all lovey-dovey and all out-of-Sesshoumaru-character. Or at least, so I'm thinking. But yes… 'Jakken married to Ms. Kentlyn'… I didn't feel this was going to live up to everyone's expectations (seeing as they were all shocked and everything) so yea. Hope this one goes done well for you!

Annienominos: Thanks! There was another person who didn't get it, so I was worried everyone wouldn't like it!

Sikaria: Hmm… I think I mentioned that Rin lived in Australia which is where I lived in one of the Author Note's a few chapters back… but ah wellz! I'm glad you like it so much!

IceSugarHigh: Oh… Kay… I'm very sorry but your Outtake idea was very jumpy from one spot to another. Who is 'she'? If you give me more detail I'll put it in the next chapter. Yea, I know hehe, but I doubt Sesshie does drag… OR DOES HE! But yes… (cough, cough)

Niichan626: Really? I didn't think it was too bad 'cause in the rating thing it said it was allowed a bit of mention… when I last checked cough cough But yes, I really appreciate you telling me about it in case I got reported or something. I've taken it out and I've replaced it with a shabby remake so hopefully it's allowed! Was it that big a cliffhanger? I have a serious habit of underestimating everything and when all these people go "you're so funny!" and "OMG how could you do that!" I have no idea what they're going on about lol

And OoSez thanks… :

Swimchick1614

Angel Trainee Flonne

IYWriterGirl

C'fay

Lynn-Minmay

Athana233

Asylum100

Polaris-fire-star

Next Chapter: Back to school, an assault, and the much anticipated line "Oh Sesshoumaru, you're my hero!". Can you guess who says it?

Outtake #1

"Rin?" came a hesitant voice behind me.

"It's fine, Ms. Kentlyn" I said back jovially "it's just a pathetic"

"I have to make a living somehow you know! It's not as bad as the time when I joined that strip joint!"

Outtake #2

I felt my mouth open a few times as my larynx attempted to form the words in which to accompany them. Insulting words. Words to make dear ol' Fluffy pee off.

"As graceful as your gapping is, I doubt it's suitable for one as I, Sesshoumaru" THAT set my mouth back into working order.

"Well as much as you piss me off, I doubt it's socially acceptable to grab a fork, take out your spinal cord and feed it to some guppy fish"

Sesshoumaru gasped. "Not that guppy fish! Oh please not the guppy fish! Not again!"

Outtake #3

… Being able to get past Sesshoumaru as a 2-dimensional person really gave me sweet relief. I mean, honestly, just because he was in some cartoon series where his arm got chopped off didn't mean I had to feed him to guppy fish.

And here's a nice fluffy one for those who were hoping it would happen - Outtake #4

I followed him out to the front porch and as he was about step onto the footpath I grabbed his hand. As he turned around he looked at me attentively and I took a step forward and lightly placed a kiss on his lips.

"Thank you" I whispered, "… for everything"

Please review, it would mean a lot to me and also, if you want chapters to come out quicker, just send me a MILD take note I said MILD flame telling me to update sooner. No swearing, 'cause I'll start crying.