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xoxo

-VQ

Sesshomaru was adjusting to being in a different room. The bed was on a different side of the wall and the door was on the right side instead of the left. And to make matters worse, the doctors put him in a straight jacket instead of chains.

"She did all that just to move me to a different room. That spiteful wench made things even worse for me." He said to himself as he lied on the bed, remembering the Hell he put them through when they put the jacket on him.

Two days ago...

"Okay I'm going to leave you in the care of the hospital staff. Promise you'll behave?" She asked with a hopeful smile.

Sesshomaru didn't respond. Nor did he plan to; no matter how long she stood there waiting.

Rin let out a big sigh. She was just going to hope for the best and continue to keep her promise to work with him, even if things got more difficult.

Sesshomaru watched as she turned on her heel and walked away. The two staff members who chained him up earlier came to him, preparing to restrain him with a straight jacket.

'That bitch! If it weren't for her, I would be in the confines of my own room without any restraints on my body.'

Sesshomaru was angry with Rin. One minute she's telling him she wants him out of the hospital, the next she has him chained and restrained. He didn't like the mind games she was playing with him.

So he refused to behave. He refused to cooperate. He stood still, solid as the block of ice he is.

The first man tried to lift his arm and couldn't get it to budge. He looked at the demon's solid body and realized he should've known he was no match for him. He motioned his hand for his partner to assist him and with a lot of strain and manpower, they were finally able to lift his left arm. The men stopped to take a breather, leaving their defenses lowered. In that instant, Sesshomaru swung his arm with enough force to knock them both to the floor.

The men quickly sat up looking at one another, then at Sesshomaru. They assumed he would try to run since he attacked them but…he just stood there, staring off into space with his arm still up.

'What kind of game is he trying to play? What is he up to?' They wondered.

After 20 minutes of difficulty, he was restrained and ready to be brought to a new room. When they began to lead him out the cafeteria, they realized they were moving, but he wasn't. His feet were glued to the ground. The only thing that could move him was conversation-maybe.

"Please cooperate Mr. Taisho. We don't want to restrain you. Dr. Asano wanted us to help her because we believe in her. We know you aren't-"

Sesshomaru cut his eyes at the staff member talking. "You know nothing. Besides, I can walk on my own. You already restrained me, so there is no reason to be concerned." He walked towards the cafeteria exit door.

Sesshomaru lied in bed thinking about Rin's revolting smile. He couldn't get the image out of his brain. It was so irritating, so naive, so benevolent, so bright, so...

'cute? Did I just think of a worthless mortal as cute? I might actually be crazy.' As much as he hated the word, it was the only way to describe her smile: the way it extended from dimple to dimple, the way it was so radiant, so welcoming, so harmless…

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sesshomaru didn't like the scent. It wasn't Rin's: But that of a half demon girl. He hated half demons more than humans.

Shiori opened the door with a tray in hand. "Uh...Good morning...Here's your breakfast." she said nervously as she set the tray down next to him on the bed.

He looked down at the tray before viciously scowling at her with his demon red eyes. Shiori turned white at the sight of the terrifying glare. She began to back away towards the door as he began growling at her.

'I guess that's why they call him The Hound.' She thought to herself.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you! I promise." Rin said with her cheeky smile.

Shiori recalled Rin's words and completed her job. "R-Rin will be here in a few minutes." She said quickly as she rushed out the door.

Shiori rushed down the hallway back to the front desk, her sneakers squeaking across the floor as she moved as fast as she could. 'Why did I ask to help her? That's far more than an intern should be doing. My guidance counselor would be pissed if she knew I did something that dangerous!'

As she got closer to her desk she began to grin and felt a chill of excitement. She sat down in her chair and spun it around while giggling. "What a thrill! This is exactly the field I need to be in."

As Shiori was basking in the enjoyment of her epiphany, Rin showed up and stopped her chair from spinning.

Shiori looked up at her and smirked. "Good morning, Dr. Asano!"

"Good morning! I guess I was right about—"

"Oh you were more than right!" She interjected excitedly. "I've realized how fun this type of career is! I was scared to death when I was in his room, but that's what made it so exciting."

Rin chuckled slightly. "That's how I felt with my first client. You'll be seeing all kinds of clients in your lifetime." She told her as she headed down the hall, her heels clicking and a cheerful hum coming from behind her lips.

Sesshomaru was more irritated than he had ever been in all the years he was in the hospital. He was prideful but not even his pride would force him to starve. Yet, there was his food, dangling in front of his face, teasing him with a wonderful smell and he couldn't even get out of his jacket to eat it.

To make matters worse, he smelled Rin coming. He wasn't in the mood for talking. He wanted to get out of that jacket and strangle her. Sesshomaru was tired of the games. If she was just selling him a dream, he might as well kill her since he was not gaining anything from her existence.

"Good mooorning!" She said in a sing-song voice.

"Take this off of me!" He growled through his teeth.

Rin slowly walked over to Sesshomaru who was huffing and puffing with glowing red eyes that she didn't find even remotely threatening. She took her time releasing him from the jacket, causing him to become even angrier.

"The second you take this off me, I'm killing you."

"If that were your intention, why would you tell me before I release you?" She said with a giggle. "You're so silly!" She told him as she took off the last strap.

Not even half a second before the final strap was off; Rin was on the floor with his rough arm putting force on her chest and poisonous claws dangerously close to her neck.

Sesshomaru quickly noticed the bruising on her neck was healing slowly. Of course it was—she's human, after all.

He began to loosen his grip on her and become less forceful in his actions. 'Why can't I kill her?' He wondered. 'Why don't I want to?'

Sesshomaru wasn't sure why he was changing—or if it was just Rin. All in all, he knew there was something awful about harming her. He could tell she was a fragile and damaged young girl. Even the thought of someone else hurting her made him angry.

Rin noticed Sesshomaru was staring off as if he lost track of his objective. 'Didn't he intend to attack me?' She thought as she began to get slightly flustered by the position they were in on the floor.

Sesshomaru made eye contact with Rin and he realized there was nothing about her that would make her his enemy—she would never leave his side or betray him. But why would he see something like that in a girl like her? Why can he trust her of all people so easily?

Rin looked into his eyes and saw a man—not merely a monster, but not human either. She knew there were things he couldn't feel and things he wouldn't feel but she knew there were some things that he felt that she knew too well—Pain, anger, hatred, neglect. They just had different ways of expressing themselves.

Rin intended to shine in all aspects of her life and do the best she could to spread smiles and enjoy life. Sesshomaru on the other hand intended to stay frigid and destroy everyone that was in his way, even if he destroyed himself in the process.

They continued to stare at one another: reading each other, getting to know each other silently.

'How long had we been staring at one another like this?' She wondered to herself as he stood up and sat on his bed. Rin remained on the floor as Sesshomaru began eating.

She bent her knees and wrapped her arms around them. "Is it alright if I ask why you were so upset with me?" She asked as she looked up at him. 'In that moment, he looked so angry, then so suddenly…his expression changed.'

"You said you wanted me out of here. It appears to be the opposite."

"No!" Rin sighed. She should have explained herself better. "There are a few protocols I have to follow before you can leave this hospital."

"So in other words, I have to conform and be on my best behavior in the mean time."

"Well you should—"

"Then you'd better find another way to get me out of here."

Rin looked up at Sesshomaru with her face scrunched up. "Wh-why are you being so demanding?"

"Because I know" He began as he turned to face her "and you know" He leaned close to her and placed his hand on her chin, "You have far more power in this hospital than you're letting on."

Rin felt a chill in her spine when he touched her. She gently moved his hand away from her face. "That doesn't necessarily mean—"

"That doesn't necessarily mean you like to break or bend any rules. You're a good girl. Aren't you?"

Rin recognized Sesshomaru's ability to read into people. He was able to sniff out their flaws, aspects of their personality and even weaknesses. He knew how to make his prey's knees buckle. He was a hound, indeed.

Rin wasn't sure what was going on anymore. Who was the one in therapy? Her or Sesshomaru? She sighed as she felt weary of the complex circle this case was taking her in.

Sesshomaru could tell she was becoming bothered by the circumstances. He decided he would play along for the time being, since it seemed to benefit him.

"What do I have to do?"

Rin looked up at him with her regular smile sparkling in his face, causing him to roll his eyes.

At that moment, a thought popped into Rin's head. 'In order for him to trust me, I have to talk to him about Inuyasha.'

"There's something I should tell you, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru saw guilt in her eyes. He kept his ears open and his claws ready. 'If she says something I don't like, her life is over.'