Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha in any way shape or form. The beautiful manga and anime belong only to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own the idea of the Lying Games or the figure of A from the Pretty Little Liars. Those ideas belong to Sara Shepard. But Kira and Kenji belong to me. Also, I created the sorority.
Summary: When seventeen year old Rin Fumiko began her first year at Shikon University, she didn't expect to be to be courted by the powerful and dangerously sexy Sesshomaru Takahashi. She didn't expect to fall in love. And she damn sure didn't expect to get caught up in her lying games. As Rin tries to keep a mind-blowing secret from him, she's also trying to keep herself and her friends safe from an unknown figure with ties to her past. Who is this stranger? Why is he after her and her friends? And what will happen when Sesshomaru discovers the truth?
Hey, y'all. Glad to see some people are still following me. Sorry for the hold up. Just got accepted to three schools and I've been busy. But…on to more important things…
Broken-Hearted Girl
"Rin," the soothing, melodious voice called from downstairs. Rin grinned to herself, setting her little colored pencil down and running to her door. She paused, giggling to herself. She heard her mother sigh at the bottom of the stairs. "Hmm…where could my little pretty girl have gone?"
Rin smiled brightly and raced to the top of the stairs just as her mother's shadow disappeared from her sight.
"I'm right here, mommy," she called. She listened for that familiar laugh, the one that seemed like it was infused with all of the sweetest things the world could offer.
"Run, Rin. Come on," Mrs. Fumiko called and Rin started running down the steps. As she descended the stairs, the sun slowly started to fade away and darkness began to take over. Rin paused momentarily before observing the windows along the way, led by only the light provided by the moon. And the house was now eerily quiet.
"Mommy?" No answer. Rin gulped and gripped the railing as she took the last step down. Movement zipped out of her vision to her right and Rin took dainty steps toward the living room. As young as she was, Rin recalled where her mother kept the baseball bat and knew that if she needed it, she could get it. It wasn't too heavy. "Mommy, is that you?" This time she got an answer.
Strange, indiscernible whispers filled her ears as she walked. The closer she came to the living room, the louder they became. Pausing again, Rin took a deep breath before turning around the corner. She heard someone's breath hitch and thought that it could only be hers.
There was blood on the beautiful ivory couches her mother just purchased. A pool of blood bathed the dark shiny wooden floors and the deep red stains even spread to the brand new rug. Blood was splattered across pictures and Rin had the faint notion that there was blood on her as well. She glanced down at her own body and gasped. There was blood all over her little ballerina dress and her hands were stained with it.
"Mommy!" Rin raced towards the front door just as it swung open. She screamed only to see the police standing there, two men who stared at her with sympathy and deep remorse. Behind them, people were gathered around the house, some dressed as though they had just gotten ready for bed. Red and blue lights flashed in the background and she even saw an ambulance car.
"Sweetheart, we're going to need for you to let the ambulance by," one of the police offers said and Rin glanced behind her. There were three men; two were loading something wrapped and the other steadying the gurney. Without thinking, Rin walked towards them, ignoring the protests of the police officers. Before anyone could stop her, Rin pushed open the bag and a limp, pale hand fell out.
Rin's eyes widened as she stared at her mother's dead face, peering into the once alive hazel eyes that stared at nothing in particular. Dried blood covered her mouth and Rin caught the last droplet of blood on her cheek. She then noticed the odd angle of her mother's neck, the bones that Rin knew she wasn't supposed to be able to see. Rin's eyes followed the colorful blouse to the wound in her mother's stomach, which still had blood pooled into it.
Rin felt a hand on her shoulder and was about to turn away, but then the limp hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her back. Mrs. Fumiko's eyes turned black and her neck made a cracking noise as it turned so that they could meet eye-to-eye.
"You're next," said the dark, unfamiliar voice that floated from Mrs. Fumiko's mouth.
Rin screamed.
Rin shot up in the bed, gasping for air and sweating slightly. Her chest heaved as she glanced around her room, her dainty hands clutching the blanket. Rin could hear her own breathing quickening and could feel her heart racing, but she couldn't stop it. She couldn't control it and she knew that she needed to before she passed out. She was having a panic attack.
Rin blinked back tears and tried her hardest to maintain control…to find control. But it was getting harder and harder to actually breathe now. Just as she felt her body about to give out, her bedroom door flung open and Kira raced in. In a blink of an eye, Kira was holding her and petting her hair, soothing her mind with some lullaby Rin had heard once.
After a few minutes, Rin felt her body relaxing in Kira's arms and with a final sigh, she rested her head on Kira's shoulder, breathing heavily.
"Rin, are you alright now?" Kira asked. It wasn't the voice Rin wanted to hear. But that voice had been silenced years ago and Rin knew that there was no way she'd ever hear it again. She nodded slowly as a tear escaped her eye. Rin abruptly turned from Kira and settled back in her bed, pulling the cover and sheet over her body. Kira sighed. "You do this every year."
"Leave it alone, Kira," she muttered into the blanket, staring at the empty wall beside her bed. The bed lost the weight and Rin knew Kira had stood. Kira had gotten the message: Rin had meant, "Leave me alone." She heard Kira walk to the door and was hoping that the girl would leave. But Kira turned around one final time.
"You can put on the brave face to everyone else and make it seem like you're this incredibly strong woman that can handle everything," Kira said and Rin winced at the accusation. "But, on the inside, you're still that same little broken-hearted girl I met one day at the park. And you always will be if you continue to let the past's secrets haunt you." With that being said, Kira closed the door behind her and left.
Rin turned and laid on her back, hand on her smooth forehead as silent tears streamed down her face. She stared at the ceiling for a long time, allowing for Kira's words to sink in. Her best friend was right; Rin just never would admit that. Sighing, Rin wiped her face and glanced at her clock. It was only three o'clock on a Wednesday morning.
She still had a few more hours to sleep. That wouldn't be so bad except for one thing: Rin didn't want to sleep.
And she didn't.
Oooooo
It wasn't a surprise for either Kira or Kenji when Rin didn't show up to class for the day, opting to stay in bed for however long she needed to. Well, that was the excuse Kira gave Kenji. In reality, Rin had left campus around five o'clock in the morning, claiming she was going for a run. Kira hadn't seen or heard from her since.
"We really are a fucked up crew," Kira proclaimed as she deleted all of Kenji's latest texts and disappointed herself with the sight of no messages from Rin. She sighed and set her phone down just as Kenji came into view. He was walking towards her and despite her better judgment, Kira couldn't help but find him so adorable with that grin on his face. Stupid cute, her mind quipped before she fixed a glare on him.
"Hey," he said and leaned over to kiss her. Kira rolled her eyes and turned her face away, making him kiss her cheek. Her skin tingled and Kira hated it. Kenji sighed and sat beside her. "I'm guessing you're still mad at me." Kira stared at him for a long time, feeling tears prickling her eyes before blinking and setting up a poker face.
"Actually, Kenji. I'm not. In all actuality, I'm not mad anymore," she replied and his lips widened into a smile. Kenji wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.
"Good. Now, we can go back to normal," he exclaimed and leaned over to kiss her, but Kira put a hand in his face.
"No, we can't," she snapped. "Because you see, Kenji, I'm not mad anymore. No, I let go of the anger. I'm just…done." Abruptly, Kira stood and walked away from the lounge, heels clicking. She knew Kenji was following her and was not surprised to feel a large hand envelope her arm. She turned and met Kenji's confused face.
"Done? Done with what?" Her heart hurt and emotion clogged her throat, but Kira steeled her expression.
"With this. With you. With us…" Kenji's eyes saddened immediately and his hand tightened on her.
"You don't mean that."
"Yes, I do," Kira replied. "I can't take this anymore, Kenji. So, let's be grownup about this and end…whatever this is." She tried to walk away, but Kenji sped in front of her and halted her.
"Whatever this is? Baby, this is love. I love you," he proclaimed and tried to kiss her again, seizing her by her forearms. Kira managed to put some kind of distance between their bodies and kept him from kissing her, but she couldn't get out of his hold.
"You love me, but you hide from me. You love me, but you keep secrets. This is supposed to be love?" Kira spat the word out bitterly, not being able to keep the tears from falling. "If this is your version of love, then that's good to know – "
"No, it's not," Kenji argued, trying to make Kira look him in the eyes. When she finally did, his heart broke. The gorgeous turquoise eyes that had captured his heart years ago were filled with tears and realized why Rin got so angry with him. These weren't just tears Kira showed to him during arguments. These were pent-up tears that he had caused, that he had never noticed.
He truly was the epitome of the worst boyfriend. Ever.
"You know I love you. There are just some things that I'm not ready to tell you…" Kira watched him bite his lip, still keeping things from her.
"Secrets you're not ready to tell me, but you love me. What happened to being honest with each other? Love demands trust and honesty on both sides, but I haven't got shit from you. You hold me at bay and treat me like a stranger, but you supposedly love me?"
"Kira – "
"No, you listen," she barked and any person that walked in the hallways dispersed, not wanting to get the wrath of the pink-haired beauty that was telling her boyfriend off. And Kenji? For all his mighty talk and muscles, he was quiet as a mouse. "One time, you tried to tell me that I was just paranoid for no reason and using every argument as a reason to push away. And you were wrong then and you are wrong now and don't you dare try to tell me otherwise. Kenji, you know I love you and I probably always will. But I hold onto you for dear life, but you never let me all the way in.
"You keep pushing me further and further away from everything. You rarely want me at your house or near your family. You've gone days avoiding me and ignoring my calls. And I am so done with this and you. So, this is over. We. Are. Over." Kira was sobbing by the time she was done.
"I am not letting you go," Kenji growled, yanked her to him and kissed her roughly, almost forcing all thought from Kira's mind. But she regained her senses and pulled herself away, staring into stormy grey eyes.
"If you love me, you'll let me go. Now," she told him. Kenji refused for a long time and the two stood there in silence, neither saying anything nor doing anything. Then, reluctantly, Kenji released her and Kira sighed. "Love hurts; I know that. But it's not supposed to feel like this." Feeling the oncoming tears, Kira started walking away from Kenji, breath hitching in her throat at every breath she took because she was fighting the urge to sob again.
Kira hadn't even made it down the hall before she heard a loud commotion, causing her to flinch and for her heart to clench in fear. She whirled around and saw Kenji still there, his fist into the wall beside him. She gasped and stared as he pulled his hand out of the gigantic hole in the wall. People were definitely gathered in the hall, but Kira ignored them.
All she could do was stare into the heartbroken, angry eyes of her now ex-boyfriend.
I guess Rin isn't the only one on the broken-hearted girl train, she thought sadly before walking out of the building and towards her next class.
Ooooo
Rin paused, clutching the sleeves of her white jean jacket as she stared at the grassy area. The wind whipped past her and tugged her hair in its breeze. Squinting her eyes at it, Rin observed the area. It was quiet. No one was visiting today. The sky was blue and the cool breeze of the oncoming autumn made the place peaceful. It was a perfect day and Rin was at the last place a girl should be on such a beautiful day.
She was at the cemetery.
Rin began walking onto the grass, passing different headstones. Dead flowers were one way and more alive, vibrant flowers were another. She smiled at one grave because a kid must've tied a balloon to the flowers there. Rin faintly remembered a time when her mother had snuck out here to sit. She'd always been beside this pretty tree whose branches leaned over slightly so that Rin could climb them.
Rin remembered catching her mother one time after her father had given her a ride. She ran to her mother, sat in the woman's lap and asked her why she came her so much. Mrs. Fumiko smiled softly before telling Rin that the cemetery didn't contain dead bodies. It contained beautiful, lively souls that watched over this place and watched over their loved ones. She told Rin that sooner or later, she would be one of those souls and that if Rin came out here one day, she'd feel her around. Rin hadn't realized that that moment for her mother to become one of those souls would happen so soon.
"Hey," she exclaimed to the grave. It lay before that same exact tree her mother used to sit by. She knelt before the grave and reached out to it daintily, caressing the surprisingly smooth stone. "It's that time again. You know, the anniversary of your death. I decided to keep up the tradition and visit you.
"I had told myself that I would go to school, but I didn't have it in me this time. I couldn't take it and that dream was so real. And I am so scared." Rin was crying now. She could barely see the grave anymore because of her tears. "The truth is, there's so many things I need to talk to you about, so many things I wish you were her for. I miss you and that scares me because that means I'm alone and I don't want to be alone." Rin covered her face with her hands and let out a sob. When she looked up, she now read the words:
In Loving Memory of a beloved couple who loved each other more than their love for life and whose legacy will live on through their even more beloved baby girl.
Mr. Sai Himura Fumiko and Mrs. Minako Isobel Fumiko
Rin felt more tears come at the first name she read and recalled the hours she waited at the hospital for her father to come only for her aunt to arrive. Seeing the grief-stricken look on Sakura's face, Rin knew her father was dead. She later found out that he was found bound to his office chair with a hole in his chest and his head chopped off but then placed back on his body neatly.
"Daddy," she whispered sadly. "You weren't supposed to die too. You weren't supposed to leave me too."
Rin didn't feel the eyes watching her.
Ooooo
Sesshomaru scanned the seedy bar, disappointed in himself for not going to a much more upscale place. However, he was not in the mood for some gold-digging whores and even more egotistical bastards that wanted to increase their popularity in the world. He may have been the son of a wealthy businessman, but that didn't mean that he was a socialite like his brother.
No, he'd rather gut a motherfucker.
His eyes fell on a disturbing sight. At ten o'clock at night, Rin Fumiko was at this rundown bar with no friends in sight and drinking what appeared to be some kind of vodka. He could tell by the way she swayed on the stool that she'd been here for a while. And this wasn't her first drink.
"Well, if it isn't the mighty Lord Sesshomaru of the West," she exclaimed dryly when he arrived, voice dripping with sarcasm and a hint of sadness. He smelled the strawberry-flavored Ciroc from where he stood. "And to what do we owe this unpleasant surprise, Mr. Takahashi?" Sesshomaru sat on the stool beside her.
"You shouldn't be here, girl," he told her and Rin bristled.
"I have a name, so use it," she snapped. "And what are you gonna do? Make me go home? Or are you gonna rip my throat out in your demon form like you did Takada back in the Feudal Era?"
If Sesshomaru was surprised by Rin, he definitely didn't show it. Well, he did raise an eyebrow but that was all the inclination he gave her. He was genuinely surprised that she had read that far into her textbook. They wouldn't be covering the feudal era until December.
"You will never see me in my true form," he told her seriously. Rin laughed in his face before gulping down the liquid. Sesshomaru watched her face scrunch up before she grinned at him. He cut his eyes at the bartender before the young man could refill her glass.
"Why? Afraid I won't like the big, bad puppy?" She teased and giggled.
"Rrrrriiiiiiinnnnnnn," he growled at her and Rin laughed again.
"What? Am I supposed to be intimidated by the infamous warning growl of the mighty Lord Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Rin, glaring at her. "You might be the all-powerful, intimidating Sesshomaru that many people cower from. But you don't scare me, not in the slightest." Rin was smiling now, challenging him with her. "So, come on. Hit me with your best shot."
She was taunting him and Sesshomaru knew that. She'd done it before.
"It's time for you to go," he said and stood. Rin scoffed and turned away. Without warning, Sesshomaru hoisted her out of her seat and Rin felt like a little doll in his arms. A very pissed down.
"Put me down you tall, mean doggy," she cried and thrashed in his arms as Sesshomaru practically yanked her out of the bar. As soon as they were outside, Rin managed to ease herself out of his grip and tried to walk back into the bar. But some slimy-looking guy stopped her.
"Hey, sexy. Wanna dance?" He asked and Rin smiled drunkenly.
"Let's go," she replied and just as the guy was about to wrap an arm around her waist, Sesshomaru grabbed the guy's wrist, squeezing tightly. The guy let out a cry.
"Absolutely not," Sesshomaru growled possessively and shoved Rin behind him. Satisfied with her position, Sesshomaru threw the man to the ground and bared his canines at him. The human shrunk back in fear and Rin watched in absolute disbelief.
"Are you honestly scared of him?" She asked the other guy and he walked away. More like ran, if Rin wanted to be honest. Rin called after him, "You shouldn't be scared of him. I'm not." Sesshomaru grabbed her upper arms and turned her to face him.
"You have done this for the last three years and this will be the last time you ever do this again. You will not come back to this bar ever in your life. I will not allow this." Rin didn't like Sesshomaru's tone when he spoke to her. He was authoritative and controlling.
"And why do you care?" She snapped.
"Because I have been saving you from making a fool of yourself since you were thirteen," Sesshomaru growled and Rin stared at him in confusion, not drunk but not sober either. "As soon as you were thirteen, you ran away on the anniversary of your parents' deaths and started coming to this bar. And I have been the one keeping you from getting raped or worse, killed. Your stupid human ways of grieving are not helping and they make you look pathetic. And you will stop this nonsense. Tonight." Rin glared at him despite the tears in her eyes.
"Nobody asked you to do shit for me." Rin could've sworn Sesshomaru winced at her words, but maybe she was just imagining shit. She had about four drinks. "Like you said, my fucking human ways make me look pathetic. And we all knew that Lord Sesshomaru hates all humans. So, why do you care what happens to a little pathetic human like me?"
Sesshomaru didn't reply.
Silence filled the air and Rin didn't realize how close they were until then. Her hands her against his chest, no longer pushing. He still gripped her upper arms and had her pressed so closely against him that she could feel every inch of his body. And her feet were barely touching the floor, so she was literally face-to-face to him.
Sighing, Sesshomaru released her and let her stand on her own shaky legs. Rin frowned at him defiantly and folded her arms over her chest. Sesshomaru needed a drink. This girl was fucking tiresome. How he was stuck with her didn't know.
"I'm taking you home, Rin," Sesshomaru said and Rin shifted all of her weight on her left leg.
"No." Sesshomaru was in her face in a flash and Rin gasped at how small she felt. At that moment, she actually felt intimidated and a tad bit afraid of the stony look in Sesshomaru's golden eyes. She almost forgot how gorgeous they were.
"Let's. Go." He gritted out the words and without any more arguing, Rin nodded slowly. Satisfied, Sesshomaru grabbed her arm and hauled her to his 2012 Escalade.
The hybrid – as Kenji had pointed out at one point – was silver with black details. The glass windows were tinted. Sesshomaru unlocked the car, opened the passenger door, and helped Rin into the truck. With her buckled up, he closed the door and was in his seat before Rin could observe the inside properly. And when she did, she had to say she was impressed.
The stunning interior, trimmed in elegant brushed aluminum accents and polished chrome appeared to accommodate up to eight people, though Rin knew he lived by himself. Luxurious details include supple leather-trimmed, 14-way power-adjustable front seats with memory settings and elegant French-stitched seams, a premium 10-speaker Bose® 5.1 surround sound system and a leather- and wood-trimmed steering wheel. How Rin knew half of that crap she didn't know.
"Nice car," she commented without a response. She huffed and gazed out the window. Fine, he didn't need to speak. Wasn't hurting her none. Yeah, it is, her mind taunted her. She told it go fuck itself.
The ride was filled with silence and Rin shivered slightly, pulling her jacket closer to her body. Without looking at her, Sesshomaru flipped on the heater and tossed her a blanket that was on the backseat. Rin wrapped herself in the soft blue fabric.
"Thank you," she said quietly. Still no reply. She didn't say anything for a minute, opting to stare out the window. But then something occurred to her. "So, I was right back at the bar with Kagura. I remembered you from nights like these?"
Not a fucking peep from the demon. Rin frowned.
"Look, if you're not gonna say anything, then you might as well just drop me off at the next corner. I can wait for the next bus." She didn't think he'd say anything after that, but after his sigh, she knew he would.
"Yes, Rin. You were right." He told her, still not looking at her. She stared at him for a long time, trying to get some emotion out of him.
"You could've just let me get raped or whatever," she replied and again, Rin could've sworn he winced. Sesshomaru never wanted to think of anything like that to happen to Rin, not if he could stop it. Just the thought of some other man with his hands on her sent waves of animosity to his very core.
Mine, the darker part of him whispered and Rin watched his eyes flicker red momentarily. Had she just pissed him off? She read that dog demons' eyes bleed red when they're ready to change. It happens when they're mad. It happens when they're aroused to, but she wasn't doing anything to turn him on.
"Why do you do this?" She whispered and the mesmerizing gold hue returned, locking her in place.
"Because I have to," he replied and for a moment, Rin felt somewhat hurt. She felt like she was a responsibility, a burden he'd been cast with.
"I hardly believe anyone can force you to do anything you don't want to do. You don't have to save me." She spoke almost bitterly, still whispering. They stopped at a light. Sesshomaru turned his face to her fully now.
"Trust me, I have to," he admitted. "I will never let anything happen to you. Ever." They stared at each other for a long time and Rin leaned her head back against her seat, not able to take her eyes off of the gorgeous demon beside her.
She saw honesty in his eyes and actual concern. But she also saw confusion and understood completely. And Sesshomaru could see she did. This was new for him. He never had to care about anyone before. Sure, he had family, but he didn't have to care about her. However, he did and he couldn't explain why. She didn't even have the answers for him.
"Well, thank you," Rin whispered and gave him a soft smile. For a second, his eyes softened at her and Rin felt her heartbeat increase before the light changed out of the corner of her eyes, breaking the connection. Sesshomaru turned back to the road and pulled onto campus.
Sesshomaru pulled into the parking lot closest to Rin's dorm and Rin stepped out of the car on her own, placing the blanket in the seat. Sesshomaru watched her every movement.
"I'm sober enough to get to my room," she reassured him. "Thank you."
Sesshomaru nodded.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Rin." Rin smiled sadly before walking into the building. Once she got into her apartment, she noticed Kira on one of the couches. The girl was laid out and there was a book on the floor. Rin could see tears on her friend's face and knew she would question her about it later. But for now, she was exhausted suddenly. She pulled a pink blanket over Kira, who snuggled into it responsively, and walked towards her room. When Rin pulled her bedroom door open, Rin gasped.
Sesshomaru was standing near her window. He'd been waiting for her. Sesshomaru had planned to drive home and drink some wine. Then, he'd drown himself in grading some tests that seniors took that might just disappoint him in the end. Yeah, he'd planned on downing the entire bottle. But the urge to see Rin again overpowered everything and he parked the car down the street before climbing through her window.
"Sesshomaru," she breathed out, flicking on her blue lamp. "What are you doing here?"
"I will not allow you to stay up any longer. You barely got any sleep last night and that will not happen again," he told her. Sesshomaru's lips curved into a slight smirk. "You need all the rest you can get for my test tomorrow." Rin chuckled and tore off her jacket, throwing on a pink bean chair.
"Right," she nodded. "The psychological analysis of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky." She kicked off her combat boots and climbed into her bed, not caring to pull the blanket over herself. Sighing, Rin watched Sesshomaru turn the light off now. "Sesshomaru?"
"Yes, Rin?"
"Can you stay with me for a little while?" She asked. She didn't understand why she asked. Sesshomaru hadn't even hinted to her that she was his mate or that he intended for her to be. So, why did she need him?
"No." She blinked back the immediate tears to his rejection and turned away from him.
"Okay," she said quietly and curled up in small ball. Without warning, Rin's bed sunk in at an extra weight and Rin felt a very warm body press itself against hers, curling into her. "Sesshomaru?"
"Go to sleep, Rin. You need it," Sesshomaru ordered and she relaxed against him, sighing when he wrapped an arm around her waist. Near the verge of sleepiness, Rin opened her eyes.
"Sesshomaru?"
"What, Rin?" He sounded a little impatient and Rin smiled.
"If this is your way of courting me, you're gonna have to do a lot better than this," she told him and she felt the soft rumbling in his chest. He was chuckling at her. She snuggled closer into him. "But you're doing a good job so far."
A comfortable silence filled the room and Rin faintly wondered how many times he'd held her, if she ever even asked him to hold her before.
"Go to sleep, Rin."
"Okay."