OXOXOXO
Rin had almost made it out the door before Sango caught her.
"Rin, honey, calm down. You can't drive like this. Come back inside and calm down."
"I can't, not with him in there."
"Then come upstairs and stay in our guest room." Rin wiped her eyes and nodded her head.
"Alright, but just this once." Sango put her in a one-armed hug to lead her up the stairs.
Oxoxoxo
Sesshomaru finished the dishes alone. He had agreed, after all. He was actually much faster without her, but would have been still faster if not for the same woman occupying his thoughts.
She thought he hadn't cared? He'd made his affections very well known to the woman, or so he thought. He distinctly remembered sending her flowers at least once a month and always signing the card "I love you." He'd taken her to the 4th of July fireworks that summer and had even been with her when he talked to the various dignitaries and important people before his shift at his father's booth. He'd taken to the most expensive restaurant for her birthday, and had given her a golden locket. He'd even inscribed it. "To Rin From Sesh." He'd have said more, but there wasn't even room to finish his name. He would have given her anything or done anything for her if she'd only asked. And she hadn't known?
He supposed that could have been part of his… reluctance. She had just been so independent and stubborn! Even more so than his half-wit brother. But that was not nearly enough to deter him. He could be stubborn, too.
Seshomaru growled in frustration when he realized he'd scrubbed a single glass within an inch of its life. She'd always been able to do that, draw his attention away from important matters at hand. He mentally slapped himself and glared at the now over-clean serving spoon before tossing it into the dish drainer.
"My brother, you are in sad shape." Inuyasha leaned casually against the doorframe with his arms crossed and his smile smug. "I haven't seen you like this since… well, college. I never thought I'd see the day when Sesshomaru fell in love."
"You still haven't. And if you're going to talk nonsense, the least you could do is help." Inuyasha shrugged, picking up the drying towel.
"It wouldn't be the end of the world, ya know."
"So speaks you. If you find it so simple, then you go confess to the loud one your feelings."
"Are you crazy? I have no feelings for Kagome."
"Then how did you know which one I spoke of?" Inuyasha glared but didn't know what to say to that. So he'd been caught having slightly more than friendly feelings. That, however, is a story for another time.
"Do now interfere." Sesshomaru shoved the last glass into his hand before heading for the front door, pausing only to make his goodbyes to Miroku, all the girls having moved upstairs.
"No problem," Miroku responded easily. "Just, be careful." Sesshomaru turned around, ready to give his employee and apprentice a good toung-lashing, but Miroku cut him off. "Driving, I mean." He gave his sickly-sweet innocent smile to which Sesshomaru responded with a "yeah-right" one of his own. Nosy friends…
Oxoxoxo
Rin slept in the next morning, secure in the knowledge that Miroku would be going to work and Sango would be home-making. Lucky that Rin also had that day off.
How dare that Sesshomaru just waltz back into her life like nothing had happened. How dare he treat her like an old platonic friend? Did he not remember her confessions? She'd told him that she'd never said that to any other man. How could he just blow her off like that? Was he really as bad as all the rumors made him out to be? She shook that notion from her head. She'd know him more intimately that anyone, and he most diffidently was not emotionless. She'd seen the man's eyes glazed over with desire, for Christ's sake! She'd seen him angry, frustrated, depressed, excited, even tender at moments. And she knew he saved all his outbursts for her and her alone, something heartening in itself. But, like she'd said last night, that didn't necessarily add up to love. Sure, trust was a key element, but not the only one. And he didn't even give her his complete trust. He never truly opened up to her, not really. He always held the deepest piece of himself back. And then, just as she begins to knock down that last wall, he withdraws completely. Leave one lousy note for her at the coffee shop to meet him at the park, then dumps her flat in three sentences. She'd defended him against everyone at the time; said at least he had the decency to do it face-to-face. Too bad she couldn't convince herself with it, though.
Rin padded downstairs in her bare feet, peaking around corners so as not to bump into Miroku. He, however, seemed to have made it to work on time. Sango was at the breakfast table with a newspaper and a mug of coffee.
"Morning," Rin said as she walked in.
"Morning yourself," Sango returned. "How'd you sleep?" Rin shrugged.
"Fine, I guess."
"Good," she said and patted a chair. "You just sit down and tell Sango all about it."
Oxoxoxo
"So big brother of mine," Inuyasha said slipping into Sesshomaru's office and making himself comfortable, "how is your life these days?"
"Be gone," Sesshomaru said without looking up from his laptop.
"Is that any way to treat your only brother?" Sesshomaru merely glared. "Oh, come on, it's not that bad. Happens to the best of us, you know."
"What are you babbling about?" Sesshomaru said tersly even though he knew very well.
"You know, you falling in love. Go on, you can admit it to me, you adorable if somewhat petulant next of kin."
"I make it a habit not to lie."
"Good, so go on and tell me you love her."
"Do I have to tattoo it on your forehead before you'll believe me?"
"So you don't lie or give straight answers."
"Don't you have work?"
"Not for another," Inuyasha checked his watch, "seven minutes. I'm on lunch."
"Why do you insist on bother me while I'm working?" Seriously, he'd be fairly inclined to fire his annoying brother if only he weren't so good at his job.
"Maybe because you're always working. Do you have any idea when's the last time you took a vacation? You have about four months worth built up. The good side of that, though, is it's going to make a heck of a honeymoon." That was it.
"Out. Now. Before I throw you out my window. 64 levels is a fairly good drop, but if you land on your head I'm sure it'll break your fall."
"Going, going. Lunch is over anyway. And don't worry," he said grabbing the knob, "I'll get my revenge back by spoiling all my little nieces and nephews." He slipped out before his older brother could say anything else.
Sesshomaru shook his head to clear the thought of his aggravating brother and return to work. No such luck. Spreadsheets, numbers, companies, vouchers, appointments, stock exchange points; everything just seemed to go in and jumble. He couldn't concentrate on anything except what his brother had said. He was wrong of course, but it still bothered Sesshomaru.
He had dreamed of starting a family with her when he was younger, but that was unimportant now. There were aspects of his life that he just would not get her involved in, no matter how much he still cared.
OXOXOXO