Aww you guys are freaking AMAZING! Like, honestly, the most supportive people ever =) I usually reply to all reviews I get, unless it's too short to respond to. And for all my readers who don't have accounts- I read your nice comments too! I don't get to answer, but know that I do appreciate you ^.^

Now, this chapter is dedicated to my 200th reviewer: I WANT NACHOS who doesn't have an account, so I couldn't tell her (wait, you are a girl, right? I'm only assuming, since you don't have a profile) So, as my thanks, I will feature the couple of your choice, or maybe anything else? Don't worry: that song you mentioned? I haven't forgotten ;) It's simply taking a longer time to appear. So let me know in your review what your prize will be!

Bitter or Sweet?

Disclaimer: Boo Hoo, but no

Chapter 14: SPECIAL- Be Mine: I Dare You!

Don't know if I could ever be
Without you cause boy you complete me
And in time I know that we'll both see
That we're all we need
Cause you're the apple to my pie
You're the straw to my berry
You're the smoke to my high
And you're the one I wanna marry
Cause you're the one for me (for me)
And I'm the one for you (for you)
You take the both of us (of us)
And we're the perfect two

~Auburn: Perfect Two

RIN'S POV

You know what's really sad?

My life.

'Cause the guy in love with doesn't have the decency to text, email, or call me back. Well, he did text me once—

Oh wait.

It was to threaten to get a restraining order.

At this rate, I'll be in love with the same person till the day I die, and when I do, it'll be alone, by myself, with my gravestone saying: 'Rin—a nobody who was not a beloved wife and mother because she was a loner who never got her fairytale ending… RIP.'

Sighing, I rhythmically tap my foot, flipping through my phone idly. Things are so dull here in the daytime since all my clients are at school or work or whatever. Usually, I use this time to do my own personal training, but… I'm just not up to it today.

Why, you ask? Because I'm sick.

That's right—love sick.

Ugh, I'm so cliché it kills me.

If only literally—then I wouldn't have to slowly writhe away because that's the saddest way to spend life you know. I mean, at least Kaggie and her friends get to go to school and be all cute in their school uniforms and such… how I miss those days!

I stop tapping my foot and rest my chin on my arms. It really has been a while, hasn't it? When I think back to the days when I actually had dreams, a strange sense of nostalgia washes over me. To think that my parents' death had an effect on me is rather surprising… Since I hardly ever spent time with them growing up, I thought that even if they died, nothing would change. All they've ever cared about was their jobs. Their work. Their dreams.

What about their occupations as my parents? What about helping me make my dreams come true?

There was none of that. Why? I'll never know.

I clearly remember the day of their deaths. Oh, both my parents were scientists, by the way- they worked in the same department in the same building. It was all very nice and simple. Anyways, one day, a man in a trench coat and dark sunglasses came to my door and told me that while testing a relatively new idea in the form of a chemical experiment, an explosive went off, and by inhaling a toxic chemical residue ejected from the explosive, my parents died.

To be honest, the first thing that came to my mind when I heard the news was: At least they got to die doing the only thing they actually genuinely cared about.

I know it was unfair of me to be thinking this way, but… I couldn't help but feel bitter. I mean, wouldn't you?

I didn't know anything about them. I'd never heard them tell me they loved me. Fuck, I didn't even fucking know my mom's favorite fucking color!

Tears pool in my eyes, but they're not out of self-pity or sadness. They're because I'm angry. Angry because I know fate is such a cruel pain in the ass sometimes.

I used to think that I'd rather have been an orphan than have parents who don't give a stinking shit about me.

Taking deep breaths, I try to calm myself. I try to remember how blessed I actually am—how lucky I was that at least my grandmother was always there for me. She was—is—my family, no one else. Because truthfully, I don't love my parents. In fact, it's hard to say that I even remotely like them.

Why, you ask?

Why, when they're my parents?

Well, I usually don't care (as in, close-to-my-heart kind of 'care') for people I don't know—people who are more or less strangers. It's as simple as that. The only person I've ever really loved at that time was my grandmother. She's my whole world, and I will always been thankful and grateful for being there for me when there was no one else… and that was every day of my life. So yes, you can tell how much I love her.

That's why I didn't apply for university or even technical college.

We both needed money to live. I even offered to drop out of high school, but Gran refused. So we managed to get through my high school (albeit I did have several different part-time jobs). And then afterwards, I chose to 'give back to the community' as my future. Yeah. I got a job.

As a martial artist. Then I bought a small place and now I have my very own studio that I call: Rin's Martial Arts!

Because that's one of the few things I'm talented in, and one of the many things I enjoy doing.

I'm ashamed to say it, but for a large portion of my life, I felt pretty bitter about a lot of things. I was slowly progressing emotionally as my clients started bringing happiness back into my days and I was learning how to smile again.

And then I met Inuyasha.

That wasn't too long ago, actually, but meeting him changed my life—and in a good way. I really do very, very, very much love him—as a younger brother of sorts.

Now, one day, he came into my building (well, it's only two floors, so maybe it doesn't count as a building) and told me he was moving into this area next summer, so I'd be seeing a lot of him. And—okay, I admit—I was interested in him a bit at first. I mean, c'mon—the guy's hot. So I asked him if he was any good and then he gave me this toothy smirk that resembled something of a dog's grin. Must be what comes with the ears and the whole 'dog-demon' package.

After a couple minutes of small talk, we sparred. He won. He won, when the store was called "Rin's Martial Arts"! I was shocked, and (frankly) kind of worried that I'd go out of business. But I challenged him to have a rematch with me in a week and he agreed (he seemed like the type to never back down on a challenge).

I trained harder than I'd ever had for the duration of that one week. Finally, when he came over, we had our match. In the beginning, I was creaming him badly because he'd been taken by surprise by my increase in skill. But then he picked up the pace and dang, he was good. So by the end, we decided on a tie, which I still wasn't completely happy with, but was satisfied. I asked him how old he was. He said fifteen. I was surprised. (After all, he was taller than me. Wait—never mind. Everyone's taller than me.)

I think it was because of his talent for the martial arts. He said he'd been doing it as a hobby ever since he was four. With the muscles he had, I believed him. But as we began to talk, I began to feel as if he were a baby brother to me (or maybe he'd be more of an older brother since he's taller) and I felt like a pedophile for ever being kinda-sorta interested. Man, what a creeper I am. Not that there's anything wrong with Yasha—he's totally awesome and utterly adorable—but no matter how I look at it, Inuyasha is like family.

I think I began to thaw out when he started to talk about why he became so serious in the sport. He said something about being severely bullied about his race—about people always making jokes about him and thinking he was okay, thinking that he wasn't hurt or affected by it when he really was. About how he would dread waking up and going to school because girls mocked him and laughed at him while the boys liked to get rough and made him feel insecure. What was worse was that if he told, nothing would be resolved because he would have 'snitched' on them. After all, he was a boy. And boys, apparently, weren't allowed to rat people out even if meant being practically tortured when at school.

Basically, the sneaky dog boy grew on me.

And while I'm still a bit… hard and unreachable at times, I'm a lot better. I've come to forgive me parents, to try to turn any memories I did have with them into happy thoughts. They were my mom and dad after all, and despite the fact that I don't feel any adoration for them, I still am so grateful for bringing me into this world. So I've stopped trying to take my anger out on them because they deserve better than that. I know they do.

Ding-doo-dee-da-ah-ah-you've-got-a-text!

Grinning, I look at my phone. It's from Kaggie! Yay!

Hiya Rin ^.^

How's business? It's lunch time right now, and I just thought I'd let you know that the letters were successfully delivered, so thank you for all the effort you put in yesterday. You were a big help!

By the way… I gave obligatory chocolates to Miroku and Koga because they're my friends, and I have some for Yasha, too, but I didn't give them to him yet. I was about to put mine in his locker, but when I opened it, like, ten boxes came tumbling out—his locker was crammed with sweets! So I (kind of) got cold feet. After all, mine wouldn't fit in there, right? And I would feel guilty if he got fat all of a sudden. -_-' (I think I just gave myself a disturbing mental image...)

But then he got all mad at me cuz I gave Miroku, Koga, Sango, and Ayame (Don't worry, I didn't forget about you—I'll give them to you today) chocolates and left him out. Hahaha, well, too bad for him!

But I'm walking home with him today so maybe I'll do it then? ;)

Love,

Kags

(PS: Inuyasha told me your 'Sesshy' was free from classes today. I don't know how he knows, but he told me to tell you. Go for it, Rin!)

Ahh, Kagome.

How you brighten my day.

I love her—she's so completely cute and the sweetest thing ever. Seriously, if she and Inu don't start showing PDA, I'm going to push them nonchalantly into a closet, lock the door, and run away. Or something along those lines. Tucking a strand of long, dark hair behind my ear, I tap the 'reply' button.

My dearest K-poo,

Business sucks right now. You just saved my life by sending me your message. I would bear-hug you right now, but you're at school, so that's not really possible, is it? Unless I, like, run over there but that'd be awkward and just plain creepy. Even if I don't have anything better to do.

As for your chocolate dilemma, you should give them to Yashie when you're alone. I always knew he was something of a ladies' man, but I didn't know he was that popular. Whatever. You're probably a trillion times cooler than all his admirers, Kagome! Show him your love! =D

Oh, if Yasha get's fat, I'm taking a picture and use it to blackmail him forever. Bwa ha ha ha. Sesshomaru, you are mine! (I'm going to try calling him again~)

But Kagome, I think you made an error in your text. You're not giving him giri-choco* right? I mean, what reason would you have to give Yashie obligatory or courtesy chocolates? Give him honmei**! (I'm sure your cooking is not that bad)

You guys are dating, aren't you?

Rin

In literally three seconds flat, Kagome answers. Wow, she's good.

What? Why on earth would you come to that conclusion? We're not dating at all! And hey- what did you mean about my cooking?

I roll my eyes. She's such a bad liar, that Kagome. As for the her cooking skills- I'm not going to tread on dangerous territory. I'm not that stupid, you know. I can tell when two people look good next to each other. Don't even lie cuz you're embarrassed or whatever. The sooner you get over the denial stage, the better. I'm Rin. You can't lie to me and get away with it.

But Kagome's apparently serious: Rin, he's not my boyfriend. Sure, he's annoying, mean, and rude, but he's always sweet when it matters most—this makes him almost like a big brother. See? Told you we're not an item.

Brother.

Why is it that that's all girls seem to refer to him as? Is there something about him that makes people not want to get close to him, to not let themselves get attached? Or perhaps it's Inuyasha's own doing? But what reason would he have to put a wall in his heart and not let anyone through? What's the point? Inuyasha is, admittedly, a bit emotionally unstable due to his rather painful past, but a girl like Kagome—sweet, kind, smart, believing Kagome—would never intentionally hurt him, and I'm sure Inuyasha's clever enough to realize this. There is the possibility that they really don't see each other as anything beyond friends, but I've seen the way he watches her when she's practicing sparring, or stretching, or whatever. He may not be in love, but he's definitely interested or cares deeply about her welfare.

Come on—it's not every day that he brings someone to my studio and tells me he wants me to teach them self-defense.

Not only that, but the martial arts holds a significant meaning for Inuyasha, so obviously, showing Kagome a part of his life he holds dear to him clearly means something.

There's something about Inuyasha that is still suspicious. But what…?

Never mind that.

Kagome mentioned something about Sesshomaru being free today? A smile lights up my face as I scroll down in my contacts looking for the one I've labeled 'Sesshy my Fluffy.' I click the 'call' button.

Ring… ring… ring…

"Sesshomaru speaking, how may I help you?"

"Sess? Hi, it's Rin!" I gush happily, my heart constricting agonizingly at the sound of his beautiful—admittedly monotone—voice. "Happy Valentine's Day. How are you? Is school going okay? I just thought I'd call because I missed hearing you—"

"Do you take me for an idiot?" he snaps harshly. "Did you think I was bluffing about getting a restraining order? Well, I wasn't little girl, and I will never—I mean never—take a girl like you as my girlfriend so I'm ending that little fantasy of yours now. Get the hell out of my life because you're fucking annoying! I mean it. Go die- see if I care."

I know I haven't loved in a long time, not counting my grandmother. But all the same, the fact that he flat out hates me is hurting me since my heart is overflowing with love for him.

Why? Because I see a little bit of myself in that coldness, that bitterness of his personality—because I want to reach out to him and warm his heart. Because I know there's something deeper, richer, and sincere beneath all that tough-business-man façade, I knew from the minute I looked into those golden hues that his heart matched those eyes—that it was gold under all that rust.

"Please don't feel as if I thought of you as incompetent in acting out your threat," I tell him lightly. "It's not that I regarded it as bluffing—I just really wanted to hear you today. Sorry if I ruined your day that much. Maybe to you, I'm nothing but a silly bother that always turns a smile upside down, but it's the exact opposite for me—when I see or hear you, I just feel as if nothing could go wrong in my life. Honestly, that's how I feel."

He scoffs over the phone. "I never asked you, did I?"

I smile softly, knowing he can't see. "No, you didn't. But I have a proposal for you, if you're up to hearing it?"

Pause. "Speak."

I chuckle inwardly, but comply. "Despite your anger, threats, and annoyance, I can't stop myself from loving you… However, I will agree to discontinue pestering you if you'll go on a date with my today. One date is all I ask."

Several long moments pass. "Just one date?" he asks cautiously.

I bite my bottom lip in anticipation. "Just one date," I say solemnly.

Insert long sigh. "Fine," he accepts warily.

I'm not usually the kind of girl who has to look picture perfect before heading outside. My style is to pull my hair back in a sleek, high ponytail and pull on a tank top, sweater, and sweats before heading out. No joke. I mean, I think it's perfectly fine going out like that! Seriously, it's comfy, and it's not scruffy or anything so I don't see why some mean girls always give me these really dirty looks when I'm getting raisin bread at the supermarket (I love raisin bread!).

But today is different. Today is special. Because today, I'm going on a date- a real, honest-to-God date—with the person I really like! So I'm going all out. Well, not really, but it's better than the tank and sweats.

I have on a pair of dark wash jeans, a scoop neck creamy-pink sweatshirt with a picture of strawberries on it, brown fake leather boots (just because I love animals), and my jacket and some mittens. For hair, I've parted my tresses in two and tied them into pigtails. Nothing much for makeup, besides a little bit of mascara (Kagome said it looks really flattering on me so I'm going to take her advice!).

I take the bus to the coffee shop that we decided to meet in.

He turns around at the sound of the bells that tinkle when I open the door, and when our eyes meet, my heart skips a beat. Yes, I am a romantic. What of it?

He looks so… so… yummy! His hair is sleek and shiny like always—not a strand out of sight. Also, he's wearing these pair of really awesome-looking jeans and a loose, plain, gray T-shirt underneath his leather jacket. I think I fell in love all over again. I glare at him, and he cocks an eyebrow. It's really not fair at all. Why does he do this to me? If he's going to make my heart pound and hurt this much, I want to do the same to him!

I plop down in the chair right in front of him. "Hi."

"Is there a reason you sound upset? I thought this is what you wanted."

"I do. But I don't get why you have to make me love you so much."

He sputters out a laugh. "Did you really just say that?"

I break out in a wide grin, batting my eyelashes. "Why? You think me loving you is just a joke? Ha—you wish!"

"You're one crazy little girl."

I cross my arms in a pout. "I'm not a little girl. Why do you always call me that? Seriously, my name's Rin, and as I've already told you on the day we were at Kagome's shrine, I'm eighteen! I'm not a child, so you shouldn't think of me as one."

He rolls his eyes and sips his warm drink.

"Seriously," I continue, giving him a persistent look. "We said this would be our first and last date, so, if only for today, please see me as a girl for once."

He stands up, tosses out his cup into the waste basket and begins walking towards the door.

"Hey, where're you going?" I call.

Sesshomaru looks over his shoulder. "Where do you want to go?"

Laughing, I run up and link arms with him. He tries to wriggle out of my grip, but he can't. He may be a demon, but I own a freaking martial arts studio. Try and trump that, Sesshy!

So we end up going to the zoo. In February. Yeah, I'm cool like that.

At first, he refused (obviously), but I won eventually.

And for the entire day, I skipped around the zoo, arm-in-arm (well, on my part anyway) with Sesshomaru, ogling and gaping at a million different little animals, stopping to laugh or take pictures with each one. It drove Sesshy crazy, but I couldn't be happier.

At around five, I was getting hungry, so we drove out of the zoo (not after I said 'bye-bye' to all the animals, though) and just as we were about to pull into some really classy five-star restaurant, I yelled out, surprising him, causing us to almost crash.

"What the hell was that for?" he demands, all pissed off.

"It's just that, I don't want to eat here!"

He turns slowly to look at me. "This place is damn expensive. You should be happy I'm even offering to take you here!"

"Don't get me wrong—I'm honored and all… but I want to eat with you at someplace really homey and comfortable where we can just laugh and talk like sweethearts." I had this real hopeful look on my face that I knew he could turn down if he wanted, but wouldn't, because today was the let's-end-with-a-boom day.

He sighs. Again. Honestly, what's with him and sighing? "So where are we going then?"

That's why five minutes later, we're sitting in WacDonalds, eating our food. Well, I was. Sesshomaru was just looking at his meal as if it was a tourist or something. It was really funny when we were ordering because he was so completely lost. I guess it's 'cause he always eats high-end foods.

As Sesshomaru daintily tries to find mature ways of eating his cheeseburger and onion rings (he says French fries are too fattening for him), I gobble down my Big Wac, nibbling on fries in between.

Since he's certainly not going to talk, I begin rambling about martial arts and how I met Yasha and blah blah blah. He doesn't seem interested, but then again, he never does.

Half an hour later, we're sitting in his beautiful car, listening to my music, as I crank it up and start singing along.

Sesshomaru has this really pained and slightly horrifies expression on his face but he knows better than to ask me to stop, seeing as how the night's almost over.

He drops me off in front of my apartment.

"I had so much fun today, Sesshy!" I beam, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet. "Thank you so much."

He nods once. "This is goodbye," he tells me firmly, not bothering to make it a question.

Eyes lowering in disappointment, I try to smile (key word is try) and then slowly make my way towards the lobby doors. I'm almost there, when I turn around, to glimpse at his face one more time, and I forget about trying to be all suave and cool. I just can't do it.

I run back up to him.

"I'm really, really, terribly sorry—I don't think I can give you up just like that! I love you too much. I'm disappointed in you. Did you think I let you off the hook that easily?"

"WHAT?" He looks like he's been shot. "You're going back on your word?"

I wink. "Well, I didn't pinkie promise, now, did I? And even one doesn't pinkie promise, it hardly counts as a promise at all."

"You- you… w-what—"

Reaching out, I wrap a hand gently around his wrist, push up on my toes, and gently press a kiss on his cheek.

"Talk to you later, Sesshy," I giggle, before skipping into the building with a soul churning with love.

AN: *- giri chocolates are chocos for friends and people you are indebted to, obligatory.

**- honmei sweets are for people you hold special feelings for, and are usually hand made by yourself.

Anyways, everyone, how did you enjoy seeing the darker side of Rin? I loved writing this chap ;) Hahaha I love Rin's excessive use of the word 'love.'

And just as a mini spoiler/sneak peak into the next chapter, I've got a little Inu/Kag planned… some fluff perhaps? Stay tuned to find out what's in store!

Feedback would be wonderful!

And also, the fanfic 'Sachi' by Quillwing717 is very good, but doesn't have as many readers as if deserves so go check it out—It's amazing! Tell her I sent you ^^

Much hugs,

~Nyony

(PS: Daichi really does appreciate the love you give her! :D)Daichi: I would totally appreciate the views and reviews too! Just look me up! Anyway, this was a great chapter! REVIEW ppls!