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Curse of the Dragon	By : fallenangel7583 Category: InuYasha > General Views: 34158 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 57
- 58
- 59
~~ Curse of the Dragon ~~

~~ Chapter 59 ~~ Rationalization

- acidic content warning.
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Also, I wanted to drop a big thank you to ~anime fan~ for my nomination in the InuYasha fanguild 1st quarter 2005 for the award of best drama. It really means a lot to me, honest. Anyone who is a member of this yahoo group, I just want to thank you for your support. J

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Rin sat in silence next to Sango, watching the other gym kids kick around the soccer ball in a rather vicious game, waiting for the coach to switch one of them in. Though she really didn�t see that happening any time soon, being that as a combined team Sango and her had already taken six players out of the game and had sent three of those six to the nurse with various injuries. Their coach had shouted something the game not being a �contact� sport in gym class, but that hadn�t stopped their warpath until the coach physically took them out of the game and placed them on the bench. Rin had to admit though; the therapy of kicking ass in soccer was well worth it for her psyche. She flashed a smile to the girl next to her then tucked her knees underneath her and rested her head on Sango�s shoulder. She was tired; she had waited up for four hours the previous night after walking out on Sesshoumaru to see if he would join her in bed. When he failed to make an appearance, she had cried herself to sleep. What was she to think? He was drinking�something he rarely did. She worried, and was still worried that he had drank because of her�because of the problems she was facing. Yet she knew in her heart that wasn�t the reason, he wouldn�t waste himself on those thoughts. He had been so strong for her thus far, why would he crumble when she wasn�t there? That answer was obvious to that other voice in her head, the voice of reason that to often out weighed her voice of passion. �He needs to be your strength because you�re too weak to do it on your own. You lean on him for everything�so naturally when you are not there he would break down. How much weight can he carry before he sinks? Think about that.� the other voice in her head, the voice that she tried to listen to more then the other simply answered, �he wouldn�t do that. Something is wrong but he doesn�t want to burden you with it.� Rin wasn�t sure which voice was better to listen to; both alluded to the simple fact that Sesshoumaru was keeping something from her. That thought had kept her awake that night. She wasn�t sure where he slept that night but it was not in his bed. She had faded into a light sleep somewhere around three AM. Instead she tried to push the thought away that something was wrong, if she dwelled on that she was sure that it would give her another panic attack, and that was something neither of them needed. Sesshoumaru had seemed rather normal in the morning, besides for the obvious hangover that caused his eyes to be blood shot and his temper to be short. He hadn�t acted very different on the drive to school; he still wrapped his arm around her shoulders in the car, holding her close to him and still kissed her outside of her English class, vowing to walk her to each class that day. It was different without him there with her but for the first time in school in a long time, she felt at ease. She hadn�t any problems yet�but she could feel her energy draining. She had taken both of her medications after stopping for coffee on the way to school and was beginning to feel the effects. She tried to place her mind in other places, focusing more on the incident in English. With a silent sigh, she appealed to Sango next to her. �How do you think Kagome is taking InuYasha�s sudden appearance? Do you think she�s killed him yet?�

Sango laughed loudly and shrugged her shoulders, tossing her black hair over her right one, away from Rin�s face. �Maybe�we�ll know after school. I want to stop by there just to see what happened. If Kagome didn�t kill him�I�m sure then that mama did. You saw how furious she was that he had just vanished.� Sango frowned, keeping her two cents out of the conversation. She was still furious herself with the hanyou. She was disgusted that he could be so ignorant to his girlfriend�s feelings and just disappear. She hated to admit it, especially about her best friend, but Kagome was to dependant on InuYasha for her own good. Kagome and InuYasha were nearly attached at the hip and the way that InuYasha treated her�in Sango�s eyes, he seemed to find Kagome more of a sex toy then a girlfriend. Much like Rin though, Sango had enemies of her thought logic inside of her head. She didn�t want to give into the other voices, the voices that screamed at her for thinking such things of her best friend�for mocking her best friend. Another voice, a much more sinister one, demanded for her to look in a mirror and say that about Kagome. Sango knew�she knew that she was just as connected with Miroku as InuYasha and Kagome were. She knew that her and Miroku probably messed around more then Kagome and InuYasha could dream of, but the difference was Miroku loved her. �So you�re saying that InuYasha doesn�t love Kagome? How do you know that? How do you even know that Miroku loves you, that he isn�t just using you like you suppose that InuYasha is using Kagome?� Sango hated that voice. The argument was always the same; Miroku would never hurt her like that; he would never disappear�or publicly humiliate her sexually. Sango always cringed at the answers. �Maybe�maybe InuYasha just is a baka with bad decisions and loves Kagome just as much as I do Miroku. Maybe�� Sango rolled her eyes, �and maybe one day I�ll grown wings and fly to the moon.� She rolled her eyes again and sighed.

Rin shrugged, her eyes never wandering from the field. �Well�I�m sure that has to do with Ryen. You know�that he just vanished on Mrs. Higurashi after breaking it off. I�m sure that she was just worried for Kagome, that�s all. I don�t think InuYasha would ever go back into drugs and leave her like that though�I just can�t see it.�

Sango eyed the girl for a long moment before carefully asking, �Rin�you�re not really about to forgive Inu for vanishing, are you?�

Rin looked at her wrist where InuYasha had grabbed her back in English and frowned. A small bruise had formed on her frail skin�skin that once took a lot to be marred. She was sure it had to do with the tranquilizers she was on�something about thinning blood. Sesshoumaru was going to throw a fit�and probably put InuYasha through the wall when he saw. �I don�t know, Sango. I mean�yeah, I�m upset with him but I mean�it�s not really our place to decide what he can and can�t do. I mean, yeah, I worry about Kagome, but if he��

Sango shook Rin�s head off her shoulder and stood swiftly. She panicked�she could not be the only one against InuYasha and Kagome�s relationship�that would make her the bad guy, and she was not ready for that title. �Can�t Rin see how horrible he treats her? Doesn�t she see it?� Turning, she held out a finger towards the younger girl, �you cannot recant what you said! He was a jerk for leaving! He can�t be trusted!� She crossed her arms angrily and looked to the side, while sticking out her chin. �It�s the truth�he can�t be.� that damn voice just had to bite back, �just like you can�t trust Miroku. Face it, Sango�you�re just overly protective of Kagome and don�t want to see her hurt. Or�or you just don�t want her to be happier then you. Does this have to do with jealousy? Does this have to do with the fact that Kagome and InuYasha and Sesshoumaru and Rin can openly display their emotions for each other while you still try to hide the fact that you�re in love with Miroku? Does this have to do with the fact that you�re afraid to admit it because if you do you think he�ll disappear?� Sango frowned and looked to the ground. She knew the others were well aware of her feelings for the Houshi�that she was in love with him. Admitting it though, had been the problem. She had never been able to rightfully word that she loved him. The others had to know that they were�intimate�but how much more did they know? �are you just afraid that if you admit you love him that you�re on the same level then as Rin and Kagome? Are you afraid to say you trust a man? Is that why you are so hard on Kagome and InuYasha, because she trusts him with her life?� Sango made a face, �I guess I really am my worst enemy. Damn��

Rin chewed on her bottom lip before reaching out and taking Sango�s outstretched hand in hers. �Look�Sango, you need to let go of your vindictive side towards InuYasha. I know that we got off on a bad foot with him, but�the more I think about it�the more I realize that I trust him. I don�t like it�and I think he�s an idiot at points, but he has always meant the best when it comes to Kagome. We can either one, back Kagome as good friends should or two, fight her with her choice, make it more stressful for her and really piss her off and possibly ruin our friendship.�

Sango narrowed her eyes and spat back, �you say that he�s always meant the best for her�that�s bullshit! He would never of felt her up in science if he had�he wouldn�t force her into stressful sexually explicit encounters in front of other people. He manipulates her to do what he wants, when he wants, and hell will freeze over if he doesn�t get it. And watch out if someone points out one of his flaws�because then it is our problem and we are horrible people for seeing it that way.�

Rin pouted and looked to the ground, shaking her head slowly. �I�m sorry you see it that way, Sango. I know that he�s pigheaded�and I know I give him more of a hard time then anyone else�but I know where to draw the line. I could see it in his eyes that something important had to be done��

Sango shook her head and pulled her hand away from Rin�s grasp. �Bullshit! Stop lying for him Rin! he might have had something important to do but you don�t just disappear! You don�t do it! I�ll put all the money I own on the fact that he was probably smoking up with those two jackasses he hangs out with?�

Rin scowled and met Sango�s glower. �I really don�t think he was.�

Sango shrugged and rolled her eyes, �whatever. I don�t trust him�if you want to fall into his trap, go for it. He�s manipulative, rude, arrogant and an asshole.�

Rin stared at Sango for a moment before leaning closer and retorting, hardly above a whisper, �and you�re acting like some third grade schoolgirl that wants to put a label on everyone. Normally those who label do it for reasons�like�they have a crush on the person.� She gave Sango a flirtatious grin and batted her eyes twice, �why, dear Sango, do you have a crush on our resident hanyou?� Rin grinned, her reverse psychology working wonders on the horror stricken girl in front of her, �maybe now she�ll get the hell off her high horse when she can admit it.� she simply waited to hear what she already knew.

Sango gawked at Rin until her eyes just about fell out of her head, �are you fucking kidding me? Rin�not in a thousand years! Not even then�not ever! No!�

Rin smiled wickedly and kicked at Sango�s shin playfully, �why, I do believe you do. Oh Sango�what would Miroku say?� she clicked her tongue to the top of her mouth and blinked through her long lashes. �Sango�that�s just wrong. You cannot be in love with�.�

Sango smashed her hand over Rin�s mouth with a promise of death written across her face. �Shut your trap, Rin! I am in love Miroku�I always�� Sango paused and blanched, letting her hand slide from Rin�s mouth. �And there you go�you said it. Was that so hard? Maybe now you�ll leave poor InuYasha and Kagome alone.�

Rin jumped to her feet and pinned Sango with a triumphant smirk. Jumping around in small circles, she pointed at the girl while yelling, �I got you! I so got you! You love him! You�re in love with Miroku! That�s great! Oh�that was so good! I don�t believe that is all it took for you to admit that! We�ve been waiting to see how long it would take for you to say it�I�m just upset Kagome wasn�t here to hear it!�

Sango quickly went from pale white to a dark crimson as she kicked at the grass of the field, �well�don�t announce it to the world!�

Rin paused from her happy dance to blow a raspberry at Sango, �hah, I knew it! Kagome said you wouldn�t fall for that letch but I knew it from the beginning! We were waiting to see how long it would take you to get off your pedestal. See Sango�love isn�t that hard of a thing to have for someone! And yes�I will tell the whole world�and then more! I shall broadcast it across the universe!� she grinned evilly at Sango and then narrowed her eyes, �so if you don�t want that fate, then fess up. What have you two been doing behind closed doors? The Houshi already lives with you�what more are you sharing?� she waggled her eyebrows at Sango and clicked her teeth, �cause I already know, I just want to hear it from your mouth.�

Sango caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she slid down to sit on the bench once more. �We�that is�we�re�well�you know.�

Rin licked her lips and sat down next to her friend. �Maybe if she realizes that she is more like us then she wants to admit, she�ll leave Kagome and InuYasha alone. Maybe�just maybe�she�ll accept them easier if she realizes that it is okay to love and admit it. or if she just gets that stick out of her ass�.� She sighed and pointed a finger at the girl, �I told you�I want to hear it from you! Are you getting it on like rabbits�or more to be said, like Inu and Kagome or�have you two not reached that level of�activity�?�

Sango sighed and put her face into her hands, trying to wave off the heat flash that engulfed her body. �I don�t want to discuss our sex lives, Rin�no offense!�

Rin leaned closer, a near lecherous smile on her face, �so you do have a sex life, then!� it was just to fun to antagonize the girl for information she already knew. Call it retribution for Kagome�and for her sense of humor. Sango just needed to see that it was okay�and maybe talking about it would do it. that made sense to Rin.

Sango nearly screamed. With a few deep breaths, she composed herself enough to roughly retort, �How bout we talk about your sex life Rin�just how is the great fluffy-sama in bed?�

Rin blinked once then laughed callously, �I don�t have a sex life�he won�t let me have one�so I live vicariously through you two, so spill�give me juicy details!�

Sango blinked and sighed deeply. �Well, you�re cornered now! Might as well live it up!� damn she hated that voice. �We�re�involved.�

Rin sighed and held out her hand palm up towards Sango, beckoning for more, �come on; Shakespeare was involved with is work, Kagome was involved with Hojo�there is nothing behind the word involved, it just means that you�re with something, whether being friends or simple stuff. I want details, damnit�details!�

Sango blinked twice at Rin and shook her head slowly, �I never thought these words would come out of my mouth but InuYasha was right�you really are acting like Eri!�

Rin flipped her off, �come on, damnit! We have twenty more minutes and I swear I don�t want to but I will turn this into a game of twenty questions!�

Sango huffed out, �fine. We�ve had sex�happy? That�s it�no more!�

Rin rolled her eyes and scoffed rather loudly, �well that sucked more then a hoe on spring break. You�re details are horrible�you suck at this!�

Sango opened her mouth to retort then began to laugh, �sucked more then a hoe on spring break?�

Rin nodded enthusiastically, �yup�and you know how Kikyo can be!�

The said girl, not more then ten feet away playing goalie on the field turned to glower at the lewd and rude comment from the smaller girl and nearly growled. In that exact moment, Yuka took the opening to kick the ball hitting Kikyo directly in her right temple. Kikyo flew back a step from the impact, landing on her ass holding her head.

Sango�s eyes widened as she nearly keeled over laughing. The entire field had paused to watch the fallen princess force herself to her feet, wiping herself off while trying to hold onto some dignity. She stuck her nose in the air and turned tale to the field and ran towards the school gym not daring to look back over her shoulder.

Rin watched Kikyo run with a small smile on her face. She looked back to Sango, who was supporting herself on the bench that she had fallen off of in her fit of laughter then turned to look at Yuka, who was still smirking like a fool. Rin sighed and shook her head, deciding to play good guy for once and followed behind Kikyo towards the school. She followed Kikyo into the locker room, judging by the echoing of the doors that that was where she was heading. Rin paused at the bathroom part of the locker room where she found Kikyo, who was inspecting the rapidly bruising area on the right of her face. Rin scowled and leaned against the doorframe to the room. She hated Kikyo, honestly�because of everything that had happened. But Kikyo was a victim too; she had to keep reminding herself. Kikyo had been another survivor of Naraku�s sick game. She understood what it was like�what that bastard could do. The difference was that Kikyo willingly endured Naraku�s treatment for the rewards�the few that he threw to her. Did that make her a whore or a smart girl? Rin was never quite sure. �Are you okay?�

Kikyo flinched at the voice then frowned deeper, �are you fucking happy? Damnit�if you hadn�t opened that damn trap of yours, I�d be fine!�

Rin paused, her eyes narrowing slightly as she crossed her arms slowly. �Are you talking about me on the field with the comment or me getting Naraku thrown into jail?�

Kikyo paused as well, seemingly to rethink her words then smirked, �both, bitch.�

Rin shook her head and pushed off the doorframe and took a few steps towards Kikyo, �you can�t seriously be upset that he is behind bars. He raped you as much as he did me, Kikyo�how could you be upset of him not being here? Tell me you�re not serious!�

Kikyo laughed callously and turned to face Rin. �You bet your ass I�m pissed off about it!�

Rin stared in shock for a moment at the girl before snapping her mouth shut and huffing, �that�s right�I�m sorry. I completely forgot that he paid for everything you could ever have wanted. All you had to do was swallow�and let him fuck you like a hole in the wall. Cause that is what you were to him, I do hope you realize that.�

Kikyo slammed her hands into the sink and growled at the girl�s reflection through the mirror, �you were not the only victim Rin! You think you�re so fucking special because you were the one to bring him down. You weren�t anything to him�the things he did to you...you think it meant anything to him? You call me a hole in the wall? Think again dear. He enjoyed our sessions while he just fucked you for a conquest�for the hell of it. Think about who is really nothing before throwing those insults around.�

Rin licked her lips and sneered, her temper beginning to boil, and the sudden impulsive want for blood began to fester in her soul. It was blackening her heart but at the present moment, she didn�t care. �I�m sorry that I didn�t take it with my legs spread, Kikyo! You know, I was going to offer to talk to you about it�to see if you wanted to talk about it. I know that you didn�t want his advances but decided to go another route then me about them. I can�t say I respect your decision to actually be willing to sleep with that bastard but I was going to offer��

Kikyo turned off the sinks faucet and turned to face Rin. �Save your offers for someone who needs them. I don�t need to be lectured from a girl who is just as guilty as I am. I slept with Naraku for protection and for a place to stay and access to money. Yeah�I took his shit and yes, he ruined parts of my life�but I�m not letting that ruin me. You�you�re sleeping with Sesshoumaru for the same reasons, and yet I�m the whore. I don�t get it.�

Rin�s eyes widened as she took a step towards Kikyo, �Sesshoumaru and�� Rin grimaced and ground out, ��Naraku�are nothing alike! Nothing at all!�

Kikyo scoffed and pushed past Rin. �You�re right�Naraku was handsome.�

Rin had never been more inclined to jump onto someone back and claw their throat out as she was at that point. She dug her nails into her palm to keep herself centered and bit back, �fuck you. Sesshoumaru is so much more then Naraku could ever be. Naraku was a monster�a vile creature that deserves death. You know, Kikyo, I don�t get you. One minute you want people to pity you because Naraku fucked you�willingly�and then the next minute you�re standing up for the bastard. I think you need your story straight. Maybe you should go see a shrink!�

Kikyo turned at the exit of the gym to glower at Rin. �I hear that�s what your doing. How is that going, by the way, any revelations yet? Have you seen the light? Have you realized that you were just about begging Naraku to fuck you?�

Rin was in front of her in a minute, her hands balled into fists, shaking her head slowly, disgust registering in her eyes along with a blue flame of hatred. �what the fuck is that supposed to mean?�

Kikyo leaned forward and smiled wickedly, �all the times you fought him�that you tried to get him to leave you alone�it was all in vain. And you knew�you knew that if you fought him he would be pissed and would fuck you up worse then he normally did. Yet you always fought. You just wanted him to fuck you, you little whore. Now you just don�t want to seem like you are anything like me�you don�t want them to know you enjoyed it. You don�t want to seem like a whore, so you made up some bullshit lie about it being rape.� She took a step closer to Rin so that she was just about breathing down her throat, �news flash, bitch�you�re just like me. You�re a whore, a slut�a fuck toy. You just want Sesshoumaru to think that you didn�t beg Naraku to fuck you like the bitch you are! You disgust��

Rin�s fist connected with Kikyo�s jaw, bellowing the echo of her bones cracking through the empty gym locker room. Not even truly aware of what she was doing, Rin let the burning feeling in her heart take over. She tackled Kikyo out the gym door by her waist; send the two sprawling into the hallway. It was only a millisecond before Rin was straddling Kikyo�s stomach, bludgeoning her with a barrage of punches. She had felt blood splash her face�her shirt�her clothes, but she kept hitting the girl. �How dare she? That bitch! She�ll learn what pain is!�

Two sets of arms draped themselves around Rin�s arms and waist, pulling her away from her bloody target. She fought them, tooth and nail, like a primal animal trying to get back to it�s kill. She felt cornered�contained. If someone else had stepped in front of her, she probably would have taken him or her down as well. That happened to be Miroku�s mistake. Having successfully pulled her off of Kikyo by her waist, he left her in Sango�s arms to try to calm her down. The minute he walked a step closer to the front of her, Rin lashed out with her foot, catching him in the stomach with her right foot and following up with a hard kick to his groin with her left. Miroku�s eyes widened as he let out a high-pitched groan and fell over into a fetal position and slowly rocked back and forth. Sango gasped and let go of Rin�s shoulders, regretting it almost instantly.

A small crowd had formed to watch the event and Rin tore through them. Within a second, she grabbed Kikyo by her hair, who had just stood up, blood still dripping down her head from where Rin had cut her forehead open with her knuckles, and yanked her backwards towards her. She slammed Kikyo backwards into the floor and dug her nails into the girl�s shoulder, as she lifted her fist to pound her once again. �Say it again, whore! Say I�m just like you again and I�ll end you!�

Kikyo forced her eyes open to glower at Rin. She spit a wad of blood at the girl and bit back, �I�m wrong�you�re more like Naraku.�

Shades of death seemed to pass over Rin�s face as her fist connected squarely with Kikyo�s nose. She felt the bone shatter under the impact but she didn�t stop. She raised her fist to strike again when a set of arms wrapped around her, instantly dragging her back roughly. A set of teeth grazed the back of her neck and instantly Rin let her head drop to her chest, showing absolute submission. She didn�t need to see a face, she knew instantly who it was.

Sesshoumaru had reached Rin right as she had nearly driven the human�s nasal bones into her brain. Before she got a second chance to kill the wench, Sesshoumaru was on her. Pulling her back by her arms, he lowered his mouth to her neck and bit into the skin lightly yet hard enough to make his point. It was the ultimate demand of a mate, submission. He didn�t really question whether or not Rin would give in�it was expected, and she did not disappoint.

To Rin, it was as if Sesshoumaru had sucked out all of her anger as he held her by her arms, his teeth so dangerously close to her jugular. She bit back a sob as she relaxed against his chest, waiting for him to give her the okay to move. As soon as he lifted his head from her, Rin turned around and plastered herself into Sesshoumaru�s chest sobbing.

Miroku forced himself to his feet, holding onto the wall for support. He had never felt such intense pain before in his life. he felt an arm wrap under his and he threw a thankful look towards Sango. Silently, they helplessly watched Rin begin to cry anew into Sesshoumaru�s chest and could only blindly grasp at what had transpired while they were outside. Sango had decided to follow Rin inside when she didn�t come back immediately. Slowly, they switched their attention to Kikyo. Two of the coaches had picked her up and were taking her to the nurse to get her patched up. They mentioned calling an ambulance. Miroku sighed as the crowd began to disperse and two security guards, Kaede and two coaches pulled Sesshoumaru and Rin off towards the main office. Sango sighed, watching everyone go separate ways and rested her head on Miroku�s shoulder, �Rin�s gonna get suspended.�

Miroku nodded slowly, his eyes still filled with unshed tears from the painful blow. �Damn�she can kick fucking hard as hell.�

Sango shrugged and planted a gentle kiss on Miroku�s cheek. �You�ll be okay�just walk it off.�

Miroku simply raised an eyebrow to Sango. Shaking his head, he began to limp towards the gymnasium itself. �Rin�really�kicked her ass, didn�t she?�

Sango bit her lips. After a moment, she let out one chocked laugh, �man�that was good.� She stifled a grin as she tried to hold a serious connotation about her face.

Miroku looked over Sango before nodding slowly, �Kikyo got her ass handed to her. To bad that is gonna cost Rin some serious out of school suspension time�or detention time if they decide to go easy on her.�

Sango shrugged and kissed Miroku�s cheek again, �I�m glad she stood up to Kikyo�s bullshit. I can guarantee that Kikyo antagonized Rin into that. Bitch�she got what was coming to her.�

Miroku smiled and nodded. �Indeed.� He shook his head again, praying for the blinding pain to stop pulsating from his groin. �I�ll be okay. Why don�t you get changed and I�ll walk with you to science?�

Sango nodded then hesitated. �Uhh�Miroku?�

Miroku looked at Sango for a moment, his hand still in hers. He blinked; reading the uncertainty on her face then frowned. He brought his left hand to her cheek and stroked her gently, �what�s the mater, love?�

Sango blushed crimson and looked to the gym floor, her face loosing color every minute he stared at her. �Well�I told Rin�that�well��

Miroku tilted his head and gently touched Sango�s shoulder. �What did you tell Rin?�

Sango sighed and ran a hand through her loose black hair. �Why is this so hard to admit?� she sighed again and looked up into Miroku�s purple eyes. �I admitted to Rin that I�m in love with you.�

Miroku paused; his eyebrows creased and pouted, �You mean you never told them before this?�

Sango sighed again and chewed on her bottom lip, once again unable to meet his piercing gaze. �Well�not really��

Miroku shifted on his feet, suddenly finding himself uncomfortable with the topic of discussion. It was one he wasn�t fond of; dejection�public embarrassment for being with someone. �I thought she was happy with me�why would she wait so long to tell them that we�re�that we�ve�� He sighed tightly and waged, �Why didn�t you tell them?�

Sango shrugged and looked to her feet. �Well�honestly�I don�t know. I just�well�that is�I never thought�I just didn�t. Can we go with that for now?�

Miroku paused, not liking her answers much at all, and his frown deepened. �I will leave it be, Sango my love, if that is what you want. I am interested, though, as to why it has been a big deal for you to admit such knowledge.� He paused as his heart skipped a sorrowful beat, �you aren�t�ashamed�of us�of me� are you?�

Sango�s eyes widened and she grabbed Miroku�s hand, �no�not at all. It�s just�I feel like a hypocrite. I�I�ve been really tough on Kagome because of how much she put into her and InuYasha and well�I don�t want them to look at me with the same views I had of them.�

Miroku blinked and clenched his jaw, not liking where the conversation was going. �Sango, my sweet, what views did you hold of your friends?�

Sango shrugged, tears welling in her eyes. But Miroku didn�t pull her into a comforting embrace or hush her. He merely stared at her. �i�god I feel like a bitch. I�ve done nothing but yell at Kagome for getting so close to InuYasha and the same around. I�ve tried to warn InuYasha away from Kagome. I don�t know why�but I just felt like �I don�t know�that she�s to good for him. And I didn�t want them to think�because I love you�and I know we are supposed to be together�but I didn�t want them to be able to say��

Miroku put his hands on her shoulder, forcing her to meet his gaze. He seemed angry but the loving taint of her was still ever present. �Sango, you need to understand something. You will never think someone is good enough for your friends. You will always want your friends to have the best I understand this. What upsets me though, is that you didn�t support your friend�s decisions. Kagome and Rin both need your support and yet you mock their decisions. That�s not good Sango�not good at all.�

Sango let one tear slide down her cheek before wiping it away. The trail it left on her face though was searing�it burnt into her soul. �How could I have been so blind and selfish?� she sniffed back more burning tears, �I was such a bitch. Especially towards InuYasha, I was horrible with him. It just�angers�me that he could treat her so disrespectfully. Do you know what I�m talking about?�

Miroku simply smiled. �Yes, my love, I understand you completely. But you have to understand that it is Kagome�s decision what to do about him and these problems, not yours. You have to support her whether you want to or not. If you voice your opinion, which is fine, and she accepts them, so be it. But if you tell her how you feel and she says your wrong, don�t keep pushing, or for that matter turn your aggression towards the object of her affection in hopes of pushing him away. Think about how crushed Kagome would be if you scared him off.�

Sango looked up to meet Miroku�s gaze and let her forehead lean forward to rest against his chin, �I need to talk to her.�

Miroku nodded, �I think you need to talk to her as well as InuYasha; separately then together. You need to tell InuYasha why you feel how you do and then give him constrictive criticism how to make their relationship better in your eyes, but don�t forget that it is InuYasha, at the end of the day, who knows what Kagome wants and needs.�

Sango sniffed back her tears and pulled away from Miroku�s face. She brought her lips to his and brushed them across his gently, �how did you get so smart?�

Miroku repeated the action then pressed harder for a chaste kiss. �It comes with the title.�

Sango laughed and pulled back, �go get changed, and I�ll meet you back here.�

Miroku smiled and leaned forward to kiss her once more. �I love you.�

Sango smiled into his mouth and responded, �I love you too.�

~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~

Kagome opened her eyes slowly. She could feel that she was covered head to toe with sweat and it was a disgusting feeling. The Tylenol, she guessed, must have taken effect because her joints didn�t hurt half as much as they had that morning. But the relief of pain was not what had woken her up. The feeling that had woken her up was that of the gentle yet insistent rumbling under her. She remembered something about her window from earlier and remembered feeling suddenly a hell of a lot more at ease then she had in days but never really understood what it had been. She was able to discern objects now; her vision wasn�t as blurry as it had been that morning. And what she had her eyes set on was the naked chest beneath her. For a moment, she panicked and half the mind to smash her lamp over the intruders head. But she paused, knowing the feeling that shot through her bones all to well; she was peaceful because of him�because he was here. She felt herself growing warm again, but not by fever, no, this was induced by rage. �He just thinks that after being gone for four days he can just worm his way back into my bed when I�m sleeping like he never left? Is he suffering from a bout of temporal insanity?� she narrowed her eyes and looked at his face. InuYasha was sleeping, or at least he seemed to be. She couldn�t help the flutter in her heart as her eyes washed over his face, but the anger outweighed the brash judgment. �I was so worried about him�so worried that I just about made myself sick, and he�s fine�and just shows up when he wants to? Oh hell no�� She reared back and let her right hand swing.

A firm hand caught her wrist right before her hand met flesh. �That�s not nice, princess.�

Kagome�s eyes widened as she pulled her hand from his grasp and sat up so that she was straddling his waist. She narrowed her eyes; ready to slap the arrogant grin that she was sure was brewing on the hanyou�s face, clear off him, but paused. He wasn�t grinning like the Cheshire cat, he wasn�t smirking his dead sexy grin towards her�he was frowning, and he looked worried, concerned�even scared. Kagome blinked once before her vision blurred. Stars burst in front of her eyes and she nearly fell off her bed completely. Two hands wrapped around her hips and caught her before she toppled off the bed and carefully placed her back into the warm enrapture of her lovers arms. She tried to fight him again but found herself nearly incapable of moving, let alone striking him. She groaned as a sudden wave of nausea hit her like a truck. �Inu��

He must have sensed it because before the bile could reach her mouth, she was in kneeling in front of a toilet, his chest pressed against her back and one hand was wrapped around her stomach the other holding back her hair. She didn�t have anything inside of her stomach but it demanded for her to try to empty the contents anyway. She vomited what liquid she had consumed then as the heaves grew in demand, she vomited bile. It was the worst feeling she ever had, dry heaving until it forced something through her throat. Her windpipe burned, her lungs ached and she was dizzier then before. She heard the toilet flush and felt her back being pressed against a hard cold surface. A moment later a cold cloth was brushed across her forehead, temporarily cooling her body a degree or two. She sighed and turned her head with the cloth, begging for more attention from it. She felt like she was burning up again.

InuYasha knelt down in front of Kagome and ran the cloth over her neck while brushing her hair out of her face. His eyes narrowed as he saw a slight glassy gaze work its way back across Kagome�s eyes. He reached out and ran the cloth over her face again, directly over her eyes and she gasped. He put a hand on her chin and held her head. �Babe, before you go back to sleep, you to use the bathroom. You haven�t been out of bed since yesterday Kagome�you should try to relieve yourself. I�m going to step out, do you think you can manage?�

Kagome gazed at InuYasha as his words filtered through her ears. She wanted to scream at him for leaving her for so long, she wanted to lash out and make him understand how much he had hurt her, but she couldn�t. Whether it was the lack of energy or the inability to yell at him anymore, she didn�t know. She simply nodded and took his hand to help her stand. She rested her weight on the counter and shot InuYasha a pointed frown, �I�ll be fine. Get out.�

InuYasha held up two hands and backed out of the tiny bathroom before shutting the door. He sighed once and rested against the opposing wall. There was so much he wanted to ask her�so much he wanted to know. He wanted to know what she had done when he was gone; he wanted to know where she had gotten sick. He wanted to know why Sango said she had worried herself sick. �I�m such an idiot. Why didn�t I just tell her Thursday after I got to Kyushu that I was there? Maybe she wouldn�t be like�this�if I had. Damn.� He shook his head and then frowned when he heard the toilet flush. Kagome appeared in the doorway a moment later, looking very disheveled. She took a step towards InuYasha then wobbled. InuYasha was by her side in an instant, his arms wrapped securely around her waist. �Careful baby�I don�t need you falling down the steps. Let�s go lay down.�

Kagome tried to resist but couldn�t find the fight words or body strength to fight him. She walked next to him quietly while they entered her room. Only when they reached her bed did she pause, �where�are my pants?�

InuYasha laughed once and ran a hand over his face. �Your mom left you in jeans�I figured that it would be more comfortable for you not to be wearing those but I didn�t know where your sweats were.�

Kagome nodded slowly before falling back onto her bed. She curled into a ball, sleep pulling at her eyes once again before she could say another word. She felt the bed shift in weight as InuYasha crawled up to pull her into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulders, tears coming to her eyes. �If I wake up and he�s gone�I don�t know what I would do. He�he can�t leave me again. Not again�� she sighed contently as she felt his arms wrap securely around her and she whispered, �Don�t�leave��

InuYasha kissed her forehead and reapplied the cloth he had brought with him to her forehead. He reached over and brought the glass of water to her lips. Giving her very small amounts, he put the cup back and kissed her forehead again. �Don�t worry baby�I won�t ever leave you.� he smiled sadly, realizing she was already asleep. �Damn�there is so much I need to tell her and it figures that when I can say it�she�s unconscious. Damn.� He kissed her head again and shifted her weight so that he could curl her back into his stomach and wrapped his arms around her waist. Pulling the blankets up over her, he kissed her head then closed his eyes, allowing himself a little more time for some shuteye.

~*~*~***~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

InuYasha heard a rather stern cough but chose to ignore it. Kagome�s breathing patterns hadn�t altered much over the past hour; therefore he knew she was still asleep, as she should be. He wasn�t sure though why he woke up�or for that matter who had coughed. It took him about two minutes to lift his head from the pillow to see Mrs. Higurashi standing in the doorway, a tray of soup and water in her hands that was shaking ever so slightly. Catching the glint in her eyes, InuYasha realized she was just about shaking in anger. He frowned and sat up, removing his arms from Kagome very slowly. She whined under the loss of his warmth yet fell back asleep instantly. InuYasha swung his legs off the bed and stood, stretching once more before gesturing to let him take the tray. Mrs. Higurashi simply stared at him as if he had grown four heads off his neck. �Okay�she�s pissed.� He sighed and took a step forward. In the lowest whisper he could manage, he coughed out, �Mrs. H, let�s bring this into the hallway, I don�t want to wake up Kagome.�

The smile that grazed Mrs. Higurashi�s lips was cynical at best. She moved around the hanyou, her eyes darting to the form of her daughter. �Oh no, we don�t want to do that. Not that you sleeping in the same bed as her wouldn�t disturb her either.� She placed the tray on the nightstand and whirled about to meet InuYasha face to face. The young man was shirtless and his jeans were ruffled. He probably had been here since she left. That made her wonder if he was again sleeping in her daughter�s tree. �I really am going to need to nail that window shut.� She swallowed hard twice, trying to compose herself to say more, �you�you disappear�.�

InuYasha held up two hands, his eyes slightly wider then normal and beckoned to the door with his head, �can we please take this outside?�

Mrs. Higurashi crossed her arms slowly, shaking her head. She scoffed and turned to take the thermometer off the old tray. She walked around Kagome�s bed and sat down next to her daughter. Gently she shook her awake by her shoulder. �Kagome�I made you lunch on my lunch break�wake up dear. You need to eat something.�

Kagome opened her eyes very slowly, her head still pounding from the fever that wouldn�t go away. She blinked at her mother then turned over slowly, trying to bury her face in her non-existent hanyou�s chest whom she thought still was lying next to her. She blinked when she got a face full of pillow then turned back over and sat up slowly, stretching. �InuYasha?� her gaze fell on the hanyou and she wasn�t sure whether to smile or frown, or for that matter, scream. What she did notice, besides for his rather naked toned chest, was the pissed off dark glower on his face aimed directly at her mother. Kagome wondered for a moment what she missed before turning to her mother. �Mama? Aren�t you supposed to be�� she yawned once and nodded slowly. Her throat hurt to talk�she felt like her tonsils were the size of golf balls. She could feel something was off about the situation but her brain just couldn�t grasp it�not being this sick.

Mrs. Higurashi held one finger to her daughter�s lips then slid the thermometer under her tongue. �Keep that there for two minutes. I�m going to have a word with InuYasha then I�ll be back to help you with lunch.� She turned on her heels, her face darkening with every step. Passing the hanyou, she grabbed his bicep of his left arm and tugged him out the door after her. Reaching the hallway, Mrs. Higurashi made a show of pulling the brown wooden door of Kagome�s room closed before turning angry eyes on the hanyou. Holding up one hand with her palm facing the hanyou to stop any retort he might offer, she commented with little room for argument, �I have a couple questions I want you to answer for me. Lets start with this one�why is my daughter missing her pants?�

InuYasha shifted his weight nervously. �Damn, I was hoping she missed that fact.� He cleared his throat and bit back, �well, I wasn�t the one who let her sleep in jeans while she has a hundred and three degree fever. You should have gotten her changed into something more comfortable.�

Mrs. Higurashi raised an eyebrow, �and underwear is better when she�s sick?�

This time InuYasha did roll his eyes, �look, Mrs. H., I had her already laying on me�.� he closed his eyes and held up a hand, �I don�t mean it�we didn�t�I didn�t�� he sighed redundantly and forced out, � I didn�t know where her sweats were.�

Mrs. Higurashi was trying to stay calm�she was really trying. With a deep breath, she snapped back, �My daughter is very sick��

InuYasha met her glare and cut her off. �You�re right. What I want to know is why she isn�t in the hospital. She should be seeing a doctor right now, not lying in a bed by herself...home alone!�

Mrs. Higurashi put a hand to her forehead and walked in a tight circle around the hanyou, �do you know what I do�to try to keep this house running? I threw out a lot of time of spending with my kids so we could make the mortgage�but because of that, I became the horrible mother that didn�t know where her kids were. So I stopped working so I could help�correct�� she threw him a pointed glare, ��their behavior. Then I start falling behind on payments. It�s tuff, dear, not having that much extra money laying around to throw away on pointless items. My late husband may have been rich, but that money is for my children. So I have to work�and today happened to be my first day. I had no choice�I had to leave.� She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, �tell me, is there anything I can do right InuYasha, that would suit your tastes?�

InuYasha narrowed his eyes, �sure, you can get your daughter medical help. Look, she�s burning up! She�s already vomited bile once! Good thing I was here or else she might have choked on it�or she could have passed out and hit her head while attempting to get up! She could have dehydrated. I understand your busy, Mrs. H., but your kid�s welfares should come first and foremost. Don�t give me some bullshit reason that you couldn�t help it. I�m trying to help it��

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head slowly, �but you�re not! You�re the reason she�s like this�she was so worried that she had done something to piss you off that she walked around a damn park for two hours in the pouring rain. Not only did she get herself sick, she put herself in danger! I heard about the encounter with Naraku�s lackeys at school�what makes you think that they aren�t still out there?� she shut her mouth and shook her head, �Where did you go that you couldn�t have called her? Was it that important that you were willing to put my daughter at risk over?�

InuYasha blinked at the news as it cut through his soul like a knife through butter. �She�s sick because�she put herself in danger�damnit!� he sighed deeply, running a hand through his loose hair. �What I had to do doesn�t concern you. I�m sorry Mrs. H. for putting it that blatant, but it�s the truth. I�m going to tell Kagome what happened and explain everything to her but I don�t need to justify myself to you.�

Mrs. Higurashi nearly exploded. Her normally serene face broke into a furious glower directed at the hanyou, �What the hell do you mean you don�t need to justify yourself to me? I�m her mother, damnit, I deserve answers!�

InuYasha licked his lips and crossed his arms; �you don�t deserve anything right now. You left your daughter in danger so you could go to work. She could have died!�

Mrs. Higurashi scoffed, �then you understand how I felt every day when she was out gallivanting with you!�

InuYasha felt his lip curl back at the obvious stab at his ability to protect his mate�the one thing that no one should ever challenge a Youkai about. He took a step towards her mother and looked down at the five foot two petite woman. �Are you saying I can�t protect my mate? That I�m incompetent of doing so?�

Mrs. Higurashi�s eyebrows rose, �Mate? Mate! You�re hardly out of high school and don�t hold a job. How can you even consider yourself mated to my daughter? Don�t tell me you consider all girls you sleep with your mates��

InuYasha growled back, cutting her off, �it doesn�t matter if I hold a job or not. I know how I feel about Kagome and I understand the meaning behind my words. Kagome is my mate. I love her.� he sneered once and shook his head, �if you know anything about Inu Youkai, then you know that we only claim one mate.�

Mrs. Higurashi bit back, �what exactly are your intentions with my daughter, InuYasha?�

Without missing a beat, he responded, �I�m going to make sure she gets better�then I�m going to make sure that she�s never out of my sight. After we graduate, I�m going to make sure she does what she wants to in life, whether it be attend college or get married. But make no mistake; I�m going to marry her. I promised to protect her and I will�forever. And there is nothing you can say that is going to make me change my mind. I love Kagome with all my heart, Mrs. Higurashi, and there isn�t anything I wouldn�t do for her. I�d lie down and die for her if it meant that she would feel better today. I�d die a thousand deaths just to see her smile, a million to hear her laugh. I love Kagome, with all my heart and soul. She�s what I�ve been missing all these years! And the peace that she�s granted me�the serenity from all of the problems I�ve had in life�I don�t think I could ever repay her for what she�s taught me over this past month. I�m going to try though.� He paused for a breath and cut Mrs. Higurashi off from speaking, �I know you worry about my intentions with Kagome, because I�m an idiot who messes thing up. I can�t help it at points; it�s a baka gene. But just because I do fuck things up, doesn�t mean that I�m against Kagome�or I�m out to hurt her. On the contrary, I would die if something happened to her. You don�t know how much it hurts right now knowing that she has been sick and I haven�t been here to hold her�to make her better. I hate myself right now for leaving her alone for this long. I messed that up�but if she had come with me on what I needed to do�� he paused and looked down, his voice softening and becoming a near inaudible whisper, �she couldn�t have gone with me. I don�t want her to see what my life was before her�see what I came from. I had to visit family that isn�t that�receptive of me�so I could get something that my mother left for me�and for Kagome.� He heard Kagome cough through the door and he frowned then swallowed hard, trying to clam down his frying nerves. �Now if you excuse me, Mrs. Higurashi, your daughter needs someone to be with her and I want that someone to be me. There is things I want to talk to you about�but not now�not like this.�

Mrs. Higurashi met the hanyou�s stare with a small and gentle smile, her anger seeping away with the hanyou�s words. �At least I understand that he does love my daughter.� She sighed and nodded slowly, �all right, InuYasha. Here are the rules; one, if I come home again to find my daughter with no pants on, you�ll be out on your nose on the street.� When the hanyou opened his mouth to retort, she held up a hand, �if she is still incapable of changing herself tonight, I will do it myself. You may stay with her while she is sick�during the day.�

InuYasha crossed his arms and shrugged, �if you don�t want me here at night, you�re going to have to physically remove me.�

Mrs. Higurashi responded, �I�m sure Ryen would love to help with that.�

InuYasha raised an eyebrow and snapped back, �we�ll see. I think if anyone would understand my need for being around her, it would be him. So try that one again��

Mrs. Higurashi opened her mouth to speak then snapped it shut. She blinked slowly then sighed, �then you�re sleeping on the floor. I do not want you in the same bed��

InuYasha threw his hands up and yelled, �Mrs. H! I�m not going to molest Kagome while she�s sleeping! Fuck�what kind of guy do you take me for, anyway?�

Mrs. Higurashi tapped her foot while meeting his angry golden glare, �that little add on to your rant��while she�s sleeping��that�s what I�m worried about!�

InuYasha sighed and ran a hand over his face, �it�s not like we can do anything anyway. It�s that�time�for her.� he made a face and shifted uncomfortably. Definitely not a conversation he wanted to have with Kagome�s mom. His eyes widened as he realized his slip, and rambled to try to repent it. �Not that we would�under your roof, especially while she�s sick. I understand and respect your rules. But no�not under��

Mrs. Higurashi rolled her eyes and pinned him with a glower, effectively ending the rant. �If I even think that you are messing around with my daughter��

InuYasha held up both hands, a small grin pulling at his lips, �I�ll be an angel, promise.� He could just about hearing the mocking laughter of his Youkai blood.

Mrs. Higurashi scoffed and opened up the bedroom door, �that would be the day.�

InuYasha gawked for a moment before storming through the door after her. He walked to Kagome side, brushing past Mrs. Higurashi and sat down on the bed next to her. She was awake yet her eyes weren�t focused; she was looking off into nothing again. He ran a hand through her hair then took the thermometer from her mouth. He glanced at it then nodded slowly, �102.3. Not bad�not good either but going down.� He handed the meter to her mother then turned himself to sit by the headboard. He ran his hand through Kagome�s bangs and lowered himself down to kiss her forehead, �hey baby�look at me.� he gave a full hearted honest smile when her eyes clashed with his, �We need to get you to drink some water, okay?�

Mrs. Higurashi retreated to the doorway and muttered, �good�temperature is down�very good.� She turned in the doorway to watch InuYasha carefully lift her daughter onto his lap. The young girl curled herself around her lover, sitting sideways on his lap and buried her face in his chest. Mrs. Higurashi sighed and watched them silently�nostalgically. �So familiar�the scene, that is. Was it really twenty years ago that I slept in this room�that I had similar arguments with my parents? Where has the time gone?�

InuYasha reached over to the tray and picked up the glass of water. Slowly and carefully, he brought the glass to Kagome�s lips. �Take a little bit, Kagome�� he held the drink while she sipped the water, his right hand holding her head and his left the glass. Returning the cup with one hand, he cradled her against his body with the other. He rubbed her arms and then pulled the blanket up to cover her half naked form. He nuzzled her head, and whispered to the girl, whose eyes were trained on his face. �Are you hungry? Do you want to try eating?� Kagome merely shook her head �no�. InuYasha frowned and wrapped his arms around the young girl holding her tighter. �Are you feeling any better?� again, she shook her head �no�. He smiled into her hair then kissed the crown of her head, �do you want to try to get some more rest?� She feebly nodded on that one. InuYasha frowned then looked up to meet Mrs. Higurashi�s gaze. �I�m gonna get some sleep�I�m sure she�ll be out cold in a few minutes. Would you mind shutting the door Mrs. H.?�

Mrs. Higurashi nodded and blinked slowly, backing up a step. �Take good care of my baby, InuYasha, I know you will.�

InuYasha nodded towards the older woman, �you have my word.� His eyes dropped to the girl in his chest and he smiled at the fact that she was already sleeping. It worried him, slightly, that she was that tired but she needed to sleep off the sickness. Maybe�maybe she would be more awake in a little while. He smiled and turned her slowly, trying not to wake her, to rest her lengthwise against his body. Pulling her head to his chest, he yawned once more, checked on her consciousness status, then closed his own eyes, allowing himself to be dragged into dream land once more.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled and closed the bedroom door. Outside, she leaned against the wooden frame, tears welling in her eyes. �My daughter�my how she has grown.� Her thoughts traveled to the silver haired youth that lay with her daughter in her bed. �He�ll take care of her, I know he will.� She felt her smile falter then slide off her face as a similar scene in the same room replayed through her mind. The characters involved though were not her daughter and the same boy�but they were of the same blood. �Twenty years,� she mused while fighting down the tears, �twenty years is a damn long time.� The images were lost to the years of being stored in the darkest part of her memory�but his words never left her. Sometimes, while sitting on an airplane on her way to a new convention, or while driving her car or sitting behind a desk, she thought back to that night; the night that her world seemed to end as a foolish teenager. �Come with me�we could get the hell out of here before something bad happens, but I can�t do this without you. Screw what everyone says, they don�t know shit! Come with me, baby, please! Please, Kauai, come with me. I�ll give you the world!� It wasn�t meant to be�and she realized that now. If she had gone with him when he asked�if she had left that night of her junior year, she would never of had Kagome or Souta�she would never have been blessed with the wonderful husband she had. She wouldn�t have been given the miracles that she remembered. But�what if she had? What if she had gone with Ryen? What if she�.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes. �No�my life�s path was perfect. I do not regret a single moment of it. I love my children�and I am happy with my decisions.� She grabbed her briefcase from next to the couch and walked to the door of the house. She paused for one moment, allowing her a moment to compose herself. �They look so much like how we did�InuYasha is a duplicate of Ryen�just with those ears�� she hadn�t told Kagome but the news that InuYasha had disappeared had rocked her possibly more so then it did her daughter. �Just like how it happened. That night�after I refused to run with him�Ryen was just gone. I thought�I thought we agreed to wait, to graduate before doing something so brash. But he�he just left; without a goodbye, without reason�without me. I understand now�now that he finally explained it. But does that change anything? Will InuYasha crush Kagome in the same way�with the same words?� She fought down the tears again as she opened the door and nearly ran into the man standing on the other side. She nearly dropped her briefcase as her mouth slid into an �O� shape. There was a long moment of silence before she moved forward and closed the door behind her. Only then did she turn to the man. �Figures�thinking of the devil�� she took a deep breath and asked astutely, �What are you doing here?�

There was a long pause and then a deep sigh. Amber eyes met hers and simply stated, �We need to talk.�

~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~

Rin threw her book bag onto the couch and stormed up the steps towards her bedroom. She didn�t go to his, she simply turned right at the top of the steps and walked into her room and slammed the door. She was pissed. It was bad enough that she had to sit there, for two hours, and listen to Kikyo�s bullshit about how she never enticed Rin to put her fist into her face�how she was a perfect angel and would never do such a horrid thing. The upside of the two-hour interrogation was watching the range of emotions flicker across all the company�s faces on Kikyo�s proclamation of innocence. Then Kikyo was sent away�back to class�and Rin had to be lectured as to the right paths for releasing anger. Kaede patronized Rin for nearly an hour about thoughts of anger management and needing better control. Sesshoumaru had remained quiet until Kaede demanded for Rin to attend anger management courses. At that point, he stood, asked what her suspension would be then promptly told Kaede, in a number of very choice Sesshoumaru-like words to shove the classes and that Rin would be back in school the following day. Kaede saw no need to suspend Rin for to long�being that they all knew Kikyo�s disposition in life. But the fact that Sesshoumaru had let that wench babble on for an hour�that pissed Rin off. They hadn�t spoken more then two words in the car, and with the added tension of the fight with Kikyo, their argument from the night before and the drugs that she was under the influence of, she had all but broken the door off of her Porsche when they arrived home. Rin crawled under her covers, praying to be able to sleep the whole incident off.

A moment later, the door to her room swung open and an angry Inu Youkai barraged in after her. Sesshoumaru paced by her door, walking back and forth in front of her bed then paused. He had been nearly as pissed as Rin throughout the lecture but thought Rin would shut the old hag up from her ranting. It was only after two hours of senseless babble that Sesshoumaru realized she had been waiting on him�and was pissed. What got him was the thought of the anger management classes. Kaede knew Rin was seeing a physiatrist. To be on school property under the influence of tranquilizers, he had to provide the school with all of the information. But to throw more counseling on top of her already laundry list of problems�he snapped. Yet even after all of that, Rin was pissed�at him. He would never understand women, he came to realize as she stormed into the house. With a deep sigh, he turned and glowered at the form of the girl on the bed and sighed deeply, �Rin. Stop this nonsense.�

Rin peaked out from under the blankets she had tossed over her head and body and growled back from her tiny cove, �leave me alone, Sesshoumaru.�

Sesshoumaru fought with himself not to smile as he approached her side. He knelt down in front of her blanket induced tent and sighed once more, �if you don�t come out of there then I will come in after you.�

The girl simply retreated further back under the blankets with a plastered frown. Sesshoumaru shrugged, kicked off his shoes and climbed under the covers to find his mate. After a moment, he found her in the furthest corner of her bed buried under four blankets, with her knees curled firmly against her chest. Her eyes were bloodshot from the crying she had done in the car. She paused and looked up at Sesshoumaru, her breath rasp from the heat and pressure of all the blankets they were currently buried under. Yet even through the blankets, he could sense her sorrow. Her voice was hardly above a whisper. �It�s not my fault.�

Sesshoumaru frowned and tired to push off all the blankets. He failed, miserably as he nearly tangled himself more in the material. Resulting to other methods, he grabbed the girl�s knees with one arm wrapped around her and pulled her forward. She yelped, surprised by the sudden movement and landed on her back next to the Youkai. Sesshoumaru twisted to his side, resting his head on a propped up hand, and utilized his night vision to depict the scene. Rin was lying now on her back staring at him with a rather bland expression of annoyance. Her black hair was fanned out around her head like a pillow and her shirt had risen up just over the slender curve of her stomach. He licked his lips, trying to focus his mind elsewhere then on the ravenous beauty in front of him and grounded out, �I never said it was. Personally, I would have ripped her throat out if she had said that about you in front of me. Kikyo is the least of our problems, Rin.�

Rin sighed and threw her hands above her head, stretching once, allowing her entire stomach to be exposed. She had caught on moments ago to the older demon�s strife of seeing her so�exposed. She knew how to use it to her advantage. She forced a pout to her silky red lips and cooed out, �Still�I should not have been suspended for the day. I mean�shouldn�t they have kicked Kikyo out as well?�

Sesshoumaru scowled, his eyes trained on the tiny pink stud of her belly button ring, �just be glad that you were not expelled. You�re lucky that you didn�t permanently damage Kikyo�she could be expensive to fix.�

Rin giggled and brought one of her hands to her mouth, trying to wave off her yawn. �Yeah�whores can run lots of money.� She flashed Sesshoumaru a smile and then rested her head closer to his. She knew he had lain down next to her, but wasn�t quite sure where. �Sessh?� silence was her answer. �Why did you get drunk last night?�

Sesshoumaru sighed and closed his eyes, hoping that she had forgotten about that little�slip. �I was not drunk.�

Rin bit her tongue for a moment before grinning wickedly. She rolled to her side and judging by the quick intake of air, realized she had gotten much closer to her target. She reached out her hand and luckily landed it in his hair. She twisted a lock around her fingers and gently fingered the silken strands, �yes�you were.�

Sesshoumaru watched the girl for a moment while she played with his hair then sighed, �I was not drunk�I had simply consumed some alcohol, well within my limits of being able to do before getting shit faced.�

Rin blinked then licked her lips, �why? You don�t drink for the hell of it�what happened that made you want to?�

Sesshoumaru scowled and gently tried to pull his hair from her grasp. No such luck. He sighed and relented, �it is nothing to worry about Rin. It is something I shall deal with when the time is right. Do not fret.�

Rin�s playful demeanor faltered and she tightened her grasp on his hair. Pulling hard, she lowered his head towards hers, �I�m going to worry because whatever it was had you worried enough to drink. Now spill it!�

Sesshoumaru winced at the girl pulled on his hair and sighed heavily. �Rin. Stop it! You�re acting childish.�

Rin barked back, �So are you! You got drunk but don�t want to tell me why! What the hell am I supposed to think Sesshoumaru, answer me that!�

Sesshoumaru sighed and pressed his lips against hers harshly, cutting off any more of her banter. She didn�t resist and met his force with her own. Before Sesshoumaru could realize it, she had him on his back and was straddling his abs. Her lips were pressed solidly against his, demanding his attention. Her hands were pulling at his shirt in a matter of seconds, much faster then Sesshoumaru�s brain could process what had happened. His hands went to hers, which were latched onto his now bare shoulders as her lips worked their way across his jaw line. God did that feel good. He relented and grasped her hands in his, �Rin�stop.�

Rin stared down at Sesshoumaru, a small smile creeping to the corners of her lips. �Are you�� she brought her lips to his neck and let her tongue glide across his pulse and up towards his chin, �absolutely sure�� she nipped lightly at his chin then teased the same spot with the tip of her tongue, soothing over the flesh. She repeated the action a few inches over towards his right cheek, �you want me�� she paused and lifted her head to press her lips against his. Catching his bottom lip between hers, she gently ran her teeth over the appendage. Only after prodding his mouth with her tongue once, did she finish her sentence, ��to stop?� by time she was done with one sentence, she was pretty sure herself that she didn�t want to stop. Before allowing Sesshoumaru ample time to justify the situation and stop it, she slammed her mouth down over his. With one hand wrapped in his hair, she let her free hand trace his bare chest, letting her nails trace paths over his chest muscles, abs, then dart around back to rake down his back, leaving red trials in her wake. She nearly gasped outright when his mouth attached to her neck and his hands worked her shirt free from her body, taking her bra with it. How he managed to sneak it off, she wasn�t sure, nor did she really care.

Sesshoumaru had been shocked at her dominance to begin with but there was no way in hell his bitch was going to run this situation. If they were going to do this, it would be on his terms. While Rin pleasured herself with raking paths over his back, he had worked the clasp loose on her bra then pulled off her shirt and bra at the same time. While she gawked at the sudden rush of cool air, Sesshoumaru tossed her off of him to his right and turned to pin her to the mattress. He lowered his lips to hers and slammed his lips over hers, letting his tongue drift into her mouth. She bucked beneath him, her pelvis pressing against his rock hard member. Her eyes lightened and she clasped her arms around his back. Sesshoumaru smiled as how much her scent had increased; she was wet�with need�for him. He let his lips drift from her lips to her neck, leaving small red marks on his path. He sucked at the fragile skin of her neck and shoulder while his hand worked its way into her pants. He breathed a heavy sigh into her neck and thrust his nose into the crook. Forcing words to articulate in his mouth, he asked her quietly, �are you sure?�

Rin threw her head back, bearing her neck for him with a faint moan, ��Sesshoumaru�please�� she had never known such a fire to exist as the one that burned inside of her at the current moment. She needed him�she needed him inside of her, to be one with her. She gasped when his teeth nicked the skin of her neck, his fangs leaving a very small indentation on her neck. She knew it wasn�t a mating mark, but it was a mark of intent. Others would know�and that was enough for her. She lifted her head to watch as Sesshoumaru let his lips drift down her chest, dragging his tongue down the valley between her breasts. She groaned as he worked his way back up, letting his tongue flick over one nipple while his free hand worked on pulling down her pants. Apparently she had the same idea at the same moment because as he freed her, she freed him. Her hand wrapped around his member and she began stroking him, soft and gently at first, working the skin around the base of his head before moving down to actually begin the jerking process. Rin met his molten gaze and gave him a heated smile, lust blossoming in her eyes, �I love you��

Sesshoumaru licked her right nipple once more, and then lifted his mouth to plant it over hers. He wanted to simply claim her then, rut with her until the sun rose the following morning. He wanted to hear her scream his name as she climaxed around him. Instead he smiled, kissed her with ease that he didn�t know he could possess; it was a gentle and tender kiss that if persisted upon, could have made Rin come with little more interaction. He smiled then let his mouth drift back down over her breasts, teasing her once more with his tongue before kissing butterfly kisses down her stomach, each one as passionate as the one he bestowed on her lips. He reached her lower abdomen and let his tongue trace over the flesh around her core and over the small amount of skin at the joint of her legs. He smiled as she gasped and bucked against his chest, demanding satisfaction and unable to wait for it. He traced over the tender flesh of her thighs while his tongue teased her, avoiding the one spot that she needed the attention to be focused on.

Rin let out an aggravated sigh as Sesshoumaru�s fingers danced dangerously close to her opening. He was kissing his gentle way up her right leg on the skin under her leg right near her kneecap. It was sensual and god did it feel good but it was still a tease. They had fought together, for so long to get a chance to be intimate�and now when they had it he was teasing her. She gasped as one of his long elegant fingers dipped inside of her passage. She moaned loud enough to echo in the room as he pushed the digit into her again before removing it. She lifted her head to meet his gaze and nearly passed out at the sight. He waited for her to look�he had to of�because after Rin met his amber eyes, he lifted the intruding finger and licked her juices off slowly with a sexy grin dancing across his exquisite features. His eyes met her in a clash of passion and fervor. Sparks ignited and burst into ardent flames as amber met coal. Sesshoumaru slowly returned his gaze to her legs as he kissed his way back up her thigh. She groaned again, letting her head drop back as his lips teased her tender skin. �Will you cut that out? You�re such a tease!� she giggled as his fingers danced lightly over her thigh, underneath and maybe two inches up from the junction of her legs. But his touch was different this time�slower, lethargic. It was as if he was�. Rin�s eyes snapped open as his voice reached her ears. The lust had been thrust out of him almost immediately. His voice was pensive�aching with some unknown pain. He sounded so�sorrowful. �Rin�is this�?�

Rin arched her back so she could look down at him, over her mounds, and frowned. Sesshoumaru had pulled away from her and was running his finger over one tiny circle shaped scar the size of a dime�maybe a little smaller. Her body sobered immediately as she jerked back from his touch, an instinct that she had developed with that scar. A frown settled on her lips and she stifled a sigh as she let out as a rasp breath, �can we not worry about that?� Even though Sesshoumaru nodded his head yes with a scowl, the moment was gone. Rin sighed and forced down the string of curses that was building in her body. �Can someone die of sexual frustration?� Rin rolled her eyes and kicked back the covers to allow air to hit the pair. Sesshoumaru had already buttoned his pants and was searching through the mess of quilts for Rin�s clothes. Rin sat up, grabbing her tank top and pulled it over her head. Her eyes drifted back down to her bare legs as she unconsciously traced the scar. She knew that the nerves had fixed themselves long ago�but she still could feel the intense burning and winced as her imagination shot chills up her spine. She swallowed hard and slipped into her thong underwear that Sesshoumaru had fished out from the covers.

Sesshoumaru sat back, watching Rin put on her underwear then as she touched the scar again. Her eyes fluttered, as her memory must have recalled just how she got the scar. Sesshoumaru had seen a number of scars just like that one�but they were normally on people�s arms and hands�clothing more often but nevertheless, he knew what it was from. He held in a sigh as he wrapped an arm around Rin and pulled her into his chest. He dropped his cheek to her forehead and called to her, his voice hardly above a whisper, �if you want to talk��

Rin swallowed hard, knowing that she had never really shared anything about any of Naraku�s perversions with anyone. Would it be wise to tell Sesshoumaru anything? Would he find a way to gut that bastard? A part of her hoped that he would. She swallowed again and buried her face in his chest, �that was from�� she forced out a sigh that turned into a slight cry, �the first time he raped me. It was�� she could feel Sesshoumaru�s arms tighten and she fought back her tears, �at the club. We were arguing over�something�� she sneered and pulled away from Sesshoumaru, while crossing her arms over her chest, �I don�t even know what we were fighting over; something stupid, I don�t doubt. He was sitting behind his father�s desk�pretending to be him, pretending to be someone important. The pretentious little asshole had even put on a fake pair of glasses and was smoking one of those damned Marlboro lights that Diegosan lived on. He told me that he owned me, and I was his to do with as he pleased. I was so angry that he dared to make that insinuation, that I walked around the desk and smacked him square across the face.� She swallowed again, her eyes welling with angry tears, �he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him. He yelled that I was to out of line for his taste. Said I was asking for it, that I was practically begging him. He threw me onto the couch in his father�s office and was on me in a second, pawing�scratching�� she grinded her teeth together as unwanted memories surged through her brain. She could sense Sesshoumaru�s muted anger as well�and it was nearly as powerful as her own. �He�thought it to be a good idea�as he said�to mark his bitch. Before he forced himself on me�he made me�� she made a rather disgusted face and shook her head, �he never took those damn glasses off�or took that fucking stick out of his mouth until he�� hot tears trailed down her cheeks and she automatically flicked them away, �then he forced me back onto the couch and held me down. He took that damned stick from his mouth and told me that I was never to argue with him again�that I was going to be his whore, whether I wanted it or not. He put that damned cigarette against my leg�and he�� she bit back her breath as a sob erupted from her throat. She shook her head and muttered, �I�m sorry�I shouldn�t�I shouldn�t tell you these things��

Arms enveloped the girl and Sesshoumaru pulled her to his chest, a growl bellowing from his chest. He tried to comfort Rin the best he could, which insisted of rocking her back and forth, hushing her in a gentle tone. She didn�t cry so much as she just stared into the wall. He was sure that she was reliving that nightmare�that she was torturing herself all over again. When he saw the scar on her leg, he knew what it was. But he couldn�t look away�the slightest flaw to her imperfection and yet the flaw that held all the secrets of what that bastard had done to her. He realized that he was staring and the words had formed on their own, seeping from his mouth before he could stop them. Shaking his head, he kissed her forehead and met her stare, �Rin, don�t. Don�t wallow in those memories. Make new ones�make happy ones. Think about us�think about our future.� Unconsciously, Sesshoumaru reached out and grabbed her hand. He brought her fingers to the diamonds that hung from her neck then to his lips. He kissed the tips of her fingers and gave her a small frown, �think about us. Know that I love you�you are beautiful to me no matter what. No one is ever going to take you away from me.�

Rin sighed once; letting her eyes drift closed as a small smile broke across her face as his lips traced her fingers. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his, �us�yeah.� It was a feeling of contentment that lured her into Sesshoumaru�s arms�that sang a silent lullaby to her. She wasn�t sure when she closed her eyes but within a few moments, she was asleep.

Sesshoumaru watched as Rin fell asleep in his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. He turned around and lay down, resting her body against his. He wouldn�t sleep�not after that. He knew that Naraku had touched her�many times over. He never knew�never thought that she might have carried more then a mental scar of the event. She would never forget and that mark�the one that Naraku had left on the most sensitive of skin�would see to that. He ran his fingers through her hair, noting the small yet sad smile on her face. It was a start, he guessed, her opening up to him, willing to speak about such matters with him. Maybe�maybe the psychologist was helping. He still didn�t like it, not in the least. �And speaking of the devil,� Sesshoumaru glanced towards the clock on Rin�s nightstand, �we have an appointment later with her.� he glanced down at Rin and kissed her forehead, �maybe I should have some words with her�again�just to make sure she understands that if she even thinks of hurting Rin, I�ll end her.�

~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~

R&R. okay, I really rarely do this (actually I never have) but there are really some great fan fictions out there that I�ve been reading lately and I want to give my props to them and encourage all of you to read them.

On adult-fanfiction.org (great site):
-Possession by Wheezambu
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The Seduction Game by Shizuka Kaze
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Regenerist- botticelliangel

On Mediaminer.org
- Anything by lady Sueric
-The Lucky Ones- Terri Botta
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Movie House Hanyou- Numisma

On FF.Net
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Snapshots of Life- Jade Eyed Wolf
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Crystalline tears- Blood-Tainted Soul

All of these are really great fictions and works that I greatly admire. All of you who write, keep it up! writing is something magical at the fingertips of all individuals in the world!!
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Curse of the Dragon