Innocent Beginnings

Chapter 20: Caught In The Act

“NO, Rin! Not like THAT!”, Kohaku was laughing so hard now that I wasn’t sure we’d ever finish up. “Move right, then left, then right.”, he guided, a chuckle just waiting to happen underneath his instruction.

Nelly’s hip dance beat pounded around us as Kohaku started to move with me, his hand at my waist, one leg wedged in between mine as he patiently led me through the move he’d created - or TRIED to. I was hopeless!

“It’s gettun’ hot in here, so take off all your clothes…”, he sang happily as he patiently started over once again, leaning down to rub his nose against mine.

“SHIT!”, I muttered as our feet tangled and he started laughing even harder than he had been. “I give up! This sucks and so do YOU!”, I growled, shoving away from him to go stand beside the huge shade tree in our backyard. We’d been practicing for over two hours and I still hadn’t got the gist of what he wanted me to do.

He’d called earlier in the day, asking if I’d ‘help’ him make up a dance routine to go along with a karaoke performance his friends had tricked him into performing at the Met in just three nights time. Don’t get me wrong, Kohaku could dance like the devil himself and I wasn’t too bad on my own now that I’d become stronger - but this had both of us looking as if we owned four left feet between us.

“You know this is exactly what you get for playing cards and LOSING!”, I threw over my shoulder. Losing a card game… losing a BET had gotten him into this and nothing but getting up on that stage in front of a packed Friday night Met crowd to perform some stupid song and dance was going to get him out of it.

“One more time..”, he begged. “Please, Rin. ONE more time! I swear, I’ll be extra careful and I know we’ll get it. PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”, he pleaded, his hands closing over my shoulders as he leant down to nip playfully at my earlobe.

“Damn it!”, I laughed, turning to cup his face in my hands in order to give him a healthy squeeze. “You know that if you weren’t so damned HOT, I’d never do this for you, right? I don’t have a clue why you didn’t ask Bimbo or Bambie or Trixie or whoEVER you’re sleeping with now to help you out!”, I growled, much to his amusement.

“Jealous, my pretty? IS that jealousy I hear spouting from between your sweet little lips?”, he teased, pulling me back to where we‘d been practicing for most of the afternoon.

“Shit!”, I spat, then began to squeal as he picked me up and flung me over his shoulder. Laughing, he started to walk backward with me before he was all too soon tripping over his own two big feet to send us both sprawling toward the ground.

“Oops!”, he grunted, rolling me immediately to my side as he leaned over me. “You ok, Rin?”

I shook my head, tears in my eyes as I struggled to catch the breath that had been knocked from my body in the fall.

“Rin!”, Kohaku cried, rising to a sitting position and bringing me swiftly up and in between his legs. “Breathe.”, he soothed, his hand sliding up and down my back. In a burst, air suddenly filled my lungs and with a sob, I flung myself into his arms, holding to his neck as he murmured calming assurances to me.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”, he whispered, his hands stroking down the length of my hair. Taking another deep breath, I looked up at him and smiled, reaching up to touch his face. He looked as scared as I’d felt only seconds before and God, was he gorgeous!

“What are you apologizing for?”, I mumbled, my eyes lowering to his mouth in an instant.

“I hurt you.”, he said. “God, Rin. I didn’t mean to! Are you-?”, he started to say before I took the proverbial bull by the horns and pulled his mouth to mine. Mercy, he could kiss and I reveled in the pure sweetness of him. His arms came up around me, his hands smoothing over my back as he deepened the kiss just a touch before slowly pulling back and smiling down at me.

“You’re lucky you’re not my girlfriend, Rin. I’d have you in my bed within two seconds with a kiss like that.”, he grinned mischievously as his eyes brightened to a vivid denim blue. My arms tightened around his neck and I pressed my cheek to his as I savored the closeness and strength he offered. Strangely, I felt him go still against me, his hands sliding swiftly away from my back - and I had just enough time to wonder what in the world had caused him to react the way he had when I heard him speak up to some unseen presence behind me.

“How’s it going?”, he said, one hand now nudging hard against my ribs. I turned and felt my mouth go dry as sandpaper.

Sesshomaru stood by the side of the house, his arms crossed over his chest as his narrowed eyes slid over both Kohaku and myself. He didn’t move, he didn’t smile, he didn’t even blink.

“Sesshomaru?”, I spoke up at last, still clinging tightly to Kohaku.

It was Kohaku who had the presence of mind to slide his hands up to mine, unclasping them from his neck as he helped me to stand alongside him. His arm at my waist, he brushed the dirt and grass off his jeans as he eyed a still very silent and apparently very angry Sesshomaru.

“Rin.”, Sesshomaru said after what seemed an eternity. “I didn’t know you had company.”

“Oh, Kohaku’s not company.”, I said and then caught myself, giggling nervously.

“Kohaku?”, Sesshomaru’s amber eyes slid to Kohaku’s before coming back to rest on me.

“Oh, yeah… Kohaku this is Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, Kohaku.”, I said, looking up into Kohaku’s face. He smiled at me before moving forward to offer Sesshomaru his hand in greeting and for one horrible moment, I thought Sesshomaru was going to actually ignore him. I’d even opened my mouth to berate him when I saw his hand move forward to quickly shake Kohaku’s before just as quickly releasing it.

“How’s it going?”, Kohaku said once more as Sesshomaru merely nodded and turned his burning gaze back to me.

Quietly, Kohaku walked to the boom box we’d brought outside to dance to and clicked the music off, leaving the three of us in an unbearable screaming silence. Lifting it by the handle, he cast a sidelong glance my way and smiled.

“I better get going, Rin. Thanks for the help.”, he said, walking up to place a kiss on my cheek.

“I’ll walk you to the car.”, I murmured.

“Nice to meet you, man.”, Kohaku said as he walked past Sesshomaru.

“Likewise.”, Sesshomaru answered shortly, a horrible frown pasted on his handsome face.

“I’ll be right back.”, I said, edging by him as I followed Kohaku along to his car.

“He’s pissed.”, Kohaku said under his breath as we approached the car. Flinging the boom box into the passenger side, he opened his car door and leaned there as he shot a glance back toward where Sesshomaru stood glaring at us.

“He’ll get over it.”, I said with more bravery than I felt. I knew how Sesshomaru could be when he got angry and I felt sure I was going to get the tongue lashing of my life once Kohaku left. For more reasons than one, I wished he could’ve stayed by my side until I was able to get my nerve up but wishful thinking wasn’t going to get me anywhere.

“Possessive guy.”, he spoke from the side of his mouth, ducking his head to grin when I gasped aloud. Dear God, if Sesshomaru heard him he’d tear him limb from limb, I was positive.

“You just go on home, Asada. Practice your dancing and just forget about your singing. There’s no help for you there.”, I smiled, standing on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek before he left.

“You’re really pressing your luck, Rin. If looks could kill, I’d already be pushing up daisies!“, he chuckled quietly as he got into the car.

“Bye, Kohaku.”, I laughed. “See you tomorrow.”

“You’re still gonna practice with me even though I nearly crushed you to death?”, he smiled wider, his eyes dancing with glee.

“Yeah. But only if you promise to get me into the Met Friday night so I can enjoy your ultimate humiliation.”, I said.

“No problem. Consider it done. Go handle your Tiger.”, he winked and with a wave, pulled away from the curb and left me to face my Tiger alone.