Innocent Beginnings

Innocent Beginnings
By: Maggz
Disclaimer: InuYasha and Co. © Rumiko Takahashi

Chapter 32: Some Guys Never Learn


Did I get into any trouble once I finally left Kohaku and bicycled my way slowly home?


Yeah.


It seemed to be a constant in my life now. Maybe the ONLY constant. To make matters worse, Sesshomaru seemed to have developed the need to ride by my house at least once a day EVERY day now that he was back home for a while. I never kneactlactly when I'd look up to see THAT silver Porsche gliding silently by our house - for it seemed he never had a `set' time, but he hadn't missed ONE day since the night I'd told him to leave and never come back. It amused Kikyo… it just pissed ME off! I, for one, had no desire whatsoever to see HIM face to face - at least MOST of the time.


I should've known, I should've expected, that what I wanted didn't really matter anymore… at least not once Sesshomaru got himself involved.


It had been over three weeks since he'd drug me out of The Met, spanked me and ratted me out to my family for the SECOND time. I hadn't seen him - other than when his Porsche stealthy cruised past my bedroom window - nor had I spoken to him in those three weeks and part of me was thrilled. I hoped to hell he WAS hurting after what he'd put me through but it didn't really seem that way from what I'd heard or seen. I wasn't able to keep my nose out of the tabloids and it seemed that now that he was home for a change, the trash magazines were FULL of him and his exploits.


I'd spotted several snaps of Sesshomaru and HER coming out of various clubs around and about our town. I clipped them all and kept them secreted in the folder I'd started while I'd still been at Sacred Heart. Why? I don't know. Maybe I was a glutton for punishment, maybe I just figured one day, he'd have to pay the price for flaunting his floosies in my face. Who knew?


I'd also heard gossip that he was buying his own place. I wondered if it gave him free reign to screw what brains Kagura had right out of her head since he obviously was doing JUST that. I told myself I couldn't care less!


School had started and I'd been happy to get out and back into a familiar routine. As Kohaku had predicted, I was way ahead of my classmates and thrilled, I promised myself I was going to have the best academic year EVER. I wanted to travel abroad for college and finally get out of Japan to began afresh somewhere away from everything and everybody I knew. THAT was my goal and I was keeping it to myself.


Early one Friday afternoon, Kohaku pulled up into the drive and honked his horn. Aunt Reika called me from upstairs, telling me that Kohaku was there and that I should go see what he wanted. Kohaku was never one for coming up and knocking at the door, something my Uncle Ichi never let me forget, so I quickly ran out to meet him. Flying down the stairs and out the front door, I jogged over to his car and leaned in the front window, giving him a quick hello kiss.


"You just never learn, do you? Aww hell, what's it matter? Come here and give me another one!", he grinned, pressing his lips quickly to mine once again. "Who's home?", he asked.


"Reika y Kikyo.", I answered, smiling at him. He looked wonderful and smelled like heaven. "Where're YOU off to?", I asked.


"Get in.", he said.


"I can't. Not tonight. You know that! I've just now got past my damned Sesshomaru-enforced incarceration, Kohaku.", I frowned.


"Nah, you can go. I called your auntie a few minutes ago and told her I had a surprise for you. Go on and ask her if you want to make sure.", he said.


"You're not screwing around with my head?", I asked.


"Nope. Go on in anyway and ask her, Rin. It's the right thing to do.", he said.


"Fine. I'll be right back.", I grinned and ran back into the house.


He'd told the truth. Reika was smiling when I ran back toward the kitchen to ask her if it was OK for me to go and giving me a hug, she insisted I hurry along and have a good time.


I grabbed my jacket on the way back and shouting my goodbyes, ran for Kohaku's car once again. He was smiling when I climbed inside and took off at once without any explanations whatsoever. Any questions I asked, he just shook his head and smiled. I hadn't a clue what was up.


I should have.


Pulling up outside the town's brand spanking new restaurant, he shifted gears before looking over at me with a smile and sliding into the nearest parking slot. Did I forget to mention that Sesshomaru's father was opening `Tenseiga', his new restaurant the exact same day at the exact same place?


"Surprise!", he grinned.


I must've had the strangest look on my face because his smile immediately faltered and he narrowed his eyes, frowning fiercely at me.


"We've got the best table, Rin. How long's it been since you seen Sesshomaru and his family?", he asked.


"Did HE put you up to this? That's all I want to know.", I breathed.


"Jeez, Rin!", Kohaku sighed, running a hand through his hair.


"He DID, didn't he? I KNEW it! NOW do you see what I've been trying to tell you for weeks!? NOW do you? He can't leave anything alone! I told you I wasn't going to see him as long as he had that WHORE by his side and he's shown no signs of slowing up or stopping with her. SHE'S here with him tonight, right? Then take me back. I'm sorry but you just take me back home right now and go pick up Shippo or Kanna or whoEVER will want to go with you but it WON'T be me!", I cried.


"Rin! Why are you being such a right BITCH about this? Do you realize he rides by your house every day? Do you know he's called me four times in the past two days to see if I'd told you about the dinner? He's worried sick over you!", he said.


"GOOD! Now take me home!", I shouted.


"FUCK NO.", was the reply I got.


"Ok, then. I'll just walk.", I said.


"No, you won't.", he said.


"BET me!", I hissed and rea for for the door handle.


"Stop it, Rin. Right now! Stop it or I swear-", he growled, grabbing my arm and yanking me back into the car.


"Let me GO! I don't WANT to see him and I really don't want to see YOU anymore!", I said, looking him in the eye. "Either you take me home NOW or I'm walking. I mean it. I will NOT get out of this car and go there to sit in fucking front of him just so HE can practically SCREW that slut right in front of me and if you think for ONE minute that you can make me, then just try, Kohaku!"


Closing his eyes, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscles bunched there, he heaved a huge sigh and started the car. I turned my back to him and looked out the window as he drove back the way he had come, only bypassing my street to go toward his own.


When we pulled up outside his place, he sat there for a second, not saying a word. I could feel his stare even with my back turned but I didn't turn to look at him. Instead, I reached down and gently pulled at the door handle, opening it and getting out of the car. I stuffed my hands into the back pockets of my jeans and walked up the steps, not bothering to look back to see if he was behind me. I'd reached the landing before I heard his car door slam shut and sighing, I leaned against the wall and waited for him to come storming up the steps after me.


Instead, he seemed to be taking his own sweet time and when he finally stood in front of me, I looked up to see him smiling and shaking his head at my behavior.


"Rin. You're one hard headed, stubborn as hell woman! Sesshomaru's met his match in you, I'm afraid.", he chuckled as he slid the key into the door and turned it. I moved away from the wall and walked to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing my face into his back. I wasn't sorry and I wasn't going to apologize to him for making him bring me back home - mainly because I knew enough to realize that Sesshomaru had pretty much bullied Kohaku into taking me there. Why? I wasn't sure unless it was either to prove the point to me that he could get his way, no matter what OR that he just wanted to shove HER in my face yet again. It really didn't matter anymore. I wasn't going to be there to see it, I was here with Kohaku and that was ten times better in my opinion.


"C'mon in, Trou", K", Kohaku laughed, reaching behind him to pull me into the apartment with him. He was laughing as he turned around, scooped me up into his arms and went to the sofa, falling onto it with a thump.


"Can we order takeout?", I asked, hugging him. "Please!".


"What do you want, Rin?', he asked, sitting up to reach for his phone.


"Chinese?", I asked, wrinkling my nose at him.


"Then Chinese it is. Same as always?", he asked.


"Yeah.", I smiled, wrapping my arms more tightly around his waist as he punched in the numbers to our favorite Chinese place.


"Wonton soup, two egg rolls, beef with broccoli, and lemon chicken.", he recited, laughing when I reached underneath his t-shirt to tickle his tummy.


"How long will it take?", I asked, sitting up behind him.


"About forty five minutes. Now…", he said, turning toward me with a serious expression on his handsome face… "You wanna tell me what all that was about back there?", he asked.


"Back WHERE?", I countered.


"Rin!", he warned.


"No, I don't want to talk about HIM or IT or HER or whatever you're trying to ask of me.", I said


"You think he's gonna leave it alone, Rin? You think Sesshomaru won't come by to find out why you weren't sitting in that table?", he asked.


"Why? Are you afraid of him, Kohaku?", I asked, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.


"You're very funny, RNO. NO. I'm not afraid of your guard dog. But I don't want trouble with agaiagain. I pretty much made a promise that I'd have you at that restaurant and right now it looks suspiciously like I'm not holding up my end of the deal, you know?", he frowned.


"So?", I smiled, reaching for his hand.


"So? Is that all you can say? So?", he growled, falling back onto the sofa with a huge sigh. "You know he'll either go by your place and get us into even more trouble when he sees you didn't show up OR he'll have his ass RIGHT OVER HERE banging away on MY door to demand an answer, right?"


"Maybe.", I replied softly, reaching out to run my finger down the bridge of his nose.


"You aren't worried.", he sighed again.


"Nope."


"You should be."


"I don't see why."


"Because he REALLY wanted you there, Rin. He was very insistent that you show up tonight."


"Well, I'm not there and he should've expected it. YOU should've too but we won't GO there now, will we?", I smiled.


"Shit, we're not getting anywhere with this…", he mumbled, raking a hand through his hair.


"No, we're not and no, we won't. I don't WANT you running interference for Sesshomaru, Kohaku. I just don't like it. So, just don't try it again, ok?", I smiled sweetly.


"I WASN'T running interference. I just thought you'd love to be there. It's supposed to be HUGE!", he said.


"I heard.", I answered, getting up to walk toward his CD player.


"But you don't want to go…", he mumbled.


"NO. Now can we get off the subject. If YOU want to go so badly, then feel free to take me home and find someone else to go with you. Really, I don't mind. But if you don't want to go, then please, Kohaku… just hush it!", I frowned. "Now what will it be?", I asked impatiently.


"I only wanted to take you IF that was what you wanted.", he said.


"So… did you buy this CD last night?", I asked, picking up a new Stones CD. "Now THIS is who I'd love to see!", I grinned, taking the shiny disc from it's case and slipping it into his CD player.


"Well, you'll be waiting awhile. They won't be touring over here any time soon. I paid a pretty penny for that import!", he said.


"Did it hurt?", I laughed.


"Did WHAT, hurt?", he frowned.


"Digging into that gold mine of yours.", I answered, walking back toward the kitchen to grab a can of Coke.


"Ha. Ha. You spend way too much time around Kanna, Rin. It's not a pretty thing, you know?", he grunted as he got up off the sofa and followed me into the kitchen. "...and YES, it did cost a lot!", he said, catching the soda I pitched his way.


"Just teasing, Kohaku.", I smiled, taking a sip as a knock sounded upon the door.


He glanced at his watch before frowning in my direction once more and walking over to answer the door. Our food had arrived and I could smell it even from where I stood waiting in the kitchen, looking out the window over the sink.


"C'mon Rin.", Kohaku called from the living room. "Bring some plates and spoons, will you?"


I gathered up what he'd asked for and joined him to sit on the floor by the coffee table. He was busy pulling brightly colored cartons out of the brown paper bag that sat in front of him and glanced up briefly at me to smile before I took a seat near him.


"Want to try some of my beef-broccoli?" he grinned as he heaped rice onto my plate.


"No. You know I don't eat broccoli. But you can have some of my lemon chicken, if you want and I KNOW you do.", I offered, grinning as he scooped out a large helping of my favorite Chinese dish and handed the plate over to me.


"You sure?", he asked.


"Yeah! Go ahead!", I laughed, reaching over him for my own little plastic container of wonton soup. "I love this stuff!", I sighed, opening the lid to sniff at the fragrant soup.


"Yeah, me too. Remember the first time we had takeout from this place?", he asked, spooning rice onto his plate now.


"I do. We ate so damned much that we fell asleep in the middle of the movie we'd rented… what was it? Diehard?", I laughed, thinking how he loved his action films.


"Yeah, I missed the entire flick!" he grumbled, biting into an egg roll.


"Now they know us by name, you realize that, right?", I laughed. "Well… it's just became a habit. THAT and the pizza place. We're hopeless addicts!", I laughed, taking his egg roll from him to sample a bit for myself.


We sat there and ate every single thing that we'd ordered, drank our sodas and then decided after a brief discussion that a nap would be wonderful before he'd take me home.


Cuddling underneath the blanket with him after we'd slipped off our shoes and jeans- needless to say, after all we'd eaten, the waistbands WERE a bit snug- we held hands underneath the cover and talked until we both had nothing left to say.


I'm not sure how long we'd actually been asleep when a fierce pounding on the door awoke me. Sitting up a bit in the bed, I tried to get my bearings while nudging Kohaku with my elbow. Had I been dreaming or was someone actually at the door?


As if in answer to my question, an even louder banging sounded and unable to rouse Kohaku from his heavy slumber, I slid out from underneath the blanket and reached for my jeans. Walking into the living room, I'd just approached the door when another barrage of knocks seemed to literally rattle the door in it's frame and angry now, I stomped to it and unlocked it, opening it just enough so that I could peek out.


"What are YOU doing here?", I frowned, starting to push the door closed on our very unwelcome guest.


"I could ask YOU that very same damned thing, Rin Matsumoto. Let me in!", Sesshomaru snarled and pushing the door wider so that he could come through, walked right in and took a seat on the sofa- his amber eyes shooting sparks my way.