Innocent Beginnings

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

Chapter 35: Hopes, Plans, And Dreams

Things ran smoothly for a few weeks... so smoothly, in fact, that I let down my guard a bit and started to think I'd been a pessimist way too long. I enjoyed wonderful times wmy gmy girlfriends from school, I spent as much of my free time as was possible hanging with Kohaku and I saw Sesshomaru whenever his schedule permitted.


I knew he had a short trip to Mexico planned within the next month and I was already dreading the fact that Sesshomaru would be leaving me once again. It seemed that things always looked up for me when he was home, but spiraled downward once he left my sights. I was almost afraid to ask him if the SHE was going to be there... afraid he'd say yes and that I'd make myself nervous and sick when in reality, there was nothing I could do about it no matter WHAT his answer.


The day came for him to leave and surprised, I found him on my doorstep at ten of ten, dressed in a powder blue tracksuit with white striping. His hair was still damp from a quick shower, his face a bit puffy from sleep.


"Come out here with me for a minute.", he smiled, taking my hand and pulling me outside. "Can you take a ride?", he asked.


"Well, I suppose. I'll have to go inside to ask first. Why didn't you ask me this when we were at the door?", I frowned.


"Fuck, I don't know, Rin.", he smiled sheepishly and leaned over to place a kiss on my cheek. He smelled soooo good that I closed my eyes and inhaled the spicy scent of his aftershave... if only to commit it to memory.


"I'll be right back.", I said, squeezing his hands before I turned to run back into the house to ask permission.


"Auntie?", I called out as I opened the front door.


"Back here, Rin. Covered in laundry!", she answered. I ran back to the laundry room and stepped inside, smiling at her.


"Need any help?", I asked, bouncing excitedly on the soles of my feet.


She laughed, shook her head and made a `shooing' gesture toward me.


"It's Sesshomaru, right? He's here and wants to say goodbye to you before leaving for Mexico. Go ahead, Rin. I'm sure it means the world to him to be able to tell you goodbye before he goes and Lord knows there's no privacy HERE today! I'm just glad he got here before the girls woke up!", she laughed.


Kikyo and a couple of friends had stayed the night before to study for their finals, and they had gone to sleep a little before 4am, I was sure! Mainly because that was about the time I finally nodded off. I'd never been able to sleep when I knew Sesshomaru was leaving me the next day and I'd been up quite early as well so thow Iow I felt as if cotton balls had been stuffed into my eyes.


"Thanks.", I said, leaning over to hug her before dashing back out to where Sesshomaru awaited.


He was leaned against his car, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked out over the street. Dark sunglasses covered his beautiful amber eyes and a navy blue baseball cap camouflaged his silky silver mane. I had to step back a moment on the porch and just LOOK at him... take him in... REMEMBER him... just that way. My heart ached in my chest and I felt tears fill my eyes. What the hell was WRONG with me?


Just at the moment when I felt sure I was going to turn and irrationally run back to the relative safety of my room, he turned and flashed his killer smile my way and it was as if the sun had suddenly appeared from behind a dark cloud. I took a deep breath and jogged down the steps to run toward him at full speed, wrapping my arms around him and hanging on for dear life.


"Don't go...", I moaned, burying my face into his shoulder. "Just don't go."


"RIN!", Sesshomaru cried, reaching for my face and cradling it in his palms. "Don't do this, please!", he whispered. "Now c'mon, let's get you buckled up and off we go!", he smiled, leading me round to my side and helping me in. "No tears!", he commanded, running a thumb underneath my lashes. I nodded and closed my eyes, hearing the click of the seatbelt, feeling his movements as he eased away from me and then hearing the sound of the car door as it shut behind him.


I took a deep shuddering breath and counted to ten, hearing him open his own door and climb inside.


We rode for perhaps a good thirty minutes before I felt calm enough to glance his way. He'd left the radio off and the silence was somehow both comforting and disturbing. It was as if we could communicate well even without saying a word but then at the same time I was afraid I'd end up regretting not using every last bit of time to talk to him that I could have once he was gone.


"You're not gonna ask me where I'm taking you?", he asked, smiling a bit as he took his eyes off the road.


"No, you can just surprise me.", I said.


"Alright.", he grinned and sped along the highway a bit further.


Pulling up outside a swank high-rise, he smiled even wider as he drove into the underground parking deck attached to the building and pulled up into a specially marked slot.


"Where ARE we?", I asked, my eyes wide.


"You'll see. C'mon!", he laughed and jumped out of the car, running around to open my door and pull me along with him. Speaking briefly to the security guard on duty, he walked into the elevator, tugging me right along with him. Once the doors closed behind us, he started smiling even more and laughing, I waited for the doors to open, hoping they'd soon reveal exactly what had him in such high spirits.


"Close your eyes!", he commanded, stepping behind me to put his hands over them in order to insure there would be NO way I could peek. I heard the bell sound, signaling the doors opening and taking a breath, I stepped with him from the elevator into a hallway.


"Just a sec...", he mumbled, using one hand now to cover my eyes as he dug into what sounded like his jeans pocket for something else. "OK, here we go...", he said and with that, I heard the sound of a door swinging inward. Stepping inside, him leading me the entire time, I waited excitedly for him to tell me I could have a peek at his surprise!


"Ok... ready?", he chuckled and I nodded, biting down hard on my lip.


Opening my eyes, I saw that we were standing in the middle of a beautifully decorated apartment. Not just an apartment but a posh, splashy, swank apartment!


"You like it?", he asked, his voice quivering with excitement.


"It's... oh... like something from a magazine! Sesshomaru! Is it yours?", I asked, looking around me in wonder.


"As of", he looked pointedly at his watch, "ten minutes from now... it's been mine for an entire day!", he grinned, pulling me into his arms and twirling me about the place.


"I can't believe it!", I breathed once he set me back on my feet. "Can I have a look?", I asked.


"Oh, God! Yes! Come here! I'll give you the grand tour!", he said proudly and my heart just filled with love and pride for my Sesshomaru. He was just like a little kid with his first brand spanking new bicycle!


The room we were standing in was a sort of foyer with parquet flooring that overlooked a huge sunken living room thickly carpeted in slate blue. It was decorated in light colored woods, very natural looking with varying shades of blue thrown throughout the room. A gorgeous stone fireplace took up an entire wall while the opposite wall was made up wholly of glass. Dragging me toward it, he grinned before taking me by the shoulders and marching me straight to it until my nose very nearly pressed against the thick, clear glass.


"Oh... it overlooks the sea!!!", I cried, turning around to jump into his arms once more. "I'm so happy for you! When did you do all this?", I asked.


"Well, I had to have SOMETHING to do when you were ignoring me!", he pouted.


"SESSHOMARU!", I laughed. "Be serious here, tell me!"


"I've had my eye on this place for a few months, really. Even before I met you, I think. It became available about a month ago and the realtor contacted me at once. It's perfect, don't you think?", he asked, looking around like a king perfectly situated in his kingdom.


"Amazing.", I agreed. "Show me the rest of it!"


He took me up a winding staircase that led into an enormous bedroom that overlooked the living space below. This room was decorated in black and white - black and white striped comforter on the huge bed, black and white throw pillows tossed almost casually about, gorgeous black and white framed prints on the wall and another beautiful fireplace, this one in cool, white marble situated against the wall. As was in the lounge downstairs, an entire glass wall looked out over the sea, unobstructed by any curtains whatsoever. It was beautiful!!


"Look in here!", he laughed, taking my hand and pulling me toward the master bath. This too was decorated exclusively in black and white with a magnificent hot tub situated in the very center of the gorgeous room. Green plants sat on the back edge of it and candles decorated very available surface. A stark white vanity with two black sinks overlooked by a huge mirror completed the look along with black and white tiled flooring.


"It's PERFECT!", I giggled, clapping my hands.


"Ohhhh, I forgot the kitchen and my office!", he gasped and taking my hand once more, drug me down the stairs wiim uim until we were stood in a red bricked kitchen. The walls and floors were covered in smooth red bricking and the silver appliances gleamed like the finest jewels. A big bowl of fresh fruit stood atop the cedar island that was situated in the very center of the room, bright shiny copper pots and pans hung overhead.


"More?", I grinned and he nodded, leading me into a room off the kitchen.


A heavy, light colored, ash desk on which a state of the art computer and printer sat, dominated the room. I noticed at once that on the desktop right by the phone sat a framed print of Sesshomaru and I that had been taken while I'd been at Sacred Heart.


My eyes wide, I turned to him and started to cry!


"Rin!", Sesshomaru cried, taking me into his arms as I sobbed. "What's wrong?"


"It's so... wonderful! I'm so proud of you!!!", I sobbed harder.


He chuckled, then scooped me up into his arms. Sitting down on a black leather sofa I hadn't noticed upon first inspection, he slid back and cradled me there as he hadn't in very, very long time. I hooked my arms around his neck and pressed my face into his chest, breathing him in. I didn't WANT him to go, I wanted him to hold me like this forever. I wanted him to promise me that NOTHING would ever change between us, that he LOVED me and would wait for me. I was scared...


"You're crying because you're happy, is that it?", he asked, lifting my face until I was looking into his eyes.


"Yes.", I answered softly. I didn't want to push anything between us right now - not when he was going away. Maybe things would settle between us this time, maybe we'd start now where I'd always dreamt we would. Maybe, just maybe I could dare to believe he DID love me in the same way I loved him.


"I bought this... you know... for us... well, when we need a place to be together... you know? To talk... and just... well... BE together", he said, a blush stealing over his face.


"You did it... for... us?", I whispered, sure I'd heard him wrong.


"Yeah, mostly...", he nodded.


"That's the sweetest thing I think I've ever heard!", I said, cupping his face in my hands. "You are an angel."


"Aye, I'm an angel! Remember that when you're throwing one of your fits at me next time!", he laughed, pressing a quick kiss onto my lips.


"I'll try. The rest of it's up to you...", I murmured.


"So when I come back from Mexico, I'll pick you up and we'll come back here and cook dinner together - spaghetti or some such! How's that?", he asked


"I can't WAIT!"criecried. "I'll plan it right away!"


"Do that and make it special - we'll watch movies and just hang. It'll give me something to look forward to.", he grinned.


I was so very, very happy...


"Rin, it's about that time... you know what I mean?", he asked, after a moment.


"Yeah. Means you're leaving...", I said.


"Yup. I'll be back in next weekend, ok? I'll come pick you up as soon as we get back home, promise!", he said.
"Alr"Alright. If you mus", I", I said softly, smiling up at him.


He took me home, just as he'd said he would. He kissed me goodbye - soft, simple and sweet, like the big brother he thought himself. I accepted it, it was all I could do. Accept it yet wish, hope and dream for something more.


I watched him drive away from me one more time and for some reason, I knew that we would be back to square one when he returned.


The thought simply broke my heart...