In the Classroom

~~~~~~Monday, 6:00 am~~~~~~
Rin’s eyes popped open at exactly six a.m. And when she woke up, she was entirely awake. It was as if all the worries and stress that had exhausted her were washed out of her system, and she had new energy. The taste in her mouth was awful, though, and she needed to use the restroom. Rin looked up at the man she was lying on to see if he was asleep. His breathing was still even, and Rin couldn’t help but notice how warm he was. Guessing that Sesshoumaru was probably asleep, she slipped out of his bed, immediately noticing that her back was not feeling too great, and that she was strangely sore between her legs. Awkwardly walking to the bathroom after rifling through her suitcase in the dark, Rin set a pile of clothing on the hamper against the wall and walked to the sink to begin brushing her teeth. A few minutes later, the taste was thankfully gone, and she shed her clothes before turning on the shower. She shivered a little, and made a mental note to tell Sesshoumaru that his air conditioning was set too low. It took a minute for the water to heat up, so Rin examined the bruise on the back of her hand while she waited.

Now that she had slept, she felt terrible for yelling at her father. I only snapped at him because I was tired and cranky…He probably thinks that I really do hate him. Rin knew that she might have felt differently if he had always been abusive, but until she was seventeen, he was a wonderful father. She still loved him just as much—it was painful to see him wasting away in front of her. As she stepped into the standing shower, Rin contemplated calling her father again that evening, hoping to end the conversation without yelling or crying. However, as she wet her hair under the stream of hot water, she realized that she didn’t know how to begin the conversation. What can you say to someone after telling him that you hate him? She tried to fight it, but a wave of self-pity was coming on, and she felt small and vulnerable all of a sudden. Squeezing some shampoo out of the bottle, she worked it into her hair, forcing herself to keep her mind blank. Looking at the blue marbled tiles inside the shower stall, Rin was reminded of the day when she first played over at Miki’s house. They had been over at Rin’s old house on Washington Boulevard, and her mother was vacuuming in the living room when Rin had run up to ask permission to play over at Miki’s house. Miki begged, too—so, of course, Rin’s mother couldn’t say no.

The details of what happened between the time they got permission and when Rin came home again were fuzzy since the memories were so old, but she remembered that Miki’s mother made them PB&J sandwiches. They had to wash their hands, and came into this bathroom to use the sink. Rin then remembered that she came running up to her house around dinnertime, and her father had just gotten home from work. He smiled, set his briefcase down on the porch steps, and picked Rin up, swinging her around a bit before setting her on his hip and taking her and his briefcase inside to dinner. How he acted then versus how he acted now…was so different.

Rin always wondered he could love someone that much. Rin missed her mother, of course, but after a year, the pain had passed. Her father seemed to relive that pain every time he saw his own daughter. Leaning against the watery tiles, Rin let the shampoo in her hair work its magic and once again looked at the back of her bruised hand. She wasn’t sure if it was soap or shower mist, but her vision got blurry and her eyes stung. Don’t cry! Don’t cry!!

Standing under the shower head again, Rin rinsed out the shampoo in her hair, sniffing once in a while as salty drops slid down her face along with the shower water. How could he love someone that much?

Later, as Rin wrapped a towel around her torso and squeezed the excess water out of her hair above the sink, she couldn’t help but check to make sure that her eyes weren’t red from crying while she had been in the shower. Satisfied, she grabbed a smaller towel out of the linen closet to the right of the shower stall and dried her arms and legs before brusquely rubbing her hair inside the towel to dry it out a little. Hearing a few squeaks from somewhere inside the house, which indicated that Sesshoumaru was awake and moving around, Rin folded up the smaller towel and walked to the sink to brush her hair before getting dressed. She had just set down her brush when she heard a soft knock on the door. Rin froze, not sure if she wanted to say that she wasn’t decent at the moment—it might actually prompt him to come in.

“Uhm, yes?” Rin called. She jumped in surprise when he opened the door anyway, squinting a little when the bathroom light met his eyes. It was still halfway dark outside. Rin’s heart dropped to her stomach when she saw him walk in with only his boxers on again. Blushing from embarrassment over the kinky events that had taken place only a few hours ago, Rin picked her up pile of clothing, ready to leave. She was still extremely embarrassed to be near him wearing only a towel. “I’m done in here if you need to use the bathroom.” Rin hoped that his vision was still blurred since he had just woken up…because she had no doubt that her face was bright red.

“Wait a minute,” he said with a hard edge to his voice. Rin turned to him, willing herself to calm down. She really wanted to get dressed, especially since he had let in the colder air when he had opened the door, but mostly, she was feeling insecure about how she looked since her skin was still discolored. Sesshoumaru was staring intently at her shoulder, so Rin looked down and saw the large bruise on her shoulder that Miss Yaki had earlier touched by accident. “Is this new?” he asked, stepping closer and pointing at the blue flesh over her dainty shoulder.

“It’s been there this whole time,” she answered. “You just haven’t seen it before now. It doesn’t hurt too badly anymore, to tell the truth.” Rin prodded the skin slightly, proving to herself that the pain was fairly minimal. My back, on the other hand… “Do you still have ibuprofen in your bedroom?”

Sesshoumaru, upon first spying the bruise, had gone from halfway sleepy to awake and livid. If anyone ever hit her again, or even tried it… The mere thought of Rin, cringing in fear of a man’s fist, made Sesshoumaru angry enough to shatter that man’s kneecaps. After she explained how old the bruise was, and that it didn’t hurt anymore, his anger level dropped by half, and the nonchalant way in which she poked at it only confused him. Doesn’t it connect in her mind where that bruise came from?

“That’s it…I want to make sure that you’re not bruised anywhere else. Drop the towel,” he said, crossing his arms. Rin blanched, backing up a step.

“Wh—you want me to get naked?!” Rin ask, incredulous.

“I want to know where all of your bruises are so that I don’t poke them on accident,” he said, his vision clearing. His anger was dissipating, and quickly being replaced by mischievous intentions. He tried not to smirk, but it was getting difficult.

“I can’t do that!” Rin said, eyes wide open and cheeks flaring red. “I know I was…pretty brazen last night, but I was half-asleep and—and you were warm and…I—I can’t get naked in front of you!” Rin fisted her left hand and clenched her jaw, making her look like she was pouting.

“After all that you’ve done with me—in the car, at the library, and in our bed—” Sesshoumaru teased, amused by Rin’s bashful reaction to “our” bed. “After all of that, you’re still too shy too be naked in front of me when the lights are on?”

“Of course, I’m too shy!” Rin squeaked out, not looking at him if she could help it. “I’m covered with bruises and…and I don’t think I’m pretty right now.”

“I highly doubt that,” he said with a small smile on his face. “Now drop the towel. I need to make sure.” Forcing his face to an impassive expression so that Rin wouldn’t be so nervous, Sesshoumaru waited for her to make up her mind. Rin couldn’t believe her ears. She felt incredibly awkward, but he was just casually standing in front of her with barely anything on. It was amazing that he lacked much chest hair—most of the boys she had seen practicing soccer behind the school had what the other girls referred to as a “treasure trail.” His shoulders were broad, his stomach sported a four-pack, but not in a severe manner like some guys she had seen on the Mr. Universe contest. He looked like he should have been a swimsuit model. His looks—oh, dear, were his looks distracting. A tunic and leather pants would have suited him, like an ancient knight. He certainly had the cocksure smile.

It made Rin even more nervous since her body probably wasn’t up to par right now.

“Y—you’re not going to look at everything, are you?” Rin said, scared to death by the idea of letting him see her nude—even though she was also excited by it.

“Of course I am,” he said, grinning. Rin’s cheeks colored again, and she made another pout.

“You just wanted to see me naked,” she mumbled, realizing his real intent. Setting the pile of clothing on the sink’s counter, Rin brought her hands up to the top of her towel, where it was tucked into itself. Sesshoumaru watched her hands, his eyes following the bruised one, and he didn’t dare move. Rin untucked the towel, acutely noticing how loud her breathing sounded. It was much faster, and she could hear Sesshoumaru’s quick breaths as well. Am I really going to do this?

Rin hesitated for a few seconds, trying to calm down her racing heart. Sesshoumaru clenched his fist, hoping not to groan out loud since he was seriously twitching between his legs. He certainly knew that his boxers were now very tight, and that if Rin dropped her gaze at all, she would know, too. Taking a deep breath, Rin pulled the towel open, letting it fall away from her body but hanging onto the edges. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, very tempted to cover herself. His mouth fell ajar, and his eyes seemed to darken just a little.

At first, Sesshoumaru noticed how far the bruise on her shoulder went—from her collarbone down to the front of her chest, where the blood had pooled and congealed the morning after the abuse. He couldn’t see any other bruises from the front, but after the first few seconds, bruises were not what he was looking for.

She was perfect. Not a model, but a normal, beautiful girl. Her breasts were pert and rounded, daring him to close the distance and see if they were really as soft and pliant as he thought they were. Her waist tapered down to a trim stomach, and her hips, nice and substantial, flared out from her navel, smoothing down into lustrous thighs that clamped tightly together in anxiety. She belonged in a handmaiden’s dress—it would have complimented her feminine shape well, pushing up those glossy breasts of hers.

The stare lasted for a long, heart-pounding twenty seconds. Rin watched his eyes go to her chest and then travel downward, pausing there for agonizing breaths. His chest moved in and out very quickly, and Rin saw his cheeks get a little pinker. She found it very…sexual to be standing there nude, but then the thought popped into her head that she was the only one without apparel.

“Sesshoumaru?” Rin asked, propelling Sesshoumaru to snap out of his trance. “I…seem to be…the only naked one here.” Her voice was soft, and Rin couldn’t keep eye contact with him as he once again skimmed his gaze down her body. “It’s not fair…you know.” Blushing hotly, Rin couldn’t stand it anymore and covered herself with her towel again. Looking up at Sesshoumaru’s face, she saw his expression change. His eyebrows scrunched together a bit, and he clenched his teeth…He looked like he was at odds with himself.

You can still stop now. You can move the relationship back to where it should be! Student and teacher! Not lovers! Sesshoumaru was dying to drop his boxers and let Rin look at him all she wanted, but he still keenly felt obliged to tell her that a relationship between them wouldn’t work in the real world—that her feelings were betraying her since they had been confused by her ransacked home life.

Rin wondered why he wouldn’t look at her anymore. His hands were fisted, which brought Rin’s attention to the very prominent bulge in his boxers. Was…is he embarrassed about his… Rin just couldn’t tell. His moods were so hard to predict. What he was thinking might be far from what she believed that he was thinking. Either way, she was pretty sure that the mood was dimming, and it made her even more uncomfortable than she was before. She was sorely tempted to snatch up her clothes and run for it.

But I don’t even know what his feelings are. Sesshoumaru struggled for a few more seconds, unsure of how to proceed. Before, it was just some playfulness, but now that she had stirred him so easily, the weight of the matter really hit home.

“Rin,” he began, his tone serious and low. Rin looked at his half-hidden eyes with much anxiety—his mood had changed, and she still wasn’t sure what it meant. “Are you sure about this…” At first, Rin thought he was asking if she was sure about the physical relationship, but he added two more words, roughly spoken. “…About everything?” Once he put in those last two words…it became clear to her what he had been thinking. He wanted to know if she realized the awkward position in which he had found himself. He needs to know how I feel about him…

Rin didn’t even know what exactly it was that had developed between them. It happened so fast. Her body felt hot and restless when he looked at her. She felt safe and comforted whenever he was around. But I also feel overwhelmed. Conversation was easy with him. The clean cut of his profile, his carefree smiles, and the way he carried himself—he was a handsome and smart guy. She pictured the different looks she had seen on his face, hoping to archive them for future reference: concerned, incredulous, happy, angry, pensive, lustful… My heart beats heavier whenever I think of him…I want to know more about him.

It had been almost a full minute since Sesshoumaru had asked his question. He watched Rin’s face as she thought—really thought—about what to say. A draft floated in from the open door as the A/C kicked on yet again. The tension was getting heavier with each second that silently ticked by, and he only seemed to grow longer and fuller the more he stood there. Just as Sesshoumaru was about to ask what she was thinking, she raised her eyes, looking back into his hesitant gaze with an intense blush.

“I’m sure,” she said, firmly but softly. Sesshoumaru’s heart beat painfully for a few seconds, and a warmth that he hadn’t felt in many years spread inside his chest. He felt his shoulders relax, and realized that he had been almost holding his breath. Rin shifted awkwardly, uncertain as to what she was supposed to do now. She didn’t have to do anything, though, because Sesshoumaru began to walk to her, practically radiating with lust. He stepped to her left, picked up her pile of clothing and set it in her arms. Then loosely holding her wrist, he led her out of the bathroom.

“What are you doing, Sess?” Rin asked quietly, shivering as they walked down the hall. She heard his answer from somewhere in front of her, but could barely see in the pre-dawn light filtering in through the trees and the windows.

“Returning a favor,” was all he said. Sesshoumaru stepped into his darkened bedroom, tugging Rin along with him. He took her clothes from her arms, dropping them near the pillows. Sitting Rin down on the edge of the bed, Sesshoumaru lowered himself to his knees in front of her, and Rin clutched the towel around her chest as best as she could. Sesshoumaru placed his hands on her knees, gently pushing them open, but Rin clamped them shut.

“Wh—what are you going to do?” she whispered. Sesshoumaru could hear the blush in her voice, and it made him smile.

“Do you remember what we did in the car last Friday?” he asked, in just as soft a whisper. Rin nodded despite the darkness, and whispered a ‘yes.’ “Well, instead of using my fingers, I’m going to use my tongue.” Sesshoumaru wished that the lights were on because he was certain that Rin was turning bright red. Rin felt her face heat up, and stuttered out a reply.

“I—that’s…S—Sess, I don’t know,” Rin squeaked, embarrassed to realize that she was getting aroused by the idea. Sure, she had heard of it…but…she didn’t know if she would like it. Would it feel weird if…if his tongue were there instead?

“Why not? You’ve already done the same for me twice. It’s time I repaid you…and I hope to bring you to a screaming climax,” Sesshoumaru gruffly whispered, lightly grazing his palms over her thighs. He could already hear what she would sound like: gasping and making high, strained sighs as sensitive tendrils of pleasure unfurled in her stomach.

“But…d—doesn’t it…uhm,” Rin stuttered to a stop, unable to bring herself to say it. The blood was pounding in her head, threatening to make her swoon, and they weren’t even doing anything yet.

“Doesn’t it what? I’m sure you taste good, Rin,” Sesshoumaru said, sliding his fingers between her knees, but not yet pushing them apart. “Don’t you want my mouth there?”

“Uh…I…y—yes, but…—” Rin was cut off again. Sesshoumaru didn’t want her to think about it too much. After the first time, if she still didn’t like it, he wouldn’t do it anymore…but he knew she would like it. She would beg for more.

“It’ll feel good, Rin…really good,” he huskily promised, pulling her knees apart slowly enough to keep from startling her. Rin’s heart was pounding…and she loved it. Sesshoumaru walked forward on his knees between her thighs and looked up at the faint outline of her heart-shaped face. Rin leaned down, touching her lips to his and wondering what it would feel like to have his hot mouth kissing her in an entirely different place. She would soon find out, and that thought sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. Sesshoumaru gave her a deep, soulful kiss, holding the side of her face while his other hand absent-mindedly brushed the outside of her thigh. He willfully ignored the raging arousal between his own thighs, intent on the task before him. Ending the kiss firmly, Sesshoumaru clasped his hands around her hips, and quietly ordered her to lie back.

Rin was extremely nervous, but did lie down, barely noticing the phantom pains in her bruised back since Sesshoumaru was thoroughly distracting her. He brushed aside the ends of the towel, exposing her up to her sternum. She was clutching the top of the towel, so it still covered her chest. Sitting back on his ankles, Sesshoumaru pulled Rin a little closer to the edge of the bed, earning a small gasp.

Not wanting to shock her too badly, he began kissing the insides of her silky legs and slowly brought his arms up and around her thighs. Rin was tense, though. Her shoulders were stiff with anxiety and excitement, and the room was almost spinning. Closing her eyes, Rin took in a deep breath, telling herself to enjoy this.

Sesshoumaru braced her thighs on his shoulders and purposefully breathed hot air over her, amused by how her legs moved restlessly when he did. It was decadent, the feeling in the room. Teaching her…but not about sex—teaching her about love; I’m glad to be her first. Sesshoumaru’s heart beat steadily and strongly, heating up his skin. Placing his hands in position, he gingerly spread her open with two fingers on each side, noticing that Rin definitely stiffened.

“Relax, Rin…just enjoy it.” Leaning forward, he fully laved his tongue up the center of the exposed tender flesh. Rin’s stomach muscles jerked in reaction, and she gasped in surprise. It really did feel very different. He made the same motion—only he pressed a little harder and took more time. Rin breathed a little more hoarsely, disbelieving that such a thing was finally happening to her. She relaxed a little more and concentrated on the sensations. I’m glad he’s my first—that he’s being patient with me, and giving me so much…and it does feel good.

Sesshoumaru had been dragging his tongue over her, searching for the sensitive gem he knew was there. He found it easily, and it was already fairly swollen with arousal. He avoided it for about two minutes, licking the soft skin around it to build up a little tension. Rin began to sigh. Getting a better hold on her lips, he opened her a bit further, laving the slick, smooth skin to get it wet. Then flicking at the throbbing red pearl to see what reaction he would get, Sesshoumaru heard a gasp followed by a short, soft exhalation of breath. Deciding that he liked that reaction, he did the same over and over again for a few long minutes. Rin’s eyes were now tightly closed, and her heartbeat was moderately fast and heavy.

Rin wasn’t sure when it happened, but his hands were no longer holding the towel—rather, they were sliding down her stomach towards Sesshoumaru. The towel fell open, but Rin paid no attention to it. Touching her fingers to the backs of his hands was enough for a little bit, but Rin was having trouble forming a clear thought. She knew what was coming, and unconsciously spread her thighs further open. Sesshoumaru adjusted his fingers again, holding her open with one hand. He rubbed the sensitive nubbin with the two longest fingers from his other hand, needing to catch his breath.

“Mm…Sess…” Rin whispered, flexing her hips a little. Sesshoumaru kissed her thigh, rubbing a little harder and letting the pads of his fingers come into a little more direct contact with her.

“I knew you would taste good...” he gruffly whispered, circling his fingers for about thirty seconds. Rin’s stomach muscles were jerking, and she moaned a little. He moved his hands again, holding her wide open. Licking for awhile longer to soften the slightly-abused skin, Sesshoumaru let the tip of his tongue play with the jewel, and he listened to Rin’s little whimpers. Then pushing his tongue into her body, he jabbed quickly, staying shallow. Rin reached down to firmly anchor her hands to his head, gasping loudly as her stomach muscles convulsed every time his tongue thrust into her.

“Ohh, God…Sess…uuhhh…” Rin groaned, licking her lips. The build-up was already starting, and Rin could tell that it was going to be much higher than her previous two. He began alternating between flicking the bud of nerves and pumping his tongue into her, waiting until she was closer to climax before he increased the pace. Rin bit down on her lower lip, half-whimpering as the tension in her thighs started to make them shake. Rolling her head back into the mattress, Rin held onto fistfuls of his soft, springy hair, hoping her heart didn’t explode. Her legs spread farther apart of their own will, and she groaned in need and frustration.

Sesshoumaru maintained his pace for another couple of minutes, listening to Rin’s desperate little sighs and hoping she didn’t pull his hair out. He was waiting for her to say it, to tell him what she wanted, before he brought her to a peak. As she became more restless and tense, her groans became louder and longer. Rin needed to reach her climax, and was wondering why Sesshoumaru didn’t go faster. She was too embarrassed to say anything, and didn’t want to him to take it the wrong way. In the end, she tried a different way of wording it, which came out in a high-pitched, breathless voice.

“Sess…please…uuhhh! Uuhhh…please, Sess, I…I need to come,” Rin moaned, half-sobbing her desperation. Securing his hold on her, Sesshoumaru molded his lips around the slick button and drew upon it, rubbing the flat of his tongue against that receptive gem. Rin’s eyebrows came together as her mouth fell open in a shaky cry. Knowing that no one but Sesshoumaru would hear her, Rin let herself make as much noise as she needed. Sesshoumaru exulted in the fact that Rin groaned so loudly and passionately, weakly bucking against his mouth despite her awkward position.

“Unhhh! S—Sess! Uuhhhh!” Rin screamed, stiffening as a rush of tingling, heady sensations filled her body. Her deepest muscles thudded in heated bliss, and Rin felt a small amount of silken liquid push out of her body and into Sesshoumaru’s waiting mouth. Sesshoumaru held onto her, keeping their connection intact for a few seconds longer. Gasping for air, Rin softly whimpered for a few short seconds. Her hands relaxed first, releasing Sesshoumaru’s head from her death grip. Then her back and lower body seemed to give out, and Rin felt like her head and limbs were much heavier.

Sesshoumaru licked his lips and let Rin’s feet touch the carpet again. Coming shakily to his feet since his loins were aching by then, he leaned down over Rin, kissing her stomach. Rin felt the bed sink a little towards her hips, and realized that Sesshoumaru’s fists were holding him above her. He worked his way up her body, dropping kisses on her torso, her chest, and then one on her neck.

“Get dressed, okay? We’ll be leaving by eight,” he whispered, leaning back up. It was lighter inside the room since the sun was coming up, and the delicious pose she was in made Sesshoumaru almost growl with male need. Spread over the white towel, pristinely clean and yet debauched in an innocent way, Rin’s skin softly glistened against the strong rays of the dawning summer sun shooting through the window from the eastern horizon. Her chest rose and fell slowly, and her eyes were still closed, like she was asleep. Forcing himself to turn away, he walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Rin laid there for another couple of minutes, not sure that she would be too steady on her feet just yet. Her senses were swimming and her body hummed with sexual release. Once she realized where she was again, she gasped in surprise because she had been lying there for several minutes with her feet set far apart. Snapping up to a sitting position and pulling her knees together, Rin gathered the towel around her torso. The room seemed brighter, and Rin felt a little…odd—as if she felt older. She brushed the damp hair off of her forehead, remembering that Sesshoumaru was sporting a very obvious arousal while they were in the bathroom, and she wondered why he hadn’t…done more with her.

Hissing when a stab of pain woke her from her reverie, Rin braced her hand on the bed, waiting for the pain to subside. Though she now felt a little embarrassed about the noise she had made during the last minute of their spontaneous interlude, Rin couldn’t help but make a small smile.

“Now…I need some ibuprofen,” she said to herself, standing up.

Sesshoumaru stepped into the shower stall, panting and aching for the girl in his bedroom. He could still smell her shampoo, and he could taste her on his lips…He felt like the dumbest man alive, but since he had no condoms in the entire house, he wasn’t able to do anything more with Rin...and he wasn’t even sure if she wanted to go that far this soon. Hot water slid down his already over-heated skin, but he reached for a bar of soap and lathered up his hands. Then standing close under the showerhead so that the spray only washed over his neck and back, he wrapped his fingers around the raging arousal between his legs. An image of Rin immediately came to mind: on his bed, thighs spread, cheeks flushed, mouth open. He could hear her sexy groans as if she were in the shower stall with him, and began to pump his hand. He imagined wrapping those glossy thighs around his hips and pressing her into the mattress with his own body weight. Panting now, Sesshoumaru moved his hand as fast as he could, hearing Rin’s orgasmic screams inside his head. Gritting his teeth, he pressed his forehead to the cool shower tiles and groaned as he climaxed.

“Rin…”

~~~~~~7:15 am~~~~~~
Rin was just finishing up her hair after dressing when Sesshoumaru entered the bedroom, dripping wet once again, and only wearing a towel. Rin smiled, in a great mood, and grabbed up her backpack as she left the room.

“I’ll try to start breakfast, okay?” she said, headed out the door. Sesshoumaru wanted to admire her a little longer in her outfit for the day, but she left before he was satisfied. She had been wearing a long black skirt down to her knees and knee-length white socks with a dark blue blouse, and a little bit of her hair had been tied into a side ponytail. He saw the bottle of ibuprofen sitting out on his dresser and thought to take it with them in case she needed it. Though it seemed stupid, Sesshoumaru decided to wear black and blue as well, wondering if they’d look like a couple when they arrived in Edwardsville. He found his best black slacks and a long-sleeved, light blue, button-down shirt. As he tied his shoes while sitting on the bed, he couldn’t help but wonder what Rin looked like, lying on that bed with him between her thighs. Dabbing on some of his favorite cologne, he checked his hair before picking up his wallet from the bedside table and leaving the room.

Sesshoumaru could smell toast on his way downstairs to the kitchen. Though he usually ate cereal in the mornings, he found himself starving for hardy food. Stepping into the kitchen, Rin was poking at something in the frying pan, half-watching it and half-watching the TV, which was tuned to Humor Central. Why they were airing archives of Friday Night Live that early in the morning was a mystery. Rin seemed to be enjoying it, though. On the counter next to Rin were two plates with lightly buttered toast and space for what Sesshoumaru could smell was eggs.

Rin glanced back in his direction as if sensing his presence despite the noise of the TV and frying pan. She smiled, stepping back to point at the frying pan.

“I hope you like them over-medium. I can try to make scrambled eggs if you want,” Rin said, holding the fork a little hesitantly.

“Over-medium is fine. Would you mind if we watched the local news for a bit?” he asked, walking towards her. Rin shook her head.

“Not at all. I’ve seen this episode of FNL before, anyway.” She dexterously flipped one egg over using the fork. Sesshoumaru flipped the TV to the local channel, which was still on commercial. It happened to be an advertisement for Viagrel. Rin bit on her lower lip to stifle her grin as she looked down at the pan, flipping another egg.

“Well, let’s hope I never need that,” Sesshoumaru joked, leaning against the counter on the other corner of the kitchen. Another commercial went by before the news came on, selling dishwashing liquid. Sesshoumaru watched Rin’s back as she cooked the eggs, admiring the curve of her backside and the fall of her sleek black hair. The local news’ cheesy theme song began to play, and Sesshoumaru took his eyes away from Rin’s lithe form reluctantly.

“Good morning, this is WAII’s 7:30 news. Startling news was made known to channel 6 this morning when local sheriff John Maynard reported that a twelve-year-old girl was taken from her home late last evening, the second kidnapping in the past four weeks, and the eighth in the past nine years. Maynard said that recent evidence has made the connection between the eight attacks, which points to a serial killer who has now become more adept and is increasing the number of his attacks.”

As the news reporter spoke, Rin’s hands froze over the stove, having just shut off the heat after forking the eggs onto the two plates. Sesshoumaru made a quick glance at her to see her reaction.

“Of the eight victims, the first was a Loyola resident by the name of Miki Ogai, nine-years-old and later found by a riverside fisherman. Sheriff Maynard also said that of the eight victims, Miki Ogai was the youngest, and the oldest was a fourteen-year-old taken from her home in nearby Clark. All of the victims were female. The sheriff is imposing a six o’clock curfew for all adolescents, especially girls under eighteen. Here are some remarks by Loyola residents at the police presentation early this morning:

“Why didn’t the sheriff tell us about this psycho nine years ago? Everyone thought that Miki Ogai was an isolated incident! I’m ready to have Maynard fired!’

“‘It makes you scared—certainly does—my kids aren’t playing outside anymore until that man is caught!’

“…Channel 6 will bring you updates as we receive them. In other news…” The anchor for channel 6 went on to another story, but Rin was still stuck on the mention of Miki’s name.

“My God! I never knew there were more girls!” Rin exclaimed, clutching her fingers around the fork in her hand. “How awful! Poor Miki…” Rin looked saddened, but Sesshoumaru was glad to see that she wasn’t about to cry. Yesterday, she probably would have since she was so out of it. “I hope they catch that guy soon.” She picked up the plates, taking them over to the table. Sesshoumaru followed, sitting down across from her.

“I had heard about that girl a month ago, so when you told me about Miki last Friday, I did wonder…” Sesshoumaru trailed off, leaving the obvious silent. Rin nodded in silent agreement, feeling like her problems were now minimal compared to the problems of the outside world. She felt like she was being petty.

“That lady was right, though,” Rin said, playing with the egg on her plate. “It makes you scared." Sesshoumaru reached across the breakfast table and firmly held Rin’s free hand.

“Hey…you’ve got me, right? I won’t let anything like that happen to you.” Rin gave him a small, comforted smile. You always know what to say, don’t you? Rin turned her hand up to hold his, and they ate their eggs in silence for a few minutes, listening to the news. Rin couldn’t help but notice how warm and firm his hand was.

“Oh, and by the way,” she said, swallowing the last of her orange juice. “Do you think you might want to set the air conditioning to a higher temperature?”

“Ah, thanks for reminding me,” he said, nodding. Rin got up, taking her plate to the sink. “Did you see anything we need from the grocery store?” Rin pursed her lips in thought as she turned on the hot water and rinsed off the plate.

“Oh! We’re almost out of butter, actually.” Rin scrubbed the plate ‘til it fairly sparkled and then dried it off, setting it to the side on a dishtowel. Turning around, a confused look came over her face. Sesshoumaru was done eating, and he had his hands propped underneath his chin. He was watching her with a sad smile on his face.

“What is it?” Rin asked, walking towards him. The change in his face was subtle, but Rin caught it. He looked pained. The expression lasted only a second, and his face wiped clean, replaced by a carefree smile.

“It’s nothing. I just like watching you.” Rin tilted her head slightly, smiling a little. Though he couldn’t see it, Rin felt a little shut out that he would hide something from her. And by now she knew…he was hiding something. She leaned down to take his plate, but from the corner of her eye, she saw something skitter across the floor. Turning her head to look, a tiny mouse was making its way across the kitchen floor.

Rin half-gasped, half-squeaked, and jumped for the nearest high place. Standing on her chair, she squealed, pointing at the mouse as it paused in its journey to clean its face.

“Kyaaa!! Sess, there’s a mouse! Get it, get it!”

“So that’s where he went…I’ve been looking for this guy. He keeps getting in through the basement.” Sesshoumaru calmly stood up, and pulled his jacket off of the back of the chair. Tossing it at the mouse, Sesshoumaru walked over once it landed and trapped the critter inside.

“Kyaaa!! That’s your jacket! Don’t put it there!”

“Rin, I wouldn’t have thought you were afraid of mice,” Sesshoumaru smiled, picking up the jacket with his fist around the little ball of mouse inside. Reaching inside to get the mouse out, he listened, a little amused, to Rin’s gasps and squeaks. Holding the mouse, which was struggling of course, Sesshoumaru found a spaghetti strainer and set it inside, covering the top so that it couldn’t get out. “We’ll drop this guy off a little away from the house.” Draping his jacket over the arm of the chair again, he looked to see that Rin hadn’t come down from the chair yet.

“Are you sure that’s the only one?” Rin asked, looking around. “There’s always hordes of them in an old house like this.” Sesshoumaru smirked and walked over to her, setting his hands on the outsides of her knees.

“That’s the only one I’ve seen since I moved here. You can come down now.” Rin pouted, setting her hands on his shoulders.

“How do you know it was the same one? It might have been a different mouse you saw earlier, and it might be following around that other one,” Rin said petulantly, obviously not ready to step down yet. Sesshoumaru thought for a couple of seconds, and then decided to change the direction of the conversation.

“Where do you want to sleep tonight?” he asked, making it sound offhand. Rin visibly blushed, and her eyes got a little wider. Why is he asking that? Rin wondered if she should say that she wanted to sleep in his bedroom again, but he might take it that she liked his bed, and then he would sleep in the other room. So she changed her answer slightly…

“W—with you?” she said softly, holding his shoulders a little tighter. Sesshoumaru slid his hands to the back of her knees and up, slowly making his way to her rear end.

“That could be dangerous, you know,” he said, getting closer.

“Why’s that?” she whispered, breathing a little faster. His warm hands stopped just shy of the edge of her underwear. Rin nervously bit down on her lower lip.

“When you’re that close, and we’re in a bed, I want to just be between your legs, pushing myself inside,” he whispered, watching her reaction. Rin’s cheeks were bright red by now, and she could feel her heart pounding.

“S—Sess…” was all that came out, and Rin gripped his shoulders.

“I can’t even imagine how good it would feel,” he said, his voice very gruff and his gaze intense.

“Th…then why don’t you?” Rin asked, feeling awkward but very much interested in what he would say next.

“Well, first off, I don’t have any condoms in the house…but mostly, I think I’d like to get to know you more. We can keep on as we have been until we’re both ready.” Rin slowly licked her lips, looking down at Sesshoumaru’s mouth.

“You’ll keep…doing what you did…this morning?” she asked hesitantly. Sesshoumaru’s eyes softened a little, and he smirked.

“As much as you want,” he replied, leisurely rubbing the outside of her thighs. Rin leaned down, pulling up on the shoulders of his blue shirt. Closing her eyes, Rin felt his lips touch hers, moving over them slowly. Opening her mouth more, Rin pressed her tongue against his lips, slipping inside. It felt like her heart was pounding inside her head, and her skin radiated heat. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Rin put all she had into the kiss, wondering if she was going to make his lips swell.

When she needed to breathe again, Rin pulled her mouth away, opening her eyes. Seeing Sesshoumaru’s face above hers rather than below, Rin looked to the side and down. I’m on the floor again?

“Wow…I didn’t know you could kiss like that,” Sesshoumaru said, holding her a little closer. Rin’s chest was pressed tightly against him, and Rin her gaze to his face. “It seems that there’s a lot I don’t know about you.” Rin's eyebrows scrunched together and up, looking at him with a little bit of dejection.

I could say the same…

“Although I’d love to keep doing this, it seems that we’ve procrastinated long enough.” Sesshoumaru gestured his head towards the microwave clock, which read 7:56. The news was winding down, and the mouse was patiently awaiting its fate inside the spaghetti strainer. Sesshoumaru pulled away, patting Rin’s hind end before walking to his plate. Rin watched him take the plate to the sink and set it inside. Picking up her backpack, Rin draped it over her shoulder. Sesshoumaru shrugged into his jacket and grabbed his briefcase from the counter.

“Ready to go?” Rin asked, shutting off the kitchen light. Sesshoumaru picked up the spaghetti strainer and walked towards Rin.

“Yup.”