InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Antagonists Unite ❯ Chapter Fourteen ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Antagonists Unite
By: DarkCrystalis and edited by Jon04CTSV

XxXx

Chapter Fourteen

Rin's POV

Oh, shit… I think to myself, trying to find a way out of this.

“Hi Koji,” I say, laughing nervously and, without noticing, begin biting one of my nails. When he doesn't answer, I then ask tentatively, “What are you doing up so late?”

He had a stern, non-nonsense look on his face and I felt my previously wavering resolve disappear all together. “Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing, Rin.”

“Well,” I begin awkwardly, rubbing my sweaty palms on my pajama pants, “This is Sesshoumaru, one of my classmates. Sesshoumaru, this is my brother, Koji.”

My brother quirked an eyebrow, obviously not amused. “And what are you doing here at…” he glances toward his wristwatch, “12:17 in the middle of the night?”

Despite my discomfort at being in this situation, Sesshoumaru handles himself like a pro—which, naturally, is a perfectly normal thing for someone like him to do.

“Your daughter has someone stalking her, and I came over to check up on her after she called me, expressing her fears of possibly being watched from her bedroom window.”

At first, disbelief was written all over my brother's face, and I had to hold in laughter—he looks so shell-shocked that his expression is comical. However, it was then that he did something I hadn't expected; he began to laugh, and more than just a little. Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes and he fruitlessly wiped them away.

“Good god, is that the excuse everyone uses now-a-days when they're caught doing something they shouldn't be?” He rubs his forehead slightly, then turns serious once more. “I don't allow your boyfriends in my house at this hour, young lady,” he says as he turns to me.

“First of all, I'm not a young lady, and second…” Before I finish and exclaim only the truth is being told, Koji holds up his hand, a smirk on his face.

“Fine, old hag,” seeing my incredulous stare and Sesshoumaru's wicked grin, Koji continues relentlessly. “Either way, no one is allowed in this house this late at night—especially not boyfriends.”

“But wait a second…” I try again, needing to tell him that first of all, Sesshoumaru is not my boyfriend, and secondly, that there really are issues regarding my safety.

“Say goodnight to the girly-boy and get to bed already,” Koji says quickly, no room for discussion in his voice, despite its teasing tone.

“Koji,” I say more sternly, getting annoyed that he's ignoring me as he walks up the stairs.

After what seems like ages, he finally turns around and regards the stressed look on my face. I begin to feel genuinely scared, not knowing what to do or how to approach the problem at hand.

I took a deep breath, staring him straight in the eye. “Sesshoumaru told you the truth.”

XxXx

The next school day, after class…

“I can't go—I don't want to go,” I mutter to myself, hating every step I take towards the parking lot.

A few nights ago—two, to be exact,—Koji decided that I'd be safest in Sesshoumaru's home. He didn't think that I'd be safe enough in our home, especially since the stalker probably knows my address. Sure, Koji wasn't thrilled with the fact that I'd be living with a boy,—of all people,— but my safety was apparently his priority. He'd even spoken with Sesshoumaru's father, making sure that all was a go. “Sesshoumaru hasn't had a friend stay over like this since he was a child,” Mr. Taishou had said, and then added, “It'd be my pleasure having a guest in our home.”

Additionally, Koji called the police and informed them of the situation, but as expected, there was nothing much they could do until they had more information. They strongly suggested that I never go out alone, under any circumstances, and especially not at night—which I obviously knew beforehand.

I begin to growl, not wanting to remember the fact that I've pretty much been kicked out of my house, without any say on my part.

“What do these people think I am, anyway—a goat to be moved around from place to place, getting used before I'm given away to someone else?” I say aloud, not realizing that I have an audience.

“A grateful attitude, I see,” Sesshoumaru drawls, but I don't budge an inch.

“I don't feel like going home yet,” I say, indicating his home and not mine, choosing to instead shower my attention onto a dandelion close by my shoes. “I think this entire thing is ridiculous! All I want to do is go home!”

Cruelly, Sesshoumaru gives me a look as if to say, “are you an idiot?” and smirks. “You just said that you didn't want to go home—make up your mind, girl.”

I gnash my teeth together, scowling darkly in his direction. “That's not what I meant, and you know it!”

I know Sesshoumaru is probably having a ball by twisting my words around like this, but I suddenly can't take it anymore. Letting out a scream of impatience and anger, I sprint out of the school parking lot, running blindly as far away from him as possible.

I can hear heavy footsteps behind me, but I don't care; I hate him with every fiber of my being, and I can't be near him right now for fear of what I very well might do to him in this angry state. I continue running, although I can feel myself grow tired with each additional step that I take. I feel exhilarated, running like this, but at the same time my body begins to grow weaker and weaker with every passing moment.

Before I know it, the park falls into my view and I sprint harder towards it, determined to get at least there before he catches up. Once I arrive, I exhaustedly collapse onto the swing, sucking in deep breaths to my oxygen-deprived lungs. I see Sesshoumaru not too far from me and I groan; part of me wishes that I maybe somehow lost him while running, but weirdly enough, the other part of me is glad that he cares enough to chase after me…

Purposefully shaking my head to clear those utterly ridiculous thoughts, I sigh and wrinkle my nose. I can now feel sweat drip off of my face from the run, and I weakly wipe away the wetness with the palms of my hands. Suddenly overwhelmed with tiredness, I rest my head onto my hands, my elbows being balanced on my thighs as I sit on the swing.

Sesshoumaru stops inches from me, staring me down—I can feel the piercing gaze without even looking up. I can tell he's royally pissed off, but I can't help feeling triumphant at having pushed him so hard. I'm sickeningly happy that the one who always gets his way had his feathers ruffled a bit, by me no less.

When I finally look up, I gulp in a manner that I hope is discreet. His hair is tossed around his shoulders, many of the strands streaked wildly about, some even sticking to his slightly sweaty face. He's panting as he rests his hands on his thighs, his body crouching forwards slightly as he's catching his breath. His eyes sparkle in the mid-day light, making them appear to be more like melted amber, but underneath the stare is a blazing anger which darkens their colour slightly. Sesshoumaru's mouth is open just the littlest bit as he regains his normal breathing pattern, his lips looking utterly delicious all of a sudden…

I snap my gaze to the green grass below my shoe clad feet, my face burning a bright red, but not only from the sprint that I've just had. Disgustingly, I realize I've done something I've always known would happen one day—I was checking out Sesshoumaru Taishou.

XxXx

Just after we left the park, he took me to a fast food restaurant to grab an early dinner. I accepted, seeing how I'm living with him and this was nothing short of a duty for him. It wasn't a dinner date—he was just feeding me, simply because he has to. Besides, I'd rather drop dead than go out to dinner with this pompous ass—he's just full of himself.

The way home was silent from dinner, and for that I was glad. He didn't mention anything about my earlier embarrassing assessment of him, but he did seem a little happier than before which made me cringe. The last thing I needed was him thinking that he could have his way with me, simply because I looked at him a couple times.

Quietly, I gazed out the window of his Cadillac, hating the fact that I could hardly see anything due to the dark tint on all the glass. I've never understood why males have the intense need for dark windows; it looks suspicious, and it makes it nearly impossible to look through any window in the car at night.

As if reading my mind, Sesshoumaru spoke up. “It was my father's decision to tint the windows, not mine. I'd like the ladies to see me driving my car—a sexy man and a sexy car; there isn't much else a woman could ask for.”

I'm ready to retort something about his not being sexy at all, but I realize that we've stopped.

“This is it,” he says as he walks toward the front entrance. I realize that he expects me to open the trunk grab my small possessions in my bags by myself, and I feel awkward, not really knowing how to open it.

“Like this,” he suddenly says, his arms wrapping around my sides as he pops the trunk. His arms cage me in his embrace, and I'm distinctly uncomfortable with our position.

“Thanks,” I say coldly and take a step to my left, avoiding him. “I'd appreciate it in the future if you didn't touch me like that,” I add, feeling defiled.

He opens his mouth, most likely to say something arrogant or cocky, but his father's booming voice interrupts him.

“Hello, Rin!” he calls from the doorway of their home before he begins taking graceful steps down the few stairs toward the car. “Let me help you with your things.”

I can't help but notice the disapproved look he shoots his son before he turns and smiles at me. “It's wonderful to meet you—my name is Zell Taishou, but please just call me Zell, I really hate formalities.”

I can't help but give him a quizzical look at the strange name before he gives me yet another warm smile. “My father was… a strange man, to say the least. He liked to be… different, and so did my mother. `Zell' seemed like the ideal name for them to give their first born son.” He gave me a cheery laugh, as if to reassure me. “Come meet the others—I'm sure they'd love to see you,” he added before heading into the house, beckoning us to join him.

XxXx

The rest of the night was spent chattering in the living room, the television playing quietly in the background. I ended up really liking Sesshoumaru's dad—he was a lot cooler than I'd ever hoped. However, I was already beginning to miss Koji, and I knew I wouldn't see him for quite a while. Visiting the house was a bad idea, and having him come here could be even worse, especially if the stalker was monitoring my brother's whereabouts, too.

Excusing myself for the night, I went upstairs to the bedroom which was already previously shown to me. A friendly young woman a little older than myself, Shauna, met me outside my bedroom. She was one of the maids at their mansion and Zell told me she'd be directly responsible for all of my cleaning—whether it be the bathroom, vacuuming, or anything else. I was also told that if I ever needed anything outside the house, I could always ask either him or Shauna, whomever I was most comfortable speaking with.

Upon meeting Shauna, it was really hard getting used to having her wait on me—I've always been an independent person. However, after a few hours of conversing with her, I didn't see Shauna as just a maid—I could already tell we'd be good friends in no time.

I began appraising the massive bedroom for the first time, and I was slightly discomfited. The white walls and high ceiling made my eyes go buggy—the room seemed so… huge. The pink canopy queen sized bed was a princess's wish come true, but I cringed, hoping that I could change it somehow. The hardwood oak floors gleamed in the well lit room, shining brightly. A treasure sort of shaped box was at the foot of the bed, but it was empty upon inspection. I assumed it was meant to store away little trinkets which are to be kept from prying eyes, and I sort of liked the idea. The closet was a walk-in, not surprisingly, and it was stashed with mounds and mounds of assorted clothes. Pink seemed to be the dominant colour, as well as silks and fine cottons being the clothing materials of choice. I dumped my miniscule carrying bag onto the closet floor, promising to go through it tomorrow.

Then, I sigh heavily, taking everything around me into perspective. I've never been one for a lavish lifestyle, so this would take some getting used to, if not a lot. I decided that I'd do whatever I could to make this house my own—to act as if I really were at home. Just because the Taishous have things done up so nicely for them doesn't mean that I want the same treatment!

Switching off the lights and lumping into the soft sheets of my new bed, I close my eyes and try to fall asleep, but to no avail. Even hours later I can't seem to fall away into the blissful darkness, which puzzles me most greatly; normally, I sleep just fine every night at home, but somehow I know that it's the strange setting keeping my body from resting. My stomach grumbles, making a loud, animalistic sound in the darkness. Apparently, something else was keeping me awake as well—hunger. I realize that I'm only wearing a t-shirt and underwear, but who is likely to be up so late, on a school/work night no less?

Deciding to take a chance and get a midnight snack in my some-what revealing sleeping attire, I tip-toe down the stairs to the kitchen. I stick my head into the fridge, probing around for some kind of leftovers. I remember Zell's words as they repeat over and over in my head, only the kindest intentions reflecting off of him. “What's mine is yours—if you need to use any products, borrow clothes or watch T.V., feel free. If you get hungry at night or need to use the phone, just do it—you're a guest in our home, you're welcome to do what you need to do.”

I smile at the memory, and any guilt I'd felt washed away. Finding a Chinese take-out box further in the refrigerator, I open it to reveal what's inside. The lights in the kitchen are still off, so I rely on the fridge's light to brighten the room a bit. I can tell it's some sort of noodles with meat and vegetables, but that's more than I could ask for. A sound from upstairs makes my heart jump into my throat, but when silence reigns once more I feel relieved. As I switch on the kitchen light to see the microwave, I hear footsteps nearing me. Prepared for the worst, I scramble behind the island, glad that it easily hides most of my body.

When Sesshoumaru appears a few seconds later, I scowl deeply and cross my arms over my chest.

“What are you doing here?” I ask indigently, my annoyance and embarrassment clear in my voice.

“I was planning on getting a late snack… but it seems that you're already busy raiding our fridge.”

The comment made me feel guilty, as though I'm not allowed to go into the fridge of the house I'm staying in.

“I'm inappropriately dressed, so if you'd so kindly take your leave…” I finally say, hoping to get rid of him.

“Oh no, this isn't something I'd miss for the world.” He then began circling the island, trying to peek at me.

“Pervert!” I nearly screeched, trying to avoid his prying eyes, but the fact that the rest of the house was still sleeping kept me from raising my voice to its full capacity.

“Rin, you asked for it by coming downstairs dressed like this,” Sesshoumaru retorded, grinning evilly.

When the distant sound of shuffling footsteps reached my ears, I couldn't have been happier. Zell approached Sesshoumaru, wiping sleep from his eyes.

“What are you doing up?” he asked his son, not showing annoyance.

“Just getting a snack, dad,” Sesshoumaru retorted, stealing a glance my way for support.

“And you, young lady?” when he turned to me with that question voiced, there was laughter in his eyes.

“I was here first,” I quickly defended, practically shaking with nervousness.

“Get upstairs, Sesshoumaru, and leave the girl alone; it isn't like you need more food anyway. Besides, I'm sure she's had enough of you for one day.” Zell didn't budge until Sesshoumaru began his slow trek from the kitchen, up the hallway stairs to his bedroom. Seconds later, he followed, bidding me goodnight.

Phew, I think to myself as I forget about my hunger and rush into my bedroom. That was close.

XxXx

Author's Note

Angel: Not much to say, but you can't say anything about this chapter being late—it's practically 2x the length of a regular chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!

Angel: Jonathan read the chapter and made an adjustment, but he's not around right now, but I'll post it anyway! He didn't mind it when I said I would.

Angel: I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years—I know I did! I hope to hear many comments from all of you in the future—I'm sure you haven't all run off on me yet.

Sincerely,

Angel
and
Jonathan