Reaction Mechanism

Yep. Me again, with a brand new one-shot before any new updates for my stories. I know, I have no dedication. But, it's Valentine's Day so I figured I just had to write SOMETHING! Enjoy!

Rin was absurdly nervous. Her face felt hot. Her hands were sweaty.

"I can't do this!" She inwardly screamed.

It was mid-February, which meant it was time for her to ask for recommendation letters for summer internships. For some reason or other, she'd always been embarrassed and shy when it came to asking for recommendations, even though she was sure the professors would agree. But this time in particular, she was more nervous than usual. Well, it was to be expected. This particular professor was very accomplished, very strict, and…very sexy! Rin didn't need to feel her face to know that it had heated up some more at that last thought.

"You're in my cell biology lecture right? Can I help you with anything?" A smooth baritone asked from behind Rin.

Recognizing the voice as belonging to the afore mentioned accomplished, strict, and very sexy professor, Rin jumped, carefully filled out papers scattering all over the hallway.

"Er..Yes! Um…I mean no!" Rin fumbled, clumsily grasping at the paperwork on the floor. There was no way she could ask him now, with that klutz attack!

There! That was the last piece of that thrice-be-damned recommendation form! If she could just grab it, she could just high-tail it out of there and forget the incident had ever happened! Hopefully, he'd forget too if she sat in the very back of the lecture hall for a few classes.

Her small hands reached for the innocent form, her slender fingers extending as long as they could. That was when a much larger and much more masculine hand cruelly plucked the form away.

"Oh, a recommendation form? Best not to crumble these like you have the other two over there—don't think the selection committee would be too happy with that," the professor commented as he quickly scanned the sheet.

"Ah crap!" was all Rin could think.

"That class is rather large so I'm afraid I don't know you that well," he began, "so how about you print those two other forms out and come back? We'll have a chat and see what I can do."

Rin could hardly believe her luck. He didn't out-right reject her! Gr…why did that come out sounding like a love confession?

Rin quickly bobbed her head up and down before heading towards the elevators again.

"The closest public computer lab is in Mudd on the second floor, you don't need to go all the way over to Lerner," he helped, seeing that Rin was heading in the wrong direction.

All Rin could do was whisper a thank you before scampering towards the elevators, and fervently hope that some god out there was helping her so that an elevator would open before she did something else embarrassing.

It was only after Rin had finished refilling the new forms that she realized she probably dropped more than papers when she bumped into the professor earlier. Even though she wasn't in Japan, Rin still clung to the tradition of giving home-made chocolate on February 14. The night before, she had stayed up late to finish making chocolates for her friends. She had given them all away except for one—and now, that one was missing. Oh well, she'd just have to look for it when she got back to that hallway then.

It wasn't there.

"You seem to like standing in this hallway," the professor observed, amusedly, "Are you looking for something?"

"No…well…yeah. How did you guess?"

He stared pointedly at her, his captivating dark amber eyes roaming over Rin's small but rather curvaceous form.

That was when Rin realized exactly what position she was in: in her hasty search for the stray chocolate, she hadn't realized that she had gotten on her hands and knees while trying to see under the heating unit. That, and as she was positioned right now, her rounded bottom was pointing up towards the professor's rather entertained face.

"Pro…Professor Tsukiaoi!" She gasped, "I'm sorry!"

The professor chuckled lightly before pointing to an office across the hall. "We'll talk in my office."

Rin obediently followed the lab-coat clad genius. She'd never been in his office before. It was spacious and had windows overlooking the library. On the walls were mounted various certificates and honorary degrees as well as several large science posters. She was instantly reminded of exactly whose office she was standing in. He wasn't just a good-looking pretty boy. Professor Sesshoumaru Tsukiaoi was renowned pioneer in cellular disease and gene therapy. At the age of twenty seven, he had earned a tenure at the university and was practically guaranteed for a Nobel Prize in a few years. In addition to that, he looked absolutely scrumptious!

Being a loyal reader of Harlequin romances, Rin had always wondered if there really existed men who could turn heads as they walked down a street and make a girl's heart pound with a smoldering gaze. First day of class had solved that question. Professor Sesshoumaru, with his long silky platinum hair, long and lean body, and handsomely chiseled face, was the answer to many a college girl's dreams. The fact that he had an IQ over 200 didn't hurt either.

He gestured to a comfy looking leather chair as he walked behind his desk, reading through Rin's transcript and resume as he went.

Gathering up her courage, Rin squeaked out, "Professor, have you, by chance, seen a package wrapped in pink paper with sakura blossoms printed on it?"

He didn't seem to hear her as he hummed softly while continuing to read.

Rin decided against asking again—this whole situation was just too embarrassing.

"So you're grades aren't bad and you've taken quite a few courses in the biology area," he said, "but, no lab experience—and, premed, yes?"

Rin nodded, nerves setting in as he read out the last two points.

"Hm…since the course doesn't have any large exams or papers due until midterm week, there really isn't much I can write about."

Rin felt her heart drop to her stomach. So, he was going to turn her down.

"How about this…"

"Professor, I really need the letter by mid-March! I can't wait until midterms are over!" Rin exclaimed nervously.

One silvery, refined eyebrow rose in amusement. "Quick to assume, aren't you? I was thinking that my lab is one person short for this semester. If you have time, you can drop in a few hours a week and then I can write the letter for you after knowing you better."

Rin's jaws dropped. To say the least, she was surprised. It was a well-known fact that his lab was hard to get into—experience from his lab would pretty much ensure an interview with any science grad school in the country!

Numbly, Rin nodded her consent.

He flashed her a small grin with, dare she think it, a glint of pleased victory in his dark amber eyes. "Excellent! There might just be some hope for you yet!"

"Hope?"

He flashed another small grin, "It's an inside joke for science professors—means converting a premed to research. Anyways, I have a project on the molecular mechanism behind regulation factors mediating the nascence of tumor cells and ways gene therapy can be used to treat cancer…"

It didn't take long for the two to settle into a steady schedule. Sesshoumaru, as the professor had insisted Rin call him, was a talented instructor in lab techniques and Rin was sharp enough to learn quickly. The only obstacle that stood in her way was her daydreaming—it was very very difficult for her to focus on work when the great incubus himself was standing beside her. And, to her utter dismay, the distraction he, probably unknowingly, posed increased as she spent more time with him. It seemed that the more she understood the man, the more she admired and was attracted to him. But on his part, Sesshoumaru showed no interest in her outside the purely professional. Rin wondered if he could tell how she felt.

It was a day before mid-March when Rin and Sesshoumaru's steady pace of training and bench work was interrupted. Perhaps, it started out with Rin dropping off a report in Sesshoumaru's office when he was out for a meeting. There, resting innocently on his book shelf, between a New England Biolabs catalogue and a monstrous tomb entitled Techniques in Molecular Biology, was a small square of pink wrapping paper overlayed with sakura blossom figures. It was most definitely from the wayward Valentine's Day chocolate!

The second surprise occurred a few hours later in the day, after Sesshoumaru had just returned from his meeting and before Rin could broach the subject of the chocolate wrapper. He handed her a single white envelope.

"It's a copy of the recommendation letter I sent out today. You don't need to come here anymore if you're busy with other stuff. I realize that the semester's picking up."

So this was it. It seemed that her dream had finally come to an end. And that was just a polite way of saying he didn't want her in the lab anymore.

Despite this, the moment she was sure Sesshoumaru had left the room, Rin couldn't help her own curiosity and tore open the envelope. The letter wasn't overflowing with rhetorical praise. It was more of a critical evaluation of Rin's work and personality, but she was pleased. It was a strong letter. It was good to know that he had appreciated her while she was here…Rin carefully tucked the letter back into the envelope. That was when she realized that in her haste to read the letter, she had completely overlooked two other sheets of paper in the envelope. One, she read with increasing delight, was a completed invitation to join the summer research program run by the university, with Sesshoumaru's signature on it to ensure he would mentor her if she accepted. The other, was a small white card with the simple words "Happy White Day" written on it in Sesshoumaru's flowing script.

Hope. Yes. There was hope for Rin yet.