It was about three weeks before Sesshomaru was use to the natural smell, able to walk into the office without the desire to take in that sweet scent. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been around a true scent.
He huffed a little one day, looking at his diary. Whenever a demon was coming to the office for a meeting, he was sure to stand in the other room, close to Rin. He didn't know why but the way their eyes widened and their noses flared…
That scent was so strong.
It would over power even the best of demons.
But something deep in his gut growled softly. It was his to enjoy. No one else's.
One morning, he walked into the office with folders under his arm. The scent hit him but he was used to it, walking up to the desk. "Morning."
She was looking at a pile of papers, her back to him as he passed. "Good morning Lord Sesshomaru."
He glanced at her but there was nothing else to it as he went through the doors. He sat and loaded up emails and checked them over before loading a text. 'Coff…
The door opened and Rin snuck in, put the white mug on his table and turned around, ignoring his clearly shocked face. But then he frowned. "Rin!"
She flinched and a prang of fear filled the air. "Yes… yes my lord?"
He looked at her. "Turn around." The petite woman swallowed and turned around, her head lowered to the floor. The demon growled a warning. "Look me in the eye."
She twiddled her fingers together before her and lifted her head. "Yes… my lord?"
The demon stared at her as her eyes met his. He knew there was something wrong with her. He smelt it when he came in but dismissed it. Now he noticed it. There was something. He stood and walked over to her, grabbing her chin and lifting it so her eyes stayed on his.
He didn't look into her eyes or hair… his eyes went over the makeup she was wearing. That was the smell, the smell of powders and make up, thick black in a smoking style around her eyes. He frowned. In the two months he'd known her, she'd never worn this much make up before. His fangs glistened as he spoke. "What happened?"
"What… what do you mean?"
"Don't lie to me." His hand moved to her right eye, where the makeup was thickest and gently touched it. She flinched and hissed in pain so he glared darker at her. "You have a black eye."
"Do… do not."
"A bad one too. So what happened?"
She snapped backwards, slipping from his grip. "If you have to know… I walked into a door."
"Liar!"
"I walked into a door."
"Someone punched you Rin."
"It is possible to get a black eye walking into a door, look it up online. Now, if you don't mind…" She turned to leave but the demon grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him, his arm wrapped around her waist.
He glared her into keeping still, ignoring the smell of fear and anger coming from her. "Rin, tell me the truth as I will know if you are lying. Did someone hit you?"
Her eyes told him the truth but her voice denied it. Released, she stepped backwards and turned to leave quickly before he had a chance to push the matter further.
Luckily the demon dropped the subject, not asking her again or hinting at wanting to know.
However, for the next hour, instead of working on the deal before him, he leant on his hands, thinking, trying to make sense of it all.
He eventually put it down to one thing.
Rin was good at her job. She was good at getting what he needed when he needed it. She did as he asked without questions and willing to change herself to his preference.
He smiled a little. That was why he liked her, why he grew angry at her lying and protective of her. She did her job and did it well. Her commitment and dedication. That was what he liked.
He lifted the phone and deleted the half-finished text then opened a new one. 'You can talk to me when you want.' He looked at it then sighed, deleting it and dropping it to the table, finally getting on with his work.
~#~
Rin sighed loudly as her head rolled back on the car seat. "Ah."
"Rin?"
She moved her eyes to the side where Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow to her. She shook her head then looked out the car window. "Sorry my lord. I hate traffic jams."
"Mmm."
She looked out the window for a moment, her hand messing with the back of her neck. "Do you mind if I let my hair down? It's so hot."
"I don't mind."
Looking out the window, Rin quickly pulled her hair pin out and her hair tumbled down to her shoulders. She ruffled it a little then sighed. "Thank you."
The demon looked over from the other side of the car. He blinked once. Curly. He'd never seen her with her hair down before. It was slightly curly. And the smell doubled. He shifted in the leather seat, looking out the other window.
As the car rolled a fraction further, Rin sighed again. "Was it a good meeting?"
"Decent."
"Anything you want me to do?"
"No."
"What about when we get back to the office?"
"Considering how thick this traffic is, it will be late by the time we get back. You can just leave if you want. Or I could have the driver take you home."
She shuffled for a moment. "Oh, no, I'll walk home. It's not far. Thanks for the offer."
"Hmm."
The car rolled a little as Rin pulled out her phone, messing with it slightly, a smile on her lips. The demon saw and sensed a spike of embarrassment. "Something funny?"
"My friend, sending me rude texts again."
"Friend?" He turned to face her. "I didn't think you had any friends."
Rin didn't even look up from her phone. "Well, you don't really know me. I've only been working for you for three months."
"So? We have some time now. Tell me about yourself."
"What is there to tell?"
"Who's your friend?"
"My blood sister."
"Blood sister?"
Her eyes turned to him, fluttering her eyes at his confusion. "Have you never heard of them?" She sighed and shifted to look at the roof of the car. "We met in college and were in the same classes so soon we became best friends. But as neither of us have any siblings and both of us wanted a sister, we took a blood oaf to always be sisters. We could tell each other anything we want and never tell another soul. In our youth it was a way to deal with troubles; boys, homework, parents and so on. Nowadays it's just an excuse to meet up and chat."
"Who is your blood sister?"
"Elizabeth but everyone calls her Lizzy. I haven't seen her in ages but…" She held up her phone. "She's never too far away. She's a little tasteless in her sense of humour but I love her for it."
The demon looked at her phone as she messed with it, replying to her message he'd guess from the speed she moved her thumb at. He took a deep breath, taking in her scent and her posture. "When was the last time you saw her?"
"Oh… must have been…" she thought, biting her lip. "At her wedding, a year and a half ago. We did try and meet at Christmas but… Naraku had a major contract and… I couldn't get away. She was…" she chuckled and nodded to herself. "A little annoyed."
Sesshomaru thought for a moment then nodded to the phone. "Text her back, tell her when she's free, you'd like to meet her, no matter when it is."
"Really? Why?"
"I just said… so you can meet up. Whatever day she is free, you can have off."
Her eyes widened in shock. "I… I can have a day off? Just to meet Lizzy?"
The demon had to hold back a chuckle. "Really. You act like you've never had a day off before."
"I… I get my Saturday a month off but… I normally need those times to go shopping."
He looked the other way. "Well then… take my offer. Call your friend and make the arrangements." His eyes focused on her in the pale refection of the glass window and saw her smiling then tap madly at her phone.
He held in a smile of his own then day dreamed as the car finally began to move at a reasonable speed.
~#~
Lizzy screamed like a pig as the two ran into each other's arms, Rin hugging her tight. "Oh my word! Lizzy it's been ages!"
Lizzy, with long red hair, smiled and hugged the other woman. "I know Rin! You look amazing!" She widened her eyes and looked over her thin wire glasses. "Now, lunch and tell me all about your new boss."
Rin rolled her eyes a little then looked up at the large glass building she'd just come out of. High above, a demon smiled then turned away to his computer.
