Taking off his jacket and passing it to her, Sesshomaru shook hands with his waiting business partner. "Lord Sesshomaru."
"Mr Telmin. Good to see you again."
"And you. I have a table reserved, shall we talk over lunch?" The man turned quickly away while the demon looked over his shoulder at the assistant.
She had her hair down, hanging over her shoulder, dressed in a short black dress and heels. His eyes scanned her again then looked away. "You can get a drink if you like Rin, we're going to be a while."
Rin nodded silently as they faded into the restaurant then sighed and walked away to the bar, hanging his coat over her chair and speaking with the bar tender.
Over the other side of the room, the two business men worked and talked over their dinner and drinks. They exchanged papers and made notes of their own until the main meal arrived then they just spoke.
Sesshomaru kept a soft eye on the bar but it was just out of his view.
"Well?" Mr Telmin asked suddenly.
"Yes. I agree."
"Good, I think it would be a great idea. When were you thinking?"
Sesshomaru blinked suddenly. "Sorry, what were you saying?"
"What? Sesshomaru, I'm surprised. I've never known you be distracted."
The demon frowned a little as he looked over at the bar. "I… I'm…" The frown deepened before his chair was pushed backwards with a loud screech. In less than five steps he'd crossed the restaurant and stood by the bar, looking at the woman as she staggered around the chairs. "Rin."
Rin blinked a couple of times as she turned to face him. "Sesshomaru."
Her eyes were wide and her cheeks far too rosy. The demon frowned and growled, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders. "I said you could have a drink, I didn't expect you to get completely plastered from it!"
She frowned and slapped her hand on his chest. "What you talking about you thick assed pastard. I'm… I've been drinking… cokes."
Infuriated by her reaction, the demon growled but in doing so… he narrowed his eyes and grabbed her chin, turning it to the side and leaning in with a deep breath. He growled into her neck. "There is something in your blood. Something wrong." The growl grew even deeper as he looked back into her eyes. "Something that doesn't belong there."
For some reason when he pressed his nose into her neck, she closed her eyes and buried her head into him. Now she looked dazed and dizzy. He mentally cursed himself and her before pushing her into a seat and turned to the bar, lifting the half-finished drink to his nose. The salty smell was maddening and he almost threw the glass away. "Bar tender!"
The man walked quickly over to him and leant on the platform. "What can I get for you?"
The demon lifted the drink then slammed it on the table. "Did you see anyone tampering with this?"
"Tampering?" The man frowned. "No sir. I'd never do that."
"Did you see anyone around here?"
The man thought for a moment, testing the demon's patience. "There was… there was one man here a moment ago." He looked over the bar then shrugged. "He was here… just a moment ago… I saw him…"
"Maybe you were too distracted by those whores down there to pay attention, while one of your customers was being drugged!"
The man bristled, as did the group of women at the other end of the bar. The demon frowned deeper then looked the other way. "You will be hearing from my lawyer."
"Lord Sesshomaru?"
The demon turned and saw his lunch partner standing beside him. "I apologise Mr Telmin but I have to conclude our meeting for the moment."
"Has something happened?"
"I'm afraid my assistant has been drugged. She needs medical attention."
The man looked at the woman as she sat, collapsed across the chair, barely conscious. "I see. Well, you are in town for a few more days correct?"
"Until Saturday."
"Contact me when you're ready and I can rearrange the meeting. Although in honesty I think we have covered everything that needed to be discussed."
The demon nodded his head in a gentle bow. "Then if you will excuse me." He turned to Rin and grabbed her arm. "Come on Rin."
She pulled herself very quickly out of his grip as she stood. "Shut it you… mutt! I… I can walk!" She tried to take a step but her legs gave way in the simple movement. Her boss had his arms under her just in time, sweeping the legs up as easily as picking up his coat that he wrapped around her.
With one last nod to the gentleman, he walked out the restaurant with the woman across his arms. He made her lean on him once he was at the road so he could call a cab. The driver asked what had happened but the demon just gave him directions to their hotel.
Rin appeared to fall asleep in the drive so by the time they reached the hotel, the demon had no choice but to carry her again. Their high class business hotel had a full time reception so the man on duty quickly saw the troubled woman. "What happened sir?"
"Call a doctor. Room 241."
"At once sir."
Rin groaned and woke a little in his arms but the demon just held her tight, taking her to his room and somehow managed to unlock the door without dropping her. Now she lay on her side on his bed, muttering and moaning in her delusional state of mind. 'Mutt' and 'beast' were among the more common words he picked up. He had no doubts she was dreaming about him from those outbursts.
Finally someone knocked on the door and the doctor arrived. The demon explained quickly what had happened and what he knew before the doctor looked over the woman.
"Humm… yes, definitely some kind of club drug. A sedative. There has been a string of attacks using GHB around here recently and I think she might be one of the victims."
"What can be done?"
The doctor shrugged. "Unfortunately, nothing, just sit and wait for it to wear off." He pulled his jacket as he stood up. "Keep an eye on her breathing and heart rate, if they slow down then call an ambulance at once. She might be dizzy and sick when she wakes up and for a few hours but if she remains that way, contact me again."
"Thank you doctor."
The man nodded then walked out of the room while the demon sighed and closed it, looking over at Rin. "Had to get yourself drugged didn't you Rin?"
She groaned in response, rolling over to her other side, her face a mask of pain. He sighed then walked over, sitting by her feet and helping her out of the high heels. In a moment of weakness, he allowed himself to run a hand up the inside of her leg but she kicked out and caught his jaw with her foot.
Rubbing it, he stared at her but her face made him forgive her. She had no idea what she was doing and was clearly in pain. He sighed, not believing he'd tried such an action on her in the state she was in. He soon moved away, deciding to distract himself with work.
He worked silently and kept an eye on Rin until the evening came when he ordered room service for a meal. When dusk arrived he was faced with a dilemma.
Rin still hadn't woken up and he could still smell the drug in her blood even if it was weaker. Closing his laptop, he rubbed his nose then growled slightly at himself, walking over to the bed and looking at Rin.
She was still flinching in pain and her breathing wasn't steady. He couldn't leave her. So he blessed whatever saints were looking over him, because Rin had booked a room with a double bed, slipped his shoes and shirt off… thought about it then put his shirt back on, and lay down next to her, keeping her in his sight to watch her chest rise and fall. With the lights off, he would have to rely on his senses more but she was so close, he could home in on her, noticing every change she made.
The hours passed and Sesshomaru went into a trance like state, listening.
Just past two in the morning, he heard a change and opened his eyes.
"Gran… mutt… I…"
The three words came a few breaths apart but as she said them, she rolled over, her hands grapping his shirt and her head pressing into his shoulder blade. His eyes narrowed on her. "Rin?"
The woman cracked her eyes and looked up at him. The way she was breathing, almost shallow pants, he knew the drug was still working. That and she held even tighter to the fabric in her hands. "Lord Sesshomaru."
"What are you doing?"
Her eyes went to her hands, pulling the fabric towards her. "H…holding on?"
"Why?"
"Be… because I'm scared."
An eye brow arched. "Scared? Of me?"
She shook her head, her hair ruffling in the darkness. "No… never of you. I'm scared of what could have happened… if you weren't there."
His chest felt cold and his hand moved to her face, running the fingers over her cheek. "Rin." He sighed and eased her head onto his shoulder. "Try and sleep."
"Ok."
She closed her eyes with her hand still on his shirt while his other arm was wrapped around her. The demon closed his eyes and pushed his head into the pillows. His mind ran over the cold feeling, trying to find the cause. But his head kept repeating one line;
She's drugged.
She's drugged.
She's drugged.
She's drugged.
She's drugged.
His eyes opened, looking at her sleeping on his side. She looked so childish asleep, her eyes that held so much anger and loyalty were closed, cutting them off from him. Her hand was so small compared to his, holding tight to his shirt, her face pressed right into it. The young human twitched in her sleep, going in and out of dreams but when they got bad… he moved his hand and she settled.
The demon felt cold again. She'd never say something like that if she wasn't intoxicated.
His eyes closed and he broke away into sleep. A few hours later, she yawned and stretched but then put a hand on her head, moaning under her breath. Then her eyes focused on him and widened. "Ss-ss-sss-Sesshomaru!" She sat up quickly but then collapsed forward. "Oh my head… what… what… oh I feel sick."
"Keep still Rin. The doctor said it might take time for the drug to wear off."
"Drug?"
"You were drugged."
She looked up and blinked. "I… I don't remember." Her eyes went to her wrist, looking over the watch. "Is that the time! You have a meeting in half an hour." She tried to push herself away but he grabbed her tighter before she moved too much. "Wa, Sesshomaru! What are you doing?"
Wrapping his arms around her, the demon pinned her down. "Rin, keep still. You keep moving and what's left in your system will hit harder. Just stay still."
"What… what about the meeting?"
"I postponed it last night."
"How?"
"Said I was ill."
She chuckled a little. "You're a demon. You don't get ill."
Without a word, he pulled her tighter to his chest and nested his nose into her hair. That scent was intoxicating. He sighed once and closed his eyes. "Are you feeling sick?"
"Dizzy."
"It'll pass."
"I… I don't think it's the drug." Her hand gripped his shirt, as if confirming what she was saying.
The demon frowned. She's still under the drugs effect.
"You know, I really admire you Sesshomaru."
"Huf."
"I do. I really do. You're incredible!" She looked up as high as she could. "I mean, you've integrated so well with humans over the years, you… you set up your own business from the ground and… you're so brave and…"
"Rin."
"Yes?"
"Although I enjoy your flattery, I know what you're saying is only dew to your delusional state if mind. You don't mean any of it."
"I'm not de…de…delusional."
He growled and pulled her tighter and rolled onto his side, trapping her as he did. "Rin, get some sleep."
"I'm not."
"Are."
"Not."
"Rin, sleep."
She looked about ready to speak and argue when her head just dropped into his shoulder and her eyes closed. He smiled internally. If only she was so easy to control the rest of the time. He closed his grip around her and waited for the drug to work its way out of her blood. It was late afternoon when it finally faded and she got herself up. They decided never to talk about it again and went back to their business, both being purely professional even if the demon did have a glint in his eyes when she messed with her hair.
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