Author's Note: I'm very pleased that more and more people are commenting and adding my stories to their alerts and favorites list. Thank you very much for your comments and feedback. It helps me to stay motivated and have the drive to write. Here we are at chapter 6, where things slowly pick up even more

Written: Sometime in the fall… 2013

On the Rocks
Chapter Six: Unpleasant Encounters
Ki Ai Sky

"Puh-lease Kagome, please," she begged, down on her knees. She'd been whining for several minutes; surely Kagome would crack soon. It was a test of wills between Rin and Kagome. Rin was fairly confident she would win this battle.

"Go away," the younger woman groaned from behind the closed door.

"I'll clean the whole house myself," Rin promised, knowing well that it was a lie. Kagome wouldn't let her touch her bedroom or the kitchen. "I'll buy the groceries and splurge on the good stuff!"

Rin knew one of Kagome's weaknesses: fine cuisine. Kagome didn't often eat the delicacies that she spent day after day slaving away over. Prime cuts of meat were well beyond her budget for the time being, not to mention the fact that truffles cost hundreds of dollars per ounce. Not that she would go to the truffle level, but a girl could dream.

Kagome held her tongue, hoping that Rin would continue to make promises. In the chef's mind, the menu was already being pieced together. Definitely going to be self-inspired, lots of meat.

"Please, Kagome!" Rin's whining got more desperate. "I don't know what I was thinking when I invited them over, but I need you! You'll be my favorite cousin!"

"Oh, please," Kagome snorted as she rolled her grey eyes. "You know you would choose me over Souta because he's still a kid. Try again."

"I really like Sesshomaru! I really, really do. I think-" Rin stopped herself. She wasn't going to say something like that out loud through a door. "Please, Inuyasha saved my ass big time yesterday. Kagura was going to physically maim me. I think she knew that I slept with Sessh."

"What!" Kagome flung open her door. Now this was news. The cousins hadn't spoken since that morning due to staggering work schedules, but this was huge. It couldn't be said through a text or over the phone.

She looked down on her older cousin, stormy eyes wide with shock (maybe even a hint of jealousy). Rin blushed a fierce red and got off of her knees. The nurse toyed with a lock of her hair as she struggled to find the words for what had just happened. Kagome narrowed her eyes.

"Rin, he's a youkai."

Kagome was extremely hesitant against getting involved with demons. Her friend had been left by one without a moment's notice. She wasn't going to let that happen to her- nor would she let that happen to her cousin. Mates were tricky business. Youkai didn't always find their mates. Sometimes youkai didn't even know someone was their mate right away. There were so many complicated demonic habits that humans just couldn't grasp.

"I know that, Kagome," Rin frowned. She'd known her cousin would respond this way. "He's so unique. There's something about him that I just can't get enough of. I want to talk to him; I want to be near him. I can't explain it."

"But what if he finds his mate?"

"Who says he will? And even if he does, I don't care about that. I want to be with him," Rin fought back. It was like she'd always believed: cherish the time spent together. If they weren't mean to be, so be it. But she wanted to know him. And maybe, just maybe, he would discover her to be his mate.

"I think that I might be falling for him, Kagome. Really falling for him. But it's so hard to tell if these feelings are real just seeing him in the workplace. That's why I really need this dinner."

"But I have to cook for the asshole brother too?" Kagome groaned.

"Inuyasha isn't that bad. He's just a little gruff on the outside, but he's a good guy at heart. He loves kids; that means he can't be all that bad. He really helped me out, I really think Kagura was going to fire me then and there had he not stepped in."

"Do I have to be there for the dinner?" Kagome rubbed her temples. She wasn't keen on this whole idea in the first place, and if she had to sit at this awkward dinner she might have to fake an illness.

"Yes! I want you to meet them both. Sesshomaru doesn't say much and Inuyasha isn't the easiest person to hold a conversation with. I can't sit there by myself and make small talk. Please, Kagome, I need you there to help me."

Kagome groaned loudly, but nodded her yes. She wasn't looking forward to this dinner at all. She had nothing in common with these two men and was expected to spend an evening entertaining them. For Rin, she would do her best. She didn't approve of her older cousin's actions and decisions, but it wasn't up to her to judge. She took a deep breath, deciding to change the subject.

"So… you slept with him?"

"Yeah, uh, at work."

"Rin!" Kagome scolded. Damn, did she feel like Mama right now!

"It just sort of happened," Rin looked away. She didn't even understand what had occurred between her and Sesshomaru. One moment she was heartbroken, thinking the worst of the most handsome man she'd ever known, and the next he was rocking her world. All she knew was that he was going to take her on a date and they had earthshattering sex in the on-call room- and that's all that mattered.

Kagome paused, biting her tongue to hold in the scolding she was ready to spit out. Rin was a grown woman and was going to do as she pleased no matter what Kagome said to her. The grey eyed girl would be there for her cousin no matter what, but of course she wanted to protect her. Kagome would only make the nurse resent her if she continued her curse of action.

"Well… was it good?" Kagome chuckled lightly. At least someone was getting laid.

Rin grinned widely and nodded her head vigorously.

"Kagome, I may not get laid often, but my god, that man…"

ON THE ROCKS

He rapped his clawed hand on her door and waited silently. The previous day, he'd felt his mate's fear spike due to the charge nurse's outburst. He'd been unable to do anything to help at the time because he was scrubbing up for a surgery.

His half-breed brother had called him later that night to suggest a course of action in regards to the wind demoness. Though Sesshomaru frowned at the idea of confronting the woman, he knew it was necessary. He'd waited one day, not an hour more. After all, Sesshomaru was not a particularly patient man.

He could smell her tears through the door, like they were soaking her entire home. He grimaced, not wanting to have to deal with an emotional woman. He heard her light footsteps as she approached. He knew she could feel his aura, and of course she knew his reason for coming. The red-eyed youkai opened the door and met his cold gaze. She was a mess- wearing sweats and a ratty old t-shirt, her hair was pulled completely away from her face, which was devoid of any and all makeup. She had slight bags under her eyes, suggesting lack of sleep and excessive tears. He'd never seen his friend in such a state.

"Sesshomaru," she narrowed her eyes. She was definitely still angry.

"Kagura," he responded with a small nod. He waited for her to speak first, seeing as she was the one who had taken offense to his actions.

"How could you mate with her like that?" she hissed, not bothering to beat around the bush. "You didn't even tell me she was your mate. I thought we shared more than just my bed."

"It was a lack in judgment in my part. I reacted instinctually," he attempted to explain. He wasn't one to use many words or admit to giving into his desires. He would never tell Kagura that he couldn't control himself and ended up claiming Rin without her consent. He was much too dignified for that to be an issue- or so everyone thought. "I was not completely convinced in the matter until it was too late, so speaking with you on the subject was not considered."

He was lying to her, but he knew the truth in his slowly melting heart. He had definitely suspected Rin to be his mate, especially given his numerous sexual fantasies staring the young woman during his intimate sessions with Kagura. His face gave nothing away of his lie. Hopefully Kagura would believe him.

"Not considered? You didn't think to talk with your only friend about a woman that might be your mate? You didn't think to tell your fucking fuck-buddy that you'd found the woman you would leave her for?"

He remained silent. He knew she was hurt, and she had a right to be when she worded it that way. But they were not in a relationship. What did he owe her other than the courtesy owed to a friend? And he wasn't even sure what that entailed.

"And in the hospital? You took that little slut in the on-call rooms," the demoness spat.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes in response to her insult towards his mate. She clearly felt like she had been betrayed, but he disagreed on that matter. Her disrespect would slide for now.

"She was under emotional distress and I responded to that, albeit in an unprofessional way."

"You're disgusting," her anger obviously building. "And she's a fucking whore."

Sesshomaru's golden eyes flared crimson; she would not talk about Rin that way, no matter how angry and irrational she was being.

"Shut up," he growled, narrowing those livid red eyes.

"No, fuck you, Sesshomaru!" Kagura shouted angrily. "Fuck you and your human bitch!"

"Enough," he snarled loudly. "You will not speak another word against me or my mate!"

"Go to hell!" The wind demoness motioned with her hands in a backhanding movement, summoning her power.

Sesshomaru could feel the air currents begin to spiral around him, picking up quickly into what he knew would be a dangerous cyclone. The violent air twisting, scratching at his exposed skin. It clawed and cut into him, drawing blood from several shallow lacerations. He was shoved from side to side. The winds were fueled by her anger and betrayal. She was giving him everything she had, every ounce of strength.

The twister danced around him, trying to rip his flesh from his bones. He knew she didn't have the strength to do permanent damage, but this was extremely troublesome and the likelihood of things being resolved was going down with each passing second.

He forced his feet to move forward, fighting against her whirlwinds. He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her towards him.

Immediately, she lost her concentration and willpower. The sharp arcs of air died down as the beautiful youkai woman crumbled in his arms. She would never admit her true feelings for him, she would never voice her affections. He would never love her back.

She'd hoped that one day they would be mates. She knew the chances were slim, but she'd dreamed. They'd been so close- as close to best friends as people like them could get. Their intimacy extended into her bedroom, where they'd fucked dozens of times. How many times had Kagura almost told him that she loved him? She'd lost count. But now it was never to be.

Accepting the loss of a lover and the emergence of a platonic friend was not a matter she had wanted to consider. But now, she had no choice. It was simple friendship or complete loss. She didn't have enough friends to lose Sesshomaru completely…

She wept as he supported her gently. Sesshomaru knew he was the reason for her anguish, but he was not regretful. He could never regret Rin. He let Kagura cry on his shoulder as his hands rested on hers.

"Kagura, though we will never be sexually intimate again, I still respect you and your albeit harsh opinion. You are my friend. Can you accept this Sesshomaru as only your friend?"

She choked back a sob; he was asking her to decide if his friendship was something she wanted. She nodded and whispered yes.

ON THE ROCKS

"So, you're mated?" Inuyasha questioned hesitantly as he tapped his claws on the side panel of the expensive sports car. He and his older brother weren't conversational. They didn't talk often and when they did it was mostly to insult one another. Neither of them had a problem with that relationship.

Without taking his eyes off the road, Sesshomaru nodded once.

"She doesn't know, does she?"

"No. And if you so much as breathe the word 'mate', I will make it so that you are incapable of claiming yours."

The threat to his manhood was enough to dissuade the hanyou from even taunting Sesshomaru with it. Inuyasha did not doubt Sesshomaru's words; his dick would be ripped off and shoved in his mouth before he'd even finished any sentence that insinuated the mateship.

"It's not like you to be impulsive," Inuyasha pointed out; the older man was usually very cool and calculated. He didn't do things without considering the consequences; the consequences of mating a woman who he barely knew were certainly large!

"Rin seems to be my undoing…" he paused, realizing the truth of those words. "Around her I am not myself."

Was that the truth though? Maybe he was more himself around her. He didn't need to be cautious and cold. He did things without thinking, he spoke kindly and found himself caring about the things she thought and said. That alone should have been enough of a clue to what she was to him. How had he not known the moment he first met her?

"The pull is that strong?" Inuyasha wondered. He, clearly not having found his mate, did not know what it felt like to be drawn to someone, to want to die their very existence to them. He loved Kikyo, but he was fairly certain that she wasn't his mate. They had been together for quite some time and he imagined it would have happened by now if she were.

Sesshomaru turned his head and glared at his brother momentarily, as if the younger man dared to insinuate that he was a weak demon who gave in to his instincts and desires so easily.

"I wish the old man were still around… Or even Mom." The two brothers didn't know much about inu-youkai mating habits. Their father had died when they were too young to understand such things, and Izayoi had passed before they had reason to ask questions.

Sex wasn't a problem, both men considered themselves quite skilled (then again, what man doesn't?). But there was more to mating than the sexual act. Emotions and spiritual aspects were present as well. Their souls became entwined, their lifelines were connected. The bond that was made was unbreakable. Youkai mate for life. There's no changing your mind, there's no cheating, there's no other option.

Sure, they could ignore their mates and never bond with them, but that was extremely difficult. Why deny your soul mate, your other half? Mating didn't assume love. Sesshomaru surely didn't love Rin yet, but he'd mated with her anyways. He knew that spending more time with her and getting to know her further would lead to it in a short time though.

He could feel her everywhere he went. He could feel her anxiety and excitement in his blood as he drove. He could faintly detect her scent on his skin. Not only was she marked as his, but he was hers, whether she knew it or not.

"There's always the geezer…" Inuyasha frowned. The last thing either of them wanted was to ask Totosai about mates. Their uncle was certifiably crazy and incredibly unreliable when it came to information. Plus, he'd never mated with anyone, so how much more could he know?

"Not likely," Sesshomaru frowned slightly.

"Well, what the fuck are you going to do?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Sesshomaru never wanted help, but Inuyasha believed his older brother was in over his head. He'd mated with a young woman he barely knew and didn't tell her. The whole thing seemed bound for disaster if you asked him.

"Pretend as though it never happened."

"What the fuck kind of idea is that! Someone will tell her or she'll figure it out. She can't smell you on her, but others can. You really think that's a good plan?"

He sighed. Truthfully, no, he didn't. But he'd fucked up so badly that he didn't know what else to try to do. He intended to date her, win her heart, and then marry her. At some point he would tell her she was his mate, but he didn't plan on telling her that he had already bonded with her. He couldn't deny the feelings she caused to bubble up within him, but he couldn't understand them yet. They were too fresh, too new.

He wasn't going to admit the gravity of his error to Inuyasha; he was much too prideful for that. He knew that Rin cared for him, and that affection would soon blossom into love and adoration. Sesshomaru knew that she wouldn't turn him away; he could feel it.

"Look, Sessh, I'm going to do my best and keep an eye on her. I won't let anyone at the hospital tell her what you've done. But that doesn't mean others won't." Inuyasha was a good brother, he would help any way that he could.

Sesshomaru turned the wheel as he pulled into the small driveway and then put the car into park. They were finally there.

ON THE ROCKS

"Fuck, shit, they're here!"

Inuyasha chuckled as he listened through the door. He could hear the light tapping of high heeled shoes approaching. He felt his cellphone buzz within his pocket. The door opened, revealing the smiling face of his brother's mate.

She was dressed in a light blue skirt and white blouse, which was very different from the wide variety of nursing scrubs that she normally wore. She looked simply ecstatic to have the Takahashi brothers visiting her home.

"Hi, I'm so glad you guys are here," she grinned happily, welcoming them both in. She gave Inuyasha a quick hug and Sesshomaru a peck on the cheek. "You guys are right on time; and dinner is just about ready."

Inuyasha took a quick sniff of the air, trying to determine what they would be eating. His mouth was watering after one smell. He couldn't exactly decipher the scents he was detecting, but he was suddenly ravenous.

"What the hell are you cooking?" he asked, impatient to know what aroma was in the air.

"Well, about that…" Rin giggled. "I didn't really cook it. My cousin Kagome will be joining us, and she's the one who prepared the meal."

Inuyasha followed his brother and Rin to what seemed to be the dining room. A gorgeous woman emerged from one of the adjacent doorways, holding a medium sized pot with oven mittens.

Her hair was dark and glossy and free flowing; she wore a red apron over a pale pink dress. She smiled warmly at her guests before setting her pot on the table. Inuyasha examined her assets as she bent over. She was stunning.

"Hello, my name is Kagome Higurashi," she introduced herself as she took of her mittens. She approached Sesshomaru first, extending her hand. Inuyasha felt his cellphone vibrate twice in a row, and he decided to finally check it.

"I am Sesshomaru Takahashi," the white-haired youkai stated, shaking the young woman's hand.

Inuyasha read his first text message from Kikyo while pleasantries were exchanged. His eyes widened and his blood started to rush southwards.

I'm so fucking horny right now. –K

Come home, I want you inside me NOW.

He gulped, reading the final one as his arousal struck him unexpectedly.

I'm dripping. -K

Fuck, why now. She knows I'm here and I won't be home for hours… Inuyasha ground his teeth together. This was unbelievably frustrating. The bitch was trying to get him hard and give him some seriously swollen balls.

He put his phone in the pocket of his gray slacks and tightened his fists. He definitely didn't want to be here, sporting a hard dick with strangers. Kagome extended her hand to Inuyasha, drawing his attention back to the room.

"I'm Rin's cousin," she smiled lightly.

In his annoyance, he grabbed her hand and shook it roughly, trying to kill what was rapidly growing in his pants.

"Inuyasha. Can we eat already? I'm fucking starving," he grumbled.

Kagome was shocked to say the least. She welcomed this man into her home, she slaved away to make a fabulous meal, and he was just an asshole. She narrowed her eyes at the hanyou, angry. How dare he be so rude!

"Uhm," she exhaled before she struggled to regain her composure and pleasant demeanor. "I thought it might be fun if we started the night with a cheese fondue. It's a personal recipe that has several different kinds of cheeses within it."

On the table there were small platters with the dipping pieces. There were small sausages that were wrapped in prosciutto, chunks of Italian meat were cut up and skewered with elegant looking toothpicks, thin slices of a crusty French baguette. A bowl held chunks and slices of vegetables. The variety was impressive; especially considering it was simply an appetizer. Kagome had certainly gone all out, and Rin's bank account was feeling the sting.

"Please, sit," Rin gestured to her guests. She took a seat between Kagome and Sesshomaru, across from Inuyasha.

Inuyasha didn't care anymore what the woman was going to serve. He just wanted to eat and get the fuck back to his apartment so he could screw Kikyo's brains out. He took a fork, stabbed the closest food item, dunked it in the cheese, and devoured it.

"So, Rin tells me that you both are doctors at the hospital?" Kagome inquired, trying to make friendly conversation. Inuyasha nodded as he ate, not bothering to respond with words.

"Yes, Inuyasha and I are very well-renowned doctors," Sesshomaru responded with an almost politeness. He too sampled Kagome's cooking and was impressed. "This is phenomenal, Kagome."

Fucking kiss ass, Inuyasha snorted.

Kagome smiled warmly at the older of the two demons. At least the one Rin liked had manners. She noticed that Inuyasha was eating quickly and with gusto.

"Are you enjoying the fondu, Inuyasha?" She asked hopefully. Maybe she could melt his crass and unfriendly demeanor with her amazing cooking!

"It's okay," he said between bites.

"Okay?" Kagome narrowed her eyebrows. Hell no, her food certainly deserved a better response than 'okay'. Her cooking had been reviewed by some of her harshest food critics in Chicago and received excellent comments. She was one of the highest ranking chefs in a five-star restaurant! Okay my fucking ass, she thought as her anger welled up. "I hope the main course is more to your liking," she ground out as she exited the room.

Inuyasha didn't pay attention to Rin and his brother's conversation, he wanted to eat quickly and get out of there. Suddenly, a plate full of food was set in front of him. There were lamb shanks that were covered in a dark red sauce on top of a bed of diced sweet potatoes obviously seasoned with some sort of herb mixture. Along with the plate, a glass of wine was set in front of him to which he sneered.

"I don't drink wine; it's a bitch's drink," he snorted unpleasantly, despite how his mouth watered at the smell of the meat.

"Trust me, with this dish you will," Kagome smiled smiled lightly.

He raised a doubtful, dark eyebrow.

"If I were at the hospital, I wouldn't question your orders, Dr. Takahashi. This is my area of expertise, so please give it a chance."

Kagome was really trying to hold in her annoyance; Rin shot her poor cousin a grateful glance as she followed into the kitchen to quickly retrieve the rest of the plates and glasses.

Inuyasha waited a few seconds before digging in, not waiting for the others to be seated. As he cut into the tender chop, he noticed the perfect pink color of the meat. He curiously put his fork to his mouth. His eyes rolled back into his head with sheer amazement. This woman was truly an artist in the kitchen. He took a sip of the wine and begrudgingly agreed that it complemented the flavors he was presented. His taste-buds were in heaven. Of course, he tried his best to not show it.

"Well?" Kagome asked as her older cousin and the two men before her took their first bites.

"Kagome, this is incredible. When I die, I want to be buried with this meal," Rin stroked the gray-eyed woman's ego.

"Fantastic," Sesshomaru nodded in agreement.

"Not bad…," even Inuyasha managed to pay her a small complement. That is, until he continued to speak. "Almost as good as ramen."

Kagome's smile fell as her jaw dropped in utter disbelief.

"You think ramen is better than this?"

"Yup," he avoided eye contact. He could feel the agitation and anger radiating off of her as though she were giving off heat. He was entitled to his own opinion, wasn't he?

"Are you out of your mind? This is a five star quality meal! I worked all day over this meal and all you can say is that my cooking is okay and that ramen is better?"

Rin ducked her head and mouthed the word 'sorry' to the full-youkai. She'd known that Inuyasha can be rather difficult at times, but she didn't think he would have the audacity to insult Kagome's cooking to her face… Those two certainly weren't going to get along any time soon.

"Yeah, I do. Got a problem with that?"

"Your taste buds must be mutated in order for you to think that way. You should see a doctor about that," she said bitterly as she sat down.

"They're fucking fine, thanks," he continued to eat.

The hell if he cared if he insulted her cooking. He didn't really want to be there anyways. He'd only done it because Rin had looked so sad and Sesshomaru would have skinned him had be tried to skip out.

A/N: As you can tell, Inuyasha is Kikyo's bitch. Kagome is very defensive over her cooking and Inuyasha's preference for ramen has struck a nerve. Sesshomaru has no idea what he's doing and Rin has no idea what's happened. More to come soon.

Next: Bonding