A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review! You all rock, and your kinds words mean the world to me! I really hope this story lives up to your expectations.
This chapter takes place from Sesshomaru's POV. He is ridiculously fun to work with, so I think I'll be switching between Rin and Fluffy POV's on a regular basis. And FYI, I love Kagura. She is one of my favorite characters in the series and it actually pains me to use her like this, but she wouldn't shut up and made me do it.
As always, I don't own Inuyasha, LKT Technologies (which I didn't know was a real company until I already wrote it, and I'm too lazy to think of another name :P), or anything else referenced in this story, except for the plot itself.
It took a supreme amount of effort for Sesshomaru to stay where he was instead of pinning Rin against the wall and burying his nose in the crook of her neck. She smelled divine, a cherry-vanilla blend that made him want to lick her all over. He watched the line of her back sway as she walked to the stairs, the subtle flare of her hips moving in a hypnotic rhythm. When she descended the steps and disappeared from his sight, he continued to his room.
This was not where he wanted to be for a week. He hated these corporate-bonding travesties. It was only an excuse for the board members to come up here and get paid to play for a week. Seeing as he was vice president of the entire company, he was required to attend. At least Izayoi had the courtesy to put his servant Jaken in the guest house with the other employees. The toad demon was a great asset to him, but had an annoying tendency to be underfoot constantly.
Being a demon who valued his solitude, Sesshomaru had a habit of putting the fear of Kami into the little toad, which worked for short periods of time but even then Jaken was a constant presence, chattering away in his screechy voice. Over the centuries the imp's complaining had turned into background noise, but it was no less annoying. If he planned on being attached to Sesshomaru's side this entire week, Jaken had another thing coming.
It wasn't as if he would have come here on his own anyway. If it hadn't been made mandatory by his father he would be at home by himself instead of surrounded by a bunch of his underlings and mere humans. At least he only had to attend a few scheduled events and would have the rest of the week to himself. Now if he could only manage to avoid Jaken, as well, the week wouldn't be a total waste of his precious time.
After changing into something a bit more casual than he usually wore –a blatant attempt to prevent people from telling him to 'loosen up, already'- Sesshomaru started to make his way to the dining room when a cloud of scent assaulted his sensitive nose. Following the aroma to the door across from his own, he cursed inwardly.
It figured. The girl who had run face-first into his chest was staying across the hall from him. If he hadn't already been inundated with her scent, he would have noticed it the first time he had walked past the room. Part of him was tempted to blame Izayoi for the arrangement, but the rational part knew better. As big as the house was, there were only so many places to put people that weren't completely out of the way or on the third floor which, to be honest, was a really long walk after a busy day.
Following the fading scent of cherry and vanilla, Sesshomaru found himself in the dining room almost before he realized how quickly he had walked. Seventeen pairs of eyes watched him as he walked to a seat. He nodded at a butler when asked if he was prepared to eat and found himself sitting between Hojo and Onigumo, across from Kagura. He should have come down sooner so he could have picked a different chair.
Onigumo wasn't a bad guy. He was a ruthless corporate raider, which normally would have endeared him to Sesshomaru, except that he worked for the competing technology manufacturer. He made a mental note to remind Taisho to avoid any shop talk around Kikyo's husband.
Hojo was the newest member of the board at Inu Innovations, having taken Totosai's place when he retired. Hojo had a huge learning curve ahead of him if he wanted to fill that old bastard's shoes, even as senile as he was the last year. The younger man was proving to be the token 'nice guy' and would be eaten alive by his new coworkers if he didn't wise up soon.
Kagura, however, was a different story. She was a crafty bitch and took a sort of perverse pride in that name. She was wildly passionate, be it in love or hate, and had an ungodly amount of focus. If she set her sights on something, she was going to get it come hell or high water and woe to anyone who got in her way. Two years ago, she decided she wanted Sesshomaru. She hadn't succeeded yet.
The animated conversations of his dinner companions faded as Taisho stood and tapped his wine glass. "Ladies and gentlemen, I want to welcome you all to the lake house for our eleventh annual corporate getaway. We have a couple first-timers here, so I'll just run down the table and make sure we're all introduced before I let you get back to your meals.
"To my right is my son, Inuyasha, Junior VP. Kagome, my wonderful daughter-in-law. Sango and Miroku, board members. Kikyo, board member, and her husband, Onigumo, of LKT Technologies. Past him is my eldest son, Sesshomaru, VP. Hojo, board member. Shippo, my personal assistant, is at the far end. Bankotsu, board member. Kagura, board member. Then Rin, an author and Kagome's dearest friend. Kanna, board member, and Kohaku, her husband. Koga, board member, and Ayame, his wife. And sitting to my left is my lovely wife, Izzy."
Taisho clapped his hands together. "Okay, now that we're all acquainted, here are a few ground rules for the vacation. One, no business talk. Generalities about your position are okay, but no specifics. If you wonder if it's okay to talk about something, it probably isn't.
"Two, you have free run of the house and grounds, with two caveats. If you decide to go hiking on the trails, take someone with you. There are animals around here, and we don't want to take any chances. As for the boat, please refrain from taking it out yourself. We have several smaller craft available if you need.
"And third, as much as it pains me that I need explain this to a room full of adults, we have had this problem in the past. The majority of us are mated. That does not mean that couples are permitted to express their feelings in public areas." Inuyasha, Koga and Kohaku snickered. Sesshomaru just rolled his eyes. "We all use these areas, and I really don't want to have them disinfected so I feel comfortable sitting on the couch again. Or theatre seats. Or using the pool table. And for the love of everything holy, don't do it in the pool or Jacuzzi. That's just wrong when we all have to share."
Kagome turned bright red when the Jacuzzi was mentioned, and seeing her like that almost made Sesshomaru understand what drew his half-brother to a human. Almost. Delicate human women weren't really to his taste. They were so fragile, their lives so short that it wasn't worth being with one for more than a few days. Demons lived a very long time and not only a mating, but a full bonding was required for a human to live past their mortal lifetime. No woman was worth the required sacrifice.
Rin smiled at Kagome's blush and Sesshomaru's attention turned to her. Her hair was almost as long as his, but it was a brown so dark it was nearly black. Her eyes were the same color, a bottomless pool in which a man could lose himself. She probably didn't realize a pen was tucked behind her ear.
Taisho looked at Inuyasha and raised a brow. "If you feel the urge, please do it behind closed doors. Preferably behind your own doors," he amended when the hanyou opened his mouth. The second eye roll was forcibly contained when the younger males exchanged knowing looks. Pups.
"One last thing and then I'll let you finish your meal. Rin."
The girl's eyed widened almost imperceptibly. Sesshomaru wouldn't have caught the movement if he hadn't been watching her closely. "Yes?"
"We have our first scheduled activity at one o'clock tomorrow. You are more than welcome to join us, if you would like. If not, that's fine as well. Whatever you prefer." She thanked him and Taisho nodded his head once. "All right, then. I am glad you could all make it this year, and I'm sure it will be as much fun as always. Eat up; we have a long day tomorrow."
Everyone turned back to their plates and conversations started up again. Sesshomaru leveled a glare at Kagura when she touched her foot to his under the table and she returned it with a wide smile. "So, Sesshy, how have you been?"
"Refrain from using that infernal nickname. And since I saw you just yesterday in the board room, one could assume I am in the same state as I was then, which was 'fine'."
Her smile faltered slightly. "When are you going to admit to yourself that we are meant to be? That I am the one to bear your pups?" Onigumo lifted a brow and Rin cocked her head slightly towards him, both of them trying to eavesdrop unobtrusively and failing. The other board members were used to her aggressive tactics and ignored them.
"When Jaken grows taller than me, sprouts wings, and flies me to China. Until then, I'm afraid I must remain in denial." Kagura's face turned red as Onigumo barked a laugh and Rin snorted into her wineglass.
"You know, Sesshomaru, sometimes it's just better to say yes and get it over with. Am I right, Koga?" The startled wolf demon turned his head toward Onigumo, having not heard his question.
"Um, yes?" Several people laughed as Rin looked on in confusion.
Kagura explained it to her. "Ayame kept insisting they were meant to be together, and Koga kept running. Eventually she caught up with him and dragged him –literally- kicking and screaming to the altar. And it was the best thing that ever happened to him." She looked at Sesshomaru with the last sentence and his demon growled in irritation.
"Oh, that's… hm."
"Yes, that's most people's reaction when they hear it," said Onigumo. "It did work out for the best, though. Anyway, Rin, you're an author?"
Her face lit up and a pink flush crept up her cheeks. "Yes."
"Anything I might have read?"
Kagura smirked. "I doubt it. Romances."
"Ah, I see. I mostly stick to thrillers and mysteries, myself. Do you enjoy it?"
Rin smiled widely. "Oh, yes. To be honest, I could never see myself doing anything else."
"Oh, what a shame you never thought of getting a real career." The conversation hit a lull and the entire table descended into silence as Kagura's statement landed like a bombshell.
Rin took a deep breath and forced a polite smile. "It most certainly is a real career. I write every day and make quite the comfortable living. How is that not a real career?"
"Yes, you work every day and I'm sure don't even bother showering or changing out of your pajamas most of the time. And if you have to work every day, you probably aren't doing such a great job. I'm guessing your 'comfortable living' includes a broken-down apartment and a car as old as you are."
Sesshomaru could see the muscles in Rin's jaw quiver as she clenched her teeth. "Apparently producing six to eight salable books a year since I was eighteen doesn't count since I don't wear a business suit and work in a corner office in some skyscraper or make seven figures. It may not be glamorous, but I love what I do, Kagura, and I wouldn't change it for anything. And, unlike some people I've noticed," She pointedly looked at Sesshomaru, then back to Kagura, whose face was flaming, "I know when I'm not wanted."
She drained the wineglass and stood. "Thank you all for a lovely welcome. If you will excuse me, I need some fresh air." Without waiting for a response, Rin stalked into the kitchen. A moment later, the outside door closed and everyone looked at Kagura.
Kagome sneered at the sorceress as she stood to follow her friend. "Real classy. Excuse me."
"That was completely uncalled for, Kagura. Why on earth would you do something like that to somebody you just met?" Her head whipped toward Sesshomaru and his golden gaze met her red one. For some reason, his demon was screaming for him to defend the girl and kill Kagura.
"What do you care? You don't care about anyone, and I didn't exactly see you defending her."
"I may not like dealing with people, but I assure you, I know my manners. You seem to need tutoring in the most basic of social graces. Also, I felt no need to leap to anyone's defense, least of all hers. She seemed to handle herself well enough."
"Kagura," Taisho spoke up. "Are you quite done making a scene? I would like to be able to finish the meal in peace."
Her mumbled, "Yes, sir," barely carried to Sesshomaru but Taisho nodded, satisfied. The rest of the meal was conducted quietly, the few conversations kept between neighbors. Nobody spoke to Kagura, who fumed silently, occasionally risking a glance at Sesshomaru. He saw these looks, but ignored her.
It was completely beyond him how someone could be that spiteful towards someone they had just met. Granted, he was far from the most sociable creature at the best of times, but the majority of the time he was merely terse, not rude. Usually when he was purposefully mean it was toward Jaken, and the imp had been with him for centuries. After so long, there was no doubt the toad knew when he was being annoying, but he always persisted until Sesshomaru threw a rock or kicked him.
He leaned back, crossing his legs and gently swirling his wine, listening to the ebb and flow of polite conversation around him. A glance out the large picture window revealed a spot of bright green in the quickly darkening yard. Stifling a long-suffering sigh, Sesshomaru excused himself and stepped outside.
Jaken stood on the back patio, a walking staff supporting his slight weight. Thankfully, Jaken had left the Staff of Two Heads back home and this one was non-lethal. It was hard enough convincing the flight crew to allow two demons to carry a shortened bo staff aboard, let alone one that screamed and breathed fire. He crossed his arms –a human gesture he had picked up over the years- and just looked at the imp.
"Lord Sesshomaru! I tried to enter the house to join you at the meal, but these filthy humans stopped me! If only you had permitted me to bring the Staff of Two Heads, I would have been at your side as is my place and-"
"Jaken."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Did I not tell you I would have no need of your services this evening?"
"Yes, my lord, but-"
"And did I not also tell you I would speak with you come morning?"
"Yes, my lord, but-"
"Are you, or are you not, my servant, Jaken?"
"I am, my lord. I bound my life to yours on the day-"
"And servants are bound to follow their master's commands, are they not?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Then what could possibly bring you to believe that you were not violating multiple direct orders by attempting to join me at dinner?"
The imp stammered and threw himself down at his master's feet, shaking in terror and absolutely convinced for the thousandth time that Sesshomaru was going to strike him dead. "My lord, please forgive your humble servant. My place is at your side, as it has been for hundreds of years, and I thought that since your lord father's servant ate with you that-"
"Jaken."
"Y- Yes, my lord?"
"Be quiet."
The imp regained his feet and wiped moisture away from his eyes. "Yes, my lord. I shall remain silent as you have so instructed me. I shall never disobey you again and-"
"Jaken."
"Shutting up now, my lord."
"You are my servant and have been so for centuries. Shippo is an employee of Inu Innovations. This is a company trip. That is why he is inside and you are not."
"I- I see, my lord."
"Good. I will see you in the morning, Jaken."
"Good evening, my lord." The toad slipped off into the darkness towards the guest house. Sesshomaru breathed a heavy sigh when he was out of hearing range. The imp certainly knew exactly how to push all of his buttons. Whether it was pure ignorance or carefully calculated to get a rise out of him, he still didn't know.
Taking a meandering path through the backyard, he stared up at the stars. A sudden urge to fly in either form struck him. Tonight was the type of night he had always preferred for soaring: a full moon, a cloudless sky, a slight chill to the air but still warm enough to be comfortable. He hesitated out of pure habit. Having lived in a large city for many, many years, it was nearly ingrained in him by now to think before he transformed or took off. Most humans didn't cope very well with others flying above them, nor did they like gigantic dogs at any time.
In the second he hesitated, a slight breeze sent him the fragrance of cherry and vanilla. Faint voices were carried to him, two females speaking angrily.