A/N: Sorry for the long wait. My laptop died and took all my files with it, and it's taken me a while to rewrite this and a few other stories. It's really hard to get back in the swing of things, and hopefully I'll be able to start updating more regularly again. This one is a lot shorter than usual, but I plan on the next few chapters making up for it. Thanks for sticking it out with me!

"Men are stupid."

Rin nodded her agreement. Kagome had to deal with Inuyasha, who regularly lost all signs of intelligence, and Sesshomaru was proving to be the same. Picking up another book and scrawling her signature, Rin decided she was going to push that damn demon with everything she had.

Last night she had a breakthrough in her writing, leading to a personal revelation. When Ramona, the female lead, had insisted on a specific course of action with Alexei, the formerly emo vampire, she had stuck to her guns and was proving to be even more of a true heroine than Rin had anticipated she would be.

Taking a lesson from the fictional character was easy; actually putting it into action would be another matter entirely. Sesshomaru was so entrenched in his ages-old mindset that even Taisho and Izzy had asked her to work something out with him. It was a pretty sad situation when a man's family had to get outside help to drag him into the 21st century.

"How should I go about this?" Rin didn't have to explain what she was talking about. The two women had been discussing it all morning.

Kagome shrugged. "He was a jerk. But he's also a demon. If his instincts have chosen you, it's pretty inevitable that he won't be able to stay away. Make him realize what he wants."

"Sounds like you have a plan already."

"I do. He'll be eating out of your hand." As Rin listened to Kagome's idea, she couldn't help but grin at the feeling it was going to be a damn good day.

-x-

Sesshomaru was having a bad day.

It would have been slightly more tolerable if he had gotten any sleep the night before, but thoughts of that damn female ran circles around his mind for hours. His demon hadn't behaved any better as it raged against his letting Rin leave. Hell, he wasn't even able to shower in peace because her scent was all over the bathroom.

Breakfast was an exercise in patience. Rin was curiously absent and everyone else was chattering on about all the fun they had in the pool. Sesshomaru had to restrain himself from disemboweling Bankotsu when the human commented on the game he had played with Rin. The self-satisfied smirk on his face had Sesshomaru gripping his coffee mug so tightly the ceramic protested as it neared the breaking point.

After the meal he had every intention of letting the dog out to play before the punishment of a team-building activity was forced upon him later. Unfortunately, Taisho followed him outside and some distance from the house, lecturing on some obscure point that he no doubt felt would help with the situation. Sesshomaru listened with half of his attention, the other part of his mind considering the many ways it would be possible to kill all of the single males in the house without implicating himself in the process. Even that could only occupy his ever-active mind for so long and he eventually started processing what Taisho was saying.

"…only you and Jaken for so long, it's about time someone caught your eye and you should count yourself lucky it's a woman who seems to be kind and understanding, especially considering-"

"Is there a point to this?"

A single eyebrow raised at the question. "Just offering some friendly advice, son."

Sesshomaru wanted advice as much as wanted another Jaken which was to say, not at all. Advice wasn't needed. Companionship wasn't needed. Teamwork activities weren't needed. What was needed was some alone time, and nobody seemed inclined to allow him any.

Taisho only left when Jaken waddled up to them, screeching over some perceived insult from one of the household employees. Resisting the urge to bang his head on a tree, Sesshomaru let the imp complain for several minutes. Eventually the toad had to take a breath.

"Jaken."

"Yes, milord?"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I am your faithful servant, Lord Sesshomaru, and I know you will not allow these repulsive human dogs to besmirch my honor and-"

Sesshomaru growled and Jaken broke off his rant. "Repulsive dogs?"

The toad paled impossibly fast and shook under an intense red glare. "M- My apologies, milord! Please forgive your humble servant! I misspoke and would never intentionally say anything to provoke your anger!" He threw himself at Sesshomaru's feet. "My Lord, I beg your forgiveness! I would never seek to insult your illustrious heritage by calling anyone-"

"Jaken."

"Milord?"

"Get up." Sesshomaru waited until the imp was no longer leaking green snot before continuing. "I do not care what perceived slight occurred. I did not call for your presence, so I no longer require it."

It took a moment for the meaning of his words to sink into Jaken's brain. "You- You want me to leave, milord?" he asked, his lower beak trembling slightly.

"I require solitude, which requires I be alone."

"Yes, milord." He turned and trudged away slowly, head hung low. Sesshomaru could hear soft sniffles coming from him but refused to acknowledge them.

He resisted to tiny part of himself that insisted he call Jaken back and make him feel better. The rest of him was instantly angry at the sliver of compassion that had unexpectedly popped up. The Great Lord Sesshomaru was going soft! He was the son of the Great Dog Demon, Heir to the Western Lands, and had so many fancy titles it was nigh impossible to recite them all. He was no household mutt to be tamed.

At a temporary loss for any activity to distract himself from any stray thoughts, he resorted to one of his old pastimes. Finding a nearby tree with a convenient gap between roots, Sesshomaru made himself comfortable in the small hollow and raised one knee. His head fell back against the rough bark as his eyes drifted shut. The pacing demon in his mind laid down as well, fully at ease with the familiar sensation. Using a technique refined to perfection by centuries of heavy use, he allowed his thoughts to run freely and observed the patterns and overall tenor of the information.

Unsurprisingly, most of it revolved around the female-

:MINE MY MATE:

-and the rest was tangentially related to work. Seeing himself from an 'outside' point of view put a lot of things in perspective. While he didn't particularly like being treated like he had gone insane, he could understand why he was. The recent changes in behavior were disturbing, to say the very least.

A soft breeze swirled through the trees, the leaves rustling slightly. Birds chirped loudly at each other as they squabbled over an insect. A squirrel chittered somewhere above, complaining loudly. Some part of Sesshomaru noted all these occurrences and filed them away, a habit that had saved him from ambush many a time. With the dog comforted he slipped into a semi-trance state, drifting among his thoughts and processing them from a purely analytical standpoint.

It took a moment for the conscious part of his mind to realize he wasn't alone anymore. The dog perked up at the familiar scent and Sesshomaru cursed inwardly. Upset at the interruption, he came out of the meditative state and opened his eyes.

Rin laid in the grass a few feet in front of him, scribbling in a notebook. He wasn't one much to notice women's clothing except to notice if the female looked good or not, but it was almost involuntary how his eyes roamed over her. The low-cut jeans looked painted on. The tight tank top was his favorite shade of crimson red and had ridden up a bit so the tiny dimples in the small of her back were visible. The dog yearned to taste the dips; Sesshomaru wasn't going to disagree.

Rolling her shoulders, Rin turned her head and started when she saw his eyes were open. "Oh, hi, Sesshomaru. I didn't realize you were awake."

"I was not sleeping."

"No?"

"No. Meditating."

She instantly looked contrite. "I'm sorry! I thought you were taking a nap." He didn't reply and she continued after a moment. "I came out to brainstorm and saw you sitting there and… well… thought you might need some company."

"While the sentiment is wholly appreciated, it was unnecessary." The dog snarled as her face fell, cursing him for upsetting the female. The snarling turned into a full-fledged tantrum as she gathered her pens and notebook, preparing to rise. He sighed inwardly.

"It has been a rough morning. Stay if you desire."

A large grin met his words and she resettled. "Oh, I desire, alright," she said, her eyes flicking up and down his body. Both Sesshomaru and the dog were struck speechless at this. It was no comparison to some of what Kagura hurled at him on a regular basis but the double entendre was not lost on him.

Her grin softened into a small smile. "I got woken up so the repair guy could work on the pipes. I guess one sprung a leak and a staff member found the linen closet underneath my bathroom flooded. I got an idea and had to come out here to work; I can't think with as much noise as he was making in there. Why was your morning rough?"

At the mention of her shower problems his mind immediately flashed back to the sight of Rin wrapped in nothing but a towel. Her legs were long and slim, just like he liked. Her hair just brushed her lower back when it was wet and had contrasted brilliantly with her porcelain skin. Suddenly, Sesshomaru was glad his one leg was lifted, or else she would have seen how much he enjoyed looking at her.

He tapped his finger on a thigh with practiced nonchalance. "Certain people have no respect for personal space and the need for privacy."

"Kagura?" she asked, her voice taking on a rough edge. The dog was thrilled with her obvious jealousy.

"My father and Jaken."

"I'm sure Taisho just means well, and Jaken isn't that bad, is he?"

Sesshomaru raised one eyebrow. "Regardless of his intentions, my father has no business interfering in my personal affairs. Jaken, however, is another matter entirely."

Rin cocked her head slightly, as if in thought. "Your personal affairs? Does that mean what I think it means?"

"I have no idea what you think, so I cannot say."

"Advice involving a certain female guest, I presume?"

He blinked slowly, surprised at her leap of logic. She was incredibly astute when compared to most young females he had ever associated with. "You presume correctly."

"And Jaken?"

Releasing a long-suffering sigh, he shrugged with one shoulder. "He had some sort of complaint over something one of the staff said. Then he insulted me grievously."

"Oh my. What did you do?"

"Nothing." Both of their eyes widened in surprise at that. Sesshomaru hadn't consciously realized that Jaken wasn't punished for his transgression. Hopefully the imp wouldn't take the unfortunate oversight as permission to say anything like that again. He stood and brushed off the stray bits of dirt and leaves stuck to his pants.

He held one hand out in offering to help Rin rise. She took it and stumbled into his chest, one hand splayed over his stomach. His free hand found its way to her waist and settled in the curve as her scent wrapped around his mind and refused to let go, much to the demon's joy. Ignoring the dog, he drank in the sight of her, the thick hair haphazardly piled and held up with a pen, the deep chocolate eyes that searched his face in the same way he was doing hers, the high cheekbones and small nose. His gaze finally settled on the slightly parted pink lips and coherent thought escaped him.

Her head tilted up in silent invitation. Slowly, he lowered his head, giving her time to change her mind if she wanted. Standing up on her tiptoes, she met him halfway and he was lost. This was no frenzied mauling like the piano incident; it was an exploration, a slow and tender caress. Her mouth was soft and yielding under his as he pulled her closer.

He nipped her lower lip and soothed the small hurt with his tongue. Hers darted out to meet it and they danced together, wringing all sorts of delightful noises from her. She ran her teeth across his tongue and he growled, renewing his attack on her mouth.

Just when he was considering pulling her down on top of him or backing her against the tree, she broke contact. As she leaned her forehead against his chest, they both breathed heavily, panting harshly into the relative silence of the trees. When she backed away, Sesshomaru was reluctant to let her go.

She smiled a little Mona Lisa smile and picked up her notebook. "Not too bad, demon. Later."

Sesshomaru's jaw dropped as she walked away, watching her hips sway to her own private rhythm. The dog was just as surprised as he was. Not too bad? Not too bad? Snapping his mouth closed with an audible click, anger rose within him.

How dare she walk away from him! That female was treading on thin ice. He would show her who could walk away from him… nobody. He whirled around and punched the tree, sending the branches above waving wildly. The dog howled at her sudden absence, demanding that he follow her and bring her back to finish what was started. That little tease was-

Wait a moment. A sudden thought occurred and he smiled ruefully. That minx was baiting him. She didn't know what she was in for if she wanted to play that game. Rin might have gotten to him this time around, but he knew what she was doing and could work around it now.

:MATE:

Or maybe not.