InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Oh, No! Not Another AU?! ❯ Naked ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

~*A/N: Yes, I am alive! Haha, take THAT death! Ah, well, another day, another chapter. Enjoy, minna!*~

DISCLAIMER: Now what would make you think I owned him???

Chapter 12: Naked

Kagome quickly grabbed her guitar from Sango, following her friends on stage as they were announced. She felt her stomach do a little flip-flop as she plugged in her amp and stood in front of the mic. Normally, when she was on stage she felt calm, collected, relaxed. 'Why am I so nervous?' she thought, unconsciously scanning the crowd for a familiar flash of silver. She saw two heads bearing the color next to each other, one partially covered under a cowboy hat. She turned her head to make sure Sango and Rin were ready, then nodded. Sango began strumming quietly, pressing a pedal with her foot to distort the sound. After a bar, Kagome joined in for two chords, then stepped to the mic., her mouth opening.

"I wake up in the morning,
Put on my face.
The one that's gonna get me
Through another day.
Doesn't really matter
How I feel inside.
This life is like a game sometimes."

As they bridged into the next verse, Rin joined in with soft drumming and cymbals. Kagome could see the slight glow of golden eyes below the brim of a hat. 'He took off his glasses,' she thought, absentmindedly.

"Then you came around me,
The walls just disappeared.
Nothing to surround me
And keep me from my fears.
I'm unprotected.
See how I've opened up.
Oh, you've made me trust."

"Now, why do you think they picked this song?" Miroku mumbled to Inu-Yasha, a smug grin on his face.

"Beats the hell outta me," he replied, his eyes locked on Kagome as the chorus began. Miroku turned to watch Sango as she leaned forward to sing harmony.

"'Cuz I've never felt like this before.
I'm naked around you,
Does it show?
You see right through me,
And I can't hide.
I'm naked around you,
And it feels so right"

Kagome stepped back, performing a mini-solo on her guitar, her eyes falling to the stage. Her butterflies had disappeared; the music had taken over, returning her confidence. When she stepped back to the mic., her eyes burned into Inu-Yasha's, trying to convey the message through her eyes as well as her voice.

"I'm trying to remember
Why I was afraid
To be myself and let the
Covers fall away.
Guess I never had
Someone like you"

At the next line, Sango leaned into her mic., echoing Kagome, and then singing harmony for the rest of the song. Her eyes rose for the first time to catch Miroku's fixed stare. 'Has he been watching me the whole time?' she wondered.

"To help me fit (to help me fit)
In my skin.
I've never felt like this before.
I'm naked around you,
Does it show?
You see right through me,
And I can't hide.
I'm naked around you,
And it feels so right.
I'm naked.
Oh, oh, yeah.
Does it show?
Yeah
I'm naked.
Oh, yea-yea-yea-yeah, yeah
Oh, oh
I'm naked around you,
Does it show?
I'm so naked around you,
And I can't hide,
You're gonna - you're gonna see right through!
(You see right through me and I can't hide)
You're gonna see right through
(I'm naked around you)
Oh, yeah, yeah
I'm so naked around you,
And I can't hide,
You're gonna see right through, Baby."

The song slowed quickly, ending with the last word. The band savored the second of the silence before the crowd erupted with catcalls and cheers. Kagome beamed; they had performed the song flawlessly. "Let's hear it for Tama!" the announcer called, a hand up in the air as he approached the front of the stage. Sango ignored him, wiping sweat from her brow before reaching down to unplug her equipment.

Kagome walked backstage, guitar in hand, toward the storage locker. Sango stayed to help Rin pack up her drums. Kagome had set her guitar in its place, and jumped upon turning around. "Son of a bitch!" she yelled in surprise. Filling the doorway of the small storage room was Inu-Yasha, arms braced on the doorway on either side. He had effectively blocked her in. "I-Inu-Yasha," Kagome breathed, a hand to her chest, "you scared me."

"Gomen," he smirked at her, holding out an open hand, "but you owe me a quarter."

Kagome bit down on her lip to keep from cursing more at the smug boy. Angrily she dug in her pocket for said coin, slamming it into his empty palm. "I don't even know what I was thinking, singing..." she trailed off, realizing what she had just said.

Inu-Yasha quirked an eyebrow at her, stuffing the coin into his pocket. "Singing what, Kagome?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing at all," she said, shoving him out of the door and heading toward her two band mates who were pulling drum cases behind them. Inu-Yasha leaned back against the refreshment table, studying her as she helped stow the drum set. She slammed the door shut, silently following Sango and Rin back toward the auditorium.

As she passed, Inu-Yasha reached out and gently grabbed her arm to stop her. "I wasn't finished talking to you," he said softly, his eyes burning into her. She didn't try to shake him off, but refused to meet his eyes, fascinated by the floor.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango questioned, her head tilted to the side in confusion. Rin stood slightly behind her, asking the same unspoken question with her eyes.

"Daijobu. Go, I'll find you," Kagome looked up, her eyes confirming her words.

"Hai," Sango nodded. "I'm going to need someone to restrain me from killing the lecher," she called over her shoulder, turning and leaving. Rin cast one last look before trotting off after Sango.

"So, what do you want?" Kagome asked, finally turning her brown eyes to meet gold.

"Well, you were saying something, and then you stopped mid sentence. Something along the lines of 'I don't know what I was thinking, singing'..." he said, releasing her arm to cross his arms over his chest.

"And I said it was nothing," she replied, mirroring his stance. "Are we done now?"

"Ie. I think I know what you were going to say. You sang that song for me, ne? Just as I sang mine for you," he replied, averting his gaze during his own admission.

Kagome's cheeks flushed, first with anger at his assumption. 'Even if I did!' she thought, but then from embarrassment at his admission. "You - you did?" she squeaked, eyes going wide.

"Hai," he said, almost inaudibly.

"Well, then I guess I have to tell you that you were right," she trailed off, her eyes suddenly finding a spot on the ceiling fascinating. Her gaze was drawn back down to gold as his arms snaked around her waist. "Nani?" Inu-Yasha's reply was phrased in a chaste kiss, gentle and sweet. Kagome's cheeks reddened even more, hiding her eyes behind her bangs, staring fixedly at his chest. 'I wonder what he looks like without his shirt on?' she wondered. 'Does he work out, or is he just thin and toned?'

She was drawn out of her musing by a finger gently lifting her chin until their eyes met. "Do I embarrass you, Kagome-chan?" he asked, a smile pulling up the corners of his mouth, flashing tips of fangs.

"N-nani? Of course n-not!" she stammered. 'Damn mouth, always betraying me,' she mentally cursed.

"Oh, of course not," he laughed, claiming her lips again, this time more passionately, running his tongue over her lips. She parted them slightly, deepening the kiss.

"Ah-hem," a feminine voice cleared its throat. The two separated regretfully, turning to face the interruption.

"Kikyo," Inu-Yasha practically growled, his gold eyes hard, his aura seething anger.

"Can we help you?" Kagome spat, arms crossing over her chest as she glared at her near mirror-image.

"Inu-chan," Kikyo purred, crossing to him now that he was otherwise unoccupied, completely ignoring Kagome as she wrapped her arms around him. "I just love that song you sang for me," she cooed, not paying attention to the look of revulsion on the face of the man in her arms. "Did you write it just for me?"

"Fucking nuts," he said flatly.

"Nani? Say that again?" Kikyo said, a look of shock on her features.

"I said, 'Fucking nuts,' Kikyo. As in 'you are'?" he glared down at her, smiling slightly at her obvious discomfort. Kikyo looked up at him, withdrawing her arms from around him, her expression hurt. They stood there, staring at each other, amused and hurt respectively, until the silence was broken. By a laugh. Kagome sat on the ground, face red, hand over her mouth, barely stifling the laughter pouring out of her. Inu-Yasha smiled down at her, now free to cross his arms over his chest.

"G-gomen, b-but," Kagome sputtered, tears rolling down her face, hands now clutching her sides as she struggled to repress her laughter.

Kikyo's expression was now horrified, looking from the man's smug expression to the hysterical girl on the floor, and back again. Suddenly, she turned and fled back the way she came, tears stinging her eyes.

"Ki-Kikyo!" Kagome called, reaching out an arm. "D-don't run away! G-gomen!" And then she was unable to speak again, needing all her breath to laugh. Suddenly she stilled, feeling arms under her knees and across her back. She wasn't on the cold floor anymore, and she could feel a warm body against her side. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and looked up to see Inu-Yasha smirking down at her.

"You can be such a bitch. You know that?" he asked her.

"Hai," she nodded, smiling. "But you can be a real jackass, too."

"Kagome," he breathed into her ear.

"Hai, Inu-Yasha," she replied, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensations as his breath stroked her neck and ear.

"You owe me another quarter."

Her eyes popped open. 'Way to ruin the moment,' she thought, automatically reaching toward her pocket. She stopped, realizing the awkward position she was in - cradled in his arms.

Inu-Yasha watched the expressions race across her face; first sarcastic, rolling her eyes, then pondering, and finally settling on a mischievous smile. 'Uh oh,' he thought, 'what is she planning now?'

"Well, seeing as how I can't get into my pocket as of now," she smiled up at him, "would you settle for a kiss?"

'Certainly wasn't expecting THAT,' he thought. "I would say your kisses are worth more than a quarter," he replied.

"Fuck, shit, damn," she said, still smiling. "How about now?"

"I'd still say you're devaluing yourself, but I'll take what I can get," he said, dipping his head to kiss her. He broke the kiss and walked out of the greenroom, still carrying her.

"Where are we going?" she asked when he turned left instead of right, away from their friends.

"Anywhere but here," he replied, kicking open the fire door in front of them.

"Sounds great," she said, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes. A contented smile graced her lips. Neither noticed the fire alarms going off.

Reviews revisited:

*sighs* Once again, I am aware that two people reviewed. Domo arigatou, whoever you are. Yes, that's right, I don't know, because #@$& mm won't tell me! I'm ready to beat it over the head with a rubber mallet.

~*A/N: There's some lovely fluff for all of you wonderful people out there! *sniffs* Only 2 reviews last chapter! Seriously, I'm not greedy, just happy someone enjoys reading the mindless fluff in my brain. As you can probly tell, I'm into music, and I try to describe the songs as I hear them. *shrugs* If you think I'm being too descriptive, let me know. But to do that you'll have to review! Muahahaha... Ja ne, minna!*~