InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Savvy ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
A/N: Okay, this is my first AU fic. Don't kill me. I really didn't think I wanted to do an AU of Inuyasha, and then I got the idea for this. I loved doing Buffy AU, so maybe I'll do okay at this. Some notes, though. One, I decided to screw researching on immigration. I tried it, I couldn't find anything that made any sense to me, so let's just say it's all worked out while we're reading, okay? It's not like it's important to the story. Two, like many of my Buffy fics, this story is incredibly music heavy. I love putting soundtracks to my stories, and this plot is perfect for one. I'll list the songs as they go with the chapters, and such. And none of the songs or lyrics will be my own, of course. Neither is Inuyasha. I also hope the music is diverse enough for everyone to be familiar with at least one song. It makes the story much more enjoyable. I have quite a lot to say about AU fics, but you're probably bored by now, so I won't. Just please, if you've read my other stuff and liked it, give this a chance. Puh-LEEEZE??

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Song For This Chapter:

"The Clincher" by Chevelle (song played during practice)

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Kagome Higurashi checked the piece of paper she held in her hand, her careful script matching the address of the building she now stood in front of. The woman on the phone had told her that the building housed a business on the first floor, which the woman also owned and operated, but looking at the sign above the door, Kagome wasn't sure she wanted to go in. "Savvy?" she whispered, reading the sign. Another bit of lettering on the glass door stated that no one under the age of twenty-one was to enter. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kagome pulled the door open.

Inside her office, Kagura heard the electronic chime that alerted her that someone had entered the club. She only kept it on during closed hours; if she didn't it would drive her insane. "That's probably her," she mumbled to herself, getting out of her chair to leave the office and walk across the main floor of the club.

The girl looked just as innocent as she'd sounded on the phone, if not more so. With her knee socks and short pleated skirt, Kagura was surprised the girl had gotten through the surrounding neighborhood unscathed. It wasn't the friendliest place. "Kagome?" she asked, smiling slightly. She didn't want to scare the girl; it was obvious she'd been through a lot by the fading bruises that covered her face that she'd failed in covering up with her concealer. The girl also reeked of apprehension. Kagura had seen her kind before, though she didn't suppose she would ever get used to it.

Kagome bowed slightly. "Yes. Kagura, right?"

"Right," Kagura replied, returning the bow awkwardly; she couldn't remember the last time she'd stepped foot in her native country. "Would you like to see the apartment?"

"Yes, please," Kagome replied, barely looking the older woman in the eye.

Kagura fished the key from the pocket of her slacks as she led Kagome through the main room and down a hall, were there were a set of restrooms across from a darkened stairwell. "There's a back entrance," Kagura assured her, pointing to the gray metal door that was hidden behind the stairs. "That door goes out to the parking lot, and only employees can use it."

"Employees?" she asked. She'd only called about an apartment.

"Oh, well, there are three apartments upstairs, including mine, but Inuyasha and I both work here. You're a new experiment."

"Oh, I see." This girl was so cute Kagura almost wanted to gag.

Kagome followed Kagura up the steep stairs that led to a door, before going up to yet another level. "I live up on the third floor," Kagura said as she stopped to unlock the door to the second floor. "But don't worry about me, if you decide on the place. I can sleep through anything."

"Oh, I'm not loud."

"Really? Then, I don't know how much you'd appreciate having Inuyasha as a neighbor."

Inuyasha? Was this someone's actual name? "Why?" she asked.

Kagura smiled, coming to a stop before the one door on the left side of the hall. "Inuyasha's in a band, and they practice right in his apartment, as long as the club isn't open. But they're not half bad, if that's any comfort."

Kagura opened the door to the vacant apartment, and motioned Kagome inside. She looked around and felt relieved. She'd managed to look at several apartments the last couple of days, and they had horrified her. This one, though it was a bit cosmetically challenged, was much nicer. And very spacious. "Wow," she breathed, looking around at the tall ceilings that were edged in flaking crown molding. "It's really only five-fifty a month?"

Kagura shrugged. "I could probably get away with charging more," she admitted. "But a lot of my girls have needed this place at one time or another."

"Girls?" Kagome hedged.

Kagura smiled. "Employees. Savvy's a strip club, or didn't you know?"

Kagome's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets, much to Kagura's obvious amusement. "Um... no. I had no idea."

"Is that going to bother you?"

"Um... no. Not at all," Kagome managed, plastering a smile on her face before turning away to better examine the apartment. The living room was very spacious, and led into an open kitchen on the right, with a small bar separating the two rooms. Large windows looked out onto the street below. To the left of the living room were three doors. The left and right faced one another, with one in the center. Opening the one on the left revealed a good sized bedroom, complete with simple furniture. The middle was a linen closet, and the right door opened to a bathroom, with a very ancient looking tub inside. It was all so charming. Perfect for her, really. A perfect place to disappear, and start a whole new life.

Kagome turned to Kagura with a soft smile on her face. "Before you let me have this place, I just want to tell you that I don't have a job. Yet," she added. "But I have enough money right now for three months' rent. Would that be all right?"

Kikyou walked out two days ago, Kagura's kinder side reminded her. Sure, this girl looks like she's fresh out of high school, but she's twenty-one, and she could learn to tend bar.

No,
Kagura answered herself mentally. She hadn't the time to train some girl to take the place of one of her most skilled employees. This girl definitely was not the right material. Working in Savvy would scare her silly.

"That's perfectly fine," Kagura replied. "I have the paper delivered every morning, if you'd like to borrow the Classifieds sometime."

Kagome's smile brightened. "Great! So, how much was the deposit?"

(*)(*)(*)

Inuyasha growled angrily as he heard the rap upon his door. It was too damn early for this shit; he'd barely just gotten out of bed.

Opening the door, he lifted an eyebrow in expectation. "Well, are you gonna stand there all day, or say something?" he demanded.

Kagura snickered at the sight of bare-chested Inuyasha in his Scooby-Doo pajama pants. "I just rented out the apartment across the hall," she informed him.

"To who?"

"One Kagome Higurashi."

"She working here?"

"No."

"Then, why would I care?"

"Because someone used her for a punching bag before she got here, that's why. Keep your ear to the wall, all right?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"She'll probably be moving her things in all day."

"Wonderful," he replied dryly.

Kagura smirked. "She's pretty cute; why don't you give her a show of those hanyou muscles?"

Inuyasha snorted, shutting the door in Kagura's face, which still didn't muffle her laughter. He turned away from the door to go to the stove, where he started a pot of water boiling. He didn't have to go downstairs for another six hours, which left him with a lot of time to kill.

An hour later, Inuyasha was on his third bowl of ramen as he watched cartoons on his couch. His blank stare was wiped from his face as he heard a loud thud from the hallway, followed by a very feminine sounding "Oof!" Rolling his eyes, and sighing, Inuyasha sat his bowl on the coffee table before going to his door to see what catastrophe had occurred.

He wasn't prepared for what waited on the other side of the door. He was guessing the very nice rear end bent before him belonged to his new neighbor, Kagome. She had the door to her own apartment opened, and was trying desperately to push a very large trunk through into her living room. She probably didn't know she was dangerously close to exposing her underwear in that skirt. "Need some help?" he asked.

The girl screamed, standing up and whirling around to face him all in one motion. Kagura hadn't been wrong; well, not entirely. This girl wasn't cute. She was gorgeous. Long brown hair matching her velvety eyes. Slender, but with just the right amount of curves. Long legs. And he had a thing for schoolgirls. He eyed her hungrily, from her pink angora sweater down to her brown loafers before tugging on his mental leash. Down, boy. "You're Kagome, right?"

"Uh, yeah," she replied, a blush tinting her cheeks. This was Inuyasha? His name wasn't the only strange thing about him. She eyed his long, white hair that flowed out from under the knitted sock cap he wore, and also his golden eyes. Were they natural? She had to admit, he was quite attractive, strange or not. The tight black wife beater he wore allowed her to see his lean frame quite well, though the bottom half of his was obscured by a billowing pair of jeans that were much too large for him. "Um... you're Inuyasha?"

"Right. So, do you need help, or not?"

This guy certainly didn't waste any time. "I think I've got it. Thank you, though."

Inuyasha grunted in reply, crossing his arms to lean against the doorframe. He apparently wasn't planning on going anywhere. Feeling awkward, Kagome turned away from him, once again focusing on the trunk. Bracing her hands against the edge, Kagome pushed against it. It moved not even an inch before she sighed, feeling like an idiot.

"Move," she heard from behind her. Shuffling away, she watched as Inuyasha bent down, easily sliding the trunk into her apartment. She followed, trying not to feel angry. "Where do you want it?" he asked.

"In front of the couch is fine," she replied. "Thanks."

"You got any other heavy stuff?" he asked, standing up. He'd placed the trunk just over a foot in front of the sofa, obviously realizing she was planning on using it as a coffee table. Though the apartment was furnished, it lacked many things that would make it comfortable.

"Well, I think that was the worst of it, but I do have some more furniture."

Inuyasha nodded. "Where's it all at?"

"The truck's in the parking lot," she told him. He quickly disappeared, and she tried to keep up with him as he made his way downstairs and outside.

Inuyasha sighed as he surveyed the open trailer of the U-Haul. The trunk had been the worst of it, huh? It looked like the girl had brought a whole house with her. Scowling, Inuyasha walked up the ramp and into the back of the truck. How had she gotten the trunk upstairs? Someone had to have helped her. Probably Kagura. He just wasn't sure how he was going to move these things without giving away the fact that he was a lot stronger than he should be.

Kagome walked slowly up the ramp, looking around at her belongings. "Wanna get the bookshelf first?" she asked. He nodded and tipped the piece of furniture so that it lay on the floor of the trailer. Waiting until Kagome picked up her end, he took most of the weight from her by pulling on it slightly, and they walked with it out of the compartment and back through the door.

Three hours later, Kagome's furniture was all in place, and many boxes were piled in her living room floor and bedroom. "Thanks a lot," she told him, biting her lip shyly.

"No big deal," he replied.

"Um... do you want some lunch? I was going to cook something..."

The way she was looking at him made Inuyasha extremely uncomfortable, as if he were now her hero just for lugging a few things up the stairs. He looked at her quizzically. "Do you really think you should be inviting strange men to stay for dinner?"

Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I mean, thanks and all, but you should be more careful than that." He gestured at the fading bruise on the side of her face.

Kagome's brow furrowed angrily. "You know, I could've fallen, or something. Did you ever think of that?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "But you didn't, did you?"

"That's none of your business," she replied evenly, now looking at him with extreme mistrust.

"Look, I didn't mean to piss you off," he told her. "But it's obvious you've led an extremely sheltered life."

"Baka," she muttered, looking to the floor.

Inuyasha smirked. "Excuse me, otome?"

Kagome's jaw dropped. "Y-You're Japanese?"

He looked at her as if she'd grown another head. "Yeah. You couldn't tell?"

"With those eyes? Not hardly."

He shrugged. "Yeah, well, I am. Where are you from, anyway?"

"Oh. Tokyo."

It was Inuyasha's turn to be shocked, though he tried not to show it. He hadn't expected her to actually be from Japan. Sango and Miroku weren't, though Miroku's parents were. There were plenty of Japanese people in New York that had never stepped foot in his homeland. "Really?"

"Mm-hmm."

He wanted to ask her what she was doing in New York, but knew he'd already expressed too much interest, and would also risk pissing her off again. "Well, thanks for lunch, but I've only got about an hour to get ready for work."

"You work downstairs... in the club, right?"

"Yeah, and I'm the only bartender at the moment, so I've gotta get my ass in gear. See ya later."

He was gone in a flash, closing the door behind him. "Uh... bye?" she replied.

(*)(*)(*)

The next day was a busy one for Kagome. She'd gone to schedule her SATs and TOEFL, and apply for her work visa, though there was no telling how long that would take. Hopefully not too long. She'd also gone to pick up a few groceries and cleaning supplies. Her apartment needed some major dusting.

Entering through the back door, she heard music playing from upstairs, and was blasted by the sound as she unlocked the door leading to the second floor hallway. She'd thought it was a CD playing, but obviously Inuyasha was having one of the band practices Kagura had warned her about. Wincing, she hurried down the hall and let herself into her apartment, closing the door behind her. "That's better," she breathed, going to put her bags on the counter.

As Kagome began chopping onions for her stir fry, she tapped her foot along to the heavy bass and drums coming from across the hall. She had yet to hear anyone sing, however. Maybe they'd just gotten started. Kagome had once watched a band practice with her friend Eri, and it seemed like it took forever for anyone to actually play a song. This music sounded a lot different, however, than the band she'd heard.

Kagome jumped suddenly, nearly cutting herself when an amplified cry of "Shit!" rang through the walls, followed by the muffled sounds of male laughter. Had that been Inuyasha?

There was a knock on her door seconds later, and Kagome wiped her hands on a towel before going to answer the door. A very pretty girl she'd never seen before smiled at her. "Hi!" she greeted Kagome with a little wave.

"Um, hello. Can... I help you?"

"Oh, no," the girl laughed. "I just wanted to welcome you to the, um, building, I guess. My name's Sango. You're Kagome, right?" The girl stuck out her hand, which Kagome shook lightly.

"You live here?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, no. I work downstairs. I was just here for the band practice. I heard you moved in."

Kagome tried not to gape. She was talking to a stripper! "Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried, lightly slapping herself on the forehead and stepping back. "Come in!"

Sango smiled, letting herself in and looking around. "Wow, it looks different in here," she commented. "So, how do you like it so far?"

"Well, it's new," Kagome admitted. "I've never lived away from home before."

"Inuyasha said you were from Japan?"

"Yes."

"Well, you're lucky you've got him for a neighbor if you're not used to New York."

"I am?"

Sango studied Kagome carefully. No wonder Inuyasha had looked flustered when Sango had asked about her. The girl was a knockout. She'd have to make sure Miroku behaved himself around her. "Sure. If I know him, he's probably already acted like a complete jerk to you, but he's a really good guy to have around. He won't let anything happen to you."

The conversation was cut short by the very loud screaming of distorted guitar, and Sango smiled brightly. "Looks like practice has started!" she called. Kagome smiled nervously. "Wanna go outside?" She nodded eagerly, and Sango laughed, leading Kagome down into the club and out into the parking lot, where the music could still be heard from the upstairs window, but was much more bearable.

Sango fished in her jacket pockets for her cigarettes and lit one. "You smoke?" she asked Kagome.

"Oh, no. Thank you, though."

Sango shrugged, lighting her cigarette and nodding her head to the music. "What do you think of the band?" she asked.

"It's... different."

"You're a J-pop girl, right?"

Kagome blushed. "A little."

"Hey, it's not bad. Never be ashamed of what you like. Miroku likes show tunes."

"Miroku?"

"The bassist," Sango supplied. "And unfortunately," she giggled, "my husband."

"Oh. What does Inuyasha do in the band?"

Sango smiled. "You'll find out soon enough."

Kagome leaned up against the building, listening to the rumbling bass and scratchy guitar scales and her eyes widened when a voice finally joined in. At first it was only a scream, but moments later, she heard the words floating outside, and realized it was Inuyasha. He was the singer? He's not bad, either, she thought. "It's not bad," she commented.

"It's just a cover," Sango informed her. "I like their original stuff a lot better." Her eyes brightened. "Hey, you should come see a show some time! We could hang out!"

"Oh, I don't know."

"Oh, come on! How many people do you know around here?"

"Well, you," Kagome laughed. "And Inuyasha. And Kagura."

"See? You're already a member of the group. You have to come. You're eighteen, right?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "I'm twenty-one."

"Oh." Sango looked stunned, then confused. "So, Kagura rented the apartment to you, and didn't tell you she had an opening in the club?"

An opening? Kagome's face flushed in embarrassment. "Oh, I couldn't do that, not that there's anything wrong with your job, it's just--"

Sango giggled. "Not dancing! As a bartender."

"A bartender?" Kagome felt ridiculous. "No, she didn't mention it."

"She's probably waiting to see if Kikyou's going to barge back in and demand her job back," Sango said with a scowl. "Not that anyone wants that to happen, but Kagura hates training people. She hasn't said a word to Inuyasha about getting someone else. She's probably afraid he'll blow up on her."

"Why would he do that?"

Sango rolled her eyes. "I won't go too deep, because Inuyasha would kill me, but let's just say he and Kikyou have a history."

"Okay..." What did that mean?

"Inuyasha really wouldn't care if Kagura hired someone in, but she probably doesn't know that. Half the time I don't know what he's thinking, and I'm one of his best friends."

Kagome was thoroughly confused, but Sango seemed nice, and she didn't mind listening to her talk. Who would have thought her life could have changed so drastically in just a couple of weeks? She was in New York city, living above a bar, and having a conversation with a stripper. She wouldn't have believed it in a million years.

"So," Sango said, pulling her from her thoughts, a smile on her face. "You don't think you could strip?"

Kagome blushed once again, sputtering. "Of course I couldn't! I'd be so embarrassed!"

"What for?"

"Because... because I'd be naked!" Kagome caught the look on Sango's face and realized the girl was joking with her. She crossed her arms, trying to look angry, but she couldn't quite pull it off. "How can you do it?" she asked.

Sango shrugged. "Some people just can."

"And your husband doesn't mind?"

The woman laughed. "Mind? He loves it." Kagome had to wonder just what sort of guy this Miroku was. Kouga had gotten miffed when he thought her skirt was too revealing. Of course, her ex boyfriend wasn't anyone to be comparing men to.

Sango threw her cigarette into the gravel, crushing it with the toe of her sneaker. "You wanna watch the practice with me?" she asked.

Kagome knew that Sango was only trying to make her feel welcome, but the thought of being in such close quarters with such loud music hardly appealed to her. "I don't think so. I really need to finish dinner."

"You want some help?"

Kagome smiled, hoping she'd made a new friend. "Sure!"

As the girls ate the stir fry they'd prepared, Sango filled Kagome in on the songs they heard through the wall, and Kagome agreed with Sango that the original ones were better, but they all sounded good to her. The music stopped before they were done eating, and Kagome was startled by another knock on her door. Opening it revealed a very attractive looking guy with black hair that was pulled into a short ponytail, who looked her up and down very obviously before smiling. "Why, hello," he greeted her with a smile. Kagome swallowed nervously.

"Miroku," Sango warned from her place on the couch. "Stop scaring the girl."

Miroku looked past Kagome to look at his wife, an innocent expression on his face. "Why, Sango, what are you talking about?"

Sango rolled her eyes. "Kagome, this is my husband, the lecher."

"Um... nice to meet you," Kagome told him. He smiled.

"Miroku, get your ass back here!" a voice called from across the hall, and Kagome looked across to see Inuyasha standing in his own doorway. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw he didn't have a shirt on, and she looked away quickly, hoping she wasn't blushing.

"Inuyasha, I was only seeing where Sango ran off to, but I can definitely see why she would prefer Kagome's company over ours."

Inuyasha snorted. "Back off, moron. We ain't done practicing. Sango's probably just avoiding you, anyway."

"Well, it was nice to meet you," Miroku spoke to Kagome, who nodded before Miroku left to return to Inuyasha's apartment.

Inuyasha looked at her as Miroku disappeared past him. "Don't worry," he told her. "He's harmless." Kagome just smiled before turning and closing her door. These people were so strange!

(*)(*)(*)

That night, Kagome felt strangely content as she crawled into bed. She'd been too worked up to sleep much the night before, but after spending time with Sango, she didn't feel quite so alone. Inuyasha had even spoken to her without acting like a jerk.

"Now all I have to do is find a job," she mumbled to herself before falling asleep.

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BTW, "otome" means "little girl." or so i hope. that's what the translator said! eeek, don't hit me!