InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Savvy ❯ Chapter Eight ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
A/N: I don't own it! And sorry, this should have been posted sooner. I actually had it written out on paper. But stupid me decided to start doing screen captures for season one and two, and got a little... distracted. My bad.

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"Pussy Liquor" Rob Zombie (Rin's last dance)

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"Kagome! You have to come out some time!" Sango told her through the door.

"I do not!" she called back as she paced her living room floor, trying to hold the back of her ruffled skirt down. "I'm going to change."

"No!" Rin wailed from the hallway. "Come on, Kagome, it's my last night! Please?"

Kagome sighed before going to open the door. Sango was in her very revealing nurse costume, but... "Rin, what exactly are you?" she couldn't help but ask.

Rin laughed, looking down at her pin-striped mini-skirt and fishnet pantyhose that matched the black cat ears that sat on her head. "I'm a gangster kitty," she giggled.

"Oh. You guys, I can't go down there like this! I look stupid! And my butt's hanging out!"

"It is not," Sango argued. "Besides, that's why we bought those ruffled panties. Come on! You have got to see Kagura."

(*)(*)(*)

"So, Inuyasha, what do you think?" Kagura asked as she did a spin in her white halter dress.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You make a lovely Marilyn," he told her. "Just don't keep the blonde hair."

"Pssh! It's a wig, baka."

"Well, it's a lot more convincing than Eric's," the hanyou commented, stifling a growl as he looked over at his coworker, who's idea of a costume was a Rastafarian hat with fake dreads sewn into it.

Inuyasha hated Halloween.

"I'm going to go ahead and unlock the door; Kagome should be down in a minute," Kagura told him.

"Where is she, anyway?"

Kagura laughed. "Apparently, too shy to come downstairs, Sango said."

"No telling what those two talked her into," Inuyasha muttered, pushing a button to open the register to count his drawer.

"Oh, Kagome, you look darling!" he heard Kagura exclaim as he counted the last of his bills, placing them back in the till. Looking up to see what the fuss was about, Inuyasha's eyes bulged, and, quite distracted by the sight of Kagome in thigh highs, he slammed his finger in the register.

"FUCK!"

Kagome turned to see Inuyasha's head bent over after he shouted the explicative, and noticed he was cradling his hand to his chest. Trotting over in her uncomfortable platform Mary Janes, she went behind the bar. "What happened?"

He looked up at her through his curtain of silvery bangs, eyes flashing. "Nothing."

"Did you hurt yourself? Let me see."

"It's fine," he growled.

She glared up at him, and he could see she wasn't taking no for an answer. Before he could protest, she jerked his hand away from his chest, examining the damage. "It's pretty red," she stated.

"No kidding! I said it was fine."

Kagome rolled her eyes, but smiled as she released his hand. "So, do you like my costume?" she asked.

"Keh," Inuyasha replied with a scowl. "What are you supposed to be, anyway?"

"I'm Alice in Wonderland, silly."

"You're seriously going to work all night in that get up?"

He almost smiled at the blush that rose to her face. "Well, Sango and Rin talked me into it. Besides, it's just one night, right?"

Yeah, Inuyasha sighed to himself. Just one night.

(*)(*)(*)

Inuyasha was in a foul mood.

First of all, the club was packed full of idiots with painted faces, and the bouncer had already thrown two people out, which wasn't usual considering it wasn't yet midnight. What was it about holidays that made people act so stupid?

Then, his brother had shown up. Sesshoumaru often came by to pick Rin up when her shift was over, but Inuyasha had never seen him arrive before then. He assumed Rin had asked him to, since it was her last night.

On top of all that, Eric was pissing him off. All the dimwit had talked about all night long was asking Kagome out on a date. I don't care if he does or not, Inuyasha thought. I just wish he'd shut up and work! Besides, Kagome wouldn't date an idiot like him.

He scowled as he caught Eric eyeing the girl again, and Inuyasha glanced over to see Kagome bent over a table, collecting empty glasses, which provided quite a view of her panties. Inuyasha stifled a groan, quickly looking away. Who did Sango think she was, convincing Kagome into wearing something like that?

Eric approached the bar with his guest checks in hand, but his eyes were still trained on Kagome. "I think I'm going to ask her now," he said. "Oh, and I need three shots of tequila."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he prepared the drinks. "Why don't you leave it alone, huh? She's got enough perverts all over her without adding you to the mix. Besides, you're on the clock. Why don't you actually do some work instead of ogling Kagome's ass all night?"

Eric was visibly stunned. "Jesus, what put you in such a mood?"

"Inuyasha."

He turned, ignoring Eric completely to look into the eyes of... "Kikyou."

What was she doing, coming back into the club? And who was the creep with his arm around her? He absolutely reeked.

"Surprised to see me?" Kikyou asked, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Well, yeah," he replied, regaining his composure long enough to give Eric the shots he'd asked for. "You haven't been in since you quit. Why aren't you dressed up like everyone else?"

"Halloween is a child's day," she replied. "By the way, this is Naraku."

Kikyou's date smiled falsely, and Inuyasha had to repress the urge to tear him apart. He knew the scum was probably the one who had Kikyou using again; he could tell by the smell.

(*)(*)(*)

Kagome was definitely regretting her choice of costume. Apparently, dressing like Alice turned all men into Cheshire cats, with grins to match.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied another couple taking a seat, and Kagome had to wonder if it was crowded more because of the holiday, or because of Rin. The crowd was getting antsy in anticipation of Rin's last show.

Walking to the table to take another order, Kagome faltered when she saw who it was that had sat down. That's Kikyou. I wonder why she's here? Forcing herself to smile, Kagome approached the table. "Hey, guys, what can I get you?" she asked.

Kikyou's piercing eyes caught hers, and after a moment the woman smirked. "You're the new girl?" she asked.

"Um, yeah, I'm still pretty new," Kagome admitted.

"Are you even old enough to work here, or is Kagura pulling strings again?"

"I'm... old enough." What's she have against me? Kagome wondered.

"And what possessed you to want to work here?" Kikyou asked, looking genuinely interested.

"I didn't. Kagura... she asked me to."

"Kagura's always had a bleeding heart." Kikyou's smile widened, becoming even crueler. "So, what's your story? I'm sure you've heard mine by now."

Kagome refused to give into the urge to run far, far away from the woman. "I'd really rather not discuss it," she replied evenly.

Kikyou chuckled. "You're so innocent; it's charming. But don't get comfortable here... I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"It's Kagome."

"Kagome. Lovely. You're just my replacement, you know, and if I ever do decide to come back, you'll be looking for another job. Maybe a toy store would suit you better, don't you think?"

"I'll have someone else get your drinks," Kagome managed before turning and walking away, hearing Kikyou and her date's laughter trail behind her. She pointed Eric over to the table before taking off for the break room, her face burning as she fought to hold back her tears.

What a horrible person! Kagome thought as she took a seat, her jaw clenched with anger. I've never done anything to her! I've never even met her! Why was she so awful to me?

"Kagome?"

Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha in the doorway, his brow furrowed, and she managed a wan smile. "Hey. I'll be back up in a second."

He walked toward the table, kneeling next to her to look into her eyes. "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing, it was nothing," she assured him.

"Don't give me that. If it was nothing, you wouldn't have ran off."

"I didn't run."

He sighed. "Alright. Walked very quickly; is that better?"

Kagome sighed. "It's not a big deal, really. It's just... what did I do to make her hate me?"

"It's not you, Kagome. Trust me." Looking into his eyes, she was startled once more by the color of them. "I can... If you want, I'll tell her to leave."

"No. I wouldn't ask you to do that," Kagome replied softly. "I know that you... care about her."

"Keh," he scoffed, turning away from her. "That doesn't give her the right to act that way."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he felt Kagome embrace him, and he was suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of her hair as it brushed against his nose. "Thanks, Inuyasha," she told him, her breath warm against his neck. "You're a good friend."

"Uh... it's not a problem," he managed to tell her, patting her awkwardly on the back before pulling away to stand up. "Look, I need to get back up there."

Kagome followed suit, the layers of her skirt ruffling together as she stood.

Inuyasha was in a daze as he returned to the bar, feeling helpless as he watched Kagome trot off in her ridiculous shoes.

She'd hugged him. He could count the number of people who had ever done that on both hands. He hadn't missed the blush on her face afterwards, either.

Is Sango right? he wondered again. He was distracted from his thoughts, though, as all the lights in the club suddenly went dark, and he shook his head, chuckling to himself. It was time for Rin to go on, and he was sure she was going to make it memorable.

As the one floodlight illuminated Rin on stage, everyone in the place went crazy, and Inuyasha couldn't help but glance over at Sesshoumaru to see his reaction. Of course, the bastard didn't have one. Typical.

"Hey, Inuyasha."

The hanyou cracked his knuckles in aggravation before looking over to Eric. "What now?"

"Did you tell Kagome she should turn me down?" he asked, looking absurdly upset with his stupid hat on.

"Why the hell would I do that?" Inuyasha asked, struggling to be heard over the cheers for Rin.

"Well, you got sort of pissed when I mentioned asking her out."

"So, she blew you off?"

"Yeah," Eric sighed, looking forlorn.

"Ever stop to think there's someone in the world not attracted to you?"

Eric blinked rapidly, as if the thought had actually never crossed his mind. Inuyasha scowled before turning away, only to see Sesshoumaru standing at the bar.

"What wrong, asshole?" Inuyasha asked knowingly, not even attempting to hide his smirk.

"Just pour the scotch, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha did so, sliding the drink over to his brother. "I guess knowing and seeing are two different things, aren't they?"

Sesshoumaru glared at him over the rim of the glass. "It is of no matter," he replied calmly. "She'll be mine in less than a month."

"And then she gets to be miserable until the day you both die. Sucks to be her."

Sesshoumaru ignored the insult. "I see Kikyou is here."

"Yeah, what of it?" he replied, immediately on the defensive.

Sesshoumaru took a long drink before answering. "it seems strange to me that she would willingly show her face somewhere she knows she is no longer welcome."

Inuyasha crossed his arms, saying nothing. He was still angry over Kikyou upsetting Kagome, and still feeling unsettled by Kagome's embrace. Why had Kikyou shown up? Maybe she thought bringing that Naraku creep would make him jealous? It didn't, but it did worry him.

"Inuyasha?"

He looked up to see Kagome leaning over the bar next to his brother. "I need..." She looked over her guest check, frowning. Suppressing another smile, he took the slip of paper from her fingers, looking over the long order before he started on the drinks. Kagome thanked him, running off to wait on another table.

"Rin, she mentioned that Kagome is having some... problems," Sesshoumaru commented as he stared down into his glass of scotch, now nearly empty.

"You know, I really hate it when you do that. I guess since Rin already made it your business, yeah, she is." He sat the drinks on the counter for Kagome as he finished each one.

"I trust you'll take care of it? Or is there another reason you're so defensive?"

"I ain't defensive," he grouched, shutting up quickly as Kagome returned for the drinks, smiling brightly before leaving again.

"No, not at all," his brother replied, giving him a knowing look.

"Keh."

"Sesshy!" Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slight as Rin jumped upon his back, wearing nothing more than a robe, it seemed.

She turned to look at Inuyasha after giving her fiancé a kiss on the cheek. "So, are you coming over tonight for our party?" she asked.

"Party?" both brothers echoed.

Rin grinned at Sesshoumaru. "We've gotta have a party!" she cried. "This is a special occasion, and everyone's all dressed up!"

Sesshoumaru scowled slightly, but didn't argue, and Rin kissed him again. "I'm gonna go tell everyone!" Before she could run off, however, she pinned Inuyasha with a dark look. "Not a word to Kikyou," she warned him. "Not one." He only nodded.

"So, you're having a party?" he asked Sesshoumaru in a mocking tone.

"Shut up."

(*)(*)(*)

When Kagome let herself out of Miroku's car later that night, her eyes widened dramatically at the looming structure before her. Three stories of stark white, with imposing marble columns... "This is Sesshoumaru's house?"

Sango and Miroku nodded. "Sure is," Sango replied.

"Wow," Kagome breathed as she followed the couple to the front door. She couldn't believe the size of the place; even the door was intimidating with its carvings across the surface of the dark wood. It matched Sesshoumaru perfectly, she supposed.

Miroku knocked on the door, and seconds later Rin appeared, beaming. "Great, you're here!"

Stepping inside, Kagome heard music and voices nearby, and Rin led them to what she assumed was the den. She spotted many people from work, including Eric, and some people she'd never seen before. She didn't see Inuyasha, however. Maybe he'd decided not to come.

"Kagome, hi."

She turned to see a sheepish looking Eric before her. "Oh. Hey."

"Look, I'm sorry if I bothered you earlier. About the date, I mean."

"Oh!" Kagome felt herself blushing. "Um, no, it's fine. I just... now's not a good time, is all."

"Oh. Maybe some other time, then?" Eric asked hopefully.

She let out a nervous laugh. "Well... maybe."

"Cool." He left her alone, and Kagome let out a sigh. Eric was definitely not her type.

Wait. Do I even have a type? she wondered. She'd only had two boyfriends, and they were polar opposites. She'd dated Houjo for a short time in high school. He'd been a sweet guy, but a little too boring for her tastes. Of course, she'd met Kouga later on, and he'd been anything but boring. Kouga had been so many things to her. Passionate, charming, volatile...

She'd tried ending her relationship with Kouga many times before their last argument. At first, he'd only changed the topic, telling her not to worry. When she'd tried to bring up the fact that she felt suffocated by him, he'd laughed at her.

It had unnerved her at first, how he always managed to find her, no matter where she went. It had only convinced her that the relationship must come to an end.

Kagome would never forget that night. It had happened outside, on the shrine grounds. Her and Kouga had argued for some time, before she'd plainly told him they were over.

"Over?" He chuckled. "It's not that simple, Kagome."

She fumed, looking up into his sparkling eyes. "What's not simple about it? I don't want to be with you anymore!"

"But you're my woman," he explained, as if that statement contained all the logic she should need. "I plan on making that official soon, and then we can stop with these silly arguments."

As usual, Kouga's words confused her, and she was tired of him never listening to her. "Look, Kouga, you don't own me!" she shouted, her fist clenched at her sides.

Kouga's eyes flared at the words.

And he struck her...

Kagome shook the memory away before it could continue, not wanting to feel depressed. She was at a party, after all.

(*)(*)(*)

Inuyasha arrived over an hour later, though he knew he should have just went upstairs to his apartment instead. It was nearly four in the morning, yet he knew he'd catch hell from Rin if he didn't at least make an appearance.

Making his way towards the back of the house, Inuyasha could already tell the party was still in full swing.

"'Bout time you got here!"

He turned to see Rin, who had just left the kitchen with a bag of chips.

"Well, some of us had to close up."

Rin rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and Kagura told you not to worry about it. I heard her, you know." Rin walked past him, and Inuyasha followed her into the den, where everyone was gathered, most still in their costumes.

Scanning the room, he immediately growled at the sight of Eric leaning towards Kagome as the two sat on one of the sofas. He was trying very hard, by the looks of it. "He just ain't gonna learn, is he?" he muttered.

And why exactly do you care what Eric does? a voice whispered in his thoughts.

I don't care what he does, as long as he keeps his hands off her! She's got enough to worry about without some pervert frat boy all over her.

Kagome looked up, her eyes fastening on him, and before he could reach her, she sprang from the couch, grinning at him. "Inuyasha, I didn't think you were coming," she exclaimed just before she staggered.

Inuyasha caught her arm to steady her. "Are you drunk?" he asked.

"Well, maybe a little," she admitted. "I tried tequila."

Inuyasha glared darkly at Eric before leading the girl away. He hadn't planned on staying long, but perhaps Kagome would let him take her home, and Eric could find someone else to take advantage of.

He found Miroku and Sango standing in a corner, talking with Rin. "Where's that bastard brother of mine?" Inuyasha asked.

"He went upstairs already," Rin replied. "He didn't seem to be having much fun."

"Imagine that."

"Oh, there's Amber!" Kagome cried, pointing at one of the girls across the room. "I've gotta say hi to Amber!" She hurriedly ran off, leaving Miroku and Sango smiling.

"Oh, it's funny?" Inuyasha griped, crossing his arms.

"What's wrong?" Miroku questioned.

"Eric was trying to get her drunk, that's what's wrong."

Sango shook her head. "Eric wouldn't try anything with her," she assured the snarling hanyou. "He's just got a crush."

Miroku's smile widened. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Inuyasha?"

"Shove it," Inuyasha replied, walking off.

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I first of want to say a big thank you for the nomination at IYFG. It means a lot. And I forget anyone in the review replies, I'm very sorry. I got quite a few this time.

Princess-in-Training- I do hope to keep Rin in the story, and it should work out fine.

GinaCat- Well, I do like to grant wishes...

sublimetrickster- I hope to answer your question in the next chapter, maybe...

ShaylaBlade- Thank you, dear.

~ME- I like to receive growls in my reviews. Makes me feel a special. Heehee.

Animegrrl2- I definitely intend to finish this story, things just get hairy sometimes!

eien_ni_kawaii- Thanks!

Fairytalechic1- I'll try to update more quickly, I promise.

inuyashaloverr- Well, not so much a humdinger, it was just a little setup for the next chapter...

beautifully_chaotic- Thank you so much!

Lil Pix- I always just re-read Sueric when I run out of new stories, lol.

d......r......- Haha. Thanks for the command.

babycakkes- Thanks. I did try to keep everyone in character, which can get a little difficult with the setting.

Dizzyxx- I hope I didn't make you hurt your head....

Rinlover- Thanks for the harrassment. I needed it.