InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Swing ❯ Part I: Wallflower ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

þÿSwing

Soooo, I'm mostly back from a looooooong hiatus. I'm currently working on the latest chapter for Novus Lux, which is turning out to be a bit more involved than I was expecting. Also, I had this little idea in my head for a story revolving around swing dancing that needed to be written down, so this is now happening in addition to my other story. But, this one's probably going to be two, maaaaybe three parts tops, so it shouldn't get in the way of my other writing too much (that's the role of my real job, haha). Anyway, enjoy!
-ebj

...

Part I: Wallflower

Kagome watched as Kouga spun the redheaded woman around the floor, blue skirt flaring with the motion. The two dancers grinned at each other, chests heaving slightly, as they struck a pose for the final jazzy chord. A slight scowl pulled at the edges of Kagome's mouth as she watched the display between her two friends.

Another song started, and they were off again, whirling in a slightly mad-cap fashion around the floor. Sighing, she picked herself up from her chair at the edge of the floor. I need a drink, she thought sourly. Something to do besides sit here and watch Mr. and Ms. Talented show up the entire dance floor.

"What'll it be, ma'am?" The bartender's voice jerked her out of her thoughts. Apparently she'd made it all the way to the counter without noticing.

"Ummm..." Something hard but sipable, she thought. "Scotch on the rocks-" she glanced over the bar briefly "-The Macallan 12, please."

"You got it," he replied, with the tiniest smirk, and turned toward the liquor shelf with a swish of his long white hair.

Kagome sighed as she flopped onto a tall stool. Ayame had dragged her out swing dancing again, insisting that she would teach Kagome how to dance this time. Kouga had called at the last minute though, wanting to join them, and Kagome couldn't say no when Ayame's expression pleaded so adorably. She swore it was a wolf demon talent to be so convincing; only Kouga could make an equally pathetic puppy face.

"Here ya go." A masculine voice interrupted her thoughts again. The bartender. Of course. She'd ordered a scotch, hadn't she?

"Oh, uh, thanks," she said, taking the proffered glass and eyeing the amber liquid. Good lord, I'm turning into my grandfather, she thought, spacing out in my own little world with a glass of scotch. All I need now is a big silver watch and a golf game playing in the background-

"You alright there?" That voice again.

"Um, yeah, I guess so." She frowned and glanced up, really looking at him for the first time. He was leaning against the inner corner of the bar, his golden eyes following the movements of the dancers on the floor several yards away. Silvery hair cascaded down his back, tied in a loose ponytail. Two invitingly soft looking ears sat atop his head, quivering slightly in time with the music, while clawed fingers tapped absently on the wooden bar.

Kagome's scowl disappeared a little. A hanyou, huh? She'd heard they existed of course, but they were relatively rare, and she'd never come across one before. The last of her scowl was replaced with a tiny smile as she took in the nicely structured profile before her; high cheekbones, a long straight nose, strong jaw, and almond shaped eyes that suggested at least partial Japanese heritage.

"So how come you're not out there dancin' with everyone else?" Apparently he was going to be persistent, despite the fact that he was still not looking at Kagome.

She looked away from him and towards the floor off to her left. "I was supposed to be..." she muttered, annoyed that he'd managed to bring up the subject of her ire. Couldn't they just talk about the weather?

Kagome saw him shift out of the corner of her eye, and felt his golden gaze rest on her.

"You get stood up or somethin'?"

Kagome snorted. "You could say that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She scowled, still not looking at him. "Don't you have other customers to serve or something?"

"Keh, they're all out there," he waved his hand at the dance floor, "And when they come back to the bar, they'll only be ordering water anyway. Cheap skates." He finished snappishly.

"...Oh." So she'd found his subject of annoyance. Well, now they were even.

"You never answered my question."

"What?" She said confusedly, finally turning to look at him. She was caught for a moment as his golden eyes locked with her brown ones.

He smirked. "Why aren't you out there dancing with everyone else?"

She frowned, sliding her eyes away from his arresting stare. Might as well own up to it. "I don't dance."

He shifted his elbow off the counter to turn to her. "What do you mean you don't dance? Why would you come here?"

Well, he certainly gets straight to the point, doesn't he? Kagome thought slightly irritably. "My friend brought me. She said she'd teach me, but plans changed and now she's out there dancing with her boyfriend instead," she finished in a huff.

"Oh, that's all?"

"What do you mean, 'that's all?'"

"I thought you might've been meeting a guy here or something."

"Tch. Hardly." It's not like she had time for a boyfriend anyway. Really, she didn't have time to be here either, but that was currently beside the point.

"So you bat for the other team then?"

"What?"

"I mean, you, uh, 'swing' the other way?" He smirked at his pun.

Kagome stared at him for another second before it finally clicked. "You're asking if I like girls?"

He nodded.

"What the hell gave you that idea?"

He shifted slightly uncomfortably now, aware of his mistake.

"You just seemed, I dunno... You said that girl was supposed to be teaching you, and then...keh, never mind." Internally he thought it was the combination of the girl teaching her to dance and the fact that she seemed to be paying his good looks very little attention.

"Yeah, well, you just made an ass out of 'u' and 'me,'" Kagome said with a smirk.

The bartender rolled his eyes.

They lapsed into silence as the music filled the space around them. The song was picking up again, and Kagome watched as Ayame and Kouga launched into one of their more acrobatic moves.

"So who's your friend and her boyfriend?"

"The redhead woman and the dark-haired guy with the ponytail," she supplied automatically.

"Oh, you know Ayame and Kouga?"

"Yeah, I work with Ayame. I guess you know them since they're regulars here?"

He nodded. "So what's your name anyway?"

"Kagome," she said, turning back towards him. "Yours?"

"Inuyasha." He extended a hand. She took it.

Warmth zinged up her arm unexpectedly, and she nearly jumped. She looked up to find his yellow eyes boring into her.

"Pleasure," she mumbled, the formality mostly lost to the loud music.

"All mine," he rumbled, still holding her hand and looking at her intently. "I could teach you, if you want."

"What?" Kagome was focused on his hand, which still held onto hers.

He leaned closer to her over the bar. "I could teach you to dance."