InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beautiful Stranger ❯ Chapter 3

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

Chapter 3 – An Honest Mistake

 

 

“He's quite the catch,” Sango said, as she glanced back at the table once again. She couldn't deny that the hanyou was awfully attractive, as she nodding friendlily in his direction before shooting the houshi a much more appreciative look, letting the holy man know that he was her personal favorite.

 

This night wasn't really about her, though, and so Sango quickly turned back around again, not wanting to appear too desperate. There was nothing wrong with a little harmless 'wink and smile' flirting from across the room, but if it was going to become anything more than that then in her opinion the guys needed to be the ones to make the next move.

 

That next move came when Kagome finished her second Cosmo, and before she could even order her third it was already placed in front of her. At first she just thought the bartender was being proactive, but then he said, “Compliments of the white-haired gentleman at the back table.”

 

Eyes opening wide in surprise, Kagome shared a quick moment of excited giggles with Sango before turning back around again, holding up her drink in a show of thanks while shooting the hanyou a heart-stopping smile before then taking a sip, her eyes sparkling as she continued to hold his gaze for a moment longer before finally turning back around again. It was a good thing she had a somewhat high tolerance for alcohol; she could definitely admit that she was getting a little tipsy by that point, perhaps even a tad more than tipsy, but she was certainly nowhere near falling down drunk, nor did she have any intention of getting that far gone. She did want to remember tonight come tomorrow morning, after all.

 

o o o o o o o o o o

 

“You sly dog you,” Miroku complemented, causing Inuyasha to chuckle at his cousin's choice of words.

 

“So far so good,” the hanyou agreed, flagging down the same cocktail waitress to have her inform the bartender that the other girl's next drink was on him as well, though to inform the lady in purple that it was actually courtesy of Miroku and not himself.

 

“Right away, sir,” the human server agreed with a smile that grew even larger after Inuyasha thanked her with a crooked grin and handed her a twenty for her troubles.

 

“It's no trouble at all, sir,” she stated merrily as she hurried over to give the bartender his instructions, out of earshot of the two ladies in question, of course.

 

He was happy to oblige as well, knowing his own tip would be quite favorable once the hanyou cashed out his tab. Some people might secretly begrudge having to offer service to a youkai or hanyou in a primarily human establishment, but Jason didn't mind it one bit. Because it was a primarily human establishment, located deep in the heart of the human side of town, he had learned from personal experience over the years that whatever few pure youkai or hanyou they ever got were almost always huge tippers, probably in the hopes of it earning them more decent service, or more accurately in thanks for them having received decent service to begin with. He knew enough to not bite the hand that fed him. As a result, he had a few regulars, and he wouldn't object to this hanyou becoming another one.

 

Inuyasha and Miroku observed, each of them inwardly grinning in victory while outwardly grinning in a more 'innocent' manner, as after a few more minutes passed the taller lady in purple also turned their way and raised her new drink in a show of thanks, her own grin perhaps not quite so innocent, which was a good thing.

 

Turning to say something to her friend in red that Inuyasha could not hear – he once again cursed the loud club music – both his and Miroku's eyes widened in surprise to see, after a brief conversation between the two women, the lady in purple confidently making her way over to their table.

 

Only her?

 

Inuyasha tried not to let his disappointment show, happy for Miroku but bummed out all the same. Getting turned down by that kind of woman stung even more than a regular woman rejecting him.

 

He quickly learned that he'd been too fast to jump to such a harsh conclusion, though, when as soon as Sango approached their table, she said, “Thank you for the drink,” to Miroku. Glancing Inuyasha's way with a wink, she then gave the monk her complete attention as she added, “My name is Sango, by the way, and I would really love to join you over here at this lovely table, but I'm afraid I have a bit of a problem. You see, that'll leave my friend, Kagome, all alone over there all by herself. Unless you…” she said, glancing slyly at Inuyasha again, “…wouldn't mind keeping her company for the rest of the evening?”

 

He might genuinely have a thicker than average skull, being half canine and all, but nobody was that thickheaded.

 

“It would be my pleasure,” he replied with a smirk that revealed his fangs.

 

While Sango wasn't personally into youkai and found his fangs a little more than she herself would be able to handle, she shot him a sultry smirk of her own all the same, knowing Kagome would probably love the feel of them trailing all over her body. She wasn't bothered by her friend's not-so-secret (between the two of them) fantasies; different strokes for different folks.

 

o o o o o o o o o o

 

Kagome counted to ten, ordering the butterflies in her stomach to vacate post haste as she took another sip of her drink, the drink he had bought for her. She wasn't really nervous though, more like…anxious.

 

Or perhaps excited was the right word. She couldn't believe Sango's bravado!

 

As soon as the bartender had informed her that the other man, the dark-haired gentleman occupying the same table, had bought that drink for her, Sango had suddenly become a woman on a mission. Kagome was still getting laid tonight, but now, so was she.

 

Sango had originally tried to get Kagome to come with her over to their table. That was the thing that women did at these types of clubs, they went and hung out at the tables of the rich men who would shower them with free drinks in the hopes of getting lucky. But Kagome had never done such a thing before, and so she hadn't wanted to leave the safety of her comfort zone just yet.

 

But you couldn't learn to swim unless you got in the water and so Sango had simply said, “Fine, stay here at the bar then, I have a new idea,” before sashaying away.

 

It had taken the miko less than a second to realize Sango's intentions, and she'd spun back around on her heels to face the bar with wide eyes, more surprised by the martial artist's gusto than nervous over meeting her 'date' for the evening. Sure, they were moving a little faster than she would've liked, but ultimately Kagome decided to stop worrying about it and do as her friend had instructed: have a good time.

 

Keeping her eyes averted, not wanting to appear too desperate, or eager, as she feared watching him approach her would make her look, Kagome attempted to keep her cool as she felt a demonic presence slide up beside her. She was the one in control here; she was the one with the power. She closed her eyes and smiled slowly to herself. She could do this.

 

o o o o o o o o o o

 

Inuyasha was surprised to feel Kagome's miko aura as he approached, Miroku's own spiritual powers having inadvertently masked his ability to sense hers when she and Sango had first entered the club, although he was not hesitant in the slightest to approach her all the same. Not if she was actually willing to give him a chance.

 

True, she was in it for the money, a little voice in the back of his head reminded him so that he wouldn't get his hopes too high at the way she would undoubtedly smile at him and say all the right things, but still, if she was willing to look past his demonic attributes then who was he to complain? Besides, to be perfectly honest, a part of him actually liked the idea of her being a miko; that put them on an even playing field, more or less. At least it meant she actually had the right to hold her head as high as she was; she really was all powerful and the one in control here. She called the shots, because if he got out of line she could just zap him one. A woman like her, she probably had a list of clients that would put Miroku's reputation to shame.

 

Sure, she was young, but she was also professional and sophisticated. Her aura literally screamed it to somebody like him who could sense such things. It was honestly a bit of a wonder that she was actually willing to give him the time of day. None of his past 'dates' had ever been as high ranking as a miko, but maybe she was just feeling adventurous? She certainly didn't need the money, her diamonds alone were proof enough of that, and even if she'd somehow fallen on hard times within her…line of work…surely there were other options available to her if money was all that it was.

 

Allowing himself to believe, then, that she had to be at least a little bit attracted to him, as he'd convinced himself the few other professional women he'd bedded over the years had been – they at least hadn't been repulsed by him – he closed the distance between them with a smirk of confidence firmly in place, ordering himself a drink.

 

“My name's Inuyasha,” he stated casually after a moment, offering her a sly grin that she mirrored.

 

Ah, canine it is, then...

 

“Kagome.”

 

“I know,” he stated confidently, and the miko assumed correctly that Sango must have told him her name already.

 

Giving Inuyasha a quick once over, Kagome got a good look at the man for the first time that night, since sitting over in the back corner as he'd been hadn't allowed her to see very much of him from the chest down.

 

He was physically fit, no doubt about it, his high-end metallic dark gray denim pants fitting snugly and not leaving much to the imagination. His tight fitting white button-up long sleeve shirt that he wore untucked accented not only his incredible upper body, but also highlighted the fact that his shimmering waist length hair, while definitely white and not silver, still had a bizarre pearlescent sheen to it that made his glistening locks stand out against the white fabric of his shirt instead of blend in. The first two buttons on his shirt were undone, revealing a teasing amount of hairless chest, while designer leather sneakers completed the look.

 

Kagome gave him an approving smile, blatantly letting him know with her eyes that she liked what she saw, before shooting a casual glance behind the two of them back towards the bottle service table where Sango was now laughing with the raven-haired houshi.

 

“It appears that Sango has taken a liking to your friend,” she stated after a moment, trying to think of something to say before the growing silence could make her nervous again. She wasn't really apprehensive about what was to come; she was more nervous about screwing it up somehow than anything else. Confident or not, she'd still never done this sort of thing before.

 

“So it appears,” Inuyasha agreed easily enough, before adding, “although I’m more interested in you.”

 

She offered him a smirk, then. “What a coincidence,” she stated demurely before taking another sip of her drink.

 

He chuckled, and took another swig of his own. He hadn't missed the way she'd checked him out, nor the approving glint in her eyes that told him she liked what she saw. Confidence boosted, he decided to plow forward, no longer apprehensive over the possibility that she didn't really want to do this and was just doing what she had to do to survive.

 

“So what brings you out tonight?” he asked with an air of nonchalance, as if he didn't honestly know.

 

Kagome met his golden honey eyes at his question, and without missing a beat she replied with sexy confidence, “I'm looking for a date.”

 

There, that was brazen and straight to the point, she thought, looking away to take another sip of her drink before she got completely lost in his gorgeous eyes. The next move was his, she told herself, which made her smile when he made it without delay, responding to her statement with a hauntingly familiar, “What a coincidence,” before taking another sip of his own drink.

 

It was her turn to chuckle, and then quickly deciding to take things a little slowly, she asked, “So tell me about yourself, Inuyasha.”

 

He could hardly fault her for wanting to do a job interview of sorts, and so he gave her a brief but accurate rundown of his life story, including the fact that Miroku was actually his cousin, and the only member of his human family he was 'close' to, as a polite way of saying the rest of them hated him. He then explained that he was a trust fund baby from his father's side, as the saying went, since he'd never worked a day in his life, nor would he ever need to. He didn't have to elaborate much on that point because he was sure Kagome could fill in the blanks, but he emphasized the fact that his father was very wealthy and so unlike some other trust fund brats out there, his income would never run out no matter how irresponsible he was with his money.

 

“Congratulations,” Kagome stated for lack of anything better to say, a large part of her truly happy for him because she'd heard how hard it could be for the less fortunate hanyou of the world to find work and sustain themselves.

 

“My family's well off, too, although from the sound of things you and your father have us beat,” she said with a chuckle that let him know she wasn't envious. “I don't have to work for a living, but I just don't feel right mooching off of my parents forever, plus I want to actually do my part to do a bit of good in this world, you know?”

 

He almost choked on his drink, thinking she was referring to what he thought was her line of work, but then before he could put his foot in his mouth, make a joke worthy of Miroku along the lines of her doing all sorts of 'good' in this world, she elaborated.

 

“So I still live at home, for now, and they're putting me through medical school, but I consider it a loan even though I'm not actually racking up student debt. I'm just glad there was a good school close enough to home so that I didn't have to worry about renting an apartment. That way I don't have to juggle having a job to pay my rent, or feel guilty about my parents paying it for me since they're already paying enough, and I can focus fully on my studies. I want to be a doctor and eventually open my own practice. A pediatrician, because I love children, or at least other people's children,” she said with a laugh. “I don't want any kids of my own for a while yet, though, so I can focus on my career first,” she added as an afterthought. She normally wasn't so talkative with people she'd just met, but the cocktails were definitely helping in that regard.

 

Inuyasha, meanwhile, had his eyes open wide at this unexpected information. Was she not an escort, then? She couldn't even be working her way through medical school since she'd said her parents were paying her way for her. Had he just made a terrible mistake? But wait, no...she had been checking him out, and they'd been successfully flirting with one another. But if she wasn't...what he'd thought she was...then did that mean she was actually interested in him only because she was attracted to him, with no ulterior motives?

 

Such a thing had never seemed possible!

 

Of course, Kagome immediately noticed his shell-shocked expression. It definitely wasn't the disapproving look Hojo had always given her at mention of her goal of becoming a doctor, but the idea that he was so surprised still felt somewhat insulting.

 

“What? Didn't think a pretty little thing like me was smart enough for medical school, or was it my remark about not wanting kids for a while?” she asked him quietly, not wanting to cause a scene and knowing he'd hear her. She never would've snapped at him like that if it weren't for the alcohol. After just breaking up with Hojo, the last thing she needed was somebody else thinking her place was at home, barefoot and pregnant.

 

Instantly realizing he'd already fucked up, Inuyasha glanced back at his table to see Miroku and Sango apparently having a fabulous time, and with his ears lowering back down on his head, though this time it had nothing to do with the club music, he figured the best chance he had of getting out of this was just to be honest. Even if she threw the rest of her drink in his face and stormed out, he didn't want to lie to her, and he couldn't think up an excuse fast enough, anyway. She was already glaring at him.

 

“No! That's not it at all!” he said first and foremost. Double checking to make sure nobody was paying them any attention, and thankfully nobody was, Jason currently talking with someone else at the other end of the bar, he swallowed and leaned in a bit to murmur in her ear.

 

“Please don't be mad,” he started, “but well, I just thought you...I thought you were already working for a living, if you know what I mean. Nobody else would want to be with a hanyou like me, or at least, nobody else ever has.”

 

It was Kagome's turn for her eyes to widen at his quiet confession. While her first instinct was to be insulted again, she nipped that feeling in the bud before it fully had a chance bloom. Hadn't she, herself, thought that she looked like a call girl? She could hardly blame him for the misunderstanding when she thought back to how brazenly she'd been flirting with him from across the room, and after he'd first joined her at the bar. It was an honest mistake. No harm done, right?

 

Then the second part of what he'd said registered. The reason it hadn't even occurred to him to tread lightly, that she might not be an escort and he'd better double check somehow, was because, in his experience, those were the only women he could attract.

 

Her eyes softened then.

 

“Oh, Inuyasha...”

 

Reaching forward, she cupped his right hand in both of hers, showing no fear of his claws, and looked him right in the eyes, really studying him. Intentionally or not, he bared his soul for her in that moment. In his eyes she could see all of his secret insecurities, his loneliness, and his fear that after finding the one woman who wasn't interested in him for his money, he'd blown it.

 

“Thank you for being honest, so now I will be honest with you, too. I'm not looking for a relationship right now,” she told him, and his ears, which had sprung back up as she'd started talking, immediately lowered again, but she plowed forward. “I just had a bad breakup, guy was a real jerk, and Sango dragged me out for, well for a one-night-stand, to be blunt. But that must've been what you'd thought this was going to be all along, so now you just know it's free. If you still want to, I do too, because I am attracted to you, and I do have a room in this hotel.”

 

Releasing his hands, she winked as she said that last part, and then downed the last of her third Cosmo. Glancing back over at the table herself, then, she added, “Besides, it looks like our friends have officially ditched us for the rest of the night, so if you don't come up to my room with me we're both going to be very lonely.”

 

With much of his bravado gone now, Inuyasha felt more humbled awe than the cocky confidence he'd been trying to portray as he replied with, “I...I would love to.”

 

She was right, after all. When he'd thought she was an escort he'd obviously known it was only going to be for the one night, so there was no point in getting his feelings hurt about that part now. They were two mature adults agreeing to have a one-night-stand together, and there was nothing wrong with that. The fact that he'd actually managed to find a woman who wanted to?

 

Happy birthday, indeed, he thought to himself, before downing the last of his own drink and adding, “Let's get out of here.”