InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Gray ❯ All the small things ( Chapter 2 )

~<>~ Shades of Gray ~<>~

 

-I want to make a note here; I am changing the dichotomy of the Higurashi family. Just follow along and you won't be too lost. Also, I'm keeping all names the same from `Curse', so don't be shocked however to see Launia have a completely different attitude…X_X

 

 

-also, as a warning (and don't kill me), there will be a few pairings that no one will like though here…but I will NEVER write a lemon for them X__X

 

 

~<>~ Chapter 2 ~<>~ - All the small things…

 

 

 

Kagome groaned; her eyes blurring as she groggily tried to locate the sound of the horrendous noise. It was like nails on a chalk board, like steel being grinded against metal…like…like…an alarm clock! Rolling to her side, her left hand flailed out to connect solidly against the corner of her tiny bureau. With a rather impressive feral growl, she hissed, “son of a…”

 

“Kagome…are you awake?”

 

With a muffled sob of frustration, she cradled her wounded hand against her chest and pulled herself to her knees. Reaching over with her right hand, she stopped the infernal ringing then stretched her lanky arms into the air with a rather graceful arch.

 

Rubbing her soon to be bruised palm, she turned her attention towards her door. Glowering at the being that stood on the other side, she rolled her eyes once more and forced a rather chipper, “Yeah mom…I just woke up. I'll be down in a minute!”

 

Her mother, who had to be standing on the other side of her door waiting to hear the alarm, smiled; “Don't forget that you promised to take Souta to the park before you leave for school. It's all he's been talking about all morning.”

 

Kagome's eyes slacked shut as she fell back over onto her back on the tiny twin sized mattress. Upon impact, her eyes shot open as a feral declaration of pain slipped from her lips. Rolling to her side, she hesitantly brought her left hand to her back. Wincing as white-hot jolts of pain shot up her back at each prod to the tender flesh, Kagome hissed louder. `Damnit Oberon…always having to be rough…I'll never understand him!' Forcing herself to her feet, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror and grimaced.

 

Hesitantly, she brought her hand to the tiny piercing that decorated the right side of her nose. “Just how drunk was I?” She took in the fact that she didn't bother to comb her hair or remove her makeup before she collapsed in bed at five AM. Her mascara had turned her cheeks to a rather ashy gray and she looked like she had been crying for hours. `Well…that's a half true assumption.'

 

Walking to her closet, she pulled out a long jean skirt and matched it with a delicate white sweater. Glancing down, she let out a meek yelp and kicked the offending clothes that reeked of smoke and sweat to the back of the closet, where the rest of `those' clothes were hidden. Clothes she could only buy from `special' stores that her family would die if they caught her shopping in; clothes that came in the form of tight velvet, or fishnet, or black sheer silk; clothes that made guys cum on contact. With the offensive odor rising from the heap of laundry, she realized forebodingly that she would have to sneak in a load of laundry before she left for school.

 

With a grunt, she grabbed a washcloth from her closet and stuck her head out the door. Glancing around nervously, she shot out of her door like a bolt of lightning into the bathroom directly across from her room. She ran to the sink first, turning on the hot water while she grabbed a brush to comb the knots out of her raven hair. To her dismay, the knots that had formed from her…lord's…rough treatment were not going to come out without a serious amount of conditioner. She sneered and dropped the comb back into her draw in the counter. `Damnit!' Running the washcloth under the water, she brought the steaming liquid to her face.

 

It took her a good ten minutes to wipe her cheeks clean, nearly taking off a layer of skin while she was at it. Only after she removed as much makeup as physically possible did she turn on the shower. She peeled off her tee shirt slowly, grimacing as it stuck to the open wounds on her back. `Shit, he was either piss drunk or pissed off last night! He hasn't left this many marks for…I don't even know how long it's been; a year, maybe?' With a pained grimace, she turned her back to the mirror and gasped. Besides for the rising welts and dark bruises that were left on her back and sides, she had three nasty lacerations on her back, two being nearly a quarter of an inch wide and nearly four inches long. Her face paled, and she felt her stomach roll. `Great…more scars.'

 

Staring forebodingly at the shower and the steam rising from the hot water, she knew it was going to be one of those days. Closing her eyes, she grinded her teeth together preparing herself for the pain that was to come from her morning ritual. It took a few minutes to get used to, as her body objected violently to the hot flow of the morning ritual. But this was how it was to be; if she wanted to get that smell off her body and out of her hair, she had to nearly boil her skin off. Picking up her shampoo, she couldn't help her thoughts from trailing back to the previous night.

 

Oberon had once again asserted his dominance as her lord and master in the worst of ways. Granted, she was a proud masochist but even Oberon pushed her limits. He had taken her twice before breaking out the flogger. It was the most prized whip of his collection, an imported bull whip from Cuba. It had a firm round leather handle that was just about nine inches long and about two inches in diameter, followed up by four eighteen-inch leather strands. It was the one she detested; of all the whips he owned, that one's bite was far worse then even the any other. It was made for punishment

 

As she turned her back to the water, she felt her eyes blur and her grasp on reality waver. Grasping onto the side of the shower to keep herself standing, she shoved her right palm into her mouth to keep from screaming. She stood like that for what felt like hours, gritting her teeth in pain as the floor of the shower turned crimson. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she replayed the previous night. `What did I do that got him so worked up?' Swallowing hard, the memory of a silver-haired Adonis flashed through her memory. `Sha! Oberon did this because…I was dancing with that jerk?'

 

Her lord never seemed to be the jealous type, she had come to find as she fell deeper into her servitude. He was normally the driving force behind her one night stands, always introducing her to the men that he later wished for her to…entertain. It wasn't prostitution, per say, that he had inducted her into; she was his pet, his slave. Rarely was he ever reserved with her or his actions. He indulged in her as often as he wanted, but he also offered her to his friends when he deemed the situation necessary. She hadn't been to thrilled at the prospect of his suggestions, but over time, it came to be understood. She had defied him once…she would never make that mistake again. Some of whom she met called his actions rape, said he was molesting her, abusing her…but they didn't understand the superstructure of their world. He was her master…her life was his to do with as he pleased. She was…expendable. It was how she wanted it. Was Oberon upset because she had gone to Sha on her own accord?

 

Unconsciously, her hands glided down her sides to rest on her hips, right where the demon had placed his the night before. She felt her body's temperature rise as her thoughts lingered on that silver haired God. He was so beautiful, so sexy…and so dangerous. Something inside of her coiled at the thought of what promises his hands held, what mysteries laid deeper in those beautiful amber eyes.

 

Thinking more of the demon, her right hand slipped from its position on her hip to slip between her legs. She wasn't shocked to find herself wet between the legs, her juices beginning to boil at the thought of the demon's unfulfilled promises. The way his breath fell across her ears or how her hair stood on end when his nails raked over her skin. She wondered, as her finger fell onto the tiny bundle of nerves, how long his tongue was, and just how talented he was. The boy had a silver tongue already in her book; it took a good deal of seduction to get her so riled up that she would consider defying her lord. But she knew…she could feel it in her loins, in her blood…that if he asked her to bend over, even after Oberon had forbidden it, she would grab her ankles for him. There was just something about him…something that made her knees go weak.

 

Lust.

 

She hadn't lusted after anyone since meeting Oberon.

 

Sliding a finger down her sopping slit, she pushed it into her body. Tilting her head up into the stream of water, a moan slipped from her lips in the form of his name; “Sha.”

 

“Kagome…you promised to take me to the park! Hurry up!”

 

Kagome's breath stopped completely as her eyes shot towards the door. Her hand instantly ceased it self pleasuring actions as she forced out in a rather breathy sigh, “Right…I'll be right out Souta!” Great, now she was in pain and was left high and dry. It was one of those days already.

 

Slightly irritated at the boy's interruptions of her dreams of the gorgeous hanyou, she quickly finished up bathing and stepped from the shower. Drying off carefully, trying to avoid all the new bruises that had joined her collection, she quickly bandaged the wounds as best she could and got dressed into her conservative skin. Putting her wet hair into a bun, secured tightly at the back of her head, she put on a dash of makeup and walked from the bathroom with the new day ahead of her, and buried her night life back into the darkest recesses of her brain.

 

Kagome Higurashi breezed around the banister, pausing only to kiss her baby brother on the top of his head before wandering into the kitchen to kiss her mother on the cheek; “Mama…did you make breakfast?”

 

Kauai Higurashi turned weary eyes on her daughter. Glancing at the hands of the clock, she scowled. “I did…about two hours ago. It's almost noon, Kagome.”

 

Kagome smiled and sighed happily. “I know…I'm sorry. I must have been more tired then I thought.” Gliding to the refrigerator, Kagome reached in and grabbed the orange juice. “How was your morning, mama?”

 

The older woman collapsed into a small wooden chair and moved herself closer to the table and slowly began to riffle through mail. “Well…I was woken up by your brother at about seven. We watched cartoons until nine and then I helped him with his homework. You know he does not go out to play unless his homework is completed. Later today he has a birthday party to go to for Nathanial and then we're going shopping for new school clothes.”

 

Kagome chewed on her bottom lip slowly, the smile slipping from her face. “Oh. It sounds like you have quite the busy day. And to think…it's only noon!”

 

Kauai raised an eyebrow to her daughter. “Yes, it does, doesn't it? And at some point, I need to begin doing my taxes so we can get a little extra money to help around the house.”

 

Her mouth dipped into a frown; Kagome turned her back to the woman and walked towards her pile of mail. Pulling out her paycheck from the previous week of employment, she quickly signed the back and handed it to her mother. “I know it's not much…but it should help with clothes for school, yes?”

 

Taking in the frown on her daughter's face, Kauai slowly took the check from the girl and looked at the amount. “This will be enough to buy him clothes for now. We should be thankful that clothing isn't too expensive for young boys. Thank you, Kagome…I know you worked hard for this.”

 

Kagome winced, dubious to whether or not there was a condescending tone to her mother's tone or not. Going with the latter, she forced a smile to her face. “Think nothing of it; it's the least I can do.” Sitting down at the table, she slowly sipped her orange juice.

 

Kauai studied her daughter, hey eyes lingering on the blackened circles under the girl's face. Turning back to the letter in her hand, she calmly remarked, “you know, for a girl who sleeps from ten in evening until noon the next day, you sure look as if you didn't get any rest at all, young lady.”

 

Kagome nearly choked. Setting down the glass, she glanced at her mother from the corner of her eyes. `Shit, this isn't good!' “Well…I guess I overslept.” Her mother could not know about her trips to the city…or for that matter, just what she engaged in, in the city. She would be gagged and chained to her room for the rest of her life. The last thing she needed to hear was `the lecture'. It would complete the day if her mother dared to open her mouth and travel that path.

 

“And I guess the front door magically unlocked itself overnight.”

 

`Damn, busted.' Kagome stammered over words for a moment, trying to get her brain to come up with an accurate account of her whereabouts. “Well…about that…”

 

Kauai held up her hand, her palm facing Kagome stopping her before she could start. “Kagome, you're a young woman now. You're no longer a teenager and you are quite capable of making your own decisions. I'm not going to interrogate you as to why you felt the need to sneak out of this house last night, though I do wish that you would take into consideration everything I have to do to keep this family running. It's not easy to be a single parent Kagome…”

 

Kagome bit her tongue; a snide remark about the size of her mother's alimony checks was lingering on the tip of her tongue. “I understand, Ma'am…”

 

Kauai set down her letter and turned quickly to her daughter. “No, Kagome, you don't!” Checking her tone and smoothing it over with a bitter sweet icing, she pinched the bridge of her nose and pressed on, “every day of the week I have to get up at six in the morning. I have to feed Souta and drop him off at school before going to work. I then have to type letter after letter, make phone calls and constantly run about an office the size of your campus. Then I have to pick up Souta, get him to the sitters and get back to work. By time I get off of work, get your brother, come home, make him dinner, help him with his homework, and get him to bed, I pass out. I haven't had a life of my own, Kagome, in over twenty years.” Checking her tone, the woman digressed; “I'm not saying I blame anyone, or that I do not love you, but it's hard! I don't have time for trivialities Kagome. All you have done since you've been home on break, is gallivant around at night, without my knowledge and sleep until the noon the next day.” Meeting her daughter's distraught glower, she added, “and to say I'm not worried is so far from the truth. I…I don't want to see you hurt again, Kagome…we can't have another…” Her voice trailed off as she glanced back to the mail and slowly began rifling through it once more, using it as an escape from the conversation.

 

Kagome stared into her orange juice, willing down her rising tears. Her mother was half right to the respect that Kagome did spend a lot of time away from the house. But with just cause! The rest of the time she was working her ass off at the local Regent diner to earn some type of income to help out. Funny how her mother always failed to realize that Kagome was broke…and yet worked over fifty hours a week. But it wasn't enough…it was never enough. Clenching her hand around the juice glass, her eyes darkened. “I'm sorry you feel that way, mother. I wish I could help more…”

 

Her mother sighed loudly then closed her eyes, exhaustion tugging at her voice. “If you truly meant that, Kagome, you would find a way to do so. Instead, you run and hide at a school you could easily commute to. Instead, we spend nearly seven thousand more dollars to have you board there.”

 

Kagome chewed on her tongue for a moment, wishing to come up with a response that didn't involve those four letter words that she would never dare use in her mother's presence. “I would not dorm, mother, if financial aid didn't pay for it. I would commute if it were such an issue. But I remember a certain parent telling me I had to get out on my own…I had to live my life.” With a snort, she added, “besides, whatever Financial Aid does not cover, father does; so what's the difference?”

 

Kagome knew it was the wrong thing to say the minute her mother's eyes darkened to a near mocha color. Turning slowly to face her daughter, her eyes raged as her voice betrayed the brewing emotions. Her eyes berated the tone of her voice, fury building in those serene orbs, and yet her voice remained level, calm and collected. “It would be a difference in my level of stress. But you're happy, so that should be all that matters. Never mind this pettiness; you take your brother and go have fun at the park.”

 

Kagome winced. She hated when her mother remained so level headed regardless of those ugly demons that taunted her behind the words. “Mother…I…” tears of frustration and indignation surfaced over her bitter expression. Slamming her hands down on the table, Kagome knocked back her chair and bent down to bring her head closer to her mothers. In a harsh murmur, to keep the conversation from prying ears, she spoke without thinking. “How dare you throw this in my face now? I remember you telling me just how normal you wanted my life to be, mother! We decided this together, and now you…you have the audacity to make it seem like I'm the bad daughter…that I threw my baggage onto you and ran for the hills!” tears breeched her eyes and poured like rain down her sullen cheeks. The bite of her words left gaping wounds. “How dare you?”

 

Kauai lifted her head from the mail yet couldn't meet her daughter's eyes. She knew how frustrated Kagome was, she felt it herself; and yet there was nothing either could do to relieve the tension. Closing her eyes as tears of her own grew, she whispered back, “I'm sorry Kagome…I want you to go to school, I want you to have the life we've protected for you. You deserve the best, honey…but sometimes it's hard for me around this house. I'm sorry,” turning, her wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her into a tight embrace, “I'm sorry Kagome…I'm just really stressed.”

 

Kagome's legs buckled as she dropped to kneel on the floor to the right of her mother. Burying her face in her mother's arms, she sobbed. The tears were something that welled in her every day…they were the reason she hated going home. When she looked on her mother's exhausted face, she knew it was her fault…and she hated herself for it. She hated herself, she hated him, and most of all she loathed her father for abandoning them. “Mama…I'm so sorry…”

 

Her mother sniffled once, then buried her face in her daughter's hair. “No Kagome, don't you dare apologize! Not for this, not for something you couldn't control! I love you, and I love your brother. I'm worried about you, sweetie…I'm just so worried!”

 

Kagome fought with every muscle in her body to keep the hysterical sobs, which wailed from her soul, inside her body. Clenching her eyes shut and tightening her jaw, she cooed, “don't…don't worry about me, mama…I'm okay…I'm…” she winced. `Lying through my teeth? Yes, yes I am. I'm…god, what am I doing to myself?'

 

Kauai kissed the top of her daughter's head. “I love you, my precious Kagome…but I need you to talk to me! Tell me what's going on! Why do you look so miserable?” noticing just how taunt Kagome's body grew, she reached down to rub her daughter's back idly. “Baby…you're so lonely, I see it on your face! Why can't you talk to me about it?”

 

Kagome pulled away from her mother quickly, dashing her hand across her eyes to dry her tears. Forcing a smile that contradicted her eyes, she replied coolly, “I'm fine, mama. Maybe I'm just stressed as well.”

 

With a defeated sigh, Kauai studied her daughter's eyes before turning back to the mail. If Kagome had wanted to speak to her about something, she would come around. The last thing she wanted to do was push away her daughter…as she had her husband. “Just…remember what happened last time Kagome…I'm sure we don't want to revisit that path.” Knowing she was risking the possibility of setting her daughter off, she calmly stated, “We've all learned from that, ne?”

 

Kagome felt as if she had been punched in the gut. Biting down the sudden overwhelming urge to beg for forgiveness from the older woman, she stood up swiftly and walked into the living room, putting the conversation behind her. `Learned from it? No…I've been destroyed by it!' Another grimace crossed her face as her scars bled into her soul. `Reminders that the past is real…a way that I will never forget…' Stowing away her emotions for a time when she could properly release them, she forced a smile to her thin lips.

 

Sitting on the large beat up leather couch was her six year old brother. Kagome studied the boy's profile for a moment as all reality seemed to slip away. She remembered when he was born…and then the look of revulsion on her father's face the first time he saw the child. It was the same day he moved all of his stuff from the house, abandoning the family and the three month old infant to misery. Yet as time went on, and she got to watch her brother grow, regardless of the emptiness she felt inside of herself, the love that blossomed was like nothing else. She loved her brother with everything inside of her. Maybe…maybe he did look a little like his father, and regardless of how it hurt to see a part of him in Souta, the boy was still perfect in her eyes.

 

Kagome found herself to be dazing off, skimming memories that filled her brain from the last six years. She was snapped from the recollection by a rather short and demanding question.

 

“Are we going yet?”

 

Kagome jumped with a startle, and then chuckled at his impatient tone. She walked over and shut off the cartoon Souta had been watching then took his hand in hers. “Oh, I'm ready…are you ready?”

 

Souta jumped off the couch and stared up adoringly at his older sister. “Are you taking me to the big park?”

 

Kagome glanced from the young boy back to her mother, who was watching from the corner of the kitchen. She glanced to the clock, timing their excursion to fit into her mother's plans, and smiled. “Sure, Souta…we'll go to the big playground.”

 

Souta fisted the air with his free hand then paused. He wrinkled his nose; distinctly disapproving the thought that ran thought his mind. “Do I have to wear a coat?”

 

Kagome chuckled then knelt down to his level. “Yes, sir, you do. Now hurry up and get your coat from the closet. Get my gray one while you're in there, please.”

 

Souta rolled his eyes but did as he was told.

 

Standing up, Kagome regarded her mother. “I'm going to take him to Ocean County Park for an hour…then we'll be back. Is that enough time for you to relax?”

 

Her mother chuckled humorlessly. “An hour…no, Kagome, I would need a week to relax…but I appreciate this, dear.” Her brown eyes latching onto the figure of the hyperactive child, the smile slipped from her lips. “Please try to keep him clean…and keep him away from that pond! It's January and the last think I need is for him to be sick. I can't afford another day off from work.”

 

Kagome nodded. “I'll have him home by one thirty, and don't worry; I'll take good care of him.”

 

Kauai's eyes softened as her daughter looked to the boy. “I know you will, Kagome…you always do.”

 

Souta grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled her to the door. “Hurry up, Kagome! We might miss something good!”

 

Kagome blew her mother a kiss then took her coat that the boy had laid at her feet. “What might we miss, Souta? I'm sure nothing super is going to happen!” She always enjoyed playing off the puns of his favorite movies, The Incredibles being at the top of his list currently.

 

Souta laughed and tugged at her hand harder. “You never know! Maybe a demon will show up and I can kick its butt!”

 

Kagome's mouth dropped open as she swiftly dropped to her knees and yanked the boy back to stand before her. “Souta! That is not a very nice thing to say!”

 

Souta narrowed his eyes in confusion and quickly blamed another. “That's what Billy said on the playground the other day. He said his daddy said that,” he cleared his throat and tugged at the front of his pants, pretending to pull them up to fit straight on his body, no doubt an imitation of this foul parent. “The only good demon,” he mocked with a rather drawled New York accent, “is a dead one.”

 

Kagome's eyes hardened as she tugged the boy closer. Resting her hands on his, she stared deep into the boy's eyes. “You listen to me, Souta Higurashi, don't you dare ever let me catch you saying something so bigoted again! Demons are living creatures, just like us! And just like us humans, they have feelings! That is not okay to say, at any point!” seeing the boy's mouth about to open, she snapped, “and I don't care what adult you heard it from. You're hearing this from me!”

 

“But sis, Demons kill people!” his eyes widened with his words, as if demons were the only ones who had committed injustice in the world.

 

“And people kill other people…and people kill demons,” Kagome stated in a very matter-of-fact voice. “Souta, there are bad people just as much as there are bad demons. The only reason you hear more about bad demons is because they don't look like us and people want to blame them for that. It's discrimination, Souta…just like how people make fun of other people for the color of their skin, or their heritage. It's wrong! You don't want someone picking on you for being Japanese, do you?”

 

Souta looked to the floor, tears filling his eyes for the sudden lecture he wasn't sure he deserved. “No…”

 

Kagome caught his chin with two fingers and gently lifted his face to meet hers. She gently brushed his bangs that cluttered in front of his eyes and cooed, “Then I don't think it's fair for you to make fun of demons…or to want to hurt them. We're all the same in the end…it would be like you hurting me!”

 

Souta stuttered over his own words, anxiety winning over its battle with his nerves. Nearly hopping from foot to foot, the boy shook in her arms. “But what if a demon hurts me? They have these huge claws and teeth, and they are scary!”

 

Kagome sighed dejectedly. Life had become more complex since the emergence of demons. It was hardest on those who couldn't understand the pragmatics of the situation, or fathom the repercussion of their actions. And the young were growing up to fast with these god awful stereotypes in their brains.

 

Up until about a decade prior, Demons had lived under the veil of concealment spells, abiding in human culture to simply avoid detection, detainment and possible extermination. Then a faction of demons decided to come out of hiding.

 

They had claimed to be sick of living in legend, living in myth. They hated being the monsters that everyone spoke of, that everyone feared, but no one knew existed. Of course it didn't help when a branch of that faction began slaughtering humans, demanding to rule the new world with their laws, their rights and their actions. Those rights soon came in the form of tiny red dots that appeared on their foreheads a moment before they got to see their brains splatter against the walls of the school they believed themselves to be in control of.

 

After that, a larger group under the head direction of an omnipotent ruler emerged and began negotiations with the United Nations, fearing the label that would be forever branded on their people. And with that, Hell broke loose.

 

It was like reliving the Salem witch trials; people started incriminating their neighbors for being demons because their grass was greener, or because they had more money, more extravagancies, and more eclectic tastes. Riots broke out in all the major cities and Martial law was declared for both New York City and Los Angeles. Nations around the world began shooting those who were deemed Demons, with or without just cause. It was barbarity in its finest hours…it was like the apocalypse had come.

 

Living only an hour outside of New York City, Kagome and her friends had been on the forefront of the danger zone. She was home schooled by a group of nervous parents for two years, using her basement as a refuge from those who were performing demon hunts. Not that her family had a single strand of demon heritage…but her mother refused to subject Kagome to that kind of investigation. Her father had taken the brunt of it, being that he was a part of the name sake `Higurashi' and was exceedingly wealthy. But he proved their innocence and they were left alone. Kagome would never forget what it felt like though, at ten years of age, to watch strangers literally tear apart her house.

 

The ruling for Demon Civil Rights was pushed through senate shortly there after; all demons had to register their names in return for the protection of the nation. Protection against who became the relevant issue; as many countries executed those who came forward. A very ominous air swept the country as racism settled and a general malignant hatred for demons brewed. Demons cried out against the demand for the list, citing that the government was acting like the Gestapo during Hitler's Third Reich.

 

The nation had never been in more turmoil then it had within those four years. Hippies made their reappearance, military groups became more prominent, parties began preaching on street corners, and mass chaos ensued. It wasn't so much in the United States, thankfully for those who found some security among family, but in other countries the body counts became astronomical; children, elders, women, men…no one was safe from those who hunted Demons. All the peace that had been worked at for so long by the United Nations was blown out the window, along with any hope of emerging from this problem.

 

Then a new president came to term and ended the turmoil in the United States. With a number of bills that were bullied through the houses and the senate, Demons were allowed to melt back into the shadows of their lives. Those who wished to be relocated were removed by the government and put across the continent. It became illegal to ask of heritage in regards to demon lineage on applications for jobs and for school purpose. It became a very similar `don't ask, don't tell' policy that people remained impenetrable of. Hate crimes became a capitol offense and taken seriously, only because of the danger that it would illicit from society.

 

There was still a lot of abhorrence and discrimination towards demons present in society that branched even towards the young children. Kagome had watched a few people she knew in school be removed because it came to be `disclosed' that they were of demon heritage. Hatred burned the torch for many she knew, one of whom carried the brightest torch of all was her cousin. It was everywhere, and there was no way that this hatred would subside anytime soon.

 

And yet now, seeing it in the eyes and hearing it from the mouth of her brother was too much. She had to listen to it twenty four-seven from her cousin, and that was bad enough.

 

Sinking down to her knees, she embraced the confused boy. “Souta, you listen to me. No matter what color someone's skin is, or how many eyes they have, they deserve to be treated like how you would want to be treated. If someone tries to hurt you, you tell your teacher, or me…or mamma. We'll take care of you. It is not okay to take up arms against these people!”

 

Souta seemed appeased with the knowledge and seemed to understand it in pieces. Maybe it was a step towards a better child…or maybe he had zone out, Kagome wasn't sure. Grabbing tighter on Kagome's hand, he slowly pushed her to her feet. “Come on, sis…I want to go!”

 

Kagome felt her face slack, knowing that most of what she had said had flown in one ear and out the other. Flashing an exasperated smile to her mother, she wiggled her fingers towards the woman before being pulled out the door.

 

*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

 

Trudging down the marble steps, a head of long black hair glanced both ways nervously, and then shot towards the door. He was almost free…just three more steps and he could officially avoid his family for another five months. Not that he didn't love his father…it was just a strained relationship. And it didn't help that his head was still pounding with the remnants of a hang over. When he had woken up…in a random woman's apartment in New York City, it had been far worse. Sneaking into the house at eight am proved a challenge, yet no mission was impossible to the hanyou turned human. At least that was his alias; he was at no point supposed to ever show his demon form outside of the house, by Law of his Father. Yet what his father didn't know couldn't hurt him, right? Besides the fact, not a single person at that club knew who he truly was…or maybe, just maybe, they knew him better then his own girlfriend. The places he traveled to in the city, no matter how grungy or how much of a dive they were…he was accepted. Hell…girls swarmed all over him, followed him…longed to be with him. He was free when he was out; free from the damned oppression of living to his father's expectations, free from the shadows he veiled himself under at school, free from his whining bitch of a girlfriend, and free from the insufferable concealment charm that wrapped around his finger like a vice grip.

 

Pausing at the bottom of the marble steps, he stared around the large foyer, his eyes lifting to the grand cathedral ceilings. `What money can buy…' as he turned his head, a flash of black hair darted in front of his eyes. Lethargically, the boy reached to the side of his head to bring the strands closer to his eyes, as if to examine that the hair was truly his. Yes…definitely his obsidian black hair…the stain of his humanity. He loathed hiding who he truly was, and yet there was nothing he could do about it, he understood that. But standing here now, he was in perpetual fear that his father would stop him from leaving for one of those talks. If he had been allowed to move freely about the house, as his father and step mother did, without the charm, he would have known if his father was waiting around a corner for him. Instead, he was walking blind.

 

When the Demon Laws came into effect a decade earlier, his family was the first to be investigated. With a grunt, InuYasha realized begrudgingly that having money wasn't always everything. In fact, it had been the reason for his life of incarceration. He was never able to reveal his true heritage, not even to his closest of friends; if his name was dragged into the presses, it would be the ruin of his father. His father…the Inu no Taisho of Japan, was hiding…in fear.

 

Over centuries, his father had amassed great wealth and even greater respect. Yet with the changes that came in the mid 1800's, and the demon population was finding it's way into extinction, it became his father's orders that the demon culture fell into the shadows of the world, hiding beneath concealment charms. With passing years, the Taisho name became legendary, and was hence forth InuYasha's curse.

 

His father was renowned and filthy rich, his brother was building his own empire along the east coast of America…and InuYasha was the black sheep. He was a half blooded monstrosity, as his brother had called him numerous times. He wasn't worthy of the demon blood in his veins, and would never be accepted by the demon community, and yet he was alienated from the human society, feared for what he was. His brother had once told him he would never accomplish anything except to tarnish his family's name, and be the downfall of their father's empire. InuYasha was slowly beginning to realize…it was true.

 

From the day he stepped into his father's mansion, he had been compared to his half brother Sesshoumaru…and he drowned in his footsteps. It became his life goal…and then his obsession…to prove his worth; starting with following his brother's path, to live as his brother lived. Regardless of how the full Youkai treated him, InuYasha looked up to him, strived to be like him. His grades, his activities, his life; hell, even his girlfriend was all part of an intricate façade. It was a life concocted to mirror that of his brother, to prove to his father that he too could be a good son, a prosperous son. It was his way to lay claim to the famous last name that had been his birth right.

 

It took nearly five years to realize how his quest had destroyed his life. He had spent his teenage years trying to fill shoes that he detested. He tried to live up to his father's expectations that were mere figments of his imagination. His father never thought him capable of anything…and yet he was in to deep to stop; so he grinned and bared it. He decided to finish out school as that man he had forced himself to be, and to say to hell with his father. He was going to prove himself capable of living up to the Taisho name if it killed him; and when he did it, they would know him as InuYasha Taisho…not Sesshoumaru…not Toga; InuYasha.

 

It was just after that revelation that he broke his Gothic cherry. He wasn't sure what made him go out that night, at the ripe age of nineteen, but he escaped from his dorm, dressed to boot in vampire garb and went wild…literally. When he woke up he was pierced, tattooed and had no clue where he was. He was thankful that his concealment charm hadn't been lost, and for a few times after that, he kept it in tact. Then he came across club Illusions. To this day he was unsure of what elicited him to do so, but he dropped his concealment spell inside the safety of the club…he became the man he was born as; and women flocked to him. Since then it had become an addiction….and even blossomed to a fetish of sorts; but that…that was a far different story.

 

InuYasha reached for the golden door knob, freedom a step away; escape with within his grasp without having to deal with that monotone voice of…

 

“Leaving so soon, son?”

 

His nose wrinkled as he shoved both hands into his pockets. The five foot eleven boy let loose a string of muffled curses under his breath, most directed towards the Gods for birthing him into this family. He glanced over his right shoulder, his hair swinging gracefully in the wake of his movement. “Hey…dad. I was…just…”

 

“Leaving?”

 

Rolling amethyst eyes to the back of his head, InuYasha turned around to face the man who was casually leaning in the doorway of the master study. Unable to meet his eyes, the hanyou looked away. “I…was about to…”

 

“Leave; and without saying goodbye to me or your mother.” The man stood up straight, towering over they boy by about seven inches and walked to his youngest son. Placing one hand on the door, he made sure it was shut before beckoning InuYasha to follow him. “InuYasha…your mother would be heart broken if you left without so much as a goodbye. You live here under our roof for a month while home from school and you can't even have the decency…”

 

InuYasha held up his right hand and grunted, “I get it…I'll talk Launia. I just wanted…”

 

Amber eyes darkened as the man's attitude turned sour. It was a glower that most men groveled in front of, and yet it hardly phased the hanyou. In a rather matter of fact tone, he replied tartly, “You wanted to leave.”

 

InuYasha clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing as he fought down the urge to have a verbal shootout verse his father. Taking a deep breath, he tried to appeal to his father, “I was going to put stuff in my car.” He hated answering to this man; he hated being forced into this kind of confrontation. If it had been anyone else next to his father, he would have already started a brawl. Clenching his jaw so hard, he was nearly sure he heard the bones grinding together.

 

The eldest Taisho laughed wryly, staring at his son's empty hands. “Like your body?”

 

InuYasha threw up his hands into the air and gave into the ill will. Cursing loudly, he spun on his heels and stormed into the kitchen. Sitting against the bay window was his step mother, the only member in his immediate family that he could tolerate. With a tight smile, he bowed at the silver haired demoness politely. “Ma'am.”

 

Gray eyes turned to regard the boy for a moment before a whimsical smile sprout on ruby red lips. The woman slowly stood from her chair, her eyes glassy from to many glasses of mimosa. Gliding across the kitchen, she latched onto the man's right arm and slowly spun him around, as if dancing to some waltz only she could hear. She curtseyed to him then shot him a bemused smile. “InuYasha…” Taking in his jeans and tee shirt, her smile fell. “Oh no…don't say you're leaving so soon!”

 

InuYasha nodded tersely, his nose wrinkling at the smell of alcohol on her breath. He bit back the urge to sigh. “I'm sorry to say, but I must get back to school.” Her empty smile always tore down his emotional barriers; he could only deal with the woman for so long before going on a rant directed at his father. He hated the way this woman had taken to drinking her life away. She was a good woman…kind and gentle…and the way she was disposed of in this house destroyed him. She reminded him so much of his mother. `God, kill me now…'

 

The woman paused, as if she hadn't heard him correctly, and then spun in another circle with the young adult, holding tightly onto his arm while humming. “When you see Sesshoumaru, tell him mama misses him.”

 

InuYasha groaned and placed both hands on the woman's shoulders. Leaning in closer, he slowly responded, “I will not see him, Launia. I haven't seen Sesshoumaru in nearly a year and a half.”

 

Launia paused and blinked, then slapped both hands over her mouth. Her eyes widened as she dropped them to rest on her chin. Seeming rather disorientated, she quickly asked; “is that when I last saw him?”

 

InuYasha rubbed her back comfortingly, his eyes searching out for the form of his father in the darkness of the hallway. Finding those drained amber eyes, he furrowed his brows, praying he seemed as furious as he felt. Toga Taisho had a knack for allowing his wife to drink as much as she pleased; he allowed her to do whatever she pleased, and soon enough her body would suffer for it. He had watched many people he loved in life go crazy under the influence of alcohol.

 

Leaning forward, he kissed her cheek and whispered sweet lies. “No, you saw him at Christmas, remember? He stopped by with the kid.” So it was a lie…that had been a year prior, but God be damned, if it would stop the tears, then he would lie his heart out to the woman who had treated him like her own son.

 

Launia seemed appeased as she suddenly pulled back and clapped her hands giddily. Gliding her way back to her seat, her smile beamed like a ray of sunlight. “Have a good trip, darling! Remember, you have school on Monday, so try to not make it a late night!”

 

InuYasha winced and turned his back on the woman. Storming past his father, he made a bee line for the door.

 

“She'll be okay, InuYasha. It's not as bad as it seems.”

 

InuYasha spun on his heels and lifted a finger to point at his father. Choking on his words, his chest swelled with anger and his eyes burned in spite. “You let her sit there and drink her worries away. You're taking away her individuality! Jesus fuckin' Christ, dad…she's a fuckin' airhead now. What happened to that fuckin' spitfire that raised you two strong sons?”

 

Toga Taisho dragged a hand over his face slowly, his indignation subsiding for a moment. Quickly changing the subject, he asked; “are you still with that Higurashi girl?”

 

InuYasha stuttered over his words, his mind momentarily side tracked. “Y…yes, but what the fuck…”

 

Toga continued, seemingly oblivious to the prior conversation. “You know how necessary it is that our families get along. They are rather important cliental, InuYasha. I will take it as you have considered marriage?”

 

InuYasha narrowed his eyes in disdain. Fury welled in his amethyst eyes as he chewed on the urge to verbally rip his father to pieces. In the most pleasant and calmest of tones he could manage, he forced out, “I've put up with that family for six years, father. No…I'm not considering marriage…not in the least. But I have no plans to do her dirty, if that's what you fear.”

 

“Do her dirty?” A thick silver eyebrow arched towards the ceiling. “Tell me…that does not involve the actual act of…”

 

InuYasha held up his hand, crimson blush erupting on his cheeks. “I'm not having this conversation with you, dad. I'm old enough to know about the birds and the fuckin' bees. . I'm leaving…I'll see ya at graduation.” Bowing curtly, InuYasha turned and walked out the door.

 

Walking around his black Hummer, he climbed into the front seat and turned on the beast of an engine. Glancing at the house, he could make out the outline of his father standing in the foyer window, staring intently through the tinted window of his car. InuYasha dug his nails into the steering wheel of the car, his eyes focusing dead ahead of him. He had to get out before he did something completely stupid, like flip the old man the bird. `Oh how well that would fly…' He thought as he kicked the vehicle into drive. “What a fuckin' great start to a fan-fuckin'-tastic semester.”

 

*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X**X

 

Kagome lugged her baggage down the dimly lit second story corridor of Birch Hall. Dropping her backpack at the foot of her door, she placed her notebook into her mouth and shoved two fingers into her pocket. `I should have let Souta help me move in,' she thought sullenly as her fingers latched onto her keys. Turning her head, she spit out her notebook towards her larger suitcase then inserted her key into the lock. `Finally, I can kick my shoes off and relax…and put down all these damn bags! I'm seriously not taking this much crap home with me next time! I refuse!'

 

Taking Souta to the park had been a harder job then she ever thought possible. The boy was like a puppy; open the car door and off he goes. He had worn her out in a matter of minutes, running from play ground to playground, insisting that she keep up with him. They had circled the entire complex in forty minutes and before he got a chance to do it again, she had pulled the plug on their trip. Who knew a simple forty minute excursion with a six year old child could be so exhausting? Her mother laughed at her when she told her that…she actually laughed.

 

Pushing on the door with her right elbow, she came to exchange blows with the unyielding wood. Nearly falling backwards, Kagome regained her balance quickly and shoved at the door again. It was as if something was keeping it from opening. Dropping her purse and handful of bags to the floor, Kagome raised her fist to pound against the wood. `Damnit, what the hell does my cousin have blocking this fuckin' door?' She pounded twice and got nothing in response. With a sneer, she reinserted her key and tried the door again. The door was unlocked; she was quite sure…but…

 

Her eyes widened as she came to terms with just what was stopping her from entering her dorm room; the dead bolt was locked. It was the one lock she couldn't undo from the outside. An angry flush swarmed over Kagome's face as her eyes narrowed in anger. “For the love of Pete!”

 

Pounding once more on the door, Kagome shouted louder, reminding herself to keep her voice pleasant yet insistent. “Come on guys, you've been back for like, an hour. Can't you keep it in your pants that long? Open the door, please!”

 

The door magically pulled itself shut and Kagome sighed. At least they would let her in this time. She had spent a full hour last semester standing at her door, at midnight after taking a shower, screaming at her roommate and cousin to let her into the room. She heard a few muttered whispers and a giggle which only fueled Kagome's disgust. `Great, another semester of this!'

 

The door swung open and a slender half clothed figure appeared in the corner of the door, using her body as a blockade against entrance. Brown eyes batted flirtatiously at the fuming girl. Perfect white teeth chewed on swollen lips, as the roommate looked over her cousin.

 

Taking in her cousin's state of undress, Kagome knew damn well that her original assumption had been correct. It didn't help the smell that was radiating from the room as well. `Damn, I hate being right!'

 

The other girl twirled a strand of her long black hair between her fingers idly as she sized up her cousin. With a bravado Kagome could never fathom, she dared to ask, “can you come back…in like thirty minutes? He…” she hooked her thumb behind her then giggled and kicked her leg backwards. Kagome rolled her eyes and settled her weight on her right hip. “He just got back also and we…well…you know. I haven't seen him since Christmas.”

 

Kagome looked at her feet, slowly taking in the sight of all of her baggage. There was no way she was lugging that back down two flights of stairs. “Dearest cousin of mine…” she couldn't help the sarcasm. Clearing her throat, she leveled back to normality, “…I can't just leave my stuff out here. I'm sorry you haven't had your fix…but I…”

 

A hand materialized from behind her roommate and slowly traveled down the valley between the girl's breasts to come to rest on her ribs. Kagome turned her attention to the door, a pink dusting filtering over her cheeks. `Here we go,' she mentally groaned while preparing herself for the start of her second semester. She felt her lip twist in disgust at the lewdness of the man's blatant groping of her cousin, and yet it was something she had grown accustomed to.

 

A voice Kagome had come to loathe called out from behind her roommate, “come on Kagome; just leave it all here and once we're…done…I'll take it in for you. You can't beat that.”

 

Without considering where she was and exactly who she was at the present moment, Kagome instinctively shot back, “no, but you can beat something else to make this matter go away.” Her entire body stopped moving the minute she realized she actually said that out loud, her face blossomed into a dark crimson. `Damnit, I can't say things like that…not in this skin!' It was hard to keep two completely different personalities in one body, Kagome had come to find; more over, to keep the one personality hidden behind another. The Kagome that attended Monmouth University never spoke out of context…unless it was to the prick in front of her. But he was another story.

 

Taking a glance back at her cousin, she grimaced. Her cousin's face was stark white, except for the growing blush on the woman's cheeks. She was either truly shocked and embarrassed…or furious. Kagome knew neither was a good position for her to go head to head against. `Sure…she's not embarrassed about wearing a tee shirt with her ass hanging out of it but she blushes when I suggest for her boyfriend to jerk off; oh the irony'.

 

Her roommate was suddenly removed from the door as it slammed shut. She heard the quaint sounds of a gentle insistence from the man inside as she prepared herself for what was to come. Crossing her arms, Kagome knew the storm that was about the crash its wrath upon her. She had to weather it at least five or six times a day for the last two years of her life. And came in the form of an arrogant, self diluted asshole that was…

 

…the door opened….

 

…half naked…and looking more so like a God with every passing day.

 

Clad in a pair of jeans with obviously nothing underneath and a fairly good sized package pushing against the tight confines of the pants, her roommates boyfriend leaned on the door frame, leering at Kagome. His hands braced on either side of the door, his entire bodyweight shifting forward to rest towards the girl, as if hanging in the air to be displayed as the God he was. `Scratch that,' Kagome thought chidingly as her eyes feasted on his ripped abs. Visually tracing the beautiful lines downwards to watch the prefect curves of his pelvic bone disappear right below the waistband of the jeans; Kagome stifled a sigh. Her eyes lifted up his torso, past his six packs, over his perfect pecks and through the mess of black hair that shaded half of his chest like a curtain to rest her eyes one the face of an angel. `No, strike that from the record; he's the devil incarnate.'

 

She hated the way his amethyst eyes could tear down her strongest defense against men like him. With one smile, her cousin's boyfriend could be her undoing. Of course she had never told her this; it would start the next world war! But the things that spewed from this man's mouth were her only salvation against his gorgeous charm; he was a bastard, plain and simple. He was the single most egotistical person she had ever met in her life, and the façade that he put up around her and her cousin made her sick. He pretended to give a damn, he pretended to be all about her cousin, and yet she knew better; Kagome could see right through it, only because she played the same game. Maybe, just maybe, that is why they never got along.

 

Meeting his eyes, she forced down her blush to stare at him in annoyance. Sticking her chin out forward and turning her nose up, amethyst eyes clashed against chocolate. Noticing the gleam in his eyes, hers narrowed. “I'm not leaving my stuff out here.”

 

The said God leaned closer towards the girl, a smirk playing on his lips. “What if I offered you ten bucks?”

 

Kagome's mouth slacked open, as did her cousin's. “InuYasha Taisho, you cannot bribe me with money to leave you here to fuck my cousin! How old do you think I am? Ten?”

 

InuYasha's eyes burned into the girl in front of him…the girl who was so much like her cousin, and was a walking personification to one of the many reasons he resented the Higurashi family; they were so bitchy. If he hadn't been dating the bitch for going on seven years, he would have verbally raped her and her entire family of their fucking ignorant ways and snobbish attitude years ago. Only in his dreams would he get away with saying half the things he wanted to. Turning his attention to the girl in front of him, he gibed, “Look, babe, I'll make it twenty and you can pick me up a double latte on your way back.”

 

Kagome's eyes narrowed. Trying unsuccessfully to get around the man in her doorway, she sighed loudly, “I'm not leaving InuYasha! If you want, the bathroom is through that door! Finish your business there, as I know the two of you have many times over…or you can go solo. Either way, I'm moving into my room. Now move aside!”

 

InuYasha held steadfast. Clicking his tongue, his voice took an air of a parent scolding a child. “Kagome...you need to learn to play nice.”

 

Mocha eyes narrowed. “And you need to learn to stop being a jerk!”

 

A hand touched gently on InuYasha's shoulder as her cousin make her grand reentrance. “Baby…we can always finish this later…”

 

InuYasha whirled on the girl, moving from the doorway for a moment to give Kagome perfect opportunity to slip into the room. “Kik, I don't want…what the hell…” Glancing around to find Kagome standing inside by the window, he cursed loudly; “Fuckin' A, Kagome! Don't you know what privacy is?”

 

“Don't you know what a condom is?” Kagome wrinkled her nose, her eyes growing onto the small damp spot that lingered on the man's pants, confessing his unprotected sin.

 

 

InuYasha flushed quickly, his eyes darting to his girlfriend then back to her cousin. Grabbing his shirt, he threw it on over his head. “Keh. I ain't stayin' here with…” he pointed a finger towards Kagome as if she had some type of disease, “…her.” Kissing her roommate quickly on the mouth, he rushed, “call me later and maybe you can stay at my place tonight. I have to talk to Miroku.” Turning his attention back to Kagome, he sneered, “you know what you need, sweet heart?”

 

Kagome glanced back at the annoying male, stubbornly refusing to move from her spot. Sporting a snide smile, she quipped, “to kick your ass for calling me sweet heart?”

 

InuYasha bit down the need to hold her to that declaration. “No, you need to get laid.”

 

Kagome made a face, as if suddenly stuck ill, and cringed. “I think I'll pass thanks.” Her face twisting to a more cynical grin, she quickly chided, “besides, you shouldn't be offering things like that with your girlfriend present!” With a sweeter smile, she added, “and I'm sorry honey, but you're just not my type!”

 

“I ain't offering…but I know a man-whore who would jump at the opportunity. I'm sure you're acquainted with my roommate Miroku.” Looking her over once, he scoffed and shook his head. Running his hands through his thick long black locks, his smirk grew, “but being that you're such a frigid bitch, it wouldn't shock me to know that you're probably still a virgin.”

 

Kagome's eyes narrowed. `Oh the lines this boy crosses without ever truly knowing…' Feeling her hand clench to a fist at her side, she took a step towards the man. “I am not going to sit here and discuss my sex life…”

 

“Or lack there of,” he added fluidly.

 

Kagome bristled and pointed at the door, willing herself not to debate this, of all things, with him. “Get out!”

 

InuYasha rolled his eyes and glanced back to his girlfriend. “Call me later?”

 

Kikyo Higurashi, Kagome's cousin, nodded enthusiastically. “I will Yasha-kun…”

With a brief kiss and then a snort in Kagome's direction, the man left the dorm room.

 

Kagome waited until Kikyo closed to door to begin ranting. “What the hell, Kikyo? We're back for like, an hour, and you're already taking off your pants for that scum bag?”

 

Kikyo sighed and skipped across the room to hug her cousin. “I'm sorry…if I had known you'd be here this early…” her words trailed off as she realized that it wouldn't have changed a thing. Quickly changing directions, she commented, “I thought you were taking Souta to that party you had talked to me about last week.”

 

Kagome sighed and melted into her cousin's hug. With a brief return of the emotional gesture, Kagome swung around the girl and began moving her stuff in from the hallway. Lugging in her suitcase, she turned disapproving eyes to her cousin. “Kikyo…I'm not angry at you over it…but why him?” If there was ever a man she hated next to her father and that asshole in Japan, it was InuYasha Taisho.

 

Kikyo flushed then pulled on a pair of plaid pajama pants. Hurrying to help her best friend, she pulled in one of Kagome's bags. “Because...I love him!” The tone of her voice left much to be questioned.

 

Kagome gently raised both her eyebrows at the revelation then snorted. “Do as you please, Kikyo, but you know how I feel about him. He's such a jerk!”

 

Kikyo put a hand up to her lips, hiding the smile that was spreading like a rash. “I don't believe you told him to go jerk off!”

 

Kagome's lips twitched from their set frown as her eyes lightened and her cheeks darkened. “I didn't mean to embarrass you…”

 

Kikyo chuckled lightly and sat down on her bed, falling backwards to rest against the cold cement wall. Beckoning her cousin to come lay with her, she giggled and wrapped her arms around Kagome. “Look…I know how much you hate him. I also know how much he despises you. I just don't understand why you two just can't get alone! He's not a bad guy…just a little rough around the edges…”

 

Kagome's eyes narrowed, “…and hard in the middle.” Her eyes flew open as soon as the words left her mouth, and it took all the will power in the world not to die from asphyxiation at the color that erupted on Kikyo's face. Quickly rectifying her Freudian slip, she added, “not that I meant that middle…I mean, he's burnt on the inside, like a piece of over-cooked steak. Not…” her voice fell away as she gave into the fit of giggles that had built up in her chest.

 

It took Kikyo a moment to get over the shock of hearing her innocent cousin spit out something so…un-Kagome …then joined the girl in her fit of laughter.

 

“He's not all bad,” she commented after calming down a moment later. “He loves me and one day, we're going to get married.” Blinking away the small frown that had appeared mystically, she turned her eyes to the other girl. “And you better be my maid of honor at my wedding.”

 

Kagome wrinkled her nose. “Not if you're marrying that jerk!”

 

Kikyo sighed deeply, running her hands through her obsidian black hair. “I know you really, really don't like him, Kag…and I respect that. But his family and my family are really tight, and it makes daddy happy to see me with him…”

 

Kagome turned her attention to her cousin and frowned. Studying the girl's mocha eyes for a moment, Kagome carefully prodded, “you're not dating him because daddy thinks it's for the best of the family, right?”

 

Kikyo turned her head to stare out the window, her eyes sobering as rain began slowly to pelt against the glass. “No…of course not.”

 

Kagome could hear the strain in her voice, and see just how her eyes slid shut as she muttered those words. Was it some sort of confession…something Kikyo had yet to tell Kagome? Was it feasible that Kikyo didn't really love that rude arrogant son of a bitch?

 

“Anyway, why don't we go get some lunch?”

 

Kagome glanced at her cousin then relented. “I guess.” Sitting up straight, she turned to look back at the other girl. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

 

Kikyo smiled, flipping her long raven hair over her shoulder, and sat up straight. “I know…and that's why I love you like a sister!”

 

Kagome stood up and grabbed her room keys off her desk. Waving towards the door, she did a mock bow. “After you…”

 

The girls' laugher echoed through the empty halls of the dorm building.

 

*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X

 

InuYasha swung his SUV around into the empty parking spot in front of his Garden View apartment. Jumping from the black Hummer, he grabbed a duffle bag from the font seat and walked to the door. With a sigh, he ran his hand over his face, his cheeks still tingeing pink from the run in with Kikyo's bitch from hell roommate. `Did she really tell me what I think she did?'

 

He had dated Kikyo for going on seven years, five of which he spent never knowing that Kagome Higurashi had her own personality. But damn, he knew better now. The girl was more of a bitch then Kikyo at most points of the day. He growled at the memories of how many times him and Kagome had verbally spared over the past two years. She was just like her cousin!

 

That was one thing he hated about his girlfriend; she was this magnet for these fake cunts to flock around to. It was something about her…maybe her ideal bitchiness for being able to put someone in their place, or for her absolutely horrid and pretentious attitude on life. From experience, InuYasha knew that dealing with one Kikyo was enough, and only a crazy man would take on two. That was exactly what Kagome was; she was a clone of Kikyo down to the fuckin' conceited core.

 

InuYasha had been nearly positive that Kagome hadn't a single unique thought in her mind that deviated from Kikyo's, until they moved to his college. It had taken only an hour of being in the same room as the two girls, something he had never done before, to set Kagome off…and since then it had been a nightmare. He longed for the days when she wouldn't say a word, at least that's what he told himself. But she was always there to express her individual opinion about everything that didn't involve her. And it was something about the bitch…something about making her angry…that got InuYasha's rocks off. He only could call it a day after having the bitch kick him out of the room or watching her storm out after losing an argument. `By god, does that wench love to bitch!'

 

His eyes darkened as images of just how to shut that bitch up flashed through his mind. Shocked, he shook himself from that image. `Ugh, why am I thinking this of her! It's bad enough I have to deal with Kikyo…God forbid getting involved with another Higurashi!' The hanyou shivered once at the though, then again at the images. Pushing them back to the furthest, darkest, rankest corner of his mind that he could find, he imprisoned those thoughts there, right next to all the others he refused to acknowledge.

 

Turning his key in the lock, he pushed into the apartment. He walked past the living room, ignoring the grunts and moans that echoed from the couch he had learned never to sit on. He threw his bag into his room then walked back into the kitchen. Reaching into the refrigerator, he pulled out a Coors and popped the top. Only then did he turn his attention to the couple fucking a few feet away. Thank god the couch back blocked that view from him. It was the last thing he wanted to see. `Yup…it is most definitely one of those days…'

 

“You know, Miroku…I really have no desire to hear this…”

 

The said roommate lifted his head over the top of the couch to stare at his best friend. His black hair cluttered in his face, matted by a fine layer of sweat and his normal serene blue eyes were dilated. He stared at the man for a moment, as if not truly understanding who he was or why he was in the house, and then laughed. “Oi, Yash…if you don't want to hear it, then get the fuck out!”

 

InuYasha wrinkled his nose in disgust and mocked anger. “Hey, I pay for the rent, you fuckin' freeloading piece of shit. You have a bedroom for this shit as well…”

 

Miroku lowered his head for a moment, disappearing from sight while InuYasha fought down a smirk. A few faint whispers were heard then Miroku's head reemerged over the top of the couch. He seemed annoyed, slightly, but more strung out then anything else. “Yeah, but we were here, and we just didn't feel like moving there…”

 

InuYasha's right eyebrow twitched. “Dude, you're whining! Are you fuckin' high?”

 

Miroku's eyes lightened and the lecherous smile on his face grew smug. “Fuck yeah.”

Leaning against the doorway, InuYasha turned his head to catch the faint wisps of black hair that were strung over the couch end and narrowed his eyes. “Just who are you sticking your dick into now?”

 

A very delicate feminine hand appeared over the top of the couch and wiggled its fingers in InuYasha's direction.

 

Miroku stared at the hand for a moment before bringing his mouth to capture one of her fingers. Sucking on it lightly, he let it go with a faint pop and goaded, “baby…I need to talk to my friend. Why don't you play with yourself until I get back?”

 

A loud giggle followed by a louder moan was his reply. Miroku shifted a couple times on the couch then stood up, his pants intact on his hips and walked to meet his friend. Holding out his hand, he laughed. “How ya doin' man?”

 

InuYasha simply stared at the hand with a cocked eyebrow. “You're kidding, right? You don't really expect me to touch that, do you?”

 

Miroku shrugged his shoulders then pushed past the hanyou to get a beer. “How was your vacation? Get any ass from chicks not named Kikyo?”

 

For a reason that InuYasha couldn't explain, his eyes flashed back to that girl in the club. She had haunted his dreams all night, forcing him to relieve the frustrations her intrusion pushed upon him. When he closed his eyes, he could still smell her, and it drove him crazy. `Of all the girls for Oberon to call off limits…' InuYasha mentally groaned. Granted, those dreams were also between boning the woman that he had gone home with. “What do you think?” He stared incredulously at his friend while sipping his beer. “I met this one chick at a club…”

 

Miroku smiled wickedly. “She a good lay?”

 

InuYasha frowned pointedly. “I don't know. I was chased off by the fuckin' owner.”

 

If it was at all possible, Miroku's hentai smile widened. “Her owner?”

 

InuYasha opened his mouth to respond then closed it. “Fuck me!” Why hadn't he figured that out previously? It wasn't that she was dating Oberon…he was her lord. Now it all made sense. Crushing the empty can in his hand, he tossed it into the recycling bin.

 

Miroku studied the decimated can then glared back at his friend. “I'll take it as a yes?” Moving closer, Miroku narrowed his eyes, “just what kinds of clubs are you going to, Yash?”

 

InuYasha answered him by placing his entire palm over Miroku's face and shoving him backwards. “Go fuck your bitch, I'm going to sleep.”

 

Miroku shrugged, “whatever. Just…err…don't use the bathroom until I have time to clean the shower!”

 

InuYasha growled deeply, removing his hand from the bathroom doorknob, and stared incredulously at the boy. “We've been roommates now for over four years, `Roku; can't you respect me living here also just once? I swear…you leave your marks around this fuckin' apartment more then I do! And that says a lot!”

 

Miroku laughed, somewhat hollowly, and then shook his head. “My bad man…I swear I'll fix it as soon as I'm done fuckin' Yura.”

 

InuYasha's look of disgust only darkened. “Yura? Fuckin' A dude, that girl's a walking std!”

 

Hearing the conversation, the said girl sat up on the couch and looked over the top, one finger stuck in the side of her mouth while trying and failing to look innocent. “I am not! Inu-baby, why would you say such things?”

 

InuYasha rolled his eyes over to the girl and took in her current disposition. “For one; because you offer to suck my cock every day I walk by you. And two; because even while I'm sitting here calling you a whore, you still have a finger in your box.”

 

Yura's mouth dropped open and her eyes narrowed. Hissing in offended anger, she shot back, “well…see if I ever suck your dick again, asshole!”

 

InuYasha gave her an expression of mocked hurt before laughing loudly. “As if you ever did, cunt! Fuck off!” Looking back at Miroku, he shrugged his shoulders, “have fun, man…let me know when you're done. We'll go out to the windmill.”

 

Miroku nodded. “Sure thing, man; give me an hour.”

 

InuYasha chuckled and walked back to his room; “you mean five minutes?” Not waiting for a response, InuYasha entered into his bedroom and slammed the door.

 

Dropping onto his king sized bed; he stared up at the ceiling and fisted his hands into his hair. For some reason, he couldn't get his mind off Kagome. `What the hell is wrong with me?' There was something to be said for the way her brown eyes turned mocha as he was able to get her worked up to arms. The way her face would flush when she was yelling at him…the tiny dimples that formed of her face when she would smirk sadistically at him…it was all so fucking hot.

 

InuYasha didn't even realize how hard his cock had gotten until he felt the exerted pressure of it pushing against his jeans. Realizing he never took care of his problem; he sat up wearily then climbed out of bed. One hand went to his zipper as images flashed through his mind of how deep his cock had been down Kikyo's throat…until Kagome interrupted.

 

Wrapping his hand around the base of his cock, he slowly began to jerk it to the thoughts of his experience with Kikyo. `Damn, she's so…she's…' Making a face, his mind switched gears, rendering him a passenger to the barrage of thoughts that flooded behind his eyes. The memory of how tight the girl at the club had been around his finger…the dreams of her legs wrapped around his hips as he banged the living shit out of her.

 

As his hand pumped more readily, more images assaulted him. That girl on her knees…his cock down her throat. She soon replaced the true to life image of Kikyo doing what she did best…and this gothic chick was so much better. Black hair cascaded down the InuYasha's back as his skull met his shoulder blades. He pictured the way she would look swallowing one load of his jizz; another image of how she would look wearing it. His body twitched as a moan spilled from his lips.

 

As his hand sped up the tempo to a near impossible frenzy as the girl of his dreams, the girl of mystery vanished before him, and in her place was Kagome Higurashi. The petite girl wrapping her perfect little mouth around his cock, her pink tongue flicking over his mushroom cap, that air of arrogance that always circled the girl dissipated and in its place was one of submission…of pure acquiescence to his demands. The thought of that bitch on her knees in front of him…

 

And he came in his hand like a school boy.

 

Staring at the mess, somewhat amazed first by exactly what had gotten him off and second, to the amount of fluid that had actually been produced, he found himself realizing that this was truly going to be one interesting semester.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Blanket disclaimer: I wuff InuYasha…but I don't own him.

 

 

 

-wait…what's this? A NICE Kikyo? For shame!!!!

 

 

 

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Reviews

 

mm.org

 

Princess-Cairo, musheesuh, sexy Capricorn (you'll find out just who he is in time), Inugrrrl, the day has come, Shizuka Kaze (not subduing, just obedience…funny you mention Naraku being a jerk…), Leila-chan

 

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Fanfic.net

 

Toya's gurl, superstitious, Drake Clawfang, Addance-TSC, Valeve (I wish I did to…), danydanybb, Kagome m.k., Cztar-chan (the end of curse is getting hard to write, but I got a lot done…just give me a little more time), astrid44, Blood-Tainted soul (She's queen of the fairies. As for more smut…you judge ^__^) ultra dork, unseen Jade eyed wolf, silentchild13, shadowww15

 

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Aff.net

 

Cat, inugrrrl, drake220(normally, yes, but filter in the gothic realm and she's more his pet…), Kid ^__^ (I'll say this; Oberon is not Naraku)