InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Grudging Loss ❯ The Gig ( Chapter 10 )

The Gig, Chapter 10

A big round of thanks goes to blackdeathmessenger who did a lot of work to get this chapter into shape. He was my Beta, came up with Inuyasha's band name (he was great and gave me nine different band names to choose from) and also helped me choose the songs for this chapter! Thanks a bunch!

 

Inuyasha was really beginning to wonder if his headaches were actually perpetual migraines. It just seemed that every time he worked with his band that the headaches would just flare up on their own accord.

 

“So you're telling me that Ayame won't even show up?” asked Inuyasha in barely contained rage. “After all of your attempts to get her into the band and all of her assurances that she could handle us—she just chickens out at the last minute?”

 

Ginta could only look at Inuyasha sheepishly. “I just got her phone call. She said that she's scared of you and doesn't think that she has enough talent to pull this off.”

 

“It wasn't about talent,” murmured Koga with a sly smile on his face. “It was all about looking good. Hey, let me call her Ginta. Maybe I can get her to show up.”

 

“We don't need her to show up guys!” yelled Inuyasha and then he quickly quieted himself when he realized that his voice carried past the backstage area. “We can do just fine on our own. We were always great. Just the four of us!”

 

Ginta sighed, “You don't understand Inuyasha. We only got this gig because I promised the owner that we would have a pretty female singer in leather up here on the stage with us. Without a girl we might as well not even bother to play.”

 

Inuyasha kneaded his fist into his forehead in an attempt to draw out the pounding headache. Then he noticed something. A gentle scent drifted over the air and wafted toward him. “Kagome?” he murmured out loud. “Now why would she be here?” Then he remembered that the first time he had been with her was at Santa Monica. This club was near downtown Santa Monica and was well known for venues that were up and coming bands. Perhaps this was a place that she regularly visited?

 

His eyes lit up and then pulled the stage curtain aside to see Kagome walking around next to Sango with her trademark white leather miniskirt and she was even wearing her silver corset again. He closed up the curtain and turned to his band. “I know a woman out there who is a trained, classical singer. She might just be the stop-gap singer we need until we get someone else. I'll ask her if she can sing with us tonight.”

 

Ginta was ecstatic. “Really? Who is she?”

 

Inuyasha winced as he said her name, “Kagome Higurashi. The miko from USC.”

 

He was surprised when Koga wore a feral grin on his lips. “Great I'll get her!” Koga said joyfully. Inuyasha had to grab the wolf demon by his collar and pull him back in.

 

“Not yet. She doesn't know about me. She doesn't know I'm a half demon. When I met her I was human. She thinks my name is Ash.”

 

Koga, Ginta and Hakkaku looked at him in bewilderment. “So you've been seeing Kagome, but she has no idea that you are on her opposing team?” asked Koga.

 

“Yes,” hissed Inuyasha. “And I plan to keep it that way.” He reached into his shirt and pulled out a chain necklace that had a men's silver ring attached to it. Inuyasha carefully pulled it off of the chain and then slipped it on his finger.

 

His band mates gasped as his silver hair morphed into grey and then into jet black. His golden eyes turned hazel and then into violet and his dog-like ears melted down the sides of his face until they became human ears.

 

“My name is Ash, got it?” Inuyasha demanded. “What's my name, Ginta?”

 

“Umm…Ash?”

 

“And my name, Koga, Hakkaku?”

 

“Ash,” said Koga dryly.

 

“Yeah, Ash,” added Hakkaku.

 

“OK, good. Now play along. I'll go get her. Remember I'm Ash,” he added as he walked on behind the curtain to the door that opened up to the bar.

 

He paused for a brief moment and swallowed. “Why am I so nervous?” he thought. “It's just Kagome.” Then he paused long enough to understand why he felt uncomfortable. “I'm about to lie to her again,” he thought with a note of discomfort. Inuyasha pushed his misgivings into the back of his mind and strode forward with a purpose toward the girl at the bar with the white leather mini-skirt. Her back was facing toward him and she had no idea that he was here. In fact it was Sango that noticed him first.

 

“Hey, Kagome. Look who's here,” Sango called out as Inuyasha walked toward the trio.

 

Kagome turned around in astonishment and then smiled at him warmly. She had such a brilliant, caring smile that made you feel that no one else in the world existed but you when she smiled at you. He really couldn't help but feel a little giddy as he looked at her. In fact he just looked back at her and found that a silly smile had been plastered across his face as well.

 

“Ash?” Kagome asked. “What are you doing here?”

 

Once she started to speak Inuyasha was quickly taken out of his reverie. “Oh, uh, the band. I'm playing in a band tonight.”

 

“Your band? Why didn't you tell me Ash? You know I wanted to hear you play!” she said as she swatted him in jest.

 

“Oh, band. Um, it's not my band. It's my uh…cousin's band. I'm just helping out tonight. And boy do they need help.”

 

“Help?” asked Kagome.

 

“Yes, their female singer never showed up. They need another singer. I was hoping that I might be able to convince you to sing with me again tonight…”

 

“Sing? Tonight? Right now?” asked Kagome with startled surprise.

 

Inuyasha made eye contact with Kagome gave her his puppy dog eyes.

 

“Ohhhhh. Don't look at me with those eyes Ash! How can I say no when you look at me like that?” whined Kagome.

 

Inuyasha grinned with true pleasure. “Great! Let me take you backstage so that you can meet the band! We'll show you the songs you need to sing. Don't worry too much, just pretend you're doing karaoke again,” said Inuyasha in excitement as he pulled her backstage. Kagome could do nothing but to wave quickly goodbye to her two teammates as Inuyasha pulled her behind the stage door.

 

Inuyasha took another deep breath because he knew that Kagome would know exactly who Koga was, there was no disguising him. He only hoped that seeing a full demon from an opposing team wouldn't make her angry and refuse to sing.

 

“Um, Kagome. This is Ginta, Hakkaku and…”

 

Koga moved up to Kagome and held her two hands in his own. “Koga. Kagome I have been trying to talk to you for so long. Now we can finally have some time together!” he added like an excited newborn puppy.

 

“Koga?” Kagome asked in surprise with a look of confused recognition playing across her features. “You're in a band and you know Ash…?”

 

Inuyasha stepped in and took Kagome's hands away from Koga. “Uh, yeah my cousin, he is…”

 

Kagome looked up at Ash and surveyed him critically. “You look almost exactly like him. I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner. The same height, almost the same face…You're related to Inuyasha?” she asked in bewilderment.

 

Inuyasha winced. “Please don't be mad at me Kagome. Please,” he asked. “If I told you earlier you would have never spoken to me.”

 

Kagome's mouth opened and closed a few times in surprise. Then she blinked and beamed a smile at Ash. “I guess that's why I was attracted to you,” she added with a giggle. “I thought Inuyasha was so cute, I guess I couldn't help but think that you were, too.”

 

Inuyasha then started to turn red as his band mates ribbed him. “Oh, she thinks you're cute,” teased Hakkaku.

 

“It's too bad that she doesn't know what you're really like,” added Ginta dryly.

 

Inuyasha swallowed and tried not to frown at Ginta. “OK. We have a show to put on,” he declared as he slapped his hands together. “Let's get this show on the road.”

 

The band started to set up and tuned their instruments. Inuyasha plugged in his futuristically sleek Fender Stratocaster guitar of chrome and black lacquer. Koga was adjusting his redwood toned Washburn Maverick electric guitar by playing a few chords and then tuning the pegs. Ginta was putting on the guitar strap of his Peavy Cirrus Bass guitar that had a red and yellow flame erupting from the body and traveling up the neck. Hakkaku sat himself behind a black and gold drum set and started to practice with a few soft thumps and clangs.

 

Kagome walked forward, eyeing Inuyasha's shiny black and chrome Fender guitar. “Is that yours?” she asked wonderingly as her hand glided lovingly down the neck of the guitar touching the strings. Inuyasha swallowed as he couldn't help but to imagine her hand running down something far more intimate.

 

“Uh, no…it's…,” Inuyasha managed to say.

 

Kagome was only looking at the fantastic guitar before she asked in a murmur, “Inuyasha's then…?”

 

“Uh, yes, it's Inuyasha's guitar,” he added as he regained his composure and decided to show Kagome where to stand. He put one hand on the small of her back to lead her to a single microphone near the front of the stage when Kagome became distracted.

 

By her own volition Kagome walked forward on her own and looked at an abandoned Yamaha synthesizer keyboard on the side of the stage. She strummed her fingers lovingly over the keys just as Inuyasha was trying to lead her back to the microphone she was supposed to be singing at. “Oi, wench,” he said to her. “You don't need to play, just sing.”

 

“But I play Ash,” she added. “Of course I am used to a grand piano, but I could work with this limited keyboard. Do you have the piano music for your pieces or only the guitar chords?”

 

Inuyasha walked on up to her and handed her a manila folder with all of the lyrics that they had prepared for Ayame. Every piece had piano music and guitar chords imprinted on them. “I guess you're in luck,” he added. “Yes, they are there. But you don't have to play Kagome. You just need to look good and sing.”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes. “I'm a musician, Ash. I'm not going to be a showpiece. I will contribute. Now this will be a little harder than normal, since I haven't been able to practice any of this. But this music is much easier than the stuff I usually play.”

 

Inuyasha was afraid to ask, “What do you usually play?” he murmured.

 

“I've been working on Handel's `Messiah' for our choral concert,” added Kagome absentmindedly as she looked at the sheet music. “I play classical music. Mozart is my favorite.”

 

“Mozart?” asked Inuyasha as he laughed. “Well, this stuff has much heavier riffs in it, Kagome.”

 

“Mm, humm,” she murmured as she looked over the lyrics. “So the areas that are highlighted. Does that mean I am to sing them?”

 

“Oi,” added Inuyasha. “We made sure that we had everything organized for Ayame, since she had no prior experience singing.”

 

“Ayame?” asked Kagome.

 

“Feh. The girl who ditched out on the band last minute,” added Inuyasha. “Though I must say that I'm actually pretty happy that she did. Now that you're here...”

 

Kagome smiled up at him and beamed with pleasure. “I'm happy to be here, too Ash.” She quickly pecked him on his cheek. “So is there anything else that I should know?”

 

“The songs are organized in order, so just keep your papers in order. We're starting with some covers, the first one will be `To Be a Lover' and you can see the rest in here. We're singing six songs and then the next band will go onstage.”

 

“OK,” said Kagome as she closed her eyes and breathed in. When she opened her eyes she was entirely focused on the task at hand. “I'm ready.”

 

“Great!” added Inuyasha as he took the center of the stage. He made sure that each of his band members was ready and did a brief sound check before he walked up to his mike and started talking to the audience. The people around the bar and dance area seemed bored as they walked around picking up drinks and were still talking in quiet tones.

 

“Good evening folks, I'm Ash and this is our band, `Immortal Sin'. We're here to liven up this joint. Kick it Hakkaku!”

 

Hakkaku started in on his drums leading the entire band with a steady beat in which to play against. Ginta's base guitar strummed steadily against the drums and was quickly joined by Inuyasha's and Koga's electric guitars. Then for the first time in the band's history an electric synthesizer started to play with the guitars. The synth accentuated the guitars, smoothing the hasher rhythms of the guitars without overpowering them.

 

Inuyasha looked over at Kagome as her fingers ran across the ebony and ivory keys in deliberation. He couldn't help but to notice her hips that were swaying to the music as she played. He stared for a moment at her firm backside that was enclosed in white leather and her long legs that were tapping on the floor with the beat as she played.

 

Soon the opening verse had been played and now it was time to start singing. Inuyasha sung the opening lyrics in a deep baritone voice that was steady, smooth and masculine.

 

Have I told you,… Lately that I love you…
If I didn't, darlin',… You see, I'm so sorry…
Didn't I reach out and hold you in these lovin' arms…?
Well, if I didn't, oh baby... Well, I'm so sorry…

Then the music moved up a notch and the drum beats came even quicker. Kagome's hands started flying across the keyboard as she prepared to sing her lyrics. She looked ahead in determination as she smiled at the audience. Soon her lovely voice came over the sound system enrapturing the band that had never even heard her sing before. Inuyasha could only smile as his band mates gaped in surprise. Her clear soprano voice echoed across the stage lilting and mesmerizing. Inuyasha started each line, but it was her sweet voice that would layer on top of his to complete each line.

 

Got to be a lover... Have mercy…
Forgot to be a lover, babe… (Have mercy)
Forgot to be a lover... (Have mercy)
Forgot to be a lover...
Make it on through to you somehow... (Have mercy, baby)
Got to be a lover, babe... (Forgot to be a lover)

Then Inuyasha couldn't really help it. Kagome was stuck behind her keyboard, but he had a guitar and a mike headpiece so he could be mobile. He slid up behind her and moved his hands up and down the sides of her body as she sang. He enjoyed it and besides an audience would eat up this stuff. Pretending to make love on stage was sure to grab the crowd's attention any day of the week. Then he nipped the side of her neck, causing her to gasp slightly as she was singing. He smirked and then it was time for him to play his guitar again, so he moved on next to her eyeing her as he played.

 

He started to sing the next lyrics and he sung as if he was desperate. His words escaped his lips as cries of need. His voice was deep, stirring and heady with want. Kagome's voice echoed each of his lines with another sultry layer.

 

Ah, but you know I really love you, baby... (Love you baby)
I really love you baby… (Love you baby)
I really need you baby… (Need you baby)
I really want you baby… (Want you baby)

 

He looked directly into her eyes as he finished up the lyrics to the song while she echoed each line. Her eyes looked back directly into his and he could see his own face echoed within the brown pools of her eyes. It was a bizarre reflection, he was used to seeing silver hair and white dog-like ears in his reflection. So he was momentarily confused when he saw long black hair and regular human ears peering back at him. He felt like he was the half-demon Inuyasha, but that wasn't what Kagome was seeing. She thought he was someone else and that didn't set too well with him. Her smiling face looked back at him, but he couldn't help but to frown briefly as he continued singing and he moved back to the center of the stage. It felt like he had lost something, as if something deep within him was gone. He felt sad… Yet at the same time he wanted to be near Kagome. He shook off his feelings and then grinned at the audience as he put on his game face.

 

They finished singing their set by playing covers from `Alice in Chains', `the Cult', `Metallica' and `Seether'. As each song played Inuyasha couldn't help by to notice how Kagome's singing and keyboarding skills accentuated their music. She made everything sound better and added a note of professionalism to their playing. Her soft, yet strong soprano voice blended so nicely with his baritone voice. It was as if she was the missing puzzle piece that the band had needed to complete itself. By the time they had sung the final lyrics and had finished off their last guitar riff, Inuyasha could only bow and say `Thank you' to the audience as they exited the stage. The audience had started out their session cold, but by the time they were done they were on their feet, dancing with the band and clapping along as a feeling of electricity had been added to the air. “We still have what it takes,” Inuyasha mused as disconnected his guitar. He then walked up to Kagome who was arranging her sheet music back into her folder. He couldn't help but to encircle her waist with his arms. As he hugged her from behind, he kissed the side of her neck, right under her ear. “You were wonderful, wench,” he said.

 

“Wench?” she said in disbelief. “I am not a wench, my name is Kagome!”

 

“Oi, sorry wen…umm…Kagome,” added Inuyasha with chagrin as he kept his arm around her waist and lead her off of the stage.

 

The next band, `Heaven's Dead', started to set up and tune their instruments as `Immortal Sin' met up behind the stage. The rollicking laughter was contagious as the band members congratulated themselves.

 

“You were awesome Kagome!” exclaimed Koga as he tried to take Kagome's hands in his again. “You have to join our band.”

 

“Oh, I…I made lots of mistakes, my keyboarding wasn't perfect,” said Kagome as she tried to get a word in edgewise.

 

“I never noticed,” added Ginta. “Please Kagome We need a female band member. And you were great! Your voice! Wow!”

 

Hakkaku joined in, “Yes, you are a wonderful singer. I can't believe the notes you hit. And you sung so beautifully. You are so much better than Ayame.”

 

“That's not saying much,” jested Inuyasha.

 

“I meant it as a complement,” added Hakkaku. “Please Kagome, join our band.”

 

Kagome just smiled at them as her lips curved to a slight frown. “I only helped out for one night because Ash asked me to. I have so much to do. I'm part of the `Holy Shikon Team' and I'm also part of my college choir. And there's college, too of course. I need time to study, train with my team and practice my music. I'm stretched too thin as it is. I can't add something else to my already hectic schedule. Thank you so much for the offer. But I can't…” Kagome then turned away and started to walk away from the backstage area.

 

“Kagome, wait!” called out Inuyasha as he ran after her. He soon caught up with her and grabbed her arm. “Hey,” he called to her. “They were only complimenting you. Don't take it the wrong way.”

 

“I know it's just…”

 

“Just what…”

 

“They were asking me to join a band that Inuyasha is a part of…”

 

“Yes, so…?” asked Inuyasha in complete befuddlement.

 

“I really don't think that I could be around him again. I certainly couldn't work with him. Not with what happened last time…”

 

“That's what's bothering you?” he asked.

 

Kagome only nodded in agreement.

 

“Kagome,” he said in a whisper as he gathered her up in his arms and drew her next to his chest. “Don't worry about him. He's my cousin, right? He…uh…he's not angry at you or anything. He just yelled at you because he…well, he yells at everybody…”

 

Kagome giggled in his arms. “Yells at everybody?”

 

“Constantly,” Ash added.

 

“He's not angry at me?”

 

“Why would he be angry at someone as pretty as you?” he added affectionately as he kissed her on the top of her head.

 

“Because I shot him in the heart with an arrow…?” Kagome asked with a childlike voice.

 

“Oh that…nahhh…,” Ash said as he breathed in her hair. It was so soft and smelled so lovely. “Yeah. I know that he was angry at the time. But I talked to him about it, you know after I ran into you at the karaoke bar…”

 

Kagome pulled out from his embrace to look Ash directly in the eye. “You talked to him about me?”

 

“Uh…yes,” said Ask as he swallowed. He was now lying to her and this was getting harder now that she was looking at him directly. He felt that he couldn't continue with her pretty chocolate eyes peering at him. So he pulled Kagome back in against his chest and started to murmur back into her hair. “Ummm, I told him how you were bruised after your fight. He felt really bad about it.”

 

“Really?” said Kagome perplexed.

 

“Um, yeah and he said that's he's really sorry that you had such a large bruise on you. And he's sorry for yelling at you, too.”

 

Kagome started to laugh. “You're making that up. I hear he never apologizes to anyone.”

 

Ash snorted and Kagome looked up at him quizzically. “I made him apologize. It wasn't right.” This time Inuyasha looked her directly in the eyes. “I'm sorry, Kagome.”

 

Kagome fiddled with his long black hair that had been tied up in a ponytail. She fingered a long strand between her fingers. “It's not your fault. Thanks for standing up for me Ash.” She turned and looked him deeply in the eyes. Her face simply beamed with pleasure and happiness. “Tell me Ash, do you want me to sing in the band? I mean I'll be singing with Inuyasha. Not you. And honestly, I'd rather sing with you.”

 

“He's my cousin, right? No. I wouldn't mind. He's a good guy, really,” added Ash as he nuzzled against her again.

 

“OK then,” said Kagome.

 

“OK, what?” asked Inuyasha.

 

“I'm really busy as you know, but I'll help out. Just as a temporary fix until they find someone else to take my place. Is that OK?”

 

“Sure,” said Ash with a smile as he pulled away from Kagome and brushed her hair away from her eyes. “Now, would you dance with me?”

 

“Dance?” she asked as Inuyasha pulled her out to the dance floor. The next band, `Heaven's Dead', had started to play `She Sells Sanctuary' by the Cult as he pulled her next to him. She smiled as he held her hands in his. They started to sway, their hips close together and softly moving against the steady rhythm that was coursing through the bar. Soon Kagome's legs were intertwined with his, the hard planes of his body pressed against her curvy softness. He looked down at her deep chocolate eyes as he held her hands close to him, against his chest.

 

The sparkle in your eyes
Keeps me alive…
And the world and the world
The world turns around

He turned her around gently as he pulled her with his arms. Her smaller petit form rocked gently with his, as his arms encircled her body. Then she brought up her arms above her head as if she were a genie. Inuyasha couldn't help but to bring up his arms on either side of her body as he traced her generous curves up and down.

 

Oh the heads that turn
Make my back burn
The fire in your eyes keeps me alive
I'm sure in her you'll find
The sanctuary…

He moved his face down against her neck and nuzzled her. He breathed in deeply and sighed. She was starting to sweat and it was bringing her scent out clearer and sharper to his deadened senses. He sniffed at her pulse point under her ear in an attempt to discern her scent more clearly. However, the dance floor was starting to get warm with the menagerie of bodies that were pressed up against each other in the small dance space. Salty sweat from multiple bodies filled the air, obscuring the gentle cherry and jasmine scent that was Kagome. Inuyasha could only growl as the stench drowned out her scent.

 

“Come on,” he murmured as he started to pull her outside of the bar. “It's too hot. I need to get outside.”

 

Kagome let Inuyasha tug her behind him as he pushed against the mass of moving bodies until he opened the front door. Once they were outside they soon reached the end of the pier and Inuyasha was tugging her onto the sandy beach.

 

“Oh,” she said as the cool sea breeze gently whipped around them, tossing her long wavy black hair like the rippling ocean waves around her head. “It's chilly out here.” Kagome's sweaty form quickly cooled as the sea winds enveloped them. She quickly wrapped her arms around herself to help ward off the nighttime chill.

 

“Here,” Inuyasha said as he took off a sweatshirt that he had tied around his waist and unceremoniously pulled it over her head. Kagome murmured a brief, “Umph,” before stretching her arms through a sweatshirt that was obviously too large for her. Soon she started to giggle as she looked back at the human Inuyasha and quickly kissed him on the cheek. “You are such a gentleman and I am so sweaty. I'm sorry that I'll be ruining your sweatshirt.”

 

Inuyasha started to laugh. “Ruining my sweatshirt. Never. I love the way you smell, your sweat smells good, too.”

 

“Really?” asked Kagome with a grin on her face as she turned towards Inuyasha and put her hands on each side of his waist. “You really like the way I smell?”

 

“Muuummm hunh,” added Inuyasha in agreement as he nuzzled the side of her neck breathing in as much of her scent as he could in his human form. His senses were deadened right now, but she had been sweating heavily just a few minutes ago. Her scent was stronger than normal, so he was almost able to pick up on her wonderful scent again. He breathed in deeply and sighed wistfully.

 

Kagome cocked her neck to the side and pulled back from him slightly. “First, you started growling a few days ago. Then I find out you are related to Inuyasha and then you like my scent.”

 

“What's wrong with that?” asked Inuyasha petulantly.

 

Kagome glanced up at Inuyasha again and studied his face and seemed to be looking at his ears as well. She looked like she was judging him or searching for something. She took one hand and tapped against his chest. “You know, that since I am on the `Holy Shikon Team' that learning about demons and their characteristics is simply part of my training.”

 

Inuyasha looked down at her confused. “Studying demons? But what does that have to do with me?” He was starting to feel nervous. “Did she figure it out?” He stiffened slightly at the thought.

 

“Yes,” she said as she tapped against his chest again. “The two demonic types Coach Kaede has been having us mercilessly study have been dog and wolf demons. Since they are our opponents we have been trained on all of their strengths and weaknesses. I have also done some extra studying on my own. I've learned a lot about dog demons over the past year.”

 

Inuyasha blanched. “Is she going to purify me?” he thought as his eyes widened while looking at Kagome. She didn't seem angry though and she still had one hand around his waist. “I'm just where she wants me to be if she wants to purify me,” he thought. He suddenly realized how dangerous of a situation he was in with her beside him. There were very few things that could take down a dog demon. Other than a shot to the head with a gun, the only other thing that could truly destroy him was a purifying miko. He swallowed nervously.

 

“Uh, yes,” he added not really knowing what to say.

 

“So I learned that dog demons sometimes show doglike behavior, such as,” Kagome paused and looked up at him with mischievous eyes. “They can even growl and bark like a dog. They can be very loyal, but are also very harsh when provoked. And they have an acute sense of smell. In fact it is so acute that how a person smells is almost as important to them as how they look.”

 

Inuyasha swallowed again, his Adam's apple bobbing precariously on his throat.

 

“So how much dog demon do you have in you, Ash?”

 

“Dog demon? In me?” quaked Inuyasha as he barely managed to respond to her.

 

Kagome smiled back at him, “Mummm hummm,” she murmured. “I know there's some dog demon in you. You act too much like one and you said you were related to Inuyasha. So how much dog demon is there in you. One quarter? One eighth?” she asked while peering up at him with dark lashes.

 

Inuyasha visibly shifted his stance and let his shoulders drop. They had been stiff with worry moments before. “She just thinks I am part demon since I am related to Inuyasha,” he thought. “She still doesn't know who I really am.” Part of him was relived that she hadn't found out his secret, the other part of him felt guilty for continuing to keep the truth from her. While he tried to get a lock on his feelings she cocked her head to the side again as if she was considering something.

 

“I think it's time that we found out how much dog demon you have in you,” she said with a sly smile.

 

“Oi, how do you do that?” Inuyasha asked.

 

Kagome only smiled as she turned her long neck to the side and stretched out her neck. Then she lowered her gaze to look at the ground to her side.

 

“She's barring her neck to me!” he thought excitedly. He really couldn't control his movements then. Her long swanlike neck just called to him. He couldn't help but to nuzzle her neck at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He gently traced his teeth against her cool skin as she gasped in surprise. He breathed in her scent again. This time he didn't stop. His lips licked her neck and shoulder. He tasted her scent and breathed in as deeply as he could. Her sweaty form had a saltiness to it as he kissed and licked at her neck. Her scent mesmerized him as he started to suck at the juncture at her collarbone. He gave her a small hickey before he continued to lick, kiss and suckle her graceful throat. “Kagome,” he said breathlessly as he called out her name into her neck.

 

“Ash?” she asked as her hands found their way into his hair and started to finger the strands.

 

“Ummmm, my bitch,” was all that he replied. Inuyasha was too busy drinking in her scent and tasting her sweetness to really notice anything around him. She smelled of cherry blossoms and jasmine, with a touch of saltiness from her sweat. His inner dog demon was very content that his bitch had just barred his throat to him in submission. He was just trying to show her how pleased he was by her response as he continued to nip and lap at her neck. “Wait,” he thought, “My bitch?”

 

With some trepidation he pulled back from her. “Uh, I'm sorry Kagome, I didn't mean…I…”

 

Kagome just smiled and brought her lips up to meet his. To his surprise she deftly kissed him and pulled him in closer for a deeper kiss. Her hands fisted into his hair and his hands smoothed their way around her back as they kissed. Then she pulled away and looked back up at him with veiled, half-lidded eyes. “Um, I know…bitch is actually a term of endearment for dog demons, right?” she asked.

 

Inuyasha could only nod wordlessly in agreement.

 

Kagome giggled at him again. “I guess I have a thing for dog demons,” she said while chuckling. “I can't seem to get away from them.”

 

“Hey!” said Inuyasha now that he felt that he had been insulted.

 

Kagome put one finger on his lips to shush him. “Just kiss me Ash,” she said as she moved her finger away from his lips and moved her lips closer to his. Inuyasha's stomach did some funny little turns as her warm salty lips met his. He tasted jasmine again as he deepened the kiss, pressing his body against her all the while. His face seemed to be flush as his arms made their way up and down her back before fisting into her hair.

 

“Damn, woman,” was all he could murmur as the salty sea breeze drifted against them in the cool night air.

 

Next Chapter: In the Bedroom. There will be some citrus and the rating for this story will be changing to `M' for Mature Audiences only. So please don't continue reading if you are underage. Also, be sure to read and review! It makes me happy. Really!

 

Author's Notes:

#1: The music used in the chapter was `To Be A Lover' by Billy Idol and `She Sells Sanctuary' by the Cult (watch them on uTube or download them with iTunes). You might have some fun if you play the songs while you are reading the sections where they are mentioned.

#2: Does anyone have any duet ideas for me? I still need a few more `rockish' duets.

#3: I spent some of my hours (while I was in college many years ago) in Los Angeles following around a USC rock band as they played their gigs. I will never forget running around the Sunset Strip at night, helping the band to set up their equipment. There is something electric about being with a band in the `City of Angels'.

#4: If there are music majors out there could you send me a PM and answer these questions? What is currently covered in music classes? What are the basic courses everyone must take, what does a music theory course cover, etc? I just wanted to have some details so that when Inuyasha and Kagome are working on their homework, papers or performances that I have some concrete details to include. Can anyone send me a PM and give me an overview?