InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Strings and Kevlar ❯ The Secret of the Mississippi ( Chapter 11 )

A/N: Only two weeks late. >.< Sorry, folks, but after our Thanksgiving trip, we went and got a Christmas tree, and started putting up decorations and doing a little shopping, and I was feeling all merry and shit.

So I started baking.

Cookies, fudge, truffles, you name it. My kitchen is a diabetic's nightmare right now. And before I knew it, it was Saturday. And then I read over this chapter again (as I do before I post each chapter), and said, "Nope, nope, nope, there has to be more here," and I took another several days getting it the way I wanted. So at last, here it is, New and Improved. Please enjoy, and thank you for your patience.

***

Wednesday

“Woodwinds, I expect that section to be cleaned up by this Friday. Rehearsal will be in the recital hall.” Without another word, the conductor stepped off the podium and exited the rehearsal hall, leaving the Symphony Orchestra musicians to pack up.

Kagome blew her bangs out of her eyes after the particularly difficult rehearsal and rested the neck of her cello on her shoulders as she leaned forward to gather her sheet music, pausing to scribble a few notes on the pages. Her mind had been adrift all week so far, evident in her lackluster playing. She knew the reason why, but wouldn't allow herself to dwell on it. `I need to pull my head out of my ass or else I'm going to have a serious problem,' she thought distractedly.

As she continued to pack up her gear, Kagome's mind again wandered to the conversation with Koga from their brunch date last Sunday.

*~*~*~*

“A charity ball?” she asked, sipping on her mimosa.

“Yeah,” he said, his smile charming as he reached across the pristine white tablecloth for her hand. “It's a benefit for a youkai scholarship. One of my buddies from work is throwing it together. It's this Saturday. Want to come with me?”

She hesitated, the warm breeze kissing her face. They were seated in the shaded dining area of a New Orleans café that was famous for its shrimp and grits. It also happened to be where he had taken her on their first date one unseasonably warm late-February day more than two years ago. The significance of his choosing this place was not lost on her, and she tried to be happy about it. Her argument with Sango was still fresh on her mind, but she set her jaw stubbornly, convinced she could make it work with Koga.

“So what do you think?” he asked hopefully.

Kagome forced herself to smile. “Sounds nice,” she said, thinking of a way to stall, “but I'd have to look at the schedule to make sure there isn't a home game that night.”

“There isn't,” he quickly supplied, smiling a little wider. “I already checked.”

`How convenient,' she thought, suppressing a frown. She swirled the contents of her champagne flute, unable to think of any viable excuse. “Okay, I'll go,” she finally relented.

“Great!” He squeezed her hand briefly and then picked up his coffee cup. “I'll pick you up around five. Do you have something formal to wear?”

“I'll have to get something,” she muttered, downing the last of her drink in one gulp.

“Well, whatever you get, I'm sure it will be beautiful,” he said leadingly. “I can't wait to show you off to everyone there.”

She wondered at his smug smile, but shook it off, suddenly wanting to be alone. “I'm all done,” she hinted, hoping he would take her home.

Koga motioned for their server, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. “Let's go down to the levee and walk off this food. I want to spend the day with you.”

`Wonderful,' she groaned inwardly, forcing another smile.

*~*~*~*

“Hey, you ready?”

Startled out of her thoughts, Kagome looked up to see Sango standing over her, her mallet bag over her shoulders. Sango cocked her head to the side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, standing and sticking her music folder under one arm. Sango had agreed to help her pick out a dress for the event, which was now only three days away. The two cousins had been able to smooth things over from their argument by the morning after it happened, much to Kagome's relief. Never in their nearly twenty-two years had they argued as much as they had during the past few weeks, nor as heatedly, and when Kagome had taken a moment to think about it, she realized that it wasn't just a coincidence that it had started around the same time her feelings for Inuyasha had begun to develop. All of these arguments were actually centered around Inuyasha, or rather, Inuyasha and Kagome.

`Inuyasha and Kagome…'

“Hello?!”

Kagome blinked out of her musings, offering a half-hearted smile for her cousin. “Yeah, sorry. Just let me finish packing up, and then we can go.”

“Okay.” Sango stepped back to let her pass toward the instrument cases. “Have you given any thought to what kind of gown you want to get?”

Kagome slumped. “Ugh. I still can't believe I have to buy a damn dress for this. You'd think I was going to a wedding or something.”

“Unless you're the bride, you wouldn't even have to be that formal for a wedding,” Sango laughed.

At the mention of bride, Kagome stiffened. Thankfully, Koga had yet to bring up marriage again ever since their argument about it a few weeks prior, but she knew he still had it on his mind and was just itching to pitch it to her again. Yes, she was willing to try to make things work with him, but the thought of marrying him literally made her queasy. She frowned. `That can't be a good sign.'

Sensing her sudden discomfort--and obviously realizing what had triggered it--Sango nudged her shoulder. “Hey, I was just joking. Lighten up! We have an afternoon of shopping ahead of us. Since when do you not like shopping?”

Kagome zipped up her soft case. “Since I have to spend an assload of money on something I'll probably never wear again. But even that's better than what Koga wanted to do.”

“Let me guess. He offered to buy you one?”

“Bingo.” She shouldered her case and adjusted the straps, speaking without thinking. “That's all I need is for him to have something to hold over me.”

Sango frowned, her eyes narrowing a little. “Do you really think he'd do that?”

Kagome hesitated to answer, knowing that Sango had been becoming suspicious of Koga's behavior toward her. Sango hadn't mentioned her suspicions to Kagome as of yet, but she knew Sango, and she knew what that tone of her voice meant that she had taken up whenever his name was mentioned.

Knowing she needed to get Sango to ease back a little on Koga--for Kagome's own sanity, if nothing else--she shrugged. “I really don't think so. I guess I just don't want him to spend so much money on me. I'm trying to make this relationship work, but that's just too much, too soon.”

Sango raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, you're right. Over two years is way too short of a time to spend a couple hundred bucks on a girlfriend, especially when he's fucking loaded.”

“You know what I mean,” she frowned, all too aware of Sango's sarcasm. “It's too soon right now. And I don't care about his money; all he does is flaunt it anyway. I hate that about him.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she blinked and looked directly at Sango, noticing the realization crossing her face as she realized what Kagome had just said was not only very true, but also a vital precedent for a waterfall of other admissions that were probably just waiting to be released. Looking down at the ground in front of her, she ran the sentence over and over again in her mind. `I hate that about him. I…hate that….'

“Well,” Sango said, ignoring Kagome's slip for now, “I don't blame you for not wanting him to buy it for you. It could just lead to more assumptions on his part, which he is already far too guilty of having.”

“Yeah,” Kagome mumbled distractedly, lost in thought.

“So… you ready?”

Kagome shook her head. Now was not the time to think about that. “Yeah, I'm ready. Is Miroku coming?”

Sango visibly tensed, but immediately laughed it off. “Oh, no. You know he doesn't want to hang around with a couple of women while they shop for dresses.”

The cellist narrowed her eyes, not falling for the act. “What is it? Did you two have a fight?” She gasped as another idea occurred to her. “Is he mad at me or something?”

“Oh, no, no, no!” Sango hurriedly reassured her. “It's not that. It's just….”

Kagome frowned. “What?”

Sango sighed, glancing behind her to the percussion section, then leaning in and speaking in a lower voice. “It's just that he's been spending a lot of time with Inuyasha lately. He's been trying to… to cheer him up.”

Kagome's eyes closed as she processed what Sango was leaving out, guilt swelling monstrously inside her. Suddenly, the realization struck her that the feelings she had for the two men were completely opposite of what she needed them to be. She had known how she was feeling about Inuyasha, as well as about Koga, but not until now had she realized the connection. Heat for one, cold for another… and it needed to be turned completely around. As soon as she became aware of exactly what she was trying to do, she realized how daunting of a task this could be. No, not even daunting… impossible?

She found herself panicking slightly. How on earth was she going to do this?

Could she?

“Kagome?” Sango said, sympathy lacing her soft voice.

She faced her cousin with sudden tears in her eyes, but as she turned toward her, her sight crossed the path of another set of eyes with nearly as much emotion in them as hers. Amber eyes. Staring right back at her. Breaking her.

He appeared to have been in the middle of packing up his gear, but had frozen his movements as he met her eyes. He looked miserable, and angry. Kagome's gut churned mercilessly, the guilt overwhelming her.

She quickly looked away, shielding her own misty eyes from the intensity of the sun bearing down on her from across the room. “Sango, please, let's just go. I can't….”

“Come on,” Sango grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the room. Kagome trusted her to guide her in the right direction as she kept her eyes on the ground, not willing to look up and risk meeting Inuyasha's heavy gaze again.

***

Thursday

“She's really torn up about the whole thing,” Sango said into the phone, lifting the lid on the pot to check the stock.

“He's no better,” Miroku replied, sounding tired. “He's been bitchy all week. I almost kicked him out of rehearsal tonight because he was being such a dick to the section.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Sango said, wincing at the memory. She stirred the stock a few times and replaced the lid. “I feel bad for him.”

“I do, too, but hey, don't take that shit out on everybody else.”

“If it's any consolation, she snapped at me out of nowhere on our way home tonight. I had to bite my tongue to keep from letting her have it.”

“Go easy on that tongue, darling. I like all the things it does for me.”

Sango rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop herself from smiling a little. “Couldn't help yourself, could you?”

“You bring out the best in me, my love.”

“I sure do. I remember bringing out the best in you right before your lesson on Tuesday. Twice.”

“That was one of my best lessons to date. I was so relaxed.”

“We'll have to remember that trick.”

“Would you like me to return the favor for you? I'd be more than happy to help you relax anytime you need it.”

“You're already fulfilling that role quite nicely, Miroku. Any more and I wouldn't be able to march pregame.”

“Glad to know my services are appreciated, love.”

“How did we get on this? Weren't we talking about Kagome and Inuyasha?”

He groaned. “I'm tired of talking about Kagome and Inuyasha.”

“She's my cousin, Miroku.”

“And my good friend, and Inuyasha is becoming a good friend, too. But at some point, they're just going to have to work this out themselves or get over each other.”

She snorted. “Get over each other? Not likely.”

“I agree,” he admitted. “But there isn't much more we can do for them. Kagome's made her bed, so now she'll have to lie in it.”

“And Inuyasha?”

“I'm sure he would love to be in that bed with her.”

She ignored his bad joke. “This isn't going to end well, for them or anyone else involved.”

“Where is she right now? She's not home, I take it?”

“Practicing.”

“So you're alone?” he asked, his voice oozing sex.

“Don't even think about it. As soon as this soup is ready, I'm wolfing down my dinner and then heading over to practice myself.”

“So you don't want to talk some more?”

The way he stressed “talk” clued her in, and she felt her cheeks heat up, and not from the stock pot she was standing over. “Not now,” she said unconvincingly.

“You sure?” he purred. “I'm already halfway there, love. And I bet I could finish you off in one hot minute. But if you're too busy….”

She chewed on her lip, picturing him pumping himself, and felt everything tighten down below. “Dammit, Miroku,” she whispered, turning off the burner. “Sometimes I think you have a switch that connects to my libido.”

“You have one for mine as well, my lady. Now go to your bedroom and lie down on the bed, and let's see if I can't flip that switch.”

***

Friday

Miroku hesitated only briefly before knocking on the apartment door.

“Who is it?!” bellowed the angry hanyou on the other side.

`Great,' Miroku thought, cringing. “Yo, it's me. I called, remember?”

A second later, the door flew open, revealing an Inuyasha that looked just as miserable as he had been in theory class that morning. He scowled impressively, but stepped aside to silently allow Miroku entry.

He stepped inside, noting the large plasma TV showing the pause screen for Gears of War. He perked up, seeing an opportunity. “Why didn't you tell me you had an Xbox? Is that an Xbox One?”

“Yeah,” Inuyasha muttered, flopping down on his couch and taking a swig from his Bud Light bottle.

“Dude, we could have been playing all this time! You any good?”

He snorted. “Better than you, I bet, just like in everything else.”

`At least I have a woman, dickhead,' Miroku thought uncharitably, but held his tongue. “You got that Pratt solo?” he asked instead, remembering the reason he came over.

Inuyasha grunted as he got up. He looked like death warmed over, and judging by the number of beer bottles on the coffee table, he'd been at it for a while. Miroku watched him as he moved to a stack of boxes along the wall next to the entertainment center, shuffling through the contents of the top box before dropping it on the floor and searching the next one. Miroku really did feel bad for the guy, and knowing what he had learned about him so far, Inuyasha was a proud man, so seeing him like this was sobering, and Miroku wondered if he needed to be worried about his friend. `He fell hard and fast for her,' he thought, watching Inuyasha find the book he was looking for. `And she did, too. But they're both so damn stubborn!'

“Here it is,” Inuyasha said, handing Miroku the solo book. “It's on page 34, I think. I might have some notes written on it.”

“That's okay. Thanks, man,” Miroku said, watching the hanyou plop back on the couch and pick up his controller. “So what you got going on tonight? Want to go grab some dinner?”

“Nah.” He unpaused his game and started playing.

Miroku frowned. “How about a drink? We could hit up that new bar down the street from the capitol.”

“Got plenty of beer already, thanks,” Inuyasha mumbled, focused on his game.

He sighed, shaking his head. “So are you seriously going to just hole up all weekend?”

The hanyou scowled again, clearly annoyed he still had company. “For your information, I'm going to a charity event tomorrow night in New Orleans. Is that good enough for you?” he snarled.

“Charity event?” he asked, intrigued. “For what?”

“Some stupid party my asshole brother is putting together for --” He stopped himself and glanced at Miroku again, hesitating. “It's for a scholarship foundation. It's bullshit, but I have to go.”

Miroku frowned, realizing he wasn't getting the whole story, but didn't want to push it. “Okay, well, let me know if you want to do anything on Sunday. We could go shoot some hoops or something. I'll actually be in New Orleans tomorrow night, too, having dinner with Sango's parents.” He shuddered as he thought of her father, aware of the man's dislike for him. He certainly didn't make it a secret.

“Huh,” Inuyasha grunted again, his attention back on his game.

Miroku frowned, knowing he had already lost his attention. “All right, well, thanks again for the solo book. I'll get it back to you.” Knowing he wouldn't get another response, he just shook his head again and left, shutting the door behind him. “Poor bastard,” he muttered, making his way down the steps toward his car.

***

Saturday

`Fucking charity ball. Fucking Sesshomaru. Fucking tuxedo.' Inuyasha fidgeted with his bowtie as he stood off to the side of the ballroom, watching the rich folks mix and mingle and chuckle pretentiously at their stupid, rich jokes. `Fucking rich assholes.'

`You're a rich asshole,' his conscience reminded him.

He frowned, not having a response for that, and checked his watch. Shit, the night had just begun and he was already itching to leave. Why the hell had he let Sesshomaru strong-arm him into coming to this circus?

Speaking of clowns, he watched as yet another asshole approached him. Inuyasha forced a grim smile as the man shook his hand, offering his condolences for his dead father. Inuyasha fought the urge to snarl as the asshole went on and on about what a great youkai Mr. Taisho had been, and a great businessman to boot, and oh, such a tragic loss, and blah blah blah. Finally, Inuyasha cut him off, mumbled a thanks, and quickly walked away. If this was how this entire night was going to go, he wouldn't even bother coming up with a reason to give Sesshomaru for leaving early. He'd just be gone.

As he slowed his pace and made his way for the opposite end of the ballroom, he lost himself unwillingly in a sea of memories that he had been surfing for the past few months. He'd been riding the waves, so far able to keep on his feet without falling into the water, but as his ears burned with the constant barrage of his father's name from so many mouths around him, he gritted his teeth as the scene from that fateful night assaulted his memory with an acuteness he wasn't prepared for.

*~*~*~*

“I did not raise you to be a drummer!” his father snarled, spitting the word like a curse. “It was cute at first, but this little phase has gone on long enough! It's time you start getting serious about your career and transfer to a good university with a good business program.”

Inuyasha clenched his teeth, doing his best to hold back his anger. “Otou-san, it's not a phase! I told you this is what I want to do. Why isn't that good enough for you?”

“No son of mine will waste his life banging on drums!” the elder Taisho bellowed, his fists curled tightly at his sides. Just then his demeanor softened slightly as he struggled to regain his composure. “Now, enough of this nonsense. You may finish band this year, but I expect you to start applying for transfer. I don't care where it is, just as long as it has a reputable program.”

“First of all, it's not just `band.' Second of all--”

A harsh slap stung Inuyasha's left cheek, snapping his head to the side. “You will not speak to me that way!” he declared. “You were raised to respect your elders!”

His entire body trembled with rage and shock at the lingering sting of his father's strike. “I do respect you--”

“Enough!” Amber clashed against amber in a fit of rage. “I will not tolerate your drivel about your infatuation with drums, and I most certainly will not tolerate your lies! You do not respect me, but you will! You will not push me away like you did your girlfriend.”

Inuyasha tensed. “I told you what happened with Kikyo. I didn't push her away,” he said in a tight voice.

“Really?” He looked around the room theatrically. “Then tell me, where is she? I don't see her. If you didn't push her away, why isn't she here with you?”

“She fucked around on me!” he screamed, his own fists clenched now.

Another teeth-chattering slap, this time across the other cheek. “You will not curse at me!”

“Fuck you!” Inuyasha snapped violently. “I'm not going to be a fucking yuppie like you and Sesshomaru! And Kikyo is a fucking whore, so if you miss you so much, give her a call. I'm sure she'd fuck you, too!”

His father visibly shook, his piercing eyes bleeding red in fury, and Inuyasha shrank back a little, fearing a worse retribution than a smack. But just as his face began to stretch in fearsome transformation, he closed his eyes and returned to normal, projecting a false calm. When he opened his eyes again, he didn't look at his youngest son. He didn't speak to him. He just opened the front door and walked out, slamming it behind him.

Inuyasha watched him go, surprised by the tears in his eyes, and wondered if his father would ever forgive his outburst. Running his trembling hand under his nose, he turned and sat on the couch in his father's house, numb from pain and shocked at his own words. They may not have had the most wonderful of father-son relationships, but Inuyasha had never before spoken to him in such a way. But his ultimatum had been the latest in a long line of offenses that left Inuyasha feeling decidedly rejected, and his tactfulness had cracked.

Deciding to wait out his return, he took a shaky breath and leaned back on the couch, distractedly turning on the TV. He would apologize because he was obligated to, and his father probably wouldn't… and that would have to be fine. But one way or another, they would be okay. He just had to wait until his father cooled down and came back….

*~*~*~*

Inuyasha gritted his teeth and veered off toward the nearest exit in search of some privacy. The last thing he needed right now was to lose his shit in front of everybody, much less his brother. But just before he reached the door, he caught the scent of something familiar, and not entirely welcome, and he froze on the spot, his hand braced against the door.

His eyes widened as he inhaled sharply, his emotions warring within him for a suitable response to the scent of the woman who threatened his sanity. Was she here? Would that even be possible?

He snapped his head up to look into the direction from which he detected her, and sure enough, there she was, swathed in a black floor-length gown that showed just enough cleavage to make Inuyasha's mouth go dry. Her long hair was pinned up in an intricate way, a few loose curls elegantly spilling over the silky skin of her otherwise bare shoulder. Her arm was linked with that of Koga, who was looking as smug and cocky as ever as he glad-handed Sesshomaru. Inuyasha watched Kagome plaster a fake smile on her face as she dipped her head to his bastard of a brother, her display of respect disgusting Inuyasha to no end. Sesshomaru returned the subtle bow, and the three of them proceeded to engage in what appeared to be casual conversation, though Inuyasha couldn't hear anything over the low roar of the room filled with jabbering people and the string quartet. At some point, Sesshomaru must have then said something startling, for her expression briefly twisted into one of shock. She quickly recovered, however, and smiled again just before Koga shook Sesshomaru's hand again and led her away.

She was as gorgeous as ever, despite the fact that she seemed a little uncomfortable. Inuyasha imagined she wasn't accustomed to dressing so formally, if he knew anything about her at all, and he had to admit that as beautiful as she looked in the flattering gown, it just didn't suit her. Still, Inuyasha couldn't take his eyes off her, and so he continued to ogle her from across the room for all of ten more seconds before reality finally struck him.

`What the hell is she doing here?'

***

Kagome sighed to herself as Koga dragged her through the glamorously decorated ballroom, taking absolutely no pleasure in the knowledge that he was showing her off. This was so typical of him, and she realized it was yet another reason she was glad she didn't let him buy her a gown; the one he picked out would have undoubtedly left nothing to the imagination.

The real surprise had come when Sango's father had met the girls for lunch at the mall when they were shopping for her dress. Apparently, Sango had told him about the charity ball Kagome was going to--thankfully without mentioning the drama with Koga--and he had offered to buy Kagome her dress, knowing she was going to have trouble affording one that would be appropriate for such a formal event. Of course, she had refused at first, but when he insisted, she blushed and gave in, thanking him profusely for his generosity. She knew he was also doing it because he was trying to play the father's role for her since her own father had died so long ago, but she kept that bit of knowledge to herself, hoping that he knew she appreciated it without having to say it aloud. She had a feeling he did.

“Sesshomaru, this is Kagome.”

Kagome blinked at the mention of her name, only now realizing she had tuned out Koga's voice for the past several minutes. She looked up at the tall man--no, youkai--before her and nearly gasped. Sesshomaru was at least a foot taller than she, with silver hair that fell well below his waist. His features were hard and cold, yet beautiful. He was rather intimidating, actually, and she found herself dropping her eyes after a moment. The markings on his face identified him as an inu youkai, which made her feel a tinge of heartache as Inuyasha came to mind. Quickly pushing those thoughts away so as not to be rude, she inclined her head gracefully.

He gave a short bow of his own. “A pleasure to meet you, Kagome.”

“You as well.” She raised her head and gave him a polite smile. “I understand this event is raising money for a scholarship for youkai.”

“Yes,” he replied coolly, the frigidity of his voice nearly making her shiver. “It is a worthy cause.” He looked her over pointedly. “You are young.”

She blushed at his curtness. “Yes, I'm a college student.”

“I see. Where do you attend?”

“LSU. I'm a music performance major.”

He raised a thin eyebrow, appearing as though a sudden awareness just came upon him. Kagome was almost puzzled by it, wondering why that mattered to him, but she found out when he spoke again.

“My half-brother is also a music student at that university. He plays drums.”

She restrained a gasp. `Inuyasha?' Noticing both men were watching her, she smiled again and tried to play it off, quelling her rising panic. “Oh, is he your brother? I know him. He's an excellent percussionist,” she stressed purposefully, not appreciating the disdain with which he spoke of his sibling.

“Yes, that is what he tells me,” he said, and she could hear the mocking tone in his voice.

A brief moment of uncomfortable silence followed, during which Kagome had the distinct impression she was being assessed by him. She resisted the urge to squirm under his sharp gaze, feeling a bit like an ant under the microscope.

And suddenly it was over. “It was pleasant meeting you, Kagome,” he intoned, “but if you'll both excuse me, I have rounds to make.”

“Sure thing,” Koga replied, smiling as he shook his hand again. “We'll see you a little later.”

“I'm sure you will,” he said dismissively.

Koga turned Kagome to walk away, forcing her to switch arms to lock back with him on the other side since he had made abundantly clear before they arrived that evening that she was to remain on his arm all night. She sighed, wondering why she let him make such a demand of her, especially since it was so uncharacteristic of him.

“What do you think of Sessh?”

“He's delightful,” she said, rolling her eyes. “When is dinner served?”

Koga chuckled. “Why? Are you hungry?”

“A little,” she gritted out, put off by his condescending tone. What was with him tonight?

“How about we go get something to snack on? They have a cheese display over by the ice sculpture,” he suggested.

“That's fine.” Kagome resisted the urge to sigh as she let him lead her toward the hors d'oeuvres platters, wondering how long they would have to be here tonight. Inuyasha was now inescapably on her brain, and her chest was starting to feel tight at the thought of the hanyou she had rejected those two weeks ago.

As they reached the food, she shivered, the fine hairs at the base of her hairline standing on end. `I'm being watched,' she realized, her heart thumping.

Koga looked at her, concerned. “Are you all right?”

“I'm fine,” she replied quickly, suddenly feeling on edge. She waited until he turned forward again before chancing a glance over her right shoulder.

And the floor dropped out beneath her feet.

There he was. He was staring at her, intensely, but this stare was not the same as the one he had given her in the rehearsal hall a few days earlier. This was much harder, and much angrier.

She frowned. Why was he here? Did Sesshomaru make him come?

“Goat or brie?”

Kagome spun her head to face Koga again. “Excuse me?”

He smiled, gesturing toward the elaborate array of cheeses on display. “What would you like? They also have bleu--”

“Anything is fine,” she cut him off before he rattled off every cheese available. He actually let go of her arm so he could put together a small plate, and she saw the opportunity for a brief escape. Taking a deep breath, she gingerly touched the back of Koga's shoulder. “Will you excuse me for a moment? I'm going to the ladies' room.”

Turning toward her, he offered her a very wolfish smile, igniting her suspicion. “Sure, babe. I'll meet you back here. Don't go too far, okay?”

“Thanks,” she muttered peevishly, already turning away. Quickly making her way to the nearest set of double doors, she pushed through them and entered the empty hallway. Not knowing if this was where the restrooms were--and not caring--she turned the corner and stopped to lean back against the wall, her face in her hands.

Struggling to keep her breathing under control, she forced herself to take long, slow breaths. Only now that she was alone did she realize the significance of Inuyasha's presence at this event, or rather, her own presence. Koga worked with Sesshomaru; she knew that much now. The pieces all started falling into place, and the more she understood, the angrier she became. She clenched her jaw. That asshole! She knew he was still jealous over Inuyasha, no matter how many times he had told her in the past two weeks that he trusted her. And now this? Did he really bring her here just to snub Inuyasha? And what about Inuyasha? Did he think she knew he would be here? That she would come to throw Koga in his face? Isn't that basically what she was doing?

Kagome trembled as a tear escaped each eye, a violent sob threatening to rack her body as she struggled to get a hold of herself, but her brain was jumbled and wouldn't allow her to think straight. All she could think of was Inuyasha and the angry, hurt expression on his gorgeous face and the fact that she was the one who put it there. Would he ever forgive her? Would she ever get over him? Would they ever get past this pain and have an actual friendship?

Did she honestly believe she really just wanted to be his friend?

She shook her head and took another shaky breath, letting it out slowly. None of this mattered right now, because tonight Koga was her date, and unless she wanted to cause a big scene (no, thank you) or be stranded in New Orleans without a ride home (equally out of the question), there was nothing to be done for it. She would have to suck it up and get through the night with Koga, and do her best to ignore Inuyasha.

`Because ignoring your problems has always worked out well for you, hasn't it?' her conscience mocked her.

Frowning, she sniffled once more and wiped under her eyes, fairly certain she was calm enough to rejoin Koga in the ballroom. Smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles on the sleek skirt of her gown, she turned the corner to head back toward the doors, projecting much more fortitude than she was feeling.

Upon reaching them, she stopped and looked inside the small window, seeing some guests dancing to the lovely chamber music while others stood along the edges of the dance floor chatting with glasses of wine or martinis in their hands. Somehow feeling more miserable--and not in the mood to be around so much merriment--she scanned the room for Inuyasha, but saw no sign of him. Feeling both relieved and saddened that he wasn't there, she wondered briefly where he had gone, and just as suddenly squeezed her eyes shut. `Stop thinking about him!' she chastised herself, longing and duty battling for dominance inside her. Determinedly raising her chin, she pulled open the door and stepped back into the ballroom, almost immediately catching Koga's eye near the bar, as if he had been looking for her. He smiled and waved her over.

`Showtime,' she thought dejectedly, and forced a smile as she waved back and headed in his direction.

As the night went on, she again found herself in Sesshomaru's company once again as he and Koga discussed various topics of their workplace. She learned that Inuyasha's older brother was a contract specialist at the publishing company, and although he didn't associate much with the marketing division which Koga headed, the two had formed some sort of friendship over the past several years. Sometimes they ate lunch together, although Sesshomaru often worked through his lunch hour, and other times they would clash over certain topics of interest, especially politics.

`How fascinating,' Kagome thought snidely as she took a large gulp of her Amaretto.

Desperate for a change in subject, she took advantage of the next break in conversation. “So, Sesshomaru, your event seems to be going well, judging by how many people have showed up. How much money do you think you'll earn for the scholarship?”

“It's difficult to say,” he replied, as stoic as ever. “The silent auction has yet to begin. Likewise, not everybody paid to attend.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. For instance, my half-brother was not required to pay for his ticket. I allowed him free entry since I ordered him to come,” he explained emotionlessly.

Kagome fought a sneer for the umpteenth time that evening. “My, how generous of you.”

“Indeed,” he replied, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Say, where is InuBaka, anyway?” Koga asked, looking around.

Head snapping to the side, Kagome shot him a menacing glower. “It's Inuyasha,” she hotly corrected him before realizing her slip-up.

Sesshomaru's eyebrow raised inquisitively like it had earlier, and Kagome blushed and looked away, hoping he didn't pick up on anything he wasn't supposed to. Koga, on the other hand, gave her a much more unpleasant stare, which touched her already frayed nerves in a way he probably wasn't expecting: she wanted to slap that look right off his face. She might have done so, too, had Sesshomaru not then spoken again.

“Well, why don't we see if we can find him.”

She tensed, forgetting her disgust with the wolf and quickly scanning her brain for any possible means of escape, but she was far too slow for the inu youkai.

“There is the whelp. Inuyasha,” he called.

Kagome dropped her eyes and stared at her twisting fingers as the seconds ticked by like hours. She would later swear that she could literally feel Inuyasha's approach by his stare that seemed to weigh her down, pressing on her being with an intensity that took her breath away. Biting her lip anxiously, she closed her eyes and prayed to be delivered from this situation.

“Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru spat his name with something akin to revulsion. “We were just speaking of you. I trust you're enjoying yourself?”

“I'm having a fan-fucking-tastic time, Sessh.”

Kagome winced, keeping her head down.

“Watch your tongue in front of my guests. Inuyasha, this is Koga Watanabe; he is the Marketing Director at the company I work for. And I believe you already know Miss… apologies, but I didn't catch your last name.”

“Higurashi,” Inuyasha supplied, purposefully beating Koga to the punch.

Kagome's head shot up when he said her name, noting with an odd amount of anxiety that he wasn't looking at her, but instead at Koga with a surprisingly cool façade in place. Koga, in turn, dropped Kagome's arm only to plant his own firmly around her waist. “Heh. Nice to see you again, half-breed. I was afraid I wouldn't have the pleasure of speaking with you again after our little discussion at Chimes a couple weeks ago.”

Face sufficiently crimson, Kagome closed her eyes. `What is he doing?!'

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Inuyasha cooly replied, sounding disturbingly like his brother. “I see you still have Kagome under lock and key. You really know how to treat your woman, don't you, wolf?”

`God, please don't let them start this here!' she pleaded silently.

“At least I have a woman, mutt,” he retorted, his grip on her waist tightening possessively. “Where's yours? Or are you still trying to steal what belongs to someone else?”

“Feh. I don't remember seeing a ring on any woman I was interested in.”

“Just because a bitch ain't married doesn't mean she's available.”

That did it! “If you gentlemen will please excuse me,” she hissed, directing her heated glare at Koga, and without another word, hauled herself out of his hold and left the three in her dust as she marched her way to the other side of the room.

Doing her best to show poise so as not to attract any more attention than necessary, she slowed her stride and folded her hands in front of her, willing herself calm. Spotting the string quartet on the low stage, she altered her course for their direction, snagging a champagne flute from an offered tray as she maneuvered her way through the crowd. She reached a respectable distance and stopped, taking a small sip and letting the bubbles and the music soothe her raging nerves. The music swelled and crested, and she forced herself to focus on the crescendo and the deep, rich rhythm of the cello, who was quite good. She almost smiled, but couldn't keep the scene out of her head with Inuyasha and Koga and their incessant dick-waving.

`So much for not making a scene,' she griped to herself, taking another sip of champagne. Sesshomaru also seemed to be one of the bad guys, she decided, as she was certain he had an idea of what would occur when he called Inuyasha over. She huffed a little and made a mental check mark next to his name, officially adding him to her shit list.

“Meet me on the balcony in five minutes,” came the sudden murmur behind her ear.

Gasping at his sudden presence and the huskiness of his baritone voice, she turned her head a fraction to the left, aware that Koga could be watching her, and caught the slightest glimpse of silver hair. “What did you say?” she whispered.

“You heard me,” he growled.

Her eyes shut involuntarily as his warm breath fanned over her ear, causing a quiver to run up her spine. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she opened her eyes and turned her head just a little more so she could get a glimpse of his face. “But you….”

He was already gone.

Facing forward again as blood rushed to her cheeks, Kagome chewed her lip. What was he going to say to her? That he hated her? That he never wanted to see her again? Her heart constricted at the thought, and she almost laughed aloud at her own indecisiveness. The man was officially driving her crazy, and if what Sango relayed from Miroku was true, the feeling was mutual. `He must despise me,' she thought miserably, knowing she deserved it if he did.

But what would be so wrong about meeting him outside? At least she could allow him to get whatever he needed to say off his chest, which would be the least she could do after being so harsh to him before. And if Koga were to see them and get pissy, he would just have to get over it.

She suddenly felt a little smug at the idea of Koga finding them together, and she couldn't help the satisfied smile that came to her face as she pictured him fuming. A little surprised by her fantasy, she contemplated the meaning behind it, unable to ignore the fact that it wasn't just his abhorrent behavior tonight that was turning her sour toward him. A new side of him had begun to show in the last few weeks, and it was ugly. Ever since Inuyasha had come into the picture, things had been different between them.

`No. It's not just that.' She shuddered a little as she finally forced herself to admit the truth: they were never really right for each other. Even before, when he was seemingly the perfect boyfriend, the spark was never there, and no amount of “trying” on her part was going to change that. Maybe… maybe it was time to face reality. `Sango was right,' she realized, remembering their argument. `It's just not going to work with him. Now, how to tell her without supersizing her ego?'

She sighed, knowing she had stalled long enough. No matter what came of her and Koga, she needed to hear Inuyasha out, even if it meant breaking her heart in the process. Downing the rest of her liquid courage, she handed her glass to a passing waiter and applauded distractedly for the ensemble as they finished their piece before taking her first steps toward the nearest door, trying her best to look casual. As she neared her exit, her heart began to pound in her chest as it had earlier in the hallway, and just as before, she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself before she faced the possible storm on the balcony. It would not do to come to him in a state of panic; this was for him, not her. She would not deny him his chance to say to her what he obviously needed to say, and she would accept whatever it was with as much grace as she could muster. With shaking hands, she pushed the latch and opened the door, unaware of her audience as she exited the ballroom.

***

Narrow blue eyes watched Kagome walk through the same door the half-breed had passed through not five minutes earlier. His lips morphed into an expression of true and simple rage as the door gently clicked shut behind her, marking the actuality of her departure.

“Where do you suppose she's going?” Sesshomaru asked in as much of a teasing voice as he would allow.

He never moved his eyes from the closed door, ignoring the jab for now. All he could focus on was the fact that she was betraying him. Again. She promised she would work harder on their relationship, but here she was, going to that fucking hanyou. Still, he had told her he trusted her, and he couldn't go back on that now. He had to believe she was going to say her good-byes to the piece of shit; his suspicion of anything else would only prove he really didn't trust her. `Ten minutes, Kagome,' he thought, piercing his palms with his claws. `You have ten minutes, and then I'm coming for you.'

***

After finally finding her way through the corridors, Kagome opened the door to the deserted riverfront balcony, relishing the warm breeze floating off the water. It was still fairly humid, especially at night, but the fresh air was a welcome reprieve from the stuffiness inside the ballroom.

“What are you doing here?”

She turned to the sound of his voice, letting the door click shut behind her. “You told me to meet you here,” she replied softly, feeling butterflies do circuits in her stomach.

“That's not what I meant and you know it,” he countered, his voice low and even. The light from the moon highlighted the brighter strands of silver in his hair as he stood at the far end of the balcony, not twenty feet away, with his hands braced on the rail as he leaned over it to look down at the river shore below. “Why are you at this event? Tonight? With him?” he spat accusingly.

She shrugged helplessly, staying where she was for the moment. “I'm only here because I was invited. I didn't know you would be here,” she said honestly.

“Don't.”

Kagome looked at him again. “Don't what?”

“Don't do that.” He stood upright but still faced the water, his hands remaining on the railing. “Don't try to make me feel better with your excuses.”

She took a hesitant step toward him. “They're not excuses --”

“I said, don't!” he shouted, finally turning to look at her. His eyes, normally so bright and vivacious, were dull, even in the moonlight. “Don't pull that shit, Kagome. Not tonight. I don't need it.”

“It's not shit! I mean it! I didn't want to hurt you!” she pleaded, fisting her hands.

He scoffed coldly. “Well, that's exactly what you did, isn't it? And now here you are tonight, with him. He's dangling you in front of me like a piece of fucking meat, and you're just letting him do it. So, now what? What are you going to do now? You gonna throw me over the rail into the river? Maybe I'll land on a pile of rocks--”

“Stop it, Inuyasha!” she cried, her heels clicking loudly on the concrete floor as she ran toward him. She stopped just short of colliding into him and grabbed the lapels of his tuxedo jacket, looking into his eyes as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. “Don't say things like that! I swear I didn't mean to hurt you! I would never want to see you hurt, and the fact that you are and that I'm the reason for it is killing me!” She sniffled, holding onto him as if he would disappear if she let go. “I know I don't deserve for you to hear me out after everything I've said and done--”

“No. You don't.”

She had been afraid he would say that. Sagging, she closed her eyes and bowed her head, letting her hands drop in resignation and wondering if this was it; the end that she had so miserably predicted inside.

He caught one of her hands in his much larger one, and her head snapped up in surprise, noticing his eyes had softened a bit. “But I'll listen to you anyway,” he offered, a small grin tugging on his lips.

She smiled tentatively back at him, relieved that he didn't hate her, at least. She wasn't sure what had changed his tune so abruptly, but if it was anything like what was affecting her, she imagined it had something to do with their sudden proximity. She could feel the heat of his body radiating from under his tuxedo, warming her and wrapping around her body. She swallowed hard, distantly trying to remember if they had ever been this close to each other before tonight, touching hands, breathing the same air, in relative privacy and dim moonlight. His demeanor visibly calmed, and it calmed her as well, the stress of the past week drifting away with the warm breeze. The tightness and anger that he had been wearing all night had softened into something that was making those butterflies in her stomach start up again.

Realizing he was still holding her hand, she suddenly blushed and looked down. She wasn't sure if she could explain herself to him while looking into his eyes if he was touching her like this. “Inuyasha, I'm so sorry, I--”

“Kagome, look at me,” he said, his voice dropping an octave.

She shuddered at the command in his voice, and then blushed more brightly as heat pooled in the pit of her belly. A little more baffled by her body's reaction to him than she cared to admit, she took a calming breath and slowly looked up into his pools of gold, nearly feeling like she could fall into their depths.

He raised her hand to his shoulder, using his other to trace her cheek with his calloused fingertips. “Don't look away when you're trying to talk to me. I always want to see your face,” he said, his underlying meaning hitting her like a freight train.

The words she wanted to say to him--the apologies, the pleas for his forgiveness--were flying out of her brain faster than she could track, and she found herself simply moving her mouth, unable to put any coherent thought together. The warm breeze kissed her face, and without thinking, she licked her lips, drawing his attention unerringly to her mouth. She felt almost feverish under the weight of his heated stare, the first hints of desire sparking to life deep inside her. She shifted her weight restlessly, all too aware of the fact that this was the only man who had ever lit up her fire like this. `I never felt this with what's-his-face,' she thought distantly, breathing a little deeper.

Inuyasha took the opportunity of her flustered silence to look over her appearance, his intense gaze shining with appreciation. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

The palms of her hands began to sweat as her nerves jumped a mile a minute all through her body. His voice was doing something to her now, something much more intense that she wasn't ready to deal with. “It's j-just a dress,” she weakly pointed out.

“Not that.” He brushed her cheek again before moving his fingers to her shoulder, making her skin tingle. “The dress is great, and you look amazing in it, but that's not what I was talking about.” With one step, he closed the small gap between them, slowly running his fingers down her arm to land on her waist. Her heart started pounding relentlessly. “I meant you. Regular clothes, no makeup, hair down…. You, Kagome, are absolutely…” he leaned in, “…positively beautiful,” he whispered, almost touching her lips.

“Don't let him kiss you, Kagome.”

Sango's voice rang in her head with the warning she had given her three weeks earlier as Kagome fell under the spell of Inuyasha's warm breath ghosting her skin. He licked his lips as he fanned his strong fingers across the small of her back, igniting her skin.

“Do not let him kiss you!”

But Kagome was quickly discovering that she no longer cared about the consequences. She no longer cared about the dangers of kissing Inuyasha, what it would do to his instincts, or what Koga might do, or any other bullshit reason to not give in to him.

As he closed in on her, one hand on her back pressing her body against his and the other hand grasping hers on his shoulder, she looked deeply into his heavy-lidded eyes and immediately found herself drowning inside them, effectively under his spell. She knew it was dangerous, this would-be trap she was descending into with him. But oh, what a fall.

`I just don't care anymore.'

Inuyasha pulled back slightly, causing her to hold her breath as he gazed back into her eyes. “Wench.”

Kagome exhaled, offering him a sly smirk. “Ass.”

He grinned, then descended upon her lips and claimed them as his own with the quiet river as his secret witness.

******************************************

A/N: Back when I was first writing this, I commissioned the wonderfully talented KrisCynical for the kiss scene in this chapter, and she did, as Inuyasha would say, a fan-fucking-tastic job. Please go check it out - it made me all squishy inside when I saw it again. You can find it on her DeviantArt profile, entitled “COMMISSION - On the MS River” (or you can just google the title). And on that note, I highly recommend her for anyone looking for a commission. She was very professional, fairly priced, and gave me exactly what I asked for (including suggestions when I wasn't sure about details).