InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Rivers of the Heart ❯ The Good Times and the Bad ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Inuyasha or any of its characters. That wonderful honor goes to Rumiko Takahashi.

Please forgive any spelling or grammar errors.

Sorry it took so long to update, please forgive me.

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

Takes place the same day as the last chapter.

Rivers of the Heart

Chapter Seven: Good Times and the Bad

Sesshoumaru observed the vibrant, electrifying colors of Totosai's club, Twin Blades. He sneered at the man before him. The bouncer was taking him to the VIP lounge where Totosai, the old coot's partner, and Rin awaited him. People…he fucking hated them. They were a bunch of pathetic imbeciles who never failed to annoy the hell out him. He was surrounded; they pushed against him as he maneuvered in the crowd. As he passed, women seemed to begin drooling on him, pissing him off further.

It wasn't long before the bouncer reached the stairs and they began their trek upwards towards the room that overlooked the dance floor. Music blasted into his ears, and lights of all colors flickered at him, drawing his attention. The smell of alcohol and cheep perfume assaulted his nose and the heat radiating off sweating bodies further deepened Sesshoumaru's mood.

He entered the room when the tall, thick bouncer opened the black door for him. He was welcomed with the goofy grin of an old man, a mischievous smirk from the partner, and a partial smile from Rin as her eyes seized him up and down. He greeted the trio with forced pleasantries and took a seat in the booth next to Rin.

The room was completely black with highlights of silver. A large window allowed viewers to look out into the crowded club. There was a single table in the room with a booth that wrapped almost completely around it. The only other thing in the small area was a bar against the back wall.

"What do you think of my humble place, Sesshoumaru?" Totosai chattered out, his large eyes attempting to read the man's expression.

Sesshoumaru stared at Rin from the corner of his eye. He found it hard to form words, as his mind rendered her absolutely breathtaking. She wore black mini-skirt accenting her beautiful thighs. Her pink blouse extended to her knees while the front arched around her navel, exposing her delicate belly ring, he obviously failed to notice that night. The shirt was v-cut and its long sleeves extended down her arms and flowered out with long waving fabric at her wrist. Her long brown tresses followed down her back and over her shoulders. Her makeup was very light, almost nonexistence, allowing everybody to see her true beauty.

"Sesshoumaru?" her voice flowed into his ears catching his complete attention.

She smirked at him, "Totosai asked you a question," she stated raising an eyebrow at him. Rin licked her lips to refrain from breaking out into a full brown grin. She had caught him staring at her, if he had really satisfied his desire for her then he eyes would have not been so clouded with lust a few moments ago. Okay, maybe it wasn't lust she wanted from him, but it was something she could use to figure out why he had said all those things to her that night.

His words hurt, more than he would ever know. But slowly her senses were coming back to her, the pain dulling to a weak ache, and now she was a woman on a mission. She would call his bluff, because the more she ran through that night in her mind the more she realized that things didn't add up. She wasn't going to give him up because of that kiss he gave her before he exploded told her that he cared for her at least a small fraction.

"My apologies, what was the question?" Sesshoumaru asked unfazed by the interruption of his thoughts.

An hour passed as the four spoke of possible plans for the club and various tactics for its advertising. Rin was quickly becoming bored, her mind began to be drawn by the muffled music of the dance floor below.

"Miss Rin, an acquaintance of mine, informed me that you and him were quite the couple," Kaijinbou remarked, also getting bored with business.

"Really? And who might this acquaintance be?" she asked, reaching for her strawberry daiquiri and taking a sip.

"Hiten…ah…damn I do not recall his last name at the moment."

Rin rolled her eyes, figures that bastard would spread lies. She shot a look over at Sesshoumaru wishing for a reaction. She could tell his jaw was clenched, and his hand made a fist in his lap. Rin blinked, she hadn't expected anything from him. An idea worked its way into her mind and she diverted her gaze to keep from smiling.

"Hiten? Oh yes, he is what you could say `my knight in shinning armor,'" she said even though her mind was referring to Hiten as pond scum. She made sure to keep her eyes away from Sesshoumaru directly but indirectly she watched his fist.

"That is good to hear. Hiten is a very wealthy man with a solid foundation, he'll make a good husband someday," Kaijinbou responded, earning a look of disgust from Totosai.

`Sure, he'll beat his wife within an inch of her life while at the same time destroying her self-esteem and identity with his words,' she thought bitterly.

"Has he proposed yet, the way he spoke of you, told me that you were the one for him." Kaijinbou continued unaware of what was happening around him.

Totosai always dislike Hiten, he was always causing trouble in his other clubs so the old man began wondering if his partner had had too many drinks for the night. Rin's face held an expression of interest and happiness while her thoughts cursed Hiten into the pits of hell. And Sesshoumaru…Sesshoumaru was two breaths away from strangling the odd looking man for even mentioning the idea of his Rin marrying that asshole.

"Yes, he has many times but up till I have refused his advances."

"Why? If you don't mind that I ask "

Rin bit her bottom lip, `this has to work, please tell me my instincts aren't wrong,' she thought before calming her nerves to keep her voice from breaking as she spoke, "No, it's okay. Um well, unfortunately I'm in love with another man. And I couldn't see my life with Hiten so long as there was hope for my chances with this other man…but, recently I was force to realize the man doesn't love me and he made it clear he never would," she closed her eyes for moment to gain control of the tears that wanted to fall, "So, since there is no hope left for me, I have decided to accept Hiten's proposal the next time he asks."

Sesshoumaru reached for his drink and downed in one gulp in response to Rin's announcement. His heart and mind was in frantic chaos, and he despised every second of it. It was her fault. Her fault for making him fall in love with him, her fault for making him lose control of his thoughts and emotions, her fault for turning his world upside down. Now it was his fault that she was actually contemplating on marrying Hiten. He clenched his fist together, his nails piercing his palm and drawing blood.

Totosai shot a look to Sesshoumaru. The silver haired man looked as if he was about to lose it at any given moment. His eyes were darker than normal and the scowl on his face was almost frightening.

"Yes, well don't be to hasty in your decision, young lady. Sometimes us men are brainless and don't know what we had until we have lost it forever," Totosai croaked out, standing, "If you will excuse us, Kaijinbou and I must check on our employees and guests."

The remaining three stood, after partings were exchanged, Sesshoumaru and Rin were left alone in the room. Sesshoumaru sat back down, to angry and confused to acknowledge her presence. He stared vacantly at the empty shot glass before him, the pain in his palm just beginning to register. She would marry Hiten over his dead body.

Rin willed her heart to stop pounding so hard. She had seen the blood he drew with his hand and the look in his eyes the second after the club owners left. It wasn't her imagination; he cared for her to some degree, he had just proven it. But the question was: How much did he care for her? Straightening her posture, she set her mind to find out the answer.

Sesshoumaru sat creating formulas on how to dispose of a dead body so nobody would ever find it. All thoughts went blank when legs straddled his lap, and his lips were taken captive in a fierce embrace. He kissed her back ten fold, his tongue diving into the warm contours of her mouth. His hands wrapped around her tiny waist and pulled her closer, while he fought a moan away when her tongue entwined with his and her little hands fisted in his hair. His Rin, she was his, he could never deny her anything, even his love. He had decided on a rash tactic to protect her, it failed, he would simply have to come up with another, Rin was his, everybody else be damned. He pulled away after a minute needing oxygen in his lungs. His eyes locked with her sad, glassy orbs.

"I thought you only wanted me for a one night stand," she said through a shaky voice.

His facial expression remained as it always did, "What makes you think that I have changed my mind?" He watched her eyes fall close for a moment of time pushing out a single, lone tear to roll leisurely down her rose colored cheek.

Rin reopened her eyes, reached down and grabbed his right wrist, pulling the hand between their bodies. Both pair of eyes looked down at it while her little fingers traced the nail marks on his palm. He quickly realized that this was her answer. He glanced back up at her, mentally wincing when another tear escaped.

"Why…?" it hurt too much to finish the question, but she looked up to stare into his eyes, hoping that he would understand what she was asking. Why did he reject her that night?

It was a long minute before he answered, his face moved closer and closer to hers with each passing second. He could almost hear the sound of her quivering heart pounding against her ribs. Her warm breath teased his lips. His arms held her tight against him, deciding that he was never going to let her go.

"Because Rin," their lips brushed just fleetingly, "I love you," he confessed before claiming her lips as a whimper escaped her mouth. He knew at that instant, that he would never kiss another woman for the rest of his life. He silently vowed his life to her, he would love and want no other woman for as long as he lived. Rin was his just as much as he belonged to her.

--------------------------------

"Kanna?"

"What?"

"Isn't that your sister's fiancée?"

Kanna scanned the dance floor where her cousin was pointing. She brushed her long white hair behind her ear, not seeing him. Sesshoumaru did not dance.

"Over there, the one with that girl in his arms." Souten flickered her arm up and down in the pair's direction.

Kanna finally located the silver haired man. Her eyes narrowed as she observed the couple. Sesshoumaru, the man that was to marry her sister, was out on the dance floor; a young brown haired female stood in front of him, her back and ass pressed against his chest and groin. His arms held her hips possessively while he moved them with the rhythm of his body. Her hands rested over his, her head resting back against his shoulder titled to the side as he placed lingering kisses along her neckline.

"That fucking bastard is cheating on your sister. She's out of town so he thought he could have some fun. Kanna once you call your sister, he is so dead." Souten spoke, straining her eyes to get a good look at the female.

"No, I have a better idea than telling Kagura." Kanna responded monotone, pulling out her phone and flipping it open.

While her cousin pressed buttons on her phone, Souten gasped, "That's the woman, my brother Hiten owns. Oh hell he is going to kill her. He fucking hates Sesshoumaru."

"My father will take care of the both of them," Kanna said, snapping a picture of Sesshoumaru and Rin with her phone then immediately sending the discovery to her father.

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

Kagome sat on her green couch, sliding her brush through Inuyasha's damp hair. The brittles caught a snag and she gently raked the knot from the silver strands. Inuyasha sat on the floor staring blankly ahead of him. She frowned; he had not spoken a word since she had found him out in the rain.

She made him take a long, hot shower especially since he was wet and freezing. After his shower he put on a pair of sweats and a white t-shirt she kept in her apartment for him when Kikyou would kick him out. Now, she just sat brushing through his hair, waiting until he was ready to talk.

Minutes passed and she finished with her small task. She was more than worried. What ever was wrong with him had to be serious, she had never seen Inuyasha so `out of it.' He didn't seem to register anything. Inuyasha's head drooped, and Kagome let out a heavy sigh, scooting to the floor behind him and resting her cheek against his back, her hands rested on his shoulder.

"Kik…" his voice cracked and he cleared his throat softly before continuing, "Kikyou wants a separation."

Kagome gasped, lifting her head and staring at Inuyasha in disbelief, "Why?" she whispered.

Inuyasha's head hung a bit more and he shook it a little, "she says she needs time to her self so she can figure out if she still wants to stay married to me."

She blinked back tears, she never disliked her best friend more than she did at the moment. How could Kikyou do that him? He only wanted to be there for his wife, wanted to know what had happened to her so he could help heal her pain.

"Do you think it's because of the accident?" she asked quietly moving from behind him to sit next to him.

Inuyasha nodded, "I know it is," his hands fisted in his lap, "I hate it, I hate it all. I am so fucking confused right now I am about to go out of my mind. Kikyou doesn't know what the hell she wants, and I want more than anything right now to say just fuck it because of I am sick of her pity parties, and her constant mood swings, and all the fucking decisions she makes without me as if my opinion doesn't matter."

Kagome listened to him vent, knowing he had kept it all pent up for most of the evening.

"I swear something must have happened today. Because the last few days she was actually happy…happy! Then when I get home, she starts screaming tell me she wants a separation so she can think. She goes from one extreme to another I can't keep up. Sometimes I wonder why I married her in the first place, why I even bother with her now…" he trailed off.

When she was sure he was finished at least for the time, she spoke. "Because its not in your nature to just walk away. I don't know what is in your heart or your feelings for her but I do know you have a bleeding heart for those you care about and it hurts you to see her in so much pain while she pushes you away. Your entire existence cries out to fix things so that she doesn't have to be sad anymore. That's why you bother."

Inuyasha looked her directly in the eyes for the first time since he left work earlier that day. He was almost overwhelmed with the level of concern and understanding evident in her watery eyes. A thought raced across his mind and as it vanished left him feeling worse than he had before. If Kikyou decided to divorce him, then he would be free to love Kagome like his heart demanded he should, Kagome could be his. He immediately moved his stare to his lap wishing that the throbbing of his head would cease enough so he could think properly. Things were already complicated enough, his love for Kagome and their relationship would only complicate things more. He needed to deal with one thing at a time.

"Want some coffee?" Kagome asked, figuring he needed to think some more. When Inuyasha merely shrugged she got up to start the coffee maker in case his display of indecision actually meant yes.

His mind continued to dwell on Kagome; he couldn't take it off her. He loved her more than he could comprehend adding to his distraught state. A battle began between his emotions, each one fighting for dominance; guilt, anger, and pain being the strongest. He stood stretching his aching muscles. A growing part of him wanted to be happy at the opportunity to be with the woman he loved, and it was slowly starting to kill him. He loved Kikyou but nowhere near the intensity or strength that he loved her best friend. He was quickly starting to lose his mind because of the raging conflict of needing to be with Kagome yet remaining true to Kikyou.

Kagome walked back over to him, a red mug in hand and a gentle, serene smile on her lips. He gave her a weak grin in return, taking the cup, and muttering a "thank you."

He took a few sips before moving to set it down on the end table. It only took a few seconds before he was standing before Kagome again. His eyes searched hers for a long time before pulled her into an embrace.

Kagome let her eyes fall close as she hugged him back, a few tears managed to work their way out, tickling her nose and cheek as they rolled across her face. He pulled away just enough to place his forehead against her hers before he spoke.

"I don't know what is going to happen in the next few weeks…months…years…but I just want, no need to tell you at least one more time that I love you."

Her chin quivered matching the quaking in her heart. It should be wrong to feel this way for a married man let alone her best friend's husband but she couldn't stop herself. And now there was hope for them to be together eventually and she felt absolutely horrible for even thinking of it. She didn't realize she was crying again until she felt his lips kiss them away.

For a moment she was speechless at the sensation he was causing in her with just simple touches, "I love you too…so much," she said just before she was caught up into a heavy, emotion consumed kiss.

His hands pressed the small of her back tightly against him while their mouths expressed all that was unspoken between them. When the overwhelming urge to lose himself with her began to overtake him, he pulled away.

"I'm sorry" he responded, his chest heaving for air.

"It's okay," she offered him a weak smile.

Inuyasha reached up and stroked her check with the palm of his hand, "Kagome?"

She closed her eyes leaning into his touch, her arms still around his neck, "Yes?"

"I know I have no right to ask this but…"Inuyasha took a deep breath of air "…could I hold you in my arms just tonight and pretend that none of this is happening, that its only me and you in world? I don't want to think about anything but how it feels to hold you, I just want to be reminded of how happiness is supposed to feel."

Kagome bit back tears at the sound of his voice, he sounded desperate yet equally ashamed. How could she deny him? She took a moment to calm her trembling body before nodding her answer. Reopening her misty eyes, she took his hand in hers, before placing a chastised kiss on his cheek then leading him to her bedroom.

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

Naraku chuckled at the news he had just received. He stared out the large window of his office as it filtered the brilliant lights of the city into the room.

"Sir, we've just reviewed the recorded conversation between Kikyou and Inuyasha earlier this evening. Ah well, Sir! Kikyou announced to her husband that she wants a separation."

"Perfect…" Naraku's malicious voice echoed through the empty room. Now all he had to do was `play' mister nice guy for a few weeks and he would have the woman who haunted his dreams. She was vulnerable, trusting, and very open for influence. Yes, she will be an easy target now that all the pieces have fallen into place.

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket soon followed by a loud beep indicating to him he had just received a message of some sort. Keeping his eyes focused on the city below, he retrieved his phone and flipped it open.

"What would Kanna be sending me?" he asked after looking down and noticing the sender's number.

He pressed the button to open the message, and a picture began to scan onto his screen. His eyes darkened at the image. He analyzed it for a long period of time before snapping the silver phone shut and setting it on the window seal.

Naraku reached into the pocket located inside his black blazer, and pulled out a cigar as well as a lighter. He stuck the thick brown stick between his lips, holding the solid gold lighter tight in his grasp.

Sesshoumaru dares to dishonor his daughter with a woman not fit be called anything but a manipulating slut. The bastard that dares to break his little girl's heart is seriously looking for a gruesome reality check. Sesshoumaru's thoughtless decisions will not go unpunished. And Rin. Obviously Hiten failed in controlling that little bitch. He would simply have to take matters in his own hands. Rin and Sesshoumaru shall be dealt, without mercy.

*_______________________________________________*

I am so unmotivated to write right now…the last two nights I have worked my butt off to get all three chapters to my stories done and now I am pooped.

Please review, I need my motivation back. ^__^

Until Next Time…