InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tasogare Akatsuki 'Dusk to Dawn' ❯ Sins of Temptation ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: the song lyrics at the beginning of the chap are from the song "Stupid Girl" by Cold. I absolutely love this song, and thought it was perfect for the story.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters, but I do own this plot and the characters I make up with my own twisted imagination.

WARNING: this chapter contains SWEARING, DRUG and ALCOHOL use, mild VIOLENCE, and light SEXUAL SITUATIONS….you've been warned.

(* * *) means change in place, time, point of view, or all three

(~ ~ ~) means a memory, flashback, or dream

Now read and enjoy!

Tasogare Akatsuki 'Dusk to Dawn'

By Gothic-Tinkerbell

Chapter 5 Sins of Temptation

"Wanna love ya, wanna bug ya, wanna squeeze ya…Stupid girl.

Wanna touch ya, wanna take ya, wanna shut ya…Stupid girl.

I can't take this.

Born to break this.

She's going away, she's going away…what's wrong with my life today?

She's going away, she's going away…what's wrong with my life today?

Stupid girl…Stupid Girl.

I'm a loner, I'm a loser, I'm a winner, in my mind.

I'm a good one, I'm a bad one, I'm a sick one, with a smile.

I can't take this.

Born to break this.

She's going away, she's going away…what's wrong with my life today?

She's going away, she's going away…what's wrong with my life today?

Stupid girl…Stupid Girl."

God how she hated this. The first semi-slow song they play all night, and her she was ducking into the bathroom so her boyfriend couldn't find her.

Kiri slid to the floor, her back against the tile of the Lady's room wall. Her hip-hugging, black plaid pants tightened around her thighs, and her red, midriff, T-shirt rose up her torso as she slumped on the ground.

There were no other girls in the insanely silver bathroom, so she pulled out her black cigarette case with a rose engraving from her back pocket. Kiri tilted her head against the platform of the sinks, lit up her cigarette, and brushed waves of black hair from her face.

Drag after drag, Kiri sat in silence, listening to the vibrating drone of the music outside, and thinking too much.

She didn't know why she was here, beside the fact that Naraku didn't give her much of a choice. The ride to Club Meth had been so awkward with tension, she had been afraid to speak. So the drive had been…quiet.

It wasn't that Naraku had seemed angry, or upset, but there was definitely something bothering him. He had said something to her along the way.

'I'm worried about you.' Naraku had flipped off the booming stereo, and turned occasionally from looking at the road, to glance at her. She sat slumped against the passenger window, staring at the night city from the speeding, black car.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye. 'I'm sorry what?' She had heard him clearly the first time, but she really didn't care or need his reasons to worry about her right now

"I said I'm worried about you." Kiri looked at him faintly. 'Why?"

Naraku didn't answer right away, but when he did it sounded as if he was changing the subject, but Kiri knew that the two were dangerously related.

"I hear you've been talking to people."

The conversation hadn't go on much longer after that, but it had worried her. If Naraku thought that she had been telling people what had been happening between them both, behind closed doors, lately, she really didn't know what he'd do.

Kiri sighed into her cigarette, letting the deadly smoke roll over her ample lips glazed in deep red lipstick.

As she flicked the deadened ashes of her expired cigarette across the ladies room floor, and prepared to light up another one, the door swung open. Accompanying the breath of warm air, was an instant of blasting music, and the chatter of the three women entering the bathroom.

As they walked into the bathroom, their group seemed to disperse, and the tallest of them all, a particularly thin woman with straight brown hair, noticed Kiri on the floor. She did not try to hide her look of arrogance and disgust as she stood for an instant, watching Kiri ignite her silver rose lighter, and then light her cigarette. She puffed at the end of it, trying to get a full drag, and the tall woman questioned her with a great sense of presumption in her voice.

"You do know your not allowed to smoke inside the bathroom?" Kiri pulled the cigarette away from her lips, and blew a thick puff of heavy smoke directly at the woman, a look of 'go fuck yourself' on her face. The woman gave another look of disgust, and stalked off towards the large mirrors on the other end of the bathroom.

As one of the other three left for the mirrors, one stayed behind. Her face was round and tan, with short, brown hair curving around her plump cheeks. The girl looked young, but her womanly curves filled out her short, blue dress.

Kiri grew annoyed when she realized the girl was not just staggered back from the group, but standing and watching her. Kiri had been contemplating the floor, looking head on into the abyss growing in her mind, but she now raised her eyes in a silent, accusing stare.

The girl in the blue dress now realized her mistake, smiling sweetly out of instinct and immediately trying to validate her reason.

"I apologize, it was rude of me to stare. But I was just… fascinated." Kiri's cold stare was her reply.

"Uhh…well you just looked…I mean." The plump girl fumbled with her explanation as she felt the judgment of Kiri's eyes.

The girl sighed. "You looked like you were going to die." Awkward silence followed, and the girl with her slinky, blue dress walked up to Kiri, hand extended, ready to shake.

"My name's Tomi." Her smile flashed with pink braces. But Tomi's sweet expression and hand pulled away when Kiri made no attempt to greet her.

While Tomi stood looking hurt, Kiri took another drag.

Tomi was about to give up and return to her vacuous friends, when Kiri had a change of heart, and regretfully gave her name - she felt oddly sorry for the girl.

"My names Kiri." She said. The pink braces shone again, and Kiri smashed her cigarette butt on the bathroom floor.

"I really am sorry, I always do things like that, stare, ask questions, and just get my nose where it doesn't belong." She chuckled.

Kiri spoke with apprehension. "Really, it's no big deal."

The girl at the mirror, who hadn't asked Kiri about her smoking, now budged into the conversation.

"Do you come here often? I think I've seen you before." She asked, while applying more mascara to her already ink black lashes.

"Yeah. I'm sure I've seen you also." Tomi piped in.

"I come here time to time." Kiri was quiet and reserved, the way she always was with people she didn't know.

"We come here all the time." Tomi began - she was the talkative type. "We use to go to Liquid moon, but they closed that down after the gang shootings. Now me, Reina…" Tomi pointed to the girl at the mirror with mascara. "…and Nana." She gestured to the tall slender girl with brown hair. "Come here, because it's the hottest place in town."

Nana turned away from the mirror. "You mean you always come here, you only drag us with you most of the time." She gave an arrogant look at Kiri. "Tomi's on a desperate search for a boyfriend."

Tomi blushed, and tried to act like the comment didn't embarrass her. She attempted to change the subject.

"What about you Kiri? Do you have a boyfriend?"

Kiri's expression went from contemplative to defensive and almost frightened. She looked up at Tomi with fierce eyes, making it clear she didn't want to answer the question.

"I'm sorry." Tomi retorted automatically. "I didn't know, I was just curious. I had no idea that…" She stopped mid sentence, a look of shock came over her face, as it dawned on her. "He's the reason…isn't he? The reason you're so upset…"

Kiri cut her off. "How old are you Tomi?"

The girl spoke with young innocence. "Well honestly I'm seventeen, but my ID says twenty-one."

Kiri thought back to the tragic hardship that had been her seventeenth year of life. A lot had happened at that point that would control her future from then on.

"As someone young, I give you one piece of advice. Bad things happen to good people, so it's better not to ask questions…you might get the truth."

She spoke with a tone of finality in her words, and Tomi wandered over to the mirror and her friends, without even saying 'sorry' this time.

None of the girls talked for a while, the only sounds were the clicking of compacts, lipstick tubes, and the distant drone of the music in the club. Kiri had returned to her cigarette, and again her mind drifted, until she was pulled back by female voices at the mirrors.

"Did you girls see some of the guys here?" asked Reina.

"I know - complete hotties." Added Tomi.

Nana looked at them both with a smug knowing. "But you won't believe the guy I saw." Nana and Tomi were silent with anticipation. "The leader of the Elite himself…Sesshoumaru. The walking dream with silver hair."

Kiri's ears tuned to their conversation after she caught the name of her gang's greatest threat.

Tomi giggled. "Are you serious?!? He is like the hottest thing to ever come out of uptown." A wide smile stretched her lips. "Did you talk to him?"

The tall, thin, bragging girl's smile faded. "No. But I'm pretty sure he looked at me for while. I'm just waiting for him to come talk to me…you know, play it cool."

Tomi nodded in agreement.

"Oh but that's nothing compared to who I saw." Reina said as she applied a third coat of mascara in the mirror.

"Well I bet your going to tell us." Nana said, angry she was being out done.

Reina looked at her and smiled, "Of course." She put her mascara away and faced the girls.

Without realizing it, Kiri had somehow been drawn into their banter, and was actually somewhat curious who this man was.

"Okay." Reina began painting her story. "Right after we got here, I wanted to get a drink, but the front bar was completely crowded with people. So, I went to the back bar, you know, where all the drug dealers and hard cores hang out, and after I got my Jack Daniels, I walked around a bit, and checked out the people. Then, low and behold, sitting at one of the farthest tables, I saw Naraku."

Tomi gasped, Nana's eyes grew to saucers, and Kiri got off the ground.

Nana interrupted. "Your kidding right. I mean, I've seen him before, but not at a place so mainstream as this."

"I swear I'm not kidding. And girls, he-was-gorgeous." Reina rolled her eye's back to exaggerate her point.

"I think he's kinda creepy…have you heard the rumors?" Tomi muttered.

Reina looked down at the innocent teen. "I know, but isn't that part of the whole attraction. He's got that dangerous appeal, and those eyes - I swear they were on fire. I mean, when he noticed I was staring at him and looked back, I couldn't take it and I rushed right back here."

"Oh my god." Nana wore a smile that instantly came to the lips when fantasies played through the mind.

Reina giggled seductively and bit her lip. "I bet he's an animal in bed."

Kiri couldn't take this anymore, and anger boiled inside of her at these girls who didn't know shit. If they wanted him so bad, they could have him. But they didn't know, and would never understand. And the fact that there was nothing she could do about it angered her even more.

Kiri left the silver women's rooms, slamming the door open and shut, and leaving her burnt out cigarette butts, and three very confused girls.

· * * * * * *

Naraku downed his shot of peppered vodka, and slammed the glass on the smooth tabletop. He wiped his lips clean with his fingers, and then holding his chin in his hand, propped up his tipsy head.

He was staring holes across the room. His dark eyes unfocused, and his mind drifted.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The gathering had adjourned and everything seemed good and settled to him. He had sent Kiri a head to the car and told her to wait there for him. They were just going to go out to get some lunch, and then head back to the apartment before the club, but Naraku still liked to know where she was.

He had stopped to talk to one of his informants for a moment, and was lagging behind when a firm hand was placed on his shoulder. Naraku turned to come face to face with Inuyasha. His second in command's solemn expression was carved in stone.

"I need to talk to you." The tone of his voice didn't seem to leave much room for discussion, and Naraku detested the sound.

"Right now is not a good time…" Inuyasha interrupted him harshly.

"No. We need to talk now."

Naraku was skeptical, but sighed, and gave in. "What the fuck is this about Inuyasha?"

"We can't talk here."

Naraku wore a nasty smile, mocking his friend with sarcasm. "Then lead the way."

Inuyasha motioned to the alleyway with his head, and Naraku followed him reluctantly. Mostly everyone had left, so they could be alone.

When Inuyasha finally stopped, Naraku was about to speak, but was silenced as he was shoved and pinned against the slick wall of the alley. Before he could defy the act of force, he was met with pure anger.

"What the fuck have you been doing to Kiri!?!" Inuyasha still had his hands forcefully on Naraku's shoulders, and he was only inches away so that he was completely understood.

Naraku tried to push Inuyasha off him. "What the…"

"You said you weren't going to do shit like that anymore!" Inuyasha barked through clenched teeth.

The delicate matter was finally dawning on Naraku, and he attempted to keep his own anger under control as he addressed his dimwitted follower. He had eyes of cold fire that met Inuyasha's stare with vigilance.

"I haven't done anything." He stayed calm and preserved, and played innocence with perfection.

"I saw the bruises god damit!" Inuyasha was to the point of slugging Naraku straight in the face, but directed his rage to the alley wall as his fist met with the stone right next to Naraku's head. Inuyasha dropped his head, looked at the ground, and panted as his heart raced with rage.

Naraku took this opportunity to carefully take Inuyasha's wrist, pull his hand from the wall and placed it to his side.

"Ahh, temper, temper." Naraku eyed his companion and subordinate angrily, as he slipped out from his grasp.

"You never hit a girl." Inuyasha whispered, but his voice gained intensity. "You never ever fucking hit a girl!" He punched the wall again, and the sound of the impact reverberated against the mildew festered alley.

Naraku studied him for a moment, and shook his head.

"It's pathetic, you know that don't you?"

Inuyasha finally raised his head to look over his shoulder at Naraku. He didn't say a thing.

"I mean, when have you ever cared about what I've done before? When did you become a night in silver armor, ready to defend the damsel in distress?" There was a moment of tension between the two, as their eyes were locked in a silent battle in which Naraku was undoubtedly victorious. "Never once did you say anything in the past? Why now?" He mused mockingly as a sneer bloomed on his face.

Naraku sighed. "Just know this," He leaned closer to Inuyasha, his expression unpredictable. "You take orders from me. That means I can listen to what you say, but I don't have to care."

Inuyasha was at a loss of words, and took his defeat without pride, honor, or a last word.

"Have a nice day Inuyasha." Naraku clipped. "I will see you at Club Meth tonight."

He left the alley, and headed for his car. He could see Kiri sitting in the passenger seat, watching his approach from the alley as if he was the bringer of death himself.

There was always something about her fear that aroused him. But sadly he wasn't in the mood to bring her to her knees trembling…yet.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Naraku looked up as his informant sat down across from him. He was a thin jittery man, paranoid in a way, and always one to look over his shoulder. But experiencing the punishments he's faced from being a snitch, would make anyone twitch.

The man itched his nose, as he looked at Naraku's slumped form.

"You look like shit."

The glare given by Naraku terminated any further discussion about that, and the snitch knew well when to change the subject. He snapped his fingers repeatedly until an annoyed waitress making rounds came over.

"Tequila please." The waitress left with his order.

"Kazuki, did you bring me anything or not?" Naraku was impatient, and getting drunker by the minute.

Kazuki chewed on his fingernail nervously, and muttered out a reply.

"Sorry boss, didn't get much." His eyes darted around the room, trying to look anywhere but at Naraku.

"Well what did you get?"

"I know that some Elite are coming here tonight. I don't know when, and I don't know who, but they got to be some important people. Other than that information was pretty scarce, but the clubs not that big, your people should be able to find them."

The building in which Club Meth resided was a two story building that once had been used as factory for heavy drug dealers, before the measly law enforcement broke down on them. In short, the place was pretty damn big, and could hold a hell of a lot of people, so though the Elite leaders were well known, it would still be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Naraku was losing tolerance for his informant. "Do you even know why they're here?"

Kazuki gave a jerky shake 'no' of his head, and knocked back his shot of tequila that the waitress had just brought him.

Naraku frowned and stared at the table in thought for a moment, not even lifting his head when he finally spoke.

"Get out of my site, maggot."

Kazuki took the warning nice and clearly, and scurried from the table like a frightened mouse. Naraku put his head back in his hand, and tried to clear his thoughts, and extinguish his anger.

* * * * * * * * *

Kiri plopped down on a leather barstool rubbing her temples in frustration. She was staring off into her own personal consuming void, when the bartender interrupted her.

"Look sweetheart we got a full bar tonight, so if you want to sit you got to order something too."

Kiri looked at the man, her expression threatening, rivaling a madman.

"Vodka on the rocks," she looked him straight in the eyes, "and if you call me sweetheart again…I'll throw something."

The bartender left with her order, returning with less than enthusiastic service. Kiri continued for two more shots, before she began to loosen up and felt like moving around.

She turned around on her barstool and looked out upon the crowd. People danced in a mob like fashion, convulsing to the music till detail seemed to disappear and the forms melted together into a unified congregation of sin. Something inside her wanted to join with them, forget her problems and individuality by becoming one of the pulsing crowd.

But first she needed a lift.

Finishing her fourth shot that sat patiently on the counter, she rose and left the sanctity of the bar. She slowly mingled around the outskirts of the mob, and made her way to the back of the club, filed with scattered tables and questionable behavior. Looking around for her specific need, she spotted a round table in the far right corner with three men sitting at it. They huddled around the tabletop, which was laced with a white powder, almost unnoticeable from her distance - but Kiri knew what she was looking for.

Kiri approached the table, her mood completely changed as she made a show of herself - standing tall, eyes seductive, and flaunting her feminine features. The three men noticed her well before she made it to their table, and they were cautious but interested.

The one in the center of the three had a square, dark face, and a goatee, and watched her with the most intrigue. Kiri returned his stare, and a tacit agreement was formed between them - they both knew why she was coming.

Kiri finally sat down at the table. The center one immediately spoke.

"Oh," he snickered, "well what's a pretty lady like you watching something like this." The man with the goatee gestured to the small mound of fine, white powder, himself, and the two other men snorting it. Kiri looked at him coldly - she was drunk, unhappy, and in no mood to mess with assholes.

"I'm not watching." A wicked and patronizing smile plaid on his lips.

"Then I must ask. What's a pretty lady like you doing with things like this?" Kiri had no patience for him, and was sick of him treating her like she was some untouchable, pure, innocent, little girl. She leaned over the black marble table, her arm under and across her chest, accentuating her breasts - she wanted to make sure they were paying attention.

"So what? A lady can't get fucked up?" The man's wicked smile grew bigger and gained a lustful tint. The look on his face, mixed with the well-groomed goatee around his lips, made him look just like what the old biblical stereotype of Satan should be.

"Would the lady like some help to get fucked." Kiri scowled at him, showing her disgust for him and his too contently watching friends.

"I was talking about the coke, you dip-shit."

The man's smile faded slightly. "And I was talking about you, wench."

Kiri reacted to their sudden flash of anger, and smiled teasingly. "Well, I might think about your offer, if you let me take a hit." Kiri gestured to the pile of cocaine quickly with her finger. The men's smiles returned and the one in the middle signaled to his friend on the right.

The man on the right pulled out a small, rectangular piece, of white, paper, and placed it on the table next to the coke. He then took a small sifter out of his other pocket, and created a thin, white, line of power down the center of the paper. Then with a smile and a wink, pushed the paper across the table to Kiri. He offered her a straw, but she refused. And the three men looked on in wonder, as Kiri bent over the paper, covered one of her nostrils with her thumb, and inhaled the entire line of powered, in one hit, through her nose.

Kiri lifted her face back into their gazes, and shook her head slightly while twitching her nose. She then smiled and tucked a strand of her black bangs that had fallen into her face, behind her ear.

"That's some good shit."

The men were impressed and decided that this girl was worth keeping around. But Kiri ran her fingers through her hair and rose from the black marble table.

"Thanks." Kiri smirked at them and started to walk back to the pulsing dance floor. The man with the goatee looked at his friend on his left and then stood up, calling out to Kiri.

"Hey, what about our offer!" Kiri stopped and slowly turned around. She met their stares with poise and confidence, and the same disgust she had before.

"I said I'd think about it. That doesn't mean I'd say yes." With that Kiri turned and entered the sea of swaying bodies, beneath flashing lights, and it was no use for the men to try and find her. The one with a goatee sat down and hunched over the table, taping his finger on its smooth surface.

"Bitch." He muttered.

But Kiri's injustice in their eyes was soon forgotten at the consumption of more narcotics.

* * * * * *

Kiri felt an arm on her shoulder and turned around. She wasn't disappointed or excited to see Inuyasha smiling at her with a glass of liquor in his hand.

"Yo." His lips curled up in a cocky smile.

"Hey." She replied weakly.

Kiri could tell what he was thinking as he looked her up and down, smelling the alcohol on her breath, and the red hue creeping into the corners of her eyes.

Inuyasha frowned. "Are you okay?"

Kiri smiled facetiously. "Never better."

"You're not very convincing." He said, half joking, half worried.

"Damn." The same frustrated smile crossed Kiri's lips. "I guess I have to work on my acting skills."

"But seriously, what's bothering you?"

Kiri sighed. Too much of her life was crumbling in the palm of her hands. Not like she had much control over it anyway, but the pieces just seemed to keep falling, falling.

"I don't really want to talk about it." Kiri took a new interest in her shoes, as she avoided Inuyasha's stare.

He saw that she was turning away, and he made a drastic move to keep her interest.

"I talked to Naraku today…" No longer than did he utter those words, did Kiri's eyes fix on him in unadulterated accusation.

Surprised by the sudden hostility towards him, Inuyasha tried to defend himself.

"I was only…" She cut him off.

"It was you?" She whispered. Kiri drew closer to Inuyasha, getting in his face. She looked up at him menacingly, not letting him speak. "You're the one who ratted me out?"

"I didn't rat you out…"

"Shut up!" She began to chuckle dryly to herself. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Inuyasha tried to apologize. "I was only trying to help."

"You would have helped more if you had just kept your big mouth shut, and you nose out of where it doesn't belong."

"I was worried about you Kiri."

"Well you better be worried now!" She smiled wickedly, her fear playing out ironically on her lips.

Inuyasha put his hand on her shoulder. He looked into her eyes.

"What is he going to do you?" He began to shake his head slowly, "Cuz Kiri I swear I will beat the shit out of him if…"

Kiri brushed Inuyasha's hand off her shoulder, and shoved him, his drinking spilling onto the ground. "Your a little late."

She stalked off into the crowd of people on the dance floor. Inuyasha watched her go, again feeling out of control of the situation, and guilty for making it worse.

· * * * * * *

Sesshoumaru made his way through the scattered crowds of people. It wasn't very difficult, because they all seemed to move aside for him, except for the few who froze like a deer in headlights, desperate to say something, to touch the infamous figure - but who were all to afraid.

His face was set in a silent but intimidating stare, and wisps of his silver dyed hair fell to his face, giving him a mystical look, as they brushed against his tattooed markings.

The staircase to the second floor lay before him as his destination. But an impulse caused him to side-glance and pick up a familiar face.

Sesshoumaru stopped to look. A girl with a despairing face was shoving her way through the dancing people. Something caused him to watch her for a moment - her face seemed so familiar, but he couldn't place where he had seen her before.

Then their eye's met. The girl had raised her head to avoid being hit in the face by a waving arm, and she locked her eye's with his stare.

Sesshoumaru noticed how fleeting the moment was. The figure of despondent beauty almost seemed to cower and flee from him instantly, and before he knew it, she had disappeared into the crowd again.

He reluctantly returned to his business, regarding the incident as strange, and then ascended the stairs. He came upon yet another crowded dance floor, smoke tainted air, and sinful people. As he entered he passed Miroku and Sango, who were in heated embrace against a wall.

Sesshoumaru spoke as he passed them, not even heeding the two, in his eyes disgusting, lovers. "I think I found something…"

The two pulled apart in shock. Miroku immediately straightened out his clothing and fixed his hair, while Sango wiped her smeared lipstick from her cheek. They both had red cheeks and panting breaths as they followed behind their poised leader.

· * * * * * *

Kiri dodged deeper into the crowd to avoid Sesshoumaru's glance. She couldn't believe he was here. Sure, that one girl from the bathroom had said that she had seen him, but Kiri hadn't given much credit to what a shallow, gossiping girl said.

A shot of liquor sat unattended at an empty table, and without even knowing what she drinking, Kiri downed the burning liquid to take the edge off.

The song again changed to a more uplifting beat. The palpitating base would make anyone want to move, and it was just the inspiration Kiri needed.

With a new sense of passion she discarded the shot glass and found a spot inside the droning dance floor.

Bodies swayed and closed in the distance. Hands were everywhere from different arms, touching and feeling without a sense of shame. Sweat stained the air with an acrid scent, and the orgy of dancing continued.

Kiri closed her eyes, letting herself follow the music without question or doubt, ignoring all other outside forces. She gave herself over to the beating vibrations, and nothing else mattered.

An eager man had seen Kiri dancing alone, her rounded figure moving seductively, and made his way to her, standing behind Kiri and countering to her every move. Kiri didn't pay attention to the man, and kept moving and swaying - ignoring his hands on her hips, his eyes on her body, and the friction he was imposing on her. The stranger was practically molesting her within the social and traditional boundaries created by generations of uncensored culture, but she didn't care.

She just had to keep dancing.

The music beat faster and the orgy followed frantically. But observing from the corner, a spider was lurking, just emerged from his blackened nest. His dark curls flowed onto his taught shoulders, and cast grotesque shadows onto his deathly pale face. The murk of the corner consumed his form as his all black attire melted into the background. He wore an expression of dissatisfaction. The spider stayed outside the dancing mob and kept his eyes on Kiri and this intruding man.

Naraku growled.

There he was, defiling his woman in the vast public that was the dance floor. This man's hands were on Kiri's hips, occasionally grazing her ass. His firm grip on her body made it easy to move against her and manipulate both their movements.

This man was crossing a line, and touching what did not belong to him. Touching what was his. Naraku couldn't watch this anymore - he couldn't take it.

Naraku pushed his way through the crowd, everyone seemed to be in his way, and his anger amplified his impatience. A few dancers he had shoved aside had begun to challenge him, but their threats were taken back once they saw who exactly they were dealing with.

Finally he had worked his way to Kiri and the intruder. He stood behind the two, threatening and ominous. Naraku even watched them for a moment, motionless, staring at the back of the violator's head, focusing all his drunken rage into that one spot.

The whole wave of people ebbed and flowed around him, and he seemed to be the only stable and constant thing for miles. His stillness was only broken once he finally let his rage be released.

In one swift motion Naraku pulled back his fist and slugged the side of the man's head from behind. The two broke apart instantly, and Kiri stopped and turned, horrified to see Naraku panting with anger and adrenaline, while the man she had been ignoring but dancing with none the less, staggered back a bit.

A few close range dancers observed, but not enough noticed to start a real audience.

Once the man finally came back up, Naraku gifted him with another blow to his swelling face - before the stranger even had a chance to see the fist coming.

Life seemed to play slowly for a moment, and Kiri saw in great detail, the man's head knock back, and his body give out beneath him and begin to fall.

This was all too familiar, and as he fell in slow motion to her eyes, Kiri remembered in bitter clarity what had occurred between Naraku and herself the night before.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Her bruised shoulder hit the ground again, bashing the tender area, and Kiri gasped in response. The force of his blow sent her back colliding with their bedroom wall, and she lay motionlessly on her side - afraid to move.

But before she knew it the preying spider was upon her.

Naraku bent down on one knee and reached for her neck. His fingers enclosed around the soft pale flesh, and he lifted her back onto her feet.

Kiri scratched desperately at his fist, and avoided contact with his rage filled dark eyes - the undefined depths focusing purely on her. Again she had to be reminded that running away was not a smart choice, nor really an option. Her legs kicked out but could not reach him.

With sadistic ease her held her up by the neck, just forceful enough so that she wouldn't choke - but she would cry. He played the game with skill and poise, keeping his placidly mysterious façade, as he struck terror inside his beloved.

In his eyes, each cut, each bruise, each mark in her skin that he left was a lesson, and though she never did stop trying to escape, and she never really fully subdued to him - this was the only thing he knew to train her.

He had cultivated pain within his stone-cold heart for as long as he could remember. He loved her more than anything he had ever known, so she should only receive what he had in abundance.

Naraku slammed Kiri against the bedroom wall, his hand still in a death grip around her neck. His eyes traveled the length of her body, noticing the black-and-blue spots on her whiter than white skin. He grinned oddly.

"Say that you love me." Again he raised the horrid demand, in a threatening growl. Kiri began to weep and convulse from fear.

Naraku slammed her against the wall again, and tightened his chokehold on her.

"SAY IT!!!" He raged.

A glowing sliver of the moon shown out as a silver silhouette against purple skies. A city of sin slept, as its nocturnal inhabitants still roamed free. And far below the dawn-tinted horizon, a muffled cry of pain could be heard, and then followed by the words of a broken heart.

"I love you."

Kiri coughed, and choked for air - her dignity again taken from her.

Now that his simple request had been satisfied, the odd grin returned, now accompanied by a primitive glow in his eyes.

Kiri was still only wearing a pair of black cotton panties, and the rest of her, from the sloping curve of her chest to her ice-bitten toes, was his to have.

Naraku looked Kiri one more time in the eyes, his grin expanding into a now lustfully evil smile. He reached for her panties, and ripped them off.

Kiri would have moved away from him, but there was nowhere to go - she was trapped. So Naraku closed in around her and took what he believed to be rightfully his.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The mans body hit the dance floor, and time for Kiri stopped moving at an agonizing pace. She shook her head to dissipate the fog in her mind.

She looked down at her arm. Naraku had a firm grip on it, but was distracted for the moment with the task of making sure the stranger got every bit of pain her could render.

Since he was ignoring her, she took the time to observe him. Aww, how he disgusted her - but his jealously was a strange thing. She hated the controlling, accusing attitude he had, but at least someone out there wanted her so much he would fight to keep her. But that wasn't always a good thing either.

Kiri felt his grip get tighter, and was now being dragged behind him as he wormed his way out of the gathering crowd. Even though the man Naraku had fought was close to being unconscious, no one dared move to help him until they knew the dangerous Underground leader had left.

The two stopped on the outskirts of the dance floor, their voices and bodies hidden by a large shadowing overhang. Naraku forced Kiri to face him, or at least look up at him because of his intimidating size.

Kiri blurted out her defense before she knew how Naraku was going to react to the situation at hand.

"It's not my fault - I was just dancing. I didn't know he was there…I'm sorry."

"I know!" Naraku yelled to silence he pleading. "I hit him, not you, didn't I?"

Kiri nodded shakily. She could tell by his eyes and breath that he was drunk, but then again, from her appearance and smell he could probably tell she too was drunk and had been snorting cocaine - so they were even.

She also noticed that Naraku was contently staring at her, as if he was always about to say something, but decided against it.

"What is it," she asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"No." He shook his head as he answered - his reply seemed automatic more than genuine.

He took in a heavy breath, as he never let his eyes leave hers. The green pools, now a musty purple from the darkness, seemed to pull him in, and he was drowning in their depths.

"I was just thinking about how I wanted this to be a night for you and me, and yet I've seen you hardly at all tonight."

This was partly her fault for avoiding him, but she almost completely forgot her reason for that as she was strangely touched by his sincerity.

"As you know, I've never been one to let business get in the way of pleasure," He grinned boyishly as he took her hand in his. "But I've been so distracted lately, I ignore the most important things."

Naraku kissed the smooth top part of her hand in a sweet gesture.

Kiri would have let her jaw drop to the ground if possible. How could he say such a thing? After everything, absolutely everything that has happened in just the last twenty-four hours, how could he say this? He was a real son-of-a-bitch to treat her like shit, and then manipulate her feelings the next - and he knew he was. In fact, thought Kiri, he probably enjoyed it. He enjoyed this complex game he had created, of love, life, sex, and lies, with her as the pone.

Kiri couldn't help but be cruelly facetious. "What are you going to say next? Ask me to marry you?" She probably shouldn't have said this, but she did.

Naraku's sickly-sweet smile faded, and he let her hand drop. The two beloved lovers and hated enemies stood in intense and uncomfortable silence. Naraku's impatience with ignorance caused him to give in first.

"We can leave now, your highness," he clipped maliciously. "I've gotten what I came for, so we may gather the others and leave."

A familiar male voice piped in. "Already?"

Kiri glanced to see Inuyasha.

"Yes, Inuyasha. Already." Naraku had no patience for him now.

Kiri looked at the silver hair boy, stuffed into leather pants, and a button-up blue shirt, which still held the stain of his liquor that Kiri had spilt on him - she felt bad for that now.

She looked back at Naraku and soon realized the mounting tension and awkward silence between the three of them. Naraku was staring at Inuyasha in displeasure, Inuyasha looked at Naraku with apprehension, and her eye's traveled from one to another as she began to wonder what had really happened between them earlier.

Kiri desperately tried to break the enclosing silence.

"May I use the ladies room before we leave?"

"Fine." Naraku snapped at her without looking. "Just be quick about it, and met us at the main entrance."

Kiri nodded and headed towards the bathroom - relieved she was leaving that situation.

Once Inuyasha was sure Kiri had gone, his normal façade melted into professional seriousness.

"I saw my half-bro…I mean, I saw Sesshoumaru."

"Wonderful. Did you two have a nice family reunion?" Naraku wasn't done with his sarcasm quite yet.

"You know we don't speak." Inuyasha said with a heavy sigh. "And forgive me," false sincerity added to his voice, "I thought you might want to know that your most hated opponent and rival, in fact your worst enemy, that you've wanted dead since any of us can remember is in the same building as you."

Inuyasha looked over his unreadable captain. "That's what you came here for, right? You wanted info on the Elite? Well you got the fucking leader of the Elite upstairs."

Naraku calculated the information in his mind, seeing if it molded to his already thought out plan.

"We're still leaving…" The dark eyed man took his leave, and his trusted follower trailed behind.

· * * * * * * * * *

·

His knuckles knocked against the cold, polished surface. "Come on, were leaving." He commanded, hoping his voice penetrated the thick door.

Kiri had been taking an abnormally long time in the women's room, and his impatience had subjected him to the degrading task of finding her without entering the ladies room.

He didn't get an answer, and heaved a haggard sigh.

Naraku stepped back and leaned against the wall outside the restroom, using his well trained self-control to muster any patience he might have left. At least Inuyasha had gone home, driven to his apartment on the east side in his little Mercedes. That bastard was really costing him lately - Naraku made a mental note to do something about his second in command later.

The insidious man looked up from his thoughts, and another degrading task presented itself as a woman came to use the bathroom. Biting back his pride, Naraku approached the lady.

"Excuse me miss," the woman's dark marble eyes studied him with apprehension, and she clutched her purse tighter at her side. Naraku managed to bring a false but convincing smile to his full lips. "Would you please assist me in finding my girlfriend? She went into the ladies room," he gestured to the door with his graceful hand, "and has been taking a very long time. I am worried about her. Would you please see if she is inside?" He asked, eyebrows arched.

The woman's eyes softened, relieved that this had nothing to do with her - she was not at all use to men talking to her before she entered the bathroom.

She returned an insincere smile. "Sure."

Naraku stepped back again, and let the lady enter. His expression returned to a more honest, disgruntled look. Five or ten minutes passed, an unbearable amount of time for Naraku, and the lady again returned.

She had forgotten about him, and he tapped her on the shoulder before she left. Naraku said nothing, but looked at her with covered anticipation.

"Ohh, right." She bubbled reluctantly. "I'm sorry, I don't know where your girlfriend is. There wasn't anyone else in the bathroom." The woman turned and left.

Naraku waited a moment, his face morphing to passionate ardor, and his breath quickened. His pride all but forgotten, determination took over as he slammed open the bathroom door, and entered in a rampage.

He immediately went to the stalls, kicking each one open. His delicate ego was burning with treacherous stabs as he realized how he had been deceived - played like fool. Each door that swung open and revealed an empty stall infuriated him even more.

Naraku turned and punched the wall. His chest undulated and the inky depths of his eyes hued red. Then as he calmed down a bit and began to rely on his sense more than his rage, he finally noticed the gentle breeze kissing his cheek.

Naraku looked up and saw an open widow above the sinks. It had been pried open by reckless hands, which had only desired to get out. The window was exposed to the night, and it was the last and fatal blow to his power.

She had escaped….again.

· * * * * * * * * *

·

Kiri's heart was racing faster than a heard of wild horses. And that's how she felt at this moment, like a wild horse. A caged beast that had starved itself so much, that it could finally squeeze between the bars, and feel freedom in it's blood.

Her feet were swollen inside her steel toed boots, but the elation of having the cold night wind flow through her hair, and the moonlight reflect on her tired eyes was enough motivation to keep running.

She didn't even know where she was going.

The street she was bounding down, curved into the horizon as it declined into a steep hill, and before her the night seemed to go on forever. So did it matter to where she flew? She was flying and that's all that mattered.

Kiri came to the downward curve of the hill and leapt. Her long black jacket streamed behind her like tattered wings, and for a spilt second she really was suspended in air. But moments are fleeting, and before she knew it, her feet hit the pavement, and she almost toppled forward and down the hill.

The tattered angel kept her footing, and sped down the hill, only to be watched by the stars.

As she reached the bottom of the hill and the end of the isolated sidewalk, Kiri prepared to slow down before she ran straight into oncoming traffic.

But from her blind spot came a cop car that rolled down the main street, turned into the corner Kiri was at. She stopped suddenly, and almost slammed completely into the police car as it stopped at the corner.

Kiri took a step back, and panted as she tried to catch her breath. The cop from the driver's side got out of the car.

Kiri shook her head. "I'm sorry officer," she spit out between breaths, "I didn't see…I didn't see you…coming." She was confused when the policeman said nothing, and kept walking towards her.

He wore thick sunglasses that hid almost half of his face, so Kiri had no idea what he was thinking. She took another step back.

"Are you Kiri Atsakumae?" The officer asked with the same lack of emotion that his face had.

Kiri nodded, her apprehension and confusion building. The officer looked at his partner who still sat inside the cop car, and motioned for him to come out. He looked back at Kiri, and waved his hand, gesturing for her to come closer.

"I'm sorry miss, but your gonna have to come with us."

"Why?" Kiri took another step back, getting ready to run.

"Please don't ask questions miss."

A/n: Please read and review, and know that I appreciate all my readers (my reviewers even more) and that I just want my stuff to get out, be read, and for people to enjoy it.

Next time in Tasogare Akatsuki 'Dusk to Dawn', expect pain, betrayal, sex, and the moment you've all been waiting for, when Sesshoumaru and Kiri meet!