InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Breaking Point ❯ What About That? ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: OK, here we go. The songs are as follows:‘She Hates Me’ by Puddle of Mud, ‘Since U Been Gone’ by Kelly Clarkson, ‘It’s Over’ by Sugarcult and ‘Signs’ by Creed.



I


Kagome stared out the passenger side window of Sango’s car, her thoughts a hundred miles away as they made their way toward Sesshoumaru’s house. She and Sango were returning from her doctor’s appointment where she found out that her sprained ankle was healing faster than the doctor expected. He had told her that she no longer needed her crutches, something she was by no means nonplused about when she limped out of the doctor’s office and to Sango’s car.


“Hey Ka-ching,” Sango grinned as they continued down the winding countryside. “How are you? How are you feeling that is?”


“I’m fine,” Kagome told her with a smile. “I’m just great. Never better.”


“Getting plenty of rest?”


“Yeah,” Kagome nodded. ‘Now that Marcus and I barely see any of each other.’ She barely saw any of her boyfriend since the bandroom had been destroyed, not knowing if he was spending time with friends or if he had moved out. To be honest, home life had become considerably quieter without him and Kagome wasn’t about to wish it away because of brief bouts with loneliness.


‘It’s so peaceful without him,’ she admitted as Sango pulled into Sesshoumaru’s driveway. ‘The more time that passes, the less I miss him. I’m becoming...used to not having him around.’


“We’re here,” Sango sang out as she parked her car next to a black Prism. “What the-oh boy,” she groaned while she turned off the engine and stepped out the car. “I think this baby belongs to Miroku.”


“His dad sell another car out from under him?” Kagome asked. She giggled when Sango huffed and nodded in exasperation. “He’s really upset about it too,” Sango sighed as she locked the doors and waited for Kagome to catch up to her. “He and his dad are still arguing about it.”


“Well I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Kagome smiled while Sango held the practice door open for her. “Something as small as a car shouldn’t be a big thing for long.” They walked into the room and smiled at the occupants inside. Rin sat at the drum set with a pair of sticks in her hand. Inuyasha stood behind her, his hands gripping Rin’s as they both stared at Kouga. Miroku waved at them from his seat behind the keyboard and was the only one to acknowledge them while Kouga ranted angrily.


“I swear, she does that shit just to piss me off,” Kouga growled as he angrily tuned a guitar string. “It’s like ‘Oh Kouga, you looked at that girl! You’re cheating on me!’ but when Sesshoumaru’s lanky ass comes waltzing into the room, she’s all ‘Gaaaaaahhhhhh!’! God, I wonder why I stay with that bitch sometimes!”


“That’s not very nice Kouga,” Kagome scolded as she dragged a free stool toward a nearby chair. She sat down and gingerly raised her foot to rest on the top of the stool. “No woman likes being called a bitch.”


“Besides,” Inuyasha growled as Rin tapped on one of the snare drums. “You’re whining is bothering me. Can’t you see I’m trying to teach here!”


“You, teaching,” Kouga snorted. “That’s rich!”


“Fuck you, you jackass,” Inuyasha snapped. “How bout you be of some help and play something!”


“Alright,” Kouga agreed pleasantly...a little too pleasantly for the rest of the room. Sango sat beside Kagome and prepared for the worst.


Kouga cleared his throat then glanced at Inuyasha to make sure he was ready. “Met a girl, thought she was grand,” he began. Inuyasha and Miroku groaned in irritation.


“Not this song,” Inuyasha muttered. Rin glanced up at him in confusion then shrugged at Kagome and Sango as Kouga continued.


“Fell in love, found out first hand. Went well for a week or two...then it all came unglued.” Kouga’s foot tapped in time with the drums as Inuyasha helped Rin play to Kouga’s beat.


“In a trip, trip I can’t grip...never thought I’d be the one who’d slip. Then I started to realize I was living one big lie. She fucking hates me.” Miroku snickered and swallowed it when Kouga shot a glare at him. “Trust, she fucking hates me. Lalalala. I tried to hard and she tore my feelings like I had none. And ripped them away.”


“Where on earth did you get that from?” Sango asked as Rin and Inuyasha continued their drum lesson. Kouga moved to speak, but it was Miroku that answered her question.


“Kouga wrote that a few years ago, back when he and Ayame first started going out,” he said, ignoring Kouga’s scowl as he gave Sango and Kagome his most charming smile. “It was the song he tried out with too, wasn’t it Inuyasha?”


“Yeah,” Inuyasha grunted. “But you know how that went. Now Rin, you have to loosen up your grip. You’re choking the sticks.”


“Yeah yeah,” Rin grumbled. “Whatever. Jeez, stop harping at me.”


“Tried out for what?” Kagome asked to drown out Rin and Inuyasha’s budding argument.


“Oh. Um...when we tried out for the talent search for Youkai Management a few years ago,” Kouga answered. “We all tried out by ourselves...well, everyone but me and Inuyasha. We went in together. We all got told no too.”


“So that means Miroku had a song too right?” Sango asked. Miroku blushed and nodded. “Of course my dear Sango, but you don’t want to hear-“


“Now why don’t we?” Sango asked with Kagome nodding in agreement. “I want to hear it, don’t you Kag?”


“I do!” Kagome chirped with a happy clap. “Come on Miroku! Use some of that charm and grace you’re always using to put your hands where they don’t belong.”


“Now I haven’t done that in a while Kagome,” Miroku protested as Sango pushed him toward the microphone in the middle of the room. “And I don’t know about this.”


“Oh stop being a baby and serenade us,” Rin demanded as she shook a drumstick at him. She frowned when Inuyasha grabbed her hand to return it to the drums and resisted the urge to elbow him in the ribs. “Jerk.”


“Whatever,” Inuyasha growled. “But you quit waving my shit around.”


“Alright fine,” Miroku caved. “I’ll do it, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Kouga?”


“Yeah, I remember it,” Kouga said with a nod. They both glanced at Inuyasha, who by now had shoved Rin off the short stool and away from the drum set. “Yeah, I’m with you,” he said as he plucked his sticks from her hands and nudged her toward Kagome and Sango. “Go sit.”


Rin grumbled, but complied with nothing more than a smack to the back of his head. Inuyasha glared after her, then smoothed down the hair at the back of his head and ignored her when Kouga began the first chord of the song.

“Everybody’s watching you, breathing in your every move. Look around when the world is empty. Look around if you’re guilty...” Miroku brushed his hands through his hair and shoved them in his pockets, the gesture shy and nervous despite his normal air.
“Everybody’s after you. I wait in line to touch you. Look around if you ever miss me. Look because it kills me.” The melody went from light and whimsical to dark and harsh, with Inuyasha’s entrance loud and abrasive with a rock edge.“It’s over. There’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing you can say to keep me here. It’s over. You say we’re just friends. Well play and pretend to keep me here.”
Miroku’s hand brushed through his hair again when the music returned to it’s original slowness, the shyness from earlier gone as his feet spread to a comfortable distance and his indigo eyes focused on his tiny audience. “Every night I lay in bed. I think about the things you said. Look around, I’m the one, your only. Look around it still kills me.”
“It’s over. There’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing you can say to keep me here. It’s over. You say we’re just friends. Well play and pretend to keep me here.”


Kagome, Sango and Rin exchanged glances when Miroku growled into the mic, the hidden side of the pervert fully exposed as they watched on. “It’s over, To keep me here. It’s over, To keep me here. It’s over, To keep me here.” He took a deep breath and the music behind him calmed as the door to the practice room opened and closed unnoticed.

‘So that’s what the yelling was about,’ Sesshoumaru mused as he watched what others would call his best friend sing. ‘It’s been quite a while since Miroku was last in front of a mic. I wonder what prompted this.’ He quirked a brow at Sango’s grin, her admiration for Miroku shining in her eyes. Sesshoumaru sighed, shook his head and made himself comfortable in the doorframe.


‘Should have known..’

“Doesn’t anyone care? Doesn’t anyone care? Doesn’t anyone care? Doesn’t anyone care....?
“Everybody’s watching you and counting down your every move. Look around when your heartbeat’s empty. Look around if it’s guilty..” Miroku closed his eyes and bopped his head as Kouga played out the solo, one hand emerging from his pocket to grip the microphone.
“It’s over. You say we’re just friends. Well play and pretend to keep me here. It’s over. There’s nothing you can do.There’s nothing you can say to keep me here. It’s over. You say we’re just friends. It’s almost the end. I’m outta here. It’s over. I’m outta here.” Miroku grinned when Kouga played the last chord, then looked up along with the others as applause filled the room. They glanced over at Sesshoumaru as he walked into the room, startlingly out of place in his midnight blue business suit, black dress shoes and carolina blue shirt.


“Thank you,” Miroku bowed, his charm and jovial attitude back in play as he grinned toward the others. “I appreciate your applause! Thank you!”


“Yes yes,” Sesshoumaru said as he ‘pushed’ Miroku away from the mic. “Don’t tell me you’ve been wasting time.”


“No,” Kagome piped up from her seat. Sesshoumaru’s attention immediately focused on her, his eyes skimming the wide legged jeans and form fitted black t-shirt appreciatively. Her hair was pulled back in a french braid, with the ends of the braid cascading over her right shoulder. Her crutches were no where in sight, which was something he was sure she was thrilled about.


“Miroku and Kouga were playing the songs they tried out with,” Kagome explained, unaware of Sesshoumaru’s study of her. “As a matter of fact, you guys said that you tried out by yourselves and didn’t make it. What happened?”


“They didn’t think we were good enough,” Kouga answered as he sat down on the stool to Sesshoumaru’s right. “They said that we were good, but that we each were missing something.”


“That’s when Miroku gets the bright idea that we should try again, but this time try together,” Inuyasha grumbled, then smirked in Miroku’s direction. “I think it’s the best idea the lecher’s ever had.”


“Hey!” Miroku cried out. “I resent that Inuyasha!”


“Yeah well, it’s the truth you dirty bum.”


“Anyway,” Kouga interrupted. “We all got together, agreed to work together and on the name, then Sesshoumaru wrote this song-“


“Sesshoumaru wrote the song?” Kagome interrupted, her turquoise eyes immediately turning to the person of interest. Sesshoumaru cocked an ebony eyebrow in her direction. “But of course,” he quipped drily. “That is what I do after all.”


“Oh, that’s not what I meant,” Kagome offered quickly. “I just wanted to know what song it was.”


“Oh, it’s a great song,” Kouga assured her. “You have trouble with it at first, cause you don’t know what the hell he’s talking about, but once the song gets going you don’t care!”


“Only you would miss the meaning of it,” Sesshoumaru retorted in his direction. Kagome glanced at Kouga’s scowling face and jumped in before the argument had time to blossom.


“Can we hear it?” she asked and blushed when all four guys turned to her.


“Hear what?” the four males muttered at once. Kagome, Sango and Rin huffed and glared back at them. “The song!” Rin snapped back at them. “We want to hear the song! We wanna know what’s so good about it!”


“Rin!” Kagome scolded. “That wasn’t very nice!”


“What wasn’t very nice?” Rin asked. Sango shook her head at her cluelessness. “Right. I think someone is spending a little too much time with a certain foul mouthed drummer over there....”


“Please you guys,” Kagome asked while Rin scowled and Sango snickered beside her. “I’d really like to hear it.” She nudged Rin and Sango, who quickly stopped fighting so all three girls could turn big puppy eyes toward the other reluctant members. “Please,” they chorused, their gazes moving until they finally rested on Sesshoumaru.


Inuyasha shook his head in sympathy, then nodded in agreement when Kouga growled. “No way is that gonna work. Sesshoumaru’s gonna tell them no in a heartbeat.”


Sesshoumaru turned away from them and loosened his tie while he opened his case. He removed his jacket and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt before lifting the guitar, and performing the necessary tuning before returning to the mic. He gave a slight shrug in Kagome’s direction and smirked at her squeal of excitement.


Sesshoumaru started the first measures of the guitar intro, with Kouga and Miroku finally joining him when they got over the initial shock of him giving in to the girls’ request. A sharp crack from the snare drum marked Inuyasha’s entrance to the song. The intro continued for another couple of measures before Sesshoumaru’s first breath of the song.

“This is not about age. Time served on the earth doesn't mean you grow in the mind.” Amber eyes connected with green, and Sesshoumaru made sure he had her attention before casting a pointed look toward Kouga. Kagome caught on immediately, her hands flying to her mouth to muffle her laughter as Rin and Sango looked on in confusion. “This is not about God. Spiritual insinuations seem to shock our nation.”
“Come with me,” he softly urged as the music slowed around him. “ I'm fading underneath the lights. Come with me...Come with me...Come with me now...” Inuyasha struck one of the snares again and the music returned to it’s original speed.
“This is not about race. It's a decision to stop the division in your life. This is not about sex. We all know sex sells and the whole world is buying.
“Come with me I'm fading underneath the lights. Come with me...Come with me... Come with me now.” The calmness of the song was gone, replaced with a hard rock version as everything but the guitars faded into nothing.
“Can't you see the signs? See the signs now. Can't you see the signs? See the signs now.” Sesshoumaru repeated the line twice as he and Kouga picked up the original tempo. They played the rest of the song, with Kagome and the others dancing in their seats until the last chord.


“Well?” Inuyasha asked once the room was quiet. “What did you guys think?”


Kagome, Rin and Sango exchanged glances, then whispers before the three turned to them with one question.


“What am I doing here?” Kagome asked, the smile on her face twinkling in her eyes as the original members of the band stared at her in confusion.


“What?” Kouga grunted. “What are you talking about?”

“You guys are awesome!” Rin chirped excitedly, to which the others nodded in agreement. “I mean, you guys sound so good!”


“Can we hear something else?” Sango asked.


“No,” Sesshoumaru shook his head. “We have to practice.”


“Awww, please,” Kagome asked. “It’s not like one more song’s going to hurt anything! Come on Sesshoumaru please!”


“Yeah,” Rin and Sango piped in. “PLEASE?!!!!!”


“Oh come on Sesshoumaru,” Inuyasha grumbled. “For Cripe’s sake, one more song won’t kill you!”


“Fine,” Sesshoumaru relented with a hand raised to quiet the room. “But only one more and that’s final.” But one song became two, two became four and so on as the original members of Blessed Curse played well into the night.


II

‘Where is that pervert?’ Sesshoumaru grumbled before he glanced at his watch. It was five o’ clock on a Sunday afternoon, and Miroku was at least fifteen minutes late. ‘I know he’s already out of church, so where is h-‘ He turned when the cafe’s door chime sounded and watched as Miroku walked inside. He held the door open, his natural charming smile firmly in place as he held a conversation with whoever he was waiting on.


‘Fifteen dollars says it’s a girl,’ Sesshoumaru mused with a dry smile. To his surprise Kagome walked through the door, waiting patiently for Miroku to spot their seats as Sesshoumaru looked on in hidden surprise. She was dressed in a black pantsuit with a shirt the same green as her eyes.


“Hey man,” Miroku sighed as he sat down and slid further into the booth. “Sorry we’re late. I had to stop for gas.”

“Right,” Sesshoumaru growled with a scathing glare. Kagome glanced from one to the other nervously, sensing the tension in the air before she glanced around for something to do. “What’s today’s special?” she finally asked.


“What?”


“What’s today’s special?” she repeated with a smile. “Not the entree, but the dessert. I’m dying for something sweet right now.”


“Oh, um...” Miroku tapped the tabletop for a few moments before answering. “It’s the lemon meringue, I think.”


“Ok then. I’ll be right back.”


“Wait a sec,” Miroku said and stood up when Kagome moved to walk away. “Let me go get it. You’re barely walking as it is.”


“For your information,” Kagome responded with a light frown. “I’m walking a lot better now without those crutches. And besides, I don’t need you hovering over me. I’ll be fine. Thanks though.”


“Are you sure?” he asked as Kagome set her purse down beside him.


“Yeah,” she nodded. “Just make sure no one walks off with my purse ok? I’ll be right back.” He and Sesshoumaru watched her was she walked off and waited for one of the waitresses to catch her attention before turning to one another.


“Hey man, what’s your problem?” Miroku asked as Sesshoumaru scowled at him. “I told you I didn’t mean to be-“


“What’s she doing here?” Sesshoumaru interrupted.


“Who, Kagome? She’s here to help.”


“We do not need her help,” Sesshoumaru countered before pulling out his music folder. “She’ll only become a distraction.”


‘For you maybe,’ Miroku grinned when he caught Sesshoumaru glancing in Kagome’s direction. “I know Myouga told you that we needed a new song for the gig next Saturday, and I don’t know about you but I’ve only got three half way decent songs.”


“I have...” Sesshoumaru flipped through the folder and sighed. “Two.”


“Right, so I brought Kagome sonce she helped you with ‘Trust a Try’. Or don’t you remember that?”


“I remember,” Sesshoumaru grumbled. “But what does that have to do with today?’


“Well, I kinda figured that maybe she could give us a new light on things. Oh, hey Kagome,” Miroku greeted as Kagome returned to the table. “I thought you were getting the pie?” he said when he spotted the glass in her hands.


“I thought about it, but decided to get the root beer float instead. So,” she said as she took a seat beside Miroku. “What’s going on?”


“Sesshoumaru and I were just discussing music,” Miroku said as he plopped a folder on the table. “We did tell you guys about the gig that’s next week right?” Kagome nodded as she sipped her soda. Miroku nodded back before flipping though his folder, but that didn’t stop him from noticing Sesshoumaru’s sudden fasination for his friend’s face. ‘I have to admit,’ Mirokuj said to himself as he searched for a piece of sheet music. ‘Kagome does look pretty hot over there with her lips around that straw like that. Hopefully that’ll make hooking these two up a little easier.’


“What ‘cha you looking for?” Kagome asked as she peered over the folder. Miroku promptly thumped four slips of paper onto the table, followed by four of Sesshoumaru’s. They slid their offerings across the table, leaving Miroku and Kagome with Sesshoumaru’s work and Sesshoumaru with Miroku’s. They switched again, then passed all eight pieces of music to Kagome.

“Um...what am I supposed to do?” she asked as she gathered the paper into separate piles.


“Just look over it,” Miroku said with a casual wave of his hand. “Then tell us what you think.”


“Alright. If you say so.” The table fell silent while Kagome read, an occasional ‘hm’ escaping her every so often as her table mates waited for her reaction. “OK,” Kagome finally said. “Do you guys want the truth or constructive criticism?”


“I believe they are the same thing,” Sesshoumaru told her. Kagome shrugged. “Maybe. Which one you guys?”


“Give me the truth,” Miroku said, then ordered a soda when the waitress came to their table. Sesshoumaru ordered something as well before answering her.


“I would rather have the criticism, but whichever you choose to do first.”


“OK. Um...The truth is that I like all of them. They’re each great and have a really good beat to them. However...”


“However?” Miroku and Sesshoumaru repeated. Sesshoumaru frowned when Miroku laughed, rapped his hand on the tabletop and shouted “jinx!”


“The table’s plastic, genius,” Sesshoumaru growled, then turned to Kagome when she began to laugh. “Please, continue.”


“Oh, um...however, I think that these three-“ She plucked out three pieces of paper, two that were lyrics belonging to either Miroku or Sesshoumaru and one that was the instrumental for a different song of Sesshoumaru’s. “I think these three are great...together.”


“Together? How?” Miroku asked.

“Ok, this is how I think it’ll work. All three songs are great but if we take Miroku’s verses, Sesshoumaru’s chorus and Sesshoumaru’s instrumental...” She trailed off as she pointed out examples of her idea and waited for their approval.


“But they don’t match Ka-boom,” Miroku said and winced when someone kicked him from underneath the table. “Ow! What was that for?”


“What was what for?” Kagome and Sesshoumaru replied innocently. Miroku sighed and let it go, deciding that if they were cooperating then it was a good thing, despite his throbbing shin.


“Miroku is right though Kagome,” Sesshoumaru told her as he turned the instrumental sheet. “They weren’t written with any other song in mind, so they might not match.”


“But they would if we tweak the beginning, add little inserts of your lyrics and add a few more drums. Don’t you think so Miroku?”


“Well I-“ He stopped when someone’s phone began ringing, all three looking to their pockets or purse when Kagome held up her phone.


“It’s me you guys. Hello?” She listened to the other end for a moment, then stood up and excused herself. “Well,” Miroku said as Sesshoumaru picked up the three songs and gave them the once over. “What do you think?”


“I believe that she does have some sort of point,” Sesshoumaru said before extracting a pair of scissors from his brief case. He began cutting bits and pieces from the lyrics sheets and lying them on the instrumental page. They looked up when Kagome laughed from the other side of the restaurant.


“Who do you think she’s talking to?” Miroku wondered out loud. Sesshoumaru shrugged indifferently and continued to put together the pieces of his musical puzzle.


“Her boyfriend for all we know. Why?”


“I don’t think it’s him,” Miroku replied, his eyes trained on Kagome as a light frown settled on her features. “Those two haven’t talked in a couple of weeks. Sad huh?”


“Heartbreaking,” Sesshoumaru muttered dryly, though inside his curiosity was spiked. ‘How odd,’ he thought as he placed the last of the spliced song together and sat back to stare at his work. ‘I thought they lived together. How do you not speak to someone you live with?’


“Hey you guys,” Kagome said as she snapped her phone closed and sat back down. “Sorry about that. That was my brother.”


“No prob,” Miroku assured her. “We’ve been busy, haven’t we Sesshoumaru?”


“No, I’ve been busy,” Sesshoumaru countered with his eyes still glued to the music. “I’m starting to agree with you Kagome.”


“You are?”


Sesshoumaru nodded. “I’m going to have to add a two measure guitar solo, but other than that it shouldn’t be a problem.”


“Do you think we could have it down by Saturday?” Miroku asked. Sesshoumaru nodded again.


“Yay! Now that’s progress,” Kagome chirped before waving the waitress over. “Now what?”


“I suppose we should look over the other songs as well, just in case,” Miroku said. “Right Sesshoumaru?”


Another round of drinks was ordered, and after an hour of discussing other songs, fixing slighted measures and rewording lyrics the group finally separated. Miroku and Kagome waved as Sesshoumaru’s Civic left the café parking lot before following him.

“So how’s the Prism?” Kagome asked as Miroku stopped at a red light. “You like it any better?”


“No,” Miroku grumbled before flicking on the radio. “This is a girl’s car. I keep telling Dad that, but he’s not listening.”


“Sango likes this car...”


“She does? Well,” Miroku grinned. “I might keep it after all.” He looked over when her phone began to ring, watching as she opened her purse, stared at the phone and frowned before tossing it back into her purse. “Wrong number,” she mumbled softly. The conversation stopped between them with the radio drowning out her phone before it stopped ringing all together.


‘I could at least check my messages,’ Kagome said as she toggled through her phone’s options to it’s message file. She listened to each message, noting to herself to call her brother again once she got home as the last message played.


“Hey Kagome,” Marcus’ voice called into the earpiece. “It’s me. I came home earlier today and you weren’t there, so I figured you were out with your friends or something. Anyway, I saw on the fridge that you have a gig at Club 96. I’ve got a day off coming up so I thought I’d come see you play. (Sigh) I know we’ve been kinda weird lately and I’m really sorry about that. Maybe we could talk after the show? Yeah, well um...I’ve got to go. Catch you later.”


Kagome deleted the message and groaned, her weeks of peace looking as if they were coming to an end.

III

“Hurry up Kagome!” Rin shouted as she and Sango ran into the dressing room. “You know how the guys are when we’re late!”


“I know,” Kagome huffed when she closed the door behind her. She waved to Ayame, who stood behind the only salon chair in the room with a pair of flat irons in her hand. “But it’s not my fault we’re late, remember?”


“Um, yeah it is,” Sango said as she tugged her t-shirt over her head. “I mean, you just had to leave your books behind didn’t you? We could have gotten them from Lost and Found tomorrow.”

“I’m not willing to take that chance,” Kagome retorted. “OK Ay, what ‘cha got for us?”

“You guys come on!” Ayame said as she laid the irons on the counter in front of the chair. “You’ve got to get dressed quick!”


The trio were in wardrobe in minutes, with Rin and Sango dressed in denim skirts with wide openings up the sides. Both wore their own white tennis shoes, but the baby tees with the band’s name screen printed on them were Ayame’s. Their hair was pulled into half ponytails, with the loose hair behind their ears left to fall down their backs.


Kagome’s outfit had a blood red halter top instead of a white baby tee like Sango’s and Rin’s and were without the screen printing. Her pants were leather hiphuggers that were open down the seams, with polished metal grommets going down the sides to her black heeled sandals. Her hair was pulled up in loose ringlets and Kagome was just adjusting her lipstick when one of the club employees knocked on the door.


“You guys have five minutes,” he said before walking away. Rin and Sango quickly scurried out of their seats and out the door, with Ayame following behind them.


“Hurry up Kagome!” they called before closing the door. Kagome shouted that she would before returning to the mirror, using the extra face time to calm herself down. ‘It’s no big deal,’ she told herself as she fiddled with the lipstick tube. ‘It’s not like you haven’t done this at least a hundred million times. Marcus being in the audience doesn’t make it different.’


Kagome turned when the door opened, intending to tell whoever it was that she was coming when she stopped. “Don’t I know you?” she asked as a woman closed the door to the room. The woman turned and smiled.


“I would think that you do,” she said with a grin. “I tried out with you guys, remember?”


“Oh yeah! Um...Kagura right?”


“Right,” Kagura nodded. “How’s the music business treating you?”


“It’s great,” Kagome said, warily watching Kagura as she sat down on the couch across from Kagome. ‘She wasn’t nearly this nice at the try outs,’ Kagome remembered as Kagura made herself comfortable. ‘She’s got to be up to something, but I don’t have the ti-‘


“Have you seen Marcus?”


“Huh?” Kagome muttered as she was jerked from her musings. “How do you know Marcus?”


“Marcus hasn’t told you about us?” Kagura asked innocently. “Oh dear. I hate to be the one to break this to you dear, but Marcus and I have been seeing each other for some time now.”


“What do you mean ‘seeing each other’?” Kagome demanded. “And for how long?”


“Well um...we know each other,” Kagura smiled evilly. “And I mean that in the biblical sense. Oh, but it’s been for a couple of months now. At least six. That’s before you moved in with him, isn’t it?”


‘Yeah, it is,’ Kagome realized, but said, “Why should I believe you? I know you don’t like me Kagura, so you might have just heard about us from somewhere.”


“Come on kid,” Kagura said with a shake of her head. “Do you really believe that? Ok, I’ll tell you. Do you remember all those times when he told you that he didn’t have enough money to pay his half of the rent? It was always something about his car or a sick cousin or something wasn’t it? And let’s not forget those times you called him at work and he wasn’t there? He never gave you a reason for that did he?”


“So?”


“So Probe’s are pieces of crap, but they’re not that bad,” Kagura giggled. “I can’t begin to thank you for all the wonderful presents you’ve paid for, especially the black pearls. Those were beautiful.”


“You’re lying.”

Kagura ‘tisked’ when Kagome slumped into the salon chair, blue-green orbs downcast and dark. “You know I’m not,” Kagura told her. “As a matter of fact, he’s here with me tonight to tell you that it’s over between the two of you. He’s not callous enough to throw you out though. How else is he supposed to give me gifts if you’re not there to make it possible?”


“Why are you doing this?” Kagome asked when Kagura moved to walk out of the room.


“I don’t know,” Kagura shrugged. “Maybe because you need to know, maybe because I want to see you suffer. But remember kid: Marcus is mine now.” She opened the door and smiled, malicious intent glowing in her eyes and radiating from the air surrounding her. “Now you have a good show dear,” she called out before closing the door. Kagome sat in a state of shock, all the reasons and possibilities that Kagura could be lying quickly dying away with instances, moments where what Kagura said and what Marcus did in the past would link together and taunt her.


“Fine,” Kagome growled suddenly, her fists balled tightly as the urge to cry left her. She stood up and quit the room, the door behind her closing softly as she walked down the hallway toward the others.


“Finally,” Inuyasha griped as she approached them. “It took you long e-fucking-nuf.” He glanced at her curiously when she walked past him, her fists still at her side as she stopped in front of Sesshoumaru and waited for he and Miroku to finish their conversation.


“Can I ask you for something?”


“Um...” Sesshoumaru quickly glanced at Miroku, who frowned and shrugged at Kagome’s cool attitude. “What is it?”


“That new song of ours, can we play it last instead of third?”


“I don’t see why not,” Sesshoumaru guessed. “We’ll just have to switch around a couple of songs.”


“OK, good.” Kagome walked onto the stage when the announcer introduced them, the seriousness on her face melting away as she and the rest of the band set up and prepared for their first song. Kagome scanned the crowd for Marcus, her eyes piercing sharp in the dimly lit room. She spotted him seconds before the next to the last song ended, hand in hand with Kagura as he waved to her from his place at a nearby table.


‘Now that’s nerve,’ Rin thought to herself as she nudged Sango and discretely pointed to them. “Hey,” she whispered as Kagome and the others took a second to breathe. “Think Kagome saw that?”


“I hope not,” Sango replied with a shake of her head. “You know how much Kagome loves him. It’d kill her to know that he’s here with someone else.”


“You guys ready?” Kagome asked when she walked up to them. “Um, Kagome,” Rin began. “Did you see Mar-“


“Good. Let’s get started.” Rin and Sango blinked, then exchanged confused glances as Kagome returned to center stage.


“This last song,” Kagome said as she locked eyes with Marcus. He grinned and she smiled back, hers innocent despite her intentions. “Was written by two of our own, but I really feel like dedicating it to someone.” She turned to Miroku and Sesshoumaru, who stood on opposite sides of the stage in confusion. “Do you guys mind?”


The crowd cheered when they shook their heads no, and Kagome returned her beaming face to the crowd. “Well, this song goes out to a special someone I know. Even though I didn’t write it, this song is exactly what I think of you.”


“Uh oh,” Rin muttered as the crowd roared in front of them. “Well, that answered the ‘Did Kagome see Marcus’ question.”


Kagome stood behind the microphone stand, one hand wrapped tightly around the microphone itself and her foot tapping in rhythm as Sesshoumaru began the song. A quick tap from Inuyasha’s bass was her cue and Kagome took a deep breath before her first note.



“Here's the thing; we started off friends. It was cool but it was all pretend. Yeah yeah...Since you've been gone. “ She locked eyes with Marcus and smiled again as Kagura tried to get his attention. “ You dedicated, you took the time. Wasn't long till I called to mind. Yeah...Since you've been gone.
“And all you'd ever hear me say is how I pictured me with you. That's all you'd ever hear me say...” Kagome slowly shifted her weight to her right hip, knowing that his eyes would follow the movement.
“But since you've been gone I can breathe for the first time. Im so movin on. Yeah yeah! Thanks to you now I get what I want...Since you've been gone...” Kagome grinned when he seemed to catch the hint, his eyes wide and a look of surprise darkening his features.
“How can I put it? You put me on. I even fell for that stupid love song. Yeah yeah...Since you've been gone...How come I never hear you say I just wanna be with you? I guess you never felt that way...

“But since you've been gone I can breathe for the first time. Im so movin on Yeah yeah! Thanks to you now I get-I get what I want...” Kagome jerked the mic from the stand and moved to stand in front of the stage, walking first from the right side to the left before returning to the middle.

“Since you've been gone...
“You had your chance you blew it. Out of sight, out of mind. Shut your mouth I just can't take it. Again and again and again and again...” She bent over backward, the mic outstretched and near the floor before she quickly jerked herself up and danced back to the microphone stand.
Kagome bopped her head, a smile exchanged between herself, Rin and Sango as they copied her. “Since you've been gone I can breathe for the first time. Im so movin on Yeah yeah! Thanks to you (thanks to you) now I get. I get what I want! I can breathe for the first time. Im so movin on Yeah yeah! Thanks to you (thanks to you)now I get (I get)


“You should know (you should know) that I get- I get what I want...Since you've been gone...Since you've been gone...

“Since you've been gone..........” The crowd burst into cheers again as she and the rest of the band bowed, with Kagome blowing kisses in every direction but Marcus’ before exiting the stage.


“That was so cool!” Rin exclaimed as she and Sango engulfed Kagome in a quick hug. “Come on girl, we’ve got to go to the dressing room so you can tell us what-“

“Excuse me,” Inuyasha exploded as he and the male members of the band looked on. “Just what the fuck was that? A dedication? You know we don’t do that shit!”


“But Inuyasha,” Rin began, then stopped and glowered as Marcus appeared behind Inuyasha. “What do you want?” she demanded as she and Sango stood in front of Kagome.


“I want to talk to Kagome, if you don’t mind,” Marcus said as he attempted to push past the two. Miroku immediately stood at Sango’s right side, with Inuyasha practically shoving Rin behind him to glare down at the shorter man.


“What if we don’t give a damn?” he breathed in Marcus’ face.


“Then we can rumble it out right here.”


“Gladly,” Kouga growled as he cracked his knucles.


“Wait a sec!” Kagome shouted over the mee lee. “You guys calm down. Marcus, wait right there while I change.” She disappeared and reappeared in minutes, seeming to have practicably jumped into her street clothes as she walked past Inuyasha and the others. She gasped, but said nothing when Marcus grabbed her arm and practically dragged her away from the others as they helplessly looked on.

IV



“Ow!” Kagome cried out when Marcus shoved her into their apartment. She barely managed to avoid stumbling over the couch to end up ramming her shoulder into the wall behind it. ‘Sucks,’ Kagome complained to herself as Marcus slammed the door shut and glared at her.


“What the fuck was that about?” he exploded in her face.


“What was what about?” Kagome asked calmly before walking into the kitchen.


“You know what! That dedication, that song! I know it was to me Kagome so talk! And I want the truth!”

“Funny,” Kagome growled, the glass of water in her hands slammed to the counter. Water splashed all over her and the wall, but Kagome continued to glare at him as Marcus stood in the doorway. “Cause that’s exactly what I want! What’s the odds of that?”



“Do you even give a damn that you embarrassed me?” Marcus said instead. “All of my friends were there, and I mean all of them and you pull this bullshit!? I wouldn’t have come if I had known-“


“When were you going to tell me about Kagura?” Kagome interrupted, and knew she had him when he froze.


“How do you know about her?” he asked


“Oh, you mean other than the fact that she’s way pissy at me because I’m on the band?” Kagome retorted cynically. “She stopped by our dressing room a few seconds before we went on.”


“What’d she say?”


“Not a lot,” Kagome quipped. “You know, thank you for the gifts, for sharing you, you know stuff like that.”


“And you believed her?” Marcus asked. Kagome shook her head. “Not at first, then a lot of stuff she was saying started making sense. I mean, how else would she know about your car troubles unless she knew you. So, how do you know her? And when were you going to tell me that we were breaking up?”


She blinked when Marcus chuckled, then outright laughed while she looked on. “What’s so funny?”


“That bitch-“ he stopped for breath, his chuckles softening but not dying before he tried again. “That bitch said we were breaking up?”



“Yeah,” Kagome nodded. “What?”


“Is she fucking nuts?” Marcus snorted, then bent over and held his knees. Kagome watched him as he enjoyed his quick laugh, then handed him a paper towel when he dabbed at the tears on his face. “You know,” he chuckled out as he threw the towel away. “That’s what I like about you Kagome. Even when you hate someone you help them. Fucking useless if you ask me.”


“What are you laughing at?” Kagome asked. “What, am I that funny now?”


“No babe, it’s not you. It’s that other bitch.” He laughed again, this time a tiny giggle before shaking his head. “She thinks a few gifts and some rolls in the sack are enough for me to leave you huh? That bitch is crazy.”


“So you are sleeping with her?”


Marcus turned to her and breathed out a chuckle before nodding.


“And you’re using our rent money to buy gifts for her?”


Again he nodded.


“Oh,” Kagome nodded. “OK.” She attempted to walk past him, then jerked her arm away when he grabbed it to stopped her. “What?”


“Where are you going?”


“To pack.”


“I’ll be damned.” He grabbed her arm again and jerked her back into the kitchen, then stood in the doorway and blocked Kagome’s exit.


“Move Marcus!” she demanded as she attempted to sidestep him.


“Why?”



“I’m not about to stay here with you cheating on me! You think you looked stupid, imagine how I felt, standing on that stage with everyone on it knowing that you’re my boyfriend, but you’re out there with some other girl!” She attempted to shove him but he stayed firm against her.


“Honestly?” he asked. Kagome stopped and stared at him, disbelief written on her face. “Can you be?” she retorted.


“Nice,” Marcus laughed darkly. “I can be when I want to be. I may as well, seeing as how the night turned out.” He took a cleansing breath, his eyes directed heavenward before staring at her. “It wasn’t my intention to dump you for her. As a matter of fact, that never was the plan and that hoe knew it.”


“Then what’s going on?” Kagome asked. “Why’d she show up at my dressing room? And is that supposed to excuse that fact that you’ve been cheating on me?!”

“No,” Marcus shook his head. “It’s not and I don’t know why she showed up. As for me cheating on you...think of it more as preoccupying myself until you get over your hangups.”


“Hangups?” Kagome repeated with an eyebrow cocked in astonishment. “Are you serious?”


“I’m very serious. How long have we been dating? About..a year?”


“Nearly two.”


“Exactly, and the most I’ve ever done is kiss you. I’m a man Kagome. I have needs and instead of forcing you to satisfy them, I get someone else to.”


“Oh gee,” Kagome grumbled. “And I guess I’m supposed to appreciate that.”


“Kagura’s not the first,” he told her. He ignored her shock to touch her right cheek, his hand grasping her chin to hold her in place when she moved to jerk away. “But she will be the last.”


“Why?” Kagome retorted angrily. “Because you feel the sudden need to be faithful?”


“No, because now that you know what the problem is, you’ll take steps to correct them.”


“Yeah right,” Kagome growled before shoving his hand away. “You hold your breath while you wait.”


“You don’t have a choice,” Marcus purred softly. “See, your money is one thing. I mean, I totally appreciate not having to pay for every little thing. Kagura was starting to become too expensive, so it’s a good thing she told you.”


“Marcus,” Kagome called out warily when he began to close the distance between them. “What are you doing? What are you talking about?”


“I’ll give you till Monday,” he told her as he pinned her against the kitchen counter.


“To do...” Kagome drawled as she tried to get away from him. She frowned when he refused to budge and moved to glare up at him when she was instantly assaulted by the intenseness in his dark eyes. “Marcus, move.”


“You’re going to the doctor Monday,” he told her as he tenderly traced her jaw. “You’re going to get a prescription and you’re going to get it filled.”


“For what?”


“For birth control of course,” He retorted with a laugh. “I hate the feel of condoms, so I don’t wear them. I don’t want any little mouths eating holes in my wallet, so-“


“So you think I’m going to sleep with you?” Kagome asked in disbelief. “After what you’ve already done? Are you nuts?!” His eyes narrowed at her outburst, and before Kagome could say another word he raised his hand and struck her across her cheek. Kagome gasped and jerked back, her hand to her left cheek as blood trickled from a scratch caused by his ring.


“You...you,” she whimpered as she glared at him. “How dare you you-“ She cried out when he struck her again, this time with enough force to send her spiraling to the pale yellow floor.


“Well my lovely, since deception doesn’t seem to be working,” Marcus grinned as he cracked his knuckles above her prone and helpless form. “Then let’s see how well you respond to pain.”


(End Chapter)


Hey, wait a tick! Before you guys start to rail on me for this, I’m not going to let Kagome get hurt too badly. You guys know me better than that. Anyway, be sure to check the bio page. The schedule has changed, again, and I figured that you guys should know. There’s also something for any author that’s struggling to come up with a story. I know it sounds lame but trust me, its worth it. Oh, but the outline for the next chapter is below.


Chapter Thirteen: Take Me As I Am


Rin and Sango’s worst nightmare comes true, Kagome comes up with a song all her own, Sesshoumaru relives his childhood and it’s moving day for our favorite siren.


P. S. Don’t forget to check out the songs! These for this chapter are pretty frigging cool!
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