The Way I Feel Inside
Chapter Four

A/N: Well, it's time for an update. Please continue leaving your thoughts by way of reviews. Much appreciated!!


Butterflies... How ironic that was the name of the restaurant. He hadn't had such butterflies since the seventh grade. For over fifteen minutes, he sat there alone and tried to gain control over them. He seceded in suppressing them for a while, but his efforts were in vain ass soon as he saw them arrive. They came flooding back in double the effort when he set eyes on her. She was stunning. The dress shimmered because of the sparkles on it as she moved across the floor. It hugged her body in all the right places, accenting her curves just right. He rose from his seat as they arrived at the table. A certain quiver ran through his body as he noticed another man was added to their party. He was whispering something into her ear. When Kagome laughed, he felt paralyzed. Who is that? She never said anything about having a boyfriend to me. Does she? As they came closer, he got a better look. His mind was relieved. They looked too much alike to be mistaken for a couple. It was her brother, it just had to be. He resisted the urge to shake his head. The poor fellow... Of course, he couldn't show his sympathy. 'Dogboy' had no idea of who he was or what happened to him.

"About time, Miroku. What caused you to be so late?" His tone made no room for doubt about what he meant and what he was accusing him of doing. Miroku refused to bite the bait.

"Just picking up the rest of the crew." He commented, gesturing to the two siblings. "This is-"

"Kagome." He finished for him. "We met previously." He nodded his greeting to her and she returned the favor. Sango laughed lightly at the thought of their previous encounter.

"You know, the hat might go better with this outfit." He smirked.

"Sorry to disappoint, but it was knocked off my head." They began to start up a friendly argument whenever Miroku jumped in.

"Alright, children. Stop it before I separate you. Jeez..." Souta shuffled his feet. He felt extremely out of place now that he was there.

"Sorry, Souta. We didn't forget about you, bud. Those two been doing that since high school days." Inuyasha looked up. The name confirmed it for him. It was her brother.

"I'm sorry! We do tend to do that a lot." Sango said. "This is Souta. Souta, this is-" Sango seemed to choke for a moment, so he stepped up.

"I should have introduced myself earlier."

"No need. I know who you are. It's a privilege."

"I'm just another face on the street. Nothing special." Kagome smiled at that. Among famous people, that attitude was a rare thing. There table was small, but it was the best in the house. Butterflies was actually two stories at the top of a building. The top floor was actually the rooftop. They were set at the table nearest, but still a safe distance from the edge of the building. The view was spectacular from up there. It was a warm summer night with a slight breeze. If they didn't have the lights strung across the roof, the stars would show brilliantly. The downtown was all lit up, the nightlife beginning to start up. They had the table set with a chair on each side, but since there was an extra one side had two chairs. Miroku and Sango set there. Kagome sat near Sango. Souta took the seat across from Kagome and Inuyasha sat across from Miroku and Sango, next to the two siblings.

"Hello." The waitress said as she came up, setting menus in front of them. "What would you like to drink tonight?" Everyone began looking at their menus. Miroku looked at the waitress.

"Could you give us a little time?"

"Sure." Kagome looked over and saw Souta immediately set the alcohol menu aside. She was glad of that.

"Don't go cheap on me. I have the bill tonight." Miroku said.

"Even me?" Inuyasha said. Of course, it was a dare and since high school they have an unspoken rule that all dares had to be accepted. Miroku bit back his pride.

"Sure." He said, not meaning to have such a high voice as he said so. He cleared his throat. "Although, I was referring to someone in particular..." He said looking at Souta. Souta knew what he meant.

"No alcohol for me. Thanks." Miroku shrugged. Souta felt Kagome's gaze so he looked over at her. Kagome nodded and winked at him. He simply smiled back at her, knowing she'd approve of that decision. Inuyasha watched the little exchange out of the corner of his eye. He was glad that he was doing better on that front as well.

"Some singers would drink to enhance their performance, but it's just not right in my opinion. The shows are about the music. Why dull yourself? So I don't drink on tour, so it's no alcohol for me, either." Miroku already knew that little rule Inuyasha set up for himself., but he almost felt guilty. Neither one of the men were drinking that night. Miroku looked down at his menu. Inuyasha saw the longing look on his face.

"You're entitled, Miroku. Order what you want."

"I could, but I'm driving tonight." Inuyasha didn't have to stop and think about it. It just occurred to him, but he left a moment so it seemed like he did have to think about it.

"I can drive them home. Go ahead." Miroku opened his mouth to say something, but the waitress came back and cut him off.

"Are you ready to order?" Miroku nodded, looking over at Sango.

"Dry martini straight up, right?" She nodded at him. A soft smile played of her lips. He still remembered the little things like that. Miroku nodded to confirm the order to the waitress, who scribbled it down.

"A mytie, right?" Sango said before he could order. He looked over at her with a little laugh.

"Yep." He said again confirming the order. Kagome looked down the menu.

"Wait a minute." Inuyasha said. "Before you order, I have to take a guess as to what it'll be."

"Ha! Five-hundred bucks says you can't get that right." Inuyasha grinned. He didn't know that he already knew Kagome's favorite drink.

"You're on." He leaned toward the middle of the table to Souta and Miroku and whispered his guess. They both nodded. "Alright, go ahead and order."

"I'll have a long island." Inuyasha smirked and rose his hands in the air, triumphantly. Miroku's jaw dropped.

"Damn." He quickly looked over at Sango, who was just giving a look. "Oops, excuse me, Sango dear." He said quickly before looking back at Inuyasha. "How did you know?" Inuyasha gave his order to the waitress before speaking.

"That's the secret. You can pretty much determine what someone will order by personality and mood."

"Right." Miroku said skeptically. "So, you knew that I'd order a mytie?"

"Yes, but I know what you order anyways. I knew Sango would order something strong." Kagome felt an odd feeling rise while all of this was going on. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't pin-point what it was. It felt like she'd known them for quite a while. Something told her to call his bluff.

"How'd did you know she'd want something strong?" She asked.

"She's marrying him, isn't she?" Souta couldn't help but laugh a little. Kagome shook her head. No one could tell if it was in amusement or because of his reply.

"Alright then. Prove it." Inuyasha just looked at her. She's definitely the same person I talk with online. She's already challenging me.

"How?"

"If Souta ordered something, what would it be?" He looked at Souta.

"I'd need to get a little information on him."

"You don't know too much about me, but you were able to guess mine."

"On the contrary, I know quite a bit about you," Everyone had a different expression. It went from skeptical, to curious, to confused, to suspicious. The latter being on her brother's face, he felt the need to clarify.

"Let me explain." He took a deep breath. That's what I get for trying to impress her. Damn... How am I going to get out of this one? "OK. Well, for starters, you're friends with Sango. I know the type of people that she gets along with well. Free-spirited, probably sarcastic, yet a fun person to be around. You probably have one hell of a sense of humor." He felt safe with that, but decided to continued. "When we first met, you were reading a murder-mystery series. That would mean you like challenges and you like to try to think things out. You took a step back whenever we started talking, which means you have a shy streak, but you joined the conversation and started warming up to me. You're open-minded. And..." He paused for a moment and leaned in, putting his elbows on the table. "... you have good taste in music." They all were throughly impressed, it hit her straight on the nose. Kagome tried not to show it and laughed.

"Why? Because I listened to your music?" She asked, curiously.

"Partly, but no. That's not why I say so. So far, you've tapped your hand to the good songs that the band over there is playing." Kagome finally gave him a reaction to his diagnosis, nodding that he hit it on the head. Miroku looked at him. Inuyasha was an observant person, but not that observant. Something was going on and he intended to figure out what it was. Inuyasha felt good about his skill now. He turned to Souta. "May I ask you a couple questions?" Souta raised his hands in the air.

"I don't want you to know too much about me." They laughed at his response.

"I can already tell quite a bit. You're a quiet guy, the private type, but not so much that you're a loner. My guess is that you open up to those who have your trust. And when you open up to someone, you open up completely. " Souta looked down. That's for damn sure. I opened up to the wrong person too. Kagome saw Souta's expression. It wasn't a good thing.

"What else would you need to know about him?"

"I could guess accurately off of that, I think. A couple of simple questions would help though."

"Wait a minute. There should be some limit here." Miroku said. "You shouldn't need much information since you can probably guess accurately." Kagome nodded in agreement.

"Are you alright with this, Souta?" Sango jumped in.

"If your uncomfortable, just say so."

"It's alright." Souta said. "Shoot." Inuyasha glanced around the table.

"What's the limit?"

"Three." Miroku said, testingly. Inuyasha nodded.

"Alright. First off, have any hobbies?"

"Music." Inuyasha smirked. Short, curt answers, trying not to give away too much information.

"School, working, or both?"

"School for now." Inuyasha nodded. For this next question, he looked him straight in the eye.

"Open up to someone recently?" Souta was taken back by that. It caught him off-guard, but he answered it anyways.

"Yes." Inuyasha sat back.

"So, what's your diagnosis, Dr. Takashi?" Sango asked, laughingly.

"Well, he's the simple type. Nothing to complex. Although he's on vacation and wouldn't have to pay for it, he still wouldn't go expensive. Probably just a beer or two, depending on how much we get on his nerves." Kagome laughed.

"You have to admit. It's pretty sharp." Souta looked Inuyasha in the eye. Two can play that game.

"You're not the only one who can guess. Despite your bad ass reputation, I can tell deep down you're considerate and kind. You love music with a passion, but not the publicity and attention that comes with it. Like most guys, you like to show-off a little bit. Not publicly to make a spectacle of yourself, but with those who you feel can be trusted. And on a second note, I'd be ordering that second beer by now, because you're expecting a text or phone call and keep flipping the phone open and closed in your pocket and the clicking is getting to me. The message your expecting is far from a business call as well." Everyone just stared, curious about this game they started among themselves. Inuyasha simply clapped.

"Well-played." He said honestly. Despite what he went through, he could tell that he'd be alright. It'll take a while for the heartache to end, but it'd come. Inuyasha clapped Souta on the shoulder. In that moment, they passed each others' tests with flying colors.


As they ate, they chit-chatted among themselves, but surprisingly, most of the conversation was on the boys' side. As soon as they learn Souta played guitar, it was dominated by conversation on music. Then, it went different places. Miroku had a realization hit.

"Oh, so you're the friend that Sango saved the other pass for." He said, referring to Kagome. Inuyasha sighed silently. Here it goes...

"Yeah, she offered it to me." He noted the disappointment in her tone, but if it was because of missing the concert or meeting her online friend, he couldn't tell.

"Oh, so we'll have you in the audience tomorrow?" Miroku asked. Kagome shook her head.

"No. I had already had some plans for tomorrow." Souta looked over at her.

"I hope that I wasn't the plans." Kagome looked at her glass and began running her finger around the rim. That confirmed his thoughts. "You've got to be kidding me. Go! I know you'll have fun."

"But-" Inuyasha couldn't help it at this point. He waved his hands.

"Whoa, whoa whoa. Hold on. Souta, you have to be there too. I don't mean to sound egotistical or anything, but it's going to be a damn good show." Souta was speechless. His tone booked no argument.

"I don't have a ticket."

"We'll find a way to smuggle you in." Kagome laughed at the thought of them stuffing Souta into a guitar case and trying to carry him in.

"Well... thank you." Inuyasha sat back.

"That settles that."

"I meant to make the show at the Joint this tour, but- uh- things didn't work out." He was suppose to go with her. Kagome had dazed off by this time. She was really going? She would be able to meet him after all? Suddenly, she felt that same old feeling of being torn again. She couldn't place her finger on why, though. A slower melody drifted in the air.
Miroku looked over at Sango.

"Well, my dear, the night is still young. May we indulge ourselves in a little dance?" She was well familiar with those antic, but missed them so dearly while he was gone. She played along.

"Yes, good sir. If you'd be so kind as to escort me." He stood, taking hold of her hand. As she stood, he bowed over it, pressing his lips against it. Sango's face reddened, not out of embarrassment, but because all eyes seemed to be on them at the moment. He stood erect and led her to the dance floor, leaving the three of them at the table. Souta turned.

"Thanks again about the show. Um... how exactly is that going to work?" Inuyasha shrugged.

"Not sure of that yet myself. I'll work out the details in the morning."

"I don't want to sound like just another fan, but you've been a huge influence on my band for a long time."

"Oh, so you're in a band?"

"Yeah. Well, when I left for college, I left them short a guitarist, but I'm going to be moving back soon and they saved my place for me and wanted me back."

"Tip of advice. Don't try to sell-out. Building a fan base is more important at the start. Play as many gigs as you can to get the fans interested." Souta nodded.

"Thanks for the tip." Inuyasha turned to Kagome, who was dazed off.

"Hey. Everything alright?" She seemed to snap out of it.

"Oh, yes. Sorry." She said, smiling to confirm what she said. He felt himself melt away inside. Outwardly, he simply nodded and turned. She watched the people dance. It didn't take long for her foot to begin tapping the beats. Souta followed her gaze and knew she loved to dance.

"OK, Kagome. I know you. I may be rusty, but I should be able to keep up with the rest." Inuyasha looked between the two of them

"You like to dance?" That's something I didn't know. She nodded.

"It's a guilty pleasure. I'm not very good at it." Souta turned.

"You don't mind sitting her alone, do you?" Inuyasha just gave him a look. Souta raise his hand in defense. "Just trying to be considerate." They stood up, and Inuyasha follow suit as she did. As Kagome stepped forward, she forgotten her purse had been on the floor next to her feet. The strap began to tangle around the heel of her shoe, causing her to trip.

"Whoa..." Inuyasha said, moving to support her. Instead, she fell into his chest. She used his as a support as she untangled it. He looked down at her, watching her work at it. As she finished, she looked up. Their eyes seemed to lock immediately. Kagome felt a zing rush to her stomach. She couldn't say she recognized those eyes. They were rather unique, their rich gold was different than in pictures in a magazine. What was this feeling? She felt as if she knew him well, but they'd never met before today.

"Uh..." She said as she broke away. "...thank you."

"You're welcome." He said as he caught a hold of himself. He sat back down when she took Souta's arm and he lead her to the dance floor.

"Well, today's full of surprises." Souta said as they made their way over. "How long have you know them?"

"I just met both of them today."

"Really?" She nodded. "I thought maybe you and..." He dropped off. Right in step with the beat, Souta twirled her. Kagome laughed.

"No way."

"Oh, well you were telling me about how you talked with that guy online and you two seemed rather comfortable with each other."

"I can see where your coming from, but no. There's no way it could ever be possible."

"Oh, I wouldn't count on that. I've seen the way he looks at you, especially when you laugh. I'm not saying that anything will become of it, but I definitely see a possibility." Kagome looked over at the man in question, who was fiddling with his phone. Not a chance. She thought to herself. As the song came to an end, they both stepped back, clapping for the band. Others began to follows suit. Kagome looked around. She did notice he was laughing at something that he must have read on his phone. "Well, I guess we should sit back down." Souta said. As they made their way, he looked up. He had a very satisfied look on his face, Kagome found herself curious what could make him so thrilled. Respectfully, he put his phone away.

"Sorry. I just received a message for a friend of mine. It's handy to have e-mail on your phone. It makes it easy to keep up with things on the road." Miroku has escorted Sango back in the middle.

"Do you really have to check your e-mail now, Dogboy?" His annoyance was obvious. Inuyasha looked at him, wondering what aggravated him. Miroku looked back and forth from the dance floor to Kagome. Inuyasha knew what he was getting at.

"Sorry. I don't dance." He muttered across the table to him. Miroku stared him down.

"You dance all the time at shows." He said, under his breath.

"My stage persona is a little different from me." Inuyasha stated.

"Agreed, but I don't care at the moment. You can stumble all over yourself for all I care. Just go dance!" Inuyasha glared at him.

"I can't right now." Somehow, their entire argument went unnoticed by the others. Miroku didn't realize that he had leaned over the table until he straightened up. He cleared his throat as he stood up.

"Excuse me a moment. I need to talk with my friend over there in private." He said, gesturing to Inuyasha. Inuyasha nodded and stood up as well. They headed off toward the bathroom area.

"What was that about?" Kagome asked.

"My guess would be work. I told Miroku that I'd strangle him if the breathed a word about the show at dinner."


"What the hell is your problem? I would think you could at least entertain Kagome for a song."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. You just don't understand what's-"

"And you checked your e-mail while waiting!"

"I sent one, too. What's so horrible about that?"

"For starters, it's inconsiderate, rude, self-"

"Miroku! Listen to me for one damn minute! I'm going to dance with her. Just on my own time."

"Why not now?"

"Because, Miroku, she's the one." Miroku just gave him an odd look.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said. She's the one. She's the girl I've been e-mailing. She's the real thing." Miroku stopped short.

"WHAT?" He hollered. Inuyasha gestured for him to be quiet.

"Keep it down. Kagome told me in an e-mail that she received a backstage pass from a friend for our tour finale. Guess who that was?" Miroku's mouth gaped open.

"Sango?"

"Yes. You're starting to see the full picture." Suddenly, a look passed over Miroku's face that Inuyasha hadn't seen in a long time. He was pissed off.

"What the hell are you doing now? Playing Operation: Play With Her Heart?" Inuyasha was taken aback. As soon as Miroku saw that expression, he knew that wasn't what he was doing.

"Do you seriously think I'd play with her for my own twisted amusement?" Miroku calmed himself down.

"I know you wouldn't do something like that. That was stupid of me."

"I was wanting to make sure that she can accept me as me. She knows me online. I've been completely honest with her online as well. But can she take the rock star?"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha." He took a breath.

"Don't worry about it. We're bound to lose our tempers with each other at some point."

"Well, from what I've seen, she can accept both sides. When are you planning on comforting her?" Inuyasha looked at him.

"She's looking forward to meeting her online buddy at the concert, I'd hate for her to miss out on that."