Chapter Four: Hearsay

The bar was decently full for a Wednesday, with a crowd of regulars from the nearby university filling most of the seats, and a line of the local alcoholics frequenting the counter. Inuyasha and Miroku found their way to the last remaining booth in the corner, shrugging off their sweatshirts immediately.

The bar was called August Moon and was as typical as they come. The music was generic, there were two TVs airing two different sports stations, and the tables were never quite clean. Still, being that the crowd was mostly youthful and groups were lining up to play pool, the ambiance was good. The bartender had bad eyes and let practically anyone in if they were brave enough to flash their ID, which meant any courageous freshman could get themselves a drink even if they weren't yet twenty. The place itself was a little out of Inuyasha and Miroku's way, but they were good at traveling efficiently, and besides, they both had girls on their minds that they knew to be around those parts.

Not that either of them had really admitted to having an ulterior motive for being there.

The bartender nodded to Miroku upon entry, his bald head shining under the dim light. Miroku was the kind of guy bartenders always greeted, albeit a little uneasily.

"Shall I get the first round?" Miroku asked, eyes moving to the small group of university girls nearby who were smiling at him and whispering. Inuyasha nodded, scowling when he caught what the girls were saying.

"Do you even want Sango to forgive you, or do you just like torturing yourself?"

"Of course I do, Inuyasha! But as I have asked a thousand times before: why should she care who I look at if she won't even trouble me with a phone call?" Smiling tiredly, Miroku went up to the counter without another word. Inuyasha felt a twinge of guilt that he easily shrugged off. Miroku knew he was a lecher, and he knew that Sango was aware of that fact as well. His problems were entirely his own fault.

"Whiskey sour!" Inuyasha yelled at his retreating back, grumbling as he slid down into the booth. He was already well on his way to being drunk, but his dark mood would not allow him to cut himself off, at least not yet. He had a small trill of hope going through him: the bar was on the outskirts of Kagome's campus, and while the chances of running into her were slim to none, Inuyasha knew if he got drunk enough, he would have the courage to go see her…

Inuyasha stretched out, listening casually to the conversations going on around him. A few of the girls had noted his ears appreciatively, not an uncommon conversation for Inuyasha to overhear for certain. Others in the bar were talking about how drunk they were, or how much they wanted to find a hook-up before the weekend had begun… Things Inuyasha had never understood, nor did he care to -

"Ohhmygosh, is that Kouga?!" the same girls who had liked his ears were buzzing excitedly, sipping at their beers, nudging each other as a scruffy, dark haired boy entered the bar with two equally scruffy companions. Inuyasha immediately smelled the youkai on them despite his drunken state, and scoffed. Wolves.

"He's so hot," a girl with a head full of curls said, cheeks aflame.

"Unattainably so," mourned her straight-haired friend.

"Whiskey sour with extra lemon," Miroku's voice interrupted Inuyasha's eavesdropping to deliver him his drink. Inuyasha smelled the wolves drawing closer, and his scowl deepened when they sat down at a nearby table while the girls trilled mindlessly. Not that he was any better off; pretty much everyone in the stuffy bar was in a mindless state.

"Keh," Inuyasha gulped down about half his drink, flicking his ears. The sour taste made him more alert, but he knew that was only a temporary feeling. He was drinking too much, too fast.

"What's up with you?" Miroku took a shallow sip of his gin and tonic, catching sight of the youkai that had entered the bar. He shrugged good-naturedly.

"Wolf stench," Inuyasha commented. "Loud university students. Kinda drunk. Take your pick."

"Could it have anything to do with the fair Kagome being nearby?"

"Did you see her?!" Inuyasha sat up quickly, his drink sloshing in his hand.

"No, I'm just aware that she and Sango are both enrolled at the nearby university. Is that not why we chose this bar?"

"Had to have just been you. I hadn't even thought of it."

"Inuyasha, you're a terrible liar."

The whiskey sour was gone and Inuyasha's world was permanently tilted.

"I might have had enough to drink," was his only comment. Miroku nodded in agreement. The boys sat in silence for a while, before Inuyasha's face suddenly flushed crimson, his eyes darkening as well.

"What is it - "

"Shh." Inuyasha turned his ears in the direction of the youkai.

"She's beautiful," the ringleader was saying, feet up on an empty chair. He was holding two beers and smirking confidently as he alternated between the two, as if it were a competition that he had already won. "Silly girl didn't bring any water to the gym, so I used that as an excuse to go to her rescue and chat her up. Quite the flirty type too, I definitely need to run into her again and invite her this weekend." His companions were both snickering with delight. Inuyasha frowned…

"You said her name was Kagome? That's such a pretty name, Kouga!" You'd have thought Kouga had named the girl himself, the way they were gloating.

"Mhm. Definitely a freshman. Not afraid to show some skin, either - "

Inuyasha stood up, face completely red at this point, his fists clenched. Miroku saw a flash of blue in his eyes.

"What was she wearing?!" Kouga's other companion with the nasally voice asked.

"Let's get some air, Inuyasha," Miroku said, abandoning his drink.

Inuyasha took a breath, trying to shake off the alcohol. He would pummel that mangy wolf -

"Not here," Miroku answered as if hearing his friend's thoughts. He grabbed Inuyasha's arm, earning himself a low growl, but ignored him in favor of easing him out of the bar, grabbing their sweatshirts along the way. He could do nothing, however, to keep Inuyasha from making eyes at Kouga, the ringleader of the wolf youkai. Kouga's smirk only broadened upon seeing the enraged hanyou.

"Is that a dog demon I see?" Kouga called out. "Why don't you sit down for a drink, pal?"

Miroku all but dragged Inuyasha out of there.

"What did he say?" Miroku's eyes were intent on his friend's face.

Inuyasha was attempting to regain control of himself. Fuck. He forgot being drunk made him susceptible to changing like that. Stupid.

"He met Kagome. Wants to, wants to fuck her probably, he was bragging about seeing her - "

"Inuyasha." Miroku relaxed. "You should know by now everyone wants Kagome. She's not going to touch him, she - " Inuyasha bared his teeth. Miroku's comment hadn't helped.

"He said she flirted with him, Miroku!" Inuyasha pulled his red sweatshirt back on over his head, rumpling his silver hair. "I don't know why I got so mad, but he's just - he's disgusting, and going into a bar and talking about her like that - he can't just - "

"Are you jealous?"

"NO." Inuyasha leaned against the wall outside the bar, trying to regain composure, his eyes on the empty street before him. He tried to summon Kikyo's face, tried to remember the unreserved smile she only ever gifted him with, because "they loved each other and he made her happy".

Kagome's sad expression while she packed for university was the only thing he could seem to remember in his drunken state. The way she'd glared at him and seemed annoyed at him for lying on her bed, even though he always lied there because it was nice and smelled like her -

"You can lie to me all you want, but if you want to be her friend again you can't get drunk and then try to fight guys in bars over her."

"I wasn't going to fight him!"

"Dude," Miroku sighed. "Do you still love Kikyou?" Inuyasha closed his eyes.

"I don't know - "

"Then you need to break up with her."

"You think I should?"

"Only if you want to, Inuyasha. But if you're questioning things…"

The boys stood in silence outside the bar for a while, uncomfortably drunk and entirely clueless. Inuyasha spent the rest of the week moping and trying not to look at his phone.

Two days later…

"I can't believe we're going to a party! This is going to be so fun!" Rin excitedly flipped through her kimonos, eyes dancing as she admired her collection. The evening was upon them and Kagome had received the invite during her last lecture of the day. Kouga's friend Ginta had approached her, flushed as he spoke to her. Kagome thought it was cute; he was clearly easily intimidated by women, and seemed to admire her a lot.

"Lady Kagome, my friend Kouga would like for me to - uh, that is, I would like to as well - invite you to the party we're having in our den! That's on Peach St, second floor in the blue house -"

"Kouga? Oh! Thanks, that sounds great!"

"My name is, uh, Ginta by the way - I'm on the track team - "

The poor kid had been wearing a track suit at the time, and had over explained his position as on the track team and Kouga's friend. Kagome had giggled and thanked him again, complimenting his track suit generously. This caused him to turn bright red and run off, realizing his blunder.

"It's probably too casual for a kimono Rin," Kagome said as she stared into her own closet. "I might just wear jeans."

"But Kagome," Rin turned abruptly, looking concerned. "This is our first party at university! We have to make a good impression. And besides, you have such nice clothes, it would be a shame if you didn't get a chance to wear them to something besides a stuffy old lecture! We never got to dress up in high school, after all."

"That might be true," Kagome said, turning back to her closet. She looked up at her top shelf and spotted her little stash. "Maybe we should pre game this, to take the edge off." Kagome's jitters were driving her nuts. She didn't even know what made her suggest it - she'd never had vodka before, after all.

"Ooh," Rin grinned. "Kagome wants to get tipsy? You must be nervous. Is Kouga really that cute?"

"Something like that." Inuyasha hadn't texted her since Tuesday, and while it was unfair of her to expect him to keep texting her while she was in a state of completely ignoring him, she still felt put out without the attention. Maybe he and Kikyou had made up. She couldn't quite remember if they had actually been in the midst of a fight, but they were always having problems, as far as Kagome could tell.

She could admit to being a little unfair. She could very easily text him back. She remembered the few times she'd seen him drunk, worked up and flushed, but more honest than he usually was… She could use some liquid courage, she decided, maybe then she would talk to him…

Kagome reached up on the shelf and grabbed a shoe box. She opened the box and smiled despite herself when Rin laughed. A 40 oz of vodka alongside about a dozen nips, all Smirnoff.

"How'd you get this?" Kagome wasn't yet twenty.

"Sango's treat to me pre-university. She thought it would come in handy."

"I love Sango," Rin sighed, recalling the pretty older girl who had visited Kagome the week before. She exuded confidence and strength, although she had seemed a little sad at the time.

"Can I have a nip?"

"I'm not going to drink them all myself!"

And that's how Rin and Kagome wound up giggling on the floor with half a bottle of vodka* between the two of them an hour and a half later, nips shoved in the pockets of their skirts. Rin wore a purple sweater with a flower stitched on the front, and Kagome a fuzzy blue one. They both wore short jean skirts.

"This is sooo gross!" Rin cried as she capped the bottle, reaching for her bottle of water. The girls both had tears in their eyes from laughing so hard.

"We can't drink more at the party!" Kagome declared. "This is the first time I've ever been drunk! Ugh, how will I face Kouga?"

"Really? Your first time?" Rin oo-ed at Kagome, who was now lying flat on her back, looking content.

"I definitely don't want more than this tonight. But yeah, first time being drunk. I never had more than a couple cups of sake, and that was only on very special occasions. And there was that one time with Inuyasha…"

Rin smiled and sat up.

"You love him a lot don't you?"

Kagome didn't say anything, and thankfully she was already red from the Smirnoff.

"He was my best friend. We just haven't felt normal in a long time. I guess going to college changes things."

"Not to mention his horrendous girlfriend Kikyou."

"She's not horrendous! She just doesn't like me…"

"I can't imagine anyone not liking you, Kagome! You're the most likable person ever!"

"Keh," Kagome froze when she recognized the sound that came out of her mouth. She stood up, wobbling. "I don't blame her. Inuyasha has always been protective of me. It's natural for her to feel neglected." Kagome bit the inside of her cheek, feeling the bitterness well up inside her…

"I'm going to drink a whole bottle of water. Then let's go to the party!" Kagome moved to her desk, eyes on her phone. No new messages. She turned it on, looking back at her old messages.

What did I do?

Kagome bit her lip. She thought of a thousand snarky remarks she could make, something to set him off, something to have him at her door, yelling and demanding an apology, just like in high school. Kagome wrote out a message quickly and put her phone to the side, afraid to see his response suddenly. She drank her water absently, eyes on her Madame Butterfly poster.

You didn't do anything. I'm sorry Inuyasha.

His response came before Kagome had finished sipping her water.

Can I see you?

Kagome felt her stomach drop as if she had missed a step on the stairs.

"Ready to go?" Rin asked cheerily. Kagome nodded, shoving her phone in her purse, trying to ignore the stab of guilt she felt. She reached for the saltines on her desk.

"Yeah, just about. Let's go party with the wolves."

The party was crowded, stuffy, and full of free booze - that is, Strongbows and cheap sake. Kagome and Rin wove through crowds of smoking track kids, holding hands with big drunk smiles on their faces. (They would've smiled just as much if they were in a Walmart parking lot - they both were quite giggly.)

"There's Kouga!" Kagome proclaimed. Ginta and Kouga were leaning against the counter in the kitchen of the flat, matching sleeveless purple running shirts and all. Perfectly bronzed, muscular arms, were flexed casually as the boys chatted over their beers. Ginta saw Kagome first and blushed, nudging Kouga, who immediately straightened up.

"Kagome, how lovely to see you. And who might this beautiful girl be?" Kagome and Rin both giggled as they maneuvered around a couple of sophomores.

"This is my roommate Rin. We are both very grateful for the invitation, Kouga." Rin squeezed Kagome's hand, glancing around at all the people partying. The boy-to-girl ratio was about 4:1, and the music was less than pleasant, undoubtedly dubstep.

"I'm grateful you both decided to come. Could I get either of you something to drink?"

"Water for both of us," Kagome requested prettily. Kouga raised his eyebrows. "We're both a little tipsy."

"Two waters coming right up." Kouga nudged Ginta, keeping his eyes on Kagome.

"Ah, Rin, want to see the snack table?" Ginta somehow wound up leading Rin away without Kagome's consent, leaving her gaping and blushing.

Kagome felt her hand being grasped by Kouga, and her cheeks darkened as her eyes continued to follow Rin's disappearing form.

"Kagome," Kouga's voice changed, becoming huskier, almost - emotional? Kagome forced herself to meet his eyes, suddenly very alarmed and very badly needing to find the bathroom.

"Uh, yes, Kouga?" Kagome felt her hands (yes, he was grasping both of them) go clammy in his. His were warm, almost unbearably so, almost feverish, Kagome thought. His blue eyes were wide with affection, which Kagome felt was unfair. Had she not only spoken to him once before? She felt somewhat queasy, her vision somewhat fuzzy.

"You are one of the most beautiful girls I've met in a long time," he said, not at all quieting his voice. Kagome felt an audience form around her, and she swallowed.

"T-thanks Kouga, you're not so bad yourself!" Kouga laughed heartily.

"Will you honor me with a dance tonight, beautiful Kagome?"

"Uhhh, sure! But, Kouga, could I - "

"Ask me anything, Kagome."

"Could I, use your… bathroom?" Kouga laughed again and Kagome took the opportunity to slip her sweaty hands out of his. She scratched the back of her head, skirting her eyes away from Kouga's earnest expression.

"It's just down the hall, Lady Kagome. Please, find me when you're ready for that dance…" Kagome disappeared down the hallway before Kouga had finished his sentiments, feeling eyes follow her as she escaped. So many purple track shirts, so few girls to ally herself with.

As fate would have it, there was a line for the bathroom. Kagome slumped against the wall and texted Rin where she was, wondering if they should vacate the party sooner rather than later. Kagome wanted to have fun, and wanted to make friends, but Kouga's near admission of love had her feeling as if she was about to be properly courted. However…

There was something refreshing about his honestly, she had to admit. After years of trying to get Inuyasha to be comfortable hugging her (he still very rarely would embrace her, and when he did he was often embarrassed and would avoid looking at her) having a boy express his attraction to her so openly was kind of nice. Her self esteem wasn't helped by Inuyasha's rejection of her; not that he had technically rejected her, but he basically had…

Kagome took her time in the bathroom when it was her turn, sitting down and once again checking her messages from Inuyasha. She hadn't responded to his last one - Can I see you? - But Kagome could feel herself breaking. So what if it made her look pathetic? She missed Inuyasha. So much.

Kagome went to respond to Inuyasha, taking a deep breath, but before she could type out a response he had already texted her again.

Never mind. Have fun tonight with the wolves. Be careful.