InuYasha wasn't as 'okay' as he insisted he was.

Kikyo's rejection was still fresh in his mind and so whenever they rehearsed a song he'd added to the playlist with Her in mind, he got frustrated and halted the rehearsal.

Their show was that night, but -if InuYasha couldn't get past the mental blockade that made his voice crack over basic notes- she didn't doubt there would be no show.

"That's it!" Koga, the drummer, shoved his drumsticks into their holder and demanded, "switch places for the love songs."

InuYasha grimaced and said, "but they're too high for Sesshomaru."

"Then we'll lower the key, dog face, but anything is better than listening to you choke on your throat. It's not like she's cheating on you- she just doesn't want to come see your cover band perform."

Sango didn't know what he said that for, but she watched on from the couch as Miroku rushed to reassure him that Kikyo hardly had enough love for him- let alone a second man.

Things went south after that and she was pretty sure they wasted their remaining practice time bickering.

When she left her bedroom, fully dressed in her band tee shirt and black jeans, they'd packed up their instruments and changed their clothes.

Leather was a common theme.

Kagome was fussing at them for being irresponsible, "what if she'd seen you! No matter what you say about her maturity, Rin is still just a little girl."

"Humans in this era insist upon treating children like morons," Sesshomaru said loftily, "but I will raise my ward however I'd like. It was on the counter and she was too busy crying to notice anything amiss. Lighten up and try some."

She crossed her arms over her chest and bit out, "not likely!"

That -in and of itself- should have been startling since Rin was rarely discluded from mature activities. They drank with her near, screamed curses without care for her youth, and so she could not imagine what kind of debauchery they had planned for the occasion.

Although, for once, she couldn't say she wasn't excited to find out. Maybe Sesshomaru had scared off Miroku, but she was certain that she could snag someone during the performance, long before her personal guard dog had the chance to notice that she was gone.

"Consider that outfit vetoed," Sesshomaru told her immediately, "I need you to look good today." There was something different about him in the moment, something that made him seem more off kilter, more predatory.

"I need you to not be a dick."

She elected to ignore that burning look in his eyes as he caught her by the arm and began dragging her back the way she came.

"Keep your hands to yourself," Kagome demanded, her usual easy going nature had melted away in its entirety, leaving a defensive and stressed out creature in its wake. "She can put the clothes on without your intervention."

Sango glanced between the two of them, wondering what kind of falling out they could have had in such a short time, "it's fine, Kagome. He's just being an asshole. You know how he can be."

But Kagome wasn't having it, "he literally snorted an ounce of cocaine off the counter before you came out here."

Koga popped up from the counter, "prude! Kikyo is -somehow- more fun."

Without missing a beat, Sango came to her defense, "watch what you say to Kagome or you'll be drinking your meals through a straw."

"Hot." That -admittedly- caught her a bit off guard.

Sango turned back towards Sesshomaru, "excuse you!"

Bold, he lowered himself to eye level and slowly repeated himself, "hot." His eyes roamed along her form and she wished so desperately that she was disgusted by it. She didn't want her skin to heat beneath his gaze and she didn't want to feel like prey when his fingers grazed her skin.

"I'm too sober to deal with this." She decided, finally.

"Help yourself," he motioned grandly towards her kitchen, "once you change into this."

"Where'd you get all that? I know being rich has its perks, but… how many pounds of contraband are you lugging around."

He shrugged, "your shirt is making me selectively deaf." So she changed and repeated her question. His answer was slow in coming, as if he wasn't sure if he felt like answering her. "Father."

"Where'd your father get it?"

As his smile spread across his face she found that maybe she'd asked a question she shouldn't have.

"Nevermind, better question… what are you doing with it? If you're working with the yakuza then you've got ten seconds to get out of my house."

"Surely it's not that surprising," he crooned, "the tattoos, the money, the blatant challenges to the government? We are carving a path to equality." His hands couldn't seem to stay at his side and Sango tried to keep air moving through her lungs. "Surely it's not so bad to fight for ambulances and quality childcare."

She blinked past the haze that his smooth voice on her neck inspired, "and that's what this is? That's where your loyalties lie?"

"Scouts honor." There was a moment when she and Kagome whispered to one another. Was it really okay to know what they were and say nothing?

"Keep your hands off of Sango," Kagome clung to her friend, pressing their cheeks together, "but I guess we'll keep your secret."

xXx

When Sesshomaru said the drugs gave him energy she hadn't known what that really meant until now. He was onstage with his friends, throwing one hundred and thirty percent of himself into his performance.

"I can't believe he made such a big deal about this."

Sango turned back to find Kagura standing behind her with another woman in tow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome was a few beers in and her confidence seemed to skyrocket in that time, "they're absolutely phenomenal."

Bored, the woman at Kagura's side muttered, "if you say so."

"If you don't agree, then why are you here?" Sango had been a bit braver than Kagome and her courage was less liquid and more crystalline.

Kagura stepped between the three of them quickly, "this is Kikyo. I'm sure you've heard of her at this point."

She'd never seen Kagome's face go so dark and she wondered what the other woman knew that she hadn't disclosed.

When I start drinking

My dick does all my thinking

Girls want to be seen with me

And I love their big, thick titties

Sango turned back to the stage, trying to keep her head out of the gutter as Sesshomaru shook up a beer and sprayed it over his head. He was sticky and sweaty and the urge to lick that combination off of his bare chest was pulsing in the back of her mind without a moment of mercy.

She didn't know what possessed her to slide her underwear off and shoot them across the way, but she couldn't say she wasn't pleased when he caught them and brought them to his face.

The screams were becoming deafening as the guitar went through its riffs. Miroku's fingers moved along the neck of the guitar with a practiced ease that she wouldn't mind experiencing first hand. A collection of bras came raining from the crowd when the music fell quiet.

"Hope you enjoyed that," Sesshomaru's low voice echoed into the microphone, "because we won't be doing that again."

Cries of dismay echoed through their crowd, "doesn't seem like they like that very much," Miroku chuckled, "won't you be kind to them? Just this once."

Sango could fall in love with that wicked grin, "maybe if they beg."

"You heard him," InuYasha cried, "if you ever want to see something like that again we'd better see a ton of support on social media."

Sango nearly jumped out of her skin when Sesshomaru landed in front of her, her underwear hanging from his finger like a prize.

"You think you're real funny."

"I am Hilarity."

He hoisted her over his shoulder, "you've done this to yourself." Her head spun with the sudden shift, but the fire that raged in her gut couldn't be doused. "We will see you all tomorrow at the airport. Don't be late."

"Where are you taking me?" Sango asked, coy as he breezed past his fans.

"If you're lucky? My bedroom. If you're any luckier? The back of my car. My bedroom. My kitchen. Wherever I decide."