Updated the first chapter. I've completely revamped this story. Hope you enjoy!
"Let's raise the stakes. What do you ladies say?"
Crossing her arms, her gaze flickered between two men.
Koga and Bankotsu stood poised with smug self-assurance. The latter looked her up and down, his eyes glittering with mirth.
She threw him the most savage glare she could muster. But his lips just quirked into an amused smile. She looked about as threatening as a puppy with her height and stature, but she at least tried.
Why was he here again? She and Kagome were happily drunk, playing a game of pong when they showed up. She forgot the two of them were friends with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.
The brothers' house was the last place she expected him to be. But here she was, face to face with Bankotsu Shichinintai. Three years into college, she successfully avoided him. They passed each other on campus but he always walked right by, never sparing a glance. They shared one class but, thankfully, he ignored her.
Now his presence graced her up front, and she could honestly say it was not missed. The way his cobalt gaze lingered on her left her feeling bare, like he saw straight through her. It was off-putting.
Kagome didn't seem to sense her apprehension. Her focus on the demon as she took in his muscled build.
After a moment's consideration she said, "sure. I'm down," and looked to her for confirmation.
She nodded, slowly, reluctant to participate in a game with them. But Kagome didn't know about her relationship with Bankotsu. She moved to Shikon at the beginning of freshman year while her issues with the bully stemmed from high school.
Koga smiled, his fangs on full display as he drawled, "cool. You'll find out what my proposition is once we're down one cup each."
She raised a brow at that and watched the wordless exchange between them.
The wolf demon threw his friend a knowing smirk. Bankotsu rolled his eyes in response. Though, his small smile did not go unnoticed by her.
That put her on edge. This had to be a trap. He hadn't paid her any attention for three years and now he was here challenging her to a game with unknown variables involved. This had to be a ruse to humiliate her, embarrass her like he always did in high school.
His last prank still mortified her to this day. In their senior year he filled her locker with glitter and made it so that when she opened it, glitter exploded and covered her from head to toe.
That day she skipped school to go home and shower. Concerned classmates and teachers approached her, asking if she was okay, but she brushed them off. It was simply an inconvenience. Took her weeks to wash off all the silver particles, some of it finding its way into her ears. Just thinking about the incident made her flush as she helped Kagome rearrange the cups on either end of the table.
She chanced a glance at the boy who bullied her to find him still looking at her. It was like he knew what she was thinking about as he smiled sharply.
In response, she grit her teeth and tore her gaze away. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing how he irritated her.
Once they finished setting up, she and Kagome stood on one end facing the boys.
This time, Bankotsu spoke up. The loud beat of hip hop threatened to drown out his voice as he tossed the ping-pong ball in the air and said, "I'll go first."
Asha swallowed, not liking the gleam in his eyes one bit. A frightening grin spread across his face from ear to ear. Taking a swig from his beer can, he aimed and took the first shot.
/
They lost. She knew they would with how drunk Kagome became as the game progressed. But now they had to honor their side of the deal, which was to—did she hear Koga correctly? His audacity never ceased to amaze her.
But there was no way... he had to be messing with them. A kiss? That's what he was smiling about earlier? That's what Bankotsu wanted? The guy who called her chicken legs all throughout high school.
She watched slack jawed as he smirked and sauntered around the table, sizing her up.
She turned to see Kagome already locking lips with the Koga, who slowly guided her friend towards the staircase.
No fucking way.
She reached for her, ready to call out and pull her away from the demon's horny clutches. No way was she letting Koga just have his way with her. She was drunk!
But then a hand locked around her wrist, bringing her attention back to the man in front of her.
"I believe you owe me something," he purred.
She stared, wide-eyed.
The hunger in his eyes was clear as day, but it confused her. He's never paid her that kind of attention before. In school he was known for jumping from bed to bed with girls who were comfortable with casual sex.
But she never had been and chalked up his current fascination with her to alcohol and poor decision-making.
He brought his hand under her chin and titled her face up, forcing her to look at him. "You lost the bet. I'm just here to claim my prize."
She slapped his hand away. "As if. I don't owe you shit."
"Bitchy," he chuckled, shaking his hand as if it hurt.
"Come on." He made a grab for her arm. "You won't love it till you try it." He adjusted himself in his jeans as he stalked towards her.
She grimaced at the crude gesture but refused to back down. "You're disgusting, you know that? Y-you can't lure me into sleeping with you."
She looked around. No one else was in the kitchen with them. Most of the voices sounded like they were beneath them in the basement. So there wasn't anyone to stop him from doing whatever he wanted.
Bankotsu snorted. "That's not what I'm trying to do." He reached for her and she growled, ready to slap his hand away again, but he just brushed her hair away from her face, tucking the strands behind her ear.
A strange look came over him then. His forehead furrowed in confusion. But it quickly passed.
Did he...remember?
She brought her hand down to her side.
"Could've fooled me," she said, pensively. "It seems to be what your friend's goal was."
He shrugged. "I suppose. I wouldn't know and don't really care," he muttered, taking a step closer.
This time she did step back, closer to the staircase so she could run up and retrieve Kagome. But she hit the railing, leaving her caged in.
Sensing her intentions, Bankotsu grinned lazily before leaning forward to look up the stairs.
His palm splayed against the small of her back, and his chest touched hers. She smelt a hint of his cologne, which, she hated to admit, smelled good.
It was musky and clean and mixed well with his own natural scent, which she couldn't quite place.
"You may want to hurry." His voice pulled her from her musing. "After all, he is a wolf demon and they do love to get down to business," he said, twirling her hair around his finger.
She felt his dark grin against her ear and shivered; warm tingles shot down her spine at the feel of his lips.
Pushing her hands against his chest, she shoved him. Though, she may as well have been pushing at a wall—he barely budged.
Instead, he chuckled and gave way, turning just enough to let her slip past.
As she ran up the stairs, she felt his eyes follow her, burning into her back.
She prayed that they soon burned with anger from the injustice of it all.
Please remember.
/
Bankotsu's POV
It was surprising to see her. He wasn't the closest of friends with the hanyou, but he didn't take Inuyasha as the type to befriend the quiet girl they went to school with. Back then she was nothing but a shy nerd who everyone fawned over because she was believed to be the reincarnation of Himani. It was a stupid belief in his opinion. But that was then. Now...
His eyes wandered over her form, suddenly glad that he decided to come out tonight.
He hadn't been planning on showing up, but Koga insisted it would be good for him. He needed a break. His parent's habits had taken a turn for the worst. They never did anything to him; he was the golden son. But his brothers, especially Jakotsu...
His hands balled into fists, and his blood simmered, remembering what they did to him. They were their sons, damn it. Not fucking assets.
The sound of her laughter pulled him out of the dark hole of memories. He saw that she was playing beer pong with Kagome Higurashi of all people.
Huh, he had no idea they were friends.
Someone nudged his shoulder, and he turned to see Koga smirking at him.
"What?" He asked, a bit more forceful than intended.
His friend popped open a beer with his sharp claws and chuckled. "Nothing. Just see you're checking out options. Didn't peg you to be into shy girls."
Bankotsu leaned back, watching his former classmate and the way her hips slightly swayed to the beat. "Maybe I am," he replied, arching a brow. He didn't take her to be the type that was into this kind of music.
Suddenly, the wolf demon slapped a hand on his thigh. "Come one. I have an idea," he said, with a wolfish grin.
Sighing, he stood up and followed his friend, trusting that this would at least serve as a good distraction for the time being.
/
After leaving Inuyasha's, she dropped off Kagome, making sure she was safely back at her house.
She decided to stay and sober up before driving home. It was a bad move leaving from Inuyasha's in that state, but she couldn't bring herself to care anymore. Not after going through the same bullshit so many times.
Once she could walk in a straight line without swaying, she left, shutting the door behind her, and getting back in her car. As she switched the gear in reverse, she cracked open the windows to let in some air. It blew hot against her face as she drove.
July was a scorching month. Summers in Shikon were brutal, but she preferred it to the biting cold of winter.
Well, she used to.
Now, she'd do anything to see snow again. It had been a long time since she's seen the town blanketed in a white snow. The blinding sun and smell of pollen during these summer months were all she's known.
Fifteen minutes of driving through quiet streets soon brought her to a narrow road of gravel leading to her family's small estate.
Darkened woods stretched out for miles around her home. Being one of the founding families, her family owned a sizable amount of land passed down for generations. As a child, she spent hours exploring the deep forest and remembered the feel of eyes following her.
The trees surrounding this town were ancient. A number of demonic species lurked within and attracted academics and scientists from around the world. It was common to have the occasional outsider visiting for their own curiosity.
She'd grown up in these woods and knew that something lived within them, always observing, waiting. For what, she didn't know. But even now, as she drove past clusters of trees and thickets, she got the sense that something was watching. Obviously, she never saw anything, but it was there. A feeling the town knew well.
It was somewhat of a running joke: the trees listened; they had eyes and saw all. No secret truly unknown.
Pulling into the narrow driveway, the house sat in complete darkness. Lack of lighting showed that her grandparents weren't home yet. If she had to guess, they were with Sango's grandparents at the bar.
Pushing the gear into park, she set the break and took out the key. Door swinging shut behind her, she walked along the brick path leading to the front. The click of her footsteps clacked loud in the night. The only other sound being the high-pitched cry of crickets and cicadas. They along with the trees were the only witnesses to what happened next.
As she went to open the front door, pushing the key into the slot, a cloth was pushed roughly against her nose. The familiar scent of chloroform invaded her nostrils, and she struggled against it, grabbing at her attacker's hands as they crushed her against them. Their other arm came around to restrain her and shoved the cloth harder against her face.
She tried to cry out, but it was futile. No one was around to hear. She tried to turn around, to glimpse her assailant, but they forced her face forward. The sweet odor subdued her, pervading her senses until she fought to keep her eyes open.
Whoever they were, they needed her alive but unconscious before they killed her. It's because they kept knocking her out she couldn't figure out who they are.
The only thing she learned was that they're part of an organization judging by their uniform. But it's one she didn't recognize or get a good look at because they always attacked under the cover of darkness at odd hours.
It was pushing her to a breaking point. At least she's the only one dying this time.
Her eyes begin to shut. She's tired of fighting. Tired of not knowing. Tired of trying to figure it out and tired of lying to herself, pretending she's experiencing everything for the first time again and again and again and again.
She missed Bankotsu. She missed him so much. Last time it was because of him, she came close to figuring it all out. But his memory was wiped. Her own spotty at best.
He didn't remember this time. But she prayed he would in the next round.
Please, Bankotsu... please help me...
Tears pricked at her eyes before the chloroform lulled her to sleep.