Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any other characters that has come forth from the brilliant mind of Rumiko Takahashi…unfortunately.

A/N: You wouldn't believe how nervous I was to publish that first chapter. I had a panic attack; I had to breathe into a paper bag. Jeez…I'm a freak. Anyways, I've made this one somewhat longer…not really…but a little more so.

Cigarettes and Lavender

Chapter 2-Lucky

Bi Polar

"Hey! Inuyasha, why don't you come sit with us today?" Miroku asked while walking down the blank hallways of the school. It had been a week since Inuyasha had met the violet eyed boy. They had grown considerably close.

"Yea sure, I'll meet you over at the table after I buy my lunch." Inuyasha said quietly. He had grown quieter over the years.

Inuyasha stared down at his soggy lunch, not sure what it was though not sure if he wanted to know. He made his way to the corner table in the cafeteria. He saw, that with Miroku sat a young girl he had met a couple days before. Her name was Sango Tayia. Miroku fancied her, but not even his wittiest comebacks or most clever speeches could move the young beauty to think of Miroku as anything more than a friend. Though, that might have something to do with the fact that Miroku had trouble keeping his best behavior while around women. He was actually quite impulsive around them, throwing them lines laced with pretty words. Sango didn't seem to be moved by any of his appealing words. Then again, Sango wasn't you're everyday girl. She was rather eccentric; Inuyasha guessed that was why Miroku thought of her differently than all of the other blockheads around the school.

"Hey Inuyasha!" Sango greeted while sipping her chocolate milk. Her dark hair was pulled back in a high pony tail and it bobbed about when she waved her free hand. Her brown eyes shined as she smiled.

"Hello Sango." Inuyasha nodded setting down his food tray and taking his seat. He sat there a while picking at food, deciding whether or not he was in the mood for a risk.

"So Sango, have any plans over the weekend?" Miroku asked casually. Inuyasha smiled as he heard this, it was like this every day. Miroku would ask Sango if she was doing anything she would say no, then he would beg her to go out on a date with him, and then she would turn him down. Inuyasha began to wonder why he even tried anymore.

"Other than trying to avoid you, no." Sango replied wiping her face on her napkin while getting up to leave.

"Oh please Sango! Come on, this is the hundredth time you've let me down couldn't you just once give it a try?" Miroku turned around in his seat to see her walk away. He sighed and turned back to a smiling Inuyasha. "I don't know why I try anymore."

"Me neither."

"There's just something different about her…you know? Something that draws me to her."

"Miroku, I'm glad you trust me with all of your "deepest thoughts", but I really rather not hear about all of this mushy crap while I'm trying to stuff whatever the hell they serve here down my throat."

"Fine, fine. Hey, about our project. We should work on it today after school. What do you say?" Miroku's mood suddenly changed from joking to serious in a blink of the eye. He did that a lot, changed emotions in an instant, that is.

"Uhhh, yea, that'd be good." Inuyasha said unconsciously still trying to get enough nerve to eat the food on his spork. (A/N: you know a spoon and a fork in one! Gasps)

"How about you're place?" Miroku was now stuffing food down in his mouth giving it no second thought as the boy sitting across from him stiffened.

Inuyasha's amber eyes widened. 'No, we can't go home…' "Uhhh, actually my house isn't the best place…" Inuyasha's voice wavered slightly but he kept his straight face, just like he did when he was around mom and dad.

"Why not?"

"Umm…Our…heater is broken. So, it gets really cold."

"Oh ok. I guess we could go to my place. Though Moushi is a bit…eccentric." Miroku said tilting his head away from his food as he said the word eccentric.

"Who's Moushi?" Inuyasha couldn't help letting the question slip out, even if he knew it was rude.

"Oh he's my guardian." Miroku answered nonchalantly. Sensing the amber eyed boy's unspoken question Miroku said. "My parents have left this world." Inuyasha's eyes widened and his heart sunk for the boy sitting across from him. Miroku took notice to the somber change in Inuyasha. "Oh don't worry. I was young when they passed away. I can hardly remember them and the little bits and pieces that I do remember are hardly significant." Miroku gave him a bright smile to reassure him and Inuyasha relaxed. "So you want to come to my house after school?"

"Yea…" Inuyasha replied quietly with a nod of his head.

Miroku ushered Inuyasha into his house as the rain poured down on the two of them. Turning around after he closed the door he gave Inuyasha one of his toothy grins. "Follow me we can work in my room." He smiled walking up the stairs. Inuyasha nodded his head and gazed at all the pictures hanging on the walls, pictures of a young boy with the same toothy grin, the same black hair, and the same violet eyes. He could hear snoring from a different room but he didn't dare question it.

Miroku opened his door slightly to scan the area for uncleanness before letting the boy standing behind him in. Inuyasha stepped inside the pleasant room. The walls were painted a dark blue decorated with posters of half clad anime women, and other posters hanging on the walls. His floor was littered with some dirty clothes but mostly thick books and pieces of paper. In the corner sat a wooden desk, a computer sitting a top it. "You can set your backpack and things over there." He said pointing to the area near the desk.

"So what do you think we should start on? I was thinking that you could start on the poster while I look up information. Maybe we should make a power point. What do you think?" Miroku handed Inuyasha a poster board along with construction paper and some markers.

"Uhhh…sounds good to me." Inuyasha said a little flustered by Miroku's upbeat fast attitude today.

"Okay! Let's get started!" Miroku turned his back on the amber eyed boy sitting on the floor and started working on the computer. Inuyasha sat for sometime thinking of what he should do before finally settling on going with a blue/green/black style for the poster. You'd be surprised how much energy it takes to make a decision about poster styles.

Three and half hours had passed. Inuyasha hadn't noticed the time, he'd been relatively happy and the lack of hostility was refreshing. The two of them had the occasional conversation which usually led Miroku talking about girls, Sango in particular. "So are you staying for dinn…" Miroku was cut off by the sound of the doorbell downstairs. "Wait one moment."

He returned with Sango trailing after him. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows at the couple. "Uhhh…I just came over to…borrow some…sugar…errr…I mean…a book." Sango stuttered.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows higher. "Riiight, I should actually be getting home." He gathered his belongings and messily stuffed them into his tattered backpack. "I'll see you two tomorrow." 'They need some time alone.'

Trying to avoid going 'home' Inuyasha took the long way that night. While walking home, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lighter. It wasn't stress he needed relieving but more so anxiety. Too soon did he get home, too soon for him at least.

As he stepped through the door, he saw a scene all too familiar. His dad had gotten drunk again and his mom was desperately trying to clam him down. "Where in the hell is that boy!" his dad slurred.

"Sei! Relax!" Izayoi cried.

Sei whipped around, striking her on the face. She fell to the ground cradling her red swollen cheek, tears freely falling to the ground.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. His façade had broken. For the first time in months he had shown emotion in front of his parents. This couldn't be happening to him. For all the years of watching his parents fight and argue he had never his father hurt his mother; only him.

Bloodshot eyes turned to see the shaken boy standing in the doorway stiff and disbelieving. "You!" His father roared his face red and his hair in a tangled mess. His mother still lied on the floor clutching her face; her sobs could be heard through the house. Sei stomped over to where his son stood soaked by the downpour; he grabbed him by the collar shaking him as if it would get his frustration across.

"Where the fucks have you been you worthless son of a bitch!" The vein in forehead was bulging causing his face to look even less pleasant than usual.

"I'm tired of this! Jesus! I'm so fucking tired of this! Don't think I don't know about it! You leave the house! You steal my cigs and drink the booze when we're not home! Gods! You're a horrible son; you're not even a son! You don't deserve to live!" At this he threw the boy across the room, Inuyasha's head smashed against the coffee table. Inuyasha gasped reaching back to clutch his head. He didn't get a chance. His father's large boot came crashing down on his side. Inuyasha bit his tongue trying to turn his focus on something rather than the boot crushing his ribs and moving to his head.

His mother's hysterics could be heard from where Inuyasha now lying. His father's obscenities where so loud and so cruel he couldn't even block them out with the always turning gears in his mind. He didn't fight back or even say anything. It would be useless. He was lucky, as far as Inuyasha was concerned, he was lucky his dad decided just to use his fists and combat boots.

His father finally backed away looking down at the bloody bruised boy lying before him. He sneered, his thin mouth curling into a disgustingly sweet smile. "The dagger is upstairs on the dresser." He turned his back on his son walking past his bawling wife and into the kitchen to make himself another drink.

A/N: I'm horrible. CLIFF HANGER! OMG!