Now I will tell you what I've done for you
50 thousand tears I've cried
Screaming Deceiving and Bleeding for you
And you still won't hear me

Kagome stood on the edge of the stage, her guitar in hand and her hands aching to continue playing. The crowd, who at first had been skeptical about their formal bartender suddenly taking the spot of Kikyo, was now a mass of cheering bodies as they yelled for more from the bartender turned siren. Kagome looked over at Sango as she finished the intro, and the other girl nodded before filling in the blank spot.

I'm going under

Inuyasha and the others pounded on their instruments, Kagome included, as she stepped closer to the edge of the stage with a dangerous look in her make-up enhanced eyes. She looked like a remake of Amy Lee from the actual music video for the song, her eyes accented by heavy black eyeliner and red eyeshadow that went out from her eyes slightly. No longer was she the plain Kagome who wore baseball caps, long-sleeved t-shirts, and little to no make up. She had been transformed, just for one night. But as Kagome sang out the next part, she knew it was a night she'd cherish for some time to come.

Don't want your hand this time I'll save myself
Maybe I'll wake up for once
Not tormented daily defeated by you
Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom
I'm dying again

Her face began to mimic the lyrics perfectly, going from tormented and anguished to calm and strangely serene as she sang the last part. Many of the younger men in the audience tried to reach for her, some unattainable dream glimmering brightly above and out of their work weary reach. To these men, she smiled seductively. Then, as the music began to come back in, the smile disappeared and anguish once more ruled her expression.

I'm going under
Drowning in you
I'm falling forever
I've got to break through
I'm going under

He watched her from his usual VIP box with his usual black cherry flavored Smirnoff. Having seen her earlier that day, he knew who she was. The shy, strangely innocent bartender of the club with the also strangely appealing name of Kagome. But had he been anyone else, he would not have recognized her. She'd become one with every song she'd sang tonight, all of the emotion possible poured into her voice. Had she'd been youkai the emotion would not have been needed, for the unworldly beauty of many youkai females would have been enough. But this Kagome, who's looks were once so simple, captivated her audience with her strangely exotic voice and her appealing face that relayed emotions like a television.

Blurring and Stirring the truth and the lies
So I don't know what's real and what's not
Always confusing the thoughts in my head
So I can't trust myself anymore
I'm dying again

Her emotions seemed to change with a click of button, fitting perfectly with each syllable, and he felt as though his head was swimming in the clouds from the intoxicating sound her voice. Near perfect pitch and a beautiful range were what made this girl good, but the emotion, and another element that escaped him, kept him yearning for more. He'd heard many voices, seen many woman, and had taken many in as students. But this girl, seemingly plain in the daylight, captured his golden gaze and made his blood burn.

I'm going under
Drowning in you
I'm falling forever
I've got to break through...

Kagome sang out the chorus again, her hands flowing across her guitar strings as she did so, and she felt so alive under the stage lights. At first, as she had felt skeptical eyes on her, she had been nervous and timid. But now, her adrenaline was pumping and she felt tingles in her skin as she continued playing. But as she began to sing the bridge, she nearly froze. She could feel them, a pair of eyes practically burning into her soul as they watched her. Then, as she sang out and began to search for the owner of said eyes, gold flashed in her vision.

'Gold eyes...wait...I know eyes like that...'

So go on and scream
Scream at me I'm so far away

Inuyasha, who'd been watching the transformation of Kagome all day, looked over and was shocked to see a sort of frantic look in her eyes that didn't match the expression on her face. Before she had focused mainly on the lower part of the club, but now her eyes were everywhere as though they were searching for something. Or perhaps even someone.

'What the hell is going on? I've never seen her like this.'

I won't be broken again
I've got to breathe I can't keep going under

Her guitar solo echoed out as she stepped on the very edge of the stage, still searching for a pair of golden eyes. Yes, it may have been strange but she was convinced, for some reason, that beyond any doubt, those golden eyes were watching her from within the confines of the club.

'I'm just lucky this is the last song of the night.'

I'm dying again

I'm going under
Drowning in you
I'm falling forever
I've got to break through

I'm going under

Going under

I'm going under

The music faded and Kagome stopped at the edge of the stage, her eyes glued to one particular spot in the VIP section. Sango, who hadn't seen the look in Kagome's eyes earlier, was now suddenly worried as the crowd cheered and Kagome simply stood there, not even beginning to pack up like the others.

"Miroku, what's wrong with Kagome?" Miroku, who was reeling in several cords, suddenly stopped and looked over at Kagome with worried eyes.

"I'm not sure. It looks like she...sees someone." Sango nodded as she gently removed her bass and settled it on the top of her opened case before walking slowly to Kagome who still hadn't moved.

"Kagome? Kagome, are you alright?" Sango looked at the other girl's face, and she was shocked to see her eyes wide and slightly hazy.

"Sango, watch my things for me, will you?" Kagome quickly removed the guitar from her shoulder and pressed into Sango's arms. Then, before Sango or Inuyasha could stop her, she jumped from the stage and took off at a sprint as soon as she landed.

She could feel their hands try to grab her, hear all their voices jumbled together in a blurred wave of sound. But she ignored them, even when Sango and Inuyasha both jumped from the stage as well and yelled out her name over everything else. She kept running, leaping over an overturned table and its occupants before running up the VIP stairs.

"Kagome! Damn it, what the hell is wrong with her!" Inuyasha tried to get around the mass of people, but found it to be like the fly who wanted to escape the spider web.

"I don't know! I haven't seen her like this in years!" At this, Inuyasha stopped fighting and gave Sango a questioning glance as she kept fighting past the people as she ground out, "Don't ask."

The stairs and upper hall were nearly dark, only two lights showing Kagome her path as she continued running. She ran into several people along the way, muttering half apologies as she she made her way to the far end room, hoping with all heart that her quarry was still there. She didn't know why she felt the pull she felt, or why she was so desperate to find the source, but it felt as though a chain was tied in her chest and was yanking her to the origin.

'Please still be there...' She finally reached the final room and found herself lucky that whoever the person was didn't have security. With a slight sigh of victory, she opened the the door quickly and rushed in. But whatever hope she had felt before fell to the ground when she saw all the chairs emptied of people. She scanned the room quickly, just to make sure, and yet she found nothing. Then, just as she was about to turn and walk from the room, something on the table caught her eye and she walked over until she stood next to it.

"What on Earth?" Reaching down, she took up the gift left there. It was a single long-stemmed rose, its petals a solid white with a strange, almost manmade looking, red edge. Then, around the stem, there was a single crimson ribbon tied in a bow. There was no note, or anything to indicate it was hers at all. But Kagome felt as though it was meant for her, and she grasp it tightly in her hand, ignoring the pain as one of the thorns accidently left behind sliced into her palm.

"Kagome!" She turned with slightly saddened eyes to see Inuyasha run into the room, his eyes wide and concerned as he looked her over. She let him check her over, not taking her eyes off the rose even when he frowned about the blood dripping down her hand.

'What the hell is going on?' Her mind felt so very fuzzy as She stood there and let her band mate fuss over her bleeding hand, and the tingles running across her skin weren't exactly normal either.

'It's strange, but it almost feels like youki.'

"Kagome! Snap out of it!"

"Huh?" Her eyes snapped wide open from their glazed status and she focused on Inuyasha's concerned face, his dark eyes sparkling strangely in the room's light. Then, as though a spell had been lifted, a sudden gold fire erupted in his eyes and she blinked with a gasp. But there wasn't any gold, and she decided it must have been a trick of her mind as he led her from the room.

" Come on, Sango will have my ass on a platter if I don't prove you're okay." Normally, Kagome would have laughed at such a true, yet amusing, statement. But in her current frame of mind, she simply stayed silent as they met Sango halfway down the stairs. She too frantically interrogated her, but Inuyasha gave a her look that said questions were for later and Kagome's hazy mind was saved as they both guided her down the stairs.

When they reached the bottom though, Kagome's mind was thrown back to the real world as a uproar of applause reached her ears.

"Kagome, they're cheering for you." Kagome heard Inuyasha's voice in her ear, felt his hot breath across her skin, but she barely registered what he said with a small smile towards the throng of people trying to make their way to her. Inuyasha, almost glaring at her bleeding hand which still held the rose, suddenly picked her up and took her into the back room behind the bar.

"Inuyasha?" Her voice sounded befuddled even to her own ears.

"Your hand needs to be cleaned up and I sure as hell wasn't going to try and do it out there." He gave her a grin, one that sent a slight tingle down her spine as he sat her on a counter and then proceeded to search for a first aid kit. "You really did a number on your hand with that rose thorn. Normally it's just a prick, but you sliced all the way across your palm."

"Uh huh..." Inuyasha, hearing her less than enthusiastic reply, turned back to her with a concerned look and gently tapped the side of her face.

"Oi, don't space out on me now." She blinked innocently, earning one of his growling chuckles in return. As he he began to treat the cut on her hand, she allowed herself to study him as more than a musician for the first time.

He was roughishly handsome, that being the first thing she noticed. With a proud facial structure and tanned skin, he looked like rather out of place in the early winter. He had long black hair that was currently loose along his back in glorious waves, and his eyes were the most shocking color of violet. But captivating none the less.

'Not as good as gold though.' Kagome frowned at this line of though, knowing very well that she didn't even know what type of person the owner of the mysterious golden eyes was hostile or not. Where as she had learned quite a bit about Inuyasha in the last few hours.

He was born from a different mother than his brother, who he refused to speak about, and their father was the owner of several high ranking businesses. Not only that, but their whole family was exceptionally talented in the arts. Music was their pride though, and they own several clubs, concert halls, and even their own orchestra. The part about the orchestra intrigued her, since she was part of one in the city. But he never said which orchestra it was and she was left to wonder. Inuyasha's mother had been an opera singer, who'd enchanted his father with a single note of her heavenly voice. Or at least, that's how the story went. Inuyasha himself had taken several years of vocal training even before learning to play guitar, drums, and several other instruments. But when Kagome had complemented on his achievements, he'd frowned slightly. As it turned out, he was nowhere near the level his brother was.

The older of the brothers was a musical prodigy from the age of three, being taught to play the piano even though he despised it. Eventually, he mastered the instrument with the incentive of outdoing his friend who had started learning around the same time as he had. Inuyasha had also said that even though they were later on more lenient, his brother was pressured very heavily in his early years by his mother and their father. But time changed them and soon Inuyasha's brother was not only a prodigy in classical music, but in more modern music as well. Although, it was very clear he would always have a soft spot for the piano, Inuyasha pointed out gruffly that his step brother had also found a soft spot for guitar and violin.

Kagome felt, no she knew, that she had to meet this prodigy of music.

"Kagome?" She shook her head fiercely, trying to bring her mind back into focus. But no matter how hard she focused on something, her mind seemed to be in the clouds today. Earlier, she'd been more focused than she usually was. Memorizing new chords and vocals at the drop of a hat. But now, it felt as though someone had rummaged through her brain and stolen her intelligence before leaving with a good laugh.

"I'm fine Inuyasha. Now can you quit holding my hand so tight? It's really starting to sting." Inuyasha's blush was not something she had anticipated, nor did she anticipate the look on his face that resemble a puppy after being scolded. So cute was the action, that Kagome felt a warm smile grace her features as a small giggle bubbled from within her and made Inuyasha, who's eyes had been glued to her hand, look up at her in slight wonder.

"What's so funny?"

"That was so kawaii! When you pout, you remind me of a scolded puppy!" Inuyasha's eyes widened as her bright giggles echoed in the room again, but he suddenly blushed again and lowered his gaze to her hand.

"I don't pout." Kagome laughed a little more at this.

"Yes you do! You're doing it right now! But don't worry, I won't tell the others that 'Macho Yasha' pouts like a puppy." As though to further fuel his embarrassment, Kagome giggled again and ruffled his hair with her uninjured hand. Her only answer was a loud grumble that sounded suspiciously like a growl.

"Don't growl at me Inuyasha. I was just playing with you." He snorted as he pressed some ointment onto her hand, making her hiss.

"Keh, you were insulting me. Now hold still before you hurt yourself again." This time she listened to him and tried her hardest not to move. But every now and then he'd lightly skim a part of the cut that was tender and she twitch just enough to make him look up at her through his dark bangs, his bright violet eyes shining through with a strange light.

Once again she found herself thinking about how handsome he really was. Not just on the outside, but he had beauty on the inside as well. Although he was gruff and often rude, she could see a kind heart beneath his hard exterior. On the inside he was just a pouting puppy. The thought of that made her giggle again.

"You're doing it again." She tried to stifle her laughter, but it still came out in small bursts.

"Doing what?"

"Keh, that giggling crap. I swear, you women never stop giggling and it gets annoying."

"Really? But don't you wanna know why I'm giggling?"

"No."

"Even if it has to deal with you?"

"Hell no." At this she pouted, not even wincing as he tightened a bandage around her hand. Inuyasha, startled by her sudden silence, looked up at her and nearly burst into laughter himself when he saw her expression.

"Keh! You're one to talk! You look like a three year old!" Kagome's frown increased and she slouched slightly and crossed her arms, being careful of her bandaged hand.

"I do not."

"Do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"No I don't!"

"Yes, you do!"

"Yeah, this is cute and all, but I need Kagome to come help with drinks since she's the only one who can mix the more expensive drinks right." Kagome and Inuyasha both blushed a deep red as Rin stood in the doorway, looking like the cat who'd got the canary with cream on the side. But suddenly Inuyasha came to his senses and snorted as he stood up to his full height.

"Keh, she can't mix drinks with a hand like hers. The alcohol will make it hurt like a..."

"Oh shush Baka Yasha! Kagome never spills the drinks she mixes!"

"Oi, don't call me a 'baka' wench!"

"Ooo! I'm telling your Aniki!" At this, Kagome began to focus more on the small argument.

"Keep the bastard out of this, will ya? Kagome's not serving drinks and that's final!" Rin snorted and leaned more against the doorframe, a smug look on her face once more as she grinned.

"My, aren't we protective? Could it be that Inu has a crush on Kaggy Waggy?" She made kissing faces towards them both, causing a sort of strangled growl to escape Inuyasha before she turned and disappeared out the door, her mad giggling echoing in the room even after she was gone.

"Jeeze, you two act like family. It's kinda scary." Inuyasha's back stiffened as he straightened, but he simply snorted in reply.

"Keh, the brat's been spoiled. She'd use to intimidating people." Kagome shook her head with a laugh before gently getting of the counter and stretching slightly once her feet were on solid ground. But as straightened up fully, something she hadn't thought of before hit her.

"Hey Inuyasha, what do you guys do after the shows? I'm certainly not going to be serving drinks, and I have nothing better to do." Inuyasha turned and quirked and eyebrow it her in curiosity.

"What do you mean 'nothing better to do'? It's a Friday night, and you've got nothing to do?"

"Nope. I never do. Usually it's just me and my piano on the weekends."

"Sounds like me. But yeah, we usually go out for some food afterwards."

"But we already ate..."

"I said 'usually'. So since we've already eaten, everyone's probably gonna head home. I know I am, I have work tomorrow." Kagome nodded, considering her options.

She could either stay here and help Rin, which in itself was hazardous. She could go home, but that would involve walking alone in the dark for three blocks, getting on a bus, and then walking another two blocks after that. In the day, no problem. But the streets were transformed at night, and to Kagome, it seemed to be a wish for trouble if she walked home alone. Or she could bum a ride from Sango and somehow end up passed out on Miroku's couch again. The last time that happened, the two girls had ended up locking Miroku out on the fire escape.

Honestly, none of those appealed to her at the moment.

"Um...I do have to go home. I have a rehearsal with the orchestra tomorrow. But my apartment is..."

"I'll give you a ride." Kagome blinked with wide eyes, shocked at the sudden softness to his voice. And the fact that he'd just offered to drive her home was rather strange too.

"Um, are you okay Inuyasha?"

"Keh, of course! But there's really no sense in you walking the streets alone when I could just give you a ride. Besides, from what you said earlier today, your place is just a few blocks from mine. So it's really no problem." Kagome smiled, seeing right through his "tough guy" act, and then nodded as the walked towards the door.

"Thanks Inuyasha. Just let me grab a few things and I'll meet you in the parking lot." With that, she turned and walked through the door. Inuyasha who had been grinning at Kagome only moments before, suddenly turned and growled so ferally it didn't sound human.

"Come out bastard. I knew you were there the whole time." Any normal person would have questioned Inuyasha's sanity just then. That is, until a figure seemed to bleed from a doorway at the far end of the room.

It was a man who's height made him intimidating alone. But his features, completely devoid of emotion, were what truly made him intimidating. The fact that he wore solid black clothes, had strangely colored hair and eyes, and moved with such grace his footsteps barely made a sound made him truly unapproachable.

"My, what language. Tell me, didn't your wench of a mother ever teach you any manners?" Inuyasha snorted.

"Yeah, fuck you too. Tell me, jerk off, what the hell did you think you were doing earlier?"

"Once again, you are letting your mind wander into strange..."

"Cut the bullshit! I know you were here for the girl!" Inuyasha walked towards the taller man, his face drawn in complete fury.

"What are you suggesting wretch?" Inuyasha growled.

"You figure that out. In the mean time though, bastard, stay the fuck away from Kagome. She doesn't need any of your twisted crap." With that, he turned and walked through the same door which Kagome had exited through and slammed it behind him with enough force to make a framed picture on the wall shatter upon the floor.