Author's Note: New chapter! Like I said in the first chapter, things might get a little dark and a little graphic. Don't be alarmed (just a warning). On a side note: I hope my change in names at Midnite doesn't confuse some of you :) There is a reason to it. But since no one has told me otherwise, I'm assuming you're catching on as you read. Anyways... enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha


The sound of her alarm awoke her from her dreams. Kagome groaned as her hand automatically reached for her phone on her bedside stand. Grabbing it, she turned off the alarm, prying her eyes open. It was still dark. She remembers setting her alarm to 4am for this morning, which meant she had another night of a two-hour sleep. 'Ugh… I can do this. I told them I would dedicate myself to this and I will.' Maybe that would become her new mantra every morning when she worked a double with a few hours of sleep in between. But that was what she was willing to do for her dream.

Kagome stretched with a groan and pulled back her covers. 'Another day.' She got out of bed and shuffled over to her bathroom. After she was done waking up, she came out and went immediately to her kitchen. 'Coffee, coffee, coffee.' Her plan was to eat her morning snack, which was her coffee and toast, and that would be enough to get her ready to do some exercise. She wanted to exercise a bit as a warmup before she had to meet with Inuyasha.

Miroku had told her last night when she talked to him that he and Sango would be gone this morning until tomorrow night. They had planned a weekend vacation outside of the city for just the two of them to spend time together. She read the tabloids and heard the rumors that the two had dated for years, and it was obvious in their chemistry on stage. Miroku also told her that Inuyasha would be her trainer for the next two days since he wanted to start dancing with her. Kagome was surprised to hear this, but Miroku told her that Inuyasha never really stated that to him. He just has been friends with the hanyou for so long that he knew his best friend and he knew that Inuyasha was itching to see what she could do. Kagome was really starting to see how much of a 'family' this dance group really was. Maybe they were all friends before they joined the group, that's how they know each other so well. Or maybe they became friends after they joined the group and met Kikyo. Whatever the reason, Kagome could tell that they all knew each other, at least these four did, and she was willing to bet that they spent a lot of their days outside of work together.

She made quick work with her small, portable french press and toast. She took her things and went to her sliding door. The sounds of the city waking up in the darkness was her familiarity. She placed her things on the small glass table outside, turned to turn on her bedside lamp, and opened the curtain just a bit so that the light could shine outside just enough for her to see her food. Kagome went out and sat on her cushioned chair, sighing as she did.

She thought about last night as she prepared her coffee and began to take her first, satisfying sip. Last night, even though it was busy, she had a client that paid for four hours of her time, which meant she spent half her night with him. It wasn't that big a deal. He was nice, a little older than she expected, but he was a new client. He wanted to watch her dance most of the night so she had done a couple of solo numbers, much to Onigumo's delight because the crowd was growing as everyone sat on the main dance floor to watch her. Not to mention the tips they gave. All that money, of course, was hers. But Onigumo always got a cut from his girls. She had made 75,000 yen last night. It was a great night. And all that money was going to her savings for when she would need it.

Kagome sighed as she took another sip of her coffee, feeling her body awaken now as the dark sky began to show signs of light out in the distance. The buildings of Tokyo loomed all around her but the sky could still be seen over the gyoen. She smiled as she thought about today. 'I have to spend the whole day with Inuyasha.' Honestly, she was a bit nervous about that. For one thing, it would just be the two of them at the dance academy all day. She doesn't even know this guy and she would be spending the day with him. On the other hand, that side of her that was a gentlemen's hostess, that side of her that enjoyed a man's company and attention, she couldn't wait to see him and be around him. Many women would kill to spend time with him, let alone get a picture with him, and here she was, dancing alone with him for an entire day. But as much as she thought about Inuyasha in that way, she knew that things would never go the way she could hope. Or at least, her fantasy of him with her.

'Oh geez girl… next thing you know, you'll be dreaming of him.' That was something she definitely didn't want.

Time flew by and Kagome was ready and out of her apartment. By the time she knew it, she was stepping off the train and making her way to the dance academy. Miroku had told her that their group had access to the entire building. So all Kagome had to do was tell the receptionist to give her an access pass and she would be able to let herself in and out of wherever she needed to go. He also suggested that Inuyasha could give her a tour of the building. Miroku had given Inuyasha her number so he could call her if he needed to. But Kagome wanted to get there early to do some workouts before her dance lessons.

It was only 7am when she found herself standing outside the academy. Thankfully, the doors were open and she walked in, finding a very confused and surprised receptionist. The same woman. She needed to know her name.

"Oh. Good morning, miss. We just opened," the woman said with a smile, though apprehensive.

'Hmm, must be wondering why I'm here.' "Good morning. My name is Kagome Saito. I'm a part of Kikyo's dance group."

"Ah, yes. Inuyasha had told us yesterday to be expecting you."

"He did?" she asked, surprised.

The woman nodded with a smile as she looked down at her desk and grabbed a keycard. She thrusted it at Kagome. "This is our keycard. It will grant you access into any room of the academy. The only doors it will not open is our main front doors. Our hours are from 7am to 9pm. Would you like me to give you a tour of our property?"

Kagome smiled with a shake of her head. This woman was so polite. "No, thank you. May I ask you for your name?"

"Oh," the woman said with a flush. "I'm sorry. My name is Ginger," she said with a bow of her head.

"Ginger. What a unique name."

She laughed. "Yes, I get that a lot. It was… interesting growing up in school with that name."

Kagome nodded her understanding and took her leave. She used the keycard to open the door and as she placed it against the sensor, she heard the door unlock. She smiled to herself, feeling so powerful now that she had a key to this place that was always a dream for her to step foot in. Now, she was able to go anywhere she wanted in here. And she would be training and dancing and practicing and working out in here. What were the chances?

She went to the first room on her left, the one she knew because she's been using it for the past couple of days. The keycard opened the door and she went to flip the switch on the wall. The room was the same as she's known it, only this time the table was gone and it was an empty room with mirror walls. The sound of the door clicking shut was the last she heard. She walked toward the middle of the room and just stood there, turning around to look at herself in all her many reflections.

Today she decided to wear black tights that had blue stripes down the sides with a white tank top that wasn't too revealing of her breasts but still, she did have big boobs so she couldn't help how much they showed themselves off no matter what she wore. She had put a lot of thought in her outfit, too much actually. She didn't want Inuyasha to be distracted by her body but in the same breath, she also did want him to notice her.

Kagome stopped turning around and just stared at one of her reflections. 'This is it, Kagome. Here you are. You made it.' She still couldn't believe that she was here, that this was her life now. It was so surreal and yet she was so grateful to be standing here in the complete silence of this empty room. Kagome took a deep breath and let it out, ready for her day. She smiled as she walked toward herself and placed her favorite blue backpack down against the mirror. She went to retrieve her bluetooth Beats and her iPad, then worked to sync them together.

The sound of the door's mechanical lock made her look up in surprise as the door opened and she watched Inuyasha walk in. He stopped in his tracks when his eyes met hers. 'What's he doing here so early?' she thought, now a little embarrassed and probably just as surprised as he was.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said, breaking the silence between the two. He let go of the door handle and the door closed on its own. "What are you doing here so early?" He remembered Miroku had told her to meet him here at 8am. It was a little after seven and she was here already. Inuyasha smirked as he crossed his arms. "Eager, are we?"

Kagome arched her eyebrow and glared at him. He was very self-confident and a little obnoxious for her taste. But she found it humorous and a little sexy. 'Ugh… this is going to be a long day.' Her eyes took him in. He wore a white tank top like she did and she couldn't help but notice how much it showed off his ripped arms and his built body. Although she couldn't see his abs, she knew they were there if his arms were that ripped. He was definitely in shape. She couldn't tell from the past two days she saw him sitting at the table. But now, here while he was standing and ready to sweat, she definitely saw how fine and fit he really was. 'I really need to stop staring.'

Kagome blushed and looked away, turning to look down at her iPad. "No. I just wanted to stretch and workout a little before I had to meet with you."

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow. Her commitment to this was one thing, but the fact that she still wanted to get an exercise in before they began to practice, which would be a full workout on its own, showed that fitness was important to her. Which caught his attention, aside from what she decided to wear today. He shook his head, noticing how she was avoiding looking at him now. 'This might be an awkward day.'

Inuyasha made his way over to her, watching as she kept busy on her iPad. He had worn his white tank top and black, loose pants, much like what she was wearing. He wanted to laugh and how in sync they were for two people who didn't know each other. On top of that, they were both here an hour early to workout before they actually had to 'work' out. He liked that about her already.

"So, you wake up early every morning?" he asked, trying to break the silence. He stopped short of her and took off his black backpack, setting it down against the mirror wall like she did and he took a seat facing her.

Kagome looked up, her eyes settling on his golden ones and she found herself lost. She needed to get over this feeling. This feeling like she could lose herself in his eyes, like she could find comfort in him. Maybe it was just a thing for now since she just met him and like all the other die-hard fans, she would drool over him. Yes, as time goes on, the more she looked at him and got acquainted with him, this feeling would go away.

She nodded. "Yeah. Depending on my day, I usually wake up early and do my exercise."

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he leaned back against the mirror. "What kind of exercises?"

Kagome shrugged, feeling the awkward between the two of them slowly begin to fade away. "I like to exercise. I feel like I need it, like it's a part of me, and if I don't do it, my body and my mind gets all sluggish and then I regret it. But anything works for me. Dancing. Taebo. High intensity interval training."

"Hmph, I do those too. Especially the dancing."

Kagome laughed. Inuyasha's ears flicked and he found himself enjoying her laughter. There was something innocent about her, the way she laughed was so carefree and joyful that he wanted to listen to her laugh all day. He smiled, watching her.

"I agree."

Inuyasha watched as Kagome smiled at him, her blue eyes dancing with joy, and he found himself liking this woman even more. She had a beautiful body, that was an understatement. From the moment he laid eyes on her when she walked into the audition, he couldn't take his eyes off her. And he also knew what his demon knew, which made him walk a thin line with her. 'How the hell, Inuyasha?' He was a little apprehensive about today's practice with her. It was just the two of them, no thanks to Miroku and Sango leaving him here alone with her. And as much as he didn't argue with being alone with Kagome, the more he thought about what he had to do with her, the more he got a little nervous. He actually was attracted to her, hell more than attracted if he asked his demon side. He never was attracted to anyone, not in over 100 years. But this human woman, with her alluring scent that made his demon crave more of it, he found himself unable to resist that desire for her. From both his human and demon side. As much as he was puzzled by it, he welcomed the feeling and would figure it out as he got to know her.

After a few minutes of them just staring at each other, and then Kagome being the first to look away with a blush, he broke the silence. "How about we get to practicing then?"

Kagome looked up at him. "Okay," she said. "I need to stretch first, though."

Inuyasha nodded. "We'll stretch and then we can start practice. That way, I can see your dance style."

Kagome smirked, her eyes dancing. "You already did."

He shrugged. "This time will be different." She nodded her agreement.

The two of them spent the next couple of minutes getting whatever they needed out of their backpacks and Kagome stood to walk to the center of the room. It was hard not to watch Inuyasha because of all the mirrors in this room. 'For crying out loud.' It's not like she could go to a corner and stretch by herself because he would obviously see her wherever she went. She had to contain her giggle at the thought process behind the making of this room. Of course she knew why. Dancers needed to see themselves and their teachers in order to learn the moves and critique themselves. And Kagome was sure that once she was used to being around Inuyasha, she wouldn't care for the mirrors as much as she did now.

With a sigh, Kagome spread her legs and bent forward, feeling her back crack and the muscles in her back stretch out as she let her body submit to the feeling. She sighed heavily, her body waking up, feeling the release in the stretch after a night at work. As she did so, she grabbed each legs one at a time, stretching out her hamstrings. The whole time she tried hard not to look at Inuyasha, who she could feel staring at her. And then she heard him move and he was standing in front of her. She brought her head up and slowly rose until she stood with her legs still spread wide apart.

Inuyasha chuckled. "You do yoga?"

Such a simple question, and yet she felt so… vulnerable. It was different being with him rather than with one of her clients. Here, she felt like he controlled her where at Midnite, she controlled her clients.

"Yes. Sometimes, when I need to take a break or when I overdo my body."

Inuyasha nodded. He lifted his arms and she watched as he began to braid his hair. She noticed how thick and long his hair was as he made quick do of it. She couldn't help but wonder how long it took him to grow it out. Inuyasha caught her staring at him and she blushed, standing up straight to shake out her legs.

"You know… you make me nervous," Kagome said, turning around to put a little more distance between them. From the moment he came into the room, hell from the moment she saw him at her audition, she could feel something pulling between them. She didn't know what it was but she was sure that she hadn't felt this way before with anyone.

"Oh?" Inuyasha arched his eyebrow, watching her backside as she walked away. "How so?"

Kagome shrugged, using the momentum to swing her arms back and forth until she was able to bring one up in front of her chest, one at a time. She held the arm in front of her and pulled it against her chest, turning around to face him again.

"I don't know," she said truthfully. "There's something about you that makes me nervous."

"Nervous? Or excited?" he asked with a smirk. Kagome huffed, now thinking that he's an arrogant jerk.

Inuyasha laughed, seeing her irritation clearly on her face. "Never mind." He finished his hair and walked back over to his bag. He fished out his iPod and set it to bluetooth, waiting for it to connect to the system in the room.

"Let's start," he said, putting his iPod in his pants pocket.

"Aren't you going to stretch out?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Nah. Don't need to."

Kagome rolled her eyes. 'He is a hanyou.' No more words were spoken as the music began. It was one of Kikyo's songs, 'Who's Got You?', one of the songs Kagome liked from Kikyo. She smiled to herself and nodded her head to the beat, closing her eyes. The words began to flood the room as Kikyo's voice spoke about a love that had gotten away from her and deserted her. Now, Kikyo was looking for him and asking who had him. Kagome was grateful that now she could put Kikyo's face to the words and hopefully get to know her more where she could understand the depth of her songs.

"Like it?"

Inuyasha's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she opened her eyes to look at him.

"I like this song."

Inuyasha nodded. "I'll teach you this song first then since you know it. It's a straightforward number and we usually open our nights with it because it's a crowd-favorite." Inuyasha turned from her and went to stand in the middle of the room. The two of them stood a couple of feet apart with Inuyasha a little in front of her so she could either watch his reflection in the mirror or watch him in front of her.

"I'll do the choreography first, then I'll break it down and we can do it together." Kagome nodded her understanding as they looked at each other in the mirror.

Once the second verse came, Inuyasha moved. Kagome watched as his body simply obeyed him and he moved with such fluid and grace that she was instantly attracted to him. Not technically that kind of attraction, although that was there too. The physical attraction she felt for him was two-fold. She watched as he brought his hands up and opened his fingers once the music picked up its pace into the chorus. He swayed his body twice and then double-stepped forward into a twirl that ended on one leg. He threw his hands up and then dipped them down to scoop up air onto his chest. She nodded her head to the beat of the music as she watched him. He was beautiful to watch, the way his body moved, the way his muscles flexed. She wanted him. She wanted to dance with him. She honestly didn't know if her wants were the same or different. She felt like the two of them would do well dancing together and that was the attraction that she felt the minute he began to dance. There was something about the way he danced, much like her, that he put his feelings and emotions into his moves. As if no one else was in the room but him. 'Wow. He's amazing!' Inuyasha punched the air twice as the chorus ended and he stopped, even though the song went straight into the bridge. His eyes then connected with hers and she blinked out of her stupor.

"Got it?" he asked, barely huffing.

Kagome gulped and nodded her head with a smile. She could do that. It would take her a few tries, but most of his moves were easy to figure out and repeat, even though majority of the time she was ogling at his body.

"Do the verses all have the same moves?"

Inuyasha nodded as he made his way back to Kagome. "Yeah. The bridge is different, but the verses are the same moves. We kept it simple since she does this song often at events." He placed his hands on his hips and sized her up. She looked ready and he felt excited to watch her and dance with her. "Okay. Let's start with the first eight count."

Inuyasha turned around and gazed at her in the mirror. He fished out his iPod, turned the music off, and then focused on her again. "The first eight count is pretty easy and the beat never changes until the third eight count." Kagome nodded her understanding.

He started to move, counting the beat out a little slower than the normal pace, and his feet moved along the ground. She noticed that he was focusing only on the feet. He did a quick cha-cha to the right two times and then forward once with a jump to his left and then a hop-step back twice and then ending on his left leg. Kagome nodded as he looked at her to see if she got it. She held up one finger and thankfully he got the hint. He did it once more, counting out the eight count and only moving his feet.

"Got it."

"Think so."

Inuyasha turned around to watch her and he clapped his hands. "Ready. Set. Go." He counted out the eight count and Kagome moved to the sound of his voice. "One, two…" he said as she did her cha-cha step, only counting out her right foot. "Three, four," counting her step forward with her right foot and then a small jump to her left. "Five, six, seven," counting her hop-steps back twice with the right leg. "Eight!" he said just as she ended forward on her left leg.

Inuyasha looked pleased and Kagome smiled at him, excited that she's getting it so far. "Told you it was easy."

Kagome smiled playfully at him. "Well, maybe it's too easy for me." Inuyasha arched his eyebrow at her and made a face as if he was accepting her challenge. She giggled and noticed his ears twitch. 'Wow… they're so cute.'

"Alright. Do it again." This time, he turned around and counted the eight count as they both did it together. Inuyasha watched her the whole time. He noticed that she didn't even need to watch him this time around. She already got the feet down and did it easily. He watched her facial expression and the way she smiled at herself in the mirror like she was having fun. 'What is with this woman?' he thought, wondering what it was about her. 'I can't be falling for her…' But the more he tried to convince himself otherwise, the more his instincts knew the truth.

"Okay. You got that down easily. Let's move to the hands."

This time, Inuyasha did the eight count on his own. For his cha-chas, he threw his hands up in the air in time with his steps on his right leg and his left leg was when his hands came down only shoulder height. His forward step was with his hand stretched outward in front of his body and then his jump onto his left leg was with his arms falling down to his side with a little attitude. For his two right, one left back steps, he brought his knees up a little higher while his hands swooped up from his sides to end up at his chest, palms facing outward in front of him. Then, his last step forward on his left was with his left hand coming down but his right hand crossing his chest to put his arm on his left shoulder.

Inuyasha locked eyes with her and she put her finger up again. He nodded with a smile and did the eight count again. She moved at times with him, finding her body naturally moving with his. Inuyasha noticed and had to admire her dance style. Sometimes it took dancers days to learn one routine and sometimes it took them one hour. Kagome was one of those talented few who could learn a routine quickly and he could tell why. She loved dancing and her body naturally was designed for it.

"Okay. I think I got it. But I'm sure I'm gonna have to do it a few times before I really get it."

"Okay. How about we do it three times with the count and then I'll try it with the music?"

Kagome nodded at his suggestion and he faced forward. "Ready. Set. Go." He counted out and moved with her, the two of them looking at their reflections. He noticed that a couple of times she messed up but she found her rhythm again and picked up as soon as she could. She stopped and stood still on the fifth count but kept her hands moving with him until the eighth.

"I just have to get the hands and feet to move together." Inuyasha nodded his understanding and did his starting command again. The two of them moved again, he watching Kagome as she moved and watched him. This time, she got it down.

"Alright," Inuyasha said with a smile. He was surprised at how well she was picking this up. Granted it was only the first eight count to their first song but still. She was good. And his hopes for her to learn all fifteen numbers within three months were now high. He saw great potential in her, especially in the way she moved. But then again, he noticed that the first time he watched her dance.

"How about we just do it with the music?"

Kagome agreed. Inuyasha fished out his iPod to replay the song. The beat came on and the room filled with the bass of the music. He watched as she moved side to side, her body sexy and sensual, waiting for the eight count to come up.

The part came up and he counted down, the two of them moving in sync to the rhythm. He never counted out the eight step but wanted her to catch on with the beat of the music. And she did. Kagome moved her feet in time with his and her hands followed. She got the first eight count down with a breeze.

"One more time." He wanted to watch her one more time. He replayed the song and turned to watch her this time, though she didn't look at him. She stared at her reflection but her face showed her concentration. "Let yourself go this time." He wanted to see what she could do. They had been here for less than an hour and he could tell that she had more to give. He saw the way her eyes twinkled as she looked at him and nodded.

The next verse came and she moved. She got all the movements down and was on time with the beat. This time, he saw her own attitude come out as she got comfortable. Inuyasha watched as she jumped onto her left foot and dipped her hips with a snap before she went into the hop-step back. She added more flavor to her hop-steps and he couldn't help but notice the way her breasts bounced as she hopped backwards and the way her hips swayed. She ended with her hand on her opposite shoulder but now her left hand ended on her hip with a sway in her hips as she got out of the pose.

"How was that?" Kagome asked, huffing a bit but her adrenaline was high. She couldn't help but feel the thrill of excitement at the way Inuyasha was watching her, not only with that stare as his eyes took in her body, but she saw his amazement and approval. And that meant a lot.

Inuyasha cleared his throat and crossed his arms as the song went on without them. "That was good. You learn really fast, Kagome."

He said her name. She felt her heart slam in her chest and she blinked as the realization hit her. She wasn't Sapphire. Even though she felt like it because she knew nothing else, even though she danced like Sapphire and even though she appreciated his eyes on her because Sapphire always had men's eyes on her, lusting after her body… she was not Sapphire here. Here, she was Kagome. Here, Inuyasha was watching her, not the stage her, not the darkness her. But he was watching and appreciating her, Kagome. That was alarming to her and she had to stop moving to the music to catch herself from tripping.

"Hey," Inuyasha said. "Are you okay?"

He made his way over to her and Kagome smiled to herself. 'He noticed.'

Inuyasha reached out to her and Kagome jerked back, regaining her composure immediately as took a step back, out of his reach. Inuyasha glared at her and placed his hands on his hips.

"What the hell was that for?"

Kagome frowned at his brusque attitude and shook her head. "Sorry," she said, fixing her shirt. "I… don't like to be touched." She had to be honest with him. He was her boss. Plus, she was in a dance group and she had no doubt that she would have to be touching or be touched by others so it was inevitable. And yet, she still dreaded that future possibility.

"You're kidding, right?" he said with an incredulous look. "You do know that you're in a dance group?"

Kagome glared back at him. "I know that," she said, seething. 'What the hell is his problem?'

Inuyasha pressed his lips together, his eyes hard on her. "Whatever. That's your problem. And you better get over it." He turned and fished his iPod out to shut the music up.

"Or what?" she asked, now crossing her arms.

Inuyasha turned around to look back at her, now clearly pissed that she decided to challenge him. No one ever did, at least not like this. Everyone in their dance group knew and respected him as their leader and inevitably their boss. They listened to him and did what he told them to when it came to dancing and to their job. But here was this woman, not even hired for more than a day, and she was already talking back to him. 'Who the hell does she think she is?'

He made his way to her, covering the distance between them, and he swore he could feel the heat radiating from her. She was obviously mad at what he said. The way she crossed her arms over her chest only made her breasts call out to him and he looked down. She noticed and quickly uncrossed her arms, making him laugh but obviously irritating her as she felt her aura change. He stopped laughing the second he looked into her eyes. Her blue eyes were on fire, now a dark blue, almost violet, amazing him that her eyes could change color like that. He thought he was imagining it, but as he blinked, her eyes were still like violet. 'What the hell? She's not a demon. That much I can sense…' But her eyes were different as she glared at him with her hands on her hips.

"What?!" Kagome said, wondering why Inuyasha was staring at her when a minute ago he couldn't stop staring at her boobs. He had the nerve to threaten her and then to be a perv and stare at her boobs. He was her boss. That had to be sexual harassment.

Inuyasha blinked again and growled, making Kagome catch herself as her anger disappeared. "Never mind. Do whatever you want. But get over that problem of yours."

He made his way a few feet in front of her, needing to distance himself from her. There was something electric between them, something he couldn't figure out what, but he was drawn to her. Now he was sure it wasn't just her looks or her body or even the way she moved- it was her. From the good, the way she laughed so carefree, to the bad, the way her eyes burned at him. He sighed. Right now, he just wanted to get this day over with. He didn't want to be around her any longer than he had to.

"Let's finish this number and then be done with the day."

Kagome frowned, hearing his upset and hoping that she didn't ruin her chances of being in the group. She was technically on probation until the concert in Hawai'i ended. But then again, they needed her so why would they fire her? And still, Inuyasha was Kikyo's choreographer and main leader of her dance group so it was safe to say that whatever Inuyasha wanted when it came to the dance group, Kagome was sure that he would get it. And if he wanted to fire her for talking back to him, then he probably could. Kagome sighed, hoping she didn't screw things up. 'But I'm not apologizing to him.' That she was sure of. He didn't know anything about her and so he had no right to demand her to change for him.

The two of them got back to the dance as Inuyasha began to count out another eight count. This time, they did the chorus and it was a little bit more complicated than the verse. The chorus had a sixteen count that was a mix of fast and slow counts so she had to get used to the feet before she could even incorporate the hands into it. The whole time they practiced, Inuyasha was attentive to her and helped her through her tries. She was a little frustrated with herself a few times when they added the music in and did the entire routine, but he just told her to keep trying and they would do it over and over until she got it. She had to give it to him. He was very professional and did his job as her boss even after that weird 'fight' they had.

"Alright, that's it for today."

Kagome used her tank top to wipe the sweat from her eyes. She was tired, trying to catch her breath but she felt great. She had a good workout for the day and it only took her an hour to learn the entire routine for one song. But she had to admit, she was enjoying herself with him and was a little disappointed that they only did an hour of practice and that was it for the day.

Inuyasha turned to look at her and his eyes fell on her flat stomach as she wiped the sweat from her eyes with her tank top, revealing her white sports bra underneath. His eyes lingered on her skin and her curves, finding her sexy just standing there all sweaty and tired. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called, snapping him out of his stupor as he blinked and his eyes found hers. "You should get your eyes checked out." It took him a few seconds to register what she just said, and he watched as her eyes lit up and she tried to suppress her laugh. He suddenly realized that he was caught red-handed and she was teasing him. The two of them burst out laughing.

"You should keep your shirt on then," he accused and made his way towards his bag. She watched him as she sat down, her legs spread out as she began to touch her toes to stretch out her muscles.

"Are we really done?" That was faster than she thought today was going to be.

Inuyasha nodded without looking behind at her. "Yeah. That's good enough for today. Tomorrow we can do a lot more now that I know how you move. I think we can learn the transitions for this song and do another one, or two, tomorrow."

He stood, slinging his backpack on his shoulder, and turned to see Kagome on the ground, her legs spread wide at him. He took a breath, breathing in her scent. He couldn't get enough of her. Even now that she was sweaty, he found that he loved the smell of her. It was her scent that was driving him mad and he needed to get away from her to figure things out.

"Inuyasha… I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier."

There. She said it. Now if he decided to fire her, at least she tried to fix the situation. She couldn't say she didn't try.

Inuyasha shook his head, "Don't worry about it." Kagome shook her head.

"No. It really was my fault. I shouldn't have gone off on you. Maybe… maybe I can get over it, like you said. But, I'm just not sure."

Inuyasha felt something inside him go soft at the sound of her voice. She sounded broken, almost like she resigned to her fate. He didn't like hearing that from her. "What caused it?"

Kagome looked away from him with a frown. She was definitely not going to tell him, but she also didn't want to lie to him. He was only trying to understand her dislike of not being touched. And she could feel he was being sincere or else he would've just left already as it was obvious he wanted to leave. "It's something to do with my past." She looked up at him with a sad smile. "It's complicated." That's all she could give him. She hoped it was enough.

Inuyasha waited, noticing the way her heart beat just a little faster but she said nothing more. He saw the shadows in her eyes and knew that something had happened in her past that was haunting her now, leading to her fear of people touching her. Whatever had happened, he was curiously interested in what it was, just so he didn't have to see her sad smile. 'I don't know what it is about this woman… damn it all to hell!'

Inuyasha sighed. "Whatever. Your past is your past. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He could relate to that. "But I'm just telling you… you're in a dance group now. At times we touch each other during our routines so you have to get over it if you wanna be here."

Kagome nodded her understanding. "I will try. I promise."

He took that as his leave. He made his way towards the door with a wave over his head. "See ya tomorrow at 8." The door closed behind him, leaving Kagome alone to stretch out.

What a morning. It went much faster and smoother than she thought. She was grateful that Inuyasha was her teacher. He was a great teacher and he was patient with her, even though she sort of caught on to the routine much faster than they both thought. She was sure that he wouldn't hold back tomorrow and he would have more in store for her. So tomorrow she would have to be ready. Kagome moved so that she was kneeling and opened her ankles up so that she could drop her butt onto the floor and bring her back down to the floor. She moaned as her quads stretched out to the point of pain after dancing, but she enjoyed the stretch.

'What is it about him? Inuyasha… he's so hot!' Kagome hummed to herself. 'But it's not just that. There's something about him that I'm drawn to. The way we dance together…' She thought about how the morning went. The two of them were in sync together and they watched each other dance instead of focusing on their own movements. They were timing each other, moving with the other even though they stayed a few feet apart to give them enough space to move. And the both of them added their own flare to the routine, which complimented each other perfectly. They could've been doing a duet and no one would've known that it was a group dance. Now she wondered how it would go once everyone was involved and how the transitions went for this song. 'Doesn't matter. I just love how we dance so well together.'

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

The club was pumping tonight, being that it was a Saturday night and all the young bloods were out getting themselves into trouble. He could smell the sweat thick in the air, people's scents mixing together and giving him that momentary nauseous feeling. It only hit him for a couple of seconds and then it was gone. He was grateful for the necklace that his mother had specially made for him. His mother knew how sensitive his senses of hearing and smell were as an inu-hanyou so she had asked his father for something for him to combat the obstacles that he would surely face with the line of profession that he had chosen. It was difficult to be an inu-hanyou who was a professional dancer but who also was still young by youkai standards and who still loved to go to the club and have fun with his friends. His father understood his mother's fears and had asked his close and long-time friend, Tōtōsai, to make an enchanted necklace for his youngest son that would help his inu-hanyou heightened senses. Tōtōsai had created the enchantment spells for his father and his half-brother too, as their senses were much more greater than his. Tōtōsai created the perfect enchantment spell for him and cast it into the rosary bead necklace that he now wore everyday. It had the power lessen the effects on his ears and nose when it sensed his jyaki getting overwhelmed. He had become used to many of the sounds and smells of this era, after a century of living, but he still faced many challenges that not even he can get used to. His hanyou abilities were too sensitive to many things in this modern era and he was grateful to his parents for thinking of getting him this rosary necklace. It was his saving grace. Now, he could do his job and enjoy it, especially when he had to dance at a concert, on stage when the speakers would've blown out his ears. Or he could walk into a nightclub, like now, and not be overwhelmed by the smell of sweat, sex and alcohol or the sounds of the music that pumped through his blood and made everyone around him jump to their feet and start dancing at the adrenaline rush. He could blend in.

Inuyasha made his way through the throng of people. RUSH was a club that many young people loved to go to as the music changed throughout the night and every night. Tonight it was a mix of hip-hop, pop and electronic, so many young people came to RUSH to get their nighttime fix. And possibly get laid. Everyone knew that RUSH was owned by the Fujimoto family, a powerful inu-youkai family, his family, and so humans and youkai alike came here for a good night. No matter the age, they flocked here because of the family name and nights like these, when they were packed to the max and had to turn guests away. It was easier to reserve online for a higher price than pay a cheaper price at the door by standing in line and hoping to get in.

Inuyasha flicked his ears as he heard a group of girls laughing as they were bouncing up and down to the beat of electro music. He sniffed and turned from them, not one of them interesting him at the moment. He had an itch, that was the whole reason he came, and he needed it scratched immediately. He made his way over to the bar, pushing through a mass of people just to get there. Some women were all hands on him and tried to get him to stop but he paid no mind. He wanted a drink, a few drinks, and then he would be settled enough to find someone to help solve his problem.

Making his way to the bar, Inuyasha noticed that it was packed from end to end. Literally every seat was taken at the bar and there were rows of people standing behind the barstools waiting for their drinks. He growled impatiently. 'This isn't my day.' And his day had started off so well but then ended so wrong.

Someone bumped into him, shaking him from his thoughts. He looked down to see a young woman with long black hair that stuck to her sweaty face, too much makeup for his taste, especially with that red lipstick, but she was hot. Her skintight blue dress clung to her skinny body, showing off a lot of her cleavage. She wore black high heels that brought her up to his shoulders. He smirked. She was good looking enough to satisfy his need. He had a simple need and he didn't have high standards besides the fact that they just needed to be down to satisfy him.

"Oh. Sorry." Once she turned to get a good look at him, her smile got wider and her eyes became sultry. He watched her take him in. His hair was down and he wore a black shirt with 'Fire' in red kanji on the front while he had jeans pants. He could smell the alcohol on her and sensed that she was already buzzed and feeling good. She probably came to get more and continue her dancing haze.

"No problem." She reached out to grab his left arm, bringing his arm against her to rub her body up and down his arm.

"Hi, baby. You waiting for a drink?"

Inuyasha noticed that she was an American by her accent. Perfect. This would be easier than he thought, with no strings attached and he probably won't see her again since she was a foreigner.

He nodded and she giggled.

"I love your ears. I hear that many Japanese people love to dress up and wear all sorts of weird things. Back at home, no one does that. But I like the culture here. It's unique."

Little did she know it wasn't a costume. Japan was different from other countries in that they knew their history and accepted that other countries would never understand. Their culture believed in demons and humans. Many Japanese still lived in their disbelief and still rejected the fact that demons exist. They lost their belief and faith in mikos and demons so some of the modern day Shintoism has lost its power. One would have to go into the deeper, rural parts of Japan to find the stronger mikos still training and helping those youkai who needed their spells. There were also many Japanese who believed in demons and so not all covered up when living in their country. There were some youkai who had to disguise themselves because they were too different, their bodies were too demon-like, too deformed, or just too scary to live amongst people, let alone visiting foreigners. The enchantment spells that many youkai paid for would have the power to help them live in this modern day society, whether that be with just lessening the impact on their demon senses or if that would be to cover up what they truly looked like. Japanese culture was very quiet and they liked to keep to themselves. But once demons decided to leave their native land, that's where the enchantment spells came into play. Youkai always had to have their spells to conceal their true identity lest the world came against Japan if they knew the power that this country could wield if all the demons stood together for their country.

This woman was one of those who had no idea of youkai existing in this world. And he couldn't care less what she thought of his ears.

"You want a drink?" She nodded her head and he nodded, turning to the bar and pushing his way through with her clinging to his arm. He needed her close so that she didn't go running away. She was his ticket to having his need taken cared of and he was going to use her so long as she didn't have a problem with it.

Inuyasha had to wait a little as the crowd got thicker the closer he got to the bar. But once he was there, he waited his turn until a waiter came up to him. The bar was lit with neon blue lights under the glass bar and above. The wall of the bar was lined with glass cups and a variety of alcohol.

A waiter stepped up and caught Inuyasha's eyes, his eyes going wide for a moment, and he was suddenly smiling at Inuyasha.

"Fujimoto-sama. How may I help you?"

Everyone around him was grumbling that he was helped before the rest of them but he paid no mind to them, neither did the waiter. They obviously didn't know who owned this club.

"A bottle of a Junmai Ginjo for me. And…" he turned to look at the woman hanging onto his arm.

"Can I just have double Bourbon on the rocks?"

The waiter smiled with a nod and got to work. He fished out the finest bottle of sake for Inuyasha and dug a cup into the ice, then poured bourbon to the rim for the woman. Inuyasha didn't even think to ask for her name. He honestly didn't care. She wouldn't see him again after this.

They both took their drinks and the waiter bowed low towards him. He nodded his thanks and turned around just as the throng of people closed behind him. He made his way with his new friend out of the bar area and into the blinding disco lights. It took him a moment to get used to it, and he stood facing the dance floor area where the DJ was high on his platform throwing his hands in the air. The crowd was going wild, following his hand movements as the lights poured down on their bodies and danced around them like floating green leaves.

He opened his bottle of sake and began to chug half the bottle without even thinking. The feel of the smooth liquid going down his throat was what he wanted right now. He needed to get a buzz before he went with the woman upstairs. He felt her release his arm and knew she was getting a drink from her own cup.

"So!" she yelled, trying to get him to hear her though he could hear her perfectly without the yelling. "Where are you from!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, tossing the cap onto the floor and grabbed her free hand. "Come!" He led her through the crowd and made his way with her towards one of the stairs that led to the second floor. There were two stairs, one on either side of the bar. Once you turned around to face the dance floor after getting your drink, you could head up to the second floor on either side of the room. Inuyasha finally made it to the bottom of the stairs, heading up as some people walked down. He kept drinking while he walked up, all the while his eyes scanning the crowd. He didn't notice anyone he knew but he watched as people danced with each other. He made his way to the top and tugged her along behind him.

The second floor of RUSH was known as the lounge area. It was a wraparound deck with balcony views so that those who wanted a better look of the whole club could come up and peer down, while also dancing along the railings to the music. The lounge area had two lounges, one on either side of the DJ. The floor opened up to a big lounge area where the lighting changed to a dark red neon. There were couches set up in the huge area with tables for drinks and people were littered on the couches, some women sitting in men's laps and some going at it on the couches, a lust fueled by alcohol and music. Inuyasha glanced at the lounge area and kept walking.

"Hey! Where are we going!"

He didn't stop to answer. He finished his drink and bent to place the bottle down along the wall of the lounge as they simply passed by the open area. Between both lounge areas, the wraparound balcony connected behind the DJ stage. But it was more narrow for mostly passing through, but some dancers still decided to stand at the railings. The reason why most wouldn't stand on this side of the wraparound was because of the black 'wall'. But the black wall between the two lounges had hidden rooms that were made for the more adventurous and those looking for a bit more privacy. The doors had a red light above them that lit up once the occupants inside locked the door. Inuyasha scanned all the red lights and noticed one in the middle of darkness behind the DJ. He usually went for those furtherest away from the mass population.

He just started to feel a small effect from the sake, the bubbling in his stomach was the sign that the sake would help to calm his nerves soon. He needed to get in the mood, which wasn't too hard considering what was on his mind, but he wanted to be a bit buzzed before they started. 'One bottle of sake is not going to help. Even though it was premium sake.' Because of his youkai blood, he would need a few more bottles before he even felt buzzed. But one was all he was gonna get. He wasted no time.

Inuyasha made his way behind the DJ, swerving through the people who remained along the balcony railings, and opened an empty room. He went in first, the dark red lights softly illuminating the room, giving the occupants only enough to see what they needed to do. He pulled the woman behind inside and closed the door, locking it and knowing that the red light above the door would go on immediately.

The woman was about to say something when he backed her against the wall and bent his head to the crook of her neck, sucking her neck strong enough to leave a mark. That was all the woman needed. Her body went limp in his arms and he held her against him, loving the feel of a woman in his arms. They were all the same and all felt the same. They all gave him what he wanted in the end and if they were good, he would give them one right back.

She moaned, managing to hold her drink in one hand while using her other to wrap around his neck, keeping him there. She smelt of alcohol, bourbon, and perfume. It was a strong perfume, one he didn't know and didn't care for. He scrunched his nose at the need to get rid of the smell, but he wanted her to want him before he got what he needed. They were more willing when they were turned on.

Suddenly, Kagome's face flashed in his mind and his eyes flew open. 'Fuck! Damn that girl!' He instantly got hard, not from sucking on this woman's neck, or from her arousal that he could smell but wasn't doing anything for him. His arousal was from the memory of Kagome. Her beautiful blue eyes and the way they turned a shade darker when she was arguing with him. The way she moved on the floor, the two of them in sync as they danced together. On a deeper level, he knew that the two of them would be great dancers together, but only if she let him. He remembered the way her body looked in that tank top and pants, the way her breasts would move as he watched her in the mirrors. She was on his mind the entire day and he couldn't get her out of his head.

His erection was starting to hurt now, demanding he take care of it. Or at least, this woman did.

"Suck me off," he said roughly, biting her left earlobe and hearing a louder moan escape her lips. Her voice was nothing like Kagome's, her scent nothing like Kagome's, but she would do. He needed to control his demon and his desire for Kagome.

The woman obeyed instantly, too high from the alcohol and his sucking. She dropped to her knees slowly, leaving her drink on the ground to the side of her, and her hands felt up his thighs to the front of his pants. He could see her perfectly in the dimly lit room but he knew that it was harder for her to see him and she had to feel around to find what she wanted. The room was only bright enough to see silhouettes of each other. He watched as she licked her lips, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. His blood roared in his ears as his dick was freed in a second. She grabbed onto him forcefully, making him growl lustfully.

"Put me in your mouth."

She obliged, taking the head of his dick into her mouth, and sucked loudly. He was still dry and needed her saliva to get him wet enough for her to slide him in and out, so he waited as she worked him. Her right hand went to the base of his dick while the other went to his balls and she started to stroke his balls in time with the pull and push of her mouth on him. He moaned, closing his eyes. But then, he would see Kagome's face. He growled in frustration and slapped his right palm on the wall in front of him, frustrated that he couldn't get her out of his mind even now. 'Fuck!' He grabbed a fistful of the woman's hair with his left hand and helped her to suck him off.

Her moans filled the room along with the pounding music outside. The door wasn't soundproof in case the occupants wanted to have sex with the background music. But the walls of the room were soundproof so they could have a little privacy without being interrupted or distracted by the sounds coming from either side. The vibration from her moans made his balls clench and her mouth made his dick wet enough for her to slide him in and out.

'That's it.' He closed his eyes and thrusted his hips forward in time with her bobbing head. He listened to her breathing to make sure that she was okay with his thrusting. She didn't have him entirely in her mouth, not nearly half of him, but he would get off with her mouth on him. Inuyasha moaned and threw his head back, loving the feel of her mouth. The blood in his veins pumped to his cock and he bunched her hair a little tighter, gaining a warning touch of her hand on his thigh as she stopped fondling his balls. He tried to ease back a little, so as not to scare her or make her stop, but he already found his rhythm and he would be coming.

She worked him good. Her moans continued, vibrating on his dick, and her mouth sucked him hard. She had done this before. She was good at it. He bent his head and looked down, watching as his dick went in and out of her red lips. That turned him on even more and his balls tightened, the tell-tale sign he was going to come. 'Yes. Yes.' He needed this so bad. The feeling started in his toes and went straight to his balls, continuing to his dick where he swelled. He felt the first ripple of his orgasm and groaned it out, coming into her mouth with such force that her hands went to the base of his dick, pushing him back but he continued surging forward. She would take him. He pumped into her mouth a few more times, watching as she scrunched her eyes and tears formed. He moaned loudly, getting out all his frustration and energy in his release.

As soon as the wave crashed over him, he released her hair, allowing her to pull her head back and he watched as she swallowed his seed, leaning her head behind her against the wall. 'Hmmm… she's done this many times.' He brought his hand up to wipe his hair off his drenched forehead. Finally, he got what he needed and he felt much better.

"Mmmm, you taste good," she said, looking up at him as she knelt there on the floor between him and the wall. "Do I get one?"

Inuyasha smirked. He wasn't in the mood to lick her but he would finger her. That was all she was getting from him but it would be payment for what she gave him. He pushed off the wall with his hand and put himself back in his pants, noticing that her lipstick was all smudged, which reminded him that he would have to take a good shower to get her lipstick off his dick. He growled at the thought of it but then bent to grab her under her arms and lift her up easily. Her eyes were wide as he stood her up in front of him, and then they went lazy, hooded with lust.

"You're so strong." She ran her hands up his arms to his chest, moving up to cup his jaw, and he knew what she wanted.

"No kissing."

That said, he turned around where he knew in the corner, there would be a marble countertop that was free-floating, only attached to the wall in two places but held up by strong iron brackets. He lifted her easily onto the marble top, running his hands up her thighs to pull her dress up, giving him access. He could hear her blood pumping and her heart racing, her breath coming out in gasps. She was turned on, he could smell her arousal. He reached to move her panty aside and his predictions were true, as always. She was wet. He used the pad of his thumb and found her clit, rubbing around as his middle finger played around at her entrance.

"Oh! Baby!" she reached under his shirt to touch his skin, feeling along his abs and up to his chest.

"I know what you want," Inuyasha said deeply, moving closer. He brought one knee under the marble top, pushing her right leg further open. He braced himself with his back leg and moved his head down to her neck, licking her racing pulse. "You want me."

"Yes!" she said, nodding vigorously.

"Good."

Without another word, Inuyasha slammed his middle finger into her as he moved his head back, knowing that she would scream. And she did. She screamed loudly and begged for more. So he pumped his finger in and out of her. When she began to toss her head back and forth, he added his index finger and used his thumb to rub her clit even more. The smell of her sex was heady. She licked her lips and he watched her face as the pleasure overtook her. Inuyasha smirked and continued his assault, seeing that tell-tale sign faster than he thought it would come. Her eyes flew open, looking wildly around in the dark until she saw his eyes, and her hands came out of his shirt to grab onto his biceps.

"Oh baby. You're so good at this," she said in gasps. "You're going to make me come!" At that moment, she did, her legs shuddering at the intensity and her mouth opening wide in a scream. He just watched her, the way her face scrunched in ecstasy as the wave washed over her, to the way her face relaxed in content as she came down from her orgasm. He grunted and withdrew his fingers, letting her fix herself up. He reached under the marble top, grabbing the disinfectant wipes that he knew was there. He pulled a couple out, wiped his fingers clean, and tossed it into the small wastebasket next to the wipes.

Inuyasha looked up at her and straightened himself out, fixing his clothes. "Thanks for that." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left her. He didn't care what she wanted from him after that. All he knew was that he got what he wanted and it was time for him to leave.

Inuyasha came out of the room and closed the door behind him. He sniffed, taking in the smells of sweat and alcohol, erasing the smell of that woman's sex. His ears twitched, hearing the sounds of a woman moaning to the right of him, catching his attention. He ignored it and walked along the balcony. He made his way past all the dancing bodies and down the stairs. Now, it was time to push his way through the throngs of people. He only had one destination in mind. He needed to get to the rooftop. It was late and he wanted to go to bed, feeling sated but needing a bath, still feeling that woman on him. That he didn't like. He made his way through all the dancing bodies and found the elevator near the entrance, pushing the button and waiting for doors to open. He noticed a bouncer to his right drag out an unruly drunk man by the arm and he smiled to himself, shaking his head. He saw the elevator coming down through the glass wall with no one inside, which he was grateful for. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. He went in and pressed "R", then mashed on the closed doors so that the doors would hurry up and close before anyone got in. As the doors closed, the elevator began its ascent and through the glass walls he was able to see the entire dance floor cluttered with moving bodies. Once he got to the third floor, it was darkness and the dim yellow lights of the elevator were all that illuminated him as he waited for the rooftop. He crossed his arms, just as the elevator slowed down and he was greeted by the sight of the rooftop.

The doors opened and he stepped out into the night air, just as people walked past him to get into the elevator. The air up here was fresh but the smell of sweat and alcohol still lingered. The rooftop was another part of RUSH that he liked the most because of the open air, and being that he was the one who had told his father to construct a rooftop floor. He wanted a place where he, and any other demon, could go to escape the overwhelming smells in the building below. Up here, once you exit the elevator, you are greeted by a long line of water fountains that shot twelve feet high with dancing lights in the pond. Along the wall above the elevator door was a huge rectangular LED display screen that showed the DJ's point of view as there was a mounted camera behind the DJ that looked out at the entire crowd downstairs. It was a way for the rooftop crowd to still be in on the action without having to really be inside that mass of bodies. The music was the same up here too, playing from the loud speakers on the side of the LED screen and along edges of the rooftop placed strategically with hidden plants and sculptures to try and keep the illusion of it being a rooftop setting and not so much a club. He liked it.

The rooftop was busy, considering it was a Saturday, and people were dancing up on the concrete edges of the water fountains. Some sat and drank together while some danced on the side of the fountains. He made his way past the people and went to the opposite end of the elevator, to the edge of the building, gazing out at the city. Lights were on as far as he could see, buildings blocking his view of the land beyond. Inuyasha sighed and took a look behind him. As much as people in Japan knew of demons, his family, at least, were still cautious when it came to making their powers and strength known to the public. The Fujimoto family had a powerful reputation to uphold and they dealt with many international companies that would probably break their ties if they knew that his family were so called 'demons'. The world would either think they were deranged or fear them- two extremes that would hurt their family's name.

Inuyasha took one last glance to make sure no one was watching him. He went to the corner of the roof, into the shadows of the trees, and leapt off into the night.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

"What?!"

Kagome cringed at Ayumi's shout. She shook her head with a laugh once she recovered and waved her hand at Ayumi. "You have such a loud mouth."

"Don't change the subject, Sapphire." Ayumi placed her hands on her hips, glaring at her. "I can't believe the two of you were in the same room and you did nothing!"

"What did you expect me to do?" Kagome asked innocently. She turned her back on her friend and missed Ayumi's dumb-founded look.

Midoriko shook her head. "Go easy on her, Aurora," she said with a smile, her green eyes dancing with mischief. "Sapphire is a virgin, you know."

Kagome flushed and turned back around to glare at Midoriko. "Mystique!" Midoriko laughed, the three of them standing at the bar as the music pumped in the background. It was a Saturday night at Midnite, which meant a lot of clients, some visitors, but the clients were back in full force tonight looking for a good time.

Kagome huffed and crossed her arms, turning around to face the bar. She leaned against the bar, remembering how the day had gone. As much as she tried to forget, she couldn't forget Inuyasha. She found him hot and handsome, something she never saw in anyone before him. She also found that there was that instant connection the two of them shared when they danced together. She felt it and knew it to be true the moment they began to move together. Today was definitely a strange day. But she did enjoy the time she had with Inuyasha. Very much.

"Sapphire, it was just the two of you? I can't believe you didn't do anything… or at least show him any of your moves," Ayumi said, coming to sit on a barstool. The three of them found a spot at the bar that was open and they waited until one of the bartenders was free to come help them.

Kagome shrugged. "He's my boss, Aurora. I can't seduce my boss on the first day."

Midoriko huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "As if you'd have to. I'm sure he was drooling over you after that one song you danced together."

She had told her two friends everything that had happened today with Inuyasha as they were getting ready for work. With the hustle and bustle in the dressing room, since all the girls were working tonight, the three of them had their own conversation and the two of them ate up everything Kagome had told them like candy. Candy that Ayumi was spitting out in disgust as to what Kagome did, or at least what she failed to do, according to her friend.

"Boss or not, Inuyasha is hot," Ayumi said, crossing her legs and hooking her heel onto the metal bar of the stool to turn to face Kagome. "He's hot. He's rich. And he's a demon. And you said you guys had a connection. I don't understand!" she said frustrated, throwing her hands up in the air.

Kagome turned to her right to look at Ayumi. She wore her white hair up in a bun with hairspray and gel to keep her hair as clean as possible against her head. She had a red bow in her bun while her outfit matched her head. She wore a white, flared dress that stopped at her thighs. Kagome knew that underneath she had a red thong on. She had a red bow at the front of her chest, covering some but not all of her cleavage, and red high heels on. Tonight she reminded Kagome of Marilyn Monroe.

"I know that. But it still doesn't mean I should seduce my boss on the first day I'm hired."

It was true. Inuyasha Fujimoto was the son to Inutaisho Fujimoto, the Inu-taiyoukai of the Western Lands. History knows him as the Great Dog Demon who ruled the Western Lands back in the Feudal Era. He was a powerful and respected inu-taiyoukai who had mated with another royal inu-taiyoukai and had their first son, Sesshomaru Fujimoto. He was next in line for his father's throne and riches. But then, Inutaisho's mate had died and he found another mate in a noble human woman, Izayoi. The two of them mated and were together ever since. They had a son, Inuyasha, half-human and half inu-youkai. Kagome wasn't sure how old any of them were, those she forgot back in the history books that she had read in the library. But she knew of them because history books told the stories of all the youkai families who are still living to this day and ruling Japan. Even the emperor, even though human, has ties to youkai.

The Fujimoto family was one of the richest families in all of Japan. Being that they were youkai too, they were able to live for a long time and build an empire and amass riches in their family name. They own Fujimoto Enterprises and is a global leader in ecofriendly manufacturing and next-generation farming. Kagome didn't know all of their businesses, but she knew from the news that they were strong in helping the needy and did a lot of environmental businesses. So it was safe to assume that Inuyasha was rich as well and yes, he was hot and a half-demon.

"Sapphire, if you don't want him… you should invite him to have dinner with all of us and Aurora and I can decide who gets him," Midoriko said with a gleam in her eyes. Midoriko was beautiful tonight in a black leather suit. But it stopped right below her butt cheeks, clinging to her curves. It was a simple dress-suit, with a halter top that opened in the front to show off her breasts and dipped low in the back. Midoriko had her long green hair up in a high ponytail tied in three places all the way down her hair with black leather strips.

Kagome shook her head in exasperation with her two friends. "I can't believe you two. Right when I get interested in someone, then you two want to steal him from me."

"Ha!" Ayumi said, pointing her finger accusingly at Kagome. "I knew it! You do like him!"

"How can I like someone I've just met, Aurora?" she asked with disbelief, although deep inside, just the thought of Inuyasha made her feel warm. She couldn't explain this feeling she felt for him. But she knew that there was no way she liked him. No way.

"What's going on over here?" Hojo asked as he walked up to them with a smile. His young boyish features made him so good-looking that Kagome always wondered who he was seeing and if she was good to him. He was a good guy. "You three need a drink?"

Midoriko nodded and moved to sit on the stool on Kagome's left. "I'll have a martini."

"Jack, neat," Ayumi said.

"Bailey's on the rocks." Kagome needed to take the edge off. She usually didn't drink when she was working, but she needed something to help get her mind off Inuyasha and on her job. Tonight was a busy night and she couldn't afford to be distracted by the thought of Inuyasha, no matter how much she had enjoyed her day.

Hojo nodded as they shot out their drink orders and he already started making them. Kagome watched as he efficiently poured the liquor out into the glasses precisely. He was so good at bartending that it was such a beautiful art to just watch.

"Really, Sapphire," Midoriko said seriously, causing Kagome to look at her. "I've never heard you speak about someone like this. Well… aside from Sai."

Ayumi nodded her agreement. "From what you told me yesterday," she said, watching as Kagome focused her attention on her now, "It sounded like you noticed him. You don't 'notice' anyone unless you find them attractive. And I know you… you're not a slut…"

"Geez, thanks," she mumbled under her breath.

Ayumi just continued on. "Because you don't see men as just a good fuck." Kagome turned to glare at her. "And we all know you, and how you are with men, so when I heard how you talked about him yesterday and how much you noticed about his appearance, I was shocked at how well you took notice of him."

Kagome blinked at Ayumi's confession. She remembered what she had told Ayumi in Shinjuku Gyoen yesterday morning and how at the audition she had noticed how handsome Inuyasha was. She had felt it that day, when she had first saw his golden eyes, and she felt that instant connection to him. Something deep in her was calling out to him, and today it only made sense because the two of them moved together with such ease that they were great dancers together. That was why she had felt that connection to him. He called to her on an artistic level and they both felt it when they danced together.

"I think it's just that we both dance well together. I told you that we instantly hit it off dancing. I can't explain it but we moved together and I had so much fun. I could see it on his face too."

Midoriko shook her head at how innocent Kagome was when it came to dating and men. "You think whatever you want to think." Hojo reached out and placed their drinks in front of them on top of napkins. Midoriko nodded her thanks. "But Aurora and I can hear it in your voice when you talk about him and even when you tell us about how you dance together. It's there. You just don't want to see it."

Kagome frowned, reaching out to grab her drink. 'I don't want to see it? See what? Inuyasha's my boss. It's great that we dance well together but there's nothing else there.'

"Let me ask you this," Ayumi said, catching their attention as she turned to glance behind the two women to see Hiten coming up in his splendid suit, staying a good distance from them to give them space, but tilting his head. She knew what it meant. "When I asked you yesterday about Sai… you said that he was able to make you feel."

Kagome nodded, remembering the man who was her client for the first time and remembered how it was like to have been with him. For some reason, she began to compare him to Inuyasha.

"But then," Ayumi continued, "I asked you if you had a connection with him. And you said 'no'." Ayumi took her drink with her and stood, fixing her dress and looking down at her friend with a smile as Kagome looked up at her in wonder. "From what you've told me so far about Inuyasha… you already have a connection with him."

That said, Ayumi took her leave, not wanting to keep her client waiting. She made her way towards Hiten and allowed him to lead the way.

Kagome turned to look over her shoulder as Ayumi left her and Midoriko. She sighed. Ayumi was right. Now that she thought about it, Sai was a handsome man. She was attracted to him that night because of his good looks and how he made her feel. And Ayumi had pointed out that he at least made her feel. The men here were merely their clients and they were paid to entertain their clients, whether that be sitting quietly next to them and serving them or dancing for them. Whatever it was, there was no feeling with the client nor was there any desire for them, unless some of the girls wanted and the client paid for something more. But for Kagome, she never met someone, in all her nine years of working at Midnite, who made her feel like Inuyasha did. He made her feel something more.

"I think Aurora's right, Sapphire," Midoriko said as she stood, noticing Bankotsu coming towards her, tilting his head to signal he wanted her to follow him. She smiled with a nod as Kagome followed her line of sight. "I won't say anything else. But you think about it. It's the first time anyways that you've met someone who made you feel like this so your reaction is normal. But… just think about it." With that, Midoriko took her leave.

Kagome watched as Midoriko walked away, turning around in her chair. Unlike the two of them, who had been in relationships before, Kagome knew nothing about men and the attraction of a man. She knew nothing about relationships and 'liking' someone. All she knew was that Inuyasha was different. That was all she could say.

Movement caught her eye and she looked up to see Jinenji in his usual suit attire, smiling down at her. She smiled up at him, welcoming the distraction of a client to make her forget Inuyasha. She turned to grab her drink and followed Jinenji to her awaiting client.

The club tonight was rich with bodies, men moving around looking for the company of a woman, but also doing business with each other. Midnite had its usual clients, Onigumo's friends and those who trusted his business, so many of the men Kagome knew by sight alone. But not all were her clients. She, Midoriko and Ayumi had their own set of clients who could afford them. They were Onigumo's best three girls and he reserved them for the higher paying clients than any normal paying customer. And tonight was no exception. Some men came just to do business with each other while enjoying the pleasures of watching the girls perform on stage or cater to them while business was conducted. While some men came for the simple pleasure of being with a woman the entire time. And there were always those few who came for the act of being with a woman.

Kagome stopped short of a man standing at the end of the bar closest to the entrance. He was wearing a grey suit, his tall figure looming over the two men he was speaking to on the barstools. His back was towards her but she could already tell who it was by his physique. She remembered that broad back.

'Sai…' As if he felt her presence, Sai turned around and looked over his shoulder, his eyes meeting hers and an immediate smile followed suit. He turned around, dropping his hands from the men's shoulders, and gave her his full attention.

"Sapphire."

Kagome smiled, feeling butterflies. 'What is with this man?' She couldn't put her finger on why she felt so connected to him, but she was happy and disturbed all at the same time of seeing him here again. It was only two days ago that she first met him and he was back again. 'To see me?'

"Sai," she said, walking forward to place a hand on his chest. She immediately felt him relax under her touch and she wondered why he was here. "You're back? So soon?" She tried not to show too much emotion in her voice, but she was pleased to see him again.

Sai nodded, his black eyes softening as he took in her appearance. She chose to wear a blue short skort that looked like a school uniform. It had a white hem and it flared out from the few layers of tulle underneath. Her torso was bare up until her white top that had a blue bow on her chest. Her top was the only modest thing she wore that tried to cover up her skin, but the rest of her body was laid bare for the eyes. Sai's eyes took in everything she wore, from her blue heels up to her blue floral lace garter on her left thigh. His eyes strayed there a little longer before they came up to land on her breasts and then her eyes. She had to hold in her laugh. He was such a man, and a man's needs is what she knew.

"I came to see you again."

Simple statement. Her hand fell from his chest and she found herself taking a step back, which made Sai frown and he reached out before he could stop himself. Kagome's eyes immediately went to his hand.

"Sorry," he apologized, quickly bringing his hand back to his side as he remembered the rules. "Did I upset you?"

Kagome shook her head, trying not to let her mood or his statement affect her. Business was business. This man though just seemed to get in her head.

"No."

"Ah, I was hoping to catch you before you found her." Kagome turned at the sound of Onigumo's voice and looked to see him coming towards them. By the direction he came from, Onigumo had left his office in search of Sai.

"Onigumo," Sai said, turning to greet the man. He smiled with a nod and Onigumo did the same, reaching out to grab onto Sai's arm in a friendly gesture.

"Sai…" Onigumo said, his blue-green eyes glinting, "Thank you for your commitment. I appreciate your business."

Sai nodded. "Last I was here, I was very pleased as I told you this yesterday," he said, glancing at Sapphire just a second. "I'm grateful that you let me into your fold."

Kagome turned to eye Onigumo, knowingly, but wondering about Onigumo's intentions. "He's a member?" Of course he was. Onigumo seemed pleased to see Sai, as it was evident by his display of friendship. And she wasn't sure what it was that they had talked about, or even settled by some sort of business arrangement, but she was sure that the two had talked over some sort of agreement before Sai was allowed in. The thing about Onigumo from what she knew of him all these years is that Onigumo wasn't one to open his business to many people. He didn't trust easily and those who were members of Midnite, which meant they had open access to come any time to do business or pleasure, were on a strict payment plan that was devised between the parties. The members were able to choose which girl they wanted for their entire membership. They were only allowed to change if both parties, along with Onigumo, agreed on the change whether it be the man who got bored with her or if she didn't care for him anymore. Both wouldn't be a good fit for either man or woman and the time spent together would be in awkward silence and forceful obedience. The members of Midnite were also Onigumo's close friends, social and business, and he kept a record book of all his members- from their favorite color to their job and hobbies. This record book was kept at the bar for the girls to access when the client came so they could freshen up on their client's likes, dislikes, tastes and irritations. It was an easier way for the woman to please him while he came here for a distraction. But the members had to give Onigumo a lot more information about himself than just a guest would.

Onigumo smiled as he looked at Kagome. "Sapphire, Sai is your new client. Sai Okano. He came in yesterday to speak with me on becoming a member," he said, looking at Sai thoughtfully. "After we had a good, long conversation yesterday… I decided that we both could gain from each other. Mmmm, considering your father is turning over his company to you."

And there it was. Onigumo always thought about his benefits in recruiting new members into his fold. She remembered Sai telling her that his father wasn't 'hearing' him and putting pressure on him to do business with some men Sai didn't care for. So Sai had told Onigumo that he would be the heir to his father's empire. 'Okano?' At least he hadn't lied to her about his name. Most men didn't use their real name, let alone their full name unless they were members. She hadn't heard much of the Okano family and how rich and reputable they were. But she was sure to hear more of them if Onigumo trusted that Sai would prove to be a valuable asset and business partner.

"Yes. It is in the works. My father is still training me but I'm sure he'll be resigning soon." Sai turned to Kagome, extending his left elbow out towards her in an old courtly manner. It was his way of taking her away without physically grabbing her. "Would you accompany me to the Sky, Sapphire?"

Kagome's eyes widened. She looked to Onigumo and he nodded, sensing her hesitation. She smiled up at Sai and nodded her head, putting on her allure and bringing her hand into his elbow, wrapping around his bicep and drawing her body closer to his. "You wanted alone time with me?"

Sai smiled with a nod, leading the two of them away from Onigumo. Onigumo just stood back at the bar, crossing his arms with a smile as he watched them walk away. Sai made his way towards the stairs that led to the second floor where the Midnite Sky was. "Of course I did. I came back to see you Thursday night," he said as they ascended the stairs, him taking careful time with her as she was in her heels. "And I was refused at the door by the bouncers," he said with a chuckle. "I understand the reason. Which is why I came back yesterday to have a talk with Onigumo and settle matters like businessmen." They reached the top of the stairs and went ahead to the first of two doors on this floor. Kagome looked down at the dance floor below them. Ayumi was on stage now, whipping her hair back as her hands rubbed down the sides of her body erotically. She smiled to herself.

"We hashed it out and I was able to convince him that I would be a valuable asset to him, not only in Midnite but outside as well." Kagome began to loosen her hold on his arm and fall half a step back behind him. He noticed and stopped just as they got outside the door. He turned to look at her, concerned.

She smiled up reassuringly at him. "I'll meet you inside. I want to finish my drink before I give you my full attention." Sai smiled after a moment and nodded, dropping his arm and reaching for the door.

"Don't be long." With that, he shut the door behind him. Kagome frowned, turning from the door to lean against the railing, watching Ayumi below.

"Jinenji…" she called. He was never far from her so she knew that all she had to do was call for him and he would be there. Jinenji got to the last step and strode right towards her, stopping short. Just his presence and his aura was enough to settle her jitters.

"Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?"

Kagome smiled sadly, but turned towards him. She trusted Jinenji more than she trusted Onigumo. She wanted to run into his arms badly and just feel the comfort of his strength. For some reason, Sai just made her feel… uncomfortable. He made her feel beautiful and dirty at the same time, and she hated him for it. But more so, she hated herself for allowing him to feel this way. And yet, with all this conflicting emotions, she was happy he was here, he was her client, and she would be with him again. On the bright side, at least one of her clients was good-looking and she felt something for.

She reached out towards him and grabbed the lapel of his suit jacket, fixing them to comfort herself. "No," she said, shaking her head. But he didn't believe her- heck, she didn't believe her own words. "I just… I need something solid right now."

Jinenji nodded. There were a few times when Kagome would ask him to be more than just her bodyguard. Most of the time it was when they were alone, like when he walked her home, she would touch him and embrace him and tell him how much she appreciated him. She considered him her friend, more than a friend, like a brother, and that endearing statement touched him in such a way that he vowed to protect her. Not because it was his job. But because he could sense something inside of Kagome that was broken, something that was innocent and something that was needed protection. He had never seen her ask or beg for help. She was strong and very independent and on more than one occasion he had seen her stand up for herself or take care of herself if a client got out of line before he could get there. He also sees her joy and love behind the curtains, when the club is closed and it's just the employees. He had been her bodyguard since she started nine years ago and since then he had become so acquainted with her that he even saw her as a sister and he was fiercely protective of her. It was her innocence and beauty that called his demon side to protect her.

Kagome went forward, closer to him, and placed her head onto his lapel that she just fixed. She just stood there, her forehead against his chest, and closed her eyes. He was her rock in this moment and she needed his steadiness to calm her nerves. She didn't like that Sai made her unsteady. She was off her game.

"Thanks, Jinenji," she whispered, knowing through the music and people talking, that he could hear her. Kagome moved back to straighten up and look at him. His kind, green eyes belying his hard features. She drank as much as she could from her glass of Bailey's and gave the rest to him to dispose.

"You will call for me if you need anything."

That was a demand. She smiled with a nod. He knew that she would feel even more cornered now that she was a wreck and going into the sky. Kagome turned and fixed her hair, steeling her nerves and putting on her facade.

She opened the door and was greeted by the soft sound of instrumental music, a Japanese flute and a violin, playing from the entertainment center. She smiled as Sai immediately focused on her at the door, his hand leaving the iPod on the marble countertop, and he smiled in welcome at her.

"I thought you would've left me stranded here alone," he said, his face showing his concern. "Is everything okay?"

Kagome nodded. "Sorry… I had to take care of some things." He did notice that her drink was gone which made him smile as he walked towards her.

The sky room had walls that were of a cream color, much like Onigumo's office. It was meant to allow the client to feel welcomed and comfortable and for the working girl too. To the left of the room near the wall stood a small circular platform about four feet off the ground with a pole that went directly up into the ceiling. There was a floor-to-ceiling mirror behind the platform in the wall with some curtains bunched up above. On the other side of the platform, in the corner furthest from the door, was where the stocked bar was located. It held one type of drink of all sorts of alcohol with varying sizes of glasses. The women knew how to make whatever drink their clients wanted or needed, it was part of their job to serve them, and that included bartending. On the top shelf held the iPod that went into the wall of the bar/entertainment center. Directly in front of the door, against the furthest wall was where the soft cream-colored leather couch was with a glass table that sat the entire length of the couch. There were a couple of red cushions under the table that would serve them if they wanted to sit on the floor. And finally to the right of the room, against the corner, was where there was a small twin-sized bed for the adventurous and lustful.

Sai stopped directly in front of Kagome, staring down at her with a look she couldn't put together. 'What is it about him?' she thought, deeply disturbed at the warmth she felt from being close to him. It was stronger than two nights ago when she first met him. 'Are you judging me? Or do you really want to be with me? Oh, Sai…' she thought sadly, a sad smile on her face that he caught immediately.

"Did I upset you?"

Kagome shook her head, reaching out to wrap her arms around his waist and she brought herself flush against him. She felt him tense for a moment but soon relaxed. She could feel his arms moving against her, as if he was fighting with himself to keep his hands at his sides rather than embrace her.

"Thank you. For coming back. I had a great time with you last time."

"Yes," he said, his voice rumbling in his chest as she smiled against his suit. He smelt good. "I had a wonderful time with you too, Sapphire." Kagome smiled, closing her eyes, hearing her stage name. That's right. He came back for Sapphire, not for her. He came back for the woman of her darkness, the one who pleased men and who made them grovel. At that moment, she remembered how simple her dream world was and how complicated her reality was.

Kagome moved back, smiling up at him. She noticed his confused gaze as he looked down at her. He was so much taller than her, her head only going up to his heart, but she marveled at his height and build. He was very handsome. "Come," she said, reaching for his hand and grabbing hold, pulling him around as they made their way to the couch.

"So what is it that you came all the way back here, and was able to gain membership, for?" She sat on the couch, still holding onto his hand, and urged him down next to her. She waited for him to sit, watching as he unbuttoned his suit jacket to get more comfortable and sat down, his attention focused solely on her. His smile brought warmth to her and he immediately got comfortable with her, bringing his left hand up onto the back of the couch, adjusting his body to face her. She fixed her skirt and brought her legs up to curl under her, careful to not let her heels puncture the leather couch.

"I came back to see you. Isn't that obvious?" he asked with a smile.

Kagome shook her head. "You shouldn't have. I'm quite sure you could've spent your money elsewhere."

Sai smiled. "I told you, I would offer you the world. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Kagome smiled, reaching out to place a hand on his thigh. She felt the strength of his muscle and knew he worked out. It was obvious by his physique. "Thanks, honey. You told me that couple nights ago too." He nodded, and they fell into silence with him just gazing at her. Kagome smiled with a shake of her head. She needed to do something.

She stood up and his eyes followed her. "Let me get you a drink," she said. She made her way over to the bar and glanced over her shoulder. "What would you like?"

Sai shrugged, his eyes all over her. "Whatever you decide." Kagome nodded and made him her favorite, Bailey's on the rocks. She loved the sweet liquor and could drink half a bottle without feeling much of a buzz, depending if she ate anything before or not. The sound of her scooping ice into the cup reminded her that the music was still playing.

"You like orchestra?" she said, trying to fill the silence between them. She didn't want him to think she was dull on their first real session together.

"Sort of. My father loves them. I remember when I was young, we would travel all the way to Osaka just to go to a kabuki theater. My father loved the art."

Kagome smiled to herself, swirling the drink in hand. "I've never been to those. But I've heard many good things about them." She turned and saw his disbelief.

"You've never seen kabuki?"

Kagome smiled with a shake of her head.

"I will take you to one then," he said with such enthusiasm, but knowing her answer. Their relationship was strictly in this establishment and the thought of them meeting outside of this building was out of the question and out of his contract. But he had to try. He wanted to spend more time with her and the thought of having to wait to see her again was discomforting to him.

Kagome made her way back to sit next to him and said nothing to his remark, giving him the drink. "Have you talked to your father yet?" she asked, changing the subject.

Sai blinked as he looked down and grabbed his drink from her. "Yes."

"And?" she asked with wonder.

Sai looked up and marveled at the beauty of her blue eyes. "He admired me for my strength and intelligence," he said with a smile, thanking her without her even knowing. She was the one who gave him the advice. "I told him everything that was on my mind, about the merger and him needing to trust me if he wants me to succeed him. And he listened through it all, which surprised me."

"It shouldn't."

He blinked and watched her, confused for a moment.

"He's your father. You shouldn't be surprised when your parents want the best for their children. They may do it the wrong way, they may make mistakes at times and cause their child more heartbreak than pleasure, but they still try their best and want to do what's right for them."

Sai shook his head, closing his eyes as he took a sip of his drink. "I cannot believe that you are here."

Kagome smiled, leaning her head on top of his forearm on the couch. "Why?"

"Because you are too smart and too wise for your years to be working in a place like this."

Kagome frowned, looking down at her hands now resting in her lap. He could see straight through her.

"And that's why I came back to see you," he said, opening his eyes as he took one more sip. "I needed to see you again to thank you for your advice," he said, noticing that she wouldn't look up at him. "But also I just needed to see you again. You have no idea how attracted I am to you," he confessed, surprised at himself. Now he was grateful that she wasn't looking up at him, though he was pleased that she hadn't taken her head off his arm. "It's not just your looks, Sapphire, that I'm attracted to. Like I said, you are very beautiful and I'm sure many men have told you this. But to me… your spirit and heart attracts me."

Kagome brought her eyes up to meet his. "What do you know about my heart, Sai?" she asked softly.

Sai smiled at her, seeing the sadness in her eyes. "Every word you say comes from your heart. I knew it the moment we talked together last time. You only wanted to help me, and you did, but everything you said was because you saw me. You saw straight through me and knew that I was hurting. You said things that no one has ever told me before and everything you say, I hear the wisdom behind it, as if you know more than you let people think."

Kagome closed her eyes, leaning into his arm, shaking her head. Who was this man who could see straight through her? Maybe he was something 'more' for her. And just as she thought it, Inuyasha's face suddenly came to mind and her eyes flew open, her head coming off his arm in alarm. 'Inuyasha!?'

"Did I say something I shouldn't have?" he asked worriedly.

It took her a moment, but she shook her head to reassure him. "No." That was all she could say when she was shocked that she would think of Inuyasha at a time like this. Why did his face suddenly come to her mind? Why was she even thinking about him now, when she was with a man who made her feel and made her feel happy? Sai made her feel like her job wasn't a burden and she was able to be Kagome around him, not Sapphire. "I just… got distracted."

He smiled sadly. "Didn't mean to."

Kagome shook her head, grabbing the drink from his hand to place it on the glass table. "Dance with me." She grabbed his cold hand and stood, waiting for him to follow. He did and the two of them went to the center of the room.

"Do you dance?" she asked him, hoping he did.

Sai nodded. "Although, I'm not sure I'll be as good as you."

Kagome giggled. "I'll give you a break."

Sai tilted his head to the side, listening to the music that was now playing compared to the sound of her laughter. The music was now a little faster, the sound of a full orchestra with a pianist now beginning to catch his attention.

"I love the sound of your laugh."

Kagome shook her head wistfully. 'This man…' She brought herself against him and wrapped her left arm around his chest as she brought her right hand up.

"Hold me." That was her consent and he understood, reaching for her hand immediately and clutching her small hand as if that was the greatest gift she ever gave him. He brought his right hand to bring her smaller body close against his and the two of them moved together to the rhythm of the music.

She marveled at how smooth he danced and how well they danced together. It wasn't awkward, as if they both enjoyed dancing with each other, but it was easy and comfortable to be here in his arms dancing with him. Kagome closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. As soon as she did, Inuyasha's face came to mind again and she frowned, not missing a beat in their step but her thoughts going far from Sai. Why was she thinking of him now? All she could do now was compare Inuyasha to Sai. She remembered today how she had danced with Inuyasha. Though they hadn't touched each other like she was doing with Sai now, she could still feel how they instantly had a connection dancing together. They didn't need to touch to know that they were meant to dance together and had that spark. She thought about how his eyes stayed on her as she moved to the beat and the two of them kept their eyes on each other during the routine, watching each other and making the routine their own so that they could compliment each other's moves. It was momentary, but she knew that there, in the dance studio, she had felt something with Inuyasha that she hadn't felt with anyone else before in her life. And yet here she was, in the arms of Sai, feeling something totally different and yet totally the same. What was it about Sai and Inuyasha? Why was she even comparing the two? The thought frustrated her.

"Hey…" Sai said, sensing her tenseness, "What are you thinking about? Is my dancing really that bad?" he joked.

Kagome chuckled, erasing thoughts of Inuyasha and shook her head against him. "No. I was just thinking about how well we dance together."

Sai nodded, though he knew she couldn't see him. "I thought so too."

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Midnite was quite by the time the doors closed at 2am. The floor had a few napkins that signaled it was so crowded tonight that not even the girls or the bartenders and bodyguards could clean up throughout the night. It was a busy night with lots of clients and guests to tend to. And here she was, sitting at a table, staring at the pole on the platform.

'Inuyasha…'

"Kagome…"

She turned at the sound of her name, knowing that it was after hours and the club was closed and locked down for the night. That signaled reality and the use of their real names again.

Jinenji stood behind her, his face etched with concern. Even though the scar above his left eye made him look scary to some, now with his face a mask of concern, she thought he was handsome and adorable.

"Jinenji?"

He moved in and brought a chair close to her, facing her, his eyes seeing right through her. "What happened today?"

He knew something was bothering her. She had been off her game since Sai. He was worried, that she could see all over his face. And she didn't want to tell him, but the fact that he was here, sitting with her when everyone else went home or was getting ready to leave, made her heart ache for him. For his comfort.

"Jinenji…" she said softly with a sad smile. "How well you know me."

Kagome moved, bringing her legs between his open ones, and leaned her forehead against his chest. He moved forward on his chair a little to accommodate her. She brought her hands around his body, her elbows resting on his thighs, and just allowed herself to relax. The weight of the day, the confusion of it all, the fact that she wasn't herself tonight and was off her game, just came crashing down on her in an instant. She felt bone-weary tired and now that she had a rock to support her, she felt like a damn was bursting.

Before she knew it, her eyes burned and she felt tears run down her cheeks. 'No…' She didn't want to cry, not here, and Jinenji must've smelt her tears because he had reached around her, grabbing her and bringing her onto his lap. She went willingly, knowing Jinenji and trusting him with all her heart. He brought her onto his lap and she buried her head in the crook of his neck, and cried, something she rarely if ever did around any of her coworkers. But she was so overwhelmed by her emotions that she couldn't help it.

"Kagome…" Jinenji said, his voice an ache. "Talk to me. What happened? Don't cry, please." Even Jinenji ached, although he ached for her.

"I'm sorry, Jinenji," she said, sniffing and calming herself down. "I had a rough day."

"Talk to me."

She sighed and told him what he needed to know. "There's this guy. He makes me feel… like my life could be so easy, honestly. But he sees me. Kagome. He sees me and I feel like we connected. But then there's also this other guy. He makes me feel… like I need him because he gives me the release from my problems. But he reminds me that I'm still running. He sees me. Sapphire." Kagome felt her heart ache at the confession, it hurt to talk about it but it helped to say it out loud. These two men, they saw two different sides of her and wanted two different things that she couldn't give to either.

"I can't escape my past," she admitted, and turned her face into Jinenji again to let out another set of tears, this time over something that haunted her every second of the day. Jinenji's arms held her tighter and she felt his head move a moment later.

"Everything okay, Jinenji?" It was Ayumi's voice. Kagome sniffed, bringing herself out of her drama and problems enough to remember that she was still in Midnite and she would rather go home and cry by herself than here in the club. She was comfortable that way. Kagome pushed back and turned to see Midoriko standing next to Ayumi, the two women now in dresses with their bags over their shoulders, concern plastered on their faces as they stared at her.

Kagome smiled with a nod. "I'm okay, guys. Really." They didn't push it. They didn't have to. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that something was wrong because she never cried in front of them. At least, not like that, and in Jinenji's arms.


Author's Note: I'm really trying to capture the two sides of Kagome: her light and her dark. And just in case you're wondering... yes, Inuyasha doesn't have any claws. Only inu-taiyoukai have claws. I'm also trying to balance out the secret of demons from the world and the openness they feel at home in Japan. In a perfect world, everyone would know and accept demons- but the world isn't perfect. I think I found a balance though. Just gotta keep playing it out for you. Let me know what you thought :)