Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter twenty-seven: While My Guitar Gently Weeps
As Inuyasha rode home alone in the backseat of the chauffeured car, he took a moment to appreciate the rare moment. With both Sesshoumaru and Kagome sticking around after school at swim-team practice (Kagome staying only to watch) the ride home would be peaceful for once. He, too, would have afterschool basketball practice eventually, though that wouldn't start for another few weeks. But, until then, the twelve-year-old was content kicking back and consuming the entire backseat as his. But, as the quiet ride went on, his mind began to wander and eventually stumbled upon Kagome. In Inuyasha's eyes, it was absolutely sickening to see someone so completely enamored with his brother. Sesshoumaru didn't need more attention; he had father, Kagura, the entire school board, and his loyal fan-base of squealing girls that stalked him throughout the halls. Who did Inuyasha have? Kikyou, his mother…Miroku maybe…Sango was on Kagome's side now, so definitely not her…that's it! What kind of world did he live in that he always seemed to lose to the elder sibling?! Growling angrily, Inuyasha punched the side of his door and set a very upset scowl on his face. What made Sesshoumaru so great? Sure, he was smart and cool…but what else? He couldn't tell a joke or play a cool instrument or get very high scores at video games. Still, even with all those flaws, people were drawn to the jerk. If only they knew the one thing that made him human. Everyone in the house knew…except for Kagome. Sesshoumaru would die before letting Kagome discover his one flaw.
Smirking to himself, Inuyasha found great relish in knowing he had a secret weapon against his older brother and leaned back into the leather seat before he looked out the window through his messy, snowy bangs. The cityscape flashed by distant, thoughtful eyes as his mind mulled over thoughts and ideas, pondering how difficult it would be to keep up the charade between himself and Kagome. Would she keep her word and never tell anyone who didn't already know that they lived together or about how she came to live with them? And if she did end up telling, would it be as bad as he thought it would be? People seemed to like her already; she was making friends from what he could see. That didn't upset Inuyasha too much, he figured as long as they weren't any of his friends, she could have some of her own. While on the topic of his friends, Inuyasha couldn't help but think of Kikyou.
She was the same person he'd always know; bold, confident, and demanding. Those qualities, which so many people saw as flaws, he saw as unique. Kikyou knew what she wanted and she never had a problem in getting exactly that. She was unyielding when it came to procuring things, and though it sometimes led her to act coldly, Inuyasha learned to just take a step back and wait until she was in a better mood before approaching again. When they were alone, he felt himself falling for her more and more. Her affection and kindness towards him, which he knew she only gave to him, was so wonderful and comforting to the boy who so often felt neglected. Sighing softly, Inuyasha smiled to himself and thought about how pretty Kikyou's eyes were and how nice she looked. Now a budding model, Kikyou's focus was primarily on being in fashion shows; for which her brother wasn't sparing any expense to help his sister better her chances to land jobs. Kikyou's fingers were always manicured, makeup always applied nicely, and hair brushed to perfection every day. Her skin was pale and flawless, teeth straight and pearly white; there was never a day that went by when she wasn't made up and looking perfect. Unlike someone else who lived in his home.
Kagome's feminine concerns were vastly different than Kikyou's. When she painted her nails (which were always colored in bright, eccentric shades) the paint was already chipping off by the second day and would remain un-touched up until the last bit had come off of the final nail. Her hair was frizzy and messy most of the time and she had weird bumps on the skin of her arms. Sure, she had an okay face; but she never put on make-up like the other girls to make it better. And, unlike the always graceful Kikyou, Kagome couldn't seem to walk ten steps without tripping over herself or bumping into someone. She had bruises all over her legs from knocking into furniture and she was always stubbing her toes on her bed. How could someone so clumsy, messy, and annoying have guys talking about her already? It was absolutely mind boggling.
But he then remembered the moment at the water fountain when Kagome, for a split second, looked absolutely beautiful. She could be so sweet and innocent looking at times that it almost made the boy forget her blaringly awkward ways. Biting on his lower lip, Inuyasha let his head fall aback against the headrest of his seat as he tried to will away the thoughts that centered around Kagome, her strange ways, and beautiful eyes.
Kagome had never smelled such a strong chlorine scent before in her entire life. It burned her eyes a little and the humidity of the inside pool made her black hair frizz. But it soon became a vague annoyance when Sesshoumaru came out of the locker room wearing the school swimsuit; tight, thigh-length, black spandex shorts that rode very low on his matured and sinew body. His long, silver mane was pulled back in a tight ponytail at the back of his head while black goggles adorned his eyes, making him look like an out-of-space alien touched down from the stars. Kagome was amazed as she watched him approach the edge of the pool and prepare to dive in, though she didn't squeal and squirm like many of the other girls did. To her, he was just big brother and best friend Sesshoumaru who took care of her better than anyone else. The other girls on the bleachers were just there to ogle him. They were all still in their high school uniforms and bunched together at the bottom of the bleachers nearest to Sesshoumaru.
The girls who were actually supposed to be there, the ones in swimsuits and goggles, had become accustom to Sesshoumaru's boisterous audience and remained quiet on their side of the multi-laned pool. Kagome watched all that went on from her spot on the highest bench of the bleachers, her back to the bricked wall and just a few feet underneath the windows. Her backpack sat next to her, full with homework and books on all sorts of subjects she would soon know more about. If Izayoi had been there, she'd be making Kagome do her homework while waiting; but the little girl couldn't bring herself to look away from Sesshoumaru's form for very long.
"Are you going to be here every day he has practice?" Kagome looked up to her left side to see Kagura standing there, still dressed in the team swimsuit and dripping with beads of water. Her short, black hair was pulled back into a tight bun and a pair of goggles rested on the top of her head. The swimcap she'd been using was held in one hand while the other grasped a cold water bottle. Both girls looked at each other, but years of being in the same company had brought familiarity between them. Kagome didn't mind Kagura's cold personality and, vice versa, Kagura didn't find Kagome to be a home wrecker. They both knew where they stood with Sesshoumaru and they were comfortable with it.
"Yeah! He said I could ride home with him so long as I didn't distract him or make him late." Kagome said happily. Kagura nodded and sat next to the younger girl, making sure not to get any water on her belongings, and sipped her water. They quietly watched Sesshoumaru dominate the pool for a few minutes.
"I know that you and Inuyasha made a deal to pretend not to know each other. How come?" Kagome huffed softly and played with the lapel of her jacket absentmindedly.
"He doesn't want me stealing any of his stupid friends, and I don't need him making it any more hard for me to find friends of my own." Kagura nodded and drank some more water. She didn't really have any opinion about Inuyasha since they'd never been alone together, but Sesshoumaru didn't paint a good picture of him either.
"Don't you think your cover will be blown once you go home with Sesshoumaru? There are high schoolers here who have little brothers and sisters in middle school; they will ask about you. Everyone knows about the Taisho family…it won't be long until they realize that you live in that house. Having different last names won't stop them from piecing two-and-two together." As blunt and to the point as ever, Kagura smirked when Kagome sighed in dejection. She wasn't totally heartless though and gently petted the top of the little girl's head like one might see someone do to their pet. It was condescending and silly, but Kagome didn't care enough to ask Kagura to stop.
"I'll do you a favor; I'll let you pretend to be my little cousin so people will think you're here to see me. Sesshoumaru gives me rides home now so it won't look weird if you're in the car with us. Sound like a deal?" When Kagome looked up, there was a pretty smile on Kagura's face. She was surprised to get such a generous offer from her once rival for Sesshoumaru's affection, but that didn't make Kagome hesitant to trust her. Smiling back, Kagome nodded and hugged Kagura's waist, uncaring of the fact she was getting wet. The action got an awkward reaction from Kagura, who preferred to refrain from public displays of affection. She looked around the pool for those who might be spying, all the while pushing Kagome away with gentle hands. "Don't do that," She said in a quick, but dead-pan voice and stood up again to descend the metallic bleachers. Her abrupt exit didn't upset or offend Kagome and she happily remained in her spot to watch Sesshoumaru out-swim every member on the team.
"So, how was school today?" Izayoi inquired to each of the three children sitting at the table. The kids looked up from their plates of Italian dining and exchanged questioning looks as to who would go first. Inuyasha had already gotten a strict talking to from his father for cursing during lunch and was somewhat introverted at the dinner table that night. His gaze flickered across Kagome's and Sesshoumaru's faces for a brief moment before looking back down at his plate. Kagome noticed right away how downcast he was and instantly felt sad for the poor guy. Her plans to tell the parents about his mishap at gym class quickly fell short and crumbled as her pity and guilt took over. As much as she liked seeing Inuyasha get his just-desserts, her kind nature only let her find enjoyment in his pain for a short while before the guilt set in. Deciding it would be the right thing to do, she put a bright smile on her face and sat up straight with eager excitement.
"I had such a good day! I like all my teachers and Sango-chan introduced me to the dance teacher! She says try outs are next week after school and that anyone can do it," Even though there was genuine enthusiasm on her part, Kagome's ulterior motives to take the heat away from Inuyasha did succeed as the two older family members turned their attention to her. Izayoi smiled at Kagome proudly while Inu-Taisho just smirked into the cup he sipped his drink from.
"That's wonderful honey, but don't forget about your dance lessons outside of school. Madam Chachka is a lot more demanding than your last instructor. If you do both, you have to promise they won't get in the way of homework and studying." The slight warning tone in her voice brought some seriousness to Kagome's face and she nodded in understanding. Going back to poking the grilled chicken on her plate, Kagome gave Inuyasha a curious sidelong glance when she noticed him staring at her sneakily. They still sat at the same side of the table while the rest of the family had their own edge. But now that they were bigger, there was less arm space for them to easily avoid touching each other. Kagome knew Inuyasha was waiting for her to drop the ball and tell what happened to him in gym class, but all she did was smile to herself and continued eating until Izayoi turned her attention to her son.
"Um…other than lunch, school was great. Basketball practice starts in two weeks. Dad, you're going to come to the first game of the season, right?" Inuyasha looked at his father with hopeful eyes, waiting and yearning for a positive answer. The head of the family glanced at his wife's dangerous gaze and quickly answered his son with a stoic reply.
"I'll do everything in my power to attend," Inuyasha was hoping for a more concrete answer than that, but he had come to know to not expect that much from his father. At that moment, there was a familiar ringtone breaking the calm atmosphere of the dinner table. Everyone watched as Inu-Taisho cleaned his mouth with his napkin before rising up from the table as his hand dipped into the pocket of his slacks for the phone inside. With a mumbled excuse, he dismissed himself from the table and they heard his droning baritone voice speaking to a work associate as he walked away. It was a common occurrence, one that Izayoi should have become accustom to by now, but she couldn't hide the annoyance she felt when he walked off like that to take a call. Everyone fell silent, again, and only the sounds of metal utensils on ceramic plates could be heard as they continued with the evening meal. Kagome watched Sesshoumaru from across the table, her blue eyes holding a hint of worry as he busied himself with his own phone rather than eat or talk to the family. Would he turn into Inu-Taisho one day and forsake the precious moments that could be had at the dinner table?
Kagome could remember the times from her life in the subway station when she wished there was a table in front of her with a plate full of food and family seated around her. She had lived in this comfortable lifestyle for almost four years now, but her memories were still as fresh as if she'd only been rescued from poverty yesterday. Deciding that she wasn't very hungry anymore, Kagome put her fork down and looked over at Izayoi.
"May I be excused?" She said politely. Izayoi could only nod her head, as her mouth was full, and Kagome quietly slipped out of her chair to go up to her room. Inuyasha had lost his appetite as well and promptly left the dinner table to retreat to his bedroom, followed by Sesshoumaru quickly after. Each child began their nightly ritual of homework, practice, or relaxing as the evening turned to nighttime. This was a private time for all residents of the household that each knew not to encroach upon unless in a neutral area like the kitchen, den, or backyard. While Sesshoumaru sat at his desk reading up on American history, Kagome finished up her own homework and began going through the exercises that would make her a better dancer. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was pacing back and forth in his room with a frustrated expression on his face. Why was Kagome doing all these fickle things that left him confused and unsure?! She knew how much trouble he would have gotten into if his father knew what happened at gym class, and yet she didn't take the opportunity to get him back for what he did to her at lunch! Who in their right mind did that? And why did he care if she did or didn't do something? There was a weird, guilty feeling inside him that was gnawing away at his conscience. Stopping in mid-stride, Inuyasha growled and kicked at a random shoe in his path. He knew what he had to do, but that didn't make it any more appealing to the stubborn and immature boy.
Kagome let out a satisfied breath as she returned to a normal standing position after completing one hundred squats. She had been told that her muscles needed much more toning and bulk if she wanted to get better, so Madam Chachka gave her different exercises to do every night that left Kagome feeling weak and wobbly. With her thighs feeling as if they'd burst through her skin, Kagome decided to do a few strengthening exercises for her calves and rolled onto the balls of her feet slowly. Holding it for as long as she could, Kagome did her best to come back down from the position. As she did so, her ankle popped and the girl had to catch herself. There was a dull ache in both of her feet and all Kagome could bring herself to do was to fall backwards onto her zebra-print bed in absolute exhaustion. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she stared up at the white ceiling above that was adorned with posters of beautiful Korean and Japanese musicians. There were other posters and images on her walls as well, those of ballerinas and cute animals; but it was safe to assume Kagome was becoming interested in boys too. After a while of resting, she sat back up and caught glimpse of her mother's framed picture on the nightstand.
That pretty, smiling face was always the first thing Kagome woke up to and the last thing she saw before falling asleep. It was a silent comfort that had been part of her life since before she could remember. Holding it in her hand, Kagome admired the now familiar face with sad eyes. She was grateful to have this family and couldn't imagine being with anyone else…but there was always going to be part of her that felt cheated out of having time with her birth mother. She didn't have much more time to think on the subject though when suddenly there was a knock to her door. Before thinking about it, Kagome called for them to enter. Seeing Inuyasha open the door was a surprise to say the least.
"Yeah?" She asked softly, putting the picture back on her nightstand. Inuyasha offered a nervous smile and stepped into the room, leaving the door open behind him.
"Hey…Just wanted to say thanks for not telling them about what happened at gym class. It was pretty cool of you," The words were mumbled and shy, as was the way he stood in her room, but Kagome knew Inuyasha was being sincere for once. She smiled at him and crossed her legs on her bed.
"It's okay, you don't have to thank me." She said humbly. Inuyasha let a smile flit across his face and he glanced up at Kagome before looking at the picture of her mother. He'd seen her looking at it when he came in and his curiosity about the woman was growing. Someone else's curiosity was growing as well, but Sesshoumaru was only interested in what was going on between Kagome and Inuyasha as he stood listening in the hallway.
"Do you remember anything about your mom?" He asked calmly, catching Kagome off guard. She looked at the picture and blushed softly.
"Not really, but I know that she loved me. Before things got bad for us, dad told me all the time that my mom loved me." Inuyasha's rigid and nervous stance he'd been holding turned calm as he took a step towards Kagome. For years he'd ignored her life from before she came into the house, but now he couldn't quell his curiosity about it. Kagome never mentioned her father to anyone except Izayoi and therapists, and whenever the topic came up she got very tight lipped. For some reason though, she was being strangely open now. It confused Sesshoumaru as he continued to listen.
"Do you remember anything about your dad?" Inuyasha asked softly. Kagome shrugged and picked up one of her stuffed animals to play with the button eye.
"If I try to, I can remember some stuff from before things got bad; but when I think about him all I really remember are the small things…I don't remember his face anymore. I never really saw him that much when we lived at the subway. He was always out and it was too dark in the subway at night to see anyone clearly. When I have nightmares about him, it's always something weird and not real looking." Things fell silent between them as Inuyasha absorbed all this new information. He looked at Kagome and saw someone different than what he thought was there. She was usually so cheerful and silly, and there was only a frown on her face if he got on her nerves. Seeing her so down and upset, so easily hurt by just talking about her past, bothered him. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with a sad gaze in her eyes and he could tell that she wanted comfort.
Without him even noticing it, Inuyasha's arms started to lift up from his sides as if her were going to hug her. But there was a sudden noise outside in the hallway, the sound of Sesshoumaru's door slamming, which snapped him back to reality. Both boy and girl instantly realized what had happened and got matching blushes across their faces. Not knowing what to do, Inuyasha mumbled a final 'thank you' and high-tailed it out of Kagome's room. She was left with a strange feeling and the task of piecing together what was going on inside her chest. Her heart was racing so fast that she could hear it in her ears, but it had been too long since she stopped working out for it to be an after effect of exercise. Groaning softly, the little girl fell down onto her pillows and tried to will away the confusing feelings inside.
Low, thrumming beats reverberated throughout the neon-lit building where inside multiple bodies of club-goers moved and gyrated as one organism. The strobe lights flickered across the busy and chaotic dance floor as people enjoyed the music and drinks offered to them, caring only for their instant gratification and not worried about the effects of their actions. Others remained on the sidelines while sipping their alcoholic beverages, waiting for the right time to join in. Two chrome cages hung above the dance floor, suspended precariously by thick, heavy chains. They could rise up to the second floor, allowing for new dancers to step inside, and then be lowered back down to offer a teasing preview of the girls for the men in the club to appreciate. There was a neon illuminated bar on the back wall and a staircase on either side of it that took VIP members to the top floor for some extra fun out of the public eye. Long, lounging couches provided a lazy comfort for men and women enjoying illicit activities while a waist-tall railing stood at the edge to prevent the inebriated folk from falling into the dancing crowd below. It was a typical club scene, though there was a seedy undercurrent of darkness that anyone who ventured into such places on a regular basis could easily pick up on. But, there was one aspect of this club that set it apart from most others.
Almost split down the center, there was another part of the establishment that people could go to for entertainment. Three tall, neon catwalks stretched out from a red curtained wall where, at the end of the long platform, a stripper pole extended up to the ceiling. The building, which looked forgotten and condemned on the outside, was a combination strip-and-dance club whom only those who could provide a password could find or get into. The twelve girls hired as dancers were some of the best money could buy, and they were indeed bought. Most of them were illegal immigrants from all over the world who had been looking for the American dream, but instead found drug addiction and degradation. With the theme of 'the twelve months' in mind, each girl's individuality was stripped and totally remade with new names and identities; there was Jane as January, Fabianna, Marsha, April, Mary, June, Julia, Augustine, Seraphim, Octavia, Nova, and Delilah. Forced to take drugs that left them shells of their former selves, none of the unfortunate girls had the will to escape. Instead, they remained trapped in their holding room upstairs behind an inconspicuous door. Little more than a small room with cots and mats arranged on the floor, there was a single window for them to look out upon the world through; but they were all either passed out or tripping out of their minds on the powerful narcotics provided. Next to that room was the office of the mastermind behind it all, Charlie; formerly known as Nobu Higurashi.
Years of worming and backstabbing his way to the top got Nobu the occupation as Naraku Itou's right-hand man. He had a new identity, money, women, and power over an entire sector of Brooklyn, and all that power had gone straight to his head and bloated his ego to dangerous levels. This place was the realization of his wildest dreams and he was finally getting the attention and praise he always wanted. Men and women paid out of the nose to get into his club, and even then they wouldn't get anywhere without the password. With a snap of his finger, he could have someone removed or a girl sent to him for the night. There wasn't anything he couldn't have, and he wanted it all.
The man in question was seated behind his simple yet expensive desk with his feet propped up on the edge, crossed at the ankles lazily. The pounding noises of the downstairs music could be heard and felt, but at a much softer level since the door was shut. The small office was decorated with lewd, pornographic images of girls and furnished with a big-screen television and a large couch against the wall. There was a small fridge to the back corner, stocked with the best alcohol, and at the other corner of the room, a baseball bat stood inconspicuously. That wasn't the only weapon in the room though; two handguns were taped underneath the desk. A man of his status and occupation needed protection. But, as for right now, he felt safe enough to lean back in his leather chair and puff on a large, toxic cigar with his eyes shut and a smirk on his face. He looked over at the door in his office, not the door that led back to the club, but the one that led to the private bedroom in the back. There hadn't been a noise from that room for a while and he expected the occupants of it to come out soon.
As if on cue, the door opened quietly and out stepped Naraku, fixing his white jacket and tucking back some of his impressive hair. He shut the door behind him, leaving a limp and injured girl behind on the bed. Naraku smirked at the knowing grin on Nobu's face.
"I quite enjoy April's company~" He said nonchalantly, sitting in the chair across from the other man. Nobu blew out the cigar's acrid smoke from his mouth and nodded in agreement.
"She is very nice," He said offhandedly, letting a minute or so pass before he spoke up again. "When are they supposed to get here? I'm tired of waiting." There was a bit of annoyance in Nobu's gruff voice, to which Naraku ignored as he looked at his watch.
"Any minute now. It was difficult finding a degenerate Asian man that looked enough like you…us Asian's are annoyingly industrious." They continued to wait in silence until Naraku's phone began to ring. Without any urgency, he answered it and remained quiet before ending the call a minute later. "They're in the back," That was the cue for Nobu to stand up with an old duffle bag in hand and for the both of them to leave his office. As soon as the door opened, noises of the club flooded their ears and surrounded them. Nobu and Naraku breezed past the large man standing guard by the office and the crowd of VIP members before descending down the flight of stairs to the dance floor. People recognized them instantly; girls sending coy smiles their way while men gave them thumbs up signals in appreciation. While it did boost Nobu's arrogance, he remained calm and relatively unresponsive as he and his partner left through the only entrance of the building.
The two men rounded the corner of the building and headed down a dark and decrepit alley. There were two men standing at the end of the alley, and an unmoving form on the ground between them. With just a single flashlight providing sight, Nobu, Naraku, and the two other's stood around the lifeless heap. One of the nameless men kicked the thing on the ground and turned it over to reveal a man just recently killed after a very brutal attack it seemed. His face was swollen and bruised, almost beyond any chance of recognition, and by the awkward way his leg lay it was obvious it had been snapped at the knee. It was a gruesome sight, especially with the stark light of the flashlight glaring down on the face, but none of them even flinched. Nobu tilted his head in thought.
"He looks like me…I guess, You checked his blood type right? O positive?" He asked in a professional tone. The hit men nodded, never saying a word. Naraku extended his foot towards the face and pulled the bottom lip down to expose bloody gums.
"You removed all the teeth and fingertips; good. Here," handing one of them a healthy roll of cash, Naraku smirked and turned to his partner. "All that is left to be done is put your old clothes on him and drop him off somewhere the police will find." Nobu tossed the bag of his old clothes to the hit men and glanced down at the body. "Drop it off five blocks from here…make sure it looks believable. You'll get the rest of the money and entrance to my club once you report back."
Naraku and Nobu left the alley first; both filled with a sense of excitement and satisfaction of a job well done. Within a few short days, police would find the body and slowly piece together who it was supposed to be. And with Nobu's only living relative's whereabouts so publicly known, it wouldn't take them long to track down Kagome and have her identify the body to close all cases against him.
"I just remembered something interesting," Naraku thought out loud, getting Nobu's attention as they walked to the entrance of the club. "My little sister is at a birthday party tonight…your daughter's in fact. She's turning 12." He said calmly, but chuckled when Nobu just rolled his eyes and went inside without a single word