To Dance with the Devil

If there was anything Kagome learned it was that when one danced with the devil, they never won; even if the so-called devil was their husband, notorious and elite gangster, Takahashi Inuyasha. Too bad Kagome was stuck with him, till death do them part.

.xx.

To Deny the Devil

If Kagome had food in her mouth she would've choked.

If she had water in her mouth it would've been all over Inuyasha's perfectly cut and tailored suit.

Her jaw became slack and her eyes widened to a size she would've deemed inhumane. Did she hear him correctly? He wanted her to marry him…?! As in marry?! The thing that people normally did when they were in love and were ready to commit the rest of eternity to each other; that thing?

"I'm sorry… I don't think I heard you correctly…" Kagome's voice was squeaker than she hoped for it to sound. "You want me to… marry you?"

Inuyasha couldn't say he didn't anticipate her reaction, because he did. She was a sensible and calculating woman who hated surprises—at least that was what Miroku's extensive research told him. As he already revealed to Kagome, he knew the facts, the whats and the wheres, but he didn't know the whys. Why did she do what she do? Why did she pick left instead of right, or yes instead of no…

Why was Kagome, Kagome?

"Yes." His answer was curt and straightforward. "Marry me."

In exactly five seconds Kagome stood up and sent her chair flying backwards. "Absolutely not!"

Inuyasha was not expecting that reaction. His eyes widened just slightly but otherwise, he made no other reaction. "No?" He was anticipating her to question his motives, to press further and ask for more details. Inuyasha was not expecting an outright negative answer. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end; he wasn't one for surprises and it took all of his will power to not reach for his concealed gun. It was a force of habit to shoot the brains out of anybody that opposed him. Kagome, however, was not in a rival gang and she had no ill intention; she simply was a woman that was caught off guard and her reaction was reasonable.

Inuyasha was impressed that he was able to remain rational. He wasn't known to give anybody the benefit of the doubt.

"No. Who do you think you are?" Kagome snarled. "You may think, breathe, and live business but I, Mister Takahashi," she enunciated his name and popped the Ts, "am not a business transaction. I will find a way to give you back the loan my father took. By the end of this week you will have a cheque mailed do you for the loan amount plus standard bank interest."

Inuyasha's interest was piqued. "Is that so?"

"That is so." Kagome went to grab her purse to take her leave but Inuyasha stood up and blocked her from leaving.

"And if you can't?"

"I can."

"If you can't." Inuyasha repeated his question but with a sterner tone. Kagome's eyes locked with his and all she could feel for the man was complete and utter hatred.

"I don't entertain situations that will not happen, Mr. Takahashi. You will receive your loan amount plus interest by the end of this week or my name isn't Higurashi Kagome."

"It's a deal then." Inuyasha took a step back. "By the end of this week if I do not receive the loan amount plus standard bank interest, your name will become Takahashi Kagome." He extended his hand.

Kagome glared coldly at him and shoved past him, not bothering to shake his hand. Inuyasha simply stared at where she was standing and withdrew his outstretched arm—if her role in his plan wasn't as important as it was, he would've made sure she regretted speaking to him like that. Insolence deserved punishment, but Inuyasha wasn't going to pass judgement. Her reaction was justified but her attitude was uncalled for. He sat back down in his chair and pulled out his phone.

He was going to do something that he never thought he would ever do…

Inuyasha was going to ask Miroku for some advice on women.

This one is for the history books…

.xx.

Sango whistled low while holding on to her protruding belly. They were sitting in Kagome's office at the dance studio with the door securely locked; they were in no mood for interruptions.

"He took you out to dinner, proposed to you because being bound to you in holy matrimony is equivalent to the nine million yen he loaned to your father; you walked out on him and… haven't heard from him since?" Kagome was chewing her lower lip while Sango spoke. In a nutshell, that was exactly what happened.

"Pretty much."

"I'm surprised he didn't shoot your brains out."

"Right?!" Kagome slumped, exasperated. "It took all the testosterone that my female body could produce," Sango wanted to point out what Kagome said made no sense, "to look him in the eye and tell him to fuck off, figuratively of course…" Kagome slouched in her seat; it was bad for her posture but who gave a flying fuck. "I think he might be plotting my untimely demise as we speak."

Sango shifted slightly; being pregnant was both fulfilling and uncomfortable at the same time. "Or, maybe, he's giving you the week you requested to get him the nine million yen. Possibility?"

Kagome nodded. "Possibility…"

"Any idea of how you're going to get that sum of money?"

Kagome felt as defeated as she looked. The weight of the situation was burdening down on her shoulders and, though not directly her burden to bear, it became a situation that she needed to take control of. Inuyasha wanted something for Akira not paying back such a large loan and, for some ungodly reason, that something was Kagome. Her life was worth nine million yen and to pay him back, she had to marry him.

But she wasn't going to let that happen.

"We'll sell the house."

"… say that again?" Sango shifted uncomfortably. "Sell the house? And where are we going to live if we sell the house?!"

"At Jii-chan's shrine." Kagome mulled. "I was thinking about this the whole drive here. Our family house can go for ten to fifteen million yen; which would be just enough to pay the standard bank interest clause I decided to tack on to my proposition. Why did I end up doing that… ugh." Kagome groaned, pulling her hair.

Sango couldn't believe her ears and decided not to agree with Kagome's latter realization. Kagome was contemplating selling their family home! The same home Kagome and Souta grew up in… the same home Sango would bicycle to, after classes, to have homemade ice cream courtesy of Kagome's mother…

The same house Sango cried endlessly when she found out she was pregnant and that the father of the baby wanted nothing to do with her and left…

"Did you talk to your father about this?"

Kagome got up off the chair and cracked her neck. It was a sound that made Sango cringe.

"What's there to talk about? He didn't consult with Souta or me when taking this loan so I don't have to, either. I'll call Souta, find a real estate agent and put the house up for sale tonight… in the meanwhile I have to call Jii-chan and have him prepare our old bedrooms…" The thought was making Kagome sulk but she had no other option.

Well, she did, but her other option wasn't really an option either.

Marry him? As if.

.xx.

It amused Inuyasha to no ends when he learned that Kagome had her house up for sale before the end of the day. He had to give it to her; she promised him his money back plus interest and she was delivering. Miroku had told him earlier, on the telephone, that Inuyasha had to woo Kagome; he had to be sweet yet aggressive; modest yet assertive.

Basically, be a pansy ass bitch. Inuyasha scoffed. He was neither sweet nor modest. He was aggressive, assertive, and domineering. Whatever Inuyasha wanted, he got. He didn't want Kagome, he needed her. Though he would never admit that to her; his prerogative was on a need-to-know basis and Kagome did not need to know anything. The only information she was going to privilege to was that Inuyasha had to marry her, and nobody else.

"There's already an offer." Kouga drawled as he reclined in Inuyasha's armchair. The three men – Inuyasha wouldn't consider them friends, but they, for the sake of technicality they, were friends – were lazing around his home for a much needed break. "They put in 8.5 million."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "She won't take it."

"She won't take anything less than 15." Miroku indicated. "She is looking to pay off your loan plus interest and have money left over."

"For that she's gonna need 20." Kouga snorted.

"Yes, but her primary concern is to pay off Inuyasha. Money left over is a luxury she can afford not to have."

Kouga sat up on his armchair and raised an eyebrow in Inuyasha's direction. "If she manages to pay off the loan, plus interest, why do you still need her? Isn't the purpose of this deal to have the loan paid off? She's delivering where Akira couldn't."

Inuyasha's eyes flickered in Kouga's direction before returning to news article he was scrolling through on his phone. "I still need her."

"Naraku?" Miroku offered and Inuyasha stiffened. Their boss's reaction confirmed their suspicion. Inuyasha didn't parade around taking wives because he was a sick, twisted individual. No, Inuyasha was doing it because he would be in a dire situation if he did not. What stupefied Miroku and Kouga was why Kagome? Even before Inuyasha loaned Akira Higurashi the money, he had made passing comments on one day taking Kagome Higurashi as his wife but never did he disclose the reason why. Miroku and Kouga weren't stupid, they knew it had something to do with Naraku, a man that Inuyasha has had a feud with for as long as either of the two wing men could remember, but they didn't know why.

Why Kagome?

.xx.

Akira Higurashi was forbidden to have an opinion. He couldn't suggest the price for the property, suggest who to hire as their real estate agent… he wasn't even allowed to sign the contract between Souta, Kagome and their agent, despite the property being under Akira's name. Kagome managed to find a workaround so that Akira would not be involved in the slightest throughout the transaction.

The house was on the market for two days before an offer was extended for 18.5 million. Kagome and Souta didn't have to deliberate. They accepted the offer right away on the condition that the final closing be within five days. That would bring Kagome to the seventh day and she would be able to cut Inuyasha a cheque and move on with her life.

Miraculously, the buyers agreed on her condition and before the end of the week Kagome had her money.

Souta was stacking packed boxes while Kagome lay upside down over the side of the couch. "We're actually moving." She yawned. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"I wish Mama was around to clonk Dad upside the head." Souta grunted while moving heavy boxes. "You call the Devil yet?"

"No. I don't want to."

"You kind of have no choice."

"He's a stalker. I'm sure he knows we sold for 18.5." Kagome used a thick permanent marker to scribble KITCHEN on one of the boxes. "I'm sure he knows we're moving to the shrine—when is the truck coming? We have to be out of here before 9pm."

Souta ignored his sister's question and went back to the topic of informing Inuyasha Takahashi that the Higurashi family would be able to repay their ridiculously large loan. Plus interest.

"You still need to call him." Souta grabbed a role of masking tape to perform operation on a breaking box. "He might find this as an excuse to force you to marry him. You know? What if he dings you because you didn't let him know before 4 p.m. because that's when the stock-market business day ends and he was expecting a response that was in line with the business hours?" Souta sounded crazy, but he did make sense. It sounded like something Inuyasha would do… "Cover all your bases, sis."

Kagome sighed. She hated when Souta was right…

"Fine. I'll be in my room."

"Thank you. Can you send Dad down? I need help taking all this out to the car. Hojo should be here with the truck any time now."

It was a quarter to three in the afternoon and their deadline of having the house empty by 9 p.m. was quickly drawing near. Sango volunteered to start unpacking their stuff at the shrine with Jii-chan's help and Kagome, Souta, and Akira would finish boxing up their stuff, clean the house, and move the rest of everything over as soon as possible.

Kagome waved her hand at her brother in acknowledgement and began slowly dragging her feet up the stairs. She had the case of endless-hallway syndrome; the staircase never seemed to end no matter how many steps she took. "Daddy!" She called "Souta needs you." She finally made it to the top of the stairs and before her father could answer, she shut the door to her room.

Her mattress was the only thing left. It was scheduled to be taken downstairs by Hojo, their friendly neighbor, and Souta as soon as Hojo arrived with the truck. Kagome plopped unceremoniously onto the mattress and blinked back tears; she grew up in this house… it was where her mother had brought Kagome and Souta home from the hospital after they were born. There was laughter, tears, arguments—everything in their family home. Every corner Kagome looked at reminded her of some argument or another, a lost baby tooth, Souta's first heartbreak.

Hell, her own first heartbreak.

All of that was gone.

Because of her father's insatiable desire to find a mermaid. A mermaid that probably didn't even exist and because of his irrational need he ruined everything she and Souta believed in. At least they still had their dance studio.

Takahashi would probably find a way to take that away from me as well. Turning on to her back, Kagome pulled her phone out of her back pocket and scrolled through her call history to find Miroku's number.

"Miss. Higurashi." Kagome recognized Miroku's voice. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Is Mister Takahashi available?"

"He most certainly is. Just give me one moment."

Kagome hmm'd and waited. She heard some shuffling and, within a matter of seconds, Inuyasha greeted her.

"Kagome," his voice was a low husky drawl. "Long time no talk."

She hated pleasantries.

"Your money is ready." She didn't bother engaging in small talk with him. He didn't seem like the type to appreciate it anyway. "Shall I mail it to you or would you rather pick it up." Kagome, tactfully, did not offer to deliver it to him. She wanted nothing more to do with this terrible situation. The sooner it was finished, the better for her.

Inuyasha, however, was not going to let it go her way. "You can deliver it. Over dinner. Tomorrow." His sentences were short and sharp. "After your final lesson at the studio I will pick you up. Be sure you're dressed for the occasion."

No. Way. "My apologies, I have plans tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after. And every day for the rest of my life so I think it's best if you send your cronies to pick up the cheque and leave us alone."

"Not happening. Tomorrow, after your final lesson, I will personally pick you up. Keep an eye open for a black Bugatti." The bastard was throwing his wealth in her face while they were negotiating when and how to deliver him a cheque for nine million yen. What a bastard. His stupid wealth is probably illegal anyway; my money is possibly the only honest money he's ever going to see. "Again, dress for the occasion."

"WHAT OCCASION?!" Kagome all but screamed in to the phone. He was testing her patience. His laughter didn't help.

"Black. Fancy."

Kagome made a sound that sounded like a strangled banshee. "Takahashi, my shit are in boxes because I'm moving. Moving because I had to sell my family home to pay you back. I have work tomorrow and have to go back home, my new home, to unpack—can you save whatever twisted shit you have planned for somebody else? I'm not looking to die by your hands anytime soon."

Inuyasha chuckled. She had spunk, and knew how lethal he could be. It was… cute. "It's humorous that you believe I will kill you yet speak to me with such a brazen attitude."

Well, Kagome's mother had told her that her attitude would get her killed one day but she was no docile lamb. "Fine. Let me reiterate in a less brazen way: I am in no mood for games, I have a lot of stuff to do and unfortunately I cannot entertain whatever it is you have planned."

"That's still brazen. Simply not as brazen as your prior statement."

"My apologies. I really can't help my brazen attitude. You are entitled to have an opinion on my attitude and if you think it's brazen, I can't do much about that." Kagome was mentally and physically exhausted and bantering with Inuyasha was the very last thing she wanted to do. Heck, if he was the last person left on earth and she had nobody else she could converse with, she'd rather converse with a rock.

A pebble even.

Perhaps even a grain of sand.

But not Inuyasha.

"Dinner it is then?"

"You aren't going to stop until you get what you want, are you?" Kagome sighed, defeated.

"Not at all. Bring the cheque with you too." And he hung up.

Kagome snarled and threw her phone to the side. What else does he want from me?!

.xx.