Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. they are the sole property of Takahashi Rumiko

-To Sip of Black Velvet-

Chapter 3: All in a Name

I didn't see him for quite some time after the first night he walked into the bar. That night he'd disappeared before I'd returned from backstage and I hadn't gotten a chance to find anything out about him. I figured I'd wait for him to show up again but after weeks and weeks of him failing to do so, I was beginning to think that I'd never see him again. It hurt me to think it.

Looking back now I realize that he continues to have a way of doing that to me, a way of leaving me close to desperate and then jumping back into my life to heal the pains that he causes. It's how he always gets his way. But back then, on the day he finally returned to Kaichou, I was sure that it was me who was getting my way.

It was close to closing time when the Daiyoukai walked in, looking as striking as he had the first time. He calmly sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. A Black Velvet, I overheard. He looked haughty and disdainful, not giving anyone besides the bartender, Sango, a mere glance. I watched from afar as one unlucky girl attempted to start a conversation with him. He might as well have proclaimed his utter disgust at the infringement with the glare he gave her. For a moment, I considered not approaching him but it was then that I saw his gaze shift momentarily to the vacant stage. Was he looking for me?Before I knew it, I was being drawn towards him, my legs moving against my own free will.

When I stopped I stood slightly behind his left shoulder. My hands were clammy and my heart was racing. My words were caught in my throat so I gulped hoping to liberate at least a syllable. But before I could, he spoke.

"Your name?" he inquired, taking another sip of his drink. He didn't even bother turning to face me.

"Kagome Higurashi ." I answered, realizing that the words somehow flowed easy when he wanted them to.

"Kagome." He repeated under his breath, testing out the new bit of information on his lips. I trembled at the sound of my name uttered in the deep smooth velvety tenor that was his voice. It seemed that I had never really heard my name before.

I continued to stare at his back, entranced by the slight motion of his lavish silver strands as he shifted his head to take another sip of his Black Velvet. I attempted to fill the silence.

"May I ask your na—"

"You sing." He interrupted, stating it rather than asking.

Normally, being the hot-head that I am, I would have immediately called any man out on such rudeness. I would have walked away, or at least rolled my eyes at the audacity to ignore such a simple question. But he wasn't any man and I felt anything but normal. So all I managed to do was stumble over my words as I replied, "Uh… Y-yes, I sing… I-I have been all of my life."

"Then sing." He replied, noncommittally waving his hand towards the stage. I thought I saw something gleam in the bar lights with the motion.

"…I sang earlier, the stage is closed for the night." I informed him. My skin paled, I did not want to turn down his request.

He made no reply and merely finished off his drink. As he stood up to leave, I wanted to cry out but then he turned to face me.

Hot golden eyes slowly inched their way up my form, singeing me with every glimpse. His face was expressionless but in his eyes I saw a desire that burned so fiercely that I went up in flames. I merely gasped as I eagerly gave into the heat. He set my soul ablaze. My knees went weak and I grabbed on to the bar counter to steady myself.

"Later…" He stated, in an expressionless voice that contradicted everything held within his gaze."You will sing for me."

We continued watching each other for many more endless seconds and then he turned away abruptly, cutting off the warmth, and leaving me staring after his retreating form. When he had finally disappeared I turned back to the bar, realizing that I still knew absolutely nothing about him. Sango stared at me with a questioning sparkle in her eyes. I merely shrugged at her, trying my best to hide away the desperation I was feeling at his departure.

She knew better. Somehow she always knew what I was thinking.

"Then, I guess you won't be needing this?" She teased, holding up a rectangular card. I snatched it away on pure instinct.

I gazed down at it taking in the letters and numbers.

I vaguely heard Sango speaking in the background. I only caught some pieces of it. There was something about how the card must have been left for me and about how she didn't know that I was into Daiyoukai. All her other words were lost to me as I looked at that rectangle card.

It was a business card. It had just a name and office number printed on the front and on the back, scribbled in the most legible script I had ever read, was another phone number.

"Sesshoumaru Taisho" I whispered under my breath, testing out the new information. It sounded smooth and dark and mysterious and it felt right that such a sound was falling from my lips. Until then, it seemed, I had never really spoken a name before.

Word Count: 939