I'll be sure to list the songs used in the fic at the top of each chapter, so you can have them if you'd like to listen to them, especially if you'd like to listen to them as you read along.
Also! I have created a Spotify Playlist of the songs used, so you don't have to go hunting for them. The Playlist will be updated as the fic is updated, so there'll be no spoilers about what's coming down the road.
Link is in my Profile.
Enjoy!
Songs in this chapter in order of use, and placed in the story when to hit play:
(1) "Tearing Me Up" Live Version – Bob Moses
(2) "Can't Feel My Face" – Madilyn Bailey cover (original song by The Weeknd)
"Well helloooo there miss! I don't believe we've met," a dark-haired man slid out from behind the handsome demon and casually sat down right next to Kagome, "My, you certainly are beautiful!"
Kagome's cheeks turned hot at the compliment, not sure how to handle it, "Uh… thanks…?"
"Miroku, you have a girlfriend, remember?"
Kagome looked up at the commenter, and spotted another demon joining the group. He was clearly younger than these two were, but probably closer to herself in age. He had reddish-brown hair in a short ponytail, and bright turquoise eyes. He certainly sounded younger than them at least.
"Oh, right. Where is my beloved Sango?" the dark-haired guy asked, looking back around the bar.
"Uh, she went to the restroom. She should be back soon," Kagome answered him.
"So you are her friend, Kagome, then!" Miroku chimed, gently taking her hand into his, "It's a pleasure! Sango's told us a lot about you. I'm Miroku, Sango's boyfriend."
She smiled awkwardly and gave a nervous laugh, "Nice to meet you too."
Her hand was quickly released, accompanied by Miroku's weak wails of pain as Sango had suddenly reappeared, holding him by his ear, before saying with a sweet, but warning tone, "Sorry Kagome, I forgot to warn you. Miroku has a hard time controlling himself around beautiful women."
Kagome smiled and giggled at their exchange as they bantered like an old married couple. It was kind of adorable. She soon realized that she was being stared at, as she noticed the silver-haired demon still looking at her.
She smiled up at him and stood, politely stretching her hand out to him, "You must be one of Sango's bandmates as well? It's nice to meet you. I'm Kagome."
He'd been shaken from his stupor and timidly took her hand, though he never stopped staring at her, "Yeah… nice to me you too. I'm Inuyasha."
Kagome could feel it getting a bit awkward and her flush refused to go away, 'Why is he staring at me like that?' It felt like he was analyzing her face, and it left her feeling like it was on fire.
Before she could think anything of it for long, the smaller demon reached over, slightly pushing Inuyasha out the way with his own hand and said, "Ignore him. He's kind of an idiot. I'm Shippo!"
Kagome took his hand and shook it, but it was shortly broken up by the guy that called himself Inuyasha turning and threatening to whack Shippo over the head, "I am NOT an idiot!"
Shippo laughed as he ran to the opposite side of the table to get away from his friend, as they all settled into their chairs. Miroku and Sango sat beside one another at the head of the table and Shippo sat across from Kagome. Inuyasha took the seat next to her. Sango waved down the server to ask for more beers, and the group chatted like as if they'd never ended their previous conversation. Kagome watched as the four of them carried on casually, talking about things she had no idea about, mostly gig related stuff. Clearly, they were a tight knit group.
When it came time to order another round, Kagome politely declined. Miroku took the opportunity to ask her, "So Kagome, Sango tells us you're a student at the music conservatory. What's your focus?"
Kagome smiled as she answered politely, "Oh, I'm a soprano singer and a pianist."
Sango added, "You should hear her sing! It's really something to hear."
Kagome laughed nervously at the compliment.
Shippo said, "You should come back to the studio with us later. We usually go back and have some jam sessions after a few drinks, and we'd love to hear you sing."
"Oh, I dunno. I don't think I should stay out too late," Kagome replied shyly as the beers arrived at the table.
"Don't worry, Kagome. I'll make sure your back at the dorm before midnight," Sango replied reassuringly.
Kagome smiled, "Then sure. I'd love to!"
"You should've heard her when we went to the studio today," Sango relayed the events of earlier that evening when they cut the demo with Kouga, "Even Kouga was blown away by her voice, and you know how uptight he can be about that sort of thing. Everything must be perfect for him."
"Oh, the demo we worked on? I'd be so interested to hear how that turned out," Miroku mused.
"With any luck, we might be seeing Kagome around the studio a bit more. Kouga seems to have taken a bit of a liking to her," Sango teased.
Kagome looked over with a bright flush in her cheeks, attempting to quickly dissuaded them, "It's not like that! It'd just a working relationship, nothing more!"
Sango giggled, "I'm just teasing, Kagome."
Kagome's blush soon receded, though she missed the sideways glance from the demon next her to her.
The group chatted a bit more, but when Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were caught up in a discussion Kagome couldn't quite follow, she peaked from the corner of her eye at Inuyasha next to her and asked awkwardly, "So… you're a demon?"
'Smooth, Kagome,' she mocked herself for asking such a stupid question.
Inuyasha tilted his head in her direction and gave her a sideways glance, "Half…" was his only response before raising his glass for another sip of his beer, leaning back in his chair.
Her eyes lit a little, curiosity overcoming her, "Really? You're a half-demon?"
"Got a problem with that?" he asked. It wasn't a hostile question, but he seemed defensive, like he'd expected her to be afraid of him.
Kagome shook her head, "Not at all. I was just wondering what your demon half was. I was looking at your ears and I was curious."
Inuyasha's ears twitched at the comment, and he seemed to relax a little at her answer, turning more towards her, "Oh, well, I'm half dog demon."
Kagome gave him an adorable smile that he couldn't help but feel in his gut, before she asked, "Can I touch 'em?"
"Huh?" he gave her an incredulous look before she pointed at his ears.
"I've never met a dog demon before… and they just look so soft," her request was so innocent.
He let out a half-chuckle, half-scoff as he answered, "Sure…"
Her smile grew as she reached up and gently rubbed the appendages, delighted when the twitched under her fingers, "Oooh! They're so cool!"
Inuyasha weakly smirked at her as she let go of them, "You must not encounter many demons."
She shook her head, "Unfortunately. The school I go to doesn't have too many demon students or teachers. It's not every day I see so many in one place."
"Feeling out of place then?" Inuyasha asked her, trying to egg her on.
"Not at all," she replied jovially. Inuyasha was genuinely taken aback by her response, "I always thought demons were so interesting. And besides, when it gets down to it, we're not so different, right?"
Inuyasha looked at her like she had grown two-heads. But a grin slowly crept onto his face.
Kagome wondered why he was so quiet, "Did I say something wrong?"
He shook his head and scoffed, "Stupid human, of course we're different."
"What you mean, 'stupid'?" she asked abruptly, her cheeks growing red, "You've got some attitude, pal!"
'What a creep! I'm trying to be nice to him, and he calls me stupid?!' Kagome thought to herself.
"Well its true, ain't it? Humans and demons aren't exactly built the same," he commented, taking another sip of his beer nonchalantly.
Kagome let out a frustrated sigh, not wanting to pick a fight with Sango's friend, 'Can't believe I thought this guy was attractive!'
She looked at him for a moment, trying to think of a comeback, but their silence was interrupted.
Shippo exclaimed, "Finish up, Inuyasha! Let's head back to the studio!"
Kagome looked down at her watch, and realized it had already been a few hours since they'd been there. She hadn't realized they'd been talking for so long. Inuyasha quickly finished the rest of his beer as the group collected their things and headed out to their practice studio.
As they approached the building, Kagome walked along side Sango and whispered, "Hey Sango, what's his deal?"
"Huh?" Sango replied, not knowing what Kagome meant.
"That Inuyasha guy. He seems to have a bit of chip on his shoulder, doesn't he?" Kagome commented.
"Oh Inuyasha? Yeah, he can be a bit a dick sometimes. But he plays a mean guitar, so we put up with him. Plus, he's actually more than that gruff exterior he puts on, once you get to know him a little," Sango replied, "Trust me, it's all an act. Inside, he's just a sweet little puppy."
"Who the hell you callin' a puppy, Sango?" Inuyasha suddenly threatened as they entered the studio.
"Oh get off it! We all know it," Sango chided back, setting down her bag and removing her jacket.
Kagome walked in and immediately fell in love with the space. Rugs and blankets covered the floors and walls, soft couches lining the closet wall to the door, and all their gear set up just where they liked it. They even had a baby grand piano in one of the corners of the room, though it looked like it had seen better days. It felt so cozy and warm, like a fireplace in a den.
She timidly moved to the couch by the wall as the others settled in and pulled out their instruments or started turning on their equipment.
"This space is amazing!" Kagome commented aloud, looking around.
"Right? Miroku is friends with the owner, so he lets us use this as a permanent practice space," Sango replied.
"Well, 'friend' wouldn't exactly be the best word. More of a mentor," Miroku corrected, explaining to Kagome, "Mushin helped raise me when I was younger, after my father passed away, and got me into music."
Kagome stilled and said, "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be, it was a long time ago," Miroku said to pacify her, continuing on, "When he bought the building, he let me practice in here, and eventually, we all just started using the space for ourselves."
Kagome smiled at that.
Shippo had a whole set up in the far back corner that was pretty impressive. Couple of different style keyboards, some sound boards, and even some drum pads. Kagome commented, "That's some impressive gear, Shippo."
Shippo gave a short laugh, "Thanks! I've been collecting a lot of it for a while now."
"How long have you guys all been playing together?" Kagome asked as Sango settled behind her drum kit, doing a few rolls of her set.
"Well, Inuyasha and I have been playing together for… what is it, five years now?" Miroku contemplated, struggling to remember exactly how long it had been as he picked up his bass and adjusted the strap.
"Somethin' like that," Inuyasha answered coolly, sliding his electric guitar over his shoulder, shaking and adjusting his torso to let the guitar settle to its usual spot.
"And Shippo joined maybe a year and a half ago," Miroku finished, strumming a few bass lines to tune it.
"Yeah, 'cause these guys were absolutely hopeless without me," Shippo teased as Inuyasha lazily threw a pick at his head.
"You certainly seem like you have quite the dynamic," Kagome commented politely.
"If you mean they act like a bunch of rambunctious siblings, then yes, you're absolutely right," Sango chided as she looked over to her boyfriend with an exhausted look, "I don't know how I put up with them sometimes."
Kagome giggled as she leaned into the couch. She heard Inuyasha start to pick a few chords, just kind of improving. She watched as he sat back on a chair and strummed for a bit as the others finished setting up. He faced away from her and towards the others. It's like he was trying to ignore her.
He suddenly struck a chord, and the group went quiet (1). A beat later, Sango's drum kit came alive as Miroku's bass set a slow but steady rhythm. The pair were certainly well suited for each other musically. They're beat never wavered from the other's pace; like they'd locked into each other like a metronome. Shippo played a two-note motif for the first few bars, but it grew as Inuyasha's guitar quietly made its own entrance.
Kagome watched as the group played the intro silently. It was definitely a more funk and rock flavor, and she couldn't help but sway with the rhythm.
It was when Inuyasha started singing that Kagome realized who he was.
Let me tell you about a little situation
It's been testing my patience
Man, she was keeping me up all night
'Cause you only get so far reading faces
We were off to the races
And I thought to myself "hold tight"
You see there was just one complication
She was already taken
And what was so wrong felt so right
She said "no need for looking over your shoulder
When you could just come over
And we can work this out just fine"
I don't know what you want from me
So careless in my company
Oh, if all that you say is true
There'll be no getting over you
So beat down playing by your rules
If you're a joker then I'm a fool
I guess there's no catching up to you
If you don't want my affection
Don't lie, you're tearing me up
'Cause you've got, all my attention
I won't lie, you're tearing me up
I'm trying to tell your intention
When you lie, you're tearing me up
If you don't want my affection
You won't mind, you're tearing me up
'He was the other singer!' Kagome realized. He was the counter singer in the demo she cut earlier with Sango and Kouga.
His voice hovered in a range that couldn't be considered super deep, but it was rough, and he could hit higher notes for those more emotional parts of the song.
'Maybe being half-demon gives him that range?' Kagome wondered. In the bridge, his voice sounded almost like a howl, 'Guess that makes sense.'
It all started with a simple conversation
It was on the weekend and she was talking me up all night
Kept asking if I was only faking
She was there for taking
Showing me that she was all mine
She told me she lived just around the corner
I wanted to know her
Yeah, she was making me lose my mind
I didn't know quite what I was chasing
She left my heart racing
And all it took was just one night
I don't know what you want from me
So careless in my company
Oh, if all that you say is true
There'll be no getting over you
So beat down playing by your rules
If you're a joker, then I'm a fool
I guess there's no catching up to you
If you don't want my affection
Don't lie, you're tearing me up
'Cause you've got, all my attention
I won't lie, you're tearing me up
I'm trying to tell your intention
When you lie, you're tearing me up
If you don't want my affection
You won't mind, you're tearing me up
There was an interlude with Shippo's keyboard playing and Inuyasha's guitar. Sango hadn't been wrong about his guitar playing. Kagome didn't think she'd ever heard someone play like that before. It wasn't that it was terribly intricate or complex. But the mood… the emotion in it…
'It sounds… so sad' Kagome thought.
I don't know what you want from me
So careless in my company
Oh, if all that you say is true
There'll be no getting over you
So beat down playing by your rules
If you're a joker, then I'm a fool
I guess there's no catching up to you
If you don't want my affection
Don't lie, you're tearing me up
'Cause you've got, all my attention
I won't lie, you're tearing me up
I'm trying to tell your intention
When you lie, you're tearing me up
If you don't want my affection
You won't mind, you're tearing me up
The song ended with a final strum as it echoed in her ears, though she hadn't even realized it was over.
"Wow…" was all she could say when the silence was too much for her to handle.
"Hm?" Inuyasha looked over his shoulder and saw her sitting up on the couch, her mouth slightly agape, "What's your problem?"
Kagome was shaken from her daze at his gruff tone, hiding her awe behind her hands, "Sorry, I just… it was really good."
Inuyasha didn't expect that answer and quickly turned away, "Feh, whatever…"
The awkward moment was broken when Shippo asked, "Hey Kagome, why don't you join in?"
"Huh?" she gasped.
"Yeah, what songs do you know? I'd be interested to hear you sing," Miroku asked before doing a quick lick on his bass.
"Uh… I mean…" Kagome wasn't sure how to answer as she desperately tried to run through her mental catalogue of music that they might know how to play.
"How about this?" Shippo asked as he played a melody that they all instantly recognized.
"Yes! I love that one!" Kagome cheered excitedly, standing from the couch and moving a bit closer to the group, adjusting her sweater as it slid down a bit over her shoulder.
She could hear Inuyasha adjust the reverb on his guitar. She didn't want to be caught staring, but she could swear that when she wasn't looking his way, she could feel his eyes on her again. Like they burned through her.
When she tempted to look his way, she was cut off by Shippo's count in.
"5, 6, 7…" (2)
And I know she'll be the death of me, at least we'll both be numb
And she'll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come
But at least we'll both be beautiful and stay forever young
This I know, yeah I know
She told me, "Don't worry about it"
She told me, "Don't worry no more"
We both know we can't go without it
She told me "You'll never be alone" oh oh oooh
She heard Inuyasha pick at his guitar along with the long strums from Miroku's bass and Sango's light taps. They definitely knew how to groove together, that was for sure. She could feel herself moving instinctively with the vibe they generated, swaying ever so lightly and letting her head extend back as she opened up her vocal chords.
I can't feel my face when I'm with you, but I love it, but I love it
I can't feel my face when I'm with you, but I love it, but I love it
And I know she'll be the death of me, at least we'll both be numb
And she'll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come
All the misery was necessary when we're deep in love
Yeah I know, yeah, I know
She told me, "Don't worry about it"
She told me, "Don't worry no more"
We both know we can't go without it
She told me "You'll never be alone" oh oh oooh
I can't feel my face when I'm with you, but I love it, but I love it
I can't feel my face when I'm with you, but I love it, but I love it
Kagome sang a few runs between the chorus and the bridge, hitting the whistle note, letting her eyes slide closed as she went for it. And there was that burning sensation again. Was he staring at her again? She'd never been so self-conscious singing before.
I can't feel my face when I'm with you, but I love it, but I love it
She told me, "Don't worry about it"
She told me, "Don't worry no more"
We both know we can't go without it
She told me "You'll never be alone" oh oh oooh
I can't feel my face when I'm with you…
There was an echoing silence as she cut off the last few lines, and the rest of the guys let their last notes fade out.
"Wow, Sango was right," Shippo voiced aloud, "That's quite the voice you've got, Kagome!"
She blushed, "Oh, you're just being sweet. I've actually run myself a bit ragged today."
"If that's you ragged, I'd be interested to hear what you sound like at optimal performance," Miroku added to compliment, "That was fantastic!"
Kagome looked to the guys, unsure how to respond, just giving a light shrug of her shoulder. She'd always been given praise for her singing voice, so hearing it now wasn't a surprise. But she was always hesitant to accept the compliment, fearful that she may come off as egotistical or cocky.
From the corner of her eye, she dared to look toward Inuyasha, but he seemed indifferent towards her.
She politely thanked them, before Sango interrupted the awkward moment with a booming energy of her kit, setting another rhythm to play to.
They ended up jamming for a few hours, though Kagome sat out much of it, not wanting to strain her voice. If there's one thing they always taught her in school, it's that the voice needs to be cared for, just as you would any other instrument, and over time, it can degrade with overuse and improper technique. She could feel her voice getting strained and opted to just sit and listen in.
However, she did enjoy their playing so much. Being at the conservatory for so long, she hadn't heard much music like this, and they definitely had a specific sound. They all complimented each other so well in how they played, and it seemed like a lucky bit of fate they all ended up meeting each other.
As midnight approached, the guys eventually put away their gear, and Kagome thanked them for allowing her to join in.
"It was fun! I haven't been able to sit in on something like this before, so I'm glad you let me come," she explained as she threw her bag over her shoulder.
"Oh, of course! You're welcome to come by anytime, Kagome!" Shippo replied happily, with Sango and Miroku agreeing shortly after.
Kagome laughed sweetly, "Thanks! Anyways, I gotta get back. I'll see ya later, Sango!"
"See ya, Kagome," Sango replied before Kagome walked out of the studio.
Sango quietly turned and sent a look over towards Inuyasha once Kagome was out of the room. He was doing his best to ignore the look that he could almost painfully feel on his neck as he threw on his jacket.
"You know, you could try to be a little bit friendlier with her! You didn't even say bye," Sango scolded him, "I saw the way you kept looking over at her. I couldn't tell if you wanted to kiss her or kill her."
"Just leave me alone, would ya?" Inuyasha retorted, moving to leave the studio space. Sango stood in front of him in the doorway, blocking his path, and sending him an angry stare.
"Listen, I plan on inviting her out to more stuff like this and maybe a few of our shows, so I'd appreciate it if you could try and be a bit nicer to her," Sango explained, "She doesn't get out much, and I just want her to feel like she's welcome with us. Or is that too much to ask?"
Inuyasha's usual furrowed brow didn't really diminish at her request, but Sango could see his jaw flex as he considered it, "Fine, whatever… Can I leave now?"
Sango let out a frustrated sigh, moving to the side so Inuyasha could pass. He let out a quiet, but deep, "Night," as he shoved his hands into his pockets, turned the corner, and left.
"What's his deal? He's not usually in such a sour mood after these sessions," Shippo asked his friends.
Miroku approached Sango with her jacket in hand, offering it to her, "Sango, you said Kagome doesn't get out much? Why is that?"
Sango took the jacket from him and angrily shoved her arms into the sleeves as she replied," Kagome's isolated herself a lot since she was a teenager, and just focused on her schooling. She has some friends here and there, but she only really stayed focused on getting into the conservatory and practicing. Now that she's almost graduating, I figured it'd be nice to have her come out with us, actually see what it's like to be an adult with a social life."
Miroku pressed her, "Why was she so isolated?"
She thought for a second as she pulled her ponytail out from her collar, "It's not for me to say, but… she's kinda like us," Sango replied quietly, shifting her eyes up to Miroku "She's got her own family baggage, and who better to understand what she's going through than us?"
Miroku nodded, understanding what she meant.
"She just needs to get out a bit more, in small doses, and I was hoping that she'd feel comfortable with us," Sango continued.
Shippo approached quietly, "Well, we all liked her, so I hope she didn't think we didn't."
Sango let out a scoffing laugh, "Yeah, except for Inuyasha. He practically telegraphed how much he didn't like her. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't want to come around again because of him."
Sango was clearly frustrated with her bandmate for acting so immature, "You guys may not have noticed, but he kept looking at her like he wanted to bite her head off. What is his problem? Why can't he just be nice for once? Kagome's a nice girl, and maybe if he could just get his head out of his ass every so often, he could see that!"
Miroku quietly placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her, "You know Inuyasha's got his own issues to work through, Sango. We can't expect him to be all happy and cheery. That's just not who he is."
"No, but he can definitely try to be a bit kinder to her. She's a nice girl, and maybe if he just noticed that, then he'd…" Sango paused when she realized what she was saying, "Forget it."
Miroku could sense her trepidation, "Then… maybe he'd finally be able to move on?"
Sango pursed her lips together, "I didn't say that."
"But you thought it," Miroku challenged, " And as well intentioned as I think that is, Inuyasha's had a rough go of things. To a certain extent, I can understand his hesitation to meet someone knew. Remember how he was when you first joined?"
Sango nodded, knowing Miroku was right.
Miroku continued, "We can't just expect him to move on from what happened just because we want him to," Miroku explained logically, "Something like that… it sticks with you. And if he does move on, it'll be in his own time."
"But it's been eight years since Kikyo…" Shippo interjected, though unable to complete the thought.
"I know, Shippo. But clearly, it affected him deeply, and he has to move on at his own pace," Miroku explained, "That's just the kind of guy he is. But... who knows, maybe he'll open up to Kagome over time."
Shippo and Sango both solemnly nodded.
"Well, either way, I look forward to having Kagome around a bit more. It'll be nice to have someone with a bit more refined musical taste around here," Sango said jokingly, the tension of her frustration finally subsiding a bit.
"Ouch… I felt that," Miroku replied, pretending to be wounded as he moved his hand over his heart.
Sango laughed at his antics before she leaned up and gently gave him a peck on his lips.
Shippo just walked past the two, "Come on, lovebirds!"
Ooh, it hurt to leave it off there. But I've got the next few chapter outlined, so I'll hopefully have the next one up soon.
Be sure to check out the Spotify playlist in my Profile. It'll be updated just before the next chapter is released.
If you guys want more of this fic, please be sure to leave a review, or follow/favorite the story, as it's a great indicator/motivator for me to keep writing.
I can't wait to hear your thoughts!
Until Next Time…