Lead Me Down the Garden Path

by princesspvmpernickel

Fear of unemployment made Kagome accept the first job offered: a job introducing her to infamous celebrity, Inuyasha Taisho. As the two get closer, she learns of dark secrets and a global scandal that make her question herself, her feelings, and Inuyasha. She didn't intend to get caught up in the violence and corruption of Inuyasha's past. She also didn't intend to fall in love.

33. Slow Burn

Author's Note

Man, I've been breathing this fanfic lately. I really hope you've enjoyed the recent developments and updates! Are you ready for the longest chapter of the fic (to date)? Maybe consider grabbing yourself a snack before you strap in - lol! Let's go!

Reviews are always appreciated.

Enjoy!

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Lead Me Down the Garden Path

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Slow Burn

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"Kagome. Run."

Inuyasha's words were laboured and slow between raspy breaths. He choked out a wince. Blood dribbled down his chin. It pooled beneath his Adam's apple, soaking into the fibers of his shirt. It matted the ends of his hair. It poured from where the katana punctured him. It dripped down his legs, coating the floor beneath him, smearing beneath Renkotsu's boots.

The way Inuyasha clenched his teeth made Kagome suck in a panicked rush of air.

There was too much blood.

This wasn't happening. This could not be happening. Life. Fate. God. The entire goddamn Universe. No divine power could be so cruel to allow this to happen to them. To her. Not now. Not when she and Inuyasha just breached and exposed emotions they'd kept hidden. Not when Kagome finally felt the liberation of allowing Inuyasha to own her heart. Not after the utterance of those heart-stopping sentences from Inuyasha's lips.

I care about you, Kagome.

It's been real for me, too.

Kagome had always been about the chase. Always. But Inuyasha, her feelings for Inuyasha... God, the resolve she felt under the weight of her emotions was nearly debilitating. And how he had feelings for her too? She almost couldn't stomach the rightness of it. It felt life-altering. The way he made her feel was too immense, too important. The clarity was overwhelming; it made her heart race.

She didn't want to be chased anymore.

Like a desperate inhalation after holding her breath for so long, Kagome found respite in relishing how much she wanted Inuyasha, that she wanted to love Inuyasha and be loved by him in return. She wanted him to be her last. Her everything.

Inuyasha was such a welcome captor. Her heart an even more willing captive.

Her entire body ached with longing. No more, she decided, would she seek the languid pace of building desire. She wanted everything about him to be instantaneous, like she didn't realize how starved her heart had been until now. She gave herself over to her love frenetically, willingly and thirsting. Kagome had never felt so impatient.

She regretted how long it had taken her to realize she was over it, wanting only the thrill of being pursued. She wished she had recognized it sooner: that loving Inuyasha, and the tenderness he reserved for only her, was its own thrill.

It was soul-stirring.

Inuyasha felt something for her. He cared about her.

And then Renkotsu showed up and he hurt Inuyasha, was actively hurting Inuyasha. And all Kagome could do was stand there and watch, immobilized by...what? Fear? Shock? Panic?

It was beyond cruel, this current reality. She felt so cold compared to the warmth and pleasure Inuyasha had brought her mere minutes ago with his words, lips, and fingers. The juxtaposition made her want to scream.

"Yes, Kagome, by all means...run," Renkotsu laughed, his forehead tattoo crinkling with his raised brows. "Inuyasha and I could certainly use the alone time to catch up after all these years apart. Eh, Yash? Long time no see, brother. When did you become so concerned with the welfare of others?" A morbidly humorous grin covered Renkotsu's face as he grabbed the blade's handle and twisted it.

Nausea chafed Kagome's throat. She couldn't help wincing at the sound the katana made as it turned in Inuyasha's flesh. She didn't know how she could even hear it over the—now inappropriate—bass-laden music. But she did. It sounded how it looked: wet and slurping.

"How—" Renkotsu grunted as he twisted— "out of character."

Words idled in Kagome's throat. Her chest rose and fell with breaths that felt too chaotic.

Renkotsu pressed a pale forearm against Inuyasha's throat, keeping the injured man upright against the wall. Bearing witness to Renkotsu's strength, something like awe intertwined with the loathing Kagome felt. Inuyasha's legs kicked, fingers pried, and teeth snapped as he fought back. Renkotsu continued rotating the blade with a slow, smooth turn of his wrist, unaffected by Inuyasha's efforts to escape. Inuyasha yelled as Renkotsu pushed the hilt further into Inuyasha's belly. He was significantly losing strength. Splashes of dark blood gushed from the wound, enlarging the pools of red beneath Renkotsu's feet. Inuyasha bared his teeth, snarling through the pain.

"Stop it!" Kagome finally shouted.

Her palms ached under the pressure of her clenched fingernails. She watched her cry land on deaf ears as Renkotsu continued his assault. She bit her lip hard, sickened by Renkotsu's clear ignorance of the desperation in her voice. She glowered at Renkotsu as a twining coil of violent, uncontrollable anger settled in Kagome's gut, boiling her blood, making her clench her jaw until it ached.

Renkotsu threatened to be the undoing of everything good that had found its way into her life.

Inuyasha's pain was unmistakable. He was losing too much blood.

"Please! Stop!" Kagome's voice was hoarse. "Don't hurt him anymore. You don't have to do this."

A pause. One more tight, semicircle of a tormenting slurp from Inuyasha's stomach then Renkotsu snorted and released his grip on Inuyasha. The man plummeted to the floor, landing with a pained grunt. His hands hovered around the protruding weapon like something delicate he could barely touch. The predator turned to face Kagome.

Renkotsu wore a bored expression, as if he hadn't heeded to her plea but simply grown tired of inflicting more pain on Inuyasha. The parallel lines of violet war paint wrinkled from the expression he gave her. She felt small and inconsequential under the weight of Renkotsu's stare.

He sucked his teeth. "Don't hurt him? Now, see, Kagome, that just goes against the whole point of getting revenge."

It took all of her willpower to smother the panic that flamed upwards from her stomach, coating the back of her throat. She needed to stay calm for both her and Inuyasha's sakes. She needed to be strong for them both. She could see the way Inuyasha sized up Renkotsu, his eyes calculating despite the pain. It was obvious to Kagome that Inuyasha was trying to think of a way to get them out of this situation, and she hated it. He was in no state to do anything right now—except for maybe trying to keep more blood from escaping his body.

She needed to do something.

Kagome met Renkotsu's gaze, swallowing her fear and insecurity with a desperate gulp. Her peripherals caught Inuyasha trying to sit upright despite the flow of blood that intensified with his every movement.

"I'll do anything you ask," she whispered. "Just..." She took a cautious step towards the settee, the fixture luring her with the pretense of protection. "Please don't hurt him any more."

Kagome wanted to believe her words would resonate with Renkotsu; however, her memory willed her to recall just how twisted Jakotsu had been. How aloof and uncaring he was to Kagome's anguish and begging. Recollections of Jakotsu swarmed her, fueling the heat of anger swelling in her breast. Her broken wrist, their deadly game of tag, the grotesque words he uttered about Inuyasha to try and weaken her resolve.

The kobuns of the Kuzawari were a group of sick, heartless bastards. Kagome could not make the same mistake with Renkotsu that she had with Jakotsu. She should not wish for any sentimentality from him or try to appeal to his emotions. Inuyasha had shown Jakotsu no mercy. Just like how Jakotsu had shown none to her.

Just like how Kagome needed to show none to Renkotsu.

In that moment, Kagome both lost and found herself in her love for Inuyasha. She happily greeted the overwhelming emotion that spilled from the heart Inuyasha had invaded and conquered. She let it soak into her blood, warm the chill that had come over her, spread through her entire body. Her love for him grounded her, energized her. A calmness overtook her features as the strength she found in her love filled every corner of her body, her spirit. Her insides no longer felt hollow. Basking in her affections, she found a fortitude that was unfamiliar but so welcome.

One thing became absolutely clear: there was no way in hell she would let Renkotsu take Inuyasha from her. Not without a fight.

Kagome barely recognized her voice when she spoke next. Her words sounded so confident as she demanded, "Just let Inuyasha go."

Her heart thrummed with foreign bravery.

Renkotsu sucked his teeth again then drew his lips to the side in a contemplative pucker. "Sorry, babe. No can do. This asshole's gotta die. Or, I, at least, gotta bring him or both of you back with me. You see, I'm technically not supposed to be here, acting on my own. So that means...I can't leave empty handed."

"Then take me with you—" She couldn't believe how confident she sounded. "I'll go willingly if you spare him."

Renkotsu huffed, the bridge of his nose wrinkling as he turned to look at Inuyasha with an incredulous expression.

To keep Renkotsu's attention on her, Kagome added, "Jakotsu wouldn't have gone to so much effort to kidnap me if I wasn't of interest to Naraku."

Surprise coated Renkotsu's features with her utterance of the oyabun's name. Then he arched a brow. "You got some balls, Kagome. You know, for a chick."

He lifted one side of his mouth in a sinister grin, his dark eyes becoming beadier and more distrustful against the contrasting lavender face-paint that ran in parallel lines from his forehead to his chin. Renkotsu cranked the heel of his foot into the puddle of blood beneath him. The expression transformed into a full-blown smirk as he watched a ripple bloom from his motions. A warmth pooled low in his belly seeing how much of Inuyasha's blood coated his boots.

"My one issue with your little suggestion, though, is that you're only valuable to us as a means to get to him." He jutted his chin at Inuyasha. "And I already seem to have him. Plus, he doesn't look like he'll be going anywhere anytime soon, either. So...why take you when I can just kill him now and be done with it?"

Kagome took a steadying breath, wishing fearlessness into her blood, forcing her veil of confidence into place. She solidified the persona with a tight-lipped smile that she hoped looked antagonizing. "Based on what I've heard about Naraku, I don't think he'd be rolling out the red carpet for you," she stated. "I think he would be too disappointed that he was not only robbed of his vengeance, but that he was undermined by a delinquent kobun to boot."

Renkotsu licked his upper teeth, reveling in the defiant gleam in Kagome's eyes.

"You did say you weren't supposed to be here, after all," she added sternly.

"Kagome." Inuyasha drew out her name in a quiet, breathy warning. She ignored him, keeping her gaze on the kobun.

"You've got quite the mouth on you," Renkotsu beamed. "No wonder Inuyasha likes you so much. But you forget one thing, girlie. Your boytoy here is basically incapacitated, which means I could do anything I wanted. With him. With you. To you. And I don't think your skinny ass could do much to stop me. So...I'd watch that pretty mouth if I were you." He winked at her. "I'm sure Inuyasha would be devastated if his favourite cocksucker lost her tongue."

Kagome withheld a flinch. She heard Inuyasha suck in a raging breath. Hate churned in her stomach, making her retort easier to manage. "Yeah, but you'd have to turn your back on Inuyasha to get to me." Her eyes turned to him briefly, a concerned gasp almost escaping by how pale Inuyasha looked sitting in his blood. She swallowed past a lump in her throat, hoping her mask remained in place. "And I don't think you have any interest in giving him that kind of opening. Especially since I don't think you're in Inuyasha's good books after stabbing him."

Her goading prompted a look from Inuyasha that made her cheeks warm. If she didn't know any better she'd say his expression almost looked proud.

Renkotsu sniggered, nodding his head as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. His eyes roamed from Inuyasha to Kagome and then to the room at large. She tried to avoid wringing her hands or permitting any other nervous twitch. She didn't want any unnecessary movement to make him suspect he was unnerving her. Kagome licked her lips as she tried to follow Renkotsu's gaze around the room.

There was something so off-putting about this confrontation happening in a space that exuded nothing but sex.

"Maybe I'm willing to call your bluff," he taunted after a pause.

Renkotsu slid one foot towards her, his body still perpendicular to Inuyasha. Kagome tried to hide the involuntary shudder that coursed through her at the sound of Inuyasha's blood smearing the floor.

"Maybe I'm too tempted by that wicked tongue of yours to keep my distance. Maybe I'd like to test what Inuyasha could do if I chose to touch you..."

Kagome's stomach clenched with Renkotsu's suggestive tone of voice.

"If you. Fucking. Touch her..."

Renkotsu exhaled a laugh, sticking a hand in the front pocket of his pants. The seafoam-coloured scarf he wore atop his clean- shaven head billowed across his strong shoulders as he shook his head. "Speaking of touching, you ever feel nostalgic about the good ol' days, Inuyasha, and the fun we all used to have? Or does your cunt-hungry ass still get to partake in some of those finer things that come with being famous?" He chuckled. "Once we learned about chicky-poo over here, I wanted to call bullshit. There's no way your appetite could change that much, going from multiple chicks at once to living the monogamous lifestyle. Unless," he licked his lips, his eyes lazily strolling towards Kagome, "she likes to keep things open?"

"Renkotsu," Inuyasha cautioned.

"But I wouldn't guess you the sharing type, Kagome," the kobun continued, ignoring Inuyasha. "Unless you have a thing for being with women, or you get off on watching him fuck the shit out of another pussy. But my money is on you don't share. Or, that you're just such a good girl you haven't had the opportunity to share."

Renkotsu dragged his teeth across his bottom lip, liking Kagome's reaction to his words—an abashed wash of pink that tinged her face. A surge of anticipatory pleasure coursed through him as her eyelashes lowered with her gaze, grazing the apples of her cheeks as she blushed.

"Mm, yeah, you are a sweet little thing, aren't you? Listen, Kagome, I'd like to throw something out there. Lemme know what you think."

A knowing rumble tore from Inuyasha's throat. "Don't."

"Think you'd be up for a pig roast? That is, if Inuyasha thinks he can hold up his side of things." His eyes shone with devilish intention.

Inuyasha howled with fury at the same time Kagome's flush intensified. Inuyasha clearly knew what Renkotsu was proposing, and the fact he didn't seem to like it one bit made Kagome's mouth dry. Inuyasha's skin prickled with a newfound layer of sweat as he struggled to lean forward.

Kagome knew it couldn't be good or decent... whatever Renkotsu meant.

"What do you think, Kagome?" Renkotsu pressed, his tone husky. "You up for it? You do know what I mean, dontcha, sweetheart?"

"I..." Kagome paused.

Her teeth worrying her bottom lip, her eyes jumped from Renkotsu to Inuyasha then back. She hated how they were both looking at her: Inuyasha with consternation, Renkotsu with voracious hunger. She didn't know how to answer, if she should even answer. No good would come from whatever Renkotsu was trying to do or suggesting. Her stomach felt like it was turning in on itself. She hated the heat of her flushed cheeks.

"I don't, uh..."

The kobun bit down on his thumb and angled his head at her. "You puritanical angel," he purred. "So innocent! God, you have no idea what I mean." A laugh escaped between his teeth as his eyes skirted to Inuyasha. "I wouldn't have thought you into good girls, Yash. But goddamn, I get it. She's," he paused with a sensual inhale, "unsullied...and it's so fucking alluring."

Inuyasha growled and Renkotsu snorted a laugh.

"I know how exquisite it can be to watch an innocent thing embrace their inner depravity," Renkotsu sighed. "Seeing her like this...fuck, man...I'm almost envious she's been yours this whole time." He threw his head back and rumbled a throaty moan at Kagome before saying, "I want you in a pig roast, Kagome, because you would look sexy as all fuck down on your hands and knees, one cock in your ass and another in your mouth. What do you think, Yash? Feeling up for a li'l raw dog session? I think you know what part of her I call dibs on."

Kagome recoiled as if his words slapped her.

"You're disgusting." Her response was a whisper of shock and mortification. A flustered sweat pooled upon the nape of her neck while her chest burned with the alarm of his words. Her fist hovered above her racing heart. The revulsion she felt towards Renkotsu was overwhelming.

As the kobun laughed at Kagome's response, Inuyasha released an enraged, guttural wail. He gripped the katana's hilt in his fist and tugged. The blade gave slight purchase, lifting barely an inch from his stomach with a fleshy sound. Renkotsu moved faster than Kagome would have expected, crouching over Inuyasha's legs and planting his fist above Inuyasha's.

"Ah, ah, ah," he derided, squeezing until his knuckles whitened. "I didn't say this could come out yet. Did I?"

Renkotsu pushed the heel of his palm against the pommel, the men's hands shaking from the power struggle. Kagome's heart sank as the blade reclaimed the inch of space Inuyasha had created. Renkotsu jiggled the handle once the blade was fully seated and Inuyasha's howl reverberated in Kagome's body. She choked on a breath as she watched that wave of pain overtake Inuyasha.

Agonizing seconds of silence lingered as Kagome couldn't look away from Inuyasha. Her eyes bore into his face, observing his desperate attempts to stay afloat from the pain.

"Ignore. Him. Kagome," Inuyasha said finally, his breaths gruff. He grit his teeth, forcing himself to look at her. "He. Just wants. A. Reaction. From you. Don't—" He paused to catch his breath— "Don't. Give him. The. Satisfaction."

Renkotsu huffed. "You're just feeling salty I can make her face turn that adorable shade of red with my sword-handling skills." He snapped his teeth at her. "You wanna come polish my blade, Kagome?"

"What do you want, Renkotsu?" Her nose wrinkled in a snarl. She hadn't meant to basically scream the question at him. "You want to make Inuyasha angry by coming onto me? You want to embarrass me with your comments? Did you literally just follow us here so you could stab Inuyasha and then harass us while he bled to death? What do you want?"

She couldn't stop the words from barreling out of her mouth. She knew she should stop, that she shouldn't antagonize him, but her anger loosened her tongue. Her heart demanded revenge for what she had watched him do to Inuyasha.

"What do I want?" He echoed, his face transforming with an ugliness she hadn't seen before. "I want this son of a bitch to fucking die. I want to watch the life leave his eyes, but not before I bring him so much fucking pain that killing him almost seems like I'm granting him a favour." He bit his thumb as a pensive expression took over his features, softening his brow. "I could've sworn there was something else I wanted too...oh, that's right."

Kagome cringed at how nastily Renkotsu looked at her.

"What I want most right now, Kagome, is for you to shut your goddamn, fucking mouth before I decide to do something you'll regret."

Kagome startled. Her heart pounded from the furious projection of his voice. She leaned towards the settee, desperate to find some physical separation from the kobun. Dread coated her body like a second skin.

Renkotsu's face relaxed into a toothy grin. He loved how her body stiffened with fear. "I don't enjoy yelling at you, Kagome," he sighed. "Ask your human dildo over here. He'll tell you that I'm more of a passivist compared to the others."

Kagome's stomach wrenched watching Renkotsu transform from a state of rage to one of cruel playfulness. It unsettled her to see just how smoothly the kobun transitioned between the two mannerisms; it reminded her so much of Jakotsu she had to focus on taking long, slow breaths to keep from hyperventilating. Was Renkotsu just as dangerously puckish and antagonistic as the other kobun who had held her captive?

Seeing the similarity between the two men reminded Kagome that Renkotsu had been the one to come after Jakotsu and Kagome after the truck broke down. Clearly, the two had been close if Renkotsu was the person Jakotsu had phoned, who he had instinctively turned to, for help in a vulnerable position. Kagome knew that when people were bonded or close, personality traits could be acquired, mannerisms rubbing off onto one another. The churning sensation in her stomach turned to one of ache as Kagome contemplated whether Renkotsu was the original owner of being crudely changeable and wickedly short-fused or if he had learned those traits from Jakotsu. She couldn't imagine someone being crueler or nastier than Jakotsu.

The thought that Renkotsu could, in fact, be worse than Jakotsu made a new surge of fear dredge her insides.

"Passivist?" Inuyasha snorted, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "You. Burn people. For. Fucking sport."

Renkotsu cast Inuyasha a bored expression. "Yeah, exactly. The fire does the actual killing, Inuyasha. It's different than taking a life with my hands. Plus, you know that my approach is far more passive than the oyabun's burning rituals. I just fuck with wires, toss a match, or use good ol' fashion gasoline." He smiled at Kagome. "You gotta admit it's a far more clean-handed way to kill than some of the other guys' tactics."

"It still. Makes you. An asshole. Who burns people to death."

"People, yes," Renkotsu smirked, his eyes crinkling as Kagome finally met his lingering stare. "And places too."

Her heart dropped into her stomach. "What did you say?"

"Did you ever suspect it was me?" Renkotsu asked Inuyasha, leaving Kagome's question unanswered. His tone was hopeful as he tilted his head with the question.

"Had your name. Written all over it."

Kagome's heart pounded. She couldn't believe her ears. Was Renkotsu the one who set fire to her apartment building? Killing all those people? Hoping to hurt her—or worse—to get to Inuyasha? Is that what he was insinuating?

"It almost brings a tear to my eye, hearing you compliment my handiwork after all these years."

"You still—" Inuyasha paused to grimace— "branding. Naraku's special. Assholes too?"

Renkostu nodded proudly. "Fuck yeah, I am. My brand is a fucking rite of passage for new First Sons. Only the oyabun's top men get to claim that honour."

"Feh. And Kikyou."

Kagome's heart lurched with the mention of Inuyasha's ex-girlfriend. Renkotsu grit his teeth at Inuyasha, a snarl winding in his chest.

Inuyasha smirked. "How. Did that. Work out for you?"

"Why?" Kagome's question was a horrified, curious whisper. "Why would you brand her?"

Inuyasha sneered. "He thought. Bankotsu. Wouldn't want her. If she. Bore his mark." He nodded at Renkotsu.

Renkotsu's cheeks reddened. "Yeah, well, what-fucking-ever. I've come to terms with the fact that it didn't turn out in my favour." He directed a heated frown at Inuyasha. "You just swooped on in and fucking took her for yourself anyway."

Inuyasha raised a shoulder indifferently before grunting as he fought to keep himself from slumping to the side.

"Tell me something," Renkotsu sniffed. "Why was Bankotsu willing to share with you when he never did with the rest of us?"

"Jealous?"

"Call it curiosity."

Inuyasha shrugged again with one shoulder. "He liked her. But she. Liked me." Inuyasha winced, keeping his eyes on Renkotsu. His hands danced around the katana's hilt as if he toyed with the idea of pulling it out again.

"So what? He sees her in the front row, brings her backstage for himself, and then allows her to just magically end up on your dick?"

Kagome flinched. Inuyasha tried to ignore it despite how her shudder made his heart ache. He hated how she was watching all this, listening to this, but he knew the longer he could keep Renkotsu distracted the better it would be for her. Inuyasha just had to buy them enough time to formulate a plan, which was easier said than done when most of his attention kept getting stolen by pain. Any other attention he could spare was on Kagome, and how much Inuyasha hated seeing fear coat her beautifully flushed cheeks.

Inuyasha typically loved the red hue that blossomed up Kagome's chest, neck, and face. However, knowing who caused her to blush and why made Inuyasha want to double over with rage. He knew Renkotsu was using the subject matter to get under Kagome's skin. Fuck, the current subject matter—really the entire sexual theme that Renkotsu wouldn't let go—was far from ideal. Especially given what had just happened between him and Kagome. Inuyasha couldn't help but worry how all of this would impact her once Inuyasha could emerge from his pain long enough to figure out their escape.

Inuyasha's insides were screaming to keep Kagome safe. And that meant getting her away from Renkotsu as soon as fucking possible.

"Sometimes I wonder if Bankotsu carried his own little flame for you back in the day," Renkotsu mused. "I mean, he seemed pretty fucking willing to cross cocks with you after that first time." The kobun snorted and crossed his arms. "He wouldn't be the first fag amongst us, that's for sure. Just can't envision you as the willing, deep-throating kind, y'know?"

"Keep it up. And I'll show you. Just how deep I can. Stick your sword. Up your ass."

"Cute," Renkotsu huffed. "But I want an answer, Inuyasha. How did you end up sharing her with him?"

Inuyasha growled. He couldn't understand why this even mattered to discuss in the first place, let alone revisit. "I was. So fucking high. I barely remember anything. From back then." Inuyasha wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, well, you and Bankotsu clearly came to some terms over her. Whether you or he would fuck her, or both." He snorted. "And then you had to go fucking recruit her for a bunch of band shit just to keep her around. All while you and Bankotsu kept her for yourselves, rubbing it in my face that she wanted nothing to do with me."

"Are you surprised? You fucking branded her," Kagome hissed.

Renkotsu continued as if he didn't even hear Kagome's interrupting commentary. "Then you went and pilfered her from Bankotsu like the fucking traitor you are. Didn't have the balls to take what wasn't yours until Bankotsu was behind bars and couldn't do anything about it?"

Inuyasha regretted turning to look at Kagome then, having felt the heat of her stare on him. He could easily make out the confusion and the hurt she tried to hide as their eyes met.

He willed his face to appear indifferent as he responded to Renkotsu, "Shit went down. She. Picked me."

"Fucking shocker," Renkotsu spat. "Everyone always fucking chose you. Every. Single. Goddamn. Time."

Kagome flinched at the angst in Renkotsu's escalating tone.

"Kikyou. Naraku. Musō—"

Her heart jumped into her throat hearing Renkotsu speak the First Son's name.

"What made you so special, Inuyasha? What made you the fucking favourite over the rest of us?"

At the mention of Musō's name, Inuyasha chuffed dryly. "Feeling a bit. Sensitive today. Renkotsu? First Kikyou. Now your. Dearly departed. Daddy?"

Renkotsu lunged at Inuyasha, gripping the katana and twisting it until Inuyasha roared. Kagome screamed Renkotsu's name until her voice cracked.

"I'll fucking kill you for what you did to him!"

Inuyasha gasped down a wild breath, raising his dark brow until his forehead creased. "You think. I wanted to kill him? I was. A fucking kid when. Naraku made me—"

"—No fucking excuses!" Renkotsu screamed, releasing the katana with an exasperated flourish before standing and pacing before Inuyasha's slumped body. "On top of everything you've done to deserve death, I will happily take your life for taking his."

Inuyasha's breaths were fast and shallow. "How. Can you. Want revenge for. The asshole. Who—?"

"—He was the best thing that ever happened to me!" Renkostu roared, his arms splayed at his sides. "I wouldn't have joined the band if Musō hadn't picked me. I didn't fucking live until I was invited to join the Family."

Kagome grimaced at Renkotsu's word choice. Invited—as if Renkotsu hadn't been kidnapped from his biological family by Musō.

Renkotsu allowed space for several breathy exhalations before spewing at Inuyasha, "Then you went and fucking took him from me. You knew he was the closest thing I ever had to a real father."

"If you want to blame someone for Musō's death, blame Naraku."

Renkotsu spun to glare at Kagome. Her quiet but angry words left a burning sensation on her lips that she tried to lick away.

She gulped in response to the furious weight of Renkotsu's stare. Her anger spurned her to continue saying, "Naraku ordered Inuyasha to be the Ritual Leader when Inuyasha was eight years old. I've heard of grown men who can't refuse Naraku. You think a child could have said no? Could have fought back?"

"Shut your filthy mouth, woman," Renkotsu hissed. "You don't fucking know what you're talking about."

"I do," she snapped, turning a venomous expression back on the kobun. "Inuyasha told me—"

"—Inuyasha has always been a fucking magnet for weakness," he interrupted. "Wherever he goes. Even attracting weak women."

His eyes burned Kagome to the point she had to turn her face away.

A warning rumble of indignation built in Inuyasha's throat.

The kobun's festered resentment bursting at the seams, Renkotsu continued despite Inuyasha's threatening growl. "Musō was a fighter, strong enough to be Naraku's second-in-command, the top First Son. And as soon as Inuyasha came into the picture, Musō became weak, and that weakness brought him his death. Why couldn't he just shut the fuck up and let you take whatever punishment Naraku wanted for you? Why did he have to disobey the oyabun?"

Renkotsu allowed a few heartbeats to pass with laboured breaths. After a time, he snorted, wiping spit from his jaw with the back of his hand. "The oyabun saw all your weakness, Inuyasha. He knew his selected weapon was faulty, that he needed to hone you so the weakness was purged out. The oyabun would never keep a dull blade for his errand boy. Didn't you ever wonder why he made you Ritual Leader so many times back then? Eh, Fire Rat? Remember that nickname, Inuyasha? We all suspected there was something off about Naraku's pet. No one would ever say anything, of course, but we knew there was a reason the oyabun chose you to lead the Burning Rituals for all those years. We knew there was some kind of lesson he was trying to teach you. Fucking pointless," Renkotsu scoffed, "clearly—seeing how weak you turned out in the end."

"Is that why. You're here?" Inuyasha coughed. "Feeling pissy. After all these years. That you never got to be. Naraku's favourite fire-wielder?"

Renkotsu harrumphed and crossed his arms indignantly.

"Or are you feeling jealous. You've never been anyone's first choice?"

"Fuck you, Inuyasha!" Renkotsu spat. "You make it sound petty, but all of us fucking hated you for being the one people fawned over. You were the fucking manager! You stayed behind the scenes while we were the ones topside with the fans. You weren't even in the goddamn band yet you were the one people loved."

"That's because. I wrote. The fucking music. That made the band. Famous. Asshole."

Renkotsu snorted. "So what, you want me to thank you for all the solos and bass licks you wrote me? Yeah, sure, there may have been a time you could call me impressed with how easy composing music seemed to be for you. I'll even lick your ego a bit to say that none of us could have done what you did back then to get us to the big time. Not that that even fucking mattered since Naraku could have just pulled some strings to get us where he needed us."

Renkotsu paused to lick his lips, his brow creasing with the intensity of his frown.

"But being able to write some songs doesn't mean you should've been the favourite. That doesn't mean we should still live in your fucking shadow, not when we were the ones to bring to life what you put on paper. I mean, for fuck's sake even Bankotsu didn't stand a chance against you; I've seen those bullshit comments online that whores and fags would choose you over him, over us, any day. Which is just mind-blowingly fucked. I could understand if Bankotsu was the favourite because he was our fucking lead man! But you? Always you? Like, what the actual fuck? It makes no sense! Yeah, we were famous too, but our fame was never like yours. Even any recognition we got from the Family for our service to the oyabun was never like Inuyasha's."

"Goddamn," Inuyasha wheezed in laughter. "You really are jealous. After all this time." His eyes steeled at Renkotsu. "It wasn't real. You fucking moron."

"It was real, Yash!" Renkotsu yelled. "And you're the fucking moronic asshole for denying it! We traveled. We played in motherfucking stadiums for thousands of people. Our music won awards! We fucking bonded in recording studios, on the road, when we went on jobs for the Family. We were brothers for fucking years! The fact that our music and fame was a front for what Naraku needed us to do doesn't make what we experienced any less real!"

Kagome could almost feel the thudding of Renkotsu's raging, bitter heart from the labour of his panted breaths.

"But you were so desperate to get outta the oyabun's clutches to return to Mommy and Daddy Taisho that you needed to pretend to hate us."

"I never pretended," Inuyasha spewed. "I hated you fuckers. The entire time. You were just so. Desperate for comradery. You only saw. What you wanted to see."

Inuyasha's brutal honesty hit its mark, and Renkotsu flinched. Struggling to hide his hurt behind his eyes, Renkotsu allowed the resentment to wash over him with a heated sigh. He could never allow Inuyasha to see Renkotsu's hurt, his disappointment. Any emotion would be better than that.

"Well, then fucking shame on me, on all of us, for taking your betrayal so personally then."

Renkotsu rolled a shoulder and cracked his neck before narrowing his eyes at Inuyasha. Any vulnerability Kagome previously detected in Renkotsu's tone or expression disappeared just as quickly as Renkotsu gave it opportunity to appear.

"But thanks for helping me remember why you need to be put down, Inuyasha. You made the blood oath to serve the Family, but you didn't keep up your end of the arrangement. You will die for betraying us, Inuyasha, and I'm done sitting on my ass waiting for it to happen."

Renkotsu furrowed his brow, his cheeks flushed from his anger. "Not a single person in the Family benefits from the oyabun waiting to take you out. You know what Naraku's doing by waiting? He's making a fucking symbol out of you."

The intensity of Renkotsu's tone made Kagome's heart thud wildly.

"You're supposed to be enemy number one, and yet hunting you down and claiming your life's been treated differently from other kobun who've betrayed the oyabun before. Why is that, Inuyasha? Why are you still breathing ten years after your betrayal when other kobun were barely given two days?"

Inuyasha half-smirked. "Didn't you say. I was special?"

"You know what I think the reason is?" Renkotsu seethed with a quietly uttered hatred. "I think your existence has made him weak."

Inuyasha's brow rose with incredulity before his expression melted into a smirk. He clucked his tongue against his teeth then said, "You must have. A death wish, Renkotsu... 'Cause if Naraku heard you..."

Renkotsu shook his head with a curt, empty laugh. "I'm not the only one who thinks so. If Musō could grow a soft spot for you, maybe our fearless leader is holding out on your death because of his own Inuyasha-flavoured weakness."

Kagome snorted, drawing Renkotsu's attention from his own thoughts and Inuyasha. "Have you ever considered that maybe it's not that Naraku is holding out, but that all of you who have come after Inuyasha are just not good enough?"

"Kagome." Her name was a drawn out, cautioning exhale from Inuyasha's lips.

She chose to ignore his warning, the urge to say something too pressing to stifle. "Three of your brethren came after us at Sengoku Manor and Inuyasha stopped them. Easily. Then another one falls at Inuyasha's hand because you all thought it would be easy enough to come after me. Then Jakotsu."

Renkotsu flinched with a tense growl caught in his throat.

Kagome smiled, pleased with the reaction. "You'll be no different, Renkotsu. Neither will Bankotsu, and neither will Naraku. Inuyasha will stop all of you. Which just goes to prove he's not weak."

"You got quite the fucking cheerleader, Inuyasha," Renkotsu hissed with phony amusement. His eyes narrowed at Kagome. "But you know what you haven't taken into consideration? Just how fucked up the last of us are. Me, especially."

The comment drew a flustered gulp from Kagome.

"Inuyasha can vouch for just how much I love stakeouts and hunting people down. More than any other kobun I've ever met. You know anything about delayed gratification, Kagome? Allowing something to simmer, taking your time to enjoy the gradual buildup of a controlled outcome? There's nothing fucking like it. Watching all the pieces fall into place. Watching someone for long enough that their weakness finally reveals itself. Fuck me, it's like coming up for air, like...like that first sip when your throat just feels desiccated. Like the slow build of an explosive fucking orgasm.

"For the longest time I thought, hey, maybe Naraku is all about the slow burn too, right? And that was why he took his fucking time to kill you. But the more time that passes, the more of our brothers that you strike down, the more I have to wonder what is taking the oyabun so fucking long just to get it over with?

"You ever wonder why it's only been bandmates coming after you, Inuyasha? It's because your betrayal is more personal for us compared to other kobun who'd only kill you out of loyalty to Naraku. You didn't just double-cross Naraku, you fucked all seven of us over, when we were supposed to be brothers. The oyabun was gracious enough to give us first dibs to bring you down for what you did.

"It's been hard," he exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck, "having to sit back and wait my turn while the others got out first, while you took them out one-by-one. It's never been harder for me to practice the Family's rule of patience."

Kagome couldn't help the choked laugh that escaped her throat. "What patience? Isn't that why you're here by yourself? Seems more like disobedience and impatience to me."

Renkostu shot her a dry smile. "I'm here in service to the Family. Why should the oyabun send a team of kobun when just me is more than enough? That's how it should have gone down at Aokigahara. Jakotsu was never made for the stakeout life. It's no wonder he fucked it all up."

He turned then, his gaze lowering to watch a ripple of Inuyasha's blood beneath his boots. His eyes tapered as he lifted his focus to Inuyasha's wound. "Would you just look at all that blood," he outright cooed. "Seeing you down for the count, Yash, is giving me a case of the warm and fuzzies." Renkotsu sighed with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe you were right, Kagome. Maybe I could be content to let Inuyasha bleed to death. After all, I do prefer playing the passive role in someone's death. Maybe drawing out a slow, agonizing death for him is just what I need to feel better. That would also give me the opportunity to keep his lady...occupied," he purred wickedly. "That type of karma would be pretty fucking tasty...making sure the last thing Inuyasha saw was me taking what used to be his. It would also keep you around to watch him die... Yeah," he moaned, "maybe that will just do it for me."

"If you think I would just stand around and let you—"

Renkotsu turned so suddenly to stand in front of Kagome her words stopped instantly. A tremor flew up her body while her stomach rolled. Renkotsu fisted a hand in her hair and drew her head roughly to the side. A soft whimper of pain echoed up her throat as Renkotsu leaned his body into her. His grip made her scalp burn.

"Let. Her. Go!"

Even though Kagome couldn't see Inuyasha behind Renkostu she could hear him struggling to get up. She shut her eyes, hating how grotesquely her exhalations muddled with Renkotsu's breath from the way he angled her head. She wanted everything about him to be putrid, but her damning senses found the muskiness of his cologne and the faint cinnamon of his breath to be...not unpleasant. He smirked at her, almost knowingly. His touch gentled and a low laugh rumbled in his chest. She shuddered as his other hand ran coarse fingertips across her jugular.

Renkotsu liked her reaction. A lot.

"You are...pure," he groaned huskily at her, nuzzling her chin with his nose, careful not to smudge his facial paint. His eyes fell closed as he breathed in her scent. "I definitely understand why he's so enamoured with you," Renkotsu laughed softly. "Your fear is fucking provocative. You have no idea how much self-control I'm demonstrating right now by not tasting you."

He made a pronounced display of licking and sucking at his teeth, pushing his hips against her so she could feel his growing erection against her stomach. Kagome gasped a hiss and tried to force space between them, squeezing her eyes tighter.

"I will fucking kill you. Get. Your hands. Off of her. Now."

Renkostu turned to Inuyasha, taking a couple of steps away from Kagome. He made a dramatic show of the last few strands of her hair falling from his fingers. Then he adjusted his arousal. Renkotsu felt no shame or embarrassment by turning his body to Inuyasha, showing off the bulge in Renkotsu's pants. He wanted Inuyasha to know exactly what sort of response Kagome's body brought out in him.

"Feeling jealous that my cock made your girl blush for me, Inuyasha?" He laughed smugly. "Maybe once your body is drained of blood, I'll take her with me instead of killing her after you. Actually, yeah, that's an idea!"

His eyes took a quick scan of the room around them. "While this spot does make for a pretty sweet place to fuck—" He eyed the settee— "nothing beats fucking in a bed." His gaze turned to Kagome, one eye crinkling in a smirk at the nervous expression she reciprocated. "I think I will take you with me, Kagome. But I don't think I'll be able to wait to feel you on my cock though. Maybe you did have me pegged; maybe I am impatient," he laughed. "But whether it's here on this couch or even the goddamn floor, there's nothing gentle in what I plan to do to that body." He sighed. "But once you leave with me, I doubt you'd stay mine exclusively for very long."

His lips tipped at the corners while he pretended to ignore Inuyasha's continuing demands for Renkotsu to stop talking.

"I think it's a fair assumption that Bankotsu would consider sharing you with me. Fuck, I actually wouldn't put it past him to try and take you for himself. I mean, you do kinda share a resemblance with Kikyou. Dontcha think, Inuyasha?" He exhaled a laugh through his nose. "But a secret, Kagome? I think I like that you're purer than her. It will make it all that much sweeter...knowing all the sinful things I plan to do, knowing how many of your firsts I'll probably take."

"There's so much you. Just said that's totally wrong," Inuyasha growled, rage choking in his throat from how much ire he tried to contain. "You won't be leaving. Renkotsu. Not alive. And definitely not with Kagome. But your biggest mistake—" Inuyasha paused to wipe spit from his chin then sweat from his brow— "is that. Just like Kikyou. Bankotsu would never. Share Kagome with a fag like you." Inuyasha smiled wickedly. "But he probably would. With me."

A sultry blush rushed up Kagome's neck at Inuyasha's words.

Renkotsu took a staggering and vengeful few steps towards Inuyasha, ignorant of Kagome's response to the alluded threesome. Renkotsu was affected just as Inuyasha hoped he would be. The bastard was mad.

Inuyasha had been trained to use weaknesses against someone, just like all the other kobun. He knew Renkotsu saw this confrontation as an opportunity to air out his grievances while Inuyasha was immobilized by his injury. The prick had basically been griping and monologuing since he got there. But Inuyasha had been paying attention: Renkotsu kept belabouring his jealousies and resentments, towards Kikyou, towards Bankotsu, towards Inuyasha for making Renkotsu feel inferior. Inuyasha suspected he could use the kobun's insecurities as a distraction, as a way to manipulate Renkotsu to step away from Kagome.

Inuyasha almost released a thankful cheer that it worked flawlessly.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you, Inuyasha."

"You've been all talk. Up until now. Forgive me. For not feeling. The least bit worried."

"Damn," Renkotsu chided with a laugh, rolling his shoulder as if it released the strain of anger he nourished. "You're a real cunt, aren't you?" He ran a finger across his lip. "Well, I hope you at least enjoyed Kagome while you could. She's a pretty fucking pair of tits, just like your ex. You can hardly blame me for trying to reserve some for myself. Fuck," he exhaled, losing himself in a memory. "Speaking of pretty tits... Do you remember that one tour where Kikyou and Bankotsu holed themselves up in the back of the bus? How openly she rode his cock while snorting lines? Man, I can still envision those beautiful tits of hers bouncing as he gave it to her good. She has to be an exhibitionist or something. That shit was indecent. Multitasking at its finest," he laughed. "Hard to believe she's the same chick you see in some of them posh magazines now."

Inuyasha choked on a fake laugh. "You've always been. A creepy. Voyeuristic. Son of a bitch."

Renkotsu bowed his head in thanks. "Well, watching was the only way I was allowed to participate, remember? And while I would have much rather joined, I do recall being thoroughly entertained watching the two of you with her—especially those times you feasted on her pretty pink asshole."

A sulky wheeze broke Kagome's throat.

Renkotsu laughed boisterously as his eyes ravished the sight of Kagome's reddened face and glazed eyes. "We getting you hot by talking about this, Kagome? Feeling a little scandalized to learn that Inuyasha's into eating ass?"

He returned a suggestive, closed mouth smile to Inuyasha, relishing the silent fury brewing under his surface.

"You clapped Kikyou's cheeks so many times, Yash, knowing I only got to watch. Maybe I should return the favour and give you a show for a change." He turned lustful eyes to Kagome, flashing her his tongue as she clenched her hands into tighter fists. "What do you think, Kagome? I know firsthand how skilled his cock may be, but I bet there's tons of shit Inuyasha hasn't shown you yet. How about you and me take that pussy for a ride? Maybe let Inuyasha crank out one last boner to the sight of you bouncing on my cock?"

A heavy pause lingered between the three of them while Kagome held a breath, wishing the stress and mortification from her body with a forceful exhale. She tried to keep her flushed expression from turning to meet Inuyasha's gaze once more.

Kagome lost herself to her thoughts while Inuyasha's rage detonated following Renkotsu's vulgarities.

He's trying to get under your skin, Kagome, her thoughts berated. Renkotsu wants me insecure...rattled. All of this is just to fuck with my head, with Inuyasha, so we'll play right into his hands. He's toying with us because he wants to catch us off guard. Whatever he hopes to accomplish here likely needs Inuyasha to be pissed off and me...off balance.

She took a deep breath, fighting the desire to hide behind closed eyelids.

Don't listen to him. They're just words. All the crap he's said... Let it go. Just let it go, Kagome. Especially what he said about her.

Her heart pounded in response to the fact she could barely stomach thinking Kikyou's name.

We had lives before each other. I've been with people. He's been with people—

—Way more people than me apparently...

Don't even go there right now, Kagome, her mind countered, trying to get her back on track. That's not going to help our situation right now.

She internally sighed. True...I can't change anything about who Inuyasha has slept with or what he's...done with other women. I can't hold any of that against him. I shouldn't focus on any of that right now anyway. Not only does it keep me distracted, which is likely what Renkotsu wants, but it's also not fair to Inuyasha.

She silenced the other voice that wanted to compel her to believe that Kagome could even potentially enjoy some of those naughty little acts if introduced to her by Inuyasha. Biting down on the inside of her lip, she silenced that particular thought really fast. Getting aroused by thoughts of Inuyasha and what she wanted to do with him, for him to do to her, wasn't a distraction she could afford right now.

Thinking of arousal, Renkotsu's crude words and grinding erection flashed within her mind, causing a wave of vengeful hotness to radiate through Kagome's chest.

God, he is so fucking vulgar and disgusting...and the things he's said about Inuyasha...

You know Inuyasha, her inner voice rallied. Don't let Renkotsu undermine everything Inuyasha has shown you, done for you, how you feel about him. Don't give those stupid words any power. It's just like Jakotsu...

A scalding frown befell Kagome's face as she turned towards Renkotsu, her fists shaking with spiteful anger.

What she had experienced with Inuyasha before all of this had been beautiful. It had been the culmination of months of heartache, worry, vexation, and finally, love. Kagome refused to allow Renkotsu to manipulate her emotions. She was so over allowing others to taunt her with her sexuality. She was sick to death of being seen and treated as a weak, pathetic, lovesick girl.

Her love and desire for Inuyasha was no longer something she would allow others to wield against her.

"Is taunting me with lewd comments and Inuyasha's sex life really all you kobuns can muster?" Kagome crossed her arms, pushing past the anxious weight expanding in her chest, thickening her throat.

She had clearly interrupted the two men, seeing the surprise on their faces in response to her outburst.

"Jakotsu already tried this angle with me, and it didn't work. Clearly," she smiled, "since it didn't scare me away last time. I'm still with Inuyasha. And don't forget what happened to Jakotsu after he tried to intimidate me with Inuyasha's history..."

The shock in Renkotsu's expression reminded Kagome of words previously uttered by Kagura, while Kagome had sat under the scrutiny of the woman's leer.

"I'm sure your disposition has made Naraku believe you'd be unthreatening, easy prey... Your recent behaviours have demonstrated you are capable of more than what your past makes you appear to be."

A fierce resolve steeled Kagome's expression. Her heart thudded low in her stomach, a rhythmic pounding mirrored in her throat and ears. Kagome's eyes bounced between Renkotsu and Inuyasha as her thoughts spun and came together.

Something in Kagome snapped, leading to a bout of clarity that felt like a freedom she hadn't previously known.

If getting mixed up in Inuyasha's past had made one thing painfully clear to Kagome, it was that, for her entire life, she had lived in an impassive bubble. Everything she'd done had been in the hopes of safeguarding herself from hurt, not allowing herself to feel any true vulnerability.

The human condition necessitates navigating difficult choices, and while Kagome was aware of that, she still hated the cumbersome friction that came with taking a risk. Because taking a risk—change—teased Kagome with the what if of making a mistake, and Kagome was never the kind of person who could stomach the irreparable, haunting mistakes that accompanied high risks. Kagome had felt too scared to truly gamble in her life because, at some point, she had started to equate risk-taking with opening herself up to pain. Yes, she had multiple stubborn bones in her body that made her cautiously defiant, but she also recognized her tendency to give in too soon, become avoidant, or not put up much of a fight, despite the tugging sensation in her gut whenever she felt want.

And God, did she ever want Inuyasha...

The honest truth was Kagome was tired of acquiescing to her old ways. It was like she could finally recognize the symptoms as she suffocated from her knee-jerk response to taking chances. Because if she didn't risk anything, if she didn't take a shot in the dark and do something about Renkotsu, she would lose Inuyasha. And there was no way she could let that happen. She wasn't willing to risk doing nothing, because her inaction would likely lead to losing Inuyasha forever.

Kagome felt weary, facing herself and the hard truth of the state of inertia she had allowed herself to live in up until now.

How had she been so complacent with her passivity?

How could she choose that for herself?

Her attitude towards life had been to bob along indifferently in its river, placing misguided hope that upon whatever bank she was deposited she would find some semblance of happiness there. And all because she was scared of the consequences of wanting something so desperately but not being fortunate to get it. Because it's easier to go along with something than face disappointment, than having to accept she failed at something she really wanted.

Kagura's words in Hamamatsu had stung because Kagome knew they were truths Kagome hated to admit about herself. They were truths she never wanted to accept. She had spent her youth and adulthood protecting herself behind a mask of demureness. Her go-to passivity consistently gave others the power to control her motivations and actions. Just like Kagura pulling Kagome's strings, taking advantage of Kagome's good intentions and feelings towards Inuyasha in order for Kagura to get what she wanted. And it only took weeks of Inuyasha griping and pointing it out for Kagome to accept the regret of how passively she played right into Kagura's hand.

There were so many examples that came to mind of times Kagome allowed herself to be ignorant, avoidant, or lukewarm, like that response could make any hurt hurt less. Like she couldn't feel the sting of failure if she wasn't the one who fanned the flames of temptation.

It dawned on Kagome then that she always sought to be chased romantically because it required so little of her. It allowed her to remain passive. It allowed those relationships to happen to her. And being passive made it easier for her to accept rejection or failure. Like how, if Inuyasha didn't return her affections, his rejection would be palatable because she could hide behind the fact that everything she did was in accordance with Kagura's playbook. After all, Kagome couldn't be held accountable if she was merely following someone else's instructions.

Looking at all the choices she'd made before now, what had she been willing to fight for with all her might? What were the hills she had been willing to die on? Blazing her own trail outside of the family Shrine? Standing up to her mother? Not allowing Inuyasha to refuse her help?

Kagome could recall countless conversations with Sango over the years, times when Kagome had wished for even an iota of her friend's courage or grit. Sango's reaction to Kagome's grieving had always been one of understanding and supportiveness. Knowing how Kagome erected narrow limits for herself, Sango would frequently remind Kagome that she never just accepted those barriers. In addition to her stubborn bones, Kagome also possessed a streak of recalcitrance.

Kagome had a history of toeing the line she set for herself, which was a realization that brought a smile to Kagome's face.

There always existed hope that she could change.

Her eyes focused on Inuyasha's features and bloody appearance, ignorant of the strained dialogue that had taken place between him and Renkotsu. A silence lingered between the two men, making Inuyasha's wince of pain that much more evident. It made Kagome's fisted knuckles blanch.

There existed a time when Kagome would have likely accepted this blow from the universe. She would have lost herself in overwhelming rhetoric like: How could she be in any position to help Inuyasha? What could she possibly do against Renkotsu? Kagome would have seen her present circumstances as too insurmountable for her to make a difference, to do anything that mattered to help Inuyasha or herself. She would have left it up to Inuyasha as the determiner of Kagome's fate.

But now? Now that she chose Inuyasha, if Renkotsu or anyone else was expecting Kagome to just roll over and accept defeat they were sorely mistaken. Choosing to entangle herself in Inuyasha's life had forced her to grow her resilience, expand her comfort zone, and face her hard truths. And Kagome began to see that day by day, choice by choice, alongside Inuyasha, her window of tolerance had slowly been widening.

It made Kagome realize she hadn't actually allowed herself to live before Inuyasha. Up until this point, she had merely allowed life to happen to her.

The realization was heartbreaking in the most enlightening way.

Her anger at Naraku and his kobuns, her anger at herself for a life of indifferent acceptance, burned Kagome with an intense confidence and a searing promise that she would never let it happen again. Her skin flushed. Her heart ached with a scalding resilience. She was burning. Burning with anger, burning with regret, burning with the will to do better, to be better. Kagome would rise from the ashes of her convictions to emerge stronger, smarter, and more capable.

She was a woman in love. And she would do anything for that love. She would fight for that love.

Kagome had never so literally fought back until Inuyasha came into her life. Sure, Kagome had taken some risks before, but then she realized that even those more rebellious risks had been safe. Tame. That word surfaced in her mind with Kagura's slick reprimanding tone.

No one ever expected Kagome to fight back or take what she wanted. Not Jakotsu. Not Kagura. Not Naraku. Honestly, not even Kagome, to some degree, would have thought herself capable of standing up for herself or possessing an assertiveness that could coerce others to her whims.

Kagome felt her breast swell with the audacity that came with being an underdog.

Maybe that's why her recent intimacy with Inuyasha had startled her so much, felt so out of character. She had been active and vocal of her wants, her needs. There had been nothing passive about her during that exchange. She took. She demanded. It had allowed Inuyasha to give her exactly what she wanted. And that power? Putting herself out there, giving breath to her wants and basking in the reward of getting exactly what she wanted?

It was invigorating, exhilarating. God, it was addictive. Kagome hadn't known how addictive it could be: the complete satiety of a successful long shot.

But now that she knew? Now that she had tasted the pleasure of a heartfelt risk that paid off?

Inuyasha had been the kindling of her metamorphosis, and there was no going back.

Renkotsu had basically ignored Kagome while the woman lost herself in the transformation of her thoughts. His focus had been on Inuyasha, blindly and absolutely believing Kagome wouldn't dare to think or act against him. After all, everyone knew how innocent Kagome Higurashi was. Renkotsu, himself, had even referred to her as a puritanical angel just minutes ago, and she would happily use that to her advantage. It would be far too out of character for a puritanical angel to act on a desire for vengeance or to do anything rash, reckless, or violent.

Kagome refused to hide behind a demure mask any longer. She wanted to embrace all emotions and desires, thanks to Inuyasha and the fire he lit within her.

Her eyes narrowed upon Renkotsu as Kagome decided she would happily take advantage of his foolhardiness. The kobun would pay for what he'd done to Inuyasha. He would regret disregarding her.

Kagome embraced the newfound ambition in her chest to take action. She felt inspired to take a risk, and the premise felt more alluring than appalling.

Her gaze lowered to the settee, willing a blank canvas before her eyes to give her thoughts space to inspire an idea. She wouldn't rely on Inuyasha to take the lead and save them both. He had saved her so many times in the past; it was about time she repaid the favour. Her eyes darted mindlessly as she racked her brain, desperately seeking a hint or glimmer of an idea, of something she could do to help her and Inuyasha out of this situation.

Then her eyes spotted her cellphone, nestled between the seat and arm of the settee.

"Yeah, I dunno, Inuyasha..." Renkotsu mumbled, drawing Kagome from her thoughts. "I think I like Kagome's offer better. I mean, you heard her...she offered herself to me willingly. Obviously it'd be easier to leave with her voluntarily than having to drag her out and cause a scene. I'd be a fucking moron not to take her up on it."

"You've always been. A fucking moron. Why—" Inuyasha's breath caught with a grimace— "stop now?"

"I meant what I said," Kagome projected, a steadiness in her tone that goaded her courage. She took a step forward, her hands coming in contact with the arm of the settee. "If leaving here with you guarantees Inuyasha's safety, and he gets to walk out of here, I'll do it."

"Kagome," Inuyasha seethed with a quiet harshness. "Don't. Negotiate. With him, you idiot."

Kagome couldn't help the curve of her lips at Inuyasha's reprimand. But any sort of pleasure in her look fell away as she watched him cough, a curse on his lips as blood trickled around the hands he held to the wound. The katana protruded between his clenched fingers as he embraced his midsection. As if discovering a remnant of strength, Inuyasha sucked in a greedy breath before positioning his legs underneath him, using the wall behind him in an effort to stand. Kagome tried to will herself to feel empowered for Inuyasha rather than intimidated as her focus fell on the bloody handprint he smeared across the wall.

Inuyasha's rising prompted Renkotsu to spin on the balls of his feet then stomp a heavy boot into Inuyasha's shoulder, forcing Inuyasha to bow under the pressure with a shout. Leaning forward with his teeth bared at Inuyasha in a hateful leer, Renkotsu drew the sword from Inuyasha with a flourish.

Kagome cried out, unsure what sound horrified her more: the sucking and slurping as the sword left Inuyasha's body, the sopping drips of blood flowing from the blade's tip onto the floor, or the throaty cry from Inuyasha as the blade left his torso.

If Inuyasha's blood loss had slowed with the sword in his body, it was just vigorously renewed with its removal. Kagome watched dark crimson bubble and pool underneath and between Inuyasha's clasped fingers.

Renkotsu kicked against Inuyasha's shoulder, pushing the injured man further against the wall, before he removed his boot and discarded the katana across the room with a toss of his arm. Kagome felt mesmerized by the drops of blood that flew across the space, through the diffusers' mist, landing upon various surfaces, including her dress. With an echoing clang, the katana landed near the front entrance.

Her heated stare turned back to the thin profile of her phone.

Miroku, her thoughts basically shouted as the name appeared out of thin air. Miroku had been the last person Kagome had texted.

Kagome willed her eyes to look up from the device; she didn't want Renkotsu to follow her line of sight and notice what caught her attention.

A plan unfurled within her mind. She would only need to unlock her device, open the SMS conversation, and send word to Miroku for aid. Kagome knew it wouldn't need to be a descriptive text; Miroku wouldn't hesitate to respond immediately. She withheld a smile as hopefulness swelled in her breast, knowing that Miroku would come for them, likely with a posse of armed guards or Naichō agents. That fact couldn't prevent her mouth from upturning with a sly, optimistic smile.

Okay. She had her plan.

The next time Renkotsu focused on Inuyasha, became distracted and thought it safe to disregard Kagome once more, she would send a message to Miroku.

"How do you do it, Inuyasha?" Renkotsu hissed as he paced the floor in front of Inuyasha, drawing Kagome's attention. "How do you keep getting these fucking females to devout themselves to you like this?"

Inuyasha swore as Renkotsu directed his frustration at her. She watched him clench and uncurl his fist repeatedly, Inuyasha's blood tacky on his skin.

"Like, what the fuck is wrong with you, Kagome? You must know how incredibly fucked up Inuyasha is," cried Renkotsu. "How his history is full of all kinds of fuckery. Murder, torture, drugs, rape," he laughed. "I've been there to witness some of the darkest shit he's done. That kinda history doesn't complement a good girl like you. My opinion? Walk away, Kagome. You're too good for—"

"—I don't care about your opinion," she spat, interrupting him. "I don't care about any of it. Not that you're entitled to my reasoning. But I have some idea of the things Inuyasha was forced to do, or things he may have done out of necessity. Like what happened with Musō... And I don't care."

Renkotsu snorted indelicately. "Well that's a fucking lie and a half. I could see you basically boiling over when we were talking about Kikyou. Sorry to burst your bubble, hunny, but you can't pretend you don't care about his history with her."

Jesus, he sounds just like Jakotsu, she thought.

Kagome held her breath for a heartbeat to ground herself.

Securing enough bravery to continue, she said, "Last I checked, I don't think anyone really enjoys having their lover's sexual history rubbed in their face, especially not their most recent ex. So—" She shrugged haphazardly, her lips a tense, thin line— "Fine. Maybe I do care that he was, at one time, close with someone other than me. But that's neither here nor there because Inuyasha chose me. And if and until we decide otherwise, I'm his and he's mine. If he still wanted Kikyou, he'd still be with Kikyou. That's what I care about."

Lover...

Kagome called him her lover. She also called him hers.

Inuyasha's eyes glimmered with a fond bewilderment and appreciative shock as he appraised Kagome's seemingly newfound temerity. She sounded genuinely confident. She looked confident. And she was standing up for him, standing up for them. Fuck, he could have killed her for talking back to Renkotsu like that and egging him on, but goddamn he had never been so proud of her.

Fucking right she was his.

Inuyasha's heart began to beat in double-time. Her words inspired him as he felt a greater motivation spur him to action, to movement. He leaned forward to bend his legs, resting one arm on his knee while the other fist kept his shirt clenched to his wound, keen to slow his blood loss. Inuyasha paused from doing anything further to take an inhalation that felt...shaky. How did he feel winded after so little movement? He had to get his fucking breathing under control. Every breath felt strained, rough, manual. He wouldn't be able to do what needed to be done, to take Renkotsu out, if Inuyasha couldn't take a proper breath.

Inuyasha tipped his head until it fell back against the wall with a frustrated thud. In. Out. In. Out. His lungs felt heavy. Inuyasha focused on the sensation of his strained, tilted neck and the nest of bloodied hair that stuck to it. As his eyes fell closed with his next exhalation, he listened to verify Renkotsu's position in front of him.

Inuyasha just needed two minutes. Two minutes to work on catching his breath and then Renkotsu better fucking watch out.

He knew Kagome could hold her own for two minutes. He hoped she could.

She had to.

Renkotsu snickered, turning so he was almost fully facing Kagome. "You think you know all about his past, don't you? Lemme take a wild guess that Inuyasha bore his heart and soul to you. Right? I can picture it now. Did he cry on your shoulder while begging your forgiveness for his sins?"

Inuyasha responded with a low, weak growl, but the kobun continued speaking, unfazed.

"Did he tell you he didn't enjoy any of it? That he raped under duress? That he hurt people and killed them because he was forced to? It's complete bullshit, Kagome. I know from experience when a man enjoys hurting people by the look in his eye, and Inuyasha fucking invented that look. I don't have enough fingers or toes to tell you how many times I watched him enjoy himself while he tortured people long after he got the information he needed and didn't need to continue, other than for the reason he liked it. Give me a fucking break," he snarled. "You ever see Inuyasha do anything against his will? You ever see him sacrifice what he wants for somebody else? No. Because Inuyasha is a taker. He takes and he fucks. Fucks people up, fucks people over, and then fucks off."

Inuyasha shot a guttural warning at Renkotsu. Opening his mouth to rail at the kobun, he was instantly cut off by Kagome's acute irritation and quick tongue.

"That may have been who he was," she glowered, "but you're wrong if you think he's the same as he was then."

Renkotsu narrowed his eyes. "The shit I've seen him do, people don't just magically bounce back from that, you stupid female! You think you can change him? Turn him into marriage material? That he'll be saintly enough to play daddy to your fucking kids? Not on your fucking life. Let me do you a solid, Kagome, and remove him from your life before he starts to really fuck things up for you." Renkotsu childishly heaved his weight down onto one foot to emphasize his point, splatters of blood spraying up the ankle of his brown boots.

An incredulous, weary exhale blew from Kagome's lips. She didn't know why she even bothered arguing with the kobun. She needed him distracted so she could text Miroku. Engaging with him like this and taunting him wouldn't encourage him to ignore her long enough for her to send out a request for help. Kagome needed to be the bigger person and not let his words exasperate her. And she knew that. She really did.

But the conniption Kagome felt couldn't be held back as words flew from her lips before she could clamp down her teeth.

"I think Inuyasha was right about you. I think you are just jealous! Because why else would you seem so desperate to get me to hate him? You're wrong about Inuyasha," she bickered, a dry laugh coating her words. "He is capable of change, and not because I want to change him but because that's what he wants for himself. I'll take my chances on Inuyasha, thanks," she smiled disingenuously. "Don't take it personally that I don't deem you a reliable judge of character."

Renkotsu's shoulders shook from the hearty belly laugh her response evoked. "Well, shit, Inuyasha. Looks like you went and made yourself a real fucking love connection. No woman in her right mind would happily embrace all the shit you've done. Fucking hell...she's almost got me fooled that she actually accepts you in all your deranged, fucked up glory. You gotta share with me the script you used on her to make her so convinced you're not all fifty shades of fucked up." He huffed, shaking his head at Kagome. "He's not a fucking good person, Kagome! There will never be a chance of redemption for him—he's got you fooled good, sweetheart!"

"That's not true..." Kagome breathed, digging her nails into the settee's material.

Renkotsu arched an eyebrow at Kagome. He licked his lips as he cooed, "I think I know what's goin' on here... I think your cunt is just so inexperienced that getting a taste of his bad boy cock has brainwashed you. There's no way you're the kinda girl who could turn a blind eye to his kind of baggage. Let me give you a good ravishing, Kagome," he grinned mischievously. "Maybe my dick can help give that head of yours a good shake. You know, fuck the crazy out. Then we can have a little heart to heart about his past. We'll see if, afterwards, you're still so quick to choose him."

Kagome lifted her chin, her heart pounding as she felt the magnitude of Inuyasha's probing stare on her. A side-smile crept from her lips at the obviousness of how she wanted to answer.

"I will always choose him."

Kagome's chest felt cacophonous with the beat of her heart, a freedom she'd never known settling over her with the honesty she just spoke. Inuyasha's beaming stare was magnetic. She couldn't help but wonder what he felt hearing the words she uttered. It took everything in her not to completely disregard Renkotsu's presence to bask in the sunlit heat of Inuyasha's honeyed irises. She wanted nothing more than to feel Inuyasha's arms around her, his lips on hers.

Looking at him now...God...seeing the way he was slouched like that, covered in blood, she just hoped he would be okay. That he was holding on okay.

Her expression must have faltered then, because dark brows dipped to a crease over golden eyes, Inuyasha's serious, withering expression so purely and quintessentially Inuyasha. A wave of reassurance washed over her heart, and she bit her lip to swallow down the desire to laugh out of gratitude.

Feeling a kind of giddiness over the recent brave-streak she found herself on, Kagome caved in to her desire to fully meet Inuyasha's eye. Her body angled towards him despite Renkotsu still very present in her peripheral vision. Kagome's cheeks pillowed with her grin as she returned Inuyasha's expression. Her heart soared in observing how his own face gave way to a welcome surprise that she blatantly turned to him. The warmth and appreciation in the look that appropriated his entire face brought a loving smile to hers that tapered her eyes, a glow to her cheeks. She could have cried from the softness of the expression he wore for her.

Even though her next words were still spoken in response to Renkotsu, she didn't look away from Inuyasha as she softly uttered, "There's nothing you or anyone else could say about Inuyasha that would change my mind about him, that could ever make me consider choosing someone other than him."

Renkotsu took a few laboured heartbeats to look from Inuyasha to Kagome and then back. He finally turned to Inuyasha and threw his arms out from his sides. "Fuck, Yash, you've done a fucking number on this one. She is batshit crazy in love with you. Defending your honour? To even consider bargaining for your life? Basically admitting you're the sun and fucking moon to her? Fuck me... Also, don't think I didn't catch that little eye-fuck session between you two just now."

Renkotsu heaved a heavy, unimpressed exhale from his throat. His incredulity was short lived in the wake of a resurging outraged rawness. He ground his teeth before he spat, "Of all the fucking people to win over an angel like her... You don't deserve her love." His tone was harsh and cutting; it was obvious he wanted the statement to hurt.

Inuyasha soaked in the caustic words for a heartbeat or two before answering. His was a blunt response that compelled the air from Kagome's chest.

"Trust me. I know."

Renkotsu didn't need to say the truth that already haunted Inuyasha's every waking second, that troubled his mind with self-hatred and guilt every time Kagome directed any form of kindness to him. His own words, spoken to Kagome what felt like an age ago, floated through his mind with the surge of his self-deprecating thoughts.

I don't deserve to be comforted. Not by you. Not like this... I've blackened my own soul with the shit I've done. I don't deserve nice words and apologies and everything's going to be fine... Nothing's going to be fucking fine.

Fuck, he had hit the nail on the head back then.

Inuyasha knew exactly what Renkotsu was doing, what game he was playing, with the words and vitriol he spewed. He wanted to undermine Inuyasha's confidence, beat him down with his own self-loathing and rage. Inuyasha was undoubtedly the stronger of the two men; Renkotsu wasn't that much of an idiot. He'd run his mouth enough to indicate he knew exactly what kind of physical strength and fury Inuyasha could yield. Even an injured Inuyasha could be deadly. So Renkotsu needed to use any leverage he could to even the playing field or to gain an advantage over Inuyasha.

Using Inuyasha's own insecurities against him, to verbally kick his feet out from under him?

Yeah, Inuyasha couldn't deny the sting from hearing Renkotsu voice words that Inuyasha's own mind had harboured and whispered ever since Kagome came into his life.

Renkotsu clearly assumed that the relationship Inuyasha had with Kagome was far more physically intimate; yet, Inuyasha couldn't deny the intimacy of his feelings for Kagome. She was kind, compassionate, and resolutely fearless when it came to protecting those she cares about. It blew Inuyasha's mind that he had found himself on the receiving end of her consideration and goodness more times than he could count. Could someone like him, given all he'd done, really be worthy of her sort of goodness? Inuyasha's hands were stained all shades of black and crimson from the filth and corruption of his younger years. Yet, Kagome seemed relentless in her belief that Inuyasha had changed, that he could redeem himself from the darkness of his past. Inuyasha wanted nothing more than to believe that. After all, he was wholly committed to being a different man, a better man. He wished he could easily accept that he was on the downhill trek of his reformation, especially with Kagome in his life, motivating him to do better, to want to be better.

But Inuyasha couldn't deny the aching, knee-jerk turn of his mind when he wondered if someone like him could warrant a happy ending despite all the pain he'd caused and evil he'd committed.

Fuck, every time he felt like he was so close to accepting that this was his life now, that he had finally claimed a shred of goodness for himself, Inuyasha's moral boulder descended once again. His battle against his internal demons felt like his own version of Sisyphus's condemnation. At his lowest point, he would fight, strain, and struggle towards atonement, but once he neared the top of the hill, once he crested reparation and the desire for happiness, his self-doubt and guilt tripped him, forcing him back to a low point.

That's what Renkotsu just did with his stupid fucking presence and persecution. He forced Inuyasha back to the bottom of his mental hill.

Kagome's heart felt heavy as she watched Inuyasha.

She wasn't ignorant that there was something happening behind his eyes. His somber expression and downcast eyes didn't bode well with her. She watched Inuyasha's face, scrutinizing every detail, trying to understand what he felt by the way his countenance morphed. The pain Kagome felt in Inuyasha's response to Renkotsu—his acceptance, his admittance—was dumbfounding, numbing.

He didn't argue. He didn't quip some smartass retort. There was no characteristic sassy wisecrack, violence, or chauvinism. Kagome was stunned into a wide-eyed, open-mouthed astonishment over Inuyasha's reply. Her heart hurt hearing the reluctant acceptance of Inuyasha's tone. Her eyes lined with unspent tears as she watched Inuyasha's chest rise and fall with wet, laboured breaths.

The defeat of his tone made her want to love him harder.

Kagome didn't want Inuyasha to believe it. He deserved nothing but love and kindness in a life where he was taught he wasn't worthy of anything but cruelty and malice. She knew Inuyasha would never accept goodness if he couldn't forgive himself, or grant himself mercy for what had been done to him, what he'd been made to do. But Kagome knew that self-forgiveness was often a non-linear process. She wished Inuyasha could give himself grace without needing to find excuses for his past behaviour. Kagome believed with all her heart that forgiveness can heal and could allow Inuyasha to move on in his life, to find meaning and purpose. And hopefully happiness with her.

Kagome may have hated Renkotsu before for the physical violence he forced upon Inuyasha. But she felt a new kind of glowing contempt for the emotional blow he just dealt.

Renkotsu smiled, pleased for the tangible hurt his words brought upon Inuyasha. "Shucks, Inuyasha, seeing you all sad and shit almost makes me feel a bit badly knowing what Naraku has in store for Kagome when I take her with me. Once you're finally dead, that is."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed at Renkotsu. "You'll be. The only dead man here."

"Ooh, I'm so scared, Inuyasha," Renkotsu goaded with a snort. "I'd love to know what you could possibly do to me from down there. Bleed through your hole onto my boots some more? Hurt my feelings? We all know, your bitch included, that it's only a matter of time before you pass out from the blood loss. I mean," he chuffed, "fucking look at you. Pale? Sweaty? Super fucking spacey. You're definitely looking a little woozy there, my friend." He laughed. "Yeah, I think you only got a few more minutes left of consciousness. The countdown is fucking on!"

Kagome bit down on her lip, panic sinking back in as she realized Renkotsu actually spoke some semblance of truth. Inuyasha wasn't looking great, and somehow it was accentuated just by Renkotsu pointing it out. Inuyasha did appear unstable, struggling to keep his knees bent, to stay seated upright without his body leaning to one side. His breathing seemed too fast, too shallow, too...strenuous.

She didn't realize how little time she actually had to follow through on her plan and reach out to Miroku. Because once she reached out to Miroku, the man would need time to respond, to prepare, and then to arrive. Then they would need time to get Inuyasha the medical attention he sorely needed.

She needed to get Renkotsu distracted and fast.

"How did you manage all of this?" Kagome whispered after a stabilizing inhalation.

Renkotsu turned to her with a raised eyebrow at the random question.

"You used the backdoor," she said, motioning with her eyes. "Which, as I recall, isn't advertised since the owners want this place to be known for its one room. How did you know about it?"

Renkotsu smirked, sticking his hand in his pocket as he kicked at a puddle of blood and watched it fly from the ground to coat several items on the garment rack. The force was so intense it caused multiple garments to sway. "Feeling like your back's against the wall, Kagome?" He smiled. "Feeling a little impressed by how I orchestrated Inuyasha's demise? I'm humbled by your recognition."

She rolled her eyes. "I'd honestly assume Bankotsu was the brains behind this operation. You strike me as more the hired muscle type."

Renkotsu sneered at the insult. "Bankotsu may be the clever one, but not even he has the balls to act on his own instincts or desires. Nope, this one was all me."

"Don't hold your breath for a congratulations," she quipped under her breath.

Renkotsu's boastful grin was nauseating.

Kagome was growing impatient, itching with the desire to start making strides towards getting help to arrive. She really needed to get Renkotsu talking, distracted.

"You're clearly pleased with yourself over how this whole situation has gone down," Kagome harrumphed. "You don't feel like tooting your own horn some more and explaining how you came to sabotage our reservation?"

She felt her stomach drop with the devilish half-smirk he offered her. She knew it was the right idea to stroke his ego; she knew he wouldn't be able to resist bragging. He did seem to have a penchant for monologuing.

"I heard through the grapevine that the two of you would be here," he replied. "And I said earlier I'm all about stakeouts, right? Obviously that involves evaluating a building to take stock of all exits. There were too many eyes on the front door, so I thought I'd make use of the staff only door. Which worked out in my favour too," he laughed, "since Inuyasha so kindly greeted me once I got the door open."

Kagome snorted, not needing the reminder that Renkotsu greeted Inuyasha with a katana to the gut. "So, what, one of your little kobun birdies overheard us talking about the reservation and then shared the details with you?"

"If only it was that simple," Renkotsu guffawed. "No, I learned about your reservation from Kagura's lips directly, from a call she had with some lady named Yura."

Kagome stilled. Her heart staggered. Her stomach pitched with an unforgiving queasiness. Her eyes turned to Inuyasha, and the dread she felt taking over her body escalated upon seeing a horrified expression descending over Inuyasha's own face.

"How—?" She licked her lips, her throat thick and dry. "How is that possible?"

A proudful, malicious smile overtook Renkotsu's face. "You didn't think Naraku wouldn't keep tabs on his little sister, now, did you?"

"Little sister, huh?"

Renkotsu turned his head towards the injured man with Inuyasha's echoing remark.

Despite the hollowing of her insides that she felt with Renkotsu's revelation, a sense of hopefulness swelled in Kagome's breast as she watched Renkotsu turn his back on her to fully face Inuyasha. With his eyes no longer on Kagome, he just offered her a much needed opening to move forward with her plan.

And she wouldn't waste a second.

Kagome held her breath as she leaned forward over the arm of the settee. Her eyes lingered on Renkotsu's shoulders as her fingers reached for her phone, tucked between the settee's cushion and arm. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears, pounding in her throat, nagging behind her eyes as a stress-induced headache threatened to overtake her senses.

"Well, step-sister, but yeah. Fun little development, eh?" Renkotsu sniffed a chuckle. "She's been under the Kuzawari's microscope for quite some time."

Renkotsu was distracted in his narrative.

She had to act now.

Pinching the device between her fingers and thumb, Kagome quickly retracted it, straightening her body and stashing the device in her dress pocket. Kagome leaned her hips against the settee's arm, hoping it would hide the heaviness that drooped from Kagome's pocket with the phone's weight.

"Some head of information," Renkotsu added with a snarky scoff, "if she's been ignorant of the fact that we've had eyes on her this whole time. You'd think someone in her position would know when their shit's been compromised."

It suddenly made sense to Kagome how Jakotsu had known so much about Kagome. That she had been a teacher. Her family. How many lovers she's had. That's exactly the kind of intel Kagura would have collected, did collect, on Kagome. The realization turned to nausea in Kagome's throat.

"Awfully brave of you to spill. That detail to us," Inuyasha gibed, leaning his head against the wall. His furious, calculating amber eyes tracked Renkotsu as the kobun smugly paced before him.

Renkotsu beamed. "Why worry about keeping secrets now? You won't be leaving here, Inuyasha, and Kagome will be mine after this. I don't see the harm in bringing you up to speed on our absolute fucking genius."

"You just love. The sound of your own voice," Inuyasha sneered with a roll of his eyes. "Why am I not surprised. You'll spend my last minutes. Fucking monologuing?"

A rancid smirk slid from Renkotsu's mouth hearing Inuyasha allude to his own upcoming end by Renkotsu's hand.

"So you have her phone tapped then?" Kagome prodded, needing to entice Renkotsu to become distracted with more storytelling that he'd give her another opening to text Miroku. If she were being honest, she was also interested in keeping him talking because she was desperate to learn more about Kagura's familial relationship with Naraku.

Renkotsu didn't bother turning to face her as he said, "Her landline, yes. And some drives on her personal computer. The Family has benefitted for a long time by letting her do all the legwork. She and her little team of researchers track the info down, then all we gotta do is copy those lovely little files directly from her computer. The oyabun's known for a while that she suspects Naichō is still infiltrated by a few kobun and First Sons, which, I mean, yeah, that's true," he snorted. "But to point the finger at herself as the reason why Naraku knows so much? It's too fucking good."

"She must know," Inuyasha said, hazarding a guess, "about her relationship with Naraku? That he's her brother?"

Renkotsu nodded. "She knows he's her step-brother, yeah. But I'm sure you can't really blame her for not flaunting that little fact at work. If you were to ask her about him, I bet she'd deny having any interaction with him since they were kids. Which, I mean, makes a shit-ton of sense since the oyabun can't exactly run his crime family if he's tied down by any bio family out there."

"How is this possible?" Inuyasha demanded. "How could they possibly. Be family?"

"I think they share a dad?" Renkotsu shrugged. "I don't fucking know the ins and outs. Bankotsu found out by accident, the fucking snoop," he laughed. "Then, you know how he is, can't keep secrets to himself. He told the rest of us as soon as he found out. One of the oyabun's contacts tried to use the relationship to blackmail him or something? I don't remember the details. But once you know about it though, it's kinda fucking obvious, isn't it? They're clearly related in the sense they're both obsessed with power. Naraku runs the Family and Kagura co-runs her little intelligence agency. It's been awfully handy for the oyabun to know exactly what sorta tabs she's been keeping on him this whole time. Kinda hard to capture somebody who knows what you're up to, right?" He laughed. "Helpful to have access to her little files about some other people of interest too," he leered. "Why else would Naraku help fast track Kagura's career into a position of authority? Higher clearance for her means better access to information for him. Getting her promoted worked out a lot better than the last idiot Director Naraku had Naichō hire."

"Someone tried to blackmail Naraku?"

Kagome asked the question for two reasons. The first being that she was genuinely curious about the detail. The second being that she hoped the reminder of her presence would keep Renkotsu continuously uninterested in her. She worried her lingering silence would force Renkotsu to turn to her out of suspicion, like a concerned parent following up on their too-long-silent toddler. Unchecked silence, Kagome knew, could equal trouble.

"Yup." The word popped from Renkotsu's lips as he didn't even turn to acknowledge Kagome. He seemed too occupied observing the thoughtful wheels churning in Inuyasha's mind.

"Guess you don't know the details?" Inuyasha harassed. "Since I'd assume. That's above your paygrade?"

Kagome was grateful for Inuyasha's interference since it kept Renkotsu's eyes off of her.

"Nah," the kobun admitted, "I don't really give a shit about knowing that kinda stuff. Knowing too much gives others opportunity to use you for that information. I don't even like to keep tabs on that Naichō bitch directly. I pay one of the others to keep me updated anytime she has anything juicy on our beloved Inuyasha and his merry band of assholes. That's how I got the details you two lovebirds would be here."

Licking her lips, her eyes heavily focused on Renkotsu for several more heartbeats, Kagome willed herself to finally pull her phone from her pocket. She was quick to hide the device behind the arm of the settee. Her palm felt heavy with the motion as Kagome's eyes yoyoed frantically between Renkotsu and the phone as she entered her numeric password. She wasted no time selecting the SMS application and opening her conversation with Miroku.

Kagome's fingers flew across the keyboard as she sent two back-to-back single word messages to Miroku:

Help

Renkotsu

Kagome quickly confirmed her phone was on silent and then dropped the device back in her pocket. Once she felt the heaviness of her phone against her thigh, Kagome released a burdensome exhale.

She did it.

Chewing on the inside of her cheek to prevent her face from showing any of the triumphant glee glowing within her, Kagome's eyes turned to catch Inuyasha's knowing stare. He saw her. He knew she had collected her phone, had watched her send off those messages. If she weren't inspecting his features so closely, she would have missed the slight nod and blink of approval he offered her. The lingering eye contact between the two forced Renkotsu to turn to acknowledge Kagome then. The small, victorious smile that Kagome had offered Inuyasha was quickly wiped away, replaced by a frown as Renkotsu cast Kagome a toothy, cocky expression.

"So, let's recap," Inuyasha chortled, keen to reclaim Renkotsu's attention and turn the kobun's focus away from Kagome. "One of your little buddies. Told you about Kagura's phone call. Then you hightailed it here. To wait for us out back?" Inuyasha took a shaky inhalation then snorted. "Awfully kind of you. To give us. Most of our reservation window. Before crashing it."

Renkotshu chuffed wryly. "You know I do love me a good stakeout, Inuyasha. Nothing like a little foreplay to get the blood pumping, amiright? Plus, given how much time I'm used to waiting around, today felt like no time at all. I thought it would be advantageous, even, to give you two some time to warm each other up before I let myself in. But," he said, tilting his head, "there is oneadditional detail I want to take credit for. You see, I'm the reason you have that little crowd of admirers out there."

Inuyasha nodded knowingly. "You leaked to the media that Kagome and I. Would be here."

"I did."

"Not bad," Inuyasha grinned with a tense breath. "That size of crowd. Woulda given you. Enough anonymity. To approach the building."

Renkotsu bowed his head in confirmation, his face lighting up with an appreciative smile as Inuyasha voiced his understanding.

"People were. Too fixated. On Kagome and me. To notice you. Sneaking around back." Inuyasha hocked an insightful laugh on his next exhale. "And what's two hours. To eager fans in the. Grand scheme of things? You had your exit planned too," Inuyasha winced, fighting a sense of lightheadedness that started to come over him. "Same way in. Same way out. Clever."

"Fuck, Yash, you're gonna give me a stiffy if you don't quit with all the compliments," Renkotsu professed with a small laugh and a wave of his hand. "I had a hunch people would stick around during your time here. Fucking loonies...I sometimes forget about that side of things—how obsessive some fans can get. I knew there'd be people wanting to be the first to see you and Kagome in your post-coital glow," he exhaled gruffly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Given my proclivities for watching, I'll even admit I was a bit disappointed I didn't catch you guys in the middle of something tasty when I finally got here. But to be greeted by you directly, Inuyasha? Well...that was an appreciated welcoming—definitely an acceptable consolation prize."

Renkotsu locked his gaze on Kagome, offering her an eye-closing smile. As if provoked by her earlier words, the kobun turned his back on Inuyasha, fully facing Kagome, brazen in how he raked his eyes slowly, leisurely up and down her body. Kagome took an automatic, disgusted, yet protective step back, away from the settee, as Renkotsu approached her. He turned, pulling at the thighs of his blood-rimmed jeans, then sat, reclining, on the settee. He crossed an ankle over a knee and bounced a booted foot; Kagome couldn't tell if the action was out of habit or impatience. She tried not to squirm as his piercing, dark stare lingered on her body. She could feel his leer on sensitive and fleshy parts of her body, and it took all of her willpower not to cover herself out of modesty. The thin material of her terracotta wrap dress may as well have been transparent for how lewdly he stared. He gawked continuously, as if creating a mental map of her body beneath the cloth.

"Sure," Inuyasha groaned, choking back a disapproving snarl at how Renkotsu stared at Kagome. Inuyasha swiped at beads of sweat along his hairline as he watched the kobun. "Make yourself. Comfortable. For whatever time. We have left."

Renkotsu smiled, resting a bent arm over the back of the settee and tossing an ambiguous expression at Kagome. "I think we all know what, or should I say who, would make this an awful lot more comfortable." He hooked a beckoning finger at Kagome. The kobun's face sprouted into a keen, toothy side-smile seeing how rigid and flushed his action made Kagome.

Getting her wits about her, as if internally shaking off her embarrassment, Kagome snorted and crossed her arms under her breasts, raising her chin impetuously. "Not on your life," she muttered.

Renkotsu licked a canine playfully. "What about on his life?"

Kagome turned her wide, fear-coated lashes to look at Inuyasha, whose presence never felt so despondent as it did now. Inuyasha's furrowed gaze didn't roam from Kagome, his expression both apologetic and something else she couldn't put her finger on—something painful. He was hunched, labouriously breathing, struggling to keep himself erect. His elbow shook from the weight he bore on his palm in an effort to keep himself upright. The sight made Kagome's heart quake.

Renkotsu sniffed and thumbed at his nose, making a show of leaning forward so his elbows pressed into his thighs, his hands hanging between his knees. He wore an aggressive demeanor as he glanced, side-eyed, at Inuyasha. "I'd like to think we know each other a bit better now, Kagome, yeah? Tell me, do you think it's within my character to hurt Inuyasha to get what I want from you?"

"Yes." She answered immediately, swallowing past a lump in her throat.

"Then please," he sneered, reclining once more. "Help me understand why I don't feel that sumptuous ass of yours in my lap yet?"

Her pillowy lips pouted with her dour expression. "You said you wouldn't hurt him further if I left with you," she bickered.

"I implied that I'd be willing to consider that, yes." He smirked at her, thinking her brawny defiance cute. "But you've only given me your word that you'd leave here with me voluntarily, or that I'd let you leave rather. You haven't shown me your willingness."

"And how would I do that exactly?" She asked, a slender eyebrow arched.

Renkotsu merely answered by slapping and rubbing at his thigh.

"Kagome," Inuyasha wheezed. "You don't. Have—"

"—It's fine," she interrupted, squaring her shoulders, taking a hesitant step towards Renkotsu.

Everyone in that room knew she would do anything in her power to protect Inuyasha. Maybe it was naive of her, but she couldn't help the brief thought that sitting in Renkotsu's lap didn't seem that bad, given all the other sexual things he'd brought up earlier. With her text to Miroku, she hoped the awkward seating arrangement would only last a few minutes, at best. Her fingers tightened into a fist around the material of her dress. She avoided direct eye contact with Renkotsu as she rounded the settee, trying not to gag or pull a face at the way the kobun rubbed his thigh, inviting her to sit.

"I'm only sitting with you," she mumbled hotly, her face heating as she stood between Renkotsu's legs.

"For now," he replied smoothly.

Renkotsu raised his hands so his palms floated on either side of her lower torso, just beyond her thighs. The hem of her dress delicately brushed against the skin of his large palms from where she stood. He used the gesture to visualize how his body would become her enclosure. Renkotsu tongued his bottom lip, fighting back a moan, as Kagome's rear backed into his inner thigh.

She could feel his legs caging her in as she lowered herself to sit. Trying not to touch the kobun more than necessary, she kept her hands balled into fists in her lap, finally letting all of her weight rest against Renkotsu's thighs. Kagome resolutely kept her face turned away from Renkotsu, having no desire to share any breath with him like earlier. Every one of his exhales left a warm plume of air against the side of her head and neck.

Her body rocked with Renkotsu's motions as he scooted them back so he was flush against the settee, an amused purring-like sound rumbling within his chest. Renkotsu's posture forced Kagome to lean her shoulder into his chest. He turned a smug grin towards Inuyasha as he wrapped an arm around her lower back and began playing with the hem of her dress, his fingers occasionally tickling the skin of her thigh. Frowning, Kagome pulled at the edge of her dress, forcing the material out of Renkotsu's grip, pulling it lower down her thigh. Her stomach clenched at the sensation of Renkotsu's fingers toying so closely to her behind.

She forced her mind to think of anything other than the last time she had found herself in a man's lap on this very same settee. The awareness of Inuyasha beside them caused a sensation that felt like sludge combined with oily guilt to pool in her stomach.

Renkotsu smirked at her knowingly, retracting his hand from her hem only to swiftly move it to cup her bottom. Kagome's throat yelped with a disapproving jolt as heat rushed her features. The kobun's responding movements were fast, expectant, restricting her motions to ensure she couldn't gain any space between their bodies. Kagome struggled against his warm grip, eager to escape Renkotsu's touch, to remove his hands from her. The wrongness of his touch scorched her face with a hearty shade of mortification.

Seeing her thoroughly pinkened cheeks, Renkotsu's chest rumbled with a pleased chuckle. He rested his other hand on her leg, forcing his fingers slightly underneath her skirt until they could stroke her mid-thigh. His other palm remained firm on her ass.

"I didn't agree to this," she cried, her voice a hoarse timbre.

Renkotsu offered her a wide, perverse grin, squeezing her thigh between thick fingers in response.

Kagome tried to shake off his touch with a warning "Don't" that shot from her mouth. She turned her face towards him with an eye-narrowing hateful expression. Her chin was accosted with the warmth of his breath as soon as she did so.

"Don't what? Stop?" he purred, digging his fingertips into the flesh of her thigh, causing Kagome to flinch and push against his chest. "Don't hurt Inuyasha?" He smiled baitingly.

"Don't touch me," she corrected angrily, feeling disappointed with herself for how easily her lash-line coated with tears. She blinked repeatedly, desperate to avoid giving Renkotsu the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"But I like touching you," he whispered, leaning his mouth towards her jawline. She closed her eyes and grimaced as she felt the heat of his breath waft towards her ear, down her neck and collarbone. Her body—the traitor—shivered from the sensation of a male's breath on the shell of her ear. Renkotsu shifted Kagome in his lap so she could feel the dig of his erection against her hip. "Mm, that was nice, eh? Maybe you don't mind this after all."

"Kagome."

Inuyasha's voice was...rough. Vulnerable. Upset but pissed. Borderline hostile.

She knew he didn't call her name to inflate the guilt she already felt. She knew he didn't call for her to shame or belittle what she was experiencing. Inuyasha spoke her name to remind her he was still there, that there was a connection between them. That Kagome wasn't alone with Renkotsu, that Inuyasha would obtain retribution for what Renkotsu was putting her through. That he saw her vulnerability and reminded her of his own, that she was his weakness, a soft spot in his otherwise brusque, hardened existence.

And she heard him, she did. But in that moment, feeling Renkotsu's hands on her body and the heat it evoked in her chest and face, Kagome felt shame like she hadn't before. Her love and desire for Inuyasha had left her touch-starved after their recent intimacy. She hated that any form of sensual attention left her body wanting, as if her corporeal self or monkey brain couldn't tell the difference between who touched her.

Her position on Renkotsu's lap was a mockery of the heaven-struck moment she had shared with Inuyasha.

The thought that Inuyasha was watching this, watching them, forced a new pressure of tears behind her eyes.

Miroku... her mind cried, the strain of unspent tears building in her skull. Fuck, where are you? Please get here soon. I don't—

Her thoughts abrupted with a hiss as Renkotsu squeezed a fistful of her behind to drive his erection into her side. She couldn't imagine how this looked to Inuyasha. She couldn't imagine the hurt and rage he felt, being forced to watch Renkotsu dry hump her while she sat in his lap.

I don't know how much longer I can stand this...

"How's it looking from down there, Yash?" Renkotsu antagonized, his voice husky, tinged with lust. "Fuck, Kagome," the kobun breathed, bucking against her once more, cupping her neck as she turned her face away from him. "Your body feels so fucking good. Better than I thought it would, honestly."

"That's enough!"

Inuyasha's voice broke with the intensity of his shout. His panting was fierce, harsh. Kagome couldn't recall a time she had seen him so flustered, so overwrought. Without giving himself a moment to doubt his abilities, Inuyasha pushed against the wall, rising on shaky legs. He bore most of his weight with his shoulder as he slid himself to a lamentable standing position, the heel of his palm sealed against his wound.

"Renkotsu, I swear to God. I will fucking. Destroy you."

Inuyasha didn't feel stable on his feet, didn't have confidence in his body not to give out, but he could feel his entire being radiating with the fury and tempestuous savagery that fueled him. Inuyasha didn't care if violent rage was the last thing he would experience in this life. Renkotsu wouldn't get to touch Kagome like that again, wouldn't keep his hands on his woman for one second longer.

Renkotsu took in Inuyasha's feebleness and laughed. He laughed like it was a poor attempt at a joke.

The kobun relished how his attention to Kagome's ass drove Inuyasha into a maddening state. Eager to incite further vengeful jealousy, Renkotsu trailed his palm up Kagome's thigh—intending to grab for her breasts—when his hand paused its ascent due to an unexpected rectangular presence against Kagome's leg.

"What the—" he mumbled to himself. He dove his fingers into her dress pocket—previously unaware her dress even had pockets—and stared at the electronic device he withdrew. His shock was so stark, he stared at her phone as if he didn't know what it was.

Kagome's body went rigid. A tight coil of dread wound inside her. She couldn't read the expression on the kobun's face.

The phone bringing itself to life, attempting to utilize facial recognition to unlock, Kagome's heart pounded and plummeted into her stomach as both she and Renkotsu read the SMS text notification the screen displayed, Be careful, be safe. Stay with Inuyasha. Help is on the way.

Miroku.

He had gotten her message. He had responded to her message ten minutes ago.

Kagome felt Renkotsu's frame stiffen beneath her as his wrath uncoiled within him.

"You. Stupid. Motherfucking. Bitch!" he cursed, his stare lingering on her phone.

He knew. Oh, fuck. Renkotsu knew what she'd done.

Inuyasha's vindictive, hoarse scream echoed through Kagome's head as the back of Renkotsu's hand slammed into Kagome's cheek, pitching her forward onto her hands and knees on the ivory rug in front of the settee. Her vision dizzied. Her cheek stung. Her head throbbed from the blow, pain radiating across her jaw and temple, up into her hair. Her stomach churned with nausea as she fell to her side, the rug plush beneath her body.

Renkotsu stood fitfully, his fists clenched at his sides, shaking with the rage he wanted to unleash on Kagome.

Kagome's head ached so furiously she barely noticed Inuyasha's desperate act to protect her from Renkotsu: he heaved his body into the kobun, a guttural cry on his tongue when they made contact. Renkotsu tilted off balance, almost losing his footing before he straightened, then shouted as he drew back his arm, forcing his weight into a punch that connected with Inuyasha's shoulder. The force of the assault collapsed Inuyasha onto the settee. Inuyasha cried out in pain then rolled to his side, growling as he pushed himself up with nothing but adrenaline, a hunger for violence, and a desperation to avenge the woman he loves.

Just as Inuyasha tackled Renkotsu to the floor—a wrenching oompfh escaping Renkotsu while Inuyasha landed with a wheezing gasp atop the kobun—a black-haired man Kagome had never seen before emerged from behind the fabric door cover that blended into Dainty's wallpaper.

"God-fucking-dammit, Renkotsu!" the man roared, taking in the scuffling pair before him. "Get the fuck off of Inuyasha! Now!"

Renkotsu's eyes lit up with shock and recognition as both men froze, withholding their punches. "What. The. Fuck? Bankotsu?" Renkotsu's words were strained between rushing gulps of air. "How did you. Know I was—?"

"—I tracked your phone, you idiot," Bankotsu admonished, a hand pushing back thick, black bangs that glowed blue under the dim lights. "You've been...off lately. I needed to see for myself what you were up to. Naraku believed you'd be off doing something foolish, but I doubt even he would have suspected this. Going after Inuyasha directly?" He paused to suck his teeth, incredulous, disappointed. "Fuck me, I can't believe you'd be so reckless, Ko."

Bankotsu's eyes skirted over Inuyasha for a quick assessment of his well-being, watching him spit a wad of blood from his mouth, hands clutched to his abdomen, blood everywhere on his person. It didn't take long for Bankotsu to notice the discarded katana by the front entrance. He exhaled a heavy, frustrated sigh.

"You hurt him," the leader of the Band of Seven stated with a disapproving scowl. "Badly too, by the looks of it." His eyes ping-ponged from Inuyasha to Renkotsu then back. "You know we're under direct orders not to fatally harm him." His eyes turned to acknowledge Kagome on the shag rug. "His woman, sure, whatever—do what you have to to make Inuyasha more compliant, but..." His words faded as disgruntlement blanketed his senses. Bankotsu dramatically clicked his tongue, offering the kobun another disparaging shake of his head. "Naraku won't be pleased you've taken things into your own hands, Ko. Don't tell me your thick head never paid attention anytime we discussed his plans?"

Renkotsu snorted at the nickname, heaving himself to his feet and making a dramatic showing of brushing off his jeans and rolling his shoulder. "No, I remember."

"Then why are you here? With them? Why are you jeopardizing those plans you apparently remember so well?"

Renkotsu rolled his eyes. The sheer petulance of his behaviour towards Bankotsu made Kagome lick her lips nervously. She could hear Inuyasha groaning as he forced himself to his feet.

"Fancy. Seein'. You here. Bankotsu," Inuyasha grimaced as he finally stood. Kagome watched his nails dig into the leather of the settee as his arm shook. She realized Inuyasha's connection to the piece of furniture was the only thing keeping him upright at the moment.

Bankotsu inclined his head at Inuyasha in greeting before diverting his attention back to Renkotsu.

Turning a sulky expression to his feet, unappreciative of Bankotsu's disapproving glare, Renkotsu snorted before saying, "Fine. Fuck my plan anyway, right? Let's just incapacitate them both and be on our way. Naraku wants to do this the slow and stupid way? Fine. That's just fucking fine!"

Bankotsu leveled Renkotsu with a perplexed but reprimanding stare. "You're fucking unhinged, Ko. Do you even hear what you're saying? The insurgency you're spouting? Fuck, guy, you can't talk like that!"

Renkotsu shrugged. "I'm not the only one who thinks that all this waiting to take him out—" He stabbed a finger in Inuyasha's direction— "is fucking nonsense, alright? Naraku wants him dead? Just gimme your gun, Ban, I'll shoot him in the fucking head right now, no questions asked."

"I don't care how many assholes think that way. I care what you think, what you say. Because you know the oyabun will kill every last kobun who resists or defies his orders."

Renkotsu rolled his eyes. "Fine, okay, whatever. I'll keep my mouth zipped from now on. Just gimme your gun," he repeated. "I'm not leaving until I end him."

Bankotsu hovered a protective hand over the firearm he wore encased on his hip. "You know this isn't how Inuyasha is supposed to die."

"That's fucking bullshit," Renkotsu spat, his arms wide. "He's supposed to die so he should die. Why does it fucking matter how it happens? Shouldn't it just matter that he kicks the bucket and we're the ones who make that happen? Why the fuck are we waiting, Bankotsu? We have him! He's fucking here! Injured! So fucking close to death by my hand that I can fucking taste it. And you want me to walk away? Abso-fucking-lutely not! I refuse."

Bankotsu crossed his arms, his stare glazed and distant like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Walk me through the logistics," Bankotsu demanded after a few heartbeats of calculated pondering. At Renkotsu's raised, questioning eyebrow, Bankotsu added, "For your plan. I'll give you my gun. You'll shoot Inuyasha—right between the eyes I'll assume, knowing you—and then what? I need to hear you've thought this through and you're not just acting out on a spontaneous moment of weakness."

"Spontaneous?" Renkotsu echoed, offended. "Fuck you, Bankotsu—I've thought about Inuyasha's blood on my boots, on my hands, since I got outta the slammer. And I've dreamed about it a lot longer than that!

"Haven't I been a good little kobun, doing exactly what the oyabun wants, when he wants it? I've been told to wait, so I've waited. I was told to keep my mouth shut, so I didn't utter a fucking peep. I was told to wait some more, and look at me, I was still fucking standing down! I didn't say anything when he told Jakotsu to stakeout and kidnap this bitch over here." He raised his hands innocently. "Not my fucking place to tell the oyabun that Jakotsu is shit at that stuff. And I just fucking knew Suikotsu planned to kill this fucker or die trying as soon as I saw him with those old palates of face-paint. But can I point out the obvious? Oh no! And look what happens! Inuyasha and his little Kuzawari lynch mob all get away and another one of us ends up dead. Then another one. Then another one, until it's just fucking you and me, brother! We're the only ones left."

Bankotsu was silent for a long while before he rubbed his mouth with his palm and fell into a frightening calm despite the storm brewing behind his dark brown eyes. "I was clearly mistaken," Bankotsu mumbled, as if to himself. "You've been off for a lot longer than I ever suspected. Jesus Christ, Renkotsu! Do you know what sort of position you're putting me in here? I can't listen to you expel all this fucking manic, unloyal bullshit! I was supposed to see what you were up to then report back to the oyabun. What am I supposed to say now? You fucker! You faithless piece of shit! I don't want to sell you out, but what other choice are you leaving me?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Renkotsu screamed, his explosive response feeling juvenile given the authoritative timbre Bankotsu used. "Revenge is so fucking close, Ban! With both of us here, he definitely doesn't stand a chance. We should just kill him and be done with it! It doesn't matter what I think! None of it fucking matters other than we live and he dies!"

Neither Kagome nor Inuyasha dared to interrupt or move during the conflict that escalated between the two kobun. How the two of them operated, how they behaved...they couldn't be more different. Kagome's eyes kept falling back on Bankotsu, a little impressed by how he seemed able to manage himself despite his obvious disappointing rage at Renkotsu, who was a frenzied tornado of indignation and defiance. Bankotsu had an air about him that was poised, calculating, and unmistakably powerful. In his crisp white and blue polo button-up, and the blatant authority of his presence, Kagome understood how Naichō mistook him for the oyabun, how Bankotsu became the leader of Inuyasha's musical front.

In the closest she's ever come to fan-girling, Kagome also couldn't deny how beautiful Bankotsu was. His angular cheekbones, manicured, thick eyebrows, and golden skin. He was so masculine his beauty was borderline feminine. With his heart-shaped face protected by a wavy fringe of hair, blacker than her own, that cascaded down his back into a well-maintained braid, Kagome could absolutely understand how he was the front-and-centre heartthrob of the band.

And yet, just as what Renkotsu had said earlier, despite Bankotsu's obvious good looks, Kagome would choose Inuyasha. Easily. Unfailingly. In a heartbeat.

But maybe her love made her biased.

Bankotsu pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you promise to never again speak of the horseshit you've uttered today, I will allow you to come back to the dojo with me, and I won't report to Naraku any of what I heard."

Renkotsu nodded disingenuously as he reflected on Bankotsu's offer. After a moment's consideration, he jutted his chin towards Inuyasha and Kagome. "And what about these two?"

"Their reservation has expired; I can't imagine why the owners of this bordello haven't deemed it necessary to forcibly end the booking, but let's count our lucky stars that we've been left to our own devices as long as we have. I don't imagine that luck will last much longer, however."

"And them?" Renkotsu didn't bother hiding the growing irritation in his tone.

"Honestly, Ko? For right now, I couldn't give the faintest of fucks about Inuyasha and his Kikyou-look-a-like. We have lingered here far too long, and we need to leave. Now."

"But how will we get them—?"

"—They will not be coming with us! That's not the plan."

Renkotsu ran a hand down his face. His disdain and repudiation were visible in the expression he lobbed at Bankotsu. "Then count me out of your future plans, Ban. Because, like I said, I'm not leaving here without this asshole's corpse."

"Even if that goes against a direct order from your oyabun?"

Renkotsu sniffed, his gaze acknowledging both Inuyasha and Kagome. "Naraku will thank me once all of this is finally over. He'll see what I've done here today and he'll be better for it."

Bankotsu released a long-winded exhale and turned away from Renkotsu with his hands on his hips. After several seconds of strained, uncomfortable silence, he turned shimmery eyes to Inuyasha.

"Could you humour me with one question, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow. "Why not?" he answered. He was willing to play along and see where Bankotsu's question would lead them.

"In the past, when you were Naraku's personal kobun, doing all of his bidding, how would you have handled a rabid dog?"

Inuyasha didn't need to think about his answer. "I would have put it down."

Bankotsu sighed, closing his eyes as he absorbed Inuyasha's words, as he embraced what those words meant. "I suspected as much."

In a smooth, well-rehearsed motion, Bankotsu withdrew the weapon from his hip and pointed it at Renkotsu.

Renkotsu stuck a hand in his pocket, staring down the barrel of the gun that Bankotsu pointed in his face. "So this is how it's gonna be, huh, Bankotsu? How will Naraku feel about his new favourite errand boy taking out a kobun without his permission first? You think you're justified in taking my life? Of all the shit we've been through together, do you really have the balls to kill your own brother?"

"You cannot remain a kobun, you cannot keep your goddamn life after talking and acting against the oyabun. You will pay for your treachery with your life, Ko. I'm just sorry it has to be by my hand."

"Fucking bullshit!" Renkotsu cried. "If you kill me, you'll be sacrificing me needlessly in the oyabun's service, to no other purpose than you gaining more credibility and favour with Naraku. We were supposed to be brothers, Ban! If you kill me, if you betray your own brother, you're no worse than Inuyasha!" An honest, heartbroken expression enraptured Renkotsu's face, his eyes lined with silver. "How is what I've done any different than what you're doing now?"

"The difference," Bankotsu sighed, cocking the gun, "is that I would never betray my oyabun."

Kagome screamed as soon as the gunshot rang out in the space around them. Her scream echoed in her head and ringing ears long after Renkotsu's body collapsed onto the ivory rug, his blood slowly flowing from his corpse until it mingled with pools of Inuyasha's.

She didn't know why she felt sorry for Renkotsu, especially with everything he put them through.

Maybe it was the cold-natured way that Bankotsu had killed him despite being close enough to refer to each as brothers. Maybe she wanted to shed tears out of fear for what that level of coldness meant for her once Naraku and the last member of the Band of Seven finally came for her and Inuyasha. Whenever it was that they saw fit to follow through on whatever Naraku was planning.

Before anyone could stop him, Bankotsu was disappearing through the fabric door cover, a hand raised in the air. "Be seeing you, Inuyasha," he called before the cover fell into place behind him.

As Kagome finally allowed tears to trail her cheeks, Miroku forced his way in through the front door, a handful of armed and padded men close on his heel.

Once no living kobun was present to distract Kagome any further, she wildly and desperately turned her attention to Inuyasha. His eyelids heavy and fluttering, as if finally allowing his body to acknowledge and accept the horror that had befallen it, Inuyasha collapsed onto his knees before coming down onto his palms. He slowly lowered himself to the floor, as if performing a push-up and choosing to quit halfway. Ragged, coarse breaths, gasps, and coughs poured from Inuyasha's mouth before he finally succumbed to the pain and the call of unconsciousness.

Kagome rushed to his side, dropping to her knees, her hands on his back, his blood staining her hands. Tears poured from her eyes as she screamed at Miroku, "He needs a doctor! Please, tell me you have a doctor with you, Miroku! I won't let him die!"

---

Author's Note

I have all kinds of feels after this chapter. It kept morphing and growing, and there never seemed a right time or place to end it and begin anew with the next chapter without it feeling forced. It only seemed right to give Renkotsu the full chapter his story deserved. All 20k plus words later, haha.

Did Renkotsu's characterization hit any differently than Jakotsu?

I'm always appreciative of thoughts, feedback, and even criticisms! My writing and storytelling can't get better without your input!

Grateful to you all for sticking with me this far.

Until next time,

Your Princess P.