The Club

Christielea54

Chapter Twenty-Three

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Inuyasha and Kagome walked into the room as the doctor was walking out.

"Miroku!" Kagome exclaimed happily. "How are you doing?"

He laughed. "I've sure been better, how about you?"

"Worried sick, that's how!" she told him, all smiles.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he said pleasantly, but continued on a more serious note. "And I'm sorry to you to buddy," he told Inuyasha.

"What for?" Inuyasha asked, puzzled.

"I might not make it to your big night!"

"My big night?" he asked, clueless.

"Is this Saturday ringing any bells?" Sango asked him sarcastically.

"Oh, when I play," he realized. "How long are you going to be in here for anyway?"

"Surgery's tomorrow morning, then they want to keep me here for a while."

"Surgery?" Kagome asked.

Miroku held up his hand, wincing as he did so.

"Ouch," she said.

"Yeah."

"Will you be out by Christmas?"

"Hopefully."

"Oh good!" she exclaimed. "We should all get together and do something! How about caroling?"

At the suggestion, Inuyasha began to forcefully disagree.

"But you've got a great voice," she contested.

He snorted. "That doesn't mean I'm going to go parading around in a Santa hat all night in the cold, singing fa-la-la-la-la!"

"A Santa hat?" she repeated mischievously, and grinned at him in a way that made him regret ever opening his mouth.

o0o

There were people everywhere! And they just kept coming in. It was Saturday night at The Club, and it was less than an hour away from Inuyasha's big performance. God! If she were him right now, she'd be too nervous to come downstairs. But, she guessed that was just part of what made him Inuyasha: his confidence. Sure it was downright annoying sometimes, but it suited him.

She grabbed the two waters a couple had ordered from behind the bar and brought it over to them, collecting the money. She'd never been this busy in her life! That's what it must mean, she thought, when they say it never rains, but it pours. Some nights she was bored stiff she had nothing to do, and tonight she could barely catch her breath.

She heard the bells over the door ring for the thousandth time that night, and mentally groaning turned to greet them, but was met with a pleasant surprise.

"Miroku! You made it!"

He smiled. "I figured you could use some help tonight."

"You're supposed to be resting," she pointed out.

"Come on Kagome, at least let me work the cash register."

"Okay," she agreed, looking forward to hearing Inuyasha sing again.

"Hey Sango!" Miroku shouted over the din of the room. "Guess who escaped the evils of an infirmary room to come see you?"

Sango turned around, a slight blush on her cheeks that she refused to acknowledge, and waved, making her way through the crowd. "Hey Miroku! How's your hand?"

"This old thing?" he replied casually, holding up the new cast. "It'll be fine by this time next week."

She laughed. "I'm sure."

Kagome watched them, knowing something had happened between them that she hadn't managed to pry out of Sango yet. But her attention was drawn to the small stage set up in the back corner as Inuyasha jumped up onto it. Everyone's attention was. He looked great. Just jeans and a tight black t-shirt, but he was the only guy in the room with a guitar strapped over his shoulder. Then again, maybe she was just biased. She always thought he looked great.

She hadn't remembered feeling so good in a while now. Christmas was just around the corner, Miroku was going to be okay, Inuyasha was finally going to sing, everything was starting to come together.

Kagome felt nervous though, just from watching him. How must he be feeling?!

Inuyasha had actually been doing pretty good up until now. Now that he was really on a stage though, the whole thing started to feel real to him for the first time. So he had a little bit of stage fright, who wouldn't? But he wouldn't let it show. Nope, he wasn't afraid of anything. He'd show them!

He took up the microphone easily, confidently. "Hey everyone!" he shouted into it, his heart pounding in his chest.

"HEY!" they all shouted back, whistling and cheering.

Kagome suddenly realized that not only was Inuyasha a great musician, he was also a great performer. He really had the crowd going.

"Before I start," he shouted. His voice was everywhere at once, amplified and deepened by the surround sound speakers. "I just want to shout 'thanks' to an angel in the back over there! She made tonight possible!"

The crowd went wild again as Inuyasha's eyes found Kagome's.

He wasn't sure what had made him say that, but it had just felt right, seeing her there, cheering him on. It was her fault that he was here anyway; make her pay for it a little bit. Kagome didn't like the spotlight all that much. Besides, he wasn't angry with her anymore, just nervous. The good kind, that makes you feel like you can take on anything! He would nail this thing!

There was no way in heaven or hell that she would ever get tired of looking into those gorgeous amber eyes. And the look that he sent her just then was so happy and excited and warm, and still perfectly Inuyasha, that it made her literally weak at the knees. She couldn't have stopped smiling at him then if she'd wanted to.

He watched her for a moment longer than was necessary, thinking that he could die happy from seeing her smile at him like that, and then turned back to the crowd.

"Now let's make some music!" he yelled. He turned to the drummer and counted off "a one, a two, a one two three four!" He started off with some rock and roll classics, and then eased into songs that he'd written himself. He even threw in a few remixed Christmas songs for kicks. It was hard for people to not like it.

"Thank you!" he yelled into the microphone. His voice really was great.

The crowd applauded like crazy, Kagome right there with them.

The agents who had come to scout him emerged from the crowd and swarmed towards the stage. Inuyasha would never have guessed that those were them, but he guessed that was the point, after all. Suddenly all of them were talking to him at once. Throwing up deals, offering money, and describing contracts. It was too much for a guy to take in at once.

"We could make you big Yasha! Real big!" one was saying.

He scowled. Yasha?!

"You've got the talent and the looks!" another pointed out enthusiastically.

"… good publicity with that cutie girlfriend of yours."

Now that caught his attention. Why did everyone they had ever met assume that they were dating?! Why?! Why?!

"Kagome's not my girlfriend," he said.

"Then how did you know that I was talking about Kagome?"

Okay, so he had no response to that one. Damn those fast talkers!

"If you sign with us for one year," the first one continued.

"Stop," a voice commanded from behind him. He turned around and saw none other than Sesshoumaru himself, as always, decked out in full suit and tie.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"I came to see your show. What else would I be doing here?" he asked dryly, still managing to sound condescending. He turned back to the agents. "Gentlemen, if you would give me your business numbers, we can talk contracts on Monday."

"But-"

"But what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow coldly.

They all looked at each other, and then sullenly complied with Sesshoumaru's request. They didn't feel so up to arguing with the tall intimidating figure in the business suit. Plus, this Inuyasha character was too valuable to lose. With pouts on their faces they handed over their business cards.

As they descended the stage, Inuyasha was left staring at his brother, his jaw hanging slightly open in disbelief.

"As far as these kinds of things go, you did excellently," Sesshoumaru declared.

"I can't believe you're here."

"Someone needed to keep those sharks away from you."

Inuyasha scratched the back of his head. "Yeah… thanks for that."

Sesshoumaru looked at him and rather suddenly asked him, in a way that made it almost sound as if he cared, "Why won't you tell anyone that she's your girlfriend?"

"Because she's not," Inuyasha stated bluntly.

He tried to figure out how Sesshoumaru made rolling his eyes look dignified. "I'm sure that's why she's wearing your late mothers necklace."

Inuyasha spun around. "She is?" he asked incredulously.

Kagome was leaning against the bar top, happily conversing with Sango and Miroku. And there, glinting off the light with each rise and fall of her chest, was that tiny sparkling diamond.

He couldn't believe she was actually wearing it. It touched him in a way he hadn't been expecting. "She is," he confirmed to himself softly.

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, drawing Inuyasha back to reality. "I have a plane to catch," he stated. "So I will call you tomorrow or the day after to discuss those agents."

Inuyasha could only nod. Christ! He was going all soft because of her! But, every time he saw that little teardrop jewel fall back in between the top of her soft looking breasts, he really didn't mind anymore.

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Hey! This worked out good! Sorry I took so long to update, but now it's actually going to be Christmastime when I write about it!

What do you think so far? Honestly. Review!!!! I need some more ideas. Even if it's just for the funny in-between stuff, and especially for the Miroku-Sango date that's coming up!

Review!