Hollywood Whore

Note: First, I have no patience, hence this is up. Second, some of you are jumping the gun on their relationship... so I thought it fit to tease you mercilessly with this chapter. Third, I've gone back and edited chapters... 1 through 9 and reposted them (little inconsistencies and other strange wording were edited), so re-read sometime; still working on getting 10+ edited and up though. Lastly and most importantly, thank you to all that read and review and like this fic! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 

Chapter 16: A Walk to Remember

It was awkward.

Here he was walking home with Takahashi Inuyasha-san, and he had absolutely no idea what to say. What could someone like him bring up in casual conversation that would actually spark and maintain any kind of interest for someone of worldwide-known rockstar status?

Sesshoumaru’s mind briefly wandered to all the females that attempted to start up inane conversations with him at school and from around the neighborhood on a frequently irritating basis...

What great weather we’re having, huh?

You’re so cool, Musashi-sama!

Both of our given names start with ‘S’, we’re destined for one another!

Sesshoumaru viciously smothered those examples to death in his mind. Not only were they obscenely ridiculous, but they’d never be sophisticated enough to use in casual conversation with Takahashi-san...

“I think it’s gonna rain,” the hanyou’s voice blurted out of nowhere.

The demon blinked up at the sky. Indeed, it was much darker looking than it should be at this time of night, never mind the rumbling in the distance.

“How far do you live again?”

Sesshoumaru looked around at the street they were on. “Several blocks south. I doubt we’ll make it there before the weather-”

No sooner had he said anything, the rain began trickling down, steadily growing heavier the longer they stood there staring at the sky in either surprise or irritation.

“This way?” Inuyasha yelled over the thunder. Sesshoumaru nodded and took off running down the quickly-deserted streets after the hanyou.

They ran for several minutes, both completely drenched by now but not seeming to care right away as their run to get to Sesshoumaru’s home as quick as possible became something of a race.

It started out with Sesshoumaru easily catching up to Takahashi-san, then without meaning to running a bit faster than the slightly shorter male. The half-demon had watched him for a curious moment before snorting to himself and yelling over the down pour, “Damn you and your long legs!” and before Sesshoumaru could recover from such a statement the hanyou had surged forward, outrunning him by a good few paces.

Only after did the demon pick up his own pace, intent to see what exactly the other was doing as he caught up to the guitarist easily. He looked over at him, tilting his head a bit as they continued to run, and a strange sense of delight pulled at the sides of his mouth and bloomed in his chest at the scandalized look the half-demon gave when he noticed Sesshoumaru keeping pace with him effortlessly.

Inuyasha sputtered in his direction before growling and kicking it up another notch down yet another street.

Sesshoumaru snorted to himself, eyes full of amusement as he grinned and took off after the feisty hanyou.

They raced a bit more, but as the storm grew in strength, lighting shooting from the sky as thunder cracked hard against the clouds, Sesshoumaru checked the street they were currently on, making a split second decision and heaving himself in front of Takahashi Inuyasha-san again (earning himself an aggravated oath), this time rounding a corner and ducking into a small boutique’s entryway.

Inuyasha turned the corner a second later and Sesshoumaru’s hand shot out, grabbing the half-demon by the back of his leather jacket and hauling him into the tiny space with him. However, he’d pulled a bit more forcefully than intended and the guitarist came crashing into him.

Sesshoumaru winced as he felt the air nearly knocked out of him and cursed himself for not calculating the move better.

At least until he realized he had an arm full of Takahashi Inuyasha-san... steadying the other so the hanyou didn’t accidentally stumble backwards and hit his head on something.

He breathed in slowly, detecting the layer beneath the smell of rain, damp clothes and body wash and cologne. Dear gods... Sesshoumaru released a curse as he unconsciously steeled his arms further around the shorter male. He gulped, never wanting to lose this feeling of fleeting intimacy.

Unfortunately it was sooner rather than later that the half-demon started to push himself away from the youkai’s embrace with a resounding groan. Sesshoumaru held his breath slightly- which was silly, but he was nervous all the same- wondering whether he’d be given the silent “nothing happened” treatment or cursed out for... what had he heard Houshi Miroku-san say once during an interview about males touching for longer than necessary? Oh, yes... having a “gay moment”.

If the hanyou accused him of something to that affect, the demon didn’t know how he’d react. He did know however, with absolute certainty, that it’d probably crush him in more ways than he’d ever like to admit.

~ * ~

Inuyasha’s eyes were huge as they stared at the demon’s drenched shirt in a very up close and exceedingly personal type of way. Sesshoumaru was... holding him. Well, “steadying” him was probably more accurate, but his arms were completely encasing his own body all the same.

And it felt... ridiculous and surreal and downright amazing.

He could smell the demon through the drenched layers of clothes... Nothing else clung to his skin like the classy cologne he liked to wear, nor the fragrant scent of a brand name body wash. It was just... purely Sesshoumaru. Warm, comforting... not really spicy like he’d heard most girls say guys smelt like, but thick and full of mixing aroma he couldn’t even begin to name as of yet and-

Shit.

Time caught up with Inuyasha’s rational mind, as did reality, and one hard fact dealt a rather nasty reality check to his groin. He’d remained idle in Sesshoumaru’s arms for longer than the allotted “30 seconds of accident” (10 seconds to come back to yourself, 10 more seconds to understand the situation and 10 additional seconds on top of that to use efficient and evasive actions before any such situation became a “gay moment” before the ticker hit 31 seconds). It was one of the top Codes of Bros, according to Miroku, and all Inuyasha could do in his denial to cover up his embarrassment- he’d almost SNIFFED Sesshoumaru’s neck! Like, got up on his toes and ran his nose against that thick column of scenty, warm flesh and...-

He pushed against the demon’s chest immediately, groaning in aggravation of his own idiocy along the way.

“For fuck’s sake, warn a guy when you do that, would you? I think I might have blacked out there for a second when my head hit your chest! What the hell do you have under your shirt anyway! Metal?! Christ...” Inuyasha complained as he held his head in his hands, mindful to hide whatever blush was more than likely creeping its way up into his traitorous cheeks. He wobbled backwards a couple feet to lean against the other side of the entryway.

“Gomen,” came Sesshoumaru’s quiet apology. His tone was such that Inuyasha let go of any embarrassment he’d had earlier and looked up to see what was wrong.

The demon’s face was cast out toward the deserted streets, looking like he was a million miles away, a strange look weighing down on his features. Inuyasha instantly felt his heart jump at the sight. He didn’t like that look on the youkai at all.

Without thinking Inuyasha pushed himself forward, effectively invading Sesshoumaru’s space again as he gently pulled the demon’s chin toward him, the look of shock crossing the other’s face going unnoticed by him as he studied the bruise Sesshoumaru had acquired earlier in the evening with a critical eye.

It’d begun to settle by the looks of the darkening area. By morning, if not sooner, it’d be all but gone. However, regardless of Sesshoumaru’s surely renowned pedigree, even a demon’s wounds could take days to heal when dealt by others of the same caliber. And Inuyasha knew from experience that Kouga hit like a motherfucker; he wouldn’t be surprised if Sesshoumaru woke up the next morning still sporting the same sized bruise as he did now.

Healing abilities aside, Sesshoumaru had sustained more than just a good right hook, it also looked like, upon closer inspection, that the demon had also acquired a few nicks here and there, though where those had come from he had no-

Inuyasha’s mind went white with anger as a sudden thought occurred to him.

Kouga had worn his ring when he’d hit Sesshoumaru. A ring the three of the friends had bought when starting their band a few years ago... A ring the ookami had said was stupid and barely ever wore…

That shitty wolf, Inuyasha cursed to himself. Did he plan this? Or was it coincidental? It had to have been on the fly; there was no way Kouga would have known that Sesshoumaru would refer to him- jokingly- as a “half-breed” that evening...

The half-demon sighed, he’d talk to Kouga about that later though. Right now he needed to focus on getting Sesshoumaru home so he could take care of his injury.

“We should probably get you home, you need to put something cold on that eye, and clean out those cuts,” Inuyasha said suddenly, eyes finally flitting up to lock with Sesshoumaru’s. An intense moment happened then, one neither of them took the time to fully analyze, as the sound of the pounding rain lessened and the world around them shifted further away, leaving nothing but raw emotions either had yet to completely comprehend.

And then the next moment it was gone, broken as someone blared their horn down the street.

Inuyasha inhaled sharply, noting distractedly that Sesshoumaru did the same, both looking away, trying to not only catch their breath but their scattered thoughts as well.

Inuyasha stepped back until he was leaning against the opposite wall again as casually as he could. If anything, he was pretty good at acting (if he did say so himself), what with pretending to be a girl and all. He just hoped his nonchalance as he laughed at the driver still honking his horn down the way was enough to fool the demon concentrating on anything but him.

~ * ~

Sesshoumaru stared at an interesting- though admittedly, he really didn’t want to know- stain on the concrete beneath his feet with a ferocity befitting one as confused as he was right now.

If he didn’t know better he’d have thought, even hoped, that there’d been a moment between them just then... but Takahashi Inuyasha-san’s sudden cool nonchalance confused him. Perhaps there hadn’t been something there and he’d just imagined it as he had so many other times he refused to admit to doing. Instead, he took a breath, braced himself and murmured his agreement about putting something cold on his eye, if not for the purpling bruise he sported than definitely for the throbbing headache growing steadily by the minute.

“Indeed,” he finally replied, pushing himself away from the wall and looking out into the- for the most part- desolate street, save for the driver still honking at something. He sent a chilling gaze toward the dark tinted car.

The rain began letting up and Sesshoumaru sent a sidelong glance over at his companion as the guitarist came to stand next to him.

“Lead the way,” the hanyou said, exaggerating his words by swooping an arm out in front of them. Sesshoumaru snorted before looking up and down the street and starting into a light jog through the thinning fall of rain. He felt more than saw the half-demon on his heels, carefully avoiding or respectfully following, he wasn’t sure which, Sesshoumaru’s movements.

Sesshoumaru frowned as he continued on down the street as another, more displeasing thought occurred to him. While somewhere in the back of his mind he’d been foolishly hoping Takahashi Inuyasha-san wouldn’t notice his face, perhaps that’d been what that earlier moment had been all about, the half-demon merely checking out his bruise and not... him.

An unintended growl escaped his throat at that. Listen to him, he sounded ridiculous. However, despite his emotions getting the better of him he couldn’t help it. He wasn’t sure why but this hanyou (actually both- and the only- hanyou he knew did this but he refused to acknowledge the shorter, darker haired one at the moment) seemed to draw out his emotions more than anyone else he’d ever known.

And he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. All he was content with now was simply being this close to the other, regardless of extenuating circumstances.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you or anything-“ the half-demon suddenly said from behind.

Sesshoumaru’s face- had the other been in front to see it- was quite possibly very laugh worthy with how shocked he was at the declaration. So much so that a small “Hn,” was all that he seemed capable of getting out. Had he tried speaking more than that he was afraid it’d come out in more of a high-pitched squeal of some sort, the kind he knew most females seemed prone to.

An awkward silence fell and Sesshoumaru suddenly felt like a complete asshole for his short reply.

Resounding laughter filled the void then, however, as Takahashi Inuyasha-san jogged up beside him, grinning. “You’re a really proud person aren’t you?”

The demon had to bite his lip to keep from automatically replying with the truth of the matter, effectively holding back the “You have no idea” now stuck in his throat. It was then that he noticed the upcoming landscape before them.

An idea struck, and Sesshoumaru arched a brow, silently challenging the other as he slowed his pace and looked from their position before over to a large gate further down the road.

The half-demon’s dripping ears perked and he looked back to Sesshoumaru, glittering eyes accepting the dare.

And with that the two took off, neither really caring who won this race and instead merely reveling in the fun they had, running toward one destination together.

 

 

~ * ~

Chapter end.