The Importance of Being Kept

Are you sure that's what he said?" Sango asked. She and Rin gathered around Kagome as Kagome sat at her desk and took her books out of her bag.

Inuyasha had escorted her back to the front of her dormitory and told her he'd pick her up around 8:00pm to take her to The HangOut which was the name of the campus club. She didn't get a chance to ask he what he meant by the statement because they kept getting interrupted by his friends. Inuyasha was obviously very popular on campus. Kagome had walked into the living room completely flustered and asked the girls what he meant. To her surprise the girls had jumped up excitedly and asked her to tell her everything that happened which Kagome did.

"And he gave you money?" Rin asked.

"Yeah, but I gave it back to him," Kagome said taking out the last book. She noticed something green hanging out between the pages and gasped. "Well, I thought I did," she said holding the three hundred dollars. "Sneaky isn't he?"

"Kagome, if Inuyasha says he's going to keep you, then prepare to be a kept woman," Sango said smiling.

"Well he said he thinks he wants to keep me. Besides, what exactly is a kept woman?" Kagome turned to look at her.

Sango glanced at Rin who blushed. "I think I'll test out the new tv." She quickly left.

Kagome watched her walk away and raised her eyebrow.

"It's quite popular here on campus with youkai and human women. If a youkai has affection for a human girl, but doesn't make her his girlfriend, they become kept. There are some very good sides to it and some annoyingly bad sides also. The good side is that a human female will always be under the youkai's protection which is very important living on this campus and he will always take care of her meaning she will never be without anything she needs or want. Basically, she practically got all the benefits of a girlfriend without actually being one. The bad thing is that if she falls in love with the youkai she can't do anything about it until he decides to make her his girlfriend, which means they are free to be with anyone they want. However, the human girls can't be with anyone they want. The youkai will think of them as one of their possessions and they don't like to share. Rin is a perfect example of a kept woman. Sesshoumaru spoils her ridiculously and he's very possessive towards her. Most dog youkai are and if Inyasha wants to keep you, then say good bye to dating."

"That is the silliest thing I've ever heard of and very unfair for the girl. I'm sure Inuyasha was just joking when he said that, I mean he doesn't even know me."

"Youkai are different from humans, they have this uncanny ability to know your personality with only a few hours of meeting you. It's very freaky."

"Well let's say he does mean it, I don't have to agree with him. He can't force me to be his "kept" woman."

Sango sighed. "It's complicated. Saying no to a youkai doesn't stop them, you end up being theirs whether you want to or not."

"That doesn't sound very legal," Kagome said.

"Legal doesn't mean anything around here. You should be lucky Inuyasha's likes you. It may not look like it, but this campus is dangerous. You will need his protection."

"What about you Sango, are you a kept woman?"

"Unfortunately, as much as I try to deny it, yes and to the biggest letch on campus. I mean seriously, it's just my luck that he would be the lead singer of the band I joined last year." Sango shook her head and sighed. "Well, at least there's one thing I can say that makes me happy. A kept woman do have rights, a youkai can't force her to sleep with him if she doesn't want to. And as many women as I've seen that letch with, I'm not giving him jack!"

Kagome almost laughed at the furious look that blazed in Sango's eyes.

"Anyway, I have to prepare for the show tonight. You have to come. We always throw a big party at the club to celebrate the beginning of fall semester."

"Inuyasha already invited me. Actually, he didn't really ask if I wanted to go, he just said he'll pick me up at eight."

Sango laughed. "That's Inuyasha for you."

"I'm a little worried about Kikyo," Kagome said. "She'll probably have a fit if she see me with Inuyasha."

"Kikyo? They aren't together anymore, she left Inuyasha to become's Naraku's kept woman. Isn't that crazy? Naraku is totally evil. If you ever see a good-looking guy with long violet hair, stay away from him!"

Kagome thought about the violet hair guy Kikyo seemed to swoon over on the steps.

"I better go, see ya at the club!" Sango waved and walked out the room.

Kagome stared at the three hundred dollars in her hands. What was she going to do about Inuyasha? It wasn't everyday that a random youkai gave her money and said he wanted to keep her? Well, he was "thinking" about keeping her. So it wasn't official. Good. She doubt she would enjoy being part of such nonsense.

She left her room to look for Rin and saw her sitting in the living room flipping through the channels on Sango's huge tv. She smiled when she saw Kagome. Kagome sat beside her.

"Is everything okay? You left pretty quickly." Kagome asked.

Rin blushed. "I don't like to refer to myself as a "kept" woman, but everyone on campus knows me as that. They call me Sesshoumaru's pet."

"Wow, that's harsh," Kagome said. "Why do you put up with it?"

"Sesshoumaru has done a lot for me. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be going to this school. You might as well know, I use to be his maid."

Kagome blinked. "What? But you look …"

"Rich?" Rin finished for her.

"Well I was going to say like a person of high status," Kagome said.

"Sesshoumaru likes me to look like this, but in reality, I don't have any money," Rin admitted as she fiddled with the gold and purple jeweled bracelet on her wrist. "I've been poor my entire life, this is why I'm "kept" as they say. I could never actually be with Sesshoumaru, I'm not of royal blood and I don't have the status and most importantly, I'm not a youkai. His mother wants him to marry someone that fits him."

"I met Sesshoumaru outside. He's so different from Inuyasha."

"They are different," Rin said. "Inuyasha is Sesshoumaru's half-brother. Sesshoumaru's mother is a full-blooded youkai from a royal line. Inuyasha's mother is human. I heard their father was very much in love with Inuyasha's mother and planned to marry her, but he was murdered before he could. That was ten years ago and until this day no one knows who did it."

"Whoa, that's pretty deep," Kagome said feeling sympathy for Inuyasha.

Rin nodded in agreement. "They don't like each other very much. The only thing they have in common are their looks and their money. Inuyasha has his own group of friends and so does Sesshoumaru."

"Sesshoumaru doesn't seem like the nice type," Kagome admitted.

"Most people are scared of him, he does have that aura about him," Rin giggled. "I was terrified of him when I first met him too, but over the years he became affectionate towards me. I don't know what it is that he likes about me," Rin shrugged.

"Well for one thing you're absolutely, gorgeous," Kagome said standing up. "And you seem very sweet, too sweet for a guy like that."

Rin blushed. "Thank you."

"I guess I better get ready for the club. Are you going?"

"Sesshoumaru doesn't like me to go to the club."

"Are you kidding me? I would think you're a free person regardless of being his "kept" woman."

"If I go, someone may get hurt," Rin said quietly.

"What?" Kagome asked not sure if she heard her correctly.

"The last time I went a guy got too flirtatious with me. He grabbed me when I tried to walk away from him and tried to make me dance with him. When Sesshoumaru heard what happened, he found the guy and chopped off his arm as a warning to never touch me again."

"What?"

Rin stood up. "Don't worry about me. He's taking me out to dinner tonight. You go and have fun. I'm sure you will with Inuyasha," Rin smiled at Kagome and walked into her room leaving Kagome to stand there in shock.

Inuyasha was true to his word and arrived exactly at 8:00pm. Kagome had expected him to be late like guys usually were; she was pleasantly surprised when he wasn't. She had washed and styled her hair until it fell in soft curls down her back. She put on a little make up just enough to enhance her features and picked out a short pleated skirt and a satin short sleeve top. She had to admit she did look nice and she wanted to show Inuyasha a different version of herself instead of the girl in sweats and a ponytail he met earlier. It worked.

Inuyasha's mouth dropped open when she opened the door. For a moment, he just stood there staring at her as if he forgot how to speak. Kagome smiled. Mission accomplished, she thought.

Inuyasha was wearing black jeans and a white shirt. His long white hair hung loosely around his shoulders. He grinned at Kagome. "Wow, you look hot. I see I'm going to have to do this sooner than I thought."

Kagome tilted her head in curiosity as he grabbed her hand and slipped a red and white bracelet around her wrist.

"It's pretty, but why are you giving me a bracelet?"

"Those are my colors," Inuyasha said. "I said I was going to keep you and I meant it," Inuyasha said. He smiled.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered. He'd just put her in the most awkward situation. How could she tell him that she didn't want to be kept by him or anyone else? It would probably ruin their date together. Wait, was this a date or just two friends hanging out? Now she was confused about everything. Perhaps, she should wait until the end of their date or whatever it was to give him back the bracelet.

"Come on let's go have some fun," Inuyasha put his arm around her shoulder and grinned down at her as they walked away.

Kagome swallowed. This was moving way too fast for her liking.