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Chapter 8: The Man Work Date

Inuyasha cursed as he opened the door to Sesshomaru’s secretary’s office.

“Oh, Inuyasha. I’m glad you’re here, I wanted to ask a favor,” Sango smiled as she put some paperwork in the file cabinet. “Oh, if you’re looking for Mr. Musashi, he isn’t in right now, he’s in a meeting with the board directors upstairs. I don’t think they’ll be done for another few minutes at least.”

“S’fine, I’m not all that eager for him to be here just yet,” Inuyasha grumbled, leaning against Sango’s desk with a heavy sigh. “What the hell is wrong with the elevators? Had to walk all the way up here,” he grumbled some more.

“Maintainence,” Sango replied simply, frowning as she turned around. “Is... something wrong?” she asked, taking a seat in the chairs in front of her desk, looking directly at the young man with the puppy ears. “You know if you need to vent about... you-know-who, I won’t say anything,” she said with a smirk.

“Huh?” Inuyasha looked over at the brown haired girl in confusion before what she meant dawned on him. “Oh, no, that’s not it. If I have a problem with him I’ll let the jackass know it, no problem there. It’s just...” he shook his head. “Sorry, what favor did you need?”

“Oh, well...” the usually strong, forward woman clasped her hands and fidgeted. A very out of character habit. Inuyasha’s ears perked in curiosity. “You see, I was just wondering if you would... possibly be my chaperone... tonight...” Sango blushed.

“Come again?” Chaperone? She wanted him to-

“I don’t... I mean, it’s not that I don’t think Miroku is a nice guy and all, and I’m definitely interested in him, but, I...”

A light bulb went off in Inuyasha’s head. “Oooh! I get ya. You don’t wanna be alone with him cause it might be awkward, so you want me there to make things more comfortable.”

“Yes!”

“Well normally I would, Sango, but the thing is I-”

Neither noticed the click of a door coming from the other side of the room.

“Inuyasha Takahashi, I’m pleading here. I don’t do that unless the situation is dire! In which case it is!” Sango frowned, her usually chipper face turning serious.

Oh, shit. He was going to die if he didn’t say ‘yes’, wasn’t he? He thought as she stood up and loomed in front of him, placing her hands on the desk on either side of the hanyou’s waist, effectively cutting off any form of escape and making him the good kind of claustrophobic (the kind where you might be smothered by a curvaceous babe’s body at any second).

“Well, I...”

Inuyasha gulped, eyes going wide as Sango’s narrowed eyes leaned in, leveling with his own face as she whispered fiercely, “Do not make me use my feminine wiles to get you to come, and I will make you come even if I have to tie you up and-”

Sango paused abruptly as both she and Inuyasha caught sight of something in their peripheral vision, and slowly turned their heads to their sides, eyes widening marginally.

“Am I interrupting anything,” came a deadpanned voice. The ill-concealed ire was apparent in the stone like face as their boss bypassed them for his office, throwing a grave voice over his shoulder at the hanyou. “Get your things together, half-breed. We’re leaving.”

“R-Right,” Inuyasha said, still in mild shock, but nowhere near as paralyzed as his comrade, who slowly backed away from the half-demon.

A blaring ring sounded in Sesshomaru’s office then, the demon noticeably gritting his teeth in anger. What the hell could the board want now!?

He picked it up, barking a “What!” before turning his back to the two outside his door and snapping orders in a hushed tone.

Meanwhile, back outside the irate demon’s office, Sango peered worriedly at Inuyasha.

“Inuyasha? What’s he talking about?”

“Err, heh... Apparently I have to go somewhere with him. Which is why I can’t go with you tonight. I have to work overtime with that asshole.”

“Go somewhere?” Sango blinked. “You don’t mean... You’re accompanying him to the establishment he’s supposed to check out for the company tonight?”

“Uhh, not sure, but I suppose so. I overheard Izanami grumbling in the break room about how he kept trying to get out of it,” Inuyasha sighed. “And now the prick’s taking out that frustration on me and dragging me along, I guess.”

Sango stared in a fashion that had Inuyasha’s hackles rising. What the hell was so weird about what he’d just said?

“I’m sorry, you’re what now?” the secretary said scandalized. Sesshomaru? Taking… another staff member with him on business? Since when?

Inuyasha wanted to hurl the waste basket he was nudging with his foot across the room at the look she gave him.

“You heard me, Legs,” the inu hanyou hissed sourly. Did she have to act so crazy while their boss was no more than twenty feet away?! Why was she making such a big deal about this anywa-

“You’re going on a MAN DATE with our boss!?”

--

Inuyasha was still glowering an hour later as Sesshomaru drove them to wherever it was they were headed to. Damn that Sango. Man date?! What the hell! Could she say something a little creepier? Ugh.

It didn’t help the situation any that Sesshomaru apparently thought it best to stop by his apartment so he could change into more comfortable clothes than his work suit, nor that Inuyasha thought the youkai smelled rather fresh from the shower and not of the smoke he had earlier in the day.

Regardless of the semi-nice smelling youkai, Inuyasha still thought his “boss” was a big piece of frigid cold man bitch. Especially since the other refused to answer a simple enough question that the hanyou had been asking since they left MDC, Inc.

“Where the hell are we going exactly?” Inuyasha asked for the hundredth time. The youkai had refused to speak a single word during the car ride over, almost as if he was also reluctant to be going somewhere with the half-demon.

But progress! The car stopped once parked in a garage lot, the hanyou moodily slamming the car door as they got out, willing the door to fall off or dent from his ire alone.

Tch, Inuyasha sniffed indigently at the thought as they walked around a corner. His gaze was downcast, tracing the cracks in the asphalt with his eyes until blinking florescent lights upon the pavement caught his attention. He looked up at the impending sign before them, stopping to take in the gaudy ambiance that seemed to waft out from behind the large red doors.

New Burlesque was the name of whatever place it was they were headed into, Inuyasha slightly cringing as they walked inside the rather flamboyant atmosphere. All he could do was slowly and horrifyingly hiss his words so that only Sesshomaru could hear as they came upon the pay booth just outside the main hall.

“What. The. Hell. Is. This. Place.”

The demon didn’t answer but Inuyasha was certain he’d heard if the angry twitch of his left eye was any indication.

“Ah, Mr. Musashi, I presume?”

Sesshomaru gave a curt yet respectful nod in reply.

“Splendid, you’ve arrived just before the next show! Please, come this way, we’ve saved the best seats in the house just for you and your associate.”

Inuyasha’s eyes stayed glued to his surroundings, taking in everything yet not fully digesting it as his senses were put into overload. His body was on autopilot as he followed Sesshomaru through the numerous people within a rather small club surrounding a large stage.

“Here you are then,” the man said, sweeping his hand in front of the rather lavish and roomy table before them. “The owner will be with you shortly. Until then I’ll have drinks brought out at once.”

“Bourbon,” the demon said, taking a seat.

“And for you sir?” the waiter asked Inuyasha who still seemed entranced by the rather scantily clad women- and some men here and there- that populated the immediate area.

“Uh- I’ll... have a mohijto for now, I guess.”

“Very good, sir. I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

“Oh! Could you bring one of those... bowls of pretzels,” Inuyasha added quickly as he spotted a few among the other tables.

“Of course, sir.” The waiter bowed slightly before rushing off toward the bar in the back.

A snort could be heard from Inuyasha’s companion. Inuyasha scowled, ears flattening slightly against his skull as he became uncomfortable.

“Shut up, what the hell do you have to be so smug about. You’re the one that dragged me here. What the hell are we doing here anyway?” Inuyasha asked once more as the demon made to look away and not answer his question once again. The hanyou’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he heaved a sigh, having been brought to this by the other for no reason at all other than torture apparently.

And as carefully as he could, Inuyasha winced slightly as he nearly whisper-stressed out, “Is this a... a man date or something? I mean, I know I’ve never seen you go out on dates with girls or heard you talk about it at work, but...”

Sesshomaru shot the hanyou a dark look that shut the hanyou up in relief and a little fear.

Success! Inuyasha’s mind cheered. Well one, it wasn’t a man date apparently, and two, the thought of a man date apparently highly offended the demon infinitely.

Inuyasha chuckled. Ahh, this guy was just too easy to ruffle up. It was his turn to recline back, his hands coming to rest behind his neck as he regarded the other next to him.

“A man date,” the other grumbled in distaste. “Hardly, half-breed,” the demon almost hissed in irritation. “We’re here to identify whether this club is a suitable place for our company to support the meetings of our clientele.”

Well, hell. Inuyasha eyed Sesshomaru critically. “And you couldn’t have just SAID that earlier when I’d asked you the first five hundred times?” the hanyou complained. “Geez, now I really am starting to think you wanted this to be a man date what with all the secrecy and changing your clothes and stuff...”

Sesshomaru’s glare did not go unnoticed but was otherwise ignored by Inuyasha as a fairly curvaceous woman came sauntering up to their table, followed by the waiter from earlier.

“Good evening, gentlemen. It’s an honor to have you here at our establishment,” the woman began as the man behind her set out the drinks and pretzels Inuyasha had requested. “My name is Godiva, I’m the owner of New Burlesque, where we strive to modernize yet stay faithful to the origins of its history. I hope both of you enjoy your evening here. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask,” Godiva finished as the lights began to flicker.

“Whoa, what’s going on? Are we having a fire drill or something?” Inuyasha said, slightly panicked.

The woman laughed behind her hand. “No, sir, that’s the signal to the customers that the next show will begin soon. I hope you enjoy it,” she said curtseying and fluttering off somewhere in the background as the lights ceased flickering and all around them went black.

Inuyasha, still slightly iffy about what the hell was suppose to happen, sat up straighter, hands slapping against the booth seat on either side of him. However, one of his hands clamped over that of another’s. The skin was warm and deceptively soft if one were to consider whose hand it was.

Inuyasha pulled his hand away the same time Sesshomaru made an unappreciative sound from his nose at having been touched. “Sorry,” the half-demon supplied as the lights upon the stage started moving with the sounds of voices.

Inuyasha’s ear perked as he recognized the song through the synthesizers that tried to make it more modern and upbeat. It was a mash up of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and Marilyn Monroe’s Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend. Add synthesizers and a stronger, more urgent beat to it and you had a rather interesting combination. Especially with the women wearing what they were and the lights flickering all around the area.

The performers began integrating into the crowd, dancing and moving so powerfully to the music that something tugged inside of Inuyasha, urging him to move to the music as they were (possibly even up against one of them). He resisted of course, and instead put his focus into taking in the entire show as it built up in crescendo before dying just as suddenly. The crowd went wild, yelling out, screaming, roaring with applause. He didn’t realize he’d been doing just the same until the curtains closed and the lights turned back on.

Blinking and shaking his head he took a moment to come back to himself, before taking the chance to look over at Sesshomaru-

-and was startled to see the youkai staring right back at him intensely.

“W-what?” Inuyasha asked, caught off guard.

“You surprised me,” was the simple answer. “I didn’t expect you to enjoy the club this much.”

“Yeah... about that,” Inuyasha said slowly, straining a bit with his next words. “Is this place... a strip club or something?” he mumbled, slightly uncomfortable with having just asked that, though mostly due to the companion in which he asked rather than the fact that it might very well be a strip club.

He nearly got a heart attack with the reaction that came from Sesshomaru. The bastard began chuckling, stifling most of it behind his hand before going on to explain a bit of the club’s history. Which, oddly enough, completely enraptured the half-demon.

Yes, Sesshomaru had said, while such clubs were rooted in sex, a burlesque club was deeply rooted in music, humor and pure entertainment, with a wild flare of suggestive sexuality. Only during its declining years did people view it as strippers merely walking around to a raunchy beat, and to suggest that this club was anything like a strip club showed either ignorance or outright disrespect.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, I just had no idea what this place was...” Inuyasha offered feeling rather stupid. Though how the demon knew so much was tickling his curiosity to new levels.

“It’s of no consequence as you were merely ignorant of its history, half-breed. One can hardly fault you for that,” the demon said, taking a sip of... what was it, his fourth drink?

Inuyasha blinked. Hell, the guy had to be a tad tipsy to say something that wasn’t an insult, but with how the night wasn’t a total bust, he decided to keep his mouth shut on that account, and instead asked questions throughout the evening, Sesshomaru slowly but surely talking more and more.

It was interesting to view each performance and then ask the youkai his opinion on the choice of music or the choreography. While he had said he didn’t have much knowledge in dance at all, he still gave his honest input on each number, while their conversations about music selection tended to be longer discussions.

“More drinks, sir?” the waiter came around for the twentieth time it seemed.

Inuyasha nodded vigorously, as Sesshomaru gave a slow but firm nod. After the waiter took off to fill their order, Inuyasha started bouncing around in his seat.

“Cease your fidgeting, hanyou,” the demon grumbled, taking a sip of his water.

“Can’t,” Inuyasha grumbled right back. Then, “I’ll be right back, gotta take a piss,” Inuyasha said and dashed over toward the men’s bathroom.

“Charming,” Sesshomaru said to himself in distaste.

Just then a rather large man passed in front of the youkai, walking over to the table cattycorner to theirs and took a seat as he drunkenly proclaimed for the next show to start, no one really paying him any mind.

But it wasn’t how obnoxious the man was verbally that caught Sesshomaru’s attention, it was the smell that wafted off him in droves, originating from the rather plunky cigar he held in his left hand that drew his immediate attention.

The demon stared at it while contemplating for a few minutes before it was disrupted by a gush of hanyou energy returning from the restroom.

“Back. Damn, you should see the urinals in there! There was one that had lips drawn around it! It was hilarious,” Inuyasha guffawed for a bit before the lights started flickering again, signaling the beginning of a show.

The club went black before pink and yellow strobes of light began sparking throughout the vicinity and melting away as the stage was lit up and another show started.

As the act progressed, Sesshomaru discreetly kept one eye on the hanyou, merely observing that even though Inuyasha was intoxicated he tried his best to remain respectful to the loud, rude man smoking his cigar and carelessly blowing his smoke near their direction. But regardless, it was plain to see he was uncomfortable with the smell, if not the barbaric behavior, the man exuded.

The final thought seemed to make up his mind about something, and once the show ended Sesshomaru caught the owner’s eye, nodding. As Godiva made her way over to them, he nudged the half-demon’s shoulder.

“Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru murmured next to the other’s ear, sending an unnoticed shiver down the receiver’s spine. “We’re going to take a tour of the backstage area now.”

Inuyasha followed his employer to the backstage door, entering into an all new kind of wonderland.

Everywhere they looked were props, racks of dresses and other costumes and lots of mirrors for the girls- and some guys- to use before going up on stage. Inuyasha was gazing around, mouth agape in amazement.

“Mr. Musashi, I’d like to introduce you and your companion to our main attraction here at New Burlesque, the Burlesquettes. Girls, this is Mr Musashi and a companion of his from MDC, Inc. They’re here to see if our establishment would fit their purpose and that of their clients,” Godiva said.

The girls squealed- like, literally squealed- and crowded around Sesshomaru, batting their eyes here, grinning coyly there. Inuyasha couldn’t help but snicker behind him, thankful he was further away near the owner so as to not be caught in the line of fangirl fire.

Sesshomaru made a noise through his nose before, “My... associate, Inuyasha Takahashi.”

And apparently Inuyasha had spoken too soon, glaring at the evil glint in his boss’s eyes as the girls turned their heads, eyes widening before squealing out about how they wanted to touch his ears as they crowded around him next.

“Whoa- WHOA! Watch where you put your-!” the hanyou could barely get out. Damn his sadistic employer!

While the Burlesquettes had Inuyasha’s attention, Sesshomaru walked over and murmured something to the owner behind his hand, relaxing a bit more as he was given a nod before she walked off. He enjoyed how uncomfortably embarrassed the hanyou was for a few minutes longer before deciding to save him.

“Inuyasha, the next show will begin soon,” the demon said, walking up to the other.

Inuyasha gave Sesshomaru a look of relief and thanked the girls for their time, wishing them luck on the next performance. They whined as he left, following the youkai out the door they’d come in to get backstage.

Inuyasha frowned, however, as he continued following Sesshomaru silently, in a direction they hadn’t taken before, to a completely new table. He sat down, frown still in place, thinking that maybe it wasn’t the wrong booth and that he was just too drunk to remember the table they were at before.

However, before Inuyasha could think to ask Sesshomaru to clarify that he wasn’t going crazy, the next show began as new drinks were brought and, after a few sips, he forgot all about the table swapping thing. He was slightly thankful this booth was in the shape of a “U” since he could just scoot over to Sesshomaru and talk to him easier that way.

“Ya know, whether I’m imagining it or not, I’m glad we’re not near that guy from earlier, the smoke from his cigar was really getting to me,” the half-demon said closely to Sesshomaru’s elf-like ear.

The demon, almost hesitantly, asked why he seemed to be so against smoking.

Inuyasha didn’t answer right away, seeming to almost shut down a bit before he took another drink from a hostess that walked past their table.

Sesshomaru frowned, immediately intercepting the drink. “You’ve had enough,” he said to his companion before giving the hostess a discreet nod to cut off the rest of their drinks. Inuyasha pouted next to him, laying his head down on the table as he stuck his tongue out at the control freak next to him. The other wasn’t amused.

“It’s nearly 1am, hanyou. I believe it’s time to go.”

The half-demon protested drunkenly but otherwise was fairly easy to maneuver toward the door.

“Don’t man handle me!” Inuyasha slurred, trying to fend off Sesshomaru’s “grabby” hands. Sesshomaru ignored his protests and ludicrous notions, sharing a few cordial words with the owner that they would meet the next morning with the CEO of MDC to discuss their further relationship. And with that, left the facility, dragging a rather intoxicated hanyou in his wake.

“Hurry up, half-breed.”

Once in the car, Sesshomaru locked the windows after Inuyasha had tried to crawl out the passenger side one to escape, buckling his belt for him, lest he try to fling himself out the door while the car was moving.

“Where the hell rrr yooo taking mee, yoo prissy peeeecock.”

“Home.”

“Pshhh.”

The ride went on like that for the whole twenty minutes it took to get to Inuyasha’s street, and another ten when Sesshomaru had to haul the ignoramus up to his floor, hopeful that his father was still awake to let them in, though unlikely it may be.

With Inuyasha nearly deadweight, the demon practically carried the hanyou to his door, trying to shuffle and balance him against his person once they reached it.

“Inuyasha, your key,” the demon instructed, shifting the other in front of him.

“Mmmmm,” the half-demon mumbled against Sesshomaru’s throat. “You… smell… really good, Sesssssh-mru...” He began rubbing his nose against the strong throat, taking in the thick scent there, his mouth partially open.

Sesshomaru shivered.

“Half-breed,” the demon stressed, his tone fierce while his eyes fluttered shut, gulping.

Inuyasha’s hand slid up from Sesshomaru’s waist over his chest to cradle and brush the other side of his neck.

“Warm…” Inuyasha breathed, hot air exhaling against his captive’s neck, causing the youkai to shiver again and take a few steps backwards back hitting a wall and leaning against it.

Sesshomaru sighed. He’d thought he held his liquor fairly well, but this... this situation was showing him he was a bit more affected by the alcohol than he’d originally surmised. It was especially apparent when he let his head fall backwards against the wall, baring his throat unintentionally, mouth slightly ajar in anticipation. Inuyasha’s body was hot against his as his own hands, possessed as they must be, situated themselves on the half-blood’s narrow hips.

Inuyasha lazily drew his nuzzling against the demon’s defined jaw, his hand trailing back down to what felt like a strong chest. Pulling back just enough to stare at the slight blush across the other’s cheeks, his eyes traveled down to the mouth, entranced by the slightly open lips.

Licking his own mouth, Inuyasha murmured out, “You’re kind of easy on the eyes.”

Sesshomaru, eyes half-lidded, noted how close their faces were, and breathed out, “You’re drunk… hanyou…”

“Heh... makes more sense then-”

“What are-...” the demon began.

“-of why... I wanna do this then…” Inuyasha finished, closing the distance between them and pressing a heated, open-mouthed kiss on the other’s lips.

Author's Note: So I know the history/origins of Burlesque, but have decided to modernize it (and not just that but also throw it into a whole different country so just work with me on that xD)