Fallen Angel by Danyealle-sama
Chapter 1
Fallen Angel
By Danyealle
Disclaimer:
I don’t own Inuyasha nor do I make any form of profit off of this exercise in writing. It’s just done to get the raving, rampaging, evil plot bunnies from the lowest level of hell to leave me alone!
Fallen angel ripped and bruised
Think on better days
Life is rude, treats you bad
Tears your wings away
Raise your eyes to star and sky
Believe in fly aways
Take your dreams, your broken schemes
And sweep the past away
-The Angel Song
By Great White
Standing in his dressing room, Sesshomaru glowered at the mirror as he put on his costume, hating every minute of the whole thing. This was not a job he wanted, nor was it something that he liked to do. In fact, he thought being a stripper was far beneath his status as a daiyoukai, let alone something the Lord of the West would ever do. But he had no choice in the matter if he wanted to survive in this ‘modern world’. It was certainly a far sight better than other jobs he could get. Let’s face it, he thought that washing dishes or busing tables was even worse than this, far more demeaning, plus it didn’t pay as well.
Slowly, he slid into the g-string then affixed the wings to his back with a spell. This was far easier than the adhesives other strippers used. They thought he did the same but he just used a little youkai ‘magic’ and it worked like a charm nor did he have to worry about them loosening in the middle of a performance. Then, slowly, layer by layer, he pulled the white costume of a tear away tux on over it. Finally, with a practiced swirl, he draped the cape over his back, covering the wings, and hooked it. Standing up straight, he looked in the mirror, eyes narrowed, to ensure that everything was perfect. Concentrating, he let the spell slip that covered most of his demonic features, revealing them. Once his markings, fangs, ears and mokomoko were visible, he went to work with the standard makeup they had to wear, hating every second of putting the goop on. While doing this, he couldn’t help but think about how far he had fallen since the time when youkai ruled Japan, something he seemed to do every night he had to work in this place.
Just as he was putting the finishing touches on everything, the floor manager poked his head in the door and said, “Five minutes Maru!”
Cringing at that damn nickname and wanting to snarl about it, he just nodded, keeping the rest to himself while he ground his teeth. It wouldn’t do to argue with the twit. Last time he did that, he didn’t work for three weeks, not something that ended well and put him in a bad way when it came to his finances. Having learned his lesson, he chose to ignore such slights anymore, ‘going with the flow’ as ningens put it. Tossing the make-up back on the table, he gazed into the mirror, making sure that everything was in place and that his costume was straight, he then shut his eyes and tried to calm himself. When he was about as relaxed as he was going to get, he ran over the routine for the act one more time in his head, though he had it down pat by this point. It wouldn’t do to mess up. Though he may not have the status he did in the past, old habits of doing things just right so they turned out perfect still held firm. This was a job he hated with a passion he didn’t think he could ever have, but he was bound and determined to do it the right way and the best he could manage. After all, he was still Lord Sesshomaru, ruler of the Western Lands even if the humans no longer knew it.
Sighing deeply after a minute or so, he opened his eyes and gazed at his reflection once more, his golden eyes meeting those of his mirror image. Not liking what he saw in them, the emotion they held, he concentrated for a moment, letting his usual blank, stoic expression slide into place. Pleased with the change, he nodded then slipped the feathered mask over his eyes, before, with a swirl, his long, unbound, silver hair seeming to dance behind him, he turned and strode purposefully towards the door. Though this might be something he hated, he was determined to put on a good show for the females in attendance. The fact that they seemed to find him supremely attractive did, somewhat, help to soothe his battered and damaged ego. Along with that, it made it so that they tipped him handsomely, something that helped to ease the sting to his ego over what he did. In fact, from what he knew, he was the best paid performer in this club, not only in salary but tips as well. That made it easier on him. After all, getting the most coveted spot, the last of the night, and being the best proved to him and his somewhat bruised ego that he was still the best at whatever he did.
Making his way to the wings of the stage, he waited patiently while the boy they hired to sweep up their tips cleaned up after the previous performer. While doing that, he slowly tried to slip into the character of the Fallen Angel, his stage persona. Like every night he did this, he gave an ironic internal snort at the thought that a youkai would be an angel of any kind. But, because of his almost angelic looks, early on this had been suggested and it had taken hold then stuck. The irony of it was something that he still did enjoy privately since none of the humans that ran the club or any of those attending knew just what kind of being he was. It was something that he held onto to help keep his sanity at the ignominy of what he now had to do to survive.
Once more, standing there, he ran through the whole routine to assure himself he had it down pat and nothing would throw him off. He was finally drawn out of that by the DJ announcing his entrance. Stoic look firmly in place, though he cringed inwardly at what was to come, he straightened his back then slid out on the blackened stage when the first strains of Nine Inch Nails song ‘Closer’ started. It was time to get to work and earn his pay. Hopefully, tonight the tips would be good enough to make this whole nightmare worth it.
xXx
Sitting at the table right in front of the stage, a place of prominence and honor that had to be reserved well ahead of time, Kagome sipped at her drink, eyes lowered from the stage. Going to a male strip show where the men took it all off was not her idea of a fun time. Though, she had to admit, watching the reactions of the other women in the place and how they lost their mind over what they saw was more than a little funny. However, since this was Yuka’s bachelorette party she had agreed to attend. When it was suggested by Eri and Ayumi she had been appalled and vetoed the whole thing. But she was voted down so here they were.
She was older now, no longer the teenager that got embarrassed easily by the show of flesh but, sitting here, she could feel a blush staining her cheeks and that tight feeling in her gut that came with extreme embarrassment. It wasn’t for herself this time though, it was for her friends and how they were acting. Sure, all of them had ingested a couple drinks, the three of them a couple more than she had, but they were in no way drunk. They were doing it to have fun, that she knew, but she couldn’t help feeling that way. It was the same for the other women that were around them. With the way they acted, one would think they had never seen a naked man before! Sure, the guys that danced were drop-dead gorgeous, even she would admit that, but it wasn’t as if you couldn’t see such things on TV anymore or rent a movie with that in it. There was no sense in acting the fool like they were.
Sighing, she shook her head at that thought. Maybe it was her that there was something wrong with. After all, everyone was just having fun, no need to get all bent out of shape over it and pretend that it was wrong. It wasn’t as if most of them went out and did such things on a regular basis or cut loose like this all the time. What was wrong with going out and having fun like this once in a while? Nothing, as far as she could tell. Maybe the problem was with her, not them after all.
Being self-critical, she thought that might be the issue. She had always been a little ‘strange’ in areas like this. It had gotten even worse after she returned from the feudal era the last time. Inuyasha, and what had happened with him, had colored a lot of things in her life. In fact, since things ended with him, she hadn’t been involved in any kind of serious relationship with a man. Maybe he had done more damage than she thought he had? That was something that she was going to have to think about when she was alone once more. But, honestly, her mind didn’t want to go down that path again. What was done was done and best left where it was. Besides, the less she thought about Inuyasha, the better off she was. It had been ten years since that day she left, it was time to move on and forget the whole thing.
Pulled back from that still painful topic by her giggling girlfriends, she plastered a smile on her face and listened to their enthusiasm for the fun they were having. Usually, such things were infectious and she joined in but, tonight, she couldn’t quite manage it. The thoughts of the hanyou had made that all the harder. Now, she just wanted to get the night over with, go home and soak in a hot bath, then find her bed after taking something to help her sleep. But, until then, she would do her best to make it appear as though she were enjoying herself. No sense in dragging everyone else’s mood down just because she wasn’t having all that much fun.
Giggling and nudging her with her shoulder, Eri said, “Next one we’re going to make sure dances with you Kagome! You’ll have fun!”
“Yeah!” Ayumi chuckled. “Make sure that you stuff some money down the g-string and cop a good feel too! Both of you will enjoy that!”
Grinning a bit, Kagome shook her head but cringed mentally at that thought. “You guys are so bad! And there is no need to do that on my account. I’m perfectly happy to just sit here and watch all of you.”
“Oh, we figured that Kagome,” Yuka told her with a dismissive wave of her hand. “But you need to loosen up and have some fun! A good grope or two will do you a world of good. It’s time that you stop acting like a nun or something and enjoyed yourself.”
Giving an internal sigh, Kagome knew that they weren’t going to leave her alone until she started acting as if she were having as good of a time as they were. Nodding, trying to grin as if she enjoyed the thought, she said nothing.
“I hear that Fallen Angel is like the most good looking thing on two legs,” Eri gushed, giggling and blushing madly.
Nodding enthusiastically, Ayumi replied, “I’ve heard that too. My friend said he is as close to perfect as one can get.”
Their twittering picked up in pitch and volume when he was announced and the music started. Squealing in delight, the three of them stood up as the tall male with the long hair stepped out onto the stage. Looking at the performer dressed all in white, Kagome’s brow furrowed slightly. Though she couldn’t see his face, there was something about him that seemed very familiar but she wasn’t sure what it was. At first glance, she thought it was the hair since it looked silver but, in the lights that were shining on the stage, she thought that might be a trick. Beyond that, she didn’t know what it was but she couldn’t shake that feeling.
Standing, she moved up by her friends to get a better look as he started to move with the beat of the music, swaying and slowly peeling the suit off that he wore. The more she watched him, the more she was sure that she knew him from somewhere but couldn’t quite place where that was. Somewhere though, her mind kept skipping back to the feudal era and brief flashes here and there of things but she pushed those aside, thinking that it was just a trick. After all, none of the beings she knew then would still be around. She thought it might be that he reminded her of one of them was all, nothing more.
Tuning out the screaming and yelling from all the women, including her friends, she watched intently as the clothes slowly came off revealing a rock hard, muscular torso with washboard abs and big, but not overly so, arms that told of hours working out in a gym. But her eyes, as they trailed down those long limbs, lit on the stripes gracing his wrists. From where she was standing and in the stage lights they sure as heck looked magenta to her and that was something that clicked in her brain. She had most certainly seen a being with those before and not ones that were painted or tattooed them on either. However, she told herself repeatedly, this was probably a coincidence and that they were either a tattoo or make-up of some kind. There was no way that this could be him.
Focusing away from that niggling of a thought, she watched as the music reached the crescendo and he stripped everything off down to the g-string, white angel-like wings seeming to protrude from his back. Eyes raking down his body, they lit on the same kind of stripes on his hips. Warning bells started going off in her head over that. One coincidence was enough but two? She didn’t think that was possible. No, she had never seen those stripes on Sesshomaru personally, but she heard Inuyasha tell that he had them.
Shivering slightly, not really sure why, she lifted her eyes to his face, wondering if he would take off the mask. All of a sudden, the noise around her seemed to fade into the background and mute slightly as her mind whirled and jumped around over what she was thinking. Rationally, she did chide her imagination, and reminded herself that it just wasn’t possible, that there was no way it was him, but she couldn’t help but think it was. Staring intently at his face, trying to picture him without the mask, she focused slightly, trying to see if she could pick up any kind of demonic aura from him. As she well knew, Sesshomaru’s aura was powerful and distinctive. Even now, so many years after the fact, she could remember what it felt like dancing over her skin.
A cold sweat trickled down her spine and her skin prickled when she felt it. Though it was faint, there was a demonic aura there and it was the same one that she had felt so many times in the past. Eyes focusing on his, she gulped audibly, though it was lost in the crowd’s noise, when she saw they were golden. Not hazel or other colors that looked gold in some lights, but true gold. There were only two beings in the world she knew with eyes like that and she knew this wasn’t Inuyasha. With bated breath, she waited to see if the mask would come off.
Honestly, part of her wanted to know if it was him or not but another part told her to get the hell out of there then never look back. That side was panicking, telling her nothing good would come of it if it was him and would unleash all kinds of memories that she thought she had locked away long ago. But, really, she didn’t think that she could force herself to leave now even if she truly wanted to. She had to know.
Finally, when the music reached where it was all instrumental, Kagome about swallowed her own tongue and fainted because that is when the mask came off and there was no doubt left that it was Sesshomaru. The angelic look, the stripes, the stony face, the crescent moon, all of it was there, not to mention how he looked so close to Inuyasha that there was no way it couldn’t be him. Standing there, unable to move, staring at him, she didn’t press back like she had before when he jumped off the stage and started to make his rounds like the other dancers had. All she could do was stare at him, not believing what she was seeing.
xXx
Keeping his eyes off all the females and ensuring that he didn’t lock gazes with any of them, Sesshomaru performed flawlessly as he always did, concentrating on what he was doing. That was the only way he had found that he could make it through these nights without having problems. Sure, he knew when he made his way into the crowd that he would be fondled and groped by many hands but he had learned to ignore that. He just made sure that no lingering eye contact was made. Long ago, he had learned that some onnas took that as a sign that he might want to do something else later on and he had the misfortune of meeting up with them after the show. That never ended well and he didn’t want repeat performances of any of those encounters. It was best to do his thing, give a few of those in the audience a thrill then be done with it. He could then go home and relax until the next night.
After the mask came off, it was time to mingle in the sea of female flesh. Though he hated this part, he knew it was something that had to be done. After all, this is when he got the best tips and made the most money. That, after all, was the whole reason he debased himself by doing such a thing. Using centuries of honed instincts, he tried to pick the females out of the crowd nearest the stage that wouldn’t be the ones that caused him big problems or be overly free with their hands like some were. Sure, all of them would end up with their hand stuck down the front of that flimsy piece of cloth that barely covered him but there was a difference. Some, the kind he was looking for, would just brush against his flesh and not linger. Others, he learned, had no problem grabbing hold and not wanting to let go. That he didn’t like as some of the other performers did. It was hard enough doing this that he didn’t need some female that was bound and determined to see if it wasn’t her mission to try to coax an erection out of him. It was those that he wanted to use his youkai whip on. But, after this amount of time, he had learned to avoid those types. Now he was searching for the ones that do that to bump and grind against until it was time to get back on stage.
After finding a couple that he gave a cheap thrill to, earning himself quite a bit of cash in the process, he looked for the last one of the night before it was time for the finale when the g-string came off. Seeing one standing with what appeared to be her friends, he moved in that direction. She seemed, from what he was seeing, to be the more shy, reserved type, not acting like the others did. In fact, she was quiet, watching him in a more studious way than one would that was enjoying the spectacle. Perfect for what he wanted.
Moving through the mass of female flesh, he found himself in front of her. Grabbing her around the waist, he pulled her close and ground against her. As usual, he felt her fingers in the g-string, tucking in a bill of some kind while her friends squealed excitedly but there was something wrong. Instead of going with the flow as most did, she stiffened up. Burying his nose in the nape of her neck like he did all the others, he ground against her, assuming that she was just nervous. But, when he did that, a smell he remembered from long ago filled his nose, making his eyes fly wide open.
Concentrating as he ground against her, he then felt it; miko powers dancing against his skin. Though he had felt many of those kinds in the past, none were quite as strong as what he was feeling now. It seemed that this onna had learned to control them so that he hadn’t noticed before but only could detect them once he was close to her. Like youkai, miko’s each had a distinctive power signature that you could detect if you knew what you were doing. And he was a being that most certainly knew how to do that. This was a power signature he knew well, having encountered it enough times in the past to easily recognize it. The thought of who this could be made him stiffen up and his mind race. His next thought on the topic was that he hoped like hell he was wrong because he didn’t want anyone he knew, especially someone like her, to see him doing something like this.
Though he knew that he shouldn’t look, so there would always be a doubt in his mind, he couldn’t stop himself. Pulling away, still holding her to him so that no one around them could detect anything out of the ordinary, he looked down at the thin, slight onna in his arms.
At first, her head was lowered and all he could see was a mass of wavy raven hair. But then she lifted her head and looked at him. Almost instantly, their eyes met and he had to fight to keep his passive mask in place for the first time in many years.
xXx
When she felt him wrap around her then start to grind, Kagome gulped loudly and stiffened up. Though she had the wherewithal to tuck money in the g-string like anyone else would, fingers shaking badly, she couldn’t seem to loosen up and act like others would. Nor did she do what most did, stuff it down the front. There was no way in hell that she could force herself to do that.
Then, when she felt his nose against her neck, she also felt another reaction from him as well. It was then that she was sure he realized who she was because he took a long, deep sniff like Inuyasha had done so many times to get as much of a smell in as he possibly could. That was something she didn’t want. At this point, she was all for getting the hell out of this place and never coming back so there was no chance of seeing him ever again. That was better for both of them and would minimize any embarrassment on either of their ends, something she knew was going to come to pass. From her perspective, she didn’t want to meet up with a being that there had been so many issues with in the past. And, knowing him the way she did, she was sure that he didn’t want anyone he knew to see him doing something like this. So, a hasty retreat on her part was going to be the best thing for all parties involved in this debacle.
When she felt him pull away slightly, she hoped that he would back off then move along. But he didn’t. Knowing that he wasn’t about to do something like that until he knew for sure, she gave an internal resigned sigh. Slowly, she lifted her head and looked at him. Though she tried very hard to keep her face from showing too much, she knew it had failed. When their eyes locked, there was no doubt in her mind left as to who this was. Unable to stop herself, she whispered, “Sesshomaru….”