Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Walks at Midnight
By : Henrietta
Category: InuYasha > General
Views: 4163 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.
Chapter List
- 1-Walks at Midnight
- 2-Whiskey
- 3-Blood
- 4-Swamp
- 5-The Girl
- 6-Bugs
- 7-Poetry
- 8-Braids
- 9-Dead Man Walking
- 10-Trouble
- 11-News
- 12-The Wind
- 13-Plans
- 14-Vengeance
- 15-Cleaning up
- 16-Souls
- 17-For Erin
- 18-Alive again
- 19-The Search
- 17
- 18
- 19
Disclaimer: I don�t own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

Chapter 18:

Erin stretched her arms out to her sides and began to spin around in lazy circles. Each turn she sped up a little, lending to the dizzy feeling she enjoyed so much. The breeze that her spinning created ruffled her hair, giving the sensation of someone's fingers running through her hair.

She had been playing a lonely game of hop-scotch, using the chalk marks left behind by the other neighborhood children. Childhood nostalgia had kicked in at some point and she had begun to remember just how much pleasure it had given her to do simple, innocent things such as skipping, picking flowers, and, of course, spinning in place. As a young girl, she had loved the disoriented feeling that it gave her, spinning until the numbing dizziness overtook her and sent her reeling to the ground. Lying there afterwards was the best feeling, since, despite her immobility, everything still appeared to be spinning crazily around her. The only time she was able to duplicate this disoriented feeling was to indulge in the occasional illegal substance or pills she pilfered from her sister�s stash.

Or, she could spin. So now she acted on those childish impulses, enjoying the temporary escape from the more complicated life of a young teenager. No one was around to see her acting so childishly, at least as far as she knew, so she continued her spiraling dance until she began to stumble dizzily. She giggled and reached out her arms to catch her balance on a nearby oak. The bark was rough but cool beneath her fingers, and she experimented with digging her nails into the wood. She only succeeded in breaking one of her nails.

�Fuck!�

Erin was in the process of lazily shoving herself back from the tree to examine the damage to her nails when she heard the shrill laughter. She whipped her head to and fro, trying to locate the source of the sound.

�I�m over here, you,� Fortune called out as he stepped out of the shadows.

�How long have you been standing there?� She groaned. She should have known better than to try to get anything past either of those two.

�Long enough,� he paused here, smirking, �I thought only little girls engaged in such childish play. How old are you really? Nine or Ten? You really had me fooled.�

Ignoring his ridiculous insinuation, Erin did not miss a beat and lobbed a question right back at him. �How about you explain to me exactly why were you spying? What were you trying to do, catch me picking my nose or something?�

�Oh, I�ve already seen you doing that plenty of times, you ill-mannered guttersnipe!� Fortune could not resist the opportunity for a little abusive banter. 'Why did people insist on leaving themselves wide open for insults? It made things almost too easy.' �Anyway, I wasn�t spying. I just walked up and was in a state of shock to see you spinning around like a maniac. I was worried that you�d been possessed by the devil for a moment there. I had forgotten, however, that both you and the youkai are singularly touched in the head.�

�No you didn�t just�� Erin had been about to offer a fitting retort when Sesshoumaru�s rich monotone interrupted their exchange, startling Erin. He seemed to materialize out of the air directly behind the vampire. Fortune did not flinch, but Erin suspected that he was also surprised due to the subtle shift in his expression from amused to irritated.

�You missed the show. Erin was dancing burlesque. I think she was about to her version of a stripper pole dance with that tree over there.� Fortune gestured towards the oak tree with a wink. Sesshoumaru cocked an eyebrow questioningly at Erin.

�No I was not, Sesshoumaru, I was just spinning!� Erin looked at the two of them in horror.

�Spinning,� the youkai repeated, seeming neither interested nor disinterested. Despite this impassivity, Erin still felt the need to defend herself, �You know, spinning, like little girls do when they are bored.� She realized that now she sounded completely childish. �Um, I was bored and I remembered doing it and wanted to see if it was still fun.� Well, this is awkward. I sound like a retard.

The two males stood there, silently regarding her for a moment. Sesshoumaru finally spoke up, �Yes, I recall Rin doing similar things,� he paused a moment, as if looking for the correct way to phrase his next words, �when she was very young.�

Fortune stared at the youkai. Leave it to him to turn a humorous situation into something dull.

Erin had already turned and was making her way towards Fortune�s home, but Sesshoumaru did not turn to follow her quite yet. Instead, he moved to stand closer to Fortune.

�Do you feel them?� His voice was low, almost a whisper.

�By them, I assume you mean the others. Of course I can feel them. They are likely poking about again, or hunting prey. Don�t pay them any mind. They will not approach me, not after last time.�

�I assume you mean that you ran them off?�

�Not so much as that� I don�t really want to go into that now.�

�Hn.� Sesshoumaru turned away in the direction Erin had departed. �Does even your own kind avoid you, as aversive and repulsive a creature as you are?�

�If I am so repulsive, why are you here? Is it because everyone else finds your company too tedious, perhaps?�

Sesshoumaru snorted, �You are losing your touch, Fortune. Your insults are losing their bite.�

�Everyone has their off days.� Fortune lowered his eyes in uncharacteristic melancholy, causing the shadows from the streetlight to lend his eyes a hooded appearance.

Sesshoumaru looked back towards the vampire for a moment, perplexed. Is Fortune uneasy about something? But what? He has been slipping more and more into these odd moods lately. He had noticed a subtle difference in the vampire ever since their last fight when he had found Fortune feeding off Erin. His smell, for one thing, had altered slightly from his decidedly blank scent tinged with grave stink. Now and then, Sesshoumaru could swear that he caught a whiff of a vital, living scent coming off of the vampire. At first, he had chalked it up to the scent of his victims rubbing off on his clothing and skin, but after closer inspection, he could no longer escape the fact that the scent was in some way decidedly �Fortune�.

Lost in thought though he was, he did not miss Fortune�s amused expression as he glanced up again and caught the youkai staring at him, a smirk spreading across his face erasing any lingering shadows there. This expression suits the vampire more than his previous melancholy, Sesshoumaru thought, some might even consider him striking.

�I know that I�m good-looking but you look silly ogling me with your tongue hanging out of your mouth like�.�

�You will not continue along that line of thought,� Sesshoumaru interjected sharply. Despite his sharp tone, he was happy to go along with the vampire�s taunts for now. If it served to draw Fortune out of his pensive mood, this was certainly preferable to the aberrant brooding.

�Why? Does it give you a funny little warm feeling down�?�

Sesshoumaru interrupted him again, �Let me further clarify that statement. I think you mean a nauseous feeling.�

�Love sick, are we?�

�If anyone would be suffering from such a malady, it would be you, since I am obliviously the more attractive male.�

�Getting a bit sassy, are we, Sessh?�

Sesshoumaru said nothing, but ran his claws through an errant lock of silver hair, tossing it into place over his shoulder.

�Is that your answer, you have better hair?� Fortune squinted an eye at the youkai and leaned forward, �Do you know what your problem is, Sesshoumaru?�

�I�m certain you will be more than happy to enlighten me.�

�You are far too self-absorbed and conceited to be interested in anyone else. Am I correct?�

His only answer was the same neutral expression that Sesshoumaru normally wore.

�No one can live up to your standards, so you prefer to be alone, is that it?�

�It is true, Fortune. My standards are quite high. I realize that might seem strange to such a putrid excuse for a sentient being as yourself, your own standards being woefully low.�

�Is that so? Well, at least my so-called low preferences allow me to show interest in someone other than myself. You have likely never found another attractive in your entire existence, unless it was your own reflection in a mirror. Thus, I come to conclusion that you, my narcissistic friend, are obviously still a virgin. A 1000 year old virgin to be exact.�

He could not be certain, but it seemed as if one of Sesshoumaru�s eyebrows twitched at his statement.

�I have lived well over 1,000 years, and I am most certainly not a stranger to carnal pleasures.�

�You are referring to masturbating, no doubt,� Fortune was having trouble keeping a straight face after this statement, but after a brief inner struggle, he found the resolve to continue without bursting into laughter. �If so, keep that information to yourself, if you please. I don�t want to hear anymore.� Fortune waved his hands wildly in front of his face as if trying to fend off unpleasant thoughts.

�No,� Sesshoumaru spit out through gritted teeth, he couldn�t believe he had allowed conversation to get to this point in a misguided attempt to �cheer up� the vampire. This was becoming utterly shameful. Leave it to Fortune to take things too far given any leeway.

In order to add emphasis to his next statement, Sesshoumaru gave him a satisfied little smirk before continuing, � I have had countless relations with a sexual partner, or more than one partner if I felt the need for additional entertainment.�

�Easy there, stud. So now it�s becoming all too clear. I am impressed with your boasts regarding your sexual exploits and I must apologize for insinuating otherwise.� Fortune lowered his eyes in a poorly contrived attempt to look penitent before continuing, �However, when you factor in your advanced years, I must say that you are purely and simply an old pervert, Sesshoumaru, or at least a dirty old man.�

Sesshoumaru, at last gave Fortune the smallest of smiles. The vampire had redeemed himself. He had actually found the last taunt surprisingly funny.

Fortune, in turn, was shocked to have gotten a visible reaction out of the youkai and shook his head, wondering if perhaps he were delusional. He felt somehow that his many attempts at taunting the youkai were in some way nullified by this final triumph. He was thrilled to have elicited a response, an actual honest-to-god expression change from the ice prince.

Fortune smirked even more broadly at the realization, leading Sesshoumaru to believe that his pensive mood must have disappeared. And this was indeed true, in some sense. The vampire pushed his recent concerns to the back of his mind and the two began to walk in the direction which Erin had departed. But he had been feeling rather odd of late. It had begun shortly after the fight with the youkai over Erin. And he suspected that it all had to do with his feeding again off of the youkai�s blood. After the fact, he had become moody and restless, ruminating more on the past � his relatives, Emma, his home � as well as the events of the present time. He had also been obsessing about that damn girl Erin. She was in and out of his thoughts with a predictable regularity. Mainly, it was anytime he was feeling bored, which was often, that he would think of her.

What is she doing now? What is she thinking about when she gives me that sidelong look of hers? I noticed that she doesn�t have food on her shirt tonight. Her lips are her most striking feature, other than her eyes. I wonder if they get their pink fullness from her mother or father. Are they as soft and smooth as they look? What would it feel like to touch her face, to cup her cheek and watch her eyes soften? What would it feel like to be loved by her? What would it feel like to drain her blood and kill her?

His thoughts of her ranged from pleasantly curious to violent. There was no denying his growing fondness for her, if one could call it that. However, sometimes he did wish to kill her, if only just to banish her from his thoughts. True, her memory would haunt him, her ghost would never truly leave him alone. But, as with Emma, killing her might give him back some measure of control of his own thoughts and errant emotions. Putting her out of reach in the ultimate sense was one sure way to quell his growing obsession.

Yet he would not do this. Not only would it anger the youkai, his newfound, if somewhat chilly companion, but it would destroy the lovely relief from boredom the happy threesome provided for all. So he was left to deal with and struggle to dampen his own obsessive nature.

And then there were the other, more concrete changes.

Since the fight, he had been left with an increasing amount of human-like urges and feelings. It all began with the uncharacteristic brooding. Almost a week prior, he had stood in front of his home musing on the past and his inability to feel the humanity and life which he had admired in his once active old home. But those very stirrings of feeling and regret had been only the beginning. He had thought them the product of simple restlessness, but he was increasingly feeling stronger and more potent emotions towards those around him and his own actions. For a time he had ignored it, disbelieved it, but now he had to admit that for some unknown reason his feelings of regret, guilt, and even sadness had began to filter back into his motivations and thoughts. These were things he had always associated with his formerly human existence and had imagined that he had left behind long ago.

He had always been a passion-seeking creature, even in his human days. But the passing of too many years had seen to it that the days of intense passion were long gone. Or so he thought. His baser emotions seemed to have intensified as well � much to his delight, inciting his urges to seek pleasure for its own sake. They were not necessarily the most innocent or decent of urges either. He killed. He was a vampire. So it was understandable that he would channel some of this newfound awakening into taking a victim or two. Ever since he had taken the redhead, and lifted her ring for Erin, 'or actually it had been such a nice shade of auburn, hadn�t it,' he had found an unusually keen pleasure in killing, or in drinking the blood of his victims.

Then there were the physical changes. Yes, after centuries of unchanging, unaltered perfect flesh, these slight changes were coming as quite a shock. He had acquired an enhanced sense of smell, and some mild ability to tolerate bright lights and sudden changes in lighting, which had always bothered him before. It was nothing earth shattering, he was not safe in daylight. However, some of the light which filtered in through the cracks of his daytime resting area was not nearly so harsh and painful to be near. It was as if he were becoming ever so slightly human again. But he knew better than to believe there would be some dramatic reversal of transformation.

One thought that had crossed his mind was regarding Sesshoumaru�s claws. If there were to be changes, he at least wished to have a pair of those lovely claws. Sesshoumaru�s long fingers looked positively elegant accented by their sharp tips. Fortune looked down at his own blunt fingernails and sighed. Perhaps, if there should be another occasion to drink more of the youkai�s blood, his own nails might grow and become as sharp and beautiful as the youkai�s. Fortune experimentally curled his fingers and slashed at the air.

At his side, Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at this inexplicable behavior.

�I was only pretending,� Fortune offered in answer to his questioning look.

Sesshoumaru decided that he didn�t want to know anything further about this strange behavior and turned away.

And he felt stirrings� he had actually achieved an erection once or twice during several of his feedings. The first time he had been so shocked that he pulled off and away from his victim, who lay their stunned before quickly scrambling away. Staring down, all he could think of was, What the fuck! I have a hard-on? After a few seconds, he recovered his composure and went in search of his wayward victim.

He felt as if he were traversing the years of puberty, again, with the same awkwardness, but no pimples this time. Perhaps they�ll be next. He giggled audibly at the thought.

It must have been the blood. The youkai blood was having some sort of strange affect on his body. Was it trying to take him over? Perhaps morph him into a youkai form? Since he had no basis for comparison, he could only speculate that many of the strange changes seemed vaguely human-like. Was that what it was like to be a youkai? Was it so similar to being a human in that regard? Sesshoumaru always seemed so cold, so untouched by the world around him. Was he really just a seething ball of nerves like everyone else? Fortune stole a glance at the youkai�s impassive face and decided that this was not likely. However, youkai obviously did feel passion and anger and some other very human-like things. Sesshoumaru had described such things to him, and he had witnessed his occasional lapse as well, usually when angered.

'Would these affects fade soon? If he drank more, would he begin to feel even more human?'

It was powerful blood indeed.

His thoughts turned once again to Erin. 'There she was, in his thoughts again.' He snickered at a memory from the subsequent evening. He felt as if there were a new, tenuous bond between them and all it had taken was a little time alone, as well as a little alcohol, and the two of them had begun teaming up against the youkai.

As a result of their little adventure in inebriation, Erin had reputably gotten into a bit of a fray with her older sister. Sesshoumaru had mentioned that Erin looked a lot like her older sister, though he doubted it were possible for Erin to look so enrage.

The events of the previous evening came flooding back to him�

--------------

�Fortune, do you have anything to drink?�

�Nope.�

Erin was irritated at his blithe dismissal, �Well I know that you have water. Water is a drink, after all.�

�I do? Thank you for explaining that to me. And to think, you attended public school,� Fortune responded sarcastically.

�Okay,� Erin drawled out, �now you sound like this real geek who sits beside me in Computer Discovery.�

�It sounds like a fitting description of Fortune,� Sesshoumaru added, �after all, he is quite juvenile.� The three of them were sitting in the parlor, as was their custom of late. It was early evening and Erin had just arrived to find the two of them lounging casually. Neither was speaking. She wondered if they even talked to one another at all before she arrived in the evenings. Once she arrived, at any rate, the evenings were filled with teasing, silly taunts and oftentimes pointless, yet stimulating, discussions about a variety of topics. At times, Erin found her head spinning at the quick flow of the conversation from topic to topic. Sesshoumaru and Fortune would discuss the strangest things, Fortune often getting heated about the topic while Sesshoumaru simply sat there as placidly as ever. His face reminded her of the calm surface of a pool of water, cool and blank, but once in awhile, if she watched carefully, she might see a ripple or two in its surface during their conversations�the fractional narrowing of his strange golden eyes, a tightness around his mouth, or the slight pursing of his perfectly shaped lips. Once, while the two were heatedly debating, or rather Fortune was heated, whether the revolutionary ideas of the Impressionist painters could be called truly original, she had been watching Sesshoumaru�s face so intently that she almost gasped in surprise when she suddenly found his eyes looking directly into her own. His gaze remained fixed on hers and, though a bit unnerving, she took this opportunity to study them closely. She noted that there were tiny flecks of a darker, burnished gold around the pupils. His thick lashes and the red tint of his lids only served to accentuate this amazing color. She could easily get lost in those eyes.

His eyes narrowed and became more intense. They seemed to burn coldly and his pupils dilated into narrow slits. She realized for the first time how very inhuman they appeared. It was as if it were an animal, rather than a sentient being, staring back at her. The yellow gold, which had before seemed so coldly beautiful, now seemed menacing and strange. She was mesmerized, unable to avert her eyes. She felt rooted to the spot and a cold chill worked its way down to the base of her spine. Fear rose in her gut, the type of fear only felt upon awakening suddenly in the middle of the night, when you lie there, struggling with the dread of nameless terrors, trying desperately to get a firm grasp on the reason that has somehow been carefully wiped clean from your mind. The something in his eyes that she instinctively recognized now terrified her more because it had replaced the familiar. She desired only to bolt up out of her chair and run away from those eyes in terror.

Sensing her rising fear, Sesshoumaru�s eyes softened marginally, �Erin, you have nothing to fear.�

Her eyes widened at the statement, feeling suddenly ashamed for her fearful reaction. She waited for him to continue, but he only looked away once she visibly relaxed.

Just that, only that. He was not interested in discovering the source of her terror, or perhaps he already knew.

No, she would not be afraid. He looked after her. He cared for her. Shaking off any remnants of the dark thoughts, she decided that any strange fears must have been the product of her overactive imagination.

�You may go to the kitchen if you are thirsty,� Fortune�s amiable voice cut through her dark thoughts.

�What?�

�You said you were thirsty.�

�Oh, yeah, sure thanks.� Erin stood up, �But, where is the kitchen exactly?�

�Outside, behind the house.�

Erin looked at him wonderingly.

�And there is the second, modern kitchen that was added down the hallway to the end and to the left.�

Erin was relieved to hear this. She didn�t wish to venture out in the dark alone.

When she found the kitchen, her strange fears forgotten, she began fumbling around for the light, jerking her hand back once or twice as her fingertips came into contact with something soft and fine. Spider webs. Well this is the home of a vampire after all. I�m lucky he doesn�t have bats or something creepy like that. Finally she found the light and scanned the kitchen. The main color scheme was a sickening avocado green that you see in homes that have not been updated since the 1950s or 60s. Green countertop, green appliances, dark, checkerboard linoleum flooring�it all reminded Erin of her own kitchen. The decor struck her as funny since she had been expecting something more lavish, or at least less ordinary. As usual, there was dust, but there were also thick cobwebs everywhere. Cobwebs had gathered in corners, in windowsills, and completely obscured a metal hanging light fixture. She reached up and gently prodded the mass of spider webs covering the light fixture. It was soft to the touch, but held firm. Fortune must not have been in here in ages. I suppose there is no reason for him to come here.

Curious as to what the vampire would possibly keep in a kitchen, since he had not need for food, Erin began to explore. She tugged the first drawer open and it protested with a series of noisy squeaks. Inside, she found a set of badly tarnished silverware, along with a small, black spider which scurried through a crack in the drawer�s corner. After a thorough inspection, Erin discovered that, though sparsely stocked, the kitchen held all the necessary implements needed to sustain oneself, but only if you were a human. This made Erin curious as to who could have stocked this kitchen with pots and pans, dishes, glassware and miscellanea. Surely not Fortune, for what reason would he have had to do this. Had this all been organized by a human friend? It was strange to imagine someone, a woman most likely, making herself at home and domestic here. Had she possibly been Fortune�s girlfriend? Did vampires even have such things?

Her interest was redirected when she found the stash of liquor in the cabinet of the wet bar, complete with cobweb d�cor, of course. A smile spread across Erin�s face as she pulled out a bottle of whiskey, trailing web tendrils as she retrieved it from its resting place. She forced open the bottle and breathed in the sickly sweet aroma.

She almost panicked when she happened to glance up and found Fortune leaning against the wet bar, smiling.

Trying hard not to appear flustered, Erin asked the first question which came to mind, �Why are these bottles so dusty, Fortune?�

�I haven�t been in this part of the house in decades, that�s why.�

�Oh,� was all she could manage. She screwed the top back on and tried her best not to appear sheepish at being caught in the liquor cabinet. It was not as if he is my father or anything.

�You may have some if you like.�

Erin nodded, still concentrating on appearing unflustered, �Thanks,� she answered and unscrewed the cap again and took one long swig directly from the bottle. She didn�t feel like bothering with a dust-covered drinking glass. A warm feeling quickly followed the path of the whiskey through her chest and settled in her stomach. She felt instantly more relaxed. Even so, she wished that Fortune would stop staring at her. Lately it seemed like she was being frequently scrutinized by either the vampire or the youkai and it was giving her the creeps. This reminded her of how strange Sesshoumaru�s eyes had appeared tonight. Somehow she did not think it was any difference in him, but more that she had never tried to see that side of him, or perhaps she had never wished to see it. As enamored as she had become of him after he had helped her, and as he was so very beautiful, she often overlooked the fact that he was no ordinary human.

Taking another draught from the bottle, she attempted to imagine what exactly it was that made him different from her. Did he think differently, feel differently? Did he even feel? She had a difficult time wrapping her mind around this question and finally gave up. �Where is Sesshoumaru?�

�He�s gone out.�

�What did you say,� Erin asked in disbelief.

�Now I know that alcohol addles the brain, but it should not affect your hearing.�

�Come on Fortune, you know what I meant. It�s strange that he�s gone out. He�s always here with us.�

�Perhaps he thought we might like a little,� he paused here and gave her an exaggerated wink, �privacy.�

Erin snickered at his teasing. �Okay, what�s the real reason, Fortune.�

Fortune was not about to tell her the truth. He had already been warned against it by the youkai. Sesshoumaru had sensed several non-humans in the area near to the home and he wanted to investigate. Fortune was not concerned, however, even though it was unusual. He had no reason to fear other vampires, but he supposed the youkai�s canine instincts would not allow him to let the �intruders� be.

�That was the real reason, now drink up, you little lush. Let�s get all silly and drunk.�

�You mean let me get silly and drunk.�

�Don�t worry. It will not be a huge leap for me to act shamefully ridiculous even without the aid of legalized drugs. Now, why don�t we gossip a little about Sesshoumaru while we have the chance?�

Erin giggled and took another drink from the bottle, but a smaller one this time. She did not want to get too far gone with only Fortune for company. Not that I do not trust him... well, actually, no, I really do not trust him.

Watching Erin laughing and drinking merrily in his kitchen, or rather Emma�s little kitchen space that she had created, reminded him that he had not had entertained anyone here since her death. He felt a twinge of regret. Regret, was it regret that he felt? Strangely enough, it seemed that his remorse over her loss, or rather his taking her life, had become increasingly unpleasant as of late. Why this was so, he did not know the answer, but certainly it had something to do with his new companions. Sesshoumaru�s blood and Erin�s uniquely human perspective were causing his emotions to become tied into all sorts of painful knots. But it was not so unpleasant. They reminded him of what had been missing in his life since Emma�s death. He smiled at a memory of the first time she had attempted to invite friends over for cocktails.

�I simply do not believe this bullshit Khrushchev is blabbering about the end of the Cold War. Just because Stalin is dead does not change the fact that the whole Soviet Union is full of bloodthirsty Slavs intent on our destruction.�

Fortune watched, fascinated, as the sweating, pudgy man mopped his brow and neck with his kerchief before continuing. �They hate us and our freedom. They�re barbaric, that�s what they are, barbaric and bloodthirsty,� he said in his slow drawl.

'What an idiot,' Fortune thought.

Fortune wondered how the man allowed himself to get so excited over a silly political opinion which Emma had expressed, and also how he could possibly repeat the same statement over and over for ten minutes without seeming to realize it. Is this what modern humans enjoyed discussing nowadays? Nonexistent threats to their precious freedom? He looked over at Emma, who�s tightlipped expression indicated that she was annoyed with the pudgy man�s (he could not recall his name) blunt dismissal of her comment that perhaps relations between the two countries were improving.

Fortune decided that a little help was in order.

�Bloodthirsty, you say,� six pairs of eager eyes turned immediately to Fortune. He had remained quiet during the previous conversations. They were all quite curious about him due to Emma�s recent infatuation with this mysterious figure with his strange, yet undeniably handsome, features. As the guests trained their eyes on him, he could not help feeling like a fox in the henhouse. Each of the guests was just arrogant or dull enough to make him wish he could kill them merely to be rid of their presence. He smiled at this thought and continued, �I personally know a couple of Slavs and I have found them to be no more bloodthirsty than myself.� Emma kicked him hard under the table, causing Fortune to smirk back at her.

�Fortune,� the woman to his right asked, placing her had on top of his, in what he supposed, was meant as a friendly gesture, �tell me about your family. They are from this part of New Orleans, surely, this house...�

�This house belonged to my Aunt Charlotte Dubois,� Fortune interrupted before he was overwhelmed with questions, �however, I am a Lecomte.�

Everyone was silent for a moment. They seemed to be collectively holding their breath. Finally, the woman spoke again, �Fortune, you certainly don�t look Creole. You are so very pale. I was wondering if perhaps you had been ill.�

�Oh, no, that�s not the same Lecomte family,� Emma interjected, �Fortune�s family is not originally from New Orleans.�

�But where...�

�Let�s move to the parlor, shall we. Who�s up for a game of �Boo-ray�?�

�Count me in,� the woman�s husband piped in, and everyone was soon crowding down the hallway towards the front room. Emma was always like that�perfectly mannered, yet able to rule whatever crowd she found herself in. For the rest of the evening, Fortune sat back and watched the four of them play and listened to the incessant chatter, claiming he was tired from his �illness� and thus chose not to participate in the lively game.

Later that week, the pudgy man was found dead in his room. Emma was very careful whom she invited to the house after that.

-----------

By the time that Sesshoumaru arrived, having been satisfied there was no immediate threat, Erin and Fortune were giggling inanely and appeared to have formed some secret �club� between the two of them that did not include himself. This was not unprecedented. Watching the two of them giving one another conspiratory glances and mouthing some sort of apparently hilarious comments back and forth reminded him of the time that he had left Jaken and Rin alone together during teenage years for an extended period. Not simply days, but for several months. They had giggled and smirked in a similar fashion, as if their time together had bonded them, muddling their brains and making each one into a tittering imbecile.

And on top of that, Erin appeared to be drunk. �I see that you two have found no lack of ways to amuse yourselves during my absence.�

This set the two of them into another fit of giggles. The sound of Erin�s girlish titters and Fortune�s high-pitched cackles were beginning to grate on his nerves.

Just as suddenly as they had started, the two of them stopped and attempted to feign a neutral expression. This feat seemed most difficult for Fortune, who kept grimacing and hiccupping, failing miserably in his attempt to stifle his laughter.

�Fortune, could you please bring me my purse, I left it in the parlor, please, pretty please with a cherry on top,� Erin asked in a wheedling tone that Sesshoumaru had not heard her use before.

�At your service, my dear one,� Fortune made a sweeping gesture, ruffling Sesshoumaru�s hair in the process, and departed, he assumed, for the parlor. He returned quickly and brushed past Sesshoumaru once again.

Why is the vampire insisting on invading his personal space this evening, he wondered suspiciously. His suspicions increased tenfold when he Erin and Fortune erupted in uproarious laughter. This inexplicable laughter was getting on his last nerves. Erin glanced up at him briefly, trying admirably to contain her laughter, but her shoulders began to tremble violently and she fell to the floor, gasping for breath, her laughter bordering on hysterics. Her fall caused Fortune to erupt into renewed peels of laughter, his high-pitched screech reminding Sesshoumaru of a monkey�s cry.

Tears were now streaming down Erin�s face and she wiped them away with the edge of her sleeve, her laughter subsiding enough to make an attempt at speech, �You have a." *snort*... her attempts elicited more hearty peels of laughter from Fortune�s direction, �A... a,�

�Don�t tell him Erin.�

�No, I have to. It�s just too mean.�

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru felt it. He felt the fluttering of something against his hair and clothing. With lightning speed, he whipped his hand around and brushed at his hair, fearing the worst. A cockroach! He shook his hair, violently mussing his hair in attempt to dislodge the offending object. He failed to notice that Fortune also fell to the floor at this point, gripping his sides and rolling around laughing idiotically.

Finally, he grasped the offending object in his hand and, with a flood of relief, he realized it was only a piece of paper. Another piece fluttered the ground and he snatched that one up as well. Smoothing out the two pieces of paper, both backed with several pieces of scotch tape, he read the words scrawled across them in utter disbelief;

Kick me! The first sign was ridiculous and the next was worse, much worse.

I think Fortune is a Sex God!

He said nothing. He simply gave the two conspirators a scathing look and turned and walked away.

As he proceeded down the hallway, he could still hear their laughter echoing out from the kitchen. Their immature signs were not so uproarious that their guffawing should be heard by all the neighbors, he thought, affronted.

These silly games are all so terribly unoriginal and childish, but what less could he expect from Fortune and one very drunk teenager?' As he was reminded of Erin�s precarious state, he removed his hand from the front door knob and turned in the direction in the parlor. It might not be a wise choice to leave Erin alone in Fortune�s care, ridiculous sign or no sign.

--------------------

Erin awoke the next day curled into an uncomfortable position on the settee. Without opening her eyes, she mentally assessed her current situation. Even though she was lying as still as possible, her stomach seemed to be flip-flopping under her shirt, threatening to relocate its contents. Her throat felt dry and gravelly. The muscles in her legs were bunched into tight little balls. Tentatively, she stretched her legs outwards, which made them feel marginally better. Next, she experimented with opening her eyes. The late morning�s sunlight was streaming through the tall windows and she immediately closed them again, covering them with her palms for good measure.

Sunlight hurt. She would have to remember this new phenomenon if she ever got drunk again, which she did not feel was very likely at the moment. Ugh. Her stomach was still not cooperating. Perhaps it would help to walk it off? Not finding this option very appealing at the moment, she lay back against the pillow of the settee with her feet dangling languidly to the floor and tried to fall asleep again. Perhaps she would feel better in a few hours, or days, or never.

After only a few minutes Erin found the energy to sit up, vigorously rubbing her tired eyes. There was a now a new feeling of panic growing in her belly which had nothing to do with alcohol.

My sister is going to kill me! I am so dead!

Forcing her eyes to focus, Erin looked up to find Sesshoumaru standing over her, his eyes glowing a pale yellow in the morning light. �Are you feeling well,� he asked.

She scowled and stifled a curt response, not wanting to inflict her foul mood on the youkai, and instead shook her head.

�Can you walk?�

In response, Erin stood up, steadying herself with his outstretched hand.

�I�ve got to get home. My sister,� Erin managed in a croaking voice.

�Come then. I will assist you.�

Erin stumbled towards the door, hoping that she would not vomit all over Fortune�s furnishings, Sesshoumaru�s beautiful hair, and herself before she could make it to the door.

She had taken on a few steps when she looked up to see Sesshoumaru was blocking her way. 'That guy is way too fast, especially this morning.' She noticed that he was holding something towards her.

�I think this is yours,� he said distastefully

�What is that?� Erin stared at the crumpled cloth in his hands dumbly, swaying a little.

�Your shirt,� he answered simply and let it fall to the floor.

Erin felt a brief rush of panic, believing for a moment that she must be standing there topless. 'Nope,' she realized, feeling the smooth cotton of Fortune�s borrowed shirt, 'I didn�t embarrass myself that much.' Erin could not the recall the events which led her to need a change of clothing, but if the sour smell coming off of the shirt crumpled on the floor was any indication, she would rather not remember. Quickly, she snatched up the shirt and darted out of the room towards the door, feeling more sober by the minute. At least she could be thankful that he was only silently disapproving of the previous night�s activities. She did not think she could handle anything more than a disparaging gaze at this time.

'Oh my fucking head. This is all Fortune�s fault, that fucking asshole...' Erin�s thoughts carried on along these lines during most of the walk home. Assaulting the vampire�s character provided a nice distraction from the dread of what awaited her once she arrived.

When they did arrive, Erin dawdled in front of her house, stalling and attempting to coax Sesshoumaru into conversation. The longer she was able to avoid the confrontation waiting for her inside, the better.

�I�m sorry about the �kick me� signs.�

�Oh, so you do remember something from the evening.� Erin could swear she saw a twinkle in Sesshoumaru�s otherwise impassive eyes as he delivered this statement. Erin giggled, her mood lightening for a moment until she looked up and saw her sister staring at the two of them from the open doorway.

Erin reached out and squeezed his hand lightly. After she had withdrawn her hand, Sesshoumaru was left with a tingling sensation around the area of where her small fingers had grasped his. It was similar to a pins-and-needles sensation, as if the circulation there had been obstructed but was now flowing freely throughout his body. Unfamiliar warmth spread up his chest, but he ignored these strange physical sensations. He�d had centuries to hone his impeccable focus and control. His face was a perfectly composed mask as he looked down at Erin, who gave him a ghost of a smile.

�You�d better go now,� Erin whispered. Sesshoumaru nodded, casting a quick look at her sister and briefly locking his calm gaze with her furious one. The older sister, he noted, favored Erin in the shape of her face and eyes, but her overall coloring was darker and she wore her hair in a more natural style. The curls complemented her looks, he thought, more so than Erin�s, with her determined attempts at straightening her errant locks. The older sister gave him a hard look, her full lips turning down in an angry pout. Sesshoumaru had to suppress a smile at her protectiveness. It pleased him that there was someone else who looked after this wild girl of theirs.

He laughed at himself as he walked away. If Fortune only knew that I referred to Erin as our girl, there would be no end to his ridiculous insinuations. He looked down at his hand, which was still tingling slightly. He knew this feeling, he had felt it with Rin. He was responding, in his own limited fashion, to Erin�s affection. The gentle touch of her hand had sent the all but forgotten sensations of warmth and emotion through his carefully disciplined countenance. He should not be surprised at this, but he was. Erin had become important to him. She was becoming increasingly able to draw upon his viable, thought limited, emotional capacity. This was happening somewhat faster than anticipated, if he would have ever even anticipated feeling anything again for another human, after so many years. Objectively, he supposed this must have something to do with Rin. His extended contact and subsequent attachment to her warm personality had left him with abilities to perceive and experience emotions which he should never have been able. The times with Rin in which he had felt so alive and full of wild hot emotion, they must have burned avenues into his mind through which such sensations could readily pass, unhindered and uninhibited, once again. Still, as with Rin, the warm sensations coursing through his veins were evaporating as quickly as they had appeared. He sighed as his familiar chill slipped through the warmth and he resumed his perfectly controlled, cold, demeanor once again.

Erin watched him walk away, a sinking feeling in her gut. She knew that she had worried her sister and as a result, she would feel the brunt of her anger. Nisha was not cruel, but right now she was extremely angry. Erin tried to remain calm. She hoped to avoid a fight over this, perhaps she silently could weather the tirade until Nisha ran out of steam. Her sister gave her free rein most of the time, but she was expected to follow a few unspoken rules. Staying out all night and returning the next afternoon with an older man in tow, presumably wearing his shirt, had crossed a line somewhere.

For the first few minutes, she was able to tune out her sister�s angry reprimands. As her sister�s reproofs grew louder, she vaguely registered that she was shouting something about how she looked like a slut staying out all night with older men, and it was shameful that she was coming back dressed in his shirt, and what the hell was she thinking, blah blab, blah. Erin�s composure was quickly collapsing under the angry barrage and she put her hands over her ears and headed towards her room. She entered the hallway, her sister following closely behind, and was jerked roughly backwards, causing her to fall heavily against the wall.

�Don�t you walk away from me, you little bitch!�

Her sister�s dark eyes, narrowed spitefully, burned into her own. She knew, objectively, that her sister cared about her and was only trying to keep her out of trouble. But those eyes, at the moment they looked so much like her mother�s deep brown eyes, though they were narrowed into angry slits. The memory gave Erin a sharp pang of grief, reminding her that mother was not here, would never again be here for her.

Erin felt a sudden rage boil up inside. �You aren�t my mother and you never will be! And we all know you are the biggest slut of them all, Nisha.� Her sister�s eyes widened at the insult and the anger melted from her expression. She reached out towards Erin, her eyes brimming with tears. Erin scrambled away and screamed, �You! You better leave me alone.�

Much later, Erin sat alone on her bed, her knees tucked against her chest, a heavy empty feeling deep inside her. Her rush of emotion had taken all of her energy, leaving her only with a nagging guilt for lashing out at her older sister. She began to cry, thinking of the hurt look in her sister�s eyes before she fled.

I love you Nisha. I�m sorry.

Sesshoumaru had related the later part of the tale to Fortune early the next evening. Fortune laughed unkindly at the animosity between the sisters over their nighttime escapades. �It�s not as if she does not let the little street urchin run wild around New Orleans day and night already,� he scoffed.

�Hm.�

�What are you �hm-ing� me for, you spoiled, vain creature? I am not the one who let her sister see me. It�s a wonder she did not sick the dogs on you. Oh wait... that�s right, you are a dog. Well, it is a wonder that she didn�t kick you straight away, or run you out of there with her broomstick.� Fortune was enjoying the mental image of Erin�s older sister chasing an offended-looking Sesshoumaru off with her broom, when the youkai rushed past him at a speed so incredibly fast that his form appeared smeared and distorted even to Fortune�s sharp, inhuman eyes.

�What the fuck are you doing, Sesshy?� Fortune called after him before following. After a brief search, he found the youkai a few streets over, very near to his own home.

A slight breeze ruffled the youkai's hair, lifting it ever so slightly from his back. His amber eyes glowed eerily in the pale moonlight, burning with something akin to regret. Failure and rage boiled within him, running like molten lead through his veins. He felt Fortune's presence beside him, but did not turn to look at him, choosing instead to continue staring into the darkness. �She is gone,� Sesshoumaru spoke softly, almost a whisper.

�What do you mean she�s gone,� Fortune sputtered, wondering how it was possible for the youkai�s statement to seem both melodramatic and impassive, simultaneously.

�They took her. I thought I would be able to stop them this time. After all this time, one would think that I would be able to at least do that.�

Immediately, Fortune understood. They were curious about the youkai. Possibly, they had somehow gleaned the blood�s strange ability to bring about the changes which Fortune had been experiencing. Therefore, they would use Erin as leverage to satisfy both their curiosity and their bloodlust.

�What should we do?� Fortune felt suddenly helpless.

�You can do as you like,� Sesshoumaru snapped, �I plan to track them.�

------------------------------

AN: I appreciate those who have �hung in there� despite my extended hiatus. I *did* have a little struggle in organizing a nice, tight outline for the next few chapters so that the story will (hopefully) hold its consistency to the end. My break gave me a few new ideas which, I think, will help to pull together any gaps in the story that I had been worried over. So I have found renewed inspiration and hope the story from this point forward demonstrates this! Also a contributing factor in my hiatus was my LJ. I never realized I would enjoy it so much. You should get one for yourself, readers. Fun, fun, fun. As always, read and review.

Botticelliangel: Many happy thanks again to you! I know I always say these things, but you�re such a doll! I greatly appreciate your thoughtful reviews. Glad to have given you a laugh about the hair color in the last chapter. Also, I greatly appreciate your help with this fic via e-mail. You are truly giving.

Fox: Also special thanks to new reviewer, Fox. I�m glad that you�ve taken an interest in the story and I liked what you had to say about Rin mellowing Sesshoumaru.

I would also like to thank Dark Avenger for her amazing editing abilities. She is so supportive of my writing and a damn good writer herself. I don�t know what I would do without her *sniff, sniff* I have all the past chapters edited, and now I only need to post them (only have up to Chapter 4 re-posted as of yet). She is also the creator of one of Walks� first piece of fanart. See it on her Y-hosting site at: http://yaoi.y-gallery.net/user/cadkitten/. It�s called, �I�ll be your bitch, for a price� heh heh.

She�s a girl after my own heart!

Liberated Mystery Girl has been a source of inspiration as well. Thank you for your e-mails and your help editing the recent chapters and good luck with a new school year full of classes!

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Walks at Midnight	By : Henrietta Category: InuYasha > General Views: 4163 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Walks at Midnight