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Chapter Text

Inuyasha grunted as he lugged his guitar case into The Red Lion for his typical Thursday night open mic night. He’d been frequenting the Lion for the past six months, bringing his Gibson, trying out some new songs that he’d been picking away at. He knew that he would have felt more comfortable on his bass guitar, but the bass wasn’t exactly the kind of instrument one could play alone at an open mic, now was it?

Alone. Because yes, Inuyasha Taisho was alone.

But, this was the life he’d chosen for himself, after his mom died: a life where he was alone, where music was his only solace, where he did odd jobs to get by, just so that his nights could be free—so that his life could be free—to still play the music he adored. 

Because since he’d lost his mom, since he’d had to move out of her rent-controlled apartment in Chelsea, since he’d rented out the little one-bedroom on Sullivan Street—music was all he had; it was how he remembered his mother, even if he had never learned to play the violin, the instrument that she had played, that she had held dear. 

“Hey, Inuyasha!” shouted Bankotsu, the bartender, who was wiping down the bar during a slight lull in the crowd. Thursday nights tended to be quiet at first, but by 9:00, they were pretty hoppin’, and then by 10, when the open mic started, the bar was usually packed. But the hopefuls for the open mic often came in early—sometimes as early as 7:00—and Inuyasha liked to try and beat them all, so that his name could be first—so he could pick where in the order of the night he wanted to go. 

“Hey, Ban,” Inuyasha called back casually, and he stopped by the sign-up sheet at the end of the bar. He grabbed the pen off the counter, shifted his guitar case to his back, and went to write his name on the first line…

Except that there was already a name there.
Someone had beaten him to the sign-up sheet.
Who the fuck would get here early enough to do that?

“Kōga Kimura,” Inuyasha muttered. He looked down the bar. “Hey, Ban,” he called out, “who the fuck is this Kōga Kimura putz?”

Bankotsu shrugged, while a deep baritone rang out, “Me, mutt. I’m the putz.” Inuyasha grunted, and swiveled around where he stood. Striding over to him from the corner of the bar was a tall, scowling wolf demon, who also had a guitar case slung on his back. His hair was long, and dark, and he wore it in a high ponytail, with a headband underneath to keep any flyaways out of his face—a pretty dumb fucking look, Inuyasha thought to himself. The wolf’s eyes were blue—a deep, sparkling blue, that Inuyasha couldn’t help but be drawn to (fucking why??). His skin was dark, and tanned, and even though it was November, he wore a black short-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and Inuyasha could see a pack of Marlboros tucked into the fold. He rolled his eyes at the wolf’s getup, even though his eyes trailed down the man’s very sculpted torso, to his dark-wash jeans, to the bulge that was, like the wolf’s eyes, hard to look away from. 

Inuyasha wanted to yell, and gnash his fangs, at the asshole who had taken the top spot on the open mic list, but...he couldn’t. The man was striking; there was something about him that both infuriated and captivated Inuyasha. Even from a distance, even as the man strode towards him, Inuyasha felt his heart beginning to race, just a little bit, and he grit his teeth and let out a little growl instead.

“You—you’re here early,” he ground out as the wolf demon approached him.

“Yeah, well... “ The wolf stretched his arms up and over his head. “Gotta get to these kinds of things early, so that you can pick the best spot in the lineup, you know?”

Inuyasha certainly did fucking know. That’s why he was always there; that’s why he always had the top spot. So he could have his choice in the lineup. But instead, tonight, his regular time hadn’t been early enough, and instead, this punk wolf had taken the spot, instead. 

“What?” The wolf stopped his stretch, and leaned into Inuyasha’s face. He smelled...well, holy fuck. He smelled of...coriander, and amber, and...was that oak? And musk—a deep musk that wrapped itself inside Inuyasha’s nostrils and took hold. His scent nearly bowled Inuyasha over, and he had to stiffen and tighten his grip on his guitar case strap. “Oh,” the wolf added, “were you thinking you were gonna be first on the list?” He stood straight up and began to laugh. Hard. It pissed Inuyasha off.

“You should know, pup,” he said, and the use of that term nearly made Inuyasha lose his cool and see red, “shouldn’t ya? Because I took your spot, didn’t I?” He didn’t need Inuyasha to answer; Inuyasha was sure that the look on his face was enough to reveal the truth. 

“So I did.” The wolf strode past Inuyasha, and over to the sign-up sheet. “Well,” he said, grinning madly, “that’s easy enough to change.” And before Inuyasha could stop him, the wolf crossed out his name, and handed Inuyasha the pen. “Go ahead,” he said, with a smirk that made Inuyasha want to punch him in the face, “you want to be first, right?”

The way the wolf was looking at him—like he fucking pitied him, like he fucking felt sorry for him—nearly made Inuyasha fly into a rage. How dare he—how fucking dare he.

How dare he show up before Inuyasha.
How dare he put his name on the list first.
And then…

How dare he mock Inuyasha, act like the order was no big deal.
Because to Inuyasha, it was a big fucking deal.
To Inuyasha, the right placement could mean getting discovered. 
To Inuyasha, the right placement could mean a ticket out of the hell that he lived in.

So, Inuyasha did the only thing that he could do.

He took the pen, and in the first slot, wrote in: Kōga Kimura.
And then, on the second line, he wrote: Inuyasha Taisho.

“Inuyasha, eh?” the wolf said, leaning over Inuyasha’s shoulder and watching him write with interest. “Why’d you put my name first again, if it means so much to ya, mutt?”

“Be—because …” Fuck, Inuyasha was having a hard time explaining why, exactly, he’d just done that. How to put “you’re being a dick and trying to show me up and it’s pissing me off” into simple words?

“I know.” The damn wolf was smirking at him again. “Because you think you’re better than me.”

“I—what?” He definitely wasn’t wrong, but that also wasn’t the reason.

The wolf clapped a hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder, and steered him towards the bar. “Ban,” he said to the bartender, “whiskey for me. Makers. A double. And for the mutt here…”

“Whiskey is fine,” Inuyasha grunted. 

“Coming right up,” said Ban, already reaching up to pull down the bottle of Maker’s Mark. He took out two old-fashioned glasses, and poured them each two fingers of whiskey. Bankotsu slid the drinks over to them. “Anything else, Kōga?”

“Not for now.” Kōga grinned, showing all of his teeth. “Just let me know when it’s time to choose my spot in the set list.”

Bankotsu offered the briefest nod, then sauntered down the bar to take the orders of a bored-looking lightning demon and her companion, a bat demon—half, from what Inuyasha could tell. He had never seen another half-demon before, and had half a mind to go and talk to her, when…

“So, Inuyasha Taisho,” Kōga said, one hand resting amiably on Inuyasha’s forearm and the other holding his whiskey glass, “suppose you tell me just how a half-demon like you came to play the guitar?”

Inuyasha grunted, and groaned inwardly, and took yet another sip of whiskey.

Kōga was onstage. Playing his acoustic Martin, which sounded as good as Inuyasha’s Gibson (although definitely not better). His voice was a gruff baritone, scratchy and raw, dragging itself over the notes in a way that both repulsed Inuyasha and chafed at his soul. He both hated it and loved it.

The set list was…interesting. A few originals, sure, they were fine, mixed with an eclectic selection of covers. Cream, CCR, The Who, Bob Dylan. Kōga Kimura could play it all, and Inuyasha had to begrudgingly admit that he was good.

Not as good as Inuyasha, but still good.

Kōga closed out the set with Van Morrison, and the crowd—a vibrant crowd for a Thursday—sang along enthusiastically. Kōga’s voice wasn’t perfect for Van Morrison (Inuyasha knew his was much better), but he managed the runs well, and Inuyasha found himself grinning reluctantly and singing along with the bar. 

Because, as much as he found Kōga Kimura to be annoying, and an ass, he also found him…intriguing. Captivating. He had an…aura…about him, that was more than just his yōki pulsing.

It was…deep. Dark. Magnetic.

Yes. That was the word for Kōga Kimura.
Magnetic.

Kōga finished his set to a fair amount of applause. Inuyasha scowled. He wanted that level of applause...no. He wanted more than that level of applause.

Inuyasha wanted it all: the lights, the cheering, the arena concerts. The girls throwing panties at him. The guys openly gawking at his physique.

Because while he was a hanyō, he had dreams, too. Not only full humans and full demons could make it in the music industry. Inuyasha wanted to prove to the world that hanyōs could make it, too.

“Thank you, Kōga,” said Bankotsu, who had temporarily given up his duties at the bar to serve as emcee for the evening (just as he always did). “That was great, and we hope you’ll be back with us again soon.”

Kōga slid into the seat next to Inuyasha’s; Inuyasha scowled, and turned away, determined not to let the knowing smile that played on Kōga’s lips get to him. Not to let himself be taken in by a handsome bastard who could play the guitar AND sing like that?

Fuck.

“Next up for our open mic night,” Bankotsu said, “is a regular on our little circuit. We’re always glad to see him on Thursdays, and we hope he’ll be with us for more Thursdays to come, before he’s snapped up by a record label. Ladies and gentlemen, Inuyasha Taisho!”

The applause Inuyasha got was already more enthusiastic than Koga’s. He strode up to the stage, his trusty Gibson in hand, and sat on the stool behind the microphone. As he started to tune his guitar, he spoke to the audience.

“Evening, everyone,” he said gruffly, tuning the strings and making sure that the sound was crisp and pure. “Like Ban said, I’m Inuyasha Taisho, and I’m honored to play for you tonight.” He looked out into the audience, and saw Kōga there, swirling his Makers like it was goddamn brandy or something, a smirk on his handsome face. He winked, and raised his glass, and Inuyasha cleared his throat suddenly nervous.

Why the fuck would he be nervous? Hadn’t he done this hundreds of times at this point?

Maybe. But those times hadn’t been in front of Kōga Kimura, the man who currently held all his attention, who currently held his very being in a vise.

Inuyasha needed to get a grip.

“We—we’re,” he started, clearing his throat, “we’re gonna start out tonight with a couple of covers? How about a little something from The Dead to get us going?”

Inuyasha closed his eyes, plucked out the first few chords of “Sugar Magnolia,” and then began to play. It was in those moments that he felt completely at ease, completely free: he felt as though he could do anything, be anything, that he wanted. Guitar wasn’t his favorite thing to play, but he could manage, and do so fairly well. The Dead were one of those bands whose music he greatly enjoyed playing: fun, whimsical, and he could just let go and trust in his hands and in his voice.

For the next half hour, Inuyasha played. He played a mix of covers and originals, like Kōga, but unlike Kōga, he could feel the audience being moved by each and every single song. And instead of closing with a cover, he closed with an original, a loud, raucous song that needed an electric guitar and some drums, but fuck, people could use their fucking imaginations, couldn’t they?

When Kōga had been playing, Inuyasha had sensed that yes, he was good, but also that yes, he was holding back, as though the open mic night were beneath him. And Inuyasha knew that wasn’t the way to win over a bar crowd. You had to give it your all; you had to show them that you cared about them, not just about what they could do for you and for your career. 

That was how Inuyasha treated every single open mic crowd. Like they mattered. Like they were the biggest crowd he’d ever played in front of. Like they were the first crowd, and thus, the best crowd. The only crowd he’d ever known. 

Every crowd was a group to be won over—a collection of people who, even if they’d seen him before, still needed to be wooed. And so, Inuyasha made love to every single audience he played before. He smirked; he flirted; he chatted with the crowd. He took requests, and if he didn’t know the song, he invited the person to come up and sing a few notes, and he was usually able to pick it up, just from the melody.

Because music was his life; music was in his soul. Music was the thing that propelled him to get up every morning, that propelled him to take those odd jobs, to send out demo tapes, to visit open mic after open mic. 

Inuyasha Taisho loved music. And it was clear that music loved him.
And he wanted the entire world to know just how much. 

He finished his set to a thunderous roar of cheers and applause. It was true: they were only a bar crowd, but at the same time, a bar crowd could be pretty fucking raucous. And this crowd? They were.

Inuyasha bowed and made his way off the stage, working through claps on his back and handshakes and whispers from girls wondering if he’d come to the bar alone. He shrugged off the hands on his body, accepted the handshakes sheepishly, and smirked at the girls as he headed back to the table in the far corner, where Kōga still sat, two fresh whiskeys in front of him. He was clapping loudly, a big, smirking grin on his handsome wolfish face.

“Not bad, pup,” Kōga said approvingly as Inuyasha sank into the seat next to him. “Not bad at all.” He pushed one of the whiskeys towards Inuyasha, who accepted and took a sip, enjoying the light burning of the alcohol as it coursed down his throat. He set the glass down, and turned back to Kōga.

“Thanks,” he replied, offering Kōga a slight smile. “You know, you could stand to learn a little something from me.”

Kōga barked out a laugh, crossing his arms and nodding. “From you? Honestly, Inuyasha, what could I learn from you ?”

“How to get the crowd on your side, for starters,” Inuyasha shot back. “I didn’t see them being all enthusiastic for you like they were for me.”

“They liked my music just fine, mutt,” Kōga growled.

“Exactly,” Inuyasha pointed out, a sharp grin on his face revealing his fangs. “Just fine. They weren’t losing their shit or anything.”

“It’s an open mic crowd,” Kōga scoffed. “They ain’t here to lose their shit.”

“They’re not,” Inuyasha retorted, “but that doesn’t mean that they can’t.”

Kōga slammed his hands on the table, but his face was thoughtful. He picked up his whiskey and took a sip. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. “What’s the difference between playing here and playing at Shea Stadium?” he asked. “Especially if this is the biggest place that you’ve ever played before?”

Kōga blinked, and leaned forward. 

“Tell me,” he said, “exactly what you’re thinking.”

Chapter Text

One week later, Inuyasha and Kōga were back at The Red Lion for another open mic night. 

Only this time, when they arrived, they arrived together, and when they signed up on the sheet, they signed up...together.

For the past week, Kōga and Inuyasha had been inseparable. They had left the bar that night, with Inuyasha promising to come by Kōga’s place that weekend. Kōga worked as a phone repairman during the day, and could be found anywhere in the city, working on cables, fixing phone lines, taking breaks in his truck. It was a long day, but Kōga was union, and he had a set schedule and was free nights, Saturdays, and Sundays. Inuyasha was...impressed...by Kōga’s apartment. A fourth-floor walkup in Alphabet City, with a bedroom, a bathroom, a galley kitchen, and a small room that Kōga had gotten permission to soundproof so that he was able to practice. That first weekend, they had spent nearly their entire time in that room; Inuyasha had brought his acoustic guitar, his electric guitar, and his bass, and the two of them had practiced songs, both originals and covers, and Inuyasha had, along the way, instructed Kōga on how to win over an audience.

“Take cover requests,” he told Kōga. “The audience loves the shit out of that. You want to make sure that you’ve got a pretty fucking huge catalog, but if you have a good ear for music, you don’t really have to worry about whether or not you know a song.”

“Like you did,” Kōga interjected. “There’s no fucking way you knew that Donovan song.”

“It was pretty obscure,” Inuyasha admitted. “But getting the crowd involved helps, too—get them to sing the song, use that time to listen to the melody, and soon you’ll be able to get something close to what the song actually sounds like.”

“You can really play anything by ear like that?” Kōga asked, surprised.

“Well, sure,” Inuyasha said. “My—my mom used to play violin, and...she could pick out a tune in just a few notes. She taught me, and I guess I got it from her.”

“That’s a pretty fucking impressive skill,” replied Kōga. “I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone who can just play by ear like that.”

“Maybe we can work on it for you,” Inuyasha suggested. “Until you get it down, we’ll just have you flirt with the crowd a little more heavily.”

“Does that work?” Kōga frowned.

“It works pretty well for me,” answered Inuyasha. “And besides, someone as fucking sexy as you? You’ll have everyone eating out of your hand, whether male or female.”

Kōga was silent, busy tuning the strings on his Martin, and Inuyasha grew uncomfortable. Should...should he not have…

“You think I’m sexy?” Kōga’s voice was gruff, yet soft, questioning. 

Inuyasha blushed. “Well…” he hemmed, “I mean, yeah, man. Have you fucking seen yourself?” He gestured wildly with his hands. “The hair, the eyes, the...the fangs…” He shivered. “The...the forearms. The thighs.”

Yes, he could admit it. He found Kōga to be really, really hot. Inuyasha normally didn’t look twice at a guy; fuck, he normally didn’t look twice at anyone , but he’d always thought that girls were more his type—if he had a type, that was. And usually, they were the ones who caught his gaze and caused it to linger. He loved the soft swell of a perfect set of tits. He really loved a luscious ass. Women were soft, and smelled sweet, and amazing. But women were also...problematic. Because they had emotions Inuyasha struggled to understand. Because they wanted to build relationships.

And Inuyasha wanted none of that. Not after his dad died, and he saw how much it hurt his mom. And then, even after his mom died, and he had been alone, he definitely didn’t have time for women. 

But Kōga wasn’t a woman. Kōga was a man. A handsome, charismatic (even if he wasn’t on stage), magnetic presence of a man who had enraptured him from the first time they had met. 

Inuyasha hadn’t been able to get Kōga out of his head for two days. And now, in front of him, admitting that he found Kōga to be sexy as hell...well, who the fuck cared, anyway? It wasn’t like it mattered. Girls found each other sexy all the time, right?

He didn’t care if Kōga knew Inuyasha liked the way that he looked. He didn’t care if Kōga knew that Inuyasha had been thinking about him. He only cared about Kōga insofar as he was another way for Inuyasha to set himself apart from the crowd, to show that he was a force to be reckoned with. 

Maybe...maybe they could even form a band.
Just the thought made Inuyasha’s entire body heat up with a pleasure and a longing he’d never felt in response to another person.

When his eyes caught Kōga’s again, he offered a fanged grin, and was relieved to see Kōga’s warm smile—with just a hint of a blush, maybe?—again. 

“Well,” Kōga said gruffly, picking up his guitar and strumming out a few tabs, “if we’re going to take music by storm, it’s fucking lucky we’re both sexy as hell, isn’t it?”

Inuyasha grinned. “Fuck yeah, it is,” he said enthusiastically, pulling his bass into his lap and tuning it. 

That had been nearly a week ago. The soft admittance that they found each other attractive. And since then, every night, it had been Inuyasha and Kōga, in Kōga’s little soundproof room, arguing over a setlist, figuring out instruments, and keys, and who was gonna sing melody and who would sing harmony. 

It was a lot of work, sure, but also…
It was the most fun Inuyasha had had with music since before he’d lost his mom.

And that was why, when Kōga had suggested they go back to The Red Lion, and sign up to play together, Inuyasha had enthusiastically agreed. Because they both could sense that something special was happening—with their music, sure, but also maybe…

Maybe between them, too.

As Kōga signed their names on the sheet, Inuyasha watched his strong hand grip the pen delicately. He watched Kōga write out their names in his beautiful, loping script, and when Kōga set down the pen, looked back up at him, and said, “looks like we can’t go back now,” Inuyasha had offered him a smirk, but his insides were raging. Because whatever happened, they were in things now, together, and they would just have to wait and see where this night would take them.

“Your usual, Inuyasha?” Bankotsu called out, and Inuyasha nodded as he and Kōga made their way over to the bar.

“Whiskey for you too, Kōga?” Bankotsu added, and Kōga grunted his assent as the two slid onto the bar stools. Bankotsu quickly poured them each a double of Makers, and Inuyasha and Kōga lifted their glasses, grinning. 

“To a successful set,” Kōga said.

“To you finally winning over an audience,” Inuyasha smirked, and Kōga huffed.

“Whatever, mutt,” he grumbled. “When this night is over, I’m gonna own you and every single person in this bar.”

Inuyasha’s chest let out a pleased rumble before he could stop himself. “You better not be propositioning me, wolf,” Inuyasha grunted in response. “Because I think it’ll be me who owns you.”

Kōga laughed loudly, and downed the rest of his whiskey. But his eyes connected with Inuyasha’s, and Inuyasha felt a heat shoot through his body.

Why did the idea of Kōga “owning” him not scare him too much—or, as a matter of fact, why did it not scare him at all?

“I was so right, ya damn wolf.” Inuyasha was boasting, but he didn’t care. They were walking back towards Kōga’s place, talking excitedly about their set, which had gone better than either of them had expected. “You turned on the charm really fucking well. I thought for sure that girl in the front was gonna take off her panties right there and toss them at ya!”

“Nah.” Kōga waved his hand, but Inuyasha could tell he was pleased. “I’m pretty sure that she had half a mind to throw her panties at you .”

“She was pretty cute,” Inuyasha admitted, “but I don’t do girls.”

Kōga stopped in his tracks. “You—you don’t do girls?” he asked, and Inuyasha quickly realized that he’d said the wrong thing.

“No, no!” he said, waving his hands. “I mean...well, technically I’ve never done a girl, but…” He sighed and adjusted his bass on his back. “I don’t... do relationships,” he admitted. “Not after what happened with my parents. I...I don’t want to do that to myself, or to someone else. And I…I’m not really attracted to many people beyond a surface level.” Other than you, maybe, he added in his head.

“Who said you had to have a relationship with every fucking girl you meet?” Kōga retorted. “Girls are…” He grinned. “Girls are a lot of fun. So are guys. So are girls and guys.”

Inuyasha was both aghast and weirdly aroused at the thought. “Wait,” he said, “girls... and guys?”

“Yup.” Kōga shoved his hands in his pants. “Those guys that the girl—Ayame was her name, I think? They were eyeing us both up, in case you didn’t notice.”

Inuyasha snorted. “Guys with mohawks aren’t quite my thing,” he admitted. “A little too punk, ya know?”

“Yeah,” Kōga replied. “I prefer long hair.” He let that sentence hang in the air for a moment, and Inuyasha felt himself growing heated under the warmth of Kōga’s words. 

Long hair...Inuyasha’s hair?  

“So…” Inuyasha had to change the topic, “…what did you think of the set tonight?”

Kōga’s frown shifted to a grin. “I thought we kicked fucking ass,” he beamed, and Inuyasha’s heart leapt at how happy Kōga seemed. 

“We sure as fuck did,” Inuyasha said enthusiastically, “and you really did a great job hanging with me through the requests.”

“Pfft,” Kōga scoffed, “you make it easy to follow.”

“And having a cute wolf demon girl singing the lyrics to Linda Ronstadt helped, didn’t it?” Inuyasha asked with a wink.

Kōga shrugged. “She was okay,” he said, “and I guess if she shows up next week, I wouldn’t be sad to see her there.”

They got to the end of Bleecker, hung a left onto the Bowery, and then a quick right onto East 2nd Street. “So you’re thinking you want to have another go next week?” Inuyasha asked Kōga; he wasn’t able to keep the hope out of his voice.

Because playing with Kōga had been...fun. More than fun. They riffed off each other well, and Inuyasha knew that their combined demon sex appeal was definitely something that the crowd appreciated. Watching Kōga play guitar, he had to admit, was one of the more sensual things that Inuyasha had ever seen. He was fascinated by Kōga’s long, nimble fingers dancing over the strings, creating a magic that Inuyasha had rarely seen in musicians who played the open mic circuit. It was like Kōga liked the competition, like he liked the idea of them playing together. They spent a good five minutes not even playing real songs, but instead just riffing off each other; Kōga would play a few bars on his guitar, and Inuyasha would respond on his bass. And instead of the crowd being bored, because it wasn’t songs that they know, the audience loved it. They cheered each time, egging Kōga and Inuyasha on, until they were finishing each other’s melodies, until Inuyasha started adding bass to Kōga’s guitar, until they were up there, onstage, making music, creating music, together.

And Inuyasha loved it.

And now, walking back to Kōga’s apartment, Inuyasha couldn’t help but consider the tall, handsome, muscular wolf beside him. He had never had a friend—not like Kōga, anyway. Not another demon who didn’t ridicule him for his half-demon status. Kōga ribbed him, yes, but the way that he said “mutt” had an endearing quality to it, almost as if Kōga liked calling him that, because Kōga liked him. Because Kōga liked Inuyasha, half-demon status and all. 

Kōga was the kind of demon who would have tried to beat the shit out of Inuyasha when he was a kid: tall, muscular, proud of his demon heritage. But instead, Kōga was brash, and confident, yes, but also...he never mocked, and he never put down Inuyasha’s human mother. Instead, in between jam sessions, he asked about Izayoi; he asked about his early life. He asked about the violin, and the acoustic bass, and the guitar. He never probed, or pushed too hard; if Inuyasha hesitated to answer a question, Kōga would immediately change the subject, without making a big deal (like a girl definitely would).

“We’re here,” Kōga said, standing in front of his apartment building. Inuyasha blinked, and stared up. How had they gotten there so quickly? They were fast walkers, but…

“Do ya...want to come up for a bit?” Kōga said. “Go over the setlist, review what we did?”

Inuyasha turned to face Kōga. His deep blue eyes glowed against the street lamps; in the darkness, he seemed ethereal, almost unreal, almost…

“I—have whiskey,” Kōga added. “Make it a nightcap?”

Inuyasha breathed out. “Sure,” he said, following Kōga up the steps to his apartment. “That sounds like a perfect end to the night.”

Chapter Text

Weeks turned into months, and the weekly stint at The Red Lion turned into two weekly stints, which soon became three. Inuyasha and Kōga played at The Red Lion on Thursdays, at the Peculiar Pub on Tuesdays, and CBGBs every other Sunday. CBGBs was a big fucking deal; their open mic night lineup was pretty much set, and there was a wait list just to get on it. But Inuyasha was persistent, and stopped by the bar almost every day, until the point that the bartender, a bored-looking girl named Nazuna, finally not only put him on the list, but offered him a job as a bartender: daytime shift, plus Saturday nights, and the opportunity to play at the open mic every other Sunday.

Inuyasha was ecstatic. CBGBs was the underground club in the Village—the Ramones, Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, the Talking Heads...this was their chance. He just knew it.

He and Kōga worked harder than ever; they learned new songs, they wrote new songs, they practiced every single waking moment that they had free. Inuyasha started sleeping at Kōga’s apartment on nights they weren’t playing somewhere, and they often stayed up late into the evening, practicing, writing, talking. 

It was everything that Inuyasha could have wanted in a partner. 

Music partner.
Everything he could have wanted in a...music partner.

Fuck, who was he kidding? He’d been alone for so fucking long at this point, and Kōga was the first person other than his mother to be kind to him. Maybe that was all this was… a pity party, a sympathy friendship, where Kōga saw the poor, lonely hanyō who could play the guitar and the bass and decided to take advantage.

Except...that wasn’t something that Inuyasha thought Kōga would do. Kōga was gentle under the gruff exterior, and a good listener. And a decent writer, and an excellent musician. 

Inuyasha knew:
They made each other better.
Together, anything would really be possible. 

The feelings that Inuyasha had been growing for Kōga confused him. Made him feel warm. Made him feel comfortable. Made him feel safe. Like for the first time, maybe ever, his heart was gravitating towards another person. He’d never thought he would feel something akin to affection for anyone, really, but Inuyasha was a firm believer in the idea that love took the shape that it needed to take, and it appeared how it appeared. 

And so what if love took shape for him in the form of a tall, burly, wolf demon with electric blue eyes and muscled forearms covered in dark hair?

He didn’t know. He just knew that he liked being with Kōga. He liked spending time with him, and it didn’t matter where or how: at an open mic night, at Kōga’s apartment, or, on the rare opportunity, at Inuyasha’s apartment. Or at a restaurant, grabbing a bite to eat. Or walking through Tompkins Square Park. 

Whatever they did, Inuyasha enjoyed it, because it was the first time anyone voluntarily spent time with him and genuinely seemed to enjoy it. His mother...well, fuck , she’d been his mother. She had to like him. 

But Kōga...Kōga was different.
So maybe there was something more there? Something more that Kōga felt, and that Inuyasha felt?

“Hey, pup!” At the sound of Kōga’s voice, Inuyasha looked up. Kōga was standing over him, handing him a glass of whiskey, his blue eyes sparkling. “Got something on your mind?”

Inuyasha took the whiskey from him and took a big gulp, hoping that Kōga would think the flush on his cheeks was from the alcohol, not from any...thoughts...that Inuyasha might be having. About Kōga. Thoughts about Kōga.

Fuck . Inuyasha took another big gulp and finished off the whiskey. He got to his feet. “I’m gonna get some more,” he mumbled, and staggered out of the room and back into Kōga’s living room. He made his way over to the kitchen, where the whiskey still sat on the counter. Inuyasha stared at the bottle, lifted it up as though to pour himself another drink, then just muttered “Fuck it” and took a huge swig of the bottle, the smoky heat nearly making him choke. He slammed the bottle down on the counter, and dropped his hands to either side, his head hanging down, his breath heavy and deep. 

He...he liked Kōga.
Fuck. He liked Kōga?
He wasn’t sure.

He wasn’t fucking sure.
All he knew was that…

“Inuyasha?” Inuyasha whipped his head around, going slightly woozy from the rush of blood and alcohol to his head, and saw Kōga standing close beside him. He leaned up against the counter and crossed his forearms, but Inuyasha could see that his cerulean eyes were full of concern. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” Inuyasha was not going to get into a conversation about this with Kōga. Not now. “Let’s get back to work.”

He made to stride past Kōga and towards the music room, but a strong hand on his bicep halted his movement. “You sure you’re okay?” Kōga asked again.

“I told you,” Inuyasha said, trying to shake loose Kōga's grip and failing, “I’m fine.”

“If you’re chugging whiskey out of a bottle,” Kōga pointed out, “you’re not fucking fine.”

“So what if I’m not?” Inuyasha hissed; he was losing control and he needed to get back to the music room, get his bass, and start playing. Channel all this anger, fear, confusion...all the things he was feeling needed to go away.

“If you’re not,” Kōga continued, “don’t you think we should talk about it?” He smirked. “I can’t have my partner flaking out before our big set tomorrow night.”

Right. CBGBs was tomorrow night. Inuyasha had gotten someone to change shifts (by offering to work basically every Saturday from now until eternity) so that he and Kōga could properly prepare. 

Except he couldn’t properly prepare. Not with Kōga’s eyes shining at him like they were. Not with Kōga’s strong hand holding him tightly. Not with Kōga’s scent—a musky, oaky amber—encompassing him so fully that Inuyasha thought he might faint.

He was getting dizzy. Was it the alcohol he’d just chugged? Was it Kōga? Was it some combination of the two? Fuck, did it even matter anymore?

“Inuyasha.” Kōga’s voice...how could it be both hard and soft at the same time?

“What?!” Inuyasha tried to get away again, but Kōga held him strong.

“If something is bothering you,” Kōga hissed, “you better fucking tell me. NOW.”

“It’s you, okay?” he exclaimed, finally breaking free and pressing into the cabinets on the other side of the kitchen.

“Me?” Kōga shouted.

“Yes, you, you fucker!” Inuyasha shouted back. “It’s your...your scent. And your eyes. And your goddamn massive hands. How they don’t look like you should be able to play a lick, but yet you’re a fucking genius—not as good as me, but pretty fucking close! And the way your ass looks in those jeans you always wear. And how you talk to me like I’m a real fucking person, and not a fucking half-demon. And how you ask questions about my mom, like you don’t think she’s a filthy human!” He threw his hands over his face and howled. “It’s all of it!” he exclaimed, then turned, strode out of the kitchen, and back towards the music room.

He...he just had to...he just needed to…

Strong hands held him fast from behind and spun him around. Inuyasha found himself face-to-face with Kōga. Kōga’s brilliant eyes sparked, his fangs gleamed, and his scent had shifted to something dark and spicy that made Inuyasha either want to run away or devour every inch of him.

“Pup.” Kōga’s voice was soft; his breath was hot, and Inuyasha inhaled, just to get another whiff of the wolf’s deep, dark scent. “What is it you’re trying to tell me?”

Inuyasha chafed against Kōga’s hold, but when he realized that Kōga wasn’t going to relent, he sagged. “You’re the first person who’s ever been nice to me, not out of obligation,” he said at last. “And I—I just—I don’t know.” He hung his head. “Let’s go back and keep practicing,” he added lamely. “I’m being fucking stupid.”

“You—you’re not, Inuyasha,” Kōga rasped. “It’s—it’s not stupid. Not at all.”

Inuyasha blinked, and lifted his head. He saw Kōga’s face, shining and so beautiful in the dimmed lights of the living room. Inuyasha parted his lips slightly; he heard Kōga mutter “Oh, fuck it all” as he yanked Inuyasha to him and crashed their lips together.

Oh, fuck. It was hot. Kōga’s mouth was both burning and surprisingly gentle; his lips seared Inuyasha’s, but his tongue was muscular and cool as it pulsed against Inuyasha’s lips. Inuyasha moaned—it was his first real kiss, and holy hell he was getting swept up in the glory that was Kōga’s mouth—and Kōga seized the opportunity and probed Inuyasha’s mouth with his tongue.

The tongue is a muscle. Inuyasha knew this logically, but the moment that Kōga’s tongue took over Inuyasha’s mouth, Inuyasha realized this to be true. Strong, curling, unyielding, Kōga was taking what he wanted, and Inuyasha was determined to let him. 

Their kisses were passionate, hungry—the kisses of two people who’d been dancing around their feelings, who’d been so unsure of their feelings—and now, the confirmation that those feelings could exist and would be reciprocated lit them both on fire. Inuyasha tugged at Kōga’s t-shirt; he was keenly aware of a sudden, intense need to feel Kōga’s body against his. When he felt Kōga’s hands on the hem of his shirt, Inuyasha broke the kiss; he yanked Kōga’s shirt off his head and threw it aside, and Kōga did the same for him. 

For the first time, Inuyasha saw a man, half-naked, for him, and he exhaled, because Kōga was beautiful.

His chest was magnificently bronzed and muscled; his entire torso was covered in delicious dark hair; his pecs glistened with sweat: from their practice, and now, from the heat of the moment. Inuyasha reached out slowly, tentatively, and pressed his hand against Kōga’s chest, his hand splayed across Kōga’s sternum, his fingers tangling in the surprisingly soft, curling hairs. He heard Kōga suck in a sharp breath, and Kōga’s arms trailed slowly up Inuyasha’s arms, resting on his biceps, and squeezing hard. 

“Fuck,” Kōga breathed, “why are you…”

“Why are you?” Inuyasha gasped, and then moaned as Kōga tugged him back and captured his lips in a ripping hot kiss that made Inuyasha’s body go rigid and his dick go impossibly hard. 

In a flash, Inuyasha forgot everything: he forgot his insecurities; he forgot his concerns; he forgot his own hang-ups about what was and what was supposed to be. All he could see, all he could smell, all he could hear, all he could feel...was Kōga.

Kōga’s claws dragging down his back. Kōga’s fangs pressing into his lower lip. Kōga’s tongue in his mouth.

The sound of Kōga’s heartbeat. The rush of Kōga’s breath. The hard scent of Kōga’s arousal engulfing them both. 

Kōga’s hands circling his hips, drawing them closer together. The hardened length of Kōga’s erection, pushing into Inuyasha’s groin.

He gulped, and gasped, and Kōga’s hands paused, right over the button of Inuyasha’s jeans. “May I?” he whispered in a thick, guttural voice that caused Inuyasha’s own cock to throb. “I want...I want to see you; I want to feel you. Please, Inuyasha.”

“Please.”

Kōga was begging, but he didn’t have to beg. Inuyasha’s own hands were already tracing the finely defined lines of Kōga’s biceps, down his forearms, and coming to rest over Kōga’s fingers. Inuyasha raised his eyes; they met Kōga’s, which were such a dark shade of blue they were almost black. “Here,” Inuyasha breathed, and together, their fingers worked open Inuyasha’s jeans and pushed down his pants and his briefs, Inuyasha stepping out of them both, his cock springing free. Inuyasha heard Kōga’s breath hitch; he felt Kōga’s strong hand circle the shaft, his thumb brushing the underside. Inuyasha let out a gasp, followed by a moan, that was immediately swallowed up by Kōga’s tongue, pushing into his mouth in a deep and devouring kiss. Kōga’s fist tightened, working Inuyasha’s dick back and forth; his thumb brushed over the tip, and Inuyasha’s shiver rocked his entire body such that he nearly collapsed with pleasure. He could feel the precum leaking from his cock; he could feel himself shaking from the feel of someone other than himself touching his dick, seeking pleasure from his dick, for the first time. 

If Inuyasha wasn’t so caught up in the heat and the lust and feel of the moment, he might have cried. 

“Mutt.” Kōga’s voice was hoarse. “I wanna taste you.”

“You—you wanna what?” Inuyasha’s voice nearly cracked with the anticipation. “Are you—isn’t that what—I mean—”

Kōga’s chuckle rumbled right through his chest and into Inuyasha’s. “You dick, idiot,” he replied, licking Inuyasha’s lips and making his cock vibrate with need. “I wanna suck your dick.”

“Oh.” Inuyasha’s cheeks grew heated—with desire, with embarrassment, with fear—but above all, with curiosity. Kōga’s lips were so soft, and his tongue was masterful. What would it…

As if through a power all its own, Inuyasha’s dick twitched, and Kōga grinned. 

“I think that’s a yes,” he breathed, and turned Inuyasha towards the small sofa in the middle of the room. He gently led the hanyō, cock in hand, then pushed him down onto the cushions. 

“You’re so fucking hot,” he breathed, his lips leaving Inuyasha’s and working their way down his neck. Kōga’s lips danced over Inuyasha’s pecs; he offered the right nipple a tease with his fangs, followed up by a swirl of his tongue, and when Inuyasha moaned and thrust his hips upwards, Kōga chuckled again, then repeated the same act to his other nipple.

The feelings that coursed through Inuyasha’s body were like none he had ever experienced. Were there words to describe how it felt to have someone lavish him with attention and praise, like they were not only attracted to him, but like they wanted to pleasure him, too? Were there words to describe the way his balls tightened and his dick pulsed under Kōga’s expert hand? 

Were there words to describe Kōga’s tongue, now lapping at his chest, following the ridges and valleys of his abs, nosing the silver trail of hair that led down to…

Kōga’s mouth on Inuyasha’s dick was hot, and as his tongue dragged from base to shaft, Inuyasha howled. 

“That’s—that’s it,” Kōga grunted, his tongue and his hand working in perfect rhythm to draw Inuyasha’s dick to the hardest, tightest, fattest it had ever been, and when Kōga’s tongue circled the tip, and Inuyasha’s dick was swallowed whole into Kōga’s mouth, Inuyasha gripped the cushions, arched his head back, and...he couldn’t help it... thrust ...so hard that he hit the back of Kōga’s throat. 

Kōga chuckled at the motion, and the rumble made Inuyasha’s dick shake. Kōga’s free hand parted Inuyasha’s legs even further, and pressed between them to gently cup the two silver-haired sacs that rested beneath his dick. Kōga’s thumb brushed against them lightly, as he withdrew from Inuyasha’s cock, his hand worked the shaft for a moment before he dove back in, enveloping Inuyasha’s length in the heat of his mouth.

Inuyasha’s entire world was shaken. A mouth on his dick; hands on his most intimate parts. His mind was rapidly becoming depleted of rational thought; the only sounds he could make were grunts, groans, and howls, mixed with wanton gasps of Kōga’s name. The buildup inside of him was growing exponentially, and with every thrust of Kōga’s mouth, with every caress of his tongue; with every pump and massage of his fingers, Inuyasha felt himself being brought closer and closer to the edge of reason. 

He...he was gonna...but he didn’t want to...not in Kōga’s mouth…

“Let go, pup,” Kōga whispered suddenly, harshly, before dragging his tongue back up the length of Inuyasha’s cock, tonguing his balls, swirling around the base of the shaft, and then sweeping his tongue back down and capturing the whole of Inuyasha’s cock back into his mouth. Inuyasha’s grunt was ephemeral, and his entire body shook as he finally listened to Kōga and allowed himself to, yes, truly let go.

His hips thrust into Kōga’s face and Kōga’s hands worked him over furiously, bringing Inuyasha to a higher and higher plane of existence. With a long, loud, low moan, Inuyasha toppled back over the precipice to earth, his cock becoming impossibly hard before releasing jet after jet of cum into Kōga’s eager and waiting mouth. 

Inuyasha groaned, and lifted his head, just enough to see Kōga, his eyes closed, his hand and mouth still covering Inuyasha’s cock, taking in the cum and swallowing it all down; Inuyasha could have sworn that Kōga was grinning, from the look of absolute pleasure on his face. Inuyasha dropped his head back, letting out a massive sigh, Kōga sliding up onto the couch to join him. Inuyasha rolled his head to the side, only to see Kōga, his head propped up on his hand, smirking at him, his fangs glinting against the low lights of the apartment. 

“Good for you, Inuyasha?” he asked, his voice light and teasing. 

Gods, fuck, fuck, FUCK.
If Kōga only knew. 

Instead of answering, Inuyasha leaned over and yanked Kōga to him, pulling Kōga on top of him and smashing their lips together. Inuyasha rammed Kōga’s mouth with his tongue, and when he could taste the saltiness of himself, mixed with Kōga’s own natural taste, he groaned again, and reached around to palm Kōga’s ass through his jeans. 

Suddenly, instead of the tired feeling he had in the immediate aftermath of his orgasm, Inuyasha was very, very, awake.

With a sudden need for the night to not end.

“Hey,” he breathed through kisses and nips and lips and grabs, “what would you say if I wanted to...return the favor?”

He felt Kōga’s grin against his mouth. “I would say,” he murmured back, “that you can do whatever you wanna do, and I won’t stop ya.”

The thrill that ran through Inuyasha’s body in that moment was nearly too much for him to bear, and his entire body heated again with the desire to know every inch of Kōga. He lifted the wolf demon off him, and pushed him back down onto the couch. His fingers found the button of Kōga’s jeans, and in a few seconds, both the button and the zipper were loosened, and Inuyasha was tugging Kōga’s pants and briefs down. Kōga lifted his hips, allowing Inuyasha to do what he wanted; Inuyasha yanked, and tugged, and soon, the jeans and the underwear were tossed aside on the floor, alongside Inuyasha’s, and they were both completely, utterly naked. 

Inuyasha paused over Kōga’s body to admire him: the olive-bronzed skin; the perfect dips and ridges of his muscles; his dark trail of hair that started just under his perfect navel and ran south towards his groin. Inuyasha allowed himself to take in the perfect V-shape of Kōga’s hips, his perfect dark bush of curly hair, which led Inuyasha right to…

Kōga’s dick. 
His perfect, thick, veined, throbbing, dick. 

Inuyasha may have let out a little whine, one that Kōga may have heard and may have chuckled in response. Inuyasha saw Kōga open his mouth—probably for a smart retort or some shit—but he was suddenly so incredibly hungry for wolf cock that he simply dropped his body down, over Kōga’s, and gave him one long, luxurious lick, from tip to base, and back again, reveling in the way that Kōga pulsed up in response to his actions. When Inuyasha reached the tip, he simply opened his mouth and Kōga jerked right in, his cock dropping perfectly onto Inuyasha’s eager and waiting tongue.

Oh, fuck. If having his dick sucked was fucking outstanding, having another dick in his mouth was at least equally amazing. Kōga’s dick filled his mouth, nearly entirely, and Inuyasha immediately drooled, the saliva pooling around the circumference and dripping out. But instead of feeling ashamed, Inuyasha felt a quickening in his veins; it was...really, really fucking hot to be filled so completely. 

Except that he...he had a dick in his mouth, and it felt fucking incredible, but...he really didn’t know what to do. 

What Kōga did? Would that work? 

Slowly, Inuyasha slid one hand onto Kōga’s dick, circling the shaft and dragging his fist back and forth along the hardened length. When Kōga let out a tiny growl of appreciation, Inuyasha increased the pressure, and allowed his mouth to follow the motion of his hand, his tongue pressing into the underside of Kōga’s cock as he did so. He felt it pulse, and jerk, and Kōga growled more loudly, shifting his hips underneath Inuyasha’s body.

“Per—perfect, mutt,” Kōga grunted, and Inuyasha preened with the praise. He took a deep breath through his nose, then pushed forward, far enough that his nose hit the bushy curls of Kōga’s groin and his dick hit the back of Inuyasha’s throat. Inuyasha wanted to tense, but he exhaled, slowly; his eyes teared as his throat relaxed, and slowly, he slid backwards, his mouth feeling cold and empty without the filling heat of Kōga’s thick cock. He was possessed by an almost insane need to taste Kōga again, to have Kōga fill him up again, so he took a deep breath, let it out, relaxed his throat, and pushed forward again, taking all of Kōga’s cock and trying not to gag as he did so.

“Oh, fuck,” Kōga moaned, “fuck, I wanna fucking fuck your face.” Inuyasha’s eyes drifted upwards, to see Kōga looking down at him, his own face dark now with lust. “Please,” Kōga said, “I wanna do it. I wanna push my dick so hard into your mouth you cry. I wanna fuck you so hard I make you come again. I wanna feel my dick go down your throat. I want…”

Kōga didn’t get to finish his list of “I wants,” because each one was making Inuyasha more and more ready to feel Kōga’s thrusts. The burning inside of him—the feel of all the blood and lust and life energy that existed in him rocketing back to his cock again—it made him reach forward, grab Kōga by the hips, and jam Kōga’s cock deep into his mouth.

Kōga moaned, dropped his hips, then thrust upwards again. Inuyasha felt Kōga’s cock slide into his mouth, down his throat, then, just when it became too much, Kōga slid back out, grunted, then pushed back into Inuyasha’s mouth. 

Inuyasha had never had sex before—not with a woman, and not with a man—but the rhythm that he and Kōga developed was exactly how he imagined sex to be. Together, they moved, Inuyasha shifting back, just enough, with each of Kōga’s thrusts, so that he was able to take in all of Kōga’s meaty cock. His hands were on Kōga’s hips and his dick; they massaged the soft fur of his balls. The movements were fierce, primal; as Kōga fucked his face, Inuyasha couldn’t help but be possessed by images of Kōga fucking his ass instead, and just the very thought of that made his dick so hard again he dropped one hand and began to jerk himself off. Not hard, no—Kōga got to come first this time—but just enough to go along on the ride with him.

Because, in that moment, Inuyasha felt desperately like this was not just a one-time thing, but instead, the beginning of something amazing, and wonderful, and new. 

Like maybe, for the first time in a long time, he would not be alone. 

It was with a deep, resounding roar that Kōga came, ejaculate filling Inuyasha’s mouth so suddenly that he nearly choked, but the heat and the salt made him grunt with pleasure as he held onto Kōga’s dick and sucked him all down. Inuyasha’s own dick throbbed in response, and he moaned as he drank, spunk and saliva running down his chin, dripping over Kōga’s cock and onto the couch. Kōga’s eyes darkened as he saw Inuyasha jerking himself off, and instead of letting Inuyasha clean his dick fully, Kōga pulled out. 

“Come...come up here,” he barked hoarsely, and Inuyasha, his hand still on his own cock, drew up and over Kōga, whose breath was still heaving from the pleasure of it all.

“Kiss me,” he rasped, “and keep your hand on your dick.”

Inuyasha did as he was told, and Kōga’s tongue swept into Inuyasha’s mouth, dragging itself over the corners, across Inuyasha’s tongue, lapping up all the cum that Inuyasha hadn’t yet been able to swallow. Inuyasha let out a low rumble of desire; his cock was getting harder, and harder; his hand worked itself faster, and faster…

Kōga’s hand slipped between their bodies to lightly tickle Inuyasha’s balls, and the pleasure that ripped through Inuyasha’s body in that moment was more than he could bear; he gasped, and jerked, and came, hard, all over Kōga’s stomach, his own hand slipping in their combined fluids and the sloppiness of it all. 

A sloppiness that Inuyasha realized that...he loved.

He dropped onto Kōga’s chest, not caring that it was covered in saliva and in cum. Kōga’s arms wrapped around Inuyasha, holding him close, both of them still breathing heavily from the intensity of their encounter. Neither of them could speak; neither wanted to speak, instead basking in the quiet afterglow of their tryst. 

Inuyasha felt himself growing drowsy at last; Kōga’s scent had shifted from something spicy, and dark, to something calm and soothing. 

“Hey, pup.” Kōga’s voice was soft and gentle. “You did...well, fuck. You did amazing. Fuck, you feel amazing.”

Inuyasha couldn’t answer; he could only hum, and turn, and pepper Kōga’s stomach with kisses. 

“You...you wanna…” Kōga’s voice was rough.

“Anything,” Inuyasha whispered. “Anything.”

“How about a shower, then?” Inuyasha could hear the smile in Kōga’s voice. “I’ll wash your back if you wash mine?”

Inuyasha pulled himself up Kōga’s body, and laid atop him so they were face-to-face. He could feel Kōga’s cock twitching between his legs, and he was maybe feeling as though he had at least one last go round left in him before he needed sleep.

“Sure,” Inuyasha whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Kōga’s lips and then rubbing Kōga’s nose with his own. “I’m up for a shower. So long as I get to do it...with you.”