POISON | Love Her

Chapter 1

Blue Moon

'Thoughts'

Flashbacks

Original Publish Date: 3/18/2014

Warning: Physical abuse, sexual assault, and mild torture are elements that will for-sure be in this story, especially the first one. If you have an issue with this, ppllleeeaaasssseee hit the back button. There will be some chapters that are all sunshine and rainbows and fluff! Now, on to the story!

"Rin, hurry up! Kaguya is getting anxious!" Kagome whispered harshly from the doorway that leads to the stage, waving her hand towards her. The younger woman looked up at her friend, nodding quickly before she readjusted her bra, made sure her half-up pigtails and hat were secure, and smoothed out the bottom half of her nurse costume.

It was Saturday night and the business was packed with men. Powerful and dangerous men of human and youkai, belonging to different gangs across the country. It usually wasn't like this, with so many potentially-violent clientele cramped in the moderately-sized room, but with the recent shift of power between crime lords, the central-west area became a 'safe zone' so to speak. The 'Blue Moon' gentlemen's club was smack in middle of the safe zone, only two streets down from the famed Delfino hotel.

Kaguya must have thought Rin was oblivious to all of this, but her boss didn't know her father ran one of the larger gangs in the eastern region, under Ryūkotsusei's rule. The young woman needed to know all of this, unless she wished to be beaten for her ignorance… "Come on!" The petite woman ran past Kagome, hurrying on to the stage until she stood behind the center curtains.

Rin was nervous, which was a strange feeling for her. She hadn't been nervous on the stage for a long time now, 'But all those men out there…' Men her father surely knew. She had to be careful, a wrong move and her father would surely hear of it. She glanced to the side and saw Kagome mouthing a 'good luck' just as the curtains began to open.

-:-

"Good, sounds like they enjoyed your performance." Kaguya mumbled over the sound of hollering men. They were backstage again; this time Kagome getting ready to go up, wearing her signature school-girl costume. One of the dedicated waitresses approached the pair, a tall, tanned cat youkai with golden blonde hair that reached just below her waist, named Minako.

"Rin! Room 3 wants you." The young woman frowned, she had hoped to avoid any private sessions with the crowd they had today.

Kaguya gave her a slight push, "Go now. We can't afford to make any of these men angry." Rin nodded, before following Minako down the backstage and into the main room.

"I tried telling him you are mute, but he insisted." The cat youkai shrugged, "I've never seen him around here before. I'll make sure Hiro keeps on an eye on you, 'kay?" Rin nodded, giving the feline a weak smile. Minako was always looking out for her, something she was truly grateful for, but one glimpse of the tall man slipping into room 3 several feet away told her she might need more than just the bouncer keeping a half-hearted watch. "I need to get back to the bar, be careful." The feline youkai gave her hand a quick squeeze before dashing off and returning to her duties.

Rin exhaled before straightening up, flicking a lock of her wild, dark brown hair over her shoulder and strutting over to the booth. She ignored the calls of the thugs as she made her way in the wide hall, lined with small private rooms. Most were full, and some were a bit... noisy to her sensitive hearing. The young woman shook her head; she wasn't the type to do that but understood the other girls' reason resorting to those activities. The majority of the dancers at this club had a story, and needed all the money they could earn to change the ending.

Rin quietly slid inside Room 3, slowly shutting the frosted glass door behind her as she set her eyes on her client. The man was fairly built and on the taller side, with surprisingly soft, brown eyes, long raven hair, and wore an all-black suit, black shirt, red tie—nothing too out of the ordinary. 'Though he is dressed very well, he is not like the others out there…' The young woman stood in front of him, just within arm's reach in the small room. She noticed the wine glass in his hand, filled with a deep red liquid. 'He is drinking wine, here?' She wasn't even aware they had wine. 'Maybe he is bit out of the ordinary.'

"Your performance was excellent; I was pleasantly surprised by your movements. Have you ever done gymnastics?" The woman jumped a bit at the sound of his voice, not expecting the deep tone or perfect language, and much less the question. She slowly nodded; it had been awhile since. "I figured as much... You seem to be a bit young to be here…" She stared blankly, this time her hands made their way to the hem of her dress, rubbing the cloth between the pads of her fingertips out of nervousness. She wasn't quite eighteen yet, but close enough that Kaguya did not fret about it. Besides, the business she brought in made the risk worth it.

Rin didn't like all the questions, and began to feel uneasy of the man. Usually when clients tried to talk to any of them, it meant they were trying to get to know them… to lead them somewhere... stalk them… or—"I apologize. I do not mean to make you nervous." The man bit his bottom lip for a second, and the woman couldn't help but find the action a bit… eye-catching. "My name is Kuromaru." He motioned towards the empty spot on the couch. "If it's more comfortable, you can sit… or dance. I only wish to speak to you." The woman shot him a suspicious look and he caught it, "It is purely business-related." He sat back into his seat and sipped at bit of his drink.

"I own a club a couple of miles from here, perhaps you have heard of it… Shikon." Rin's eyes widened, 'No way.' No one ever had seen the owner of Shikon, one of the most famous clubs of the country, known best for its four main beautiful, acrobatic and extremely gifted dancers. "One of my lovely dancers experienced an accident and can no longer dance at my club. While all the other women I have are talented, they are missing something very important to fulfill the spot she left behind… I believe you have that something." She continued to stare at the man, bewildered.

'How do I know he isn't lying about his identity?' And what in the world could she have that others did not? Rin believed she was good at what she did, but she didn't have the kind of experience and practice most of the other women have in their years of dancing—"Would you be interested in trying out for the position? I pay very well." She almost immediately agreed, but froze. Her father might not like her decision. Shikon was even farther away from their house, and she would no longer be able to keep an eye and eavesdrop on the local rival gangs in the area—something that would surely annoy him.

"You don't have to make a decision now, though I would like a dancer before next weekend…" The man stood from the couch, leaving his glass on the end table beside it. He reached into blazer and pulled out a crisp, matte black business card, handing it to her. She accepted it, unconsciously rubbing the smooth texture between her fingertips as she read the light purple font. 'SHIKON… Owner Kuromaru, the address, business, fax, email and cell number… I guess he is the real deal.' "Let me know when you would like to swing by. A text message or email is fine." His hand moved to the other side of his blazer, pulling out a white envelope.

"And for your time… Keep in mind, should you accept my offer, this is only a fraction of the money would make in one night." He straightened up his clothing a bit for giving her a small smile, "I must head back. I hope to hear from you soon." Rin nodded before she mechanically opened the door for the man; she noticed the spicy smell of his cologne: cardamom, black pepper, mandarin, saffron, nutmeg, cumin. Once the man turned the corner out of the hall, she brought her attention to the envelope in her hand. The woman was vaguely aware that his scent lingered on the paper as she opened it, revealing a small stack of 15 hundred-dollar bills.

'Oh my god…' Rin nearly felt as if she could not accept the cash. She didn't provide any service, they only spoke for about 10 minutes or so, she certainly didn't deserve this much! "That was quick. So, what did he want—holy crap!" The women jumped in shock, not realizing Minako had made her way behind her and saw the green in the envelope. "Next time he comes in, you bring me in there with you!" She shook her head, smiling at the feline before walking over to where she kept her things backstage.

-:-

It was around 10PM and Rin was just about ready to leave. The crowd was only getting cruder as the night dragged on, bringing in more of the lower-class members of neighboring gangs. Due to Kuromaru's gracious contribution, she could easily leave early without sacrificing any gain or hearing it from Kaguya and her father. She quickly changed into a plain tee, black hoodie, and dark-wash skinny jeans then gathered her stuff and tipped out, ignoring Kaguya's surprised look when she gave her end. "Want me to walk you to your car?" Hiro asked as she walked past him.

Rin considered his offer and nodded, not wanting to take any chances tonight. The large male escorted her to the back of the lot, where her Sunfire was parked. "See you on Monday." Hiro said in parting, walking back to the club as she waved goodbye. She got in her car and locked the doors, before throwing her bag on the passenger seat. 'Should I go home now..?' She entertained the thought of swinging by Shikon since her father wouldn't be expecting her for at least another 2 hours.

'I don't want to seem desperate.' She thought dejectedly, resting her forehead on the steering wheel. 'I'll try to sneak out tomorrow and get there… ' She figured for now she would swing by her favorite ice cream parlor, only about 10 minutes away. Rin turned the key in the ignition, backed out of her space and hit the road. Her mind began to wander back to Kuromaru.

She noticed the business card had no surname, and he didn't mention his. The man appeared to be human, but she knew appearance meant very little to determine his species. The way he was able to keep himself hidden from public eye while owning such a high-profile establishment, the man could have been a shape-shifter for all she knew. 'Still…' She had not expected his friendly gaze. There was no judgment in his eyes, no disgust or hatred. He showed a genuine interest in her abilities, and seemed to not be interested in anything else.

'I wonder if father would approve, it would be more money coming in…' Rin turned at a red light, and kept driving down the street. She hoped the subject wouldn't cause too much trouble, and the thought of not even asking him and just going with it crossed her mind, but she knew that would not be a good idea. 'If he ever finds out…' The woman shuddered, shaking those thoughts out of her head. She would deal with it when she got to the house.

Rin stared at the taillights in her vision, waiting for the congestion of cars to clear itself. 'Ah, come on…! So close!' She smiled when the vehicle in front of her moved just enough for her to turn into the parking lot of the parlor. She stepped out of her car after parking, and walked up to the bright white little store, the words "The Whole Scoop" was lit up over the front entrance. "Rin, you're early! Hi!" A blushing young boy behind the counter greeted her, always happy to see her.

'Hi, Kohaku!' She wished she could reply, but instead gave him a big smile with a wave as she made her way to the ice cream.

"What will you have today? Same as always, vanilla ice cream with double chocolate chip cookie dough, caramel, fudge and whipped cream in a chocolate-dipped waffle cup?" She nodded eagerly, and the young boy chuckled before proceeding with her order. She came here at least twice a week, so the employees of the parlor learned her name quickly. They were all friendly to her though two stood out the most, quickly becoming good friends with her: Asagi and Kohaku.

He was about her age, she guessed, maybe 2-3 years older, and had the whole boy-ish charm going for him. She liked the cute freckles that decorated his cheeks, his unruly bangs, and the way his face brightened whenever she walked in. Rin looked into her purse for cash, pulling out the exact amount she already had memorized and setting it next to the register. The young man finished preparing her dessert in a few minutes, handing it to her with a wide grin. "Here you go!"

Rin jumped in enthusiasm, accepting the dessert and bowing her thanks before grabbing one of the many plastic spoons and a couple of napkins. She walked over to the usual corner booth she would occupy at the front of the store and made herself comfortable. The parlor was near the center of a very busy nightlife kind of street and many different kinds of people would come and go. She liked to watch those people from the large glass window, since she couldn't properly interact with them…

The front door chime interrupted her dimming thoughts and she looked over, spoon still in her mouth. 'It's that man and woman…' A tall, broad-shouldered man with cropped black hair and moon-kissed skin walked in with a small, but curvy, woman with large eyes whose color reminded her of rubies. The pair was greeted by Kohaku as they made their way to the selection of ice creams. She knew the man was a regular long before her according to one of the female employees, Asagi, and the woman just recently started coming in with him about a month ago.

Rin rarely heard the man speak; the woman seemed to do all of the talking. 'I can count on one hand the times I have heard his voice in the past 4 months.' He carried himself in a way that seemed distant and aloof, she had never seen him laugh or smile, and he always seemed to be in perfect condition. Not a strand of hair out of place, not a wrinkle in his expensive charcoal suit, not a spot on his leather shoes, and not a single crack in his cold demeanor.

Normally, she wouldn't care to find out more about such a man who seemed to fit the whole powerful and arrogant businessman stereotype, but the whole love-for-ice-cream thing didn't really fit with what she perceived his personality was… "The usual vanilla with double chocolate chip cookie dough, caramel, fudge, whipped cream in a chocolate-dipped waffle cup for you, sir?" And that they both had the exact same favorite ice cream combination. Rin hadn't realized how much she was staring until the man met her eyes while the woman next to him was contemplating her decision.

'And those eyes…' If it wasn't for the threatening frost in his gaze, she would have been able to get lost in the Alice blue shade. 'Pfft, I could get frostbite, I don't care.' But she averted her eyes from his after a few seconds of staring when he didn't look away, feeling incredibly awkward.

"I'll have the cake batter ice cream with pieces of red velvet cake and whipped cream." The woman gave her order.

'That doesn't sound all that bad. It's been awhile since I had red velvet…' Rin picked at her ice cream a bit, her mood falling. 'I miss Mom's special red velvet cake…' "Hey Rin!" A blue-haired hanyou sat across from her, her olive eyes bright with excitement. "He said yes! I got a date for prom!" Rin cracked a large grin, holding the girl's hands and jumping in her seat with joy. 'I'm so happy for you, Asagi!' "I can't believe he said yes. You HAVE to help me pick out what to wear!" She nodded, but doubted she would actually be able to help her friend despite how much she wished to.

"Ugh, I hope the night goes well. It's a week and a half away but I'm already so nervous! Did you ever—oh wait!" Asagi ran up to the counter, quickly grabbing a pad of paper and pen before running back to her booth and setting down the items in front of her. "Did you ever go to prom?" Rin shook her head. "Why not?"

She grabbed the pen and paper, jotting down the words "No time, no date, no money. ):" It wasn't a complete lie.

"Aw, nooo." The hanyou said with a pout, "Well, at least you got rid of school early. I wish I was as smart as you, Rin." A large group of people walked in at that moment, and Asagi sighed dramatically. "I guess I have to work now. Talk to you later!" The bluenette skipped over to join Kohaku behind the counter.

Rin went back to her ice cream, content to listen to the orders of the random people as she munched on her dessert. Her eyes scanned the parlor until they landed on the man and woman from earlier, who were sitting across in the booths on the adjacent wall. She quietly pondered if the man always looked like he was bored out of his mind, and if the woman always blatantly ignored his obvious disinterest in whatever they were talking about. She shrugged it all off, her gaze shifted to outside the window where she people-watched until her ice cream and waffle cup were gone. She glanced at the clock on her phone, 'I killed an hour, not too bad.'

The woman gathered her things, and dumped away her trash, before exiting the parlor as she waved her goodbyes to Asagi and Kohaku. Rin got into her car and began to head to her house. She arrived about 30 minutes later, frowning when she saw her father's truck in the driveway.

"You're early." Rin heard her father's gruff voice the moment she walked in. He was sitting at the dinette, a bottle of whiskey and coke alongside a half-empty glass on the small table. She bowed her head, and rummaged through her purse. She gave her father what he usually expected—around $400. If she could just keep the rest without him knowing, it would help her so much… "Huh, generous clients today?" He stuffed the bills into his rough jeans, before downing the entirety of what was in his glass.

Rin nodded slowly, not liking that he was drinking. It never ended well. "Oh, yeah? Are you just finally selling your pussy like the whore you are?" She shook her head vigorously, backing away when her father stood from the stool and tried to approach her. "Don't give me that. Being paid in $100s?" He growled, backhanding her clear across her face. She stumbled at the impact, her hand coming up to press against her hot cheek. "Don't fucking lie to me. 100s… Think you're some high-class whore now?!" She kept shaking her head no, but she knew it was all in vain. "Think your old man too good for you now?!" He slapped her twice more, the second with enough force to push her down to the floor.

"I'm sick of looking at you." When she made a move to rise, he kicked her in the ribs and she bit back her cry of pain. She stayed still, her eyes clenched shut and facing the floor. She dared not to make another move or noise, wishing that he would simply walk away this time. It seems this time her wishes would be granted."I'm going out. Don't you dare fucking leave this house when I'm gone." Once she heard the click of the front door, she allowed the tears in the corner of her eyes to fall.

Rin shook her head, trying to shake off her discomfort as she stood, wincing from the pain in her abdomen. She went to the bathroom first; her eyes immediately fell on the mirror above the vanity. Her movements were automated, and she had been through all this before, several times. Her fingertips brushed against the redness swelling in her cheeks. The same hand opened the medicine cabinet nearby, and she popped two pills of Ibuprofen before shutting the cabinet. She had the thoughts of what did she do wrong…

She was doing what he wanted. She always did what he wanted.

Why was her father so angry with her all the time? No matter what, it was never enough.

'Mom, why did you leave?' Her hands were on the sides of the sink, leaning forward with her head hung low. 'Why did they take you away from us?' She clenched her fists; her sadness turned into anger, and turned into sadness again. It was a cycle she couldn't find a way to break. 'Not with him…' She couldn't keep going with her father. She didn't want to let him go, memories of the man he used to be made her hold fast to a belief he could be that man again.

'But it's been 4 years now… and he is only getting worse.' Her first clue to runaway should have been the first time she saw a couple of gang members in the house, but she thought—foolishly hoped—that it was nothing. Nothing to worry about. Then the weapons… the heavier drinking, the fights, the abuse… the loss of her voice and his refusal to get her any help... forcing her into work, work someone her age shouldn't have been doing… not letting her go to college, not allowing her to better herself in any way… not letting her leave. She was wrong, she had never been more wrong and paid for it every day since then.

Despite everything, Rin couldn't just leave. 'Mom wouldn't want that, she would want me to help him…' But he put himself so far beyond her reach… 'I can't... There's nothing I can do.' She could only help herself, and have faith that when she was finally gone, maybe then he would realize what he has done. The woman sighed, standing up straight. Her mind going in circles once more, unable to decide to leave or to stay. 'You've been like this for 4 years, Rin, come on…' But that logic didn't fight off the opposing thoughts as well as it should have.

The woman realized she didn't have the chance to bring up her opportunity at Shikon, 'Maybe then he would understand why I was paid like that…' He wouldn't apologize even if he did make that realization, and she knew this. He would probably up her 'daily rent' to a crazy amount, to leave her just enough for clothing and food again, but not enough to save for anything else, to keep her there.

Rin decided to take a shower, she would wash away the bleak thoughts and false shame her father caused and tomorrow, she would head to Shikon without a word to him.

'You won't take this, you won't take anything else away from me. I won't let you.' She only wished her resolve tonight would stay just as strong tomorrow morning.

End of Chapter 1

Author's Note: I desperately need an AU story to write on the side while working on Remember. I had a couple of old stories I wanted to bring back, but I decided to choose this one for now. This story was previously published on my alt penname and never made it past the first chapter (oopsss), if anyone remembers it. This chapter is new from top to bottom though, since I lost all that ever written on that alt account. Annnddd, there isn't much else to say. lol

I hope you enjoyed it! :D