InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fade and Flare ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 13 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Fade and Flare

Chapter 12

Inuyasha (at least the anime, anyway) is copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Yomiuri Terebi, and Sunrise 2000

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Notes: This is the completed version of chapter 12! To be honest, I personally wouldn't qualify anything that happens here as a lime, but just in case, heed the LIME WARNING. Notes at the end.

---

Kagome understood that she eventually had to mention the incident at the NHK building, but couldn't at the moment. It'd be bad form to talk about Hojo with Inuyasha's tongue in her mouth. As they kissed, perhaps Inuyasha had slowly nudged Kagome into his bedroom or maybe Kagome had unconsciously moved in that direction.

What kind of a jerk would Kagome be if she brought up the day's events while Inuyasha was busy kissing her shoulders or pulling her into the center of his bed with him? (Wow, she hadn't even noticed when he slipped off her coat.) Any mention of Yuka and Hojo at this moment would ruin the mood-- a big faux pas. The mouthwash she'd tasted moments before made her believe that Inuyasha had at least considered the fact that in between wet kisses he would be exhaling so hotly over her lips like this. (Way to be prepared! Another reason why she'd never moved on to another manager.) It would be rude to go against his plans.

Neither had exchanged much in the way of words once Inuyasha initiated things. Beyond a few sighs and Kagome's soft giggling they hadn't spoken. Words were too cumbersome to bother with right now.

In a sea of red comforter Inuyasha lay on his side, and with one arm the hanyou cradled Kagome's head while his free hand lightly grasped her waist. With each nibble of her lips the palms of his clawed hands slid higher up along her belly, and more sighs filled the dim room. When the hanyou's fingertips finally met resistance, accidentally pressing into his companion's pliant breast, it was like a trigger. Wide-eyed, Inuyasha felt his cheeks growing hotter as he ravaged his companion's neck. His fingers moved instinctively, roving over her chest.

"Ah," Kagome breathed, pressing into his hand. One of her arms reached out, grabbing blindly for Inuyasha's nightstand. As she returned his kisses her fingertips dove into the top drawer and felt around, finally dragging a small packet into her palm. She slipped her hand out of the drawer, returning it to her side.

After a few seconds passed Inuyasha finally realized what she'd taken, unexpectedly turned on by Kagome's familiarity with his things-- her sheer familiarity with him. As she bucked against him the hanyou realized how much he needed to possess her. Gently taking Kagome's wrist, Inuyasha nudged her hand open. A sealed condom sat neatly in the center of her palm.

He froze, in consideration of what that really meant.

This wasn't what he wanted, he realized. Well yes, of course he wanted to do this with her, but not like this. Even if it was in name only at this point, she still belonged to another man. For perhaps the first time in his life the half-demon put himself in Hojo's shoes. How would he react to some guy screwing his girl? He'd hate the cowardly way they'd sneak behind his back, for starters. "If you don't want me anymore," he'd always told his lovers "Don't pretend. Just leave."

Though Inuyasha felt partly disappointed at Kagome for carrying on like this he couldn't blame her too much-- he'd decided to kiss her, after all. People slip. Inuyasha was convinced that Kagome's advances had become so blatant when they were alone because she didn't know what else to do. What could she do without contacting a PR team and making official statements? Breakups for people like her were never private affairs; tabloids helped to make sure of that. They could smell a scandal and in turn your fear from miles away, and then they'd make sure the whole world knew about it afterwards.

My God, he'd finally realized. She's gonna leave him. Maybe she'd leave him recklessly if left to her own devices. The second she'd decided to put her (beautifully writhing) naked body (with smooth skin and that endless black hair, oh God!) on display for Inuyasha was the second she'd doomed her relationship with that would-be fiancee. The hanyou wanted to kick himself for insisting that Kagome date Hojo in public. He regretted not confiding in even Miroku about what Kagome really felt.

Or what he really felt.

Fuck, how long am I gonna last? Kagome was too important; things had to be done right or it'd be over.

"You okay?" His companion's interjection shot through his thoughts. The uncertainty hanging in her voice was actually quite reassuring.

Without a word Inuyasha picked up the condom that Kagome clutched and tossed it back into his open drawer. He then brought her fingers to his lips for a moment before releasing her hand all together. Wordlessly he pulled her body to his, hugging her tightly.

"Look, Kagome. I'm sorry. For, uh, for that in the hallway. For this. We can't do this..."

At first Kagome was unsure how to react. Her manager, in an act of level-headedness or stubbornness (she couldn't tell the difference sometimes), had shown restraint again.

"Oh. N-no, you're right. It's partly my fault, too." Eventually she slipped her arm around his waist, pulling herself closer to him and taking time to reflect on what nearly happened. "I've been dancing around a lot of things I need to handle, lately..."

This, she decided, would be the right time to talk about Hojo and Yuka.

---

"All right, one last time."

"Okay," answered Hojo and Kagome in unison.

"One full second after the cue," Kagome started, "I'm on the platform backstage. I ride to the top of the steps. Camera three's going to dolly in from the right so I turn towards it and head down the stairs..."

"And halfway down?" The director, a short middle-aged man with short spiky hair named Yamashita, looked expectantly at Hojo to continue while scratching under the collar of his black turtleneck shirt.

"Right. Halfway down I'll have come up from the bottom of the steps, and I wait. Uh, do I look at her?"

"Hm," Yamashita sucked in some air through his closed teeth. "Show me what you have in mind? Oh, no, that looks stiff. Let's not turn with your head like that, pivot on your toes a little and make sure your shoulders are facing her, too."

"Like this?"

"Great, looks great. Really natural."

"Yamashita-san, should I face him too?"

"Yeah, Higurashi-san, pretend like you're just meeting for a date. It'll be cute. Oh! Hold his arm as you head to the podium, too."

Rocking back and forth in an audience seat alongside Yuka, Inuyasha sat with his arms folded. Maybe he was the only one in the building who saw Kagome's expression harden at the mention of a date. As he watched Kagome's well-practiced television smile he sighed, leaning back for a minute.

The memory of her face as he kissed her several nights ago made her current expression onstage look that much more strained to him. Meanwhile, Yama-whatshisname? That jerkoff director and his overpaid stage crew were clapping like monkeys at how beautiful Kagome was. Suckers, laughed Inuyasha inwardly. If she would look at a camera the way she'd looked at him as she lay sighing in his bed, casting agents would come banging at her door.

"That look is for my eyes only," he mumbled softly, as if making a wish. When Kagome described what happened at NHK Inuyasha reacted poorly. It turned what developed between them in recent months into a very sick joke. Hojo was now unstoppably cheerful, his obliviousness now more potent than ever. The poor fool thought he was off the hook.

One couldn't blame him for it. That was the problem. Meanwhile Kagome was acting with less and less control, and all Inuyasha could do was push her into working while trying to think of some way to help her. With a heavy sigh the hanyou closed his eyes.

"What did you say, Inuyasha-san?"

"Wha?"

"Never mind. This is pretty exciting, isn't it?"

Not bothering to open his eyes, Inuyasha bared his fangs a little bit. He didn't know whether or not he wanted to thank Yuka or rip out her throat for messing with Kagome's relationship. It didn't change the fact that he thought she was conniving and annoying. At the moment he was angrier that she'd yanked him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I guess. If I were you I'd be more excited about getting to keep my job." He hoped her silence meant that she'd move to sit somewhere else.

"You're in no place to talk to me like that."

Snorting, Inuyasha sat up. "Keh! This from the liar and thief."

"Oh, that's funny," spat Yuka as she stood. "Yeah, that's real funny coming from you. If things would have gone my way you'd have gotten what you wanted."

"What the hell, now she's delusional. Get out of my face before I decide to rip yours off, Bitch!"

"Don't give me that garbage. Any idiot can see how badly you wanna fuck Higurashi, so who's the liar? Imagine if you got into those little white panties of hers-- you'd be a thief, just like me."

They're pink.

"Vulgar little bitch," hissed the hanyou as he began to stand. The gesture was all Yuka needed to start moving away, but her smirk stayed in place.

"We're exactly the same."

"Bullshit. Kagome's actually interested in me."

Shit, shit! He let himself get carried away.

Yuka paused, a little thrown by his words. Without answering she finally walked away, seating herself in another section.

The hanyou sighed, throwing his head in his hands. Something vibrated in his pocket. Thankful for the interruption this time Inuyasha retrieved the culprit-- his cell phone-- and answered without bothering to check the caller ID.

"Whaddya' want?"

"Nice to hear from you too, you big jerk," laughed Sango.

A soft humming motor in the background indicated that she was in a car. "Keh," replied Inuyasha, "It ain't safe to drive while on the phone. Pull over, Idiot."

The stylist laughed again. "Shippo's driving. So we're on for tomorrow morning, right? We meet at Kagome's house to finalize her outfits, say, nine o' clock?"

"Yeah, good. Before then I'm gonna take her to eat somewhere. It'll be real quick."

"Got it. Ooh, I've got some cool stuff!"

"O...kay."

"See ya!" Sango hung up.

"Damned girls and their clothes," the half demon chuckled.

---

"After all this time, to think we'd never worked together before..." mused Hojo, as he leaned against a table in a break room. "Kagome, you know what I realized?"

"Hm?" In one corner of the room, she rehearsed her dance moves.

"We should have thought of this before-- if we work on the same projects we can spend more time together! I'm going to talk to Sayuri-san about getting some commercial shoots with you."

Kagome's steps faltered. Just like that, he'd decided to talk to his agent?

"Sorry... concentrating, didn't hear you." She'd lied. The idea of forcing Inuyasha to deal with Hojo on a constant basis in a work environment simply didn't sit well. Immediately she imagined her manager's rampant screaming and hands around Hojo's neck while the director, camera crew, or some poor unsuspecting interns would try their best to pull the two men apart.

"Oh. No problem, I'll leave you to it," Hojo startled her with a hug then, causing her to jump a little.

"Get off," she almost yelled, slipping out of his embrace. His stunned eyes looked into hers, searching her face for an answer to her sudden outburst. She was surprised at her gut reaction, blinking at her sudden mood swing. Composing herself, she put a hand on Hojo's arm.

"I'm sorry," he managed, before Kagome could say the same. "Wow, I understand why everyone praises your work ethic. I think I'm a little jealous at how dedicated you are."

"Right... No, sorry for snapping. I was... concentrating. Look, I'm gonna go see if we're up for stage rehearsal yet, I'll talk to you later."

She didn't give him time to answer, suddenly running out the door. Thankfully an intern had been on the way to get her, and they met in a walkway.

Dance moves that should have been a second nature by now to Kagome, as she'd been performing variations of them for weeks on other shows, nearly escaped her. She fought, trying her best to concentrate on stepping and turning and the twist of her waist. Barely hanging onto the choreography, she pushed other thoughts out of her mind.

"If we work on the same projects..." How dare he! It's not like she could include him in her music just so they could spend time together. Would he make cameos in her videos from now on? Would she have to shift her focus to commercials just to work with him? What the hell would he expect?

How can he decide that so suddenly? Did he manage to completely ignore that I'll be pushing my music overseas? She hoped he wasn't serious about it.

"Like I'd give that up," she mumbled, twirling angrily. Now she was upset. He'd been told that she chose her career over Hideto, once upon a time. Did he forget how much she enjoyed toiling at her piano, and how hard she had to work to make sure she could still get paid to do so?

She felt an exhale catch in her chest, and suddenly felt a tear or two coming; it caught her off guard. With a gasp the young woman remembered how many eyes were on her at the moment and panicked, moving a few beats too fast to compensate for timing she thought she'd lost.

Apparently her feet were not ready for the change. As quickly as she tried to recover she fell, twisting an ankle as she sped towards the ground.

"Higurashi-san!" A handful of the crew ran to surround her, but scattered as Inuyasha rushed to her side.

"Kagome! Shit!"

"I'm okay, really." The injured young woman tried to prove it by standing, but quickly sank back to the ground when her ankle started to sting. Her eyes went wide when a rush of unexpected pain surged through her leg, and couldn't help but cry out a little.

Growling, the hanyou pulled out his cell phone and dialed. He handed the phone to Kagome. "Call your doctor while I take care of you." He bent to collect her in his arms, heading towards an exit.

--

"I'm so sorry about this," Kagome was near tears as she spoke to Yamashita, "I wasn't careful, so things turned out like this."

"Higurashi-san, you're so hard on yourself. We were all there; we know it was an accident. I'm glad you'll at least be able to walk enough to present an award."

"Yes, if I didn't have to worry about traveling the day after the show I'd just forego the dancing and sing anyway. I really want to..."

"It wouldn't be hard to change the shots for a performance where you're stationary, but... to be honest I'm not about to risk the wrath of your manager and let that happen," the old man laughed. "See you tomorrow night."

"Yes. Thanks so much for your understanding." Sighing, Kagome hung up and glanced around the treatment area. He was too polite to say it, but he saw how troubled she was during rehearsals. He and she both knew that she wasn't up to performing. In the corner of the room stood Miroku, on the phone with MTV representatives to negotiate her change in services. She felt a pang of guilt as she watched him, but was grateful he was around in a situation like this.

A hand startled her as it grabbed the top of her head, mussing her bangs around. Inuyasha. Ashamed to look him in the eyes for too long, Kagome stared down at her bandaged ankle. "I'm sorry I was so sloppy," she sighed.

"What happened up there?"

"I... I don't know. It wasn't even a difficult move, you know?"

"Mmm." There was something she didn't want to say. The hanyou didn't think yelling at her would make her talk, though. In an effort to rid himself of his frustration he squeezed her hand.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to do music more than commercial shoots."

"Okay..." The confusion on his face was clear but he decided not to pry-- there was relief in her voice as she spoke. "I... know?" he added, still baffled.

Squeezing his hand in reply, Kagome smiled widely.

---

Sometimes it was a pain to find a good area in Tokyo that didn't fall asleep once the trains stopped running for the night. After Inuyasha dropped her off at home Kagome felt a bit hungry, or bored, or perhaps some combination of the two. There wasn't much in her refrigerator that looked appealing to eat (and who knows if any of it was even edible anymore) so on a whim she found the keys to her white Peugeot, deciding to take a drive.

It wasn't so late that the streets were completely empty (Could they ever really be in a city where 65 million people lived?). Kagome enjoyed the less congested streets though, singing along with her car stereo as she drove from district to district. For the first time in months, for at least a few hours tonight her time was truly hers. As she slightly opened a couple of windows she took a deep breath, appreciating the damp scent of night air as it whipped across her cheeks.

She wouldn't be driving for much longer after that. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a familiar blue neon sign-- Orion. She must have been in Ginza now. Orion was a high-class haven for Tokyo's elite: An exclusive bar and lounge where top executives, celebrities, the super-rich, or anyone who could afford the cover fee sat for a while to have a drink and relax. Hideto had taken her to Orion for the first time, days after her twentieth birthday. Since then she'd come back at least once or twice a year.

They have some food. Now that most businesses in the area were closed parking wasn't a hassle. Kagome easily found a spot to park her car before heading towards a familiar high-rise. As she entered its dim lobby she stood in front of an elevator, examining the directory. She scanned a list for Orion's peacock blue logo.

--

"Fourteenth floor." An automated female voice chirped, and the pair of steel elevator doors opened, revealing a tinted glass door embossed with the Orion logo. Slightly smiling Kagome stepped out of the elevator and entered. She immediately met a host behind a reception booth who bowed to her in greeting.

"Welcome. May I have your name, please?"

This was clearly a formality. The pop star noticed a large grin on his face as he waited for her answer. Reaching into her purse she retrieved a wad of 10,000-yen bills, getting ready to pay the cover.

"Higurashi Kagome."

He must have been a man easily in his mid-twenties-- her age. He was cute! In black slacks and a black button-up shirt he retrieved a menu and bowed deeply to her. Kagome admired the silver stud piercings along his right ear and his wispy bleached hair. "Your cover fee will be waived tonight. What kind of seat would you like?"

Now that I can easily afford it I don't have to pay it. Figures. She smiled. "A bar seat would be just fine."

"Of course. Please come this way."

Shoving her money back into her purse she followed the host through a pair of automated glass doors that opened to a large space, littered with small blue and white lights. Its high black ceiling was dotted with fiber optic white lights in the configuration of stars from a summer night sky. The constellation for Orion was highlighted with slightly brighter lights.

Small groups of men wearing shirts and ties from work, individuals and pairs in just jeans and sweaters, and the occasional overdressed woman in a gown or cocktail dress (it was easy to tell when someone was here for their first time; Kagome had overdressed for her first trip too) sat and conversed in large booths with black leather seats.

As soon as Kagome took a sandaled step onto the black marble floor of the lounge area, not at all mindful of her messy ponytail, t-shirt, and white cropped pants, all of the wait staff greeted her in perfect unison with deep bows. "Welcome," they said in friendly, voluble voices before returning to their various tasks. She moved steadily behind the host, trying to hide the fact that she had to limp.

This really was a nice break from the rest of the world. Beyond a couple of suppressed yet excited stares from the obvious first-timers nobody paid her any mind. A mutual kinship was shared between Orion's regular clientele; each patron had the same faith in knowledge that this was a place to come for a peaceful night out. Security was hired to keep Paparazzi and the like away from the premises.

The cute host gestured towards a corner seat at the bar. "Is this acceptable?"

"Yes, thank you." As Kagome climbed onto the swiveling bar chair a waitress in a black skirt, sleeveless shirt, and black apron appeared next to her. Taking the menu from the host she set it open in front of the pop star along with a small basket of silverware, polished wood chopsticks and rest, two coasters for drinks, and a folded black silk napkin. The host made quick work of setting a monogrammed wine glass on one coaster and filling it with sparkling water, while the waitress retrieved a hot towel from a basket with tongs, handing the blue square of cloth to Kagome.

The host parted with one shorter bow, and the waitress stood holding a platter, waiting for Kagome to wipe her face and hands. When the towel was discarded on the platter the waitress gave a curt bow and handed her a blue rose before she left. "Please take your time."

"Excuse me," Kagome called to a nearby bartender, tapping the flower to her nose. "Umeshu and soda, please." He nodded in acknowledgement and reached for a glass. She finally sighed, resting one cheek in her hand while flipping through the menu.

Anonymity is so damned expensive; she wanted to say to someone. Thoughts of Inuyasha's lips against hers flashed in her mind, as she sipped her water. Without seemingly all of Japan's eyes on her she was sure they'd have long since been an item.

Without this job, though, I'd never know him, she added grimly, deciding what to order.

"Plum sake and soda," said the bartended suddenly as he deposited her drink on the unoccupied coaster.

"Thank you."

Tasting her drink, Kagome barely registered multiple calls of "Welcome!" as she pushed a button to call a waitress. After ordering some sizzling beef with kimchi and a strawberry parfait (she wanted the parfait first) she felt the presence of someone standing near her. Almost forming a frown Kagome swiveled around on her chair.

"Hey Girl!"

"Kumi-chan?" Kagome's jaw dropped. "It's been so long! Sit with me!"

A fellow chart-topping pop star, Kouda Kumi dove forward to hug Kagome, who couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. The slim, short woman in a black mini skirt and giant gray sweater hopped up onto the chair next to Kagome, spinning to face her friend while the waitress and host gave her table settings. She kept the hot towel with her.

"How are you, Kumi-chan?"

"Starving!" she laughed. "I've been crazy dieting for months for that damn awards show. Came over here for liquid nourishment."

"Tsk tsk," chided Kagome. "Alcohol will give you a belly, you know. Might as well just eat."

"Hey! I plan on ordering tea. After the show tomorrow The Manager's taking me to get some oden!"

"Ooh, lucky! I love oden!"

"I can't wait."

Kumi motioned to the bartender, ordering glasses of iced oolong, mint, and green tea. Once she received them Kagome was also served her parfait.

"God, why did I sit by you? I'm so jealous!"

Giggling, Kagome offered Kumi a bite, which was quickly declined. "You don't need this diet, you know. I remember back before you did things like this and you were gorgeous! You still are, of course, but I was so jealous of how your thighs looked."

"Serious?" Kumi sipped her green tea. "I don't believe I'm hearing this-- you have the most perfect legs ever. Damn, why do you get to eat a parfait?"

"Inuyasha won't let me diet like that. He says I'm as skinny as I need to be, can you believe it?"

Dipping a fingertip into Kagome's whipped cream Kumi tasted it. "I could, actually. I tried to set him up with someone once and he called her 'a wiry bitch like me.' If you ask me I think he likes a little hint of muscle. Like what you've got. That last chick he was with had something similar to what you've got going on, you know?"

"Yeah, I remember her. Hey, but I like a little hint of muscle so that's more important. If I could just get my thighs to look like yours I'd be perfect! Screw what The Puppy thinks," Kagome laughed, but her face remained thoughtful as she ate her parfait.

At the cost of an hour and a half of cardio (mostly dancing) six days a week plus weight training three days a week she'd used her looks to sell cosmetics, shampoo, fleece sweaters, and of course albums. Piles of fan letters she'd read over the years were loaded with praise about how beautiful her fans thought she was.

Even back in high school Kagome was not the type to feel insecure about her looks. Despite this, nearly a decade later during adulthood, at a time when petty insecurities from hormonally imbalanced teenage years were trivial, she was complaining about her thighs. Though she knew her features were enviable (you can't sell cosmetics and somehow be oblivious to this) her job made her the natural target of every type of scrutiny imaginable, especially where her looks were concerned. Kagome had even once read about someone's written plans to boycott the cosmetics she endorsed until she had a small mole on her shoulder surgically removed!

Neither woman would say it aloud but it was pretty obvious that Kumi's diet was harsh-- she'd spent a couple of months literally starving because of this awards show. What was worse was how acceptable it was by their peers. Forget the fact that years later if Kumi ever decided to, oh y'know, eat she'd just get fat.

Ha ha, but looks are the same as job security.

"So... we're gonna be at the same awards show but the only three Japanese guests there haven't seen each other at rehearsals. How sad," Kumi mock-lamented. "I heard that you're only going to present now, too! Is that true? Why aren't you performing?"

"Ha ha, because we both know the MTV Asia awards don't count! MTV Japan, however..."

The pair laughed a little.

"The truth is I twisted my ankle during rehearsal. Just a light sprain." Kagome gestured towards her ankle brace and Kumi regarded it with a look of concern etched deeply onto her face. "The doctor says if I want any hope of being able to dance on it in a couple of days I have to be careful. I'm actually supposed to just stay home and rest right now."

"You're gonna dance on it? Don't make the injury worse! No, no wait, what's going on in a couple of days? What's more important than an awards show that I don't know about? Sweetie, your life sounds positively crazy."

"Yes, I'm... a little bogged down at the moment. We're going to America the day after tomorrow, and I get to show off my English demo," Kagome sighed, sipping her drink. "I sing while stepping back and forth and wiggling my hips a little. Nothing complex." Underneath her breath she mumbled, "Thanks to someone at rehearsal..."

Kumi raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Well at least it seems like you and The Boy are getting along well now?"

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed.

Noticing the troubled look on Kagome's face, she patted her friend's hand. "I'm going to spank you if that sad face has anything to do with him. I saw the news a while back, but I thought things were fine now? Uh, look, I didn't mean to bring something bad up, I'm sorry."

"Damn them! For just this one thing I wish those bastards would mind their own damned business. You know, if it weren't for this ridiculous 'Platinum Pair' crap I'd--"

"You'd...?"

Suddenly Kagome froze. "Uh... S-sorry. I just realized, I don't think I've ever admitted this aloud before." As the words tried to form in her mouth she found herself trembling. The young woman gripped the edge of the bar tightly, as if she'd suddenly fall to her death for letting go.

"Oh my God, wait. You and The Boyfriend okay? No, wait, never mind. It's totally not my right to pry."

"No, it's okay. Inuyasha and I... just the two of us are going to America. We don't want to bring an entourage and publicize it until we get some definite interest, so..."

Kumi blinked. "'Kay... think I'm missing something here. So Hojo-kun's somehow not happy with this or what? Are things that bad between you?"

Sighing, Kagome pulled her friend closer, whispering into her ear. The young woman in gray gasped softly, placing her manicured hands over her mouth.

"I wouldn't have guessed," exhaled Kumi.

Leaning close to her friend as she continued to speak, Kagome told as much as she could. In hushed voices the women conversed and with every bit of truth she revealed Kagome began to feel at ease. Once the beef dish arrived the women shared it, taking turns browning sizzling strips of meat on a hot metal platter as they talked.

"I don't believe I ate that," lamented Kumi, after the conversation lightened a bit. "You've corrupted my diet!"

"Don't worry," Kagome laughed. "A little bit of meat won't destroy all the work you've done. An entire cow, on the other hand..."

Kumi laughed, too. "S'okay, my tummy feels really happy right now! So I'm gonna grant you a wish. Uh... call me if you need anything. Anything,"

"Aww, thank you, Kumi-chan. It means a lot."

"Really. I mean it. If I can help you in some way I want you to call."

With a smile and a nod, Kagome chewed on a piece of kimchi.

---

Kagome sighed. "You know, the worst part about all of this is that you've probably brought the most amazing stuff ever this time."

"And yet you hate it. Everything? Really?"

"Yes and no." Kagome picked up a long white silk and taffeta gown with an empire waist. "This cut? This is gorgeous. I can already tell it'd look great. It's so classically beautiful and timeless... and that's why I want to puke."

Exhaling with relief, Sango collected the array of white and cream colored dresses splayed across Kagome's bed. "I was about to cry for a second there, but now that I know what's going on it's not so bad. Next time tell me before I go shopping!"

Plopping down on her mattress Kagome stared up at the ceiling. "Yeah, I'm sorry. Not trying to be cute, but... I've been feeling a little vanilla lately."

While zipping and unzipping garment bags Sango could only mutter a sound of acknowledgement.

Kagome pouted a little bit. "Did you hear me?"

Sango retrieved what she'd been looking for. "Yes," she answered with authority. "I imagine too much white in a wardrobe would do that to someone. By the way, talked to your friend Ayumi lately?"

The pop star stared at the dress Sango'd set down.

"Oh my God."

"So... talked to her?"

"No. Is this...?"

"Yeah, this is that dress I mentioned to you a while back." Straightening out the dress' fabric the stylist continued. "She told me it was her favorite piece from the collection she made for her senior thesis."

"Oh God, she already finished school? Last time I talked to her it seemed like she was just getting into that fashion design program. I'm a horrible friend!"

"I think she'll understand," laughed Sango. "Before she sent it over she told me on the phone that your indie days were the inspiration for the whole collection and that she was sure there wasn't an appropriate time for you to wear this anymore. I couldn't believe it!"

"Believe it," Kagome chuckled. "I'll show you my first album cover sometime."

"Yes, please do, I'm completely curious now! I have to admit, I'd never listened to your old stuff. Just assumed it was poppy."

"Yeah. A lot of my fans from back then were pretty betrayed, but things only happened this way because of something I did on a whim..."

---

Once the door to the elevator closed Kagome knew she wasn't safe. Her hands trembled as she pressed the button for the lobby and stared at the ground. The jolt of the elevator's descent pushed her to speak.

"I can't help it if they won't even watch the video."

"No, no, it's my fault for stupidly working for you. I should have remembered how completely fucking retarded you are when you're trying to plug yourself. Fuck!" Balling his fist, Inuyasha swung his arm out to his right, pounding on the side of the wall. With wide eyes Kagome gasped, almost swearing she'd seen a shock wave come from beneath his fist.

When the lights flickered and the elevator's alarm sounded Kagome was sure of what she'd seen.

At first, the pair didn't speak. Kagome was the first to act, completely unenthusiastic about being stuck in a confined area with an angry youkai any longer than she had to be. The flustered girl pressed the emergency alarm, and then pushed a button beneath what looked like an intercom. "Hello? Hello..."

"Hi, we just noticed that your car wasn't working."

Shocked that they'd received such a quick response, Kagome smiled at Inuyasha (and quickly looked away; he still looked irritated). "Th-that's right."

"Okay," the intercom answered. "We're calling someone from maintenance right now. If we can get him over there right away you'll only be looking at one, two hours tops."

"One to two hours? Wait, we have to wait here for--"

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" Gripping her shoulders Inuyasha literally picked up Kagome, moving her to one side before screaming into the intercom. "How is a two hour wait acceptable at all? Get us the FUCK out of here NOW!"

The hanyou was answered with silence at first. Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kagome did all they could to prevent their eyes from meeting.

"Looks like you're going to have to wait another hour, actually. The maintenance worker is out to lunch." He sounded like he was smirking.

A garbled scream escaped from Inuyasha's throat. Swinging his fist back, he was about to send it through the Intercom before Kagome pulled on it, gripping his forearm desperately with both of her hands.

"Don't! That's how we got into this mess in the first place, damn it!" When she was answered with a wild stare, she was sure she'd die. Inuyasha was going to kill her, and she'd be a red stain on the elevator wall. He gripped her shoulders, breathing loudly.

This is it. I'm through. Mama, Jii-chan, I love you! Souta... take care of them, you little brat! Here I go... "You know, as my manager you're supposed to help me out with getting people to listen to my songs."

"What?"

"And what the heck were you doing when that perverted, decrepit, old man was staring at my chest, by the way? Playing with your balls? Now you've got us trapped in here. I don't think I'd recommend your services to my worst enemy-- oh wait, isn't that you? I take it back, then. I guess I'd make an exception and recommend you to you." Any second now she'd feel those claws through her neck. She'd at least die with one less regret.

"You... you..."

"What the heck am I paying you for? Aaah!" His arm hooked around her waist, and with one quick and forceful jump through the panel in the ceiling they were suddenly standing on the elevator car. Inuyasha looked up, spotted the entrance to the nearest floor, jumped to it, and landed, issuing a roundhouse kick to a set of double doors.

Releasing Kagome, they nonchalantly crossed whatever floor they were on, in search of the stairs, walking past a few astonished onlookers.

"Why can't you--"

"Just shut up. Say another word and I'll--"

"SORRY. THAT WAS AWESOME. I mean it. I was gonna say, why can't you treat my career like that?"

She was answered with a growl. "Thought I told you to shut up. Stupid bitch..."

There wasn't much left of Kagome's patience after eleven flights of stairs. The two of them were deposited on the second floor (should have taken the fire stairs...), and as Kagome stalked behind Inuyasha the last of her patience was finally tried by a voice in C sharp.

She'd heard faint bits of the conversation as she walked. A man asked for a C, a woman answered in C sharp. Lather, rinse, repeat. The piano player in the room resorted to playing Chopsticks as the would-be vocalist tried to get it right.

"Wait," was all Kagome said, as she turned around, practically stomping into the room with the tone-deaf vocalist.

Inuyasha almost didn't notice if not for the sudden lack of footsteps sounding behind him. "What the hell," he muttered as he followed Kagome's scent into the large room.

"...and I can't believe this is the same company that wouldn't listen to my demo!" Pushing the pianist aside, Kagome glared at a woman she'd never met before. "C!" she punctuated, as she played it on the piano. "C," she sang in C, accompanying her vocals with a quick couple of chords.

"Wha-- what the hell are you doing?" screamed Inuyasha, dragging Kagome away. "I'm sorry about this," he mumbled.

"No, please wait." A man, maybe in his forties, said as he stood in light gray slacks.

--

"I'm not so sure about this."

Tracing her finger over her knee as Inuyasha drove out of the parking garage Kagome idly stared at her black fingernails. She couldn't wait to get home out of her leather pants and take a bubble bath.

"Well if you don't want it, don't take it."

"It's just... I'm a rock singer, you know?"

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha turned the car sharply. "A commercial jingle is a paycheck. Nothing more."

"I guess you're right. Look at me, complaining about getting paid to sing. How ridiculous is that?"

For the first time that day the half demon and young lady did their equivalent to sharing a laugh: Inuyasha smirked and Kagome giggled softly as they jetted through the side streets of Roppongi in his red Toyota Corona, setting a tone for the following five years.

---

In only one and a half hours she'd be walking arm in arm with Hojo along a red carpet towards the entrance of Tokyo Bay NK Hall. In two and a half hours they'd be backstage, waiting for their cues. All of their efforts in recent weeks would finally result in less than ten minutes onstage, broadcasted live via satellite throughout Southeast Asia, and as quickly as it came it'd be over.

Like a gunshot, Kagome noted, rolling her eyes at nobody in particular while Sango frantically pinned a black silk rose into her hair. The stylist blinked.

"Did I hurt you?"

"Huh? No, no. Just thinking."

"'Kay. Hold still. Time to do your face."

For the first time since her major label debut there was a knot in Kagome's stomach. Her hands sweated a little when she balled her fists, praying to anyone that she wouldn't tremble on camera. She wasn't worried about missing cues but the prospect of this live broadcasted event was still a little terrifying. For any event a small pang of worry always existed. Would she, or would she not be received well? Tonight Kagome worried about what people would think of her without the trademark white dress, so much so that the inclination to dive back into the safety of white chiffon and an empire waistline was strong. This petty aspect of her job was more nerve-wracking than it was fun at times. What stopped her in the end was her own overwhelming desire to break her formula. She needed this. Deep down she believed in it.

"Where's Inuyasha? Won't the limo be here soon?"

Rolling her eyes Sango mixed some foundation on her hand before applying the liquid in soft dabs onto Kagome's cheeks and chin. With well-practiced ease she blended it into her friend's skin.

"He called screaming about how he won't go anywhere near 'that crazy bitch Hayashi'. You'll see him backstage."

"Oh dear."

"Yeah, that's what I said," Sango laughed, dragging the tip of a small brush through some lip color. "He told me about their little pissing contest at rehearsal."

"Oh?" Kagome managed before raising her chin. Suddenly uncomfortable, she drummed her fingertips nervously on her lap. She too heard about the things Yuka had said. Kagome could only assume that Sango's casual tone of voice meant that she'd heard an abridged version of that conversation, but was still unsure and waiting to be proven right.

With quick swipes Sango applied the lipstick, a dark burgundy, and covered Kagome's lips with a high-shine gloss to finish. "Yeah, who knows what she said but he was pretty riled up when he talked about her. So he and Shippo are coming separately."

What a relief. "That stubborn brat," she mumbled nervously.

---

Hojo could find nothing to say when he saw Kagome's dress. His jaw only hung open.

Once she stepped onto the red carpet, her fans had screamed. It was too hard to tell whether the screams were of horror or delight, and judging from the rush of interviewers and storm of flash bulbs she still couldn't tell. At the very least, she was able to answer the most important question one can answer on a red carpet.

"Who are you wearing?"

"Ueno Ayumi." Gripping Hojo's arm like a life preserver, she smiled, hoping she didn't damn her dear friend's career.

When Inuyasha saw the dress, he could find nothing to punch. Instead, a scream of indignance wrangled its way out of the half demon's throat as his fists waved angrily in the air. Not even bothering to watch the progress of the show on a nearby monitor Kagome was seated in a chair, applying a cold compress to her ankle.

"NO. No way! Where the fuck is Sango, I'm gonna kill her!"

"What the hell is wrong with you, Inuyasha, this is how I always used to dress!"

"Yes, before you were broadcasted internationally! Shit!" It was too much. He wasn't okay with what the dress emphasized on Kagome's body. Every part he didn't want people to notice was put on display. She was an absolute demon in that dress-- a delicious, sexy, she-beast with breasts bursting out of a matte black silk bodice, wearing a layer each of sheer black taffeta and netting as her skirt. Her legs, in shiny black stockings, jutted out for miles. "I don't even know you anymore! For fuck's sake we can see your panties underneath! What the hell, is that a fucking garter belt too? Fuck! I don't even know what people will say about you after this! Damn it to hell, I told you to quit hanging around that fucking Kouda bitch. I bet she put you up to this..."

"That's totally inappropriate! Kumi-chan has nothing to do with this!" From behind crossed arms Kagome yelled back. "You're supposed to see through it. These are NOT my panties, they are short pants." She had to admit; it was hard to suppress a smile as Inuyasha turned to hit his head against a wall. It'd been a while since she'd seen him fuss so much, and it was enough to take the edge off of her nervousness.

"It's way too provocative! It's too sexy, damn it!"

"Oh, so you admit it?"

Inuyasha paused, momentarily disarmed. "Wha?"

The young woman stood and nudged Inuyasha into the wall using her belly, speaking with her hands on her hips. "You think I'm sexy," she breathed in a low, husky voice. As Kagome reached for a pair of crutches and left the room, she cackled at her manager's stunned silence.

---

"And now, presenting the award for Favorite Rock Act are... Japan's own Platinum Pair, Higurashi Kagome and Hojo!"

Kagome frowned at the moniker.

There was that annoying sensation again. Her hands trembled as she stood on a small platform in the dark. During her ascent, white fog and light from the stage filtered in from up above. She tried not to face it, remembering instead to keep her head level and pointed in the direction that the camera would be facing. Her stomach felt like it was spinning as precious seconds in the relative safety of the dark were running out. Lights suddenly flashed, and the music she'd heard playing as she was making her entrance got louder.

She stared out at the vast blackness of an audience of fans and peers. Kagome could see the people in the immediate vicinity of the stage jumping and applauding, with eyes on her. The surprise on many of their faces was enough to confirm the sudden burst of screaming she'd heard.

As an energetic techno beat continued to pulse through the venue, lights flashing in time with the rhythm, she remembered her smile and remembered to sashay down the stairs, eyes meeting with Hojo as she dare not look away from him. For the first time in recent memory it was a relief to see him as she grabbed his arm, perhaps a little too tightly, using him as support as she tried not to limp to a glass podium with two microphones attached. The noise from the screaming grew louder than ever once she let go of Hojo's arm and placed her hands on the surface of the podium, reaching for an envelope. The people she'd originally observed when she first came to the stage were rowdier than ever, Kagome realized, as she opened her mouth to speak in English.

"Are we having a great time tonight, or what?"

She didn't think that the screaming would get any louder, but the crowd managed somehow.

"Look at this dress! Doesn't my fiancee look amazing tonight, everyone?" Hojo's English wasn't as fluid as Kagome's, but it was reasonably easy to understand.

Oh my GOD, he did not just say that!

The same screaming somehow intensified yet again, and Kagome's hands instinctively moved to cover her mouth in shock. He'd ignored the cue cards and let his mouth run. She feared for his safety once they'd get backstage again, and wondered what Inuyasha was saying right now. Kagome tried her best to divert attention away from what he'd said.

"Well, since we're presenting the Favorite Rock Act award, I wanted to be in the spirit of things!"

The host, a Chinese pop star named Wang Leehom, exaggerated a jaw drop as he reacted to the audience's cheering. Though he wasn't supposed to speak during the segment, it seemed as if he couldn't control himself. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, did everybody hear that right? You two are engaged? Is that what he said?"

"Yes!" Answered Hojo, who placed an arm around Kagome's shoulder.

"Well, congratulations! Wow, you guys heard it here first, huh?"

Oh, God. Yamashita-san must be having a heart attack, Kagome mourned as she bowed her head low, staring down at her throbbing ankle. Not only did they practically derail the actual award presentation, they stole the spotlight from the award winners. The winning group should have been announced and called to the stage by now. Kagome almost expected a sudden cut to a commercial break, but when she realized it would not happen, she decided to do some more damage control.

"Well enough about us! The nominees for Favorite Rock Act are..."

--

"That went over well," chuckled Hojo as he watched an intern rush to Kagome's side with a pair of crutches.

"Okay, you know what?" Kagome looked to the intern, a slim man about her age with dark, spiky hair. "Is that break room empty?"

"Yes," he answered, raising an eyebrow.

"Hojo, Sweetie, come here." Kagome headed into the empty room and motioned at Hojo to follow her, smiling.

"Sure." Once he entered Kagome closed the door behind her, locking it.

Knowing that she only had a little bit of time until Inuyasha would come looking for her, she seated herself on a brown leather couch, patting the seat next to her until Hojo joined her.

"What's going on," he asked, glancing at the awards show on a television.

"Why on earth did you just casually mumble about our engagement on live television?"

Blinking, Hojo diverted his gaze to Kagome, suddenly realizing that she was angry. "I... I just kinda thought that you were trying to cause some sort of uproar... because you wore a dress like that tonight."

"...What?"

"It seemed okay to say it! We've been trying to show everyone how well we're getting along lately, so I figured this was the next natural progression. I thought that maybe what you were doing was a publicity stunt because you've got a single out, so I decided I would help."

She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips, sighing loudly. "YOU are not my PR team. And actually, you know, all of this is getting ridiculous."

Hojo's mouth hung open in response. "What...?"

"You are completely reckless with things! You just... you just assume that you're helping, and that you know what's going on and meanwhile you keep everyone around you in the dark until you spring this kind of crap on people at the last second!"

"I'm damn good at my job, Kagome. I know this business."

"YOU are only in 'this business' at all because you were clinging to my heels the whole time! If my fan club hadn't ever noticed you, and if you'd never been scouted at one of my shows 'you' and 'this business' wouldn't be in the same damned sentence!"

All he could do was stare at first, but he quickly gathered himself.

"You're one to talk! Takarai practicallyhanded you your career, and you're going to give me grief about how I got started?"

"I don't believe you said that. He taught me how to play guitar, and he got me my first gig, but you saw what I went through to get here! You wouldn't be an actor if you hadn't have acted like my personal stalker through it all, so you have no room to criticize!"

"So you still wouldn't be a singer if you hadn't been Takarai's underage fuckdoll in high school! I loved you despite all of that, do you know that?"

Without a second thought, Kagome slapped him with all of her strength. "Don't you dare talk like you were doing me a favor! I loved him! And that's your major problem. You just assume what you decide is best." Tears were streaming down her face, now. She assumed that her makeup had streaked everywhere as she tried her best to wipe it all off. "What happened between Hide-chan and I is nobody else's business, but I'm going to tell you right now: if that's all you think I was, you really don't know me."

Rubbing his sore cheek, Hojo exhaled. "This is all wrong. I don't want to fight with you-- to me you're wonderful; you know that. I've just been so frustrated lately because I feel like you're slipping away from me. Look, I'm sorry for everything, but especially for not telling you what's on my mind." When he paused for a response, he noticed how Kagome wouldn't meet his gaze.

"I love you. I'll love you for the rest of my life," he whispered, grasping Kagome's hands. "I'm just so terrified right now..."

Sobbing, Kagome clutched his hands to her heart. "Do you know what I hate the most? That there's nothing I can say to make that fear go away."

He didn't know how to react to her words.

"Because... Sweetie... as much as I care about you, and as much as I know you don't mean any harm... There's nothing you can say to erase what I felt during all the times I've cried over you." Releasing his hands, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, drawing him to her. "When I think of you now, I don't smile anymore, you have to understand. I just feeltired."

"That's why I wanted to involve you in my work-- so we could see each other..."

"That just tells me you don't understand how I feel about my music, Hojo-kun."

He held his breath. Hojo-kun? She hadn't called him that in years.

"My singing has always been a part of me, longer than any relationship with a man. I've given up everything I could for this career; I'm in love with every part of it."

"Every part, including your manager," he murmured.

"That's not--" Gasping, Kagome pulled away suddenly and studied his face. He didn't say it to be malicious. "No, you're right."

It was Hojo now, who could not meet Kagome's eyes.

"I haven't been honest about it-- not even to myself at first, but... Yes, it's true."

He looked like he'd been hit but mustered the will to stay calm. "Does he know?" Hojo's eyebrows were knitted tightly together on his forehead, and he wrung his hands frantically as if trying to distract himself.

"I... I hope he does," she answered, sniffling. Her ankle felt uncomfortable as she shifted in her seat, trying to get Hojo to look at her. When he finally looked up, she placed a hand on his face. "I can't marry you." It was all she said before kissing him on the cheek and gathering her crutches to leave.

---

A security guard helped Kagome step into a large white van with tinted windows. The driver and front passenger seats were both sectioned off from the back of the van, separated by black Plexiglas with a small sliding window for communication. Below this window in the main passenger area stood a small bar, probably stocked, while further back the actual seats were located, surrounding a small, short table. A curtain was installed at each window for privacy.

"Thank you," murmured the young woman as she climbed in, taking a seat. Inuyasha followed holding her crutches, seating himself across from her.

"We ready to get out of here?" asked Shippo, moving to close the door behind them.

"Let's go home," sighed Kagome, smiling a little at her friend. She watched Sango sit in the front passenger seat and turned to smile at Inuyasha once the van started. Her manager smirked in reply. Behind them a decoy van followed for a bit and finally went in a separate direction.

For a few minutes the pair sat in content silence, exchanging small smiles or examining and reexamining their surroundings. It was Inuyasha who eventually broke the silence.

"I'm thirsty. You thirsty?"

"Sure."

He knew she'd been crying, but had already gone ballistic when Kagome didn't return to him in a timely manner. He'd behaved pretty badly tonight and didn't want to test the end of Kagome's patience by being intrusive. Making his way to the champagne bar Inuyasha scowled once he examined their options. "Well, we've got sparkling apple juice or sparkling apple juice. Where the hell's the liquor?"

"Apple juice sounds great-- pour me some, will you?"

Sighing, Inuyasha picked up a champagne flute. "Keh. Of course. What kind of cheap-ass jerk..."

"It's fine," giggled Kagome as she was passed a drink.

"Kanpai," the hanyou laughed, toasting with Kagome. As he sipped a little he watched his companion gulp her juice. For a split second he opened his mouth, wondering what to say before he closed it all over again.

She spoke on her own. "The damned nerve. Can you believe what he said about us? Damn it, it's broadcasted all over Asia now..."

Was she baiting him into yelling, or actually venting? The half demon couldn't tell. Best to act normal, he reassured himself. Yes, normal.

"I'll kill him," he muttered, gulping down his drink.

Startled at how Inuyasha hadn't started screaming, Kagome stared blankly.

"What?" Before he could be answered, the champagne flute slipped out of his hand, flipping and hitting the edge of the table. All but the base and stem were scattered all over the floor of the van in shards. Despite how glad he was that the strange and sudden tension between them was eased, Inuyasha cursed.

"My God, be careful! Let me help you with that," gasped Kagome, moving onto the floor. Inuyasha stopped her, grabbing her wrists as she reached to clean up the mess. The hanyou's abrupt movements caused her to jerk her hand away, fists clenching against a few pieces of glass that were already held there. She yelped, immediately dropping everything to examine her cut.

"Shit!" Running on pure instinct, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand and licked at her wound. He ran his tongue across the small cut in her palm. As soon as realization of his act struck he paused awkwardly, steeling himself to continue as if he meant to do it. Kagome would figure that it was a youkai thing, he hoped, but that didn't stop a blush from spreading across both of their faces. He pressed his lips to her palm and sucked lightly, briefly swirling his tongue over the cut one last time. Their breaths quickened at the contact and as he pulled away, Inuyasha pressed his lips into the cut one last time.

"Thanks." Kagome lightly held her hand to her chest. "It doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Dammit, you need to be more careful," her manager replied, suddenly glaring and raising his voice. "What gave you the idea I'd let you do something like pick up broken glass? You're already injured..."

Kagome was a little startled at the abrupt change in tone but was soon at ease with it. "Who do you think you are, treating me like I'm some sort of invalid? Like I'm too precious to pick up glass..."

"Just back the fuck off, Woman! I'm the one who broke the damned thing."

Kagome scoffed indignantly. "See if anyone helps you again," she laughed while rolling her eyes.

"Like I'd need to ask anyone for--"

"Hey, you guys." Before Inuyasha could finish his retort Shippo slid open the Plexiglas window.

"Behave," Sango chided. "We can hear your yelling from up here, and we're totally prepared to tease you in the future for anything incriminating that happens."

"You bitches," Inuyasha laughed as the window slid shut.

"Look who's talking," Kagome giggled.

"Keh."

Some time had passed once Inuyasha finished cleaning up the broken glass, and as the van creeped through the streets Kagome had kicked off her shoes and alternated between trying to nap and holding a bag of ice to her sore ankle.

"Give me that," he sighed, motioning for Kagome to lie back down along the seats. "Where are you trying to put this thing, right on the bone?"

"See the bruise between my ankle and the tendon? Right there. Ahh..." Allowing her eyes to sink closed, Kagome stretched and sighed happily, glancing down at Inuyasha who kneeled on the ground, holding her ankle. "Thank you," she mumbled, before drifting off a little.

He was still in shock that Kagome deviated from her usual white clothes, and didn't realize how such a thing like black silk would drive him mad, but as he held the ice against Kagome's ankle his eyes traveled up her legs, studying her 'short pants', as she called them. They looked too much like panties to even matter-- like damned semantics changed the fact that he could see how snugly they clung to her butt! Short pants, panties, bikini bottoms, these things were all shaped the same and covered the same amount of flesh, which really wasn't much at all.

Oh, so you admit it! You think I'm sexy.

You have no idea, he wanted to answer as she left the dressing room at the awards show, but it would have been a lie. She knew, and that was the problem. She bullied him with it for years until he finally relented, and once that happened her attacks got worse.

"I need a pillow, Inu-chan," she whined.

"I don't have one, Honey," he answered, already exasperated.

With a long sigh, Kagome moved to the floor, approaching Inuyasha on her knees. When he raised an eyebrow she smiled a little, motioning for him to sit, and then straightening out his legs. She finally turned herself, smiling and placing her head on his lap. "Human pillow." He returned her smile, brushing a little bit of hair from her face.

"Ah. Can't fall asleep, huh?"

"I'm just uncomfortable, I guess. Are you bored?"

"Not really. You're pretty entertaining to watch like this."

"Oh," Kagome teased, "Taking joy in someone's misery."

"Maybe," he replied with a hint of absent-mindedness in his voice. Her dress was back on his mind, now that she'd provided him with a different view. He wasn't sure if he could take this much longer. "Turn around."

"On my stomach?" Kagome blinked. "You want me to lay with my face on your lap? Face-first, in your lap?" She grinned, starting to turn.

Slapping his forehead, Inuyasha growled. "YES, Kagome, I want you to suck my dick-- what do you think? God, just shut up for five seconds and do what you're told--"

"--Kinky!"

"Fuck! Nevermind! Get off of me. Go nap on the seats. I was gonna rub your shoulders, but fuck it, you're done."

"Aww, that sounds great! I'll behave..."

"No, we're done. Just please leave me alone."

"Inu-chan," Kagome giggled, stroking his cheek with her finger. "Don't tease me with something like that," she continued, until Inuyasha jerked his face away from her.

"Stop!" He yelled. Climbing up to a seat, he crossed his arms.

"Wait. You're actually mad about something. What's wrong with you?" Seating herself next to her manager, Kagome tried to grab for his hand, but he pulled it away.

"How much of this do you expect me to take, Kagome? You... we... you're with Him but when he's not around I'm your fucking substitute boyfriend. This is just... it's dishonest, you know? I don't like this behind-the-back shit. It actually sickens me, so right now... Damn it! Right now I hate myself for putting up with what you throw at me, and I hate myself for kissing you, and looking at you the way I do, and for all of these thoughts I've had about you. Because of what I feel about you, I've turned into a damned pussy hypocrite about all of this stuff!"

"Inuyasha..."

"No more sex jokes, Kagome. No more panty flashes. No more making excuses for me to... to touch you or to fix your dress strap or put on sunscreen, and no more wiggling your hips like you do when you show me new clothes-- you think I don't notice? You don't do it for Sango. No more prancing around in those negligee and nighties that I can see through."

"Wait,"

"Kagome, please," he pleaded. "I can't work like this, it's too hard. I haven't been able to think straight and do my job so well lately when all I think about is how at the end of the day you belong under Hojo's roof with him because you're his girl. Not with me, your employee. The only other thing I could do to cope with all of this is quit my job."

"Inuyasha, please don't..."

"...But I don't because I have to be near you," he finally finished. The hanyou let his head droop into his hands as he sighed, rubbing his scalp with his fingertips. "Instead of fucking any other woman I rearrange my whole schedule just to pat you on your shoulder at the end of the night. I know it's my job to be there for you, but this is so fucking pathetic. So please, help a man out and make things easier for me?"

"I think I have," Kagome finally answered. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"We're through, Hojo and I. It took so long for me to come back tonight because I was ending things with him."

Inuyasha fell out of his seat. Kagome slipped down out of hers to join him.

"You... if this is what you call a joke it's completely sadistic."

"I swear it's not a joke. I swear it's the truth," she whispered, pulling his cheek to her lips as she kissed it softly.

That's why she was crying earlier? Closing his eyes, he tipped his head back while Kagome kissed him. It was over? He was trying to process this. For the entire time he'd known her Kagome was off-limits. The hanyou didn't even know how to react, as if he'd never approached a woman before. His companion helped to make things clear, however. Her hand eventually moved to his neck, and then her arm slipped around his shoulder as she finally climbed on his lap and kissed his lips.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her back with ferocity and laid her on the floor. From there his hands caressed her sides as their tongues touched, and the hanyou moved his lips down Kagome's neck while her fingers tangled in his hair.

"You promise it's the truth?" He sucked lightly on her neck.

"Yes, yes! I'm single," Kagome panted as she felt Inuyasha's fangs brush lightly against her skin.

"Let's fix that," Inuyasha answered, kissing further down between her breasts.

Tipping her head back, she tried her best to soften her voice as she cried out. Inuyasha's fingers had slipped over to her chest, and they didn't have to do much to free Kagome's breasts from the corset she wore.

That was as far as they got, however. A familiar sliding sound startled the new couple and they froze, finding themselves staring up at a very stunned Shippo and Sango. Kagome was the first to react, covering her chest and climbing back up to a seat while Inuyasha covered his face with his hand.

"Um," Shippo broke the silence. "We're here, guys. Kagome's place." He slid the small window shut, and Kagome barely caught the beginning of an "Oh my God..." before it clicked closed.

The pair sat in silence, waiting for Shippo to come around and open the door for Kagome.

"I'll call you about our trip, later tonight," she said with one trembling hand on her new lover's shoulder. When Shippo opened the door to the van, Sango helped Kagome steady herself over her crutches. She then left with Kagome, escorting her inside.

The fox demon climbed into the van after the women were out of sight. He kneeled on the floor in front of the hanyou.

"They broke up tonight," was all Inuyasha could say. The demons sat quietly after that.

For the second time Shippo's words broke the silence. "Honestly? We all had bets you guys were already, um, doing it."

"We haven't 'done it,' you dick!" the half demon hissed.

"Whoa, hang on." With both hands raised at his waist and palms facing Inuyasha to pacify him, Shippo chuckled a little. "I'm not interested in what base you guys have gotten to, but I'm just saying: it ain't a secret that you're stupid for each other. Better tell Miroku, though. Let him know what's up because this changes things."

---

Notes:

GAH. I don't have an Internet connection at home at the moment, but in a couple of days I plan to upload a drawing (of Kagome's dress) and some info to the Fade and Flare web site when I get stuff together.

SO, wow. Lots of time passed since the last full chapter, but since then life has been busier. At the moment I've got exams on top of my regular workload and other side projects. Managed to go back to Japan in the time I was gone, so there was some good inspiration for a lot of things this chapter.

This is easily the longest chapter so far. In my word processing program they usually average about 12-18 pages, but this one's at 22. I think this is the longest single piece of writing I've ever done. Ha ha ha, I'm so inexperienced. For each chapter I have a little list of all the important things that need to happen before the chapter can end, and from there I write out the scenes-- I've had the entire list of events mapped out ever since I started this story, actually.

So, next time: A bunch of stuff happens. Sex, too. See you there!