InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ That's Show Business ❯ Just Shoot Me ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha or anyone else mentioned below.

Before I get started, I'd like to say something…I LOVE MY REVIEWERS!!! Honestly, I love you all, but especially angelbabe17 , Pkat, Kagura_Yasha , and Queen Klu. Thanks a million for reviewing!!! I swear, after I got my first review, I was leaping around my house squealing and doin' the happy dance! My dad, dithering champion of the United States, asked if I was having a seizure. He was joking, but I didn't notice or care. I was too busy hopping around and shrieking. Enough about me. Thanks for reviewing!

"QUIET ON THE SET!" Barked the director, Naraku. Unfortunately for Miroku, who had a hangover from previous events, Naraku was standing right next to him. The nauseous producer jumped at the noise and put a hand on his head; rubbing his temples. This was going to be a long day.

Today was the shooting of Bonaki and Tishina's wedding and the air was tense. Not only was Inu Yasha presumed to be incapacitated like Miroku, but he hadn't found his script yet. The poor hanyou gave a very realistic look of nervousness as he stood alone, waiting to be "married". Well, almost alone. His older brother, Sesshomaru, was playing his best man. If this didn't already frighten Inu Yasha, the fact that they were wearing matching tuxes did. Sesshomaru's face was stony and serious while Inu Yasha tried hard not to shake from nerves.

The hall that they were shooting in was a particularly beautiful setting. The walls were a soft white that almost darkened the room rather than brighten it. This seemed to work to the director's advantage, though, because the darkness emphasized the light emanating from various stained glass windows. The ceiling was high and arched, crossing in sections to give it a timeless look. Lines of oak benches held extras that were attending the "wedding". Bouquets of roses were bursting with life and color in every corner. A long strip of white cloth led from the alter to the back of the room. An organ was being played softly offstage.

Suddenly, it struck up the bridal march. Everyone in the shot stood as Kikyo walked down the aisle. She had her silky black hair up in an intricate knot on her head. Her dress was a sleeveless one that poofed out at the waist. She held a bouquet of white roses in gloved hands. A thin veil covered her face, but didn't hide it. She glowed like a diamond and was twice as pretty. For a moment, Inu Yasha lost himself. He almost completely believed that this was the real thing. In a fit of cold feet and camera fright, he dashed offstage. Everyone in the room watched him run out of the studio door.

"What the hell?!" Naraku yelled. "Miroku, go get him! I swear, if you two show up with hangovers again you'll be looking for jobs before you can say `aspirin'!" Miroku recoiled from the noise, nodded, and trotted after his friend. He gingerly opened the studio doors and immediately shielded his eyes. Was it his imagination, or was it brighter outside than usual? He scanned the parking lot and instantly found him. Inu Yasha was bent over a trashcan, reliving his hurried breakfast. Miroku jogged up next to him and rest a hand on his back.

"Okay, there? I thought you only had tea last night." Inu Yasha pulled a scarf out of his front pocket and wiped his mouth off on it.

"I did," he answered flatly.

"Then why does everyone think you have a hangover?" Miroku cocked an eyebrow at his friend.

"I don't know, and I honestly don't care. Can we just go back?" They walked slowly into the studio and started the scene over. Inu Yasha had just enough time to stick a rosebud in his front pocket and toss his stained hand kerchief off stage before Naraku began directing.

"Aaaaaand ACTION!" The music started again and Kikyo returned to make her plod down the aisle. She was halfway down the silk runway when she tripped on an electrical wire. Shrieking, she fell forwards while the bouquet was sent skyward. It soared through the air, straight at the minister. The flustered man dropped the Holy Book and caught the roses. When Kikyo was helped to her feet, the minister tossed her back the roses.

"Sorry," he said, "but I'm already married." Those who got the joke snickered, but one look from the blushing bride shut them up. She was shaking with fury as she rushed offstage.

"MAKEUP!" She screamed as she plopped down in a comfortable chair. Sango rolled her eyes to Kagome before she went to `beautify the princess'. Five minutes later, Kikyo was on her feet and ready for another take.

This time, Kikyo made it all of the way down the aisle. When she stopped at the end she sighed, turned to Inu Yasha, and took hold of his hand. She could tell that he was nervous, so she squeezed it a few times for reassurance. He finally calmed down enough to stop shaking. The minister smiled at them, but when he opened his mouth to begin, the lights flicked off. Many murmurs and a few yells erupted from the studio. Quicker than counting, the lights were back on and Naraku had the perpetrator by the tail.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF HELL WERE YOU THINKING, BOY? YOU DON'T JUST GO AROUND RANDOMLY TURNING OFF LIGHTS!!!" He bellowed. The boy that he was referring to was the kit that he had by the tail. Poor little Shippo quaked in fear as he looked up at Naraku's face.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry sir! I was l-looking for the switch to turn off the floor lights, a-and I hit the wrong one…" His eyes were filled with terror as he looked up at the furious director.

"Who are you anyway?!" He yelled. After recovering from the initial yell, Miroku stumbled up to them and took Shippo from Naraku.

"This is my assistant. He didn't mean any harm. In fact, I told him to help Myoga with the lighting." Naraku turned a violent shade of red.

"So it's your fault!" He heaved. Miroku seemed unimpressed with his boss's attempt to frighten him.

"In a way…yes." Naraku paused and considered his options. He could fire Miroku and enjoy ten minutes worth of satisfaction, but he'd be getting rid of the best name in the business.

"Well…don't let it happen again. Places, everyone!" The director headed back to his chair and the scene started over. Fortunatly, there were no more disturbances and they were able to shoot two long scenes that day. The crew still had twenty-some odd scenes to shoot, but at the rate they were going, they would finish them very soon.

Naraku gave everyone a pep-talk before freeing them at six o'clock. He made a special note about mixing work with pleasure; glaring at Inu Yasha and Miroku through the whole thing. They just tried to look unconcerned, but their boss was like a bear; he could sense fear and smelled horrible.

The actors changed out of their costumes back in the greenroom before leaving for the day. Inu Yasha pulled a loose black shirt out of his duffle bag and slipped on a pair of frequently worn jeans. Miroku was waiting for him in the parking lot. He was somewhat sober and opted to drive Inu Yasha back to the hotel. He let Miroku drive him, but when they were en route Inu Yasha saw a nice looking café and had him pull over. They said goodbye and Miroku drove off, leaving Inu Yasha to his own devices in the enormous city.

The little coffeehouse was named `Bach to Basics'. It was a cute little place with a nice selection of sandwiches and drinks. The tiles on the floor were granite with black quarter notes in the middle. There were a couple of single tables, three booths, and a lounge. The lounge area had two armchairs, a monstrous bookcase filled with musician's biographies and sheet music, a few tiny tables to rest a coffee cup on, and a couch that looked like a giant keyboard. Inu Yasha smiled when he looked at the collection of nonconformists that were relaxing and drinking espressos. He ordered a ham on rye and a cup of decaf before settling down at a table for two. Before he partook in the eating of his sandwich, he took out a CD player, popped in a blank CD, and pressed play. Obviously satisfied, he dove into his ham on rye.

It was about eight twenty when Inu Yasha received a very large shock. At first he didn't notice when she sat down; he was too absorbed in the book he was reading. However, he did notice when Kagome touched his arm. He dropped his book in surprise and whipped off his headphones.

"Holy shit, Kagome! You scared me!" He was panting a bit when she retrieved his book from the floor. Giggling, she read the binging of the hardback book.

"Sorry about that, Inu Yasha. Hmm. `A History of Classical Musicians', huh?" He set the book to one side and nodded. A waiter came to take his plate and Kagome ordered a cinnamon mocha. When the young man left to get her drink, she noticed that Inu Yasha had been listening to music, too.

"So what were you listening to? Alkaline Trio? Eminem?" She stuck one of the speaker plugs into an ear. Her bemused smile faded to a confused frown. "Mozart?"

"Beethoven, actually." He took the CD player from her and shoved it into his duffle bag. The waiter returned with her coffee and she paid him. She took a sip of the aromatic drink and tried to critique him.

"I never pictured you liking the classics," She said in a slightly shocked voice. His gaze hardened.

"Well, I do, and I hope that you didn't sit here just to psychoanalyze me." Anger flushed across Kagome's face.

"I just sat down to talk to you about today, that's all. And I wasn't psychoanalyzing you. You just got real defensive for some reason." Inu Yasha shrugged off the defensive comment.

"What about today?" He asked. She took another swallow of coffee before talking to him.

"Miroku told me that you didn't have a drink last night."

"Yeah, and?" He was waiting for her to finish, but that seemed to be it.

"Why didn't you correct anyone that thought you had a hangover? Don't you care about your reputation?" He rolled his eyes and gulped down a bit of tepid decaf.

"If people want to think that I'm a drunk, then they can."

"Well they will if you don't set them straight! Why didn't you at least correct me? I actually thought that you were hung over."

"Well la-de-freaking-da! I don't really care!" He crossed his arms and glared at a passerby who looked at him and quickly scuttled off. The tourist obviously bought his tough act, but Kagome saw right through him.

"Why do you hate the world? It isn't out to get you, you know." His face softened a bit when he looked back at her.

"How can you be so sure? Exactly how much do you know about me and my life?" An expression crossed her face, indicating that she was thinking hard. In the end she just shrugged.

"I don't know a thing about you, except the fact that you're a nice person, even though you want everyone to think otherwise. I just don't get why." His frown turned excessively sour as he took another swig of coffee.

"People, like me, who aren't easy to read need to keep up appearances for the sake of good readers like you. And I happen to know that your life isn't all glitter and sunshine too, Miss Higurashi." She choked on her last sip of mocha.

"How…what?!" Inu Yasha began to smile.

"I know that you were adopted when you were four and recently lost your grandfather. You were twenty at the time, so…two years ago today he died." Kagome looked absolutely mortified.

"How do you know all of this about me?!" she gasped and began to play nervously with the corner of her navy blue skirt. His smile widened as she became increasingly uncomfortable.

"I know because I listen, and I'm sorry if I'm making you nervous. A past is nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has one."

"Yeah, well, if a past is nothing to be ashamed of then why is yours such a big secret?!" She had obviously wandered into uncharted territory with him, because he was left speechless. A crestfallen expression fell on his youthful face as he zipped up his pack.

"I, um, have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He almost whispered as he set down a tip for the waiter. He got up to leave, but when he turned around Kagome grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry, Inu Yasha. I didn't know that your past was a sensitive area for you." He shouldered his pack and gently brushed her hand off of him.

"Well now you know," he murmured. "The call is for eight tomorrow, and I need to get to bed early." Without saying another word, he glided out of the café and caught the nearest bus to his hotel.

Kagome was going to follow him out, but she decided that he'd be better off alone. She quickly dove into her purse and slapped a handful of ones down on the table. Tossing her handbag over her shoulder, she started to leave, but noticed something. Inu Yasha had left his book on the table. She sighed and picked up the enormous hardback. As soon as she did, about ten loose pieces of paper fell out. Kagome dropped everything and bent to pick up the papers, but halted as soon as she saw what they were. The papers were sheet music. She straightened up and organized them. It was a miracle that they were numbered, or else she never would have found their correct order.

"Untitled, huh?" she said aloud. Suddenly, an idea came to her. She looked around the small café until she saw what she was looking for. A girl of about sixteen was plopped down in front of an electric keyboard, playing something or another. Kagome couldn't hear it because the teen had headphones plugged into the side. She walked up behind the young lady and tapped her on the shoulder. The girl looked up at Kagome and took off her headphones.

"Hi, um, this is a strange request, but could you play this for me?" The girl took the sheet music and absently flipped through it.

"Did Beethoven finish his tenth symphony?" She snorted.

"How should I know?!" Kagome snipped. "So can you play it?" The teen rolled her eyes and handed the paper to an older gentleman. He seemed about sixty.

"I was asking a rhetorical question, smart one. And the answer was no," The teen shot in a perturbed voice as she slid off the bench. The old man sidled onto the creaking oak bench. It groaned and complained as he adjusted himself on it.

"You want me to play this, yes?" He asked, unplugging the headphones. Kagome nodded. He rolled up his scraggly sleeves and began to play. As soon as his fingers touched the keys a long, sad chord filled the room. It wasn't terribly loud, but everyone fell silent when the song started. The man's fingers danced across the faux ivory, emitting the most heart-wrenching song Kagome had ever heard. In the beginning it was slow and high. It reminded her of a child crying and she felt her eyes fill.

Then, out of nowhere, the tempo changed. The man struck the lower keys hard and fast. The synthetic baby grand exploded with the vicious sound of fighting. Every once in a while the man's hands would stray to a higher note, but it would quickly return to the dominating chords a few octaves down. The fight began to wind down as the man's fingers slowed to a strange, soft gallop. They traveled up the scales in a haunting crescendo, then fell back down to rest somewhere around middle C.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat as the music picked up. The imitation piano began to sing with triumph and joy as the old man jiggled the keys. A slow smile crept on his face as the song took flight and filled the room with a wonderfully rich, hardy sound. Before everyone knew it, the song was over. The coffee shop burst into applause and everything went back to normal. People began to converse and the soft clink of cup to saucer was heard every now and again. Kagome didn't notice, though. She only cared that the song was over.

"Why did you stop?" she asked the old man as he handed her back the sheet music. He smiled and tipped his hat.

"The song's over, sweetheart. Did you write that? You've got some real talent, missy." He nodded to her and strode out of the café. Kagome could only stand, shell-shocked, by the piano. She shook her head and gathered up her stuff, but her mind fully returned to her when she pulled up to the Hidden Palm.

`I can't believe it…I just heard Inu Yasha's soul,' she thought to herself as she tossed the valet her keys. Her mind was still back at the café when she stepped into the warmth of the hotel's lobby. She would have pondered the song more, but she was suddenly enveloped in a large hug and a larger kiss. Kagome pried the person off of her and backed away.

"Hey, buddy! What the h-Kouga! Oh my God, what are you doing here?!"

*~*~*~

Chihiro-san: Sorry about the cliffhanger guys! Personally, I hate cliffhangers and "to be continued(s)", but for some reason I love writing them. I'd like to thank, again, my reviewers for…well…reviewing! I don't know how much I'll be writing these next few days, though. My *snarl* stupid *growl* teachers just LOVE to assign @$$-numbingly boring assignments for no apparent reason, so I'm stuck inside with a mountain of homework. Ah, well… Toodles!