A/N: Hi again everyone! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. In an effort to get to the interesting sections of the story as fast as possible, I went ahead and finished Chapter 2. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of its characters.
Chapter 2- Leaving
"I can't believe we're really doing this," Sango thought as she packed her suitcase. She looked around her room. They were due in Chicago next week, so everything was boxed up and ready for storage. She considered what a huge risk this was, but she had to admit, she was pretty excited. Wonder had rehearsed earlier that afternoon for their farewell show at the bar tomorrow night, and Sango was beginning to think they might have a real shot. Maybe not a big one, but a shot nonetheless.
Her phone rang from across the room, interrupting her thoughts. She sighed disappointedly at the caller ID before answering. "Hey Kuranosuke, what's up?"
"Hey darling, I just flew in from Charlotte, want to meet up?" He chirped from the other end of the phone. It was just like him to show up without warning.
"I guess," she sighed internally. She really didn't want to deal with him today, especially since her mood had just started improving. "Jewelhouse in an hour?" she relented.
"Sounds good, I'll see you in a bit sweetheart."
Sango sat at the bar sipping a lemon drop martini while she waited on Kuranosuke. "Where's your man?" Ayame questioned from across the bar, eyebrow cocked.
Sango wrinkled her nose. Calling Kuranosuke "her man" was a bit much. They'd been seeing each other for a few months, but with his busy tour schedule and her hectic work schedule, they very rarely saw each other in person. That was fine by her. Truth be told, she found him rather dull and entitled. His company bored her, and she was often shocked by his lack of understanding regarding her financial situation.
Not only was Kuranosuke a star now, but he came from a wealthy family. Before pursuing music, the man had never worked a day in his life. He never seemed to understand that she simply couldn't call out of work to visit with him when he was in town, and he often became frustrated when she refused his offers to pay her bills for her.
Sango, however, did not want to be dependent on anyone- especially him. Financial support was definitely a step too far in a relationship she never particularly wanted in the first place. Kuranosuke had first spotted Sango around six months ago performing with Wonder at a nightclub, and he immediately became infatuated with her. But even after all this time, he didn't love her. Not really. He loved a fantasy version of her, some bubbly, sensual popstar personality he'd associated with her in his head. He made no effort to get to know the real Sango, and she resented him for that.
She resented Kuranosuke for many reasons, not the least of which was that he never actually asked her if she'd like to date him. No, he assumed an underappreciated popstar such as herself would have swooned at the chance to date a real celebrity, so he simply had his manager announce to tabloids that he was seeing a New York singer. Suddenly, she was dodging paparazzi and jealous fans when she was just trying to go about her life. His manager paid her off in secret to go along with the announcement and pretend to date him. He had a reputation to protect after all, and Kuranosuke did not need a major heartache right before his big tour.
Sango begrudgingly took the money. She and the girls certainly needed it, and it didn't require a whole lot of effort on her part to pretend to date him whenever he was around New York. It's not like she had much of a love life outside of him anyway, and at least this way she got some semblance of a relationship. Even if it was just a hollow façade. At least the sex was okay- certainly better than she'd have otherwise.
Of course, Wonder had gotten some major publicity from the arrangement, too. The tabloids would mention the group in passing from time to time, and their ticket sales would improve from the press. It was also his idea for them to audition for Musings, and he coached them through the auditions. Without his help selecting audition songs, Wonder wouldn't have had a shot at Musings, and Sango felt guilty about getting so much help from a relationship she sort of wanted to end.
She pondered over this as she took another sip of her lemon drop, trying to lose her guilt in the burning of the vodka. Kagome and Ayame didn't know about Sango's arrangement with Kuranosuke's manager. As far as they were concerned, Sango was content in her relationship with a wealthy Rockstar. They had concerns from time to time that she wasn't satisfied with him, but Sango always made some excuse about a fight or the distance just getting to her. She didn't want them to think less of her for trading her feminine sensibilities for money and publicity. Sometimes, she didn't know herself why she'd agreed to the deal. She really did want a real relationship, but the financial stability the Kuranosuke deal offered her was intoxicating.
Ayame wandered over to Sango with a fresh martini and flicked her fiery, red ponytail. "What's wrong sweetie? You look miserable."
Sango sighed. Ayame was right, this relationship was putting quite a strain on her emotionally, but she lied. "I'm alright. It's just been a while since I've seen Kuranosuke, and I haven't told him we got picked."
Ayame eyed her suspiciously. "And that isn't an exciting conversation because….?"
Sango didn't have time to answer before Kuranosuke sidled up next to her, kissing her cheek as he took his spot next to her at the bar. Sango flinched a bit at the kiss but tried to mask her reaction. She was still being pierced by Ayame's wolfish gaze.
"Hey Ayame! The usual please," Kuranosuke ordered from his seat, not noticing Sango's inner turmoil nor the suspicious look Ayame was giving her. Ayame turned toward Kuranosuke and plastered on her signature bartender smile. "Sure thing, sweetie. Be right back." With that, she wandered away to prepare his drink.
Sango turned toward Kuranosuke with a similar fake smile painted on her lips. "Hey! How was Charlotte?"
"Well, there was a rather large turnout. We had some technical difficulties, but I don't think the fans noticed." He winked at her, fully aware of his popularity as a heartthrob to teen fans. Ayame returned with his drink, and Sango rolled her eyes once his attention turned to his Hemingway. Ayame gave her a conspiratorial glance.
"We actually have some big news. We got an invitation to play Musings this year." Sango watched his face, her expression giving nothing away.
"Oh yeah? That's great! You'll have the best time!" He broke into a wide smile and laughed a bit. "Once you get back to New York, you girls will sound amazing. Maybe you can finally leave this bar."
Sango arched her eyebrows in an offended expression, and Ayame eyed him curiously. "What exactly do you mean by, 'once we get back?' You don't think we'll win?" Sango questioned with anger evident in her tone.
"Sango, sweetheart. Wonder is amazing, don't get me wrong, but you girls don't exactly have a following. Most winners already have fans when they're selected." Ayame's mouth fell open, but Sango just sighed annoyedly. It figures he would say that. Kuranosuke never really believed in their group, he just viewed them as a little side project. He could advise them in his free time and have his little pop princess doll to tote around the city. She was so sick of his superior attitude, but she couldn't exactly let on to that. Her agreement with his manager dictated that she not break up with him until after his tour ended this fall.
She tried her best to calm the venom in her veins. It was one thing for her to have doubts about their group, but wasn't a boyfriend supposed to be supportive? "Well, there's always a favorite that no one knew before, sometimes they win. That could be us," She added.
He knitted his eyebrows. "I suppose, but honey, you have to consider who you're up against. The year I won, I'd worked 24/7 on my music for months before the competition. You girls work at this silly bar so much, you hardly get to rehearse."
That struck a nerve. Sango's eyes flashed dangerously, and Ayame fumed from behind the bar. "Well excuse us for having to work for a living!" Ayame spat before storming off.
Kuranosuke looked genuinely confused, and Sango tried unsuccessfully to mask her fury. "What did I say?"
Sango massaged her temples, trying to reign in her irritation with his entitlement. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "Nothing sweetie. Look, I have to finish packing. We're leaving this weekend," she said as she finished her martini and got up to leave. She just needed to get out of there before she wrung his neck.
"Well call me when you're done. We can go to dinner." He leaned over to kiss her, and she reluctantly allowed it. It figures he wouldn't offer to help her. He couldn't be bothered to perform manual labor. She took deep, slow breaths as she left the bar, trying to calm herself. "It's just for a few more months," she reminded herself, waiting on the day she could finally leave him. This competition actually came at a great time. She could use a few weeks away from her 'boyfriend.'
"Miroku, I'm going to miss you so much!" Shima whined from her spot at the end of his bed.
Miroku sighed, without looking up from his packing. "Shima, we've been over this. It's just for a couple of months, and it's a huge opportunity. We can't turn it down just because you want me to stay here." He was getting right tired of her pouting. Of course, she had every reason to be concerned that he was leaving for the summer. They weren't exactly exclusive, and he wasn't interested in becoming official before heading to Chicago. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was looking forward to getting rid of her by escaping to the music competition.
"Maybe I could come with you!" She chimed in excitedly.
"No!" He shouted, started. He winced- that had come out too aggressively. He tried to walk it back, hoping she wouldn't notice. "No, Shima. We'll be busy with rehearsals, coaching, and writing sessions. I won't be able to spend any time with you, and you're not exactly allowed to stay in the hotel with us."
"You could sneak me in. Then I'll be waiting in bed for you every night," she purred seductively. The thought of having Shima with him every night frightened his brain, but his body reacted quite differently to her seductive tone. He glanced at her mischievously, and a handsome smirk spread over his face. "Is that so?" He countered. His voice deepened as he walked toward the bed. "Well why wait when we could have some fun right now?"
He leaned her backwards, kissing her neck. She smirked dangerously at him and pulled him on top of her. An hour later, Miroku was getting up to finish packing when Shima grabbed his arm. "Don't go yet Roku!"
Miroku tried to suppress an annoyed expression. Why was she so needy all the time? "Honey, I have to finish packing. Our plane leaves tomorrow afternoon." He escaped her grasp and rolled out of bed. She huffed and tightened her lips into a firm pout. "Well then, maybe I should just go."
"Maybe." Miroku responded under his breath. He certainly didn't want her there all night. He glanced up and noticed Shima looked crestfallen. He sighed. "Look, it's not that I don't want you with me," he lied, "but I need a good night's sleep. It'll be my last for a while. Musings is the real deal, and I'll be working non-stop." He smirked again, "and you know how hard it is for me to get proper rest with you around."
She giggled, "Fine. But call me from the airport!" She dressed and gathered her things. "I'll get tickets to one of the showcases next month, I can see you then!" She kissed him deeply before heading to the door.
"Sure thing," he mumbled absentmindedly. He didn't particularly want her to come, even for a showcase, but it wasn't in his nature to turn down a willing woman. The door shut behind her, and he flopped down on his bed. He could not wait to get to the airport in the morning. Midnight Vandals had competed at Musings before, but that was hosted in Kansas City. Chicago sounded much more interesting to him, and he dozed off dreaming of the adventures waiting for him in Chicago.
The next morning Midnight Vandals waked into the airport with instruments in hand. Much to their amusement, they were hounded by some fans on their way to the gate. Miroku was so caught up in the excitement, he didn't give any thought to Shima. They boarded the plane, and just as it was taking off, he realized he'd forgotten to call her. He grinned as he watched the ground get further and further away. "Oh well," he muttered as they turned toward Chicago.
A/N: I'll be honest. I didn't want to write a Shima/Miroku sex scene. I want to be clear what their relationship is like, but I definitely didn't want to write details about their sex life. When the time comes, I won't be so hesitant to write about Sango/Miroku scenes though, I promise.
Also, I'm so sorry they haven't actually met yet, but it's important that you know their background with their SO's for later plot shenanigans. I'll have Chapter 3 up in the next few days! Until then, please review!
Suggested listening: These are songs that inspired the chapter, but the second one is one that I actually intend to use in the story later.
Going Nowhere- Little Mix
Love is Madness- Thirty Seconds to Mars ft. Halsey (this one will come back later as a collab piece)
