Sing a Song with Me
Cherry Mecha
Chapter 5: Concert
~*~*~
A/N: Eh. Sorry about the short delay. I tried to upload a new chapter everyday but my schoolwork took its toll. But the long awaited concert is here! Anyway, I tried to make this chapter longer than the others. As usual, replies at the end! Enjoy!
~*~*~
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Inuyasha or any of the songs I mention.
~*~*~
Inuyasha trudged home after Sango and Miroku. After they dropped Sango off, Miroku and Inuyasha walked home in silence.
As soon as they got into their apartment, Miroku headed towards the answering machine and Inuyasha went straight to his room and plopped down on his bed. He lay there with his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling for a while.
"Hey, Inuyasha?" He looked up at Miroku who was standing at his door "We got a message from Kouga. He says he won't be there tomorrow. He muttered something about his mother."
"Great. I'm going to sleep now. Close the door after you."
Miroku raised an eyebrow. It was barely 8. He shrugged and obeyed.
Now that he was alone with his thoughts, he lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes. His mind briefly ran over the day. He grinned. Now they had a lead singer. Finding Kagome was like a blessing.
Inuyasha stopped smiling. Had Kagome been a blessing? It was great that they were prepared for the concert, but what about Kikyou?
He hadn't been able to think about it much for the past two days because of the frantic search for a new lead. Now that it was settled, he unwillingly found himself comparing Kagome and Kikyou for the umpteenth time.
Kagome seemed like a really nice person, but he had known Kikyou longer. Although Kikyou was more sophisticated, Kagome made everyone want to smile. He remembered what he had thought when Kagome sang. It was true. Kikyou took singing very seriously but only treated it like it was her profession and nothing more. Kagome, however, sang with her heart. Music had become part of her life.
Inuyasha thought back to the end of rehearsal. He was walking away and suddenly, he stopped and looked at Kagome's house. Inuyasha longed to live in a well-kept and cozy home, like Kagome's. It was something he never had. That, and a family.
He frowned and let his thoughts wander back to Kikyou. He had never met her family, or heard her talk about it. Heck, she acted like they never existed. Then he began to think about Kagome again. Who did she live with? She had a mom, but what about her dad? Was she an only child? Did she have chores around the house? Did she have guests over a lot? Who kept their house clean? Would her family like him if he met them?
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at his last question. His mind had been uncontrollable ever since he met Kagome. It wasn't as if he had a crush on her...was it?
With a "feh," he rolled over and fell asleep.
~*~*~
The next day, everyone had assembled in the well house again. It was the day before the concert and they had one rehearsal left. They ran through their program until they were able to perform each song with no mistakes. Half an hour before their time was up, they decided to take a break.
The rehearsal had been pretty uneventful. Sango had been quite talkative and happy. We all know what happens when Miroku sees a happy Sango. Kagome watched with interest as Sango slapped Miroku for the umpteenth time. Inuyasha, as usual, went off into his corner and sulked.
A few minutes before their departure, Sango reviewed tomorrow's schedule with Kagome. They would arrive at the well house at 11:30 for a last minute rehearsal. The concert started at 6 but they had to get there at 3:45 for makeup and sound check. With that done, everyone could rest for the day.
Sango hugged Kagome as she left. Miroku started to do the same but got slapped, yet again. Inuyasha gave her a nod and left.
Kagome sighed at Inuyasha and went inside her house. She promised herself not to think about him the night.
~*~*~
The day of the concert had come. Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha walked to the well house for their last-minute rehearsal. They ran through each song twice and decided to stop at noon and goof off for the rest of the day. (a/n: who could blame them? ^_^) In high spirits (minus Inuyasha) the band headed for the amusement park.
Kagome and Sango were ooh-ing and ahh-ing at everything they saw. They ran ahead and explored the area while chatting away happily. Miroku drifted behind and walked in pace with Inuyasha. They strolled in silence for a while. Miroku, having enough, gave his friend a wary look and sighed.
"Dude, what's wrong? You've been spaced out since rehearsal two days ago."
Inuyasha glared at Miroku but then turned his attention towards the floor.
"I don't know...I'm still getting used to having Kagome around now..."
Miroku smirked.
"You're not over Kikyou yet, are you? Figures."
Inuyasha was about to let out a very long string of curses directed at Miroku but they were interrupted by Kagome's exclamation.
"Omigosh! Look at that thing!" She pointed to something out of view to Inuyasha. "Let's go Sango!"
Inuyasha stepped forward and saw what she was looking at. He paled. She was pointing to a gigantic, I mean GIGANTIC, roller coaster. It was the kind that people didn't live to tell about.
Kagome saw Inuyasha blanche and grinned.
"What's the matter Inuyasha? Afraid of heights?"
Inuyasha glared at her. He turned his back with a "feh."
Kagome was pissed now. (a/n: Lord help us. x . x)
"INUYASHA! This is our last time to relax before the concert! Stop sulking! You're ruining the mood!"
Inuyasha spun around, fury in his eyes.
"You have no fucking idea wench! I suggest you keep your mouth shut!"
They stared daggers at each other. Kagome was hurt by Inuyasha's words, and Inuyasha was hurt by Kagome's. Sango and Miroku took this opportunity to step in from where they had been watching from a safe distance.
"We'll meet you in two hours at the gate." Miroku whispered to Sango and she nodded.
"Hey Kagome!" Sango stood in front of Kagome, blocking her view of Inuyasha. "Are you still up for that roller coaster?" She began to drag Kagome away.
"Say, I'm pretty hungry," Miroku tugged at Inuyasha's sleeve. "How about a trip to the food court?" He pulled Inuyasha away in the opposite direction.
Both Inuyasha and Kagome scowled but allowed themselves to be escorted off by their friends.
As soon as they were far away from Inuyasha, Sango visibly relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. She turned to Kagome who's angry expression turned into one of sadness. Sango didn't have to ask before words started pouring out.
"It was just that he hadn't said a word to me in the past 3 days and I wanted him to snap out of it...I didn't expect him to be that angry...but I suppose I was kind of harsh too...I just liked him better when he smiled..."
Sang smiled knowingly. 'So she has a little crush on him,' she thought but didn't dare say out loud. Instead, she put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. Inuyasha's like that. He can be really pigheaded sometimes. Try not to think about it for the next hour, 'kay?"
Kagome looked up at her friend, nodded and gave her a little smile. For the next two hours, Kagome and Sango wandered around the amusement park, resuming their chatter and laughter. Miroku, however, was stuck with a harder case.
~*~*~
Inuyasha, as usual, began sulking. Miroku had tried to get him to cheer up or at least talk for an hour before he gave up. He turned to the thing he did best. Flirting.
He ran off and left Inuyasha on a bench somewhere. 'All the better,' Inuyasha thought to himself. He dropped his scowl now. He let his mind wander as he stared at his hands.
Kagome's words were true. A little harsh, but true. He admitted it but wouldn't say it out loud in a million years. Apparently, he had hurt Kagome as well. He sighed. 'What now, you genius?' he thought to himself.
He snapped back to reality and turned his head to where he heard a slap. A moment later he saw Miroku, with a hand print on his face, emerge from a corner.
"Come on. The girls should be waiting for us." Miroku winced as it had hurt to talk. Inuyasha's scowl returned at the mention of meeting the female half of his group again.
"Fine." He growled. It was the only word he spoke in all of the two hours.
They began to walk in the direction of the entrance. They reached the gate as Sango and Kagome approached the same area from the opposite direction. Kagome was doubled over in laughter and Sango had to support herself on a wall.
As soon as Kagome saw who was walking towards them, her happy grin had turned into a scowl again. Inuyasha had done the same and both of them would refuse to look at each other. Sango and Miroku exchanged hopeless glances and sighed.
They left the amusement park to go to the well house to pick up their instruments and then to the site of the concert. Sango and Miroku gave up on conversation and the group walked in silence.
~*~*~
They arrived at the concert hall early but they were rushed on stage anyway. They ran through each song twice. Everything worked and the acoustics were perfect. At 4:45, they were rushed off stage into their dressing rooms.
The girls were rushed off into a dressing room under the stage and the guys into another across the hall from them.
~*~*~
The girls walked in and saw a young woman with short hair in a slutty outfit snapping her gum loudly while reading a fashion magazine. She looked up when she saw Sango and Kagome walk in. She stood up with a smile.
"Like hi! I'm like Yura!" Insert annoying high-pitched giggle. "Like I'll be doing your makeup and like stuff. Like 'kay?"
Sango and Kagome sweat dropped. They hoped that the guys were doing better...
~*~*~
Miroku and Inuyasha walked in to their dressing room to see a man in his twenties sitting on a sofa arguing with his cell phone. He wore leather pants and a tight black shirt. He didn't seem notice when Inuyasha and Miroku walked in. From what they could tell, he had a semi-high voice and dragged out each 's' a little.
"Look, girlfriend, that you have to dump his sorry ass! Like he has the dignity to go dutch." pause "Well go get yourself a mocha latte honey. You deserve it after what he did to you. I have to go now." Girlish giggle. "Bye darling." And he hung up.
He looked up and saw Miroku and Inuyasha. His face lit up.
"Simply wonderful! More gorgeous boys for me!" Another girlish giggle. "I'm Jakostu. Enchanted, I'm sure."
(a/n: Are you guys happy? Hiten isn't in it anymore!)
Miroku and Inuyasha sweat dropped.
"As you know, I'll be doing your wardrobe today. Let's see what we have here!"
He walked in a circle around Miroku.
"Mm-mm. Honey, you are fi-ine. Let's see what we can do for you, hm?"
He walked over to the huge closet on the side of the room. He began pulling out several different shirts, pants and shoes and tossed them over his shoulder to Miroku, who was supposed to catch them. Eventually, Miroku was buried under a pile of designer fashion wear. Inuyasha watched and tried to stifle a laugh.
Miroku gave a sigh as Jakostu began putting together ten different outfits for him to try on. He was wondering what the girls had been doing and if they were being tortured like he was right now.
~*~*~
Back in the girls' dressing room, Yura had just added the finishing touches on Sango. It hadn't taken her long to decide on a style for her.
Sango was dressed a plain black tank top and wore big combat boots, which got mostly covered by her pants but the effect was nice anyway. She wore with baggy camouflage pants, except instead of the typical green, black and beige, the colors were red, black and gray. (a/n: Don't ask. I saw my friend wearing these pants and I liked them.)
To top it off, Yura had produced a spiked dog collar and matching wristbands. Sango's makeup consisted of dark colors and a dark red, almost black, lipstick. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun with a few strands hanging down on her face.
Sango wasn't sure about the punk look until she saw herself.
"AAAHHH!! OMIGOSH! Thank you SOO much Yura! I love it!"
Yura giggled.
"Like, anytime!" She turned around and faced Kagome, who had been watching the process with interest. "Like its your turn! You're name was like Kagome, like right?"
Kagome nodded and stood up. Yura looked her over with a furrowed brow. Suddenly, her face lit up.
"Like omigosh! Like I know like the perfect thing for you!"
Yura rushed over to her equally large closet and pulled out a few articles of clothing. She held them out to Kagome with pride and indicated that she should try them on.
When Kagome emerged from the dressing room, she was wearing a white spaghetti strap, cropped shirt with a black fishnet shirt over it that hung from her shoulders. The sleeves flared out at the bottom of the shirt and it went down to her mid-thigh, covering part of her dark stretchy jeans.
Kagome looked at Yura and Sango sheepishly. Sango nodded in approval and Yura clapped with glee.
"Like, I totally knew it! Like you look so, like totally gorgeous! Like here."
Yura handed a pair of dark red, clunky platform shoes to Kagome. She tried them on and Yura practically exploded with joy.
"Like YAY! Like now you like, totally have to like, let me do your hair and like, makeup!"
She dragged Kagome over to a chair, plopped her down and flipped open her cosmetics set. She concentrated on the colors for a second before lightly putting on some dark eye shadow, but not as dark as Sango. Then she put some red lipstick on her and surveyed her work. She giggled with glee like a six-year-old with a new toy.
Yura started on Kagome's hair. She straightened it and put some natural red highlights into her black hair. Yura leaned back and looked over her work one last time before putting her brush and hair spray down. She handed Kagome a mirror proudly.
"Like all finished!"
Kagome looked at her reflection. She wore the same colors as Sango but her style had come out more 'diva' than 'punk.' She smiled into the mirror. She gave Yura a hug and sat down with Sango. They excitedly talked about their wardrobe, makeup, concert, music, anything and everything. With twenty minutes to spare, the girls were brimming with energy.
~*~*~
Inuyasha stared dully at his reflection in the mirror as Jakostu chatted away to himself and tried to comb Inuyasha's hair at the same time.
"So, I totally told her to go for it. He was soo made for her and she couldn't see that and..."
Inuyasha nodded dumbly and tuned out the rest of his obvious logorrhea.
Miroku had gotten dressed a while ago. He wore a tight red shirt that showed off his muscles and plain baggy jeans. It was simple, but they looked good on him. (a/n: Drool if you want to but I'd save it until you see what Inuyasha is wearing. ::evil grin::)
He was sitting on the couch flipping through some magazine or other. He tugged on his shirt, which in his opinion had been too tight. He looked up briefly and smirked at Inuyasha's discomfort.
Inuyasha turned and glared at him but his head was jerked back by Jakostu's hands.
"As I was saying, I sat her down right there in the middle of the café and said, 'girlfriend, you need to get yourself away from the Ben & Jerry's and put on those red strappy stilettos and find yourself a man!' then..."
Inuyasha growled and stared at his reflection while Jakostu rambled on.
A minute later, Jakostu backed away from his masterpiece as he finished his monologue.
"Done! You look like quite the man, hot stuff."
Inuyasha stood up and looked critically at his reflection. He was wearing a white button up shirt...only not buttoned so it showed off his well built chest. He wore black jeans that were tighter than Miroku's that were held up with a single red belt. He had to admit he looked good. (a/n: you may drool now.)
He nodded towards Jakostu who gave him a smile. Inuyasha sat down next to Miroku and relaxed for the next 15 minutes before show time.
~*~*~
On stage, 10 minutes before show time, Hojo, a new (and clueless) technician, was walking across the stage. Being the genius he is, he was drinking a cup of coffee while reading his magazine on a floor full of loose wires.
"Oof!"
Sure enough, he tripped over a large wire and spilled his coffee on a strobe light positioned on the floor.
"Oops."
Hojo picked up his soggy magazine and tried to wipe up the remaining spilt coffee but only got more coffee onto the equipment.
He shrugged and gave up. He walked off the stage and made sure that no one had seen him or knew about what had happened...
~*~*~
Five minutes before show time, Kagome and Sango walked out of their dressing room the same time Miroku and Inuyasha came out of their room. None of them had been paying attention to where they were walking and Kagome walked into Inuyasha and Sango into Miroku.
Kagome almost fell over and felt a strong arm snake around her waist to steady her. She looked up right into Inuyasha's bare chest. Blushing, she turned away and Inuyasha loosened his hold. He got a good look at her for the first time and his eyes widened.
She looked drop-dead gorgeous in her outfit. Her clothes hugged every curve on her body and Inuyasha couldn't take his eyes off of her. Kagome looked up into his eyes and he realized that he was staring. He blushed but didn't stop looking into Kagome's eyes.
Sango and Miroku had been going through the same process. Sango couldn't believe how cute Miroku looked while Miroku thought Sango was beautiful. Each couple hadn't noticed that they weren't alone.
"A-HEM" their stage manager rolled his eyes at the young couples. Each person broke off their intense gaze and stepped back. They all turned to the stage manager.
"Um. . .you guys are on stage now."
They nodded in unison and headed towards the stage. The band set up on stage in the dark and everyone stood there tensely waiting for the show to start.
Their host began to speak.
"Now before we begin our concert, we have a special treat for you! Without further ado, the Shikon no Tama!"
The lights went on and Inuyasha and Sango broke into the first few chords of 'I Am' in perfect harmony. Kagome took her cue and began to sing, her voice as sweet as ever.
(a/n: It'd be great if you listened to the song while reading. That's what I do while writing. ^_^)
~Let's search for and gather the shards of dreams
Even if we're sad, we can probably still find them now,
changing the shape of the brightly turning tomorrow.
Even if we're sad, let's feel the sure present.~
Miroku began hammering away and the crowd went wild. This was promising to be a perfect concert.
~*~*~
The group had gone through the rest of 'I Am' and 'My Will' perfectly. Now for the finale, 'Fukai Mori.'
The song started out with one spotlight on Kagome and another on Inuyasha. Then one focused on Sango and another on Miroku as each of them took their cue.
The music began blasting and in the middle of the last verse, the strobe lights from the floor were supposed to come on...
~*~*~
The strobe lights worked well while Kagome sang her last notes but just before the last chord faded from their ears, a fizz could be heard from the strobe lights and then sparks began to come out of it.
The strobe lights had wires that led to the ceiling of the concert hall and those very wires held up some VERY heavy light projectors...
Sango and Miroku had seen it coming and bolted for the door as soon as they could. They were practically off stage when Inuyasha saw it happen...
The strobe light exploded.
The wire it was connected to got snapped in half.
The light projector that was held up by that wire began falling towards...
"KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelled over the commotion created by the crowd. She saw it too, but was too stunned to move.
Thinking quickly, Inuyasha dropped his guitar, ran over to Kagome and shoved her out of the way. One minor problem, he was now standing in her place.
He heard a crash. His head started hurting all of a sudden and he was fighting to keep his eyes open. The last thing he heard was Kagome screaming his name before he drifted off.
~*~*~
When Inuyasha regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was a black blob against a white blob. His eyes focused a bit and he realized that what he had seen was Kagome. She was still in her concert outfit, although it was slightly torn and frayed now. Her hair was mussed and her makeup smeared from crying.
Kagome bent over Inuyasha intently and gave him a small smile when she saw his eyes open.
"Hey," she said in a soft voice "How are you feeling?" Tears threatened to spill but her eyes shone with relief.
Inuyasha's eyes surveyed the room from his lying down position. He found that his throat was extremely dry and he coughed. He tried to sit up a bit and Kagome immediately went to help him. He looked around the room a bit more carefully this time. He certainly wasn't home.
"Where-..." Inuyasha had managed to get out before coughing again. Kagome winced at this. When he finished, Kagome gave him a sad smile.
"You're in the hospital now, Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku made sure that they got you here safely before I convinced them to go home. I told them I'd stay here with you. They'll be back tomorrow though." Kagome sighed. "You got knocked out by a light projector after you pushed me out of the way. The same projector that would've hit me. That should have hit me."
Kagome's lip began to tremble.
She threw herself on Inuyasha's chest and buried her face in his shirt, crying uncontrollably now. Between crying and hiccuping, Inuyasha could hear bits of what she was trying to say.
"I'm so sorry...I should've been the one injured. It's my fault that you're hurt now. I was really afraid...I would hate myself if something happened to you..." Inuyasha couldn't understand the rest of it because she began to sob loudly now.
He was a little surprised. Kagome was worried about him? She had sat here for who knows how long waiting for him to regain consciousness?
Not knowing what else to do, he began to stroke Kagome's hair. His heart went out to her. She didn't need to feel so guilty. It wasn't her fault. (a/n: Yea. It's Hojo's! DIE HOJO!)
"Don't worry about it Kagome. I'm fine now, see? Everything will be okay. Don't cry..." He whispered gently to her.
Kagome looked up at him with tear-streaked eyes in awe, relief and shock.
"You mean you're not mad at me?"
Inuyasha chuckled a little, despite himself.
"Stupid girl. Why would I be mad?" He said in a soft tone with a small smile.
Kagome looked at him for a moment before throwing her arms around him. She began to cry again. He still felt a bit startled but soon relaxed. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. After a while, she stopped crying and her breathing became even. She had fallen asleep.
Not wanting to wake the girl, he shifted his position so that he was more comfortable. He tucked her head under his chin and he tightened his grip around her.
Inuyasha muttered softly into her hair before drifting off into sleep.
"Thank you, Kagome."
~*~*~
A/N: I hope you're happy! This is the first of a LOONG line of fluff. ^_^ I made this chapter extremely long due to some requests. It was twice as long as usual! And I hope you like what happened. I tried to liven up the dressing room scene as much as I could. I hope I matched their outfits well. I have a strange new obsession with red, black and white. Go figure. Anyway, comments:
Lyn/Lin: lol. Thanks for your confidence in me. Lets hope I can do it . And I've noticed that you've reviewed every single chapter. It's very much appreciated! I'll make a special note of thanks after the story ends.
Trunks Gal: We should SO form a club for all of those people who just want to go up to Inuyasha and hug him and make him feel better. I don't blame you guys. I feel bad for him too.
WarriorGL: wow. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! These lyrics kick BUTT! Of course I'll use them! They're perfect! Look out for it. ^_^ Do you know who wrote the song by any chance?
Cashmere: Here ya go! Extra long chapter! I can't promise for the future but I'll make them as long as I can. I enjoy writing extra long chapters.
Sorena27: I've been getting that about Kikyou and I plan on using it sometime. Hm. . .I like the idea with Kouga. It'd be a nice break from the daily grind. I'll see how I can use them. Thanks for the ideas and send more if you have any, no matter how impossible it seems!
Skara Brae: Yeah. . .poor Inuyasha. Don't worry Inuyasha! Your fan girls still love you! lol.
Tsukii-chan: thanks for pointing that out. I'll try to fix Inuyasha's wild mood swings. I tried to explain it briefly in this chapter but I'll see what I can do. And of course Miroku will get beaten up more! Its half the fun ^_^ I'll be glad to check the site you gave me as soon as I have time!
Velvet twilight: I'm glad you like the idea and the story so far. I had the idea for a while but I wanted to make sure it wasn't too common before I used it. Looks like I got first dibs. ^_^
Silver Magicraft: I wouldn't change it for the world. . .besides some minor problems that my other reviewers pointed out to me. But besides that, the story is staying the way it is, not to worry! ^_^
Ludacris: ::blush:: aww thanks. I liked the idea about the outfits and I tried to use it. Tell me if it worked .
Bookwrm580: wow thanks for the honor! (no sarcasm there)
???: Thanks! And don't be afraid to sign your name next time!
DemonBlade: the lone figure was Inuyasha. I guess I didn't make it too clear in the last chapter. I added that extra section in the beginning just for you!
KaT aka Mistress Shingami: I was gonna have Kikyou come but I wanted to develop Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship a bit more. Anyway, see what happens and tell me what you think! I'm glad you like it!
A/N: Send me anything in your reviews! Lyrics, song titles, chapter titles, outfits, plot lines, new characters, whatever. I'm open to all ideas and I'd be glad to use some of them.
Cherry Mecha
Chapter 5: Concert
~*~*~
A/N: Eh. Sorry about the short delay. I tried to upload a new chapter everyday but my schoolwork took its toll. But the long awaited concert is here! Anyway, I tried to make this chapter longer than the others. As usual, replies at the end! Enjoy!
~*~*~
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Inuyasha or any of the songs I mention.
~*~*~
Inuyasha trudged home after Sango and Miroku. After they dropped Sango off, Miroku and Inuyasha walked home in silence.
As soon as they got into their apartment, Miroku headed towards the answering machine and Inuyasha went straight to his room and plopped down on his bed. He lay there with his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling for a while.
"Hey, Inuyasha?" He looked up at Miroku who was standing at his door "We got a message from Kouga. He says he won't be there tomorrow. He muttered something about his mother."
"Great. I'm going to sleep now. Close the door after you."
Miroku raised an eyebrow. It was barely 8. He shrugged and obeyed.
Now that he was alone with his thoughts, he lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes. His mind briefly ran over the day. He grinned. Now they had a lead singer. Finding Kagome was like a blessing.
Inuyasha stopped smiling. Had Kagome been a blessing? It was great that they were prepared for the concert, but what about Kikyou?
He hadn't been able to think about it much for the past two days because of the frantic search for a new lead. Now that it was settled, he unwillingly found himself comparing Kagome and Kikyou for the umpteenth time.
Kagome seemed like a really nice person, but he had known Kikyou longer. Although Kikyou was more sophisticated, Kagome made everyone want to smile. He remembered what he had thought when Kagome sang. It was true. Kikyou took singing very seriously but only treated it like it was her profession and nothing more. Kagome, however, sang with her heart. Music had become part of her life.
Inuyasha thought back to the end of rehearsal. He was walking away and suddenly, he stopped and looked at Kagome's house. Inuyasha longed to live in a well-kept and cozy home, like Kagome's. It was something he never had. That, and a family.
He frowned and let his thoughts wander back to Kikyou. He had never met her family, or heard her talk about it. Heck, she acted like they never existed. Then he began to think about Kagome again. Who did she live with? She had a mom, but what about her dad? Was she an only child? Did she have chores around the house? Did she have guests over a lot? Who kept their house clean? Would her family like him if he met them?
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at his last question. His mind had been uncontrollable ever since he met Kagome. It wasn't as if he had a crush on her...was it?
With a "feh," he rolled over and fell asleep.
~*~*~
The next day, everyone had assembled in the well house again. It was the day before the concert and they had one rehearsal left. They ran through their program until they were able to perform each song with no mistakes. Half an hour before their time was up, they decided to take a break.
The rehearsal had been pretty uneventful. Sango had been quite talkative and happy. We all know what happens when Miroku sees a happy Sango. Kagome watched with interest as Sango slapped Miroku for the umpteenth time. Inuyasha, as usual, went off into his corner and sulked.
A few minutes before their departure, Sango reviewed tomorrow's schedule with Kagome. They would arrive at the well house at 11:30 for a last minute rehearsal. The concert started at 6 but they had to get there at 3:45 for makeup and sound check. With that done, everyone could rest for the day.
Sango hugged Kagome as she left. Miroku started to do the same but got slapped, yet again. Inuyasha gave her a nod and left.
Kagome sighed at Inuyasha and went inside her house. She promised herself not to think about him the night.
~*~*~
The day of the concert had come. Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha walked to the well house for their last-minute rehearsal. They ran through each song twice and decided to stop at noon and goof off for the rest of the day. (a/n: who could blame them? ^_^) In high spirits (minus Inuyasha) the band headed for the amusement park.
Kagome and Sango were ooh-ing and ahh-ing at everything they saw. They ran ahead and explored the area while chatting away happily. Miroku drifted behind and walked in pace with Inuyasha. They strolled in silence for a while. Miroku, having enough, gave his friend a wary look and sighed.
"Dude, what's wrong? You've been spaced out since rehearsal two days ago."
Inuyasha glared at Miroku but then turned his attention towards the floor.
"I don't know...I'm still getting used to having Kagome around now..."
Miroku smirked.
"You're not over Kikyou yet, are you? Figures."
Inuyasha was about to let out a very long string of curses directed at Miroku but they were interrupted by Kagome's exclamation.
"Omigosh! Look at that thing!" She pointed to something out of view to Inuyasha. "Let's go Sango!"
Inuyasha stepped forward and saw what she was looking at. He paled. She was pointing to a gigantic, I mean GIGANTIC, roller coaster. It was the kind that people didn't live to tell about.
Kagome saw Inuyasha blanche and grinned.
"What's the matter Inuyasha? Afraid of heights?"
Inuyasha glared at her. He turned his back with a "feh."
Kagome was pissed now. (a/n: Lord help us. x . x)
"INUYASHA! This is our last time to relax before the concert! Stop sulking! You're ruining the mood!"
Inuyasha spun around, fury in his eyes.
"You have no fucking idea wench! I suggest you keep your mouth shut!"
They stared daggers at each other. Kagome was hurt by Inuyasha's words, and Inuyasha was hurt by Kagome's. Sango and Miroku took this opportunity to step in from where they had been watching from a safe distance.
"We'll meet you in two hours at the gate." Miroku whispered to Sango and she nodded.
"Hey Kagome!" Sango stood in front of Kagome, blocking her view of Inuyasha. "Are you still up for that roller coaster?" She began to drag Kagome away.
"Say, I'm pretty hungry," Miroku tugged at Inuyasha's sleeve. "How about a trip to the food court?" He pulled Inuyasha away in the opposite direction.
Both Inuyasha and Kagome scowled but allowed themselves to be escorted off by their friends.
As soon as they were far away from Inuyasha, Sango visibly relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. She turned to Kagome who's angry expression turned into one of sadness. Sango didn't have to ask before words started pouring out.
"It was just that he hadn't said a word to me in the past 3 days and I wanted him to snap out of it...I didn't expect him to be that angry...but I suppose I was kind of harsh too...I just liked him better when he smiled..."
Sang smiled knowingly. 'So she has a little crush on him,' she thought but didn't dare say out loud. Instead, she put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. Inuyasha's like that. He can be really pigheaded sometimes. Try not to think about it for the next hour, 'kay?"
Kagome looked up at her friend, nodded and gave her a little smile. For the next two hours, Kagome and Sango wandered around the amusement park, resuming their chatter and laughter. Miroku, however, was stuck with a harder case.
~*~*~
Inuyasha, as usual, began sulking. Miroku had tried to get him to cheer up or at least talk for an hour before he gave up. He turned to the thing he did best. Flirting.
He ran off and left Inuyasha on a bench somewhere. 'All the better,' Inuyasha thought to himself. He dropped his scowl now. He let his mind wander as he stared at his hands.
Kagome's words were true. A little harsh, but true. He admitted it but wouldn't say it out loud in a million years. Apparently, he had hurt Kagome as well. He sighed. 'What now, you genius?' he thought to himself.
He snapped back to reality and turned his head to where he heard a slap. A moment later he saw Miroku, with a hand print on his face, emerge from a corner.
"Come on. The girls should be waiting for us." Miroku winced as it had hurt to talk. Inuyasha's scowl returned at the mention of meeting the female half of his group again.
"Fine." He growled. It was the only word he spoke in all of the two hours.
They began to walk in the direction of the entrance. They reached the gate as Sango and Kagome approached the same area from the opposite direction. Kagome was doubled over in laughter and Sango had to support herself on a wall.
As soon as Kagome saw who was walking towards them, her happy grin had turned into a scowl again. Inuyasha had done the same and both of them would refuse to look at each other. Sango and Miroku exchanged hopeless glances and sighed.
They left the amusement park to go to the well house to pick up their instruments and then to the site of the concert. Sango and Miroku gave up on conversation and the group walked in silence.
~*~*~
They arrived at the concert hall early but they were rushed on stage anyway. They ran through each song twice. Everything worked and the acoustics were perfect. At 4:45, they were rushed off stage into their dressing rooms.
The girls were rushed off into a dressing room under the stage and the guys into another across the hall from them.
~*~*~
The girls walked in and saw a young woman with short hair in a slutty outfit snapping her gum loudly while reading a fashion magazine. She looked up when she saw Sango and Kagome walk in. She stood up with a smile.
"Like hi! I'm like Yura!" Insert annoying high-pitched giggle. "Like I'll be doing your makeup and like stuff. Like 'kay?"
Sango and Kagome sweat dropped. They hoped that the guys were doing better...
~*~*~
Miroku and Inuyasha walked in to their dressing room to see a man in his twenties sitting on a sofa arguing with his cell phone. He wore leather pants and a tight black shirt. He didn't seem notice when Inuyasha and Miroku walked in. From what they could tell, he had a semi-high voice and dragged out each 's' a little.
"Look, girlfriend, that you have to dump his sorry ass! Like he has the dignity to go dutch." pause "Well go get yourself a mocha latte honey. You deserve it after what he did to you. I have to go now." Girlish giggle. "Bye darling." And he hung up.
He looked up and saw Miroku and Inuyasha. His face lit up.
"Simply wonderful! More gorgeous boys for me!" Another girlish giggle. "I'm Jakostu. Enchanted, I'm sure."
(a/n: Are you guys happy? Hiten isn't in it anymore!)
Miroku and Inuyasha sweat dropped.
"As you know, I'll be doing your wardrobe today. Let's see what we have here!"
He walked in a circle around Miroku.
"Mm-mm. Honey, you are fi-ine. Let's see what we can do for you, hm?"
He walked over to the huge closet on the side of the room. He began pulling out several different shirts, pants and shoes and tossed them over his shoulder to Miroku, who was supposed to catch them. Eventually, Miroku was buried under a pile of designer fashion wear. Inuyasha watched and tried to stifle a laugh.
Miroku gave a sigh as Jakostu began putting together ten different outfits for him to try on. He was wondering what the girls had been doing and if they were being tortured like he was right now.
~*~*~
Back in the girls' dressing room, Yura had just added the finishing touches on Sango. It hadn't taken her long to decide on a style for her.
Sango was dressed a plain black tank top and wore big combat boots, which got mostly covered by her pants but the effect was nice anyway. She wore with baggy camouflage pants, except instead of the typical green, black and beige, the colors were red, black and gray. (a/n: Don't ask. I saw my friend wearing these pants and I liked them.)
To top it off, Yura had produced a spiked dog collar and matching wristbands. Sango's makeup consisted of dark colors and a dark red, almost black, lipstick. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun with a few strands hanging down on her face.
Sango wasn't sure about the punk look until she saw herself.
"AAAHHH!! OMIGOSH! Thank you SOO much Yura! I love it!"
Yura giggled.
"Like, anytime!" She turned around and faced Kagome, who had been watching the process with interest. "Like its your turn! You're name was like Kagome, like right?"
Kagome nodded and stood up. Yura looked her over with a furrowed brow. Suddenly, her face lit up.
"Like omigosh! Like I know like the perfect thing for you!"
Yura rushed over to her equally large closet and pulled out a few articles of clothing. She held them out to Kagome with pride and indicated that she should try them on.
When Kagome emerged from the dressing room, she was wearing a white spaghetti strap, cropped shirt with a black fishnet shirt over it that hung from her shoulders. The sleeves flared out at the bottom of the shirt and it went down to her mid-thigh, covering part of her dark stretchy jeans.
Kagome looked at Yura and Sango sheepishly. Sango nodded in approval and Yura clapped with glee.
"Like, I totally knew it! Like you look so, like totally gorgeous! Like here."
Yura handed a pair of dark red, clunky platform shoes to Kagome. She tried them on and Yura practically exploded with joy.
"Like YAY! Like now you like, totally have to like, let me do your hair and like, makeup!"
She dragged Kagome over to a chair, plopped her down and flipped open her cosmetics set. She concentrated on the colors for a second before lightly putting on some dark eye shadow, but not as dark as Sango. Then she put some red lipstick on her and surveyed her work. She giggled with glee like a six-year-old with a new toy.
Yura started on Kagome's hair. She straightened it and put some natural red highlights into her black hair. Yura leaned back and looked over her work one last time before putting her brush and hair spray down. She handed Kagome a mirror proudly.
"Like all finished!"
Kagome looked at her reflection. She wore the same colors as Sango but her style had come out more 'diva' than 'punk.' She smiled into the mirror. She gave Yura a hug and sat down with Sango. They excitedly talked about their wardrobe, makeup, concert, music, anything and everything. With twenty minutes to spare, the girls were brimming with energy.
~*~*~
Inuyasha stared dully at his reflection in the mirror as Jakostu chatted away to himself and tried to comb Inuyasha's hair at the same time.
"So, I totally told her to go for it. He was soo made for her and she couldn't see that and..."
Inuyasha nodded dumbly and tuned out the rest of his obvious logorrhea.
Miroku had gotten dressed a while ago. He wore a tight red shirt that showed off his muscles and plain baggy jeans. It was simple, but they looked good on him. (a/n: Drool if you want to but I'd save it until you see what Inuyasha is wearing. ::evil grin::)
He was sitting on the couch flipping through some magazine or other. He tugged on his shirt, which in his opinion had been too tight. He looked up briefly and smirked at Inuyasha's discomfort.
Inuyasha turned and glared at him but his head was jerked back by Jakostu's hands.
"As I was saying, I sat her down right there in the middle of the café and said, 'girlfriend, you need to get yourself away from the Ben & Jerry's and put on those red strappy stilettos and find yourself a man!' then..."
Inuyasha growled and stared at his reflection while Jakostu rambled on.
A minute later, Jakostu backed away from his masterpiece as he finished his monologue.
"Done! You look like quite the man, hot stuff."
Inuyasha stood up and looked critically at his reflection. He was wearing a white button up shirt...only not buttoned so it showed off his well built chest. He wore black jeans that were tighter than Miroku's that were held up with a single red belt. He had to admit he looked good. (a/n: you may drool now.)
He nodded towards Jakostu who gave him a smile. Inuyasha sat down next to Miroku and relaxed for the next 15 minutes before show time.
~*~*~
On stage, 10 minutes before show time, Hojo, a new (and clueless) technician, was walking across the stage. Being the genius he is, he was drinking a cup of coffee while reading his magazine on a floor full of loose wires.
"Oof!"
Sure enough, he tripped over a large wire and spilled his coffee on a strobe light positioned on the floor.
"Oops."
Hojo picked up his soggy magazine and tried to wipe up the remaining spilt coffee but only got more coffee onto the equipment.
He shrugged and gave up. He walked off the stage and made sure that no one had seen him or knew about what had happened...
~*~*~
Five minutes before show time, Kagome and Sango walked out of their dressing room the same time Miroku and Inuyasha came out of their room. None of them had been paying attention to where they were walking and Kagome walked into Inuyasha and Sango into Miroku.
Kagome almost fell over and felt a strong arm snake around her waist to steady her. She looked up right into Inuyasha's bare chest. Blushing, she turned away and Inuyasha loosened his hold. He got a good look at her for the first time and his eyes widened.
She looked drop-dead gorgeous in her outfit. Her clothes hugged every curve on her body and Inuyasha couldn't take his eyes off of her. Kagome looked up into his eyes and he realized that he was staring. He blushed but didn't stop looking into Kagome's eyes.
Sango and Miroku had been going through the same process. Sango couldn't believe how cute Miroku looked while Miroku thought Sango was beautiful. Each couple hadn't noticed that they weren't alone.
"A-HEM" their stage manager rolled his eyes at the young couples. Each person broke off their intense gaze and stepped back. They all turned to the stage manager.
"Um. . .you guys are on stage now."
They nodded in unison and headed towards the stage. The band set up on stage in the dark and everyone stood there tensely waiting for the show to start.
Their host began to speak.
"Now before we begin our concert, we have a special treat for you! Without further ado, the Shikon no Tama!"
The lights went on and Inuyasha and Sango broke into the first few chords of 'I Am' in perfect harmony. Kagome took her cue and began to sing, her voice as sweet as ever.
(a/n: It'd be great if you listened to the song while reading. That's what I do while writing. ^_^)
~Let's search for and gather the shards of dreams
Even if we're sad, we can probably still find them now,
changing the shape of the brightly turning tomorrow.
Even if we're sad, let's feel the sure present.~
Miroku began hammering away and the crowd went wild. This was promising to be a perfect concert.
~*~*~
The group had gone through the rest of 'I Am' and 'My Will' perfectly. Now for the finale, 'Fukai Mori.'
The song started out with one spotlight on Kagome and another on Inuyasha. Then one focused on Sango and another on Miroku as each of them took their cue.
The music began blasting and in the middle of the last verse, the strobe lights from the floor were supposed to come on...
~*~*~
The strobe lights worked well while Kagome sang her last notes but just before the last chord faded from their ears, a fizz could be heard from the strobe lights and then sparks began to come out of it.
The strobe lights had wires that led to the ceiling of the concert hall and those very wires held up some VERY heavy light projectors...
Sango and Miroku had seen it coming and bolted for the door as soon as they could. They were practically off stage when Inuyasha saw it happen...
The strobe light exploded.
The wire it was connected to got snapped in half.
The light projector that was held up by that wire began falling towards...
"KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelled over the commotion created by the crowd. She saw it too, but was too stunned to move.
Thinking quickly, Inuyasha dropped his guitar, ran over to Kagome and shoved her out of the way. One minor problem, he was now standing in her place.
He heard a crash. His head started hurting all of a sudden and he was fighting to keep his eyes open. The last thing he heard was Kagome screaming his name before he drifted off.
~*~*~
When Inuyasha regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was a black blob against a white blob. His eyes focused a bit and he realized that what he had seen was Kagome. She was still in her concert outfit, although it was slightly torn and frayed now. Her hair was mussed and her makeup smeared from crying.
Kagome bent over Inuyasha intently and gave him a small smile when she saw his eyes open.
"Hey," she said in a soft voice "How are you feeling?" Tears threatened to spill but her eyes shone with relief.
Inuyasha's eyes surveyed the room from his lying down position. He found that his throat was extremely dry and he coughed. He tried to sit up a bit and Kagome immediately went to help him. He looked around the room a bit more carefully this time. He certainly wasn't home.
"Where-..." Inuyasha had managed to get out before coughing again. Kagome winced at this. When he finished, Kagome gave him a sad smile.
"You're in the hospital now, Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku made sure that they got you here safely before I convinced them to go home. I told them I'd stay here with you. They'll be back tomorrow though." Kagome sighed. "You got knocked out by a light projector after you pushed me out of the way. The same projector that would've hit me. That should have hit me."
Kagome's lip began to tremble.
She threw herself on Inuyasha's chest and buried her face in his shirt, crying uncontrollably now. Between crying and hiccuping, Inuyasha could hear bits of what she was trying to say.
"I'm so sorry...I should've been the one injured. It's my fault that you're hurt now. I was really afraid...I would hate myself if something happened to you..." Inuyasha couldn't understand the rest of it because she began to sob loudly now.
He was a little surprised. Kagome was worried about him? She had sat here for who knows how long waiting for him to regain consciousness?
Not knowing what else to do, he began to stroke Kagome's hair. His heart went out to her. She didn't need to feel so guilty. It wasn't her fault. (a/n: Yea. It's Hojo's! DIE HOJO!)
"Don't worry about it Kagome. I'm fine now, see? Everything will be okay. Don't cry..." He whispered gently to her.
Kagome looked up at him with tear-streaked eyes in awe, relief and shock.
"You mean you're not mad at me?"
Inuyasha chuckled a little, despite himself.
"Stupid girl. Why would I be mad?" He said in a soft tone with a small smile.
Kagome looked at him for a moment before throwing her arms around him. She began to cry again. He still felt a bit startled but soon relaxed. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. After a while, she stopped crying and her breathing became even. She had fallen asleep.
Not wanting to wake the girl, he shifted his position so that he was more comfortable. He tucked her head under his chin and he tightened his grip around her.
Inuyasha muttered softly into her hair before drifting off into sleep.
"Thank you, Kagome."
~*~*~
A/N: I hope you're happy! This is the first of a LOONG line of fluff. ^_^ I made this chapter extremely long due to some requests. It was twice as long as usual! And I hope you like what happened. I tried to liven up the dressing room scene as much as I could. I hope I matched their outfits well. I have a strange new obsession with red, black and white. Go figure. Anyway, comments:
Lyn/Lin: lol. Thanks for your confidence in me. Lets hope I can do it . And I've noticed that you've reviewed every single chapter. It's very much appreciated! I'll make a special note of thanks after the story ends.
Trunks Gal: We should SO form a club for all of those people who just want to go up to Inuyasha and hug him and make him feel better. I don't blame you guys. I feel bad for him too.
WarriorGL: wow. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! These lyrics kick BUTT! Of course I'll use them! They're perfect! Look out for it. ^_^ Do you know who wrote the song by any chance?
Cashmere: Here ya go! Extra long chapter! I can't promise for the future but I'll make them as long as I can. I enjoy writing extra long chapters.
Sorena27: I've been getting that about Kikyou and I plan on using it sometime. Hm. . .I like the idea with Kouga. It'd be a nice break from the daily grind. I'll see how I can use them. Thanks for the ideas and send more if you have any, no matter how impossible it seems!
Skara Brae: Yeah. . .poor Inuyasha. Don't worry Inuyasha! Your fan girls still love you! lol.
Tsukii-chan: thanks for pointing that out. I'll try to fix Inuyasha's wild mood swings. I tried to explain it briefly in this chapter but I'll see what I can do. And of course Miroku will get beaten up more! Its half the fun ^_^ I'll be glad to check the site you gave me as soon as I have time!
Velvet twilight: I'm glad you like the idea and the story so far. I had the idea for a while but I wanted to make sure it wasn't too common before I used it. Looks like I got first dibs. ^_^
Silver Magicraft: I wouldn't change it for the world. . .besides some minor problems that my other reviewers pointed out to me. But besides that, the story is staying the way it is, not to worry! ^_^
Ludacris: ::blush:: aww thanks. I liked the idea about the outfits and I tried to use it. Tell me if it worked .
Bookwrm580: wow thanks for the honor! (no sarcasm there)
???: Thanks! And don't be afraid to sign your name next time!
DemonBlade: the lone figure was Inuyasha. I guess I didn't make it too clear in the last chapter. I added that extra section in the beginning just for you!
KaT aka Mistress Shingami: I was gonna have Kikyou come but I wanted to develop Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship a bit more. Anyway, see what happens and tell me what you think! I'm glad you like it!
A/N: Send me anything in your reviews! Lyrics, song titles, chapter titles, outfits, plot lines, new characters, whatever. I'm open to all ideas and I'd be glad to use some of them.