Luxury Never was Cheap
Chapter five
"Don't underestimate the power of corporations!" Sango screamed at a car that was heading for the McDonald's drive-thru. She waved her sign around like a weapon and pointing to passer-buyers who just wanted something to eat. "They're brainwashing you! Don't play their game!"
"Eh, Sango, maybe you should sit down and relax?" a very uncomfortable Miroku said as the mothers and their children rushed away muttering about psychos in fast food restaurants.
Sango glared at him and then snarled as a prissy looking girl headed towards the front doors. "Don't you dare cross the picket line, missy."
The girl snorted and kicked the sign that Miroku had implanted into the ground, since his arms were getting tired, "And why not?"
"Because it's the rules!"
"Do you even work here?" the girl snarled.
"What? I would never work here!" Sango seemed horrified with the very idea.
"This is not a picket line, then. A picket line only implies during a strike," She shot Sango a glare, "And you are boycotting, and I am hungry, I am getting something to eat whether you like it or not."
The bitch huffed and strolled into the McDonalds.
Miroku blinked. "She looked a lot like Miss Kagome didn't she?"
Sango, who was too busy plotting revenge against the Kagome-look-alike didn't say anything; she squeezed the stick holding her sign so hard it snapped.
Miroku, deciding he should hide, did so.
Kagome smiled as Inuyasha slurped down, yet again, another cup of ramen. "Inuyasha do you eat anything else?"
Inuyasha looked up, bits of food on the corners of his mouth. "Oh course I do!"
"Like what?" Kagome asked softly watching Inuyasha with a bemused expression.
"Take-out, sushi, and Burger King," Inuyasha said as he gulped down another cup of ramen Kagome had placed in front of him.
Kagome raised an eyebrow; "We have to get some vegetables in your diet."
"Why does everyone say that?" Inuyasha demanded, very pissed off at being told he wasn't eating properly, again.
"Because it's true!" Kagome said as she glared at Inuyasha.
"I do not need…" Inuyasha was cut off, however, because at that moment Kagome stuffed a carrot into his mouth and put one of her hands on top of his head and the other under his chin. Thus, force-feeding Inuyasha.
Kagome let go after she watched Inuyasha swallow the carrot. "There, don't you feel all warm and tingly inside?"
"No."
"I know you liked it," Kagome said as she gave him a look that clearly said he shouldn't say otherwise.
"Whatever," Inuyasha snarled, "Bitch."
"God damn it Inuyasha do you always have to be such a drama queen?" Kagome said as she grinned and dodged the ramen cup aimed for her head.
"I am not a drama queen!" Inuyasha snarled.
"That's what you say."
"That's what I say!" Inuyasha snarled again.
Kagome broke into a grin, "Hey, that's an American song!"
"Eh?" Inuyasha blinked in surprise as Kagome jumped onto the kitchen table and started air guitaring like she was all alone and didn't realize she was making a dumb ass out of herself.
She started to hum and rock her head to the side and to the other side.
"Kagome what the hell are you doing?"
"I love English songs!" Kagome said smiling, "Especially this one!"
Inuyasha blinked.
"The Rolling Stones!" Kagome said smiling like an idiot, "I can't get no, satisfaction, I can't get no......satisfaction, cause I try, and I try, and I try I can't get no, I can't get no!"
Inuyasha smirked, "Oh yeah, I know that song. Didn't Brittany Spears remix it?"
"And she did a fucking bad job at it. Someone should sue her for being such a bad singer," Kagome asked smiling as she hopped off the table and started doing a pathetic dance around Inuyasha.
"I can't get no. Oh no, no, no, no. Hey hey hey!" Kagome chorused.
"That's what I say!" Inuyasha sung along, realizing how that reminded her of the song.
"I can't get no satisfaction," Kagome and Inuyasha both said, "I can't get no, satisfaction!"
And so, the two hyperactive roommates sung the song I Can't Get No Satisfaction (By the Rolling Stones) for about two hours straight, the whole time acting like morons.
Sango sighed defeated, "Alright, it's six o clock, Miroku, we're going home."
"Praise Buddha!" Miroku whispered and then smiled at Sango, "That was quite an experience, Sango, shall I accompany you next week?"
Sango smiled lightly at him, "Sure, it was nice having a second pair of hands."
Miroku grinned as he walked next to Sango and rubbed her butt.
Sango's vain popped as she snapped the recently mended sign. Miroku paled and started to run down the street, "There was a piece of dirt there, honest!"
"Liar! Get your ass back here so I an kill you!" Sango said, rage blinding her and covering up the hurt in her eyes.
After about fifteen minutes of chasing Miroku around Tokyo and almost being run over by five cars, Sango and Miroku both collapsed onto a bench in the park. Sango huffed for breath while she half-heartedly punched Miroku.
Sango stood up once the sensation of rain falling on her was suddenly noticeable and soaking her already skin-tight outfit.
She grumbled as she grabbed the back of Miroku's collar and started to walk back to the apartment.
Looking around the park, she noticed a large tent off into the distance and a large sign. Sango paused and read the sign and its bold letters.
Sango broke out into a grin and then started to run quickly to the apartment, leaving a winded Miroku behind.
"I can't get no! Du na na na na! I can't get no! ON NO NO NO, HEY HEY HEY, That's what I say!" Kagome and Inuyasha yelled at each other as they did a weird rendition of the swing dance and polka combined into one.
"I can't get no!"
"Hey hey hey!"
The two continued to dance around, singing out random lyrics, since they didn't know the whole song.
Inuyasha stomped towards Kagome causing her to walk back, after about five steps, Kagome started walking towards him and he walked back. Then grabbing her hand they he would spin her around, dip her and then start the stomping all over again, adding in random dance moves as they did so.
"What the hell are you two doing?" Sango asked, having recently made it home, dripping wet, and witnessing her best friend act like a circus animal.
Kagome blushed and stopped singing. Inuyasha's face was bright red as he turned away from the two.
"Sango-Chan! How was the boycott?" Kagome asked, trying to make the red in her face go away.
"Everyone listened to me, except for one girl…" Sango paused, "She looked a lot like you, actually."
Kagome and Sango both failed to notice Inuyasha tense up at the mentioning of the rebellious girl.
"Really?" Kagome sighed, "That's weird."
"Don't worry about that, Kagome-Chan. Minus her, I think I have enlightened the world," Sango said giving Kagome a victory sign with her two fingers.
"Miss Sango, don't run so fast next time," Miroku said as he literally crawled through the door way.
Kagome, Sango, and Inuyasha all sighed at the sight of the wheezing Miroku.
"Anyways, Kagome-Chan, guess what?" Sango squealed as she intentionally jumped up and down onto Miroku's stretched out form.
Kagome sighed again, "What Sango?"
"They're having a convention for environmentalists! Isn't that great?"
Kagome sighed mentally, "Sango-Chan, I'm sorry to say, but I'm not an environmentalist, I only recycle cause I know that you'll kill me if I don't."
Sango looked crest-fallen. Then she turned happy eyes to Inuyasha, "Inu…"
"No."
"Ah come on…"
"No." Inuyasha said glaring and closing the subject at that, "the only reason why I recycle is because Kagome will kill me because then you'll kill her."
Sango looked really crest fallen then.
"I'll go with you my dearest Sango, but first, will you get off me?" the muffled voice of Miroku was heard from below Sango's feet.
Sango sighed, "terrific, the pervert is going to follow me around some more, isn't he?"
Inuyasha and Kagome nodded dully.
"Fine, but any funny business, Miroku, and no one will ever see you again" Sango glared "except your mangy bloody corpse"
"Fair enough," Miroku mumbled as he stood up.
Sango and Miroku walked towards the door, until Miroku doubled back and grabbed Kagome and Inuyasha by their shirt collars, "If Sango's taking me to hell, I'm dragging you two down with me!"
"But I have to do my English homework for the community collage! And I have work in two hours!" Kagome whined.
"And I have to annoy Kagome," was Inuyasha's intelligent excuse.
Kagome let out a little squeak while Inuyasha proceeded to kick Miroku as he dragged them down the staircase.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Inuyasha, my dearest and longest time friend," Miroku said with fake sweetness, "and we shouldn't fight in front of Miss Kagome."
"Shut up." Inuyasha mumbled as Miroku kicked him into the backseat of Sango's car and tossing Kagome in softer than he had with his best friend.
Sango jumped into the driver's seat "Alright, I'm driving!"
Miroku pouted. "I wanna drive," he whined.
"If you drove, Miroku, we wouldn't get there until five years from now," Sango replied sourly.
Five minutes later, Sango had dragged Miroku into the convention. Miroku hadn't been able to grab Kagome and Inuyasha because Inuyasha had hid Kagome behind him and kicked Miroku away before he could grab an article of clothing.
'Stupid pervert,' he thought numbly as he looked around. "So Kagome, what should we do now?"
Kagome shrugged and looked around, "There isn't much to do is there?"
"Nothing," Inuyasha agreed as he hoped into the car "Alright, so we'll go searching."
Kagome glared "And this would work if we had the car keys."
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and twirled the keys around his index finger.
Kagome grinned, "Where did you get that?"
"Took it from Sango's pocket while she wasn't looking!"
"Won't she get mad if we steal her car?"
"Nah, she's big on nature, if she walks home, she's saving fish, or whatever the hell it is she cares so much about. Now hop in before I leave without you!"
Kagome giggled and sat herself next to the boy and looked at him, "So, where to?"
Inuyasha started driving mindlessly as he dodged old ladies and cars. Kagome sweat dropped, "Don't tell me you're a driver like Sango?"
"Nope, I was just doing that to freak you out," Inuyasha's grin only widened as she punched him in the arm, "Ow, hey, don't preoccupy the driver, wench!"
They drove in silence for a while before Inuyasha spook again, "Whatever we do, it should be quick, you have to do that English homework and go to work or whatever."
Kagome blinked, "Nah, I was just looking for an excuse for that pervert to let go of me!"
Inuyasha snorted in amusement as he continued to drive down downtown Tokyo. The rain dabbed at the windshield softly now, having died down after the many days of raining the two had witnessed.
Inuyasha glanced at Kagome before returning his gaze to the road. 'She really is pretty…' he thought as he turned a corner a little too sharply sending Kagome into his shoulder.
Neither seemed to mind.
Kagome sighed softly against his shoulder as the two continued on in silence. It just seemed so...
Right.
She never wanted to leave the comfort of Inuyasha. He calmed her, and it seemed over the past few days Inuyasha had been calming her tremendously. He was a calming spirit, no matter how much he tried to hide it. But Kagome couldn't help thinking that she didn't mind it that way.
Kagome perked herself up and stared at a sign, then she broke into a grin, "Lazar tag!"
"What?" Inuyasha growled, slightly disappointed that Kagome's head was no longer on his shoulder.
"Let's go lazar tagging!" Kagome giggled and pointed to the domed building, "The whole building is three stories of lazar tagging! Isn't that awesome? I've only been there once with Souta, and I was always out, so how 'bout it Inuyasha, can I be on your team?"
Inuyasha blinked as Kagome talked a mile a minute, then he smiled, "Sure, whatever wench."
Kagome chose to ignore the fact that Inuyasha called her a wench again and squealed with joy, "Yay, this is so much cooler than listening to old guys talk about recycling."
"And ya'll must all help save the earth," the old guy said with a Texan accent that was lulling Miroku to sleep.
'I must have died and went to hell,' Miroku thought dimly then looked at Sango 'but it's worth it.'
Inuyasha placed the electronic pad over his head. The thing beeped and lit up as it covered his shoulders, back, and chest. He held the gun in his right hand and thought numbly of how he could protect his foot.
"After this, i'm buying an iron foot," he concluded to himself. Kagome's eyebrow shot up and she whacked him on the head. "Ow, Fuck, that hurt Kagome, why'd you do that?"
"Temptation, now come on!" Kagome giggled and grabbed Inuyasha's free hand as they ran into the darkened room to begin their game. The place was pure darkness except for the flashing green lights Kagome and Inuyasha's armor let off.
"If my foot gets damaged in any way, no one here is getting out alive," Inuyasha growled as he held his gun like it really was a gun that could kill.
"Oooooo, beware Inuyasha and his license to kill," Kagome said sarcastically. She giggled as Inuyasha shot her a glare. His face illuminated by the green lights. She felt her heart quicken but quickly tossed it aside as an idiot feeling that no one could understand. 'Remember, he's a jerk.'
"Lets go, Inuyasha…" Kagome said smiling as she continued to hold Inuyasha's hand and ducked behind a chunk of wall and pressed herself against it, hiding herself in a little alcove.
Inuyasha watched Kagome's fluid-like movements in fascination, "You've done this before haven't you?"
"How could you tell?" Kagome asked, smiling at her friend. Then she realized something, 'Friend. He's not just my roommate. He's my friend…' She smiled at that thought.
Inuyasha snorted as he crushed himself along the wall with Kagome crossing his arms over his chest to hide the green blinking light. He watched as some red, blue, yellow, and some green lights shot around and went to the next story.
Kagome giggled, "Good they didn't see us! Now we can go up and we won't have to worry about someone sneaking behind us."
She dove away from the wall and did a little somersault before kneeling against a wall, holding her gun up to her eye level like she was preparing to jump around the corner and bash someone's face in.
"Kagome, did that have a point?" Inuyasha asked as he walked over to her, or more like hobbled, but that's irrelevant.
"Who ha! I shall penetrate the enemy base, general!" Kagome said in a strange voice that almost caused Inuyasha to burst into laughter.
"Kagome, what in the seven hells are you doing?" Inuyasha asked before Kagome pulled Inuyasha on top of her. "What the hell?" he asked as a huge blush formed on his cheeks, "Kagome what are you doing?"
"Awaiting orders sir!" Kagome said as she mocked a salute to Inuyasha, failing to notice he was straddling her hips in a very suggestive situation.
"Fine, get the fucking hell off me!" Inuyasha growled and lightly pushed Kagome off him, his hands holding her waist so as not to accidentally drop her. But as she moved away, he missed the warmth her body provided.
Sango and Miroku stood outside the tent, holding umbrellas made of Earth Friendly materials. For the last half an hour, the old guy with the Texan drawl had talked about how saving the Earth through eating tofu was good and eating chicken was evil.
Miroku very much doubted he would become a vegetarian any time soon.
He glanced at Sango who glanced at him. Miroku stared at Sango's furious expression.
'She's always so angry. Why? I wish she would smile more often,' Miroku sighed softly to himself and cursed himself for his wishful thinking. Sango thought of him as a pervert.
He always ruined the moment.
He only wanted to be with her.
"Miroku?" Miroku jumped at the calmness in Sango's voice. He glanced at her and offered a weak smile. "Thanks for coming with me, I know you really didn't want to come."
Miroku's eyes softened as he reached out a grasped Sango's hand, "Miss Sango, if I could have another chance to say no, I would decline and go with you, for you are worth any torture. As long as you are happy."
Sango smiled so softly it was almost not a smile at all. More of an upturn of the lips. Her hand tightened around his as she began to walk, "Come on, let's go somewhere else, I'm in the mood for a hamburger."
"Eh?"
"Let's go to McDonald's!" Sango said happily as she began to skip towards where the pick-up truck should have been.
Miroku face faulted. "Miss Sango, weren't you boycotting McDonalds earlier today?"
Sango blinked then gave him an innocent look. A look that Miroku never wanted to forget. "Yeah, I only boycotted it because that's what Kagome told me to boycott, I really like McDonalds, especially their big Macs."
"But just today you were saying you wouldn't be caught dead eating a Big Mac!"
"I know! And all this talk about food is making me hungry," She started to drag Miroku towards the parking lot, "come on Miroku!"
Miroku felt like he was in heaven, though slightly peeved that Sango actually liked McDonalds.
Sango suddenly halting made Miroku run into her, "Ow, Miss Sango, what's the matter?"
"Those jerks!" Sango said, her evil face back and ready to kick some ass.
Miroku sweat dropped when he realized that Sango's car was missing.
Sango dug around her pockets looking for her car keys, "who could have stolen them?"
"Inuyasha," Miroku said flatly. Sango gave him a look, "Inuyasha was a huge pick-pocket from ten to twenty years old, and until he finally got a job, he decided he didn't want to steal anymore."
"Well he just stole my car," Sango snarled in anger as she started to look around as if her car would still be within sight.
Oh course it wasn't.
Miroku rubbed Sango's shoulders, "Miss Sango, please, try and relax, let us walk to McDonalds and kick Inuyasha's ass some other time."
Sango leaned into Miroku's hands as she sighed, "But, it's raining. I wish it were sunny, then I wouldn't feel so down…"
"You think that sunshine means happiness, Sango?" Miroku asked and Sango nodded. Then he whipped his umbrella away and jumped into a puddle. At Sango's shocked look he grinned, "Then you obviously have never danced in the rain."
Sango blinked as Miroku started to do a weird dance as he slipped and slid around in the muddy puddle and damp grass.
"Miroku," Sango laughed, feeling better, she watched the boy chuckle to himself as he slipped and fell face first into a pile of mud.
"Hey, Sango, come on, be a dumb ass with me!" Miroku grinned and pulled Sango by the arm, causing her to trip and fall in the mud with him.
"Why you…!" Sango growled half-heartedly.
Miroku grinned innocently, "Come on, Sango, the mud is good for your complexion!"
"That sounded so gay!" Sango laughed, her spirits lifting sky high. Why did the pervert of all people make her feel so loved?
Miroku raised an eyebrow, "Sango, do you really think I am one of the crooked kind?"
Sango cracked up at the thought of Miroku being a homosexual. "If you're gay then I'm a man!"
"If you're a man, then maybe I want to be gay!" Miroku said. Sango and Miroku looked at each other before cracking up again and clinging to each other like their lives depended on it. Miroku stood up and puffed out his chest. "I am straight as a circle!"
Sango sweat dropped, "Miroku, you are aware that circles are round, correct?"
Miroku paled and noticed the odd looks people were giving him, "I meant straight as an arrow! Arrow!"
Sango laughed lightly as she grabbed Miroku's hand and hauled herself up. She smiled at Miroku, "Thank you."
"For what, my dearest Sango?" Miroku asked softly.
"For being my friend."
"Am I only a friend, Sango?" Miroku asked looking into her eyes. Breathing in her sweet scent that smelled faintly of roses.
Inuyasha army-crawled along the second story, his gun held firmly in his hand. Kagome crawled normally after him, not understanding why Inuyasha insisted on crawling. Ever since Kagome had called him the general, he had certainly played the part.
The two crawled in silence, ducking behind an alcove in the walls whenever they saw a foreign light flash by them.
"Inuyasha?"
"What is it?" came the reply of Inuyasha as he scooted around in the dark. They were in a tunnel and the black lights and strobe lights weren't able to reach the dark corners of the passageway.
"I'm afraid of the dark," Kagome admitted.
Inuyasha eyed her. He smiled faintly as he reached out a hand and grabbed hers, "Don't worry; the best way to get rid of your fears is face them. I won't let anything happen to you."
Kagome walked closer to him, his warmth enveloping her and making her sigh contently, "Thank you, Inuyasha."
"Any time," Inuyasha replied as he scooped her up bridal style, "Now then, as general of this army, It is my duty to make sure that no one gets left behind. For we are an army of one!"
Kagome gave him a look, "Inuyasha, you are aware that that's the United States army slogan, right?"
"And what a stupid slogan it is! Honestly, an Army of One? Hello, are they saying that their army is only one man? Damn, he must be tired over in Iraq!"
Kagome giggled and whapped Inuyasha on the head lightly with her gun, "Knock it off you silly puppy."
"That's General Puppy to you missy!" Inuyasha growled as Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck. "But I'm serious, an Army of One?"
"I think that they mean they're united. Like the United States, General Puppy," Kagome said as she patted the back of his head with her hand.
"Stupid Americans," Inuyasha mumbled.
"You're an anti-American aren't you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" He asked, mildly surprised that Kagome had to question.
"Would you hate me if I said I was from America?" Kagome asked, looking up into his eyes.
"No." Kagome jumped at the seriousness in his voice. "I could never, ever, hate you."
Kagome's eyes softened as she leaned up towards Inuyasha, and Inuyasha leaned towards her.
"W-What?" Sango asked in shock.
"Am I just a friend Sango?" Miroku asked, his hands clasping Sango's. "I understand if I am but a friend to you, but please, I have to know."
Sango felt a blush rising into her cheeks. With all the mud covering Miroku, Sango couldn't tell if he was joking or not.
The silence dragged on before Miroku released her hands.
"I understand, Miss Sango," Miroku said so sadly it sounded like he'd just died.
He turned from Sango and began to walk away, leaving Sango in momentary shock, before she jumped up and tackled Miroku to the ground.
"Don't be so anxious to run away!" Sango said softly as she leaned down and kissed Miroku on the lips, which he hungrily responded to.
Kagome and Inuyasha's faces were inches away from interlocking when over the loud speakers came a large explosion of voice, "And the game is about to begin!"
The two jumped guiltily away from each other, and covering their blushing faces. The two glanced at each other than looked away.
"All right, let's go kick some ass!" Kagome said as she grabbed Inuyasha's hand, causing her blush to rise, and headed towards the end of the tunnel.
Inuyasha cleared his throat as he willed his blushing face to die down. He glanced at Kagome and smacked himself mentally 'she's a bitch! What were you thinking?'
Kagome sighed softly, 'he's a jerk, what were you thinking?' She glanced at Inuyasha sadly before leaving the tunnel, but not leaving the comfort of his hand.
They continued to play for ten minutes; Kagome and Inuyasha indestructible as they ran across the three floors, killing people with their imaginary guns, Inuyasha in front, and Kagome behind, covering him like two real soldiers.
The two slowed when they got to a hallway that was full of alcoves: the perfect place to hide as unsuspecting people ran by. Kagome and Inuyasha glanced at each other before nodding and making their way down the hallway, hand and hand.
Suddenly, a person jumped out of the alcove and started shooting invisible beams at Kagome.
He had horrible aim.
The two looked at each other, raised an eyebrow and both shot at the boy, who did a mellow-dramatic death scene, even though they weren't even using real guns.
"Wouldn't want to see him in a paintball war…" Kagome muttered to herself and Inuyasha as they continued down the hallway. As they were passing the boy, he grabbed her hand and slipped a piece of paper in her hand.
She blinked before looking at it. It said, written in clean and readable handwriting: Phone number?
Kagome raised an eyebrow and glanced at the boy. He had sandy blond hair and was taller than her. She glanced at Inuyasha who was too busy shooting at people in front of him to realize Kagome had stopped. She smiled softly and wrote her phone number on the slip of paper.
The boy smiled and held out his hand, "My name is Hojo Nakanichi!"
"Kagome Higurashi," Kagome said as she grasped his hand, but quickly released it to chase after Inuyasha who was nearing the end of the hallway. She waved lightly to Hojo before catching up with Inuyasha and grabbing his hand.
He glanced at her "Where'd you go?"
"I dropped my gun," she lied. She didn't know why, it was Inuyasha, after all, and since when did she have the sudden urge to lie to him so he wouldn't get mad? Its not like he cared or anything. 'He's a jerk, anyways…'
He squeezed her hand tightly, "Come on Kagome, the game is almost over, and we should go and pick up Miroku and Sango. I have a feeling they'll want to kill us."
Kagome smiled weakly, looked at Hojo at the corner of her eye before squeezing Inuyasha's hand, "Ok, let's go!"