Why do their lives have to go from okay to bad to worse? Can't I just give them a break? Who was shocked to learn that really, all evil can just be traced back to creepy Naraku and his drunken date raping ways? What is wrong with that guy anyway? And come on, his cousin? How icky can he be? Is he going for a record? Anyone got Guinness on the phone right now? And how come Sango and Miroku are immune to the issues of the others? And what about Rin and Sesshoumaru? What's the secret to their relationship success? Is it something overly simple, like lots of sex? Who suspects that it's probably something along those lines? Now that we see how evil Naraku is, will our couples be allowed some happiness, or am I preparing further torture for them? Am I a totally sadistic bitch or what? See what you think after this chapter of…
*****
Center Stage
Part 10
*****
"Kagura…I wanted to talk to you." Kikyo's gray eyes looked large and frightened as she whispered from behind the corner, seemingly thinking no one would spot her talking to Kagura there. "Can you spare a moment?"
"Um…I guess so." Kagura had come backstage in hopes of finding Kouga before the end of the break Sango had just called, but Kikyo had found her first. "What is it?" She felt a bit strange talking to Kikyo after so long, especially since she had just divulged their past experiences to Kouga only a few days ago.
"Come back here." Kikyo led her to the nearby dressing room, locking the door behind them before shooting her a mildly apologetic face. "Some people…would be interested to see us talking…so I thought…"
"No problem." Kagura felt a slight shiver over her spine at the idea of drawing Naraku's attention. This was one of the reasons she'd stopped speaking with Kikyo, even though the other girl was possibly the only one who could understand how she felt and what she was going through. "What's up?"
"Naraku's up to something." She got straight to the point, her voice sharp, but her eyes wandered around the room, showing the fear she felt at the idea. "I saw him on Saturday at a coffee shop. He was with Kagome."
"Kagome?" Kagura didn't understand what the lead actress would be doing with someone as despicable as Naraku. "You don't think…"
"If he has told her anything, I can't tell yet." Kikyo told her. "She hasn't commented, and she doesn't seem to be treating me any differently. However, it's no secret that Kagome and I have never been the best of friends. Have you noticed anything different from her?"
"Um…" Kagura didn't want to admit that she'd been so busy spending time with Kouga that she hadn't noticed much else. He'd told her yesterday that he intended to break up with Kagome that very day so that they could be together. It was amazing to her that he would still want her, even knowing all she'd been through, all that had happened to her. "I don't think so."
"That's good." Kikyo sighed in relief. "However, I've noticed her talking with him in private at times. I wouldn't mind, but Kagome really seemed to be wary around him earlier in the production, so it seems suspicious to me."
"Do you think…he could want…" Kagura felt a wave of fear for her new friend. No one should be lured in by Naraku. She knew all to well what that could lead to.
"He seems to find her rather fetching." Kikyo admitted. "I'm familiar enough with the signs. And she's not exactly rejecting him."
"You don't think…she'd encourage him?" Kagura's eyebrows lifted in disbelief.
"She might. You were taken in." Kikyo snorted slightly. "And Kagome isn't exactly the brightest flower in the field."
"Kikyo…" Kagura felt like she should defend Kagome, but she knew that Kikyo wouldn't listen to her anyway.
"Just…maybe you should say something to her. Before it's too late." Kikyo coughed slightly, looking away. "We better get back out there." She peeked out the doorway, checking to see that no one would notice them slipping out of the dressing room before she left, continuing her search for Kouga and considering Kikyo's words carefully. I wonder…does she feel guilty about what happened? She knew about Naraku and she never warned me…for some time, I was angry with her, but I realize now how scared she was of him. It would have been foolish to expect her to speak against him then. I'm amazed she's gotten so much stronger now. Even though she's still kinda screwed up…
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"Hey, Kags, we need to talk." Kouga had made a beeline for backstage as soon as Sango called a break. He had been pushing it off for a few days, but he could tell that Kagura was starting to think that he didn't really want to be with her. Last night, they'd been going out for their almost nightly ritual of Blizzards when she'd said something that had convinced him to confront Kagome as soon as possible.
"It's okay if you're sticking with Kagome. She's a nice girl, and I don't want you to force yourself to act like it doesn't matter for my benefit."
He'd known at the time that she was referring to her recently divulged past, but the fact of the matter was that it didn't make him dislike her, as she seemed convinced that it would. He couldn't let things continue that way, no matter how he worried about upsetting Kagome with the sudden break from her loose claim over him. "Kouga? Sure, what is it?" She looked surprised to see him, and it wasn't much of a shock for Kouga. He still drove her home after play practice, but it was different now that he had Kagura to think about. At least she hadn't attempted to kiss him recently. That would have caused him no end of trouble, he was sure.
"I think…um…you know how you like Inuyasha?" Kouga felt stupid already. That was not the best way to broach the subject. "I mean…I know that you do…and I just think that maybe this is…stupid."
"Stupid? Oh…you mean…us." Kagome blushed, obviously a bit embarrassed at being caught using Kouga. "I'm sorry, Kouga…I shouldn't have let this go on, especially when I knew you really did care about me. It was cruel."
"No…no, I mean, it wasn't all that good." Kouga growled slightly. He was so bad with words, it made him feel like a fool. "But I'm saying that I knew what I was getting into from the beginning. It was my own fault for going along with it. I should've stood up for myself earlier."
"So…I'm sorry if I hurt you." Kagome blushed, shuffling her feet slightly and looking extremely uncomfortable. "I can't believe I did that…just to get back at him. What's wrong with me, Kouga?" She looked up, tears in her eyes, her shoulders trembling slightly. If there was one thing Kouga couldn't deal with, it was seeing a girl cry, especially one that he cared about. Reaching forward, he embraced her easily, letting her rest her head against his chest as she let out her pent up frustration and confusion.
"There's nothing wrong with you, Kags." Kouga told her, stroking her hair as he spoke softly. It seemed that lately, all he ever did was comfort girls and let them cry all over him. He wondered vaguely if Inuyasha was going through the same type of thing, or if this was simply his month. He better get his shit together, cause if he thinks I'm doing this by myself forever, he's fucking nuts.
"Then…why can't I just…let him go?" Kagome asked, still crying as she clutched at his chest. "If he doesn't want me…it shouldn't be so hard."
"Kagome, I've known you for a long time, right?" Kouga asked her. "And as long as I've known you, I've had this thing for you. And Inuyasha fucking hates me for it."
"He…but…you don't mean?" Kagome was confused, looking up at Kouga with wet eyes, her crying subsiding at the idea he'd just planted.
"What do you think? He's only dating Kikyo to make you jealous, and everyone knows it." Kouga smiled at her slightly. "Just like they know why we were together."
"Kouga…god, I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?" Kagome wanted to know, her eyes sad, but hopeful.
"It was good for me." Kouga told her. "I think I'm over you now. Actually…there's this girl…"
"Really?" Kagome's face lit up, and she was so brilliant for a moment that Kouga remembered why he'd fallen for her in the first place. "Kouga…thank you for putting up with me."
"I've been around you guys since junior high, but you'll always be the first real friend I ever had that was a girl. Maybe that's why I always thought I wanted to be with you." Kouga ruffled her hair slightly. "You're kinda like a sister to me, you know."
"You'd date your sister?" Kagome teased him.
"No…I just…god, you know what I mean." Kouga blushed, and in the sudden silence he leaned forward without thinking, pressing his lips to hers one last time. As he pulled away, he gave her a sheepish grin, speaking soft enough that only she could hear. "I guess that's goodbye to that. At least we'll always be friends, right?"
"Always." Her voice was happy, and she reached up to ruffle his hair before turning on her heel to leave him. "Hey, you'll still drive me home, right?"
"Oh man…if I have to." He slumped his shoulders, affecting a long-suffering look for her benefit.
"Thanks a lot, Kouga!" She turned to wink at him before scampering off toward wherever she was going. Kouga had the sudden feeling that someone was watching him, but as he turned to look, he heard a shuffle of feet and whoever it had been was gone. Oh well, glad that's over. Now to tell Kagura…
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"Where is that stupid boy?" Kagura grumbled as she stepped over some discarded planks that were resting behind the far backdrop, making her way to the other side. She thought she'd heard his voice coming from this way…
"You'd date your sister?" Kagome's voice, a bit emotional but full of humor made her pause before she stepped out where she could be seen, simply peeking around the corner where she could see Kagome and Kouga holding each other.
But…I thought he said…he wanted to be with me now…Kagura was confused, but she couldn't tear her eyes from the scene unfolding before her.
"No…I just…god, you know what I mean." Kouga was blushing then, and Kagura felt a slight tinge of jealousy before he leaned down and kissed the other girl. Kagura's eyes went so wide she thought they'd fall out of her head, but that was nothing to the crushing feeling in her chest. He was whispering something to Kagome now, and she couldn't make it out. How…could he? I should have known…no one would want me after what Naraku did…what I did…god, how could I have been so stupid?
"Always." Kagome smiled and ruffled his hair before moving away. "Hey, you'll still drive me home, right?" What the hell? Am I witnessing some fucking love confession? Why am I still here?
"Oh man…if I have to." He was smiling as he rolled his eyes at Kagome, the good-natured teasing somehow almost as painful as the kiss she'd just seen.
"Thanks a lot, Kouga!" She dashed off then, looking so perfectly cute and so pure that Kagura felt like an idiot. What made me think I could compete with that? I was doomed from the beginning, I should have just stayed away from him…god…what am I going to do now? She turned and left before he could see her, and only then did she remember what Kikyo had just told her.
Wait…so she likes Inuyasha, is dating Kouga, and now she's got Naraku after her too? When will she call it good and stop taking all the men? When she gets Sesshoumaru and Miroku after her as well? God…I mean, I like her all right, but what the hell does she think she is? God's gift to men? Kagura grumbled slightly, but since she wasn't watching where she was going, she ran smack into Inuyasha who was practicing his lines to himself.
"Whoa, you okay there, Kagura?" Inuyasha was a nice enough guy, despite his current girl problems, and Kagura was usually pretty civil with him, but she wasn't in the best of form at that moment.
"No problem, idiot." Kagura growled at him.
"Hey, what the fuck? Did I piss you off without knowing it or something?" Inuyasha stopped her from moving on, his expression confused and a bit offended.
"No…no, god, I'm sorry." Kagura shook her head. "I'm just kinda pissed at your girlfriend right now."
"Kikyo? I didn't know that you two really knew each other…" Inuyasha looked ever more confused at that moment. Oh, if only you knew how well I know her.
"No, I meant Kagome." Kagura sighed. "She's got every guy begging after her like little sex slaves and it's kind of annoying."
"What…do you mean?" Inuyasha's tone suddenly became stiffer, more hostile, but Kagura didn't really notice, she was so busy thinking about how she wanted to take Kouga out.
"Well, I hear she's been going around with Naraku, the infamous seducer, and I just caught her making out with Kouga over there even though he said he was going to break up with her pretty soon. I guess he changed his mind." Kagura grumbled again before heading off. "Watch out for her, Inuyasha. She'll get you in trouble."
At this point, Inuyasha was too busy fuming to listen to anything else that Kagura was saying. He stormed across the stage to the other side where he could see Kouga heading down the stairs. However, since Kouga wasn't aware that Inuyasha was heading for him, he went out into the hall, heading for the pop machine before Inuyasha finally caught up to him with a sharp tap on the shoulder. "What do you want?" Before Kouga could turn around fully, the first hit landed square on his jaw, followed quickly by a sharp jab to the gut. And with that, the fight started, Kouga trying to defend himself and end it, Inuyasha just trying to beat Kouga senseless.
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"Okay, let's get back to work everyone!" Sango called out to her cast and crew, hoping to get them back to their places since it was past time for the five minute break to end. "Come on!" She called out again, noticing that someone was missing from where they should be onstage. "Okay, where's Inuyasha?"
"Out in the hall!" an eager freshman volunteered. "Kouga and him are fighting!"
"What?" Sango's maroon eyes flashed with a deep fire. "That's it. Miroku?"
"Yes, I suppose it's about time, isn't it?" Miroku nodded, standing and leaving the auditorium with his coldly furious girlfriend. The rest of the cast and crew took this as a signal that they should join them, but Sango wouldn't have any of that. She was solving this problem right now.
"Everyone wait here. Except Kagome and Kikyo. You two, come with me." Sango motioned to the two girls already trying to follow her.
"Can I come too?" Kagura asked. Sango paused but she shook her head, refusing the artist.
"No, you stay back here. This is none of your concern." Sango told her, heading out to the hall with her two followers.
"Sango…that was a bit mean, don't you think?" Miroku whispered to her as they walked up the hall to where the boys were wrestling on the ground.
"Why?" Sango wanted to know.
"Kagura has a thing for Kouga." Miroku told her. "Didn't you know that?"
"Oh…um…oh well, this isn't really…damn." Sango hated the fact that her boyfriend was oftentimes more perceptive than she was. It just shouldn't be that way. After all, she was a girl, and it was her job to notice things that guys couldn't pick up on, right? Oh well, at least I know I'll never have to get mad at him for not paying attention. And now she was concerned with more than gossip and who liked whom. She wanted to save her show, and now she'd put her plan into action. "Afternoon, boys. Is there a problem?" Of course, her voice and presence wasn't enough to pull the two apart, so she turned a frustrated pout to Miroku, indicating that he should break things up.
"You two knock it off." He told them. Oh great, that'll work really well, Miroku. She rolled her eyes at his pathetic attempt before aiming a kick at the tangle of limbs moving at her feet. It landed squarely on Inuyasha's shoulder, prompting a pause in the fight and a string of curses Sango was shocked to hear, even from Inuyasha. When he saw them, he finally stood up, looking from the director and writer to the two actresses with no small amount of wariness.
"What was that all about?" Kagome was understandably upset, rushing forward to help Kouga to his feet as well, scanning both boys for serious injuries and frowning at the split eyebrow and bloody nose that Inuyasha was sporting, as well as the split lip that Kouga had received. "You two…why?"
"I don't even know. This fucking whacko came at me and just started trying to kick my ass. I was just defending myself." Kouga shrugged.
"Sounds like Inuyasha was jealous." Miroku spoke then, and Kouga snorted at the supposition.
"Jealous? What for? I broke up with Kagome like five minutes ago." Kouga told them.
"Besides that, Inuyasha has a girlfriend." Kagome pointed out. Kikyo blinked as though she hadn't recalled that fact until just then, stepping forward and raising her hand to Inuyasha's face in concern. He waved her away in irritation.
"Just broke up? Really?" Inuyasha sounded highly doubtful. "I heard that you two were just making out during break." There was a short pause before Kagome offered a sheepish response.
"We kissed…once." She admitted. "But it was like…a goodbye, okay? And besides that, what concern is it of yours if I kiss my boyfriend. You certainly don't have a problem kissing your girlfriend."
"God, would you stop with that?" Inuyasha growled angrily. "We fucking kissed once and suddenly that's all you can fucking talk about."
"Well, you didn't have to start dating her!" Kagome countered angrily.
"You didn't have to go out with the dumbass!" Inuyasha indicated Kouga, who stepped forward, eager to defend himself.
"Hey! I'm right here! Don't pretend I can't hear you!" He shouted.
"Stop it right now!" Sango was in a rage. Even Miroku looked as though he was frightened of her. Suddenly, everyone went silent, freezing where they were. "That's it, I'm fixing this whole obnoxious problem right now. But first, you get one last chance. Inuyasha, how do you feel about Kagome?"
"I feel like she's a fucking bitch!" Inuyasha volunteered, his tone still angry.
"Great, very constructive. And Kagome, how do you feel about Inuyasha?" Sango turned to the actress whose face was still red with anger.
"I feel like I want to kick him in the head!" Kagome's eyes flashed angrily, and it seemed almost as though she would demonstrate for a moment before Sango sighed heavily and shook her head at the pair.
"Fine then. Obviously, you guys refuse to fix this by yourselves, so I'm interfering." Sango glanced at Miroku, and he nodded slightly, indicating that he still agreed with her. It was nice to have his consent, but in her mood, she likely would have done just as she pleased anyway. "Kikyo, you are now Midoriko. Kagome, you're Rei. The parts will remain this way until you two can act civilly toward one another and stop being such children." Kikyo was never one for big emotional reactions, but the grin she was suddenly sporting was probably the largest anyone had ever seen on her face. Inuyasha looked thoroughly confused, Kagome looked sullen, yet only Kouga voiced his doubts about this plan. And in the true style of Kouga, he stated his opinion without any concern for his audience.
"What the fuck!" He looked utterly aghast at this proposed solution. "How the hell will that solve anything? Kikyo fucking sucks!"
"That may be the case, Kouga." Somehow, Miroku sounded polite even when he was insulting the actress who was now scowling angrily at him as though she couldn't quite remember how to revert back to her usual mask of emotionless. "However, we feel that at this time, Inuyasha and Kagome are having a hard time acting like lovers in the play, so perhaps a short break is in order until they can sort their personal lives from their professional lives."
"I don't care." Kagome was obviously upset, but she was too stubborn to admit it. "I wanted Rei from the beginning. Midoriko's part is boring. Especially the kissing scenes."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha went after Kagome who was storming back toward the auditorium. "You saying you don't like my kissing? Is that it?"
"Inuyasha, wait for me." Kikyo wore a small smile as she headed after him, leaving the other three to follow.
"Seriously you guys," Kouga turned to the writer and director. "Do you think this is gonna fix things between those two? Cause it's already getting worse from what I can see."
"At this point, I'd settle for some good acting. I don't even care if they hate each other forever. I have more cause to be angry at them right now than they do, I think, so they can just suck it up and stop being babies." Sango sighed tiredly. Miroku caught her hand in his and leaned in to whisper in her ear just before they re-entered the auditorium.
"I still love you." He kissed her cheek lightly, and for a moment, Sango felt as though she were at peace. Maybe everything would work out anyway, despite the way those two were fighting against the obvious solution.
"Miroku…thank the gods I have you." Sango paused, letting her fingers entwine with his as she pressed her face to his neck momentarily. "You keep me sane."
"I try." Miroku smiled before tilting her head back and leaning in for a kiss. Even though it was brief, it was enough to send chills down Sango's spine and bring catcalls from some members of the cast and crew. Sango broke away at that, blushing furiously.
"What's everyone looking at? Let's get to work!" Sango called out, sitting down with Miroku. She never let go of his hand.
*****
The End (Of Part 10, That Is)