The It Couple
Chapter Twenty-Five
Man, Miroku wasn't kidding when he said this movie was a mess, Kagome thought.
Sure, it was visually beautiful and had some lovely slow-motion battle sequences a la '300' or 'Gladiator' but this movie was slooooow. The entire runtime was around three hours and change, and Kagome realized, glancing at her phone from where she sat in the row behind Inuyasha and Kikyou, that the movie wasn't even a third done and she was already restless.
Inuyasha seemed to be feeling the same way from what she could see; at least, if she counted the number of times he exasperatedly ran his hand over his eyes or looked away with a small cringe, he knew the movie itself wasn't great either.
They had almost, almost had a second to talk, when Kagome had been sitting alone in the opera box nursing her favorite draft beer and trying not to spill any on her green Versace gown. Inuyasha had come into the box first, sweeping past the curtain as if he'd been in a hurry. Kagome had stood up (almost spilling that damn beer), they'd looked at each other…
And then Miroku ducked inside under Inuyasha's outstretched arm, drinks in hand, shooting both of them a warning look, to which they'd reluctantly taken their seats without a word.
Now that he was sitting there with Kikyou leaning on his arm, both of them drinking champagne in 'celebration,' Inuyasha seemed to be taking extra pains not to turn back and look at Kagome. Probably for the best, because what could they say right now? All she wanted to do was run and jump into his arms and have him tell her that their single night wasn't just an impulsive action, wasn't some sort of weird display of pity or friendship…
She'd texted him a joke when the movie started, something about Naraku's incredibly idiotic period hairstyle (he was playing one of the other gladiators and was nearly unrecognizable behind a ton of scars and an unidentifiable accent that sounded weirdly Irish), because she'd noticed how Inuyasha had squirmed uncomfortably when first seeing his former rival pop up on screen. He must have gotten it by now, but even when he checked his phone for the time, he didn't bother replying to her. Shame, she thought, a good text conversation would certainly liven this whole thing up a bit for me.
Oh, god, it was Kikyou's big bellydance scene. Flashbacks of accompanying her sister to every dance class and being forced to participate so Kikyou would feel like she was doing better flashed through her head. There had been three months of the torture. Kagome was still no damn good at it.
Slowly, Kagome reached into her clutch and pulled her bluetooth headphones out of their slot in her phone case, and with a good stretching fakeout she slipped them over the backs of her ears without Miroku noticing (he would have probably elbowed her in the ribs and told her to cut it out and be respectful). In the guise of reaching for her beer on the small oak table, she pulled up her phone's music app with the phone still safely in her clutch so as not to let any light out from the screen.
Sitting back, she tried not to giggle. Watching Kikyou bellydance to "Hell Bent for Leather" was infinitely more entertaining.
The cringe. Ohhh, the cringe.
Every waking second of this movie was bringing back horrible memories for Inuyasha, and the girl responsible for most of said horrible memories was currently clinging onto his left arm like it was a teddy bear.
I want to die.
God, this movie was so long, he thought, pulling up his phone to check the time. He thought to perhaps text Kagome something snarky, but decided against it since Kikyou might see, and he didn't need the headache of Kikyou trying to demand his attention even more.
She would occasionally lean in close to his ear and whisper something, a compliment about how hot he looked in his armor, or an "oh, remember that scene" or the like. The truth was, he remembered too well.
"Cut!" Myoga cried.
"Good take, Inuyasha, let's get everything reset. One hour for reset, people! Take a break, everybody else." The assistant director patted him on the shoulder as he passed.
Inuyasha sighed, allowing the costume people to take his armor off of him so he could breathe a little better in the scorching desert sun. The armor had fake blood splashed all over it from the squib he'd hit on the stunt guy, so the seamstress and her assistants needed to grab him a new breastplate.
He half-walked, half-stumbled to the craft services tent, still a little out of breath from the action scene's choreography. He was in the best shape of his life but the weight of that armor was like carrying a small adult woman on his shoulders at any given time.
"Here."
Kagome, wearing a black Metallica tank top and denim shorts, her hair in twin braids that hung to her shoulders, was handing him a bottle of water. "You look like you've been in a battle all right," she said through a mouthful of potato chips. Her shoulders and cheeks were red from the sun, her hair fighting to frizz its way out of the braids. She gave him an easygoing smile.
"I feel like hammered shit," Inuyasha confessed, grabbing a seat in front of the merciful electric fan.
"It's okay," Kagome said, sitting beside him and crossing her legs, her black sneakers covered in sand and dirt and mud and who knows what else, "You'll get through it. You always do. It's not your fault it's so damn hot today."
"Kikyou's almost lucky she's sick. I couldn't see her sitting out here in this."
Kagome laughed. "You don't have to answer her every demand. I swear, when she's sick she gets worse. She either wants me by her side every waking minute or she orders me out of the trailer because, as she says, my cheerfulness makes her want to vomit. So I'm banned for a few hours." She pulled her phone out and began scrolling through emails.
Inuyasha folded his arms behind his head and leaned back, letting the fan blow somewhat-cool air across his face. "You're sunburned," he said, eyes closed.
"I know," Kagome said, "Sunburned, windburned, you name it. Plus I've got sand in places I didn't even know existed. Why do they call this business glamorous again?"
"Because at the end of it all we get paid lots of money and can buy jet skis and shit." Inuyasha smirked, his eyes still closed. He heard her chuckle.
Kagome's phone buzzed. "Oh," Kagome said, moving to get up, "Her Highness wants some tea."
"Wait," Inuyasha held out a hand and sat up straight, "Let me take it to her. I haven't seen her since last night, and hell, I've got an hour to kill…"
"Say no more," Kagome said quickly, filling a styrofoam cup with hot water and dropping a bag of black tea into it with a lemon, then holding out to him, "Your sickly dream girl awaits." She sat back as he took the cup of tea, pulled her sunglasses over her eyes, and returned to her phone without a word.
On his way to the lavish trailer he shared with Kikyou, he passed the guy playing one of the other gladiators - Naruki, was that his name? - who promptly shoulder-checked him.
"What the hell?" Inuyasha scrambled to keep the tea from spilling all over the sand and glared over his shoulder at the man with the oversized bodybuilder physique, who just muttered an "Oh shit, sorry bro" and continued walking.
"Kikyou?" he said, entering the trailer.
She was sitting there, clutching a box of tissues and sniffling miserably. She looked a little surprised to see him. "Inuyasha," she said, then gave a few delicate quiet coughs.
"How are you feeling?" He put the tea on the vanity and looped his arms around her neck, kissing her cheek.
"Oh, just terrible," she said, "I doubt if I'll be able to shoot tomorrow. You'll have to go on without me."
She certainly did look flushed. Poor thing probably had a hell of a fever.
"Well, I just came to bring you tea and tell you to get to feeling better because we all miss you on set." Inuyasha was well aware that he was stretching the truth of that a bit; the atmosphere without Kikyou had been much smoother sailing, but hey, she'd been feeling so sick lately, of course she was bound to be a little snappish and angry at times. That was just Kikyou.
"Thanks," she said, reaching for the tea and then leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.
"I love you," he said, dropping a trail of kisses from her neck to her shoulder.
"I love you too, honey."
The memory was poisoned with what Inuyasha knew now. That she hadn't been sick at all, just avoiding him. That that flush all over her skin had nothing to do with having a fever.
He glanced down at Kikyou out of the corner of his eye. She was so good at pretending nothing had happened, that she hadn't betrayed him in the basest way possible, that she hadn't immediately thrown him out of the mansion they'd custom-built together when he'd found her out. Here she sat, continually forcing him to hold her hand, as she watched herself on film, clearly enraptured with her own performance.
"Kagome," Kikyou whispered over her shoulder, not quite turning around, "I need some more champagne please." She held aloft her empty glass while smiling at Inuyasha dreamily.
There was no answer.
Both Kikyou and Inuyasha maneuvered in their seats to crane their necks to look behind them.
Kagome was sitting back in her seat, legs stretched out in front of her, eyes on the screen, in the middle of a very sizable gulp of her beer, with her head bobbing up and down in a constant beat. She didn't seem to notice that she had everyone's attention until about ten seconds later, and she immediately ran her hand over her left ear. "Sorry, did you need something?" she said to both of them, a blush rising over her face.
Inuyasha was sure only he caught the glint of a small bluetooth headphone in her closed fist. Is she listening to music? He fought back the rising laugh into merely a smirk and raised his eyebrow at her.
"I said I need some more champagne." Kikyou was talking as if maybe Kagome had brain damage and needed words spoken very, very slowly.
"I think we all do," Miroku said, "Come on, Kagome."
Inuyasha, eager to get out of this theatre for a minute, made to stand up. "Here, I'll help her."
Miroku shot him a piercing look that said "Sit your ass down." All he said was, "No, no, you two are the stars. We'll take care of it."
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and eased back into his seat with a scoff. Kagome had already bolted out of the opera box.
"Miss Ryoshi, can I have a word with you?"
Sango looked up from her exhausted perch on the bar counter, a glass of straight rum in her hand, ready to tell off whoever was interrupting her one moment of peace the entire night.
It was Randall Warner.
Sango immediately sat upright. "Mr. Warner, sir, what can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to let you know what a fantastic job you've done the last few weeks," he said, a congenial smile on his face. He slid up and took the seat next to her.
"Th-thank you, sir. I've done my best."
"I know you have," Warner said, raising a hand to the bartender, who immediately turned and started making what must be his usual, "And I want you to know that all the Academy insiders I've talked to are very amenable to the idea of multiple acting noms this year. Of course, they can't confirm anything to me directly, but…" He took his drink and raised it in a toast.
"So the nominations are a lock, is what you're telling me," Sango said.
"I didn't say that," Warner said, but the gleeful smile on his face told her that he was saying exactly that, "Your running of the 'Red Robe' campaign has been nothing if not masterful, especially for a girl with your level of...experience."
"I appreciate that, sir. Now I just need to keep the speculation going about Kikyou and Inuyasha and really up the emphasis that a dual win between them would be a fantastic Hollywood success story. Redemption, love conquers all, King and Queen of Hollywood, all that jazz." Sango realized that she was starting to ramble out loud and fell silent.
Warner gave a small chuckle and held his glass aloft. "You really are quite the find," he said, "I always imagined Houshi simply hired you for your looks. Such a womanizer, that one."
Sango felt a small stab of anger. "He actually hired me over the phone. He didn't even get a look at me until I showed up for my first day of work." Am I actually defending Houshi to the one man who hates his guts more than anyone? Brilliant way to kiss up to the boss, Sango.
"Well, we're lucky to have you on board, Miss Ryoshi. Please keep me updated on everything. I like to be kept in the loop. Also, you'll hear from payroll; I'm raising your salary. Consider it a Christmas gift."
As he was leaving, he put a meaty hand on her shoulder and squeezed once. Sango immediately wanted to douse herself with water, but she couldn't. This dress was Gucci, for god's sake. The news of the money wasn't awful, though. God knows she needed it.
"Sango, it's me. Another bad night. We just heard that he needs another-"
"Oh, one more thing," Warner said into her ear, and she avoided the urge to use a well-positioned elbow to his gut to make him step off the train of her gown, "I know you're having to work very closely with Miroku Houshi for this. It's unavoidable, since he somehow managed to con his way into being Inuyasha's new agent. Just trust me when I say that after the Oscars, it's probably best not to be seen with him anymore. Inuyasha will have to find new representation if he ever wants to work with this studio again. And with your career so on the rise, it would be unwise to be associated with someone like that."
With a final meaningful look, he was gone. Sango drained her glass and slumped forward onto the bar. "One more," she said, holding the glass out to the bartender.
"Sango?"
Ugh, now what. She turned.
It was Kagome, decked out in a gorgeous green gown, her hair curled and arranged to one side. She was looking at Sango with such genuine sympathy.
"Oh, hey," Sango said, giving a small wave and taking her new drink from the bartender.
"Are...are you okay?" Kagome came up and dropped both elbows on the counter. This girl looked like she was willing to spend all the time in the world talking through Sango's problems and trying to make her feel better, even if it took all night. Sango, for her part, was a little grateful, but she would rather vomit.
"I'm fine. Enjoying the movie?"
Kagome looked unsure of how to answer that, and that was when Miroku appeared behind her.
"Sango?" Okay, why did everyone have that same hangdog look on her face when talking to her now?
"Sup, Houshi," Sango said, sipping her drink and choosing not to look him in the eye anymore.
He seemed to take the hint and busied himself ordering champagne for four. Kagome was still looking at Sango, those big blue eyes shining.
"Are you sure everything's okay?" Kagome tried again, laying a hand on Sango's arm.
"I'm fine," Sango said, making sure to flash her an easygoing smile, "Just a long day. I'm sure you understand."
Kagome still looked unsure but seemed to understand that whatever it was, Sango didn't want to talk about it. Thanks, Girl Scout, I owe you one.
The bartender brought four flutes of champagne and Kagome and Miroku took two each. Kagome went immediately back upstairs to the balcony boxes with a quick, "See you later," to Sango. Miroku stayed behind.
"Nice dress." He seemed to be struggling for anything else to say.
Sango let herself meet his eyes then. "Thanks."
"Now tell me what's really going on."
"I got a raise," she said, forcing a smile on her face, "Warner's really happy with the job I've done."
Miroku frowned for a moment, then shrugged. "That's...good, right?"
"I thought it would feel better than this."
"Sudden attack of conscience?"
And there it was. He could always say just the right thing to piss her off. "No. Better get that champagne back to your buddies, Houshi. It'll get flat."
As she stood to stride away purposefully, he called after her, sounding younger and more lost than she'd ever heard him before. "Will I see you at the afterparty?"
"Of course you will," she all but snapped, "I put the damn thing together. Later, Houshi."
She turned to look back after a few moments, but he was already gone back up the stairs.
"I swear I don't know what's going on with that girl lately," Kikyou whispered with a small shake of her head, "She's getting all her work done, but that attitude, I swear. It's unbearable."
"It's not like you're easy to deal with," Inuyasha said shortly, watching yet another battle scene unfold on the screen.
At this, Kikyou seemed to fall silent for a moment, then she looped her arm back around his and leaned seductively into his chest. He could smell her shampoo and perfume. "I remember when you didn't seem to mind," she whispered into his left ear. He really wished she would stop doing that. It was driving the memory portion of his brain almost insane with effort.
"Stop that," he muttered, trying to pull out of her grip.
"Stop what?" Kikyou looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. That look used to be all it took. Now he just wanted out of here.
"I mean it, Kikyou, cut it out." He managed to wiggle free of her grasp and folded his arms across his chest, casually leaning away from her.
She gave a mewling little whine and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms and pouting a little. He blew a strand of silver hair out of his face and just tried to focus on watching the damn movie.
It was hard. This movie was weird. And not in a good way. In an awkward, incompetent way.
"Champagne?" Kagome appeared between his and Kikyou's shoulders, holding two glasses out. Kikyou took hers without a word or even an acknowledgment.
"Thanks," Inuyasha said, and their eyes met. He wanted to do so many things at that moment and most of them involved whisking Kagome out of the room and finding a private place where they could talk, kiss, whatever else…
He reached out to take the champagne and Kagome's hand closed around his for a brief moment. Immediately, Inuyasha's eyes lit up with realization and he fought the urge to grin at her like an idiot. That wouldn't do; Kikyou was watching.
Kagome winked without changing her expression and went back to sit down. Inuyasha's gaze trailed down to Miroku, who had just stepped back through the curtain with the two other champagne glasses, was looking at both of them very suspiciously but obviously not suspiciously enough to try and intervene. Well, he could go fuck himself. Inuyasha would play this little game for golden statues, but there was no way to pretend he wasn't smitten with the little five foot three angel in green sitting just behind him. He would have had to been made of stone.
Casually, Inuyasha put a hand to his right ear, the one safely facing away from Kikyou, and attached the bluetooth speaker.
Ah, Kagome was playing him some Black Sabbath. Nice.
At long last, it was over. There was uproarious applause, and Kagome immediately fished the remaining earbud out of her ear. Did we all watch the same movie? It sounds like everyone just loved it.
Then she remembered what it represented. Everyone, the viewing public and reviewers alike, had thought this film would be the last time Kikyou and Inuyasha were paired together onscreen. Now that Miroku and all the lovely studio minions were teasing a reunion, what self-respecting 'Kikyasha' fan wouldn't want to love the hell out of this movie for all its flaws?
Inuyasha, well, what she could see of him from the back of his head, also seemed a little bewildered at the response. Kikyou seemed to be loving it.
"Come on, honey," Kikyou said, pulling on Inuyasha's arm to make him stand up, "We've got to get to the afterparty!"
Inuyasha grumbled something unintelligible and stood up begrudgingly. As he and Kikyou passed, Kikyou with her arm looped around his, he reached over to the table as if to set down his champagne glass and slipped the earbud into Kagome's open clutch on her lap.
Before she could even look up to meet his eyes, they were gone, behind the velvet curtain.
"Alright, kid," Miroku said, draining the last of his champagne and throwing on his dinner jacket, "Time to go change Kikyou into her afterparty dress. Did you buy one?"
"No."
"Well, that thing you're wearing will do just fine, I suppose. Probably shouldn't dance in it though."
"I wasn't planning on it," Kagome said, resisting the urge to self-consciously run a hand through her immaculately styled hair. This dress had been twelve thousand dollars. Sure, she had a millionaire sister who actually did pay her a decent salary, one that she hardly ever got the chance to spend, but the idea of purchasing yet another dress of that price for one evening? This whole red carpet thing was just bonkers if you weren't paid $20 million a movie (or famous enough where the designers would just give you the clothes, a la her elder sister).
She just hoped at some point she might get a chance to talk to Inuyasha. Even for five minutes. Even for a second.
But experience had warned her about being hopeful.
Sango's dress is Dakota Johnson's from the Golden Globes and no one can tell me otherwise. Kikyou's dress is made up. Kagome's is on Versace's ready-to-wear website.
Sorry for the delay on this chapter, I had to move a ton of stuff around for better storytelling. Hopefully it paid off.
Now, to quote R Kelly, "After the show is the afterparty, and after the party is the hotel lobby..." -meggz0rz