The It Couple
Chapter Thirty-Six
"Here," Kagome said, bounding through the hotel room door wearing her brand new System of a Down concert tee and clearly trying to avoid stumbling over the numerous bags in her hands, "I got you donuts and an orange juice. Is that okay?"
"You know I have to fit into another McQueen tux at the end of the week, right?" Inuyasha smirked from his perch on the bed. He'd tried to go with her to pick up breakfast but she'd quickly reminded him of the obvious fact that he was one of the most recognizable people in the world and no one would look at her too closely. So he'd lain here on the bed, watching trash TV and kicking back, waiting for her return like a little clingy puppy. Good grief, I got it bad, don't I?
She smiled, setting the bags onto the simple chest of drawers. "Oh please," she said, pulling her sunglasses off, "Like you can't eat whatever the hell you want and avoid gaining even half a pound. Men make me sick sometimes, you know that?"
He folded his arms behind his head with a satisfied sigh.
"And stop posing like some sort of Greek god or something," she said, taking the bag of donuts and sending them across the room with an underhand toss. He caught them with one hand and immediately began digging in.
A small bottle of orange juice collided with his forehead. "Ow!"
"Oh, shit, sorry!" she said, eyes wide but clearly trying not to burst out laughing.
"What is it with you and throwing things lately," Inuyasha grumbled, rubbing his forehead, "You violent-ass woman."
"I'm sorry!" she insisted, bounding onto the bed and kneeling in front of him, "I thought you were gonna catch it."
"Sure you did." He raised an eyebrow,
"Does it hurt?" she said, placing a kiss to his forehead.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down for a proper kiss, only for her to grab the donut out of his other hand and shove it into his mouth with a laugh.
"We don't have time for any of that, jerkface," she said, pulling away, "We have to get back to LA by noon. So eat up!"
"Woman, you will be the death of me," he muttered through a mouthful of pastry, but he couldn't help the smile that rose to his lips.
He chewed and swallowed, watched her standing at the mirror, weaving her wild hair into a messy bun at the top of her head. She caught his gaze in the mirror and stuck out her tongue, then resumed pinning her hair into place.
Christ almighty do I love this girl. I have to tell her. I just have to. She said not to, but I'll die if I can't tell her.
He opened his mouth to speak.
Kagome's phone rang in her pocket, and she pulled it out, looked at the caller ID, and frowned slightly.
"Who is it?" Inuyasha asked, taking a sip of orange juice, feeling a little deflated.
"Hojo," Kagome said.
She pressed the answer button.
"What are you wearing this weekend?"
Sango looked up from her phone. She'd been so engaged in answering her emails since she woke up, she hadn't even heard Miroku stir beside her.
"To the LA Film Critics Awards?"
"Yes, that's what I meant," Miroku said, "Unless you're planning on wearing some exciting lingerie before then. Then fuck the awards, I wanna hear about that."
"You're an absolute pig, you know that?" Sango scoffed and turned away so he couldn't see the hint of a smile on her face.
"What color is your dress, is what I guess I was asking."
She turned back to face him. He was propped up on one elbow, the sheets up to his waist, lazily playing with the ends of her hair with one hand.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because you're going to be my date. I feel like I should at least get a matching pocket square, right?"
"Oh, I'm going with you now, am I?" She smirked, ignoring the flutter of her heart in her chest.
"Yep." He sat up against the headboard, fumbling for his cigarettes.
"And I get no say in this matter, I take it?"
"If you say no," he said, exhaling a small plume of smoke, "I'm not going to the awards."
"Houshi, your client won Best Actor. You have to go."
"Says who?"
"Your job description?"
He gave a dramatic sigh. "Guess I'll have to let Inuyasha wallow on his own, poor guy. A little lost lamb in the sea of press."
Sango just snorted and returned to her emails. "You're something, Houshi. Not anything good, but something."
"I don't want to go without you by my side."
Whoa. She slowly turned back around to face him, pretty certain of the color of her cheeks judging by the heat in her face.
He didn't meet her eyes, just took another drag of his smoke.
Oh my god he's blushing too. She fought the urge to laugh in delight because that might have sent the wrong message.
She turned back around to her phone, chin almost pressed to her collarbone.
"I'm wearing the same dress I wore to the premiere," she whispered, "The black one."
"There now, was that so hard?" he smirked, snaking an arm around her waist and kissing her spine, "Honestly, thinking of how you looked in that dress, I know I'm hard right now."
He was answered with a pillow to his face.
"Good morning, Miss Higurashi! Sorry to call so early!"
"Just call me Kagome, Hojo. Plain Kagome. And it's no problem. How are things going?"
"Oh...well, I think I'm learning just fine. Miss Kikyou certainly likes things just so!"
Preach to the choir, buddy. Kagome balanced the phone on her ear as she opened the passenger door of Inuyasha's Lexus and climbed in.
"Well, that's certainly true," Kagome said cheerfully, "Is the job getting to you, yet? Are you stressed out?"
A pause. "No, no, not at all! I just have a ton of questions and I was wondering if maybe you were free for lunch this afternoon? I know you must be so busy yourself, what with getting ready for the awards this weekend-"
Oh, right. I have to go buy a dress at some point. Like today, preferably. Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha, who was driving but kept sneaking quizzical looks at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Well, I just remembered, thanks to you, that I have to go dress shopping. Want to come along? Might come in handy for you to learn the ins and outs of red carpet blah-blah-blah."
"Well, I don't know what you mean by blah-blah-blah," Hojo said brightly, "but I'd be honored to accompany you! So should I call and reserve a table somewhere for lunch around one o'clock, and then we'll go to Rodeo Drive?"
"Hojo," Kagome said, leaning back in her seat with a grin, "First rule of red carpet blah-blah-blah: Never schedule a lunch before any sort of clothes fitting. You'll make me all depressed and then where would we be?"
"Oh goodness, I'm sorry! So lunch afterward. Where would you like to go?"
"Somewhere with food," Kagome said, "But don't bother making a reservation. We'll just drop in somewhere and wait for a table."
"Can - can you do that here?"
"Well, it's easier if you're famous," Kagome said, reaching over with her free hand to gently elbow Inuyasha in the arm to make him stop watching her so intently and keep his eyes on the damn road, "But I think we'll manage. I'll meet you at the house at one pm."
"Wonderful! I'll see you then, Miss Higurashi, oh I mean, Miss Kagome."
"Just Kagome, Hojo. Laters." She hung up.
"Who the fuck is Hojo?" Inuyasha grumbled, making a right turn.
"Kikyou's new assistant, poor boy. Fresh out of college and still wet behind the ears." Kagome dropped her phone into the center console next to Inuyasha's.
"And you're taking him dress shopping with you?"
"Well, he's gotta learn how the whole awards show stuff works at some point, Inuyasha. Might as well let him suffer through it with me, since I'm a little more likely to be patient if he makes a mistake, right?"
Inuyasha growled a little under his breath. "I guess," he muttered, "So straight to Kikyou's then? I wanna meet this little punk."
"Inuyasha, promise you'll be nice. Hojo's a sweetheart."
He wrinkled his nose and just nodded. Kagome suppressed a smile. He was kinda cute when he was a little jealous.
"Miss Kagome, you're back!"
Several of the housemaids swarmed her at once, giving her hugs and exclaiming their happiness at her return, all at the same time. Kagome stumbled back a little, but was obviously moved by the sentiment as she removed her sunglasses and walked into the spacious living room. Inuyasha followed behind her, ignoring both the questioning looks and the starry-eyed sighs as he passed the gaggle of maids.
"Kagome, is that you?"
Kikyou strode in from the hallway, and Inuyasha stopped short, as did Kagome.
She was wearing a white bikini, a towel draped over her shoulder. The bikini was strapless and left, well, practically nothing to the imagination.
When Kikyou saw Inuyasha standing there, she immediately turned a delicate shade of pink and moved to cover herself with the towel.
"Oh, Inuyasha! What are you doing here?"
Before Inuyasha could respond, Kagome stepped in and did it for him. "We just got back in town." She had her arms pinned to her sides, but her face was stern.
Kikyou's eyes met Inuyasha's again. "O-Oh," she said softly, a small hurt look crossing her face before she shook herself out of it, "Where did you go?"
"Nowhere," Kagome said flatly.
Kikyou glanced at Kagome, then back at Inuyasha, looking stricken and quite flabbergasted. "I'm sorry," she said, her tone of voice almost meek, "It's none of my business, right?" She gave Inuyasha a soft smile, and he gulped.
Kagome shot him a pointed look, then turned her attention back to Kikyou. "Going for a swim?"
"No, just working on my tan," Kikyou put her towel back over her shoulder, "For the awards."
She strode across the room, her long legs covering the distance quickly, and she wrapped Kagome in a gentle hug around the shoulders. Kagome refused to return it at first, and now it was Inuyasha's turn to shoot her a reproachful look. She sighed and gingerly lifted her arms to pat Kikyou on the back.
"I missed you," Kikyou said to her sister, "Inuyasha was supposed to tell you that. Did you tell her that, Inuyasha?" Both girls raised their heads and looked at him.
"I guess I forgot," Inuyasha said, rubbing the back of his neck. Kagome smiled and Kikyou frowned.
"Did he get you purple orchids? I told him to get you those; I know they're your favorite." Kikyou placed both hands on her much shorter sister's shoulders.
"He did," Kagome said, staring up at Kikyou with an unreadable expression.
There was a silence that hung in the air. Ugh, this fucking tension. Inuyasha shoved his hands into his pockets and fought the urge to scowl.
Kikyou noticed his frustrated motion and sprang into action first. "Oh sorry, honey, I'm hogging your girl, aren't I?" She giggled and gave Kagome a little shove toward him. Kagome stumbled into his shoulder and shot him a very confused and troubled look.
"It's fine," Inuyasha said quickly, catching Kagome around the waist, "I should probably get going anyway. No doubt Miroku's looking for me. He always is. I'm just as unreachable as possible on purpose."
Kikyou laughed brightly. "If I know you, you'll avoid him the rest of the day and just hang out practicing billiards. That was where I always used to find you when you didn't want to be found."
Inuyasha smirked.
"Oh, Miss Kagome!" A young man in his early twenties walked into the room. He was wearing a blue crewneck shirt tucked into a pair of khaki pants. He looked like a retail employee. This must be the sainted Hojo, Inuyasha thought.
Kagome stepped away from Inuyasha's grip and took Hojo's outstretched hand. "Just Kagome, Hojo. I told you. Nice to see you again."
"Likewise!"
God, if cheerful is a drug, this little twerp has overdosed several times over.
"Ready to go?" Kagome said, "You have to drive. Inuyasha brought me here in his car, and I'm sure he wants it back, don't you, jerkface?" She craned her neck over her shoulder and winked. Inuyasha pouted and rolled his eyes.
"Where are you taking my assistant?" Kikyou said, and normally this would have been said in a demanding screech, but she had a small smile on her face. Like she was in on some sort of private joke or something. Inuyasha was a little out of sorts right now.
"Training," Kagome said, "Part of the whole assistant gig, you know." She wasn't returning Kikyou's smile, but her voice didn't sound angry.
"Have him back by midnight or else!" It was Kikyou's turn to wink, and then she turned on her heel and exited out the back patio doors.
"Well," Kagome said hesitantly, looking up at Inuyasha, "See you this weekend, I guess."
Inuyasha wanted to grab her and kiss her but thought that might not be the best idea in front of this shrimpy little buffoon, who was searching his pockets for his wallet as if to make doubly sure he had it.
"Later, kiddo."
Kagome and Hojo left out the front door. Kagome turned to look back once, her eyes shining with words unspoken, and then she was gone and the door was shut.
Inuyasha let out a sharp sigh and flipped his keys once in his hand.
"Inuyasha?" Kikyou's face reappeared through the patio door, "Can I talk to you for just a second?"
"So first I schedule the massage and facial the morning of, and then the hair and makeup people, and the wardrobe people after that?" Hojo sat on a settee in the spacious stark white of the Max Mara boutique, scribbling notes onto a small, crinkled yellow pad.
"Don't forget the chamomile and dandelion tea," Kagome said, "She wants it every morning and afternoon before any event. Helps with water retention and nerves, she says."
"Here you go, miss," the saleswoman handed her a lovely strapless gown in bright sparkling silver.
"Oh, that one's beautiful, Miss Kagome!" Hojo said, looking up from his yellow pad appreciatively.
Kagome smiled and looked the dress up and down. "At least it goes with the shoes. Maybe I shouldn't have bought those first, but they're pretty fucking cool." She gestured to the Valentino shoe box next to where Hojo was sitting.
The saleswoman looked a little scandalized at the language used and quickly opened the dressing room curtain for Kagome to step through.
"Don't you find all this expensive?" Hojo said from behind the curtain, "These shoes were a thousand dollars!"
Kagome laughed, sliding her shirt and jeans off and pulling the gown up to her chest, "That's nothing in this town," she said, "but luckily this time I've got the studio helping me out."
"That's awful nice of them."
"Yeah," Kagome smirked, zipping the dress up the side, "Real nice of them."
She stepped back through the curtain and walked to the three-way mirror.
"Wow!" Hojo said, his face pinkening in the mirror's reflection, "You look...oh my goodness. You look beautiful, Miss Kagome!"
Kagome smiled brightly at him. "Thanks, Hojo. I think this is it. Luckily the third time's the charm today. Kikyou usually takes hours to pick one out."
"He just won't leave me alone," Kikyou said tearfully, "Calling and texting at all hours, telling me how much he wants me back and how he won't take no for an answer." Her phone sat limply in her hand, and she ran a hand over her eyes, wiping the tears away.
"I thought he was supposed to be in Mongolia," Inuyasha said sagely, taking a drag of his cigarette from his perch on the poolside recliner, his legs crossed. "I didn't think there were many cell towers there."
"Well, apparently, he found a way," Kikyou said fretfully, burying her face in her hands, "He said he'll never get over me."
"He will, eventually. Don't worry about it." Inuyasha resisted the urge to pat her on the head; she might not have appreciated the gesture like Kagome would have.
Kikyou looked up at him, her face just broken. Inuyasha immediately realized what he'd said and stammered to recover from it.
"No, no," she said, holding out a hand, "Please don't. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I know where I stand with you. I get it. And I shouldn't be bothering you about this. You should be with Kagome right now. I just don't have anyone else to talk to."
"Kikyou-"
"I just don't know how to tell him," she flung herself down onto her pool chair, crying almost hysterically, "that I don't want to be with him because...because…" She sobbed into her hands.
"Because what?" Inuyasha switched his cigarette to the other hand and leaned over to put his right hand on her shoulder as she shook from crying.
"Because," she wailed between her fingers, "I'm still hopelessly in love with you!" More crying. More sobs.
Inuyasha felt his face redden immediately. Now he was well and truly speechless.
"Uh-"
"Please don't say anything," she said softly, weakly, "I know how hypocritical I sound. And I know I made the mistake and I'm paying for it. Believe me, I'm paying for it."
Inuyasha sat back in his seat, running a hand over his mouth. He needed a drink.
Kikyou sat up as well, brushing her hands over her tear-stained face, still hiccuping slightly. "God, I wish I hadn't just said that," she said, a weak smile playing on her lips, "You have enough to deal with without worrying about little ol' me."
She stood up, a vision in a white bikini. "I think I will swim for a bit," she said softly, dropping her towel onto the pool chair and striding forward to the water's edge, "It always used to make me feel better, remember?"
"Yeah," was all Inuyasha could say.
"I'll see you this weekend, okay? Meet me here at six sharp, dressed to the nines. Did you get a tux yet?"
"McQueen's making me one again," he said softly.
"Always the fashion muse," she said wistfully, turning to give him one last sad look. "If you see Kagome before then, please don't tell her what I just told you. She'd be furious."
"I won't." She'd probably kill me first, honestly. He sighed as he stood up, reaching in his pocket for his keys.
"See you later," she said, before gracefully diving into the pool.
"So, Kagome, tell me, what are your thoughts on your sister's relationship with Inuyasha?"
"...Cute?"
Miroku snorted as he buttoned his cufflinks.
"Can you confirm for us that they are back together? They've certainly been hinting at a reunion quite a bit."
"I think they're taking things slow and seeing where it goes." Kagome's face in the TV screen was smiling, but her eyes weren't.
"What about you? Are you seeing anyone right now? Kouga Okami, perhaps?"
"No, no, nothing like that."
"Who's your celebrity crush?"
"...Kouga Okami."
"Way to go, genius," Miroku snarked down the hallway. "She edited it to make you look like a lovestruck teenager."
"Color me fucking shocked," Kagome growled through the closed bedroom door, "Dress is on. Thank god."
"Alright, let me see it," Miroku said, straightening his tie in the mirror.
"Don't you dare laugh," Kagome said, opening the door to the guest room and stepping into the living room.
Miroku looked her up and down. She was in full hair and makeup, her curls arranged into a delicate updo accented with tiny rhinestones, her eyes sparkling in simple black eyeliner.
"You're magnificent," he said, meaning it, and she just rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay," she said, smoothing down the skirt of the silver-black gown, "Knock it off."
"No, really," he said, "You look like the awards statuette Inuyasha is going home with tonight."
She burst into uncontrollable laughter, stepping up beside him in the mirror, "Oh my god, I do look like the award!"
"Better, even," Miroku said, fumbling with his tie a little more, "Maybe Inuyasha will get to take you home as well."
"You keep your mouth shut," Kagome said, grabbing his tie and finishing it for him, "I gotta say, this is a different look for you. Black on black on black? Very goth. I dig it."
"Guess I should fish out my old tapes of The Cure from college," he smirked as she tucked his collar neatly around the tie. "Sango's on her way up."
As if on cue, Sango walked in the front door, holding up her massive black taffeta skirts. She was nearly his height once again. Why she insisted on heels that high was beyond him, but he would never, ever complain. Especially given the way her butt was shaped in that dress.
"You two make a cute little picture," she grumbled, blowing her hair out of her face. She had simple winged eyeliner on tonight. Much more simplistic than normal, but Miroku wasn't complaining. Her face was pretty enough anyway.
"Sango," Kagome said with a cordial smile, "Your hair. Are you leaving it down tonight?"
"Yeah," Sango said, elbowing Miroku out of the way to mess with it in the mirror, "I can't make it do a thing I tell it."
"Why didn't you go to the salon today?" Miroku asked, reaching up to brush a stray eyelash off her face.
Sango glared at her own reflection. "Too much to do." Her tone said the subject should be dropped.
Kagome grabbed the brush from Sango's hand. "Come here," she said, pulling Sango to the couch, "Sit."
Sango turned immediately into a stammering mess. "Oh no, please," she said, her cheeks turning bright red, "Don't bother."
"This is my go-to for Kikyou's hair when she used to decide at the last minute to go out for the evening," Kagome said, running the brush through Sango's long brown locks, "You have pretty similar hair texture, so it should work. Miroku, my bag in the bathroom. I need a handful of bobby pins and that giant can of hairspray."
When Miroku returned, items in hand, Kagome had already deftly woven Sango's hair into a large braid, which she proceeded to wrap into a bun at the crown of her head.
"You missed a lock of hair there." Miroku pointed at the strands hanging over Sango's shoulder.
"No, I didn't," Kagome said, not looking up as she held out the palm of her hand, "Nurse, scalpel."
Miroku smirked and handed her a bobby pin. Sango sat there quietly, hands folded around her shoulders, still red in the face. She looked up at Miroku like she was about to cry. He winked.
Kagome pinned the large braid in place, then immediately set to work on the small remaining lock of hair.
"Ohhh," Miroku said, "So you're braiding that part around the rest of it."
"Don't question my genius," Kagome said, finishing up and motioning for him to hand her the hairspray. "Everyone close your eyes and don't inhale. I'm gonna make sure this sucker doesn't move an inch all evening. Miroku, don't kiss her right now. You're getting in the way."
"AHHH! MY EYES!"
"I warned you I was using the hairspray, you idiot!"
"IT BURNS!"
"Of course it does, you moron!"
"Sango, why are you laughing? I'm in pain, here!"
"Okay, Kagome," Miroku said, finishing off the last of his glass of champagne and reaching to remove hers from her hand, "You're on your own. Inuyasha and Kikyou are in the car in front. You need to get out and meet up with them."
"I know," she said, feeling the same old jitters that she was growing used to. When one stepped out of a limo in front of a screaming crowd of people, one had to expect a few nerves, right?
The door opened and Kagome got out. The roar of the crowd suddenly increased dramatically. "Whoa," Kagome whispered, her eyes wide. Why do they give a shit that I'm here?
A large group of young high-school and college-age girls in particular were screaming her name, waving around their phones, desperate for her attention. They were all dressed in varying shades of grey and black, with silver jewelry and wild hairstyles. They all looked…
Like I did. In the interview. Ohhh boy.
"Kagome, please! Take a selfie with us!" they screamed, pawing over each other to get better looks at her.
Kagome sent a questioning look to Miroku, who was helping Sango and her giant skirt out of the limo behind her. He looked at her, looked at the crowd, shrugged, and nodded.
Hesitantly, Kagome approached them, keeping a wide smile on her face. It really was flattering, she supposed, even though she did nothing to warrant this attention besides give a pretty bad interview and look somewhat alternative.
"Selfie!" the girls screamed, and Kagome turned her back to them, leaning against the barrier. She felt numerous hands grab somewhat roughly onto her bare shoulders as she posed for a few pictures.
Feeling a little out of breath, she backed away from them, giving them a friendly wave but saying nothing. The girls all screamed thanks and we-love-yous and incomprehensible shrieks.
"Still sure you don't want to be famous?" Miroku said as she rejoined them on the red carpet, "I could book you as a client. You've apparently got mass appeal, kid."
"I'm fucking positive I don't want to be famous," Kagome said shortly, straightening her dress where the girls had pulled on it.
The second limo pulled up and the crowd grew deafening as Kikyou and Inuyasha stepped out, smiling and waving to the crowd like it was second nature. Kagome grinned when she saw her sister's dress. Well, this was awkward. Silver and gold. Just a touch of red and green and they'd have themselves a Christmas tree.
Inuyasha caught her eye and held out the hand that wasn't around Kikyou's waist. Kagome took it (to an even louder cheer) and positioned herself on his right, looping her arm through his.
"Smile, please!" The red carpet's own photographer stepped out, kneeling in front of them.
"My face hurts already," Kagome whispered through gritted teeth, "How you manage to last through this shit, I'll never know."
"I tell myself jokes," Inuyasha said, the smile never leaving his face as he pulled Kikyou closer for the cameras. Kikyou looped her arm around Inuyasha's as well, clinging to him tightly. "What did the buffalo say when his kid left for college? 'Bison!'"
Kagome didn't know if it was the nervous energy or just the sheer lameness of the joke that made her almost double over in laughter. Inuyasha laughed as well. Kikyou just smiled complacently and whispered, "Kagome, get yourself together, for crying out loud."
CUUUUTE. THE CUUUUUTE. HALP ME AM DYING. Hojo is a little lost lamb once again. Sango and Kagome look to be mending things! Inuyasha is having to deal with so much, poor guy. He's always having the worst luck, isn't he? Oh look Kagome's got a little fan club! I'm sure she's thrilled. Love you guys! Thanks so much for the reviews! - meggz0rz