The It Couple
Chapter Thirty-Eight
"Hojo, dear, please be careful. This dress is Prada," Kikyou said, holding out her glass as Hojo shakily poured champagne into it.
"S-Sorry, Miss Higurashi," Hojo stammered, then turned to Inuyasha, "More champagne for you, Mr. Takahashi, sir?"
"I'm good," Inuyasha said flatly, sitting back in his seat.
"Thank you, Hojo," Kikyou said, leaning over to plant a kiss on the young man's cheek. He immediately turned beet red and shuffled backwards to his own seat. Kikyou just giggled at the reaction.
"Don't do that," Inuyasha growled so only Kikyou could hear.
"Do what?" she said, brushing a lock of her long black hair behind her ear, looking particularly interested in what he had to say.
"Mess with the kid's head," Inuyasha said, crossing a leg over his lap, "He doesn't know enough to know better."
Kikyou smirked. "I suppose you're right," she said, leaning back in her own seat, still turned to face him, "It's probably too much to hope that you're jealous, huh?"
"Huh?" Inuyasha's head snapped around to face her.
"I know, I know," she said, looking remarkably sad for a moment, then seeming to pull herself together.
"I'm not jealous," Inuyasha insisted, maybe too forcefully.
"Even if you were," Kikyou said, adjusting the left strap of her dress, "I wouldn't dream of coming between you and my sister. You two were just made for each other. It's adorable."
Inuyasha didn't feel confident enough to conjure up a reply, so the rest of the ride was undertaken in silence.
"So what did you want to say?" Kagome said, dimly aware that she was sitting in Kouga's limo crossing both her arms and her legs.
"Drinks first," Kouga said, fiddling with the minibar, "I got you some beer. That's your favorite, right?"
Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Yes."
"Here you go." He handed her a Trooper Ale. "The guy from Iron Maiden brews these, right?"
"No, it's just inspired by them, with their full blessing," Kagome said, trying to twist the top off and remembering she couldn't. She turned to the cupholder ledge and smacked the beer downwards with her fist, sending the bottlecap flying.
Kouga just watched her, looking a little dazed.
"Anyways, I have my drink," Kagome said, taking a sip, "Now say your piece." God, I love Trooper Ale. No, no, focus, Kagome. You're not to be had for a dress, remember? So where would your self-respect go if you were to be had for a fucking beer?
Kouga pointedly pulled out a bottle opener from a sleeve near the minibar and used it to open his own beer. "I want to ask you out again."
Kagome scoffed. "Fat chance."
"I'm serious!" And from the look on his face, she really did believe him.
Kagome took another sip of her beer and then leaned over to clap a hand on Kouga's shoulder. "Kouga," she said very kindly, "You can have any girl in the world you want. Why the hell would you bother chasing after me?"
"I've been asking myself the same question," Kouga said earnestly, clearly not realizing how insulting it was to just agree without qualifying the statement. But then again, Kagome knew she had set herself up for that one.
"Is it just because I've told you 'no?'"
"No, it's not that," Kouga actually looked like he was trying to puzzle through it in real time, "There's something about you. You're funny."
….Thanks?
"And you don't speak bullshit. You'd be surprised how often I have to fight off women who only want me because I'm handsome, rich, and famous."
Kagome fought the urge to laugh. "I don't think I'd be surprised at all, Kouga. But really, you should give them all a chance. At least half of them are probably willing to do body shots for a group of ogling guys, even when they aren't shitfaced."
Kouga Okami seemed to be struggling to communicate with a female. Kagome wondered for a brief moment if calling Yura Kaminoke on speed dial to report an exclusive news item would be a gauche move. Probably so.
"Now that Inuyasha and Kikyou are back together-"
"They're not back together," Kagome found herself jumping in before she could stop herself.
"Even so," Kouga said, taking a long gulp of his beer, "It's a matter of time, right? Especially if they want those Oscars that Warner's been teasing about to anyone who'll listen."
Kagome couldn't reply properly, so she settled with disappearing behind her beer bottle.
"You and I could be good together. You're a heavy metal kid, I'm a-"
"A playboy millionaire actor slash bad boy?"
Kouga blinked, then grinned at the label. "Yeah, that. We'd make a good team. Admit it."
"So romantic, Kouga," Kagome said, rolling her eyes, "You really know how to sweep a girl off her feet. So tell me, what's my favorite band?"
A pause. "I don't know."
"Where in the world would I go if I wanted to get away from it all?"
"I don't know."
"Exactly," Kagome said, "I said it before. You don't know anything about me. I think maybe you're overthinking all of this."
"I know what I want," Kouga said, scooting a little closer, "And I want you, Kagome. I can learn all that stuff. No problem."
"You're missing the entire point," Kagome said, "Maybe you need to just reexamine your thoughts here. I think maybe I acted differently than you expected-"
"You got that right," Kouga said, flashing her what was surely his most charming smile.
"But," she said, holding up the hand that wasn't closed around her beer, "I'm already in love with someone else."
"Yeah, I know. Inuyasha. That'll end well."
Kagome glared at him with all the ferocity she could muster.
Kouga looked only momentarily disgruntled. "I wasn't talking about love, Kagome, geez. I was talking about…" He trailed off.
Kagome blinked. "Ohhhh," she said, narrowing her eyes, "That explains the dress, doesn't it? Ugh, I wouldn't have put it on if I thought it was some sort of fetish fuel-"
"No!" he said quickly, grabbing for her hand but being rebuffed quite quickly by her warning look, "All I meant was, I like you, and I'd like to date you and see where it goes!" He then took a second to destroy this solitary moment of seeming-sincerity by leering at her up and down. "Of course, we could always do the naughty stuff first. I promise, I don't disappoint."
"Kouga," Kagome said slowly, like she was talking to a kid, "This is all literally because I told you 'no.' I promise you. This sometimes happens. Sometime's a girl's not interested."
"You say that," Kouga said, leaning a bit closer to her, "but you said my name on national TV. Maybe you're more interested than you're letting yourself believe."
Kagome couldn't reply without spilling all the beans on her and Inuyasha, so she settled for scooting slightly away from him testily.
"You know," Kouga said, scooting even closer to make up for it, "If I kissed you, I bet you'd change your tune."
"You so much as touch me, Kouga, and I swear-"
"Oh, I'm not going to," he said, grinning wickedly. Kagome felt like a rabbit trying to outrun a hungry fox, frankly. "I'll leave it here for now. Leave you begging for it."
Kagome rolled her eyes, finishing off her beer without taking her baleful stare away from him. "How about just staying away from me? Forever?"
"Eh, you'd miss me too much," he said with a smirk, folding his arms behind his head as the limo came to a stop in front of the nightclub.
"Inuyasha! Kikyou!"
The crowd in front of the nightclub were going absolutely insane. Higher pitched than usual. Inuyasha winced.
A reporter waved both of them down. He was obviously a new employee looking for his first big on-screen moment, so Inuyasha figured he'd cut him a break and stop walking. Kikyou just blinked at him for a second, then folded her arm around his tightly. Was it a sweet gesture, or a reminder? Inuyasha didn't know for sure.
"Inuyasha, congratulations on the award tonight!" The kid was clearly fighting to keep his voice from shaking.
"Thanks," Inuyasha said in his most easygoing manner, trying to put him at ease.
"I have to ask this, it's all my producers want to hear from me right now," the kid said, tapping at a wireless earpiece on the right side of his head almost annoyingly, "What are your thoughts on Kagome Higurashi's dress tonight?"
"Her dress?" Inuyasha tried not to sound too flabbergasted.
"It's apparently creating a big stir with all the fashion reporters," the kid said eagerly, "The little sister's becoming quite the sensation!"
Oh, she'll fucking love that.
"She gets it from me," Kikyou said with a bell-like laugh, and the reporters around them all chuckled as well.
"Kikyou," the young reporter held up the microphone, his attention now wholly diverted to her, "What's it been like for you the last few weeks, seeing your sister sort of come into her own? Any sibling rivalry there?"
Kikyou just smiled. "Oh no, we're so different," she said, her voice sweet as honey once again, "She likes black leather a little too much for my tastes." Another round of laughter from the crowd. Inuyasha just ran an awkward hand through his hair.
Kikyou continued, looping him into the conversation once more. "Honestly though, I think I speak for Inuyasha when I say we're both so proud of her. She's not used to being in the spotlight, but she's taking to it like a fish to water, wouldn't you say?"
Inuyasha just nodded at her prompting. There was a steely edge to Kikyou's tone that he was sure no one else had picked up on, but he sure had.
"One more question," the reporter said, now focusing on both of them together, "Are you two back together? The world wants to know!"
Kikyou squeezed Inuyasha's arm a little tighter, tucking her head slightly beneath his chin before he could react.
"We have no comment at this time," she said with a smile, then all but pulled him along into the club as the crowd resumed its shouting and cheering.
Inuyasha definitely needed a drink. A strong one.
There were a throng of people waiting in line outside the doors, whining to get in but being turned down as the poor harassed doorman tried to explain that it was a private event and no one without a spot on the A-list was getting inside, period. The crowd immediately noticed Kouga, and began to scream (most of the screams were, of course, female). He gave them a saucy wave and turned to help Kagome out of the car. She shrugged his hand away and got out her own damn self.
"Oh my god, that's Kikyou Higurashi's sister! With Kouga!" The crowd was loving every minute of it, obviously. Kagome gave a weak, forced grin and turned to walk through the front door.
"Wait a second," Kouga said, gently pulling her back, "This nice guy wants to talk to us." He gestured at a young man holding a microphone, whose face was full of utter glee.
"Kagome Higurashi!" the reporter said, thrusting the microphone in her face, "I've heard your name so many times tonight! This has got to be a crazy experience for you!"
"It is," Kagome said softly, pasting a smile on her face.
"You look amazing," the young man said, and the cameraman behind him panned up and down her dress at the prompt, "Can you give us an ID on the dress? The fashion blogs are going insane right now."
Really? For this one? Kagome blinked in surprise, looking down at herself briefly.
"It's off-the-rack Max Mara," she said, tugging at the skirt to show her heels, "and the shoes are-"
"Valentino," the reporter finished, "What are your thoughts on the Valentino website selling out of these within the last thirty minutes?"
Okay, what the hell is going on here?
"Um."
"How were the awards tonight? What are your thoughts on Inuyasha's big win?"
"I'm so proud of him," she said, feeling a touch of pink color her face, "He's worked so hard to get to this point, and he deserves every award they can offer him."
"Kouga, a question for you. How does it feel to have Kagome here with you? I understand you went to the Hollywood Film Awards together a few weeks back. Are you dating?"
"No, but she has a huge crush on me," he said smoothly, and everyone laughed. Kagome wanted to collapse and crawl away as she forced out a weak chuckle.
"Well, best wishes for the two of you, and enjoy the rest of your night!"
"Oh, I'm sure we will," Kouga said, wrapping a hand around Kagome's waist and pulling her inside the club doors.
Once they were safely inside, Kagome grabbed his wrist, digging her nails into his skin, and flung his arm away from her. "Alright," she said, "I heard you out like you wanted. My answer is still, and will always be 'no.' Go find someone else; I'm sure there are pretty of eager hotties at the bar."
"You weren't kidding about the decorations, babe," Miroku said, sitting in the smoking section and leaning back in the booth they'd manage to negotiate off of a few lesser beings. "Once again, I must ask you where you got the dancers. They're very, hmmm, what's the word-"
"They're from a casting agency. Close your mouth, dear." Sango sent him a very annoyed look as she sipped her drink, then checked her phone briefly.
"Oh, don't get me wrong," Miroku said, leaning in close to her, "They're nothing compared to what I've got sitting next to me."
She squirmed a little, pushing him back gently. "Warner is right there, Houshi."
He relented, leaning back again, cigarette in the corner of his mouth. "Wait," he said, a mischievous smile playing at his lips, "Did you just call me 'dear?'"
Sango coughed a little. "No."
"Really? I must be hearing things then. This club is so loud, after all."
"Another drink?" Sango said quickly, gathering her skirts to scoot out of the booth, "Inuyasha and company should be along shortly."
"Here, don't bother," he said, scooting out of the other side, "That dress, sexy as it is, wasn't really made for navigating a crowded dance floor. I'll get the drinks."
He left and returned with whiskeys for both of them, which they clinked together, then knocked back.
"You know," he said, "You can't get away with calling me 'Houshi' forever."
"Why on earth not?" she said, placing her chin in her hand with a flirtatious grin.
Miroku just laughed to himself like he was thinking of something utterly hilarious, then stubbed out his cigarette butt in the ashtray at the center of the table.
There was a whoop and cheer as Inuyasha and Kikyou entered the club. Everyone stopped dancing, drinking, and talking and erupted into applause. Inuyasha and Kikyou took it in stride, Kikyou's arm wrapped around Inuyasha's like she needed it to survive. They were immediately motioned into a corner booth on the opposite end of the room, the waiters and bartenders all fussing over them.
"Cute picture, that," Miroku said, his lips pressed into a flat line.
"Isn't it?" Sango said, not really paying attention. Her eyes were glued to her phone instead.
"Okay, what are you up to?" Miroku grabbed the phone from her with lightning-quick reflexes and ignored her cry of protest as he looked down at the screen.
"Houshi, give it back. Now." She stood over him, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Just trying to figure out the next phase of your evil plan," he said jokingly, ignoring her murderous tone.
"Houshi, give it fucking back."
His smile faded. "What's got you so bent out of shape?"
"I mean it, Houshi." She snatched it out of his grasp and shoved it into her purse, then sat back down, draining the rest of her whiskey.
"Okay, okay, sorry," he said, holding his hands up in surrender, "Tell your other boyfriend you're sorry for being so busy. I'll just sit here." He smiled, a gesture of peace.
"I don't even have one boyfriend," Sango said tartly, pretending she didn't see the way his face sort of fell at the comment, "And what I do with my phone on my own time is my business, not yours."
There was a pronounced silence.
"Well, Sango," Miroku said, his tone distantly friendly, as he stood up, draining his own glass of whiskey, "Have a good rest of your night. I'm sure Warner and company are all extremely proud of you, and whatever it is you're up to. I'd offer to help, but as usual, you don't seem to think you need anyone else. And you're probably right. See you later. You can take the limo home; I'll call a cab for myself later."
Sango fought the urge to call out after him. Warner was watching again. Shrugging off the lump in her throat, she pulled her phone out again.
"Heard you'll be in New York next week. Your mom finally told me about that big new job of yours. I think we should meet for dinner one night. I'll let you know when. See you soon, pumpkin."
She closed her eyes, sighed, and abandoned the booth to go sit at Warner's table.
"Come on, angel face," Kouga said, "We're sitting over here." He motioned to a corner booth that Sango was just getting out of and leaving abandoned. It was right in the prime traffic area of the club, and dimly lit.
"Like hell we are," Kagome said, making a beeline for Inuyasha and Kikyou's table at the opposite end of the room, "You can go sit there, though. Feel free."
"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, throwing his arm around her shoulders. Inuyasha looked up, excited to see her, then narrowed his eyes into a pointed glare at Kouga.
She moved to slide into the booth next to Inuyasha, who let his right hand graze her knee. Kouga, of course, slid right along with her, sitting far too close for comfort.
Great. The awards ceremony all over again.
"Oh, hey there, you bunch of overly good-looking people." Miroku appeared behind Kouga's shoulder and edged his way in next to him.
Or maybe not. Kagome couldn't suppress the delighted grin.
Sango whyyyy you do dis. Why you no talk to him and let him halp. Miroku seems a little over Sango's shit, doesn't he? Kouga is very foolish but it's okay. I think. Pretty sure. No guarantees. Kikyou is still being nice. Inuyasha is confused but when is he not. Hojo is even more confused. And Kagome is the only one being completely honest with herself, it seems.
MORE SONGS!
Inuyasha - "Shine" by Years and Years
Kagome - "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit
Miroku - "It's Probably Me" by Sting and Eric Clapton (from the Lethal Weapon 3 Soundtrack YUSSSS)
Sango - "Way Down We Go" by Kaleo
Kikyou - "Blue" by Marina and the Diamonds
As I said before, any new song suggestions are widely appreciated! Love you guys. Thanks for reading and reviewing. You spur me to keep going even when life gets hectic! - meggz0rz