The It Couple

Chapter Forty-One

"Hello there, Inuyasha," Miroku said casually, tossing some shirts into his all-leather luggage carry-on bag and balancing the phone between his shoulder and his ear, "Been a busy boy, haven't we?"

"Is Kagome there? I can't get ahold of her."

"Nope, you just missed her. Something's wrong with her phone, poor dear. She said she was going out to buy a new one. A new number as well. Seems a lot of people keep pestering her."

"Okay, listen, Miroku, the second you see her, please tell her to call me with the new number, okay? This is important."

"Oh," Miroku crossed to his bedroom patio door, lit a smoke, and leaned against the glass floor-length window, "Is this about you shacking up with Kikyou last night?"

Miroku practically heard the cracking noise as Inuyasha's brain broke. He took another drag of his cigarette, shaking his head ruefully.

"...Does Kagome know?"

"Depends on your definition of 'know,'" Miroku said, "She knows you were there all last night, and she knows that Kikyou's new little assistant fellow brought you two coffee in bed this morning. I wouldn't call that 'knowing,' but I would call that 'drawing logical goddamn conclusions,' Inuyasha."

"Nothing happened! I just passed out!"

Miroku audibly scoffed, surprised at how irritated he was getting on Kagome's behalf. "Is that all?"

"Well…"

"Yes?"

"It's none of your fucking business right now, Houshi. I need to talk to Kagome. Did she say which phone store she was going to?"

"No, of course she didn't," Miroku said, rolling his eyes, "She's a fucking adult. She doesn't need to check in with me all the time. And don't tell me you've got some idea of walking into a public phone store and just prostrating yourself on the ground in front of her, telling her it was all a misunderstanding and that your love for her is eternal and endless-"

"Miroku?"

"Yes?"

"Shut the fuck up."

"You're the boss."

"Fuck. Fucking fuckity FUCK."

"You said it." Miroku leaned over and flicked ash into the tray on the nightstand.

"So what do we do?"

"Well, I'm going to finish packing for New York. You probably should do the same. I'll give Kagome the message when I see her."

Miroku was sort of amazed at himself as he pressed the 'end' button. Normally he'd have taken every opportunity to prolong this conversation and dig the knife in a little deeper in Inuyasha's side, but he was feeling weary and exhausted lately. Just...not in the mood.

He groaned, letting himself back up a few steps and collapse onto the bed, his hand over his eyes. His head landed on the edge of the open suitcase.

"Ow."

"Kagome," Sango said, standing up as the younger girl walked in, fighting the unconscious urge to stay out of the reach of her fists as Kagome sat down in the chair opposite the desk, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Kagome said, "Why do you ask?" She distractedly removed her sunglasses and tossed them into her purse-backpack-thing. Her hair was windblown and wild, and she hadn't seemed to notice that her shoes didn't quite match.

"...No reason," Sango said, the look of concern on her face quite real and making this all the more awkward, given their frosty interactions of late. She sat back down. "Do you want a coffee?"

"Yes, please," Kagome said, and Sango called her secretary on the intercom and ordered two.

"So what can I do for you?" Sango stirred her fresh coffee as she added a tiny helping of honey to it.

"I want a straight answer."

Sango raised an eyebrow. "I'll...do my best?"

"How many photos are there of Inuyasha leaving Kikyou's house this morning, and what are you planning to do with them?"

The only noise for a few moments was the sound of Sango's plastic spoon scraping against the paper cup. Sango simply stared at Kagome's face. She looked outwardly calm, but her legs were crossed, one ankle bobbing up and down frantically as she sipped her coffee, refusing to meet Sango's eyes.

"One photo," Sango finally said softly, "Only one. The only one that came out even semi-clearly. And it's still a blurry shot of him through the car windows. Not super obvious. I was actually shocked when I got it this morning. You'd think these idiots would learn that when they rent cars they need to specify extra-tinted windows."

Kagome winced a little and took another long sip of coffee. "One photo," she said, a humorless smile on her face, "You must be terribly disappointed."

Sango swallowed. The last time Kagome had smiled like that, she'd tried to rearrange Sango's face.

"I'm guessing it's going on Yura's blog right about now?" Kagome uncrossed her legs and sat back in her chair, hands clasped around the coffee cup.

"Probably," Sango said softly, "But I didn't arrange for these paps, Kagome. It wasn't me this time." I didn't even know to expect these photos, because Houshi is now ignoring me and didn't give me the courtesy of a heads-up...

"I didn't think it was," Kagome said, sighing and closing her eyes as if meditating, "I know exactly who called the paps."

The answer remained unspoken, but Sango knew they were both on the same wavelength.

"So I have one more question," Kagome said, sitting forward, "I know there's no way out of this contract I've signed. Not without my entire life becoming tabloid fodder for Warner and Kikyou and everyone else in this shitty town. But I want to skip the New York Critics Awards if at all possible."

"Skip the awards?" Sango stammered. Warner wouldn't like that. He'd told Sango at their last lunch meeting about all the photocalls he was planning with both Higurashi sisters, going on and on about how having Kagome there humanized Kikyou and made her all the more appealing to the voting body, et cetera.

"I don't have an excuse," Kagome said, her calm demeanor starting to come undone. She set her coffee on the edge of Sango's desk and clasped her hands together, elbows on her knees. Her hands were trembling slightly. "Not one that anyone will care about anyway. But I promise to be back and ready for the Globes. I'll arrive in style. I'll even wear a glowing sign that says 'I Love My Sister' if they want me to."

"Have you talked to Inuyasha yet? About...well, about last night's events?" Sango tried to word it as tactfully as possible.

"Not yet," Kagome said, a tear escaping her eye, "And I will. But this isn't about him right now. It's about me. I have to get out of here. Away from all of you."

Kagome angrily wiped the tear away as if it was a mere annoyance and sat back in the chair again, adopting her familiar cross-legged pose defiantly. "It's not like I asked for any of this," she muttered, her hand going over her eyes, "I was fine just loving him from afar. I was fine believing my sister gave a shit about me deep down. I was fine having no one know me from Adam. And now...now… just two weeks, Sango. Two weeks off. I'm actually begging."

Sango's heart broke at the sight of her, and the heartbreak suddenly turned to resolve. Before she could change her mind, she reached out a hand (noting that her own was shaking a little as well) and pressed her intercom button again.

"Alicia," she said to her secretary, "Hold my calls and cancel all my meetings for this morning. I've got some things to take care of."

"Hello?" Inuyasha nearly dropped the phone out of his hand. This was an unknown number. It had to be -

"Inuyasha. It's me. Are you okay? Did you tell Kagome about...about last night yet?"

Inuyasha sighed. He really did need to add Kikyou's name to his contacts again. It would save confusion.

"No, not yet," he said, glancing over his shoulder at his newly packed luggage. "I'll find her, though."

"Find her? What, is she missing?"

"Not exactly," Inuyasha ran a hand through his hair and sighed again, "She's out running errands, I guess. Her phone isn't working so she's buying a new one."

"I hope she's willing to be mature about everything," Kikyou's voice was quiet, like a mouse. "Surely she'll understand, right?"

"I have no idea," Inuyasha said bluntly, ignoring the panicked frenzy that the notion sent him into.

"Well...can you call me as soon as you've told her? I want to know where we stand."

Inuyasha wasn't sure who the 'we' in that statement was referring to, but he didn't feel like analyzing right now. "I'll do my best."

"Have you packed for New York yet?" Subject changed. Thank god.

"Yeah, I just finished."

A small intimate giggle on the other end. "What color tux did you decide on?"

"Just a black Westwood tux."

"Simple black?" Another small giggle. "That's very unlike you."

I didn't feel like being creative about it this time.

"Yeah," he said simply, "But hey, you have free reign to pick whatever dress you want. You're welcome."

"Thanks, honey. I'll see you and Kagome on the flight to New York, okay? And don't worry. I'm sure she'll understand that it was all just a friendly moment between friends."

A friendly moment between friends that involved embracing through the night. Inuyasha was getting less and less optimistic about his chances of smoothing things over the longer he went without talking to Kagome.

He hung up the phone without a goodbye and let himself slump onto the edge of the bed, his hair hanging over his shoulders.

"Nazuna," he called, "I need my cigarettes."

"Are you kidding me?" Warner growled, smacking his hand on the desk loudly. Sango refused to let herself wince and stood her ground.

"Apparently she completely forgot to tell us about it," Sango said with a gentle shrug, "Silly kid. But how could she have known you had such plans for her?" She fought to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Easy girl, he's your boss and he's super overpowered. Like, super overpowered.

"So we're cancelling all the press events for her for two weeks?" The large man was nearly foaming at the mouth, "This is unacceptable, Sango. Absolutely unacceptable."

"The kid has a commitment to her job," Sango said, "She had this photography shoot booked months ago. She didn't realize we'd be commandeering her entire life for a whole awards season." She knew she shouldn't be impressed with her own ability to spin shit, but she always was. If Miroku had been here, he would have raised a glass in salute again.

Ugh, get out of my head, Houshi. She cleared her throat and continued.

"Besides, Mr. Warner," she said, knowing how well he responded when she put just the right sweet tone to her voice, "This is another fantastic angle. Why not push the fact that she's a semi-pro photographer? Let her take intimate shots of Inuyasha and Kikyou getting ready for the Globes. A whole behind-the-scenes spread. Right in time for the end of the Oscar voting period."

She saw the wheels turning in his head and knew she had him.

A few minutes later, she returned to her own office, where Kagome was waiting, standing by the window nervously. She smiled and gave a wordless thumbs-up.

Kagome seemed to let the relief wash over her and let herself smile back. Sango couldn't help her reaction; she stepped forward and folded Kagome into a tight hug. Kagome seemed surprised at first, but then slipped her arms around Sango's back and returned the squeeze.

"I'm so sorry," Sango whispered, the lump in her throat choking her voice down, "For...you know. Everything."

"I forgive you," Kagome whispered, and Sango had no doubt that she actually meant it. Kagome meant everything she said.

"Will you at least keep me updated?" Sango said hesitantly after a few moments, "Let me know how you're doing?"

"Sure," Kagome said, "I'm about to go change my phone number, but I'll either text you or have Miroku do it."

Sango grimaced. "I think you'd better do it." There was too much to think about right now without thinking about how much of a fuckup she was with the one man she'd ever wanted in this world.

"I'll see you in a few weeks, then," Kagome said, stepping out of the hug, "Take care of yourself, Sango."

"You too."

"Oh, hi there," Miroku said, looking up from his whiskey and coke.

"Right where I left you," Kagome said, unceremoniously dropping her keys and backpack onto the end table and pulling out her new phone.

"What did you get? Please don't say the iPhone 10. I hear it's vastly overrated."

Kagome scoffed. "I got the free phone that came with the plan. Here, I'm calling you. Save the new number."

Miroku did so. "Inuyasha called," he said, finishing off his drink and kicking back on the sofa, his eyes returning to the rerun of some trash reality show, "He seemed a little concerned."

Kagome sighed, leaning against the wall and running a hand over her face. It was now or never, she supposed. She really, really didn't want to do this. Already her heart was like a dead weight in her chest.

"I guess I'll call him and tell him to come over," she mumbled, crossing to the fridge and grabbing a beer, then chugging like her life depended on it.

"Go ahead," Miroku said, spinning the TV remote in his hand like he was some sort of Harlem fucking Globetrotter, "We can all watch 'Jersey Shore' together like one big happy family."

Kagome glared at him. "Maybe I'll just go to him."

"That's probably a better idea. I've got some binge-watching to do before we make our flight tonight."

"I'm not going."

"What?" He sat up straight. "What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you later," she said, grabbing up her keys and backpack and opening up the door again.

Miroku scoffed and laid back down on the couch. "No one ever tells me shit anymore," he griped. But then again, why was he complaining? He had to see whether or not Sammi Sweetheart and Ronnie would get back together this episode.

Remember when you were the busiest man in Hollywood?

"Your car for the airport will be here in three hours," Nazuna said, sniffing in disapproval at him as she passed, "Sango Ryoshi's office just called to let you know."

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Inuyasha said grumpily, downing the last of what was now three beers and clunking it loudly onto the coffee table.

"Use a coaster," Nazuna said testily, taking the empty bottles away as Inuyasha immediately cracked into another one. She shoved an old magazine (with Kikyou's face on it, no less) underneath the entire six-pack to keep it from staining the wood and walked off without another word.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, not really listening. He was dimly aware that he heard the doorbell ring, but didn't look up from his phone, where he was simply staring, waiting for it to ring. He would wait all night if he had to.

If she even calls me, he thought bitterly. He might have fucked this all up beyond any recognition, and that was becoming clearer and clearer as the hours passed without any word.

Of course, what the hell would you think if you were her?

He sat his beer down on the coffee table (on a coaster, as Nazuna had asked) and characteristically ran a hand through his hair. He always seemed to do that when he didn't know anything better to do.

"Can I have one of those?"

That beautiful, sweet, quiet voice. His gaze snapped up.

She wore a simple tee shirt and jeans, looking younger than usual, more like the Kagome he'd met all those years ago. Her hair was down, flowing freely, and her face was fixed with a warm smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

He stood up and rushed toward her, ready to take her in his arms and mutter every apology, every explanation he could put into words, but she shrugged out of his grasp, placing a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Beer, please," she said softly, not meeting his eyes, "We have to talk."

Thanks for your patience waiting on this chapter, everyone! We had a hell of a day at work and then of course my Internet decided to take a spring break early right as I was trying to submit this morning. Story of my life.

No individual themes today. But the theme for the entire chapter(and the next few, for that matter) is "The One That Got Away" by The Civil Wars. Sniffle.

Yay for Sango doing something completely selfless! I wonder what Miroku will have to say about it. If he ever finds out.

Bossy Nazuna and TrashTV Miroku are my spirit animals today. Love you guys, your reviews are amazing! - meggz0rz