The It Couple
Chapter Sixty-One
Kagome ended up taking Kanna's advice. She couldn't let it rest.
After kissing Inuyasha hello and having a glass of champagne so she didn't look like the stick in the mud she was actually being, she made a vague excuse about having to use the bathroom and slipped away. Detouring into the bedroom, she grabbed her laptop and, with the memory card in her clenched fist, she ducked into the master bath, locking the door behind her.
With nowhere but the toilet to sit, she found herself clambering into the claw-footed bathtub and pulling up the images, her knees curled up to her chest as she inserted the memory card and started to click through the loading images.
Photos of her and Inuyasha making stupid faces at the camera while waiting for setups in the craft services tent. There were so many of these, and Kagome, despite her heart currently feeling like a stone in her chest, couldn't help but smile weakly at them. Back when we both didn't know any better, she thought.
Photos of Kikyou and Inuyasha hanging out in the trailer. Kikyou leaning on Inuyasha's chest as they read through scripts together. Kagome sighed heavily and brushed her hair out of her eyes.
A photo of herself in the mirror, her hair in braids and her smile easygoing and carefree. Her face was dirty with sand and muck, and she was holding out her arm to display the gigantic cut across it. It had been the result of her getting a little too close behind the movie cameras to take pictures, placing herself right in the path of a stuntman's arrow that had accidentally been released. Thank goodness it had been safety-tipped, but it had split her skin in a jagged four-inch pattern nonetheless. Inuyasha and the stuntman responsible had immediately broken up the shot and rushed to her side, Inuyasha looking absolutely grey in the face and then furious, but she had reassured both of them that it was just a flesh wound and that she would be proud of her scar and the story behind it. There followed after a photo of her grinning, holding up her arm and the stuntman clapping his hands over his eyes in exaggerated mock-horror. She giggled a little to herself. That had been a fun day.
And then, photos of the cast trip to some ancient ruins nearby. They had set up a huge tent and proceeded to drink more beer than they probably should have, given the blisteringly hot climate. There were several shots of Inuyasha and the crew in what looked like an arm-wrestling competition, some of them blurry with motion as Kagome had no doubt been jostled around by the tipsy crowd.
A knock on the bathroom door jolted Kagome out of her nostalgia. "Kagome?" It was Inuyasha's voice. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," she said quickly, "I'll be there in a second."
"You sure you're okay?" he said, his voice muffled through the wood, "You've been gone for a while."
"I said I'll be there in a second!" Immediately she realized that she had basically snapped at him, and she followed it with, "Just go back and enjoy yourself. I'm okay, really."
"Alright, that's it," he muttered, and with a resounding crack, the doorframe splintered and the door flew open, Inuyasha's foot held high where he'd just kicked the door jamb to pieces.
Damn him and his inhuman strength.
Kagome shrieked in surprise and ducked down in the tub, as if that would hide her presence or something.
"I know when you're lying to me, Kagome. I know you better than I know myself half the time. What the hell is going on with you?"
Inuyasha was angry. Well and truly angry. His arms were folded tightly across his chest as he took in the sight of her, sitting fully clothed in the bathtub hunched over her laptop screen.
"N-nothing," she murmured, trying to close the laptop quickly as she flashed him what she probably thought was a reassuring smile.
He sprang forward and snatched the computer out of her reach. "This isn't nothing. Stop lying to me, god dammit." He stepped out of range and quickly scanned the screen. "Where the hell did these come from?"
"I found an old memory card," Kagome said, not meeting his eyes. She looked equal parts ashamed and distant, and it made him feel sick to his stomach.
Inuyasha sighed. He knew she was lying some more, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.
"If there's something wrong," he said testily, "Talk to me about it so I can help you."
"There's nothing you can do right now," Kagome said, still not looking at him, "I'm just trying to sort through some shit. That's all."
"You went to Kikyou's house."
She seemed to slouch deeper into the tub, but said nothing.
"Did you think I wouldn't find out about it when Miroku and Sango called me harping about all the pap photos that just hit the internet?" He knew he was yelling, but he didn't care. "Why don't you stop treating me like an idiot who doesn't understand and tell me what happened? Why you even went over there in the first place, if you knew it was going to make you feel like this?"
Kagome didn't reply, just placed her hands over her face and sighed.
A few moments of silence, with only the sound of Inuyasha's heavy breathing.
"You know what? Fuck it," he said finally, stepping forward and handing the laptop back to her, "I'll leave you alone. Seems like you just want to be miserable right now. So go ahead and wallow in your misery."
She didn't answer.
"You know, this isn't how you win in a hard situation. I'm a fucking moron, but I know that much. If you fall apart and can't be happy, if you can't just let yourself say, 'Go fuck yourself' to anyone that tries to make you feel bad, then you're in for a whole world of hurt. You're letting her win."
With that, Inuyasha turned and stalked out of the bathroom, past the now-broken door frame, and paused for a moment.
Was I too harsh? Probably. I usually am. He turned back to say something else, apologize for the outburst.
Kagome was already wordlessly opening the laptop again, scanning the images of that godforsaken movie shoot once more. The apology died in his throat.
"We're going out to Greystone Manor," Inuyasha snapped, not that she seemed to be listening, "Kouga and Ayame are showing up too, and I know Miroku and Sango would really, really like to see you tonight. If you care to come. If not, have a good night and I'll just wait for you to come to your senses."
He all but stomped into the bedroom closet, snatching a suit off the rack and dressing himself furiously. He knew he was probably being childish, but Kagome acting like this was just so...not Kagome. She had never acted like this to him, except for when…
"Wait a second. Is she here?" Inuyasha scanned Kagome's stricken face, feeling like some unknown entity had just sucked the breath right out of him.
Kagome quickly shook her head, but her eyes…
Her bright blue eyes, filling with tears, were what betrayed her.
"Kagome," Inuyasha hissed, drawing closer to her, "Talk to me. What the hell is going on?"
"Please, let's just get out of here," she said, her tone almost desperate.
"Why?" he demanded, "Tell me why."
She closed her eyes, swallowed, then reopened them and answered softly, so softly. "I don't want to hurt you."
Inuyasha wasn't prepared for an answer like that. "What? Hurt me? What are you talking about -"
Kagome's hand found his, and she intertwined her fingers with his. He would have blushed if he hadn't been so damn flabbergasted.
"I didn't know how to tell you," she said, "This is all my fault. I let it come to this. Please, please, whatever happens, don't hate me."
"I could never hate you," he murmured, meaning it, but very aware of the sinking feeling in his guts. "Kagome, please, for the love of god, tell me what the hell is going on."
Kagome just kept her eyes on their linked hands. She seemed to take a deep breath, then let it out slowly, trying to calm herself down.
"Where is she?" Inuyasha whispered, feeling a cold sweat break out over his face, steeling himself for the answer.
Kagome's eyes were suddenly bored into his, and he was a little taken aback at the sheer grief in her gaze. Like she was mourning the death of a friend.
"She's in the VIP section upstairs." Her voice was little more than a whimper. She looked at him like she was trying to memorize him for a second, then her face crumpled into tears and she tore away from him and headed for the door.
His legs feeling like jelly, Inuyasha ascended the stairs.
What happened next felt like a blur.
The sight of Kikyou, the woman he was so certain he'd be spending the rest of his life with, in that man's arms.
His own throat hurting with the force of his furious, almost incoherent screams.
Kikyou shrinking away, looking shocked and frightened, and his resulting feelings of almost guilt at scaring her.
The guy she was with hovering in front of her protectively, which just enraged Inuyasha further.
Hands looping around both of his arms and pulling him forcefully away.
The studio publicists frantically passing out the NDA's to the crew members, with threats of never working again if they didn't sign.
Inuyasha awoke the next morning, bleary-eyed and still half-drunk, and reported to work on time, where he was informed that Kikyou would be shooting the remainder of her scenes with a double and that their times on set would be staggered to avoid one another.
So he crawled into a whiskey bottle and stayed there for the better part of a year.
The door swung shut and banged against the now-warped door frame, swinging back open slightly. Kagome winced at the noise, but just let herself sink further into the bathtub as she looked over the rest of the images
She was dimly aware of the front door opening and shutting, leaving her alone in the place. Alone in her den of craziness. She sniffled and felt a tear silently rolled down her face as she nigh-obsessively kept clicking through.
More shots of that ancient ruins party. The sun had set in most of these, and the night air was peeking through under the giant tent canopy while everyone danced, drank, and had a great time.
A video file of the party. Kagome was shouting something playful to her camera, which was completely lost in the roar of the crowd and the music, and then she clambered shakily onto a tabletop to film the rest of the party. Inuyasha was right alongside her, holding her legs steady so the table didn't upend. He grinned up at her and flipped the camera off, and her foot gently nudged him in admonishment as she no doubt laughingly scolded him.
The camera started to shakily pan around, with the crowd all waving and making silly faces when they saw her pointed in their direction.
Kagome's laugh caught in her throat, and she shoved herself forward, not believing what she was seeing.
Holy shit. I owe Kanna a full bedroom set. And college tuition. And a Visa card.
Scooping up the laptop in her arms, she scrambled out of the tub, wanting to call for Inuyasha but remembering he wasn't there, and feeling an almost painful burst of regret at how she'd been acting.
Shaking her head, Kagome raced to the bedroom, where she tossed the closed laptop onto the bed and frantically grabbed the dress she'd bought this afternoon.
A simple, black party dress, backless, with a halter clasp and plenty of cleavage. She couldn't help but giggle at the way this had all worked out as she threw the dress on and set to piling on her stud bracelets and lacing up her trusty black combat boots.
She lined her eyes with black and silver, tossed her black curls into a loose updo, with loose locks forming a voluminous halo around her face. She grinned at her own reflection, laughing at how stupid she'd been, at how hopeless and unworthy of all the trouble she'd felt.
She was absolutely worth the trouble. And so was he.
Kagome loved Inuyasha. Inuyasha loved Kagome.
And the truth would set them all free.
She'd had twenty-three years to grow claws. And hers were painted sparkly black.
"Hi, Inuyasha," Ayame kissed his cheek in greeting, looking stunning in a pale green bandage dress. "Where's Kagome?"
"She wasn't feeling well," Inuyasha said, trying to keep his voice upbeat even though he still felt like punching through the table they were all sitting at. "She might make it later, but I doubt it."
Ayame pouted. "Aww, that's too bad. I hope she feels better soon."
Yeah, me fucking too. Inuyasha knocked back the rest of his drink. He'd ducked past the paps waiting at the door, grateful for once for Greystone Manor's hoity-toity waitlist and exclusivity. They'd shouted all sorts of infuriating questions at him, no doubt baiting him for any kind of reaction. They would have done the same to Kagome, of course, but if she'd been there it would have been much easier for him to tolerate.
Ayame turned to Kouga, who was sitting beside her, looking more lovestruck than he ever had in his life. "Kouga, go get us some drinks, will you?" she said, smiling and tapping him on the nose.
"Yes, ma'am," Kouga said, leaning in for a kiss and springing out of his seat to obey her.
Oh how the tides have turned in a matter of days, Inuyasha thought, fighting back a snort of incredulous laughter. And all she needed to do was a standing backflip.
"Evening, all," Miroku appeared behind him, clapping him on the shoulder and making him jump, "Congratulations again, pretty boy. You're the king of the world. Just like good old Jim Cameron when he won his Oscar."
"Easy there, tiger," Sango said, sitting down across from Inuyasha with a cheerful smile and letting Miroku help her out of her coat, "No one's won anything yet. If they had, we'd be on vacation, right?"
"Can it be a nudist beach?" Miroku asked, sliding in next to her with a dopey, expectant grin on his face. She shoved him back with a hand over his face, laughing.
Inuyasha stared at the tabletop, feeling quite subdued without Kagome there. He should have just bitten the bullet and apologized. Maybe then he wouldn't feel like shit as much.
"Where's Kagome?" Sango and Miroku asked in unison, then grinned at each other.
"You two are so cute it's disgusting," Ayame said, her smile dazzling as she stuck out her tongue at them, taking her drink from a returning Kouga's outstretched hand.
Inuyasha didn't answer, just shrugged. Ayame helped out. "She's sick tonight, which totally sucks. It's really just not the same without her here."
Preaching to the choir. Inuyasha took the drink Kouga handed him and knocked half of it back in one gulp.
He was dimly aware of Miroku and Sango staring at him suspiciously, but ignored it.
"Greystone Manor, please," Kagome said frantically to the cab driver, clambering into the backseat, her laptop safely tucked in its bag and slung over her shoulder, "And please hurry."
"Hey," the cab driver said after a few moments of driving as he looked in the rearview mirror at her, "You're that Kagome girl. Kikyou Higurashi's sister."
Kagome leaned back in her seat, her chin held high. "That I am," she said.
"I don't want to be rude or nothin'," the cab driver said, looking a little sheepish, "but my wife will kill me if she finds out I had you in my cab tonight and I didn't ask you this question." He faltered, his face very embarrassed and unsure.
"Ask away," Kagome said, with a grin.
"Are you and Inuyasha actually together or -" The cab driver cleared his throat. "What I mean is, did you steal your sister's boyfriend? Oh god, I'm so sorry, that was so rude. Just ignore me, miss."
"What's your name?" Kagome said.
The cab driver looked properly terrified, surely afraid that she was going to report him and get him fired. "C-Carl," he said quietly.
"Well, Carl," she said, leaning in conspiratorially, the grin still on her face, "Don't you worry about it. But please, for me, tell your wife not to believe anything she reads. The truth might end up surprising her."
He exhaled with obvious relief and they continued the rest of the drive in silence. Kagome tossed him an extra-large tip and exited the car with a friendly, cheerful wave goodbye.
Nothing, not even the huge crowd of paps awaiting her arrival, could dampen her spirits now.
"Kagome, are you sleeping with Inuyasha?"
"Kagome, were you able to apologize to your sister today?"
"Kagome, look this way!"
"Kagome, are you sorry at all?"
"Kagome!"
"Kagome!"
"Kagome!"
The doorman clearly noticed the commotion and realized immediately who she was and that she was the hot news of the moment. He unclipped the velvet rope and let her in, no questions asked, no cover even paid.
Kagome couldn't resist. She turned back around in the doorway and waved to the paps with a smile. "Thanks for that, guys! Let's do it again sometime."
"Well, well, well," Miroku's face lit up into a grin as he looked past Inuyasha's hunched shoulders, "Guess she's all better now."
"What?" Inuyasha sat up straight and went to swivel around in his seat, only to be met with a collision that smelled like shampoo and perfume and heaven itself. Hands dug into his hair and soft lips met his own.
"Oooh, scandalous. In front of a whole club of people, no less," he heard Miroku say, and the rest of the table chuckled.
Inuyasha's hand went to the side of Kagome's face as their lips parted, and he knew he must look dazed and confused. "Wh-what the hell? Kagome, I thought -"
"Come here for a second," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him along with her toward the dark hallway of the bathrooms.
"Hi, Kagome," the whole table chorused in a deadpan voice, and she looked back at them with a roll of her eyes and a wave as she railroaded Inuyasha toward the hallway.
What the hell is going on here? Is she bipolar? It's like she flipped a switch in her head. Should I be worried? Is she going to kill me? Murder-suicide pact? Inuyasha found himself very, very afraid for half a second.
That is, until she yanked him against the wall and all but threw herself into his arms, her lips smashing into his again. It was then he realized that if he was going to die, this would be the way to do it.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered into his ear. He could feel her breathing heavily, her heart pounding in her chest, flush against him, "I shouldn't have made you feel -"
"Shut up," he growled, smothering her apologies with another kiss. She whimpered and threw her arms around his neck.
"I love you," she said breathlessly, "And it's all going to be okay now."
"I love you," he smirked, letting his head collide with the wall behind him as he smiled down at her, "And it always was, ya dipstick."
"I just had to tell you that first," she stammered, starting to shakily lead him back towards the table where their friends were waiting, "And now I have something to show all of you."
"Let it wait," he said, yanking her back and ravishing her once more.
It was a few joke-filled moments before Miroku spotted the happy couple making their way back toward the table. He couldn't resist it when they slid into their seats, both grinning like idiots.
"Have fun, did you?"
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and looked like he was going to snap out a reply, but Kagome just smiled. "I'll say," she said, looking dreamily at the man beside her, and he immediately forgot to be cross with Miroku. Win-win.
"Glad you're feeling better," Sango said, clearly fighting back laughter.
"I have good reason," Kagome said, reaching into the bag at her side and pulling out a laptop computer, which she opened and turned to face both Miroku and Sango. "Take a look at that."
It was a video file. Miroku raised an eyebrow and glanced up at Kagome. "Should I ask when this was taken?"
"About halfway through the 'Red Robe' shoot," Kagome said, that smile seemingly stuck on her face as she turned to Inuyasha at her side, "The party we had near the ancient ruins, remember that?"
"Not really," Inuyasha said, looking a little confused, "but I guess that means it was a good party."
Miroku and Sango watched the video. Halfway through, when they realized what they were seeing, Miroku was halfway aware of Sango's fingers starting to grip his wrist tighter and tighter, her expression growing more and more delighted.
"And it's timestamped," Kagome said, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms, looking more relaxed and satisfied than Miroku thought he'd ever seen her.
"Video evidence," Sango whispered, "We've got what we need to set it all straight."
Kagome just nodded, leaning forward once more to rest her elbows on the table. The dreamy look on her face remained.
And then her eyes filled with tears.
"Whoa, what the fuck -" Inuyasha sprang forward and pulled her into his arms, glaring at the computer and looking even more bewildered than he usually did, "What the hell is on that computer?"
"It's okay," Kagome said, as Ayame and Kouga stood and rushed around the table, clearly concerned as well for her, "I'm just happy."
Inuyasha blinked, then started to laugh. "Now where have I heard that before," he said, forcing her chin upward with his finger and kissing her softly before pulling her even closer with another chuckle.
Miroku closed the video player and removed the memory card from where it was plugged in. "Mind if I borrow this, Kagome?" he smirked.
Kagome grinned and shook her head, wiping away her tears. "Not at all. Please do."
"Well, Sango," Miroku said, "We've got some work to do in the morning. But for tonight, a toast. To victory."
They all held their glasses aloft. Kouga, Ayame, and Inuyasha still looked a little confused, but they seemed to look around at each other and agree that for now, it didn't matter.
"Oh," Miroku said, after everyone had drunk the toast, "Just one more thing. Sorry to steal your thunder here, Inuyasha; I know it's really your night."
Inuyasha, who already knew what was going on, just smiled mischievously and waved him off. It was Kagome's turn to look bewildered, as was Sango's.
"Hey, Sango," Miroku said, turning bodily in his seat to face her, feeling his stomach start to flutter as he spoke.
She looked at him, raising an eyebrow suspiciously, inching slightly away from him. "...Yeah?" she said.
"Remember when I told you you couldn't keep calling me Houshi forever?"
SMACK.
Kagome's hand collided with the table, her eyes wide. It would seem she'd just realized where he was going with this. "HOLY. FUCKING. SHIT," she shouted, then at his pointed silence, she seemed to remember herself and shrink back, holding her hands up, "Oh, sorry, sorry, ignore me!" Inuyasha looked like he was going to burst from held-in laughter as he jokingly clapped his hand over her mouth.
"...Thank you," he said, rolling his eyes and returning his attention to the beautiful woman in front of him. "Sango, do you remember that?"
Sango's eyes were as wide as dinner saucers. "...Yes…?"
"Well, it's true today."
Silence. Sango just stared at him.
Ask me why, damn you!
The silence continued. Kouga gave an awkward cough and Ayame elbowed him in the ribs.
Miroku sighed. He should have known that this woman would be impossible, even when he was trying to sweep her off her feet. But hey, that's what I love about her, right?
"You're supposed to ask me why," he whispered, knowing his face was turning bright red in front of everyone.
Sango just looked at him like he'd grown two extra heads. "...Why?"
Miroku burst into uncontrollable laughter, and the rest of the table did too. Sango looked around at all of them suspiciously if not a little testily, clearly assuming they were in on some private joke that she wasn't.
"Because - because -" Miroku fought the tears springing to his eyes and spoke, muffled, into his own hand, " - because it's going to be your last name, you idiot!"
Everyone at the table was doubled over but Sango, and Miroku watched her face turn a beautiful shade of pink as it sunk in.
"Wait," she said softly, rolling her eyes and looking around at everyone, "You're joking. Ha ha, very funny, Houshi."
"I'm not - fucking - joking! I'm proposing to you, holy god, how is this going this fucking south?" Miroku could barely choke out the words.
Sango's hands flew to her mouth. "Wait, what? You're not joking?"
Still chuckling, Miroku stood and reached into his pocket before pulling out a velvet box and dropping to one knee in front of her. "Does this fucking convince you, you dense woman?"
"Come on, Sango!" Inuyasha yelled, his voice shaking in laughter, "Put the poor man out of his misery!"
Sango's wide eyes were now filling with tears, and for once in her life, she seemed utterly speechless. Utterly unprepared for what was happening. Well, a change every once in a while ain't a bad thing, right?
"Sango," Miroku started, then barked at the table, "Shut up for a minute, you guys! Let me try this one more time, for real."
He turned back to her, tuning the rest of them out. "Sango, will you marry me?"
Tears were streaming down her cheeks now as she finally smiled, nodded, and whispered, "Yes."
The rest of the table stood up and cheered. Sango stepped forward toward him and held out her hand for him to put the ring on it.
Miroku snatched the box out of reach. "You have to say it, first," he said with a devious smirk.
Sango laughed. "I already said 'yes,' Houshi!"
"That's not what I meant," he said, getting to his feet.
Realization dawned on her a whole hell of a lot quicker this time. "Oh," she said, then smiled that beautiful smile, bright and wide, "Miroku!"
And the ring was on her finger and his lips were on hers, and all was right with the world.
*sniffle* I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING!
The most Sango-Miroku proposal I could think of. Hope you guys liked it. :D
Also gotta love that a fight between Inu and Kag won't even last a full chapter anymore without me fixing it. How far I've come in so little time!
Also, I think it's about time for the announcement that this is our PENULTIMATE CHAPTER! Don't worry, the finale will be nice and long. It's going to be so hard to say goodbye to all these characters! I know I didn't invent them, but these versions are definitely tweaked enough so that they kinda feel like my lil babies... I'm going to be a mess writing the next one, I just know it. It's like saying farewell to old friends.
Oh, but never fear. There WILL be an epilogue, whether it's included in the next chapter or as a stand-alone chapter.
SONGS FOR EVERYONE (NOT INCLUDING THE WEDDING MARCH DUN-DUN-DUNDUNNNNNN)
Miroku and Sango - "Marry You" by Bruno Mars (super obvious but hey look how much I care)
Inuyasha - "Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan (he luv his Kagome no matter what)
Kagome - "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars (I swear for a non-TS fan I sure use her stuff A LOT, this is embarrassing)
Ayame - "Confident" by Demi Lovato (get it girrrrrl)
Kouga - "Shameless" by Billy Joel (haha he's such a lapdog - sorry, lapWOLF - now and I am HERE FOR IT)
Please let me know what you think of that ridiculous proposal. It made me laugh like a fool while I wrote it, so I hope you guys laugh when you read it! Love ya! Laters! -meggz0rz