A/N: Just another piece of Glitter.
The weeks after the premiere swirled by in a press-filled haze.
Dating rumors were once again flying everywhere, and it was all Inuyasha could do to not curse at every annoying question the paparazzi would callously scream out at him and Kagome whenever they were seen in public.
Of course, it didn't help that they were often seen in public. Her press campaign had slowed down and wouldn't be picking back up until a couple of months later and he had no tour dates set for the next year. Seeing as they were more comfortable and relaxed with each other than with other people, it was only natural for them to gravitate towards each other as they enjoyed the break. It was rare for them to have a coinciding lull in their typically busy schedules, but the previous year had been a wild enough ride that he was thankful for the lack of activity.
He's grateful that their plans for the day didn't involve doing anything that would attract too much attention. Kagome told him the previous night that her apartment's lease was up and that she was going to take that opportunity to finally buy a place close to the beach so she could enjoy her time off better while still being close enough so she could go to the studio if anything comes up. He could see the appeal in that train of thought, although he doesn't really think that an hour's drive is ' close enough'. He secretly prayed that she wouldn't like the place that Kagura recommended–mostly because he really didn't want the hassle of such a long commute just to see her.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" he asks gruffly, bursting the indie bubble Kagome wrapped the car in as soon as she got in. This girl has a playlist for everything.
She sighs playfully and pokes his cheek, "Waze hasn't talked yet so yeah, I'm pretty sure. She'll say something if we've gone off track."
"It really creeps me out when you talk about the GPS like it's an actual person." he grumbles.
"Hush, she can hear you."
"Not fucking funny, wench."
She rolls her eyes and turns the music up even more instead of replying, enjoying both the music and the feel of the wind in her hair as they breeze down the coastal drive with the top down in his convertible. The weather was amazing that day, thankfully, which made it a perfect day to do this. It also allowed them to dress casually–which, for both of them, meant a shirt, jeans, and sneakers. She had raised a brow at their matching outfits when she arrived at his place that morning, but he was too lazy to change and honestly, who gives a fuck?
"I don't know why you insisted on coming if you were just going to be a grump the whole time." she says absently. "I'm a big girl, I've gone house-hunting by myself before. Or I could've asked Sango."
He scoffs, turning yet another corner as per the robot voice's instructions. "Sango's out with Miroku, and the last time you went house-hunting alone, you ended up with a two-bedroom dump in the middle of nowhere, chained to a three-year lease."
"Wow, a two-bedroom's too small for Mr. Bigshot now?" Kagome teases. "Might I remind you that our first place in New York was smaller than your closet?"
"You talk as if your closet's not bigger than mine. You have more shoes than fucking Imelda Marcos."
She pauses, and takes her sunglasses off so she could see him clearer. He glances at her briefly and wonders at her puzzled look. "What?" he asks.
Kagome smiles and winks, "Nothing. I'm just trying to figure out when you became so cultured."
"Probably around the same time you started liking wine over cheap beer."
The next turn he takes leads them into what looks like a private residential zone by the coast. The fresh ocean breeze is obviously much thicker here, and the houses are situated with a fair amount of distance between each other–thus ensuring their residents' privacy without seeming too heavily-guarded.
Even he has to admit that the area is nice and can provide a good escape when the rest of Hollywood starts getting too much.
Inuyasha whistles as he drives past a beautiful Spanish-style villa. "How'd you find this place again?"
"I didn't find it. Kagura recommended it." She replies, looking more excited by the minute. "I didn't even know what I wanted, but then Kanna sent me options and this one looked reasonable enough."
He groans. "Dear god, tell me you at least get your own bathroom this time."
"Do you honestly think Kagura would let me live in a shared apartment? Imagine the horror!" Kagome laughs. "Besides, I'm buying a whole house. It's bound to at least have two bathrooms." She pauses and looks at him curiously. "Why do you care what sort of place I get? I'm the one who's going to be living in it."
"I care because if you get a shit house, then you're going to be crashing on my couch far more than necessary."
"Shut up, you love me." she says with a smack to his chest. "Oh, pull up right here. It's the one on the left."
There wasn't really any point in saying ' the one on the left' because it was the only house in the entire street. Even from a distance, the property already looked brilliant. Once they were buzzed in and let through the automatic gate, he could see how pleased Kagome looked at everything she was seeing.
The villa had a really nice garden which had a small, but still sizeable pond right by the covered driveway. Right beside it was a pathway that led to wooden double doors that served as the entrance to the main house. Everything looked pristine and quiet–a real shelter from the outside world.
There were two other cars parked in the driveway, one of which he knew was Kagura's. It doesn't take him long to park his convertible behind the vehicles, and they only need a few more seconds to compose themselves. Kagome was obviously getting too excited which definitely wouldn't help her negotiation skills, and Inuyasha is briefly amused at how she's nearly bouncing in her seat.
"Okay, woman." he calls out. "Why don't you let me do the talking today?"
"God, Inuyasha. You're acting like I've never done anything remotely adult my whole life!" the actress moans dramatically. "I've leased out two houses and an apartment before this! And you weren't involved in choosing any of those, so just calm down, yeah?"
She moves to get out of the car, but he grabs her arm before she could take a step. "I know." he says a little despondently. "I know I haven't been exactly easy to reach the last few years. And I hate that I missed so much when you've been there for me literally all the time. So let me make up for lost time. I'm here now, so let me be here."
Kagome's brows cross in confusion. He feels like she's searching for something in his expression, but again he couldn't tell what it is that she's looking for. Another flash of something runs through his system, but it's gone in the space between a heartbeat and a sigh, and he forgets all about it when she smiles at him graciously.
"I don't know what the hell you're feeling guilty about dog-boy, but I've told you a thousand times now that we're good. Everybody goes crazy when they fall in love. And you've been chasing after Kikyou since we first moved here six years ago." she explains as she pulls her arm out of his light grip. "I knew you'd need space when you actually got together. And I wasn't offended by it at all."
"Sango said–"
"Sango's just overprotective, you know that." she winks. "I know you didn't choose her over me. And I know you're not hanging around because you're trying to replace her with me. You're forgetting the fact that I know you better than I know myself. So if everything you've been doing lately is some misguided effort to make it up to me, I'm telling you now that you don't have to do that no matter what anyone says."
He doesn't want to admit it, but a huge weight lifts from his shoulders. When he found out that Kikyou had been cheating on him months ago, all he wanted to do was to be around somewhere safe. His entire being equated safety to being around Kagome, but he hadn't known how to even start reaching out to her again at the time after barely talking to his friend for almost a year. He should've known better though. This was Kagome–and regardless of how many times she's been hurt by several people in the past, she just isn't capable of holding a grudge.
She leans in to kiss his cheek and playfully taps his nose with her index finger. "Now, get that dumb look off your face and come see the house with me. I know Kagura scares you, but she's a brilliant agent and she loves us."
He chuckles and shakes himself out of the funk that was threatening to drag his mood down. "She loves you–which is a very good thing since she's the most powerful agent in Hollywood. She just tolerates me because we've been joined at the hip for most of our lives."
"Won't hurt to play up the charm around her though. Show her how much you've improved since you spat coffee on her face." Kagome jokes. She steps out of the car and waits for him to join her on the path to the house. The humidity was taking its toll on his hair so he shoves it into a tight bun on the base of his neck.
He walks toward her then, putting his arm around her shoulders out of habit. "It's not like I did it on purpose! She came out of Sesshomaru's room in a robe! I didn't even know they talked, much less that they were fucking!"
Kagome rolls her eyes and guides them in. "You've always been such a drama queen. Maybe you should consider changing your profession. Miroku always says you have what it takes to act."
"No, idiot. He says I most definitely do not have what it takes to act. It takes me at least 10 takes to shoot a fucking music video."
"Ah, well I'm out of ideas for you, bud. Maybe you could try flipping burgers for a living?"
"And leave you alone in this godforsaken town?" he says with a nudge. "I'm cruel, but that would just be like throwing a piece of chicken to a pack of rabid wolves."
"Such a way with words." she sighs.
"Yeah well the five Grammies at home can attest to that."
"Kagome, darling, there you are!" Kagura croons as soon as they walk through the doors.
The actress smiles and moves out from under Inuyasha's arm to give her agent a warm hug. "Hey Kagura, thanks again for setting this up."
"Oh anything for you, love." Kagura preens. "Though honestly I just did this to make sure you won't end up in a ratty apartment in the valley. I can't have my star client living in a dump. Especially when you just made millions off of the last film."
"You know I said the exact same thing?" Inuyasha interrupts, smiling as he greets the professional-looking woman with a kiss on the cheek. "When she told me she was checking out a house today I had to make sure she'd at least get a decent bathroom this time."
The agent just raises her brow at him as though she didn't believe what he just said. "Sure, let's go with that."
He almost rolls his eyes, but remembers that this lady could take his career down without batting an eye. So instead, he maintains the forced smile on his face and stands next to Kagome, who lazily intertwines her fingers with his.
Kagura watches the slight interaction and purses her lips. Kagome was busy looking around so she doesn't see it, but he does, and he feels a bit of trepidation at what the agent might say.
She looks at him though and he pretends that he didn't see anything. He's never been a fan of awkward conversations and regardless of what Kagome says about how the only thing that should matter is what the two of them think, he's not fool enough to ignore what this town could do to them.
"This place is great, Kagura!" Kagome says, bringing his attention back to her. "I can't believe how perfect it is."
The agent shakes herself off and smiles smugly. "Being the most powerful person in Hollywood has its perks, darling. Kanna here can take you on a tour, if you're all set?"
"Oh yes, please." his friend bubbles. She tugs on his hand and together, they follow Kanna around the massive villa, looking at the various rooms with thinly-veiled interest.
The living room was brightly lit courtesy of the glass-panelled sliding doors that ran all throughout the massive area, which made the earth-toned furniture stand out without looking too overwhelming. The entire place looked like a page off of Architectural Digest, which it probably is, come to think of it, given Kagura's rather expensive taste.
Most of the seats faced the glass doors, through which a clear view of the pristine beach could be seen. There was a deck outside that had a small pool, and off to the side were stairs that led directly to the sandy beach. And in the corner of the living area stood a black grand piano which, upon testing, was in perfect tune.
The rest of the house looked amazing as well–all of the appliances in the kitchen were top-of-the-line and everything was arranged to give whoever was cooking a seamless experience. There were bar seats around the kitchen island which could also serve as a more intimate dining table if they didn't feel like using the actual dining space which could seat about 12 people–more, if there was a small event being held.
The villa was divided into two wings—the east wing held the master bedroom and three of the five spare bedrooms, while the other two bedrooms and other amenities were situated in the west wing. It was obvious from the layout of the house that whoever had it built was part of the entertainment industry as well, since most of the facilities that would need to be accessed by household and talent staff were separated from the main bedrooms by the living room. This would allow the homeowner to still have complete privacy even during times when they would need to have a continuous flow of people milling about to help them prepare for events.
Inuyasha was surprised when Kanna showed them a fully decked out studio in the basement of the west wing. The equipment, of course, was top-notch and he briefly wondered if Kagome had mentioned this to Kagura. Before he could tease her about it though, Kagura interjected with a simple shrug and a pointed "I'd rather you stay close than have to drag my prized client to your studio in the middle of the night".
Another pleasant surprise was a decent dance studio located on the third floor. He knew Kagome missed dancing, but didn't want to advertise it any more than necessary. Having that room in her house could let her dive right in whenever she felt the desire to instead of having to sneak around Hollywood.
Overall, the two of them loved the place. Yes, it was massive and a tad bit fancier than they were used to, but it had everything they could possibly need to work and play without being in constant scrutiny of the press.
"We'll take it." he announced as soon as everyone settled down on the patio by the pool.
Kagura and Kanna paused, and Kagome raised a brow at him with a curious "We?"
He rolls his eyes at the dumb look on his friend's face. "Didn't you hear what Kanna said? It's a competitive market. There are two other people viewing this place today."
"Yes, but we?"
"I didn't know you were getting a house together." Kagura muses. "Had I known, I would've recommended a place that's a bit… homier than this."
"No, Kagura, this is perfect." he waves off before addressing Kagome's increasingly annoyed expression. "You aren't seriously thinking of getting this place by yourself. The upkeep alone's going to cost a fortune!"
"I may not have inherited millions like you did, but in case you've forgotten, I've made a pretty decent living for myself the last ten years!" she spits out vehemently.
Getting annoyed himself, he scowls and pushes back. "What the hell are you going to do with all this space? Fill it with cats?"
"What do you care what I do with this place? It's mine!"
"I didn't say it wasn't! Since when did you become such a diva? We've always lived together! I don't see what the problem is with doing that again!" he growls.
"You're being an idiot."
"And you're being a selfish bitch."
"Okay!" Kagura interrupts loudly, her hands slamming down on the table to get their attention.
It works, and the two friends have the decency to look ashamed at the behavior they've displayed in front of a practical stranger. Kagura's used to them being occasionally snippy with each other, but the look on Kanna's face is more than enough to sow fear in their hearts. The last thing they'd need is for this exchange to leak out to the press.
"You've clearly outdone yourself, Kanna!" the agent says brightly, her attention veering towards the real estate agent beside her. "Not even noon yet and you already have two big stars fighting over this divine home." She gives Kagome and Inuyasha pointed looks which make the two shrink down their seats. She rises and takes Kanna by the arm, leading her back into the house. "Why don't we give them a moment to talk and let's you and me have a little chat about the importance of non-disclosure agreements?"
The lack of audience still doesn't bring the two of them to start talking. Kagome breathes in and out to calm herself down, opting to look out at the crystal blue waters rather than the silver-haired musician beside her. To his credit, Inuyasha doesn't speak either as he tries to find a way to recalibrate the way he approached the conversation. The last thing he said weighs on him like a brick and he mentally berates himself at regressing to an angry behavior he knows Kagome absolutely abhors—in front of other people, no less. He's never been good with words when it came to her, but he clearly crossed a line.
Sighing, he spins his chair around so he can face her fully, the screeching and vibration of the seat's legs against the patio floor grounding him more. Gently, he pokes her shoulder and waits until she sighs and looks back at him.
"I'm being a dick, aren't I?" he mumbles.
"Fuck yeah you are." Kagome growls, though not as vicious as before. "What the hell are you thinking?"
He flinches at the question but doesn't back down. If they were having this conversation back when they were teenagers, he'd probably just jump back to being a defensive jackass and start yelling again. But the years have tamed him somewhat and taught him how to properly talk to her—just her though. The rest of the world can either adjust to his temper or fuck right off.
"I was thinking," he starts slowly, "that I don't want the most practical person I know to lose out on such a good deal. Twenty-five mil's not exactly change, even for a celebrity like you."
"I know what I can and can't afford, Inuyasha. You didn't even give me a chance to talk! You just jumped in and started bullying your way in out of the fucking blue."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry," he sighs. "You know I can be an idiot, but I really do have the best intentions."
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." she rolls her eyes. "And on that note, I don't even know what your intentions are. I still don't understand why you'd just completely roll over me like that."
"Well I mean, it is an amazing house." he tries to joke. At her completely bemused look, he leans back and tries to piece his thought process together out loud. "I mean, half of your closet's already at my place, and half of mine's in yours. We're practically living together as is, aren't we?"
"This morning you were against me getting a house and now you're essentially implying that you want to move in with me? You're still skipping a few steps there, Inuyasha."
"Yeah, I know." he breathes out. Honestly he wasn't even thinking when he said all those stuff earlier, but now that he's being forced to put one thought in front of the other, he can see that he really truly screwed up. "I guess I was just thinking about how much more convenient it'd be for us to just be in one place. And this house has everything we need and more space than we can possibly cover in a day! If you want to call it quits, we can just split my house in the city too. So you won't have to drive so far if you have meetings at the studio or some shit."
Kagome stares him down and he fidgets in his seat. Shaking her head, she pushes her sunglasses up and pinches the bridge of her nose. "You're pulling all of this out of your ass."
He shrugs. "I mean maybe I am, but it all sounds reasonable, doesn't it? If you want to pay for the whole house, then go ahead. But I'll cover the upkeep and shit. You can do the same with the house in the city."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, honestly." she says. "But I get why you proposed it." Kagome looks at him seriously, "We're not thinking this through. There's a ton of other stuff we should talk about."
"Isn't that how we've always been? Shoot first, ask later?" he asks, hoping that she'd concede to his plan, as half-assed as it may be.
"We can't keep being impulsive, you know. That can't possibly be who we choose to be for the rest of our lives."
Inuyasha shrugs again. "It's always worked out for us so far. We decided to move to New York a day before we actually moved, and look at where we are now."
"That is just… completely beside the point." she mutters. She looks away again, out at the beach, and he waits for her to tell him what she'd like to do. In hindsight, he didn't really have to do anything. He would've ended up with his own room in the massive villa for sure, and he probably would've spent most of his time in the house regardless. He went about this like a bull in a china shop, but the more that he talked about what was in his head, the more certain he became of the fact that he wanted to actually, officially, share something with Kagome. There was something about knowing that she'd be at their home at the end of his day that made things feel right.
"You know you're an idiot, right?" she says as she peers at him with a slight smile.
At this point, he knows what the conclusion will be, but he would not deny her the chance to chastise him. "Yeah, I really do."
"And you know this isn't going to squash those annoying rumors." she points out.
He cocks his head a bit and replies, "I thought we shouldn't care what other people think?"
"Yeah, but this is different and you know that. It could get complicated and messy."
"I don't think it'll be a problem if one of us starts to date, if that's what you're saying." he explains. "It's a huge house. The only way it'll get messy is if you decide to host an orgy. And if you do, just text me and I'll stay in the city."
Finally, fucking finally, Kagome laughs. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." she sighs one last time and stands up, stretching out and breathing in the gentle sea breeze. She smiles and looks down at him, holding out her hand for him to take. "Let's go buy a house."
He grins, rises and hugs her tight as he kisses her forehead, "Let's."
They walk inside and find Kagura and Kanna carefully poring over a few papers on the kitchen island. Kagome smiles and tells them both that they'll take the house and starts asking about the logistics of it all, and Inuyasha asks about the escrow, payment terms and other important notes for purchasing the villa.
Despite their earlier display, Kanna cheerily answers their questions and lets them know that she could have everything ready for them in the next week, and if they wanted to, they could even just buy all of the furniture that's already in the house so they can move in sooner. They happily agree and she gives Kagome the initial papers that need to be signed to secure the deal.
Since the house will be in her name, Inuyasha takes that moment to grab a bottle of beer from the fridge that's been stocked with refreshments for house-viewers.
"I'll be by the pool if you need me," he says to Kagome as he kisses her cheek. Satisfied at her brief nod, he makes his way to their earlier seats and enjoys the view, the beginnings of a song already forming in his head.
Just as he pulls his phone out to key in a few lyrics he'd like to play with, Kagura clears her throat and sits beside him.
"Is there anything you two would like to tell me?" she asks right away.
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't know, Inuyasha." she bites out. "I didn't even know you were together, much less that you're already deep enough that you'd be moving in with her."
He rolls his eyes, but catches himself when the agent's glare deepens. "It's not like that, and you know it."
"Doesn't look like I know anything at this point." Kagura says angrily. "I've been fielding the fucking paparazzi and saying you two are just friends, but everything I've seen today tells me otherwise. I don't appreciate being made a fool of, and I can guarantee you that your brother will feel the same way."
"We've never lied to you before, Kagura, and we won't start now." he responds calmly, trying to placate the miffed woman in front of him. "Besides, if anything like that ever happens, you'll hear it straight from us, if not from Sesshomaru."
She scoffs. "Every time I ask your brother about you two, he says you're both being idiotic children."
"We're not going to stop hanging out just because of the press." his brows are already starting to meet as he flat out refuses whatever implication Kagura was laying on.
"If you truly didn't care, then why don't you just let us tell the parasites that you're dating? Believe me when I say you'll make all of our lives easier if you do that, including yours." she pauses and glances in Kagome's direction. "It's not like it'll change anything anyway from the looks of it."
"You and I both know that it can bite us in the ass one day," he points out. "What if one of us starts dating and word gets out?"
Kagura looks like she's running out of patience and looks up at the sky, praying to whoever was listening for strength to not kill the boy in front of her. If he wasn't so goddamn talented, she'd have chewed him up and spat him out by now. "You're planning on dating someone already?"
"Well… no, but–"
"When was the last time you actually heard about her going out with someone?"
He thinks for a second as he finds the answer. "Kouga, I think? But that wasn't–"
"Kouga whose nose you broke?"
"I still don't get why people keep reminding me of–"
"Apart from that, anyone else?"
Annoyed at the interrogation, he huffs, "No? I don't know, she doesn't really talk to me about stuff like that."
Kagura leans forward a smidge, looking at him as if willing him to understand what she was trying to say. God forgive him though, he just couldn't figure it out.
A few seconds pass and nothing changes in either of their expressions, and eventually Kagura looks away and runs her manicured fingers through her hair. "Sesshomaru's right. You're a fucking child."
"Uh… what?"
She stands and brushes imaginary lint off of her skirt. "Listen, Taisho. I don't know what universe you're living in, but you need to understand that Kagome's not just my star client. The woman actually has a big goddamn heart that this town hasn't ruined or tainted yet despite how long she's been surrounded by scumbags. I've spent the last ten years trying to protect that, and I won't tolerate the existence of anyone who puts that at risk. I've ruined careers–lives–of anyone who's tried to even look at her wrong, and I'm sure you know your brother's been helping me with that."
He looks positively gobsmacked at this sudden turn, but tries to follow what she's saying anyway. "Yeah, I do. I mean we all grew up together, so of course Sesshomaru's going to take care of her too."
"Sesshomaru loves her–even though he will never say it out loud, and I love her too." she nods. "You need to know that if push comes to shove, we will always choose Kagome. Even over you."
Again… what? "Why will you have to choose at all?"
Kagura sighs, her serious face looking pained. As though it was physically hurting her to speak with him at this point. "Because you are a bumbling fuck of a man, and your idiocy exceeds even my lowest expectations." She steps away and glares at him one more time, "If she gets hurt, I'll destroy you. No award will protect you and I'll make sure the only place you can sing in this town is the street–and even then, I guarantee you won't have a friendly audience."
Inuyasha nods slowly, still perplexed at what the agent was saying. Why would he ever want to hurt Kagome? He doesn't voice it anymore though since it was clear that Kagura's already done with the conversation. Instead, he hastens to reassure her, "You won't have to destroy me because I'm also going to make sure she never gets hurt."
"Yeah, keep saying that." she mumbles. She checks her phone and curses, hastily opening the sliding door to go back into the house. "I need to go. Tell Kagome I already had those papers checked out by our in-house lawyer so she doesn't have to worry. Ta."
He watches as the agent walks through the doors, already on her phone as she makes her way out of the villa.
Moving into the house and getting it set up according to both of their tastes went by smoother than he thought it would. Granted, the villa already had practically everything that they needed thanks to Kagome's brilliant decision to purchase the staging furniture as is. They didn't need to worry about much–just their own personal touches to make everything feel like their own space.
Two of the rather sizable bedrooms were converted into their dressing rooms–his in the west wing and hers in the east. It made things easier for them to get ready for the various events their agents and Sesshomaru had set up for them to attend. They didn't have any major projects that year, which unfortunately meant that they were requested to engage in more press tours than they would've liked. But keeping the momentum for the film they were both involved in was important to keep the buzz around it going until the awards season was over and done with.
Sesshomaru didn't think that they needed to worry at this point, though. Following the movie's success at Cannes, securing at least a nomination in the rest of the major awards that year was practically guaranteed. They were essentially given free reign on what they wanted to spend their time on, which allowed them to work on a few passion projects here and there. It was a liberating feeling for two people who often had packed schedules that sucked the life out of them, which made having the beach-side villa all the more perfect for the relative lull.
Looking out at the picturesque sunset in front of them, Inuyasha sighs in pleasure as the cold beer he's been nursing runs down his throat. Kagome is due to come home that night after a week-long shoot in Rome for one of the jewelry brands she advertises for. He tried to insist on picking her up from LAX, but she was adamant that he stay put. At this point, nearly all of Hollywood thinks that they're in a serious relationship and while they couldn't give more of a fuck to correct them, there's no point in adding fuel to the fire.
"So," Miroku starts. The violet-eyed man has been coming around so often that he decided to give him his own room in his wing. "You've been out of the dating pool for nearly a year now. Got your sights set on anyone?"
Inuyasha raises his brow at his manager. "How is that any of your business?"
"I'm your manager. Your whole goddamn life is my business." he replies casually. "I need to be ready to do damage control in case any of your trysts ends up being a colossal shitshow."
The musician scoffs. "Well you don't have to worry about that. I'm good."
"Good as in you're not looking, or good as in you've already found someone?"
"I'm not looking, and I'm not interested in doing anything remotely close to that." he shrugs. The two of them were lounging in the villa's quaint rooftop gazebo, only talking sporadically as they both enjoyed the quiet. Inuyasha grabs the guitar he had brought up with him and starts absently plucking out some chords.
"Did Kikyou really fuck you up that bad?" Miroku wonders out loud.
He scoffs. "That bitch doesn't have anything to do with it. I'm just bored of the whole thing, is all. It just isn't worth it."
"So Kikyou getting married to that dick she cheated on you with didn't bother you at all?"
"Why would it?"
Miroku shrugged. "You pined over her for so long, I guess it'd make sense if it did."
"Well it didn't, so you can drop it."
"Touchy, touchy." his friend teased. "How's Kagome doing?"
Inuyasha didn't miss the way his manager's eyes twinkled when he asked, nor did he ignore the not-so-subtle change in their conversation's direction. "Don't."
"What? I can't ask about my friend?"
"You're being too fucking annoying to just be asking about your friend." he growled in response.
"So I've actually been thinking about something."
"That's dangerous." he mutters. His head was starting to spin, not knowing what Miroku was trying to get at. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, but the teasing lilt in the man's voice told him he'd know all about it anyway. Doomed by his own laziness to move, Inuyasha keeps absently plucking on his guitar—using the sound to ground him and his patience.
Miroku smirks at him and lights a cigarette, taking a long drag before leaning back against his seat, ice-cold bottle of beer still in hand. "I noticed something a little funny the other day when I was checking out the social listening reports Sesshomaru sent me."
"You know I don't care about that shit. You get 5% of me every year so I don't have to even hear about it at all."
"I get 5% of you so I can give you bullet points from 70-page reports." his manager points out. "Anyway, I just found your relationship timeline interesting. Thought you'd want to know why."
"My what?" Inuyasha scoffs. "Fuck it, I don't wanna know. Just tell me what you want me to do or who I need to avoid. I don't need the details."
"It's interesting because it looks like most of your break-ups happened after most of your exes said some shit about Kagome." He continues far too nonchalantly. "Come to think of it, any negative press you have revolves around her too. It's like you just can't help but come to her rescue whenever you hear something bad being said about her."
"She's my best friend, you dumb fuck." Inuyasha states with a roll of his eyes. "You've known us for ten years now. I don't know why you're bringing this up now."
"Might be because you've gone six months without any negative press at all. That's a new record for someone who makes a habit of getting drunk and brawling with Hollywood douchebags every month." Miroku sips his beer and continues. "No bar fights, no dating dramas, fantastic reviews on the singles you've released, production credits. Looks like you've been reformed. All within six months."
"Talking to you is exhausting."
"Hey, didn't you move in here six months ago?" his manager asks gleefully. "Such an interesting coincidence, don't you think?"
Inuyasha scowls at him and takes a generous gulp of beer himself. "I know what you're getting at, and I swear if you keep talking like that I'm firing you on the spot. You know what's going on."
Miroku looks at him squarely. "You know, I seriously don't. I know you, and I know Kagome. And I've seen the two of you together. You two look like a fucking rom-com montage." He sighs. "And you've been moping around the goddamn house like a lost puppy since she left a week ago."
"I haven't been moping, I was just tired." the singer rolls his eyes. "And please, you know Kagome's just a touchy-feely person. It doesn't mean anything."
"She's never even so much as kissed another guy on the cheek in public! And there are absolutely no pictures or videos or whatever of her being that touchy-feely with anyone she's ever dated! She only gets like that with you."
Inuyasha looks at him like he's an idiot. "Because it's me."
"Exactly!" Miroku points out passionately. " Because it's you!"
"I just said that."
"I'm trying to fucking—" his manager sighs in frustration. "What does that tell you, Inuyasha?" he asks desperately. "And what the hell are you going to do about it? Because I think you're running out of time and I don't think I can fix this for you if it ends up in pieces."
Inuyasha puts his guitar down and looks at his friend, his brows meeting in aggravation. "I have no fucking idea what you're saying, so I don't know what the hell you want me to do."
"You can't honestly be this stupid?"
Inuyasha blinks and sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Miroku can you just tell it to me straight please?"
"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do?" the purple-eyed man grumbles. "Listen man, if you still can't see it, then I don't know what else to tell you. As talented as you are, you inarguably have no intelligence at all."
They fall silent once more. Something is niggling in Inuyasha's head, courtesy of Miroku's planet-sized hints, but he can't possibly afford to think like that, so he ignores it instead.
A few minutes pass and Miroku speaks once more. "Every single one of the people you dated asked you to live with them at some point. You've always said no because you said you're finicky with your space. And yet here you are, living with the messiest, clumsiest woman I know. Why? Why is it so easy with her and not with people you were actually having sex with?"
"Because it's Kagome." he rolls his eyes.
"Yeah. It's Kagome." his manager emphasizes. "And, again you gorgeous, insecure bastard, what does that tell you?"
Inuyasha doesn't answer. Instead, he checks his phone and smiles when he sees a message from his glorified roommate.
'Landed. See you soon x'
Miroku groans and gives up, quickly running through his cigarette and taking huge swigs from the bottle he was golding. "A fucking talented moron. God really doesn't give with both hands, huh?"
The singer ignores him and quickly types in a reply for his best friend, the beginnings of a song already in his head.
A/N: Hope it was a fun read for everyone!