InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fade and Flare ❯ Chapter 6

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Note: This is the completed version of the chapter. If you feel you've read the first parts before, keep going-- more has been added!

---

"Can you please repeat your name, Ma'am?"

"It's Kagome Higurashi, but we're staying with someone by the name of Hojo." Kagome was glad that she took some time to refresh her English on the plane. Though she may have needed a little help with grammar her accent remained flawless.

The short man nearing his forties smiled courteously and typed at a console in a dark blue suit. "Oh! Oh, excuse me, we've been waiting for you. Is your entire party of three here?"

"Yes," she answered, gesturing towards Inuyasha and Sango.

"Here are three keys. Please enjoy your stay; I'll get somebody to escort you to your suite, ma'am."

The three stood together, next to a youkai bellboy who kept their luggage on a cart. Sango guessed that the young man was of feline heritage, but Inuyasha insisted that he was definitely a wolf. "Only the smell of wolves can piss me off like this," Inuyasha had growled.

"Excuse me; are you Higurashi Kagome-san?"

Kagome was a little startled to hear the question in Japanese. She turned only to discover a video camera staring back at her, and panicked almost immediately.

"Inuyasha," She squeaked. Before she could react any further Sango darted in front of her, throwing her windbreaker over Kagome's head and leading her towards the nearest exit.

"What the fucking hell? Get away from her!"

"Pardon? Sir, wait a minute, please--"

"What the hell part of 'get away from her' do you not understand?" Flexing his claws Inuyasha swiped at the cameraman, barely missing, and then turned to swing at his companion who held a microphone.

"Why are you doing this!" the cameraman stumbled backwards, away from another hit from Inuyasha.

"Wait! Stop, Inuyasha, they've been hired!" Frenzied steps on a marble floor sounded and the hanyou froze, staring incredulously at Hojo, who stood panting next to Kagome and Sango.

"Hired? What the fuck is--"

"Mind telling us what's going on, Hojo-san?"

"Of course, Sango-san," the young man laughed nervously. Glancing between a confused Kagome and an annoyed Sango he gulped. "But it's still part of the surprise I mentioned… drop off your things in your suite and then come to mine where I can show you!"

Kagome bit back a reply, exchanging glances with Sango who shrugged her shoulders and gave a helpless smile. The two ladies then directed sidelong glances to Inuyasha, who was obviously fuming over the situation.

---

Yuka was stretched across a small blue couch when Hojo came bursting into the room, and back out to another. She sipped mango juice out of a can, watching his hired cameramen rush in after him. A grin spread across her face-- there was something endearing about a flustered man in love. She plucked a piece of pineapple from the fruit platter she had recently set out, eating it quickly.

"I take it Kagome's on her way?" she called after him.

"Hojo-san, where would you like us to stand?"

He frantically dashed back into the room, hands flailing as he shifted his gaze back and forth. "Hm…" Hojo paused, smiling at his mental picture of Kagome as she would notice the ring. She would probably drop the champagne glass it was in, but then! Then all of the tears she had ever shed because of him would become a distant memory as he would drop to one knee, gazing earnestly into her eyes. Only magic could follow; he was sure of this! What's more he'd have these moments to watch again, over and over and years later, maybe with their children…

…as soon as he could give the cameraman an answer. "I want the camera to face the door as she comes in, I think. Yes. Yes, let's just do that; she's probably almost here. Remember: most of all, I want her expression captured when I surprise her!"

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Hojo nodded to the cameraman who started rolling. Suddenly his throat was in a knot. He couldn't even ask them to come in! He stared helplessly at Yuka, who gave him a knowing nod and a placating smile.

She lowered her juice can. "Come in, you guys."

It seemed to take forever for the door to open. Kagome stepped inside, followed by Sango, and a bored-looking Inuyasha. Taking one look at the cameraman and one look at Hojo, who was grinning deliriously, Kagome sat herself on a chair near Yuka's couch. Yuka turned to remove her feet from the couch, motioning for Inuyasha and Sango to take a seat.

"I'll get us some champagne," Hojo mumbled, rushing out of the room.

"Great," Inuyasha replied. As he sat down on the couch's middle cushion Yuka beamed, linking an arm with his as she cuddled up next to him.

"My God," she giggled. "You are quite the fox, aren't you?"

Sango was suddenly reluctant to share a couch with the pair. She scooted far off to one side, as close to Kagome's chair as possible, trying not to frown as Inuyasha fumbled for a reply.

Kagome was irritated the minute she saw the cameramen in the room, and suddenly grew even more so, watching Inuyasha fail to respond. I must be tired. "Actually Hayashi-san," she chimed in once she realized that Inuyasha was too flustered to say anything, "He's not a fox at all. He's half dog!" She hoped the stupid joke would release some tension in the room.

Sango and Yuka both chuckled. Inuyasha gave a grateful look to Kagome and broke away from Yuka, yanking his arm away from her to slap his forehead in a feigned reaction to the joke. Yuka seemed oblivious to the subtle rejection.

"Hojo's taking a little long with the champagne. I'm going to see if he needs help."

"Oh, let me!" Kagome stood quickly but was pushed quickly back down into her chair.

"That won't do," Yuka said, smiling. "You just take it easy and let us serve you." With a toss of her auburn hair, she headed out of the room, finding Hojo on the floor. He crawled around, frantic and nearly in tears.

"Yuka, what happened after I left this room?"

"Ran down to my room because I forgot the fruit plate, and ran to the vending machine for some juice. What's wrong?" She glanced around the room double-checking the catered food: it was all there. Her eyes ran over to a cooler filled with ice and beer, to the plates and utensils, and finally to the tray of poured champagne. She exchanged a terrified glance with Hojo and walked closer to the glasses.

Slowly she began to count them: one per person, five in total. One glass in the center with the engagement ring nestled at the bottom… Yuka paused, looking between Hojo and the center glass.

There was no diamond ring.

"Oh my GOD," she nearly screamed; Hojo leaped up to cover her mouth.

"You're sure you or someone else didn't accidentally knock over a glass or something?" His eyebrows twisted in a plea. This couldn't be happening! The least he could do to make things up to Kagome, the very least, would be to make sure this proposal was perfect.

Yuka's heart broke at the expression on his face. It grew more hopeless by the second, but she only shook her head in response. "Maybe a maid came in while I was out? We could call the front desk,"

"Did you guys get lost in there, or what?" Inuyasha's voice reached them from the other room.

Jerk. It was ridiculously obvious to Hojo that Inuyasha didn't want to be there, so why did he even bother coming? He wanted to hit something. "I'll just have to wing it for now."

"We're on our way out now, everyone!" Yuka grabbed the tray of champagne glasses and looked to Hojo who picked up the bottle, trailing after her. A false smile was plastered across his face.

"Sorry everyone, I couldn't find the corkscrew." Hojo passed out glasses and raised his. "Surprise, Kagome!"

She stared at him as he stepped towards her.

"I..." he looked around the room momentarily. "I... know that lots of this last TV show was shot at your... our expense. I want to apologize to you for that."

"I, uh, I understand, Hojo." Kagome exchanged glances with Sango and Inuyasha.

"So I spoke with the producer, and he… he came up with the idea to shoot an extra segment for the DVD release. A sort of, ah, personal wrap party. Each regular cast member gets one, and of course it was requested that I have you along because of what happened on All Night Nippon!"

Kagome tried to look enthusiastic. "So. That's the surprise, eh? Um..." A few days under a camera lens wasn't exactly what she had in mind.

"Awesome, isn't it? So come on, I've got lunch waiting in the kitchen." Hojo realized that Kagome's forced smile rivaled his own.

Sango looked over to Inuyasha, who looked like he was about to kill someone. "It's definitely a new experience," chimed in Sango.

"Heh heh..." Hojo drank his champagne quickly. "Let's start this party!"

---

The rest of the afternoon came quickly. After lunch Hojo had asked for Yuka's assistance while he went out, and the remaining trio was left with the cameramen at the beach. Before he left, Hojo instructed them to keep filming while he was away, but to let everyone have some non-camera time after the sun went down.

Inuyasha was parked on a beach towel, fuming at their situation. The sun was still high in the sky, and the heat and humidity showed no signs of mercy, so Sango and Kagome had decided to finally swim in the ocean. In white and red swim trunks Inuyasha brooded in the sand, watching them. A chance to relax before going back to their busy schedules was botched again due to Hojo's stupidity. This time, though, things didn't feel like Hojo's regular brand of "accidental insensitivity." Hojo understood too well that Kagome did not like to publicize their personal life. Why the hell did he do this? The Japanese public's knowledge of their relationship was already excessive; more than most other celebrities. Kagome's famous smile could only stretch so far to distract from what little privacy she had left.

That famous smile was across Kagome's face at the moment, as she and Sango played in the waves. Not too far behind them was the man holding the camera, and a couple of feet behind him ran the man holding a microphone.

Something was fishy. Inuyasha decided that he would make the two-man camera crew work hard for their money. Sighing, he stood.

"You girls had better fucking prepare yourselves!" he howled. As soon as the camera turned towards him he dashed at full speed towards Sango and Kagome. Ignoring their shrieks he snaked an arm around each of their waists taking them into the sky with a great leap.

"What on earth are you doing!" Kagome balled her fists and pounded on him as they plummeted quickly towards the water. Sango could only laugh.

"Hold your breath," he warned with a smirk. They landed into an oncoming wave which knocked them apart, sending a tangle of limbs, sand, and salt water flying messily in every direction. Once vertical again, the three couldn't stop their laughter.

Inuyasha glanced at the cameramen. They were quick to move away from any splashes. "I want you to notice something," Inuyasha mumbled beneath a smile for the camera. "Those cameras aren't waterproof. I don't know how far they can zoom, but there's gotta be a limit."

Sango raised an eyebrow, intrigued. She adjusted her halter-style bikini top, raising her elbows high in the air to cover her face as she adjusted the strap behind her neck. "It'd be good if one of us could distract the camera away from Kagome a little bit."

Kagome's smile resonated. "You guys are great." She jumped up as another wave washed into them.

"Inuyasha, take us out further, I've got an idea. Look like you're surprising us-- AAACK!" If her mouth hadn't have been full of salt water at the moment, she would have been laughing even harder. Once she noticed the camera was on them she started screaming again. "Let me go!"

Inuyasha didn't know how to react. "Hah! Uh... take that!"

"Wow, what original lines," Sango giggled, only loud enough for her companions to hear. Louder she screeched, "Let me go! I can't swim very well, you jerk!" Sango broke out of his grasp. As she waded to the shore, she turned to Inuyasha and Kagome. "You guys go out as far as you can go."

Inuyasha nodded, pulling Kagome out towards a buoy. "Hey."

"Yeah?"

"I know you're a good swimmer." The corners of his mouth bent upwards. His eyes narrowed mischievously. Both of his hands closed around her waist and he hurled her as high as he could throw, up and out of the ocean. He laughed at her screams, knowing she would hit the water without incident. After Kagome landed back in the water and came back up to the surface, she whacked him on the head.

"Warn me before you're going to do that! I was terrified, you ass!" Even though her words were harsh, Kagome was laughing as she spoke.

"Heh. Sorry. Here's your warning." Without missing a beat Inuyasha hurled Kagome out of the water once more. She screamed again, and Inuyasha continued to terrorize her by dunking her head under water or flinging her around by her hands. As long as he could elicit a scream from Kagome his smile didn't disappear.

Slowly, he realized that perhaps he was having fun. Maybe his more feral side was delighting in alarmed screams from weaker, lesser humans as he flung them around mercilessly.

Well, of course with Kagome he had to exercise some mercy.

He noticed that Kagome was waving at the shore. Turning around, he saw Sango waving at them from the beach. The camera was pointed at her as she posed a little bit and began doing kata across the sand. Inuyasha was almost envious of her fluid kicks and punches. "Hey... did you know she could do all of that?"

Kagome shook her head and pointed at Sango. "No. Did you know she could back flip like that?"

Inuyasha shook his head, dumbstruck.

Out in the water, the pair floated together, continuing to watch Sango.

"Okay, if she moves like that then why the hell is she a stylist?" Inuyasha wondered aloud.

"Search me. Hey, Inuyasha... let's go back soon."

Inuyasha turned his attention back to Kagome. "We just got out here, what's the matter? Isn't it nice to be far away from those guys?"

"Of course. I'm just getting tired of treading water, that's all."

"Keh! What a stupid thing to bitch about."

"Excuse me? Half our little two-person group doesn't have youkai stamina. I'm just trying not to drown, okay?"

"Oh, like I'd fucking let you drown! You actually don't trust me?"

Kagome rolled her eyes.

The hanyou's voice softened. "Just hang on to me if you're tired."

"Fine." Kagome moved behind Inuyasha, draping her arms over his shoulders. She rested her head against his, soothed by the motion of the water as her legs floated to the surface behind her.

It didn't take long for the sun to go down. Inuyasha grinned, watching the cameramen turn off their equipment and walk off the beach amidst families who packed away their coolers and folded their beach towels for the evening. He glanced to the head resting on his shoulders, staring into the pair of eyes that looked back at him.

"Ready to head back?"

"Sure."

Sango met them at the shore with their towels. "I think I'm gonna head inside to take a shower."

"Well, I need a nap." Inuyasha gestured towards Kagome. "It's not like it's hard carrying her around on my back, but maybe the flight took a little bit out of me."

It was still warm out, but as Kagome noticed the sunset she realized that the temperature was much more comfortable now. "You guys have fun. I think I want to stay out here a little longer." She patted herself dry and laid her towel out across the sand.

Kagome watched her two dear friends walk further and further away, under the remaining sunlight. Once they were out of sight she rolled onto her back, releasing a sigh. While she didn't know what to expect for the rest of this trip, she at least took comfort in the fact that she finally felt relaxed. Maybe sunsets had that effect on her.

Something about this one reminded Kagome of old times... Those memories circled in her mind while she inevitably succumbed to sleep.

---

"Hideto-san,"

"That's just 'Hideto' to you, Kagome."

"H-hideto… it's my first time. Mama always told me never to touch a man's..."

He chuckled softly into Kagome's ear. "If you're scared, you don't have to."

She folded her arms. "Hey! I'm not naïve. Of course it's not going to bite me, but..."

"'…But?'"

"Will you? If I hurt it?"

There was another soft laugh. In hearing that laugh Kagome suddenly remembered why she loved his singing voice.

"Kagome-chan, if those gorgeous fingers are just as delicate everywhere else as they are on the piano, you are welcome to run them over anything of mine."

"Just remember that this was your idea."

Steeling herself, she stared down at the lacquer black 1962 Gretsch Duo Jet that stood ominously on its stand. Its nickel-colored frets glinted against the sun, reflecting spots of sunlight from behind six strings into Kagome's eyes. With a final nod of approval from Hideto and a reassuring pat on the shoulder she fingered its strap, pensively lifting it over her torso. Though the guitar was light the young woman was new to the unfamiliar weight that rested against her hips. Kagome looked back at Hideto with a helpless expression. "You're sure you want me to use this one? Don't you have an older, beat up one I can learn on?"

Her companion coolly ran a hand through his recently-bleached blonde hair. "This baby can pull off a lot of different sounds. Her tone is amazing, even without an amp. A great guitarist can make any guitar sound great, but you're new and need a bit of help. Take it from a former music teacher."

Kagome smirked. "Do you qualify as a full-fledged music teacher if you only taught the drums?"

Hideto rolled his eyes. "I should have known you'd know something like that."

"Anyone who's an official member of your fan club knows that, sheesh."

"Wow. And here I thought you'd be thrilled to learn to play on your favorite rock star's new guitar. Silly me," laughed Hideto.

Kagome beamed, following Hideto to his couch and sitting down next to him. "'My favorite rock star?' Hey, I thought we were friends, now. Or are you still somewhat untouchable to me...?"

"I think you're already familiar with how I feel about your touching of my things."

It was Kagome's turn to laugh this time. She pointed accusingly at her companion, giggling madly. "That's sexual harassment! What will Mama say when she hears the kind of talk her young and impressionable high school-aged daughter is being exposed to?"

His smile turned goofy. "Yeah, who knows what kind of horrible habits I might instill upon you!"

"I know! If I hang around you any longer, I may accidentally contract some kind of guitar playing ability!"

"It's only natural that it happens after touching my instruments." Hideto winked, reaching into his pocket. He lifted Kagome's hand, barely brushing her fingers apart to place a guitar pick between them. "Let's at least use protection, ne?"

With a single toss of her hair Kagome yanked her hand away. "Dirty old man," she muttered, laughing.

"Hey, I'm not that old. Let's get started before Tetsuya and Kaori get here with dinner. "

---

"When did you buy the Gretsch, you bastard?" A small-framed woman in her late twenties stood next to Kagome at Hideto's kitchen sink, drying dishes that Kagome washed.

"Jealous?" Hideto shot back from the living room. Clad in black leather pants he was camouflaged from the waist down against his black leather couch. Gray socks dotted the presence of his feet as they rest across the cushions, shifting slightly when he reached for his beer.

"Mochida-san, you play guitar, too?"

Kaori stopped what she was doing and turned to Kagome with an incredulous look on her face. "Kagome-chan, how can I get you to relax and drop the formalities? I want you to call me by my first name, okay? We're all friends here."

Kagome stared down into the sink, moving a sponge in circles over the plate in her hand. "Sorry. But Moch-- I mean, Kaori-san! You, and Tet-chan, and Hideto are all famous important people and compared to you, I'm just... a tragically boring kid accepting charity."

Kaori wrapped an arm around Kagome's shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "When we're here together, we're all just friends having a good time. Don't say things like that." She gathered a small pile of plates and began to put them away. "Maybe you don't see things the same way we do, Kagome-chan. The deeper you get into an industry like ours, the more you begin to realize certain things."

"The more you get into our industry, the harder it gets to spend time with people who aren't on your payroll," chimed in Tetsuya, Hideto's band mate and Kaori's boyfriend. He headed to the refrigerator, retrieving a couple more cans of Asahi beer before heading back to the living room. "You're lucky if you get along with them outside of a work environment."

Kagome rinsed her last dish and handed it to Kaori, who dried it. "This is why we treasure you, Kagome-chan." She moved a little closer to Kagome, looking back at Hideto before speaking in a quieter voice. "And just between you and me, I think you're what evens our little fireball out."

The younger girl lowered her eyes. "He's so nice to me even though I'm always such a burden!"

"Really?"

"He's teaching me guitar. He lets me bring Ayumi-chan here! Oh, and he introduces me to people like you. The other day when I played some piano for him he even offered to introduce me to some executives and said he could produce a demo!"

Kaori blinked. Though she knew Kagome had been playing piano since elementary school, she had never actually heard what her younger friend was capable of. "Kagome-chan, don't just talk to Hideto about all of this, he's not the only one with connections."

"Okay..." Kagome was a little alarmed at Kaori's sudden change in tone.

"And... you know, you've really got to have the right personality for this. If you become popular you can kiss your privacy goodbye, for starters."

"I know, Kaori-san, but that's why this life is so great! All you have to do is sing, and all of a sudden everyone wants to know everything about you! When you do cool things like sky diving people think you're awesome and when you do boring things like buy groceries everyone wants to see!"

With a sigh, Kaori reached into the refrigerator, removing two beers. She handed one to Kagome. "You say things that I used to say a long time ago. Well fine, I can't stop you, but… if you really plan to pursue this promise me you'll weigh your options first."

"Of course!"

The older girl continued, shaking her head. "There're millions of fans and tons of money and respect to be gained, but this stuff is hard work, and the hours suck."

"Well, that's kinda standard, isn't it?"

"You can say that now but, Kagome-chan, we're talking about eighteen hour days, at any time of the day or night depending on what they want from you."

"Well, it's fine just as long as I'm doing what I love."

"Calling in sick doesn't exist. One cold means you can't sing. That's a missed performance, which is an insult to fans who could have spent hours waiting on the phone trying to buy that concert ticket, or who made special arrangements to come see you."

Kagome lowered her eyes, remembering how many times she had to redial the number to the ticketing agent's office just to get through to someone. To be able to get a L'Arc-en-Ciel concert ticket was no ordinary feat; the band habitually sold out venues in a matter of minutes. Even if she hadn't met Hideo that night, being at the concert would have been an irreplaceable experience. She completely sympathized with Kaori's words.

"Most importantly, though: remember that for everything you achieve you'll have to give up something." Kaori popped the top of her can and began to gulp. "It always hurts… there's nothing that hurts like it. Count on the fact that total strangers will love you and total strangers will also hate and criticize you. For no real reason! Promise me you'll consider all of this."

"Sure, but I still say sign me up."

Kaori set her beer down and gripped Kagome's shoulders. Though she was gentle her words were slow and forceful. "I'm serious! Promise me."

Kagome's fingers tightened around the cool aluminum beer can. She had only known Kaori for a few months but she had never heard her friend speak so seriously before. The look in her eyes was so intense that Kagome looked away, fixating on the can's condensation as drops of water ran across the smooth surface of the Asahi logo, colliding with her thumb and then dripping off of her knuckle.

In a more sober tone she finally answered. "I promise."

Kaori's hands fell to her sides. Her posture relaxed as she reached for her beer again. "Give that can to Hide-kun, he's gonna start whining for one any moment."

Like clockwork, a playful growl echoed into the kitchen. "I'm fuckin' thirsty, damn it! Somebody do something!"

Kagome turned to Kaori, bowing deeply. "I'll remember everything you said. Thank you."

---

There was still a deep shade of orange in the horizon that bled into violet just as it hit the stratosphere. From the thirtieth floor of Hideto's apartment building it was easy to see how the skyline looked like a sleeping creature. Lights from traffic on overpasses inched forward matching the tempo of a heartbeat, moving like blood flow streaming into the city. After a couple of rounds of beers (and C.C. Lemon for Kagome) Tetsuya and Kaori said their goodnights for the evening. They wanted time alone together. Once again Kagome was left with Hideto, perched on a stool near a window that stretched from floor to ceiling. It acted as the entire eastern wall of his living room. The stool was placed in what was made to be a sitting area; a carpeted step led up to an elevated part of the floor. Kagome gazed lovingly at the view while practicing scales on the black Gretsch. In a nearby black leather chair her companion was writing into a white leather-bound journal.

"I want a window like this," Kagome murmured. "I could sit here forever."

He hummed in reply.

Kagome eventually reached difficulty, stumbling along a few notes. Hideto finally became aware that his pupil was having problems once he noticed that Kagome's playing had lost its rhythm. The notes echoing from the amp were quiet and unsure.

He stood, setting his book down on the arm of the chair. With a short click of the tongue he admired Kagome's perseverance; if he waited another few minutes maybe she wouldn't need to helped, but he was already up the steps.

"Problems?" With a laugh he moved behind the slightly frustrated girl, nosing over her shoulder and startling her.

"Yeah, just trouble keeping time. Did my crappy playing disturb you?"

"Yes, actually."

Embarrassed, Kagome lowered her arms to her sides. She leaned to the right, allowing Hideto to grip the guitar from behind her. He had done this a couple of times earlier that day, and each time it made her cheeks feel hot.

"Hm." His fingers glided effortlessly along the neck as he played; Kagome stood in awe of the fluidity of his movements. She watched closely, hoping to glean any kind of technique she could. "You only started today. A little more practice and you're gonna have it down. Sorry I bothered you."

Kagome grinned, raising her hands back up to the guitar. Her fingers brushed his briefly and before she realized that they never actually made it back to the strings she felt his fingers slightly gripping hers.

A wine red glow from the setting sun washed richly over them now. Their elongated shadows reached across the living room's champagne carpet as the pair remained silent except for a few soft breaths.

Hideto buried his face into the curve of Kagome's neck, sighing and shaking his head. "I told myself I wouldn't do this."

Nervous, Kagome turned to look at him. She was able to muster one word. "Hm..?"

His hands let go of hers, closing around her waist. When he raised his head their eyes locked, and all he could think to do was press his lips against Kagome's. Before Kagome could put any thoughts into fruition, her body reacted with a gasp. She broke her friend's grip on her waist and stepped forward, away from him. Hideto's eyes sat wide on his face.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. If I made you uncomfortable--"

"No! No, I don't know why I did that, Takarai-sa--"

"Hideto."

"Hideto, I'm sorry; I didn't know what to do! I've never kissed anyone before. I'm sorry, I- I just panicked..."

Why did I do that? Kagome clenched her fists. Everything new that she experienced with her grown-up friends only exposed her inexperience in life.

Hideto blinked. Realization passed in a matter of seconds and his eyebrows knitted fretfully. "Oh my God." From the front this time, he moved to hug Kagome, guitar and all. "I stole your first kiss? Damn it, I can't even control myself. Will you forgive me? Shit. I'm so sorry, Kagome."

"It's... not like you did anything bad." Kagome returned his hug.

"I'm so sorry. Damn it, it always feels like with you I get carried away and forget, no, maybe I just wish that you weren't still in high school... but don't think I'm trying to force you into anything! Kaori's already pretty mad at me for the things I think about you... I guess I can see why."

You're not the only one who wishes I were older, she wanted to say. To Kagome this botched kiss only strengthened her desire to become a singer. Or just a celebrity. As long as she became something better than a loser schoolgirl, she would be satisfied. Hideto could befriend whoever he wanted! Why would he choose to spend time with her? She couldn't figure it out. She didn't want to take his friendship for granted and lose it. If I were only famous like them, Kagome often reasoned, I could really repay them for being so nice to me.

"Hideto?" Kagome had already made up her mind. She would become like them.

"Kagome, why do I always have to remind you to call me Hideto--oh, wait." They laughed, and the room that was previously filled with tension began returning to normal.

"Kaori-san's really sweet, but I think she worries too much about stuff." The young girl removed the guitar strap from her shoulder, setting it gently back onto its stand. She turned towards Hideto again, placing her hands on his arms with new resolve. "I'll handle anything you throw at me... because I want to be like you." After a little hesitation Kagome pecked Hideto awkwardly on the lips, as if challenging him. She didn't close her eyes, instead choosing to watch Hideto's reaction, and pulled away when she felt hands moving up her back in an attempt to deepen the kiss.

"Will you help me, 'Sensei?' Let's just be friends." She wanted to giggle when she saw Hideto's perplexed expression.

"Friends with benefits?"

"What's that?"

"Damn it, Kagome!" With a laugh Hideto lightly hit Kagome's head with his fingers. He handed her the guitar again, motioning for her to sit back on the stool. "You fucking tease. I feel sorry for anyone who ends up falling in love with you."

"No, really, what does that mean?"

After a few moments of silence he spoke. "Speaking of Kaori, I noticed that you two were having a pretty serious conversation in the kitchen. What the hell did you say to get her that riled up?"

Kagome pretended not to hear him at first, starting on her scales once more.

"Hideto," she finally answered. "You're not helping me just to humor me, are you?"

"Gimme a chord."

"What?"

"D major," he answered simply. Kagome blinked. After recalling the fingering she strummed it with a shrug of her shoulders.

"For four counts, just because you didn't specify."

Hideto raised an eyebrow, surprised. "A major, D minor, do what you will." His pupil shook her head, clumsily repeating the chords back to him.

"Now sing."

"At the same time?"

"If you can handle whatever I throw at you." He grinned.

She smiled back at him. "Sing what?"

"Whatever."

Kagome shrugged again, switching between two chords. It took a little bit before she could slip between them smoothly; she then started singing as soon as words came to her.

"I met this ero-jiji in Osaka one day," she started.

"Hey! Who are you calling a perverted old man?"

"What on earth does 'friends with benefits' mean anyway?"

"Damn you! Keep at it, I'm gonna get a drink before I start to think things that will land me in jail."

"Will you drive me home,

Bring me home,

Take me home tonight, again?

Momma says I've got to be there by eleven…"

"Damned smartass girl."

---

Left, left, right, and step.

Hojo hadn't come back last night.

Turn, tap, tap, tap. Hip, wink.

He didn't return her phone calls, either. It wasn't because his cell phone didn't work in this country-- Kagome gave him a satellite phone last Christmas. She didn't know if Yuka had one but left her a message as well.

Should she have called the police? Did she need to wait for a certain period before doing so? What if Hojo and Yuka got into an accident? Would it be wise to look up the numbers of local hospitals?

Forward, step, spin, and drop.

In the meantime, Kagome figured it wouldn't hurt to practice for her upcoming video. The video shoot would come soon after her return to Japan. Ocean waves crashed behind her while she turned and strutted for the camera and other onlookers in a string bikini. It was barely ten a.m., but it already felt as if the heat were in full force. Almost as soon as Kagome started dancing she had worked up a sweat.

"Well I'll be damned; you do know your moves."

"Thanks for the faith," laughed Kagome. "Honestly now, did you think I was lying to you?" Once she stopped dancing she was surprised at the sound of applause from surrounding people.

Inuyasha smirked as she waved to them. "Keh. If I don't ride your ass who else will?" He walked away from the water a bit to place his backpack and some towels on the sand. Once the people dispersed he moved towards Kagome and sniffed loudly. "Speaking of riding your ass, you're no good at a video shoot with a sunburn. Put this on. Heads up."

Kagome blinked at the bottle of sun screen being tossed in her direction. Barely catching it, she began to apply the lotion. The bottle was then handed back to Inuyasha. Pooling her hair on top of her head, Kagome turned away from her manager. "Get my back, please?"

"Yeah." While Inuyasha couldn't deny that he was waiting for this, he forgot that cameras would be there. In seemingly rough, mechanical moves the lotion was smoothed over Kagome's shoulders and back. Inuyasha's eyes moved with his hands as they pressed into Kagome's skin. He noticed that her bikini was coming loose. "So... I came out here for a couple of reasons."

"Oh?"

With his hands still lightly coated in sun screen he paused a bit and looked at the camera. "Is there anything I can do to get you two to take a break? This is... kinda on the personal side."

They looked a little apprehensive but the tones in the cameramen's voices were understanding. "That's fine."

"We'll just take our lunch break right now; see you in an hour, Higurashi-san. Inuyasha-san."

"'Preciate it." For once Inuyasha smiled at them as they headed back towards the hotel.

"Okay, you're scaring me Inuyasha. What's going on?"

"You wanna be scared?" With a flick of his wrist Inuyasha untied the string in Kagome's bikini top.

Just as expected, Kagome screamed. She rushed to hold her top against her chest and turned towards her manager briefly. "Wh... what the hell was that for? Don't you dare say you didn't actually have anything to tell me! Put it back the way it was!"

With a laugh, Inuyasha complied. "No, I was being honest about that. Your top was coming undone so I wanted to fix it." He double-knotted his bow. "Was just breaking the ice."

"If taking a girl's clothes off is how you break the ice it suddenly doesn't surprise me that I never see you with a girlfriend."

"Keh, if I'm busy taking a girl's clothes off do you honestly think I'd let you sit there and watch?"

"...shut up. Didn't you have something to say?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha placed his hands on Kagome's shoulders, massaging the remaining sunscreen from his palms into her skin. "So... we got a message from Hojo from the front desk." He steadied his hands on Kagome's shoulders, anticipating that she would turn around. Just as he predicted he felt her muscles tense, and then relax once his grip tightened. Once he was finished massaging Kagome's shoulders he moved to rub her back. If there was anything Inuyasha could do to stop Kagome from yelling in the next few minutes, it would be this.

"Why didn't he just call me back? I don't get it..."

"Shh. So anyway there was an important appointment that they forgot about in Tokyo, and they had to go back for a day."

"What! Yuka's so good at scheduling-- how could she double-book like that? Well, is he coming back? Why are we still letting those guys film us when--"

"I told you to shut up for a second, Kagome! He'll be back tomorrow night, and you guys'll have a full day together before we have to go back. In the meantime, what is it that you always tell me? Those two camera guys are just doing their job. Cut 'em some slack."

She was silent for a while. Inuyasha wasn't really sure what to say anymore, so he quietly lay out a towel. Eventually she spoke again. "What's in the backpack? Just supplies?"

"It's about fucking time you asked," the hanyou answered, keeping his tone cheery. "You did say the snorkeling here was kickass, so..."

Kagome was all smiles again when she watched Inuyasha pull three masks from the pack.

"As soon as Sango finishes doing whatever the hell she does in the morning let's go."

"Definitely!"

"Hell yeah." As usual, Kagome's smile was contagious.

---

Under a blanket of night Inuyasha, Sango, and Kagome sat together on the beach sipping beers. Their previous day of snorkeling was fun but tiring, so all three resolved to do nothing complicated the next day. Unfortunately for Inuyasha this meant shopping for Kagome and Sango. Generally speaking, shopping was something the hanyou wasn't fond of.

He didn't mind picking out souvenirs to take back to Shippo and others, but complained when Kagome agonized over a present to send to Hideto. Since before she had met Inuyasha, and since she met Hideto Kagome had always made a point to buy her mentor a souvenir every time she vacationed outside of Japan. Though Inuyasha understood that Kagome truly cared about the people in her life he still couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of the effort she put into finding the right present. It wasn't a rational feeling-- he knew that Kagome did this for others including him, but something in Hideto intimidated him in ways he would never admit aloud. There were only two men in Kagome's life who shared one important distinction: Kagome absolutely adored both her dead father and Takarai Hideto without having ever met them. Once Kagome had actually met Hideto... she must have only admired him more. Perhaps Inuyasha would never know whether or not the rock star took advantage of Kagome's feelings. When she talked about her mentor and those high school days she only spoke of the music, even though the sweet expression on her face hinted at something extra.

Did Hojo and Hideto get along? Inuyasha couldn't imagine such a thing. He finished yet another beer.

"You know, I kinda feel bad for those cameramen."

"I can think of a few reasons why, but why do you say that, Sango-chan?"

"We're here at a beach resort and they didn't bring any beach-friendly cameras."

Predictably, Inuyasha scoffed. "If I had to choose a major theme for this trip it'd be... a complete lack of foresight."

"Yeah," replied Sango and Kagome in unison.

"I doubt that Kagome-chan minds too much, though."

Sango was answered with Kagome's giggling. "No, I can't say I mind at all. How about you, Inuyasha?"

He laughed, reaching for another beer. Before he could open the can he recognized a familiar silhouette walking towards them. Inuyasha put the can down and stood, coaxing Sango to stand. "We, uh… we should probably go."

"Hm?" Sango looked up and nodded with recognition. Hojo was back. Bending to hug Kagome goodnight, she sadly noticed that the cameramen followed him.

Kagome looked up, and then back at her companions upon recognition. "Good night." Why was there a knot forming in her belly all of a sudden? She remained still, pressing one hand on her stomach until Hojo reached her. The fact that Kagome was actually going to get to spend some time with Hojo left her fumbling for what to do next.

"Hi."

"Long time no see, huh?" Hojo took a seat next to his girlfriend, draping an arm around her shoulders. "So… how do you like this place?"

"Well it's not like I haven't been to this country before." Kagome didn't realize how short she sounded until she heard herself speak. "It hasn't been bad. Can't say I'm too fond of the cameras, but work is work, isn't it?"

After a long sigh Hojo finally spoke again. "I don't like keeping things from you, Kagome."

For the first time that evening Kagome made eye contact with Hojo. She spoke slowly. "What do you mean by that?" The presence of the camera crew finally registered with her. Staring back at Hojo she watched them out of the corner of her eye.

"I need to tell you the real reason why I asked you to come here."

With those words the sound of the waves faded from Kagome's mind. All she could hear was the rustling of sand as Hojo shifted in his seat to take her hand, and she clung desperately to that sound as if it were the only thing holding her to reality. This was too good to be true. She hadn't been alone with Hojo in what seemed forever, so why would she suddenly be able to have him to herself now?

"This isn't a shoot for TV, or for any DVD extras."

Of course Kagome understood his words, but she showed no comprehension. Why were they here, then? Her only reply was to stare at him.

"I hired these men personally, to record something important..." As Hojo reached into his pocket Kagome found herself unwilling to form any thoughts about what he was doing. "I had one of these especially made for you, but it was lost. I went back to Japan to see if I could get another one, but I couldn't get it in a day." Hojo moved in front of her, never letting go of her hand as he held it to his chest. With his free hand he held up a gold ring with a single, large, square-cut diamond. "So please accept this."

In a rush of senses the waves crashed again, the wind blew away stray strands of hair on her face, and Hojo sat before her surrounded by the sky and stars. With wide eyes Kagome yanked her hands up to cover her mouth, holding her fingers rigid as if to stop her breath from escaping. Her shoulders shook under the intensity of the world around her, but the warmth of her boyfriend's hands was calming as he took her own from her face.

"I don't need to explain how long I've been in love with you. You already understand."

Kagome nodded.

"I'd be the luckiest man in the world if you could forgive me for everything that's happened. This time I know I screwed up, but I hope you can still understand how sincerely I tried to make this moment perfect. Will you forgive me? Will you allow me to be your husband?"

Before she answered Kagome was distracted by the cameraman running behind Hojo to get a better shot of her. She shook the sight out of her mind, reaching for the ring and smiling. "Of course I forgive you." Placing the ring in her pocket, Kagome stood and pulled Hojo by the hand. "But from here on out, moments that concern the two of us will only belong to the two of us." She turned to the cameras and winked before leading Hojo back to the hotel.

Placing a kiss on his cheek, Kagome whispered in his ear. "Let's continue this conversation in your room, and maybe you can show me how you feel. In great detail, if possible."

"Anything for you." Hojo squeezed her hand. What had been recorded had been enough for him. He already knew that he would watch this video over and over...

---

Yuka stared down at her fruit plate, and over to the scrambled eggs and bread sitting on serving dishes. "It's way past noon; do you think we should see if they want breakfast before we put things away?"

"Keh! If Hojo's a real man they've already had 'breakfast' several times." With arms folded, Inuyasha tossed a strand of hair from his face.

"Why would they order room service when-- oh." Blushing, Yuka finished her food.

If he were in front of friends, Inuyasha would have been smashing things instead of sulking in a chair. For many of the men who worked with Kagome it was hard not to get a little bit of a crush on her. Crew members were notoriously jealous of Hojo for obvious reasons but next they envied Inuyasha, who spent more time with Kagome than anybody else. Sango stood from the couch she was sitting in and made a point to pat Inuyasha between the ears. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going through his head.

After cleaning up Yuka, Sango, and Inuyasha went their separate ways for the day. Later on that night Hojo and Yuka would return to Tokyo; the next morning Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sango would leave as well.

Inuyasha had contemplated wandering around Cebu for a day, but instead settled on exploring the beach. He felt too lazy to put on shoes and a t-shirt, anyway. For hours he waded in the water, flirted with girls who talked to him, and even tried collecting shells before getting bored and flinging them into the water.

By the time the moon had risen overhead Inuyasha found himself perched on a cliff. He felt a little remorseful that there wasn't any more time to enjoy this view. It figures, he mused to himself, I'm too fucking stubborn to realize I'm having a good time until it's too late. Though Inuyasha wasn't always happy about his stubbornness he also acknowledged that it helped him have the discipline to stay focused on what was important to Kagome's career. If he were always by her side, he could always be there to keep her work ethic in check. He would always take care of her.

A splash was heard. Below, close to the water, a white swimsuit caught Inuyasha's eye. Alone Kagome spun next to an incoming wave, once again practicing her dance moves. Okay, so I can't take all the credit for her work ethic... At first Inuyasha decided to just watch. There was no question that he admired Kagome no matter what she was doing, but just as it calmed him to see her sleep it also calmed him to look at her when she thought nobody was paying attention. She danced with such fluid grace, and the tide came in as if the ocean wanted to join her.

Eventually the moment had to end. Inuyasha jumped down to the beach, startling Kagome enough to squeak.

"How long were you there?" she laughed, slightly embarrassed.

"Long enough to know that the video's gonna kick ass."

"It will if I can stick the last few steps without that weird bend in my knee."

"Keh." Casually, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's left hand and examined the ring that now rest on her finger. When his eyes met Kagome's she smiled a little, as if asking for approval.

"They went back to Japan because he lost the first ring."

"He couldn't buy one here?"

"It's kindova long story." She noticed that Inuyasha hadn't let go of her hand yet. "In any case, though, I need to hide this thing once we get home. It's gonna be a frenzy if somebody notices and takes it as some sort of promotional stunt, y'know?"

"Shit... but even if people thought that, I doubt they'd think any less of you."

"I would think less of me. There's already enough that's happened around me to undermine the fact that I want to be recognized for what I can do, not who I'm with or what happens outside of the singing and dancing."

"Dammit, Kagome, it makes you human. Not many people are gonna fucking argue that you're not a fucking kickass dancer and singer, so no matter what happens that'll always be the truth. You make people wanna know you, and it makes them happy when you let them once in a while."

Kagome squeezed Inuyasha's hand, smiling up at him. "Gee Inuyasha. Just go ahead and make my job sound fun and fulfilling, why don't you?"

"Isn't it?"

"Of course it is."

"Are you happy?"

"Of course I'm happy. We've all worked so hard."

Inuyasha raised Kagome's hand to examine the ring. It was nice, but gold wasn't his style. He preferred platinum, and a round cut diamond. He gestured towards the ring. "Are you happy about this?"

She was quiet, but her smile remained. "...yes."

Inuyasha let go of Kagome's hand, encompassing her in his arms. She returned his hug, squeezing him as tightly as possible in an effort to stop her tears from coming, but they did anyway. With one hand Inuyasha brushed the tears off of her cheeks. He looked at her as he held her, in awe of how the moon illuminated her skin so perfectly. She gazed back at him, happy to see him calm for a change. For a while they stayed like this, comfortable in each other's silence. Eventually Inuyasha closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to her forehead and causing Kagome to gasp for a second.

"Then I'm happy, too."

"Inuyasha... thank you."

---

Notes:

Yeah, this chapter's easily the longest one yet, but it was important to me that all of these things happened together. Sorry you guys had to wait so long, but priorities are priorities, eh?

As I already said, I've put up applicable info (and stuff about the characters based off of Japanese celebrities), drawings, and whatever else is relevant up at its own web site! You can visit it at this address (be sure to remove the spaces I've added, of course!):

www. pinku. net/fadeflare

Thank you for reading!