InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Marriage of Convenience for Whom? ❯ The Red Carpet ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Produtions and others.

 

Yes, I'm sure you all thought I decided to scrap this but no. I'm an idiot and forgot to write in my last A/N that I was going out of the country for a couple weeks and wouldn't be about to update. Hopefully there are still people who want to read this.

 

“Kikyou” will always be Kagome unless I let you know otherwise. Just pay attention and you should be fine, but if does get confusing, let me know.

 

Chapter 2

 

“I don't want to go, so I'm not going.”

 

Miroku looked up from his dinner at his friend who had just come in from up stairs. He let out a sigh. This was not going to be good…

 

“I don't think you have a choice, Inuyasha.”

 

Inuyasha growled, glowering at Miroku out of the corner of his eye as he poured himself a bowl of cereal. To Miroku he looked like he had been having personal doubts about his going/staying status. His long black hair was in a low braid, saying that he was going. However, he still had on his tattered blue jeans and sneakers, suggesting that he had no intention of leaving the house. Then there was the dirty white button-up shirt he was wearing, but that could mean anything in Inuyasha's world. The final touch was his black suit jacket, which was a vote for going to the premiere.

 

“I don't want to go, so why should I?” He thumbed his nose up in the air and roughly took a seat at the table. Reaching over, he poured some water from a blue pitcher into one of the matching mugs. He proceeded to devour his cereal.

 

“Because if you don't go tonight, you'll throw off the entire wedding time table, thus killing your acting career so that you fall into obscurity? Not to mention if you stand Kikyou up, she'll kill you.”

 

“You can't stand someone up if you aren't really dating them.” Inuyasha grumbled, finishing off his water.

 

Miroku rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. Now go finish getting dressed, you have to pick Kikyou up in an hour and half, and you know traffic.”

 

“Is saving my career worth marrying Kikyou?” Inuyasha asked, his mood suddenly downcast. The tone of his voice threw Miroku off for a moment—his friend sounded worried, maybe even sad. Peeking out at Inuyasha out of the corner of his eye he saw him studying the empty inside of his water mug.

 

“How much do you want to be a famous actor?” Miroku tried to ask a question that would bring Inuyasha back to reality of the situation.

 

“Its just Kikyou and I have never gotten along really well. I mean, we can be civil to one another, but no farther than that. The last time we saw each other, we practically killed one another. And now, we'll be living together—legally. Is keeping myself out of the sequel to Glitter really worth putting up with her for a year? And what if this wedding isn't the career bandage that I need?”

 

Miroku sighed. This was not a good time for Inuyasha to get all thoughtful on him. Usually he acted first, then maybe if something kicked him in the face to make him remember, he would think about it later.

 

“Do you have any other options? You could always retire.”

 

Inuyasha's head went down further, clutching his cereal spoon in a death grip. No, I don't have anywhere else to turn and I don't want to retire. “I guess I'll have to make it work.” Slowly he slumped away from the table, heading back upstairs.

 

Miroku watched him leave then went back to eating his own dinner. He was tired of babysitting Inuyasha and putting up with the actor's attitude, but he still felt a pang of guilt and worry as he watched his friend walk away: it took a lot to beat down Inuyasha. He was ready as anyone for the scandal to pass so his friend would come back.

 

XXXXXXXXXXX

 

Kagome double checked her imagine in the full length mirror. She did not look like herself—she looked like Kikyou. Thanks to the stylist, beautician, make-up artist and Sango she appeared to be a little older, ever so slightly taller with the lifts in her heels, and her hair had been trimmed as much as she hated to do it.

 

It was unnerving.

 

The dress was one that Kagome would never have picked out for herself. It was a pale green with only one strap. The hem of the skirt came up shorter than several over sized t-shirts she had worn for pajamas. A spattering of sequins formed asymmetrical flowers here and there. All and all it wasn't her, it wasn't Kagome.

 

It was Kikyou.

 

There was a soft knock on the door, and Kagome called for the person to enter. Sango cracked the door open and peered in. Seeing that Kagome was fully, well sort of, clothed, she pushed though the door, smiling.

 

“You look good.” Then, lowering her voice, “Almost better than Kikyou herself.” She flashed Kagome a conspiratory smile. Glancing down, Sango examined the clip board in her hands. “Hair, makeup, dress, shoes. I think you're all done. Ready?”

 

“Are you sure that was all? There's nothing else?” Kagome began to fidget with the tiny purse that had come with her dress. “Like coaching on what I'm supposed to say?”

 

Sango smiled. “You'll do fine. Just play your sister. If all else fails, pretend that you're drunk. It's happened before.” She finished with a sigh. Yes, the prim and pressed Kikyou had gotten herself smashed in the past when the paparazzi became too much for her—usually times when her and her husband were in a fight and she had to go walk the red carpet alone right after a scuffle.

 

Kagome drew in several deep panting breaths. Why had she ever agreed to this?

 

Because Kikyou has saved your ass more times than you can count, and you owe her. And because you get to be near Inuyasha, her mind snickered.

 

She hung her head, gathering her resolve. Just act like Kikyou. Lifting her head, she straightened her shoulders, standing very straight. She relaxed her facial features, trying to capture Kikyou's emotionless expression that she was famous for off the set. “Alright, Sango, I'm ready. I hope Inuyasha isn't late again. You know being fashionably late is a good thing, but being just late is devastating.”

 

Sango stared at the girl before her for a moment, cocking her head to the side. “That was…great!” She grinned, hugging Kagome. “See? You've got nothing to worry about. Now come on, Inuyasha should be here at any moment.”

 

With that, she took Kagome's hand and began to lead her downstairs, confident in the abilities of her employer's sister.

 

Kagome only wished she felt the same.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Inuyasha's limo pulled into the Higurashi driveway exactly ten minutes after seven. Inuyasha waited inside, being in no real hurry to see his costar or listen to the lecture she was going to give him over whatever topic she decided he needed a lecture on.

 

She could be so high and mighty at times. And you can be really immature, his mind taunted him.

 

When five minutes had passed and still no sign of Kikyou, he began to worry. What if she had changed her mind and wasn't coming out at all?

 

He drummed his fingers on the arm rest as if it would some how speed Kikyou's progress.

 

After another two and a half minutes, Inuyasha's impatience got the best of him. He jerked the car door open and practically stomped up to the front of the house. Before he had the pleasure of banging it off its hinges, Kikyou herself calmly opened it herself.

 

“I was wondering when your chivalry would get the best of you,” she flashed him a faint smile as she reached for her coat and waved good-bye to an oddly familiar, business-suited woman standing in the entrance hall. That was new, Inuyasha mused. The last time he had had to pick Kikyou up, there had been an army of servants to hand her her things, and he was sure that she had introduced a friend or two to him, but hardly paid them any notice as she left. Inuyasha shrugged it off, it wasn't important.

 

When they got to the limo, he tried to reach for the door so that he could open it for Kikyou, but she beat him to it. Carelessly, she swung the door wide, sliding in so that she left room for him on the leather seat.

 

Something was definitely up…

 

Shaking his head, Inuyasha slipped in next to Kikyou. As the limo pulled out of the drive and onto the street, he tried to study her when he thought she wouldn't notice. The woman beside him wasn't smiling—very Kikyou-esq. Her hair was stick straight, coveted by many and obtained by few. The green dress was skimpy and ever so slightly flashy, the typical garment chosen by Kikyou. Even her makeup and perfume were the same.

 

But there were something about her eyes. They appeared to be bigger, brighter some how…

 

“Have you had a facelift?” He blurted out the moment the thought crossed his mind. Instantly, he regretted it. Kikyou would hand it to him now. Inuyasha steeled himself for the onslaught.

 

“No, I'm not that old, Inuyasha.”

 

Perfect calm. Any other actress he had encountered would have ripped his head off and served it too him boiled in oil for a lesser comment. Kikyou just looked bored. Maybe that was why they had never gotten along. She alternated ignoring him and looking like she had better places to be with telling him how much needed to grow up. What would it take to get a rise in real life out of Kikyou? On the set, she was full of emotion and vivacity, but as soon as the cameras turned off, she was a blank canvas.

 

“Your eyes just look funny.”

 

“That braid makes your hair look funny.” Kikyou shot back “Did you start using Rogaine?”

 

Inuyasha didn't quite know what to do. Kikyou never argued back with him. Or at least not well. She didn't even seem to notice what she had done. She was sitting, staring out the window, watching as the city began to grow around them.

 

In the end, he decided it best to change the subject. He really needed Kikyou to be as happy as Kikyou could be when they got to the premier. It had to be her make them look like a couple—he just had to come off as content. “So,” he began as casually as he could, “what do you think about the wedding?”

 

Had she winced? Inuyasha could have sworn that she visibly grimaced, but it might have been a trick of the streetlights they were passing. He watched her closely as she began to reply to his question.

 

“Oh you know, it's just something for publicity…I've done worse.” She glanced into his eyes for only a moment, then jerked her line of sight back to the window. Kikyou was avoiding his gaze.

 

Interesting…

 

He scooted over in the seat. What would it take to get a rise out of Kikyou Higurashi? Inuyasha had to admit that he had never really gotten to know Kikyou despite the ever-growing list of movies they costarred in. Tonight, however, there was something different about her…she was begging to be flustered.

 

“What could be worse than defaming the institute of marriage, Kikyou?” He spoke in a cooing tone, like one might use for a child. “I never took you to be a Brittany Spears.” He leaned in, letting his words tickle the stray hairs about her ear.

 

This time he knew she tried to jerk away, but only succeeded in first pushing back into his chest, then pulling forward so that she was further sandwiched with the window.

 

Clearing her throat, she tried to recover. “People don't have to know I'm getting married because I'm an idiot—I hope we can convince them that we do care for each other before the actual wedding day.” Turning to him so that she could see his profile, “That and you at least look like you bath, I can't say that for Brittany's husband.”

 

Again with the retorts! He didn't know that Kikyou could tell a joke.

 

What was going on, and where was Kikyou?

 

“So you think we can get along? Do you even remember the last day of set?”

 

She seemed to panic for a moment, her eyes growing wide, her lower lip trembling—good job Yash, keeping the woman happy. Then, the next instant, she snapped out of it. “Does it really matter now? Whatever has happened in the past, we'll just have to work though it, right?” She flashed him a smile, this one with more color and warmth than he had ever had Kikyou direct at him—on or off set.

 

This night was getting stranger and stranger. For a moment Kikyou had sounded like Kikyou: a woman who put her acting career before all else. Then she smiled at him in a way that made her not even look like the woman he knew.

 

Inuyasha growled. He didn't like being confused.

 

He didn't have time to peruse the subject as the limo had stopped outside the movie premiere. He shifted in his seat, waiting for Kikyou to open the door.

 

She didn't budge.

 

“Kikyou?”

 

Nothing. The limo driver was looking at them through the retractable window, waiting.

 

“Kikyou?”

 

She drew in a heavy breath. “Isn't someone going to open the door for me?”

 

There was not mistaking that—that was Kikyou: independent or helpless depending on her mood. Inuyasha flashed the driver a look, and the man nodded, making his way out of the car so that he could do the actress's bidding.

 

The driver pulled the door open, and again Kikyou seemed to pause. Inuyasha thought he was going to have to push her into the throng of reporters and fans, but in the next instant, she was up and out of the car. Once on her feet, Kikyou looked slightly shaken. When Inuyasha followed her, he saw that she was trying to smile, but she looked like a deer caught in a truck's headlights.

 

“Are you alright?” He whispered in her ear, taking her arm in his so that he could steer her in the direction of the red carpet.

 

Kikyou looked at him, her eyes blank. She seemed to nod her head.

 

“You'll be fine—you've done this before.” He whispered again, trying to encourage her. Encourage Kikyou, this was a first. “Smile!” He had to instruct her when they came to the first group of reporters. She had been looking as though she were about to break into tears.

 

Mechanically, the thin cold smile that was Kikyou's trademark spread over the lips of Inuyasha's companion.

 

But there was something missing…or maybe something that was there and shouldn't be.

 

This woman was clearly afraid of the mass of people flanking the sides of the gauntlet that was known as the red carpet. Her lower lip trembled again and she bit into it, trying hard to keep the serene look on her face.

 

Well this was like stepping into fucking Brazil, Inuyasha thought. Usually Kikyou dragged him down the red carpet, stopping continuously, hand on hip and head tilted back, to pose for the camera.

 

“Are you sure you're alright? You aren't going to have a nervous breakdown?” He whispered in her ear. “You should probably wave.” Inuyasha nudged her in the ribs. Unthinkingly, she raised her hand, in a way not unlike Kikyou, waved her hand.

 

They had only covered about the first quarter of the walkway. Slowly, there were fewer fans, and more photographers and reporters. Hopefully they'd make it to the end…

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“Miss Higurashi! Miss Higurashi!” One of them called. “Who are you wearing!”

 

Kagome froze. She was supposed to remember the designer…if she didn't, a clothes maker was going to be pretty pissed at her sister. She felt a tightening in her chest. Breath, she had to Breath. If things hadn't been weird enough, they had to get so much worse in the car. She could tell Inuyasha had been toying with her—flirting with Kikyou. Then what had that been about the last day on the set? Had they had a fight? Over what? As if she wasn't bewildered enough, now, here she was on the red carpet with sensory overload.

 

Sucking in a breath, she remembered the name of the designer. “Its Lauren Klein,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice from shaking. How did Kikyou do this all the time? The people screaming questions, the lights from the camera…it was all too much.

 

Breaking free of Inuyasha's grip and taking a wobbling step forward, Kagome tried to pass a couple ahead of her, chatting away with some reporters. “So you really had that pierced for the movie? Did you leave it in after the fact?” The journalist oozed.

 

Kagome thought she had a clear path, when a pop star and her entourage moved in front of her, halting her hoped-for mad dash in mid step. Unfortunately, as she tried to angle herself so that she wouldn't run into the back of a disgruntled bodyguard, Kagome lost her footing. The awkward shoes with their high heels and lifts did nothing for keeping her balance: Kagome was going down. First she lurched backward, then forward.

 

As if her life flashing in front of her eyes, she saw it: she saw her face with Kikyou's name plastered across every tabloid in the supermarket checkout aisle. Kagome envisioned her literal downfall. There she would be, spilled out on the ground, her skirt ridding up, her bust overflowing from the already-too-tight dress. From what she could see in the blinding walls of lights bursting on either side, Kagome knew that the press already had enough footage for a flipbook movie of her trip.

 

Kikyou was going to be so angry, and Kagome knew that despite what the rest of the country would think about the fallen Hollywood sweetheart, she would know that it had been her and not her sister who fell in the spotlight.

 

When Kikyou ended up on Where Are They Now? this would be the footage that they would show.

 

Even if it was only from herself, she was never going to live this down.

 

Kagome could see the red threads that made up the walkway rapidly coming up to meet her face when a strong pair of hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her up right. When she was on her feet again, she could feel an arm on the small of her back, leading her along. Looking up, Kagome saw the irritated face of Inuyasha as he glided them the length of the gauntlet: he didn't look at her, but stared straight ahead, jaw locked. Though he looked, well, not the happiest she had seen him, Kagome couldn't help to think how protected she felt. He had just saved her from making a complete fool of herself in front of all those people. She leaned a little closer into his side.

 

Though slightly disoriented, Kagome could tell that they were reaching the end of the way. They were getting very close when someone called out to them.

 

“Quite the pair, aren't you?” A reporter scoffed. “Swung back to women, Inuyasha?”

 

Kagome felt herself being pivoted in the direction of the voice and heard a growl from her companion's chest. Why can't he just let it go?

 

“Please, for the love of God, snap out of whatever funk you're in Kikyou. Answer the woman.” Inuyasha nudged, hissing in her ear. Kagome was sure that she heard a note of panic in his voice despite the fact that he wore his typical gruff expression.

 

Kagome took a deep breath—she had to do this, it was why she was here, right?

 

Kikyou, what would Kikyou do?

 

“Darling,” she drawled to the female reporter who had shoved a microphone to her lips, “trust me, Inuyasha never swung away. He's always been here…with me.” She did her best to purr, trying to push the embarrassment from her near-glorious fall out of her mind. She needed to be confident like Kikyou and remembering her misstep wasn't helping. She tried to remember the comforting feel of knowing that Inuyasha had cared enough to save her. He won't have done it to save his own face, right?

 

“So you two are an item now?” Another member of the press yelled amid cries of other questions.

 

Kagome gave her best coy impression of her sister, holding her head up at an angle. “What do you mean now?”

 

She gave a small push against Inuyasha's grasp, signaling to him that she was ready to move on. Kagome wasn't really sure how much longer she was going to last. They were moving so slowly, and Inuyasha seemed to be purposely slowing them down so she could answer questions. However, when her hands began to clutch her evening bag and shake, it seemed to Kagome that he picked up the pace.

 

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime to Kagome, they stepped out of the melee of Hollywood journalist, and into the quiet of the movie theater. Underneath the chandelles of the old-style theater, the select few of Hollywood mingled, waiting for the show to begin.

 

The moment that the ever-watching eyes of the paparazzi were off them, Inuyasha pulled away from Kagome as if she were going to burn him.

 

“What the hell was that?” Inuyasha exploded, his arm thrown back to motion in the direction they had just come. Most of the people standing around them stopped their conversations to stare. “First you look like you're going to run, then you can't walk…thank God you could talk—not that that's a surprise.”

 

Kagome felt like he has slapped her. Looking around, she saw that the room's attention was trained on them. Great, at least the press was outside, but this would still get the rumor mill turning. She pushed her anger at Inuyasha down, quelling it with her fear of public humiliation. Her heart beating in her throat, Kagome knew she had to do something to keep the rouse up.

 

Leaning over to Inuyasha, she reached out cautiously to his upper arm, caressing it in a soothing way, trying to mimic the way Kikyou would comfort her own husband after an argument. “I'm sorry, baby, you know I haven't been feeling well. Too much stress. Can we just go sit down, please?” She punctuated her sentence by leaning up and brushing her lips over Inuyasha's cheek.

 

The actor just stared down at her, his violet eyes practically glaring in disbelief as they bugged out of his head. When Kagome was sure he was about to yell at her again, he nodded slightly, drawing her back to his side, and escorting her into the waiting theater.

 

XXXXXXXXXXX

 

A/N: Please note that I know little to nothing about movie premieres. What I do know comes from watching hours of VH1. My idea of the set up follows the pattern of: limo drop off, walk red carpet, go inside, chit-chat and drinks, watch movie. Or at least the model for this fan fic.

 

I'm not particularly proud of this chapter, it took too long to write, and just feels like it falls flat on its ass. It borders on having too much plot. I feel like it just died somewhere in the middle. I'm not sure how much longer this fic is going to be, but I don't think I have that much plot to pump in to it to make it last that longer. That is also coupled with the fact that most of the chapters in this fic are somewhat longer than the ones I usually write for fanfiction. I guess we'll see together. If you have any ideas, pass them my way. If I use them, I will cite sources.

 

To my lovely reviewing fans who brought up specific points:

 

A&W: About the whole parents knowing/not know thing, I have to say that I hadn't thought it about it that much. I really didn't picture them having parents, probably because in the series Kikyou doesn't have family outside of Kaede, and I just can't see Kagome's mom being Kikyou's mom, you know? I may work that in later, but for now, console yourself with the parents either being dead or Hollywood make-up artist just being really good. If they can make Kim Cantrell look young, they can make Kagome look like Kikyou. I think the only thing that they really differ on (at least in this fic) appearance wise is the eyes, or at least that's the only thing Inuyasha notices.

 

Josie n the Pcats: Ok, after this chapter, Inuyasha obviously doesn't know about the switch. I think I like him being in the dark. Now the marriage-name thing…good call, man. See, I hadn't planned that far ahead, but since you brought it up, I really have no idea how to get around it. The best I've come up with is she goes ahead and uses Kikyou (since it isn't the most legitimate marriage in the world to begin with) or she goes by Kagome in the ceremony using the excuse that “Kikyou” is just her stage name. If you (or anyone else) has any ideas on this matter, they are welcome.

 

Neng: As far as this being a “Kikyou the Frigid Bitch” fic, I'm afraid not. If you really seek a semi-bitchy Kikyou, you could read my other fic, although I don't think that lives up the to level of bitchdom that most people want to see in Kikyou. As far as this fic goes, just think of Kikyou as being Kikyou when she was alive the first time in the series. Pre-Naraku/pseudo-Inuyasha-batrayal Kikyou: a woman trying to do her best, but being controlled and manipulated by her circumstances. Basically the Kikyou we see in all the non-death flashbacks. Did that even make sense? Kudoos to you if you can understand it, I sure as hell can't.  

 

Thanks to every one else who reviewed! You guys are the rainbows of my day!