InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dead Famous ❯ A Bit of a Short Interlude ( Chapter 29 )

Author's Notes: Sorry about the shortness of this chapter, it's more of an interlude really but I'm still very sorry. I deserve to hung and whipped! I promise to try and get the next chapter out as quickly as possible to make up for the length.

Dead Famous

Chapter 29

A Bit of a Short Interlude

"Kikyo says that it would be a good idea to hold a celebration tomorrow." Miroku told Inuyasha as he sipped his beer. It was a little too warm for his taste, but that was to be expected when his bedroom lacked a decent fridge. "That reminds me, can I get a pay raise?"

Inuyasha ignored his last comment as he watched the television set through hooded eyes. "What's to celebrate?" he asked lazily, stifling a yawn behind his hand. Miroku's room was slightly too warm for his taste and it was making him drowsy - either that, or the exertion he'd put himself through earlier that day had exhausted him.

"Oh… just celebrating your return from a horrendous kidnapping incident. The triumph of good over evil, and all that kinda crap." Miroku scratched his nose. "So what kind of celebration do you want?"

"No ballroom… no dancing… no singing, laughing, or happiness of any kind..." Inuyasha jabbed the mute button on the remote as a rather familiar gossip show came on. That show talked about him at least once every broadcast and slandering gossip was the last thing he needed. "How about a house party?"

Miroku glanced over at him. "You're not inviting any of your junky friends."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Inuyasha shrugged and heaved himself off the sofa to go look at the fish in Miroku's aquarium. "Kikyo's going to handle the guest list, right?" Suddenly he jumped. "What happened to Elvis?!"

"He ate too much junk food and died." Miroku answered flatly, trying to read the lips of the host on the gossip show. "He's not coming to your party, Inuyasha."

"No - Elvis the fish!" Inuyasha hissed, tapping the fish tank. "The black one!"

"You named my fish?" Miroku look at him incredulously.

"The only ones I can see are 007 and Lucky!"

"Oh no, that isn't Lucky, that's Fillet. Lucky didn't live up to his name and got sucked into the pump."

"But what happened to Elvis?" Inuyasha pressed. "He was my favourite!"

"I guess he ate too much junk food and died as well." Miroku peered upwards in a thoughtful pose. "I think I dropped a Mars Bar in the tank last week…"

Just then the phone rang. Miroku sighed and began reaching for it, but Inuyasha was a step closer and quickly snatched it before him. Miroku winced. "You probably shouldn't answer that…"

"Why not? This is my house." Inuyasha said, bringing the phone to his ear. "Hello, Inuyasha residence, Inuyasha speaking…."

"It's probably a stalker." Miroku told him. "Then you'll be sorry."

"Rushi! Hi babe!" Inuyasha flopped down on the sofa again. "Haven't heard from you in a while, girl… no, I'm fine, fine…"

Miroku rolled his eyes. Rushi. The current girlfriend.

"No, I got shot, I healed, I'm fine… yep… uh huh… sure… love you, too…" Inuyasha trailed off, rolling his eyes discreetly at Miroku who just grinned back. "Yep. Yeah. Listen, Rushi, I've been thinking and-"

He broke off as the mobile phone in his pocket began piping out the Birdie Song. "Oh, hold on," Inuyasha put Rushi on hold as he made to answer his mobile while Miroku looked on in mild interest. "Hello? Oh hi, Ruiko!"

Ruiko… another current girlfriend.

"Yeah… yeah… no, I'm fine… wasn't a big deal… yeah… love you, too…" Inuyasha scratched his neck. "Ok, look Ruiko, I've been thinking and… oh, wait - hold on, there's someone on the other line."

Miroku gave up trying to lip-read the woman on television and turned his full attention to Inuyasha, sensing a lot of entertainment ahead.

"Eiko!" Inuyasha cried upon hearing the new caller's voice. "Nice to hear your voice, babe, I missed you while I was gone… no, I'm fine, thanks for asking… yeah… I love you, too. No, I'm not just saying that… no, I don't say that to every girl I meet…"

Miroku snorted, earning himself a sharp glare.

"Ok, Eiko, I've been thinking and…" Inuyasha gave a dramatic pause followed by a heart-breaking sigh. "I just don't think things are working out between us, honey. I think we need some time apart."

Miroku's jaw dropped as Inuyasha quite calmly went back to the house phone. "Ruiko, listen - oh, sorry - Rushi! Anyway, I've been thinking and I think we need to see other people…" He switched lines on his mobile. "Ruiko…. We need some time apart…"

Miroku grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?!" he hissed. "You're dumping them all?! They're drop-dead gorgeous!"

Inuyasha waved him off impatiently as he went back to Eiko. "It's not you… it's me." he told her, the swapped back to Rushi. "It's not you, it's me." Then it was Ruiko's turn. "Not you, me."

"Two supermodels and an actress!" Miroku shook his arm. "What are you doing to yourself?!"

Inuyasha leaned away from him. "Now Rushi, don't cry, honey… Ruiko… don't cry, I'm sorry…" He switched to Eiko. "Eiko, don't… wait, why aren't you crying?… That's not fair - I dumped you first!"

Miroku quickly snatched both phones away from him. "He'll call you back!" he yelled loudly before terminating all calls. He rounded on Inuyasha. "What's the matter with you?!"

Inuyasha shrugged and went back to staring forlornly at the fish tank. "I don't know… I just don't want to bother with commitment right now."

"You've never bothered with commitment - that has nothing to do with it. Why did you just dump your last three girlfriends?" Miroku shook his head. "Are you ill?"

"Nah… just don't feel like putting up with girlfriends anymore." Inuyasha sighed. "I've forgotten what it feels like to be single…" He cracked a smile. "It feels pretty good!"

Miroku glared at him. "Inuyasha… you just dumped three beautiful women…" Miroku slowly slid his narrowed gaze to the fish tank, and then back to Inuyasha. "You wouldn't do that unless there was someone else you had in mind… someone you wanted to focus all your attention on…"

Inuyasha stared at him, nonplussed. "What are you on about? I just don't want a whiny girl hanging over my shoulder, that's all."

Miroku suddenly gasped. "Wait - you're not trying to go after Kagome are you?!"

"She's only been gone four hours, Miroku." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"But you're in love with her, right?"

Normally such an accusation would find Miroku with his head bitten off… but Inuyasha simply snorted and grabbed a beer from the pack in front of the sofa. He cracked it open without bothering with the bottle opener and took a short swig as he shrugged. "You wish." He smirked. "If I was in love with her, would I be so relieved to see her finally get her ass out of here?"

Speak of the devil; Kagome's picture flashed up on the gossip program. It was a picture taken of her at the awards ceremony, but the program was more likely to be discussing her recent escape from the kidnapping.

Inuyasha jabbed a finger at the TV. "That girl is a pain in the arse! She's nosy, loud, presumptuous and bossy! I have been on edge all week because of her and now that she's gone, I can finally relax and let my hair down. Couldn't take a freakin' cigarette without her jumping out at me from behind a bush or something…"

"But…" Miroku frowned. "She did have some good qualities, didn't she?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't know… whatever." He took a small swig of his beer then propped it on his lap, picking at the label. "Well, I guess she was alright. I mean… she was quite nice when she wasn't jumping down my throat about every little upset."

Miroku seemed to accept that and turned his attention back to the TV.

But Inuyasha wasn't done yet.

"She was kind as well." he admitted, still picking at the beer's label. "I guess having someone who had no preconception of undying love for me was a refreshing change… and she was pretty."

"Well, I did pick her for her looks." Miroku reminded him.

"And she smells great, don't you think?" Inuyasha grinned.

Miroku grinned back. "You noticed too, huh?"

They both sniggered and simultaneously sipped their beers. Inuyasha looked back at the fish tank for a moment. "She also managed to squeeze all sorts of things out of me."

Miroku looked at him incredulously. "I hope that's not some sort of kinky euphemism…"

"No, that's just you and your one-track mind." Inuyasha glanced back at him. "Did I ever tell you about '92?"

Miroku's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened into good impressions of saucers. "Uh…" Inuyasha had said that year! What the hell was up with him?! "No… I-I don't think you ever have… um… why?"

"No reason…" Inuyasha shrugged and paused for a moment before turning back to him. "Would you like to know?"

Miroku remembered the contract Kikyo had made him sign to keep his silence on the matter. "Um… I won't get fired, will I?"

"No."

"Then go ahead."

~*~

Kagome's friends had of course decided to help her unpack… but mainly to gush over some of the cool new clothes that Kagome had brought back with her.

"These clothes must have cost a bomb, Kagome!" Eri cried when she found a jewel studded belt in one of Kagome's suitcases.

"That's ok, I didn't buy any of them." Kagome smiled back as she hung up some of the gift dresses from Sango in her wardrobe. She'd been hoping to wear the pink outfit that Sango had given her for a special occasion… but now she'd have to save it for someone's birthday party.

"I can't believe how much stuff you brought back." Yuka sighed as she sat down on the bed, having completed unpacking her assigned suitcase. "You've got a wardrobe to last yourself a life time."

"Pity I'll grow out of them all before I get a chance to wear each one." Kagome sat down beside her. "Not to mention the fact that they'll all go out of fashion soon enough. Fame and glamour is a fickle thing."

"You sound so jaded." Ayumi said, holding up one of Kagome's dresses against her front as she examined herself in the mirror.

"Well, I've experienced it now. It's hard work keeping up with the latest trends… trying to please everyone." Kagome absently fingered the ring on her thumb. "I guess I never gave Inuyasha enough credit for being able to hold onto stardom for so long. Though I reckon Kikyo had a lot to do with it…"

"Who's Kikyo?" Eri asked.

Kagome sighed. "Someone who does all the work but gets no credit."

Eri shrugged. "Never heard of her."

"But what about Inuyasha?" Yuka said as Eri came to sit on Kagome's other side. "What did you guys do together this week?"

"Apart from getting kidnapped…?" Kagome shrugged in a droll manner. "Not much…"

"What was it like getting kidnapped?" Ayumi asked from beside the mirror.

"Scary." Kagome smiled uneasily, acutely aware that her friends were hanging onto her every word. "I was left in this skanky, little room for like a whole night on my own… and then in the morning Inuyasha arrived - because he'd been kidnapped too, you see."

"Crazy…" Yuka whispered, awestruck. "What happened then?"

"Um… well, we kinda got left to our own devices…" Kagome pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. "The woman who had us said that Fushira Hashimoto would be coming to torture us in the morning…"

There was a collective gasp from her gathered friends. Ayumi had stopped admiring the dresses to look over at her. "What? Torture… as in…?" she trailed off uneasily, but came over to sit on the floor before Kagome.

"As in pain, suffering, nasty stuff that sends shivers down your spine just to think about it." Kagome pulled a face. "It was horrible, some of the things he was planning… so then me and Inuyasha put our heads together and we escaped. Simple as that!"

"Oh… that sounds so romantic." Ayumi sighed dreamily.

Kagome looked at her flatly. "I suppose you'd have to be there to see how un-romantic it actually was."

"But apart from that!" Yuka interrupted in a fresh tone of voice, obviously making an effort to clear the air of torture and non-romance. "What happened all week with Inuyasha? You have to tell us everything about him!"

"Everything…?" Kagome echoed, unsure what Yuka wanted to know.

"What was it like actually seeing him in person-?"

"You asked all this last weekend!!" Kagome cried.

Yuka gave her a 'so?' look. "But you didn't really answer properly, did you - so tell us now - what was he like?"

Kagome sighed and deflated slightly as she tried to remember something wonderful and positive about Inuyasha that would appease her friends. After a moment she smiled quietly at Yuka. "He took me a little by surprise. He's nothing like you'd expect him to be… you know, the guy you see on the posters and the guy you seeing talking to the magazines and TV hosts is nothing like the guy I just spent two weeks with." Kagome shook her head. In retrospect, she realised for the first time how different Inuyasha came across in public compared to how he came across in private.

For a start, he was basically a slack-off when there were no fangirls to impress.

"But… it's true what they said about his presence." Kagome told her friends, aware that they were watching her the way little children watched an old man who was telling a fascinating fairytale. "The minute he enters the room, you know about it… I don't know what it is… either his ego is so huge you can feel it enter with him, or it's something else. All I know is that when he enters the room, the air suddenly turns electric with this energy… He's always the centre of attention, even when he's skulking. But he's like… the life of the party, if you know what I mean?"

Eri grinned and suddenly draped her arm around Kagome's shoulders in a quick squeeze. "This is quite a turn-around from being the sole-member of the anti-Inuyasha society two weeks ago! You're officially one of us now!"

"Oh please!" Kagome snorted. "I am in no way becoming fangirl number eighty million. Besides being a total attention-seeker, he's got absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I mean, yes I do kinda sympathise with him because he's not exactly had the best upbringing, but it still isn't a perfect excuse to go about doing the things he does…"

"What things does he do?" Ayumi cocked her head.

Kagome was about to answer, but managed to bite off her words before they were spoken. She'd promised not to tell about the drugs, the drinks and the house parties… besides, it was neither fair to her friends or Inuyasha. "Like… being a total snot." she finished lamely.

Yuka sighed and patted Kagome's back. "We're getting there, girls. I think maybe if she'd spent one more week there she would have fallen in love with him."

Kagome rolled her eyes, feeling a little hot in the cheeks. Her friends were hopeless romantics. Not an ounce of realism in any of them.

"But it's so cool, isn't it?" Eri grinned, fingering the chain around her neck. "Inuyasha knows who we are! He gave us these gifts especially! I can't believe Inuyasha know who we are!!"

"You are telling us the truth, aren't you, Kagome?" Ayumi pleaded. "These are gifts from Inuyasha - you didn't just steal them, did you?"

"What do you take me for?" Kagome contrived to look offended. "The underwear I stole… I don't think he'd appreciate me rummaging through his delicates without permission. But the expensive gifts were right off his person, he told me to give them to you. And do you know what?"

"What?" the three friends chorused.

"He said each of your names."

A bit of a white lie, but it pleased her friends to no end if the happy squeals were anything to go by. "It's so cool!" Yuka cried, then suddenly seemed to realise something. "Hey, Kagome… how come you didn't get a souvenir?"

"Huh?" Kagome was honestly puzzled for a moment before realising that she had been given a gift as well. "Oh, I did!" She held up her hand, thumb extended for them to see the wide silver ring encircling it.

"Wow…" Yuka breathed, grabbing Kagome's hand to drag it closer for better inspection. "Inuyasha really gave you a ring? Did he get down on one knee, too?"

Kagome snapped her hand back. "Be sensible. It's a thumb ring, not an engagement ring." she scolded her grinning friend.

"Let's have a look." Eri grabbed Kagome's hand to get a better view. "Hey… what kind of stone is this?"

Kagome shrugged. "Sapphire, I think."

Ayumi took a look, then did a double-take. "Kagome - that isn't a sapphire!"

"Oh?" Kagome stared at her impassively.

"It's a diamond!"

Kagome frowned. "What are you talking about? Diamonds are clear - that's a blue rock."

"No, blue diamonds are supposed to be the rarest, most expensive type of diamond you can get!" Ayumi gaped. "Oh my god, I don't believe he gave you something like that!"

Kagome pulled back, slightly overwhelmed.

"I thought red diamonds were rarest?" Yuka challenged Ayumi who shrugged.

"But…" Kagome gazed at the winding image of the abstract woman. "It was his mother's ring… he just gave it to me on impulse."

"Are you sure?" Yuka stared at her intently. "Kagome, that's a hell of an expensive rock on your hand - even more so if it was handed down from his mother - he can't have given it to you on impulse."

"But he did." Kagome insisted, still feeling a little lost and confused.

"Kagome…" Eri chewed her lip uncertainly. "Are you sure… you… um…"

Yuka was a little more forward in her questioning. "Were you going out with Inuyasha or something? 'Coz this is seriously the-"

"Oh knock it off, girls!" Kagome scooted back across the bed, putting some distance between them. "It was just a present. I'm not at all sure he was feeling so wonderful about his mother recently, so he probably just wanted to get rid of it anyway. It doesn't mean anything…"

Her friends didn't look as convinced.

Ayumi perked up. "Hey, Kagome," she said slyly, leaning forward. "If Inuyasha gave you something to remember him by, did you do the same for him?"

Kagome allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "Possibly…"

Ayumi's eyes widened. She obviously hadn't been expecting that answer. "What did you give him?"

"I gave him nothing." Kagome replied smartly. "However… I did leave him a little something…"

~*~

That was it. He was officially knackered.

Inuyasha only just managed to draw himself up to the simple task of closing the drapes and brushing his teeth before bed. He barely had the energy to bother with pyjamas, and since it was a hot night anyway, he decided he didn't need the pyjama tops and settled for just wearing the bottoms.

For once, he was going to go to bed at bedtime like a good little boy - no staying up to watch the late night porn.

With a poorly suppressed yawn he drew back the covers of his bed, then stood quite still as his eyes landed on a little package lying on the mattress. It was crudely wrapped in a handkerchief and tied with a bit of dental floss…

It was probably one of the maids with a crush on him who had decided to leave a little present.

With mild curiosity he unwrapped the little parcel and let the contents drop down onto the bed. He frowned as he tossed away the flimsy handkerchief.

A note?

"Maybe I have a stalker…" He prayed it was nothing to do with Jinko Aida or Fushira Hashimoto. If it had 'I know what you did' written in blood he would be sleeping with Miroku tonight.

But to his pleasant surprise, it was from Kagome. It was unsigned, but he knew that it was from her.

Dear Blockhead, (this was the point at which the note gave her away)

By the time you find this note I will be long gone and out of your evil clutches. I noticed you had a bit of a cold coming so I thought you could borrow my hanky. It's my favourite, so don't lose it and make sure you wash it before you hand it back to me.

Thank you for coming to my rescue this morning! Very noble!

Luv 'n hugs, and take care of yourself!

Ps. I hope you don't mind, but I borrowed some of your underwear to give my friends a few souvenirs of my visit, and to prove I did actually spend two weeks with you and wasn't just bunking off school. Oh, and you are, in no way shape or form, a size 4.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out what she had been smoking when she'd written that note. Hand back the hanky? But he wasn't going to-

He cut that train of thought down in its tracks. Slowly he reached to pick up the fallen hanky and twisted it around his finger as he reread the note.

Well that was fine…

He was just going to have to invite her along to the party tomorrow night in order to give her back her beloved handkerchief. He smirked slightly and laid the note on his bedside table, alongside the scrap of cloth. With a sigh he dropped down onto his bed, but didn't bother pulling the covers over his body. It was too warm for that.

But it all worked out perfectly, and suddenly he didn't feel so short-changed about Kagome's decision to go home early.

~*~

"So you think that he'll really try and contact you to give it back?" Yuka asked Kagome sceptically. "I don't know, Kagome, that's asking a lot of an international superstar…"

"It was more of a joke anyway… but it would be nice to see him again, I suppose." Kagome hugged her knees cheerfully. "He's not a bad friend, but quite useless in a crisis."

"A friend, eh?" Eri practically squealed again. "I can't believe Inuyasha is a friend of a friend of mine! It's just too freaky!"

"Why?" Kagome looked exasperated with their continuous fangirl attitudes. "He's pretty much as average as Hojo… he's not that special. Anyone could have grown up in his place and turned out exactly the same." Possibly…

"Yeah, but Inuyasha's Inuyasha." Ayumi pointed out as if it was obvious.

Kagome sighed and smiled. "I suppose you're right. Somehow I doubt anyone else in the world would have turned out as famous as him. He just has the personality down pat…"

Yuka patted her shoulder. "You're damn right! Inuyasha's dead famous - no one can beat that!"

AN: Is it me, or has ff.net screwed up the spacing again?