InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fade and Flare ❯ Chapter 5

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

In Kagome's dressing room Sango sighed, running her hands through the pop star's hair just once more. "I'm glad I came. Those idiots always put too much crap in your hair, I can't believe I forgot."

"Mnn," Kagome replied. The first outfit of the night was a short gray denim skirt with ties on each side that ended high above the knees. It was matched with a white top, sleeveless, strapless, and accentuated with wrinkled white leather boots. They were things she wore in her last music video; she was in love with the boots. In such fabulous clothes she slumped in her chair, wilting to one side, nearly dead to the world. Sango's heart went out to her, but there was nothing that could be done short of turning back time.

Inuyasha burst into the room then, not even missing a beat as he picked up Kagome out of the chair. "You're on in two minutes, let's move it."

"Kagome-chan, hang in there! Break a leg!" Sango waved as Kagome was whisked out of the room, and then began to put away her combs, hair dryer, and styling products.

Inuyasha stopped at a staircase that led up to an electric platform. Kagome was to stand on it and come up through the bottom of the stage as the first song began. He put her down, briefly squeezing her shoulders as she waited for her cue to head to the platform. A technician with a clipboard in hand and headset on his head finally trotted up to them, herding Kagome to her place.

"Okay, are we ready? In fifteen seconds..."

In the dimly lit space Inuyasha watched her mentally prepare herself for the performance. Kagome adjusted her headset and crouched low on the platform, collecting her thoughts and listening to the music for her cue. Screams from the crowd of roughly fifteen thousand attendees swirled in a storm across the concert hall, clashing with music blaring out of the speakers. So many sounds overtook Kagome as she counted measures with her fingers, softly tapping her toe to the beat in the dark. A mask of calmness and confidence washed away Kagome's previously despondent expression, and Inuyasha was again reminded of why she was a star; why he couldn't find his breath when she commanded a crowd on stage. It always made him think back to when he first heard her sing, years ago.

"Three... two... one!" White fog from dry ice billowed beneath the platform as Kagome was launched up and out of sight. Her stance was aggressive and domineering once she reached the stage. The first lyrics of her song exploded out the speakers throughout Osaka-jo Hall, Kagome's voice cleanly cutting through what had now become a tidal wave of screaming and chanting all for her.

The stage was where Kagome truly became a force of nature. Her seemingly endless locks of wavy hair swished around her in a black halo as she sang and danced, while her fellow dancers moved about with almost comparable prowess. Their choreography was razor sharp and nothing short of enthralling. During an instrumental solo Kagome joined them in their lethal movements, wreaking destruction with every dance step she administered to the audience. In the end, nothing but the chaos of applause and cheers would be left in their wake.

And that was just the opening number.

---

Hayashi Yuka banged her forehead against her desk. She had been calling all night and day. Twenty-three messages later she knew as little as when she started. Where did Hojo disappear to? Was he in trouble? After he finished his work the night before she hadn't heard from him; she usually would have. Had anyone else heard from him?

What if...

Yuka picked up the phone for what could have been the millionth time in the last fourteen hours. She punched one of the speed dial buttons and tapped her foot, waiting for an answer. The only voice she heard was a voice mail greeting. Groaning and mashing her free hand into her chin-length chestnut hair, she nearly screamed until a new idea struck her. Her eyes lit up as she pressed one more speed dial button.

"Eri-chan?" Yuka spoke as soon as she heard the phone pick up.

"Yes, this is Eri... Yuka-chan, is that you?"

She sighed, smiling and sinking slowly down into her large brown leather chair. "I'm glad someone still answers their phone. Are you in your office?"

"Yep, whatcha’ need?"

Yuka grinned, reaching for a pen. "This is a two part request, actually. First, I need Higurashi Kagome-san's tour schedule, tonight in particular. I want to know where she is right now, if possible."

"I've got her fan club newsletter handy... but Yuka-chan, didn't you listen to All Night Nippon last night? Hojo-san said that Higurashi-san was on her way to Osaka. I bet Higurashi-san is in the middle of a concert by now."

"Oh! No, I fell asleep pretty early last night and woke up in time to catch the last few minutes. I must have missed that part."

There was a strange silence then.

"Eri-chan? Something wrong?"

"No, nothing. I was just a little surprised, because that was a pretty interesting show last night."

Yuka raised an eyebrow. She would have to get a tape of it later. "All right. Next, I need some way to get a hold of her manager, please."

"Give me about fifteen to twenty minutes for that. I'll have to call you back."

"Promise?"

Eri laughed. "When have I let you down, Yuka-chan?

Yuka grinned. "Thank you so much!"

"It's my job!"

The receiver was returned to its base. Yuka rest her chin onto her desk, arms hanging down toward the floor and toes tapping together. Without being too conscious about it she picked up the phone again, hitting the speed dial with practiced movement. Three rings later she was shocked when a voice actually answered on the other end.

"This is Hojo," it chirped.

Yuka nearly dropped the phone. A shriek stumbled from her lips; she wasn't quite prepared to say anything just yet. As her brain fumbled for words she shook a finger in the air, as if scolding somebody.

"Oh, it's Yuka, isn't it? Need something?"

"Hojooo," She finally managed. "You know that the photo shoot for Shot is tomorrow night, right? I've been calling you ever since All Night Nippon ended, where have you been! Where are you now?"

"Hey, I'm sorry about that. The phone's been off and charging so I haven't been able to take any calls until now."

"Well, I've been trying your house, too. I even tried Higurashi-san's but she's on tour, isn't she?"

"I'm with her in Osaka right now."

"Oh my GOD, Hojo, get back to Tokyo! What on earth is the matter with you!"

"I was going to head back early tomorrow morning after breakfast, just in time for--"

To say that Yuka was completely floored was an understatement. Her hand slapped her forehead, and with sharp, violent movements she slid into the back of her chair. "Hojo-kun, the last thing you need is to push things to the wire. The entire cast is going to be there, and I'll be damned if you get stuck in traffic, or behind an accident, or Heaven forbid in an accident that results in you showing up late! You are a professional. I would have thought that the last couple of mishaps with the re-shoots would have taught you to plan ahead!"

"Yuka, I need to talk to Kagome once in a while."

"It's called a phone."

"It's not the same!"

"Listen up Romeo, just get your ass back to Tokyo!"

"I'll... I can at least wait until she finishes her concert."

"Hojo, I adore you but you're an idiot! Seeing Kagome only hurts her when you have work scheduled and you suddenly have to leave! Just wait until your shooting and other promotional work is completely done so you don't have to burn bridges."

"But you don't understand! I did something even worse last night. I really messed up. I had to make it up to her somehow. I messed up today, too. Normally I agree with you but this time a phone call wouldn't have done it. I can't afford to leave until the concert is over."

"Kagome understands contractual obligations. It's not an industry secret that her work ethic is second to none. Didn’t you two practically grow up together? Aren’t you two cut from the same fabric?"

Hojo wanted to lash out but knew it wouldn't be right. Yuka was only doing her job. "I really hate this," he sighed.

"Hey. Find a new career if you don't like it."

Hojo was silent.

"After all of the promotional work is done for this show take a vacation, okay?"

"Yeah. See you in a while." Hojo ended the call.

Yuka's phone rang almost as soon as she hung it up. Before she had a chance to let go of the receiver she pulled it back to her ear.

"This is Hayashi speaking."

"Yuka-chan, it's Eri. I have Higurashi-san's manager's contact info. I was able to get his home and cell phone numbers."

"Actually I don't need them now, but it'd be good to have on hand. Though I'd rather not greet him as 'Manager-san,' what's his name?"

"He goes by Inuyasha. No family name."

"No family name? So he's either a youkai, or he's as eccentric as our dear Hojo, I assume."

Eri smiled. "Guess."

"Well, call me crazy but I think the 'dog' part in the first half of his name is a dead giveaway to his heritage. Youkai, right?"

"Sorry, Yuka-chan, I gave you an unfair trick question. He's a hanyou, who I'm told is pretty touchy about being called a youkai. Actually..."

"The way you said 'actually' sounds foreboding, Eri-chan."

"You're sharp as usual. Everyone I went through to get Inuyasha's contact information warned me about his attitude. He's rude, blunt, short-tempered, and overprotective of Higurashi-san."

"Sounds like a party." Yuka was suddenly happier about not having to call him.

"But he's good at his job. And he's supposedly hot! He does things like cook for Higurashi-san, and he buys her expensive flowers after every show. There's even a rumor that he combs her hair in the morning! If that's how he treats his clients then imagine being his girlfriend! I kinda wanna see if I can get pictures of him! Do you think he likes short-haired girls who can cook?"

Yuka's eyebrows raised a little. "How the hell would I know? But I am a bit jealous of Higurashi-san now that I’ve heard this. Being surrounded by good-looking men all the time," she laughed.

"Well Yuka-chan, you're always around at least one of those good-looking men, too," Eri's voice giggled through the receiver.

"Yeah, yeah." Yuka smiled.

---

Three minutes were left in the show.

Two hands gripped a clear glass vase that was splashed with a few small beads of water. Its short round body brimmed with white roses and lilies and was decorated with a clear plastic cord of faux pearls spaced inches apart. Inuyasha held the arrangement firmly as he nudged the door to Kagome's dressing room open with his shoulder. He headed to her vanity table and set the flowers down, using a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe off the excess water from the vase. With rehearsed movements Inuyasha reached for Kagome's favorite padded chair. The chair was a small and elegant thing, with ornate flowers carved into its wooden base and pale pink silk fabric for the cushion. Branches of plum blossoms were embroidered into the silk. It was a souvenir from her childhood, kept pristine despite years of use. When Kagome finally moved out of her mother's house it was given to her.

Inuyasha did not know this; he only knew that Kagome treasured this chair and insisted that it be brought along on all tours. As he centered it in front of the dressing table, he grinned as he heard the music stop. The audience's cheering amplified and it would only be a matter of time before Kagome would walk in, dead tired and ready to go to bed.

Before he could reflect any further he heard the familiar sound of sluggish footsteps in the hall. They paused for an unnaturally long time at the door. As Inuyasha readied a fresh towel for Kagome there was a dull thud, followed by a clamoring of elbows and knees sounding against wood. With concern pooling in his stomach the hanyou threw the towel to the ground as he sprang for the entrance. He feared for the worst as soon as he heard somebody scream.

Nearly tearing the door off of its hinges, Inuyasha's heartbeats quickened. He found Kagome splayed across the floor between two members of the road crew. "Kagome!" Inuyasha pulled her onto his lap. "Shit, someone call an ambulance, NOW!" A hand rose from the floor, slowly sliding across his chest and finally tugging on his collar.

"No, no... it's okay, Inuyasha." Kagome spoke without opening her eyes.

"Kagome, just rest there." As the crowd around them grew Inuyasha became increasingly frustrated. "If I don't see anyone making a fucking phone call in the next two seconds I won't just FIRE all of you worthless shit-for-brains, I will fucking FILLET YOU!" Cell phones were simultaneously pulled out, frantic voices now surrounding Inuyasha and Kagome.

"NO!" Kagome's fatigued yell pierced through the crowd. "I'm tired as hell. I leaned against the door and the heel of my boot caught on something when I started to walk again, and I didn't feel like moving from here because it felt so nice to just close my eyes and lay still..."

A growl rumbled low in his throat. "Let's just make sure there's nothing wrong with you. Somebody--"

Kagome's grip on Inuyasha's shirt tightened. She pulled his head down with her remaining strength until their faces were only inches apart. With bared teeth she hissed, "Inuyasha, I'm fine. Take. Me. To the hotel. Take me to Hojo, and then leave me alone for the night, please."

---

He had a beautiful hand-tailored sport coat lined with rose red silk; its fabric was such a smoky gray that it could be mistaken for black. Maybe Inuyasha bought it in Rome, or perhaps New York? None of that mattered now, as it lay crumpled on the ground while the half demon unbuttoned his shirt.

"That asshole's ruined Kagome's week, Shippo! It just... fucking pisses me off, 'cause I can't do a damn thing about it except watch."

Shippo rolled his eyes and tossed back a few more gulps of beer. "Yeah, he's getting on my nerves too, but what can you do? She loves him, she's gonna put up with him. Her patience is almost saint-like."

"Keh, shut the hell up." Inuyasha bowed out of his dress shirt, taking care to hang it. He flattened its sleeves with his palms before snatching up a pair of jeans and heading to the bathroom. Speaking loudly through the closed door he continued. "You can say that all you want, but it's me she growls and whines at. You saw what happened tonight when she fell."

"I also saw a certain manager overreacting. Do you even know how much of a pain in the butt you are to deal with?" Shippo heard the toilet flush, and tossed Inuyasha a can of beer as he emerged from the bathroom in jeans. The hanyou punctured the top with a single claw, gulping down half of his drink. He deposited his dress pants on the floor, stepping all over them and his coat as he headed to a nearby chair. Shippo winced when Inuyasha unknowingly scooted the chair over the pants and coat. Such gorgeous fabric twisted and writhed painfully under the chair’s weight and motion.

"I'm paid to be a pain in the butt." He glanced at Shippo and then spotted the flower arrangement that was intended for Kagome on a nearby table. Shippo caught Inuyasha's gaze at the flowers and set down his beer. The fox youkai picked up the vase of roses and lilies.

"Repent for tonight." He grinned as Inuyasha glared but stood. He laughed as he watched Inuyasha pick up the flowers and his room key, stalking out of the room.

"May as well head to my room." Taking the rest of the beer and moving the chair off of Inuyasha's sport coat and dress pants, Shippo left the room.

---

Inuyasha exited the elevator, his resolve getting weaker with every step he took. He nearly forgot that she asked not to be bothered tonight and decided that he would leave the flowers at her door. No fuss. The hanyou sighed, reaching the entrance to Kagome's suite and depositing the flowers on the floor. As he turned down the hall he heard a door click, but ignored it until it was followed by a fleshy thud against the ground and a familiar shriek.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha spun around and froze, suddenly unsure of what to do.

Kagome was sprawled on the ground with an ice bucket in one hand and her right foot jammed tightly in the vase. Nearly tangled in her bath robe she waded in wet carpet and crumpled flowers as she frantically tugged at the glass vessel on her foot, hissing profanities at the stinging wet sensation. Inuyasha spotted the doors to a couple of other rooms opening. Other hotel patrons were probably curious about the commotion. In one smooth dive he glided across the floor and rolled Kagome, who shrieked in anger and surprise, back into her suite. The ice bucket was thrown into the room after her, a hollow plastic thunk echoing as it hit a wall. As he pulled the door shut Inuyasha herded in whatever ruined flowers he could with a few frantic sweeps of his arm.

Then turning his attention to Kagome he calmed her, putting a placating hand on her shoulder as he delicately gripped the leg stuck in the vase. His fingertips just barely brushed under her calf and slid smoothly towards her ankle, propping it up.

"Point your toe."

Quietly but angrily she complied, exhaling slowly as Inuyasha removed any remaining thorny stems from the vase before removing the vase itself. "Stay here for a second, Kagome." He stood, leaving the room for a moment and returning with a towel to wipe off Kagome's leg. Before she could say a word Inuyasha finished and stood, heading towards the door.

"Look, I'm sorry to bother you two tonight. I really wasn't thinking when I left those where they could be stepped on, I'm sorry, Kagome. And tell Hojo that I'm sorry for bothering... wait."

Kagome folded her arms. Inuyasha stared at her, and then stalked over to the bedroom. Kagome stood, following him, and climbed onto the bed he was already sitting on. Inuyasha looked over to her, seething as he spotted a small handwritten note on her nightstand. He didn't need to read it to know what it said. How could Hojo possibly do this to her again, and so soon? Inuyasha's fist clenched. He reached into his pocket, retrieving his cell phone. Intent to verbally rip Hojo a new orifice Inuyasha punched the actor's phone number in. Kagome's eyes widened as she saw the number forming on the phone's display screen and placed a hand over his, turning it off.

Inuyasha stared incredulously at her. Kagome was a person with strength and conviction except when Hojo was involved. He hated how someone who could have nearly anything she wanted allowed herself to be like this. Her hollow stare was stricken with sadness and pleading with him to not make the phone call. She wrapped her arms around herself, grasping the fabric of the nightie Hojo gave her.

Kagome didn't need her manager to speak in order to know what he thought of the situation, but she simply couldn't turn off her emotions. It wasn't too bad anyway, right? At least she wasn't crying now.

Wordlessly Kagome turned on the television, adjusting her position so that she could lean on Inuyasha's shoulder. They stayed that way, in silent company as minutes passed and became an hour. Whatever was on TV was nothing more than noisy colorful blobs of light as they sat together. Unshed tears had collected in Kagome's eyes when Inuyasha finally yawned, starting to get up and leave. He needed to go to sleep. He turned to pat Kagome on the head, but froze when he noticed a single tear running down her face. She reached out, gripping his forearm.

"Stay?"

"Kagome. You need some rest now, Honey. You'll never make it through tomorrow otherwise."

Kagome now held his forearm with both hands. She pulled her manager towards her, enclosing his arm in both of hers. He sighed, aggravated on the surface but happy to do whatever was asked of him. Inuyasha relaxed and sat up on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Kagome rose to her knees, crawling closer to him and moving to rest her head on his lap. One of his hands moved to her hair, idly combing his fingers through its soft black tresses as the television murmured in the background. Once she was finally asleep Inuyasha reached an arm out to turn off the light on the nightstand. He contemplated getting up but didn't want to disturb Kagome. The least he could do for her was try his best to make sure that she was comfortable and relaxed right now.

It never failed to calm him, he realized, when he watched her sleep. While he knew he should have left well enough alone, his fingertip absently traced along Kagome's bare arm. It felt as soft as it looked under the dull light of the television. Inuyasha quietly knocked the back of his head against the wall, angry at himself for not wanting to leave. He cherished and rued their close relationship the most at times like this. He hated how her laughter lit up his heart so easily, and how her patient demeanor soothed him enough to stop attacking the stage crew during tours. He hated how Kagome threw winks and glances at him during boring record industry parties, or how she seemed to only smile a certain way when just the two of them shared quiet limousine rides together. He hated himself when her face lit up every time he praised her.

At the moment, he was also particularly hateful towards thoughts that came to mind when she wore such cute lace panties under translucent white sleepwear. Inuyasha preferred black or red on a woman, but had never seen Kagome in either color. In spite of this he had cultivated a growing appreciation for lingerie in baby pink, ever since he learned that it was the only color that Kagome bought. Kagome's entire wardrobe was particular. Beyond the occasional exception: an article of gray or blue denim and various pairs of shoes, Kagome’s clothing consisted of white pants, shirts, dresses, tank tops, shoes... almost everything imaginable except for her pink lingerie.

Times like this made Inuyasha hate that he could actually be influenced... distracted by a stupid, inferior human. Especially when the one in question was asleep and so vulnerable, mumbling into his lap. Kagome was too comfortable around him; she didn't act with as much modesty as she should have around any other member of the opposite sex. It grated on his nerves as he wondered if she knew she was taunting him in this way.

"Darling," she whispered in an exhale. An arm messily slapped against Inuyasha's chest, and its hand gripped Inuyasha's collar, pulling him down sideways to lay with her.

"Kagome," Inuyasha started to gasp. There was no doubt she was dreaming about Hojo. At that thought the hanyou began to hate his life, wishing for either sleep or mental control. He didn’t want to give Hojo the satisfaction of being right about his feelings. He hated that such a typically oblivious guy could see right through Inuyasha’s behavior towards Kagome. It wasn’t as if it were intentional! It wasn’t as if he were incapable of getting women, either. Inuyasha’s long mane of silver hair, golden eyes, signature smirk, and too-cute ears turned women’s heads everywhere he went. Outside of work the hanyou practically lived under hungry stares from eligible (and ineligible) females.

Inuyasha gazed into Kagome’s sleeping face as she kept her grip on his collar. In a far, dark corner of his mind he reveled in the fact that he loved his job.

The hanyou sighed. He should have left long ago. Lightly unhooking Kagome’s fingertips from his shirt he slid soundlessly off of the bed, moving to a nearby lounge chair just in case she woke up.

---

"Cebu! As in the fucking Philippines?"

"Yep. Come on, the tour’s been over for more than a couple of weeks now. I think it’s a great time to relax before hurrying back to the grind. Besides, Hojo said that there was a surprise there, and to bring friends! We’re leaving tonight."

Inuyasha blinked. He stood in the center of Kagome's brightly lit bedroom, slightly startled when she shoved a pile of her clothes into his arms.

"Hey. It's a tropical island in a foreign country where I can still use my English. The snorkeling there rocks. Everyone seems to go to Hawaii for that, but... too many Japanese people live there. Don’t want to run into the wrong person, after all. So you’re gonna go, right?"

Inuyasha averted his eyes when Kagome started to grab a pile of underwear. "It's not that, Kagome, we're shooting the video for your new single in six days!"

"I know, and Hojo's got to do some commercials for Glico next week. And before you ask, yes I have the choreography down for the video. I’ll even dance for you in my bikini if you don’t believe me!"

Inuyasha’s face reddened as Kagome winked.

"Don’t worry, I won’t subject you to that kind of horror," she giggled. "So you’re gonna go, right?"

Inuyasha groaned, politely turning around while she sorted through her panties. "Keh. You forget, Paparazzi follow people like you to the ends of the earth. All you need is just one asshole with a camera taking pictures of you in one of your tiny bikinis and you're fucked."

Kagome wrinkled her nose in response. Her expression brightened soon after. "That’s why you should come! What if I happen to have someone there who has, oh I don't know, an excellent sense of smell, hearing, and sight? Oh, and Sango’s going... Shippo can’t make it because it’s going to be his girlfriend’s birthday... we’ll need more people, I’m told."

"Oh no. Not just no, but hell no. Not because I don't like you or Sango, but just because I ain’t prancing around on some damn beach when I could be doing work."

Kagome giggled. "Do you really want to dedicate your entire life to work?"

"Oh, boo-fucking-hoo; You’re my work." Inuyasha rolled his eyes as Kagome added a couple of skirts to the clothing he was holding and led him out of the room.

As they scooted into slippers at the entrance of the room and stepped down the hallway's wooden floor Kagome suddenly gasped, clapping her hands together just before Inuyasha collided with her. He nearly dropped her clothes.

"Watch it! Did you forget something?"

"That’s right," Kagome squealed. "Hayashi-san will be there! She heard you were cute and really wants to meet you."

"Hey, wait a minute," growled Inuyasha. "I never said I'd go. And who the hell is Hayashi-san, anyway?"

"Hm, I suppose you've never met her, but you should at least know her name. Shame on you, you're in the same industry! Doesn't 'Hayashi Yuka' ring a bell to you?"

"Ah, Mr. Shithead's--"

"Hey!"

"I mean, your boyfriend's manager. What the hell, you trying to set us up? Sounds very cute and contrived, are we in a sitcom?" When Kagome began to walk again, Inuyasha followed her.

"Considering that you managers seem to thrive on knowing every detail of our days it only seems natural to invite both of you." Kagome turned sharply into a room where a set of white leather suitcases lay open and neatly lined up on the floor.

"Don't get things confused with tour season. I don't know what Hayashi Yuka's deal is but I just want to get you from job to job. Speaking of which, I'd bet Hayashi and I'd do better here. On the phone with people like Miroku who, by the way, would not be able to get great jobs for you if you were to flake out. By the way, are you sure you’re going to be back in time?"

"Of course." They both kneeled in front of the suitcases. Inuyasha helped Kagome fold her clothing before she started packing things. "By the way, there is such a thing as email and long distance calls nowadays, Silly."

Inuyasha glowered at her, silent but starting to relent. His eyes caught the string bikini Kagome was folding into a compartment of her suitcase.

"...Is she hot?"

Kagome beamed. "That's the spirit!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that shit! I asked you a question! Answer it, already."

---

Kagome squirmed happily in her seat, sardined in a tiny taxi cab between Inuyasha and Sango. Though the tropical climate left her cheeks beautifully flushed, the blast of a powder blue Nissan Sentra’s air conditioner was completely refreshing. When Inuyasha flagged the cab down at the airport, the singer could only sigh in relief when she saw a decal on the side of the car that said, "Air-Con." She didn’t expect a distinction between cabs that were with and without air conditioning in this country, but was glad to be lucky on the first cab ride. The trio had only been standing outside of the airport for no longer than fifteen minutes before the hot and humid weather began to take its toll on them. Kagome was only slightly more worn out than her companions due to the multitude of people offering to carry her luggage for a small sum of money.

The men who grabbed for her suitcases weren’t hard to handle, but preventing Inuyasha from attacking them was tiring. Sango could only watch and laugh at each instance that Inuyasha made death threats in broken English.

"Sorry," Kagome finally sighed once she was relaxed. "I kinda forgot that this was a vacation. I’m so used to you two handling everything that I didn’t arrange for airport transportation in advance."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Keh. It’s not like we’re stranded or anything..."

"I’m a little surprised that Hojo didn’t come to meet us at the airport," Sango mused as she leaned against the window. She gazed up at the cerulean sky, smiling at the rows of palm trees that blurred past them.

"He said he needed to do some things before we got there." Kagome leaned back, resting her head against Inuyasha and Sango’s shoulders. Looking over at Inuyasha, she was slightly annoyed that he managed to scowl even on vacation, but took it in stride. Wordlessly she turned to him making a point to stare.

"Can I help you?" The hanyou raised an eyebrow.

Kagome said nothing, beaming at him. In a matter of moments Inuyasha realized what she was doing and returned her smile. He ruffled her bangs a little before returning to his reclining position, a small content look remaining on his face.

Their small exchange wasn’t lost on Sango, who also patted Kagome on the head. She leaned against Kagome and stared out the window once more with a small smile across her lips. It was great to see her friend truly at ease for a change. "Oh man, I can’t wait to get to a beach!"

"You said it, Sango-chan. The sooner I can take off all of these clothes and get into a bikini, the sooner it’ll make my day."

"I absolutely agree with you, Kagome-chan." Sango’s grin shifted subtly to a smirk when she eyed Inuyasha, who stared discreetly at Kagome. I’m sure you’ll be making a lot of people’s days.

---

"Yuka, can you hand me the box?"

"Sure thing." With delicate movements her wrists arched as she opened a blue velvet box the size of her palm. She handed it to Hojo, who smiled a little and removed what was inside.

"Has she called yet?"

"Yep, a few minutes ago," Yuka walked over to a wicker chair in the center of the room, crossing her legs as she sat. She watched as Hojo opened a bottle of champagne, filling several champagne flutes before taking one.

The actor inhaled deeply as he dropped the box’s contents into the champagne. A simple gold band swathed in an asymmetrical arrangement of square-cut diamonds sunk cleanly towards the stem of the glass, and Hojo finally released his breath.

---

Notes:

This chapter was nearly lost! If not for my husband’s 1337 h4x0r skills my laptop would have never booted again, and I’d have to write this chapter again. Everything is backed up now.

Sorry, I didn’t intend to go for so long without an update. Look, it’s been stressful lately and lots of stuff happened. In fact, as a result I have to leave the country soon. I really, REALLY wanted to get this part up before that; tonight I stayed up until 6:30 a.m. finishing it even though I have work in four hours.

...four hours? Case in point: I’m writing this story for me. I’m not a particularly exceptional writer. I need all the help I can get, which means I’m not going to two-pump chump this story just to get to the gratuitous money shot (and it’s gonna be gratuitous!). I thank all of you, and appreciate the praise and good C+C, but don’t cater to the "APPEASE ME ME ME ME ME NOW NOW NOW NOW!" crowd. Sorry.

Thank you for reading!