InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Headlines: A Hollywood Romance ❯ Smile and Fake It ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I own an Inu-Yasha plushie. . . how `bout that?

Author's Note: Hiya, guys! How are you? I'm all right, I guess. . . Kinda sad, at the moment, but that's all right. I've learned a valuable life lesson to make up for it: You can't please everyone.

Nope. . . But so long as I can please some of you, I'm happy. (-:

Few things. I had a few people ask 1) How on earth could people so young make so many movies? 2) Doesn't it take a lot longer than 2 weeks to set a movie up? and 3) Weren't Kag and Inu a bit immature?

My answers: 1) Yeah, 34 is a lot, huh? But I didn't say they were all live action- they may have been voices on a movie or two. Or they may have been in TV movies. . . both of those take a little less time. . . And we can say they worked really hard, too. (-; 2) Once again, as I said in ED, I don't go looking up facts for fanfictions that I write for fun. You're probably right- I just assumed that, with a lot of people on the job, it would take less time. Whatever! (-: 3) Yes, but they were in the manga, too. I know in Mermaids they were both really mature really fast, but this is going to be quite a few chapters longer, so they have more time to develop. Right now, they're at the `ew! Cooties!' stage. (-;

Also- for those of you who read the ED author's note and were offended by my little spiel about ignoring readers whining- I thought I'd embellish upon that. When I said `whining' I meant when people e-mail me twenty times a day, telling me to `update your damn fic or I'll find you and kick your cat'. Or when fifty people e-mail me asking the answer of a question I ALREADY answered. Or when people get really, really nit-picky and refuse to enjoy the story because of one or two miniscule details. That kind of whining. Asking me nicely to update is fine. Asking unanswered questions is fine. Pointing out huge, blaring errors is fine. Constructive criticism is fine. Yelling at me is not. I am petty, hear me roar. I apologize if I sounded/sound rude- I look back on that particular AN and find that I didn't mean it to sound quite like it did. My excuse?: I wasn't having a good day that day, (busy arguing with about five people at once) so I guess I let my fingers fly a bit too fast. ::sweatdrop:: Pathetic, I know. Gomen ne. . .

Anyway, after that oddly long AN, here is the next chapter to Headlines. I hope you enjoy it as much as you did the first chapter! ^_^

- - - Headlines: A Hollywood Romance- - -

-Chapter Two: Smile and Fake It-

"And there's Yura Kami, the pop queen! Her newest album Fingers in Your Hair, is out in stores now! My, doesn't she look dashing in her black top and red mini? Then there's- oh, look! It's Naraku Hijimashi- fresh from his new spy thriller, Insolent Eyes! And he's brought his gorgeous wife! Lovely shade of blue velvet, darling!" Kagome sighed as she heard yet another long, loud screaming round of applause for the much beloved celebrities as she leaned against the glass of her tinted window, wishing that their limo wasn't so far back in line. It sucked being the star, once in a while. . .

"Are we there, yet?" Inu-Yasha whined, sitting as far from Kagome as humanly (or hanyouly) possibly, squishing his body against the opposite door.

This was one of those times.

"No," Miroku replied patiently, batting invisible dust off of his tux. "You know we're getting out last. That's the way it is at these movie premiers."

Oh, goodie. Premiers. . . their favorite.

"Are there going to be reporters?" Kagome moaned; burying her head in her gracefully gloved hands. Sango chuckled, peering out of the dark glass herself.

"When isn't there, Kagome-chan?"

"Thought so," the woman groaned, trying to block out the swooning cries of Naraku's very enthusiastic fangirls. Their proclamations of "WE LOVE YOU, NARAKU!" and "MARRY ME, NARAKU!" could probably be heard in New York. Of course, they were nothing compared to her "darling" costar's rabid followers- the rabid followers that she many times wished could take her place.

"And while we're on the subject of reporters," the calm, violet-eyed man began briskly, leaning back in his black leather seat and tapping his finger tips together; gazing over his hands at the pair like a parent surveying his children, "need I remind you that your whole career lies on the line when it comes to them? One wrong word- one wrong expression- and they'll beat you down. Scramble you up. Ruin your life. Like a thug, almost."

"Yeah," Inu-Yasha droned, rolling his golden eyes as he, too, chanced a glance out the window. "That ninety-year-old from CSN looks ready to kill."

"You know what I mean," Miroku told him bluntly, "accidentally" kicking his star in the shins with his shined up shoes. Ignoring Inu's yelp of surprise, he continued casually. "So you two have to remember to act like a couple. This means holding hands. Smiling. Perked ears, Inu-Yasha."

"Humph," the half-dog pouted, his fuzzy appendages pressed against his head in anger.

"And most of all," Sango added with pointed stares at them both. "Absolutely NO fighting. I don't care WHAT happens. You two are THE couple. What're we gonna tell the public if THE couple actually hates one another's guts?!"

"`Ha ha, fooled you'. . . ?" Kagome suggested blankly, earning herself a kick in the shins from Sango's high heels. "Ow! Sango- that hurt!"

"Wimp," Inu-Yasha muttered under his breath, shooting the woman beside him a sidelong glance as he fixed his blood-colored bow tie.

"Idiot," she hissed back, glaring at him from the corner of her eye as she rubbed her leg through her low cut, sleeveless maroon dress.

"Imbecile!" the hanyou countered, turning to fight her face-to-face as his loosely pony tailed hair whacked the seat with a loud `smack'.

"Ass!" she snapped, lipstick painted lips curling in a sneer as one of her curled locks pulled itself out of the rose-wrapped bun upon her head.

"Moron!"

"Pig!"

"B- - -"

"Oh look! The door's opening!" Sango interrupted loudly, forcing a smile on her face as she was helped out by the driver; Miroku quickly following the train of her slinky midnight gown. The abandoned stars took one last moment to exchange fiery glares, and then, with big, sugary-sweet smiles, linked arms.

Show time.

-

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" at least two hundred obsessed fans screamed as Inu-Yasha helped Kagome out of the limo, flashing his killer smile at the press and the swooning teen girls. Kag tried her best not to scowl as he deliberately put his feet in her way, making her stumble on the red carpet. Cameras flashed. The pair smiled and held hands- mentally ticking down the moments till this stupid night was over.

"Miss Higurashi! Miss Higurashi!" one reporter cried over the fans, her glasses askew and her face flushed as she waved her pad of paper frantically; pushing her way to the front of the news squads. "How do you feel about this movie?"

"Red as the Rose?" Kagome blinked innocently, cocking her head with a beam that made half the male audience blush. "Why, I loved it! Loved every minute of it. Especially the more. . . INTIMATE scenes with Inu-Yasha, if you know what I mean." She giggled softly and pulled on said man's arm, all but gluing him to her side as she yanked him away from a bunch of young, flirty females who had dyed their hair silver- just for him. "But no matter how much I loved it, I love my little puppy-chan more, isn't that right?" She fluttered her eyelashes at her co-star; snickering silently as his amber orbs flashed.

And just after he'd gotten over his LAST nickname- `poopkin pie'. . .

"Oh, yes," he agreed, faking a laugh as he threw his right arm around Kagome, his claws digging into her shoulder a bit more than necessary- not that anyone noticed. "And I love you, too, sweetie." He then swooped down and kissed the nape of her neck, nipping it a bit painfully as he whispered just loud enough for her to hear: "I am SO going to kill you when we get back to the studio, bitch. . ."

"I'd like to see you try," she murmured under her breath, linking their hands and waving happily at the cooing crowed as Inu-Yasha dragged her inside, only stopping to grin at his personal, hyperventilating fanclub- the ones that were sporting the `I WORSHIP YOU!', `CALL ME AT 867-5309!', and `DUMP THAT KAGOME GIRL, AND WE'LL SHOW YOU A REAL GOOD TIME' posters. Said club fainted on the spot when they were noticed- and were all quickly trampled upon by a second wave of fans.

Ah, the life of a fangirl. . .

-

"So, whadya want?" Inu-Yasha asked as politely as he could (kindness was not something that came easily for him), drumming his talons on the glass candy cases at the concession stand. Kagome gave the sweets a once over and then shook her head.

"Too many calories. I'll have some popcorn," she decided, lacing her fingers together behind her back and waiting as her `date' ordered.

"You know," he commented as the employee ducked down to pick out his selected candies- M&Ms and milk duds- "Popcorn has just as much fat as candy. Not that anyone would know the difference, looking at you."

Kagome's cheeks flamed, but she kept her voice coated in syrup. "Well, popcorn doesn't have the nutrition labels on the side to make me regret eating it, now, does it?"

"I guess not," he agreed dully, noting with a hint of dread that the ushers were beginning to allow the crowds and reporters inside. "Damn," he muttered softly before taking his order from the employee- his candy and soda, and Kagome's popcorn- and thrusting it all into the unsuspecting girl's arms.

"Wha- - - Ack!" Kag gasped as the greasy popcorn spilt out of the tub, staining her brand new dress just as the reporters approached them once again. "Oh- curses!"

"What a shame!" one man tutted sympathetically. "That's too bad, Miss Kagome! Such a nice dress. . ."

"Yes, well," Inu-Yasha sighed over dramatically, grabbing her arm and pulling her into him so suddenly that she further ruined her outfit due to more raining kernels, "She's just a clumsy bitch. But she's my clumsy bitch. Isn't that right, doll?" A few of the reporters `aww'ed unnecessarily, and Kagome began to tear up.

From anger.

"You're such a sweet little pupp- - - oops!" Kagome gasped, clamping her hands over her mouth as the soda `slipped' between her fingers and splashed all over Inu's tuxedo. Near by, Sango and Miroku took a moment to bury their faces in their hands and cry. "Oh, God, Inu-chan! I'm so sorry! I really am oh-so-very clumsy!"

Now wet, cold, sticky, and thoroughly pissed, Inu-Yasha did the one thing he still could- he forced a chuckle and grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, that's all right!" he assured her, pulling her into his soaking chest for a big bear hug. The young woman instantly stiffened, trying not to flinch as he kindly shared his drink with her. "I love you anyway!"

`That stupid- ignorant- son of a - - - !'

"I'm. . . so glad," her muffled voice came from his shirt. Luckily, the cloth filtered out the sound of her grounding teeth as well as most of her volume.

"Oo- look, the movie will be starting in a moment!" Inu squeezed Kag closer to him as he shooed the reporters away. "Do try and get good seats! Wonderful flick!"

"We'll talk to you two later, Mr. Takahashi! Miss Higurashi!"

"Wait for us, Mr. Inu-Yasha!"

"Save a smile for Report Team 45, Miss Kagome!"

"Ja, you two! Be good!"

And so the closing statements went, all pretty much the same for the next ten minutes until, finally, the pair was left totally alone in the middle of the foyer (even the employees had gone to watch)- still embracing and wet.

But that didn't last long.

"Shit!" Inu-Yasha snarled softly, pushing Kagome away from him, oblivious as she landed on her rump with a soft `hey!'. "You ruined my tux!"

"Your TUX?! Look what you did to my dress!" Kagome bit back, pointing to her now brown, sticky, fake-butter adorned bosom. Inu-Yasha looked.

Kagome slapped him. "Don't look THERE, you perv!"

"WHAT?! I just- I- UGH!" the hanyou whispered, tugging at his bangs in utter frustration as his right cheek glowed with a red hand print. "I don't get you!" he hissed, eyes popping out of his head as he suddenly began shaking her, ignoring her warning growls. "You're such a hypocrite, you whore!"

"WHORE?!" she almost yelled- but caught herself just in time. All the same, the pair momentarily froze- as if waiting for the paparazzi to burst out from behind the plastic ferns and ruin them. Luckily for them, no one came. Kag allowed herself to take a shaky breath before continuing- much more quiet this time. "I," she told him softly, voice trembling as she clenched her fists. "Am as much of a whore as you are GAY."

"I AM NOT GAY!" he snapped.

"AND I AM NOT A WHORE!" she poked him in the chest, eyes mere slits due to rage. "Despite what you believe, I am not a whore, slut, or a prostitute in any way, Inu-Yasha! I don't care what you tell ANYBODY! I'm not and I never have been, you- you- you two face!"

With that, the girl spun on her heel and stalked off, prepared to hide out in the bathrooms until the night and this hell was over.

Inu-Yasha watched her go emotionless-

Before turning to walk into the movie, cursing his co-star with every breath.

-

"Surprises abound at yesterday's premiere of Red as the Rose- movie star Kagome Higurashi failed to show up at the screening! When we asked Inu-Yasha Takahashi about the disappearance of his much beloved girlfriend, `little puppy-chan' (as Kagome fondly calls him) would only say that she didn't feel well and had locked herself in the bathroom. PREGNANCY IS EXPECTED?!" Kagome all but screamed at Sango, fire dancing behind her blue eyes as her knuckles turned white, about to tear the magazine apart. "I AM NOT PREGNANT!"

"Well, what were we going to say?!" Sango glared at her client, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. "That Inu-Yasha called you a whore and you pulled a stunt I would have expected from a two-year-old?! Kagome-chan, that was the best we could do!"

"You could have just told them that I was sick!"

"We did! It was THEM that decided to milk it into morning sickness!" her agent informed her irritably before snatching the article away with a sigh. "Kagome-chan, please. You know the media- they would have done something like this soon, anyway. Don't you think you're overreacting just a little?"

"I am NOT overreacting," Kag grumbled, pulling her legs up to her chin and spinning in her makeup chair, watching her reflection blankly in the many mirrors on the plain vanilla walls. "I am reacting just the way I should!"

The magenta eyed woman held her tongue for a moment, trying to collect her rationality along with her thoughts. "Look," she then began cautiously, latching her fingers together so as not to strangle her employer. "Maybe you and Inu-Yasha just got off on the wrong foot a long time ago, eh? Maybe you need to let this go. What could he have possibly done to you to make you hate him so much?"

. . .

Kagome did not reply, only hooded her eyes as her chair slowly came to a stop.

"Why not give him another chance, Kagome?" Sango pressed lightly, squatting down to her eye level and resting her hands on the arm of the chair. "I'm sure that, deep down, he really is quite fond of you."

". . . Heh," the actress laughed joylessly, azure orbs shadowed by her bangs as she clenched her flannel pants. "Quite fond. . . QUITE FOND MY- - -"

-

"ASS!" Inu-Yasha screamed, chucking his chair in Miroku's general direction. "IDIOT! MORON!"

"Inu-Yasha, I am NOT Miss Kagome, and- even if I was- I would appreciate it if you'd stop destroying your- (CRASH!)- dressing room!"

"Stupid bitch!" the hanyou roared, flopping blankly onto a ratty old couch and dragging his hands over his face. "Making people believe we're lovers or something!"

"Inu-Yasha, it's only a rumor!" Miroku sighed, squatting next to his employer with a roll of his eyes. "Rumors happen all the time! Just one quick, clean announcement that Miss Kagome lost the baby or som- - -"

"NO! SHE WASN'T PREGNANT TO BEGIN WIT- - -!"

"All right, all right- one quick, clean announcement that Miss Kagome only had the flu or something, and it's all good again! See? That simple! Now can we please go down and start shooting the first scene of A Feudal Fairytale? Everyone's ready but you and Miss Kagome! Miss Kikyo is quite excited- and Mr. Naraku is here just to watch her. We really don't want to keep him waiting, now, do we?"

Inu-Yasha shot his agent an icy glare. "Can't I have a different part?! Or not do this fucking movie at all?!"

"No," Miroku replied firmly, as if the hanyou were a whiny child. Which, in a sense, he was. "You will do this movie and you will do it without complaint. AND you will do it with Miss Kagome," he added before Inu could open his mouth. The agent silently blew out his cheeks as the half-puppy began to fume again.

"Oh, Inu-Yasha- you're pathetic," the violet eyed man sighed, allowing his rump to make contact with the carpet as his back slid down the side of the old piece of furniture. "I don't understand you one bit. How can you act this way? So rude- even towards one as lovely and kind as Miss Kagome!"

"You wouldn't understand," the actor grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest with a furrowed brow. "You just wouldn't understand it at all."

"Try me," Miroku demanded with a small frown. "Why DO you hate- - -"

-

"- - -Him so much?" Sango asked gently, carefully combing her friend's hair- trying to smooth her rumpled, metaphoric fur.

Neither star answer- just closed their eyes and blocked their agents out.

- - -

There ya go! XD More fighting, more laughs (hopefully), and- wow! We begin to form a plot! "Why do they hate each other, anyway?" (-: Yea!

Oh- and while I think of it- I don't own M&Ms, milk duds, or have any clue of the names of news reporters/magazines in Japan. So. . . yeah. Sorry, guys. ::nervous smile::

Well, I hope you all enjoyed! I'll miss you and I'll try to write soon! Please R&R!

Ja ne!