Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Fade and Flare	By : doihachan Category: InuYasha AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 2220 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
On top of a white grand piano sat Kagome's engagement ring, neatly in the center amongst a worn notepad, two sharpened pencils, and a crystal vase, stocked with white roses. In a cozy white room with cherry wood flooring that white Shigeru-Kawai SK7 stood alone with its bench, in the middle of the room except for a few burgundy chairs in one corner, and a huge window overlooking Tokyo sitting opposite from the doorway. Soft footsteps sounded; white slippers clapped down the hallway until they reached the piano room.
Kagome carried a tall glass of water as she headed to the piano bench. She took a sip, exchanging the glass for the notepad and a pencil from atop her piano. As she took a seat on the bench, cozy in snow gray fleece pajama pants and white cotton tank top, her eyebrows furrowed. Afternoon light filtered in through the window in warm yellow rays, and Kagome stared blankly at the sky while forming her thoughts. The pencil's eraser bounced off of Kagome's notepad in time with her humming.
It had been a little over three months since her trip to Cebu. When she returned to Tokyo things were business as usual. She was swamped in photo shoots and interviews for B-Pass and Pop Beat magazines because of her new single and accompanying promotional video. New singles also meant that Kagome would be invited to perform on, at the very least, Music Station, Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ, and Pop Jam. This time Inuyasha flat out refused to have any more TV performances booked than the three. Work on an album was going to start soon; though Kagome would only reuse choreography from the music video for her performances adjustments had to be made for each set and stage she would be on. Her Pop Jam and Music Station performances were going to use the shortened version of the song, so their dances would differ from her extended Hey! Hey! Hey! performance and interview. Because of all of the talk about songs and the creative process in her interviews Kagome was inspired; she wanted to use the momentum to write more songs. There were so many ideas bottled up inside of her...

Hojo had his own work to contend with, busying himself with commercial endorsements for Glico and appearing on a few variety shows. The time he spent with Kagome was very little as they both predicted, and they were only able to spend a handful of nights together, and had maybe a handful of lunch and dinner dates. If not for Kagome's insistence they would have met a lot less. Hojo and seemingly the rest of the world knew how Kagome often buried herself in projects, and though she didn't mention it Hojo knew she wasn't allowing herself to sleep some nights. She did this every time she wrote a new album, working tirelessly on lyrics and new beats in the studio as if she were possessed. He wanted her to stay healthy. To emphasize this, on their dates he often brought her things like herbal teas that helped the body relax, or a CD of rainforest sounds he picked up overseas to help her sleep. On a brisk morning in mid-December Kagome fumbled to find her hanko stamp as she signed for a new electric massage chair, compliments of Hojo.
The moment Kagome stopped humming she took some notes, and played the tune on the piano.
"Yes!" With a smile of accomplishment Kagome squealed excitedly, playing her song from the beginning. Part of the way through Inuyasha appeared in the entryway to Kagome's home, followed by a dark-haired man in a black three-piece suit with a wisp of a ponytail at the base of his neck. Inuyasha's white ears twitched and rotated as he heard the piano. Once his shoes were removed he led his companion towards the piano room, stopping in the hallway so as not to interrupt her. When the song ended Inuyasha and the dark-haired man clapped, startling Kagome as they entered the room.
"Inuyasha, what are you doing here?" Kagome smiled at him, and tipped her head to see who was with him. "Miroku-sama!"
"Kagome-sama!" Kagome's agent smiled when she jumped up from the piano bench to give him a hug.
"You guys are retarded." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at their exaggerated use of honorifics.
Pouting, the pair turned to Inuyasha.
"Don't be like that, Inuyasha-sama," giggled Kagome.
"Really, Inuyasha, Kagome-sama and I are just... eternally grateful to each other. I find the kickass jobs..."
"...And I do the kickass work. And we all win!"
"Okage-sama," laughed the pair in unison while they bowed at each other. Inuyasha slapped his palm to his face.
"No, no, thanks to you. Okage-sama de..."
"No, I insist, Kagome-sama, thanks to you."

"Thanks to you!"
"Okage-sama! Kagome-sama!"
"Dammit, just shut the fuck up already, you two are so damned dorky when you're in the same room!" As harsh as his words were Inuyasha was laughing. He laughed even louder as Kagome swatted Miroku on the head for suddenly being... overly friendly.
"Keep your hand off of my butt, Miroku-sama." Kagome's tone was cheery, and a smile was wide across her face even as she scolded her friend. She knew he meant no harm-- he had always been overly affectionate with women. It was a practice that, surprisingly, helped his career depending on his execution.
Miroku rubbed the sore spot on his crown. "Ah, Kagome-sama, I've now been put in my place. Okage-sa--"
"Say it AGAIN and I'll rip that pretentious little ponytail out of your head!"
Miroku cleared his throat. "Very well, let's just get comfortable," he sighed, still smiling.
Miroku and Inuyasha took their seats in Kagome's burgundy chairs while she returned to her piano. With a foot on the damper pedal she played softly and idly, looking over to her companions. "What's going on guys?"
Inuyasha shot Kagome a thumbs-up. "Before I forget-- a little good news, first. New single debuted at number one today. We accidentally dethroned Morning Musume again... keep it up and those little girls are gonna show up on your doorstep, crying!"
"Ah, nice."
"What's with that nonchalant attitude? You've been rolling in number one singles so much that you don't care anymore?" laughed Inuyasha. He liked to tease her even though he knew she cared more about how well her work was done than its Oricon Chart position, and sometimes even the record sales. The days when Kagome was younger and struggling for a breakout hit had long since passed.
"Maybe you should offer Kagome-sama some kind of incentive for each number one? Like a dinner date..."
"Keh, that's more like a punishment." Inuyasha winked at Kagome. "I'd be stealing away precious time that could be spent with her fiancée, after all."
"What's this? Fiancée?" Miroku directed his gaze to Kagome, who had stopped playing and was now staring into her lap. She reached for her ring from the top of the piano and handed it to him.
"Wow. Congratulations to the both of you. I take it this is not yet public knowled--"
"NO!" Kagome and Inuyasha were surprised at how loudly they shouted.
"An album's coming up. I don't want people to think that this has anything to do with that."

"Of course, I understand. When's the big date?"
Inuyasha looked at Kagome, curious about her answer.
Smiling slightly, Kagome returned to her soft piano playing. "We haven't set one yet. I don't know if we're just gonna exchange rings or make it into a big deal for family and friends."
"Either way let me know so that I may give an appropriate gift."
"Now that that's all taken care of," Inuyasha interrupted clearing his throat, "As much as it's fun to visit with each other we came over for a reason." The tone in the hanyou's voice was still jovial but now business-minded.
"I'm listening." For a moment the three were silent as Kagome practiced her newest song.
Miroku sat back in his chair, crossing his legs. "How would you describe your career, Kagome?"
She continued playing, tipping her head in thought. "Busy."
"So would you say it was flourishing?"
"Easily," she laughed. "But I like things like this."
"Fair enough. Now the big question."
Kagome already knew where this was going. Ever since they realized that she could speak English well, even before she had made much of a name for herself, Inuyasha and Miroku had always proposed the same idea.
"It's that time, isn't it?" Kagome finally stopped playing and turned to face her manager and agent, resting her elbow on the top of the piano. "Do you guys think I'm ready?"
With a smirk, Inuyasha folded his hands in his lap. "You know we have to do it right. What I want to know from you is if you're ready to... to start over."

"Before we can make a commitment to you, Kagome-sama," Miroku continued, "I have to know that you want to do this and that you're going to commit to us. Are you going to give one hundred percent for your English debut? Right now, Japan has no International mainstream pop stars. Can you handle the rest of the world?"
"As always," she answered, "I'll simply do whatever is asked of me." Kagome stood, crossing the room to hug Inuyasha and Miroku. "I trust you two to take care of me as long as I do my job."
"Ah, Kagome-sama, we believe in you." It didn't take long for Miroku's hand to creep up to where it didn't belong. With a screech, Kagome's hand tugged hard at her agent's ponytail until he removed the offending hand from her butt.
"Make three to four songs in English for this upcoming album, and we'll use them for your demo. I'll make some calls in the meantime, and Inuyasha, you keep her in line."
"Hear that, Kagome? Not too many dates, do you think you can handle that?"
"Of course. Hojo will understand."

Things were way too weird. A few months passed since Kagome had even spent a Sunday with her friends from school. Nobody but Ayumi seemed alarmed at Kagome's sudden disappearance. When asked, Ayumi would only say one thing: that Kagome was... just really busy lately.
Hojo knew that at some point Kagome snuck off to Osaka to see a concert. She had been punished. Perhaps she was restricted from going anywhere for a while, but for as long as he knew Kagome's mother she wasn't the type of parent who would punish Kagome for this long. He had already given up trying to get any answers from Kagome, too. Since he lived nearby he often saw her running down the steps of the Higurashi shrine on some evenings and almost every Sunday, as if in a hurry. He grew even more curious on days when Kagome left her home dressed in what looked like expensive clothes. When asked where she had gone, Kagome would just smile and change the subject.
Because they had been friends for so long Hojo was frustrated that nobody would tell him anything. Nobody but Ayumi seemed to know why Kagome was acting so differently. She was still kind to her friends, funny, and energetic. However something important was going on in Kagome's life; he could at least figure out that much. It was as if one day when nobody was watching, Kagome began to carry herself with infinite poise. As if she was above the world. While she had never been an insecure girl something inside of her suddenly exhumed confidence and happiness, so much so that the popular kids in class were intimidated by her. They didn't understand why, nor did they think about it, as cliques often do not analyze their actions. Now respectful and almost awed in her presence they invited her to hang out with them, inexplicably desperate to be associated with her.
She was never interested, however. "I'm sorry," Kagome would politely reply when invited to an outing or a party, "I've already got plans this Sunday."

At school she remained with the same friends she had always known, oblivious to what was happening around her. When Hojo finally got to speak with Kagome, it was as if she no longer cared about what was going on. She could no longer be bothered or intrigued by everyday high school drama. Only when she interacted with Ayumi was there something vibrant in her eyes. She exchanged so many smiles and knowing glances with her, and the pair eventually separated themselves from everyone else more and more as the days passed.
Sooner or later more of the student body was curious about Kagome and Ayumi. What had started as respect for Kagome's change in personality quickly became confusion and jealousy. People misinterpreted Kagome and Ayumi's detachment from the rest of the other students as snobbery. Elitism. It didn't take long for people to begin teasing the two friends. Hojo tried his best to diffuse potentially bad situations, but was saddened that he was growing apart from Kagome for reasons he couldn't figure out.
People were harder on Kagome than Ayumi. They left rotten eggs in Kagome's shoe locker, hid her desk in other classrooms before school, and defaced her gym clothes with permanent marker. Somehow, none of this seemed to outwardly affect her. Hojo never saw her react to or even acknowledge such petty things.
On a late Sunday night close to eleven o' clock Hojo was alone, walking home from the subway station. He had spent the day in Roppongi, shopping and singing karaoke with his friends, including Ayumi for once. As he passed a familiar set of stairs, the entrance to the Higurashi shrine, Hojo stared longingly at the light coming from the top of the hill. Where was Kagome now? He wanted to ask her out on a date months ago, but somehow lost his chance before ever having one. He continued down the street, staring down at his shoes as he thought about her. Headlights flashed in his face and a black BMW Z7 sped past him, pulling over in front of the Higurashi shrine. Hojo would have kept walking had he not heard Kagome's voice.
"Hide-chan, you shouldn't have to give me one. I'm pretty sure Mama has one stored away somewhere; she used to play."
"I bet Mama's old six-string isn't quite like this one. Besides, you've been having such a bad time at school lately... I wanted to cheer you up. Play it when you're blue and think of all the good times we have. Promise me? You've gotten so good."
Should have figured that those jerks at school were really hurting her. Wait, what the-- Hojo spun around slightly confused. Who was that older man with Kagome? The high school student moved against a nearby wall, not wanting to be seen just yet. A man in a black hooded sweater who was Kagome's height linked one arm in hers escorting her from the passenger seat of his car up the stairs. What looked like a guitar case was strapped to his back. Hojo stepped closer to the stairs. Behind him the BMW's lights flashed briefly and the car's locks clicked shut. The keyless entry only startled the boy for a second. He was unable to take his eyes off of his friend as she laughed with that man. How dare that creepy rich guy even think about touching her! What was it about his movements and mannerisms that looked so familiar, too?

"Of course I will. Wanna come and say hi to Mama?"
"Always." To Hojo's dismay he let go of Kagome's arm, only to slide it up to her shoulder as he put his arm around her. Hojo watched Kagome almost jump in surprise and then relax against the strange man. Something inside of him wanted to scream. Desperate, he leaped up the entrance to the shrine.
"Higurashi, is that you?" He was relieved when the pair broke apart and turned around.
"Hojo-kun?" Kagome exchanged a glance with Hideto, at a loss as to what to say. "Good evening."
When he caught up with the pair Hojo didn't know what to do. "I, uh... I'm glad I saw you. We all went out today, and I... uh... I wanted to give you..." Hojo's eyes moved to what sat in the top of his shopping bag. "This melon-pan." Flustered a bit, he tried not to shake as he shoved the bread towards Kagome with a quick bow. He then turned to Hideto, bowing to him as well. "Good evening."
"Yo."

Thoughts slowly materialized in Hojo's head. That voice and face were too familiar. A few seconds passed as all three were silent. Hojo pretended not to notice the distressed look on Kagome's face.
"Would you... like to come in, Hojo-kun?"
"Sure!"
Awkwardly quiet, the three headed to the entryway of Kagome's house.
"I'm home!" Kagome and Hojo removed their shoes, and almost instantaneously she was answered.
"Welcome home!" The matriarch of the Higurashi household stood smiling in front of the three, with Kagome's younger brother Souta in tow.
"Good evening! It's been a while, hasn't it Hojo-kun? Takarai-san, thank you so much for driving Kagome home on time. I'm sorry she's always such a burden."

"Not at all--"
"Hide-niisan, why did you bring your guitar with you? Are you gonna sing something for us?"
"I could, but this guitar actually belongs to Kagome."
"Wow! I'm so jealous!
The conversation continued, but to Hojo the words blurred around him as he continued to examine this strange adult. Because Hojo was lost in thought, he no longer registered anything that was said to him, only bowing and smiling in automatic response. The man was heading out the door now, casually bowing goodbye to everyone before the door was closed behind him. Takarai... Hide was his name? Come to think of it, he looked an awful lot like...
"Hyde!" Hojo suddenly blurted out, causing everyone to stare at him. "That guy looked an awful lot like hyde! You know, that singer from Kagome's favorite band!"

"Hojo-niichan... who do you think was just here?" Pulling him inside Souta handed Hojo a pair of house slippers. All Hojo could do was gape as he was led to Kagome's room. Kagome closed the door behind her with a sheepish look, and watched Souta examine her new guitar.
Hojo finally looked up at Kagome as she stood over him. He didn't remember being seated, but didn't complain. Soft plucking sounds tugged at his ear as he stared at Kagome. The boy couldn't stare for long, though. From behind Kagome a second pair of eyes bore into him from a poster on the wall. The man Hojo had just met glared down at him smugly from a glossy B-Pass poster on the wall. Kagome doesn't have any interest in little boys like you, laughed the two-dimensional face. Not when she has me... I've always been her perfect man.
It was true, he lamented. Kagome had forced Hojo to sit through so many L'Arc-en-Ciel concerts on tape with her but he endured it, positive that one day Kagome would realize how much he cared about her even though he was indifferent to her favorite band.
"Hojo-kun! Are you awake?" Kagome's voice broke through his thoughts. "You've never been this quiet the entire time I've known you!"
Hojo finally straightened. Everything strange about Kagome's behavior made sense now. With wide eyes, he finally turned to Kagome and spoke. "It's... really him? How did you..."

"Oh my GOD, I thought we'd never get out of there," laughed Kagome as she removed her shoes.
"Another lost prop and I swear, I would have fucking--"
"--but we're done now. Can you unzip me? I'll be right back."
Silently Inuyasha complied, pulling down the back zipper of Kagome's dress as she produced a cell phone. "Hayashi-san? It's me, Higurashi. I know Hojo's got a few things to do so if you could please remind him that dinner is at six and make him promise to write it down this time..."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, glaring in no particular direction as Kagome disappeared into her bedroom. He suddenly wished that the headache pills in Kagome's medicine cabinet actually had noticeable effects on youkai. He could use about twenty at the moment. Even though he took the utmost care in making sure Kagome wasn't weighed down with too tight of a schedule she somehow managed to undermine his efforts, as usual.
"Inuyasha, are you staying here tonight?" Kagome's voice called faintly from her bedroom, Inuyasha assumed.
"Nah, I'm going home right when you leave."
Oh well. He hated to admit that a short break was welcome. Without having to schedule anything new in the near future, Inuyasha could finally lounge around at home for a bit. Tonight he looked forward to catching up on some reading.
Things were going good. Kagome's single was still number one, there was only one more magazine shoot left, and soon she would begin mixing the new album. The release date would be set in the near future, and if it charted well the demo CD would be sent out. Miroku had a couple of American record executives lined up and interested in Kagome already.
With a pair of strappy stiletto high heels in hand, Kagome appeared again in tight white jeans and a collared blouse that showed her midriff. Now seated on her couch Inuyasha bit his lip as he noticed that her hair, pinned loosely to her scalp, hung in twisted strands off of her head. He loved that hairstyle. Something about it was so refined yet fierce to him. Tips of thin black tendrils of hair brushed her neck just so, swinging tauntingly as she moved across the room. The hairstyle was what he both dreaded and desired to see in Kagome: a breach of restraint. Inuyasha imagined hair like that as the result of rolling around together under the covers, or on the floor. Maybe in his Porsche? No, on a beach... hmm, summer seemed so far away.
Light perfume mingling with her own scent lingered tauntingly in the air as Kagome rushed around, looking for accessories. Inuyasha tipped his head back, resting on the top edge of the couch cushions. He tried not to look too happy while taking in a breath. Everything in Kagome's home was, naturally, buried in her fragrance. Like seemingly everything that involved her Inuyasha both loved this, and hated himself for enjoying it.
You can't have her, he always decided.

Why not? He asked.
She's special. You're replaceable.
The thought process always stopped there. With ears twitching the hanyou raised his head a little to watch Kagome fasten a bracelet on her wrist. Smiling, she spun around to face him.
"Inu-chan, what do you think?"
I think I'll need a cold shower tonight. "Don't call me that, you're being obnoxious. You look fine."
"Hm..." Kagome looked down at her outfit, adjusting her jeans.
Fucking hell, she must have been poured into those. Oh God, they're just perfectly clinging to her--
"Do the pants match okay?"

"Kagome. You're wearing all white." Was it possible to be jealous of a pair of pants?
"Yes, but you were kinda glaring at them..."
Fuck the cold shower; is there a meat locker I can sleep in tonight? "I'm just gonna go home now."
With a sigh, Kagome grabbed her purse. "I guess I'll leave too."

He knew he shouldn't be doing it, and he knew she would be furious if she caught him. Ever since meeting Hideto the previous Sunday he felt uneasy. If Hojo had been in a calmer state of mind he wouldn't have been waiting outside of Kagome's home the following Sunday, intent on following her. There were things that Hojo needed to know, and things that the boy wanted to say to the older man he was certain was taking advantage of Kagome in some way.
Why didn't Kagome's mother see it? What kind of mother allowed her beautiful, high school-aged daughter to spend Sundays alone with an older man in his own home? She must have trusted Kagome a great deal. Takarai-san was a notorious lady-killer and known for making lots of sexual jokes at concerts. Heaven only knew how perverted he was in private.
"I'm leaving now!"
"Take care! Remember, eleven o'clock, Kagome."

"I always come home on time, Mama."
Hojo scanned the shrine to make sure nobody was looking at him as he watched Kagome leave her house and head down the steps. He crouched low, suddenly saddened at how cute she looked in a short denim skirt and lacy black sleeveless blouse. As she reached the end of the steps Hojo stood, but nearly screamed as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He spun around, finding himself face to face with Kagome's mother.
"Oba-san... Hello, I was just--"
"When she first met him, I was terrified because I thought Kagome would easily get hurt by him."
Hojo could only stare in response.
"But the more I talk to him, the more I realize it might be mutual. And then I realized, if Kagome's cunning enough to make it to Osaka and back alone, she's better off than I thought."
"Then... you approve of..."

"I can't say I approve or disapprove of something I don't know about. But I'm not so blind as to ignore the fact that Kagome is better off learning from life firsthand." Grinning, the woman ruffled Hojo's hair. "You kids are graduating this year... you'll both turn twenty faster than you think."
"I don't mean to be so forward, but your daughter is spending her weekends alone with a grown man. Please excuse me..."
Before Hojo could hear a reply, he dashed down the steps of the shrine in hopes of catching Kagome.
She didn't get too far. Sighing in relief Hojo caught his breath a little as he watched Kagome enter a train station. Reaching into his pockets frantically, the young man located a few coins. After watching Kagome buy a ticket he hesitated for a second as he purchased his own. He didn't know how much money to put into the machine, as he wasn't sure where Kagome was headed. In a split second he located the most expensive location on the station map overhead before pumping eight hundred yen, enough to exit any station, into the machine.

Once the train got crowded it took a little work to watch Kagome from the subway car behind her, but as far as he knew Hojo still remained unseen. The ride was somewhat brief. Several stops later at Shibuya station Hojo made a dash for the doors as soon as he saw that Kagome was preparing to leave.
Okay, so it's no surprise that Takarai-san lives in one of those expensive high rise apartments. In a crowded district it was painfully easy to go unnoticed when Hojo followed Kagome for a few blocks. He winced when Kagome stopped at a flower stand to pick up some white roses (did she always bring him flowers?) but kept following until she reached an imposingly tall building, simple in its rectangular shape. As he looked up to its peak, Hojo wondered if the building was actually glaring down at him. He felt so out of place once he saw Kagome laughing briefly with the doorman before disappearing inside. After waiting a few minutes Hojo followed once more.
"Good afternoon. These are private residences, so I'll need to know the name of the person you wish to see."

Hojo raised an eyebrow. "Um, my... younger sister... is here visiting Takarai Hideto-san. Could you tell me where she is?"
The doorman replied mechanically with a bow and smile. "Please wait a minute."
Crap, this doesn't seem good. Subtlety often went over Hojo's head but he could at least tell when someone was suspicious of him. He had never been cunning enough to lie well. After a few agonizing minutes shrinking under glances from the doorman Hojo was greeted again.
"I'm sorry, I have been told that Higurashi Kagome-san does not have an older brother. It can't be helped but I can't allow you to enter."
"I see... well, thank you."
Hojo wandered back outside, not sure what his next step was. After turning a corner to get out of the doorman's sight he crouched on the sidewalk at a loss as to what to do. A few minutes of contemplation passed until the young man sighed, getting comfortable. He had come this far, only to get shot down so easily. The best course of action he could come up with was to wait. At best, Kagome would come out soon. At worst, Hojo would remain seated outside until eleven at the latest. Oh well. Like everything else he would endure this for Kagome.

I should have brought a jacket. Hojo's foot was asleep, and there were no signs of Kagome. As the time approached eleven o'clock Hojo stood, ready to catch a train home. Did he not hear Kagome assuring her mother that she'd be home by eleven? It was about eleven when he ran into Kagome and Hideto last week. Crossing the entrance of the building's parking garage he sighed, sad to have wasted the day. The instant such a thought came into fruition, though, a pair of headlights shone, and out from under the building shot a familiar black BMW. With a smile the boy caught a flash of Kagome's silhouette in the passenger's seat, and sat back down on the sidewalk. Finally, Hideto would come home alone.
Maybe twenty minutes later the pair of headlights that Hojo was getting to know shone in the distance. He realized right away that Hideto would be driving too fast to see him and stop. Hideto's Z7 approached its destination and Hojo ran to the center of the parking garage's entrance, holding both arms straight out to the side.
In the midst of Hojo's impulse he realized that he could die. His stomach twisted, or at least the boy thought it did as the headlights approached almost too quickly.
Hideto almost didn't see him. In less than a second the brakes were mashed to the floor, and the car nearly spun out as the rock star made all efforts to avoid vehicular manslaughter. Rubber skidded across the pavement in a turbulent, terrible screech. The tiny sports car jolted to a stop, but not before Hojo could be tagged in the legs. He fell to the ground like a rag doll.
"Holy shit!" Without hesitation Hideto jumped out of the car and kneeled at Hojo's side. An eyebrow raised when the older man recognized the boy on the ground. This wasn't good. One of the last things Hideto wanted to tell Kagome was that he killed her little friend.
If anything Hojo would come away with a bruise across his shins. Somehow he managed to stand, with a mind still set on the conversation he wanted to have.
"Hey kid... you okay?"
Shaking slightly, Hojo answered with only a nod.
"Did we meet last week at Kagome's house?"

"Y-yes. I actually had something I wanted to speak to you about. It won't take long."
"That's fine, but are you sure you don't want me to drive you to a hospital first?"

"Would you like to come up for tea or something?"
"No, thank you. If you please I'd just like to ask what I came to ask and be on my way home."
Hideto's car was parked now and the pair walked up a short flight of concrete steps that led to an elevator. Hojo remained at the foot of the stairs, while Hideto stood at the elevator's entrance.
"...okay, what is it?"

"What are your intentions with Higurashi?"
His calm expression didn't change, but he was definitely intrigued. How should he respond? Hideto didn't know what kind of person Hojo was or how he would react to things. Though Kagome sometimes talked about her friends at school she had never mentioned him.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"Are you two... in... that kind of a relationship?"
I fucking wish, Kid. It's true that Kagome was now completely comfortable around him, but he never made another advance since their first kiss. No matter how much he cared about her, no matter how attracted he was to her it was a very wrong thing to pursue.

Their age gap didn't bother him and he was pretty sure it didn't bother Kagome as well, but no matter how often they spent time together the two were in different worlds. If Kagome was going to take steps to go out into the world as a musician, the last thing she needed was to be associated with him. Who would recognize her talent if she was on his arm?
"What do you two do in your apartment all day? You... you've defiled her, haven't you? I bet her mother is only kind to you because you're rich and famous and there's nothing she can do! Or is it because you intend to marry Higurashi? If you... if you marry her, you'd better not divorce her or break her heart or I'll... I'll..."
"WHOA, slow down!" What the hell? Maybe it'd be more entertaining to let Hojo sit around all day while his assumptions got worse. "I haven't even answered you and you're already off on some tangent."
"What is Higurashi to you? Just tell me."
This was ridiculous. "And what exactly is she to you? Sorry, Kid. Unless Kagome is okay with you knowing about it, what we do alone is none of your business."
He wanted to smirk when Hojo's face reddened, and did all he could to keep a stony expression when the boy began to sputter. What a presumptuous brat. "Nothing personal. Be careful on your way home. No more jumping in front of cars."

"...thank you, I will." With heavy steps Hojo exited the parking garage.
The breeze swirled around him as he trudged towards the train station. His stomach was swirling too, sickly tumbling as he thought about Kagome. She had never let any boys from school treat her with the same sense of familiarity as Hideto did. Hojo had known her since middle school, but Kagome had never called him by his first name! She'd never even called him Hojo-chan, or anything cute like that. He would have loved that.
In a few short months she was wrapped around this jerk's finger! On one hand he couldn't blame her. How else would a girl react if her ideal man suddenly wanted to be friends or more? If Kagome ever shows interest in me, Hojo decided, I'll make her only have eyes for me. I'll love her for the rest of my life.
A pink sheet of paper blown by the wind collided with his foot. Furrowing an eyebrow he kicked it away and noticed the same paper hanging in a nightclub's window. A familiar pair of eyes stared at him from the bottom corner of the photocopied flier. Its words jumped out at him.
Three nights, three acts!
Husking Bee

Gaitare

Ka-go-me
Tickets: 600en

Doors open: 9:00 p.m.
As far as Hojo knew Kagome only played classical music. What was she doing with that guitar? What was she doing in those sexy black clothes? How long did it take her to put on all of that makeup? When did she start performing in public, anyway? Frantically Hojo searched the ground for the flyer he kicked away, and folded it neatly into his wallet.

Kagome was beginning to wonder what it was about Chez Mario that was so unlucky. It was nearly seven o'clock, and once more she was alone at her table. All calls to Hojo's phone went straight to voicemail.
Maybe Hayashi-san knows something I don't... Kagome produced her cell phone for what must have been the hundredth time, this time to call Hojo's manager.
"This is Hayashi."
"Hayashi-san, it's Higurashi. You told Hojo six o'clock, right?"
"Yes, of course! I watched him write the time down on those little post-its he sticks to his cell phone." There was a short pause, and what Kagome thought to be a quiet gasp. "He's... he's not there yet?"
"No. Oh no, do you think something happened to him, Hayashi-san? His cell phone seems to be turned off, hopefully he's not stranded somewhere?"
"I don't know. Look, the last thing on his schedule today was an interview with the president of his fan club for this month's newsletter. It's supposed to take place at his home, so maybe you could check to see if he's still there for some reason?"
"Thank you so much. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Hayashi-san. Take care."

With broad, swift steps Kagome stood to pay her bill and headed to her car.

I'm never going to agree to this again. How stupid am I to allow this girl into my home? He was thankful that one of his talents was to mask his feelings, or so he thought. At the moment Hojo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, only recently noticing how the bubbly young girl who sat facing him was inching closer with every word.
Her hair hung in a loose bun at the back of her skull, strands sticking out in random directions. It was kind of cute, he supposed, but the accompanying face scared him. Big, blank doe eyes clung to his gaze as tightly as this girl clung to each word he had said in the last couple of hours. How long was this interview going to be, anyway?
"That's so awesome, Hojo-san! I can't wait to see the commercials you'll be in this season."
"Yes, it was very enjoyable working with the director, and also a new experience working on such a high-budget commercial."
Did she scoot closer again? Damn it, Hojo was going to run out of couch to escape to... "So, Hojo-san," she pointed her tape recorder directly at him. "You mentioned that you would be shedding some clothes for one of them? Do you think Higurashi-san will get jealous of your female co-star in the upcoming spa commercial?"
"No, not at all. Kagome is very professional and understands that work is just work. It's really admirable."
"Ah, Higurashi-san is a very admirable person." Hojo heard a click. Did the tape recorder run out of tape? "Off the record, this outfit I'm wearing is modeled from one of her promotional videos... did you notice?"
He replied with a troubled laugh. Sure, he noticed. Perhaps he noticed because it was too deliberate-- Kagome loved her strapless shirts and miniskirts maybe because Sango was so skilled at altering clothes off the rack to flatter Kagome. The wrinkled skirt and shirt ensemble that this girl sported was a caricature of Sango's handiwork. Whoever made the outfit didn't understand why certain seams and darts existed in the original ensemble. The length and type of fabric were all wrong, too. In general the doppelganger outfit that victimized this unknowing girl fell poorly on her curves, if she even had any.
"You know, I get mistaken for Higurashi-san a lot..."
Hojo could feel his smile begin to crack. Maybe by someone with a bad stigmatism...
How did a hand reach his leg so quickly? He began to stand but was pushed back down onto the couch.

"Pardon me, Miss, but what are you doing?"
"Want to compare us on a more intimate level, Hojo-san?"
"I'm going to assume we're done with the interview, so if you could leave now..."
Maybe it could be attributed to Hojo's stupidity later, but the girl had found her way onto his lap. With arms already snaked around his shoulders she straddled him, giggling softly.
Hojo was pretty sure that if he reacted in the wrong way it would be easy for this girl to slap him with a law suit. However at the rate things were going a plan was not surfacing quickly enough to save him. A natural disaster would be nice right about now, he lamented. Maybe Yuka would burst in with some suggestions for an outfit to wear on his date tonight. Maybe he was late for an appointment and Yuka would be calling his cell phone at the moment? Where was his cell phone, come to think of it?
"Hojo-sama," whispered the nuisance on his lap. Before he could react any further Hojo felt a pair of lips pressing against his, unwilling to let him squirm away.
"Please, no... Stop..." He could hear his front door clicking! It was only a matter of time, now. For once he rejoiced in his absentmindedness, gleefully wondering what he forgot to do today. Four footsteps sounded in the entryway; the clicking of high-heeled shoes was unmistakable as they halted. "Yuka, is that you?"
The girl on his lap gasped, turning around to see who the sudden visitor was. Hojo's relieved smile stretched across his features as he looked to see who was there.
The smile that was made in such haste was quickly replaced with surprise, confusion, and finally, fear. Kagome was there with a stance so ominous, glaring so fiercely that he could have sworn somebody stabbed him in the chest in that split second. He suddenly realized how bad his situation looked. His fiancée's stare shot cleanly through the fangirl on his lap and dug so painfully into his heart that he could only manage a few words.
"Ka-Kagome. Is it... past eight o'clock?"
In hindsight Hojo would realize what a horrible choice of words that was. He would also remain in awe of how calm and composed Kagome appeared to be as she replied. Her time under the spotlight served her well, so much so in this moment that all living things would tremble before her feet as she spoke with such practiced serenity. The girl who was parked on Hojo's lap had long since slid to his side, sitting in shame with drooping shoulders as the better woman didn't even flinch.

"I told Yuka that dinner was at six. Check your notes." With cold, economical movements Kagome spun around and removed her engagement ring, letting it drop to the floor as she exited the building.
A few seconds passed in silence. The girl, whose every movement now exhumed shame, rushed out of the house, stopping every few feet to bow deeply to Hojo.
He felt as if he had been hit by a car. The shock of what just happened wore off enough for Hojo to wildly fumble for his phone, and curse out loud when he realized its battery had died. Locating the charger, he plugged in his phone and called Yuka.
"Hello? This is Hayashi."
"You SAID it was eight o'clock, didn't you! Eight? I fucking wrote down eight, for fuck's sake!"
"Holy crap, what's wrong with you? What happened?"
"It was eight o'clock, wasn't it? I wouldn't write down eight otherwise! Why was she here--?"
"What do you mean, ‘why was she here,' slow down! Calm down! Let me check my notes." Hojo's labored breathing droned into her ear as she glanced at a paper on her desk.
"Dinner was at six."
"What? That's impossible; you must have said it wrong!"
"LOOK, I have no idea what just happened but I'm pretty sure it was big considering how abso-fucking-lutely NUTS you sound! Why don't you calm down a minute and then call me back?"
She didn't really give him a choice; she just hung up on him.
He figured that if his heart could beat any faster he would surely die. Though his hands were trembling he allowed the grip on his cell phone to loosen a bit, revealing a slip of paper that he had stuck to it only a few hours earlier.
Scrawled across it was a messy number 8.
He was sure it was an eight staring back at him.
He was sure of it...
He was sure.

He... at a second glance it could have easily been a six.
Now he didn't know what to make of things.

She allowed no coherent thoughts to cross her mind other than the task at hand: driving home. For her own safety she simply couldn't.
However as hard as she tried to focus on the signals, road signs, and other drivers, something inside of her had wilted painfully. As if the essence of her spirit was being expelled from her body tears streamed steadily down her face. Somewhere in Kagome's mind a thought presented itself: she couldn't make it home like this.
The next best thing was to take the few turns to Inuyasha's nearby house. Whether or not he was there didn't really matter-- she had her own room there, a place to take refuge. Kagome wasn't all too sure she wanted him to be home, anyway.
Kagome didn't quite remember the act of parking the car but there she was, suddenly standing outside of the driver's side door, locking the thing. She didn't remember passing the gate in front of Inuyasha's house either, but there she was opening the door to his house. Had she been in her right mind, the young woman would have been grateful that Inuyasha's home was always unlocked if he was at home.
Had she been in her right mind perhaps she would have questioned why she walked out of Hojo's house so easily without waiting for an explanation, or maybe why that stupid smile was across his face as that whore climbed all over him... okay, perhaps thinking about that in any more detail wouldn't have helped.
How did she get her shoes off so easily? Oh, look. Inuyasha was yelling. It didn't matter, anyway. It wasn't as if Kagome could actually make out what he was saying...
"Kagome! Kagome, what the fuck is wrong with you? Let me get your slippers..." He'd never seen her so distraught before. Either Hojo had died, or...
...Inuyasha didn't want to think about "or." If the "or" existed the hanyou was almost certain that Hojo would be safer as a dead man. His search for Kagome's slippers came to a sudden halt when he noticed that Kagome was wandering upstairs. She shuffled drearily like a zombie, to her bedroom, Inuyasha figured.
In that moment her cell phone rang. Inuyasha recognized Hojo's ring tone. The perky tinkling of digital bells knocked a little bit of composure back into Kagome, as she reached into her purse.
Without missing a beat her hand raised high, gripping the phone. In a single smooth movement she thrust the noisy hunk of plastic down into the stairs, almost grinning as it bounced off of the ground. The phone continued to ring even through its assault. Durable little nuisance, aren't you?
She turned, now staring hatefully at her victim. Inuyasha watched in horror as she mashed her bare heel into the phone. The battery dislodged itself, flying down the stairs. It was clear the remainder of the phone would no longer function properly, if at all.
Painfully, Kagome removed her foot from the mess and continued up the stairs, now limping a little. Running quickly to intercept her, Inuyasha gripped her shoulders.

"Tell me what happened."
He was loathe to see the expression on her face. No words were spoken, but the young woman's eyes finally lifted to meet his. She met him with a dull gaze, red and wet from tears, and then returned to her listless shuffle.
Inuyasha's heart broke with that single stare. He was suddenly ashamed of lusting for her earlier that evening. Whatever happened to her in the short time they were apart now overshadowed previous lecherous thoughts. In his mind he was her protector, first and foremost.
He lifted her quietly and easily into his arms. As if it were the natural thing to do Kagome curled up against his body, burrowing her face into his shirt. Soon Inuyasha would nudge the door to her room open, and he did not release her even while he sat on the bed in the middle of the room.
A dim light shone in from the hallway as Inuyasha remained motionless, simply cradling Kagome in his lap. The single strip of light stretched across the carpet below as Kagome softly cried into Inuyasha's shirt in the dark. He fixated on that light, tightening his grip while his companion's body convulsed with each hiccup and sob.
Oh, he would kill Hojo for this. If this was somehow that idiot's fault... Well, enough was enough.
That woman... was dressed like me, wasn't she? Kagome couldn't understand that part. Why would he want an imitation when he had the real thing? Had she somehow become boring to Hojo, now that she agreed to be his wife? It didn't matter now, she guessed. The gold and diamond hook that ensnared her was cast off, onto the floor of that despicable house.
When she thought about the ring, Kagome could only choke on her sobs as they spilled from her lips. Lately it was painful to see rings on the fingers of other women when she could not freely wear her own. Earlier, as she changed clothes for her date her smile was warm when she slipped the ring on.
Did that girl have an imitation ring on, as well?
She looked up to Inuyasha, who sat there so stoically.
How easy was it for Hojo to touch that other girl? How many other nameless women had he touched in the same ways he touched Kagome?
Kagome tugged on Inuyasha's shirt, urging him to return her stare. Though the confusion in his expression was obvious he complied, blinking down at her.
How hard could it be?
She wasn't sure how to go about it, at first. The hand that clutched her manager's shirt slid up to his neck, and then Kagome pulled him closer to her. Inuyasha's eyes practically bulged out of his head, and his shocked expression made Kagome want to giggle.

"Kagome, wha, what are you doing?"
To tell the truth, being so physically close to Inuyasha had always felt natural. She was never embarrassed or awkward around him. Was that what Hojo felt? Could she...
"Nothing," she finally answered. Her voice was barely a whisper.
Physical attraction didn't have to be paired with emotions, did it? Perhaps a man could make the separation easier than a woman could. Hojo still loved her, didn't he?
"Then... are you gonna let go of me, or what?" Kagome could feel his breath across her lips as he tentatively spoke.
She wanted to understand. That was her excuse, anyway.
Really... how hard could it be?
"Oh well," Kagome finally sighed aloud. "I can't deny that you're nice to look at."
"Wait, wha--" Inuyasha wouldn't finish his next question.
"It's maddening sometimes," she whispered huskily, before drawing him completely to her. Her hand gripped tightly onto his neck as she closed her eyes. She felt her lips come into contact with his, softly at first. Inuyasha's confusion was too clear as she nibbled on his lower lip, but as she parted her lips to take a breath she was met with shy reciprocation.
It really was quite easy. Too easy.

"Really nice to look at," she repeated softly.
Inuyasha hoped this was a dream, but knew better. He moaned helplessly under his breath as Kagome continued her assault.

Notes:
Whoops, accident! This really throws a wrench in my plans but that's okay. Also while I planned on Hojo's confrontation with Hideto, I didn't really plan on him getting hit like that, but I was inspired (just bought a sexy new car). There's actually a little more flashback that I meant to add but with the way things played out in this chapter it doesn't fit so well anymore. You'll see it next time.
So a lot of things have happened in my life since the last time I left you guys on Christmas. Here's a quick few:

- Car and street got flooded on New Year's Day

- Had to get a new car and do the insurance claim song and dance

- Moved to a new house (not related to the flood)

- Moved old office to new house (we're still doing this)

- Buried to the hilt in work
It's amazing how much an address change complicates getting essential paperwork. D:
I don't have time to update the cultural notes/extras web site right now (because there's some notes that go with this chapter and I think there's a drawing somewhere) and toyed with the idea of releasing this chapter with all of that, but I figure I should just get the story out. Eh-heh, let me know if there are people out there still reading this story, and I'll try to make more time to write if that's the case. Seriously busy right now. As always, thanks for reading!
10 March: Cultural notes and two new drawings (hah, I almost forgot I drew them!) are now added to the "extras" page, which is at this address (be sure to remove the spaces in order for it to work):

Www. Pinku. net/fadeflare
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Fade and Flare