[Drabble-Fic] Life's Strangest Destination (Chapter 1)
Table of Contents | Chapter 2
Title: Simple and Sweet (Chapter 1)
Author: kryss_delrhei
Fandom: Inuyasha
Type: Anime/Manga
Characters/Pairing: Inuyasha, Kagome
Word Count: 948
Genre: General
Rating: G
Warning: Alternate Universe
Summary: At twenty-seven, Kagome Higurashi had become completely habitual and she hated it.
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha nor the characters, just borrowing them from Rumiko Takahashi for a little while.
Author's Notes: Winners for the round were announced on March 19, 2013 over at iyfic_contest which this piece took first place. This is the extended version. Originally posted to be dutifully shaved down to a maximum word count of 500.
Prompt: iyfic_contest : #315 - Train
--
Mid-August
Juggling her briefcase and an overnight carryall, Kagome hastily slid her tram card through the machine. Nodding her head in apology to the growing line behind her, she retrieved her receipt as she slung her carryall over her shoulder and knelled to grab her bag of groceries.
Pushing back her bangs, Kagome walked with the crowd to the tram platform, where she'd catch her nightly train. At twenty-seven, Kagome Higurashi had become completely habitual and how she had come to loathe her life. The crowd behind her surged forward when the intercom announced the trains arrival as the train sounded its horn. She stumbled, the weight of her carryall sending her forward against the people in front, while strong arms steadied her.
“I'm sorry,” she mumbled, shifting her briefcase into her other hand to shift the tote to her hip, wrinkling her business suit more.
“S'okay.”
She glanced upward, catching the taller man's gaze she had bumped into, his dark violet eyes were so captivating. She found herself too stunned to reply and worse he was staring so intently at her she almost felt she couldn't breathe. Swallowing against the thick lump in her throat, Kagome hesitantly chewed on her lip more before nodding her head slowly.
“Name's Inuyasha,” he chuckled and held out his hand as the train came into the station, making the crowd surge forward against them.
“Kagome,” she smiled up at him, taking his hand.
“It's rowdy tonight,” he commented offhand as they moved forward to board the train.
“Yeah, it is,” she responded lamely.
On-board the train, Kagome found a seat next to the window as she dumped the her luggage at her feet, setting the bag of groceries on top of them.
“Mind if I join you?” Inuyasha asked as he casually leaned against the back of the seat as he looked down at her, a crooked grin showing off a perfect row of teeth.
Kagome nodded and toed her bags further out of his way as he sat down next to her, pulling his messenger bag into his lap. They sat quietly, Kagome feeling her cheeks heat up as she stared out the window into the night. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Inuyasha pull out an MP3 player from one of the outer pockets of his coat and slipped one ear bud in, music softly emitting from it.
Breathing heavily, Kagome leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes as the train pulled out of the station. Saddened with her life and her lack of enthusiasm or self-confindence socially, Kagome spent the train ride quietly sneaking peaks at the long dark haired male sitting next to her. She idly wondered what it would to be like to have an actual relationship, one that didn't crumble and die a festering death.
Some time during the hour train ride, Kagome had fallen asleep to awaken to Inuyasha lightly prodding her side. She sat up immediately, her cheeks flaming.
“I'm so sorry! I honestly didn't mean to fall asleep... on you!” Kagome hastily apologized, though the long winded apology died as Inuyasha's deep laughed caused her to pause, “You're laughing at me?”
“No, no, no...” he smiled and thought for a bit, clicking his teeth before he shook his head, “I just didn't have the heart to wake you.”
“But you did wake me,” she gave him a puzzled frown.
Inuyasha nodded and gave her a lopsided grin that did funny things to her, “They announced the first stop, I just didn't want you missing it if it was yours.”
“Oh,” she said, blinking before looking him over, “That was nice of you.”
He shrugged, storing his MP3 player into his coat, “It doesn't happen often, you just got lucky I guess.”
Kagome laughed, nodding as she wiped the sleep from her eyes, “Well any case, thank you.”
“Not a problem.”
Inuyasha turned to her in his seat, his dark violet gaze almost searing, “I don't have a pen on me.”
“A pen?”
“Yeah, to give you my number.”
He said it so nonchlantly that it startled her, before she starting grinning, “I think I have one in my briefcase.”
Of course she had one, she thought to herself as she opened it, reaching to hand him one.
He pulled a small red card from his inside jacket pocket and turned it over as he scribbled a number down as the train came into the station. Inuyasha handed her the card, and she idly ran her finger along the edges, reading it.
“You work at a bar?” she raised a brow.
He shrugged and gave her another lopsided grin, “I own it.”
“Hmm,” Kagome smiled, before licking her dry lips and slipping the card into her briefcase before closing it, “Well this is my stop, I should... you know, get up.”
Nodding, Inuyasha helped her with her bags as she scooted into the isle, feeling her heart pounding as she brushed past him. He gently grabbed her arm, causing her to look at him, “The number on the back is my cell.” His violet gaze searched her face for something as she waited for him to continue or let go of her, “I think I'd like to get to know you.” he mumbled.
Kagome stared up at him, his boyish face framed by dark sidelocks and bushy bangs, his long hair gathered at his neck in a ponytail. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she found herself blushing as she felt the habitualness of her life drifting apart, “I think... I'd like to get to know you too,” she found herself repeating, a smile blooming across her face.
Originally Posted to: iyfic_contest on March 5, 2013.
