Red numbers changed to show 6:00 and a loud alarm rang throughout the apartment. Sloppily, a delicate porcelain-like hand reached out to shut it off. A groan was heard as the owner of the hand carefully got out of bed with another moan.
"Another day. Sigh, why do I bother? What to wear?" a tired Kagome Higurashi asked herself as she scratched herself and stretched. She slowly pulled on her running gear, grabbed her ipod and walked out the front door of her apartment. On her way down to the lobby she tied her long, sleek black hair back into a ponytail. Her feet hit the pavement and she took off, running slowly along the cobbled streets. It was a beautiful day in Paris, France. Most days were beautiful come to think of it. Kagome started up her ipod and hummed along with the upbeat tune. She felt good today. Something was bound to happen.
Across the city a restless hanyou was tossing restlessly in his bed. Red numbers changed once again and another loud alarm sounded. The man in question shot out of bed, slammed his hand down on the clock, almost breaking it.
"Shit man. Got that damn business meeting today. Oh well, Sessomaru can watch over it for me until I get there. If I get there." Inuyasha laughed at his joke as he got out of bed, put on his gloves and headed down to the gym. He headed over to the vertical bench press and started off with 150 pounds. He'd gradually add more to that.
Time passed on. Kagome had almost finished her run around Paris. It was a 5 km jog she did every morning to keep in shape. Heavens know that if she didn't she'd be so overweight from all the croissants she indulged on it wouldn't even be funny. It only took about 45 minutes anyway. As she headed back to her apartment she thought about what exactly she would do that day.
Kagome had come to Paris as an exchange student in high school. She was supposed to go back to Japan but the feeling Paris left her with was too much t bear parting with, so she stayed. It wasn't hurting anyone and she was doing well. She was a fashion designer for Elle, the hottest, most prestigious, most expensive clothing brand in Paris at the moment. Kagome was very good at her job; she had brought great success to her company and had a top rank position. People genuinely liked her, which helped out a lot with business deals. She couldn't help it; she was naturally a nice person. All the better.
Upon reaching the apartment she quickly shed her clothes and jumped into her shower. Running was a tiring and sweaty job. You needed a shower. After her shower she would see to some breakfast.
Inuyasha was having a field time showing off his muscles in the gym in front of the girls who stood in one corner giggling and laughing in French while looking at him. He did look sexy enough. There were slight swear drops on the corners of his face and his silver hair was matted down. Through his tight shirt you could make out his 8 pack. His biceps and triceps were bulging beautifully out of his arms. He was a stunner but not a playboy. Inuyasha liked his girls proper. Not any stuck-up sluts or hoe bags who only wanted money, fame, something to show off and a good lay. Inuyasha would only settle for girls who were genuine, girls who weren't afraid to speak from their hearts and love unconditionally. That ruled out the girls in the corner.
The workout ended and Inuyasha gave the girls a wink on his way out. They cooed like a bunch of pigeons and started wildly chatting amongst themselves. Which one had he looked at? Who was the wink aimed for? Silly French girls. Still, Inuyasha chuckled. He loved the effect he had on girls and couldn't resist the urge to tease. He was still a guy at heart. Right now though, what mattered most was breakfast, in the form of coffee and croissant from that riverside café.
Kagome sang her way out of the apartment and down the street. She was headed now towards the cute little café by the riverside she had fallen in love with. The coffee was exquisite and the croissants were to die for. The crowd wasn't that bad either, the manager was a sweet old man and his wife could talk for hours. That brought back memories of home… No she must not think of home! How Kagome longed to be home when the thought came to her.
After not setting foot in Japan for 10 years it was hard to bear thinking about home. She was still in touch with her family. She could never live without them but visiting home was another story. Kagome stopped to look at her reflection in the nearby river. She wondered how Souta was doing, her mother, and her grandfather. Everyone was back home. Another sigh escaped her lips. She looked up and kept walking. The café loomed up before her and she smiled as the manager waved at her. He held up a finger signaling that she'd have her breakfast in a minute. She'd been here so many times now that everyone knew what she wanted every morning. It was a joyous feeling, having people know you that well.
Kagome sat down at one of the adorable tables outside and awaited her breakfast. She took out her Burberry bag and sorted through its contents until she found what she wanted. Her annual paycheck needed cashing and she had a pile of paperwork needing to be done that day. The sooner she got started the sooner she'd be finished meaning the sooner she'd be able to leave the office and head out the French gardens, her absolute favourite place in the world. Her coffee and croissant arrived with a smile from the manager and she generously tipped him with a 10 franc note. Then she leaned back in her chair to enjoy her breakfast.
Inuyasha was running late. He'd have to rush it at the café. He tore out of his apartment building in a hurry.
"Shouldn't have spent so much time teasing those girls today!" he scolded himself as he hurried down the street to the café. Barging through the doorway the manager's wife looked up in alarm. He had disturbed the peace. Inuyasha bowed slightly to show his apology and the manager nodded in return, forgiving him. Inuyasha walked up to the counter and ordered then headed outside to find a table. There was a deserted table in the corner right beside the river and he was immediately attracted to it. Not sexually, he just felt an urge to sit there.
That's when he saw her. She was sitting in the next table over. She was gorgeous. Inuyasha Tashio never called a girl gorgeous unless he meant it. He was not one that you would find gawking at some girl. Yet the way her black hair curled down to the middle of her back and the bit of porcelain-like skin that was visible simply shone, why, it was absolutely, stunningly, beautiful. She was beautiful and all he had seen was the back of her head and a bit of her arm. She tossed her hair to the side and he almost sighed. Reaching up she scratched at the back of her neck and he saw a small ring adorning her right ring finger. Thank god, she wasn't married. His coffee and croissants came and his attention was diverted from the beauty.
Kagome looked up from her paper, her attention was disrupted. Someone was staring at her. She could feel the intense gaze on the back of her neck. She tried to shake it off but it stayed, getting stronger by the second. She was about to turn around but it went away. A waiter had come and she listened closely to the conversation behind her, trying to figure out who had been looking at her.
"Merci. Yes, thank-you. Umm one thing. Can you…" Kagome could hear no more. There was a whole lot of whispering going on behind her and she relaxed. There was a tap on her shoulder and the waiter was standing next to her with a piece of paper in his hand.
"This is for you mademoiselle." The French waiter said. His English was tough to make out through his French accent.
"Merci monsieur. Who is this from?" Kagome asked puzzled. Whoever it was had very nice handwriting.
"Why it's the monsieur behind you mademoiselle!" the waiter said in surprised. He had thought the monsieur and the mademoiselle had known each other. Guess not, oh well he wished them luck. He could see a couple forming there. He bowed and left leaving Kagome with the mysterious note.
She gingerly opened it and expected to see a telephone number or something among the lines of 'hey I know you! You're my ultimate idol!' Instead she found herself looking at a short, cute poem along with a short note at the bottom.
It read, Dear girl,
I hardly know you yet you draw me in
I've seen only the back of you but it sets me on fire
You are more than the gardens
You are more than rain
You are beautiful
I'm sorry if I'm bothering you miss. I sat down and all I can look at is you. Your hair is beautiful, your skin shines and it's almost too much to bear. I'm sorry if I seem abrupt or if you felt me staring at you. Such beauty cannot be ignored though. Please turn around so I may see your face. If I'm being rude you can toss this note aside and I shall understand.
Sincerely your secret admirer, Inuyasha
It was such a romantic note. It came from a complete stranger but it felt as if Kagome had known this Inuyasha for years. She turned around and smiled. The man sitting behind her was ever so handsome. His silver hair was blowing slightly in the warm summer breeze and his amber eyes were bright and now wide open staring straight at her. He wore a light blue checked skirt with another white shirt underneath. Atop his head perched the cutest pair of ears she'd ever seen. The white, fuzzy triangles twitched at the many sounds of the café, making them cuter than they were.
Inuyasha likewise had the same reaction. This angel in front of him was more than he could ever imagine. She was hot, sexy, succulent, beautiful, pretty and wonderfully pleasing to look at it all at once. She had the curly hair of a goddess and paired with her gorgeous blue eyes and the black sunglasses sitting atop her head she was ever so nice. Her smile was like a light bulb on her face. It was so white and pretty. It had to be the prettiest smile he'd ever seen. Working in the fashion industry as he did, he'd seen many smiles. None were as good as that one. None. Her pearly white teeth glistened which just added to the fact she wasn't wearing any make-up yet her face glowed. The lavender sundress she wore was also beautiful and complimented her beautifully. She was amazing. No doubt about it. He'd never seen anyone like her before. Likewise in Kagome's case.
All of her men had been dark and darker. Not like the perfectly tanned god sitting in front of her. It was safe to say they were both very attracted to each other.
"Tu es magnifique!" Inuyasha breathed. Kagome blushed. She sort of knew she was pretty, after being constantly complimented and praised.
"Merci monsieur. You're too kind." She said softly. Her gaze shifted elsewhere until Inuyasha called it back.
"Beautiful girl. I've graced you with my name yet you have not me yours." Inuyasha said. Kagome blushed.
"Je m'apelle Kagome." She whispered. His voice was strong and sure. It was manly and Kagome liked it.
Inuyasha nodded his head. Her voice was soft and gentle, like a running stream. So beautiful. It still amazed him, how such a wondrous creature was sitting in front of him, not taken? It was impossible! He thanked god she wasn't taken though. He wanted to be hers. In the same way she wanted to be his.
"Hey Kagome why don't you come sit over here with me? Come on, look we're even eating the same thing." Inuyasha asked sweetly. Kagome gave in to her feelings and quickly moved to sit across from him. Now he could see how dangerously low her sundress went, revealing creamy cleavage. Not that he minded. He was being aroused by this Japanese beauty. He saw her long creamy, toned legs with obvious muscles. Even through her black stiletto heels you could make out her perfectly shaped calves formed from running every morning.
"So Inuyasha. Who are you?" Kagome asked. She nearly melted at how his name came to her naturally. It rolled off her tongue perfectly and he noticed that. Now that she wasn't as shy she had her voice back and it was wonderful hearing it properly.
Inuyasha chuckled.
"Good question. I'm Inuyasha Tashio. I'm Japanese. 25 years old. Single. 6' 2. I work for the Il fashion company. I'm the chief designer. I moved here a couple of months ago as a request of my father's. So I could open up a link to his company here. Well, I never had the heart to leave and now I'm glad I didn't. Look at what I would've missed." He said soundly. Kagome blushed. No matter what he said she's always be happy to just hear his voice. "What about yourself? Who is this mysterious beauty who blesses me with her face?" Inuyasha asked. He leaned back in his chair and watched the girl squirm under his gaze. Sure he was teasing but this time he meant what he said.
"I'm Higurashi Kagome. I'm Japanese too! I'm 23, single, 5'7 I think, and I love Paris. I work for the Elle fashion company, also chief designer. I was an exchange student in high school. I was supposed to go back to Japan after a year but I fell in love with the city and so I stayed. All my family is back home though. Sigh." Kagome looked up to see his reaction. His eyes were wide, showing the amber off.
"We're the same. This is amazing. It was meant to be." Inuyasha gushed. He drank in her face, her eyes, ears, lips, and hair. Kagome looked out across the river to her building. Then it hit her. With a quick look at the silver watch she wore she gasped and got up in a hurry, grabbing her stuff she left without a goodbye leaving a half eaten croissant behind.
"Hey wait! Kagome wait! What happened? I'm sorry!" Inuyasha yelled at her rapidly fading back. She didn't hear him. Why had she taken off so fast? Had he done something wrong? "To hell with it." Inuyasha cursed as he took off after her. There was no way in hell he was loosing her this easily.
Unfortunately he had lost her. By the time he exited the café she was gone. All he could hope for now was that she'd be here tomorrow. He sighed and was about to leave when someone called him. It was the manager of the café.
"Monsieur. A young lady in a purple dress told me to give this to you." He said and handed Inuyasha the note. In a fast scribble the note read, Dear Inuyasha. Thanks for the lovely breakfast. It was one of the best I've ever had. I hope to see you again. I had to leave. I would've been late for work! I'm ever so sorry. Here's my number. (899)-549-2117. Love, Kagome.
"Score!" Inuyasha yelled loudly. He hadn't lost her! She liked him! It was all too good to be true. He planned on phoning her that evening. He looked at his watch and realized he was going to be late too. Sesshomaru would kick his ass if he was late. Inuyasha headed down the road towards the Il building. 'So she works for Elle eh? That's nice. We're the same, Kagome and I. I see something coming out of this relationship. I can't and won't let her go.' Inuyasha thought. She was something special, something he'd never seen before, something he wasn't willing to let go of.
"Kagome! I thought you were going to be late!" a voice called from deep inside the extravagant office.
"Sango? I'm sorry. I got caught up at breakfast. What did I miss?" Kagome asked tiredly while plunking herself and her bag down on the nearest chair.
She and Sango shared this office, both being chief designers and all. Most of the main ideas came from this room itself. It was amazingly decorated with its cherry coloured wood, dark carpets and miniature fountain. It was very oriental which was perfect for Sango and Kagome, both being Japanese.
"Girl I saw you at breakfast. You forget that the building is right across from the café. Who is he? He's hot." Sango inquired while raising an eyebrow at Kagome's suddenly flushed face.
"I…He…We're…Sango! His name is Inuyasha. I guess he's kind of good looking. He's really sweet. I feel kinda bad though. I sort of left without saying good-bye. I left him a note though. I hope he got it." Kagome kept talking to herself while Sango yelled at her.
"You left him! That hottie! Kagome what is wrong with you? I know you're still upset about Koga and all but honestly! You must go out with the Inuyasha guy! I only saw him from up here and he looked gorgeous! I can't even begin to imagine what he looked like in person. Kagome he's a catch, don't let him go. Trust me, I know these things." Sango said seriously. Kagome laughed. Koga was old. He was still in Japan and there was no way in hell she was going back to him. That inconsiderate jerk could rot in hell for all she cared.
"This is coming from the girl who has dumped and got together with the same guy over and over again for the past 3 years. I don't think I should take advice from you as much as I love you. But he is something, something I shouldn't let go of. He's special. You're right Sango." Kagome asked softly while looking into the window. She looked down at the small café. She could almost see Inuyasha and herself sitting in that corner table. That magical table. There was definitely something between them. It was too soon to fall in love though. Kagome sighed and turned to face Sango's serious face.
"You really like him. Don't you? You just met him today, you do know that right?" she asked. Kagome nodded.
"I know but there's just something between us. An immediate attraction of sorts. We just clicked. He said so many sweet things to me too. Insisted on my beauty. Complimented everything I did and even wrote me a poem. It was magical. The best breakfast ever. He has my number. I guess I do like him. I hope he likes me."
"Kagome! How could he not like you? You're beautiful, you're nice and sweet and funny. If I was a guy I'd have proposed to you a long time ago!" Sango assured her. Kagome gave her a weak smile. Then she sat down at her desk and pulled out the paperwork that needed to be done. Obviously nothing was finished over breakfast.
Sango also quieted down and started measuring fabric for her latest design. The two of them worked for hours without rest or chatter. Each lost in their own worlds. Sango thinking about Miroku Houshi, her long-term boyfriend. How she wished he was here right now. The air was tense. Miroku would've lightened it up immediately. Kagome was still wondering if Inuyasha had gotten her note. She had to see him again. She missed him even now.
Not too far away, a depressed hanyou fiddled with the note a certain woman had left for him. He'd memorized the number and even tried calling her a few times. Every time he got close though he'd shut off the phone and put the paper away. It always found its way back to the top of his desk though. He couldn't get over her; her beautiful smile was like a ghostly picture in his mind. 'Kagome what have you done to me?' Inuyasha thought and sighed.
"Hey buddy! Why so glum? Loose another girl?" Miroku Houshi asked coming into Inuyasha's office. Inuyasha looked up and sighed again.
"Miroku we're not all like you and Sango. Some of us meet girls who then run off and leave us without saying goodbye but leave a note with an apology and their number on it with the manager. Some of us can't get beautiful women out of our minds, not matter how hard we try. Some of us need a certain someone to phone them." Inuyasha said.
"Oh boy. That sounds bad. Sounds like you need a good lay actually but I won't say more." Miroku said and turned around to leave. Inuyasha shook his head to clear it and went back to designing his newest suit. Trust Miroku to not be supportive. He had Sango. Nothing to worry about. Lucky guy.
Around lunchtime the girls stopped and headed out for a salad at a nearby restaurant. They had returned to their normal selves and were laughing and joking. An old man crossing the street chuckled at them.
"Youth." He muttered.
"He said this and then he's like you're so pretty. Please marry me! I was like you've got to be kidding me! I'm not marrying French trash. I mean come on! He was a hobo for god's sake!" Sango cried as they entered the restaurant. Kagome laughed and headed over to the maitre d', asking for their seats. He grabbed a couple of menus and motioned for them to follow him to their seats.
"Merci monsieur." Kagome thanked the waiter for the bread rolls he instantly brought and settled down across from Sango. She and Sango quickly spread their napkins across their laps before starting up their conversation again.
"Where did you get that dress? It's beautiful Kagome! C'est tres belle! J'aime beaucoup!" Sango gushed. Kagome laughed.
"I love how we can speak in French so fluently. It feels good. I got it from Belles Robes in downtown Paris. Had to take a cab to get their too. I should take you sometime. The store is wonderful and has the best clothes. I love the scenery downtown even more though. It's amazing." Kagome giggled at Sango's expression.
"You're the only one I know who will actually appreciate something like scenery Kagome. You should be happy." Kagome laughed even harder. A waiter approached them and asked for their orders.
"I'll have a ceasar salad and a coke please. Sango?" Kagome asked politely.
"I'll have a bun, a coke and fries please. Merci!" Sango cheered and gave the waiter her menu. He left and the girls resumed their conversation, now in hurried whispers.
"I heard…"
"Really?" Then the food came. Kagome quietly dug into her salad while Sango noisily ripped open her bun and spread butter on it.
"Sango! You're going in for the fats today! Fries and butter!" Kagome exclaimed worried.
"Shh! Kagome don't worry about it. I feel I'm one hell of an attractive woman. I need not worry about such silly things like gaining weight. I'll eat what I feel like." Sango boasted proudly. Kagome raised an eyebrow but let it go. Miroku must've said something to her again.
She wasn't particularly bad looking though. Her long brown hair was up in a bun and with her black V-necked shirt and white capris and her black sandals she was really pretty. Miroku knew how lucky he was despite their constant fights.
Both girls were quietly eating now. Kagome looked up when Sango spoke but her gaze immediately diverted from Sango's angular face onto the street outside. Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw who was outside looking in. They seemed to recognize her too.