Disclaimer: I own none of them. I know nothing about shift-work, rostering, routes and how bus companies are run. If you do, you are welcomed to laugh at my lack of knowledge. I don't mind :) It's meant to be a humourous piece, anyway.
Author's note: A response to "To Deviate" challenge at Dokuga (2009, I think). This unsubmitted piece portrays Sesshoumaru as a bus driver. He might come across as a little creepy. Or utterly shy. He's definitely OOC though.
And I love throwing Hojo the red herring into the mix. Hojo is his family name, by the way. I named him 'Akihiko' – "bright prince". Hehe.
Warning: Rampant use of names from the anime/manga. Spot the shameless self-plugging. Mention it in your review if you do.
Summary: How close are objects in the rearview mirror, really? And what is really going on between Hojo and Higurashi? It's all about shifts, literally and metaphorically.
Shifts
Sesshoumaru removed his helmet as he entered the small building housing the bus company's offices and driver's lounge. The harsh fluorescent light made him squint momentarily. No other driver on the same shift was there yet, but Kaede-san was already at the counter, having a chat with a member of the janitorial crew. Sesshoumaru locked his helmet in his locker, headed over to the counter to clock in for duty and sign out the bus keys. He returned Kaede's greeting but declined her offer of some freshly-brewed coffee and bag of sweet buns entitled to each of the company's staff.
Utilizing the large mirror in the empty driver's lounge, Sesshoumaru patted his hair down, checked his long braid and placed a smart peaked cap on his head. Adjusting his tie and white gloves, he headed to his designated bus for the day. It was part of every driver's duty to check the interior of the bus before and after driving each route and Sesshoumaru would not leave the bus lot until the interior was clean. Every driver of the last shift of the previous day would usually be wise enough to clean up, knowing that Sesshoumaru may be the next one driving any of the buses. If they didn't, they could expect a severe reprimand. Even so, sometimes a stray sweet wrapper or some small item would be overlooked.
This morning he arrived at the pick-up point outside the train station with plenty of time to spare, even after a stop at the petrol station to refuel, as he always did.
The primary reason Sesshoumaru requested changes in his duties would make its appearance in approximately twelve minutes, when the first wave of commuters emerged from the train station.
Five… four… three… two… one… Here she comes.
She wore tailored pants today, and, the weather being somewhat chilly, had a lovely shawl with exotic Indian prints draped over her smart blouse and jacket.
Each passenger greeted him quietly as they boarded the bus, nodding politely, eyes perfunctorily meeting his before looking away. But she would catch his gaze and hold it as she smiled and bade good morning. This morning was no different.
"Good morning, Taisho-san," Higurashi-san would say. And his heart would skip a beat at the warmth in her voice, though outwardly he was nothing but polite professionalism.
"Good morning, Higurashi-san," he would return, with a nod.
She would always, always commandeer the seat directly behind his. Fifteen minutes into the journey, she would fall asleep leaning against the window. Whenever he glanced into the rearview mirror to check for traffic behind the bus, he could see her nodding away to the motion of the bus, her cheek cradled in her palm. If she was pleasantly pretty when she was awake, she appeared younger and – well – cuter asleep.
When he was first assigned to this route six months ago, Higurashi-san had taken the time to talk to him. She was the last to disembark, and as she thanked him for ferrying everyone safely, she introduced herself, wished him a good day at the end of their short chat and bade him to drive safely.
All his life, Sesshoumaru had always attracted attention with his unusual colouring. As far as he knew, only his father and half-brother had fine, white hair and brown eyes so light and clear that they seemed amber. Sometimes the attention was good. Often, not so. He had been plenty of things: a victim of bullies, whom he quickly showed who was really the boss; he had been a subject of adoration and sometimes, though rarely, the recipient of misplaced pity. His real friends were few, and he liked it like that too. In his few years as a driver in this company, Sesshoumaru had had women (and men) trying to chat him up. He also had women (and men) trying to set him up with other women (or men). Higurashi-san was simply being friendly, he discovered. As time wore on, she did not force her contact number on him, or force another's contact number on him, or propositioned him in any manner, like one or two of the regular passengers did, covertly. She asked no personal questions and gave away no personal information. He appreciated that.
By and by, that appreciation for her non-intrusive cordiality turned into intrigue. He liked her courtesy and genuine warmth, but he began to wonder if there was more to her than that.
After three months of being scheduled on and off this route and shift, Sesshoumaru did the radical thing and submitted his request for permanent assignment for split-shift duty for this particular route. The management debated a little, but gave in in the end, seeing that it made most of the other staff happy. It was an open secret that a few of the drivers worked two jobs to make ends meet and most of these second jobs were in the graveyard shift. Sleepy drivers were high-risk drivers, so, what Sesshoumaru proposed was, in fact, a neat solution. The other drivers were also glad to have him take this route out of their roster, for the journey was long as they had to shuttle the passengers from the nearest train station to an industrial park roughly seventy-five minutes away. There was a condition, however, that someone would still be placed to drive this route every alternate Friday. He could live with that.
He had taken the steps where he could 'see' Higurashi-san almost everyday, but he had yet to open up and let her in a little more. If he allowed himself some wishful thinking, Higurashi-san seemed to give him an opening every single day, as she was always the last one to disembark and always spoke to him more than anyone else.
The bus glided to a stop at the drop-off point in the industrial park. Sesshoumaru noted that Higurashi-san was still asleep. He unbuckled his seatbelt, turned around and called out to her.
"Higurashi-san. Higurashi-san. We have arrived."
Jerking awake, Higurashi-san let out an embarrassed laugh. Everyone was filing out, murmuring their thanks to Sesshoumaru. Standing up after the last person was making his way down the steps, she bobbed a quick bow at Sesshoumaru.
"Thank you for waking me up, Taisho-san. Have a good day and drive safely."
"You too, Higurashi-san." For the first time, Sesshoumaru smiled at her, revealing dimples that rarely made their appearance. To his surprise, Higurashi-san started and drew back, instead of returning his smile. Eyes wide, she bobbed another bow and beat a hasty retreat down the steps. Sesshoumaru watched Higurashi-san stride away swiftly, his own eyes wide in trepidation and confusion.
Did I scare her off? Maybe I shouldn't have smiled?
A little perturbed, Sesshoumaru closed the bus door, put the vehicle into gear and slowly drove away.
Later, when he returned to pick his passengers at the end of their day, he watched Higurashi-san surreptitiously.
Greeting. Check.
Smile. Check.
Eye-contact. Check. But... it was quick and furtive.
Though Sesshoumaru felt awful, he noted that she still took her usual seat. It was small comfort and one that died swiftly when, at the train station, Higurashi-san was the first one out of the door, her 'thank you' barely audible.
He felt as if he had been kneed in the gut.
He hardly heard the rest of the passengers thanking him. He could barely answer them.
On auto-pilot, he took the bus back to the company. Mechanically, he went through the motions of his duties. Instead of heading home to his spartan apartment afterwards, as was his habit, Sesshoumaru went to the muay thai school which his half-brother ran. Perhaps he could vent some of his confusion on Inuyasha.
==S==
For the first time, Sesshoumaru dreaded going to work. He dreaded facing Higurashi-san and the sudden shift in her demeanour. Peering at his face in the bathroom mirror, he knew his appearance would not help matters. His left cheekbone sported a bruise and his lip was cut. And that didn't even happen in the ring; he did not notice the water someone had spilled onto the floor nor the warning sign the janitor placed near it and consequently tripped over the sign. While trying to regain his balance, Sesshoumaru slipped on the water and smashed into a wall, face first. His internal universe was that chaotic. The apparent dazed clumsiness was so uncharacteristic of him that his half-brother had been concerned enough to sprint over and help him up, hollering for a first aid kit. That did not stop them from thrashing the daylights out of each other in the ring. Still, Inuyasha managed to best him three times, giving him nice bruises on the shins.
Inuyasha had gone as far as to ask if anything was bothering him afterwards. How mortifying.
With a sigh, Sesshoumaru stepped into the shower, briefly considering calling in sick.
==S==
Given that the day was still dark and the interior of the bus was dimly lit, no one noticed the marks on his face. Least of all, Higurashi-san, who was busy chatting with a boyish-looking fellow. Her greeting was polite but lacked the usual warmth and attention because all the warmth and attention were currently directed at the other man. To Sesshoumaru's horror and pain, Higurashi-san and her friend took her usual seat behind him. He could see them each time he glanced into the rearview mirror.
This, the white-haired driver thought grimly, is going to be long trip.
Worse than that, he could catch almost everything they said, even if he didn't want to.
"Ne, Aki-kun," Higurashi-san said. "I'm so glad you transferred from the Sapporo branch. You didn't tell me!"
You should have stayed in the cold north, Aki-kun, Sesshoumaru thought viciously, hands tightening on the steering wheel. Who is he? And why is Higurashi-san so familiar with him?
The man chuckled softly. "Don't you like surprises, Kagome-chan? I wasn't sure the transfer request would be approved. It all depends on the headcount here, you see."
Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched at 'Kagome-chan'.
"Mama would be so happy to see you again," Higurashi-san declared happily.
Her mother knows him and likes him? Sesshoumaru swallowed a lump in his throat. His chances of getting to know this woman was shrivelling by the second.
"We have plenty of time to catch up," Aki said. "I know you like to sleep on long trips. So enough chatting, missy. I'll wake you up later."
"Yes, mother," came Higurashi-san's cheeky reply.
Sesshoumaru's ears were burning by now and his eyes snapped to the rearview mirror just in time to see Higurashi-san making herself comfortable, leaning against the man's shoulder as she closed her eyes. To his credit, Aki did nothing else except allow Higurashi-san to lean against him. If he touched her with any tenderness, if he held her as she slept… Sesshoumaru wasn't sure what he would do then.
At long last, they arrived at the industrial park. As everyone began to disembark, Aki nudged Higurashi-san. When she didn't respond, Sesshoumaru watched surreptitiously as he pinched her nostrils, making her start awake with a snort and sputter.
"Same old Kagome-chan," Aki laughed and patted her head in mock condescension.
Higurashi-san smacked his arm and pouted. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.
Before alighting, Higurashi-san paused and introduced her companion to Sesshoumaru as Akihiko Hojo. The man was polite and friendly. Almost as friendly as Higurashi-san used to be until…
Pulling himself together, Sesshoumaru returned the greeting and introduction with equal courtesy.
Later, down the road, a few metres away from the industrial park, Sesshoumaru pulled up at the road shoulder. He lowered his head onto the steering wheel with a groan. It seemed that everything was over before it even started.
What did an odd-looking, introverted bus-driver had to offer that a nice, normal and friendly salaryman could not?
==S==
"You're a sucker for punishment lately," Inuyasha commented with a smirk though he was breathing hard from exertion.
Sesshoumaru grunted by way of reply. Pulling himself off the floor, he headed for the changing room to shower. Inuyasha joined him a little later, after turning off the lights in the training hall.
"Oi, help me close the school and let's go for dinner," Inuyasha suggested when they were dressed. Sesshoumaru knew they would not talk about whatever was bugging him unless he wished it so; this was Inuyasha's way of lending support. Dinner would mean going to the little alleyway restaurant-bar that Kikyou, Inuyasha's wife, owned and ran; the dishes there were hearty and delicious. Dinner would mean his little niece's innocent and playful company. Besides, Kikyou would be sure to send him home with soups, home-made stocks and side dishes that would keep his refridgerator full for a good while and Rin would always gift him with her crayon masterpieces to be displayed on his bare walls. All in all, his mood would be sure to improve.
Sesshoumaru accepted the invitation.
==S==
The last five weeks had been hell.
Every single morning, he watched Hojo-san and Higurashi-san board the bus, take their seats and chat softly for a while. Higurashi-san would always fall asleep on Hojo-san's shoulder. Sesshoumaru detested that man, that perfectly polite and normal creature who seemed to have Higurashi-san's trust and affection. For a while the dislike burned instensely. After a while, the animosity cooled to a simmer and Sesshoumaru observed them with a clearer eyes.
That they were good friends was obvious. That they cared for one another was obvious too. Yet, they weren't doing anything that any romantically-involved couples would normally do; no stolen kisses, no cuddling, no hand-holding, not even tender glances, nothing of that sort, which was really strange because being in a dim bus for a stretch of period would provide such perfect opportunities for private moments.
Sesshoumaru allowed himself to hope.
Perhaps they were not involved in that way, after all. And yet, they looked too comfortable and too good together…
He blew a sigh of irritation.
Then, one Thursday evening, a glimpse of the possible truth gave Sesshoumaru the courage he needed.
Higurashi-san and Hojo-san were the last to disembark, as usual, and while waiting for traffic to clear at the train station so that he could pull out, Sesshoumaru watched them from within the bus. He saw Higurashi-san jog away from Hojo-san's side to scoop up a little boy who was running towards her. A heavily pregnant woman walked up to Higurashi-san and enveloped her in a tight hug, the boy wriggling happily between them. Hojo-san caught up with the two women, standing aside to give their reunion some space. The two women drew apart and Hojo-san draped an arm around the pregnant lady, kissing her on the cheek by way of greeting. Both Higurashi-san and Hojo-san were standing in profile, facing one another, as the group talked amongst themselves. Uncannily, they looked extremely similar from that angle.
Family, his mind whispered as understanding dawned. They're family. Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on them as the foursome walked away slowly, chatting animatedly, with Higurashi-san still carrying the little boy.
Sesshoumaru wanted to cheer. He wanted to break out into a song. He wanted to climb onto the roof of the bus and dance.
He settled for laughing at his foolish assumptions instead. He drove the bus back to the depot, grinning all the way.
He turned up at Inuyasha's muay thai school a little later and won each round against his half-brother.
"Soooo," the younger man drawled from his current position on the floor. "Everything okay now? I mean, you're kicking my ass like you used to."
Sesshoumaru merely smiled and Inuyasha scrambled to his feet, immediately on guard. When Sesshoumaru smiled, one best beware. But the older man waved his hand and left the ring, humming as he went, which was as equally strange as the momentary lapse in poise some time ago.
Tomorrow, Sesshoumaru thought as he rode home. He couldn't wait to go to work tomorrow.
==S==
Higurashi-san boarded the bus alone the next morning. Sesshoumaru noted that her face was pale and tired, but, like in the early days, she held his gaze and smiled warmly at him as she wished him good morning. His concern was piqued but he held his tongue. Personal questions could wait for a better time. Besides, he needed to think of a way to approach the subject. She slept all the way until they reached the industrial park. Calling to her did not wake her up, so Sesshoumaru got out of his seat and shook her shoulder. She stirred and blinked up at him with hooded, sleepy eyes. His breath caught, thinking that he's never seen a sight so appealing. And he only remembered to breathe when she stood up to thank him.
He tried his luck that evening as the passengers were disembarking at the train station.
"Thank you, Taisho-san," Higurashi-san said as she rose from the seat, last to leave.
"Thank you, Higurashi-san," he replied. "Excuse me for asking, where is Hojo-san?"
"He's at the hospital."
"Hospital?" Sesshoumaru echoed, surprised.
"Yes, his wife went into labour during dinner last night. She was a week early, but she gave birth safely, thank goodness. We were there until late. I'm going to visit them right after this."
That explained her apparent fatigue. Seizing his courage, Sesshoumaru forged ahead, "Higurashi-san, if you would wait for me at Café Midoriko, would you let me take you there? I will pick you up on my motorcycle."
"But-"
"I have a spare helmet. The trains will be crowded. You look like you could use a ride."
Higurashi-san's shoulder drooped a little, but she smiled gratefully. Carefully, tentatively, Sesshoumaru smiled back at her. When she blushed, his heart took flight. She bobbed a little bow and stepped off the bus quickly. He knew now that she was not averse to him. Quite the opposite, actually. Funny that a woman as sweet, friendly and attractive as Higurashi-san could be so shy with him.
She was finishing a can of coffee when he pulled up at the pavement near the café. Lowering the can slowly, Higurashi-san eyed his gleaming Yamaha Fazer with fascination and concern.
"That looks… intimidating."
"Have you ever ridden a motorcycle before?" Sesshoumaru enquired as he handed her his spare helmet.
"Yes, I have," Higurashi-san replied. "But smaller ones and only as a passenger. I've not ridden on one quite like yours."
Sesshoumaru blinked at the image her words evoked and forced his mind out of the gutter.
Higurashi-san proved to be a good pillion passenger. She was sufficiently relaxed and balanced and leaned into the turns as he navigated bends on the roads. He had passengers resisting the force of corners, sitting stiffly in the back, which made it harder to handle the machine.
At the hospital, they stopped to get some flowers at the gift shop. As they rode in the elevator, Sesshoumaru took the opportunity to satisfy his curioustiy.
"Are you related to Hojo-san?"
"His grandfather and mine are cousins. We grew up in the same neighbourhood and went to the same schools. Mama took in Aki-kun when his parents passed away, so… umm… we're rather close."
The elevator doors opened and Higurashi-san stepped out, almost skipping.
"Let's go see my new niece, Taisho-san."
Sesshoumaru followed; his heart was light and he was walking on air.
==S==
Sesshoumaru declined to enter the ward, insisting that he would wait in the corridor instead. This, he decided, was a moment for the family.
A minute later, Hojo-san stuck his head out with an amiable smile.
"Taisho-san! Thank you for accompanying Kagome-chan."
Sesshoumaru held out a hand. "Congratulations, Hojo-san."
"Congratulations to you too," Hojo-san smirked knowingly. "I was wondering when you would ask Kagome-chan out."
Sesshoumaru was at a loss for words, embarrassed to have been so obvious.
"It was hard to ignore the daggers you were glaring my way, you know," Hojo-san continued. "I planned for my wife and son to meet us at the train station so that we can have dinner with Kagome-chan. I hoped that you would notice us. If you didn't or choose not to, I would have given you Kagome-chan's number myself today! What I didn't plan was for my daughter to make an early entrance." The man chuckled. "If it makes you feel any better, Kagome-chan is interested in getting to know you, Taisho-san."
"I would never have guessed," Sesshoumaru managed at last.
"To put it in her words: 'I'm intimidated by his sheer hot-ness.' And also: 'He smiled at me once, you know, and it was, like, ohmygawd!'" Hojo-san exclaimed in a girlish voice. But his smile was kind.
For the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru felt his face turn warm. Blatant propositions from parties he did not care for he could deal with; he dismissed them with icy disinterest. Women he was genuinely interested in, and seemed to return the interest, turned him down for a second date when he refused their invitation to 'come in and have a cup of coffee' the first time; he was not that sort of man. Then there were those who refused him outright on account of his peculiar looks.
Finally, there was Higurashi Kagome…
Who chose that moment to emerge from the ward and invite Sesshoumaru in to see the new baby girl. Sesshoumaru glanced at Hojo-san for permission and was duly ushered inside.
==S==
"Be sure to get her home at a decent hour, Taisho-san!" Hojo-san called out as the pair took their leave an hour later.
Higurashi-san turned and stuck out her tongue at the other man.
In the quiet of the elevator, Sesshoumaru heard Higurashi-san's stomach rumble. She clutched at her midriff, laughing weakly.
"Shall we go for supper, Higurashi-san?" Sesshoumaru suggested, amused. "My sister-in-law runs a lovely place. The food is really good."
"I would love that."
On Friday nights, the Shikon no Tama could be terribly crowded. But Sesshoumanru knew that Kikyou would place reservation signs on a table or two, just in case. When Sesshoumaru turned up with Higurashi-san, Kikyou's almond eyes widened. Breaking into a wide smile, she led the pair inside, whisked a reservation sign off a corner table and invited them to sit down. Handing them copies of the menu, Kikyou promised to come back and take their orders.
Higurashi-san allowed him to make the orders, trusting his judgement, which flattered him somewhat.
"Is that your sister-in-law?" Higurashi-san whispered as she leaned over the table. "She looks like a heroine from the Feudal Era." Sesshoumaru spared the busy Kikyou a glance. Almond eyes, porcelain skin and straight, inky black hair, Kikyou was indeed a classic beauty and while he got along well enough with her, Sesshoumaru sometimes wondered what in the world she found appealing in Inuyasha. Still, he thought Higurashi-san was lovelier and shrugged non-committally.
Not five minutes later, Kikyou placed a platter of appetizers and two cups of savoury egg custard on the table.
"On the house," she announced, flashing a warm smile at Kagome. Turning to Sesshoumaru, Kikyou said, "Please help yourself, nii-chan. Your supper will be ready soon."
The aroma wafting from the freshly cooked food was tantalizing. Higurashi-san closed her eyes and inhaled appreciatively.
"Thank you," she beamed at the generous proprietess.
"Please enjoy the food," Kikyou replied, in her best hostess mode.
Kikyou backed two steps away from their table. She waved at Sesshoumaru from behind Higurashi-san's back to get his attention. When he caught her eye, she pantomimed the traditional "Banzai!" at him three times, gave him the thumbs up and giggled. Sesshoumaru graced her with a small smirk.
Inuyasha blew in around the time they were finishing their appetizers. He made a beeline for Sesshoumaru but was quickly intercepted by Kikyou who pushed him towards the kitchen. Inuyasha's eyes widened when he spotted the Sesshoumaru's dining companion.
Sesshoumaru foresaw third degree sessions in the near future in the inquisitive wiggle of his brother's eyebrows.
"Was that…?" Higurashi-san began, gesturing at the couple disappearing through the service door.
"My half-brother," he confirmed.
"Does anyone else in your family have such unique features?"
"Our father did."
Higurashi-san glanced speculatively at the closed door of the kitchen then back at Sesshoumaru.
"Wow. You guys must've turned plenty of heads."
"Hn." Not in the best ways sometimes.
Their meals arrived just then and the famished Higurashi-san became too distracted by the food to continue talking about the subject.
==S==
"Thank you for the lovely meal," Higurashi-san addressed the Taisho family collectively, as they took their leave. Kikyou and Inuyasha urged her to come again, bidding them a safe journey home.
"Where do you stay, Higurashi-san?"
"Please call me Kagome."
Sesshoumaru liked nothing better than to do so.
"Only if you'd call me Sesshoumaru."
"Sesshoumaru... An unusual name for this time," Kagome mused. "It suits you..." her words trailed away and she ducked her head, seemingly embarrassed.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Trust me, it is."
"Your address?" he asked again as they neared his motorcycle. When she gave him the location, Sesshoumaru laughed. "Kagome, I live two streets away from you. How is it that we never meet in the neighbourhood?"
"Umm... We're the playthings of Fate?" she suggested lightly.
==S==
He saw her right to her front door, seeing that the common areas around the apartment she was staying in was rather deserted at that time of the night; it was nearly half-past ten.
"Umm…" Kagome began. "Thank you for everything, Sesshoumaru."
"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you."
"Right. So… umm.. goodnight then."
"Kagome, would you like to have brunch with me tomorrow?" he asked hastily, seeing that she had begun to unlock her door. "Sleep in tomorrow morning, call me when you're awake and I'll pick you up when you're ready?" Sesshoumaru didn't know he could be this talkative. Or that bold.
"Wow. Scheduling my time already, Sesshoumaru?" Seeing his distressed expression, she smiled. "Sure, I'd love to."
Fishing out a pen and a little notebook from her purse, Kagome wrote down her personal mobile number, tore the page out and gave the paper to him. "Call me or text me so that I can store your number. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Goodnight."
She slipped into her apartment and the door closed softly. Sesshoumaru looked down at paper, grinning like a giddy fool. A second date.
As he was putting on his helmet, Sesshoumaru felt his phone vibrate. Pulling it out of his back pocket, Sesshoumaru found a message from Kikyou.
"How did it go?"
Sesshoumaru shook his head, smirking at her eager curiosity, and typed: "Second date Brunch tmw"
Seconds later, her reply read: "We want details Come back 2 SnT NOW!"
He couldn't help chuckling. Kikyou would be thrilled to talk about this, as women were wont to do, and Inuyasha would never give him a break after this but he felt too good to refuse them. Tonight he would submit to their inquisition, guaranteed to be carried out over plates of warm finger food. He typed his reply.
"On my way"
===The End===