Early Morning Coffee
One-Shot
Vixen-Virus
Rating: T
Genre: Romance/Tragedy.
Summary: Every morning, he'd come in and have his same cup of coffee. That's how it began. That's how everything started. He'd come in, sit at the same seat, and have the same kind of coffee. Every morning…I never knew how much I had truly loved him…until the one morning he wasn't there. InuXKag.
Dedicated: To Avrea. Thanks for helping me end this story.
Last Edit: December 29, 2009.
Early Morning Coffee
'Stupid Work, Stupid Boss, stupid Sign!' Kagome thought angrily as she walked to the front of the shop and turned over the 'Closed' sign to the 'Open' sign. Kagome yawned and went back to the counter and waited.
Kagome was about half way done her rant about how mornings should never have existed when small group of people started to clutter their way in. She watched as a few came to the counter and got served by her co-worker, Tsuki. Kagome waited in patience for a costumer.
"Hey, Kags, I'm gonna take my break, ok?" Tsuki brushed her dyed blonde hair over her shoulder. Kagome nodded and watched as Tsuki went to the back room. Of course she'd take her break as soon as people started coming in.
Tsuki wasn't her favorite person; she was always talking like she knew everything, she had brown eyes and was always smiling, but she always seemed fake. She always had this arrogant air about her, but kept it well hidden when the boss came around.
'Ok, well I guess I actually have to start work now…' Kagome sighed heavily.
"What's with the long face?" A strong male voice asked. Kagome looked up to see a man, with shining silver hair, golden eyes and a smile to die for. Thick black eyebrows, one raised in a question, his lips in a small amused smile. Her eyes followed his strong jaw to his throat.
"Uh…" Was the only intelligent response Kagome could think of at the moment, distracted by his eyes.
"Cat got your tongue?" The man gave an arrogant smirk, by this time Kagome got out of her stupor and glared, her blue eyes narrowing.
"What would you like?" Kagome said through clenched teeth, her hands balling into fists under the counter. The man chuckled and sat down on one of the stools. He had a nice voice, she had to admit. It was strong and stable, never faltering.
"I'm sorry, that was very rude of me to say to someone who I don't know. I just can't function properly without my early morning cup of coffee." He stuck out his hand and Kagome took it, after deciding he wasn't half bad. His hand, she noticed, was rough, larger then her own.
"I'm InuYasha Takahashi." He smiled at her, Kagome smiled back.
"I'm Kagome Higurashi, what would you like to drink?" Kagome asked, feeling a lot nicer then before.
"Um…A large dark coffee, no cream, sugar or milk, please." InuYasha said, Kagome looked at him and then scrunched her face up, He chuckled at her again.
"How can you drink something so bitter?" Kagome asked as she started making his order, InuYasha laughed and said,
"I don't know, I guess it's the only thing that wakes me up this early."
"I've never seen you around here before…" Kagome tried to casually bring up the topic, InuYasha just shrugged.
"Well I was working in Kyoto before, but I got transferred to Tokyo, and I was looking for a coffee shop that opened early enough, this is the shop I found, well, that and 'Kikyo's Coffee stop' a few blocks away, but Kikyo wouldn't stop talking to me, so I decided to go down a few blocks, it's better then having some stalker." InuYasha said, Kagome laughed and handed him his drink, he took a sip and smiled in delight.
"You know how to make your coffee." InuYasha complimented, Kagome thanked him.
"Is it always this slow?" InuYasha asked Kagome, she had taken the seat next to him and was currently spinning around on it.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I always work this morning shift, I find it's better then later and dealing with a couple of grumpy people." Kagome smiled, InuYasha took another sip of his coffee and asked,
"What shifts do you work?" Kagome looked at him and then raised an eyebrow.
"Why? You're not gonna stalk me or anything are you?" InuYasha smirked and then said,
"Not if you don't want me to." He smiled as Kagome gave him a small glare.
"I work this morning shift, which is from 5:00am to 7:30am then again later at 4:00pm to 9:00pm on weekends."
"Oh, I see, well I'll probably be coming in the mornings then." InuYasha casually put in. Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Oh great…" She said, and laughed when his gold eyes narrowed playfully, countering her banter.
"Oh, Well I better go, I'll see you tomorrow then, Kagome." He said, though it sounded like more of a question then anything. Kagome nodded and smiled as he handed her the cash.
"You bet, InuYasha." Kagome smiled she handed him back the change but he shook his head no.
"It's alright; think of it as a tip for my rudeness this morning." InuYasha smirked and waved as he walked out the door, Kagome smiled and waved back as he walked away.
'Wow, I'm starting to really love this job…" Kagome thought with a laugh.
"Kagome, can you please stay out front, the costumers probably think we're slacking." Tsuki whined, she walked by Kagome and went into the storage room, not before Kagome fingered her back.
'What costumers? There's no one here!' Kagome glared angrily, just then she heard the door open and put on a fake 'how can I help you?' smile.
"Hey Kagome….what's with the face, you look like you're going to eat me…" InuYasha said as he sat down and took his long black jacket off, he placed it next to his brief case on the floor as he took his seat in the spinning chair he had grown to love.
"Sorry, my co-worker is just being a bit of a witch…" Kagome said as she started getting InuYasha's coffee ready, InuYasha watched as she started to rant.
"And you know, she's the one that always needs to go to the back to get some 'coffee grind' well guess what Tsuki we have all the coffee grind we need for the next ten years that you're banging the boss in the back room!" Kagome yelled that last part a bit too loud, Kagome blushed when InuYasha started to laugh, she handed him his coffee and sat down with him.
"I'm sure things will get better, anyway how was your day yesterday?" InuYasha asked as he took another sip of his black coffee. Kagome sighed and rested her head on her hands.
"It was horrible, first I had a math test, and I flunked that, then this new girl transfers, her names Yura, and she was this really freaky hair fetish, and then this guy named Koga keeps staring at me, it was so weird." Kagome whined, InuYasha laughed as he looked at Kagome while she told the events of her unfortunate day.
"Well just tell the new girl your hair is fake, tell the guy you're a lesbian or you have a boyfriend and I could help you if you want, in Math I mean." InuYasha said, after all he did work for a big time company, Kagome nodded her head in excitement.
"How about you?" Kagome asked and perked up a bit.
"Well it wasn't much better; my boss Naraku is being stupid again, my co-worker and best friend, Miroku Kazzanna, hit on one of the receptionists who then in turn smack him across the face and then he bumped into me which made me spill my coffee on some important papers that I needed to file…life sucks." InuYasha sighed. Kagome giggled a bit and poured him another glass of coffee.
"I know what you mean." Kagome and InuYasha talked a bit more before he had to get going.
"Bye, I'll see you tomorrow morning!" Kagome waved, InuYasha nodded his head as he turned you leave.
"I'll help you with math tomorrow so be sure to be ready." Kagome stuck her tongue out but smiled, as InuYasha walked threw the door to the lifeless streets of Tokyo.
'I will not kill him, I will not kill him, I will not kill him.' InuYasha chanted over and over again as one of his co-workers made a mistake which he had now had to clean up.
'I wish that I could get some decent coffee here!' InuYasha ranted as he took a sip of the coffee his receptionist had made for him, he made a face and put the cup on the far end of his desk
'Note to self: don't drink that…I wish I had Kagome here…Wait, what? I mean…I wish I had Kagome's coffee here…yeah…that's it…' InuYasha lamely denied his growing affection for the young waitress, he also denied it because ever since he told Miroku, he was making stupid perverted comments that InuYasha just couldn't stand for long.
'Well…she is pretty, she's funny, and she can handle herself pretty well. She doesn't mind my cockiness, or my sarcasm, or my bluntness, brashness or anger. If I do say so myself, she's a pretty good catch...' InuYasha said as he took a sip from his mug.
"Urgh! What the hell? What happened to my note to self?"
"Kagome what is the answer?" A tall older woman asked, she was fairly attractive, she had short black hair and dark brown eyes, she had notice Kagome wasn't paying attention and had called on her for the math answer, Kagome looked at the board in a start and stuttered out,
"Uh…a…a number…?" Kagome lamely stuttered, some students laughed as Kagome blushed, her best friend, Sango Yomoto looked at her in a 'What did I say about studying?' way.
"Right…well then, how about you Yura?" The teacher went on after giving Kagome a disapproving look.
"Psst…Kagome, I thought you said you were gonna studying harder, or is your mind to full of coffee grinds and InuYasha?" Sango smirked slyly, straightening out her high pony tail. Kagome had already told Sango everything about the stranger that had entered her life only three days previously.
"Ha ha ha Sango." Kagome answered dryly.
"So, did anything else happen?" Sango asked in great anticipation.
"No, but you should meet him, he's pretty cool, he's funny too, a bit sarcastic but overall pretty good." Kagome reminisced about the silver headed man.
"You are in way too deep for your own good, how old is this guy? Forty?" Sango whispered an interrogation.
"He's only three years older then me, he graduated early, and he works at that big glass building that the birds always seem to fly into." Kagome whispered back.
"Oh…well he doesn't sound so bad, but there is no way in hell I'm gonna go get up that early to see this mysterious 'could-be-a-stalker' guy." Sango concluded as she returned to a proper sitting position.
'Well I guess that's pretty good…I don't really want you to see him, or else you'll know why I like him.' Kagome thought as she thought about InuYasha for the hundredth time that day.
"Kagome, your way too early, go home and come back later." Tsuki complained, Kagome glared at her with a passion and turned the other way to leave.
'Who was the bright one who decided we'd be opening late this whole week without telling their freaking employee!' Kagome screamed in her mind, she had arrived at work that morning to see Tsuki with the boss talking, then they all a sudden kicked her out explaining that they were gonna open late that whole week.
Kagome walked a bit until she bumped into someone, she looked up to apologize before she realized who it was and then jumped up and hugged him.
"InuYasha!" Kagome smiled, InuYasha hugged her back.
"Where are you going? Skipping out on my coffee?" InuYasha raised an eyebrow. He had a soft smirk on his lips; the one Kagome had decided was her favorite.
"No, stupid Tsuki-"
"The one banging the boss?" InuYasha interrupted.
"Yeah, anyway, Tsuki and the boss decided that they were going to start opening late this whole week! So, I woke up for no freaking reason!" Kagome sighed and leaned on InuYasha, he chuckled and held her, then said,
"Well, if I have nothing to do, and you have nothing to do then why don't we do something together?" InuYasha asked, masking his hope.
"Nope." Kagome answered
"W-why?" InuYasha lost a bit of his earlier enthusiasm.
"Because, you told me you couldn't function without your coffee, so we're going to walked all the way down to 'Kikyo's Coffee Stop' and then we're going to make sure she's plenty crazy jealous when me and you come walking through the door, and then we'll go do nothing together." Kagome smiled.
"Uh…wow…you talk a lot." InuYasha smirked.
"Right, onward trusty steed, let us head west to fair maiden Kikyo's!" Kagome said as she tugged InuYasha forward.
"Kagome…that's south." InuYasha pointed out as he was being dragged throughout the streets
"Same thing."
"And I mean, who wants pink in there room?" Kagome ranted, they had made it to Kikyo's and had been making her jealous as Kagome and InuYasha talked among themselves.
"I don't know Kagome; pink is a pretty color…" Inuyasha joked.
"Oh har, I knew you were a little to feminine!" Kagome said in faked excitement.
InuYasha smiled and shook his head as he drank some coffee. He had to admit it was pretty good, but no where near Kagome's.
"But anyways…" Kagome blushed realizing she had deviated off the topic.
"Um…so where were we?" Kagome asked again, InuYasha laughed and showed her back to the math equation they had been working on before Kagome started talking about her room being painted pink by her mom.
"I have solved you! I have solved the meaning that is life and it has bowed down to its maker!" Kagome yelled as stood up, pointing at the math equation and laughing evilly. She had finally understood what InuYasha had been talking about and was overly proud.
"Uh...Kagome, want to get down from the chair?" InuYasha asked as he took another sip of his coffee. Kagome blushed and jumped off the chair, sitting down and straightening her skirt out a bit. InuYasha chuckled a bit and she gave him a glare.
"Anyways, what do you want to do now?" He asked, starting to pick up the papers that had made they're way around the coffee table.
"Well I have to get to class in a bit…It was fun hanging though…do you want to do this tomorrow again?" Kagome asked, placing her papers in her bag. InuYasha smiled and nodded his head.
"I'd love to." Kagome looked up and smiled at him as they walked out of the small coffee shop, seeing Kikyo glare at them.
Seven months. Seven months since their morning stop at Kikyo's coffee stop and InuYasha and Kagome had gotten to know each other even better. InuYasha had started picking Kagome up from school a week after. They saw each other everyday and on weekends they made sure to call each other at least once every night. Kagome had started falling for InuYasha and InuYasha for Kagome...they had been dating for about six months now.
"Yasha!" Kagome jumped and hugged InuYasha tightly around the neck as he leaned down, pulling her into his body.
"Hey beautiful." InuYasha smiled happily as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She smiled brightly and kissed him back. His hand held her hips firmly, pulling her close.
"Oh come on, get a room you two!" Sango called out from behind a group of girls who were ogling InuYasha. She pushed her way through the small crowd and smiled.
"Now, InuYasha, I think you should do me the favor of driving me home. That cool? Kay awesome." Sango smirked as InuYasha rolled his eyes, turning his back to her, and pushing Kagome against the car gently, kissing her lips. Kagome blushed when she saw her classmates staring at them and pushed InuYasha off.
"Yasha, just drive me and Sango home, alright?" She asked. He pouted but nodded his head, waving Sango to come over and get in as he went into his red mustang. As they got in, InuYasha buckled his seat belt, turning behind to face Sango.
"We have to stop and pick up my best friend, Miroku, his car got destroyed when he decided to try and 'drift'…into a building…" InuYasha chuckled as he started the car. They drove for a while, Sango making fun of InuYasha as he glared at her through the rearview mirror. Every time there was a red light, InuYasha would turn over to Kagome and try to steal a kiss only to have his plan thorted as Kagome laughed and pulled away.
Finally after twenty minutes, they stopped off at InuYasha's work to see a man almost as tall as InuYasha standing by the door. He was wearing a business suit, much like InuYasha's holding a brown briefcase. He had clear blue eyes and a small pony tail at the nape of his neck. He smiled as InuYasha stuck out a hand and fingered him. Sprinting over he made his way to the car, getting in he didn't notice Sango yet.
"Hey, Yasha, what crawled up your ass and died?" He smiled and then turned to Kagome, smiling. "Hello Kagome, how are you?" He asked, sitting back he noticed the girl beside him. Her hair was in a high pony tail and she was wearing a green sailor uniform like Kagome's. She turned to look at him and he was speechless. She was beautiful.
"Oh, I'm good Miroku, it's nice seeing you again, oh and this is my best friend, Sango Yomoto, Sango this is InuYasha's best friend, Miroku Kazzanna." Kagome introduced as InuYasha started the car.
"Uh…hey…" Sango said as Miroku stared. He finally snapped out of his gaze and smiled.
"Hello, I'm Miroku would you have the honor of bearing my child?" He asked, as Sango stared at him in shock and punched him. Kagome looked at them in shock as InuYasha just chuckled. They had a lively car ride before Miroku and Sango were dropped off. InuYasha was in front of Kagome's house.
"So…I'll see you tomorrow?" Kagome asked, turning to face him. He smiled sadly and shook his head. His eyes closed and then opened again, looking away.
"Kagome…the thing is…" InuYasha started. Kagome looked at him in confusion. Nothing could be wrong, they just started their relationship and it was perfect. Kagome looked at him as InuYasha held her hand tightly in his.
"InuYasha…what's wrong?" Kagome asked, she noticed her voice was shaky, anxiety gracing her features as she looked to him.
"Naraku…my boss…he wants me to transfer back to Kyoto…" He spat out, Kagome looked at him. Silence. That's all there was, silence. Kagome felt tears stinging at her eyes as they spilled down her cheeks. She held his hand tighter as InuYasha sat closer, pulling her to sit on his lap as he kissed her temple, whispering 'I'm sorry' over and over again.
"N-No…I…I don't want you to go…InuYasha, I love you!" She yelled as she gripped his suit. He pulled her face to look up at him, kissing her lips furiously. She leaned into him, kissing him back passionately.
"I love you too." InuYasha whispered against her lips as he kissed her again. They pulled back and sat in each other's embrace for hours. Just sitting, feeling each other's warmth. They kissed every now and then, and said I love you, but they didn't move.
"How long?" Kagome finally asked.
"I still have tomorrow…" InuYasha whispered.
"Tomorrow…" Kagome whispered before she fell asleep against InuYasha's chest. He looked down at her, kissing her lips as he wiped away her tears, bringing her to the front door, he explained she fell asleep in his car, to her mother. He went back to his car, and sat there, looking straight ahead. The only thing he could do was go home.
"Kagome, hurry and get the coffee grind!" Tsuki yelled. Kagome growled and flipped her off.
"Tsuki get your damn coffee grind yourself!" She shouted. Tsuki stared in shock before moving and going to the back. Kagome sat at the counter, staring at the door waiting for InuYasha to come in. It was his last day here. Tomorrow he'd be leaving for Kyoto and she'd never see him again. She glared at the ceiling and then looked to the clock. He was already fifteen minutes late and Kagome was starting to get irritated before she heard her cell ring. She flipped it open without bothering to see caller ID and yelled,
"What! What do you want from me?" Kagome shouted. She was met with silence before she heard InuYasha's chuckle. Her eyes lit up before growling.
"Where are you!" She yelled he chuckled again and answered,
"Well…I thought you'd like to know, I stopped Naraku from transferring me, I'm staying in Tokyo!" He said. Kagome went silent; she heard the cars behind through his cell and realized he must be driving to her. She stayed still before jumping up and down, screaming her head off.
"Yes! Yes! I love you! Come over here quickly!" Kagome said as she heard him laugh again, he said I love you and promised he'd be there quickly. Kagome smiled as she hung up; putting the phone in her pocket she stood up, deciding to make his coffee for him before he came.
He shook his head with a chuckle as he turned a corner; thinking about Kagome's smiling face. He laughed as he turned another corner before seeing a truck come down the wrong lane and closing in on his, he swerved trying to get out of the way, the small red box with a white bow flew around in the car as the truck rammed into his car.
InuYasha felt everything start in slow motion as he was being toppled over in his car. He felt pain as the seat belt yanked him in place, his car rolling down what he could only think of, as the lane. He gasped for breath as his body was being crushed by the car. He opened his eyes just a little to see the red box. He reached out for it, holding it in his arms as his body was being jerked in different directions, he closed his eyes, the last thought on his mind,
'I love you Kagome.'
And then there was black.
Kagome waited for what seemed like hours, growling she tried calling InuYasha's cell only to have the operator come on saying his cell was out of service, She frowned and flipped on the small TV in the upper corner, holding his coffee in her hands she saw the screen with a big car crash in the background of the reporter, one being a red mustang.
And then she heard the reporter's voice,
"Twenty-one year old InuYasha Takahashi was the tragic victim of a drunken truck driver at the corner of—"
Kagome stood still seeing the pictures fly across the screen, the truck driven into a light post, the red mustang mangled and on its top, before falling to her knees, the black coffee cup falling from her hands and to the floor, the cup rolling slightly as the contents spilled around her. She felt her body hit the ground and splash from the coffee before closing her eyes and letting the darkness take her.
Kagome opened her eyes to see Sango and Miroku, holding her hands on either side of her. She smiled sadly and excused herself as she walked to the open black casket in front of her. She took the red rose in her hand and placing it down beside InuYasha's white cold hand. His face was perfect, slightly scratched up but still perfect to her. She felt tears springing to life again as she placed a hand on his, her ring finger decorated with a silver band and a small white diamond.
"I would have said yes, Yasha, I wanted to marry you too." She whispered as tears fell from her eyes. The red box had been the protector of a small silver engagement ring. Kagome had gotten it from the police after she arrived at the hospital. InuYasha had died as soon as his car stopped rolling.
"I love you babe, I love you so much…" Kagome whispered as she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning around she saw Sango and Miroku. Tears in their eyes.
"Kagome…I'm so sorry." Sango whispered. Miroku held Sango's hand and looked to Kagome.
"He wanted to ask you to marry him in a week…he made all the plans…I'm sorry he never was able to ask you." Miroku offered a hand. Kagome took it and squeezed it gently. The small group cleared out to give Kagome privacy. She looked down and smiled sadly, tears running down her face.
"InuYasha…I wish you showed up, for your early morning coffee…" Kagome gave a humorless laugh. "I love you so much…I'm so sorry I made you hurry that morning…" She leaned down, kissing his cheek she felt her tears fall on his face. She pulled away and by the stand to the caskets left, she placed a cup of black coffee next to it, turning her back she walked down the empty hall, tears rushing down her face as she left.
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A/N: Wow! What a twist…I actually teared up while finishing this up, I feel like it's kind of rushed in the end, but I hope it's still ok?
Take care,
Vixen