Title: Coffee Syrup

Author: SakuraRyuu

Rating: T

Genre: AU, Angst, Comfort, Drama, Family, Friendship, Romance, WAFF

Characters: Inuyasha, Jii-chan, Kagome, Kikyo, Miroku

Author's Note: Inuyasha and all characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Walking out of the coffee shop Kagome was so engrossed in stirring her cup of sugar and vanilla creamer with a little bit off coffee she didn't notice the door she almost walked right into, had the handsome stranger not snatched it open for her at the last minute. The sudden gust of air in her face caught her attention.

"Oh!" Noticing she almost walked into the man she stopped unexpectedly, causing the parson behind her to walk into her back. Stumbling, her coffee syrup sloshed sloppily in her cup, jumping out to cover her hand. Instinctively holding the cup further way from herself she pushed the cup into the man at the door, spilling it down his suit. Mouth hanging open she looked around the doorway at the carnage. Employees were rushing to replace spilled coffee, and clean up her mess on the floor, and the poor man that was kind enough to open the door for her was covered in a brown stain. Surely his suit was ruined.

Walking forward she put on hand to her mouth, the other to the stain on his shirt. "Oh, no, please forgive me!" She pleaded. "I'm so clumsy!" Looking behind her she began apologizing to the people she was holding up. Her doorman took her by the hand and pulled her out of the doorway, letting go of the door handle he was still holding.

"Here, let's get out of the way first." Pulling her to the side of the entryway he walked toward a sidewalk table and grabbed some napkins out of the dispenser, dabbing at his pants. Suddenly an extra pair of hands were dabbing at his shirt. Recognizing a lost cause when he saw one he wadded up his napkins and threw them in a trashcan by the entry. Brushing her hands away from him he mumbled a quick, "Don't worry about it. Stop fussing," then put his hands on his hips, one foot kicked out to the side, to look at the woman in front of him.

"Uhm, Kagome Higurashi?" She introduced herself with a sheepish smile, offering her hand.

Amazed, Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head, his long, raven locks swaying out behind him. Taking her hand, he shook it. "Inuyasha Taisho."

"Please, let me give you my card. It has all my contact information on it. I want to pay for your dry cleaning. If the suit can't be saved I'll reimburse you completely." Kagome reached into her satchel, pulling out a small, rectangular card. Taking the card Inuyasha examined it, noticing the classic, emerald green paisley pattern on one side, and elegant script on the other.

"Nice card. Interior design, huh?" Glancing over her smart, gray business skirt and crisp, white button up shirt, he pocketed her card and continued. "I'll allow the cleaners, but I'm not going to ask you for a new suit."

"Please, I insist. It's the very least I can do for someone who probably saved me from a very embarrassing story of how I broke my nose walking into a glass door." They both laughed at her joke.

"Well, let's see what my cleaner can do first, then we'll go from there." Pulling out his own wallet he handed her his business card. "If you don't hear from me in a few days, call me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go home and start my day over."

"Oh, no, I'm so sorry." She brought his card to her lips and giggle behind it at his smirk.

"Yeah, well… In a few days, then." Giving a quick wave he turned and headed down the sidewalk. Kagome watched him walk away, fanning herself with his card.

"In a few days, then," she mumbled to herself, grinning.