Distinct Difference: Chapter 2
By DragonFly8246
The elevator ride up to the party was uneventful, even though only recently Kagome had still been having issues with her boss's wandering hands. Since meeting and starting a strange courtship dance with the Executive Assistant, Sango Hoshi, Miroku had curbed his habits of groping all the women he knew or met. Now he just grabbed and bothered Sango, but she tolerated it and when in private with Kagome, admitted to enjoying the attention.
Once the doors had opened, she'd nearly been pushed back by the sight, sounds, and smells. First off, the place was packed. It was not often that people from the lower floors had any opportunity to see the executive floors and conference suites. Being in this room was likely a once in a life-time occurrence for most of the party attendees.
Humans, youkai, and the occasional hanyou chatted, laughed, and all around enjoyed the company and atmosphere. On the overhead projector a roaming cameraman was taking footage of the event. Kagome stopped briefly to hand over her coat and purse to the entry attendants, her attention on the screen.
InuYasha and Kikyou, Kagome's near identical cousin, were dancing on the screen and being mildly heckled by those around them. When they turned away from the lens, light overhead caught on the magnificent diamond on Kikyou's hand. Someone in the tech room must have considered the ring, and its representative engagement, highly important because the movement on the screen froze, the digital enhancement zooming in on the ring itself.
There was cheering near one side of the room, and Kagome could only assume it was those nearby giving their congratulations. A hand on her shoulder brought her attention back.
Miroku smiled into her dampened eyes. "Here," he said, shoving a small plate of appetizers and a fluted glass of sparkling drink into her hands, "best time of year to resolve old headaches, no?"
She sighed and gave a slight nod. "It's been three years. You'd think I would be over him by now," she said while he led her to the opposite side of the room.
Miroku heard her and gave her arm a slight squeeze. He knew what it was like to lose your heart to another, knew the risk and feelings of inadequacy whenever one opened up to that certain person, he was living with such emotions right now.
As they approached their destination, faces in the crowd became more familiar and greetings more frequent. Kagome nodded and smiled and replied as was appropriate, but inside she just wanted to go home. What would I be doing right now, she wondered and an image of Hojo came to the front of her mind.
Her neighbor of differing sexual preference had become the closet friend she had in years. Hojo was there when she'd been hired by Takaski Enterprises, had celebrated her joy at meeting InuYasha and let her cry on his shoulder the night it ended, and most importantly, he never judged her.
Kagome felt her co-workers' eyes on her almost everyday. She knew that her relationship with InuYasha, though distant history by traditional office gossip standards, was still discussed and debated on a regular basis. Even now, she though, not five minutes since I stepped off the elevator and I can hear the whispers.
The side talk was less and less about her as Miroku led her deeper into the room. By the time they reached a cluster of small tables with chairs, Kagome was no longer the primary topic of conversation. It had shifted to InuYasha and Kikyou.
"Hey you two!" Sango came bounding through the crowd to her friend and possible romantic interest. She smiled with pleasure at seeing them and more so at the way Miroku immediately dropped his hold on Kagome's arm. Not that she minded, Kagome had no interest in Miroku and vise versa, but it still felt good to see him acting like a suitor towards her and her alone.
"I see you've already found the bar," she said in a slightly sarcastic tone, raising her brows at Kagome's full glass and Miroku's whiskey on the rocks.
"Well, when it's free.," Miroku purposely left the sentence dangling. They moved close to share a more intimate greeting and Kagome turned away.
Close to them was a table, unoccupied at the moment, so she set her food and drink down, turning to the nearby balcony doors. Music was playing in the background, the food was starting to become too amorous, and the noise was intolerably high. Maybe a minute outside, she thought, just to clear my senses.
Noticing Sango and Miroku busy with one another, she turned into the crowd, easily becoming shielded from the only two people who might actively seek her conversation. At the full glass doors, she noticed large space heaters had been placed periodically along the rail outside. Being thankful she wouldn't freeze, Kagome lifted the latch and slipped outside.
The cold blast of air was accentuated by the balcony being at the top of the building. Though only fourteen stories high, the building was one of the tallest in the business park where it was situated. Off in the distance, Tokyo central was lit up with lights, reflecting prettily off the relatively calm waters of the near by bay. It was a totally calming scene.
Kagome wrapped her arms around her body and went to stand under one of the heaters, not too close because it was turned on full blast, but close enough to be comfortably warmed. She never noticed the other figure standing behind her near the building wall, wrapped in a coat and shadowed by darkness.
By DragonFly8246
The elevator ride up to the party was uneventful, even though only recently Kagome had still been having issues with her boss's wandering hands. Since meeting and starting a strange courtship dance with the Executive Assistant, Sango Hoshi, Miroku had curbed his habits of groping all the women he knew or met. Now he just grabbed and bothered Sango, but she tolerated it and when in private with Kagome, admitted to enjoying the attention.
Once the doors had opened, she'd nearly been pushed back by the sight, sounds, and smells. First off, the place was packed. It was not often that people from the lower floors had any opportunity to see the executive floors and conference suites. Being in this room was likely a once in a life-time occurrence for most of the party attendees.
Humans, youkai, and the occasional hanyou chatted, laughed, and all around enjoyed the company and atmosphere. On the overhead projector a roaming cameraman was taking footage of the event. Kagome stopped briefly to hand over her coat and purse to the entry attendants, her attention on the screen.
InuYasha and Kikyou, Kagome's near identical cousin, were dancing on the screen and being mildly heckled by those around them. When they turned away from the lens, light overhead caught on the magnificent diamond on Kikyou's hand. Someone in the tech room must have considered the ring, and its representative engagement, highly important because the movement on the screen froze, the digital enhancement zooming in on the ring itself.
There was cheering near one side of the room, and Kagome could only assume it was those nearby giving their congratulations. A hand on her shoulder brought her attention back.
Miroku smiled into her dampened eyes. "Here," he said, shoving a small plate of appetizers and a fluted glass of sparkling drink into her hands, "best time of year to resolve old headaches, no?"
She sighed and gave a slight nod. "It's been three years. You'd think I would be over him by now," she said while he led her to the opposite side of the room.
Miroku heard her and gave her arm a slight squeeze. He knew what it was like to lose your heart to another, knew the risk and feelings of inadequacy whenever one opened up to that certain person, he was living with such emotions right now.
As they approached their destination, faces in the crowd became more familiar and greetings more frequent. Kagome nodded and smiled and replied as was appropriate, but inside she just wanted to go home. What would I be doing right now, she wondered and an image of Hojo came to the front of her mind.
Her neighbor of differing sexual preference had become the closet friend she had in years. Hojo was there when she'd been hired by Takaski Enterprises, had celebrated her joy at meeting InuYasha and let her cry on his shoulder the night it ended, and most importantly, he never judged her.
Kagome felt her co-workers' eyes on her almost everyday. She knew that her relationship with InuYasha, though distant history by traditional office gossip standards, was still discussed and debated on a regular basis. Even now, she though, not five minutes since I stepped off the elevator and I can hear the whispers.
The side talk was less and less about her as Miroku led her deeper into the room. By the time they reached a cluster of small tables with chairs, Kagome was no longer the primary topic of conversation. It had shifted to InuYasha and Kikyou.
"Hey you two!" Sango came bounding through the crowd to her friend and possible romantic interest. She smiled with pleasure at seeing them and more so at the way Miroku immediately dropped his hold on Kagome's arm. Not that she minded, Kagome had no interest in Miroku and vise versa, but it still felt good to see him acting like a suitor towards her and her alone.
"I see you've already found the bar," she said in a slightly sarcastic tone, raising her brows at Kagome's full glass and Miroku's whiskey on the rocks.
"Well, when it's free.," Miroku purposely left the sentence dangling. They moved close to share a more intimate greeting and Kagome turned away.
Close to them was a table, unoccupied at the moment, so she set her food and drink down, turning to the nearby balcony doors. Music was playing in the background, the food was starting to become too amorous, and the noise was intolerably high. Maybe a minute outside, she thought, just to clear my senses.
Noticing Sango and Miroku busy with one another, she turned into the crowd, easily becoming shielded from the only two people who might actively seek her conversation. At the full glass doors, she noticed large space heaters had been placed periodically along the rail outside. Being thankful she wouldn't freeze, Kagome lifted the latch and slipped outside.
The cold blast of air was accentuated by the balcony being at the top of the building. Though only fourteen stories high, the building was one of the tallest in the business park where it was situated. Off in the distance, Tokyo central was lit up with lights, reflecting prettily off the relatively calm waters of the near by bay. It was a totally calming scene.
Kagome wrapped her arms around her body and went to stand under one of the heaters, not too close because it was turned on full blast, but close enough to be comfortably warmed. She never noticed the other figure standing behind her near the building wall, wrapped in a coat and shadowed by darkness.