March 6th, 3:43 PM, Geller's Grocery
Kagome reached for the top shelf, straining a little to acquire a particularly elusive can of tomatoes. Fingers grasping, she finally managed to get enough of a grip to slide it towards the lip of the shelf where she could grab it properly and put it into her nearly full basket. She glanced at her list, mentally checking everything off as her eyes scanned it— it appeared that the tomatoes were the last thing.
Kagome turned away from the shelf, tucking the list back into a pocket in her purse with a little difficulty. She shoved at it, trying to get it past the array of pens and an errant nail file— and failed completely to watch where she was going—
"Oof!" She connected with a firm chest, her hands still occupied with the list. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying atten—" Kagome looked up. Golden eyes filled with amusement. Her mouth formed a silent 'Oh.'
"You alright there?" Inuyasha asked with a smile. He hadn't seen her in weeks, not even in passing at The Monk's Vice bar, which was normally a frequent haunt of both of theirs.
"Um— yeah, yeah I'm fine. Are you okay? I didn't get you with my basket, did I?" She shifted the heavy thing on her arm.
"Nah, I'm good. Your basket ran into my basket is all." He held it up for her to see. He'd clearly only just started his shopping; the only items in it were a few cups of instant ramen.
"Oh. Well, uh, that's good then…" Kagome switched her weight to her right foot, feeling a bit awkward.
Inuyasha nodded. Silence descended for a moment, broken by the background babble of the grocery store's Saturday shoppers. "You know," he began, then paused again.
Kagome cocked her head, wondering what he was going to say.
"I kind of thought you'd gone to Russia. I haven't seen you in so long…" He trailed off.
"Oh, um…" She looked at the tiled floor, at the rows of canned goods on the shelves, anywhere but him. The basket handles were cutting harshly into her arm, and she shifted it again uncomfortably.
Inuyasha bit his lip, wondering if that was the wrong thing to say. Finally, she met his eyes.
"I decided not to go… for now."
"For now?" He asked curiously.
"Yeah, um, my boyfriend said he would find a job for me over there, since that's a big reason why I don't want to leave here. So if he does, then— then I guess I'll go." Her lips pulled into a line. The basket was really getting quite heavy, and she ached to put it down.
"You sound like you don't really believe that," Inuyasha observed. "Um, do you want me to take that for you or something?" He asked, gesturing at the basket she was clearly struggling with.
Kagome shook her head, instead opting to slip the basket off her arm and hold it in front of her with both hands. It was still heavy and in the way, but at least it was no longer painful. "What do you mean, I don't believe it— which part? That he'll find me a job or that I'll go?"
Inuyasha considered a moment. "Well… both, actually."
Kagome sighed and looked away. "You read me like a book," she admitted. "And I haven't even seen you in over a month." She smiled self-deprecatingly.
He shrugged. "It doesn't really seem like you're hiding it."
She sighed. "I suppose not." If she was honest, the subject had been bubbling at the surface of all of her thoughts since Kouga had boarded his plane back to Russia with promises of finding her a good, solid job that would be appropriate for her skills. She still wondered whether Kouga even really knew what her job skills were.
Kagome lugged her basket back onto her arm. "Well, uh, I guess I'll see you around?" She said.
"Wait—" Inuyasha reached out touched her arm as she started to move past him in the narrow grocery store isle.
Kagome paused, basking in the momentary warmth of his hand on her upper arm. It was gone much too quickly as she turned back to him. "Yeah?"
He searched her deep chocolate eyes for a moment before deciding to take the plunge. "We should plan to hang out sometime," he suggested. "Instead of just meeting like this randomly."
The second his magnetic golden gaze captured hers, Kagome was entranced in his expression of earnestness, laced with a touch of uncertainty. Her eyes traveled over his dark brows to his silvery hair and soft, furred ears atop his head, then down to his dark gray and black striped t-shirt that clung to his chiseled chest.
"Er— Kagome? If— If you don't want to, that's okay, I just—"
Kagome's eyes snapped up from where they had been traveling down his blue jeans that were snug in all the right places. "Oh! Um, no, I'd love to hang out!" It came out in a rush before she could stop it. Stupid. Don't spend time with him— he's too much of a temptation! She thought. But the damage was already done.
Inuyasha's face brightened. "Cool. I'll give you a call sometime this week then."
"Uh, yeah—o-okay." She hefted her basket and dashed off as fast as was polite.
"Have a good weekend!" He called after her, shaking his head at her flustered exit.