It had taken her longer to fall asleep than usual, her mind plagued with heated fantasies, and Kagome sighed as she refilled the carafe the next day. "You've got no one to blame but yourself," she muttered. "He doesn't even know your name, and you spent all night—"
"Someone complainin' 'bout your name tag again?" Bankotsu asked, placing two mugs next to her. They got a regular number of tourists in the café, many of which griped about not knowing their server's name, even though they always introduced themselves the first time they approached the table.
Kagome blushed but shook her head. "No, just some dreams keeping me awake."
He assumed the worst, though it wasn't far from the truth most days, and squeezed her shoulder. "Can't let you off the hook today. We've got that party of lawyers comin' in at noon, and I'm gonna need your help to pick up the singles."
She waved him off, forcing a smile. "I'm fine, really. Plus, you said Jak was coming today. Can't disappoint my biggest fan."
"He made you something special," Bankotsu said with a grin. "But it's supposed to be a surprise, so don't tell him I said anything."
"Another origami piece?"
He shrugged, making a zipper motion across his mouth before grabbing the pitcher of water and making his rounds. His brother had a knack for paper-folding but had recently started to delve into the intricacy of kirigami, wielding the small blade with precision and accuracy.
It had begun over the previous Christmas, Jak gifting her with a paper snowflake that had no business being made by someone his age, and his chest had swelled up at her continuous praise. Scissors alone wouldn't have been able to create such complicated lines, and Bankotsu had admitted to letting him use a carving knife instead.
It still hung in her window at home, though it was completely out of season.
Kagome was glad his older brother supported his artistic abilities so much. She'd overheard countless conversations at the café about parents being disappointed in their children and wishing they'd chosen a more financially stable career. Some even went as far as to force them into cram schools and clubs solely focused on mathematics and science—subjects filled with questions with only one answer.
There was so much wonder left to discover in the world; shouldn't children be allowed to enjoy it when they were still young enough to see it?
She sighed again, tapping the top of the carafe. Maybe she'd take Jak to an art exhibit on her next day off. It would keep others from squashing his dreams too early.
The door chimed, but she didn't bother looking up. Even if Hojo had come in early, Bankotsu would get him seated before she had to greet him herself. Slipping into the back, she splashed water on her face. There were still several hours left in her shift, and she needed to be cordial with the guests to encourage repeat patronage.
When she reemerged, Bankotsu was smirking at her, a tray of tea already prepared. "You've got a new table."
Kagome frowned as the scent of jasmine hit her nose. "That's not Hojo's usual."
His grin only widened. "Not Hojo. Someone new. Figured you could use the pick-me-up today."
She raised an eyebrow but took the tray, Bankotsu almost shooing her out onto the floor. She set down the tray, her movements automatic as she placed the cup and pot in front of the customer. "Welcome to Seiiki, I'll be your server today." She finally looked up, the rest of her usual spiel forgotten at the sight of curious amber staring back at her.
"It seems we meet again." His voice was exactly as she remembered it, and Kagome was glad she was wearing long sleeves, her uniform hiding the goosebumps that roughened her flesh.
"Detective! What a pleasant surprise," she said when she finally found her tongue. He raised an eyebrow, then motioned to the table, heat creeping into her face when she realized she hadn't poured his tea yet. Averting her gaze, she arranged his selection, making sure not to let a single drop escape.
"Your restaurant came as a recommendation from a friend," he stated, reaching for his cup.
She relaxed, easing into the role she was familiar with. "I'm so glad. A lot of our business is from word of mouth, so please tell them we appreciate their business."
"Hnn."
It was by no means an invitation to keep the conversation going, but Kagome couldn't find it in herself to walk away. "Have you caught the person responsible for the burglaries?" she asked, lowering her voice so as not to upset the other patrons.
He eyed her over the rim of his cup, setting it back on the table without so much as a clink. "It has been less than 24 hours since I brought it to your attention, so there have not been many leads."
She groaned internally. Of course there hadn't been any developments. Here she was, thinking she'd never even see him again, and the first time she did, she elected to start with stupid questions. Tucking a dark curl behind her ear, she forced a smile. "Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night, so it seems like a lot longer since we last talked."
Apparently she was going for the idiot high score today.
Bowing before he could respond, she quickly informed him of the specials, then fled, hoping to pull herself together before she returned to take his order.
Sesshoumaru watched the woman carefully. She appeared overwhelmed by something, the edges of her smile twitching every time she spoke. Her conversations with the other customers were shallow, the types needed to drum up more business, and every time her hand touched the door leading to the back of the café, her eyes took on a haunted look.
Not that he'd noticed.
He tried to focus on his tea, along with the sandwich she'd recommended, but his eyes followed her instead, taking note of each emotion that flittered across her face. The only time she seemed genuinely at ease was when she conversed with the other worker. There were subtle touches and comments made whenever they crossed paths, but none were romantic in nature, so Sesshoumaru assumed they were nothing more than colleagues. Maybe friends.
He downed half of the sandwich before she made her way to his table again. He hadn't planned on even ordering food, but the question about her recommendations had slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself, eventually settling on something savoury.
Kagura would never let him live it down.
She'd been on his ass for months about actually bringing food in during his shift, resulting in her physically shoving him out the door when they'd returned to the station.
"Try the café down the street," she'd said, foot tapping against the linoleum. "And if you don't enjoy it, I'll make you lunch for a week."
It wasn't his fault he preferred work to food. As a daiyoukai, he required less of it than humans or hanyou, though there may have been times he'd forgotten a few meals, affecting his ability to focus. According to his partner, he got 'snarky' when he didn't eat, though no one else had ever mentioned it.
"That's because they're afraid of you, dumbass," had been her retort, not even looking up from her report.
Sesshoumaru pursed his lips. He'd risen through the ranks fairly quickly, but he'd always had his heart set on the role of detective, nothing more. It gave him the freedom of being in the field without the bureaucracy of the higher-ups breathing down his neck. His partner was much more adept at keeping the vultures at bay, anyway.
Kagura Tatsumaki was straightforward and honourable, something she'd made very clear from the moment they'd been assigned to each other. He either played by the rules, or she'd find someone who would. It had been refreshing, considering the usual vipers biting at his ankles, thinking he was in it for the popularity, or worse, as a means to use his family's connections to find himself a better life without putting the work in first.
Kagura had interrogated him as soon as the chief had walked away, ruby eyes shooting fire at the thought of being paired with him just to better his image. He'd barely been able to keep up with her rapid-fire questioning, but he must've said something right, as she'd let the matter drop before they'd been given their first assignment.
Sesshoumaru pulled a scrap of paper out of his pocket, squinting at the barely legible handwriting. Part of the deal of him being 'allowed' to leave the precinct for lunch was bringing her something back. He raised his hand to signal the server, hand freezing as she interacted with a mother and young child.
The woman sitting at the table looked haggard, stringy hair falling out of a messy ponytail as she picked at the crumbs on her plate. If the dark circles under her eyes meant anything, she was severely lacking in sleep. The server—she'd never mentioned her name—idly twirled a napkin in front of the child, keeping him busy as she conversed with the mother.
"Are you sure I can't get you any dessert?" she asked, lifting the napkin up and down like a parachute, the child squealing in delight as chubby hands tried to catch the elusive toy.
The mother gave her a pained look, eyes flitting to her child. "No, that's alright. We still have some errands to run before heading home." She winced as her hand got caught in her hair, but the server ignored it, instead pulling out her notepad and pretending to read a blank page.
"You know what? We've got a new line of pastries launching next week, and the cook wants me to get opinions on it. Why don't I wrap you up one to go?" The customer's expression was wary, but she nodded, attempting to clean up the mess her child had made since they'd arrived.
The server ducked behind the counter, punching in the woman's order. However, when she pulled up the receipt, she reached into her apron, placing some cash into the register before slamming it shut. She briefly disappeared into the back, quickly reappearing with a packaged dessert.
"He gave me two just so you can share with this little gentleman," she said, making a face at the toddler. "And as thanks for being one of the testers, we've covered your bill for today."
The woman's mouth fell open, waving her hands in front of her. "What? That's not necessary—"
"Cook's orders!" the server chirped with a smile. "And don't worry about the mess. It's always slow around this time, so I'll take care of it." Several minutes passed before she convinced the mother to leave without paying, dessert in hand as she struggled with the large bag and stroller. "You take care of your mama, okay? Have a nice long nap later so that she can get some rest too."
The toddler giggled, clapping his hands together as she waved, much of the mother's stress alleviated as she thanked her again. The doors closed, and the server turned on her heel, piling the used dishes and garbage onto her tray.
Sesshoumaru watched the whole thing in wonder. The male server made a comment as he wiped the crumbs from the table, his tone chastising but words unintelligible. The woman just waved him off, telling him it was fine, before passing him the tray and returning to Sesshoumaru.
"Sorry about the wait. How's your food tasting so far? Can I get you anything else?"
He handed over the scrap of paper. "My partner requested I bring her back something."
The tautness in her face softened. "That's very sweet of you. I can get this packaged up while you're waiting," she said, motioning to his sandwich.
"If you would."
She nodded once, then took his plate away, Sesshoumaru meeting her at the register when Kagura's order was finished. "I labelled them for you, so she knows which one is hers."
"She will likely try to eat both."
The server covered her snort, light returning to her eyes as she gave him his total. "It's a good thing our food is so tasty, then."
"Indeed." He handed over a large bill, and she bit her lip, trying to calculate his change. Sesshoumaru grabbed the bags, thanking her for the meal before heading towards the door. He smirked when he heard her scramble to catch up.
"Wait! You forgot your change."
"I have given you the correct amount for your services today," he said, giving her a backward wave as he left the café.
Perhaps he would forget his lunch more often.