#inu-spiration

About mid-day afternoon, The two friends made their way to the Shikon Café, the warm summer air doing little to improve Inuyasha's mood. As they approached the café, the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods wafted through the air, momentarily distracting Inuyasha from his anger.

After finishing her first morning rush, Kagome was busy arranging pastries in the display case. She had to call Ashira for help once or twice, spilled coffee, and dropped a few muffins on the ground from touching them with her hand after pulling them out of the oven, but she felt pretty confident in her newly acquired skills. She was determined to make a good impression despite Ashira assuring her that it was ok to make mistakes on her first day. With her back turned to the entrance, she didn't see the newcomers but called out automatically, "Welcome in!"

Inuyasha, not paying much attention, saw a sudden glance of long black hair and he immediately saw red, assuming the greeting came from someone he knew all too well. "Kikyou, what the hell do you want now?" he barked, his voice loud enough to turn a few heads.

Kagome straightened up, startled by the outburst. She turned around, her brown eyes wide with surprise. "Excuse me?”

Inuyasha blinked, momentarily thrown off by the unfamiliar voice. He looked up and his eyes met Kagome's fiery gaze. The resemblance to Kikyou was uncanny, but there was something different about this girl—something warmer, more vibrant.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, his tone still rough but less certain.

‘Oh Kami give me strength.’ she prayed inwardly, trying not to make a scene. "Excuse me?” She repeated. “Who wants to know," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

“The one asking, wench” Inuyasha replied his stubbornness getting the best out of him not willing to admit his mistake.

Her eyes narrowed harder, matching his stubbornness and attitude, manners begone. “The name’s Kagome,” She leaves her previous position and approaches the counter, pressing her palms down on the counter and leaning towards him in a boastful voice. “And who the hell do you think you are, coming in here and yelling at people? If you want service in this cafe, you better watch your attitude, mister." Gold meets brown in an even-matched eye contact.

Miroku, ever the mediator, stepped in with a charming smile. "Hi there! Kagome, is it? Please forgive my friend, he's having a bit of a rough day."

Kagome's expression softened slightly at Miroku's polite demeanor, but she wasn't ready to let Inuyasha off the hook just yet. "A rough day doesn't give him the right to be a jerk," she retorted, turning her glare back to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's scowl deepened. "Look wench, I thought you were someone else, alright? Just drop it."

Kagome huffed and laughed in disbelief, clearly unimpressed. "It's Kagome. Ka-go-me! Not wench and Maybe you should think about that before you speak next time."

Before the situation could escalate further, another customer walked in, diverting Kagome's attention. She gave Inuyasha one last pointed look before walking towards them to take the new customer's order.

Miroku chuckled softly. "Well, that was interesting. She’d definitely put you in your place."

Inuyasha grumbled something under his breath but didn't argue. Instead, he watched Kagome from the corner of his eye as she interacted with the customers, her smile warm and genuine. It was a stark contrast to Kikyou's often aloof demeanor and from their previous interaction just 2 minutes ago.

As the café settled back into its usual rhythm, Inuyasha found himself unable to focus on anything other than the strange, fiery girl who had just told him off. He didn't know why, but something about her intrigued him.

When the café quieted down again, Kagome took a deep breath and blew out the tension in her body. Her eyes zoned in on the table of two that occupied Inuyasha and Miroku. She initially procrastinated approaching their table due to another random rush of customers, but it was her job after all. With a hint of curiosity in her eyes, she walked over. "So, are you two going to order something, or just take up space?"

Miroku smiled. "We'll have two coffees, please. And maybe a slice of that strawberry cake."

Kagome nodded, jotting down the order. "Coming right up."

As she walked away, Inuyasha couldn't help but watch her, his mind a whirl of confusion and curiosity. He didn't know what it was about Kagome, but he had a feeling this wasn't the last time their paths would cross.

Minutes later, Kagome returned with their order, setting the coffee and cake down on the table. "Here you go," she said, her tone more neutral but still holding a hint of the earlier annoyance.

"Thanks," Miroku said warmly. Inuyasha muttered a gruff thanks as well, still feeling slightly off-balance.

Kagome gave him a brief nod before heading back to the counter. As she worked, she found herself sneaking glances at the silver-haired, brash-talking customer. There was something about him that piqued her curiosity despite his rough demeanor.

As the day wore on, the café began to empty, and Kagome found herself with another moment to breathe. She glanced over at Inuyasha and Miroku's table, noticing that they were still there, talking quietly.

‘He was rude, loud, and disrespectful. She thought to herself with renewed annoyance, and then with a sigh, she proclaimed to herself, ‘Well my behavior wasn’t a 5-star either no matter how much I felt he deserved it.’ She concluded, always one for leading by example. Taking a deep inhale and exhale breath, she decided to approach them once more. She saw his ear twitch the closer she got to their table, signaling that he was aware of her approaching presence. Her fingers twitched in a sudden desire to feel them and pet them. Odd. Arriving she took a beat and spoke, “Listen," she said, standing by their table, drawing their attention. "I know we got off on the wrong foot earlier. And I'm sorry if I was a bit….harsh."

Inuyasha looked up, his expression softening just a fraction. "Yeah, well, I shouldn't have assumed you were Kikyou. Sorry about that."

Kagome smiled slightly, her earlier irritation fading. "Apology accepted.” Curiosity getting the best of her since he did ruin her afternoon, after all. ” So, you had a fight with an ex?"

Inuyasha sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, something like that. It's complicated."

Kagome nodded, understanding the sentiment. "Breakups are never easy. But maybe a fresh start isn't such a bad thing."

They locked eye contact for a moment and the air slightly shifted. He can't explain it; he’s not sure what it is, but this feels…different. Inuyasha glanced at her once more, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Maybe you're right."

Miroku watched the exchange with a knowing smile, glad to see his friend finally opening up a little. "Well, it's a start," he murmured.