Kagome was homesick. She sighed as she sat in the propped open doorway to her dorm room. She watched men and women walking across the courtyard between dorms, and wondered how life could be so full and happy for them when she seemed to be stuck in her memories and wishes for home and comfort denied, now that she had signed her life away.
She wanted what other eighteen year olds wanted, to go to college and have a successful career. While her grades in high school were good, money was not. She’d tried for scholarships, but there were thirty more people whose grades were excellent. There were no quick fixes for her. So here she sat, a whole ocean between her and home, and just six months closer to obtaining her ultimate goal, collage.
She gave a snort of derision in her mind. ‘Seriously, Kagome,’ she thought, ‘the military?’ If asked her senior year of high school if this was what she wanted, she would have laughed. Now, she knew she made the correct choice, if you could call it a choice. She just did what she felt she had to in order to get what she wanted out of life; A good job, a college education, to see the world, and most of all to get away from her small home town and memories of high school first love. She’d be damned if she didn’t miss her mama though.
The sun was just beginning to creep to her legs. She stretched her legs out to feel the warmth on her toes. The light would not reach her door until later that evening. The walkway for the rooms above her shaded her ground floor room for most of the day. She loved the heat. Winter in England was over, and she relished the rush of warmth into spring.
She started when she heard her name. “Kagome, I thought you would still be asleep. It’s only one in the afternoon. Are you feeling alright?” Her roommate Sango asked as she bounced down the walk carrying what looked to be half the Post Exchange in bags that seemed to be strapped to every one of her appendages.
Kagome gave her a small smile. “I’m fine Sango. I enjoy sleeping in on the weekends, but I think I finally got over my jet lag. It was more homesickness that had me sleeping in so much on our days off.” She gave Sango an exasperated stare. “Is there anything you didn’t buy when you went shopping today?”
“Are you kidding,” she laughed, “they just got this new display of the hottest clothes! I bought one of everything! I was just coming back to get you so you could get some, too. I already checked for your size.” She breezed by Kagome to enter the room and place her purchases on her bed. “You had better hurry. You know how everything disappears quickly over here. I know you will love these clothes!”
Kagome went into a fashion coma as Sango droned on and on about styles and cuts and colors. She entered back into some of her earlier musings as she tried to shake off the last tendril of her depressed state in order to be properly psyched up for her trip to the PX. Just as she started to rise from the stoop of the door, someone caught her eye.
He just emerged out of the back door to the main lobby of her building. The first thing to catch her attention was his hair. It was silver. Oh my gosh, is it real? She knew he must be a demon. It was too long and silky to be faked. It hung down to his hips. In that moment it reminded her of two things. The color reminded her of her high school sweetheart, Inuyasha. The other was the cover of her romance novels. She couldn’t stop the blush that rose to her cheeks. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the sudden lump in her throat.
She watched his six foot three inch frame glide closer to her as she inspected him. His shoulders were broad while his chest seemed to be hard and rounded and perfectly proportioned. His barrel of a torso tapered down to slim, straight hips. The man was drawing nearer and Kagome found herself amazed at the bulge of his thighs. He was stunningly perfect. She fought to catch her breath. She knew she was staring at a walking masterpiece.
As Kagome watched him draw ever closer, she could feel the air getting warmer. She was unaware if the warmth came from the increasing sun inching higher on her legs, her blush inching lower to her chest, or him inching closer toward her. She was floored and trying valiantly to save herself from embarrassingly going slack-jawed. Kagome was so caught up in her staring that she failed to hear Sango approach.
“See something you like,” she teased Kagome.
When Kagome registered what Sango said, she gasped and heard her mouth close with an audible snap. Fighting her blush she realized that she had probably failed, too, at keeping her composure while riveted to this male just on the other side of her and Sango. “Yes,” she breathed.
The male stopped at the door by theirs and fished a key from his pocket. He turned to Kagome and slowly swept his gaze from her outstretched legs to the high color shading her face. He turned and unlocked the door. Before he entered into what Kagome now knew was his room, he turned back to her. His magenta stripes seemed to elongate minutely as he gave her a small smirk and a wink. The man turned and disappeared into his room.
Belatedly she recalled that the male was a demon. He had probably heard Sango’s comment and her reply. There was no containing her blush now! She felt lust wash over her. She didn’t believe in love at first sight anymore. Besides, she didn’t know him at all, not even his name.
She jumped up from the stoop and entered her room. Sango fell back onto her bed and laughed. “I think you have a little drool on your chin.” She giggled.
Kagome shut the door and walked to her closet. As she rummaged for a shopping outfit she glared over her shoulder at her roommate. “Well, he was….hot!” I didn’t know men could be hotter than the sun! It just surprised me. That’s all.”
“Uh huh,” Sango falsely agreed. “It’s not every day you meet Adonis. I see your point perfectly.” She then broke down in giggles again.
“Hush, you.” Kagome was fighting her giggles, too. She couldn’t explain why just seeing the demon made her so gleeful all of a sudden. “Just let me get changed, and we’ll head out.”
Reveille sounded at five a.m. Monday morning. Kagome slapped her alarm clock to shut off the sound. After knocking it off her nightstand, she realized that the blaring bugle wasn’t coming from her clock. With a groan she rose from her bed to get ready for work. She wobbled on sleepy legs into the shower.
Emerging from the bathroom, she grabbed a water from the fridge. She was more alert now, and after a quick swallow of water, she went to wake a still snoring Sango. “Errrr,” groaned Sango’s blankets. “Uhhhh, work,” was Kagome’s grunted reply.
She ambled back to the sink in their vanity-slash-kitchen, brushed her teeth, and cleaned the sink. Kagome crossed to her bed and dropped her towel to get dressed.
By the time Sango emerged from the bathroom Kagome was lacing her boots. Her uniform was freshly pressed and her beret lay beside her on the bed. “Hurry up, Sango. I want to get to the chow hall and eat before Miroku.”
Sango pulled on her pants as she laughed. “You just don’t want him to steal your sausage.”
“Damn right. He always thinks our plates are a buffet. Besides, I’m a meat eater. I like sausage.”
Sango laughed out right. “Don’t we all. Speaking of sausage, have you talked to Mr. Sex on a Stick next door, yet?”
Kagome stood and tugged on the bottom of her shirt to pull it into place. The starch on the shirt snapped and fell perfectly onto her shoulders. “Not yet, I haven’t seen him since the first time. I don’t know if I could even talk to him. He’s so hot, and I’m so…well, not.”
Sango sobered. “Don’t sell yourself short, Kags. You’re a catch and I know quite a few guys that’d like to knock boots with you. You just spend so much time being homesick that you don’t see it.”
“Yeah, right,” Kagome snorted. “I’ve never had a one night stand before, and that’s all guys seem to want.” Sango shot her a look that screamed ‘are you kidding me’ “Don’t give me that look either. I may not have a lot of faith in Love, but I at least want to know the guys name when I fall into bed with him. Being friends is also a plus.”
“Kags, you’ve been salivating at just the thought of this guy for two days now. If it’s friendship you want, or something more…adventurous…then you have to at least break the ice.” Sango finished lacing up her black boots and pulled out a brush to buff the shine on the toes.
“I know that, I’m just afraid he’ll laugh in my face. I’m human, he’s a demon! There are so many things that could go very wrong and we haven’t even spoken to each other yet.” Kagome stood and went to the mirror over the sink to pull her hair up into a regulation bun.
Sango looked up from shining her boots. A slow smirk crossed her lips. “You’re chicken.”
“I am not,” Kagome snapped. “I’m cautious.”
“Whatever you say, Kags,” Sango replied. She stood and began pulling on her top. She started buttoning it up as she glanced at Kagome from the corner of her eyes. “If I wasn’t at my one pervert limit, I would be trying to make time with him.”
Kagome put her brush down and inspected her refection. She was ready. “I’ll prove it,” she huffed. “The next time I see him I’ll speak to him.” She crossed to the door.
Sango giggled. “You go, Kags. Prove me wrong, and I’ll take back what I said about you being a chicken.”
“I’m going on ahead. I’ll save you a seat. You’d better hurry. I’m not going to protect your plate from Miroku if you’re late.” With a small wave over her shoulder at her best friend, she pulled on her beret and walked out the door.
A/N: This is a new story that I've been thinking about. Mostly I've been writing it for practice. I thought I would go ahead and post the first chapter as a 'feeler' to see if people may be interested. I'm not sure how often it will be updated. My stupid muse has ADD so bad that it is not even funny anymore.