InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Doctor, Doctor, I'm Love Sick for You ❯ When We First Met ( Chapter 1 )

Doctor, Doctor, I'm Love Sick for You

By: RedHerring

Chapter 1: When We First Met

Dr.Higurashi Kagome stood in line for her morning coffee at the Starbucks just three blocks from the Hospital. It had been a busy week, what with five new interns cluttering the halls, and bothering the busy staff with questions.

To top it off, it was just after the holiday season, and for some reason the children singing carols, bright flashing lights, and happy families prompted the depressed lot of the city to commit suicide. Not to mention all of the car accidents suffered by drunken teenagers go up dramatically when there's an excuse to party.

Kagome sighed tiredly. The holidays were so stressful. Sometimes she could see why the psychos got all depressed around this time of year.

'Especially with all of these rude people milling around!' Kagome thought angrily as a man in a suit shoved his way past Kagome to get in the front of the line.

"Excuse me," she said, tapping him on the shoulder. He was tall, and dressed in an expensive business suit. Turning around, his long hair, kept in a ponytail high atop his head, swished; and piercing blue eyes glinted in the fluorescent light.

"Well, hello beautiful," he practically purred. "You have my forgiveness for any heavenly sin you may have committed."

"What?" Kagome asked angrily. "No, get to the back of the line. Some of us have been waiting here for half an hour for their coffee, and I for one don't appreciate you barging in here to cut in front of everyone else!"

"Forgive me, beautiful, and let me buy you a drink. A cappuccino?" he asked her. He turned to the cashier, "Two cappuccinos and a caramel late with whipped cream and cinnamon, please."

"Hey, wait a minute! Get your hands off of me! Just who do you think you are?" Kagome said angrily, once she had gotten over the flustered feeling of being grabbed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear. My name is Kouga, please excuse-"

"She said to let go, ," interrupted a deep voice behind the pair. Kagome turned back to look at this new intruder. Couldn't she just get her coffee in peace? She'd be late at this rate.

"Shut up, Inuyasha," Kouga growled. "The woman's with me."

"She doesn't seem to think so," he retorted. His golden eyes narrowed and stared into Kouga's fierce gaze.

"Ok, look. Take this outside, or order your stuff and move on. Either way, you're holding up the line!" yelled the cashier.

"Come on, beautiful," Kouga said as he scooped up his tray and threw an arm around Kagome's shoulders.

"Let go of me!" she yelled at Kouga. And Kouga's arm was lifted from her shoulders; but not because he moved them. The aforementioned Inuyasha had forcefully removed Kouga from Kagome and was now in the process of dragging him out through the glass doors.

"Miss?" the cashier got her attention impatiently, "your order, miss?"

"Oh, sorry. I'll have a large coffee, two creams and two sugars," Kagome said distractedly, trying to peer behind her to see what was happening.

"Three twenty seven," the cashier demanded. Kagome paid and hurried out to find both of the men out of sight.

Feeling slightly disappointed, she pulled her coat tighter to her body and bent her head against the wind as she began her walk to the hospital. The wind was blowing fiercely and a light snow was falling to become part of the endless brown sludge that caked the gutters of the streets.

Kagome's thoughts were again wandering back to the validity of the motives of depression induced suicides when she was again jostled from the side. Coffee welled up through the vent of the cup and dribbled down to her hand.

"Hey! Watch it!" she yelled.

"Oh, jeez. Sorry," sounded that same deep voice from before. Surprised, Kagome glanced up and again saw the man from the café. Caught in a moment of mental inactivity, Kagome could only stare at the long white hair that whipped in the wind, the flashing gold eyes that glinted in the sunlight, and the white doggy ears that twitched on top of that stranger's head.

"Uh... y-yeah. That's ok," she stuttered.

"Are you ok? I wanted to make sure that that didn't hurt you," he said while he gave her a quick once over.

"I'm-I'm fine," she stammered. Why couldn't she seem to talk now? Her usually quick tongue seemed get tied up as she gazed at this breath taking man.

"Are you sure? You seem a bit dazed. I'd actually have stepped in before, but I didn't really know if you knew him..." he trailed off when he caught Kagome staring at him again.

"You know, I really should take you to the hospital. I think he broke your brain, or something. You keep spacing out on me," he complained jokingly.

Kagome snapped out of her daze and glared at the man. "No thanks, I'm heading there anyway. You can just be on your way," she replied, not really liking how he insulted her mental functionality.

"What? With not even a thank you?" he wheedled.

"Do you really want one?" she asked as she started walking again.

"Well, it would be great, if your highness deems it fit to happen," he replied dryly, keeping time with her gate.

"Fine, if it'll get you to leave me alone, then: thank you," Kagome said shortly.

"Well, now don't I feel appreciated."

"It's not my fault that you feel the need to follow me and suffer my annoyance."

"And what got you annoyed?"

"Well, the fact that I was molested in a café, almost booted out without my caffeine, burnt my hand from bumping into you, and got insulted had nothing to do with it," she said sarcastically. "No, I'm annoyed because it's good for my health."

"You burnt your hand? Let me see," he said, suddenly concerned. The show of concern got Kagome flustered again and she quickly brought her hands out of reach.

"N-no, I'm ok. Look, I really am grateful that you pulled that creep off of me, but I really have to hurry. My shift at the hospital starts in ten minutes and I still have to get to the tenth floor," she apologized.

"That's ok. I'm actually headed to the hospital too, although I have about half an hour before my shift starts."

"You work there?"

"Yep," he nodded with a small smile.

"How come I've never seen you before?" Kagome asked as they stopped with a horde of people waiting at a cross walk.

"Well, I just transferred here from Chicago's main hospital a week ago. And this is a big hospital, so it's no wonder we never crossed paths," he shrugged.

"D-do you work in the lab?" Kagome asked, suddenly interested. "You look like someone who would hole up over notes."

"Nah; can't stand it there. The smell of chemicals..." he trailed off, waving his hand like he was fanning the air. They had arrived in the hospital and both started walking over to the elevator. "I like working with the people better," he admitted.

Kagome smiled. She was interested in this guy, who was slightly immature, but in an endearing way. They lapsed into a semi-awkward silence in which neither of them really had anything to say. The elevator was slowly making its way up to the tenth floor and the stupid music was playing softly in the background.

"Sooo," Inuyasha broke the silence. "I'm Inuyasha, buy the way."

"Um, yeah. I gathered that from what that guy said," She blushed and looked at her feet. "I'm Kagome," she remembered and blushed even more, for some reason thinking she was making a fool of herself.

Inuyasha smiled amusedly and shook his head. He thought she was insanely cute, with her blush creeping over her cheeks. The blush she thought she was hiding.

"So, can I get you some coffee later?" he asked. "Maybe something to eat?"

Kagome looked at him with a startled "deer in the headlights" look and immediately shot her gaze to the counter indicating what floor they were passing. Why was it going so infernally slow? Was it trying to stall and give her as many chances to make a fool out of herself?

"Um, my shift ends at six tonight. Why don't you buy me dinner?" she asked quietly.

"That works," he replied happily. "I'll meet you in the front lobby at six."

"Ok," Kagome said, with a small smile creeping onto her face. The elevator finally dinged the tenth floor and the doors opened. "Well, this is my floor. I'll see you at six," she said.

"Bye bye," he waved with a triumphant smirk plastered all over his face. Kagome saw it and rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling.

The doors closed and Inuyasha slumped in relief. What did that girl do to him that he got so tense just asking her out? He hadn't felt that nervous since high school! Maybe he should rethink this.... Nah. The chick was hot.

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The day passed by slowly for Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagome was distracted several times when she saw silvery white hair, but every time it only turned out to be some old man. Hours creeped by with agonizing slowness and Kagome vaguely worried that she might be developing some form of ADD.

The patients that Inuyasha cared for seemed twice as irritable as usual, and he wondered at the validity of his comment of liking to work with people better. At least chemicals didn't complain to him about every little thing. Several times he had wanted to punch someone's lights out, but he restrained himself. Bills wouldn't get paid if he got fired.

Finally, six o'clock rolled around. Inuyasha had gotten off at five thirty, and spent his free half hour changing and trying to make himself look presentable. He was lounging in one of the very bouncy chairs that seem to inhabit all hospital lobbies when the elevator doors pinged open. Kagome stepped out, looking haggard and worn out. She had changed into a different set of cloths, and her face was removed of makeup.

As she stepped out, she looked around and spotted Inuyasha. A smile lit up her face and she seemed to shed some of her tiredness. Inuyasha, needless to say, was quite happy at his effect on her.

"Hi, Inuyasha," she said happily. "Um, I hope you weren't going to take me somewhere really fancy. I don't really feel up to going anywhere but some fast food place."

"Perfect. I wasn't planning on taking you anywhere but Taco Bell," he replied.

"That was so scary," Kagome said gravely.

"What was?"

"It's like you read my mind. I've been craving a chalupa since four o'clock."

"Well, then allow me to sweep my Mexican princess off of her feet, and bring her to the land of tacos and taquitos," he quipped. Kagome laughed at the corniness of that comment and grabbed his offered arm.

They spent the walk there in silence, preferring to just stay close to each other in the busy night mass of the city. Once again, snow started to flutter down on their heads just before they made it into the restaurant.

They ran in, ignoring the stares they got from the other customers when they had a little bit of fun brushing off the snow from each other. The energy that Kagome seemed to lack earlier was back in full force and Kagome was flushed with excitement as the date continued.

"Wait, wait. Now let me guess your favorite song," Kagome said in between giggles. Inuyasha had spent ten minutes trying to figure out her favorite song, before Kagome confessed that she didn't really have one; but it was so cute to see him sitting there, his nose scrunched in concentration, taco hanging half forgotten in his hand.

"Hah! You'll never guess!" he crowed.

"Well, then give me some hints," she paused, "Is it by Lincoln park?"

"Nope," he said with a shake of his head. Kagome fiddled with her straw as she tried to think of all the bands her colleagues talked about.

"Uhhh... BNL?"

"Nope," he replied, even more cheerily. With a smug smirk on his face, he took another bite of his taco-even managing to make the action seem taunting to the poor girl.

"Eminem? Smash Mouth? Jars of Clay?" she asked, rattling off some popular bands.

"Nope,"

"Uurrrgh!" Kagome groaned in frustration. "Alright, I give up. What is it?"

"You give up too easy," was all he said as he finished off his taco.

"Hey!" Kagome cried indignantly. Inuyasha only smirked teasingly at her and got up to throw his trash away. Kagome followed him, dumping her empty wrappers into the trash and saving her drink.

She followed him out the door, intent on bugging his adorable ears off of his head for the name of the song, when she stopped short. He was leaning against the side of the building like he had every intention of staying there.

"Well? Where are we going?" she asked. Inuyasha pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to show her the glowing hands of his watch.

"In case you haven't noticed, my Mexican princess, it's 10:30. I don't mean to be a stiff, but I have an early shift tomorrow; and as much as I love spending time with you, I really should be getting home." He said with a sad smile-that really was more like a smirk.

"Oh," Kagome said, blushing. How had the time gotten away from her like that? "Ok, I'll just head home. You can go. Maybe I'll see you around?" she asked.

"Oh, no. You can't get rid of me just yet. What kind of date would I be if I didn't walk my princess to her door on a late New York night, hm?" he asked.

"Ahh..."

"A bad one," he finished wryly.

"Ok, then," she said, and hesitantly allowed him to wrap an arm around her.

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They spent the trip to Kagome's apartment in silence, once again, except for the parts when Kagome gave small directions. It was a quick walk; the subway had an exit only a block away from her building.

When the apartment complex came into view, a foreboding feeling creeped into her stomach. She really didn't want this great night to end. Should she invite him in? Would he think she was easy if she did? But if she invited him in, did that necessarily mean that they had to do something?

'Of course it does! That's what it means when you invite someone in your home after a date!' she thought.

Inuyasha noticed her getting tense and started to worry. He had no idea what was going through her head. What man does know what goes through the mind of a woman? He just hoped it had nothing to do with anything that contained the words never, see, you, or again-or something vaguely like that.

Kagome finally reached her door. The peephole was surrounded by a cheery wreath with little flashing lights and a happy Santa Clause looking very merry on the front. In an effort to avoid conversation for a few more minutes, Kagome fumbled in her purse for her keys.

Inuyasha just stood there, feeling very awkward, but he kept his hand on her shoulder. She didn't seem to mind it; at least, she wasn't shaking it off. Although, that could be to the fact that she was as red as her Santa Clause and trying to form words.

Thankfully, Kagome was spared further discomfort when Inuyasha took the initiative. "Hey, I had a great time," he said, moving to lean against the concrete wall. Kagome looked up from her purse, keys hanging in her fingers.

"I did too," she said, smiling brightly, "I'd like to do this again, sometime."

"Yeah," Inuyasha said softly before he swooped in for a kiss. Kagome gasped at the sudden rush of feelings, but quickly relaxed under him. His mouth was hot and juicy-probably flavor left over from the tacos, but it set her blood on fire.

Inuyasha was enjoying himself, and almost hummed in pleasure when he felt Kagome lean against him. He loved her soft, warm scent; her luscious lips; and the way her body fit so perfectly against his.

After a considerably shorter time than either of them would have liked, they pulled back for air. Kagome was gasping for breath, and her eyes shown with enjoyment.

"Wow," she said breathily, "Most guys ask for a kiss on a first date."

"Well I'm not most guys," he replied. "Besides, what kind of wimp asks for a kiss?"

"You're too much Inuyasha," Kagome sighed, and fit her key into the lock of her door.

"Damn straight," he agreed and leaned back against the wall. Kagome looked at his profile quickly as she opened the door. Now would be the time to ask. Should she, or shouldn't she?

In the end, she didn't have to decide at all. Inuyasha, sensing her indecision-but really, how could he not notice it; she was just standing in the doorway, staring at him for about half a minute-asked, "When do you get off work tomorrow?"

Kagome, not expecting the question stammered, "Uh, well-about nine."

"Good, I'll see you then. Same place," he said, and leaned forward to kiss her again. It was light, soft, and quick and Inuyasha pulled back quickly before smiling his smile, that was more like a smirk, and walking away.

Kagome stared after his retreating figure until he disappeared down the stairs, her hand lightly resting on the door knob. When he was gone she shook her head and went inside, he lips still tingling from his kisses.

AN: This was originally going to be a one-shot, but now I'm thinking that I want it to be a short story. The rating is for later chapters-if they ever get written-because there is going to be a lemon. I make no promises on updating, so you'll just have to be patient.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any related characters.