Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this unexpected undertaking… especially for the one who pretty much spends the whole time changing a light bulb. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.

Author's Note: To state the obvious, this is… Unexpected. There are many reasons why this is so very unexpected. I shall divulge two. First, I don't often write canon pairings. This is Inu/Kag. Second, I rarely approve of taking the characters out of their natural habitat. This is AU. That's really all you need to know at this point.

Dedication: For Fenikkusuken, who took one look and said, "I don't know quite what to say." My littlest muse and I choose to believe our ambition, audacity, and acumen left her speechless. We're happier that way. Thank you for humoring us so tactfully, dear.

This drabble was originally posted to Live Journal on September 14, 2007.

First Impression

Kagome absentmindedly tapped her desk blotter as she watched the man in nondescript grey coveralls maneuver his stepladder into position. I thought I knew everybody who worked at this school. As principal, she'd gone out of her way to introduce herself to everyone within her chain of command—lunch ladies, bus drivers, and maintenance workers included. Maybe he's new? The man jogged lightly up the rungs, balancing precariously as he tapped the flickering tube of a florescent light experimentally. "Have you worked here long?"

"Yup." With a twist, he removed the faulty light and backed down the ladder.

"I haven't seen you around here before."

"Nope."

"Why haven't we met?"

His eyes carelessly swept over her. "You clumsy?"

"Excuse me?"

"You break stuff, spill stuff, make messes?" he asked, reaching for the replacement tube.

"No," Kagome replied, bemused.

One dark brow quirked expressively. "Not much cause to see me then," he pointed out, remounting the ladder.

This guy is quite the character. Different. I wonder where he's been hiding. His long, black hair was far from typical, and his offhand manner matched his smirk. "I thought the janitor had red hair," she murmured to herself.

"He does. There's two of us."

Kagome blinked. Sharp ears. When he'd finished, Kagome stood and offered her hand, smiling warmly into guarded violet eyes. "It's nice to meet you, Mr.—"

"It's Inuyasha. Just Inuyasha."

End Note: This drabble was written for the Live Journal community iyfic(underscore)contest and their prompt for Week 113—Chains Theme. 231 words.