A/N: I am finally a senior in high school! Meaning I have an abnormal amount of free time! I, of course, have been using this time to get back into InuYasha (the flame has been reignited). I decided to pick this fic back up and hopefully churn out those chapter ideas I've been having for years…

I do not own InuYasha (duh)

I hope you enjoy!

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The inside of her eyelids shone red then black as the streetlights passed overhead. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force herself back into sleep, but it was too late. She could already hear her driver singing the chorus under his breath, imitating the English as best he could. She couldn't make her mouth form words so she just moaned. He paused in his song and put a hand on her shoulder.

He sighed when she shook his hand off, letting her bangs fall further in front of her eyes.

"Sango, wake up, we're here."

It was her turn to sigh. "I know InuYasha, thanks for the ride."

The parking lot lamp above his car shone through the sunroof and windows, casting shadows under her already darkened eyes. He threw her a glance and tried to smile. She pushed open the car door and sluggishly pulled herself out, grabbing her book bag from underneath the seat.

As she was about to walk away, a "Wait!" disrupted the quiet parking lot. She turned around and leaned against the rolled-down passenger window, needing its support more than she liked.

"Yeah Yash?" She managed in between a yawn.

He let out a weak smile, "Just…take it easy Sango."

An even weaker laugh followed. "Don't worry about me."

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"Hm, this place looks even shadier at 3 am"

She continued mumbling to herself as she trudged up concrete steps, her raggedy book bag from the lost and found dragging behind her.

Three more flights till' home. This is nothing.

Sango scoffed. Home was a stretch. Her sneakers began to weigh more as her steps became louder, echoing off the walls. "Two more flights, 20 more stairs. Come on Sango, pull yourself together." She stopped, straightened her slouch and slung her bag over her shoulder.

Ouch.

A slowly healing gash on her mid back throbbed as the unwanted weight pushed against it. She clenched her fists around the straps and trudged up the stairs. One more flight.

Her hands burned as she almost desperately used the railing to pull herself up the last two steps and made a glacial walk towards her door. D7, D9, D16. The numbers were starting to blend as she passed each one. D22, here she was, as close to "home" as it was going to get for quite some time. She searched her pockets for a lone key, her tongue sticking slightly out of her mouth as she kept on probing.

"Fuck, it's probably in his car." She blew her bangs out of her eyes.

I could pick this lock, I've done it before…

Sango pulled a bobby pin from the top of her head, releasing side bangs too short to be kept in a ponytail and too long to look intentional. She bent the metal into a straight pin and shoved it into the keyhole. After a good minute of tactful yet blind maneuvering, she gave the doorknob a twist and pushed it open.

Victory!

She kicked her backpack into the room and flicked the light switch by routine.

Everything went black.

Sango had a momentary lapse and turned the lights back on.

"That's funny…I remember turning them off before I left this morning…" Sango very suddenly became aware of her surroundings. She could hear…whispers? One was definitely a deeper voice but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She pushed her back up against the wall and breathed silently.

Sango crept to the kitchen and quietly pulled open a drawer underneath the sink. While keeping her eyes on the bedroom door, she felt around for her 'worst comes to worst' cutting knife.

"Where is it?" she heatedly whispered to herself.

With a butter knife as substitute, she stalked over to the bedroom. She put her hand on the knob and felt it twist by it's own. The door flew open and carried Sango with it. She fell into the intruder, knocking them both to the hardwood. Instinct kicked in and Sango was on her two feet, taking a boxing stance she picked up from InuYasha.

"Who the hell are you?" She screamed, knife still in hand.

She was running on adrenaline, piss coffee and four hours of sleep. Not a good combination for whomever she was about to lay her wrath upon. The intruder pulled himself to his feet and in a deep rumbling voice countered,

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? What are you doing in my apartment?"

"Your apartment? This is D22, which last time I checked was under my name. Now get out before I press charges! " Her inner voice was laughing at her, she couldn't afford a lawyer if she wanted to!

Realization spread on her burglar's face. "Miss…" He started, taking a step toward her. She took one back. "This is D23. Don't worry, this has actually happened before! The bottom curve of the 3 is just faded." She eyed him carefully, making due with the light from the window.

A high pitched laugh erupted from his sheets as a busty and probably very drunk girl fished her way out of her, well, apparently his, sheets.

"Who is this chick Houshi? I didn't know you were into threesomes!" Another laughing fit. "Well…I'd be into it." She said in a deeper voice. The girl climbed out of his bed, only wearing a bra and from what Sango could see, a thong, and stumbled towards the man- her hands reaching for him as if her life depended on it. Sango stood at the door speechless. Was she hallucinating? All she wanted to do was sleep!

Flustered, she let out a "You should lock your door!" and sprinted out of the apartment and two feet from his door to her beloved D22. She frantically pulled on the door as if a murderer was behind her. The rusting hinges groaning in protest as she flew into her actual apartment.

She slammed the door and used all three locks. It's a common mistake right? Everyone breaks into someone else's apartment at least once in their life…right?

She needed to calm down. The coffee wore off hours ago and she was surprised she hadn't collapsed yet.

Just calm down and sleep.

For once, she wanted to take her own advice. She flipped her bathroom light switch and shielded her eyes from the light bulb dangling a little too close to the top of her head. It was here she realized she was still holding the knife in a death grip and laid it down on the edge of the sink.

I need a day off.

Looking up, hunched over the sink with a hand on either side, she found herself staring at a stranger.

The mirror shows no mercy.

"I'm not…ugly." She found herself saying. Her black hair dye was fading, which left hers roots a meek brown and tips a night black. She had black eyes, or at least they seemed that way to her. They were the darkest brown eyes could get and she hated them.

The light did cast unpleasant shadows but even she knew they were not to blame for the bags underneath her eyes. Sango sighed while probing a red oval on her cheek with her fingers, the mark still present from her falling asleep on her arm in InuYasha's car. With one last glance in the mirror, she decided to shower in the morning.

A fresh start to a new week. She only had three months of school left.

Her eyes rolled over to glance at her 100¥ watch. It was pushing 3:40. She kicked off her sneakers and practically crawled to her bedroom. She sighed in relief when she unhooked her bra and rolled onto the mattress. At this point, sleep was rapidly approaching.

She awkwardly pulled off her knee socks and skirt while staying on her back. Sango stretched out her arms and legs, hearing satisfying pops. Her eyes drifted shut as she tried to just lie down and think of not thinking.

Minutes later, they shot open and she moaned. She brought her left wrist to her eyes, which were now focused in their new lighting, and set her alarm for 7:00 am.

School in 3 hours, can't wait.