A/N: I decided to make this the last chapter of this story.
I realized this would come kind of repetitive so I tried to finish it up as best as I could.
I hope you enjoyed Fading, and without further ado, here's the final chapter.
As the months passed, the more the meeting of Rin and Len felt like a regimen.
Even more, Rin felt like they were drifting apart. The more time they spent, the less she felt was meaningful. Len was becoming more and more quiet. Uncharacteristically quiet.
"Hey Len," Rin greeted plainly. "I'm back."
The ghost didn't even show up. Rin sighed and sat down on the floor in her room, looking out the small window. Did he hate her now? She couldn't bear the thought of that. Although their relationship seemed like nothing at this point, Rin wanted it to be more. To be like it was when they first met and everything about each other was new.
Then maybe he would like her again.
Her simple thoughts formed into daydreams about them talking and hanging out like they used to. She wished she could feel him like a human being, not just a ghost.
How did he become one, anyways?
She has been so wrapped up in their almost nonexistent relationship that she forgot he wasn't human. She thought that it was normal now. Maybe that was for the better...
"Len?" She called our nervously, the word hanging out in the air. She felt for a moment like he would ignore her, but eventually he showed up, an almost bored expression on his face. Did he hate her? Did he think she was a nuisance?
"What is it?" He muttered, making Rin feel even more belittled.
"I-I... I'm sorry, I was wondering... H-How you became a ghost." She somehow forced the words to come out and regretted them as a silence ensued after, giving her the feeling that Len just disliked her more for asking that.
The blond ghost sighed. "It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?" His tone sounded like he thought Rin was crazy for wanting to know that, but she tried to comfort herself his the fact that he at least responded.
"I-I'm sure."
"Well, don't think bad of me about it, but... HIV killed me."
"W-What?! But-"
"My mom had it and gave it to me. Luckily, I was the only child they ever had. Apparently, I'm a medical miracle because when a child is born with HIV their life expectancy is eight at most."
Rin stared at him, trying to process this new information. His mom had HIV and still had him? Did she not know?
"Well, she's still alive and on medication," Len finished with a hint of malice. "She didn't realize until I started to die."
Oh. That made more since. "That's..." Rin started. "I really don't want to sound stereotypical, but... That's... Horrible."
"Well, you're the first one I've told, so I have nothing to compare it to."
Silence hung in the air. Rin wanted to ask him, but... No, she couldn't, he would definitely hate her. She was torn: how could she just nonchalantly ask him about this? She wanted to know, but at the same time she didn't want to risk their remaining strings of friendship to be cut.
But if he was a real friend... he wouldn't get mad at her, would he?
"U-Uh..." Rin took a shaky breath. "I d-don't want to seem rude b-but... Why don't you talk to me as much anymore?"
Len looked surprised, fading slightly so he was more transparent than before. "W-What are you talking about?"
"We used to talk so much and now... we don't."
A heartbeat of emptiness passed between them, where neither of them said anything. Rin was about to apologize when Len finally responded.
"I-It's because... It hurts."
Rin stared once again at the blond ghost. The cheery and talkative Len was gone, replaced with a dark and pessimistic one. It hurt Rin to see him like this. What hurt? Why? She wanted to find out exactly why but she knew the questions wouldn't be appreciated.
"I mean... just... We can never be regular friends. I-I just..."
She reached her hand out tentatively to the uncharacteristic, stuttering Len and to her surprise, she felt a cold feeling pass through her hand, the same one that she shuddered at when she first met him.
"It's okay," She shushed in a gently voice, not knowing what came over her. "I'm upset we can't be like that too, but at least we have each other."
"But... That's not all...
"I-I... I like you Rin. That's why I was avoiding you."
Rin's heart started to beat faster, like a lion trying to break free from a cage. "I... I like you too, Len."
The feeling of pure bliss enveloped her, leaving her staring into his eyes, admiring them. She couldn't have been happier: they were friends again, even more.
Then the feeling was crushed when Len started to fade away.
"L-Len?" She stammered nervously. "W-What are you...?"
His face turned to a sad smile. "I'm sorry... Remember how I told you that a ghost needed their wish to be fulfilled to move on?
"Well, that was my wish. To fall in love."
Rin's heartbeat accelerated once more, but it was one of anxiety. "Len? Len!"
His continuing fading body moved closer to her. "I'm sorry it was like this Rin... But remember, I will never forget you, no matter how long my afterlife is."
In a swift movement, his face pressed up against her's, as if giving her a kiss. His cold presence danced on Rin's lips until he disappeared into nothing.
Something clinked on the ground. She slowly looked down to see a bass chef necklace, one matching to her's.
She let out a soft wail, saying his name one more time, wishing he was still there.
He was gone.
