Okay, so I was reading through the reviews and I knew I had to hurry and start with the next chapter. I really appreciate the readers who stuck by this story and came back to read it after a yearlong hiatus:/ Also, thanks to those of you who take the time to write those reviews. I really love them and they are so thoughtful

Also, to answer drvnkrazee's question, those details are just things I pick up from anyone I know, those idiosyncrasies that catch my attention and really emphasize that person's personality. Thanks for noticing that detail!

So, let's get started…

Chapter 21- Begging Baby Please

Ms. Takahashi, the eighth grade English teacher, was passing out last week's essays when Kagome saw it. A white paper whizzed by her head. It landed three feet in front of her. She ignored it and continued to wait patiently for her essay. Twenty seconds later, another flying object flew by, and this time it whacked the side of her ear. Kagome whipped around, her face glowing with indignation.

"If you don't stop it right now, I'm gonna punch you in the gut," she snarled. Inuyasha, snickered as his fingers quickly formed another paper missile. He chucked it at her. Miroku, who was sitting next to the hanyou, snickered along with his best friend. The next one came straight toward her. Kagome wasn't ready for it; just as she was turning back around, it hit her in her eye and fell to her lap. She jumped up. Her left eye started to water. She whimpered.

"Shit," Inuyasha said, jumping up after her. Kagome held on tightly to her eye. She could feel the scratch under her eyelid. It was tiny, but it hurt.

Ms. Takahashi turned around.

"What is going on here?" she demanded, seeing two of her students standing up. Inuyasha was prancing about his best friend, who was waving her free hand wildly in front of her. Ms. Takahashi rushed over to them.

"Nothing, just got some dust in my eye," Kagome said through her tears. Her face had turned red.

"Go to the clinic," the teacher commanded. Inuyasha was still hovering around Kagome as she stumbled to the door. His hands fidgeted indecisively. That boy seriously needed a hobby. "You'd better take her," she added, looking at Inuyasha. She was sure he had something to do with the injury, but she knew Kagome would never rat him out. He also looked like he was about to start crying, the way his face was scrunched up in panic.

Kagome's one good eye was blurred with sticky tears, while the other one began to throb. She was pretty much blinded as she made her way through the desks, her hand smacking random people and chairs. She felt fingers grasp her shoulder, and then her free arm, and suddenly she was being gently led through the classroom and into the hallway.

"Shit, are you okay? Inuyasha asked once they made it out. "Does it hurt a lot?"

Kagome nodded.

"I think it will get better if I just sit it out," she said. Inuyasha continued to lead her down the hall.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," he said. Kagome shrugged.

"I know. But I still get to punch you in the gut later," she smirked. Inuyasha stood in front of her and lifted his shirt.

"Do it now. I deserve it," he said. He looked at her, willing her to do it. Kagome harrumphed and slapped his bare stomach.

"Inuyasha, stop it," she said, rolling her eyes. Inuyasha put his shirt back down.

"You didn't do it hard enough," he complained.

"I'm not gonna punch you, sheesh," she laughed. "Anyway, I don't want to hurt you."

"You can't hurt me that much, I'm stronger than you," he protested. Kagome laughed again, shaking her head.

They continued to walk, but by the time they got there, Kagome felt much better. The stinging had gone down, and it only hurt a little bit.

"I don't think I need to go to the clinic. Let's go back before the bell rings. I need to get that essay," Kagome said as they lingered outside the closed door to the clinic. Inuyasha hesitated.

"Let me make sure," he demanded. Kagome pushed his hand away.

"I'm fine, Inuyasha. Look. I can open it now," she said as she slowly fluttered her eye open. Inuyasha's own large yellow eyes loomed in front of her, blinking.

"It's still red. And you have nasty eye boogers," he said matter-of-factly. Blushing, Kagome pushed his face away and rubbed at her eye.

"Inuyasha!" she whined as he blocked her path.

"Fine! Dang, you are such a nerd."

"Finally!"

"Wait, first I have to blow on your eye," he said, grabbing her hand.

"What? Why?"

"Because my mom used to do that to me and I always felt better afterward," he replied. Kagome sighed and stood still, her eye still wet from the tears. She felt two puffs of breath, a pause, and a third long one for good measure. The coolness made her blink. She did feel better.

"Thanks," she smiled. "That really helped."

Inuyasha stared at her, confused. Kagome frowned.

"Kagome…do you--?" Inuyasha trailed off. He shook his head and looked down, scuffing his shoe.

"What?" she asked. "What's wrong? Do I still have eye boogers? Just tell me, I won't be embarrassed this time."

Pause.

"Nothing," Inuyasha finally sighed. "It's nothing, I think."

He turned and began walking the other direction. The bell rang and the hallways began to flood with students.

"Hey! Wait up!" Kagome called out. She ran to catch up with him, and they disappeared into the crowd.

O O O

It was hard, recollecting the times when they were younger and more carefree. Whenever Kagome remembered, she would invariably feel her eyes moisten up. Throughout college, Kagome would constantly compare her close friends to what she and Inuyasha had. It hadn't been fair to them or her for her relationship with the hanyou had been steeped in history and other factors that brought them so close. Kagome often found herself yearning for his company. She was often so close to calling him or e-mailing him. She realized that after all those years of his constant friendship, she found an emptiness inside her that sometimes left her wondering what she was forgetting, what she had lost at the oddest times.

And now here they were, together again. Kagome felt an influx of emotion shudder through her. She felt as though she were about to burst. Inuyasha's silver head was bent over her foot. If only she could reach out and touch him and tell him…

But something held her back. Not yet, she told herself. It was unbearable.

"Okay. I think this should be fine for now," Inuyasha said, patting her foot gently. He looked outside. "You'd better stay here until this snow lightens up. It would be dangerous for anyone to drive in this weather."

Kagome nodded, her lips pursed tightly.

"Inuyasha," she began, her voice wavering, "I—thanks. For this."

"No problem," he shrugged. "Did you have good Christmas Eve?"

"Yeah…it was great. How about you?"

"Fine. I spent some time with Cassie…she left this morning."

"Ah."

Kagome stared at her toes. Inuyasha always used to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with her and her family. Actually, he spent all holidays with her.

"Are you and Cassie…um…dating?" she asked suddenly. Inuyasha looked surprised.

"No. We're just friends," he replied. Kagome let out an indiscreet sigh and then coughed to cover it up.

"Inuyasha," she began again, "I've missed you. I mean…look, it's okay if you didn't really miss me. I understand, because after that trip, you know. It's just okay."

Okay, that was the first step.

Inuyasha inhaled deeply and looked up.

"How can you think that I didn't miss you? Of course I missed you. I thought about you every day," he said. Kagome felt her eyes tear up. Her mouth quirked, her chin trembled.

"Did you really?" she choked. Her hand touched her throat as it tightened. Inuyasha scooted closer to her.

"Yes. Shit, Kagome…you were—you are—we were really close, how can you think that I was completely apathetic about it?" he asked incredulously. Kagome looked at him.

"Yes," Kagome whispered. "You didn't talk to me, look at me…what was I supposed to do?"

"Kagome…I…was stupid. I didn't know how to respond. I'm sorry if I reacted like a complete jerk. I didn't mean to be," he said, looking at her intently. Kagome closed her eyes, willing herself not to breakdown and make a mess of this.

Kagome rubbed at her face and looked up. In the firelight, Inuyasha's eyes practically burned into hers. There he was, her best friend.

"I've missed you so much, Inuyasha. These past years…all I could do was regret what I said. I feel terrible for ruining everything. I probably scared you away," Kagome admitted with a nervous laugh. Inuyasha parted his mouth and frowned sadly.

"You didn't do anything wrong," he said. "Nothing at all. You were honest with me and I had no idea how to respond to that."

Kagome smiled sadly. She wondered if he thought her attitude towards him had changed back to platonic. She suspected so.

"You've really changed, Inuyasha. You've really…grown up," she said. Inuyasha chuckled.

"I have, haven't I? I'm glad you noticed," he said, slightly amused. They fell silent. Kagome sighed and looked at the gift Sesshoumaru had given her. Inuyasha followed her gaze. Okay, she had to push the topic. She had to ask him if he felt…if he, at all, felt…

"Who's that from?" Inuyasha asked.

"I just got it today," she said instead. She took the bag into her lap and took out the binder slowly. She watched as Inuyasha's expression slowly morphed into that of recognition. He reached for the binder, his fingers touching it but not taking it.

"Where did you get this?" he asked. "I thought I lost it a long time ago."

"Sesshoumaru…he thought…it would help me with something," Kagome replied. She felt her heart throb in her chest. "I came here to tell you that…what I said in high school…" she breathed in deeply. The words felt like heavy stones. Inuyasha looked at her, confused. She wished he could just get it. But after knowing him for so long, she knew he never understood subtlety.

"What?" he asked patiently. Kagome felt her stomach clench at the sound of his voice.

"I…I was looking through this and…I…you remember what I told you in New York? When I was…drunk?" she asked. Inuyasha looked away. "When I said that I—liked you?"

"Yes…" he said slowly, still not looking at her. Kagome felt pained that he wouldn't look. But she trudged ahead, knowing full well that something terrible was going to happen. She felt the world crumble apart around her, but it too late now. Her voice cracked, her throat throbbed.

"I meant what I said. Everything, I really meant it. I couldn't stand seeing you with Kikyo. I couldn't stand simply being your friend, someone you only though about after your girlfriends, someone you just thought of in a sisterly way," Kagome blurted. Please, she moaned internally, just look at me.

"The past few years…I have been trying to get over you, to go back to not seeing you as more than a friend. It's been really hard, you know. I thought about you all the time," Kagome admitted. Now she was laying herself bare to him. "And coming back this winter, seeing you after so long…I forgot about how much I still—I still love you," she finally choked out, tears forming in her eyes. He was staring at his hands, frozen. The glint of his yellow eyes was hidden under dark lashes. Her heart shattered with every second he remained mute. Had she been mistaken again? What had she done? It was senior year all over again. A catastrophe.

"Look…I…" Kagome began, hanging her head low. She hesitated.

The silence was pierced by the shrill cry of a telephone.

"Phone," Inuyasha muttered, standing up. Kagome nodded listlessly as he left the den.

She had to leave. Now, before he got back and they would have to sit awkwardly while he tried to find a way to let her down. She quickly jammed on her boot, wincing in pain as the roughness chafed against the sensitive ankle. Her eyes blurred even more with heavy tears in response, but she continued to hurry. She picked up her purse and jacket, not bothering to put it on. She looked at the binder. She would leave it there; it was his anyway. She began limping quickly to the front door. Her face was heating up from the pain of her foot, but she didn't care. She didn't care!

And with that she was outside, getting bombarded with a heavy onslaught of wind and snow. Gripping the railing tightly, she stepped down, concentrating all the way until she reached the walkway. She forced herself to walk properly, to not waste time. She had to leave. She would leave all this behind. This time she would be sure to forget about him. The tears froze as they slid down her face. She turned the corner and was free, walking away from all this. The apathy would come later, after time—she knew this much because now she knew for sure.

The wind was harsh and dry, the snow stinging. But she could not feel it, she could not care more.

"Kagome!"

It was her imagination.

"Damn it all. Shit. Kagome!"

No. It wasn't. But she continued walking because it would hurt too much to stop.

He caught up to her in no time, his body in front of hers. She looked him square in the eye.

"It's okay. You don't have to be polite. Let's just forget about this. I won't bother you again," Kagome muttered. She made a move to pass him, but he blocked her. "Please," she pleaded, "I know what you want. You don't have to do this. Don't drag this out."

"Those lyrics…are about you," he said quietly. Kagome froze.

"What?"

"Those lyrics…the ones we never performed. They have always been about you," he said.

"No…" Kagome murmured.

"Yes. Kagome…"

"Please. Please don't do this. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she cried, trying to get past him again. He grabbed her by the shoulders.

"I'm not lying. Fuck it, I should be the one saying sorry. I'm a piece of shit," he said gruffly. Kagome looked at him, searching his face.

"Then what? What?" she asked. "Why didn't you ever tell me? You never told me! You left me, you ignored me, you…" she swallowed when she saw the expression on his face. He looked ashamed and outright distraught. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Kagome I…at first I didn't know myself. How could I ever tell you? And that time in New York...my relationship with Kikyo was messed up. I—didn't know what to say, how to respond. I don't know…all throughout high school, my track record had been spotty at best with relationships. Hell, my warped thing with Kikyo was an all-time record! I didn't want you to turn out to be like those…I didn't want it to be just high school love. Something immature and short. I didn't want to fuck it up with you. You tell me…how many girlfriends have I had?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome looked away. She knew he asked that question rhetorically, not expecting her to know. She answered anyway.

"Twenty. Nineteen if you don't count the one from sophomore year spring break," she whispered, her face flushing.

"Oh, Kagome," Inuyasha sighed. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Kagome looked at him, stricken. He stared back at her intensely. He looked awkward, a teenage hanyou all over again, his arms skewed and his chin twitching. She burst out crying, her shoulders heaving. Something broke and released inside of her, a tension. She was shivering now, suddenly feeling the cold through her sweater. The sobs and the frigid cold caused her body to shake in desperate heaves.

She felt arms encircle and pull her close into a strong, warm chest. She clutched at his shirt, his shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he breathed into her hair, his voice trembling. "Please forgive me."

Kagome nodded against him, but cried even harder. She tried to stop by sniffling and breathed in deeply.

"It's okay, you know," Inuyasha said softly. Kagome sniffled.

"What is?"

"To cry."

She felt the tears ebb as he said this. It calmed her and she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"Come on," he smiled slowly, "let's go back inside."

O O O

They were sitting in his room. It was just as she remembered: cluttered and completely drenched in Inuyasha's personality. She touched the poster of Pink Floyd on his door. She had given that to him for his fifteenth birthday.

Inuyasha opened the binder on his lap as Kagome sat down beside him on his bed. They stared at the first page, unsure of what to say.

"Sesshoumaru is weird," Inuyasha finally said. "I really didn't think he cared. But…I guess you had an effect on him. I guess I'm not really surprised that you did."

He breathed in deeply and Kagome clutched at the side of his bed. He was just an inch away and now it was…finally….

"We never performed these for a reason. I knew you would know immediately something was up…I'm kind of, eh…obvious in some of these I guess," he laughed nervously.

"You still could have told me," Kagome said. "Even if you had trouble with all those girls…I was your best friend. You know I would never…"

"I know, I know. It's just…there were a lot of reasons okay? I had trouble with those girls, I could never find the right time, I didn't want to mess shit up, and I always thought…knew…that you liked Sesshoumaru for a long time. I just felt stupid next to you. I didn't feel good enough for you, and you…I don't know. You're perfect."

Kagome slid closer to him, closing the gap. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Finally. She was here.

"Don't say that," she said. She was surprised at all this. "You know I'm far from that."

He looked down. He could smell her hair; he could feel how soft it was. He suddenly knew that whatever they did now, tomorrow, years down the road…it would all work out. He relaxed and touched her shoulder, her arm. There was no hurry to explain the details.

"Let's just forget about it, then," Kagome murmured. She felt his fingers interlace with hers. His hand was warm and dry and nice. "You know, I started feeling weird about you way before senior year. That was the time I kept getting angry with you because I didn't know how to react. It was really freaky, but then Sango pointed it out one day, and after that, I kind of realized. It's really weird…to feel like that," she admitted. Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

They sat silently, perfectly aware that they would have all the time in the future to talk and sort things out. Kagome felt the oddest sense of calmness; she had never realized that the tension she continually felt and eventually ignored came from the unresolved, supposedly unrequited love she felt for her best friend. The feeling was so strange that she couldn't even fathom referring to Inuyasha as a boyfriend—even telling him that she loved him was peculiar—despite wanting this for so long.

When Kagome looked at Inuyasha, she could see it plainly in his expression—calm, happy, and content.

They were here, here at last. Through playgrounds and tears and smiles and girlfriends and boyfriends and concerts and everything else. They were here.

O O O

Epilogue:

"She's going to be my baby-maker."

That was Miroku.

Sango smacked him and everyone laughed.

"If that's the case, you'd better live up to your reputation," she grinned mischievously. Miroku blushed unexpectedly.

"Really?" he asked. "What reputation?"

"Don't play dumb."

The wedding had gone wonderfully. Kagome had to admit that Sango really knew how to pull things together, even though she had had quite a while to plan. The reception, which was being held at the beach, was also going smoothly. Under the night sky, with the crashing waves nearby, Kagome was sure this was as romantic as it got.

"Sango!" Inuyasha called out. He held two drinks in hand as he strolled toward them. His hair was slightly mussed, his shirttails hung out casually, and his tie was loosened. Kagome thought he looked very sexy. Inuyasha caught her stare and winked, causing her to redden. He handed her some punch. "Don't go pushing Miroku. He has a delicate nature."

Everyone laughed. Kagome looked at the just married couple. They looked absolute happy and in bliss, glowing in the dimmed light. It was beautiful.

The YMCA song was playing, and all the parents and older people were dancing drunkenly in the middle of the dance floor.

"Sango, did you always know you were going to marry Miroku?" Kagome asked quietly, leaning into her friend's ear.

"Mmm, I think I always knew I would end up with him. Even when he was more lecherous and perverted than he is now," she whispered in reply. They looked back at Miroku and laughed. He was flicking paper footballs at Inuyasha, who was catching them with ease.

Kagome watched distractedly, thinking back to a time when they were younger. She smiled. It still felt strange, seeing her best friend as her boyfriend at the same time. Still, it felt so right.

A warm hand fell on her shoulder. Kagome turned around to find Sesshoumaru standing above her.

"Sesh!" she grinned, standing up. He hadn't been at the actual wedding, but she had personally delivered a wedding invitation to him, hoping he would come.

"Sorry, my plane came late," he said. Kagome hugged him.

"No worries. I'm just so happy you came."

"Congratulations Sango, Miroku," he said, shaking Miroku's hand and kissing Sango lightly on the cheek. The song changed to that of a slower one, and the atmosphere cooled down a bit. Kagome looked for Inuyasha, wanting him to dance with her. He had avoided that for the whole night, and now the party was winding down. She looked through the crowd of people scattered around her, straining her eyes to spot his silver head. How had he disappeared that fast?

"I don't know why he keeps running off…actually I do. He can be so…"

"Predictable?" Sesshoumaru finished with a quirk of his eyebrow. Kagome nodded and shrugged. "Well, then, if he won't, I will. Shall we dance?"

"I'd love to," Kagome grinned. She took his arm and he led her to the dance floor. The song was one of her favorites, the love song from the old movie Ghost.

Sesshoumaru, conditioned from an early age to entertain the elite, was a superb dancer. Kagome felt his arm on her waist, holding her close. He smelled wonderful, he knew his steps. But Kagome's eyes kept searching for Inuyasha. It was strange, but she had never really danced with him before.

"Dancing is not something he does in public…or in private for that matter," Sesshoumaru remarked.

"I know. I just…want to…I don't know," Kagome sighed as he spun her around.

Her mind had wandered elsewhere until she realized that they had stopped.

"Can I, uh, cut in?"

Kagome looked over her Sesshoumaru's shoulder to find Inuyasha standing there, his face red.

"Of course little brother," Sesshoumaru smirked. He scuffed Inuyasha on the head. Kagome hid a smile. She was happy that their relationship had improved over the past couple of months.

Inuyasha took her hand.

"Where were you?" she asked. "You keep disappearing whenever a slow song comes on. I think you just came back because of Sesshoumaru…am I right?"

"No! Why would I be jealous of that snob?"

"You didn't think he would whisk me away and ravish me?" she asked. Kagome pushed him, knowing full well how far he would go. Inuyasha turned red

"I'm…not really good at dancing," Inuyasha muttered. Kagome shook her head.

"You're doing fine. You're actually pretty good," she smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Don't be so modest about it."

Inuyasha led her across the floor, and Kagome felt perfectly at ease, the way they blended together comfortably.

"Kagome, I…you know I, uh, care about you, right?" he asked suddenly. Kagome looked up at him, surprised that he wanted to make sure. She was about to ask him something, but was afraid he wasn't ready to answer.

"Of course," she assured him with a smile. He sighed as they moved slowly across the dance floor, unaware of everything around them. The song ended finally, and they made their way back to the table where Miroku and Sango were sitting. Sesshoumaru was nowhere to be found; he had apparently left as Inuyasha and Kagome continued to dance.

"You know, we've never seen the two of you kiss," Miroku said, his voice lilting with the effects of alcohol. Sango nodded in agreement.

"Are you two going to be next?" she asked, wiggling her wedding ring in front of them. Both Kagome and Inuyasha turned red. "Come on Inuyasha, show her how much you love her!"

"Uh…" Kagome bit her lip. She didn't want to go through this. Although she and Inuyasha had never talked about it, Kagome had always assumed that they would stay together. But what if he didn't feel that way? Did he ever think about their future? Maybe he wasn't comfortable enough because he didn't feel as strongly about her as she did about him…maybe that's why he hadn't told her he loved her yet.

"Come on lovers," Miroku winked. He grabbed Sango and kissed her on the lips. "Hehe. Just follow our example."

"We don't do that in public," Kagome quickly said with a frantic wave of her hand. She felt awkward. Inuyasha's hand brushed hers, and she felt strange all of a sudden. It was a weird sense of déjà vu.

"Kagome and I—"

"I gotta go," Kagome sputtered, interrupting Inuyasha. She turned and ran.

And ended up behind the catering van. The waiters were rushing to and fro with food. She felt safe amidst the chaos. Why did she feel this way? Why was this so familiar?

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, his voice floating up from behind her. She turned to find him beside her.

"Sorry. I…don't feel so good," she smiled weakly.

"Really? Is it food poisoning? Should I take you home?"

"No! No. I'm just feeling a bit weird. I don't know what it is."

Inuyasha stared at her intently, but Kagome avoided the gaze.

"Come here," he said, holding out his hand. Kagome shook her head.

"I'm fine!"

He took her hand that was resting against her side and pulled her close. He pressed a warm hand against her forehead and frowned.

"What is it?" Kagome asked uneasily. Inuyasha shook his head.

"You feel fine to me," he said. He then drew he close and inhaled deeply the flowery scent of her body. "You smell fine, too."

Kagome wanted to cry as he lowered his head. With his hands gripping her shoulders, he pressed his ear to her heart.

"Hmm…you sound fine," he said with a smile. He stood up and tilted her chin up. "Maybe I should taste you, just to make sure."

Kagome closed her eyes and felt his lips touch hers lightly. His tongue flicked over her lips. A choked sound escaped her throat as he drew back.

"I was gonna kiss you back there," he said slowly. "You didn't have to leave."

"I just…didn't want you to have to if you don't really…love me," she said in a small voice. Inuyasha looked pained.

"Have I been an idiot again?" he asked her.

"What?"

"You should have told me."

"What are you saying?"

"Kagome, I love you. Shit. Shit—I mean, ugh. Sorry. Listen. I'm stupid. I've never said that to anyone before. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to say it. I just kinda thought you knew."

Staring at him, Kagome knew how hard it was to say what he had just said. She felt the last vestige of her insecurities strip away.

"Thank you," she smiled softly. Inuyasha looked instantly relieved.

"Good," he murmured. "Now let's get back to the party."

O O O

The End!

Thanks to all you guys who have stuck with this story! I really appreciate all the comments you leave—they've really encouraged me to keep going. I hope you liked how the story ended!