Author's Note: Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy this fanfic, please let me know what you think, thanks! And no, of course I don't own Inuyasha. Enjoy!

Side note: "Normal parenthesis" means that someone is talking; parentheses italicized means that it's a message/email and parentheses italicized and underlined is Kagome's thoughts during that moment or her reflecting back on that scene. As always, enjoy!

Part 15: The End of Summer

What I had always loved about Inuyasha was his downright honesty. When something happened in real life, involving other girls, he would tell me about it. In fact, he seemed to never have any troubles when it came to that area. Among his past girlfriends, one came back, wanting to rekindle their relationship. Her name was Kikyo.

Whatever new thing Kikyo wanted to do, Inuyasha would text me and tell me. When he first started getting new messages and calls from her, he told me about them. When she moved back and knocked on his door, he told me about that too. No matter what went on between the two of them, I felt powerless. Here was another girl that could come to him in real life. Compared to the one from prom, they actually had a past. A past that came before me. A past I couldn't change.

And as he pushed her away, another one in the form of a non-blood related family member came along. Visiting him and his family, they played a game of hide and seek. He would later message me about how they both chose the same hiding space and while there, she would kiss the unsuspecting him and confess to him.

The me of back then felt helpless to protect him. So then why does he love me so? Sighing, I would turn my phone off, laying in bed to think things over. These things that were happening in real life, were out of my control. I wasn't bothered with the girls, my jealousy, I could push aside. I was concerned for him. He obviously needed someone who could protect him. Someone who could urge him to stop thinking negative things and improve his unstable state. If that someone isn't me.. Will I be able to accept it?

Nearing the end of that summer, I needed to get out of the house so I applied to be a camp counselor. While there, the unlucky me would meet Bankotsu, an experienced, arrogant camp counselor, out to get the newbies. When he piled more and more of his work onto me daily, I didn't mind. At least by doing more things, I could temporarily not think about my love issues. In the end, I overworked myself. Inuyasha's text read "Do you want me to speak to him?" which frustrated me because I knew I could handle my own problems. It was also there, without my family around, that I finally allowed Inuyasha to call me. It was our first phone call, in which my heart would beat so loudly that night, that I thought my roommates would hear. Leaving the room, I picked up the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

His voice was calm, somewhat deeper than I had imagined.

"um, hey!" Wow I'm stupid! I just said Hello and all. Placing my other hand on my chest, I heard his chuckle on the other end.

"What're you doing?"

"Just stepped outside to talk to you."

"Your voice is different than I pictured."

How did he picture my voice? Did I sound weird?

"Oh? And how did you picture it?"

"As a calm voice, but upbeat and happy."

"And how does it sound?"

"You have a child's voice, somewhat high pitched. You nervous?"

"Ah.. You were able to tell that out, huh?"

"Yes" Another chuckle.

"Well, your voice is deeper than I imagined it to be too, so I guess we're even." Smiling, I was surprised at how he was making the nervous me able to calm down so quickly. Without even using the words "calm down", he was initiating the conversation perfectly.

"Is it?" A laugh. "Tell me more about you. I want to hear more."

"Well, what do you want to know?" Leaning against a tree, I held my phone to my ear, steadier now that I had calmed down.

"What types of food do you like?"

"Asian types of foods!" Smacking myself internally I thought: Wow you idiot! You can't even pick one!

"In particular though?"

Having shrimp come to mind, I blurted out "Seafood." And again smacked myself internally. I need to stop talking.

He laughed on the other end. And our conversation went on successfully. It was my one sunshine moment in the dark cloud that was Bankotsu.

When my time at the summer camp was over, so was my summer. I returned back to Skidmore College after celebrating my birthday with my family, Eri, Yuka and Ayumi.

My senior year was, as I remember it, my busiest year. I spent most of my mornings and evenings studying or working as an intern for the financial aid office. My nights were again spent with Inuyasha, just talking about how busy life had gotten for both of us. Now that he had graduated from high school, he was mostly working a night schedule and usually slept in the mornings.

We had an argument, in which Inuyasha was back to being curious about the real me.

"Why? Why can't I see even a picture of you?"

Not knowing how to answer, I typed back: "..." I was having those same old fears again.. What if he sees what I really look like and decides that he doesn't really like me after all? Although they were groundless fears, I still wasn't sure whether or not I should go through with it.

"You know what? It's fine."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I'm tired of reaching for the top shelf. I exhaust all my emotions and you run away, not facing it."

By "it", I knew he meant reality. But.. If I really did reveal myself, then I could really no longer hide from him. If he knew my real self, then I could never run.

"...I'm sorry." I knew he didn't want to hear it.. How much longer am I going to be selfish for? How much longer am I going to hide from the man I love? I was scared. I was nervous. I was this way because I had never had a relationship before. He had told me that when he does come to find me, that he'd take my first kiss.. Absentmindedly touching my lips, I wondered how that'd feel. He's right.. I am scared to face reality.. What if.. What if I can't cure him of his depression? What if he decides after seeing me that I'm not the one?

"I just want us to be able to meet some day.. I know I said I'd take it slow, but you just don't seem to have any interest in us meeting. Our physical selves meeting."

Walking over to my computer, I sent Sango an email, asking for advice.

"I think you should be truthful. Whatever happens, don't catfish him.. You are such an amazing person, that if he doesn't accept you, you still have us. No one is abandoning you. Don't be scared Priestess, he may also be feeling that way, you know? Perhaps he's nervous too at seeing you for the first time. Don't be scared of the things that haven't happened and accidentally miss the opportunity girl! Be strong and trust in your relationship!" Sango replied back.

Going back to my phone, I typed: "You're sure you want to meet?"

"Yes."

"Do you have a Facebook?"

And so we finally met on Facebook. When he sent his friend request over, I nearly fell out of my chair from my nerves. Then, regaining my composure, I accepted it and we were able to finally see what each other looked like. He looked so handsome, especially when he smiled, nothing like what I had imagined him to look like.

And his next replies were so normal, as if nothing had happened, that I had to ask.

"So, nothing changes between us?"

"Why? We're still us, babe."

And smiling, all my fears and assumptions seemed to melt out of my body as soon as he had said that. It felt very much like the time when I exposed Priestess. And my love for him grew.

It was in my senior year that I was blessed to meet the freshman called Ayame, whom I would later on, trust fully with my story.

It was also in my senior year that I began noticing Inuyasha's many, as Ayame would call it, "endless loops". Nearing my second semester as a senior, he began coming and going as he pleased. Sometimes, he would be on the other end, answering my texts, and other times he would answer them two or more days late. It bothered me. Not the fact that he wasn't responding in a timely fashion. Rather, it bothered me that I had no way of knowing what he was doing or thinking at those times. I worried that he was having those suicidal thoughts or stuck alone with his depression. If I had to choose between the two, I hoped it was the latter; as it started scaring me when the number of times he was hurting himself increased.

When we had an argument over this, this endless loop, we stopped talking to each other for about 2 days. On the third day, he suddenly announced, "I'm going on a cruise."

Surprised, I had dropped the fact that I was mad at him to ask, "Why?"

"Tickets I got from my birthday."

"Oh.." I didn't know how I should have reacted. Should I be happy for him? But a cruise...How long will he be gone again?

"How long?"

"4 days."

It seemed to always be 4 days. 4 seemed to be my unlucky number and I believed that.

"Oh.. I see."

"Yeah. We're leaving tomorrow. I wanted to let you know."

"I hope you have lots of fun." If it could help him forget his depression.. Even for just awhile.. Perhaps it's a good thing that he's going to enjoy himself..

"Thanks. I'll text you when I leave."

And that night, despite having class the next morning, I didn't sleep at all. When morning came, I was still glued to my phone, waiting for it to buzz. And when it finally did, I read his rely.

"Hey. Heading off now."

I wanted to be up to read and respond to him, in case he couldn't reach me on his cruise ship.

"Be safe! Have lots of fun! I'll be here when you get back."

And after classes, I walked back to my dorm. Hearing my phone buzz, I sat down on my bed, reading the latest text.

"Hey."

"Hey! I thought.. I thought you left?"

"I did. But before I got on the cruise, I bought a card for my phone. I can now use wifi to talk to you :)"

Unable to stop the smile that emerged from me, or the giddiness I felt, I replied back.

"Yay!"

"I missed you."

"*hugs you* I missed you too."

"*kisses your cheek*"

And it was like that, that I spent those 4 days with him on the cruise, very honored and happy to be by his side, our argument long forgotten.

Author's Note: Hey everyone, thank you very much for reading! As always, please leave your reviews on what you think about what you've read so far. Would you want to see more? Please favorite the story or feel free to hit the "follow" button for me, so you'll be notified first of any new chapters/stories. Thank you guys again!