A/N: This was supposed to be the last chapter, but after talking to a friend about it, I added one final chapter, which you will get to read soon. The format of this chapter is a bit strange...

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or anything else mentioned in this story; duh. XD
Rated: Mature For crude language, sexual references, and mature situations.

CHAPTER 29

I was at Sango's house. Not just to be at her house and not because I was lonely but… well, I had run into Asuka and her sister at the mall and I was informed that the two had broken up. I felt kind of guilty… I figured it was my fault. Sango still had feelings for me, and maybe they had argued about it. Maybe Sango had gotten aggressive… it was only expected.

Plus, I was feeling a bit lonely. It was hard adjusting to not being with Koga, I wouldn't lie.

It was Kagura who answered the door and she looked a little upset herself.

"Oh, hi Kagome, "she greeted and I watched as she resisted the urge to slip the fan (that I knew was in her pocket) from her pocket. Perhaps Sesshoumaru was suggesting that her habit become something other than a habit.

"Hi Kagura," I replied with a smile. "Is Sango home?"

I asked that for the mere heck of it, because I saw her car in the driveway. I knew she was home.

"Um, yeah, but… ah, never mind. She's in her room."

She stepped aside and let me in, sniffling a bit as she shut the door. Was she going to tell me that Sango was in a bad mood because she broke up with her girlfriend? Was she going to suggest I come back another time? Did she think it was alright for me to see Sango now, because I'd rather her say it wasn't?

I bit my lip as I knocked on her door. I heard her allow me entrance, vocally, and I hesitated. She sounded a bit subdued.

As I pushed the door open, I found her lights to be dimmed. Was she resting? Perhaps relaxing, because I heard the faint undertones of music coming from her mp3 player dock. She sat up half way, with her weight on her arms.

"Hey Kagome," she said, and I noticed her voice sounded strange; huskier… perhaps thick with emotion.

"Hey… How are you?"

She looked at me, with eyes that were dry, but red. She looked bewildered, and suspicious of me.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Asuka told me what happened…"

"You talk to her?"

"I saw her at the mall."

I shifted my weight, feeling uncomfortable. That whole exchange had been very awkward. She was acting strange.

"Sango…" I began and she sighed, flipping onto her side. I couldn't see her face any longer.

"I'm sorry Kagome… I'm just not in the mood."

"I'm sorry about what happened. I guess your relationship was getting kind of serious…"

"Oh, it's not that," she huffed, annoyed. "I didn't like her like that, and when she broke up with me, I was intending to do the same."

Oh, really? So maybe her ego was a bit bruised. Still, Sango wouldn't act like this for nothing…

"If it's not that, what is it?" I said, confused.

"I'm just not feeling well…"

That was a lie—worst one I heard in a while.

"Bullshit," I said and she rolled over, obviously surprised that I had sworn.

"Wow… ok, since you want to be all fucking annoying about it. I want to be left alone because I'm feeling a bit down, considering I just visited my parents graves and all after a long fucking time, but hey, nothing any different than how I feel every day about them," she barked before rolling over again.

I suddenly felt bad. She sat up and rolled her eyes.

"Seriously Kagome; I'm a sob fest, but I do not wallow in my sorrow as long as the other pathetic shits do."

I smiled at her and she sighed.

"I feel like I'm going around in circles."

"Elaborate," I muttered, daring to take a seat on her bed next to her after kicking my shoes off.

"You play chess, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm not too sure on the mechanics," I blushed, feeling a bit inadequate. That was one game I never really tried to learn how to play.

"Cool, me neither," she laughed. "Uh, anyways. I feel like I'm just going in circles. I'm the last piece on the board for my player, and I can only go around in pointless circles to keep from being eliminated. Yet, this elimination is inevitable… Like I'm doomed to not only waste my time, but die in the process."

"Sango that's… very cryptic."

"I know, but I realize it's the truth."

"Are you saying life is a waste of time…? That it's not worth it?"

She bit her lip, thinking. Her hair fell into her face and she sighed.

"No," she said from behind the curtain silky brown tresses. "Absolutely not."

She looked at me, and I could tell she wanted to say more. Her green eyes were reserved, yet full—reflecting her heart and soul perfectly. My eyebrows furrowed and her eyes bored into mine. It was unsettling, to say the least.

"Say what you want to say, Sango," I urged. She blushed and looked away.

"Now that is not worth it. It's not important anyways," she mumbled.

I left it alone and she lay back down.

"Take a nap with me?" she requested and I blushed, but agreed.

She fell asleep quickly and I lay there just thinking. What she had said was very true, but her conclusion just didn't add up. 'Absolutely not'? I had to wonder about that, I couldn't just let it be. What was left for Sango? Hope?

Sighing, I rolled over to face Sango.

She was awake. Her eyes were very tired looking though; half open and unfocused.

"Kagome," she mumbled tiredly. "I still love you."

I blushed and bit my lip.

"I know," I replied, watching her shut her eyes with a sigh.

"I want you to know that I'm not trying to take advantage of you and your weak moment; just because Koga's out of the picture doesn't mean… it doesn't mean that I have the right to chase after you again. But it did give me hope, even if it's just the tiniest particle."

She struggled to open her eyes again and I touched her cheek.

"Go to sleep, Sango," I said, realizing that she probably hadn't slept well for a long while due to her distress.

"Will you be here when I wake up?" she asked, not seeming like Sango at all.

"Yeah."

I frowned as she allowed her eyes to shut once more. I didn't hate the Sango humbled by the remembrance of her adversity, but I didn't love that Sango either. I appreciated her—that much I knew. Still, I knew I would never get used to this side of her.

The days of summer blew by, and before I knew it, Sango was off to college. She had purchased a hell of a lot of photography equipment before she left. Well, actually, it was Kagura who had done so—as a "graduation gift" as Kagura put it. Sango, of course, argued with her continuously until the stuff came. She was too immersed in the fascination of new gadgets to even remember to argue with her guardian after that. It was adorable, her constant gushing over the lenses and cameras.

Koga had tried to fix things with me countless times, but I never budged, seeing no reason to give him the opportunity to hurt me again. I knew that he'd always have a place in my heart, no matter what. That's how first love was, right? We hung out a bit, over the summer, and each time, he'd apologize over and over to get me to date him again. And all I would ever say was, "No." He wasn't a bad guy—far from it. He was wonderful, but I had just lost all of my trust for him. A relationship is only doomed to fail without trust.

There were two weeks left until school started for me. I was at the airport with my family to wish Sango a good trip and to send her off. Her family was there, and so were a few choice friends. I was happy to see InuYasha, and he seemed happy to see me too. His girlfriend was there as well and she seemed to be very critical of me. I attempted to make friends with her, but she was a bit quiet. Sango seemed content and was having a seemingly intense conversation with her brother.

Suddenly, Kohaku threw his arms around her and buried his face into her chest. It was saddening, to say the least. Was he worried that perhaps Sango would never return? I was a bit worried about that as well, but she assured us that she would visit as much as she could. Still, I had to wonder how often the two had been apart… probably not very often, seeing as they seemed very close and were probably only that close because the loss of their parents.

Sango looked up and smiled at me briefly.

"Hi Kagome," a voice sounded behind me. I turned to see Asuka standing there with a hesitant smile on her lips. Her sister was not too far behind, seeming very uneasy in the setting. She kept glancing around and I wondered if she was merely doing that out of boredom, or out of suspicion.

"Hi Asuka," I replied with a smile. "Long time no see."

"Yeah," she said glancing past me at Sango.

"Have you two spoken since...?" I asked, curious.

"A little," she blushed. "Not much though."

"It's good that you're here," I said, remembering when I didn't show up to see Sango at the hospital. That had been one of the worst decisions of my life. I was lucky she was such a forgiving person.

Sango approached us as Kohaku took a short walk along the terminal entrance, no doubt to clear his mind and wipe his face.

"Hi Asuka," she said, gazing intently at the girl's face. "It's good to see you… sorry about everything that happened."

"No, no; we're both at fault for that," Asuka mumbled with a blush. "It's good to see you too," she finally finished.

Sango gathered the smaller girl in a hug, bent over awkwardly. It was all too cute. It was then I noticed the other twin's hovering and her watchful eye. In fact, it looked like she had taken a few steps closer as well… Gees, protective much?

Kagura advised that Sango make her way down to the gate and Sango nodded in agreement. Mr. Taishou was standing nearby, with Kohaku, doing what seemed like lecturing the boy. No doubt, his display of weakness looked like a compromise of masculinity in the science teacher's eyes and he had to correct that weakness he witnessed.

"Kagura, promise me you won't call more than four times a day," Sango groaned as Kagura gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"You have no control over how many times I call you per day, Sango. You like hearing from me anyways," Kagura winked and Sango rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, about that," Sango said, dismissively.

She received a hearty hug from InuYasha who attempted to touch her butt and they both began laughing, if not with slight sadness in their eyes.

"Take care, alright? I'll watch over him for you," he said giving her a hug once more.

I had a strange feeling he wasn't talking about Kohaku.

The young boy gave his sister a hug and then proceeded to tell her that he'd take very good care of Kilala and I had to laugh at his determination. Sango smiled fondly at the boy and tugged on his gray, collared shirt. The two had such different styles.

Finally, she turned to me, and I felt my cheeks light up. I gave her a quick hug, not wanting to say anything to embarrass myself.

"Promise you'll call when you have time to," I requested and she nodded.

She pulled me into a hug again and I felt her fear of relinquishing her hold on me.

In an instant, I felt a feeling of a story coming to a close all around me; one chapter of my life closing to only make room for another. Sango would be that much further from me, and the degrees of separation would extend. I wouldn't see her almost everyday now; I wouldn't see her for a long time. She'd perhaps make new friends, and I'd become less important to her. Maybe she'd fall in love with someone else—maybe she'd finally get over me.

Soon, we were kissing. I really couldn't tell anyone how it happened. We just were, and it was… nice.

And I realized, as her soft lips moved against mine, maybe things wouldn't be that way. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," they say. Perhaps what she felt for me would grow, and perhaps I'd make sense of all of these strange feelings I had suddenly realized I felt for her. I wasn't stupid, I knew that that "fonder heart" was merely caused by the mind making your memories better than they were; simply glorifying what you had because you no longer had it. Maybe, when I saw her again, she wouldn't be as beautiful as I'd remember her being, or as fun, or as caring… yet, I knew, what I had now, was something that I couldn't let pass me by. I could have her now, for that brief moment, before she was out of my life for a little while…

When I pulled back, I refused to open my eyes, for fear of two things. One, my inevitable tears, and two, the look on Sango's face. I eventually did open my eyes to find her beautiful green eyes gazing at me with unreadable emotions within them. There wasn't anticipation or fear… There was certainty and happiness, with a slight bit of sorrow.

I felt her hands move down to cup my cheeks, and I realized that I hadn't even notice she had slipped her fingers into my hair. My cheeks were on fire, and my eyes were blurring.

Why did she wait till now to do this; to make me feel this way? Was I even sure of what I was feeling? No, of course not.

She stepped backwards and smiled at me; that cute lopsided smile of hers that I adored. She was beautiful without her jewelry, without make up, without anything to hide behind.

"I'll call you as soon as I get there," she said before waving goodbye to me. My heart hurt suddenly as I watched her wave at me, with her dwarfed finger and cute smile. I finally came to a realization as she retreated towards her gate.

I wanted to be with Sango Taijiya, the tall, dark, and wondrously beautiful girl with the calculating green eyes that had sparked interest within me since the day I first saw her. The girl whose piercing emerald eyes could peek into my soul and heart and I knew that she knew, and had known for a long while, that I wanted to be with her.

CHAPTER 29 B

As I walked away from Kagome, my family, and friends, I was sure of only a couple of things. One thing was that I had finally successfully kissed the girl of my dreams, and I knew this because she hadn't looked disgusted when I pulled away and she had, in fact, kissed me back. I felt my legs grow weak at the thought—my fingertips were still tingling. Kagome was finally starting to accept me.

I could also tell, by the perplexed look in her ice blue eyes, that she perhaps thought I had some sort of foresight in the situation. I had no such knowledge of anything that was to come; I merely acted on a whim and swallowed my pride and fears and kissed her.

It was merely just me finally accepting my uncertainties and pummeling them into faith; I had faith in Kagome. There was no other way to describe it, so I knew I should at least try kissing her again. I was brave enough to kiss her in front of her mom and brother (and even her friends because Rin had showed up last second and InuYasha was there already). Yet, she took a risk and kissed me back. She risked her mother's disapproval and Rin's judgment. She risked her reputation. Certainly I knew, if she was going to reject me, it was more likely to be done in public; but I had faith.

See, there once was a preacher that said something that made me really think about things in my life. I met this preacher one day when Kagura forced me to go to church. He was quoting someone, I don't really remember who (and I doubt I even knew to begin with, because I wasn't really listening); but he said, "The opposite of faith isn't doubt. The opposite of faith is uncertainty." And I realized, I didn't doubt my chances with Kagome after our time together during summer. I was merely uncertain, but that small possibility of certainty was what drove me to pull her close and to kiss her. If I didn't make the first move, she wouldn't.

Maybe I knew that she wanted to be with me, just a tiny bit, if not at all.

Or hell, maybe I just got lucky for once.

I smirked, very satisfied with myself, as I thought of Kagome kissing me back with her perfect, soft lips. The only thing I was really certain of was that I was going to show her what being my girlfriend was really like once I came home for Thanksgiving break.

See what I mean by last-chapter-y? But I figured that didn't give anyone enough closure. So the next chapter come after many reviews from faithful readers!

-Enigmatic Ethereality