For you, Emily. I was happy to be able to catch you on Skype tonight. :)

Disclaimer: I suppose since these are required, I must say, "I do not own anything of this fic but the idea!"

lxx — goodbye III: winter sleep

Kagome wiped the sweat off her brows with her forearm, plopping back on the carpeted floor to rest. She had spent the last several hours unpacking and sorting out her new apartment, and doing so alone had been a more difficult task than she had anticipated. There were still enough boxes remaining to ensure that she wouldn't be going to sleep for another while. Her eyes flickered to a table clock set haphazardly on the ground, and she sighed when she realized how late it was.

Two in the morning. No wonder I'm getting cramps, Kagome thought as she rubbed her sore neck. For a brief moment she wondered what Genma was doing. He was more of the nocturnal type, and often when they had still been living together she would wake up in the middle of the night to catch him eating cereal or reading. Among other things, at which point Kagome realized she shouldn't be thinking of the man. It wasn't like she was still with him. She shook her head from side to side to repel the memories, and braced herself with renewed vigor as her fists rose. "Yosh! One more box, and I'll head to bed. Then the rest tomorrow morning. Let's do this, Higurashi."

She bounced up from her seat on the floor and stretched her body for a good measure. While lifting her arms toward the ceiling, however, Kagome was interrupted by a sharp knock at her door.

The raven-haired woman jumped with a little 'eep', surprised by the noise. "Now who the heck—"

"Kagome!"

Kagome froze on the spot, her wide eyes affixed to the door.

"Open this door, Kagome!" The banging grew louder.

Kagome took an instinctual step backward, the desire to flee evident in her. "G-Genma?" she whispered, her fist placing itself before her pounding heart.

"I already know," he spoke from outside, the volume of his voice escalating. "I know you're in there. Open the door!"

What's wrong with him? Kagome wondered with a frown as she straightened her form. Is he drunk?

"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR BEFORE I BREAK IT DOWN!"

With a terrified expression Kagome instantly scurried over to the door. She made to reach for its knob, but stopped when it was a millimeter within her grasp. Kagome's face hardened.

"Go home Genma," she said in a stern tone, withdrawing her hand to her side.

"Kagome, I want to talk. Let's talk."

"You're drunk. You wouldn't be acting like this if you weren't. Go home." Kagome bit on the bottom of her lip, tempted to give in and let the man inside. No, she reminded herself, it's over. We ended it. I ended it, so how can I ask back for it? I can't.

"Listen to me… listen to me, Kagome," he pleaded from the other side, his fingernails scraping at the barrier between them. They produced a dull noise against the refined wood material. "I just want to talk with you. Is it so difficult?"

Kagome blinked back the tears, and she snapped, "I don't even want to see you as you are right now! Aren't you ashamed? What will my new neighbors think of me?"

"… I don't want it to end like this."

As the tears trickled down her face Kagome said nothing. She continued to be unresponsive to Genma as she walked away, with heavy steps, to turn off all the lamps in the living room. Then it was there, in pitch black darkness, that she crumbled to the floor with her back against a wall. Her body drew itself in to a fetal position.

"Go home," Kagome murmured wearily, her forehead dipping to her knees as her arms hugged her legs to her. "Go home already, Genma."

It was quiet for the next several minutes, and the silence continued for up to half an hour. Although she hadn't heard a sound of him moving, Kagome hoped Genma was now gone.

"… Do you remember that coin, Kagome?"

He was still there.

"The one you tossed. You tossed it and I asked you out. Remember?"

Waiting outside her door.

"No matter how you did it, the result would always have been the same."

Why wouldn't he go, why wasn't he leaving her alone…?

"I rigged it." A deep, intoxicated chuckle came from him.

Kagome hugged herself tighter, willing her eyes to stay shut.

"Both sides of that coin were heads." He was beginning to sob now, his voice hoarse and thick. "…I made sure of it."

"Stop… please, stop," Kagome whispered, hot tears sliding past her cheeks.

She couldn't open that door. She had promised herself. This was the best, for them. For him.

"I love you, Kagome."

Can you hear me out there? Will you hold me now…?

—Olivia Lufkin

Author's Note: Not all love ends happily. Not all love is good, bad, self-sacrificing, selfish. Love is hardly ever linear.