Kagome and Sango stared at their answering machine on their kitchen counter.

"So," Sango said, gaining her sister's attention. Kagome looked up and Sango could see the... confusion in her wide brown eyes. "Are you going to call him back?"

Kagome returned her gaze to the answering machine.

Five minutes passed before she slowly reached for the phone and mechanically dialed his number from memory.

InuYasha paced back and forth across the tiled floor of his small apartment kitchen. His roommate, Miroku, watched him from his cross-legged position on the floor.

"I'm sure she'll call," he offered his friend. InuYasha gave him a sharp glare and Miroku's mouth snapped shut. InuYasha continued his pacing.

After another five minutes, and Miroku's patience reaching a breaking point, a ring broke through the silence. Both heads snapped towards the phone. InuYasha lunged after the sixth ring and answered breathlessly.

"Hello?"

It had been a year and a half since their last real conversation. Kagome had continued on with her college life, working her way through a four year degree in teaching. She'd decided she wanted to become a history teacher. She'd always been fascinated with feudal Japan. InuYasha continued to work in his Uncle's garage and began to put some money away. Once he had enough, he'd moved to the college city twelve hours away from that barren Summer town. He'd met Miroku and they'd agreed to become roommates. Then he called.

It was an awkward conversation.

But he still loved her.

She still loved him, too.

"So," she started to say, but then stopped. She wasn't sure what to really say to him. Had he moved on? But, he'd called her. Why would he call her if he'd moved on?

"So," was his response. Mentally, he was his own punching bag.

They sipped their coffee in silence.

Be brave, Kagome told herself. She inhaled deeply, and set down her coffee with force.

"Have you moved on?" she asked quickly and sharply. InuYasha jerked on his stool in surprise and felt a sense of deja vu as his head connected with the sharp edge of the table and he saw stars. Then it went dark.

"I can't believe this happened again."

"Hnnnh..."

"Yash, I know you can hear me."

"Hunnh..."

"And this time, I have hot coffee instead of water."

InuYasha cracked an eyelid and gave Kagome a devilish grin.

"Did I say something surprising again?" she teased, kneeling over him. He laughed.

"Yeah," he responded. She waited for more, but he remained silence.

"Want to tell me what it was?" she asked with an annoyed expression.

He'd missed that.

"How could you ever think I would move on from you?" he asked. Her eyes brightened considerably.

"You know, forever is plenty of time to be together," was her reply. His grin widened and he sat up on his elbows.

"Definitely plenty of time," he agreed readily.

"Definitely," she repeated and he pulled her in for their first of many kisses.