A/N: Thank you, as always, to my amazing beta Evervescent for doing such an amazing job with editing. Check her out!
This story is dedicated to my number one cheerleader, Wenchster. Hope you enjoy, dear ^^
Full of Grace
It was an autumn wedding in the late afternoon. The reception hall faced the breathtaking sunset, bathing the garden in warm hues of red and gold. Jasmine scented candles hung from naked tree branches and the stone pathway was spread with white leaves, slightly moist so they wouldn't crack when stepped upon.
A glittering diamond and a gold band were wrapped around her ring finger. Her hazel eyes danced across it as she tried to catch her breath. It seemed as if the last few hours had been a dream, but there was the proof staring her in the face.
Kagome Higurashi was a married woman.
She sighed deeply, the exhilaration of the night causing her heart to pound faster in her chest. She was officially no longer a Higurashi. Her father's name no longer belonged to her and she was now bound to another man, a man whom she had come to deeply adore over the past few years.
"Kagome!"
Snapping out of her thoughts, she turned to glance over her shoulder, her raven tresses brushing against her skin. Her maid of honor exited the building with two glasses of wine in her hands and a wide grin on her lips.
"Hey, Sango," she greeted softly, taking one of the glasses gratefully.
"I've been looking for you," her best friend said. "What are you doing out here? Everyone is waiting!"
Kagome smiled softly. "Yeah, I know," she breathed, taking a large sip of her wine and turning her eyes to the sunset. "Just taking a moment to soak it all in, you know?"
She laughed. "To think Kagome Higurashi has finally settled down. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
"Come on, it's not that unbelievable," she replied, shooting her friend a playful glare. "I wasn't that boy crazy."
Sango gave her a knowing look. "You may not have been boy crazy, but they were sure crazy about you. I mean, how many boyfriends did you have senior year of high school alone?"
Kagome pursed her lips, attempting to calculate in her head. It was true that she had had her fair share of romantic interests, but she wasn't really into serious relationships until college. It was there she had met the love of her life and she had been smitten ever since.
"I'm sure the number of boyfriends I had looks pathetic next to Miroku's past lovers," she pointed out.
Sango crossed her arm over her chest as she downed her glass of wine. "That is all in his past," she grumbled, narrowing her eyes at the bride. "Miroku really has gotten control of his wandering hands."
As if on cue, a loud slap reverberated from inside the reception hall, followed by a few poor excuses from a voice all too familiar. The girls exchanged a look, before Sango exhaled deeply and pulled her lips into a tight line. "I suppose I shall go remind him of that."
Kagome chuckled as she watched her friend storm back inside, hell bent on castrating the poor guy she called a fiancé. Her best friend was a spit-fire, for sure, and probably the only woman who could keep Miroku somewhat in line.
Finishing off her glass, Kagome placed it down on one of the tables and steeled her resolve. "Well, I guess it's time to face the music," she mumbled before gracefully marching inside.
Okay, Kagome, just breathe.
She was nervous, almost like the first time she went on a date with her new husband. Her stomach shifted uneasily and she noticed that the hands she hugged herself with were pinching into her skin. Just stepping into the reception hall made her breathing rapid and shallow and she could feel her pulse pounding in her temples. Her legs shook and, between that and the heels, she was afraid she would trip.
As if on cue, an arm looped through hers and steadied her. She glanced up, drinking in the blue eyes of the man she married, and smiled brightly. "There you are," he spoke, his voice low and husky. "I was wondering where you had wandered off to."
Kagome leaned into his shoulder, feeling her nerves calm with his presence. "Did you think I would run away?" she teased.
He grinned. "Too late for that, darling. You're stuck with me."
She laughed as they emerged into the dance hall and into the crowd of their closest friends and family. The room buzzed with excited chatter and children ran between the tables in a good natured game of tag. When the bride and groom entered, applause spread across the hall. There was the scraping of chairs as people got up for a standing ovation and the happy couple made their way to the head table, smiling and arms linked.
Kagome sat down in front of a bouquet of white lilies and her husband leaned in. "I love you," he mumbled against her lips as he kissed her. She kissed back, but there were no fireworks or a surge of passionate heat. To her, the kiss was like two strangers meeting: very formal and mechanical.
"I love you, too," she whispered as they pulled away.
There were cheers and someone whooped. After a few moments, the best man rose from his chair and everyone else sat down. The sound of his spoon rapping on the side of his wineglass signaled everyone to silence, except the children who were shushed by their parents.
"Well, here we are," Hakkaku, one of her husband's best friends, said with a silly grin. "To think that Kouga was actually able to snag a girl."
There were polite chuckles throughout the crowd. Kagome smiled as Kouga grasped her hand in his, and placed a gentle kiss upon her knuckles. She blushed prettily as she turned her gaze back to Hakkaku. He droned on about the friendship he shared with the groom, keeping the mood light and cheerful. However, his words fell on deaf ears as Kagome's eyes glanced over the full reception hall.
She could see her mother, brother, and grandfather near one of the closer tables. Some friends from high school were a few rows back and a couple of extended family members filled the chairs close to the entrance. They had all come out to see her on her special day, on the happiest day of her life.
Kagome's smile turned sad. Yes, it was one of the happiest days of her life, but she couldn't help allowing her thoughts to turn to her past. Kouga was amazing and all. He treated her like gold and was always there when she needed him. However, she couldn't help but feel that there was no passion in their relationship. As far as she was concerned, there were no sparks between them or fires igniting. It was more like an arranged marriage than anything.
She mentally shook her head, wrapping her fingers tighter around Kouga's. She knew she wanted love, but she also wanted to stand on her own two feet. She wanted a relationship where they were a "we" and two separate "I's." Like sitting on a teeter totter. When she first got on, it was a little scary, but she found she had to trust that Kouga wouldn't let her crash to the ground – that he wouldn't jump off as soon as the going got tough.
And he never did. No matter how many obstacles they faced, they always faced them together. He was dependable. Together, they were balanced and counted on and supported each other. Sometimes, everything was just even – balanced. They were both in the flow. When one of their lives was real high, the other held them there, letting them ride the wave, appreciating them in all their glory – loving them unconditionally. And sometimes, together they just enjoyed the ride. The joy of just balancing life together. They never even argued.
However, as strange as it was to admit, sometimes Kagome wanted to fight. She wanted to go head-to-head with him, feel that fiery passion, the heat exchanged between them. He never allowed that though. He never argued back or expressed his feelings. In his eyes, she was always right and her word was law. So when she wanted something, he gave it to her, no questions asked.
It was almost annoying, to be honest.
"Cheers to the happy couple!" Sango said now, raising her glass in a toast and drawing Kagome from her thoughts. Hakkaku and Sango had both finished up their speeches and now the audience was applauding. "May there be many happy years ahead!"
Kagome smiled as Kouga drew her in for a kiss, and the claps of her family and friends rang in her ears. It was her special day. She should be floating on air as her new husband whispered seductively in her ear. This was everything she ever wanted, right?
With the speeches done, the dancing commenced. Kouga took her hand and led her to the dance floor as they began their first waltz as husband and wife. His hand fitted gently against the small of her back, pulling her against him. She laid one hand on his shoulder, the other in his palm, and together they swept across the dance floor.
Kagome glanced up at him hesitantly, almost shy, as his deep blue eyes ghosted over her face. The sure reality of the day came warming over her like a thick blanket. She was married. She was currently dancing with her husband, the man she would spend the rest of her life with.
Was she happy? Of course. She was one of the happiest girls in the world, there was no doubt about that. But there were other dark thoughts lingering in the back of her mind, things she refused to pull forward and admit to.
"You are breathtaking," he whispered, his hot breath brushing against her skin and sending a shiver down her spine.
She hummed seductively. "And you are devilishly handsome," she purred. "I don't know how I'll make it to tonight."
He grinned and let go of her hand, spinning her gracefully outward before twirling her back into his arms. She pressed her back to him as they swayed. "I can always cut the party short," he murmured in her ear.
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Now, now," she replied as he spun her around to face him. He pulled her close and stepped lightly across the dance floor. "What kind of hosts would we be if we did that?"
"Very happy ones," he assured. "I'm sure they'll all understand."
She laughed as they continued to waltz across the dance floor until their song ended. A round of applause erupted from the surrounding crowd, causing a blush to dust her cheeks. "I'll see you soon," he mumbled, taking her hand and pressing his lips against her knuckles.
Kagome bowed her head slightly before she turned around and was met with her grandfather. "Your father would have loved to have been here," the elder man said as he took her hands. "But since he cannot, allow me to take his place."
Smiling and with tears in her eyes, Kagome allowed him to lead her across the floor.
An hour later, the reception was in full swing. Chatter and laughter filled the air as the guests joked with one another. Kagome gracefully swept the perimeters of the expanse in her dazzling white gown, graciously accepting congratulations on her marriage, offering polite conversation to her betters, and laughing away with friends. The adoring eyes of the man she loved never left her face, which flushed with good humor and liveliness. His attentive gaze followed her every footstep, the ever-changing shape of her plump, lustrous lips, and every single movement of her limbs.
All he could think to himself was that he would never meet or even see anyone so beautiful. Not just traditionally beautiful, but beautiful through her heart and through her soul. She glowed brighter than any star in the sky, than any woman in the world.
Soft music began to play over the speakers as a slow song came on and the lights dimmed. Kagome's eyes searched the dance floor for Kouga, expecting him to come sweep her off her feet at any moment.
"May I have this dance?"
Beaming, she twirled around to face her husband, but instead found herself face-to-face with someone else who caused her heart rate to increase ten-fold. Amber eyes stared back at her with a hesitant smile, and a hand reached out for her to take.
"Inu-Inuyasha?" she breathed, surprise evident in her voice. "What are you doing here?"
He grinned. "Just here to congratulate a friend on her wedding day." Before she could protest, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out to the center of the ballroom. His palm was warm against the small of her back as he led her across the floor. Her words were lost to her.
It had been a long time since she had last seen Inuyasha. The last time they had spoken, their conversation had been angry and full of tearful spite. She didn't even know he knew about her wedding, let alone had the audacity to show his face. After all, they had ended things on bad terms. That's usually what happens when you have your heart broken.
"Why are you here?" she whispered with pinched brows.
"I already told you," he replied gruffly, spinning them across the floor. "I wanted to say congratulations."
She rolled her eyes. "I believe the last time we spoke you said you never wanted to see my face again."
He shrugged. "I changed my mind."
"Are you joking?" she huffed, narrowing her eyes. "You want me to believe that after you broke my heart, after all the hateful words, and years of not speaking to one another, you simply wanted to congratulate me?" He stayed silent. "Oh, well that's just great," she grumbled.
He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She glanced away. "You know, most people simply send an email, or a phone call perhaps. It's not normal for ex-boyfriend's to show up at your wedding."
"Well, I guess I'm not normal then," he replied smugly.
"That's an understatement."
He sighed and pulled her closer, leaning a cheek against her head and pressing his lips close to her ear. "I never meant to hurt you," he whispered.
Kagome's mouth hung with lips slightly parted and her eyes were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise. Her feet fumbled from the shock, but with ease he managed to correlate her slip into the dance, making it appear fluid and uninterrupted.
"W-what?" she gasped, her voice dry and her heart hammering against her chest.
"I'm sorry," he breathed into her hair. "For everything."
She blinked once, then again, unsure if she was hearing him correctly. Did he just apologize to her? The Inuyasha she knew never apologized. He would make up excuses and try to dissuade her attention to something else, but never in all of her years of knowing him did she hear those words come out of his mouth.
Poets often describe love as an emotion that can't be controlled, one that overwhelms logic and common sense. That's what it was like for her. She had never planned on falling in love with Inuyasha when they had met at that college party, and she doubted that he ever intended on falling in love with her. But once they met, it was clear that neither of them could control what was happening.
They fell in love with each other, despite their differences, and once they did, something rare and beautiful was created. For Kagome, love like that only happened once, and that's why every minute they spent together had been seared into her memory. Even years later, she never forgot a single moment of it.
She shook her head slowly, with disbelief. How dare he do this to her! On the night of her wedding, he waltzes back into her life – literally – and apologizes for all the wrong doing he's ever done to her? Hot tears sprang into her eyes. She was absolutely furious with him.
"You can't do this," she mumbled, attempting to keep her expression cool and collected. There was no need to go attracting unwanted attention. "You can't just show up and do this to me."
"Why not?"
"Because," she hissed. "I have obviously moved on with my life."
He grinned. "Are you admitting you still have feelings for me?"
She felt heat creep up her neck and flush her cheeks. "You know I do," she conceded guiltily. "We were so in love. How could I not?"
Inuyasha twirled her across the floor before drawing her back into his arms. "I still love you," he whispered quietly, his eyes never leaving her face. "I wish I could take it all back."
Shaking her head with frustration, she wrapped her hand tighter around the jacket of his suit. "That's not fair, and you know it."
"What's not fair?"
"This," she exclaimed, pointedly glancing between them. "You can't show up on my wedding day and proclaim you're still in love with me. It's too late for that."
"Why?" he asked. "Aren't you the one who said we should fight for this? For us?"
Kagome exhaled deeply. "That was in reference to the fact you were still unsure about your feelings for Kikyo," she mumbled. "When I said that, I meant that if we truly wanted to, we could overcome anything. But you weren't willing to fight for us. I couldn't do it alone."
"But I'm ready to fight for us now," he argued softly.
She frowned. "Do you not understand where you're at right now?" she questioned hotly. "You are at my wedding reception. I am married, Inuyasha, to another man."
He was silent for a moment, as they continued to sway to the song playing through the speakers. When they had been younger, their love was so different from lust. Their passion bonded them together, their laughter and their good times kept them happy.
After their second year of college, Kagome had gone home for the summer while he stayed and worked on campus. As the weeks passed, he stopped answering her phone calls and when they did talk, he didn't seem invested in the conversation. It caused Kagome to cease functioning as she had before.
There was a hole, an emptiness where her heart had been. When she finally returned to school, the exchange had been awkward. It didn't take long for her to find out he had spent the better part of the summer with his ex-girlfriend. He even confessed he wasn't sure if he was still in love with her or not. Left heartbroken and angry, Kagome had screamed and yelled at him, her voice going hoarse and tears streaming down her cheeks. He only pushed back, enraged with her reaction and how she accused him of cheating on her.
The illusion that Kagome held that they were in a carefree relationship instantly fell away. And yet, she missed him. She missed everything about him. Looking into her future without him was no future at all. He had been a part of her being and his love had seeped into her skin and rested in her bones. The bond that had been invisible until that moment became obvious, tangible and robust.
She wanted nothing more than to wake up with him for the rest of her life, to be his partner, his true friend, his love. There was nothing more important to her in life than love. It bound them to one another and kept them healthy and positively focused. But love, like any other element of life, needed attention to stay strong. They didn't attain it and put it aside like money in a bank account.
Because he stopped paying attention, their love slowly withered and died.
He twirled her across the dance floor again, her white wedding gown shimmering under the lights. When she spun back into his arms, he was smiling. "You're beautiful," he whispered.
Her eyes searched his. "I can't do this, Inuyasha," she replied, her voice filled with heartache. "I'm with Kouga, now. I'm a wife. This… This can't work."
He shrugged and smirked. "Can't blame a guy for trying," he said.
Gently, he arched her back and dipped her low, stray strands of her hair brushing against the floor. His eyes searched her, full of love and regret. He slowly leaned down and pressed his lips near her ear. "I wish you nothing but happiness," he whispered, before pulling back and pressing his lips to her cheek.
It was just a kiss. Not a passionate one on the lips, but a simple cheek kiss. It was just a kiss, but it was one that made her heart beat a million miles an hour; one that left her weak at the knees; one that made her brain freeze. It was in that moment that she realized she was madly and truly in love with him, with every part of her being.
The song ended and he broke away. His eyes flitted over her face a final time as he smiled and nodded his head with a farewell.
She reached out as he disentangled himself, his hand brushing down her arm until only their fingers linked, and as the world stopped spinning, he let go.
Kagome was mannerly enough to avoid gawking, but this man before her radiated with nothing but grace and had her enthralled. He was mesmerizing in every way. The faint glimmer of the late afternoon soon ghosted over his pale skin and eyes as warm as the heart of the sun. And when those very eyes shifted and turned away, a surge of understanding had calmed and further mystified her at the same time.
From that moment as she watched him walk away and disappear into the crowd, she knew he would never be hers.
A hand on her arm startled her out of her spell, bringing her thoughts back down to reality. She turned around, wide hazel eyes glancing in the direction of her best friend. Sango stood there, a look of puzzlement on her face, as she gently pulled Kagome off the dance floor.
"Everything all right?" she asked, her voice rising over the beats of the music. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."
Kagome shook her head, her eyes searching the crowd once more. "Inu-Inuyasha," she tried to explain. "He-he was here."
Sango's eyebrows shot up in alarm. "He was here?" she echoed. "What happened? What did he say?"
Running her hands through her curled hair, Kagome tried to calm her shaky breaths. Her encounter with him had rocked her quiet, blissful cocoon, and now she found her entire body pulsing with heat. It crawled through her veins and pooled in her stomach, causing her entire body to feel like it was on fire. Her heart pounded with adrenaline as his words played over and over again in her mind.
"He-he still loves me," she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "He apologized and said that he still loved me."
Sango rolled her eyes and rubbed her hands up and down Kagome's arms. "Don't listen to him. He's just trying to get inside your head," she reasoned. "It's all a game to him, Kagome. He's just mad that you're unavailable, now. He can't get to you anymore."
"But he can, Sango," she cried meekly, trying to voice her feelings to her friend. "God, what am I supposed to do?"
The brunette worried her bottom lip, contemplating what exactly Kagome was asking her. "You haven't even been married twenty-four hours," she pointed out. "But… maybe that's for the best."
Kagome turned startled eyes on her. "W-what?"
She smiled. "I'm your best friend, Kagome. I've seen you at your best and at your very worst. I cried with you when Inuyasha broke your heart. I rejoiced with you when you accepted Kouga's proposal. I will always stand by you, no matter what. But you have to be able to stand by yourself."
"What do you mean?" Her voice quivered.
"What is your heart telling you?"
Kagome swallowed hard and tried to think of what she should do. Kouga, although suave and handsome, was safe. She would always be able to rely on him, and trust him, and depend on him. He would never hurt her or argue with her. He would never lie to her.
Yet…
Is that what she wanted? Is that how she wanted to spend the rest of her life? Safe. In control. Knowing she would never have to struggle again.
She shook her head. Yes, Inuyasha was brash, and arrogant, and selfish, and a million other qualities that no girl would ever want in a man. But… He was the fire to her soul. He challenged her, argued with her, and told her exactly what he thought whether she wanted to hear it or not. He never once sugar-coated who he was or the flaws of his character.
Because she accepted him, just the way he was.
"I-I have to go to him," she whispered to Sango. "I have to talk to him."
"Then go," her best friend said with a smile. "I'll cover for you. Hurry."
Without another moment of hesitation, Kagome hiked her dress up and kicked off her pumps. In a blur of white, she dashed out of the reception hall, searching for the man she was madly and deeply in love with.
Her memories turned back to years ago, to all the good times they shared together, before Kikyo came into the picture. She remembered his laughter, his dumbfounded expression, his eyes alight with curiosity.
Inuyasha wasn't safe. He made the ground shake beneath her and rock her very core, but then his strong arms would wrap around her, protecting her, and steadying her. It was the ritual they shared. They fought, and screamed, and cried. Then they would pick up the pieces and love each other even deeper than before.
"Inuyasha!" she screamed as she bolted out of the entrance of the building and into the cool night air.
In the distance, she could see a man with silver hair turn at the sound of her voice, and then she was running. Her bare feet hit the cool blacktop as she ran out into the parking lot. Obsidian tresses pulled loose from her curls trailed wildly behind her.
"Kagome?" he spoke with a bewildered expression, slipping his hands out of the pockets of his slacks.
He didn't have time to question what she was doing, because as soon as she was within arm's reach, she flung herself into his chest. She wrapped her arms securely around his neck as he lifted her into the air, embracing her tightly. Her lips met his in a hungry, heated kiss, savoring the taste of wine exchange between their breaths.
It only lasted a few moments, but when she pulled away, her lips still tingled with his taste. "Damn you," she mumbled as angry tears sprang into her eyes. "You're such a jerk."
"Only for you, wench," he replied with a smirk, setting her down on the ground. He cupped her face in his hands, his fingers raking through her hair. "But what are you doing?"
"I'm following my heart," she said. "I have no idea why I would leave my own wedding for an arrogant fool like you, but for some damn reason I did. Don't make me regret it."
He brushed a thumb over her cheek as he grinned. "I will spend the rest of my life making it worth your while," he promised.
"Good," she replied, smiling madly. "Now come here and kiss me."
She pulled on his tie and pulled his lips to hers, igniting a flame that had long lain dormant within her. Wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging him stead fast against her, she allowed the whirlwind of her emotions to consume her completely.
With the utmost grace, she gave into her every desire.
A/N: I have to be honest. I was going to leave this story in a place where the boy didn't get the girl and they parted ways forever. But as I was going through the editing process, I happened to glance over some reviews I received over my latest fics. And I can honestly say my mind changed completely because of the amazing, mind-blowing reviews I received from Wenchster. She is a die-hard Inu/Kag fan, and loves the pairing so much, that I just had to change this ending. Not to mention, life has enough angst and heartbreak in it, so I figured I could at least put a little sunshine on the page. I hope I at least made you smile, dear, as well as all the rest of my readers. Please let me know what you all think in a review. I would love to hear your thoughts :)