** This story deals with rape, so if this sort of topic bothers you then be
forewarned. **
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Notes: Holy cow, I'm so sorry! I never go this long without an update. But this week has been, literally, the week from hell. I have never had so much going on at once before in my life! I had two solo singing performances this week, a dress rehearsal for the two performances, the district high school swim meet, and, of course, homework. So, wow, I've been busy. But here it is, finally, chapter twenty-one, and I hope it was worth the wait.
Happy Valentines Day to you all! I hope you had a great day. Me, I'm depressed, as usual. This marks the seventeenth time I've celebrated the holiday on my own, which means, in laments terms, I've never had a boyfriend. Man, I just can't stand how at school all the couples' exchange gifts and flowers and stuff. It just makes me envious. Yes, I admit it, I'm jealous! Most of the time I'm pretty confident with myself, but on Valentines Day, I just lose all of that confidence because it is really rubbed in my face that I'm missing out on something. Oh well, it'll happen one of these days, right? Anyway, back to the story.
The story is, I regret to say, coming to an end. Yes, it's true, there will only be one or two chapters after this one (most likely just one) and then it will be over. However, I am pretty confident now when I say that there will probably be a third story, making this a trilogy, something I never expected. So, stay tuned in that department. For now, enjoy this chapter!
Inu-guyver: yeah, I goofed with Ayame getting drunk, even though she's a demon. I guess that means I'm not perfect after all. Darn! And how is your arm? Doing better I hope? Thanks for reviewing, as always!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Title: The Realistic Happily Ever After
Author: dolphingirl0113
Chapter: Twenty-One
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The sun was bright and cheery, and the clouds in the sky were light like marshmallows above the crowd of people in the courtyard of the large school. Several rows of chairs had been set up before a stage created for a single purpose, a podium in the middle, behind which there was a large red and white banner saying "Congratulations Seniors!" Truly, it was the ideal setting for a graduation.
Kagome lightly toyed with her cap and the cords around her neck, recalling what each was for. She wore a white cord for graduating in the top ten percent of her class (she still didn't know how that happened), a yellow cord for receiving one of the highest college entrance exam scores of anyone (again, how that happened was a mystery), and finally a blue cord from her history teacher for her outstanding performance in his class. That was the only one that made any sense.
She leaned back into the chair, feeling it squeak under her weight as it sank a little further into the grass, and waited as the principal gave his speech about motivation in the world. She was excited to be graduating, of course, but at the same time she wished desperately that the process could move along just a little faster.
Feeling eyes upon her back, Kagome turned around from where she sat in between Eri and Ayumi and saw, in the audience, her mother, her grandfather, Souta, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kouga, Ayame, Shippou, Rin, and Ms. White who, Kagome recalled, had been somewhat disappointed when she realized Sesshoumaru was not there.
"They had to choose black," Eri muttered, and Kagome returned her attention to her friend.
"What?"
"They just have to make our graduation gowns black, when the sun is right on us." Kagome smiled.
"I think it feels nice."
"Please, you cannot possibly expect me to believe that you're not sweating just as much as I am right now."
"I never said you had to believe me," Kagome retorted playfully, and her friend snorted and looked away. Ayumi just giggled.
"Ms. White has certainly turned you into a formidable debater," she said kindly, and Kagome cocked an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, before it wasn't wise to argue with you. Now it's plain suicide." Kagome grinned from ear to ear.
"Maybe I should be a lawyer then," she said haughtily, lifting her chin slightly out of pride. Ayumi just shook her head and smiled some more.
"I know that you will all do great things," the principle continued, "And that you will make our school proud."
"Gods above, is he still talking?" Kagome muttered, crossing her arms and sighing. Everyone else around her simply nodded in agreement. Kagome recognized several of them as guests from her bachelorette party the week before.
She shuddered, recalling the pounding headache she had been forced to endure when she woke up the next morning. Having never been drunk before, it was a new experience, and one that Kagome didn't particularly want to remember. Neither did Sango or Ayame, who had spent the whole of the day curled up on the couch, either watching tv or throwing up into the bowl on the floor provided, kindly, by Mrs. Higurashi. Even Miroku hadn't felt up to snuff for several days, and Kagome almost felt guilty.
She smiled at the memory of a drunk Sango and Miroku trying to dance together. Yeah, she almost felt guilty.
Applause jolted her out of her thoughts, and Kagome looked up to see that the first of her class had been called up to receive their diploma. "It's about time," she mumbled.
But unfortunately, she belonged to a class of one hundred students, and as her name was smack in the middle of the list, she had a while to go. So she contented herself with sneaking glances at her extremely cute fiancé who, at the moment, was leaning back with his eyes closed.
"Hojo," the man called, and he bounded to his feet, practically tripping on the steps in his eagerness to receive his diploma. Kagome, and the rest of her class, giggled at his silly antics. Hojo could always be counted upon for a good laugh.
The laughter caused Inuyasha to open his eyes and see what was going on, in the process catching Kagome staring at him. He smirked at her in a meaningful way, and she blushed before looking back toward the stage.
She fiddled with her gown, which concealed a light blue summer dress underneath, and twirled her hair in her hand absentmindedly.
"Higurashi, Kagome!" But Kagome was so caught up in being bored she didn't hear her own name or realize what was going on until Ayumi jabbed her in the side.
"Kagome, get up there, they're calling your name!" she hissed, and Kagome leapt to her feet, extremely embarrassed as she hastily moved onto the stage. The principle saw, and smiled.
"Late as ever, Ms. Higurashi?" he teased, and everyone giggled as Kagome smiled sheepishly.
"I have to keep up with tradition," she replied as confidently as possible, to which everyone laughed again. Inuyasha frowned. Why was everyone laughing at her?
She shook the older man's hand and he handed her a diploma and she flipped the cord on her cap to the other side, signaling she had graduated. She smiled at the principle, and he smiled back. "Congratulations."
"Thank you sir," she replied before efficiently exiting off the stage for the next person to arrive, thankful that she didn't have to return to her seat in the sun, but could instead stand over in the shade.
As she watched Eri accept her diploma, she felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist, and Kagome eagerly leaned into the embrace of their owner. "Hi," she mumbled, and Inuyasha smirked, touching his cheek against hers.
"I can't wait for the dinner tonight," he replied.
"Why? I thought you hated parties."
"I thought I did too. But with you they always seem to be fun." Kagome smiled.
"If you say so. But since it's the rehearsal dinner it will just be the wedding party, no one else."
"That's fine with me, so long as you're there." It was so rare that he would be so open about his feelings, and Kagome put it away in her memory bank for the days when she felt like tearing his head off.
"You're in a good mood," she teased, and could practically feel him smirk.
"Tomorrow I will become your husband, so that the whole world, in your time and in mine, will recognize that we belong together."
"Inuyasha," she turned around in his arms and touched his cheek, "That is the most beautiful thing you have ever said."
He blushed, realizing others around them were staring with knowing smiles, and looked at the ground. "Keh, I was just trying to be nice."
"I know," Kagome tipped back the baseball cap on his head and kissed his nose gently, reaching under the cap and finding one of his adorable, soft puppy ears, rubbing it gently between her fingers. His body began to vibrate in a gentle purr, and Kagome smiled.
"Hey Inuyasha!" Eri exclaimed as she and Ayumi approached, holding their diplomas. Eri glanced over at Kagome. "Thanks for waiting for us, friend," she teased, and Kagome blushed.
"Don't give me that look," she replied, indicating a very frustrated looking Yuka as she scrambled after the other two girls. Eri turned around and just rolled her eyes as the third girl arrived.
"What took you so long?"
"What do you mean what took me so long? You two couldn't be bothered to stop for two minutes while I got my diploma?"
"We wanted to see Inuyasha," Eri replied before sending Inuyasha a flirtatious smile, though the hanyou seemed absolutely oblivious, which Kagome noticed with pleasure. It was one of the only good perks to him being absolutely clueless about female emotions and tendencies.
"Higurashi!" Kagome turned to see Hojo approaching with a smile.
"Hojo! Congratulations!"
"And to you as well." The two friends smiled at one another as Hojo embraced Kagome fondly. Though it was a harmless gesture, Inuyasha felt himself growl slightly, and Kagome pulled away quickly to avoid irritating him any further.
"Can you believe it? We're finally done," she said with an exhausted sigh.
"I know." He gave her a concerned look. "I do hope that with the stress of high school gone, your health will improve?"
"I hope so too," Kagome replied, though inwardly she was thinking her health would be much 'worse', considering the fact that she would have a mate/husband living on the other side of the well. But she would deal with that when the time came.
"I'm just so excited that we're all going to school together! I mean, the idea of leaving you guys was so depressing," Yuka said cheerfully. Kagome grinned and the other three friends beamed.
"We'll absolutely take the college world by storm, won't we?"
"I have no doubt! They won't know what hit them!"
"Especially all those college boys! Oh, I'm so excited!"
"You have a boyfriend already, Eri."
"Yes, but so do you, Yuka."
"That doesn't matter, they're just boyfriends. Poor Kagome will be stuck with her new husband."
"I don't think that will be a problem.
"Yeah, who could be upset coming home to a guy like Inuyasha every night?"
Inuyasha blushed, and Kagome moved in front of him protectively, but continued to smile kindly at her well-meaning, but constantly gossiping, friends. She couldn't believe how openly both Eri and Yuka were flirting with him. Only Ayumi, praise the gods, was smart enough to be respectful.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present to you the class of 2002!" The principal cut into Kagome's thoughts, and she realized that everyone was crowding onto the stage for the final part of the ceremony. She followed, leaving Inuyasha behind, and found herself perilously close to the edge of the stage, Hojo and his arm around her waist the only thing preventing her from falling forward.
They stopped talking and faced the older man who had been their principal, their enforcer, their leader for the past four years, and waited patiently for what he would do next. He simply smiled, raised his hands in the air, and shouted, "Congratulations!"
Everyone cheered, and Kagome launched her cap into the air along with everyone else, watching as it hit the ground and successfully ended a chapter in her life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Now Rin, you just have to stand there," Kagome instructed as she showed the little girl where to go after she finished walking down the aisle. They were in the vineyard where the wedding would take place, though at the moment it looked nothing like what Kagome intended for the night of her wedding, a makeshift rug the only thing representing where the isle would eventually be.
"Like this?" She planted her feet firmly on the small platform, and Kagome nodded.
"Yes, that's perfect. Now where's Shippou?"
"I'm right here Kagome!" The little kitsune came bounding up the aisle, stopping short and looking up at her expectantly. She motioned for him to come and stand opposite of Rin, on the other side of the aisle.
"You two will walk in together," she explained as the two children gave her their unyielding attention. "Shippou will be carrying the rings, and you Rin will be carrying a small bouquet of flowers just like Sango's, okay?" They both nodded. "Alright then, let's go back and get ready to practice."
The two bounded off the platform and back down the rug to the other end, and Kagome smiled as they left. She just couldn't resist putting them in her wedding, and thankfully the woman at the bridal shop was able to get Rin a dress that matched the brides' maids dresses.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin squealed excitedly as the demon lord appeared, looking as regal as ever, though he was dressed in khakis and a pale blue polo shirt. Kagome thought it made him look very preppy.
"We're here!" Sango exclaimed only a few seconds later, rushing up and giving Kagome a huge hug. She was quickly getting used to wearing jeans, because she no longer had the awkward gait of a woman unused to pants.
"Hi," Kagome returned the embrace before pulling away. "What took you so long?"
"Your mom called it bad traffic, whatever that means," Sango shrugged as Miroku approached the pair and put his arm around Sango's waist.
"So this is where you'll be having your wedding," he stated, looking around.
"Yes, but tomorrow night it will be decorated, and there will be chairs," Kagome explained. "Right now we're just rehearsing for tomorrow."
Miroku chuckled. "Man, Sango and I just had our wedding, without a rehearsal or anything." He looked tenderly at his wife. "And I think it went very well."
Sango blushed but didn't shy away from his gaze. "That's true," she replied, "But we didn't have such a complicated ceremony either."
"It will certainly be an adventure," Miroku said, putting his arm around Sango's waist and winking at Kagome. "And I'm always up for one of those."
"Kagome?!" A loud voice thundered, and Kagome turned casually in the direction of an apparently fuming Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, what's wrong?"
"Keh," he was obviously so mad he could hardly speak. "The next time I have a brilliant idea, just shoot me!"
"What are you talking about?" Kagome was truly confused, but then her jaw dropped to the floor as she watched her fiancé step to the side to reveal a shy-looking Hojo. "Hojo! What on earth?"
"I-Inuyasha invited me to be one of his g-groomsmen," the poor boy stuttered, obviously terrified of the hanyou's temper. But Kagome didn't care. She stopped listening to anything he said after the first statement, gazing at Inuyasha with stars in her eyes.
"You did what?" she whispered, and Inuyasha seemed to suddenly topple off his high horse, realizing the way Kagome was staring at him.
"I, uh," he looked away, unsure of what to say, and Kagome only smiled more tenderly.
"Inuyasha, I can't believe you did this."
"Look, he's obviously a good friend of yours, and he found you after you were raped and all, so I figured you might as well, um, you know, like it if he were in the wedding." Kagome was looking like she wanted to absolutely pounce on him at that moment, and it made Inuyasha blush furiously. "Don't look at me like that wench! It's not that big of a deal!"
"Inuyasha, thank you so much!" Kagome launched herself into his arms, and without thinking the hanyou lowered his head so that their lips met, forgetting that he was mad.
It was passionate, and left Kagome feeling dizzy on her feet as she fell back against his strong arms, currently wrapped around her waist. She gazed into his amber eyes.
"But why were you so mad a second ago?"
"Keh," He rolled his eyes and touched his forehead to hers. "The stupid guy and those three girls you call friends wouldn't shut up the whole ride, and since I was late getting out to the car, I had to sit in between them. All they wanted to do was dare each other to get my hat off my head, and you have no idea how hard it was to keep the hat on at all."
Kagome burst out laughing, the image of Eri, Yuka, and Hojo trying to pry off Inuyasha's hat while the hanyou desperately had his hands clasped over the bill filled her vision. Now that was something she wished she could have seen.
"It's not that funny," he pouted, pulling away, but Kagome kept laughing anyway.
"Oh Kagome, this is so beautiful!" Eri shrieked as she and the other two girls walked onto the scene, and Kagome instantly stopped laughing, trying to regain her composure.
"It is just perfect, don't you think?"
"I think it is."
"Oh, I wish I could get married in a place like this."
"Who says you can't, Yuka? You still have a while before you get married."
"Yeah, but by the time she gets married vineyards may not exist any more."
"Shut up, Eri! It's not like you're walking down the isle anytime soon either!"
"Says who?"
"Says me!"
"Shut up!"
All three girls turned to see Kagome with a very annoyed expression on her face. She sighed. "Just this once, can you three take it easy?"
Their shocked expressions instantly faded, and all three girls just smiled and nodded, chiming in a "Sure!" in perfect unison. Kagome rolled her eyes. They would never get it.
"Kagome! Sorry I'm late, have I missed anything important?" Ms. White ran up to her, panting, her white blouse slightly rumpled from where it was tucked into her navy skirt, accenting her slim waist.
"No, you're fine," Kagome assured her friend, who was there to watch the proceedings and offer a second opinion.
"Great, because I was worried when I got caught in traffic, and," she trailed off when she noticed Sesshoumaru, who was staring at her as well. "Oh," she said softly, "And how are you, Sesshoumaru?"
"Fine," he replied, sounding, Kagome thought with an inward smile, almost shy. It was so cute to watch them interact.
"You're in the wedding, correct?"
"That's right. And what are you here for?"
"Moral support," Ms. White put an arm around Kagome's shoulders to accent her point. The demon lord raised an eyebrow, obviously not sure what that meant, but at the same time smirking slightly. He liked the woman's outgoing, confident attitude.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, who are you talking to?" Rin came bounding up, and Ms. White saw the girl for the first time. She smiled, and knelt down so that she was eye to eye with the new arrival.
"And who might you be?"
"Rin, what's your name?"
"My name's Nancy, and it's very nice to meet you." Ms. White extended her hand, but Rin, unaccustomed to such a custom, simply stared at it. But she smiled, shrugged her shoulders, and giggled, to which Ms. White laughed as she rose to her feet once more. "How do you know her? She's adorable!"
Sesshoumaru stared at Ms. White in awe, obviously dumbstruck that she had such an easy manner with children. "She's, um, she's my," but he couldn't figure out what to say, and Kagome jumped in as his defense.
"She's his niece," she said quickly. "Rin's family died when she was very young, and Sesshoumaru has been her guardian ever since." She glanced meaningfully at the demon lord. "Isn't that right?"
"Y-yes," he stammered, obviously quite flustered as he was usually accustomed to knowing exactly what to say.
"Well, she's very sweet," Ms. White said, smiling, and Sesshoumaru seemed to relax.
The rest of the evening went by smoothly, everyone figuring out where they needed to go, and when. Inuyasha announced at one point that he was frustrated that all he got to do was stand at the front of the aisle the whole time, to which Kagome simply laughed.
After they were finished, they all filed into either Mrs. Higurashi's minivan or Ms. White's small Honda and made their way back to the shrine for dinner, which was wonderful. It was, all in all, a very pleasant day.
"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Ms. White asked as she headed for the front door, Kagome at her side.
"Yeah, you know what time."
"Five o'clock on the dot," Ms. White replied, sounding like a soldier. "Don't worry, I'm never late."
"Thanks for everything, Ms. White."
"Call me Nancy." Kagome smiled.
"Okay."
Ms. White reached for her coat, but was surprised to find that it wasn't there. When she turned around, she found Sesshoumaru holding it out to her, looking very stiff and unsure of himself. But she smiled and allowed him to drape it, albeit awkwardly, over her shoulders.
"Thank you," she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. The demon lord grunted, and even opened the door for her as she walked out.
Kagome raised an eyebrow as he shut the door and turned in her direction, to which he haughtily flared his nostrils and returned to his usual glare.
"Say one word to Inuyasha, and you'll regret it, debt or no." Kagome lifted her hands in surrender.
"Hey, whatever you do is your business."
"Hn," he grunted and walked away. Kagome just smiled, before a yawn caused her to realize it was almost midnight.
Hazy with fatigue, she walked up her stairs and into her bedroom, practically collapsing on her bed, barely managing to put on her pajamas and crawl in between the covers. A few minutes later her door opened, and she saw a familiar hanyou in the doorway, lit up by the lights in the hallway.
"Hey," she whispered, knowing he could hear her easily with his sensitive ears.
"Hey yourself," he replied, walking over and sitting down on her bed. "Tomorrow, we will be married."
"I know," Kagome rolled onto her back and stretched, pulling the stuffed dog by her pillow into her arms. "I can hardly believe that the day I have dreamed about since I was a little girl is finally here."
"And it's what you want?" He still sounded unsure.
"Yes Inuyasha, I've never wanted anything more in my life then to marry you. I'm already yours, as your mate," she reminded him, indicating the mark on her neck. "Remember that day in the woods, after Sango and Miroku's wedding? You made me yours forever when you asked if you could mark me, and I said yes. We are forever more bound to each other."
He tenderly touched the permanent scar on her collarbone, shaped almost like an upside down checkmark. "I remember asking you if you were willing to adopt my life span as well," he said, and Kagome closed her eyes in memory. "And how you so willingly said yes, even though it means you will outlive your friends and family by many, many years."
"It's worth it, Inuyasha," she said softly, touching his cheek. "I couldn't live without you. There was no question in my mind of what my answer would be that day."
He smiled. "There was no question of whether or not I wanted to ask you."
Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, and he lowered himself to her for a tender kiss. She was just starting to feel his hands slide up her back when a shriek pierced the air.
"Inuyasha! What in the name of all that's holy do you think you're doing?"
Inuyasha coughed against her lips and sprang up from the bed like a cat from water, leaping across the room and crouching low at the sound of Mrs. Higurashi's voice. The woman opened the door forcefully and, seeing the scene before her, put her hands on her hips.
"Just as I suspected," she said firmly, glancing at first Kagome and then Inuyasha, both of their faces as red as cherries. "Kagome, you know a bride is to be alone on her wedding night. And you," she turned on Inuyasha, who cowered slightly, "You are supposed to be a man of honor! You should know better!"
"I-I, um, I didn't know Mrs. Higurashi," he stammered, trying to find a way out of this situation. For some reason, Kagome's mother frightened him more then even the ugliest of demons.
"Well, what are you still sitting there for, get out!" she commanded, and he hastily obeyed, chancing one last look at Kagome.
"But, can't I just say with her for a little longer?" He asked softly.
"Out!" And he was gone, faster then lightning. Even Kagome couldn't help but giggle a little at the sight.
"Thanks a lot, mama, I think you've officially made it so that my husband- to-be will be terrified to even be in the same room as me when you're around now."
"Oh, he's a man, he'll get over it." Kagome blinked in surprise. She normally didn't hear her mother talk that way. "Now you just go right to sleep, Kagome. You have a big day tomorrow, and you need your rest."
Mrs. Higurashi tenderly tucked the sheets up around her daughter's chin, a tear suddenly falling down her cheek. Kagome opened her eyes in surprise. "What is it, mama?"
"After tomorrow, you won't be just mine any more. You'll belong to him too. It's just something I'll have to get used to, I guess."
Kagome smiled tenderly. "I will always be yours, mama. Don't worry about that."
"I know sweetheart, but things will be different. I know. I got married once too." She touched her daughter's cheek fondly before rising to her feet. "But listen to me. If I'm like this now, I'd hate to see how I'll be tomorrow when you're actually getting married."
Kagome smiled again. "Good night, mama, and thank you for everything."
"Good night Kagome." Her mother shut the door gently, and Kagome was once more left in darkness, gazing out at the stars and the moon, which the next night would be completely gone, and Inuyasha would be human.
It was fitting, she decided. She was mated to a hanyou, thus when he had marked her he had been in his demon form. But tomorrow, while in her time, she would marry the side of him that was human. She loved both sides, together making him the man that she loved, so it was perfect that she had a ceremony joining her to both.
"Tomorrow," she whispered, drifting off into sleep, clutching the stuffed dog to her chest as she rolled onto her side. "Tomorrow."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Notes: Holy cow, I'm so sorry! I never go this long without an update. But this week has been, literally, the week from hell. I have never had so much going on at once before in my life! I had two solo singing performances this week, a dress rehearsal for the two performances, the district high school swim meet, and, of course, homework. So, wow, I've been busy. But here it is, finally, chapter twenty-one, and I hope it was worth the wait.
Happy Valentines Day to you all! I hope you had a great day. Me, I'm depressed, as usual. This marks the seventeenth time I've celebrated the holiday on my own, which means, in laments terms, I've never had a boyfriend. Man, I just can't stand how at school all the couples' exchange gifts and flowers and stuff. It just makes me envious. Yes, I admit it, I'm jealous! Most of the time I'm pretty confident with myself, but on Valentines Day, I just lose all of that confidence because it is really rubbed in my face that I'm missing out on something. Oh well, it'll happen one of these days, right? Anyway, back to the story.
The story is, I regret to say, coming to an end. Yes, it's true, there will only be one or two chapters after this one (most likely just one) and then it will be over. However, I am pretty confident now when I say that there will probably be a third story, making this a trilogy, something I never expected. So, stay tuned in that department. For now, enjoy this chapter!
Inu-guyver: yeah, I goofed with Ayame getting drunk, even though she's a demon. I guess that means I'm not perfect after all. Darn! And how is your arm? Doing better I hope? Thanks for reviewing, as always!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Title: The Realistic Happily Ever After
Author: dolphingirl0113
Chapter: Twenty-One
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The sun was bright and cheery, and the clouds in the sky were light like marshmallows above the crowd of people in the courtyard of the large school. Several rows of chairs had been set up before a stage created for a single purpose, a podium in the middle, behind which there was a large red and white banner saying "Congratulations Seniors!" Truly, it was the ideal setting for a graduation.
Kagome lightly toyed with her cap and the cords around her neck, recalling what each was for. She wore a white cord for graduating in the top ten percent of her class (she still didn't know how that happened), a yellow cord for receiving one of the highest college entrance exam scores of anyone (again, how that happened was a mystery), and finally a blue cord from her history teacher for her outstanding performance in his class. That was the only one that made any sense.
She leaned back into the chair, feeling it squeak under her weight as it sank a little further into the grass, and waited as the principal gave his speech about motivation in the world. She was excited to be graduating, of course, but at the same time she wished desperately that the process could move along just a little faster.
Feeling eyes upon her back, Kagome turned around from where she sat in between Eri and Ayumi and saw, in the audience, her mother, her grandfather, Souta, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kouga, Ayame, Shippou, Rin, and Ms. White who, Kagome recalled, had been somewhat disappointed when she realized Sesshoumaru was not there.
"They had to choose black," Eri muttered, and Kagome returned her attention to her friend.
"What?"
"They just have to make our graduation gowns black, when the sun is right on us." Kagome smiled.
"I think it feels nice."
"Please, you cannot possibly expect me to believe that you're not sweating just as much as I am right now."
"I never said you had to believe me," Kagome retorted playfully, and her friend snorted and looked away. Ayumi just giggled.
"Ms. White has certainly turned you into a formidable debater," she said kindly, and Kagome cocked an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, before it wasn't wise to argue with you. Now it's plain suicide." Kagome grinned from ear to ear.
"Maybe I should be a lawyer then," she said haughtily, lifting her chin slightly out of pride. Ayumi just shook her head and smiled some more.
"I know that you will all do great things," the principle continued, "And that you will make our school proud."
"Gods above, is he still talking?" Kagome muttered, crossing her arms and sighing. Everyone else around her simply nodded in agreement. Kagome recognized several of them as guests from her bachelorette party the week before.
She shuddered, recalling the pounding headache she had been forced to endure when she woke up the next morning. Having never been drunk before, it was a new experience, and one that Kagome didn't particularly want to remember. Neither did Sango or Ayame, who had spent the whole of the day curled up on the couch, either watching tv or throwing up into the bowl on the floor provided, kindly, by Mrs. Higurashi. Even Miroku hadn't felt up to snuff for several days, and Kagome almost felt guilty.
She smiled at the memory of a drunk Sango and Miroku trying to dance together. Yeah, she almost felt guilty.
Applause jolted her out of her thoughts, and Kagome looked up to see that the first of her class had been called up to receive their diploma. "It's about time," she mumbled.
But unfortunately, she belonged to a class of one hundred students, and as her name was smack in the middle of the list, she had a while to go. So she contented herself with sneaking glances at her extremely cute fiancé who, at the moment, was leaning back with his eyes closed.
"Hojo," the man called, and he bounded to his feet, practically tripping on the steps in his eagerness to receive his diploma. Kagome, and the rest of her class, giggled at his silly antics. Hojo could always be counted upon for a good laugh.
The laughter caused Inuyasha to open his eyes and see what was going on, in the process catching Kagome staring at him. He smirked at her in a meaningful way, and she blushed before looking back toward the stage.
She fiddled with her gown, which concealed a light blue summer dress underneath, and twirled her hair in her hand absentmindedly.
"Higurashi, Kagome!" But Kagome was so caught up in being bored she didn't hear her own name or realize what was going on until Ayumi jabbed her in the side.
"Kagome, get up there, they're calling your name!" she hissed, and Kagome leapt to her feet, extremely embarrassed as she hastily moved onto the stage. The principle saw, and smiled.
"Late as ever, Ms. Higurashi?" he teased, and everyone giggled as Kagome smiled sheepishly.
"I have to keep up with tradition," she replied as confidently as possible, to which everyone laughed again. Inuyasha frowned. Why was everyone laughing at her?
She shook the older man's hand and he handed her a diploma and she flipped the cord on her cap to the other side, signaling she had graduated. She smiled at the principle, and he smiled back. "Congratulations."
"Thank you sir," she replied before efficiently exiting off the stage for the next person to arrive, thankful that she didn't have to return to her seat in the sun, but could instead stand over in the shade.
As she watched Eri accept her diploma, she felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist, and Kagome eagerly leaned into the embrace of their owner. "Hi," she mumbled, and Inuyasha smirked, touching his cheek against hers.
"I can't wait for the dinner tonight," he replied.
"Why? I thought you hated parties."
"I thought I did too. But with you they always seem to be fun." Kagome smiled.
"If you say so. But since it's the rehearsal dinner it will just be the wedding party, no one else."
"That's fine with me, so long as you're there." It was so rare that he would be so open about his feelings, and Kagome put it away in her memory bank for the days when she felt like tearing his head off.
"You're in a good mood," she teased, and could practically feel him smirk.
"Tomorrow I will become your husband, so that the whole world, in your time and in mine, will recognize that we belong together."
"Inuyasha," she turned around in his arms and touched his cheek, "That is the most beautiful thing you have ever said."
He blushed, realizing others around them were staring with knowing smiles, and looked at the ground. "Keh, I was just trying to be nice."
"I know," Kagome tipped back the baseball cap on his head and kissed his nose gently, reaching under the cap and finding one of his adorable, soft puppy ears, rubbing it gently between her fingers. His body began to vibrate in a gentle purr, and Kagome smiled.
"Hey Inuyasha!" Eri exclaimed as she and Ayumi approached, holding their diplomas. Eri glanced over at Kagome. "Thanks for waiting for us, friend," she teased, and Kagome blushed.
"Don't give me that look," she replied, indicating a very frustrated looking Yuka as she scrambled after the other two girls. Eri turned around and just rolled her eyes as the third girl arrived.
"What took you so long?"
"What do you mean what took me so long? You two couldn't be bothered to stop for two minutes while I got my diploma?"
"We wanted to see Inuyasha," Eri replied before sending Inuyasha a flirtatious smile, though the hanyou seemed absolutely oblivious, which Kagome noticed with pleasure. It was one of the only good perks to him being absolutely clueless about female emotions and tendencies.
"Higurashi!" Kagome turned to see Hojo approaching with a smile.
"Hojo! Congratulations!"
"And to you as well." The two friends smiled at one another as Hojo embraced Kagome fondly. Though it was a harmless gesture, Inuyasha felt himself growl slightly, and Kagome pulled away quickly to avoid irritating him any further.
"Can you believe it? We're finally done," she said with an exhausted sigh.
"I know." He gave her a concerned look. "I do hope that with the stress of high school gone, your health will improve?"
"I hope so too," Kagome replied, though inwardly she was thinking her health would be much 'worse', considering the fact that she would have a mate/husband living on the other side of the well. But she would deal with that when the time came.
"I'm just so excited that we're all going to school together! I mean, the idea of leaving you guys was so depressing," Yuka said cheerfully. Kagome grinned and the other three friends beamed.
"We'll absolutely take the college world by storm, won't we?"
"I have no doubt! They won't know what hit them!"
"Especially all those college boys! Oh, I'm so excited!"
"You have a boyfriend already, Eri."
"Yes, but so do you, Yuka."
"That doesn't matter, they're just boyfriends. Poor Kagome will be stuck with her new husband."
"I don't think that will be a problem.
"Yeah, who could be upset coming home to a guy like Inuyasha every night?"
Inuyasha blushed, and Kagome moved in front of him protectively, but continued to smile kindly at her well-meaning, but constantly gossiping, friends. She couldn't believe how openly both Eri and Yuka were flirting with him. Only Ayumi, praise the gods, was smart enough to be respectful.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present to you the class of 2002!" The principal cut into Kagome's thoughts, and she realized that everyone was crowding onto the stage for the final part of the ceremony. She followed, leaving Inuyasha behind, and found herself perilously close to the edge of the stage, Hojo and his arm around her waist the only thing preventing her from falling forward.
They stopped talking and faced the older man who had been their principal, their enforcer, their leader for the past four years, and waited patiently for what he would do next. He simply smiled, raised his hands in the air, and shouted, "Congratulations!"
Everyone cheered, and Kagome launched her cap into the air along with everyone else, watching as it hit the ground and successfully ended a chapter in her life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Now Rin, you just have to stand there," Kagome instructed as she showed the little girl where to go after she finished walking down the aisle. They were in the vineyard where the wedding would take place, though at the moment it looked nothing like what Kagome intended for the night of her wedding, a makeshift rug the only thing representing where the isle would eventually be.
"Like this?" She planted her feet firmly on the small platform, and Kagome nodded.
"Yes, that's perfect. Now where's Shippou?"
"I'm right here Kagome!" The little kitsune came bounding up the aisle, stopping short and looking up at her expectantly. She motioned for him to come and stand opposite of Rin, on the other side of the aisle.
"You two will walk in together," she explained as the two children gave her their unyielding attention. "Shippou will be carrying the rings, and you Rin will be carrying a small bouquet of flowers just like Sango's, okay?" They both nodded. "Alright then, let's go back and get ready to practice."
The two bounded off the platform and back down the rug to the other end, and Kagome smiled as they left. She just couldn't resist putting them in her wedding, and thankfully the woman at the bridal shop was able to get Rin a dress that matched the brides' maids dresses.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin squealed excitedly as the demon lord appeared, looking as regal as ever, though he was dressed in khakis and a pale blue polo shirt. Kagome thought it made him look very preppy.
"We're here!" Sango exclaimed only a few seconds later, rushing up and giving Kagome a huge hug. She was quickly getting used to wearing jeans, because she no longer had the awkward gait of a woman unused to pants.
"Hi," Kagome returned the embrace before pulling away. "What took you so long?"
"Your mom called it bad traffic, whatever that means," Sango shrugged as Miroku approached the pair and put his arm around Sango's waist.
"So this is where you'll be having your wedding," he stated, looking around.
"Yes, but tomorrow night it will be decorated, and there will be chairs," Kagome explained. "Right now we're just rehearsing for tomorrow."
Miroku chuckled. "Man, Sango and I just had our wedding, without a rehearsal or anything." He looked tenderly at his wife. "And I think it went very well."
Sango blushed but didn't shy away from his gaze. "That's true," she replied, "But we didn't have such a complicated ceremony either."
"It will certainly be an adventure," Miroku said, putting his arm around Sango's waist and winking at Kagome. "And I'm always up for one of those."
"Kagome?!" A loud voice thundered, and Kagome turned casually in the direction of an apparently fuming Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, what's wrong?"
"Keh," he was obviously so mad he could hardly speak. "The next time I have a brilliant idea, just shoot me!"
"What are you talking about?" Kagome was truly confused, but then her jaw dropped to the floor as she watched her fiancé step to the side to reveal a shy-looking Hojo. "Hojo! What on earth?"
"I-Inuyasha invited me to be one of his g-groomsmen," the poor boy stuttered, obviously terrified of the hanyou's temper. But Kagome didn't care. She stopped listening to anything he said after the first statement, gazing at Inuyasha with stars in her eyes.
"You did what?" she whispered, and Inuyasha seemed to suddenly topple off his high horse, realizing the way Kagome was staring at him.
"I, uh," he looked away, unsure of what to say, and Kagome only smiled more tenderly.
"Inuyasha, I can't believe you did this."
"Look, he's obviously a good friend of yours, and he found you after you were raped and all, so I figured you might as well, um, you know, like it if he were in the wedding." Kagome was looking like she wanted to absolutely pounce on him at that moment, and it made Inuyasha blush furiously. "Don't look at me like that wench! It's not that big of a deal!"
"Inuyasha, thank you so much!" Kagome launched herself into his arms, and without thinking the hanyou lowered his head so that their lips met, forgetting that he was mad.
It was passionate, and left Kagome feeling dizzy on her feet as she fell back against his strong arms, currently wrapped around her waist. She gazed into his amber eyes.
"But why were you so mad a second ago?"
"Keh," He rolled his eyes and touched his forehead to hers. "The stupid guy and those three girls you call friends wouldn't shut up the whole ride, and since I was late getting out to the car, I had to sit in between them. All they wanted to do was dare each other to get my hat off my head, and you have no idea how hard it was to keep the hat on at all."
Kagome burst out laughing, the image of Eri, Yuka, and Hojo trying to pry off Inuyasha's hat while the hanyou desperately had his hands clasped over the bill filled her vision. Now that was something she wished she could have seen.
"It's not that funny," he pouted, pulling away, but Kagome kept laughing anyway.
"Oh Kagome, this is so beautiful!" Eri shrieked as she and the other two girls walked onto the scene, and Kagome instantly stopped laughing, trying to regain her composure.
"It is just perfect, don't you think?"
"I think it is."
"Oh, I wish I could get married in a place like this."
"Who says you can't, Yuka? You still have a while before you get married."
"Yeah, but by the time she gets married vineyards may not exist any more."
"Shut up, Eri! It's not like you're walking down the isle anytime soon either!"
"Says who?"
"Says me!"
"Shut up!"
All three girls turned to see Kagome with a very annoyed expression on her face. She sighed. "Just this once, can you three take it easy?"
Their shocked expressions instantly faded, and all three girls just smiled and nodded, chiming in a "Sure!" in perfect unison. Kagome rolled her eyes. They would never get it.
"Kagome! Sorry I'm late, have I missed anything important?" Ms. White ran up to her, panting, her white blouse slightly rumpled from where it was tucked into her navy skirt, accenting her slim waist.
"No, you're fine," Kagome assured her friend, who was there to watch the proceedings and offer a second opinion.
"Great, because I was worried when I got caught in traffic, and," she trailed off when she noticed Sesshoumaru, who was staring at her as well. "Oh," she said softly, "And how are you, Sesshoumaru?"
"Fine," he replied, sounding, Kagome thought with an inward smile, almost shy. It was so cute to watch them interact.
"You're in the wedding, correct?"
"That's right. And what are you here for?"
"Moral support," Ms. White put an arm around Kagome's shoulders to accent her point. The demon lord raised an eyebrow, obviously not sure what that meant, but at the same time smirking slightly. He liked the woman's outgoing, confident attitude.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, who are you talking to?" Rin came bounding up, and Ms. White saw the girl for the first time. She smiled, and knelt down so that she was eye to eye with the new arrival.
"And who might you be?"
"Rin, what's your name?"
"My name's Nancy, and it's very nice to meet you." Ms. White extended her hand, but Rin, unaccustomed to such a custom, simply stared at it. But she smiled, shrugged her shoulders, and giggled, to which Ms. White laughed as she rose to her feet once more. "How do you know her? She's adorable!"
Sesshoumaru stared at Ms. White in awe, obviously dumbstruck that she had such an easy manner with children. "She's, um, she's my," but he couldn't figure out what to say, and Kagome jumped in as his defense.
"She's his niece," she said quickly. "Rin's family died when she was very young, and Sesshoumaru has been her guardian ever since." She glanced meaningfully at the demon lord. "Isn't that right?"
"Y-yes," he stammered, obviously quite flustered as he was usually accustomed to knowing exactly what to say.
"Well, she's very sweet," Ms. White said, smiling, and Sesshoumaru seemed to relax.
The rest of the evening went by smoothly, everyone figuring out where they needed to go, and when. Inuyasha announced at one point that he was frustrated that all he got to do was stand at the front of the aisle the whole time, to which Kagome simply laughed.
After they were finished, they all filed into either Mrs. Higurashi's minivan or Ms. White's small Honda and made their way back to the shrine for dinner, which was wonderful. It was, all in all, a very pleasant day.
"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Ms. White asked as she headed for the front door, Kagome at her side.
"Yeah, you know what time."
"Five o'clock on the dot," Ms. White replied, sounding like a soldier. "Don't worry, I'm never late."
"Thanks for everything, Ms. White."
"Call me Nancy." Kagome smiled.
"Okay."
Ms. White reached for her coat, but was surprised to find that it wasn't there. When she turned around, she found Sesshoumaru holding it out to her, looking very stiff and unsure of himself. But she smiled and allowed him to drape it, albeit awkwardly, over her shoulders.
"Thank you," she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. The demon lord grunted, and even opened the door for her as she walked out.
Kagome raised an eyebrow as he shut the door and turned in her direction, to which he haughtily flared his nostrils and returned to his usual glare.
"Say one word to Inuyasha, and you'll regret it, debt or no." Kagome lifted her hands in surrender.
"Hey, whatever you do is your business."
"Hn," he grunted and walked away. Kagome just smiled, before a yawn caused her to realize it was almost midnight.
Hazy with fatigue, she walked up her stairs and into her bedroom, practically collapsing on her bed, barely managing to put on her pajamas and crawl in between the covers. A few minutes later her door opened, and she saw a familiar hanyou in the doorway, lit up by the lights in the hallway.
"Hey," she whispered, knowing he could hear her easily with his sensitive ears.
"Hey yourself," he replied, walking over and sitting down on her bed. "Tomorrow, we will be married."
"I know," Kagome rolled onto her back and stretched, pulling the stuffed dog by her pillow into her arms. "I can hardly believe that the day I have dreamed about since I was a little girl is finally here."
"And it's what you want?" He still sounded unsure.
"Yes Inuyasha, I've never wanted anything more in my life then to marry you. I'm already yours, as your mate," she reminded him, indicating the mark on her neck. "Remember that day in the woods, after Sango and Miroku's wedding? You made me yours forever when you asked if you could mark me, and I said yes. We are forever more bound to each other."
He tenderly touched the permanent scar on her collarbone, shaped almost like an upside down checkmark. "I remember asking you if you were willing to adopt my life span as well," he said, and Kagome closed her eyes in memory. "And how you so willingly said yes, even though it means you will outlive your friends and family by many, many years."
"It's worth it, Inuyasha," she said softly, touching his cheek. "I couldn't live without you. There was no question in my mind of what my answer would be that day."
He smiled. "There was no question of whether or not I wanted to ask you."
Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, and he lowered himself to her for a tender kiss. She was just starting to feel his hands slide up her back when a shriek pierced the air.
"Inuyasha! What in the name of all that's holy do you think you're doing?"
Inuyasha coughed against her lips and sprang up from the bed like a cat from water, leaping across the room and crouching low at the sound of Mrs. Higurashi's voice. The woman opened the door forcefully and, seeing the scene before her, put her hands on her hips.
"Just as I suspected," she said firmly, glancing at first Kagome and then Inuyasha, both of their faces as red as cherries. "Kagome, you know a bride is to be alone on her wedding night. And you," she turned on Inuyasha, who cowered slightly, "You are supposed to be a man of honor! You should know better!"
"I-I, um, I didn't know Mrs. Higurashi," he stammered, trying to find a way out of this situation. For some reason, Kagome's mother frightened him more then even the ugliest of demons.
"Well, what are you still sitting there for, get out!" she commanded, and he hastily obeyed, chancing one last look at Kagome.
"But, can't I just say with her for a little longer?" He asked softly.
"Out!" And he was gone, faster then lightning. Even Kagome couldn't help but giggle a little at the sight.
"Thanks a lot, mama, I think you've officially made it so that my husband- to-be will be terrified to even be in the same room as me when you're around now."
"Oh, he's a man, he'll get over it." Kagome blinked in surprise. She normally didn't hear her mother talk that way. "Now you just go right to sleep, Kagome. You have a big day tomorrow, and you need your rest."
Mrs. Higurashi tenderly tucked the sheets up around her daughter's chin, a tear suddenly falling down her cheek. Kagome opened her eyes in surprise. "What is it, mama?"
"After tomorrow, you won't be just mine any more. You'll belong to him too. It's just something I'll have to get used to, I guess."
Kagome smiled tenderly. "I will always be yours, mama. Don't worry about that."
"I know sweetheart, but things will be different. I know. I got married once too." She touched her daughter's cheek fondly before rising to her feet. "But listen to me. If I'm like this now, I'd hate to see how I'll be tomorrow when you're actually getting married."
Kagome smiled again. "Good night, mama, and thank you for everything."
"Good night Kagome." Her mother shut the door gently, and Kagome was once more left in darkness, gazing out at the stars and the moon, which the next night would be completely gone, and Inuyasha would be human.
It was fitting, she decided. She was mated to a hanyou, thus when he had marked her he had been in his demon form. But tomorrow, while in her time, she would marry the side of him that was human. She loved both sides, together making him the man that she loved, so it was perfect that she had a ceremony joining her to both.
"Tomorrow," she whispered, drifting off into sleep, clutching the stuffed dog to her chest as she rolled onto her side. "Tomorrow."
