Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Chapter 8

Realizations

Everyone had to agree – Kagome was one of the most beautiful brides anyone had ever seen. She wore a crown of flowers on her head that held back a long white veil. Her gown was a beautiful white creation. It was long and off the shoulder with a layered skirt. And for those who remember the saying where a bride has to have something new, something old, something borrowed and something blue: Kagome had on sapphire earrings that belonged to her grandmother (old and blue) and had borrowed Sango's pearl necklace (her gown was new).

Perhaps Kagome would believe she was a beautiful bride if she hadn't had a grim face on. She wanted him to come…to stop her from getting married. She waited everyday for him to call ever since he found out about her engagement. But he never came.

"So this is how it ends?" Kagome whispered to herself as she stared at her reflection. "Kagome Higurashi…no, it's Kagome Ookami in a few minutes."

"For a bride, you seem unhappy."

Kagome spun around and saw her mother standing there in a white formal skirt and blazer.

"Mama," Kagome whispered before running into her mother's arms. "What have I done? I can't marry Kouga!"

"It's not too late…"

"What do you mean?" Kagome said looking up at her mother's face. "It is too late!"

"No," another voice said, "it's not too late. I just hoped I wasn't too late."

Kagome turned around and gasped. It was Inuyasha…Inuyasha was here because he didn't want her to go.

Which means he loves me.

Kagome's mother stepped out of the room, leaving the two there.

"I'm sorry I didn't come earlier," Inuyasha said quietly. "I've been debating with myself. I wasn't sure whether you wanted me in your life again."

I do want you in my life! Kagome's mind screamed. I was being so selfish trying to protect myself from getting hurt. I didn't think that others would get hurt by my selfish actions.

"Then I realised, I love you so much, I'm not ready to let you go," Inuyasha said with a small smile. "And that was when I decided to come down here. That day, I asked you the wrong question. It shouldn't have been if you loved Kouga; it should have been: do you love me?" Kagome blinked. Inuyasha gulped and continued on. "I've loved you for so long that the love I feel for you is so natural. Without you in my life…I can't even begin to explain it."

"Why didn't you propose to me then? Why did you kiss Kikyo? Why didn't you act like you loved me?" Kagome blurted out. Those questions…they had been haunting her for a long time now. She almost gave a sigh of relief to get those off her chest, but she held it back in.

Inuyasha looked into Kagome's eyes. "I wasn't sure where our relationship was going back then," Inuyasha said after a sigh. "There were times when I was sure we were going to break up. We often had silly arguments, but after I met Kouga, the arguments got serious. If Kouga had never come into the picture, I might have proposed."

"Might?" Kagome repeated, obviously sounding pretty upset. "You might have proposed?"

Inuyasha chose not to answer, much to Kagome's disappointment. "After that phone call with you after our date -" Kagome snorted "- I was sure that we were going to break up. The next day, I called to try and make up. I didn't want to be without you -"

"But you wouldn't propose?" Kagome said shaking her head. "I don't get you Inuyasha! You give this speech about not letting me go how much you love and how you can't live without me but you didn't want to marry me?"

"You don't think I realised that?" Inuyasha said. "After you left me, all I thought was why we couldn't be together. I knew I should have proposed, but I couldn't because I had doubts in my heart. I thought that you were in love with Kouga, and it didn't seem right to propose just because I felt threatened. Would you have said yes if I had proposed back then?"

Kagome swallowed. Of course she would have yes! But…what he had said. It would have been wrong, she knew, because part of her would have yes to make sure Kikyo backed off for good.

"I don't think I could have," Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha nodded, as though he understood her. "I kissed Kikyo for one reason only: revenge. I thought of you and Kouga together enjoying candle light dinners and enjoying each others company. Kouga loves you – he made it clear when we met. I thought you were going to cheat on me with him because you sounded so mad before you left and you never called. I felt so guilty when I kissed Kikyo because I knew you would never cheat on me. I can't take back what I did, even though it was stupid and selfish."

"W-when Kouga kissed me, I…I didn't kiss him back, I swear," Kagome said. "He kissed me and I was so shocked. The moment he kissed me, I realised I wanted to be with you. I had to come back to Japan to be with you."

"Do you still want to be with me?"

Kagome gave a small nod. "But I can't. Inuyasha, I promised to marry Kouga. I can't leave him there waiting for me…it isn't right. I'm sorry Inuyasha, but maybe you are too late."

"No," Inuyasha said shaking his head as he moved towards Kagome. "No, I'm not too late! There's still time," he whispered. He stopped in front of Kagome and pulled her into a hug. "Kouga, he planned all this. He wanted us to break up so he could have you. He told me that you broke up with him because he was overprotective. I didn't want to seem controlling, so I pretended not to be jealous."

"B-but…I didn't know," Kagome said burying her face into Inuyasha's shoulder. "I thought you didn't care for me. Inuyasha, it's Kouga's nature to be overprotective. I broke up with him, not just because of his actions. I love you because you cared for me and protected me. Before you met Kouga, you acted like the Inuyasha who wanted me."

Inuyasha remained silent. "What are you going to do?" he whispered sadly. Don't reply, just let us stay like this. I want to stay like this forever. I don't want to let you go…

The bride pushed herself away from the hanyou. "I-I have to walk up that aisle, Inuyasha," Kagome said in a strangled voice. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," he murmured watching her walk out of the room, and out of his life.

Inuyasha watched from the shadows as the girl he loved walked up the aisle. It was too late to do anything. He told her his story and she made the choice to go to Kouga. Inuyasha felt a tear slip down his cheek.

Oh crap, I'm crying, he thought shaking his head as he wiped the tears. Kagome, please don't go through with this…please.

"Do you, Kouga Ookami, take Kagome Higurashi to be your bride?"

"I do," Kouga said, looking directly at Kagome.

"Do you, Kagome Higurashi, take Kouga Ookami to be your husband?"

Kagome opened her mouth, prepared to say "I do" but all she could think about was Inuyasha and what he had said to her. Kagome, he loves you. Inuyasha loves you. And you love him, not Kouga. You said it yourself, any human wants to love and be loved in return. Inuyasha is offering you the chance to be happy. Kouga manipulated your trust with each other so he could be with you. How can you be with him when you know that he ruined your once chance of happiness with Inuyasha?

"No," Kagome whispered stepping backwards.

"What?" Kouga gasped. "What?"

"No…I can't marry you Kouga," Kagome said licking her lips nervously. "I don't love you…"

"You love that mutt don't you?"

Kagome nodded. "You've been selfish Kouga. I love Inuyasha but you broke us apart. Didn't you even care how I felt? How Inuyasha felt?"

"Kagome, I -" Kouga made an attempt to grab Kagome but she shrugged him off.

Kagome shook her head and turned around. She blushed a bit as she saw all eyes on her, but she ran down the aisle and burst out the church doors.

"Inuyasha?" she shouted to the deserted car park.

"I'll always be by your side," a voice whispered into her right ear. Kagome turned and smiled at Inuyasha, who had followed her. Without a seconds thought, Kagome threw her arms around Inuyasha neck and pressed her lips against his lips. God, how she missed those lips.

After a while, Inuyasha pulled apart and dropped to his knees.

"Kagome? Will you marry me?" he asked.

Kagome smiled. Of course, there was only one answer to that question.

Author's Note: Finally, the story is over. And I am done posting it. Hope you enjoy the story. Please no flames!