Kagome nervously fidgeted with the edge of her kimono. She had chosen a simple black kimono that had light pink cherry blossoms floating down from the top to eventually pool on the bottom. It was simple, yet elegant. The light pink obi carefully tied around her waist only accentuated the romantic look that the blossoms exuded. She had tied her hair back in a twisted bun and had stuck a cherry blossom hair pin through it to hold it in place. Now, she stood anxiously at the base of the stairs, in front of a giant red torii gate, that led to the shrine.

She was about to start her date with Inuyasha.

The time between when he had asked her out, to this very moment, had gone by in the blink of an eye. Kagome had gone home and visited her family, she had dutifully helped out around the shrine, even donning the traditional Priestess outfit that her grandfather made her wear. Still, it was really good to go home. Souta had gown up so much now… He was studying hard for the university entrance exams which made Kagome remember how she had barely managed to scrape through. He worked so much harder than her… She was sure he was going to get into somewhere great, maybe even Tokyo University. Each day that she was there she stood in front of the big tree who's branches nearly scraped her window. Goshinboku. She felt so at peace there… She could feel some power well up inside of her, but it was always slightly out of reach. On her final day there she had rested the palm of her hand against Goshinboku and she could have sworn that she could feel the heartbeat of the tree, she could feel its life force stretching back centuries… To a time when demons reigned and small villages dotted the land. For the briefest of moments she felt that odd power within herself swell up and she was graced with a vision of the distant past… Of the tree surrounded by a thick forest, the sound of a village close by, and an elderly Priestess bending down to pick some remedial herbs… As soon as the vision had hit her, it was gone. It had happened so fast she couldn't be sure if it had been real, or if she simply had an overactive imagination. She stepped back from the ancient tree and bowed her head slightly in thanks.

She gulped as she made herself focus on what was happening right now, and not a vision she couldn't even be sure was real. She leaned her head back to look at the faintest glimmer of stars that she could be seen through the mass of city buildings that surrounded the shrine. The new and old merged together here, both gaining and loosing something in the process, which somehow made it uniquely beautiful.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

She turned to look at the man who had just appeared beside her. Inuyasha was looking up at the stars and he was dressed in an old red kimono, a rusty sword dangling form his waist, arms folded across his chest. He didn't have any shoes on and for the first time Kagome could really appreciate him for what, and who, he was. He was a half-demon, and in that outfit he shone in all his glory. It just fit him, he looked like he should never step out of it, like he should never wear modern day clothing. In that old red kimono, he simply looked at home.

She reached her hand out to tug on his baggy sleeve slightly, the material had an oddly unique texture that she couldn't quite place. When her eyes rose they met his and she was greeted with a smirk.

"It's the robe of the Fire Rat…" He trailed off, as if lost within her beauty as he took in her own ensemble for the night. "My Dad left it for me." He finished softly. His eyes traveled along her and a rosy blush rose to her cheeks. "You look…" She saw him visibly gulp, unable to finish his sentence, so she leaned forward, looped her arm through his, and laughed as she leaned into him.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. You do too." She felt him noticeably relax from her touch.

"Keh…" Was his only gruff response as he adjusted his arm so that he could now hold her hand instead. Kagome didn't look, but she was sure there was a lovely blush dotting his face as well.

An electrifying tingle passed between them and Kagome had to steady her heart.

"Well, shall we go?" She felt him nod in response as he began to walk. He tugged on her hand so she would follow. They walked in quiet, the thick crowd surrounding them seemed to fall to the wayside as they became the only two to inhabit this world, this space, this moment. The noise of festival stands in the background simply faded as the smell of their handcrafted food wafted in their direction. They were living in a world of aromas and sights, but the racket of the other people there melted away, leaving them in their own perfect universe. It almost felt as if they were back in time to when this old shrine was built, so very long ago.

When they reached the top of the stairs it felt like they were transported through a time warp as they were rudely shoved back into the present day. The crowd encroached upon them and Inuyasha pulled her closer against him so that they would not get separated. The feeling of his thumb absentmindedly rubbing the back of her hand made her shiver in delight as they wormed their way through the throng to buy some good luck shrine tokens. Kagome bought two while Inuyasha bought one. Kagome couldn't stop the huge smile on her face as they walked over to the board that was already bursting with peoples' wishes. It took them quiet a while of searching, but they finally found a spot where they could hang their wishes side by side. Kagome took a small black pen out of her purse and began to write.

I wish for my family's health and well-being for the year ahead.

She glanced up at him and noticed that he was staring at her and smirking. She elbowed him gently in the ribs.

"What do you think you're doing, huh? No peeking."

His laugh made her mentally loose it for a moment as she desperately wished to get to hear that laugh for the rest of her life.

"Ok, ok. No peeking." He lifted up his own token and shook it at her. "That means no peeking for you either."

Her defiant stare rose to meet his playfully smirk and she couldn't help but nod along and mutter out a quiet, "Yea, yea, I won't peak."

"Good." He huffed. He turned his back to her and pulled a pen from within his sleeve to write down his own wish. Kagome looked at him as he concentrated and felt a warm rush swirl up within her. She loved this man. She loved him so much… And there was only one more thing that she desperately wanted to wish for. She looked back down at her second token and carefully scrawled her wish.

When they had finished they were careful to cover their writing with their hand as they hung up the wishes next to each other, the sides of the wooden tokens gently banging against each other in the soft wind. They hung them up backwards, so that neither could peek at the wish hidden on the other side. Inuyasha grabbed her hand again, making the warmth within her spread up anew from her fingertips to the very core of her heart.

They walked away, never peeking, never knowing, that they had made the same wish.

I wish to make her happy, always.

I wish to make him happy, forever.

They walked side by side up to the front of the shrine. They tossed some money into the wooden case meant for prayer donations, clapped their hands together twice, bowed, and prayed. When they were done they began the walk to leave the shrine. It was late now, past midnight, and the cold night air caved in around them. She shivered and Inuyasha slung his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close to his body heat. Kagome looked down at his bare feet and noticed, not for the first time that night, how the cold and rough ground didn't affect him.

"No shoes?" She knew he could hear the smile in her voice.

"Keh, shoes are stupid. Restraining. I only wear them if I have to."

The hilt of his sword bumped against her hip and she thought of a much more exciting question to ask him. "So… What's with the sword?"

He was quiet for a minute, she had just about given up on getting an answer from him, when he replied. "It was made from my Dad's fang… I'm a half-demon, it helps to…" He looked down at her and she bent her head up so she could see his contemplative look as he tried to explain it to her. "It helps to calm my inner demon, the full-demon part of me can overtake me sometimes…"

It was quiet for a moment. They were walking down the long staircase again and the sound of crickets filled the night air. The crowds were starting to diminish now, so this moment was truly just the both of them walking through an ancient world, the same as it had been hundreds of years ago. The trees encroached upon their path and their branches arched over the old stone stairway. It was ethereal in its simple, natural, beauty.

"Has that ever happened before? Your demon taking over, I mean…" Her voice was soft but she knew he heard it.

His arm fell from her shoulders to encircle her waist, and Kagome decided she liked it there as his hand gently clenched the side of her hip. "…Yes…" She could hear the hesitation in his voice. He squeezed her a little tighter before continuing. "Once, when my Mom died… I was just so angry, and these demons were picking on me. I was so little, I couldn't defend myself… I transformed and those four kids ended up in the hospital for six weeks, even with their full-fledged demon healing." He sighed heavily and stopped walking. He released his grip on her and sat down on the cold stone step. Kagome followed suit, her gaze firmly locked upon his face. "It was lucky I didn't kill them. Sesshomaru stopped me just in time. When I'm… like that… I can't control myself, I don't even remember doing it. This fang…" He looked down at the sword and patted it warmly. "This keeps me in check. I'd have it with me all the time, but with all those stupid laws now I can't usually carry it around so easily."

Kagome couldn't help it, she felt a sudden need to touch the sword. She reached out and felt the worn scabbard against the palm of her hand. It looked old, beaten, and useless. But, she could sense the power emanating through it and she was suddenly rushed with the idea that this sword, this fang as Inuyasha had called it, must have a name. It deserved a name.

"What's it called?"

Inuyasha's face scrunched up, surprised and confused by her question. Yet, he answered her anyway. "Tessaiga."

"Tessaiga…" The name came out smooth and silky, as if she had always known it but lost it in a dream.

"How…" His stuttered statement broke her concentration from the sword as she returned to looking at him. "How did you know it had a name?" He looked so confused, it was simply adorable.

A warm smile spread across her face as she shrugged her shoulders and answered him earnestly. "I don't know."

She hesitated slightly before she leaned her head to rest on his shoulders. It just seemed to fit, they just seemed to fit, within the ancient atmosphere that surrounded them. The sounds of small creatures scuttling through the thick trees soothed her and she felt completely at peace. He moved his hand to rest gently on top of her knee and she thought that she could stay like that forever with the full moon shining down on them.

"Kagome…" His voice was slightly gruff, as if he was having a hard time getting the words out. "I never knew before… Not even with…"

Kikyo's name floated, unspoken, between them.

"Not even with her… I never knew before what it was like to have someone to protect."

The air between them became heated in that moment as Kagome's breath hitched.

"I need to protect you Kagome… I can't explain it." She dared to look up at him, but found him staring at the shiny moon above, his ears firmly fixed on her. "Its instinct, I guess."

She let his words hang there. She didn't need to respond to him. She simply leaned into his touch more and tightened her grip around his strong arm. Instinct… He instinctively wanted to protect her. She had shown him what it was to have someone that he needed to protect above all else. That thought sent chills through her that were not caused by the frosty air.

He stood up abruptly, almost making her fall in the process. She heard his laugh at the same time she saw his clawed hand reach to pull her up. As soon as she was standing up he smirked, a glint in his eyes.

"I wanna show you something."

Before she could even agree he had scooped her up into his arms, bridal style. She gasped as she felt a sudden rush of wind knock into her. With wide eyes she looked out in front of them… Inuyasha was sprinting from tree to tree, branch to branch, at lighting fast speeds. She felt her hands dig into his robe tighter, holding on to him more securely.

"I won't drop ya." His voice was reassuring and she felt her grip slightly lessen.

She controlled her breathing and turned to focus on him instead of the scenery that was turning into a blur around them. His eyes were firmly fixed on their path, but one furry ear was aimed at her.

This was him.

This was Inuyasha.

The speeding half-demon in the red Fire Rat robe.

At his core, this was who he was.

… Kagome loved it.

She wasn't even sure how, but she fell even more for him. Seeing him in his element, he truly came alive. He looked like he belonged sitting in the large branches of the Goshinboku tree. He looked like he belonged in an ancient painting of warriors from the Edo period. She moved her hands to wrap them around his neck instead, pulling her head up a bit to rest against his chest. She could smell his naturally woodsy scent and it forced her body into hyperdrive.

She loved this, the feel of the wind against her, his arms wrapped tightly around her, his scent enveloping her…

She utterly and completely loved him… and they hadn't even kissed yet.

When he finally stopped moving she was shaken from her thoughts as he gently lowered her feet down onto the rooftop where they had landed. More time had passed than she had realized and she could see a sprinkling of maroon light laced with orange appearing on the horizon. She turned to look back at him, wonder in her eyes.

"Will you watch the first sunrise of the year with me, Kagome?" His eyes looked somewhat unsure, as if she might turn him down. They both felt the pressure in this moment, the heightened tension that if she said yes, nothing would ever be the same again.

She took his hand in hers. "I'd like that."

His instant smile was heart-warming. He pulled on her hand and led her over to the side of the building. He sat down, legs dangling off the edge.

Kagome backed away slightly, dropping his hand and instantly regretting the loss of his touch. "Um…" Her eyes flashed to the ground that was so far beneath them and she couldn't help but feel a bubble of fear rise within her.

Inuyasha's smirk turned into a comforting smile as he held his clawed hand out again expectantly. "I won't let you fall." His golden eyes locked with hers and she could see the sincerity apparent there. "Trust me."

She did. She did trust him. Immediately, she reached out her hand to grab his and he pulled her towards him. She sat down, shaking slightly, as her own legs dangled over the precipice.

"Here." His gruff tone was pleasant to her ears as he pulled her closer to him, wrapping one arm securely around her waist.

The dark color of night floated away into an indescribable blue as the edges of the sun rose over the horizon, creating a mesmerizing melody of reds, oranges, and yellows. It all somehow mixed with the darkness receding overhead, making wisps of purple light flutter through the wonderful barrage of vibrant colors.

It was the New Year.

She turned to face him, her whole body feeling flushed from the utterly romantic sight before them and the intoxicating scent of his smell, and found him already intently looking at her. He reached a hand up and brushed a piece of stray hair gently behind her ear. His claws dragged lightly against her skin, making tingles spread like wildfire against her cheek. Her eyes were wide, staring into his, as his own searched hers. In a flicker, a resolved settled within their golden depths and she felt his hand gently cup the side of her face and pull her forward.

Kagome's breath hitched.

She could feel his breath against her face and she felt like her entire body went numb with anticipation.

Her eyes closed, with bated breath she waited.

She felt him angle her head ever-so-slightly upward…

His hand tightened around her knee, increasing the wonton need that had sprung up within her numb frame.

Then, finally, his lips pressed down upon hers and she floated up into a world of bliss. The pressure was gentle at first as she moved her lips experimentally against his own. She felt him sharply intake breath as her hand found its way to the back of his neck, pulling him in deeper.

The feel of the kiss, so innocent, was like a wildfire. It held love, protection, trust, and the insane possibility of more beneath its gentle touch.

When he pulled back he stayed with his forehead leaned against hers and she dared to open her eyes. His were still closed as he drew in heavy breaths. She felt his grip tighten around her again. The rising colors of the sunrise floated around the outskirts of her vision, mixing beautifully with the silver of his hair.

She leaned forward and kissed him again, a little unsure of herself until he heightened the kiss by flicking his tongue gently across her lips, begging for entrance. She happily obliged and melted as their tongues explored each other, twisting together as they cherished this new and exhilarating feeling.

They pulled away from each other, both slightly out of breath, as his husky golden eyes rose to meet hers. She saw a fang poke out above his lower lip and fleetingly wondered how he had not managed to accidentally hurt her with their sharp tips. She put her hand back in her lap just before he reached down to string his fingers through hers. The air was heated, unsaid words floated between them, begging to be released into the open air. She saw his mouth open once, twice, three times before he took a deep breath, met her eyes with fierce determination, and let loose the words that had been locked up inside his heart.

"I love you, Ka-Go-Me."

~ 3 years later ~

Kagome stood, effervescent, in her Priestess robes. She was waving goodbye to a small group of young girls who had just finished their spiritual training with her. After she had graduated, about six months after Inuyasha and her had shared their first kiss, she had nearly been in a deadly car accident. She had been driving her mother's vehicle to go and pick up some groceries when a car, on the other side of the street, veered out of control directly towards her.

Kagome did what came instinctually to her, not even realizing what had happened until it was done and the car that had once been careening towards her was somehow back in its proper lane, turned backwards, its driver looking severely confused.

Her hands were out in front of her. She had apparently hit her break and thrown out her hands and a weird blue light had shot out from her extended appendages. She had pulled her hands back towards her and just stared at them, amazed, and entirely confused. It wasn't until after a police report had been filed and she had gone home and explained the situation that her grandfather had dropped the box he had been holding, ran up to her, fell down onto his knees dramatically to take her hands into his, before announcing to her that she was a Miko, a Priestess, and that he couldn't be prouder of her.

She had no idea why it had taken so long for her powers to show up, that weird feeling she had always felt inside suddenly made sense as she realized what she was and what the power that had been locked up inside of her actually was. Eventually, after several long talks with Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango, they came to the conclusion that it only appeared because her life had been in direct danger. It was only with the fear for her life that her power had been able to erupt from within her. Without that… it probably would have always remained dormant.

To say that the discovery of her powers changed a lot would be an understatement. She now felt inexplicably tied to her family's shrine. Every time she thought about finding a job that she could use her degree for she felt a terrible pain inside herself. So, she had started a school for anyone with spiritual powers to teach them how to control and master them, something she was still learning herself. But, what she was most thankful for, was that the discovery of her powers didn't make Inuyasha shy away from her… If anything, it had only brought them closer. He supported her, trained with her, and they both only increased in strength because of it.

She was completely and utterly in love with Inuyasha. Thoughts of Koga were long gone, she now only wished him happiness. About a year after their breakup she had received an email from him. He had profusely apologized and told her that he had fallen in love with Ayame. He hated what he had done to her, and he was so sorry for doing what he did. He told her he had been so confused when his heart had started to split two ways… He hadn't known which path to follow. Ayame still refused to be with him, she felt like he had betrayed her… But, he promised Kagome, that he was working hard everyday to prove his love to Ayame and that he was going to marry that girl.

Another year later and she had received an overly fancy invitation in the mail for Koga and Ayame's wedding. On the back was a message sloppily scrawled in Koga's handwriting. Thank you Kagome, for everything you ever did for me. Ayame wanted me to send this to you, can you believe she finally said yes? She wanted to mend bridges, she felt bad ya know… Like she had hurt you even though she didn't know about us at the time. She's wonderful Kagome. You have now idea. Please, be happy for me. Like I'm happy for you with dog-breath. Kagome had texted him only once after that to which she was happy to never receive a response.

Kagome: {I'm happy for you Koga. Really. You two were meant to be with each other, we were just a hiccup. I'm sorry, I can't come to the wedding. We both know that would be a little more than weird. Please, tell Ayame that I am happy for you guys.}

She really was. When she had received the invitation she had simply been flooded by a wave of happiness for the couple. Between Koga's email and the hastily written note on the back of the invitation she could tell that he loved Ayame beyond words. Koga, overall, was a good guy and she was happy that he had managed to find something so wonderful with someone so presumably amazing.

The wind whistled through the limbs of the Goshinboku tree, making the leaves flutter and fall in response. They had changed to a beautiful red and orange hue, reminiscent of that first sunrise she had shared with Inuyasha. Her thoughts were broken by the soft sound of bare feet on dirt as Inuyasha approached her in his Fire Rat robe.

"It's beautiful." She whispered breathily.

He only nodded in response. His phone beeped and he pulled it out of his sleeve for a moment to check it before quickly putting it away again. "Miroku and Sango just got back from their honeymoon. They said we should meet them at their new place tomorrow, they have some news for us."

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed together as she contemplated what news her best friend could have for her before her look softened as she remembered the story of how Sango and Miroku got engaged.

The ever athletic couple, Miroku had taken Sango to climb up the face of Mt. Fuji. They started the climb late at night, making sure to get their souvenir walking stick embossed from the several different shops along the way. They reached the summit mere minutes before dawn. Sango had told Kagome that there was nothing like it. You could see the clouds below and above you, it was like you were standing on a floating island. She had stood in awe as they watched, hands intertwined, the sun peaking out over the mountain top. It was at that moment that Miroku had bent down on one knee and asked her, "Sango, my love, will you marry me?" He opened the ring box to reveal a sparkling diamond that glittered red, reflecting the blend of colors that inhabited the skyline.

Of course, Sango had immediately said yes.

Kagome smiled as the memory of Sango relying that night washed over her. She had never seen her friend so happy, except for her wedding day. Sango had simply shone in her beautiful dress. With a sudden urge she felt desperate to reunite with her and learn of the news the newlyweds had to share. She was about to turn when she felt Inuyasha gently grab her wrist to still her movements. She looked up at him only to see his gaze lost in the colors of Goshinboku.

"I feel out of time. Like, I should have existed long ago, in a different world." He leaned forward slightly to press the palm of his hand against the rough bark of the tree.

Kagome's eyes rose back up into the branches of Goshinboku. This tree must have seen so much as the centuries ticked ever forward. She smiled warmly and leaned against Inuyasha, loving the warmth his body gave.

"I know what you mean… I feel like that too, when I'm here…" Her voice trailed off and for several minutes all they could hear was the sound of birds chirping and the rustle of the leaves in the wind. He removed his hand from the bark and took her hand in his.

"Kagome?" She turned to look at him, his golden eyes now locked on her. His hand squeezed hers a bit tighter before he continued. "The only time I feel at home is when I'm with you." The intensity he held within his eyes was thrilling, it made her heart pound and his smirk told her that he had heard the sudden increase. "I love you… I can't deny…" Her eyes widened as she watched him steady himself for what he was going to say next. "I can't deny that you're my home." He let go of her hand and reached into the sleeve of the Fire Rat robe, removing a small black box. His eyes flickered up to hers nervously as he held the closed box out to her. "Kagome, will you marry me?"

Kagome thought she was going to faint.

Her hands were shaking and she could feel her heart beating erratically within her chest. Her eyes flew open to meet his, as if asking if this was real, before they darted back to the still unopened box within his hands.

Without thinking she simply jumped into his arms, making him drop the box so that he could catch her and make sure that they didn't fall onto the hard ground. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck before she lowered her feet back to the ground and grabbed the two long silver bunches of hair that hung over his shoulders to pull him gently into a kiss.

When their lips separated he looked up at her with a dazed expression as she released her tender hold on his hair. She stepped back, blushing madly, as she answered him. A giant smile plastered across her glowing face.

"Yes, Inuyasha. Of course I want to marry you!"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth he had his arms wrapped around her and was pulling her in for another loving kiss as her fingers instinctively reached up to rub his ears. The low growl of happiness that escaped him lit her nerves on fire and when they withdrew from each other there was heated passion in both of their eyes.

Inuyasha scoffed a bit as he let go of her. "Look what ya did, made me drop the ring." He teased her as he bent down to pick it up and lightly brush the dirt off of the box.

"Whoops." She gasped, only just now realizing that she had completely forgotten about the ring. After all, the ring didn't really matter. Inuyasha was what mattered. Their love was what mattered. The ring came behind all of that. Still, she felt a nervous flood of excitement as she watched him gingerly open the box with expectant eyes.

A giant diamond met her. If she had to guess, she would assume that it was about 2.5 carats. Smaller diamonds dotted the top of the band and it was beautifully reminiscent of stars in the sky at twilight. She looked up at him and wrapped him in her arms again. This is where she wanted to be, forever, with him.

The next day they got in Inuyasha's car to drive over to Sango and Miroku's new house. Her ring sparkled prettily on her finger, catching the rays of sunlight which only enhanced the already glistening diamonds. When they got there they walked in hand-in-hand, excited to tell their best friends their own news.

When they finally told Sango and Miroku, Kagome had been rushed by an extremely excited Sango. She was nearly overtaken as Sango barged into her, wrapped her arms around her, and squeezed her tight.

"I'm so happy for you Kagome!" Sango backed away, tears in her eyes, before she withdrew a step and grabbed Miroku's hand. His eyes flitted over nervously to his wife's before he nodded slightly. Sango took a deep breath and prepared herself to deliver their own news. "I'm so excited for you guys. Congregations, I knew it, I just knew you would end up together." Sango was beaming, glowing in a way Kagome had never seen before. "So, I guess its time for our news then. We found out on the honeymoon…" Sango placed her palm gently on her flat belly before her ebullient smile met them.

"I'm pregnant."

~ Author's Note ~

Well, that's the end! I really hope that everyone enjoyed it and that I wrapped up the ending nicely.

I have started a new Inuyasha fan fiction called "Letters". If you like my work please check out my profile page for other stories I have written on Inuyasha and Fairy Tail.

Please, review and let me know your thoughts on the final chapter (and overall story) of "Love in the Time of Tea". It took a long time to finish this story, but now that it's done I am so glad that I put in the effort to complete it after all this time.

I hope you enjoyed the journey just as much as I did.

~ FeudalAi