InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Bind a Soul ❯ Brides and Grooms ( Chapter 44 )

Chapter 44- The Wedding

Kagome winced and flattened her ears on top of her head when she heard the commotion downstairs. Inuyasha growled beside her and tightened his arms around her.

It was their wedding day, or at least their human wedding day.

Kagome glanced at her alarm clock.

6:30 a.m.

There was no way in all the seven hells Kagome was getting out of bed that early without a fight. With an evil glare at the clock, Kagome growled and buried herself deeper under the covers.

Souta's shouts of the indecency of wearing a tie still managed to reach Kagome's ears. She could hear her mother ordering the caterer around and her grandfather asking where breakfast was.

Kagome opened one eye and looked at the clock again.

6:31 a.m.

"DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!"

^_^

"Kagome's awake," noted Souta as he straightened his tie.

Asami nodded as she tried to fix Souta's hair. "I was wondering when she'd give up trying to go back to sleep."

^_^

"No way," Inuyasha replied calmly when presented with the tux he was to wear for the wedding.

Jii-chan sighed and shook his head in regret. This was bound to get messy.

"Excuse me?" replied Kagome.

Inuyasha shifted his weight uncomfortably before repeating his answer. "I said `no'."

"No?"

"No."

"Well," muttered Kagome, folding her arms and smiling to herself. "I guess I'll just have to convince you otherwise."

Inuyasha winced at his mate's tone. "I don't see why I have to wear that . . . that thing."

"You said the same thing about the school uniform," she replied.

"Yes, but I didn't have a choice in the matter."

"Same situation."

"No, no it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No."

Kagome's eyes narrowed and she glanced at the only witness to the argument. "Grandpa, would you excuse us for a second?"

Jii-chan knew that look and wisely complied with his granddaughter's wishes.

As the screen door shut behind the old man, Inuyasha was sincerely wishing he could have joined him. Kagome's pregnancy had left her somewhat more . . . violent and temperamental than usual.

"Have you changed your mind yet?" asked Kagome.

"I'm thinking about it."

"Think faster, I still have to get ready."

"Why do we have to do this again?"

Kagome sighed and dropped her head into her hands. "Why are you making this difficult Inuyasha? You had no objections to the wedding when we first decided to go through with it."

"It's not that," admitted Inuyasha.

"What is it, then?"

"It's that," he replied, pointing at the tux.

"You have to wear it, it's tradition."

Kagome could tell by her mate's slight frown that he was not ready to give in to her demands. Time for men, or woman's, best friend. The compromise.

"Tell you what," she began. "You do this for me, and I'll make it up to you tonight."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow curiously at Kagome's tone. "How?"

Kagome smiled. She had him just where she wanted him. "I guess you'll just have to find out for yourself."

With that, she stood and left the room, leaving a very confused hanyou. Jii-chan entered a minute later, looking blatantly for holes in the wall or blood on the floor. When he found neither, he looked carefully at Inuyasha.

"You've been had, haven't you?" he asked his soon to be grandson-in-law.

"Most definitely," replied Inuyasha.

^_^

Kagome settled herself into her room with her mother by her side, trying to decide how to best fix her daughter's hair. "What do you think, dear?" asked Asami.

"I think this entire day is going to be a mess."

Asami smothered a smile at her daughter's obvious distaste for the day to come. "It won't be that bad dear."

"Mama," replied Kagome. "I have no idea why I agreed to this. Inuyasha and I are already married by youkai tradition. Why on earth did I agree to a human marriage? These things cost money and time and patience, while a youkai marriage is much more . . . simpler."

"And enjoyable," added Asami.

Kagome blushed and resisted the urge to fan her face. "Mama."

Asami laughed as kissed her daughter on top of her head. "Don't worry about it dear. You may be part youkai, but you're part human too. Besides, you know it doesn't cost that much. It helps that your gown is an heirloom and the tux is a rental. Only twenty or so people are attending and only a quarter of them are friends so there won't be too much trouble with them, though I worry about your cousin spiking the punch bowl."

Kagome laughed and nodded in agreement with her mother. "Yes, I'll have to keep an eye out for him."

"Plus," continued Asami, "The wedding will start just before dinner time, so most of the guests will be cleared out in a few hours."

"Perhaps it won't be too hectic."

"Yes, and Inuyasha won't have to worry about keeping up that concealing spell all day for the both of you."

"I almost forgot about that."

"I'm not surprised," replied Asami, "You have been otherwise occupied."

"Mama, would you stop!" replied Kagome heatedly, trying to keep her blush to a minimum.

"Not until a snowball forms in hell."

"That's what I was afraid of."

^_^

Yuka silently led the group up the shrine steps to Kagome's house. They had decided unanimously to show up before the wedding to help out . . . and find out just what the hell had happened to their friend in all the weeks since she was suspended from school.

When Yuka had received an invitation the day before to Kagome's wedding, well, to say she had been a little shocked was an understatement. She must have spent two hours sitting at her kitchen table, staring at the invitation and trying to decide if it was real. By the time she had decided to call the other girls, Yuka and Ayame were already at her door, demanding to know if she had gotten the same invitation that they held in their hands.

Eri shook her head and looked at the invitation one more time. It couldn't be real, could it? Kagome was too young to be getting married. Despite it all, all three friends had decided to attend the `supposed' wedding.

Ayame paused when all three reached the top of the shrine stairs. Kagome's house lay ahead of them. "It's now or never," muttered Eri, still staring at the invitation.

All three girls nodded and stalked up to the house.

^_^

"Souta get the door!"

Eri could her Kagome yelling from upstairs. Her hands had begun to sweat. Why was she so nervous? Kagome was her friend; they had been friends since they were eight. Why was she nervous about seeing her friend?

Souta opened the door and a visible wince could be seen from the young boy. "Uh . . . you're early," he said uncertainly.

What was he supposed to do? Invite them in? Tell them to come back later? Go warn Kagome and Inuyasha? Or run?

The last option sounded very appealing. "Uh . . ."

Yuka could see Souta didn't know what to do with them. "We came to see if you needed any help with the wedding," she excused them.

"Oh . . . uh . . . you could, I guess . . . come into the kitchen and I'll go get my Mum."

The three girls nodded and kicked off their shoes before heading into the kitchen. Souta didn't need to tell them where it was.

Asami appeared in the kitchen within seconds. "Why, what a surprise, it's been a while since I've seen you girls. What have you been up to?"

"Just school," replied Ayame. "Is the invitation real?"

Asami had to smother a laugh at the girl's face. "Yes, it's real," she replied, smiling lightly.

"And you're allowing it?" asked Yuka.

"Why not?" she replied. "Inuyasha and Kagome are in love. There is no reason they shouldn't marry."

"I don't understand," replied Eri.

"Don't worry about it," said Asami. "They're happy, well they will be when the day is over. Things are a bit hectic now."

"Can we see Kagome?" asked Yuka.

Asami hesitated before answering. "Let me go see if she's ready and then I'll call you girls up. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen while you wait."

Kagome winced as she listened to the conversation. Inuyasha walked in a moment later and sat down next to her. "You're not suppose to be in here," said Kagome. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."

Inuyasha snorted at, to him, sounded like a ridiculous suspicion. "Too bad. What are ya gonna do about your friends?"

"You heard them, then?" asked Kagome.

"Kinda hard not too."

"I guess I'll just go down stairs and try to entertain them."

Inuyasha crossed his arms and shook his head. "Let them leave and come back when they're suppose to."

"Inuyasha," said Kagome with a bit of a smile. "I can't do that, they're my friends. I've known Yuka since I could walk."

"So?"

Kagome gave a short laugh before leaning against Inuyasha and wrapping her arms around him. Inuyasha sighed and buried his nose into her hair.

They jumped when Asami opened the door. "Well?" she asked her daughter, having no doubt Kagome had heard the entire conversation.

"Send them up."

Inuyasha growled but didn't move from his spot. "Inuyasha," Kagome said, her tone warning him not to do anything she would disapprove of.

He snorted and crossed him arms.

Yuka was the first to enter the room, closely followed by Eri and Ayame. Inuyasha quickly cast the concealing spell and then fled the room, opting for the pleasant aromas of the kitchen.

Quiet fell over Kagome's room as her three friends stared at her.

"Well," said Eri.

"What?" asked Kagome.

"Are you going to explain why you're getting married?"

Kagome sighed and shrugged. "Because I'm wildly in love with Inuyasha." Go with a reason that doesn't give away much.

"But why are you marrying so young?"

"Because I'm wildly in love with Inuyasha," Kagome repeated. Still a good answer.

"Are you pregnant?" asked Ayame.

Kagome went very still and looked down at her hands.

Oh, Fuck.

The thought had crossed Yuka and Eri's mind but neither of them had the courage to ask.

"You are, aren't you?" said Eri.

Kagome sighed and ran a hand through her hair, shifting her weight before settling back down into her chair with ease. "Yes, I am. But that wasn't the reason Inuyasha and I decided to get married."

All three of the girls stared at Kagome in shock. "I don't understand, Kagome," Yuka began. "You're not like that . . . you don't go around doing that stuff-"

"No, I don't," Kagome interrupted, a bit upset. "Inuyasha is the only person I've ever done any of that stuff with, hell, he's the only man I've ever kissed if you don't count my family. What I have with him is different. I love him, I really do. There is nothing stopping us from marrying. School isn't a problem anymore," Kagome smiled a bit at that thought, "My mother, obviously, doesn't have a problem with it," That made Kagome break out into a grin, "And it makes me happy." She finished with a sincere smile on her face. "And I am happy about the baby."

Any words they might have spoken froze in their throats. The three schoolgirls looked at their childhood friend in astonishment and perhaps a little awe. Yuka took in an unsteady breath at the revelation that while she and the girls had been gossiping about boys and doing things any normal teenager would do, Kagome had grown up. She wasn't a teenage schoolgirl anymore.

Kagome was silent as she watched her friends digest her words. Yuka looked inconsiderably pale and Eri was trying hard not to cry. Ayame, amazingly, sat there with an understanding written plain across face.

Asami entered the next moment carrying a tray of cookies and soda. She seemed oblivious to the girl's heavy faces as she passed out refreshments. "Lunch will be ready in just a few minutes dear," she told Kagome before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

Silence, again, settled into the room with a cumbersome medium. "Well," began Yuka, taking a sip from the soda, "Have you picked out any names?"

Kagome smiled before explaining to her friends just what she planned to name her children.