Well, this is it! The epilogue – finally! I'm sorry this took longer than the other chapters, but I've been busy with school and…stuff. Hope you like!

An Acceptable Time

Epilogue

It was a dark, lonely night. Nighttime creatures could be heard occasionally over the howling of the wind through the trees of the Forest of Inuyasha. The forest's namesake, solitary figure clad in red, sat at the base of the Goshinboku.

'Damn…I really hate being human.' He stopped himself at the thought. 'No, I guess that isn't true. I hate being weak. Being human ain't so bad – after all, the pervert houshi, the taiji-ya, and Kagome are all human.' The now-human boy stretched his arms over his head, noting with satisfaction that the he could now crack his back without pain. His yokai blood had caused the deep lashes across his back and abdomen to all but disappear. Still, if it hadn't been for Kagome's protection and bandaging, he likely would've bled to death or become dinner for a roving yokai before the sutras' effect completed. 'Kagome…'

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Not far away, the object of his thoughts was inside Kaede's hut. She carefully ladled hot ramen into two bowls, then stood to leave. Despite the fact that the group had only been back at the village for a day and a half, they had quickly become bored. Everyone but Kagome and Inuyasha had jumped at the chance to help Kaede assist in caring for the victims of a small influenza epidemic that was sweeping through the village. As Kagome carefully walked to the Goshinboku, balancing the two full bowls of ramen, she thought over the events of the past few days.

'Inuyasha…he's been so distant, ever since we got back. I'm sure he meant everything he said, but still…it would be nice to hear him say he loves me again.' She giggled. 'He's so shy, kinda like…like a little puppy!'

"Oi, whatcha laughin' at?" A gruff voice brought her out of her reverie.

"You." Came the reply.

Inuyasha looked up, startled – only to see a bowl of ramen and a pair of chopsticks being held out to him by a girl with love and amusement dancing in her chocolate brown eyes. "Keh…"

Kagome sat down beside the hanyo-turned-human, their knees barely touching, and delved into her own bowl of ramen. She carefully twirled the long noodles around her chopsticks, bringing them thoughtfully up to her mouth. After eating only five noodles in this manner, she got the odd feeling that she was being watched.

Sure enough, the boy next to her was staring at her with a look of awe and fascination that made her blush. The full bowl was on the ground in front of him, completely ignored. "…Inuyasha?" She asked.

It was Inuyasha's turn to blush. Quickly picking up the bowl, he consumed the entire meal in the amount of time it took Kagome to eat two noodles. He glanced over at the girl next to him to ask for more ramen, but the words died in his mouth when he realized that she was freezing. Out of instinct, he shrugged off his haori and draped it over her shoulders. "Keh…why are you out here? You'll catch cold." He turned away to hide a light blush when he realized how close they were. His face turned as red as his haori when the time-traveling miko reached over and placed a hand on his knee.

"I came out here to be with you." The couple's eyes met, and Kagome continued nervously, "I…I didn't want you to be alone. Even in the forest. Especially in the forest, I mean; there are plenty of yokai who live in here…" She placed her half-empty ramen bowl on the ground and twiddled her thumbs.

Inuyasha smirked. "You're rambling." He pulled her into a loose embrace, which caused his face to change colors again. "Tell me, Kagome. Tell me what's the matter."

"Well, it's just…you've been so…so distant, ever since that night." Neither needed to be told which night was in question. "Did I do something wrong? Did I offend you somehow?"

Inuyasha turned his gaze downward to the girl in his arms, and smiled; not one of his trademark smirks, but a true, genuine smile. "Kagome…I'm sorry. I really am. It's just…keh, you know I'm not good with this emotional stuff. It comes so easy when I'm human, and…well, honestly, it scares me. I don't see how you people do it." He could feel Kagome's smile through the cloth of his white undershirt. "But when I'm in hanyo form, my emotions just feel different. Most of 'em aren't as strong, so they're easier to deal with. But…my feelings – for you, I mean – they don't go away. Kagome," he cut her off, feeling her pull away slightly to respond to his comments, "Please, please give me some time to sort myself out. You've already healed my heart so much…"

Kagome's own heart fluttered crazily as Inuyasha reached out a non-clawed hand and embraced her cheek. She covered his hand with her own, intertwining their fingers but never letting her gaze drop from Inuyasha's unusually-colored eyes. She loved those eyes. In hanyo form they were an amber-honey color that she absolutely adored; but now – as on every new moon night – they were a curiously dark color that appeared brown, purple, or deep midnight blue depending on the light. 'I'll have to take him back to my world sometime when he's human; I wonder what color his eyes really are. It's so hard to tell when I've never seen them in proper lighting.' "Inuyasha…I love you."

The human hanyo at the receiving end of this romantic declaration felt his heart skip a beat. He had no doubt she meant it – heck, he had no doubt she had meant it when she said it two nights ago – but it still took his breath away to hear her say it. If only he could respond…he slowly rubbed his thumb – the only finger not held in her grasp – across her smooth, pale cheek. "Kagome…how could someone as perfect as you fall in love with a filthy half-breed like me?" He let his hand drop and looked away, ashamed despite himself.

To his shock, Kagome gave him a light slap across the cheek. It was far lighter than the slaps that Sango gave Miroku, but it stung his human skin enough to get his attention. His eyes met the deadly glare of an angry miko.

"How dare you?" She seethed. "I happen to love this hanyo, and I will not – I repeat, not – allow ANYONE to insult him!" Her glare softened into a sad smile, and her free hand caressed the injured cheek. "It hurts me when he's injured, inside or out – especially by his own hand. Besides," she allowed her hand to fall onto the stunned boy's shoulder, gently caressing the beads around his neck, "I'm far from perfect. Both yesterday and today, I woke up almost believing that our night on the island was a dream – a terrifying one at the beginning, but a dream nonetheless – but somehow, I knew it was real."

"Did you want it to be a dream?" There was no self-pity in his voice; only genuine curiosity.

Kagome smiled gently and took one of Inuyasha's hands. "No…I think I'll keep this one as a memory."

The two sat in silence for a while, hand in hand, watching the stars that shone all the clearer for lack of a moon. Time itself seemed to stop as the lovers reveled in each other's presence and the beauty of nature – two things that they so often took advantage of. The spell was broken when Inuyasha shifted slightly to look Kagome in the eye. "…Kagome?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you realize exactly what it means to be a yokai's bride?"

Kagome stared back, stunned. 'Now, where on earth did that come from?' "Well…no, I can't honestly say I do. Why?"

Inuyasha sighed dejectedly. "It's a life no one would want. It's like that houshi said; only a fool would ever choose a life with a yokai." 'And you deserve better...'

Despite the fact that the boy next to her was now human, Kagome could clearly imagine how his puppy ears would be laid back after such a statement. Softly – but loud enough for his human hearing – she whispered, "Your mother did. And I think you and I will both agree that she was no fool."

Inuyasha whipped his head back around in shock, sending a wave of black hair through Kagome's face. "Ho…how would you know? You never met her!"

Kagome brushed an abundance of black hair – Inuyasha's and her own – out of her face. "No, but I've met you! I know you don't talk about her often, but you don't have to. I know the pain of losing a parent, and how much it hurts to talk about it…"

"Keh…" It was a weak acknowledgement, but an acknowledgement nonetheless.

"…but I can see her in you."

Inuyasha stared at her in awe, those mysteriously dark eyes of his silently begging her to continue.

"It's obvious that she taught you manners; even under that tough exterior, you still have a sense of how to behave in certain situations. She gave you her pride; it shows in the way you fold your arms and stick your nose in the air when you're avoiding a question, and in how you hold Tetsusaiga when you're going into battle. She gave you her looks – well, on moonless nights, anyways – so I can imagine she was a very beautiful woman." She glanced away slightly to hide her blush. "And most of all, Inuyasha, she gave you her heart. You may not act like it all the time, but it's obvious that you care for all of us – even Shippo. You're willing to risk your life to keep us safe. I'm not saying that your father wouldn't have done the same thing, but…just look at Sesshomaru. If it weren't for your human side, who's to say you wouldn't have turned out just like him?" Kagome paused to compose herself, then wrapped her arms back around the human hanyo next to her. "I may not know exactly what happens to a yokai's bride, but I'd be willing to risk whatever stigma is involved if it meant I could be with you. I just want you to know that…that even if everyone else in the world hated you – and believe me, that's not the case – I would stay by your side. After all," she laughed, "I promised you, didn't I?"

Inuyasha responded with a small chuckle of his own, and placed his own arm around Kagome. "Yeah, you did…and I'm holdin' ya to it." He stood, pulling Kagome with him, and gathered up their bowls and chopsticks in one deft motion. "Come on, before we freeze out here."

Kagome smiled as she followed him towards the hut. 'He sure has changed; he just admitted that the cold might be affecting him.'

"Oi, Kagome?"

"Inuyasha?"

"…Arigato. For everythin'."

"It's no problem…"

"That ramen wasn't as burnt as normal tonight." The boy smirked and dodged a fist from a vengeful – but amused – miko.

'Such a puppy,' Kagome thought, smiling secretly.

'Thanks, mom; I finally found someone who accepts me for who I am. Are you sure you didn't have something to do with that well?' Inuyasha decided not to follow that train of thought. One thing that Kagome had neglected to mention was his mother's sense of humor – a trait which Inuyasha knew all to well. He wouldn't put it past her to arrange a magic well just to make her only son happy. Knowing her, she probably would. She was a lot like Kagome in that way. Always taking care of him…even when he didn't know he needed it.

Both of them would always be there for him – one on Earth and one in Heaven – whenever he was ready to sort out his feelings. Inuyasha had finally found an acceptable time to be himself. 'And I'll stay that way…just for you two…'cause I love you too much to change.'

Well, I'm happy with this! I hope I didn't make Inuyasha too mushy…though love does strange things to us all. I couldn't resist bringing Inuyasha's mother into this; there is a saying that men fall in love with women who remind them of their mothers, and I like to think it holds true in Inuyasha's case.

Kudos to my faithful reviewers:

Alternative Angel: Arigato! You were my first reviewer…ever! I am eternally grateful for your support and reviews. (Does a happy dance) ARIGATO!!

Dark Kitten Saki: Arigato for your two reviews! One of the reasons I was able to get the epilogue up at all was because of your encouragement.

Island Heart: I hope this story lived up to your expectations of Kagome as a nurse. Thanks for reading!

LolliBear06: Arigato for adding this story to your alerts! The knowledge that people will be informed the very minute I publish something helps me keep my quality up. Sorry that the other members of the Inu-Tachi weren't included very much.