Normally, I do not write one-shots. I'm a long-plot kind of girl. BUT, one of my darling readers (as well as friend) on FF has had a birthday. Since I don't know where she lives or even what to give her (if I did), I've decided to write a one-shot as a birthday gift.

And so, here is an official shout-out: Happy Birthday, Kyra! (Rainbow-Sunned-Spirit). This is for you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. I do wish that Sesshoumaru owned me, though. *dreamy sigh*

Raining Heart

There was a comfortable aura in Kagome's room. Moonlight filtered in through the window and the soft pit-pat of rain echoed on the roof. Her lamp was off, mostly due to the fact that the house had lost power during the storm. It had died down half an hour before, and now it was just raining.

Droplets of silver cascaded down the glass of the window, drifting downward until they joined together and grew big enough to fall. Trees swayed gently from the cool breezes, softly kissed by the wet drops that landed on their leaves. The hands on Kagome's clock ticked endlessly, inching toward midnight. The small space was peaceful and silent, aside from nature's audible ministrations.

Chocolate brown eyes fixed on the ceiling, wide and thoughtful. Energy coursed through Kagome's veins, making it near impossible to sleep. Tomorrow was a big day in her life, and while it opened many doors to the future in her modern world, it only made her nervous. Well, to be technical, it wasn't tomorrow. It was in only five minutes.

Kagome glanced sideways at the clock, which looked almost as if it knew her thoughts, ticking ominously as if reminding her of her impending age. Yes, in only five minutes she would be sixteen. In only five minutes it would be officially one year since she had fallen through a well which had changed her life forever. In only five minutes, she would be past the half-way point of being a teenager.

Sixteen.

It echoed in her head like the ticking of the clock, pulsing and throbbing until she was almost sure she would get a headache. Kagome sighed heavily, sitting up in her bed with her arms supporting her weight as she looked around. Ebony hair fell in silky tendrils around her heart-shaped face, lips parted as she breathed in deeply. The soft tapping on the roof would normally have been soothing, but right at that moment it only served to echo the throbbing in her head.

The young miko sighed heavily, pulling her legs off the edge of the bed. She walked quietly to her desk, opening a drawer to retrieve her stash of pain pills for such an occasion. Kagome silently popped one in her mouth before lifting her water bottle to her mouth to follow.

She glanced at the clock warily, only to cringe upon seeing her remaining time. Four minutes. There was only four minutes left until she parted with this age. For an odd reason, Kagome didn't feel any different. So many people told her that when she turned sixteen, she would feel different, if not more grown. It was played-out to be a huge deal in her era, so if it was, then why couldn't she feel any changes in her body taking place?

Yes, only four minutes until her birthday as well as the anniversary of when she met Inuyasha.

Inuyasha.

The name caused an unexplained flutter in her stomach. It had been almost a whole year since she had fallen down that well, releasing the hanyou from the spell that had frozen him to the Tree of Ages. Over the period of time that they had spent together in the past year, they had met friends, foes, and a whole lot of adventure. Kagome had experienced things at the age of fifteen that 99% of girls would never get to see or feel. She had been kidnapped, shot, thrown, held, and even had killed monsters the size of an airplane if not bigger. But the biggest achievement, she knew, had been falling in love.

Inuyasha.

Though the half-demon had his share of flaws – which, in all honesty, was quite a long list – he also had his positive qualities. When he wasn't being a jerk, he tended to show his human side a lot more than he preferred. She could see his face clearly in her head as she thought of him, standing with the Tesusaiga in his hands and a smirk on his lips. Snowy white hair billowed around his figure, honey-golden eyes set with a determination that she had grown to adore.

Kagome could almost hear his voice; it was just as clear as her vision though slightly irritated. She furrowed her brow, trying to understand why he would sound annoyed. The sharp knocking on her window made her jump, whirling around to view what was the source of the noise.

There he crouched on her window sill, drenched and flustered as he waited for her to open the barrier. He glared at her, his bottom lip trembling slightly. Kagome flew at the window, wrenching it open.

"Inuyasha! Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were there!"

The hanyou scoffed, jumping through her window in haste and landing on the soft carpet. She shoved the window closed, disabling the rain from entering the confines of the warmth in her room. She turned her back to it, eyes darting to the figure on her floor. He shook his body violently, flicking water around him. Kagome let out a yelp of surprise as a few drops landed on her, chilled against her warm skin.

"Inuyasha, don't do that! Here, I'll get you a towel."

He stopped grudgingly, restraining his natural canine instinct as she left the room and returned with a towel in her hands. Kagome shut the door behind her, covering the distance between them to crouch down to his level. She sighed heavily, draping the towel over his head.

"What on earth are you doing here?"

The half-demon watched her warily as she scrubbed at his hair, tendrils sticking to his wet skin. The moonlight streaming onto the floor sent flickers across his dripping head, causing the locks to almost gleam silver.

"I heard that your birthday is coming up, and I just wanted to see if you were still living."

Kagome couldn't restrain the smile that curved her lips, "Birthdays aren't death-warrants, Inuyasha."

He arched an eyebrow, answering with a smirk of his own.

"Yeah, you're right. If they were, that old hag, Kaede, would be deep in the ground by now."

Kagome glared at him playfully, pulling the towel off of his head to place it on his shoulders.

"Don't talk like that about Lady Kaede! She is a very sweet priestess."

"That may be, but sweet only goes so far when they begin to smell like rotten shoes."

The miko lightly smacked his shoulder, shaking her head. She left the damp towel on his back.

"Well, your short trip is in vein. I'm perfectly fine."

She stood up slowly, the swirling emotions in her eyes betraying her. Kagome looked toward her bed, making sure he couldn't see anything. Unfortunately, Inuyasha could practically smell her discomfort.

"You're such a bad liar, Kagome. What's wrong?"

The priestess didn't answer him, instead walking the short distance to her bed. She sat down quietly on the edge, breathing in evenly. Inuyasha raised to his feet, eyes following her every movement. After a moment he followed, sitting down beside her on the bed.

"Kagome, seriously, what's wrong? I didn't mean to get your carpet wet…"

Kagome shook her head slowly, "No, that's not it."

"Then what is it? Look, if it's about the whole 'aging' thing, I can promise you that you don't look like an old hag. At least, not as bad as the Kaede wench."

The miko couldn't help but smile at his still playful remarks, and when she met his eyes the emotion in them thoroughly surprised her. He looked genuinely concerned. Inuyasha, the half-demon who supposedly didn't care about anything, looked truly concerned about whatever her petty worries were. Upon seeing this, Kagome found it hard to deny him an answer.

"No, that's not it, either. I just…I'm a little…worried."

He stayed silent – for once – with topaz eyes that begged her to continue. She chanced one last look at the clock, and she could feel her heart pounding in rhythm with the ticking hand. One minute. It proved easier to focus when she looked at the rain, so Kagome turned to staring out the window while she explained.

"I met you and everyone in the Feudal Era when I turned fifteen. This past year, a lot has happened. I guess…I guess I'm just afraid that the changes that will come with my new age will take effect in the Feudal Era. I don't want anything to change."

She was met with an equal silence, and for a moment she feared that he might think her a complete idiot. Her thoughts fell quiet, though, the moment his voice reached her ears.

"You moron," Well, 'moron' was pretty close, "How could you think something like that? Kagome, it wouldn't have made a difference at what age we met. Your body might change as you age, sure, but what is deep inside of you…"

Inuyasha paused, as if trying to think of how to word something right.

"…well, what is deep inside of you will never change! Everybody cares about you because of who you are on the inside. I can't promise you that things won't change as the years pass, and I can't tell you that people won't change. But you…a heart like yours lasts for eternity."

His words were like soothing balm, rubbing away all of her worries and thoughts over the past hour or two. Yes, Inuyasha had a long list of flaws. Out of all of them, though, he was honest. When he believed something or thought something, he was always more than willing to share it verbally. Kagome could see the conviction in his eyes, affirming that his words were spoken sincerely.

"Thank you…Inuyasha."

He blinked, before a slight blush graced his cheeks. Kagome stared at him in bewilderment.

"Don't thank me. I'm just saying what I see."

The miko smiled, eyes now lit amusement, "Well, you know what I see?"

"How on earth would I know?"

Kagome stayed silent, until after a moment his eyes met hers in curiosity. She could feel her heart stutter erratically as he stared back at her, white tendrils sticking to his skin and ears twitching at the slightest sound. He was truly a sight, and she knew that no matter how much time she would spend with him, nothing could compare to what it was like to simply be with him. Maybe that was why she had stayed with him so many months ago, even though her heart had splintered with the pain of realization that he still loved another.

She had given her heart blindly a year ago, and no matter how much pain she had gone through, it was still unwavering. But wasn't that what love was? It was blind, though filled with a feeling incomparable. It was addictive, and anything was worth being risked even for a taste of it. Inuyasha had become more than a companion or comrade. He was an addiction. She couldn't bear to part with him, even if it meant having her heart broken over and over again.

That was what she had slowly begun to realize that day at the well. And that was why she had stayed by his side. Inuyasha was as much a part of her as air was now, and the idea of never seeing him again made her soul ache. Whether he realized it or not, she couldn't leave him now even if she wanted to.

"I see someone who is more than just a half-demon. Inuyasha, my heart may be perfect the way it is to you, but you are perfect just the way you are to me."

The hanyou stared at her for a moment, eyes widened in surprise. After a moment they softened, and the emotion in them startled her to no end.

"Kagome…I…"

His voice drifted, as if he couldn't even find the words he wished for. After not even a few seconds, the emotion fled his face and he blushed faintly, looking away. Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, eyes fixed on her desk.

"You should…you should get some sleep. Your mother probably has some sort of party ready for you tomorrow."

Kagome paused for a moment before she nodded, crawling back under the blankets she had abandoned previously. She snuggled into the softness, eyes fluttering closed. His presence was like incense, a soothing aura that enveloped her and caused her to grow sleepy. Kagome yawned quietly, raven hair pooling around her face on the pillow.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. Good…night…"

She could already feel consciousness leaving her, and a faint blush flooded her cheeks as she fell deep into the velvet arms of sleep. Inuyasha waited for a moment until he heard her breathing deepen. He reached out, almost hesitantly, his fingers lightly brushing the hair from her forehead.

He could feel his pulse race, her scent filling the room.

"Sweet dreams, Kagome. Happy Birthday."