The Club

Christielea54

Chapter Eighteen

"Don't worry about that Sango, I'll clear it up."

"Thanks Kagome."

"No problem," she said as she began picking up empty coffee mugs. "Hey, you're graduating this year, right? Where do you plan on going to college?"

Sango seemed disheartened about the topic of conversation. "Local community college," she sighed. "It's not like I have anyone to pay for expensive tuition anymore…"

Kagome started. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for bringing it up, I didn't realize-"

"It's okay Kagome, really. Don't worry about me so- oomph!" Kagome had her in a hug in three seconds flat. She was just too caring sometimes.

"Guess what?" Kagome asked mischievously.

"Huh?"

"Miroku goes there," she mentioned slyly. Miroku and Sango acted like nothing was going on between them, well, except for Miroku's perverted comments, of course, but you could so tell that they were crushing on each other.

Sango smiled, totally oblivious to the implication. "At least I'll have someone to show me around. But what about you, you're not graduating until next year, right?"

"Yeah, actually my birthday's on Sunday! I'll be seventeen!"

Inuyasha's head popped up from behind the bar where he'd been dozing. Oh yeah, he thought. She'd mentioned that her birthday was coming up.

"Any big plans?" Sango asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Kagome replied.

Things had been kind of weird between Kagome and himself since their first big fight. Her birthday though, that could be the perfect way to make things go back to normal for Christ's sake! A party maybe? Besides, weren't girls supposed to like that kind of thing? He'd have to ask Miroku…

"Wow, it's getting late." Sango's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "I think I'll head home."

"I'll walk you! It's about time I visit Shippo anyways," she offered with a big smile.

"Thanks!" And the girls took off their black 'The Club' aprons, put on their jackets, and walked outside, chatting about what Inuyasha could only describe as Girl-Talk.

"You seem out of it tonight Inuyasha," Miroku observed after watching the girls leave from behind.

"Huh?" he replied, startled.

Miroku gave him a dry look. "See what I mean?"

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes. "Feh. Whatever. Look, Kagome just said that her seventeenth birthday was coming up and-"

Miroku cut him off. "She has to be eighteen to be legal," he said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped open. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Oh great, he'd pissed him off again. "That's not you meant?" he inquired innocently.

"NO!" he shouted.

"Oh…" and he shrugged his shoulders and went back to work.

"Hey! Come back here! I wanted to know what girls like for their birthday presents!"

Miroku turned back to him with a big grin on his face. This was almost as good!

"Well," he thought out loud. "Girls love clothes."

Inuyasha's face wrinkled up. "Clothes?"

"But you can't buy them any, because if they're not the perfect size you're screwed. Either it's too small and she'll complain about being fat, or it's too big and she'll complain about you thinking she's fat."

"Oh." This was all news to him.

"And girls love stuffed animals."

"Okay, I can do that."

"But it wouldn't be appropriate because you're not her boyfriend."

He just wanted to get her a god damn gift! Did it have to be so complicated?!

"Most of all…" he paused for dramatic effect, "they love jewelry. But that's too expensive for you."

"So what am I supposed to get her?!" he yelled frustrated.

"I don't know. Figure it out yourself."

Inuyasha could feel his eyebrow start to twitch. He was going to get back at Miroku one of these days! Anyways, maybe he should have just asked Sango?

So it was later that night, when he was up in his room, that he called her.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, it's Inuyasha," he said gruffly.

"Inuyasha? Is everything okay?" she asked worried. Why else would he be calling her? And this late at night too!

"Feh! Of course everything's alright." That was so like a girl to get all worried over nothing!

"Oh good! So what's up then?"

He paused for a little bit. "You know its Kagome's birthday soon, right?"

"Yeah, I do." She could feel herself start to smile. Was he going to do something sweet for Kagome?

"I don't have any freaking idea what to get her," he stated bluntly.

She thought for a moment. "I can't really tell you. It has to come from the heart. Besides, you've known her longer than I have."

What the hell? That was so cliché! "Oh," he said flatly.

"But if all else fails," she reminded him brightly, "you can always get her a gift certificate."

"A gift certificate, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks Sango."

"Anytime, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha rooted through the back of his closet Sunday morning with a scowl on his face. He'd been all ready to buy that gift certificate. He'd been standing in line at the mall, money out to pay for it, and everything.

And then he'd gotten this feeling. This damn feeling that said he could do better for her. Why was she so important anyways?

He sighed. That was a stupid question. He knew she was important to him. But that didn't mean he had to like it!

He found the small box he'd been looking for and pulled it out. All the bad feeling that had gathered all morning just evaporated as he saw what was inside. It had been so ling since he'd seen this! Nostalgia clouded his mind for a moment, before he pushed all the memories away. They were a lifetime ago.

It would look good on her.

Kagome bounced up to her room happily. Today was her birthday! Her family had taken her to her favorite restaurant, and she'd gotten just what she'd asked for. Including that cute new skirt at the mall she'd been eyeing. Sure Grandpa had also gotten her the ground up powder of a demons paw to ward off bad spirits… but it was the thought that counted, right?

The telephone rang. She answered it cheerfully. Could today possibly get any better? "Hello?"

"Hey Kagome," Inuyasha's voice came across the line.

"Hi!" Would he remember what today was? "What's up?"

"Could you come down to The Club?"

"But it's not open on Sun-"

"Right away."

"Is everything okay?"

"Just do it already!"

"But-" He'd hung up on her! She couldn't believe it! Was something so wrong with him that he needed her to come into work on her birthday! The big jerk! He was probably dragging her down there for nothing! She heaved a sigh and went downstairs for her bike.

She hurried into The Club. It wasn't like Inuyasha to be so… random! She opened the door, flipped on the lights, and-

"SURPRISE!"

She jumped back a few steps, startled, but then a huge smile broke out on her face. They'd thrown her a surprise party! She had been wrong earlier, today had just gotten a whole lot better!

Sango walked over and hugged her. "Happy seventeenth!"

"Thanks," she said as she hugged her back.

"Happy Birthday Kagome!"

"Thanks Miroku!"

He faked being hurt. "Don't I get a hug?"

"Stop harassing her!" Sango hissed.

Kagome laughed. They were so cute together!

Shippo ran up to her. "I thought you'd never get here Kagome! Happy happy happy birthday!"

He was so adorable! "Thank you much Shippo!"

He smiled proudly.

She looked around. "Where's Inuyasha?"

"Right here," he called. He was trying to come out of the storage room while balancing a cake with seventeen burning candles on it.

"Aw, you baked me a cake?"

"Yeah right," he snorted. " I… convinced… Sesshomaru to send it over."

"You mean black-mailed," she teased.

"Guess you could call it that," he said with a rare smile.

He set the cake down on the nearest table and started singing Happy Birthday to her. Soon everyone had joined in, and Shippo kept throwing cha-cha-chas into the song.

She blew out all the candles.

"What did you wish for Kagome?" Shippo asked curiously.

"If I told you it wouldn't come true," she explained.

"Oh. Okay. Here's my present."

She took it from his carefully outstretched hands. It was a small picture book, drawn by Shippo himself, about a cat named Kagome and a fox named Shippo that became best friends. She'd never seen anything half so adorable in her life! "Thank you Shippo! I'll keep it forever!"

Sango handed her a big basket with a card attached to the top. It read:

What every girl needs! Happy Birthday! With love from Sango

The basket turned out to be full of bath salts, soaps, and lotion.

"Thanks so much!"

Sango smiled. "Your welcome!"

Miroku dramatically handed over a small wrapped gift. It was a CD of one of her favorite bands. His card read:

I know how much you love this band so, Happy Birthday! Miroku P.S. If you ever change your mind, I'm still willing!

She looked up to see him smirking lecherously at her. She rolled her eyes at him. "Somehow I doubt that's going to happen, but thanks anyways Miroku."

"No problem Kagome."

She looked at them happily. "I had no idea you guys were going to do this for me! I don't know how to thank you enough!"

"Don't thank me," Sango said. "I would never have thought of this myself."

She turned to Miroku instead. He shook his head. "I only wish I could claim the credit," he said.

She then turned to see Inuyasha looking at her with a lopsided smile on his face.

"Inuyasha planned the whole thing!" Shippo piped up.

"Really?" she breathed. She felt such a wave of emotion pass through her then, that she was blinking back tears. He hadn't forgotten! And he'd thrown her a party on top of that! She didn't know why it was making her cry, but it was. The excitement and happiness of the whole day was catching up to her.

And seeing him look at her like that was sending funny feelings through her whole body.

"Yeah," he replied in a low voice. He pulled a small box out from his pocket. No ribbons, no bow. Just a box. "Happy Birthday Kagome."

Slowly, she lifted the lid off. Her eyes widened at what was inside. It was a simple silver chain with a small diamond teardrop on it. It was gorgeous.

"It's not worth all that much you know," he said quietly. "It was my mother's, and I'm not going to be wearing it or anything, so…"

When she looked back up at him, he could see that her eyes were brimming with tears. Feh! She was too emotional. But the next thing he knew, she had thrown her arms around his neck, and was whispering "Thank you!" into his shoulder. Her breath was really warm against his neck… He looked shocked at first, but then ever so slowly his arms circled her waist and hugged her back.

She was blushing when she let go. "Well," she said to her friends who were trying hard not to stare, and failing miserably. "Let's have some cake!"

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