A/N: To answer the question by lost my sanity, the third movie is not out. My friend got it off ebay, it's in Japanese, and I watched it. But, movie 3 is coming out in September, the 6th I think. I know I'll buy it, but I'm sure I'll only watch it in English once. I prefer to hear my lovely Kappei. (For those that don't know, Inu in Japanese, and boy, Kappei's voice is hot!)

And on another note: In this fic, let's pretend Miroku and Sango are NOT engaged...yet.

Chapter 3: Birthday Wishes

Sango was in a state of stress. She had to make sure everything went according to plan. After all, it was Kagome's big day.

Yesterday, she had casually asked Kagome about birthdays in her time. Kagome of course, oblivious to Sango's plan, had told her everything. About the cake, the decorations, the presents, everything. Sango had been all ears, trying to come up with some ideas on how to make Kagome's birthday special.

She had also given instructions to the rest of the group. Kaede and she were supposed to provide food. Miroku and Shippou were to provide decorations, and Inuyasha was going to distract Kagome. But when she told them of her plans, they were shocked that Kagome had not told them.

"What?" Shippou asked. "Kagome's got a birthday coming up? Why didn't she say anything?"

"I think she didn't want to burden us." Sango replied.

"How old isKagome-sama turning?" Miroku asked.

"Uh… judging by what I could find out…sixteen."

"We got to get her presents, don't we?" Asked the kitsune.

Sango nodded. "Of course. Get her something she would like. I'm not exactly sure what people in her time would give her for presents."

Miroku held a lecherous grin. "Ah…I think I like the idea of these 'presents'."

Sango and Inuyasha both glared. "Houshi-sama…!" Sango warned.

"Listen monk," Inuyasha warned. "You give her anything perverted, and you're DEAD, you got it?"

He nodded, but the grin did not leave his face. "Inuyasha, how could you think such a thing?"

"Easily." He growled in a warning.

"You all know what to do? Okay, positions go!" They all walked away to get started, But Sango held Inuyasha back. "Inuyasha, come here for a moment."

They both walked into the back of the hut. "What's up?" He asked.

"Inuyasha, you know why Kagome-chan didn't tell you about this, right?"

He looked at her puzzled. "Uh…no."

Sango sighed. "Well, it's because she was afraid you wouldn't care."

Inuyasha stared. "Wha-what?"

"Kagome-chan thought that you would just blow it off because of your obsession with finding Naraku and avenging Kikyou's death. She thought that it would just be best if you didn't know." Sango informed him.

Inuyasha felt a twinge of anger. "How…how can she think that? How can she think that I wouldn't care?"

"Well, there are sometimes when you act like you don't care at all about her. Especially when you go off to see Kikyou. She just…wonders sometimes about what you really think of her."

Kikyou again. Why does she get mad whenever I go see Kikyou? Inuyasha sighed. "I don't understand why she would think that, but I'll try to make it up to her. No, I will make it up to her."

He walked out of the hut, and looked up at the sky. I'll show her that I really do care. She'll see…she'll understand that I'm not like that. Tonight…tonight I can make it up to her.

Later on in the day, they were all inside Kaede's hut, enjoying the shade in the hot afternoon. Miroku whispered something in Sango's ear, and she nodded. She caught Inuyasha's eye and winked.

That's the signal. "Kagome…come with me for a moment." He said.

"H-huh?" She asked, wondering what had caused the change in his behavior all of a sudden.

"Just…come with me, please." Come on Kagome, we can't surprise you if you don't come.

She looked surprised at this order, but she nodded. "Okay." She followed him out of the hut.

When they were outside, he paused, as if listening for something. "What's going on?" Kagome asked.

"Well…I was thinking that since Sango and Miroku had such a big fight yesterday, they might need some time to make up. I mean…it's about time that the lecher learned to apologize." Please, buy it…

She didn't quite buy the lie. "Uh…Isn't Kaede and Shippou in there as well?"

Crap. "Well, I'm sure once they get the idea of what I'm doing, they'll leave as well."

Kagome thought over it for a second and then seemed to buy it. "All right. But what are we going to do while they make up or whatever?"

He crouched down. "I thought we could go for a little run."

She nodded. "All right then."

She climbed on his back and they began to run through the woods. "So, Kagome," Inuyasha asked. "Where were you today? You left for a while."

"Oh," She said, as if she didn't want to tell him the answer. "I was…thinking"

"About what?" The hanyou demanded.

"About whether I should go home today."

Great. And this is probably all your fault too. "Go home! Why? You just came back!"

Kagome sighed. "I know. I just…thought maybe I should head home today. Just for today."

This is where you get your answer… "Kagome, is there something going on today? Something important?"

She paused, but then she said, "No. I just feel like I need to be home."

So she wasn't going to tell you. Sango was right. "Kagome, if there is an important reason why you need to be home, you can tell me. You can tell me anything, you know that, right?"

"I-I know, Inuyasha, but trust me, it's nothing important."

He sighed. She's really not going to tell you. "All right, I see. Come on, We've gone far enough. We can probably go back now."

"Uh-huh." She said, leaning her head against his back. Somehow, in a way that he didn't know, that small gesture made Inuyasha happy.

By the time they got back to the village, it was dark. They walked back slowly to the hut, just in case Sango and the gang weren't ready. Inuyasha took a deep breath. Sango had better have done a good of a job as she said she would…Kagome better not want to go back after this.

"Well, come on." He said, taking Kagome's hand and leading her into the hut.

"Happy Birthday!" Everyone cried, as she entered the newly decorated hut. Shippou had made a few paper cranes, and hung them from the ceiling, While Miroku had used some old sutras to make paper chains.

Kagome gasped. "What's…what's all this?"

"We thought a birthday party is just what you needed." Sango replied, in her party kimono. But she couldn't tell from Kagome's face if she liked it or not. "Kagome-chan?" She asked. "Is it all right? Did we do it right?"

A tear rolled down Kagome's cheek. "Yes…Yes, this is great! I can't believe you guys…" She was lost in tears of happiness and appreciation.

"Kagome-chan…" Sango said, sliding her kimono into Kagome's arms. "I think you might want to change into this."

Kagome nodded, still smiling, and went to go change.

Inuyasha smiled. That went well…But I still need to give her my present…

"Kagome!" Shippou said. "We have food! Look, we have sweet rolls, rice balls, and even cooked fish!"

"Wow." Kagome said, back from changing into her kimono. "You guys really outdid yourselves. I can't believe that you…that you would go to all this trouble…"

"Don't start crying again." Inuyasha said, sitting a little ways away from the group. "After all, isn't this supposed to be your special day?"

Kagome smiled. Well, he's still his usual self, but at least he cared enough to help Sango-chan with her idea. But I highly doubt he'd be up to anything else in helping out besides distracting me.

"Presents!" Sango said, making Kagome drop her rice ball.

"P-presents?" She gaped. "You guys got me presents."

"Of course we did!" Shippou added, munching on a fish. "You didn't think we'd leave anything out, did you?"

"Well…uh…"

Kaede came up to Kagome first, handing her a small, leather bag. "This is a medicine bag." Kaede said. "It'll be useful for ye when ye are in need of a cure quickly."

Kagome opened it. Inside were all sorts of herbs, potions in little jars, and even a scroll listing ways to combine the herbs to make healing potions. "Wow, thanks, Kaede!" She replied, in awe.

Shippou came up next. He handed her a small necklace, with a black stone at the end of a cord. On the stone was a character carved like one on a sutra. "It's a protection seal." The kitsune explained. "Miroku helped me with it, because he wasn't allowed to give you a present."

"What?" Kagome asked, while everyone else glared at Miroku.

Sango explained. "We asked Houshi-sama what he was going to give you, but he decided to joke and gave a…uh…lecherous answer. Inuyasha told him that if he even thought about giving that to you, he would shove his monk's staff up a certain place so hard, not even his wind tunnel would be able to pry it out."

The monk in question sighed. "It was just a joke."

"Who cares?" The hanyou replied. "I told you, if you even thought about giving her something like that, you were dead, remember? Just be glad I let you off easy."

Sango came up last. Her present was wrapped in a cloth. "I found this last time I was at the village of the youkai slayers. I thought you might like it."

Kagome opened the cloth. Inside was a small, curved knife, perfect for when her bow was useless and an enemy was at close range. She gasped. "T-thank you…"

Everyone smiled at her happiness. At that moment, Kagome felt like she was going to cry again. Why are they all being so nice to me? Is my birthday really that big of a deal?

"Well, since we're done with that, let's eat!" Shippou said, grabbing for a sweet roll.

Kagome couldn't help but glance at Inuyasha. He was still sitting in the corner, acting like he wasn't there. Well, I should have known he wouldn't have cared enough about me to get me a present…

While they were eating, Sango reached over for one of the rice balls, at that exact moment, Miroku also reached for one. Their hands touched, and they looked at one another, staring for a second. Then, Sango jerked her hand away, blushing furiously. Miroku, on the other hand, just smiled to himself and helped himself to a rice ball. Kagome, who saw all of this, grinned. I always knew they liked each other…

Inuyasha stood up, and said, "Kagome, come with me." Like he had said earlier that day.

Now what? "Why?" She asked.

He didn't look like he wanted to answer. "I've…I've got something to show you."

The monk held a lecherous smile. "Ah…you have something to 'show' her Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha made a fist. "Say that again, and you're dead!" He looked back at Kagome. "Please…this is really important."

She sighed. "Fine." And left the hut. Without warning, he pulled her onto his back and took of in a direction completely opposite the way they usually go. Kagome looked around, she didn't know where they were.

"Inuyasha?" She asked. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He said, slowly descending into a thick of trees. Once she got of his back, he said, "Okay, close your eyes."

"What!" She demanded.

"Just do it!" He said.

Whatever. But do wonder where he's taking me. Once her eyes were shut, she felt him take her hand and guide her somewhere. He's…holding my hand! I really hope he doesn't look back here, because I feel like I'm blushing all over!

"Okay," Her hanyou said, stopping. "Open your eyes."

Kagome opened them. She gasped before looking back at Inuyasha. He smiled.

They were in a grove in the woods, but it was so beautiful that Kagome couldn't keep her mouth from being open. There was a waterfall over a small pool, a cherry tree with sakura falling down from it next to it. All round the water, many flowers grew. "I-Inu…yasha?" She asked, looking at him.

He grinned, nudging her forward. "Happy Birthday, Kagome."

She slowly walked through the flowers, towards the waterfall. She placed her hand in it and felt the water flowing down. She looked at her reflection in the pool, with sakura petals floating in the water. "Inuyasha…" She asked, turning around. "Is this…is this supposed to be my birthday present?

He was holding something behind his back. "Well, this…and," He held up a small bouquet of flowers. "This."

Kagome took them, her eyes shining. "Flowers?"

Inuyasha blushed. "Well…Sango said girls like them. I mean, you like this…don't you?"

"Of course!" She replied. She looked up at the sky. "Look, a shooting star!" She closed her eyes to make a wish. I want to wish something about Inuyasha and me…but that would be selfish. Even if it's my birthday…these flowers and this place already make up for any wish I could have asked for. So…I wish that we could beat Naraku…Please…let us beat Naraku.

When she opened her eyes, Inuyasha was also looking up at the sky. "Hey, another one!" He pointed out.

Kagome immediately closed her eyes. Okay…since I get two wishes…then I wish what I already said…and…I wish…I just wish…that maybe…someday, I might know…what Inuyasha really feels for me. If anyone is listening…then it would be nice if…he actually turned out to like me.

Kagome took a deep breath, inhaling the scents from all the flowers, and hoping that one day, her wishes might come true.

A/N: Okay, got a bit o fluffiness in. This story is mainly fluff anyway, but there is going to be some action sooner or later. But right now, let us rejoice in the fluff!