Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Inuyasha or any of it's characters, I also am not making any money from this fanwork.

Cat Burglars Should Wear Black.

There was something seductive about slipping through a building in the middle of the night. Unseen and unheard. Passing invisibly under the watchful eyes of a security camera. There was something dangerous about it, exhilarating.

But then, The Koma Bandit, as the press had so announced, thrived on danger. On the challenge. Better leave your doors unlocked and your possessions out in the open, because he only wants what he has to work for.

And oh was he going to have to work for this little pretty. It was a book. A rare book. The only left of it's kind.

He'd stalked it for months, waiting. Biding his time. And now here he was, slipping silently through dark hallways of the Library, climbing over the high bookcases, trying not to snicker at the image below him of innocent little children sleeping in the isles. A few whispering by flashlight.

All unaware of the cat burglar that prowled above their heads. Growing ever closer to his quarry.

The term made him laugh as he finally came upon the door that barred all from the rarest books on the grounds, his tails swishing in anticipation of picking this lock.

Cat burglar. As if he could have ever been something so frivolous and haughty as a feline. Such lazy creatures.

Picking the lock was an exceedingly simple task though, as was searching out his prize; the library's defenses woefully inadequate in face of the master thief. But that wasn't why he'd chosen this stage to sit his heist. It was the elementary school children having their lock down in the building that whispered of such a delicious challenge.

It was the lone little girl he could hear approaching down the silent hallway, the patter of her bared feet and the innocent swing of her flashlight as she searched out a bathroom in the winding, labyrinthine hallways that made this worth it.

He waited in his doorway until she was close. Neither approaching nor hiding from the winding sweep of her light; he so hoped she would notice him. Make this fun.

Daring escapes were so much more exciting when you actually had something to run from.

And to his immense pleasure, she did. Calling out softly, hesitantly in the darkness. "I need to go to the bathroom." Her voice was sleepy and imploring. Soft and young and oh so adorable.

She'd obvious awakened for this quest; her nightgown rumpled on her tiny body, and her hair tangled; a lopsided side-ponytail swaying limply as she turned her head.

He stepped forward with a smile on his face as he bent down slightly to offer her his hand, in his other the book he'd come for.

"I'll show you the way." He purred, smiling brightly at the girl when she accepted the proffered appendage without hesitation.

"Thank you, Mr..."

"Shippou." He told her, his smile softening when she rubbed at her drooping eyelids, taking the opportunity to swing her up into his arms and carry her against his hip. "You can just call me Shi-chan though, little one."

"'m Rin." She mumbled, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting her head fall into the crook of his neck as his steady gait carried them toward her destination.

He hadn't been expecting the girl to be so adorably trusting of his presence, and immediately disregarded his plan of frightening her into sounding an alarm. He'd always had a soft spot for children, after all, and instead found himself overcome by the urge to take her back to bed and tuck her in as she stepped back out of the pitch-black bathroom and lifted her arms in a wordless request for him to carry her again.

And he did so, without question. "'m tired, Shi-chan."

"As you should be, little one, it's very late."

He could feel her gaze on him, bright hazel eyes taking in the image of his profile."How'd your hair get so long and red? It's very pretty."

He turned slightly to look at her in reply, and flicked her bangs out of her sleepy eyes with one clawed hand. "It's because I'm Youkai." he told her with a smile, loving the way her eyes widened and her expression turned luminous with curiosity.

"Really?" she asked in awe, petting the long strands of his hair and pulling at his lips so she could get a better view of his pointed canines. "Are you kitty-cat?"

He endured her probing with good-natured patience; admitting silently to himself that the little thing was growing on him, even though she'd accused him of being a cat. "No," he laughed. "I'm a fox spirit."

It was then that he set her on her feet, to her back the door that lead to the rest of her classmates, and crouched down low on his paws so he could look her in the eye. "And I have a gift for you."

Shippou spun his hand around in the air, pulling a spinning top out of the nothingness, and she squealed in joy, watching in rapt attention as he showed her how it spun, before placing it in her hand.

And with that, he was standing back up to his full height, saluting her with his prized book and taking off down the hallway. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight Shi-chan!"

The Koma Bandit laughed as he disappeared.

Note: Hello Hello everyone! Welcome to my newest drabble set. I know this opening chapter is slightly longer than my norm, but please don't get your hopes up; the rest will be a normal drabble length.