Convivial

By: The Hatter Theory

Hug Your Cat Day

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha

AN: Hug Your Cat Day was June 4th.

Update 3/4

Needing to get out of her room but not feeling up to facing crowds again, Kagome checked the apartment for Sesshoumaru. But as had been his habit in the past weeks, he was staying late at work. Picking one of her books from her shelf and walked downstairs.

Kirara was curled into a ball on the floor in front of the windows, and opened a lazy eye as Kagome sat on the couch, curling her legs beneath her and opening her book, flinching when she realized it was the volume of poetry Miroku had written. Sighing, she sat it down, knowing she would hear Sesshoumaru's voice reading it if she even tried.

The firecat mewled softly in response to her sigh, uncurling her body and jumping onto the couch with a solid thump. Kagome didn't push her away when she walked onto her lap, mewling softly and purring. Grateful for the solid comfort of the cat, she hugged it to her chest, slouching down onto the couch and rubbing her cheek against the soft fur.

"I wish I knew how to fix things," Kagome admitted softly. "I don't even know what I did wrong."

Kirara mewled softly, the peculiar sound nothing like a normal cat's but comforting nonetheless.

"I wish you could talk. I bet cats are smarter than other youkai."

There was a sound that Kagome knew to be agreement, although it seemed sad for it. Sighing again, Kagome looked outside as the sun. It was already beginning it's descent, shadows stretching across the apartment and over her as she slouched more and more.

"Maybe I should move. Maybe we'd be better friends if we weren't on top of each other all of the time," She said, considering the option. Kagome knew that if she didn't live with Sesshoumaru, she wouldn't notice him missing, wouldn't wonder when he was going to be home. And maybe the separation would be good for both of them, and give them time to lead their own lives more. Obviously something about her own was bothering him, and his recent shift had left her reeling.

With a start she realized that for once she wished he didn't work so much, and wondered if he had felt the same about her own obsessive schedule.

"I hate irony," Kagome muttered, giving up on sitting and laying down, curling around Kirara, who only mewled her agreement before beginning to purr. Kagome closed her eyes, listening to the soothing rumble. It wasn't the deep contented sound Sesshoumaru made when he was happy, but the difference made it easier to listen to as the apartment grew darker and darker.

She woke, a ball of warmth curled at her chest, when she felt something settling over her. Blinking sleepily, she looked up and saw the shadowy outline of Sesshoumaru. He was tucking a blanket around her.

"I'm sorry," She mumbled, not completely aware of being awake, or even of what she was saying, only that the sight of him inspired a guilt she couldn't fully comprehend. "I'm sorry for what I did."

He knelt down until his face was level with hers, no easy feat given his height.

"You did nothing wrong," He told her quietly.

"Do you want me to leave?"

He stopped, eyes widening. She didn't surprise him often, and the utterly arrested look on his face made quick work of banishing the lingering cobwebs, sweeping out the last of her sleepiness until she was alert.

And afraid.

"No," He finally said, schooling his expression. "I don't want you to leave."

"You've been staying away a lot more. And the fate thing, yesterday-" She trailed off unsure of what to say, but afraid to admit that she was, well, afraid. How was she supposed to tell him that it felt like her best friend was distancing himself, putting a wall between them that she didn't know the reason for and had no hope of surmounting without understanding?

Sesshoumaru said nothing, but he got up and shifted her easily, like a doll, and sat down, letting her lay her head in his lap. She shifted, pulling the blanket up further around her. Kirara had moved down her feet, purring quietly in her sleep.

"I've been an ass as of late, haven't I?"

"A little," She agreed.

He was quiet for a time, fingers threading through her hair. Though the contact was more intimate than anything they had shared before, even more than laying next to each other in bed, it was the first real contact they had shared in some time, so she allowed it, clung to it.

"Do you truly believe you can fight fate and circumstance?" He finally asked, just as she was beginning to drift back to sleep.

"We wouldn't be here if we couldn't," She reminded him sleepily. He made an agreeing sound as she shifted again, finally finding the perfect position. The sound turned into a rumble, the noise thrumming through her, deeper than Kirara's fur and as soothing as the circles his thumb made on her temple.