I'm only slightly less dead than I was last time...


Of Eyes and Fangs

Chapter forty four


Shippo stuck around far longer than Hiei would have liked, but he tolerated the fox's presence… mostly. Kagome thought he was grumpy because he was tired, she remembered her mother explaining something like that, when her father slammed all the doors in the house after returning from work.

No door here, Hiei-san needs a nap. Kagome thought, squinting as a yawn threatened to spill out. She clamped her mouth shut tight, but Shippo-san still managed to catch her. Panic worked its way into her gut and she gulped, preparing herself to get yelled at.

Shippo-san smiled and patted her head. Oh. She'd forgotten he was nice. He wouldn't shout, he'd gotten her presents, after all. He even promised to help her read. No bad person would do that.

"Are you tired, Kagome-chan?" He grinned at her and she giggled at his twitching fox ears. When she nodded, Hiei pushed off the wall he'd been leaning against and didn't wait for her to stand before picking her up. Kagome let out another sleepy giggle as she waved goodbye to Shippo-san, who watched her go with a slack jaw and wide eyes. He did wave back though.

Kagome laid her head down on his shoulder, her little hands clutching the coarse fabric of Hiei's dress. It wasn't scratchy, it wasn't soft like her kosode either, and it smelled like when he burned stuff, almost like a campfire. Still, she squished her cheek up against it until they were inside her room.

Hiei set her down on the futon in her room. He didn't tuck her in, or sing her to sleep, but Kagome knew it was because her guardian thought she was a big girl. I am a big girl, she thought, more than a little proud.

Hiei looked at her strangely, but rested a hand on the crown of her head like he usually did when he was home in time for her bedtime. She leaned into his hand, it was warm like he was. "'Night, Hiei-san." She told him, snuggling into her blankets. It occurred to her that she'd forgotten to change into her sleep clothes… Oh well.

The yokai nodded and moved to leave the room. "Hiei-san, can Shippo-san come over tomorrow?" He paused in the doorway.

She thought he would say no, because it didn't look like Hiei-san liked her new friend very much, but he sighed again, and nodded. Hiei-san was nice, too. However, that was something Kagome had known from the start.

He did leave the room that time, muttering something she couldn't quite hear. With her guardian nearby, Kagome dropped her head down onto the bunched up cloth that was her pillow, and drifted off the second she closed her eyes.


Words: 456

Theme: Bed time

So, things have been hard lately. I think it'd be better to start accepting prompts, since it'd help me write much faster. I'm currently receiving prompts over at my tumblr page: kagomes-lover . tumblr . com

I check my tumblr regularly, so drop me a line anytime!

As always, thank you for your continued support. I would've given up a long time ago without you all.