A drabble for the LJ community IYfic Contest. The theme was "Pet Peeves."

Title: Sleepless Nights
Rating: K
Genre: general
Word Count: 235
Summary: Being a cute little kitsune has some unusual drawbacks.

Shippou woke abruptly, struggling to breathe. It took only a moment for him to realize what was going on. He groaned.

Not again.

He hadn't minded at first. It had even been somewhat comforting, snug and warm, secure in the crook of Kagome's arm when she occasionally pulled him close in her sleep, as if he were a child's doll. Back then, it hadn't happened very often. Lately, though, he'd learned to dread it.

The kitsune wriggled, trying to escape his suffocating prison without waking Kagome. She was squeezing him much too tightly. Her hair hung around him and tickled his nose. Besides, this close to the fire, it was too warm for comfort inside her sleeping bag, even if other circumstances had been ideal.

The girl murmured in her sleep and Shippou froze. She shifted slightly and he sighed as she rolled onto the edge of his tail, pinning him down. This was really the last straw. Tomorrow night, he would...

(space)

Shippou gave the nest of leaves he'd gathered an appraising look and smiled proudly. It would make a fine bed.

He was just about to settle in for the night when he was scooped up from behind. "Shippou-chan," Kagome said, "you've been looking tired lately. I think you'd better sleep on my pillow tonight. You'll be more comfortable there, after all." She beamed at him.

Shippou could only whimper softly in reply.