A/N: Just a reminder that I'm still open to ideas for the 30th chapter

A Pat

It all started like so many things with Kagome - pretty innocently. almost too easy to miss and not pay attention to. She had this way of making things and actions appear so normal, so natural, that he was lulled into missing the first hints that stuff was shifting.

There was no way to dispute it - Kagome was most certainly a touching person. She hugged Shippou way too often, she linked arms with Sango on the road she even let that idiot Kouga to grab her hands from time to time. She just liked to paw at things in general. It was easy to get accustomed to that trait of hers.

She even touched him. At first he had expected that to be a ploy, a way to weasel her way under his guard to hurt him later. Then, when he'd realized that her intentions had been not as sinister, he had been blown away by the realization that this weird girl actually wanted to touch a half-breed and thought nothing of that. To her he wasn't a tainted abomination. He wasn't sure, what exactly he was for her, but of this he was sure – she didn't shy away fro pawing at him.

It started small. A brush of a hand when they walked side by side, a pat on a shoulder when he did something for hr, a quick rub of his ear when she teased him. When she handed him his bowl, she often held his hand, as if to steady his grip. She found a thousand and one reasons to touch him and secretly he was welcoming that with a humbled heart - commuting each time she did so to his memory. In time he learned not to tense up when she reached for him, not t fuss when she played with his ears or hair.

. So, really, it was no wonder that this day his guard was as low as it could be.

"Yay!" Kagome exclaimed when a lizard youkai got hit by his wind scar. "We won!"

Inuyasha smirked, but remained in a lowered, battle stance, Tessaiga raised. His golden eyes never left the sight of the youkai dissolving in his attack. Kagome walked towards him, her hand reaching out…

"Good job, Inuyasha!" she praised and patted his ass.

With a yip or shock the hanyou jerked to stand straight, his ears stiffening in shock when the slim hand of his favorite miko made contact with his behind. The tip of his sword, raised a moment ago, now dug in the dirt in front of him.

"Kagome!" he practically squeaked and whirled on his feet to face her. A fierce hot blush covered his face and his eyes were ridiculously wide as he stared at the girl.

She smiled at him, her eyes full of mischief. She dared him to say something.

"You… You you…" he sputtered and pointed a finger at her. "You spend too much time around Miroku!" he finally managed.

To his horror she arranged hr hands in a very Miroku-like manner. He was sure that he wasn't remotely prepared for whatever she was about to say.

"If you wish, you can pat me too," she offered and the mental image almost caused him to lose his footing. That was when he saw a bushy tail sticking out from under her tail stopped wagging as if it sensed his gaze on it.

"Uh, oh," the girl took a step back.

"Shippou, you brat!" he roared in indignation as he gave chase after the kitsune, who ran off with laughter and shrieks for help while losing the form of the miko. "I'll tear your tail out of your ass!" he promised darkly, but with some relief.

He wasn't sure he was ready for the real Kagome to… Even thinking about that made his face heat up again. Better to focus on the fleeing fox.