Work Text:
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the clearing, painting everything in warm hues of gold and orange. Kagome sat cross-legged on the grass, her textbook open but entirely ignored. Her gaze kept drifting to Inuyasha, who was perched against a tree, arms crossed and his usual scowl firmly in place.
“You’ve been staring at me for the past five minutes,” he snapped, one amber eye opening to glare at her.
Kagome didn’t flinch. Instead, she grinned. “I can’t help it. Your ears are just too cute.”
His ears twitched at her words, and his scowl deepened. “Cute? They’re not cute! They’re practical. Good for hearing danger.”
“They’re cute and practical,” Kagome teased.
He let out a low growl, shifting like he was about to get up and leave. “I don’t have time for this. If you’re not gonna study, we should get moving.”
“Wait, wait!” Kagome scrambled closer, her hands raised in mock surrender. “I’ll study after this, I promise. Can I just… touch them?”
Inuyasha stared at her like she’d grown another head. “What is wrong with you? Why would you want to do that?”
“Because they look so soft! Please?”
“No,” he said flatly, turning his face away.
“Aw, come on! Just once?” she pleaded, her tone wheedling.
“Don’t you have better things to do than mess with my ears?” he barked, blush creeping up his neck.
“Not really,” she replied cheerfully, inching closer.
Inuyasha groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “Fine! But only for a second, and if you yank on ‘em, you’re dead.”
Kagome clapped her hands together triumphantly before carefully reaching out. Her fingers brushed the edge of one ear, and Inuyasha flinched, his scowl deepening even as he sat still. She traced her fingers across the soft fur lightly, marveling at the texture.
“Wow, they’re softer than I thought,” she murmured, almost to herself.
“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” he muttered. His ears flicked involuntarily at her touch, and he growled again. “Stop messin’ around.”
“But they’re so fluffy!” Kagome exclaimed, her grin widening.
Inuyasha glared at her, ashamed at the warm stir in his stomach at her touch. “You’re lucky I don’t just drop you in the nearest river.”
Kagome giggled, withdrawing her hand. “Okay, okay. I’m done.” She paused, watching his ears twitch again, and couldn’t resist adding, “For now.”
“Keh,” he huffed, standing up abruptly and adjusting his sword at his hip. “Let’s go before you decide you wanna braid my hair next.”
Kagome stood too, laughing as she picked up her bag. “Now that you mention it…”
“Don’t even think about it,” he snapped, stomping ahead of her, though the tips of his ears were still a faint shade of pink.