A Thousand Days With You - AutumnBanks - InuYasha (2024)

Chapter 1: Kagome-sensei

Chapter Text

"Megumi-kun," Kagome says with a sigh, "you can't go around beating up people. At the very least, not to that extent. Some restraint would go a long way." She leans forward on the desk, her hands clasped together. The rest of the students have long since gone home and it should just be her and Megumi-kun here at the school.

"Why shouldn't I stand up for those that cannot help themselves?" he mutters, with a frown on his face. Megumi stares out the window. His short, spikey black hair completes his brooding posture. "Wasn't taught to hold back for anyone or anything." His hands move into some gesture.

Is he making a gang sign or is it some weird stretching form?

A black dog emerges from Megumi-kun's shadow, followed by a white dog. Kagome grits her teeth. These dogs feel different from the monsters she encountered on her way to work this morning.

Calmer. Not bloodthirsty.

They rest their muzzles on Megumi-kun's lap. His fingers twitch ever so slightly. If it were another teacher, they would be none the wiser. Hell, they wouldn't have even noticed Megumi-kun making that weird gesture, but one thing is for certain, Megumi-kun can sense these dogs. They came from his shadow to boot.

Did he summon them? Is that why he moved his hands the way he did?

Kagome leans back in the chair and brushes her hair back with her hand. "When you say not to hold back for anything, do you mean those dogs by your side or the other creatures?"

His attention snaps to hers like a bowstring. "You can see them?" Now he openly pets the dogs at his side. "But how? I don't sense any cursed energy coming from you."

"I don't know anything about cursed energy, but I know with power comes responsibility." She levels him with a look. The kind of look she used to give to Shippo-chan when he would play pranks on the villagers. "Am I upset that you defended those students from their bullies? No. That's not why you are in trouble." She pauses. "At least not with me. The issue is that those students had to be hospitalized."

"Serves them right. They won't mess with Tsumiki and her friends again."

Kagome sighs. This kid is nothing but a big ball of negative energy. Could have something to do with that... what did he call it? Cursed energy? "Megumi-kun, you can't say you want to protect the weak and then hospitalize them. A part of being strong is knowing when to hold back." Kagome leans forward and lowers her voice. "Next time, just knock them out and be done with it. There's no need to make their injuries so extensive they have to get treatment at the hospital."

Megumi blinks. "Higurashi-sensei, you're strange." He chuckles and then seizes up. His body straightens like a rod as if the thought of laughing is forbidden. "Fine. I won't go that far in the future. Can I go now?"

"Nope," she replies just as cheekily. "I want to meet this person who told you not to hold back. Your father?" She turns away and logs into the computer. Megumi-kun is not actually her student, but all the teachers are afraid of him. Which is just ridiculous. He may be stronger than most, but he is still a student and needs just as much attention as the others. Even if he is pricklier than most.

"I'll call him," Megumi grumbles. "And he's not my father." He reaches into his pocket and starts speaking to the person on the other line.

Kagome's hand hovers over the mouse. Who knew Megumi-kun could be so agreeable? She puts the computer on sleep mode and brainstorms how she wants to tackle this when Megumi-kun's guardian - not father - shows up. These fights are nothing new. From what she has been told, Megumi-kun has been fighting other students for years now.

She has only been at this school for a little over three months now. Perhaps his guardian is more of a handful than Megumi-kun is. The other teachers practically begged her to talk to him instead of them.

The white dog moves away from Megumi's side and comes around the desk. Kagome tilts her head. Its ears are pointed forward, its tail is down, and its fur is relaxed. There is a red upside-down triangle in the middle of its forehead. Its yellow eyes stare at her. Kagome reaches out a hand and pats the dog on the head.

So soft.

"He'll be right here..."

"That's good. This shouldn't take much longer." Kagome smiles as she continues to pat the white dog's head. The black dog makes a noise of disgust in the back of its' throat and shoves the other dog's head out of the way. "Oh, you two are just some big puppies," she coos.

"Oi! Megumi!," a voice yells out.

Kagome stiffens. The energy radiating from this person is monstrous. Oppressive. Her own powers rise, but she quickly stuffs it back down. A fight is not what she needs, not when she asked Megumi-kun to bring this person here so they can discuss Megumi-kun not fighting.

If she picks a fight with this person just because their energy keeps trying to rile hers up, then she'll look like a hypocrite.

"Ah, you must be Megumi-kun's guardian. I'm Higurashi Kagome." Kagome stands and walks around the desk. She nearly falters. This man is tall, like freakishly so. His white hair is as pure as snow. If she didn't know any better, she'd think him a demon with how otherworldly his hair color is. Not to mention the raw, undeniable power he is radiating.

Also, who wears sunglasses indoors?

"Satoru Gojo," he quips, shaking her hand. There's a sting. She sucks in a shaky breath. Is this man looking for a fight? Her heartbeat is pounding so loud it feels like her bones are shaking. Kagome glances at Megumi-kun, who looks disgusted by the exchange.

How odd.

Kagome pulls her hand back and laughs it off. "Thank you for getting here so fast on such short notice." She walks around the desk and motions for Gojo to take a seat. The two dogs do not stray from her side. It's hard to tell what Gojo is thinking or looking with those dark glasses on his face.

"I was in the area." Gojo leans towards Megumi, who leans further away. If Megumi-kun leans any further, he'll fall out of the chair. "Who'd he beat up this time?"

Kagome presses her lips into a firm, disapproving line. The dogs nuzzle her arm. "Are you the one that told Megumi-kun not to hold back?" She also doubts he was just in the area. Even if he were down the street, it should have taken him far longer to arrive than he did.

"Why should he hold back?"

"Because he's stronger, much stronger, than the students he put in the hospital." Kagome empathizes the students, hoping Gojo-san has some empathy within him.

"She can see my divine dogs," Megumi interjects to which Gojo's lips curve into a smile.

"No sh*t? I've been trying to get a read on her, but even my eyes aren't sure what to make of her."

The two go back and forth as if she is not there. As if this is not a parent student meeting about Megumi-kun's behavior. Kagome clears her throat. She is not the one that should be up for discussion.

"Back to the matter at hand. Megumi-kun has promised to show some restraint in the future. We can't risk another incident like this." The or else hangs between them like a string. Fragile. The principal wants to expel Megumi and some parents want to take their kids out of the school because of Megumi's aggressive ways.

Not that Kagome blames the parents, and the principal has a responsibility for the safety of all the students, but...she'd hate for Megumi-kun to get expelled when they can just get to the root of the problem.

"f*ck that. Holding back can get him killed." Gojo waves a hand in the air and gags.

"I doubt holding back against normal humans will get Megumi-kun killed." This man is insufferable. "Like I explained to Megumi-kun, a part of being strong is knowing when to hold back."

Gojo quirks a brow. His powers rise and spread out throughout the room like a blanket. Kagome is over this man's sh*t. This time, she allows her own to flow freely. Gojo sits up straighter. There's a flush to his face that wasn't there before.

Crap. She didn't think it would hurt him. She let out just enough to warn him to back down. At least she thought she let out a small amount.

"Gojo-san," she starts. He holds up a hand.

"Satoru, just call me Satoru." His voice drops to a low baritone.

"You're disgusting," Megumi says, getting out of his chair to call his dogs back to his side.

Kagome furrows her brow. Did she miss something? Judging from the looks Megumi and Gojo- no, Satoru are sharing, she did.

"You know, it's weird that there are no curses in this school," Satoru says with a drawl. "I'd like to think it's because Megumi is here, but a school this size should have lots of them festering about."

"Curses? Is that what you call them?" Kagome worries her bottom lip. How much information is too much information? The man does not seem agitated by her refusal to be backed down into submission. If anything, he seems damn near giddy at the exchange. "Hmm, it could be because of the barrier I put up in the morning."

"Barrier?" His glasses slide down and striking blue peeks behind the lens. "That was you?"

She nods, hesitantly. "Students come to school to learn, so they can make something of themselves when they get out in the real world. Every student deserves to have a wonderful experience when they come here, so when I saw those monsters hanging off their backs and sucking their energy away, I had to do something."

"Normally a veil stops people from seeing what is going on inside, or prevents people from leaving, but yours does not do that. How strange."

"It's a barrier, not a veil. A barrier to keep the curses away. They typically burn away the moment the students step foot on the grounds." She shrugs. It's not that impressive. If Miroku could have lived to this time, he could do it too.

"How strong are these curses?" The man scoots his chair closer to the desk. His grin is wide, practically dripping with joy.

Kagome looks to Megumi for assistance, but the dark-haired boy is more interested in giving his dogs belly rubs.

"I'm not sure?" Kagome swallows. Why does she get the feeling she is walking into something she really does not want to get involved in? "Is there a grading level to curses?"

Satoru giggles. "You know, Kagome, I'm a teacher myself. Megumi here will go to Jujutsu High after this."

"No."

"No?" He frowns. "You don't even know what I was gonna say."

"Probably something about getting me to join this sketchy high school." Kagome stands, wipes her hands on her black pencil skirt, and holds out a hand towards the door. It's overdue for them to leave so she can head over to the shrine. She promised gramps she would stop by after work and help sort through the inventory.

Gramps is forever picking up stuff he has no business collecting. Like those weird, grotesque fingers. If anyone were to raid that shed, well, they would think gramps was into some cult like activities.

"There's other students out there like Megumi that could use someone like you at the school," Satoru says, standing up.

Kagome nods her head in acknowledgment. She is sure there are other kids out there, like Megumi, that have far more abilities than their peers. Her shoulder brushes against Satoru. His hand wraps around her wrist, stopping her in her place.

"What are you doing?" She whispers, not sure if she needs to defend herself or not.

"How did you touch me?"

"You're touching me." She jerks her wrist free. This man has lost his mind, and he expects her to believe that he is a teacher too?

"No. No. I meant earlier." He shakes his hand and puts his hands up in a surrender pose. "Touch me." He says one thing, but his lips curve into a downright sinful smirk.

Kagome looks up at the ceiling and counts to three. Why is she even entertaining this? She places a hand on his chest. The dark material of his work uniform is softer than it looks. "Are you happy now?"

"Not sure yet."

Megumi walks over to them. "You shouldn't be able to touch him is what he's leaving out." Megumi holds out a hand, but it never reaches Satoru.

Kagome blinks. Looks at her hand still firmly on Satoru's chest and then back to Megumi's hand that doesn't reach Satoru.

These two are playing a trick on her. Kagome takes her hand off of Satoru and instead wraps a hand around Megumi's outstretched arm and tugs it forward, but no matter how much she tugs, his hand does not touch Satoru.

Is it because she is a priestess or is it because she is the Shikon priestess?

"Why don't we pretend like none of this has happened and Megumi-kun keeps his promise to take it easy on the other students from now on?"

"What? No way." Satoru throws an arm around her. "At least come check out of the school and let me know what you think. I promise the school can pay you way more than what they are paying you here."

"I don't work here for the money." She and Sota are well off thanks to the shrine and the investments their mother made for them. Kagome works here because sowing into the lives of others is far more fulfilling than working a normal cubicle job.

"Your talent is wasted here. There are other students like Megumi-kun who could really use someone like you around. They are struggling. Some of them might not understand why they are different from the other kids around them. Some of them may come from families that don't have the same powers they do. I'm not saying you have to commit to it, but at least check it out, because it would make a difference for them."

Damn it. Why did he have to go and phrase it like that?

Kagome sighs. Damn her stupid big heart, always getting her into situations and her equally stupid big mouth. She should have pretended to not know about Megumi-kun's dogs.

"So, it's like a kitsune school?" Kagome ducks out from under his arms and goes to retrieve her bag. Guess they are all walking out together since Satoru is so dang insistent.

"Uh... yeah?" Satoru takes her bag from her, ignoring her noise of protest. "I can just warp us all there. Be faster and all."

"So, you weren't nearby." Megumi crosses his arms. His dogs slink back into his shadow as quickly as they came.

Satoru ignores the comment and reaches out a hand for Kagome to take. "You ever teleport, Kagome?"

Megumi takes a hold of her other hand and lets out a loud sigh, clearly exasperated by the whole situation.

"Just once," she replies, right before the school disappears and her feet touch the ground of somewhere new. Kagome blinks. Where the hell was the warning? Her stomach churns.

"Eh, can you teleport too?" He lets go of her hand and bends down so his face is closer than it should be.

"No, but I was with someone that could."

"With them? Or with, with them?"

"With them?"

"Why didn't you drop me off at home?" Megumi mutters, stalking away. "Gonna be sick to my stomach."

Now that Kagome knows who Megumi-kun's guardian is, she understands why he is so angry. This Satoru is a lot to handle. He has no sense of personal space and just does whatever he wants. It could be because of the power he wields.

"So, where are they now? Could use some more sorcerers on the field," Satoru says, bringing her attention back to him.

"Not in this world."

"Sorry, I didn't know they were dead." Satoru grimaces.

"I never said they were dead." Kagome tries to take her bag back, but Satoru dodges her attempts. Instead, he places a hand on her lower back and ushers her forward. This school feels more like a university campus than a high school.

"Not dead, but not in this world."

"Something like that." Kagome bites her tongue. Stop saying stuff! The last thing she needs to do is let it slip about the demon realm. They walk until they come to a group of students sparring. Kagome places a hand over her brow to block out the sun. Is that a panda fighting?

She pinches herself. Nope, this is definitely still the human realm.

"Yep, he's a student too," Satoru answers. "C'mon I haven't shown you the dorm rooms yet."

So, this is like a university then.

"Do the students have to live on site to attend?"

"Yeah, builds community, and it is safer here on campus. There is a barrier in place, so if any curses try to get in, then an alarm will go off. Can't say the students would have that security back at home. Some of them can't go back because their clan sucks, others might come from a family that isn't a part of the jujutsu world, and some of them may have been rescued from mental institutes."

"That's really sad," she mutters as she tries to keep up with his long strides. Her heels are noisy on the hardwood floors. If she had known she'd be doing so much walking today, she would have opted for flats. "So, as Megumi's guardian and the teacher of this school, are you the guardian for the rest of the students?"

"Oh, no." He laughs, slowing his pace down to match hers. "Megumi is a special case. I took him and Tsumiki in." He continues to show her around the campus, which really should not be this huge. At this rate, her legs will give out before she reaches the third step at the shrine.

Sesshomaru and Inu would give her so much sh*t if they saw how lazy she has become in the modern world. Maybe she should take some time off and visit them in the demon realm. Get back to being around danger and hone her body again. She flexes her fingers at her sides. Her spiritual powers are fine, stronger even, but her body has forgotten what it is like to walk from village to village in a day's time.

"Alright, have you made up your mind yet?" Satoru asks, once they reach the end of the steps. He takes his sunglasses off and lets them hang from his jacket.

Her breath hitches. Why is he hot?

Kagome takes a step back. Distance between them is what she needs, but Satoru is keen on invading her personal space. "I'll think about it. I'm not sure what I can do here since I don't have this cursed energy you all have."

"Doesn't matter. Whatever you have can take out curses, and that's good enough." He wets his lips as his eyes dart to hers. "How about I give you the weekend to think it over?" He's closer now. His cologne is rich, warm, and far too intoxicating than it should be.

"That's reasonable," she amends. She'll just make an impromptu trip to see Inu and Sesshomaru. They might have some advice on the situation. Though on second thought, they'll more likely to try to convince her as to why she should cut all human ties and stay there with them instead. "I guess I'll see you at the school on Monday?" This time, Satoru hands her bag over, though his hand lingers on hers.

He sends another sharp jab at her. Her powers send another jab back in warning. The smile he blesses her with should be illegal. Does he like it when she zaps him? Her brows furrow together. She sends another tentative zap and his whole buddy shudders.

Ookay, guess he does like it.

Past experience tells her she should run away now, but her feet stay frozen to the ground. Even if she were to run now, she has no idea where they are. Heck, are they even still in Tokyo? Kagome wrestles with herself. She's probably going to regret this.

"I might need a crash course over this whole curse business."

His smile grows bigger, so big she can make out his dimples. His blue eyes are glowing with mischief. She really, really should walk away and put this encounter behind her.

"Don't worry, Gome-chan, I'll break ya in."

Chapter 2: Field Missions

Chapter Text

"We're going to assess your level so we can assign you a grade," Satoru says, stretching his arms out. He went out and got a couple of curses for Kagome to exorcise. Normally he'd do a field mission and observe, but Kagome is a special case. He spent pretty much all last night browsing through the Gojo library for any information on barriers. None of the books he skimmed detailed the barrier Kagome put up at that school.

"I'm being graded? I thought I wasn't a student. Am I going to be tested, too?" Kagome tightens her fingers around her bow. Her long black hair is pulled into a high ponytail, showing off the curves of her neck and bringing more attention to her high cheekbones.

Satoru smirks, slightly amused at her questioning, but more intrigued that a bow is her weapon of choice. "Might give you some pointers if you need it. But nah, this is more to see what level of curses you can exorcise." He holds up one finger. "You got your special grade curses at the top. There are only four special grade sorcerers."

"What's the lowest grade?"

"Four. We don't want to put a grade four sorcerer up against a level one curse. So, in order to assess where you are, I got a variety of curses here. Even got a special grade one if we get that far." He shrugs. Chances are they won't get that far. His eyes peruse the length of her body, not that she knows he is checking her out with his bandages on. There's strength to her body. He does not need the six eyes to tell him that, but there is also a delicate aura around her that makes him think fighting is not her strength.

And that skirt is damn near scandalous.

Kagome nods, not fazed by his explanation. She does not have that crazy look in her eyes like his students. All good sorcerers have a bit of crazy to them. They have to. Comes with the job of seeing humanity's worst.

"Alrighty, we'll start our way up." He walks over to the cage and lets the fly head out. For extra measure, he put up a veil so no one will get hurt by any stray attacks. The fly head goes down in a split of a second. "... Okay, we'll move on then." He clucks his tongue along the roof of his mouth.

Her instincts are good. Reaction speed too.

"You always use a bow?" he questions as he lets out the level three curse, who goes down just as quickly as the last one.

"I prefer it. If I need to use a sword I can, but I'm better with long distance." Kagome wrinkles her nose and waits oh so patiently for him to let the next curse out.

"Thinking maybe we should have done a field mission after all." He skips the other grade and goes for the grade one. This one shouldn't go down with one blow, but he's opened to being wrong. The curse slinks out and darts towards Kagome. It's big bug eyes and tusks for teeth are the stuff of nightmares.

Without missing a beat, Kagome notches the arrow and exorcizes the curse just as easily as the others.

Well... huh?

Satoru crosses his arms and tilts his head to the side. Perhaps he should take her on a mission instead. Just letting the curses out seems to be too easy for her. It won't be that easy in the real world.

"Satoru," Kagome says, "I'm good for us to keep going."

He snorts. "Yeah, I can see that. Just thinking that this isn't giving you a challenge." He grabs the cage, holding the special grade, and holds out a hand. "To better mimic what it might be like out on the field, I'm gonna release this one further out and you'll need to track him down." Of course, he'll be close by. Megumi would never forgive him if he let a special grade kill his teacher.

Kagome shrugs, so he takes that as her acceptance to proceed. He releases the curse further out. A vengeful mother curse. Its body reeks, half of its face looks as though someone poured acid on it. The curse takes off, most likely to get away from him or to go after Kagome. Satoru heads back to where he left Kagome and keeps a safe distance as he watches her.

She stands in the clearing for a bit and then strolls further into the woods as though she left her picnic basket somewhere.

Calm.

Slightly indifferent.

There are different levels of crazy. Hers is more subtle.

The curse finds her first. Satoru's muscle tense. If need be, he'll step in.

"Give him back," the curse mutters in a warbled spiel. "Back."

Kagome lowers her bow as the curse flashes in front of her.

sh*t. Why the hell would she lower her weapon? He holds out his hand, preparing to shoot off a red, but his vision goes...pink? His six eyes can't see anything but a blinding pink. It does not feel like cursed energy.

Kagome?

Did she do this?

When the light subsides, the curse lies on the ground. Its skin is healthy. Whole. He moves closer as the curse's body starts to fade away. It almost looks human now.

"I felt bad for it," Kagome says, softly. "It was in a lot of pain. The others weren't like that, but this one was hurting."

He opens his mouth and then closes it. His mind can't comprehend what he is hearing. What he is seeing. The curse fades away with a smile on it's no longer acidified face.

"This is not cursed energy," he says, a bit weak to his own ears. "I'm not sure what you are using, but—"

"I'm a priestess," she says, "I don't have cursed energy. Not even gramps has it and he can't even do a sutra properly." Kagome yawns and stretches her arms up. "So, is that it?"

Is that it?

Satoru laughs. It's a good thing he met her first and not one of those Zenin's. "You're cute," he coos, leaning over to poke her cheek. Her face goes red as she swats his hand away. "Shy?"

"I don't get involved with coworkers," she quips.

"Technically, you haven't accepted the job yet..."

"Because I haven't decided yet."

"Sooo, what you are saying is you want to get involved with me?"

Her mouth drops and she splutters. "That is not what I'm saying! You are so..." she looks up at the sky as if to ask it for answers. "Just forget about it. Is that it?"

"Well...it was supposed to last us a lot longer than it did. Didn't think you would be one-shotting every curse." He pulls out his phone and scrolls through his schedule. "We could do a field mission early, get it over with and I could evaluate how you do in a less controlled environment."

"That's fine. I don't mind getting rid of some of the curses, but am I going to be a teacher here or am I going to be out in the field?"

"Do you just want to be a teacher? You seem like a hands on kind of woman." He puts his phone back in his pocket and looks her over once more.

She shifts her weight to one side and ponders his question. "Hmm, being a teacher is not as dangerous. Mama is definitely over me getting into situations, but it also doesn't sit right with me that we are sending children out to handle these things. Like why aren't there more sorcerers out working the field?"

"Dead," he says matter of factually. "There's way more curse users... people that use their cursed energy to harm others and not help the general population with decreasing the number of curses." No use in sugar coating it. She isn't fazed by the curses, so something tells him that Kagome has more experience than she is letting on.

"Let's do the field mission. I can't sleep at night knowing there's something I could be doing to help." She sighs. "I know I said I could use a sword, but I am a bit rusty. Haven't had any reason to use one in a long time."

"If you weren't fighting curses, then what were you fighting?"

She nibbles on her bottom lip. "Something similar?"

"Not good enough," he says cheerily, as though they are discussing the weather. If there is something else out there, then he needs to know about it. "Yesterday you mentioned knowing someone that could warp like me. Did their energy feel similar to mine?" Could it be that she fought something other than a curse? Or did she not have the proper terminology to name what she was fighting?

Kagome squints at him. "Do you need me to heal your eyes? I'm not sure how you haven't ran into anything yet with those bandages."

"Nice try. Did their energy feel similar to mine?" He bends at the waist, crowding her space. She's hiding something and he is nothing but a persistent man. He can wear her down if need be.

"Sure," she says with an eye roll. "Now, do you need me to heal your eyes before we head out or not?"

"I'm not hurt. I wear this to help lessen the information I take in. Special eyes and all." So, she can heal too, that's good to know. As frustrating as it is, the higher-ups may be more agreeable to her joining with those qualifications.

"So, you are willingly wearing those bandages?"

"Did you want to see my eyes?" he teases as he dispels the veil.

"No, I just think the bandages are tacky," she replies without any hint of malice. "Since it's more of a preventive measure, maybe a blindfold would work best?" she murmurs the last part to herself. Kagome pats his arm. "Don't worry, I'll get you something that would work better. I can't imagine how annoying that must be to put on and take off."

"... Thanks?" His mind tries to make sense of the whiplash of her emotions. How did she turn the conversation around to getting him better eyewear?

"Can we stop and get something to eat before the mission? Forgot to eat breakfast today." She matches his strides, completely at ease with the thought of facing more curses.

Maybe she does have a few screws loose.

"I could go for a bake potato," he admits. "You know I will only step in if I think you are going to be killed."

"Isn't that the point of an evaluation?" She pulls out her phone and frowns at whatever message she received. Satoru uses his height to his advantage and glances at her phone.

"Didn't tell your boyfriend you would be with me?" he questions, voice toeing the lines between playful and annoyed. Which is stupid. He doesn't know her. Why should he care if she has a boyfriend?

"Hojo-kun doesn't understand the words no and we don't work." She types off a retort, not bothering to look at him. "But no, he's not my boyfriend."

"Do you have one?"

"A boyfriend?" She yawns. "That sounds like a pain."

He hums in acknowledgment. A boyfriend would be a real pain in the ass.

Wait.

He stops. Kagome walks ahead and turns to face him. "Something wrong?" She reaches for an arrow. Satoru shakes his head.

"No, nothing is wrong. Just forgot something is all."

Like his damn sanity, or what's left of it. There is no way he is happy about her not having a boyfriend. It's not like he wants to fill that role. Women are trouble. Love is the worst. And like she said earlier, getting involved with coworkers is always so damn messy. Too many sorcerers get out of the field or die because they were too worried about someone else.

"There's some spots close by we can walk to and then I'll have Ijichi swing around and take us to the spot."

"Ijichi?"

"Driver."

"Ah. Is he your personal driver, or does he take the students to their missions as well?"

"Occasionally he'll take the students, but for the most part, he drives me around. If you're any good, then I might share my driver with you."

"But why do you need a driver if you can just warp wherever you want?"

"There's conditions to it." He places his hand on her lower back as they go down the steps. He's only helping her out in case she trips. "Everyone has a pool of cursed energy to pull from. You don't want to be low on your output and get jumped or caught by a curse stronger than you."

"Oh. And without cursed energy, you can't do as much damage then?"

"Well, if you need cursed energy to exorcise a curse, you would have a hard time doing so if you run out."

"... But I don't use cursed energy," she murmurs, deep in thought.

He keeps silent, pretending to not have heard her. Whatever she has doesn't feel like cursed energy. It feels purer. Warm. He bites the inside of his cheek. And it does wicked things to him when she wraps it around him. He peeks a glance at her. A priestess, huh? The notion is so farfetched, but at the same time it holds up.

He doesn't have a choice but to believe her at face value for now.

They don't say anything else on the walk to the restaurant. He pays for both of them, ignoring the way she tries to shove money into his hands. It's cute. She thinks one meal is going to set him back. For now, he allows her to lead the conversation. If he wants to get more information out of her, he needs to play the long game. She is not his enemy, and he is fine with coaxing the information out of her.

She doesn't stop trying to pay him back until they leave the restaurant and reach their destination.

"Alright, I'll hang out inside the veil with you since this is a special grade," Satoru says, lifting his hand.

"I can put a barrier up," Kagome says, patting his arm as if to console him. "You put one up earlier."

His brows bunch together. "Do you not like my veils?"

"I just don't want you to run out of cursed energy in case something happens. Besides, a barrier is nothing." She smiles, so brightly that he can't even muster up a crumb of laughter at her thinking he would ever run out of cursed energy. "You can wait here. This shouldn't take too long." She stretches her arms up and heads into the building with a pep in her step.

Satoru frowns. There is a barrier in place. He sees the energy pulsating. What he can't see is outside the veil, which should hopefully mean no one can see inside either. But more concerning is Kagome set up this barrier without so much of a flick of her wrist or an incantation. It feels different from the one she put up at the school.

Can she change the properties of her barriers?

Is it that different from a curtain Ijichi could put up?

He pulls out his phone and responds to some messages. Just as he is about to switch over to a game to play, Kagome comes out of the building looking as unfazed as she did when she went in.

"All done?" Surprise coats his words. That was a special grade, and she's done already?

"Yep! Now that you're done evaluating me, are we going to discuss how I'm supposed to help the students?"

"Umm... we can start with how your barriers work. Most of them will have a manager like Ijichi around to put the veil up, but it wouldn't hurt for them to know how to do one themselves. And your barriers also hurt the curses if they try to leave?"

"Yeah, it should burn them if they try to leave or if they try to enter." She drops the barrier around them and the sudden sound of cars and people talking hits him like a shock wave. "I could do that and maybe meditation. It helps me with my output, so it might help them increase how much cursed energy they have."

"You are welcome to try, but as far as I know, you have as much cursed energy as you are born with. It's how you use your cursed technique that helps you in battle." Also, he hasn't said a damn thing to Yaga yet about his latest find. Not that he foresees Yaga saying no. And if he does, well, he's Gojo Satoru, he can throw his name around if need be.

"I'm not starting Monday, though. I can't just up and quit at the school. That would be pretty rude." She talks with her hands as they make their way over to where Ijichi is waiting for them. Ijichi looks at Kagome with so much longing behind his glasses that Satoru wants to pluck his eyes out.

On second thought, Ijichi is not allowed to drive Kagome around anywhere.

"Shall we head to the next mission?" Ijichi asks, getting the door for Kagome. He grimaces when he sees Satoru, and Satoru takes that personally, so he crowds Ijichi's personal space for good measure.

"Can we stop by the shrine? It's not too far from him?"

"What shrine?" Satoru climbs into the back seat and manspreads, smiling to himself when Kagome huffs and shoves his legs away.

"Higurashi shrine. I totally forgot to stop by yesterday and check on something. It'll only take a second."

"Checking on a blessing?"

She worries her bottom lip. "Okay, this is going to sound weird, and I don't mean to say it in that whole serial killer way."

Now she has his attention.

"But there's these weird fingers my gramps brought back with him, and they are downright evil, so I need to check on the seals."

Satoru scratches his head. Did she say evil fingers? Is she talking about what he hopes she isn't talking about? He tilts his head to the side. "Serious question. Do you always fight in a skirt?"

Kagome glances at her legs. Her long, wonderfully toned legs that shouldn't be so distracting. "Easier than fighting in jeans."

He nods his head in understanding. Got it. He'll put in a request for a floor length uniform.

Chapter 3: Cursed Fingers and Massages

Chapter Text

"This is more steps than Jujutsu High," Satoru comments, keeping an even pace with Kagome. She ignores him. One thing she has found is that Satoru likes to talk a lot. And he doesn't even need someone to answer back, just someone to listen. So, she does just that. Let's the weird sorcerer talk her ear off about everything and nothing at the same time.

When they make it up the steps, she motions for him to follow her around to the shed where Gramps likes to keep all his trinkets and findings.

"That's a powerful talisman you have there," Satoru says from behind her. He leans forward and Kagome scowls. For a man that has infinity around him at all times, he does not seem to understand the concept of personal space. "You do that yourself?"

"Who else would do it?" She opens the shed and wrinkles her nose at the distinct smells. "Careful not to touch anything. There's still some stuff that I need to reorganize and reseal. I don't know how anything may interact with you, and I don't want to see you get hurt or possessed."

Satoru's smile turns into a frown. He looks so put out by her caring for his wellbeing. Kagome clucks her tongue. Poor guy must not be used to people caring for him or he doesn't know how to show it. Explains why Megumi-kun can be so emotionally constipated sometimes. Even if Satoru isn't his dad, the apple does not seem to be falling far from the tree.

"So, where are these fingers?" Satoru asks, right as she hits the light switch. He lets out a low whistle and she can feel the curiosity brimming behind her.

"They should be around here," she answers. "Told Gramps to put them somewhere I can find them. The shed is filled with imp hands and feet, a couple of dragon scales, and even some swords made from neko claws. Kagome eyes the boxes she has not gotten to yet. How Gramps finds all this stuff is a mystery.

"What kind of weapon is this?"

Kagome whips her hand around and slaps the sword out of Satoru's hand. The demonic energy crackles and sizzles out. "What did I tell you about touching stuff?" She plants her hands on her hips and levels him with a glare.

"What the hell was that? It tried to..."

"Possess you? Yeah, that's why I said don't touch anything." Kagome sighs. "Honestly, maybe you should go back to the car and wait with Ijichi-san then? I just need to put a seal on these fingers and then I should be done here for the day." Kagome throws another glare at Satoru as she bends down to retrieve the sword.

She may as well put a seal on this one, too.

"You realize this place is a hazard?"

"Whose getting past my talisman?" Kagome rolls her eyes as she sets the sword down on the shelf and grabs the extra parchment and brush she keeps in the shed. "Do you need one?"

"Do I need what?" Satoru crowds her space. Even with the bandages covering his face, she can see how enthralled he is by her work. Personally, it's not all that impressive. These sorcerers must be pretty weak, then if something as simple as a seal is impressive.

"A talisman to keep you safe? I suppose I could put something together for the students as a welcome gift." She nods to herself as she moves to grab the box of fingers. At least, that's what the box says, so there better be fingers in here.

"And your grandfather interacts with this stuff?"

"He has a penchant for it." Kagome pulls out one finger and frowns at the sloppy work. Whoever did these seals did a poor job at it. "So, you don't want a talisman for home?"

Satoru ignores her question and instead plucks the finger out of her hands. "He has a penchant for coming across Sukuna's fingers?"

"Sukuna?" Kagome bites her lip. "Should we reseal them or just get rid of them?" Since he knows more about these fingers, she'll go off of his suggestion.

"These fingers are indestructible. Not even I can get rid of them." He holds out the finger and frowns.

"... So, we should get rid of them?" Kagome eyes the other fingers. Just three total. Hopefully, that's all there are of these weird fingers.

"We can't. They're indestructible. Better to reseal them and lock em away."

This time Kagome frowns. He can't get rid of them. That does not mean she can't do it.

"I'd like to at least try." She plucks the finger out of his hand and places her hand on top of her palm. Her powers sing to life. Warming her palms and making work of the finger. A bead of sweat dots her brow. This is tougher than the other weird objects Gramps has come back with.

"Hey!"

She ignores Satoru's complaint and focuses her attention on purifying this finger. Her body feels like a limp noodle. Oof, okay. Just one finger takes that much out of her.

"Ugh, I don't know if I'm up for any more missions today. Didn't think it would take that much out of me," she says, with a sigh. Kagome opens her hands and the finger fades to dust. "Please tell me there were only these three fingers."

Satoru grabs her palms and turns them over and then back again. It's a bit disorienting to not see his eyes. She can't get a proper read on him, but maybe she shocked him.

"How the hell..."

"I just purified it. Normally I just reseal stuff, so it's not an issue for anyone, but these fingers seemed pretty bad." Gramps is going to flip when he finds out she got rid of one of his latest finds.

"They're supposed to be indestructible. Binding vows."

"Binding vows?"

"It's something sorcerers or curses use in exchange for something."

"... Oh, but I'm not a sorcerer, though."

"I'm aware of that," he says with a frown. "And don't ever tell anyone that."

Kagome's brows bunch together. Why can't she tell people that? Isn't that the whole reason he asked her to come work at the school because her powers can help them?

"Because," Satoru starts, "a binding vow can have serious repercussions for those that break them. Even I don't know what those repercussions are, but it's enough that no one dares to go back on their vow if they can help it. So, don't tell anyone that the binding vows potentially don't have an effect on you because it can cause issues."

Kagome nods her head. She gets it now. Keep her cards close to her chest. "Well, okay then, I won't tell anyone else." She sighs, her shoulders drooping. Man, that took a lot out of her. Maybe she needs to do this weekly. Or monthly. Ugh, she hasn't felt this drained in years.

"There were twenty fingers, but since you got rid of one, we're down to nineteen. I don't know where they are." Satoru scratches the back of his head. He's so tall that his head nearly hits the lightbulb.

Or rather, his head should have hit the lightbulb, but his infinity must be preventing that from happening.

"Why would someone want to put a binding vow on some fingers?" And what kind of demon has twenty fingers? Err... curse.

"There is an extremely small chance that if someone were to consume one of these fingers or anything similar that the previous sorcerer could come back. Like a reincarnation. Sukuna is considered the strongest curse user in history, so no one wants him to come back for obvious reasons."

"What happens if someone eats these, and Sukuna doesn't come back?"

"They die. A curse could get a power boost." He shrugs, seemingly done with the conversation. Instead, Satoru's focus seems to rest on an imp hand.

"Alright, well, I'm exhausted now." Kagome reseals the other two fingers. "I can walk you to the car." She ushers Satoru out of the shed and puts the seal back in place. It won't keep Gramps out, but it stops unsavory individuals from accessing the items inside. Help them all if someone got hold of one of those swords.

"You're really gonna ditch me?"

"Purifying that finger took a lot out of me. I'd rather not chance it, plus I got some papers I need to grade."

Satoru is silent as they walk down the steps. There's tension in his shoulders. Does her getting rid of the fingers bother him that much?

"You sure you don't want to come with?" Satoru leans against the driver's door, preventing Ijichi-san from getting out. He tilts his head to the side.

Kagome gnaws on the inside of her cheek. Why is he so insistent she comes with him? Could it be because he needs her help? She sighs and nods her head. "Fine, I can watch your back if anything gets out of hand. But then, no more missions for today."

Satoru's mouth pops open and it looks like he wants to say something, but instead, he chuckles and opens the back door for her.

These sorcerers must truly need all the help they can get, since no one else has been able to get rid of even one of those fingers.

"Were you able to reseal those fingers, Kagome-san?" Ijichi-san asks from the front seat, his gaze catches hers in the rearview mirror.

"Yes, I—"

"Drop us off at the next spot. I'll take Kagome home afterward," Satoru interrupts, his knee brushes against her. There's plenty of room in the car for both of them, but Satoru is insistent on invading her space.

"You're taking me home? With what car?" Granted, they could take the train, but she has no idea where this next mission is located, so it must be a ways off and not close to anything if Ijichi-san is driving them. That or Ijichi-san drives Satoru around regardless of how close the mission is.

"I don't mind taking Kagome-san home," Ijichi-san says.

"Don't you have a meeting to get to afterwards?" Satoru throws an arm back along the seat. His fingertips graze her arm.

Kagome shivers.

"Just drop us off."

"It's alright," Kagome says, needing to break up the stuffiness. "Not like I'm not used to taking the trains, anyway." There must be a reason Satoru does not want Ijichi-san sticking around. She shifts, trying to get more comfortable. For some reason, she feels she can trust Satoru. Even though he is a bit... quirky. He means well, and he clearly needs her help. "I can put up a barrier when we get there."

"Aren't you tired? I can put up a veil."

Kagome wrinkles her nose. "Your energy has been in knots since we left the shrine. I can manage a barrier so you can focus on the mission."

Satoru angles his body towards her. "Can you feel just me or Ijichi too?"

Kagome pauses. She focuses on Ijichi-san, but the only feeling she gets from him is that he has cursed energy. It's different. "I can feel the curse energy inside of Ijichi-san, but it's different. Not like a visual thing. Yours is all knotted up like you are stressed or pent up."

Satoru wets his lips and then leans back. "Definitely pent up."

"Do you need like a massage or to meditate? Meditating always helps me when my powers are being funky." Jeez, these sorcerers do not understand the basics of taking care of themselves. She is going to have her work cut out for her when she starts teaching at the school.

"I could use—"

"Looks like we're here," Satoru quips, practically throwing the door open in his haste to get out of the car.

Huh.. perhaps the backseat is cramped with both of them in it. She'll just have to ride upfront with Ijichi-san next time, so Satoru can be more comfortable.

"Thanks for driving us. I hope your meeting isn't too long," Kagome says to Ijichi-san as she gets out of the car. Satoru hands her, her bow and quiver from the trunk. "Are you sure you are okay?"

Satoru's energy is even more twisted up than before. If this keeps up, he might not be able to complete this mission.

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me," he says with a grin. He throws a look over his shoulder at Ijichi-san, but with those bandages covering his eyes, it's hard to tell what he's trying to convey. Tires screech behind her. Well, whatever Satoru was trying to convey must have gotten through to Ijichi-san for him to take off like that.

Kagome stifles a yawn as she sets up another barrier around what seems to be an abandoned home. The overgrown grass is a dead giveaway. "If you need me, just flare up your energy and I'll come help you out."

Satoru snorts.

She ignores that. "And then when we get back to my apartment, I can help unravel those knots."

"Ya sure you don't want to get involved?" His tone is teasing.

Kagome rolls her eyes. "Don't you have a mission to finish? You may have all day, but I'm still tired from earlier." This man is infuriating. Not as bad as Koga, but he's definitely the type that flirts with himself in the mirror.

He flashes her a smirk and heads into the house.

Her phone buzzes. Please don't let it be Hojo again. Oh, it's just a text from Mom. Kagome reads through the messages. Thank goodness they left when they did. InuYasha didn't tell her he was gonna stop by today. She'll have to visit him and the others later.

Mom: Oh, and Inu said that there was a weird smell by the shed.

Kagome: Weird smell? Well, he may have smelled Satoru. I stopped by earlier, but no one was home.

Mom: Satoru?

Kagome: Bye!

Kagome shakes her head as she puts the phone back in her purse. No way is she letting Mama meet Satoru. That's just asking for trouble.

"Whose Inu?"

Kagome's heart tries to claw its way out of her chest. What the hell? She snaps her head up and Satoru's greets her. When did he get behind her? She saw him walk through those doors. Is she so out of it she couldn't sense him sneaking up on her?

"Mission done?"

"Yep," he says. "Whose Inu?"

Kagome turns and pushes Satoru back. "You are so nosy. I don't look over your shoulder and read your text messages."

"You can't look over my shoulder," he replies cheekily. "Was just curious is all since he could... smell me. Must be a strong dog shikigami."

Kagome blinks. He thinks InuYasha is a dog? Well, he is a dog, but Satoru thinks InuYasha is like a dog, dog?

"Why are you so pent up, anyway? Are the curses too strong?" Kagome drops the barrier and walks alongside Satoru. She isn't sure where they are, but Satoru seems to know where he's going.

"Curses have nothing to do with it." He huffs. "And I'm the strongest."

Kagome tunes him out. Yeah, he says he is fine, but his energy has been getting more tangled up. That can't be good. She pats his arm and squeezes. "It's okay. We'll get you sorted out. My purification is just really effective because it's pure against cursed." She smiles warmly.

That's probably what's bothering him, but Satoru shouldn't get so worked up about it. She lets out a small amount of energy. Not enough to fully untangle his knots, but enough to calm him down until they get to the apartment. Satoru lets out a shaky breath.

"Can't do that kind of stuff out in public."

Kagome wrinkles her nose. Why not? Oh, because someone may take notice. But how is that really different from when she puts up a barrier? She's still using her powers, regardless.

Whatever.

"I didn't use that much. Just enough to keep you stable until we get to the apartment. Speaking of which, how much further is the train station from here?" She doesn't mind walking, but it feels a little strange to be walking the streets with her bow and quiver.

"Need me to carry you?"

"No? I'm wearing a skirt."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that. Are you sure you want a skirt for your uniform? What about a nice pair of baggy pants?"

Kagome scoffs. Baggy pants? "Not my style. A skirt is easier to move around in."

Satoru lets out a long-suffering sigh, as if she just told him that the world is ending. Kagome gives his arm one last squeeze and then lets his arm go. Satoru makes a strange noise in the back of his throat.

"What's wrong with my skirt?"

"Nothing. It's a perfectly fine skirt. Totally great for fighting curses."

Why does it sound like he's lying?

"Are you lying?"

"Me? A liar?" Satoru laughs. "It's Ijichi, you have to watch out for. He's always giving me the wrong schedule and then I'm late for my meetings with the principal."

"Ijichi-san?"

"Mhmm."

Kagome lets the conversation die down until they arrive at her apartment complex. There's no way, sweet Ijichi-san is this big liar. If anything, Satoru seems to be the one that likes to tell tall tales. She hangs up her things and motions for Satoru to follow her.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Kagome points to the couch. Her stomach clenches. There's something about Satoru being in her apartment that feels different. Not sure if it is a good different or a bad different. Satoru man spreads on the couch and makes himself right at home as if they have been friends for years.

"You just let strange men into your place like this?"

Kagome rolls her eyes. She's been doing that a lot more. "No, but if it came down to it, I could take you."

Satoru's mouth pops open and then he promptly closes it. "I would like a glass of water, please."

She blinks. He said please? Oh dear, this must be more serious than she thought. Kagome turns on her heels and grabs them both a glass of water. She hands him his glass and sits next to him on the couch.

"How do you want to do this?" He sets his glass down and fiddles with his jacket.

"What are you doing?" she asks, slightly alarmed.

"Aren't you giving me a massage?"

"Not that kind of massage." She pinches the bridge of her nose. "That one is on me. I guess I didn't explain all that well." She sets her glass on the table and reaches for his hands. "It's more like an energy massage because it's your cursed energy that is tangled up, not your muscles."

Okay, his muscles are probably tensed too, but he can go to a masseuse for that.

"Just close your eyes and relax." She closes her own eyes and allows her mind to focus on unraveling the mess he's made. Satoru sighs as each knot comes undone. When she opens her eyes, his cheeks are red. There's a flush to his pale skin.

Weird. She's done something similar with InuYasha, and he never reacted like that. Maybe it's because Satoru's energy is cursed and InuYasha's is demonic?

"How do you feel—"

"I gotta go." He warps out of view.

Kagome frowns. Gojo Satoru sure is a weird one.

Chapter 4: Doctor's Orders

Chapter Text

Satoru pants as he rests his head against the bathroom wall. He fists his co*ck, gripping tightly as he squeezes the base and moves upward towards the head with frantic motions. f*ck him. That was an energy massage? He squeezes his eyes shut. The bathroom light is far too bright, even with the bandages over his eyes.

Everything is clearer. Brighter. Hell, he can still smell her sweet floral scent now. Her energy shimmers under his skin, taunting him with what could have been. What should have been.

f*ck, he's close. He lets out a shuddering breath. His body racked with pleasure. He should have known. Should have put a stop to it before it began, but damn if he wasn't curious. Gripping the head until it is almost painful, he drags his hand up and down. His other arm trembles from the sensations threatening to take him over.

Kagome has to know. She just has to. There is no way she can't tell what her powers do to him.

sh*t.

He can see it so clearly. Her big brown eyes, those soft full lips, and those f*cking legs that go on for miles. Needs to have those legs wrapped around him while he ...He's losing his mind. Going crazy for a woman he barely knows. A strangled groan claws its way out of his throat, and he comes with Kagome's name on his tongue. Satoru lifts his head and then bangs it against the wall.

What is wrong with him? He can't be fantasizing about her. Satoru opens his eyes and looks down at the mess. Damn. His co*ck twitches in his hand, ready to go again.

"I can't," he says with a sigh. Girlfriends are a pain and Kagome doesn't strike him as the type to be okay with a one-night stand. His chest tightens as his brows bunch together. Great, now he's being even more irrational.

Shoko. He needs to go see Shoko and get checked out. There is something terribly wrong with him.

"Who died?" Shoko asks, leaning against the railing as she lights a cigarette. Her hair is pulled back today in a low ponytail. The bags under her eyes are less puffy than they were last week. She must be getting more rest.

"No one." Satoru chews on his tongue. How to approach this? Just come out and say it? "I need a physical."

Shoko nearly drops the cigarette, but she catches it and puts it out with the back of her hand. "You need a physical? You have rct, what do you need me for?" The last part comes out slightly bitter.

"I value your opinion?"

Shoko huffs. "Whatever. Fine. Follow me." She slides the unused cigarette in her coat pocket. Her steps brisk. "Have you talked to Yaga?" She leads them to her office and waits for him to sit down on the examination table.

"Nah, it doesn't concern him." At least not yet. He hopes he doesn't have to explain this situation to Yaga. There is something inherently wrong with that. Satoru unwraps the bandages and sets them down next to him.

The room is bright. Way too vivid.

Shoko hums and places her hand on his abdomen. Feels wrong, like something doesn't want her curse energy anywhere near him. He frowns. It's never felt like that in the past when he did need her help, so why does it feel off now? Shoko pulls her hand back. Steam rises from it as if she's been burned.

"Satoru, what the hell?" Shoko stares at her hand. The steam should have dissipated by now, but it's still going. "Did you get hit by something?"

He shifts. "Not exactly. Long story short, the new teacher I'm advocating for is a priestess. She said my energy was all twisted up, and she offered to help." Though the reason he was all bent out of shape is because of Kagome, not because there is something wrong with him.

Shoko flexes her hand and wiggles her fingers. The steam stops. Thank Kami. A little concerning that it took this long for Shoko's healing to kick in.

"Did it burn you?"

Satoru bites his lip. It didn't burn him per se, but it ignited a fire within him that can't be quenched. "It doesn't hurt. It didn't hurt. But...," he trails off. How much is too much?

"Just come out and say it. You asked for my opinion." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a cigarette and her lighter. "I can't help if I don't know what the hell is going on."

"It feels good. Really good. That massage was... I had to go home and jerk off." There he said it with a straight face, too.

Shoko stares at him and then takes a drag of her cigarette. "This massage turned you on?"

"Energy massage. She used her—"

"I got it." She rubs her forehead. "And you said she was a priestess?" At his nod, Shoko continues, "Well, that explains why your body reacted that way."

"I got hard because she's an attractive priestess?"

Shoko sucks her teeth and then takes another long drawl of her cigarette. "No, dumbass, I meant your body burning me. Whatever massage she gave you made your curse energy more potent, and it didn't want mine poking around. From what I could see, is that your reverse curse energy isn't working as hard. How does your brain feel?"

Satoru shrugs. "Fine. Feel lighter." That could be because he jerked off earlier, but whatever. "So my rct isn't working as hard to keep my brain refreshed?" That's oddly refreshing? Maybe he should be worried, but he can't muster up the energy to be that concerned.

"No, not from what I could gather. There's probably more, but whatever she did to you, it didn't want my curse energy there."

"Makes sense. Foreign to my body and all." He jumps off the table and puts his bandages back on. Still, he doesn't know why her energy turns him on so much, and so help him if her energy works the same on anyone else. He clenches his fists at his sides.

Yeah, no. No one else is getting an energy massage.

"If she's going to be a teacher here, then Yaga will want to know. Maybe see how much better everyone performs after one of her massages." Shoko walks over to the counter and puts the cigarette out. "So long as it doesn't turn everyone on like it does you, I don't think it would be a problem."

Satoru grits his teeth so hard, he tastes blood. Not happening.

"That sounds like a terrible idea," he spits out. "What if they get hurt and need you to heal them, but you can't because their curse energy rejects your healing?"

"... That's possible. But it might not do that. There are too many variables. Could always test it out on Ijichi since he's in no real danger."

The lightbulb flickers.

"Too many variables. We shouldn't rush into this. Kagome will need time to acclimate to Jujutsu High. Teaching here will be a lot different from teaching at Megumi's school."

"She's Megumi's teacher?" Shoko lets out a whistle. "Is that how you found her?"

"Parent-teacher conference. Megumi beat up some more kids." His phone buzzes in his pocket. He glances at the message and immediately embarrassment floods his system hotter than a hot spring.

"Something happen?"

"I forgot my shoes at her place."

"... You forgot your shoes?"

"I had to get out of there. Telling ya, there's something wrong with me."

"There's something wrong with you alright. You found a woman you're attracted to."

He scoffs. "You make it sound like I don't like women."

"More than physical since you're so adamant about not telling anyone else about how one of her massages makes your curse energy more potent. Visceral."

"It's called looking out for my new coworker. Whatever happened to being there for your colleagues?"

"If that's the lie you want to tell yourself." Shoko shoos him out. "But you better figure it out before she officially starts here and interacts with other sorcerers."

The hell does that mean?

"It's fine. She's already interacted with Ijichi and it's not like I lost my mind over it." He glances over his shoulder. Shoko's expression is not convinced. "Anyway, thanks for checking me over." He waves goodbye and tracks Ijichi down. They still have missions to finish today. He'll respond to Kagome when it feels like his face isn't going to combust.

A few days later...

"Why are you here?" Megumi questions, shifting his bookbag to the side. Satoru ignores him and instead waits for Kagome to show her face. "Are you ignoring me?"

"Where's Tsumiki?"

"Tutoring someone at the cafe. She got out faster than I did," Megumi mutters.

"That so..." Satoru waves at the other teachers, who blush and giggle as they walk by. Where the hell is she? Kagome sure is taking her sweet time. "Ya don't have to stay."

"I'm not going anywhere. You're being weird and Kagome-sensei does not need to deal with you."

Satoru makes a face, inwardly jumping for joy at the utter look of disgust on Megumi's face. Like hell he is going anywhere. Doesn't Megumi understand how much he had to rearrange his schedule to make it here on time?

"She's going to be working with me soon," he reminds Megumi as he pushes his glasses up. Any moment now, Kagome should be walking out those doors. The sun breaks through the clouds and Kagome walks out the doors with a much longer skirt than she wore over the weekend.

Thank Kami.

He waves his hand high in the air. "Over here, Kagome!" he calls.

"It's Kagome-sensei," Megumi grumbles. "Or at least Higurashi-sensei."

He ignores Megumi and beams when Kagome heads their way.

"Satoru? I didn't know you would be stopping by today." Kagome glances at Megumi, who shakes his head and stuffs his hands in his pockets. "You should have told me. I would have packed your shoes."

"His shoes?"

Satoru shifts, blocking Megumi from view. The glare is hot enough to burn concrete. "Spur of the moment. I just thought I'd stop by and see how you are doing. Yaga and the higher-ups want to have a meeting with you sometime this week if you are free." A meeting they don't want him joining for whatever reason.

Kagome scrunches her nose. "You don't have to worry about me." She tilts her head to the side. Her long dark hair shines blue in the light. Vanilla-rose dances under his nose and he inhales like the greedy man he is.

"Feeling like yourself?" He takes her bag from her and matches her pace as they head in the opposite direction of Megumi's apartment.

"Oi!" Megumi says from behind them, "Don't you have something to train me on today?"

"No—"

"Oh, you don't have to walk me home. I can bring your shoes to you another time." Kagome flashes him a smile so bright it feels like he's been sliced open and dissected.

He kind of likes it.

Kind of hates it.

"I'll see you back at school, Megumi-kun. You know you have to do your homework first." Satoru throws an arm around Kagome and ushers them forward.

"Oi!"

"Finish your homework first," he says over his shoulder, sticking his tongue out at the slack-drawn expression on Megumi's face. He can't believe Megumi of all people is trying to stop him from spending time with Kagome. The nerve. No loyalty. He outta buy Megumi a cheap coat this year for Christmas with that attitude.

"If you're busy, you really don't have to follow me home." Kagome lets out a small yawn. "Your energy is better today. I'm glad the massage helped. I was worried with how you left that it did something wrong to you."

His muscles stiffen and then relax. "It was super effective, but I don't think you should give those out to anyone else."

"Why not? If they are as pent up as you, surely, they need some relief, too?"

The clouds darken overhead, and the sun hides for cover. They need some relief? The f*ck they do. They've been surviving this long without one. They can keep going as they have been.

"I think it might rain. We should move faster. Left my umbrella at home." Kagome tries to shrug out of his hold. She huffs.

"I got checked out by our healer, Shoko, and we still don't know what the lasting implications are. I don't think we should introduce it to anyone else... for now." Or never.

"You aren't the first person I've done that for, but they didn't react like you either."

Thunder booms and the rain comes down hard with a vengeance. Civilians run and try to find shelter. Some pull out their umbrellas and carry on as if they expected it to rain.

"We aren't getting wet?" Kagome looks at him with so much wonder, his chest puffs out a bit. Finally, she sees how strong he is.

"Infinity." Good to know that her being so close to him does not affect his infinity blocking everything else out. "Did you want to get dinner?"

"Dinner? Don't you have to train Megumi-kun later?"

He forgot about that lie Megumi made up. They don't have training today, but he went along with it.

"Not like I'm gonna train him through dinner."

"Well, I appreciate the offer, but I'll have to decline. I already have plans tonight."

Plans?

"Ugh, you're so mean," he says with a sigh. "What kind of plans?"

"Oh, just a date," she says it so nonchalantly, as though her words haven't gutted him. As if she isn't about to go out on a date with someone that isn't him. And after that massage she gave him too? He feels a little used.

"Really?" His voice rises impossibly high. "Where at? What time?"

Kagome laughs, shaking her head. "And why would I tell you that?"

Why? That's a good question and he doesn't have an answer for her, so he keeps his thoughts to himself until they reach her apartment. He waits outside the apartment as she brings him the shoes he left.

"Because?" he says, clutching his shoes to his chest. Maybe she'll take pity on him and give him the information he wants.

"Please. You aren't my dad. I'm not telling you."

Or maybe not.

"What if I want to be your daddy instead?"

A blank expression crosses her face as the silence stretches to an awkward state. Kagome leans forward and presses a hand to his forehead. Her palm is soft. Unbelievably so. Like the finest silk.

"You don't feel warm, but maybe you're right about that massage. I don't know why it's affecting you differently than everyone else."

"Because I'm the strongest?"

Laughter spills from those full lips, and her whole body is racked with laughter. He presses his lips into a firm line. He was being serious for once.

"I don't think that's why, but we can figure it out some other time." She takes a step back inside her apartment. "I'll be by Wednesday after school lets out. You don't have to come get me. I can just head that way with Megumi-kun."

But he wants to come get her.

"So, about that date..."

"Have a nice night, Satoru." She closes the door in his face without any remorse.

He wets his lips, staring at the door, willing it to open up, but the door doesn't listen because it's a bitch like that.

This is bad.

Chapter 5: Formation A

Chapter Text

The restaurant is slightly upscale, like mid-range salary men upscale. The lights are harsh, the ambiance is off, and the menu is mediocre at best. This place is clearly for those that want to feel like they belong, but are still too poor to afford the five-star restaurant down the block.

And this is where Kagome's date brought her to? That curve hugging baby blue dress is being wasted on some non-factor, powerless, can't tell a joke for sh*t, boy.

He refuses to believe that this…guy is a man. A snail would have been a better alternative.

"You realize this classifies you as a stalker, right?" Megumi states, poking at his food with his chopsticks. Tsumiki frowns, shakes her head, and resumes eating. Her pink knitted top contrasts with Megumi's oversized black top.

"Gojo-san isn't a stalker," Tsumiki admonishes, lightly slapping Megumi's arm. She sets her chopsticks down and brushes her brown hair back, tucking it behind her ears. "It's just a coincidence that Higurashi-sensei is here."

"There's nothing coincidental about this." Megumi takes a bite of his food and grimaces.

Yeah, as much as Megumi likes to pretend otherwise, his food pallet has increased thanks to him. Megumi should show him some more gratitude.

"Ya know Gumi-chan, you're being a real grump tonight." Satoru clucks his tongue as he lifts his glass, pretending to take a sip. Instead, he glowers at the couple sitting two tables down.

Who the hell is that guy? He's plain. Has no fashion sense, even Ijichi dresses better. His brown hair may as well be the same color as sh*t. And his laugh is like the sound of a curse being exorcised.

Kagome turned him down to go out with this guy? She must be a sad*st. Edging him in public, turning him down, and now flaunting this…this thing in front of him.

"It's creepy, is what it is. Walking Higurashi-sensei home and now crashing her date."

"Keep it up and you can pay for your own dinner."

"Okay? It's not like I don't have it." Megumi rolls his eyes and huffs.

"Do you like Higurashi-sensei?" Tsumiki asks. She doesn't blink. Just stares at him with a placating smile on her face as though he will jump out of his skin.

"No," he says with a small laugh, but the laugh is forced. Nearly gets stuck in his throat. "No. I don't like Kagome like that." He sets his glass down and leans forward. "She's going to be teaching with me at Jujutsu High, but you gotta keep it under wraps. I don't think she's told the school yet."

"Ooh," Tsumiki exclaims. "Well, that will be fun. So, you'll have Higurashi-sensei as your teacher next year too," she says to Megumi, who squeezes his eyes shut and mutters under his breath.

He should have just brought Tsumiki out to eat because Megumi has been the opposite of helpful. And after all that he has some for Megumi, this is how he repays his kindness?

The audacity.

"Just because she's going to be a teacher there doesn't mean you should stalk her here."

"Stalk is such a strong word." Satoru leans back in his chair and pushes his plate to the side. Yeah, there is no way he is finishing his meal. It's far too bland. "I asked if you two wanted to go out and get dinner tonight, you said yes —"

"I said no."

"You said yes," Satoru continues, "so I suggested a new spot to try out. How was I to know the food sucks?"

"I said no," Megumi repeats. "Tsumiki said yes, and you decided that we just had to go to this restaurant that Higurashi-sensei just so happens to be at." Megumi leans forward, his voice low, "I bet you tracked her energy."

Satoru pushes his shades up and crosses his arms. "So, you do pay attention. Tell me, how I could have tracked Kagome's energy from across town?"

"This is pretty far from the apartment," Tsumiki agrees. "It really is just a coincidence, Megumi." Tsumiki looks behind her. "Higurashi-sensei looks like she's having a great time."

"Her smile is fake," Satoru points out. "She keeps looking at her watch."

"…oh?" Tsumiki glances at Megumi, who throws his hands up.

"And her body language is off. Look at how her feet a pointed to the door. She wants someone to rescue her."

"That is not what that means." Megumi lies his head on the table and closes his eyes. Tsumiki pokes him.

Satoru snaps his fingers in front of Megumi's face. "Pay attention. You need this in the field. You might come across someone that needs your help, but they may not have the words to vocalize it." He points at Kagome, who still won't look back at him. "Look at how she shrinks away from him like he washed his hair in manure."

"I don't think…" Tsumiki trails off. "She does keep looking at her watch. She might need to get home soon since it's a school night."

"Right and when someone is giving off cues that they need help, we should always step in." Satoru waves the waiter down and hands her some yen for the bill.

"Thought I was paying for myself," Megumi deadpans.

"Alright, we need to do formation A."

"The hell is formation A?" Megumi sighs and lifts his head from the table.

"Language," Tsumiki warns. "Formation A is we walk by, but trip and knock the drinks over. Are we knocking the drinks on Higurashi-sensei?"

"WHAT?" Megumi drags his hands down his face. "That is the dumbest—"

"Nah, we gotta knock it on the date. Give him a reason to cut the date short and go home. We don't want Kagome to walk out in a wet dress."

For obvious reasons.

"I can't do it," Satoru continues, "no one would believe it. Megumi?"

"No."

"Megumi," Tsumiki says with a sigh, "didn't you hear what Gojo-san said? You're always going on about saving people, but you don't want to help Higurashi-sensei? Look at her! She's about to bolt out of that seat. We have to help her. What if he's some creep?"

Satoru bites the inside of his cheeks. At least someone has his back.

"The only creep here is him." Megumi points a finger at Satoru.

They stare at one another for a beat. Megumi groans and stands right as the waiter returns with Satoru's change. "For the record, I still think this is stupid."

Tsumiki gives him a thumbs up and sucks in a breath as she waits for her cue. Formation A is a go.

Satoru unbuttons the top button of his white shirt and grabs his jacket. There's a crash as Megumi trips and knocks the drinks over. The man yelps.

f*cking yelps. Satoru rolls his eyes. His first assessment was correct. That is no man, but a boy pretending to be worthy of Kagome.

"Oh! Megumi!" Tsumiki wails, "Are you okay?" Tsumiki rushes to Megumi's side and helps him up.

"My suit is ruined!"

"It's just a little water," Kagome says.

"You need to pay for this!"

And that's his cue. Satoru saunters over and places a hand on the back of Kagome's chair. He sniffs. What is that vanilla and cinnamon? She smells good enough to eat. "I hope there's no problem over here." He grins, showing off his teeth. "Megumi-kun is a bit of klutz, but he didn't mean to ruin your suit. Right Megumi?"

Megumi sucks in a breath. "No, it was truly an accident. I'm sorry Higurashi-sensei for ruining your night."

Kagome tilts her head to the side, baring her neck to him. Satoru blinks. Since when is he a neck guy?

"It's really not that big of a deal. It is just a glass of water, after all. Right, Mori-san?"

"Of course not. It's fine." The man smiles, but it's tight. Forced. And Satoru wonders how far until the man breaks.

"That's wonderful, but to make it up to ya. Here, you can take your suit to the dry cleaners. I recommend the one two blocks over, by the—"

"I know which one you are referring to." The man waves the yen away and stands. "I think it's time we get out of here, Higurashi-san. Lest there be any other accidents."

"Oh? Okay." Kagome reaches for her purse and tries to scoot back, but Satoru keeps a firm hand on her chair. Why is this guy still trying to leave with Kagome? Can't he take a hint? "Satoru, I'm trying to get out of my seat."

"Satoru?"

His smile widens. "Of course, Kagome-chan. Here, let me pull your seat out for you." He makes a big show out of helping her out of her seat. Megumi rolls his eyes while Tsumiki continues to fawn over Megumi as though he truly is a klutz. When this is all over, he should give Tsumiki some extra money. Maybe she and some of her friends would like a trip out of the country.

Megumi, on the other hand… he should make him run two hundred laps around the school.

"Wait, Higurashi-san, you know these people? This man?" The guy wets his lips. His brows furrow together.

Satoru takes his jacket and drapes it over Kagome's shoulder. It's getting cold out and it doesn't look like she thought to bring something warm to wear. Is she allergic to pants? Maybe he should have her uniform outfitted to be the baggiest pants imaginable.

"Oh, well Megumi-kun and Tsumiki-chan both attend the school I work at. Satoru, here, is their guardian." Kagome shrugs off his jacket and hands it back to him. She ushers for them to leave the restaurant. The guy keeps glancing back over his shoulder as if he expects for Satoru to take off with Kagome.

He considered it.

"Well, it was good meeting you all," the guy says with the fakest smile on his face. "Higurashi-san, are you ready? I can take the train with you and then catch the next one to my place."

"Train? In those heels?" Satoru scoffs. "Kagome, I don't have a problem driving you back to your spot. The kiddos and I decided it was better to drive with how far out this is." He drapes the jacket over her shoulders once more and inwardly preens when she grips it tighter to her body.

Good, now she will smell like him.

sh*t-hair glares at him and then snatches the jacket off Kagome, and tosses it back at Satoru. "We do not need your help. Higurashi-san and I are on a date. As fun as this meeting has been, I think you have overstayed your welcome."

Satoru catches his jacket before it hits infinity and looks up at the sky. Harming a civilian would be heavily frowned upon.

"What he just did was rude," Tsumiki says behind him. Megumi grunts in response.

"Okay," Kagome interjects, holding her hands out. "Mori-san, it's been fun. But I am going to end our date here. Looks like tensions are a bit high right now and everyone needs to calm down."

"I'm calm."

"Satoru, you are not calm." Kagome rubs her forehead. Her tit* look f*cking amazing. How could she waste a dress like that on a man who looks like he's been inbred? "At any rate, I will be taking off. Mori-san, there is no need for you to ride the train to my apartment and then catch another one. Satoru, I am not riding with you. Megumi-kun and Tsumiki-chan, I will see you tomorrow morning." Kagome smiles at whatever his name is and doesn't even give Satoru a hug goodbye. Instead, she squeezes his arm and gives him a bit of a shock.

He shivers.

"No hug?" he sticks his bottom lip out, turns his back to… that guy and holds out his arms.

"...We don't hug?" Her tongue darts out, wetting her full lips, and he can't get the image of her wrapping those lips around her chopsticks out of his head.

"You're disgusting."

He ignores Megumi and lets out a long sigh, as though his feelings are so hurt. Kagome shakes her head and walks away. Her laughter floats past him.

Wait.

Where is she going?

"Higurashi-san!" The man tries to brush past Satoru but falls right on his ass. He rubs his nose, dusts his wet pants, and tries again, only to fall back down. Kagome continues to walk until Satoru can't make out the sway of her ass in the crowd.

A damn shame. He would have taken her somewhere better. Maybe somewhere with a beach so she could wear a bikini.

"What the hell is going on?" the guy mutters, standing once more, only to fall back down.

"Jeez, Megumi-kun, did ya spill some of your clumsiness on him when you spilled the water?" Satoru tsks. "C'mon on you two, it is a school night, after all." He puts his arms around their shoulders and leads them towards the car. If he had known Kagome was going to turn him down, he would have just taken the train.

"I can't believe how he kept falling down," Tsumiki remarks. "You were right, Gojo-san. That man was not the right guy for Kagome. He was so rude and then he was tripping over himself as if he had too much to drink."

"That was Gojo's doing."

"Megumi, you shouldn't tell lies. It's not right. I raised you better than that." Satoru unlocks the car and gets the door for Tsumiki.

"You literally expanded your infinity so he couldn't go after Higurashi-sensei, who was his date, by the way, not yours."

"Megumi, do you like flying?"

"What?"

"Flying? It's such a fun experience. Do you want to fly?"

"I like flying," Tsumiki chirps.

"Oh, I'll get you plane tickets. Megumi gets to fly without an airplane. More durable and all."

"… Are you threatening me?" Megumi glowers from the backseat.

"Depends. Are you going to nitpick every interaction I have with my future co-worker?" He taps his fingers on the wheel.

"At least do it at sunrise, so I can get a better view of the sky."

Satoru's mouth drops open. So that's how it is. No loyalty. He's definitely sending Megumi on a first-class ride to the clouds.

Cheeky brat.

Chapter 6: Higher-Ups and Gifts

Chapter Text

"That idiot actually listened."

Kagome sighs as she adjusts her backpack. "You really shouldn't talk about your guardian like that Megumi-kun. Satoru just worries."

"About the wrong things," he retorts, leading the way to Jujutsu High. He takes his red tie off and stuffs it in his pocket. "He's been even more insufferable lately."

"Oh? I can talk to him if you want." She frowns. If Satoru is being awful, then she should say something. Right now, Megumi-kun is her student and when she starts at Jujutsu High, Satoru will be her coworker. She doesn't want to work with a man who is mistreating the children he promised to take care of.

Megumi slants a glance her way. "He's been pushing me too hard at training. Even knocked me into the sky."

"WHAT?" Kagome shakes her head. Oh, absolutely not. "That is far too high for any human to go. Your bones are far too weak to handle falling from the air."

"I–what?"

"Don't worry Megumi-kun, I'll have words with Satoru." Maybe she shouldn't give him his gift then. What on earth could he be thinking? "If there is anything else troubling you, you can always come to me." She smiles at him as they make their way up the steps.

Thank Kami she wore some flats today.

"Uhh... sure?" Megumi turns his head away. "The higher-ups like to meet over here. I think. I've never had to meet with them, but Gojo always comes from here."

"Oh, thank you!" She slides her backpack off and reaches inside. "Hold on, I got something for you." She pulls out a box and hands it to him.

"What is this?"

"A gift. I went to visit some old friends the other day, and I thought you would like it." She gives him a lopsided smile. "Especially with how clumsy you were the other night. It wouldn't do well for you to lose your balance so much when you're out on the field."

Megumi's face turns pink. He scoffs. "I'm not that clumsy. It was a one off and I didn't mean to ruin your date." He grips the box and then lifts it. "A necklace?"

Kagome taps the necklace. "They say these are made of the teeth of a dragon. And this chain is created from the wings of bat demons." She chuckles. "Allegedly anyway. But it's rumored to help you stay light on your feet."

"Oh? Okay." He slides the necklace on and then quirks a brow. "What the..."

"Keep that on when you go on missions," she interrupts, zipping the backpack and sliding it back on. "Well, I guess I shouldn't keep them waiting much longer. I'll talk to Satoru the next time I see him."

"He's probably here. Or if he isn't, I bet he'll be here when you get out of your meeting."

Kagome blinks. "Well okay. I'll stick around a bit and see if I can't catch him. He really shouldn't be launching you in the sky." She waves goodbye and heads into the building. The hairs on her arm stand up. She bites the inside of her cheek. So, these are the higher-ups? They don't even show their face.

It's unnerving.

But, she deals with Sesshomaru on a regular basis. This is no biggie.

And yet there is something about how these elders of Jujutsu society hide behind these doors and how dimly lit the room is. If they are to be the backbone of society and to keep the order, why do they hide their faces?

"Higurashi Kagome?" A voice that sounds like a cat whose tail just got stepped on calls. "How do you know Gojo Satoru?"

Huh?

"I'm Megumi-kun's teacher. And Satoru is his guardian. That's how we met." She keeps her hands uncrossed. Surely that isn't what they want to know.

"He recommended you for special grade."

She can hear the but suspended in the air.

"But none of your abilities are worthy of being special grade. Despite what he may think."

"With all due respect, what does my grade have to do with me teaching the students?"

Another voice speaks up, "What other abilities do you have?"

"I only have what Satoru reported." She shrugs. "My powers are effective in taking down special grades because of the nature. But I can see why you wouldn't want to classify me as such." No way in hell is she going to tell them everything she can do. There's something wrong with these higher-ups. Maybe it's because they refuse to show their faces.

Or maybe it's the suffocating, cursed energy warping the room.

Or maybe it's Satoru's warning in her head telling her not to reveal everything.

"We will employ you on a probationary period—"

"That's not going to work with me." She swallows the sigh she so desperately wants to let loose. "I'm either employed or I'm not. I'm fine staying at the school I am teaching."

"We cannot allow you to just run rampant."

She smiles despite the anger brewing in her stomach like a woken dragon. "I would be better suited putting my powers to work here, but I can't do a probationary period. My bills don't care about that." She shrugs. "Besides, it's like you said. I'm not suited for special grade. My powers aren't destructive on a full scale. But healing and teaching is something I can do."

They converse amongst one another before electing a new speaker. "Semi-special grade. Your healing is valuable, but you cannot take out a country. This is more than generous. Do not become greedy and seek things outside your worth."

"... Right." She fiddles with the strap. "Are we done? Because I actually have gifts for everyone."

"Gifts?"

"Just some charms. I have a couple different ones." She slides her backpack off and digs around for the charms. "It's nothing fancy. But growing up as a priestess, it's hard to break the habit." She sets the different charms on the ground. "You can take a look after I leave, so you don't have to show me your face."

"... You got us gifts?"

"It's the proper thing to do." She slides her backpack on and waits for them to dismiss her. If she knew they were going to be such dicks, then she would have chosen something less helpful, but it's fine.

It's fine.

Okay, it's not fine. She's barely keeping her temper in check. Can they speed this along? She still needs to tear Satoru a new one for mistreating Megumi-kun.

"You are dismissed," the voice that sounds like a hurt cat says. "And one last piece of advice. Watch yourself around Gojo Satoru."

She keeps her face blank and dips her head in acknowledgment. "I'll keep that in mind." She heads out of the building and stops. How long has he been out here?

"Did they give you a hard time?" Satoru asks, reaching for her backpack. She sidesteps him. He pouts. "I can carry that for you."

"Never mind that. Did you knock Megumi-kun into the sky?"

"I–what?"

"Did. You. Knock. Megumi-kun. Into. The. Sky?"

"His feet barely left the ground." He chuckles as he grips the back of his neck. "Did they give you special grade status?"

"No. They gave me semi-special grade." She matches his steps, or maybe he matches her strides. "Megumi-kun could have been seriously injured. Humans can't just handle falls like that."

"I mean... he knows how to reinforce his body with cursed energy so he could handle the fall." He jerks back. "I mean... he tripped and saw the sky that way."

"I don't believe you. And to think I got you a gift."

"You got me a gift?" He crowds her space. "Whatcha get me? A date?"

"You want me to hook you up with someone?"

"No."

"Then what are you—"

"Is it in your backpack?" He goes to unzip the bag. "Ya know, semi-special grade isn't a thing. So, they made it up for you."

"Hands off the bag." She smacks his hands. "I got everyone gifts."

"Ugh," he groans. "I thought we had something special." He zips the bag up and pouts. "Any more dates this week?"

"Probably not," she admits. "Mori-san was nice and all, but a bit boring."

"Not your type? Bet it was the sh*t hair."

Does she have a type?

She purses her lips together, racking her brain. "I guess my type is someone strong and reliable."

"I'm the strongest."

She smiles and pats his chest. "Yeah, someone strong and reliable. Not too possessive, but a little unhinged." Kagome sighs. "I basically want a fictional man or a demon." Not to mention, any man she ends up with has to somehow go through Sesshomaru, and what man can stand up to him?

She should just start collecting cats now at this rate.

"... I can be a demon?"

"What? You always say the silliest things." She snorts. "Oh, is this the clinic?" It smells like a hospital. That distinct clean scent mingled with medicine.

"Yeah," Satoru replies, sounding a bit down.

"Are you okay?" She stands on her tiptoes and presses a hand to his forehead. He doesn't feel warm, but his voice is off. He must be pushing himself too hard. "Do you want me to check you out?"

"You can check me out any day. Any time. Any place."

Oh dear, this is bad. She removes her hand and leads him into the building. A woman with long brown hair turns and raises her eyebrows.

"Sorry for barging in here. I'm Higurashi Kagome." She gestures to Satoru. "Satoru doesn't seem to be feeling the best."

"He isn't, is he?" the woman says. "Well, Satoru, why don't you hop up on the table?"

"Since when do you have jokes?" Satoru grumbles, getting on the table. He unwraps the bandages around his eyes and stares at her.

His eyes are so blue it hurts to look at him. Wait. Is it his eyes that are bothering him?

"Sorry..."

"Call me Shoko. You're the new teacher, right? Satoru told me all about you."

He did?

"Shoko, sorry. I think it might be his eyes that are bothering him."

"Oh, are you going to give him an energy massage?"

"NO!" Satoru yells, startling Kagome. "I mean, not right now. Later. Like at my place or yours. Not here."

Kagome nods her head. She gets it. Even at the school, he must not want to show any weakness. "Okay, later if you need it. But I'm going to look at your eyes." She'll have to give him his gift even though he doesn't deserve it for being so rough with Megumi-kun. It should help lessen the strain on his eyes. Kagome cups his face with her palms.

His face is hot.

He wasn't hot before. That's not good.

"Hold on. This shouldn't take that long," she murmurs, closing her eyes. Not that she needs to have her eyes closed to concentrate... but Satoru's eyes are really freaking blue and looking at them makes her want things she shouldn't. Getting involved with a coworker is a recipe for disaster.

Besides, someone like Satoru probably has a harem of women. He seems like the type. He's a bit too attractive not to.

"I just need to take it easy," he replies, voice low.

"Do you always put that much pressure on your brain?" She pulls away with a frown on her lips.

"I've told him about frying his brain and repairing it as though it is nothing," Shoko quips. "But Mr. Strongest doesn't listen to anyone."

"I always listen to you," Satoru says, rolling his eyes. He reaches for his bandages, but Kagome places her hand on his. "Did you want to do it for me?"

"No," she deadpans. "But I'll give you your gift now, even though you don't deserve it." She sets her backpack down and rummages around for his gift.

"How much stuff did you fit in there?" he jokes.

"Enough." She pulls out the gift bag with his name on it and hands it to him. "Put that on." She bends down and looks for the gift she got for Shoko. "Here you go Shoko. I knew there was a healer, but Satoru didn't tell me much, so this gift is a little more general." She hands over the box.

"Thank you," Shoko says, pulling out the charm. "An energy one?"

"I figured you could use all the energy you can get if you have to heal everyone all day. That must get tiring."

"You know, Kagome, it does get tiring."

"As nice as this girl talk is," Satoru drawls, "Kagome, why didn't you tell me you were into bondage?"

"Oh, so that material is made of the skin of bat demons. Allegedly. It's probably just super durable material. But it should be better than those bandages."

"... Allegedly?"

"Demons don't exist." She shrugs. "Growing up on a shrine, Gramps always exaggerated things and I guess it rubbed off on me."

"So, this isn't a bondage thing?"

"It's for your eyes." She shrugs her backpack back on. "Where are the students? I got them charms too. Megumi-kun already got his gift. And I still need to meet with the principal."

"But the bondage—"

"THANK YOU!" Shoko says, blocking Satoru from view. "You have no idea how much I value this charm. I'm going to need it."

Kagome beams. "Of course! I love making them."

"You know what I love—"

"And I would like," Shoko interrupts, "to see what all this fuss is about these energy massages. I've never seen Satoru so... invigorated."

"Shoko," Satoru hisses.

"Well, we can do one now if you want? I know Satoru wants privacy for his."

"Don't you have a meeting with Yaga?"

"This won't take long." Kagome waits for Shoko to set the box down and then reaches for her hands. "Let me know if you feel funny. Satoru had a weird reaction to it."

"I bet he did," Shoko says, not elaborating on what she means by that.

These Jujutsu sorcerers are weird. Whatever.

Kagome smiles and instructs Shoko to close her eyes. Her energy isn't nearly as twisted up as Satoru's, but it feels almost limp. Fragile. No, tired. Her energy feels depleted. That's really not good. It's no wonder Shoko's skin is so pale, she almost looks like a person imitating a zombie.

Even Kikyo had more color when she was half alive.

"How long is this going to take?" Satoru whines.

Kagome opens her eyes and lets go of Shoko's hands. "How do you feel?"

Shoko holds out a hand in front of her and blinks. "I... wow." She glances at Satoru and rolls her eyes. "Not like that. But I feel so much better." There's color to her face. A zest that wasn't there before. "Satoru leave."

"I think the f*ck not."

"Leave," Shoko reiterates. "I feel like I can get so much work done." Shoko's energy is practically leaping off of her. "Kagome, you can stay if you want, but Satoru gets in the way."

"I go where Kagome goes."

"Maybe next time," Kagome says. "I still need to meet the principal and give the students their gifts. And I need to think about dinner," she mumbles the last part.

"Dinner at my place. We can go home together. I'm done with missions for the day." Satoru hops off the table and takes her hand in his.

Shoko snorts.

"For your massage?" She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. "Are you close to my apartment?" Kagome looks over her shoulder. "Bye Shoko!"

Shoko waves goodbye as the door closes. Is it just her imagination or did Satoru slam that door shut?

"It's on the other side of town, but I can always take you home. No need for you to take a train."

"I'd rather do it over the weekend then. This is already taking longer than I anticipated."

"I could always come for you."

Come for...? Did she hear him right?

"You can come over?"

"... Yeah, I can come to you and make dinner for both of us as a thanks."

Kagome mulls over his words. The massages don't take that long to do and they don't really take too much out of her. But does she want Satoru over tonight? She's got a lot to do. "How about this weekend?"

"I thought you didn't have any more dates this week."

"The blindfold looks nicer than those bandages. You shouldn't have to worry about cleaning it unless you really want to throw it in the washer. Should be self-cleaning and it should repair itself if it gets damaged."

"What kind of blindfold is this?"

"What do you mean? Are there different types?"

"I can pick out some different ones if you'd like."

Kagome co*cks her head to the side as she comes to a stop right before the field where the students are training. "No need. I don't need a blindfold. My eyes aren't sensitive like yours." She waves at the students, silently beaming at the Panda. The Panda reminds her of the demon world even though she knows it's not a demon, but a cursed doll or something like that.

"This is Higurashi Kagome," Satoru says. "She'll be starting here soon... did they give you a date?"

"No, but I figure the principal will tell me." Kagome smiles warmly at the boy with the dark bags under his eyes. There's something different about him compared to the others. She blinks at the curse. It doesn't seem to be hurting the boy. No, it seems to be warning her off instead.

Interesting.

Kagome looks away and smiles at the young girl with the green hair.

"What happened to your bandages?" the girl asks.

"Kagome got me this blindfold."

"Speaking of which, I got everyone charms. You can pick out the ones you think you might need." She pulls out the extra charms and holds them out.

"Do I get a charm?"

"I got you a blindfold," Kagome chastises.

"What grade are you?" The girl asks, taking one of the strength charms.

"Semi-special grade," Satoru answers. "I recommended you for special grade, though." He pouts.

"Does it really matter? It's not as though it defines me."

"Heh, I like her," the girl says.

"Seems much nicer than Gojo-sensei," the panda says.

"You guys are traitors," Satoru deadpans. "Anyway, this is Yuta, Maki, Toge, and Panda. They're first years. Which I am in charge of first years, and they could show a little more respect for their awesome teacher."

"No," they all say, much to Kagome's surprise.

"Will these work like the necklace Megumi got?" Yuta asks.

"What kind of gift did Megumi get?"

"He got a pretty cool necklace with some fangs. I tried to trip him when we were sparring, and it was as though he couldn't fall."

"Kagome, don't get mad," Satoru says, taking his blindfold off. "Just want to test something."

"Why would I get—"

Boom!

Did he just blow up the blindfold she got him? Kagome sucks in a breath and plasters a smile on her face. The black material floats down into Satoru's palm and stitches itself back together.

"What kind of blindfold is this?"

"What else can these charms do?" The students drown out Satoru's question and crowd around her. Kagome chuckles, despite the feeling of unease in her gut. Maybe she went a bit overboard with these gifts.

"It's getting late. Can you point me in the direction of the... what?"

"I am so stressed out. I can't wait until this weekend." Satoru grips the blindfold in his fist. His eyes are wild. He looks as though he is going to bust. He really should take it easy.

"You know, Satoru, maybe you shouldn't take on so much work."

"It's not work that has me stressed."

"Who cares if you're stressed," Maki says, "Stop hogging Higurashi-sensei."

Kagome smiles weakly. Doesn't look like she'll be making it home anytime soon.

Chapter 7: A Not So Great Saturday

Chapter Text

"Good morning, Kagome! Your tit* look awesome today," Satoru chimes, lifting one hand in greeting. His other hand cradles the other cup of coffee he picked up on his way to work. He may or may not have gotten Kagome's favorite latte out of Tsumiki.

"What?" Kagome's brows furrow. She blinks at him. Her long dark hair curls at the end. One strand teases the skin he so desperately wants to run his tongue between. That green dress has him green with envy. He'd love to be on her so snug that she wouldn't be able to tell where their bodies end. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

sh*t.

He didn't mean to say that out loud.

"Your armpits! Spectacular. Never seen such fine looking armpits in my life." He forces out a laugh.

Kagome lifts her arm. "Uh.. thanks? I tried waxing instead of shaving."

"What else is shaved?"

"Huh?"

"What else needs saving?"

"I'm not sure. Yaga is letting me ease into the role while they figure out where they want me and I went ahead and gave the school a month's notice so they can find a replacement." She looks past him. "How are you doing, Shoko?"

"Me? Oh, I'm doing great on this amazing, entertaining Saturday."

Satoru rolls his eyes, thankful for the indestructible blindfold Kagome gave him. She practically proposed to him. "I got this for you," he says, taking a step forward, blocking Kagome's view of Shoko.

Kagome smiles, and his heart punches him in the throat.

He knew it. This blindfold was an indirect way of confessing her feelings for him. Her fingertips brush against his and the electric current sends shockwaves throughout his body from his head to his toes. The touch is brief.

Too brief.

And he can't think of any reason for her to keep touching him.

"Where's my coffee?" Shoko asks.

Satoru looks over his shoulder. "I only have two hands, Shoko."

Seriously, since when does Shoko want him to bring her coffee? The woman survives off of cigs and the pot of coffee she keeps in her office.

"That's crazy. It's like there is this neat invention that allows you to carry multiple drinks." Shoko sighs. "Kagome, if you aren't doing much, I wouldn't mind help in the lab."

"Of course," Kagome says, moving around him. She smells like vanilla. He inhales. His lungs expand and he can't get enough of her scent.

"Wait!" His outbursts startles him, but he carries on. "You can't help in the lab dressed like that."

"What's wrong with my outfit?" Kagome clutches the drink to her chest. The v-cut is far too generous. Helping in the lab means helping wounded sorcerers who will look up at her breasts and... Satoru grits his teeth, willing the imagery away.

"Your dress is far too nice to be getting blood on it. And the lab is cold. So cold. As a fellow teacher, you should join me today. I've got lots to show you."

Shoko snorts.

What a traitor.

Kagome presses her lips together. "There should be lab coats."

"Please go with this man before he combusts."

Kagome's eyes widen. "Combust? Satoru, why didn't you say it was that bad? Come on, we can go to my office. I think Yaga said it was close to yours."

Satoru's throat is dry. Her office? "Not enough privacy," he says weakly. Is he developing an addiction? "I can make it until tonight. Where did you want to get dinner?"

He swallows. He has a mission tonight, but he could do it afterward. Satoru would do it before, but he can't afford to be late to their date.

Shoko coughs out a laugh. She wipes at her eyes. "I think those massages affect Satoru differently. I'm still doing great."

"I'm glad you are doing okay," Kagome says. "I'm not sure why they aren't as effective on Satoru. But I can't do dinner tonight. We can do it before."

Do it before?

He shakes his head. "Another date?" She said she had no more dates this week. What is this betrayal? After everything they've shared? And she's going to go on a date with a normie? "I thought we had plans."

Kagome raises the coffee to her soft pink lips.

Damn. He can't stay mad at her.

"I'm going out with the girls after." Kagome wets her lips. Her eyes seem to sparkle when she looks at the coffee in her hand. Based on her reaction, Tsumiki told him the truth. "Shoko, did you want to come out with me?"

WHAT?

She's inviting Shoko and not him?

"Really? Why, Kagome, I would love to. No one invites me out to have fun." Shoko smiles, but it's all wrong.

Shoko is f*cking with him.

"If you're going to be drinking, then you'll need a chaperone or a driver."

"Chaperone? We aren't teenagers."

Satoru ignores that comment. Clearly, Shoko has gone to the dark side. So much for friends sticking together. She gets one energy massage, and she changes up on him in the blink of an eye.

"I appreciate it, but you'd probably scare the guys away," Kagome quips.

His mind screeches to a halt. Scare the guys away? So, she's planning on meeting someone?

"Oh, are you going to take someone home?" Shoko asks conversationally, but her eyes slide over to him, and he can see the joy radiating off her in waves.

Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.

Kagome shrugs. "Maybe. The girls are always getting on my case. But you'll like them. Eri and Yuka are a bit outspoken, but Ayumi is like the mother of the group."

Satoru gnashes his teeth. She plans to give him an energy massage, get him riled up, and then send him on his way so she can go out and dance on some other guy? And she plans to take one home? Does she not see him standing right here, ready, and more than willing?

"My mission!" He yells, startling Shoko and Kagome. "Uh...it's a doozy. I might need help. You know it's a special grade one and there aren't any other special grade sorcerers nearby."

Shoko rolls her eyes.

Kagome's brows furrow together as her lips press together. "I guess I could help you before and then go."

"He doesn't need any help."

"Yes, I do. Everyone needs help."

"Since when do you need help?"

"It's okay, Shoko. The massages may have loosened something in him. I'm not sure why they aren't as effective on him." Kagome frowns. "Or you just need more of them compared to everyone else. But I'd hate for something to go wrong because he's all twisted up." She takes another sip of her coffee and hums.

His co*ck twitches at the sound.

She loosened something all right. All his damn self-control.

A phone rings and Shoko's entire demeanor changes.

sh*t. Did someone die?

"It's Nanami and Ino," Shoko says, sliding her phone back in her pocket. They're both injured and need help.

"I'll come too," Kagome says, already trailing behind Shoko.

Satoru clucks his tongue and slides a hand down his face. Why does she have to go? Shoko has been healing everyone just fine. Shoko doesn't need help. And it's not like they are life-threatening injuries.

A headache blooms between his brows.

There better be an oversized lab coat in there.

"Satoru, you don't have to come," Kagome says.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. It would be a shame if something happened to my fellow sorcerers," he says with a sigh, while dragging his feet. "What are you wearing out? Some baggy pants?"

"The theme is red," she replies, but she directs her response to Shoko.

"So red baggy pants?"

"I don't own baggy pants. Probably a dress."

He swallows. A red dress. "Where are you guys going? Do you own any pants?"

"You sure ask a lot of unrelated questions for someone so worried about his coworkers," Shoko interjects, right as they reach her wing of Jujutsu High.

"I was trying to ease my mind, Shoko. No one likes to think about their comrades being injured."

Shoko snorts as she hands Kagome a lab coat that is nowhere near as big as it should be.

"You two sure took a hit, huh?" Shoko gestures to Kagome. "This is Higurashi Kagome. Kagome, this is Ino Takuma and this Nanami Kento."

"Ohhh, you're the new teacher," Ino gushes, f*cking gushes, while holding his stomach. "Thank you for the charms. Think they're the reason we made it out." He winces, but looks at Kagome as though she hangs the stars in the sky.

Disgusting.

Nanami dips his head. "Thank you, Higurashi-san." He closes his eyes and lets out a shuddering breath.

Honestly, both of them were on the mission together. Why are they hurt? Satoru rolls his eyes. He expected better from Nanami.

Kagome wriggles her nose. "Just Kagome is fine." She sets her coffee down and moves over to Ino.

"Uh, Shoko can heal them," Satoru says, gripping his own drink tighter. Kagome hasn't even officially started yet. Why is Shoko making her do all the work?

"I'm fine with supervising," Shoko quips, crossing her arms as she watches Kagome. "Are you going to do an energy massage, too?"

"I can," Kagome says. Her hand rests on Ino's abdomen, as a pink glow emits from her hand. Satoru narrows his eyes behind his blindfold. Does she have to touch him? Can't she make a healing charm or something, so she doesn't have to place her hands on Ino?

Is that too much to ask for?

Ino wiggles his fingers and then rotates his arm. He pats his stomach and smiles.

"Better?"

"Oh yeah, I feel like I could take that curse on all over again, no problem." Ino shifts his weight to the side and then back again as though he has so much energy pent up, he doesn't know what to do with himself. "Thanks! I don't know what that was, but..."

"An energy massage is what she calls them," Shoko answers.

Kagome moves over to Nanami, who admittedly is in worse shape than Ino was.

Still, Shoko could lift a finger to heal him instead of having Kagome do all the work. This is Shoko's job, after all. He recommended for Kagome to be a teacher like him, not a healer.

Nanami peels off his jacket and leans back against the exam table. Satoru scowls. Ino didn't need to take his clothes off. Why is Nanami?

"She can heal ya through your clothes," he says, with a bit of a bite to his words, but either Nanami is used to his snark or he doesn't care, because Nanami focuses solely on Kagome.

"Let me know if it hurts," Kagome murmurs, placing her hand on Nanami's chest. She closes her eyes.

Satoru grips the cup tighter. The liquid spills from the cracks, but he doesn't feel it. Can't feel anything other than this raging headache that keeps pounding on his temple.

Nanami's face flushes pink. His breaths are haggard. "Kagome-san—"

"Just Kagome," she says, but it sounds breathless and someone should put a stop to this.

Why isn't Shoko stepping in? This is indecent.

Satoru tosses his drink in the trash, ignoring Shoko's look of annoyance at the now mess on the floor. "I think it's too much for him, Kagome." He stands behind her and looks over her shoulder at Nanami, who turns his head away.

Oh, hell no.

Satoru lifts his blindfold. Is he seeing this sh*t right? Is Nanami getting off on this?

"Thank you... Kagome," Nanami breathes out. He grabs his shirt and bunches it up and places it over his lap. The blonde sorcerer refuses to look Satoru in the eye, or Kagome, for that matter. There's a light sheen on his forehead as though he just ran 100 laps up and down the school steps.

"No problem, but what are you doing?"

Nanami opens his mouth, but his words come out choked. "I'm... fine."

"You don't look fine."

"He always looks like that." Satoru taps Kagome's shoulder. "C'mon on, let's leave Nanami alone. He said he's fine, and he's a man of his word." Besides, Nanami looks like he wants to be anywhere but in the lab with all of them.

"I dunno know... Nanami, are you sure you are okay?" Ino asks.

Unfortunately, it is frowned upon to knock one's coworker out, so Satoru lets out a huff of frustration instead.

"I'm fine," Nanami stresses. He swallows, and every action appears to take more and more of Nanami's control. He sucks in a breath and looks up at the ceiling.

Satoru grits his teeth. Is he really the only one seeing this sh*t right now?

"Did the massage hurt you?" Kagome asks, reaching out a hand, but Nanami sidesteps her and rushes out of the room. His foot slides forward and Nanami topples back. The scene would be funny on any other day, but as Nanami struggles to get up, coffee stained on the back of his pants, Satoru can't conjure up a morsel of humor about this situation.

There is nothing funny about this. No, this is bullsh*t.

"Ummm Nanami?" Ino calls out, but the blonde sorcerer stands up and rushes out of the room as though the fall never happened.

"... Did I offend him?"

"He's fine," Satoru says. Nah, he knows that walk and he knows how close Nanami was to blowing in front of them. "Come on, Kagome, I need more coffee since mine spilled."

"Stop hogging her," Shoko says. "And you need to clean up your mess so no one else walks in it and trips."

"Hogging? Kagome is a teacher here. We have curriculums to go over and compare." He grabs Kagome's coffee and not so subtly urges her to leave the lab before Shoko convinces her she should stay all day.

"That's true. There's a lot I still need to know about this school before coming up with a plan." She shrugs off the lab coat and hangs it up. "Shoko, if anything comes up, call me. And I'll text you the details." Kagome grabs some napkins on the counter, but he takes it from her before she can bend down.

Fine, he'll get up his own mess. Even though Shoko needs to mop the floor, anyway.

"I can't wait until tonight," Shoko says. "Here's to finding hot men tonight." She smiles.

Shoko is messing with him.

"I can't believe you'd do Ijichi like that." Satoru throws the napkins away.

"I'm not in a relationship with him."

"How cruel you are," Satoru sighs and pretends to wipe a tear.

"Are you dating Ijichi?" Kagome asks.

"Not at all. Satoru has delusions sometimes. He images things that aren't there and comes up with his own reality."

His mouth drops. Oh, she did not.

"Is it because of your eyes?" Kagome turns to him. "The blindfold should help with that, since your eyes are so sensitive."

"... Shoko? What is going on?" Ino asks.

"A train wreck. Entertainment."

"I think I need to lie down," Satoru says, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Luckily, there's a couch in my office. We should go there right now."

Kagome nods. He reaches for her hand, enjoying the warmth of her skin. She's so soft. He doesn't look back as he kicks the door close with the back of his heel.

"How long have you been like this?" she asks after a moment as they walk to his office.

"I was born with the six eyes, but I didn't start wearing blacked-out glasses and the bandages until high school."

"And it wears down your brain?"

"I repair it with my reverse curse technique, but it's not nearly as effective as your massages." He doesn't remember a time when he didn't know the feel of her energy shimmering underneath his skin.

"What about Nanami? Does he—"

"No."

"But he reacted pretty poorly to the massage. He ran out like you did."

"I didn't run away. I just remembered that I had something to take care of." He lets go of her hand and opens the door. Placing the coffee on the desk, he goes straight for the couch and stretches out. His legs hang over the sides, but it's fine. Kagome peers down at him, and his tongue is as dry as sandpaper.

"Do I need to take your mission? You aren't doing too hot."

"You think I'm hot?"

Kagome frowns. "I'm sure you get compliments all the time. I meant you being sick. There's clearly something going on with you."

"I don't get praised enough. That's my curse. If I don't hear it from your lips, I might die."

"That makes no sense." Kagome turns away from him, muttering under her breath.

Satoru slaps his forehead. Oh, come on! That was so smooth. How could she miss that?

"I'm taking your mission tonight. Ijichi has the details, right?"

Her footsteps grow faint. Satoru sits up. Why is she leaving?

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"To talk to Yaga, if he's here," Kagome replies. "You need a break. Especially with how dangerous the missions are. You can't go out on the field if you're tired. That's just an accident waiting to happen, and you guys don't seem to get any days off is not good on the body."

"I'm fine," he stresses. "But... if I got hurt, you'd nurse me back to health?"

"Satoru, I'd nurse anyone back to health." She shakes her head. "Just get some rest. We can go over the curriculum later."

"Wait!" He hops off the couch. "You know, brunch would help. There's a spot nearby."

"You should go get food then if you're hungry?"

"I mean, we should go. Together. In case I pass out." What the hell is he saying? Pass out?

Kagome presses a hand to his chest and pushes him backward. He bites his lip. Does the thought of helping him turn her on?

"You coming on to me?"

"Sit," she commands. "What's the name of the spot? I can grab you something to eat. If you pass out, there is no way I'll be able to carry you back. You're way too big."

He leans forward. "I could fit," he murmurs.

Kagome sighs. "I know you can fit, but there's no way I'd be able to get you in on my own."

"I'm a team player."

"If you're passed out?"

Satoru leans back and smacks the back of his head against the wall.

"Satoru!" Kagome grabs his face. "You should just go home."

He pouts. His shoulders slump forward. Her palms are really warm. They feel so nice. "Mhmm, could you help me home, then?"

Kagome opens her mouth right as the door slams open. The pictures on the wall shake. Panda and Maki burst into the room.

"No class today," Satoru says.

"We aren't here for you," Maki says. "Stop hogging Higurashi-sensei."

"Oh, did you guys need something?" Kagome pulls away and turns to address the students, who look far too smug.

"Gojo-sensei said you're good with barriers. Do you mind showing us?"

"Of course," Kagome quips. "Satoru, just lie down. I'll come check on you later."

"But—" The door closes. Satoru huffs. He pulls out his phone and dials Ijichi, who picks up on the second ring.

"Y-yes?"

"Get the car ready. We're going wig shopping."

Chapter 8: Evacuate The Dance Floor

Chapter Text

"HANDS IN THE AIR IF YOU GOT A BIG DICK," Shoko shouts, giggling along with Eri as the two hold on to one another for balance. Shoko's short, red dress sparkles under the lights. Her long brown hair curls at the ends. Eri's darker hair is pinned up, showing off her shoulders in her strapless dress.

How that dress is staying up with how much Eri is swaying is a mystery.

Kagome pinches the bridge of her nose. "Uh…Shoko, maybe you shouldn't have anything else to drink."

Seriously, how much has Shoko had to drink? She made it seem like it would be difficult for her to get drunk with her reverse curse technique.

"What?" Shoko whips her head around. Her face flushed pink. "Are you kidding? I haven't let loose in years!" She throws her hands up and sways to her own beat. Her dress sparkles and Shoko looks like she is having fun.

"Right." Kagome frowns. "But you're asking dick sizes in the middle of the dance floor." Maybe this is normal behavior, but the Shoko she sees at school is not this…wild?

Then again, Kagome doesn't know Shoko all that well.

"And not one of them raised their damn hands."

"Maybe." Hiccup. "Maybe we should have gone to a different club," Eri chimes.

"There's nothing wrong with average dick," Ayumi says, swaying her hips to the beat. "Some of the bigger ones don't know what to do with it." Ayumi giggles and does a shimmy.

Thank Kami her dress isn't strapless.

"Ain't that the truth," Yuka agrees. "They think they can just jackhammer it in. I'd take a small one instead."

Kagome blinks and then runs a hand down her face. "Guys…"

"Why the hell would you want a small one?" Shoko asks, dancing with Eri.

"They usually compensate with their tongues."

"Oohh, I didn't think of that."

"Hojo-kun must have been amazing," Yuka says.

"What?" Kagome tugs at her ear. "What about Hojo?"

"I mean, you guys were together for so long."

"Star-crossed lovers," Ayumi says with a sigh.

"And he hasn't given up hope," Eri says.

"Oh, yeah!" Shoko yells. "Gojo is f*cking crazy about ya. I thought he was gonna bite Nanami's head off."

…Satoru?

"Who is Gojo?"

"No one," Kagome says with a sigh. "Come on, I think we could all use some more water."

The girls grumble, but trail after her towards the bar. Kagome orders all of them a water and bites back another sigh. Everyone just needs to sober up a tad.

"IS THAT IJICHI!" Shoko yells, pointing at a man in a…suit with his long curly black hair that looks like he wanted to be in one of those American rock bands.

"Doesn't Ijichi have short hair?" Kagome muses. Wait. She narrows her eyes at the tall stranger behind the not-Ijichi. His hair is dark. But there's something about him wearing shades inside the nightclub and the tugging of his energy on hers.

No way.

He didn't.

Kagome turns away and glances back over at the girls. "Who are you texting?" she asks Ayumi, partly because she is nosy and partly because that is definitely not Satoru making his way over towards her in a wig.

And that dark red shirt is giving her ideas.

"Someone that is so excited to meet you," Ayumi gushes. "And the guy I've been seeing is on his way over here now." Ayumi slides her phone back into her purse and leans over. "I'm hoping that it's deliverable dick."

"What is deliverable dick?" Kagome's brows furrow together. The heat of Satoru's body singes her back. She is not looking at him. She is not acknowledging him.

She doesn't know him.

"Dick that always delivers," Ayumi says, nodding her head as though she is explaining something so basic. "It ain't got to be big. Average is fine with me. But it needs to deliver."

"Ahem." Satoru coughs, but Kagome ignores him.

"Right. Right." Kagome sips her water. "Do I know this person who is so excited to meet me?"

"You didn't tell her?" Yuka asks.

Oh, no. Kagome clucks her tongue. She doesn't even need to guess who it is.

"Guys, how could you?"

They look at her and blink. Well, Shoko somehow got a hold of more alcohol and doesn't seem to be quitting. Eri giggles, hops off the stool, and heads back out on the dance floor.

"And you, Yuka?" Kagome glares.

"Oh! I spy a guy that definitely has a small dick." She wiggles her fingers and makes a tactical retreat.

Satoru chokes behind her.

"All of you suck," Kagome grumbles.

"I'm planning to later. Maybe you will too." Ayumi pats her shoulder and then perks up. "Oh, here they come."

Kagome rolls her eyes. Satoru's energy surges, but whatever his deal is, he needs to handle it on his own. She helped him on that mission, and she gave him a small massage.

"Kagome!" Hojo yells over the music. His brown hair is spiked up and two of his buttons are undone.

Kagome blinks. What's with the new look?

"The girls told me, so you don't have to explain." Hojo takes the spot Ayumi was in. He bites his lip, but it looks like he is gnawing on it.

"They told you I was with this guy?" Kagome reaches behind her and grabs Satoru, pulling him forward. "See, me and him." She smiles and reaches up, caressing Satoru's face.

Hojo clears his throat. "A man that wears sunglasses in a nightclub? Kagome…" Hojo reaches over and pats her thigh. "You don't have to pretend you don't want me. I already know these dates were just a game to make me jealous."

"Who the f*ck are you?" Satoru growls out.

Kagome shivers. His breath fans her ear.

"Kagome, what is his name?" Shoko asks, sipping on her drink.

"Satoru."

"Mori."

Shoko chortles. Hojo frowns and taps his fingers on the bar. Kagome sighs and turns around, angling her body to Satoru.

"Satoru, I know it's you," she whispers-yells. "Why are you wearing a wig and why is Ijichi wearing one that belongs on a Halloween costume?"

"…What gave it away?"

"Your energy!"

Honestly, what has gotten into him? He comes in playing tug of war with her and he thinks she wouldn't notice that it is him under that black wig?

"His what?" Hojo asks, but Kagome pays him no mind.

"Take off that damn wig. You look ridiculous."

Satoru pouts and rips off his dark wig. He tosses it behind him, hitting Ijichi in the face. Ijichi struggles to keep his glasses on and the wig lands in his drink, tipping it over and spilling onto the bar.

"Nooooo!" Ijichi sobs, "I just wanted one drink." He takes off his long curly wig and blows his nose in it. "Just one drink!"

"It's okay, Satoru will buy you another one," Kagome consoles, passing some napkins his way.

"I never said that."

"Hojo did you—"

"Open a tab," Satoru says.

"Pay for my drink too," Shoko chimes, though she gets up and walks over to Ijichi. "I got a question."

"Oh, Kami no," Kagome mutters.

"How big is it?"

Ijichi pushes his glasses up. "Did you want to dance and find out?"

Satoru gags. "Stop it. Stop it right now."

Shoko giggles and grabs Ijichi's hand. "Come on, then."

"I'm gonna be sick," Satoru says.

"Wait a minute!" Hojo exclaims, pointing a finger at Satoru. "I thought you changed! I thought you were done with the bad boys that just want to use you and never see your worth."

Kagome frowns. Maybe she should just get up and retreat to the dance floor. "Hojo, what are you talking about?"

"This…boy, has white hair like that two-timing ex of yours. You'd go for his older brother?"

Kagome blinks. "This is Satoru, not Sesshomaru."

"I'm right here," Satoru says. "And who are you calling boy?"

"If you aren't gonna drink, get up and leave the bar." The bartender says.

"That's fine. Kagome and I need a table, anyway." Satoru stands and holds out his hand.

"Kagome, don't go with this guy."

She rolls her eyes. "Hojo, chill. Go out and find someone to dance with." Kagome takes Satoru's hand and blows out a breath while Satoru gets them a table.

Satoru orders himself a drink, but Kagome waves the offer off. Though she wonders how much this table cost him.

Kagome sighs as she slumps forward, placing her elbows on the table. From here she can see the girls still laughing it up, dancing with their partners for the night. Shoko and Ijichi seem to be getting along, with Shoko bending over and pushing back against Ijichi.

And she's here…with Satoru.

"Did you want to dance?"

"I've lost the motivation after they sprung Hojo on me," Kagome says. She peeks at him through her eyelashes. "Thought they would have given it a rest by now." There's something about the way the dim lights hit his face, showing off that jawline.

"Right, that ex of yours." Satoru lifts his fruity, not alcoholic drink. "Seems pretty sprung on ya."

"Hojo-kun is nice. He's husband material, but I couldn't imagine marrying him." She blows out a breath. "You don't have to stay and listen to me." Kagome isn't blind. She can see the way the other women try to grab Satoru's attention, but he doesn't seem to pay them any attention.

"I'm not going anywhere," he replies, pulling his shades down so she can see her reflection in his eyes. "He was a nice guy, but didn't do it for you?"

She presses her lips together. She's never said this out loud. "No. He's a great guy. But the thought of having to sleep with him for the rest of my life is…" Kagome shudders. "I'd rather be alone." Sleeping with Hojo was the worst. Anytime she would try to touch him, he'd freak out and tell her she was just supposed to lie there.

Hojo is a nice guy, but he acts as though she is as sickly as she was in middle school. Not that she's ever told him the truth.

And all this talk about dicks is getting to her.

Satoru leans back. "Have you…" he pauses. "Have you ever had an org*sm?"

Kagome blinks.

Satoru stares.

He wets his lips. "Do you want one?"

Kagome wrinkles her nose. "Sleeping with coworkers leads to trouble." Partying with them also seems to lead to trouble.

"I'm the least problematic coworker you have."

"Not sure I believe that," she teases. "But you're definitely an entertaining one." She crosses her legs, tilting her head to the side. Satoru screams trouble. From the way he commands attention when he enters a room, to the way he voices his opinion regardless if anyone asks or not.

"I'm not hearing a no."

"You're not hearing a yes, either. I'd hate for you to pass out on me."

His mouth drops. "I'm fine," he stresses. "Do I look like I'll pass out? Earlier, that was just the hunger talking."

"Uh huh." She uncrosses her legs. Hojo looks over at her and waves as he dances with some woman. Kagome sighs. She should say no. "If you suck, I'm gonna be mad."

"We don't have to do anything you don't want—did you say yes?"

Kagome rolls her eyes. "Honestly, Satoru—" The lights flicker and then they are plunged into darkness. A hand touches her thigh, and she jumps. "Did you do that?"

"A gentleman never tells," he coos, right before pressing his lips to her neck. "You smell amazing. Could eat ya right up."

Kagome worries her lip. She talked the big game, but now that she's here, what does she do? Her fingers twitch. Satoru must feel her indecision because he grabs her hand and intertwines their fingers.

"Don't got much time," he murmurs, kissing her neck. His hand trails down and slides under her dress. "Been driving me f*cking crazy. Especially in this backless dress," he rambles, pressing two fingers against her clothed slit. "Can I eat you out?"

Her breath hitches. He wants to do this here? In the club? She's honestly shocked no one has come stumbling over.

"Here?"

"I'd do you anywhere," he replies. The intensity of his words strikes a chord within her. Her heart rate speeds up. Satoru probably says this to every woman he picks up, but Kagome shoves that thought to the back. It doesn't matter, anyway. This is just a one-off, doesn't mean anything, org*sm between them.

Satoru slides down off the cushion. Kagome widens her legs, hissing softly at the puff of warm breath so close to her. Satoru sighs as his nose presses into her. He pulls her thong to the side and her body arches at the first touch of his tongue on her.

Holy sh*t.

His tongue is good for something other than talking nonsense. He murmurs something, but she can't hear him over everyone else talking and her own heavy breathing.

"Sa-to-ru," she moans, trying to keep her voice down. "sh*t."

He suctions his lips around her cl*t like she owes him something. Is this what she's been missing out? No f*cking wonder Yuka is always hooking up with someone when they all go out. The lights flicker and anxiety hits her in the gut. sh*t, someone is going to notice. There's no way they won't notice.

"Satoru," she warns, but her breath hitches and her head lulls back. He's too good at this.

"Mhmm, I know. I know." He plunges his tongue inside of her, curling it upward as he attempts to take everything she has. Kagome jerks. Her org*sm hits her so hard that the lights burn bright before plunging them back into darkness. Satoru pulls back, smacking her thigh as he climbs from under the table and sits next to her.

The lights flicker back on, but she can't look him in the eye.

She let him do that.

In public.

She swallows, patting her face. Did it get warmer in here?

"C'mere," he coos, wrapping an arm around her. "Knew you'd taste good." He inhales, sniffing her hair. "Come home with me. We can have our own private dance."

"Are you going to let me leave?" she asks. Her mind is foggy. He's got her all bent out of shape.

"Maybe?"

She snorts. "You mean yes." Kagome rolls her eyes and turns her head. Oh great. Hojo waves at her again as he makes his way over to them. The woman tugs on his shirt, but Hojo pays her no mind.

"Why is he coming over here?" Satoru mutters.

"Probably because the lights malfunctioned." Kagome shrugs his arm off and plasters a smile on her face as Hojo gets closer. "Are you having fun, Hojo-kun?"

"That was weird! The lights messing up," Hojo responds, sliding into the seat opposite of them. "We should probably get out of here while the lights are still working, and we can see."

"She didn't come here with you."

Hojo blinks and then dismisses Satoru. "The girls told me you weren't feeling well."

"Hojo, I saw you dancing with someone." She rolls her eyes at his obvious lie.

Satoru shifts next to her and slides his palm on her thigh. His fingers itch dangerously close to where his tongue was.

He can't be serious.

"Jealous? You don't have to be. I was just showing you—"

"Ah!" Kagome clamps her hands over her mouth and squeezes her eyes shut.

"Kagome, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she wheezes out. She sucks in a breath while clenching around Satoru's fingers. "Just fine."

"Are you sure? This must be too much for you." Hojo glares at Satoru. "Kagome is sick. She's been this way since middle school."

"I dunno know," Satoru draws, adding a third finger. "She seems pretty healthy to me."

Kagome bites her lip and turns her face away, burying it in Satoru's side. She should put a stop to this.

Hojo stands and huffs. "Kagome, are you coming?"

"Yes," she breathes. "I'm coming."

"With me," Satoru replies snidely. "Not you." He lowers his voice. "I got you. Come on my fingers like a good girl."

"She's having a hard time breathing! Look at her! She has the chills."

Satoru snorts.

Kagome grips his shirt. The scream bubbles in her throat.

sh*t.

She bites down on Satoru's shoulder. He grunts and disguises it as a laugh.

"Kagome?"

"Hojo…I'm fine. Just go."

"But…"

"I got her," Satoru says, but his voice is deeper. Something about his tone has her squirming with need.

Hojo huffs. "When he breaks your heart, don't come running back to me." He storms off, shrugging off the woman he was dancing with earlier.

"Someone is testy." Satoru whistles.

"Satoru, what the hell?"

He moves his fingers, and her eyes roll back. Damn, his fingers are long.

"Come home with me," he asks again. He leans forward and pauses. "Ugh, it's always something," he grumbles, fishing his phone out. "What is it?" Satoru balances the phone between his shoulder and ear.

Kagome lets out a shaky breath as he withdraws his fingers. Her eyebrows raise.

Satoru holds the phone with his hand and looks at her as he sucks his fingers covered in her come.

"Are you serious? What? I'm out." Satoru huffs and grabs her thigh with a smack. "Yeah, yeah. I'll go." He ends the call and slides the phone back into his pocket.

"Another mission?"

"More like a co*ckblock," he grumbles. "I'll get…where did they go?"

Kagome wets her lips and looks through the sea of people dancing. "Shoko was on the prowl for a big dick. Maybe Ijichi—"

"Don't finish that sentence."

"I was just saying." She shrugs.

"Let me help you home at least," he says. "It's getting late."

"I came here with my friends. I can't just leave them."

The girls minus Shoko come over to the table. "We're leaving—whoa! Who is this?"

"No one."

"Kagomeeee," Satoru whines.

"You guys are heading out?"

"Well, Eri and I are beat," Yuka says. "Ayumi is going home with her guy. And Shoko went off somewhere with that older man."

Satoru laughs. "Shoko is older than him."

Kagome slides out of the booth. "That's…maybe he does need a massage."

"That's the last thing he needs."

"I'm not sure what you guys are talking about," Eri says, "but we're beat. You coming Kagome?"

Kagome flushes. "Umm." She pulls down her dress, ignoring Satoru's groan.

"Oh! What are you guys doing?" Shoko asks, her arms around Ijichi, whose tie is undone.

"BD?" Eri asks.

Shoko gives a subtle nod.

"That is disgusting," Satoru complains. "Ugh. Kami. Now that image is in my brain."

"Oh, get over yourself," Shoko shoots back.

"Ughhhh. Ijichi, we gotta go. We got work."

"But." Ijichi looks at Shoko and sighs.

"Girl's night at Kagome's!" Eri grabs Kagome and pulls her away from Satoru.

Kagome shakes her head and then looks back.

Satoru raises that hand and wiggles his fingers at her. He sticks his tongue out and curls it.

Her mouth drops.

Something tells her she may have made a mistake.

Yuka leans closer and keeps her voice low. "What happened?"

Kagome swallows. "He may have used tongue," she whispers back.

Yuka nods. "If you see him again, don't make a big deal out of it. Men with small dicks can get insecure."

Kagome blinks. Ohh, is that why he didn't ask her to join him on the mission?

"I understand."

Chapter 9: Not In The Face

Chapter Text

Kento is not avoiding Kagome. He's been busy with missions and every time he sees her in the hallways, he's on his way out.

He is not avoiding her. They just so happen to be going different ways every time he sees her in the hallway. It's not his fault that he forgot his wallet and had to turn the other way yesterday.

He is not avoiding her.

"Good morning, Nanami!"

He freezes. sh*t. She is walking towards him. "Good morning, Kagome." He clenches his teeth and crosses his arms. "How are you fairing?"

Do not think about the clinic. Do not think about how her energy simmered under his skin and wrapped around him. Kento swallows back the onslaught of images. How he rushed to his office, locked the door, and worked his co*ck until it was raw.

He is not thinking about that day. He will not think about that day.

It never happened.

She smiles. "Everyone has been so nice. I'm going on a mission with Maki and Yuta later. They want me to watch them."

He doesn't blink. Why do they need a new teacher to watch them when they know what to do? Especially Yuta? He's a special grade.

"I see." He glances at his watch. "Well, I must be—"

"Kagomeeee!" Satoru yells, running down the hall. "How could you leave me?"

"We weren't together?"

Satoru gasps and throws an arm around Kagome. He pulls Kagome closer to him and lifts his blindfold, staring at Kento.

Kento runs his tongue along his upper teeth to stop the frown from forming on his face. Satoru is a touchy person, but does he have to touch Kagome so intimately? He's practically hanging off of her and Kagome is far too kindhearted to tell Satoru off.

Satoru needs to remove his arms from around her. Doesn't he know it is rude to hang off of people like that?

No, Satoru knows. He just doesn't care.

"We're together now," Satoru coos, but while the words are directed to Kagome, Satoru stares at Kento with a smile that is anything but friendly.

Noted.

Seems not even the strongest is above feelings of jealousy.

And yet, Kento is strangely annoyed by this development. What right does Satoru have to monopolize Kagome's time?

What right does he have to touch her? Kagome does not strike him as the type that would give Satoru the time of day. Not with how obnoxious he is. No, Kagome would do better with someone that matches her energy. Someone more stable. Sane. Like him.

What? No!

"What time is your mission?" he asks, needing to get off this subject Satoru keeps trying to introduce.

"It'll be later tonight." Kagome looks up at Satoru and sighs. "For now, I'm just floating around if anyone needs anything. And we aren't together," she says, rolling her eyes. "Don't pay Satoru any attention."

Satoru grumbles and presses his face closer to Kagome's. "You're soo mean! What if I need help?" Satoru questions.

Nanami frowns. His chest tightens. Why won't his feet move?

"If you're free, then I wouldn't mind assistance with my mission." Kento blinks. Did he just?

Satoru glares at him. His cursed energy spikes, and it is oppressive.

f*ck. He did.

"I'd love to," Kagome chimes, shrugging out of Satoru's arms. "Is it a special grade mission?"

Kento falters. Special grade? What is her grade level? Come to think of it, he's never asked. Well, he's never talked to her for a length of time.

"No, but—"

"He doesn't need help, but I do."

"Satoru, I think you're exaggerating how much you need me. Aren't you the strongest?" her tone is teasing, but there's a warmth there that Kento hates.

It's Gojo Satoru, the world's most annoying sorcerer. Why isn't she annoyed by his antics?

Satoru lowers his blindfold and steps between Kagome and Kento. He says something, but Kento can't make out what.

"You shouldn't crowd her space like that," Kento says coolly. "It's rude."

Satoru turns his head. "What?"

"You're being insufferable." Kento pushes his glasses up. "Kagome, I'm leaving now for my mission if you want to join me." He will not be pushed into a corner by Satoru. Strongest or not, Satoru needs to give Kagome space.

"Okay!" Kagome nudges Satoru and rolls her eyes. "Don't you have to pack?"

"I'm already packed. The question is, did you pack?"

"I'm not going out of the country." Kagome crosses her arms, pressing her breasts together.

Kento swallows.

Should he give her his jacket? He swallows again and tries to focus on the wall behind her.

The hell is wrong with him? This isn't like him. The last thing he wants is a relationship.

Maybe he just needs to get laid. Yeah, a one-night stand will clear his mind and put a stop to these outlandish fantasies.

"Why not? I'm paying. Or did you want to buy new clothes when we get there?"

"Satoru," Kagome says, exasperated.

"Ooh, say my name again."

"You're disgusting," Kento remarks, taking a step toward Kagome.

Satoru's grin disappears and left is a look that could kill a man. Satoru bends down, twirling a locket of hair between his fingers, and whispers something in Kagome's ear.

Pink dusts her cheeks while Kento's ears burn hot. His heart races. Satoru presses his lips closer to Kagome's ear.

Kento is intruding on something. He feels it in his bones, but his co*ck twitches in his pants and the scene rocks him to his core.

What. The. f*ck?

"Nanami? Are you okay?" Kagome asks, tugging her hair back from Satoru.

"I'm fine," he grounds out.

No, he's not fine.

Satoru stands to his full height and pulls his blindfold all the way down. "You sure about that?"

"I'm fine," he insists. "We just need to get going so I don't run into overtime." He's in no danger of going into overtime today so long as the missions don't take too long, but Kagome doesn't know that, and Satoru doesn't know his schedule.

"Do missions take that long?"

"You know what's long? My—"

"His flight. Kagome, please." Kento turns on his heel. He blows out a breath. His heart beats against his chest like it wants to make a clean getaway. His blood runs hot. He blinks back the images of Satoru and Kagome.

Satoru probably takes her rough. He seems like the type.

Wait.

NO!

Kento shakes his head. That massage screwed with his head. He is not attracted to Satoru, for f*ck's sake.

"Nothing better happen to her!" Satoru yells.

Kento's jaw ticks. Why is he acting like Kagome is his? He turns his head, glancing back at Satoru, and mouths, "She doesn't want you."

A boom of thunder hits Kento's eardrums. He frowns. It's not supposed to storm today. He turns away from Satoru and focuses on getting off the school grounds. "I apologize for my colleague," he grounds out, refusing to look at Kagome. If he does, she'll see the desire etched on his face like a scar. He can't get the image of Satoru whispering in her ear out of his mind. Or that possessive gleam in Satoru's eye.

Maybe he is the insane one. Maybe he should be committed. Dealing with Satoru for so many years has finally caused his brain to deteriorate into a puddle of acid.

"Huh? You don't have to apologize for Satoru." Kagome snorts. "Besides, Satoru is harmless."

Harmless?

Kento's head swirls in her direction. She thinks Gojo f*cking Satoru is harmless? They are not talking about the same sorcerer.

"Harmless and Satoru are two words I never thought I'd hear in a sentence," he mutters, walking down the steps. "This mission shouldn't take too long with your assistance."

"Of course!" she chirps. "I don't mind since the higher-ups seem reluctant to give me any of my own."

He gets the door for her and contemplates sitting in the back with her or in the passenger seat. He closes the door and takes his spot in the passenger seat. Ijichi glances over at him and shrugs.

"What is your grade?" With those massages of hers, perhaps the higher-ups deem her too valuable like Shoko to send on missions?

"Semi-special grade. Satoru says it's not a thing, but they made it up for me," she quips as though it's no big deal.

Semi-special grade?

"My abilities can't take on a country like Satoru, but my purification is more potent against curses than cursed energy. So, they gave me semi-special grade status and are dragging their feet on giving me any missions to do."

That's not like the higher-ups at all. Kento frowns. Just how valuable is Kagome?

"They like to keep you around in case anyone needs help," Ijichi says. "Productivity has been up by 75 percent since you performed those massages."

Nanami grits his teeth. His productivity has plummeted since she gave him one.

"Really? Come to think of it, no one has needed another one since the first. Except for Satoru. His energy is always getting twisted up." She sighs. "I don't know why it doesn't work that well on him... or you, Nanami. Your energy has been—"

"I'm fine," he says curtly. "That's just stress from the job. You don't need to use your abilities for such trivial matters."

"... If you're sure?"

"Positive."

Ijichi glances at him as he parks the car in front of the abandoned home. "I have to take Gojo to the airport."

"No worries!" Kagome chirps, climbing out of the car. "We can make our way back to the school on our own."

Kento's eyes twitch. Not only is he going to be alone with Kagome on this mission, but now he'll be alone with her on the way back, too? He slams the door shut and goes to move, but can't.

Damn it. How the hell did he shut his jacket in the door? He goes to open the door, but Ijichi takes off and sonofabitch.

sh*t.

This is not happening.

"Kento!" Kagome yells, running towards him.

The car stops and Kento stands on wobbly legs. His day has barely begun, and he's already been drugged down the street.

"Nanami-san! I am so sorry," Ijichi apologizes profusely.

"It's fine. This is my fault." He snatches his snagged jacket and heaves a long sigh. "It's fine. Just go. I'm not hurt." His pride is, though. He shuts the door and this time; his jacket is not stuck between the door.

"Maybe you should take it easy," Kagome says. "I can handle the mission."

"That's unnecessary. I can handle... being dragged across the road. This is nothing." He fixes his jacket and walks back towards the abandoned home. "Are you putting a barrier up?" He could put up a veil, though usually Ijichi takes care of that. Ijichi must be in a rush to get Satoru to the airport for him to not offer to do so.

"Naturally," she quips.

Her energy is warm. His chest feels lighter. It's as though he can feel her fingertips under his clothes, but she's not touching him. Hell, she isn't even looking at him while she puts up a barrier without an incantation. A barrier that needs no time to prep for? No wonder the higher-ups want to keep her safe like they do with Shoko.

Kagome is far too valuable.

So why is she helping him on his mission? She should have turned him down and stayed back at Jujutsu High with the students.

"Nanami?"

"Kento."

Kagome blinks and then she smiles, and he swears the sky gets clearer. He swallows. No wonder Gojo Satoru is always hanging around her. One smile and he almost forgot why he can't do relationships.

Though Kagome is strong, and she can handle herself.

No. He squeezes his eyes shut. No, he can't leave behind a widow. Kagome may be strong, but there are curses out there that are stronger than him. He can't be responsible for causing someone pain. Kento jerks back. The warmth of her palm on his arm is too much. His body is aflame with something he refuses to name.

"Kento, are you sure you're okay? I can handle it if you need to sit down and take a breather." Her phone beeps, pulling her attention away from him.

He sucks in a breath and tries to center himself. This is not like him. He didn't act like some typical teen when he was a teen. He sure as hell isn't about to act like one now.

"Is it Satoru?"

"Yeah, he's still insisting I help him." She rolls her eyes as she slides her phone into her backpack purse. "I can't just up and leave for Australia on a dime."

"He doesn't need help, despite what he says. He is the strongest," he spits out the last part. Why couldn't the strongest be someone more reliable, like Yaga? Why does it have to be Gojo Annoying Satoru? "Come on, this shouldn't take too long with both of us. And the mission will help me settle my mind."

"If you say so." She shrugs and walks through the door with no regard for her safety. Kagome strolls into the house and plants her hands on her hips as she turns in a circle, taking in the house. "It's upstairs."

"It should be a grade one curse," he says, pulling his sword from its strap. "Provided the windows and the higher-ups did their jobs correctly." Kento walks to the stairs, putting himself in front of Kagome.

She's a semi-special grade, but something about letting her handle it all feels wrong. The notion shakes him to the core. What is wrong with him? If it were Mei Mei he wouldn't act like this? Is it because Kagome is new to the world of jujutsu?

He holds out his arm, signaling her to stand still as he approaches the room.

The cursed energy radiates from behind the door. It's overpowering. How did he not feel it before? Kento kicks the door in and walks into the room. Dust covers the bed like a cover. How unsanitary. He walks further into the room and keeps his face blank. Where is it? He felt it. It should be in this room.

His blood turns to ice. Something isn't right. He grips his blunt sword tighter. There's a spike of energy and a sudden breeze on his legs.

Wait.

He glances down. The vein in his forehead throbs. What the hell happened to his pants?

"Kento? You sure you don't—"

"Don't come in here!" he shouts and then curses himself. Idiot. What is wrong with him? "I got it under control!"

Kagome either doesn't believe him or she is choosing to ignore him because she walks into the room and freezes.

His face heats. sh*t.

"Uh... what happened to your pants?"

Kento bites his tongue. Not only are his pants in tatters at his feet, but he hasn't had time to do laundry this week and the only clean pair of boxers was this ridiculous teddy bear one with hearts on it that Satoru got him as a joke. His heart stops. It's right behind her. "Kagome! Look out!" he yells, running toward her, though there's no way he'll make it in time.

Kagome lifts a finger, and the curse vanishes before his eyes. Unfortunately, his feet trip up and he falls forward.

Right at Kagome.

f*ck this day.

f*ck this mission.

Somehow, this is all Satoru's fault.

He falls on Kagome, and she squeaks under him. Oh, no. Kami no. Not here. His sword clatters to the floor next to them.

"Kento... your..." she sucks in a breath. "Your friend is in my face."

He scrambles back and falls down on his ass. Kento looks up at the ceiling. It must have been a really nice home before it was abandoned. Yeah, maybe if he lies here and pretends like that didn't just happen, everything will be okay.

"Hello?" Kagome asks.

Kento sits up and squeezes his legs together. Think of anything but how long her legs are or how soft she felt under him. He shrugs off his jacket and lays it across his lap. Who is she talking to?

"Yeah, we're done with the mission. You don't have to check up on me, though. Shouldn't you be getting on the plane?"

Oh. She's talking to Satoru. He swallows the annoyance down and blows out a breath. Think unsavory thoughts. Like the amount of germs on the floor. Or how much dust was on that bed. No, his bed is much nicer. It's clean. Soft. And sh*t, he's getting off track.

"We need to call for someone to pick us up," he says, standing with his jacket covering his boxers. "Can't go out like this."

Kagome nods and then frowns. "Do you have superhuman hearing? It's because the curse cut up Kento's pants." She rolls her eyes. "Goodbye Satoru. I'll see you when you get back." She hangs up the phone. "He said he'll have Ijichi swing back around and he'll get someone else to drop him off."

"Thank you." Kento glances away. His ears burn. "How did you exorcise it so easily? You just held up a finger."

"Well, I purified it. That's more effective than cursed energy, at least when it comes to curses." Her footsteps get smaller.

Is she leaving him behind?

He rips off the rest of his pants and follows behind her, picking up his sword on his way down the stairs. Why is her dress so form-fitting?

No. She can wear whatever she wants.

He's losing it.

The small thread of sanity he's worked so hard to hold on to is snapping as easily as Kagome purified that curse.

"I'm sorry," he says, wincing slightly. "For my indecency and for—"

"Don't worry about it," Kagome says. "It's not like you meant for any of that to happen. We can just wait for Ijichi to get here, and he can grab you some spare pants or something so the students don't catch you in your... cute boxers." She looks back at him and flashes him a smile.

"You're too kind." He clears his throat. "I know you told Satoru that I needed pants, but if you could please keep the other incident between us." He walks over to her and stares out the window.

Kagome bumps her shoulder with his arm. "A secret between coworkers."

He scowls and disguises it as a cough.

Right, coworkers. That's all they are, and that's all they will ever be. Besides, Satoru doesn't strike him as the sharing type. He coughs and then claws at his throat, dropping his jacket.

Share? With Satoru?

Kagome whacks his back, and that one move stops him from choking on his own saliva, but it also loosens yet another screw in his brain.

This is bad. He needs to talk to Shoko.

Chapter 10: A Proposal

Chapter Text

Kagome places the blow dryer off to the side of her vanity and goes to pick up her curling iron. Her phone rings. An incoming video call from Satoru.

"Shouldn't he be asleep by now?" she mutters right before answering the call. She props the phone up against the mirror as she reaches for her curling iron once more. "Hi, Satoru."

"Where you going?" he asks, leaning back against the wall.

She blinks. Where is his shirt?

"Meeting with my mom for brunch." She wraps some hair around the curling iron and holds it. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed?"

"Actually, it's morning here. Just two hours ahead. Asked for blacked-out curtains." He stands. "Let me see the whole fit."

Kagome rolls her eyes, pretending to be annoyed, but she sets the curlers down and gets up to do a little spin.

"You're wearing that to brunch?"

"What's wrong with it?" It's just a simple off the shoulder brown knitted dress. "Do you think the slit is too much?" She glances at the phone and swallows. Why is he staring at her so hard? It doesn't even look like he's breathing. "Satoru?"

"Sorry, I just... You sure you don't want to hop on a plane and come here?" he asks, voice husky. "I'll get you first-class tickets. Or you could fly private?"

"No, I'm not dropping everything to fly out to Australia. Besides, I'll be working on fixing some of the seals later today for some of those cursed objects."

Satoru does not need to be dropping that kind of money on her. She might not be strapped for cash, but that's far too much money for her to have to pay him back. Better to turn him down, though Australia sounds amazing.

"They got you doing that?"

"Well, the higher ups seem reluctant to give me any actual missions." She sits back down at the vanity and blows out a breath. If she isn't helping out in the clinic with Shoko, then she's tagging along on missions with the students. The higher ups keep dragging their feet with giving her any missions of her own.

Maybe they're waiting for to slip up or something?

"What happened?"

"Nothing." She picks up the curling iron and curls the rest of her hair.

"Kagome," Satoru warns. "Come on, you can tell me. We're besties."

"One of them," she starts, and then huffs. Should she tell him? Wouldn't that be weird? It's not like having a girl chat with Shoko and she can't get over how Satoru gave her back-to-back org*sms at the club. Sure, that was a onetime thing, but does he really want to listen to her?

"Come on, open up for me," he coos as he flips on another light. He runs a hand through his hair before reaching for a shirt.

Her stomach flip flops. He said that so flippantly, but her thighs push together and she's opening up to him before she can stop herself. "One of them asked me to marry them and—"

"WHAT?" Satoru presses his face so close to the phone that she half expects him to come through it.

"I mean, I told him no."

"Who the f*ck asked you that?"

"This is why I didn't want to tell you." She crosses her arms and pouts. "It's not that big of a deal."

"What do you mean, it isn't a big deal? Some old f*ck proposed to you. Who was it?"

Kagome blows out a breath and reaches for her primer. She applies the primer to her face while she tries to figure out a way out of this conversation. She should have kept her mouth closed. It really isn't that big of a deal. She told him no, and he moved on.

"Kagome," Satoru warns. "Don't make me warp to you."

"Across the ocean? That's pretty far."

"I'd warp across dimensions if I have to. Who asked you that?"

She applies her foundation and goes for a simple gloss. "When are you coming back?"

"At this rate, today."

"Are you done with your mission?" He must have landed and went straight to work then. Didn't he say it was like a 7- or 8-hour long flight?

"You don't have a date later, do you?"

"Hm? I wouldn't wear this to a date." What an odd question. This isn't a going on a date kind of dress.

"What would you wear for me?"

Kagome side-eyes the phone. "Well, Satoru, a little birdie, told me that you just want me naked." He's fantastic with his tongue. She'll give him that, but Satoru is only looking for one thing. And she isn't going to delude herself into believing otherwise. That would just create a host of problems at work.

He props the phone up and the white trail of hair catches her eye. Satoru is either doing it on purpose or he's pressed for time because he slides the shirt on and grabs a pair of pants.

Oh.

His legs are thicker than they look in the pants he wears. He's completely ripped despite all the sweets she's caught him scarfing down. Is he doing this just because Kento lost his pants the other day on that mission?

"You called me pantsless because of Kento?"

Satoru's eyes darken. "Kento? Ya know, when I last saw you two, you were calling him Nanami. What happened to that?"

"He said to call him Kento. I call you by your name." Kagome leans over and unplugs her curling iron. It would be bad if she forgot to turn that off. She forgets a lot when she interacts with Satoru. He has this way of getting in her mind and taking over.

"That's different," he stresses. "You came on my tongue. We can be on first name basis."

Kagome snorts as she looks at the time. "We were on first name basis before that."

Satoru opens his mouth, closes it, and then opens it again, only to say nothing. Is he short-circuiting? Kagome presses her lips together. She needs to get going, so she isn't late. If it is one thing her mother does not approve of, it is being late. She can hear the lecture already if she is even a minute late.

"I don't like it." He sticks his bottom lip out and flutters his eyelashes. "You should only call me by name."

"I need to get going." She stands and stretches her arms. "Stay safe and come back in one piece."

"You'll gonna go back to calling him Nanami?"

"Good bye Satoru." She hits the end button. Okay, she really needs to get a move on it. How the heck did she talk to Satoru for that long? Her phone bill better not be through the roof because of all these international calls.

Kagome slides on her shoes and jacket. She grabs her purse and heads out, running nearly smack dab into Mori-san.

"Hi? What are you doing here?"

"I hadn't heard from you since that night, so I thought I'd come to you." He shoves the bouquet of drooping flowers to her. "And you haven't returned any of my calls or messages."

Kagome frowns. These flowers look like they've been sitting on someone's table without water for days. "Sorry, Mori-san, I thought I was clear when I told you I wasn't interested in going any further." More importantly, how does he know where she lives? She never told him that. "How'd you find me, anyway?"

Mori-san laughs. "I had a friend run a check on you. Wasn't sure what kind of woman I was taking out on a date, so I had to be sure you weren't the crazy type."

Kagome pushes the flowers back into his hands. "Do not contact me again," she tells him, maintaining eye contact. "I am not interested." She brushes past him.

A background check, really?

"Wait!" He follows her down the street. "Is it because of that guy?"

Kagome rolls her eyes. "No, Mori-san, it's because of you. I don't want you. Leave me alone." She needs to increase the security around her apartment. At least until Mori-san gets bored and leaves her alone.

"You heartless, BITCH!" he shouts, throwing the flowers down.

Kagome spares him one more glance. She looks him up and down, and turns up her nose. What a creeper. She glances at her watch. Oof, she needs to really book it.

"Kagome! Wait! I didn't mean it!"

She walks faster. Whatever is going on with Mori-san is not her problem. He needs to get his life together and stop chasing after her. It was one date. One boring date. Kagome looks around to make sure Mori-san isn't still following her.

Phew!

She really didn't want to resort to violence, but he was pushing her buttons. Kagome opens the door to the restaurant, a small tea cafe with a bamboo themed room.

Of course, Mom is already here. Andddd, she's two minutes late.

"Hi, Mom!" Kagome chirps.

"You're late." Her mother sighs. "I went ahead and ordered for you, since I know what you like."

"Oh thanks! Sorry, I ran into a bit of trouble on my way here."

"Trouble? Don't tell me it's those..." she lowers her voice, "curses?"

"Worse," she says, leaning back in the chair. "It was guy trouble. One of my dates found out where I lived and he's being creepy."

Her mom blinks and then sighs. "Just sick InuYasha on them, if you must. Though I'm still holding out hope for some white-haired grandbabies. You know I'm not getting any younger."

"MOM!" Kagome blushes. Why do they have to be white-haired grandbabies? Why not blonde or black-haired ones?

"Don't worry, dear. The girls stopped by the other day for some charms for their parents and they told me all about the white-haired man you got close to."

Eri and the girls don't know how to keep their mouths shut.

"Well... about that—"

"Bring him over for dinner next week. Not this week, because I'll be out of town. Gramps wants to go out to Hokkaido to visit an old friend." She shakes her head.

"Mom, I'm not... I'll see what I can do." Kagome huffs and mentally berates herself for folding like a pretzel under her mother's scrutiny. Maybe she'll get lucky and the higher ups will decide she should take the next out of the country mission.

One can hope.

Kagome blows out a breath and then tucks the unruly curl back behind her ear. Yuka begged her to come out with her to this swanky mixer thing that her job put together and just dipped the moment some guy started up a conversation. Yuka did not need her to come out here. Yuka did not need a friend for a confidence boost.

Honestly, Kagome could have gone straight home after work. She should have gone straight home, and yet here she is, sipping on water. And this guy won't get out of her face.

"So, you're dating someone?" He leans across the table, smacking his lips. "Because if you're not, you should just go out with me. I could show you a good time." He waggles his thick, bushy eyebrows. His black hair is slicked into a comb over.

Kagome nods her head. "Yep! I got a boyfriend," she lies. Can this conversation be over with? She isn't interested and after the complete fiasco with Mori-san this morning, she's not exactly in the mood to go on any kind of date.

"What's he look like?

Kagome sighs and fetches her phone out of her purse. She clicks on one of the many photos Satoru has sent her. She shouldn't lie, but she already told Hojo that she was with Satoru, and Satoru didn't care too much. So maybe he won't care if she uses him in another white lie. He's a boy, and he is kind of her friend.

Okay, that's a stretch, but whatever. It's not like this guy will know.

"That's not your man," the guy scoffs. "This is AI generated. Kagome, if you were trying to make me jealous." He runs his hand through his black hair, messing up his comb over, and poses with his eyes closed. "You have failed. But it's okay. I still want to take you out."

"What's AI generated?" a voice says behind her.

Kagome sets her phone down and swirls around in the chair. Satoru? Shouldn't he be in Australia? Kagome squints. Three of Satoru's buttons are undone, and that tan shirt matches her dress. Is she going crazy? Didn't he have on a different shirt when they talked this morning? She could have sworn he put on a black t-shirt when he was on the phone with her.

"No f*cking way!" The man points a finger. "The government must have implanted something in my brain." He scratches at his head.

"Are you on drugs?" Satoru asks, placing a hand on Kagome's shoulder. He massages her shoulder while staring at the man.

"My eyes are bullsh*tting me right now. You are not real. There's no f*cking way, man. This AI bullsh*t is getting out of hand. Now my eyes are deceiving me."

"Can we get out of here?" Kagome asks, reaching for her purse behind her. "I'm tired." She'll just let Yuka know she's heading home early.

Satoru helps her off the stool and puts an arm around her, pulling her in closer as he leads her out of the venue.

"You didn't say you'd be back tonight," she says, discreetly sniffing him. He always smells so nice.

"It didn't take as long as I thought it would." He clucks his tongue. "You said you didn't have a date."

"That wasn't a date. Yuka begged me to come with her to her company party as moral support." She pulls out her phone and shoots a text to Yuka, letting her know that she's headed home. "That guy just wanted to take me out, but I told him no."

"Uh huh, and the AI stuff?"

Kagome hums. "How was your flight? You must have spent more time on the plane than in Australia."

"Next mission, you should just come with me, so I don't have to rush back."

"No one told you to rush back."

"Tch. You never told me who asked you to marry them."

"I managed to get through quite a few of the cursed objects today. I'm not sure how I feel about those death paintings. Sealing them anyway."

"You want to get rid of them like you did Sukuna's fingers? Might be a bad idea. No one other than us knows you can do that. That might bring too much attention."

That's true. But those paintings are alive in a way that the other cursed objects are not. She doesn't want to get rid of them either. Not when they are crying out for help. "Did you track my energy?"

"Umm, yeah?" He blows out a breath as they walk to her apartment. "Thought I'd surprise you. Was gonna see if you wanted to get dinner, but then you weren't at home or at the school."

Kagome side eyes him and then frowns. Mori-san cannot be serious. Is he really camping outside her door?

"Kagome!" Mori-san struggles to his feet. His jacket is wrinkled. Did he not go to work today? "I've been waiting for you... Oh, it's you."

"What's up sh*t-hair? Did you forget your address?" Satoru leans forward, giving her arm a quick squeeze. "Need me to walk ya home?"

Mori-san glares and holds up his phone. "I won't forget your face!" He sniffs and brushes past them. Satoru turns, putting distance between Mori-san and her.

Okay.

She is having a little chat with the girls this week. No more dates and no more springing Hojo on her. The conversation is long overdue. Kagome digs her keys out of her purse and unlocks the door. Whatever the heck is going on with Mori-san, she does not want a repeat.

Maybe she should tell InuYasha? He'd scare Mori-san off for good. She pauses and looks over her shoulder. Satoru isn't looking at her, but at where Mori-san ran off too. Hopefully, he went home. Hopefully, he leaves her alone for good, but it's a bit worrisome that he took a picture of Satoru and her.

"Did you want to come in?" she asks.

"I would love to come inside," he says with a smirk.

Kagome squints. Was that an innuendo? She shrugs and flips on the lights. "Are you hungry?" She slides out of shoes and hangs up her purse.

"Ravenous," he says lowly, and his voice sends shivers down her body. Desire pools in her gut.

Get a grip, she berates herself. It's just Satoru. And her.

Alone.

His tongue was—Ow!

"Did you just walk into the wall?" Satoru grabs her shoulder, turning her to face him, and then he lifts her chin up with his finger. "You good?"

"Peachy," she wheezes out.

"I can cook for us."

"No need. I got it under control," she says, pulling back. "Besides, aren't you tired? Have you even been home?"

"I took my stuff home, but I wanted to see you." He follows her to the kitchen. "You hung up on me this morning."

She opens the fridge and bends down, grabbing some peppers, an onion, and two carrots. "I had to go meet my mom. Do you like Yakisoba?" Kagome sets the ingredients out on the counter and then grabs the pork from the fridge. She'll need to go to the store tomorrow.

"I'd like anything you make," he says, taking a seat at the table. He props his head up with his hand as he watches her.

"You've never even had my cooking. You don't know that." She cuts up the vegetables and heats the pan. Satoru doesn't respond, so she cooks the food in silence, but it's not an uncomfortable silence.

It feels normal?

She probably shouldn't feel as at ease with Satoru as she does. Kagome plates the meal and sets it down in front of Satoru. He reaches for her, pulling her into his lap. His breath fans her ear. "Satoru?"

"Wanna eat like this," he says, picking up the chopsticks. He holds it up to her mouth and hums with satisfaction. "Such a good girl."

Kagome clenches her hands. There's that word again. He must have licked a brain cell loose at the club because she's been nothing but a mess around him since.

Just one night to get it out of their systems. She'll feel much better, and Satoru will stop teasing her so much. He only wants one thing from her.

"What are you thinking about?" He wraps his other arm around her waist as he eats his food.

"Sex," she admits, cheeks burning.

Satoru drops the chopsticks. They fall to the ground. Kagome blinks. Oh, she should get him some new ones. She leans to the side to pick them up off the ground, but Satoru grabs her face and kisses her so fiercely she feels his claim on her soul.

Kisses aren't supposed to be like this.

One kiss shouldn't have her toes curling and her nipples hardening.

For goodness's sake! It's not like she hasn't been kissed before, but...

"Touch me," he commands, pulling back and maneuvering her around so she's straddling him. Kagome bites her lip as she slides down and reaches for his belt buckle.

Her hands slip and Satoru takes pity on her, undoing his buckle with one hand. She sucks in a breath.

Go for natural. Satoru doesn't seem afraid or embarrassed. It's not that big of a deal.

"You scared?" he asks, but it sounds like he's teasing her. Satoru stands and pushes the chair back further. "Don't worry, I'll make you feel good." He pulls his pants and boxers down in one swoop.

Oh.

OH!

Kagome touches her mouth with her fingertips. "Its not small!"

"Don't run from me—WHAT?"

Chapter 11: Say It

Chapter Text

In all of his years of being an adult, Satoru has never had anyone complain about his dick size.

If anything, once his pants come off, his partners for the night typically suction their lips around his co*ck like a damn octopus, but not Kagome.

Oh no. Not irresistibly hot, Kagome. She blinks up at him in confusion that his co*ck isn't small.

Where are the tears of joy at the sight of his glorious co*ck? Does she think every man is walking around with a little dick? He runs a hand down his face before reaching down and pulling her up.

"Kami, you're lucky you're so damn cute," he says, brushing a curl back.

And where the hell did she get the idea that his co*ck was small? All the innuendos he dropped, alluding to how it was anything but that.

Kagome pouts. "I wasn't…trying to offend you?"

"Where's your bed?" He slides his palms down, plucking at her nipples through the fabric. "I think you owe him." Satoru looks down at his co*ck, pointed at Kagome like a missile locked onto its target. "An apology."

Kagome inhales. Her eyes slowly appraise him, and her breath catches. His co*ck twitches under her gaze. The slit of his mushroom head wet with need and she hasn't even touched him yet.

Satoru tugs on her dress. He needs to see her.

Kagome snaps those brown doe eyes at him. How the hell can she look so…corruptible? He's going half of out of his mind.

"Take this off," he commands, "and then show me the room." Satoru takes his shirt off and then throws his glasses on to the counter.

Kagome bites her lip and lifts the dress up and over her. He greedily takes in the thickness of her thighs.

Damn.

He knew her legs were sculptured from the skirts she wears but f*ck, he wants to sink to his knees and eat her out through her lacy pink panties.

"Kagome," he groans, fisting his hair and tugging at the strands. "You're so…f*ck," he breathes. If he keeps this up, he might end up taking her on the kitchen floor.

He groans. Kagome on all fours. f*ck, that would be a beautiful sight.

Kagome glances at their clothes on the kitchen floor and bites her lip. She hooks her thumbs in between the sides of the lace.

"Keep it on," he commands. That strapless bra must have been created by the Kamis. "The bra too."

Kagome's brows pinch together, but she does as he asks. "No ripping," she says, tugging on his hand.

But…now he wants to rip them off her.

"How about a compromise?" He licks his lips. Her ass is amazing.

Heh.

Ass-mazing.

Kagome leads them down the hall to her room. Satoru turns on the lights, which must confuse Kagome, because she turns to look back at him.

"Wanna see you fully," he says, swiping his thumb along her plump bottom lip. Her lips are soft, but they aren't swollen enough for him. He needs to kiss her more. Need to have her pretty lips wrapped around his co*ck.

She owes Satoru Jr. an apology, after all.

"Really?" She sounds unsure. That loser ex-boyfriend of hers must have only slept with her with the lights off. Dude was probably embarrassed by how much he is clearly lacking.

"I need you to see it clearly. How I'm about to worship this body and leave you walking bow-legged."

Her mouth pops open.

He advances on her. "On your knees." Satoru quirks a brow. Kagome's lips twist as though she wants to argue, but she sinks down and this time, her eyes light up.

"You really went to work like this?" He threads his fingers through her hair.

"I had on more clothes," she quips right before taking him in her mouth.

Whatever retort he had, dies on his tongue.

She hums as she works her tongue in conjunction with her hands. The vibration, the warmth, the sight of her on her knees with his co*ck in her mouth and that strapless bra is sealed into his memory.

If he ever gets amnesia, he prays that this is the one memory that never deserts him.

"You're so good at this baby," he coos.

Kagome glares up at him, but the glare holds no weight when her lips are stretched thin and she's using both hands to work his co*ck.

"How much can you take?" he asks, gripping her hair. He holds her head steady as he thrusts into her mouth. Kagome's eyes water. "Oho? A little more?" He f*cks her face. The sound of his co*ck sliding in and out of her wet mouth has his balls tightening. He pulls away, a bit reluctantly. A part of him wants to f*ck her throat until he comes, but another part of him needs to have her on his tongue again. "On the bed."

"You're so bossy," she chides, sitting down on the bed and spreading her legs. This time, he sinks to his knees and crawls over to her.

"I just know what I want," he replies, inhaling. Satoru peers up at her as he licks her through the lace. Kagome jumps and then lets out a breathless laugh. "Compromise?" he reminds her.

Kagome hooks one leg over his shoulder. "You're buying me a new set."

He grins as he rises slightly and grabs her bra with his teeth. Kagome blinks. She must have expected him to use his hands. And he will for her lacy underwear. His co*ck swells as the fabric rips and her tit*…are f*ck. He knew they were amazing. He rips her panties off and cups her while wrapping his lips around her nipple.

"Satoru," she hisses.

"So wet for me," he says, sliding a finger between her lips. He adds another and then another. He needs her ready to be able to take him. He moves his fingers in her, mimicking what he'll do with his co*ck. Kagome's legs tremble. Her breaths are heavy. "You close for me?"

"Yes," she breathes. "I can't—Satoru!"

He nips her nipple and soothes the sting with his tongue. "That's it, f*ck my fingers."

Damn. Her legs are shaking. The more they shake, the faster he moves his fingers. Kagome bites down on her lips, but it's not enough to stop the moans from coming out. She falls back on the bed, and her arms give out, but Satoru can't find it in him to give her a break. He withdraws his fingers and licks the come off of them.

It's not enough.

He slides back down and licks up her slit. Kagome's hand grabs his hair.

"W-wait, I need." Her voice breaks off.

He dips his tongue inside of her and his eyes roll back. She tastes even better than she did at the club. He grips her thighs, pushing her legs apart.

"Satoru," she whines, "I just. I'm gonna…"

"Baby, you're so sensitive," he coos. "Give me another, yeah?" He suctions his lips around her nub, and she comes hard. Satoru pulls back, swiping his tongue along his lips. He rises, gripping his co*ck in one hand. "I need you," he tells her.

Kagome blows out a breath. Her hair spilled out around her. She struggles to sit up, using her elbows for balance.

"I can go grab a condom," he says. His hair sticks to his forehead. Sweat glistens between her breasts. His mouth waters. "I'm also clean if you're worried about that," he adds.

Kagome glances down at his co*ck and then back at him. "Come here, I'm on the pill," she says, reaching for him and that's all the confirmation he needs.

He sinks into her, "Kagome," he groans, panting, "what the f*ckkk." His eyes roll back as he snaps his hips. Oh, this puss* outta be illegal, there's no way. "I'm so mad at you."

"Mad at me?" She furrows her brow, but he snaps his hips again, and pleasure washes over her face like a painting. "Ah, Sa-to-ru," she cries out, placing her hands on his abs like she wants to push him away and pull him closer. "What. Ahhh." She gasps, squeezing her eyes shut. "What I do?"

"Been keeping this from me," he growls. "Open your eyes," he barks out, sounding more feral with every passing second. "Keep those pretty eyes on me."

Her eyes flutter open, dewy with fresh tears. "S'o deep," she slurs her words. "Too much." Kagome turns her head, her eyes close again and something in Satoru snaps.

He told her to keep those eyes on him. She needs to bear witness to who is owning this puss*. He clicks his tongue and pulls out, tapping his co*ck along her slit.

"Satoru?" Kagome bites her finger and blesses him with those pretty brown eyes of hers.

"Oho? You don't think I'm done, do ya?" He smiles, but it's all teeth. He wants to clamp down on her shoulder and mark her. Boldly proclaim to those old f*cks that Kagome is off limits. "C'mere." He reaches for her, pulling her on top of him. "Damn, your tit* are amazing," he breathes.

Kagome flushes as her tongue darts out, wetting those plump pink lips. Is there any part of her that doesn't call to him? Satoru stretches his arms out and interlocks his fingers behind his head.

This view is breathtaking.

She grips his co*ck and strokes it. His head is practically weeping for her. He bites his lip as he makes his co*ck jump in her hand.

"Ride me like it's yours," he begs, reaching for her again. He can't keep his hands off of her. Her body is so soft. So incredible.

f*ck, is this love?

His body jolts. Love? He gives himself a mental shake. Nah, this ain't love. He's just caught up in the moment. Satoru doesn't do love.

He jolts again. Her energy flows through him. His blood hums. His hips thrust up into her palm.

"f*ck!" He shouts. Ribbons of come leak out of his co*ck and sh*t, he can't stop coming. Satoru digs his fingers into the plushness of her thighs as he keeps thrusting into her hand. "Kagome! f*ck," he breathes, throwing an arm over his face.

It's too much.

An energy massage while getting his co*ck stroked is a combo he needs a repeat of every f*cking day. Her energy shimmers under the surface. sh*t. Feels like it wants to merge with his or something.

"Give me a moment." He blows out a breath and drops his arm. Satoru blinks. Kagome stares at the come on her hand. "S'orry, I can—"

His breath stops.

Kagome licks her palm as she watches him. She wets her lips before sucking on her fingers, and he's a goner. Satoru wraps his arms around her and sits up. He kisses her harshly, greedy for everything she has to give. He reaches between them, lining his co*ck up at her entrance. Kagome lifts and eases down on his length. She moans into the kiss. Her hands tug at his hair, pulling hard.

"You want it hard?" He asks, no, he demands. Kagome clamps down on his co*ck, working those muscles over him, and he nearly comes again.

What a minx.

He digs his heels into the sheets, the cover halfway off the bed. Satoru kisses her again, sweeter this time, mapping out the contours of her mouth and coaxing her tongue into a sweet dance with his. Kagome sighs, sagging into his embrace. He smirks as he thrusts into her, and the force of it rocks her body.

"Satoru!" Kagome huffs, but he doesn't give her a reprieve. He kisses her neck. The urge to leave hickeys all over her body surges within him. "Don't you dare," she warns.

He pouts. What is she, a mind reader now? "You read minds now?" He hopes not. sh*t. The things that go through his mind when he sees her would have her running away to another country.

"N-no, it's all over your face."

He shudders. All over his face? He should have her ride his face. Tonight? First thing in the morning for breakfast? The day after next? sh*t, how's he supposed to carry on now that he knows how pretty she looks when she comes? Or how breathless she gets when she calls his names, telling him it's too much, but then she grips him so tight he couldn't pull out if he wanted to.

"One night's not enough," he mumbles, rising while urging her onto her back. "Need all of you." He squeezes her breast before moving to her leg and turning her onto her side.

"You feel so good," she admits, gripping the sheets.

"Yeah? You like how I f*ck you?" He holds on to her leg and snaps his hips, f*cking her harder. Deeper. He needs her puss* walls to be molded around his co*ck. Needs her more than he needs air.

"I'm gonna—Ahh!" She bites down on her hand.

Satoru slaps her c*nt. "Don't hide those moans from me. Who's f*cking you?" She better open that pretty mouth of hers and tell him what he wants to hear or so help him. He'll edge the f*ck out of her. He's of half the mind to edge her anyway just to draw out her cries.

"Satoru!"

"Say it's mine. This puss* belongs to me," he commands, moving faster. He's close too, but he needs to hear her say it.

"Wha?"

"Say it!" He bites her calf and Kagome tightens around him. Damn. Does she like the pain that much?

"Yours!" she cries. Her body jerks and damn if she isn't about to bless him with another one.

"Yeah? It belongs to me?"

"Yes!" Her body shakes. She babbles something along the lines of his name, it's his, and so deep.

He f*cks her harder. His balls slap against her and tighten as his org*sm builds. "Gonna f*cking live in this puss*," he says, half joking, but not really. How could she hide this from him? They have so much lost time to make up for. He snaps his hips one more time and empties out. Some of it spills out on the sheets, but he can't find it in him to care.

"That was…" Kagome trails off. Her eyes are unfocused.

Satoru blows out a breath as he pulls out. Yeah, he knows what she means. "C'mere, let me take care of ya." He lowers her leg and pulls her into his arms. "Which way to the bathroom?"

"Back down the hall and to the left." Kagome lies her head on his chest. "M' tired."

"I know, but we should at least shower. I got you." He walks them to the bathroom and quickly washes both of them. Kagome wraps her arms around his neck, still slightly wet from the shower.

"Need to set an alarm so we aren't late tomorrow," she murmurs.

"You got any extra sheets?" He glances around the bedroom. Maybe in that closet?

"Closet. I can change—"

"I got it," he says, setting her down on her feet. "Just stand there and look pretty." Satoru winks, laughing at her put out expression. Kagome crosses her arms and then walks over to the clock, fiddling around with it. "I didn't think anyone still had alarm clocks these days," he says casually, as he switches out the sheets.

Satoru walks over and turns out the lights. He turns around and sucks his teeth. Even with the lights off, Kagome still shines brightly.

"I've had this one for a long time." She climbs onto the bed and sighs. "Kento mentioned he still used one, too, in case anything ever happens with his phone."

Satoru joins her and wraps an arm around Kagome. He pulls her in closer, tucking her into his chest. He inhales. The room smells like them and the sweet erotic scent of sex. "That mission with Nanami," he murmurs. "How'd he lose his pants, anyway?"

Kagome sighs, but it's one of contentment. "The curse cut his pants. I think it was trying to toy with him."

"Uh-huh. So, you only saw Nanami in his boxers? You didn't see anything else?"

Kagome tilts her head up, her hand idly tracing patterns over his chest. "Nah, I didn't see it."

Satoru relaxes and exhales. That's good. She didn't see it.

Wait…. It? Why did she refer to it?

"Oho? He tried to show you his co*ck?"

Kagome blinks, but her lips betray her. They twitch ever so slightly.

Oh. So something did happen. That f*cking perv. Satoru clears his throat. "C'mon, Gome-chan, you can tell me."

"I promised not to say anything," she mutters, ducking her head.

His heart stops.

What the hell did Nanami do to Kagome? If he did anything to her, he might kill him.

"Okay," Kagome says, "But you can't say anything to Kento, or he'll be really embarrassed because it was a total accident."

Satoru pretends to zip his lips. "As long as he didn't force anything on ya."

"Huh?" She snaps her head up and then pulls back. "No. No." Kagome sits up and Satoru's mouth waters.

Damn. Her tit* are amazing.

"He didn't force or do anything to me. It was a complete accident. After the curse cut his pants, it tried to go after me. Kento was really worried and tried to get to me, but he tripped over his pants because they were still connected at the bottom." She motions with her hands and Satoru's head throbs. "I didn't see it, but he fell on me, and his dick landed on my face, and it was a whole ordeal."

His…dick? Landed on her face?

Satoru sucks his teeth and then blows out a breath.

Nanami's dick landed on her face.

"Satoru?" Kagome pokes his cheek. "Are you breathing?"

"What is breathing?" he asks, mind still focused on the many ways he can ensure Nanami's dick doesn't touch Kagome's face again.

It just landed on her face? And he's supposed to believe it was an accident? What's next? Nanami goes on another mission with Kagome, and he just so happens to trip again and fall into her puss*?

Un-f*cking-believable.

Chapter 12: It's Hard Out Here For A Monk

Chapter Text

Suguru stifles a yawn as Manami discusses the day's schedule.

Meet with the peons and reinforce that their duty is to bring monkeys to the shrine for their money or curses. They have been slacking in their role lately and need to be reminded of their value, which is less than dirt.

Meet with one of the sponsors for the shrine this afternoon after he's had lunch. He forgets the name. Not that it matters. All monkeys look the same to him.

And prepare for the attack on Jujutsu society. He'll need to schedule some time to stop by Jujutsu High. If he can convince Okkotsu Yuta to join his cause, there will be no need for him to waste his curses. And if he can't convince the newest special grade, then he'll just continue with his plan to kill him and take Rika.

"Geto-san!" a man with sh*t brown hair shouts, running down the corridor.

Suguru's lips twitch before morphing into a smile. "Ah.. Monkey-san, what can I do for you?" It's far too early for him to be dealing with monkeys. Who let this man into the shrine at this time? In the meeting today, he'll make sure to remind everyone that no unauthorized vermin should be approaching him without an appointment.

Perhaps he should kill a follower or two for their incompetency.

The man falters. "Mori. It's Mori."

"That's what I said." Suguru stuffs his hands into his long sleeves. "How can I help you, Mori-san?"

"Actually, if I may," Manami cuts in. "Mori-san has a scheduled meeting with you this afternoon to discuss the lack of payments."

Mori's face flushes red. "Yes. Yes. I have plans on resuming payments. But this is more important. My girlfriend has been bewitched."

Suguru swallows the sigh. "Bring your girlfriend in for cleansing, then."

"It's not on her…that bastard probably was on her the other night. He was far too smug. And he did something to me, I know it!"

Suguru glances at Manami from the corner of his eye, before snapping his attention back to Mori. "Please explain fully. This will add to your bill."

Mori jerks his head. He reaches into wrinkled pants and pulls out his phone. "I took a picture of that demon. Gojo Satoru, he's been all over my girlfriend. Higurashi Kagome. All over her like a curse."

Satoru?

Suguru takes the phone and blinks. Satoru is standing pretty close to this Kagome.

"Where was this taken?" It doesn't look like the outside of Satoru's penthouse.

"Kagome's apartment. I waited for her to come back home. We had a disagreement earlier that day regarding our lack of dates. We went out once and everything was going fine and then that brat. He had dark spiky hair, tripped and spilled my drink all over me. Which would have been fine, but that bastard, Gojo, came over and bewitched Kagome. He even offered to take her home in front of me! And when I tried to go after her, I couldn't move. It was like something was pushing me back, causing me to trip over myself." Mori sucks in a breath. His whole body trembles. "I know he f*cked her. I just know it. She looked so beautiful that night and he…there's no way he didn't trick her into coming inside."

Suguru blinks. One date? Is this monkey stupid? He must be.

"Perhaps I should stop by and personally heal your…girlfriend. Kagome, was it?"

Mori nods. "I can write out her address and the times she normally comes back home." Mori takes the clipboard and pen from Manami and jots down the information. "The only way to get her away from that man is to kill him. He's evil. Needs to be exorcized."

Suguru's face hardens. The only one dying here is this vermin. He snaps his fingers right as Mori hands the clipboard over. Three fly heads swarm Mori and grab a hold of his face.

"Do you mind if I hold on to this?" he asks, waving the phone. Suguru sends the picture to himself.

Higurashi Kagome.

She's beautiful, he'll give her that. But what is it about her that has Satoru so interested?

"I- I kinda …" Mori's face stretches as the fly heads tug harder. "Something.. something is wrong."

"Mhmm," Suguru hums. "The only evil I see here is you." He opens an app and sends money over to himself. It's the least Mori can do right before he dies. Someone should be paid for the labor of cleaning up this mess.

The fly heads tug one more time and Mori lies in a puddle of his own blood. Suguru's lip curls. He pulls out his disinfectant and sprays himself down.

Disgusting.

"According to this, she should be home early this evening unless she has something else to do."

Suguru perks up and takes the paper. "Perfect. I'll have to pay her a visit. It's not like him to waste time on a monkey…besides that student of his." He shakes his head. "Mori's passing has left me with a great deal of hunger. Are there any snacks ready?"

Manami laughs. "I know the perfect snack for this occasion."

Suguru rolls his shoulders back as he approaches the door. This should be the address. He doesn't sense Satoru nearby.

Good. He raises his fist to knock, but the door swings open.

Oh.

Ohh.

"Are you here for an energy massage?" Kagome asks. Her black hair is down and curls at the ends. Her green turtleneck sweater dress is modest and somehow not. His eyes travel down the length of her. "Hello?" She waves a hand in his face.

"I'm sorry. I got distracted by how beautiful you are." He smiles and stuffs his hands into his dark jeans. Normally he'd wear his robes, but he wants to get a sense of who this Kagome is without Satoru around. And dressing down puts people at ease unless they are visiting the shrine.

Kagome blushes. "Umm thanks. But you're here for an energy massage, right? I normally do them at the school, but I'll let it go this time since your energy is all twisted up. Come in…what's your name?"

"Geto Suguru, but you can just call me Suguru." There's something about her that he can't put his finger on. Whatever it is, she doesn't have cursed energy.

Is that why Satoru is so interested?

She smiles and crooks her finger for him to follow. He closes the door behind him. His eyes drop to her ass.

Make that another reason why Satoru is interested in her.

Suguru slides his shoes off. He's not so uncouth as to wear his shoes inside. So, this is the woman that monkey was convinced is his girlfriend? Frankly, he doesn't see why she even gave that thing the time or day.

"How does this work? I've heard others talk about it," he says, lying through his teeth as he takes a seat next to her on the couch.

Kagome holds out her hands for him to take. She crosses her legs. "Just try to relax. If it hurts, let me know and I'll stop. It affects Satoru and Kento way differently than everyone else." She blows out a breath. "I need to ask Satoru about that. He only likes his done in private and Kento is adamant about never having another one. Everyone else is fine, though."

Suguru nods his head as though he understands. This isn't going how he envisioned the meeting going, but he's curious as to what this energy massage entails. Her energy is different from his. At least she isn't like those vermin. Something about her feels pure. A breath of fresh air in a world of curses. He needs to know more about her.

And if he's lucky, maybe he can convince her to join his cause.

"Okay, just close your eyes."

He humors her and sucks in a breath. What the hell? His breath quickens. His co*ck twitches, rising to half-mass.

Oh sh*t.

Suguru's eyes snap open. His body is on fire. At least it feels that way with how his blood thrumming in his veins. "Kagome," he says, voice slightly strained. His pupils must be dilated. He's close to coming in his pants. What the f*ck was that? That's an energy massage? He bites down on his lip, drawing blood.

sh*t. The things he wants to do to her right now.

"Hmm?" She opens her eyes and blinks. "You've got that same crazed look Satoru gets…" Her brows pinch together.

He blows out a breath. Her hands are so small in his.

"Does it hurt?" She leans forward.

"N-no," he says, wincing slightly. Did he just stutter?

"You're feverish!" Kagome takes her hands back and places one on his forehead. "Do you need to lie down?" She glances down. "The couch is a bit small for you, though. You can lie in my bed if you want until you feel better." Kagome stands and grabs his hand.

He needs to get out of there. Needs to get back to his place. The last thing he needs to do is follow her to her bedroom. Suguru squeezes his eyes shut. Why won't his legs cooperate? This was not a part of the plan!

"Kagome…I'm fine. I just need to get going, is all."

"Absolutely not," she snaps. "You look like you're going to fall over." She opens the door and leads him over to the bed. "Now lie down." She lets go of his head and pushes against his chest. Suguru sucks in a breath as he lies down on the bed. The sheets smell like her and…He turns his face, pushing his nose closer to the sheet. Smells like Satoru.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" he asks, turning his head to the side.

"Working. Will you be there tomorrow? I know everyone's been so busy with back-to-back missions. I still haven't been able to meet everyone yet." She huffs. "There's a whole other school and I haven't been able to meet them either."

"I might stop by if I have time," he breathes. His fingers twitch. He really, really needs to get back home. "Let me take you out tomorrow for dinner." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. "I'll need your number."

Kagome squints. "I'm not sure…you're a coworker."

"Not really," he says breezily. "I haven't been affiliated with Jujutsu High in a long time. Though I still help with curses when I can."

"Oh." Kagome bites her lip. "One date wouldn't hurt then." She takes his phone and puts her number in. "I'll be back to check on you." A phone rings. Kagome glances at the door.

"Expecting a call?" He takes his phone back and blows out a breath.

"It's probably Satoru."

Suguru grits his teeth. "You should get that then…. Can you do me a favor?"

Kagome nods her head.

Damn. He wants to lean forward and kiss her. She looks so…this was a bad idea. Coming here. He should have sent someone else to gather intel.

"Can you not tell Satoru about this?" He motions his hand, gesturing to him and her. "About us. He likes to play a lot of tricks."

"Tricks?" She presses her lips together. "I can see that, though it's usually in good nature."

Suguru keeps his face blank. The phone rings again.

Kagome sighs. "Just get some rest before you head out." She turns and walks away, closing the door behind her.

Suguru blows out a breath and reaches down to readjust himself. Holy f*ck. He glances at the window. He needs to go, like five minutes ago. Suguru slides out of the bed. His face is warm. Hot. Each step is harder than the last one. All he wants to do is strip off his clothes and jerk off.

He hisses. He's never been this turned on before. And she gives those away so freely? Anger swells in his chest. Who the f*ck else got one? Satoru and Nanami? Who else? Suguru doesn't like to kill his fellow sorcerers, but he might have to change that rule if it comes down to it. He opens the window and glances back. She'll understand.

He can't stay here.

He summons a curse that can fly and hops on. "Move faster," he commands it. His co*ck is aching. The faster he gets home, the better. Suguru closes his eyes. He can still feel her shimming under his skin. So sweet. Intoxicating. Her scent is locked in his memory now.

That was Higurashi Kagome, huh?

He opens his eyes and hops off the curse. His hands shake as he unlocks the door to his apartment. He tosses his clothes off, nearly ripping them. There's no time to make it to his bedroom or to the bathroom. He leans back against the door, not even bothering to lock it behind him. His hand wraps around his co*ck. He lets out a sigh of relief as he grips his co*ck tighter, working it over and over. "f*ck, Kagome," he breathes, as his org*sm washes over him. He wants to sink into Kagome's heat, but it's too soon.

Too soon for that, but in time, he will have her right where he wants her…

Wait.

He glances down at the mess in his hand and then down at his feet. His mind screeches to a halt. No way. There is no way. This can't be happening.

His shoes. He left his shoes!

Chapter 13: Salarymen Have Needs Too

Chapter Text

"So, what's going on? Not like you to pop in for a chat," Shoko says, as she closes the laptop.

"Something is going on with me," Kento admits. "Ever since that energy massage from Kagome…I have been." He pauses. "It has gotten worse since we went on that mission together."

Shoko raises a brow and crosses her legs. Kento blinks. Normally Shoko wears pants, but she has been wearing more dresses and skirts these days despite how cold her office and the lab are.

"What happened on this mission?"

Kento sighs and looks at the wall behind Shoko. "The curse ripped up my pants and left them a mess around my ankles. It suddenly appeared behind Kagome, so I tried to get to her. She exorcized it easily, but in my haste, I did not account for how my pants were now wrapped around my ankles and I fell forward." He clears his throat. His palms are sweaty. Kento inhales. "I tripped and fell on top of her. And my…penis touched her face."

He glances at Shoko and grits his teeth. "This is not funny."

"I'm sorry," Shoko says, but he does not believe her when she is wiping tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, that's soooooo." She laughs. "Oh, my Kami, that is so hilarious. Ah, does Satoru know? Were you hard?"

"No!" Kento clenches his fists. Surely, if Satoru knew, he would tease him about it. Wait…why is he calling him by his first name?

Oh dear. This is a problem.

And why is she asking if he was hard? Of course, he wasn't f*cking hard. They were on a mission!

"Was she upset?" Shoko asks after a moment, though a chuckle escapes her lips every so often.

"No…Kagome was very understanding." Kento blows out a breath. "The problem is, I was attracted to her the first time we met." He pauses, needing a moment to gather his thoughts. That day, Kagome walked in and for a moment, he thought he had died. The light around her was blinding. And her energy….

Both of Shoko's brows shoot up.

"And then she gave me that energy massage. It affected me differently than everyone else."

"Uh huh," Shoko hums. She places her hands on her knee and interlocks her fingers. "How different?"

Kento swallows. He has come this far. "I could not stop masturbating. Went into overtime that night because I just could not stop. And now I cannot even hold a conversation with her without thinking about that mission." He runs a hand through his blonde hair. "This is not me. It is highly inappropriate. She is my colleague!"

Shoko leans back on the stool. "She is your colleague…but could you be with someone that doesn't know Jujutsu? You'd always be hiding a part of you." She tilts her head to the side. "Though Satoru hasn't been subtle about how much he wants Kagome."

Kento flushes.

Shoko squints and then leans forward. She uncrosses her legs. "This is more than being attracted to Kagome. What else is going on? I am the doctor around here."

Kento opens his mouth and closes it. His heart rate increases. The room is blurry. Is this a panic attack? Is he going to croak?

"Nanami," Shoko calls. "Take a deep breath."

He inhales sharply.

"I can't help if you don't tell me. And you want it, or you wouldn't have come to me."

"I like it," he says, looking at his shoes. "The thought of them together."

"Wait. Pause." Shoko rubs her temple. "Do you want to watch them?"

Kento opens his mouth, but the words fight with one another. There is so much he wants to say, but he does not know where to begin. "Yes," he chokes out. "I can't stop imagining them or how he would take her." These fantasies are nothing more than a curse. They must be. If Satoru knew the thoughts going through his mind, he would kill him.

"Oh…this is a problem." Shoko exhales and then stands. She crosses her arms. "I understand that this is not ideal for you, but there's nothing wrong with being attracted to Kagome or Satoru."

"I'm not attracted to Satoru," he spits out. "It's more about Kagome."

"…Okay, but when you picture someone other than Satoru, how does that make you feel?"

Kento blinks as he imagines Kusakabe and Kagome. He readjusts his glasses and swallows the revulsion. "I hate it." The imagery alone upsets him. But Kagome and Satoru? He sucks in a breath.

"But not if it's Kagome AND Satoru?"

"I think I'm going to vomit."

"If you do, do it outside my office. There are no windows in here to air it out."

Kento sighs. "Is there no cure for me?"

Shoko laughs. "Sure, there is. It's called making a move."

He sighs again. Great, so there is no cure for this ailment. No way is he going to make a move on Kagome. He refuses to leave behind a widow, and dealing with Satoru is a headache. "I understand," he says, dipping his head. "Thank you for…. your confidentiality."

Shoko stares at him and then snorts. "Yeah, yeah." She waves him off. Kento sucks his teeth. Shoko will not say anything to Satoru, right? She stands and stretches her arms over her head. No, Shoko is not like Satoru. She would not go around telling everyone's business. He dips his head again and heads out of the room.

Kento halts at the sight of Kagome in a pair of green fitted yoga pants and a long-sleeved green top to match. This is the first time he has ever seen her in pants. He blinks. Those can hardly be considered pants though with how tight they are. Kento clears his throat and fidgets with his cuffs. "Good morning, Kagome."

"Kento!" she chimes. "I've been looking for you." She holds out the basket and removes the covering. His mouth waters. Muffins? "I figured this was close enough to bread, but easier for me to share with everyone."

"You baked me muffins?"

She hums in acknowledgment. "Yep! I felt bad since we haven't really seen each other since that mission, so I thought you'd like these."

His ears burn. "I…thank you."

"Sure—" she pauses and looks over her shoulder. Kento's brows furrow together, and he looks over to see what has caught her attention.

Oh.

Satoru.

Kento sighs. Great. Must Satoru lurk behind every corner? Doesn't he have missions? Or students to teach?

"Satoru, what are you doing?" Kagome asks.

"I was just in the area," Satoru quips, strolling forward. Kento's back straightens. "Here ya go, Na-na-mi," Satoru coos, but the smile on his face is nothing but teeth. "I thought you'd like to keep some extra pair of pants on you. You know, in case you have any more unfortunate accidents. I'm sure it was an accident." Satoru thrusts the pairs of pants into Kento's arms.

He grits his teeth. He does not need any more pants. And he certainly doesn't need any that Satoru purchased.

"You baked muffins and didn't share with me?"

"I wanted to make sure Kento got his first, since I baked them with him in mind," Kagome says.

"With him in mind?" Satoru stares at Kento. "I'm hurt. You didn't think about me."

Kento's nostrils flare. He is getting sick of Satoru's sh*t. His fingers tighten around the pants. There must be at least twenty pairs of pants in his arms.

"Would you like a muffin, Satoru?" Kagome sighs.

"Yes, I would love to eat your muffin."

Kento swallows. His body is hot. He turns his head in case his cheeks are red. He needs to get out of here. Far away from Kagome. Kento clears his throat. "Don't you have missions today?" A rhetorical question because Satoru has missions every day.

"I'm never too busy to see Kagome first thing in the morning."

"You saw me yesterday."

"I didn't see you in yoga pants. If I went to my mission first thing, I wouldn't have gotten to see this or eat your muffin."

Kento exhales. "You should treat your job more seriously. Kagome is your coworker, not your wife."

Kagome blinks. Satoru freezes with the muffin close to his mouth. He lowers the muffin and slides his blindfold down with his free hand. Kento stares back unflinchingly.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're jealous I get to eat Kagome's muffin."

"Don't be ridiculous," Kento scoffs. "She offered them to me first."

Kagome scratches her head. "Guys, I can always make more if you want seconds."

"Thirds too," Satoru quips, but he does not look at Kagome.

Kento swallows, though he does not break eye contact. His gut tightens. His heart races. His co*ck is half hard, and he's losing his sanity. This is madness. Satoru has always gotten on his nerves or played tricks on him, but he has never stared him down before as though he is nothing more than a curse user.

No.

Satoru is staring him down like he is nothing more than a curse. Bothersome. Kento inhales and tries to gain his bearings back. This will not do. He needs to gain control of the situation.

"So, what's with the workout clothes?" Satoru asks, though he continues to stare at Kento.

"I'm working with the first years and the second years in the afternoon. We're gonna do some stretching, mediation, and see if we can't work on some incantation-less veils."

"…. Stretching?" This time, Satoru looks at Kagome. "What time? I could help you stretch."

Kento presses his lips together and sneaks away while Kagome lectures Satoru. He clutches the pants close to his chest. Something urges him to look back. Maybe it is the weight of the stare on his back that prompts him to do so. He turns and his heart damn near leaps to his throat. Satoru kisses Kagome, but his eyes hone in on Kento.

A warning.

His body trembles and to his revulsion, it is not out of anger or even fear, but of lust. His mouth parts, though he forgets how to breathe. Satoru's eyes narrow and when he breaks the kiss, Satoru tilts his head to the side. Assessing.

Does he know? Kento takes a step back. Satoru wraps an arm around Kagome, but his hand drifts dangerously close to her ass. Kento closes his mouth, but his eyes drift to where Satoru's hand is and then back to Satoru's face. There is no way Satoru knows the thoughts running through his mind. Kento barely understands the depravity in which his mind is drenched in. He needs to get away. Go to his office. Go do a mission. Do something other than stand here like a pervert watching Satoru and Kagome kiss.

Kagome pushes Satoru back and she must be telling Satoru off because his shoulders droop, and he pouts. Kagome shakes her head and, to Kento's horror, she turns and notices him. She waves an arm in the air and heads his way.

sh*t.

Running away is not an option. He does not get off on being rude to others like some people. But he also cannot handle another confrontation either. He swears it happens in slow motion. How did he lose a pair of pants? It must have slipped in his haste to get away, but Kagome is jogging towards him and if she steps on the pants, she might trip and fall. Kento rushes towards her and at the last second, Kagome stops, but Kento cannot.

Oh no.

His fingers are like butter. The pants in his arms slip through his fingers. He tries to grab them but trips over himself.

Oh no.

This is not happening.

Crash.

He lands on his butt, this time with the pants scattered around him. Kento rubs his head and looks up. Kagome startles and then relaxes in Satoru's hold. At least Kagome did not hurt herself. Kento blows out a breath. If he could stop tripping around her, that would be great.

"There was a pair of pants that I dropped," he says, trying to calm himself down. His face is burning. This is beyond embarrassing. This is now the third time he has fallen in front of Kagome. "I was worried you would trip on them and fall."

"What a gentleman," Satoru snarks, "Taking the fall for a lady."

"Well…it's okay. I was going to pick the pants up," Kagome says. She wiggles out of Satoru's hold. "But I ran over to you because you never got one of the muffins." She tilts her head. "Though your hands are full. I can help you carry some of them to your office?"

"Kento is a capable man. He can figure it out."

"Actually, I would like to talk to you. Alone."

"We're all buddies here. Whatever you have to say to Kagome, you should be able to say in front of me."

Kento grits his teeth.

"Satoru, it's not always about you," Kagome lectures. "Behave."

Kento stiffens. Behave? He struggles to his feet. His pants are uncomfortable. Maybe he should give in to Satoru's whims just this one. His co*ck is half hard and his mind is stuck on Kagome commanding Satoru.

Fantastic.

It is not enough that he cannot get Satoru f*cking Kagome out of his mind, but now he is imagining her demanding her pleasure.

"Kento? Are you okay?"

"He's fine."

"I'm fine." He is not fine. He's barely hanging on. His sanity is slipping through his fingers like sand.

"See! He's doing just fine. He doesn't need help, and he doesn't need to talk to you alone."

Kagome rolls her eyes. "Ignore him. Satoru is just pissy today for some reason."

"I'm in a great mood. But if you want to cheer me up, why don't you join—"

"ON MY MISSION!" Kento yells. His ears burn.

Kagome rears back.

Satoru stares at him.

Kento grits his teeth and covers his mouth with his hand as he turns to look at a speck on the floor. "If you want to. I seem to be struggling today and I know you like doing missions."

"…Sure, I can help you. We should go now, so I'm back in time to help the students." Kagome picks up a pair of pants off the floor. "It'll be later this afternoon when Megumi gets out of school. He wanted to learn too, and the others said they didn't mind waiting for him."

"Since when do you need help on your missions?" Satoru scoffs.

"Since when do you?"

Satoru's eyes narrow. The glow of the six eyes is unsettling, but Kento refuses to back down. If he backs down now, Satoru will not stop. No, it will not end here if he submits.

Kento blinks. What the hell is wrong with him? Submit? To Satoru? He runs a hand down his face and counts to three. Pull it together.

"Satoru, I'll see you tomorrow," Kagome says, holding the basket of muffins and a couple pair of pants in her arms.

"Tomorrow?" Satoru whines. "What about tonight?"

"I'll be busy. Don't you have a lot of missions today?"

Satoru twitches. "Busy? Too busy for me?" He pokes his bottom lip out, and Kento is over it. What right does Satoru have to monopolize Kagome's time?

Satoru did kiss Kagome.

Kento presses his lips together and clears his throat. "Ignore him, Kagome. Satoru is unreasonable by nature." He bends and picks up the other pair of pants. His palms are sweaty, but at least his fingers no longer feel like butter. Satoru chuckles to himself and throws an arm around Kento's shoulders.

Kento stiffens.

Satoru presses his face close to Kento's ear and turns them away from Kagome. "Since when do you call me by first name?"

"You're mistaken. I referred to you as Gojo."

"Uh-huh. Stop falling for Kagome."

Kento shivers and then freezes. "She doesn't need a man-child like you hanging off of her." Kento shrugs out of Satoru's hold and clears his throat. "Kagome, if you would please. At this rate, Sato—Gojo, will not let us go. Some of us take our jobs seriously. Like adults."

Satoru grins, but it is all teeth and if Satoru were a curse user, Kento is positive he would be dead five times over. All these years of fighting curses must have done irrevocable damage to him. He can't possibly be attracted to the thrill of it. To the threat. Going against Satoru is a suicide mission.

And yet.

Kento watches how familiar Satoru touches Kagome and how she lightheartedly shakes him off. Come to think of it, she was covering her shoulders yesterday. At least from what he could see from around the corner. Kento frowns. Shoko's words replay in his mind.

Make a move.

No, he could not possibly do that.

Kagome bumps her shoulder against him and leads the way down the hall to the offices. Kento swallows. Those pants are worse than the skirts she wears. Does she not have a school uniform? He swallows the groan. This is a problem. He just needs to get laid.

Yeah, he is just pent-up. He cannot possibly be entertaining thoughts of Satoru, Kagome, and him together.

"Oh, Nanami!" Satoru calls. "Make sure to carry an extra pair of pants with you. I'd hate to hear of any unfortunate accidents."

Kento hunches his shoulders. It could be worse. At least Satoru does not know how his dick landed on Kagome's face.

Chapter 14: Misogyny And A Date

Chapter Text

"Yuta, you're far too stiff," Kagome sighs, walking over to the young sorcerer. "You gotta loosen up a bit like this." Kagome widens her stance as she places both hands on her hips. "You don't have to hold the position for long, but enough that you feel your muscles working." She stretches to the right and demonstrates.

Yuta smiles, but it's tight and there's a bead of sweat on his brow. Kagome straightens herself and crosses her arms. Panda mimics the pose and takes it a step further by lifting one leg.

"Look at me, sensei!" Panda chimes with a giant smile on his face.

Maki grimaces. "Why are you trying to act cute?"

"I'm not trying. I am."

"Salmon."

"Don't agree with him!" Maki slaps her face. "He's just an oversized Panda."

Panda sniffs. "I'm not oversized."

Kagome rubs the back of her head. The first years are a handful. "Okay, guys. That's enough. We need to be calm for this exercise." She claps her hands together. "Okay, I want everyone in place." Kagome waits for everyone to line up. Kinji pokes Maki in the side, but poor Toge takes the blame. Kagome sucks in a breath. Satoru's influence on his students is stronger than she thought.

"Ugh, what the hell is he doing here?" Maki groans.

He?

Kagome looks over her shoulder. A man with green hair like Maki's heads their way. He looks like he came from the feudal era with his traditional clothes. She turns and gives a small wave. Perhaps he and Maki are related? They look similar. "Hi!" she greets. "Higurashi Kagome, but you can just call me Kagome."

The man stares at her in disbelief. He clucks his tongue. "So, you're the non-sorcerer everyone has been going on about." He tilts his head. His eyes rove over her and Kagome bites her tongue.

"If you're here for an energy massage, it will have to wait." She turns her back to him and focuses on the students. The man presses his body close enough that his breath fans her ear.

"Zenin Naoya." He pulls away and waves at Maki, who scowls and looks to the side. "I didn't come for a massage. I had business with the higher-ups." Zenin takes a step forward and blocks Kagome's view of the students. "You shouldn't be working here."

Kagome squints. "Because I don't have cursed energy?"

"Nah," he drawls. "A woman like you should be at home waiting for her husband to come home. You shouldn't be exorcising curses. You should be at home with dinner on the table and bent over, ready to receive your husband."

"Is that so?" She smiles, but it's tight and she's trying not to go off on this man. "Well, this woman is—"

"Is none of Zenin's concern."

Kagome blinks. When did Satoru get here? Naoya freezes and then takes a step back. The atmosphere is the opposite of calm. Kagome grumbles internally. How is she supposed to work on chant-less veils with the students if the environment isn't calm? She looks around Zenin.

Well... Maki looks pissed. Megumi seems annoyed. And Yuta seems more concerned about cheering Maki up.

"I meant it as a compliment," Zenin remarks. "Someone like you would be an asset."

"An asset?" Kagome runs her hand over her cheek and tugs slightly. "I am a person, not property. And it is not a compliment to tell me the only thing I'm good for is to spread my legs." She looks at his hand and then at his face. "It's no wonder you aren't married with a personality like that. Even Satoru's personality is better."

"Yeah—Hey?"

Zenin's face flushes red. His eyes narrow. "Useless wench, you—Ahhh!" His body goes flying.

Crash.

Great. She didn't mean to knock him into a building. Kagome sighs as she lowers her hand. "Sorry everyone, he was really ticking me off." She inhales and plasters a smile on her face. "Okay then, why don't we just jump right into breathing exercises?"

The students stare at her. They look over to where the building is collapsing and then back to her. Their mouths open and close simultaneously.

Kagome claps her hands to get their attention. "Let's all take a seat." She sits down on the grass and crosses her legs. "Satoru, are you participating?"

"... What?"

"Are you participating?"

"With stretching you out?"

"What?" Kagome huffs. "We're doing breathing exercises, not stretching. Now sit."

"My bad. My bad." Satoru bites his lip and sits down next to her. His knee brushes against her. Kagome gives him the 'behave' look before she turns her attention back to the students. They all drop to the grass and stare at her like she's some kind of celebrity.

"I have a question," Megumi says, raising his hand. "Why is Gojo here?"

"Because I'm a teacher," Satoru replies. "Technically, you don't even go here."

"I invited Megumi," Kagome says. "And I invited Satoru to participate in class if he had time."

The students look at one another. "Uh huh," they say.

"Don't say it like I don't have time for my students," Satoru lectures, wagging a finger in the air. "You all act as though I'm never around."

"Higurashi-sensei, we've never met this man," Panda says.

"I have no idea who he is either," Maki agrees.

"Salmon."

"Megumi, have you met this man?" Kinji asks as he stuffs his hands into his hoodie pocket.

Megumi shakes his head. "First time meeting him."

Kagome sucks in a breath and places a hand on Satoru's arm. She gives him a quick squeeze. "Okay, everyone, close your eyes. No talking." She waits until everyone does so, except for Satoru, since she can't tell if his eyes are closed or not behind the blindfold. "Inhale," she commands. "Now exhale. I want you to cup your hands out in front of you and envision a small barrier in the palm of your hands. Latch on to that feeling." Kagome leans back with her hands on the grass as she observes each student.

"Like this?" Megumi asks, opening his eyes. Kagome leans forward and smiles.

"Yep, just like that. Remember how that feels and work your way up to making a stronger barrier." Beside her, Satoru shifts. "Everything okay?" she whispers, not wanting to disturb the other students.

"Weird Zenin didn't come stomping this way. Unless that blast knocked him out."

"Oh, I put up a barrier around us."

Satoru drops his hands and angles his body closer to hers. "How'd you put up a barrier without me noticing?"

"That's a good question, Satoru. Perhaps you need to go back to school yourself," she jokes. "You didn't notice because you probably still feel my energy in the air from the blast."

Satoru opens his mouth, but he gets cut off by the hoots of joy from the other students. Kagome claps. Looks like everyone is picking up on this quickly. Even Maki manages a small one, though hers doesn't last nearly as long as the other students. Perhaps it is because Maki doesn't have a lot of cursed energy. Her energy is more on par with that of a civilian, but her physical capabilities are not. In some ways, Maki reminds Kagome of Sango.

"Well, that's enough for today," Kagome says, rising to her feet. Satoru places his hand on her back as if to steady her. "Any questions?"

"Is Naoya dead?" Maki asks.

"Uh...no?" Kagome drops the barrier and Zenin topples over himself and slides down the hill. Oh boy. Kagome rubs her forehead. She had hoped that he would have given up and left, but the sorcerer is persistent. "You're still here?" Kagome asks, bending over to dig around in her bag. "Here, this should help you chill out." She holds out a charm. Satoru tenses beside her and Kagome doesn't get why Satoru is lashing out.

No matter how many times she sorts out his energy, it always ends up in more knots and kinks.

Zenin takes the charm and stuffs it into his pocket. "Naoya."

"Zenin," Satoru answers.

Kagome looks between the two of them. On Satoru's end, his energy is downright hostile. On Naoya's end, his energy is more submissive. For whatever reason, Satoru doesn't like this Zenin. Kagome glances over her shoulder. Maki doesn't like this Zenin either.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot," Naoya says, taking a step toward her. He brushes the shards of grass off him. "We should go somewhere a little quieter—"

"f*ck off," Satoru says. There's no teasing in his voice. Naoya wets his lips and stuffs his hands in his pockets.

Kagome blinks. These two really don't like each other. "I accept your apology, but I'm good. Satoru, are you done with your missions?"

Satoru looks at Naoya. "I've got more missions to do, and another one just got added."

Naoya stiffens. "I'll be on my way." He waves. "Take care Megumi-kun." Naoya throws one more look at Kagome and Satoru before flashing out of sight.

"Show off," Satoru mutters. "Stay away from him. Zenins are assholes even by sorcerer standards."

Kagome nods. Even if Satoru had said nothing, it's clear that Naoya isn't well received by anyone. He didn't even greet Maki! "Got it." She directs her attention back to the students. "If you have any questions, you can always call or text me. Otherwise, I'll see everyone later." Kagome picks up her bag and walks away.

Satoru reaches for her hand once they are far from the student's prying eyes. Kagome looks at their intertwined hands and then at him. He's even more touchy now. A flash of warmth spreads throughout her body. Satoru glances around and then maneuvers her down an alley. He presses her against the side of a building.

"What are you doing?" she hisses. They are still on school grounds.

"I want to kiss you," he says, resting his forehead on hers.

"You already kissed me today."

"That was hours ago. No good luck kiss before I head off to do my other missions?"

Kagome turns her head to the side right as Satoru kisses her. His lips are soft. He wraps his arms around her lower back and nuzzles his face against hers. "You smell amazing," he breathes. His hold tightens. Kagome musters up what little resolve she has and pushes back against his chest.

"Satoru," she warns. "I'm not sleeping with you on school grounds."

He barks out a chuckle. It's sharp. Hollow. He pulls away and spikes his fingers through his hair, pulling at the white strands. "S'orry. I just..."Satoru blows out a breath. "Can I come by later?"

Come by later? She has a date with Suguru tonight... sh*t! She has a date to get ready for. "Not tonight. I'll be busy."

His face falls. "This weekend then."

"One day or the whole weekend," she jokes.

"Weekend," he says firmly. "You can stay over at my place, or we could do a getaway. Maybe Kyoto?"

A weekend getaway? He wants to spend the entire weekend with her? Kagome rubs the back of her neck and squeezes. "I'll let you plan it then." Shippo is going to be so pissed at her. Ever since she started at Jujutsu High, she hasn't been to the demon realm. She needs to carve out some time before one of them comes to visit. Knowing Shippo, he's probably making up some grand story about how sorcerers have convinced her to join a cult or something.

Satoru smiles, and it's the most genuine one she has seen all day. "I'll get everything set up." He brushes his knuckle down her cheek. "Can I at least call you tonight before bed?"

He's definitely clingier than he was before. Kagome pokes the inside of her cheek with her tongue. It's because this thing between them is new. Satoru will eventually move on after he's gotten his fill or she'll put a stop to whatever this is whenever she gets into a relationship.

"If I'm still awake, sure."

He leans forward again as if to kiss her, but stops himself. "I'll call you later." He backs away and warps away. Kagome places a hand over her heart. She needs to get it together, and she needs to stop thinking about Satoru. Kagome pulls out her phone and winces at the time.

Crap.

She needs to book it.

Suguru looks at his watch as he waits for Kagome to arrive. Civilians—Monkeys, walk by. Some giggle as they pass him, as if he would ever be interested in the likes of one of them. He glances at his watch again. It's not that Kagome is late, but he's been here for the past twenty minutes.

What the hell is wrong with him?

He didn't arrive this early for his first date. Suguru runs his hand through his hair. The girls said he should keep it down for his date tonight. They were ecstatic about helping to pick out his outfit, though it's just a simple pair of white slacks, and a black long-sleeve fitted top with two of the buttons undone. His only accessory is his gold watch.

"I must look like an idiot," he mutters to himself.

"For what?"

Suguru freezes and then looks over to the left. His mouth goes dry. "Hi," he says, voice cracking. What the hell is wrong with him? He swallows. Kagome is breathtaking. Suddenly, his outfit is not enough. He feels underdressed. Her black leather dress comes to mid-thigh. The cut on her neckline is divine. He drags his eyes up to her face.

He wishes he had a pair of sunglasses on him, if only to look at her cleavage. Her breasts look so soft. Supple. And sh*t, he needs to stop this train of thought before the date is over before it begins.

"Are you ready?" Kagome tilts her head at him. Her long black hair curls at the ends and brushes across her cleavage. Her necklace is gold and on the simple side. It's loose and yet... What would she look like with a choker instead?

"I'm ready." He smiles and holds out a hand for her. "We're getting on this charter boat." Suguru leads them towards the boat and gives the monkey his name. He squeezes Kagome's hand. It calms him slightly, but still, he wants to rip every monkey's head off for staring at Kagome.

How dare they look at her.

"Oh, it's empty. We must be early then."

"I rented this out for us." He had to throw quite a bit of yen to reserve the boat for two. Typically, this type of charter boat is reserved for corporations. Suguru bites his lip. The table is long enough to seat twenty. Kagome's dress is so tight, and the table is right there, and f*ck, that energy massage last night was better than sex.

He squeezes his eyes shut. Stop it. If he continues down this path, he'll start thinking about how sex with Kagome would feel like. Don't ruin this date!

"Really?" Kagome slides off her jacket and places it in the seat next to her. "You didn't have to go that far."

Suguru sits next to her. If he sits across from her, there's no way he'll be able to stop himself from picturing himself ripping her dress off. "First impressions are important and while this isn't our first meeting, it is the first of many dates." He grabs her hand and kisses the back of it. "

Kagome flushes pink. "Sorry, I forgot to grab your shoes when I left out."

... His shoes?

Suguru forces a smile on his face, though internally he is dying of embarrassment. That's right, he left his shoes at her place because he had to get out of there. "That's alright. I'll get them some other time." He lowers her hand, though a part of him is reluctant to let her go. The server greets them, bowing right before setting the appetizer in front of them. Suguru swallows the bile and instead focuses on Kagome.

They talk until the server returns with dessert. He learns Kagome grew up on a shrine and she has a younger brother. Her grandfather instilled in her to help those that are weaker and that Jujutsu High recruited her after Satoru discovered her at a parent-teacher conference. He shares a bit about his past and downplays how his parents died. Suguru talks about the twins and how he stepped away from Jujutsu after that incident, though he doesn't go into further detail.

Something tells him she wouldn't be as friendly if she knew he's a curse user.

Discreetly, he sniffs.

She smells amazing. Much more appetizing than the cheesecake the server brought out to them.

He sniffs again.

There are hints of Satoru on her skin. Suguru rolls his tongue over his teeth. He gets it. He sees why Satoru is so besotted with Kagome, but it irritates him that Satoru's scent clings to Kagome's skin. The urge to lie Kagome on her back and have her thighs spread wide in front of him while he covers her body with his is so strong he clamps down on his tongue until he tastes blood.

"Suguru?" Kagome places a hand on his thigh and the warmth alone nearly does him in. "Are you okay? Your energy is..."

"I'm fine." He sighs. "Actually, I'm not fine. Everything about you is calling to me and all I want to do is take you into my arms and kiss you until your legs are weak and the only thing on your mind is me."

Kagome's eyes widen. She looks at his lips and then at him. It's the only invitation he needs. Suguru threads his fingers through her hair as he leans in closer. His eyes flicker to her, pausing long enough for her to tell him no.

She doesn't.

Suguru slants his lips over hers and kisses her deeply. The sweetness of the cheesecake mixed with the sweetness of her drives him insane. Her lips are softer than he imagined. Kagome moans and Suguru wraps his other arm around her waist. He should have rented out more time for this date. He doesn't want to stop kissing her.

He wants more.

Needs more.

Kagome pulls away first and her lips are slightly swollen. Suguru darts his tongue out, tasting her on his lips. He wants to push for more, but he stops himself.

"What are you doing this weekend?"

Kagome blinks. "What?" She tucks a locket of hair back behind her ear. "This weekend?"

sh*t. Did he push too far?

"I can't do this weekend." Kagome glances away for just a moment, but that moment is all Suguru needs.

Satoru. Or Jujutsu High. Those sorcerers are taking Kagome's attention away from him. He shakes his head and chuckles. "That's fine. What about next weekend, then?"

Kagome tilts her head from side to side as though she is thinking about it. "I don't have plans next weekend—"

"Perfect," Suguru purrs. "Let's make it a getaway, then. One night with you isn't enough."

"... A weekend getaway?" she asks, weakly. "I didn't think you liked me that much."

Suguru looks at her lips right before he leans in and kisses her again. Her small moans send an electric current through his body.

On second thought. He'll declare war against Jujutsu society tomorrow. War against every sorcerer that has received an energy massage.

"You have the day off tomorrow, right?" he asks.

Kagome nods.

Good.

Chapter 15: Satoru's Wish

Chapter Text

Satoru rolls his shoulders back and tries to ignore how clammy his hands are. He's not nervous. What does he have to be nervous about? He sucks in a breath and knocks on the door. Maybe he should have called first? What if she isn't home?

His brain screeches to a stop. What if she isn't at home? He called last night, but she didn't answer. Yeah, it was pretty late when he finally got in and Kagome may have already been asleep…or what if she went out last night and met someone? He grips the bouquet of flowers tighter and raises his hand to knock again when the door swings open. Kagome rubs her eye while clutching the green silk robe together with her other hand.

"Satoru? What are you doing here so early?" She yawns and steps to the side to let him in. "What time is it, anyway?"

"Eight," he answers, sliding his shoes off. He freezes. Black shoes. Too big to be Kagome's. Satoru runs his tongue over his teeth, but it does nothing to stop the jealousy from festering in the pit of his stomach. He sniffs.

Wait…that scent. Nah, it couldn't be. He shakes his head. It couldn't be Suguru. He wouldn't approach Kagome, since she isn't a sorcerer in the traditional sense. Suguru only cares about those that can use cursed energy, so he wouldn't approach Kagome. But whose shoes are those? Should he just come out and ask?

Kagome pokes him in the side. "Everything okay?" She tilts her head and crosses her arms. The top of her robe slips a little and the expanse of her soft skin peeks through. Satoru swallows. Great, now collarbones are doing it for him. She walks around and motions for him to follow her into the kitchen. Kagome grabs a cup from the cabinet and pours herself a glass of water. She yawns. "So, what's up? Do you not have work today?"

"I always have work, but…" he trails off. "I wrote you a poem," Satoru says, holding out a bouquet of red and blue flowers. "I worked really, really hard on it."

Kagome raises a brow but says nothing as she takes the flowers. She pulls out the card and goes to open it—

"Really, really hard," Satoru stresses. "I took my time on it." He's never written a thoughtful poem or letter to anyone in his life. He wipes his hands on his jacket and then settles for stuffing his clammy hands into his pockets.

"I wasn't worried before, but now I am," Kagome mutters. She opens the card and sighs. "Roses are red. Violets are blue. I like the way you bend. Can I suck on the titt*es too?" Kagome slides the card back into the bouquet of flowers. "You are so romantic," she says.

Satoru perks up. "Really?" She likes the poem? Maybe he should—-

Kagome blinks. "…No? I was being sarcastic."

"Oh…" Satoru shifts his feet. "I was trying to…" he swallows. Now of all times, he's tongue tied? "I was trying to be romantic. First time writing a poem," he mutters the last part. His ears burn.

Kagome walks over to him and squeezes his arm. "I'll put the poem up."

"Frame it over your bed?" Damn, he didn't think about buying a frame for her. He should have put the poem in a frame to start with.

Kagome falters. "I don't know about that, but I'll put it somewhere safe."

Satoru nods. That's good enough for now. Later he'll get her a frame in case she doesn't have one. "Did you want to get breakfast with me?"

"Uhh…sure, if you don't mind waiting for me to get dressed." Kagome walks back over to the kitchen sink and bends down. Satoru tracks the movement. The robe rises and…he makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat. Kagome turns around suddenly. "Seriously, Satoru, what is with you?"

"You aren't wearing underwear." Discreetly, he checks to make sure he isn't drooling.

"Of course not, I just got up." She rolls her eyes. "Do you sleep in your underwear?" Kagome fills the vase with water and puts the flowers in it. She sets the poem off to the side on the counter.

Satoru shakes his head even though Kagome can't see the moment. He walks forward until he is pressed up against Kagome and places his palms on the counter. "You smell good," he purrs, sliding a hand between her and the counter. "I just want to lo—" he breaks off. "You're driving me crazy."

Kagome pushes back against him, rubbing her ass against his groin. "I haven't done anything. You're driving yourself crazy." She moves her hips in small, circular motions that has him hypnotized. He slides his fingers under her robe and what he assumes is a short nightgown. Kagome moans. "Satoru."

His co*ck jerks in tandem with his heartbeat at the sound of his name on her lips. He squeezes his eyes shut behind the blindfold and pictures the faces she makes when she comes.

"Satoru," Kagome says, "If I don't get dressed now, we won't make it in time."

Satoru blows out a breath. "I already know what I want to eat."

"Satoru."

He shivers. "Okay, okay." He pulls his fingers out and immediately sticks them in his mouth. Kagome turns around and her mouth drops. She flushes a pretty shade of pink. "Just a little more?" he begs. Kagome bites her lip and nods. He sinks to his knees and sighs as he lifts one leg up and over his shoulder. It's wild to him that he's gone this long without knowing the delicacy that is Kagome. She probably thinks there is something wrong with him, but he can't help himself. "If I die tomorrow—"

"You aren't dying," Kagome says.

"But if I do, would you do something for me?"

Kagome sighs. "What is your dying wish, Satoru?"

"At least one more lick before I croak over."

Kagome blinks. "Satoru."

He hums as he caresses her leg. What he loves the most is how she says his name.

"If you don't lick me now, I will kill you."

He beams. She doesn't have to tell him twice. He presses his tongue flat against her lips as he drags it upward. f*ck, she tastes sweet. Sliding his hand up, he squeezed her ass. One of these days, or maybe this weekend, he'll take time out to lay homage to her ass. He licks her until her legs shake and she buckles under the weight of her coming org*sm. Satoru grabs her other leg and places it over his shoulder. He slides his hands up her back and stands.

"Satoru!" Kagome squeals. "I'm going to—"

"I won't let you fall," he promises. Kagome's legs flex as he backs up. His heel touches the wall, so he takes a step forward and slowly turns around, so Kagome's back is to the wall. He plunges his tongue inside of her dripping puss* and hums as her body blesses him with more of her essence. A tingle goes down his spine. Her powers wash over him and flare as she comes chanting his name.

f*ck.

Satoru kisses her lips and then eases her down. He wraps an arm around her to keep her steady. Her robe is open and…that's what she sleeps in? Satoru wets his lips. "Please tell me you'll be wearing something like this on our trip."

Kagome glances down. "I mean, I can…did you come in your pants?"

"You…uh, gave me an energy massage and—"

"Time out. Have they been affecting you like this the whole time?"

"You weren't doing it on purpose?"

"No!" Kagome palms her face and shakes her head. "No, they aren't supposed to turn you on." She lowers her hand. "You thought I was coming on to you this whole time?"

His chest tightens. "Well, yeah. I thought you did something extra for me and then you gave me this blindfold, and then—"

Kagome holds up a hand. "I got it." Her brows furrow together. "No one else reacts like you…except for Kento and…" she trails off.

Kento? Why is she still calling Nanami by his first name? Satoru gnashes his molars together. So Nanami, and who else?

Kagome shakes her head again. "I can make breakfast for us here since your pants are wet."

Satoru grins. "No need. You get dressed and I'll be right back." He bends down and kisses her. Kagome blushes. He just tongue kissed her puss* and yet kissing her on her lips is what makes her blush? The urge to kiss her again is strong, but somehow, he restrains himself. "So…someone else got off on your massage. Who was it?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"So, I can kill them." He shrugs.

"What? Don't be ridiculous. You wouldn't kill them," she scoffs.

Satoru keeps his mouth shut. He's plotting their death right now.

"And you leave poor Kento alone."

f*ck Nanami. Who the hell cares about him? Satoru sighs and holds his hands out in front of him. "I won't kill Nanami, but who is this other person?"

Kagome crosses her arms. "You have five seconds to go get changed or I'm not getting breakfast with you."

Wait, is she serious?

"One."

"Wait. Hold on."

"Two."

sh*t, she is serious. Satoru sniffs and wiggles his fingers at her as he warps away before she can finish saying three. He blows out a breath and tugs at his now-sticky pants. Kagome has him wrapped around her finger and he isn't sure if ever wants to be unraveled.

Something's gotta give.

Kagome was not planning on going to the school today, but Satoru insisted—begged—for her to come with him, and of course, she gave in because she always gives in to Satoru. Kagome huffs. Maybe she's giving Satoru too much reign, or maybe her brain is permanently altered now that she knows how his co*ck feels inside her.

Or maybe it's because he flashed those blue eyes of his at breakfast and got done on his knees to beg her.

She scratches her hair and leans back in the chair Satoru got her. Kinji made a big deal out of it, for some reason, but it is comfortable. There's a knock on her door and a moment later, Kento walks in. He straightens his tie as he closes the door behind him.

"Hi Kento," Kagome greets. She stands, but Kento motions for her to sit back down. He sits in the chair in front of her desk and looks around for a moment before settling his gaze on her. "Thanks for coming by on such short notice."

"Nonsense, you don't have to thank me." He clears his throat. "How can I help you?" Kento rubs his hands on his pants and stares down at the desk.

Kagome frowns. Does she make him uncomfortable? "Well, I'm not sure how to ask this, so I'm just gonna come out and say it." She sucks in a breath. "Do I turn you on?"

Kento's head snaps up and his eyes widen.

Kagome splutters. "I mean the energy massages, not me. Obviously," she chuckles. Her cheeks flush. Kento isn't attracted to her. She doesn't even know why she asked that.

Kento is quiet for a bit. "You don't think I'm attracted to you?"

Kagome blinks and scratches her cheek. "Well…I." How is she supposed to respond to that? "Sometimes it doesn't seem as though you even like me when you look my way and run around the corner."

"That's because I'm too attracted to you!" He exclaims. Kento freezes and turns his head towards the open door.

"Oh, don't mind me," Satoru says, leaning against the door. His blindfold is pulled down. "What were you saying, Nanami? You're attracted to Kagome?"

"Satoru," Kagome warns.

Kento stands. "This has nothing to do with you, Satoru."

"Nothing to do with me?" Satoru barks out a laugh. "Mind explaining why you keep calling me by my name?" Satoru saunters over and places his hands on Kento's shoulders. "Sit."

Kagome chews on the inside of her cheek. Should she put a stop to whatever this is? Kento's cheeks are bright red!

"I called you Gojo," Kento says through clenched teeth. Satoru laughs as his hands tighten on Kento's shoulders. He bends his head down, close to Kento's ear, but he looks at Kagome.

"You like calling my name?"

Kagome's eyes widen. Kento looks as though he wants to hide under the desk. "Satoru, ease up some. Kento, I'm sorry about…Satoru." Kagome sighs. "This isn't a big deal, so let's not make it one," she directs the last part at Satoru, who is still far too close to Kento.

"It doesn't matter," Kento spits out. He stands and walks around the chair, coming face to face with Satoru. "You're overreacting."

"So, if I do this, it doesn't mean anything?" Satoru asks, advancing on Kento until his legs hit the desk and Kagome is staring at Kento back. She scoots her chair back and frowns.

On one hand, Kento may be afraid of Satoru.

On the other hand, if this was the demon realm, Sesshomaru would tell her to let the males hash out their differences.

Kagome tilts her head to the side.

Shippo would make a joke about who is the alpha in this situation.

She stands and walks around the desk. Satoru and Kento turn their heads to look at her. They look as though they are about to have sex on her desk. "I'm sorry if the massages got between your relationship," she starts.

"Relationship?" Satoru and Kento ask.

Oh wow. They're even talking at the same time. Kagome clears her throat. "It seems like you guys have a lot of pent-up feelings and I'm fine, to—"

"I DO NOT THINK ABOUT SATORU f*ckING ME!"

Satoru does a double take. Kagome opens her mouth and closes it. She knew everyone was a little off at this school, but…

"I mean, I don't…" Kento presses his lips together. "Let me go."

"You're a f*cking pervert," Satoru says, poking Kento's chest. "You've been walking around here with your nose in the air, thinking about me f*cking you?" He laughs. "Nice try, Nanami."

Kento turns his head. Kagome sighs. Somehow, this feels like her fault.

"Kagome, you are a very beautiful woman and I think any man would be lucky to have you, but I'm not interested in a relationship," Kento says.

Kagome nods, though her heart feels heavy. Weird. "Right," she agrees. "This whole thing has gotten way overblown."

"Well, that's a relief," Satoru quips, pulling away from Kento. "Glad you could be an adult about this, Nanami."

Kento stares at Satoru so hard that Kagome half expects Satoru to go up in flames. Though Satoru doesn't seem to care. If anything, he's giddy. Satoru smiles and then rushes to wrap his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. Kento clears his throat.

"I was under the impression you had the day off."

"I did—I do—but Satoru has a tough mission today and he paid for my breakfast in exchange for help."

"That's not why I paid. It was a date."

Kagome blinks. "That was a date?"

Satoru gasps and pokes his bottom lip out. "Of course, it was a date! It was a breakfast one."

"Wow," Kento starts. "The strongest sorcerer can't ask someone out on a date properly."

Kagome freezes. Satoru's hold on her tightens. "Mind your business, Nanami."

"I'll mind mine when you mind yours," he shoots back.

"Uh, guys?"

"Still mad because I got the muffins before you?"

Kento's nostrils flare. "I'm not a man-child like you."

Kagome sighs. Why are they fighting now? Is it because of the not date? Or does she seriously need to bake more muffins? "Maybe you two should go on a mission together and remember what it's like to work as a team?"

"Satoru is too co*cky for teamwork."

"Psst, I know how to work in a team."

"Doubtful."

"Okay!" Kagome claps her hands together. "You two can go on that mission together then and sort out your differences."

"WHAT?" they both exclaim.

Kagome rolls her eyes. "Don't you pair the first years up so they can get to know each other better and have more harmony? You two clearly need that." She pulls out of Satoru's embrace. Or maybe they just need to f*ck or something. Kento clearly has it on his mind and Satoru is…. well, she isn't sure if Satoru is receptive or not, but he didn't turn Kento down either. "It'll be good for you two. If it helps any, Kento, I can take your morning mission and then I can finish enjoying my time off."

"But…." Satoru hunches his shoulders. "I thought we were going to do it together. Teamwork?"

"I'm not worried about our teamwork," she points out. Satoru opens his mouth to protest. Kagome glares at him and plants her hands on her hips. "I'm not asking. You two are going on that mission together. And you will fix whatever this is."

Kento inhales sharply. His face is red again. Is he angry at her? Kagome bites her tongue.

"Fine, I'll go on this mission with Nanami," Satoru stresses, rolling his eyes. He slides his blindfold back over his eyes.

"Kento?" Kagome asks.

"…. I'll go." Kento swallows and looks down at his shoes. "I suppose there is always room for improvement."

"That's the spirit," Kagome encourages. She tucks a locket of hair behind her ear right as the alarms go off. Kagome jumps. She didn't even know they had alarms here. Is something on fire? Or… "That doesn't sound like a fire alarm."

"It's not," Satoru says, stepping in front of her. "There's a curse on the grounds," he trails off. "Suguru."

"Geto-san is here?" Kento asks.

Kagome rolls her eyes. Seriously? They're all worked up because Suguru is here? Kagome sucks her teeth. Her head throbs. Placating Kento and Satoru is one thing, but if Satoru starts something, which he probably will, how the heck is she supposed to keep him and Suguru calm?

Ugh, today was supposed to be her day off. So much for that. Kagome walks out of her office with Satoru and Kento hot on her heels. Maybe if she's lucky, she can get a word in before Satoru says anything.

Chapter 16: To Declare War

Chapter Text

Kagome said she was not working today and wouldn't be at the school, so why is she here? Suguru plasters a smile on his face, though inside he is dying. He needs to turn this around somehow. He looks up at the sky for a moment. It is truly a beautiful day out. A wonderful day to declare war on Jujutsu society, but Kagome is here when she should be at home or doing anything but helping Jujutsu today.

This complicates things just a tad.

"Geto," Satoru greets, sticking his hands into his pocket. Suguru rolls his eyes. It's cute how Satoru is trying to downplay their relationship. Kagome pushes past Satoru, who tries to grab her arm, but Kagome pins Satoru with a look so fierce that Suguru takes a step back.

"Suguru, what are you doing here? You didn't tell me you were stopping by."

"About that..." he trails off. Well, she certainly doesn't look like she is working today, or does she always fight in a skirt? He wets his lips and then clears his throat. Maybe he should have pushed for more last night? Then she would have been too tired to work today.

"Hold up!" Satoru exclaims. "Suguru? You call him Suguru?" His nostrils flare and then Satoru is advancing on him. He presses a finger on Suguru's chest. "Was it you?" he asks, lowly. "Thought I smelled you in her apartment."

"Did you smell me on the sheets, too?" Suguru grins, flashing his teeth. His heart skips a beat. After all this time, Satoru still knows what he smells like?

Satoru freezes. "Is this how you want to do it?"

"You tell me." Suguru leans forward, though he gets blocked by Satoru's stupid ass infinity. One of these days, he will find a way around it and kick Satoru's ass.

Kagome gets in between them and pushes her hands out. "Okay, you two. Enough."

"Suguru started it," Satoru grumbles. "He isn't even supposed to be here."

Is he pouting? Suguru squints. So Satoru drops his infinity for Kagome.

"Huh? Why?" Kagome turns and looks at him and if it were possible, Suguru would throttle Satoru. "Is it because you don't work for the school?"

"Work for the school? He defle—"

"I defeated a bunch of curses on my way here and this is the reception I get?" Suguru brushes away an imaginary tear and pouts. "I came here to put our differences aside."

"WHAT?" Everyone except for him and Kagome shouts. Suguru clucks his tongue. Honestly, why are his people reacting like this? They should have some decorum. Go with the flow.

"Geto-san," Manami says, "What do you mean, put our differences aside?"

Suguru wraps an arm around Kagome and beams. "Kagome has shown me the light."

"... I have?"

"And I see now how much we have failed fighting one another when our fight is with the vermin. If we want to make a change, then it starts with us." He makes a fist. "Too many of us have died because we aren't showing the younger generation a new path. A new way of living."

"So, you're done being a curse user?" Satoru questions, his tone dubious. "Because Kagome talked you into it?"

Kagome shrugs out of Suguru's arms and scratches her head. "I haven't done anything other than give Suguru a massage like everyone else..." Kagome sucks in a breath and then leans forward. "Do they turn you on?" she whispers. Suguru chokes. She's asking this now? "Oh Kami, that's a yes." Kagome leans away and presses a hand to her mouth.

"Wait." Suguru reaches a hand out, but Satoru slaps it down. "Really, Satoru?"

"You're up to something."

Suguru rolls his eyes. Yaga cracks his knuckles and Nanami is staring at him strangely. Suguru frowns. Why is Nanami looking at him like that? He follows Nanami's eyesight, and a flicker of anger ignites in his blood.

Oh, so Nanami has gotten a massage too.

That's too bad. He kind of liked the guy.

"He's right," Suguru sighs, pressing a hand to his forehead. He sucks in a breath. "I am declaring war."

"On curses?" Kagome looks at him expectantly.

"No, on everyone here that has received a massage from you." He crosses his arms and grits his teeth. So... everyone here has received one, except for his family. Lovely, turns out he gets to declare war on Jujutsu society after all.

"WHAT?"

"Oh, this is rich!" Shoko chimes. "Someone go make a bag of popcorn."

"Now is not the time, Shoko," Yaga says.

"You're right. And bring a chair too!" Shoko slaps Ijichi on the back and then turns back around to look at Suguru. For his part, Suguru stares in bewilderment. Is this a joke to them? He just declared war and Shoko is asking for popcorn?

"Suguru be for real," Kagome scoffs. "Honestly, you and Satoru are on one today." Kagome rolls her eyes. "And Kento too."

"Kento?" Suguru's eyebrows shoot up. He looks to Satoru for confirmation.

"Yeah, he keeps losing his pants around her." Satoru jerks a thumb back at Nanami.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?" Nanami's face goes bright red. The students turn to look at him. "Ahem. I mean, that was one time."

Suguru's vision goes red. He blinks. Not only has Nanami received a massage from Kagome, but now he's also taking his pants off in front of her too? Oh, no. This will not do. Suguru chuckles. "Nanami, come here. We can settle this like men."

Nanami glares at him. "You deflected ten years ago. Where do you get off showing up and trying to run things? Kagome doesn't want you, and she doesn't want you, Satoru."

Satoru stops mid-laugh.

"Oh sh*t," Shoko says, pulling out a cigarette. "Yaga, we're getting to the good part."

"I can't believe I'm allowing this," Yaga mutters.

"You keep calling me by my name, Nanami," Satoru snarks back. "What's with that?"

"Once again, you are delusional. Just as delusional as Geto-san to think Kagome would want him."

Suguru blinks. Oh? "And what makes you the expert on what Kagome wants? You can't possibly think she would want you."

"You know who is the expert?" Kagome interjects. "Me! And I'm getting real tired of you three talking over me as if I'm not here."

Nanami's face falls. "That wasn't my intention."

"Yeah, this is all Suguru's fault. No one told him to come here. You're not invited." Satoru cracks his neck. "Kagome, don't you want to get out of here?"

Kagome rolls her eyes. "You know what? I have had it." She points a finger at Nanami. "You, come here." She taps her foot as Nanami, to Suguru's amazement, walks over with his shoulders slightly slumped. He stands next to Satoru and makes a point to not look at Satoru. "Suguru, come here."

He raises a brow. Did she just command him? And yet his feet move as though her words have power over him. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was a part of the Inumaki clan or something. Kagome rolls her eyes again and holds her hand out.

"Hands," she commands, only sighing when Satoru smacks Nanami's hand out of the way, so his hand touches Kagome's. Suguru sucks his teeth and his nostrils flare. Is he really placing his hand on top of theirs? What is this? He glances over his shoulders. The twins stare at him in bewilderment. Manami keeps looking at her notes and scratching her head, and the others gossip among one another.

Yeah, he's gonna have to do damage control when they get back.

"Suguru," Kagome says sharply, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand. He smiles, though it is a tight, and places his hand on top of Nanami's. Surely, he should get a reward for not crushing Nanami's hand. "Good. Now everyone is going to learn how to work out their differences." Kagome smiles, but there's nothing serene about that smile. Their hands glow pink for a moment. Kagome takes a step back and plants her hands on her hips.

Okay. He isn't sure what that was about, but he is over this hand-holding. Suguru goes to take his hand back and gets stuck.

What the f*ck?

"Kagome!" Satoru whines, holding up his hand, wrapped in some kind of sutra. "What is this?"

"You all want to argue like children, then you can be stuck together until you figure it out."

Suguru makes a choked noise in the back of his throat. "Wait, what does that mean? We aren't stuck, stuck, right?" Is he sweating? Maybe they can break or cut this seal?

"Geto-sama!" the twins yell. Suguru holds up his free hand to calm them down. This is fine. This is nothing. He tugs right as Satoru and Nanami do the same... sh*t, they really are stuck together.

"Like I said," Kagome says. "You three need to get along and you will not talk for me." She gives all of them a look. "Keep it up and I will not go with you this weekend, Satoru."

This weekend?

"And I will not go on another date with you, Suguru."

Satoru's face turns slightly red, but for once he keeps his mouth shut. Nanami looks as though he just ate a bag of lemons. Suguru opens his mouth and promptly closes it.

Damn, an angry Kagome is hot.

He squeezes his eyes shut. This line of thinking is what got him into this mess. Suguru opens his eyes and tries to put on the same smile that puts those monkeys at ease, but the smile falters under Kagome's glare. She gives them one more look and then turns her back to them.

"Does anyone else need to be put in the... what am I calling this?"

"Sibling shirt?" Panda says.

"They aren't siblings though," Maki says.

"Tuna with mayo."

"No," Kagome says, shaking her head. "We can't call it Gojo. He's only one part of it."

Suguru squints. How did she understand that?

"Are we fighting them?" Miguel asks. Suguru turns his head and gives a quick headshake. "Why not? They bound you and we're here to declare war."

"But that's Kagome-san, the woman Geto-sama went on a date with," Mimiko says.

"When did you have time to take Kagome out?" Satoru asks casually, though he slides his blindfold down with his free hand. Nanami inhales sharply and Suguru bites his tongue. What kind of reaction is that? Satoru tilts his head in Nanami's direction and then scoffs. "For the last time, Nanami, I'm not f*cking you."

"No one wants to sleep with you," Nanami hisses. "This is a misunderstanding."

"Excuse me?" Suguru interrupts, "What do you mean, you want to f*ck Satoru?"

Nanami splutters. "NO ONE WANTS TO SLEEP WITH HIM!"

"What on earth are you three going on about now?" Kagome asks.

"Well, Kento has a thing for Satoru," Shoko quips. Nanami chokes. "And he kind of has a crush on you," she continues, despite Nanami's less-than-subtle head shaking. "And then Suguru and Satoru go way back. Those two were always up to something in their dorm room."

"Excuse me?" Satoru exclaims.

"On campus grounds!" Yaga yells. Suguru rolls his eyes. Please.

"Oh please, like the no girls allowed sign wasn't obvious." Shoko rolls her eyes. "Yeah, these two, messy." Shoko takes the bag of popcorn from Ijichi and pops some in her mouth. "And then there's you, Kagome."

Kagome presses a hand to her forehead. "This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. The last thing I wanted was to get in between someone's relationship."

... Relationship?

They all tug and try to break free, but the seal doesn't budge, and they are still stuck together.

"How long will they be stuck like that?" Yaga asks, crossing his arms.

"Until they can get along and work out their differences," Kagome replies. "Speaking of which. Satoru, shouldn't you all be doing missions now?"

"You expect me to fight like this?" Satoru asks.

"Aren't you the strongest? You can't exorcise a few curses with one hand?"

Satoru chuckles. "I can do a lot with one hand."

"Turn off infinity," Suguru says. "So I can smack you."

Satoru scoffs.

"What about the war?" Manami asks. "Are we not going to war?"

"Why do you keep going on about war?" Kagome co*cks her head to the side. "Aren't you all sorcerers? Why are you fighting with one another?"

"Suguru is a curse user," Yaga says. "And those people are his new family."

Kagome frowns. "Suguru, you came here to declare war on curses and not your fellow humans, right?"

"Well..."

"Because I would hate to have to take you out."

"On a date?" He cracks a grin.

Kagome sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "I'll have to find someone else. This isn't going to work."

"What?" they shout. Nanami looks off to the side, though his cheeks are dusted pink. Satoru sucks in a breath and looks up at the sky for a moment and then exhales.

"Find someone else?" Satoru says, though it comes off like a question. "Who did you have in mind?"

"I'm not telling you, so you can pester them."

Satoru sniffs and then scratches behind his ear. Suguru coughs and scratches his ear as well. Nanami gives them a, are you two serious right now, expression. Suguru shrugs one shoulder. Just because he hasn't seen Satoru in a decade, doesn't mean they don't know how to read each other's cues.

"... So we aren't going to war?" Manami asks again.

Suguru sighs. "No, there will be no war." At least not right now. He needs to get unstuck from Satoru and Nanami first, and then figure out who the hell Kagome is thinking about going for, so he can kill them.

Kagome walks past them and heads towards the twins. They look at him for confirmation. Suguru nods, though he isn't sure what Kagome is doing.

"Would you like to join us for training? I wasn't planning on working today, but I think since we're all here, it'll be good to work on some barrier techniques again."

"We don't know about... that one," Nanako says.

Kagome looks back over her shoulder and then back at Nanako. "She has done nothing to you. The only one hurting is you if you continue to carry all this hate in your body."

"But Geto-sama—"

"Is going to lead by example," Kagome finishes. She turns and addresses them. "The girls are going to join me and the other students for training. You three are going to take care of Satoru's and Nanami's missions today.

"Tuna," Inumaki says.

"Yeah, Kagome-sensei is scary," Yuta says.

The twins walk over to the other side where the students are. They glance at him for a moment and then focus their attention on the others in front of them.

Kagome smiles and then heads over to them. "The longer you delay, the longer you three will be stuck."

"How are we supposed to all get in a car like this?" Nanami asks, clearing his throat.

Kagome doesn't drop her smile. "It's a good thing Satoru can teleport." She takes a step back and waves at them.

Satoru stiffens, as does Suguru. What the hell is that?

Kagome blinks and looks down at her feet. Blue flames. Hands emerge from the hole? A portal? They run toward her, though it's awkward. Nanami trips, though neither Satoru nor Suguru stop. Those hands wrap around Kagome's legs and pull her.

As quickly as the flames appeared, they die down.

"Kagome-sensei!" the students yell.

Satoru glares at the spot Kagome was just at. "Is this your doing?"

"No," Suguru says, tensely. "I don't know what the f*ck that was."

"Funny how you showed up today, and she just disappeared."

"Funny how you couldn't even sense it," Suguru shoots back.

"Enough!" Nanami yells, rubbing his side. "Arguing isn't going to bring Kagome back." He lifts the hand connected to them and shakes it. "We'll gonna have to work together."

Suguru inhales.

Lovely. All he wanted was to declare a little war today.