"Gojo-sama," the servant calls. The woman bows her head and waits for him to acknowledge her.

He sighs. "Speak."

"About the menu. I see you requested nothing but oden and cake."

"Is that a problem?" He flicks the page and scans the contents. There is nothing about spiritual powers. Nothing concrete, at least. The book prattles on about how monks and priestesses were most likely sorcerers that could use reverse cursed technique. Deadly for curses. But Kagome's power doesn't feel like that.

He's positive she doesn't have any cursed energy in her bones.

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn. It would be... adding more options to the menu would be more palatable to the guests. Fostering relationships is just as important as gaining power." She reaches for a bag and pulls out a light blue kimono. "This is for your special guest. Should you wish to present it to her."

Satoru closes the book. "What is your name?" This servant has been around him since he was a baby, but not once has he ever heard her name being spoken.

The woman trembles. "Miyu Ito."

"I care not for what else is on the menu. Do as you please." He places the book back in its proper spot on the shelf. "I want the clan symbol on that outfit."

Her head snaps up and then she promptly drops it again. "Gojo-sama, your father—"

"Is no one. Do it." Kagome is his. His shrine maiden. The others need to know if they wish to keep their heads. Especially that Zenin. Naoya. He's annoying like a gnat. "Everything better be perfect, or it will be you on the line." He walks out of the room. The estate is always far too suffocating.

Kagome should be getting out of school soon.

He should walk her home. She has an uncanny ability of attracting weirdos. His mind is made up. He shrugs on the black coat and grabs an extra scarf.

"Leaving again?" His father asks.

Satoru ignores him. Why ask a rhetorical question? "Is there something you wanted?"

"What do you want for your birthday? It's not like you to want a party."

Satoru turns and regards his father, whose white hair goes to his shoulders. His eyes are much sharper than Satoru's. Paler too.

"I want for nothing," he mumbles. For once, his brain is slow on the uptake. What does he want? He has everything. An image of Kagome playing with some stray kittens pops in his mind. "A cat."

"A cat?"

He nods. "The goofier the better." He glances at his watch. Father has taken up too much of his time. "Make it happen." He opens the window and heads out. At this rate, he won't make it in time to meet her at the school gates, but he should be able to intercept her walk home.

Kagome is habitual like that. Never deviates. She really should, lest other people learn her schedule too. He frowns as he rushes to her location. He will deal with any individuals, curses, cults, whomever, who would seek to do her harm.

He stuffs his hands into his pockets as he walks towards her. Kagome waves goodbye to a group of girls and startles at his appearance.

"Satoru? What are you doing here?" Kagome sniffs, her nose red. Satoru pulls out the scarf from his pocket and wraps it around her. Her words are muffled, but he has a pretty good idea that she's complaining about him taking care of her.

Kagome is annoying like that.

She might be slightly older, but she's not more mature.

"It's too cold for you to keep forgetting a scarf." He takes her gloved hand in his and creates an opening with infinity.

"How is it everyone moves out of your way?"

He glares at her. Who told her to move the scarf down?

She swings their arms, humming a soft tune. He doesn't recognize the melody, but Kagome is always doing or saying weird things.

"Why doesn't someone pick you up?"

"Because Mama doesn't have a car. There's no need, silly. Don't you take the train system? Or walk?"

Satoru frowns. He doesn't have a problem walking, but he's much faster than her, and Kagome is admittedly much weaker.

"You require protection, not me."

"I'm not sharing my cookies with you. Take that back." She leans over and presses her face close to his.

He turns his head away. His ears burn. "No."

"Your face is red. Come on, we gotta hurry," Kagome says, gripping his hand tighter. He allows her to drag him along, expanding his infinity around them so no one dares to get in their way.

He doesn't shrink his infinity until they reach the bottom of the shrine stairs.

"Mama stocked up on hot coco, and there's this new show I want to watch." She lets go of his hand and motions for him to follow. "But I have to do my homework first. Ugh."

"It can't be that hard."

"It's harder than hard. It's math!" She complains.

"I'll just do it for you."

"No!" She rounds on him and waggles a finger in his face. "That's cheating. And I'm no cheater. What point is there in having someone else do it for you?" She leans back and places a hand over her heart. "I want to do things in my own strength... and intelligence. If I don't, then Sota might grow up to be a bum."

"I doubt that. Not with your mom. But fine, I'll help you. I want extra whipped cream and you have to attend my party."

Kagome slides her shoes off and takes Satoru's coat. "I thought it was a given that I'd be there. Gramps is even renting a car so we can come out."

"Rent? I'll just have someone swing around and pick you up."

Kagome blinks, and then she laughs. "You say the silliest things, Toru-chan."

He huffs. "Don't call me that. If you're going to shorten my name, then add sama to the end of it."

She snorts as she hangs their coats up. "Come on, I'll get the hot coco going and then you can help me with my homework. And then we can watch Digimon."

"... Digimon?"

"Digital monsters. Everyone was talking about it today in class."

"Sounds stupid."

"Well, your watch is stupid."

Satoru's brows furrow together. "What's wrong with my watch?"

"It doesn't tick. So, you have a broken watch on."

He rolls his eyes. "I—what's your favorite color?"

"Pink." She hops up on the counter and grabs two mugs.

"I'll get you a pink watch."

"Will it tick?"

"It's not supposed to."

"Weird." She wrinkles her nose and pours milk into the mugs. Her tongue darts out as she concentrates on the task at hand. Satoru huffs as he opens the backpack and pulls out the assignment. He stares at the homework paper in front of him. This is what she is learning? This is basic math.

"Extra whipped cream," he says absently, flipping through the rest of her papers.

"You are the bossiest kid I know." She slides the mug his way with the whipped cream so full that it spills over. "You should be nicer so you can have lots of friends."

"I don't need friends. I have you." He moves the papers to the side, so they don't get wet.

"Everyone needs friends. What if I get on your nerves and you need someone to talk to?"

He takes a sip of his drink. "Why would I need to talk to someone about you? You already get on my nerves."

"Ha. Ha." She moves away to warm up her drink. "Mama always says you can't just have one person. Even when you're married, it's important to have friends." Kagome carefully walks over to the table with her drink. She lets out a breath. "Because... your partner can't be everything." She snaps her fingers and strikes a pose, but if she is going for serious, she is the opposite of that with her pigtails.

"Who said anything about marriage?" He yawns. Kagome says the strangest things. Marriage? Gross. He's seen what marriage and love does to a person. He wants no part of that. "I don't need anyone but you. You should be honored."

"Honored isn't the word I'd go for." She points at him.

"What?"

"You have whipped cream on your face." She rolls her eyes and dabs his mouth with a napkin. "That's better."

"I didn't give you permission to touch me," he grumbles. His ears are on fire. Why are they always so hot when he comes to visit? He must be allergic to her.

"Oh? That's true. Well, you can't touch me either." She sticks her nose up and kicks her feet. "No hugs."

"No one wants to hug you." He finishes his drink and glances at the homework. "Hurry up, so we can get this done, and watch digitron."

"Digimon," she corrects. "Mama will want to look over it when she gets home."

"No need. I'm here." He waits as she takes their cups to the sink.

"You're just a kid. Mama is mama. She's the smartest," Kagome explains, taking a seat next to him. She grabs the homework... and gets the first answer wrong.

Satoru grabs a blank sheet of paper from her folder and another pencil. "Here. Watch how I solve it." He goes through the steps, though the action feels foreign. Typically, he just solves the problems in his head, but Kagome probably doesn't have that ability. She leans over, just a hair's width away. The warmth from her sweater jumps from her to him and he hates it. "Fine. You can touch me."

Kagome snorts and pokes his cheek. "That's not how the teacher showed us." She works through the next problem. "Huh."

"Your teacher is an idiot."

"Be nice. He isn't. He's the nicest teacher ever."

"You think everyone is nice."

"That's not true! I think you can be a meanie."

"Tch." He blows out a breath, watching from the corner of his eye as she solves the problems. "I'm bored."

"Well, where's your homework? You never have a bookbag with you."

"I have tutors who teach me shit."

"Satoru!" Kagome's eyes widen. "No!" She looks around the room. "If Mama or Gramps heard you, then you'd have to wash your mouth out with soap. And don't say that around Sota. He wants to do everything you do," she grumbles the last part.

"My party is this weekend," he says, ignoring her gripes about language. "If you aren't there, I'll drag you there."

"I know. I know. Still gotta get your gift."

The door opens and Kagome's mom walks in with Sota in tow. "Oh, Satoru-kun, I didn't know you were here. Are you staying for dinner?"

"Yes."

"Mama! I finished my homework. Can we watch tv now?"

Kagome's mom sets the bags down on the counter and looks over the homework. Sota shoves an action figure in Satoru's face. He blinks. This kid has no respect either. Just like his sister.

"Okay, you two can watch tv. Can you take Sota with you? I need to get dinner started and Gramps is running late."

Great. Now he has to entertain the runt.

"Okay!" Kagome chirps, scrambling out of the seat. She grabs Satoru's hand and leads him out of the kitchen.

Satoru glances over his shoulder. "I expect everyone to be on time on Saturday."

Kagome's mom smiles. "We wouldn't miss it."

He frowns. Why is she smiling at him like that? Tch. Whatever. The Higuarshis are weird. He settles down on the couch with Sota in the middle. The show starts, and he's enthralled. Sota yawns and tries to get comfortable, but his feet keep hitting infinity.

"Sora is my favorite," Kagome says. "Sota, move over here. You can lay your head on my lap."

Satoru clucks his tongue as the siblings change spots. "Stupid. Tai is the best. At least his digimon is cool."

Kagome snaps her head towards him. "What's wrong with the bird digimon?"

"Sister's name means caged bird," Sota whispers, as lies his head down on Kagome's lap.

"The bird digimon isn't cool like Agumon. Kind of like you."

"Take that back."

"Or what?"

"I won't get you a gift."

"Please."

"I won't."

"You will."

"Won't."

"Will."

"Won—" He covers her mouth with his hand.

"Shush. I'm trying to hear."

Kagome nips his palm, and he jumps. Did she just assault him?

"Take it back." She sniffs.

Oh no. Is she about to cry? Satoru rolls his eyes. "You're cool because of me."

Kagome sucks in a breath. "Good enough." She rests her head on his shoulder. "One day, I'm gonna go on an adventure just like Biyomon." Her eyes flutter shut.

He should push her off. "When you're not such a brat, I'll take you on one." The only response he gets is the combined snores of Kagome and Sota.

He'll just go home in the morning. The servants can deal.

A/N: Happy New Year! Haven't talked to you guys since last year lolol (I'm hilarious, I swear). My plan is to complete Accidentally Dating and The Christmas Wish this year. The Christmas Wish I will probably just mass update that one. A stretch goal is to complete How To Tame, but I want to see what the culling game curse ends up being.

I will not take down any of my stories. I'm brainstorming a pen name, but that will be original works. Like I kind of already know it's gonna be a two-dicked dark haired fox demon. I promise the two dicks is important to the plot. Anyway lol, I will not take down the fanfics. I create these stories with the characters and the worlds in mind.

A Thousand Days should be updated next though tree sex in Wish I Could keeps calling my name. One of those will be updated next.

Stay healthy. Drink your water and take your vitamins. If no one has told you this year, you matter and you're amazing. You guys are so unserious at times and I love it. I love when you share cosplayers, news, jjk updates, etc. So, stay awesome!