"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.

A/n: Poor Ijichi kept trying to talk to Kagome and Satoru had to cockblock lol. At this rate, Satoru's CE is gonna be all twisted up every time he sees Kagome. I saw some more InuxJJk fanfics popped up and I'm over here rubbing my hands together like a villain so excited to see the fandom growing. As always take care of yourself! Stay hydrated...and I see the smut/lemon requests lololol