Souta skipped ahead of him on the pavement. Inuyasha carried the kid's backpack over one shoulder. It was lighter than Kagome's. The sidewalk was hot, reflecting the sunlight overhead. The kid came to a halt outside a little shop with a board out front. Chalk described the day's special and the 'theme'. He stopped to watch the kid peer in the enormous glass windows framed by frilly pink curtains. Inuyasha's eyebrows collided as a girl passed the window in a uniform. A group of guys dressed in black school uniforms pushed the door open. The warm smell of tea and fresh food blew in his face.

"Can we have lunch, Inuyasha?" Souta's eyes were bright with hope. "I have money."

"What is this place?"

"It's the coolest tea shop. Please?"

"Your mom asked me to bring you home." Uncertainty roiled. It smelled like an ordinary food shop. There were a million of them in Kagome's era, inns without sleeping. The pink curtains were odd.

"Mom won't care, ple-ASE?"

"Fine." Inuyasha held the door open. The kid sped past the glass door. Small tables and chairs were interspersed around the room. Polished wood underneath practically sparkled with cleanliness. A wooden cupboard displayed a set of painted plates and a silver pitcher. There was nothing especially interesting about the shop. The food smelled good but Mama Higurashi was a masterful cook.

"Souta-chan!" A girl came forward to greet them. She bowed respectfully to each of them in turn. The boy started to follow her towards a table. Wrinkles formed around Inuyasha's nose as he noticed her clothing. A black uniform fell to her knees to meet long white stockings. A dainty little cap on her head. Inuyasha balked as she held the chair back for him. He pulled the chair out of her grasp and sank onto the white cushion.

"How are you today, Chou?" Souta's legs kicked under the table. Inuyasha glared at the flowers sitting in a vase between them.

"Call me Hisa-chan at work," the girl whispered.

"How are you today, Hisa-chan?" Souta's cheeks were pink. Inuyasha followed his gaze to the girl's face. A very pretty girl with a radiant smile beamed at them both. Rich brown hair that matched her eyes. Exactly Miroku's type with dainty hands. The little uniform had ruffles at her bosom that only accentuated her figure. A quick glance around the room showed the staff was entirely female. All wearing the cute little uniforms. There were plenty of male patrons in the room, but also pairs of girls, mothers and daughters.

"Quite well, Master! It is good to see you with a friend." The girl bowed her head to him.

Master?!

"This is my big brother!" Souta's smile could break glass. "Inuyasha. He's really cool and fights with swords. He's teaching me some karate moves."

"What a wonderful big brother. So you are marrying Kagome?" The girl with two names turned her smile on him. She carefully placed menus on the table. Inuyasha didn't miss the way Souta's eyes dropped to the girl's bosom. When she leaned forward to carefully rearrange the canisters on the table, her uniform slipped to reveal the very top curve of her breasts. Inuyasha's eyes rested on the skin for a moment before he gripped the menu with both hands. He dipped his head forward.

"Would you like some tea, Master? Coffee?" The girl addressed him.

"Tea."

"Very good, Master!" The girl bowed again. Her skirt swayed as she turned. Over the top of his menu, Inuyasha watched Souta swivel in his seat to watch her backside. She had very lovely legs and a heart-shaped backside.

"Isn't she pretty?" Souta's whisper was not discreet. The boy grinned at him.

"What the hell is this place? What's with the uniforms?" Inuyasha leaned forward.

"It's a maid cafe! The girls wear uniforms and have to be really nice to you. Sometimes they put on little hats or host games or wear cosplay! Chou is my friend's sister. She works here part-time to save money for university."

"You like that girl? What happened to your girlfriend?"

"Dumped her. Hitomi started acting weird at recess." Souta shrugged.

"You dumped her?" Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched.

"I like older girls now." Souta's face relaxed as Chou emerged from the curtain separating the front from the kitchen. A silver tray carried two cups, two saucers and a plate of pastry. He grinned stupidly as the girl set the white cup in front of him daintily. She also gave them spoons for mixing sugar into their drinks. A small metal cup filled with milk was set down; a little curve in the lip for pouring.

"Is everything to your pleasure, Masters?"

"Thanks," Inuyasha nodded. He avoided eye contact.

"You're the best!" Souta's smile was embarrassing. The girl just giggled at him as she moved on to the next table of customers. The mom and her small daughter also seemed enamored of the girl.

"Kid - "

"Did you see those? They're huge!" The kid stirred his tea with a love-struck grin.

Inuyasha reached for the pastry swirled with sugary glaze. Unfortunately, he had seen 'those'. The group of boys at the other end had seen 'those'. He ripped the little bread into pieces. Kagome was his betrothed. Unlike the other males in the room, he would not stare at the girl's bountiful chest. Kagome's were just as large.

"Can I invite her to the wedding?" Souta kicked him under the table.

"She's out of your league, kid."

"We both like soccer. We both like history and video games. She has cool t-shirts." Souta sighed with a faraway dreaminess. Stars practically shone in his eyes.

"She's too old for you."

"Then give me some tips!" Souta snapped back into reality. "You know how to get girls. Tell me what to say. Please?"

I know how to get girls?!

"What are you on about?"

"I like her. She's the coolest girl in her year. She gets good grades. When I sleep over, she wears shorts. With anime on them! We brush our teeth in the bathroom together. I know she likes me." Souta's fists ground against the table.

There was a small crash as a cup fell on the floor. Chou apologized profusely as another girl fetched a standing pan and a broom. The men in the room swooned as she sank down to her knees delicately to pick up the largest pieces with a glove. The kid ignored him completely to stare at her backside. Inuyasha leaned his elbows on the table and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. His girlfriend's kid brother was lusting after a girl several years his senior. His mother probably didn't know. Her kid still wore cartoon pajamas to bed.

Inuyasha kept his head down when he paid the girl with the paper. Hastily, he pulled the kid by the arm out the door. Souta lingered at the window until he ordered the boy to move. Uncomfortable thoughts about the little cafe filled his head. He would have to tell Kagome's mother. Souta was happily ensconced in his memories. He blindly followed him across the street.

So what if the kid liked breasts? He was old enough to like girls. One innocent crush on a pretty girl didn't mean anything. Telling his mother would embarrass Souta. Kagome wouldn't help. She would either laugh or crush him for looking at the girl too, even if her jealousy was unwarranted. Kagome was much more beautiful than the cafe girl.

Souta marched behind him with his little backpack. Two straps covered his chest. The boy's dopey smile deescalated Inuyasha's panic. It was just a kid's crush. The boy probably knew he stood no chance with a high school girl. It had been decades since his own puberty. He wrinkled his nose trying to remember when a woman's body became noticeable. As an outcast, he hadn't been allowed near many. Girls traveling on wagons with their fathers underneath his tree. Women gathering water at a stream? There was a vague memory of girls bathing in a shallow creek in white yukata. The outline of their bodies had interested him. Kagome's era was more forgiving of leering. Women openly walked the streets showing their shoulders, their cleavage and their legs.

"When did you start liking those?" Inuyasha mumbled.

"What?"

"Breasts! You like breasts?" Inuyasha watched a woman clutch her purse and hurry into a shop. "Does your mom know?"

"You're not gonna tell her, are you?!"

"She'll figure it out soon enough if you keep staring." Inuyasha caught the kid transfixed by a pair of teenage girls walking past. Old enough to wear bras, Souta's eyes were drawn. He was ignored by both.

"Look, kid. You can't stare. They get mad." He nudged the brat forward with his foot. "If you're gonna look, three seconds and away."

"Three seconds?"

"Girls always know when they're being watched. Under three seconds, they doubt themselves."

"OK." Souta hitched his backpack a little higher.

The crosswalk ahead turned red. Inuyasha paused as the metal demons whizzed past blowing fumes and bad air over them. Souta was thinking as Inuyasha prodded him to walk. The green light buzzed unnaturally as they crossed with a man spouting a gray beard. The main street that led to the shrine was ahead. Inuyasha's conscience wanted him to tell Higurashi about the boy's new urges. It would be embarrassing; what words would he use?

"Inuyasha?" Souta tugged on his sleeve.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. It's really nice to have a brother." The kid's cheeks bloomed. Inuyasha paused on the street as the kid hunched forward and sprinted up the swept stone stairs. The legitimate sentiment threw him off balance.