Satoru spits out the blood filling in his mouth.
"You're doing better," his father says, crossing his arms. "But your form still needs work." His white hair is much longer now, past his shoulders and down his back.
Personally, Satoru likes to keep his hair short, and not just because Kagome trims his and Sota's hair.
"Tch." Satoru wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and then charges at his father. They go back and forth, exchanging blows. For every hit Satoru lands on his father, the old man lands three more.
It's frustrating.
He wants to turn on infinity, but his father's words come back to him. "Don't rely on infinity when there are ways to get around it. You need to be prepared for every situation."
"Not bad for an old geezer," he jabs.
His father narrows his much paler blue eyes and punches him in the nose.
Ow!
Satoru glares. His phone rings and he's almost tempted to throw the phone, but the ringtone catches him off guard. What the hell could Sota want?
"Hold on," he says to his father, fishing his phone out. "What is it?"
"Big—big brother!" Sota wails on the other line.
His bones chill. Blood trickles from his nose. "What happened?" He wipes at the blood.
"Ka-Kagome is gone!"
"What do you mean, gone?" He turns away with his back to his father. His fingers grip the phone tighter. His head is light. This pit in his stomach may as well be filled with rocks.
What does he mean she is gone? Kagome doesn't just disappear. He just texted her before he started sparring with the old man. She isn't gone.
"She went in the well house because Buyo was in there. I—I don't know how he got in there. But when she picked him up. This thing. A woman. She had four arms. It grabbed Kagome and pulled her down the well."
"Pulled her down the well?" Satoru grits his teeth. "Was there a hole?"
"No. It's like she vanished... there was a blue light. But she's just gone!"
"Don't move. I'll be right there." Satoru ends the call and looks up at the sky. He needs to calm down. Needs to calm down right now. Nothing good will come of him being too wrecked with anxiety to think clearly.
"Let's go," his father says, walking past.
"You don't have to go," Satoru says, still looking up at the clouds for guidance. And no one invited the old man, anyway.
"Himari will be worried," is all his father says.
"At least close your top," Satoru mutters. "No one wants to see that."
"Himari doesn't seem to mind."
Satoru shoots his dad a withering glare, but his father must have his own version of infinity because Satoru's glare bounces off the older Gojo.
"There is no reason for you two to even converse."
"You call her mom," his dad points out, instructing the driver to head to the Higurashi shrine.
Satoru resists shaking his leg. He could probably run and get there faster. "Because Kagome is my wife."
"Right. Right. Of course," his father replies. "Which makes her my daughter-in-law, which means I have a reason to talk to your mother."
Satoru closes his eyes. He might kill his dad before they make it there.
The drive takes far too long. Satoru rushes out of the car before it comes to a stop. He runs up the steps.
Sota stands there, holding Buyo, who somehow got fatter since the last time he saw him, and cries.
"Knock that off," he says, lips down-turned. "Chin up."
Sota sniffles and tilts his chin up. "I'm not crying."
"Where's your mother?" His father asks, though the geezer is already heading towards the house and his top is still parted.
"Not home yet, but she'll be here soon." Sota hugs Buyo closer to him. "I can reenact what happened."
Satoru walks over and ruffles Sota's hair. "Show me. And stop cryin." He stuffs his hands in his pockets and listens as Sota details every single move he made when he found Buyo missing. "Did you leave the door open?"
"No. Usually the well house is locked up since we don't have any reason to go in there." Sota sets Buyo down and slides the door. "Buyo was down there by the edge of the well. I stayed right here while Sis went down to get Buyo."
Satoru runs his tongue along his upper teeth. There is magic here. He can feel the remanence of it. He walks down the steps and grips the edge of the well. There's nothing. No hole. Nothing.
"And she went down here?"
"A thing pulled her down." Sota sniffs. "Her back was turned to the well, but by the time the words got out, it was already pulling her down... and she was just gone."
Satoru grits his teeth. Bring her back, he wills the well, but nothing happens. He walks around the well, gnawing on the inside of his cheek.
Bring her back, he wills again
Nothing.
This damn well is fucking with him.
He stops pacing and leaps into the well. It's solid. He runs his hands on the stone.
"Bring her back," he growls out, clenching his fists. His shoulders tense. The anger swells within him, filling his mouth with blood.
Shit.
He swallows the blood down.
And yet, the well remains closed to him. It gives him no answers. It can't even muster up a morsel of magic for him.
"Big brother?"
Satoru snaps his head up. "I'm fine," he spits out. "I can't activate whatever this is." He jumps out of the well and looks back at it.
"Sounds like Gramps and Mama are home now," Sota says, jutting his chin out. Satoru walks up the stairs, and grabs his head, pulling him close and messing with his hair.
"C'mon." Satoru steels his expression as he walks into the house. He slides his shoes off and heads to the kitchen where his father and Kagome's mom are chatting. Seriously, why is he here? He didn't even come out to look at the well. "Mom," Satoru calls, pulling her attention away from his dad.
"What's wrong?" she asks, directing her attention to him. "Where is Kagome? You two are normally joined at the hip."
Satoru keeps his face blank. He doesn't want to alarm her. He doesn't trust himself either. The door opens and closes behind them and Gramps walks in with a bag in hand.
"Why is everyone looking so gloom," Gramps remarks, setting a bag down on the table.
His father reaches over and takes Mom's hand. Satoru presses his lips together. He really, really doesn't care for their relationship.
"Something took Kagome," he says, answering for Sota. "There's something weird going on with the well and I can't figure it out."
"What?" Mom exclaims. His father lets go of her hand and wraps an arm around her. "What do you mean, took?"
"Something with four arms grabbed her and took her down the well," Sota says.
Gramps sighs. "The seal must have weakened."
"The what?"
"Seal. You remember that light when she was born?"
Mom nods her head. "Yes, it was a pink light. That's why we named her Kagome."
"Mhmm. She was born with great power. I sealed what I could. Despite that, some of it always leaked out." Gramps crosses his arms. "The well is made from the wood of the tree of ages."
"What the hell does that mean?" Satoru says, ignoring Mom's gasp at his language.
"It means time travel. Maybe. I know I told you all of this before about demons and the Shikon jewel." Gramps rolls his eyes. "We are not a family of sorcerers, you know."
"This information does not leave this table," his father speaks up. "Not unless you want... your wife in danger."
"Obviously," he retorts. "So, the seal broke. That doesn't bring Kagome back."
"I'll look through my books, but we may just have to wait." Gramps shrugs and the old man is far too relaxed about this. "Relax. My granddaughter is a fighter. She'll be back."
Satoru stretches out his legs and leans back against the wall. The well house is dark, cool, and unforgiving. It's been days and the scent of her perfume is fading.
He bends a knee and turns on the portable lamp. Any day now, she'll be back. He lifts his arm and stares at his wrist. There are more charms to the bracelet she made him, but their names together never changes, no matter how many charms get switched out.
"Bring her back," he says softly, pleading. He can't brute strength the well into giving into his demands. "Please?" He's never had to beg for anything in his life. "Bring her back."
He waits, but nothing happens. Sighing, Satoru stretches out his leg and opens the book about the Shikon Jewel. It reads like a fairy tale.
A jewel that grants wishes? He snorts. Still, Gramps gave this to him to read over. Surely the old man isn't messing with him. Satoru yawns and closes the book. He crosses his arms and shuts his eyes.
In his dreams, Kagome is there, smiling. She tells him that everything is going to be okay. Some nights she tells him how she's going to move in after she graduates. Though they both know she won't ever have to work.
But when he opens his eyes, she's not there. So, Satoru squeezes his eyes shut and wills his mind to shut down.
Why can't he escape to his dreams?
Everything is better when he's dreaming.
He jerks. The book falls out of his lap. Something is happening. Satoru pushes the cover off him and stands. The room glows blue for a moment before fading back.
"Kagome!" He peers down the well and his emotions fight with one another, punching him in the throat.
"Satoru?" Kagome peers up at him. Her demeanor changes in an instant and she's climbing up the ladder he had installed.
Satoru grabs her before she can fully climb up and wraps his arms around her. He inhales, breathing in her scent. She smells like her, but there's a scent of something else he can't place underneath the smell of outdoors.
"Toru?"
"Not a word," he says, holding her tightly. "I can't—"
"I missed you too." She winces, a small gasp escaping.
Satoru loosens his hold on her and lifts her shirt. Is she hurt? And since when does she wear priestess clothing? She always said she found them too restricting.
"Hey!"
"What. Is. This?" He glares at the bandages wrapped around her waist. Who injured her? What injured her?
"Oh..." Kagome takes her shirt from his hands and lowers it back down, but the image of her hurt is already scarred into his brain. "The centipede demon wanted what was inside of me." She wrings her hands. "There was a jewel—"
"The Shikon."
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
Satoru swallows. His throat still feels wrong. "Gramps gave me a book to read." He reaches for her again, and holds her more gently, mindful of the bandages now. "You went somewhere I couldn't go." And what the hell is this talk about demons?
"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I didn't mean to." She pulls back and looks over at the lamp and then up at him. "Have you been sleeping in here?"
"Yes." Of course, he's been holed up in the well house. Does she really think he would be at home sleeping?
"You didn't have to do that. Your poor back!"
"Course I had to," he scoffs. "There is nothing I wouldn't do for you. And I couldn't sleep. Couldn't feel your energy at all."
Kagome smiles and stands on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. "And you said you weren't sweet." She sighs. "And when did you get so tall?"
He rolls his eyes. "Don't go somewhere I can't follow," he commands.
"I can't promise that, but I'll always do my best to make it back to you."
Satoru squints his eyes at her. He doesn't like that at all. "Kagome—"
"Shush." She presses a finger to his lips. "I made it back to you, didn't I?"
His ears burn. He turns his head away. "See that you always do."
Kagome laughs, and the sound is enough to settle his nerves for now. He throws one more accusing glare at the well as he ushers them out of the well house. If he had his way, Kagome won't be allowed near this area ever again.
A/N: Was gonna upload Saturday, but ehh I figured why wait. So happy hump day! I was expecting pain today because of jjk leaks, but we seem to be okay for now. There's always a chance of pain next week lol. Next update will be either How To Tame or Wish I Could.
If anyone knows of any good artists please let me know. I've messaged a few to get a cover for the serial, but haven't had much luck yet.
Before I forget, yes there will eventually be smut in this story when they are adults but that is quite some time away.
Stay healthy. Drink your water. Stress relief tea does wonders if the week has been blah for you. And try to get plenty of sleep! I'm off to write something, probably the two dicked fox (and yes I have created a lore reason as to why he has two dicks)