Suguru crosses his arms and leans against the wall, waiting for someone to speak up and give him an explanation as to why he had to help Kagome and Nanami lift Haibara into the car when Kagome shouldn't have been anywhere near the first years' mission. He quirks a brow at Kagome and waits, and waits, and waits until finally he cannot handle the silence any longer.

"Someone needs to speak up and tell me why Haibara nearly died and why you," he stresses the you at Kagome. "Were at the mission to begin with."

Nanami hunches his shoulders. They're in a classroom, not the one Yaga teaches in, but one of the many classrooms that go unused. Suguru didn't want to wait in the medical room while Shoko fixed Haibara up and if he is being honest with himself, he doesn't want to see Kagome anywhere near that room.

"Are you wearing your hair down for the party?" Kagome asks, motioning to the blue kimono. "You should. There's going to be lots of single ladies there." She winks and Suguru feels as though Kagome should have just shot him in the leg again.

Who cares about single women? He's going to this party because Satoru strong armed him into going... and yeah, InuYasha has been helpful on missions.

"Don't be cute. Answer the question, Kagome."

"You think I'm cute?"

Suguru falters. Damn it. He fell right into that. "It's a figure of speech. You can tell me now so I can soften the blow before Satoru gets here, or this can blow up."

Kagome shrugs. "Did you tell him to bring a car?"

"He doesn't have his license."

"Odd, that hasn't stopped him before," Kagome mutters. "Whatever, we can just wait until Satoru gets here, then. Did he say how far away he is? We kind of need to book it. I still need to get dressed."

Suguru palms his face. Kagome is completely ignoring him. He thought for sure she wouldn't want Satoru to blow this out of proportion. And Satoru will blow this out of proportion because Satoru is nothing if not dramatic. Suguru sighs and looks at Kagome with a weary expression. They haven't even made it to this party, and he's already exhausted.

"Nanami. Speak."

Nanami glances at Kagome from his seat and then nods his head at Suguru. "It was supposed to be a standard mission. Grade two. I believe it was a grade one or higher. We were caught off guard by it. The curse toyed with us. Poisoned Haibara. He took the hit for me. It could have easily killed us, if it wanted, but it seemed to take pleasure in knocking us around and watching us struggle." Nanami pauses and looks at Kagome again before darting his attention to his clasped hands. "The curse only spoke when Higurashi-san appeared. It seemed capable of understanding human speech, which is why I suspect it was higher than a grade one."

It could understand human speech?

"Kagome, was it a special grade?"

She eyes him and then stares at the symbol on his kimono. She smiles. "Ito-san really outdid herself. I didn't think she could get a kimono made so quickly and with the clan crest, too."

"Kagome."

She ignores him and makes a point of watching the door. Satoru's cursed energy blasts into the room, announcing his presence before he walks through the door. Suguru frowns. Satoru is passing him by. Soon it will no longer be them the strongest, but only Satoru.

"Kagome!" Satoru shouts, rushing over to her. He lifts her and pulls her into an embrace. Kagome's legs wrap around Satoru as she consoles him.

Suguru turns his head away and coughs. Do they have to be so affectionate in public? Whatever happened to keeping such displays to themselves?

"Oi, Suguru. We gotta go. InuYasha is already there, and he gets real antsy if left alone too long." Satoru doesn't let Kagome go. He keeps her in his arms with his hands gripping her thighs. "Come on, I stole—borrowed one of the cars."

"Wait," Nanami speaks up. "How do you two know Kagome-san? Is she a part of a clan?"

Satoru turns halfway. "Yeah. She's my wife." He motions with his head towards the door. "Come on Suguru. Kagome still needs to get dressed and I do, too."

Suguru rolls his eyes and moves from his spot against the wall. Satoru is wearing the school uniform, so he must have just gotten back to the estate after his missions. "Nanami, make sure you and Haibara get some rest." He pauses. "And do not fret over today. A special grade is on another level than a grade two curse. The fact you two are alive is a miracle."

"We didn't do anything," Nanami says solemnly. "It was Higurashi-san. She took out the curse as though it was nothing more than a fly. How did you do that?"

Satoru groans as he sets Kagome down. "Stop worrying about what she can do and focus on what you need to work on."

Nanami's lips part with indignation, but he doesn't argue. Instead, Nanami closes his mouth and nods his head.

"Suguru," Satoru calls. "This is an important night for my brother. Let's go." He wraps an arm around Kagome and heads out of the classroom. Suguru throws one more look at Nanami before heading out after Satoru. He climbs into the backseat and stretches out while Kagome rides up front.

"It wasn't a curse," Kagome says, once they are far away from Jujutsu High. "It was a demon. Weak." She blows out a breath. "We should visit Benzaiten and Ryuren again and ask them about demons. If more crop up, then it could be a bloodbath."

"I can handle a couple of demons," Satoru quips.

"Yeah, you can. I'm talking about everyone else." Kagome turns and looks back at Suguru. "You aren't counted in that. I know you could as well."

"How? I've never fought a demon." Suguru keeps his face blank. Don't let her know how her words warm him. It's silly, really. For years, he's been saying that he and Satoru are the strongest, and yet Kagome, recognizing his strength, fills him with joy.

This is getting out of hand.

He should put distance between both of them. Between Satoru constantly checking in with him and going so far as to send InuYasha on missions with him and then Kagome fretting over him, Suguru's heart is being torn in two.

It's just a passing crush.

It's stupid.

There's no room for him in their hearts, anyway. Kagome and Satoru are bound together and he's...

"You can hang with Satoru and InuYasha. You can take out a demon." She turns back around. "Of course, not every demon is the same, but the ones that are attacking—the ones that go out of their way to attack are weak. Demons like Sesshomaru, InuYasha's older brother, see humans as less than. Kind of like how we look at bugs. And he's the strongest demon I know. He wouldn't go out of his way for anything."

"Speaking of demons," Satoru says, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "InuYasha mentioned some demon named Koga. That name mean anything to ya?"

Oh? Suguru leans forward.

"He's a wolf demon. What about him?"

"A wolf demon that thinks you're his woman?"

Kagome snorts. "Satoru, that's old news. Koga is with Ayame now, another wolf demon. He only said that because it pissed Inuyasha off. Koga didn't want me; he wanted what I could do." She unbuckles her seatbelt and leans in closer to Satoru, whispering something in his ear.

"I still wanna kick his ass," Satoru grumbles.

"Ito-san mentioned the other clans will be in attendance tonight. Will snot-nosed be there?"

"Snot-nosed?" Suguru chortles.

"Mhmm. Or is it brown-nosed? You know, the one with the face like this?" Kagome tugs at her cheeks and makes some kind of expression. A pity, Suguru cannot see from his spot in the back.

"Naoya." Satoru scoffs. "He's a dick. Stay away from the Zenins, Suguru. They're a real pain in the ass and Naoya is always sniffing around Kagome."

"No, he doesn't."

Satoru sighs, exasperated, no doubt. "Gome-chan, I'm tellin' ya. He's been creeping around ever since you met him. I don't know why they had to invite the Zenins. There are lesser clans around."

Suguru nods his head in the back, though he's not quite following the conversation. Satoru is driving like a madman and Suguru does not understand how they haven't been pulled over yet. From the front, Kagome looks unfazed by the speed, which tells Suguru that Satoru goes this speed often or Kagome is just that crazy.

Maybe both. She did shoot him in the leg.

"Are you spending the night?" Kagome turns and looks back at him.

Spend the night?

"N-no, I have to head out for a mission tomorrow. It's out in the countryside."

"You said you didn't have any more missions," Satoru says.

"A last-minute mission," Suguru replies.

"We're going with you."

"Define we," Kagome says.

"InuYasha and I. Don't you have a girl thing tomorrow?"

"Scared, I'd show you up?" Kagome teases.

"You show me up every day. More like the old man would come sniffing around and make a big deal out of it. I'm guessing you'll have to get a hotel out there, right, Suguru?"

"Uh, yeah?" Suguru crosses his arms. How did he let Satoru talk his way into joining him?

"Are you still pouting about this morning? You're the one who—mmph!"

Suguru bites back the sigh and turns his head to look out the window. Are they there yet? The faster he gets this party over with, the faster he can put some distance between him and them.

"Keh! I can kick your ass with my eyes closed."

Suguru pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes. Why is InuYasha picking a fight? Why is Satoru and better yet, why is Gojo-san allowing InuYasha to pick a fight with this Naoya? He opens his eyes and stiffens. When did Kagome get so close to him? She glances up at him and gives him a small smile.

"Did you want the room next to Satoru or are you guys going to room together?"

Suguru points to InuYasha and Naoya fighting in the courtyard. "Shouldn't someone stop them?"

"Nah. It's fine."

He isn't so sure he believes that. There's a crowd around. A lot of people gossiping, but Suguru zeros in on the topic that continues to pop up, who the mother is and if it is Higurashi-san.

"I think it would be best if I went—"

"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!"

"Blood manipulation!" Someone yells.

"A descendant of the Kamo clan and the Gojo clan!" another says.

"Oi! InuYasha, don't kill him," Satoru says. "Just rip his eyes out."

InuYasha punches Naoya in the face, knocking the Zenin on his ass, and then stops his foot on his chest. "Rat bastard."

"You didn't rip his eyes out!"

"What big brother said!" Souta yells.

Kagome frowns. "I knew those two were going to be a bad influence on him."

"... Right. I was saying that I'm going to head back—"

"GOJO-SAN! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" A man with long black hair in a high ponytail yells, advancing toward Satoru's father, who stares at the man as though he is not worth the energy. "You dare to hide away the heir to the Kamo clan?"

"Heir?" InuYasha moves his foot off Naoya's chest. "The hell are you smoking, old man?"

"InuYasha," Satoru's father warns. "He isn't your heir."

"He used blood manipulation! I should have known the Gojo clan would be up to no good. Having someone born with the six eyes and limitless just wasn't good enough. You had to go after one of our own." The man turns to Higurashi-san. "And you, how could you cozy up to a Gojo?"

"Keep my mom out of this," Satoru says.

Suguru bites the inside of his cheek. Is he going to need to step in? Souta cracks his neck and mimics Satoru's pose.

"This doesn't concern you, boy."

The air crackles with a surge of cursed energy. Satoru's father smiles, but there is nothing nice about it. Suguru clenches his fists. Kamo-san is on thin ice, that much is clear.

"Oh boy," Kagome says, "Well, I'll tell Ito-san that you'll share a room with Satoru then."

"Wait, you're leaving now?" He motions to the others.

"Habit. Dad only likes me to see his gentle side," she quips. "Do me a favor, though. Stop trying to run." She squeezes his arm and then walks back inside the building with her mother.

Suguru watches where Kagome and her mom disappeared to for a moment and then turns his head back to the chaos. He catches Satoru's gaze.

"KICK HIS ASS SYOUMA!" Satoru's uncle cheers on.

Are all clan parties this lively?

A/N: I hope this week is wonderful and kind for everyone. I will try to update again this week, most likely the Christmas Wish. This is still Kagome and Satoru. If I write a sequel, then it will be the trio. Plan is to get back to updating more frequently in the new year. Got so many ideas but not enough time to write all of them.

Take care of yourselves! Get plenty of rest and make sure to refill your wells!