"Sorry, it is a bit of a mess in here," Kagome said, flipping the light switch on. The shed was cramped and filled to the brim with trinkets and cursed objects like severed eyeballs and dragon claws. And yet, despite the monstrosities, the shed smelled like vanilla waffles. "There is this fetus-like thing that feels the same as those fingers. For the life of me, I have no idea where Gramps found it." Kagome shook her head and tried to ignore the tightening of her stomach. Gojo Satoru was really tall and the hint of blue that peeked out every now and then from the dark shades was enough to have her contemplating writing a letter to Santa, too.

"Is your grandfather a serial killer?" Satoru joked, pressing his body against hers as he reached around her to grab the jar in question. Kagome blushed, her cheeks tingled, and were probably bright pink like the suckers Shippo always requested. "This is a womb painting," he said, pulling away.

Kagome sucked in a breath and wiped her hands on the front of her shirt. She needed to pull it together. "That doesn't look like a painting." Someone must have mercy on her because her voice did not shake, though her legs felt like a puddle of goo. "But it's a curse?"

Satoru held the jar up closer to the light and hummed. "It's half curse, half human." The jar glowed green for a moment, or it could have been the way the light reflected on the liquids.

"Oh! InuYasha is half demon. But why would someone keep the remains of a child?" To be fair, Kagome was not sure why her grandfather had picked up this particular item, but perhaps he felt it was cursed as well.

Satoru froze and tilted his head to the side, causing his shades to slide down. "Demons are compatible with humans?" Something in his voice gave her pause, but she was not certain if it was genuine curiosity or something more that led him to ask such a question.

Kagome nodded. "Depends on the size, of course. A dragon that doesn't have a more human-like form wouldn't be able to mate with a human." Kagome motioned with her hands. "The logistics of it wouldn't work out." She grimaced. The image alone gave her a shudder of fright.

Satoru clucked his tongue and leaned in closer to Kagome. She took a step back until her back hit the shelf behind her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "Did you put a spell on me?" His voice lowered and did something to Kagome's psyche.

This would not do. Satoru was a stranger. A hot, powerful stranger if the energy swelling around him was anything to go off on, but still a stranger.

Kagome huffed. "I'm a priestess, not a witch. The only sorcerer in here is you." Her tongue darted out to wet her suddenly dry lips. She should have put some chapstick on before venturing out into the cold. Satoru placed the jar on the shelf behind her. He was so close, his body heat threatened to become her own. Her heart pounded so hard she could feel it in her throat. "Gojo-san—"

"Satoru."

"Satoru," she corrected herself, pushing against his chest. "Was there something else you needed?" Kagome averted her eyes. His chest was as hard as granite. "There are more items like those fingers if you want to take them."

"Can I take anything in this shed?"

Kagome wrinkled her nose and mulled over his words. There were a lot of items that Gramps did not need to hold on to and with her spending the bulk of her time in the past, she did not have time to seal every item her grandfather brought back. "If that is what you wish."

Her stomach churned with need. She wanted to fan herself, but she resisted and instead gripped his jacket to push him away or to pull him away. She was not sure.

"What if I want you?"

Kagome squeaked like a mouse caught in a mousetrap. She should have seen that coming. How many times had she seen Miroku manipulate someone? "Me? I'm not a cursed object," she said with a nervous laugh. Her hands tightened before she was cognizant of what she was doing. Kagome blinked as her body warmed over. Oh. She should let him go. Her hands dropped to her side, though her palms burned and itched with need.

Satoru took a step back and tugged at his hair. "Sorry, I was..." he trailed off and blew out a breath. "Are you sure about us joining you for dinner?"

The change in subject gave her whiplash, but she was grateful for it all the same. Distance was what they both needed. Or maybe just her. Kagome inhaled, trying to get her heart to beat normally, but the thing kept ticking faster as though every moment away from Satoru was strenuous, which was weird. She had never felt this way about any man, human or demon. Why does it feel as though breathing is suddenly so much harder without his body pressed against hers?

Perhaps he had placed a spell on her then.

Kagome crossed her arms. She did not miss how Satoru's shades slid down once more, nor how his eyes glittered like diamonds. "Are you actually human?"

Satoru frowned. "What makes you think I'm not?"

Kagome shrugged. "You're too attractive." There she said it. He was beautiful, like Sesshomaru. No human was that attractive. Surely there was demon somewhere in his bloodline for him to be so god-like in his appearance. An incubus perhaps? Those eyes of his were bewitching.

Satoru laughed. "I'm definitely human." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels. "Does the dinner invite extend to the rest of the week?"

Kagome chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about his question. Shippo and Megumi were hitting it off. "Yes." She looked at him then. "Could you tell me what Megumi and Tsumiki like? I would like to get them presents as well." She would like to get him a gift as it was only fair, but her tongue refused to cooperate any further. Christmas Eve was tomorrow and while the stores would be packed, she had hoped she could find something for Megumi and Tsumiki.

Satoru stopped rocking on his heels and turned his head towards the door. He scowled when the door flung open and InuYasha poked his head in. "Perhaps we could look at their letters to Santa," he said, though his attention was on InuYasha. His jaw ticked. And maybe she was imagining it, but she liked to think Satoru was upset that they were interrupted.

But what exactly did InuYasha interrupt? She did not have the answer, nor the emotional capacity to give that question the appropriate resources it required. It would have to wait until later when she was tucked in her bed with Shippo cuddled next to her, and the lingering aroma of hot chocolate and cookies in the air.

"The hell is taking you so long?" InuYasha grumbled, pointing a finger at Satoru, who seemed less than amused by InuYasha.

"We were talking," Kagome sighed, turning her back to them so she could grab the jar, but Satoru's words stopped her.

"Leave it. No reason to haul all that right before the holidays."

"Are you sure?"

Satoru nodded. "The seals here are impressive. I'm not concerned." He held a hand for her to take. "I'll go get Tsumiki. Was there anything we should bring for dinner?"

"Oh hell no!" InuYasha griped. "You can't invite strange men to eat with you."

Kagome rolled her eyes and turned her nose up. "So says the man that tried to kill me the first time we met. Satoru has been a gentleman."

"You what?"

"Oh whatever," InuYasha said, ears twitching. "Wasn't tryin' to kill ya. Just scare ya back then." His gold eyes darkened, and he flashed a fang at Satoru. "I'm staying then. Don't get any wise ideas, buddy."

Satoru scoffed, and then his mood sobered. "Are you with him?"

Kagome shook her head. "InuYasha and I are just friends." She wrung her hands. Why did he ask her that? Was it possible that he was serious about wanting her? Kagome lost herself in her thoughts as they made their way back to the house. When Satoru waved goodbye so he could go pick up Tsumiki, Kagome's heart left with him. She sat down at the kitchen table, across from Megumi and Shippo, while she pondered on this.

Something occurred in the shed, but what? She tapped her nails on the table and sighed. She was working herself up for no reason. It was surely plain old attraction. She'd spent too much time in the past running around solving everyone else's problems that she'd neglected her own needs.

And that was to get laid.

Kagome sighed and rested her head on the table. It was not like she could write that in her Christmas letter.

"Mama? Are you okay?" Shippo asked, pausing long enough from writing to asked her.

"Did he do something to you?" Megumi asked. "I can beat him up."

Kagome raised her head and smiled. "I'm fine, you two. Promise. Satoru has been nothing but nice," she added. Kagome pushed back against the table and walked over to the fridge. She should get something started, so Satoru and his crew are not out super late.

"Kagome," InuYasha called. "Need to talk to ya."

Kagome rolled her eyes skyward and scuffed her feet across the kitchen floor, drawing laughter from the children. She smiled and followed InuYasha out of the kitchen and to the living room, where he paced for several seconds and then finally rounded on her once he gathered his thoughts. Or so she assumed. There was no telling when it came to InuYasha, and she long gave up on trying to decipher his mind.

"Him?"

Kagome pressed her lips together in slight agitation. She had an inkling of who he spoke of, but why did he think he had the right to question her? InuYasha was her best friend, but he was also very hypocritical. "Her?" She shot back.

InuYasha scrunched his nose and hmphed as though that would be enough to have her act. Kagome rolled her eyes, making a big show of doing so, because InuYasha needed to know how done she was.

"Are you staying for dinner or going back to her?"

"There is no her, stupid."

Kagome flexed her fingers and puffed her cheeks. She was missing a stress ball. "You don't have to tell me the truth, but at least be honest with yourself."

InuYasha opened his mouth and after a moment, he closed it. His ears dropped and his shoulders sagged as though he had been carrying yet another boulder on his back. "I don't trust the guy."

"You don't trust any guy," Kagome pointed out. "But that's no longer your priority."

She was no longer his priority hung suspended in the air between them. They had tried to make it work to see if, perhaps, without the threat of Naraku looming over them and Kikyo at peace, that they could be more than friends.

Turned out, they couldn't even be fuck buddies. And thus, awkwardness wrapped itself around them and squeezed and squeezed until there was nothing left. Which left Kagome with a void. No matter how much she tried to fill it with doing errands for the villagers, traveling to other towns, or helping out at home on the shrine, nothing worked.

She was, without a sliver of doubt, frustrated. Surely sex was more than what she and InuYasha had attempted. Sango was pregnant again and too often; Kagome had caught Sango and Miroku fucking by the river for the scenery, as Sango once put it. It appeared that everyone other than her was having an amazing sex life.

Perhaps she should have called Hojo back? Kagome sighed and shook her head, ignoring the looks InuYasha shot her way.

"Kagome."

"Just go, InuYasha. I'm fine. Satoru does not mean me any harm."

"You just met the guy?" The suspicion was thick, and Kagome was at the last end of her patience.

"What's her name?"

InuYasha flushed red. He tucked his hands into the sleeves of his haori and wiggled his nose as though he would somehow scent a way out of the situation. "Hana," he relinquished after two minutes. "Are you sure you'll be safe with him?"

While Kagome did not have the answers, InuYasha sought, she pretended she did, if only to get him out of the house. "Yes, he's only showing up for dinner... for the kids." Kagome gnawed on the inside of her cheek, mindful to keep her tongue from running away and sprouting things she would not be able to take back. "Satoru does not want me. He's here for the kids."

InuYasha nodded and looked behind her. Kagome turned and wished that the floor would open up and take her hostage. For once, a kidnapping would have been appreciated. Satoru stood there with a small girl behind his legs, peering at Kagome in wonder. He had changed his outfit into something far more casual and tucked his shades into the pocket of his black shirt.

His eyes sparked with something Kagome dared not to put a name to. Her knees were as weak as Jaken. It was not until after InuYasha had bounded away, back down the well, and into the arms of the woman he had yet to bring around everyone, that Satoru turned his attention to Kagome fully. She tipped her head back and straightened her shoulders. Tsumiki disappeared down the hall and into the kitchen to join Shippo and Megumi with writing a letter to Santa.

"You think I don't want you?"

Kagome's face warmed, but she prided herself on keeping a steady voice. "I think that you are caught up in the moment and are simply grateful for Megumi's safe return." Too many demons and humans have declared their undying love to her over the years because of a simple, nice deed. Satoru proved to be no different.

Or so she thought.

A/N: You don't see this because it's not Saturday. But if you do see this...I started reading Morning Glory Milking Farm which has nothing to do with this update but you should know about this monster romance book lol.

Ages: Megumi is 8. Satoru is 20. Kagome is 21. Shippo is 60+

Fun fact, when I started this story, I wrote it in past tense because I wasn't confident that I would be able to keep the storylines straight. So I wrote it in past tense to force my brain to think about the story differently.

Take care! I hope your Monday is going well and make sure to stay hydrated!...or else lol.