Omg look! I'm updating! lol this is fun! Updating...lol my computer is screwed up right now and omgosh I got a cat! YAY! AND OMG IT'S FINALS WEEK! I'm so stressed right now. Actually, NOW, it's over but haha oh well. A little fluff in this chapter but a little fluff makes the world go round, ne? LOL

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! God, how hard is that to figure out?

PG-13

Kagome wants to be able to help InuYasha fight instead of getting in the way. During a battle, her wish is granted by someone and she helps them but then, what's happened to her? She's a demon? Sesshoumaru is looking for a mate, hears about her, and is intrigued. Sparks fly.

Quote:

"We're having a moment here, Miroku, don't ruin it."

-Sango

U n l i k e D r e a m s, W i s h e s C o m e T r u e

Chapter 13

Not Love but Lust

-

Their silence answered her question.

"You two…do love each other, don't you?"

-

"Whatever gave you that bright idea?" Sesshoumaru asked with a cold look.

Kagura resisted an urge to pout. She was a demon and demons did not pout. Frown, yes, but no pouting was allowed. It was too cute for demons. So, she frowned at the two so-called 'non-lovers'.

"In case you haven't heard, Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagura snorted and the look on his face assured her that he hadn't heard. "Okay, so you haven't heard, but you two are the talk of the demon world. Demons don't love, don't fall in love /1, mate for power, and no one thought that it'd happen. Nobody expected a demon to fall in love, certainly not two, and especially not you, Lord of the Western Lands. Well, now you've caused an uproar in demon society as we know it and demon lords and ladies are questioning each other. Plus, it's just so romantic, don't you think?"

Kagome and Sesshoumaru stared at Kagura in surprise. They didn't think that they had had that much of an impact on the demons. All they had really done was flirt a bit and Kagome had just flat out refused to be Sesshoumaru's mate. How could they twist the story up so badly?

Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru and a glance was all that she needed. He looked like her was about to shred Kagura to pieces. She carefully slipped her arm through his and spoke loud enough for both Sesshoumaru and Kagura to hear but it wasn't loud enough that any passerby could hear as well.

"Calm down, my lord. Since the rumor is out there, we might as well play the part, ne? No need for such a thing to go to waste," Kagome said in her most reasonable voice. She reached for his right hand and laced her fingers with his. Sesshoumaru was nearly startled enough to show it but the only way you could tell was by being close enough to touch him and feel his stiff back. Luckily, Kagome was close enough and she was touching him. She could almost feel his apprehension and it somehow excited the demon in her.

Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, was not excited in the least. A few seconds ago, he was going to rip Kagura's head off and put it on display somewhere in his home and when Kagome attempted to calm him, it had angered him even more. He was just about ready to slaughter these two females when Kagome's bare skin touched his and it just seemed to calm him. He couldn't explain why but contact with her bare skin just…did something to him.

Unnerved by the amount of tranquility mere contact with her gave him, he tensed. Not visibly, but since Kagome was holding onto him, he was certain she could feel it too. He tried to relax but hey, he was the Lord of the Western Lands. He relaxed for his sake and his sake alone. Not because he was embarrassed. And he definitely did not relax because he was being childish and didn't want Kagome to know he was a little unsettled by her. Nope, he was trying to relax because…he didn't like being tense?

Even when he was trying to lie to himself, he knew that that excuse was a sorry one indeed. Sure, he was in denial but he was the freaking lord of the western lands! He could be in whatever mood he wanted to be in! He shook his head mentally and knew that making excuses wasn't something he should be doing at a moment like this.

Sesshoumaru raised his hand up towards his mouth with Kagome's hand still intertwined with his. He gently pressed his lips against the backside of her hand and looked up at her with cool amber eyes. Evidently, he had just regained his composure. "A mere act, eh?"

Kagome smiled fully and pulled their hands back down as she hugged his right arm again. She turned towards Kagura and said seriously, "How are you keeping this from Naraku? He knows your heart, your mind, your very soul. How do we know you're not just setting us up for a defeat?"

Kagura looked surprised for a moment. "I…I wouldn't do that. I just want away from Naraku. He knows that I plan to get away from him but he just doesn't know the specifics. He thinks that I'm too weak to go against him and he knows that I know that. He doesn't know that instead of taking one of you hostage to get to the other and forcing you to fight on our side, I'm joining forces with you. He just doesn't expect it of me."

"And that will be his downfall, won't it, my love?" Sesshoumaru said in a low voice.

Kagome couldn't help but grin from ear to ear at that.

-

"Didn't you say that Kagome would come back to us?" Shippou snorted.

"Ah, well, I was never really specific on when she'd come back to us," Miroku said nervously.

"Maybe you just don't know Kagome as well as you thought you did," InuYasha said lazily.

A little lump grew on InuYasha's head right after he said that. Sango had managed to conjure up a little mallet and smacked him on the head with it. "Don't sound so indifferent. We're all hurting here and you're not helping by pretending to be the tough guy."

"It's true though, isn't it?" he asked after a pause. "We all thought we knew Kagome. Boy, were we ever wrong."

The silence was thick and everyone considered the truth in InuYasha's words. "I don't think that being a demon has necessarily changed Kagome at all. She's still her under there and we just have to find a way to get through to it," Sango suggested hopefully.

"Are you misinterpreting my words on purpose?" asked InuYasha monotonously. It was strange to hear him talk so dispassionately. "That demon is Kagome, in a matter of speaking. The Kagome we always saw was cheerful and happy because that's what she was but inside, she probably held certain resentments against us. Those resentments weren't strong enough to surface because her love for us overpowered the hate.

"You guys might understand this or maybe not but demons are really focused on hate. Hate is the most powerful emotion we have. When we're angry, anything can happen and I mean that literally. When Kagome turned into a demon, I'm sorry to say I didn't notice the resemblance but she was still Kagome. She helped us destroy a demon and she tried to talk to us but…we didn't listen. We didn't care enough, apparently. Her despair turned quickly into fury and well…I guess I'm to blame."

Shippou suddenly did something he never thought he'd never ever do in his life. InuYasha seemed a little surprised—hell, Shippou was shocked himself! He had reached out and given InuYasha a comforting hug.

"We all miss Kagome, okay? Don't try to blame this all on yourself. Neither of us recognized her either and we should have. We really should have. I don't know how we could have missed it. If we're going to play the blame game, blame it on all of us."

The half demon could only nod and awkwardly pat Shippou's shoulder.

Sango smiled weakly at the heartwarming scene unfolding in front of them. It was clear that both demons missed Kagome terribly but they were too caught up in the past. They needed to figure out what to do about getting her back. The chances were slim to none but a tiny sliver of hope always found its way back to her whenever she thought about Kagome.

Miroku could tell that after a while, everyone would burst out crying at some point so he decided to try and lighten the mood. "Who ever would have thought that the two densest demons in our little group could make such long, sensible, and logical speeches? I, for one, am appalled yet satisfied at the same time. Sango, dear, look at how much they've grown. Our little babies-"

The only woman left in the hut blushed a dark crimson and slapped Miroku lightly. "We're having a moment here, Miroku, don't ruin it."

The monk grinned knowingly and tried to act serious but a voice from the outside distracted him. It was familiar to him. In fact, it was familiar to all of them.

"Oh, sorry to be the one to ruin your little moment," the voice paused as if to grin at someone, "but I just can't seem to help it. Heartfelt scenes make him a tad sick, you see."

It was Kagome.

-

A few hours earlier…

"Hmm, where do you think InuYasha will be at this moment?" Sesshoumaru asked lazily as he toyed with the ends of Kagome's wonderfully soft, long, raven black hair. The two were lying against the trunk of a tree, hidden underneath the shade of its long leaf-filled branches.

Their other demon companion had left in order to inform Naraku of The Demon Queen's and The Lord of the Western Land's cooperation. Kagura had assured them that going back to him was the best possible way to confirm that their— or rather, her— plan would work. After Kagura had left, Sesshoumaru and Kagome had both agreed that if her plan started to fail and there was any chance of something going wrong, they'd both get out. Of course, this was back up for when they would face Naraku. Surely, nothing could go wrong when they faced InuYasha, of all people.

Kagome sighed, her eyes closed in pleasure. It was simply comforting for her to be here with Sesshoumaru and it was left unsaid but she knew he felt that way too. She resisted the urge to start purring but a noise came from low in her throat that was oddly similar. She was simply content. "He's probably sulking back at Kaede's hut or in his favorite tree."

"And how do you know that this tree is his favorite?" he asked nonchalantly.

Kagome smiled as she snuggled in a little closer and said, "It's because it's the same tree that he goes to every time I come back from my time. He goes there to either 'protect' us, eat, or sleep. It's painfully apparent that he likes that specific tree."

"Tell me, girl, how did you happen to fall into my half brother's hands when you so obviously belong in mine?"

She poked his chest absently. "Arrogance will get you nowhere."

He let go of the strand of hair he was playing with and grabbed her wrist gently. "It is truth, more than arrogance- although that is there," he added with a small smirk.

"It was all an accident," she managed to say. "I don't think I was ever supposed to be here. I just happened to break the shikon no tama and there I was, traveling with InuYasha and gathering little friends along the way. Now I'm here and I don't think it was an accident anymore."

"What do you suggest it was, then?" Sesshoumaru asked with a raised brow.

She finally opened her eyes and looked up at him. She stretched a little and managed to give him a little peck on the lips. "Fate, Sesshoumaru. Fate and a little lust make the world go round."

Sesshoumaru looked down at her as she settled back on his side and pondered over her clearly futuristic phrase. /2/ She had tried to explain where he had been when he had injured InuYasha but it seemed utterly impossible that he had traveled to the future through a…well. That was kind of…crude. Who really knew, anyway? Magic was magic, wasn't it?

"Last I recall, you were a mere human girl," he murmured softly into her hair.

Kagome snorted a little and replied, "And last I recall, you were a cold arrogant prick and I see that hasn't changed. Much."

The tai-youkai chuckled a bit before saying, "You are far more amusing than in the past. I seem to recollect that you never screamed much, although you did seem to enjoy shouting InuYasha's name."

She frowned and said, "It's not my fault that I'm a weak defenseless human that has to hide under a hanyou's defenses."

"You are a weak human? Funny, my senses tell me that you're a demon."

Kagome couldn't tell if he was joking or not and decided not to say any more. "I was a weak human and I am a demon now. A pretty strong one, if I do say so myself."

"Not stronger than I, but I agree. Quite strong, indeed," he said.

"Where is Rin?"

"Ah, she is off with Jaken somewhere."

"Hmm, even as a demon he still gives me the creeps."

"Does that mean you dislike him?" inquired Sesshoumaru thoughtfully.

"No, not exactly, he's…well, you know he's repulsive, right?"

"And does his repulsiveness offend you in any way?"

"Ah, I never said that! It's just… he's weird."

"I will not get rid of him just for your sake. He has been a faithful servant to me for centuries and although his repulsiveness unnerves even I sometimes, he is useful in many ways."

"Like being a babysitter for Rin, right?"

He didn't understand what the term babysitter meant but he answered, "He is like a caretaker for Rin and handles things that are beneath the concerns of a Lord."

"Well, I never asked you to get rid of him. Don't worry, I'll deal with it. It always takes a little time to adjust, right?" It hit Kagome really hard right then. Were they already planning their lives together? Wasn't this just a charade? Wasn't it just a hoax to get to InuYasha and Naraku? She unintentionally stilled and the comfort was immediately gone.

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome froze and slowly but surely moved away from him. He looked down into her eyes as she looked up into his. Kagome frowned and it deepened the longer she looked at him. Did she not like what she saw?

"Sesshoumaru, what were we just talking about?"

He blinked and was almost surprised for an instant. Did she have a flawed memory or something? They were clearly talking about Jaken and Rin and how she felt about… oh. OH. It hit him just then as well, only not as hard.

Kagome stared at him and thought about what she had thought life was going to be like for her. Before this whole mess happened, her goal in life was simply to go to school and graduate and by then, hopefully, she would be engaged or married. Her friends and family were important to her and at this moment, they seemed to be too far away to reach her.

She had wanted someone who would be dedicated to her and love her with all his being and she would feel the same way. She wanted a man who could love her; including all her flaws. But what did love mean anyway? How would she ever know for sure? Kagome mentally smacked herself on the forehead. Why was she asking all these questions anyway? She didn't love Sesshoumaru and he naturally didn't love her. Right?

The Demon Queen and the Lord of the Western Lands watched each other with near impassiveness. Kagome's face suddenly showed utter vulnerability as she asked, "Sesshoumaru, what does love mean to you?"

"It doesn't concern you." Before he could take the words back, her face crumbled before finally falling back into its indifferent state and he just realized how the words sounded. He had meant she didn't need to know his opinion on what love was but when it was actually said, it sounded like he had said he didn't love her.

That was the problem, though, wasn't it? He wouldn't have had to feel anything and she shouldn't have felt anything if that was the case. If she didn't love him and if he didn't love her, they shouldn't have felt anything. She shouldn't have shown that one instance of pain and he shouldn't have shown the immediate regret and guilt. Those were all the things that shouldn't have happened and the feelings that shouldn't have been felt.

Slowly and cautiously, Sesshoumaru cupped Kagome's cheek with his hand and they stared each other down. Finally, his frustrations got through to him and he just kissed her. It was as simple as that. He crushed her with a bruising kiss and Kagome was too surprised to be able to respond.

As he released her, he looked directly into her eyes and calmly said, "Love doesn't mean anything to me. You might believe this is love but I simply choose to call it lust."

"So…what does that mean?" Kagome asked after a moment of having a really dry mouth.

"I don't love you," he paused, "I lust after you."

Kagome took a second to try and comprehend what the demon lord was saying. To him, love and lust was the same thing. And then he said that he lusted after her. And if lust and love were the same thing…did that mean he loved her?

She whacked him playfully on the shoulder where his arm was missing and said, "You know you love me."

"Were you not listening, woman?" he asked with mock annoyance. "I do not know what this 'love' is that you speak of."

A smirk crept onto the demon queen's face and she looked like a predator that was about to pounce.

"Let me enlighten you on that," she said as she leapt on top of him and smothered him in "loving" kisses.

-

/1/ Demons don't really fall in love; they only lust after one another. At least, that's what demons think. Humans know otherwise. Smart creatures we are, huh?

/2/ "Blah blah" makes the world go round is a modern phrase and well, I don't think that people in feudal times knew that the earth spun around anyway. If they did, it doesn't matter since it's just a saying.

Okay, this chapter was basically mindless fluff and a little filler I guess. I'll work hard on my other fics and then get back to this one! I'm doing them one at a time! The first was "A Single Spark" and then "School who Needs it" and now this one! Next is…iono I have to figure it out in my head first. Lol this chapter was longer than expected but good enough! Review if you wish!