A/N: I would like to start off by apologizing. I'm so sorry that it took me this long to write this chapter. I am also very sorry for how short it is. I recently started college and it's been kicking my butt. But I promise to try and write the next chapter faster. So I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think.

Chapter Fourteen

I closed the door behind me when I reached my room and leaned up against it. What just happened? I had just gotten into the bath with Sesshomaru. A naked Sesshomaru. And I had been naked. A-and he- had he really teased me? My knees suddenly felt very weak causing me to sink down on the cold floor in only my towel. He had teased me. But what did that mean? Did that mean that we were getting closer? I pondered this a moment, not being able to come up with an answer I focused my mind on something I did know. I was going to go give Lord Sesshomaru a massage. Why had I offered to do that? He had looked like he was in pain, but I could have just let it go. Especially after he got all defensive and claimed there was nothing wrong… I wanted to help him. That's right I wanted to help him. I didn't like the look of pain on Lord Sesshomaru's face, and I had wanted to make it go away. I gave myself a firm nod and stood up. And that was exactly what I was going to do. I hurried to get dressed and fix my hair in a presentable manner.

Once I was dressed I hesitantly peeked out at the bath to make sure that it was clear. It was. I tried to look more confident than I felt as I walked to Lord Sesshomaru's room and knocked on the door. I didn't have to wait long for him to come to the door. But he caught me by surprise and I had to turn my face towards the ground so that he couldn't see my blush. He had answered the door in only his pants, leaving his entire upper body naked.

Sesshomaru seemed amused at my discomfort, "Nicole, how do you intent to give me a massage if you cannot even look at me?"

My blush deepened and I kept my face turned away from him, stubbornly I answered "I don't have to look at you to massage your shoulder."

Sesshomaru let out a breath that had a chuckle in it and gestured me inside. I hurried past him so that I wouldn't have to continue looking at the floor. I stopped upon entering his room. I don't know what I expected his room to look like but this wasn't it. Or maybe it was. I thought his room would be like him that it would hold secrets about his personality that I didn't yet know. But it was very plain and practical. Maybe that was just the way he was and there was no big secret that I didn't know. I couldn't stop myself from feeling a little disappointed. If this was the only side of his personality, there was no more to learn, everyone knew this Sesshomaru and I would be no different.

"Where do you wish me to sit?"

I looked back in his general direction and waved my hand, "Wherever you wish to sit."

Sesshomaru nodded and made his way over to his bed. It like the rest of the room was very plain. It was made perfectly and it's only function was a place to sleep. It didn't look at all comfortable. Sesshomaru sat on the edge of the bed. Meaning the only place that I could sit where I could massage his shoulder was on the bed behind him.

So that's where I sat. I crawled over the bed until I was on my knees behind him. Once I was situated all I could do was stare for a moment. His skin was so white and flawless, it looked as if it would feel like silk upon touching it. He shifted calling my attention to the muscles that lined his body. His arms, his back, his everything was beautiful and strong. Lord Sesshomaru cleared his throat waking me up from my day dream. "If you don't like it you have to tell me to stop. Okay?"

He nodded as a way of answer. I took a deep breath and hesitantly reached out to touch him. I rested a hand on each of his shoulder taking a minute to appreciate the warmth that his body provided. Slowly but firmly I started massaging Lord Sesshomaru's shoulders. It wasn't long before that I noticed that Lord Sesshomaru's head had fallen a little to the side. I smiled, he had been in pain from sitting at his desk for too long and now he was feeling some relief… because of me. I jumped when Lord Sesshomaru snored and I went still. He snored again. I let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding. Good I didn't wake him up… but that position cannot be comfortable. I slowly took my hands away from his shoulders, so that I wouldn't wake him up, and considered my next course of action. If I moved he might wake up, and he clearly needed his sleep. But on the other hand if I didn't move then he would have to sleep in this uncomfortable position for his entire time of rest. Sighing quietly I carefully moved myself to the top of his bed, planning to crawl around him and get off, but I didn't account for my newly acquired tail which brushed against Lord Sesshomaru as I was trying to make my retreat.

Suddenly I had a hand around my throat and was pinned to the bed. Lord Sesshomaru was above me, eyes red and snarling. Instinctively my hands flew to his hand trying to yank it off so that I could breathe. I clawed at his hand for a moment before I realized it was no use and began to panic. As a last ditch effort I looked into Lord Sesshomaru's eyes and tried to speak, but I didn't have enough air to form words so it came out as pained gasps. His eyes were still red and I could hear the poison from his claws start to sizzle.

"Lor…Ses…" I attempted to cry out in pain as the poison started to burn my skin. I could feel tears running down my cheeks, "plea…se."

Sesshomaru quit snarling, the red started to fade from his eyes, "Nicole?"

I nodded as much as I could and finally the hand was removed. I gasped for air, taking in big gulps at a time. Which caused me to cry out once again in pain, as the poison continued its way through my system. I reached up to grab my neck where Lord Sesshomaru's had been but quickly yanked my hand away as the poison started to burn my fingers. I let out a high pitched whine of distress.

Suddenly Lord Sesshomaru was closer, leaning down to me. In my pain induced haze I momentarily thought that Lord Sesshomaru was going to attack me again and I flinched trying to get away. But he put his hand on the other side of my neck effectively holding me still, "Don't move."

Sesshomaru leaned closer, his breath hit the spot on my neck where the poison was still sizzling, which only caused the spot to burn hotter. Ignoring his order not to move I put my hand on the back of his head and gripped his hair, intending to pull him away. But then I felt an odd sensation on my neck, it was like he was…licking me. And then I realized that was exactly what he was doing. My mind flashed back to when I had first met Rin and she told me that Lord Sesshomaru's saliva was the antidote to his poison. My grip on his hair tightened as he licked a particularly painful spot, but a sigh soon worked its way out of my mouth as the pain started to dissipate. Lord Sesshomaru kept up his ministrations until nearly all the pain was gone. Then he pulled away, and took up my hand and starting licking my fingers. Now that the pain was gone I found myself becoming overly tired and had to fight to keep my eyes open. Sesshomaru stopped licking my hand and moved to look at me, watching me carefully. I tried to talk but it just came out as a weird moan.

"Shh, just go to sleep," Sesshomaru's voice was close again, I tried to look at him but my eyes were closed and wouldn't open. The last thing I heard before I fell into unconsciousness was "I'm sorry."

My eyes were still heavy with sleep when I awoke. I tried to identify my surroundings my eyes wouldn't focus. I groaned at the pain in my head, and felt something tighten around me. "Just go back to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning." My last thought was that Lord Sesshomaru's arm was around me.

The next time I woke up was because of the sensation of someone running their fingers through my hair. Slowly I opened my eyes to see Sesshomaru lying next to me, propped up on his elbow, running his fingers through my hair. I took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, "Good morning."

Lord Sesshomaru stopped running his fingers through my hair and I had to stop myself from whining at the loss of contact. That was new. But then again so was being in Lord Sesshomaru's bed. Lord Sesshomaru just stared at me for a moment and then asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I answered but it might have been unconvincing because of the way my voice cracked.

Lord Sesshomaru must have heard it because he got out of bed and walked over to a table that had food on it, and came back with a glass of water. "Here."

I sat up and took the water from him, "Thank you."

It was silent while I drank greedily from the glass. When I was done with it Lord Sesshomaru took it and filled it up again, and brought it back to me. And again we were silent. It was several minutes before either one of us attempted to speak. And to my surprise it was Lord Sesshomaru that started.

"Nicole," he paused, almost like he was unsure of what to say, "I-"

I interrupted him, "It's okay. Really it is. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. You don't have to apologize, I startled you."

Lord Sesshomaru stared at me for a moment and then spoke again, "I had food brought up in case you didn't feel like going down to breakfast."

I looked from Sesshomaru to the table with the food. I turned back to Lord Sesshomaru and smiled, "You didn't have to do that but thank you."

He nodded, but didn't say anything. Slowly, testing out my body, I sat up. Lord Sesshomaru didn't move from his spot beside the bed. I was pleased to find that the pain that I had felt yesterday was gone and there wasn't any after effects. I stretched and stood up and made my way over to the table. "It all looks delicious."

Sesshomaru just nodded again. I smiled at him and sat down, motioning for him to take the seat opposite of me. He did and I started to make myself a plate. The food was delicious just as I thought it would be, and it took some coaxing but eventually Lord Sesshomaru was eating too.

We ate in silence for a while until something caught my eye. A splash of color coming from the bookshelf. Is that? No it couldn't be… could it? I got up and made my way over to the bookshelf to inspect it. Sure enough there it was. I picked it up and turned around to face Sesshomaru.

"You kept it. You kept the flower crown Rin made for you," I stared at him in awe.

Lord Sesshomaru cleared his throat and stood up, "Of course I kept it, it was a gift."

"Yeah but I-I didn't realize you did things like this. I mean you're usually so unreadable and-and unemotional I guess I didn't realize you cared." I paused for a second and then I realized how horrible that sounded. "No! I mean I knew you cared. Of course you care or else you wouldn't take such good care of us, and you wouldn't let us live here, its just that-that-" I stuttered trying to find the right words to explain myself.

Lord Sesshomaru walked towards me as I continued to trip over my words. He stopped in front of me, and for a second I thought he was going to be mad, but he just took the flower crown from my hands and carefully ran his fingers over the petals. Then he reached up and put the flower crown higher up on the bookshelf, effectively trapping me between him and the bookshelf. Once he had the flower crown where he wanted it he looked back down at me, but didn't move. We were so close I could feel his breath on my face.

"I might not always show it, but I always care," he said, looking at me intently. My breath caught in my throat as I stared into his golden eyes, time stood still.