A/N: Here's chapter fifteen! Also I would like to point out the fact that Sesshomaru is really OOC in this chapter, and I apologize for that. It kinda makes me sad I was doing so good at keeping him somewhat in character and this chapter came and was just like "Nope!" *Sighs* But I hope you like it all the same. I would also like to thank everyone that followed, favorited, and reviewed. They were all really appreciated. :) Last thing... Please don't kill me!

Chapter Fifteen

I was drowning in gold. I couldn't look away. Lord Sesshomaru was looking down at me, his right hand was on the bookshelf next to me. Unconsciously my tongue darted out to wet my suddenly dry lips. Sesshomaru's eyes tracked the movement and I could feel a blush rising. But soon his eyes were back on mine. Neither of us blinked. He leaned in and I leaned back into the bookshelf. He continued until our noses could almost touch and then he stopped. Looking at me, like he was watching for something. I didn't look away. My breath hitched when I felt his left hand come up and brush my cheek. Suddenly he was closer. So close.

"Excuse me Lord Sesshomaru but-" I was jerked back in to reality as Jun walked into the room. It was like having ice water thrown on me. "Oh, I was not aware you had company, my apologies," Jun bowed.

Suddenly I was breathing hard and my face was flushed. What was I doing? What was Sesshomaru doing? What were we doing? I was about to try and get out of Sesshomaru's grasp. But as if he knew what I was thinking he moved and cut off any chance of fleeing. Also making it so that I was hidden from Jun's view, which I was thankful for.

"Jun." Sesshomaru growled, and I couldn't contain the shudder that ran through me from how deep his voice had become.

"Yes, my apologies," Jun bowed once more before hurrying from the room.

The door shut and Sesshomaru let out a huff and looked down at me. We stared each other for a moment. He was still so close. Suddenly I could hold it in anymore, I cracked. I put my head down on his shoulder and just laughed.

"Nicole, is there something you find amusing?" Sesshomaru asked me. I didn't lift my head from his shoulder as I shook it. "Are you sure because you seem to be laughing quite bit."

It took me a minute to get my laughing under control, "I'm sorry, it's just that we were about-about to-to- and he- and you," and I lost my control and dissolved into a fit of giggles.

I could feel the chuckle rumble through Lord Sesshomaru, and then he went silent as I continued to giggle. Suddenly Lord Sesshomaru's hand was cupping my cheek, tilting my head up so that I was now looking into his eyes and suddenly my giggles ceased. His golden eyes felt like they were burning, looking straight into my soul and I couldn't look away. "What were we about to do?"

I blushed, "Well we were about to…uh…I thought you were about to…"

Sesshomaru leaned in, "About to…"

I fell silent as I stared into Sesshomaru's eyes, and I knew he wanted an answer but I couldn't speak. I didn't know what was happening, but it all seemed to be happening so fast. And suddenly I was afraid, very very afraid. I hear my heart pounding in my ears. What was I doing? Sesshomaru didn't love me, hell he could barely stand me. What was he doing? I needed to get out of there, I needed to get away from Lord Sesshomaru. I put my hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder and gently pushed him back, "I'm sorry but I think I should go."

Sesshomaru stared down at me and I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. Slowly he moved away and let me free. And I ran.

I shut the door behind me as I entered the room and sat heavily on my bed. I could still feel my heart pounding in my chest. Why did I do that? I wanted him to kiss me so why did I run away? But I already knew the answer I was in love with Lord Sesshomaru. And I was pretty sure he didn't feel the same way about me, the kiss would have just been a passing desire, but he didn't love me, not like I loved him. I felt my heart shatter in my chest and suddenly I couldn't breathe, all I could do was cry. How could I have let myself fall in love with Lord Sesshomaru? I let out a watery laugh, who was I kidding? I had been in love with Lord Sesshomaru almost since the moment I had met him. The way he had watched over us while we slept in the woods. The clothes he had given me. The way he had saved me from the guard. The way he had visited me every day while I was recovering. Taking me to my mother's village. Wearing Rin's flower crown. The way he almost smiles. The way his eyes blaze when he's angry. The way he changed towards his brother. The way he treated Rin. The way he treated me. His everything.

I gave another watery laugh and shook my head, I had it bad and I knew it. And now I had ruined any chance of having a relationship with Sesshomaru because I had let my fear and my emotions get a hold on me and ran away. I curled up on my bed and cried until I had no more tears left and then I just laid there letting the pain of my broken heart wash over me in waves. And that's where I stayed for the rest of the day. Until finally I fell into a fitful sleep.

For the next couple of weeks I did my best to avoid Lord Sesshomaru, and it seemed like he was doing the same to me. He had stopped coming to meals and our lessons had stopped all together. So instead I focused all my time and energy into Rin. I relieved Hotaru from her duty of being Rin's nanny and watched her myself. That also meant that I was attending lessons with Chieko-sensei again, and I knew that she knew something was off. She kept sending me concerned looks and I did my best to dispel her worries but I knew she knew and it was only a matter of time before she asked me about it. And when she did finally ask me about it I told her the truth. When I did she just smiled knowingly and laid a hand on top of mine and told me that it would all be okay. And she was right for a while everything was fine.

Until I started running into him on a daily basis. In the hallway. In the garden. The few times I had ventured out to my mother's village. Every time he was there. It was like the world was trying to get us to talk to each other. But we didn't. At least for a while.

One day while Rin and I were playing in the garden Lord Sesshomaru seemed to materialize out of nowhere and sat down by my side. And for a while we just sat in silence and watched Rin chase butterflies. It was nice. It reminded me of the first time he took me to my mother's village, the picnic we had had while we were there.

"Nicole." He said bringing me out of my memory.

"Yes?" I asked without looking at him.

He cleared his throat, and if I didn't know any better I would have said that he sounded almost nervous. "Would you accompany me to dinner tonight?"

This time I turned to look at him, "Excuse me?"

"I was wondering if you would accompany me to dinner."

I stared at him dumbfounded, "Is someone coming over?"

Sesshomaru cleared his throat again, "No nothing like that. I believe the word you would use for it would be a "date". I would like to take you on a date."

A date? Lord Sesshomaru wanted to take me on a date? Just thinking about it made my heartbeat furiously. Maybe he did feel the same way about me. I blushed and nodded, "I would love that."

He nodded. And then we sat in silence again. Rin skipped over to us and showed us some of the flowers she had picked. And made us flower crowns, and soon we were smiling and laughing and it felt like we had never been avoiding each other in the first place.

I couldn't help but smile on the way back to my room to get ready for dinner. And apparently it was noticeable because Hotaru stopped to ask me what was going on. I told her and she offered to help me pick out what to wear and fix my hair. I took her up on the offer and practically skipped to my room. And hour later I was dressed and waiting. I was surprised when Jun came and escorted me to the gardens. But I was even more surprised by what I saw. There was table set up with candles lit, fireflies flittering around, enough fireflies give the entire garden light, and Sesshomaru standing there waiting. It took my breath away.

As I approached Lord Sesshomaru did the unthinkable and pulled out my chair for me before sitting down himself. Dinner was served and we were left alone.

I took a deep breath before I asked the question that was burning in my mind, "Not that I don't love it, but what brought this on?"

Sesshomaru paused before answering me, "To be honest it was not my idea. It was a collaboration of suggestion that I was given from many different people to remedy this problem we have had between us."

"Many different people?"

"Jun, Jaken, Chieko-sensei, Hotaru, and Rin. I must admit that I myself was at a loss on how to remedy the situation, I had to inquire as to what I could do to fix this."

"Wow, I didn't realize you cared so much about this."

As if those were the magic words his eyes locked with mine, and he leaned towards me bracing himself with his arms on the table, "Like I said the other night, I might a not always show it but I always care."

His eyes were intense and unwavering as they held mine, and I could feel my heart pick up speed and butterflies stir in my stomach. After a moment I had to look away in an effort to hide the blush I could now feel on my cheeks, but I could still feel him staring at me. I cleared my throat, "Just so I know that we are on the same page, what situation are we talking about exactly?"

Sesshomaru looked amused by the question, the way his mouth quirked up at the corners gave him an air of confidence, "The situation that ended with you running away from me right as I was about to-" he trailed off.

I leaned in also bracing myself on the table, "About to?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer. At least not with words, he simply lifted his hand, cupped my cheek and traced his thumb over my bottom lip. My breath hitched as my eyes shot to his face, but he wasn't looking at me. He was watching his thumb trace my lips, his eyes dark. After a minute Sesshomaru seemed to regain himself, and took his hand away. I am not ashamed to admit that I followed his hand with my eyes, wishing to have it back on my skin. "But I've been informed that I should court you first."

I opened my mouth but no words came out. I couldn't find the words, eventually I just nodded. He smiled, and motioned to my food, "Please finish eating."

I stared at him a moment before doing as he said. For a while we just talked. Well I talked mostly and Sesshomaru just watched me. I don't know if he even realized he was doing it. But our eyes would meet and then his would slowly trail down to my lips. Or I would talk animatedly about Rin and he would watch my hands. Or I would watch the fireflies and I would feel his gaze on me, I could see it out of the corner of my eye.

Suddenly I was pulled back into reality by a firefly lighting up right in front of me, it was so sudden I jumped a little. I chuckled at my own antics and reached out to catch the firefly but it evaded me. Laughing again I jumped up and tried to catch it again. And for the next couple of minutes it was a game of cat and mouse between me and the fireflies. Finally I caught and looked over to catch Sesshomaru watching me with a small smile on his face. I blushed and looked at the firefly in my hand for a moment. Then I looked up and smiled at Lord Sesshomaru and motioned for him to join me. He shook his head slightly but I just smiled more and motioned again.

A few moments later we were both trying to catch fireflies. I couldn't stop the giggling that came from me, I felt like a little girl again and I loved it. I looked over at Sesshomaru, he was as elegant as always, and I didn't know that someone could look elegant while trying to fireflies but he did it. I grinned as I watched him, and after a minute he looked up and caught me. I looked away blushing and closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath I did something I always loved doing as a child, I lifted my arms so that they stood out from my sides and spun around in circles watching the lights from the fireflies stretch and blur together. I threw my head back and laughed whole heartedly.

Suddenly I was no longer spinning. I smiled up at Lord Sesshomaru who had caught me and was now holding me against him. He stared down at me and for a moment that was all we did. Then he lifted up his hand and held it in front of my face, slowly he opened it and out came a firefly. I watched as it walked to the tip of his finger and then spend its wings and up it flew. I watched as it flew until I lost it among the other fireflies. I turned back to Sesshomaru only to find him watching me instead of the fireflies. With my heart pounding I stared back, willing myself not to try and run again, because something told me that this time he wouldn't let me get away. He pulled me closer so that we were flush with each other and brought his face so close to mine that if we were any closer our noses would touch. And for a moment we just stood there staring at each other, breathing the same air, heartbeats in sync. And suddenly I wasn't scared anymore, all of a sudden I surged up and we were kissing.

A/N: I really don't know what I think of this chapter. I hate to do this but *gets down on knees and clasps hands together* please review and tell me what you think of this chapter. Is Sesshomaru too OOC? Did it all happen too fast? Is it good or bad? Also I would just like to take this time to tell you all that your reviews are what keep me going to right this better and faster. So please if you have a moment leave a review. It doesn't have to be a long one but I love to read what people think. That's it. I'm done for now, see you all next chapter :)