A/N: Hey guys its been a while. Sorry about that, my classes have been crazy for the last few weeks. But I'm almost done with them so hopefully I will be able to update faster over winter break. So anyway this is chapter sixteen... it kind of took a crazy turn and I didn't really expect it to get as angsty as it did, so sorry about that but I still hope that you like it.

Also I would like to thank everyone that had read and reviewed this story along with the people that have started following me and this story. And thank you everyone that favorited this story and me. Thank you.

I do not own Inuyasha

Let me know what you guys think :)

Chapter Sixteen

It felt like an electric shock ran through me. Every part of my body was tingling with energy. And my breath was taken away. I couldn't think. All I could do was feel. Feel Lord Sesshomaru's lips against mine. Feel his hands pressing into my back, pressing me closer. Feel my fingers tangle in Sesshomaru's hair. Feel our tails wrap around each other. And that's how we stayed until we ran out of breath.

I was panting by the time we separated, not that we separated far. We were still flush with one another, but we were back to having out noses almost touch. Slowly I removed my hands from Sesshomaru's hair and rested them on his shoulders and the base of his neck. I could still feel Sesshomaru's hands on the small of my back, keeping me in place. And for a moment we just stared, our eyes never leaving each other. A small breeze swept over us causing our hair to dance in the wind.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and took a deep breath, when he opened his eyes again they were still dark. He looked down at me with a slight smile. He chuckled and when he spoke his voice was barely above a whisper, "So much for courting you slowly."

I pulled my eyes away from his lips and looked into his eyes. I took a deep breath and licked my lips and saw him follow the movement, "I'm sorry," noticing my voice came out much lower than I had meant it to.

Suddenly his lips were only a hair's width away from mine and brushed mine when he spoke in a rough voice that caused a shiver to run down my spine, "Don't apologize." And suddenly he was kissing me again.

It was a brutal kiss, with tongues, teeth, and lips crashing together. And it couldn't have been more wonderful. My hands were back in Sesshomaru's hair gripping it tightly, and his hands were now tightly gripping the side of my hips. Without removing his lips from mine he walked me backwards, and I moaned when my back hit a tree that must have been close to us. He answered back with one of the most animalistic growls I had ever heard come from him. He leaned against me more and my back pressed back against the rough bark of the tree, I knew that I would have faint scratches on my back but at the moment I didn't care.

Suddenly we heard a rustling from some bushes off to our side. Sesshomaru pulled away just far enough that our lips were no longer touching, and snarled, "Jun."

I opened my eyes to see Jun standing up from behind a bush, "Sorry my Lord."

Sesshomaru snarled again and another person stood up, and then another person. I gasped when I saw them, "Chieko-sensei!? Hotaru?"

Rin came around the side of the bush pulling Jaken along with her, "Me and Jaken too."

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

Rin giggled, "We wanted to know how your date was going."

"It looked like it was going pretty well to me."

"Chieko-sensei!" I blushed and buried my face into Sesshomaru's shoulder. I took a moment to compose myself and then turned back to the group, "I can't believe you all brought Rin with you, she's a little girl. And it's past her bed time."

Rin pouted, "But I wanted to see too."

"And I made her cover her eyes once you two-uh… well you know," Hotaru spoke up.

I blushed again and turned back to Sesshomaru, and noticed he still had me pinned to the tree. I put my head on his chest and sighed. Then I started to chuckle, I couldn't help it. Something about this whole situation just seemed so ridiculous to me that I had to laugh. Slowly I took my head off Sesshomaru's chest and gently pushed him back, "Why don't I take Rin back to her room?"

I started to move away from Sesshomaru but he caught my wrist and stared at me intently, searching my eyes. I stared back and smiled a slow smile. I reached up and laid my hand against his cheek, "I'm not running away, I'm just taking Rin to bed." I lifted myself up on my tippy toes and gave him a chaste kiss, "Plus you still have to court me."

I grinned at him and went over to Rin and this time he let me go. I smiled down at Rin and held out my hand, "Come on, time to get you to bed Missy."

Rin smiled and took my hand. We got to the door leading into the palace when I glanced over my shoulder for one last look at Sesshomaru, only to find him watching me go. I smiled as I turned to face forward and felt my heart fluttering from having his eyes on me. I couldn't keep the smile off my face the entire way to Rin's room.

I was tucking Rin into her bed when I heard her speak in a tired voice, "Nicole?"

"Yes Rin?"

"Since you've kissed Lord Sesshomaru does that mean you're doing to marry him now?"

I was taken aback by her question, "I-I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead yet."

She stared up at me with her big, innocent eyes, "But you're both demons, does this mean that you are going to be mates?"

Once again I was surprised by her, but blushed at what the meaning of 'mates' entitled, "Where did you even hear that word?"

She yawned, "In lessons from Chieko-sensei, she said when demons are in love with each other they become mates. So are you and Lord Sesshomaru going to become mates?"

"I-I don't know. Lord Sesshomaru hasn't said anything, and I'm still new to this whole being a demon thing. I don't even know if he loves me," I said suddenly depressed at the thought.

"Do you love him?"

I paused for a moment before answering, "Yes."

Rin nodded like that was all she needed to know. We were silent for a moment before she spoke again, "Nicole?"

"Yes Rin?"

"Will you sing to me until I fall asleep?"

I smiled, "Of course I will."

Rin smiled at me and closed her eyes. Soon she was asleep and I walked to my room humming to myself.

I woke up to the sound of giggling and couldn't help but smile. I could tell that Rin was trying to sneak up on me, so I let her get really close and then I turned, "Gotcha!"

"Ahh!" Rin squeaked and then giggled. "I was trying to scare you."

I laughed and sat up in my bed, "I'm aware," I said patting her head. I looked up and noticed Hotaru setting something on the mantle. But her body was effectively blocking whatever it was from my view. "What's that?"

Hotaru smiled and moved out of the way. I was surprised but quickly got out of bed and made my way over to the mantle. I ran my fingers over the petals, and I couldn't help but smile. "Flowers?"

"Lord Sesshomaru sent them," Rin chimed in.

I grinned as I continued to run my fingers over the flowers. My heart pounded at the thought of Sesshomaru sending me flowers. Somehow that didn't seem to fit his personality. I turned to the girls and lifted an eyebrow, "Really?" I asked fixing them with a look.

"Well…" Rin hesitated.

"Chieko-sensei and Jun may have had something to do with it," Hotaru admitted.

"Jun? Really?" I asked surprised.

Rin nodded eagerly, "Yeah Chieko-sensei was the one that suggested flowers but it was Jun that convinced Lord Sesshomaru to do it."

I thought about that for a moment, "How did he do that?"

"He pointed out that Chieko-sensei was a woman and therefore would know what a woman would like better than would. But still it still took several minutes to convince Lord Sesshomaru to go along with it," Hotaru explained.

I laughed, "I would have loved to witness that conversation."

Hotaru grinned, "It was kind of amusing."

"I bet it was," I turned my attention back to the flowers, I smiled and leaned in to smell them. Red roses, my favorite flower in my favorite color. I sighed as I straightened back up, "Well I suppose I should get ready for breakfast."

I was disappointed that Sesshomaru didn't show up to breakfast. In fact I didn't see him for the rest of the day. Or the next. And to say that I was starting to get anxious would be an understatement. There were no more flowers delivered to me. In fact there wasn't anything from Sesshomaru. And that's when I started letting my thoughts run away with me. What if he's avoiding me? What if he didn't like the date? Or the kiss? What if he's mad at me for leaving that night? What if he regrets the whole thing? If that's the case, what if he decides he doesn't want me here anymore? He wouldn't kick me out…would he? That last thought sent a wave a depression through me as I sat in bed and worried about the situation. I looked up at the flowers Sesshomaru had sent me after our date, they were already showing signs of wilting. My mood seemed to follow them, the more they wilted the sadder and more anxious I became.

I shook my head, dispelling all of those thoughts it had only been four days. He was a busy person. There was no reason to go jumping to extremes. He would come see me when he wanted to. And I could always go see him.

I sat up straight, that was right I could go see him! Nothing was stopping me. There was no rule that said I had to wait on him. Making up my mind I slipped out of bed and made my way over to Lord Sesshomaru's room through the bathroom. I hesitated as I got to his door. What if he was asleep? Or working? I didn't want to disturb him, I only wanted to see him.

Suddenly I felt very stupid. It was one date. And only one kiss. What was I doing? I was acting like a clingy girlfriend. And I wasn't even his girlfriend or anything. I was nothing. I didn't have to right to be acting like this. I took a step back, away from the door, and felt tears sting my eyes only adding to how stupid I felt. Shaking my head, I tried to will the tears away, but couldn't. They never spilled over but they didn't go away. Slowly I made my way back to my room. Back to my bed. And that's where I laid, drowning in self-loathing, until I fell asleep.

The next morning I woke up before Rin and Hotaru came, feeling more exhausted than I could ever remember feeling. And the self-loathing came back. How had I turned into this? A while later heard the door creak open, the sound was accompanied by whispers.

Soon I felt a hand push my shoulder, "Nicole, wake up," Rin's voice came from behind me.

I didn't turn over, "I don't feel good today Rin. I'm sorry but why don't you and Hotaru have breakfast without me." I winced at how horrible my voice sounded, I hadn't cried last night but it sounded like I had.

Rin was silent but I could still feel her presence behind me. Then I could hear Hotaru coming over, "Nicole are you alright?"

I nodded, not sure if she could even see it since I had the blankets wrapped so tightly around me, "Of course, just not feeling well."

"Should we go get the healer?" Hotaru asked, the concern in her voice making me feel guilty for worrying her.

"No, I'll be fine, but thank you."

They seemed to hesitate before they said their farewells and exited the room.

It was like that for the next two days, I didn't feel like leaving my room and I didn't feel like eating. One afternoon there was a knock on my door, and even though I was trying to convince myself that I didn't care if it was Sesshomaru, my heart still started to beat rapidly. That was until Chieko-sensei came in.

Seeing her I felt my hopes drop but tried not to show it on my face as I moved to sit up in bed. "Chieko-sensei what are you doing here?"

She sat on the edge of my bed and patted my hand, "Hotaru and Rin were worried about you. They tell me that you haven't been eating, why's that?"

Suddenly I felt very ashamed of myself, I was so consumed with Sesshomaru that I didn't think about Rin or Hotaru. I couldn't bring myself to look Chieko-sensei in the eyes so I stared at where her hand still sat on mine, "It's stupid."

She squeezed my hand, "It's not stupid if it has you acting like this."

I hesitated, "It is stupid, but it's just- just that I haven't seen Sesshomaru since our date. There were those flowers and then nothing. And he wasn't at breakfast or dinner. And then I got to thinking that maybe he's avoiding me and that he regretted everything that happened. I wanted to go see him and I almost went to his room but then I didn't know if I really had that right." I sighed, it sounded even stupider when I said it out loud. "And I don't want to be like this, this isn't who I am, but when I think that Sesshomaru might regret the whole thing it makes me really depressed."

When I was finished we sat in silence for a while. Until Chieko-sensei finally spoke, "I don't think that he is avoiding you. No one has seen him for many days. And I don't think that he regrets anything." She paused and then grinned, "Especially since I saw it firsthand."

I blushed and hid my face in my hands, but I had to laugh, "Chieko-sensei! I still can't believe that you all were hiding in the bushes. It's not nice to spy on people you know."

Chieko-sensei didn't say anything she just smiled. Finally she stood up, "Come on, time to get up and stop moping. Get up, go take a bath, get dressed, and come down for dinner."

"Yes, Chieko-sensei."