"I am so sorry, Lord Sesshomaru," Hoshi whispered brokenly.

The demon lord gazed down at the demoness in his arms with a neutral expression as he walked back to the others with Hoshi in his grasp. She leaned her head against his shoulder, biting her lip so she could restrain her sobs. She may be a bit better, but that didn't mean she was done crying. Sesshomaru hated the scent of tears more than anything else, and for once he didn't command her to stop and let her cry quietly to herself. No matter what he did or said, nothing had soothed the upset demoness.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he answered.

"You must think me as weak for letting my emotions control me like that. Such a lowly state of me you saw.."

"You are not weak."

"Yes, I am," she grumbled under her breath.

"No."

"Yes I am milord and always have been! I'm nothing more than a pathetic hybrid bastard!"

Sesshomaru stopped dead and glared at the demoness. Oh, how he hated it when someone denied him or said he lied. Who did she think he was? Hoshi didn't even back down from the glare she was receiving and glared back in return viciously. The two demons glared at each other for a few moments neither backing down. Never had Sesshomaru have someone stand up to him so it was a bit surprising to him to have her responding in like.

"Do not think this Sesshomaru lies to you. He speaks the truth," the dog demon finally growled out.

Hoshi just averted her gaze in response. Oh man she'd done it now, angering the dog demon, and she could tell by the icy tone of his voice. She heard a soft sound quite like a sigh before a finger tucked itself under her chin to pull her face back up to look at him. She faltered lightly at the golden gaze.

"You are not weak to me."

"I-I see."

Almost unknowingly to the two, Sesshomaru and Hoshi had been leaning their heads together until they were only a few inches away from each other. A intense golden gaze meeting stunned sky blue eyes. Hoshi felt a jolt when she noticed how close they were and almost how soft Sesshomaru's eyes had gotten. Never had she seen him this open. Suddenly realizing what was happening when they moved their faces even closer, she flinched violently in his arms before jerking away from him. The dog demon just looked at her for a moment. She was afraid of.. well.. kissing him? She was avoiding his gaze on purpose and with a mental sigh began his way back. His inner demon was almost giggling.

'You almost kissed her,' his inner demon squealed happily.

'Silence.'

'What, embarrassed?'

Sesshomaru growled lightly at his inner demon in response but his inner demon obviously ignored him instead repeating the new phrase to himself. The dog demon cursed lightly in his head. He wouldn't hear the end of this from his demon for a long time. He gazed down at the suddenly shy and embarrassed demoness in his arms who was nervously twisting her fingers as she gazed down at her talons trying not to blush he could sense that. Hmm, cute. And this time, he didn't care about calling it cute, because it was true. But he was a bit surprised at himself for his actions.

'I can't believe I almost kissed her/him' the both of them thought.

Rin ignored the frantic pacing of Jaken instead amusing herself by waving a pink flower around her. Jaken watched the human girl with something close to disgust. Wasn't she worried about Lord Sesshomaru like him? Their lord and the hybrid demoness had been gone for almost an hour and honestly, it was bugging him. What if something dreadful had happened?

SNAP!

Both the imp and girl jumped at the sound of a twig snapping in two and whirled around to face the forest. Sesshomaru walked toward them with a neutral expression with Hoshi in his arms. Rin could see her mother's swollen red eyes and could tell that a deep sadness was surrounding from her. Jaken opened his mouth but quickly shut it at the glare he received from his lord obviously daring him to dare question what was going on. He decided it would be better to be quiet.

"Let us go," Sesshomaru coldly said.

"Hai, milord!"

"Hai, Daddy!"

Rin watched as the dog demon took the lead still not putting down her mother. What on earth had occurred between them? She could sense the slight nervousness and embarrassment radiating almost from both of the demons but didn't comment on it and neither did Jaken. She decided to leave it at that. It wasn't her business, but it gave her more hope that they would fall in love. But little did she know how much she was right.

"You can put me down, milord," Hoshi muttered.

"What bothers you so," Sesshomaru answered softly so the others wouldn't hear, ignoring her.

"…"

Hoshi instead turned her head away with her eyes closed. As much as she wanted to tell him, she just couldn't. Not yet. It stilled pained her so and the agony still pounded in her chest faintly. To be carried by Sesshomaru reminded her of a time when – she slammed that thought in its tracks. No. It would be better not to remember right now.. Sesshomaru didn't push her for an answer and she was grateful for it but she knew one day she would have to tell the demon lord. He would deserve to know. After all, he was – she slammed that thought in its tracks too. She felt a single tear run down her cheek. This pain would never go away she could see that now.. but maybe she could be healed enough to speak of her past. She would wait and hope for that day.

'Why won't she tell me,' the demon lord thought grimly.

He could tell she was holding herself back. She was refusing to let others in to sooth the pain she had received so many years ago by this unknown demon. Why wouldn't she let Rin in either? It was like her past was so horrible she refused to even think about it! Sesshomaru felt a slight jolt at that. Was it possible she was refusing to remember because of her pain and deep sadness? Had he seen what she used to be before him and Rin? His eyes glanced briefly at her tearful face and her heartbroken expression and began to wonder about who she used to be before him and Rin. Had she been the sweet, innocent, and gentle being she was now, or had she been completely different? Did that unknown demon have any effect on her? One thing was for sure though; he had brought her pain, sorrow, and a scarred heart.

"Maybe one day," Hoshi suddenly murmured. "Maybe one day, I can tell you."

Sesshomaru saw the lone tear that trailed down her cheek and shifted her lightly in his arms so he could brush away the tear with the pad of his thumb. Her eyes opened and met his gaze silently almost in wonder. He returned the gaze for a moment letting himself get somewhat lost in those sparkling eyes before his gaze returned to the path. She wouldn't be hurt by him, ever. Her head rested with complete trust on his shoulder but he hoped one day that trust would go farther and let him into the past she hated so much.

"I will wait for that day," he responded.

"Thank you."

"Hn."

"But I have one question for you. . ."

Sesshomaru glanced at her for a moment in response.

"If I ever tell you, could you ever learn to forgive me?"

Sesshomaru stopped dead. Forgive her? For what? He stared at her face for a long moment as she turned her head away in response. What did she mean? It was obvious she wasn't going to answer his questioning gaze so he slowly picked up his pace again pondering what she had said. He was honestly a bit baffled.

'Wait until he learns the truth,' she thought in despair.

What would happen when he learned of her part in.. her eyes closed in agony. Would he forgive her? Or would he hate her for what she had done that had ended in his death? She knew it wasn't completely her fault, but still, she had her part she had played in the past…

"Wake up, Hoshi," a deep voice rumbled.

"Wake up up up, Momma!"

The demoness shot out of sleep with a jolt to stare around her almost in amazement in the grand room she was in before confusion filled her expression. The last thing she remembered was resting in the dog demon's arms as he carried her to the castle. How in the world had she ended up in a.. bedroom? She was lying on a red silk bed in the corner of a room decorated in elegant hues of red and gold. The furniture was made of a deep cherry wood. This was the most beautiful room Hoshi had honestly ever seen. She suddenly met the gaze of her pup and the dog demon lord himself right behind her both observing her.

"What happened," she asked groggily.

"You fell asleep," Sesshomaru answered at the same time as his pup.

"Momma fell asleep in daddy's arms!"

She flushed lightly and ran a hand through her green hair slowly.

"How long have I been out?"

"Only a little while," her pup replied happily.

Hoshi smiled at her pup before pulling her into her arms gently. Her pup happily complied and cuddled up against her mother before wrapping a arm around the demoness's waist. The demoness had to giggle softly.

"Momma, are you sad?"

"Don't worry pup," Hoshi soothed gently ignoring the twinge of pain. "Nothing that won't heal in time."

"You were even crying in your sleep though!"

The demoness reached up to touch her cheeks to find they were indeed wet. Oh, now she had appeared even weaker than ever! Her pup buried her face against her neck gently making the pain disappear. No one except Rin or Sesshomaru could heal the pain.

"I'm okay now."

"I love you Momma."

Hoshi felt herself tearing up again.

"I love you too, pup."

She hugged her pup tightly to her running a hand through the silky black hair. Her pup was just the sweetest thing ever to exist. Who cared if she was human? She was her pup and that was all that mattered. She had been the second person in her life not to judge her for her heritage or her bloodline, despite not really about it since she was human. She had cared for her anyways.

"Hn."

Suddenly remembering the presence of the dog demon lord she looked up at his almost soft gaze. She smiled weakly at him in return. His gaze observed her for a moment before going toward the doorway to gesture to someone outside. The demoness watched another demoness slip into the room quietly.

"Hoshi, this is Sakura, she will be attending to you."

Hoshi observed the smaller demoness quietly. Sakura was obviously a phoenix demon from the bright red hair and pink eyes that observed her as much as she was.

"It is very nice to meet you, Lady Hoshi," Sakura humbly spoke up.

Hoshi didn't know what to say in return. Did the servant just call her Lady Hoshi? That was certainly new. But she knew she wasn't worthy of that title deep down. But nevertheless, she would accept it.. for now.

"It is also nice to meet you, Sakura."

"She will also watch Rin when you are busy," Sesshomaru informed.

'That won't be often.'

"That would be most helpful," Hoshi said instead.

Sakura smiled warmly at her before making her way over to the closest in the far corner of the room. Sesshomaru made his way toward the door as well.

"Dinner is in a few minutes."

"Hai, Sesshomaru."

The dog demon disappeared and Rin immediately looked at her with a huge grin.

"What," Hoshi questioned.

"Let's dress up for dinner in those pretty kimono's!"

'!'

AWWW an almost kiss between Sesshomaru and Hoshi and now poor Hoshi to dress up for dinner HAHAAHAHA couldn't help myself XD Enjoy and Review! *laughing*