M A T E (Sesshomaru)

08.

 "If your not coming after me than I shall come for you little brother," he said smiling as he began charging at Inuyasha, but he stopped half way due to the fact that Niko stepped in front of him.

"Niko, out of the way," Sesshomaru states glaring at her.

"No, I'm not letting you hurt Inuyasha! He's done nothing wrong Sesshomaru, please lets go back,"

"Ha! Niko you don't have to go back to him! He treats you like trash because you're a half demon!"

"That's not true," Niko defended turning around to face Inuyasha. "Sure hes moody and might be annoying sometimes, but other times he held compassion and even saved me before, if he truly hated me he wouldn't have done such a thing, somewhere underneath that expression he cares! I know he does!"

"False accusations," Sesshomaru denied causing Niko to turn back and face him.

"Fine, if that's really how you feel I will stay with Inuyasha, we barely know each other and at least he shows compassion," She humph as Sesshomaru only rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"If you think I trust this half breed to protect you from Kagura your wrong,"

"Whats that?" Inuyasha asks eyes widened as well as everyone else.

"Yes, the wind Sorceress Kagura seeks out Niko, I only brought her along because I did not trust her being alone with Rin or Jaken, leaves her unprotected,"

"So you do care that's so sweet!" Kagome was the one to announce.

"Don't mistake that for me caring about her, I just don't want that vermin Naraku to get ahold of her, come Niko we are done for today," he says placing his sword away as he turned to walk away.

"Goodbye Inuyasha! See you next time!" She waves following after Sesshomaru as the group stared stun at the retreating figures.

"She stopped him from attacking you Inuyasha," Sango says looking over at him.

"Yeah..... That's the first,"

"It's a shame such a beautiful woman as she is engaged to Sesshomaru,"

"Not likely, knowing him he probably denied the proposal,"

"So, would that make her single?" Miroku asked with hope in his voice causing an angry Sango to hit him in the back of his head.

The group only sighed at hm being an idiot.

The silence was dreading Sesshomaru as they walked back to there companions. Her ears were down as she looked to the ground. She hasn't spoken a word and honestly it was bothering Sesshomaru for some reason. He stopped walking, causing Niko to do the same as well as she looked at him in question. Sesshomaru knew he was going to regret what he did next, but it shocked Niko even more as he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards him as her face hit his stoned chest and his arm wrapped around her in a hug.

"S-Sesshomaru," she said in a shocked voice before relaxing in his arms as she hugged him back.

"I'm sorry..... I usually do not apologize but I hate seeing you upset, I hate seeing how Inuyasha made you happy I snapped and said awful things about you, I don't know whats coming over me, I hate half demons yet I cannot find it in my heart to hate you," Sesshomaru says holding onto her tighter as her eyes only widened.

"You know I can never hate you Sesshomaru..... The time we've had together, I Charise those moments between us, I will always be by your side no matter how many times you reject me, or push me away..... Its always you Sesshomaru,"

Sesshomaru sighed before pulling away from the half demon and placed a hand on her cheek.

"That's all I can ask of you, is to stay by my side forever,"

"What about the marriage?'

"Im not in any rush for that now, so please, smile for me," he says rubbing the back of her ear with his hand as a calming face appeared and she let out a noise, almost like shes purring with a smile on his face.

He chuckled before letting go as he continued walking again with Niko right by his side.

LATER

"LADY NIKO! LORD SESSHOMARU!" Rin shouted happily going to hug Niko for she missed her dearly.

Niko laughed and embraced the hug as Sesshomaru watched from the corner or his eye.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Did you have confrontation with that half breed Inuyasha? I smelt his scent in the air earlier."

"No, I could not because Niko got in the way this time,"

"Persistent half breed, I do not understand why we keep that around I personally believe we should leave her on her own, shes better off with Inuyasha,"

Sesshomaru growled at the name as Jaken got down and begged for forgiveness for even mentioning his name.

'"I'm sorry my lord I will shut up now," he says as Sesshomaru went to lay down against the tree watching as both Rin and Niko were playing a game of tag.

A/N: I love working on this story, but does anyone else? Grateful for the few that do vote and comment, the rest.... I don't know makes me sad when you don't.