Summary: Sometimes getting sick is a good thing.

Prompt: November 2021 – Pride

Inspiration: "Please Don't Leave Me" by Pink

Pride

Kagome blinked, confusion furrowing her brow as she stared up at the ceiling of her hut.

When had she come home?

Closing her eyes again, she tried to piece together her day. She'd been helping Kaede dry out herbs, rationing them for the coming winter months, and then she'd—where had she gone after that?

She attempted to sit up, pain shooting between her temples as something heavy pressed on her chest. Frowning, Kagome tried to pull the thing off, relieve the pressure, but found it immovable. Forcing her eyes open, she looked down at her chest, the blurry image of pale skin and magenta stripes making her frown deepen.

"Do not get up."

She would've jerked, but all she could manage was a slight turn of her head. At first, she thought she was hallucinating—there was no way Sesshoumaru was sitting next to her bed—then she tried to sit up again, and his hand flexed, golden eyes narrowing.

"I will not repeat myself."

"W-What's going on? Why are you here?"

"You lost consciousness while running after the slayer's offspring."

Had she been helping Sango with the twins? Kagome sucked in a breath, flashes of Sango asking her to look after the twins when she'd been headed home. Her head had been pounding, but Kagome hadn't been able to say no to her friend. What she'd done next continued to elude her.

Startled at the thought of the young girls being left alone, Kagome pushed Sesshoumaru's hand out of the way.

"I need to check on—"

"Your duties have been given to my brother."

"What? Why?! I'm perfectly capable of—"

"You collapsed several hours ago. A replacement was needed."

Her eyes widened, then darted to her window.

Night had fallen.

Sesshoumaru had never lied to her before, but she was still surprised to find he was telling the truth.

"Do you feel well enough for food?"

She opened her mouth to brush him off again, but a wave of nausea washed over her, and her jaw snapped shut.

Something in her expression must have given her away as he rose silently from his place on the floor, returning swiftly with a cup of tea. He helped her into a sitting position, then placed it gingerly in her hands.

"Drink."

It was lukewarm, but the flavour was familiar, and Kagome was left wondering if it was a coincidence that Sesshoumaru had brewed her favourite blend or if he'd done it on purpose.

Another sip settled her stomach but did little to quell the pounding in her head. Clenching her jaw, she twisted her body, only to have his ironclad grip come down on her knees.

"Stop that! I need to go check on the twins," she groused. "Or at least apologize to Sango."

"You will do nothing."

Blue eyes narrowed, and she managed to raise her chin enough to glare at him. "You're not the boss of me."

"Perhaps not, but it appears you need a keeper until you are well enough to stand." His hand flexed against her leg, and if she'd had the energy, she would've kicked him.

Summoning her reiki, she settled with singeing him a little instead, relishing in the soft growl that escaped his lips before he pulled his hand away.

"Serves you right. Now get out of my way. I need to—"

"Does your health mean so little to you that you would push yourself to the brink of exhaustion?"

Kagome pursed her lips. "I've dealt with worse while hunting shards."

Sesshoumaru gave her an incredulous look, and she was taken aback at the blatant emotion on his face.

"And your pack allowed this?"

She shrugged a shoulder, wincing at the twinge in her neck. "We didn't have a choice. We never knew how many Naraku had and didn't have time to slow down."

"You have time now."

"T-That's not the point. I still have obligations."

"And what of the obligation to yourself? You are no good to anyone if you are dead."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "A cold isn't going to kill me."

"Perhaps if you would take your health more seriously, you would not be so quick to dismiss your symptoms."

The expression on his face once again stilled her tongue. She'd already been feeling warm—she no doubt had a fever—but it was her cheeks that felt the most flushed. She looked down at her tea, her thumbs tracing the edge of the cup.

"Why does it matter how far I push myself? It's not like you care."

"If you truly believe that you are more delusional than my brother."

Her head whipped up so quickly that she saw stars, the image of him blurring between lights and shadows, and she groaned softly, reaching out for purchase.

A strong arm caught her before she fell over.

Blood surged between her temples, but she wasn't sure if it was from the fever or the feel of his skin against hers. Adjusting her pillows, he lay her back down, removing the tea before it could spill.

Silver hair and concerned gold eyes slowly came into focus and she groaned again, taking in a shaky breath.

"T-Thanks."

"Your stubbornness is only rivalled by that of my brother."

Kagome managed a snort. "Maybe he rubbed off on me."

"Impossible. I have never seen you back down from a fight."

"Including this one?"

He smirked. "Indeed."

The boundaries of their relationship seemed to blur as much as the outlines of his face, and Kagome decided to press her luck. She could always blame it on the fever if he took it the wrong way. Reaching out, she placed her hand over his.

"I'm not ungrateful, it's just—" She gripped his hand, using their connection as an anchor as her voice lowered to a whisper. "I was always so helpless in the beginning; Inuyasha had to rescue me all the time, so I have to be the strong one now. I don't want to be seen like that anymore."

He placed his other hand over hers, squeezing it gently. "You are not weak for needing assistance."

"I'm glad you see it that way."

"The opinion of those who would see it any other way is insignificant."

A smile tugged at her lips, and she squeezed his hand back, confused but somehow glad that he hadn't pulled away from her touch.

"Will you allow me to care for you now?"

She tried not to look into it, tried to stop her mind from delving deeper into the meaning behind his words, but the butterflies in her stomach refused to be silenced. And they had nothing to do with her cold.

"Why?"

Gentle claws brushed her hair out of her eyes as the question hung between them. Did Sesshoumaru think he owed her? She'd been helping out with Rin a lot more lately, but she'd done that before and the daiyoukai had barely looked at her.

Gnawing on her lip, Kagome thought about taking the question back. It was stupid anyway. He'd probably seen her pass out and was considerate enough to bring her home. It didn't mean anything more than that.

"Because I wish to."

His tone was so matter-of-fact that it took Kagome a moment to notice that his expression had softened, the concern still evident in his eyes as he placed the back of his hand on her forehead. His skin was cool to the touch—a welcome reprieve to the cold sweat on her brow.

"Does this mean I get to return the favour when you get sick?"

"Do as you please."

Her eyes had closed without her realizing but flew open at his response. "Really? You're not even going to tell me that youkai don't get sick?"

"It is rare but not unheard of." His claws slid over her face again, forcing her to close her eyes. "Sleep, miko. I will be here when you wake."

She did as he asked, her body finally giving out. "Promise?"

Her breathing evened out, her hand still in his as she fell into a fitful sleep.

"Always."