It took a moment for her to realize that the pounding wasn't coming from inside her head. Groaning, Kagome turned over in her bed, cocooned inside her blankets. It was too hot out to need them, but they blocked out the sun more than her curtains, and that's all she cared about at the moment.
She'd like to think it was no more than a cold, but the fever burning through her body for the last two days had left her exhausted and weak. She'd barely been able to get out of bed long enough to make something to eat, so she'd given up by the second day. All she wanted to do was sleep, but the pounding was getting worse, and she strained to hear through the commotion.
"I need to see her!" Inuyasha griped.
"She is not to be disturbed," came Sesshoumaru's reply. The fact that both brothers were outside her hut had her sitting up. A groan escaped her lips as the room spun, and she dug the heel of her palm into her temple to ground herself.
If Inuyasha was there to see her, it probably had to do with Sango. She'd given birth to their third child recently and had been in labour for longer than she should've. The little boy had shifted at the last minute, and Kagome had had to pull him out by his feet. Inuyasha had been a wreck, and if Kagome hadn't shoved the wailing boy into his father's arms, he'd likely have torn a new window in their hut.
Sango was always the strong one, so seeing her in such a weakened state had thrown him for a loop. Kagome was just glad the infant had inherited strength from both parents, as she'd been able to spend more time patching up his mother instead of being worried about his first few breaths.
A loud bang followed Inuyasha's grunt, and Kagome gripped the edge of her bed to keep herself steady. "As I said, she will not be disturbed," Sesshoumaru said. A flare of youki nearly sent her to her knees, but she somehow made it to the door.
"Who put you in charge?" Inuyasha snapped. She heard the distinct sound of Tessaiga being pulled from its sheath, and Kagome grappled for the door, managing to yank it open, hoping to prevent him from causing any damage.
The hair on the back of her neck rose a moment before Sesshoumaru jumped in front of her, his light whip curling around his brother's wrist. Inuyasha yanked back in retaliation, but Sesshoumaru held firm.
"Enough," she croaked, gripping the front of her robes. A wayward breeze ruffled her skin, and she realized too late that she'd missed the first step, braving herself for the bruises that would go along with her cold. Inuyasha reached for her, but it was Sesshoumaru's arm that wrapped around her waist, deftly preventing her from hitting the ground.
Another groan escaped, and she curled into a ball, squeezing her eyes shut as she turned away from the light.
Inuyasha cursed under his breath, sliding his sword back into its sheath. "Ya could've told me she was sick."
"You were too busy running your mouth," his brother retorted.
Kagome had never associated Sesshoumaru with comfort before, but his touch was soothing, a cool hand covering her forehead. She leaned into the touch, whimpering softly, and his grip tightened.
"Whatever remedies you require will need to come from the elder miko," Sesshoumaru said, careful not to jostle her as he stepped back into her house. The shade did much to quell the impending headache, and Inuyasha snorted as he followed.
"I'll go talk to her." Kagome felt his gaze linger and managed to open her eyes long enough to catch the sheepish expression on his face. "And I'll tell the rest of the village to leave K'gome alone."
"As you should."
Inuyasha stepped closer, and she felt Sesshoumaru tense, but he merely tapped her on the forehead. "Next time, don't run yourself into the ground," he mumbled. "You know none of us can live without ya."
"Perhaps you should learn to rely on yourselves," Sesshoumaru advised. "So that this does not happen again."
"Keh! I'm only lettin' that go 'cause everyone will be too scared to bother her if you're here," Inuyasha retorted. "And it's the only reason I'm leavin' her with you." Silence followed, their youki in slight turmoil, but nothing came of it. There was the distinct sound of her door closing, and Sesshoumaru breathed a sigh of relief before adjusting his hold.
"You will do well to listen to your own advice when it comes to returning to full strength, miko." She expected him to deposit her back on her bed, but while the ground dipped as he knelt on it, she was still in his arms when he finished moving. If she had the energy, she might have protested, but as it was, the sting of his youki did wonders for her fever, and she relaxed against him.
"Thank you," she muttered, unable to even raise a hand to grab at his collar. She wasn't sure why she felt inclined to do so, but he was so comfortable, and she really wanted to sleep.
"You may thank me by taking better care of yourself," he replied.
Her snort was barely audible. "Everyone gets sick."
"Not everyone is as important as you." A frown pinched her brow, but the buzz of his youki increased, lulling her towards a dreamless sleep. If he was still there when she woke, and the entire exchange hadn't been a fever dream, she hoped she remembered enough to question why he'd been outside her hut in the first place.
For right now, she was content to be held, the slight brush of his claws against her back reassuring her that his appearance wasn't for anything nefarious.
He was probably this protective with everyone.