Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own Inuyasha.

All four chapters were originally posted to Live Journal on January 3, 2012.

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Fidelity

Chapter Four

By: Luna

…

"The average dog has one request to all humankind. Love me."

-Helen Exley

It all ended with the truth.

Kagome had a fever.

Her cousin led her to bed, mopped her sweaty brow, but in the end could do nothing but go to bed and pray she recovered by morning. Sesshoumaru stayed by her side, licking her cheek when she became too hot and sweat drenched her clammy skin, and crooning softly in her ear when her fever gave her nightmares.

He lay at her side on the bed, keeping her warm even when she kicked off her blankets it feverish rage. He started to lean forward to grasp her blanket and pull it over her, when her hands were suddenly clutching at the fur on either side of his head, and she dragged his face over to glare into his eyes.

"Why did you leave me?" She demanded hotly, her eyes glazed by fever.

"I have never left you," Sesshoumaru told her solemnly. "I never will."

"I asked you to come with me. You refused."

"You asked me to become something I was not." Sesshoumaru said softly, lying back down by her side. "You were being just as unreasonable as your predecessor."

"Why does everyone compare me to her?" Kagome asked, a hurt whine in her throat. "I'm nothing like her."

"No," Sesshoumaru agreed. "You asked me to go back into the future. For a demon who had known nothing but war, your request had been a selfish one, especially considering your promise to never leave my side."

"What was so unreasonable about asking you to come with me?" She asked softly, her body starting to shiver uncontrollably.

Sesshoumaru bit the edge of the blanket and dragged it over her, then settled his weight close to her side so his fur would help keep her warm. "There was nothing wrong with asking," he told her, his golden eyes showing shadows of pain as he rested his head on his giant paws. "But there was something wrong in leaving. There was no way in knowing I would have been allowed through the well."

Kagome's feverish blue eyes met his, wild and panicked. "You could have tried. You didn't care enough to."

"I did." Sesshoumaru never raised his head, but his eyes stayed steady on hers. "You are the one that did not want to wait. You left without a word. I tried to follow, but I was not allowed passage. You left me, Kagome."

"The well had to have let you through," she whispered. "How else can you be here with me?"

"Because I waited." He said quietly. "I will always wait. Until you can forgive me and until you can forgive yourself."

Kagome's body trembled so badly, her teeth started rattling against each other hard enough to where I had to have hurt. Her eyes met his again, no recollection in them. "Don't leave me."

"Never," Sesshoumaru vowed. "I will never leave you."

Kagome closed her eyes, once more lost to her feverish dreams.

Kagome's fever broke by the next morning. When she woke up the next morning, the first thing she saw was Sesshoumaru's sleeping face. She reached out, threading her fingers through the fur on his face. She knew who he was; she knew the first moment she saw him, but wasn't willing to let him know that. Sesshoumaru had been dead to her for years – literally, since she had thought him already dead and gone.

"Why are you still here?" She whispered to him, knowing he would hear.

"You should already know," Sesshoumaru replied, his voice rumbling through her mind.

She would know his voice from anywhere; he had known that, and allowed her to keep up her ruse. Why? "Why now? Why after all this time?"

"I could no longer keep myself away from you," he told her, slanting his golden eyes towards her. "Before, you had told me to leave, to never go after you. I went against your demand, and went after you anyways. The well would not allow my entry. This Sesshoumaru assumed it was because you did not want it to."

"I did want it to," she said, her voice full of tears. "But why wait until now? Why didn't you show me yourself as you truly were?"

Sesshoumaru studied her, silent for a few moments. Finally, he said "Because it comforted you. You did not want it to be me, because you were scared."

She closed her eyes at the veiled hurt in his voice. "I was scared," she whispered, then made herself meet his gaze. "But I'm feeling pretty brave right now."

For a moment, Sesshoumaru didn't do anything, and it made Kagome think that maybe he was a little scared himself. She, more than anyone, knew how scary it was getting something that you had yearned for more than anything. There was a comfort factor; sometimes one was more comfortable merely yearning than the shaky joy at actually receiving – and the fear that maybe you were only dreaming.

Then it happened.

Sesshoumaru's body started glowing a bright, incandescent light – so bright that Kagome had to close her eyes. Then she felt something not quite soft on her cheek, and she realized it was Sesshoumaru's calloused hands. He always had calloused hands, she remembered, because despite his looks Sesshoumaru trained hard in sword fighting, and she knew he wouldn't have remained idle throughout the centuries.

His face was so beautiful, so precious to her. His long mane had been cut to a stylish shag that framed his beloved face – when had that happened? – but his markings were still prominent on a face that clearly showed he was still every inch the beautiful assassin. He was naked as well; of course he was – he would have made for an awkward dog if he still had his britches on.

She reached up trembling hands to frame his face, then ran her fingers through his short silver hair. "Why?" she whispered. "It was so beautiful…"

"This Sesshoumaru grew tired of it. In this human world, I am merely Minobe Hideo." Sesshoumaru did not move closer to her; she wondered why.

Kagome laughed. "'Beautiful, excellent male.'" Her eyes twinkled as she recited the meaning of his name. "Of course you'd choose that. I hope you don't mind if I continue calling you Sesshoumaru."

"Of course." His eyes were so solemn, so serious.

Her eyes were a little damp, and she whispered "Why won't you touch me?"

"You have rejected this Sesshoumaru before," he told her quietly. "I will not touch you until you can accept me."

Kagome leaned forward, and placed her trembling lips against his own. "I have always accepted you. I was just a child when I left you, and it was the biggest mistake of my life. I will never leave you, Sesshoumaru, and you have promised to never leave me. And Sesshoumaru never breaks his promises, does he?"

"Never," Sesshoumaru murmured against his lips. "I have vowed that I will never leave you, and I never have. I have only one request that I will ask of you now."

Kagome met his eyes, matching his solemn expression. "Anything."

"Love me," he whispered, his lips ghosting across hers. "Only me. Forever."

Kagome's lips rose in a small smile. "Is that it?" She whispered back teasingly.

"I will not let you go again." He told her, pulling back so she'd be able to read the intent on his face. "It would be better for you if you agree."

"Always, Sesshoumaru. I will always love you, and only you. I'm so sorry for making you wait." Kagome laughed, suddenly elated, and then twined her fingers in his hair, tugging him down to seal the promise with a kiss.

Kagome should have known better. Sesshoumaru may have the body of a man, but he was a demon all the way to the marrow of his bones – and he was dog.

And weren't dogs the most faithful of creatures?