sunshineverse | Perks of the secret friend [Iruka and Itachi]

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Perks of the secret friend [Iruka and Itachi]

Who: [The I team-- Itachi and Iruka]
When: February 9th
Where: Starting at the Uchiha Compound, moving to Iruka's place

The attention Itachi gets when he finally falls ill can be overwhelming. It seems to be traveling around Konoha, so no doubt with his weak immune system and his extended stay in his home village, Itachi came down with the flu. Mother found him nearly keeling over in the process of making himself tea and demanded he lay back down in bed.

He hadn't gotten any real rest since. The household was busy. Between Mother, Sasuke, and Shisui popping in, he was always being asked if he was alright, if he needed anything, or presented with something else to try to swallow.

Dusk was only marginally better, with everyone else prepping for bed. And now the footsteps down the hall started again...

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He examined him carefully, then sighed. "Warm bath, then back to sleep." He frowned, then moved off to go run a bath before coming back, sure that Itachi wouldn't even notice the absence in his state.

Ah, a bath. Okay. He's okay with that.

But he's still disoriented. He thinks about helping him, standing up and at least getting partway undressed, but that thought dies the moment Iruka's gone, and the other will find him in a light sleep when he returns.

He did manage to move one leg out from under the blankets, though. Progress.

He smothered a laugh at the show of effort and reached down, gently sitting Itachi up. "C'mon you. Bath."

There's another slightly confused hum that follows. What? What's happening.

Oh yes, the bath. Which he failed entirely to help with. Can't blame him, he's tired, and stuffed up. He tries again though, sliding his arm over Iruka's back and trying to hold onto the fabric weakly.

He can stand. Maybe. Will need some help.

Iruka noticed the vague motions to do that and instead slid his arm under his legs and picked him up, padding off to the bathroom. "In a minute. You can make getting you undressed easier."

This is much better. He goes limp in Iruka's grip, preferring this to wasting his energy and ending up on the floor.

Why can't he just carry me everywhere. Comes the illness-induced thought, his subconscious desire to be cared for trying to come to the surface. He was always caring for other people and ignoring his own health... it was nice to be tended to instead.

He huffed a soft laugh as Itachi went limp, shifting his hold to make sure he was supported and then headed off to the bath, setting him down next to the tub. "Okay, clothes off. You'll feel better after the heat warms you."

But that took effort and he didn't want to exert any.

He gives Iruka an unfocused stare, just for a few seconds. Then he's moving again, sniffling due to his nose as he struggles-- but ultimately manages to get his shirt off.

Usually he folds it and sets it aside. The shirt is not that lucky today.

His lips twitched, and he picked up Itachi enough to help him get his pants off. Judging by the look he'd been given, it would save him a lot of grief.

Oh good, because he would've tripped. Perhaps he'll be more coherent after a bath and food, and the steam will help his sinuses.

He even keeps his grip on Iruka's shoulders after his underwear also disappear, slowly sinking into the tub.

Mm, better.

Once he was sure that Itachi wouldn't drown on being released, Iruka nodded and moved off to go fetch him fresh clothes, dumping the old ones in the hamper. He was sure that Itachi was capable of splashing water on himself at the very least.

The hot steam helped clear his nasal cavity, and for the first time in a couple of days, he's able to take a nice, deep breath.

It helps him find a bit of strength, his muddled head coming into focus, and he carefully sinks into the water up to his nose, hair floating in a mess around him. This was very preferable.

He was quick to return, making sure he was still awake, then set clothes nearby, as well as a set of towels. Another one went on the floor by the tub and he handed him a washcloth. "Think you can manage cleaning yourself off?"

He looks up from his little blissful world of water when Iruka returns, a little more attentive than before. He can breathe! A little. But it did wonders for giving him some precious lost energy, and he manages a nod without submerging his nose entirely.

He might feel like shit later on, but for now he had something to work with and he was going to put it to proper use. He's even able to pull himself to a sit-up, half of his hair soaked, the other frizzy with the humidity.

His lips twitched as he looked at Itachi's half drowned appearance, and he reached out, settling himself on t he edge of the tub and dipping his hand into the water to start trickling water in cupped fingers over the top of Itachi's head. "You work on that then. I'll get your hair."

"I needed the steam." he hums, reaching over for some soap and a rag so he can wash himself while Iruka tends to his hair. It's nice...to have fingers on his head that aren't his, that he can simply trust. He doesn't have to think about it, they're simply accepted as a whole.

But Iruka must be careful, because he may just want to stop and enjoy those fingers on their own.

"I could tell. You sounded much worse before you got in. And that was just breathing, let alone talking." He shook his head, making sure the hair was all wet with careful handfuls, ensuring that he wouldn't douse the other man in the face. Only once that was handled did he move on to shampoo.

Having lathered his chest and arms properly, he tilts his head back now, so Iruka has full access to his head, and doesn't have to worry about shampoo in his eyes.

He smiled at the gesture and shook his head, taking care to get all the sweat off his scalp before starting to rinse his hair out. "You're such a cat sometimes."

"Should I purr, and crawl into your bed into the dead of the night to demand attention?" he plays along, with a question, opening one eye.

"If you did it would save me the trouble of unpacking your bedding when you stayed over." He smirked, giving a small laugh as he rubbed his thumbs over his forehead to keep the soap from his eyes.

"Ah, so I am trouble...?" he hums, tone amused. He knows that isn't true, though.

Whatever his next response is just dies into content humming at the fingers in his hair.

He shook his head over the other man and slowly eased his hands back to work on rinsing, running his fingers through the strands to work out the soap. "I don't mind, I'm rather used to it really."

"Mm, you simply wish I make it easier." Though, could they really share the bed...

That's something to ponder while getting his hair washed, lowering slightly so more of his hair is in the water.

"From time to time. You wouldn't be you without being a little trouble." He tugged lightly on his shoulder, supporting him in a tip so he could properly rinse. The other way wasn't being terribly effective.

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