#but my nose is all stuffy n my ears are all clogged and my chest HURTS like it’s sore which is v concerning

[inkykeiji]

can’t tell if i’m actually getting sick or if i’m just feeling under the weather because our furnace is broken ๐·°(৹˃̵﹏˂̵৹)°·๐

formally requesting cuddles from,, hmm,,, who would be the ideal cuddle buddy??? dabi is an obvious choice because he can get physically hot but i also think dabi would purposely get ever-so-slightly too hot just so he could hear you spit a hiss through your teeth + feel you flinch and jerk and gasp as he tightens his grasp or presses scalding fingertips to your thighs or whatever <3

[leggerefiore]

we already know how the submas brothers deal with a s/o who's sick, but how about author's choice of headcanons for characters taking care of their s/os? (the recent cold weather in my area has caused me to develop an ear issue, tbh i know cyrus probably wouldn't help but the image of emotion man failing to heat up soup in a microwave makes me feel a little better,,)

ear pains are the worst. my sinuses clogged and my ears wouldn't pop and I wanted to Die.

characters: Cyrus, Volo, Elesa, and Irida

🌌Cyrus🛰

☄️ Terror after you begin to show symptoms. His emotions come flooding back to him, and you are being notably avoided. Cyrus knows he seems cruel, but he wants to avoid getting sick. The very idea would set him back by who knows how much and annoys him. He is kind enough to buy you whatever you request, but it is left outside your bedroom door in a basket.

☄️ As stated, he's buying you whatever you want. If you, for whatever reason, wanted some food dish that is insanely expensive and doesn't require him preparing it, you'll have it. He just won't hand it off to you directly. Poor guy approaches you in gloves, mask, and goggles if he has to. He procures all kinds of medicines for you. Too much. You are certain to be bought every form of ibuprofen for some reason.

☄️ After he notices your lack of appetite, be it from being unconscious for many hours or just being too exhausted to do anything, he sighs and accepts his fate. People avoid the canned soup aisle as he stares at the options intensely. He has no idea which of these works best. You wake up to a knock on the door and French onion soup in a bowl. You wonder his plans.

☄️ Even if you're crying in front of him (his literal one weakness), he is refusing to touch you. The Team Galactic Boss does not want to be ill. Ever. The idea of his admins funnelling into his apartment annoyed him. Though, he does feel awful for your condition. You get a Weavile or Crobat to cuddle with, depending on your preference. (Crobat makes a great pillow, but Weavile's purrs help with headaches. Choose wisely.)

-----

Everything felt bad. Your head pounded, your throat tickled, every time you coughed or sneezed you felt more and more upset. The stuffiness allowed no more blowing your nose for now. Tears blurred your eyes as you felt alone. Hiccuping quietly to yourself, you reached for the tissues. A knock suddenly rasped from the door, a deep voice called out to you, “I am home and I brought more medicine.” You sighed. Cyrus did not seem to grasp that you had more than enough. The sound of a pokeball opening rang out, and a familiar cry soon followed. “Once more, I am apologetic that you have fallen ill. I hope my pokemon is a nice enough substitute for me in this time,” Cyrus spoke with finality before waking off. You laughed until you coughed.

💫Volo📜

⭐️ Gross, he says, stepping away from you. He immediately tells you that you pushed yourself too far for Team Galaxy and demands you rest for a day or two. His friendly demeanour is always there, but always made you remember everything that happened between you both. You do as he says and wake up to a steaming cup of tea beside you alongside a warm rag on your forehead. It's obvious this was either his or Cogita's actions.

⭐️ He brings you whatever he thinks can help you with your symptoms. There's little in proper medicine during this period of time, but you get meals cooked with medicinal leeks and oran berries quite often. His concern is oddly apparent. You then remember that even things like the cold had a decent fatality rate in this time period. You're gifted little trinkets, too, that he thinks may help make you feel better.

⭐️ He's no cook, but having been on his own for a while, he does know how to make things that at least fall under edible. You awake to more of his medicinal soup at your bedside and start feeling a strange warmth in your chest despite the fog in your brain from sickness. Volo can be oddly sweet in his own way.

⭐️ He's not cuddling with you, even if you're begging him to. Volo will, however, sit near you and speak with you. You're updated on goings-on in Hisui and wonder how he manages to get this information despite having “vanished.” Sometimes, his hand drifts near yours and holds it for a moment. The soft warmth from him is much appreciated. You do swear that you wake up and feel a warm spot in the futon beside you, but Volo never is around for you to question when it happens.

-----

You woke up from a nightmare, desperately gasping for air. The sudden amounts of air triggered a coughing fit and had you leaning forward as your head throbbed from the sinus pressure swelling in your head. The door to your small, shared home slid open, and a hand rubbed your back. Volo's hair was down and running over his shoulders gorgeously as his stormy eye gazed at you intensely. The emotional high came down, and you managed to regain your breath. Laying back down, you sighed as he ringed out a rag to lay across your forehead. “… If only this happened after you received the last of the plates,” he sighed, “Do get better, my angel.” You nodded and sneezed into a hand cloth. He grimaced. His face almost made you laugh.

⚡️Elesa🌟

⭐️ Panics when you start showing symptoms. Immediately searching whatever could be wrong with you while also forcing you to lay down. A humidifier is plugged and tissues are left on the bedside table. Her next thoughts are if she needs to take off work and what to do if she gets sick, too. She tries to recall what she knows about sickness and debates asking help from her friends.

⭐️ She goes to buy medicine and returns with a distressing amount. The idea of seeing you in pain bothers her too much. She's quickly concocting a potion of medications, but you'll likely need to ask her to slow it down a little. She's just worried for you, in the end, but her panic results in a potion of bone hurting more than a cold cure. Small gifts of chocolates or similar things are left for you, too, as a surprise.

⭐️ Her cooking is not… the best. She's a busy woman that doesn't have the time to settle down and cook, but she does know a guy. A certain train adjacent man comes over and helps her make soup for you, to which she eagerly gifts you while offering to feed you. If you're feeling lethargic enough, there probably won't be a question, just your girlfriend making sure you eat something. (She also aggressively makes health teas for you to drink to help you stay hydrated and get some extra vitamins you might be lacking).

⭐️ She knows she shouldn't, but seeing you so ill and pitiful, she crawls into bed with you and cuddles you. Elesa tries to massage your temples to help with any head pain and presses a sneaky kiss or two to your cheek. The gym leader coos over your weakened state while trying to make sure you feel comfortable. She also leaves her Ampharos to keep you company as a cuddly friend when she has work.

-----

You coughed so hard that your head pulsed with pain during each nearly involuntary actions. It was unknown where you caught this vulgar affliction, but when you found out, you would attack whoever passed it along. Ampharos nuzzled into you with a quiet bleat. Electric types always held a pleasant warmth. Just as you were drifting off from the soft comfort of your girlfriend's pokemon, the door of the room opened. Elesa peered in carefully, steaming bowl of soup in her hands. “Oh!” her face grew flustered, “Sorry, sweetie… Ingo brought you some more soup, since he was worried when I said you really weren't eating a lot.” She held the bowl forward. You smiled. Her friends were extremely kind. “It's okay,” you managed to respond, “His cooking is really nice; I'll have some.” She giggled and took a seat beside you, setting the bowl on the night stand. You managed to raise up from the embrace of the sheep and enjoy a nice meal with some banter from your lover.

❄️Irida🦪

⚪️ Poor thing is heavily concerned when you get sick. Obviously, getting sick in this time period isn't something preferred. Especially when you're a member of a rural clan in a region that has had little to no modern development. She demands that you take time off from your Survey Corps work and rest. Irida will go to Kamado if you don't request it yourself. Preferably, too, she can keep you in the Pearl Settlement, but she also acknowledges the benefit of the Galaxy Team's more advanced medical knowledge.

⚪️ Medicine isn't exactly the same as it is modernly, so you're more likely given herbal teas and ground up spices to help with your affliction. If you need to be cooled, she leaves her dear Glaceon at your side, but if you need to be warmed, you're given her Flareon. There's little she can do outside of keeling you company and hoping you get better. She may start hunting for a Blissey if her concern gets bad enough. The legends of their caring natures and healing capabilities aren't unknown to her, after all.

⚪️ You are often shaken awake from your sickness induced slumber to be offered a warm bowl of soup with plenty of medicinal leaks and oran berries inside to help with your health or a tea that's made from herbs that are believed to help manage pain and sickness. She's incredibly soft in these moments, chiding you lightly about not getting proper nutrients. The Pearl Clan leader knows she's seen you go against Noble pokemon at their most powerful, but she can't help but worry. Maybe using all your energy against them left you vulnerable. She'd try to ask the Sinnoh for help, but you captured it. (This helps her believe you'll get better. After all, no ordinary person could capture such powerful pokemon and wield them.)

⚪️ She does maintain a slight distance until you're seemingly getting better. Irida would remain at your beside during the worst parts of your sickness, but during the more manageable moments, she let you rest your head in her lap and stroked your hair. Often, she suggests you sit in the hot springs, but you jokingly ask her to join you in that case. Her face is deadly serious when she says she will. In the end, you would say her kindness and conversation made you feel better than any of the medicines, admittedly.

----

You pressed the small ice fox closely to your head and sighed. Glaceon let out a small sound, but ultimately adjusted herself to lay comfortably near your forehead. There was some irony about using the ice type to help with your cold while in the middle of the most frigid place in Hisui, but that was currently lost to you. The door to the hut opened and revealed your girlfriend covered in a slight layer of snow. “How are you feeling?” she asked, coming to sit by your bed. This had become a custom since you became sick. Glaceon cried out a greeting to her beloved friend, which made you whine. Too much vibrating. “I think I'll take you up on the hot spring offering,” you managed, “After I stop feeling so cold…” Her hand reached forward to press against your forehead. The back of her hand brushed against your cheek as concern filled her eyes. She already had so much to worry about, and you just added more to her plate. “I'm sorry, Iri, you don't have to worry about me so much, I'll be fine,” you told her. Irida shook her head. “I'll get started on a good healthy meal for you,” she said dutifully, standing up proud, “You will be better in no time.”

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Imagine...Dean Caring For You When You’re Sick

Summary: The reader wakes up feeling ill one morning. Dean is there to help take care of her while she tries to get better...

Pairing: Dean x reader

Square: Sick!Fic

Word Count: 642

Warnings: none

A/N: Written for @supernatural-jackles​​ Tell Me A Story bingo!

________

You woke up with a headache, stuffy nose, achy body and covered in sweat. You groaned in the empty room, Dean nowhere to be found. You sat up, bringing the blanket with you and breathed deeply through your mouth. You coughed lightly and plopped back down, squeezing your eyes shut.

“Sweetheart,” said Dean. You peeled open an eye, Dean squatted down by the side of the bed. He put a hand on your forehead and smiled, lifting up your blanket. You shuddered and felt something in your ear, a beep going off. “Alright. Little fever but nothing bad.”

“I don’t feel good,” you mumbled, letting out a cough. Dean lay your covers back over you and shushed you.

“Alright. I’m going to make you some soup and get you some cold medicine. Stay here and rest sweetie.”

You shut your eyes and Dean kissed your forehead, fixing your hair. 

“Okay sweetheart. Be right back.”

Twenty minutes later you were coughing and your nose was running, sat up in bed and shivering. The door creaked open and Dean walked in with a thermos and a cap of red liquid.

You shook your head and buried it under the blankets but Dean sat on the bed and pulled them away.

“Come on. Medicine and then some chicken broth.” He handed you the cap and you threw it back like a shot, missing most of your tongue thankfully. It tasted like cherry and strong mothballs and you knew you’d have to be taking more at some point.

Dean took the cap back and held a straw in the thermos up to your lips, the liquid warm but not scalding hot. You swallowed it down and closed your eyes, taking a break to breathe. 

“I know,” he said, soft tissue at your nose. “Blow for me.”

You took a deep breath and tried to clear your nose, clogging it up even more. Dean got another tissue and you tried again, getting most of it before Dean wiped under your nose and cleaned you off.

“There we go. That should make drinking easier,” he said. He gave you the straw back and pulled your blankets up, tucking it in under your chin so you could hold the thermos from underneath with the blanket. 

He ran his hand over your head and put another blanket over your legs, dimming the nightstand light.

“Thank you,” you said, sniffling again. Dean fixed your pillows so your head was supported and you gave him a tiny smile. 

“Anytime sweetheart. Drink all your soup for me and then try to get some sleep for me. I’ll wake you up later for more medicine.”

“Okay,” you said quietly. “Can I have some vapor rub for my chest?”

“I’ll run out and get some,” he said. He put his hand over your forehead and smiled. “Anything else you want?”

“Sleep,” you said. “Will you sit with me later?”

“I will dig out that dog movie you like and we’ll watch that later on when you’re a little more awake. I’ll pick out a few things at the store to make you feel better.”

You hummed and he smiled, leaving the tissues on the other side of the bed.

“I love you,” you said.

“Love you too, Y/N. Take another cap of medicine if you don’t feel better soon,” he said. “Need anything before I leave?”

“I’m okay,” you said. You sipped and he tucked the stuffed bear he’d bought you into your side.

“Keep an eye on her for me buddy while I’m gone. Be back soon sweetheart. Give Sammy a shout if you need something.”

“Okay,” you said, breathing deeply. “Hurry back.”

“I will sweetheart. Promise.”

_______

[dilly-oh]

Red Hoodie of Fate

The blaring of the fire alarm woke Kakashi from a particularly good dream about tacos. He bolted upright, cracked his forehead on the coffee table, swore horrifically, and stumbled to his feet, blearily remembering falling asleep on the couch several hours ago. He must have rolled off at some point, maybe when he’d been sprinkling some cheese on those delicious tacos- no, stop. Food later. Fire now.

Thank God the dogs were at Yamato’s for the night, otherwise he might never have gotten out of the apartment. Bisuke was scared of loud noises and liable to hide in the deepest, darkest corner of the flat, while Bull would refuse to budge after laying down for anything less than the apocalypse. Pakkun probably would have just puked in anxiety and made matters worse, while Uhei, Akino, and Guruko would have simply started howling along with the siren. Urushi and Shiba were the only ones who’d have listened, and that was only if he had treats, which he no longer kept in his pockets after an unfortunate incident he didn’t care to repeat. He made a face as he recalled the taste.

Pulling on a pair of sneakers and a frayed red hoodie from the floor, Kakashi stuffed his keys and phone into his pockets before throwing open the door and lurching out into the hallway. He couldn’t see any flames or smoke, but he wasn’t going to sit around and wait to see if this was legit.

Maybe it was the brat from downstairs, playing pranks again. Kakashi had caught him stuffing a cat into someone’s mailbox the other day, so he definitely wouldn’t put it past the little punk. It had better not be those two idiots down the hall smoking weed again. Doors opened all along the hallway as tenants began pouring from their own apartments, hurrying down the hall and clogging the stairs like sleepy zombies. Kakashi shuffled along with them, letting the river of half-awake people drag him down several flights and out the front doors.

Kakashi milled around the parking lot with the chattering crowd, shivering at the cool night breeze and stuffing his hands into the hoodie’s front pockets. With nothing better to do than stand around awkwardly waiting for the fire-trucks, he glanced about, studying his neighbors one by one.

There was the brat, tousle-haired and sleepy-eyed, clinging to his mother’s long red braid, still half asleep. Near him was the emo kid who never brushed his hair and wore nothing but black – Kakashi was tempted to ask which make-up tutorial he used for his smoky eye. The two pot-heads were in the back, leaning against each other, dozing in place. There were more - the old man who wrote dirty novels and sometimes asked Kakashi for his expert opinion, the married couple from the floor above, and-

There was a man standing in the middle of the parking lot in nothing but a towel. Kakashi did a double-take before it processed.  

He was dripping wet, water dribbling down his shoulders and pooling around his bare feet onto the pavement. Beads of moisture slowly made their way down the curve of his pectorals, glistening in the divots of his collarbone. Goosebumps had broken out over his tanned skin, pebbling his nipples, his long dark hair plastered to his neck and shoulders. He looked like some ancient Selkie come to seduce men to their watery graves, or a primordial God of the sea preparing to smite some mortals. And hopefully date him, dear God please.

Who the hell was that? Kakashi stared in shock, struggling to place him. He’d memorized every face in the building, and he certainly didn’t remember this Adonis, which was quite impossible. He had a whole grading system for every male in the building, and this knock-out would be graduating top of the class, Magna Cum Laud. Then the man turned his head and the light from the streetlamps hit just right, highlighting the faint slashing scar over the bridge of his nose-

Wait. Holy shit. Kakashi recognized him now, but could barely believe it. That was UMINO? Umino Iruka, the stuffy teacher’s aide who had just moved in next door like a month ago? The nerd whose idea of a good time was binge-watching a season of the Great British Bakeoff? Kakashi had given him a barely passing C+, having to dock points for the arsenal of pens in his shirt pocket and that one time he saw him wearing socks with sandals.

Damn. He’d totally misjudged him. This man was a BABE. The white towel only heightened his natural tan, accentuating the deep V of his hip-bones while the shadows played across his toned stomach. He looked…

He looked cold.

Umino stood stiffly upright, head high and without shame. In fact, he glared about, arms crossed, seemingly challenging anyone to make a comment or dare laugh. But Kakashi saw the goose-bumps on his skin, the subtle shiver of his shoulders. Summer had passed and, while winter was still a ways off, fall had begun muscling its way in. Kakashi wasn’t sure the clenched jaw was from irritation or to keep his teeth from chattering.

Kakashi gathered his courage and walked over.

“Hi,” he began, and almost stopped when Umino glared at him, eyes dark and daring. “Umino, right? Hatake Kakashi, from next door.” Umino studied him for a moment, then gave a sharp nod of acknowledgement. “Uh…want my jacket?”

“No, thank you, I’m fine,” Umino bit out with a tight smile, pushing some wet strands of hair out of his face.

Someone wolf-whistled. Probably the old man.

Umino slowly went red, the flush starting in his cheeks, then traveling down his neck to bloom halfway down his chest.

“…Yes, please,” he said quietly, gripping his towel in a white-knuckled hand. Kakashi fought back a chuckle and yanked the hoodie off over his head, inadvertently pulling up his shirt as he did so. Blinded as he was, he missed the flicker of Umino’s eyes over his exposed abdomen and prominent hipbones, the flush darkening a degree. Finally free, Kakashi gave the hoodie a shake and held it out, grinning sheepishly.

“Smells a bit like dog. Sorry.”

“S’fine,” Umino muttered, quickly taking it and pulling it on. It was a little too big for him but did the job, covering that delicious expanse of tanned skin and muscle. Kakashi stepped back and studied him for a moment, his mouth going dry.

Shit. It didn’t help at all. If anything, it made it worse.

Umino was now wearing his hoodie, which draped over his body but only made it to mid-thigh. The result was even more alluring and provocative than him standing there in a towel. Kakashi cleared his throat and snapped his eyes away, praying for a fire-truck to come peeling around the corner and hose him down so he could cool the fuck off.

“…You have a dog?”

“Huh?” Kakashi’s eyes snapped away from Iruka’s meaty thighs as he realized the owner of said thighs had just asked a question. “Oh! Yes. Dog. Or, rather, dog-zuh. Plural.”

“Plural?” Iruka frowned in confusion. “How many are we talking-”

“Eight.”

“EIGHT?!”

“Yup.”

“You have eight dogs.”

“Yup.”

“How did you even sneak that by the super?”

“Oh, she thinks I only have four. I have a friend who keeps a couple at his place. I just rotate them out.”

Umino laughed. It was a nice sound, even when he snorted a little at the end.

“So, what do you do?” Umino asked. “Other than harbor illegal animals, that is.”

“I work at the gym down the street,” Kakashi said, jerking his head. “I’m a fitness trainer.”

“Well, that would explain your abs...sssolutely horrible fashion sense. What are those track pants from, the 80’s?” Umino cleared his throat suddenly and jammed his hands into the hoodie’s pockets, frowned, then pulled out a crumpled wad of receipts for fast-food takeout. He stared accusingly at Kakashi for a long, quiet moment.

“…I’m allowed a cheat day,” Kakashi said.

“These are all from the same HOUR-”

“Gai bet me I couldn’t eat it all. I had to defend my honor.”

“Did you throw it all up afterward?”

“…I can neither confirm nor deny that. I can, however, confirm that I won the bet.” Kakashi winked cheekily, and Umino rolled his eyes.

“Do you…enjoy your job?” he asked, stuffing the receipts back into the pockets.

“It’s not bad. I mean, it could be worse, I could teach brats all day.” Kakashi shrugged. “What do you do?”

“I teach brats all day.”

…Dammit.

Umino’s grin was mischievous, though, and there was no hostility in his tone, so there must have been no offense taken.

“How’s that go?” Kakashi asked, genuinely curious.

“About as horrible as you’d think. I have them just when puberty rears its ugly head and turns them into angst-ridden monsters. My classroom in a cesspool of hormones and crying.”

Kakashi laughed aloud. Umino wasn’t anything like he’d thought. Both inside and out. It was incredibly refreshing, not to mention incredibly attractive.

Which is why he was quite disappointed when the first fire-trucks started to pull into the parking lot. He’d rather the whole apartment complex burn down if it meant he could stand out here, chatting with the hot teacher all night.

The fire, just a microwavable popcorn-bag gone wrong, was put out in minutes, the complex deemed safe by the groggy super, a busty older woman who was either hung over or still drunk at this unholy hour. Tenants began milling back inside, clogging the entrance in their desire to return to bed. Kakashi lingered in the back of the crowd with Umino, reluctant to part ways.

“Well, I suppose I should thank you for your hospitality,” Umino said lightly, reaching up to grasp the hoodie’s zipper. “You can have this back n-”

“Keep it,” Kakashi said quickly. Perhaps too quickly, going by the surprise on Umino’s face. “I mean…just for now. Till you. You know. Get inside and get dressed. You don’t wanna catch a cold.” He cleared his throat awkwardly, feeling his ears get hot.

“Oh…alright.” Umino's hand lowered and he gave him a shy smile, plucking at the loose red threads hanging from the sleeves, winding one around his pinky absently. “Thank you.” The quiet words warmed Kakashi, a delicate shiver traveling up his spine. Kakashi mumbled a response, then doubled over as the hyperactive blonde kid suddenly bowled right into him.

“Watch it, old man!” the brat shouted, dodging away.

“I’m not even thirty!” Kakashi barked after him, offended. “Friggin’ kid. Can you believe-” He turned to Umino and blinked.

He was gone.

---

A knock on the door woke Kakashi right as he was taking another big, crunchy bite of taco. He bolted upright, cracked the back of his head on the coffee table, swore horrifically at himself for not getting in the damn bed this time, and stumbled to his feet. Making a mental reminder to just go and eat some fucking tacos already, he lurched towards the door, tripping over the rug and falling against it with a loud thud. He fought with the handle for a moment before finally yanking it open, squinting at the light stabbing into his eyes from the hallway.

Umino stood there, not hot as hell towel-Umino, but pressed khakis and crisp button-up, array of pens and hair in a severe ponytail Umino, fully dressed and ready for the day. Kakashi, rather than feeling a twinge of disappointment, was surprised to find the man just as alluring covered from head-to-toe as he was three-fourths-naked.

“Good morning,” Umino said, horribly chipper considering the abominable hour.

“Mornin’. What’re you doing here so early?” Kakashi mumbled, rubbing his face. Umino stared at him.

“It’s 9 a.m.”

“Holy shit. Really?” Kakashi squinted down at his watch. “I thought 9 a.m. was a myth.” Umino’s mouth fell open. “You still haven’t answered my question, though.”

“Oh. Right. Um. Your hoodie. I have it,” Umino said quickly, tripping over the words. He was flustered and twitchy with nerves. If Kakashi were a predator, this was when he’d pounce. “I, um, washed it. For you. Here.” He thrust the jacket out, perfectly folded and smelling of lavender. Kakashi was impressed.

“What, did you wash it twice?” he asked, taking it in his hands and marveling at how soft it felt. The rich red color was much more vibrant, almost seeming to glow.

“Three times,” Umino replied flatly. “Then Febreeze.”

“Umino-”

“Iruka.”

Kakashi blinked, looking up to meet the other man’s gaze.

“You can call me Iruka,” he said, sincere.

“…Alright. I’m Kakashi.” Kakashi stuck out his hand, tucking the hoodie under his other arm. Iruka’s shake was firm, his hands surprisingly soft. He must moisturize or something classy like that.

“I want to thank you for helping me out last night,” Iruka went on, two spots of color appearing high on his cheeks. “I was in a rather…awkward predicament and even after I snapped at you, you still helped me despite my rudeness. I…really appreciate it.”

“No problem,” Kakashi replied easily, scratching the back of his head. Oh God, his hair must be a nightmare- no, wait. It always was. Nevermind then. “Any time.”

“So, um.” Iruka shuffled his feet a little, clearing his throat. There was that predatory instinct, niggling Kakashi to jump on him and go for the jugular. “I was wondering how to thank you, and I thought I could, maybe…make you dinner?” he finished weakly, glancing up at Kakashi from beneath thick lashes, then looking away again, suddenly shy. “I’m pretty good in the kitchen, so, if there’s anything you’d like…”

“Tacos,” Kakashi said instantly.

“…Oh.” Iruka deflated, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face. “Tacos. Really? I was hoping for something a bit more…challenging. Something that would allow me to show off my culinary skills a bit. But, I mean, if that’s what you want-”

“I like miso soup,” Kakashi said after a moment. “With eggplant.” Screw tacos. He could have tacos any day of the week. He’d take a bowl of cold cereal if it meant getting to spend the evening with this full-course meal.

Iruka lit up, his smile warm and inviting.

“Miso soup it is, then. I’ll have it done by tonight and bring it over. Does that sound alright?”

“Sure.” Kakashi waved as Iruka walked off down the hall, then slipped back inside and closed the door. He brought the hoodie up to his nose and inhaled the comforting scent of lavender, thinking how differently last night would have gone had he not grabbed the hoodie. What he would have missed out on. Fate, it seemed, really did exist.

Hopefully he’d be seeing more of Iruka…in more ways than one.

-End-

Months ago, I was chosen as a pinch-hitter for the Kakairuzine (I would step in if someone had to leave), so I completed two fics just in case they were needed. Since it wasn’t, I’m posting it here. Enjoy!

[caramelfuzz]

Hello @refractedspectrum I’m your (extremely late and terrible) Secret Santa! I really hope you like it!

“Keith, do you copy?”

“Sdf… uh, I copy.”

Keith quickly turned off his comm, coughing lightly into his helmet. He couldn’t let Shiro know he was coming down with the wicked bitch cold their leader had just gotten over.

“Good, you’re lagging. Get your ass in gear, soldier.”

Keith hung his head. Clearly Shiro was still grumpy from being sick. The other man was always the grumpiest sick person and he took the brunt of his frustration out on Keith. All because this time Keith had been the one to dare approach him and take care of him.

He felt his nose prickle and he stifled a sneeze hands-free,

“Hih! Hnxgt’uh!”

Another short cough burst forth, making the ache in his throat worse.

“Keith! Where are you?”

“C-hh-coming, heh’Nktshhh! Shiro.”

The small sneeze apparently angered his leader, because he got an earful,

“Keith! I told you you’d catch my cold and I’d be stuck taking care of you!”

“I-I’m not sick, I swear Shiro! I’m really not! It was just something in the air!”

He knew he sounded desperate and pathetic but he didn’t want Shiro to be angry with him.

He finally arrived at the rendezvous point, where Shiro was waiting for him with a sour look on his face.

“I almost left you here. Get yourself together. If you can’t keep up then you’re a liability so I expect to see you in the training room first thing tomorrow,” he said coldly.

Keith nodded wordlessly and they got in the black lion to go back to the castle. The entire way Shiro was quiet. All attempts to make casual conversation were shot down with a glare, and when congestion began to sneak into Keith’s voice Shiro lost it again.

“Are you sick or are you not sick?”

He snapped, making Keith recoil in surprise and a bit of fear.

“N-ndot sick, sir.”

“Good. Then quit faking congestion, or are you making fun of how I sounded when I was sick?”

Keith wanted to bite back and ask how him having a stuffy nose would be making fun of Shiro, but swallowed his pride and nodded, sniffling as quietly as he could to alleviate the congestion.

“Sorry, Shiro.”

He kept his mouth shut for the rest of the trip, subtly wiping his hand under his nose as it ran intermittently. His heart threatened to pound out of his chest when he felt a tickle blossom in the back of his nose. He tried to make his hitches as quiet as possible, but the sneeze was fast approaching,

“Hh’ghh… hah… ihh’hih!” He scrunched his nose up, rubbing at it hard to stave off the oncoming fit, letting out a small sigh of relief when the tickle went from ‘sneeze is imminent and rapidly approaching’ level to ‘annoying but manageable.’ The rest of the journey went pretty much like that: a tickle would rear its ugly head and he’d pinch and rub his nose until it backed down again. Rinse, lather, repeat.

When they finally arrived at the castle it was what the paladins had deemed evening and Keith was desperate to get off the lion. As he was leaving to rush to his room Shiro stopped him, saying he wanted to debrief with the rest of the paladins; a debrief in which Shiro ripped Keith a new one, scolding him in front of the others and using him as an example for why they all needed to keep up with their training. Keith felt his eyes fill with tears, but he choked them back as he felt yet another tickle surface in his nose. He couldn’t hold it back, so he stifled it as much as he could.

“Hh! Hh’mpch!”

“Bless you!” Hunk exclaimed, furrowing his brow. Keith sniffled into his wrist and was about to offer a tentative “thank you” when Shiro cut in,

“No, Hunk, don’t bless him. He’s clearly faking it to gain your sympathy so I look like the bad guy here when he’s the one who’s been lazy and slacked off.”

Hunk tried to interject, “Shiro, you have to see reason. Keith trains more than any of us, except maybe you, and he-”

Shiro cut him off. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“No sir,”

“Then back off, paladin.” Shiro stalked off, leaving the rest of the team confused and upset. Hunk walked over to Keith, who looked like he was about to cry. “Keith, he didn’t mean any of that. He probably just had a bad day or something, right?” “He had a bad day because of me,” Keith muttered before turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

Keith skipped dinner, opting to stay in his room so he wouldn’t risk Shiro seeing him exhibit any symptoms that might set him off again. His cough had definitely gotten worse since the mission, from a small tickly thing to a deeper, more crackly sound which spoke of congestion in his lungs. His head was stuffed and he knew for a fact that he wouldn’t be able to hide his dulled consonants if he were to try to speak to someone. He tried to sleep but found it too difficult to breathe through his nose and after a few hours of tossing and turning he gave up. It was nearing 3 in the morning, what could he do for the several hours he had until he had to face people again? The training room seemed like the obvious solution, especially considering what Shiro had told him earlier, so he quickly put his armor on and went there.

“Okay, Keith, you can do this.” He murmured to himself as he faced the robot; parry, guard, lunge, dodge, cut, pivot. He won easily, barely breaking a sweat.

“See? Not that sick at all.” He told himself, wiping his wrist across his runny nose. Of course it started to tickle right then. He ignored it and continued to the next level of training bot; dodge, dodge, cut, parry, cut, lunge, and done. Suddenly he doubled forward into his elbow, sneezing messily.

“huh'EHSCCHH'uh! Ih'CHISSSH-xt! 'TSHIEWW! eh’nGXTCH’uh!”

That fit left him a little dazed, but he was still on his feet and that was all that mattered. He began the next simulation, coughing into his elbow and wincing at the pain in his throat.

At around 5:30 he finally went to bed, all but collapsing into the mattress and making himself a cocoon of blankets, which did almost nothing to stop his shivers. He only had 2 and a half hours before the paladins were due for morning workouts, so he had to get as much rest as he could if he had any hope of hiding his demon cold from Shiro so he wouldn’t get angrier.

“Hahh… Ih'CHISH! 'TSHIEWW!”

Even his sneezes sounded exhausted. Wet, throaty, and harsh bursts that sent him into another coughing fit. He didn’t have any tissues so he just wiped his runny nose on his wrist, sniffling.

His alarm woke him up promptly at 7:45 and he dragged himself out of bed and into the restroom, gazing at the disaster in front of him with contempt. If this sickness didn’t kill him, Shiro definitely would. There was no way he’d be able to train up to Shiro’s standards, not when his throat hurt just trying to breathe through his mouth as his nose did its best impression of a clogged but also somehow leaky faucet. He shook it off and put on his armor and made his way to the training deck, doing his best to look better than he felt. The other paladins immediately inched away from him, not wanting to be subject to Shiro’s wrath when he saw their teammate looking like death warmed over. Shiro walked in, looking to be in a much better mood than the day before and ready to seize the day. He walked up to the team, smiling at them.

“Good morning, crew! Are we ready to get training? You all get started with some stretches, Keith, may I speak to you?” Keith swallowed nervously, trying not to wince when the action felt like he’d sent shards of glass down his esophagus. He followed Shiro a short distance from the other paladins and Shiro began to speak to him, sounding quite apologetic,

“Keith, I’m really sorry for what I said yesterday, it just really irritated me that you were apparently trying to make fun of me for getting sick.”

Keith nodded, trying to avoid speaking if at all possible.

“I just want you to know that I’m sorry for snapping at you. I should have handled the situation much better but instead I was cruel and--”

Keith cut him off by mistake, sneezing harshly into his elbow,

“huh'EHNGXT! Ih'CHISSSH-xt! 'TSHIEWW! eh’nGXTCH’uh!”

He tried to stifle the first two explosions but was unable to even begin to contain the final two. The effort sent him into a coughing fit and he felt so ashamed that he couldn’t look his leader in the eye, so he stared at the ground pitifully and mumbled,

“B’so sorry, Shiro. Didd’t beand to. Sobethigg ind the air?”

His half-hearted attempt at making an excuse was met with a surprisingly tender hand on his forehead and an even more tender voice,

“Keith, you’re burning up. I’m so sorry I didn’t notice how sick you were sooner. Has it been this bad since yesterday?”

Keith looked up, shocked, “Y-you’re dot mbad?”

Shiro shook his head, “No, Keith. I’m really sorry for treating you like I did, I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed yesterday and took it out on you not realizing you were sick.”

Keith tried to be quiet through Shiro’s spiel, but his nose was tickling yet again and he scrubbed at it, determined not to sneeze and embarrass himself further with the mess it would create. Shiro seemed to notice his plight,

“Keith? You okay?”

“H’HCKCH! I-hh-I’mb alright. I-Hh’heh!” He immediately launched into another build-up after the stifle, desperately pinching his nose to try to stop the sneezes. Shiro fixed him with a stern look,

“Keith don’t you dare stifle any more of those sneezes.” He grabbed Keith’s hands and pulled them from his face,

“Sneeze.”

“B-hh! B-but gerbs!” Keith practically whined, but Shiro didn’t budge.

“Sneeze, Keith. I gave you this cold so I can’t catch it back and the others are all the way across the room. Sneeze.”

Keith felt his control slipping away and his eyes crashed shut as the fit took control,

“Hh’ghh… hah… ihh’hih! huh'EHSCCHH'uh! Ih'CHISSSH-xt! 'TSHIEWW! eh’nGXTCH’uh! Sdff!” He sniffled miserably, feeling the aftermath of the sneezes running down his face, but regretted it when it caused the tickle to come back with a vengeance, causing him to wrench forward with another volley of miserable sneezes,

“Hh’EISCHh! Heh’TSHhuH! H’HCKCH!”

The second half of the fit wasn’t as long, but he still felt drained from it. He glanced up at Shiro, sniffling mightily and wiping his drippy nose on his shoulder. His leader looked stunned, quickly dropping Keith’s hands so he could tend to his nose a little better,

“Bless you, Keith. Why don’t we get you into bed, hm?”