Rating: G
Words: 397
Pairing: Kakashi/Tenzo
Warning/Summary: After battle fluff, honestly
Author's Note: This is another drabble from my May drabble challenge on tumblr. The prompt was "Relax, I'm trying to help" and the bonus word was sunlight.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds in blinding rays that stung Tenzo's eyes. Blurry images fought for precedence, lapping against one another in a riot of colors. He blinked, trying to make sense of things, but his stomach roiled threateningly. Groaning, he forced his eyes shut. The lack of sight sharpened his other senses.
Unfamiliar warmth pressed against either shoulder, radiating down to Tenzo's elbow. Something brushed across his temples, almost caressing through his hair. Then, it tugged at his head protector. Panic surged through Tenzo as he struggled toward his feet, reaching for a kunai. Hands caught his shoulders, holding him in place. "Relax," commanded a familiar voice. "I'm trying to help."
It took Tenzo longer than it should have to connected the voice to Kakashi's face. He blinked stupidly, body tensed to spring in any direction. "Relax," the voice repeated, softer but more insistent. The hands returned to his head protector, removing it completely, then laying it aside. The breeze caught in his hair, ruffling it as Kakashi's fingers worked through the stands. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Hmm," Tenzo hummed, focused on the light caresses. He hissed when the questing fingers pressed a spot above his left ear. Kakashi examined the area more thoroughly, ignoring Tenzo's half-hearted efforts to pull away. "That hurts."
"It should," Kakashi replied. "You have a concussion."
Tenzo tried to fit the information into his memory of the past few hours, but it refused to reconcile. Vague flashes skittered at the edges of his recollection. Had they been on a mission? Why was Kakashi here? He blinked, glancing down at his arms, swathed in the navy blue of a jonin rather than the black of Anbu. "What happened?"
"I had to save you, again," Kakashi teased, his hands falling to rest against Tenzo's shoulders. "One day, you're going to have to pay me back for all of these second chances."
"I'm good for it," Tenzo joked, relaxing into Kakashi. He couldn't remember how he'd come to be here, but he knew he was safe. Kakashi was the one of the only constants in Tenzo's life, but couldn't think of a way to verbalize that. "Thanks," he offered lamely.
For a few moments, silence stretched until Tenzo felt like he needed to add something else. Then, Kakashi gently squeezed his shoulder, understanding all the words Tenzo couldn't say.