Zelda woke up to a cool hand on her forehead. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and gave Ike a soft smile. "Told you I'd be right back," he said and she looked down at the duffel bag in his hand.

"What's in the bag?" she asked and he smirked as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"Clothes, shampoo, body wash, toothbrush... I've had the flu before and I was out for a week so I'm prepared to play doctor however long you need," he gave her a smile before he stood up and walked over to her bathroom. "I'll leave the door cracked. If you need anything just shout okay?"

"Don't think I can," she admitted in a hoarse tone and he turned to her with a thoughtful expression.

"Then come get me but don't peek," he offered a wink with his words and Zelda blushed, happy that her fever had to have hidden it from his eyes.

"I might," she mumbled and he chuckled, making her blush deepen before he vanished into the bathroom. With the door cracked she could hear the sounds of his clothes hitting the floor, heard him humming an aimless tune as he started the water, and then heard a low groan as he stepped in. As powerful as her curiosity was, she was determined not to get out of her bed. Determined... until her stomach threatened to empty itself.

She threw back her covers and ran past what she was sure was quite a sight in her shower to the toilet, barely getting the lid up before her meager breakfast rushed past her lips. She dry heaved a few times when done, the taste of bile strong on her tongue. As the shaking faded she suddenly became aware of the warm wet hand on her back, another holding back her hair. "Fuck," she whined in embarrassment and the warm hand on her back pulled her to a very warm, very wet, and very naked Ike.

"You okay?" he asked softly and she nodded against his warm chest, savoring the sensation despite the situation. "Come on, let's get you in the shower."

"You're showering."

"So?" he questioned with a small chuckle as he pulled her away from her mess. "I don't mind sharing." With that gem of wisdom firmly planted in her brain, Zelda found herself not wanting to get in the shower. At all.

"Ike I don't-"

"Zelda get in the shower already, we're both adults here," he said with a firm yet gentle tone. If she had been capable of feeling anything other than the crushing embarrassment of having just thrown up his carefully made breakfast, Zelda would have been turned on by the way he eased her out of the fluffy robe. As it pooled around her feet he grabbed her hands and tugged her into the shower. No one could be expected not to notice chiseled from marble perfection, least of all Zelda as she watched him fiddle with the knobs to turn the water from scalding hot to depressingly lukewarm. "Come here," he coaxed gently with an outstretched hand and she moved to take it, suddenly realizing just how naked they both were.

"I should really-"

"Zelda," his tone held an amused laugh as he took both her hands and pulled her against him. She gasped at the completely unexpected move, feeling his hands run over the bare skin of her back gently. "See? Is this so bad?"

"It's the opposite of bad," she mumbled against his chest and felt his hands run all the way up to her shoulders. An unintended whimper left her lips and he kept his hands there, kneading the flesh under his knuckles with the perfect amount of pressure. "Ike," she groaned his name, her face buried deeper in his chest.

"See? I told you I'm good at things other than cooking," he teased and she snorted.

"I always thought you meant sex," she admitted and his responding chuckle rumbled in her ear.

"That too," he said after a moment and she blushed. His hands slid from her shoulders and into her hair, the massaging way his fingers explored her scalp almost magical.

XxX

Before Zelda knew what was happening her hair had been washed, her shoulders rubbed into submission, and still they stood under the water, Ike's arms wrapped around her tightly. "Let's get you back to bed," he whispered and she whined when he slipped his arms from her. He shut off the water and stepped from the shower, Zelda unable to stop watching as he grabbed his towel and tied it around his waist. His feet slapped the marble to her cabinet and he pulled out a fresh and fluffy towel, a grin on his lips as he walked back over to her and held it out. "Get back in bed, I'll be there in a bit."

Zelda begrudgingly complied, running the towel over her body lazily before stepping from the shower. Without a care in the world for her nudity she laid down in her bed, burrowing into the softness with a content sigh. Her eyelids immediately drooped, the fatigue of standing that long in the shower catching up to her feverish body. "Ike?" she called out weakly, forcing her voice to be louder than a whisper.

"Yeah?" he poked his head out of the bathroom, his hair a mess of spikes as he ran the towel over it.

"Can you come lay down with me?" she asked as a shudder ran through her body and he nodded.

"I'll be right there, I promise. I'm just going to clean up the bathroom okay?"

"Ugh," Zelda groaned as she shut her eyes in mortification. "I can't believe I got sick all over the place and you have to clean it up... I'm so sorry Ike I should really-"

"You get out of that bed and I'll tie you to it," his tone was amused as he pointed at her. "Stay there I'll be done in no time." With that he vanished back into the bathroom, leaving Zelda laying there with a smile on her lips.

XxX

"You sure you wanna try this?" Ike's voice held hint of panic as he held Zelda close.

"Yes! Just help me dammit," Zelda said as she gripped the banister leading downstairs.

"Alright," Ike's grip on her waist slackened as he helped her down the first step. "Let's just take it slow... there's no need to rush," his tone was soothing, a warm blanket wrapped around her like his arm as she faltered on the second step. "Want me to carry you?" he offered and she snorted.

"No," she responded after a moment, proving to him that she could continue by taking another step. "I can do this." He chuckled, mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like stubborn, and helped her down like she was made of glass.

When they finally reached the last step and her bare feet touched the tile she gave him a triumphant grin. "Told you," she said with a quick dart of her tongue out of her mouth. Ike stuck his tongue out at her in retaliation before scooping her up into his arms. She squealed in shock, the noise turning into a coughing fit as he carried her into the living room.

"You can't push yourself too much Zelda," he chided as he eased her down onto the couch. "If you do that you'll be sick longer."

"Maybe I kinda like being sick," she mumbled as she shifted on the pillow beneath her head.

"Why do you like being sick?" he asked, his hand frozen on its way to the blanket on the back of the couch.

"Because you're here," she mumbled, her cheeks heating up at the admission.

"I know you're not blind," he said as he grabbed the blanket. With a flick of his wrists the blanket billowed out and he laid it on top of her. "You can't just think I'm here because of that," he whispered as he pulled the thick blanket up to her chin.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her heart beating painfully in her chest.

"Get some sleep, I've gotta check on the soup," he said with a smile she wanted to call fond before he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

XxX

The rest of the day was spent on the couch. Ike held her against him as they watched movie after movie, her picking everything from horror to a musical. "No," Ike shook his head as she held up the box.

"What's wrong with Sweeney Todd?" she fired back and he sighed.

"You're going to be singing the songs," he responded as he snagged the box from her hands.

"So? It's a good movie... Oh my god you like it don't you?" she asked with a wide smile. "You're not worried about me singing, you're going to get them stuck in your head!"

"I am not," he said with a slight pout and she giggled.

"It hurts to laugh stop making me laugh!" she wheezed out between laughing fits and he shook his head.

"You hungry?" he asked out of the blue and she nodded.

"I want something solid. No more soup," she whined with her lower lip stuck out.

"You won't puke on me?" he asked and she scoffed.

"I'll do my best," she fired back and he chuckled before he got up from the couch.

"I'll make you a light snack, we'll see how you do with that."

XxX

A light snack to Ike was heaven to Zelda's weak stomach. A fresh fruit salad drizzled with a light sweet sauce and sprinkled with tiny flecks of coconut... Every bite made her want to moan in delight. "When did you make this?" she asked around a plump strawberry and he shrugged.

"This morning before your breakfast. You don't seriously think I've been eating soup this whole time right? A man's gotta have meat and," he stole a blueberry from her bowl, "I love me some fruit salad."

"Do you grill?" she asked as she mourned the loss of the blueberry.

"Do I grill? Seriously?" He chuckled at her responding blush and she mulled over a thought brewing in the back of her mind.

"What's your favorite to grill?" she asked and he sighed as he relaxed further into the cushions.

"Ribs are the best if they're done right," he said with a nod. "I'd say steak but I love it spicy and no one makes it like I do." Zelda nodded, storing the information in her brain. Maybe, just maybe, when she was feeling better she could cook him something to say thanks.

XXX

Everyone! I'm sorry for the lack of updates recently! You have no idea how bad I feel. Life gets busy and unfortunately the things I want to do get pushed to the back of everything. I'm sorry, but I'll be trying my best to churn out updates as quick as I can. I love you all for reading and sticking with me. Love, Leigh