A/N Thanks to the Billie Eillish song 'I love you, this story wrote itself.

I must say a giant thank you to all for your lovely reviews for my other Ino and Sai fics. They brighten up my day, and I will have to reply to everyone.

I secretly do enjoy attacking you lovely readers in the feels—XD (Attacking nicely, I mean). However, I feel like the INO/SAI ship lends itself perfectly to that end because their relationship provides the perfect canvas.

You taught me what it is to care.

It was amazing how fragile the human body was; Sai found himself contemplating as he lay there staring up at his ceiling. He was silently in the throes of a raging fever that simultaneously left him both searing hot and shivering. His back was damp with sweat, and it made his clothes stick uncomfortably to the bed linen.

The onset of his sickness had been so sudden. Sai remembered being perfectly fine one minute, yet now he couldn't even bring himself to get out of bed. His very bones seemed weighty, and an ache lingered in his muscles. It had to be the flu as autumn had passed into the first few months of winter.

The sound of laboured breathing filled the room as Sai mouth breathed past his blocked nose. What a torment. It was then that Sai's hazy mind wandered, and he realised that he had been confined to his room for two days now and had not seen a single soul. But since when had he needed to see people, though? Who was he expecting? Sai contemplated about those who would notice his absence. There weren't many, and most of them had their own lives and worries. A pang of loneliness then resonated throughout Sai's chest, and it left him in the aftermath of a surprising but intense feeling of hurt. It seemed that he was not important enough for anyone.

Vigorously shaking his head, Sai reasoned with himself. He did not need anyone as he had managed just fine on his own for all these years. 'It is the sickness talking,' he internally reassured himself.

Suddenly there was a disturbance, and with bleary eyes, Sai turned his head in the direction of the distant sound. It was then that a female figure emerged from the open door. Blinking a few times, Sai began to register that familiar blond hair. Miss beautiful.

"Honestly, making me climb through a kitchen window," he heard Ino snap. She didn't sound annoyed at him but rather the situation.

Ino's eyes then met Sai's, and her expression immediately softened with concern. Her frustration evaporated, and she was quick to come to his side. Sai watched as her palm came towards his forehead and the touch of her cold skin made him close his eyes against the relief it provided.

"Ino, " Sai then sighed without reason, and there was an answering quiver he felt through her skin.

Was this a glorious hallucination, or had he fallen asleep and was in the midst of a pleasant dream? Sai found that he did not care either away as long as he could stay in it. It was better than remembering that he was sick and alone. Therefore, Sai forced his eyelids to remain open so he could take in all he could. Ino was towering over him now and her long hair brushed the side of his bed. Ino's gaze was no longer on him but surveying his room, and Sai was sure that she would be appalled by the mess. But, without warning, she removed her hand then, and the only human contact he had for some time vanished. Sai had no time to lament, though, for Ino began turning away from him. Finding energy from somewhere, Sai desperately reached out to grab her retreating hand.

"Please stay...don't go," he sincerely mumbled while clinging weakly onto her delicate fingers.

There was a faltering breath before Ino turned back. Her eyes held shock, and Sai wondered if she was appalled by his request. The thought alone was enough for him to contemplate releasing her hand. However, when Ino smiled sadly, Sai paused.

"I'm not going anywhere," Ino reassured, and for an extra measure, she firmly took hold of his hand and squeezed it in affirmation before letting go.

It was then that Sai noticed Ino grow serious as she got to work. She was like a whirlwind about his room. She went to the window to draw open the blinds slightly and open one high panel to allow fresh air inside. Sai heard drawers open and the rush of water. Ino's busy movements became background noise, and Sai found himself fighting hard as his eyelids were getting extremely heavy. He wanted to continue watching Ino, yet his body was betraying him. Ino reappeared at his side at that moment, but this time she was holding two small washcloths.

"To keep you cool while I tidy," Sai heard Ino's distant voice explain as she pressed it onto his forehead. The damp material against his fiery skin was wonderful, and the coolness travelled down his face as Ino ran the other cloth from his cheeks down to his neck. All Sai could do was look up at Ino and watch as she applied herself to the task. Her eyes were fixed on him, and her lips were pursed in concentration. She made quick work of it, and before Sai knew it, he felt her hand at the nape of his neck, and he was being pulled forward. A glass rim was being pushed against his lips.

"Drink," Ino ordered then.

Sai had no reason to put up a fight, so he merely took to sipping at the liquid, which was carbonated and sweet. Only now was it that Sai remembered how empty his stomach was so only once unable to drink anymore, did Sai find himself being gently lowered back onto his pillow to allow him to rest again.

Ah. So this is what it is to care.

It was beautiful to Sai. Humans are inherently geared towards self-preservation and so often look out for themselves, yet it seems that we also had the capacity for deep empathy.

Sai managed to smile despite himself as his eyelids finally drooped shut. "You're as sweet as dangos, Ino."

There was an answering splutter followed by a steadfast refusal.

~ooOOoo~

A new day dawned, and the sun brought with it the morning, which greeted Sai with warmth and light against his face. Grumbling lowly, Sai stirred and as he was coming back into consciousness, his bedsheets rustled in response. When he became fully awake, his eyes sprang open in response. It took some time for Sai to regain his bearings. He had been dreaming, but the particulars of which he had already forgotten. However, Sai did not linger on what he could not remember but instead focused on the slow realisation that he felt like himself again. His fever must have broken overnight as Sai truly felt like he was a living being again. It was as if he had resurfaced from a body of water as he could hear clearly, and his senses were sharp once more. Unfortunately, that lent itself to feelings of disgust as Sai could smell his sweat and the feel of his clothes sticking horribly to not only his body but his pillows. Sitting up quickly, Sai peeled himself away from his sheets.

"Ah. You're finally up," a sweet voice stated out of the blue.

There was an intense shock that surged through Sai's whole body, and even his skin jumped. Then, Sai whipped around and saw Ino emerge through his bedroom door with a tray in her hand.

"You're looking much better," she told him then.

Her presence was enough to kick start Sai's mind. His heart was sent thundering hard as adrenaline raced through his blood from the surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Sai asked.

Ino tilted her head in puzzlement. "The same thing I was doing here yesterday."

No. Sai's brain was failing him as his thoughts scattered into disarray.

"But you're here," he stated obviously.

Ino furrowed her eyebrows. "Yes, I'm here...Maybe you're still not 100% better." She said the last part more to herself.

This situation wasn't possible. It wasn't supposed to be real as Sai had been dreaming. Sai's hand went to cover his mouth as his eyes grew wide. Ino had caused fragments of the previous day to remerge in Sai's mind. The shards of memories were like stabbing reminders of the things that he had said to her. A heat now flared through Sai's face, which had nothing to do with being ill. Ino had seen him in this state. What would she think of him now?

Suddenly Ino was in front of Sai as she placed the tray she had been carrying at his bedside table.

"Are you feeling sick?" came her concerned voice, "Your face is red. Are you still feeling feverish?"

Her hand was about to reach for his forehead when Sai dodged it. He quickly tossed his covers aside and clambered to his feet.

"N-No," came Sai's flustered reply, "I just think I need a shower."

He was abrupt, and he knew that. However, Sai needed some distance from her to clear his head and calm whatever storm had taken life in his chest. So Sai fled for his adjoining bathroom.

"Ah. No problem," came Ino's cheery reply behind him, "I'll wait so we can eat breakfast together."

Her words only served to burn his skin further to the point where his ears even felt heated. Sai was unable to soothe his thudding heart as he closed the door behind him.

"Relax. Relax," Sai muttered as he leaned back against the door.

Sai's irises shook, and his breathing came thin and quick. Without thinking, Sai stripped down to the nude and entered his shower as he tried to at least function. He had a rude awakening as he realised that everything he had experienced last night had been real. It was almost too much to bear. His deep fears of isolation had surfaced, thanks to his fever. Granted, they had always been there since his emotional reawakening but what Sai had never anticipated was for his fears to be soothed. Ino had come to see him and answered the call of his lonely heart. She had noticed. Pressing his forehead against the chrome shower walls, Sai closed his eyes. Water rained down on him, seeping through his hair and running down his neck and back. Sai found that his heart was still racing, and so he desperately gripped his chest. He had never felt his heart work so intensely in such a situation. He was not in any danger, yet why was he so scared? '

Ino's gesture probably meant nothing to her because she was inherently caring but to Sai... He was slowly realising now that her actions were leaving a mark on him. Would she have done this for anyone? It was strange, but Sai found himself hoping that she wouldn't. Instead, Sai found himself wishing that he was important to her, which is why she had cared for him as she had done. Sai pushed himself off the wall with a heavy sigh and ran a harsh hand through his wet hair. Stop thinking. Squeezing shampoo into his palms then, Sai took out his frustration on his scalp. His hair didn't thank him for it, but right now, Sai was trying to pull himself together. Time continued to tick by, and Sai was still standing underneath the stream of water despite having finished all his ablutions a fair while ago. The turbulence in his chest had not relented, yet he knew that he could not hide in his shower forever. With his shaky resolve, Sai turned off the water and quickly wrapped a towel around his waist. With trepidation, he slowly edged opened the bathroom door. However, relief was quick to follow as he found that his bedroom was empty. Sai only now noticed how everything looked so tidy. There were no tissues scattered everywhere, the air smelled clean thanks to his open window, and his bed had been stripped of its covers. The tray had also disappeared, and it was most likely in his kitchen along with Ino.

Hurriedly changing into fresh clothes, Sai moved towards the source of his turbulence. The kitchen was also bathed in the natural glow of the sunlight. Albeit colder because of the rolling clouds which shrouded the sky. It was surprising what a women's presence could do, Sai noted as he looked around his kitchen, which was always bare, but now all cluttered with pans and ingredients. In the far end of the room, at the table beside the full window, sat Ino, eating karaage. Sai's lips quirked in amusement before he cleared his throat to announce his arrival. It was Ino, this time, who jumped. Her guilty look was entirely adorable to Sai, and it sent a pleasant rushing warmth to circulate inside of him.

"I was hungry," Ino explained before Sai could say anything, "You took far longer than I expected."

Sai merely shook his head. "It's fine."

Ino bit her lip, and it seemed his understanding made her guilt grow. Sai watched then as she was quick to move towards the stove.

"Sit," Ino said then as she began ladling out miso soup, "I'll bring it to you."

At a loss, Sai followed her instruction and sat. Yet as he stared at her back while she prepared his breakfast, he was confused. He was confused by how he experienced both joy and a tinge of sadness. Would you go to such lengths for just anyone? Sai's eyes became downcast as Ino placed a bowl in front of him. His hands gripped onto the material of his trousers. I want to ask you.

Sai's head only came up at the sound of his name. Ino had already taken her seat opposite him and was holding out a bowl.

"Do you want tofu as well?" Ino asked.

There was an answering grumble from Sai's stomach, and it sent a delicate smile forming on Ino's face. Then, deciding that hunger was one feeling that Sai could currently contend with, he merely nodded and began to eat. Ino went back to finishing her meal.

Sai swirled his spoon into the depths of his full bowl and stared at the floating tofu.

"How did you know I was sick anyway?" Sai unceremoniously asked. The question had been nipping away at him, although he tried to act as nonchalant as possible.

Ino merely scoffed. "You think I wouldn't notice that you didn't turn up to my flower shop two days in a row without a word of explanation?"

"Well, to break into someone's house, that is dedication," he remarked wryly.

Mockingly affronted, Ino remarked. "It's because I care."

Sai's spoon stilled then. "About me?" he hedged with bated breath.

The resulting silence brought about by his question only served to bring tension to Sai's muscles. He finally looked up to face Ino then.

However, it was her turn to avert her eyes, and there was a faint pink tinge to her cheeks. "You, among other people."

It was these words that finally settled the turbulence in Sai's chest. It seemed that Ino's admission was all that he had needed.

Sai smiled softly. "Thank you," he said. The sincerity in his voice was unmistakable.

Her admission was enough for now, but one day when Sai felt braver, he would ask Ino outright. Was he just anyone to her?

Until then, he would work to become her most important person.

So, this is what it is to care...

The End