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When Team Guy had first started training together, their teamwork was lacking, to say the least. Neji could admit that a not insignificant part of the friction had been caused by him. In training, he always won spars quickly with his technique, wanting to get them over with so he could pursue training on his own, but eventually Guy-sensei insisted on a match with no chakra usage, which Neji knew would be slightly more difficult for him to win, facing Lee.
To make matters worse, this particular day Neji had debated showing up to training at all. He was at the beginning of a cold, but they had a day off the following day, so he told himself he could rest tomorrow. Shinobi don’t take the day off for a headache and a sore throat, after all. He could push through, no problem.
Well… yes problem, as Guy-sensei had chosen today to be fed up with Neji’s attitude - though it had been improving, slightly, over the past few weeks- and wanted Neji to lose a fight. Neji just wanted to go home, but he knew throwing the fight would only ignite further passion into the hearts of his sensei, and Rock Lee, so he had to make at least a token effort.
Neji got into position, across from Lee, breathing slowly to fight back the nausea roiling in his stomach. He was not going to throw up in front of his teammates, it would be utterly undignified. Guy-sensei started the match, and Neji did not stand a chance. Perhaps he was more unwell than he thought, or perhaps Lee was simply going all out, and though Neji got a hit or two, he quickly found himself pinned, his head spinning.
Lee got off of him, and offered him a hand up. Neji blinked, staring at the offending hand like Lee would smoothly take the motion back, with some sort of joke, but it stayed there, waiting.
“Neji!” Lee exclaimed, evidently about to go on some sort of rant or proclamation that would end with both him and Guy-sensei in tears. Neji took his hand, just to shut him up before he could get going.
Lee pulled him up easily, with enough force to throw Neji off balance when he got on his feet. Neji stumbled slightly, grimacing as another bout of nausea made itself known. Lee steadied him, giving Neji a curious look, and one of his hands quickly touched Neji's cheek.
“You’re hot!” Lee shouted, prompting a wolf whistle from Tenten where she stood watching the match. Neji rolled his eyes and pulled away, his legs trembling underneath him as he made his way towards Guy-sensei. Let Lee spar with Tenten now, Neji was done for the day. “No I mean- Neji is sick!”
“What?!” Guy-sensei gasped, and in the blink of an eye, was in front of Neji. Neji only managed a half step back before his sensei began to manhandle him, hands on Neji’s face checking his temperature. Neji wanted to push him away, but for whatever reason, his sensei’s hands were blissfully cold, and he quickly gave up on that idea.
“I’m not sick.” Neji grumbled, annoyed at the attention.
“No no, you definitely are feverish, Neji.” Guy-sensei replied, before giving him a big grin. “Luckily for you, I happen to be a very accomplished caretaker. I’ll have you right as rain in no time!”
Neji shook his head, though he immediately regretted the motion as his vision swam, and another violent spike of nausea hit him.
“I will return home to rest, alone.” Neji insisted, but instead of sharp, it came out breathy and uncertain. He sounded weak, and that was enough to worsen the nausea. Guy-sensei grabbed Neji’s shoulders, his expression one of utmost sympathy- the kind of look you give an upset child when you can’t let them have their way. Neji bristled. He was not a child, he had not been a child since his father died and he was branded with the seal on his forehead. Being treated like he was less than, well, he got enough of that in his day to day life.
“Sorry, Neji, but as your sensei I can’t let you do that. You shouldn’t be alone right now.” Neji did not pout, though Tenten would later insist he did, but he did glower. He wanted to go home, to be in his bed. The fact that Guy-sensei was demanding that he not do such a thing should not be surprising, but Neji was somewhat disgruntled by how much the man seemed to care.
“Guy-sensei-” Neji started to protest, but he stopped as Guy-sensei picked him up. “Put me down.” Neji gasped, pushing against his sensei’s chest, but the grip on him only got tighter. Guy-sensei was holding him like one would hold a baby, a fact that Neji did not appreciate in the slightest.
“Alright my youthful students, today’s training is taking a new pathway! I am going to teach you how to take care of a sick teammate.”
Neji groaned, and tempted as he was to use his Gentle Fist and escape, he was simply too weak to do anything. Like he always was. Neji hid his face in Guy-sensei’s arm as three standing shinobi took off, running on rooftops as they made their way somewhere.
Neji was not paying attention, too focused on staving off the nausea that had worked its way up his throat, each movement jostling him and letting it inch up a little higher. His throat burned, but he ignored the pain. He would be fine, he was only a little sick. He would not make a bigger fool out of himself than he already had.
It was not much longer before they had arrived at their location- Guy-sensei’s apartment, Neji quickly realized. He was finally let out of the embarrassing hold, set down gently on Guy-sensei’s couch as the Jōnin led Neji’s other teammates around the apartment, barking commands. Neji contemplated leaving while they were all distracted, but there was nothing waiting for him in the Hyuga complex other than quietly suffering through his illness on his own, like he always did. Perhaps it was worth experiencing what it was like on the other side, for those with parents, or how had Guy-sensei put it? Caretakers.
The couch beneath him was comfortably, well worn and decorated with soft throw pillows and a blanket. Neji yawned, leaning against the armrest of the couch, sinking into the pillows surrounding him. He closed his eyes, listening to the hustle and bustle of his teammates as he relaxed. Letting himself be taken care of had not been a thing since the death of his father, but Neji was willing to try it once. What is the worst that could happen?
(Neji would figure this out, later, that the worst that could happen was him feeling all the worse the next time he was sick and hurt and by himself.