Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the feedback/watches/favs so far! Sorry for the long hiatus. I'll try to update and finish this story this year. I know I've said that for the past two years though…

However, since I'm in quarantine – I can finally work on stories again.

Disclaimer: I don't own. Not even the lyrics. Which inspired this story.

Bulletproof Love

Chapter 5

Itachi woke when he felt movement. Hinata was shifting in her sleep on the couch. He had to smile; she looked so sweet, even burning up. He felt her forehead again. Still hot, but not burning.

Stretching, he rose to find more fever suppressant and perhaps more fluids. Itachi was not going to let her be taken out by a virus.

He poked around in the kitchen. Amidst the exotic supplies, she had juice and a few sports drinks. He grabbed one and headed back towards the couch.

She looked so peaceful and sweet Itachi almost hated to wake her up to give her more medicine. Her cheeks were rosy, and her hair curled around her face in soft waves and tendrils.

Itachi had a few moments to spare so that he could look at her, really look at her. The firm, round globes of her breasts pressed together as she lay curled up on her side, the rise of her hips and the muscles of her thighs. Her stomach wasn't perfectly flat but had a cute little roundness to it.

His groin tightened uncomfortably for a moment. The past few weeks had been kind to her. Her color was better, save for the fever. She just seemed so much happier.

"Hinata?" Itachi said softly, touching her shoulder firmly.

"Whaaa?" she asked, waving an arm around. Itachi had to step back to avoid being hit.

"Time for more medicine," he told her.

"Bleh," she said, making a face. Hinata sat up and stretched. Itachi tried to avoid looking at the rise of her breasts, how her shirt rode up her pale tummy.

He handed her the pain killer with the sports drink.

"Thanks," she told him, voice scratchy.

"Welcome," he said. He watched her swallow the pills, trying not to think about what else she could swallow, and sip a little more on the drink. "Is there anything I can get for you? Books?"

She shook her head. "Would you mind sitting with me and watching some cooking shows for a while?"

"Sure," Itachi told her. She scooted so that he could sit down with her. Hinata wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and flicked the tv on.

She settled on a reality show where chefs train inept home cooks to battle it out in the kitchen. Itachi had seen some of the show before in the evenings when she watched an episode now and again.

Before too long, he was as much invested in the show as she was, cheering for favorite competitors and their successes.

Itachi couldn't think of the last time he had just enjoyed television with someone, had sat down long enough to watch more than a show or two. This felt so…normal.

Sometime during the show marathon, Hinata had fallen asleep against him. Her fever had reduced significantly; she was warm, but in a pleasant way.

Without thinking, Itachi brushed some hair away from her forehead. His hand lingered longer than it should have, caressing her soft, porcelain skin. This was how someone his age should be living, not going out on missions or having one-night stands.

The weird part was Itachi could see himself with her, sitting like this every night. She would be a great woman to come home to at the end of a long day. If she was going to settle down, would it be with someone like him?

In the past few weeks, she had certainly warmed up to him. To think, he had been worried that she would be a spoiled princess. Hinata wasn't anything of the sort. She was down to earth and sweet, looking out for him.

Itachi was no closer to discovering who would want to hurt her. No one currently in her life seemed to have any motive to want her dead. She had her own business that didn't compete with the Hyuga name. She didn't party or ruin their image like her younger sister.

Hinata moaned in her sleep and cuddled closer to him. Those delicious curves were going to be the death of him. She fit so perfectly by his side, as if she were made for him. He put his arm tighter around her and settled in for a long night.

Hinata woke sometime later, her mouth dry and head throbbing with a dull pain again. She wanted to reach for the pain medicine and drink again but realized that Itachi was resting on her. His face was so soft in the glow of the television.

Hinata's heart melted. He was still sitting with her. Not only sitting but cuddled up. He had stayed in the living room with her. She gently disentangled herself long enough to get more medicine and drink.

"Mmm Hinata," Itachi mumbled. "What are you doing?"

"Just getting more medicine," she told him. She had actually already taken the medicine and was figuring out how to sit back down with him.

"How about bed?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Bed?" She couldn't stop her imagination from filling in all kinds of naughty images of the bedroom.

"You might rest more comfortably in your bed," Itachi told her. "It's after midnight."

"Oh right. Yeah." She glanced down the hall towards her bedroom. She wasn't sure she would fall back asleep.

"Come on," Itachi said, getting up from the couch and stretching.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked. Maybe it was from being sick all day, but she wasn't sure what he was telling her.

"Come on. I'll put you to bed," Itachi said, striding off down the hallway.

"O-o-okay," she said, following him. He was probably right, but did he intend to stay in there with her?

"Go ahead and change and I'll be in there in a second."

Hinata just nodded and ducked into her room. She changed out of her sweaty clothes into shorts and a cami, just before Itachi came back in.

"Go ahead and get comfortable," he told her. Hinata noticed he looked exhausted. She hoped he wasn't getting sick too.

"Are you going to stay with me?" she asked. The pain killer wasn't working fast enough. Her head ached even when she closed her eyes.

"At least until you fall asleep," he smiled.

"Get comfortable," she told him, patting the spot beside her.

"Head hurting?"

"Yes. I feel like my head is going to drop off," she confessed.

"I'll be right back then."

She felt the pressure on the bed shift and heard him moving around the apartment. He came back a few moments later and pressed something cool over her eyes.

"I used to do this for my brother," Itachi told her. The cool compress felt amazing. The pressure on the bed changed as he stretched out beside her.

"Thank you," Hinata told him.

"No problem." He took her hand and began rubbing circles on her wrist. "I used to do this for him too."

She only nodded.

Between the compress and the circles, Hinata finally felt the tension on her head relax. She drifted off to sleep again.