Well, since most of the stories I'm writing at the moment are Sasusaku, I decided to make a Kakasaku oneshot to tide you over until I write another Kakasaku story. Tell me what you think, ne?
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or Nickelback.
Someone That You're With
I heard boxes being taped and peeked my head out of my apartment door. I looked across the hall, the numbers 2-0-8 gleaming in the sunlight. I saw a woman with purple hair in a trench coat and I called out to her. "Anko, where are you going?"
She winked. "Our womanizing friend, Genma, asked me to move in with him."
I chuckled. "You do realize that that's the closest you'll get to him asking to marry you?"
She laughed, throwing her head back. "Yeah, but who knows, I might get even closer. See you around, Hatake."
"Hn."
Weeks later, I heard boxes being shuffled and the muttering of colorful curses. 'It must not have worked out between them. Poor Anko, she really loved the bastard.' I opened the door. "Hey Anko, I…"
My voice trailed off when I saw a girl in the hall. She had pink hair swept into a ponytail and emerald eyes, a white T-shirt and a pair of tight jeans resting on her hips. I could only think of one thing. That was DEFINITELY NOT Anko.
I watched as the girl stood, wiping sweat from her forehead and stared at the box, hands on her hips. She must not have known I was there because when she turned her head, a hand flew to her mouth, surprise etched on her face.
I could see my reflection in her clear eyes, I knew she was taking me in. A tall man with an obsidian eye, an eyepatch over his left, silver shock of hair, and a mask covering the lower half of his face.
She blushed, obviously flustered from the realization that I was there and had been there for a while. She removed the glove from her right hand and extended it. "Haruno Sakura."
I smiled, my eye creasing happily. "Hatake Kakashi. Would you like any help with that?" I asked, pointing a finger to the small pile of boxes.
She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Thanks for the offer though."
I don't know why, but the feeling of disheartenment made itself known within me. "Ok, well, call me if you need anything," I said, pointing to the room directly across from hers, the number 2-0-9 shining in the lights in the hallway.
She smiled; the action sent my heart rate up slightly. "Okay, bye Hatake-san."
"Kakashi."
She looked up from the box. "Nani?"
My hand rested on the knob of the open door. "Just Kakashi, Hatake-san was my father." She smiled again and I returned it and closed the door, the sound of boxes shuffling coming in through the door.
I reside in 209, you're in 208
You moved in last friday night,
And i just couldn't wait
So i tried to call across the hall,
To ask you out someday
But a lineup formed outside your door, and i was way too late
It was Friday again, exactly a week since Sakura moved in and three weeks since Anko left. Apparently, they were doing okay and monogamy was going fine for Genma so far.
My hand hovered over the doorknob. 'Come on Hatake, just ask her out to coffee.'
I had waited a week to ask her out, overhearing our resident gossip queen, Yamanaka Ino, yell at her new best friend that she should go out and get a man with her. I had been telling myself all week that I was just waiting until she got settled. That was complete bullshit. I was fucking nervous, but when your only female friends were Kurenai, who was getting married and more like a sister, and Anko, who was more like a man than an actual woman, your female experience is severely limited.
It doesn't help that I never had a mother and I used to be a geek in my teenage years and my first and only ever girlfriend dumped me for my best friend a few weeks later. Sure, I turned into a so-called 'hottie' in my late-teens and I've had more one-night stands than I care to remember, but one nights stands never called for emotional ties and I was in desperate need of learning how to deal with them. The summary: I am a 37-yr-old man in love with the 23-yr-old across the hall and I was acting like my old 14-yr-old self who couldn't talk to a girl to save his life.
I slapped myself and shook out my hand. I took a deep breath and opened the door, my hand still resting on the knob. "Hey Sakura, I was wondering if you…" My voice trailed off as I noticed the horde of males in front of her open door as she shook hands with them all. I scanned the crowd, finding all of them familiar.
I dug up their profiles from the back of my mind. Inuzuka Kiba, 23, room 207, lives with his dog, Akamaru, and works as a trainer at the gym down the street. Uzumaki Naruto, 23, room 211, obsessed with ramen and works as the manager of a small shop. Sai, 23, no last name, room 212, no manners and paints. Works at a coffee shop as a waiter and is an artist, sells his paintings for most of his income. Hyuuga Neji, 24, lives in room 201 and works as a department manager in Byakugan Corp. Status: no threat, engaged to Tenten. Rock Lee, 24, 206, Neji's best friend, possibly queer and just doesn't know it, though the way he was spouting about her is making me unsure about that. Gaara, 23, room 202, asexual, insomniac, keeps to himself and probably only there to check out who the new person is and then attempt sleep in his room. Lastly, Uchiha Sasuke, 23, room 204, model.
Well i'd rather start off slow
This whole thing's like
Some sort of race
Instead of winning what i want
I'm sitting here in second place
I sighed. 'Even the Uchiha is interested. Damn. I'll never get a chance now.' I closed the door soundlessly and sank down against the door, willing the hurt feeling in my heart to stop. 'Man, if only I was earlier. How hard is it to ask a girl out for coffee?! It wasn't like I was going to spout my feelings for her right there. I wanted to just find out some more stuff about her, enjoy simple conversation, but I guess it's some sort of race. And here I am, the second place loser.'
Because somewhere
The one i wanna be with's
With somebody else
Oh god, i wanna be that
Someone that you're with
I wanna be that someone
That you're with
And i can talk about it all day long
'til i run out of breath
But i still wanna be that
Someone that you're with
I've got to be that
Someone that you're with
And i'm pacing by the phone
'cause i hate to be alone
And if you're out there with him
Somewhere and just about to kiss
God i wanna be that
Someone that you're with
Day after day, I saw her with someone other than me. First time was Kiba, it lasted maybe three weeks and they're just friends now. Second time was Naruto, it lasted two days before they realized that they'd make better friends than lovers. They're best friends now and even better since she introduced him to the girl in 205, Neji's cousin. Hinata, I think. Last time was Lee and it lasted one date. He still likes her, but I think he realizes best friend/ brother is the best he can hope for. And this time is Sai.
I had a routine now. Every night, I paced by the phone, hesitantly moving my hand towards it, but pulling back at the last second. I walk over to the door and hear a giggle. I look through the peephole in my door and see her reaching up to kiss her date and wish it were me. I hear her close the door and the guy go back to his room and curse myself for the fact that I'm alone.
I walked through my apartment room, taking everything in. In my bedroom I had a bed large enough for two people, a nightstand, a dresser, and a bookshelf. The room led from a hallway and there was my bathroom. Further out where the phone was lay a couch, television, and coffee table. Next to my living room was my small kitchen and that was it. It had a homey feeling, but it was hollow. I had no one to fix it and the only one who could was across the hall and unattainable.
Well i hear your favorite songs
You sing along with everyday
And i borrow things that
I don't need for conversation sake
Last night i heard your key,
It hit your lock at 4 am
Instead of being out with me
You must be out with them
Everyday, I'd hear her sing along to the radio or her CD player. I'd become bolder and was now up to talking with her. Unfortunately, I'd never start it with a 'Hi, so how's it been?' No, of course not, I'd start with a 'Hi Sakura, um, this is sort of embarrassing, but can I borrow ?'
I'll admit it, I'm a pansy. I can't help it. I have it bad for her and I'm scared shitless. I can't get her out of my head. I can't even read my damn Icha Icha without thinking of her. Even when I talk to her, I'd feel nervous and my palms would sweat, bringing memories of high school back which was never pleasant and would require intense therapy for it to be remotely pleasant. I stood before my door, the sweat already forming on my palms. I quickly wiped it off on my jeans and thought of an item to borrow this time. Today would be a screwdriver.
I opened my door and knocked on hers. She opened it and waited patiently, even she knew this was routine. "Hi Kakashi."
"Hi Sakura. Um, this is sort of embarrassing, but can I borrow a screwdriver?"
I watched her disappear into her own room and listened to the shuffling of items while I recounted items I borrowed before to exclude as future options. 'Let's see, sugar, flour, laundry detergent, a can opener, stapler, pen, paper, rolling pin, money…' The list went on and on and I always made sure to return what I borrowed when I could. 'Maybe a pot next time?'
My thoughts were cut short as I heard her door open and she leaned against her doorframe, languidly waving the screwdriver in front of me. I took it. "Thanks."
She smiled amusedly. "You know, most men own a complete set of tools."
"Yeah, but I'm not most men." I smiled, true in more ways than one because most men would have got the guts to ask you to coffee by now. She chuckled at my joke. "That's true," she smiled.
Her joy was infectious and I found myself smiling with her. "So, any plans tonight?" I asked, my hand scratching the back of my head.
"None, actually."
I blinked. "Oh. Well, if that's the case, I was wondering if-" I was cut short by her phone ringing. We would've let it gone ignored when the message played through. "Sakura? Sakura? Forehead! I know you're there! Shikamaru asked me to the bar and told me to take some friends. I got your boyfriend to agree and we're waiting for you to pick up and tell us when you'll meet us. Ja ne."
The machine beeped and I heard her groan. "She doesn't even consider that I don't want to go." she grumbled. She looked up apologetically. "Sorry Kakashi, what were you going to say?"
I shook my head. "Nothing. See you around."
"Okay," she said, sounding slightly disappointed, but I ignored it as my imagination and went into my room, the clock on the wall chiming four times.
At 6:00, I heard her go out and I waited in silence and played out my routine. I waited and waited for the familiar sound of giggling, but heard nothing. It wasn't until four in the morning that I heard her lock fall. I waited for the giggle, but instead, I heard the familiar sound of sobbing come through the doors. I sat by the door, not moving as I heard her sobs. I didn't realize how long I had been waiting there until my alarm clock went off and I headed towards the shower. I was going to be early to work for a change.
Well i'd rather start off slow
This whole thing's like
Some sort of race
Instead of winning what i want
I'm sitting here in second place
It was Friday again and I waited by the door. I found out from our gossip queen that they found out Sai had been cheating on Sakura and she left in tears. My fists clenched as I remembered her sobbing, anger swelling within me. She had gotten over it after a few days and was now dating the last single heterosexual of the horde, the Uchiha. I heard the familiar giggle and looked through my peephole and watched her kiss the boy before walking to my bedroom for a restless slumber.
Because somewhere the one
I wanna be with's
With somebody else
Oh god, i wanna be that
Someone that you're with
I wanna be that
Someone that you're with
And i can talk about it all day long
'til i run out of breath
But i still wanna be that
Someone that you're with
I've got to be that
Someone that you're with
And i'm pacing by the phone
'cause i hate to be alone
And if you're out there with him
Somewhere and just about to kiss
God, i wanna be that
Someone that you're with
Days turned to weeks as we went about our routines when there was a break. It was Thursday and there was no giggling, but apologetic whispers. I peered through the peephole and watched Sasuke and Sakura separate and walk into their rooms. There weren't any giggles after that day.
A week later and I was back at the door, my hand hovering over the knob. I felt my fingers twitch and my palms sweat and my hand fell to my side. Yup, I was still as hopeless as I was the first time I tried to ask her for coffee. "God dammit!" I screamed at myself. I braced myself against my doorframe and bashed my head into the wood. "Why won't you just ask her out!" I yelled, punctuating each word with a hit to my head.
Well somewhere the one
I wanna be with's
With somebody else
Oh god, i wanna be that
Someone that you're with
And i can talk about it all day long
'til i run out of breath
But i still wanna be that
Someone that you're with
I've got to be that
Someone that you're with
And i'm pacing by the phone
'cause i hate to be alone
And if you're out there with him
Somewhere and just about to kiss
God, i've got to be that
Someone that
I wanna be that someone that
I've got to be that
Someone that you're with
My head was dizzy and my heart hurt. 'She's probably out with someone right now and it's not me. I want it to be me. I want to be that someone that she's with.'
"No, I have to be that someone that she's with." I said with conviction. Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door. I pushed myself up with some difficulty, my fingers fumbling with the knob. Obviously, the constant smashing of my head on the doorframe had a considerable amount of brain damage because I felt woozy. I braced myself on my instrument of self-torture and opened the door. "Yes?"
I looked down to see Sakura looking up at me worriedly. "I heard some noise and I came to check it out. Are you alright, Kakashi?" she asked softly. I felt lightheaded, whether it was from the fact I had just decimated a large portion of my brain or that she was worried about me, I didn't know, nor did I care. Then I said something extremely stupid. "I'm fine." Yeah, shoot me now, I just ruined my chance at asking her out.
I felt a hand cup my cheek and looked down to see Sakura looking at me, the worry and fear clear in her eyes. "Are you sure? I mean, I heard something very loud and-" She stopped and I noticed her eyes grow wide. "Kakashi, you're bleeding!"
"Huh?"
I raised my hand and felt something wet. I brought my hand eye level and sure enough, it was blood.
"Must have been when I was hitting my head against the door." I muttered. She must have heard me.
"You were WHAT?!" she yelled.
I winced. Yup, definitely heard me. "Can you not be so loud? My head's throbbing."
"Fine, I'll yell at you later." she said dragging me into my room. She threw me on the couch and I laid down, listening to her move about.
I felt her body heat near me when she came back with an ice pack and a first-aid kit. She cleaned the cut and placed the ice on my head after bandaging it. Her hand smoothed my hair. "Why were you doing that?" she murmured.
"Because I don't have the guts to ask you out for coffee." Apparently, the brain damage made my mouth run too.
She stared at me. "You nearly bashed your skull in because you couldn't bring yourself to ask me for coffee? How long have you been trying?"
"A few weeks now." I replied calmly.
"Why?"
"Cause I like you. I have since I met you." Yup, definitely made my mouth run.
She stared at me, too shocked to speak and I frowned inwardly. 'Guess she isn't comfortable with the idea.'
"You can go now, I won't bother you anymore. Forget I said anything."
She held my hand down. "Oh no, you're not getting off that easy." She held my hand and I waited stoically. "First of all, you shouldn't have bashed your head in. In case you didn't know, it's kinda bad for you."
"Yeah, I kinda figured that out."
"Second, you could've asked me at anytime. I'd have canceled any plans I made and went with you."
"…"
"And third, you could've just told me you liked me in the first place."
I turned my head, puzzled. "Why is that?"
She looked away, blushing as she bit her lower lip in embarrassment. "Cause I like you too."
I stared at her in disbelief. "The brain damage must be making me delirious because I think I just heard you say that you liked me too."
She talked as she continued to look away. "Well, yeah. When I went on those dates, I kept noticing how different they were from you and when I was on those dates, I found myself thinking about you. Remember when you said you weren't like most men?"
"Yeah."
"You were right, in more ways than one. You aren't like most men because most men aren't sweet, kind, and aren't as great a person as you. Probably not as good looking, not that I can tell with that mask of yours on all the time. So I was wondering, does that offer for coffee still stand?"
I bolted up, ignoring the nausea I felt. Probably a bad idea to jump up like that, but who cares?! She just told me she liked me! "Does it?!" I yelled. She chuckled as a blush spanned my face and I took a calming breath. "I mean, yeah, it does."
She nodded. "Okay, tomorrow at seven. You know where I live, right?"
I nodded. "Of course."
The next day, we went out for coffee. I found myself conversing with her with ease and making her smile and glow with every joke I made. After a few hours, we headed back to complex. We went up the stairs and stood outside her door. I heard her giggle and I smiled at her. She stood and hooked her arms around my neck as I held her waist, sealing each other's lips with a kiss.
Haruno Sakura was standing outside her apartment door, kissing that someone she was with after yet another date, but it was different this time because this time, that someone was me.