Disclaimer: Fanifiction is fan-fiction...ie I don't own Naruto... sadly.

Auhtor's Note: This is inspired by Maroon 5's song Sad. This is Kakashi's POV. This will read like a stream of consciousness. It is meant to be his thoughts as he watches her. So, at the top, he may think one thing, but as he works through it, he may end thinking a different way. It will make sense as you read. ^_^ Enjoy!

Secret

It had been eating at him more and more lately. The guilt was even worse now. The first time she had called them friends he had felt as though an anvil hit him full on in the chest.

Sakura was beautiful, full of life, and so very strong. She had blossomed into an amazing kunoichi. She was a medic on par with Tsunade, and fully expected to surpass even her master before she turns 25. She never ceased to amazing him. Her ability to forgive was truly her greatest gift. After the war, after everything, she had forgiven the last Uchiha, had been understanding when he took off again, had helped him adjust to village life once he finally returned. Yet, when Sasuke had tried to control her and their relationship; Sakura surprised them all by walking away. Her inner strength matched her outer super strength.

She had finally grown up. And, Kakashi couldn't figure out when it had happened, but there she was standing in the middle of training ground 3, wind in her pink hair, directing the movements of her very own Genin team.

All grown up.

Yet, he knew exactly when it had happened. It happened after Sasuke left, and Naruto went traveling, and then Kakashi had disappeared into his typical self-loathing/self-blaming cycle of quiet angst. He had left her all alone to deal with her team breaking apart. And the guilt had never faded.

After she left Sasuke, Kakashi was pleasantly surprised that it was him she had reached out to. Why she felt him qualified when he had failed her so badly in the past he will never know, but he took this olive branch for what it was. It was his most important mission, and he treated it as such. He would not – could not fail her twice. So, he made certain he was there for her. He brushed away her tears when her venire cracked. He made her laugh when she was bogged down with work. He let her land hits during their regular training sessions when she needed to feel her fists connecting with something, so she wouldn't break down. Until she was finally really and truly ok again.

Even still, she sought him out. When she spotted him watching her curiously, she had smiled and said, "Friends are there through the good times and the bad." Her smile had broken through his shell that day.

Friends.

The word felt so foreign to him. And yet, it warmed him in the oddest way. It was then that he felt the shift. He stopped feeling as though it was a mission to not fail her. Instead, he found that he wanted to seek her out. He looked forward to their time together. Missed her when they were apart for any length of time. He would shown up at her work with her favorite tempura in time for her lunch. He grabbed her chocolate and handed her tissues as they watch one of those sappy love stories when her monthly hormones made her a mass of emotions. He had combed through every strand of her hair when she had caught lice from treating the kids at the Academy when Konoha had that bad outbreak.

Their time spent together over the past year had been some of the best days he had had. He had laughed more, smiled more, looked forward to the next day more than he had ever done.

When the next shift happened, he wasn't surprised. One day he simply noticed that he let his hand linger each time he handed her something, held on to her a little longer when they said their goodbyes. But, he didn't question it, because it felt right. Everything felt right. When her gaze would catch him watching her, as he often liked to do, his heart would skip as she gave him a secret smile he had only ever seen directed at him. It was his and no one else's. He didn't feel like he deserved it, but he accepted it fully – treasured it even. As he did with all things Sakura.

He smiled as he watched her team waving happily as she brought their session to a close, only to smile wider as she flashed him his secret smile. He watched her walking over, skin glistening from a sheen of sweat, hair fluttering about her cheeks with the gentle breeze. She was breathtaking.

As she sat beside him to watch the sunset over the trees, he wasn't even surprised when the next shift happened and she placed her hand over his. He didn't question it. Because as he laced his fingers with hers, it felt right. Everything felt right.

This is what happens when I listen to music and surf tumblr for Naruto fanart. Was gonna be more angsty, but the muse took over and here we are. Fluffy cuteness.