Sakura always sat to his right. Kakashi had noticed she made a point of this, obviously so that she could see his normal eye and better read his facial expressions. She never had to fight for the seat of honor, of course, because Sai could read more body language than any of them and had no use for it, Naruto had yet to figure out the same trick, and Sasuke simply didn't care. He'd grown used to her company and as he sipped his sake—through his mask because he was in public and yes, it was perfectly sanitary, thank-you-very-much—he supposed it would feel wrong if her head of pretty pink hair was not by his side. His right side, to be exact.

Having completed a simple B-ranked recon mission two days early, they'd decided to treat themselves to a stay at a bathhouse about eight hours from Konoha. Their four-man team excluded Sasuke this time; he'd disappeared on an ANBU mission a day before their departure. Rare was the mission that all five of them took together, as they each had other commitments within the village. It was just as well; missions were always easier when there were only four of them. Not that it mattered which four, as they all worked together seamlessly, but with four they split more easily into teams, for everything from marking targets to sharing rooms.

Although he would have to be honest, missions that didn't include Sakura were the worst. She was the one that kept them all in line—he was humble enough to admit she held the same power over him as she did over Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai. Without her the boys bickered and generally fell into arguments more quickly. When it got bad Kakashi and Sasuke sulked, while Sai withdrew from the group completely. Naruto loudly made passive-aggressive comments any chance he could, just to incite a fist fight. Yes, things were much more pleasant when Sakura was around.

Suffice to say, Kakashi was extremely pleased to be enjoying a warm breeze on the balcony of their adjoined hotel rooms, drinking with his teammates and generally having a good time. Nights like these away from the village were rare, but always treasured. They'd challenged him to a drinking contest two hours ago, having realized that despite having been of legal drinking age themselves for a few years, they'd never seen Kakashi drunk.

That was because he had the talent of holding his liquor very well. Being Genma's consummate wingman had that effect on you.

Sai had given up around twenty minutes ago and retreated to the room he was sharing with Naruto. He was probably the only sensible one this evening, but, meh, it was fine. The mission hadn't been difficult or urgent, and Tsunade wouldn't begrudge their absence if they paid out of their own pockets.

Ah, the perks of being close to the Hokage.

Sakura was steadily becoming more and more intoxicated, but she had been pacing herself well. She was likely metabolizing some of the alcohol in order to stay in the contest longer, but that didn't matter; he was still more sober than she. As he looked to his left he realized Naruto was slumped over and would likely start drooling any minute.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called with a thump to the back of said-drunk's head.

The blonde jerked with a snort that sent Sakura into a fit of giggles, and after looking around in confusion for a few seconds he realized what had happened.

"Dammit! I thought for sure I'd outlast Sakura!"

"Nope, you lose Naruto!" Sakura replied, clearly giddy at having made it to the final round.

"Awww, Sakura!"

"Go to bed, Naruto," she giggled more softly this time. "And drink some water or you'll wake up with a headache."

Naruto rolled his eyes, which because he was drunk was more like rolling his whole head, and gave them a wave before brazenly giving Sakura a sloppy peck on the cheek and stumbling inside.

Kakashi watched this scene in amusement, content to be left alone with Sakura.

"He doesn't still hold a candle for you, does he?" Kakashi questioned after the balcony door slid shut again. Sakura was more subdued now that Naruto had gone, but Kakashi could see a glint in her eyes that assured him she was still having fun.

"Ha! No, he's head over heels for Hinata, and she's been in love with him since we were about six."

Ah, yes, that's right. But the way she said it was incredulous, like it was unusual for childhood feelings to have remained so strong.

"Hm. I seem to recall a certain pink-haired kunoichi having a similar problem with a certain duck-haired shinobi."

He'd poked the bear, and he knew it was risky, but how could she not see the similarities between herself and Hinata? Well, apart from the fact that Hinata had snagged her crush and Sakura had not. Sasuke was a playboy, and Sakura knew it, but he was discreet enough that for some reason Sakura had not given up on him.

Kakashi got lucky, it seemed, since Sakura was still smiling. Thank kami for sake.

"That's different!" she exclaimed, happy to talk about Sasuke. "We've been on the same team since we were twelve, even when he was gone he was still a part of Team Seven! He'll come around." Her tone was nostalgic now, as if she was recalling fond memories.

Kakashi shrugged in an if you say so fashion. He really didn't care to talk about Sasuke. Although, he was a bit curious.

He refilled Sakura's cup and made sure she had drained it, before he refilled it again and asked, "What exactly is it that you see in him again?" It was a genuine question, one which he had often wondered but never felt comfortable enough to voice until now.

He expected Sakura to excitedly launch into a spiel about how handsome Sasuke was and how he was such a dedicated shinobi to have regained a place in Konoha's ranks. Instead, he was met with a surprising silence.

Kakashi watched as Sakura's head tilted and her eyes became unfocused in concentration.

She downed her cup of sake, and then refilled her own glass again. That cup was gone too, before she finally answered.

"You know what! I don't know!"

She dissolved into a fit of giggles at this before continuing.

"Isn't that funny, Kakashi! I can't even explain why I like him so much!"

He laughed with her, the alcohol getting to him too, and happy that she could laugh at herself instead of getting mad at him. But Sakura was really on a roll now.

"I don't know." She shook her head sloppily. "I guess I liked the tall-dark-and-handsome thing. But you know he's really not that tall. Just average, haha! And his clothes—I just—I can't get over that dumb outfit he wore when he left Konoha. Did you know that Ino and I forced him to go shopping with us when he came back? Kakashi, the look on his face when we kidnapped him from his apartment was priceless!"

Sakura fell into more giggles, and Kakashi admired the rosiness of her cheeks and the way her flushed skin complimented her hair.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure that was…priceless." He supplied, amused that the dam had opened and Sakura was being so forthcoming.

"We were the ones that suggested he grow out his hair, too! He is rather handsome, and he knows it. For having once said he wanted to rebuild his clan, he sure doesn't seem like he wants to settle down. He doesn't make any sense, Kakashi! He's so strange!"

"Maybe he's just sowing his wild oats?"

"Ppppbbtthh!" Sakura blew a raspberry. "Puh-lease. Like Sasuke would be dumb enough to do that! It would be funny, though, don't you think, to see five women all giving birth to Uchiha babies on the same day? Ha ha!"

She paused a minute before wrinkling her nose.

"Actually, no! That wouldn't be funny, that would be way too much work! Get it? Because I would have to deliver all of them! How can I be in five places at once?"

"Shadow clones?" He suggested. Actually, yeah, that was a valid point…why didn't medics ever use shadow clones? Maybe not for surgery, but for seeing patients?

Sakura was laughing again, and this time is was at him.

"Silly Kakashi! You can't use clones because there's no way you'd make it through your whole shift if you used all your chakra on clones all day! Except maybe Naruto. Oh kami, can you imagine a hospital full of doctor Narutos?"

Sakura truly looked horrified for a few seconds, and Kakashi couldn't help but laugh at her expression. She was quite the loquacious drunk when you got her going. He'd have to file that away for future reference, and he was having such fun egging her on. They'd both been continuing to steadily drink—they were on their fourth bottle now, between the two of them—and there was no sign of them stopping. Sakura's laughs finally tapered off and she lazily ran a finger around the rim of her cup, a contended smile on her lips.

Kakashi was still curious, and he decided to press his luck a bit more. After draining his cup he casually inquired, "So, Sakura, if Sasuke isn't your ideal man anymore, what are you looking for?" He schooled his face—his one eye that she could see—into a neutral expression in the chance that she questioned his motives for asking such a thing.

She paused again to refill and drain her cup.

"Four-arms!" she declared with a confident nod, slamming the cup to the table as she did so. She was clearly slurring her words now, because although it sounded like she said "four arms," he was fairly certain she meant…forearms?

Kakashi laughed heartily and shook his head at her. Oh, this was too easy. She was so easy to play with when she was drunk. This was way better than being Genma's wingman.

"Four arms? And just where have you met men that have more than two arms?"

It took her a second, but she followed his line of questioning.

"No! Forearms! Like the radius and the ulna!"

She was gesturing vaguely with one hand to her other lower arm, and it was a good thing, too, because how the hell did she remember words like radius and ulna when she was drunk? And furthermore, how did she expect him to know what those were when they were sober, let alone when he was drunk?

"So what you're saying is, you think bones are sexy?"

"No! I just like the way they look! All strong and firm, especially when they move!"

She was speaking earnestly, like she truly believed what she was saying, and Kakashi was absolutely dying trying to suppress his laughter. When he finally couldn't hold it in a any more he guffawed, and Sakura finally caught on to what she had said.

"Don't you dare turn everything I say into a perverted joke, Hatake!"

"But Sakura," he managed to get out. Oh kami was he crying he was laughing so hard? "But Sakura, you said it not me!"

"Stop it, you perv!" She was admonishing him, but she was laughing too. "I mean it! Have you ever noticed what your arms look like when you throw a kunai? With your gloves and your rolled up sleeves—they're perfect! That's what I want!"

Oh, this was priceless. Sweet Sakura had a thing for his forearms. Was it weird that he found that a little kinky? Okay, maybe kinky was too strong a word, but definitely…unusual. Intriguing and unusual and it piqued his interest.

"So explain this to me," he kept going, talking around the smile that refused to dim, "What exactly is so great about my forearms?"

Sakura was happy to oblige.

"You know! They're just so perfect, all muscly and everything. I mean all shinobi have nice muscles but there's something about the shape, and the rolled up sleeves. They're very…capable. Attached to the most dangerous ninja in the village—that helps a lot too, ya know."

She was drunkenly prattling on about him, now, and Kakashi couldn't help but be surprised at how much she had to say about him—and it was flattering.

"I mean forget Sasuke, you're like the textbook example of tall-dark-and-handsome—and yes, your hair is light but I'm talking in that bad-boy kind of dark. Dangerous. With forearms that make a girl feel safe, not threatened, you know?"

No. No he did not know…was Sakura…was Sakura attracted to him?

"You're quite capable yourself," he tried to backpedal, "you could throw me over a tree if you wanted with your own forearms."

Wait, what was he saying? Why would he discourage her from listing the things she found attractive about him?

"It's not just that, silly! It's the whole package! That's what Sasuke doesn't have—the package."

"Oh I'm pretty sure he has one of those—"

She stomped her foot on the ground, and spider cracks appeared in the concrete. Damn. Maybe he shouldn't egg her on if he didn't want the balcony to collapse beneath them. Of course then he could save her and wrap her in his forearms that she seemed to adore so much…

"As I was saying," she paused for effect and gave her best drunken-glare, which looked more like an adorable, glassy-eyed pout. "You, Kakashi, have the whole package. Despite your emotional baggage you're pretty much perfect. Handsome and charming and well-respected and all that."

Emotional baggage? What the hell did that mean? He didn't have emotional baggage. That was like when people had crazy ex-wives or a herd of children from a previous relationship. That wasn't Kakashi. Just because he lost people that he loved at a very young age and then also had to kill countless others, also at a young age, didn't mean he had baggage. Granted, those same circumstances also caused him to limit the number of meaningful relationships he had, and all of those so far were strictly platonic. So Sakura had a point. Okay, so maybe he had some baggage.

And she still thought he was perfect? Handsome and charming? Huh. Interesting.

"So they need to have the package," Kakashi confirmed.

"Yup."

"And the forearms too?"

"Definitely the forearms. I just need to find someone like you," she concluded resolutely.

Kakashi was fascinated with the kunoichi next to him. She was beautiful and powerful and endearing and how had he never noticed her before?

Well you could just have me.

The thought flitted through his brain before he even recognized it for what it was. He was attracted to Sakura as much as he was to him. And this wasn't the lusty-feeling he felt every now and again—this was genuine care for the woman beside him. How novel. He couldn't remember feeling the desire to have an actual relationship with anyone ever before. This was new. And addicting. He felt lighthearted and hopeful and he wanted more of it.

Kami, he'd have to be careful not to go soft. He had a reputation as a deadly assassin to uphold, after all.

The object of his new affections, he noticed, had finally worn herself out. She was flopped back into the chair, her hair splayed messily in front of her face. A pink tendril fluttered in front of her open mouth with each breath she exhaled.

Kakashi grinned before lifting her easily into his arms and carrying her into the room, placing her on one of the twin sized beds she had claimed upon their earlier arrival. She would likely not remember most of this in the morning. He'd have to remind her on their trek back to Konoha tomorrow, and he was looking forward to it.

When Sakura awoke, it was to the annoying chirp of birds outside the window and sunlight streaming across her face. She had seriously slacked on metabolizing the alcohol last night, instead electing to let herself get plastered. Maybe not the best idea she'd ever had. She remembered Naruto going to bed, and she remembered Kakashi asking about Sasuke. The rest was hazy, but she remembered laughing a lot with Kakashi so at least she knew they'd had a good night.

Next she saw a mug of coffee materialize in front of her face, and it took her a second too long to realize it was being held by an arm. Kakashi's arm, to be exact.

Oh, kami, did coffee smell heavenly.

"Morning, Sakura-chan."

What was that. That tone. That I know something you don't know tone in Kakashi's voice. She looked up to his face for confirmation. Yup. He was grinning like a mad man under that damned mask, but instead of his trademark eye-crinkle, he sported a mischievous glint in his dark charcoal eye. His hair fell roguishly over his closed Sharingan and Sakura felt her stomach flip a little. She quickly sat up and took the coffee gratefully from his hands.

"Morning." She replied warily. Ah, there was the eye-crinkle.

She watched him like a hawk for the next hour or so, as they joined Naruto and Sai for the last leg of their journey home. She walked on Kakashi's right side, as usual; she liked being able to see this small part of his face. It was amazing how many expressions he could exude with just one eye.

Today he seemed shifty, almost fidgety. This was highly unusual. Kakashi Hatake did not fidget. He'd unrolled and re-rerolled his sleeves twice since they'd left the town, and kept flexing his hands into fists. The leather of his gloves creaked as it stretched, drawing her attention each time. He even went to far as to massage his arms, like he was sore from some strenuous activity.

"Yo, Sensei!" Naruto called from ahead of them. "You okay? You're acting weird."

Cue the eye-crinkle from the Copy-nin. Sakura had the distinct feeling of a trap closing shut around her.

"Of course, Naruto! Just making sure my forearms stay strong and firm and perfect. Carrying all this emotional baggage around really takes its toll, you know."

Naruto gave Kakashi a confused and judgmental stare before turning back around, muttering something about old men going senile. Sakura missed all this, however, as she had stopped dead in her tracks.

Forearms. Emotional baggage. Forearms. This was vaguely familiar…

Oh no. Oh hell no. She did not tell Kakashi how much she liked his forearms last night when she was drunk!

He had slowed his pace and was ten feet in front of her now, looking back at her and smirking like the devil.

Oh, kami she did.

Pieces were coming back to her now—she hadn't been able to say what she liked about Sasuke, so Kakashi had asked what she did look for in a man, and she had told him! She could feel the blush spreading across her face as the memories sharpened. She told him everything. About her strange attraction to forearms—Kakashi's forearms, to be exact—and her secret belief that he was actually pretty perfect. Oh! Then he had gone and made a dick joke, twisting her words and making her seem like she was a pervert like him! But even as she thought about it she had to admit she had opened the door and walked right into that one.

"Come on, Sakura-chan!" Kakashi called, now a good fifty feet ahead. "We have to make it back by sunset or Tsunade won't care that we've got such a nice package for her!"

Oh, he was so going to get it now. She was going to take his forearms and use them to swing him around and launch him like a track-and-field hammer.

"What the hell are you talking about, Kakashi?" Naruto chimed in a again, "We don't have any packages for Baa-chan, just intel!"

Kakashi was ignoring him to provoke him more, and Sakura was incensed as well. He was egging her on in front of Naruto! Was he just trying to embarrass her?

But something dawned on her as her anger simmered. Kakashi had egged her on all night, and he was continuing now. If he was uncomfortable with what she'd said—with what she'd confessed—he would be pointedly ignoring her or at the very least pretending he didn't remember it either.

Kakashi…Kakashi had laughed with her. Encouraged her to keep singing his praises. He had been flattered.

This was an entirely different game, now. It was highly likely that Kakashi was attracted to her. But true to form, he wasn't going to outright tell her or sit her down for a heart to heart. No, the Copy-nin was much more subtle and she needed to respond in kind.

She casually jogged forward to join him, and hooked her hand through the crook of his elbow.

"Sorry Sensei, I was admiring the view."

Because she was walking on his right, she could just make out the pink tinge that graced his cheek above the hem of his mask. She ran her hand firmly down his forearm and the blush deepened.

Oh yes, this was going to be wonderful.

Although I'm quite happy with this as a one-shot, I'm tempted (read: being harassed by my partner-in-crime PaperGangsta, haha) to write one more chapter. Thoughts?