AN: This is chapter one in a 3 chapter mini-fic I wrote for a very close friend on DA. Today (October 9th) is her birthday, and this was my present for her. It was originally supposed to be a one-shot, but my muse got ahold of it and made it a little longer. Clearly this story is AU, and both Sasuke and Kakashi are rather OOC, but the story was written for fun for my uke, so I don't care. ;)

Kaia is her OC, and Sasuke is her favorite Naruto character. Samansa is my OC and Kakashi is my favorite. That's where the story bloomed from. Kakashi and Sasuke don't belong to me, sadly, and I lay no claim to either man. I claim only Samansa and this story. Thanks and I hope you like it. :)

Several thoughts passed through Kaia's mind at once. She had several snappy, and quite rude replies she could offer. She could turn around and walk away. She could give in to the pressure at last. None of this happened however. Almost as if against her will, Kaia heard herself say only, resignedly, "What?"

"I said, is that really what you decided to wear? You couldn't have dressed a little nicer?"

"For you and Kakashi?" Kaia snorts and pushes past her friend and into the house, then immediately spinning around to glare at the older woman through narrowed eyes. "I love you guys, but not that much. Ok, time to be honest. Think you can manage that? Who's the guy you're trying to set me up with this time?"

The taller woman smiles down at Kaia, trying for innocence, but missing it completely because her brown eyes flashed with a mischievous glint that Kaia knew only too well. "What makes you think I'm trying to set you up with anyone?"

"Oh come off it Samansa! You don't give a shit what I wear when I come over here unless you're wanting me to meet some guy."

Samansa smiles innocently at Kaia for a few moments longer until it becomes supremely clear that the younger woman wasn't buying it, then lets the smile drop as she closes the front door and leans back against it. Kaia wondered, not for the first time, how the older woman could manage the look that was a scowl and a pout, then closes her eyes and rubs her forehead, waiting for what she knew was coming next. "Ah, c'mon Kai! You'll really like this guy, I just know it!"

Kaia opens her eyes and looks tiredly up at her friend. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't want a guy?"

"Why? You want a girl? Kakashi knows a few--"

"No damnit! You know damn well what I mean! I'm tired of doing this dance routine! Just because you and Kakashi are so blissfully happy with one another, doesn't automatically mean that the rest of the world needs to succumb to wedded bliss to be happy!"

"How do you know whether or not you'd be happy with someone else when you won't even try?"

"Because I know I'm happy now, on my own. If I'm already happy, why do I need to add someone else?"

Samansa sighs and tugs irritably at her bikini top, then turns and starts off down the hall, not waiting for Kaia to follow. "Fine, but you can be nice to him at least. He's a good guy. He doesn't deserve to be treated like crap just because you're anti-man."

Kaia lets the comment pass as she follows her friend down the hall. As they move through the house, Kaia pulls her t-shirt off to reveal her own bikini top. By the time they step out onto the back patio, her nerves had settled and Samansa's mood had improved. In the end, both women knew that none of this had been a secret. Kaia had known from the moment that Samansa had called to invite her over for a cook out and swimming that Samansa meant to try to match her up with someone. And Kaia knew that Samansa knew she was aware of the trick her friend was trying to slip past her.

Shaking her head, Kaia steps out the open french doors and tosses her t-shirt to a nearby chair as she smiled at Kakashi, standing next to the grill. "Hello old man. What's cooking?"

"I'm not old. I'm much too attractive to be old."

Kaia laughs and walks over to the older man and hugs him. "If you're not old then why is your hair--" Kaia stops talking abruptly when movement from the corner of her eye draws her attention to a dark haired young man standing by the pool. When he turns his black eyed gaze on her, Kaia can't stop the gasp the slips from her lips. "Holy shit," she whispers, then forces her gaze back to Kakashi, who was pointedly paying attention to the food he was cooking.

"You want something to drink Kaia, dear?"

Kaia glances back at Samansa over her shoulder and nods. "Sure, bring me a Sprite."

"You want another drink, Sasuke?"

The dark haired young man shook his head as he continued to watch Kaia, a strange look in his dark eyes. Kaia could feel his gaze on her, and felt herself beginning to flush in reaction to just his look. Shaking herself and settling a scowl in place on her face, she clears her throat and gives Kakashi a nudge. "Ok, introduce me to your friend you shitty host."

Kakashi glances up, fighting not to grin at Kaia which only makes her scowl harder at him. "Why am I a shitty host? I'd have introduced you, I just assumed that Samansa was going to handle it. Besides, you were too busy making fun of my hair."

"You know what they say about assuming things don't you?" Kaia can't help but grin at Kakashi, leaning in to bump her shoulder against his arm. "And I wasn't making fun of your hair, I was only pointing out an obvious fact."

Kakashi sighs dramatically and casts a long-suffering look at Kaia. "If I am old, it's because of your friend. She's a real handful you know."

"I heard that, old man. Careful or you won't get a handful of anything for a while."

Kakashi grins at Kaia, then glances over at Sasuke. Kaia takes her drink from Samansa and takes a sip before turning her own gaze to the young man by the pool. "Kaia, this is Sasuke. He's a friend of mine from work. Sasuke, this is Samansa's friend Kaia, the girl I was telling you about."

Kaia steps over to the dark haired man, ignoring the knowing look she was getting from Samansa. "So, you're a pig too?"

Sasuke raises a single black eyebrow as he smiles politely down at Kaia. "Excuse me?"

"Oh come on, I thought all you cops had a sense of humour about that particular nickname."

"No, that's just Kakashi. I think he enjoys the abuse."

Kaia glances back at Kakashi, who was once more pointedly paying attention to the food on the grill. Samansa was nowhere to be seen. Stifling a sigh, Kaia turns her attention back to the young man she'd been brought here to meet. "You're probably right. He'd have to enjoy abuse to be married to Samansa for as long as he has been."

"I heard that," Samansa calls from somewhere in the house.

Kaia glances back over her shoulder in the direction of the open french doors and grins. "Quit eavesdropping! You're a shitty host too!"

Samansa's soft snicker drifts out from the house and Kaia laughs, shaking her head as she turns her attention back to Sasuke. "So, you were lured here under the pretense of just a friendly cook out and afternoon of swimming with friends, right?"

Sasuke nods and throws a scowl at Kakashi before he replies. "Yeah, that's what he said. I expected Genma and Iruka to be here as well. Maybe some of the other guys too. But, when I arrived and there was no one else from work here, I knew something was up. Then I heard the doorbell and just the way Samansa said, 'Oh, there's Kaia, at last!' I knew what I'd really been brought here for."

Kaia nods sympathetically. "They're not very good at this. It's pretty easy to figure out what they're up too. I've gotten better at it over the years, so I know long before I even walk into the situation that I'm about to walk into another matchmaking attempt."

Sasuke gives Kaia a pained, annoyed look, his black eyes narrowing slightly as he looked down at her. "You're saying I have to keep putting up with this?"

Kaia smiles weakly and shrugs. "Sorry, I couldn't say. Maybe you were just brought into the picture to try to get me set-up with someone. Or maybe they're genuinely interested in getting you sucked into their world of marital bliss too. You won't really know for sure until or unless they try again."

Sasuke sighs and scowls back over his shoulder at their host and hostess who were now talking quietly about the food Kakashi was cooking. Neither of the two guests believed for a moment they were doing anything more than listening to their conversation. Jaw clenching hard enough to make the muscles in the side of his face stand out, Sasuke mutters, "Great," then turns and moves further down the pool, out of earshot. Kaia watches him walk away and shrugs. Leaning over, she sets her drink on the ground by her feet, then slips out of her shorts. She picks her drink back up and as she stands throws her shorts at Samansa, laughing when the older woman catches the small bit of cotton with a look of mock resignation.

Holding the shorts up between the thumb and forefinger of one hand, Samansa looks askance at Kaia and calls out, "Really, Kaia, why do you wear these slut shorts? They're so short!"

Kaia snickers and sits on the edge of the pool, slipping quickly out of her sandals. She slides into the cool water with a soft sigh before she replies. "Because, they make my ass look great! Besides, you know I only wear those shorts over my bikini. It's not like I go out trolling for guys in the bars wearing those things."

"You'd certainly find a guy that way," Kakashi offers helpfully, earning himself a smack from his wife.

Kaia laughs and shakes her head before moving slowly down the length of the pool, stopping in front of Sasuke and smiling up at him. "You coming in?"

"In my jeans?"

"Well, if you want, but I wouldn't if I were you. When you got out and started to dry, those things'd make you itch like hell."

Sasuke smirks and shakes his head. "That's ok, I brought my swimming trunks."

Kaia takes a sip of her drink, then sets the glass on the edge of the pool and pushes off the edge, moving deeper into the pool, never taking her eyes from Sasuke. "Well then why don't you do put them on and hop in?"

"Are you flirting with me?"

"No, but I have to admit now that Kakashi and Samansa can't hear me, it is tempting. You're a hottie. They did good this time."

Sasuke grins at Kaia and shakes his head before lowering himself to sit at the edge of the pool. "I'll save the swimming for later. And you're quite attractive yourself. I noticed that from the moment you walked in, but I have to admit that seeing you in that tiny bikini and all wet doesn't hurt matters any."

Kaia grins at Sasuke and moves back over to the edge of the pool. "We can't let them know."

Sasuke shakes his head and glances back at Kakashi and Samansa, who quickly look away. "You're right about that. Kakashi would be unbearable to work with."

Kaia nods and turns her attention to the other couple as well. "I'd never hear the end of it from Samansa."

Sasuke looks back at Kaia, a small smile just ghosting around the edges of his mouth. "So, you need to find a way to slip me your number without them knowing this afternoon."

Kaia smiles back at Sasuke, her eyes flashing with amusement and no small amount of pleasure. "Yes, Officer."

Sasuke grins at this, making Kaia's heart skip several beats. She thought he was attractive before. Now she could see that the man was more than attractive, he was gorgeous. She had a brief moment of wanting to run over to Samansa and hug the older woman, wanting to thank her for her constant interference. Samansa had finally found someone that Kaia didn't think she could resist. As she floated at the edge of the pool, looking up into fathomless black eyes and an almost heart-wrenching grin, Kaia began to think she didn't want to resist. The sound of Samansa's laughter drifting from the other end of the pool draws her attention briefly and she decides that she wouldn't resist... once she was home where Samansa could no longer see her.