It is December the 24th. Christmas. My most favorite day in the year. Mmh. Maybe I should introduce myself before I start telling my Christmas story. My name is Sakura Haruno and I am 19 years old. I live in Konoha, the hidden leaf village in the Fire Country. It is 7 in the evening and I am sitting in front of my fire-place in the living room and am watching the dancing flames. In order to make it comfortable I had laid a blanket on the floor and I had made me a warm tea. Now that you know who and where I am, I think I should start telling my Christmas story. Everything began exactly one year ago…
~flashback~
"Okay…presents…done. Christmas tree…done. Fire-place…burns…and blanket…on its place", I looked around my living room checking everything which I needed for a perfect Christmas.
Of course I would give the presents to Naruto, Kakashi, Yamato and Tsunade tomorrow, but I needed to be sure that everything was done by now. The clock rang…it was 6 o'clock and my dinner was ready to be taken out of the furnace. I looked one last time to my perfect bright Christmas tree, where all the presents lay around, before I hurried in the kitchen and put the roasted goose out of the furnace and on the table. I took the wine bottle, which was next to the fridge, and bottled some in my glass. I went back to the living room and turned on my CD player and then the room was filled with Christmas music…Sweet atmosphere.
But the music was interrupted by a heavy knock on the front door. I wondered who could that be…knocking on someone's doors on December the 24th. While I was going to the door, the knocking didn't stop. It only got louder.
"I am coming", I yelled a bit annoyed.
I hardly had turned the door-handle, when the door flew open and a hand was pressed over my mouth. I fell backwards and landed on the floor with a hand -which wasn't mine- under my head and a body on top of mine. The man -I could tell by the strong hands and heavy body- shut the door with his foot and still looked to the closed door. All this happened in not more than a second. And in this second I was so scared stiff that I had closed my eyes tightly and tried to breath regularly.
"Kakashi!" A familiar voice shouted outside.
"Where did you hide you coward?!" The voice seemed to withdraw…after a few more seconds there was nothing more I could hear from outside.
I wondered what Guy had wanted from Kakashi…and where Kakashi had hidden himself, so that he couldn't be found by his rival. Suddenly I remembered the man on top of me. I opened my eyes widely. And the silver hair was also too familiar! I tried to say something, but the words suffocated in his hands. Then he turned his head from the closed door to me and smiled through his mask. My heart jumped around in my chest.
"Sorry, Sakura. I was in a hurry escaping from Guy and your house was nearby. So I thought I should visit you", he still smiled.
"couhmmd yhm remhhouvhm ymouhm hamhn?" I tried to say…he understood and removed his hand from my mouth.
"Sorry", he said again.
"What did you do to him, that he hunts you through the village, Kakashi?" I asked suspiciously.
He looked at me and creased his eyebrows.
"Why do you think I did something to him?"
"Because he called you a coward", I smirked.
"Hmm…he wanted to challenge me again in one of his little games…he wanted to know who is stronger…again", he sighed closing his eyes and shaking his head in disbelief.
I chuckled once…but then I realized something.
"Eh…Kakashi?" I asked and I was sure that my face had been tomato red.
"Hmm?" He asked opening his eyes and it was the first time, when I stared right in his Sharinggan - they must have had at least one fight already.
"Could you…?" I moved a bit under him to tell him he should go off of me.
"Oh, sorry again", he stood up and held one hand out to me in order to help me get up. I took it. As soon as I was on my feet again, I took a step backwards and looked up at him.
"Since you are already here, you could stay for dinner", I offered with a sheepish look.
"Thank you, Sakura, but I really don't want to disturb you anymore on Christmas", he said stretching his neck.
Like hell I let you go now, I thought.
"Come on, Kakashi. You don't disturb me at all. It is nice to have some company at Christmas, don't you think?" The fire in my eyes must have been more than visible.
"If you don't mind that it is me you will be stuck with this evening", he smiled putting his hands in the pockets of his trousers.
"I don't mind!" I said -turning red all over again and looking to the ground- maybe a little too quickly.
But it was the truth. I wouldn't even mind when I would be stuck with him the whole night. Tempting thought. Maybe my crush on him was too obvious…Ino was right, when she told me the other day that the whole village knows about it except Kakashi himself. On the one hand I was grateful for that fact , because it would have been embarrassing, if he had been told by some other person than me, but on the other hand I was disappointed, because secretly I wanted him to find out, because I was too chicken to tell him .I looked up again and tried to sound anything than nervous.
"Are you hungry? I was about to eat dinner, when you showed up", to underline my words my stomach rumbled.
He chuckled and answered: "I am starving too."
I went to the kitchen followed by him and put a second plate and a second glass on the table across from mine and bottled some wine in the glass.
"Take a seat", I pointed to the place which I have just finished.
He sat down and removed his forehead protector, while I cut a piece off of the goose and put it on his plate. Then I poured some sauce over it and did the same again with mine. I also sat down and took the glass with the excellent wine in my hands and held it up.
"Merry Christmas, Kakashi."
He did the same and said softly:"Merry Christmas, Sakura."
I nipped at the drink and looked down…I knew exactly that he was also drinking and in order to do so he had had to pull down his mask. The idea of peeking was tempting, but I resisted the temptation and stared rigidly down at my plate without looking up…not even once. Naruto would kill me to let such an opportunity pass by…but I simply wasn't able to…
Kakashi chuckled.
"You don't have to stare your goose to death, Sakura. You can look at me, too. Sooner or later you will see my face and I don't mind if it is sooner."
My cheeks felt hot. Slowly I lifted my gaze. First I saw his Jonin vest, then his black shirt he wore under it and then…I looked in his face and for the first time I saw him smiling through his whole face…no mask hiding half of it and no forehead protector to hide his Sharinggan. I stared at him like I had done before with my dinner. His mimic changed slowly…from a amused one into a worried one.
"Sakura? Breathing is necessary to live, you know", he said half jokingly and half seriously. I took a deep breath and tried to make my breathing even.
"If I had known, that you would react like that, I wouldn't have let you see my face", he smiled!
He was even hotter without that mask…after all these years of guessing what he looked like under it, I had to admit that Naruto and me, that we were absolutely wrong with our assumptions. He looked like he stepped out of a Hollywood movie. Not even in my dreams I had imagined him to looked like that.
"Ka-Kakashi?" I asked half dazed.
"Let me guess. You want to know why I wear a mask, when there is nothing wrong with me, right?" He sighed, but his perfect wry smile didn't vanish.
I nodded.
With one hand he waved in my direction. I didn't understand.
"Because of that reaction, Sakura. Every time, when I am in a café I have to deal with these reactions, though the waitresses are always…", he shook his head in disbelief.
I blushed imagining what I must have looked like, when I saw his face.
"Sorry", I mumbled.
"Really, Sakura, you don't have to apologize. This was the first time I enjoyed this kind of reaction", his smile got wider.
When we had finished with our meal, I put the dishes in the scullery, when I heard Kakashi's voice from the living room.
"Sakura? Why are your blankets on the floor?"
I smiled walking in the living room.
"I always sit down in front of the fire-place and drink a hot tea after dinner and in order to have it a bit more comfortable…", I nodded to the blankets.
He nodded and then grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him in one fast movement…before I knew it I sat in front of him -very, very, very close to him that I could easily touch his still bare face.
"It seems like you don't have to sit here alone this year", he whispered in his hottest voice.
I shivered although it was warm because of the fire in the chimney.
"I…eh- I have something for you, Kakashi", I squeaked.
I reached out for the green present, which was right next to me under the tree. My hands were shaking a little. Too nervous, I thought.
"Here you go", I tried to overplay my nervousness with a smile.
"Thank you, Sakura, but now I have nothing to give you, because I have your present at home", he said apologetic taking his present from my hands.
Ba-bum.
My heart raced painfully in my chest. The desire to touch him was almost unbearable.
He opened it and was surprised by what he saw in there.
"Wha- what! Where di-did you get this?" He asked stuttering.
"Jiraya gave it to me after I convinced him that you are the best person to read it before anyone else", I grinned.
"Sakura, this is the limited special edition of the 'Icha Icha- series'."
"I know…and there are only 10 books of it and you have one of it now", I couldn't help but grin.
He read the summarizing on the back of the book and sighed.
"What is it? Don't you like it?" I asked afraid that I made a mistake.
He shook his head.
"Of course, I like it…but now I think that your present is ridiculous compared to mine."
I sighed in relief.
"Okay! How about this: I grant you a wish now. You can wish anything what you want…hmm maybe I should say anything but my books", he smirked.
"Who would want to read them", I smirked back at him.
"Okay, then there is no danger that you take away my precious books", he laughed quietly.
I thought about something…rational. Of course my wish would have been something like: I want you to stay with me forever…but I didn't think he would like that very much. I looked in his eyes and suddenly I came up with something.
"I- eh…if you don't mind…I want-", I didn't finish the sentence and glance at my hands in my lap.
"What?" He asked softly.
"I want your-"
"My what, Sakura?"
"Sharinggan."
Silence.
As the silence got uncomfortable, I looked up and saw the expression in Kakashi's face. Shock. I understood what he had thought and back paddled.
"Oh, no, no, no! I meant…I want you to use it on me…I am curious, you know. I have seen you so many times using it and now I wondered what it was like."
His expression didn't change.
"I don't think that is a good idea, Sakura", he mumbled staring at me.
"Is it dangerous?"
"No…I would be careful, but I don't like the thought that I would treat you like an enemy."
My eyes widened. Was he worried about me?
"It doesn't have to be long…just a few seconds…please, Kakashi", I tried to convince him with my puppy dog eyes.
"Sakura, I am used to this look…I have some dogs, you know. This won't work."
We stared at each other for two minutes, when Kakashi let out a heavy sigh.
"Fine, fine. I'll do it, but please stop looking at me like this."
I smiled got on his knees and came towards me until we were face to face. Then he touched my back with his one hand and the back of my head with his other hand. With another movement he laid me down and stretched my legs out. I was lying flat on my back while he has been kneeling over me.
"What are you doing?" I breathed heavily.
"I don't know if you'll loose your consciousness."
"Oh."
"Okay, now you have to look me in the eyes."
I did what he said and stared in his Sharinggan. All of a sudden my living room vanished and I was standing in Ichiraku's Ramen shop. I looked around but nobody of the people here seemed to notice me.
"So Kakashi, what will you do?" A deep male voice asked.
I tried to move to see him better, but I couldn't.
"I think I will wait until she tells me herself", Kakashi leaned back on his chair.
"Come on, it is obvious that she likes you", Guy said.
"I know, but how do you think Sakura would feel, when I go to her and say: Hi Sakura, I know that you like me. I was told by everyone in the village and I just wanted to let you know that I like you, too."
"Hmm I understand", Guy nodded.
"And what are you going to do next?" Yamato asked the Copy Ninja.
"I have an idea…I will visit her on Christmas, but I need your help Guy, so that my intentions aren't too obvious", Kakashi smiled.
Then I felt something on my lips and the Ichiraku shop vanished along with the memory.
I opened my eyes a little and saw what had caused the pressure on my lips. Sweet pressure though. My heart was beating like hell and my breathing came out as huffs. I let my hand wander through Kakashi's hair and pulled him closer to me. The kiss deepened as his tongue found his way in my mouth and started a sweet dance with my own. I felt his hand trailing along my side down to my knees and back up to my stomach. I moaned quietly against his mouth. This feeling was so intensive. I wanted him to kiss me forever, because he was so good in it. I didn't want to part, but Kakashi had said it before:
Breathing is necessary to live.
As we parted from each other I looked him deep in the eyes. I was sure that I had the same feelings in mine as he had in his. Love, longing and lust.
"You knew it all along?" I panted.
Also panting he lowered his head and put his lips on my ear.
"Your behavior was too obvious, Sakura", he smiled.
His lips wandered from my ear to my mouth and then they lay once again on mine, while the flames in the fire-place got smaller and smaller till they stopped their dance. But we didn't think of stopping. We were just getting started.
~End of flashback~
This is my story and I never experienced something better than this evening. I watch the flames again and daze.
"What are you thinking about?" The most tempting voice asks.
"I just thought of our Christmas last year", I smile at Kakashi, who sits down next to me leaning against the wall of the chimney.
I crawl over to him after putting my cup of tea aside, sit on his lap and nestle against his chest. Hugging me tight he kisses the top of my head and leans his cheek against it.
"Kakashi?"
"Hmm", he seems to be deep in thoughts.
"It is your turn this year. Tell me what your wish is and I grant it", I whisper happily.
His chuckle calms me down even more.
"Just stay with me forever", he puts his hand under my chin and lifts it up so that I face him.
I smile: "Wish granted."
I put my lips on his and the déjà-vu overwhelmed me.
Today is December the 24th.
My absolute favorite day.