Yes, it's finally happened: I've come back for a visit, and I've uploaded a KakaSaku fic for you all! I don't know why, but this couple has started to grow on me. Anyway, this Oneshot was written out of the insperation that bordem gives off to me, hah, and was thus created in the depths of my computer room towards the hour of midnight. xD It took up about 3 pages in Word. Hope you enjoy. Hopefully I'll be back soon!! I miss you guys!! :'(

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Just the idea.

Kiss of Promise

A Sakura/Kakashi Oneshot

"Be still you dolt," Haruno Sakura growled, tightening the bandages on the man's ribs. Said man winced visibly and chided, "Now, now, Sakura, do you have to be so rash?" The pink-haired young woman of 20 grunted in answer and turned away to get more supplies to fix his wounds.

Hatake Kakashi, a man of 34, winced again, harder this time and rubbed his ribs lightly. She was really angry with him this time. He felt a bit guilty, knowing her anger was a result of worry, a cover-up. He gazed at her turned back, biting his lip. She was banging jars down, trying to find a safe release for her anger, but only succeeding in denting some of the trays and tables due to her inhuman strength.

"Sakura…" he hesitated and she glanced over her shoulder at him. The silver-haired Jonin sighed and beaconed her to him. She glared but came to stand before him, her arms crossed over her chest. Her rather nicely filled-out chest, Kakashi noticed. He blinked and mentally slapped himself back into reality. She was his ex-student, not to mention 14 years younger than he was. She had plenty of suitors her own age, and probably was most certainly uninterested in such an older man. He sighed again and looked into her sea-green eyes.

"I uh," he forgot what he'd planned on saying. Sakura tapped her foot impatiently and snapped, "Well? You were saying something, Kakashi?" He smiled beneath his mask and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yes," he began again, looking back at her. She raised a brow, waiting.

"I just," he bit his lip again then sighed and said, "I'm sorry." Surprise flitted through the anger in her eyes and she asked, unsure she'd understood, "Excuse me?" Kakashi adverted his gaze from hers. "I'm sorry. For…making you worry." Sakura gave a very un-lady like snort and turned to walk back to her supplies. "How would you know I worry?" she all but snapped. Kakashi's hand shot out to graph her wrist in a steely hold, before either of them realized it. Sakura looked back at him, wide-eyed, her mouth in a small 'o' of surprise. Kakashi frowned. Her lips were so full, the color of cherry blossoms just bloomed. Her eyes were the shade of the sea in the summer, sparking with life. He sighed. How he longed for her…how long he had.

"Sakura," he said evenly, "I see it in your eyes. And I'm sorry I made you worry." The woman blinked and then frowned. "Fine. Apology accepted. Now let me go so I can tend to the rest of your wounds." He hesitated before doing as she asked. She hurried to her supplies table and pretended to look through them once more, calmly. In reality, her heart was racing in her chest. What had she seen in his eyes just now? Wanting? For…her?

Of course not, she told herself tiredly. Why would he want a woman her age, one so young some his own age still thought of her as a mere child? She wasn't beautiful or gorgeous, and certainly not cut out for him. He was a Jonin, constantly sent out on dangerous missions, always unsure whether he'd come back alive the next day. And she was nothing but a medical ninja, constantly doctoring the sick and weary. Constantly trying to save the dying. Giving news of the dead.

No, why would he want someone like her? Sakura clenched her fist and picked up her things, taking them back to the bed he sat on, laying them beside him. She picked up a bottle of antiseptic and warned, "This'll sting." Then she took a cotton ball wet with the medicine and dabbed at a deep scratch on his arm. He hissed through his teeth and she finished the job as quickly as possible. Kakashi remained silent, taking the pain without complaint.

After she'd dressed his serious cuts, she moved to the minor ones and did the same. After applying the last band-aid on his shin, she looked up at him. He was watching her, a weird expression in his eye. She didn't try to recognize it and instead stood, noticing a deep scratch on his cheek. She frowned and gently touched it with two fingers. He grimaced and she pulled away.

"Sorry," she murmured and he shrugged. She cleared her throat and said softly; "I'm going to need you to take off your mask so I can tend to that." Kakashi was quiet so long she turned back to look at him. He was looking at her, but didn't seem to be seeing her. Debating with himself, and whether or not he wanted her to take care of the wound, she realized. Whether or not he wanted her to see his face.

She harrumphed and put her hands on her hips, turning to fully face him. A scowl covered her features and she said accusingly, "Kakashi, how long have you known me?" The silver-haired man blinked and replied, "Excuse me?"

"How long have you known me?" she repeated. Kakashi looked as if he wasn't sure what to answer, before replying, "A little over 8 years." Sakura nodded and snapped, "So then, after 8 years, don't you trust me at all?" He blinked again. "What? Of course I do Sakura." He said, confused. She huffed. "Then why are you hesitating? So I'll see your face, so what? You know me. What could I possibly think that would frighten you so much that you wouldn't want to take it off even in front of me?"

There was hurt in her voice, he noted. He watched her a moment before retorting softly, "I don't mind you seeing my face, Sakura." Sakura sniffed and stepped up to him, not even an arms length away. She set her fingers at the edge of his mask gently and said quietly, "Good." She stared into his eyes for a moment, before gently as possible peeling away the mask.

Kakashi barely felt the sting of the cut as he watched with held breath, Sakura's reaction. First her green eyes widened in shock, her lips parting barely. Then the mask was gone completely and she stood back a bit to get a good look at him, eyes still wide. Kakashi couldn't help but smile a little. "Sakura?" he inquired, snapping her out of her reverie. She blinked rapidly and met his eyes. He gestured to her medical things. "The wound?" he chuckled. She swallowed and nodded, reaching for her things.

God, he was beautiful! Her pulse beat like a horses hooves racing through her veins and she had to make sure her hands didn't shake. She'd imagined what he might look like, but nothing came close to the reality. He was the most handsome man she'd ever seen! She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself—and failing miserably—before she turned back to him. He wasn't looking at her, but at the clock. She cleared her throat and took his chin in her hand, turning his face back to her.

Kakashi blinked, but then Sakura reminded him, "Look at me so I can clean this." He clenched his teeth next at the severe stinging the medicine caused as it cleansed the wound. Sakura worked quickly, keeping her eyes focused on the task at hand. Kakashi smiled a little. Perhaps that's what made her such an excellent medical ninja. She never let her thoughts stray too far, or for too long.

"You know, you could've at least told me," she finally said accusingly, frowning. Kakashi grunted. "Told you what?" he asked, too wrapped up in the thoughts of her fingers on his skin. Sakura gave a sound of disgust. "Your mission, idiot! A damn suicide mission! A F-ing A-Ranked mission!" Kakashi tried not to smile at her "F-ing" instead of the real word. She tried not to use that much.

"Well what did you want me to do?" he asked calmly. "Tell you and have you try to get me to turn it down? I would've had to go either way, Sakura. You know that. I figured I'd spare you the worry of thinking you'd have to recover my corpse." Sakura winced and tried to growl, "Still…you should've told me anyway. I'm not a little girl anymore, Kakashi! I'm a woman now, and I can handle the thought of death!"

Kakashi smiled softly and took her chin in his hand to make her look at him. He heard her breath catch and he stared into her eyes. "Yes, Sakura, you are indeed a woman now. A very remarkable, beautiful woman. But could you have handled the thought of your old Sensei's death due to a suicide mission?" He shook his head for her. "I tried to think of your well-being. I didn't tell you, not because I still think of a twelve-year-old child when I look at you, but because I see a woman who's had her fair share of hardship, and figured I'd spare you the thought of another."

Sakura swallowed hard and asked softly, "You…you really think all of that?" Kakashi smiled again and nodded. "Yes, I do. Every word." Sakura smiled a little and hugged him hard. He wrapped his arm around her back and inhaled her scent of cherries and vanilla. Sakura tightened her grip and said, "Thank you Kakashi. I'm sorry I've been so harsh with you today."

The silver-haired Jonin chuckled and pat her back. "I probably deserved some of it anyway." The medical ninja pulled back enough to look at him, her expression unreadable. Then she smiled. "Probably." Kakashi stared into her sea eyes, feeling himself getting lost. Everything around him was simply her.

He felt lips on his own before he knew it. He wasn't sure if he'd kissed her or she'd kissed him, but didn't care after a second. He pressed his lips to hers more firmly, pulling her closer to him. He felt her hand on his chest and deepened the kiss, holding the base of her neck. Her arm wrapped around his shoulders, bringing them closer together than before. Her eyes had flickered closed already.

Finally air became a necessity and they pulled back, breath ragged. Sakura's eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed. Kakashi's arm was around her waist, holding her to the spot. She swallowed and slid her arm out from around his neck, resting her hands on his shoulders. They were still very, very close. She finally registered what had happened between them.

"Oh, my…" she stopped and closed her eyes weakly. What had she done?

Kakashi's hand to her flushed cheek made her open her eyes again. She looked at him and he said sternly, "Sakura, don't be afraid or ashamed of what just happened here." She bit her lip. "But…we…" Kakashi sighed. "Sakura," his voice was soft. "I've been…wanting to do that for a long time now. Maybe it's wrong, but I don't care. I can't deny that I like you—a lot more than just a colleague or friend—any longer. I won't." He looked back into her eyes and let her go completely.

"I can't speak for you, but I enjoyed it." he smiled a tiny smile. Sakura stared at him, amazed. Was he really saying all this? He…liked her? Could she really believe her ears?

"Kakashi…" she hesitated before continuing, "I…I did too." He blinked then smiled happily. That seemed to boost her courage a bit. "I've liked you a long time as well…but I've been too scared to admit it." Kakashi laughed lightly and pulled her into another short kiss. When they pulled away again, all doubts but one were gone from the young woman's mind.

"What about everyone else?" she inquired, resting her head on his shoulder. Kakashi snorted. "What about them? They don't choose who we can or can't be with. It's not up to them. It's only up to us." He looked at her and said quietly, "I'm up for trying it if you are." Sakura smiled and took his hand in hers.

"Definitely." She smiled and they sealed their promise with a kiss.

:-D Soo, how was it? Corny? Cute? Anything? Ahh, well, I liked it. :-P Anyway, comments are extremly welcomed, of course! I'd love to hear from you all, since I'm still unsure of when I'll be returning for good. Even if you dislike this fic, but know my work, I'd be very happy if you just dropped in to say 'hello'! x3 Yes, I know, Imma dork, but I miss everyone here, lol. Really hope to return soon. Until then though, everyone, I hope you liked the fic, and I hope to hear from you soon. Toodles till then!

-- Miah-Chan