To be fair, going in to this I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew I wanted to write a story about Kakashi and Sakura. I wrote as I went and now I'm just hoping for the best going forward.
Thanks for reading!
Read. Rate. Review. Be jolly and enjoy watermelon licorice.
Being Hokage just sort of fell into his lap. In fact, it was a position he never really pictured for himself. The paperwork, the immobility, the constant droning from the council; none of that was enticing to him. It was, however, not without merit. He had a phenomenal view of Konoha. And despite being late for everything else in his life, he never missed a sunrise. He enjoyed watching the sun begin to filter into the town and bring life, pushing the shadows away. He sat behind his desk and drank a cup of poorly brewed tea and enjoyed the silence before his door was beaten down and he was buried beneath scrolls.
Another merit just so happened to come in a pleasant shade of cotton candy pink. His former student was often tasked with bringing reports from the hospital and research lab to him. What had started as a menial task was now a welcome routine.
It started one afternoon when Sakura had stopped by on her lunch break, dead on her feet from a long shift at the hospital. She was dropping off a few scrolls on her way to meet Naruto. She had walked into his office and looked positively done with the day. Her sleeveless lab coat was rumpled and he spotted a bit of blood on the collar. Her long hair was pulled into a haphazard bun and the skin under her eyes was shadowed with exhaustion. She gave a soft smile in greeting.
"Sensei."
"Sakura. I assume you have come to bury me under more paperwork," he said with a smile beneath his mask.
"You wouldn't be buried if you ever did it. I've heard complaints from just about every department about how far behind you are."
"Mah, mah. You know how it is. Can't please everybody!" he said with a shrug.
She chuckled quietly, "so why bother with anyone. I know."
He leaned his head onto his hands, "That's a clever girl! You always were the brightest bulb in the bunch."
"I should hope so. It's not much of a challenge when you consider who I'm competing with."
She sat a few scrolls on his desk and stared at him for a moment. She tilted her head curiously. He could only assume she was only just now noticing that he never wore his robes. He preferred his uniform. Tsunade had thoughtfully had a patch made for his flak vest, claiming that he had to represent his title somehow.
"You know, I never would have thought this suited you."
"Gee thanks."
"No! I mean, of course it's strange to see you behind a desk and not behind Icha Icha Paradise but seeing you here, overlooking the village, knowing it's you that is taking care of everything? I thought it would be unsettling. It's not." She smiled sweetly.
His heart clenched. She had congratulated him before. Everyone had. Everyone had laughed and made their jokes about him being in a position of such responsibility. Hell, he had laughed when Tsunade asked him. But her words in that moment, words from a strong, intelligent woman who had seen her fair share of blood and war and violence, words from a woman whose mentor had sat there before him, they brought him the most joy. He was suddenly very proud to be Hokage. He felt as though there was very little this job could throw at him that would deter him enough to disappoint her. He didn't have the words to thank her.
"That's almost kind of you," he said instead.
"I can be nice, thank you very much!" She hissed.
"Will you join me for a cup of tea?"
Her mouth pursed. "I shouldn't… I'm supposed to meet Naruto for lunch."
"Surely you have time for a cup of tea with a tired old man," he insisted.
She laughed heartily. "Tired, I can believe. But you're hardly an old man."
"Two compliments in one day? You're either overworked or you want something. So, which is it?"
She smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
She took off her lab coat and sat on the couch by the wall. She stretched her legs out. She flexed her feet. She eyed her shoes and then him. "You don't mind, do you?"
He shook his head. "Not at all."
She sighed happily and removed her heels. "I don't know how Tsunade does it…"
"I think she lost feeling in her feet year ago. Either that or she's a monster." He said more to himself than her.
Sakura laughed anyway and curled up on the couch. He pulled out a scroll and called forth Bisuke and Urushi, knowing all too well how Pakkun felt about running errands. He sent Bisuke with a request for tea and Urushi to inform Naruto that Sakura would be late for lunch.
She had curled up on the couch, her naked legs tucked underneath her butt. He was suddenly struck by the inappropriate direction his thoughts had taken. He had been staring and wondering how she would fit against him, what her flesh would feel like beneath his palm. He had even gone as far as to wonder how adventurous she was. He shook his head and focused on at least reviewing the scrolls she had brought him.
She was flicking through a book he had left on the table, her head propped up by one arm. She looked at home. Then again, this office had to be incredibly familiar to her by now. Tsunade may have thought she was reserved in her show of favoritism but the whole damn village knew how much she loved her pupil. Sakura was often at Tsunade's side when she wasn't working or on a mission.
When Bisuke returned, he ignored Kakashi and went to Sakura. She smiled and patted the couch by her legs. He curled up by her with a huff. She scratched the top of his head and went back to reading. Kakashi bit back a smirk. Damn dogs. They all had a soft spot for her. Was there anyone in Konoha who wasn't?
By the time Urushi was back, Sakura had fallen asleep on the couch. Urushi at least had the decency to look in Kakashi's direction before he went to curl up by the rosette. He nuzzled her until she shifted further into the cushions so that he could lay beside her. She wrapped an arm around him before nuzzling into his fur and settling in once again.
When she woke up an hour later, she sat up with a start. The ninken huffed and fussed until comfortable again. She looked out the window at the sun's position. Her peridot eyes went wide and she darted around, gathering her coat and stuffing her feet into her shoes. She eyed the tea on the table. Cold, of course.
"You should have woken me up!" She said as she pulled her coat on.
He could get used to hearing that.
"Ah, time just slipped by. What can I say?" He said with his characteristic nonchalance.
She looked like she wanted to say something biting but instead her shoulders dropped and she looked at him sweetly and smiled. "Thank you. I think I needed that more than I knew."
"I know," he looked away from her gentle expression. "Now get back to work. I don't need people thinking I'm rubbing off on you."
Now there was a thought; rubbing and Sakura. No! Bad Kakashi.
And that was how their routine started. She would stop by with scrolls and she would settle into the corner of his room with a cup of tea and dogs while he went over what she brought him. She would sometimes bring paperwork or reports to go over. He would have sweets ready on occasion. He had to start alternating ninken to summon as they were getting jealous.
It was the highlight of his day. When the hospital was busy, he was incredibly sullen. He tried to shrug it off but it was becoming increasingly difficult. Genma made a comment about getting fixed up by Sakura after a particularly nasty training session. His comment about the way she looked bent over in her little skirt had put him on edge. Someone else commented about wanting to bend her over and he fought back the desire to wring their necks.
"I'm sure Sakura would love to hear your thoughts on the subject about as much as I do. Need I remind you, that is my student you're talking about." He said with a sneer. His eyes were burning holes into them.
They shut up real fast. But Kakashi was left to deal with the overwhelming need to claim and protect Sakura. He could chalk it up to him looking out for his former student. He could, but he wasn't that stupid. He honestly would have liked for Sakura to hear them. She would have wiped the floor with them, fixed them up and repeated the process.
Damn, he missed her. She would chatter mindlessly about medical herbs and what was going on in the research labs as though she were talking about the weather. She would insist that he leave his work on the days there were snacks. She constantly reminded him that he needed a break too. On the days that the hospital had been rough or she was struggling to find a solution, she would come by and take her hair out. Those were the days that he summoned as many dogs as possible. They practically buried her and she left looking a little less burdened.
There was currently an outbreak of some sort of virus. He was assured it was nothing serious. Just a mild virus. However, since it started, Sakura had been working around the clock at the hospital. He seemed to lose all concept of time in missing her. He was on edge. It should not be this severe. Hell, he could remember what the last scroll she had brought him said in detail. He felt foolish. It was as though he was twiddling his thumbs waiting for her to visit.
Enough was enough. He rose from behind his desk and disappeared from his office. Suddenly he was standing in front of the hospital. He grimaced at himself. This was ridiculous. He tried to convince himself that he was just making sure his student wasn't exhausting herself completely. Had she eaten? Was she sleeping?
He walked into the hospital and followed her sweet scent. It was almost difficult to pick out the smell of roses and jasmine when the air was heavy with sterilization. Almost. He found her exiting a patient's room on the third floor.
Her hair was braided poorly down her back and she was without her lab coat. He could tell that she had lost a couple pounds. The navy-blue dress she was wearing was usually snug against her skin. He loved and hated that dress. There was nothing sinful about it. The neckline was appropriate, the length hitting her knees. The only thing sinful about it was what it made him want to do.
She met his eyes and smiled brightly before hurrying over to him.
"Kakashi," she greeted instantly.
"Sakura."
"What are you doing here?
"Just coming to see my favorite student," It wasn't a complete lie. He had come to see her. His reasons were his own.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I don't buy that for a minute," she paused and looked him over. Her brow began to furrow. "You're not hurt, are you? Oh, who am I kidding? Like you'd tell me. You're worse than Naruto the way you try to escape this place."
He didn't have a chance to say anything. She grabbed his arm and tugged him after her. He felt his body temperature rise. All his internal chaos at her absence was suddenly eased. She was touching him. In all the weeks that she had been coming to see him, they had avoided touching. A damn shame. It was electric. He felt her fingers flex against his arm and watched her. The tips of her ears were suddenly very red. She slowed her walk a bit. Instead of pulling him, she was only a step or two ahead of him. Her hand slid from his elbow to small naked expanse of his wrist.
Well, this visit took a sudden turn of events. He followed her to an exam room happily. He was like a lovesick puppy. When she let go, his wrist was suddenly very cold and he shivered at the loss. She wasn't looking at him but he could from the rise and fall of her shoulders that she was taking deep, steadying breaths.
He smirked beneath his mask. His little rosette seems to be having difficulties collecting herself. That information was too good to bear.
"On the table then, I presume."
She whipped around with wide eyes. "What?" her voice was barely a whispered squeak.
Dirty girl.
"I should be on the table for this unnecessary examination, should I not?"
Her cheeks flushed heavily and she pulled her lower lip into her mouth. The growl that built in his chest thankfully didn't escape. He could smell her nervousness and a sweet scent he knew to be arousal.
"Right! Up you go. Exam time."
She turned away from him to grab a chart and he almost laughed. She was embarrassed. How cute. He should be ashamed of what he did next, but he wasn't. He quietly removed his flak vest and the shirt under it. He was left bare. He would normally have a fishnet shirt or a black sleeveless under it. But the summer heat was rising in Konoha.
When she turned around and looked up from what had to be blank paperwork she dropped the chart. The clang resonated through the air. Her mouth fell open and he was struck by how easy it would be kiss her in that moment. Her eyes were raking over his body slowly. That was not medical analysis. Sakura seemed to like what she saw.
"You don't have a shirt on… why are you shirtless?" her eyes never left his body.
"This is how my exams usually go. I just assumed…" he said casually.
"It's fine" she replied hurriedly. "It's fine. I'm just going to start the exam, okay?"
"Fine by me," he said with a smile.
This was not good. She was making a fool out of herself. Her visits to the Hokage's office had once been a necessary evil. She used to cover for Shizune, delivering reports and ensuring her master was doing her paperwork before all hell broke loose in the village and on occasion just to share a bottle of sake post-surgery. After Kakashi had taken over she had expected things to change. And they had. She never would have napped when Tsunade was there, no matter how long the day had been. She never would have stared longingly over a cup of steaming tea at Tsunade.
It had become her solace. Seeing Kakashi brought a little light to her day. It eased the tension that built between her shoulder blades. He called out ninken after ninken to cuddle her while she kicked off the heels and tough exterior she wore around the hospital. She would watch him carefully from behind a book while he worked on paperwork. They rarely spoke unless he had snacks prepared. They hardly needed to. After years of being side by side, there was no need to fill the silence.
She was shamefully grateful for the virus that had swept through the village. It gave her a reprieve from being constantly faced with her fantasies. Kakashi had a quite kind of allure. She knew very well that while he was a pervert, there was so much more to him. He had kind eyes and strong hands. His laugh always sent a thrill through her. She had become totally enamored with her former teacher.
She had thought she could control it but grabbing him had made it quite obvious that was impossible. She had felt electricity course through her when her skin met his. And now he was bare chested in a private exam room with her. She was trying not to stare. Really, she was. But, he was in the kind of shape most shinobi only hope to be in when inactive. His pale chest was impeccably chiseled and his arms were lean but she would but he could hold her up for hours without breaking a sweat. He was all corded muscle and… fine. The man was just damn fine.
She should be used to the physiques of men. She never batted an eye when any of the other Konoha Nin came to her for medical attention. Something was different with him. He had her in turmoil. She was about ready to throw herself at him until she remembered what Tsunade had told her.
"There's nothing a man wants more than what he can't have. As a woman and ninja, you must be evasive. Never give away your desires until you're sure you have him in your trap."
The blonde's smirk was still burned into her memory. But she would be damned if she was going to make a move on a man that probably had no interest in her. It was her job to show him that she was a woman now, not some crush crazy adolescent. She could seduce him… probably. If she didn't lose her mind first.
"I get the feeling there's not much that isn't fine by you," she said more to herself than to him.
She focused her chakra into her hands before he could speak and swept them over his body, slowly. It was torture. She let her hands sink into his silver hair and she held back a sigh. She has always wanted to do this but she needed to focus on the task at hand. His uncovered eye was closed and his head tilted back at the contact. She smiled softly to herself, pleased with his response to her touch. She took a bit too much time making sure there was no nerve damage or cracks. If there was any old injury, it would be impossible to miss at the pace she was taking things.
She trailed her hands down the sides of his face, letting her finger tips barely graze the skin. He shivered and his eyes flashed open. She kept a cool expression. She'd be damned if she was going to reveal what this was doing to her. She let his hands touch his neck fully and checked for any tension, the kind Tsunade complained about. She found a couple small knots and eased them with slow circular movements. He groaned and she smirked.
"Is this 'fine by you'?" She asked haughtily.
"Mmhm," he groaned quietly.
" I do believe I have robbed the great Kakashi of his ability to be witty."
"I'll be witty when I can think straight again. I'm currently focused on enjoying a very thorough exam."
"If you told me what you came here for, I wouldn't have to be so thorough." Lies.
"I told you. I'm just here to see my favorite student."
"Seeing as Sasuke isn't here, I find that hard to believe." She was feeling snarky.
She moved her hands to his shoulders and stepped closer. He stiffened and she was suddenly aware that she was eye level to him. She was usually too short, even in heels. She took the time to enjoy his dark eyes staring into hers. She let her hands and fingers work at the muscles in his shoulders and neck mindlessly.
"You're working too hard. You're so tight."
"I can't believe I'm hearing those words come from your mouth," he said with a laugh.
"Are you calling me a hypocrite?" She pulled away and put her hands on her hips.
He paused for a moment as though choosing to answer, "Yes."
"I'll have you know," she was cut off by his hand on her waist. Her breath hitched and she stared at him.
He stood and stepped into her space. His hand trialed down the line of her waist to her hip. He let his thumb brush over the ridge that poked gently against the soft fabric of her dress. "You've lost weight. I'll take that as an indicator that you're working so much that you aren't eating. Unless of course it has something to do with the fact that we haven't shared a meal recently?"
She sputtered trying to think. "I-I've been on a diet. I gained a bit of weight thanks to your snacking habit. And I haven't had any missions lately so I had to do something to get the weight off."
A total lie. She still trained regularly with the boys and a few snacks were hardly going to throw her weight out of balance. She just hadn't had a well-balanced meal since the influx of patients began and her focus had been on a certain silver-haired devil.
"I hardly think a few snacks did much damage," he said while his thumb continued to stroke her slowly.
She could only focus on what is would feel like if he were to do the same thing a bit lower. She was wobbling towards him. She caught her hands on his chest and flushed. Goodness, he was warm. She needed to pull away and think. She was falling under the spell of his low voice and suave way of speaking.
She dug deep and found her inner Tsunade. She pushed his back towards the exam table. She gave him what she hoped was an aloof gaze before trailing one hand up his chest to rest her index finger under his covered chin.
"Now, now, you wouldn't be trying to distract the doctor, would you?" She raised a pink brow in challenge.
He held up his hands in surrender and shrugged. She took the rest of the exam a bit faster, for her own sake. She couldn't be left alone with a shirtless Kakashi Hatake for very long. It hardly promoted rational thought. She continued from where her hands were on his chest. She followed down his sides and mentally documented the soft hum that he emitted when her fingers ran along his obliques.
"Kakashi Hatake," she hissed.
"Yes?" He replied meekly.
"Is that a fractured rib you're sporting?"
He looked everywhere but her quickly.
"I ought to kick your ass for trying to get away with hiding this."
"It's an old injury. It hardly matters," he muttered.
"Like hell! That's barely a week old."
He cursed himself. He had forgotten he had taken a minor hit from Iruka while dueling. He had thought nothing of it but Sakura would of course make it into something big. He had been enjoying her touch so much he hadn't even thought of the little things she may find during her exam. A mistake he would not make again.
"Sakura, you know as well as I do that a little crack to a rib is hardly something to come to the hospital over."
"For any other ninja, maybe! But you're the damn Hokage. Not to mention the fact that your student is a medic. Do you know what kind of criticism I would face if someone found out you were walking around with an injury?" She ranted as she focused on fixing him up.
He had to admit, Sakura raging about him being injured was kind of a turn on. Her eyes were bright and her brow was furrowed. She spit words at him in a fury as she cursed silently to herself. He could still feel the heat of her body under his hand from where he had touched her waist. She had blushed so prettily.
"There. All fixed. Now get your ass out of my hospital before I give you a reason to be here." She was a little more than pissed. Things had taken a turn for the worse. Still, he felt better after seeing her. The lack of muscle tension in his neck and shoulders and the mild throbbing in his side was a bonus.
"You're a goddess, Sakura," he said as he clothed himself once more. He headed towards the door as she cleaned up the room behind them. He took advantage of being behind her. He masked his movements and moved behind her. His hands held her hips firmly as he spoke softly into her ear. "For the record, I like my woman with a little curve. Feel free to snack as much as you like."
He felt her shiver against his chest as his muted breath wafted over the exposed skin of her neck. He moved quickly out of the room before she could react. He was walking through the hall with his hands in his pockets when he heard her scream.
"I don't give a damn what you like, you pervert!"
He walked back to the tower with a smile on his face. Anticipating what their next meeting would hold in store.
Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think in the reviews. Heaven knows it could use improvement!