Title: Desperate Measures
Prompt: Unwrap me | Right on time
For: Denilmo / Celestial Circumference for the 2016 KakaSaku Secret Santa Exchange from tumblr
Rating: M for themes
Author: moor (beyondthemoor on tumblr)
Author's AO3: /users/moor/works
Summary: When there's a dip in Kakashi's rankings for the latest issue of Hot Shinobi Digest, he takes matters into his own hands and enlists the help of one of Konoha's most eligible kunoichi.
There was a certain man who had... a problem.
"Your overall popularity levels are through the roof," read Shikamaru.
He stood before Kakashi's heavy oak desk, report in hand on that sunny afternoon in Konoha's Hokage Tower. Seated at said desk was Rokudaime Hatake Kakashi, gaze steady as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed in front of him. His kage robes hung behind him on a hat rack. On a small doggy bed just to the side, Pakkun napped with snub-nosed snores, occasionally passing gas.
It was a concerning problem.
Shikamaru flipped to the next page in his monthly report. "And your citizens feel you are making progress towards your goals, and they support those goals."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. He knew what was coming next.
"You are seen as a strong leader, which contributes to Konoha's overall reputation inside and outside the village," said Shikamaru before adding, with a slight pause. "And that your appearance is still ranked highly in Hot Shinobi Digest," he sighed. "You're still within the top ten," he added as Kakashi gave him a look that clearly said, 'go on'.
Shikamaru asked once if they could ignore such a subjective diagnostic of his popularity level, and Kakashi had vetoed his complaint. These were important parameters that guided his decisions.
So every month Shikamaru was forced to go out into the village to purchase a copy of the magazine. Then, the day after, every month, Temari would send a thank-you box of sausages to Kakashi for Pakkun, to which Kakashi would send a smiling henohenomoheji note in return. It worked out well for everyone except Shikamaru, which Kakashi was fine with.
Yet at that moment in his office Kakashi tightened his hands into fists.
"... and lastly," Shikamaru dragged on, thoroughly unimpressed, "T & I scoured the social media segment and found… that you are, officially, no longer 'bangable'."
Kakashi's breath caught.
"At all?" he asked.
"At all. Ever again. Ever," drawled Shikamaru. His shoulders slumped. "Can I go now?"
More chagrined than he remembered being since hearing of the delay on Icha Icha Paradise Kiss, Kakashi nodded numbly, dismissing Shikamaru.
As the door closed behind his top advisor Kakashi sat back in his chair, crossing his arms in front of him as he gazed out over the village he protected.
… the village that had turned its back on him in his prime, he mentally added.
Well, obviously there was work to be done.
By someone else.
He pressed the button on his desk that summoned whichever sacrificial genin was on duty to help him that day.
"Could you please drag Yamato up here?" he asked, poking the button a few more times. It deliberately cut the signal in and out and would irritate whoever was on duty.
As expected, a moment later a terse, young voice snapped, "Of course, sir."
"Good!" cheered Kakashi.
With that he sat back to wait.
# # #
"... you dragged me out of work for this, sempai?" asked Yamato as he sat across from Kakashi on the restaurant patio. The sun shone down upon the pair as they shared their lunch.
"Mmm," agreed Kakashi, chewing his yakisoba. He poked at the grilled unagi on the side before moving on to the shredded vegetables. "As a younger man still in your prime what do you recommend?"
"Acceptance," said Yamato, turning back to his katsudon.
Behind his mask, Kakashi pouted.
… and started to rise to his feet.
"Don't skip out on the bill. It makes you look worse," said Yamato, cheeks burning as he chided his friend and superior.
Kakashi froze.
Damnit, Yamato was right.
"Why does it matter?" asked Yamato, curious.
"It doesn't," said Kakashi.
Yamato gave Kakashi a hard stare.
Letting out a small sigh, the Rokudaime shrugged.
"It's important to be a leader in all things," he said magnanimously.
Yamato gave Kakashi a harder stare.
Then he shook his head and returned to his katsudon.
They finished their meal and chatted of random things, friends, Genma's relentless pursuit of Shizune, Shizune's relentless torment and evasion of Genma, and what Kakashi's relentlessly entertaining former students were up to recently.
"—Still at the hospital, though she comes around to help at the Tower occasionally on the weekend or when Sarada has a mission with Konohamaru," explained Kakashi as they passed the market.
"Hm? Kakashi-sensei, are you talking about my daughter? Oh no, what did she and Boruto get into this time..."
At the frustrated tone, Kakashi grinned beneath his mask and raised his hand in greeting. "Yo, Sakura-chan."
"I haven't been -chan in twenty years," she said, crossing her arms in front of her but relaxing her shoulders. "Yamato-taichou, how are you?"
"Very well, and you?" he asked politely as they stepped to the side to avoid the other shoppers in the open-air market.
"Very well," she said, smiling at him. "Though Sarada's been up to something recently. I'm trying not to pry but I can feel it. It's a struggle to give her a longer leash. Hard to believe I was facing down S-class nin as genin when I was her age, eh, Kaka-sensei?" she said, teasing Kakashi.
"All you needed was motivation," said Kakashi, skirting over the fact that he hadn't been the best one to motivate her… or teach her...
Yamato tilted his head. "What does Sasuke think? Is he due back soon?"
She let out a soft sigh, shrugging.
"Since the divorce he hasn't made as much effort to reach out to me. I think he's in contact more with Sarada, though, which is what's important," she said.
Beside Kakashi, Yamato grimaced.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you two had separated—" he began, but Sakura smiled and waved off his concerns.
"Oh, it's amicable. It's fine. We just aren't broadcasting it because we don't want Sarada to feel stigmatised. We're still family," she said. "He remains Sarada's father, just not my husband… In truth, very little has changed," she said off-hand.
"Perhaps you could help sempai, then," Yamato said, looking between her and Kakashi.
Visible eye widening, Kakashi stiffened.
"No, that's not—" he began, but Sakura interrupted again.
"Of course, what can I do?" she said, her brilliant eyes shining with concern.
"In his latest popularity reports, it was determined…" Yamato's voice trailed off as his cheeks reddened.
"Yes?" asked Sakura, looking between the pair.
"... that he… anymore…"
Brows furrowing, Sakura tried to follow Yamato's stumbling allusions.
"... can't… with… ah…"
Obviously fearing the worst, Sakura's cheeks began to warm.
"... with women?" she ventured in a cautious, quiet tone, covering her mouth and conscious of the people walking past.
Stoically Kakashi bore their fumbling, wondering when he had become such a source of awkward amusement for these precious people who were sadly the closest to him. All he needed to make it a full farce was—
"Heh, someone lost his last, scrambling place on the Fuckable Shinobi list," leered Genma as he joined the small group at the market.
"Don't you have work to be doing?" said Kakashi with a put-upon sigh.
But Sakura had straightened.
"That's what this is about?"
She looked between the men, brow arched.
"Your citizens are no longer throwing themselves at your feet to yank off your trousers, and that's why you're concerned?"
"Not feet, exactly," said Genma, leaning an elbow on Kakashi's shoulder, his toothpick switching sides. "Though they could start there, if that's your thing?" He looked at Kakashi, brows raised.
Kakashi glared at him.
"Just date someone younger than you. And hot," said Sakura, shaking her head. "And I was worried something was wrong," she mumbled to herself, turning away. "Have a good day, Kaka-sensei, Yamato-taichou, Genma."
"You too," said Genma cheerfully. "Put in a good word for me with—"
Sakura disappeared in poof of sakura petals before he could finish.
"Sempai?" asked Yamato, looking at Kakashi's thoughtful mien.
"Hm?" asked Kakashi, turning to him with a bland smile behind his mask.
Yamato's expression turned pained. He knew that face.
"She has a good point, though," said Genma when Kakashi stepped away from him and dropped his elbow. "Even a short relationship would stoke the fires for your libido's popularity again. If you're concerned."
"Who said anything about concerns?" said Kakashi, looking in the direction of Sakura's apartment.
His shoulders sagging, Yamato swallowed a sigh.
# # #
The knock at front door that night was the last thing Sakura needed while she was elbow-deep in dishes.
"Sarada!"
"What?"
"Can you get the door?"
"What?"
"Can you get the door!"
"What?"
In a rush Sakura snapped up a towel and hurried to the front of their modest home. Her close friends knew she'd moved away from the Uchiha compound, but she hadn't had any kind of official house warming party. She was too busy to organize one and Sarada was almost always out with her friends in the village or on missions, so there was no need.
"Coming!" she called, quickly drying her hands and tucking the towel into the tie of her apron.
With a final huff she opened the door only to come face to face with one of the most annoying men she'd ever met.
"Yo, Sakura-chan!"
She promptly closed the door in his face.
"Mom! You can't shut the door on the Rokudaime!" gasped Sarada from behind Sakura, making Sakura jump.
Sure, now you're here to help, grumbled Inner Sakura.
"You're hurting my feelings and I only have one left," lamented Kakashi as he peeked around the door frame. "Good evening, Sarada-chan!"
"You're here!" the dark-haired girl cheered, reaching out to drag him inside.
For her part, Sakura straightened her apron and looked between them.
"What brings you out so far from home, and office, and everywhere else you normally spend time?" she asked, reaching for Kakashi's navy shinobi coat.
"Can't a man come visit his former student and friend?"
"I invited him!" peeped up Sarada, dragging Kakashi by the arm further into their home. "Come on, I saved you some supper. Did you eat yet?"
He chuckled.
"I can always fit in a little more. How are you doing with the jutsu you told me about earlier?"
"Earlier?" asked Sakura as she hung up Kakashi's coat.
"Rokudaime-sama came to visit our team today. He said he wants to see more of what we're learning!"
"Oh, he did, did he?..."
So, willing to play along for a little while, Sakura dutifully plated the leftovers for Kakashi who sat down to eat while she washed the dishes. Sarada kept up a constant stream of dialogue, with Kakashi interjecting or correcting between hidden bites.
"Why don't you go get your new brace of kunai and senbon, and you can go practice with Mitsuki?" said Sakura to her daughter when she collected Kakashi's empty plate.
"Yes!" cheered Sarada as she dashed to her room. "Be right back!"
At the table Kakashi grinned and waved at her enthusiasm.
Sakura waited until Sarada's door closed behind her before looking at Kakashi.
"Tea?"
"Will you poison it?"
Sakura shrugged.
"You'll live," she said off-hand.
"You don't trust me in your home?" he said with mock sadness.
"I don't trust you suddenly turning up after meeting me in the market and pretending you don't have ulterior motives," said Sakura, though not unkindly. She set the kettle on the stove then pulled down two cups.
"Ah…"
Kakashi looked up and smiled at Sarada as she hurried into the room, proudly brandishing her newest set of kunai.
"I'll be back—"
"By eight thirty, nine at the latest. You have a team meeting in the morning," reminded Sakura.
Sarada opened her mouth to protest, but Sakura put on her Mom!Face, and Sarade nodded instead.
"See you later! I'll be at Boruto's."
"Have fun," said Kakashi, waving at her as she left.
The kettle sang out and Sakura removed it from the heat and poured it into the teapot, setting the tray on the table between herself and Kakashi.
"So, what is it you really came here for?" asked Sakura as the tea steeped. She reached for a grape and popped it in her mouth, feeling the cool juicy fruit burst between her teeth.
Kakashi reached for a slide of fruit on the tray, choosing the orange over the apple, and then, as he was about to open his mouth, said,
"I would like you to join me for dinner and then stay the night with me, the next time Sarada leaves for an overnight mission."
Sakura stared at him for a moment as his words registered, then promptly coughed and choked.
# # #
"You're completely out to—"
"This is important village business," he argued.
For lack of a better weapon, Sakura whipped the twin-tined fruit fork she held at his head.
"I can't believe you," she huffed, slamming herself down onto the couch.
"Everyone else is either matched up with someone else—" he ignored Sakura's glare. "—or too young, currently a student."
"I was your student," she said evenly.
"Yes, but that was a long time ago. And you've had another relationship since. Congratulations."
Sakura opened her mouth to retort before noticing her Hokage's genuinely tired appearance; his heavy shoulders, his widespread feet on the floor, the way he rested his head on his hand, propped up on his shoulder.
"You haven't," she said.
He shrugged before smiling at her from behind his mask. "Too busy."
The heavy silence between them stretched as Sakura considered his position and request.
"You want a fake relationship. Temporarily. To screw with the village and bump up your popularity so you look less old," she said.
"... you wound me."
She snorted. "You'll live."
She leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. Then she closed her eyes, mumbling under her breath.
"What would this entail? How long?" she asked aloud, unable to believe she was considering it. She could do worse. And it wouldn't be so bad to wade back into things, socially, with something relatively stress- and guilt-free. It wasn't like a real relationship. That was ridiculous.
"A few weeks, maybe? Minor PDA to make it believable. You staying the night? Maybe for a few days?" he added, secretly hopeful she would go for the last because that would bolster his stamina's reputation. In her mid-thirties, Sakura was in her prime after all.
She arched a brow his way, guessing his thoughts.
He chuckled. "Worth a shot."
She considered it. "You'll have to wait until Sarada's away for that."
"It can be arranged."
She clapped a hand over her face. Of course he could. He could make up missions for them to get Konohamaru's team out of the way. Well, she walked right into that one.
"I'm not up for being screwed around, Kakashi," she said, voice softer and more serious. "I just spent a decade waiting for someone who decided he was more useful to the village as a shinobi than as a husband and father. He is a good man but my friends know I'm looking for more than that. If someone makes that same comparison between the two of you, what am I supposed to say? 'I've been through worse'? That insults all of us."
Kakashi sobered. Sakura had a good point.
"I've always been here for you, Sakura-chan," he said. "And for Sarada-chan."
Which was true. In her infancy, he had looked after Sarada-chan, taken her for walks, helped Sakura with her shopping, sent his ninken to her to help her track down Sarada when she was late for supper and Sakura was panicking that some outside force had potentially made off with her precious daughter.
Even now he often checked in on Sarada-chan when she trained with her team.
He may not have been the best male influence in Sarada's life, but he was present in the background and had helped guide her more than once.
And in doing so, he had assisted Sakura, too.
"We'll need to find a way to explain to Sarada, too. Do we tell her the truth? Or let her believe the lie?" asked Sakura.
"You know her best. I leave the parenting to you," said Kakashi.
"Mmmm," said Sakura, considering the situation. "I'll tell her I'm helping you with a special assignment, and we have to make it look like we're dating."
Kakashi nodded.
"I agree, but on the understanding that if I get a better offer, the deal's off," said Sakura.
Kakashi's pride stung but he shrugged it off and stood, pausing in front of her with his arm outstretched.
"Who could be a better 'offer' than the Hokage?" he teased.
She arched a brow. "Would you like me to answer that honestly?"
"I see this will be excellent exercise for my humility," he said.
"Yes, it will. Also for your arms. If we're seeing each other you can help with the dishes."
"Ah, haha, you see I actually have an appointment—"
"Or I start calling you 'old man' in public and complaining about your stamina. And about all the ways I'm planning on improving the functionality of a popular blue pill."
He wilted.
Sakura grinned and pulled the towel from her apron again, swatting him with it.
"I'll help dry, c'mon."
# # #
"Hey Sakura, who're you… Sorry to interrupt your meeting, sir," said the seventh shinobi who approached their table the following night at the restaurant.
Kakashi and Sakura had decided to jump straight in while Sarada was at Boruto's for supper with Naruto's family. However, things weren't working out exactly according to plan, as Sakura and Kakashi soon discovered.
It seemed no one in Konoha could picture them as a couple.
Sakura's pleasant smile was starting to slip and beneath the table Kakashi's hand fisted tighter.
"It's just going to take a while for them to get used to seeing us," she assured him.
"I can think of a few things that would change their minds right away," he said lightly, forcing a smile and eye-crease.
To his surprise, Sakura's cheeks pinked—then his eyes widened at what it sounded like he'd suggested.
"Not that," yet, he said quickly, lifting a hand from his lap… then lowering it slowly to the table, palm up.
Catching on, Sakura relaxed and gently set her palm in his, smiling softly at him.
"Now," he said, leaning forward as Sakura instinctively did the same. "Tell me about your day."
To his surprise, and then pleasure, Sakura quirked a grin and told him the edited versions of some of her patient interactions that day, how Sarada's day had gone, some of the gossip she heard through the grapevine and that Sarada was sorry she had to miss dinner because she'd been looking forward to sharing more stories about her team with him.
"She was?" he asked, genuinely baffled.
"Mm-hmm," said Sakura, still holding his hand. In fact, she had unconsciously begun tracing his fingers with her own warm ones, smiling to herself in thought. "I explained where I was going, and she wanted to come, too."
He gave a small chuckle, squeezing her hand. "Maybe another time. I can always think of a jutsu or two to share with her—"
"No. Lightning."
Sakura's words were terse and held a world of history behind them.
Their conversation died for a moment as they considered the many, many reasons exactly why she did not want Kakashi teaching her daughter any lightning-based attacks.
"I was thinking earth or fire," said Kakashi after another long minute. "Is that… okay?" he asked, feeling awkward and unsure as to how to offer to interact with Sarada while not a proper parental figure. Having never felt he should be a parental figure.
"Either of those is fine. Nothing too destructive, though," said Sakura, relaxing again.
She squeezed his hand in return.
"Ah," he agreed. "How is her taijutsu?"
Sakura smirked.
Their fingers remained entwined for the remainder of the meal.
...But what really got the rumour mills running was the fact that Kakashi paid the bill.
# # #
They assumed it would take at least several weeks of being seen together before the sparks would fly and the village citizens would start paying attention.
They underestimated.
# # #
Kakashi arrived at work the next morning to a stack of congratulatory phone messages, well-wishing pats on the back and knowing winks.
Sakura arrived at work the next morning to a relentless staff of nurses howling to know why she was cheating on her husband, an attempted slap from a patient, and condescending sniffing from a clan-elder-who-shall-remain-nameless but she would definitely not be wasting her good bedside manner on him the next time he came to her with erectile dysfunction.
All it all, it was exactly what Sakura had expected and more than Kakashi had dreamed of.
They decided to meet again on Friday for a family dinner.
# # #
"The Hokage is coming? Here?"
"Yes, Sarada," said Sakura, tidying up the coats, cloaks and umbrellas at the front door. "Pick up your senbon and take them to your room, please."
Sakura had spent two hours deciding what to wear, half an hour doing her hair, and another half an hour doing her makeup. She felt overdressed in spite of trying to look casual, frustrated that she was putting in effort when no one outside the three of them would really be around to see her, and yet self-conscious enough to want to put in a decent attempt at her appearance.
It felt oddly like being a teenager again and about to go on a date with one's best friend.
She bit her lip and blushed. It wasn't that bad to put in a bit of extra care in one's wellbeing, though, was it?
"Why is he coming here?"
Sarada's question shook Sakura out of her reverie.
"Because we're having dinner together."
"Does this mean I'm going to Boruto's house again?"
"No," said Sakura, moving on to the living room to straighten the blanket over the couch and the colourful cushions. "It means we're all eating together li—together." Not 'like a family'... just together.
Collecting her senbon and watching her mother carefully, Sarada stretched out her next question to gauge her mother's reaction.
"Is he… staying over?" she asked.
The cushions flubbed from Sakura's arms, tumbling to the floor. One of them accidentally shredded in Sakura's suddenly taut grip, spewing cotton batting everywhere.
"What?!" Sakura choked, wild-eyed.
"Is he?"
"What? No! Of-of course not," stumbled Sakura, cheeks warming. "That would be… not… happening," she said.
Sarada watched her scrambling to collect the cotton that fell like snow across the floor.
"Not happening. No. It isn't… We're…."
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"I think he's at the door."
Sakura's mouth dropped open as she sensed the familiar chakra signature outside.
With a muffled curse she stood, conjured a pair of clones to continue cleaning up the mess, and went to answer the door.
"And Mom?"
"What, Sarada?" asked Sakura, frazzled and somewhat exasperated.
Sarada's shoulders hunched before she straightened again.
"You look really nice," she said quietly, turning away to return her weapons to her room.
Her mouth falling a little bit open as her shoulders drooped guiltily, Sakura watched her go.
There was a hesitant knock at the door that snapped Sakura back to the present.
She swallowed to wet her dry mouth and went to answer.
# # #
A family meal was no big deal.
A family meal was no big deal.
A family meal was no big—
Shit.
Beneath his mask, Kakashi's lips fell slightly open as Sakura answered the door in a casual dress, her hair falling in waves to her shoulders as her delicate makeup failed to hide the faint blush on her cheeks.
"Hey, right on time… who do I need to pay off for this kind of attention?" she teased, opening the door wider to invite him in.
Yamato, thought Kakashi as he remembered his friend chasing him down early in the afternoon and refusing to let Kakashi out of his overbearing sight until he delivered him to Sakura's doorstep. But Kakashi's laid-back calm stuck in his throat as he saw how much effort Sakura had gone to… just for him.
He cleared his throat silently before offering her an eye-crease grin and the bunch of flowers he'd brought for her.
And when her eyes widened in surprise, then softened in appreciation as she reached out to accept them, his heart beat a tad stronger in his chest.
# # #
The rumour mill continued to grind away as the two became a familiar sight paired together around the Village. Whether shopping errands or Village business, they were at one another's side, sometimes accompanied by Pakkun or another of Kakashi's pups. Kakashi became a familiar face around the training grounds again, too, observing Sarada's training sessions and offering advice on how to refine her techniques.
Kakashi's popularity wavered temporarily at one point while and the amount of harassment Sakura suffered waned simultaneously. It seemed their sham relationship was being accepted by the residents of Konohagakure. Their 'relationship' was approaching the three-month mark, and both were comfortable and confident in their acting skills. It was becoming normal for them to meet up for the occasional lunch, spar, cup of tea or share supper at Sakura's.
Kakashi had taken to walking Sakura to work if she had a night shift, to training with Sarada when Sakura was busy, to holding Sakura's hand or resting his palm on her lower back as they enjoyed an evening stroll together, her head tucked into the crook of his shoulder.
Sakura had come to expect Kakashi's gallantry in opening doors for her, sharing her load of groceries or meeting her unexpectedly at the end of her shift from the hospital. It was novel and chivalrous and done because he wanted to, not because he thought she needed protection or considered her weak. Most of all, he'd learned to be on time when it came to her. He made an effort for her. In spite of all his duties and responsibilities, he put her first whenever he could.
Sometimes it left her speechless and warm and confused.
As for Kakashi, in spite of being the caretaker of the Village, he found a new appreciation and enjoyment in those moments when Sakura would sit beside him on her couch to read a journal or novel, or lean back against him at the end of a spar as they caught their breath.
Which was when Shikamaru surprised them both during a strategy meeting and suggested they step it up a notch.
That weekend, Sarada's team was sent on a C-ranked mission outside the Village, due to last for several days.
When Sarada bounded home with Kakashi from the Tower, excited with her assignment and racing to her room to pack, Sakura greeted her with a hug and congratulations… and a racing heart of her own as she met Kakashi's steady gray eye from over Sarada's shoulder.
# # #
Kakashi joined Sakura in seeing Sarada off at the gates, playing up the fact he took an active interest in Sarada's safety and life. When he and Sakura had discussed whether this would put Sarada's life at increased risk—after all, Sarada had been protected within Konoha for over a decade specifically because she was Uchiha Sasuke's daughter and only living family; would being favoured by the Hokage himself not exacerbate that risk?—they made the decision to proceed but also notify all ANBU units on their route of the team's mission. They also made arrangements to have Konohamaru's team check in twice as often as usual, so the reaction and response time would be as fast as possible should anything untoward occur. They couldn't protect Sarada from everything, and she needed to learn independence, but they would take safeguards to ensure she was not unduly sheltered.
As the team's backpacks disappeared from sight into the trees, Sakura wilted into Kakashi's side.
"She hasn't been gone this long in a long time," she said, brow furrowed.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Kakashi made a sympathetic noise in his throat.
"She's in excellent hands and she was raised by the best," he said, rubbing her shoulder with his thumb.
Sakura huffed in amusement under her breath.
"You're getting good at that," she said, straightening and pulling back slightly to look into his eyes.
He smiled at her behind his mask.
"Good."
He looked back towards the main Village.
"Late supper? I know you skipped yours to sort Sarada's things."
"Mmmm," agreed Sakura as Kakashi took her hand, leading her on.
# # #
Though Kakashi was relaxed, he noted Sakura's distracted—and distracting—lip biting towards the end of their meal.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he stared at the plumping lips, turning redder and begging to be kissed and attended to.
He had to stop her. It was driving him insane. This relationship had started as a lark and yet now he lived for their lunches together, the moments they would share their day, the way they each looked forward to their evening walks and relaxing on couches and reading and the far too underrated cuddling and—
"She'll be fine," he said, and reached out to grasp Sakura's hand atop the table. Her strong, capable, wonderful hands that had massaged his shoulders in his office in the Tower when he'd been stuck there late at night. The hands that could destroy and heal and tempt and cajole and that tickled his ribs when she was playful.
"Hmm? Oh, Sarada. Yes, of course she will," agreed Sakura. Then, as his attention remained heavy upon her, she blushed and looked away. "You're staring," she mumbled.
He was? Well, there were far worse things to stare at. More and more he found he enjoyed looking at her. He smiled at her to reassure her.
"We'll have dessert to go," he said to their waiter as they finished up.
They exited the restaurant with their dessert in a small carry-out container; night had fallen and the streets were empty of passerby.
Alone, he took Sakura's hand with his free one, and turned her to face him. In spite of them planning this, it took him two attempts to speak the words aloud.
He paused and could practically feel Sakura's breath catch in her throat when he asked,
"... your place or mine?"
# # #
The door closed behind Kakashi and Sakura with a whisper.
"Tea?" he asked, heading for the kitchen.
Fidgeting with her heels, Sakura nodded and joined him, looking around.
"You haven't changed much," she remarked, smiling and relaxing as she noted the familiar cactus on his windowsill.
"No," he agreed, chuckling quietly.
"You moved to your own home, though, out of your apartment?"
He nodded.
"Mostly for appearances. Tsunade said it was a condition of employment in case I needed protecting. A home was easier than an apartment to surveil."
He handed her tea and they took a seat on his couch. After a slight hesitation Sakura relaxed and tucked herself into Kakashi's side, releasing a sigh as she let her head fall back against his shoulder.
"So, is this a tryst that ends at midnight? Or do I make a full walk of shame tomorrow morning?" she asked, laughing under her breath.
His mask camouflaging his expression, Kakashi grinned down at her.
"I think it would be rather a stride of pride. You would have just rogered the illustrious Hokage, after all," he teased.
"Yes, and me walking home in the same clothes as I left in the night before will have everyone raving about my promiscuity," she said drolly.
He tilted his head. "You brought a change of clothes. I saw you put a scroll in your purse."
Sakura blushed and shrugged.
But Kakashi's curiosity was piqued.
"Or was it something that isn't clothes?" he asked, reaching around her hip towards her bag.
"Stop that!" she said, laughing and batting his hand away.
"Was it something naughty?" he asked more eagerly than he intended.
"Don't push your luck—"
"So it is!" he crowed. Then, just to tease her he began tickling her sides before snatching up her bag.
With lightning-quick hands he performed the substitution jutsu and traded places with a clone that promptly poofed from existence. He was unraveling the scroll from within when he crashed to the floor, Sakura tackling him.
"Mph!" he hit the ground hard, cradling Sakura's head as he rolled over and onto her and lifting the scroll out of her reach while still pinning her. "I know we're spending the night together, but we don't need to start so rough," he teased, trying to read the scroll and hold her still as she struggled.
"No, Kakashi, that isn't for clothes—" Sakura insisted, cheeks burning and eyes wide.
With a flickering hand-sign Kakashi released the contents of the scroll—
—only to be showered in condoms and travel-sized mini-bottles of lube as the scroll emptied itself all over him.
For the first time in years, Kakashi froze.
Meanwhile, beneath him and between his powerful thighs, Sakura groaned and covered her face with her hands.
"Oh kami, I'm so embarrassed…"
Kakashi remained frozen, his mind short-circuited from all the possibilities.
The sheer volume of condoms and—his heart lurched; was that a Super Special Illustrated Spectacular Edition of Icha Icha Tactics?!—paraphernalia raining down around them could only mean one thing.
Gentling his grip on Sakura, he looked down at her.
Then shifted his hands until they covered her, prying them away from her face to hold them on either side of her head, her cheeks still burning and her lip bruised and swollen from how hard she'd bitten it in her anxiety.
Suddenly all her fidgeting at supper made sense.
"Sakura," he said quietly.
"I'll just… forget I… could we just…" With a shudder of her shoulders, she finally relaxed as he waited her out.
They stared at each other, uncertain as to who should speak first.
Recognizing how stubborn Sakura could be, Kakashi grinned.
"I keep mine in my bedside drawer," he admitted.
Sakura just rolled her eyes.
"And I'll let myself out," she muttered, trying to roll him off her.
"—and they're all expired. It's a good thing you came prepared," he said with an eye-crease grin.
Sakura paused in pushing him off, turning her head back to look at him. Her loosely curled hair spread around her head on the carpet like a rose halo, her eyes all the brighter against the striking colouring.
She swallowed.
"I… it's been a while," she admitted. "I don't know what the rules are, about this… this part," she said, voice uncertain.
"What would you like the rules to be?" he asked, his grip shifting from restraining to cajoling, enticing as he stroked her wrists and hands with his warm, strong fingers.
"I still don't know. I'm… One. One other person. You would be the second." She shook her head. "I want this. I just… this is new," she confessed. "It's been so long and I'm learning new ways of doing things, and I enjoy it. I enjoy you, Kakashi."
His heart leapt in his chest at her genuine emotion and words, as if it was reaching out of him to draw more from her.
"You aren't the only one learning new ways of doing things," he said.
With that he began leaning down, lengthening his body until he lay over her, resting his weight on his knees on either side of her and his hands pressed into the floor by her head. He couldn't take his eye off her.
In fact—
With a brush of his face against his shoulder, he pushed his hair and hitai-ate to the side, askew from their tumble, and revealed his eyes to her in full.
It still irritated his eyes somewhat, having both open at once, but at that moment he wouldn't trade it for the world for all he could see was the vulnerability and want and desire in Sakura's face.
With another gesture he pulled down the mask that covered the lower half of his face.
Beneath him, Sakura reached up and cradled his cheek, smiling.
"We have all night," he reminded her. "There's no rush."
Sakura looked him over, her body relaxing, softening beneath him. Then her leg rubbed the inside of his, and she let go of his cheek to reach for something stuck to his shoulder.
She lifted the cellophane square and brought it into view before pulling him down over her and whispering in his ear,
"Unwrap… me?"
The crackle of the cellophane rent the air as Sakura giggled, and with a small poof they disappeared from the living room to reappear over Kakashi's bed.
"As much as I would love to there, we would both appreciate the mattress more here," he said when she laughed. But his pride wasn't too wounded, and was in fact immediately restored when Sakura showed a particular fondness for his rising stamina.
"Agreed," she said, reaching for the stack of supplies he'd scooped up from the spill by his couch.
When Sakura left the following day, it was no morning walk of shame.
It wasn't even an afternoon stride of pride.
It was a late-night stroll hand-in-hand back to her place and a thorough round of five, six and seven before they finally collapsed together, exhausted and shuddering, in her bed.
# # #
"I thought you said he wasn't staying over?"
Sakura woke with a start to find her daughter staring down at her and Kakashi, still tangled together and quite obviously naked beneath her covers the next morning.
Yet Sarada—from behind the hand that was currently covering her eyes—wasn't overly unperturbed.
"He… wasn't. Now he is," she said cautiously as Kakashi stirred lazily, dragging at Sakura to come back to his embrace.
"Good morning, Hokage-sama," greeted Sarada dutifully.
"G'morning," he mumbled. "Still sleepy. C'mon," he yawned, drawing Sakura down against him again with a happy sigh.
Face flaming, Sakura cursed herself a hundred times for being caught unawares.
"Okay… well, I'm going to find the rest of the team to debrief with the Hokage… for whenever he gets to work…" Sarada's words trailed off.
"Go get breakfast with your team. There's money in the jar by the fridge," said Sakura, mortified and trying to tug the blanket higher around her shoulders as Kakashi mumbled something in his sleep that she prayed Sarada didn't understand .
"... right. Well, see you later today, Hokage-sama! Don't keep Mom too late, she has work to do," said Sarada, turning around and closing the door behind her.
As such, she missed the lazy wave Kakashi sent her way before his arm flopped down onto the blankets again.
Wilting against her pillows, Sakura cringed and moaned, rubbing her face.
"She saw," she whimpered.
"She w's fine," mumbled Kakashi, wrapping his tattooed arm around Sakura. For her part, Sakura's tattooed arm faced him.
It was then that it hit Sakura that he was right.
Sarada had been fine with finding Kakashi there with her. Uncomfortable with the nakedness, obviously, but… she was fine.
She relaxed before turning into Kakashi when she heard Sarada shut the front door and lock it behind her as she left.
"She was fine, wasn't she?"
"Mmmmm," he agreed, nuzzling her throat. "She's happy you're happy. She said so at practice once."
Sakura looked at Kakashi, who was now eyeing her carefully.
"You two have been talking?"
Kakashi shrugged.
"She said she was okay with you moving on."
Sakura nodded and wrapped her arms around Kakashi again with a content sigh.
"That's good. Because I kind of like this," she admitted with a smirk.
He smiled at her.
"Me, too."
(THE END)