A/N: Just a little one-shot for the most loved/dreaded holiday ever!

Disclaimer: Valentine's Day would be so much more interesting if I could spend it with Kakashi-sensei! But unfortunately he's not mine, nor the other Naruto's characters.

I envy so much Masashi Kishimoto!!!

SOME VALENTINE!

Sakura is standing in front of Kakashi's apartment door debating her next move: to knock or not to knock? That is the question.

At the age of twenty-two Sakura is beautiful, clever and smart – skilful both as kunoichi and medic. She is also usually very confident with guys, and has had a couple of boyfriends. She's even been asked for dates by several men, but right this moment her palms feel sweaty, and she feels like a stupid teenager with a crush on her stupid ex-sensei. Ehm… with a stupid crush on her ex-sensei… Whatever…

And this is not far from the truth, mind you, but Sakura is a woman and not a teenager, and this fact only adds to the problem. If she were just a silly girl with a silly crush, then she could have just shrugged it off a long time ago, but unfortunately that's not the case.

She sighs as she glances for the ninth time at the little multi-colored boxes neatly piled outside Kakashi's door.

'Maybe my brilliant idea to confess on Valentine's Day isn't that brilliant, after all,' she muses. 'If anything, it's not very original'.

One thing's for sure, Kakashi is going to be sick after eating all this chocolate. Her cute hand-made little chocolate heart will just be the icing on the cake… and the final blow to his stomach!

Not to mention, her lovely present is threatening to melt in her hands due to her sweated palms… what is she doing here, anyway? Ah, yes, trying to confess her feelings to the silver-haired jounin.

All of a sudden, her winning idea turns into something ridiculous before her very eyes. Or more precisely, in front of that multitude of chocolate boxes. Who is she among all these women who also brought their chocolate love-declarations for Kakashi? Are the stupid feelings secretly nested within her silly heart really worth enough to threaten her friendship with him? Heck no… not at all.

'What was I thinking?!' She asks herself angrily. 'I'm lucky I came to my senses before it was too late.'

Shoulders already sinking, the last bit of self confidence slips away, Sakura is willing herself to move away when the door swings open and she is greeted by the deep and smooth voice she often dreams about in her agitated nights.

"Sakura-chan?"

She quickly hides the little box in her kunai pouch, hoping against all hopes that Kakashi doesn't notice. He does, obviously, but decides to pretend the contrary.

"Uhm… Hi, Kakashi-sensei."

He just quirks his visible eyebrow and waits for her to elaborate.

"I was just wondering if you were up for a little training… I mean, I know this is a sort of holiday, so if you already have other plans…" she casts another wary glance at the colored boxes on his doorstep.

Kakashi grins under his mask. So, his guess is right. He had felt her presence a good ten minutes ago and had waited for her to knock. When she didn't, he decided to push her, and open the door himself.

He has no doubt about what she hurriedly stashed into her back-pouch, and he'll be damned if he'll let her get away with it that easily. If only he didn't leave all those stupid boxes outside his door, he would already have her confession. And his well deserved, at least in his opinion, chocolate. But he swears in that very moment that he'll have both of them by night, no matter what.

"Actually I was reading a little, and then I was going to head toward the academy to drop by those," he replies motioning to the boxes on the floor. "If you don't mind going with me, then we can spar."

Sakura's eyes grow wide. Is he really going to get rid of all the sweets he received?

Kakashi just chuckles at her startled expression. "Do you really think I'm going to eat all this chocolate? It would make me sick."

"But that would be disrespectful to all of the women who gave their chocolates to you!"

He chuckles again and motions for her to go inside. She can see other chocolate boxes on the table, but not as much as outside. Just five or six. When they both flop on the couch, he begins to explain.

"Every year I receive a lot of chocolate. A few are from friends and acquaintances. I keep those and eat them in a few days. But most of the sweets are from women I don't even know. How silly is it to confess to someone you don't know?" He quirks his eyebrow. "For all they know, I might not even be good looking underneath this mask. Why should I keep such meaningless things? That's why I always drop them off at the academy… at least it makes the kids happy."

"I see. Well, it could be that those women are attracted by you because you're one of the most powerful shinobi in the village. Or because of your mask… I mean… the whole mystery thing about your face…"

"Maybe, but even if that's the case, it's not like I'm crushing any of their true feelings by giving the sweets away. In the end no one is hurt, and my stomach is safe." He closes the topic with his patented eye-crinkle smile to show her that he is proud of the solution he has found for the problem, making happy the kids and all, and she really can't argue anymore.

"So, who are those from?" Sakura asks nodding to the boxes on the table.

"Hmm… I think you know only Ayame-chan from Ichiraku and Ino-chan."

"What?! Ino-pig gave you chocolate?"

Kakashi chuckles again and lifts his hands in a calming gesture. "Yes, but don't take it in the wrong way. She just did it as thanks because I sometimes take missions with Team 10. I probably remind her of the old days with Asuma, so she's affectionate towards me. Nothing more, I swear!"

"Oh… I didn't think about it that way. And Ayame-san, too? I didn't know she liked you."

"She gives me chocolate every Valentine's Day. It started ever since that time she saw my face at Ichiraku ramen."

"Right!" Sakura hits her open left palm with her right fist in a gesture of realization. "I remember now… she was so flustered! Even her father blushed a lot…" Her eyes settle on Kakashi's masked face and narrow suspiciously. "Are you really that good looking, sensei?"

This earns another chuckle from the Copy Nin. "Who knows… maybe they just have bad taste!"

"Yeah, why not." Sarcasm freely rolling off her tongue, Sakura crosses her arms over her chest and makes a disgruntled face, remembering how that particular time she didn't have the opportunity to peek at his face. "Well, at least that time we realized you couldn't have fish lips or buckteeth…"

Kakashi can't help but to twitch his visible eyebrow, which for a normal man is equivalent to a wide-eye gape. "What do you mean by that?!"

"Oh…" She loses her composure for a moment, thinking how embarrassing it would be to explain their childish conjectures. "Well, those were just some of our theories about why you hid your face…" She hopes he isn't upset now, but after a moment of astonishment he just laughs it off.

"So, how do you feel about going with me? Just a little drop by the academy and then we can spar."

"It's all right to me." She smiles. Well, she didn't confess, but at least he's not with another woman… they're even going to spend the day together, even if just for sparring…

'Stop it!' She reminds herself. 'I'm not going to confess and ruin our friendship. Stop. Thinking. About. It!'

"Yo."

"Ah, Kakashi-san. I bet you brought me your Valentine's Day sweets as always…" Iruka says lightly to the older jounin.

"Ha ha. You know me too well…" Kakashi's free hand is behind his neck, while with the other he hands the bag with the sweets over to the younger teacher.

Iruka just nods to the silver-haired jounin and greets his companion. "Sakura-chan, how are you? Long time no see."

"Hello, Iruka-sensei. I'm fine, thank you. Just a bit overworked at the hospital, but that's nothing new…"

"Shouldn't you be on a date with your boyfriend on a day like this?" As soon as the words leave his mouth, Iruka suddenly blushes, as a strange thought hits his mind… 'No, that can't be', he tells himself.

Sakura notices his strange behaviour and eyes him suspiciously, but then shrugs it off. "Unfortunately I'm not dating anyone at the moment."

Iruka releases the breath he didn't know he was holding, then takes a look into the bag's contents to distract himself from the disturbing thought of Sakura and the Copy Nin together. A moment later he darts his dark eyes back up to Kakashi's exposed one.

"What?! Anko gave you a sweet?!" The poor teacher finds the mere thought of becoming the snake woman's love interest frightening.

Kakashi couldn't agree more with Iruka's horrified expression.

"Yeah… and this isn't the first time, unfortunately."

That said, he resumes his walk, not wanting to comment any further. Sakura just nods to Iruka and runs after Kakashi, lost in her own thoughts. When Kakashi feels her eyes on his back, he knows something's off.

"What?"

"Why didn't you keep Anko's chocolate? You know her."

"She's the only exception. That woman definitely creeps me out." And with a final shiver, he ends the conversation.

"Ouch!"

"Sakura, you all right?" Kakashi lands besides her a moment after she falls from the high branch.

He has been working for her fall on her back-pouch during the whole sparring match, and finally he has succeeded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," but she stands up rather slowly. It had been a hard blow, after all. She knows a sharp snap came from her kunai-pouch the moment she gracefully hit the ground and she's certain her chocolate heart is now ruined. Well, it's not that big deal, especially since she no longer planned on giving it to Kakashi anyway.

"But I've heard a strange breaking sound come from your pouch. Do you have something aside kunai in there?" He has even the effrontery to speak with his most concerned voice.

Sakura immediately blushes. "No, not at all."

"Sakura-chan, you're such a bad liar— hand me your back-pouch, come on. I'll check it out for you while you're recovering." He extends his hand and she knows she's caught.

"Oh, what's this?" He asks, and holds out a crumpled box in his hand.

She bends her head in shame "It was for a guy I like…" Well, she can still save face, after all.

"Really? I'm sorry." He opens the box and peeks indiscreetly in at the contents. "It's very cute. And it looks delicious. Did you make it by yourself?"

"Well, yeah. But you don't have to worry. I already decided to not give it to him." 'At least this much is true…' she thinks.

"Why not? Don't you think he would want you to? Maybe he's just hoping to receive a sweet from you." His visible eye creases in a smile. 'You don't know how much I mean that, Sakura-chan,' he thinks, amused.

"I don't think… When I saw all the sweets you received, I realized that he probably received a lot himself. This extra chocolate would just give him a stomach ache!" She chuckles bitterly.

"Mm… Only if he's stupid enough to eat the ones from the other women he doesn't care for. On my side, I'm still hoping for a certain person's chocolate, even if I received a lot of it already. That's why I haven't eaten any yet. But I don't think she'll ever give me any." He turns his back to her, looking in the distance with a melancholic expression. 'Let's see if she takes the hint and confesses. It would be about time!'

Sakura's eyes widen. 'Could it possibly be that… No, he must be kidding.' She glances his back and a thought hits her. 'Oh, Kami! He knows! He's just teasing me to confess! He's such a jerk!' She closes her fists in a fit of rage. 'Calm down, Sakura. It's not that bad. If he really knows and he's not running away, maybe he likes me too. He wouldn't be cruel enough to make me confess and then laugh at me, would he?'

She chews on her lower lip thoughtfully, unaware of the fact that he is now looking at her and enjoying the troubled look on her face.

'Oh, I hate him! Why is it that when it comes to him I lose all my confidence and I act like a naïve little girl?! It's so frustrating!'

"Sakura-chan?"

She quickly recovers from her reverie and snaps her eyes to his one. "Yes, sensei?"

"Would you forgive me if I help you to make another one?"

"What?!"

"I should be able to help you out."

"Oh, there's no need, sensei. Really."

"I insist. Training is over, anyway, and I have plenty of time. I can help you. Then, you can confess to the guy you like. You shouldn't be afraid of your feelings, Sakura-chan."

That said, he instantly pulls her to an embrace and poofs them both in front of her apartment's door, where he smiles at her expectantly until she sighs and opens the door.

"It's almost ready!" He says and then turns to her only to furrow his eyebrows. "Sakura-chan?"

She has been giggling ever since they first began to cook.

"Listen, I know this is not very manly," he says while patting the apron he's wearing, "but I can't risk getting a stain on my vest. I forgot to do my laundry yesterday. And the last week, too."

"Yeah, I know… it's just that it looks so unlike you. Well, at least it's not pink…" she giggles again.

"You're very funny, Sakura-chan," he growls out. "Now take this – your precious heart for your precious guy."

"Oh, thank you, Kakashi-sensei. It's great!" She smiles genuinely.

"I'm happy to have been of help," he replies while taking off the apron. "So, when do you plan on giving it to me?"

He even has the guts to smile innocently, as if he just asked the most innocent question. It throws her completely off guard and she almost chokes on her saliva.

"What?!"

"I said, when do you plan on giving it to me? Are you deaf?" His now quirked eyebrow is starting to irritate her.

"Well, no, but… what makes you think it's for you?"

"Oh, please, Sakura. It's been months since you started stealing glances at me when you think I'm not paying attention. You don't ogle to someone when you like another guy, now do you?"

She's so astonished she just forgets to deny the undeniable truth.

"But… Why didn't you say anything at your place?! And I know you made me fall on my kunai-pouch on purpose during the spar! Why did you do that?"

"Just to see if you would confess after I discovered the sweet. But you chose to lie."

"Then why all of this charade?"

"I've been teasing you to see if you would confess or not. It's been really fun, after all," he chuckles.

"So, you've just been having fun at my expense." Her tone of voice is no longer insecure but laced with not-so-subtle anger. "Do you think it's that funny to be teased by the person you like?" Her quick temper is taking control of her, but she can't help it: he had known all this time!

"You could just have told me you weren't interested in me." Sakura is in front of him now, and pokes at his chest with her index finger. Her voice is trembling slightly due to the dangerous mix of anger and frustration. "Well, I hope you had a nice time, today. Jerk. You're a totally," she pokes, "complete," another poke, "smug," a harder poke, "bast-- mpfh--"

Two fingers swiftly raises her chin and a pair of naked lips press directly on hers, effectively cutting off her rant. She doesn't even see it coming. She tries to jerk away and to punch him, but Kakashi takes hold of both her hands and presses her to the kitchen counter. Sakura's head is trapped between his one and the counter, so she tries at least to yell at him, but he just takes advantage of her newly opened mouth to slide his tongue inside it and to try to coax her own to a slow and sinfully dance with his one. That's too much for Sakura to handle, and her rage quickly melts into a sigh. She has dreamt of this for months, and now he's kissing her. Well, he's still a jerk, but at least he's a damn good-at-kissing jerk.

When they part for air, Sakura's hands are loosely draped behind Kakashi's neck and her eyes are still half lidded.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sakura," he all but whispers in a smooth voice.

"You're still a jerk, Kakashi," she says, but her eyes are glazed and she drops the honorific.

"I know. But you can't be still angry at me. I'm showing you my face, after all," he says with his happy eye crease back in place.

Her eyes widen. She was so lost in the moment she didn't think to look at him properly. So, she lets go of his neck and puts some space between them to get a better look. She immediately gapes: the man is handsome. Fine chiselled features with only a scar- the one on his left eye- which adds manly attractiveness to his otherwise flawless face. And he seems younger, too, as if he were in his mid-twenties. Now she fully understands Ayame-san's and her father's flustered reactions!

Kakashi just smirks, which only causes her to blush further.

"Well, this has been some Valentine's Day! You should really improve your confession tactics, though. They're not that impressive. On the romantic side, I mean."

This time she smirks. "I know. But you kissed me nonetheless."

"Well, yeah. But only because this jerk happens to like you too, sweetheart," and his sarcastic tone of voice is definitely not much more romantic than Sakura's confession tactics, but that's the way they are, and they wouldn't want it any other way.

"Good. So, Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Kakashi," and her lips latches immediately on to his own.

The End

A/N: Yup! I just needed to write something humorous, since Valentine's Day is a bit too fluffy for my taste. I love their bickering and the way Kakashi always succeeds in getting a rise out of Sakura. Well, it's not really a difficult task, but he does it on purpose just for his own amusement, since he's man enough to handle an infuriated Sakura, while the other people usually does it without any intention and then run away for their dear life!

I know I could have skipped the academy part, but I couldn't resist writing the Anko's part. I mean, I like the idea someone is dreadful enough to frighten even the stoic Copy Nin!

I wrote it in present tense because I found out that I suck a lot at past tenses, but I gave a hard time to my beta reader nonetheless, so… it wasn't that great idea. Just hope you enjoy it anyways. :)

Happy Valentine's Day to all the reviewers! :)