Sakura leaned her hip against his desk and raised an eyebrow at him with a coy smile. "What was your logical reason for rejecting me again?"

Kakashi sighed, feeling his stomach twist in knots despite his cool demeanor. "Sakura-chan, I told you, I'm too old for you."

Sakura rolled her eyes and moved to lean over the desk towards him. Kakashi stubbornly kept his eyes on the paper in front of him. "Ino's parents were like fifteen years apart and they were happily married. There's a medic nin I work with and she's eight years older than her fiancée. So, really, I don't think it's that big of a deal."

Kakashi was quiet for a moment as his mind tried to grab onto another excuse with shaking fingers. Then, he said in what he hoped was a bored voice, but judging by her smirk, he was slipping, "I used to be your sensei."

This time, she sighed and leaned back. She started playing with one of his paperweights mindlessly. He caught himself watching her fingers turning it over, delicate but deadly. Then, ripped his eyes away when she replied, "You were only my sensei for like a year and that was over ten years ago." She set the paperweight back down and met his eyes seriously, "Naruto may still call you Kaka-sensei, but you should accept that I haven't seen you that way in a long time."

Then, she smiled and walked back towards the door. She looked over her shoulder at him when she reached for the door handle and winked. "I'll wear you down, Kakashi-sama."

Kakashi's head fell to his hands once she was gone. That was just what he was worried about…

"Oh, Kakashi-sama!" His name was called only seconds before the door opened revealing Ino struggling under probably three dozen flowers. Kakashi openly gaped at her behind his mask. She didn't.

Ino grinned at him in amusement as she carefully put the bouquets on his desk. She huffed and put her hands on her hips, looking at them proudly. "You know, she ordered them with the vases, which makes life easier on everyone. Many people overlook that."

Kakashi glanced at the intimidating flowers before his eyes went back to Ino. He hoped his didn't sound as awkward as he felt when he said, "Shouldn't they be roses if she's trying to seduce me?"

Ino chuckled and idly primed some flowers by her. "She thought you'd think that was cliché, so we decided wildflowers would be a nice choice. Do you like them?"

Kakashi almost wanted to tell her to take them back and just be the bad guy for a while, but there was a nervousness in Ino's eyes. Sakura had told him how seriously she'd started being with the flower shop since her father passed away and it was clear she took pride in her work. He wouldn't let his own insecurities bring hers to light.

He smiled at her and said politely, "They're beautiful, Ino."

She beamed and then pointed a finger at him. "Then, you should tell Sakura that. She's not going to give up on this. You know how hard headed she can be."

Kakashi sighed and told her noncommittally, "I'll think about it. Thank you, Ino."

Ino shrugged and went to the door, but told him one last thing before she left. Her voice was quiet but had a certain edge to it. "At least…tell her the real reason why and stop with the excuses. Sakura doesn't need to go through someone giving her mixed signals again."

The audible click of the door closing behind her sounded like a resonating threat that had been left unspoken.

"I don't love you," he told her with an ache in his chest. The words tasted like knives in his mouth, but maybe it was what she needed to hear. Even if it hurt.

But Sakura just looked up at him and continued walking beside him with an amused smile. "I don't believe you."

He felt like he should be used to Sakura surprising him, but he wasn't apparently. He gawked at her as his feet came to a stop. "What?"

She shrugged at him with that smirk that she'd been wearing lately and repeated, "I don't believe you."

Before he could reply, she started walking again and he followed suit like a well-trained puppy. "Did you like the flowers?"

Kakashi sighed and just answered honestly, wondering if all the flowers in his offices were making him smell like Ino's shop, "Yes, thank you, Sakura-chan." Then, he added, "But you shouldn't have."

Sakura challenged him with an arched eyebrow, "I should do whatever I want and you're welcome. I'm happy you liked them."

Kakashi couldn't help, but chuckle. Sakura had grown so much since the war, a stronger back bone and a little more sass. With the way his eyes followed her throwing her hair over her shoulder and how her laughter haunted his dreams, he knew she wouldwear him down eventually. But he'd put it off for as long as he could.

He sighed, making his hand a first inside his robes when he almost reached out for her. "What am I going to do with you?"

Sakura winked at him. "You could take me out on a date?"

"Sakura – "

She interrupted him in a sing-song voice, "Just a suggestion."

"I'm not good enough for you."

It'd been a long day. He'd been stuck in meetings all day and a jounin team of five had all been killed in action. His nerves were wearing thin and his self-control was slipping by the time she dropped by the office. All she had offered was an invitation to dinner as friends if he was still too chicken.

But he'd been thinking about her all day, of all the little things she did and what all made up the woman standing in front of him. How she always somehow made sure he ate even in his busy Hokage life. The way losing a patient could still make her sob in guilt and inadequacy even after all these years of being a medic. Her eyebrow twitching, a clear signal she was about to throw someone into a wall in anger. How after the first time, she still sent him flowers every now and again just to see his smile. The way her pink hair slipped from her headband. How sometimes she would come by in her free time to just help out around the office. The small dimple in her cheek when she smirked at him. The sweetness of her voice when she teased him. How she didn't exactly push him, but made her feelings known. She didn't resent him, wasn't angry at his lack of reciprocation. But maybe it was because she knew it was all a farce.

I don't believe you.

It caught her off guard at least. He didn't know if it was the words themselves or the suddenness. Sakura's mouth opened to say something, then closed it, only to repeat the same thing again. Her eyebrows pulled together as she looked at him. She looked so…sad. Kakashi had to look away and focused on the paperwork in front of him.

He could hear her moving as she rounded the desk, but didn't look up until she finally reached him. She put a gentle but firm hand on his should and swiveled his chair around to face her. Kakashi felt suddenly bare as she put her hands on his face. He wanted to turn away but knew she wouldn't let him if he even tried.

He brought a hand up to grab at her arm. "Sakura –"

"No," she cut him off with a strong tone. "It's my turn now."

She was quiet for a moment, her eyes searching his making him feel more vulnerable than he had in a long time. She almost sounded angry when she spoke, but there was a softness there that he'd only heard from her a few times. "You're not good enough for me? Seriously? Do you know where you're sitting right now, Kakashi-sama?"

"I hate when you call me that." Kakashi closed his eyes and let out a short breath.

He felt Sakura lean her forehead against his, but didn't open his eyes, knowing if he met hers he'd lose any resolve he had left. "Kakashi, you are one of the best things in my life. You can make me smile when I'm crying. You can get me to laugh when I'm having a bad day. Just seeing you can make my day. I fell in love with the way you spoke through fabric. How you've always looked after me and wanted the best for me. The way you're so selfless sometimes. The lines around your eyes when you genuinely smile. How you make me feel warm andhappy. If anyone's good enough for me, it's you, and I think I'm the only person who gets a say in that."

Kakashi felt a pain in his chest that reminded him of a tight grip like someone had a fist around his heart. Nothing had ever felt like a better description for his feelings towards Sakura. It was both painful and soothing. There wasn't any way out of this for him, but he gave it one last try when he opened his eyes to meet hers.

"I'll ruin you."

She smiled at him and cocked an eyebrow. "I don't believe you."

When she leaned forward to kiss him, Kakashi hoped she was right.