II - Mirage
Kakashi was never quite so overcome with emotion before. It was a strange, yet empowering sensation, and he let it lead him as he grabbed Sakura's face and kissed her long and deep, savouring the taste of her lips on his tongue and the feeling of her breath on his skin, the warmth of her at his fingertips.
Gods, it had been so long. His fingers tangled in her hair, tugging her head so far back so that their kiss was so deep he could feel it in his toes.
His heart raced, an old sensation, an odd one to have considering he knew Sakura's lips better than he knew his own—considering just how much of her he had memorised, down to the most intimate parts of her soul. But his heart continued to bang briskly in his chest, his stomach tight with butterflies, and he came to the startling realisation that while his mind still knew every part of Sakura, this body did not, and it was reacting to every sensation like it was the first time all over again.
They parted with a gasp for air, and his mouth strayed to taste the sweat on her neck, to explore the dip of her collarbones, sucking on her pulse as he made his way up to the sensitive spot behind her ear, and Sakura was trembling, breath short and eyes squeezed shut and gods he wanted her.
They stumbled their way to the bathroom. They were still dirty; he wanted a shower almost as badly as he wanted her, but not quite.
His fingers worked on her clothes, pulling all the unnecessary garments away, her hands undressing him as well. Her back collided with the tiles, and she moaned into his mouth as he reached to squeeze her ass and lift her off the ground, pressing them together so that she felt him hot and hard against her, all over her.
She reached between then, fumbling with his trousers, her slim fingers slipping beneath the garment and fisting at the base of his cock. She stroked him, slow and savouring, her touch tantalizing and all too much at once, and Kakashi cursed as his body trembled and his loins burned hot with arousal and the need for release.
"Sakura," he grunted in warning, his face burying in her neck, and she moaned and sighed at the feeling of him in her hand, murmured to him about how much she'd missed him, about how badly she wanted him, all of him. "I'm going to come."
Her breathing was as ragged as his even though he'd made no move to touch her yet, and her face was flushed red, her chest heaving visibly. She leaned closer, lips ghosting over his ear, "Please…" she breathed, voice hitching with a desperate note, "Please … come for me …"
Kakahi growled as her words shattered his hold on himself and he spilled all over her fist and stomach. Her fingers continued stroking him until he was spent, and then she brought them to her mouth to suck the sticky liquid right off them, and he didn't think he could feel need still after having just come but he was wrong. Kakashi captured her mouth in a long, searing kiss until she was all but squirming in his arms, her hips grinding on his abdomen with barely controllable need, and he couldn't deny her any longer, couldn't resist reaching into her panties and stroking her until she was sobbing, feeling her wetness seeping through the material, and then engulfing his fingers like a vice.
His fingers sank into her again and again, the sounds of them plunging into her obscene and loud and so fucking arousing, especially when her hips starting grinding back against him, her pretty moans singing in his ears like music, desperate and hitching and stuttering over his name as he brought her to her release.
"Ngh—ahh!" Her head fell back against the tiles, her eyes closing in bliss, and she shuddered long and hard around him, her walls squeezing him impossibly tight as she released around his fingers, and he was hard again, aching even, as he watched her crumble in his hold.
"Gods you're so fucking sexy," he whispered, nipping on her chin, on her jawline, on her lower lip. "I've missed you so much." He engulfed her mouth in another kiss.
She made a strangled sound at the back of her throat as he rubbed them together, his cock teasing between her folds, the head nudging her sensitive clit. He felt her grow wetter, sensed the way her spine shivered and her breath quivered, her nails digging in his shoulders. "Ka—kakashi—ngh—please!"
She shuddered again, a full body shudder, and she let her feet drop back to the ground, pushing him into the bath, eyes burning for him in a way he thought might set him aflame.
She pushed him down, rough and gentle all at once in a way that was only her, then crouched atop him so that they were pressed together again, intimate and heated, and she was moaning again, a needy sound as she ground the drenched folds of her pussy up and down his hard cock, and he was throbbing, aching so badly for her he couldn't resist much longer ... he needed more, needed her around him, need her to come around his cock.
He gripped her hips and she pushed him inside her and they both sighed and moaned and grunted, and his balls tightened as her back arched and she cried out at the feeling of him hitting the end of her.
She reached between them, fingers finding her clit, and rubbed as she grinded against him, sighing and moaning in pleasure at the way he filled her, and the sight was so arousing, so sexy, that he could only kiss her and whisper to her in a dirty imitation of his voice for her to use him, to use his body and his cock to pleasure herself, to come around him as many times as she wanted, to extract her pleasure from him and push him down with her.
And although it drove him crazy, he sat still, gripping tightly onto her as she moved at her own pace, rising and falling on his length as her finger circled over her bundle of nerves, sighing in bliss.
"Touch me," she begged, all but sobbed, as she grabbed his hand and pressed his fingers to her aching clit, made him rub her slowly, teasing herself with his digits, and then faster and harder as she got more desperate, all while her walls shuddered around him, squeezing him so tightly he was gasping for air.
As he continued to rub her the way she liked, stroking her fast, she rode him harder, whimpering and moaning as her hips moved erratically, frantically, and he couldn't help it, he wanted her to reach her pinnacle, to fall apart beneath his touch. He gripped her ass and thrust up into her.
Sakura cried out, her head falling back as he began to rapidly fuck up into her welcoming body, and she only wound tighter, started begging as he brought her closer to her orgasm.
And then she screamed and her walls clamped down around him so tightly he hissed and cursed as the tension coiled at the bottom of his spine released and he was pumping her full of his come, all while she clawed at his chest and tugged at his hair.
They both panted raggedly as he slipped out of her, and she buried her face in his throat, laughing softly. "We need to work on your stamina," she wheezed, to which Kakashi pinched her ass.
"Shut up," he grouched without any heat, not really offended as he knew she was teasing him.
"Think we should shower now?" she mumbled, nuzzling into him.
"Yes, please."
...
When Kakashi and Sakura met their team again, they were eating. They'd decided earlier after they'd showered to go out for lunch to keep up their hastily formed gateaway.
It seemed Kakashi had been right to suggest they actually have lunch at Yakiniku. Just in case.
Sakumo's distinctive silver hair and large build came into view first, trailed by a whole crowd of rowdy teenagers. Obito and Naruto were already in the process of brewing up a scene, and Kakashi didn't need to be an integrated part of this reality to get the sense that this was the normal, everyday dynamic between those two.
Rin and Sasuke trailed behind them, the former still glaring at the latter, although it didn't contain half the bite Sasuke's usual glares contained; Rin was never quite capable of malice. But Sasuke had clearly offended her, understandably so.
Sakura glanced up in their direction once she'd noticed Kakashi's attention had drifted away from her. A small smile nudged her lips. "I suppose you were right. They did follow us eventually."
"I'm always right," Kakashi responded with a hint of his occasional arrogance, to which Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Well, they're coming our way," Sakura pointed out, chopsticks swirling her noodles. "You better behave yourself."
Kakashi arched a delicate eyebrow, unconsciously leaning closer to her. "Behave myself? What makes you think I won't?"
Sakura glanced pointedly at his hand, which had previously been resting on her knee. It was an innocent enough move, a familiar one, but although Konoha was home, this place wasn't particularly familiar and leaving clues all over that they were together wouldn't be wise, seeing as they had no idea what the relationship between the Kakashi and Sakura of this time was really like.
Sakumo was within earshot by then and Sakura dropped the subject, immediately broaching another one. "Your dodging has gotten sloppier, we need to work on that."
Instead of getting offended, Kakashi played along, countering her statement with: "Oh? Rich coming from you after that pathetic slip of foot. When I was able to flip you earlier, Sakura? If I were an enemy, you'd be dead."
"Pfft," Sakura snorted, seeing Sakumo's ears perk up as he got closer. "Did you not try to stop my kick with your hand? If you were an enemy you'd be missing an arm right now, Kakashi."
"Ah," he aquiesced. "But even before that—"
"—My my, aren't you kiddos getting along?" Sakumo's light voice pierced through their conversation, effectively halting the pseudo argument.
"Hatake-sensei," Sakura responded lightly, scooting over. "Kakashi and I were just going over the details of our earlier fight, a great way to pinpoint mistakes."
Obito scoffed from behind Sakura, but Sakumo only reached to pat Sakura's head of pink teresses. "That's quiet wise, Sakura-chan. And what else have you and Kakashi been up to in our absence?"
The question was posed innocently enough, seemed harmless enough, but Kakashi was suddenly distinctly uncomfortable with the scrutiny he was being afforded.
Sakura shrugged and predictably gave a none-answer. "Oh ya know, just talking about this and that. You know, Kakashi can be quite fun, even kind, when he loosens up. Earlier he helped an old lady cross a road."
Sakumo's eyebrows shot up, and Obito's face turned several layers of disbelieving. He sneered, "Kakashi? Fun? Kind? Never thought I'd hear those two words used in conjunction with Kakashi."
The rosette shrugged, motioning for the rest of her team to take a seat on the same table. "What do ya know, people change. Perhaps all Kakashi needs is an incentive."
"You know, Kakashi is here," the man in question said drily, kicking her shin under the table.
Sakura muffled a laugh behind her palm and nudged him. "Don't you be so butt-hurt; it doesn't suit you."
The conversation came to another halt when they noticed their teams staring at them. Sakura cleared her throat. "Anyway. I was just telling Kakashi I'm thinking of trying out for Jounin. Can't have him outdo me."
Sakumo-sensei shrugged. "It's about time you did, Sakura. You've always had the potential."
She smiled at him, but not the more beaming smile she might've given Kakashi had he been the one to say the words, and Kakashi felt the little niggling, irritating jealousy at the back of his mind finally settle. It was silly that he would be bothered by Sakura finding another Hatake for a teacher and perferring him.
Perhaps this body's hormones were affecting him. He had to intervene anyway. "I told her the same."
Obito made another disbelieving face but Kakashi ignored him. "Sakura's really strong; she doesn't give herself much credit."
Sakura's cheeks were beginning to pink in reaction to his words, and she nudged him. "When'd you get all sentimental?" she accused, green eyes glaring at him through her blush.
Kakashi shrugged. His food was growing cold but he had yet to find a window of opportunity to sneak in a bite without people seeing his face. "Stating facts isn't being sentimental."
"Wow, can you two stop flirting already?" Obito bellowed, pointing an accusing finger at them, and both Sakura and Kakashi momentarily froze.
Kakashi recovered first. "Is this what you call flirting?" he asked evenly, adding, "Explains why you're single."
"Oi, you're single too, baka!" Obito growled, offended.
Kakashi resisted the urge to frown. That was right… he wasn't openly with Sakura. Rin was staring at him, but it was different than the occasional looks of admirations she used to send him, like she knew he was hiding something and Kakashi internally cursed. It was so unlike him to make a slip, to leave clues for others to pick at. Had he clued them in? Was he not as subtle as he thought himself to be?
A familiar, stifling, uncomfortable feeling was beginning to squeeze the muscle within his ribs, and Kakashi wasn't thrilled to sit through it again and make another unwanted scene. And so, he excused himself. "Anyway, I'm full. I'm gonna head home."
He shared a brief glance with Sakura, squeezing her arm under the table in goodbye and feeling regretful to part with her so soon. He only just remembered to turn and nod at his dad as he uttered his next words, "See you at home."
And then he was gone, slip unnoticed.
...
Sakura was glowing that day.
It wasn't difficult to see it-it was the same look she had had going on in the restaurant when they'd had Yakiniku.
It was the widely acclaimed, deeply satisfied I-just-had-sex look females got sometimes.
Perhaps Sakumo was overthinking, seeing things that weren't there. Sakura was a seventeen-year-old, she'd been on his team for almost six years, he thought he knew her fairly well.
But ever since a few weeks ago she'd become impossible to read. It was entirely plausible that she was in fact, sexually active, but he wasn't about to pry into her privacy no matter how much he counted her as a child of his own.
The issue was, this whole thing was tied too closely to Kakashi somehow. He could feel it.
There was something going on there, between the two of them. He saw it in their shared glaces that spoke volumes, in their secretive smiles, in the way they moved around each other.
He would never oppose a relationship between those two if there was one; he was just disgruntled not to have noticed anything amiss until very recently.
Whatever was brewing between Kakashi and Sakura, it was years old, and he'd only taken notice of it now.
He entertained the idea of confronting Kakashi. Would his son be honest with him? Or would he deflect? Worse, would he become angry and defensive?
Sakumo sighed agitatedly.
There was another issue he didn't want to worry about. Rin.
He knew of Rin's unrequited feelings for his son … how would this affect her? Would her friendship with Sakura survive something like that?
Why had Kakashi not said anything about liking Sakura that way? He didn't typically hide things from Sakumo, so why start now?
Said boy walked into the kitchen that second to rummage idly through the fridge.
"Yo," Kakashi said absently, and after a few moments of searching pulled out a few items.
Sakumo watched as Kakashi then grabbed a pan, some oil and turned on the stove. It was a little jarring to watch his son move around the kitchen preparing food without being prompted to—even stranger that he moved with the ease of someone who'd had to get by on their own for their whole life.
Just what was up with his son? What was he missing?
As if feeling the weight of Sakumo's gaze on him, Kakashi arched a brow. "What?"
Sakumo's lips pursed. "Can I ask you something?"
Kakashi seemed a little alarmed at the odd request. "Um, sure. What's up?"
He hadn't anticipated an easy, albeit slightly hesitant acquiescence. He'd almost expected Kakashi to sidestep the question, or to manipulate the subject elsewhere, or even offer a sarcastic response.
Sakumo took a quick breath before blurting out. "Are you seeing Sakura?"
Kakashi blinked. Once, twice. "I'm sorry?"
Letting out a frustrated breath and knowing his son's tactics of evading and giving none-answers unless the questions were specific, Sakumo clarified. "Are you courting my student, Kakashi?"
"Are you angry?" Kakashi responded instead, turning back to the sizzling pan's contents.
Taken aback by his son's random guess, Sakumo scrambled to remedy the situation. "Angry? Of course not. Why would I be angry? So you're seeing Sakura?"
Kakashi sighed, leaning his hip against the counter and crossing his arms like he'd predicted this conversation long ago and had been gearing up for it all along. For some reason, and all of a sudden, he looked much older than his seventeen years, like a weary war veteran. "Yes. For a while now."
"Why did you not say anything?" Sakumo tried to keep the hurt out of his voice, but he was sure some of it seeped through either way. Perhaps he was being unfair to Kakashi; after all, any teenager might feel compelled to keep some secrets ... although Kakashi didn't really make a habit of hiding things from Sakumo, so it was a little hard to accept.
"I … didn't know quite how to tell you. Or anyone really. It just sort of happened. And Sakura didn't seem particularly compelled to tell anyone. I didn't want to be the one to say something." Although his son seemed tense for some reason, Sakumo knew he wasn't lying. Sakumo was perhaps the only person on this earth that would be able to catch Kakashi if he lied.
It was Sakumo's turn to sigh. He trusted Kakashi—he was his son after all—but he cared for Sakura far too much not to question him more thoroughly. "Are you serious about her?"
Kakashi blinked again, as if finding the query to be a strange, unexpected notion. "You think I would play with her feelings?"
"Don't put words in my mouth, Kakashi," Sakumo chided, some anger colouring his voice. "That wasn't what I asked."
Realising that whatever tactic he was using against Sakumo wasn't working, Kakashi's shoulders deflated. He looked so helpless to do anything but endure the interrogation that Sakumo almost took pity on him. But not quite. He needed to satiate his curiosity first.
Kakashi had turned back to the stove, breaking eye contact and reaching to stir the contents in the pan. And then he said something that had Sakumo's jaw drop open. "I love her."
His eyes remained staring at the pan, the reflexive way in which he interacted with it while his gaze remained blank showing that he was lost in thought, perhaps weighing the implications of what he'd just confessed.
Sakumo could only stare, floored. "What."
Kakashi's mouth twitched at the corner in a little, humorous smile, although he couldn't quite tell if the humour was genuine or not. "What? Too far-fetched? I'm being honest."
"But … when? Are you sure it's love, maybe—" As Sakumo began to ramble options, Kakashi cut him off, voice soft.
"Maybe ... what?" Kakashi turned to raise a cynical eyebrow at him. "Maybe it's infatuation? I thought so too, at first. But here I still am. Maybe it's just desire? I thought that too, for a while, but I couldn't stop missing her, no matter how much I tried to convince myself that it was just a phase."
Sakumo tried to make his brain process what he was being told. "And you thought it's love?"
Kakashi hummed, looking away again. A small blush dusted his cheeks. "Listen, I know what you think, what everyone else thinks—would think—but I've had a long time to come to term with my feelings, and I've accepted them for what they are. They're here to stay."
It was almost touching, the way his son formed those words like they tasted strange on his tongue but he was determined to say them anyway. "Why keep it a secret?"
"Because I just can't, Dad. I can't. What will everyone think? I'm not an idiot; I know Naruto's in love with Sakura," Kakashi said, and then added as an afterthought. "And I know Rin likes me. I know that everyone thinks I'm a heartless asshole, too far up my own ass. I know. And what I have with Sakura? That's mine. I don't ever want anyone to take that away from me."
For a moment, it was like Sakumo was looking at a stranger, a man far too broken, a man who'd lost everything and couldn't bear the thought of losing more.
"By all rights, she deserves someone better than me. I know," Kakashi uttered quietly, and finally turned to give him a sad, self-deprecating smile. "But I am selfish."
Sakumo was moving before his brain caught up with his actions, and he enveloped Kakashi in a tight hug, burying his face in his son's hair. "Don't you ever. Ever. Think of yourself that lowly ever again, Kakashi Hatake. You deserve everything you have and more."
Kakashi had gone still in his hold, but then tentatively, and shyly, reached to hug Sakumo back, and it broke his heart, shattered it, to feel like his son was so starved of affection and recognition. Had Sakumo been such a terrible father to him without ever noticing?
Had he not loved him enough, complimented him enough, encouraged him enough?
Feeling like a pile of trash, Sakumo squeezed Kakashi harder, trying to bleed as much conviction into his tone as possible. "I promise, son. I promise."
...
Kakashi hadn't planned on telling Sakumo about Sakura just yet. In their world, it had been a small, impossible fantasy of his to have had a life in which he could've introduced Sakura to his father as his girlfriend.
He definitely hadn't planned to spill his guts, insecurities and fears alike, to his dad. But it had been so easy, so damn easy to surrender and let his walls fall apart around Sakumo, who'd never been anything short of supportive and loving. Half of what Kakashi had confessed were products of his original life, of people's opinions when they'd found out about his relationship with Sakura.
There was judgement, cruel words, unsavoury opinions. There'd been repulsive accusations, cutting and terrible. It hadn't been easy. It had taken a long, long time for people to move on.
And he'd been hated, labelled with false words. And once it became apparent that what he and Sakura had was fresh and new, pure and nothing like what they'd accused it of being, they turned their opinions around to hurtful phrases like 'he doesn't deserve her' and its variations.
Kakashi wasn't one to care about the opinions of strangers, but when so many of them felt like it was their business to advertise their thoughts and feelings about his love life, it was almost impossible to escape them.
They'd moved past that terrible stage of their life; after months and months, people just let them be. They no longer sneered at the sight of him or looked at Sakura with pity, like the twenty-one year old woman was a helpless, naive teenager taken advantage of.
But they'd left their scar. Kakashi, who'd always known he deserved nothing, would always lose everything, believed them. He knew Sakura was too good for him.
And despite that, he couldn't let her go. How would he ever hope to? She was the best thing that had ever happened to him. When he was a man who'd known loneliness his whole life, who hadn't known love since he'd been a toddler … Sakura was like a much needed breath of air, like a warm blanket straight out of the dryer on a chilly morning. Kakashi lacked the fortitude, the insurmountable strength to hold her back, lacked the willingness to withhold the warm fluttering she caused between his ribs when she breathed life back into his soul.
Now he stood almost awkwardly next to his father as she greeted Sakumo, smile firmly in place, bright and genuine, and he wanted to both disappear from sight and burst with giddiness. That small, impossible fantasy of his was coming to life, and he feared he'd wake up any moment.
"Sakumo-sensei," Sakura nodded, taking her shoes off by the door, "Sorry for being late. My shift at the hospital ended a little later than I'd expected."
"No worries, Sakura-chan," the older Hatake chuckled, leading them all inside to the set table. As Sakumo disappeared to get them drinks, Kakashi's shoulders finally relaxed, and he reached to squeeze Sakura's hand in greeting.
"Hey," he said, and he wished desperately for his mask because he felt his cheeks burning with embarrassment at the situation as a whole. "Sorry, this was a little abrupt. He got me in a corner."
Sakura squeezed his hand in return, comforting and always sure. "We knew it'd happen at some point ... don't worry about it."
They sat on opposites sides, Kakashi because he didn't want to be tempted to show any small signs of affection or possessiveness. His dad might be supportive, but Sakumo would never hesitate to rip into him if Kakashi slipped at any point.
Sakumo rejoined them seconds later, taking a seat next to Kakashi. "Help yourselves you two," he gently prompted as he scooped portions of food for himself. It had been a little over twenty-four hours since their conversation, and Sakumo was still displaying odd, protective instincts towards Kakashi. Not that he minded too much; it was a nice change.
They ate in comfortable silence for a while, Sakumo's eyes drifting from Kakashi to Sakura, back and forth, again and again until Sakura finally huffed a laugh and said, a little exasperatedly, "Alright, Sakumo-sensei, really, say what's on your mind before you give yourself a headache. I don't bite."
Kakashi's eyebrow twitched imperceptibly, but this was definitely not the time or place to make a lewd remark about Sakura and any biting she'd previously done within much more secluded and private settings.
Sakumo chortled in reply, a faint, embarrassed flush covering his cheeks. "Alright, alright. It's just I've been thinking about this ever since Kakashi told me you two were dating."
Humming around a bite of food, Sakura chewed and swallowed before saying, "Ask away."
"I wouldn't give him too much liberty," Kakashi warned with half-hearted smile.
Sakumo elbowed him. "Can it. I've been waiting for this day for years."
On the other side of the table, Sakura giggled into her fist. "What is it?"
"So you're dating my son?" Sakumo started, putting on his 'dad' voice that Kakashi hadn't heard in forever.
"Yessir." Sakura looked like she was resisting a laugh.
"And this is a serious thing, right? I mean no offence, of course," Sakumo said, and Kakashi suddenly wanted to disappear again, to be anywhere else really, especially since Sakura's eyes were dancing with mirth as she regarded his father with thinly veiled humour and affection.
"Yes, it's serious," the rosette answered without missing a beat. "Rest assured, I'm not here to ruin Kakashi … or his innocence … if he has any of that left anyway."
Kakashi gaped, and Sakumo's split-second shock was quickly covered with hasty chuckles. "I've always liked you Sakura-chan. I must admit I'm liking this new turn of events."
Sakura blushed prettily from across the table. "Thanks."
"And Kakashi won't tell me, but how long has this been going on?" Sakumo inquired, voice laced with barely hidden excitement, and Sakura only briefly glanced at Kakashi before responding.
"Ah well, a few years," Sakura replied with a half-truth, and Sakumo looked both shocked, but pleasantly surprised.
"A few years, and Kakashi hadn't said a thing?" Sakumo shot his son a quick glare. It had been, in fact, almost five years. But as seventeen year olds it would be strange to say they'd been dating for that long. Especially since Kakashi still wasn't sure of the nature of the relationship between the Kakashi and Sakura of this world.
He shrugged his shoulders, a little stiffly. "We were testing the waters."
It wasn't entirely a lie. They'd been incredibly hesitant to broach the growing feelings between the two of them. But they'd both owed to it to themselves to take a chance and be happy.
Kakashi hadn't looked back since.
"For years?" Sakumo grumbled, and although he appeared unhappy the flicker of something in his eyes gave him away. He was only pretending to be so.
He shrugged again and Sakumo dropped the topic, finally. "Well, eat up. Think of your poor dad and all the dinners he'd have to prepare to make up for lost years."
Sakura grinned and Kakashi nearly did the same, but he resisted; his mask was absent and he couldn't hide behind its barrier. Instead he rolled his eyes in a move he thought was very fitting of his younger self and said, "Great."
And despite earning a light, yet quite painful thump on the head for his bratty tone, Kakashi's chest felt incredibly light.
He could get used to this. He definitely could.