"Kakashi!" Kakashi felt the loud man's presence before he had even heard the yell of his name. He turned around and sure enough there was Gai clad in his green jumpsuit smiling at him widely.
"Gai." He nodded at him and turned back to his training post sending another well aimed kick at the abused wood.
"It's good to see you training so youthfully, rival!" Gai told him as he walked over to him. "Though I'm surprised to not see Sakura-chan with you. Is she out on a mission?"
"No." Kakashi felt his eyebrow twitch and hit the post probably a little harder than necessary.
"Oh, then she must be working." Gai nodded beside him in thought with his finger under his chin.
"Not working either." Another kick. "Why do you assume she must be busy if she's not with me?" Kakashi asked even though he was sure he didn't want to hear the answer.
Gai grinned beside him. "You two have become inseparable! I am envious of your love, my dear rival!"
Another kick. Hard. Kakashi bit out, "We are not lovers, Gai."
Gai was quiet for a moment and Kakashi glanced at him. He looked…disappointed? He was frowning and his hands fell from his hips to rest at his sides. He stated more than asked, "You haven't told her then."
Kakashi threw a glare in his direction and stepped away from the post. He cocked an eyebrow at him and gestured with his hands. "Told her what?"
"That you're in love with her!" Gai answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"And what makes you think that?" Kakashi retorted and knew he was balancing on the edge of a blade with the question. He was out of breath and his heart was beating erratically in his chest but he blamed it on his training. He wouldn't even admit to himself that Gai's answer scared him. To hear it said aloud.
"By just the way you look at her!" Gai's smile came back to his face. "It's so clear to everyone. You're become so much happier lately. I don't think I've ever seen you look so carefree before. And it's obvious it's because of her! And how she looks back at you with such affection and admiration. It's obvious to anyone that you're in love. Why are you denying yourself that kind of passion?"
"I'm not –" Kakashi started, but couldn't find it in himself to lie to Gai. He let out a deep breath, his hand coming up to run through his hair. "I don't have time for this."
He walked away from him and Gai followed after him determinedly. "You can't just walk away from this, Kakashi!" Gai told him and Kakashi didn't think he'd ever heard the man be so serious. "It's not like everything else in your life. You can't run from it. You can't run from her. She's not going to let you."
Kakashi sighed and his feet stopped at the edge of the field. He didn't turn around as he said exasperated, "You think I don't know that?"
"Then, why are you fighting it, Kakashi?"
"She's just – I'm not…" Kakashi trailed off not even knowing where to start. He didn't even want to be having this conversation, especially with Gai. He knew him too well he'd see through anything he tried to play off. He usually let Kakashi get away with it, acting cool and aloof. But there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Gai didn't see through it. Only if it was important Gai would push it and Kakashi knew he felt this was important. He did too, if he was being honest with himself.
"Good enough for her? Don't deserve her?" Ga finished for him.
Kakashi chuckled humorlessly at his own thoughts being said out loud by someone else. His back was still to Gai and he was thankful for it. Even with his mask he was sure Gai would be able to see the pain in his expression. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "It's obvious, isn't it?"
"So what if you don't?"
Kakashi turned around then in surprise. So what? Gai had his arms crossed over his chest with a smile. He continued with a shrug, "So what, Kakashi? None of that matters. Even if you believe that, even if I believe that – which I don't – it's not for you or me to decide. It's her choice. You don't get to tell her she's wrong. That she made a mistake. She already loves you. That's not going to change just because you think it should."
Kakashi just stared at him speechless. His argument and stubbornness crumbling before his eyes. It wasn't like the words were that much of a shock. A part of him had been screaming the same damn thing at him. But he'd been able to quiet it down with the logic that he'd thought was sound. Lately though, that voice was just getting louder drowning out the rest of his thoughts and he started slipping in his argument with himself. It was harder to quiet it down now, especially if it ever spoke when he was with Sakura. Gai saying the words out loud just caused the crack in his resolve to grow.
Kakashi tore his eyes away from Gai stubbornly and clenched his jaw. His hands in his pockets turned into fists and he could feel Gai's eyes on him. "After everything you've been through, why can't you just let yourself have this? Take it from someone who cares about you, you do deserve her."
Kakashi sighed again, but didn't say anything. Gai stepped up beside him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. Kakashi could see him smiling out of the corner of his eye. "You're a lucky man to have someone who loves you so unconditionally. You should cherish her, my dear rival, not push her away."
Then without another word, Gai patted his shoulder and walked out of the training field.
Kakashi felt the warmth of her chakra before she'd even entered the field. He didn't move from his spot on the ground and continued looking up at the sky. He heard her sigh when he was finally in her view. "Kakashi, there you are."
She walked over to him and stood by his side looking down at him. She followed his eyes to the clouds above them. "Have you been out here all day? I thought you were training?"
"Mah, Sakura-chan, I was. I finished a while ago and was just enjoying the clouds," he replied to her lazily and glanced up at her. She still had her doctor's coat on so she must have come straight from the hospital. How was he always be her first place to go to?
She was smiling, her eyes sparkling as the sun light bounced off them. She chuckled as she tugged at her ponytail causing her pink hair to cascade around her. "Enjoying the clouds. You've been spending too much time with Shikamaru, Kakashi-kun."
Kakashi felt his heart skip a beat and he tore his eyes away from her and back to the sky. He didn't tell her that the only person he was spending too much time with was her. "When you look at the sky, you can see all sorts of things in the clouds. You should try it out."
Sakura shrugged off her coat and dropped it to the ground nearby. She knelt to the ground and Kakashi automatically held an arm out for her. He didn't even hesitate when he did it, it had just felt so natural to. She gave him a small smile before curling up beside him with her head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her and she sighed against him.
Kakashi leaned his head against hers and pointed up at a random cloud. "That one looks like Katsuyu."
Sakura snorted. "They all look like Katsuyu. She's a slug.'
"You just have no imagination." Kakashi clicked his tongue against his cheek.
"I do too," she retorted back almost childishly. If she was younger Kakashi could imagine her sticking her tongue out at him.
"Then, prove it, Haruno."
"I will, Hatake," she replied determined and held on to him tighter. Kakashi held back a chuckle. They were talking about clouds but she had the seriousness of going into battle.
A couple minutes later and she pointed up at the sky and Kakashi could hear the satisfaction in her voice. "That one looks like Bisuke."
Kakashi's eyes followed her finger and was surprised to see a cloud that actually resembled the small dog quite well. "Good one, Sakura-chan."
He could practically feel her smile against him and she told him, "Your turn."
They went back and forth like that for who knows how long. Kakashi tried to find the most ridiculous things he could just to make Sakura laugh. At some point, he said, "A leaf from a chestnut tree."
Sakura chuckled and looked up at him. "That is so specific."
"I'm a Leaf shinobi. I take my leaves very seriously."
Sakura laughed and it was such a beautiful sound. He wondered if she could hear his heart beating out of rhythm in his chest through his flak jacket. His fingers were thoughtlessly combing through her hair and he tugged lightly on a lock. "Your turn."
Sakura was quiet for a moment, her eyes searching the sky. Then, she said, "A bowl of ramen."
Kakashi couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe you're spending too much time with Naruto."
"No, really!" she laughed and pointed. Kakashi saw which cloud she was talking about, but feigned ignorance. "I don't see it, Sakura-chan. Stop lying. You'll never top my chestnut leaf."
Sakura grabbed his hand and wrapped her fingers around him. She pointed up at the sky with his finger. "There!"
Kakashi didn't even look at the sky and just at her small soft hand wrapped around his. He almost pulled away like he usually did. But he tried not to. To say he didn't like her touching his hands was an understatement. He shouldn't be allowed to touch something so wonderful and beautiful. He felt like his touch tainted her. Yet he still found himself always reaching out for her regardless of it. The opposing feelings always battled inside of him and he never knew which one was going to win. Like in the hospital. He hadn't been able to let go of her. He was worried she would disappear underneath his fingertips. That the heartbeat in her wrist would become faint and then just die out completely. It had scared the hell out of him and he had gripped her tight just to assure himself she was still there, still alive.
I know you hate your hands, but I love them. Kakashi smiled despite the depressing thoughts that still lingered in his mind. He lowered his and Sakura's hands back down to his chest. He intertwined their fingers as he told her softly, "Ah, I see it now."
She squeezed his hand in hers. "I knew you would if you just let me help."
Kakashi didn't say anything, his thumb stroking back and forth across her skin. A couple more minutes passed before he said, "A dragon."
Sakura was quiet and Kakashi asked, "Sakura?"
She still didn't reply and he brought his hand up to brush her hair behind her ear. Her eyes were closed and she was sound asleep on top of him. Kakashi chuckled and leaned his head against hers. She breathed slowly against him and he whispered, "If you were so tired why did you bother coming to find me? You should have gone home to rest."
He didn't get an answer from her and Kakashi sighed, his fingers absent mindedly playing with her hair. You can't run from her. She's not going to let you. Gai's words from last week bounced around in his head again. He probably didn't know how right he was.
He let her lay there for a while just sleeping contently in his arms. But when the clouds left and the sky turned dark, he knew he should probably take her home. He gently took his hand out of hers and her fingers clutched at his jacket. He reached for her coat and draped it across them both. Then he made the hand sigils to body flicker into her apartment.
They landed with a soft thump as their weight sunk into her bed. Kakashi carefully removed himself from her and grabbed her doctor's coat. He draped it over a nearby chair and undid Sakura's sandals, dropping them to the floor. Then, he covered Sakura with the blanket that was folded neatly at the end of her bed. He looked at her sleeping face for a moment, her pink hair a mess around her. She really was so beautiful.
Kakashi tore his eyes away from her and stepped towards her window. But when he reached it, he heard a sleepy voice say his name. "Kashi?"
He turned around and saw her watching him with half hooded eyes. She held out a hand to him and simply asked, "Stay?"
She gave him a warm smile and didn't drop her hand even when he didn't reach back for her. It was almost as if she knew he'd take it. She was right, though, and Kakashi found himself grabbing her delicate fingers. He almost chuckled at the thought. Sakura's fingers were anything but delicate. But that's what they felt like, what she felt like. She felt so open to him in that moment but honestly, she always did. He felt like he could break her so easily if he wanted to. But he wanted anything but that.
He let go of her hand to shrug off his flak jacket and take off his headband. She watched him sleepily and made room for him in the bed. After he kicked off his shoes, he climbed in beside her. Sakura made herself comfortable back on his chest without any hesitation. She draped an arm over his torso and was quickly back asleep. Kakashi smiled down at her as he fixed the blanket back over her. He fell asleep trying to figure out when he had gotten so wrapped around Haruno Sakura's little finger.
