AN: Happy new year! I hope you're all well on the first day of 2015! I wish you all the best and I come bearing updates! I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter, as ever it was so much fun to write this, and please let me know what you think! Please read the note at the bottom, and thank you for your support!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Sakura stood in her room, her heart still pounding, her eyes brimming with tears. She closed them and allowed the tears to fall. She waited for a moment and took deep breaths; it was too late in the night to cry her heart out like she wanted to. She would wake up with a headache and puffy eyes and she didn't want to explain that to Ino. Instead Sakura walked into her bathroom and washed off the makeup reciting medical information, types of poisons and their antidotes, sometimes out loud, sometimes in her head, resolutely not thinking about what had just happened. She had so much time to think and think about Kakashi. Right now Sakura felt exhausted, she knew that was not a good sign, but she was fairly sure she could empty her mind and sleep. She had gotten really good at that this past year.

Sakura woke to sunlight bathing her room in a soft glow; her first thought was about Kakashi. She closed her eyes and took a breath; she kept thinking about what to do. Should she just cry until she felt raw and there were no more tears? Should she stoically force all her feelings away, lock them up tight in the back of her mind, in the depths of her heart? Should she pretend it never happened?

Sakura opened her eyes and got up. She went into her kitchen and made herself a cup of tea; she had managed to salvage her favourite cup. Actually Ino had it fixed for her birthday. The crack had been fixed with lacquer resin that had gold in it, kintsugi, Ino had said. The art of fixing something so the breaking of the thing as well as the repair become part of its history, part of its beauty.

She curled her fingers around her favourite cup and took comfort from the warmth. She looked at the gold coloured line running the length of the crack in her cup and remembered Kakashi's scarred face. She closed her eyes and let herself see him in her minds eye. Gods, he had looked so good last night, she had wanted so desperately to pull his hand out of his pocket and weave her fingers through his. She had wanted to throw her arms around him the moment she saw him. Sakura had wanted to feel the heat of his body engulf her own, but more than that she wanted him to want it too.

She had told him she loved him. Sakura got a weird shaky feeling when she thought about that moment, when she had been more venerable with him than she ever had. The way he looked at her had made her feel like a silly little girl, he was completely shocked. She frowned a little as she remembered that. He was caught utterly unawares by her confession, but wasn't that the reason he had left? For one moment Sakura had been so sure that the reason Kakashi left was to distance himself from her and her love. He wanted to give her space to bestow her feelings on someone who wasn't embarrassed by them, he didn't want to crush her silly girlish hopes…right?

That didn't fit though. Kakashi was a good actor, Sakura knew that but she knew he hadn't been acting he had really been surprised. She knew him well enough to know that. She had known him for years and they were friends.

Weren't they friends?

This didn't make sense, either they were still in a sensei-student relationship and he saw her as childish and confused, or they were friends and he saw them as peers, equals so then…why had he left and lied to her?

Sakura jumped at the sound of a knock on her door. For one wild moment, her heart racing, she thought, Kakashi. But, no, she would know this presence anywhere. She got up and opened the door to face her best friend. Ino walked right in when Sakura opened the door and sat at her table where her tea stood, the cup still full.

"Good morning, Ino, please come in," Sakura said dryly.

Ino ignored this, "Spill," she said by way of greeting, crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat. When Sakura just looked at her Ino raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me nothing happened with Kakashi-sensei, I set that up so well!"

Sakura felt a sharp tug at her heart; it hurt more than she thought it would to hear his name. She sighed and made a cup of tea for Ino and sat back down with her. Ino took the cup without saying anything looking at her expectantly. Sakura sighed again.

"How did you know about…?"

Ino smiled a little, "Sakura, we have been friends almost all our lives, I know you. So, what happened?" She said the last part more gently.

Sakura took a drink of her tea, stalling. She set the cup down and directed her words to it, "He walked me home, it was a little…tense, and then he congratulated me on reaching jounin rank and…and I don't know what happened. I just looked at him and I – I felt everything, you know? I hadn't really felt it before," she paused, took another drink. "I told him I love him," she admitted in a small voice.

She could feel the intensity of Ino's look.

"And then what happened," Ino asked carefully.

Sakura finally looked at her friend. "Then he didn't say it back," she said with more hurt in her voice than she wanted. Oh well, she shouldn't have to keep it together in front of Ino of all people.

Ino frowned at her, "Come on, he must have said something, just tell me what was said."

Sakura looked down at her tea again, she considered taking another sip. Instead she spoke again.

"He said that I only think I feel that way, that I'm too young for him, that it wouldn't be right," Sakura said, her tone defeated.

Ino was frowning at her.

"What?" Sakura asked.

Ino took a drink of tea and seemed to think hard for a moment, finally she looked at Sakura with a look of determination and sincerity.

"Sakura, remember that one time I came by your house when you guys were playing cards?"

"Yeah," Sakura said. She did remember, Ino had come over, bored and just wanting to hang out. She knew that Kakashi would be there and she had declined all Sakura's invitations but that day she joined in. She played one round with them and then she had stayed and watched for a while. Sakura remembered thinking Ino had been unusually quiet, but when Sakura asked her the next day if something was wrong Ino had only smiled at her and said, "Oh Forehead, things are finally going so right," and winked at her. She had refused to elaborate anymore and Sakura had soon forgotten about the whole thing.

"Well, after about ten minutes of playing with you guys it became really obvious. I knew you didn't know, I could tell you were operating on a subconscious level, but I think Kakashi-sensei was a little more aware, but still in that denial zone, you know?" Sakura looked at her like she had started speaking in an unknown language.

Ino rolled her eyes and looked at her again with the same sincere and intense expression.

"Sakura, listen to me, when I saw you two together, you looked like a couple of newlyweds. You guys were so comfortable with each other, and you were flirting so naturally you didn't even seem to realize you were doing it. I think Kakashi-sensei was a little more guarded, but he was definitely responding to you, girl. And, last night, the way he looked at you, Sakura he could hardly look at anyone but you, and you would have noticed if you hadn't been so busy trying to not look at him."

Sakura sat completely still, dumbfounded.

"What? No, that can't – I mean it just doesn't…but how could you have noticed all that? Especially last night! You were practically glued to Sai!"

Ino smirked, "I'm a ninja, Sakura. I see everything."

Sakura snorted, and then she was laughing. She laughed so hard she cried. Then she wasn't sure if she was laughing or crying, and she wasn't sure if she was happy, sad, excited or scared. Ino was looking at her with concern.

"Hey, Forehead, are you alright?"

Sakura knew Ino was worried. She wiped her eyes and nodded, she took deep breaths.

"Yeah," she hiccupped, "Yes, I'm okay."

Ino gave her a look that told Sakura she wasn't convinced.

"Honestly, I'm okay. It's just really funny, you know?"

Ino raised her eyebrows.

"It is," Sakura insisted. "I mean, not really "ha ha" funny, I guess, but funny. It's just so ridiculous, all of this. Kakashi and I, the both of us, we're pretty ridiculous, don't you think?"

Ino shook her head, "Sakura, Kakashi-sensei is into you. Personally, I think it's more than he just thinks you're gorgeous, I think he really likes you. You know when he said 'You're too young'? I'm pretty sure what he was really saying was, 'I'm too old.' And, did he ever say point-blank that he doesn't feel the same way?"

Sakura looked at her best friend in the whole world. She took in her fierce expression; her utter belief in what she was saying and her obvious affection for her, for Sakura. Sakura suddenly felt a rush of gratitude and love for her friend, she felt relieved and she thanked every god in existence for her best friend. Her eyes began to fill with tears, she blinked them back and smiled at Ino.

"Thank you, Ino."

Ino smiled at Sakura, pushing her blonde bang behind her ear, "You don't need to thank me, Forehead. I've got your back."

And then they were grinning at each other and discussing what Sakura should do next.

Kakashi stood in his kitchen once again irresolute. He held a cup of tea in one hand but he hadn't drunk any of it and it was starting to go cold. He had just been to see Tsunade with the intention of asking to be sent on another mission.

Kakashi arrived at Tsunade's office and when he went in he saw her poring over papers with the same look of intense concentration that he had often seen on Sakura's face. He swallowed.

Tsunade didn't look up as she said, "Good morning, Kakashi."

"Good morning, hokage-sama."

There was silence for a moment as Tsunade signed something and looked at him raising her eyebrows.

"Well? Did you just come to survey your future office or did you need something?"

Kakashi looked at her in surprise and then he smiled, "No, I don't think-" he began, but Tsunade cut him off.

"Well think again," she said pointing at him with her pen. "You are going to be the next hokage, very soon. I thought you said you would if the village needed you."

"Yes, but it has you."

Tsunade shook her head, "Not for long," she said grimly. "But, there will be time to discuss that later, what did you need to see me for?"

Kakashi looked at the fifth hokage, his eyes lingered on the seal that marked her forehead.

"…Just came by to say hi and express my gratitude for what a great hokage you are being for the village," he smiled.

Tsunade gave him a look that told him she didn't buy his reason but she just smiled wryly.

"Thank you, Kakashi, now if that's everything…?"

"Yes."

"Then I need to get back to work, you're dismissed."

"Yes, good day, hokage-sama."

Tsunade raised her hand already looking over more papers.

Kakashi sighed as he remembered the scene in Tsunade's office. He had spent a restless night talking himself into going in between bouts of fitful sleep. He had meant to go and ask for another mission, anything that would take him away from the village, away from Sakura.

Wasn't that the right thing to do? He wanted to do the right thing objectively, but he didn't know how to think about the situation without his feelings rushing in and deciding for him. This was such an unfamiliar situation for him he just didn't know how to deal with it.

Kakashi closed his eyes.

He saw very clearly in his mind Sakura's flushed cheeks, her lovely pink hair framing her face, a blazing look in her eyes. "I love you."

Kakashi opened his eyes. He had spent a lot of the night trying to convince himself that this wasn't true. Sakura couldn't love him. He tried to rationalize away her feelings, they had spent a lot of time together and grown close, she mistook their friendship for romantic feelings. She was lonely. She missed Sasuke.

"I love you."

In all the time he was away, in all the time he agonized over his feelings for Sakura, not once did he allow himself to consider she might feel the same way. When she had told him she loved him Kakashi thought he had lost his mind. He was obviously hallucinating, had he actually been poisoned on his mission and this was just a drug-induced illusion? Was he dreaming?

But, no, it was real. Sakura, the woman he had been trying to forget, trying to distance himself from, was telling him she loved him.

When Sakura had pulled him down and kissed him Kakashi had felt like tiny sparks of heat were dancing all over his body. He felt his heart swell with joy, and his protesting mind for once, was silent. He still wasn't sure what he would have done if Sakura hadn't moved away so quickly. He knew what he wished he had done. He wished he had pulled his mask down, brushed his lips over hers, and teased them both before he finally gave in and kissed her lovely pink mouth. He wished he had wrapped his arms around her, crushed her body to his and felt the sweet heat of her…

Kakashi shook his head; he needed to stop thinking about Sakura like that. He really, really needed to stop that. He looked down at his tea and grimaced, it was cold now. He sighed and went to sit on his couch. When he had been walking out of the hospital he had run into Genma. The man had been so happy to see him he had patted him on the back and forced Kakashi to invite him over for lunch. Kakashi had tried to weasel his way out of that invitation, but Genma was having none of it and collected a promise from Kakashi that he would be home waiting for his arrival in the afternoon. Genma had said he would bring food and that Kakashi should anticipate being spellbound with the stories of his latest conquests. Kakashi shook his head and wondered if he would be able to get some sleep before his friend came over.

He had leaned back and closed his eyes when he heard a knock at the door, he was annoyed at Genma's timing, and he had just managed to drift off.

"Come in," he said trying to keep his voice light.

He heard the door swing open, but he knew right away it wasn't Genma. His friend would have said something already, he would have walked with heavier footsteps, and he would not bring with him this familiar scent.

Kakashi opened his eyes and looked at his doorway. Sakura stood with her back pressed against the door she had just closed. She wasn't wearing any makeup today, she wore a sundress he had seen many times, and her hair was left down the way he was used to seeing it. She looked like a vision.

Sakura bit her lip and lifted a hand offering him a bag. He blinked; he hadn't even noticed she was carrying anything. When he didn't move or say anything Sakura took a hesitant step forward still holding out the bag.

"This is from Genma, he said he promised to get you something to eat."

Silence.

Sakura tried again, "He isn't going to come visit either, I asked him to make sure you were here so I could come see you. I need to talk to you, Kakashi."

The way she said his name made Kakashi want to close his eyes and savor the sound of it. The way Sakura said his name felt like a caress. He hadn't been anticipating her appearance and he was afraid to move to her, he didn't know how well he could control himself right now. Not when he had just been thinking about kissing her, touching her.

Sakura seemed unsure of what to make of his silence, but she walked over to his kitchen and set the food on the counter. She bit her lip again and then walked over to sit in the armchair adjacent to his couch, she sat down carefully but even so their knees touched. Neither of them moved away.

She folded her hands in her lap and looked suddenly shy. She was blushing and looking at her hands, gods, what was she doing to him?

"Sakura…chan," Kakashi cleared his throat, he didn't know what to say. He watched as Sakura clasped and unclasped her hands, as she pushed her hair behind her ears and bit her bottom lip again. He wondered if she knew how aware he became of her mouth when she did that.

She looked up at him, there was still colour in her cheeks but her eyes were focused on him. She gave him the same blazing honest look she had given him the night before.

"Kakashi, I don't know if I'm being a bother to you, if my presence and feelings are unwanted. If they are, I promise you I won't burden you with them again, I won't. But, I need to know, do you…how do you feel about me…?"

AN continued: I don't know if that ending counts as a cliffhanger, but I didn't do it on purpose (I swear!). It just felt like a natural pause to me, hahaha. I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that the next chapter is going to be /ememdecidedly more lemony, if you catch my meaning. ;) It's going to have some serious fan service. How serious? I haven't decided yet, but it's going to happen. If that's your thing, please look forward to it! =)