Chapter 7: Friends, Aren't We?

The morning's sunrise remained trapped behind dark, motionless clouds as last night's skyline had shifted into a pale misty grey. It was another rainy Monday morning. Sakura groggily turned off her alarm that buzzed on her nightstand. She groaned, really not wanting to get out of bed.

'It's too early. Too tired,' she thought while slowly stretching under her covers.

Listening to the rain fall outside her window, she could faintly hear the mix of light traffic already bustling outside the apartment in the damp streets. She felt so comfortable in her warm bed and wished she could sleep more. Over the rain-fallen weekend she was bored to tears reading and studying for her classes. Sakura managed to even read a few chapters ahead to get them out of the way. Ino almost convinced her to go out Saturday to check out some popular venues in Tokyo, but decided against it. It was too rainy anyway. It wasn't as bad as some of the flooded areas outside of Tokyo, but it was annoying getting wet like she had to on her job-hunting journey. Maybe they could go out this weekend if the rain finally lets up.

Sakura's legs felt a little sore from walking around most of Friday to some of the local shops near her apartment in trying to find a job. Not many were hiring, but she managed to submit a few applications. She wasn't going to hold her breath to get hired anytime soon, but she was hopeful she'd get lucky.

Kicking the sheets off with her feet, she slowly rolled to her side and sat upright on her bed. Trudging out slowly, she glanced at the clock on her desk as she went into the hallway to the bathroom. She had about forty minutes to get ready and be out the door. Shortly after she showered and dried herself, Sakura wasn't sure how much time she had left as she hurried back into her room. Snuggling the towel around her body, she began to pull out some of the drawers from her dresser to decide what to wear today. From the corner of her eye, she noticed her phone was lit up on her desk. She stopped what she was doing and picked up her phone. It was a text message.

'Class is canceled today. Check e-mail.'

It was from Kakashi. Confused, she logged into her university's e-mail account with her phone. Sure enough, there was an e-mail sent about an hour ago from their professor. It said the streets were too flooded in the small town he lived at and that class was canceled for today. She thought to herself how much it would have sucked walking to the class only to find out it was canceled. She smiled to herself, glad that Kakashi had guessed she wouldn't have checked her e-mail before she left. She text messaged back:

'Agh, I was close to leaving, too. Ty for letting me know! You must be psychic. Now I owe you times…6? -_- '

Sakura sighed and put on her comfy pajamas again. It was likely she would still have to go to her ten o'clock class, but decided to go back to bed for a bit. With her phone in hand, she fell back into her bed. Her phone buzzed with a new message.

'Why yes. I am psychic. Impressed?'

'Very impressed. What else can you foresee?' she replied. A few seconds later her phone buzzed again.

'Rain.'

Sakura rolled her eyes as she looked at the rainfall outside her window. Part of her felt a little sad she wouldn't see him today. Maybe he would be there later in the day for another class? She really didn't have a good excuse to meet with him though, and she supposed it was a little weird wanting to see him, but she felt like they were friends - more or less - now. He had helped her out so much in the past week. She also had to admit she really enjoyed his company. So… It's not weird wanting to see a friend, was it? After she thought for a moment she sent another text.

'Ha. Funny. Have class later today?'

A few seconds later he replied, 'Yep. Why?'

'Well… I have class at 10. I'll be bored waiting for my 2pm class. Let's have lunch or something?'

Sakura felt a little anxious for some reason after she sent her reply. Maybe he'd rather just have time to himself or maybe he was getting quickly tired of seeing her which was completely plausible. He really didn't have any reason or obligation to agree. She began to worry maybe she was making herself come off as annoying to him.

Her phone buzzed. 'I foresee us meeting at the student center. 1pm?'

She smiled and responded, 'Sounds good :)'

After setting an alarm on her phone, she placed it next to her on the bed. She figured she'd take a short nap and then get ready for her next class.

It was the first time Sakura and Ino had the chance to walk to school together, since Sakura always had to leave earlier than her. Walking side by side under a shared umbrella, they linked arms and talked a bit about their plans for today as they made their way to campus. It was a nice change to have company for once. Sakura mentioned she was having lunch again with Kakashi. Ino smirked and said something along the lines of how they were practically dating already. Sakura rolled her eyes at that.

"We're friends," Sakura replied.

"Sure you are." Ino winked.

"He wouldn't see me like that, Ino," Sakura said with a small frown.

"I think he must like you to even agree to meet with you. Don't you think?"

"As a friend."

Ino sighed. "He may be a bit older, but I think it's highly possible he does."

"No."

Ino nudged Sakura as they walked. "You don't know unless you try. You do like him, right? He's gone out of his way to help you a lot, too, from what you've said. That says something, doesn't it?"

"It just says that he's a kind person."

'My friend is hopeless,' Ino thought to herself. Once they entered inside the main campus they parted ways and wished each other a good day.

Sakura's 10:00 am class seemed a little less full than usual. Most likely a few people who had flooding problems in some of the smaller surrounding towns couldn't make it. Then it was most likely a few others who simply wanted to skip. Unless the professor said otherwise, students get three free unexcused absences for the whole semester per signed up class. Sakura didn't want to waste them unless she was sick. Figured it would be the smartest thing to do.

The sky highlighted into a lighter shade of grey as it entered past noon. The rain only lightly drizzled, occasionally falling harder for a few moments and then returned back into sprinkles. Sakura twirled her umbrella spraying tiny droplets of water as she walked to the student center to meet up with Kakashi. She didn't see him inside the building behind the glass doors and decided to wait near the front steps. She tugged at the long sleeves of her hoodie as she waited.

As she began to pace, she pondered a little bit about what Ino had said earlier. She did admit to herself that she liked Kakashi, but still the idea of them actually being more than friends... There was just no way could that ever be possible. He was so much older and mature than her. Why would he give her the time of day? Yet, he did agree with meeting her for lunch, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Did it? Now she was starting to feel nervous about seeing him. She wished her uneasiness would go away. As she mulled over her thoughts, the sound of rain around her seemed to pull her into a trance. She stared blankly into a small puddle at her feet that had formed in a sunken brick in the sidewalk.

"Yo."

Sakura jumped nearly dropping her umbrella. Kakashi stood beside her with a small warming smile behind his mask. "Well, you're really jumpy today."

"Erm, sorry. Lost in thought I guess," she replied slightly embarrassed.

"Something the matter?"

"Oh, no. Just thinking random things. Um, so any idea what you'd like to eat today?"

"Hum…" He thought for a moment as he tapped his partially gloved exposed fingers against the stem of his umbrella. "Rainy days make me want soup. There's a small café bistro near campus. Want to go there?"

"Ooh, do they have hot tea? That'd be nice too," Sakura asked.

"Yeah, and they have a lot of different boxed lunches, sandwiches, and soups to choose from."

"Sounds good to me."

"This way," he said while nodding toward the direction as Sakura followed beside him. Her nervousness started to creep on her again as they walked silently. She wasn't sure why now, but since they've first met she was starting to feel like her feelings were turning into something more than a mere infatuation. Somehow she felt it was Ino's fault for egging her on that she was going on a "date" with Kakashi. Mentally sighing, she tried to clear her thoughts. Else she would just be acting more awkward later when they got to the shop.

Kakashi noted as they walked how strange Sakura was acting. She was being quieter than usual, and even at the slightest hint of her looking his way she'd advert her eyes. Something was clearly on her mind.

"Sakura, you sure nothing's bothering you?"

"No, I just, um…" her words trailed off as she spoke.

"Hiding isn't better than sharing the truth."

Sakura wasn't sure how to answer that. 'I think I have a crush on you?' she thought to herself. Maybe if she said that out loud she'd feel better in the inside for a split moment, but in turn be embarrassed for the entire semester she had to sit next to him in class.

"We could take a rain check, if you want. For… a different rainy day?" Kakashi asked slowly as she still kept to herself in silence.

"No, no. I really enjoy your company," Sakura assured him.

"Hum, even though you hate me?"

"I only hate you sometimes," she teasingly said with a smile and added, "But, I hope I'm not forcing you to meet with me. You don't have to…"

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"More or less... You don't have better things to do?" she asked. It was partly true at least from her list of worries. There was no way she was going to admit to him that he was making her feel nervous.

"I come because I want to. Not really sure why you'd think otherwise." Kakashi looked around himself. "I don't see you forcing me to. Unless…" Suddenly, he stopped walking and looked serious for a moment. Sakura halted in mid-step and looked at him, wondering what he exactly he was doing.

He pointed an accusing finger at her and said, "You're a witch."

"…"

"You caught me," Sakura replied, trying to keep a straight face, but the corner of her lips kept tugging into a smile while she chuckled. "Okay, you've made yourself clear; I'm being silly."

"Good." Kakashi smiled as they continued walking again.

Over the weekend he had time to think about Sakura and their ever growing relationship. It wouldn't be much of a problem if he wasn't almost twelve - no… thirteen… fourteen-ish - years older than she was. Thinking about the exact numerical age difference made it sound worse. When they were together face to face, however, it was never apparent to him. Granted, a lot of women her age were immature idiots who seemed to care more about their nails than grades. Sakura was certainly different than he first prejudged, and was increasingly becoming entertaining to be around.

Kakashi had a fairly small circle of friends he would usually hang out with between work and weekends before he moved. His old acquaintances from Tokyo long graduated years ago when he received his bachelor degree. He decided in his fifth semester, having just started working on his masters, he'd take up the offer to teach at a school district. They hired him for his advanced knowledge in martial arts. Growing up, he became a well known title holder for world-ranked matches. Most people knew him though because of his family. He hated being recognized for his name rather than his skills. Kakashi mostly agreed to take on the job because he wanted to do something different for a while. He didn't care for the long commute between teaching and attending the university, so he decided to come back later to finish.

Age felt like an invisible barrier between him and Sakura which, at the very least, restricted them to being friends. He was more than okay with that, but why did other signs within him want to make it something more? Her smile and blush was becoming increasingly infectious. He realized the only thing stopping him was that invisible line. Thinking about it as if it wasn't there… It was clear to him how he really felt. The question was what to do about it. He knew the obvious answer: nothing. It was just how it had to be.

After about fifteen minutes weaving through the campus, they walked down along one of the main streets until they were at the café. It could be best described as a small hole in the wall of a shop, but was quaint looking. Inside it was a mix of dark colored woods and stone walls, covered with scattered posters and knickknacks. After being greeted, they sat at one of the small tables which were neatly aligned across the main floor. Sakura's eyes looked upwards at the various red and white paper lanterns that hung on the ceiling's beams. She thought to herself, briefly wishing she could steal one for her drab looking room.

After the server took their drink orders, they looked through the lunch menu. There were almost too many choices. Among the different kinds of sandwiches and small sushi boxes offered, Sakura decided to go with a simple smoked turkey sandwich. After placing their orders, Sakura blew on top of her steaming jasmine tea before taking a sip. Kakashi stirred some lemon juice in his tea. Sakura started to glance at him, anticipating when he might be taking a sip.

"You're very obvious," he commented as he finished stirring.

"Whatever do you mean?" Sakura tilted her head while placing her hands underneath her chin. She tried her best to look oblivious against her devious smile.

He narrowed his eyes at her as he picked up his cup. Slowly, he lifted it towards his lips. His left hand reached up to the edge of his mask near the top of his nose. As he placed the main body of the cup in front of his mouth, he peeled only a small section of his mask with one finger and began to drink, tilting the cup. Much to Sakura's disappointment, he managed to position the cup just right as he sat in front of her, not revealing anything. The cup was too oval to even see the bottom of his nose. Even his bottom lip was still partly covered with his mask. With a single finger, he tugged his mask back on while he raised the cup from his lips, placing it back down on the table.

"You're… impossible," Sakura finally said as she let out a depressed sigh.

"What? What's wrong?" Kakashi acted bewildered while he pretended to scratch the edge of his mask.

"Tease," Sakura muttered.

"Whatever do you mean?"

Kakashi's eyes crinkled from his hidden smile. She sighed once more while crossing her arms on the table. Smirking, she remembered what he said earlier to her and said, "Hiding isn't better than sharing the truth."

"Oh, well that statement turned on me rather fast," he replied, amused.

"What is it that you're hiding exactly?" she asked half seriously as she sipped her drink.

"I'm ashamed of my permanent set of 14 karat gold grillz I got when I was younger."

Sakura almost choked on her tea from laughter. "That is... a disturbing image."

"See? Now you know."

"Liar."

Kakashi shrugged as he smiled. "Well, then what do you think I'm hiding then?"

"I have two guesses."

"Which are?"

"Either you're hiding how handsome you are, or you're hiding how ridiculously handsome you are."

Kakashi felt his cheeks heat. Trying to ignore that invisible line being tugged at, he tried not to look embarrassed while keeping an indifferent face. "That's a very flattering guess."

"I'm sure one of those is true," she replied.

"Matter of opinion I suppose."

After a couple of minutes their lunch was served. Kakashi still managed to eat his soup carefully without revealing his face. Sakura was pretty sure it had to have been some kind of natural talent to do that. They made some idle small talk as they ate. Once Kakashi was finished with his soup, he leaned his head against his hand comfortably on the table. He regretted going to sleep so late last night, feeling his eyes becoming heavy.

Sakura held back a laugh as she saw Kakashi beginning to lunge forward as he was fighting against falling asleep. She couldn't resist having some fun out of his expense. She waved a hand in front of his face finding no response. She took a spoon and poked his arm, snapping him back awake.

"It was embarrassing confessing that to you, but you won't tell anyone right?" She tried to look serious at him as she twirled the spoon between her fingers. She hoped he would think she had been talking for awhile.

"Uh..." He was clearly confused and slightly disorientated.

"Promise, Kakashi?"

"Y-yes..?" he answered, rather unsure what exactly he was agreeing to.

"Did you ever have something happen like that with your girlfriend?" she asked trying to press him further. It was a sneaky way to satisfy her curiosity if he was actually seeing anyone.

"Um, I don't have a girlfriend, but… okay, honestly, I think I fell asleep and I didn't catch what you were talking about. Sorry…" Kakashi held his breath half expecting she might throw the spoon she was spinning like a dagger in her hands at him.

"I know," she smiled. "You only fell asleep for a few seconds."

He sighed, relieved. "That's cruel."

"But oh, so fun," she said with a smirk.

A few moments later, the waitress dropped off the check. Sakura and Kakashi both reached out for it. Slowly, she tugged the tray away from his hand and began to tap his fingers with her spoon to loosen his grip.

"I got it. My debt to you is already high enough," she said with a glare.

"Mm, I guess…" he said reluctantly, deciding not to argue with her as he let go.

"What are friends for, right?"

"Right…" Kakashi agreed while thinking back to why she asked him he had a girlfriend. He didn't want to think about what that could mean beyond a random curiosity. After she paid, they left to go back into the drizzly mist outside. Sakura looked at her phone for a moment.

"Sadly, I have class in fifteen minutes. Guess I'll see you Wednesday. Thanks for coming," she said while hugging him briefly.

"See ya," Kakashi said while awkwardly hugging her back.

They both glanced briefly at each other before turning to go their separate ways. Left with thoughts piling around them, they could each hear the other's steps fade into the distance, accented by the splashes in puddles left by the never ending rain.

When will the sun's light ever emerge from the rain?

TBC

[ Author Note: So I tried to fix my "hanged" grammar problem a reviewer pointed out. I should really stop writing without sleeping at 6 am to catch stuff like that, which I'm sure there's other things as well. Also appreciated the note how I'm being a bit too descriptive on clothing. Never really thought about it that way. Anyway, appreciated!

Reviews, comments or suggestions appreciated. -throws oreo cookies at you-

Chapter edited by: CelestialCircumference ]