Sorry about the wait again, I had alot to do, but here it is for all to enjoy!
Words of Thanks: I want to say a BIG thanks to my co-author Moodiful819 who put alot of manhours or womanhours into helping me make this fanfic the best that it could be...so Thanks SO MUCH!!!

Dance with Me

Chapter seven: Never Thought I'd See You Here


Bring! Smash!

I groaned, turning over in my bed and burrowing deeper into my soft pillow. I mentally sighed to myself and turned to my new alarm clock. Yup, I got a new alarm clock. Though I was never one to get overly attached, I found myself missing my old clock. It just wasn't the same and I felt like I had betrayed my old friend by replacing him, though it would have probably felt betrayed anyway after I threw it against the wall. Guess this was karma coming back to bite me.

I stared at the ceiling, trying to pull myself from that train of thought. Wow, first a memoir about my clock, then karma. The lack of sleep was obviously getting to me.

I struggled to get out of bed, because honestly, who would want to? Unlike Gai and all the other morning people in the world, the rest of the population would prefer to catch a few more hours of sleep before facing the cheerful world. I shook my head. I was getting really off track this morning. As I sat up and yawned, stretching my arms above my head, I couldn't help but feel that I was forgetting something. Oh well, time to take a shower.


I walked calmly out of the elevator. Today's selection of elevator music wasn't that bad. Bon Jovi's Living On A Prayer. Believe it or not, I was a bit of a metal fan when I was younger, but after a while, like the rest of the world, we saw past the cloud of hair spray and forest of spandex pants to see that guys in bright-pink leopard-print pants were just disturbing. I can't believe I used to like that stuff, but then again, I was pretty drunk at that time in my life. I unlocked the door to my office, whistling the bars of the chorus when I noticed the girls.

'Shit,' I thought. "That's what I forgot. Ino!" I hissed to myself. I scanned the room tentatively. Hinata was stacking some papers, Tenten was preparing some tea, and Ino was placing clothes onto the rack for today's shoot. Strange, I wasn't being bombarded with questions.

I looked over to Ino whose eyes became wide with horror before focusing on the clothes in front of her. Obviously she didn't tell the others. I'd have to thank her.

'Maybe a nice card at Christmas?' I thought to myself as I walked over to the couch, setting my backpack down and grabbed my camera. I heard the models come in and my secretaries greet the girls. "Better get started."


I couldn't believe it, the girls didn't ask. In fact, they hadn't brought it up at all since the first time they asked me about my dance partner, which was four days ago.

"That would make this Saturday." I noted. I wandered around the studio aimlessly. The models had finished the shoot for the day and I was waiting for the next batch to come. I felt my stomach grumble and looked over to the clock. It was about noon.

"Time for some lunch." I walked over to the fridge, a smile on my face at the prospect of food. I opened the door, wondering what to have when my face fell. There was nothing inside. I stood up, scratching my head in confusion. "I was sure I had some food in here a few days ago or was that a few weeks ago?" I shrugged my shoulders and walked over to grab something from my backpack. "Going out for lunch." I called out over my shoulder. I didn't wait for a reply, I just closed the door.


I wandered the streets of the city, looking around at buildings. "˜Where to go for lunch?" I pondered for a minute, finding nothing. "Well, there is that place the girls keep talking about. Some cafe. What was it called again? May's Place? Well, whatever. The girls talk about it all the time and with their salaries, it has to be cheap." I smiled. Cheap and good, music to my ears. Well, that and the moans and screams of a certain dance instructor, but fat chance of that ever happening. "Lets see, they dragged me past there before. Lets see if I still remember" A few blocks down, a right here, a left here and I was at a corner cafe. It had blue paint and in bold gold lettering was May's place. Guess I found it.

I looked inside the door. It looked pretty popular. With table and booths sprinkling the place and large windows, the atmosphere seemed pretty relaxed. I decided to join the line. I looked over their heads and counted. Three people, not that long of a wait, especially with two people at the counter. I looked at the menu written in chalk on a blackboard over head. "Maybe a cup of iced tea and a sandwich?"

"Next!" I blinked in shock. Oh, it was my turn. I walked up to the counter, my eye closed as I smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of my neck.

"Sorry about that. I'd like a cup of iced tea and a roast beef sandwich, please."

"For here or to go?" I blinked. I'd know that voice anywhere.

"Sakura-san?" The girl at the counter turned, my order on the tray in her hands.

"Eh? Hatake-san?"

"Sakura-san, what are you doing here?"

She raised a brow haughtily. "I could ask you the same question."

"Well, I-" I was then cut off by a woman's voice form behind the conuter.

"Sakura, what's taking so long? Are you-Oh! Hello." smiled a middle-aged woman wearing a dark blue apron that matched the paint outside. She patted Sakura on the shoulder. "Well, looks like you have a friend here. I'll let you two catch up. Grab a seat anywhere. Oh! There's a booth open. Go!"

Sakura turned back. "But May-san-"

'So she's the May in May's place-'

"I still have to-"

"Oh nonsense. Go, talk! Besides Sakura, I was going to let you take a break in five minutes anyway."

"But-" she protested

"Shoo!" she said, waving her hands and ushering us to the booth. She smiled. "Call me if you need anything." I watched her retreating back and placed my tray on the table.

"Um..what just happened?"

"I think we just got booted into a booth."

"Aa." I replied. I stared down at my lunch. "Want half?"

"No thanks." She as she wave a hand in front of me.

I shrugged and pulled down the fabric of my mask before raising one half of the sandwich to my mouth when I felt eyes staring at me. I put down my food and stared at Sakura quizzically.

"Something on my face?" I watched her face become flushed as she shook her hands.

"N-no! Sorry! It's just-" She said as she as cast her eyes to the side and didn't make eye contect with me.

"It's just, what?" I asked with a arched brow and my chin resting on my hand. She sighed and placed a hand under her chin was well.

"It's just, I always wondered what was under that mask of yours. You never take it off during class, even when you become a sweaty mess. I just thought you might be hiding something like a harelip or beaver teeth or something."

I raised a brow. "Is this how you treat all clients?" Her face became beet-red once again as she broke out into yet another denial. I chuckled. Though it was probably rude of me to laugh, it was highly amusing and cute. Ignoring the other patrons, I reached out my hands to restrain hers and she looked up, her face redder than before. "Sakura-san, it's okay. It was a joke." Honestly, where was her sense of humor?

She smoothed her hair back, professionality radiating off her in waves. "I still apologize for my behavior."

I waved it off. "Don't worry, Ino used to do the same thing. She even tried to rip it off once while I was sleeping." Sakura burst into laughter in front of me.

"Oh-gasp-Kami! She really tried to do that?"

I chuckled. "It's true."

"Did it work?"

"No. Sort of hard for me to be asleep seeing how she made so much noise. I just pretended to. You know, to humor her and everything." She smiled, her eyes mischievous and eager.

"So what happened next?"

"She reached for my mask and as soon as she tried to pull it down, I woke up and grabbed her hand. Losing an afternoon nap was worth it to see her face like that. You should've seen it. Priceless." I laughed.

Sakura threw her head back. "Oh man, I can actually see that happening!" She brought her head forward and held a hand to her chest, gasping for breath. I handed her my tea and she drank, nodding gratefully. "Thank you. Wow, I haven't laughed like that in a while."

"Really? You should do it more often."

"Why?"

"Because it sounds heavenly"

"Because it adds years to your life."

"Oh really now?" her tone voicing her skepticism.

"I'm serious. See I-" Lunch went on like that, exchanging stories and witty remarks. I learned a lot that day. Her favorite color, her favorite food, how she became friends with Ino, and a bunch of other stuff to be saved away in my brain when I remembered something.

"Sakura-san, why-"

"Just call me Sakura, Kakashi. We're out of the studio at the moment and formalities between close friends makes things awkward." I felt my heart leap at that moment. I had been elevated from student/stranger to close friend in an hour. Life was good.

"You never told me why you were here."

"Oh? I'm sorry. Well, a friend of mine called in sick and asked if I could cover for her."

"Aa."

"Now you answer my question. Why are you here?"

"Oh, I usually eat at work, but when I opened the fridge today, it was bare. I remember my secretaries talking about it once and decided to give it a try."

"Oh, who are they? Besides Ino, I mean. Anyone I know?"

"Well, they're-"

"Hinata? Tenten?"

I blinked. " Yea, How'd you know?" I gave her a rather surpised look, was she a mind reader also?

She shook her head. "No, I mean they're coming in right now!"

I turned my head and sure enough, Tenten and Hinata were in the doorway looking for a seat. I was about to tell them to come over, but someone beat me to it.

"Tenten! Hinata! Over here!" I watched them turn their heads and smile before taking a seat with us.

"Sakura-chan! What are you doing talking to our boss?" She blinked. "You work for him too?"

Hinata nodded. "Ino-chan too, but I guess you figured that out. She always calls you when she has huge news." she smiled. I watched them converse with one another. Obviously, they hadn't seen each other in a while, when I remembered something.

"Where's Ino?"

Tenten shrugged. "Something about her having something really important to do. She was acting really weird."

"And quiet. Ino-chan never refuses to come out with us."

I rolled my glass, smiling to myself. "Seems like I scared the poor girl. Oh well, nothing a little therapy can't help." I looked up and saw Hinata look up from the corner of my eye.

"Sakura-chan, how do you know Kakashi-san?"

"Oh, I give him dance lessons."

"What?! You're the pink-haired dance teacher?!" They screamed.

Sakura shrugged. "I guess. After all, how many pink-haired dance teachers are there in Konoha?"

I smirked to myself. Those were the same exact thoughts I had not too long ago.

"So how have things been for you guys?" Sakura asked.

"Okay." Hinata smiled.

"What about you, Tenten?" she asked as she turned her attention the older bruntte next to her.

"You know, here and there. Neji still acts like he has that stick jammed up his ass, but I love him anyway."

I blinked. "Who's Neji?"

"Oh, my boyfriend and Hinata's cousin. She introduced him to me one day and things just went on from there. So Sakura, what about your love life?"-What is with women and gossiping about love lives?- "Any new boyfriends?" she asked as she gave Sakura a wink and a smirk.

"Tenten!" Hinata hissed. Tenten looked to her friend.

"What? I just asked about-" Tenten felt the shift in the mood and looked to Sakura who sat in the booth, looking solemn. "Oh shit, sorry Sakura. Forget I asked. I'm such an idiot."

Sakura looked up, a false smile decorating her features, something that wrenched my heart. "It's okay, Tenten. I know you didn't mean anything by it and-" A tear fell on the table. "Oh! Aw man, I'm crying? Silly me. Why am I doing this?" She said looking up as she wiped a tear from her cheek. She must have seen the worried look on my face because her next words were, "I...have to go." As I watched her slid from the booth and run out the door, I saw a tear slide down her cheek before she turned the corner and disappeared from sight.


Tenten turned her head from the window and stared down at the table in front of her. "Augh! Hinata, what did I do? I'm such an ass! How could I forget about that ?"

Hinata patted her friends' shoulder reassuringly. " It's okay, Tenten. You just weren't thinking."

She fisted her hands in her hair. "But I'm her friend. I'm supposed to remember these things. Watch what I say and not make her cry!"

"Tenten, I-" They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice the dip in the leather seating and the ring of the bell above the door. Their boss had left.


A/N: the next chatper may take some time, I'm not to sure yet, but keep those reviews coming, and I'll do the best that I can! once again I would want to say a BIG THANKS to Moodiful819 for helping me out with this story!!