Chapter Ten

Shikamaru didn't stop looking at me the entire time I was speaking, even though my eyes were mostly trained on my fingers as they twiddled with the coffee cup sleeve. I didn't mention the exact circumstances that brought us together, but I mentioned that Tsunade was often busy and could not bring me to or from school every uday. He asked a couple of the questions you would expect from a close friend who's concerned about you: "Isn't he a little old?" Not really. "Is everything consensual?" Of course. "Are you happy?" Most definitely. And my personal favorite: "What a drag…am I gonna have to kick his ass if he hurts you?" Don't worry, that's not going to happen. It's just casual. …Right?

Then, when we had finished our coffees and were almost ready to go, Shikamaru laid a gentle hand on my arm and asked, "So what really happened to your arm?"

My gaze, which had just glanced up to him, moved downwards to the floor. I didn't really want to tell him about Tsunade. Only four people in this whole world knew. Maybe he'll understand if I just say we can talk about it another time.

"That's a story," I began, "for when we have more coffee and more time. Right now I need to be getting home. Plus, I'm all talked out." I kind of smiled at him then, but I knew he could see hurt in my eyes and was glad when he just stood up and grabbed the coat off the back of my chair, holding it so I could slip it on before exiting into the cool October air.

We left Starbucks and drove back to my house in a comfortable silence. After he dropped me off, I ran upstairs to my room, hoping Tsunade wouldn't be there. Turns out she wasn't.

She never did come back that night. Thank god.

(Kakashi POV)

Sakura never called me last night. I hope she's okay.

I'm currently on my way to pick her up, but the roads are terrible. It's incredibly windy and it's pouring down rain, so I can barely see ten feet in front of me, but I make it to her house without crashing into a tree or a flying cow…

She's sitting outside on the front stoop waiting for me when I pull up. What the hell?

As she approached my car, I could see the Cheshire grin on her face. She hopped in, just a little damp because she had been under the roof of her porch and I had parked pretty close to her, and she leaned over to give me a kiss on the cheek. I guess I should've been expecting something like that because of the morning before, but for some reason I hadn't expected her to be so straight-forward.

"Hmmm…uhh…" I started, still blushing a little underneath my mask. "Why were you just sitting outside? Did your mom kick you out? …And why are you so happy?" I added as an after-thought.

"No my mom didn't kick me out." She was still all-smiles. "I just love rainstorms. They show you that you aren't the only one who has bad days. Sometimes Mother Nature has bad days, too. Plus, they calm me down."

"…That makes no sense to me at all. But okay. Whatever you say." I grinned over at her to show her I wasn't criticizing her views on rainstorms.

She must've seen my eye crinkle because she sent a tinkling laugh my way before saying, "Oh, Kakashi. You'll realize it one day. You can't take life for granted. Just let the rain flow over you and don't let it upset you."

"Yeah, you say that now, but wait until you have drive in this shit," I grumbled as I tried not to hit anyone else currently crossing the bridge.

She just laughed at me again.

"I would stop laughing at my driving if I were you, or you're gonna get it."

"And what exactly does it entail?" She inquired.

"You'll just have to wait and find out, won't you?"

"How long am I going to have to wait, Kakashi?" She lightly placed her hand on my thigh, then. I could barely keep my eyes on the road now, for she was slowly moving so that she was almost sitting on the center console, her hand moving even more slowly up my thigh.

"Sakura," I warned her. "I will turn this car around, missy." I said it in kind of a joking manner, seeing as we both knew I couldn't do that because we had school.

"Ooohhh yes! Please do!"

She was now almost in my lap and her hand that wasn't on my thigh was tapping her fingers up my arm like it was a piano. Her mouth was at my ear, then kissing down my jaw.

"Damn it, Sakura." You win this round, I finished in my head as I made a sharp U-turn and began speeding back to my house.

We were going to be in so much trouble if we ever got caught.

While in the car on the way back to my house, I called the school to tell them I was sick and couldn't come in today. Twenty minutes later, to throw off suspicion, Sakura called in as Tsunade. I wasn't quite sure if she pulled it off, but she reassured me by saying that Shizune had never heard Tsunade's voice before, so she didn't have anyone else's to compare it to.

When we got back to my house, Sakura jumped out of the car and ran around to my side, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the door of the house. She found the keys in my pocket and unlocked the door behind her before pulling the mask off my face and bringing my lips down to meet hers.

Hoping she didn't think this was going to go too far, I lead her to the couch, not my bedroom, and laid her down on it, never breaking the kiss as I fell on top of her and supported myself above her.

I began trailing kisses down her jaw and neck, sucking at the same spot I had two nights ago, making the fading hickey more prominent. I proceeded farther down to her collarbone and slid my hands up her shirt, but not taking it off yet. I had been hasty the other day, (and so incredibly horny) but I didn't want our whole relationship to be based on physical contact.

Sakura was making incredibly alluring noises as my hands tickled across her stomach and sides towards her bra. She giggled when I brushed my fingers right below her belly button, but then moaned when I bit down on the soft skin at the base of her neck.

But then I stopped and just rested my forehead against her shoulder. She must've been confused, but she waited for me to say something, massaging my scalp with her nimble fingers as she did so.

I finally looked up at her and sighed. "What are we doing, Sakura?"

She gave me a questioning look. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"I mean are you only with me because you think it'll get you an A? Or because you've never been with an older guy? Or do you just want sex? Or do you actually think this will work? Do you care enough to try to make this work?"

"Kakashi…" She placed her hand against my cheek and looked deep into my eyes. "Of course I want this to work. No, I admit I've never been with an older guy, and yes, it is exhilarating, but I don't expect an A in your class unless I earn it, nor do I want sex, at least not yet, and of course I care about you! How could you ask me that? You're one of the few people I've ever told about Tsunade."

She looked like she was about to cry with that last sentence, so I rolled onto my side, wrapped my arms around her middle, and pulled her towards me. "In just the short time that I've known you, Sakura, you've come to mean so much to me. I'm honored that you told me about Tsunade, and I'm glad you want to wait for sex. It's very respectable."

She smiled at me, eyes glazed over, and kissed me on my cheek, snuggling into my chest.

"So what do you want to do on our day off?" I asked with a sideways little grin.

She turned a little to look me in the eye. "Let's play a game!"

Okay, I admit, I had to laugh out loud at that one.

She pouted a little, but managed to tell me (in between my chuckles) that she wanted to play a truth game so we could learn more about each other. I agreed.

And here's how it went:

Sakura: Okay, what's your favorite color?

Me: Blue. What's your favorite animal?

Her: Penguins! Who's your favorite author?

Me: Master Jiraya. What was your favorite part about being in California?

Her: Master Who? Whatever…um being with my friends. Where did you grow up?

Me: Northern Canada. What was your favorite thing to do in California?

Her: Easy! Sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro to go shopping on Rodeo Drive and then sneaking into a different hotel each night to go skinny dipping in their outdoor pool.

Me: Wow…umm…that was detailed. Sounds like fun.

Her: Oh it was! So anyway, um... why did you leave Canada?

Me: My father and I had a falling out. Have you talked to your friends at all since you left California?

Her: No…I imagine their father probably has them on lockdown. He does that a lot. Have you tried to fix your problems with your dad?

Me: I can't…he's not living anymore.

Her: I'm so sorry Kakashi!

Me: It's okay. You didn't know. He and I never had a very good relationship anyway and it didn't really affect me when I got word of his death.

By this point, Sakura and I had relocated from the living room to the kitchen, where I was currently making us lunch: grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. She came up behind me and put her arms around my waist, whispering into my back, "What would you have said to him if you'd had the chance?"

This question stumped me. I honestly had no idea. The man had abandoned me when I was a child and then proceeded to become a murderer, then turn up again and ask for my help financially. And after I had declined his request, he had come at me with a knife, the bastard. There really wasn't much I wanted to say to him, and I told Sakura all of that. Then I added as an afterthought, "But you just skipped my turn for a question. So I get to ask two in a row now." I grinned at her. She pouted a little, but then laughed and agreed, glad to be back on a happier subject.

So I asked, "If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be? And what do you want to be when you get older?"

She told me she wanted to live in England and be an Equine Veterinarian, but she didn't explain to me how those two went hand-in-hand, she just seemed to believe they did, and I didn't question her on it.

"Okay, my turn!" She exclaimed as she finished her grilled cheese, getting ready to drink the rest of her soup. "What do you find attractive in a woman? Not specifically me, just women in general."

"Hmmm, let's see…beautiful eyes…a great personality…rockin' body." I winked at her then. "She's gotta be nice and funny, have a killer smile, and an exotic, yet phenomenal hair color." With that, I gently grabbed a piece of her hair and began winding it around my finger, grinning at her.

She laughed and batted my hand away, exclaiming, "I said not specifically me!"

"Did I name characteristics of you!" I gasped, pretending to be flabbergasted.

She rolled her eyes, still smiling, and shoved my arm in the same playful way she always did.

We spent the rest of the day talking. Most of the questions were about nothing; just more of our favorite things and what our old lives used to be like. Poor Sakura has a dark past; but then again, so do I. I guess we were made for each other.