Thank you to lyndyloowho, Krazykat16, Guest, generaltay, Gabi, Yoohyuk, and Feather-Crowned Queen for your reviews!

I know until this point there's been very little plot outside of the Sakura x Kakashi relationship, but we're about to see a lot more about Sakura's past as the next little arc starts.

Enjoy~

Chapter 10

"Hey girl," Ino said, smiling. "I met the pizza guy downstairs and covered it." She stepped inside the apartment, revealing a man behind her. "This is Shikamaru. We decided to move the party here. Wow, it really is a party."

Sakura followed Ino's line-of-sight to Kakashi, who gave an awkward wave. This was really going to be awkward. Ino brought her date, which basically made this a double-date. Ino still didn't know Kakashi was their boss. The boss that Sakura just made-out and freaked-out with.

"I'll get a bottle of wine. Shikamaru, hold the pizza," Ino said. She threw the pizza into Shikamaru's hands and got into the fridge for wine. Sakura already had a wine glass for herself, so she handed one to Kakashi and held Ino and Shikamaru's.

The four went into the living room and spread out. Ino and Shikamaru took up the entire couch, so Sakura and Kakashi sat around the coffee table. Ino already had all the glasses full and was working on finishing hers.

"Oh, right," Ino said suddenly. "This is Shikamaru. Shika, you met Sakura at the bar. And this is…"

"Ino, can I talk to you?" Sakura said the same time Kakashi said, "Kakashi."

Ino's eyes widened just as Sakura grabbed her arm to drag her away. She was in her bedroom in seconds, throwing Ino in and shutting the door.

"Kakashi as in Kakashi Hatake?" Ino threaded her fingers into her hair and started pacing in circles. "He's our boss. He's our boss."

"I found out last week," Sakura said, "the day I filled-in for Gai. I didn't know how to tell you."

Ino's thoughts were spinning. She didn't process anything Sakura said. "Why were you alone with him? He's your boss, Sakura! How old is he anyway? Thirty? Thirty-five?"

"Nothing-" Sakura stopped herself. She was going to saying "nothing happened" but that was a lie. Something did happen. Something big.

Ino saw Sakura's face drop. "Something happened," she said.

Tears started gathering in Sakura's eyes. She didn't realize until that moment how happy she was that Ino had come over. She needed to talk to her best friend, about what happened and what didn't.

"He kissed me," Sakura said. "Or maybe I kissed him, I don't know. It was great and then it wasn't and I freaked out." She was talking faster and faster. She and Ino both sat on her bed. "I started panicking, worrying about what would happen. Then he touched-" she brought her hand to the back of her neck, over her crescent moon scars- "and I don't know what happened."

Ino nodded. She took a moment to think before asking, "Does he know?"

Sakura shook her head. "I jumped away so fast, and I didn't say anything. I think he thought I was scared about kissing him. He must have thought I didn't have much experience and that's why I was scared." She didn't have any experience, which Ino knew. She had never even held hands with a boy before, let alone an older man like Kakashi. Of course she was nervous to some degree. But that wasn't the whole story.

"You need to be careful." Ino grabbed Sakura's hands. "If he is something you want, you'll have to work hard to keep him. Take things slow, OK? Maybe don't tell him right away."

The girls hugged, staying like that until Sakura's eyes dried completely. If the boys thought they were gone an awkwardly long time, neither said anything. They had been talking about a recent sports game when they got back, and the conversation easily switched to the recent episode of a popular TV show. Sakura didn't watch TV, so she just nodded along politely.

Sakura spent a lot of time watching Kakashi. He seemed at-ease, even if he was a lot older than they were. The way his eyes would light-up when he talked about something he enjoyed, how his eye crinkled when he smiled, and how his shoulders shook when he laughed. He was a man, no matter his age, and she was a woman. They could enjoy each other's company and laugh with friends. Did it have to be complicated?

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts when Kakashi leaned towards her ear. His one leg was bent in front of him so the way he leaned over Sakura couldn't see Ino or Shikamaru around his knee. "Is everything OK?" he asked.

She dared a look at his eyes, which was a mistake. He had the same concerned look as earlier when she jumped off his lap in total panic. He clearly cared for her. It was apparent in how he looked at her, like he wanted to fix all her broken pieces.

But could he? Could he piece her back together, make her whole? It probably wasn't possible, she thought, because she was never whole to begin with. She'd always been broken, so how would he know how to fit her back together? It'd be like being handed a thousand ceramic pieces and a bottle of glue. Was it a vase, a bowl, or something else? Maybe it was just leftover from other projects, not meant to stand on its own.

She never answered him. He leaned back away from her, but put his arm loosely around her back, his hand falling on the floor beside her leg. He easily fell back into conversation with Shikamaru, and Ino met Sakura's eyes.

Sakura's eyes had told enough stories for one day, so she looked away.

X

Kakashi didn't come to the coffee shop to see Sakura during her shift the next day, so she was surprised when he came to her apartment with Asian takeout and a rented movie. They ate while they watched the movie, then he left. He didn't sit too close and didn't try to touch her.

The same happened two days later. And the the day after that. Then the next day. Within one week, Kakashi came to see Sakura four times with a different type of food and movie each time. They spent more and more time talking, and soon Sakura felt like they were friends.

They still had many secrets between them. Sakura didn't know what he looked like under his scarves and shirts or why he covered his face at all, and he didn't know she was scared of him, deep down.

It was Friday night again. Ino invited Sakura out with her and Shikamaru, and she brought Sai along, too. The four went to a skating rink rather than the typical bar scene. Sakura was glad for the change. She was sick of liquor at bars or wine at home.

Sakura was having a great time. Ino and Shikamaru were off on their own, leaving her and Sai. Sai had never used roller skates before, so he was a fumbling mess. He clung to her as they went around the rink, often almost knocking them over. It was the most carefree she had felt since her kiss with Kakashi and the panic that followed.

"I didn't realize Kakashi had a girlfriend," Sai said quite abruptly. Sakura was so startled she tripped over her feet, sending both her and Sai to the ground.

"I think my ankle twisted," she said. She started crawling over to the edge where she could sit without being run-over. There she could rub and bend her ankle until it felt better.

Once they were sitting with their backs against the wall, Sai spoke again. "Did you know he had a girlfriend?"

"He doesn't." She cursed herself for speaking too quickly. Sai was still on her case about her and Kakashi liking each other, and she was only feeding into it.

Instead of answering, Sai pointed. Sakura followed his finger and saw Kakashi sitting with a woman. They were passing a milkshake back and forth and laughing. A lot. The woman's beautiful brown hair fell in front of her face as she leaned forward to hit Kakashi on the arm playfully, then it flew back with her head when she let out a loud laugh. Sakura could see how big and bright her eyes were, as well as the purple highlighter she used generously on her cheeks.

"You're surprised," Sai said. "Did he not mention her before?"

"Can you take me home?" Sakura asked. Shikamaru brought Ino and Sakura, and Sai drove himself. He could drive her without Ino and Shikamaru being stranded.

Sai wanted to say "I told you that you liked him," but he knew that would have been rude. His friend was clearly hurting, and he wanted to be supportive. Sakura was one of his best friends. He would not let her down.

Sakura declined his offer to stay with her when they reached her apartment building, and he told her he'd come over in the morning to check on her. He gave her one of his rare hugs before driving away. She watched his car completely disappear before she made her way up to her apartment.

As she approached her door, she saw a woman sitting in front of it. Her knees were pulled to her chest, her shoulders shaking with silent tears. She heard Sakura approach and looked up.

Sakura gasped, "Mom?"

Sakura definitely has a past, which Ino knows about. When will Kakashi (and you) get to know? Let me know in a review if you want to know before Kakashi (and be one step ahead of him) or if you want to be surprised as he is!