AN Thanks everyone for the reviews and what not. Makes a girl feel proud of herself. This took forever to type! I'm surprised I even typed it up, I've been so lazy! I usually do all my writing on my kindle, then rewrite and edit on my mac, but it just seemed so troublesome. Anyways! I did it yay! I hope you enjoy! Let me know your thoughts!

fun. / Some Nights

Pedestrian Life: Chapter Ten

Sakura grunted as her fist came in contact with the punching bag, bruising her sore knuckles. She pulled back to shake her wrists a bit, the tape once wrapped snugly around her hands and wrists was beginning to come loose. Her beryl eyes flickered around the dark, empty gym. Sakura had promised her friend, Lee, she would close the gym for him so he could make it to his date on time. Although she had spent many hours here since her teens, Sakura had yet to experience the gym after hours, alone. Without the diligently working olympiads to fill the space, a sense of emptiness hung heavily in the air. Her eyes swept around, noticing for the first time the way the moon casted long, eerie shadows across the floors and walls. Sakura shook off the uncomfortable feeling brewing in her chest and continued to beat the bag, letting the echoes of her frustrated huffs and punching fill the quiet space.

Sakura had been there for two days, training with the other patrons, practicing her kick-boxing and kung fu nonstop to keep her mind occupied and her anger at bay, only pausing to hydrate. The pinkette slumped forward, balancing herself on her knees, trying to force down the bile rising in her throat from overexertion. She couldn't recall a time she had trained so hard out of pure spite. Sakura wasn't even that good at kung fu and had managed to win in five sparring matches with sheer willpower.

Of course, she had been running on pure fury rather than determination. After she had the pleasure of seeing exactly what Kakashi's profession could entail, Sakura stormed out of the bar, leaving her friends behind. She swore to herself that she wouldn't cry, and that she definitely wouldn't give into the strong urge to forgive and understand Kakashi's actions, so therefore she decided to cut off her cellphone and spent a few days with Rock Lee. His youthful demeanor and perfected fighting skills were exactly what the bubblegum-haired girl needed.

Sakura was smart enough to realize when something wasn't worth it, but even as those thoughts crept into her mind she found herself trembling in protest. The starry-haired man had left her absolutely moonstruck since the day he got into her car, and she the longer she thought about him, Sakura began to realize so many things about his personality that she adored. Sure, she was a nurturer(or as her mother had once said 'controlling'), so she felt an unbridled need to be there for him, but as she stared down at her bloody knuckles and bruised body, Sakura knew that it was more than just a deep connection. She didn't beat the shit out of gym equipment for nothing.

And although her mind tried to focus on the negative, Sakura subconsciously kept adding things onto the pros side. She loved that Kakashi could finish a difficult crossword puzzle in ten minutes without having to ask for any answers, that he ate his dessert first in the event he should die before the dinner is finished, or that his emotional wall came in the form of incredibly romantic, sensual literature.

But those were all things she discovered under different circumstances, before they had sex, his second attempt at suicide, and him getting put back on the field. Who is to say he would even behave as this same person around her now? And Sakura wasn't so sure she was strong enough to lift his heavy heart as well as shoulder the burden of knowing that all those looks, touches, and sweet words he gave to her may very well be shared with others.

Sakura sighed deeply as she remembered the despaired look he'd shot her from across the bar. Even though he was focused on entirely different matters, Kakashi still managed to look at her as if she were the only person in the room, and it had given her chills. But she had also watched as his demeanor instantly shifted, replacing him with the playboy depicted in every tabloid.

"Stop trying to rationalize this, Sakura." She quietly scolded herself then unhooked the punching bag. She winced slightly as she slung the heavy bag onto her sore shoulder, the listened as the tinkling of bells resounded through the dark room, indicating someone had just come inside.

"Sorry, we're closed." Sakura tossed over her shoulders, not bothering to look back as she placed the punching bag back into storage. But she paused when she realized she hadn't heard the bell ring again. Sakura held her breath, listening closely as the silence was replaced with the rustling sounds of someone shrugging out of their jacket and shoes. 'Surely if this guy were trouble he wouldn't take the time to abide by the gym's rules..' she reasoned that maybe he hadn't heard her, but that didn't change the fact that Sakura was positive she'd locked the door earlier.

The roseate swallowed her anxieties as she exited the equipment room, her fists clenched at her sides. "Excuse me, sir. I said we are closed. I'm going to have to ask you to leave or I will call..."

"The cops?" Sakura froze as a pair of smiling, mismatched eyes came in contact with her own, the familiar low baritones making her heart flip.

Sakura cutely cocked her head to the side as she examined the man before her as if they were seeing each other for the first time, although given his current appearance it certainly felt that way. That or she had been in a time machine, taking her back a couple of months. It seemed so strange to see Kakashi in a black shirt that hugged his muscular frame, an attached mask clinging to his face, sporting incredibly unruly hair, with his hands stuffed lazily into the pockets of his worn jeans. He was exhibiting an air of nonchalance that infuriated her, and he merely stared down at her, bored, as if she was the one to instigate this meeting.

Kakashi's eyes languidly roamed down her body, blatantly taking in her appearance. Sakura glanced down at her spanks and sports bra. Having shed her other clothes after closing up, she was wearing next to nothing, revealing how bruised her fair skin was. She blushed furiously and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to shrink into herself.

"What the fuck are you doing here, how did you find me, and how did you get inside?" She demanded.

His shoulders slouched slightly as he let out a brief sigh. "You've got to give me some credit, Sakura."

Her mouth pulled into a deep frown. "That still doesn't explain why you are here, as yourself no less." Her tone was accusatory and a tad venomous. Kakashi flinched at the fired burning in her jade orbs. The moonlight spilling onto Sakura's creamy, bruised skin sharpened her features, making her appear fiercely intimidating, if not deadly.

The metallic-haired man took a small step backwards, letting the sweltering, tense air between them disperse before he continued to explain himself. "I'm sorry.." He whispered as his hand scratch the back of his head. "I know how you must be feeling and if I wasn't the best candidate for this job, I would be doing everything in my power to make sure you didn't feel this way. Ever."

"Why does it have to be you? Especially when we both know this can't be making you happy.."

"Because I'm the best, Sakura. And that is a serious responsibility. I'm the only person that is both capable and otherwise unrecognizable. I cannot bear the thought of fresh-faced rookie taking this assignment and getting killed because I was too selfish to do what is expected of me."

"And you just accept it, like that? Because god knows I'm having difficulty accepting this." She took a defiant step forward.

His eyes softened at the sight of her pretty, oval-shaped face looking up at him. "I have been doing this for such a long time. It's just.. I don't usually have to think about anyone other than my team. I've been content with that for awhile."

"Then why try to kill yourself if you're so goddamn content?" Though her eyes were narrowed, her voice had lost its hard edge.

Kakashi was hesitant to answer, Sakura was overstepping his boundaries in a most brazen manner, but he understood. "The first time.. I was just so tired of everything. The second, I thought that if I didn't I would just ruin your life, Sakura. I'm toxic in personal relationships.."

"Then why lead me on? Why let me in?" She demanded, her voice was shrill. Kakashi turned away, unable to look her in the eyes.

"I don't know, Sakura.. You are just so bright and so put together." He paused, taking a breath. "And just so incredibly beautiful."

Sakura stood, rigid with shock. Why did he have to say that? This was all too much to absorb. He was making it difficult for her to hate him. Sakura's chest tightened over her fluttering heart. How dare he say those things and make her feel this way? It just wasn't fair.

"Fight me." She said, hoping she could find some solid reason to disdain him. Kakashi whipped around, the visible part of his face horrified.

"Why?" But before the silver-haired man could inquire further, he found himself swiftly avoiding and blocking her decisive attacks.

Kakashi was surprised to say the least. The azalea-haired girl was obviously emotionally and physically on the brink of collapse, but her punches and kicks were held such ferocious strength. Sakura knew exactly how to throw her body, and the way her lithe frame maneuvered with such fluid, yet solid movements had him enraptured. Having lost a moment of focus, Kakashi just barely caught her ankle milliseconds before her foot collided with his jaw and he hastily twisted her leg, causing her body the spin in the air for a moment before hitting the floor with a painful thump. Her head snapped up towards him to meet his gaze.

"Why aren't you fighting me back? Do you think I'm weak? Can you not respect me enough for this?" She spat while dragging herself to her feet. Kakashi's jaw clenched and his fist balled at his sides, but he managed to hold his tired, uncaring expression. He had had enough of this. Kakashi moved faster than Sakura thought possible as he charged towards her. Caught off guard, Sakura ducked, just narrowly missing his punch. However, that was exactly what he wanted her to do. Using her shoulders as leeway, he flipped over her, landing gracefully behind her back. Then he spun his crouched body, effectively landing a powerful kick into her legs, knocking her off her feet. After waiting a few moments, he crawled over to her fallen frame and brushed hair from her glistening brow.

"I guess I need to choose my battles more wisely ne?" She laughed, embarrassed with herself for her faulty reasoning.

"I do recall us discussing this. However if the fight had been fair, I'm sure I wouldn't have made it out unscathed." She blushed at the smile in his voice, but rolled her eyes in disbelief. "I know you're angry with me. You have every right to be." He said quietly.

She pushed herself up, shaking her head guiltily. "No I don't. I'm not being fair." Kakashi hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her gaze towards him.

"Sakura, my tendency to self-sabotage is unrivaled. Don't let me bring you down any further than I already have. It's only been a short while, imagine what it would be like if you kept me around longer." A dry laugh escaped his lips, but in lacked sincerity and humor.

"What if the circumstances were different?" She murmured tiredly, her worn body slumping against his side. She took a deep breath, Kakashi always smelled so good. So clean and earthy, with a hint of whiskey.

He shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm sure the constant knowledge that you're too good for me would push you away somehow."

Sakura smiled sadly and looked into his mismatched eyes. Sakura could see from the way he was peering down at her that he practically worshipped her. So much admiration shining in those incongruous depths. Her mind flipped back to their brief sexual encounters and how insatiable he'd seemed, how desperate he was to touch her. The memory excited her, rekindling a small fire within her, but the thought of Kakashi caressing and kissing someone else with the same beguiled ministrations made her stomach lurch uncomfortably.

"Can I ask what happened to you?" Kakashi asked, distracting her from her musings. He motioned to the bruises marring her smooth, supple skin and Sakura chewed on her thumb for a moment, embarrassed.

"I was really upset and sort of fought my way through it.."

Kakashi laughed, a light, warm sound that shook his shoulders. "That is both terrifying and incredibly sexy." The moment the words escaped, Kakashi snapped his mouth shut to prevent anymore praise from slipping past his barriers.

They sat in the shadowy, quiet gym for a few moments, both lost in thought while Sakura absently peeled the taped from her hands. She spared a glance in Kakashi's direction and his breath caught for a moment in his throat. Sakura's eyes were saturated with unshed tears, causing them to shine as brilliantly and multifaceted as real jade.

"Did you sleep with them? Koi Robin and that guy?" She asked meekly.

Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek and nodded slowly, feeling her wince beside him. "I'm sorry.."

"Did you enjoy it?" Unable to conceal the fear of inadequacy that was lacing her words.

"Sakura, I have had to make many sacrifices in my line of work, and sometimes sex is the the most efficient way to obtain what is required of me." He said slowly, but realizing he didn't answer her question, he quickly continued before his words could sink in. "Those experiences are meaningless to me."

He watched closely as she processed his words. Kakashi hoped she wouldn't catch that he had again evaded her question, so he held his tongue for fear of digging himself in deeper. As they sat quietly, Kakashi began to reason that the wiser decision may be to bend the truth a little and drive her far away from him. Needing to sleep with someone to obtain information wasn't as common as one might think. However that wasn't to say he hadn't had plenty of meaningless sex, most of which he enjoyed in some way. But telling her that would be like twisting the knife at this point. And although he knew it was better to push her away, he would much rather prefer to make sure no one else, himself included, made her feel this way again.

"Do you really want me to give up on these feelings for you, Kakashi? I don't offer many chances and I don't mean to sound conceited, but shutting me out completely would undoubtedly be one of the stupidest decisions you could make." She was right. However Kakashi wasn't given the opportunity to respond, for she passed out almost before the words left her mouth. And ever paranoid, Kakashi called Sai to come pick her up and take her home.

...

Kakashi's every waking moment had been spent thinking about Haruno Sakura. It was both incredibly annoying and liberating. There was something so bewitching about her temperament, so mercurial. Even when his fatigue would force him to bed, the moment Kakashi closed his eyes, all he could see was Sakura, her pink hair matted with sweat, her flushed skin dotted with bruises, and the way her workout apparel clung flagrantly to her small, slender frame. The number of showers Kakashi usually needed to take had been doubled as a result; mainly because he couldn't stop dwelling on what would've happened had she not passed out.

Of course he was foolish to track her down, let alone confront her. Kakashi had gone very far out of his way to shed his facade and visit the coral-haired girl without detection. However, those were risks he was willing to take. So long as Sakura was still safe, Kakashi figured he could go through the incredibly troublesome process of ditching the press, if only it were for a short while. But it had been worth it. Sakura seemed bent on giving him a chance, and Kakashi knew there would be no other woman half as understanding as Sakura was being to him. It would be incredibly crack-headed to turn down that opportunity. However, Kakashi couldn't help but feel that this was all a curse in disguise.

"Gaikotsu-sama. The car is here to take you to the show."

"Thank you, Temari. Go wait for me in the car, I'll be right down."

"Hai."

Kakashi finished his bourbon and walked up to the mirror to straighten his tie. Although he hated wearing full suits almost as much as he hated attending social functions, he knew that he would see Sakura tonight, albeit from afar, but he was sure to snag some small talk, and if he was lucky more than that. But he was rarely lucky.

The trip to the museum was quiet. Temari typed furiously on her blackberry, filling the cold limousine with a constant stream of rhythmic tapping. Kakashi had been absolutely livid with Temari when he came to the office after the night at Indo China. The ash blonde assistant quickly discovered that getting on Kakashi's good side consisted of a lot less talking partnered with many many boxes of authentic mochi. So far she had done a good job with both.

However Kakashi took it a step farther and made the girl do all of his paperwork rather than a portion. So as a sneaky form of payback, Temari informed the department of Kakashi's mild obsession with a certain pink-haired doctor and how he had gone so far as to break protocol to visit her on the sly. This was very annoying for the undercover cop, because that meant Sakura had been marked as a liability. No longer was he able to use his resources to track her whereabouts, and there was a good chance they upped his surveillance, which made leaving his office or hotel for any reason other than business nearly impossible. If they wanted, the departments heads could prevent Kakashi from so much as glancing in Sakura's direction. It wasn't unheard of. Asuma certainly had his fair share of it.

The only loophole would be to marry the girl, which is exactly how Asuma fixed that problem. Marriage would provide her with priority protection, but Kakashi wasn't so keen on the idea of marriage. He had slept with too many married women to respect the institution.

"Gaikotsu-sama, we're here." Temari's voice broke Kakashi's thoughts and he nodded and slid out of the car. Cameras flashed in every direction, momentarily stunning the silver-haired CEO, but he made a lightning fast recovery and greeted the bright lights with an amiable smile as Temari trailed behind. Bypassing the reporters, Kakashi headed inside and straight for the museum's cafe turned open bar(as per his request). After he ordered a glass of bourbon, Kakashi inwardly sighed when her saw Koi Robin strutting her impossibly long legs towards him.

"Why hello Miss Koi Robin."

"You didn't call me last night."

"Well, you know. Busy guy. Don't know if you've heard, but I am in charge of a multi-billion dollar company and I happened to have sponsored this shindig." He swept his drink across the room to prove his point, wearing a somber, but complacent smile.

Koi Robin rolled her icy silver eyes. "How could I forget? Oh, theres Itachi. Later sexy." She gave him a promising wink and Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle as he watched her flirt shamelessly with the crimson-eyed business man.

"Gaikotsu-sama." Kakashi glanced down to see a familiar redhead staring up at him with big, oceanic eyes. "I just want to say thanks again for this."

"There is no need to thank me. I'm very opportunistic." Lie"Plus I love any excuse to drink." Truth

Gaara chuckled humorlessly. "Of course. Well check out that display over there." He pointed to left, where a few blown up, black and white photographs were. "They're some of my favourites. But I must go find my sister." Then the boy was gone. Kakashi leisurely made his way to the spot Gaara had recommended he see, taking in the surrounding art half-heartedly. In truth, Kakashi wasn't all that into art, but no one needed to know that.

Had he been a more careless man, Kakashi would have dropped his glass in surprise as he took a step back to absorb the photographs Gaara had directed him to. They were of Sakura. And they were breathtaking and tantalizing and positively gleeful. The silver-haired man couldn't help but gape at how every scene seemed to capture Sakura's sensuality, but still remain pure and almost sweet. In all of them, Sakura was in various states of undress, revealing small, flawless breasts and cream, tone legs; her then very long hair was mussed and cute, never fixed. But what caught Kakashi's eyes was her perfect mouth, she was wearing an enchanting, mirthful smile that had Kakashi's chest tightening almost painfully.

Kakashi felt his heart swell with feelings he had long forgotten existed. They weren't those of jealousy necessarily, although jealousy was definitely a byproduct. The girl in these pictures was so happy, unmarred, and he was positive he could never make her feel that way. His mouth twitched into a defeated smile. It was difficult to tell if he was really falling for this young woman or if he was merely suffering from the forbidden fruit mentality.

The colour pink tickled Kakashi's periphery and he turned to see Sakura standing with her back to him, wearing a backless, red dress that captured the light, drawing everyone's attention. He grinned as he watched the women with Sakura nudging her and looking at him.

"Sakura. Oh my god. Ishimaru Gaikotsu is openly checking you out." Ino whispered loudly. "Do you know him?"

"Sure, we met once at an event." She replied nonchalantly, avoiding eye contact with her friends, lest her emerald orbs betray her excited energy. Ino slapped her bare arm.

"And you just decided to withhold that information? You sly bitch!" Sakura rolled her eyes at Ino's dramatics and took a long gulp of her wine.

Hinata spoke up, her sweet, heart-shaped face flushing. "Sakura, I do believe it is rude to not acknowledge him.."

"It is also rude for him to just stand there staring." Sakura mumbled as she turned on her heel and sauntered over to the simpering, older man.

"Who were young ladies gawking at me?" He asked, directing her to walk with him.

"My friends, Ino and Hinata. Ino, the blonde, is in love with you by the way."

Kakashi's eyebrows shot up before a handsome smirk appeared on his lips. "She's pretty cute." Sakura elbowed him discreetly. "But I prefer pink." He ended in a whisper. Goosebumps spread over her skin at the sound of his low, sultry voice, but Sakura remained cool.

"Your girlfriend is staring at us." She observed, momentarily locking her jade orbs with Koi Robin's steely ones. Sakura swallowed her rage. 'Now is not the time.'

"So is your boyfriend."

"Itachi is not my boyfriend. And we need to talk, Gaikotsu-sama."

He nodded, then went about implementing his well-formulated plan of action, a plan that could get them alone for at least half an hour. "React." He muttered, barely over a whisper, causing Sakura to stare back, bemused. He grabbed her wrist and forced her red wine to pour all over the front of his suit and shirt. Sakura gasped loudly in surprise, catching the attention of the surrounding company. Quickly she began apologizing profusely, despite how underhanded she found his tactics.

"Why don't you get some seltzer and we can fix this in the staff lounge?" Kakashi suggested smoothly, Sakura just nodded frantically, anger present in her eyes.

When Sakura finally stumbled into the lounge, seltzer in hand, she nearly fainted at the sight before her. Kakashi was stretched languidly across the couch, one arm slung over his eyes while the other was holding a fresh drink. But it wasn't so much his position as it was his lack of clothing. Sakura had to wonder how such a lazy man could stay in such fabulous shape. Her mind going to two completely different directions. One where she tosses the soda water aside and straddles those gloriously defined, lean muscles, and kisses every sharp line of his body, and the other where she runs away, terrified at how attracted she is to him.

"Shirt's in the sink." Kakashi motioned with his drink towards the bathroom door. She flushed then entered the bathroom. Working furiously to remove the stain, Sakura sighed happily when the water ran clear. She hung up the clothes and headed back into the lounge, Kakashi was exactly where she left him.

"I cannot believe you did that, and then made me clean it like some obedient housewife."

He sat up, chuckling. "I made you do nothing, Sakura-chan. Besides, I love a pretty girl fussing over me." Sakura felt her pulse speed up as she watched him stand up and stretch, his lightly tanned skin pulled tightly over taut muscles. Kakashi locked the door and reclaimed his seat, motioning for Sakura to join him and politely ignoring the drool dripping from her mouth as she admired how his trousers fit so snugly over his legs.

"So.." Sakura's voice trailed off and she made no further inclination to continue. She wasn't positive as to what she'd said during their last encounter as she was both furious and running on empty.

"I want you, Sakura." His bluntness startled the pinkette. "Desperately." His voice was hoarse with drinking, low and exasperated.

"Kakashi.." She breathed, remembering the last thing she'd said to him. She told him to decide what he wanted. Sakura studied his face carefully, his fake-brown eyes were intensely conflicted, his lips parted slightly, the warmth of his breath mingling with her own.

"As I was looking at those pictures of you, it occurred to me that I may be the most emotionally guarded human alive." That was a massive understatement.

"Why is that, Kakashi?"

He shrugged. "I can pretend to think the sole reason is to protect people from myself."

"I think you're protecting yourself from people." She pointed out. Although her voice was stern, it lacked judgement. Sakura knew all too well about being too guarded, she was just better at hiding it.

"You're absolutely right." He looked away, a dark look passing over his features that had Sakura shivering. She had seen this look a few times, but never in its entirety. Without the mask, Kakashi was so much easier to read and she wondered if that contributed to his desire to wear it. Because god knows she would never cover a face like that. She mentally chided herself, knowing her mind could go in no other direction while he was so shirtless and sorry. Besides, she wanted to conduct an experiment of sorts. If her body reacted with revulsion at his touch, if her mind was consumed with thoughts of him with other people, then she would put a stop to everything immediately. Or maybe she was just trying to justify her bold actions.

"Kiss me." She gave no room for argument. It wasn't a request, it was an order. Kakashi faced her, a possessive glint in his eye as he traced a finger up the soft curve of her jaw, pushing a few bubblegum-pink locks behind her ear. Sakura felt her entire body jerk to life with his touch, and suddenly everything she wanted to hate him for was forgotten for the second, possibly third time. Kakashi's hand rested on the nape of her neck and he slowly pushed back onto the cushions, smirking as his thumb made contact with her fluttering pulse. Sakura shuddered as he touched his mouth to her neck with slow sensual movements, groans rumbling quietly as he pulled her flush against him, his arm possessively grasping her bare back, and Sakura reveled in the way his hard frame molded to hers seamlessly.

Kakashi removed his lips from Sakura's neck, a small whimper of protest greeting him. But the sweet scent of toothpaste and whiskey assault her senses as his lips brushed lightly against hers, his tongue gently tracing the shape of her mouth. Sakura moaned, the heat that was welling up inside of her making it hard to breath.

Sensing he was about to pull away, Sakura twisted her fingers in his silver hair and used her strength to flip him into a siting position, her silky, red dress riding up to her waist as a result of her straddling him. She ignored his surprised gasp and pressed her mouth to his. Their bodies moved against one another desperately while Kakashi's strong hands grasped every part of her exposed skin. The sounds of their gasping breaths and unrepentant moans bouncing around the room carelessly.

"Sakura." He moaned her name into her lips, subconsciously forcing her hips roughly against him, completely unaware of anything else. However, once Kakashi realized that he was unaware, he also realized that their movements were rapidly getting out of control.

Kakashi gradually began to slow Sakura's grinding hips to a stop, ignoring the warm, wet heat that settled on top of him as he did. He glanced up at the girl spread above him, her slender arms hook around his neck. "Gorgeous." He murmured, gently kissing Sakura's swollen lips until her beryl eyes slid shut. Kakashi continued to slowly kiss her, wanting so badly to pick her up in his arms and carry her to his car so they could continue this in her cozy apartment, but he had responsibilities. He was already breaking enough rules. Infatuation had made him careless, so much in fact that he failed notice the looming presence listening outside the locked door.

...

Found a martyr in my bed tonight, she stops my bones from wondering just who I am.