AN- So, I realized two minutes ago that next weekend isn't the holiday where I'll be away...it's the week after next. But, I already prepared this chapter to be posted and I'm excited for everyone to read it, so...here it is. A special treat from me to you!

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"What are we, twelve years old?" Sakura asked with a scoff as she pulled out a rather short costume that hung on the shelf of the shop she and three of her closest friends sat. They had been invited to one of the infamous parties that the fraternities all came together to throw each semester for a random charity. The university only acknowledged and allowed parties if they were a school function. Collecting money at the door and giving it to a local nonprofit was the perfect plan. They would be able to drink all they wanted, the police wouldn't be called, and they'd be doing it all for a good cause.

It wasn't exactly Sakura's favorite event to attend but this year was a costume party and Ino had practically begged them all to go with her. And of course, they would have to buy costumes beforehand. From the dressing room, Hinata poked her head out from behind the red curtain and wrinkled her nose. "I don't think I'm wearing this right." Before she could even let them in, Ino snatched the curtain to the side, her blue eyes bulging at the sight they were met with.

Tenten did a poor job of hiding her laughter behind her hand and Hinata shot a glare her way. The girl didn't look bad but it was very clear that the costume she picked out was meant to be worn by someone not so well endowed. Her chest was barely covered in the blue fabric and she was pulling uncomfortably at the material digging into her crotch. "Yeah, that won't do at all! Here," Ino thrust another garment toward her; this one an all black, form fitting catsuit. "I'm sure Naruto'll be drooling over you all night in this." The blush on Hinata's cheeks nearly lit the entire costume store but she took the suit and closed the curtain back around her.

Ino shook her head and leaned an elbow onto one of the racks of frilly undergarments at her side. She nodded to Sakura who had avoided her best friend's controlling nature so far that day. "What about you, Pinky?"

"What about me?"

"What do you want your costume to be?" She reached over and thumped Sakura across the forehead, making the girl smack her hand away. Honestly, Saura was hoping to dress as something rather boring, have a few drinks at the party and duck out early. She hadn't been in much of a mood to socialize lately and she was glad that her friends all assumed it was because Sasuke had graduated. The last two years, she had been at nearly every gathering just to catch a glimpse of the guy.

She rolled her eyes as she turned back to the costumes hanging along the wall beside the fitting rooms. Most of the skirts were far too short and she just didn't see why they had to be 'sexy' versions of normal, mundane things. A sexy police officer, a sexy cat, a sexy unicorn...It was ridiculous. She passed her hand over the silky material of a witch's costume and looked above it on the wall. Hanging on the top rack, was one that didn't look too slutty. It was a red skirt, with a black bodice and hooded cape. The tag hanging off the sleeve read 'Little Red' and Sakura put her hands on her hips. It wasn't the worst costume she had seen and if she was going to be dragged to a party where a costume was required, then it definitely would be the one she could see herself wearing.

"What about this one?" She asked, pointing to the dress. Ino and Tenten looked up at it and the blonde smiled wickedly.

"Oh yeah. That's perfect!"


The fraternity house was twice as packed with people as Ino's apartment had been for her birthday. Games had been set up in the first floor dining room and the girls had spent the majority of their time there trying to beat a team of boys at beer pong. Of course, being lightweights, Sakura and Hinata had only given them a handicap which resulted in Tenten nearly tipping the table over. After playing two rounds, Sakura had declined a third and stood by the sink in the kitchen, trying to get the cap off of her beer bottle. She sighed, twisting the cap for a third time but was stopped by someone taking the bottle from her hands.

"Hey!" She protested, reaching out to snatch her drink back. The sight of a familiar face stopped her and she took a small step back against the sink. It was Professor Hatake's TA and he looked just as bored at the party as he had looked that day she had seen him in class. He grabbed a bottle opener and popped the lid off before handing the beer back to her. Sakura felt a bit embarrassed but brushed it off and took a sip. "You're Hatake's TA, aren't you?" It felt strange talking about him as if she was just his student and not one that fantasized about him in any spare moment she had.

The guy nodded and took a drink of his own beer. "Yeah, and I still can't believe he gave you those points."

"Point. Just one." Sakura held up a finger and winced as Ino was swearing rather loudly and angrily from across the kitchen as she missed another shot. "I'm Sakura, by the way."

"I know." He didn't elaborate on how he knew and Sakura's heart beat quickened at the thought that maybe he had talked about her. She tucked her hair behind her ear, ignoring the intense feeling of heat building inside her. "I'm Shikamaru."

They both shifted away from the sink as several girls dressed in bunny suits came giggling up behind them, glancing toward Shikamaru who didn't pay them any attention. Sakura turned back to watch her two friend's rather heated game. She glanced to the boy at her side and wondered if he would think it strange if she asked about her current crush. She swallowed. "So, you're a chemistry major?"

He shook his head. "Forensics. I'm just interested in Chemistry and in the past year, Hatake's become sort of a mentor to me." Sakura put her hand to her heart and bit her lower lip, struggling against the urge to grin. She knew she was being ridiculous but, she had been drinking and he just never ceased to surprise her. Taking a student under his wing didn't seem like the kind of thing Professor Hatake would have done...but it was exactly what she would expect from Kakashi.

Since her visit to his office on Thursday, she had been referring to them as completely separate people. Professor Hatake was the cold, unapologetic and sometimes frightening man she had trouble liking but Kakashi...He was adorable, sexy, and somewhat of a dork. The past few days had been torture for her and she figured she was the only student in the University that couldn't wait to get this party over with so she could sit in his class on Monday morning, front row and center.

Sakura realized a bit too late that she had been staring off into space and she hoped he hadn't been trying to talk to her. She hadn't heard a bit of it if he had. Before she could apologize for spacing out, Ino strolled up to the counter, arms crossed angrily over her chest. "You're no longer allowed to be on my team for any drinking games." She snatched a beer from the cooler behind Sakura and popped the top off easily on the side of the counter. As she took a gulp from the bottle, she glanced to Shikamaru. "You're in my Psych class." It wasn't a question and he blinked lazily at her as she poked a finger into his chest.

"Aren't you the one who always falls asleep?" He asked around the mouth of his beer bottle.

"I've seen you dozing off quite a few times before as well." Ino tossed her ponytail over her shoulder and leaned a hip against the counter. The two bickered back and forth as if they had known each other for years and Sakura slowly inched away from them, knowing she was much better off not getting between Ino when she was already so fired up over losing. Tenten was still at the table, gaining two more male teammates who seemed to be doing a much better job than her last two.

Sakura ventured into the living room of the house where the lights were dimmed and a cloud of smoke hung low over the heads of people sitting around on the couches. She spied them passing a few joints back and forth before hurrying down the hall to another large room that had been set up for dancing and music. A guy in black sunglasses sat at a booth with music equipment set up, playing songs with bass so deep Sakura could feel her hair shaking around her shoulders. The lighting was dim in here too but she could clearly see the familiar figure dressed in a black catsuit standing in the corner. Hinata had her arms around Naruto's neck with their hips pressing rather close together, swaying gently to the music.

A tightness pulled at her chest and she tried to ignore it as she leaned against a bookcase, sipping her beer. She scanned the crowd, hoping for a familiar face to take her mind off of the fact that she was alone in a room full of couples who seemed to be dancing rather intimately. Just as she started to turn away, a very familiar figure made her double take and she felt her jaw hang open slightly. Standing at the opposite side of the room in a dimly lit corner was Sasuke. The swirling colors of light that pulsed to the music caught his face and Sakura felt her chest clench tightly.

How long had he been here? Why had he not told her he was coming back? He knew she was a part of his same circle of friends. He would have known she would be here. She took a step forward as several people standing between them cleared away, letting her see the girl hanging onto his side. Her steps halted and she felt her stomach sink like a brick to the floor. He wasn't alone.

He had his arm draped over the girl's shoulders. She was giggling at something he said and Sakura could only stare as she remembered her name. Karin. She had been one of the hundreds of other girls who had set their sights on Sasuke in the last year...Sakura watched her lean into him, her face turned up to nuzzle into his neck. Sasuke glanced out of the corner of his eyes, his gaze meeting Sakura's as if he knew that she'd be standing in that exact spot, waiting for him. The room spun on its side. Time slowed and for a split second, Sakura wanted to smile, wanted to walk up to him and just be near him again. The corner of his lips lifted before he turned back to Karin and whispered something in the girl's ear to make her shriek with laughter.

Tears pricked sudden and hot against her eyelids but she refused to let them spill. Sakura set her beer bottle down on a bookshelf and spun on her heel, pushing her way through the hallway. The smoke in the living room had gotten a bit thicker and she coughed and waved her hand as she hurried through to the front door. "Sakura?" Ino called from the kitchen but she couldn't stop. There was no way she was staying at a party where she would be forced to watch Sasuke suck on Karin Uzumaki's neck. The thought made her feel sick to her stomach and she regretting drinking so much beer earlier. She paused on the porch, nearly knocking a cup out of a girl's hand as she braced herself against the railing.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Ino was at her side, her blue eyes full of worry as she looked over her face.

She swallowed the lump and nodded, forcing a frown despite the fact that all she wanted was to scream and hit something very hard. "I think I drank too much. Beer never sits right with me."

"Do you want to puke? I'll hold your hair." She pulled Sakura down the steps toward the bushes that lined the sidewalk. Sakura shook her head and forced a laugh, hating how bitter it sounded on her lips.

"No, I'm fine. I've got some medicine at home. I think I'm going to go home, take some and crash."

"But, it's so early." Ino pouted but this was one guilt trip she was not going to win. Nothing short of a miracle would keep Sakura at this party now. With a small smile, she gave her friend a hug.

"It's past midnight. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Text me when you get inside! Here," Ino dug into her cleavage, making Sakura's eyes bulge a bit. "Take my mace." She pulled a small, black tube of pepper spray from the inside of her bra and grinned. A few guys standing on the lawn seemed rather impressed by her trick and called her over to them. She pressed the spray into Sakura's hands, told her goodbye and grinned mischievously before walking over to join the group of boys.

Sakura turned and headed toward the street, crossing it quickly to put as much distance between the party and her as she could. Even after she had walked a block away, the memory of seeing Sasuke with a hussy like Karin felt like it was a heavy, wet blanket that dragged her down with every step. She wanted to shrug it off, to be able to laugh and drink with her friends despite him being there but she couldn't. She was hurt, no matter how much she didn't want to be. It was crystal clear now where they stood with each other. She had been just another fuck, some random college girl to bed and brush aside to him.

Tears stung her eyelids and she cursed them as they fell down her face. If there was one thing she hated, it was feeling weak and that was exactly what Sasuke made her feel. She was weak and powerless and he knew that he was hurting her. He didn't care.

"Ugh!" Sakura stopped on a corner and wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, glancing around at the buildings surrounding her. She hadn't realized that she had been walking in the opposite direction of her house and she dropped her hands to her side and lifted her face to the sky in defeat. There was no way she was going back the way she came. Going near that party just wasn't an option right now. The only other choice would be to cut through a few streets that she wasn't too familiar with. Most of them were full of business that had closed for the night but she could see several neon 'open' signs in the front windows of a few bars.

She squared her shoulders and headed toward them, assuring herself that she had her mace and she and Ino had taken a self defense course their first semester at school. There didn't seem to be very many people inhabiting the bars, despite it being a Saturday night. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and crossed the street before turning a corner to head back toward the campus. A car passed her, the headlights nearly blinding her and she put a hand to her face to shield her eyes. She took two steps before nearly colliding with a man who was leaning against the steps of a bank. "Oh, sorry." She mumbled, feeling very self conscious and exposed in her costume. It wasn't as short as the sexy police woman Ino had chose, or as tight as the cat suit Hinata had dressed in but it definitely made her stand out. The red hooded cape was a bright beacon on her back as she walked down the darkened streets.

"It's no problem, darlin'." The man said with a sneer, his eyes roaming over her body as she passed. She could practically feel his gaze on her ass. She gripped the tube of pepper spray tightly in her fist and hoped he didn't notice that she had picked up her pace. For several steps, she was sure he wasn't following her. Biting her lip, she glanced back and felt terror leak through her as he pushed off the steps and turned her way.

Shit. Of all the fucking nights to leave her cell phone at home.

Don't panic, she told herself. It was completely possible that he was just going in the same direction. He could live right around the corner for all she knew. "Hey, don't I know you?" His voice echoed off the darkened buildings and Sakura shook her head, not looking back at him.

"No, I don't think so." She called loud enough for him to hear. She walked faster, barely glancing down the street for cars before she crossed onto the next block. In the windows of the business across the street, she could see him still following her. He was closer now, jogging to catch up to her. Sakura turned sharply to the right and crossed the street, her hands shaking around the metal tube of pepper spray. The sound of her footsteps matched her heart beat pounding fast in her ears and she took a shaking breath before hurrying toward the campus. She risked a glance over her shoulder and cursed beneath her breath as the man stepped off the curb, heading straight for her.

A car horn sounded in front of her and Sakura jumped nearly a foot in the air as she watched a silver car pull up to the curb. The tinted window rolled down slowly and she blinked in shock at the sight of Kakashi. He had one hand on the steering wheel, his eyes never wavering from the man who had been following her. "Get in." He said, not making a move to look away. Relief flooded through her and she hurried around the car, slipping into the passenger seat with ragged breath. "Did he hurt you?" He asked, glancing her over with a raised eyebrow. His gaze lingered on her costume and she felt her cheeks darken. Sakura shook her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"No. I'm fine."

She didn't know what he was doing there, or how in the world he had found her but she was beyond thankful. Her pulse still raced out of control and she gripped the leather car seat beneath her as he shifted gears and sped through the street, leaving the man who had followed her far behind them. The city lights flashed over her as he drove and she watched out of the corner of her eye as they lit his face. She pinched herself on her thigh to make sure she wasn't actually dreaming and that she was in fact sitting in her professor's car. The realization that they were now alone, heading in the opposite direction of her apartment hit her suddenly and she struggled to calm herself. It seemed like hours had passed since she had been at the party and had seen Sasuke. She glanced out of the tinted window to her reflection in the side mirror, barely able to see through the dark glass.

"Thank you." She said quietly, turning her gaze down to her lap. "I don't want to know what would have happened if you hadn't been there."

Kakashi didn't respond. He shifted gears as they took a right and the countless buildings thinned and began to fade behind them. Sidewalks ended, buildings shrank and soon they were passing houses and longer stretches of trees. Sakura sat up and watched the scenery speed by them. She was aware that she was alone with a man she didn't really know and could hear her mother's voice in the back of her mind, scolding her for being so irresponsible. Swallowing back her hesitation, she glanced to him. "Why were you there, anyway?" She asked quietly, studying his profile as he watched the road. He blinked and took a deep breath, giving a small shrug of his shoulder.

"I...I was actually on a date."

"Oh." It felt as if she had been punched in the gut and she blinked, trying to hide her disappointment. "I hope I didn't interrupt your date."

The corner of his lips twitched into a small smile and he shook his head, finally turning to look at her. "I was on my way home, actually and I saw you walking. Well, I thought it was you and when I turned around to check, you were running from that asshole." He turned back to the road, his fingers gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter, as if he were struggling to control his anger. Sakura didn't have anything to say. She was relieved that he had been there, grateful that he decided to turn around but all she could think about was who he could have possibly been on a date with. Where did he take her? Was she pretty? Did they kiss? The questions running through her mind seemed too inappropriate to ask him. "You looked scared." He said quietly, jerking Sakura from her thoughts.

The tone of his voice made her heart ache and she was overwhelmed by the desire to reach for his hand and hold it in hers. He was concerned about her. She licked her lips and ducked her head. "I was. It's been a really shitty night." Her voice broke as she let her head fall back against the headrest, watching the streetlights speed by. The hurt and anger she had felt earlier from Sasuke mixed sourly with the terror and panic of being chased down the street by a strange man and left her exhausted, yet she was much too wound up to even think about sleep.

Kakashi slowed the car down and pulled off to the right, heading down a darkened, one way street of a park Sakura recognized. She had played there as a kid but the play grounds were almost all grown over with weeds and shrubs now. A swing set swayed in the gentle breeze and Sakura stared at it as they drove slowly passed. "Where are we?" She asked quietly.

"Oh...I have to let my dogs out. They've been inside all night. It'll just take a few minutes and I'll drive you back home." He glanced at her with an apologetic smile before he turned into a small driveway, thick trees lining both sides of the path. The headlights lit a house that sat in the middle of the woods. It was very manly but neat and well taken care of. Seeing where he lived made her stomach flutter like crazy inside her and she had to bite her lip to keep from grinning.

She didn't look at him, too busy studying the shrubs that sat neatly trimmed beneath the front windows and the small garage at the end of the driveway. Her fingers curled around the door handle before he had even put the car in park and she stepped out. The lawn was both neat and wild at the same time. Ivy creeped up the side of the house, stretching across a side porch that connected to the garage while the grass was cut short between a path of paving stones. It fit him perfectly and she hugged her arms around her waist, the cool breeze making goosebumps cover her bare arms. "You have a dog?" She asked, glancing back at him.

She sucked in a tiny breath as she turned toward him, surprised to see him so close to her. His scent was everywhere and instantly drove her mad with desire. He lead the way to his front door, turning to smirk at her from over his shoulder. "I have eight." He slipped his key into the lock and twisted it. Sakura could faintly hear whining from behind the door and she braced herself as he pulled it open. A small army of dogs sped out of the house, some stopping to leap at Kakashi's legs while the others sped toward Sakura, nearly all of them wearing sweaters of some kind.

She dropped to her knees with a laugh as tails wagged crazily around her and each of his dogs took their time sniffing her and licking at her fingers and chin. The smallest one in a blue sweater scrambled into her lap, whining the loudest for attention and she cradled him into her arms, scratching at his chin as the others took off toward the park to leap and bound now that they were free. Sakura looked up from the dog in her arms to where Kakashi stood on his front steps, hands stuffed in his pockets as he watched her. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find anything worthy to even say. She was utterly and happily speechless. What could she possibly say, anyway? It was beginning to get harder and harder to believe she wasn't actually dreaming now.

"I can't believe you have eight dogs." She said as she set the little one down, watching him take off toward his friends before she stood to her feet. She could hear little yips and barks echoing through the night. Kakashi took a step toward her and shrugged, as if this were something completely normal and not unbelievably adorable. Shaking her head, she put her hands on her hips. "Just when I think I have you figured out…"

"Oh, there's no point trying to figure me out." He winked down at her and stood, watching from the back of his car as his dogs did their business and rooted out all the smells that ran along the ground. Sakura leaned a hip against the taillight, unable to look away from him. She put her elbows on the trunk and set her chin in her hands, studying the profile of his face, trying to imagine where in the world he could have gotten the scar on his eye from. It didn't take any of the handsomeness away from him but added so many layers of mystery to a man who already confused Sakura more every moment that she spent with him. The conversation she had with Ino before the semester had begun about her prick of a Bio-Chem teacher seemed as if it happened years ago. He was so different than what she expected.

"I can't believe that two months ago, I was terrified of a guy who has this many dogs and dresses them in little sweaters."

He folded his arms over his chest and turned to look down at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "You were afraid of me?"

"You are aware of your reputation, aren't you? Although, I may have hyped you up a bit in my head when I was told I had to take your class." She peeked up at him. "Is it true you made a girl cry and drop out?" She hoped he wouldn't take offense to the rumor she had heard.

Kakashi scoffed and rubbed a hand across his face, shaking his head. "It's possible. I don't remember a girl ever crying because of me, though." Oh, Sakura didn't believe that. No one could be as good looking, smart, and cold as he could be without breaking a few hearts along the way. He looked up at the canopy of trees overhead and sighed. A few of his dogs came trotting back to the yard, all looking rather proud for being the first ones back. They occupied themselves with sniffing the car's tires and playing with a few toys that were strown around the yard. Sakura stared up at Kakashi, watching the clench of his jaw and the length of his eyelashes as he blinked up at the night.

She had never wanted to kiss someone more than she wanted to kiss him in that moment. Her lips tingled, fingers twitched, and she closed her eyes, praying that he would do exactly what she wished. Instead, she asked one of the questions that had been plaguing her mind since she had got in the car with him. "Who were you on a date with tonight?"

"A girl one of my friends set me up with. It was a blind date." He said after hesitating for so long that she feared she had gone too far.

"Was she pretty?"

He looked down at her now, making her breath still in her lungs. His eyes pierced through her as he studied her face, obviously confused by her questions. Couldn't he see that she was painfully jealous and needed to know if he liked this girl more than he liked her. "She was." Her heart clenched in her chest and Sakura nodded, turning to look out at the rest of the dogs that were slow to come back home.

"Are you going to see her again?" The words were a whisper on her lips and she could see her breath in the cool night. It was absolutely none of her business who he went out with and who he saw but, she couldn't help asking. She would never stop wondering if she didn't.

"No. She was nice and she was pretty but…" He trailed off, and Sakura ducked her head to hide her smile. "There just wasn't any chemistry." She closed her eyes as his words seeped sweetly into her heart and she struggled to find a breath. He turned toward her and Sakura let her eyes flutter open, the sight of him so close to her made her head spin. He glanced down to her mouth, his gaze lingering so long that she feared she would faint before he could kiss her. The world stopped turning and everything around her melted away as Kakashi reached up, his hand hesitating for a brief moment before pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingertips lingered, warm and soft against her jaw.

At Sakura's feet, the small pug in the blue sweater barked loudly, jerking her out of her daze. She gasped, mourning the lost moment as Kakashi took a step back, putting a few feet between them. The moment was clearly over and she wanted to whine and beg him to touch her again. With a scowl, she kneeled to the ground and scratched the pug under the chin. "You little scamp." She couldn't be too mad at something so adorable. From over her head, Kakashi whistled loudly and headed back to the front door of his house. Sakura stood and folded her arms over her chest, not ready to leave just yet. She wanted to see inside his house, what it looked like and smelled like. Could she convince him to let her stay? Her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she waited by the car for him to usher the group back into the house. The last dog slipped inside just before he locked the door behind them and turned back to the car.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

He ducked into the driver's seat and Sakura hesitated, staring at the hood of the car, wracking her brain for any excuse. She didn't know how to tell him she wasn't interested in going home, that she would much rather spend the night here, in his bed, surrounded by his dogs and him. She bit the inside of her lip and pulled the door open, before dropping into the seat. The engine came to life and they slowly backed out of his driveway. Sakura watched his house fall further away until he turned back onto the highway and she was left wondering if she had even been there at all.

She hoped he didn't notice her pouting but a small part of her did. She wanted him to take pity on her and give in to what she wanted. The street lights passed by them a bit slower than they had on the way to his home and she sat back against the headrest, turning away from the window. Kakashi's hand rest on the gear shift, his fingers only inches away from her knee. The voice in the back of her mind was telling her not to move, that it would be innappropriate and she shouldn't push him to cross boundaries he didn't want to. But, in that moment, she didn't really care. Sakura ignored the warning signs and shifted slightly in the seat. Her knee touched the back of his fingers and she grabbed the sides of the seat with a trembling grip.

She stared at the small stretch of her skin resting against his last two fingers. She tried to think of how many times they had touched before and why this tiny bit of conact made her suddenly so aroused. Kakashi's fingers twitched against her flesh, moving so achingly slow as he slipped them across the top of her knee that she felt as if she were going to pass out. She had to stop herself from moaning but she nearly came completely undone in that second. Her skin was scorching beneath his touch that she was afraid he would burn her. She refused to move, even though she wanted to bring his hand further up her thigh, wanted to feel his fingers against her and inside her.

She sucked in a tiny breath as he drew a slow, small circle across the top of her knee with his thumb. The voice in the back of her mind was now screaming about boundaries and that this was far too inappropriate for a professor and a student. But, fuck boundaries. She didn't know how he could make her feel as if she were going to come from just touching her knee but her breaths came fast and she slid further down in the seat, inching his fingers just a bit up her thigh. Her head was a cloudy mess and she couldn't concentrate on one thought long enough to do anything aside from freak out. How did his hand fit so perfectly on her? What was he thinking about? Was his heart pounding as hard as her's was at that moment?

He turned the car to the left and she wanted to cry. The buildings were familiar once again and she knew they were close to her apartment. Before she was ready, his fingers slipped away from her and she dug her fingernails into her palms to keep her from crying out in protest. He shifted gears and took a right, heading toward the campus. She watched with a sigh as they passed the familiar Village Cafe. Only a couple of blocks to go before she would be alone in her apartment, too aroused and frustrated to think straight.

God, this was not how she wanted this to end. A faint touch here, a burning caress there, it was enough to drive her mad with desire and she felt as if she were almost there now. As the car slowed to a stop outside of the flower shop she lived above, Sakura made no move to get out. Her throat felt tight around the words she desperately wanted to say and she swallowed hard. "Do you have to leave?" She asked, pulling at the hem of her costume to occupy her fingers so she didn't reach over and grab him.

"I think it would be best if I did."

"I don't want to be alone." It was the truth, not just something she was saying to get him to stay. The night had been such a roller coaster of emotions, from hurt and anger, to fear, to desire. She was exhausted but wanted nothing more than to feel his touch across the rest of her body. Kakashi sighed and scrubbed his palm across his face, keeping his gaze on anything but her. She knew without him saying anything that he wanted to come up. It wasn't unclear to her anymore. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him and she hated that she was pushing him to do something he wasn't comfortable with. "I'm sorry." She shook her head and turned to the door, her fingers searching for the handle. His hand grabbed her gently around the wrist, making her fall back against the seat.

"Wait." He patted the pockets of his jacket until he dipped a hand in and pulled out his cell phone, handing it to her. Sakura stared at it for a second before raising her eyebrows. "Put your number in." Her eyes went wide as she grabbed the device and tried to remember her phone number. Her fingers shook as she dialed, letting it ring once before hanging up and handing it back to him. Their eyes met and Kakashi let his hand linger on hers for a moment before turning to the screen. She watched him store her number under SH. "Now you can talk to me anytime you feel lonely."

"That's the majority of the time." She said quietly, glancing from the bright screen to his face and he chuckled. It felt so good to see his smile and she couldn't hold her own back.

"That's fine. I like talking to you." Oh, that was music to her ears. It wasn't a kiss or a touch but, it felt just as good and Sakura felt as if she could float as she opened the car door and stepped out. She hurried to the sidewalk, stooped to the small flower pot sitting next to the gate and turned it over, plucking the spare key she kept hidden beneath it. To her delight, Kakashi sat in the car and watched her as she closed the gate behind her and walked up the steps. Her fingers shook, knowing his eyes were on her and she glanced back at the car with a wave before stepping inside.

Once the door was shut, she collapsed against it and put her hands to her forehead, staring into the darkness of her quiet apartment. She reached over and flipped the lights of her kitchen on. Po came around the corner of the living room, meowing angrily that she was getting home so late and disturbing his beauty sleep. He nuzzled against her leg and jumped to the counter to demand a midnight snack. It was way past midnight, though. Sakura grabbed her phone from the coffee table and stared at the call she had missed five minutes ago. She quickly stored his number, unsure of what name to put him under. She decided to do the same as him and typed in KH.

Before she could stop herself, she pulled up a text message and typed quickly to him. 'Thank you, again, for helping me tonight.'

'You're welcome.'

His response was quick and she felt like dancing through her apartment as she read over the two simple words. She spun on her toes, ignoring the judgmental gaze of her fluffy, chubby cat. The phone vibrated in her hands and she couldn't open the text message fast enough. It was him again. 'Btw, why were you dressed like Little Red Riding Hood?'

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AN- Don't hate me too much. Updates will be back to normal next week but I'll be gone the week after. :) Thanks so much for all the responses! I'm so thrilled you're all enjoying yourselves as much as I've enjoyed writing this!