It's been a while since I finished Act I, here we go with Act II! The chapters will be coming out slowly, but they will be out! I hope you all enjoy. Thank you so much for the continued support. It means the world to me.


Act II, Scene I:

Kakashi paced back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. He had been pacing in his apartment earlier that day, but apparently his ninken had had enough of him and had kicked him out of his own abode with exasperated barks, so now he was pacing in front of the hospital, waiting for Sakura to get off work. Back and forth Back and forth.

It was apparent now why Sakura hadn't had a date in four years, no one wanted to really go up against the copy nin if everyone thought they had been dating and also no one wanted to get on Sakura's bad side by questioning her choices if she had indeed chosen him. And now she had chosen him. Even he wanted to question her decision.

Kakashi swallowed deeply as he continued to pace. The thing was that, Kakashi hadn't been on a date for even longer. Not since he had been assigned his destined genin team and they had basically consumed his whole entire life with one event of shenanigans after another.

So although it had been four years for Sakura, it had been ten years for him and hell if Kakashi remembered what he used to do on dates. There had been movies, walks in the park, dinner, short trips out of town, but all of these things he had already done with Sakura when they had been just friends. So what was a date?

And this was why the famed Hatake Kakashi was pacing in front of the hospital, because at the end of Sakura's shift he had promised her a stupid date, that he had stupidly promised to take care of planning, and despite his vast knowledge of nearly everything, he was coming up short on anything date-like to take her on. Everything he could come up with, they had already done as friends and now, more than ever, was he beginning to realize why everyone thought they were a couple.

Kakashi wanted to rip his hair out in frustration because seriously, was dating supposed to be this hard? He had warned her he was going to be bad at this, but he wasn't expecting to be this bad at it so soon. He had resolved that if he was going to be wholly unprepared with a date plan, he would at least be on time and this was the one reason why he wasn't pacing elsewhere.

Kakashi only stopped his pacing when the quiet sound of an ANBU operative landing behind him echoed in the air. Kakashi sighed as he turned around to come face to face with Sai. "Yo," Kakashi greeted.

"It is you," Sai murmured with a tilt of his head.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be watching our esteemed Hokage?"

Sai simply waved his hand as though to brush away the concern, "I was watching the Hokage, but he got multiple reports about a disturbance outside the hospital and so sent me to go check it out instead of every other ANBU operative."

"I'm sure that Naruto was also edging for some private time."

Sai nodded with his awkward but what they had long realized was his sincere smile, "I am good at my job."

Kakashi shuddered remembering what it was like to have Sai as his guard. The man was indeed way too good at his job. Kakashi couldn't blame Naruto for sending Sai out on menial errands whenever he got the chance. That was what Kakashi had done every chance he had. "That you are."

"So… since I don't see anyone else here, you must be the reported disturbance Rokudaime? I half expected it to be Ugly."

Kakashi sighed and scratched the back of his head ignoring Sai's affectionate pet name for his now… girlfriend? Sai had indeed become closer to all of them, but his initial nicknames had all stuck, much to the disappointment of all who loved him. "I didn't realize that my being in front of the hospital was such a cataclysmic thing."

Sai tilted his head, confusion on his face and Kakashi couldn't help but let a small smile play over his masked lips. Sai had come a long way from when Kakashi had first met the ex-ROOT operative, but there were still some things that the man needed time to process and the same look always came over his face when he was thinking. It was almost endearing to see the cogs turn in Sai's head as he attempted to get a handle on human situations. "I don't think that it's such a novel thing. When you were still the Hokage I spent a lot of my time watching you here."

"A lot of your time eh?" Kakashi murmured wondering how many times during his three year reign he had come to see if Sakura was over working herself if Sai noted that being at this place was not out of character for him.

Sai nodded again, "You and Ugly were very close."

Kakashi sighed, "Did you think we were dating too?"

"Dating?"

"Uh yeah when uh… two people really like each other and spend a lot of time together."

Sai blinked, "Then of course you two were dating. I was practically Sakura's tail as much as I was yours Rokudaime." The look of processing hadn't even crossed Sai's face Kakashi realized. This wasn't something that Sai even had to think about, just something that he knew.

Kakashi chuckled as he approached the ex-ROOT member and now one of the most valued ANBU guards of the Hokage, "You're a good man Sai. And please stop calling me Rokudaime, just Kakashi is fine."

Sai tilted his head again, "Please stop causing disturbances in front of the hospital… Kakashi."

"I'll try," Kakashi muttered. Sai nodded and gave his awkward smile to the copy-nin before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kakashi let out a slow breath as he turned toward the bench sitting outside the hospital and took a seat, his eyes tracing the path of footprints that he had practically hollowed into the ground from all of his pacing.

"You know…"

Kakashi nearly screamed in fright as Sai reappeared behind him out of the darkness. He had forgotten the kind of stealth Sai was capable of.

"You don't have to worry so much. I might not understand what dating is or why you seem so stressed about this dating, but I know that what you and Sakura already do together makes both of you… happy. It is easy to understand happiness when I look at you two," Sai spoke quietly into his ear, "I'm going to get back to Dickless now before he and Duck-butt destroy something."

Kakashi kept his senses on high alert as Sai once again disappeared just incase the artist decided to reappear behind him again and induce another heart attack, but it was useless; Sai had learnt how to mask his chakra better than any shinobi that Kakashi had ever encountered. You only knew he was there if he wanted you to know he was there. Good for a Hokage wanting the illusion of privacy, but unnerving when you knew that he was certainly watching.

Kakashi grunted as he leaned back on the bench and stared up at the late evening sky contemplating Sai's observations and words. Sai had an uncanny knack for being a wise old man precisely because he was still coming to grips with an emotional and loving world, but every time it happened, it still unnerved Kakashi to no end.

"Oh Sai! What are you doing here?"

Kakashi turned around and his eye twitched as he realized that once again the ANBU agent had eluded his senses and was standing at the hospital doors as Sakura came out and found Sai hovering at the doors waiting for her. Sai smiled at Sakura sincerely and stuck out his hand, his palm facing up. In a ritual that Kakashi had seen many times before, Sakura offered her hand back to the artist, placing it in his palm where his fingers would slowly close down around it. He pulled out his brush and stuck out his tongue, gently drawing something on her palm. Sakura giggled at the sensation of the bristles sliding masterfully against her skin and as Sai's brush disappeared back to his side, the ink creation that he had drawn on her burst to life. This time it was a bunny rabbit that raced all around them, leaving trails of ink before it nuzzled Sakura's calf and disappeared into the night air. Sai nodded at the delighted Sakura, the smile still on his face, before he vanished, hopefully for the last time.

Kakashi stared as Sakura turned towards him and smiled her brilliant, gorgeous smile, the hand Sai had just drawn on rising up and giving him a shy wave with her fingers. She wasn't in her normal red qipao, black obi, and medical coat, but instead it seemed like she had taken the time to get changed into something nicer, more civilian, for their date. The pleated, ocean blue skirt that she wore came to about mid thigh, her top was a golden rod yellow, long sleeved shirt with lace detailing, and her hair was half pulled up with some stray strands that she was now tucking delicately behind her ears.

Kakashi stood up and made his way to her, but when he found himself standing right in front of her, he had to search for the right words to say. "Hey," he opted for, a gentle murmur.

A light blush tinted her cheek as she looked up at him through her long eyelashes, "Hey."

"You look really nice," Kakashi murmured as he took both of her hands in his.

Sakura found herself looking at their entwined hands shyly, not being able to meet his eyes again as he squeezed his fingers gentle around hers, "Thanks. Ino wouldn't let up about it all of yesterday evening. First dates are special yadda-yadda so I thought why not?"

Kakashi chuckled at her sudden shyness. Now this was something new… and something he didn't mind one bit. "So she's come to terms with the fact that we haven't been dating for four years?"

Sakura snorted, "I think she's trying to fast track the process actually. It seems like there's a lot of money ridding on this bet."

"Sounds like her."

"Yeah," Sakura murmured as she squeezed Kakashi's fingers back.

A cough sounded and both of them looked up in surprise to see that the hospital doors had opened again and Genma was standing there with his left arm in a cast and shit eating grin on his face, "Hello love birds, you're blocking the door."

Sakura squeaked as she pulled herself and Kakashi to the side so they would no longer be in the way as Genma let out a low whistle and a hardy laugh as he stepped out of the hospital grinning at them. "We need to get a drink soon Hatake, heard you haven't been shagging our lovely Sakura for the past four years. That's hella disappointing! Have no idea how this hasn't come up in conversation. Maybe I was just assuming that you two were having hot sex in alleyways. This is why you never give people their privacy."

"Genma!" Sakura admonished, her fist clenching despite the fact that he was already injured and she had been the one to put him in that cast not long ago for his nearly shattered ulna.

Genma simply continued to grin, his senbon balanced between his teeth, "If Kakashi turns out to be terrible in the sack, come find me. I've always thought you were gorgeous but I also thought you had chosen this joker, maybe I'll have a chance now."

"In your dreams Shiranui," Sakura teased her tongue sticking out at him.

"Oh I'll definitely dream of it," Genma merely chuckled as he turned to Kakashi, "Seriously though, a drink. I wanna know how you two weren't dating." And with that the injured man trotted off whistling merrily, his senbon bouncing between his lips.

"Now tell me Sakura, did he get that from a mission or did one of his ladies finally have enough of him," Kakashi asked dryly as he watched his friend disappear down the street.

"Sadly he's too charming for one of them to murder him," Sakura sighed as she leaned against Kakashi's side and shook her head in exasperation. Contentment radiated into her through the warmth that he exuded and his arm immediately went to wrap around her waist.

"How was work otherwise?"

Sakura snapped her head up at him and grinned in excitement, "It was amazing! We got some documents in today from Tsunade and Shizune about the people and the conditions that they have encountered while travelling and from the contents I think that we'll be able to help some of our own patients that have been stuck here for so long finally get a chance to get out and about again through these new rehabilitation techniques including getting Gai-senpai out of his wheelchair and… oh I'm blabbering."

Kakashi chuckled as he watched Sakura's face glow the hot red of her usual attire, her green eyes sparkling as she looked at him. Kakashi found that he didn't have to think about what he was doing next as he leaned down and pressed his masked lips to her forehead, causing her to giggle in delight, "I don't mind. I want to hear more about it. Over dinner?"

Sakura nodded, "Dinner sounds great."

They had ended up grabbing dinner at a place that neither of them had been to before. It had been a small restaurant where most of the food was made for sharing and multiple dishes could be ordered per person. Sakura had detailed to Kakashi the contents of Tsunade's research and how it would be applicable in Konoha and he had nodded along although sometimes he found himself lost in all of the medical vocabulary and techniques that he was not privy to. What he did understand though was that maybe soon his friend would be challenging him endlessly again in competitions that had long fallen out of favour due to his injury. It made Kakashi feel both elated and nauseous just thinking about it.

They had shared a bottle of sake between them and were slightly buzzed, though barely even tispy when they left the restaurant. Sakura giggled as she held onto Kakashi's arm, "Everyone was staring so hard at your face. I still don't know how you manage to eat so fast."

"Practice makes perfect," Kakashi chuckled as he reached his fingers up to trace the edge of his mask, making sure that it in place.

Sakura stopped in her tracks, pulling Kakashi with her and reached up to gently touch his hand. He looked down to see her smiling at him, "I don't think I'll ever get tired of looking at you underneath there."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Sakura laughed as she turned forward again and they continued walking down the road, "It just means that I feel really honoured to be the only one in Konoha to know what the great Hatake Kakashi looks like."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and chuckled, "It would also suck to have to keep up this façade as we are now dating. Kissing you through a mask, I feel, would be much less enjoyable." As he was expecting, Sakura's cheeks flared up and she looked at him expectantly.

"So you like kissing me?"

"You're fishing Sakura," Kakashi chuckled as she pouted at him, her bottom lip sticking out. She knew exactly what she was doing to him and he didn't mind it one bit. Since the first time they had kissed, they hadn't really stopped and although he was teasing her for being needy, he knew that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

"Oh, come on," Sakura harrumphed as she tugged on his arm and dragged him into the nearest dark alley.

"Scandalous Sakura. Did Genma's words give you some ideas?" Kakashi dawdled when she shoved him against the wall and pinned him there with the curves of her body and just a touch of chakra.

"Oh shush you insufferable man," Sakura murmured as she reached up and pulled down his mask in the cover of darkness and stretched up to the tip of her toes. Kakashi allowed her to struggle with her height a little bit, amused that with a hiss she opted to pepper small kisses on his chin instead, nipping his skin with annoyed teeth.

However, when she dived for his throat next, pulling his mask further down so that it stretched near his collarbone, he felt that maybe, just maybe, he had taken teasing her height a little too far. He should have known that Sakura would retaliate in the worst and best of ways; never was she one to back down. "Goddammit Sakura…"

When he let out a small moan, he could feel Sakura's lips curling against the skin of his throat in triumph as she sucked on his pulse and wrapped her arms around his neck, "What was that Kakashi?"

Kakashi grunted as he brought his hands to her hips and spun them around so that she was now the one trapped between the wall and him. Sakura immediately brought her hands to the sides of his face as he leaned down and gave her what she wanted, ravishing her lips as they continued to press up against each other in the dark alley, people walking by not knowing that their Rokudaime and Hospital Director were making out in the cover of darkness. His hands slid up and down her sides, feeling all of her curves as her fingers tangled into his hair as their lips continued to slant onto each others.

They both pulled back for a breath before they were on each other again, tongues touching and hands roaming as Kakashi's knee found its way between Sakura's legs.

With a sweep of his tongue, he moved his mouth down to her neck, biting and sucking gently like she had done to him just moments before. She brought one of her hands to her mouth to stifle her moans as he worshipped her and brought his hands down to squeeze her buttocks. Sakura squeaked at the touch, jumping and slamming herself into the wall, knocking her head ever so slightly against the brick and jarring both of them out of their reverie.

Kakashi chuckled at her muffled swearing. "Are you okay?"

She stared hazily into Kakashi's slate gray eyes, nodding shyly, as he pulled away to rest his forehead against hers. "That went farther than I was intending," Sakura murmured slowly as she realized that one of her hands had crawled up Kakashi's shirt to dig it's nails into his back while the other one was still thrown around his neck, pressing firmly into his shoulder blades and making sure that he was pressed up tightly against her.

Kakashi gave her a confident smirk as he squeezed her ass again and she squealed wriggling out of his grasp, "Don't play with fire Sakura," Kakashi grinned, loving that he once again had an avenue to tease her by. The sea wasn't close to Konoha, but he hoped that her butt would always be within reach.

Sakura smacked him playfully on the shoulder as she retracted her hands from his hot skin and he slid his hands back to her hips. He peppered soft sweet kisses on her cheeks and the bridge of her nose as Sakura giggled in happiness, tracing patterns on the back of his neck with her fingers. "I'm liking this dating thing," Sakura whispered into his ear.

Kakashi smiled, "Yeah, me too."

"Do you want to go for a walk in the park before heading home?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."


Thank you so much to all of those who reviewed! I appreciate each and everyone of your kind words :).

Somber's Corner

This... was a hard chapter to write, mainly because it wasn't initially in the original draft of my story. But I thought that we needed some cute datey stuff between the two of them and how they are just awkward, cutey pies. I hope you guys like it and that there aren't too many typos D: