A/N: Alrighty, folks! The REAL moment you've all been waiting for! No, not the end. I promise you, this is only just the beginning. At least one person was wondering when NSFW content would come into this story. It has an M rating for a reason, and here's where it begins. You have been warned, so please wait to read this until you get home. I am not liable if you get fired! Haha!

Chapter Fourteen: What You Never Knew You Needed

"I just received a messenger hawk early this morning from Lord Gaara. His negotiations with Tetsuo went very well. I suspect that he, Temari, and Konkuro are already on their way to meet with the Suchikage. Well done, you two."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," said Kakashi. "Lord Gaara sends his regards."

"You had no trouble on your return trip I presume?"

The two Jonin shared a knowing look before returning their attention to the Hokage.

"No trouble at all."

"After two weeks, that mission is finally finished," said Anko as the pair walked side-by-side. "It's about time."

Kakashi glanced at her. "At least we can't say it was boring, right?"

She giggled, looking up at him through her long lashes—an unusually feminine response from the snake kunoichi. Kakashi flushed beneath his mask.

"No, I guess we can't."

It seemed all had been forgiven. She was no longer angry with him anyway. He had quickly come to realize that she had not been upset by the kiss he had given her during their sparring match. No, her ire had been because he had disappeared. That entire situation had been difficult because they had not trusted each other, and although he had removed his mask for her, he still felt as though he needed to do something make up for his mistake and the rift that had come between them. He turned to her.

"Anko?"

"Huh?"

After a moment's hesitation, he spoke. "Would you like to see where I disappeared to the other day?" he asked conversationally.

She tilted her head. "You mean you're going to show me? I looked all over the village for you!"

"I wasn't in the village…" He said, and she looked back at him in sudden understanding. "Come, I'll show you."

Anko followed, her interest piqued, as Kakashi led her through the gate, and down the road a ways before they veered off into the trees and found a deer trail. She was surprised at how far they had to walk, and when she asked about it, he assured her that they were almost there.

Ahead of them, the path looked overgrown with grass and weeds, and vines hung down so low they nearly touched the ground. She looked up to trace their source, but the greenery around them made it difficult. Stepping in front of her, Kakashi reached for the vines and pulled them away to reveal a clearing on the other side.

Curiously, Anko stepped through the opening into a shaded clearing on the river bank. A small waterfall spilled into the mouth of the river, and when she looked above her, she realized that the vines belonged to a sprawling weeping willow tree. Yellow flowers lined the water, and birds fluttered out from the tree and darted into the sky. The sight was breathtaking, and she slowly turned to take it all in.

Blue butterflies appeared from out of the tall grass beside her, and she watched them flutter around her before they found safe places to land.

"I thought you might want to see it. This is where I come when I don't want to be found."

She turned to find him standing some distance behind her. "Is this your way of apologizing?"

"In a manner of speaking…" he said as he stepped toward her, hands in his pockets. "I see no need to keep secrets. I've already shown you what's underneath my mask."

She smiled. "The next time you tick me off and disappear, you know this is the first place I'm going to look, right?"

He shrugged, his grey eye wandering. "It's a big forest…"

She laughed and slapped his arm. "You're such a jerk."

"At least I'm an honest jerk."

She gave him a sympathetic look. "I know that must have been hard for you…taking off your mask…"

"Not really," he said offhandedly. "It was better than the alternative…"

"Which was?"

Looking down into her eyes which had changed so drastically from a few short hours ago, he was reminded of the pain he had found within their depths as the reality of her own bleak image of herself sunk in. He wasn't keen to revisit that at the moment, and he certainly did not think it was a good time to broach that subject.

"Perhaps that's a conversation for another day," he suggested. He took her hand and backed toward the tree, taking her with him.

Still a little awestruck, she allowed him to lead her, and when he sat down between the large roots of the willow tree, she followed. When his arm curled around her waist, pulling her into his side, she could only stare up at him as she was flooded with new wonderful, yet foreign feelings. The butterflies that danced around the clearing might as well have been fluttering in her belly, and she was overcome by the desire to touch him, to hold onto him, and to never let go. Acting on that impulse, she grasped his arm only to question her need to do so.

His other hand came to rest upon hers, and he smiled down at her with his signature eye-crinkle. She felt a deep blush begin to warm her cheeks, and she leaned her head against his shoulder to hide it, a smile on her face.

They sat there as afternoon turned to evening, and it wasn't long before a tired Anko fell asleep in his arms. It seemed neither one of them had gotten much sleep on their mission. Not wanting to wake her, Kakashi leaned his head atop Anko's and closed his eyes to rest.

X-X-X

Kurenai had just put Kenta down for a nap when a knock came at the door. After giving the toddler a kiss on the forehead, she left the nursery and walked down the hallway into the foyer. She opened the door, surprised at who stood on the other side.

"I'm sorry," said Anko, an uncharacteristically sheepish look on her face. "I don't really have anyone else to talk to."

Kurenai invited her in and took a detour to the kitchen to fetch them some tea. When she entered the sitting room, she found Anko was already seated on one of the sofas. She set the tea tray down and took a seat across from her.

"Is everything alright?" Asked the older woman.

"Well, nothing's wrong, if that's what you mean." Anko paused. "It's Kakashi."

Somehow, Kurenai wasn't surprised.

"What about him?"

Not knowing exactly how to introduce the discussion, Anko looked down as she fidgeted with her hands. She chewed her lip for a moment before she finally decided she should just spit it out.

"Kakashi kissed me," she said quietly. Kurenai's eyes widened in surprise, but her jaw dropped when Anko added, "without the mask."

Composing her features, Kurenai asked tentatively, "Did you want him to?"

"I…" She sighed. "Maybe I should start from the beginning… Remember when I asked you about his odd behavior?"

"I do."

"Well, let's just say it got even stranger…" Kurenai listened carefully as Anko told her about the trip to the Memorial Stone, their most recent mission, their sparring match, and what had just occurred the day before.

A gentle smile touched the older woman's lips. "Well what do you know? Kakashi is a romantic at heart after all."

Anko shook her head. "I still don't understand… I didn't do anything… I'm not…I mean, I'm not exactly the easiest person to get along with, and…"

"Do you love him?"

Anko's eyes snapped to Kurenai's, the question taking her completely by surprise. Did she love Kakashi? She certainly felt something for the masked Jonin, something she'd never felt before. But was it too soon to call it love? That word had never crossed her mind—not once. Then again, she couldn't remember ever entertaining thoughts of a romantic relationship. She hadn't been looking for one.

Sensing that Anko needed time to puzzle out the answer to that question in her own head and heart, she said, "I confess that I don't know you very well. But seeing as how you two have become so close lately, I'm certain he knows you far better than I. He is such a private person… If he showed you his face, if he kissed you, with or without that mask…then he sees something in you that's worth showing you the man that no one else has ever had the privilege of seeing."

"You mean…he's never had a…a girlfriend?" Anko asked in quiet disbelief.

"Not that I'm aware of. I think he has shown interest in a few women before, but nothing serious—and he certainly never showed any of them his face." Anko stared at her, knowing that her jaw was hanging open, but not caring to close it. "He isn't one to reveal anything personal about himself unless he thinks it's worth the investment. My guess is that if he didn't foresee a serious relationship, he wouldn't dare take a chance."

"Have…you ever seen his face?"

"A few times…when we were younger. We were still kids back then…"

Anko had known for a long time that Kakashi's mask was important to him since it represented the sharp distinction he made between comrades and those he was willing to make a real personal connection with, but until hearing Kurenai's words, she hadn't truly understood the weight associated with that simple piece of fabric. If Kurenai, who had grown up around Kakashi, hadn't seen his face in fifteen years or so, that said volumes about what Kakashi had wanted to tell her the day before when he removed his mask.

The revelation only confused Anko all the more. What had she done to earn his trust? To earn the privilege of knowing his true identity? It seemed all she did was misinterpret things and overreact. She knew how to support her comrades on the battlefield. What she didn't know was how to invest in another person in a way that made her deserving of such trust and emotional commitment.

"Hey."

Anko refocused on Kurenai's face.

"The fact that Kakashi revealed himself to you is nothing to take for granted, but you shouldn't overthink it. Just…be honest, go with the flow, and follow your heart. It's really no more complicated than that. He knows what he's doing, and if you pay attention, you'll hear clearly what it is that he's trying to tell you."

"You think so?"

She smiled genuinely. "Don't you? Trust me when I say there's no one better to put your faith in than Kakashi. He may be quite difficult to catch, but he'll never let you down."

Anko smiled. "I believe that…"

X-X-X

Kakashi walked toward the other end of the village, not in any particular hurry. He was on his way to see Shikamaru, but his mind was otherwise occupied. It was almost two in the afternoon and he hadn't seen Anko yet that day. He figured she would have found him by now.

He blinked as his eyes focused on the road ahead of him and a familiar figure came into view.

'Speak of the devil,' he thought.

When she looked up and saw him, a big smile lit up her face. She took off into a run, heading straight for him. He stopped in his tracks, bracing himself just in time for her to practically jump into his arms. She squeezed his middle before she lifted herself onto her toes and kissed his cheek.

"What was all that for?" he asked, staring down at her in utter bewilderment.

"I haven't seen you since yesterday!"

"I wonder what you'd do if we didn't see each other for a week," he mused.

"I'll just have to tell the Hokage not to send you off on a mission without me," she grinned.

"Somehow I have a feeling she'll separate us on purpose when she finds out about us. Separation of personal and working and relationships, you know…"

"Then we just won't tell her, now will we?" she whispered. "So where are you headed?"

"I'm off to see Shikamaru. It seems I'm running a little behind…"

A mischievous look formed in those light brown eyes. "Since you're late anyway, then I guess a few more minutes isn't going to make a difference."

"Wha—"

Before he could even form the question, she had grabbed his arm and pulled him into the alley to his left. Pushing him against the wall of a shop that was hidden behind a stack of barrels, Anko yanked down his mask and covered his mouth with hers. The heat pooled in her belly as Kakashi's surprise was replaced by compliance, and he met her passionate kisses with his own. She shivered as his hands came to rest on her body and he ran them up along her sides beneath her coat.

Her tongue flicked across his lips, and Kakashi obliged her by letting it pass between his lips. Remembering the other night by the campfire and wanting to see that hunger in her eyes again, he reached into his pouch and purposefully nicked himself with one of his knives, reopening the nearly-healed cut on his finger. Her mouth left his as he lifted his hand for her to see.

Her face heated at the sight of his blood and the knowledge that his injury was not accidental this time. He looked at her expectantly, and she couldn't have denied him even if she had wanted to. She eagerly took his finger into her mouth. He leaned his forehead against hers, staring straight into her darkened irises while she drew pleasure from the oral stimulation.

She didn't release his hand as she reached up to push his headband away from his left eye. Knowing she wanted to see it, he slowly opened his Sharringan. It whirred, hypnotizing her as she stared into the blood-red iris and continued to suck at the small cut on his finger.

She attacked his lips again, biting his lower one to draw blood so that she could still taste it. Kakashi grunted before lightly and pointedly pushing her away. He saw the hunger darken her eyes and they flashed momentarily with annoyance as he replaced his mask.

"As much as I hate to end this, I really must get going." Her grip on his vest tightened, but he took her hands in his. "Can I stop by your place later?"

As her high began to diminish, his words started to make sense. He had an obligation to keep, and there would be time for more make-out sessions once it was over. Her grip loosened, and she grinned.

"I look forward to it," she purred. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek again before she pulled away and disappeared, leaping up onto the rooftops and heading home.

He stared after her and sighed. "Well there goes my concentration for the day…"

Sure enough, when he met up with Shikamaru at the station, Kakashi found it difficult to keep his mind on the conversation. Blueprints and schematics were not the most interesting discussion topic at the moment, but he did what he could to help the Nara complete his plans for a new training field.

He went home for a little while to eat, to shower, and to start a load of laundry before he set out for Anko's apartment.

Kakashi didn't bother to knock since Anko was expecting him. Entering her apartment, he stepped out of his sandals and hung his vest beside the door. He didn't see her in the kitchen or the living room, so he wandered down the hallway to check her bedroom.

"Yo," he greeted happily as he glanced around the room and found Anko standing in front of the mirror in the corner, her trench coat discarded. Expecting a reply from the usually alert snake kunoichi, Kakashi furrowed his brows when she didn't seem to have heard him. He stepped further into the room. "Anko?" he spoke quietly.

When Anko finally saw his reflection behind her in the mirror, she turned to him, a little startled. "O-oh, hey!" she said with a casual smile.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed as it clicked somewhere in his brain that her expression was forced. Her reflection had been rather sullen a few short moments before—not what he had expected after their heated encounter in the alley earlier.

"Is something wrong?"

"Huh—what? No," she replied, sounding confused.

Kakashi didn't buy it. He placed a hand on her shoulder and met her gaze evenly. "Anko. What is it?"

The concern in his visible eye was not something she was used to. It made her feel slightly guilty for her previous thoughts because here was someone who truly cared about her, woman and all. Still, she didn't want to trouble him with her own silly emotions.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," she said, trying to push away the subject with an air of cheerfulness.

Kakashi closed his eye with a soft sigh. "Pride is a tricky thing. It's even trickier when coupled with distrust." Their eyes met a second later. "You know you can tell me anything. You don't have to lie."

Anko frowned. "It really isn't something you need to worry about."

She watched the emotions flicker across his usually lazy eye and found that disappointment had joined his concern. She let out a breath and looked away.

"Alright. If you must know…" Kakashi watched her expression change again as she stared back at her reflection. "It's just…so hard for me to get used to this. To us."

"Meaning…?" he asked a little hesitantly.

She gave a small, humorless chuckle as her light brown eyes saddened. "I've always been the tomboy—just one of the guys. It never bothered me before. I mean, I've never felt like less of a woman because of it." She ducked her head so she didn't have to meet her own eyes in the mirror. "This is all so new to me—this feeling of having someone who cares about me as a woman…someone who actually makes me feel like one."

There was a long silence in which Anko continued to stare down at the floor while Kakashi studied her face in the mirror. The truth of her statement struck a chord in his heart, especially when he recalled how he'd thought of Anko up until recently and the pain he'd witnessed in her the day before. She was right of course. He would have described her as the tomboy that she was, and though her gender was as obvious as Gai and Lee's jumpsuits, he could honestly say he hadn't paid much attention to the womanly part of her before (emotionally speaking. Physically, it was damn near impossible to forget that Anko was female).

Anko's head shot up to meet Kakashi's gaze in the mirror when she felt his hands in her hair.

"Anko," he said, his voice gentle and cordial as he worked at the hairband that kept her ponytail in place. "It's true, you might be tough and stubborn and quick tempered, not to mention terrifying at times," He chuckled. "But above all, you are first and foremost…"

They both watched Anko's reflection as her violet hair tumbled from its place on top of her head. Kakashi ran his fingers through it before his hands came to rest upon her shoulders, his face near her ear and his eyes meeting hers in the mirror.

"…a very beautiful woman, both inside…and out."

Anko's heart swelled at his words, her flushed face betraying how much he had flattered her. It wasn't unusual for men to take notice of her figure—for example, that night she'd walked into the bar and overheard her fellow male Jonin conversing about how they'd all like to sleep with her. However, the fact that Kakashi seemed to care not only about her body, but about her heart and her emotions, touched the deepest part of Anko's soul. It warmed her, and at that moment, she couldn't remember ever feeling such happiness.

"Kakashi…" She placed a hand over one of his, her gaze shifting from the mirror to his face. He turned his head slightly to look her in the eyes. Anko smiled, and this time it was genuine. "I wouldn't have guessed you had such a sweet side."

Kakashi chuckled and gave an eye-crinkle. "I wouldn't have guessed you did either." He pulled down his mask before running his hands down the length of Anko's arms as he brushed his lips against her neck. When he reached her wrists, he turned them so that her palms faced forward, then laced his fingers with hers.

Goosebumps covered her skin and she shivered deliciously at the sensation. Anko leaned her head back against Kakashi's shoulder and tilted it to the left to allow him better access as he continued to kiss and nip at the sensitive flesh. Suddenly she was conscious of every part of her body; how her heart had begun to beat rapidly, how her chest expanded with each breath she took, how the butterflies tickled her belly, how small her hands were in comparison to Kakashi's, how tender her neck really was. She couldn't remember a time when she'd ever felt so alive.

Kakashi's hands left hers to travel over her body, and Anko brought her arm up to hold his head in place as he placed his mouth at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Her lips parted in a quiet sigh and she closed her eyes, reveling in how wonderful his worship made her feel.

After a while, she turned in his arms, the desire to kiss him suddenly overpowering. Anko slid her hands up over his chest as she studied his handsome face. She tilted her head as she took in the presence of his headband which still covered his left eye. Reaching back behind his head, she pulled at the knot and removed it, the blue material falling away to reveal his Sharringan.

"Perfect," she breathed, letting his headband fall to the carpeted floor.

"Hm, not quite," Kakashi replied, referring to the scar across his eye.

She traced the scar lightly with two fingers. "Nah. I like it." With that, she leaned in to kiss him. Kakashi met her half way, their eyes locking as their lips meshed in a gentle caress.

Kakashi found himself being forced backwards as Anko stepped into him until his legs hit the edge of her bed. He let her push him further until he was sitting on the mattress, Anko standing between his legs as she leaned down, unwilling to completely break the lip lock.

His hands were now at her waist, and he pulled he mesh top out from her skirt, pushing it up so that he could splay his fingers over the bare skin of her abdomen. She ran her hands through his messy silver hair, and when he tore his mouth away from hers to kiss her collar bone, she gave a moan of approval, pulling his head against her chest before pushing him to lay back on the bed.

Anko climbed on top of him and reclaimed Kakashi's mouth in a feverish kiss which he gladly returned as he slipped his hands beneath her shirt again. Her muscles flexed under his touch, and she moaned against his lips in appreciation. Wanting to feel his hands all over her body, she sat up and pulled off her shirt, tossing it to the floor before she reached back to unhook her beige bra.

Kakashi couldn't help but grin in amusement. "So, you do wear a bra after all," he mused.

Anko paused in the process of removing the straps from her shoulders. Kakashi instantly regretted his interjection. She frowned a little. "Why wouldn't I? They'd just get in the way if I didn't."

"Oh…er…let's just say it's always been a debatable topic…"

Anko smirked. "Seriously? So you all go around wondering who wears bras and who doesn't?"

"No…just you…And I don't take part in those types of conversations."

"Oh, because you're so innocent, just sitting around reading Jiraiya's porn novels."

"They're romance novels."

"Besides," she said, ignoring his comment and giving him a rather sultry look instead. "I'm pretty sure the others' conversations got you wondering. Now you know…"

Kakashi watched as she slowly pulled the straps from her shoulders and let the cups fall away from her breasts. His hands slid up from her hips to her sides as she leaned over him again. She didn't miss how his gaze dropped to her chest.

Anko licked the side of his neck, then lightly bit at the skin above his Adam's apple, forcing his head back further into the pillow. She pressed her lips to the bite mark afterward and was excited to feel his quickened pulse beneath her mouth. That familiar bloodlust reared its head as she thought of the amount of blood being pumped throughout his body. She remembered the taste of it on his fingertip and wanted to taste it again.

Before she could act on the impulse, Kakashi had rolled them over so that he now lay above her. Her face held a rather miffed expression that was quickly wiped away when he kissed her again, his tongue invading her mouth and making her moan. Now it was her turn to feel up his body. She shoved his shirt up and growled against his lips when she found he also wore a tighter undershirt.

She tore her mouth away and tugged at the material. "Off."

He chuckled, but sat up to fulfill her request. "Demanding as usual."

"Hey, I showed you mine, now you show me yours. That's how it works, right?" she said with a smirk.

Wordlessly, Kakashi pulled off his sweatshirt, then his undershirt, and Anko's mouth watered at the expanse of his hard, toned chest and stomach.

"Happy?"

"Almost."

She reached for the top buckle of her skirt to release the blue side strap before she lifted her butt up to remove the skirt along with the leggings. Again, she noticed his eyes drop, this time to her legs as she threw the garments to the side.

Anko reached up and pulled his head back down to hers for another heated lip lock. Kakashi let his body lay over top of hers, using his arms to keep most of his weight from crushing her. Anko's free hand reached between them to feel the size of his crotch.

Kakashi groaned, pushing himself against her hand. It wasn't long before he discarded his pants and boxers altogether. Anko licked her lips as she took in the sight of him.

She gasped as his hand covered her pantie-clothed sex and lowered his head to wrap his mouth around one of her nipples. One of her hands held his face against her breast while she reached down with the other to grasp his hard erection. She wriggled beneath him as his mouth nipped and suckled, and when he pushed her underwear aside, she let her legs fall apart and arched her back with a short whimper as his fingers stroked her most sensitive area.

By the time he removed his hand and lifted his lips to hers, Anko was more than ready for what they both knew was coming next. She brought her legs up to hook her ankles at his waist, then began the motion of rubbing herself against his length. That sensation alone was almost enough to drive her wild. Her arms were around his neck as their tongues danced, their shared heat already coating their bodies in a thin sheen of sweat.

Before things could go any further, Anko pushed against his shoulders, forcing him to break the kiss. He met her eyes, which were determined, yet serious. He stared down at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Kakashi," she began. "…I'm not…"

He took a moment to decipher her meaning. Then he smiled in understanding. "Neither am I."

She smirked again. "Good. That means we both know what we're doing."

Anko lifted her lower body, and without hesitation, Kakashi pushed inside her. She gasped silently at the pain, then let out a long moan of pleasure as he slowly pulled out and reentered her. He stopped his movements to allow her time to adjust to his girth. When he felt her body lose some of its tension, he began an even pace. Kakashi placed his lips at her neck again, the gesture meant to be soothing.

Sex was not new to Anko, but the intense emotional and physical euphoria that had taken her over were so foreign and beautiful that she began to feel as if this was her very first time. Her body was alive, and her eyes had been opened to the joy of sharing something meaningful with another person. He wasn't rough with her. Instead, he seemed to treat her body as carefully as he treated her heart and mind, communicating that she was worth more than some form of primal pleasure. His lips ghosted across her face as he tried to tell her without words what he was feeling.

Overwhelmed by new and exciting emotions, a few small tears formed and rolled gently down her cheeks. He kissed them away, and she opened her eyes gaze up into his.

The emotions in those two mismatched eyes were so intense that it was impossible to look away from them. She realized that he had pinned her with his Sharringan and she stared into it, mesmerized. There was something he wanted her to see, and as those black spots whirled in the deep red iris, she understood.

He loved her. Nothing short of that could have prompted him to put all of his faith and trust in her. Despite all of their fights, all of their arguments, all of the times she had allowed her quick temper to get away from her, she was the light in his life. The light, the hope, and the woman he wanted to give his heart to. He had become far too attached to her over the past several months to let her go, and his only regret was that he hadn't admitted it to himself and to her earlier.

"Kakashi…" she said in the quietest of whispers as his unspoken confession filled her heart with a new joy. She lifted her hands to his face and pulled him down for another kiss, a kiss that accepted and returned that love and that devotion in a way that words never could.

Their eyes closed as the kiss slowly began to change, the passion and the hunger growing. As their kisses became more frantic, so too did the pace of their bodies as they moved together in that age-old rhythm. Anko tore her mouth away from his as she fought to keep their air flowing in and out of her lungs while the force and the pressure began to build. Her hands gripped his shoulders and her head fell back into the pillow, her legs falling open further as the sweet pleasure of mounting ecstasy shot through her body, from the top of her head, to the tips of her toes.

Kakashi was surprised to feel Anko's teeth bite down hard onto his shoulder. The quicker pace had raised both their heart rates, and she was reminded again of her earlier bloodlust. When he felt her tongue against his skin, he realized he was bleeding and that she was licking at the blood she'd drawn. He had never considered himself a masochist, but somehow her oral fixation only served to further his own arousal. They both growled as his speed increased yet again, Anko refusing to release his bleeding shoulder until the coil in her belly had wound so tightly it was about to be released.

Sure enough, the ecstasy was great enough to tear her mouth away from the minor wound she'd inflicted upon him when at last she finally came to climax. Kakashi rode out her orgasm, and even after she'd come down from her high, she still enjoyed the sweet strokes that slowed as he reached his limit.

She moaned as she felt herself being filled by his juices. Kakashi groaned as he gave a few more thrusts, then, with labored breaths, he carefully pulled out and lowered himself onto the bed beside her.

Anko's body felt conflicted as she lay sprawled across the sheets, trying mightily to force air into her lungs. Kakashi's arm wrapped around her, holding her body close to his. That dull burn between her legs was acutely uncomfortable, but she felt entirely too good to complain.

She had closed her eyes as she climaxed, and now let them flutter open in the hopes of finding Kakashi's face. She smiled when she saw how contended he looked, lying there with mussed hair and half-lidded eyes. It looked as if he was about to fall asleep. Then again, she mused, that could just be his expression talking. He was a naturally lazy-looking man.

Turning slowly onto her side, Anko nestled her head beneath his chin, her arms tucked between them. She couldn't think of one place she'd rather be than lying there in the warm circle of his arms.

Kakashi glanced down at her affectionately, still amazed that Anko did have a softer side. His hold tightened a little as he let his eyes fall closed completely, marveling at the feel of her small, supple body against his tall, hard one.

Yes, he was terrible with words, but he could convey a lot with his actions, and that was what he had set out to do tonight: to tell Anko how much she meant to him and how absolutely wonderful and beautiful she was. As much as he lacked a plausible explanation, no one had ever touched his heart the way she had. For weeks—for months—he had pushed away the idea that he had wanted and needed her around. The reality of it was that her absence, physically and/or emotionally, pained him. He wanted all of her, and the more of her he got to see and experience, the further he fell for the crazy snake lady.

As the physical pleasure created by their love-making waned, Anko became more and more aware of the emotions in her heart and the thoughts in her head. She hadn't made it easy on him, but he had shown her the truth—he had shown her how much he loved her. She hadn't known she needed his love until he'd given it, and she couldn't be more thankful for the gift. All she could do was made him a silent promise that she wouldn't take it for granted, and that she would return it with all her heart.

She laid her head on his chest, and to her, the sound of his steady heartbeat held the same effect as a lullaby. It wasn't long before she had closed her eyes.

Indeed, she did feel like a woman with Kakashi. She smiled at these last coherent thoughts, thinking about how grateful she was to him for nurturing her more feminine side. Finally, she felt beautiful—really, truly beautiful—and it was all thanks to the man who now held her in his arms.

A/N: So there is no consensus about what Anko wears—whether it's mesh or just a tight body suit, or some lightweight armor like chainmail. I don't know. But I think it would be stupid for her not to wear a bra or something—stupid and painful. So I'm operating under the assumption that she does wear a bra, and that her shit and leggings or her body suit or whatever is not see-through…though maybe it is. But if it is, why not run around naked? Geez. Love her, love her design and her character, but her attire is quite questionable, isn't it?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first of many lemons!