Disclaimer: *blows raspberry* *crosses arms* Oh fiiine. I don't own the Naruto universe or anything in or from it. Damn it.
After-glow
The day after Sakura and Kakashi's first date. Sakura was back at work and back to being entirely swamped. The amount of paperwork that she was responsible for had doubled. Early that morning, Shizune had gone to meet up with Tsunade on a diplomatic mission to the Land of Flowers to see about getting access to some rare herbs that grew in those lands. Sakura already had a large work load being the Head Medic, but covering for the head of the Hospital meant meetings that went on endlessly and petty politics in board meetings. It was tedious and Sakura hated every second of it. So, on her lunch break, when there had been a team of ANBU that had come into the hospital with some nasty injuries and a possible case of poisoning, Sakura was all too happy to take up her role Head Medic once more and get the hell out of meetings. If her nurses were freaked out by how chipper this news made the pinkette, then they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut. After all, she wasn't called "Mini Tsunade" for no reason. Likewise, if the board needed her to continue on in that horrible excuse of a meeting, then they quietly rescheduled for the same reason.
This emergency surgery also meant that she would miss out on her and Kakashi's daily trip out to lunch; but, she had found a message from him on her desk at the end of her shift telling her that he couldn't make it today because Naruto had asked for him to come in for some diplomatic issue. So, in the end, her escape from board rooms had worked out, especially since the surgery had gone off without a hitch.
Successful it may have been, but it had also been a long ordeal. That mixed with all the added duties she had been piled with, and it was a very worn down and drained Sakura who strolled out of the Hospital at the end of her work day. Nearing the Academy, she could see that class had not been out for long. Students were still pouring out and the crowd of parents at the front of the building was still quite large. A head of white blonde paired with one of near black caught Sakura's attention.
"Hey Hinata, Ino, how's it going?" Sakura asked through a yawn as she made her way to stand with them.
"Hi Sakura," "Hey Forehead," each responded respectively.
"It's good to see you," Hinata smiled while eyeing her newly arrived friend's appearance, "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah, you look like shit," Ino added concerned.
"I'm not sick, if that's what you mean. It was a long day at the hospital is all," Sakura replied wearily as she looked over the children exiting the school. As an afterthought, she added, "And I stayed out later than I probably should have last night."
"Why were you out late last night?" Ino probed her eyes snapping to Sakura. The expression on her face made Sakura's eyes narrow.
Hinata looked thrilled, "Was last night the night Kakashi-sama had planned for your date?"
At this Ino nearly squealed in glee, "You had a date! An actual real date!" She practically vibrated at the new gossip, smacking Sakura's arm with a suggestive grin, "You naughty girl! When the kiddie is away the mama will play, eh?"
Sakura rubbed a hand over her face even as she flushed, "Gods, Ino, you are such a perv sometimes." Ino only cackled while Hinata smiled.
"You did say you had a late night," Hinata's gentle voice saying such things still gave Sakura mental whiplash.
Sputtering, Sakura hid her face behind her hands, "You two are evil." Shooting glares at their answering laughter, Sakura sighed before a smile wriggled its way onto her face, "It was pretty amazing."
"No. Flipping. Way," Ino eyed the faraway dreamy expression Sakura had suddenly taken on, "You got laid," she concluded with mouth agape as Hinata blushed ten shades of red fanning her face.
"What!" Sakura snapped out of it, "No! No I didn't! Kami, Ino, it was only our first date!"
Ino scoffed, "Yeah, but you've known the guy for what? Sixteen years?"
"I did not sleep with him," Sakura growled in embarrassment.
"Yet," Ino grinned. Sakura growled tugging at her hair in frustration as Ino cackled.
Hinata cleared her throat stopping the bickering of the two as she asked, "So what did he take you out to do?"
Sakura's irritation drained away as that dreamy smile returned, "A spar and a picnic."
Ino blinked, "You are kidding me. He took you to spar?" She spit out the word as though it had a bad taste, "Sakura, that's a terrible date."
"I think it suits him," Hinata stated before Sakura could jump on Ino.
"Pfft, yeah, he is a ninja. So is Sakura, a spar is training and who wants to do that when you could be cuddled up in a corner booth getting cozy over some champagne?" Ino snorted flicking her hair over her shoulder. She'd never admit it, but she was a bit pissed at Kakashi for Sakura. She felt Sakura deserved a guy who would treat her right after the Sasuke situation, and so far, Kakashi wasn't meeting her standards.
Sakura tsked a bit put off by Ino's dismissal, "First off, Ino, not everyone has the same ideas of what makes a good date and what doesn't."
"It's the quality time together that I really love," Hinata admitted with a dreamy sigh of her own earning amused smiles from her friends.
"Exactly," Sakura laughed before turning back to Ino, "Besides, it wasn't just a spar and a picnic. It was very romantic."
A chorus of shouted, "Mom!" brought the three seasoned kunoichis' attention towards the front of the school. Spotting their children headed over in a group, Ino looked to Sakura, "You aren't getting off that easy. I want to hear every single detail. How does tomorrow for lunch sound? Think you can get out of your lunch date with Kakashi?" She grinned as Sakura flushed.
Grumbling, "I think I can manage," Sakura huffed under her breath as Hinata and Ino nodded in confirmation.
The group shared greetings and then finally parted ways, Sakura tousled Sarada's silken locks with a pleased grin at the cute huff she got in return, "So, bunny, how was your day at school?" Sakura asked in a near singsong voice using her term of endearment for her adorable little daughter.
Blush dusting her pale nose, Sarada tsked in a very Sasuke-like fashion before rolling her eyes, "It was fine, Mom."
"Aw, come on, you have to give me more than that," Sakura teased, "Let your poor old Mama live vicariously through you."
"Ugh, Mom, you're so weird sometimes," Sarada huffed even as she tried to hide her grin. The Uchiha heiress might not admit it, but she loved her Mom's playfulness. "We worked on kunai's today. It was boring," she added after a descent display of being put out by her mother.
"Oh?" Sakura grinned. She knew when Sarada said something was boring it was because she found that subject matter easy and didn't feel challenged enough. Her daughter was a genius, after all. "Well, boring it may be, but be sure you don't slack on your basics," Sakura advised.
"I know, Mama," the young Uchiha smiled slightly before asking, "So, what did you do last night while I was at Inojin's?"
"Hm?" Sakura flushed a bit caught off guard. It wasn't anything new. They always traded tales about their time spent apart, but Sakura didn't feel it was appropriate to disclose her date. Or her relationship with Kakashi at all. After all, Sarada was only 10 and, as far as she knew, her parents hadn't been divorced but for a several months. It was too much to spring on someone so young.
"Mom?"
The question brought Sakura back as she looked down at the curious gaze of her daughter, "Ah, gomen, bunny, I drifted off thinking about dinner. As for my night, I ran some errands around town and then did some training." It wasn't a full disclosure, but it wasn't exactly a lie either.
"Hn," Sarada nodded instantly disinterested in her mother's boring answer, "So, what's for dinner?"
The next day, Sakura sent a note out to Kakashi when she arrived at the Hospital for her shift. She let him know that she was planning to meet Ino and Hinata for lunch today, so they'd have to put off their usual meet up until her next shift. She was expecting a simple note in response, so when a puff of smoke burst in her office in the middle of her doing paperwork, several pens ended up sticking out of the wall like senbon.
"Kakashi!?" Sakura shrieked when she saw who was responsible for nearly giving her a heart attack.
He chuckled sheepishly, "Gomen, Sakura." He lifted a cup of her favorite coffee, "I got your message and I wanted to drop this by since I won't see you until you get off."
Her ire vanished as she stood and rounded the desk. Taking the offered cup, she breathed in its heavenly fumes before setting it on her office. "Gomen, Kakashi, I could use it," she smiled up at him as he stood over her in his all too familiar slouch.
His grin through his mask had her heart doing flips as he stepped closer. Her hand ghosted up his chest to rest behind his neck as his hand flitted to the edge of his mask. Tugging it down passed his chin, he pressed her to him fully as her knees gave out under the full effect of his crooked grin, "Mah, Sakura-chan, surely I earned more of a 'Thank you' than that."
She scoffed lightly as her fingers played with the hair at his neck, "Perv," her insult came out breathy and was cut off by her pulling him down to meet her lips. As his large hands encompassed the expanse of her back, Sakura sighed happily into their kiss feeling him smile beneath her lips, "Hush," she nipped at his bottom lip earning a light growl, "I missed you yesterday."
He didn't answer, but the way he held her closer, one hand getting lost in her hair and the other holding her against him as he deepened their kiss, spoke more than enough. He had missed her too.
When she backed into her desk, a startled yelp escaped her earning a deep chuckle from Kakashi. "Opps, don't want to mess up your paperwork," his voice didn't sound the least bit sorry as he moved her full coffee away from the edge of the desk. Once it was safely away, he picked her up sitting her on the edge of her desk chuckling at the second startled yelp he got out of her. "Shh," he said still chuckling, "Someone might hear and get the wrong idea."
Green eyes flashed as she pursed her lips with a glare lacking any real heat, "Wrong idea, huh?" She asked as he stepped between her legs dangling over the desks edge.
He mocked offense, hand to his chest, "Why Sakura, what do you take me for?"
She merely huffed smacking his arm lightly before spreading her legs just a bit more, her pencil skirt rising on her hips higher as she tugged him closer. She grinned as his humor was replaced by a darker look, his hands brushing up the newly exposed skin of her thighs at his sides, "Kakashi."
"Hm?" he hummed as his lips brushed her neck lightly.
"Shut up and kiss me," she demanded as she brought her leg up to wrap around his waist.
His hand gripped her thigh, "Yes, ma'am," his deep timbre rumbling through her as he proceeded to do just that.
It was a very flushed and thoroughly mussed Sakura who emerged for her lunch break two hours later. She never did get to her coffee.
Running her hands over her hair once more, Sakura walked into the café that Hinata and Ino were waiting for her for lunch. Hinata had spotted her and waved with a beaming smile over Ino's head, who then turned around to see who Hinata had been waving at. Upon seeing Sakura, Ino's all-to-knowing eyes seemed to catalog every inch of Sakura's person.
Consciously tugging her skirt down, Sakura walked up to the empty seat left for her, "Hey guys, sorry if I kept you waiting."
Hinata waved her off, "Don't be silly. We just got here ourselves."
Sakura smiled in relief, "Oh good." Picking up her menu, she felt eyes on her. She glanced over the top of her menu to meet Ino's gaze, quirking up her brow in question at her friends look.
Ino only grinned while pretending to pick up and read her own menu over. With an air of nonchalance, she began, "So~ see Kakashi today?"
Much to her chagrin, Sakura's face flushed, "He is my boyfriend. Of course I saw him today." Unfortunately, her matter-of-fact answer drew up more questions.
"Oh! Did you not work today?" Hinata asked in innocence, genuinely thinking she had been mistaken about Sakura's schedule.
Internally cursing as Ino practically glowed, Sakura bit her lip, "No, I did work today. But when he got my message about lunch, he thought he could bring me a coffee to make up for it." At the lack of response, Sakura looked up. Hinata had a silly dreamy look on her face and Ino was grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "What? He was just being sweet," she added in defense.
Hinata reached to pat her hand, "Its okay, Sakura. I remember when Naruto and I used to try and come up with any excuse to steal a moment for some secret kisses in Hokage Tower, or the board room, in the training grounds, or-"
"Ah!" Sakura slapped her hands over her ears, "La, la, la, la! That is more than I ever wanted to hear about Naruto. He is like my brother." She shuddered, "I feel dirty now."
Hinata laughed a bell-like laugh and Ino grinned, giggling, "Really, Sakura, what Hina is trying to say is that we get it."
Sakura blushed avoiding their eyes.
"We've all been new in love before," Hinata sighed dreamily once more.
"Whoa. Whoa, whoa. Nobody said anything about anyone being in love," Sakura shook her hands as though shaking the thought off. "We've only had one date, guys. Don't you think that's rushing it a bit?"
Ino fixed her with a look, "Is it?" At the lost look Sakura gave her, Ino sighed before closing her menu, "Alright, why don't we talk about the date? Start from the beginning."
Sakura breathed in relief. This was something she could talk about. Something lacking in the feelings of panic the previous topic had spurned in her. She'd think about why that was later, but for right now, she was going to relive the best date of her life.
"It started out with a poem he wrote me~"
It was now nearing the end of their lunch. Empty plates sat discarded as Hinata and Ino sat enraptured on the edge of their seats. Their attention solely focused on the tale Sakura was sharing, even the waitress and two older women nearby had been drawn into the story. Her audience sighed and gasped along with her retelling.
Now at the end of her story, Sakura sat leaning back into her seat. A faraway look on her face and a hand resting over her lips as she pulled up the memory, "And with that last kiss goodnight, he vanished." The chorus of sighs snapped her out of her daydream. Face flushing fully, she grumbled, "Would you guys stop that? It's embarrassing."
Ino tsked, "Oh please! How can we not!? I take back what I said before. Who knew Hatake was such a romantic?"
"It really is romantic," the waitress sighed as she eyed Sakura as though eyeing competition. Ino glared at her and asked for the check, sending the woman away.
Hinata grasped Sakura's hands, her face the picture of happiness, "Sakura, I am so happy for you. That Kakashi would go through so much trouble when he could have just taken you to a movie or out to eat says a lot. He is taking this very seriously."
Sakura sighed as she smiled, "I know he is. At times, it is a bit overwhelming. I just never thought I'd have something again, you know? And for it to happen within a year of Sasuke and I finally getting the divorce we had toyed around with for so long…" She shrugged.
"Saku-bae," Ino sighed using that teasing nickname Sakura hated, earning a giggle from Hinata and Sakura, "You shouldn't feel guilty about any of this."
"I know," Sakura agreed though her tone sounded a bit miserable, "Our split was mutual. I know I have nothing to feel guilty about, and I don't really towards Sasuke, that's not what this is about."
"Then what is it?" Hinata asked worried for her friend's chance at happiness.
"Sarada, I guess," Sakura admitted, "I guess I just worry about how it would look to her and to people in the village. The rumors were so crazy around our divorce and the way those parents reacted and Sarada overhearing. I just don't want a repeat. I don't want my daughter getting hurt and running off. It terrified me when Kakashi told me she hadn't showed up at school."
"Yeah, but who found her?" Ino asked before answering her rhetorical question, "Kakashi did. As soon as he heard, he went looking for her. And he found her."
"He might not be there next time," Sakura said, her head falling into her hands, "Sure, he found her and talked her down last time, but last time wasn't because of her Mom dating him."
At this, Ino sat back. To some extent, Sakura had a point; there was no telling how Sarada would react to the news of Sakura moving on. However, she truly felt that Sakura couldn't just not move on out of fear of how her daughter may or may not react. It just wasn't logical, nor was it healthy. And Ino could tell that Kakashi really seemed to care about Sakura. If his over-the-top date and the amount of thought he put into it was anything to go by, the Copy-nin was most likely already falling hard for Sakura, if he hadn't already fallen completely. But, Ino had no idea how to express all of this to her dearest friend, so she just huffed crossing her arms in aggravation at the situation.
A clearing throat caught the three thinking girls' attention. "If we may," one of the older women spoke up from the small table close to theirs, "Ida and I heard your story. We apologize for eavesdropping, but romantic tales are so rare these days."
Sakura blushed, "It's okay."
Ida spoke up, "Kumi and I were talking about your dilemma and I think we have some advice that might help you decide what to do."
Sakura perked up at this, "Please, do go ahead," she urged.
"Well, you see," Kumi said, "Ida and I both got divorced from our first husbands."
"Oh?" Ino said, no curious about their story.
"Kumi's husband was best friends with mine. We met then and became good friends, but as we each started having troubles in our marriages, we became distant. Both of us dealing with the turmoil, but not knowing our friend was in the same boat," Ida explained.
"My husband was a ninja. After the Third Shinobi War, he returned a different man. I knew what I was getting into when I married him. I loved him and tried to be there for him when he came back. However, he pushed me away," Kumi explained, "My once cheerful husband became sullen and quiet. When I found out I was with child, I thought that it would help to heal the wounds of our marriage. I stayed because of this hope. Instead, with our child's birth, he seemed to distance himself more. He avoided being near our daughter and I worried that perhaps he had not wanted her. When I finally confronted him, he told me his feelings about her. He felt he was damaged goods and that his sins would tarnish her pure daughter. After his confession, I tried everything to make our family work. I tried to get him to see how silly he was being. In the end, I could not make him see his error. He had pulled away from me, and then, having pulled away from our daughter, I finally left him."
"Oh, Kumi-san, what a sad story!" Hinata exclaimed tearfully.
Kumi merely smiled, "Ah, but that is not the end of my story. I found love once again." She looked to Sakura with a dreamy smile, "My Icharu. I too felt that I would never find love again, but I did. In Icharu, I found true love of the purest kind. He loves me and my daughter as though she was his own. In truth, he is the only father she has ever known. So don't lose hope."
Sakura smiled in thanks, "Thank you Kumi-san. But how did your daughter react to Icharu?"
"At first?" Kumi grinned in secret laughter, "At first, she was a little terror." She cackled as Sakura's face blanched, "But, her protest did not last long. Once she spent time with Icharu alone and with all of us together, they developed a bond. But, keep in mind that my little Mara did not know Icharu before being introduced to him through me. By then, Icharu and I were already nearly ready to get engaged. I feel that if she had known him already, her reaction at first would've been a bit different."
Sakura had relaxed at Kumi's further explanation, "Gomen, Kumi-san. Your story really has made me feel much better."
"You're very welcome, dearie," Kumi smiled, pleased.
Ino looked at Ira, "What about you? Did you find true love again?"
Ira grinned a wicked grin, "Oh did I ever." Clapping her hands together, Ira began theatrically, "Let me tell you young ladies about me and my Tasoke and how he taught me all about love and passion."
Needless to say, it was three very flushed and very embarrassed kunoichi who left the café a short while later.
"Ma, Ino, Hinata?" Sakura spoke, her voice trembling, "You think Ira-san is related to Anko?"
Ino shuddered as a particularly hardcore, x-rated detail resurfaced, "I think I don't want to think anymore."
"I think I need to go find Naruto," Hinata stated before blushing furiously at the agape expressions on Sakura and Ino's faces.
That evening when Sakura got off of work, Kakashi was left entirely confused as to why his girlfriend seemed incapable of meeting his gaze without flushing.
DONT LOOK AT ME!
This chapter was not filler I swear.
No really. Hinata and Ino are Sakura's closest girlfriend's, along with Temari. You can't tell me how important it was for Saku to share her date with Kakashi with her friends. In her sensitive state, she needed the emotional support and mental pepping that her girl friend's could give her. Kumi and Ida were added bonuses. heh. Comedic relief. Plus, how much advice could Hinata and Ino give Sakura about dealing with divorce? Not a lot.
Any ways, poor Kakashi at the end. So confused. he he.
Working up to the main plot, which will be introduced next chapter! Tra la la.
There will be some kind of obstacle to overcome. This will not just be shitting rainbows and farted butterflies into the sunset. Nothing too dramatic though. I'm all about that realism, in case you couldn't tell.
Ok, I've been rambling long enough.
Comment and such please and thank you! XOXO