A/N: We're getting close to the end!
Verdict
I've been getting used to waking up with you,
I've been getting used to waking up here
Some days later, Sakura asked Kakashi if they could go visit Mino together. She was fairly embarrassed of the circumstances under which she'd last seen him.
And, even though Naruto was still basically going out of his way to avoid being in the same room as the both of them (which exasperated Sakura to no end—really, did he think that they were going to start making out in front of him? Kakashi, and her for that matter, weren't ones for public affection) she strongly believed that the group sessions Mino had orchestrated really had helped them grow and communicate better.
Sakura had apologized for the events of their last session together. Mino, though, had only smiled sweetly at both Sakura and Kakashi and said there was no need for an apology.
Stymied by his reaction, she had asked him his opinion.
"I had seen that you too were very close," he explained, pushing up his wire-rimmed glasses to better peer at them. "I had actually hoped for this. You two complement each other very well." He smiled again at their flabbergasted expressions. "When things settle down with the rest of your teammates, I would like to see you all in here for one more session, please. Will you pass that along?"
Sakura and Kakashi both gave two, slightly befuddled nods.
"Oh, and I have not yet told Hokage-sama of the proceedings of last session. I thought it best that you two break the news."
Sakura's heart almost petrified with fear. She might have even been more scared to tell Tsunade than Naruto. Kakashi for that matter, didn't seem fazed by the task because when Sakura looked to him with wide eyes, he wore his usual, taciturn, half-lidded expression. With Kakashi, though—and the mask hiding his tell-tale expressive mouth—that could mean anything. He might be freaking out internally.
She figured that they didn't have to tell Tsunade right away. It could wait a tad.
…
About a week later, Sakura had cajoled Naruto into playing cards with the rest of their teammates by fluttering her eyelashes at him and declaring that she had missed him. He had pretended to be reluctant but had eventually caved.
At first, there had been an awkward ambience about the room, but Sakura had wisely thought ahead and bought outrageous amounts of alcohol for that very occasion
After a few drinks each, the tense atmosphere had lessened considerably until they were conversing like the old days. Naruto had even thrown in a few jokes.
Sakura had stopped at a couple drinks and so had Kakashi. Sakura had discovered, though, that Naruto, who had drunk his fair share, was more pliable to her and Kakashi's relationship with alcohol. The kyuubi, she also knew, burned away most of the effects of the alcohol at double the rate as a normal person, which was why he still seemed only buzzed instead of shit-faced drunk.
"Hey, you two haven't told Baa-chan yet have you?" He said this with the barely restrained glee of a child who had just discovered a hidden sweet in the pocket of a trouser.
"Um, no we haven't," said Sakura uncomfortably, nervously dog-earring one of the cards she held.
"Why don't we all go do it right now!"
Naruto's enthusiastic suggestion was met with various responses.
Sai seemed to be calculating the percentage of the drama that might ensue and deciding whether it was worth the effort to witness.
Sasuke, the bastard, agreed with Naruto's decision. He shot Sakura a furtive glance after.
Yamato looked at Kakashi with the pitying expression of one who was already trying to decide what kind of flowers would look good on his grave.
Sakura very fittingly blanched with horror.
And Kakashi…
...Kakashi pondered the suggestion for a quick listless moment before he said "Sure."
"Wait, what?" Sakura squeaked, pivoting in her seat to gape at Kakashi. How could he be so calm about this?
Kakashi was already getting out of his seat. "It's okay, Sakura, we have to tell her eventually. Better sooner than later."
She very strongly disagreed. Very, very strongly disagreed.
He was already heading towards the door and donning his shoes. Sakura hastily did the same and followed, barely noticing the mass exodus of her other teammates following her through the door. "Yeah, but," Sakura stammered, "I thought that could be in a future where we're already married and that way I'll at least get half your stuff if she kills you!" The "M" word just kind of slipped out, but hey, she had thought of the possibility and they were heading there anyway right?
Kakashi thought nothing of it, though and lightly responded to her teasing with his own. "I knew you only liked me for my stuff."
Sakura groaned as she hurried after him. "Kakashi, I'm not joking! You'd better start running now!" She side-stepped a pothole in her way and Kakashi didn't wait to let her catch up. Sakura jogged to catch up to him again. "One time, there was a patient who started to get fresh with me during his appointments and once Tsunade got wind of how inappropriate he was being, she felt fit to remove all his hair and render him bald! I don't even know how that's medically possible all at once unless maybe caused by serious psychological trauma! I can't imagine what she'll try to do to you once she finds out! I like your hair, Kakashi!" Sakura wailed.
Unfazed, Kakashi said, "If I recall correctly, you seemed very judgemental about my hair a few weeks ago."
Sakura thought he was probably referring to that day she had yelled at him about his hair and simultaneously propositioned him at Ichiraku's. "I was working through something."
"Indeed."
"Kakashi, please."
"Sakura, it's fine."
Sakura tried, and failed spectacularly, to convince Kakashi to move to a different village and change his name on the way to the Hokage tower.
The group of six filed up the stairs and Kakashi promptly knocked on Tsunade's door. She barely noticed Shizune working at the desk to her left.
Sakura tried to keep her knees from shaking as Tsunade-Shishou responded with an obviously angry and snappish "come in!"
Aw, crap!
…
"Come in!" snapped Tsunade.
Well, she didn't seem to be in a good mood, Kakshi thought cheerfully.
He knew that the news he brought would clear that mood right up and might even prompt a celebratory drink.
Kakashi pushed open the door and prompted a now catatonic Sakura through the door. He felt momentarily guilty for not enlightening her to the fact that this was really no big deal… but if he had, he really would have ruined his own entertainment in the case of Naruto and how he completely misjudged how the next few moments were going to proceed. The little shit was almost rubbing his hands together in relish at what he thought was going to be Tsunade tearing him a new one.
The Hokage, when they entered, had a massive pile of paperwork in front of her and looked positively murderous. "Well? What do you all want?"
Naturally, Kakashi wasn't particularly good at words, so all he did was swing his gaze to look at Sakura very poignantly, look back at Tsunade, and give a thumbs-up.
Tsunade blinked for a calculating second —seconded by the others in the room—, before understanding entered her expression.
She suddenly burst out of her chair—Naruto giggled maliciously next to him—and crowed in triumph, "YES!"
Sakura gaped next to him.
Kakashi tried not to blush, stuck his hands in his pockets, and stared helplessly at the ceiling. He really didn't want to meet anyone's eyes at the moment.
Tsunade was grinning. "Shizune, get in here!" She called into the next room. "I won the damn bet and you owe me money! Drinks all around!" She then walked around her large mahogany desk to approach Kakashi. " I didn't think you had it in you, Kakashi!" She gave him what she thought was a mock punch, but probably only ended up bruising one of his ribs by the feel of it.
Kakashi scratched his head awkwardly. Of course she had made a bet out of this.
"And you," she turned to Sakura clasped her amicably on the shoulder, then back to Kakashi and grabbed his shoulder as well, "you two—" were those tears in her eyes?— "you're my good luck charm. I support you two fully."
"I am definitely missing something here," Sakura whispered in a shocked voice.
"Tell you later," Kakashi assured her under his breath.
"What the hell?" Naruto groused. "You're not even mad!"
"Why would I be?" Tsunade said. "Let me guess, you threw a fit when you found out? I'm right aren't I?"
Everyone else in the room nodded.
"Pfft," Tsunade spat loftily. "How expected."
Naruto promptly turned and stomped out the door now that his greatest ally had actually been a turncoat all along. "Whatever. I'm going home."
Sai shrugged and said "well, that was a glorious waste of time" and left as well.
Yamato happily clapped Kakashi on the shoulder. "Senpai, I'm glad you didn't die today," he said and left too.
Sasuke was already gone.
Kakashi and Sakura stood alone with a widely grinning Tsunade.
…
Sakura couldn't believe her luck! Tsunade-shishou was overjoyed!
She knew there was something fishy here, something that they both were not telling her other than Tsunade finally winning a bet after perpetuating her stance as the legendary sucker of bets. Kakashi had said that he would tell her later, though, so she'd wait.
While Sakura had been stuck in her thoughts, Tsunade had been busy rummaging in her desk. She produced a bottle of sake and three glasses. She wasn't kidding about the drink.
Tsunade had shoved a drink in both of their hands and had taken a drink out of her own glass, still grinning.
Gradually, her grin subsided and dimmed. She toyed with the lip of her glass, running a finger around the edge before she spoke again, voice more subdued, "You know, there's another reason I'm so happy about the two of you, Kakashi. I've never told you, but the council doesn't want your line to end either. They've been hounding me about finding you a suitable match so you could produce heirs, but I never mentioned it to you because I didn't want to burden you with this. Please, don't misunderstand me: I know you two are just getting to know each other in a different way and there's no guarantee about anything but at least your relationship will get the council off both of our backs for a while. A forced marriage is not something I would ever enjoy burdening you with, which is why I hoped you would pick someone of your own accord."
Sakura stared at her Shishou with wide eyes. She couldn't believe it…"T-That's not something we've gotten around to discussing yet," Sakura whispered. She couldn't look at Kakashi right then.
Knowing Kakashi and his nature and loyalty to the village, Sakura knew that him accepting an arranged marriage for the sake of the village was very probable.
...Or it was also probable that he would have gone missing nin on them. Kakashi could be a man of extremes sometimes.
Sakura wondered what he thought of all this.
She knew that they would be having a pretty interesting conversation when they got home.
Tsunade suddenly clapped her hands, startling them both out of their copious thoughts. "Well, let's not dwell on that anymore. Let's just think about the fact that I won a bet today! ...Where's Shizune?" Tsunade stuck her head out of the door and swung her head this way and that. "Little cheat. She ran off...Oh well, I'll get her tomorrow." She turned back to Kakashi and Sakura. "What are you two still doing here? Don't you see I have work to do?"
That was apparently their cue to leave.
As they made their way out, Tsunade called Sakura back. Kakashi kept on walking, catching on to some clue that Tsunade only wanted to talk to Sakura. He stopped and waited by the stairs.
Tsunade regarded her steadily, then said "I've known Kakashi since he was a child. He's not one for whimsical whims, Sakura. He's loyal, probably to a fault, and I think he'll be a very steady and gracious partner for you. And you for him. You two complement each other very well."
Sakura smiled—that was the second time she had heard that same statement. "Yes, I think so too." She turned to leave.
"Oh, and Sakura?"
"Hm?"
"Come back tomorrow in the morning so you can help me with this paperwork."
Sakura pouted, but nodded her assent.
She gently closed the door and walked to Kakashi's side. She finally looked up to study his face and found him only looking contemplative.
She smiled at him, wondering why she was not nervous at all about what they needed to talk about. "Ready to go?"
He creased his eye at her and nodded.
When they exited the Hokage tower, twilight had just fallen, leaving them to walk home in the soft pink glow of dusk.
Sakura's apartment was exactly as they had left it about an hour ago with cards still scattered and glasses in various states of emptiness around the table.
Sakura let Kakashi in first and closed the door after him.
"So, what was all that about?"
…
Kakashi was still somewhat blindsided about what Tsunade had confessed—even though he really shouldn't have been surprised really, it was the council they were talking about—that it took him a second to process Sakura's question.
"She already seems to know about us…" Sakura trailed off, green eyes narrowing in concentration, trying to figure out the puzzle here.
It was time to fess up.
Kakashi never imagined that he would one day tell Sakura about his buried feelings for her and being an asshat about feelings, it was safe to say that he was struggling.
Sakura was looking at him expectantly. He removed his mask, keeping one lid closed over the sharingan because he wanted her to see his sincerity for herself.
"I—," he faltered as he gazed into her vibrant green eyes.
He took a deep breath. Just do it!
"I've been in love with you for three years," he finally got out. "And Tsunade knew."
He felt like lying back on the couch and clutching his poor, hammering heart. His body was behaving as if it had just run a marathon—heart beating rapidly, shortness of breath, sweating.
Sakura was right, he really was a dork.
…
Sakura's eyes almost popped out at his confession. She was sure her jaw was hanging open.
In love with her? For three years?
She suddenly gasped, making Kakashi, who had been meticulously studying the floor from his seated position on the couch, jerk his head sharply up to regard her. "That's why you stopped taking missions with me! And that's why you started avoiding me all those years ago!"
Kakashi hung his head again.
"I can't believe it. You can be such an oaf sometimes, I swear. Do you know what you put me through when you wouldn't talk to me anymore except for every other year when we happened to come across one another on the street? I thought you hated me because I had done something wrong!"
Kakashi nodded, completely owning the hangdog expression he wore so that Sakura took pity on him. She sighed and went to go sit next to him close enough that her knee touched his. She took his hand in hers, threading their fingers together.
"I'm sorry I hurt you, Sakura. I can tell you now that I honestly didn't know how to deal with it," he paused and contemplated their joined hands. "You know my past—how I'm not exactly a whole man. I have burdens that I would never, never want to encumber you with in a relationship with me. When I knew my feelings, I hesitated and then I withdrew from you in the only way I knew how. And then later, when I realized you wanted something more from me besides friendship, I tried so hard to resist, but I was already weak to you and your wishes that eventually I didn't have the will to hold back. I can't lie and say that I didn't thoroughly enjoy making love to you when it finally happened."
Sakura chuckled softly. "Me too...and now I love you too. Aren't you glad you didn't hold back that day?" She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Peaceful contentment was her at that moment. She pulled away to regard him again.
Kakashi smiled that crinkly-eyed smile at her, the one that now included his finely shaped lips which she had vowed so long ago to experience. She bit her lip in ecstasy at how one corner of his lips quirked up in an adorable sign of happiness.
Kakashi eyed her biting her lip and an intrigued expression crossed his face.
None of that! They still had other matters to discuss.
"And what Tsunade said...about marriage."
Kakashi offered an open, half-smile. "I'm in this for the long-haul if you are."
That was a no-brainer. "I am, too...and children?" Sure, the question was a bit unorthodox since they had only been together for just over a month and not officially until about a week ago, but Sakura was beginning to understand that their relationship had never, and probably never would, follow traditional terms. Anyway, it was better to know now rather than later.
"Do you want children?" Kakashi didn't seem at all alarmed by the prospect.
"Yes, I always have," Sakura answered sincerely. "Like not right now, obviously! In the future."
Kakashi contemplated her answer for a moment. "I always thought that children would never be something that I would ever want, but that was mostly because I never thought I would meet someone I would be willing to have them with...but now that I have, I'm willing to give it a try."
Sakura almost melted with joy at his words. She swooped in and gave him a quick kiss, pulled back, but was then reeled back in by Kakashi. He kissed her again fully and deeply, holding the back of her neck to keep her in place while he tasted her with his tongue until she was breathless.
This went on for a few minutes before Kakashi pulled back and asked her, in a somewhat shallow breath, "What were you working through?"
"Hm?" Sakura asked, dimly. Her eyes were still closed and her body was abuzz with desire. Questions would take her a minute.
"Earlier. When we were talking about my hair and how you yelled at me for it that day at Ichiraku's."
Sakura blinked. "I was having an existential crisis."
"Concerning?"
"Concerning the matter of wanting your hard, sexy body on mine. I was deliberating."
Kakashi rested his head on her shoulder and his shoulders started shaking with what Sakura realized was laughter. She wrapped her arms around his head and stroked his hair. Oh, how she loved to see him laugh! Even when she had been unintentionally funny.
"And the consensus?" he asked a little breathlessly against her neck.
"Well, obviously a resounding 'yes'." Warm, large hands were starting to make their way under her shirt and up her back. He started kissing her again, this time little nips at her neck. She stifled a moan as he sucked gently. She ran her hands up his thighs and stroked the very prominent bulge tucked on the left side of his pant leg, making Kakashi dig his fingers into her flesh more firmly. "I can see that we both reached the same conclusion."
She pulled away again. She really wasn't trying to dissuade him but he had to know..."Kakashi, I have a temper, I work too much, I'm not very patient sometimes, and I—" he cut her off by kissing her again.
"But I—" Another kiss.
Kakashi mumbled against her lips. "I'm not good at communication, I'm seriously loaded with emotional baggage, I have like fifty dogs, and I forget to put the cap back on the toothpaste. We all have our faults, but I want to be with you despite and because of that."
"Oh, the toothpaste cap. That's the last straw, Kakashi. I don't think this will work out." She tried not to smile.
Kakashi sighed dramatically, "I knew that was my biggest fault. Oh well." He started to scoot away from her.
"No!" she laughed. She quickly straddled his lap and rained kisses down on his grinning face.
…
A/N: Thanks for reading!
