Holy hell, I'm not dead! My family and I have moved and things have been hectic. Low is kind of unofficially on hiatus (which means, I'm writing it, but it's slow going because i work crazy hours.) Cashmeritan and I are having a kakasaku contest, BTW. Hit up the lj community to see the information. There are many a fun thing going on over there (*eyes Zel's Titans contest*).

5/26/10: Yes, I have updated. Yes, I am editting. Nothing has changed in the first five chapters, however, excepting song lyrics in the beginning.

I do not own Naruto.


I'm so tired of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long
-Portishead "Glory Box"


Chapter 1: Glory Box

Soft sighs permeated the air in the small space. A shuffle of clothing, the sounds of heavy fabric meeting the floor, and a kiss roughly ended. "We... can't." Trembling breath filled the darkened room. More fabric rustled, tossed behind like trash. The bed groaned as weight shifted. A gasp broke through the uneven breathing. "We really can't."

Her voice was silky, convincing. "Why not? You want to, I want to..." A kiss, and lust and regret saturated the air. He bit back a groan as she ran her hands along his length, betraying his own words.

"One last time, then it's goodbye." His voice was resigned, detached. He had already said all of this, and was weary of the repetition.

In the sliver of moonlight filtering through his closed curtains, he made out her thin form stretching along his bed. 'One last time,' he thought, running his hands up her thighs, toward her core. She shivered with lust, but stayed still for his hands to roam. They ventured over her hardened nub, one thumb giving it a press before moving upward. He traced the outlines of her abdominal muscles, following with his hot mouth.

As he reached her breasts, his hands worked over her nipples, trapping her dusty pink tips between his fingers. He kissed and nibbled the underside of one, only to tweak the other. As his mouth worked its way to one hard peak, his hand worked downward, back toward her now moist folds.

Caressing index and pointer over her clit, he dipped both fingers momentarily inside her. He reveled in her whines and sought to hear more. As he toyed with her slit, her slender hand had made short work of his boxer briefs, gripping his now free hardness.

He groaned, this time not trying to hide his pleasure, and suckled her in response. She pumped him, and he eventually gave up the game, seeking to be in her warmth.

Her legs wrapped around his slender hips, ankles locking, as he ran his weeping tip over her glistening entrance. Using a bit of force, she pushed his head into her. He sank slowly, inch by inch, until finally slamming the rest of the way.

She cried out, and raised her own petite pelvis to grind against his. Losing himself in her heat, he rode each euphoric wave with her, gritting his teeth as she twitched and convulsed around him. Her gasps and sighs were the orchestra of their lovemaking. "Oh, god... Ka-ka-shiiii..." She whined, closer each thrust.

As her inner walls tightened, his tight rein on his control slipped. His sacs tightened, and she was filled with warmth. It would be, she mused, the only warmth he would ever give her.

"Sakura," his voice broke through the post-coital haze, "this really is the last time."

Morning in Konoha was a gorgeous time to behold. The sun shone softly, and the city began to come alive for yet another day. It was warm, and becoming warmer, as the days ticked toward the apex of summer.

Kakashi rolled, using his arm to block the offending sunlight. Upon the slow recollection of the last night's event, his one grey eye cracked to survey his small bedroom. His body was barely registering the trace of body heat left in the space she occupied. His ears strained to hear any movement.

Mornings like these, after they were 'done', he could usually hear her moving around the apartment. She would always shower, and then prepare breakfast and a bento for lunch. After methodically performing those activities, she would crawl back to bed and wake him, either with her hot mouth on his skin, or her arms around his midsection.

However, as Kakashi laid there listening, he slowly realized she was not there. Sitting up, he listened a little more intently. No, she was gone.

Part of him praised her for taking heed of his words, with a hearty 'good riddance.' The other part pouted like a child that there would be no bento in his small fridge.

Not quite knowing what to do, he slipped his feet out of the blankets and to the floor. He half expected a note, saying something akin to, 'gone to store, bbs, xx sakura xx', to slip from his covers. There was no such note.

Kakashi vaguely wondered if she had a mission or work. No, he realized, she was out last night, celebrating a well-earned vacation.

He stood, and moved about gathering his clothes. Slipping his standard issue shirt over his head, he moved into the open concept living room/kitchenette. Kakashi noted the less than gleaming surface of his coffee table, and the crumpled blanket on his couch. Those should have respectively been polished and folded.

Upon finding no note on the dining bar separating his living area from his kitchen, he meandered toward the fridge. Kakashi's suspicions were confirmed; he was lacking a bento from the pink-tressed ANBU.

"She really must have been in a rush," he remarked to himself. He stared meaningfully at his slate blue walls, wondering what to do now that his day would not be shadowed with remorse and self-hatred. Normally, he would be preparing to visit the memorial, to ask advice from the most objective of sources, but now... Now he felt strangely light, worry-free almost.

After wasting away his morning cleaning his unkempt apartment, he showered, preparing to meet the day fully. The first thing Kakashi noticed was the lack of a towel drying on the rack. So Sakura hadn't showered... As his shower commenced, his keen eye picked up the curious lack of her shave gel and razor on the built-in shelf. No longer was the raspberry cream scented shampoo on the ledge of his tub.

An almost audible click was heard as Kakashi put the facts together. Sakura really wasn't coming back. At all. Ever. An odd sense of loss overcame him, and he had to lean against the cool tiles under its weight. All these times saying goodbye, only to return again for something she 'left behind'... He jerked the knobs, ending his shower. Rushing out of his bathroom, loosely wrapping a towel around his hips, he scoured his apartment. Sure enough, everything that had been Sakura's was gone. Moreover, with them all, a piece of him he hadn't even realized she possessed.


"So, Forehead, how're things with you and Ka-ka-shi?" Sakura could almost shudder. Ino made his name sound like a dirty word, as though she were an actress paid for filmed sex. Her keen green eyes observed as the blonde-haired woman tongued the straw in her drink; a lazy attempt to bring it into her mouth, and conscious flirting with the busboy.

Sakura shrugged, and in a tone as nonchalant as she felt, replied, "Nothing. It's done." Her flippant attitude lasted a second and a half longer before ire took over, as Ino had spit the contents of her mouth onto the table.

"What?"

Sakura eyed the busboy's now disgusted visage and reassured him, "She sometimes swallows." She began to mop up spit and seltzer, pointedly ignoring Ino's incredulous look. Finally, the inevitable happened; she ran out of napkins.

"What, Pig?" Snapping her gaze from the sharp blue eyes burning a hole in her to fix on the ice machine, Sakura waited for the reply.

"I'm shocked!" The roseate snorted, and Ino quickly elaborated. "Not about THAT!" She turned to the busboy, alleviating some curiosity. "She's right, you know. I hardly ever spit. My mother told me it was a filthy habit." She ended with a coy wink. There would undoubtedly be a phone number with their check.

Ino's cerulean orbs fixed back on Sakura's lounging form. She had, over the past few years, tried to reconcile the bubblegum haired woman in front of her with the boy crazy girl who occasionally suffered from split personalities. Gazing at her now, one arm draped over the back of the cherry red upholstered booth, looking the epitome of cool and confident, Ino couldn't help but wonder if Sakura was purposely compartmentalizing her fling with Hatake." You're going to get wrinkles if you keep furrowing your brow like that." Ino immediately relaxed her forehead and subconsciously smoothed it, evoking a chuckle from the pinkette.

"So," Ino began after a moment, "What happened?"

Sakura sipped her iced mocha, and groaned in appreciation. "Well, he said the same thing he always said-"

"We need to stop. This is the last time," Ino mocked. Pulling her lower lash down, she remarked, "My eye! That's horseshit!"

Sakura sipped again, and nodded emphatically. "I know! Well, I decided, if he's going to deny the fact that he has even an iota of attraction to me, then I'm not going to waste my time waiting for him until he does!"

The girls high-fived, both making equal remarks regarding stupid men. Their shared cheesecake arrived, and the busboy-turned-waiter handed the girls their combined check. Sure enough, his contact information was at the bottom of their copy.

"Darling," Ino grabbed his wrist, making him blush. "If you keep bringing me cheesecake, I'll follow you to the ends of the earth!"

He leaned close. "I'll bet you tell that to all the cute waiters in Konoha."

Sakura smirked and tucked into the rich delight. "She does."

"But with you, I mean it!" The waiter shook his head as he walked away, chuckling to himself.

Ino turned back to her friend, noting the half-eaten cheesecake. She grabbed her fork and paused upon bringing it to her lips. "So, what are you going to do?"

Sakura shrugged. "Probably take on a mission or two, occupy my time at the hospital, and go out with you." Her companion's blue eyes flicked up to meet hers in surprise, and she waited for Ino to finish her mouthful.

"So, wait. My hermit workaholic best friend is actually going to get a social life?" Sakura's eyes rolled as Ino pumped her fist. "Hell yeah!" Taking another mouthful, Ino continued around it. "So you wanna go out tonight?"

"Why not?"