Hey there, kitties. I just wanted to say I really appreciate your reviews, favorites, and views! It's amazing to hear that the story is being so liked, and it only encourages me to continue to write more! That being said, from here on out almost each and every chapter will have some form of smut/adult scenarios. We haven't reached a full lemon, yet (good things come to those that wait!). Again, if you're not 18+ I need you to high tail it out of here, and if you don't, the Chupacabra will hunt you down and eat your toes. As always, reviews will keep the Egyptian god that is trapped in my bearded dragon's body contained for another 1000 years, instead of breaking free from its physical chains and consuming my mortal soul. Happy reading, y'all!
Samurai was brimming with a multitude of dancing, drinking inhabitants. Music from the surround sound speakers pulsed rhythmically, heads bobbing to the beat. The building practically vibrated from the mixture of people and loud music, which would have made it hard for Kakashi to do his job if he wasn't already used to it. Tonight, everyone in the team was on the same job: bag the rat bastard Sota. He was the ring leader of the sex trafficking division working under the Yakuza, and they have been trying to catch him for the past four months since they finally put a face with a name. Sota was in charge of a team that would kidnap women, drug them, and either sell them out as sex slaves to other crime lords; or they'd make them personal sex slaves to bigger bosses within the Yakuza themselves. It was sickening, considering each woman they did rescue was drugged out of her mind by some fucked up cocktail they came up with to keep the women subdued. Every time they'd get remotely close, the slimy blighter would manage to escape, leaving the team frustrated and empty handed. Luckily, they weren't without ammunition. Months and months of investigating, and a fistful of motivation, has lead to them having all the information they needed on Sota to capture him. They even knew where his hideout was, however it was so heavily guarded with Yakuza pawns that they knew better than to attack head on or even try to sneak in. Team Samurai knew they had to catch him outside the bounds of his protection, which was going to be the simplest shot.
The last job Choji and Shikamaru were on, they managed to squeeze a Yakuza grunt for information about how Sota works and where he targets his victims. Like the sick son of a bitch he is, he doesn't typically send other men out to scout women for him; rather, he gets a thrill out of finding them and capturing them himself. "Hunting," is what the grunt said Sota calls it. Furthermore, Sota targets bars and clubs. He dresses the part and blends in with the crowd; once he spots a woman who is well inebriated, he'll slide right in to smooth talk them into coming home with him. Majority of the time, he never takes women by force. Almost all of them agree eagerly, as Sota happened to be considered a handsome man, even if his face was pinched and bird-like with short black hair swept over the top. Once the grunt let out that Sota was planning to hit up club Samurai, the team knew immediately what they had to do. So, every single person was posted up in the club today as bouncers and bartenders, though each eye was attentive in searching the crowd. To make sure he absolutely showed up, Tsunade made sure to put it out there that women got in free tonight, as well as dollar drinks for women.
There was no way Sota was going to pass this up.
The plan was simple, really.
Choji and Shika kept at the doors, once they spotted the man walking in they'd notify the rest of the team on their ear pieces. Each teammate would notify the others of his whereabouts, keeping honed in on Sota while he searched for a target. Once he's seen talking to a woman, it was Ino's job to drunkenly "bump" into him as to get his attention. Being the curvaceous woman she was, they doubted he would try to turn away from her, especially if she acted super drunk. Which, in truth Ino had an iron stomach and an alcohol tolerance of a well-worn sailor. She'd out drink everyone, even Tsunade, and still not be drunk. She called it a curse, but the team found it to be useful when she'd drink with a target to get information out of them.
Once Ino had Sota in her grasps, the plan was to lead him out of the back alley as a promise for a quickie because it's rumored that Sota sleeps with each of his victims first before selling them out. As soon as Ino would whisper the words, "It's just you and me, big boy," to Sota, Rock Lee, Naruto, and Kakashi were to take off to the alley, waiting in the shadows until she had him pinned against the wall where they would launch their attack. Kiba, Neji, Tenten, and Shino would take turns making rounds not only inside the club but outside, too; looking for any of his grunts that might be waiting for a command.
The plan was simple, predictable, and easy to follow.
What Kakashi hadn't counted on, however, was the sight of a particular pink haired woman showing up.
He found out first when Shikamaru very haughtily remarked in the earpiece that, "Your girlfriend is here, lover boy. You might want to keep an eye out on her; she's looking pretty fine and also kind of drunk."
Typically, none of the team took any woman Kakashi had around seriously because they were all temporary; one night was all it took. But what did it in for them, was when Kakashi had first talked about her. Well, more like Kiba was whining about how Kakashi and Sakura had been talking shit to him the whole time at the hospital.
"She actually said, to my face, that I was annoying her! All I was doing was asking her why she was washing her hands again— it's a simple question!" Kiba exclaimed, hands in the air.
"Kiba, everyone tells you to your face that you're annoying them. You're almost as annoying as Naruto when he's downed an energy drink, or when he's about to eat ramen, or when...well, whenever really," Neji drawled, his head tilt back on the couch and eyes closed.
Kiba scowled, "Not even, jackass."
"What's wrong with being annoying like me?" Naruto pressed with a goofy smile on his face, popping a cup of noodles in the microwave. "We can be annoying together, Keebs MaGeebs. Just you and I, one agitating instance at a time."
"You're stupid," Kiba growled. "Anyways, then they start making googly eyes at each other when she was stitching him up. It was like watching the beginning of a porno, I felt violated just being in there."
"You'd know a lot about that, wouldn't you, Kiba?" Shino commented quietly from across the room. If his jacket hadn't been hiding the lower half of his face, Kakashi was sure he'd see a sly smirk there.
While everyone laughed, Kiba continued on as if he hadn't been dug at, "Then they start talking shit about me hooking up with Himari."
"Please," Ino giggled. "We all know you've got the hots for her. You practically beg for her every time you're at the hospital."
"This isn't about me, okay!?" Kiba nearly shouted, Akamaru barking deeply in agreement. "Can we talk about the fact that Kakashi and Sakura eye-fucked each other, in my presence!?"
"Sakura? That's a pretty name," Temari gibed, leaning against the counter with her hip pressed into Shikamaru's hip. "Does the name match the face?"
"Don't even try," Kiba grunted bitterly. "You know how this guy is. 'She's cool,' is what you'll get out of him. Personally, even though she's a bit of an ass, I'd say that she's actually really—"
"Ravishing? Beautiful? A literal angel on earth?" Kakashi bemused out loud, focus on his hands. He was sitting halfway on Tsunade's desk, toying with a Rubric cube that had been sitting there unsolved.
The room became eerily silent.
Kakashi perused, meeting several pairs of stunned eyes studying him. They looked as though he just announced that he had some untreatable disease. He couldn't blame them, though. He never talked about the women he met up with; he figured there was never much to say if it was just a one night stand. Even if they were pretty, he never let on that they were. Not out of disrespect, but because it didn't really matter. They weren't staying around, so it wasn't of significance.
Hinata was the first one to break the silence, "You said she is ravishing, Kakashi?"
"Mmh, mmhmm. She's exceptionally beautiful. And I'll have you know," Kakashi started, looking back down at the cube and feeling satisfied that he figured out one side already. "She may be an ass, but she's my ass, Keeber MaGeeber."
This time, Naruto was the one to speak, blurting out with a mouthful of noodles, "Say, are you smoking crack, Kakashi?"
Kakashi chuckled, "Crack is wack."
"What do you mean she's your ass?" Ino inquired skeptically.
Kakashi twitched his shoulder lazily; glancing up from the rubric cube to meet Ino's questioning stare with a steady, sure gaze of his own. "I said, she may be an ass, but that she's my ass. I mean, really," he chuckled again, raising his hands up on either side of his shoulders, "it's not that hard to understand."
"You can't stake your claim on a woman that you don't know and isn't even yours," Gaara disputed from behind the couch, arms crossed over his chest.
"That, my sandiest of friends, is where your wrong," Kakashi retorted with a grin, wiggling is index finger in Gaara's direction. "All good things go to those who wait. I am an incredibly patient man. I will take all the time in the world to break down her walls if it means I can get close to her."
There was another gravid pause in the room, every single person stiff like they'd been electrocuted with a cattle prod.
Tsunade, who had been sitting at the desk glaring at Kakashi for sitting on it, hummed rather mischievously, "Is that commitment I hear?"
She was teasing, but behind the snarky comment was a truth that everyone was painfully aware of and understood. That's why even something as small of a statement like this out of Kakashi was a bit of a shock.
Kakashi's mouth spread wide into an excited, wolfish smile, "You heard right."
Since then, it was a collective understanding throughout the entire team. The mornings Kakashi would see Sakura, he'd saunter into the safe house that was underneath club Samurai, musing about the way Sakura had her hair up that day, or something funny she'd said. Even if the team wanted to be skeptical, they knew they couldn't. The determination he had for Sakura was so tangible that even Ino was in on setting them up, even though Kakashi stated to her that this was a one man job that he'd accomplish on his own. After awhile, it became somewhat of a bet among the crew. "Have you asked her out again!?" Naruto would sometimes excitedly shout. Each person would give their two cents on how he should woo her, and though Kakashi appreciated the, usually very bad, advice; he was set on doing it his own way, the way he hoped would slowly win Sakura into opening up to him.
He understood it wasn't going to be easy, that woman was a steel trap and he witnessed it in her eyes every time she slammed it down. Regardless, he never let it bother him. He knew all too well the fear of getting close to someone again, therefore pushing everyone else away, it's something that he was an expert at. Though he didn't fully understand the instant infatuation with her, he understood that this was a person he couldn't simply walk away from. Sakura was the woman he'd wanted, he knew it deep in his gut.
Sakura was his last shot at love.
No matter how hard she pushed, he wasn't going to let her slip away so easily. He knew, behind the walls she put up, there was a woman who only wanted to be loved and honored. He felt he was the man for the job. Something told him that she was robbed of that, so it only felt right to show her what it truly meant and how it truly felt. Something told him that their souls had just enough of something; he didn't know what the fuck it was, to make each other feel whole. To top it off, the more she slowly started to actually converse with him, the more Kakashi saw her personality and small instances of her soul. He found himself loving every bit of it. She was funny, sassy, self assured, smart, and strong. Though he didn't know all of her yet, the small bits of her gave him a confidence that made him want to soar. It almost made him feel drunk when she'd hang around a little longer than usual in the halls of the apartment complex. Before, it was a couple words here, not looking at him, back towards him, and then she'd hurry in. Now, she'd turn to face him full on, she'd smile when he called her name. Her stance was more relaxed; her eyes sparkled just a little bit. It was these glimpses into what could only be a future of that radiating beauty that kept him reeled in. He wanted into that secret place of her heart; he wanted to be the only man allowed there because he patiently worked to earn his keep there.
As much as Kakashi wanted to ravish her entire being and try to prove her in one smoldering kiss just how she should be treasured, he understood things like this took time.
He was an incredibly patient man.
Everyone on the team saw this in its fullness now, and was wholly committed to seeing it through with Kakashi.
"She's here?" Kakashi questioned, scanning the crowd from the wall he was leaned up against, arms crossed.
"Yep, she came in with Ino and three other girls. They all look pretty wrecked if I'm being honest." Shikamaru sighed heavily through the earpiece, causing it to crackle some.
Kakashi swore Ino internally. As of right now, this was a dangerous place— the last place that Sakura should be, with the expectancy that Sota was on the prowl.
Kakashi pressed on the ear piece, his otherwise calm tone chilled "Ino, what were you thinking? You're putting her in danger by bringing her here."
A couple minutes passed before a crackle came through on Ino's end, "You should be thanking me," she spoke in a low tone as to not get caught. "If she hadn't gone out with us, I know for a fact she was going to be out in the streets of Tokyo somewhere exploring like she always does. I'd rather her be here with us watching, than out there when Sota and his men are out. They could be scouting Tokyo right now while he's here."
Kakashi didn't have anything to say to her, because it made sense. If Sota was here, there's no doubt he sent his men out, too. Sakura would be helpless against them. Even if it is in the lion's den, Sakura is safer here than out there, where Kakashi could watch her.
"Where is she?" He quipped again.
"She took off with Ino to the dance floor after they took a shot," Rock Lee replied instantly.
Kakashi would have rolled his eyes, had they not been immediately glued somewhere else.
Directly across from him, with only several bodies blocking sight of her now and then was Sakura.
Jesus-fucking-Christ.
She looked...edible.
The way the vines on those sheer tights crawled their way up her strapping legs to disappear under shorts that hugged her curvilinear ass tightly made Kakashi wishing his hands could replace the embroidery. She didn't have a lot of makeup on; it was only enough that it served to enhance her beauty. Bright red lipstick followed the Cupid's bow of her lips in a seductive pout. Her hair, which he usually saw up in a high pony, shuddered its way down her back, stopping just at the highest peak of her behind in beach waves. The choker around her neck only made it appear more swan-like, the contrast from ivory and black velvet austere.
Shikamaru was right.
Sakura is looking outstandingly fine...and also drunk.
Her eyes were closed to the world around her while her hips swayed, each hip alternating with the opposite shoulder. Her head whipped around, hair tousling from her back to over her shoulder. Each movement she made was just a little careless and serpentine; however Kakashi was caught in her trance. He paid close attention to the subtle way her red lips had parted from her breathing, the sheer glean of sweat on her skin making her appear as though she were sparkling under the luminescent lights of the club. To Sakura's left Ino was just a couple feet away, dancing with some random guy, simply passing time as she waited for the cue.
Turning his attention back to Sakura, Kakashi almost wished he hadn't. She was twirling now, arms crossed at the wrists over her head, rolling her body in slow, torturous waves. Even from where he was standing, he could see the slight tightening of her stomach muscles with each deliberate gesture. It was enough to drive him mad, and only made him wonder if her stomach muscles would tighten in the same manner on top of him…
Kakashi shook his head abruptly.
He knew he couldn't afford a distraction right now, however he also knew that keeping her safe was right there along with snagging Sota. He sort of wished she was a goofy dancer, instead of some ancient seductress come to claim the souls of men. He'd have a hell of an easier time concentrating.
Speaking of men, they were all on her. Most simply watched her from a distance, drinks in hand as they eyed her figure hungrily. Some were as bold as to attempt to dance with her; one guy even crossing the invisible border that was Sakura's bubble and attempting to press against her. Kakashi felt his muscles twitch in response, but before he could do anything Sakura had shoved the man away roughly, and he could hear her aggressive, "Fuck off," over the music.
A highfalutin crow inched its way into Kakashi's face.
He was not a jealous man by any means, not even slightly. However, Kakashi did consider himself possessive. Not in the arrogant way, not in a way that would hinder or hurt Sakura at all; the urge was more primal, a deep-seeded sense of pride he felt that he wanted others to know she was a part of him, and he was a part of her. One was not without the other, even if they were apart.
"Sota," Choji grunted discreetly.
Kakashi was brought back to the present, instantly made aware of his surroundings. His eyes became sharp, feinting into the crowd to search, back to Sakura, then back to the crowd. "Bar," he heard Naruto affront. "Right end."
Sure enough, leaning with his back against the bar and arms resting on either side of it, was Sota. His hair was slicked back in his typical style, the look on his face smug while his head swiveled over the dancing bodies. He was wearing a black t-shirt and black pants. Kakashi felt his gut twist fiercely in disgust at the sight of the man. "Eyes," he ordered sharply.
Everyone responded "check" in a string of succession, meaning they all could spot him and were watching him. Behind Sota, Naruto was the one to hand him the drink. As a back up, they had laced with drink with a tasteless sleeping agent that would knock Sota out, but they weren't betting on it. From what they've learned, the drink in his hand is purely for looks and to blend in. For fifteen minutes, Sota did nothing but watch the crowd, only moving slightly in attempts to look like he was dancing, too. "Perimeter," Kiba instructed.
"First," Shino responded, no doubt disappearing from his post in an instant.
Kakashi glanced over at Sakura, whose dancing was slowing down now, from feckless shakes to a movement that was more aware. She rolled her neck and shoulders, fanning her face as she swept the crowd before her, no doubt looking for Ino or any of the other girls she was with. A tiny woman with space buns skipped her way in front of Sakura, leaning in to giggle something in her ear. Sakura leaned back on her heels some, shaking her head at whatever the woman told her. Seeing her now that she had slowed down, it was obvious that Sakura had way too many drinks.
"Moving," Tenten quipped. "Second perimeter, going now."
Snapping his eyes off of Sakura, Kakashi and the team watched carefully as Sota sauntered from his position against the bar to slowly dancing his way through the crowd. His eyes seemed to be trained on a woman wearing a tight red bodysuit who was thrashing her equally red haired head about like a maniac. "Ino," Neji signaled deeply.
"Yes," she replied smoothly.
Kakashi checked over to Sakura, who had broke away from the spot she was dancing at, squeezing past people towards the back door. "Shit, where is she going?" Kiba demanded, his tone offset.
Sakura, who was still wiggling her way through the crowd, got pushed to the left some by some excited dancers; shooting her directly into Sota's side.
"Shit," Kiba cursed again.
Sota swiveled his head to glare at the offender, however when he caught sight of Sakura, his expression turned to one of revolting delight. His hands reached up to Sakura's shoulders, steadying her loaded form. He smiled at her, leaning close to her ear to whisper something that no one had any chance of hearing over the music. Sakura reeled back, placing a hand flat on his shoulder and giving a shove that sent him back a step or two. He blustered, reaching for her wrist and yanking her towards him, just rough enough that anyone watching who didn't know him would think they were dancing. With a hard jerk, Sakura pulled back her wrist, slapping Sota across the face so harshly his head whipped in the other direction. Some of the people around the two looked back and spread out, away from them. Sakura was still shouting, however still no one could hear what she was saying; they could only see the glare that was deepening on Sota's face.
"INO," Kakashi ground out between his teeth, moving alongside the wall closer to Sakura was.
"On it," she returned shakily.
Ino could be seen zipping her way through the crowd towards Sota. Sakura turned away from Sota, making her way out the back door that lead to the back alley. Kakashi could see Sota moving to follow her, taking a step in her direction before Ino slid into place, pretending to fall into his arms and causing him to fall back. "Oh my god, imsosorry," Kakashi heard her imitate in a drunken manner, sliding past them and out the back door where Sakura had left.
Stepping out, the streets were wet with the recent rain; small puddles mirrors to the glowing signs down the street to the right. Kakashi watched Sakura exit the alley and turn the corner, the sound of her shoes splashing in the puddles ahead of her filling the silence of the alley. "I'm going to make sure she gets home safe, take care of Sota. Make sure he doesn't follow us out, or any of his goons try to. Shino, you and Tenten run consistent perimeters until I call and say we are safe. Chances are, he's going to have it out for Sakura now." Kakashi tensely ordered in the earpiece.
The voices on the end of the earpiece came out in a strained unison of, "Agreed."
Immediately Kakashi took off down the alley, rounding the corner and nearly running into a group of college-aged students. The streets were still fairly crowded as this particular part of Tokyo doesn't really shut down until the sun rises. Overlooking the sidewalk, he caught sight of Sakura's pink head bobbing among the masses of others. Kakashi made his way down the sidewalk, slowing from a jog to stroll right up to Sakura's side. "I said leave me the fuck alone!" A small hand darted out for Kakashi's face, which he caught adeptly. Sakura adjusted her head, squinting hard at Kakashi for a couple beats and then widening in realization.
"Kakashi…" she breathed.
"Sakura," Kakashi replied, doing his best to sooth his seething tone. He let go of her wrist, her hand flopping down to her side.
Sakura frowned, "I'm sorry, I thought you were...that guy...back there….jackass. He's a jackass. Did you hear what he said to me?"
Kakashi's jaw flexed, "No ma'am, I'm afraid I didn't. But I did see you slap him."
"He said—he said that...wait. Were you in there? The club?" She piqued, her expression baffled.
"I was, yes. That's the club I bounce at."
Sakura's once confused expression conformed to one of childlike delight, "Wwwwwwwooooooowwwww! That's so cool! That's...wait, why are you walking with me? Are you following me?"
Kakashi feigned a smile, "Can't let a pretty lady walk around by herself at night."
At this Sakura snorted sloppily, "Psh. This isn't 1972. It's modern...you know, like day and age shit….I don't need anyone walking me home." She held up her hand flat, moving it around in a semi-circle before jutting it out to cut the air straight at her side. "I know...Taijutsu…"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "Hhmmm. Is that so? Tell me, how much have you had to drink tonight?"
"Problem, officer?" Sakura cracked, tossing her head back and laughing mirthfully at her own quip.
Kakashi couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up from his tight chest. He held his hands up, "No problem, ma'am." He took the second to glance around clandestinely, looking for anyone out of the ordinary that might be posted up. Every time he searched, he only seemed to find civilians, and no one out of the ordinary.
"I'll have you know, I have had…" Sakura began to count on her hands, mumbling under her breath incoherently. Once she got to eight fingers she was holding up, she furrowed her brow and huffed, letting her hands slap back down on her thighs. "I don't know. I don't remember. They just kept having shot after shot. Drink after drink." She brought her hand up in the universal sign of drinking a beer, shaking it back and forth close to her mouth. "I've partied before, but never that….never that many drinks….I'm good, hey—" she snapped her fingers in front of Kakashi's face, which had once again been browsing the street. He shot a glance over at her, smiling only slightly. No matter how angry he was, no matter how on edge he felt; he couldn't let Sakura in on that anything was happening.
Not yet, anyways.
When Kakashi emitted a smile, Sakura's already flushed cheeks seemed to flush even more, if that was humanly possible. She blinked several times, turning her attention back to the sidewalk ahead of her, then back to Kakashi. Her movements were slow, her reactions delayed. He was surprised that she was even managing to walk in the right direction to the apartment. The pair walked in silence for ten minutes, the voices of passer-byes carrying from all around them and into the air. Studying Sakura's face, Kakashi couldn't make heads or tails of what she could possibly be thinking. One minute her face was incredibly expressive to a fault, the next it was pure stone. He was sure whatever thought process she was struggling to connect wasn't understandable in the slightest. The drunken glaze in her eyes told him that off the bat.
During this time, Kakashi could hear all the going's on in the ear piece. Communication between the team was fluid, one order after another that each person followed seamlessly. He felt confident this time around that Sota was as good as theirs, up until a big wrench was thrown in it all. He could hear Kiba telling Naruto, Neji, and Shino to follow him after Sota; from the sounds of it, Sota managed to slip out of Ino's grasp and was heading out in the opposite direction in attempts to get out of Tokyo. Kakashi hopes that they'd be able to catch up to him, but with him out of the club and on the road it only meant his men were with him. The closer he got to whatever location he was intending to, the more men would be there. At some point, the team would have to back off and regroup.
As much as Kakashi hated that notion, in the moment he was relieved. The further away from Sakura he was, the better.
He couldn't help the heated feeling he felt rise deep from within his bosom. Just seeing the rough way he handled her was enough to send Kakashi charging in the same direction, ready to rip his still beating heart out of the cavity of his chest. Sure, he felt the same amount of rage and injustice at the very thought of any of his teammates being compromised in the same way, but with Sakura it was an irrational anger that burned deeper than any he had felt before. Just the thought that she could now be a target made him enraged. Thinking about the abuse she would endure, rape, being drugged...If he didn't already have it out for the man, he most certainly did now. Kakashi was going to make sure that Sota was theirs.
Whether or not they gave him up to the cops, he didn't know.
The thought of killing the man altogether tantalized his fury more.
The self-loathing part of him wanted to blame himself; to say it was his fault all of this happened. But he knew better. He understood it was no one's fault, just a shitty string of events that lead to the situation they're in now. He didn't blame Ino, either, because Ino had the right idea. Had they not been there, she could have been compromised anywhere else. Sota was a spiteful man, and Kakashi knew he was going to hunt for Sakura, now. Kakashi knew he'd have to meet up with the team tomorrow to discuss their next plan of action, as far as Sota goes and protecting Sakura.
Until then, his main focus was to get her home and keep her safe.
The sound of Sakura tumbling forward is what broke Kakashi out of his livid thinking. She tripped forward once, caught herself, tripped again; caught herself, and then tripped again. She jolted forward, nearly smashing her face directly into the concrete had Kakashi not swooped forward, encircling his arms around her stomach and pulling her back to set her upright on her feet again. Sakura lamented, pausing to lean against a building and hunch over halfway, hands on either side of her face. Kakashi placed a hand on the back of her shoulder, "Hey, what's going on?"
She took a deep breath in through her nose, blowing loudly out of her mouth, "I feel…kind of…woozy…"
"Woozy? Do you need to puke?" Kakashi surveyed the street, looking for a trashcan. "Hey, there's a dumpster down that alley. Do you want to go back there and throw up?"
Sakura shook her head, pink locks falling forward. "No. I don't throw up. How far are we? I think I forgot where to go…"
"We aren't far. We've got one more block to go and you'll be home," Kakashi replied in an encouraging tone, rubbing small circles on her shoulder.
"Just one more block?"
"Yes, just one more block," he affirmed.
Sakura straightened, taking in another deep breath and taking a step forward; only to stumble to the side and fall against the wall.
"Okay, you need help," Kakashi commented, grabbing ahold of Sakura's arm and slinking it around his shoulders, his left arm wrapping around to hold her waist. At first, Sakura struggled, muttering about it being the twenty-first century and not needing help, weakly trying to pull away out of Kakashi's firm grasp. Not listening, Kakaski began to walk them further, holding her just tight enough that her semi-limp body didn't slip out. Eventually, she gave up; instead following Kakashi's lead and breathing deeply. Kakashi could smell her again, the exact smell as last time, save for the sharp tang of alcohol. It was a roses and honey combination that eluded him and attracted him. With his arm wrapped around her, he could feel the resistance of her curved flesh and muscle meet against his hold. Her waist was so cinched in that she was pulled in pretty tight to him; when they walked the sway and width of her hips pushed him over to the side slightly each time.
Once they reached the complex, Kakashi guided Sakura into the elevator, disengaging himself from Sakura so he could push the button. Inside the elevator was wrapped in mirrors, head to toe. Sakura, grasping onto the side bar, studied her reflection in the mirror. "Ugh," she scoffed, swiping at some lipstick that had smeared. "I…look like a fuckin'…you know, one of those guys from the circus? With the noses…" Her hand hovered over her nose, deftly making a honking gesture.
"A clown?" Kakashi finished distraitly.
"Yes!" Sakura snapped her fingers. Well, she tried to snap them anyways. The desire was there, but she didn't put enough force and pressure behind it, so was emitted instead of a snap was the soft swish of skin rubbing against itself. "I look…like a clown, man. It's unfair," she sighed heavily.
"You look beautiful," Kakashi extolled in a mellow vibrato.
Sakura scoffed, while the doors to the elevator slid open. She impelled, swaying with each step as she did. Kakashi caught up, hand hovering just over the small of her back, ready to catch her if she falls over again. "What was that for?" Kakashi egged playfully.
"What was what for?" She drawled, barely looking over her shoulder at him. Her eyes were more lidded now, looking as if she was going to pass out any minute.
"You snorted at me," he continued, still teasing.
"Oh…" Sakura halted suddenly, whipping around quickly to point a thin finger hard on his chest. "You know what your problem is, hmmm?"
Kakashi raised his chin, his expression vexing. "What's my problem, Sakura?"
Pink brows pinched in the middle in a hard glare, her little nose wrinkled, red lips formed in a grimace, "You…Your problem, is that…you're too good looking."
Kakashi broke out into a iniquitous, toothy smile; revealing marginally elongated canines, eyebrows quirked into a sly declaration. "You are very drunk," he chuckled, meandering past her to the front door of her apartment.
"See?!" She nearly shouted as she stumbled behind him. "I hate when…I hate when you smile like that…It's just…"
Kakashi cocked his head, "Just…?" He challenged.
Sakura set her jaw, eyes flashing at the sight of a challenge. "Too hot to handle."
"You are going to hate me in the morning," he chortled, silver locks twitching when he shook his head.
"What?" She pressed, trying to maintain her stance even though she swayed on the spot. "It's…you know, it's true…you know. You, like…do that smile, and I get hot and bothered…it's just unfair."
"No, no no." Kakashi shook a finger at her. "What's unfair is that you're admitting to me that you think I'm hot, but you are drunk off of your ass so chances are you won't remember any of this, and you'll deny it aggressively when I bring it up."
"I'll remember…" she retorted defiantly.
Kakashi gave Sakura a deadpanned look. "You're more likely to give me a black eye before you admit that you think I'm cute."
"But I do think you're cute," she interjected in a rosy manner. "In fact, I think you're fuckin hot."
Another snicker, "What would sober Sakura say to drunk Sakura right now? Hmm? Also, where is your apartment key? We can't get in without it."
Sakura began to dig into the small pockets of her short shorts, muttering under her breath, "That I need to get laid…"
Kakashi blinked, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, watching her carefully to see if she just fully understood what she said. Sakura was bold, and often said what was on her mind, but this is something deep in the recesses of a surface that hasn't even been scratched. Kakashi knew when people are drunk they say what's been on their minds that they couldn't otherwise say outloud sober. If she were sober, he would of happily given her a smug reply saying, "I can fix that," but that wasn't the case here. If she did happen to remember anything, he didn't want it to be misconstrued that he was trying to take advantage of her drunken state. However, Sakura was ridiculously drunk, and he already planned that she was going to push him back some out of embarrassment for her behavior tonight. He decided that he would just avoid it altogether and tease her for it in the morning, when she was coherent.
Anything to see that cute blush rise up on her face.
Sakura continued to dig around in her shorts; front pockets, back pockets, pulling the front pockets out, twirling around in attempts to look at her back pocket. "Sakura," he chuckled, holding her elbow to stop her. "What are you doing?"
She looked up at him, her green eyes wide with panic. "My key! I can't find my key!"
Kakashi raised his hands up in a soothing manner, "Sakura, just try to think back. When did you have them last?"
Her forehead wrinkled together when she squinted her eyes shut, biting down on her lip while she struggled to remember. After a moment, her eyes crept open, appearing ashamed. "I…I can't remember…"
Kakashi gave a slow bob of his head. "That's alright. I'm sure Ino or one of the girls has it. You don't have a spare, do you?"
Sakura rocked her head, worrying her lip as she did.
Watching her bite down on her lip, Kakashi thought he'd level the playing field. She admitted something about him, he'd do the same. What's the worst that could happen? She'd either forget, and that would be that; or she'd remember and come to understand just how powerful of an effect the simplest stuff she did around him had. "Sakura," he mustered in the huskiest tone he could manage. "Stop biting down on your lip."
"W-why…?" She stuttered, pulling her lower lip out from under her teeth.
"Because, in the same way that my apparent smile gets you 'hot and bothered,' I feel the same way when you bite down on your lip like that."
To Kakashi's delight, a fresh wave of blood rushed to her fair cheeks.
"Now, we don't have a way to get into your apartment. You can stay the night at my apartment tonight, and tomorrow morning we'll call Ino about the key," Kakashi stated, glossing over the fact that she was eyeing him with a regard he'd never seen her express before.
"What about Rocky…" she riddled with a deep frown.
"Well, does Balboa have food and water?" Kakashi questioned.
Sakura nodded, doleful.
"Alright, he'll be fine for the night. Like I said, in the morning we'll get up and call Ino about your key. But right now, you are swaying all over the place, you look exhausted, and I'm sure you're not feeling too good, either. It's better you lay down and sleep it off," he explained, grabbing her by the hand and guiding her down the other hall to his apartment. Kakashi noted how perfect her tiny hand fit into his, even if it was sweaty from all the drinking. Most bodily functions like sweat, smell, fluids; they didn't bother Kakashi at all. To him, it's what made all of them human and it was a feature everyone shared equally. It was never something that grossed him out like it did other people. In fact, he found when someone embraced what was only natural to be quite enduring.
The moment Kakashi unlocked the door, he made sure to walk in front of Sakura to herd the group of excited dogs that were waiting for him. They barked happily, tails wagging and paws leaping all around. As soon as they caught sight of Sakura, they huddled around her; sniffing her hands and feet. Sakura regarded all the dogs with a delighted smile on her face, squatting down to pet them. "How many dogs do you hhhaaavvveeeeee?!" She sang, squishing her face into Bull's rolls.
Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, "Eh…eight…"
"Eight?!" She squeaked, ruffling the top of Guruko's head. "How…all eight…How?"
"I've got a good routine down for them, that they've all gotten used to. Besides, I've got the corner apartment that's essentially a suite, so there's more than enough room for them," he answered, scooting them back with his feet.
Eventually the herd of dogs broke away from Sakura, all except Bisuke who she had swept up in her arms. She was rubbing his ear tenderly, planting kisses all down his head, leaving red marks in its wake. "I'll steal them all…" she mumbled, landing one more fat kiss on the pup's nose before gingerly setting him back down on the ground.
"We will wrestle if you do that," Kakashi jeered, moving to set his key on the small table close to the front door.
"Nice place…" she complimented thickly, leaning on her hand against the wall.
Kakashi took Sakura's form in. She wasn't able to stand up straight, anytime she attempted to she wobbled back and forth. Her liner was a little smeared on the sides, but otherwise it would of just been mistaken as a grungy look. Her hair appeared tangled from all the dancing she had done, and he didn't doubt that her skin probably felt sticky from the sweat. "Thanks," he grinned. "It's not much, but it's home. Here," he traversed his way to Sakura, wrapping an arm around her again to help her. This time around, Sakura didn't argue. She leaned into him more, so that his sturdy frame was supporting the weight of hers.
Going through the living room and down the small hall, the pair entered his bedroom where he carefully set her down on the edge of the bed. Once he removed his arm from around her waist, Kakashi rotated to face his dresser, where he began to pull open the drawers and dig through the compartments. "I don't have much…" he muttered. "And you're pretty small…" After some deep searching, he came across a light grey t-shirt and sweat pants. "You can wear these, these are as small as I could find. The sweats you can just roll up tight around the waist so they…Sakura, what are you doing?"
Standing not even two feet behind him was Sakura, staring him down with burning emerald eyes. She was fisting the edges of her crop top, sluggishly attempting to peel it off of her body. Kakashi clutched her forearm, using his strength to hold her still. His onyx eyes narrowed earnestly, examining Sakura's face. Her expression was resolute and urgent, eyes leaden with need. She tried to wriggle her arm out of his grasp, to no avail. "Whatever you're trying to do, Sakura…you need to stop." Kakashi spoke slowly and deliberately without trying to condescend her.
"Sleep with me," she propositioned intemperately.
"I'm not sleeping with you," he asserted in a level, gruff tone.
"Why?" She pleaded faintly, still attempting to twist her forearm out of his calloused hand. "Aren't I pretty?"
"You're stunning, but…you are drunk beyond understanding. You're not really present, Sakura," he answered softly, releasing his hold on her arm.
In an instant, Sakura grabbed Kakashi by the shoulders, lobbing him around and shoving him down on the bed contentiously. She leapt, slamming down on top of his waist that caused the breath to woosh out of his lungs and squeezing her thighs as if to hold him in place. "Sakura," Kakashi grunted. "This is rape."
Ignoring him, Sakura once again reached for the bottom of her shirt, writhing her torso when she went to pull it off. Once again, Kakashi caught her arms, shoving them down at her sides as forcefully as he could while still being gentle. "Just let it happen," she murmured, leaning down to kiss him.
Kakashi jerked upper torso to the side, pushing her up some and dodging her lips. "Sakura," he growled, whipping his head back with a disgruntled gawk.
"Stop fighting me," she whimpered, her expression breaking into one of despondency.
With her arms pinned at her side, Sakura gave a hard roll of her hips, milling her body against his. Kakashi closed his eyes at the motion, biting the inside of his cheek and counting down in his head to avoid his body's natural response. Noticing the distraction, Sakura leaned over again, managing to nip at his chin before he drove her back up. "Why won't you just fuck me?" She sniveled.
Opening his eyes, Kakashi observed Sakura. Tears had welled into her eyes and were spilling down her cheeks. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat, hear head hung low. When he met her eyes, he recognized the countenance swimming in the sea-foam depths. Alcohol tore down her walls so aggressively that he was witnessing the woman who hid behind them. He was witness to her desire to be loved, but he was also witness to how she had it all wrong. He saw himself there, he saw the same yearning for a lasting affection. In a sense, he felt as though he were violating a part of her by seeing this facet of this woman. She was so incredibly vulnerable, and the ball was in his court. The woman he was seeing now devasted him, and enraged him at the same time. Who hurt her to this extent? That she would be this desperate, this hurt, and this confused? He wanted to comfort her, he wanted to become the glue that would help hold her together. Kakashi wanted to hug her tight until she falls asleep, but he knew she would only feel more violated when she woke up. It would betray her trust, and even if she was severely drunk, she was gifting him a tender moment that he had to be careful to handle.
Attentively, Kakashi slid his hands from either side of her arms to the sides of her shoulders, rolling over to where she was on her back and his form rested half on her, half on the bed. One of his long legs settled in between hers, his right forearm braced on the sheets beside her head. He cupped her face with both hands, thumbs brushing away her tears, jet black eyes immersing themselves into hers. "I need you to listen to what I say," he began tenderly, his rich voice deep with intention. "Your value is not based off of a simple fuck. You are complicated and beautiful, and you are worthy of attention and time. You are a woman to be treasured and honored, not used for simple carnal pleasures. You are also incredibly drunk, so much that you're struggling to keep your eyes open. I will not take advantage of you. I am not that type of man. You absolutely have to understand just how important you are. Not just to the world, but to me." Kakashi leaned in, placing a soft, indolent kiss over her birthmark, causing Sakura's breathing to hitch and pause before slowly leveling out. "Now…" He slid off of her, pulling her up with him as he did. He noticed that her movements were getting to become less like a functioning person and more like a ragdoll. "You should really take a shower before you go to bed. Take these clothes," Kakashi swooped down to pick the articles off of the floor, placing them into Sakura's hand. "The shower is just right there…"
Sakura stayed frozen in place for a moment, staring down at the clothes in her hand until she side-stepped Kakashi and made small steps towards the restroom. Halfway, she stopped, sniffing and wiping away a lone tear. "I'm…"
"Sakura, take a shower," he scolded softly.
Without another word, she stepped into the restroom and shut the door, followed by the sound of the shower being turned on. Kakashi blew out the biggest breath he had been holding in, so much so that it felt as if he was deflating.
What the fuck just happened?
Shaking his head, he grabbed a set of his own clothes to change into and switched outfits quickly, settling for something more comfortable. In the process, he realized that his member was at half mast. He cursed himself, instantly feeling guilty. Even though he didn't do anything, and he knew he shouldn't blame himself for his body's natural response to a beautiful woman, he felt ashamed. Not ashamed that his body responded at all, but ashamed because he wasn't in full control as he would of liked to be. Kakashi took pride in his sense of control, it helped with all and every situation imaginable.
Well, at least he thought so.
He hadn't figured that something like this was going to happen at all. He settled on the notion that she was going to shower and pass out on his bed. The woman literally threw him on his own bed like he weighed nothing. Christ, she is unhumanly strong. Even though he doubted she was going to remember anything tonight, she was past far gone, a small part of him hoped that she would remember what he said to her tonight. Or that she would compartmentalize it somewhere deep in her brain, and something would happen that would sending it trudging back up to the forefront for her to recognize. He meant what he said, and he hoped she absorbed it. He wanted nothing from tonight to be misconstrued into him taking advantage of her. If anything, she was the one taking advantage of him.
Kakashi smirked at the thought of her finding out she tried to have her way with him.
Fact of the matter is, most men would probably keep this a secret, if they really didn't want the other person to know it happened. Kakashi was not one of those men. He never hid anything from anyone, and she was not the exception. He was going to tell her what happened, and give her every last detail if she so chose to ask. He would, however, relay it over as lightly as possible so she wouldn't die of embarrassment.
He was right about one thing, though.
Sakura is trouble when she's got some drinks in her.
Shaking away the last remnants of lust, Kakashi tossed his other set of clothes into the hamper and shifted to get some water from the kitchen. Right as he was about to step out of the room, there was a loud bang that emitted from the restroom, followed up with a rough dirge from Sakura. Kakashi ambled up to the bathroom door, "Sakura? Is everything okay?" From where he was, the spatter of the shower was noisy, and he knew from experience it was deafening inside the restroom. Minutes passed with no response, and Kakashi was starting to worry that maybe she fell and hit her head. He wrapped his long fingers around the doorknob, pressing his ear against the door. He opened his mouth to speak, "Saku—"
It was Sakura's tumultuous, keening, quavering cry that cut off his words.
With a jolt, Kakashi twisted the doorknob and lurched in...