author's note:
I have to say, I adore these two. I hope you do, too! I'm not sure how long this will be. I also don't see myself updating every day. However, I don't believe this will be a particularly long story, as each chapter seems to be covering an advancement (albeit however slight) of Kakashi and Sakura's relationship. At least the chapters are somewhat long? Maybe? I feel like they are, anyways. I'd estimate this little fic to be about 5 chapters, depending on how it progresses. I hope you enjoy; let me know what you think! - Lady Flick
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STUPEFIED
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Chapter 2
Acquiescence
It took about two more weeks before the Copy-Nin was able to deal with the reality that Sakura had grown so much. Rather, that he was affected by her growth. And after another month or so, he simply stopped dwelling on the fact that she was a full-fledged, sake-drinking, Jounin-ranked woman, and decided to treat her as a comrade with whom, yes, he could occasionally flirt with. Because that was simply in the nature of close friends. Right? Right? Genma said as much, and despite the precaution against listening to Genma ever, Kakashi found Sakura was rather fun to have around as an equal. It sure beat spending time with Anko.
Which was why, that particular weekend afternoon as he wandered the village, nose buried in his favorite series, Kakashi paused before the hospital and decided to drop in. The receptionist in the lobby greeted him with a smile. "Hatake-san, what brings you here?" She asked, voice a tad too sweet.
Kakashi returned her smile with the polite, eye-crinkling one of his own, and waved. "Just wanted to see if Sakura has time for lunch."
"She's very busy today," the receptionist said. "I'll let her know you dropped by."
Kakashi doubted she would, but he nodded his thanks and turned to leave-
"Kakashi?"
He spun around to see a vision of white and pink stepping out of an elevator.
"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, approaching the reception desk to drop off some paperwork. "Did you need something?"
The Copy-Nin shrugged. "Do I need a reason? Tsunade's not letting me leave the village for a solid three months. It's torture."
"It's a vacation," Sakura grinned. "I was just about to head out for a lunch break. Would you like to join?"
Kakashi glanced at the receptionist who was suddenly very busy with a phone call. "Sure."
Sakura's idea of a lunch break consisted of a pre-packed salad and bowl of fruit on a bench right outside the hospital. She was settled in her seat when she glanced back up at her old mentor. He stared at her dubiously, head tilted to the side. "What is it?" She asked, looking around. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes," the Jounin declared. "Your idea of a lunch break. Come one, I'll get us some yakitori."
"I don't have that long of a break!" Sakura protested, but he had already removed her salad and fruit from her lap and packed them up. "Kakashi, are you even listening?"
"Hmm? Yeah, yeah, sure. Come on."
She rolled her eyes. "Hatake Kakashi," she intoned, "I have precisely fifteen minutes to eat my lunch. You can either take it or leave it."
Kakashi looked back at her and shrugged. "Fine. Don't make dinner plans, then."
Without another word he disappeared in a wisp of smoke.
Sakura shook her head and couldn't seem to stop grinning the rest of the day.
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The two of them sitting across from each other, having grilled meat and talking about particularly troublesome patients, or the old women making passes at the silver-haired Jounin, was as natural as breathing. Sakura's laugh was infectious, and Kakashi admired the way she tossed her head back, without a care in the world, enjoying the moment so fully.
"How do you do it, Sakura?" He asked then, watching her gain control of her amusement.
"How do I do what?"
"Suppress all that you know of the world and just...be so happy?"
Sakura watched him then, calculating, eyes curious and soft and green, before taking a sip of her tea. "Well, I suppose what I've learned from life as a shinobi is to find joy in the moments when you can."
Kakashi regarded her with a renewed interest and noted the pink dusting her forehead. "You are... something else," he said with such sincerity that the woman in question turned a deeper pink and avoided his gaze. He found some satisfaction in the fact that she was blushing because of him and wondered what he could do or say to bring that flush about again.
Dinner continued pleasantly enough and was followed by some drinks at the bar. Naruto joined them, along with Genma and Ino and other off-duty shinobi. It was so effortless, being together, catching up though they had been partaking in these get-togethers every weekend for the better part of two months.
"Tsunade-baa-sama is sending me on a mission tomorrow," Naruto declared with something like impatience. "About time, too! I'm dying to get out of this village for more than a few days."
"How long will you be gone?" Sakura asked out of sheer curiosity.
Genma however, took the opportunity to nudge her. "Why, you going to miss him?"
Sakura laughed and swatted his arm. "Of course I am, but not in the way you're suggesting, dirty old man."
"You wound me, Sakura," he said.
Ino laughed, sending the senbon-philiac a suggestive wink. "Dirty old men have the most experience," she teased, earning an appreciative smirk from the dark-haired Jounin.
"Ew guys, quit it," Naruto insisted, "I'm trying to enjoy my beer over here."
"As if you wouldn't enjoy seeing something perverted," Ino snapped. "You're always reading those dirty books."
"They have really good plot-lines!" Naruto defended.
Kakashi silently agreed.
Sakura, however, snorted into her drink. "And buxom, scantily-clad leading ladies."
No one could contest that.
The evening ended with the friends parting ways. Kakashi turned to leave when Sakura's voice stilled him.
"Is Ino right?"
Slowly, he turned to face the young woman whose hair turned lavender under the moonlight. "About what?"
Sakura visibly hesitated, before taking a step forward. He was within arm's reach of her, and her hand lifted, before dropping to her side. Strange. "About dirty old men," she clarified. She didn't seem to be too affected by the alcohol in her system, and despite how much or little they all drank, she would just metabolize it through her quickly, wouldn't she? Even so, she just barely swayed on her two feet.
Kakashi blinked slowly, recalling what the blonde had said earlier. "Theoretically, I suppose. But it'd be impossible to be certain without surveying all the dirty old men, wouldn't it?"
The medic hummed in contemplation, gaze washing over the silver-haired Jounin as if she was seeing him for the first time. "I suppose so."
Silence.
Akward.
Kakashi shifted, "Well..."
"And you?" Sakura persisted, taking another, albeit smaller, step forward. "Do you consider yourself a dirty old man?"
The air thinned around him; it was impossible to breathe. Kakashi remained still. "That depends: do you think I'm a dirty old man?"
"No," Sakura answered lightly. "You're not old at all."
Somehow, that made him swell up inside.
"But you do strike me as dirty," she admitted.
You have no idea. He cleared his throat. "Is that all, Sakura?"
She grinned then, eyes obviously amused. "I've got a mission, too. Leaving in a week."
"Oh?" Kakashi really should be going.
"Yes. I need to seduce a dirty old man." She paused, then, with a small wave, turned to leave. "Goodnight, Kakashi."
He watched her walk away, both confused and frustrated by the fact that she had to seduce anyone at all. And why the hell had he held his breath for so long? Kakashi frowned, opting not to answer that question or even acknowledge it for that matter, and promptly retired to his apartment to take a long, cold shower.
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The next morning Kakashi and Sakura saw Naruto off with his teammates. The air was dry, telling of winter, and Sakura was bundled in a coat and scarf. Kakashi eyed her acutely as she gave the blond a fierce hug and demanded that he come home in one piece.
Only when he was gone did Sakura turn to her silver-headed counterpart. "About last night," she began, but Kakashi waved a dismissive hand.
"What about it?"
Sakura grinned. "I meant it when I said you're not old," she finished.
Kakashi's brow rose, and he couldn't help the lopsided smile beneath his mask. "Oh? You weren't just sparing my feelings?"
The woman laughed and dug her hands into her coat pockets as they turned to enter the village. "You can't be older than what – thirty-four? Thirty-five?"
"Twenty-nine," Kakashi insisted, earning him a playful punch on the arm.
"Please, you've been twenty-nine since I was a Genin."
Kakashi chuckled, moving to bump against her side. "Astute, as always," he conceded. "My birthday was this past September," he revealed.
"Huh, you returned right after your birthday, didn't you?" Sakura realized, stopping to look at him. He shrugged. "We have four years of missed birthdays to celebrate," she asserted, offering that gut-twisting grin of hers he couldn't seem to get accustomed to.
"And what does that entail?" Kakashi dared to venture, decidedly looking anywhere but at her striking, heart-stopping, smile. Hmm, the clouds are rather fluffy this morning...
Sakura continued her pace, leading their way through the streets, and hummed in thought. "Four parties," she finally decided. "We'll need to wait for Naruto to get back, of course."
"Of course," he agreed, amused.
"You're going to need a new liver by the end of it," the medic laughed as she shoved him lightly to walk ahead.
"Sakura, you're going to be the death of me," he muttered, detecting the faint scent of cucumber and melon from her brief proximity.
She led them to a coffee shop, declaring it was far too early to begin work without some caffeine, and scowled when Kakashi insisted that he forgot his wallet – "Good for nothing leech." – before continuing on their way to the hospital.
"So thirty-five, huh?" Sakura mused idly, blowing on her coffee. "What's that feel like?"
Kakashi was never one to discuss age so openly, in fact he rarely discussed anything personal with anyone ever. But at this point, something as shallow as age seemed so impersonal that he merely shrugged. "The same as thirty-six does," he hinted.
Sakura laughed. "Wait. Thirty-six? I take it back, you are officially old-" she proceeded to trip over absolutely nothing and glared at the inconspicuous man whistling beside her.
"Enough about how ancient I am. Are you prepared for this mission of yours?" Kakashi asked, very carefully and casually changing the subject.
"Of course," was her simple reply. "It's not my first seduction mission, Kakashi," she added for no apparent reason.
Except to infuriate you, the Copy-Nin mentally growled. "Oh?" He said instead.
"Mhmm, I've done plenty. Oh, we're here. See you later?"
He moved through the motions of good-byes and catch-you-laters and waving and walking away, all with three words playing over and over in his mind:
I've done plenty.
I've done plenty.
I've done plenty.
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BAM!
The doors burst open, startling a rather busy and furious Hokage. She glared at the intrusion. "What the hell do you want, Hatake?" She demanded, expression informing him of the fact that it better be good.
He met her gaze dead-on and cleared his throat: "Sakura is not fit for her upcoming mission. She is-" Think, Kakashi, think- "...depressed."
Tsunade blinked, processing the given information. "Depressed," she repeated looking at Kakashi through unamused eyes.
"Yes," he said, with conviction. "You should send the Yamanaka girl. Or the Hyuuga – I've heard she doesn't faint at the sight of Naruto anymore."
Tsunade massaged her temples. "What on earth gives you the impression that Sakura is depressed? She is of sound mental state to go on a mission. I evaluated her myself."
"Kakashi?" A soft voice came from behind him and he cringed.
"Ah, Sakura," Tsunade said, looking utterly cross. "Just the person I needed – come in, will you?"
Sakura did so, eyeing both her former mentors warily. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"
"Are you depressed?"
The younger medic blanched. "What? No, why would you think that?"
Tsunade scowled, glancing back at the Copy-Nin who stood stock-still. Then it clicked. That damned silver-haired idiot. "Some patients mentioned a medic who seemed rather distracted at work and they insisted it was your name. Figures that they wouldn't recall your hair, it must not have been you. I just had to be certain. You may go."
Sakura bowed and, with a quick nod Kakashi's way, left to resume her duties.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, steepling her hands before her. "Well there we have it. She's fine."
"You're going to trust her?"
"Are you depressed, Hatake?" She studied him then, eyes narrowing.
"What? No, I-"
Tsunade pressed on. "Are you tired of your stay here in Konoha? You probably feel cooped up. Maybe a three month vacation is not something a shinobi like you desires." Rifling through some paper work, the Hokage found the folder and opened it up, scrawling something on the documents within. "You will hereby be offered a mission – one partner is actually incapacitated at the moment; I needed a new man to send. Do you accept?"
Time to get away from the village? He was feeling restless.
"Aa, Hokage-sama."
Tsunade smirked. "Great. You will be accompanying one, Haruno Sakura, on her reconnaissance mission. You leave in a week. Report to me in five days for your mission scroll. That is all."
Reconnaissance?
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"Hey, partner."
Kakashi didn't bother glancing up from his present entertainment.
A body sat down beside him; he detected cucumber and melon. How tranquil—Shut up, brain. What do you know? He coughed, "I'm busy, Sakura," he flipped a page, making a point to ignore her. "Bother me later."
The medic scoffed. "Don't pretend you don't enjoy my company. You tried to get me off my mission. Why?"
When he did look at her, he wished he hadn't. He expected to see hurt in her eyes, from distrust or whatever other nonsensical reason. That was what younger Sakura would have done. But he didn't see younger Sakura; she was older, wiser, and far more confusing. Instead, the woman was blank, nonchalant. When did she become so nonchalant?
Kakashi shrugged, lifting the novel to block his line of sight. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Sakura expelled a breath and in his mind he wondered if she was scrunching up her nose as she often did when she was angry. "You're mad at me," she observed, eyeing her former mentor through keen eyes. And then, with amusement, "Why are you mad at me?"
Kakashi didn't answer, figuring she would simply take it as fact that he was quite busy and to just leave him be. She didn't, of course. Instead, the young woman settled on the grass and stretched out with feline-grace, laying her head in her hands to stare up at the gray mass above them. A particularly blinding portion of the sky along the horizon was the only indication that the sun was setting.
The Copy-Nin sighed, arching a brow at the medic who just might have fallen asleep. She looked so damn peaceful, wrapped in layers and a warm scarf. She was paler than usual, or was it just cold? Maybe she was low on iron. "Sakura, what do you want?" He finally prompted.
Without even opening her eyes, she answered. "You wanted me off my assignment. Is it because you think I'm incapable?" -Ah, that insecurity was certainly reminiscent of the Sakura he knew long ago.- "Because I have to say: you're a load of bull."
"Excuse me?" Kakashi had to lower his book to address her.
Sakura sat up then, languid and suspicious. "You're such an ass. Gone for four years and you think you know everybody. Four years is a long time, Kakashi-" she paused then, reading the shock in his only exposed eye. "Do you really think I've improved so little?"
"No-"
"Or is it that you think I can't handle a seduction mission because I've already told you that this is far from my first one-"
"-Sakura." He brandished the authoritative tone he used only as a Jounin teacher. It had the desired effect: Sakura shut up. She watched him, mouth pursed together, eyes filled with the rant that went unsaid. Kakashi shut his novel and tucked it into his chest pocket. "If you've changed so much, why do you feel this need to prove yourself to me?"
She pondered his words, all the while meeting his gaze. Behind her eyes he could see the tantrum brewing, the tempest swirling, but she remained silent. He half expected her to lunge at him and pummel him with her her fists. Somehow, her silence was even worse. Eventually, Sakura stood and stormed away.
Kakashi watched her go. Had he been too harsh? He didn't think so. But perhaps now that the order of things was restored, he wouldn't have such infuriatingly confusing feelings regarding a pink-haired medic. And besides, she'd get over it. She'd have to. They were going on a mission together in a week.
Even so, he was well-aware of the woman's infamous temper and he doubted he would see much of her prior to their mission which was why, as he meandered down the street later that evening, he was surprised to see a kunai lodge itself in his path with a single note attached:
Training Ground 3.
He chose to ignore it and continued on his way home.
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Settled in bed with some tea and book, Kakashi was very much ready to retire for the night when a loud knock on the door drew his attention to the pesky young woman at his porch.
"Kakashi!"
Of course, he had sensed her chakra from blocks away; it was as if she purposefully emanated it so as to alert him of her arrival.
"Hatake Kakashi, I know you're in there, you dirty old man!"
So much for not being 'old.'
"Kakashi!"
He grunted and rolled out of bed, taking his time to walk down the hall and to the front door. Just as he opened it, Sakura's fist was about to knock, instead pounding against his bare chest. She withdrew it, red-faced and furious. Kakashi sighed and leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his torso. "Yes, Sakura?"
Lips parted, the young medic simply stared. There was a beat of silence where Kakashi wondered if she had been paralyzed, but Sakura scowled, fixing her (brilliant) gaze on his masked face. "You didn't come train with me," she accused in a manner that was in accordance with her Genin days.
"I had things to do," Kakashi answered flippantly, resting his temple against the door frame. "What is it that you want, Sakura?"
She closed her mouth and he could see the thoughts running behind her gaze. He took that moment to allow his eyes to take in the utter redness of her nose, the curve of her brows, and the dryness of her lips. In that instant, he forgot what she looked like as a young girl; the person standing before him, despite her rather childish temper, was clearly a grown woman. The fact that she took the time to compose herself before simply going off on a rant said as much. And so Kakashi waited.
Finally, Sakura spoke. "You asked me if I thought you were old," she said carefully. "I don't think you are, and that's the truth. But I feel like you see me as young. Do you?"
Kakashi frowned. "You are young-"
"That's not what I meant and you know it," she cut in.
"Sakura. You're...what? Nineteen or something?"
"You know I'm twenty-two."
"Nineteen, twenty-two, what's the difference?" Kakashi mused, straightening himself up to full stature. "It barely matters at that young of an age."
She stepped forward, sizing up the Copy-Nin. He was admittedly far taller than her, but the ferocity behind Sakura's presence was something to be reckoned with. "You act as though I'm twelve. You pretend that I'm fifteen. Well, I was eighteen when you left. Eighteen. You had no idea what I'd done. Who I'd done-"
-Inappropriate thoughts came unbidden that the Copy-Nin forcibly buried deep, deep down in the crevices of his dirty, dirty mind-
"-and you dare go to Tsunade to say I'm not qualified for missions I've completed plenty of times in your absence?" Sakura poked him in the chest, fingertip freezing from the winter air. "You're not my sensei, and you haven't been in a long time. You have no right to interfere with my career."
Kakashi caught her hand; the warmth against her cool palm was startling and Sakura tensed. His lone dark eye peered down into her face, as if he was seeing through her. And then he dropped her hand and stepped back. "You're right," he conceded quietly. "I missed you maturing. Even at fifteen you were a child. Even now, fully grown, I see you as a child. I shouldn't protect you, anymore. You don't need it."
Sakura wasn't sure how to respond.
"With that said, there's nothing you can do to change the way I see you. You were my pupil once, and though we're equals now, I will always, always consider you a student. A dear friend and ally, but always a former student. That's a bond that I can't forget or discard."
Silence.
"Alright, then," Sakura said tiredly, nipping at her lower lip. "Thank you for being honest with me."
"There is one thing I'm curious about," Kakashi admitted. "You told me you were going on a seduction mission." Had it not been for the mask, his lopsided smile would have been obvious. "Tsunade said it's reconnaissance."
Sakura grinned and his heart constricted at the sight of it. "Maybe I wanted you to think I'm a vixen," she said in a tone that did nothing to assuage the tightness in his chest. "Goodnight, Kakashi."
The door closed and Kakashi leaned back against it, cursing the heavens for having his former pupil grow up to be so...so...
"I need a drink," he grunted, pushing away from the door and making his way to the bedroom to tug on a shirt. It was still early, afterall. And he was on vacation.
Ten minutes later found the silver-haired Jounin entering his usual pub. It didn't take long for him to spot his dark-haired friend at the bar chatting up a pretty girl. Genma's brows rose at the sight of the usually solitary Copy-Nin out on weeknight. Kakashi nodded in greeting before turning to the bartender. "Sake."
Eventually, Genma nudged his arm. "So what brings the infamous Hatake Kakashi out tonight? Usually I have to drag you to go anywhere."
Kakashi shrugged. "I really needed a drink."
"Cheers to that," the brunet responded.
They drank and talked as men do and Kakashi felt infinitely better when his mind was distracted from troubling thoughts pertaining to pink hair and pink lips and pink lashes. Genma informed Kakashi of the goings-on within the village: deaths, promotions, politics regarding other villages, and of course his sexual escapades. Kakashi listened, sharing very little information himself.
But as luck would have it, she came in with her chatty friend and Kakashi regretted every decision he had ever made in his life; why did the world hate him? She discarded her coat and hooked it on the back of her chair and she laughed at something the blonde gossip said. And she tucked a strand of pink behind her flushed ear and crossed a leg over the other. She was so womanly and lithe and brilliant that Kakashi turned away.
Genma didn't seem to notice.
If Sakura saw him, she didn't wave.
But he found that throughout the night, his dark eyes wandered back to her table. There were two men sitting there, too. And neither were Naruto. They seemed to be on a double date – not that Kakashi cared, it was mere observation. And then one was kissing Ino's hand and Sakura laughed at something the other one said. She didn't toss her head back, though.
It was hot. Was it hot in there? Kakashi shrugged off his vest.
"Oh, look." Oh no. "If it isn't those lovely ladies."
Kakashi scowled. "Leave them alone, Genma. They're on dates."
Genma scoffed, "With those civilian boys? Please. Women like them need men, Hatake." And he went over towards the table to utterly steal Ino's attention. Kakashi remained at his stool and pretended not to notice Sakura's small wave of greeting.
It was futile, as she came over and claimed Genma's abandoned seat. "Yo," she said simply, not looking at him.
"Yo," Kakashi responded, taking a drink of his sake.
"I'm sorry I got so angry with you," Sakura began, to which her silver-haired counterpart shook his head in dismissal. She ignored it. "And I'm sorry I lied. I suppose I wanted to get a rise out of you somehow," she admitted sheepishly. "You always saw me as a child – I wondered what it'd be like if you saw me as a woman. I get it now, though," the medic continued, glancing over at his stoic face. "I think a part of me will always see you as my sensei."
Kakashi's grip tightened on his cup. "Why," he hesitated, finding the proper words. "Why did you want me to see you in a different way?" He ventured precariously, still refusing to look at her.
The medic hummed in thought, tapping her finger against her beer. "I suppose...I suppose it was because I never felt like I made an impression on the men around me. Naruto didn't see me any differently than he always had. None of my friends. I wanted to make someone see me in that way – as a woman. It's disappointing feeling like I'm an adult but not being seen as one."
She sounded so damn sad. Kakashi sighed and relented, turning towards her. "Sakura-" What could he say? "You're obviously a woman. Any idiot can see that. But consider our history. You were my student. It'd be...strange...for me to admit that I see you in any other kind of light. Does that make sense?"
"Are you saying that you've noticed I'm a woman now?" Sakura prompted, casually tracing the rim of her glass.
Kakashi rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"
She smiled then, straightening up on the stool. "Pervert," she teased.
The Copy-Nin pushed her off her seat.
It was far too easy to spend his time with her, and that wasn't news. Their banter was natural, and when he wasn't reminding himself to look away from her pink, beer-moist lips, he found that he could suppress indecent thoughts and thoroughly enjoy her company. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was aware that the patrons around them were dwindling. Eventually the bar was closing and they left. He wasn't particularly drunk – was he drunk at all? - but there was a warmth in him that must have been alcohol-induced.
They walked until they reached a point where they would separate and Sakura paused, as if waiting for him to say something.
Taking his cue, he nodded - "Goodnight, Sakura." - before heading down the street to go home.
Her voice, soft and clear in the quiet of the night, stopped him. "Why did you go to Tsunade." It didn't sound like a question at all. "You thought my mission was to seduce the target. Why did you feel the need to go to Tsunade?"
Without turning around, the Copy-Nin answered, "I couldn't stand the idea of my former student doing that."
"I don't believe you," she revealed. When he didn't respond, she continued. "I am a woman now, you know," Sakura declared with all the confidence of someone who knew what she wanted. "And if I'm not mistaken, we were just on a date. And at the end of a date, women are typically given a goodnight kiss."
Kakashi turned to look at her, hands in his pockets. He toyed with the idea of acquiescing, wondering just where it might lead, but thought better of it. She was twenty-two, but still obviously naïve. She had no idea what she wanted or what she asking. "Sakura, I didn't ask you out tonight. We were just friends who ran into each other at a bar."
"And if we weren't?" The woman prompted, breathless, or so it seemed.
"Then I would kiss you goodnight," he said quietly.
Sakura unwrapped her scarf from her face, revealing her chapped lips. "So pretend," she said gently, closing her eyes. "And I'll pretend, too."
He stared at her, standing there beneath the faint light of the street lamp, eyes closed and waiting for a kiss. Hands flexed and unflexed in his pockets as he teetered on the edge of a decision. Why was she baiting him? What did she want? What did she expect? Perhaps he was over-thinking this. What if she didn't expect anything but a kiss? What if she wanted something more? How drunk was she? How drunk was he?
Oh, fuck it.
He strode forward, lowered his mask, and hovered above her waiting mouth...then thought better of it. He sighed, "Goodnight, Sakura."
The warmth of his breath startled her and she opened her eyes but he was already gone.
Even so, she couldn't keep from smiling as she headed home, oblivious to the distant splash of a body jumping into a river.
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author's note:
I love Kakashi. You can expect much more tension and some steamy scenarios in the next chapter ;) I have to admit, I have such love for this fandom - but is this worth keeping up? I'm using it as a nice exercise to sharpen up my incredibly rusty writing chops and so I know the writing itself isn't top-notch (a brief scan of my many in-progress fics reminds me how far I've fallen ugh) but it's still rather fun. What do you think? Is there still love for this pairing?