Anko tried her hardest to listen. Really, she did. It was just really difficult to pay attention –- she was tired, a beer away from being more than a little drunk, and wasn't interested in listening to Gai-sensei yap away about his so-called "good looks" and "smooth moves." She was much more concerned with following the man who graced her dreams, which happened to be the reason she came into this bar in the first place.
She honestly didn't remember when she fell in love with Kakashi, but Anko suspected it was before she realized it. His casual air, his devotion to teamwork, his sense of humor, his power, his mystery …
Anko scanned the dimly lit and crowded room for any sign of him, eyes finally coming to rest on a table in the corner where the man in question sat conversing softly with Iruka. For a moment, envy dominated her features and her eyes narrowed, having long suspected something going on between the two. Iruka was immersed in a one-sided conversation, most likely relating his day at the Academy to the older teacher. Kakashi leaned back in his chair, revealing an open copy of 'Icha Icha Paradise' nestled in his callused hands. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards as he pulled on a passing waitress' sleeve and requested another drink for his companion.
"Anko, Anko, are you listening?"
Her eyes snapped back to Gai, a frown playing across his chiseled features.
"Eh? What? Oh! Of course I'm listening!"
"If I'm boring you, just say so," he muttered dejectedly, head bowed quite comically, eyes still glued on hers. Anko shook her head. She couldn't very well tell him the truth, what with him and Kakashi being eternal rivals.
"No, no, Gai, go ahead … continue where you left off …"
His ebony eyes immediately brightened, his posture straightened. "Okay, so where was I? Oh yeah, so we were just standing there, and I was thinking 'Now, Now, Gai—'"
Anko sighed inwardly. Was he boring her? Hell yes! Why do I have to be so nice all the time? Slouching in her chair, her eyes automatically drifted back towards Kakashi---
---who appeared to have disappeared. Iruka stared miserably at his drink, silent and lonesome, the chair next to him empty. Anko glanced around the bar, searching for a trace of the older teacher. But there was none. She stood.
"I'm sorry, Gai, but I just remembered that I have some unfinished business I must attend to immediately…" Anko said, the words tumbling out of her mouth as she gathered up her coat and headed for the door.
"Eh?" Gai said a bit belatedly, eyes fixed on her retreating back. He turned away. Shimatta! And I was just about to use my captivating moves on her!!
***
Kuso, kuso … Anko slowly turned in circles, squinting as she attempted to see through the darkness. Where the hell did he go? She pouted and flopped down on a park bench illuminated by a streetlamp, practically the only visible thing in the near-midnight shadows. Why am I even following him? I wouldn't normally do this … it must be Gai's aggressive tactics rubbing off on me. She shook her head. Well, what now? Anko stood up, pains shooting up through her legs. I should get some rest, since I trained all today. The hot springs aren't very far from here, either. Yeah, I guess I could do that –- I have my bathing suit with me too.
Anko started off towards the hot springs, wincing and trying to massage her arms as she staggered away into the darkness.
***
Eh, this is just what I needed … Anko slipped into the hot water and let out a sigh of content. Pulling out the band that held her hair in, she shook her head and ran her hand through her violet tresses before taking a deep breath and submerging herself.
Not many people knew about these hot springs, though by their quality Anko was surprised they weren't swamped from word of mouth. But then again, perhaps all who came here wished for it to remain as tranquil as it was when they visited. Either way, she was glad to finally have a chance to relax after a hard day of training, far away from any prying eyes.
Surfacing, Anko draped her arms over the rocks behind her and kicked her legs slowly, churning the pleasantly warm water. Steam rose in thick clouds, shrouding her view of the night sky beyond. Darkness had already settled upon the village, and here, away from artificial light, it was near pitch black. Limp willow branches danced in the wind, trailing in the water, stirring the steam and ultimately revealing that Anko was, indeed, not alone. A still figure floated in the water across from her, muscular arms sprawled across the rocks, anchoring their body in place.
Gasping sharply and drawing away from the figure, she eyed it with suspicion. Obviously, whoever it was hadn't noticed her yet. Ears straining to hear above the noise of running water, Anko caught the sound of slow, deep breaths.
They're … asleep?
She stared at the figure, muscles no longer aching but taut, ready to spring into action. While they seemed to be sleeping, there was a chance that they were not. Ninjas are taught to expect the unexpected.
"Anko-chan, sweets, I don't believe it's polite to stare."
Her eyes widened. She knew that voice –- the slow drawl, the laid-back tone -– she knew it well, and even in her dreams it spoke to her, whispered in her ears...
It's …?
The figure swam out of the shadows cast by the willow tree, the little remaining light illuminating their features. They pulled up against the rocks several feet away from her and regained their previous casual posture.
... Kakashi.
From what Anko could see, the Jounin was clothed only in swim trunks, forehead protector and uniform lying in a heaping mass on the other side of the hot springs. Sweeping silver hair, wet from the water and heat, hung about his eyes, and a playful but relaxed smile spread across his features, half-hidden by his mask. Anko took Kakashi in with her eyes, her heart racing, eyes watering -– she did not want to blink for fear that he would disappear once more. Was this all a dream? Was she just stuck in one of her foolish fantasies that seemed to plague her every idle minute?
"Surprised to see me?" Kakashi asked, brushing the hair out of his eyes, providing Anko with a full view of his Sharigan. For a moment she forgot to breathe.
This isn't like me, to get all worked up like this …
"Yes, I am, in fact," she smiled, letting her awkward feelings drain away, leaving behind only cool composure. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged. "My group was giving me a hard time today, especially Naruto. All they seemed to want to do was complain and sit around, and not do the mission at hand. I needed a rest after that ordeal." He chuckled before casting a suspicious glance at her out of the corner of his eyes. "And may I ask the same for you?"
He must've noticed me in the bar, and wondered if I'm following him around … which is half of the truth, really. "Well, between my training and preparations for the Chuunin Exam, I haven't had much time for myself to relax. So I decided I deserved a break at least for tonight."
Kakashi grinned. "Good," he said, somewhat amused. "Because I thought you were following me around."
"Eh…" Anko's tongue stuck in her mouth, and she smiled weakly, rubbing the back of her head with her hand. "Well, I did follow you to the bar, but I didn't know you were going to come here," she admitted, before adding a "That's the truth" hastily.
Kakashi laughed. "I believe you, I believe you," he said. She sighed, relieved that he wasn't angry.
For a few minutes afterwards, an awkward silence hung in the air. Then Kakashi spoke.
"Anko-chan, tell me," he said, his tone more serious than it had been before. He turned to look at her. "Do you have someone special to you?"
"Eh?" she said, quite surprised. It took her a moment to process what he asked. "Oh, yeah, I suppose …" Her thoughts drifted over her recent dreams. She shook her head to free herself of them. "Yes, I guess I do."
"Hmm." He nodded. "Interesting."
Silence again. Anko realized that he was staring out into space, his slender fingers trailing in the water. They seemed so … empty. He's not reading 'Icha Icha Paradise?'
"Hey, Kakashi, where is your book?"
His head snapped around to look at her, his eyebrows raised. "Oh, that thing?" He raised his arm to lazily gesture at his pile of belongings. "I think it's over there. Why do you ask?"
It was her turn to shrug. "I donno, it just seems like you read it whenever you're bored."
He grinned wildly, mismatched eyes dancing. "Oh, I would never read it now," he said. "This is far too interesting to be ruined by some stupid book."
"I see…" He reads it when he's with Iruka, his rumored lover, and yet he calls it stupid when he's with me? What's up with that? Suddenly, she realized that Kakashi was no longer several feet away, but rather inches, and he had cast his arm casually around her shoulder. She looked aghast at his hand placed on her bare skin, and then up at his refined features. He didn't seem to pay attention or think his sudden actions were a bit … well, sudden. When he noticed her staring at him, he smiled down at her.
"Anko-chan, contrary to popular belief, you're a slow learner." He reached up to tweak her nose with his other hand. "It's not polite to stare."
"Gomen," she murmured, promptly looking down at the swirling water, her face burning. What does this mean?
Without warning, Anko was pulled into a tight embrace, and before she could resist, Kakashi's lips were placed softly on her own, slow, cautious, almost asking for permission. She had tensed at first, as was her reaction to any contact, but slowly she melted into his encircling arms, thinking of nothing except for his kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her nerves ablaze as he began to press harder, his mouth hungry for her love. They found themselves sliding farther and farther down into the water, their grip on the rocks slipping as they tightened the grip on each other. Kakashi broke out of the embrace to breathe, dark eyes gleaming, before unleashing himself upon her again, this time his lips holding more passion and desire than before, adroit fingers dancing across her bare skin.
This, thought Anko dimly between kisses, is much better than any wild fantasy.
