Chapter 15: Doctors Gone Wild

Sakura sighed for the twentieth time in twenty minutes and let her head fall limp against the back of the couch. Maybe the ceiling had the answers she was looking for. All she found was a highly suspicious water stain.

"Okay, that's enough," Kakashi said quietly, but abruptly. She grunted in protest when he yanked her pen away. "No more tapping," he said with a mildly threatening wag of the pen. She hadn't even realized she'd been tapping it. Kakashi's hair was sticking up more than usual, though, and she could only assume he'd run his fingers through his hair one too many times in frustration at her unconscious pen-tapping.

"Sorry," she grumbled with a pout she hoped would ebb away his annoyance with her. It worked. He looked like he suspected her motives, but it didn't stop him from leaning forward and pecking her jutted lip. "I just want to make it good," she whispered before capturing his lips once more with his.

He laughed softly into her kiss before backing away. She pouted again, this time to no avail. "You've distracted me enough as it is," he said, flicking her pen across his coffee table pointedly. "Why don't you take a break? You've written," he paused to look down at the application in her lap, "three sentences? Sakura," he groaned.

"What?!" she cried. "Have you ever written a med school recommendation letter? This shit is not easy!"

"Actually, I have," he muttered dryly, though he did look a little more understanding after hearing the sheer desperation in her voice.

"What?! When?"

"I helped Rin with hers," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You already wrote two for your professors, what makes this any different?"

"Dr. Senju is what makes it different. She is," Sakura paused. How to describe Dr. Senju in a way that Kakashi would understand? "She is to me what that ridiculous smut writer is to you." She fixed him with a pleased grin, though he was not as impressed with her as she was with herself.

"Mah," he sighed as he leaned back into the couch, "I guess my help wouldn't be appreciated then—"

"No, no, no, no, no!" she cried, crawling toward him, her poorly written notes falling forgotten to the floor. "Please help me, I'm hopeless," she begged, hands clutched to her chest. Kakashi heaved a dramatic sigh, slumping further into the couch and fixing her with that look, the one she had seen a hundred times, the one that said you are the most grating part of my day but I kind of like it.

"I have to finish this up for tonight," she interrupted him to whine in protest, and he rolled his eyes, "but I will look at it tonight," he promised.

She squealed in delight and flung herself over his slumped body to hug him around his neck.

"But only if you have more than three sentences written."

"I have five," she declared proudly. He was not impressed.

Nevertheless, with his help on the table, she allowed him to actually get his work done without being too much of a hindrance. She was generally quite good at leaving him to it (because she was generally not around, having an actual job herself), and he didn't have long before he had to leave, albeit late, though that had nothing to do with her. She had come to realize that Kakashi had an aversion to punctuality.

So, she busied herself with playing with Pakkun until the dark cloud of her unwritten recommendation letter felt a little less daunting. At least Pakkun appreciated her. When she said as much to Kakashi, he gave her another look at that very telling expression he wore only for her. It wasn't exactly a happy one, but she felt quite special every time he fixed her with it, so it always pleased her a little too much to see it.

Since confessing that they had very real, very pleasant feelings for one another, things had been easier. Not that they were terribly difficult before—for the most part, anyway—but she didn't feel like she was walking on eggshells, and he seemed far less touchy whenever certain topics arose. No more dismissive comments about her seeing whomever she liked, whenever she liked, and no more of her snapping at him for being closed off and untouchable.

Progress.

"You're staring at me," he grumbled from the couch, glaring mildly at her where she sat cross-legged on the floor with Pakkun rolling around at her knees.

"I can't look at you?"

"It's distracting."

"I think the real problem here is that you lack self-control."

Kakashi sighed and put his laptop aside. "That never seemed to be a problem I had before meeting you," he said pointedly, though he made no move to try and get back to his work.

"So, what you're really saying is, I help you live in the moment?"

Kakashi shook his head in exasperation, but that little smile twisting his lips told her everything she needed to know.

Of all the things to make Sakura nervous about her workday, handing an envelope to Dr. Senju's assistant shouldn't have been at the top of the list, but alas, her heart was hammering in her chest, and the envelope was wilting in her sweaty hand. Shizune was kind enough not to mention it, though she did take the envelope and set it aside on her desk very gingerly.

Dr. Senju wouldn't be available for another couple of hours, but Sakura wanted to get this out of the way sooner rather than later. It had been weighing on her for the past two days, ever since Kakashi had gone through her first draft with a fine-tooth comb, adjusting it and assuring her that it was a perfectly acceptable and professional letter. That didn't stop her from giving him three more drafts to look at.

She would have to do something extra nice for him as thanks. Aside from the "reader's expertise", as he called it, she was just grateful that he knew just how to talk her down from one of her freak outs. The only other person who'd successfully done that was Ino, and Kakashi did it much more calmly, and with fewer curse words.

Neither of them worked at the hospital, though, so Sakura was left to her own inadequate self-soothing; copious amounts of caffeine, and zealous overcompensation.

By the time Dr. Senju called her to her office, Sakura had nearly run herself aground.

"You look like shit," she said after glancing at Sakura for about half a second. "It's a good thing you're off tomorrow."

"...thanks?" Sakura mumbled.

"What are you waiting for? Sit down," Tsunade said, her eyebrow arched as if she had expected Sakura to read her mind. "Shizune gave me this," she continued once Sakura had her butt planted in the chair across from her. The envelope with Sakura's recommendation letter in it was clutched in her hand as she waved it around carelessly. "I don't recall agreeing to sign off on a self-penned recommendation letter," she said, contempt twisted her lips and voice.

Sakura nearly peed her pants in fear. "I— we had discussed my med school applications—"

"Yes, yes, yes," Tsunade said, waving the envelope around again. "And I agreed to be a reference, but I do not need you writing recommendations on my behalf," she said pointedly. Sakura wasn't sure if her six coffees were making her hallucinate or if that was an actual, real smile faintly tilting Tsunade's lips.

"I-I beg your pardon? I'm not sure I understand…"

"I'm perfectly capable of putting my own thoughts to paper, Haruno," Tsunade said coolly.

Sakura could feel her shirt start to cling to her back from nervous sweat. "I don't doubt it! I just assumed— my other references—"

"Do I look like some stuffy old fart who lectures kids all day? Don't answer that," she said, lifting her hand in the air when Sakura dropped her jaw, ready to vehemently disagree. "I've written my own letter, thank you," she said with a contemptuous sniff.

In the recesses of her mind, Sakura could sense that Dr. Senju was just giving her a bit of a hard time, and that, clearly, she actually quite liked Sakura. She liked her enough to not only agree to a recommendation, but to actually write one herself.

At the forefront of her mind, though, all Sakura felt was lightheaded and nauseous.

"Oh," she warbled softly, unsure where to go from here.

Tsunade scrutinized her for a minute before huffing in frustration and waving her hand again, this time, in what Sakura assumed was a dismissal. "Go finish your rounds. We can discuss this later when you finally get a grip on yourself."

"Later?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Shizune!" she bellowed, and her willowy assistant with a severe bob and a sweet smile came calling.

"Yes, doctor? Oh, hello, Sakura."

"Hi," Sakura said weakly, already being bowled over by Tsunade and feeling grateful for it.

"Make sure my booth is free this evening," she said, ignoring the way Sakura was slowly wilting away in her seat, feeling the combination of immense confusion, flattery, and exhaustion sweep her up in one go. "And I expect you to join me and Shizune, so I can show you what a real recommendation looks like."

"So…you're inviting me out to drink and be complimented?" Sakura asked, unsure if the world was spinning because all that caffeine was giving her heart palpitations, or if she actually had been launched into an alternate dimension. She was leaning toward the latter.

"Get out of my office," was Tsunade's answer. Sakura slumped away, feeling very much like this entire situation checked out with the general direction her life seemed to be heading towards these days.

Sakura respected and admired Dr. Senju, and that was inarguable. She had come to see her as a bit of a mentor, and while Tsunade may have had some unconventional quirks and habits, Sakura felt she had come to know them well enough to understand how Tsunade functioned. Sakura had her expectations, and, generally speaking, they were pretty spot-on.

Like when Shizune was on vacation for a week, and her replacement got Tsunade a single-shot latte instead of her regular triple. Sakura knew there was a very specific caffeine-deprived hell that was raised for that particular crime. One that involved wild goose chases, fake coffee blends, and one very stressed out assistant.

Sakura had thus far been able to avoid her wrath, and she boiled that down to a solid understanding of the good doctor. Lots of espresso, confident eye contact, and one hell of a poker face, because her handshakes were bone-crushingly firm.

She never expected this, though.

Tsunade was already three sheets to the wind when Sakura walked into the bar. Shizune was sitting beside her, armed with pink cheeks and a sheepish smile, quietly shooting apologies over her shoulder at passersby, waiters, and bartenders as Tsunade literally slammed back her drinks. Sakura wondered if she should make a break for it.

"Sakura!" Tsunade barked once she spotted Sakura lingering by the doorway. Too late.

Tsunade was up and out of the booth, making her shockingly steady way to Sakura, only to take her by the shoulders and parade her through the bar. It seemed the patrons here were familiar with Tsunade, because none of them gave her a second look when she drunkenly announced Sakura's arrival to the entire establishment.

"Hey, Tsuna, who's your friend?" a young man called out from the bar, grinning arrogantly and winking at Sakura. She ducked her head and shot a desperate look to Shizune, who just looked grateful to have a moment to herself, free from minding Tsunade.

"My daughter," Tsunade sneered, to Sakura's surprise. "I had her after I fucked your father."

The bar erupted with laughter at the man's expense. Thoroughly chagrined, he slumped into his seat to continue nursing his beer and ego. Sakura was both mortified and impressed.

"Dr. Senju, I'm not sure—"

"Sakura, am I wearing a stethoscope?" Tsunade asked, leaning far over the table to look Sakura in the eye as she slowly lowered herself into the seat across from her.

"No?"

"No!" she repeated, slamming her hand down so hard on the table, her empty sake bottle toppled over. Shizune jumped and righted it before a waitress swooped by to remove any breakables from Tsunade's vicinity.

"Lady Tsu is of the work hard, play harder mindset," Shizune offered helpfully.

"And Shizune insists on babying me," Tsunade added with a contemptuous look to her assistant, who took it all in good stride.

"Because you need babying," she said coolly, winking Sakura's way when Tsunade got distracted by another drink floating by.

Sakura hadn't been shy since the tender age of six, but here, with these two women who entirely juxtaposed one another, and yet coexisted in the strangest harmony Sakura had ever beheld, she was catapulted back into it. She knew her role by Tsunade's side at the hospital, but it was much more difficult to find her footing here, between subordinate and…friend?

Tsunade was oblivious to her inner turmoil as she poured out healthy servings of sake into cups for the three of them.

"So, Sakura, what schools are you applying to?" Shizune asked kindly over Tsunade's loud order for more drinks.

"Um, a couple local schools, and one in Suna," she said, watching Tsunade with uncertainty as she stood from their table again to approach the bar directly. "Is she okay?"

Shizune barely spared her a glance before waving dismissively. "She's fine. I'll worry when she starts fighting." Sakura laughed, thinking Shizune was joking, but the pointed look on her face had Sakura's laugh dying in her throat.

"Oh, god," she whispered.

This time, Shizune laughed. "She likes you a lot, you know. She's always refused recommendations."

Sakura felt herself flush happily and tossed back her drink in hopes to disguise it from Shizune. "I've admired her for a long time," Sakura admitted, feeling herself finally relax into this strange new role. "My top choice is actually Senju School of Medicine at U of K. But I know how competitive it is—"

"I wouldn't worry if I were you," Shizune said with a knowing smile that made Sakura's toes tingle with excitement.

Eventually, Tsunade returned to the table, two more bottles of sake in hand, and one very disoriented bartender in her wake. Sakura was almost convinced she could see literal heart eyes following Tsunade's every step back to the table. She had to hide a giggle behind another sip of sake.

True to her word, Tsunade did break down, in great detail, all the ways in which Sakura's self-penned letter of recommendation was far inferior to the one Tsunade had written herself. It was a remarkable feat, to insult and commend someone in equal measure, within the same breath. Sakura was both complimented and offended, but overall, was just grateful she had someone like Tsunade in her corner.

It was strange that it took seeing her in this light to realize just how lucky she was; it was made apparent after stripping away the image of a prolific doctor, brilliant surgeon, medical genius, and bringing this brazen, mildly violent but mostly funny woman forward. Sakura wasn't sure which version of Tsunade she preferred. She supposed she liked both very much.

Shizune was another surprise; she always maintained absolute professionalism and deference toward Tsunade at the hospital, but here, the repartee flowed easily between them. She learned that "Lady Tsu" was what Shizune had dubbed Tsunade after she had threatened to fire her if she called her "doctor" outside the office one more time.

It was all well and good until Sakura's phone lit up on the table with a notification.

"Who's that?" Tsunade demanded, swiping the phone before Sakura could react. "Kakashit?" she asked, her eyebrow arched high in curiosity.

Sakura tittered nervously. She never had changed his contact name. "He's a…friend," she answered pathetically.

"Uh-huh, a friend," Tsunade repeated, her lips forming a wicked smile that promised absolute devastation. "You coming home tonight?" she read aloud. "So, a roommate, then," she suggested facetiously, knowing full-well that Kakashit was not Sakura's roommate.

"Ooooh, Sakura, he's cute," Shizune assessed, leaning close to Tsunade's side to look at the embarrassing picture she'd stuck to his contact. She was thankful she'd had the self-restraint to refrain from setting her lock screen as that picture she'd taken of the two of them in facemasks. Or one particularly nasty still from one of their videos.

She leaned forward and snatched the phone away, typing a hasty response to Kakashi before shoving her phone into the safety of her pocket.

"He's a friend," she insisted with a derisive sniff. Neither of her drinking companions bought it for a second.

"Hmm, if I had a friend like that, you wouldn't catch me walking straight on any day of the week," Tsunade said with a wistful sigh.

"How long have you two been together?" Shizune asked, resting her chin on her hands and staring at Sakura with glee dancing in her eyes.

"We're just—"

"Stop pussyfooting, girl. Tell us about your hot boyfriend," Tsunade demanded as she poured another round of drinks. "Oi! Another bottle over here!" she shouted over to the love struck bartender.

"He isn't my boyfriend," Sakura insisted, accepting the drink.

"What is taking that man so long?" Tsunade growled to herself before getting up to stalk over to the bar and give him a piece of her mind. Sakura wasn't sure what Shizune saw going on over Sakura's shoulder, but whatever it was had her leaping out of her seat and chasing after Tsunade.

Sakura took the moment alone to quickly send another flurry of half-intelligible messages to Kakashi. Somewhere along the course of the night, between nervousness, embarrassment, epiphanies, and newfound comfort, Sakura had gotten herself good and drunk.

Thankfully, Kakashi had far less deviant coworkers (or no coworkers, at all? She was still very unclear on his work situation), and also happened to be a few metro stops away, finishing up with a workshop, and was entirely willing to meet her and drive the both of them home in her car. She sent him a very enthusiastic, all-capitalized "thank you" with about seven emojis. By the time Shizune towed Tsunade back to their table, Sakura had only just gotten a hold of her goofy grin.

"Why are you so giggly?" Tsunade asked, narrowing her eyes and pouting thoughtfully. Okay, maybe she hadn't gotten a hold of it after all.

"She's talking to her hot boyfriend," Shizune teased.

"Not my boyfriend," Sakura sighed, borderline whining.

"Why not?" Tsunade challenged.

"Yeah, Sakura, why not?" Shizune giggled beside her.

Sakura opened her mouth, poised to stutter around a half-baked lie and a slew of poor excuses, but was stopped by her phone vibrating from inside her pocket. She saw Shizune and Tsunade share a look before all of her attention went to digging through her pocket.

She pretended not to notice the way Tsunade and Shizune were giggling and whispering as she furiously scrolled through her missed messages and tried to type a response back, but it was too late.

Another message popped up as she was struggling to write something coherent.

I'm coming in.

Oh, god.

She could feel her face conveying the dread seeping into her, but there was no stopping it. Whether it was a blessing or a curse that she happened to be facing the entrance was beyond her, but she looked up from her phone just in time to see Kakashi step into the bar, his hair darkened by rain and his jacket dripping. Even soaked, he was beautiful. So beautiful, she was getting a little soaked herself.

"Why does she look like she just creamed herself?" she heard Tsunade ask. Shizune choked on her drink.

Kakashi spotted her soon after walking in, but upon seeing the look on her face, faltered from stepping any closer. She inwardly thanked him for being the sensible one between them. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only perceptive person in the establishment, because Tsunade was whirling around to see what had Sakura so stunned. It only took her a moment to find the jackpot.

"Kakashit!" she blurted out. "He's taller than I expected," she assessed as he slowly, awkwardly made his way toward them. She wanted to scream at him to hightail it the hell out of there and endure the rain. She nearly pelted her car keys at him from across the bar, but considering her hand-eye coordination was miserable at best, she forewent that idea.

"His name is Kakashi," Sakura corrected miserably.

"Cuuute," Shizune cooed.

Kakashi approached the table looking alarmingly akin to an animal backed into a corner. Still, he lifted a hand in a lacklustre wave. "Yo."

Tsunade's mischievous grin was back in place, and before a single word left her mouth, Sakura knew where she was going. She jumped up and grabbed her bag just as Tsunade started speaking.

"You must be Sakura's b—"

"Okay, this was fun, thank you so much for inviting me, and for the letter of recommendation, and I'll see you in a couple of days, get home safe, okay, bye!" she said quickly and loudly, interrupting Tsunade and startling Kakashi, as well as the few tables of people around them.

"Don't you want to introduce us properly?" Shizune asked with a mischievous pout that rivalled Tsunade's. Sakura glared at her half-heartedly.

"Goodnight," she said pointedly, before shoving Kakashi toward the exit.

"Bye, Sakura! Bye, Kakashit!" Tsunade called out from behind them as Sakura struggled to escape as quickly as possible.

She looked back at them over her shoulder just in time to see Tsunade wink and wiggle her eyebrows suggestively. Shizune was giggling behind her hand. Kakashi was turning to look back, too, confused as to why her hectic pace had suddenly slowed, but that only reinvigorated her with purpose.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing, let's just get out of here," she said, her voice carrying an obvious edge of desperation. Kakashi seemed to find that funny, his eyes creasing softly over his bandana. He just shook his head and let her shove him through the door and back out into the rain.

She clutched his arm and held herself tight to his side, stealing whatever warmth from him she could as they shuffled down the sidewalk toward her car, parked at an angle, too far from the curb, even after a five minute attempt at parallel parking. Despite her bad parking and making him walk in the rain, he didn't seem upset with her.

In the dry warmth of her car, he pulled his banana down to reveal a crooked smile as he laughed, flicking the tip of her nose just as a droplet rolled straight from her forehead down the bridge. She couldn't stop herself from leaning over the centre console to steal a kiss. He didn't seem terribly upset about that either.

"What was that for?" he said between a short burst of confused laughter.

She couldn't fight off the delirious smile on her face. Tsunade and Shizune were right, he really was so cute. She was too tipsy to go down the "boyfriend" rabbit hole right now, but she could acknowledge that she was incredibly lucky to have him there with her.

"No reason," she dismissed, taking his hand in hers and dragging it onto her lap as he pulled away from the curb.

"Let's go home," he said with one more crooked smile. She quietly revelled in that. Home. She really was at home with him.

"Let's go home," she agreed.

i love my sassy medic trio + baffled but happy to be there kakashi. poor guy rly has his hands full