A/N: Ahh, I really meant to update sooner! Honest, I did! But… I got distracted and such. Not my fault. X3
Okay yes, Sakura and Kakashi will come into contact with each other finally, but not intimately. Duh. You can't rush these things… unless you want it to end up cheesy. And although I like cheese on sammiches, I detest cheesy stories.
Requiem of Despair: Chapter 3
Remedy
The following evening, Sakura sat with her back against an ancient oak tree, enjoying the setting sun while a warm breeze introduced her nose to the light scent of wildflowers.
I'm so glad it finally stopped raining…She closed her weary eyes against the breeze and wondered vaguely how long she could make this moment last.
Before long, her thoughts drifted to her new "mission".
I'm sure Tsunade-sama is just overreacting… the man doesn't need a babysitter!
A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she thought of his reaction if she told him the truth.
"Oi! Kakashi-sensei! So I hear you've been a little melancholy lately. Well Sakura-chan is going to fix you right up!"
-sweatdrop-
If he finds out what I'm really up to… he'll skin me alive! I'd better be extra careful…
She opened her eyes and was greeted with pale stars freckling the now dark sky.
Well, I might as well get it over with…
Knock… knock… KNOCK!
He woke with a start, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
What the hell is that?
He looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the offensive noise.
Mental note: Sleeping on the tile causes headaches…
"Kakashi-sensei! I know you're in there… just open the goddamn door!" Sakura shouted while pounding on the door again.
Kakashi hoisted himself up into a standing position and staggered to the door, head throbbing harder with every step. After fumbling with the lock for a few seconds, he finally succeeded in swinging the door open.
Sakura? What is she doing here?
"Ah, Sakura-chan… as you can undoubtedly see, this isn't a good time for catching up. Now, if you'll excuse me…" he mumbled while closing the door.
However, her foot shot out and forced it open again.
After staring at him for a moment or two, Sakura's jaw slacked.
"Kakashi-sensei… your mask!" she gasped, eyes widening in disbelief.
"Mmm hmm, it's temporarily out of commission," he replied tersely before attempting to shut the door again.
"Stop trying to close the door in my face!" Sakura yelled after stopping it once more and let herself inside, lest he try to shut her out again.
"Oh yeah… make yourself at home," he sighed sarcastically before collapsing on a sofa near by.
After briefly observing his extremely untidy apartment for the first time, her eyes finally found their way to Kakashi.
And for the first time in three years, Sakura really looked at the broken man in front of her.
He slouched against an armrest, throbbing head in hand, eye halfway closed. From the state of his hair, she assumed he hadn't showered in days. His normally pale skin was almost paper white, a dark circle lined the bottom of his exposed eye. Judging by the drawn look of his face and thinness of his wrists, he hadn't been eating properly either.
Tsunade-sama was absolutely right… he does need my help.
Her heart lurched at the sight of her former sensei in such a state. Immediately every feminine instinct flooded into her, demanding that she take him into her arms and nurse him back to the great man he once was.
Where do I start? She panicked slightly, before regaining her cool.
Okay Sakura, she rallied her courage, you're going to have to be strong here. He's obviously sick, mentally and physically, and it's your job to fix him. First get the poor man out of those soaked clothes, get him cleaned up, fed and whatever else you can do for him. Then, figure out what his problem is. Got that? Good! Now get to work!
"Kakashi-sensei… lets get you out of those wet clothes before you catch pneumonia, ne?" she smiled sweetly at him.
Given the size of his small apartment, it was easy to recognize which room was his. She quickly went through his dresser, silently praying to whatever god would listen that she wouldn't discover anything "inappropriate."
Luckily she found pajama bottoms and a loose t-shirt without stumbling over any of his lecherous paraphernalia, and then returned to the living room.
Sleeping again? That's all he ever does!
She sighed, and sat next to the silver haired jounin.
"Kakashi-sensei…" she poked his arm, "Kakashi-sensei, wake up!"
"Ah… oh… you're still here?" he asked sleepily.
"Yes, and you're going to catch a cold if you don't change out of those damp clothes." She removed his forehead protector and held a hand to his brow.
He's really burning up…
"Alright, why don't you go take a shower and change into these while I make you something to eat?" she suggested while helping him stand up and leading him to the bathroom.
Sakura closed the bathroom door behind her and started rummaging through drawers and cupboards in the kitchen. A few minutes later she heard the shower start running.
Oh god, what if he collapses in the shower… and I have to break in?
She felt a blush rise to her cheeks.
Heh, that just won't happen.
She shook her head a few times before returning to her search.
Hmm… instant ramen, week old milk, potatoes, eggs. Typical.
"Omelets it is!" she sighed, before heating up a pan and cracking a few eggs.
A few minutes later she heard the shower stop, and Kakashi stepped out of the bathroom clad in his loose pajamas. He sulked over to where Sakura was cooking and collapsed onto a barstool.
"Why are you doing this? And why did you come here in the first place?" he demanded, with little enthusiasm.
She set a plate in front of him and replied, "I'm doing this because I want to."
He began eating greedily while she continued, "And I came here to… er… see what you were up to!" Lame Sakura…"What, I can't stop in on my old sensei every once in a while?" she laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head.
At this he quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Secretly, he prayed that this was the end of his loneliness.
A/N: Oh man, this chapter took me forever to write for some reason! Perhaps I'm just not in the creative mood. Well, let me know what you think! I love hearing from you guys!
