The Anatomy of Love
Written By: Banana007
Chapter 8: Sensei
The gym was no longer as packed as it had been during the first week of school, but there was still an alarmingly disproportionate number of female students versus male students today. The reason behind the overwhelming amount of girls in the gym today was currently in the corner by the elliptical machines, beating up a punching bag with his gloves on. Unlike yesterday at Guy's gym, however, Kakashi was fully dressed in a loose-fitting black tank top and grey sweatpants. It was a startling difference from his professional attire that he typically wore to class, but Sakura wasn't complaining.
She did want to complain about the number of girls hogging the ellipticals near Kakashi though. They were like moths to a flame, hovering as close to him as they dared. Even the treadmills were all taken up, offering Sakura no machine to do her warm-up at. Sighing, she took up a free spot near the weight-lifting corner of the gym to begin her stretches. Slipping her phone into the pocket at the back of her sports bra, she parted her legs past shoulder-width and leaned down to touch the floor.
A giggle caught her attention mid-stretch and Sakura peered up at a pair of girls on an elliptical. One of them was saying something to her friend, but the both of them were staring intently in Kakashi's direction. Sakura followed their gazes to the Anatomy professor, frowning when she saw Kakashi had stopped his work out at the punching bag because a girl had approached him to ask something.
Mei Tanaka from Anatomy class.
Her ears strained over the gym's music to hear their little conversation, but she caught nothing over the thrum of the song. Grabbing onto her left heel to stretch in that direction, Sakura narrowed her eyes at Mei who had begun to twirl the end of her long, glossy red hair with a fingertip. She recognized that move from the countless number of times Ino had done it with every cute boy they'd run into at the mall back during junior high. Switching onto her right heel, Sakura ignored the ache of her neck as she continued to watch Mei clasp her hands over her front and squeeze her arms together to give her generous breasts extra cleavage.
Straightening up, Sakura glanced down at her own breasts trapped down by her sports bra. Her cleavage was practically non-existent compared to Mei's. She rolled her eyes and turned to one of the many punching bags none of the girls in the gym dared to touch.
Whatever. At least I don't have to suffer through the back pain, she reminded herself to ease the bit of jealousy rearing its ugly head back inside her. But if she had to put a finger as to what she was jealous of, it wasn't really about the boobs. She'd accepted her B-cups by the end of her senior year of high school after figuring they wouldn't be growing a cup or two anymore. No, the jealous monster seething inside her was more so bothered by the way Mei had taken a step closer to Kakashi despite him returning his attention to the punching bag he'd been busy with.
What were they even talking about? Frowning, Sakura punched her own bag without much enthusiasm. It didn't matter. Kakashi's business was his to mind—not hers. Mei was another student of his, so it shouldn't be so surprising that she'd strike up a conversation with him. Even so, Sakura really didn't like how close she was standing to Kakashi. From the corner of her eye, she kept an eye on them.
Yeah, that's it, Professor—just keep your attention on your punching bag... No... No, don't look her way!
Ugh, stop showing him your cleavage!
She threw another fist at her punching bag, harder this time.
Thud!
It swung back, but the force of her bare fist on the grain-filled bag prompted a small hiss from her. Sakura's frown deepened from the pain, but she punched the bag again as she continued to eye Mei who had taken yet another step closer to Kakashi.
As if sensing the heat of her glare in his direction, Kakashi swept his gaze away from Mei and all the way over to the far end of the row of punching bags. His eyes landed on her and Sakura gasped, flicking her attention back to her own punching bag.
Yeah, great idea, Sakura! As if you don't look suspicious enough... She sucked in a breath. Okay, focus. You didn't come to the gym to ogle hot guys—you're here to exercise.
Forcing herself to focus, she started throwing more punches at the bag, hitting it left and right until her rhythm became consistent enough to keep the bag constantly swinging. One of the boys at a weight-lifting bench whistled low and commented to his friend how monstrous her strength was. Sakura ignored their snickers and continued hitting the bag harder.
Thud!
So what if she had monster strength?!
Thud!
So what if she had only B-cup boobs with no cleavage?!
Thud!
So what if she didn't know how to flirt or talk to a cute guy without fucking it up?!
Thud!
So what if she'd never had a stupid boyfriend in her life let alone a stupid first kiss all because of a stupid arranged marriage?!
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
By her umpteenth punch, a thin sheen of sweat coated her chest. Still frustrated, she punched the bag one more time for good measure.
Thud!
"I pity the fellow who ever ends up on the receiving end of your fist."
Heat pricked across Sakura's back despite the sweat cooling there. Resisting the urge to fix back the stray hairs sticking out of her ponytail and clinging to her face, she spun around to meet Kakashi's soft smile. The thought that he might've smiled like that to Mei just earlier began creeping to the forefront of her mind, but she soon forgot all about Mei at the sight of his eyes crinkling. It drew forth a surge of unexpected happiness that swelled sharply in her chest.
"Oh hey, Coach," she panted out.
His smile seemed to stretch beneath that mask, but she wasn't sure if she'd imagined it. "I think I prefer 'Sensei' actually."
Oh god. Did that mean he remembered how she'd called him 'Dad' that night too?
She turned away from him, fixating her attention back on the punching bag to hide the flush of embarrassment crawling up her face. "You're back in the gym already?"
"I just go boxing at Guy's gym every once in a while when I need to blow off steam," he spoke from behind. His voice sounded close enough that his breath could brush the little hairs at the nape of her neck. She threw another punch to suppress a shiver. "I still need to work out my other muscles though, so I thought to drop by quickly."
Sakura took a quick look around the gym in search of Mei, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. A slow smile curled her lips up. "So why are you here with me? Are you here to silently judge me again, Sensei?" she purred over her shoulder.
The heat at her back seemed to rise in temperature as well as the rate of her heart as she heard Kakashi shuffle closer to her. Now she could definitely feel his breath on her neck.
"I am, but more so over the fact that you're here rather than studying for your upcoming exam."
"I'm already done studying." Okay, she didn't have to lie this time. Plus, she'd even finished typing up her five-page English paper in as little as half an hour. She gave her punching bag a left hook followed by a right. Thud! Thud! "And, yes, I finished my homework too, Professor Hatake."
A gloved hand came around her side to grasp her elbow. While his touch was gentle, it'd been so unexpected that Sakura couldn't help but let out a small gasp as Kakashi bent her arm into the right position. Calloused fingertips where his glove didn't cover felt like pinpoints of heat on her skin, but she didn't shrink away.
"You've studied enough that you're confident you'll pass my exam?" Kakashi asked in a tone as casual as his touch.
"Enough that I'm confident I'll get an A," she answered distractedly as his fingers glided across her forearm over to her hand. Sucking in a shaky breath, Sakura watched him gently fold her thumb across the middle of the index finger and middle finger. When he finally released her, she tried not to chase after the warmth of his touch. She briefly considered asking Tenten to turn down the air conditioner, but then thought against it. "Besides, I'm a good student, remember?"
The grey of his eyes was bright with silent amusement when she peeked back at him, and it was hard not to smile in return. "Yes, but that wasn't my first impression of you if I have to be honest, Miss Haruno."
The smile on her face twisted into a wince and she punched the bag again in retaliation of the memory of that night resurging once more. "Well, you know what they say: all work and no play makes John a dull boy. Don't you play after a hard day's work, Professor?"
"Not when I have only myself to play with. That can get boring real quick," he murmured from behind.
Something about that answer prompted that strange heat to surge through the pit of Sakura's belly and she was shocked by how it almost pulled out a whimper from her. She grabbed the punching bag for support, raking in a deep breath under the pretense that she was just exhausted from working up a sweat. Those calloused fingers were on her elbow again and Sakura's thighs pressed together against her will as the heat in her belly seemed to spread under his supporting touch.
She laughed slightly to cover up the wanton sigh that escaped her. "Is that why you're here with me instead of the punching bag? The bag wasn't a fun enough playmate for you?"
"Oh, I'm just here to silently judge you, remember?" Kakashi stepped closer to her and Sakura bit her lip as their arms grazed each other in this new, side-by-side position. She tried not to inhale too deeply the mint of his aftershave as he tapped a finger to her punching bag. "You're pushing your punches. You need to snap it. Like this."
Suddenly, his fist went flying in an explosive strike that knocked the bag back sharply from the impact. Sakura jumped slightly at how sharp and clean his punch had been. Even the boys lifting weights at the bench jerked back by the sharp, snapping sound the punching bag had made under Kakashi's fist. She pitied the fellow who ever ended up on the receiving end of that punch.
Stepping back, Kakashi nodded to her. "Now you try."
She blinked and raised her right fist again, squinting at the spot she intended to hit. Her fist slammed against the punching bag, but it made that same 'thud' sound from before. Nothing like the 'snap' Kakashi's punch had made.
He shook his head and Sakura frowned.
"Square your hips first," he said, sweeping around her to place his hands over both sides of her hips without warning. The breath in Sakura's throat froze as she felt his fingers lightly guide the swell of her hips, turning them slightly into the right angle. Kakashi dropped down to his knees and trailed his hands down her legs to grab at the heels of her feet. "Now put your left foot forward."
Distracted by the fact that his face was right behind her ass, Sakura almost put her right foot forward instead. Thankfully, Kakashi stood up, allowing her to remember how to breathe again.
"Now I want you to throw a straight punch. Keep your palm down and knuckles into the bag." When she obliged, Kakashi shook his head again. "You've gotta swing your hips into the punch."
Sakura gasped again when he grabbed her hips and turned them for her in demonstration of what he meant. Last time, he'd touched her so lightly as if he was afraid she'd pull away from him. This time, his hands settled comfortably and firmly over her hips like he thought nothing of it. If he moved his hands any further, he could probably get a good squeeze of her ass too, if he wanted. And she'd probably let him.
"Do it again," Kakashi murmured from behind, still gripping her hips. His breath tickled the back of her neck, but it was the pool of heat in her belly that distracted her. Or the warmth of his thumbs on the strip of skin where her leggings weren't high enough to cover. Or maybe the fantasy of him gripping her hips and bending her over for him to fu— "Miss Haruno?"
"D-Do what again?" Sakura squeaked out. Her mind seemed to be stuttering like a computer with its memory overloaded.
"Punch the bag."
Oh, right.
She swallowed hard and punched as directed, feeling Kakashi guide her hips to swing into the motion.
Snap!
"Very good, Miss Haruno."
The praise was quiet, but it pulled out a proud smile from Sakura and she spun around to grin at Kakashi. He was already smiling down at her, one hand rising to pat the crown of her head. Whatever words of gratitude that had sat on the tip of her tongue immediately died under the comforting weight of his palm on her head. Maybe all that studying last night had fried all her brain cells because she was struggling to put together any coherent thought every time he touched her.
I bet he didn't pat Mei's head, she thought smugly to herself.
Still beaming up at him from beneath his hand, Sakura tucked back a loose strand of hair. "Do you remember that night when you beat up those guys harassing me? What were those kung-fu moves you pulled on them?"
"That was Krav Maga."
Krav Maga? She'd never heard of it before but she also wasn't a martial arts master either. "Do you think you could teach me those moves?" When Kakashi tipped his brow, she shrugged. "You know, so that I know how to protect myself in case you're not there the next time something like that happens again?"
The weight of his gaze seemed to intensify ever so slightly as he studied her. His hand finally retreated from Sakura's head and she almost pouted at the loss of his warmth until he gave her a slow nod. "I could give you some self-defense lessons, yeah. Did you want to start today?"
Not expecting him to actually agree to her proposal, Sakura remained staring at him a little longer. When the moment began stretching longer than necessary, Kakashi tilted his head.
"Y-Yes!"
The next few minutes were more of a blur that it left Sakura wondering how she entered the gym only to end up at the back of the facility and on the pool deck with her Anatomy professor unfolding some mats for them so that he could give her self-defense lessons. She had expected her gym session to end with a jog on the treadmill to cool down. She hadn't expected to be learning Krav Maga from her Anatomy professor next to the pool.
Thankfully, they were the only ones out on the deck since the rays of the sun were particularly hot today. Nobody wanted to be out swimming in this heat, but she didn't mind getting a couple of brain cells fried from the sweltering temperatures if it meant spending more time with Kakashi.
Staying back, Sakura watched him unfold the last set of mats, admiring the way his hair seemed to take on a silver shine under the bright sun. A gentle breeze brushed through, tousling the fluffed strands of hair sticking up. The desire to reach a hand out and stroke at his hair like she would with a dog's soft fur kicked in and Sakura sucked in a breath to tame that urge.
With the mats now in place, Kakashi toed off his shoes and socks, encouraging Sakura to do the same.
"Krav Maga takes the most effective moves from other fighting styles to defend against attacks in hand-to-hand combat," he said as they stepped onto the mats, facing each other. "At its core, Krav Maga is dirty fighting with the intention to kill. It's brutal and there's a lot of eye-gouging, and that's why it's effective and why a lot of militaries use it as the main choice for hand-to-hand combat."
The military uses it? Her eyes flicked down from Kakashi's face and to the little silver nicks that scarred his arms. She still didn't know how he got those scars since he'd never given her a sincere answer.
"But I'm not going to teach you how to kill—I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself."
Whatever amusement that had lit his eyes earlier had now been replaced by a seriousness that he always possessed when in the classroom. Right now, she could tell just from the tone of his voice that he wasn't playing around anymore. Right now, he was truly a professor and she his student.
She gulped, but there was an adrenaline surging through her veins. The solemnity of his gaze urged on an excitement that set her heart racing with an eagerness to learn from him... and to impress him.
"Are you ready, Miss Haruno?"
Her lips curled into an ambitious smile. "Yes, Sensei."
The first lesson didn't involve any punches as she had expected. Instead, Kakashi decided to teach her how to defend herself with a full-frontal attack that entailed him pretending to be an assailant grabbing her shoulders. At first, she'd been caught off guard by how close his face came to hers, almost missing his instruction to cross her arms in between their chests.
In this situation, Kakashi was clearly the stronger one. So he'd advised her to lift and uncross her arms in a sharp motion to force his arms away from her. The key purpose of this move was to put distance between her and the assailant.
"Now you're going to hit me with a double-palm strike," Kakashi continued, taking her hands in his and guiding her palms into a sweeping motion. She bit her lip when he pressed her hands to his ears. Bits of his silver hair tickled her fingertips, so soft and fluffy like fur. It took every ounce of willpower to keep from taking those silky strands in between her fingers and toying with them. "Ears are a very sensitive place for anyone—no matter their sex or age—and hitting them will cause the person to lose their balance."
Sakura nodded, remembering there had been a section about that in the chapter about the special senses involving the nervous system. "Because of the internal ear's sensory receptors for equilibrium and hearing, right?"
Kakashi gave her an appraising look. "You have been reading ahead."
Catching the prideful glint in his eyes, Sakura bit back a smile as he continued to instruct her to kick the assailant in the groin while he's dazed. At that order, Sakura allowed him to guide her knee up until it was close enough to graze the crotch of his sweatpants. It was impossible to not stare so hard at his crotch as he did so, and she had to rip her eyes away once he let her knee drop back down.
While she tried to get her mind out of the gutter full of dirty thoughts, Kakashi explained that once her assailant was down, she had to take that chance to run away. At that suggestion, she frowned. He must've noticed the way she had deflated because he gave her a stern look like a teacher would with a student who had been caught not doing their work.
"Your safety is your first and foremost priority in this situation." Kakashi crossed his arms, his voice hardening with a strict edge. "You're going to run away and get to somewhere safe. Is that understood, Miss Haruno?"
She opened her mouth to ask him why she can't just finish beating the living shit out of her would-be assailant, but those dark eyes were commanding her to obey him. "Yes, Sensei," she mumbled.
"Repeat to me what I just told you to do."
The rebellious streak within Sakura wanted to roll her eyes, but Kakashi wasn't her father who would tell her to go to her room if she gave him a little attitude. He was her anatomy professor and the aura he was exuding right now was that of a no-nonsense instructor. It was hard—no, impossible to disobey him when he spoke to and looked at her like that.
"When the assailant is down, I run away and find a safe place," she replied, watching the hard glint in his eyes fade to a softer look.
"Good," he said more quietly, gently.
She didn't know why, but she had almost thought he was going to say 'good girl'. If that had happened, she wasn't sure how she would've responded to that without passing out from the heat of embarrassment or... maybe something else. As it was now, her face was already hot enough under the intense glare of the sun and she wiped away the sweat trickling down her temple.
Moving onto the second lesson of self-defense, Sakura didn't think much of it when Kakashi had her lie down on the mat. The sweat on her back made her skin stick to the rubber foam of the mat and she shifted slightly into a more comfortable position. Her eyes widened, however, as Kakashi climbed atop of her and grabbed her wrists, suddenly pinning both her hands down.
She'd fantasized him on top of her like this before, right down to the way he was pinning her arms down. But she'd never expected it to happen in reality and, as Kakashi loomed above her, shading her body with his, Sakura couldn't help but blush at the way his thighs were spread atop of hers. His sweatpants were thin, and she could feel the heat of his body bearing down on hers. Already the blush had spread from her cheeks all the way across her face and now it was traveling down her neck.
"Try to get me off you," Kakashi breathed out, his breath fanning warm across her already hot face.
Sakura blinked up at him, not quite sure what he wanted her to do. His gaze remained patient but expectant as she tugged her right wrist he kept pinned down by her head. His restraint on her remained strong and firm. She tugged harder, putting more effort into it, but nada. Then, peeking over at Kakashi, she bucked her hips up sharply. Her pelvis slammed up against his butt, and Kakashi merely tutted while she continued to wriggle beneath him.
"C'mon, Miss Haruno." He leaned down until his nose was almost brushing hers. "I said try to get me off you."
His face had never been so close to hers before—close enough that she could just crane hers up and kiss him if she wanted to. She didn't, of course, but it was impossible not to consider the idea when his breath was tickling her lips. So she licked her lips instead, wondering if she could sample a taste of him.
Nothing.
Kakashi glanced down at her mouth just as she thrust her hips up against him once more, grunting slightly from the effort. Gravity was on his side, however, and her thrust merely sent Kakashi rocking forth an inch or two.
"I can't do it, Professor!" she panted out from beneath him, frustrated now by the disparity of his power against hers, and a little horny by the weight of him on top of her if she had to admit. She never thought she would ever like the idea of a man pinning her down, but with Kakashi... she felt different. She felt all hot and bothered when she should be focused and attentive. So, yes, it was frustrating in many ways when she was supposed to be wanting him off her instead of wanting him on her.
"First step: hips high and throw low," Kakashi instructed her.
Her heart rate shot up again when he reached down to grab the underside of her thighs and guide her into a high glute bridge. She kept her position there as he grabbed her wrists once again and directed her to sweep them down to her sides so that her glute bridge would throw him forward and off balance. Throwing her assailant forward like that would force him to face plant, Kakashi explained, so she had to make sure to turn her face aside to avoid getting crushed by his body.
Again, he had Sakura throw her hips up into a glute bridge while sweeping her arms down as a demonstration. After listening to his explanation, she had thought she was prepared for his chest to come down close to her face as he enacted a face plant somewhere past her head. What she had not been prepared for was how his crotch would end up so close to her face. With Kakashi practically lying on top of her, the heat in her belly was throbbing now, radiating down to between her legs. Her legs that she couldn't even clamp close for some semblance of relief since she was still in a glute bridge position.
"Now you're going to wrap your arms around my torso and hug me," Kakashi called down to her.
I'm going to what now?!
Sakura was glad he couldn't see how beet red her face was at this moment, or else she wouldn't have the strength to do as directed. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she forgot to keep her face turned aside and ended up kissing his rock-hard abs through the thin cotton of his tank top.
Above her, Kakashi cleared his throat. "Keep your face turned, Miss Haruno."
If the heat of the sun wasn't going to kill her, then the flames of embarrassment would. Inhaling one last drag of his pine tree scent mingling with fresh sweat, Sakura forced her face to turn aside so that her cheek was pressed to his abs instead. The adjustment wasn't enough to soothe the heat in her face nor the heat between her thighs. God, her panties were going to be wet by the end of this session and it wasn't going to be from sweat...
"Hug me tighter."
"What?"
She couldn't see Kakashi's face, but she could hear that note of amusement back in his voice as he repeated the instruction. "You need to hug me tight enough that your head is pressed firmly against my torso."
"O-Okay..."
Steadying her nerves with a deep breath, she wrapped her arms tighter around his torso until she could smell nothing but that masculine scent that seemed to seep into her every pore. Against her ear, his heartbeat roared and pounded like a war drum. The sound was deafening as it nearly drowned out Kakashi's next words.
Wrap my arm and roll...?
She hooked an arm over his elbow to lock Kakashi in place, and then followed it up with another thrust of her hips to rock him aside. The motion was dizzying and left her disoriented for a few seconds. It took her a while to register their new position that had her lying on top of him this time. Startled by the intimate way her body draped across his, Sakura held her breath and slowly peered up at Kakashi. His face was red and glistening with sweat under the heat of the sun. The both of them stared at each other as they panted to catch their breaths.
Sakura licked her lips, tasting a hint of her own sweat. "I-Is your back okay, Professor Hatake?"
Surprise and something else flitted through his face, but his expression remained stoic as usual. "You don't have to worry about me, Sakura."
"Of course I would worry." It's because of me that you got hurt in the first place.
Kakashi chuckled quietly, but the sound of it rumbled deep in his chest and its tremors seemed to echo through Sakura's body. "Don't waste your energy on an old man like me. I'm used to getting hurt."
She didn't like hearing him say that. And she hated how he'd said that with such apathy in his eyes as if someone had once told him that and he believed it.
"Well, I don't like seeing you hurt," she whispered to him.
His throat bobbed sharply under the length of his mask, but Kakashi said nothing. It was the way his eyes seemed to brighten that was enough answer for her. That, or the way his heart pounded harder, louder, against her ear as if to communicate something he didn't know how to express in words.
With her cheek to his chest, Sakura found herself calming down by the persistent beat of his heart. The sound filled the small lull between them as they gazed at one another, waiting for the other person to say something.
It was a gaggle of boys hooting from within the gym that broke the silence and prompted Sakura to shoot up into a sitting position between Kakashi's legs. He sat up as well, the both of them scooting back to put some space in between.
Keeping his eyes trained on the mats, Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "That was good training."
Good... There was something about the way he said it that didn't feel genuine in comparison to all the other times he'd praised her. This one felt awkward, and she couldn't put a finger as to why. The heat in the pit of her belly continued to throb persistently between her legs at the same time she felt... discombobulated.
Something had happened between the two of them, but Sakura didn't know what. Whatever it was, it scared her as much as it excited her. And as she watched Kakashi fold the mats together and usher her back into the gym, she couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same way too.
.
.
.
The next morning, Sakura still hadn't rid herself of the strange feeling that'd been welling within her. The sight of Kakashi walking into the classroom with his usual lazy, almost sleepy look in his eyes only served to amplify that feeling.
It wasn't a bad feeling per se, but Sakura wasn't entirely sure if it was something good either. It seemed to alternate between twisting knots in
her chest when Kakashi looked at Mei Tanaka sitting behind her whenever the girl raised her hand for a question, and then to a fluttering warmth in her belly whenever his eyes found hers. It was almost like she was in a state of constant anxiety, her nerves jittery each time Kakashi stepped into the room.
She wanted to ask Ino last night what this feeling was, but her friend had been in the middle of making out with Sai... and then that make-out session had escalated into a full-blown fucking that left Sakura in the next room even more frustrated. She'd rushed through her homework just so that she could slip on her headphones and get to masturbating to the memory of Kakashi on top of her. Except, unlike last time, it'd been harder to get to orgasm as if her small fingers just weren't enough anymore.
Sighing, she watched Kakashi turn around to doodle a diagram of a bone's periosteum layers on the whiteboard. His fingers were wrapped gracefully around the marker despite his crude drawing.
If only I could masturbate with something longer... thicker... Observing his index finger tapping lightly against the marker while he eyed the textbook tucked in the crook of his arm, Sakura sighed aloud.
His index finger stopped tapping against the marker.
Gah, focus, Sakura!
She drew her gaze away from his hand and down to his arm instead. The thin long-sleeve he wore covered up the scars on his arms, but the material stretched tight across his broad chest and back. And as Sakura stared at his back, she wondered if the scrapes and bruises were still there. Kakashi had left shortly after their lessons at the gym, so she hadn't had the chance to ask him how his wounds were.
What if the bruises are more painful than they look? Or what if he really did strain his back? He's thirty-one years old—do men at that age suffer back problems already? He can't co-captain with Professor Guy for today's Manhunt game if he does have back pain... He shouldn't. Plagued by such thoughts, Sakura decided to confront him after class.
When it was time to take the exam, Sakura was too busy biting the end of her pen out of concern for him as he laid the test paper on her desk before moving onto the second row. She completely missed the way he gave her a look that lingered as he returned to his desk and announced that they could flip their tests over and begin.
The exam had a total of a hundred questions with the last fifteen questions a free-response section. Having used the study guide that Kakashi had provided last week as well as read the chapters during her spare time, the entire test was easy peasy lemon squeezy. Even the multiple-choice options that were designed to be confusing weren't enough to deter her. The only question that did have her second-guessing for a moment was the short-answer question asking which type of stem cells differentiate into osteoblasts.
As she tried to remember the name of the stem cell, she glanced up at Kakashi, surprised to find him already staring at her. They blinked at each other for a split second and Sakura threw her eyes back down to her test, willing her heart to stop pounding so hard. She'd never been this nervous during a test before. Why now?
A light-bulb went off in Sakura's head as the answer for the question was found a few questions back. She smiled at the way Kakashi had provided a hint in another question that mentioned how mesenchymal tissue becomes highly vascularized during the process of intramembranous ossification.
Mesenchymal cells it is then.
Once she finished the rest of her test, Sakura took a quick glimpse at the clock above Kakashi and frowned when she saw there were still forty-five more minutes to go until the end of class. For the next ten minutes, she double-checked her answers while waiting for everyone else to turn in their exams and leave. She spent the next thirty minutes pretending to still take the exam. By the last five minutes of class, there were only a few stragglers left.
Unable to wait any longer, Sakura sucked in a breath and grabbed her backpack as well as her exam. Kakashi's eyes flicked up from the stacks of papers he was tapping against the desk as she approached him. She handed over her exam, flashing a quick smile when Kakashi thanked her.
"Um, Professor Hatake?" She tucked back her hair behind both ears, keeping her eyes trained on the stack of papers in his hands rather than on his expectant gaze. "I-I was wondering if you're really going to participate in today's games?"
"I do have to keep my promise to Guy."
Sakura waited as another student came up to hand over their test. Once that student left, she peeked over to Mei who seemed to be in the middle of checking her answers. "But if your back still hurts then maybe it's best if you sit out?"
The stack of papers in Kakashi's hands stopped mid-tap. Slowly, he set them down, forcing Sakura to meet those eyes that appeared a shade darker now. "You don't want me to participate?" he asked calmly.
Yikes, she realized how dismissive she may have come off.
"N-No, of course I do, but..." She gripped the straps of her backpack tightly, searching for a way to fix this little misunderstanding. "I just don't want you to, um, have back problems in the future."
Oof, that had sounded a lot better in her head.
Kakashi leaned back in his chair and crossed both arms. "Am I that old to you?"
"No!" she said a bit too loudly. With a wince, she glanced over to Mei who was still checking her answers and paying no heed to them. Kakashi still had his arms crossed when she turned back to him, the image almost reminding her of a pouting child. "You're very fit," Sakura explained, eyeing the way his biceps bulged against his sleeves. And muscular. "B-But maybe you should switch roles with Professor Mizuki and let him be the Captain while you be the Referee."
His dark eyes narrowed at her, and Sakura gulped. "You would prefer Mizuki over me?" His voice was still calm, but she was beginning to realize that it wasn't necessarily a good sign.
Kakashi was peeved. She could sense it—and practically see it just in the way those eyes had darkened like a brewing thunderstorm. It was electrifying how he could have her so tense in just one look and, still, she wasn't afraid. If anything, it only stirred that heat in her belly again. Made her want to press her legs together and relieve the hot ache building there.
"No, I... I just don't want you to get hurt again," Sakura whispered.
The storm in Kakashi's gaze seemed to clear away into that stoic but gentle grey she was more familiar with. Tipping his head slightly, he seemed to take the moment to study her. "Are you normally like this towards your professors, Miss Haruno?"
Huh? Like what?
Before she could ask what he meant by that, Mei appeared at her side, shoving her exam in-between Sakura and him. Accepting the paper, Kakashi thanked Mei, but the girl remained rooted at her spot to ask him a question about the exam. For a few seconds, Sakura waited as Kakashi explained how the points were distributed for each question. When Mei popped another question, however—this time asking for clarification regarding something from his powerpoint—Sakura realized the girl didn't intend to leave anytime soon.
Lowering her gaze away from Mei's serene smile directed at Kakashi, Sakura turned around and slipped away. Something heavy sat at the pit of her stomach as she made her way over to the pavilion where she usually sat with Kakashi. Was it disappointment? Or maybe the fear that he'd misunderstood her intention? But then why couldn't she get Mei's smile out of her head? That perfect smile lined by full lips painted in dark red lipstick that Sakura could never pull off without looking like a girl playing with her mother's makeup.
Plopping herself on her side of the bench, she released a sigh before reaching into her backpack to pull out a small box of pitted cherries to munch on. The burst of sweet juice in her mouth did nothing to alleviate that weird feeling in her gut. As the minutes passed and the cherries in her lunch box began to dwindle, that feeling in her gut soured. It was as if the cherries she ate turned bitter in her stomach and the longer time went on with the space beside her empty, the more that sourness in her stomach turned acrid.
Was Mei still talking to Kakashi? Or was he talking to Mei? Was he really mad at her for suggesting that he sit out of the game?
But it's only because I'm worried for him...
Sighing, Sakura put down her cherry, having lost any appetite for the snack now.
"I won't get hurt."
She jolted in her seat, nearly spilling the box of cherries on her lap. Kakashi stepped around the bench to peer down at her, both hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans. She wasn't sure if she was relieved to see him or more relieved to see that Mei wasn't with him.
He stood in front of her, his tall figure casting a shadow over her. But the grey of his eyes was almost a liquid silver with the sunlight filtering through the lattices. "If I can promise you that I won't get hurt, will you be all right with me captaining?"
Is he... asking for my consent?
She watched him take his usual spot on the bench beside her. "O-Okay."
"Then I promise."
Still reeling from the fact that her professor had made a promise to her—as if she was the authority here instead of him—it took a while for Sakura's shock to subside. Once it did, she brushed back some hair behind an ear to smile at Kakashi. "And for the record, I don't think you're that old, Professor Hatake."
His eyes crinkled to accompany his own smile beneath that mask. "Oh, but I'm old enough to be your dad? At least, that's what you called me that night."
Shit.
"A-Are you sure?" she tried to laugh it off, feigning ignorance in the hopes he'd think his memory had served him wrong.
"You don't remember?" Sakura shook her head, but the red flush building in her face was impossible for Kakashi to miss. Especially when they were sitting less than a foot away from each other. He hummed. "Well, I would definitely remember if a pink-haired girl called me her dad."
And I would definitely remember having a hot father with abs of steel, she thought to herself, remembering how solid and firm his abs had felt against her cheek. "Don't tell me you remember everything from that night we met?"
Please say no.
"Yes."
Fuck.
"Your memory can't be that good!" Sakura protested, miffed by the idea that he would always have an upper hand against her just because of her sheer bad luck.
"Actually, I have perfect memory, so..." Kakashi raised a brow at her. "I even remember the color and smell of your vomit. Strawberry-flavored Kool-Aid with a splash of vodka. Think there was some punch in there too."
Ohhh, so that's what Ino used for her jungle juice... Wait, shit, he actually remembers that?!
She squinted at him. "What's the first thing I said to you?"
"'You wanna go too?'"
"My apartment number?"
"237."
"The other tie option I offered you?"
"Cats."
"Where's my room?"
"On the right side of the second hallway just across the bathroom."
"What scent is the hand soap in the bathroom?"
"Cherry Blossom and Tea Rose by Bath and Body Works."
Holy fuck, this guy is good!
"Which knee did I bruise?"
"Your right."
"What's the name of the street we met on?"
Ha! Bet you don't know that one!
"Lover's Lane."
Oh, shit. Even I didn't know that.
"What..." She sucked in a breath through her teeth. "What is the exact time and date we met?"
"We met on September 13—a Saturday night—at..." He pursed his lips beneath the mask. "When you were trying to unlock your phone, the time read 11:40. So if you want the exact time we met, then I guess 11:37."
Geez, he really does have perfect memory!
Her eyes had narrowed into slits now. "If I asked you what my perfume smelled like, would you know the answer to that?"
"Yes."
She didn't doubt him.
"What color was my eyeshadow?"
"You weren't wearing any."
Damn, she'd thought she could get him with a trick question at least.
"What was I wearing that night?" she asked, having run out of the more complicated questions.
"You wore a black, spaghetti-strap dress with little white daisies printed all over," Kakashi replied smoothly. There was a faint smile on his face now, accompanying the reminiscence in his eyes. "And your white tennis shoes looked brand new... So yeah, I'm pretty sure you called me 'Dad' that night."
Better than 'Daddy', she supposed.
Seeing his eyes still crinkled playfully at her pulled out a smile from Sakura despite the embarrassment still hot in her face. She shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe I'm your secret daughter after a one-night stand."
God, that would be the worst thing ever.
He shook his head. "I've always been strict on protection, so I doubt it."
She had only meant to joke, but she hadn't expected an answer like that. She certainly hadn't expected that weird feeling in her gut to return, twisting into knots now.
So he had sex with women. That wasn't supposed to have surprised her the way that it did. It wouldn't be unusual at all for a man in his thirties to have had several partners to warm his bed. Hell, Kakashi probably had countless women lining up for him. That didn't mean she liked hearing him admit he had sex with women though, especially one-night stands...
The teasing smile had fallen away from her face now, and Sakura frowned down at the few cherries still in her box. "I don't think it's appropriate to discuss this in school..."
"Protection?"
"S-Sex," she stammered out.
Just saying the word itself to him did strange things to her belly. Maybe the cherries weren't so good after all. She tugged at the thin hem of her cropped cardigan, feeling warmer all of a sudden.
Kakashi seemed perturbed by the way her mood had soured so suddenly. "I'm your Anatomy professor, Miss Haruno. I'm going to have to discuss sex with you—with the class—at some point in the semester. At least the reproductive processes involved in it."
"Reproductive processes?" Her frown deepened as she looked at him. "You mean like..."
"Like starting with how an erection happens." His tone was casual, but she caught the smirk tugging beneath his mask. And he couldn't conceal the mischievous glint in his gaze either. He was teasing her again. "Unless you've already gone ahead and studied that too?"
"No!" She raised her voice indignantly, flabbergasted that he would even jest about that. "I've never even seen a man's..." The heat in her face was almost making her dizzy now. "I-I mean, I haven't read that far ahead yet..."
How did their conversation turn from calling him her dad to... to this?!
"Well, it's not inappropriate to remind you that you should be wearing protection when engaging in sexual activities."
It was almost a knee-jerk reflex for Sakura to open her mouth and reply, 'Okay, Dad', but she caught herself just before those two words could slip out. Seriously, what was it with her calling him her dad?! Kakashi didn't even look anything like her—or her actual father!
"Contraceptives aren't 100% effective though. Abstinence is the only foolproof method," Sakura replied, reciting the exact words Ino had once told her during a sex-ed lesson in their high school's P.E. class.
Kakashi gave her a deadpan look. "You're a seventeen-year-old girl who just started college. From my experience, sex is a... popular activity for you guys, especially as a way to relieve stress. I'm not saying all your peers are doing it, but sex is normal."
How could he say that three-letter word like it was nothing? Or was it because she was a virgin that she thought it was a big deal to discuss something as intimate as... sex? She wanted to halt the conversation right then and there, too shy to even say the word aloud a second time. But the voice within her demanded that Sakura woman up. She wasn't that pubescent girl anymore who had fainted the very first time Ino had shown her a porn video out of curiosity.
She was seventeen—on the cusp of her womanhood. She was mature enough to be able to discuss sex without making such a big deal out of it like a kid on the playground whining about cooties. And for some reason, she desperately wanted to prove to Kakashi that she was a mature young woman. Just because she lacked Mei Tanaka's boobs and curves didn't mean she was as childish as she looked.
"But just because you're at that age where you'll want to experiment with sex, that doesn't mean you should do it if you feel uncomfortable or pressured to," Kakashi continued, waving off a little ladybug that had flown over to land on his knee. He must've noticed the hesitation in Sakura's expression if he felt the need to mention that. But it was what he said next that had her freezing in place. "There's no shame in being a virgin."
She should've been embarrassed to hear that. If it were anyone else, she might've even snapped at them for pointing out something that wasn't their business to point out. Instead, all Sakura could do was endure the blush already building and sigh in defeat. "Is it really that obvious?"
Kakashi scrubbed a hand across his jaw, ignoring the ladybug that had insisted on renting the space of his knee. "If I have to be completely honest... yes."
"What gave me away?" Grabbing another cherry, she popped it into her mouth to avoid having to meet his gaze that felt heavy on her face. "Don't tell me it's the night I told you I've never had a boyfriend."
"That too, but... it's the way you look sometimes," he said quietly, prompting her to turn his way. Those eyes had darkened again, staring back at Sakura steadily and forcing the blush to deepen until it was as bright red as the cherry in her hand. She looked away to shove another cherry into her mouth, but the blush on her face stubbornly remained.
The way I look? What does he mean by that? Is he talking about my style?
Sakura slid her eyes down to her white denim shorts, wondering if the length was too short. It definitely would've broken the dress code back in high school, but she somehow had a feeling Kakashi wasn't talking about her attire. Did he mean her makeup then? But how could you tell a girl was a virgin just by her makeup?
Confused and embarrassed, Sakura pretended to study the jasmine flowers wrapping the lattice on her other side so that Kakashi couldn't see how she was still blushing so hard. Pressing another cherry to her lips, she held it there so that the cold skin could help soothe the heat in her cheeks.
"You know, if you're hungry, there's still time to grab some lunch before lab class starts," Kakashi spoke up, grabbing her attention away from the jasmines and from the fact that he'd figured she was a virgin so easily.
She shook her head although she was glad for the change in subject. "I'm not really hungry. Are you?"
Did this guy even eat? Save for the lunch box she'd given him yesterday, she never saw him eat even a snack bar. Then again, that would explain those sculpted abs of his.
"A little," Kakashi admitted, much to her surprise.
"You'll probably be hungry after today's Manhunt game. I could go home after lab class and whip up something for you to eat," Sakura proposed without thinking. Oh shit. Too late to take back now. "Unless… you've already found a wife to do that for you?" she teased him, hoping it would cover up her little blunder.
Huffing out a small laugh, Kakashi shook his head. "No, I haven't."
Her shoulders sagged in relief. Oh phew, that's good... Sakura frowned down at herself. Wait, no, not good! I think...?
"You don't want one?" she asked all nonchalant.
"I'm used to taking care of myself, so I don't think I need a wife to cook for me."
"But do you want one?" Sakura pressed him. Someone to come home to, or to go to bed and wake up in the morning with... Someone who can show you the world through their eyes. That sounds so much better than living with empty silence...
He shrugged. "I don't think I've met anyone I can do that with yet."
"Maybe you have met her, but you just don't know it."
Or him... Oh my god, what if he's gay? It would suck to be a girl then.
"My future wife?" Picking up the ladybug on his knee with an index finger, Kakashi turned and set it down on the space between them. It started crawling back to him before suddenly making a turn to head over to Sakura instead. "So—what?—you think you've met your future husband too?"
Did a contract binding her to him count? "Um, yeah, why not?"
Flicking his eyes away from the ladybug and to her, Kakashi pinched his brows together. "Aren't you a little too young for marriage?"
Finding the question had hit a bit too close to home for her, Sakura began picking at a loose thread at the seam of her shorts. "I'll be turning eighteen next year. The law says I can marry as soon as I'm legal. And in Sound country, the legal age of consent is as young as sixteen."
Thank god she wasn't in Sound country.
"But you think you've already met your future husband? Do I know him?" Kakashi had a brow raised. It seemed he didn't believe her.
"Um..." She shifted slightly on the bench. "Maybe."
He's only one of the richest, most powerful men in this city.
"Then why don't you have him as your boyfriend?"
The question almost sounded accusing, prompting Sakura to peer at him. Kakashi was giving her a strange look that was impossible for her to interpret. The storm was back in his eyes again, but it was different than earlier. It was more similar to the way he had looked at her when she'd asked him to take off his shirt outside Guren's Goodies so that she could tend to his back.
I can't have him as my boyfriend since he's already my fiancé. Instead of answering with that, however, Sakura decided to throw the question right back at him. "Well, why don't you have a girlfriend?"
The storm dissipated as Kakashi crinkled his eyes at her again. "Apparently, I'm waiting for my future wife. Although at thirty-one years old, you'd think she's running late."
She smirked at that. "At least you're not the one who's tardy this time, Kakashi."
The crinkle of his eyes deepened as he joined in on her laughter. By the time it was over, her stomach was aching slightly from all the laughing, but that acrid feeling that had been twisting low in her gut was completely gone now. It was replaced by a bubbly warmth that intensified as she watched Kakashi pull out that orange book—Make Out Paradise—and flip it open to a page he had dog-eared.
The memory of Takashi and Junko fucking nearly made Sakura choke on a cherry. Was Kakashi reading that part now? Honestly, she wouldn't be surprised if that book had multiple sex scenes.
She shuddered as that warmth in her belly fizzed hotter, spreading down to between her legs again. Ripping her eyes away from that damn book, Sakura focused her attention on his forearms instead. He'd rolled up his sleeves as the temperature of the morning had soared past the eighties. She eyed the silver scars decorating the pale blue veins that branched across the back of his hand and joined into the single large vein running up his forearm.
He looks like he would be really handy around the house... The fantasy of Kakashi shirtless and washing the car started to piece itself together in Sakura's mind. She began thinking of the many ways he'd help with the handiwork... maybe fix a leaky faucet or put together some Ikea furniture. He seemed to be the kind of man who would be found in the garage often, laying on a creeper to tend to his car.
There were callouses at his fingertips and across his palms, so she guessed he was a bit of a handyman himself. Imagining him shirtless while replacing the shower curtain in her bathroom, Sakura absentmindedly picked up a cherry and pressed it to her mouth for a small bite. It took her a while to realize Kakashi's hands hadn't moved the pages of his book since he'd cracked it open.
Slowly, she slid her eyes up the length of his arm and up to his face where he was already gazing at her. The juice of the cherry trickled down the corner of her mouth and she darted her tongue out to lick it away. Kakashi's eyes followed the motion before returning to her mouth where she was already licking her bottom lip too.
His throat shifted as he continued to stare at her mouth. It reminded her of the way Kiba's dog, Akamaru, used to stare at people at the dinner table every time they had lunch over at Hinata's house. Even now, Sakura recognized that hunger in Kakashi's gaze. But unlike with Akamaru, his hunger seemed to simmer with an intensity that sent a hot throb through her core.
She swallowed and raised the last cherry to her lips but held it there as she smiled lightly at him. He was still staring. "Professor Hatake, you look like you really want to eat my cherry."
His eyes widened at her. "What?" he croaked out.
"My cherry." She offered him the little fruit, letting it dangle between them by the stem. "Are you that hungry?"
Now she felt bad that she hadn't offered some earlier.
Kakashi was suddenly leaning away from her as if she'd offered him a worm instead. "Uh, no," he coughed, running a hand through his hair and fluffing up the strands even more. "I was just, uh... I was just wondering if you know how to tie a knot with a cherry stem?"
The question caught Sakura off guard as it didn't seem to match with the sharp clench of his jaw or the hand buried into the roots of his hair.
"Hm, I don't know, I've never tried," she answered. The truth was that she had always been too scared to try after Ino had once explained the theory that being able to tie a cherry stem meant the person was a good kisser. But now that she remembered that theory, she was curious about Kakashi. "Do you know how, Professor?" she asked as casually as possible, plucking the stem from the cherry to hold it out to him.
He hesitated for a second before taking the stem and slipping it into his mouth. In her head, Sakura counted the seconds, stopping at ten when Kakashi reached into his mask and withdrew the perfectly tied stem from his mouth. Her jaw dropped at how quick it'd been.
He must be a good kisser! If only he wasn't her professor, she wouldn't mind testing that theory.
"You'll learn once you've tried it enough," he said, taking the cherry knot and dropping it into her emptied lunchbox. She almost thought he meant once she tried kissing enough.
Rolling the cherry between her fingers, Sakura studied the strange expression Kakashi still wore. The tension lining his eyes remained and he was stroking his jaw, staring at the cherry she held. She didn't understand. If he was that hungry, then why couldn't he just accept the cherry? Was he allergic or something? But then why not just say so?
"You can have my cherry if you want, Professor Hatake," she insisted, holding the red little fruit out to him once more. "I really don't mind."
Kakashi scrutinized the cherry for a moment longer before fixing his gaze back onto her. His throat bobbed. "Miss Haruno, I really shouldn't."
Oh. Okay...
Flashing him a polite smile, she tried not to let her disappointment show. But for the next ten minutes before his watch had to beep, Sakura continued to stare blankly at the empty lunch box on her lap. Next to her, Kakashi had cracked open his book again but didn't turn a single page.
The awkwardness followed them into the lab room as well. Even as she turned her focus to the exam on her desk, the difficulty of the questions wasn't enough to call all her attention away from Kakashi. She sat right in front of him, directly in his line of sight with hardly less than five feet of distance. And although she kept her eyes on her test for the next hour, she could feel every time his own eyes landed on her and lingered for longer than necessary.
Every time that happened—every time the heat of his gaze burned into the right side of her face—the test question she was on would get replaced by another question of her own making: what would it be like to kiss Professor Hatake?
Glancing over to Mei who sat at the table across from hers, Sakura knew she wasn't the only girl wondering that. But what Sakura didn't know was that she herself would have the answer to that question in due time….
