The Anatomy of Love
Written By: Banana007
Chapter 33: Toe the Line, but Don't Cross It
A/N: Please make sure to read the A/N at the end of this chapter for some bonus content!
Ever since their impromptu basketball game, all the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into places Sakura had least expected.
Toe the line but don't cross it?
That was easier said than done when all she wanted to do was taste Kakashi's lips all over again. Feel the warmth of his mouth and trace the shape of his lips. Maybe even guess the coffee brand she'd sampled that day just so that she could surprise him with a hot cup of that coffee once the weather was cold enough.
With her cheek leaning against the heel of her palm, Sakura smiled as she listened to Kakashi's smooth voice fill the classroom. He was in the middle of answering a student's question about the midterm study guide, but she could care less about the answer as she was too occupied with the way his lips shifted beneath the thin mask he wore.
Since the semester had started and she got to know Kakashi on a more personal level, the urge to see his whole face maskless had dwindled. But that kiss had reignited that urge, and now it was more profound than ever. If only so that she could see those kissable lips in all their glory.
The minutes seemed to fly by in lecture as Sakura gazed on adoringly at her professor. It didn't help that now that she knew their feelings were mutual, she felt liberated in expressing her affection toward him. No longer did she have to drop her gaze and pretend she hadn't been ogling. Now she could stare all she like, and it didn't help that Kakashi often met her gaze throughout lecture with a twinkle in his eye. As if he, too, could no longer deny himself of stealing glances her way even if it meant doing so in front of the class.
The class... oh, what would they think if they noticed the way their teacher shared meaningful looks with a particular student who coincidentally sat right in front of him?
It was probably a good thing the class was usually too sleepy or occupied with the powerpoint slides to notice anything inappropriate going on right before their eyes. Even better was the fact that Kankuro was still absent although Sakura did feel ashamed to think it was a good thing. Still, she couldn't imagine how awkward their dynamic would be if he showed up now just as things between her and Kakashi were returning to normal... well, as normal as things could be.
Strangely enough, Mei was also absent these days although Sakura was secretly grateful for that too. It was bad enough that Mei had been overly flirtatious towards Kakashi—even worse that her true intentions were to get him in trouble. Her absence meant one less problem to deal with.
So why did it nag at Sakura?
"Professor Hatake, have you seen Kankuro around?" Sakura first asked once lecture ended and the rest of the class had filed out.
Kakashi stopped putting away papers in his bag to peer up at her, his brows slightly raised as if he was surprised to see her approaching him again after days of them of avoiding each other. Or maybe he was surprised by the subject of her question as his eyes flitted past her shoulder and to the back of the classroom where Kankuro used to sit.
"He's never called me since our date even though he promised he would," Sakura began to explain only to realize how inappropriate this topic might be to discuss with Kakashi of all people. "Ah, I-I mean, I'm just wondering since... well, like I told you, it wouldn't be the first time a boy ghosted me..."
Kakashi nodded, understanding that she just wanted answers. "Actually, Mr. Suna withdrew from the course and has taken a leave of absence from school. I assumed you already knew since you both shared your numbers with each other, but I guess his family emergency was too serious that he had to return to Wind country immediately."
Sakura frowned as she remembered how urgent Kankuro had sounded when he'd spoken on the phone before suddenly leaving the library, and leaving her alone with Kakashi. "A family emergency? How serious is it that he dropped everything to go back home just like that?"
"From what I heard, his younger brother was put in the hospital after an attempt was made on his life by a rival gang."
Her jaw dropped. Okay, she hadn't known what to expect but that was definitely not it.
"I'd heard that Kankuro's little brother is the gang leader at their local high school," Sakura mused aloud, "but I never thought another gang would try to kill him."
Now she felt awful that she'd been pissed at Kankuro for not texting her back when this whole time he was just busy dealing with the near loss of his little brother.
"People who crave power are never satisfied."
Sakura looked to Kakashi who was staring down at his hands now. She'd been caught off guard by the rough intonation his voice had taken on. "But what power would you get by killing someone who probably hasn't even graduated high school yet?"
Grey eyes lifted to meet hers, somewhat cloudy with a somberness. "Control," Kakashi answered. "Control over territory, money, and especially people. Control is the greatest form of power."
She still couldn't quite grasp how one could gain such control by killing a teenage gang leader who likely spent more time doing math homework than conquering the streets. Before she could ask Kakashi to elaborate further, however, he was murmuring an apology to her.
"Eh?" She blinked at him. "For what?"
"Well," he cleared his throat, "with Mr. Suna gone, you can't have that second date anymore..."
Oh... Oh.
"Second date?" Sakura tipped a brow at the pink flushed lightly across the tops of Kakashi's cheeks, recognizing it as a sign of his own insecurity. She shook her head. "No, there was never going to be a second date. I just wanted to tell Kankuro that while I appreciate his feelings for me, I can't see us as being anything more than friends. And while I understand he had a family emergency, if he can't even bother to send me a text saying 'bye' then I doubt he's that interested in me either."
"Oh..." Kakashi nodded slowly. "I see."
Sakura peeked over her shoulder. "I noticed Mei was also absent today."
And, strangely enough, for the past week as well.
"Miss Tanaka?" Kakashi followed her stare to the seat behind Sakura's. "Yes, she withdrew from the course recently as well."
"Oh..."
Hearing the dismal note in that word, Kakashi tilted his head curiously at her. "What's wrong?"
She hesitated for a second. "Maybe... it's my fault she left? We had a bit of a spat in the bathroom a few days ago," Sakura clarified for Kakashi when he started to frown. "She said that I don't know what it's like to suffer because I'm a sheltered girl. Because I have people looking out for me... protecting me," she looked meaningfully at Kakashi as she said so. "And that I take it all for granted. So she called me... privileged."
The word left a sour taste in her mouth—the taste of shame. And yet, in front of Kakashi, she wasn't so afraid of judgment from him. At least, not so much anymore.
Kakashi leaned back in his chair, his masked smile soft with understanding rather than rigid with judgment. "They do say that ignorance is bliss, but that is through no fault of your own," he told her gently. "Don't take Miss Tanaka's words to heart. She battles her own demons every day, and constantly fighting something only she can fight is... very taxing."
His sympathy eased the guilt that had been weighing in Sakura's heart, but she couldn't help but ask, "You know this from when she tried to seduce you in your office?"
She still remembered the black lace design of the bra Mei had flashed her when they crashed into each other at the doorway.
Without missing a beat, Kakashi nodded. "She didn't outright tell me, but it's something I inferred from what I knew about her and her family. That day in my office, Miss Tanaka was concerned of her grade and approached me for other options. She did take off her blouse... and her bra," Kakashi admitted somewhat awkwardly, "but I insisted that she earn her grade honestly."
Sakura gripped the straps of her backpack, more frustrated of the possibility that Kakashi could have gotten into trouble because of Mei's need for revenge rather than the fact that the class beauty had served herself naked to Kakashi. At the same time, she was also secretly over the moon that even the most beautiful girl in class hadn't been able to faze Kakashi with her seduction tactics.
Honestly, she had no idea whether or not she should feel bad for Mei quitting class.
"Why did you give her a second chance?" Sakura asked, curious as to how someone who had a rep for being the strictest teacher on campus could show mercy towards a student who had been ready to commit something atrociously illegal and unethical.
Sure, what Sakura had going on with Kakashi was also illegal and immoral, but at least she wasn't cheating for an easy grade while everyone else worked their ass off. Most of all, she wasn't condemning an innocent man in place of a guilty man like Mizuki. That was far more heinous in her opinion.
"Because I had a feeling that chances aren't something Miss Tanaka is used to getting," Kakashi replied with a thoughtful stroke of his jaw. "She's a troubled girl who, from what I observed, comes from a rich but troubled family whose patriarch treats her like cattle rather than his own daughter. I've known many girls who, similar to her, were raised under the oppressive thumbs of abusive men, particularly their own fathers. I'm not saying to excuse Miss Tanaka's actions, but try to understand where she is coming from. People like her... they don't like the person they've become, but they've become that person in order to survive."
"Then do you understand? Where she's coming from?" Sakura asked softly, aware that she was treading unknown waters with Kakashi now. "You said you're an orphan, so you must've had nobody to look after you either."
Kakashi's throat shifted as he seemed to search for the right words for an honest answer.
"Yes... I do understand," he said quietly.
Hearing the fragility of his voice, Sakura sat herself down on the edge of his desk. Not too close that their positions would look suspicious to anyone who popped into the classroom unannounced, but close enough to show her support for him.
"After my father... died," Kakashi said with difficulty as if the word threatened to choke him with grief, "I had nobody to protect me. It was hard. For the first few years of my childhood, I couldn't sleep without keeping my back to the wall. I had to learn to protect myself and the people I loved, and that wasn't easy either."
As he spoke, his expression remained stony and cold; probably a defense mechanism he wore so as to not look vulnerable. But this close to him, Sakura could see past that guise of apathy and deep into the gunmetal grey of his eyes. She could see that the childhood trauma still lurked within him like a deeply embedded thorn.
Leaning her hand flat on his desk, Sakura let her fingers stretch towards his own hand that sat inches away. Kakashi flicked his eyes down to follow the subtle movement, letting a second pass before his fingers twitched ever so slightly to parallel her hand's position. Close together but not touching.
Toe the line but don't cross it, they seemed to think in unison as they stared at their hands hardly one inch apart from one another.
"Is that why you're so overprotective?" Sakura gingerly asked.
Kakashi blinked up at her. "I am?"
"Mei complained that you were always looking out for me even when I didn't notice. And I notice you do like to hover," she added with a teasing smile.
From the night they'd met, he was always looking out for her wellbeing. In retrospect, Sakura was horrified and ashamed to think of how ungrateful she'd been even after her close call with Mizuki. Kakashi had freely given her the one thing very few men could offer a woman: safety. Yes, she'd always felt absolutely safe whenever she was by Kakashi's side—even during the times when they'd been mad at each other.
To her surprise, the pink dusting the tops of Kakashi's cheeks deepened with embarrassment as her words sunk in. "I... hover?" he echoed her, seemingly horrified. "Is that why you told me to stop acting like your father?"
Sakura couldn't help but find it hilariously adorable how Kakashi was so averse to the idea of acting like a father. Like her father, specifically.
Although she abhorred that idea as well, she laughed and shook her head. "Isn't that how fathers naturally are? Ridiculously overprotective of their daughters, especially when it comes to guys? At least, that's how I imagine my father would be."
She knew it was the opposite though. From what she remembered, her father had been over the moon when Sakura had been decided as a prospective bride for the Uchiha company heir.
"Is that how you want it to be?" Kakashi inquired shyly, hesitantly, while still studying their hands that rested so close together.
The pensive question gave Sakura pause and she took a moment to think it over. To think of the day her mama had smiled giddily as she presented the marriage contract to her little girl. How her mama had romanticized the arranged marriage, explaining to her five-year-old self that she would be promised to a handsome prince. She thought of how she'd looked to her papa in confusion of what mama was saying. Of course, Papa was happy of the idea that a prince might marry his little girl. After all, they were a family of nobodies—paupers who had the once in a lifetime chance to marry into royalty by marrying their daughter to a prince charming who could take care of her and spoil her rotten where her parents could not.
It was a modern-day fairytale.
Sakura wished her parents had turned it all down. She wished she could tell her mama and papa that she didn't want to be spoiled by a prince charming—she wanted to be spoiled by them. She didn't need an unlimited closet of clothes, or expensive jewelry and fancy cakes. She wanted warm hugs and kisses, and food cooked with love.
After all, she didn't want to be rich; she just wanted a family.
"Yes," Sakura answered Kakashi. "I would like my father to be overprotective."
If only her father had been like that in the first place, then she bet the marriage contract would've never been signed at all.
"I think it'd be nice to know someone cared about you that much—as irritating as it may be," she mused aloud.
Kakashi smiled wryly at her. "Somehow, I can imagine that you would rebel against your father though. As I've come to learn over the past few weeks, you're not exactly the good girl I thought you'd be."
Her mouth fell open in indignation and she grabbed the stack of papers still left on the desk to whap him over his head. He was already chuckling before she could set the papers down, and a giggle caught in Sakura's throat when he lifted a hand to take the papers from her, his fingers brushing hers.
Kakashi carried on nonchalantly with stowing the documents into his bag, leaving Sakura to wonder if the brief touch had been intentional on his part. She had a feeling it was.
"Okay, yeah, I would rebel but it's the thought that counts, y'know?" Sakura said, slipping off the desk when Kakashi stood up. "Not everyone has a parent who cares about their child's safety. So many kids even get kicked out of the house or disowned for the most inane reasons. So yeah, if I had to choose, I'd rather have an overprotective parent rather than a parent who didn't care at all."
She didn't think her own parents didn't care at all. But she couldn't understand why they would think some rich guy—or, as her mama liked to call him, her 'prince charming'—could do a better job of taking care of her. Money wasn't everything! But... she supposed that back then, during the war, it probably was everything...
"Overprotective parents are often seen as too controlling," Kakashi reminded her as they made their leave of the classroom. He opened the door for her and she stepped into the empty hallway, the students having dispersed since the class period had ended ten minutes ago.
"I think it depends," Sakura told him over her shoulder while he locked the room up. Once he caught up to her, they continued walking together and she elaborated further, "Sometimes parents are overprotective out of the toxic need to control their child. But sometimes... I think it's just about fear... the fear that the one you love will get hurt. So you want to do everything you can to prevent that from happening. And it's the ones who've been hurt before who are afraid like that."
Kakashi gave her an odd look then, but he was interrupted when a teacher passed them by without so much as a glance. He waited until the hallways were completely empty once more before asking tentatively, "Well... what about an overprotective professor?"
Sakura shot him a teasing grin over her textbook. "Like a professor who's so overprotective that he has to third wheel his favorite student's date?"
"I'd call it chaperoning," he corrected her through an embarrassed cough. "That's how dates went in the old days."
He didn't deny her little observation though. Neither did he deny that she was—is—his favorite student.
"Geez, Professor, I didn't realize you were that old!" Sakura joked, prompting the blush across his cheeks to spread to the tips of his ears. "Hmm, well, I guess I can make an exception for a favorite professor of mine... so long as he buys me dinner!"
She stuck her tongue out at him playfully before skipping ahead to the elevator. Behind her, Kakashi sighed in exasperation but followed after her, ruffling the rosy crown of her head once he caught up. The ride down the elevator was short but silent as they both decided to keep their hands to themselves under the watchful eye of the camera. But Sakura was back to skipping happily again the moment the doors chimed open.
Kakashi himself fell back into his old routine now as he followed her to the pavilion at the back of the science building where their bench awaited them. It felt like forever long ago since the last time they'd sat here together. The weather had cooled down now, too, leaving the stone bench a bit cold under Sakura's thighs.
But the weather didn't matter to her. It could be raining, snowing, or even hailing and she would still choose to sit here with Kakashi. Not together, per se—because that would be crossing the line—but at least side by side. Honestly, Sakura was just grateful that they could still sit here and spend time together at all. Even if they had to be mindful of their actions while on school grounds.
"So, are you doing anything fun Friday night?" she asked, smoothing down the back of her dress before sitting down on the bench.
Kakashi sat himself down a respectful foot away from her as usual. He had already whipped out one of his Make-Out books from seemingly out of nowhere and gestured to it. "Probably finish up on some light reading. You?"
Of course he considers reading porn books as 'fun', Sakura smiled fondly at him. Realizing he was still waiting for her answer, she quickly answered, "Ah, my friends want to go to a frat party."
"A frat party?"
She suddenly felt the need to explain why she was going. "The president is the cousin of my friend, so... Ino thought it would be the perfect opportunity to set me up for a blind date," Sakura added awkwardly, but she wanted to be as honest as she could with Kakashi.
Though his expression remained unreadable, his posture seemed to go rigid. "You have a date to the party?"
"It-It's nothing serious," Sakura shook her head in a hurry to clarify. "But if I turn the date down, Ino will get suspicious and then badger me until I give in.
He seemed to accept that answer with a sympathetic nod. Her lips twitched with a smile and she leaned across the bench to scrutinize his feigned nonchalance.
"Why?" she asked teasingly. "Are you thinking of chaperoning this one too?"
Kakashi responded with a wry grin. "I doubt an old man like me could still pass for a college student let alone as a frat boy. No, I trust you to be careful this time."
"Have you ever even been to a frat party before? Or I'm guessing they don't have frat parties in the military academy?" Sakura inquired, curious now as to what kind of student Kakashi had been at her age.
Although she could imagine all the girls being drawn to him like vultures eager to sink their claws into quality meat, she could not imagine Kakashi actually partying. He came across to her as more like a bookworm who preferred hanging in the shadowed corners rather than being at the heart of the party.
"Once," Kakashi confirmed with a nod. "The military doesn't host parties like fraternities do, but Genma, Guy, and Asuma were in a fraternity, so they insisted I come. I spent the entire party holed up in the bathtub, reading Make-Out Paradise behind the curtain while couples made out on the other side."
Why am I not surprised? Somehow, she thought the image of him in a bathtub with his nose stuck in a book during a party even more endearing.
Sakura shook her head affectionately at him. "Frat parties aren't really my thing either, but if I don't let my friends drag me then I'd probably just stay holed up in my room reading textbooks all day."
Kakashi hummed in agreement. "If I were your age, I'd be right with you, reading my book too."
She snorted at that. "Yes, I'm sure porn books make for great study material when on a study date with a girl."
"You'd be surprised," Kakashi said, tipping his brow suggestively.
It took a second for Sakura to get the innuendo, and then she blushed and smacked his arm. "You pervert."
He was still chuckling and rubbing his sore arm when Sakura took out her lab manual to review for lab class. But the sound of his soft laughter and the heat of his presence tickling up her bare arm kept Sakura smiling silly as well. Even when a peaceful silence fell over their pavilion, it was still hard to concentrate on her studies when all she could think of was the warm joy that flooded her.
And this strange warmth had nothing to do with the little rays of the sun that peeked through the latticework that served as their cover from any wandering eyes.
There was almost this rapacious urge to be close to Kakashi, and she didn't want to question it but she swore the foot of space between them had somehow shrank. Whether it was he who had moved closer or her, it didn't matter. What mattered was that they now sat close enough for their knees to touch.
And Kakashi's knee was the first to touch hers when he tilted his head at her book and asked, "You're doing the palmar muscles?"
"Y-Yeah," Sakura tucked back her hair, still flustered by the knee casually cozying up to hers. She silently praised herself for wearing a dress today. "But it's kinda tricky to differentiate the superficial muscles from the deep muscles without a 3D model."
"What do you mean? You've got the perfect model right here."
Setting his Make-Out book aside, Kakashi offered his hand to her with his palm facing up. Still hesitant, Sakura quickly scanned their surroundings first before shooting him a questioning look. He gave her the slightest nod of encouragement.
Her heart was pounding frantically, sending a rush of hot blood to her face as Sakura carefully reached over with both hands to hold Kakashi's. His long fingers held themselves straight but relaxed as she took a moment to feel the hard knuckles across the back of his hand.
"We'll start with the anterior view?" Kakashi murmured to her.
She swallowed lightly and nodded.
Her breath shook slightly as she traced her fingertip down the outer side of his thumb. "Opponens pollicis?"
He affirmed with a nod.
She drew her finger down the space right below his thumb. "Abductor pollicis brevis... flexor pollicis brevis... and adductor pollicis?"
"Very good."
The low rumble of his voice stoked that jovial warmth in Sakura's belly into a simmering heat as she switched to the other side of his hand.
"Abductor digiti minimi," she whispered, tracing the ragged scar that decorated the outer side of his palm. It looked like the wound had been extraordinarily painful, so she traced the jagged tissue line again, prompting a subtle shiver from Kakashi.
"Keep going," he urged her, his voice a little raspy now.
The blush across her cheeks bloomed hotter as Sakura drew all five of her fingers up his palm, feeling every groove of every scar that nicked his flesh. Her fingertips settled at the edge of his palm, right between each of his fingers so that their hands were almost laced together.
"Lumbricalis," she breathed, feeling as if her heart would leap out of her chest.
The tip of his index finger twitched and Sakura watched with bated breath as his fingers started to curl in as if to lace fully together with hers. His palm was scorching hot against hers, almost as hot as her face—
Ding!
They ripped their hands apart and Sakura scooted so far away that she almost fell off the bench.
Her phone dinged again with another text, and Sakura shot Kakashi an apologetic look as she checked her messages. Ino wanted to drop by a boutique after school to shop for her frat party outfit.
Way to ruin the moment, Pig!
She pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling like a couple years of her life had been shaved off. From the corner of her eye, Kakashi cleared his throat and lifted his hand to his mouth. With his face turned aside, she couldn't quite see his own reaction, but she could see the vibrant red shade that tinged his ears.
Her blush deepened and Sakura leaned her hand back on the bench to steady herself. The heat in her face spread to the roots of her hair the moment she felt her fingers graze with Kakashi's as she realized belatedly that he'd also leaned his hand on the bench.
She remained frozen in position, but so did Kakashi.
Wanting to test how far she could go—how far she could toe the line between them—Sakura slowly, carefully, slid her fingertips in between his, stopping only when she felt his fingertips squeeze around hers in answer.
She lowered her attention back to the textbook that sat forgotten on her lap, and smiled faintly at the diagram of the palmar muscles. Beside her, Kakashi had quietly cracked open his Make-Out book again, but neither of them flipped a single page for the entirety of their break time.
Instead, they chose to sit in peace, relishing the feel of their fingertips laced together.
While they couldn't quite hold hands, they could at least do this. Toe the line, but not cross it.
.
.
.
It happened again on Wednesday too, and Sakura was glad for the latticework serving as a privacy screen of sorts for them. It was hard enough to keep their hands to themselves, but even more so on school grounds. If only they could meet somewhere more private, but a teacher and student caught together outside of school would only look more suspicious.
At that thought, her smile faltered.
As if sensing her spirit dampening, Kakashi casually slid his fingers further in between hers, prompting her smile back.
But those little gestures were only a temporary remedy against an incessant malaise.
Sitting in lab class, Sakura stared at the 3D anatomical model on her table. But instead of studying the figure's chiseled abs, her attention was drawn to the hand where her finger rested against the hard plastic palm to note the dorsal interossei.
Funny how if she held a plastic hand, nobody would bat an eye. But if she were to hold Kakashi's hand, her classmates would probably be scrambling for their phones to call the police.
Sakura sighed aloud.
"Still having trouble with the palmar muscles?"
She glanced up to where Kakashi was wiping the whiteboard clean of his drawings and notes. So busy lamenting their current predicament, she hadn't noticed that class had ended and everyone had already gone home for the day. Now it was just the two of them, teacher and student.
Kakashi peered back at her over his shoulder and paused upon seeing her distraught expression. Slowly, he set the whiteboard eraser down and shuffled back to his desk to close the distance between them. Settling into his chair, he observed Sakura's downcast mood before raising his hand to beckon her over with the curl of a finger.
"Come here," he called to her softly.
Without hesitation, Sakura stood up from her chair and shuffled over to stand beside him with her lab worksheet in hand. Grey eyes flicked down to her paper before Kakashi gingerly pried it from her grip. Instead of checking the answers of her worksheet, however, he put the paper aside on his desk to give her his full attention.
Sakura bit her lip, feeling his gaze heavy on her face.
He tilted his head as if he could hear the mess of thoughts cluttering her mind.
"Do you still remember the muscles of the hand, Miss Haruno?" Kakashi asked her, his tone far too gentle than was appropriate as her instructor.
He lifted his hand between them and turned it over, facing his palm up in offering for her again.
There was that funny warmth tingling in the bottom of her stomach again, and it spread across her body with every beat of her heart. Biting back a smile, she took his hand in her own to begin charting the front and back of his palm, naming each muscle in the process.
Before finishing, she took the opportunity to trace the pale blue veins that branched the back of his hand. Once she finished, she finally dared to lay her hand flat against his, their fingers resting against each other's.
Having been surrounded by only boys all her life, she'd never known just how large a man's hands could be. Hers was dwarfed by Kakashi's, so much so that the tips of her fingers barely reached past the first knuckle of his finger.
His scars were rough against her skin, but she didn't mind. Instead, she pressed her hand more firmly to his to feel every inch of his skin on hers.
"Your hand is so big, Professor Hatake," she whispered in awe even though they had the whole classroom to themselves.
"I am a grown man, Sakura," Kakashi gently reminded her.
She didn't know who moved first but, before she knew it, their fingers were slowly curling simultaneously to lace themselves together. Just like back when they'd kissed in his office, there were fireworks going off at the mere contact between them. It set her heart racing with joy, but also anticipation and even fear. The fear of having to let go of him and pretend nothing happened once they step outside the classroom.
She gripped his hand tighter.
"Sakura," her name trembled on Kakashi's lips as he shot her a warning look. "We're in school."
And yet he made no attempt to pull away from her.
"It's just us in this classroom, Professor," Sakura said, meeting that heady gaze of his over their joined hands. "Is the door locked?"
His throat shifted at the question. A question that was loaded with so much implication and simplified down to four innocent words.
"Yes," he rasped out.
Sakura smiled in relief and raised his hand to her face, nuzzling her cheek to his palm. The warmth of his touch was a soothing balm to the ache in her heart, but it was also a reminder that it would only last for as long as they stayed in the classroom. They were confined like that, having traded their old shackles for a different pair.
She sighed at the feeling of his scars rough against her cheek. "Your hand is so warm. It feels good."
When was the last time she'd been touched intimately like this? Never.
She felt almost feverish upon feeling a calloused thumb skim across her bottom lip. Her mouth parted at the titillating sensation and the grey of Kakashi's gaze darkened as her breath tickled his thumb.
"Your date for the party," he started to say, "do you think you'll like him...?"
Another loaded question. One weighed heavy by the insecurity Kakashi hid with his poker face.
Would she like her date? Ino already knew of her preferences, so likely her date was someone who would match her tastes. Maybe she would like the guy enough to hold a conversation with him. But the real question was would she like like him enough to want to kiss him?
"Mm, I dunno," Sakura teased Kakashi while still relishing the feel of his hand cradling her face. "I'm kind of already busy like liking someone else. Someone who's been on my mind since he kissed me."
The audible sound he made as he gulped made Sakura's smile widen. So the kiss had left an impact on him after all. She could tell just by the way Kakashi's eyes had flitted down to her mouth for a split second.
"You know, when I turned thirteen, I used to practice kissing using my own hands," Sakura told him. "Like this."
She took his other hand from where it rested on his lip, letting her fingers graze along the top of his thigh as she did so. From the corner of her eye, she saw the outline of Kakashi's lips part open as he made a soft sound—somewhere in between a sigh and a hiss.
Knowing that Kakashi was fully under the thralls of her touch now, Sakura had to hold back a giggle as she raised his hands between them.
"With both hands, you use your index finger and thumb to make two O's. Then lock the O's together," she demonstrated with his hands, positioning his fingers and thumbs to form the O's before locking them together for him. "And then bend both thumbs so that they're parallel together, mimicking a pair of lips."
Kakashi swallowed hard again. "And then...?"
"And then..."
Sakura locked gazes with Kakashi as she leaned in closer to his interlocked fingers. Peering up at him through her lashes, she enclosed her lips over his thumbs that acted as a pair of makeshift lips for her. She let her eyes fall close, pressing her lips harder into his hands—the same way she'd kissed him back in his office.
Drawing on that memory now, it was easy to pretend that she was kissing Kakashi and not his fingers. It was easy to moan softly against him, breathing into the kiss and breathing him in. It was just as easy to let the tip of her tongue slip out and lick the seam of his fingers, pretending she was asking him for permission to kiss him deeper.
A sharp intake of breath prompted Sakura to open her eyes.
Kakashi's gaze had darkened, the grey deepening into a turbulent storm dark with danger.
Slowly, she lifted her mouth off his hands, letting her lips peel reluctantly away. A thin trail of saliva connected her bottom lip to his thumb, and Kakashi eyed that glistening line with the same hunger that panged in the pit of her stomach.
"Have you... practiced other kinds of kisses?" Kakashi asked her in a whisper.
A bit wide-eyed now by her own audacity, Sakura shook her head. "Other kinds... like what?"
"... The kinds that involve tongue."
Oh.
His attention was drawn back to her mouth again and Sakura's heart stuttered when he drew his hands apart to press the pad of his thumb to the seam of her lips.
"Open your mouth," Kakashi coaxed her.
Still holding his gaze, she was more than happy to oblige.
His thumb slipped past her lips and into her mouth as she took him in all the way to the base. Her lashes fluttered and she drew back just enough so that the tip of his thumb rested between her lips. Then Sakura drew his thumb back all the way in until her lips were wrapped tightly around the last knuckle once more.
Across from her, Kakashi watched on, equally as enthralled as she was—if not more.
He murmured words of encouragement to her, guiding her to suck hard and use her tongue more. Under his tutelage, Sakura's head bobbed up and down as she lavished is thumb with wet kisses and licks. She desperately tried to ignore that aching heat throbbing between her hips now, its vengeful return more incessant than ever.
"That's it, Sakura," Kakashi hissed through clenched teeth. "Just like that."
His voice sounded on the brink of agony and yet his expression was nothing but a fervid pleasure.
She closed her eyes and swirled her tongue around the tip of his thumb before releasing him with a small, audible 'pop!'
A low rumble emanated from deep within Kakashi's chest, almost like a purr as she gave his thumb's knuckle a tender kiss. And then—
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!
They jerked apart from each other, their gazes finally breaking away to steal a panicked glance at the door.
"Oh! Th-That's Ino," Sakura explained, inwardly cursing herself for forgetting her best friend's earlier texts about going shopping again after classes.
Kakashi was the first to school his features, quickly scooting back to his desk to sit prim and proper like a professional instructor while Sakura hurriedly swiped a finger around her lips to ensure no lip gloss had been smeared.
When she picked up her backpack and books, a hand gently took her by the wrist. She peeked up at Kakashi, noting the way his own eyes were still cloudy as he looked upon her own blushing face.
He seemed to study her and then her lips for just a moment longer before smiling softly. "Enjoy the rest of your week, Miss Haruno," he spoke to her in a hush. As if to stretch on just a little longer the little moment from earlier.
Sakura bit her lip and nodded. "You too, Professor Hatake."
The hand wrapped around her wrist soon released her. She did her best to ignore the pangs of disappointment writhing within her gut even as she opened the door to meet her oblivious best friend. Ino wiggled her fingers at Sakura but remained too distracted with her phone to notice the way Sakura shot her teacher one last look over her shoulder.
Kakashi's chair creaked as he stood up from his desk to walk past Sakura's lab bench and towards the entrance through which she'd left.
The hanging sun cast a small glare and he drew out his sunglasses to block it. And to hide the way he stared at the two girls walking away, their chatter and giggles filling the peaceful atmosphere of the campus. But the sole focus of his attention was the more petite girl of the two, her rosy curtain of hair making her stand out like a flower among all the weeds.
The corner of Kakashi's mouth tilted higher as he leaned a shoulder against the threshold and watched Sakura clutch her textbook tight to her chest. A telltale sign of just how flustered she still was despite the distance between them.
He raised the thumb that still glistened with stains of her lip gloss and saliva. Still observing Sakura through his shades, he tucked his mask down and popped that thumb into his mouth to suck off all evidence of her kiss.
This was the new normal now: to toe the line but not cross it.
But it begged the question of just how much longer could Kakashi last? How long could he play this new game of theirs until he ended up defeated and overcome by his own primal urges?
The past few weeks, he'd already been walking the fine line of restraint—restraint that had been fraying more and more every day. Just this morning, he'd awoken and found himself lying in bed and in a pool of his own sticky mess, his cum staining his boxers and sheets with shame. It seemed the more he denied himself a proper release, the more easily his cock twitched eagerly at the thought of Sakura these days.
As it was now, his erection remained stifled and trapped in his pant leg. He'd thought ahead of time to tuck himself into a more discreet position to avoid the dreaded tent look, but now it was just pure agony as he shuffled his way back to his desk to collect his belongings. He couldn't blame Sakura for his dilemma either; she was entirely innocent of just how his body reacted to her almost on an instinctive level.
Even just his name on her lips made Kakashi perk up and shift all attention to her, his nerves lit with anticipation. Like he was some dog recognizing his master's call.
With a grievous sigh, Kakashi tugged at his slacks to give his hardened cock some relief, though it hardly helped. Tonight, he would have to take another hour-long shower to try and stave off another night of wet dreams. He didn't have enough supply of bedsheets to handle any more sticky messes. Unfortunately, these ice-cold showers were only a temporary remedy against an incessant malaise.
He'd been tortured countless times before, but not like this.
He could handle getting flogged, starved, carved up, and beaten black and blue. He could handle all of that kind of torture because he'd practiced mind over matter, training years for it since day 1 of stepping foot into the military academy. And yet, no amount of training could have prepared him for this special kind of torture. Nothing had prepared him for a girl almost half his size. A girl who, if she really wanted, could make him come in his slacks just by sucking on his thumb.
It was a miracle how he'd been able to hold back from creaming himself. Ironically, it was Sakura's friend knocking on the door that had saved Kakashi from such a fate.
If he had to be honest, he would rather be flogged all day than be left behind with blue balls for the umpteenth time.
Unfortunately, his balls remained blue and aching well into the evening.
By the time he was finished with dinner, Kakashi had it so bad that he could no longer wait to walk his dogs first. He shuffled his way to the bathroom to take that icy shower earlier than planned, hissing when the cold water pelted his slightly stiff cock.
It'd been so long since the last time he'd properly masturbated, he could practically feel the pressure of his cum backed up in his balls. The pain urged Kakashi to stroke himself. Just once—all he needed was one firm stroke from root to tip and he'd probably spurt all over the shower walls.
He clenched his jaw and drew in a ragged breath before squeezing his eyes shut to will away such depraved urges. But the moment Kakashi closed his eyes, all he could see was the mental image of Sakura sucking on his thumb again. No, not his thumb. She was sucking his co—
"Arf! Arf!"
A sharp bark broke Kakashi out of his reverie, followed by the sound of claws scritch scratching on the door to the bathroom.
It sounded like Bisuke. He'd taken too long in the shower that his dogs were now worried and probably thinking their master had slipped or something. That, or they were just getting impatient to have their evening walk.
"Yes, yes, I'm coming," Kakashi called out to his boys.
Once the scratching subsided, he pressed his forehead to the wall and let out a long, strenuous groan of frustration. His hands remained at his sides but his erection was taking a painfully long time to die down even with the water drawn to the coldest setting.
Hopefully, a walk with the dogs and a trip to the pet store would clear his mind.
Or so Kakashi thought.
Somehow, in the midst of walking 8 dogs, he'd found himself in Sakura's side of the neighborhood. Spotting the familiar blue paint of her apartment complex just one block away, Kakashi had screeched to a halt. He'd caught himself off guard, bewildered by how in the world he'd ended up here of all places when he usually took the dogs out for a quick hike through Kage Rock.
So lost in his thoughts about Sakura, he must've subconsciously taken a detour through Kage Park instead to head towards her place.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kakashi growled in frustration once more. It seemed his dick had taken the reigns and led him here.
He whirled around to return home and—
"Professor?"
That voice. Even when she didn't call his name, Kakashi knew that voice better than he knew the back of his hand. Just like before, every single nerve in his body lit up in anticipation.
He slowly pivoted to meet Sakura's bewildered gaze.
"Fancy meeting you here," she said, her face already glowing beautifully with happiness despite the darkness of the night quickly falling upon them. "What a coincidence!"
"Ah..." He could only let out a wry chuckle, feeling more like a criminal caught red-handed than a professor casually walking his dogs.
This whole time, he'd been wanting to see her—had come here for the exact reason to see her. And now that he did see her, every thought in his mind seemed to poof away, leaving him slack-jawed and gaping at her pretty smile (a smile meant just for him) and the light blush already dusting her cheeks.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him.
Stalking you.
"Um..." He couldn't find the right words and the panic started dripping down his back in a cold sweat the longer those sharp jade eyes of hers gazed at him and straight into his soul.
Kakashi silently reprimanded himself. He had several Bachelors and Masters degrees under his belt and yet he couldn't even put together a coherent sentence in front of a girl? So much for being a so-called genius. Idiot was more like it.
As if sensing their master was in trouble, the dogs started pawing at the bag of treats he held, prompting Sakura's attention to it.
"Oh, you were buying treats for your dogs?"
"Yes!" Kakashi shot his boys a grateful smile for saving him before crinkling his eyes at Sakura. "I sometimes walk my dogs again after dinner and decided to drop by the store on the way."
He decided not to mention how he'd accidentally but also intentionally wandered into her neighborhood. He also made a mental note to walk this route more often—if only to run into Sakura more often as well. At the very least, he would be able to steal a glimpse of her through her bedroom window.
Was it immoral of him to use his dogs as an excuse to walk around her area?
Probably, but he didn't want to come across as a creepy old geezer stalking a pretty young lady… even though he was basically a (creepy) old geezer (subconsciously) stalking a pretty young lady. In his defense, he wasn't that old. At least from his perspective….
He cleared his throat and gestured to the bag in her own hand. "You went shopping?"
She was still dressed in the long-sleeve and skirt she'd worn in class earlier, although her backpack had been replaced by a shopping bag filled with something colorful. He couldn't quite make out what it was.
Sakura peeked down at the bag in question and nodded. "Yeah, there's a boutique that opened up on Market street and Ino wanted to buy some, ah, lingerie for her boyfriend."
"Oh? I didn't realize they sell lingerie for men."
"I-I meant," she started to sputter but stopped when Kakashi started to chuckle. Her blush deepened even as she gave him a little eyeroll in exasperation. "Geez, you're always teasing me!"
Seeing her face glow with that healthy, beautiful pink flush stirred something primal in Kakashi's gut. "Oh, I'd say you're much more of a tease than I am," he murmured. When Sakura blinked at him in mild confusion, he caught himself and cleared his throat. "Do you want to say hi to the boys?" he nodded to Pakkun who had been observing the two interact with far more scrutiny than expected of a dog.
Sakura turned her attention to the dogs who, at their master's cue, sat on their haunches in a show of cordiality. She chewed her lip in hesitation however. "But they're service dogs," she said, noting their red vests. "I don't want to bother them when they're working..."
Catching the way she wrung her hands together, Kakashi couldn't help but smile. It was obvious how badly she wanted to pet his dogs despite not wanting to distract them from servicing their master.
"Consider them on break," he said before giving his boys an approving nod. "Go on. Say hi to Sakura."
The dogs charged forth almost instantly and surrounded Sakura to sniff her first. Grins broke out and tongues started lolling excitedly once they recognized her scent, and Sakura was all too happy to let them attack her with wet, sloppy kisses to her fingers (one of their many tactics to earn treats).
She braved their assault and even crouched down to their level so that she could pet as many of them as she could with her two hands. Even Ūhei, who normally lingered at the back out of embarassment over the bandages that wrapped his neck, head, and left paw, treaded closer when Sakura coaxed him closer with a kind smile.
"You're Ūhei, right?" she cooed to him, scratching his chin while careful to avoid his bandages. "Wow, you've grown even more handsome since the last time I saw you!"
Kakashi was surprised that Sakura still remembered the exact name for each of his 8 dogs without getting them confused. He was even more surprised to see Ūhei's usually anxious expression immediately wiped away by Sakura's compliment. It was the first time the greyhound had been called 'handsome' despite his bandaged look and he started thumping his tail hard and happily now.
"Hey, that tickles!" Sakura giggled, overwhelmed by all the wet kisses the boys were licking all over her face now. They showed her no mercy, swarming her until she was knocked on her butt and taking her down with more kisses and excited yips.
The silvery peals of Sakura's innocent laughter warmed something in Kakashi's chest. He couldn't remember the last time his dogs had greeted someone with this much exuberance. While most children were more than eager to pet and play with the boys, they were often wrangled away by parents wary of a scarred stranger.
He smiled at the sight of Sakura flat on her back now with the boys still relentlessly licking her in exchange for more petting. At this point, they were practically torturing her now so Kakashi decided to save her by picking up a stick and throwing it aside to draw the boys' attention away.
Not one to be easily distracted by their goal, the dogs didn't immediately retreat from Sakura. At least not until Kakashi subtly ordered them with a whistle.
They darted away to fetch the stick, leaving Sakura on the ground to catch her breath. Kakashi picked up Sakura's shopping bag before lending her a hand that was left hanging when she scrambled to her feet to chase after the dogs, still giggling from the high of happiness.
Kakashi's brows shot up. His dogs had been born and raised in the torn plains of war. They'd been raised to sniff bombs and gas, track down prey, and even rip out the throats of Kakashi's enemies at a mere commanding whistle from their master. They soon became known in Sound as grave hounds, agents of death who dug shallow graves for their victims. Of course, it was all just rumors spread by superstitious townsfolk Kakashi had the pleasure of meeting when stationed on duty, but the rumors had struck fear in the hearts of many.
Now it was an odd sight to see his dogs spreading happiness instead of fear. An odd sight indeed, but not unwelcome.
His brows shot up higher when Sakura kicked off her sandals to join the boys on a field of grass and picked up the stick that Bull presented to her—the same stick Kakashi had tossed just earlier. Despite Bull's slobber coating the stick, Sakura grabbed it with both hands and then threw it far to let the boys fetch it for her again.
"Good boys!" she praised them in a baby voice when they scurried back to her with Bisuke triumphantly gripping the stick between his teeth to drop into her waiting hand. She rewarded them with more pets and scratches before throwing the stick again.
Kakashi made his way to a bench to watch the spectacle unfold. It'd been too long a while since he'd last seen the dogs playing around like they were puppies. Come to think of it, he couldn't think of any time his dogs had a proper play date. They'd spent their years together on so many tours that a game of fetch had never crossed Kakashi's mind when he'd been more occupied with having his boys sniff out bombs or trails.
Yet it pleased him to see his dogs running wild and carefree on the grass, their tongues flapping in the wind and their ears flopping up and down as they played with Sakura.
It was just as amusing to see Sakura rolling around in the grass, unconcerned of the thought of dirtying her white top or tearing the delicate lace hem of her skirt. Right now, she was all smiles and giggles as her hair fell loose from its bun to cascade around her rosy cheeks.
Kakashi liked seeing her like that—happy. He thought she was most beautiful when she was happy.
In fact, he was so tongue-tied by her fresh-faced beauty that his phone was buzzing with a handful of text messages. Taking his eyes off Sakura, Kakashi glimpsed the name previewed on the screen first before opening the texts.
Sakae: I'm leaving for Sound tonight.
Sakae: My plane leaves in two hours.
Sakae: I saved you an extra seat. Take it or leave it.
"Sorry, I lost track of the time!"
He peered up and tucked his phone away upon seeing Sakura and the boys returning to him.
Her hair was a frazzled mess with leaves and twigs sticking out in all directions. There was also a spot of dirt streaked across her lower chin that Kakashi was tempted to wipe for her.
"Thanks for letting me play with them," Sakura breathed out, completely oblivious to her wild, disheveled look. A look that, in Kakashi's opinion, was somehow very befitting of her.
For a moment, he couldn't help but think of how lovely she would look with her hair disheveled after a night in his bed.
"It's no problem," Kakashi said so as to not let those perverse thoughts stray any further. "My dogs could use the extra exercise anyway."
The boys whipped their snouts towards his direction, looking a little offended by his insinuation.
Sakura sighed and took a seat next to him. He could smell the grass on her along with the sweet, light notes of her sweat; she smelled like freedom and happiness. He inhaled deeply, pretending to suck in a breath of the crisp evening air.
"Your dogs seem more friendly with me now," she pointed out. "Last time at your house, they were kind of wary with me."
"Ah, they're wary at first until they get to know you and your scent better," Kakashi explained, pleased to see that his dogs were quickly taken with Sakura. His lips quirked into a smile as he murmured to her, "Besides, my dogs also have a weakness for really pretty girls."
His pride, and something distinctively primal within him, swelled at the sight of Sakura's blush that even reached the tips of her ears.
Ah, he absolutely loved that beautiful blush of hers, even if it did trouble him by weakening his restraint every time.
Guruko snapped Sakura out of her distraction by pressing his snout against her palm in a silent demand for more pets.
"I've always wanted a puppy of my own," she eventually told Kakashi, still lavishing Akino and Guruko with scratches behind the ears. "But Mama and Papa always said a dog would be too much responsibility for me to handle."
"They underestimated you then," Kakashi said, and she smiled in response. "Didn't you say you took care of a stray once?"
She nodded. "In secret, I did... until my parents found out, and the next thing I knew the local rescue center had taken him away. He was an old dog, but I wasn't allowed to keep him."
"Well, when you're older, you'll be able to have as many dogs as you want and nobody can tell you otherwise," he reassured her.
She seemed to like the idea as her smile widened and she glanced at the dogs who were still crowding around her feet, each waiting for their turn of head scratches. "I'd love to live in a house full of them. You're so lucky."
He hummed in agreement and stroked the top of Pakkun's head in reward for making Sakura laugh and smile as hard as she did just earlier. Although a part of him wanted to mention that living alone in his house with only a bunch of veteran dogs still made the house feel lonely at times.
"I'll walk you home." Standing up, he grabbed her shopping bag. It was hard not to peek into the bag even though he was more than curious to see if she'd purchased any lingerie for herself. He imagined she would look good in any color.
Sakura sprung to her feet, smiling sweetly at his noble gesture while ignorant of his debauched thoughts. "Are you sure?"
As if in warning, his phone vibrated again with another text message. Likely from Sakae.
"I'm sure," Kakashi answered, ignoring his phone in favor of patting Sakura on the head and ruffling her hair free of stray blades of grass. "Besides, it's not like I have anywhere else to be."
Beaming up at him, Sakura tipped her head in the direction of her apartment to begin their walk.
She thought he was being chivalrous when it was really out of selfishness as he just wanted to spend more time with her before heading home to bed. To where he'd either be haunted by the nightmares of his past or assaulted by the wet dreams of a possible future.
They walked to her apartment with Kakashi allowing Sakura to walk his dogs for him while he carried their items. He kept his strides short and pace heavy while Sakura chatted on about how her new fitness instructor, Professor Guy, was very keen on convincing his students to wear the same jumpsuit his prized pupil wore in training.
Kakashi told himself he was walking slow only for Sakura's sake since she stood a full head shorter than him. But really, it was just so that he could squeeze out every last second with her.
Their walk ended at the corner of the complex's gate, just shy of the main road and away from any prying eyes.
"Sakura?" He turned to her while she was fishing the keys from her pocket. "At the frat party, could you do me a favor?
"Mm?"
He hesitated for a second. "If you believe your date deserves it... I want you to give him a chance."
Her hand froze in mid-air with the keys dangling from her fingertips. Raising her eyes back up to him, Sakura's smile faltered as she stared in confusion. "But... I thought you wanted me to wait for you?"
"I do," Kakashi nodded. But with her attending a frat party with a date, countless possibilities had been running through Kakashi's mind all day. "But..."
But what if she met someone better? What if this date was her real soul mate (if such a thing even existed)? What if this guy could make Sakura more happy than Kakashi ever could? People spent so much time waiting for opportunities to come by, but these opportunities also couldn't wait for them. And he couldn't let Sakura pass up the perfect opportunity just for his sake.
He took her hand in his own. "But if there's a chance for you to be happy or happier with someone else, I want you to take it. I'm already selfish enough to ask you to spend months—possibly even years of your life just to wait for me, but your happiness is also important," Kakashi insisted even as Sakura gave him a subtle, defiant shake of her head. "If you think there could be something more between you and this guy, don't let me hold you back."
Kakashi would hate himself if she did. If he knew that he'd stolen any hope of a better future for her, he would despise himself even more than he already did.
Her jaw was set stubbornly as Sakura raised her chin defiantly. "And if there's nothing?"
He reached up to cup her cheek, watching her lips parted ever so slightly as he did so. With the utmost gentle touch, he tapped the pad of his thumb against her bottom lip before dragging his thumb down to where the streak of dirt still tainted her chin.
With one deliberate stroke of his thumb, he wiped her chin clean of the dirt before swooping in to press a masked kiss to the very outer corner of her mouth.
"Then I get to keep doing that," Kakashi whispered against her lips.
He peeled away just in time to catch that healthy pink flush of hers spread into a rosy red. She seemed to consider him for a moment before reaching for his hand to lift it to her sweet, pouty lips.
His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest the moment she pressed a slow kiss to the very center of his palm, her eyes a deep, hazy green as she peered up at him through her lashes.
The seconds crawled to a standstill as he felt Sakura's warm breath ghost across his scars, and her lips so soft on his rough skin that it was all Kakashi could do to stop himself from checking where else of her body was just as soft and pliable.
Her hands, for one. Yes, those kind hands of hers that he knew held the power to deliver miracles—exactly how she had delivered a miracle to him that fateful night they'd met.
Finally, Sakura's lips peeled away and she smiled up at him, although under the covers of darkness her smile appeared more mischievous rather than demure.
"And I get to keep doing that," she purred to him.
His hand was released and Sakura cast him one more sly look before stealing up the stairs.
Kakashi was left standing with his hand over his mouth now, dumbfounded, dazed, and having barely restrained himself from kissing her fully.
He looked down to his dogs who were the only witnesses to his little crime. Of the 8 of them, Pakkun was the one who seemed to scrutinize Kakashi the most with that probing, beady-eyed stare of his.
Slowly, Kakashi pressed a finger to his lips, signaling to his boys to keep this a secret between them.
Toe the line but don't cross it, he reminded himself as he left.
On the way home, he passed by rows and rows of shops that were closing up for the night. Pumpkins of various shapes and sizes were already sitting by the entrances or on the sills of the front windows, marketing the upcoming festivities of Halloween.
He wondered if maybe instead of lingerie, Sakura had bought a costume for herself. His mind was already churning out every kinky possibility he could think of for what sort of costume she would wear. Something naughty? Or something nice? Something sexy and daring? Or something sweet and innocent?
As Kakashi envisioned Sakura in all sorts of attires, he turned the corner of a shop and bumped the shoulder of a young man.
He wasn't sure which fell first—the glasses or the... police cap?
"Sorry about that!" Kakashi crinkled his eyes and crouched down to pick up the items.
When he stood up to return the stuff, he was surprised to see a somewhat familiar face from school. He recognized the man's ashy hair and onyx gaze because he'd seen him multiple times in the science building, specifically on the first floor where many students dropped by for tutoring in a science subject. This was no campus police officer but someone who tutored students.
What was his name again? Kakashi swore he'd glimpsed the guy's ID badge once while exiting the science building.
"Thank you." The man offered his hand, still waiting for Kakashi to give back the items.
"Ah, here you go." Kakashi obliged him and nodded to the police cap sealed in a plastic wrap. "Wow, that looks almost like the real thing."
Onyx eyes crinkled as the man responded with a polite, tightlipped smile. "Yes, these Halloween costumes get more and more realistic every year."
With an agreeing nod, Kakashi stepped aside to let the guy slip his glasses back on and carry on with his business.
"Have a good night, Professor," the young man said, still smiling as he walked away.
It was only when he was out of sight did Kakashi finally remember the man's name: Yakushi, Kabuto.
Yes, that's right. That man had a rep for being the most trustworthy tutor on campus.
Kakashi nodded to himself before he continued on home with his dogs in tow, a jolly tune whistling from his lips, and the mental image of Sakura dressed as a sexy but demure cat girl sitting on his mind.
A light breeze swept through the street, kicking up fallen leaves and prompting him to zip up his jacket.
The wind is getting more chilly these days, he noted.
A/N: Some wonderful artists drew fanart for this story!
Thank you kimikocanvas, bucinkakasaku, and zhyalee for the beautiful art!
Kimikocanvas drew Kakashi and Sakura's office kiss scene: (Twitter site) / kimikocanvas / status / 1569328343429877761
She also drew Kakashi's sushi tie which Sakura gifted him in Chapter 1: (Twitter site) / kimikocanvas / status / 1570497500066512896
bucinkakasaku commissioned fanart from zhyalee: (Twitter site) / bucinkakasaku / status / 1573678522945929223
Please check out their Twitters and their beautiful fanart! If you're having trouble with the links here, I recommend going to my AO3 version and checking the links that I embedded there at the end of the chapter!
Finally, please check out a DELETED SCENE: Dating for Dogs. You can head over to my Tumblr or copy-paste this: (Tumblr site) / tcookies777/696420408683085824/the-anatomy-of-love?source=share
Tumblr: tcookies777
Twitter: Rey_OrganaSolo
AO3: TCOOKIES777
