Ino and Asuma left early, undoubtably tired from the trip home.
So that left Sakura with Kakashi. As happy as she'd been for her best friend, she couldn't help the jealousy that seemed to creep into her thoughts. For the moment, downing drinks would quench her jealousy as much as it did her thirst.
"Hey Kaka-sensei..." She began, "Why don't you go sing kareoke? I'd pay to see that..." She said, a drunken smile plastered across her face.
"I don't see that happening anytime soon, but I'll let you know if I ever decide to." He said, shaking his ead as a laugh escaped him. "But I wouldn't hope on it."
"I'll do it with you..." She urged, drunkenly happy.
"As tempting as that sounds... no."
"No fun, no fun at all." She said, shaking her head. "Although," She paused, downing the warm liquid that burned the back of her throat, " I've got to admit, you've gotten much more talkative lately." She said, still grinning widely at him.
"Really?"
"Yeah!" She said, taking another drink. "You haven't noticed?" She surveyyed him for a moment, and then said, "I think you're drunk Kaka-sensei."
"Hm? That's interesting... I was just thinking the same thing about you... " He said, pretending to think intensely about the matter.
"Naw... I've only had like... three?" She said, pointing to her glass.
"You're lying. I watched you, you've had at least seven."
"Hmmm? I think you might be right...I am feeling a bit... tired." She said, stumbling to her feet.
"Come on." He said, sighing as she stumbled over her feet. He grabbed her just as her head was about to collide with the table. "I'll walk you home."
"I'll find my own way home! I know it's hard for you to fathom, but I AM a grown woman now." She said, teasingly.
"I know that. Just let me walk you home." He said, sliding his arm around her shoulders. As this attempt failed, he merely picked her up and carried her outside bridal-style."Dammit Sakura, remind me never to go drinking with you again."
"FINE. Jeeze Kakashi, you're acting like this is your last dying wish or something..." She said, leaving off the formality without thinking twice. A smile appeaed on her lips as she watched his hair bounce in the wind. "You know, your hair is really... flippin awesome." She said, laughing at her own childish words.
He ignored her instead concentrating on his movements. He moved at a steady jog, not wanting to fall, for he'd had a bit more to drink than he usually did. The silence was eerily disturbing.
"Kaka-sensei...?" Sakura whispered suddenly, so softly that he almost did not hear her. He glanced down at her, signaling for her to continue. "I'm... I'm sorry..."
"For what?" He asked, taken by suprise by her statement.
"Because..." She said, her gaze shifting to the right, towards the deep green vest that all jounins wore. "No matter how hard I try, I always end up asking for help."
"Sakura...?" He trailed off, at a loss at what to say.
"You don't have to say anything, I won't remember anyway..." She said, returning her gaze towards his face with a smile.
The silence encompassed them once again, the awkwardness of it all apparent to both parties. As they reached her front porch a minute or so later, Kakashi looked to her questioningly. She looked at him for a moment blankly, not realizing what he wanted. Then it clicked and she blushingly reached her hand down her shirt, digging a silver key out of her busom. Kakashi took it skeptically, giving her an odd look as he noticed the warmth the key was radiating.
"Sorry, didn't want to carry a purse..." She said, still blushing as the lock clicked. He stepped in slowly, noticing that the havok that had previously occupied the room was now gone. After a few guesses, Sakura was no help in the least bit, he finally stepped into the right room.
As he set her onto the down comforter, he glanced at her yet again. He felt horrible for making her feel guilty. She hadn't done anything wrong. Besides, he enjoyed helping out his former pupil, she was an interesting person to be around.
"Sakura? You're not a burden to me..." He said, trying his best to put his feelings into words. He'd never been good at it, and never would be.
"It doesn't matter. It was just... a drunken rant."
He sighed and took a seat on the edge of her bed. "No. I know from prior experience that in most shinobi cases, we say what has been on our minds when we're drunk off of our asses, as you are now."
"Kakashi..." She said, sitting up.
"I enjoy the time we spend together, and I consider you a friend." He said bluntly. He was on a roll, and had to say it while he still felt he could.
His one visible inky eye widened as she flung her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. "Thanks... that really means a lot, coming from you..." She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the intoxicating scent of his cologne. She relunctantly let go and lay back down as she realized that she'd been too close for too long. "You know, I was always in awe of you in my younger years. You were like a steadfast, you'd never change. But I've realized that you have, a lot."
"Oh?" He said, suprised at her conclusion. "How so?"
"Well, you're not as... you don't seem as unreachable as you used to..." She said, eyeing him curiously. "Well, if that even makes sense."
"Reallly?" He said, intrigued.
"Yeah." She whispered softly, her eyelids becoming heavier by the second. As Kakashi noticed her thick lashed brushiing against her cheeks, he stood.
"I'd better go. Good ni-" He stopped as she inturrupted him.
"Oh, don't go." She said, pulling him back down by his wrist. "Let's talk some more."
At the touch of her delicate fingertips on his wrist, he followed the pull of her hand. "Fine. What about?"
"Um? What do you think about Asuma and Ino?" She said, bringing up the subject that had been eating at her all night.
"It's great. He needed to stop pining over Kurenai anyway."
"No. I mean the age difference?" She said, restating her question.
"What about it?"
"Well..." She said after a pause. "Do you think it will work?"
"Yeah... I do. Why? Are you worried about them?"
"NO!" she said, clearly offended by the accusation. "I know it will work, I was just curious to your opinion."
"Well." He began, pausing to think out his words. "Why should age difference interfere? In the life of a ninja, you have to take chances so you can live your life to it's fullest. You never know what day will be your last."
The comfortable air between them seemed to transition into tenseness as quick as a flash of lightning. After a few seconds of silence, Kakashi stood and nodded to her. "I really had better go, I'm getting tired, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Wait!" She yelled, sitting up abruptly.
It was too late. The clouds of smoke from his dissapearance were already clearing before she could force words from her mouth.
She muttered a 'damn' as she sullenly lay back down.
Bwahahahahaha! Revisions are now done! Now... On with the story.
YAY! Celibrates by throwing many many many cookies out to reviewers.
YAY!
-Trishy
