- S -

The feeling of her comforter was normal, but she and Naruto usually fell asleep on the couch aside from the rare occasion they fell asleep upstairs talking. She never snuggled with Naruto, the boy moved so much in his sleep - he had kicked her in his sleep more than once sending her flying off the couch or bed. She cracked open a swollen eye to find herself nestled on Kakashi's shoulder with his bicep acting as her pillow while his forearm was draped around her shoulders and his hand was hooked in the crook of her bent elbow. That same elbow led to her hand splayed across his abdomen while her left arm lay curled between them. Their legs touched but weren't tangled. The gentle rise and fall of his chest occurred below her palm, but she felt his chakra signal rise to consciousness.

A red flush spread across her face at how much contact they shared. She was certain he had not initiated it and was embarrassed at how clingy she must have been during the night. Leaning back, intending to slide out of his hold, the arm around her held firm. Both eyes cracking open he looked down at her.

"How are you feeling?"

She relaxed back into her initial position. "Much more rested than I've felt in a while. I'm sorry, I didn't realize I would move so much." Move as in cuddle up to him like a lover. "Was I difficult to sleep with?" She winced at her own wording.

"You dreamt, but you were easily calmed." Sakura wished he would elaborate, but he was a man of few words. The room fell into a peaceful silence and she realized her alarm hadn't gone off. With more effort than she put in before, she moved away from him to roll and look at her bedside clock. It was only 9 and she had nothing planned for the day. Naruto would already be gone, and she had another two days off from the hospital after this one. She pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes to rub away the sleep. She lifted herself to place her bare feet on the cold wooden floors and glanced up at the skylight. Turning back to Kakashi to try and see if she was supposed to make him breakfast or something of that sort, she found him staring at his clothes on her desk.

"Do you always sleep in men's clothing?" he commented as he gestured to Naruto's shirt she wore.

She flushed red and snapped, "Of course not, but Naruto tends to leave his shit all over my house and big shirts are comfortable."

"That's never bothered your boyfriends?"

If he kept making comments like that, she would turn into a permanent shade of red. "As a matter of fact, I've never had one!" She felt proud as she said it but realized after it may not be something to brag about. I just made an absolute idiot of myself, bragging to the king of porn that I'm completely inexperienced.

Kakashi gave her a disbelieving look and she didn't know if she wanted to hit him for that. "I have a hard time believing that with the hordes of men who trail you through the village." The observation wasn't wrong, she certainly had her share of interested suitors and Naruto had joked more than once she had gone from a fangirl to a girl with fans. That didn't mean any of them had caught her attention and she didn't appreciate the fact that Kakashi seemed to mock her.

"I barely have time to eat or sleep, I don't have the time or patience to sort through who is worth my time and who is just looking to brag about sleeping with me and settling the debate about the drapes and carpet," Sakura said dryly, clearly having heard that line far too often.

It was his turn to be caught off guard and she could see his eyes go distant for a moment. Oh god did I just encourage him to picture me naked? She decided to continue talking and move to more innocent territory. "My first kiss was traveling back from a mission with a guy I barely knew. I was tired of Ino telling me I was going to die an old maid. But I felt nothing for him, and it seemed like a waste so that's that."

He let out a low chuckle and she felt her face heat up again. "What?"

"I'm sure Naruto trying to intimidate someone on your behalf would go over well." The momentary awkwardness dissipated as she burst into laughter at the image of Naruto doing his best to be intimidating with his bright clothes and reputation for, at times, being an utter dumbass.

"I'm going to get dressed, would you like to stay for breakfast?" Feeding him felt right after all he'd done for her.

"I don't think that's a good idea." The response stung and she felt the redness again return to her face. "It wouldn't be good for me to be seen leaving your house." Kakashi was right and she knew it, but that didn't lesson the sting of rejection. Naruto and I have turned each other down plenty of times, it's no big deal.

He was already pulling on his clothes while she stuttered out "Of—of course! That was a stupid thing to ask." She felt incredibly awkward as she walked him down to the door and watched as he slid into his sandals. Keeping on a strained smile, she opened the door cautiously, looking out for any unwanted eyes. He stepped across the threshold and walked into the light of day.

Kakashi was a few steps out the door before he turned over his shoulder and casually added one last thing. "From experience dreams don't disappear overnight, you know where to find me." Then he disappeared out into the streets with a small wave and she felt warmth spread from her heart across her entire body. He didn't feel ashamed of helping her like she had thought. He even offered for me to come to him again.

But as he left, shadows of doubt returned to her mind. What happened in that cell by the hands of the rogue nin would have to remain a secret.

- S -

Resolve hardening to keep Kakashi in the dark and work on her research in her every free moment, Sakura felt reenergized when she met with the team the following morning.

Kakashi showed no signs of acknowledging the night he stayed with her while Sasuke appeared to be brooding. A small, tiny, irrational piece of her hoped he felt some level of remorse for how he acted.

Thinking on it, she couldn't find it in her to feel distraught over the incident, either in a positive or negative way. She harbored no ill will against him for growing frustrated, but she also wasn't in a fit over trying to make sure their relationship was okay. Since his return she hadn't been able to configure her feelings towards him. Certainly there was overwhelming joy that he was finally home and they had the peace of mind knowing he was safe, albeit under constant watch.

But she'd expected this bursting sensation of love once he was back that would encompass years of love she couldn't show him or give him. And it just wasn't there. Every day with her boys was a good one, but she didn't find her eyes slipping to Sasuke, consciously or not, as they used to. She wasn't hyperaware of him as she trained, fighting with a vigor that evolved based on his watching her or not. The recent events in her life added a complex twist in an already confusing time of readjusting to the new team between Sai's addition and Sasuke's return.

Kakashi's sudden willingness to come to training was also unexpected and unexplained – though behavior without clear intention was common with the man. The Copy Nin always had something up his sleeve.

Pushing aside the massive amount of work her personal life needed, she started training.