Prompt:
First Time – Lifehouse
Sakura woke from a celebratory, sugar-induced coma around one in the morning in her living room. She had finally turned twenty and the boys (read: Naruto) had decided it was something worth celebrating with copious amounts of junk food, which she had happily agreed to because, well, birthday calories didn't count.
She suppressed a laugh at the way Naruto was face-planted into the coffee table, his arms laid out in front of him. To her right Sai, was slumped on the couch, his head resting on the arm even while both feet were planted firmly on the floor in front of him.
Cringing at a crick in her neck, she unfolded herself from where she had curled up in the armchair and then got to her feet, stretching her arms up over her head. And only just then, she noticed Kakashi reading at the kitchen table by the dim light of the overhead lamp. It had surprised her that he had showed up, but she was even more so now that he stayed.
Then again, it probably had something to do with what sounded like a hurricane roaring outside.
"Hey."
He glanced up at her and squeezed his eye happily. "Good morning, Sakura-chan."
She shuffled over to the window behind him and parted the blinds with her fingers. "It looks like it's really howling out there."
"It has been for a while. Hope you don't mind me waiting it out here."
Sakura shrugged. "Not at all. Do you want some tea?"
Kakashi looked over at the boys and then nodded. "Sure."
It wasn't ten minutes later that she sat down again with two, mismatched teacups and a tea kettle in hand. She poured for them both and then dropped into the chair on his right, still rubbing at her neck. "You could've gone into the guest room to lie down, you know," she said. "If you were tired, I mean."
"I know. I just wanted to finish this chapter."
Sakura raised an eyebrow at him and reached over to poke the cover of the exceptionally worn and much-loved book. "You mean a chapter that you must have read eighty-bajillion times?"
Kakashi chuckled as he lifted two fingers to the edge of his mask. "You know what I like about you, Sakura? You're not one to engage in hyperbole."
She stuck her tongue out at him and then tried very hard not to look like she was watching as he tugged the black fabric down to tuck under his chin. It was lost on her why she enjoyed watching him do that. Maybe because it was still a relatively new development in their friendship? Or maybe because the boys were still out of the loop and she couldn't help but appreciate a handsome guy?
Hm. It was probably safe to say that it was a little of both.
"I hope you didn't offer me tea just to get my mask off," he deadpanned as he raised his cup to his mouth, his eye trained on his book.
Sakura waved a dismissive hand. "Of course not."
Kakashi shot her a look that plainly said he didn't believe her and she returned with her most innocent of smiles from around the gilded rim of her teacup.
"I'm sorry I didn't bring you anything," he said after a moment as he laid his book aside.
"You came and you're still here," she replied and without missing a beat. "That's enough."
"This old man's flattered."
The woman rolled her eyes. "Oh don't start that," she said with considerable exasperation. "You are not old."
"You're twenty now. That makes me old."
"That doesn't bode well for when I'm thirty-four," she scoffed. "Besides, you're a good man, Kakashi. Age can't do much to distract from that."
She was shocked, not that she said it, but that it came out as cool-sounding and smooth as it did. After all, her previous attempts at flirting had been… well, embarrassing because she honestly wasn't very good at it. It was one thing to be on a mission and trying to lure someone into a trap. It was very different dealing with a good friend.
But gods, there was just something about his removing that mask that did some really horrible things to her rationale and it had nothing to do with looks. Sure, he was handsome, but not gorgeous. Then again, maybe she was just growing immune. Naruto was now quite the specimen and it seemed that Sai was getting prettier with every year that passed and most of the time all of that went right over her head.
No, with Kakashi it wasn't looks. It was… well, it was everything else. Feeling other than friendship and respect had been stirring inside of her for him for the last two years or so and the gesture with all of its meanings threatened to undo her completely. Maybe she was being delusional, maybe she was lonelier than she thought, but it felt like he was reaching out to her and she wanted him to know that she was more than okay with that.
Kakashi smiled and she couldn't stop herself from smiling back (at those dimples, at those lips, at the fact that when he smiled he was gorgeous). The same applied to talking. Oh gods, why couldn't she keep herself from talking? "If it helps, I'm pretty sure you could win over any woman in Konoha—with or without the mask—so quit fishing for compliments."
He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know about that. I'm not perfect."
"Yeah? Name one person who doesn't have that same problem."
He smiled at that, but it faded slowly as he reached for her and laid his hand on the table, palm-up. "Any woman, huh?" he asked, his voice low.
His meaning registered in an instant and in response her heart threw itself violently against her ribs. "Yeah," she murmured, tentatively laying her hand in his. "Any woman."
1. First off: thanks so much for reviewing/favoriting/alerting this! I'm glad everyone enjoyed the first part so much.
2. I'm really glad everyone liked the nickname 'Cherry Bomb' as much as they did. I got a kick out of it.
3. All right, if you're not familiar with "First Time" by Lifehouse you 1. Obviously didn't listen to the radio much a few years ago when it came out because it was on ALL the time and 2. Need to go listen to it right now because it's awesome.
4. I'm not quite sure how chronological I'll make things from this point out. We might jump back and forth between just Kakashi and Sakura and KakaSaku.
5. Oh and a big thanks to everyone who suggest prompts! You guys are awesome and I will do my best to get to as many of the suggestions as possible. Also, feel free to recommend more. I like a big pool to choose from. Ah, a few things I'm willing to experiment with are drabbles inspired by songs (like this chapter), quotes (like last chapter), three things (for example, I have another series of drabbles in the works based off of the words "Alone, Piece, Together" and how they fit), and really anything else you guys can think of.
6. Peace out!
(And review of course :D)