AN: it had to happen. The waiting is over.

2639 words in this chapter

Back to Surreality

Chapter 18- Candlelight

Sakura looked down in surprise at what she held in her palm, barely noticing his masked lips brush across her cheek or the warmth of his hand on her waist.

She didn't think it especially romantic, or symbolic, but just the fact that he had thought of something like that was astounding to her. She really didn't know whether to laugh or to thank him.

She held the single red rose in wonder, unable to take her eyes off it. It wasn't some extravagant gesture, or expensive gift, it was just simple.

Why he gave it to her was slightly more ambiguous. Did he think it would win her heart with its honesty, or was he taking her out somewhere where he wanted to mark her as his?

She made up her mind to just continue with the plan. She would give him an honest chance to start anew. Then she could make her mind up and at least make him a littler happier, settling her overwhelming feelings of guilt. She nodded slightly to affirm to herself that she was doing the right thing.

Before she could put more thought into it, she felt a lurching of her stomach and was emerged into darkness. She felt a slight chill on her waist, the pressure gone.

She began to look for any sign of chakra signals, in case it was a jutsu that had disorientated her momentarily. Oddly enough she found that it was Kakashi's chakra she had felt when she searched with her senses.

But he wasn't touching her anymore, so she was even more confused. What is he trying to do…? Where am I…?

Then something brushed up against her hand.

She jerked out of its way and found herself colliding with a wall. Her head ached from the contact, forcing her to step back, off balance.

Her foot slipped into air where she thought would have been just more floor.

She yelped in surprise, beginning to falter again, falling down to where the darkness prevented her from seeing what was coming.

Before she could fall completely, a strong hand caught her own, pulling her upright and setting her sturdily on her feet.

"Careful Sakura, why so jumpy?" he asked her, holding onto her hand to help her feel more secure.

She sighed in relief. "Where are we?"

"My apartment."

"You don't have lights in here?" she asked him inquisitively "Or half of your floor?"

He chuckled slightly, and then squeezed her hand in reassurance. "It's the staircase Sakura."

"You have a staircase?" she blinked, half in surprise, half to try and adjust her eyes to the darkness.

"Well, obviously…"

"Why have you taken me to your staircase?"

"Because of what it leads to."

"If you are about to say…" no. give him a chance… "Gomen. I'm sorry to sound inpatient, but can we just go…?"

"Can you trust me?"

"Nani?"

"I need you to tell me that you trust me."

She looked in what she figured was his general direction, gripping his hand nervously. "Um… hai, I trust you."

He pulled her close and whispered to her. "Hold your arms around my neck and keep your eyes shut until I tell you."

She did what he asked, wondering what he was doing. Oddly enough, she didn't find it unnerving, but was thrilled by the fact that for the first time in years, she didn't know exactly what was happening. It was exhilarating for her to be so out of control for once, with no clear expectation of where the situation was heading.

Before she knew it, she was lifted off the ground, his arms holding her securely as he took her down the small flight of stairs. Soon she was stood at the bottom, her eyes still shut as he reached out and took one of her hands from behind his neck.

The other arm dropped back to her side, clutching the rose as he slid across a shoji screen and she felt a rush of warm air as she was led through the doorway.

The rustling of small pebbles under her feet told her that she was now outside. A garden? I never knew he had a…

Kakashi let go of her hand and closed the screen. "You can open your eyes now."

She did so, her eyes taking a while to adjust to the light.

It didn't take long, and she froze at what she saw when her vision focused properly.

Before her was not just a garden, but a whole mini forest clearing, with so many perfectly cared for plants and complementary colors, she felt like her senses were going to die of wonder. The scent of flowers and scented candles filled the air.

The small flames were the only thing other than the quickly fading sunlight that brought illumination to the secluded area. She could just hear the sound of running water past the cluster of trees, but they blocked her view of the source.

The pebbled area she stood on was a path that wound itself towards the sound of the water, splitting the grass covered ground into two parts.

This time she really couldn't help it, she clamped her hand over her mouth as she let out a little giggle, staring around at the cherry blossom trees and the little mat set out on the floor, littered with cushions.

"What's so funny?" he called out quietly, more amusement in his voice than disappointment.

"Oh nothing really, just… you are amazing." She smirked.

He walked around to face her and frowned. "Sakura, I do hope you aren't just being nice to me to make me feel better."

"Of course not. It's perfectly valid. You do amaze me. You actually manage to surprise and stupefy me. Every time I talk to you there is something new, something I never expected, and I think that, my sensei… the man who you were back then… He's so different in my head. I really don't know you at all."

He smirked slightly. "I feel exactly the same way… with you I mean, not with myself."

"I knew what you meant. I'm really that different?"

He ignored her and turned around.

He half sat, half lay across the candle lit seating area he had set up. Only then did she realize that the reason she had noted his facial expressions was that he had, at some point, taken off his mask and hatai-ate.

She was astounded that she hadn't even noticed, now so comfortable with the familiar sight reserved only for her that it didn't seem that much of a deal.

Sure, she had gotten a mouthful from Naruto over the last few days about how unfair it was that she had seen it first, and he had accused her of cheating more than once, but it just didn't effect her as much as she had thought.

There wasn't anything unusual, or notable about the rest of his face, it was just…Kakashi. It just looked to her like him, like it fit, as though she had always seen it even through the mask.

He looked up to her curiously, "what's wrong?"

She giggled a little, getting pink in the face as she realized how long she had been standing there staring. He probably knows what I was doing. There's no use denying it. She went and sat comfortably next to him on the cushions, adding casually as she looked him up and down for effect, "Nothing, just admiring the view."

Kakashi flinched in shock. "Nani?"

Maybe he didn't know then. "I'm just playing with you."

"Sakura, I mean it, don't tease me."

"I'm not teasing you Kakashi. That's something Naruto would do. I was actually paying you a complement but if you want to be like that…" she giggled again and lay back next to him. "I'm just having fun."

"You are?" he looked surprised.

"Hai, why are you so astounded?"

"I… I don't know… it just felt like you didn't really want to do this. I was shocked when Ino said you were coming."

"So was I, but I'm glad I did. This place is really beautiful. It's so much different to your apartment. You must have put a lot of work into it."

He shrugged. "Not as much as you'd think. The plot came with the apartment and it was all ready full of plants, it just needed some organization… Wait, how could you tell it was me?"

She smiled sweetly at him, "I'm a good guesser."

"Well, I don't do that much. Just enough to keep my hands busy." He mirrored her words from the previous week with a smirk.

"Don't worry, I don't think of you as a potty old gardener man. It's so wonderful; it's like another world you've created."

"I'm glad you like it." He sighed, the august heat still affecting him as he began to sweat. "Are you hot?"

"Hai, a little. It's alright though, I don't mind."

"I was just going to ask if you'd mind me taking my shirt off."

"Go ahead, but don't expect me to do the same." She rolled onto her stomach and stared at a nearby candle.

Its flickering light had begun to fascinate her in its wild and unpredictable nature. She noticed that as the natural light faded gradually, the flame seemed more defined, setting an ethereal glow over the shapes of nearby plant life and of the mat itself. The shadows danced every time the flame flickered, making the whole setting seem more alive.

Her fingers idly drifted to the stem of the rose she had placed beside her torso, her fingers brushing up to the soft petals. Noticing that Kakashi's chakra signals hadn't moved for a while, she gently called out. "What are you doing Kakashi?"

"I'm taking my shirt off."

"That doesn't take this long. What are you really doing Kakashi?"

He sighed heavily and lay down beside her. "Admiring the view"

"I like honesty better." She gave him a quick smile, maintaining eye-contact with him for a split second.

"You aren't upset at me for staring."

"Why would I be? It would be very hypocritical of me to scold you, and we are on a date, so…" She looked over his bare chest as he lay on his side. Ino was right… definitely doesn't look that old. Why should I mind if he wants to watch me?

"Right…"

She turned back to stare at the outline of candlelight on the trees. "Just out of curiosity… what made you bring me here, of all places?"

"It is the most comfortable place I know, where I can still guarantee that your privacy is respected. I understand that you don't like publicity, especially when it means you would have to be seen with me. So this way, we can have a proper date without anyone asking you questions the following day, except Ino of course, and possibly Tenten."

"Tenten has her own problems and Ino, I can deal with. I really appreciate it Kakashi." She said it with genuine gratefulness, but he seemed to have his mind elsewhere as he lay beside her.

"It also means I don't have to wear my mask."

"You don't have to wear it."

"I know, but it's a hard habit to get over, especially as it was based so solidly on a promise."

"Gomenesai." She mumbled, with sadness in her voice.

"Nani?"

"If I had… if I had just told you what I knew earlier… you wouldn't have had to show your face to the others. I knew about the cameras not long after the mission started, I just didn't want you to be worried or angry. Really though… I just didn't want you to end the mission quickly. It had been a long time since I'd seen you and this seemed the only possibility I could find." She looked up at him with apologetic eyes "It was nice, wasn't it? I mean… up until the last few days…"

"I loved it." He assured her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder for reassurance. "When I said I understand it was true. I asked around and Kurenai told me that you knew, and had known for a while. I would much rather have shown myself up in front of people who could blackmail me, than to never have spent that time with you."

Sakura felt something strange shoot through her and sat up in shock. What was that? She felt shivers down her neck where it had been, like a bolt of flame without a burn.

Kakashi sat up besides her, noticing her shivers, and tentatively reached to take her hand into his. She took it and began to feel safer, for reasons she couldn't pin down properly. There was an echo of this exact moment, somewhere in her mind, but she couldn't find what it was from.

There was something about this garden, this candlelight, these exact feeling that she couldn't quite place. It was like she had been there before. It felt like home.

She felt so bewildered and yet enthralled, suddenly noticing something as she looked into Kakashi's eyes. Something that brought waves of familiarity that anchored her to reality.

The stars of the night's sky glittered off his dark eyes, illuminating hints of a rich hazel colour that were usually so far hidden, the warmth of his gaze warming her from the inside.

She saw him watch her face fill with awe as he held her body to his own, a look on his face that reflected her own feelings. He seemed to drink in the sight of her, the light wind lifting the odd tress of her hair to float across her face.

He lifted a finger up to tuck the spare strands lovingly behind her ear, letting it linger there at her neck.

She held her breath. His touch sent shivers down her neck and she suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to lean into it, craving the feeling of his skin on hers.

Before she knew it, his fingers brushed to the back of her neck and she saw a pleading look flash across his features before he brought him self closer, close enough for her to feel his breath against her face.

Sakura's control was gone as she melted into him. She was surprised that she did in fact find the whole moment perfect.

They barely touched, but just for a second, Kakashi felt the softness of her lips against his. She didn't resist, or pull back, and neither of them sought to further the moment, content with what that one tiny moment meant for them.

It was an unspoken agreement, and he couldn't help the smile that came to his face when, although she hadn't blushed, everything else had fully recreated itself. Arigato Genma…

He looped his arms comfortingly around her as she sank towards him, leaning into his half exposed chest from her position on the mat.

He was shocked right out of the moment though, when he felt her shift her weight, moving up so that he felt the brush of her lips at his earlobe. She waited there for a while, causing him serious emotional agony as he wondered what she could be doing.

The light rhythm of her breath against a sensitive area of his neck sent a surging feeling to the bottom of his stomach and he froze, stilled in anticipation.

Internally, his body was preparing itself for a more intimate moment when she whispered affectionately "Don't use my writing against me next time"

She then pulled herself back down to rest her forehead on his shoulder.

He looked down at her in shock "Sakura…"

She interrupted him with a finger to his lips, smirking into his bare skin "No. Don't say anything."

AN: …

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XX Belizma-chan XX