Prompt: Imagine your OTP+ arguing about the color of mistletoe berries. Bonus if they have no access to the Internet/other resources so there's no way to look it up.


Disclaimer: Do not own. If I did, kakasaku would be cannon.


~Mistletoe~

Part One


"Red."

"White."

"Red."

"White!"

"Red, trust me. I'm older."

"Which makes it worse that you are wrong! Mistletoe is white," the pinkette huffed.

Mismatched eyes rolled as Kakashi chuckled at his irritated partner, "really Sakura, this argument is pointless. I think the post is beginning to get to us both."

At this, Sakura deflated blowing a puff of air to flutter her bangs out of her face, "yeah, you're right, Kaka-sensei. I swear it's like Tsunade is punishing us. Why we are needed to guard this crappy outpost to Sand on Christmas Eve is beyond me."

The silence following her statement became heavier.

"Kaka-sensei… is there a reason we were sent out here," the hidden threat not so hidden in her voice.

The silver haired man chuckled sheepishly, "I may have forgotten to turn in our report from our last mission together."

"Wh- But that was 4 months ago!"

He gave his eye-crinkle smile while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "Well, you see- there was this old woman-"

"Save it!" the sound of her grinding her teeth made Kakashi cringe, "I swear Kaka-sensei-"

"Kakashi."

"Y- huh?"

"Just Kakashi. We are equals now and have been for several years," his smile more genuine, "I think it's time to drop the honorific, hm?"

Sakura blinked as her cheeks flamed. Ducking her head away from his gaze, she nodded meekly, "y-yeah, I guess so… Kakashi."

"There," he looked back out across the sand, "much better. Now then, you were saying?"

"I- uh,"she frowned. To be honest, she forgot what she was mad about.

Kakashi sighed looking back to his partner, "does it bother that much?"

"Huh?" her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Calling me by my first name," mismatched eyes searched her face, "does it bother you?"

"Oh," she bit her lip looking down to her lap, "no. Not exactly."Really, she felt dumb for it, but he flat out asked and she was such a bad liar-

"Sakura?" he called her out of her thoughts.

"It's just- I have always liked being able to call you my sensei. It's silly, but I…" tucking a strand behind her ear, she fidgeted, "I always felt proud to have the right to call you my sensei. I mean, you are the famous Sharingan Kakashi, the Copy Nin, in the Bingo Books from age 12. When I was young, I always felt proud when people would talk about how I was Kakashi's kunoichi. It made me feel that if someone as great as you could believe in me enough to teach me, then surely I was worth something as a ninja."

Kakashi was speechless. Never had he expected anything like this in response to his question. He nearly startled as she spoke again, so deep in thought as he was.

"As I got older, it was that same pride, but also because of respect. You are a great ninja, the best team leader anyone could ever hope for, and a great man. Not to mention…," her green eyes flicked to his holding him captive, "I know that you are the reason that Tsunade originally considered me as a pupil." She ignored his slack-jawed response, "she let it slip one night when she was especially sloshed. I owe you a thanks." She lifted her hand to stop him as he was about to interject, "no, no. I do. I was lost back then. After Sasuke left and Naruto was out on the open road with Jiraiya, I felt like I had to do something- I just didn't know what. I know now that you made certain that I would be exposed to witnessing Medical ninja at work. You made sure that seed was planted in my head and then you went and spoke with Tsunade… Just, thank you. I'm sure it wasn't always easy dealing with a preteen girl whose life revolved around a boy and I just wanted you to know that I appreciate everything you did for us and for me."

The following silence felt heavy for both. Kakashi because he was taken aback by Sakura's words, and Sakura because she was recovering from unloading all she had wanted to say over the years. He had given her this chance to tell him all this after keeping it all to herself for so long, that now it had came bursting forth like a flood. She wasn't expecting a response. Glancing out over the sandy expanse before them, she decided that regardless of how he took it she felt like he needed to hear it. The man was way too hard on himself as it was. So, to say that she was startled when she felt his fingers tips brushing a lock of hair behind her ear would have been an understatement.

She was even more surprised to see him staring intently at her. The intensity of his mismatch gaze made a shiver shudder over her. "Kakashi?" she failed to notice that her voice had sounded oddly breathy. She gasped as his hand suddenly shot out grasping hers before giving a good tug. She blinked into the shoulder she was now nuzzled against, warm breath brushing across her neck sent another shiver and made her grip into his vest tighten slightly.

"Sakura," she wondered why her body seemed to suddenly respond to the slowly rumble of his voice, "thank you."


Oh the fluff!

This is just part 1... btw.

;)