A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, but here it is. And I can't let you read it without thanking my most awesome Beta, Airenko!!!! *hugs*

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Sakura choked out a sob and looked to him, disbelief clouding her features. She honestly didn't know what she thought about his answer. The kunoichi had expected a 'no', but hoped so longingly for a 'yes', and now she wasn't sure what to make of it.

"You deserve the truth," he said, looking at her through relieved eyes. She fell to her knees in front of him and he longed to bring her into his arms, to comfort her as she cried.

A few minutes passed and her sobs ceased. She looked to him with puffy eyes.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, then smiled. "Do I get a dare now?"

She laughed through the last falling tears and nodded.

"Only if you'd like…" she said in a quiet voice. Kakashi patted the space next to him and she resumed her position by his side.

"Can I ask you a question instead?" his voice was soft, comforting, and she scooted a bit closer to him and nodded. Her heart accelerated at the thought of what his question would be and she returned her emerald gaze to the light russet carpet. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I'm so happy you said yes," she choked out and hid her face in her hands as more tears streamed down her face; her candy colored locks shielded her face as she hunched over. He found no more reason to ask the next question he now knew the answer to. Without hesitation he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer so that she was cradled to his chest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The rest of the afternoon had gone by in a blur, and before she knew it, it was eight thirty and they were silent as they drank their warm tea. Kakashi had kept his mask down, and she had touched his smooth skin every chance she got. Sakura sighed when she realized she needed to go if she was going to meet Sasuke on time, and she suddenly wished that she had lost her small but intense desire for him after he left the village. But she was burning to know what he wanted.

"I should go," she half grinned at the jounin and he smiled back.

"Happy birthday, Sakura," he said as she stood up.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked him with a hint of desperation in her voice. He nodded and he watched her until she was out the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The air was warm, perfect for a tee shirt and shorts- which was exactly what she had on- and walk around the town. And she would be doing just that until she found the address that Sasuke had given her.

Finally she came across the right place. It was an old abandoned building on the border of the village, and she wondered why Sasuke would ever want to meet her at a place like this. She shuddered at a possible answer to that question and silently convinced herself that Sasuke was not that kind of person.

As she got closer to the building, she noticed him standing in the shadow.

"I'm surprised you came." There was a hint of amusement in his voice, but nothing seemed to be otherwise odd.

"Well," Sakura said, exasperated. "I'm here aren't I?"

He shrugged as he pushed himself from the wall and put his hands in his pocket.

"I want to show you something."

He turned and walked into the old building and she was suddenly wondering if she should follow him or not. After a quick moment of internal debate, she jogged in after him and found him waiting at the far end of a dark hallway. He turned into a dusty doorway that looked as if the door had been torn from its hinges by a chainsaw and then ducked into a small opening in the back of a closet.

She followed quickly so as not to get lost in the musty building, for she feared it would come crashing down on her at any minute. She couldn't see anything as they practically crawled through the dark hole, and hoped that he was leading her somewhere safe and wouldn't keep her in the building for much longer.

As if her thoughts had been spoken aloud, she saw that the shadow of Sasuke was now standing upright and she realized that the ceiling of the hole was higher now. She followed his lead and was surprised that after a moment, she was stepping on soft grass instead of rubble and rocks. The air was crisp and warm. After taking a backwards glance, she noticed that they were outside of the village walls. Her teammate then veered off to the left into an opening of trees that led to a small path.

She was so busy studying her surroundings as she went that she ran into Sasuke, who had stopped and was looking to the sky that was all but clear with the exception of a few dark clouds. Following his gaze, she saw the full moon above them in a large break in the trees. Upon looking down, she saw a beautiful pond that shimmered with the reflections of the bright stars and silver moon. She put her hand to her mouth but couldn't fight the gasp that was heard through her daintily parted lips.

"I used to come here when I was little," he said, his voice normal, but he was still looking to the stars. She looked at him and he flicked a small box her way. She caught it but wasn't exactly sure what to do with it.

"Er…thanks…" she managed to say, for she was sure it wasn't a present, it couldn't be. Not from Sasuke.

"Open it." He never looked at her, but she stared at him, bewildered. Slowly she turned her eyes toward the box and lifted it open. Inside was a breathtaking silver heart shaped locket that was adorned with a small but intricately designed cherry blossom, and the name 'Sakura' engraved in fine cursive.

A small tear landed on the inside of the box and she wiped her eyes so that he wouldn't see, but when she looked up, he was gazing at her, analyzing her reaction. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face, and then he walked a couple steps forward and sat on the bank by the still pond. She hesitated so that she could look at her sparkling present again, and then joined him at the water's edge.

For awhile they sat silently, enjoying the relaxing sound of the croaking frogs and whispering of the grass in the cool breeze. As if she were alone, she quietly began singing, something the kunoichi hadn't done in a long time.

"Ikutsu namida o nagashitara
Every Heart sunao ni nareru darou
Dare ni omoi wo tsutaetara
Every Heart kokoro mitasareru no darou."

Sasuke closed his eyes as she sang.

"Nagai nagai yoru ni obieteita
Tooi hoshi ni inottetashe stopped and blushed a crimson red, realizing that Sasuke was listening to her.

Meguru meguru toki no naka de
Bokutachi wa ai o sagashiteiru
Tsuyoku tsuyoku naritai kara
Kyou mo takai sora miageteiru,"

"I haven't heard you sing since our last mission together." Why he was not looking at her hardly at all tonight she didn't know, but she found she was blushing now over his words than the fact that he had been listening.

They had grown silent again, and this time Sasuke was the first to speak.

"Do you like the locket?"

This time he stared into her emerald eyes. She blushed and looked down as she realized that she had forgotten to thank him for it.

"Gomen, Sasuke-kun, I forgot my manners." She bowed in apology. "I really, really love it. Arigatou gozaimasu."

Another tear dribbled down her face and landed on the grass beneath her.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

Her head snapped up to look at him in utter bewilderment.

"For everything." Had this been what Sasuke had been trying to do, apologize?

The kunoichi looked to the pond and traced circles in the grass. "Don't apologize, Sasuke-kun." Her eyes stayed transfixed on the water and how it shimmered in the moonlight. "The past doesn't matter anymore." It was quiet again except for the occasional song of a cricket or two.

"Open the locket."

She looked over to him and eyed him quizzically. After a moment's hesitation, she opened her box, and then her little silver locket. With the same intricate cursive as her name on the outside, read 'Happy Birthday' on the inside. She spluttered and found that she was crying again, as she had done in Kakashi's living room.

"Thank you, Sasuke!" she flung her arms around his neck and was a tad more than shocked when he didn't push her away like usual. Not wanting to ruin the moment, she pulled away and smiled at him. He stood and stretched.

"It's late, I should take you home."

He started back through the trees and she stood on shaky legs.

"Wait." He stopped and looked at her; she was blushing and looking down while holding the locket box in one hand. She held it up. "Will….will you put this on for me?"

He stepped back to her and grabbed the box, taking the delicate locket in his large hands. He did not fumble with the clasp, and he had it on her in only a second. She let her hair down; for she was holding it up for him, and smiled. "How does it look?"

"Hn."

She sighed; a little annoyed that after everything, all he could manage to say to her was 'hn'. But then as they walked she realized that this must have been very hard for him, and she was grateful that he had done even this.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Since the kunoichi had walked from Kakashi's apartment, she hadn't known that her house was much closer to the old building than she had thought; it had only taken them a mere ten minutes to get there.

She stood by her doorway longer than necessary and finally went to open the door.

"Goodnight, Sasuke," she said quietly. "And thank you." Her smile was breathtaking and he nodded and walked into the darkness without a backwards glance. She entered her small home and sat down on the floor with her head in her hands. So much was going through her mind; it was hard to process it all.

Sakura's legs grew numb as she sat still as stone for God knows how long. As she began to move, her ears starting picking up other sounds than the thick silence; the first thing she noticed was the continuous tinks as several raindrops hit her window. Then she looked to the clock, 11:27.

On impulse, with her shoes still on, she ran out the door and into the freezing rain. Once she had reached the middle of the quiet village, she slowed to a stop. Her pink locks were dripping and her teeth were chattering, but she was torn: Sasuke had finally shown her kindness, and she didn't know if he was willing to bring that relationship up any further. And then there was Kakashi, who had pledged his love for her, knowing it was strictly taboo. But she supposed she was comparing apples and oranges here, one being delicious but hard to bite into, the other with defenses that needed to be peeled away before devouring. With a snap decision, she bounded through the town in the direction of the orange's house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There was a quiet but quick rap on the door, and he instantly knew it was Sakura, for (Maybe change this a little so it's not as long.) he had sensed her chakra before she was even to the stairs.

He got up from his spot on the couch and opened the door.

"It's s-s-still my b-b-birthday," she stammered with arms across her chest and goose bumps on her bare arms. He then noticed that her long pink tresses were matted and dripping and her lips were also tinted blue. He stood aside for her to come in so that she wouldn't be forced to stay in the cold for any longer.

He looked to the clock as he shut his apartment door, 11:56, then raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her and wondered why she had come back at this hour, and why she had gone tromping through the heavy rain while wearing a white tee-shirt. He could see her bra and fair skin as clearly as if she wasn't wearing any top at all as it clung heavily to her. He tried not to stare. She was shivering violently, her new bracelet clinking against itself, and there was already a puddle of water at her feet. The kunoichi shot him an apologetic smile through her chattering teeth and then clutched herself tighter.

"Sakura," he said warily. "Are you alright?"

She nodded shakily. "Just a l-l-l-little c-cold, t-that's a-a-a-all." She noted that his mask was back in place, and wondered if he would ever be willing to take it off for her again.

'Maybe that's not all you can get him to take off….' Her eyes widened as her thoughts got the best of her, and she pushed the idea away, no matter how tempting it was.

The kunoichi stayed where she was as the jounin went to get her a towel. As he gave a quick backwards glance, he thought he saw something silver glimmer on her neck.

"T-t-thanks," she stammered as she began to dry her hair and arms. After a moment she stopped and closed her eyes, then took a deep breath through her nose. Her shaking got worse and she dropped the towel, putting both hands to her stomach.

"Sakura?"

He took a small step toward her and she shook her head slowly as she opened her eyes and sprinted to the bathroom. The sounds he heard from her direction were not comforting and he walked to where she was, but saw that she had closed the door. He knocked quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Go away." Her voice was dry and raspy. "You don't need to see this."

She gagged and he opened the door anyway, truly concerned for her health, and found her leaning over the toilet. Sakura's face was now an unusual shade of white, but her lips were still blue. He walked right past her and started the water in the tub on a low warm.

"Are you going to be sick again?" He eyed her and she shook her head slowly; there was probably nothing left in her stomach to bring back up. He noticed that her shaking had gone down, and it seemed that she was only shivering slightly now. She stood up at a leisurely pace and flushed the toilet, then looked warily at the tub.

"I d-d-don't n-need a b-bath." She hugged herself again and he could see that her teeth were still chattering. He took a small step closer to her.

"You know, Sakura," he started. "For a medical ninja you don't seem too concerned for your health."

She shot him an icy look.

"Get in the tub, I'll go get you some dry clothes." He shut off the water, leaving it lukewarm and ready for the kunoichi, and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Her body ached to get into the warm water, to ease herself out of the freezing state her delicate body was in, but then, she also wanted to stay right where she was, to see if she could just thaw out on her own.

'Stubborn mule,' she thought and slid her black spandex shorts and wet panties to the tile floor of the bathroom with shaking hands. Her top was a bit more difficult, but she finally managed to get that onto the ground as well. She put her arms back around her shivering frame and her hardened nipples brushed against them as she lowered herself into the warm water. Once she was situated, she closed the curtains and almost immediately after she did, Kakashi reentered and she heard him put some dry clothes by the sink.

Through her chattering teeth she almost thought she heard him leave again, and then upon trying to calm her tremors, found that he had. She was almost disappointed, but then, she shouldn't even be here in the first place, and he was just making things easier for them both.

'But is this really easier?' her thoughts echoed in her mind. Sakura knew now that he loved her, and it was a relief, yes, but to have him show her he loved her would mean so much more. The kunoichi put her head on her knees. Oh to have him say he wanted her, to take her right then and fondle and kiss her until the sun came up. 'Forbidden'. But then, that's what made him so desirable, what made her ache for him so much more than she already did; he was the forbidden fruit. But she wasn't so sure that she wanted to deal with the punishment if she were to taste him.

"Is it warm enough?" she hadn't heard him come in, and her head snapped up too quickly, making her dizzy. She put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes.

"Um…." She really hadn't paid much attention to the temperature of the water, but now that she thought of it, it seemed to be making her colder. "N-n-no," she mumbled. Almost instantaneously, he reached in behind the curtains and turned the water on, making it a little hotter than before. She gasped at his sudden movement.

"Don't worry, I won't look," he said through the curtain.

'But I want you to look…' she sighed as the water filled higher. She wanted him to peer in and see her, sweep her into his arms and take her to places she's never been to before. She wanted to stroke the contours of his body as it lay underneath her, and wanted to watch him sigh and gasp her name while her hair tickled his face as he filled her with bliss.

The sound of the water shutting off pulled her from her daydream and the kunoichi noticed that the water was a much nicer temperature now. A few moments passed and her teeth stopped chattering, and she wasn't shivering much anymore. She sank down lower into the water and allowed it to thaw her. In the silence that followed, she heard Kakashi flip a page in what was probably one of his Icha Icha books.

"Kakashi," she said slowly. Another page turned.

"Hm?"

"You never did let me see any of those smutty books of yours…" She tried to sound like she was pouting, but her voice just came off as bored instead. There was no reply.

"Are you warming up?"

His attempts at distraction were futile, but he had good reasoning for not wanting his former student to read his precious books. For he was reading the latest volume, and he wasn't about to let Sakura get too attached to his collection to ever get to read it.

"Please?" she pled. "Kakashi-kun."

His ears pricked, but he ignored it and looked back to his book, letting out a sigh.

"You can read one when you're thawed out." The water swished as she moved forward and pulled the plug, the warm liquid flooding down the drain with a gurgling noise.

"Okay," she chirped. "I'm warm!"

He sighed audibly and went to go get her towel, knowing that arguing with her was useless at this point.

With towel in hand, he was about to walk back in to set it down when he realized he had left the bathroom door slightly ajar and he peered in, unable to stop himself. Sakura was looking into the mirror, stark naked. Her breasts were round and plump, pink nipples taut, and her toned legs went on for miles. Kakashi licked his suddenly dry lips and she paused.

"It's impolite to stare," she said with a small smile, face still to the mirror. He turned his head and held the towel out for her and she giggled. He heard her take a step closer to him and she took the towel. "It's okay," she said softly, almost incomprehensively. "I don't mind if you look." She was looking to the ground, fidgeting with the towel that was still hanging between her fingers.

"Sakura," he sighed and closed his eyes.

"But..." She bit her lips and warily looked up to him, a deep blush painted on her pretty face. "I want you to look at me,"

He growled and punched the wall with the side of his fist, she flinched. "Don't do this to me!" he snarled but still didn't look at her. Her eyebrows knit together and she leaned back automatically.

"W-what?"

"This is wrong," he said, his temper finally dying down. A tear dribbled down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly, ashamed that she hadn't been able to fully outgrow her crying stage.

"I love you, Kakashi," the kunoichi said, looking to the wall and finally wrapping the towel around her damp body.

"I know." He stalked off in the direction of the living room. Sakura's tears started again and she tried to pull herself together as she dried herself off. He slumped onto the soft couch and ran his hands through his hair. He wanted her. And he wanted her bad. But he had his morals in order, and taking his former student was taboo, love or not.

And then she was there, in the living room, clad in just his oversized t-shirt; it looked like she had forgone the sweats. And that wasn't helping. Then he saw it again, that glint of silver on her neck. Before she could blink, he had one hand on her shoulder, the other softly fondling the locket, his revealed eye scrutinizing this.

"You weren't wearing this earlier," he noted, finally looking to her eyes. She bit her lip, oh so sexily, and blushed.

"It was a gift." She met his gaze shyly, and he raised his eyebrows when she didn't continue. "…from Sasuke." He looked to the locket again and suddenly found that he wanted to rip it from her neck and smash it. Kakashi let the chain drop from his fingers to help suppress the urge to break the little trinket, though he was more surprised at his sudden flare of jealousy.

An unpleasant silence engulfed them.

"Um….Can I….can I read one of your Icha Icha books now?"

He looked to his bookshelf, then back to her. He debated for a moment and then decided that she could read one, as long as they didn't pique her interest too much. The jounin looked back to the kunoichi and nodded to the bookshelf. She smiled and sauntered over, eyeing them until she found the first volume. Sakura found a seat on the couch and he joined her, wondering what he was going to do until she was done reading. He figured that he would just sit there and analyze her reaction, there was bound to be some laughs.

The kunoichi flipped to the first page and found that she was already engulfed in the words; it was very well written, and seemed to have an advanced plotline. It wasn't until the 24th page that she remembered she was reading porn, her cheeks were soon painted a crimson, and she found that the illustrations were giving her imagination more fuel than it needed. He chuckled.

It was then he smelled her. He had not expected the book to be arousing to the kunoichi, and her scent was beginning to arouse him.

"Alright, I think that's enough."

He took the book from her hands with a forced smile and put it back on its shelf. When he turned back to look at her, Sakura's expression was a mixture of disappointment and surprise. Once her mouth morphed into a full blown pout, he had to hold back a laugh.

The kunoichi got up and wrapped her arms around the jounin's waist, he stiffened.

"Please let me keep reading, Kakashi-sensei?" she pled, but then her voice took on a new, seductive tone. "Or I might be tempted to finish the scene I was reading with you as my book."

His mind went hazy. With every word she spoke, he thought of a consequence to their actions, and now, all of those consequences were gone. All he could think of was how much he wanted to have her in his arms, lying seductively underneath him with her eyes clouded with lust and her forehead dewed with sweat as he took her as his own. He wanted her, and he was going to have her.