Chapter 19!
Title: "Dates and Drinks"
Disclaimer: I own nothing!!
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I could hear the crickets chirping from the trees on either side of the wide river.
I could hear my heart beating loudly, recovering from the fast-paced run I had just pushed my body into.
I was alone.
I stood there silently, looking around ahead of me.
I was little cold, but really nervous.
I really keep messing things up!…
I clutched my arms a little.
"Sorry…" I heard the voice I had been waiting for. "I got lost on the path called life…" He elaborated playfully, using familiar words I hadn't heard in a while.
I had been scared for a second that he wouldn't be coming.
Just for a second.
I was more than a little surprised that he didn't sound annoyed or upset.
I turned around, he was standing right behind me already.
"Liar." I responded like I used to, smiling with relief.
I turned to look up to him, his smile was little weak.
"Only when I need to be." He answered with new words, his hand lifting to the side of my face.
I closed my eyes, trying to feel his hand against my cold-numb cheek.
I took a second to appreciate that moment, before deciding to say something that I knew would start an awkward conversation… But if anyone was going to have to bring this up… I had to be the one to do it.
It was only fair.
"About the party…" I started up, suddenly feeling really fidgety and anxious. "If you…" I thought about my words carefully. "… If you didn't want… me to go… I'd…"
Even though he really didn't seem to be bothered….
I still feel really responsible.
And though I actually want to go to that party…. (but not with Naruto)…
If he doesn't want me to go…. I won't
I barely felt the hand on my face drop down to curl around my shoulders.
"Don't worry…" I heard his voice muffle, my ear pressed against his vest. "I trust you."
My heart jumped.
Something had definitely changed since yesterday.
I felt pressure on the top of my head, he was leaning down.
I could almost imagine his lips pressing against my hair.
His voice woke me out of the hypnotic state that his touch always put me in.
"Plus… it makes it easier for me to steal a couple of 'innocent' minutes with you if you already have a date."
I almost smiled…
His thoughts were really sneaky…. But I guess it would be okay to spend time with Kakashi-sensei at the party if it was visible I already had a date. No one would think anything of it.
I still didn't like it.
It isn't enough.
For him.
I willed myself to speak up.
"But… isn't it a little unfair for you… going alone?" I muttered against his chest, wrapping my arms around his back a bit tighter.
I was really trying to bring him down from being so cheerful… he needed to realize how this wasn't such a small deal.
"Do you want me to find a date?" He joked with that carefree voice, successfully pushing my concerned words aside.
I felt his fingers brush through my hair, lifting up the strands, dropping them, lifting them up again, dropping them…
I was a little hard to concentrate.
"Would it be so easy?" I mumbled a little grumpily, still feeling vexed that he was making this a joke.
"You'd be surprised." He replied with his usual playful voice, but I could tell it was probably the truth. There were a lot of female Jounin that I've overheard gossiping about Kakashi-sensei over the years.
Looking back on it now, it had always annoyed me.
But I wasn't distracted for long.
I could tell that he kept trying to make me forget about the way I felt responsible for repeatedly, accidentally, pushing him to the side-lines.
Why is he always so concerned about the way I feel?
Can't he see that what really matters to me is if I can make him happy?
I cringed, embarrassed of myself and my failures inthis relationship.
I took a moment to think about was he had said…
Just the idea of Kakashi asking a woman out as a date for the party annoyed me, but…
"If you… really wanted to go with someone else… then…" My voice was quiet.
I felt his arms leave me, his hands finding my sides, pulling me away from him.
He leaned down to look me in the eye.
"It's okay… I was only joking." His voice was serious now. I was thankful that I had finally gotten his attention.
I looked up to him, he was staring at me as if something was wrong with me.
I looked away, I couldn't talk when he gave me that look.
"I know… but if you really didn't want to go alone… and then only see me with..." My voice was a lot weaker than I wanted it to be.
He didn't say anything for a second.
I felt his fingers inches around my waist a little.
All I could see was his vest in front of me.
"Wouldn't you get really jealous?" Kakashi asked me, like he was testing my reaction.
He really needs to care more about himself right now… and less about me.
I've already cared about myself enough for the both of us.
I couldn't hold back my initial reaction.
"Of course!" I answered immediately, my hands clutching his vest a little urgently. I found a solemn sense of calm when I forced myself to say something more. "…but if you wanted to take a date…I'd trust you…"
His hands met each other on the small of my back.
He pulled me in closer.
I lifted my face to him, his lips met mine perfectly.
Even though it had only been a day, I really missed this.
As I felt his lips move on mine, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to deepen the kiss or push him away.
He pulled away before I could make a choice.
"Thank you, Sakura…" He actually sounded, somehow, grateful, even though I couldn't see what good I've done for him. "… But dates in the type of world I'm involved in aren't taken so lightly as going with 'only friends'."
My mind fizzled with that slightly scary thought before recognizing those last two words…
"You heard that?" I asked him a little more loudly, keeping my eyes on his.
"I didn't want to be there to actually see one of my students ask my lover out… but I couldn't deny my curiosity…. Thank you for giving him that response, at least."
I felt a little stupid for a second, before my mind flashed to a strange word I had never really heard Kakashi-sensei ever say… and he's definitely never called me it before.
Lover?...
Things were really getting more and more serious… I couldn't control the feeling of happiness when I realized that we had somehow reached a new level of our relationship….
I felt his hands rub up and down, slowly, along my back…
He was trying to clam me down…
But I wanted to do something for him… anything to make up to him for always messing things up.
I returned to our conversation after a moment.
"Are you sure you're alright with this?" I tried to control the shivers as I felt his fingers brush back and forth on my spine.
I really didn't think he could've been happy with the way the conversation was ending.
He leaned in closely.
"Well, you wouldn't believe how insane it is for me to get jealous of Naruto…"
I cringed a little at the thought.
"I really wouldn't have agreed to go with Naruto… but I just… didn't want to…" I couldn't really find my words when his lips were brushing against my neck like that.
"Go back on your word?" I felt Kakashi-sensei's lips form the words of that famous shinobi-law under my ear…
That phrase was better than anything that I could've pieced together while he was so distractingly close to me.
"It's not really an excuse…" I really didn't want him thinking that I was planning on hiding behind those words.
I still wanted to prove myself.
"Don't worry… I have a few things up my sleeve…" He whispered as my arms wrapped around the back of his neck.
I guess I was finally giving into his relentless attempts to distract me.
"What?" I asked faintly, my lips grazing the fabric of his turtleneck, needing to know what he meant by that.
"I told you that I don't give up easily…" I had to settle for that half-answer as his lips suddenly found mine.
Everything else in the world was gone from that second on.
It was only him.
Everything I was, was for him.
I only wanted him to be happy.
I only wanted to see him smile.
I only needed him to need me.
One of his hands wrapped around my waist, pulling our bodies closer, his other hand slowly travelled to my hair, pulling my face closer to his.
I closed my eyes.
The sound of the crickets faded out as our heartbeats got stronger.
The scent of rain-washed forests was stronger than ever.
All I could feel was wherever he was touching me.
I loved it so much.
...
His lips left mine and the world came rushing rudely back with his next words.
"I really want to stay, but I barely managed to excuse myself from a Jounin meeting for just enough time to see you for a few minutes." He whispered against my cheek.
"Okay…" I said a little sadly, not letting out the full amount of disappointment I was feeling. "I'll see you tomorrow." I sort of asked.
"Tomorrow night." He answered, disappointment clear in his voice too.
"So, I'll see you…" I started.
"At the party…." He finished.
His arms left me.
I was suddenly really desperate for his touch again… I wasn't going to see him for 24 hours, and even then… I'll be Naruto's date…
"Bye, Sakura…" He said, turning away from me.
I couldn't stop myself before I felt my arms around his neck again, pulling him down for a surprise kiss.
He didn't act like it was a surprise… he immediately kissed back with the same desperation I felt.
He broke away first.
He looked down at me, his smile a bit brighter than it was when I first saw him here.
He pulled up his mask and was gone.
Slowly, the details of the outside world came back to me.
The sound of crickets and rushing water, the smell of trees, the freezing night wind.
I sighed, feeling like I didn't accomplish anything.
One of these days I was going to have to figure out a way to get Kakashi-sensei's serious attention when I really needed it.
I set off in the direction of home, hurrying, just in case my mom or dad wanted to check on me any time soon.
He seems so confident that this'll work out.
So I'll trust him.
...
Trust…
That word brought up another part of the conversation I couldn't believe I could've forgotten even for a second.
His date…
Is he actually going to ask another out another date?
He never said he wouldn't…
I couldn't help a little bit of worry… but I really felt like if he did, I'd deserve whatever amount of jealousy it gave me… I'd caused him more than enough trouble.
I kept messing our relationship up… maybe if this could show him how much I actually trusted him, it would help him…
In the end… if it was Kakashi-sensei, I'd do anything to make him happy.
…………………………………………………..
'7:09pm'
I started wringing my hands nervously.
Can I start getting ready now?
I think so…
But it's still about an hour before it starts.
Getting ready would only take a half hour.
I paced through my room, feeling really too anxious to get ready for a simple social fundraiser.
I woke up so early this morning, went shopping with Ino and Hinata for dresses… we talked about our dates.
I got a lot of flak from Ino about going with Naruto, while poor Hinata just looked away every time somebody said his name.
But I could just imagine the look on their faces if I told them that I actually really really wanted to go with Kakahsi-sensei.
... Then again, I hoped I'd never see their faces react to that news.
After a couple hours of dress-shopping, I finally got the perfect one.
But I didn't want to ever put it on… while at the same time, I couldn't wait!
I was having the hardest time deciding if I was looking forward to the party or dreading it.
I spent most of the day shut up in my room reading, checking the clock, napping, and thinking about Kakashi-sensei.
It seemed like every other minute I was wondering what he was doing, or if he was, at that moment, asking another girl - a woman – out.
Every time I thought about it I wanted to either sleep and forget about thinking about it, or walk around Konoha till I found him.
I somehow managed to take 5 different naps throughout the day, each ranging from an hour to an hour and a half.
I was really hyper now, and fidgittier than ever.
I checked my slightly-cracked clock, Warble, again.
'7:11pm'
I groaned to myself sitting down in front of my desk, trying to read, but my leg kept shaking up and down with nervous energy.
I put the book down, calmed myself.
I took a few deep breaths, trying to remember the way Kakashi said not to worry about anything.
My leg slowly stopped shaking.
I looked over to the light, red mask on the corner of my desk.
I picked it up, picking little pieces of lint off of the fluffy feathers that decorated the left side of it.
I felt like a kid getting ready for Halloween when I walked over to my mirror, trying it on.
It covered only the upper half of my face, as a traditional masquerade mask should.
This shade of red always looked good against my pink hair, and always made my green eyes seem brighter.
I tilted it back and forth, trying to get it perfect, straightening out the feathers.
I wondered what kind of mask Kakashi-sensei would get.
He always wore a mask…
…
He would never get one of the traditional sort of masks, then his personal mask would be rendered useless after everyone sees the bottom half of his face.
Would he get a fancier bottom-half mask?
Or maybe he'd get one of those weird, entire-face masks….
There was a part of me that thought he would actually wear something like that for a second, but he wouldn't right?
What kind of suit would he wear?
Probably nothing flashy.
Something he's comfortable in, something that, in case somebody spilled a drink on it, he wouldn't care about it staining.
He probably didn't even think much of a single party.
Which is why he was so unaffected by Naruto and I being a date…
… probably…
I shook my head, the feathers rustled violently with my absent-minded motion.
I quickly took it off, looking over to Warble.
'7:24pm'
I quickly ran over to Warble, shaking him to make sure he wasn't lying to me.
It really was 7:24!
Time really flew when I was lost in thought like that, I guess…
Too bad time didn't move faster earlier today.
It was the perfect time to start getting ready.
I ran over to my closet, snatching it open.
The plastic-covered dress on the inside of the door floated a little with the speed.
I took a moment to just absorb the first extravagant dress I've ever bought.
It was a light, strawberry red, off-shoulder dress, only a few layers of silk thick. It reached just below my knees, (I never liked having clothes cover all the way down to my ankles) but with heels I really liked the way it made my legs look.
I snapped myself out of my admiring moment, and hurriedly grabbed it off of the hanger.
Grabbed the matching shoes, the mask and started getting ready for possibly one of the weirdest nights of my life.
………………
"Sakura-chan!" I heard Naruto's voice call out at me as I was walking down the staircase.
I looked away from my high-heels over to the open door.
My mom had just opened it for him, calling me down.
I felt really embarrassed… everybody was looking at me.
"Hey…" I said quietly, reaching to final step.
I took a look at Naruto.
He was dressed in a nice, white suit, one that seemed a little big for him, but it suited him just fine anyways.
His hair was messily slicked back, and was already beginning to lose form and revert back to it's crazy ways.
His blue mask didn't cover his happy face well.
I smiled back at his goofy grin.
I felt so stupid.
Like I was a little girl going on her first date or something.
"You look so…" Naruto began, but probably couldn't find a word.
I didn't mind what he was thinking, if it was good or bad… there was only one person I hoped thought it looked good on me.
I immediately said bye to my mom, and we were out the door.
…………………
It was kind of chilly, then again I was only in a light dress and it was getting really dark outside, but I was immediately distracted by the lights and sounds coming from the Main Hall.
People were already gathered, laughing and joking around in their formal wear.
I felt like we were late or something, but we were actually a few minutes early.
We passed the rowdy group of young Chuunins, who were making a spectacle of themselves outside the Main Hall, and through the main entrance.
I had remembered this building as a very serious place where town meetings were held to discuss laws and possible treaties or wars… and now it was extravagantly decorated with high-set candles, golden streamers, etched mirror walls, bright chandeliers, a table-cloth spotted dining area, and dozens of brightly-colored dresses of all different styles and makes. White suits speckled the colorful and flowing environment almost artistically.
I didn't know it was Konoha's fashion to have white suits.
I guess black suits would be too dark for this type of party.
The place looked so crwded with the mirror walls.
Naruto and I started to walk through the crowd, looking for our friends.
Everything around us seemed so rich and classy, but the people were still acting crazily with high spirits.
I looked over to the food arrangements… really fancy stuff.
The second I saw the drink stand, I understood very clearly what had happened during the planning of this 'social fundraiser'.
It was obvious that Shizune planned the theme, while Tsunade-sama planned the beverages.
There was only one bowl of some sort of fruit juice, while the other side of the beverage stand was decorated with bottles of champagne, wine, whiskey, cognac, rum, scotch… and of course sake.
I was only able to recognize the bottles and their contents by sight because of the three years I spent training under Tsunade-sama.
It was the same kind of thing with Naruto learning how to peek into the girl's-side of the onsen after spending so much time with Ero-se-- Jiraiya-sama.
"Shikamaru! Kiba! Chouji!" Naruto started yelling as I was trying to look around at all the decorations a bit more.
I turned my head to look over to the three, white-suited, boys that were waving back at me and Naruto.
I recognized Hinata, in her snug, lavender dress, blushing behind her date, Kiba.
It was hard to see her pink face under her lavender butterfly-mask, but I could see it.
Shikamaru and Chouji didn't have any dates next to them… they seemed like the kind of boys that wouldn't want to deal with the drama of finding dates… they also seemed to have picked their masks out of the .99 cent box I saw at the store.
I felt a little envious... I wished I was so laidback... and not a nervous mess like I really was at this moment.
We finally met up with them after pushing passed a group of masked Chuunins talking with fruit juice in their hands.
Naruto started talking excitedly to the boys as Hinata peeked out from behind the still wild-haired Kiba to say 'hi' to me.
She must've felt insecure about how tight that dress was.
Ino and I had picked it out dress for her.
She really needed to get some attention once in a while, and from the way Kiba kept staring at her from the corner of his eye… it was obviously working…
Talking about corner-of-the-eye-staring, Hinata was doing the same to Naruto.
I didn't mind at all.
Truthfully, I was hoping Naruto would take a lesson from Kiba.
"Sakura!" I heard Ino call my name.
She was dragging her date with her.
A very perplexed, white-masked, Sai.
I wanted to laugh for a second… he was really confused, and kept tugging at his white suit.
I wondered how she got him to say 'yes'.
Or if he knew what he was doing when he said it.
Not that I didn't think Ino wasn't capable of getting a date… but Sai… well, he didn't seem like the type for parties.
Ino was holding his arm tightly, her long, sparkly black dress accented her hair nicely.
I couldn't see half of her face behind the silver mask, but she was all smiles.
"Hey." I answered back, trying to keep a straight face.
"I love how that dress looks on you!" She complimented like she did this morning.
"I love your dress, too!" I answered her compliment gratefully.
She smiled excitedly.
"So you're actually with Naruto?" She brought up with a slightly gossipy tone.
I peeked over my shoulder, he couldn't hear us, too busy talking to the boys about missions.
I nodded.
"Well, I guess if you're happy…" She said lastly, suddenly pointing with interested at the banquet table, waving bye, and dragging Sai behind her. He seemed like an accessory to her, or a pet.
I stood there, a little shell-shocked.
Happy?...
My mind suddenly flashed to the goal I've been concerned about the whole day.
Finding Kakashi.
I started to scann the groups around me frantically.
A face mask?
Silver hair?
But everyone sort of started to look the same after a few seconds.
I needed to travel around.
I tapped on Naruto's shoulder, "I'm gonna go get a drink."
He nodded, happily returning to his conversation after I left.
I slowly squeezed my way through the colorful crowds, saying 'excuse me' every other second.
Everybody slowly separated a path.
I still strained my neck to catch any glimpse of Kakashi.
There isn't any need for people to crowd like this, there's still plenty of room in the dining area!
I finally broke through the crowd and reached the counter, grabbing onto it like I had emerged from a violent sea, that threatened to suck me back into the current.
"Sakura…" I heard a familiar voice call my name, but it wasn't the one I was waiting for.
I looked up to the man behind the counter.
"Iruka-sensei?" I called out to him over the ruckus.
"You look very pretty tonight." He smiled warmly.
He was probably the only Jounin, besides Kakashi-sensei, that I wouldn't mind saying that.
He was like an uncle or something to me. And he probably thought of me as a relative too... like he did to all his students.
"Thank you." I smiled back, actually a little happy to see a gentle face.
"So, what will you be having this evening?" He asked with his bad-joke voice.
It was clear that there was only one choice for me… Fruit juice.
I laughed at him a little.
"I'll just get some juice." I pointed over to the half-empty bowl.
"Of course…" He grabbed a cup and gave to me, I'd have to ladle the juice myself.
I clumisly walked over to the far-left side of the table that held the isolated juice-bowl.
"Uh, I'll take two sakes."
I nearly dropped the ladle into the bowl, instead I accidentally spilled a few drops onto the tablecloth.
I immediately whipped my head over to the source of that long-awaited voice that had just ordered some of the alcohol I couldn't drink for a long while.
He was leaning his folded arms onto the marble countertop, already staring at me.
His eyes were a little narrowed, like he was thinking about something far off.
He smiled after a second.
"Hello, Sakura-chan…" He greeted casually, as if I really was just another student.
He was wearing a slightly aged, gray suit, which still looked rather good on him. His hair was as it normally was; he was wearing his same old mask.
He was giving the same old smile I had seen for years before a couple weeks ago… when he started giving me a new kind of smile.
I was in shock.
I knew I probably had a really weird expression on, but I couldn't help it.
After spending the entire day waiting… this was how this was going to happened?
He suddenly broke our stare before I even had a chance to say anything back.
He took the two clay bottles of sake from Iruka-sensei who said something to Kakashi, he nodded back with a sort of charm.
He seemed like such an adult... I already knew he was, of course, but he really looked like one in that moment... so far away.
"Ka-"
"-kashi~!"
Somebody finished his name louder than I could.
After only a moment, I saw a pair of long, womanly arms curl over his shoulders from behind him.
"Hey…" He said with his all-too-casual tone as he turned towards the woman behind him.
She slinked around him, moving with such grace and sensuality that I couldn't believe who it was.
"You could've waited at the table, Anko…" His voice was really playful.
Like it was last night.
A sharp pain suddenly coursed through me.
"I know~…. But I was getting impatient~..." Her voice was so sickly-sweet. She rocked on the spot a little, acting a little cutely, her long crimson dress swayed back and forth on the floor. The neck-line plunged to her bell-button, barely covering her.
I couldn't look away, but the longer I saw her hands on his chest like that…
The way she was touching up his arm to reach the sake bottle….
My insides were squirming around painfully….
"See you in a bit, Sakura-chan…" That was it.
He waved with his now free hand, turned around… let her long arm wrap around his back… and walked into the crowd.
I was left standing there… in my strawberry red dress, fruit juice ladle in hand, recouping from a really deep cut.
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