Chapter 24!
Title: "Pictures and Ponderings"
Disclaimer: I own nothing!!
…
Verdict is in!:
On with the plot!! :D…
Oh, and sorry for the long wait everyone!
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His fingers ran through her hair gently, trying not to wake her up.
Her hair was so soft, just like her skin.
The sun had risen a long time ago, the light was slowly peeking over the windowsill… he never even thought about waking her up.
His eyes wandered down her form.
She had turned over in the night, her back was facing him.
He didn't mind.
Naturally, he was incredibly blissful that she was lying next to him… in his bed.
He leaned in closer to her, letting his arm wrap around her. He tried his best not to touch her too much.
He closed his eyes, pulling himself closer to her.
He could feel the warmth of her body radiating next to him.
He hadn't felt this comforting warmth for what seemed forever… he could never get enough of this feeling.
When their relationship started, he really didn't think that he could have ever been with her long enough that they'd become this close…
Now… it seemed so natural, but a miracle at the same time.
He had readied himself to lose her at any moment, but everything felt so safe now.
The irony of that thought hit him hard… things weren't safe… not with what happened at the Main Hall the night before.
He thought over Iruka's words… the things he had said, that he still hadn't told Sakura…
……….
"I don't want to ruin everything for you guys… and I don't want her to suffer whatever gossip would come of this if everyone found out… I don't really care about you, though…" Iruka had finished with his serious joke.
Kakashi couldn't say anything before Iruka spoke up again.
"Are you sure you can handle what you're doing?..." Iruka gave Kakashi a cold glare.
Kakashi took a deep breath.
"I'm still not sure, Iruka … But I know that I'd go to the end of the world to make this work…" He couldn't offer a better answer.
"Can she handle what you're doing?"
That question struck a chord… but he knew the answer.
"She's more capable than you give her credit for."
Iruka shifted on the spot uncomfortably.
"I trust you, Kakashi… as a friend, as a shinobi…and you've done some questionable things in the past… but I can't turn a blind eye to this."
"You wouldn't rea-" Kakashi started to fear that Iruka was changing his mind.
"I'm going to have to step in every so often… I don't feel right leaving this relationship unsupervised."
Kakashi was silent again… definitely not appreciating Iruka's word-choice… 'supervision'…
"If anything goes wrong… if you hurt her… push her… anything… I'll have no other choice…"
After a long moment of thought, Kakashi spoke up.
"That sounds fair, Iruka…"
…………
He was woken from those bothersome memories when he heard her faint breathing again.
He loved the sound her breathing… he loved the fact that he could hear it right next to him.
He loved the fact that she was here… she was his…
His lips found the bare skin on her shoulder.
She felt a little cold.
He reached down the spare blanket draped over their waists, pulling it up to her shoulder… covering his face under the blanket too, so that his lips wouldn't have to leave her skin.
Even if she couldn't feel him, he just loved having his lips on her.
His arms tightened around her a little.
He never wanted to let go of her, he never wanted to lose her… and he'd make sure that he'd do whatever was necessary to convince Iruka that he and Sakura could handle this relationship…
Worry crept over him as he thought about the possibility of losing her now… after they've just gotten so much more closer…
He took a deep breath, loving her sweet scent.
He absent-mindedly played with the silk sleeve of her dress, thinking about how beautiful she was on that dance floor… how this dress accented her figure perfectly, making it even harder for him to control himself last night… or even right now.
He sighed contently, trying to keep his mind clean.
It was getting harder with every passing day to control his thoughts…
He moved his lips back and forth along her shoulder, barely touching her…
He never wanted to forget this feeling…
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Fingers running through my hair.
A warm, heavy arm curling around my side.
The single scent of rain-washed forests.
Two lips brushing along the back of my shoulder.
My eyes stung a little as I opened them wider.
For only a brief moment, I was a little confused… why I was feeling all of these things... but it didn't take long to remember last night.
As soon as I scanned over the memories of how fast my heart had been beating last night, how violently I had been shaking, how I loved the feeling of his lips, and how much I loved the feeling of his bare skin, I was suddenly wide-awake.
"Kakashi-sensei?" I called his name like it was a question. I reached my hand to his bare arm hanging over the side of my body, my fingers wrapped around his wrist.
His lips pressed harder against my skin as he chuckled.
"Who else would it be?" He asked playfully.
I smiled, suddenly feeling a wave of happiness wash over me warmly.
His arm shifted from my waist, I felt his hand close around my chin lightly. He turned my head upward. His lips met mine instantly. I loved the way he kissed me… every time he did, his lips moved against mine as if he hadn't kissed me in days.
He deepened the kiss, pulling me closer to him, turning me around onto my back.
He was leaning over me a little.
His hand was still hold my face to his, not letting me break away for air… I didn't even care about how light-headed I was.
Our lips finally parted soon after he slid his hand from my chin to the back of my head.
I had only been up for a minute, but Kakashi already had me breathless.
He fell back down to his side as I rolled over to mine, following him.
He smiled at me… I couldn't help but smile like an idiot back at him. It wasn't completely my fault, I just thought he looked cute when his hair was messy and hanging around his face.
I ducked my forehead down to his neck, leaning against him. He pulled me to him carefully.
We didn't say anything for a long minute… we didn't have to.
We just wanted a moment to feel each other…
I lifted my hand to his chest… wanting to feel his heartbeat…
When my fingertips touched his bare skin, I couldn't help a moment of surprise… I had forgotten for a second that his shirt and jacket were somewhere on the floor.
I pressed my hand against his smooth skin anyways.
I hesitated a little when I noticed how his breathing shook for a second when I grazed my hand upward.
I moved my palm across his chest again, loving the way his skin felt. He kept flinching every other second.
…
I wondered if Kakashi-sensei was sensitive…
I didn't have enough time to think about that strange thought before his hand found mine, holding it still against his skin, like he was trying to stop me from starting something.
He spoke up.
"Do you think we should get up?"
I couldn't think of anything else I didn't want to do more.
But I knew we probably should.
"What time is it?" I asked with a drowsy voice, pulling myself closer to him.
I felt him stretch a little, like he was looking at something. Probably a clock.
"8:17" He said a little sadly.
I pressed my lips against his hand lightly. I heard him take a deep breath.
"I really don't want to bring this up, because I know that saying it will really mean we have to get up…. But I can't afford to take any more chances."
I listened to his explanation, he sounded like he was only talking to himself.
But I wasn't anticipating whatever he was about to say if it really meant we'd have to get out of bed.
"What?" I asked half-heartedly.
I felt him leaned down, his lips pressed against the top of my head.
Then he whispered those words that made me sit up in a flash.
"What about your parents?"
I was immediately reminded of the fact that I had spent the entire night away from home, without telling my parents I was going to.
And, furthermore, I had spent the night at Kakashi-sensei's apartment, which they didn't need to know, but I was still at my lover's house all night… after a big dance.
Isn't this the precise reason why parents freak out when their kids go to dances?!
Then again… it wasn't too bad.
Kakashi and I hadn't… hadn't… actually…
I couldn't even think about it clearly.
I whipped my head around the room, feeling so much more alert and worried than before.
I heard him chuckle as he sat up… I was only distracted by seeing his bare chest for a second till I found my words.
"I totally forgot!" I almost shouted.
I tried to wiggle my way out from under the sheet, but my heels got stuck. My toes felt sore from being in these shoes all night.
Just before I was about to fall out of his bed in a flailing mess, I felt his large hand grab my wrist.
He pulled my back to him.
"Calm down…" He said gently.
"But they're probably-!"
"Really worried that their only daughter didn't come home last night." He finished that horrible sentence for me.
I felt the worry and guilt form a rock in my stomach.
As well as a deep regret that I had to snap both of us out of that extremely wonderful moment just now like this.
"I really have to-"
"Get home?" He wrapped his arms around me tighter, pulling me into his lap.
I relaxed a little, giving into his touch.
"Kakashi…" I called his name, trying to let him know that I was being serious.
"Calm down… think for a second." He ordered softly.
I relaxed my muscles, letting him hold me, letting my face rest against his chest. But I couldn't forget that stone in my stomach.
"If you go out in public while still in your dress, the entire village will get the wrong idea…"
I looked down to my bright red dress. He was right. It would be hard to explain this to anyone who saw me.
"What do I do?" I asked, pushing myself away from him, to look him in the face.
"I'll take care of it." He smiled reassuringly.
As always, every time he said that, I immediately felt better.
I hadn't wanted Kakashi-sensei taking care of me anymore… but this wasn't anything major… sort of.
His arms dropped from my sides as I felt his lips press against mine for only a second right before he scooted himself off the bed.
"I'm going to go get you a change of clothes…" He explained, walking towards the bedroom door.
"From where?" I asked, a little distracted. I still wasn't used to seeing a shirtless Kakashi-sensei… it was really difficult to focus on anything else. His shoulder blades shifted as he slid open the door.
"Your room, of course." He smiled cheekily over his shoulder before walking out of the door.
. . .
"Eh?" I sat in the rumpled bed, messy-haired and wide-eyed.
He was going to sneak into my room to get clothes for me… ?
….isn't that a little… much?
I immediately started struggling out from the sheets.
I barely got my feet on the floor before he came back into the room, dressed in new pants, pulling on a fresh turtleneck-mask.
"You really don't have to…" I spoke up as he entered the room.
I really didn't want to inconvenience him.
"It's okay…" he said calmly, pulling his long-sleeved shirt on. "Besides, if anyone starts a rumor about you irresponsibly staying out all night, it wouldn't be fun for me either…" He rolled up his sleeves to his elbows.
"But I did irresponsibly stay out all night…" I argued a little.
He picked up a forehead protector from his desk, carefully placing it over his left eye.
It was a little strange seeing him get dressed… I'd never had the chance to before…
"Yes, but I know who you were out all night with…" He tied the knot behind his head. "The others will make up stories, filling in the blanks with their own opinions…"
I couldn't say anything to that.
He ran his hands through his hair, it returned to its normal style.
"Sorry that you have to do this…" I apologized, defeated. I sat back down on the edge of his bed.
He went silent for a second, looking over at me.
He start walking to me.
"Don't worry." He crouched over to me. "I'm actually a little curious to get inside your room." He smiled that mischievous grin.
"Wha-!" I started up, but his lips interrupted me.
He was kissing too deep, I couldn't bring myself to break away… but he did anyways.
"Stay here till I get back." He said casually lifting his mask up over his nose, and walking out the bedroom door before I could say anything.
I heard the front door open and shut, too.
So, that's, his real reason for all this… and probably why he was in such a chipper mood.
I narrowed my eyes toward the door skeptically.
I wonder if he planned this part, too…
I didn't linger on those suspicions for long when I saw a flicker of light reflect off of a picture frame to my left.
Curiosity took over… I really wanted to see the rest of his apartment…
It should be okay since he's about to rummage through my room, too.
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Kakashi slid open her balcony door, walking onto the wood-paneled floor carefully.
He didn't want to make too much sound, but he didn't want to take his time either.
He wasn't hurrying so that he could rummage through her room, but rather more impatient to get back to his own.
He didn't want to waste any time he could have with her.
He walked directly over to her closet, trying not to get distracted by his curiosity of the rest of her room, opening it slowly.
He recognized a few shirts, a few skirts, her battle attire, her boots…. He grabbed the red sleeveless shirt, the yellow undershirt, the navy blue skirt, and those generic blue sandals…
He always liked the way this outfit looked on her.
He closed the closet silently, immediately making his way over to the door again.
But his eye was caught by something sitting on her bookshelf.
It sparkled a little when the sunlight hit it just right.
He couldn't stop himself from going over to the small obsidian rock, a blue streak flashing down the middle.
He picked it up carefully… it was warm from the sunlight.
He couldn't control a smile.
He looked over to the framed picture that had been set right in front of this small pebble that meant so much for both of them.
That picture, their team picture, he had it, too… he would look at it every day… but now, the sight of that pink-haired girl in the middle caused different emotions than it had when it was first taken.
So much has changed since that picture was taken…
His feelings for her were the first to change… back then; he hadn't even realized how much he had started admiring her strength, her growth, her beauty… till he was already looking at her more than he should have, calling her by her name more than was normal…. Sighing more.
Then she was the next one to change… he still didn't know for sure what had started those feelings in her, as well… he was always curious what could've changed her perspective of him… but he was always just grateful that she wanted him as much as he needed her.
Things have changed… so much…
He set the stone down in front of the picture again, his smile didn't waver till he heard the voices from underneath the floor.
"Who was at the door a few minutes ago, sweetie?"
Kakashi immediately recognized Sakura's mother's voice.
He stood still, listening when he knew he shouldn't.
"Iruka-san… he wanted to know where Sakura was." Her father said a little edgily.
"That makes three of us." Her mother's voice grumbled.
Kakashi froze on the spot.
Now Iruka knew Sakura wasn't at home, and probably learned that she wasn't home all night…
Kakashi had told Sakura that he'd be the only one who would know who she was with all night….
….He was wrong….
He was out of the balcony door within a moment.
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I walked over to his bookcase a little impatiently…. Still waiting for Kakashi to get back.
I took a look at the two pictures and the little plant.
I knew one of the pictures by heart. Our picture.
My over-excited smile, Naruto's grimace, Sasuke's far-away look, Kakashi-sensei's masked grin.
I wanted to look at it for a few second more, but something else caught my immediate attention.
Kakashi's team, when he was still a chuunin.
I picked it up, trying to get a closer look.
Kakashi was so young, as young as I was in our team picture. He had that mask on even at that age.
He was scowling towards the camera.
I smiled to myself… he was a really scary kid wasn't he?
He's a lot different now…. I glanced back to the smile he had on in our picture.
I took a better look back at young Kakashi… both of his eyes were the same color… both were that obsidian color…
I was reminded by that age-old question I used to think about a lot… how did he get his sharingan?
I guess I could ask him some other day…
My eyes travelled to his teammates. The quiet-looking girl with purple markings, the grinning, Naruto-esque, boy who was reaching out his hand with two fingers pointing up behind Kakashi, and Kakashi's old leader… the fourth.
It reminded me of our team for a second.
Kakashi's scowl especially reminded me of Sasuke…
I took a moment to think about that weird comparison.
Sasuke and Kakashi were alike weren't they?
…
But they both grew from that stage differently…
A sense of gratitude overcame me…
… Kakashi became such an incredible man…
One that I knew loved me deeply.
I set the picture down again, feeling a bit nostalgic.
I was about to go over to his desk to take a look at whatever paperwork a Jounin had to do, but a sudden noise grabbed my full attention.
Somebody calling my name.
The voice was familiar… but it wasn't the one I had heard call my name last night… it was a voice I had known since I was young.
It sounded muffled, like it was far away.
I heard knocking.
"Kakashi! You better be home… and Sakura better not be with you!…" He said loudly.
Didn't he care if the neighbor's heard that?!
I ran to the front door.
Iruka-sensei knocked a little harder.
He went silent after another second…. I heard his voice talk quietly.
"Kakashi, please don't tell me you really went this far…...."
My heart skipped a beat.
What exactly does he think Kakashi-sensei was capable of?!
My first instinct was to hide… to run away till Iruka left… but I couldn't let him think about Kakashi like that… but if I answered the door, and if he sees that I stayed the night…. Would he listen to what I have to say?
I hesitantly reached for the doorknob…
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