Sakura was feeling a thousand times better that night as she stood in her suite of the resort villa they were all staying in, a sea breeze blowing through the open window. Her guards were dispersed about the property, though Kakashi remained in the shadows nearby, she knew. Sakura and Ino had a gorgeous suite, all pearls and creams and blues, attached to the massive, open air styled villa that the other stars were all staying in for the week. She had assumed she would be sleeping with Kakashi, but since Ino had suddenly declared she was coming on the trip, Kakashi would be in a room at the villa across the drive with all the other security, who would rotate through their shifts.
Normally when filming on location, they'd be struck in trailers, but it wasn't an option for this trip. Sakura was so glad things were going her way for once.
Ino turned from the giant vanity, two lip glosses that were virtually the same shade in her hands. "What do you think?"
Sakura, a fashion girl herself, appreciated the subtle differences in the tones of the glosses. "Left hand," she told Ino firmly. Ino tossed that one onto the vanity top behind her and applied the gloss from her right hand to her plush lips, smirking at Sakura.
Sakura rolled her eyes.
She was already dressed in a pink crop top with a twist in the center, and a long flowy white skirt that started just under her naval. Ino had spent the morning prodding Sakura for details of the wedding night, some of which she shared in vague terms, and for details about Kakashi's face, which she refused to divulge. Her friend had moaned and begged, but eventually given up. Ino wouldn't push her too hard on something she had drawn a line in the sand on. Her friends respected her that much.
It was nice to get away with the Night High cast, and to get away to a tropical paradise was a double bonus. Her friends and fellow cast were all very supportive of her, murmuring consolations about the scandalous photos, offering praise for how wonderful her wedding was, and of course, congratulations. They had surrounded her the moment she had stepped on the boat, and remained a solid presence nearby if she had needed a moment to breathe. If anyone understood, it was other celebrities.
Sakura had disabled notifications from all her socials, and was determined not to look until filming finished. If there was a crisis, Shika would handle it. But unless something major happened, Sakura didn't want to see what was swirling around the internet.
Sakura didn't know what to do with her relationship with Kakashi at the moment. She was still hurt about him not telling her about his ANBU job, about using her for bait. Sex had not made everything all better, contrary to what her romance novels said. There was still a hollow, cold ache in her, the echoes of betrayal. But she liked being friendly with him, had grown to enjoy his company over the last two weeks. Where did that leave them? Weary allies, lovers in the night? Or business partners, occasional fuck buddies? Husband and wife? Ha!
So, she had elected to carry on as she always had. With herself in the center of attention and limelight, and Kakashi watching silently. It was comfortable and easy. Besides, he was still her bodyguard. She was content the way things were. She ignored the twinge in her chest at the thought.
A knock on the doors to their room, and then TenTen and Temari were both popping their heads in, eyes bright with mischief.
"Come on you two, we want to drink rum from a coconut." Temari said, a smile pulling her perfect lips up.
"Yeah," TenTen added, "tomorrow will be all work and no play. So let's go play!" Her brown eyes were twinkling, and Sakura wondered if this was more of an effort to get her into a better mood than it was to let the girls drink rum from coconuts.
Sakura waved a hand at Ino, the message clear. "This one is being fucking slow,"
Temari opened one of the double doors all the way and stood in the doorway, arms over her chest. "Ino, why is it that you were a surprise guest and now you're the one holding us up?" She tapped one of her black sandals impatiently.
Ino grinned viciously at the other blonde. "You can't rush perfection."
The other three women rolled their eyes.
Sakura took Ino by the elbow and dragged her out, tugging the suite door closed with her free hand. The hall that connected them to the rest of the villa wasn't really a hall at all, but a (fake) torch lined breezeway, gossamer curtains swaying softly along the sides in place of walls. Laughter bounced off the sandstone pavers from the direction of the men's rooms, louder than they should have been while technically inside. This was why Sakura lived alone. Or had lived. For all the attention and flashing lights, she loved, she needed peace and quiet. Like she had when it was just her and Kakashi.
They met the rest of the cast by the front doors, the men dressed in light, beach friendly clothing. The island they were on, off the southern coast of mainland Land of Waves existed in perpetual summer, the temperatures never dropping below 70 degrees. Fortunately, their suite rooms were airconditioned, since they had actual walls, unlike the halls connecting the suites.
They made their way down a cobbled path to the beach, where tents had been erected with buffets inside, tiki torches burning all around, the surf crashing 50 feet away. There was a bonfire burning to one side of the welcome party, flames crackling hotly toward a clear night sky. Sakura saw the shadows of the security hovering around the perimeter, Kakashi's silver hair lit up by the star light.
She was tempted to go over and speak to him, maybe lay into him a little more for tossing her into the depths, by TenTen laced her fingers through Sakura's and tugged her into a tent, mouth-watering smells overcoming her senses. Her stomach grumbled, angry with her for barely eating all day.
Sakura snagged a porcelain plate and loaded it up with all kinds of steaming delicacies, delighted by the spread of exotic and fresh food. She hoped Kakashi and her guards also had the opportunity to eat, which was a thought that had never really occurred to her before. But Kakashi had been cooking with her since he'd moved into her house, and it felt wrong to expect him to fend for himself. And by extension, it felt wrong for all of her guards to not get to eat.
Plate and silverware in hand, Sakura sidled up beside a PD, her feet nearly slipping on the sand. The middle-aged man turned to her with an eyebrow lifted in expectation, though his eyes betrayed his wariness.
"Will all the crew get to eat?" She asked, but it was barely a question. Her eyes said 'my men will get to eat'.
The tension left the PD's face, a smile tugging his mouth. "Yes, of course. We ordered enough for everyone. Make sure your husband tries the sashimi," he said with a wink. Sakura could tell he was being genuine, not just saying it to avoid her wrath. She nodded approvingly and turned her back, striding for a picnic table set up in the sand under the cover of the tent, her friends already sitting down and digging in.
Sakura sat down and produced her cell phone, shooting off a text to Kakashi before she ate.
To Big Cock-kashi: Everyone gets to eat. Make sure you all eat your fill.
From Big Cock-kashi: Thanks for the heads up. Genma and Gai are going to eat everything not nailed down.
Sakura snickered to herself at his reply, her chopsticks snagging a fried shrimp from her plate. Cast and crew filled the tables around Sakura and her friends, conversation building as the mood became jovial.
Sweat dripped down Sakura's back as she stood up after dinner and made her way towards the bonfire, coconut-filled-with-rum in hand. Behind her trailed her co-stars, boisterous laughter filling the cooling air. The sands shifted beneath their sandals and a slight breeze blew from the dark ocean. Sakura took a seat on a log set a few feet from the bonfire, stretching her legs out in front of her.
Lee, second or third drink in hand, stopped before the blaze and threw his head back, howling towards the moon. "It's so good to be at the beach! It's revitalizing." His grin stretched from one ear to the other, his energy limitless.
"Well it would be revitalizing, if we had any peace," Neji grumbled, sitting down beside Sakura and burying his feet beneath the sand. "But you and Ino don't know how to be quiet." He frowned deeply at the other man while Sai echoed the sentiment.
"I wonder if this island has any pretty young ladies?" Lee continued, unbothered by Neji's annoyance. Lee's gaze drifted across Sakura, and he sputtered. "Of course, there won't be any ladies prettier than you, Sakura. But now that there's no hope for me…" He trailed off, dejected for a moment before determination stole over his easy-to-read face. Omoi clapped Lee on the shoulder with sympathy.
"There is a woman for you…Probably. Maybe." Omoi frowned into the flames, a line appearing between his brows.
"Thank you for that brilliant reassurance," Lee deadpanned.
"There's someone for all of us…Probably. Maybe." Temari added playfully as she stepped over a log.
Sakura released a heavy exhale then took a healthy sip from her coconut. Temari sat on her other side and rested her head on Sakura's shoulder.
TenTen breezed over and deposited herself in Neji's lap, which caused everything about the handsome man to change. His cold countenance thawed immediately, his eyes softening as TenTen ran her fingers through his long, unbound hair,
"How about a ghost story?" she asked, glancing around at the cast spread around the fire.
Ino groaned. "TenTen, why do you insist on subjecting us to creepy shit? I didn't sleep for a week after your last ghost story." She was laying on her back in the sand between the log Sai had sat on and the fire, her blonde hair reflecting reds and gold.
TenTen giggled. "Ghost stories are the best! They make me feel alive."
"So does skydiving. Your idea of a good time, Ten, is wildly different from the rest of ours." Ino scowled at the brunette.
A member of the filming crew approached and took a seat on the log next to Sakura's. It was an older lady Sakura believed worked in the costuming department. She also had a coconut, a little tiki umbrella sticking out of it. "So, you want a ghost story?" she inquired, her dark eyes flashing about the group of them. Her accent told Sakura she was from the Land of Waves.
"Yes!" Lee and TenTen answered enthusiastically.
The woman cackled. "Let me tell you one then, about this island." Her smile was sweet, but a shudder ran down Sakura's spine. "This is where I am from, you know. So, I happen to know them all—and know them to be true."
Sakura took another heavy drink from her coconut. She had been hoping they would just dance and drink around the bonfire tonight, but noooo, they had to double down on creepy shit. Halloween was over, damn it all!
Sakura found herself clinging to Temari as the woman dove into her tale, a frown fixed firmly on her face. She wished Naruto and Sasuke were with her. She wished Kakashi would step out of the shadows.
The story was about a noble woman who had lived on the island a couple hundred years before, who had been kidnapped and murdered by pirates. Her soul walked the beaches at night, drowning unsuspecting people for revenge because no one had saved her.
The story delved into the things locals had seen and experienced, and by then Sakura was well and truly freaked out, which pissed her off. She was at the beach! The stars were clear, the water was calm, the temperature was perfect! She should be relaxing, not clenching Temari's hand hard enough to break bone! But apparently people on the island saw specters all over, and things moved mysteriously. Sakura didn't care for that shit. At. All.
TenTen and Sai clapped when her story finished, and Ino sat up, her eyes flying right to Sakura's. "I've changed my mind," She announced, her voice carrying over the crackling flames and across the beach. "I'm going to bunk with Genma. You're no protection from ghosts or pirates."
"You're going to leave me alone?" Sakura gaped at her friend. "How disloyal!"
Ino looked at her like she had a screw loose. "Babe, you have a husband. A hunky, lethal husband. Sleep with him!"
Sakura felt the tips of her ears turn pink. Of course, she had a husband. A hunky, lethal husband. Right.
She covered it up by saying back "Don't forget Ino, I'm lethal too," She emphasized her point by sticking out her tongue. "Besides, it's only right I sleep with my husband the night after we got married. You shouldn't have been in the equation to begin with, tag-a-long."
TenTen high-fived Sakura appreciatively before turning to the woman who had told the story. "Thank you for telling us! I've got chills!" She held up a slender arm, displaying the raised hairs there.
The older woman inclined her head in acknowledgement, then pushed to her feet with a groan. "When you're my age, you get a kick out of sharing your stories. Thank you for listening." She then walked off down the beach, utterly unafraid regardless of the tale she'd just spun. Sakura suspected she got a kick out of scaring the cast. She couldn't hold it against the woman.
"Come on guys, we've got to be up early tomorrow to film." Temari said with a sigh, standing and dusting sand from her backside. She glared down at Ino. "Well, some of us have work to do on this trip," She kicked sand over Ino's legs as she passed, showering the blonde's lower half in it.
"Bitch!"
Temari's laugh floated back over to them through the dark as she trekked up the path back towards the resort.
Sakura stood up as well, deciding she valued her sleep more than she valued taking a swim right then. She would swim tomorrow plenty, so there was no rush to get in the water. Besides, she'd already been in the ocean once, she remembered grumpily.
She heard the barely audible swish of Kakashi's steps in the sand behind her as she followed Temari's path, his presence warming her back as the fire faded behind her. He said nothing, but she knew he had heard about the abrupt change in sleeping arrangements.
They strode down the open-air halls of the villa in silence and remained that way even after entering the suite. It was a peaceful silence.
Sakura began getting ready for bed while Kakashi disappeared into the bathroom, changing into her lightest satin shorts and camisole for the heat. When Kakashi exited the bathroom she traded him places, taking off her make up, washing her face, and brushing her teeth. She was pretty sure this resort had a spa, and she made a mental note to go get a massage. If she was feeling generous, she'd book a couple's massage.
When she returned to the room the lights were out, and she could barely make out Kakashi's form on his side of the bed, his shirt gone but mask ever present. A familiar sight. Recalling the ghost tale, fear trickled down her spine and she hurriedly changed her clothes and snuck into bed, sliding under the covers.
She turned onto her side and found Kakashi's eyes open, staring at the ceiling, one hand behind his head.
Sakura had seen Kakashi's thousand mile stare several times today, and she wondered what made him look like that. She'd seen the look a million times, but she had no idea what set it off. It made him seem 100% the seasoned warrior he was. How far he seemed from her.
Staring at him like that, in the dark and in bed, had images from the night before flooding her brain. Heat pooled low inside of her, and she clenched her thighs together and bit her lip. She'd already been painfully attracted to him, now how was she supposed to act?
She continued to watch him, focusing on his side profile, the muscles of his shoulders, instead of dwelling on the ghost story. Which solved one problem but fueled another. She felt like she was going to combust, and she kind of wished he wasn't there so she could take care of it.
Unable to help herself, Sakura reached out a finger and stroked it down the bridge of Kakashi's mask covered nose. Then down his lips and neck, to his collar bone. He didn't stop her. She traced the outline of his clavicle, feeling the ridges of scars interrupting the otherwise smooth skin. She brushed the chain of his dog tags, then began a line down between his well-muscled pecks. He must've showered after they had arrived, because he no longer smelled of the sea after their dip earlier. He smelled like leather and gunpowder, like he always did.
"Sakura?" His voice in the dark surprised her.
"Yes?"
"Would you like to learn something new tonight?"