"Kakashi!" Genma shouted his friend's name as he approached the man. "Buying jewelries? Are you buying a ring for your 'roommate'?"
The silver-haired man groaned at his friend's questions. He is merely looking at the necklaces as a certain charm caught his eye when he was walking pass the shop. "Why do you think I am buying a ring?" he hedged.
Genma smirked, leaning casually against the glass counter of the jewelry shop. "Oh, come on, Kakashi," he teased, his tone dripping with amusement. "You've been living with her for what, a year now? 'Roommate' doesn't exactly cover it anymore, does it?"
His fingers grazed over the charm absentmindedly as Genma's words settled in. His friend wasn't entirely wrong. People had been talking ever since Sakura moved in with him. At first, it was just idle gossip—a former student and her sensei, living together for convenience. But over time, the rumors grew louder, and while Kakashi didn't care much about what people thought, he knew their situation was more complicated than what anyone saw from the outside.
His public explanation of Sakura living with him to "help out" while he was often away on missions was technically true, but it wasn't the whole truth. The real reason—one he didn't admit to anyone except Sakura—was that they didn't want to be apart anymore. Life had quietly woven them together, and at some point, without realizing it, the space between them had vanished.
He glanced at Genma, who was still waiting for some witty retort or confirmation. But instead of answering, his thoughts drifted back to when Sakura had first come to him, the subtle shift from trusted companion to something deeper.
They had spent years working side by side, training, fighting, surviving. And throughout it all, he had watched her grow—from the girl who chased after Sasuke's shadow to a woman who had carved out her own space in the world. She wasn't just strong; she was resilient, intelligent, and far more compassionate than anyone gave her credit for. And somewhere along the way, she had become the person Kakashi confided in—the one person he could be himself around without the weight of expectations.
The transition from confidante to friend had been natural, and from friend to something more, inevitable. It was like one day he woke up and realized that Sakura wasn't just a part of his life—she was his life. Moving in together had felt less like a decision and more like a confirmation of what they had both known for a while.
But, of course, keeping that hidden was the tricky part.
"Ah, cat got your tongue?" Genma teased.
He snapped out of his thoughts, fixing the senbon user with a blank stare, though behind his mask, his lips twitched in mild annoyance. The man always had a knack for poking at things that he wasn't ready to confront—not directly, anyway.
"You're making a lot of assumptions," Kakashi replied coolly, slipping his hands into his pockets. He stepped back from the display, deciding to let the necklace go for now. "It's not that deep."
Genma chuckled, clearly not buying it. "Oh, but it is that deep, my friend. If you're still claiming she's just a 'roommate,' you might want to work on your poker face. Even with that infernal mask of yours, you look way too attached for that."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He was starting to feel cornered, and his friend's relentless teasing wasn't helping. The truth was, the line between them being just friends and something more had blurred long ago. Way before he had asked her to move in with him; long before they started sleeping together.
"Genma, find something to gossip about. Sakura living with me is an old tune." he advised the man, hoping to throw him towards another juicy gossip.
But the man just raised an eyebrow, his grin never faltering. "Oh, trust me, Kakashi. I'd love to, but when it comes to you and Sakura, the village never gets tired of speculating. You're like... the ultimate mystery couple. No one knows what's really going on except the two of you. That's why it's so fun to guess."
Kakashi rolled his eyes beneath his mask, his patience thinning. "You must be bored if this is all you've got," he muttered, casting a glance back at the necklaces. He didn't have the energy to deal with Genma's incessant need to needle at his personal life today, and yet here he was, stuck in the middle of it.
But Genma wasn't one to back down so easily. "Bored? Hardly. I just think it's interesting that you're still trying to play it cool when anyone with eyes can see what's really going on." He tilted his head, still grinning. "You're practically married already, Kakashi. You just don't want to admit it."
He froze at that, feeling the weight of the word "married" hanging in the air. Married? Him? He never thought much about labels like that. The life he'd led, the one of constant missions and danger, had never seemed like it could include anything as normal or stable as marriage. But now... living with Sakura, waking up beside her, sharing quiet evenings together—it wasn't normal, maybe, but it was something.
"Well, unless you're just wanting her near so that she's more accessible, then I totally understand. She grew up to be a very pretty kunoichi. Who thought she'd bloom like that when she was just a scrawny child?" he mused loudly. "Ah, no matter, when you get tired of her or she of you, send her along my way, ne?" he goaded, trying to annoy him to make the man realize what he is wasting with the young woman.
Kakashi's eyes darkened at the man's last comment, the easy-going demeanor he had been trying to maintain slipping for just a moment. He may not have been the type to show his emotions readily, but there were limits to how much needling he could tolerate—especially when it involved Sakura.
"Careful, Shiranui," Kakashi's voice was low, steady, but there was a warning edge to it. "Some lines you don't cross. Not even as a joke."
The playful smirk on Genma's face widened. "See? I knew you care about her more than you're willing to admit." he shrugged, "marry the girl, Hatake. And do it fast, some of us are just waiting for her to move out of your home for us to come swooping in."
Kakashi's gaze sharpened, his expression hidden behind his mask but his intent crystal clear. His words, though delivered in his usual lighthearted tone, hit a nerve. Not because he thought there was any real threat, but because of the implications behind them. He wasn't wrong—others in the village admired Sakura, respected her strength, her beauty. The idea of someone else making a move on her wasn't what bothered Kakashi. It was the idea that he had been holding back, when maybe he shouldn't be.
Genma laughed, unaware—or maybe aware—of the tension building in the silence. "Relax, Kakashi. You know I'm just messing with you. Besides," he continued with a casual shrug, "Sakura's too smart to go for someone like me anyway. She's got a soft spot for the quiet, broken types."
Kakashi's brow furrowed as he watched Sakura enter the house, her usual energetic demeanor replaced by something somber. Her face was pale, lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't say anything as she kicked off her shoes and hung her cloak on the hook by the door.
"Sakura," his voice was soft but laced with concern. "What happened?"
"I'm just tired." she said with a yawn. "More so than usual." she walked towards him and crawled on the couch to lay her head on his lap. "Feels like home." she hummed contentedly.
His hand moved instinctively to her hair, his fingers threading through the soft pink strands in a soothing rhythm. He felt her relax against him, the tension melting away from her body as she let out a small sigh. It was moments like this—when everything seemed to slow down and the rest of the world faded—that Kakashi realized just how deeply intertwined their lives had become.
"You're working so hard." he commented. "You have to slow down."
Sakura let out a tired laugh, her cheek pressed against Kakashi's thigh. "You're one to talk," she mumbled, her eyes fluttering shut. "But you're right. It's just… there's so much to do at the hospital. And Tsunade's been sending me on more missions lately." She didn't need to say it, but he knew. She was trying to keep up with the demands of both a medical ninja and her role as a combat kunoichi, and it was taking its toll.
"You can ask to be off the roster for a moment." he said. "I'll ask to be off too so that we'll have some time together again."
Sakura's eyes opened slightly at his words, a small, tired smile gracing her lips. "Appreciate it, love." she murmured as she turned to her side to press her face against his stomach. "But if we ask for same offs, the rumor mill will get going again."
Kakashi chuckled softly, his fingers still gently running through her hair. "Let them talk," he said, his voice low and soothing. "They already are. Besides, they don't know half of it."
She hummed, closing her eyes again, feeling the weight of exhaustion but comforted by his presence. "You say that now," she whispered, "but I know you hate the attention."
"I don't mind." he said honestly. "Especially if I get to spend time with you." he continued to card his fingers through her hair, trying to get her to relax. "What do you think? We can go elsewhere."
"That will definitely get the rumors going, Kashi."
Kakashi let out a quiet chuckle at her response, the nickname she used for him softening his heart just a bit more. It was a rare thing for her to use it—usually when they were in the comfort of their home, in moments like this, when the world was quiet and it was just the two of them. "Let them say what they want," he muttered, his voice carrying a casual confidence that belied the swirl of emotions beneath the surface.
Sakura shifted slightly, resting more comfortably against him. She opened her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips as she looked up at him. "You're different today. What's going on in that head of yours, huh?"
He shrugged, but there was a flicker in his gaze, something deeper. "Nothing much. Just thinking about… things." He tried to sound nonchalant, but Sakura knew him too well by now. She could sense the subtle shifts in his mood, the quiet way he internalized everything. She had learned to read the signs—the way he absently fidgeted with his mask or avoided direct eye contact when something was on his mind.
"Things?" she repeated, her eyebrow raised in mild amusement. "That's vague, even for you."
Kakashi sighed, realizing there was no getting past her. "Genma said something today," he began slowly, feeling her shift slightly to give him her full attention. "He was… joking around about us. About how we're practically married."
Sakura blinked, the words hanging in the air between them. She stayed silent for a moment, letting them sink in. Then, she let out a soft laugh. "Genma would say something like that. Don't worry, I am not going to ask you to marry me. I won't even suggest it." she reassured him, thinking that it was what made him rethink everything.
Kakashi stared down at her, his eyes soft but unreadable behind the mask. "It's not that," he murmured, his fingers still gently threading through her hair. "I just never thought about marriage... not for me, anyway."
Sakura shifted, propping herself up slightly to look at him more closely. "Kakashi, we don't have to label anything," she said, her voice calm and understanding. "I am not expecting anything from you. We can stay like this, for as long as you want."
"What if one day," he started. "one day, ten years from now, I want you to leave?" he asked. "Like the past years meant nothing?"
Kakashi watched as a thoughtful looked crossed her face. "If you truly want that, then I'll leave." she answered honestly. "As long as you didn't ask me because of misunderstanding, I will leave. I know you wouldn't ask me otherwise if you haven't thought about it like a million times over. When the time comes that you ask me to leave, it just means that you truly want me out."
Kakashi's heart sank a little at Sakura's response, though he knew she was only speaking the truth—her truth. She had always been that way, pragmatic and straightforward, even when it came to matters of the heart. And he had come to rely on that honesty, even when it stung. But still, the idea of her walking out of his life so easily, after everything they'd shared, felt like a heavy weight in his chest.
He looked down at her, the comfortable silence between them now filled with unspoken thoughts. Could he really let her go? Could he really imagine a future where she wasn't a part of his life? The years they had spent together—fighting, healing, growing—had made her more than just someone he shared space with. She was his anchor, his balance in a chaotic world. But Kakashi had never been the type to cling to things, always prepared to lose what mattered most.
And yet, the idea of losing Sakura… it was different.
"You wouldn't fight it?" he asked, his voice quiet. There was something vulnerable in the question, something Kakashi rarely allowed himself to show.
Sakura's expression softened, and she reached up to cup his face, her hand resting against his masked cheek. "Kakashi," she whispered, "I wouldn't fight something you've already decided. I've never wanted to trap you. If being with me isn't what you want anymore, then I'd respect that. I'd want you to be happy, even if it's not with me."
Her words, spoken with such clarity and understanding, should have comforted him. But instead, they unsettled him. He realized, in that moment, just how much he had come to depend on her. And not just for companionship or the comfort of having someone around. No, it was deeper than that. Sakura had become the one person who made him feel grounded—safe, even.
And for the first time in a long while, Kakashi found himself afraid. Afraid that if he didn't act, if he didn't make it clear what she meant to him, one day he might lose her—not because she wanted to leave, but because he had let her believe she wasn't as important to him as she truly was.
"Enough with the heavy talk." she chastised him. "How was your day?"
Kakashi's thoughts were still tangled, even as Sakura shifted the conversation. His instinct was to push everything down, to avoid the weight of the moment and move on as if nothing had changed. But something in him had already shifted, and he couldn't quite let it go. His hand continued its soothing path through her hair, but his mind raced.
"It was… uneventful," he answered finally, his voice deliberately light. "Genma's still Genma, as you could guess."
Sakura laughed softly, her eyes fluttering shut again. "That explains a lot. I can only imagine what nonsense he was spouting."
Kakashi let out a quiet chuckle, the tension between them easing. He wanted to stay in this moment, this peaceful space where the two of them could exist without the weight of the world pressing in on them. But Genma's words still echoed in his mind, and the truth of what he felt for Sakura gnawed at him.
Sakura, however, seemed to sense the undercurrent of unease that still lingered. She tilted her head slightly, her cheek resting against his leg. "You sure you're okay, Kakashi?" she asked gently. "You seem distracted."
He just shrugged it off. "It's Shiranui. He told me that when you move out of here, he'll come swooping in for you."
Sakura chuckled softly, eyes still closed as she lay against Kakashi. "Genma, huh? He's persistent, I'll give him that." She sighed, the smile fading as she nestled deeper into his warmth. "But you know I wouldn't let that happen, right?"
Kakashi's hand paused mid-stroke in her hair. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to keep his tone casual.
"I mean," Sakura began, opening her eyes to look up at him. "Even if I did leave—if one day you decide you need space, or whatever—I'm not running to Genma. Or anyone else, for that matter."
Kakashi's heart tightened at her words. There was that raw honesty again—the kind that both comforted and terrified him. He wasn't sure if it was because of the vulnerability in her statement or because of how easily she accepted the idea that he might one day ask her to leave. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about it before—about what it meant to let someone get so close, to share his space, his life. But the idea of her actually leaving, of someone else filling that space, felt... wrong.
"Good," Kakashi replied, his voice softer than usual. "I don't think I could handle Genma's smug face."
Sakura laughed again, but this time it was gentler, more relaxed. "Genma doesn't stand a chance," she murmured, she reached up to him and kissed his cheek, nuzzling it with her nose after. "You're it for me, Kashi." she murmured softly as she rested her head on the crook of his neck. "Love you."
Kakashi froze for a moment, feeling the warmth of Sakura's breath on his neck and the weight of her words settling into his chest. She had said it so simply, so easily, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
'You're it for me, Kashi.'
He hadn't expected to hear that. Not now. Not like this. Kakashi had spent so long avoiding attachment, always one foot out the door, ready to lose the people he cared about. But Sakura... she wasn't just someone who could be lost. She had become something irreplaceable.
His fingers, still tangled in her hair, stilled as he swallowed hard. "Sakura…" he began, but the words wouldn't come. He wasn't used to this kind of vulnerability, wasn't used to anyone being this close, physically or emotionally.
Sakura lifted her head slightly to look at him, her green eyes searching his face for some sign of what he was thinking. She smiled softly, sensing his discomfort. "Don't worry," she said lightly, "you don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know."