11 Ways
Paralyzed
Ten: Barrier Breached
The first time Sakura kissed
him Kakashi was paralyzed.
The two of them had been
‘cat and mouse’-ing for weeks. They had moved beyond innocent flirting and each
meeting between them was demarcated by increasingly pointed and graphic
innuendo.
The tension had been
building continually and he knew it was only a matter of time before it came to
a head and there would be only two options: either they’d have to avoid each
other completely or one of them would make a move. (He was disinclined to
believe the latter would happen because the two involved were he and
Sakura. He wasn’t about to do anything that foolhardy and he didn’t
think Sakura would have the gusto.)
He wasn’t sure how to handle
this, or if he even wanted to handle this, but their relationship had been set
in motion by the fact that he wasn’t enough of a coward to start ignoring her
now. Not only had he already been through the whole argument with himself about
how much gossip a move like that would stir up, but he knew it would be as much
as admitting that the situation was getting to him.
And there was no way
that was happening.
Still, he had his safety
zone. There was no touching; they both had their boundaries. Sure, there was
the occasional ghosting of breath against the neck as one would lean in to
whisper something it would be best for other ears not to overhear, but that was
the extent. No actual physical contact was ever made, even in a friendly way or
in a gesture of camaraderie.
He wasn’t sure what he would
do if that line was crossed.
He certainly didn’t expect
it the way it came.
There was no warning when
she shoved him up against the wall and drove her mouth to his, mask and all. No
shinobi in history had been able to surprise the famous Copy-
paralysis, yet one little pink haired kunoichi succeeded where all others had
failed.
He didn’t move when her
hands moved from his shoulders to his neck to cradle the back of his head. He
didn’t respond to the movements of her mouth against his. He didn’t so much as
sigh when she pulled his bottom lip between hers and bit it harshly.
She pulled back suddenly to
regard him as if aware his complete stillness held more significance than it
seemed, as if she could tell he was preventing himself from moving for fear of
shattering.
His gaze didn’t move from where
it was fixed on the other end of the room; he couldn’t bring himself to look
her in the face. He was afraid to try deciphering the multitude of emotions
swimming in her eyes, wary that he would see everything inside himself
reflected back in that moment.
A
of dark smoke marked her exit from the scene and it was a few moments before
Kakashi allowed his hand to make its way up to his face. His mask was still wet
from where their mouths had been joined.
He was grateful she’d left
him to make some semblance of his fragmented thoughts. No matter what he did
there was no going back now.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to.