Mind Games

(YAY! Ch 11 is finally here! Honestly, I didn’t think this story would go on for this long or involve so many couples. It was only intended to last about 4 ch. Funny how much one little bag of incense can cause. Thank you, thank you, and thank you many times over for reading this fic. Happy readings)


He leaned over fluffing the pillows under her head. She was so close to him, so close, that his sent smelt intoxicating. One part of the spicy aftershave he always used one part rugged adventure. Sakura smiled, finally finding bliss in her small slice of heaven. Here she was just inches from him, just inches from touching his chests.
“ I’m fine sensei …. Just feeling much better.” That was the worst lie that she had told in days. Starting today, it was if all her lies were breaking down around her and now there were no more lies to cover up her feelings. Starting now, this was the end. Starting now she had to hell him.
Looking down upon her, Kakashi expression of comfort and concern changed. He slumped into a sitting position next to her on the floor.
Tired from his own emotions there was one thing that he had to say “ Sakura …I ..

Fall into place:

Her breath was caught mid way in her chest as he leaned back against the coffee table with an exhausted sigh.
“Sensei what’s wrong?” Without thought, her brain began to blurt out any words of concern out of confusion. “ Are you sick, tired? I have some aspirin in the medicine cabinet if you have a headache.”
“No” He waved his hand as if pushing away such a simple explanation for his sudden change of heart. “ I’m fine, it’s just …”
Sakura, stunned, quickly sat up from her position on the couch. He looked so worn, somewhat physically, but more so in the mental state. Her lips parted as she starred blankly in his direction. There was so much she wanted to say, but for some reason, her mind was an empty slate.
“Sakura …I.. “ His tone grew more serious as he reached out to take her hand. “ I can’t lie to you anymore”
There was a short pause of silence, as Sakura took in the realization the he had grasped a hold of her hand in desperation. The sunlight outside had began to shift into mid day and the sun’s glow bathed the room in an ambient soft yellow haze. As the light dimmed, his glance in question made her flash back into reality. Perhaps, she was silent too long.
“Lie?!” Sakura pulled back her hand in protest. “ Lie about what?!” Sakura spited his unassuring glance with an annoyed smirk.
Was he somehow unknowing leading her on? Knowingly leading her on? Now more than ever she was frustrated and confused.
Sakura shook her head, as if this would help her somehow miraculously center her thoughts. To Kakashi however, it must have looked like she was telling him no.
With a hardened sigh, Kakashi looked to the floor. Nervously, he rubbed his right hand over his temple hidden beneath his forehead protector.
“So unlike him to stall for the truth.” She thought to herself as she waited in defense for fear that chances are she was about her hear something she wasn’t going to be happy with. Though, his lack of forwardness what beginning to get to her. She wasn’t sure what was driving her mad faster, his stalling, or just what was on his mind.
A few more moments of silence pasted, and nervously Kakashi’s lips parted. “Lie…”
The soft hum of his voice make Sakura jump unexpsectly and suddenly she could only find herself focused on him with no thoughts of stray anger, frustration or aggression.
He managed to turn his eye away from the floorboards and tuned his attention completely towards her. Stepping from the couch, Sakura knelt before him, this time it was her that took a hold of his hands. His fingertips intertwined with hers, Sakura couldn’t help but to close her eyes as she felt his large, tight leather gloves wrap around her tiny hands.
“Sensei …. “ Her voice reminded calm, but the defense to wait for heartache stood watch. She pleaded to him. “Please, tell me what’s wrong. Please, be honest with me.”
Taking a deep breath, Kakashi summoned all the will that he had inside of him, despite the fact that his hands were trembling within hers. “Lie …I can’t deny that recently, if not more so in the past few days that I’ve been thinking of you.”
“Thinking of me ?” Sakura jumped as she felt her heart skip a beat . “ Thinking of me in what way? As your former student you’re ..”
Kakashi let go of her right hand placing a single fingertip across her lips. Sakura fell silent with the exception of her rapidly beating heart.
Leaning closer as if he wished for no one to hear, he whispered to her. “Not as a student.”
He said it so abruptly, however it caused Sakura’s mind to freeze faster than an artic day. The humidity of his words felt as if they lingered on her own lips. “ Not as a student ..”
As if lightening stuck, Sakura had a million questions, thousands of emotions, storming in her brain. “ …but if not as a student then ..What do you mean?!”
Already she knew, but she needed to hear it come from his own lips.
Panicked by his force of overconfidence towards her, Kakashi backed away, his gaze turned automatically to the boards in the hardwood floor. “I mean ….I’ve cared deeply for you for some time now ..At least since we’ve been sparing together for the past few months. I ..”
He cut himself off for fear that he had already said too much. If he told her now, there would be no backing down from his decision.
His mind flashed back to the memory of the villager’s gossip. He may have told her not to listen to their mindless babble, but if somehow romance began to bud between them, how will the villagers treat her later. He couldn’t bare to see her labeled, in a scandal. What could it do to her promising medical reputation?
Now he was sure he’d already said too much, but there were still so many feelings that he could no longer ignore. If she said no to him, he could carry on that he’d said his peace and he could move on without dragging her down with him in shame.
Sakura tried to pull him closer but it was of no use. He had shelled himself away from her trying to regain his normal cool status. Meanwhile, thinking how to conjure the feelings he held within.
Not knowing what to say as more silent moments past, Sakura watched the shadows dance across the room from the sunlight. Normally, this would be something that would calm someone’s nerves, say, on a lazy Sunday afternoon. This time it only seemed to make her stand on end.
Looking at him so longingly, he seemed so far way despite the fact they were sitting only inches from one another. Her heart whispered his name. “ Kakashi ..”
Without words, his own heart seemed to answer her’s back within a faint smile hidden behind his mask. That was all the encouragement he needed to tell her the rest of his heart’s feelings.
‘Sakura …” He turned to embrace her in his arms. “ I can’t lie to you that when you fell from the ledge into the embankment, I had already been there all morning. I needed time, time to think, time to tell you how deeply I’ve fallen for you, how much it had my heart tied in knots that you stood me up that morning.”
“ Fallen for me!” Sakura’s eyes seemed as if they could burst from tears of happiness.
Finally, her dreams had come true!
Kakashi held her closer, feeling her tears fall like soft rain against his navy blue turtleneck shirt . “ I know it’s so wrong but I had to let you know ,I know I told you know to listen to what people had to say when we walked past , but I’m scared of my own feelings. I don’t want to hurt you Sakura …it’s not right for a teacher to have such feeling for a student.”
“Sensei “ Sakura stood firm on her decision long before he even asked. She looked him straight in the face, and told him no longer fearing rejection. “I could never turn away from you. Kakashi- Sensei, I love you too.”
“No Sakura …I’ve said too much.”
Now he knew there was a reason to worry, she far from understood the situation they were in. Kakashi Got up from the floor and turned to walk away however, she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind preventing him from leaving.
“Sakura ..”
Kakashi felt a deep shiver ride up his spine as he felt her hands work their way slowly
up his back. She was so close to him, so close the when she leaned forward he could feel her breasts nudge gently against the back of his vest. Yet, her hands didn’t stop there, working their way around the short messy sliver locks that hung just above that back of his neck.
Clenching his fists, Kakashi breathed deeply inwards. No matter what he had to do the right thing.
“ Sakura, please I ..” His mind fell silent as he felt her fingertips work away at the knot holding his forehead protector into place. Watching the heavy metal plate hit the floor, the navy blue band seemed to flutter behind the falling like a comet’s tail. His Sharrgan Eye was reviled fully.
He wasn’t ready to face her, not out of anger, but for the fact that if he faced her again that he wouldn’t be able to leave this time.
“ Sensei ..” Her voice teased him with hints of ignorant innocence, however her arms, in the way that she held him told a different story, one that made his mind flash back to a dream he had days ago, the one that he replayed in his mind since that day. “ …Stay ..”
Her hands, now hidden under the darkness of his vest danced just above the hem of his sweatpants, not daring to go underneath, but just enough to gain his attention.
“Sakura !” Kakashi spun on the heals of his sandals. “This wasn’t some kind of game that horny teenagers play!” He was serious when he told her they could never have anything meaningful under the circumstances that were under.
“ Sakura , I’m no ..t’
As he turned to protest, Sakura cupped his chin in her hand kissing him deeply over his hidden lips.
Kakashi knew in his mind he had to leave, he had to walk way. That it was the right thing to do. However, his male instincts told him to stay and play.
( To be continued)
Yeah, I know it was another short chappy, ( Sorry ) but the good stuff is soon to come. tee..hee..