It all started with that dream...

Chp 14: Dances with Kakashi

“Don’t turn around but I think yet another one of your fangirls is giving me the evil eye!” Sakura joked laughingly to the guy holding out a beverage in front of her. Sakura accepted it smilingly as Sasuke scowled. “Well, don’t turn around but I think one of yours is about to come over and ask you for a dance!” he exclaimed evilly, subjecting her to the same distress he had felt earlier when he had been forced to have ten or so dances with various girls, each sighing dreamily in his arms at any given moment. “I think it’s Rock Lee!” he said, his tall figure easily recognizing the ninja making his way through the crowd towards his companion, “yup, definitely can’t mistake that green!” Sakura looked up in alarm, as if daring his statement to be untrue. It wasn’t that she minded dancing with him but this would be her fourth dance with the guy and word was fast spreading that she was favouring him, the rumour definitely stoked by his silence and goofy smiles when prodded by the other ninjas. “Tell him he just missed me! I went to the bathroom! No, wait, actually, tell him you don’t know where I am!” Sakura amended as a horrifying thought of the green clad ninja waiting for her patiently with a large grin on his face and sly smiles on the villagers’ faces as she exited the bathroom popped into her mind. With her skirts whirling around her slim ankles, she manoeuvred her way skillfully through the throng of people and ran.

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It had been maybe half an hour since she had run from the dance floor, she thought with a smile, feeling rather silly in regards to her ‘great escape’, yet also feeling thrillingly exhilarated. She rested her arms against the red rails of the familiar bridge, thinking back to the night where Kakashi had shown up, looking absolutely sleepy and adorable. With a small smile, she kicked a stray pebble into the river below with a delicately encased foot, disrupting the stillness of the water. She watched her reflection disappear as she contemplated her night with Sasuke. It had been fun, despite her unending search for a glimpse of an exceptionally tall man with silver hair. Who knew there had been quite a few men with silver hair! But each hadn’t been tall enough or muscled enough or lean enough and well…Basically, none had gotten her heart pounding and her stomach twisting in knots. None had made her throat constrict continually and her lips run dry. None had been Kakashi, she thought with a heavy sigh. She kicked another pebble into the slowly stilling waters, enjoying watching her reflection be lost to quivering circles where the pebble had plunged into the waters. ‘I guess he didn’t come…,’ Sakura thought in disappointment. Not that she had been entirely sure he would come… Yet, she had had the feeling that he would…

Mournfully watching the waters slowly even out and her reflection returning, she noticed with a start another reflection forming beside hers. She must have been totally immersed in her thoughts or he had just come…It was probably the latter. As she noted the tall figure of a man’s reflection forming, her first thought was that Sasuke had come to join her. But then she realized that her heart had slowly started to pound. Her stomach was slowly twisting itself into knots. Her throat was beginning to constrict itself. And her lips were suddenly dry… Even as she licked her lips, she noted the unmistakable glint of muted silver in the water’s reflection and…was that his face?!! She slowly turned to look at the man beside her but he hadn’t turned. She studied his unmasked left profile, noting the floppy hair she wanted to brush away from his eye. She absorbed the sight of a smooth unscarred cheek and the curve of a definitely normal pair of lips. He still refused to turn and it was driving her crazy to see how his face looked like! But she didn’t want to force him to turn. She wanted him to turn around by himself.

“Kakashi!” she whispered. “Hello beautiful,” he said as she watched in amazement as the visible corner of his lips curved upwards in a smile that felt familiar but looked unfamiliar to her. Still, he hadn’t turned. “You’re here!” she exclaimed, a flood of happiness rushing along her veins, delicious and warm, “unmasked…” She tried to smile teasingly but was still caught in her surprise. “Well, you saw a lot more of me this morning,” Kakashi said with a slow smile as he finally turned to look at her to watch her reaction. The embarrassing reminder had Sakura blushing to the tips of her toes as she looked down, busily looking at her own feet. Then his slippered ones…With alarming fascination, she found herself thinking that his toes had to be the cutest thing on earth! Knowing that he was probably looking at her with unconcealed amusement, she forced her gaze to shift elsewhere but it only moved upwards to strong, muscled legs silhouetted by the black yukata he wore. Her gaze quickly shifted yet upwards and was caught, mesmerized, by the sight of his strong upper body highlighted by the folds of the yukata draped over his muscled shoulders as if they belonged there. They stretched over his strong chest and her green eyes couldn’t seem to leave the vicinity of the glimpse of chest that showed in the V-shaped neckline opening. She couldn’t believe herself! She had seen him in practically nothing only this morning! Why was the sight of him in a yukata driving her totally delirious!?

Finally, she felt her gaze travel upwards. She couldn’t wait to see the face she had been waiting forever to see. The face that had caused so many plans to be plotted by Team 7 in their younger days. The face that had haunted her many, many dreams. But she wanted to savour this moment. Slowly, she took in the gentle but masculine strong curve of his chin, his jaw, upwards to the chiseled cheeks that looked soft to the touch. She nervously licked her own rapidly drying lips as she visually examined his sculpted pair, firm yet full and sensually molded. Kissable…Her gaze shooting upwards in embarrassment, she noted the graceful, almost aristocratic nose before moving upwards to his eyes. She recognized the familiar right eye she was so used to seeing and the glare of the red sharingan in his left eye, peeking through his silver locks. His skin was smooth and unscarred save for the one scar over his left eye. His face was beautiful. He was absolutely beautiful. And right now, every feature of that beautiful face was shrouded with amusement, from the crinkling of his eyes to his amused smile.

Kakashi was absurdly pleased to see her obvious enjoyment of his features, albeit embarrassed. He had decided he couldn’t forget her. He should probably stop trying. What was so wrong if they were to be together? He would give up the world if he could be with the gorgeous young woman before him right then. Besides, he didn’t see her with Sasuke. Maybe he imagined their involvement. Surely if she was as smitten as he remembered, she wouldn’t leave the man’s side! And the way she was looking at him… He swallowed. Maybe he hadn’t imagined their moments together. Maybe there really was something there… In mimicry of a few nights ago, the both of them stood atop the red bridge, close to each other as witnessed by the moonlit night. It had been a full moon then too…Under that full moon, Kakashi gave in, all his misgivings melting away. There didn’t seem to be any more of that voice of reason warning him to stop. He couldn’t stop. Finally, Kakashi decided that he would try for her. If it all worked out, who cared what everyone else thought. He would make her so happy that she would forget any horrible things anyone dared to say against them. But he wouldn’t try anything until she made her first move. If she did, he would try his damndest to win her and keep her but if he didn’t… ‘Well, I guess I wouldn’t be meant to have her…’ Though it was selfish, he couldn’t stop hoping for the former…

His teasing voice finally breaking the silence, he remarked with a jaunty grin, “Like what you see?” He winked. For Sakura, watching his face come to life with his expressions for the first time was a wonder to her. And it rendered her speechless. She couldn’t seem to speak! First, it had been her lips and throat that felt they were sucked of moisture. But now, even her tongue felt like it was made of paper! “Don’t tell me I’ve shocked you speechless. I’m not that pretty,” Kakashi said with a laugh as he winked at the stunned girl. Sakura managed to laugh at that, albeit eking out a rather strangled one. “I… You’re…You’re beautiful!” she finally exclaimed with a laugh, sanity returning. Kakashi laughed at that before replying with a quiet smile, “Not as beautiful as you…” Sakura was still staring at his face in fascination, watching the smile that had been hidden under the mask the whole time she had known him light up his features, so she was lost to the meaningful words until a few moments later. “Oh!” she exclaimed with an embarrassed laugh, “No…no, I’m definitely not beautiful!” Kakashi fingered the carnation she held. “This looks really good against you. A gift?” he asked with a smile. ‘Sasuke…?’ he thought with a slight twinge of uncontrolled disappointment, his smile freezing uncomfortably. She nodded and he studied her face carefully, looking for signs that she was still as infatuated as ever with the Uchiha. To his surprise, he found none.

“Your favourite flower?” he asked, trying to dispel his slight feelings of jealousy. He shouldn’t be feeling jealous! What was wrong with him…? Sakura smiled. “Well, actually, lilies are my favourite. But this is really beautiful…It matches my outfit, don’t you think?” Sakura winked. For a while, both stood in silence, each content. Each wishing the night would never end. In the silence, strains of the music from the dance area drifted over to them. “Want to dance?” Sakura asked, praying he wouldn’t say no. Kakashi held out his arms wordlessly, his gesture softened by a smile playing about his lips, praying she was silently asking for more. Sakura stepped into his arms and both lazily swayed to the faint music. Conversation wasn’t necessary. They stayed that way long after the music ended. Each never wanted to leave the other’s embrace. Kakashi stroked her hair gently, whispering, “I like your hair like this.” He pulled away slightly to look at her with a smile. Sakura blushed, shyly whispering, “Thanks. Ino did it for me.” ‘Don’t leave,’ Kakashi said with a burning glance. ‘I want to stay like this, with you, forever…,’ Sakura silently wished.

At the same moment, each noticed the absence of music and the way they were still in each other’s arms. Each awkwardly hoped the other wouldn’t notice the lack of dancing accompaniment before Kakashi finally pulled away with a regretful inward sigh. “So, it looks like the dance may be over. I better bring you back there. Sasuke must be looking for you!” he said with a smile, holding out a hand. He didn’t know why he did. Were they going to walk there holding hands? What was Sasuke going to think? What would everybody think? Sakura hadn’t even made any sort of move on him yet, unless he counted the dance, which he didn’t. So, it probably wasn’t wise to incur the villagers’ possible derisive reactions when she might not even be interested in him. And if she was possibly still in love with the Uchiha, he didn’t want to spoil any budding sparks by a possibly wrongly interpreted bout of hand-holding followed by Sakura’s long absence. Yet, he couldn’t help feeling like something had changed between them after that dance. Like something had been forged…

Luckily, Sakura exclaimed, “Wait!” before rummaging through the bag over her shoulder. He self-consciously withdrew his outstretched hand in relief. She didn’t seem to notice that anything was out of the ordinary. In fact, she seemed intent on finding something in that bag of hers. For him? He wondered what she could possibly retrieve from the bag. Finally, she withdrew a long, slender silver chain and he studied the pendant hanging off it which was glinting in the moonlight. A necklace… For him? His heart pounded harder. Sakura approached with a smile, the hand holding the necklace reaching out for one of his hands. Awkwardly, he resumed the outstretched position of his arm that he had just retracted a few seconds ago. Into his upturned palm, she dropped the silver necklace, closing his fingers and resting her own over his fisted hand. “I saw this just now and it reminded me of you. I want you to have it,” she said with a little smile. If he wasn’t feeling so self-conscious and surprised, he would have almost sworn that she was shy. Like giving him this gift meant a lot to her. Like HE meant a lot to her. Kakashi swallowed.

“A necklace?” he asked, his voice hoarse even to his own ears. To Sakura, his voice sounded exactly like rough velvet caressing her in slow waves. “Yeah, a necklace,” she said softly, “it reminded me of you… I hope you like it…” Kakashi stared at her as she looked down. “Thank you…,” he said finally, a smile of pleasure finally, unstoppably, forming on his lips. He carried the fist with her hand resting on it upwards to his mouth, kissing it slowly as he looked at the shocked girl, “I really appreciate it…” He really did. From the way she was acting, he could almost swear that she was interested in him. But until she made a totally, blatantly obvious move on him, he wouldn’t trust his judgement just yet! “Come on, I’ll take you back,” he said, his smile staying on his lips, almost bordering on goofy! He offered his arm to her. Surely, this was less implicating than hand-holding. He should have offered his arm before, he thought wryly. With an almost nervous smile, Sakura looped her own arm through his and they made their way towards the dance floor.

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Sasuke approached Sakura with a smile, teasingly asking, “Where have you been all night? Rock Lee left pretty heartbroken…” Sakura could only smile, not that she had much choice in the matter. She had been unable to stop smiling since Kakashi had brought her back here. “You owe me!” Sasuke admonished in mock anger, “you were supposed to be my date. With you gone, I had to dance with so many girls, my feet ache! I guess I wasn’t quick enough to run away, huh?” Sasuke’s joking smile wrung a laugh from Sakura. “I guess I could treat you to ramen…,” she laughed. “Do you think I’m Naruto or something?” Sasuke joked as they headed towards Ichiraku. “Where was Naruto?” Sakura asked, puzzled, “I didn’t see him all night!” “He came with Hinata for a while. He asked for you but you were AWOL! He didn’t stay long…I think Hinata promised him ramen after the dance so he was pretty eager to leave,” Sasuke said with a smile, listening contentedly to the tinkling laugh of the woman he – dare he think it? – loved next to him.

“So…where did you disappear off to for forty-five minutes?” he ventured. “Oh…nowhere…I was just having a little walk around…,” Sakura replied, turning to the dark-haired man beside her, willing him not to dig deeper into the matter. Luckily for her, he complied with her silent pleading. Instead, though, he commented, “You know, I thought I saw Kakashi just now, close to where I finally found you. Tall…lean…silver hair…” “Kakashi?” Sakura replied, her tongue wetting her suddenly dry lips. “Really? I can’t imagine him coming…” she said as casually as she could. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Sasuke smiled, “the guy didn’t have a mask on and Kakashi probably wouldn’t leave home without one!”

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Atop the red bridge, Kakashi’s dark figure was silhouetted by the moon above. It had been a pretty good night. He was glad he had come, remembering the dance he shared with Sakura on this very bridge a few hours before. He had returned her to the edge of the dance floor, noticing the Uchiha slowly make his way towards the kunoichi. He had then turned and headed towards this bridge, staying there since then. Resting a foot on the lower railing, he looked at his outstretched hand, a thin silver chain looped around his fingers, a beautiful silver pendant resting in his palm, glittering in the moonlight. He smiled. The pendant was the kanji character for ‘Strength’.

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A/N: There u go! 2chps~ Hope you like=) Hopefully, updates will be coming soon;) As always, pls R&R...