When we got back downstairs, Boy Genius decided it was time to open the bottle of wine he’d mentioned to me. He poured us each a glass and we sat on his couch, him in his underwear, me completely naked. We talked for a little while, and then he told me all about a book he wants to write/create. It’s a rope guide, of course, and he wants it to be about things people actually do, and wants to make it available for free. He has it all planned out, and is clearly super passionate and excited about it, which is really attractive.

We started cuddling eventually, and he stretched out on the couch and I cuddled up next to him. I started running my fingers through his chest hair, and I told him I liked that he had it. Most of my partners haven’t had it, or at least not much, and while I like that as well, sometimes it can be fun to have something fuzzy to play with like that.

I wanted to do more, but I’m always way more hesitant and uncertain about what to do in situations like that when I’m with a top/dom than I ever was with vanilla partners. With a vanilla partner I might start running my hands along their body, or start kissing them, but with d-types I tend to not do anything unless told otherwise. I was feeling tired of that, and I just plain wanted physical affection, so I simply straight up asked Boy Genius, “How do you like to be touched?”

He smiled at me and said, “Thank you for asking. I’ve noticed a lot of people in the scene don’t touch me.” He sounded a little bit wistful when he said that. It was adorable and kind of sad, at the same time. I know he loves touching and being touched. He said he liked being touched pretty much everywhere and enjoys having his balls played with and getting massages. I started touching him while he told me about how he used to be more of a sensual top when he first started in the scene. That’s definitely a type of play I haven’t been getting, and I very much enjoy the way Boy Genius interacts with me. Even if he may not always be as sensual as he used to be, he was plenty sensual that night.

As part of talking about things he likes, Boy Genius mentioned rimming, saying that he likes receiving it and, sometimes, doing it. We kept cuddling, and I kept touching him, moving my hand lower and starting to stroke his cock, wanting to get him hard, hoping he wanted to fuck me. I started sucking and licking and then he told me that we were going to get in position to 69. I was nervous, since no one had gone down on me in months, and kissed my way up his body before telling him that. He listened and then told me, in a more commanding tone, to get into position

I stopped hesitating, got into the position he’d told me to get into, and started giving him a blowjob. He grabbed my hips and stated licking my pussy, making me moan as he ran his tongue along my slit and focused in on my clit. Then he moved from my cunt to my ass, using his tongue on my hole and making me gasp. He told me to do the same, and I happily did so. I do love using my mouth in every way. Cock, balls, ass, anywhere I can be pleasing. As I licked his ass, he started rubbing my asshole with his finger, pushing it in and out a bit, which made me squirm with pleasure.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he panted out, and we went up to his bed. We’d just made it before coming downstairs. Or, rather, he’d made it. Of course he has a certain way he wants it (rope tops, amirite?), so he basically just made it himself. As he did so, we talked about the fact that service and domestic work haven’t been part of my d/s experience. He finds that interesting, because most of the d/s relationships he’s seen started with that. I’d obviously do those things if someone told me to, but they’re much…softer? kinder? gentler? than the d/s I’ve been doing. I did put the pillowcases on the pillows, since that’s something even I couldn’t fuck up too much, so I contributed a little bit to the making of the bed, at least. And now that we were back upstairs, it was time to unmake the bed.

Second Chances, The Date (KakaSaku Valentines Day)

This is the second chapter for the story that I did for the KakaSaku Valentines Day that @bouncyirwin and Empress Nariko are hosting. This chapter is really long (12k words or so I think), so it’s under the cut or it can be found at FForAO3

As part of the Hearts on Fire fundraiser, the university had booked a popular downtown venue for the evening. Since the majority of the proceeds went toward the Wounded Warrior project, several clubs from the school were taking part in the event to assure its success. Kakashi had assumed that participants’ names would be thrown into a hat and drawn at random, but, like everything else, they’d seemed to have put more thought into it. He supposed that he should be thankful to have been paired with someone he knew at least a little bit.

Kakashi arrived at the restaurant only fifteen minutes late after stopping to pick up flowers, typical red roses because this whole date was a farce. When he pulled open the door, the chaotic mix of florals, cheap perfume, and wine flavored the air. A handful of people milled around by the check-in area, either waiting on their dates or waiting to be pointed in the right direction.

As Kakashi started to join the group, a familiar pair of blue eyes settled on him from across the room. Ino pulled away from the desk with a mischievous smile on her face. “Well, well, well, Hatake-sensei, you came after all.”

“I said I would come,” Kakashi pointed out. “I’m not going to go back on my word.”

“Good,” Ino purred. Her gaze traveled up and down Kakashi’s body in a calculating manner that made him feel like his suit wasn’t enough protection from her eyes. “I’m glad to see you put a little bit of effort into this at least.”

Warmth bloomed in Kakashi’s cheeks under the scrutiny of Ino’s assessment. Before he could think of an answer, the brunette from the other day hurried up to them, a paper name tag on her shirt read ‘Tenten - Event Support’. The girl caught Ino’s arm with frantic energy. “Leave Hatake-sensei alone and come help me. There seems to be some confusion with two of our patrons. He thought that she was going to—”

The conversation faded as Tenten pulled Ino away. Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief; the blonde’s stare left him feeling uncomfortable. Something about Ino’s look made Kakashi feel like he’d been tested, but he wasn’t sure if he’d come up lacking or not. Swallowing, he looked across the room. Dozens of tables filled the space, white table clothes accentuated by the flicker of candles. The overhead lights had been dimmed for the occasion, but Kakashi saw a decent mix of faculty and students in the room. At least he wouldn’t be completely out of place.

“Hatake-sensei?” The sound sent a nervous jolt of energy through Kakashi’s chest. He told himself that it had had more to do with the atmosphere of the room than the familiar timbre of the voice behind him. “Or, should I call you Kakashi?”

Turning toward the voice, Kakashi offered a smile. Haruno Sakura returned the gesture, her lips a gentle shade of pink that accented the color of her hair. The woman wore a simple back dress that guided his eyes to places they shouldn’t go by the way it hugged her body. The neckline left her shoulders bare despite the long sleeves, creating an alluring mix of exposed and covered skin that begged Kakashi to run his fingers over it.

Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throat, focusing on the shining green eyes that were watching him with curiosity and amusement. “Kakashi is fine,” he answered, once he was certain that he had control of his voice. Remembering the flowers, Kakashi held them out. “Here, these are for you.”

Taking in the deep red of the roses, Sakura inhaled their aroma. “You didn’t have to do that,” she murmured. Suddenly, Kakashi was thankful that Tenzo had reminded him to pick up flowers on the way..

“I’m pretty sure it’s not Valentine’s Day without a dozen red roses.” Kakashi managed a chuckle as the woman cradled the flowers in the crook of one elbow. Then, he gestured around the room “Do you know how any of this works? The organizers seem a little bit chaotic.”

Sakura laughed and grinned toward the pair of women arguing over a laptop near the check-in area. “That’s Ino and Tenten for you. Ino, the blond one, loves playing matchmaker and gossip, while Tenten loves people watching. The idea of this event was way more fun for them than actually running it will be.”

“It certainly seems that way.” Kakashi watched the pair for a moment longer as Tenten clicked through something on the computer and Ino flapped her hands in annoyance. Chuckling, he turned back to Sakura. “I suspected that something was off when we were paired, to be honest.”

Sakura quirked one eyebrow upward with a frown. “Why’s that?”

The challenging stare surprised Kakashi, as did the hint of a blush on the woman’s cheeks. “The pairing just surprised me,” he amended, which seemed to soothe Sakura somewhat. “I’m sorry that you didn’t get a better date for the evening.”

“Who said there was anything wrong with you?” Laughing, Sakura shook her head. “Come on, I know where our table is.”

As Kakashi followed Sakura through the room, he tried to avoid the curious stares that turned in their direction. Thankfully, their table was in the back corner, which provided a sense of privacy. A thick, pink piece of parchment held up by a heat shaped clip had their names written across it in fancy script. Sakura laid the flowers to one side of the table, then sank into her seat before Kakashi could offer to pull it out. He settled in the chair across from her, self conscious despite the secluded feeling that the room offered.

Silence reigned for several uncomfortable seconds before Sakura spoke. “So, it’s been a while—”

Before the woman could finish her thought, a young man interrupted them with a polite bow. Kakashi was fairly certain that the boy had been in his Introduction to Literature class a couple of semesters ago, which meant he was probably part of the fundraiser. But, Kakashi couldn’t be sure. The boy’s black suit and white shirt made him look like a waiter, at least.

The young man sat a flute of champagne in front of Sakura, then a second near Kakashi. “The first glass is included with dinner, which will be out shortly,” he paused and pulled a sheet of parchment paper similar to the one that had Kakashi and Sakura’s name from a folder he carried under one arm. “Until then, here are some questions to help you get to know your date better. Enjoy your evening.”

After presenting the paper to Sakura, the man bowed and walked to the next table to repeat his clearly rehearsed speech. The pinkette skimmed over the page in her hand then raised her gaze. When her eyes met Kakashi, they laughed. It sounded almost genuine, if a little strained at the edges.

“This is really awkward,” Kakashi allowed, reaching for the champagne. Deciding better of it, he let his hand rest on the table instead. “We don’t have to do this whole awkward first date thing. It’s perfectly fine to just have dinner and call it a night.”

“We absolutely have to do the question and answer section. I wouldn’t want all of Ino’s hard work to be for nothing.” Laughing, Sakura took a drink of her champagne and laid the list on the table. “Okay, first question: what’s your favorite color?”

Kakashi rolled his eyes at the question. “How is that supposed to help people find out if they’re compatible?”

Swirling the champagne around in her glass, Sakura raised her shoulders in a shrug that made the light play across her skin. “My favorite color is red.”

Studying the pale shade of Sakura’s lips and hair, then the black of her dress, Kakashi laughed. “I would have guessed that.” Sakura inclined her head and looked at him expectantly. Frowning, Kakashi considered for a couple of seconds, then shrugged. “Mine is black.”

“Black isn’t a color,” Sakura pointed out, placing her glass back on the table. A imprint of her lips remained on the side, drawing Kakashi’s gaze for a millisecond before she spoke. “Want to try again?”

“Black is definitely a color.” Kakashi considered for a moment longer, then shrugged. “Fine, dark grey.”

Sakura shook her head at the words, but didn’t correct Kakashi this time. She turned her attention to the next question instead. “Okay, would you rather visit the mountains or the beach on vacation?”

Though Kakashi knew the answer almost immediately, he made a show of considering the options. “Definitely the mountains. Give me a secluded cabin away from people for a week or two, and I’m good to go.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Sakura tipped her head to the side to study Kakashi though a fall of pink hair. She’d worn it down tonight, the pale tresses curling softly at the ends. “What about a secluded beach, though?”

Kakashi tapped a finger against his lip thoughtfully. “I suppose it depends on the company. But, as long as I have a good book, I could tolerate it. I’m assuming your answer is the beach then?”

A smile played across Sakura’s lips as she toyed with one earring, a glimmer of silver dangling from one ear. “I could take either one as long as there aren’t too many people around. Huge crowds can be overwhelming.” Sakura took another sip of her champagne, then dipped her head. “But, yes, as a general rule, I’m always down for a trip to the beach.”

For a minute, Kakashi could imagine it. Sakura laughing at some joke, sunlight reflecting off her sunglasses as she stared at him. Waves crashed in the distance as warm, white sand sparkled behind her. Kakashi blushed and pushed the intrusive thought away. Sakura laughed, but her eyes were on the sheet of questions rather than Kakashi’s face. “Oh, this is an easy one for you. Would you rather give up social media entirely, or live as an influencer?”

Reaching for his drink, Kakashi waved a hand to indicate that Sakura could continue. The champagne was dry with rich undertones of fruit, but he couldn’t tell which. It tasted good though. Sakura laid the paper on the table and narrowed her eyes at Kakashi. Then, she grinned. “You’d give up social media in a heartbeat, wouldn’t you?”

Kakashi shook his head, lying with the easy practice of a university proctor. “Not at all. I’d love to be an influencer.”

Laughing, Sakura raised one eyebrow. “There’s no way that’s true. You don’t even have a social media presence, do you?”

For a few seconds, Kakashi didn’t speak. Then, he frowned. “How do you know that?”

Deep crimson erupted on Sakura’s cheeks as she toyed with a bracelet that Kakashi hadn’t noticed on her wrist. “Okay, so this is going to sound weird. But, I may have tried to look you up before coming tonight. Either you don’t have social media, or you’ve hidden it really well.”

Warmth opened in Kakashi’s chest, a light, fluttery feeling that he knew came from having his ego fed. He suppressed it with some effort. “Are you telling me that you’re here because you’re stalking me?”

“Dammit, you caught me.” Sakura’s voice took on a teasing tone as she drained the rest of her champagne. Setting her glass back on the table, she turned to Kakashi with a twinkle in her eye. “The real question is: are you going to turn me in?”

“I haven’t decided; I want to hear the rest of your answers, first.” Kakashi felt a curious warmth spread through him when Sakura chuckled. He nodded toward her empty glass. “Do you want another?”

Sakura gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. “Are you trying to get me drunk, Professor Hatake?”

“Please, don’t call me that.” Kakashi cringed at the juxtaposition of his title alongside the playful lilt in Sakura’s voice. “I’ll be forced to call you Miss Haruno and ask only the bare minimum of personal questions to avoid crossing any lines.”

“We wouldn’t want that. Would we, Kakashi?” Sakura tipped her head in that curious way that women had to make their eyes seem more intense as she smiled. Her voice dropped to an almost seductive tone that made Kakashi’s heart thump against his ribs in response.

Before Kakashi could think of something to say to the heat in Sakura’s voice, a distinctive buzz sounded from his pocket. He jumped, bumping the table hard enough to jostle the water glasses beside the champagne flutes. Mumbling an excuse, Kakashi pulled his phone from his pocket in case it was an emergency. He frowned at Tenzo’s texts on the screen.

Well? How’s it going?
You went, right?
Stop ignoring me. I just want to make sure you didn’t do something stupid, again.

Huffing, Kakashi put the device face down on the table and glanced over at Sakura. The woman watched him with open curiosity. “Do you need to take that?”

“No, it’s fine.” Kakashi took another sip of his champagne, and it mixed agreeably with the whiskey in his stomach. Despite Sakura’s teasing tone and Tenzo’s insistence on being part of the evening, Kakashi felt almost at ease. The horrible day had been mellowed by the pleasant conversation and environment. Shaking his head, Kakashi ignored the phone. “It’s not important.”

“So, it wasn’t your girlfriend wondering why you’re standing her up on Valentine’s Day?” Sakura delivered the question playfully, but the scrutiny in her gaze suggested that she was worried there might be some truth in the accusation.

Before Kakashi could explain, they were interrupted by the arrival of salads. A different student placed the chilled bowl in front of Sakura, blue eyes sweeping over the woman with an air of dismissal before turning toward Kakashi. “It’s nice to see you again, Hatake-sensei,” the dark haired woman said, dipping into a bow. Kakashi racked his brain to put a name to the face, but he couldn’t manage it. “It’s Yumi,” the girl offered. “I took your critical writing course last year.”

Kakashi’s mind was too full of names and faces to have more than a vague memory of the girl, but he made an effort. “How have you been? You were studying psychology, wasn’t it?”

Yumi nodded, but the disappointment at not being remembered remained on her face, only partially tempered by Kakashi’s guess at her major. “I’ve been doing well.” Her gaze darted to Sakura briefly, then away. “It’s so nice to see you supporting this charity. And, I just wanted to say, you look quite handsome all dressed up.”

A blush rose on Kakashi’s cheeks before he could stop it. Sakura cleared her throat as she reached for her silverware. Yumi glanced over, then smiled with a hint of teeth behind it. “I should get back to work. Enjoy your evening, Hatake-sensei. I’ll see you around.”

Kakashi frowned at Yumi’s back as she walked back toward the kitchen. “Well, that was odd.”

“Seriously,” Sakura scoffed under her breath. When Kakashi turned to face her, the woman rolled her eyes so hard she looked in danger of hurting herself. Even so, a hint of amusement remained in her voice. “Please tell me you are not that dense.”

Picking up his fork, Kakashi pushed around the lettuce in his bowl “What are you talking about?”

“You really don’t see it, do you?” The wonder in Sakura’s voice warred with the annoyance in the narrowed eyes that watched Kakashi though the flicker of candlelight for several long seconds. Finally, she crossed her legs and sat back, regarding him over her water glass. “You do realize that she was hitting on you? Right in front of me too, like I wasn’t even here.”

“No, she wasn’t.” Kakashi’s mouth fell open at the blatant accusation in Sakura’s words. “She was just being friendly.”

Pressing her lips together in a poor attempt to hide a smile, Sakura hummed knowingly. “And how many of your female students are justfriendlywith you?”

Kakashi’s frown deepened as he thought about the interaction with Yumi, and then further back to the playful comments, accidental brushes, and smoldering stares that sometimes happened. He shrugged and tugged at the neck of his shirt. “I mean, I don’t think students are any more friendly with me than they are with other professors.”

Laughing, Sakura shook her head and put the glass back on the table. She leaned close, voice dropping to a whisper. “So, did you know that half of the girls in my AP English class were making a bet to see who could make out with you first? Or, better yet, who could sleep with you by the end of the year.”

Kakashi choked on the spit in his mouth, coughing through the suffocation feeling that clenched his chest. It felt like the ground had dropped out from underneath him. “You were children,” he argued, completely at a loss. “You couldn’t have honestly believed that I would start a relationship, much less an intimate one, with any of you.”

“Most of us were seventeen or eighteen by then,” Sakura pointed out, voice cool and unreadable. Kakashi spluttered on the water he’d taken a drink of to clear his throat. Coughing into a napkin, he stared at the woman across from him in shock. She offered a single shoulder shrug. “You weren’t that much older.”

Most of us were seventeen or eighteen. The phrase lodged itself in Kakashi’s mind, but he refused to think about the implications behind it. He rubbed the back of his neck. “It was more than ten years,” he pointed out, making a joke of the age difference even though it made him self conscious, especially considering their current situation. “I can’t believe you thought I’d date a student.”

“It was less thinking that you’d do it, and more hoping that you would.” The words hung in the air for a tension filled second, then Sakura shrugged and took a bite of her salad as if the conversation were nothing out of the ordinary.

Kakashi watched the woman, unable to form a coherent thought. He glanced up as one of the makeshift waiters, thankfully a male, walked by with a bottle of champagne. Raising his glass, Kakashi caught the man’s attention and held it up for a refill. The waiter poured pale liquid into the glass, then turned to Sakura. Kakashi indicated that the woman could decide on her own as he focused on her face rather than the secrets she’d just spilled out. It was easier that way. Sakura offered her a glass as well.

Once they were alone, the silence felt oppressive. Sakura ate her salad without speaking for a moment, then she broke the ice by nodding toward Kakashi’s phone. “So, was the text from your girlfriend?”

“Only if you count Senju-sensei,” Kakashi joked, trying to ease the tension of the conversation. “He texts me enough to be an obsessive girlfriend. He’s worried that I didn’t show up, or I’ll say or do something stupid, or who knows what he’s stressing about now.”

As if on cue, the phone buzzed again. Kakashi sighed and thumbed open the messaging app. Seriously? You didn’t stand her up, did you?

“May I?” Sakura reached across the table, and Kakashi handed over the phone without thinking. The pinkette ran her fingers through her hair, then gave the camera a sultry pout. A brilliant flash lit the space around the table for the space of three seconds, then Sakura shook her head and retook the photo. Apparently content with the image, her fingers flew over the keyboard with a familiarity that Kakashi marveled at. Then, she handed the phone back to him. “There, that should take care of him for a little while at least.”

Kakashi stared at the message screen in surprise. Sakura had sent a photo to Tenzo that made her look positively stunning. She’d angled her body to capture the most flattering light and somehow managed to look seductive and innocent at the same time. Underneath the image, she’d typed a short message. He’s being a perfect gentleman. Stop worrying about us. Xoxo

Blushing for some reason he couldn’t explain, Kakashi tucked the phone back into his pocket. He blew out a breath, surprised to feel that the room had gotten warmer the more crowded it became. Raising his champagne, Kakashi took a sip. “Back to your question, though. Do you honestly think I’d sign up for something like if I had a girlfriend? I had no idea that your opinion of me was so low.”

“It’s not that.” Sakura shrugged. The movement made the candlelight dance across her collar bones. “It’s more that I’m surprised that you don’t have a girlfriend.”

Uncomfortable with the direction that the conversation was heading, Kakashi turned it back to Sakura. “What about you? Shouldn’t I expect some blindly jealous young man to storm in here and demand to know who gave me the right to take you to dinner?”

Something like sadness entered Sakura’s eyes when she shook her head. “First of all, no, because I wouldn’t date someone like that. And secondly, I only took part in this because Ino begged me to come. I haven’t really made time for dating since my last relationship ended, and that was almost two years ago.”

Kakashi raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Wow, it’s been a while. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Did you really not see it all over the news?” Bitterness slid into Sakura’s voice faster than Kakashi thought possible as she swirled her champagne around in her glass. When he shook his head, she chuckled without a trace of humor. “You must be the only one who hasn’t. Uchiha Sasuke is a high profile name.”

“Ahhh,” Kakashi whistled under his breath. “I’m familiar with the family, of course.”

There wasn’t a person in Konoha who didn’t know who Uchiha Madara was, or recognize the man’s law firm which boasted the best defense lawyers that money could buy. They were outrageously expensive and unrivaled in court, Madara especially. Sasuke must have been following in the man’s footsteps to be worthy of notice already. Kakashi was surprised the boy was old enough to be out of law school, unless he was older than Sakura.

“He graduated a year before you taught at Konoha High,” Sakura interjected as if she could read Kakashi’s thoughts. “He finished university early. And, because he had connections in the family business, he made a name for himself quickly.”

Kakashi tipped his head, understanding that sort of privilege all too well. He’d been close friends with another Uchiha, once upon a time, though the man hadn’t been from the main family as Sasuke seemed to be. Kakashi studied Sakura, trying to read if she wanted to talk about the break up. “So, what happened?”

Sakura shrugged and took a long drink, draining half of the champagne in her glass. “His family was never happy with the match in the first place. They wanted to use his marriage as a political move to secure a more powerful ally like the Hyuga.”

Setting the alcohol back on the table, Sakura switched to her water. Kakashi almost praised the technique to avoid a hangover, then decided against it as Sakura toyed with her bracelet. He wondered if the movement was a subconscious sign that she was nervous or uncomfortable. When Sakura’s eyes came back up to Kakashi’s, the hurt was stronger than before. “And, Sasuke loved his job more than he loved me.”

Kakashi sensed that he’d brought up painful memories, but he wasn’t sure how to soothe it short of reaching across to squeeze Sakura’s hand. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, instead, keeping his fingers stil. “Some people don’t know what they have until they lose it.”

Snorting, Sakura shook her head at the words. “He doesn’t seem to feel like he’s lost anything.” Before Kakashi could apologize again, she waved a dismissive hand. “But, it’s ancient history. So, what about you? Why isn’t there a Mrs. Hatake?”

“Are past relationships on this list?” Kakashi forced a laugh and reached for the paper that held the list of icebreaker questions from earlier. In the back of his mind, over the soft music playing in the background of the restaurant, he heard the scream of tires fighting to grip the road. Then, Kakashi was airborne again, life flashing before his eyes as Rin screamed his name. He felt the physical impact like a punch to the gut even though it was more than twenty years ago.

Warmth seeped into Kakashi’s hand, and the memory wavered. The snow slick darkness faded to pale candlelight and green eyes. He stared at Sakura, fighting to suppress the sudden memory for three heartbeats. The woman frowned as she released Kakashi’s hand. “Is everything okay?”

Kakashi gave himself a little shake and turned his full attention to the paper in front of him. He couldn’t think about that night, not again, not right now. Not trusting his voice, Kakashi nodded. Sakura studied him with an intensity that promised they’d revisit this conversation eventually, but she let it go, for now. Kakashi took a drink of water to wash the ashy taste of failure from his mouth as he read the questions. He frowned, then rolled his eyes. “How could knowing someone’s favorite app possibly help you get to know them?”

Sakura laughed and pushed her salad bowl away, snagging the list from Kakashi’s hand. “I don’t know,” she began with the same, cool demeanor that Kakashi had used during lectures hundreds of times. “A person’s favorite tiktok can tell you a lot about them.”

At Kakashi’s presumably blank expression the woman’s face turned disbelieving. “You do know that is, right?”

Kakashi’s mood soured at the memory of his day. “Is that the silly video app that interrupted half of my classes?”

Smiling in an almost indulgent manner, Sakura turned to the clutch that she’d set on the table with her flowers. Opening it, she pulled out a phone in a glittery pink case that matched her personality perfectly. Sakura swiped across the screen a few times, the grin on her lips growing as she turned the phone around. Kakashi frowned at the dim screen, firmly telling himself that he didn’t need glasses no matter what his eye doctor said. The sound was either muted or too quiet to hear over the general buzz of noise in the room, but Kakashi recognized his classroom immediately. He rolled his eyes in annoyance at the recording. “This just happened today. How is it already online?”

Sakura tapped a few more times and pulled up another recording, then laughed. “There’s actually several versions of it posted.”

Rising, Kakashi moved his seat closer to Sakura so that he wouldn’t need to stretch across the table to see her phone. Sakura shifted closer, showing him a second and third video of the confession. The final one had been taken from across the classroom, but it was more complete than the others. Kakashi’s cheeks heated as he watched himself grab the phone from the boy trying to make the video then round on the class. He couldn’t remember what he said, but he hadn’t been patient with them.

Sakura touched another button on the screen, and a list of comments came up. She pointed at one. Damn, if my teacher looked like that, I’d never miss class. Scroll.He likes playing rough, me too. Scroll. Why can’t my teachers look like that? Scroll.Where do I sign up for this class? Scroll.Silver fox. Scroll. I know this wasn’t the point of this video, but hello Daddy.

There were no words to justify Kakashi’s horror at the spectacle unfolding before him. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Sakura burst out laughing, and her eyes caught the soft yellow of the candlelight. “Do you really expect me to believe that you don’t know that you’re a good looking man? Or why so many of your classes have a higher percentage of female to male students?

Kakashi frowned at the woman sitting just a foot away from him instead of the other side of the table. He was close enough to smell the rich, complex scent of the perfume that Sakura had worn and to notice a smudge of black liner in the corner of her left eye. Her gaze held a challenge that made Kakashi shake his head. "I think you’re imagining things.”

“Well, it certainly looks like things are heating up over here.” A voice crooned, interrupting the tension at the table. Kakashi and Sakura startled apart though there was no reason to do so. Ino grinned at the pair and waved with her hand. “Get back together. We’re taking pictures of all the happy couples to commemorate the fundraiser.”

Kakashi shook his head, running a self conscious hand through his hair. “We aren’t a couple.”

“It’s a turn of phrase,” Ino huffed, lifting the camera. “You’re two people paired together through the fundraiser; it’s pretty much the same thing.”

Kakashi opened his mouth to argue, then Sakura’s fingers brushed along the side of his thigh to stop the words. His entire body jolted in response as she smiled. “Just let her have the photo, and she’ll move on.”

The woman’s voice hardened on the final words, drawing a laugh from Ino. “She’s right, you know. Now, get back together.”

Feeling like an awkward teenager at a middle school dance, Kakashi leaned in toward Sakura. She shifted in front of his shoulder, bringing their faces close enough that he felt the warmth of her skin almost touching his. Kakashi blinked in the brilliant flash that came next. Ino stared down at the screen, then shook her head. “That one was terrible. Come on, Hatake-sensei, try smiling. You’re out with a beautiful woman, after all.”

Putting his best effort into the smile, Kakashi looked at the camera. This time, after his vision cleared after the blinding light, Ino nodded. “That one is much better. You two actually look happy,” she purred. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, lovelies. Dinner should be out soon, and I’ll send someone to refill your glasses.”

Before Kakashi could point out that their glasses were half full, Ino pulled away from the table to take photos at the next one. He sighed and took a sip of water. “How in the world did the two of you become friends?”

Sakura chuckled under her breath as she tucked her phone back into her purse. “She and I went to school together.”

“It kind of seems like you went to school with everyone,” Kakashi observed, continuing to nurse his water as two more glasses of champagne appeared at the table.

“Yourself included,” Sakura teased with the banter that seemed to come so easy to her. When Kakashi rolled his eyes, she shrugged. “I mean, I kind of did. This town really isn’t that big, you know?”

As Kakashi watched Sakura look around the crowded room, he ran the math backward in his head. She was somewhere in her mid twenties by now, a far cry from the girl that he’d known at eighteen. Even so, nothing erased the fourteen year age difference between them; it might as well have been a lifetime. Sakura’s company was pleasant, and she was beautiful as Ino said, but that was where things ended. Kakashi couldn’t let himself think beyond that. He washed the thoughts away with another pull of the alcohol he hadn’t wanted in the first place.

Unaware of the thoughts spinning through Kakashi’s mind, Sakura flashed a mischievous grin. “You didn’t know you were Tik Tok famous?”

Kakashi’s mind did a full stop at the idea of being recognized on the app, much less having multiple people know who he was. His earlier horror flooded back in. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

Sakura’s musical laughter made Kakashi’s heart sink. She shrugged one shoulder. “I mean, I follow the tags for Konoha University, and you’ve popped up on my feed quite a few times.”

The words almost made sense. Kakashi knew the technical definitions of each term, but the context was wrong. It took his mind a moment to remember the more modern meaning of tags and feeds, and when he did, he quirked one eyebrow toward the ceiling. “So, you really are stalking me?”

“Just a little,” Sakura teased, turning to meet Kakashi’s gaze with an expression that made his heart flutter uncomfortably. Her tongue slid across her lips with exaggerated slowness that might have only been his imagination, then she smiled. “I mean, I have to keep up with what’s happening with Professor Hot-ake.”

Kakashi choked on his water, almost spraying the particles across the table. He coughed into his elbow to clear the obstruction so he could draw breath as Sakura laughed and patted him lightly on the back. “I didn’t come up with that, by the way. That would be one of your undergrads,” she clarified, then grinned. “Though, I imagine most of them hate me right now for being lucky enough to get paired with you tonight.”

An uncomfortable doubt settled in Kakashi’s stomach. Even though he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know the answer, Kakashi couldn’t help but ask. “Was it luck though?” His gaze settled on Ino as she swooped toward another table with her camera. “Or, was it fixed?”

Sakura’s brilliant green eyes widened as she followed Kakashi’s gaze to catch the meaning of his words. Color bloomed in her cheeks. “You know, for someone who claims to be unaware of how you affect people, you certainly have a high opinion of yourself.”

“I mean, you did claim to stalk me,” Kakashi answered, hoping to invite some levity into the situation. Even so, ice slid along his veins when Sakura didn’t answer. “It just seems a little convenient considering some of the things you said about the bet in high school and the tiktok stuff.”

Kakashi stopped himself short of mentioning the brush of Sakura’s fingers on his thigh when Ino appeared for the picture. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck the way he did when he was nervous. “Sakura, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about this. I came because it was for a good cause and I’d already committed to it, but this isn’t a date. It’s just a friendly dinner.”

“But, what if I don’t want it to be just a friendly dinner,” Sakura countered before Kakashi could add anything else. The woman blew out a breath to collect herself before continuing. “I didn’t sign up for this because I thought I’d get paired with you. Honestly, it never crossed my mind that you would be here. I only joined because Ino begged me to.”

Running a hand through her hair, Sakura’s eyes darted away from Kakashi’s. The blush on her cheeks deepened toward crimson. “I’m glad that I got your name, though.”

Warmth echoed on Kakashi’s cheeks at the confession, but he forced himself not to read more into the words than there was. “Why? Because you want to win some bet you made in high school? Because you want to brag to get likes on an app? Because—”

“Because I’ve had a crush on you for years,” Sakura interrupted, ears flaming to match her cheeks. “And, you seem like a genuinely good man. I mean, you’re really hot, but so was Sasuke. I want something different, someone who isn’t caught up in his looks or his name, someone who,” the woman trailed off, unable to articulate her words.

“You don’t even know me,” Kakashi pointed out, his voice growing soft on the admission. Because I’ve had a crush on you for years. The words repeated over and over in the back of his mind, but he quashed the sound. “You have this idea of me that you created when you were seventeen years old. That is not reality.”

To Kakashi’s surprise, Sakura nodded along with the words. “You’re right. But, you’d never let me get close enough to know you better, and this was a chance for me to do that. So, yeah, I’m glad we were matched together, though I’m sorry you feel differently.”

“I was your teacher.” Kakashi dropped his voice, though he doubted that anyone else was listening to their conversation. “Going from that to something more, I just don’t see how that could ever work. I never thought about you like that.”

“You taught one of my classes, eight years ago. Then, I took another two classes with you seven years ago.” Sakura crossed her arms over her chest like she was preparing for an argument. “That was how we met, yes. But, it doesn’t mean that things couldn’t change between us.”

Before Kakashi could come up with an answer, their dinners arrived. As the salads were whisked away, he eyed the steak and vegetables with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. In light of conversation, Kakashi wasn’t sure he could eat a single bite of food, no matter how appetizing it looked. Even so, he nodded his thanks to the girl that brought their dinner before turning back to Sakura. Once they were alone, Kakashi forced himself to speak. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”

“You didn’t, though.” Sakura lifted her champagne and finished the rest of her second glass before thumping it back to the table. The alcohol seemed to lend some courage to her. “You can spout all the excuses you want, but your eyes tell me a different story. There is nothing wrong with finding me attractive now, or wanting to get to know me more. I’m not a student in your program, and it’s been years since I was.”

Kakashi chuckled, not bothering to deny the truth that he was attracted to Sakura. Of course he was; she was gorgeous, but that wasn’t the point. “And, what would your parents say? Your friends? The damn school board would crucify me if they knew. It’s a question of ethical behavior on the part of a professor.”

“Actually, I looked into that.” Sakura had the decency to blush on the confession, but she continued before Kakashi could laugh it away. “Konoha University only has rules against faculty entering relationships with students that they directly advise. Since you’re a professor in the undergrad department, and I’m a student of the medical school, there would be no conflict if we started dating.”

The spill of words left Kakashi dumbfounded. It wasn’t just because he was shocked that Sakura had researched the specifics of their situation, though he was. It was that she thought the two of them had enough in common to do so. Kakashi didn’t kid himself; he knew that he’d turned heads occasionally, but Sakura could have had any man she wanted. None of this made any sense. “I don’t even know what to say,” he answered, feeling at a loss.

“Say that you’ll stop being so resistant and just enjoy the rest of the evening, please?” Sakura offered a tremulous smile as she tucked one curl behind her ear. “If you don’t like me, I can accept that. If you don’t think I’m attractive, I can accept that too. But, don’t write me off without even trying to get to know me.”

Kakashi sighed, feeling the old ache of almost betrayal in his chest. The passage of time hadn’t erased the pain, and every woman that Kakashi touched paid the price for the mistakes that he’d made at nineteen. He pushed the image to the back of his mind. “You are absolutely stunning. No man in his right mind would turn you down.”

“Except,” Sakura prompted, hearing the hesitation in Kakashi’s voice. When he couldn’t find an answer, she managed a weak laugh. “It’s complicated?”

“Something like that,” Kakashi allowed, bringing his gaze back up to Sakura’s for the first time in several minutes. Spots of color shone in her cheeks, while her eyes had grown more vivid and intense.

Nodding to herself, Sakura reached past Kakashi and picked up the paper with first date questions scrawled across it. As if the previous conversation had never happened, the woman read the next one. “Okay, what’s your most unique feature? I’ll start.” She captured her lip between her teeth in a thoughtful expression for approximately three seconds, then grinned. “My hair is naturally this shade of pink. I don’t have to dye it to achieve this color.”

Raising one eyebrow, Kakashi dipped his head. “Normally, I would say you’re making that up, but I was born with silver hair. It’s never changed, so I guess we’re both unique that way.”

Sakura hummed at the response, then took a drink of water. To Kakashi’s surprise, she moved on rather than commenting on the revelation. “Okay, your turn. Name a silly fear that you have.”

As Kakashi mulled over the question, Sakura pushed the food around on her plate then took a bite of the steamed vegetables. She caught him watching and smiled, as if the past ten minutes hadn’t happened. And, maybe for her, they hadn’t; it had been a stumbling block that they’d climbed over and moved on. Kakashi wasn’t sure if he felt the same.

After several awkward minutes of silent consideration, Kakashi shrugged. “This is going to sound dumb, but I have a recurring nightmare of coming to class without my notes and not being able to explain the text we’re discussing in class. Then all of my students laugh at me, decide literature is a wasted class, and leave.”

“Has that ever happened?” Sakura tipped her head to the side as she waited for an answer. Her hair slid away from the pale column of her neck, and Kakashi stared at the bit of exposed skin for a millisecond. Then, he shook his head by way of answer, not trusting his voice.

“I think you could probably fake your way through anything.” Sakura tapped her fingers on the white table cloth, then nodded sharply. “I’m scared of fireflies.”

Kakashi couldn’t stop the eyebrow that crept upward in confusion. “What? Why?”

Delicate shoulders raised in a shrug. “They’re creepy, and they’re everywhere in the summer with their little flashing butts. Then, they crawl all over you, and just, ugh,” a shiver raced through Sakura’s body at the thought, and Kakashi had to stifle a laugh. He held out his hand for the questions then skimmed over them. If she wasn’t going to make fun of him for being afraid to forget how to do his job, who was he to tease her about bugs?

“Okay, what’s an unusual or unexpected talent you have?” Kakashi asked, cutting his steak now that the tension had started to fade. He needed something to soften the blow of drinking alcohol without having eaten enough food during the day.

For a couple of moments, Sakura frowned in thought before coming up with a response. “I’ve trained in muay thai for years, and I’m actually really good at it.”

Kakashi fought to reconcile the idea of the not quite five foot tall woman being a martial arts master. For the briefest of moments, he wondered what it might be like to be manhandled by someone so much smaller than him, then blushed. Coughing to cover up the thought, he found his answer. This one was easy. “I have a photographic memory. If you show me something once, I can memorize it with no problem.”

“That sounds exhausting.” Sakura shook her head as if the idea was too much to consider.

Kakashi cut his eyes at Sakura and grinned. “Muay thai is much less exhausting,” he quipped.

Sakura snorted and dipped her head at the comment. “Touche. Let me see that.”

As the woman’s eyes roamed over the questions, Kakashi took a moment to appreciate that despite his misgivings, the fundraiser had been well thought out. The restaurant was upscale and decorated for the event without being garish. The food and drinks were planned out which meant the patrons didn’t have to make decisions about what to order. Then, the candlelight and soft music, along with the champagne, helped lower inhibitions while creating the ideal romantic setting. Finally, the questions had done their job of shrinking the distance between the couples. Maybe Ino and Tenten weren’t so bad at planning after all.

“Name something that most people assume about you, but they’re wrong.” Sakura handed the paper back to Kakashi so he could pick the next question, but he didn’t look at it. He was too busy considering the current one to figure out what to ask next. He had that exact scenario come up more times than he cared to remember.

Shrugging, Kakashi drained his second glass of champagne. “A lot of people think I’m arrogant, though I guess aloof and unaffected might be a better term? Standoffish, maybe? I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but it happens a lot.”

“Wait, you aren’t?” Sakura’s grin gave the lie to her words, but Kakashi felt an echo on insecurity at the laughter. She nudged his knee with hers. “I’m kidding. Why would someone think that? You’ve always seemed pretty genuine and open to me.”

Kakashi managed a half smile. “So, you remember when I said that you had this ideal me in your head who wasn’t real? Well, that’s part of it. As a teacher, I have to come across that way. At least, we’re supposed to.”

“So, you’re saying that the person you are in class is drastically different from who you are outside of it?” Sakura frowned as she considered the implications, then continued. “You come across as an intelligent, deep thinker who probably cares too much. There’s a playfulness about you, probably because you worry that the other comes on too strong, so you try to balance it.”

Kakashi’s cheeks warmed at the alarmingly accurate description. “Wait a minute. Did you say you were a medical student, or a psychology major?”

“Definitely medical, but they overlap a little.” Sakura let go of the analysis as quickly as it had come on. “Everyone thinks I’m a little girl who is afraid to get her hands dirty or do anything for herself because of the way I look.”

“Do you beat them up when they say that,” Kakashi teased, given the recent martial arts revelation. “I’m pretty sure that people would pay good money to see that.”

As much as Kakashi hated to admit it, his first impression of Sakura hadn’t been that different from what she described. The bright pink haired girl with brilliant green eyes had looked high maintenance when she walked into his classroom all those years ago. She’d been smart, funny, and presumably used to getting her way because of her looks. As he’d gotten to know her better, he hadn’t revised his opinion so much as not thought about it. It left Kakashi with the uncomfortable realization that he might stereotype people too quickly.

“I’ve actually won a few bouts in the ring, but I need to be careful with my hands if I want to be a doctor.” Sakura shrugged with an almost embarrassed expression at the admission. “When my undergrad advisor found me covered in bruises after a bad one, she threatened to call the police on my boyfriend at the time.”

Sakura chuckled at the memory, but Kakash saw nothing funny about it. He watched her, uncomfortable thoughts running through his mind. “So, what caused you to take up fighting in the first place?”

Taking a bite of her meal, Sakura shrugged. “It’s not important.”

The nonchalant way that Sakura delivered the words made Kakashi think it might be the most important thing that she’d said all evening. There was a story behind what led the woman to train the way she did, but she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. At least, not with him. Kakashi couldn’t blame her, he wasn’t ready to talk about Rin either.

Even so, Kakashi was surprised to find that he wanted to know the rest of Sakura’s story. Had she taken up fighting because someone had abused her in the past? A parent or boyfriend, maybe? There had been no signs of it when he’d known her, but things like that could be easily hidden. Kakashi watched Sakura avoid the question with deft, easy answers and false smiles. A splinter of hurt had buried itself inside the woman, and Kakashi wasn’t sure that she’d dealt with it. He wondered if her ex had known that, or if he’d been the one who put it there.

Nodding, Kakashi let the subject drop. He didn’t want to force Sakura into talking about something she wasn’t ready for. Kakashi pushed his plate away, surprised that he’d eaten as much as he had with all the questions and answers. Sakura had finished as well and gone back to nursing her alcohol. Kakashi watched her, worried that he’d upset her with the question about what made her want to take up fighting.

Before the question could leave Kakashi’s lips, a waiter appeared to collect their plates and empty glasses. He watched the man work with surprising efficiency and wondered just how much money the fundraiser had saved by using students instead of restaurant staff. The kids moved around with a surprising sense of urgency, removing plates and glasses or refilling them. Kakashi and Sakura’s waters had been filled, and their third flutes of champagne still waited on the table.

Several waiters moved around the room distributing dessert at the tables. As a young man placed a single plate between Kakashi and Sakura, he felt his eyebrows creep upward. It held a large slice of chocolate cake with chocolate sauce, sliced strawberries, and whipped cream around the edges. The waiter placed two forks beside the dessert and bowed before moving on. The obvious intent was for the couples to share. Kakashi chuckled under his breath. Had he thought that this event was well thought out? Who would expect people who were practically strangers to share a single dessert?

Sakura must have seen Kakashi’s expression, because she rolled her eyes. “Ino is a hopeless romantic. I’m sure she thought everyone would be happily buzzed and half in love by this point. She didn’t think it through.”

Kakashi inclined his head in agreement. “Yeah, it certainly seems that way. You’re welcome to the cake, if you want it.”

The pinkette reached toward the cake, then paused as if expecting a trap. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I don’t really care for sweets,” Kakashi explained. He was sure the excuse sounded like a fit of gallantry, but it wasn’t. Kakashi would have been perfectly happy if there was no dessert. He vastly preferred savory flavors.

Studying Kakashi through narrowed eyes, Sakura pulled the dessert closer to herself. She waited for a couple of moments before reaching for one of the full, red strawberries along the side. Kakashi eyed the fruit with a dubious expression as she raised it toward him by the stem. “Come on, just one little bite. You might like it.”

Kakashi chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t hate fruit, but I don’t want any. It’s not a personal challenge.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Kakashi got the uncomfortable feeling that Sakura might view him that way. The aloofness that he’d always treated his students with made him inaccessible in the way that she wanted; I’ve had a crush on you for years. The thrill of the chase was one of the reasons that Sakura was interested in him, Kakashi understood that. His subconscious found it amusing. And, so what if that’s what it is? People play hard to get all the time. Kakashi knew the argument was rational, but he wasn’t trying to encourage Sakura. At least, not really.

Sakura accepted the reasoning without argument and turned the berry around in her hands to take a bite. She savored the sweetness with a quiet sound of pleasure in the back of her throat, then smiled when she noticed Kakashi watching her. Licking a stray bit of chocolate that had been drizzled over the fruit, she shrugged. “I don’t think you’re a challenge, at least not in the traditional sense of trying to win something. It’s more because you won’t let anyone get close to you, and I want to know why.”

Kakashi laughed, but he didn’t have an answer for Sakura. There were too many things to explain over a single dinner, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. The woman seemed undaunted as she speared a piece of cake on the end of her fork. “So, I guess the real question is if you hold yourself away from people because you’re a classic Byronic hero, or more of a tragic hero?”

The sudden change in topic left Kakashi dumbfounded for approximately five seconds, then he burst out laughing. “Okay, how much research did that line take?”

“Hey, i took literature classes.” Sakura argued around her next bite, pointing her fork at Kakashi like a knife. Even so, her face flamed crimson in the soft light of the candle.

Kakashi took a sip of water to clear the crackle of laughter from his throat before facing the woman beside him. “You took two Introduction to Literature courses, which I taught, and I know for a fact that we never delved into heroic archetypes.”

“I can learn things without your help,” Sakura shot back as the color on her cheeks deepened.

Inclining his head, Kakashi made a soothing gesture. He wasn’t sure whether to feel flattered or embarrassed that Sakura had done some research before their “date”. He settled somewhere in the middle with a smile. “You’ve missed some important classifications,” he suggested, returning to Sakura’s earlier question. “It’s possible that I don’t fit into either of those types.”

“Well, you’re not an antihero no matter how many people think you’re arrogant.” Sakura brought her gaze up with a softness that made Kakashi’s heart skip a beat. Unlike so many girls her age, she had the maturity to hear what hadn’t said, as well as what he had. She saw that the judgment of arrogance bothered him. Before Kakashi could dwell on that, Sakura continued. “Those people are either jealous or intimidated, and it’s easier to write you off as arrogant than to get to know you.”

“Is that what you’re doing,” Kakashi asked, strangely aware of the soft buzz of alcohol in the back of his mind. “Getting to know me?”

Sakura held Kakashi’s gaze for a long moment, curiosity and something much warmer sparking inside her eyes. He refused to put a name to the hungry expression. “I’d like to,” she confided in the soft, intimate bubble the halo of light made around their table. “If you’ll let me.”

Head swimming, Kakashi blew out a breath and chuckled. It was time to diffuse the situation with some humor. “You’ve left out the possibility that I’m not the hero type at all. Maybe I’m just a grumpy, old man.”

“Everyone’s a hero to someone,” Sakura countered, with a sharp bite behind the words. Kakashi wanted to know what brought that tone to her voice, but before he could ask, she continued. “Besides, you aren’t that old anyway. I’ve done my research. I’m twenty-five, so that would make you thirty-nine, give or take a year.”

Having the numbers stated so blatantly made Kakashi uncomfortable, but Sakura breezed past them. “It made a massive difference seven years ago, but it’s hardly remarkable now. I’m not some moon-eyed teenager. I’ve experienced life and seen how the world works.”

“How so?” Genuine curiosity surged inside Kakashi at the sheer confidence that Sakura displayed when laying out the reasons that the gap between them didn’t matter.

Sakura reached for her third glass of champagne and considered the question. “I learned that love isn’t enough to make a relationship work, neither is physical attraction. I learned how to get myself out of tough spots without relying on anyone else. And, I’ve learned that some battles aren’t worth fighting, and some are.”

Green eyes flashed up to catch Kakashi’s, leaving no doubt in his mind that Sakura had lumped him into the latter category. Kakashi blushed. He wasn’t sure why the insinuation surprised him, but it did. Sakura reached out, almost brushing Kakashi’s hand, she stopped her fingers just short of connecting with the skin. “If you don’t feel any chemistry between us, I can accept that. But, if you won’t even allow the idea because you’re scared of what someone might say, I’ve badly misjudged you.”

The words left Kakashi speechless. Sakura’s face took on an earnestness that stole his breath, so he turned away to buy some time. Ino stood on the other side of the room with a group of boys and girls that must have been around the same age as Sakura. The blond grinned up at a cell phone camera while making a peace sign. He sat with the comparison for a heartbeat, then brought his gaze back to Sakura. “You don’t act like other girls your age, or seem to think like they do.”

The pinkette laughed with a touch of sadness. “I used to, but life screws everyone over at different times. Mine just came earlier than theirs.” Sakura eyed Kakashi over her next bite of cake. “I think the same thing happened to you.”

An uncomfortable lump rose in Kakashi’s throat that water wouldn’t wash away. The memory of Rin was still as strong in his mind as it had been on the night that he lost her. Kakashi exhaled and shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“I don’t need to know who you were before.” Sakura spoke with enough authority that Kakashi almost believed his past didn’t matter. “I only care about the person you are now, and that isn’t a grumpy old man.”

Kakashi laughed, the tension of the moment evaporating like a soap bubble. “I mean, I kind-of am. I’d much rather be at home reading a book by the fire than pretty much anything else.”

“So, let’s go home.” Sakura’s voice dropped to a low, seductive purr that made Kakashi’s body twitch in response, despite his best effort to the contrary. As the date started to wind down, the invitation in her words became more obvious. Kakashi found himself wanting to be swayed by the woman’s arguments about why it wouldn’t be wrong to go home with her. As if she could read his mind, Sakura leaned closer. “I bet I could change your opinion.”

“I’m sure you could,” Kakashi answered. His head spun, and his throat was tight. Kami-sama, it had been a long time since he felt the curious combination of excitement and nausea that signaled butterflies in his stomach. He centered himself in reality, however. “But, there’s something else that you should know about me. I’m old fashioned when it comes to relationships, especially so by your standards, I imagine.”

Sakura frowned for a moment, dissecting the words. Then, she asked what Kakashi expected. “How old fashioned are we talking?”

“Old fashioned enough not to sleep with someone on a first date,” Kakashi clarified, finishing off his water and pushing the glass away. “Especially after they’ve been drinking.”

Something unreadable flitted through Sakura’s eyes, but Kakashi couldn’t figure out if it was respect or disappointment. Then, the woman grinned. “Bold of you to assume that was an invitation to sleep with me. I was going to make you some warm milk and tuck you in, old man.”

Kakashi burst out laughing, a deep rumble in his chest that left behind a warm sensation. Sakura’s eyes sparkled, and he suddenly knew that he’d do anything in his power to capture that look of pure pleasure on her face a second time. He wanted to make her repeat it in other circumstances, to be the one she reserved the look for.

Warmth settled comfortably behind Kakashi’s cheek bones. “Would that make you my nurse, then?”

The burst of crimson on Sakura’s face was worth the flush on Kakashi’s. She stumbled over her words trying to respond, then her eyes grew dangerous. “I mean, I didn’t know you were into roleplaying, but if that’s how you want to—”

“Okay, you win.” Kakashi loosened his collar a second time, worried that the blaze from his face might be strong enough to heat the entire room. He forced himself not to dwell on the image that Sakura had given him. If he thought about her in a nurse’s outfit for too long, it might violate his personal morals and ethics, not to mention undermine the rules they’d just been talking about.

Sakura caught her lower lip between her teeth in a way that did nothing to help Kakashi regain his composure. “Amateur,” she teased.

“Alright love birds, listen up! You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here,” Ino’s voice came over the loudspeak