Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters and
make no money from this. Masashi Kishimito does.
...
Phase Five
To heal, you must
accept.
...
Walking
towards Sakura's apartment, Kakashi wondered what would be waiting for him. His
teeth repeatedly trapped and released his tongue, mimicking the back and forth
his thoughts made. Guessing how Sakura would react to his presence at his point
could only be a stroke of luck. To avoid an unpleasant surprise when he reached
her home, Kakashi made sure to make his chakra obvious. If she wanted to see
him, then she would certainly come out to greet him.
If he was glad for anything when he reached his destination, it was that
her building's front yard was adorned by a beautiful and tall tree. The perfect
spot to hide in and read his prized books until he had company, or until he
realized he would have none.
As his eyes roamed the pages of his book, the jonin reflected on the
previous night. In no way had he expected Sakura to come back to him so quickly
after the argument they'd had, and he considered it a blessing in disguise. She
seemed to have come to a certain conclusion about her state after talking to him.
If he had done anything to help her progress, then he could have some relief.
Maybe her healing wasn't that far away anymore at this point.
To top it off, she hadn't shot him down when he told her yet again that he
loved her. No answer was better than a negative one, he convinced himself. Hope
could still be had that she would return to him with the reply that he wished
for. Either that, or he was being a delusional old man that needed to be locked
up. Either seemed just fine at this point, Kakashi mused.
What he knew for sure was that he couldn't allow her to distance herself
from him again. After six months of separation, he knew he couldn't let it
happen again. He needed her in his life, no matter what their relationship
would be like. Missing another person that much simply couldn't be healthy.
Still, he clung to the belief that he could be useful to her. With some time,
he still thought that he could set her on the right path when it came to
healing from her trauma.
Kakashi was all too familiar with trauma after all.
Barely a minute later, Sakura appeared in his sight. She didn't acknowledge
his presence just yet, preferring to observe random objects. Why she stalled
when she'd obviously come out for him baffled him slightly, but he waited
patiently until her gaze was directed at him and she waved her hand in
greeting.
Kakashi jumped down from the tree to go meet her, returning her greeting
lazily.
"Tea?" she asked, as soon as he was within earshot.
He nodded, following her inside the building and to her apartment silently.
"I've been thinking about what you told me yesterday," Sakura
mumbled as she boiled water for the tea, staring at the kettle intently.
Kakashi was slightly surprised that she broached the subject, especially so
quickly, but he decided that letting her speak would be best.
"I'm still uncertain about most of it, but it made me feel better
nonetheless," she started, brushing her thumb absent-mindedly against her
chin as she weighed her words. "I'm happy that you don't see me as
anything less than before that mission... Because I know that deep down, I'm
still the same person."
"I'm scared of stuff I wasn't scared of before, I'm hurting and I'm
doubting many things... But in the end, I'm still Sakura, right?" she
sighed, glancing up at him as if seeking his approval.
Kakashi immediately nodded and replied, "Yes, of course you are.
Nothing will ever take that away from you."
A timid smile graced her lips and Kakashi felt a weight lifted from his
shoulders. Sakura definitely seemed on the right path now.
"It's a big relief. I feel like I have fewer doubts because of all of
this now," Sakura said as she poured the water in the tea pot.
"I'm glad then. You'll be like new before you know it," Kakashi
teased lightly.
Sakura chuckled and shrugged her shoulders, returning her attention to the
beverage she was preparing.
"I've been through similar experiences many times, Sakura,"
Kakashi started as he leaned on the counter, wondering if he should really
share this part of his past with her. "It will never go away entirely, I
would be lying if I told you that."
"It gets better, every day helps, if even a tiny bit," he
continued, begrudgingly recalling moments that were best forgotten.
"You'll always remember what happened and wish you could change things,
but nothing could ever allow you to do that. You just learn to live with it,
and then you'll just keep going as you did before."
Sakura seemed to lose herself in her thoughts again as she served the tea
in two bright-colored cups. Noticing this, Kakashi decided to take this
opportunity to ask a question of his own.
"How do you feel about me?" he asked as he took the cup he
assumed to be his. "You've left me quite confused lately. You engaged
sexual activity with me twice, but haven't said a word when I confessed. You've
accepted my comfort when I offered it, but still remained distant..."
"I understand if you don't want to talk about it just yet," he
added. "I'd just like to know as soon as possible so that I know how to
act around you from now on."
Because being the creepy, perverted old man who follows her everywhere and
can't take his hands off of her because she couldn't tell him not outright was
not what he wanted to be.
"Do you really love me, without a doubt?" Sakura asked as she
turned to face him, eyes wide with hesitance.
"Yes," he answered immediately.
Kakashi stepped closer to her, tangling the fingers of one of his hands in
her hair as he gazed into her eyes, searching for any insecurity. Feeling no
resistance from her part, he lowered his mask and placed a chaste kiss on her
lips, smiling unconsciously as he felt their softness against his.
Soon enough, she responded, adding pressure of her own with no detectable
fear or reluctance. Happy and relieved, Kakashi deepened the kiss, wrapping his
arms tightly around her as if she would disappear if he let go. Feeling her
body against his again was wonderful, to say the least. There was something
about holding the person that you loved so dearly that warmed you to your very
core, especially after a long separation. Much to his surprise, Sakura's hands
slipped under his shirt, sliding up to feel his the skin of his chest slowly.
He sighed against his own will against her mouth, slowing down his movements as
he enjoyed the feel of her hands.
Before their exchange could become more heated, Sakura pulled away from
him, whispering, "Okay."
"Huh?" he let out, his mind a bit too foggy to understand her
entirely.
"I can try being with you," she explained quietly. "I know
that my feelings for you haven't just been out of friendship for a while, even
if at first it was probably just out of lust."
Kakashi was stunned for a second, only blinking in response until he found
his tongue again.
"Are you sure you want to be in a relationship with me?", he
asked incredulously.
Sakura gave a quick nod, before speaking again. "I can't guarantee
that things will work out perfectly, but I'm willing to try."
"I understand, no one could offer such a warranty anyway," he
reassured before pulling her in his embrace again.
Purely out of joy, he kissed her again, keeping his lips pressed to hers
for a while as he simply enjoyed her presence and the moment. Maybe the gods
were on his side for once, maybe happiness could truly be in his reach within
his lifetime.
I love this sequal, maybe a trilogy =^_^=
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