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Denial	By : djserani Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female > Kakashi/Sakura Views: 4298 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: As always, I don't own the world or characters, I just like to torment them. Kishimoto-sensei gets to keep them permanently. (I make no money from it!)

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
As the day wore on and the temperature rose, Sakura managed to fall into the rhythm of the run. She let her body take over and her mind empty, enjoying the workout. She'd been spending so much time in the hospital that she'd let her training go a little too much.

Maiko was doing well enough that they only stopped a couple of times for personal breaks between Otafuku Gai and the crossroads. By the time they pulled up in front of the inn, Sakura found she was glad it was over. It was good for her, but she was ready to rest.

The inn was a very small one, only one story with simple, white-washed walls, and wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. When they went to check in, they discovered that there was only one room available. "I can camp outside," Kakashi's eye crinkled. "I'm used to it."

Sakura was about to say the same thing, but Maiko spoke first. "Well, there are actually two beds, so Sakura can still sleep inside."

Sakura stared at Kakashi for a moment and thought maybe he didn't look happy about it, either. But there was no easy way to turn her down and she wasn't sure if Kakashi, disappointed though he may be, would want her to. Besides, they were supposed to be guarding her and it wouldn't be very easy to do if they were both outside. So, she pasted on a smile and turned back to Maiko. "Thank you very much. Well, then, should we go in?"

They got settled and then all gathered in the attached tea house for dinner. Whether by accident or design, Maiko kept up a steady stream of conversation. She asked questions about their jobs, Konoha, and them personally. And as it wound down, Sakura realized how light it had been, even between her and Kakashi. And how nice it was to have a normal conversation with him again.

"Well, I'm going to head out. I'll see you in the morning." He said and waved, but it took him a few more seconds to actually leave, his eye still fixed on Sakura.

Sakura stared back a moment and hoped that the longing on her face wasn't too obvious. Then she turned and smiled at Maiko, "Well�" she started.

"Oh!" Maiko said, smacking her forehead. "I forgot something. You know that blue bag I keep on the carriage seat?"

Sakura paused. "Yes, I've seen it."

"Could you please grab it for me?"

"Of course." Sakura replied, confused. "I'll be right back."

"Oh, don't run or anything, but I really appreciate it." Maiko smiled and waved, then turned toward the hallway to the rooms.

"No problem." Sakura stepped out of the inn and headed around toward the yard where the carriage was parked. As she turned the corner, she saw Kakashi. "Oh, um, hi."

"Yo." He said and waved. He had Icha Icha out, looking rather comfortable on a fallen log.

The casual greeting stung. Sakura stared at him a moment before giving a jerky half shrug and starting past him. "Sakura�" It was just a whisper, but she heard it and turned back.

"Hm?"

"Come here." She recognized the heat in his eyes, the look that she'd come to know so well. She stepped up to him as he stood, forgetting for the moment how to breathe, where they were. They stayed just barely six inches apart. She wanted so badly to reach out and touch, needed to, ached to.

He raised his free hand and slowly lowered the mask. As if in slow motion, she watched as he bent to her. Then his lips were on hers and she gave in to the need. Her hands went to his face and she poured all of her emotion into the kiss as lips devoured and tongues touched.

When they broke apart a few seconds later, they just stared at each other another moment. "Good night�," she said roughly, her breathing still unsteady, and turned toward the carriage.

Kakashi stood staring into space as she walked away. That kiss could not have stunned him more if she'd punched him in the gut with a chakra-infused fist at the same time. He couldn't begin to name all that had been behind it, but he could no longer allow himself to think that she only wanted him for what they'd been so far - bed partners. His inner-self poked him at that thought. Is that really all you've been? But he didn't have the mental capacity to answer it.

He sat back on the log, Icha Icha forgotten, lost in thought. It would take him another ten minutes before he remembered to replace his mask. And it was going to take him a very, very long time to fall asleep.

When Maiko heard the steps outside the door, she quickly pulled her head in the window and sat on her bed. Sakura came in and handed her the blue bag, then turned to her own pack. After rummaging through it a moment, she turned back. "Do you mind if I shower first?"

Maiko shook her head and opened the bag. As she pawed through it, she said, "Of course not. Please, help yourself," then she watched as Sakura turned and headed into the shower. She breathed a sigh of relief. That had been close.

She closed her bag, shoved it aside and lay back on her bed. There was no doubt about it, they were in love. Seriously in love.

Now, she just had to figure out why they weren't doing anything with it. The stunned look on Kakashi's face told her that he was not expecting some part of that kiss. And as unsteady as Sakura was when she came back, well, that was enough to tell Maiko that there was definitely something wrong here.

If they loved each other so much, why on earth were they pretending not to? She'd gathered enough to know that they weren't just pretending for her sake. No, they weren't talking to each other, either. She sighed. There were plenty of possibilities that came to mind, but it would take some very careful conversation to figure out what the problem really was.

She was still laying there, lost in thought, chewing on a fingernail when Sakura came out of the bathroom. "Your turn."

"Hm? Oh! Thanks." She sat up, realizing she hadn't even gotten her pajamas out. "I must have drifted off a bit." She got up, grabbed her things out of her overnight bag and hurried into the bathroom.

She didn't want to waste an opportunity to get more information, so she hurried through her shower. After brushing her teeth faster than she ever had in her life, she stepped back out. But Sakura was laying facing the wall. Whether she was really asleep or pretending, Maiko didn't know, but she wouldn't push. There was still plenty of time left in the trip for that.

Sakura listened as Maiko came out of the bathroom and got settled. Not long after the light was turned off, she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She gave a half smile as she realized she was doing a lot of that lately. She might even give Shikamaru a run for his money.

She couldn't have missed the stunned look on Kakashi's face when she stepped back from him. He hadn't been expecting the emotion behind the kiss, that much was obvious. Which only left her wondering what he had been thinking about her. What did he thinks she felt? She shook her head. She didn't know.

She hadn't meant to put that much into the kiss, either. It was rather like a dam breaking. Once she'd let some of it out, it seemed to have its own agenda.

She sighed. The first time in three weeks when she wasn't near him. Or, at least, expecting him, and she had no idea what to do with herself. She rolled again, but despite being very tired from the run today, there was no sleep to be had.

Kakashi had never been so happy to see dawn. He rolled off his mat and wrapped it up, quickly. He stood and stretched, trying to work just a few of the kinks out.

Slept poorly was an understatement. He hadn't slept at all. He'd been tired enough. And sleeping wasn't usually a problem for him, hadn't been in a long time, anyway.

He couldn't lie to himself completely about why. He'd like to say that he didn't know the reason for his lack of sleep, but he couldn't. He laid the blame firmly at the feet of the person that had been on his mind all night.

Sakura.

He scrubbed a hand over his face, adjusted his mask and grabbed his pack. He needed tea, badly. Correction: he needed sake. Tea would have to do.

The object of his torment was already sitting at a table, teapot and cup already in front of her. There was another cup on the table, waiting. When he approached and looked down into her face, he realized that she looked as rough as he felt. "Hi."

She glanced up then and gave him a wan smile. "Morning." She waved a hand. "Have some tea?"

He dropped his pack and settled onto the seat next to her. "Yes, thank you. I need it." He took a long drink, then turned to her.

She was asking him something with her eyes, but whether he was that clueless - and he was beginning to wonder about that - or whether he was just too tired to decipher it, he didn't know. It didn't matter, really, he couldn't seem to figure it out. But he knew, looking at her, how hard it had been to be without her last night.

It shouldn't have been. It shouldn't have bothered him that much. He remembered Asuma once talking about not being happy when he and Kurenai were apart, but he still managed to sleep. He had no idea why it was so hard for him. Especially since Sakura was just in the building.

He cleared his throat. "I missed you."

He watched as she closed her eyes, fighting emotion. It nearly killed him when a tear escaped. He reached up and brushed it away with his thumb. "I missed you, too." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he caught it.

They sat in silence for a while, each drinking their tea. Kakashi could see a battle waging on Sakura's face, but he had no idea what to do about it. Instead, he concentrated on his tea. He didn't like the feeling of helplessness.

When Maiko came out a short while later, Sakura had herself more under control. Those three words he'd said had made so much difference. She'd just about convinced herself that it hadn't bothered him, that he was okay with being apart.

Until she'd seen him. Maybe he only showed one eye, but she saw the lines under it. She saw the look in his eye when he saw her and she couldn't have mistaken how rough he'd looked. She'd been sick with the uncertainty, holding herself together through sheer force of will. When he'd said what he said, the ball in her chest had relaxed.

Of course, that brought its own problem. Because there was relief mixed with more longing when she heard he'd missed her, too. Because even if, even if - and there was no guarantee of this - even if he loved her like she loved him, they still had other obstacles to overcome.

But there was still a long way to go and she had no idea where to really begin. It was true this trip had changed things up for them. They'd gotten into almost a routine while they were still back in Konoha. Every night, every morning, they'd done the same things. Not all of them good.

She wasn't sure if the change was good or not. Despite the tears she'd cried every morning back home, this seemed worse, somehow. She was more on the edge all the time, closer to breaking. She found herself desperately trying to control her emotions almost constantly.

She drank more of her tea and smiled up at Maiko as she joined them. Breakfast was a much quieter affair than the day before and Sakura suspected that Maiko could feel the tension. Thankfully, before long, they were on the road.

Tired as she was, Sakura was hoping for the relative peace of running. If she could empty her mind, at least, she might just make it through the day without crying again. As clouds gathered overhead, she wasn't very hopeful.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Denial