CHAPTER ONE

Kakashi slammed her against the wall, his lips pressed to the neck of the woman in his arms. Possessively, his teeth gave a nibble, then a nip, and then a bite.

A desperate moan escaped the lips of one Sakura Haruno.

Kakashi couldn't suppress the self-satisfied grin that crossed his lips. It was quickly washed away when Sakura took hold of his hair and dragged his mouth back up to hers, pressing herself as close to Kakashi as she possibly could.

"What are we doing?" Sakura asked breathlessly before pulling his earlobe into her mouth. Her fingers pulled at the mask pooled around his neck to drag it even lower to ensure it wasn't in her way.

The suckling sensation was enough to make Kakashi weak at his knees and send a shiver up his spine.

What were they doing indeed? Aside from making out in the back hallway of a bar.

Kakashi's hand drifted to Sakura's thigh, caressing the soft unblemished skin beneath the jade-green dress she had worn. He wondered if he should tell her how happy it made him that she would dress up for his going-away party. Had she dressed up for him? Probably not, he mused, it was probably for Sasuke. Everybody knew about the last Uchiha's intentions towards Sakura.

But Kakashi could pretend. He could pretend that years of waiting for Sakura to grow up was finally culminating in his chance to be with her, to put his hat in the proverbial ring, and he could pretend that she had chosen him. He could pretend that Sakura truly wanted to be with him, to have him make love to her for hours and wake up next to him every morning for the rest of their lives. He could pretend, for a single night, that he had just confessed to the only woman he had thought about for several years and that they were on their way to a wonderful, long lasting relationship. And if Kakashi downed a few more drinks, he could even pretend the two of them weren't hopelessly drunk.

Kakashi moved his hand to cradle the back of Sakura's thigh before pulling it up. Sakura quickly got the hint and gladly, with a small mewling sound, wrapped it around his hip, the high-heel digging into Kakashi's lower back.

Kakashi couldn't even begin to describe what it felt like to have a literal dream come true.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura whispered softly, leaning her head back against the wall.

"Just Kakashi, Sakura." Kakashi replied, resuming his nibbling of her neck. "You haven't been my student for a long time."

Sakura giggled. "Kakashi." This time she said it louder.

Kakashi felt his pants get a little bit tighter and he bit back his own moan. Just the way she said his name was almost too much for him. "Yes, Sakura?"

Sakura's fingers raked through his hair. "I'm drunk."

"Mhm." Kakashi murmured into her neck, his free hand running up and down her side, sliding silkily on the dress fabric. What he would give to be able to touch her skin. This part of her he knew to be marked with a few scars, scars that showcased her career as both a legendary kunoichi and medical-ninja. Some of those scars had stories that Kakashi knew by heart.

"I've never been this drunk before." She replied in a dazed and confused tone. "And it makes me want you so badly that it hurts."

Kakashi kissed her again, fierce and dominating, and proceeded to lift Sakura's other leg when she tried to press even closer to him. Lifting her, with the assistance of the wall, Kakashi was able to get a better angle on the kiss, and Sakura gripped his lower body between her legs to ensure there was no room between them while her fingers continued their ministrations in his hair. She rolled her hips against him experimentally and giggled again at the hiss of a quick intake breath. Kakashi drew her bottom lip into his mouth, tenderly gripping it between his teeth, before meeting her tongue with his own. Kakashi belatedly wondered where his favorite student had learned how to kiss before forcibly pushing the thoughts away. There was no point in spoiling a perfect last-night in Konoha with jealousy.

Sakura broke the kiss in favor of leaning her head back. Kakashi could feel her trying to catch her breath, her heart beating even faster than his. In this moment, Kakashi couldn't resist the temptation to call it perfect. Here, tonight, in his arms, Kakashi had the most beautiful, most powerful kunoichi all to himself, and he relished the moment. He had wanted this for a couple of years, now.

Ever since she punched a chasm into the ground on her second bell-test.

What a beauty she had been even then, Kakashi recalled. He had felt no small amount of guilt about the fact that seeing her, that distant day ago, standing in Tsunade's office with Naruto, the blonde-ninja's first day back, had also been the first time he had seen her since Team 7 had been officially dissolved. He had always felt bad that he had been forced to treat her as such a low priority when faced with the problems of Sasuke and Naruto, two boys who had always needed him more than Sakura. He had been proud to see his pupil come into her own skill niche with Tsunade.

And watching her split the ground in an effort to locate his hiding place, well, that had been the day Kakashi Hatake had fallen in love with Sakura Haruno.

Guiltily, he amended, he had guiltily fallen in love with a girl fourteen years his junior.

But that didn't have to matter right then.

"Why don't we take this somewhere more private." Kakashi asked, unable to help grinding into Sakura's lower body. The moan she let out was enough to cause Kakashi to fall in love all over again.

"Mhm, yes, mhm, OH!"

Kakashi quickly covered Sakura's mouth with his own, stifling any other far-too-loud moans. "Your place or mine?" Kakashi queried, trying to listen for anybody coming towards them. Who knew who might have heard them by now?

"Hey Loser, where's Sakura?"

Kakashi immediately froze at the sound of Sasuke's voice, pausing his ministrations to pay closer attention to the conversation.

"How should I know?" Naruto's voice replied back. "She was with Ino last I saw her, or maybe it was Kakashi? I just know she's really hammered."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted back.

Sasuke was looking for Sakura.

"Kakashi." Sakura said, bringing his attention back to her. "What's wrong?"

Kakashi's eyes met Sakura's and he became breathless.

He knew, despite being drunk, that what he was doing was not quite right. He knew that Sasuke had been pursuing the pink-haired medic for several months now, and rumor had it that she was finally starting to acquiesce to her old teammates requests. This moment, right here, was the only chance Kakashi would ever get with Sakura. He had to escape the Village Hidden in the Leaf if Kakashi was going to avoid having the mantle of Hokage bestowed upon him before he felt he was ready. Tsunade had made it her mission to wear him down until he accepted the post, with all the responsibilities and all of the paper work. By the time he returned in a couple of years, Sakura Haruno would be Sakura Uchiha...

And not Sakura Hatake.

It all tore Kakashi apart on the inside.

His rational thoughts were telling him to leave well-enough alone, to stop this nonsense with his past student, return to his jounin friends, and have a few more drinks before making his way home in preparation for his departure in the morning.

Sakura chose that moment to speak up. "Kakashi..." her voice begged, her tone desperate. "Please... I need you."

Before he could second guess himself again, Kakashi performed a transportation jutsu.

They rematerialized in Kakashi's own bedroom, still clinging to each other, before Kakashi placed his cherry-blossom on the bed with himself leaning over her.

Kakashi paused again, drawing Sakura's curious gaze. "Are you sure about this?" He asked, giving her one more chance to end what was happening between the two shinobi. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop even if he wanted to should they go any further.

Sakura answered by wrapping her legs around Kakashi's hips and twisting, easily flipping their positions. Kakashi groaned at the feel of her in his lap.

Sakura laughed, playfully and care-free, a mysterious glint in her eyes.

With quick and deft movements, her silky jade-green dress, the one Kakashi thought matched her eyes perfectly, was pulled up and over and tossed somewhere behind her. Kakashi couldn't resist placing his hands on her hips and pausing to take her in. Moonlight was streaming in through the window of his balcony, caressing the body of the kunoichi currently straddling him. His eyes roamed, going from her neck, over her well-sculpted breasts, past her stomach, and to the very cute underwear.

"Why, Sakura," Kakashi grinned, "I didn't know you had a thing for watermelon."

A snort was his reply. "Do you wonder if I'm just as juicy?"

"I don't have to wonder." Kakashi batted, pretending such words from her didn't surprise him.

And then Sakura was working at the pants he wore, quickly unbuckling it all and dragging his pants down as Kakashi sat up to remove his shirt. Before Kakashi knew what was happening, Sakura was back in his lap and incessantly running her lower extremities over a particularly sensitive organ.

Kakashi shivered.

"Kakashi..."

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Make love to me."

The shy tone caused Kakashi to look back at Sakura's face. It was enough to fool him into thinking she could, under different circumstances, be in love with him.

"Gladly."

Kakashi cupped her face in his hands before gently bringing their faces back together, giving her a kiss that could portray everything he felt for her. Love, attraction, respect, need, want, desire, all of it, he wanted to give her all of it.

Her hands moved into his hair while Kakashi's hands moved to travel down her side. One hand palmed a breast, eliciting a delicious mewling sound, while the other gripped her hip. Their bodies were moving against each other, sweet friction accumulating between them. He nibbled at her lip, she raked her nails across his back. It was easy to reverse their positions again, easy to hook his fingers into her panties and draw them off her, discarding them with her dress and his assorted clothes, and it was easy to situate himself between her legs and press himself against her.

Rationality was telling him he was forgetting something, something very important.

Her heels digging into his back brought Kakashi out of his head as Sakura drew him into her.

Sakura's moan was slow, languid, and blissful as her muscles stretched and writhed to accommodate him. Kakashi's groan as he sunk into her was muffled against her shoulder. Each of them took great delight in the slow movement of his penetration, savoring the feeling.

When he couldn't go any deeper, Kakashi slowly withdrew, then they repeated the process all over again.

Only a few more times before Kakashi began to quicken the pace, relishing in the feeling that was Sakura Haruno. Ever vocal, Sakura showed no restraint in the sounds coming from her lips. Words slipped out between her moans, nothing that could be turned into any specific thought, and Kakashi had a difficult time paying enough attention to anything she said. Their bodies were perfect together, fitting together like two lost puzzle pieces that had finally found their place in the picture.

"Oh kami!" Sakura cursed, her back arching. "I'm going to come, I'm going to come!"

Kakashi gripped her hips even tighter as he sped up, losing the rhythm they had previously established in seek of his own release.

Sakura screamed then, squirming beneath him as pleasure raced through her body wave after wave. Her muscles clenching around him brought a gruff groan from his own lips as he felt himself spill within her.

Panting and out of breath, they each locked eyes. Sakura had a warm smile across her face, satisfied and full, and Kakashi couldn't resist the warmth in his own face. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving her heat and instead rolled them to the side, drawing the girl into his arms. She sighed, nestling into him.

"Why do you have to go?" Sakura whispered wistfully, drowsedly, drunkenly. "Why can't you stay?"

Kakashi closed his eyes, resigning himself. She was still drunk, or she wouldn't be saying such things. He had to go, or he would be Hokage before he was ready and let down his village. And Sakura had to stay in Konoha, where her team was, her work was, and her future was.

Kakashi Hatake was never meant to be Sakura Haruno's future.

Before Kakashi could even blink, he had fallen asleep.

0o0

The sun was rising, spilling its light from the horizon and over Konoha.

Kakashi blinked, biting back an anguished moan.

It was time to go.

He laid there for a few moments though, enjoying the warmth at his side.

You're forgetting something.

He thought for a couple minutes more, trying to determine what his mind was trying to tell him. Kakashi shrugged it off as regret.

Kakashi carefully, reverently brushed a few stray strands of pink hair from the face of the woman in his arms before pressing a closed lipped kiss to her cheek. He gently separated their bodies, de-tangling their limbs, before leaving the warmth of his bed to find clothes.

It didn't take him long to get dressed in the one remaining outfit in his closet, left there specifically for this occasion, or to pick up his bags and give the room a once-over, ensuring he had packed everything he needed. He turned back to Sakura, who had curled up in his absence but remained asleep.

She looked...like home...

How many times had Kakashi imagined this moment, imagined waking up to the sight of her after a particularly vivid dream? With her pink hair splayed across a pillow, her cuddled up to his warmth, he imagined looking into her eyes and taking her all over again the moment she woke up.

He hadn't realized it would be so hard to leave her.

But it was for the best.

0o0

The sound of birds awoke Sakura, chittering that refused to cease, and she blearily opened her eyes and squinted at the mid-day sun. It had been a long time since she had slept so soundly and late into a day.

Her body felt a little sore in places she hadn't used in a while, muscles protesting as Sakura sat up.

Feelings of the previous night washed over her and Sakura reveled in them. She had felt so passionately loved in Kakashi's arms the previous night. The memory of his fingers on her bare skin, the way he had kissed her, feeling herself flush against him, and of course the way he had felt inside her. She should probably feel a little foolish, but--

Mid-day...

"Shit!" The pink-haired kunoichi cried, jerking up in alarm.

Kakashi's bed, check. Clothes on the floor, check.

But Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.

"No no no no no!"

Quickly, Sakura found her dress from the previous night, disregarding the heels she had slipped off at some point, and pulled the fabric over her hair. Not caring that her hair was tousled thoroughly and that she probably looked very obviously post-sex, Sakura darted out the door.

By the time she reached the village gates, she knew she was too late.

"Sakura!" Kotetsu greeted , waving at her from his booth next to the gate. His partner Izumo was distracted by a small pile of paperwork in front of him.

"Kakashi?" She breathed out the question, turning from Kotetsu to look out past the gates and onto the desolately empty path that led to and from the village.

Kotetsu smiled sadly at her. "He left as soon as the gates opened this morning." He told her. "Did you not get to say your goodbyes yesterday?"

"I..." Sakura trailed off uncertainly. "I did, but... I don't know, I guess there was a part of me that didn't believe he would leave."

I didn't think he would leave meInner Sakura cried out. What about last night?!

Tears pricked her eyes then, tears born of desperation and hopelessness and longing. Longing to feel what Kakashi had made her feel the night before. Longing to keep one of her special people in her life. Longing for--

No...Kakashi hadn't stayed. Maybe last night had only been sex for him. Maybe he would have been interested in starting a relationship with her, if he had stayed.

She would probably never know.

It all seemed ridiculously unfair.

"Sakura!"

The kunoichi whirled around to see Naruto barreling towards her. She waved back, barely able to muster the energy to do so.

He stopped in front of her. "Sasuke's been looking for you since last night. Poor bastard has searched all of Konoha for you."

What...what was she supposed to say to him? Or to Sasuke?

Oh kami...Sasuke...

"Sakura? Hey, what's wrong?"

Sakura burst into tears.

0o0

Having been settled onto Naruto's couch with a glass of tea, being fussed over by said blond-ninja, Sakura's thoughts kept going in loops. She had ceased crying after fifteen minutes of Naruto panicking at the gates, but Naruto refused to leave her alone. As was, she knew he was currently summoning a toad to find Sasuke.

Kakashi had left...Kakashi had left...Kakashi had left!

And it felt like he had taken her entire life with him.

Sasuke barged through the door then and immediately saw the state his teammate was in.

"Naruto!" Sasuke growled, demanding an explanation with the one word and a single look alone.

"Don't look at me like that!" Naruto shouted back, pointing a finger accusingly at the Uchiha. "She's your girlfriend! Fix her!"

Sasuke turned back to Sakura and cautiously approached, kneeling down to be able to look at her better. It was clear that he was very much uncomfortable with what he was doing, not sure how to "fix" Sakura.

"What happened?" He asked.

Sakura didn't respond. Her eyes were downcast and her hands visibly tremored while clinging to the mug in her hands.

"Kotetsu said something about Kakashi." Naruto supplied, hoping it would help.

"Sakura, look at me." Sasuke demanded.

Sakura ignored him.

"Look at me!" He repeated, gripping her chin in his hand to force her face towards him.

Sakura's eyes caught his for a single moment before returning to the floor.

"What happened to you last night?" Sasuke asked, his tone commanding answers.

"I got really drunk." Sakura replied tonelessly. "I crashed on Ino's couch."

LIES! Inner Sakura shrieked.

She had spent the night in Kakashi's bed.

"I was too late at the gate. I missed him..." She finished uncomfortably. It all made her want to cry again.

Neither Sasuke or Naruto remarked on the obvious evidence that she had not spent the night on Ino's couch.

Sakura hadn't been prepared for last night. In a way, the last few months had been about Sasuke, about how he was finally, after so many years, pursuing a relationship with her and getting things ready for an engagement; her mother had casually mentioned that Sasuke had been to see her about something very important. But being the center of Kakashi's attentions, after having wanted that since she was twelve? It had been more than she was ready for.

You didn't want him romantically when you were twelve. Inner Sakura lamented swooningly, bringing images back into Sakura's mind.

The way his hands had felt on her skin, being pinned to the wall, falling asleep in his arms.

No, she hadn't wanted the older jounin like that when she was younger. But she couldn't say she didn't want it now. In a way, he had always been family.

Because last night had made her feel alive! It had felt even better than the adrenaline high of battle or hospital chaos. It had felt better then all of her feelings for Sasuke in every moment of her life ever combined.

She wanted last night back so badly.

Despite it all, he had gone anyways.

Kakashi had still left.

Doubts crept into her mind then, more forceful than at the gates.

"I think she's still hungover." Naruto supplied. "Lee gets all emotional after some liquor too."

Sasuke gave his teammate a look.

"What? I'm just trying to help!"

"Sakura, is it maybe your time of the month?" Sasuke asked, his gaze directed awkwardly off to the side.

She wanted to snort. The fact that her teammates tried to keep up with her mood swings and bothered attempting to track them was a bit ridicules. This wasn't mood swings.

"It could be all three?" Naruto guessed.

Sakura minutely shook her head. It was more for herself than her teammates.

Sakura Haruno was most assuredly suffering from a broken heart.

What had she done?

The tears started all over again.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think so far with my introductory chapter! (Reviews are the best sustenance for an author!) I don't expect this to be a particularly long piece, three or so chapters. I know enough about myself at this point to keep my writing endeavors on the smaller side (me and long projects don't get along), which means this will not reach novel size. I have a hard time seeing myself ever writing something longer than 50K words ever again. But I hope this is still worth the read!Sakura has always struck me as the type of person who loves easily. And all it takes is certain experiences for the type of love you feel towards somebody to switch unexpectedly, whether that be falling in or out of love.The next chapter will take place over the course of a year. What does Sakura do about her broken heart? What will Kakashi do with his time away? Will Tsunade finally win a bet that doesn't signal everything will go wrong?