Rating: T

Words: 4.000

Pairings: Kakashi/Sakura

Warnings: Mild language, drinking, flirting, Genma (inappropriate comments, he always needs a warning), fluff,

Author's Notes: This is for Tumblr's Kakasaku week 2016, prompt is Walk of Shame/Stride of pride. I feel like I should say that this is not how I planned this story to go but this is where we ended up. Thanks for reading, reviewing, etc.

"Just because you're an uncaring, self-absorbed ass doesn't mean that the rest of us are." The words slipped out before Sakura could stop them. Kakashi watched her, leaning against the wall with hands buried in his pockets.

"That's not fair," Kakashi responded, dropping his voice in the tone he used to soothe her anger. Today, it had the opposite effect.

"I'm done having this conversation." Sakura pushed off the desk she'd been leaning against. "Did you need something else, Lord Sixth?"

Kakashi's eyes grew hard when Sakura used his title rather than his name. She only did that when she was angry. Though she didn't mean to, Sakura's hand balled into a tight fist. Kakashi noticed and chuckled. "You're going to hit me? Imagine the rumors that would cause."

Kakashi moved closer, eye smiling at the woman. He glanced down from his superior height, and reached out a hand to almost touch her shoulder. "You're worrying about nothing. It's stupid, nobody believes anything Genma says anymore. Besides, rumors never hurt anyone."

Red flashed in Sakura's vision and she swung, fist slamming against Kakashi's chest hard enough to stagger him backward several steps. Sakura hadn't hit him as hard as she could have, not even close. Even so, the man curled forward protectively and tried to wheeze air into his lungs. Sakura swept past him and paused at the door. "You're right, rumors aren't painful at all."

When Sakura left her office in the hospital only moments after the Hokage entered it, several people looked up in surprise. Maybe they'd heard the satisfying way the air left Kakashi's lungs, or maybe they knew the pair usually spent longer together. Either way, when the other medical nin met her furious green eyes, they scurried back to work immediately.

Sakura snagged the sleeve of an apprentice. "You're to go to my office and check on Hokage-sama."

"I-um-my lady-um," the girl stammered over her words, cheeks flushing pink as she dropped into a bow. "Me, my lady?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, wondering if she'd been this starry eyed as a child. Probably. How had Tsunade put up with her? "Yes, you. My office, Hokage-sama, go."

The girl squeaked, dropped into another bow, then hurried to do Sakura's bidding. The pink-haired woman shook out the ache in her hand, and wondered whether she'd been too hard on Kakashi. When she thought back to what caused the fight, anger reasserted itself, and she wondered if she'd been too gentle.

Deciding that she didn't want to think about it, Sakura threw herself into her work. Three hours later, the woman had terrorized half of the hospital in her fury. She was pretty sure that at least two of her patients had pretended to feel better simply so she would leave them alone, while a third feigned sleeping during the entire exam.

Near dusk, Tsunade summoned Sakura to her office. Her former teacher sat behind her the desk, an opened bottle of sake between them. Staring at Sakura, Tsunade filled two glasses, drained one, then splashed clear liquid into it again. "Are we going to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Sakura raised the second glass. She managed not to cough or sputter, but it physically hurt to breath around the burn of the alcohol. Sakura wasn't much of a drinker, and Tsunade preferred much stronger drink than she was used to.

Tsunade watched her former student closely. "A terrified Kirade informed me that the Rokudaime was injured in your office today."

"Was he?" Sakura wondered if it was normal for your lips to go numb after a single drink. She was almost positive that it wasn't.

Tsunade barked out a harsh laugh. "He was, though, I think it was mostly bruised ego." The former Hokage poured Sakura a second glass, and the girl lifted it to her lips as Tsunade continued. "So, are you sleeping with him?"

Sakura sprayed liquid across Tsunade's desk, choking. "Damn it, don't waste it. This is expensive sake," Tsunade growled.

Sakura gasped, throat burning and eyes watering. She dropped the glass back onto the desk as Tsunade moved around to thump her on the back a couple of times. Sakura finally managed to draw a breath, tears running down her cheeks as her shishou laughed. Surely Tsunade hadn't asked what Sakura thought she had.

"Did you just ask if I'm sleeping with the Hokage?" Sakura glanced at bottle, then refilled her glass. She drank the sake in one gulp, finding it easier now that she couldn't feel her mouth, and ignored Tsunade's knowing smile. She drank two more glasses in rapid succession.

Tsunade smiled at Sakura's lack of composure. "No, I asked if you were sleeping with Kakashi."

"He's my sensei," Sakura said. The familiar rationalization should have put an end to the argument. In any other company, it would have.

"He was your sensei," Tsunade corrected. "It's been, what, six years? You were always more my student than his." Tsunade filled their glasses again. Sakura didn't dignify the other woman's words with a response other than drinking.

Tsunade immediately refilled the glass. "Even if he is Hokage, and your former sensei, he's still a man." Tsunade grinned. "And not a bad looking man at that."

A blush colored Sakura's cheeks. That Kakashi was attractive wasn't a new thought for her. In fact, most of the time lately, Sakura had to stop herself from undressing Kakashi with her eyes. She could still remember the first time it happened, not long after the end of the war. They had been sparring together for hours. They were both drenched in sweat and nearing the end of their stamina. Kakashi had moved a fraction too slow, and Sakura slid around his defenses. Her chakra strengthened fist slammed into his ribs hard enough to break them. When she'd rushed forward to heal him, Kakashi had pressed a kunai against her throat. "Shinobi first, medic second," he'd grunted, then let the blade fall away as he crumpled forward.

Sakura had him sit down, and helped him take off his armor in her haste to check his injury. When she'd pushed her hands against his heaving chest, she'd felt the muscle beneath. Of course he had muscle, he was a shinobi after all. It was just that Sakura had never noticed Kakashi's specifically. Her mind pictured the rigid curves and dips, the scars that surely existed on pale skin so unused to sunlight, and then she couldn't stop thinking about what he would look like without a shirt.

When Sakura met his eyes, Kakashi looked back with sweat glistening on his brow and the flush of fighting on his cheeks, rising just above the mask. He was so handsome that Sakura had to fight the urge to kiss him. She'd jumped away so quickly that Kakashi startled and reached for a kunai. When he asked what was wrong, she'd brushed the incident off as hearing a noise and continued to heal him. She definitely hadn't thought of undressing him there on the dark training field with only the trees and moon as witness.

"You must agree, or you wouldn't be blushing." Tsunade barely disguised her smirk as she resettled behind the desk. When Sakura didn't answer, the blond leveled her with a look. "You do know that he's interested, right? Anyone can see the way that he looks at you."

Sakura opened her mouth to argue, but Tsunade spoke over her. "Kakashi might read porn in public, but he'd never be bold enough to make the first move. Especially with you."

"Are you telling me that if I, hypothetically, had feelings for someone like Kakashi, that I should act on them?" Sakura blushed, but at this point it could have been from alcohol or embarrassment. She stood and shook her head to clear the haze.

"You should hypothetically, do whatever, or whomever, the hell you want. Life's short, remember that." Tsunade's voice dropped, holding a note of sadness. "Now, get out of here and let me enjoy my sake in peace."

As Sakura walked through the darkened hospital, she reeled from the fact that Tsunade would even suggest such a thing. Sakura wasn't immune to the rumors swirling about herself and Kakashi and she was pretty sure that Genma was behind them. The man seemed to be trying to play matchmaker despite his feigned innocence. Yes, Sakura did spend a lot of time in Kakashi's office, but it was all professional. Well, mostly professional, they were friends, after all. And while Kakashi stopped by her office in the hospital sometimes, there was nothing improper in it.

When her feet carried her to the Hokage compound, Sakura wasn't surprised to see the light in Kakashi's office. She just wanted to make sure she hadn't injured him too badly earlier. That was all, regardless of what Tsunade-sama said. Sakura groaned as she approached the office; Genma and Raido stood outside the door. The former grinned, which was okay on most people. On Genma, it bordered on indecent long before he ever opened his mouth. "Can I help you with something?"

"Is Hokage-sama with someone?" Sakura asked, not giving into the playfulness in the man's tone.

"The general opinion is that he's not." Genma shifted the senbon between his lips, then smiled. "But thanks to all the training you two have been doing lately, I don't think that he's needed to polish his kunai—"

Sakura flexed her hand. "Finish that thought, and I'll hit you."

Genma winked as he pushed the door open. "You can stop me from saying it, not from thinking it."

"I can if you're unconscious." Sakura smiled sweetly, then stepped into the office and shut the door behind her.

Kakashi glanced up, and for a moment, Sakura's mind was entirely occupied by how breathtakingly gorgeous he was. A desk lamp bathed the room in a gentle glow that softened his features. Tousled silver hair fell over Kakashi forehead, or stood in defiance of gravity, trained by the headband he'd worn so long. Shadows fell over his left eye, making the the scar less noticeable.

"Are you threatening to kill my guards again?" Kakashi's eyes met hers, expression unreadable.

"Only Genma. You can keep Raido," Sakura offered.

The tension broke with Kakashi's laughter. He didn't mention the punch, or the fact that she'd left him to be tended by someone else. Kakashi had that rare quality of accepting unspoken apologies. "What do you need at this hour?"

Sakura took a deep breath and considered what had brought her here. The alcohol blurred the edges of her common sense and as she looked at Kakashi, all Sakura could think was that he was everything she wanted. Stability, strength, and as much as she hated to admit it, Tsunade was right. Her former sensei might be the Hokage, but he was still just an attractive man beneath that. Sakura crossed the room to his desk.

Kakashi watched her suspiciously as she stalked closer, and he filled the silence. "Listen, if this about earlier, I was just kidding. If it bothers you-"

Sakura pressed her hand against his chest, letting her chakra flare. Kakashi gasped as it flooded him, checking for injuries in a breathless rush. Healing was an intimate experience, and Sakura let it overwhelm him. Kakashi closed his eyes and drew a ragged breath. "Tsunade-sama already healed me," he breathed.

"Did she?" Sakura leaned down to whisper by his ear, lips almost brushing it. She and Kakashi had flirted before, but she'd never been this forward. The man exhaled and pulled away from her.

"Sakura?" Panic rose in Kakashi's voice, pleasing Sakura more than it should have. "What are you doing?"

While the alcohol helped, it didn't entirely ease her nervousness. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Sakura knew this was a terrible idea, but Inner Sakura supplied several convincing reasons on why it was the best one she'd had in a long time. Deciding on middle ground, Sakura moved to sit on the edge of Kakashi's desk. His gaze slid up her legs when she crossed them, then leaped to her eyes before they could linger somewhere they shouldn't.

"Don't you care that you're the cause of the rumors about us?" Sakura asked. She meant to accuse him, but her voice came out flat. "You summon me here for no reason. You show up at the hospital to talk, or see me. We've gone out to dinner just the two of us-"

"That was just the one time. You'd had a hard day, and Naruto was out of the village on a mission with Yamato. Otherwise they would have been there." Kakashi's well reasoned, logical response tumbled from his lips before Sakura completed her thought. That meant he had thought of a way to defend spending time alone with her. It also meant that he was aware of a reason they shouldn't.

"Why?" Sakura's question was simple, and infinitely complex at the same time.

Kakashi offered a smile. "Because Naruto and Yamato provided the best chances of success on that mission." One pink eyebrow arched skyward, and Sakura tapped her fingers on the desk.

After a couple of moments of silence, Kakashi sighed. "What do you want me say, Sakura?"

"You could start with the truth." Sakura shifted, suddenly aware that the room spun around her. She blinked a couple of time to make it stop.

Kakashi breathed deeply, then frowned. "Have you been drinking?"

"Maybe," Sakura conceded.

Kakashi's eyes darkened. "Why?"

"Because I'm not a little girl anymore," Sakura growled. "I'm not some delicate little thing that needs protection. In fact, I hate that you try to make my decisions for me."

Kakashi shook his head and stood up. To her surprise, he offered his hand. "My office isn't the place for whatever this is. May I walk you home? Or Raido, if you'd prefer?"

"Genma could," Sakura suggested, infuriated by Kakashi's dismissal.

"If that's what you want," Kakashi said slowly as she slid a hand into his. Rather than allowing the man to pull her from the desk, Sakura tugged him closer, savoring the heat of annoyance and jealousy in his eyes.

Sakura drew a breath to calm the nervous flutter in her chest. "What do you want?" She asked softly, squeezing Kakashi's hand. Indecision, panic, regret, and finally, self-control flashed through his eyes.

Without asking, the young woman pulled Kakashi closer until the front of his thighs bumped into the desk. For once in her life, Sakura didn't think about the consequences or the expectations. Instead, she slid her fingers into his silver hair, then drew Kakashi's face closer to her own. When Sakura pressed their lips together through his mask, the man closed his eyes with a sigh.

She loosened her hold on Kakashi's hair, allowing him to pull back as she looked at him in confusion. Her name left his lips in a breathy whisper when Kakashi opened his eyes. "Sakura, what-"

Frowning at the man she thought she was in love with, Sakura pressed a finger to his lips. Her hand continued up, grasping the edge of his mask, until Kakashi's hand caught her wrist. "Enough, Sakura." She took no pleasure in his straining voice this time.

Kakashi stepped back, pulling her with him. Sakura slid off the desk and stumbled into his chest, room and floor both spinning. The man wrapped his arms around her long enough to steady her feet, then flicked off the lamp on his desk. "Come on, let's get you home."

Sakura leaned against Kakashi's side, and he put an arm around her shoulders to keep her steady. When he pushed the door open, Genma immediately perked up at the sight of them. "Ready to make it official?" The guard asked cheerfully.

"Your resignation?" Kakashi returned without missing a beat. Genma laughed then shook his head, but Kakashi didn't give him time to come up with a reply. "You two are dismissed." He nodded to Genma and Raido in turn, then guided Sakura out of the building and into the street. The night air carried a chill and Sakura immediately tried to snuggle closer to Kakashi. Despite being acutely aware of Genma somewhere behind him, Kakashi didn't deny her.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Sakura said suddenly, stumbling away from Kakashi. Her balance failed and she dropped to her knees, gagging and trying not to throw up. In the end, the medic in her won the struggle, though her face visibly paled with the effort. Sighing, Kakashi ran a hand over her back before helping Sakura to her feet. He'd done this a time or two with Jiraiya, and knew what to expect.

Sakura trembled, drawing deep breaths through her nose in an effort to keep from vomiting. Kakashi looked at her green-hued face, and did a few mental calculations. Her apartment was on the other side of the village, his was only a couple of streets away. Though Kakashi knew he was giving Genma far too much ammunition, he wrapped an arm around Sakura's middle. "Come on, my place is closer."

They barely got through the door before Sakura pressed her hands over her mouth in a frantic attempt to keep from throwing up. After getting directions to the bathroom, she dashed toward it without removing her shoes. She careened down the hallway, hitting the wall in the bedroom door in her rush. Kakashi shook his head and took his sandals off, trying not to listen to the sound of Sakura being noisily sick in the other room.

Grimacing, Kakashi removed the Hokage cloak and his flak vest before walking into the kitchen to get a drink of water. He waited what seemed like a considerable amount of time before entering his bedroom. There was a soft whimper from the bathroom and Kakashi rapped his knuckles against the door. A gasp met the sound, then something that sounded a lot like sobs. He knew Sakura well enough to tell when she trying not to cry; and when she was failing, too. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry," Sakura murmured. "I've never-" Her words dissolved into heaves. Had she not sounded so pathetic, Kakashi might have been less forgiving.

Knowing there was nothing to do but let it run its course, Kakashi let her know where the mouthwash was, then crossed the room. Sakura had gotten dirt on her knees when she'd fallen in the street, and he wasn't entirely sure she managed to make it to the bathroom before throwing up. He considered for a moment, then pulled out a navy long sleeve shirt and pants. Kakashi placed them on the floor by the bathroom. "I set some clothes here if you want to change. I'll be in the other room."

Ten minutes or so later, Sakura stepped out of Kakashi's bedroom. He glanced up from Icha Icha Tactics to look at her, then closed the book all together. Her cheeks were flushed and hair damp from the sweat on her forehead. She'd pulled on the navy pants and shirt he'd left for her, but they fit her poorly. His pants were far too long for Sakura's smaller body, and she'd rolled them up to keep from dragging the ground., His shirt was too large as well, sleeves hanging over her fingertips and she was barefoot, sandals probably with the rest of her clothes.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi," Sakura said, blushing crimson. "I should have known better than to drink anything of Tsunade's."

Kakashi chuckled. "Probably. Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really, but at least I'm not throwing up." Sakura crossed the room to settle on the couch beside him, and dropped her head forward. "I'm sorry for today. All of it."

"Don't worry about it," Kakashi turned to Sakura, wondering if he should rub her back again. He wanted to, and she looked like she needed it, but they'd crossed a lot of lines today. Not to mention being alone in my apartment, he thought with a blush Sakura couldn't see. His mind flashed back to the memory of their kiss, the softness of her lips through his mask and the feeling of her fingers tangled in his air. Sakura made his head spin, and it had taken every ounce of self-control he possessed not to pull down his mask and return her kiss. It had been obvious what she wanted, what they both wanted, but Kakashi couldn't take advantage of her. Not when she was clearly under the influence of something other than him.

Completely unaware of his Kakashi's thoughts, Sakura tucked her feet under her and yawned. "Should go home, could make it." Her words were slurred with exhaustion. Kakashi nodded without speaking, watching her sway to the side. She tipped and fell against him with a chuckle. "Maybe." Sakura didn't seem to be realize she was curling against his chest or slowly sliding down to rest her head on his lap, but Kakashi was intensely aware of it. He exhaled, forcing himself to remain calm as she nestled against him like it was the most natural thing in the world. In one way, it was.

"You could stay, if you wanted," Kakashi said quietly, dropping a hand to run through Sakura's hair. She made a contented sound and nestled against his legs, falling asleep in moments. Kakashi shifted carefully, stretching out and leaning back to make a better pillow. Though he hadn't anticipated this after their earlier fight, it was comfortable. Trying to focus on anything but the warmth against his thigh, Kakashi reopened his book and held it with his left hand as his right absently rubbed Sakura's back.

Hours later, Kakashi drew a blanket from the back of the couch and covered Sakura. She mumbled something sleepily that he imagined sounded a lot like his name before falling quiet again. Kakashi knew he'd be sore if he slept sitting like this all night, but as he looked at woman beside him, he couldn't bring himself to care.

Sakura's eyes opened slowly, trying to make sense of where she was. The silent apartment wasn't her own. She slept in unfamiliar clothes, blanket tucked around her. The young woman caught Kakashi's scent on both; she'd know that earthy, clean smell anywhere. The memory came back slowly and her cheeks flushed. She was wearing Kakashi's clothes because hers were covered in sick from making a fool of herself last night. Her eyes settled on a glass of water with a piece of paper folded beside it.

I had an early meeting and didn't want to wake you. I'll tell Tsunade you're ill and won't be in today, so don't worry about work. It will probably cause more rumors, but at this point, does it matter? Also, about the rumors, could I take you to dinner? Just us with no excuses.

It was simple and to the point, but Sakura's heart soared. Pushing off the couch, she folded the blanket and hurried to gather her dirty clothes. She would go home, shower, then go to work even though she didn't have to. After stopping by the Hokage's office and accepting Kakashi request, of course.

Sakura carried her own clothes against her chest as she left the apartment, trying to be as stealthy as possible, lest anyone see her. She nearly made it to the street before there was a catcall. Sakura spun to find Genma smirking, standing in the perfect location to watch Kakashi's door. "Well, well, looks like I was right. Don't worry, we've all done the walk of shame once or twice."

"Polishing kunai takes a long time if you do it right," Sakura called over her shoulder.

"Especially when they're rusty," Genma shouted back.

The pinkette shook her head as the man's laughter faded behind her. Let Genma have his fantasies; Sakura was ready to fulfill a few of her own.