The last chapter of 'The Art of Forgiveness' is finally ready! Fair warning, Kakashi is a little OOC in this chapter but that's because I wanted to show a more emotional, raw side of Kakashi that is rarely seen in the magna or the tv series.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Naruto series.

The Art of Forgiveness- Part 6

Kakashi yawned and took a quick look out his window, guessing that dawn was approaching.

'I really need to get an alarm clock.'

He went to stand up and get dressed only to feel a weight on his hip and chest preventing him from moving.

Kakashi lazily groped around in an attempt to move whatever was on him.

'What are these things? They're so… warm' he tiredly thought, trying to squint through the darkness.

'An arm and a leg?' He blindly felt around behind him and could feel that, yes, this arm and leg were attached to a person, a person whose naked body was pressed against his own, the sound of the man's light snoring filling Kakashi's ears.

'Why is there a naked man in my bed?' Kakashi groggily thought.

His eyes widen, 'Did I…?'

Sasuke's declaration of love, their first kiss which soon escalated into many much more passionate kisses, skin on skin contact, the clumsy way they both somehow made it to the bedroom, it all hit him at once.

As Kakashi traced the lines and scars on the arm that was still resting on him. He remembered the passionate stares, Sasuke's hands that seemed to leave a trail of fire and lust behind them, the way that they couldn't seem to say enough, kiss enough, or hold each other close enough, it all came rushing back.

Kakashi sighed, "What have we done?"

"What didn't we do would be a better question."

Kakashi jumped at the husky voice behind him, only emitting a laugh from the man behind him.

"How long have you been awake?" Kakashi asked staring at the wall, too nervous to turn over.

Sasuke yawned and tightened his grip on his old sensei, "A few minutes before you did."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

Sasuke lips smiled against Kakashi's neck, "I like watching you sleep, and I just wanted to see what your reaction would be the morning after."

Kakashi couldn't seem to take his eyes off a dirt spot on his wall, "We slept together," he simply stated.

"Well that would explain why we woke up in the same bed."

"I don't mean that we just happened to take a nap in the same bed I mean we-"

"Had sex?" Sasuke offered, placing small kisses down his neck.

"You don't need to remind me, I can guarantee I remember it quite well. But if you need me jog your memory, I'd be more than happy to oblige." Sasuke smiled as his fingers ran along a small scar on his hip bone.

"This isn't a joke Sasuke," Kakashi seriously stated, scooting a little farther away.

"Oh trust me I know its not. In fact if you come a little closer I'll be more than happy to show you just how 'serious' I am," Sasuke said, attempting to pull the older man into his arms.

"Stop it!" Kakashi suddenly screamed, shoving Sasuke off of him and quickly standing. He didn't waste time wrapping a blanket around him and flipping on the lights.

"Fine," Sasuke said, putting his hands up defensively. "We'll have breakfast first, its not that big of a deal."

"Do you think this is one big fucking joke?!" Kakashi screamed, very uncharacteristically of his usual calm and collected personality.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "I don't believe that I ever-"

"Maybe having sex with random men is something you do frequently but I don't! Being with another person means something to me."

"Really? And it meant absolutely nothing to me right?"

Kakashi turned away from him, unable to look him in the eyes anymore.

"I want you to get out of my house."

Sasuke's joking and teasing exterior was completely gone, "And why would I do that?"

"Because I am not going to be your fuck buddy. Go and find someone else, I'm sure there's more than plenty that have or are willing to sleep with you. I just can't believe I was so stupid to believe that I was ever more to you then cheap, meaningless sex," Kakashi almost whispered, desperately trying to stop the tears threatening to fall.

Sasuke shook his head with a smile of disbelief.

"Wow sensei you really do have problems committing to people."

Kakashi's whipped around and just stared at the Uchiha, "What?"

"Do you honestly think that I go around fuck whoever the hell I want? That's its some kind of twisted goal of mine to go around and sleep with all of my sensei's or authority figures? 'Well gee already done Uruka, Tsunade, and even Jiraya, why not just move onto to Kakashi? Or hmm I've already nailed Naruto and Sakura, why not just sleep with Kakashi just so I can say that I've screwed all of Team 7?"

Kakashi wasn't sure how to respond and looked away.

"Do you truly think that last night was just about sex? That it was just for my own pleasure? Because if you do then you are very messed up in the head," Sasuke answered tossing the sheet off of him and slipping his pants on.

"I don't believe you," Kakashi mumbled.

"You know what I believe? I believe that you desperately, more than anything, want something to be wrong with me. You want me to have some kind of negative quality, some reason that you can use to hate me; you've been searching for it ever since I got here," Sasuke spat out, throwing his shirt on.

"And why would I want that?" Kakashi asked in a low shaky voice.

"Because then you couldn't hide anymore. You're so afraid to actually feel something for someone other than yourself, that you make up these bull shit excuses to not even give things a chance. You sat there and in only a few seconds time convinced yourself that I was some kind of perverted asshole who was only trying to get some; that I'm using you and not even worth your time. You're trying to blow me off and make me leave so that you don't have to face the fact that maybe you felt something for me last night, and that maybe we made the choice to act on those feelings."

Kakashi faced the wall, biting his lip in a pathetic attempt not to cry.

Sasuke's eyes softened, as did his voice.

"Kakashi I wasn't just saying 'I love you' over and over again last night just to get in your pants, I was saying it because I meant it. I'm sorry for abandoning you but-"

"I let you down didn't I?" Kakashi asked as tears began to well up.

Sasuke's eyebrows bunched together, "What are you-"

"It's my fault that you left, it wasbecause I didn't teach you what I needed to, I wasn't good enough to keep you around, if I'd just-"

"Stop it," Sasuke softly interrupted, taking the few steps necessary to put a hand on the older man's shoulder.

"I made really stupid childish decisions that I know I'll always regret, decisions that only I can be responsible for, not you. But you know, even if I could somehow take back the last 3 years of my life, I wouldn't. Because some how through all the craziness it brought me to you."

Kakashi let out a particularly loud sob that he'd tried so hard to cover, Sasuke couldn't help but sadly smile.

"I've said 'I love you' to only one person, and I've definitely only made love to one too; that one person is who I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want to be able to see your tangled bed head in the morning, I want to be able to train with you, tease you on how much better you'd look if you just took the mask off, to sneak a kiss when no ones looking, to complain about how messy you are, to cook for you, and then get to share your water while we sit on the couch together, debating on what channel to watch. But most of all I want to be able to look at your face," Sasuke gently turned the silver haired man around, wiping away the few tears that had fallen, "And tell you that I love you every single day, and know that you love me back.

"Now I mean if you want to throw sex in there every once in awhile I'd be fine with that too but I mean really its all up to you," Sasuke joked with a smile, his arms making its way around Kakashi's neck.

Kakashi managed to smile back, staring into his onyx eyes.

"Well now would be the time to say something. 'I love you too Sasuke' or 'You sure are right Sasuke!' or maybe even 'I forgive you Sasuke!'"

Kakashi let out the first honest laugh he'd had in years, wrapping his arms around the teens waist, leaning in for a quick kiss.

"I love you too Sasuke. I forgive you…and I think finally myself," he added, thinking of Sakura's advice.

"Well after three years time its nice to know that we're both forgiven," Sasuke commented, leaning his forehead against his lover's.

"Well forgiveness is more of an art really, an acquired skill," Kakashi evenly replied, leaning for another kiss, one of many that he hoped to give with his now permanent roommate.

Kakashi wasn't stupid, he knew for the next two years that they'd both have to watch what they say, making sure that no one ever found out about their 'inappropriate' relationship until Sasuke was of age, but at that exact moment Kakashi could of cared less. All that mattered to him was showing Sasuke just how much he cared for him, and just how grateful he was that his lover had saved him from not only a life of guilty unhappiness but from himself.

Forgiveness is an art, an acquired skill that few ever learn to fully master; however when properly exercised, it can cause the most beautiful things to happen.

I want to thank everyone who read and a special thanks to The Ninja Who Wanted To Be A Samurai, Dragon77, and Prescripto 13 whose BETAing and supportive reviews keep the story going.