I encourage you to listen to Sam Smith's Writing's on the Wall (The official music video is on YouTube now, if you don't have a copy of it on your phone already) while reading this oneshot. Shame I can't inject more lyrics into this shot. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this!

I spent a long time running, and I always get away. But with you I'm feeling something that makes me want to stay.

Writing's on the Wall, Sam Smith

Contrary to popular belief, Hatake Kakashi is a morning person.

He rises with the sun, gets a cup of something either warm, caffeinated, or alcoholic if he's desperate, and then sneaks back to bed at around eight in the morning, pretending to sleep until the sun's high in the sky. On this particular morning, however, the sun has yet to rise, and Kakashi's already fishing for something strong in his excuse for a kitchen.

I've made a terrible mistake.

His strong, handsome features are twisted into a scowl as he realizes he's out of alcohol, and opts for coffee, mumbling expletives as he gets the brew together. He takes his coffee black, in order to clear his head, and awaken his senses so he doesn't creep back to the bed... And its current occupant. Kakashi winces as he stares at the door to his bedroom, envisioning a shock of pink hair, fanned out on his pillow like a halo, soft skin and closed, peaceful green eyes...

He slams the mug on his table top with unnecessary force and flinches, listening for any rustling sounds coming from his bedroom. It is quiet. She's still sound asleep. He relaxes, and sips from his mug. He doesn't care that the coffee burns his tongue as it travels down his throat; in fact, he welcomes the burn. There are more pressing things on his mind, anyway.

Kakashi groans, and rubs his forehead. This was not supposed to happen.

He remembers yesterday morning, when he receives a messenger hawk with a rolled-up scroll from Sasuke.

I've run into trouble. I won't be back for a while. Tell Sakura not to wait up for me anymore. 'Next time' won't be happening soon. Tell her I'm sorry.

It's brief, concise, and sharp - just like his former student. Kakashi as Rokudaime wishes that Sasuke had been able to include more in his letters about his 'trouble'. Kakashi as Sasuke's former mentor worries for him. Kakashi as Sakura's former mentor wonders what he could possibly tell the brilliant young woman.

Ever since Sasuke had left with a promise to return to Sakura, no one could deny the fact that there was a certain glow about her that just made her... Radiant. There was a spring in her step, a gentleness in her eyes, a kindness in her smile that just hadn't been there before. It befuddled Naruto at the time, but everyone else knew what it was - inner peace, and the purest sort of love.

How in the world was he going to crush that beautiful, sunshine-y personality that Sakura had created for herself? Forget shoot the messenger - he was going to fly all the way to the moon. Kakashi groans as he leans back in his Hokage chair, cursing Sasuke. Thanks a lot.

After a particularly long moment of staring at unsigned paperwork (Shikamaru could passively nag him about it later), Kakashi finally decides to go visit the renowned medic nin. Sakura lives in a small apartment now, away from her parents, and in a private duplex. He steals the information off of a confused Ino, and went on his way.

Kakashi shakes his head, downs another gulp of coffee.

She opens the door to his famous eye-crinkle, but she knows something is wrong. He observes the way she moves, the way she grips the edge of her door like a life-saver. "Kakashi-sen-"

Kakashi tsks at her from underneath his mask. "Didn't I already tell you years ago to stop calling me sensei?"

The pinkette smiles lightly at him. "Sorry. Hi, Kakashi."

He can easily see what people mean by having a certain glow about her. He can't recall the last time Sakura had looked so at ease... Or beautiful. He mentally kicks himself. Do not. Cross. That line. "Can I come in?" Cue the eye-crinkle. It gets them every time.

The suspicious look is back, and she opens the door wider. "Did... Did something happen to Naruto, Kakashi?"

Kakashi can't help but feel a wave of pity. She doesn't even expect what's coming to her, he thinks. It's unfathomable to her that Sasuke would go back on his words, no matter what happens to him. It is impossible for him to be at fault again, so soon after the last time. He sighs.

He finally finishes his coffee, and places it in the sink next to other dirty plates. He'll clean them tomorrow, he promises himself. Kakashi makes his way to the bedroom door, even after he told himself not to open it until the next morning. It slowly creeps open, making a loud, squeaking noise, and he pauses.

He really does not want her to wake up.

A strange thought comes to him, as he sees her tangled in his navy blue sheets. She looks like she belongs in them, he thinks, and chases the idea away with a Chidori. How could he ever think... How did he ever get to the point when he contemplated on how beautiful she really was? And those eyes...

She stares at him, her clear green eyes giving away her true emotions while her mouth remains in a firm line. "... How long is 'a while'?" He takes a while to answer, assessing how much she can take.

Kakashi crosses his arms over his chest, trying to stare into her eyes without feeling something stir up in the pits of his stomach. "He didn't mention how long, Sakura. What I told you is a word for word account. I received it this morning..." Kakashi's uncharacteristic babbling stops when he sees the look on Sakura's face. "Oh, Sakura..."

"Stop it!" she snaps, harshly turning away from him. "I get it, okay? Just... Just stop." He sighs, and leans back on the couch. This is what he expected to happen anyway, he might as well have a target painted on his chest.

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I wish he had told me more."

"You and me both," she whispers, hugging herself.

He wants to hold her. He wants to tell her himself that he thinks Sasuke is a jerk for leaving her to dry. He wants to soothe her, comfort her, touch her. But it is wildly inappropriate; he is Hokage, she is his former student. Was there anything more taboo than that?

He had been fighting these conflicting feelings for her for what seemed like eons, and he had no idea when it started. She was obviously attractive, but it was more than that. There was something about her that just drew him to her, and told him that if everything went to hell, she'd still be there for him in the end.

He leans against the door frame, a thoughtful expression on his face. She's beautiful, he muses, her porcelain skin stark against the dark tones of his room. For the first time in a long time, he feels content.

But guilt still bubbles at the edge of his consciousness.

Her watery eyes still tug at him, as he idly flips through some of the reports he insisted he'd bring home that evening. He's never seen such expressive eyes, and he's sad that he had to see them look so desolate. Kakashi remembers when she was still a genin and her eyes would always convey specific feelings - disgust, anger, happiness, fear, or sadness, among many. But this was the first time he had seen her look so... Broken.

There are three small taps at the door, and Kakashi immediately gets up to see who it is. He could just try and sense the person's chakra, but he really isn't in the mood to right now. Kakashi opens the door, and he immediately wishes he had - he wouldn't have opened the door if he knew Sakura was standing behind it.

She just stands there, looking at the floor. He's shocked, and it isn't often that you catch the Rokudaime off guard. "Sakura-chan..." he murmurs, wondering what's gotten into her.

"I need you," she blurts out in one go, and falls forward into his warmth.

Kakashi remembers trying to tell her no, remembers whispering in her ear that she doesn't need him, how could she need him like this? He begs her to think clearly, tells her he doesn't want her to regret anything the next morning. He remembers her tears, her grip against the front of his shirt, as she whispers that she does, she was an idiot, she was blind. She's in pain, she murmurs softly, leaning dangerously close to his face.

She's in pain and she needs him.

Both the angel and the devil on his shoulder scream at him to step away from the bed, but he keeps on moving. Kakashi sits on the bed, hands on his knees, and he finally rolls over so that he's facing her. "I could stare at you all day," he murmurs, using one hand to gently brush a lock of hair away from her face. She stirs in her sleep, and he takes advantage of her movements to embrace her, feeling her warm body in his arms, knowing that it feels right.

Despite the black coffee and his raging thoughts, he finds himself falling back into slumber.

But when he wakes up the next morning, she's gone.

(*)

Oh jeez, that was so much angstier than I expected. But I do like how this came out - I also like writing Kakashi; for some reason he just flows through the story. I might write more KakaSaku; happier ones, of course. On another note, this is my first KakaSaku! I always get nervous when I write new couples.

This oneshot is heavily inspired by Sam Smith's Writing's on the Wall (it's the new Bond theme, and I do love it). After listening to Writing's on the Wall like a bajillion times, I formed this image of Kakashi watching a sleeping Sakura 'the morning after'. The song itself is so Kakashi to me - it definitely spoke to me a whole lot of levels.

Thanks for reading this! Leave a review if you so desire.