Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ To Win Her Heart ❯ Love? ( Chapter 3 )

They were eating take-out, sampling everything in the little white buckets, casually sitting on her kitchen counters, talking and laughing…

The sound of Sakura's tinkling laughter made Kakashi smile. He really did love her. Who would have thought that of all the women he could have in Konoha, he'd fall for her.

It was totally unplanned. His love of her was something that had slowly crept up on him and then pounced, truly and successfully capturing and immobilizing him.

First she was his student, immature, annoying… Back then he'd wondered if he'd be able to shape her into even the most basic of ninja, but here she was now, a powerful jounin. He marveled at the woman she'd become.

'A lot has changed since survival training day.' He thought as he gazed adoringly at the pink haired woman before him.

Their friendship had started with a mere compliment. 'I'm proud of you Sakura. You've turned into a fine ninja. I'm pleased to call you comrade.' It had been his way of acknowledging she was no longer a student to him, but a respected peer. He could tell by the way her face lit with self-pride that his words had meant a lot to her, though it puzzled him. Or more appropriately surprised him.

The gleam in her eyes and beaming smile on her face at that simple statement was testament to how much she respected him as a ninja, how high she held his praise. In that moment he'd felt more special, more important, than he ever had in his entire life. That look was for him, because of him, and it was extremely flattering.

Little did he know that look would begin haunting his dreams from that day forward, slowly morphing his fond feelings for her into something much more.

He never dreamed a few simple words from him would have such an effect on her. It was empowering to see that such a thing was possible, that such a woman could value something so highly that cost him so little to give.

She was among the most respected in the village, known for her kindness, her monstrous strength, and her incredible healing abilities. So many men vied for nothing more than a smile from her beautiful face. Such a woman, and she valued him, his opinion, his praise… It had touched his heart more than he would have liked, more than was comfortable for him, but it couldn't be ignored. God knows he'd tried.

He found himself seeking her out, buying her lunch, helping her train, anything to spend time with her. He tested his compliments on her, tested what reaction the slight brushes of body contact might have on her… All the while he watched her face, fascinated at the reactions he could incite. She was addicting indeed, and he spent a lot of time with her, silently claiming it was in the name of friendship. Deep down he knew better; he'd just chosen to ignore it.

To justify his friendship with Sakura he often invited Naruto to lunch with them, to tea, sometimes to train. That way it couldn't be said by himself or anyone that his attention belonged exclusively to Sakura, though secretly it did.

Thoughts of how far their relationship might go never occurred to him, and then one day news that Sasuke was dead reached their ears. A messenger reported that he'd killed Orochimaru but died in the process. There was nothing left to bury. The entire Sound village itself was practically destroyed.

Sakura had been absolutely devastated by the news. The strong kunoichi had been reduced to a broken mess, and she sought Kakashi for help.

Mostly he comforted her, flattered she chose him for such a personal and trying time. It was a testament to how close they'd grown. He had his moments where she comforted him, but mostly it was the other way around.

For months they'd been friendly company and support for each other and then one day they'd kissed. Both threw every bit of pent up sorrow and stress into that one kiss, trying to drown out their guilt and loss with the touch of each other. That kiss had seemed sex itself, and had started their metamorphosis from friends, to a couple, to lovers…

"Mmmm." Sakura groaned in sheer bliss. She'd been absolutely starved, and the food tasted so good. She closed her eyes, savoring the rich juices that flooded her mouth.

Kakashi snapped out of his reverie at the sound of Sakura's sensual moan. Her response to the food had seemed so… sexual. It caught him completely off guard, and his mind mentally stumbled over his musings, delivering him to a most sensual and arousing sight. Her face was slightly flushed, and her eyes were closed. The look painted across her face one of euphoria.

He watched in open-mouthed fascination, as Sakura tasted juicy morsel after juicy morsel. Her mouth mesmerized him. How she wrapped her lips around the chopsticks, and sensually slid them along the slim utensils.

Every bite seemed slow motion. He envied every tidbit that those sweet lips touched; he envied the chopsticks.

She stabbed her chopsticks into the container for another nibble. He saw her mouth close over tasty bit. A pink tongue slowly slid along her supple lips, and her mouth glistened teasingly.

He watched as her throat convulsed in a swallow. Involuntarily he swallowed too.

He glanced up at her and she smiled that sickeningly sweet smile of hers. 'She looks so innocent. How could such a seductively tempting mouth look so damned innocent?'

Sakura mentally hiccupped at the ridiculous look plastered over Kakashi's face. He was staring, gape mouthed and starry eyed. For a moment she wondered if he were staring through her.

She studied him a moment and he must have sensed her attention on him because he snapped his mouth shut and met her eyes. She smiled at him, internally laughing at the "hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar" look on his face.

In that moment he looked so adorably stupid, like a school boy caught getting his first glimpse up a girl's skirt, she couldn't help but smile at him.

Kakashi smiled at her; she laughed.

A comfortable silence reigned as the two ninja allowed their dinner to settle, and internally reflected on a so far wonderful evening. It was a sober moment, meant to balance the playful tension that assaulted the two of them during their meal.

Kakashi contemplated the pink haired kunoichi's mouth again. He knew what those lips were capable of, and right now he wanted nothing more than to taste them. A wistful smirk played across his face as he imagined her wrapping herself around him…

His thoughts trailed off as his eyes roved the figure of the woman before him, meeting her eyes with a heated gaze.

Sakura watched Kakashi's far away expression, wondering where his mind was, wishing to follow. She'd waited for him for hours, longed for his meeting with Tsunade to end so she could have him, hold him, kiss him…

She watched his eyes trace the lines of her legs, follow her curves, linger on bared skin… Their eyes met… The world around her stopped, and nothing existed but him. The depth of emotion in his eye took her breath away. She saw passion and lust, but most of all she saw love. 'He feels this strongly for me?'

She'd thought he might love her, hell she thought she loved him, but only now could she truly see and feel what love was. All else paled in comparison to that one look, that one emotion that made her both hot and cold. She was grateful, happy, and afraid to have such strong feelings conveyed to her. She feared her feelings might not go as deep as she thought they did.

She wasn't prepared for this. Of all the intimate encounters they'd shared, none had ever felt like this. This was so much more personal than the others.

She studied Kakshi's face a moment. His eyes were completely transparent; she could see right through them and into his heart, his soul. He was bare before her, unprotected, vulnerable.

"I love you." He whispered.

As he spoke those three little words, his gaze was steady, completely unwavering. It nailed her to the wall, and she knew that he was searching for some sort of answer, one only she could provide. This felt like a test, and suddenly she understood that her answer would determine many things between them.

She knew, truly knew, that this was for real, that his heart lay in the palm of her hand, and that her life was no longer just her own. Her actions, whatever they may be, from this moment forward would affect this man's life.

"Show me." She quietly challenged, hoping that he could somehow manifest an example of his love that would sway her in one direction or another. Something that would make her confident her ability to love him like he deserved, because right now she didn't feel herself capable of giving him more than she already had. She loved him, but did she love him enough?

She watched him approach her. His steps graceful and deliberate. He closed the distance between them, smiled lovingly at her, and cupped her face as he pressed his forehead against hers. He lightly brushed his fingers across her cheeks. "You've become everything to me." He whispered, his warm breath caressing her lips.

"Show me." She breathed out, unconsciously leaning into him.

He kissed her… slowly, sensually. His fingers lightly dancing against her sides, and Sakura's head spun. His actions were more than a touch and a kiss. He communicated to her how much he wanted to protect her, shield her from pain, how much he wanted to hold her and love her. She was so much more to him than sex. All this he said with a simple kiss and a caress, and she found herself falling, drowning in a sea of emotions.

'Maybe I do love him as much as he loves me. How can I not?' She thought as her fingers wound themselves in his hair. She drew him closer to her.

'Hold me. Kiss me. Love me.' She chanted, feeling tears rise in her eyes-why she didn't know, but she felt a sudden need to be held, loved, protected. She felt so helpless and vulnerable.

'Prove you love me. Prove you want me.' She silently demanded.

Her actions became frantic. She kissed him fiercely, delving deeply into his mouth, kissing along his jaw to his ear. "Make love to me Kakashi." She panted out, and she sounded to needy, like her life depended on him accepting her. And right now perhaps it did.

'Don't leave me. I don't know what I'd do without you.' She mentally cried. All the while inner Sakura lectured her, 'this will truly be goodbye to Sasuke. He'll truly be out of your system… forever'.

'Forever.' That word echoed through her mind like a death toll. Forever. It was impossible to tell whether that thought made her happy or sad. The feelings seemed so close it was impossible to decipher.

'Perhaps after this it will be all over. Perhaps after this Sasuke will never haunt me again. Perhaps after this I'll no longer desire him.' What a relief it would be to truly have Uchiha Sasuke out of her system. That thought comforted her, and she threw all her concentration Kakashi.

She groped his back, pulling him toward her, as if somehow the counter she sat upon was insubstantial and he could move through it. Understanding what she wanted Kakashi slid his body between her knees; she eagerly wrapped her legs around him.

She could feel his palms sliding up the outside of her thighs, the grip of his fingers as they tightened around her hips…

She sighed and gasped at his touch, how it made her skin tingle with want. She longed to feel him everywhere around her, caressing her, kissing her, pleasing her…

She closed her eyes and groaned pleasurably at his touch, wrapping herself more tightly around him as his insistent hands roamed beneath her skirt to grasp her backside.

Immediately her hands sought his hair, gripping handfuls of it, running her fingers through it. There was just something so sexy about hair. "Mnnn." She moaned as his mouth roved her neck.

She could feel his tongue swirling deliciously against her sensitive skin, sending bursts of euphoria down her spine to spread throughout her entire body. She threw her head back exposing her throat for exploration. It felt so good. He was very skilled with that tongue.

There wasn't a coherent thought in her mind, just incessant babbles. "Want me. Love me. Need me…' White flashes of pleasure and need burst through her mind, and she wanted him, wanted him undressed and in her bed.

"Kakashi." His name was all she could manage to get out, all she could manage to say. His name was not a plea, but a demand; 'make love to me'.

'Erase the past. Give us a future.' She silently begged.

"Sakura." He breathed out, intoxicated by the way his name sounded on her tongue.

Gripping the hem of his shirt Sakura ever so slowly peeled it from his body, raking her fingers across the firm muscles of his abdomen and chest as she slid the shirt from his torso.

Holding her tightly against him he carried her to her room and ever so slowly lowered them to the bed.

They took turns stripping the clothes from each other; little by little unwrapping the skin they so desired to touch and taste.

She kissed deeply, he passionately. They touched and embraced one another like lovers long familiar with each other's wants and needs, a slow seductive dance that both relished. Hands didn't scratch and blindly grope, but lovingly stroked and strategically caressed.

Every action Kakashi made was erotic, unhurried. She felt like she was on fire.

He slid his body against her; she answered with a languid rock of her hips, digging her fingertips into the smooth muscles of his back. "Sakura." He drew out every syllable of her name, exhaling it out as if in prayer.

He entered her slowly, seductively, every glorious inch sending bolts of pleasure rippling through her body. Her legs gripped him greedily and she forcefully rocked against him. He answered her with a thrust of his own-swift, hard- a warning, and then he set a slow rhythmic pace.

Her eyes fluttered shut in absolute bliss. Euphoric bursts shot through her body riding searing hot flames born of his expert movements. He was driving her crazy.

He moved inside her rhythmically slow but firm-and damn he felt good. So did she for that matter. "Kakashi." She groaned throatily. He answered with hot breath to her ear, as if words were too paltry to describe his pleasure.

They'd made love for hours, riding out wave after wave of bliss until they both came to completion. She arched into him with a gasp, and he thrust into her, raggedly whispering her name.

It was by far one of their most erotic and enjoyable couplings, and Sakura sighed contentedly as he hugged her to him.

Both fell asleep wearing only a smile.

---

Sasuke was tired of regretting the past, tired of wanting a future that could never be, tired of living the present in turmoil and regret. He wanted to live life, to be some semblance of a whole person. Tonight with Ino and earlier with Neji had really shown him just how pitiful he'd become. It was a sight that disgusted him, and he was determined to not see it again.

He stood before Sakura's door panting, tired from his third run that day. The first step to his "new" life needed to start here, with her. He needed to make amends, settle things with her, or he'd never have any peace in his life.

Without hesitation, and with every bit of determination he knocked on her door. It was late, he knew, but this just had to be done.

---

Sakura woke with a start. 'Someone's knocking.' She glanced over at Kakashi, who mumbled incoherently, half-awake, half-sleeping.

She caressed his face, shushing him back to sleep. When he settled again, she bolted for the door, hoping to answer before they knocked again.

She padded to the door wearing only a thin robe over bare skin. It was three in the morning. She wasn't near coherent enough to realize that though "clothed" she was nowhere near presentable.