What the New Year Brings Ch.17

Beware: Sexual innuendos ahead. If this sort of thing offends you, you might want to skip this chapter.

Chapter 17-The First Time Kakashi and Sakura Sleep Together</u>

As night falls, we all stand back and watch as a house fit for a large family erupts from the ground. I seriously wonder why Yamato doesn't just quit the ninja business and go into real estate instead. He'd be rich!

Like a well rehearsed dance, we all file into the house, leave our shoes at the foot of the stairs, climb up to the large empty bedroom, and lay our sleeping bags in our respective corners: Naruto in the bottom left corner by one side of the door, Yamato in the bottom right corner by the other side of the door, me in the upper left corner to one side of the window across the room, and Kakashi...Well, Kakashi...He was supposed to go to the corner directly across from mine, but instead we all watch in shocked and awed silence as he casually lays his sleeping bag right next to mine and plops down on it like this is how it's always been done before.

Okay, I hadn't really considered this when I agreed to go on this mission...

It's one thing when you're boyfriend and girlfriend and you're sleeping together, but it's another thing when you're boyfriend and girlfriend and you're sleeping together but not sleeping together...yet. I mean, how does that even work exactly? Especially when there are other people in the room who are your friends and they know this is your first time sleeping together, but not sleeping together "sleeping together." It's just...weird, and...awkward. It's even weirder and more awkward when you can't ask your significant other to move back to the other side of the room when he's acting like this new sleeping arrangement is perfectly normal and contrary to popular consensus, not at all weird or awkward in any sort of way which, did I mention, only makes things even more weird and awkward?!

Not wanting to bring more attention to the situation, I silently crawl into my own sleeping bag and turn on my side facing away from Kakashi. Unfortunately, this means that I'm now facing Naruto's and Yamato's gawking stares instead. I glare back at them and they each do a strained throat clearing thing before getting back to laying down their own sleeping bags and settling down for the night. It's a relief when Yamato finally blows out the oil lamp and everything falls into darkness. After all, they can't gawk at what they can't see...

I hear rustling behind me and I immediately stiffen and hold my breath. I feel the heat of Kakashi's body intensify as he scoots his sleeping bag and himself closer towards me. I feel the weight of his arm fall across my stomach, the hardness of his chest press against my back, and the warmth of his breath ride against the skin of my neck as he nuzzles his face close to mine. For our first night sleeping together, Kakashi chooses to spoon me.

"Relax, Sakura. Go to sleep." He whispers softly in my ear before taking a gentle whiff of my hair.

Instead, I hold my breath even more and my body stiffens even harder.

Okay, put yourself in my position and you try relaxing!

But as the minutes tick by and Kakashi doesn't try anymore moves on me and all we hear are the crickets outside, Naruto's deep breaths turning into rumbling snores, and our own even breaths, I can't help but relax and start to fall asleep in Kakashi's embrace. I mean, really, it's actually quite nice. After 22 years of sleeping alone in my bed, it's a pleasant change to feel the warmth and comfort of another human being sleeping next to me, against me, and holding me. It really is nice...Something that I could get used to...

~*~*~*~

Light grows brighter on the other side of my closed eyelids. A bird chirps somewhere from outside, and for a fleeting second, my sleep-drugged brain tricks me into thinking that I'm still back home. But as my bleary eyes clear and focus and take in my surroundings, I know that I am anywhere but.

On the other side of the room, Naruto is splayed out on top of his sleeping bag like a dried up starfish and is still snoring deeply. Near him is Yamato whose back is turned towards me. He's not snoring like Naruto, but I can tell that he's still asleep by the lax of his body and the rhythm of his breath. The man still spooning me, however, is not.

I feel Kakashi's masked nose slowly trail up the side of my neck up to my earlobe. My eyes slowly drift back shut and I feel goosebumps rise up on my skin.

"Morning, Sakura." He murmurs softly in my ear.

"Morning, Kakashi." I murmur back.

I feel him move behind me, then he is propped up on his elbow, bringing his mask down to his neck, and giving me our first ever morning kiss.

As we slowly part, I see his half-hooded eye sparkling down at me and a smile gracing his exposed soft lips and straight white teeth. No fish lips or buckteeth here...

I can't help but smile. After all these years of speculating, it turns out that what he had hidden beneath his mask is the complete opposite of everything we ever imagined. He's handsome. Sinfully so.

He's still smiling at me when he brings his mask back over his face. It is barely back up to his nose when we hear:

"Goddammit! If I had only woken up one minute earlier, I would've finally seen his face!"

Kakashi and I laugh. At least Naruto's more disturbed about that than about having just seen us kiss.

Yamato is awake now as well and already rolling up his sleeping bag.

"Ready to find some breakfast and go?" He asks cheerfully.

"Yes." I affirm.

"Hell, yes!" Is Naruto's own enthusiastic response.

"Um, give me a second." Is Kakashi's hesitant response, however.

"Why? What's wrong?" I ask in concern.

"I'm trying to get the image of Gai in a miniskirt and stilettos in my head."

"Why in God's name would you want to think of something as disturbing as th-Oh!" I say slapping a hand across my mouth as realization sets in.

I'm not the only one who catches on...

"Ew!" Naruto says in disgust, avoiding looking at Kakashi, and making a quick exit out the door.

Yamato simply turns a deep shade of red, ducks his head down in embarrassment, and leaves quickly after Naruto as well.

"Um, I'll be..." I say pointing towards the door.

Kakashi quickly nods his head with his eyes closed and waves for me to go ahead.

I hastily rush out the door after Naruto and Yamato.

I so didn't sign up for this when I agreed to go on this mission!

To be continued...