One Day at a Time

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its character and make no money from this.

Day Thirty-Four: If Only

The next day, Sakura came back as quietly as the previous one. Wobbly on her legs, she moved to sit on the opposite side of the room. For some reason, silence seemed to be her preferred behavior at the time. The jonin had to wonder if it was because of the slight intimacy they had shared a couple of days back. Now that he thought about it, it really had come out of nowhere. Maybe it had been from the fear, he'd heard of some stories about how it could suddenly those kinds of needs once safety had been found, but this was strange.

"Sakura?" He called as he got to his feet, about to approach her. A soft hum was the only acknowledgement she offered.

"Can I sit?" Asking for permission around her was never something he'd had to do before, but a strong aura radiated from her, making him doubt that his presence was appreciated at all.

She nodded her head slowly. His body lowered close to hers, enough for their shoulders to brush gently. The lack of distance between them didn't seem to affect her, though he didn't know if he should be relieved or concerned. No bad reaction was exhibited, but no affection came either. It was tough for the Copy Nin to figure out what to make of her current behavior, leaving him only one option.

"Talk to me, Sakura." Apparently unphased by his words, she didn't answer him. Her gaze was fixed to the ground, no change appearing in her expression.

"What do you want me to say?" His companion mumbled just before he began to ask another question.

"Anything. Why are you so distant?" He inquired as he grasped her knee gently, trying to coax any kind of reaction from her.

"What kind of answer do you expect? Look at me." She sneered as she turned to look at him, suddenly angry.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I don't know how to cope with this any better than you. I just... I don't want you to withdraw from me completely." He admitted quietly, doing his best to keep his composure even if he couldn't keep some worry from seeping into his tone.

After a moment of thought, the pinkette leaned against her ex-sensei with a heavy sigh that spoke volumes to him. Full of frustration, exhaustion and silent suffering. Her delicated hand joined his, covering the back of it lazily. With a sigh of his own, he gave into his need to hold her close and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer to him as his head nuzzled into her hair.

"Is it because of what happened the other day?" He let out. "Or what I told you?" He added after a little hesitation. His tired eyes slid closed as he listened intently for her response, slight anxiety creeping up in his stomach.

"Kakashi..." She started, immobile against him. "Things are hard enough as they are already."
He didn't try to probe any further, understanding that the weight on her shoulders must be crushing her already.

"Let's talk about it on that date you'll take me on once we back home. Is it a good deal?" The extra sentence lifted the male's spirits considerably, relieving some of the tension that stiffened his body.

"Deal."


Chapter Thirty-Five: Click Here