Silk Chiffon

The sun was setting, beams of orange peaking through the clouds against a darkening sky. There was a faint smell of cherries, sticky and sweet, and in the distance was the sound of a bustling downtown. She appeared over the grassy knoll, and he watched as her silk dress danced in the wind. He sat back as she made her way up, thinking of how the fabric felt against her skin, warm and soft and bunched in his hand.

"Kakashi!" she called when she was some yards away, raising her hand and waving frantically as if he had not already seen her. He felt lifted, like he was floating in the same wind that rustled her hair and the grass and the clouds.

"Kakashi!"

He imagined her light touch against his cheek, soft like silk chiffon. He wanted to reach out, feel her, but she seemed to stall. He yearned for her to be near, but felt like she would never close the distance between them. She continued to wave, big eyes and a big smile under a mess of hair.

"Kakashi Sensei!"

He was back in the training field, sitting in the shade of a tree in a squat with his book in his hands, thumbing the next page absentmindedly. He looked up.

"Hm?"

His students groaned. "He's daydreaming again?!" Naruto exclaimed, annoyed at his teacher.

"What a waste," Sasuke grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"What should we work on next, sensei?" Sakura asked as Kakashi stood up, feeling his knees crack and thinking how soon it was for him to feel the affects of age. He dogeared the page and put his book in his back pocket.

"I think we should call it for the day. It's already dusk," Kakashi said to his three students. "How about some dinner?"

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered. He challenged Sasuke to a race and Kakashi watched as they took off and Sakura trailed behind them. He thought of his days as a genin when he would race against his peers around the village. Her face took over again, as she always did when he remembered the salad days. His heart tugged and he wished her face away, choosing to focus instead on the present and ran to catch up to his students.

After dinner when Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had gone home, Kakashi thought of his own apartment laying empty and dark and decided to go for a late night constitution. He took the streets on the edge of town, avoiding the crowds as usual, and made his way to a park on the hill overlooking Konoha's downtown area. It was a small well kept space with a few benches facing the village, surrounded by blooming cherry blossom trees and manicured maple shrubs. This was her favorite place, he remembered as he took a seat. She liked that she could still hear the life of the village, and from here one could see all of Konoha's towering landmarks.

Kakashi leaned back and looked up at the sky, hands folded in his lap. He was far away enough from the village lights to see some faint stars. It was late, but he did not feel the urge to go home. He thought if he stayed a little longer, she might show up like she used to when they had their rendezvous, a little late, slightly out of breath, but always with a small token of apology for him, a piece of candy, a flower, a book she thought he would enjoy. Not that she ever needed to apologize to him, he was just glad when she came. He missed her little gifts, her animated story telling, the way she looked at him when it was his turn to talk about his day. He took a deep and even breath, thinking of a time many years ago when it was pouring rain and she was actually early for once. That day he had been forced to leave his Anbu duties after a tragic incident when his teammate Itachi murdered his own clan. After leaving the Hokage's office filled with regret and sadness, all he wanted to do was hold the only person who made enduring endless losses worth it. The downpour began as he made his way to their usual meeting spot in the park on the hill, and each step became more determined and urgent until soon he found himself running through the streets toward her. Far inside his mind he thought she would probably be late again, but he just wanted to get there because that was where he knew she would eventually be. He was surprised when he saw her already there standing beneath the tree. Her hair clung to her face and her clothes seemed heavy with water, but she was smiling as she waved at him. This time, he was the one who was a little late and slightly out of breath, she had pointed out to him. But he hadn't brought her anything. Without a second thought, he pulled his mask down and closed the space between them with a passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her hands rest gently on his cheek and neck, soft—

"Like silk chiffon," Kakashi said, giving a small smile at the memory of their first kiss. As he thought about finally leaving for the night, there was a fleeting flash of white light in the sky. He held his breath for a moment and closed his eyes. Her face was all he saw.