Getting Lost on the Roads of Life - a KakaSaku Story [CONCLUDED]

The Departure

Evening, 10 pm. Turbulent weather with rain, hail and fast moving clouds all day, but the roads were truly passable, trade was picking up, the first visitors had come to Konoha to see friends. Sarada had not climbed into their bed again, not least because Kakashi cruelly locked the bedroom door every night, smirking happily to himself at the click of the turning key. Pakkun had found her a non-speaking puppy to spoil and she was cuddling him and her fluffy rabbit doll with huge ears and a smiley face at night.

Also: Kakashi's departure to the Capital minus five days.

One could think that with her counting down the days like this, Sakura actually liked the idea of him going away.

But she did not. So much not that she had to grit her teeth when she thought about it, even when the solid warmth of his body behind her should have made her feel nothing but post-coital glee.

His habit of reading in bed at night was adorable especially since he tended to do it naked after their lovemaking. She was shameless enough to stare at his body more or less openly now when the opportunity arose. Anatomy studies if anybody should ask. Not looking would be a crime.

Even if it was all official documents he read and no fun these days. But he buried his nose into them like he had buried his nose into Icha Icha novels and in a way, that returned a part of him to her that she had missed.

Carefree Kakashi.

Even though Sakura knew now that he had never truly been carefree, that aspect of their Sensei had equally interested and enraged her as a teenager. Only the very talented could be so arrogant as to idle their days away reading smut. All other, her included, had to work hard for their skills.

She shifted a little against his chest and his hand came up to absentmindedly stroke her hair. Whatever he was reading, it had to be super engrossing because that was the only caress she received. She lowered her own book and turned her face to look at him. She was much too distracted this evening to read about hand surgeries.

"Yo," he smiled at her - before turning his eyes right back to the pages in his hand. There was a small crease of worry between his eyes, it had not escaped her notice. Or was it simply concentration?

"Kakashi?" she began.

"Hm?"

She didn't even know what she wanted to say. But ever since moving in with him she had found herself wanting to distract him. Even if he had never been Carefree Kakashi, wasn't it a worthy goal to make him forget his duties and responsibilities from time to time?

"Just thinking about..."

"Don't worry," Kakashi said with another passing glance at her, guessing parts of her thoughts, "it will be a quick trip and I think I can handle those officials well. I'll buy you loads of presents. It's your birthday soon after all."

Sakura snorted. Him, buying presents? That was something he thought about? She wasn't sure why he felt this confident, but he had been the Hokage for quite a few months now and maybe he had skills she didn't know about... talking to political officials. But she also knew he wasn't telling her things even without outright lying to her.

That irked her a great deal.

She had never felt so close to anybody before in her life and yet, he still kept his distance, carefully kept aspects of himself hidden, doors to his mind she would never get access to. Which was fine, Sakura thought, it was fine to have secrets. And as relationships went, theirs was a very recent one, it would take time to fully open up. Even if they had trusted each other with their lives for so long.