Not a real chapter— well, it is but it doesn't effect the plot, enjoy lovelies(also I wrote it on my phone so like please excuse typos)
I'm reading the book curiously, Kakashi isn't home yet, but he will be soon.
He says he has been looking everywhere for Jiraya's new book but hasn't been able to get his hands on it-- I have though; but I was curious, I wanted to know the hype.
Of course, I know what kind of books Jiriya writes, but it's really not the "story" I'm reading for-- I started because I was curious about his writing style... It- it's genuinely very pretty. There's actual romance involved, which send butterflies my way, but it's not that which attract me to the book.
It is the simple fact that it feels... real? Raw? Honest? I'm not quite sure what word to use, but the way he writes is like a goddess setting water on fire. It's stirring- unsettling and unexpected, but it's kind and gentle too.
He himself said in the prolouge, that this was more of his personal experience of love- a real experience, and not just erotica as usual. The last page breaks my heart, making me shut the book shut with a snap.
I shake my head, heaving out a sigh.
Best book of his yet.
I get up and grab some white and blue paper. I place the book in the center and wrap it carefully, making a design on the front.
I then write a small letter, folding it and setting it on top of the book. I tie them together with a ribbon- my ribbon- and patiently sit.
Soon Kakashi walks through the steps of the door, shoulders sagging and tiredness evident on his face.
He sees me, and stops for a second before smiling and walking all the way in.
"Welcome home, Kakashi-Sensei!" I smile and wave walking up to him with the book behind my back.
"Hello, Sakura." His eye creases into his form of smiling, and he tilts his head, giving my head a pat.
I beam and hold the wrapped book out. He grabs it carefully, eyeing me down.
"What's this for?"
"Happy birthday!" I tilt my head, pulling a flower out of nowhere and placing it on his jounin vest.
He swoops me into a hug, making me yelp as my feet left the floor; he laughs at my reaction and sets me down.
"Open that, I have one more thing planned," I state with a proud look.
He carefully unties the ribbon- a look of realization flashing across his face, his eye flitter to me and back to the gift. He opens the letter first, reading over it quickly.
He seems to finish reading and he freezes. His eye crinkles into a smile and he roughly ruffles my hair- I don't swat him away as usual.
He then unwraps the gift- gasping when he saw what it was.
I don't give him a moment to get a word out, I grab his arms and shunshin us to a restaurant-- technically it was a cafe, it was the one he took me too; the one where he knew the owner, and seemed to enjoy the food more than any other place.
I pull him to an open table- the owner popping out a few seconds later trays of food in hand.
"Here you are!" The owner exclaimed- clapping before walking away.
I sit waiting for Kakashi to react.
Pffft is he in shock?
I poke his cheek, "earth to you," I wave with my other hand, "goodmorning!" I snicker as he flicks my hand away, rolling his eye.
A smile then overcomes him, "I... don't really know what to say— thank you Sakura."
I grin, "don't worry! It's your birthday so I'm obligated to do so!"
He chuckled as we ate, small talk filling the silence.
"Honestly baffling how he fell over air-" I laugh, recalling Naruto the other day.
"He can be clumsy, but the moment he does his pranks he can get past anything- that's the baffling part." He snickered.
"Sometimes I wonder if something is tripping him," I hypothesize aloud.
I hear someone sneeze off in the distance.
"I wouldn't be surprised... that would- actually make sense." He said thoughtfully.
I let out a barking laugh, hand flying into the air as I continued on.
"I can imagine it happening though— but like, the first time the person did it, it was an accident— then it became a goal, because his reaction was hilarious..."
I take a sip of my drink as he speaks.
"His reaction is hilarious though— even better is that he never tries to stop it, but when he's in a fight he can stop cooler things," he says, shaking his head.
I struggle to keep my drink in, choking on it instead, "I've noticed that too!"
By the time we get back to the house it's about 10:30pm, I look over at him- he still seems tired but less exhausted, and more relaxed.
I knocked on his head lightly, "Just wanted to say thanks... for everything I guess!"
He pulls my head into a headlock, rubbing my hair, "so sweet Sakura-Chaaan!"
I scowled, pulling myself out of the headlock, before smiling at his face— he was staring at the gift I got him and letter I wrote.
I give him a small smile and march off to my room- he calls out goodnight.
He doesn't ask how I know his birthday, nor does he care— and when I come out a few hours later to get water, I see him snuggled up on the couch with a smile embedded on his face.
I slept easy that night.