What Should Have Been

Friendly Teasing

Kakashi's POV:

"Now we just have to get out of these clothes."

Sakura turns to look at me, her eyes widening slightly.

I then I realize what I'd just said. I'm blushing like an absolute idiot again. Get a grip, Kakashi. Have you completely forgotten how to speak to people? When it comes to Sakura, apparently you have.... "Oh! No! I, uh, didn't mean it like that, uh... I just meant-"

Sakura's breaking into a smile, clearly amused by my discomfort. "I knew what you meant, Kakashi." She says flatly, rolling her eyes. "Let's look for a shop nearby."

"Right! Heheh..."

~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ok, how does this one look?" I hear Sakura's voice ask from behind the changing curtain.

"Sakura, I'd rather not-"

Sakura pushes the curtain back, and my breath gets caught in my throat.

I'd had my qualms about telling Sakura how she looks in various articles of clothing. How am I supposed to react? What am I supposed to say? How would I compliment her without sounding perverted? How do I look at her without seeming perverted? What if I look for too long or in all the wrong places?

All of these worries immediately escape my mind once my eyes fall upon her, taking in the sight of her as if it's the most natural thing in the world. "Sakura..." I breathe.

The dress is very simple. It has a high neckline, and it's not too short. It ends about mid-thigh, and it's sleeveless. It glides over her lovely curves beautifully (again, not to sound perverted). It's much like something she would usually wear, except it's an enchanting shade of forest green. This happens to be the best part, it seems, as the color brings out her eyes and compliments her fair skin so well. Her hair flows down the material, just able to caress her breasts, glimmering like satin and contrasting well against the green. It's as if the dress was specially made for her.

I realize far too late that I'd been eyeing her from head to toe and that my eyes were now fixated on her milky thighs. They look so soft.... I shake my head violently. Stop this, Kakashi. You are far too old for this.

 I snap my eyes up to Sakura's to see that she's staring at me, trying desperately to read my expression. She's biting her bottom lip, and a faint blush dusts her cheeks. I wonder what she's thinking. Did I stare for too long? Did I make her uncomfortable... insecure?

"You look beautiful, Sakura." I answer immediately upon seeing her discomfort. "That green is very flattering on you."

"Are you sure?" She turns around slowly, showing me the opposite side of the dress.

"Gracious." I breathe suddenly without realizing it, my eyes widening. I quickly slap my hand over my mouth.

She turns back around, frowning. "What was that, Kakashi?"

 Thankfully, she hadn't heard me. I remove my hand from my mouth with a sigh of relief. "Yes, Sakura. 'Yes' is what I said." I correct myself, smiling and itching the side of my neck nervously. "I must say, Sakura, you make even ordinary clothing appear extraordinary."

"K-Kakashi." She quickly turns her head to the side to hide the fact that she's blushing as pink as her hair. She crosses her arms, setting her jaw.

God, she looks so beautiful like that – so strong-willed and defiant. She's absolutely breathtaking, and it's gut wrenching and heartbreaking to know that I can never have her – not in a million and five hundred years and not even then. Get it out of your head, Kakashi. She doesn't want or need a pervy old man like you.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I settle for a black, loose-fitting long sleeve turtleneck and baggy army green cargo pants. I get a netted tank top that's more fitted to go underneath the shirt. I also find some black boots to wear. It's not very different from what I usually wear, so at least I'll be comfortable.

"Feeling like yourself again, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura approaches me, smirking.

"Why yes, Sakura. I am, in fact." I respond, looking in the mirror and readjusting my mask. "And you do know that you can drop the honorific once and for all, right? I won't find it disrespectful at all. We're friends now, equals." I say all of this in a very sincere way. She tends to use my name and the honorific interchangeably. I want her to feel comfortable just using my name. When I hear her call me what she used to when she was my student, it makes me feel like a creep. You are a creep.

"Old habits die hard, Kakashi." She holds her hands behind her back and grimaces, looking to the side.

"Well please kill them quickly." I muss my hair up, the chagrin apparent on my half-covered face.

"Why?" I see Sakura behind me slowly stepping closer. Her shoulders are relaxed now, her hands back down by her sides. Her eyes lock with my reflection's. "Afterall, you did teach me everything I know.... You don't want me to call you 'sensei' anymore?"

 "Right." I say firmly, nodding once and staring back into her reflection's eyes.

Her voice takes on a teasing tone as she asks, "So, you're saying that you want me to call you 'senpai' from now on?" Her eyes glint with mischief.

I feel my face immediately heat up, and my eyes nearly pop out of my head. Is she aware of what she's saying right now?! More importantly, is she aware of the effect she's having on me? Can she tell how I truly feel, or is she just messing with me?

"No." I reply firmly. "Now stop teasing, Sakura."

"How am I teasing you... senpai?" She whispers the last word in my ear while touching my waist, and I inevitably feel myself stir in my pants. You're going to die, Kakashi. You're going to die because she's going to kill you, and it's going to be ok. You love her, so it's ok if she kills you right here and now.

I turn to face her, making my eyes as dark and as heated as possible. I slowly lean forward, placing a feather-light touch at her waist. There's no need to scare her too much. "You're playing at a very dangerous game, Sakura." I whisper darkly into her ear.

I feel it through me when she shudders. "Scared, Sakura?" I chuckle, my breath hitting her ear.

I feel her grip my arm as she raises her head to look up at me. Our eyes lock in a heated gaze. I try to determine what she's thinking by her expression, but it's unreadable. Does she want to kiss me, punch me, which is it?

"Let's get food to go and head back to the hotel room, ok?" She says simply, nothing indicating any emotion in her voice. Her voice doesn't even raise at the end of her sentence to make it sound like a question. It's a simple statement. She then walks away, leaving me standing alone and staring after her, completely dumbfounded.