"I'm...I'm not her, you know."
She says it one day while they're out walking. It's become one of their favorite things to do together, even though they've done it hundreds of times before they ever held a romantic thought about the other, and it's comfortable and enjoyable for the both of them. Normally, they just circle around to their houses and make occasional small talk, but he can tell by the way she averts her eyes as she speaks that this is a serious topic.
At first, he doesn't get what she's implying, but then she turns her head and their eyes finally meet, and the somber look in her usually vibrant green irises instantly tells him; Rin.
And there it is. The veil has been lifted, and he can see it clear as day. Her biggest fear, and main insecurity; he only wants her because she reminds him of someone else. A similar insecurity he has towards her.
He takes a moment to ponder his response, but not too long, because he doesn't want Sakura to worry.
"I know."
Her face twitches in a sort of unexpected surprise, as though she had already prepared herself for a completely different answer. But she recovers quickly, and proceeds with her newly found question.
"Do you?" She asks. "Because sometimes..." she bites her lip, deciding on what she is going to say. Kakashi waits, but she ultimately shakes her head at the sky and deems it a lost cause. "...I don't know."
The two are stopped in their tracks now, no longer enjoying their leisurely walk. The sun is beginning to set just over the horizon, but Kakashi is the only one to admire it.
"You...remind me of her. I'll admit." He says finally. "You have the same eyes, same face shape...you both crinkle your nose when you smile. But you're hardly twins. Believe me, Sakura. If I wanted anyone or anything other than you, I wouldn't be standing here right now. And that's a fact."
He's not good with words, least of all those of the heart - hell, it was a miracle he had said what he had that spearheaded their relationship in the first place - but she translates the deeper meaning of what he's said and takes it to heart, as she's always had a talent for doing where all others except Might Guy had failed.
Geez. You're lucky I'm fluent in Kakashi, or we'd never be together!
He smiles fondly at the memory of their first official 'date', and how he'd so poorly tried to communicate his feelings underneath a vague and embarrassing mix of words while they were waiting for their food to arrive. He's never done particularly well in public places with things of that nature, but this one took the cake, if not the whole bakery.
Sakura's apple-green irises turn a sort of yellowed amber in the sunset, and her expression slowly morphs into that of relief. Her shoulders sag and her rigid stance relaxes, and she breathes a sound of calm.
"Whew...okay. That makes me glad to hear. I...I would be sad if that wasn't the case."
Heartbroken is the word that Kakashi actually hears, but just as she can read him as easily as he can read one of his Icha Icha books, so also can he read her.
"Then let me quell your fears here and now. I see none other than Sakura Haruno when I look at you. And I hope you see only Kakashi Hatake when you look at me."
The look in her eyes that she gets as he says that last sentence is very jaded, and he wonders if perhaps she herself is still slightly struggling with her feelings for Sasuke. But, no point in worrying about that now. He's already in far too deep with this woman, and he knows he can't possibly be any more devastated if that ends up being the case. He might as well be happy while he can.
She smiles at him, and he at her, and the two resume their loop around the village.
She loops her arm with his as they walk, and all is right in the world.
