Can You Lift Me Up? I Can't Reach.

Sakura Always Knows What She Wants

Kakashi had things to do. Places to be. He shouldn't have been walking in markets and listening to one of his student's despaired whining, but. But. Life was going hard on him. He hated life.

Kakashi sighed once again from where he stood towering over the pinkette's short frame. Sakura had a thunderous expression on her face, her brows scrunched up and body emitting murderous aura. Her green eyes were full of fury and Kakashi felt very sorry for anyone that might have crossed her path in these direct twenty minutes.

Why was he even here? He just came from a tiring mission, buying groceries to last a week as he wasn't going to come out of his house anytime soon. Though, he mused, fresh rice and tomatoes weren't exactly his choice of daily food, only a few months ago he had been mostly sitting on instant ramen and soldier pills diet. But Sakura forced him to eat healthy, so now he was back here, in the market, spending his money on vegetables and listening to the pinkette herself.

"— and fuck the whole world and this store, not everyone in the world is a tall-ass fucking giant, these bastards—"

He cut her off, pressing his finger to her lips in a shhh gesture. She blinked, taken aback, and Kakashi used this moment of silence to think logic.

"So," He drawled, completely uninterested and weary of Sakura's rant. "Based on what you are telling me, the shop's employees are complete assholes because your favorite bottle of shampoo is up there on the highest shelf, just out of your reach?"

Sakura nodded vigorously. Kakashi resisted the urge to sigh for the bazilyionth time this day. Even at twenty, after a giant war, after defeating a goddess, after saving the whole entire world, his student was still a child at heart.

"And why did you pull me in this?"

Sakura grinned. "Because, I am your favorite student, and you like me better than Naruto and Sasuke, and—"

"Get to the point."

She rolled her eyes, but remained unfazed. ""Could you maybe please lift me up? I can't reach by myself."

Silence. Awkward pause.

"Excuse me?"

Sakura pouted. "Awwwww, come on Kakashi, I'm not that heavy and you know it!"

Kakashi blinked several times in surprise (when did she stop calling him Kakashi-sensei?) when Sakura saw his moment of hesitation and pulled her last card.

Damn. Sakura could make some amazing puppy eyes. Kakashi was impressed, even if annoyed that she dared to use against him.

He gave up. He could never resist, even if he wanted to. Grumbling, he opened his arms in a mocking gesture, before raising an eyebrow.

"So how you want to do it?"

Sakura flashed him a brilliant smile, radiating pure joy. "Thank 'Kashi! I owe you one!"

"Maa, Sakura-chan, I'm old for these kind of tricks, this is the only time I'll do it. And you owe me two, for making me listen to that whining of yours and then forc—OOF!"

Something. Is. Touching. His arm.

He trembled bewildered. Sakura furrowed her brows at him crossly from where she was trying to scramble up his arm and shoulder. "Sto-o-op m-moving so-o much, K-kaka-shi!"

Kakashi obeyed, partly because he might loose his balance and partly because this woman was scary. His hands rose up to her waist instinctively as he helped to hoist her up, still speechless. Sakura's sharp, commanding voice cut through his thoughts.

"Alright, a little to the left... Back up, back up, ba— stop. Okay, now lift me up a bit higher..."

Following her instructions, Kakashi wobbled slowly in all directions. How funny must have they been to the other people in the same section. His eye twitched as he saw a man chuckle to his friend "Look at them, obviously a married couple. I wish my own wife at least let me lift her, but she's too afraid...

The talk dwindled on but Kakashi didn't bother to continue lip reading. He was not Sakura's husband and she was not in love with such an old, broken in pieces man, and no, she was in love with Sasuke, that bastard who tried to kill her, and why does he even care—

"Okay, thanks Kakashi! You can put me down now."

Oh. She was done. That was quick. Not like it was supposed to be slow, she only needed to grab her shampoo.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, you exhausted the old man's arm now. You're still using Pakkun's shampoo?"

"Pakkun's still using my shampoo?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Sakura-chaaaaaan," he dragged out. "That is no way to talk to your elders, you know. Where is the respect for us, veterans, for serving in several wars, fighting for our nation, huh?"

"Oi, I was there too you know! With Naruto and Sai and you! We did the dirty work too, hmph. Although... I have to admit, we do look better than you and Sasuke!"

Sassy little brat. "Ne, ne, I would have never thought you would have insulted our cute little mannered Uchiha. Aren't lovers supposed to stand up for each other, hmm?"

It was Sakura's turn to roll her eyes, her hand at her hip in a cheeky manner. "Oh come on, 'Kashi. You seriously think I will go out with the bastard now? After he tried to kill me, Naruto, you, Gaara, Tsunade, and a whole load of innocent people? No thank you. Honestly, you need to go outside more. You're becoming sort of a mole, hiding in the dark. I'm pretty sure you don't even know Naruto's got a girlfriend."

"Wait, wha—"

"My point exactly." And then, she suddenly seemed to move closer and Kakashi's heart sped up for some unexplainable reason and god darn she's his student he is so much older than her stop having such thoughts Hatake—

Kakashi almost never had anybody take off his mask without his own permission. But something had willed him not to move, to wait, to anticipate. To worry, to experience a thousand of emotions as feminine, but hard and maiden with cuts, definitely a sign of hard work, slowly peeled the dark cloth from his face. Well, not all of it, only enough for a bit of his nose and cheek to be seen, but still. His mask.

And then his brain went into overload again, as soft lips very suddenly and unexpectedly touching his face and holy Kami this is not what it's supposed to be happening why is she what why huh danger danger danger!

Sakura had kissed him. On the cheek. Huh.

And then she disappeared and a puff of smoke that Kakashi loved to do so much, her last thank you coming out half stuttered and a faint blush on her cheeks that he wouldn't have caught if he blinked in that exact moment.

Huh. Why didn't she use chakra to reach the shelf? The thought hit Kakashi like a boulder. Perhaps... Perhaps this all was staged. And maybe (just maybe) Sasuke wasn't the only one the pinkette had feelings for. What if... What if his soft spot for Sakura was not just care and friendly love for a teammate? Oh Kami-sama, another headache coming his way today.

He was still in a daze when he walked home. Isn't it wonderful; now I wouldn't be able to look Sakura in the eyes for at least a week.