Pairing: Kakashi/Ino
Requested By: SnowNight
Written By: Mara
Extra Note: ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

Weathervanes

Every touch, every sound, every kiss. They all led to more.

Ino lay in bed the next morning, eyes open and gazing at the wall across from her. Pale and white. It stung at her pupils, and seemed to curve before her, slowly retreating from her vision.

She knew what had happened last night, and she twisted cautiously into a sitting position and glanced over her shoulder at the tan young man that lay next to her to give him an almost curious expression. His back faced her, wide muscular shoulders moving up and down with his breaths. His hair, the color of burnt cinnamon, was scruffy.

"Kiba?"

The man twitched just a bit, and he slowly woke, eyes blinking open into consciousness as he rolled over, the bed creaking with his weight. Ino wrapped the sheets around herself, looking down at him. She wasn't sure what sort of expression she was supposed to wear; she wasn't even sure how she felt, except for hopeful. So she just stared. He glanced up at her, and Ino was surprised to see a look of confusion on his face.

"Um…You're still here, huh?"

Ino blinked. "Uh, yeah. Would you like...me to make you some breakfast? Or something?"

Kiba gazed at her for a while, in a bit of a silence, and then he coughed, as if he was trying not to laugh. "Er, no thanks. Heh, um, shouldn't you be, well…" He scratched his long nose, one eyebrow raised, as he sat up slowly, bare chest attracting Ino's interests for just a moment before she looked back at his face. "…Well, shouldn't you be going to work or something?"

Ino Yamanaka had thus been used.

--

Kakashi sighed contentedly. What a night. He hadn't had such a good time in a while.

He could expect nothing less of Kurenai, he reminded himself with a small smirk as he sat up among the pillows and looked at the pale, crimson-eyed lady slipping into her clothes, charcoal-black hair twisting rather sloppily around her face, wet from a shower.

"Going somewhere?"

Kurenai gasped and turned around with a start, making Kakashi grin just a bit. She was so paranoid, it was quite a fun trait to play with in bed.

The woman laughed sheepishly, quickly buttoning her shirt, pink spreading along her cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't, the sun did." Kakashi said simply, running a hand through his silver hair. "Although, I could say that it's the same thing."

When Kurenai just laughed slowly, the mood turned very awkward as Kakashi realized his attempt at a smooth compliment was a complete, utter, and very embarrassing failure.

He coughed and tugged on his pants from the side of the bed. Kurenai stood there shyly, running one hand up and down her other arm and biting her lip.

"Well, um, I'm off then…" she said suddenly, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I should…probably go to work."

Kakashi stared after her. "…Ah."

"You…didn't want me to stay, did you?" Kurenai asked cautiously. She locked her arms behind her back. "I mean, because, well last night was…You know…"

"It's fine."

One more night just like all the rest. One more morning just like all the rest.

--

Ino had never felt so livid in her entire life.

She loathed Kiba, right now. Every single bit of him she hated. He'd made her feel so beautiful, and then told her it was a 'one night stand'. It was the most humiliating thing she could remember having to go through.

Oh, she'd had sex with many other men. She could name a few on the tips of her fingers. But never, never, had they pushed her away like this. They'd always had relationships with her. It was just how it was. Of course…they'd always broken up with her soon afterward.

Now as she now stood in her apartment, slipping on her work clothes while muttering to herself all the interesting ways she could kill Kiba Inuzuka, she realized that maybe this was what all relationships were made of. Get them comfortable enough to have sex with you, then drop them off and go find another one. God, sex was such a pig's game.

"Well, the wind speed has been picking up lately, so the wind chill is predicted over the day to go far into-"

Ino turned off the television moodily, grabbed her purse and keys, and left for work.

--

Kakashi's job was an easy one, and he was quite pampered. He was the head of an office that worked for AT&T, so not only was he rich but he didn't have to do much except direct phone calls and order people around. And drink coffee.

He sure needed that coffee, after a humiliating morning like that. As he walked up to the elevator and waited, he glanced next to him to see a young woman waiting as well. A petite blonde with ice-blue eyes. She looked familiar.

She noticed his eyes on her and turned in surprise, then familiarity snapped onto her face. "Oh, Mr. Kakashi!"

He blinked, then that's when he remembered her. She was one of his secretaries. Very good, in fact, he recalled. Yamanaka…something-or-other was her name. "Ah. It seems you're late, huh?"

She blushed prettily, but she looked frightened. "I'm sorry, I've just had a…long morning." she said quickly.

"Then be prepared for a long day." Kakashi remarked simply, turning back to look at the elevator doors while meanwhile adjusting his tie.

From the corner of his eye, he could see her look down in shame. "I'm guessing I'm either getting a demotion or getting fired for this..."

Kakashi turned to look at her. She really was quite pretty…

"I can make an exception." he decided with a small sigh. He smiled a bit. "In any case, I'm not one to talk when I scold you for being late. I'm late myself after all."

She giggled. Kakashi found that surprising as the elevator doors opened. Women usually weren't amused by his humor. He smiled a bit as he entered.

A television was playing up in the corner of the mirrored elevator room. Something like the weather station.

"The wind is actually starting to slow down a bit, which means good news for those waiting for summer, am I right? Now on to…"

Kakashi kept glancing discreetly at the young lady beside him the whole way up the elevator.

--

Ino cracked her knuckles and stood. It was finally time to go home, after working late since she'd arrived late. She was incredibly thankful that her boss was so forgiving. Kakashi really was a great boss when it came down to it, though he could get a little lazy from time to time. She supposed that was just the 'cool' factor setting in.

She grabbed her bag and slung it across her shoulder as she made sure the monitor on the computer was turned off. With that, she left the room, crossed the hall, and entered the elevator. Only a few people were left at the end of the shift, so she was surprised to find one more person on their way home.

"…Mr. Kakashi…" she said in surprise.

The silver-haired man turned and raised an eyebrow welcomingly; face so attractive that Ino felt like swooning. "Ah, Miss. Yamanaka."

"Ino." she said automatically, then cursed herself for it, blushing horribly. He was her boss, for God's sake, she shouldn't have invited him to say her name like that!

But all he did was smile. "On your way home late, I see."

She nodded shyly. "Yes, and you as well." she noted.

"Well it's only normal. We both came at the same time after all." Kakashi said with a bit of a smirk.

Ino laughed, and for some reason, Kakashi turned away and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his dress pants beneath his shirt and tie. Ino stopped laughing immediately and stared at him. "Um, is something…wrong?"

He turned to look at her again, and Ino was stunned suddenly by the intense curiosity in his eyes. "Why do you laugh?" he asked slowly, his voice losing all professionalism.

"W-Well…" Ino stuttered, finding it hard to even breathe when he was looking at her like that. "You're funny, is all."

"You really think that?" He was getting closer to her, and she stumbled back into the wall of the elevator clumsily, nearly dropping her bag.

"W-Well, yes, Mr. Kakashi…"

For some reason when she said that he looked happier than she'd ever seen him, and he bent low over her, edging closer. Her heart sped up. She could see every groove on his face. His lips were pale, attractive, his eyes examining hers thrillingly. "I like it…when you call me that…" he murmured, his warm breath tickling Ino's nose.

She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, but a new sort of eager confidence rose in her chest, like a bubble. She blocked it out as best as he could and mumbled, "I-I see…"

When she opened her eyes next, it was only for a while, because his lips crashed into her own in a sloppy kiss which she soon righted passionately, their tongues immediately wrapping around each others and the confidence bursting from Ino's heart, who pulled him closer with her arms around his neck, his hands pressed against her slim waist.

It was the most romantic kiss, Ino admitted to herself, that she had ever experienced.

--

Kakashi watched, the next morning, Ino slipping on his shirt. For some reason the way she dipped back to slide it on over her slim body was magnificent. And the way he had almost known immediately she would look good in his shirt, something that proved to be true, turned him on even more, but he controlled himself immediately when she faced him almost nervously.

"Would you like me to make us some breakfast in bed? I can make eggs." she said slowly.

Kakashi watched her closely, analyzing her. "You want to stay?"

She bit her lip. "If you don't want me too…"

But Kakashi smiled. "I'd like that, Sunshine."

She blushed at the nick name and giggled. "Alright. Keep my spot warm for me?"

Kakashi chuckled. He doubted he'd need to, he thought as she walked back into the kitchen, exaggerating the swaying of her hips. His 'Sunshine' was a warm enough woman as it was. He turned on the television to relax.

"And the wind's un-expectantly taken a turn for the better! Now it's almost a pleasant, cool day instead of those windy days where you had to hang onto your hat."

"Mr. Kakashi? Boiled or scrambled?"

"Scrambled, please, Sunshine."

--

Author's Note: I know you're wondering where Kakashi's mask went. That, I have no answer to, and since this is an AU, I say that I can bend the rules of Naruto shamelessly and get away with it. xD Hope you enjoyed all the same, and I hope it lived up to your expectations SnowNight. :)
- mara