AN: *throws chapter in your face* We now return to Icha Icha Kidnapping

CHAPTER THREE

THE BORN IDENTITY

When Kakashi's soulmark appeared at eighteen, it only confirmed his bad luck. Six hours later, he boarded his flight out of Japan. It would be over a decade before he was in the country long enough to merit owning his own residence.

Kakashi's first impression of Sakura was summed up in a series of epithets muttered under his breath. Her theft of one of his father's prized possessions was a bitter pill to swallow. Kakashi hadn't gotten along with his father as a child; it wasn't until he was older that he truly appreciated their relationship. The book was one of the few things Kakashi had that hadn't been lost or sold.

Kakashi's second impression was formed in the coffee shop; he was amused by Sakura's naivety. He wasn't blind to her frequent blushes, nor to the slightly invasive questions she asked when they were alone in his coffee shop. For some reason, he found it endearing, much like Akino's habit of playing hide-and-seek with his water bowl.

When Kakashi realized that those two impressions were of the same person, he was furious. He did an acceptable job of hiding his anger from her, but he could feel the soulmark along his jaw burn the skin beneath it, pulsing in tune with the fury inside of him.

Kakashi assumed his soulmate would be a veterinarian. He owned eight dogs, and each one was assigned a different vet to better his odds of finding his soulmate. He would never admit it out loud; he never admitted it to himself.

After his unexpected kidnapping, Kakashi was exasperated, annoyed, and a whole host of other negative emotions. He didn't even like people. Then Hidan and Kakuzu walked in, bringing with them the weighty memories Kakashi struggled to bury even to this day.

Kakashi really hated that mission to Mumbai. Even a decade later, the assignment still had repercussions. Sure, he ended up with multiple commendations, a promotion, and a transfer. The cost of his partner's life wasn't worth it.

At age thirteen, Kakashi had announced to his guardian that he was going to join the military, so he wouldn't have to live in the huge shadow of his father. No one questioned him.

As he had struggled to move beyond the decade-old memories, Sakura went ahead and took control of the situation. And then she literally turned his entire life upside-down with a twist of the steering wheel, and the mutter of his father's name.

"Brace yourself, Sakumo."

The car spiraled out of control, half of his body twisting with the force of the crash; a part of him was kept safe, his head cradled by her body as she took to brunt of the collision. Kakashi could hear the metal twisting around them as the pursuing car collided with their own; through the cacophony was the thud of Sakura's body hitting the window shield.

Kakashi's long dormant skills kicked into high gear the moment the vehicle came to a standstill. He saw the headlights of the other car drop as it slid off the road and down a small hill.

Kakashi tugged at Sakura to pull her from the vehicle. Sakura had taken several hard hits to her head this night, and two concussions in such a short period of time were bound to have side-effects. Kakashi didn't want to move her at all, but their hazardous situation required further investigation, and he couldn't investigate on his own since they were still handcuffed together.

It was difficult to emerge from the car wreckage. Sakura was all muscle, deceptively heavy despite her small stature, and Kakashi's dominate hand was limited. He pulled her over his shoulder as best as he could, hooking his handcuffed arm between her legs. She was alive and breathing and he hoped her shock was temporary.

Kakashi could still feel the phantom embrace of her arms around him when she shielded him from the crash He stubbornly tamped down the guilt. There would be time to feel guilty later; he needed to protect her now.

Kakashi walked to the edge of the road in order to ascertain the status of their pursuers. He had been accused of being brilliantly insane before, but this was the first time he truly understood what his comrades meant. Sakura had timed their crash just right, which is why they were still on the street and their captors were not. Kakashi could see the vehicle, and hear the frantic voices of his kidnappers from his safe point above them.

Sakura stirred on his shoulder, mumbling something about ramen, and Kakashi took that as a good sign. They had two options; they could either stick around and Kakashi could use the two bullets he had left to make a stand, or they could move forward. The other driver was a few kilometers down the road, and while his kidnapper lacked transportation, he was also conscious and uninjured.

Forward it was.

Kakashi carried Sakura away from the crash, eventually reaching a marker on the side of the road. He squinted in the dark as he took a look at the fields, a grim smile crossing his face. Thanks to a childhood filled with travel thanks to his famous father, he knew exactly where they were. Even better, someone how Kakashi trusted lived nearby.

Yamato was a bit old-fashioned, but at least he had a shower, a bed, and goddamn phone. His spirits lifting, Kakashi picked up the pace. A few minutes later he went off of the road, heading for a home that was hidden amongst the leaves of the forest.

It was a couple hours of walking before Kakashi entered the field adjacent to his friend's home. He had stopped to catch his breath several times, prolonging the journey despite the short distance. Dawn was beginning to break; he could feel the events of the past twenty-four hours catching up to him. He hadn't slept, and a throbbing pain was developing where the handcuff dug into his skin.

He adjusted his grip on Sakura as he stood at the front door, taking the opportunity to scratch the itch along his jaw.

"Yo, Yamato," he called, as he thumped the door with his foot.

He heard some movement in the house, and the door opened to reveal a familiar face.

"Kakashi?"

"Sorry for stopping by unexpectedly, but I'm afraid this is an emergency." Kakashi turned his head to the right, keeping his soulmark hidden from Yamato's view.

Yamato, taking a look at the woman flung over Kakashi's shoulder, opened the door without another word. He pointed to a chair, then disappeared further into the house. Kakashi spied a scarf hanging next to a winter coat, and Kakashi stole it as he passed. He lowered Sakura onto the chair, then wrapped the red scarf around the bottom of his face. His gut still burned with the indignity that Kakuzu and Hidan had ripped away his surgical mask. They knew the name of his soulmate.

The day after Sakura unmasked him on the subway, Kakashi accepted a long-standing invitation to a fight club. He was banned from returning.

Kakashi brushed away some of the hair sticking on Sakura's face as he reflected on how well they had worked together. They probably wouldn't have made it through the kidnapping otherwise. If there was one thing that Kakashi was a sucker for, it was teamwork.

Yamato returned five minutes later with a pair of deadbolt cutters. Kakashi gave a sigh of relief when the handcuffs were removed as the pain on his wrist ebbed away.

"What happened?" Yamato leaned the tool against the wall, then raised a hand upright to stop Kakashi from speaking. "Actually, I should ask this first; do I even want to know?"

"Probably not, but I'm telling you anyway." Kakashi sat down in another chair, wiping off some of the sweat along his forehead with his arm. "I was kidnapped along with this girl. We tried to escape, ended up in a car chase, and are being chased by extremists that have a secret plot to control the country's infrastructure."

Yamato blinked. "If you don't want to tell me, you can just say so."

Kakashi sighed. He wished he was joking. But no, this was his life now. "Can I use your phone?"

Yamato smiled, reaching into his pocket to pull out a cordless phone. "It belongs in the kitchen when you are done."

Kakashi nodded as Yamato left the room in order to give him privacy. He dialed the number, glancing at the time on the clock. It was still very early, and Genma was bound to be irritated; he enjoyed sleeping in.

"Hello?"

"Yo, Genma. It's Kakashi." He could hear a lamp being turned on.

"Kakashi, I know you get up at the crack of dawn, but not all of us are early birds," his tone was gruff in the early morning hours.

"I'm afraid this is a business call, Genma."

"Business? How the hell is this business?" There was some thumping in the background. "I told you not to investigate that warehouse fire."

"Ahh." Kakashi rubbed at the back of head. "It's funny that you mention that, because I didn't. But apparently the people involved actually knew me from before and they recognized me —"

"What! Where the hell are you? I'll be right there!"

"I'm two hours away. I'm hiding out at a friend's place right now. Genma, Konoha is involved."

"I know. I got word from my superiors that everyone is on high alert. It doesn't matter who tips us off or who they are involved with. We're supposed to investigate the validity of their claim immediately. How does this have anything to do with you?"

"I was kidnapped last night." Kakashi heard Genma squawk on the other end of the line. "It doesn't matter. I have a Konoha operative with me right now, and we managed to escape. I'm with a friend, and he can get us to a drop off point, but I don't know where to go."

"Where would he like us to be? Wherever you want, we'll make it happen."

Kakashi winced. Things were worse off than he imagined if the police force was willing to be so flexible. "My friend is a gardener. Can you find a florist somewhere?"

"Absolutely. I'll contact my people. I'll call back within the hour to tell you the specific location."

"Thanks, Genma."

"No problem." There was a pause on the other end of the line. "You know, Konoha is going to be very interested when they find out you are involved. How many times did you turn down the recruiter?"

Kakashi sighed as he looked at Sakura's unconscious body. An ugly bruise was beginning to form along the apple of her cheek. " Let's just say things are... complicated. I'll talk to you in an hour."

The call disconnected, and Kakashi made his way to the kitchen to put back the phone. Yamato was at the counter preparing breakfast.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything fancy to eat." Yamato scooped the rice into bowls.

"That's fine. Do you think you can take us into the city with you when you make your deliveries?"

Yamato nodded as he handed a bowl over to Kakashi. "I can. How's the girl?"

"She hasn't woken up yet."

"You can take her to my bedroom. It'll be more comfortable than the chair."

Kakashi nodded as he continued to eat his breakfast. Sakura was still out when he checked on her. He carried her bridal style to the bedroom, his muscles trembling with exhaustion. The Spartan bedroom contained a queen-sized bed, a nightstand, and a single wardrobe. Kakashi set Sakura down ; she stirred as he placed a blanket on top of her.

Sakura looked so harmless when she was asleep. Kakashi felt a smile cross his lips as he recalled the way she dominated the two men who were easily twice her size. He wanted her to wake up soon so he could question her about a few things. Why did she think he went by his father's name? Who was the largest target she had every gone against? He also wanted to test her skills, to see how she moved when she wasn't shackled with his weight on her wrist.

It was hard to believe that this was the same girl from eighteen hours ago who couldn't stop flirting.

Kakashi brushed the hair away from her face, then left the room to let her rest. He returned to the kitchen and Yamato. "I could use a shower, do you mind if I borrow some of your clothes?"

"Go ahead. I'm going outside to begin prepping the shipment." Yamato was already putting on his gardening gloves. "I usually leave around nine in the morning, that way we can be in the city by noon. Your friend Genma called, I already have the drop-off location. You have a few hours to rest up." Yamato took the deadbolt cutters with him as he went to take care of his duties.

Kakashi briefly entered the bedroom to search through the wardrobe. Sakura was mumbling in her sleep. He crossed the hallway to enter the bathroom; much like the rest of the house, it was small and minimal.

Kakashi and Yamato had been friends for a long time, knowing each other throughout their childhood. Kakashi had been orphaned at eight, and it was via his guardian that he met Yamato. They had attended the same school, and as such, both ended up with the same rigorous lifestyle that was exemplified in simplistic living. On occasion, Kakashi would visit for a weekend, sleeping on the small cot in the spare room. It had been a few years since Kakashi had last visited. The Coffee Ninja had grown to be more successful than he imaged. His customers loved the prompt service, and paid a premium for it. That meant little time to get away.

Kakashi climbed into the shower and noted, with some amusement, that he shared the same taste in shampoo as Yamato. Even though they had minimal contact, there were some bonds that wouldn't break, and Kakashi was happy to call Yamato his friend. It was when Kakashi reached for the towel, on the shelf next to shower that he realized something was amiss. Kakashi believed in the benefits that came with a life of simple living; however, Yamato needed to learn that full-sized towels were a luxury all could afford. Why have eight small ones, when one normal sized one would do? The towel in Kakashi's hand was bigger than the one he used for the dishes, but was really better suited to dry hands.

Kakashi ran his hand across his face, brushing the water away from his eyes. He attempted to dry off with the towel, but the whole thing was soaked even before he tried to dry off is hair. Kakashi rubbed at his left cheek, before shrugging and putting on his change of clothes and his stolen scarf. He tossed his clothing in the washing machine, and went to check on Sakura. She was still sleeping,

Now that Kakashi had wiped the grime away from his body; he was relaxed enough that he could take a nap of his own before their trip to the city. Kakashi headed to the spare bedroom, raising his arms above his head to stretch his back. Kakashi smiled when his back gave a satisfying pop, only for it to slide off his face when he entered the spare bedroom. It had been converted into an office space, a desk and computer occupying the corner of the room in place of the small bed where he had spent the night a few years ago.

"Dammit," Kakashi clenched his fist as he felt his nap slip through his fingertips. Sighing to himself, Kakashi returned to Sakura, it was really the only other thing he could do.

Kakashi eyed the space beside her with longing. It had been a few years since he had suffered through sleep deprivation, and it was one of his least favorite things about being in the military. Kakashi had only realized how much he loved naps once he was deprived of them.

Kakashi crept closer to Sakura, noting the gentle rise and fall of the blanket wrapped around her. He contemplated the space next to her, evaluating the odds of placing himself on the bed without waking her. After all, it wasn't his fault Yamato only had one bed, right?

Kakashi laid himself down, careful not to move the mattress too much. Crossing his arms across his chest, he sighed in relief. He briefly wondered if he shared the same type of mattress with Yamato before falling asleep.

Kakashi awoke when a yelp screeched in his ear. He tugged the scarf around his face up as he turned to the perpetrator. Sakura had scrambled to her feet, snatching a flashlight atop the nightstand to hold it in front of her like a weapon.

"Sakura?" Kakashi frowned at her when he noticed that she was shaking, unsteady on her two legs. "What's wrong?"

"Who the fuck are you!?" Sakura jabbed a finger in Kakashi's direction, her eyes scanning the room as she inched towards the doorway. "I don't know what game you're playing by dragging me into your bed, but if you don't take me home right this instant, I'm going to make certain you will never walk the right way again." Sakura's face was so expressive; Kakashi thought he saw more emotions cross her face in the span of five minutes than he had in his entire life.

Then the words sank into his head.

Kakashi stared at Sakura in horror. No. It couldn't be. Surely, she had to be joking. He told her so.

"You must be joking. You don't remember me?"

"No." She blinked. "I… who are you to me?"

…

Kakashi was incredibly proud of his record when he was in the military. He was well known by his peers for his mental discipline that led to a success rated envied by all. Apparently, Sakura cared nothing of his reputation, because she was driving a jackhammer right into his composure.

Sakura, the walking cliché, had amnesia.

WHAT

THE

FUCK

Kakashi found himself at a loss of what to do. They weren't friends, they were barely acquaintances. If he didn't come up with an explanation fast, it was entirely possible he would end up with a broken kneecap.

"I don't know you very well. You're one of my regular customers."

Sakura's mouth opened, glancing at the bed before making eye contact with him again. "Oh—uh—are you a prostitute?"

"No!" Kakashi took a hasty step away from the bed to put a healthy amount of distance in between the two of them. He wanted to press his hands against his face in frustration, but he had better discipline than that. Who was this girl? Why would that be her first assumption?

How often did she hire prostitutes?

"Fuck, no. I own a coffee shop and you buy coffee. Not. Sex." For some reason, Kakashi felt like he needed to stress the point. He ran a hand through his hair. "How hard did you hit your head?"

Sakura raised a hand to touch at a spot on the back of her head. "I have a headache. And I feel a bit dizzy. I probably have a concussion." She narrowed her eyes. "What am I doing with you?"

"Ah." Kakashi frowned. "I'm not certain how much you remember, and I'm afraid I don't have all of the answers either."

Kakashi noticed the whitening of Sakura's knuckles as she clutched the flashlight tighter. With the recent memory of how she took out Kakuzu and Hidan with only a water bottle playing in his head, Kakashi took at timid seat on the bed. It was proabably best for his health to give Sakura the height advantage and proximity to the doorway.

"The short story is that we were kidnapped, we escaped, and we are currently recovering with my friend, Yamato. He's going to drive us into the city in a couple of hours. I know you're a spy." He blinked, before coughing into his hand. "Ah, do you know you work for Konoha? I'm not certain how much you remember..."

Sakura straightened, and lowered her flashlight. "I remember that part. Now that you mention it, I do remember a fight with a man with a bunch of tattoos." She squinted. "It's bits and pieces though. I don't remember you at all."

Kakashi held out his wrist. "You coordinated our escape plan; we even have matching handcuff marks."

Sakura touched the bruise on her own wrist. She stared at it in concentration before nodding slightly.

"So now what?"

"Yamato left a bowl of food for you, if you would like to eat."

"Actually, I could use a shower. Maybe it will help me clear my head a little bit. I don't think I could eat anything right now—I still feel a little bit ill."

Kakashi eyed Sakura as she trembled, noting her tense shoulders, and how frequently she blinked. She was in bad form, and needed to go to the hospital. But unfortunately, the nearest hospital was in the opposite direction of the city. He was in the unenviable position of not having enough information to really take charge, but also the one most suited to leadership. And the best thing he could do was take them to a secure location where they could recover in safety.

Kakashi was also uncertain if Sakura would be safe in the shower without support. She might slip on the porcelain tub. One concussion was bad enough, two was awful, but three in such a short span of time would almost guarantee long term side effects. He didn't think he would be able to sleep at night knowing he could have prevented it.

Then again, the alternative was offering to help her shower.

"The bathroom is just down the hall. Please be careful, I don't want you to slip and fall." Kakashi struggled to swallow, confused on why his mouth had become so dry.

Kakashi left her to her own devices, taking care to give Sakura plenty of space. He had seen what she could do when she was unarmed; he had no urge to test out her skills with a weapon. Yamato was out in the fields, organizing the previous days flower cuts and loading them in the delivery trucks. Kakashi could see he was busy and so didn't bother his friend, taking the opportunity to enjoy the morning. It wasn't very often that he had the chance to enjoy life outside of the city since he had his own busine—

Oh shit.

He hadn't even thought about opening his coffee shop this morning. He had been so concerned about Sakura that he completely forgot about that the fact no one else had the key to The Coffee Ninja. That had never happened before.

The past twenty-four hours had pulled Kakashi out of his comfortable life, forcing him right to his breaking point. He would complain about the injustice of it all, but Kakashi had learned long ago that life wasn't fair. There was something about that girl; he simply didn't know what it was yet.

"I'm not a girl. I'm a young lady."

Kakashi clenched his jaw. He kept trying to say she was a young girl to keep her firmly off limits. She was a bit young, though many of his employees were Sakura's age, a relationship with one of them was never appealing.

But there was nothing unappealing about how high she could kick.

Kakashi jerked, looking around him to see if anyone had noticed his daydream, suddenly self-conscious.

Blinking away the memory of Sakura's legs, Kakashi went back inside. It would still be a little bit before Yamato would be ready to depart, and he could go back to his original plan of getting some shut eye. Kakashi rubbed at the right side of his face again, the heat emanating from his jaw.

Was he blushing?

Now that was just pathetic.

Kakashi made his way back to the bedroom, searching through the wardrobe. He doubted Sakura would want to change back into her dirty clothes. Everything Yamato owned would dwarf her, but it couldn't be helped. Kakashi gather a pair of pants, a long-sleeved t-shirt for her, intent of leaving them outside the bathroom door. He turned around, and froze as his mind was wiped blank.

Kakashi's mouth dropped open as he saw his partner enter the room wearing two of Yamato's towels. What was a supreme annoyance a few hours ago was now a blessing from the heavens. Even with Sakura's smaller build, there just wasn't enough material. Kakashi was treated to an abundance of skin, noting the light dusting of pale freckles which dotted her shoulders. Sakura's hair was still wet, the strands clinging to her neck causing a small trail of water to drip from her collar bone down the swell of her breasts. He came to his senses when the water droplet vanished between her cleavage. Aware that he was staring, Kakashi diverted his eyes to the floor.

Kakashi foolishly believed her feet were a safe zone to stare.

He was wrong.

Wrong

Wrong

KAKASHI

WRONG

"Do you have anything I can wear?" Sakura asked.

"Yes," Kakashi replied, as his eyes remained glued to his name along her ankle. He fumbled with the clothing in his hands. "We should be able to make our way to the city within the hour." His finally tore his eyes away from her ankle. She smiled at him, and the warmth of his soulmark rippled along his skin. "I'll leave you to it then," he said. He turned, practically running outside to get away from her.

She was his soulmate. She was his soulmate.

He found his soulmate!

Kakashi pulled at the scarf he took from Yamato, pressing the material against his lips. Sakura had said before that she knew they weren't soulmates, but then again, she thought his name was Sakumo. Sakura was a topnotch spy who didn't know how to use a search engine.

Kakashi didn't know what to do. Should he say something? He had to say something.

No. Sakura still had a concussion and amnesia. Even if he said something, it was likely she wouldn't believe him, and he didn't have the identification to prove it. Her name was so common, even if he showed his own off, it wouldn't mean much.

Fuck.

He would just have to keep it a secret for now.

Kakashi made his way around the house to Yamato, who was filling the flower truck with his shipment. He coughed in his hand. "Can I talk to you?"

"Is something wrong with the girl?" Yamato paused from loading the truck.

"Yes. She has a concussion and barely remembers about what happened last night. And I..." Shit. "She's my soulmate."

Yamato's mouth dropped open and his eyes grew so wide, Kakashi was afraid they would roll right out of his head. "Kakashi, are you sure?"

"I just saw my name on her ankle." He tugged down the scarf, turning slightly to show his friend the mark along his jaw for the first time. "She matches mine."

Yamato groaned. "Well, that's really bad timing. I suppose that's your luck."

Kakashi hummed as he pulled the scarf back up. "I would appreciate it if you could keep it to yourself for now. We have enough going on at the moment. I just had to tell someone."

"Of course," Yamato said as he clasped a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "You know I would do anything to support you. I think she's looking for you right now." Yamato turned Kakashi slightly so he could see Sakura.

Kakashi did not want to go over to talk to her. On a good day, he had subpar social skills, and today he was currently sleep deprived, and emotionally drained to boot. He was still struggling to figure out how he felt about her. Yes, she was his soulmate. But what did that mean?

Sakura was curled up on the steps, resting her chin on her knees. She gave Kakashi a little wave when she noticed him looking her way; it the same flighty movement from when she had visited The Coffee Ninja. The action was comforting. Kakashi made his way over to her, leaning against the side of the house.

"Are you feeling a little better?" He tucked his hands in his pockets as he looked sideways at her. Sakura was playing with her borrowed shirt, rolling the long sleeves to an acceptable length.

"My head is still tender, but I'm not dizzy anymore. My memories are coming back, but it's still a little spotty. You said you own a coffee shop; is it the one with all of the dogs on the wall?"

Kakashi felt unusually pleased by her question. "Yes, that's the one."

"I remember the coffee shop. Ino, my friend, wouldn't stop talking about The Coffee Ninja. She tried for months to take me there, but the shop was out of my way." She scrunched her nose in contemplation. "I don't know how she found out about it; she lives even farther away from The Coffee Ninja than I do."

Kakashi shrugged. "It has some strong word of mouth. Sometimes I'm surprised myself. I'm thinking of opening a second location soon. I can only fit so many workers in the shop, and soon the crowd is going to be too large." He kicked at a rock on the ground, watching it hit a knot on a nearby tree. "I wonder what everyone thought when they showed up to see that the business was closed."

"Terrified, I'm sure. First, they have to find another location to buy their coffee, and they also had to wait in a long line. Second, everyone is scared you won't be opened tomorrow, either." Sakura tilted her head as she looked up at him, her hair falling forward across her face. "I think you made everyone late this morning too."

Kakashi clenched his fist in his pocket. The urge to brush the hair away from her face appeared out of nowhere. Kakashi had noticed he had been doing it earlier, but he had chalked it up to concern for her health.

It was probably the sleep exhaustion.

Kakashi was saved from thinking about it more when he saw Yamato waving them over. He went first, mindful of Sakura's presence behind him.

Yamato nodded to the both of them when they approached. "The truck is all packed up, so we can depart as soon as I lock up. I checked the traffic a few minutes ago to see if there was anything we needed to know. It appears the police have set up a blockade going into the city. They're searching for a pair of suspects who are responsible for a hit and run." Yamato beamed at the both of them. "The suspects' description matches the two of you."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Yamato looked far too happy.

"Fortunately, I make deliveries every day, so I know the regular traffic guards who would be responsible for handling the blockade. I know they won't search inside the truck, so the two of you will have to hide with the goods, rather than ride in the front with me.

Yamato opened the back of the delivery truck with a dramatic flair. "I created a space in the back for the two of you to hide. It'll be a tight fit, and a little cold, but it will work."

Kakashi looked at his friend in horror, certain that something awful was about to occur

"Oh, I can't thank you enough, Yamato." Sakura said, oblivious to Kakashi's fear. "It's so good that you're willing to help us."

Kakashi's traitorous friend gave a sheepish laugh. "I just want to make sure the two of you are okay."

Sakura beamed up at Kakashi. "You have a wonderful friend."

"I am very lucky," Kakashi replied evenly, giving Yamato a rude hand signal behind her back.

Yamato was unfazed. "Well, go on in. You should probably go first," Yamato said as he ushered Kakashi to get in.

Kakashi clambered into the back of the truck. Yamato could have arranged for them to sit on a couple of crates. Instead, he had laid out a few pallets in the back to create an area for them to lie down on. It was the size of a bed.

A small, uncomfortable bed.

A couple of hours ago, Kakashi had contemplated the propriety of sleeping next to a semi-stranger in a large bed. He had been so naïve, unaware of his future. This entire day was doing its best to make Kakashi feel like a fool.

Kakashi took Yamato off of his Christmas list as he half-slid, half crawled into his assigned space. He looked up when he was in place to see wooden slats inches from his nose. Kakashi had never been in a coffin before, but he was certain this must be what it felt like. He was going to be buried alive surrounded by flowers. Kakashi was grateful for his scarf; his sensitive nose would not be able to take the scent of the fresh-cut flowers otherwise.

There was enough room so the two of them would be able to have some space, but at least one of them would be on their side in order to fit. Kakashi turned to his right side, as he felt Sakura wiggling up into her place next to him. An elbow hit his chin.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Sakura whispered. "I was trying to hand you a blanket."

Kakashi felt the blanket touch the back of his hand, and he tugged at it to cover his torso. "It's fine."

It wasn't fine.

This was some sort of hell.

Kakashi owned a coffee shop, one of the most popular places to start a relationship. He should have met his soulmate in the context of his business. In a way, he had met Sakura that way. But she should have come in every day, and he should have discovered she was his soulmate through gradual conversation. Sakura should have come in, and he should have felt a strange pull towards her.

Sakura should have been a vet.

Instead, Kakashi was trapped in a small space, knowing they were soulmates, but being unable to say anything.

He heard Yamato from the other side of the wall of flowers. "I'm going to shut the door now. The refrigerator unit will come when I start the truck, so it might get a bit cold."

Of course it would.

A few minutes later, the engine came on, and the refrigerator unit began to blast cold air. It didn't take long for the chill to get uncomfortable. Sakura pressed against Kakashi further, seeking the warmth that came from body heat. She fiddled with the blankets, trying to overlap them so they could share both.

Kakashi closed his eyes, and contemplated his life. He was huddling for warmth with a pink-haired amnesiac spy in a space the size of a child's bed.

Fuck him.

Kakashi was never buying Yamato another birthday gift either.

A/N: (Previous a/n deleted)

Today is the 20th of January, 2018. I'm starting to get an increasing amount of reviews/pms written in panic voices wondering if the story is abandoned. It is not! :D I was sidetracked by my other Kakasaku story Ninja Dorks as it was really easy to write based on my work schedule. I was updating that story almost every week between July-November. Now that it is finished, all my attention is on EBTKS. I didn't write for a couple of weeks because of the holidays, but I'm back to it. The current rough draft is at 12k and I still have one more scene to write. Plus, it needs to go through a couple of more versions before it goes to beta.

As always, feel free to send me a message or poke around my tumblr: itslulu42

Chapter Four: Fuck You, In Flowers.

"You should look me up online."