.

.

The days before the winter semester started were always strange. Sakura never really knew what day it was and every day since her night with Kakashi, she had woken up with a cold sweat. Her nightmares were always a variation of the same thing. Either she missed her first day of class where her professors had all given her a very important exam that she had known nothing about, or she was late to the meeting with the university administrators.

It was always the latter one that made her panic the most. Though Kakashi had told her that she didn't need to meet with them, she had insisted. If he was going down for this, then she was going to be right next to him.

But that didn't stop her from feeling terrified at the thought of meeting a group of people who decided her fate. She had never even met the Dean of the university. Kakashi had assured her that the woman was very fair, and level headed and that she would listen to them.

Sakura had stayed awake the first night she was back in her own apartment, searching for anything she could find about the woman. Tsunade Senju had been Dean of Konoha University for the past three years and her list of accomplishments and awards never seemed to end. It seemed that she had single-handedly been responsible for bringing Sakura's degree plan to the level it was at now.

This only made the ball of nerves in Sakura's stomach grow heavier.

The morning of January 4th started just like the others. Cold sweats, waking up with a gasp from a nightmare where she had made it to the meeting on time but was naked and covered in hickeys that spelled out Kakashi's name and it all made her exhausted before 6 AM. On top of the nightmare, she had to open the coffee shop all by herself.

Since the days before the semester began were relatively slow, she would have to be alone for most of her shift before Ten would show up around noon. Sakura didn't mind being alone today, though. Moving through the motions, concentrating on filling the jars of ingredients, the muffin box, and taking down the Christmas decorations gave her mind a break from worrying about the upcoming meeting.

She still didn't know exactly when it would take place, only that it would have to be on a day before the semester started. Which didn't give her any time to prepare. Classes were scheduled to begin on the 8th and though she had rehearsed the things she planned to say over and over in her head, she still felt as if she were running out of time.

As she pulled the last of the sparkly, silver garland from around the front door, Sakura heard her phone vibrate against the cash register. She wound the decorations around her arm as she crossed to the front counter, snatching up her phone. A text message from Ino was waiting for her.

Ino: Are you awake?

I'm at work, so yes

Ino: GOOD. We need to talk. See you soon.

What the—

Sakura frowned down at the messages and ran through the last few days in her mind. Had she pissed Ino off somehow? She had thanked her for watching Po and promised to pay her with lunch and drinks once the semester started. Ino had seemed pleased with the offer and had said nothing that warranted this kind of text six days later.

After asking her if anything was wrong, Sakura was left with no response and she sighed, knowing it was better to just wait. When Ino wanted to be dramatic, she usually succeeded. Sakura finished putting the Christmas décor away in the back closet and switched out the winter magazines for some that would brighten the place up.

She was more than ready for spring.

The snow and cold were nice for Christmas but as soon as the Spring semester started, she longed for warmer days and sunshine. She and Ino would usually meet in the common area to have lunch on the University's lawn when the days grew warmer. It was always something nice to look forward to…that is, if she wasn't kicked out altogether.

Once again, the knots in her stomach twisted and she groaned, resting her head against the counter. The cool marble did little to help the nausea working its way through her and for once, the smell of coffee wasn't settling her stomach.

The bell above the door chimed and she looked up at a familiar face. Blonde hair poked out from beneath a black ski cap and Ino's pale face was rosy from the cold. She had her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. So, she was upset about something. Great.

"Hey," Sakura sighed, standing to her full height as her friend stomped the snow from her boots and stepped up to the counter. She dropped her purse beside the register and pulled her wallet out.

"I need a coffee. No, I need something really sugary. Give me an iced, caramel latte with extra whipped cream." Sakura was familiar with this order and let herself relax. Ino wasn't upset. She was here to gossip.

With a shake of her head, Sakura punched her order into the register and turned the credit card machine toward her. As Ino swiped her card, Sakura stepped away to fill the order. She topped the drink off with a huge head of whipped cream and pushed the plastic, domed lid on top of the cup. "What's up?"

"What's up?" The blonde asked, poking a straw down into the drink before taking a long sip. "You tell me what's up."

Sakura frowned as she took her seat back at the stool behind the counter. After another long slurp of her drink, Ino rolled her eyes and dramatically gestured toward the girl across from her. "You've been home almost a week, you skipped out on my New Year's Eve party and I have to come to your work to see you." Ino sniffed and set her cup down on the counter. "I understand that you may not be open to talking about what happened, but I hope you trust me enough to tell me about him."

Him…Oh.

She meant Kakashi.

Sakura's eyes widened. She had been so busy worrying about the upcoming meeting with the Dean that she hadn't stopped to realize that she had explained nothing to Ino. No wonder she felt the need to come in here like this. Sakura smiled sheepishly at her friend across the counter and sighed.

"I do trust you, Ino. I didn't mean for you to feel ignored. It's just been…" She paused, searching for the right word. "Hectic."

"I figured," Ino said, ducking her head with a nod. She swirled her straw around the rest of the drink she held in her hand. "I just…I don't know anything about this guy except, well, you know, and I've been worried about you. We all have."

It was touching, knowing her friends cared about her enough to be worried. But she was still a bit nervous to tell the rest of the group. She knew Ino would understand and could probably count on Ten and Hinata to not freak out about it. Naruto on the other hand? Yeah, he would be the last person she would tell. Then again, he probably wouldn't even notice anyway.

Sakura cleared her throat. "Well, I'm okay. There's no need to worry. But I'll tell you about him if you want."

At this, Ino's head shot up and she nodded. "Yes! God, I've been dying for any amount of detail these last few weeks!" She took another long sip from the drink, her blue eyes sparkling at the anticipation of some juicy tales of Sakura's love life.

"Okay, okay!" She held her hands up in defeat, sighed and stared out the front windows of the coffee shop. It was always so strange explaining who Kakashi was and what he meant to her. It was like he was something only she would understand. "Well, his name is Kakashi Hatake and he's one of the smartest people I've ever met. He has so many dogs, you really would not believe me unless you saw them all…"

Another good thing about working during the few days before the semester began, was the lack of customers. For nearly two hours, the two girls sat at the counter of the coffee shop, discussing everything, much to the delight of Ino. They covered everything from the timeline of events, down to the way his shampoo smells and though only a few short weeks prior, things like this would have mortified Sakura to speak about, she was only left with relief. Keeping him a secret might have been exhilarating in the beginning, but she was thrilled to be able to openly discuss her feelings for him now.

Two cups of coffee later, Ino was surprisingly calm despite the amount of caffeine in her system. She stared at a space on the marble counter, shaking her head in disbelief as Sakura explained that Kakashi would be meeting with the university administrators in a few days. "God, what do you think they're going to do?"

Taking a deep breath, Sakura shook her head. "I have no idea. He told me I don't have to be there, but how could I not be?"

Ino nodded with a sigh. "I agree. It would be wrong to make him go through it alone. I just hope the administrators see it your way."

Though she had been feeling sick about the meeting for the past week, hearing someone speak about it out loud, having to explain it to someone out loud, made it so much worse. How was she ever going to explain this to the administrators? Surely, they wouldn't care about the little sweaters Kakashi dressed his dogs in, or the delicious shampoo he used. They would want to know the tough things she wasn't prepared to answer.

How long had they been involved?

Did her grades improve after the fact?

Did he show her any special treatment?

How were they going to prove to them that despite falling in love with one another, every grade she ever received in his class was one that she earned? She just hoped the rest of her academic resume was proof enough of that.

Two days later, she got a call from Kakashi. He asked her to meet him in the administration building, the second floor the next morning, January 7th. And though she and Ino had spent two hours preparing an outfit that said she was both professional and innocent and had gone over every possible outcome of things, Sakura was still fighting the urge to throw up all over the steps.

Minato Hall stood on the snow-covered lawn, looming tall and authoritative. The front façade was a light brick and had six columns that stretched from the steps up to the third floor. Though she had only been in the building once in her entire college career, to talk to the registrar on her first day of class, she knew that the Dean's office was on the top floor.

"Oh, god," she muttered, hoping the woman wasn't looking out, watching her move up the walkway. Thankfully, the bricks had been scraped after the last freeze and she managed not to slip over them. Adding an embarrassing spill on the front lawn would just be the icing on the cake.

Sakura pushed open the front doors and rubbed her hands together, glad that the inside was nice and toasty. It didn't stop her from shaking and she turned to the left where a wide staircase sat. On the wall next to the stairs was a push board with a directory with names and room numbers.

The second floor had one title and it said 'Administrative Affairs'. Seeing them made Sakura whimper and she turned to make her way up one floor.

At the top of the stairs, the hall stretched in two directions. To the left, a few offices sat, and another staircase led up to the top floor while the right had several conference rooms. It was in one of those that the meeting would take place.

Along the wall, a few chairs had been placed and Sakura set her purse and coat down on the arm of one, turning to look up at the line of portraits hanging on the wall. Each one was a portrait of a previous dean of the college as well as a few generous donors.

She faced the last one and blinked up at the face of the woman who would soon decide her fate. The Dean's eyes were a soft brown but even painted, they pierced through the canvas, right into Sakura's soul. She hugged her arms around her waist and leaned forward to read the small, gold plaque beneath her name.

Dr. Tsunade Senju

Dean of College Affairs

2014 –

She swallowed and stepped back, once again lifting her gaze to the portrait. Behind her, someone reached up and tugged on one of the curls in her hair. Sakura spun and blinked up at Kakashi. He smiled sweetly, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his blazer.

He was dressed nice, far nicer than he ever came to class like. His suit was dark blue and the button up he wore beneath it was an olive green that suited him perfectly. For a moment, she forgot all about why they were there and closed the distance between them.

As his arms wrapped around her shoulders, she gasped and jumped back. "We probably shouldn't—"

Kakashi chuckled and pulled her back into his arms, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Though she knew it wouldn't look good if the administrators caught them like this, she relaxed and closed her eyes.

"You look good," she said with a soft sight.

"So, do you. I missed you."

She had missed him as well but hadn't realized how much until she was in his arms. It was as if she had been moving through a fog during the days they had spent apart and now she was able to see clearly once again. She took a deep breath and looked up at him, stepping out of his arms.

"I missed you, too." She tucked her hair behind her ear and ducked her head as he studied her. "I'm nervous."

"I can tell." He reached up to curl a finger beneath her chin, tilting her head back until she was looking in his eyes once more. "You don't have to be here, you know?"

Sakura nodded, wishing he wouldn't keep saying that. "Yes, I do. We're in this together."

Several minutes passed as they stood in the hallway, looking at one another. He had a small smile on his lips, one that she loved on him. How could he not be as nervous as she was? There was so much more at stake for him.

"Professor Hatake," a voice called behind them, making Sakura start with a gasp. Her eyes widened as he turned to face a short woman wearing an outdated business suit. She smiled politely to both of them and gestured to the door across from them. "They're ready for you in conference room C."

Both Sakura and Kakashi glanced to the door and the woman turned to make her way back into her office on the opposite end of the hallway. Sakura reached and took his hand, giving his fingers a squeeze of reassurance. He turned to look back at her and took a deep breath.

"Ready?" Kakashi asked.

"No."

With a soft chuckle, he put a hand to the small of her back and pressed her forward. She paused to grab her coat and purse before he reached for the door and opened it.

Every part of her wanted to drop her things, grab his hand and run far away. They didn't have to do this. They could give up on their lives and start over with one another. Screw the consequences of their actions. Why was it such a bad thing that two people fell in love?

Sakura tried to smile at the three people sitting in a line at the table in the center of the room, though she was sure it came across weak and scared. In front of them, there were papers laid out, along with a pitcher and a stack of plastic cups. Did that mean they expected this to go for a while?

Kakashi closed the door behind them and Sakura flinched at the sound, clutching her coat tight against her. Was it too late to run?

The woman in the middle, the same woman from the portrait outside, folded her hands over the table and eyed Sakura closely. Her amber gaze was just as piercing in real life. "Please, sit," she said, pointing to the chairs across from them.

Sakura was thankful to get off her feet. With the way her knees were shaking, she wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to stand. All of the things she and Ino had rehearsed, all of the bravery and confidence she had tried to summon flew right out of her mind as she sat across from the administrators. She couldn't remember a single damn thing she had wanted to say, and she glanced nervously at the man beside her.

"Now, from what I understand," The Dean started, placing her hands on one of the papers before her. "You're here today to inform the administration of a relationship between the both of you, correct?

"Yes, ma'am," Kakashi said, adjusting his jacket as he sat forward, clasping his hands together on the table.

"I'd like to introduce the University's lawyers, Kotetsu and Izumo," Tsunade paused to let them shake hands before she continued. "They're here just as a formality. Don't be nervous."

"I'm not," Kakashi said, the smile on his face confusing Sakura. How could he be so calm?

"Miss Haruno," The woman turned to her and Sakura let out a squeak, quickly covering it with a small cough. "Would you be willing to confirm the date and circumstances upon which your relationship with Professor Hatake formed?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Tsunade pulled out a pair of reading glasses from the front pocket of her suit and set them on her nose, peering down through them at a typed letter on the table. She cleared her throat. "In Professor Hatake's letter to us, he states that the relationship started during the middle of the semester."

Sakura frowned. She glanced to Kakashi, but he faced forward and watched the three figures across the table from them. "I wouldn't say it was the middle of the semester. Closer to the end, for sure."

"Between midterm and finals?" One of the lawyers asked, leaning forward to write something in the yellow writing pad in front of him. He lifted his eyebrows as he glanced up at Sakura, waiting for her confirmation. When she nodded, he recorded her answer.

"And how would you classify the nature of your relationship with Professor Hatake during this time period?" The other lawyer asked, making her turn to him.

Sakura blinked. Did they really want her to say this?

"Erm, are you asking if we…" she trailed off, not wanting to even let the words form on her tongue. The two lawyers looked at her, patiently waiting for her to continue. Heat touched the tops of her cheeks and she stared down at her hands folded in her lap. "It was physical."

More scribbling.

She sat up straighter and tried to make out what they were writing but the angle made it too difficult to tell. She pursed her lips.

"And at any point did Professor Hatake pressure you into becoming physical?"

It sounded worse when they said it.

"God, no. It was mutual and consensual. Listen," she leaned forward, ignoring the lawyers and focusing on the woman between them. "Kakashi never promised me good grades in exchange for sex. I earned every grade I received in his class and if you look at the rest of my transcripts, you can see that I've never so much as made a C as a final grade. I'm a good student and he's a great teacher. He doesn't deserve to be punished because we fell in love with each other."

Tsunade's eyebrows lifted to her hairline and she slid her gaze to Kakashi, a small smile lifting the corner of her lips. She folded her arms over her chest and the pair of lawyers on either side of her turned to her, waiting for her to respond. Slowly, she took the glasses off of her face and set them down on the table in front of her.

"Miss Haruno, we appreciate your cooperation with this issue. When Professor Hatake came to us, we made sure to check your transcripts and were pleased with your academic record. Your degree plan is one that I personally created at Konoha University." She paused, her gaze flickering back to Kakashi before she looked at Sakura again. "You're not being punished, Miss Haruno. We just want you to state for the record that your relationship with Kakashi didn't interfere with your grades. We don't believe they did. As you said, your grades in the years and months before the relationship were exemplary."

Sakura frowned, despite hearing what she had been hoping for. Nowhere in her whole speech did she mention Kakashi's consequences. Glancing to him at her right, Sakura swallowed down the sick feeling in her stomach.

"And what about Kakashi?"

He reached over and took her hand, squeezing her fingers the way she had done his in the hallway. It made her feel worse.

Tsunade sighed and looked down to the letter in front of her. "Unfortunately, Professor Hatake has handed in his resignation. It would seem this semester will be his last at the University, though we really are unfortunate to lose him."

Sakura felt as if she had been smacked in the face. She stared, mouth open though no words would form, and shook her head. She ignored the three people across from him and turned to Kakashi, searching his eyes as he looked at her.

"Is that true?"

"Yes," he said with a soft smile. "I was going to tell you tonight since this way seemed a bit impersonal. No offense."

The two lawyers shrugged and began gathering pages from their briefcases, grabbing an extra pen as well. They slid a stapled stack of papers across the table to Sakura and she ignored it.

"Why?"

Sighing, he glanced to Tsunade and shook his head. "I was always settling at this job. I'm thankful for it, but I've always wanted more and had been too scared to go for it. I'm not scared anymore."

"Miss Haruno," The lawyer to the left said, holding a capped pen out for her. "If you wouldn't mind giving us a signature on these reports. By signing your name, you're telling us that the statements you made today are true and that the University cannot be held responsible in the future if you change your mind."

Sakura felt numb. She sat back in the chair and stared at the pen for a moment before her gaze fell to the papers waiting for her signature. No wonder he hadn't wanted her to come. This was all just a formality, something that could have been done through the mail or over the telephone.

She took the pen and signed her name through the pages, barely listening to the words the lawyer was telling her. At the last page, he took the pages back, set them in his briefcase and closed the lid with a snap. His partner took the pen and slid it into the front pocket of his jacket.

They stood and Tsunade pushed her chair away from the table, giving Sakura a tight smile. "If you need anything in the future, let me know. I'll give you two a few minutes."

One by one, the three of them left the room and let the door shut with a soft click behind them. Kakashi sighed and pushed his hand through his hair. "I really am sorry that you found out like this."

"What are you going to do?" She whispered, still staring at the empty chairs across from them. She didn't know how to feel at that moment. A part of her was relieved it was all over, but she felt bitter like it was all for nothing. He had lost his job anyway and it hadn't mattered what she had said in the end.

"I have the next five months to figure it out, but I've had offers. To be honest, I'd be happy with anything," he murmured, reaching for her hand again. He lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of her knuckles. "As long as I'm with you."

Sakura wanted to scoff and tell him to stop being ridiculous, that this was serious, and his future was at stake…but she didn't care because she felt the same way. If they had kicked her out of the university, she would have been alright as long as she had him.

Smiling, she looked at him and smacked his arm playfully. "I can't believe they made me talk about being physical."

Kakashi laughed and shook his head. "I can't believe you used the word physical. You could have just said we were fucking by December."

"You're incorrigible." Sakura scowled, though the corner of her lips was lifting in a smirk. She pushed her chair back and stood to her feet, taking a deep breath. It felt so strange to finally be done with this. She felt like a prisoner, finally walking out of prison after being wrongfully convicted.

Kakashi stood to his feet and took her by the wrist, not letting her leave just yet. He searched her eyes and glanced from her hair down to her lips. With a small smile, he dipped his head toward her and pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth.

She had missed this so much.

As he pulled away, he gave her a quick peck and wrapped his arms around her. "Do you want to come over tonight?"

"God, yes!"

He laughed and kissed the top of her forehead before steering her toward the door. They slipped their coats on in the hallway and joined hands at the top of the stairs. It felt so strange being so open with their love, but Sakura had never felt this happy in her life. She laced her fingers around his and smiled up at him as they headed out the doors of Minato Hall.

They were free.

AN- Oh, this was bittersweet. I will be writing an epilogue and I do apologize for this taking literally forever to update. I don't think I wanted it to end but I'm happy it ended the way it did. I only want what's best for these two. I love them so much.
Thank you all for reading and maybe the epilogue won't take forever lol.
I do plan to make it fluffy as all fuck though :D