I do not own Naruto nor do I profit from it in any way.

Coffee Shop

Chapter 1 - Ten Minutes in Heaven

The flickering streetlamp blanketed the dirty avenue outside in a dim glow making it just possible for Sakura to see her reflection in the tall coffee shop windows. She sighed at the darkness outside, wishing to be home in bed instead of hauling a coffee pot across the sticky floors and stained table tops of the old diner. Each time she glanced at that reflection, it looked wearier.

The hot coffee pot in her hand was almost empty - a testament to her long night of wafting through the smoke filled café. The powdered blue uniform of a sixties style dress she wore was short - too short in her opinion. She briefly recalled the look on her boss' face when he said it was the only size they had left and that she would fit in it 'just fine.'

His intonation should have been her first indication to look harder for another job, but this one paid well when she considered all the tips. For a struggling twenty-three year old med student, making ends meet was more important for her future than a few straining buttons on a cotton dress, she supposed.

"Sakura! Start a new pot," the owner's gravelly voice yelled from behind the long diner counter as he shook an empty glass decanter at her.

"You're right there," she mumbled inaudibly, but felt secretly better for it. Taking a last look at her tousled pink hair, half-tied back and messy, Sakura slipped some stray strands over her ear before returning behind the counter to prepare the next pot.

Before she'd arrived in the massive city of Konoha, she'd been warned by her protective father about letting herself get 'taking in' or 'used'. She understood what he meant very well now as she'd been mugged twice in the few years she'd lived there. But still, she loved the freedom of knowing she was working toward something. It was a means to an end.

"You're so beautiful, Sakura. You should stay here and get married," her father had pleaded from behind the counter of the small shop he ran. She'd grown up behind that counter. Perhaps that's how she discovered she wanted more than his simple life, wanted to do something better with her own. She had no disrespect for her father and his livelihood, but it was not what she wanted to do for the rest of her days.

"Beautiful,"her father had called her, as had the young men who would ask her to come for walks or take her to the movies while trying innocently to win her heart. What would those boys think if they saw her now, slugging coffee in a dress that looked like it was ready to burst open?

Chuckling to herself, she supposed they'd enjoy it a little. The buttons threatened to break free from the fabric while each shift she silently urged them to stay where they were.

Like every other night, slowly but surely the coffee shop emptied one patron at a time as the clock neared one AM. There was almost no one left but an elderly couple in the corner holding hands and sharing the last piece of cherry pie, and a trio of rowdy young men looking like they were just coming from the bar down the street for a wake-up cup of java before the next after-hours place.

"How about you blow this place off and come with us, Sakura?" one propositioned. "We promise you'll have fun." His eyes trailed down her uniform and then back up again – not exactly resting on her eyes. The other two smirked in agreement.

"Cursed name-tag," she thought ruefully.

"Sorry, guys. I've got toilets to clean." She smiled exaggeratedly as they laughed, giving her the usual looks she got from men as their eyes couldn't help but drift to her long legs under the lace-hemmed uniform.

She wandered away from the table, a shiver rolling up her back with still feeling their stares on her.

The clock ticked away the night to almost one-thirty when she was finally able to take a moment of rest from the coffee races. She poured herself a steaming mug of green tea and found a place on a round ripped corner stool at the diner bar at the back of the room. The dried coffee rings glared up from the silver and green flecked counter, daring her to clean.

"In a minute," she thought to herself, "I have a date with Mr. Green Tea."

A deep sigh escaped her as she let the luxurious heat sink into her fingers around the porcelain. Her feet slipped a little from her black patent shoes and she crossed her legs - one shoe dangling leisurely from her toe. It was almost bliss. Almost.

The warm steam from the drink tickled and wet her nose, but before it touched her lips, the glass door swung open and the ring of the overhead bell ripped her moment of relaxation out of her grasp.

"So close," she breathed onto the mug rim as she closed her tired eyes.

Slipping her swollen feet fully back into her shoes, Sakura slid off the stool. She managed a dismissive hand in her patron's direction, mumbling to him, "Take a seat and I'll be right there" as her focus remained on the heel that stuck in a crack in the floor. Finally freeing herself, she moved around the counter to get the coffee pot from its heated perch among the gleaming dishes and cutlery before heading back to the booths.

"Hey Sakura," her grease covered manager grunted from the window behind the counter, "Your big tipper is here."

"What?" Her head snapped up as her stomach fluttered with excitement.

Rapidly her eyes roved along the row of booths in front of the mirror-like windows to rest on tonight's late customer. It was him - the same man who made his way in there at some point every Wednesday night with the exception of the previous week. Same order every time: black coffee, two sugars, and a piece of cherry pie that he never completely ate.

Her fingers gripped the coffee pot lightly with her left hand as her right absently tried to tuck those sneaky stray strands of light hair neatly behind her ears. She gave a short tug on her tight dress, checking the front for stains before she moved towards him.

He was sitting in the same booth as always with his back to the wall in the darkest corner of the shop. His gaze was turned to the window, an arm slung over the booth back casually.

"Hey Black Coffee. You haven't been in for a while." Sakura smiled genuinely as she overturned the chipped cup on the saucer in front of him and poured out a coffee. She loved the look of him. His silver white hair was cut short but messy, and as his dark eyes turned to look at her, his expression changed from a pensive look to something of a smile. His slim black tie over his white shirt was loosened, and his collar was open one button. Tonight he still wore the stylish black suit jacket instead of taking it off and flipping it over the booth seat as he usually did.

"Been busy," he exhaled, "If you don't mind I'll have…"

"Black coffee, and cherry pie?" She grinned as one corner of his mouth rose in response. "Sorry, no cherry pie tonight, Kakashi. All out."

"What else do have that's sweet?" He reached out and grabbed two packets of sugar, gently tearing them open and letting them trickle into the cup.

"Just me," she mused inwardly as she admired the warm look his eyes had when he smiled at her. "The apple pie was baked fresh today."

"All right," he breathed out. "I guess deviating from routine is good sometimes."

She nodded. "I'll be right back."

Calmly Sakura strode back towards the diner counter where she began to unwrap the apple pie in the cooler from the clear plastic saran. While she worked, she considered that his last statement maybe didn't have anything to do with food.

Checking his watch, Kakashi turned to the windows and watched the people passing by the coffee shop. "Looks like routine might be changed a lot tonight," he thought to himself.

Genma was late, which usually meant the job was off. Kakashi was tired from a long week and wasn't in the mood for posturing and violent seedy bullshit. Sitting in the comfortable booth and watching the pretty waitress make eyes at him was about all he felt like doing for the next hour.

With just that thought, his eyes inadvertently strayed in her direction. One of her legs was crooked as she leaned over the counter, reaching for something. Her uniform was too tight and rode up as she stretched, but he had no complaints. When she poured his coffee, if she turned just right, he could see into her shirt from the strain of the fabric at the buttons. Just that small tease of skin and a lacy bra could make his night. Of course it was white lace.

She was clean, beautiful, and untainted like the women in his life. This girl had a future. Maybe that was what drew him into the coffee shop every Wednesday night when she worked the late shift. Maybe it was what made him tell her his real name (which only a handful of people in the world knew) during some innocent flirtation a month or two ago. Her eyes looked curious, not jaded - devoid of a lifetime of seeing things she should never have had to see.

She couldn't see the man he really was and it made him remember when he was clean and untainted once upon a time. He remembered what it was like when he did it all for the principal and not for the money.

As if the young woman could hear his thoughts, she turned in his direction and smiled. He couldn't help but smile back. She was so damned beautiful.

Sakura lifted the fresh pot of coffee and the slice of pie from the counter, careful not to spill or get her finger into it. She walked along the aisle towards Kakashi and noticed he had that distant look as his gaze rested on something outside.

She'd seen that cold look in his eye before, but it was usually on the nights when a second man would come in, equally as handsome, and sit at the table for a moment with him. The second stranger had light brown hair and gorgeous brown eyes, and for some reason he would always take a coffee to go and put the stir stick between his teeth. His flirtation with her was a little too blatant.

Sometimes her tipper would bring in women, dressed to the nines and draped in mink stoles over their Alaia dresses and diamond necklaces. Sometimes there was a wedding ring and sometimes their dresses were not so clean. But they all looked older, refined, sophisticated. Sakura imagined herself dressed in something beautiful while sitting across from such a man, imagining that when her life as a doctor began that it might be possible one day.

Kakashi never allowed them be rude to her. More than once Sakura had seen him put a woman into a cab outside after she'd said something unfriendly to her. And he'd never brought the same woman in twice.

She whisked over to him, quietly placing the pie in front of him and slipping the bill from her pocket to place it on the table edge. He never ordered anything more than he currently had, and sometimes when the other man came in, they left quite quickly.

"Long night?" he asked calmly, picking up the fork from the plate.

"And then some." She laughed lightly, loving his smooth, deep voice. It was the kind of voice women imagined in the dark hours alone, dreaming of the perfect lover in their beds. She imagined he was probably never alone when he didn't want to be.

The scent of his cologne made her breathe deeper, amplifying her attraction to him. A scar ran up and down through his left eye, but it was straight and perfect – never detracting from how handsome his face was. His bedroom eyes were dark, lazy, and just a slightly different colour from each other - she liked that mystery about him.

"I guess you get some characters in here late at night. Maybe you should find somewhere better to work." Kakashi sipped the hot coffee.

"Well I would, but then I'd never see you, Kakashi. Wednesday night just wouldn't be the same." She smiled sweetly and leaned on her elbow on the vinyl back of the seat across from him. Likely he didn't believe her, but she'd truly meant what she said.

Kakashi's eyes fell to her buttons again. Damn, he needed to be better at hiding that.

Sakura remained leaning there while looking around the room. "It looks like the happy couple finished eating your piece of cherry pie. I should go and give them the bill," she said offhandedly.

The elderly couple were holding hands next to an empty plate and Sakura darted over, pulling her receipt book from her pocket with a pleasant smile.

Kakashi watched her legs all the way over.

When she was finished, she wandered back and cocked her head. "No one joining you this evening? Your tall friend usually comes in most times when you're alone."

Kakashi smiled a little, pleased that he'd had no companion tonight. "Must have found something better to do."

"Want some more coffee?" Sakura asked timidly, gently fingering the strand of hair that kept slipping from over her ear.

"Not right now," he responded with a pleasant smile just for her. He took a deep breath and turned to the windows again.

Sakura rubbed her sore neck a little and wandered back to the diner counter, believing he wanted some time to think. It was getting close to closing time anyway and she needed to start the night's cleaning. Dragging along on her sore feet, she moved into the kitchen, around the dishwasher, the boss, and the garbage containers in the back to find her supplies. But upon realizing the broom wasn't leaning in the usual spot in the kitchen corner, she figured for once the greasy bastard had actually put it back in the closet. So she spun on her heel and wandered down the short side hallway to find Kakashi just coming out of the washroom, his hands stuffed in his pockets and looking like something right out of a magazine.

"Damn, he's gorgeous," she mused inwardly while walking right towards him.

He stopped directly across from the broom closet and leaned casually on the wall to just watch her.

"Did you need something else?" she asked, absently playing with a straining button. She stopped right in front of Kakashi and put her hand on the broom closet doorknob, pulling it open, but still gazing at him questioningly.

The closet was a small room half the size of a normal closet, and inside there was only a broom on a hook and an old apron hanging behind it.

"I was just going to get going," he finally said after she caught him glancing at where her fingertips spun her button.

"Well since your friend didn't come tonight, I wouldn't mind some company. I'm almost finished. Did you want to stay for one more coffee?" Sakura nervously reached over and pinched his tie in her fingers, meeting his gaze but feeling heat rush her cheeks from putting out a blatant signal. She wasn't exactly sure of why she was doing it, but the idea of him leaving left her feeling hollow.

Maybe it was the mystery or the intrigue of who he was. Maybe she wanted to be in the same realm as those posh women who would parade in behind him and look at her like she was garbage all the while worried he didn't care about them. Maybe she was just lonely because she had no one in the city but her professors and a greasy man who yelled at her to make coffee. A handsome acquaintance might help her just feel a little better for a while.

Kakashi grinned a little and looked down at the fingers rubbing his tie between them. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Sakura grabbed his tie a little tighter and tugged it just slightly. It made him smile.

She laughed nervously, waving her previous question away. "God, I'm sorry. I've seen the women you bring in here. It was really random of me to ask. I don't know what I was thinking. The coffee is on me tonight, Kakashi." She let his tie go and hastily turned her attention to the closet, embarrassed by the telltale heat of her cheeks.

"Don't ever compare yourself to those women, Sakura. You're so much better than they are. And I said it wasn't a good idea. I didn't say no." He straightened up and took a step forward. "But is it coffee you really want? I've had enough coffee tonight."

Her green eyes flicked back up to his mismatched ones, shocked at his question, shocked that he knew what she was thinking and wasn't going to make her take the long way around to get it. Perhaps he could read women like a book. Perhaps he could see the loneliness and the need for a little warmth or companionship in her eyes – she didn't care how he understood.

Timidly, she shook her head just enough to let him know he was right. Speaking was out of the question.

Almost shockingly fast, his strong hand rested on her waist and with a little direction, he maneuvered them into the broom closet. There was barely enough room for two people to stand without touching, which didn't matter in the least.

Kakashi pulled the door but didn't shut it. A stream of light from the crack seemed to run between them and they could see the Diner doorway and the back of one of the young men's heads in the far booths.

"Sh—should we shut the door?" she whispered urgently.

One side of Kakashi's mouth rose. "No."

"We might get caught," she mumbled, realizing after she spoke that he intended for them to have that added factor.

"Stop talking," he commanded gently. Slowly, he lifted a hand to her buttons and began to undo them systematically. There was no hesitation or shake to his fingers. He was a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it.

Three buttons down, Kakashi revealed the skin just lower than the bottom of her bra, and the white lace above it. She was breathing heavily, scared somewhat, and he liked the sound of it.

Gently, he leaned down and kissed her – just a soft brush of lips, testing the waters to make sure she didn't want to change her mind. She couldn't have been more than twenty-two or so and being in his early thirties, he remembered how hasty he was at that age - acting before thinking.

But if she were objecting or second-guessing herself, she wasn't showing it in the least. In fact, her boldness in coming in the closet with him was impressive and he had to admit, quite a turn on. It was a first for him too.

This time, he put a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. His tongue swept against hers and she made a noise of appreciation deep in her throat. If that wasn't a yes, he didn't know what was.

Sakura could feel her heart pounding in her chest, brought on by his fingers lightly digging into her hair and the taste of coffee on his tongue. She could smell his cologne, and feel the roughness against her face of some beginning stubble on his upper lip. A strong hand slid up along the back of her thigh under her short dress, squeezing just below her panty line. Thank goodness she'd worn the lace ones today.

Unfortunately, circumstances being what they were, there was no choice but to rush.

He kissed her harder, faster, trailed wet kisses down to her throat, sucked the skin into his mouth, and nipped gently. She knew he'd leave a mark but didn't give a damn. They didn't have a lot of time and so she responded equally as strongly to him, lifting a leg and propping her foot on the wall beside him.

Plates and glasses clinked in the kitchen and someone walked by the door. They both stopped for a second, nothing but their desperate breathing filled the small room.

Then Kakashi grabbed her wrist and spun her around, placing her hand up on the wall and encouraging her to lean backward against him. His hard chest pressed against her shoulder blades. His other hand went to her stray strands of hair and brushed them out of his way so he could get to her neck. His fingers pulled her dress open a little so he could expose her shoulder for his kisses as well.

Sakura lifted both hands to the wall and spread her legs, pressing her body against his front. His erection was hard against her behind, and his breathing was thick in her ear as he nibbled her earlobe.

One of his hands slid back under her dress in the front, pressing his fingers into her inner thigh and dragging upwards. His other hand reached around her arm and slipped into her dress under her bra.

Again, she made a breathy noise of appreciation as she fell back against him, her head tipped against his shoulder.

When his fingers drew into the top of her panties, she actually groaned.

Her nipple grew taught under his fingers as he pinched it gingerly and cupped her breast. But it was the gentle slide of his fingers between her legs that took her concentration away.

"You're already wet," he whispered against her throat as he slid a finger inside her.

"Yes," was all she could answer, her voice thick with arousal. His simple manipulation of her clitoris was building up the tight spiral of pleasure inside her almost as soon as his fingers touched her there.

"Sakura?" her boss' voice called gruffly from the kitchen.

Kakashi's attention slowed for a second, but Sakura hissed out, "don't stop." So he continued with increased fervour.

She ground back against him, and Kakashi found he was surprised to be so hard so quickly. But she was different from other women, and it turned him on to taint her just a little. He would have given almost anything to have enough time to fuck her, but for someone so perfect, he'd need all night. Ten minutes in the broom closet was beneath her.

He continued his slow massage against her clitoris, sliding up and down to slip a finger inside her every couple of strokes.

"Hey Sakura? Where is that kid?" her boss yelled again as he stomped by the door.

Sakura's body moved with Kakashi's hand, rolling her hips with each stroke, feeling the buildup flowing through her abdomen in waves until it became one long string of pleasure. She panted and pushed her forehead up against the wall, trying hard not to groan loudly as the orgasm hit and her knees buckled slightly.

Kakashi removed his hand from her top and spread the fingers of it against her mouth, feeling her hot tongue slide out to lick the one on her lips. Obligingly, he let her suck it gently, humming pleasure around it.

It was all Kakashi could do not to come himself.

As she finally came down from her euphoria, he held her until she could stand up on her own.

"Sa-kur-a!" her boss yelled out so loudly it made her flinch.

"You'd better get out there," Kakashi whispered against her throat, then kissing her there twice.

"Y-yeah," she said shakily. "You go first. I-I just need a minute."

Kakashi huffed a soft laugh against her skin and then let her go. He stepped to the door and looked out of the crack before opening it and slipping out into the hallway. Lastly he gave one quick smile at her, and he then headed back out to the booths.

Sakura took a deep breath. Did she just do what she just did? With him?

With shaking fingers and a huge smile, she grabbed the broom and after doing up her buttons and fixing her skirt, she darted out of the closet to run right into her boss.

"What the hell have you been up to?" he growled, perching his large hands on his non-existent hips.

Sakura worked on her stray strand again and smiled innocently. "Nothing."

"Your tipper is at the counter. He's ready to pay."

"Gotcha," she said quickly and darted past him, the broom still in her hand.

When she approached the cash register on the counter by the door, Kakashi was waiting there. He smiled wryly and she couldn't help but grin back widely.

"It's on me tonight, Kakashi," she said quietly as she stopped in front of him.

"It's not my style, but all right. The bill is on the table." He tipped his head toward the booth table and then put his hand on the door handle. "See you next Wednesday," he said with a wink, and then pushed his way out.

The overhead bell tinkled his exit, and Sakura lightly fell against the counter, wanting to laugh and shout to everyone what they had just done. She was practically bursting with it.

Only a week and he'd be back.

"What are you so happy about?" her boss asked from a stool at the counter. "Big tip?"

"You could say that." She grinned. "See you next Wednesdaaaaay," she sang as she began to sweep the room.

Revised September 2015