He's reading in the village's library (Ichi Icha looks very un-intriguing to the outside eye beneath the slip cover of a history book), ankle propped on his knee as his head hangs to better catch the words on the pages.

He's not exactly isolated - there are plenty of villagers scattered around, hence the false book cover - but he knows he's in no danger of being bothered by anyone he knows; Guy and Yamato had better things to do and Naruto would die before he even set foot in a library.

He's about to find out what's happened to the main heroine's missing fiancé when a set of soft fingers traipse up his neck and dainty nails slide through his hair, forcing pleasurable tingles to race up his spine and into his head. His back straightens and his book comes down to rest in his lap at record speed, and his shock is even further amplified when he turns to see his former pink-haired student smiling down at him.

"Hey, Kakashi. What are you doing here?"

He gapes up at her, though all she can see is his single visible wide eye, and he's not sure which disturbs him more; the fact that she's done it so casually - and in a public place - or the fact that he liked it.

He quickly attempts to compose himself, and his mouth is suddenly very dry as he replies somewhat raspily, "Oh, nothing. Just enjoying the peace and quiet while I catch up on the latest volume of Icha Icha."

She stares down at the book in his lap and wrinkles her nose in distaste. "Ugh, yuck. I should've known. There's no way you'd be interested in The Extensive and Compelling History of Leaf."

"You know me better than anyone." He replies, happy that his voice doesn't sound quite so gravelly this time.

She 'hmphs' and crosses her arms, leans back and looks at the scattered pedestrians reading and perusing books around them.

"So why are you here, anyway? You could read that in the comfort of your own home. Why a library of all places?"

He internally sighs, still keeping the book carefully placed in his lap. "No Guy or Naruto to bother me here."

"Touché," she says, nodding in agreement. "The last place either of them would look for you is a library."

She sits down in the chair next to him and he tenses, wishing she'd go away so he can compose himself properly. Why did this girl have to constantly frazzle his nerves? He clears his throat and tries to shift the topic of conversation onto her.

"So what brings you here?"

"Research," she says simply, shrugging. "Tsunade gave me some 'homework', as she puts it."

"Ah."

"Yep. A patient was hit with a poison dart and they wouldn't stop hemorrhaging, so now I have to whip up an antidote for any future cases."

"Hmm..."

They sit in amicable silence, each lost in their own trains of thought (though he a bit more awkwardly than she), and he feebly concludes that he has nothing more to add to the conversation; he counts down the seconds until she either says something or gets up and leaves.

"Well," she whispers suddenly, clamping her hands down on her knees as she prepares to stand. "I'm gonna go ahead and go. Nice seeing you, Kakashi!"

"You as well." He nods, and finally, she stands, giving him one last sliver of sunshine with her smile.

She leaves and he wastes no time in disappearing as quickly as possible.

Even on his way home he still can't believe he'd reacted the way he had, or that it had happened at all. He plops down on his couch and sets the book far, far away from where he can reach it; even now it seems to be possessed with some sort of evil spirit, and he's very afraid to pick it up again lest he relive the moment between he and Sakura in the library (Spirit knows it's all he would think about).

As he continues to sit in the darkness of his apartment, he comes to one conclusion and one conclusion only.

Okay, he decides. No more smutty novels in public.