A/N: I know I've centered these fics around holidays, but the ones that occur in spring are either too religious or don't lend themselves well to the world of this ongoing romance. So I've chosen to honor spring in general with this installment.

I do not own these characters; I'm having a wonderful time exploring them.

Mei had eagerly quit the habit of waking early to an alarm since the first day of her retirement, yet she found herself opening her eyes to the darkness of the predawn world. Her sleep had been disrupted by the loud and welcome chatter that came from a group of birds near her bedroom window.

She closed her eyes and stretched, smiling at the cheerful noise. She laid there, listening, singling out and focusing on one particular chirp, and then another, relishing the sound. Mei didn't rely upon calendars and groundhogs; she preferred to trust the birds to announce the next stage of the year. The early morning chorus meant one thing to her.

Spring had finally arrived.

Though Mei was thankful this signaled an end to the cruel, cold winds that lashed at her face and stole her breath; this season was otherwise unremarkable in Kirigakure. There was never much snow to cover the ground there, and only the shallowest bodies of water would freeze over during winter. It would still be some time before the dried and greyed field grasses would be replaced by new green growth. She enjoyed the sight of the crusts of ice that broke apart and began to shrink, though only from a distance. The ground along the shorelines would still be hard. The beaches were unpleasant at this time of year too; the damp and icy sand that seeped into her sandals chilled her whole self. Nevertheless, the birds' song held the promise that warmer days would soon arrive, and that was enough for her to wake up feeling happy.

Mei imagined that spring would be something to behold in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and she wondered if Kakashi shared her enthusiasm for the change of season. Her mind conjured countless tiny, bright greens bulbs of budding leaves sprouting from every branch of every tree within and around that village. She supposed that many of the trees could be flowering as well.

Her eyes flew open at the impulse to chase spring all the way to Konoha. The longer Mei thought on it, the more she wanted to go. Kakashi would not be expecting her, but the idea of surprising him in person before their daily phone call was quickly becoming an irresistible one. After all, he'd come to her home uninvited when she was sick and stayed until after he'd had his turn with the virus. She smirked, recalling the memorable evening when she finally got to wear the second half of his Valentine's Day gift. His reaction thrilled her then, and it made her want to be near him that much more.

Mei rolled over and checked the clock on her nightstand. It would still be a couple of hours before the train station even opened, but she was too excited to go back to sleep. She knew the daily schedule almost by heart from traveling to and from Konoha so often, anyway. The sooner she was packed and prepared, the sooner she could leave. Her plan seemed better with each passing moment, so she got up and began to put it in motion.

XXXXX

It was midday when the disguised Godaime Mizukage stepped off the train in Konoha. Mei hadn't changed the appearance of her suitcase as it had become the thing that Kakashi used to identify her, as she always donned a different henge whenever she came to visit him. She knew he wouldn't be among the crowd that waited at the station, but she thought it would be a fun joke if he recognized it, in case she happened to pass him on her way to his apartment. Her overactive imagination had conjured several scenarios that would begin her surprise visit, and all of them had the same happy ending. Each first kiss they shared after time away from each other was heartfelt and ardent. Even as she walked, her toes curled in anticipation of that moment when she would feel suspended in a time and space that seemed to be reserved just for them.

However, Mei didn't cross paths with Kakashi on the way to his home. He didn't answer when she buzzed his apartment to open the door to his building for her, either. She was contemplating blowing her cover and walking up the side of the building to his kitchen window that doubled as his preferred entrance when another familiar, booming voice addressed her. "Who're you?"

Disguised as she was, Mei wouldn't haven't expected Gai to recognize her. She approached him, pulling her suitcase with her so she could reply in a hushed voice. "It's me, Mei. I wanted to surprise Kakashi, but it appears he's not at home."

"Oh!" Gai did his best to be subtle, quickly lowering his voice after this first exclamation. "Ah, well, he will be surprised, I have no doubt of that. He must not be back yet, from…well, he must be running an errand." Gai's prominent eyebrows furrowed, betraying his worry as he cast his gaze to the ground.

"Has something happened?" Mei's voice raised a little in her alarm. Gai's facial expression, especially his lack of blinding smile, had spoken louder than his words.

"N-no! No, nothing's wrong. It's just, well, I-I don't think it's my place to say—"

"Gai, whatever your challenge is, can we do it a different day?" Mei turned her disguised face in the direction of Kakashi's voice. She watched his eyes narrow as they scanned her from top to bottom, then widen in shocked recognition of the suitcase she still held. His eyes then darted back up to her face.

While realization dawned on Kakashi's visible features, Mei felt her own eyes grow larger as she took in the small bouquet he carried, that couldn't have been meant for her. This was definitely not among the imagined scenarios of surprising her lover. She felt her voice failing her before she could speak a word. While her mouth opened and closed soundlessly, she pointed at the flowers in his hand.

Without another word, Gai pivoted his chair to depart, giving the pair privacy. As soon as his rival was out of hearing range, Kakashi finally broke the silence. "I didn't know you were planning to visit."

"I thought I would surprise you." Mei didn't know how she managed to get the words out when her throat felt like it was closing up.

"Mission accomplished, then." Kakashi sighed, looking upwards and then closed his eyes for a moment.

Mei would've turned on her heel if her legs hadn't felt like lead weights when he looked at her again and said, "We should have this conversation upstairs."