Author's Note: Well, shit. You know, I could come up with excuses, but I really don't have any. Happy One Year Anniversary to this fic and even then I'm late hello.

12. Winter

The cold settles fast over Konoha, piles of white littering the streets. However, this doesn't stop Sakura from her daily routine. She treks through the snow towards her destination.

The memorial stone is covered in snow when she arrives, but she finds that it doesn't matter as she easily finds the name she's looking for. Her thumb swipes away the frost, skin coming in contact with the freezing stone as well as the familiar carvings underneath.

Sakura doesn't know how long she's stood there, and if she's being honest, she doesn't care. This is her new normal. A strong gust of wind breezes past Sakura and she shivers slightly. Knowing that she's spent more than enough time in front of the memorial, Sakura turns back and walks away before glancing back towards the carved name.

Hatake Kakashi

13. Rules

"The rules are simple. You catch me, you win. You don't, well you lose. Any questions?"

"What do I get if I win?"

"Anything you want."

That's all Sakura needs to hear.

14. Break

She ends up breaking a rib, maybe even three, and she is absolutely mortified. He tells her that it doesn't hurt, that it feels like nothing. But it doesn't stop her from shoving him against a tree and forcing him to sit down and sit still.

"Sakura, I'm fine. It's nothing I can't handle." Of course, she sees through it.

"Just shut up you damn idiot."

And Kakashi does.

15. Audience

Kakashi watched as Sakura danced in the middle of the training ground, seemingly unaware of her audience. The way her body moved was full of grace and finesse that only a kunoichi of her caliber could achieve.

16. Tomorrow

"Sakura," Kakashi groans, voice slightly muffled from his face being buried in his pillow, "do we have to get up now?"

She yawns and turns to lay on her back. "Those reports aren't going to write themselves."

"You know, Tsunade didn't give us a definite due date," he murmured. "We could always turn them in tomorrow."

Sakura hummed. She could work with tomorrow.

17. Protection

"I don't need to be protected anymore!"

"I know," he stated simply.

"Then why do you act like I do?"

"Just because you can look out for yourself doesn't mean I can't do it also."

18. Boxes

Kakashi is slightly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of boxes surrounding him. Why are there so many? Is there really that much stuff that needs to be moved?

"Sakura? Are you sure that we need all of these boxes?" He doesn't receive an answer. "Sakura?"

He definitely does not yelp when the door suddenly opens. He doesn't. Nope. Not a bit.

Sakura comes through, already sealed boxes in hand. "Of course we do. How else are we supposed to carry all of your porn?"

Well, that answers that.

19. Hope

Sakura dares to let herself hope that one day, Kakashi will stop thinking of her as someone that needs to be protected.

And she hopes that he will stop seeing her as his student. That he will see her as something more.

That's what it has all come down to, really.

Hope.

20. Lies

He learns that it's easy to lie. However, he also learns just as quickly that it is almost impossible to lie to her.

"Kakashi? Why are you limping?"

"I pulled a muscle, nothing to worry about, Sakura-chan."

"Let me look at your damn leg, Kakashi."

When he is forced to suppress a yell, she mutters, "nothing to worry about my ass."

21. Sky

Kakashi used to think that nothing beat resting up in a tree and staring up at the sky.

"Kakashi! Are you ready to go yet?"

And then Sakura came.

22. Foolish

He was foolish to think that she could love him. Of course, she was still pining over the Uchiha who hadn't even bothered to contact the village in three years. But she waits. Kakashi knows that Sakura will wait for as long as it takes.

And he hates himself for doing the same for her.

See you next year.