*three years later*
Kakashi's knee bounced absent mindedly as he sat at his desk with his arm wrapped around a small toddler. She had a stuffed turtle in her hands – courtesy of Gai – that she seemed to be very distracted by if her quiet giggles were anything to go by. Her silver hair was pinned up in spiky pigtails with red ribbons. Her dress was a soft pink that complimented her eyes and it wasn't difficult to guess who her parents were.
In Kakashi's defense, he was still working. He read through proposals and mission reports while keeping close to his daughter. So, when Sakura came into the office with an exasperated sigh, she was overreacting. Like always.
"Kashi." She laughed and shook her head at him. "You need to stop going to Ino's and picking up Akiko. You're never going to get any work done and neither am I if Shikamaru has to keep complaining to me that you're too distracted by the baby."
Kakashi scoffed and kissed Akiko's cheek, making her giggle as she reached out her chubby hands to her mother. "I am not. Shikamaru's just jealous because he's still waiting for Ino to pop."
Sakura rounded the desk and picked up Akiko from Kakashi's arms, making him pout. She raised an eyebrow at him. "He said when a daimo jokingly said your wife should always be his personal escort, you nodded and replied mah, she's a wonderful woman."
Kakashi couldn't even recall who she was talking about. "Did I really?"
She laughed and turned her head to Akiko, letting her grab onto her finger and swing it around. She cooed at her, "Didn't he, Akiko? Didn't Daddy offer up Mommy to some old wrinkled lord? Huh?"
Akiko giggled when Sakura pressed a wet kiss to her cheek. Kakashi sighed as he watched them, that familiar ache in his chest again. He reached out for Sakura's waist and pulled her closer. She looked down at him with a warm expression before taking Akiko's place on his lap. She pecked his cheek and smiled at him. "It's okay, Kakashi. You just can't bring Akiko to the office every day. Babies don't belong in politics."
Kakashi leaned his head against hers and let Akiko grab his other finger. She smiled and shook both of their fingers with wonder in her eyes, her beloved turtle forgotten in her lap. "I just miss her. It was better when you weren't working and would bring her by at lunch every day. I never would've told Tsunade yes if I knew you were going to get pregnant a month later."
Sakura sighed. "I know. But soon enough and Naruto will be ready. You said so yourself, didn't you?" The way she looked at him with hopeful eyes reminded him that he wasn't the only one doing the missing.
Kakashi was happy he didn't have to crush that hope and told her with a smile. "I was going to give him the good news when he gets back from Suna."
Sakura's face brightened and her eyes fell back on Akiko as she shifted in her lap. She'd lost interest in their fingers and was now trying to climb over to Kakashi, reaching for his mask. Kakashi chuckled and took her from Sakura, lifting her up in the air and making her giggle as she made grabby hands at his face. "You're just like your mother, always trying to slip under my mask."
Sakura snorted and Kakashi brought Akiko closer so she could tug on his mask. He helped her pull it down and then planted kisses all over her face. Sakura was quiet as she watched him play with her. She had a loving smile on her face and she rested her head against Kakashi's shoulder. "I thought it was time for me to go back to the hospital, but maybe I should've eased more into it. You should have told me you weren't ready for me to go back. "
"I didn't know I wasn't." Kakashi shrugged and held Akiko against his chest. "But I didn't expect a lot about how this would all feel. To have a family. I never thought I would have any of this. I'm still trying to get used to it."
Sakura felt a warmth in her chest as it tightened and she leaned forward to give Kakashi a sweet kiss. She assured him, "Well, you do now and you deserve it. You're a good man, Kakashi, and an even better father."
He smiled at her, his free hand coming up to brush her hair out of her face. He wondered if he would ever get used to how Sakura made him feel. If he'd ever become good enough to match all the amazing things she had given him. Support. Love. Hope. Strength. Peace. A family.
She glanced at Akiko before telling him, "How about I ease back into returning to the field? I'll request to be taken off the mission rooster and only check in with the hospital every few days or so. At least until, Naruto takes over. Even then, I don't think I'll work as much as I have been. I'll still take missions, but not as many." She bit her lip and tore her eyes away from her daughter to meet his eyes. She chuckled. "I've been pretty miserable too. The only reason I even know how much you've been stealing Akiko from Ino's is because I went there to see her. You just always beat me to it."
Kakashi felt the tension release from his muscles and he hugged Akiko a little tighter. Sakura met him halfway when he leaned forward to kiss her again. He told her against her lips, "I love you."
Sakura melted against him and the way she sighed and said the same thing back was something he knew he'd never get over.
