A/N: This chapter is dedicated to LoveChibi, Idle-ing, and Guest. Thank you so much for your reviews! :)

I apologize for vanishing for a few weeks. Life + writers block doesn't make a good combination. Last chapter, here we go!


Three years later.

Years had passed since Kakashi last felt the need to creep through his home village as if he were some sort of fugitive. And certainly not at four in the morning. Any decent person would be asleep at this hour. Kakashi stealthy passed the academy and circled around the tower to the hokage residence, shrouded in darkness.

Tsunade wasn't expecting him to return from his diplomatic mission until tomorrow, and the juvenile need to surprise her had pushed him to travel through the night and early morning, instead of stopping to rest as he normally would. And tomorrow… he smiled, anticipation giving his weary limbs a fresh wave of energy. The event he had planned for tomorrow would make it a very special day, indeed. He hadn't realized how much he would miss her, especially when his nightmares had returned the past couple of nights. He'd woken sweaty and terrified, and automatically reached for her comforting warmth—only to find the other side of the bed cold and empty.

He twitched. Maybe that was one of the reasons he'd been so desperate to return. This diplomatic mission was the longest he'd been separated from Tsunade since she had appointed him Jōnin Commander.

Kakashi's gaze passed over Tsunade's open bedroom window on the second floor, the curtain floating on the cool spring breeze. Entry would be easy enough. He just hoped he wouldn't get a chop to the throat for his efforts.

A shadow moved across the window below Tsunade's room. Kakashi stiffened. Whoever it was, they were too tall to be Tsunade. An intruder? Who would dare to break into the hokage's residence? He slipped to the front door, ears straining for any sound to mark the intruder's position.

Nothing. Had they sensed his movement?

Kakashi wrapped his fingers around the cold metal knob. Regardless, they had chosen the wrong night to break in; he'd make sure of that. He smirked. Not that any other night would be better once Tsunade had discovered their presence.

In one swift motion, he turned the knob and lunged inside, searching for any flicker of moveme—

A powerful shoulder slammed into Kakashi's ribcage, and the momentum of his much-larger opponent carried them both across the room. He rammed into a sturdy side table, and the porcelain lamp crashed to the floor. He grunted, and his feet found purchase against the corner of the wall. Chakra surged through his soles, and he launched himself back into the intruder—whose solid, muscular body was reminiscent of a boulder—sending them both tumbling to the floor.

Kakashi rolled over, driving his elbow into the other man's stomach as he did so. The intruder wheezed, and Kakashi used the couple of seconds to analyze the brief attack so far. The man was large and stronger than Kakashi, but he was a fraction slower and seemed to only rely on brute force. Using his speed to target weak spots and pressure points would end this quickly.

A thick arm—wrapped in bandages—encircled his neck from behind, and Kakashi barely had time to kawarimi with the broken side table. From his new vantage point, he finally got a good look at his opponent—he froze as he took in the long, shaggy white hair and now-familiar build of the large man sprawled on the floor. "Jiraiya-san?"

Jiraiya shoved aside the broken table with a groan. "Hatake? What are you doing here at this hour?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Kakashi muttered. He pushed to his feet with a grimace. Jiraiya certainly hadn't held back.

"Satomi and I arrived yesterday for Naruto's induction. Tsuna is letting us stay here until we find a more permanent residence." Jiraiya lifted his head off the floor to peer at Kakashi, but otherwise made no attempt to move. "I assume that's why you've returned as well?"

"Hai. I promised Tsunade, and I wouldn't miss it." Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "So, you're finally moving back to Konoha, then?"

The lights flicked on, and both men winced, squinting in the sudden brightness and shielding their eyes.

"What the hell is going on down here?" Tsunade demanded irritably, her footsteps thudding down the stairs. "It's four in the morning!"

Kakashi blinked his watering eyes as he took Tsunade in. The mere sight of her dissolved the lingering tension in his neck; an effect of his recent nightmares. He smiled. "Hai, Tsuna."

Tsunade halted at the bottom of the steps, dark circles under her eyes and holding her silky robe closed with one hand. She gaped at him. "Kakashi? I—I thought you weren't returning until tomorrow." She stepped forward, blonde eyebrows furrowed. "You look exhausted."

Kakashi lifted a shoulder briefly. "I know I promised to return in time for tomorrow, but once I left, I found I couldn't wait that long." He let his pack slid to the floor with a thud. "So, I traveled through the night. And here I am."

Tsunade's smile was soft. She wrapped her arms around him, and Kakashi breathed in the comforting scent of her as she buried her face in his chest, her murmur muffled by his gray flak jacket. "I'm glad you did."

"I swear, if you two start kissing or something, I'm going to file a complaint." Jiraiya lurched to his feet, and Kakashi noted the new, bandaged appendage completing his left arm. Jiraiya's grin was sly. "Remember, there is a child on the premises."

"You're one to talk." Tsunade stepped back from Kakashi and rolled her eyes. "Besides, I'm letting you stay here for free until you find a place. Don't get too comfortable, or I may have to kick you out."

"All right, all right." Jiraiya held up his hands placatingly. "Just keep it down, Hime. I don't want Satomi to wake up again. I've already had to go get her a drink three times tonight."

"Me? I wasn't the one causing all of that racket..." Tsunade frowned as she took in the room, finally noticing the broken table and lamp and the sizeable dent in the wall. "What on earth were you two doing?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Maa, well... I saw Jiraiya's shadow in the window and, uh, thought he was an intruder."

Jiraiya coughed. "Er, same."

Tsunade massaged the bridge of her nose, and sighed. "Geniuses." She stabbed a finger at Kakashi. "You, go upstairs, clean up, and get some sleep. You look dead on your feet. Jiraiya and I will clean up this mess."

Kakashi bit back what he wanted to say—but couldn't in Jiraiya's presence. So, he settled for leaning in to press a kiss to Tsunade's temple, and she blushed. "Your wish is my command."

Jiraiya, wisely, didn't comment on the display of affection. Kakashi offered the white-haired Sannin a nod, then snagged his pack from the floor and headed upstairs to Tsunade's bathroom. If he timed it right, he'd finish just as Tsunade returned to her bedroom. He stripped his dirty uniform and sighed under the cleansing cascade of warm water. Nothing felt better than a relaxing shower after a long mission.

Well, almost nothing.

Kakashi stepped out of the steamy bathroom, knotting the drawstring of his sweatpants. The slight breeze from the window felt good on his bare chest. Tsunade stood at her closet as she slipped off the silky robe over her pajamas and hung it up. He couldn't stop the upward twitch of his lips. He'd timed it perfectly. "Maa, sorry about the lamp. And the table... and the wall."

Tsunade glanced back, and smirked. "Consider it payback for everything I've broken in your apartment."

Kakashi hesitated. He still hadn't told her he'd given his landlord the two-week notice for his apartment before he'd left on his diplomatic mission. But now wasn't the time to tell her. Tomorrow... after he enacted what he'd been planning for the past six months. He swallowed; mouth suddenly dry at the thought.

What if it didn't work out how he hoped?

Tsunade yawned hugely and walked to her bed. "Stand there if you want, but I'm going to bed. I have a big day tomorrow, you know. We all do."

"Hai." Kakashi smiled. Naruto's induction as the Rokudaime Hokage was a day long awaited. He approached the foot of the bed, and dipped his head just enough to let his damp hair flop over his forehead pitifully. "I, uh... I haven't been sleeping well lately."

Tsunade sat on the edge of the bed and blinked sleepily, her eyes darkened with concern. "The nightmares are returning?"

Kakashi nodded. "Maa, just the last couple of nights. It's probably nothing, but..."

Tsunade adjusted her pillows, then leaned back to recline against them, leaving plenty of room on the other side of the bed. She smiled slightly and patted her lap with another yawn. "Come on, then."

Kakashi didn't need another invitation to crawl across the bed. He sank down on his back with a happy sigh, and let his head rest on Tsunade's lap. He hoped he hadn't seemed too eager, but based on Tsunade's smile widening with amusement, he'd failed. Her slender fingers ran through his hair, and the firm, soothing pressure of the massage melted him to his bones. He closed his eyes blissfully.

When he had first returned after his pardon, he'd felt as if he were walking on eggshells. Almost anything could trigger his memories, and whenever the stress threatened to bring back his nightmares, Tsunade had him lay down with his head in her lap, and he would just breathe. Then she would stroke his hair, and her gentle fingers would massage away the aches and pounding pressure in his skull. He wasn't sure how, or why, but he never had nightmares those nights.

It had become a ritual almost every night, even when he no longer had nightmares. He would never admit it to anyone else, but he never felt more loved than in those quiet moments with Tsunade, her hands tenderly running through his hair.

Kakashi opened his eyes to gaze at Tsunade. Her eyelids were half-closed drowsily, but her fingers hadn't slowed. He grasped her left hand, which was resting on the folded covers next to her, and laced his fingers tightly through hers. "I love you."

"I know." Tsunade looked down at him and smiled, the warmth in her honey eyes saying more than any words. "How was your mission?"

"Mmm, fine. Boring," Kakashi corrected. He shifted his head to get a better view of her face. "But you're going to get my mission report. Are you sure you want the details twice?"

Tsunade's smile took on a hint of smugness. "You mean Naruto is going to get your mission report."

Ah, right. How could he have forgotten? Kakashi couldn't help a slight chuckle. "Hai. He will make a great hokage. Are you ready for tomorrow?"

Tsunade sighed, and even he could feel the weight of relief behind it. "I've been ready for this day for years." She wrinkled her nose. "But if you're asking if my speech is ready... I'm, um, still working on it."

She was nervous. Kakashi released her hand to stroke her arm gently. "Forget the speech. Speak from your heart. You're good at that." Tsunade still wouldn't meet his gaze, and he realized that wasn't what was bothering her. "Naruto will be fine, Tsuna. He has all of Konoha behind him. Sure, he'll have his bumps to get over, but he isn't alone. I'm sure he won't hesitate to come to you for advice if he needs it."

Tsunade relaxed a fraction. "Hai, you're right. He'll be fine." A spark entered her eyes. "And if any of the council tries to give him trouble, they'll have me to answer to."

Kakashi smiled at her protectiveness. She could deny it all she wanted, but even Tsunade Senju had a motherly streak.

Tsunade stared at him suspiciously. "Why are you smiling?"

Kakashi trailed his fingertips down her forearm, widening his eyes with as much innocence as he could muster. "Maa, I think your maternal instincts are... cute."

"That's—that's not..." Tsunade huffed. She swatted his arm gently. "Enough talking. You need to get some rest. Morning will be here soon enough, and I need you functioning. I'm the one retiring, not you."

"Hai, hai." Kakashi let his heavy eyes drift closed. Naruto had asked him to stay on as the Jōnin Commander for now, which he had agreed to—with one condition. Emergency aside, he'd requested a six month leave... starting tomorrow. But Tsunade didn't need to know that. Yet.

Kakashi tugged Tsunade's left hand up onto his chest, right over his heart. Feeling the warm pressure of her touch against his pulse sent a calming aura through his body. He left his hand atop of hers, thumb absently stroking the back of her hand. Tsunade's fingers in his hair had stilled, and her breathing was slow and even. His thumb moved over her knuckles and caressed the smooth, bare skin of her ring finger. It remained there until he drifted asleep, unaware of the slight smile curving his lips.

.


.

Tsunade stepped into the empty hokage's office, and let the door shut silently behind her. Technically, she was still hokage until the induction ceremony at noon, but she'd been gradually shifting the burden of work onto Naruto's shoulders for the past few weeks. Working side-by-side with him... had almost made the tasks enjoyable. Certainly, seeing the jubilant glow in his blue eyes had made it even more so.

Yes, he would make a great hokage. One that would likely surpass all of his predecessors. She smiled faintly. At the very least, he would exceed this predecessor; of that she had no doubt.

But then, she had never wanted this position, had she? Tsunade strolled across the room, taking in the familiar curved walls and massive windows. Become hokage had never been her dream, yet the pinnacle position of a Konoha shinobi had always been a part of her life. She supposed that was to be expected, with the blood of the Shodai flowing through her veins. First her grandfather, then great-uncle.

Nawaki.

Dan.

Naruto.

Tsunade stopped at the desk—she'd long ago lost count of the replacements—her gaze lingering on the familiar blue chair. Strange how her relationship with the Hokage had lasted longer than any of her loved ones. She ran her hand along the worn cloth of the chair.

Nine years.

Nine years, this seat had required of her. Her, who hadn't even wanted it. Tsunade snorted softly. Surely, she was first hokage who had taken this seat unwillingly. And it had taken so much from her... so much more than a mere nine years.

Tsunade walked to the window and folded her arms, gazing across the expanse of Konoha. Her Konoha. But she had gained more than she could have ever imagined. A peacefulness, the satisfaction of a duty fulfilled, swelled in her chest.

And she didn't regret a second of it.

"Baachan?" In the window's reflection, Naruto peered into the office, then stepped in and let the door close. "I thought I might find you in here."

Tsunade glanced over her shoulder and offered a smile in greeting. "I found I've grown rather fond of this view."

"You can come use it any time you want!" Naruto said eagerly, reaching her side in a few quick steps. He jammed his hands in his pockets, as he, too, stared out at Konoha. "It's kinda beautiful, isn't it?"

"Hai." Tsunade's lips quirked in amusement, but she couldn't deny she was touched that he so clearly wanted her around. "Are you ready?"

She'd half-expected an exuberant 'believe it!', but Naruto only released a long, nervous breath. "I... well... I thought I was, but..." He shrugged his broad orange shoulders. "I've been waiting for this day all of my life, but now that it's finally here... I—I don't know if I'm ready."

Tsunade tilted her head to get a better view of his face. "Why not?"

"Er, well..." Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "Whenever I think about it, I get a sick feeling in my stomach." He lifted his chin. "A hokage should be confident, believe it! But—but all I can think about is... what if I mess up?"

Tsunade smacked the back of his head.

"Ow!" Naruto shot her a sullen look, but he didn't step away. "What was that for? You can't do that to the hokage."

"You're not hokage yet, brat," Tsunade retorted. She lifted a finger, and he flinched. "Remember when I flicked you with this finger?" Naruto nodded warily, so she continued, "You were confident, and you still got your ass handed to you. But what did you do? You learned from your mistake, and you didn't give up until you had prevailed and proved me wrong. You will make mistakes, Naruto, because that's a part of life. But you will overcome them, because you have the Will of Fire." Tsunade rested her hand on his arm. "And we are all with you. I have no doubt you will be a great hokage. The greatest."

A slow grin spread across Naruto's face. "I think proving you wrong was one of the best things I ever did."

Tsunade rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help a smile. "Don't push it."

"Do you remember when..." Naruto fumbled around his collar, then slowly removed the necklace she had lost to him so long ago. "You giving me this, as a sign of your faith that I would achieve my dream?"

Tsunade's gaze locked on the blue crystal pendant, glittering in the sun. Her voice came out as barely more than a whisper, "I remember..."

"Whenever I forgot, or doubted myself, I would look at this necklace... and remember that there was still someone who believed in me." Naruto faced her fully, his smile warmer than sunshine. "I've achieved my dream now. And so…" He stepped forward and carefully fastened the necklace around her neck. "I want to give it back to you. It's time for you to follow your own dream, Tsunade-baachan."

Tsunade touched the crystal, unable to speak. Her eyes blurred. Oh gods, was she crying? No, no, no. She still had her speech to get through. "I... I..."

Naruto wrapped her in his arms, warm and sturdy. Tsunade returned the hug, smiling through her tears. Goodness, he was bigger than Kakashi now. She held him tighter, knowing there was something she had to tell him. "Naruto... over these past nine years, you have become precious to me. I know I've been harsh on you sometimes, but that's because I see you—and—and—love you like I would a son."

Naruto's sigh shuddered through his body. He pulled back, and his bright smile quivered. "I've waited so long to hear you say that, Baachan."

"Y-you have?"

Naruto nodded, and his grin turned lopsided. "I have one more thing to give you."

Before Tsunade could begin to process enough to speak, he leaned forward and pressed a brief, but gentle kiss to her forehead. The world seemed to go still, and she couldn't even find the willpower to breathe. How did he...

"Thank you, Baachan. For everything." Naruto straightened, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. "I'll take good care of Konoha for you. Now you can go live your dream... with Kakashi-sensei."

"Baka," Tsunade huffed, though her cheeks warmed. "You shouldn't say such things about your—"

"Elders?"

"NARUTO!"

.


.

Miraculously, she kept it together during her speech and the ceremonious placing of the hokage hat on Naruto's blond head.

But now, watching Naruto silhouetted against the entirety of Konoha and the cheering crowds below; his white and red cape flowing behind him and holding the hokage hat high, her throat tightened, though she couldn't stop smiling.

He'd fulfilled his dream.

Kakashi stepped up beside her and his warm hand enveloped hers. Tsunade leaned into his side, and squeezed his hand, unable to put what she was feeling into words. Kakashi returned the pressure with a gentle squeeze of his own. He knew she didn't need him to speak. His presence was enough.

Naruto waved to the crowd one last time, then rejoined Hinata and their two-year-old son, Minato. Together, they descended down the top of the tower, followed closely by several Anbu.

Kakashi tipped his head toward her, and his voice rumbled in her ear. "So, what now?"

Tsunade blinked; dragging her attention away from Naruto... and her memories. Now? She hadn't thought that far ahead, or maybe she hadn't wanted to. She dropped her gaze to their entwined hands and bit her lip. Kakashi was staying on as the Jōnin Commander, but what did that mean for her? For them? "I—I'm not sure."

"Hmm." Kakashi's eyes crinkled with a smile. "I have an idea." He tugged her hand. "Come with me."

His idea turned out to be walking through Senju Park after the ceremony, accompanied by several of their friends. The cherry trees were in full bloom, branches covered with thousands of the pale pink flowers.

Naruto, still wearing his hokage cape, strolled at the front with Hinata, little black-haired Minato perched on his shoulders. Sai and Ino walked hand-in-hand next to Sakura and Sasuke, and Jiraiya followed close behind whenever he wasn't chasing after a fleet-footed Satomi, who delighted in finding bugs and pebbles to show a fascinated Minato. Shizune and Tonton brought up the rear, though more often than not, the pig raced off with Pakkun to sniff questionable-looking things.

Tsunade walked with Kakashi in the back of the group, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "This was your idea?"

Kakashi shrugged lightly, but she didn't miss the gleam in his eye. "Maa, isn't it nice to have a moment of peace with friends?"

"Well... yes." Still, she couldn't shake the feeling he was up to something.

Kakashi nudged her. "Relax, Tsuna. Enjoy it." He looked ahead at the laughing group. "These are precious moments we shouldn't take for granted. We never know what tomorrow will bring, after all."

Tsunade gazed up at his masked face, taking in each feature she knew so well... and loved so much. Now, she knew. She would be content to spend the rest of her life with Kakashi. That was all she wanted, and she didn't need anything else. "Every moment I spend with you is precious to me."

Kakashi halted. The intensity in his gaze filled her stomach with butterflies. But instead of reaching for her, he slid his hand into his pocket. "Tsuna, I..." He froze, and his eyes widened in horror. "I—I, uh, I forgot to take care of something important. I'll, ah, be right back." He vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Tsunade stared at the spot Kakashi had stood a moment earlier, slightly exasperated. Weren't they just having a moment? And then he had to go and ruin it with... whatever that was. She sighed, and trailed after the rest of the group. Knowing Kakashi, he had likely forgotten to give the rest of his ninken their afternoon treats.

They reached a section of the park with a denser section of cherry trees, surrounding them with the pale pink blossoms. Shizune oohed over the beauty of the petals, and Tsunade offered a distracted nod and smile of agreement. But she couldn't help fidgeting with the hem of her haori, and glanced around the surrounding trees. Where was Kakashi? For all his talk about precious moments, he was certainly taking his time to return.

A familiar presence appeared behind her. Finally.

"It's about ti—" Tsunade turned, and nearly gave herself a heart attack. She stumbled back a couple of steps. "K-Kakashi!"

Kakashi's face was inches from hers, but... upside down. He stood on a low-hanging branch of the cherry tree, but was only visible from his mid-chest up, due to the clusters of sakura blossoms. A few loose petals floated to the ground.

Once she got over her surprise, Tsunade couldn't help a laugh at the ridiculous man in front of her. "What on earth are you doing?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask, eyes soft. "Something I've wanted to do for a long time."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gray box. Carefully, he opened the top, exposing a silver ring embedded with three sparking diamonds. He cleared his throat nervously. "Tsuna, you showed me how to open my heart and gain precious things again. And you—you are the most precious to me."

Tsunade's heart was in her throat. She couldn't breathe; could hardly even see Kakashi's earnest face through the sudden blur of unshed tears. He'd actually... he truly wanted to... A dim part of her wondered if this was what it felt like to go into shock.

"I love you, Tsuna. And I want to honor that with a commitment." Kakashi took a deep breath, and his charcoal eyes locked with Tsunade's, warm and deep. "So... will you marry me?"

Tears spilled freely down her cheeks. But Tsunade's smile stretched her lips so wide, she wasn't sure she could ever return to normal. A glow of pure joy filled her from head to toe. And she didn't want to. "Yes. Yes."

Cheers erupted from behind her. Apparently, their group had stopped to watch the show.

But Tsunade didn't care. Kakashi's gaze was only for her as he stepped farther along the branch, closing the gap between them. He reached up and pulled his mask free, making no attempt to conceal his face from the friends behind them, and kissed her fervently, setting her senses on fire.

Kakashi pulled back, leaving her breathless, and smiled against her lips. "Think they can manage without us?"

Tsunade barely managed a nod before his arms wrapped around her, and he lifted her up into the sakura blossoms. Her feet settled on the thick limb, and for a long moment, they just stood there in an embrace. Tsunade held him tighter, her face pressed into his neck as she tried to get a hold of her emotions. Everything felt surreal.

She was going to marry Kakashi Hatake.

Tsunade managed a laugh through her sniffles, and leaned back enough to see his face, framed by pink flowers. Her laugh dissolved into a giggle. "I can't believe we're doing this in a cloud of pink petals."

Kakashi had been staring at her as if she were the only thing that existed, but at her comment his silver eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Maa, I thought it was... romantic."

"It is. Very romantic." Tsunade discreetly shifted a branch so that a shower of petals fell; most of which stuck in Kakashi's spiky hair. She smiled, barely concealing another laugh. "And I love it."

Kakashi's grin was self-satisfied. He caught her left hand and lifted it between them. "I believe I have a ring for you."

Tsunade gazed at the thick silver ring as he slid it onto her finger. Her chest cramped, but she swallowed back the surge of emotion. Instead, she tilted her hand, admiring the gleam of the three diamonds in the sunlight. All three were embedded in the band, instead of mounted like most rings.

Kakashi stroked her hand with his thumb. "I had it special made with reenforced silver that is strengthened by chakra flow." His grin widened. "And I had the diamonds designed to be set in the band, so they can withstand impact. Even your punches won't damage it. What do you think?"

What did she think? The amount of time and thought he'd obviously put into it made her want to melt. Tsunade swiped at her traitorous eyes again. "I love it." She lifted her gaze back to his. "I love you."

Kakashi's entire face lit up with delight, and he lifted her hand to press a kiss to the inside of her wrist, sending a tingle through her body. "I requested some time off after we get married. We can travel; go wherever you want." At her expression, he added hastily, "Or we can stay in Konoha. Whatever you—"

Tsunade leaned in to give his beauty mark a lingering kiss, immediately shutting him up. How did he know that traveling around to see the other lands had always been a dream of hers? And a binge-drinking, guilt-fueled trip didn't count. "There are some waterfalls in Yu I've always wanted to see."

"Then we'll go there first." Kakashi smiled down at her.

Tsunade slipped her hands around his neck, and Kakashi seemed to agree that no other words were needed. His lips tasted like heaven, and her fingers twined through his soft hair. Petals floated through the air around them, and Tsunade couldn't stop smiling against his mouth as his kisses trailed along her jaw, chin, and back to her lips.

Finally, everything was right.


A/N: And that's a wrap! Thank you so much to everyone who had read this story, and a special thanks to everyone who took the time to review. I appreciate it more than you can know. :)

To those of you wondering, yes, I have a couple more stories in the works. My main project is a time travel fic where Kakashi finds himself in the time of the Second War and face-to-face with his father. If that interests you, keep an eye out for it sometime next year.

Note: The first hokage's necklace was destroyed in canon, but we're pretending that didn't happen in this story. XD


LoveChibi: Oh my goodness, thank you so much! You are too kind, and your reviews made my week. :) I'm so glad the last few chapters have touched you in such a way! That means the world to me. And yes! I truly hope this pairing becomes more popular, because I would love to have more fics of them. Again, thank you, thank you for your reviews!

Idle-ing: Hahaha, they truly are. XD Honestly, it's also a relief to be able to write them in a way where they no longer have anything holding them back. And giving them what they've deserved for so long is very satisfying too. Lolol, I'm glad you enjoyed that bit of forshadowing. ;) Thank you so much for all of your reviews! They mean a lot to me. :)

Guest: Thank you! I really appreciate your review. :)