Note: Another one from the mind of me.

Also, favoriting my stories without reviewing them pisses me the fuck off. I'll be sure and mention this more.

Enjoy!

Chronicle--

II. Playing House

As Kakashi carried in the last of Sakura's belongings he wondered how she had ever managed to fit everything in the apartment from which she had just moved. His living room was stacked with boxes in any empty space, and his bedroom wasn't faring much better. Not that he minded this one bit, of course.

"Kakashi?" the voice in the other room called out.

"This is the last of it," he said as he held up a large wicker basket full of shoes. He was leaning in the doorway, watching her as she hung up dresses and shirts.

"Put that over there next to the other one, please," she said as she pointed to the corner.

Already feeling somewhat domesticated, he nodded and did as directed. After that he went back to the living room to begin searching for other boxes of clothing that he was sure she had missed. By the time he found what he was looking for, she had moved from the closet to the sock drawer.

Noticing that the bed was clear, he moved for it. Laying with his head at the foot of the bed brought him closer to her.

"Hey!" she protested as hands pulled her away from her task.

Sakura's protests quickly died out when the mask came down and Kakashi's lips began to trail their way down her jaw line. She tilted her head back to allow him better access. When he was satisfied, he rested his head against her shoulder and breathed in the intoxicating scent of her skin.

"I love you, in case I haven't said that today," she sighed as she leaned her head against his. The hands that gripped her arms moved to envelope her in a crushing embrace.

"It better be love," he grinned, "if I'm giving you my sock drawer."

She turned and kissed him once before wiggling out of his arms. She still had unpacking to do. A whole stack of boxes was waiting, and then at least a dozen more in the other room.

If she were lucky she would get it done the next day, but in her own mind she knew that there were more important things that needed to be done. It wasn't like she had never stayed over before, but it was the first night she could actually say that she lived there.

For a while things were quiet, and it seemed like Kakashi had drifted into a light sleep. His eyes were shut and the way he pillowed his head on his arms just looked comfortable. Sakura leaned back on her heels to watching him for a moment.

"You're staring," he mumbled.

"I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"Well, if the sock drawer is love, what does the underwear drawer mean?"

"Lust, of course."

She grinned as she reached for the wicker basket full of shoes. There were at least a dozen pair to make room for in the closet. She was lucky that his wardrobe was small and didn't take up much space.

As she leaned down to make things more orderly, she felt the familiar 'I'm being watched' prickling at the back of her neck. And there was no doubt in her mind about exactly what was being watched.

Sakura was feeling bold.

She sauntered over to the box she had planned on saving for last. The moment she began to pull out various pairs of panties and bras she knew he was hooked. Even without looking she could tell she had his full attention.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks with a grin that he cannot see. Her back is to him.

"My underwear drawer." His voice is thick.

"Me too."

But there is not enough time for unpacking anymore. The undergarments are left forgotten onto the floor as she is quickly pulled onto the bed without warning. Kakashi wants to do some unpacking of his own.

Three days later the boxes that littered the apartment were still bothersome and in the way. Sakura used one for a makeshift end table as she enjoyed her morning coffee. Across the room she could see the remnants of Kakashi's hurried breakfast still sitting on what she knew to be a box full of old photographs and things from her beginning days as a ninja.

When she opened the box she was greeted with the sight of her old, blue headband. It was slightly dusty from having been unused for some years. Beneath it was the group photograph from her early genin days when Kakashi was still their jounin teacher. She touched the faces of her friends and smiled back at their disgruntled faces.

Kakashi had the same photograph in a simple frame that sat on a table near the door. The first time she had seen it she had been surprised that he had decided to showcase it at all.

The memories of how far everyone had come since those early days of angst and growing up hit Sakura hard, like a punch in the stomach. She looked around the apartment at her belongings mixed with his, and all of the boxes that had still yet to be unpacked. She felt that the unsightly cardboard containers were the last bit of resistance from her old life.

Picking up the box of memorabilia, she set about finishing her work.

When Kakashi returned from his mission days later, he came home to an actual home. Not just a room with his belongings, but a home. It had warmth to it that he couldn't remember having ever felt in any place anywhere in his life. And all of the boxes were gone too.

A stupid grin crept across his face, covered by the mask that protected him from the rest of the world. But in his home he didn't need the mask.

He ripped it off his face and tossed it onto the floor.

"I hope you intend to pick that up," came the slightly annoyed voice from the kitchen area.

Kakashi turned to Sakura and gave a sheepish smile. It seemed in that moments that they had already fallen into the stereotypical husband-wife relationship. Of course he expected that they eventually would fall into some type of something, but…

He was at a loss for words. What would any other normal man say in his situation? What could he say to be smooth and keep himself out of trouble without losing any of his pride? He spouted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Uh, honey, I'm home?"

End--

Note: Some part of me makes me think that I'm making Sakura far too much like the useless housewife. She needs to do some ass kicking or something. Too bad I don't really write action.

I think I have my next clip for this series in mind, so maybe I'll get around to it this next week. Who knows!

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