Mei stepped out of her room. Kakashi was already in the hall. He stood gazing out at his village with his forearm braced above his head against the window frame. He seemed at peace. Mei didn't want to say anything to break the moment. She could have stood there all day appreciating what she saw: his pose, the lighting, his outline, but then Kakashi turned. His dark gaze locked on her and his face lit up with a smile.
"Ready?" He asked.
Mei returned his smile and nodded.
000000
"It is bigger," Mei finally said. "But it's still just a sapling, if that."
They both stared down at their marriage tree in the Hokage gardens. Mei hadn't realized how little a tree grew in a year.
"Just a sapling, yes, but it's strong and healthy," Kakashi replied with confidence.
"It's so little. What if someone had mown over it?" Mei turned to look at him.
"I would have exiled them," Kakashi replied, his face very serious. Then his eyes grew mirthful. "Either that or replanted it when you weren't looking."
Mei laughed. He was such a joker, her husband. "Why not just ask Yamato to come out here and make it grow faster?"
"Meh, I think it'll do better if it's given time to grow on its own. These things take time," Kakashi said. "Wouldn't you agree?"
Mei smiled in response. "I do."
The End