Flickering candle light filled the bedroom, perfuming the air with warm jasmine. A vase of flowers that hadn't been there when Sakura left for the hospital in the morning sat on the dresser. She smiled, dropped her bag beside the door, and crossed the room to admire the burst of color. The mixture of carnations, roses, and lavender could have only been melded together so seamlessly by Ino. Sakura wondered if Kakashi had asked for the meanings behind the arrangement or trusted that Ino knew what he wanted to say.

After drawing a deep breath of the floral scent, Sakura turned away. A scrap of something at the foot of the bed caught her attention. She picked it up and saw her name scrawled across the front in Kakashi's handwriting. She traced over the letters, then unfolded the note.

I've arranged for Tenzo (and a small contingent of Anbu) to watch Kazumi for the night. With any luck, we'll have a few hours to ourselves before all hell breaks loose. Get comfortable. I'll be home soon.

Sakura chewed the inside of her lip, considering the words. She was surprised that Kakashi was going to let Kazumi out of his sight for the whole evening, even with Tenzo. The man was crazy about their four year old son. So much so that he'd started working from home as soon as Sakura went back to work. When he couldn't be at their apartment, Kakashi took Kazumi to the Tower and let the boy harass his guards for the day. Of course, the Anbu loved it, even if they'd never admit it. Tenzo was wrapped around the boy's finger.

Kakashi and Sakura had been married for seven years as of tonight, a number that she struggled to comprehend on some days. They had dated for nine months, a whirlwind of romance that left Sakura breathless. Kakashi had a depth that Sakura had never realized, and several people had mentioned that they hadn't seen him act that alive in years. More than once Sakura and Kakashi had been caught wrapped around each other in his office, and Genma suggested they start putting a sock on the door when they were 'otherwise distracted'. Kakashi had proposed not long after.

Marriage had been exciting and difficult and wonderful by turns. Sakura hadn't known that it was possible to fall even more in love with Kakashi, but she did. He had been an enigma at the start of their relationship, but as they grew closer and she understood him more, she couldn't imagine spending her life with anyone else. Until Kazumi came along and changed their lives in a million different, wonderful ways.

Smiling to herself, Sakura peeled off her dirty scrubs and tossed them into the hamper. The idea of putting on lingerie seemed almost laughable, but she pulled open the drawer that held the few pieces she owned. Kakashi had made an effort, so she should do the same. Pushing aside the black and red corset, Sakura reached for an old favorite. Kakashi always said that the deep green of the sheer garment brought out her eyes. Pulling it on, she adjusted the fit around her bust and self consciously ran a hand over her stomach.

"Beautiful as always," came a reverent voice behind her. Sakura whirled to find her husband standing in the doorway. The candlelight softened the harsh edges of Kakashi's uniform, lending a warmth to the face that most people never saw.

A blush crept up Sakura's cheeks. "You're not so bad yourself," she drawled, butterflies fluttering through her stomach even after all this time. "You know, for an old man."

Kakashi clutched his heart, faking a wound. "Medic!"

Laughing, Sakura closed the distance between herself and her husband, placing a soft kiss on the hand over his heart. "I know a good one, if you're interested."

"Oh, I am very interested," Kakashi replied, one hand cradling Sakura's cheek. She leaned into the touch, wondering how she'd gotten so lucky. Kakashi brushed his lips against her forehead "Give me a minute?"

At Sakura's nod, Kakashi disappeared into the bathroom that was connected to their bedroom. Sakura glanced around the room, wondering where to wait. Was it too presumptuous to lie on the bed? Should she put on some music? Turn down the bed and slide below the sheets? Sakura laid down on her left hip, stretched out to show her most flattering angle, then laughed at herself and perched on the edge. They'd been married long enough that she didn't have to try and woo him. Kakashi was hers, heart and soul.

When Kakashi stepped out of the bathroom, his uniform and armor were missing, Sakura's eyes roved over his body, then she did a double take. Her gaze settled on the face, or rather, the lack thereof. Sakura pushed to her feet and approached Kakashi. His eyes crinkled into the smile that she knew so well, completely unabashed at being stark naked before her. Except, he wasn't. Black fabric covered him from neck to nose.

Sakura arched one eyebrow skyward as she hooked a finger in Kakashi's mask. "What's this about?"

While Kakashi still wore the mask when in public, Sakura had convinced him to leave it off when they were alone together. She started to pull the fabric away, but Kakashi caught her hand. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Sakura rolled her eyes, but Kakashi moved out of reach. "The last woman who saw me without my mask was so enamored by my devastatingly handsome face that she couldn't form coherent sentences until I replaced it."

"Silly girl," Sakura laughed, recalling the night well. The first time that she and Kakashi had fallen into bed together, Sakura had been so awed by his beauty that she couldn't think. Now, it seemed foreign, though undoing that image had taken many years. "I'm willing to take my chances."

"You think that now," Kakashi teased, circling his arms tight around Sakura. "I think you're underestimating just how gorgeous I am."

Sakura's cheeks burned at the reminder of how often she'd repeated that sentiment to Kakashi in the heat of the moment. She'd been so tongue tied that she could hardly speak. Now, she was completely comfortable with him. "Very well. Let's see how good you are without your good looks to distract me."

Half an hour later, as they luxuriated in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Sakura traced a lazy pattern across Kakashi's chest. He kissed her forehead, his mask long since forgotten on the floor. "Happy anniversary," he whispered, voice drifting toward sleep.

"Happy anniversary," Sakura returned, resting her chin against Kakashi's chest to stare up at him. "Do you think Kazumi is doing okay?"

Kakashi nodded, running his fingers through Sakura's hair. "It's Tenzo you need to be worried about," he chuckled. "He wants to be the best friend and a good babysitter, so he usually ends up being neither."

"Maybe we should look into a more traditional babysitter when the next one comes along," Sakura suggested, her voice hardly above a whisper.

Kakashi's hand froze, fingers caught in a tangle that he'd put in Sakura's hair. "The next one? Are you saying - - "

The giddy feeling in Sakura's stomach tripled at the hope in Kakashi's voice, and she nodded. "Shizune confirmed it this morning."

Huffing a laugh, Kakashi pushed onto his elbows and rested a hand on Sakura's stomach. She watched him trace a line from her navel to where their child grew. When he looked up, his eyes were filled with pride and unabashed joy. "I love you," he whispered, then pressed a gentle kiss to her belly. "All of you."